Living Life Balanced Blog

Taco Party Virtual Cooking Class

4/24/2020

These are NACHO average times...

Let's TACO 'bout it!

Join us on Facebook Live on April 25th at 5pm (CDT) and let's make budget friendly tacos and guac while sippin' margs together!

We are keeping it pretty basic with the following ingredients, substitute as needed:

*tortillas (corn, whole wheat, gluten-free, whatever you prefer)
*ground meat (or beans)
*taco seasonings
*tomatoes
*onion
*jalapeno
*cilantro
*white beans
*avocado
*chips
*limes
*tequila or whatever alcohol you have on hand
*sugar

Got questions or need ideas for substitutes? Contact me for more details or just comment while on Facebook Live!

Check out my latest Facebook post to set a reminder to watch and cook with us.

We will be cooking a simpler (quarantine) version of:

Tacos
White Bean Guacamole
Margaritas (recipe below)

Serves 1

1 wedge lime
sprinkling of salt on a plate (to coat glass)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)
2 tsp superfine sugar
1/4 cup tequila (or bourbon, or whatever alcohol you have)
2 cups of ice

Rub lime wedge around edge of glass and dip onto plate with salt to rim your glass.
In a cocktail shaker or large glass or bowl, shake or stir together the lime juice and sugar until sugar partially dissolves - about 30 seconds.
Add tequila and 1 cup of ice cubes, shake or stir vigorously for 30 seconds.
Pour into prepared glass and add remaining ice cubes.

View the cooking class below for step-by-step instructions!

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Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta

4/16/2020

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I have really been enjoying playing "Chopped" in the kitchen lately and pulling together different ingredients to see what I can make. This week I decided on using - chickpea pasta, nutritional yeast, mushrooms and bok choy. I couldn't be any happier with how it turned out! So filling, full off fiber, and high in protein YET it was as thick, "cheesy", and decadent as mac n' cheese. Even my meat and dairy loving husband enjoyed it! I promise you won't miss the meat, dairy OR gluten in this dish!

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta: gluten free and dairy free recipes by Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

6 Tbsp olive oil
5 Tbsp gluten-free all purpose flour (I used this)
4 cups unsweetened plain Ripple pea milk
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (I used this)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground mustard seed
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 sweet onion, chopped
16 oz baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 head of baby boy choy, chopped
4 servings chickpea rotini pasta, cooked according to package (I used this)

Directions

Add the 6 Tbsp olive oil to a large pot on the stove and turn to medium high heat.
Add the flour and quickly mix while stirring pretty vigorously.
Add in the pea milk and continue to stir, breaking up any clumps. Continue to cook until sauce starts to boil and thicken.
Once it reaches your desired thickness remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard seed, paprika, pepper and salt. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. (This sauce works as an awesome "cheese" sauce for pasta, lasagna, nachos, etc.)
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a saute pan over medium high heat.
Once hot, add the onion and cook until translucent. Add in the mushrooms and bok choy and continue to cook until wilted.
Add the pasta and veggies to the "cheese" pot and mix until everything is thoroughly covered in the sauce. Serve and enjoy!!!

If you like this recipe, download the Prepear app for more of my recipes (plus thousands of others), meal planning, grocery list creating AND grocery ordering from Walmart!

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Shelter-in-Race 5k, 10k, 15k or Half Marathon (Virtual Race)

4/10/2020

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Shelter-in-Race 5k, 10k, 15k, or Half Marathon Virtual Race on May 2 presented by Elena McCown, LLC

Let's join together in community, by running (or walking) apart on May 2. Choose between a 5k, 10k, 15k, or half marathon and participate as an individual or virtual team to challenge yourself and others to stay active over the next few weeks, and most importantly, for a good cause.

One Generation Away, a Franklin, TN based non-profit, is working to help those among us who need it most, especially during these trying times. With 50% of the profits from *shirts going to One Generation Away, you can help in their mission of Wiping Hunger Off the Face of America!

*Shirts are only available to order until April 19 and will arrive shortly after the race - so order yours today

For more details on the actual race - click here.

Next Steps

Register here $0
Purchase your shirt $22
Select GOING and share the Shelter-in-Race Facebook Event
Design and print your own bib to wear on race day!
**Start Training!
On race day enter your final results here (open May 2-May 3)

**Training Scavenger Hunt Contest + Coffee Prize

Exercise might feel a bit rough for some of you right now so for a little extra motivation we are going to take you on a scavenger hunt during your training to help you find joy in the journey!

"A MOMENT IS ALL IT TAKES,
TO BRING A FRESH SMILE,
MAKE A GORGEOUS DAY,
OR REINFORCE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE."
~Craig Margolius, SYPCOFFEE Founder

SYPCOFFEE runs off the realization that every moment really does matter and they have so graciously offered to gift one bag of 'carefully roasted specialty coffee, beautifully packaged and personalized' to the winner of the scavenger hunt!

