Cheeseball Bites + Your Favorite Workout

Well helloooooo there.

I'm happy to announce that I went to the gym again last night. I know this might not seem like a big feat for many of you, but for me, it makes me feel good about myself. I just haven't been into running lately, and so I've been tracking down some workouts online.

On Monday, I did the Best of the Best from Oxygen magazine. Shaun actually did this workout with me (don't tell him it was from a women's magazine ;) ). My entire upper body and core was sooooooo incredibly sore after that one! This morning it finally feels a bit better but wow.

Last night, I changed it up slightly with some different moves and used Young Married Chic's Cookie Burn Workout, also adapted from Oxygen. I enjoyed that this one included some light cardio - I mixed it up between jumping jacks, butt kicks and fake jump rope (aka jumping without the actual rope).

Oh and I followed both with a little 8-minute legs...thanks to my sisters for the tip on that one! I am loving that quick yet effective workout!

I'm always on the hunt for new ideas so...What is your workout of choice?

So during football playoff season, I made these little cheeseballs. Because what's better than a giant-sized cheeseball? Little cheeseballs, of course :)

These were so easy and so fun. I whipped them up quickly, let them sit in the refrigerator for a little bit and then rolled them up. My cheeseballs of choice were feta and sharp cheddar. But you can really use any kind of cheese you want. I think goat cheese would be fantastic. Or maybe blue cheese, with a dollop of honey mixed in for good measure. Hmph.

I lined them up on a cute platter and served them with my favorite Club Multigrain crackers. You actually don't even need the crackers...after all, nothing says party like popping a cheeseball!

Duo of Cheeseball Bites

Each recipe makes about 16 cheeseballs
1 WW Points+ per bite

for the feta cheeseball bites:
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
3 oz. reduced fat feta crumbles (about 1/2 of a 5 oz. container)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic cloves, minced
black pepper, to taste
1/2 C walnuts, finely diced

for the cheddar cheeseball bites:
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 C reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp paprika
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1/2 C walnuts, finely diced

To make either recipe:
Beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the cheese and beat to combine. Add in remaining ingredients/spices and beat until fully combined and fluffy.

Pour out the mixture onto plastic wrap. Wrap up and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. Roll into 1 Tbsp-sized balls and roll in walnuts. Set on platter and serve with crackers.

These can easily be made in advance and refrigerated until serving.

So cute.

So fun.

And my favorite part is that you can really add in any ingredient you want. So go for it!

Questions of the Day:

What's your favorite kind of cheese? I love most cheeses and could pretty much eat it for every meal :) There is nothing better than a big plate full of manchego, brie, goat and sharp cheddar on crackers...with a glass of red wine!

What are your favorite workouts?

psst...it's link day on The Peach & The Pit! Head over to find some fun stuff from around the web.

Greek-style "Sloppy Joes"

If you like what you see on TAA, please vote for me to be Foodbuzz's Next Food Blog Star!

Last week I decided to create a meal based on things I already had around the house. Like my skillet chicken parmesean, it's all about getting creative and working with whatcha got. There's nothing more fun than working with a stocked pantry and Shaun and I try to eat what we have before hitting up the grocery store to replenish our goods. I had a freezer full of various meats and a crisper full of veggies. Since I always try to keep things fresh around here for TAA readers (and let's face it, it's just not fun to eat the same things over and over again), I concocted a new recipe using a package of ground turkey, some veggies and my new favorite ingredient, Greek yogurt.

Put all of that together and what do you get? A delicious, fresh 'sloppy joe' style sandwich that's hearty and packs some major flavor. I changed up a few traditional Greek flavors, though, to make this work for me. For example, instead of cucumbers which never seem to sit well in the tum despite the fact that I love them, I substituted fresh diced zucchini for a bit of crunch, health value and gorgeous green color. Isn't it pretty? Served up on a potato roll or sandwich thin, this meal is a bit messy but full of flavor thanks to some crumbled Feta cheese and diced tomatoes. Oh and don't forget the simple yogurt sauce that holds it all together!

Greek-style ‘Sloppy Joes’
1 lb ground turkey (or lean beef if you prefer)
1 large can diced tomatoes (I use Red Pack)
1 zucchini, diced, with skin on
1 small onion, diced
1 C crumbled Feta cheese (I used reduced fat)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 C Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced (I use the jarred kind)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt + more for seasoning meat
olive oil
Rolls or sandwich thins

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Saute onions until soft. Add ground turkey, season with salt (and pepper if you like) and cook through, adding the Worcestershire sauce. Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, paprika, garlic and salt until combined.

Add tomatoes, Feta and zucchini to skillet, along with the yogurt sauce. Mix altogether and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes or until zucchini is tender, but not too soft.

Serve on a roll with the top on or open faced. Enjoy!

Doesn't that look good enough to eat? I imagine that this dish would be equally as delicious over rice or quinoa as well. Heck, I had leftovers the next day for lunch and just ate the turkey mixture, sans carbs and it was divine! So what do you think? Have you ever whipped up something using only ingredients you had in the house? Without having to run out for fill-ins? Do tell!

PS - If you like what you see on The Avid Appetite, and you're intrigued by my Coconut Shrimp Curry, please vote for me to advance to Round 3 of Project Food Blog!