Throughout the next few weeks during your training runs/walks be on the lookout for something in each of these categories to help brighten your day:

Beautiful flowers
Luscious green landscapes
Wildlife
Sunrises or sunsets
Some form of water (lake, beach, pond, fountain, rain, etc.)
BONUS: Something that makes you happy

Take a picture of as many of these items as you can during your training runs/walks and post your favorites (please just 1 per category) in the Facebook Event. Each category submitted for counts as 1 entry to the contest (up to 6 entries per person). On race day, one winner will be drawn from all of the entries and announced via Facebook!

When DOESN'T coffee help make your day better? If you aren't selected as the winner, maybe this could be your gift to yourself for finishing the race! ;)

Scavenger Hunt Prize by SYPCOFFEE for Shelter-in-Race 5k, 10k, 15k, or Half Marathon Virtual Race on May 2 presented by Elena McCown, LLC

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Paths, Trails and Parks in Williamson County, TN

4/3/2020

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Paths, Trails and Parks in Williamson County, TN highlighted by Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

Williamson County is overflowing with beautiful local paths, trails and parks to help keep you active in your own "backyard". I have listed some of my favorites below and there are still SO many more I haven't reviewed yet. I will also include those in each list - I'm sure I'm still leaving a bunch out. I recommend downloading the AllTrails app to search for trails close to you, it is easy to use and super helpful! I have also include the Blueways (or canoe drops/fishing areas) at the end.

*As I am posting this we are on Stay-at-Home order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is important to know that you CAN still get outdoors and exercise BUT it is better to stay around where you live, don't go somewhere if it is crowded, keep your distance (at least 6ft) from others as you pass them, stay only with your household members, don't congregate, and try not to touch anything or play on playgrounds and as always, wash your hands. There also might be some parks that are closed. If all else fails, it is so nice just to walk around your neighborhood too!

Paved Paths

Aspen Grove Park Trails + The Harpeth River Greenway (Franklin) - Paved Path. Around 2.25 miles (without repeating too much) in a wooded park setting and along the river
Pinkerton Park Path + Fort Granger Trail (Franklin) - Paved Path + Trail. 2 miles (1 mile paved path loop + 1 mile trail out and back with a loop); can add more miles through downtown Franklin
Liberty Park Path (Franklin) - Paved Path. 1/2 mile along the park road surrounded by trees; can add more by running to the baseball fields or on the surrounding sidewalks along the nearby roads or through the disc golf course wooded trail
Winstead Hill Park Path (Franklin) - Paved Path. 1 mile loop around a tree lined field with stairs and a short rocky path to an overlook
Franklin Greenway Path (Bicentennial Park, Ruby F. Lynch Riverwalk Trail, Joel Cheek Park) + Judge Fulton Greer Park Path (Franklin) - Paved Path. 5 miles out and back with some loops through several different parks and trails, along the Harpeth River covered by trees; can add more miles by adding on Hillsboro Rd or by running through downtown Franklin and to Pinkerton Park
Jim Warren Park Path (Franklin) - Paved Path. 2.7 miles around a beautiful tree-lined active park; can add more miles by adding on connecting neighborhood sidewalks
Eastern Flank Battlefield Park Path (Franklin) - Paved Path. 3 miles around a historic battlefield
Fieldstone Park Path (Franklin) - Paved Path. 3 miles out and back; can add more miles by adding on Hillsboro Rd or discovering more of the paths through the neighborhood
Fly Park + Trinity Park (Franklin)
McKay's Mill Trails (Franklin)
Brentwood Parks Trail System (Brentwood) - Paved Path. About 10 miles (total out and back); can easily add several more miles in with connectors to more paths and parks
Flagpole Park Path + Wikle Park Path (Brentwood) - Paved Path. 1 mile loop around the border of both parks, can add more miles by running on the connecting sidewalks in the area
Crockett Park (Brentwood)
Concord Park (Brentwood)
River Park (Brentwood)
Tower Park (Brentwood)
Owl Creek Park (Brentwood)
Nolensville Park (Nolensville)
Fairview Park (Fairview)
Bethesda Park and Recreation Center (Thompson's Station)
Sarah Benson Park (Thompson's Station)
Harvey Park (Spring Hill)

Trails

Westhaven Trails - (Franklin) Trails. 9 miles throughout 7 different wooded trails + connectors
Pinkerton Park Path + Fort Granger Trail (Franklin) - Paved Path + Trail. 2 miles (1 mile paved path loop + 1 mile trail out and back with a loop); can add more miles through downtown Franklin
The Park at Harlinsdale Farm Trail (Franklin) - Trail. 5.25 mile turf/grass trail with a small wooded trail section + a small bit of park roads; can add more miles with more park roads or adding more loops (will eventually have more connectivity trails)
Franklin Mountain Bike Trail System (Franklin) - Trails. 1.25 miles around 2 different loops. Can add a lot more road running by running on sidewalks in the surrounding area.
Timberland Park (Franklin)
Natchez Trace Garrison Creek Trails (Franklin)
Natchez Trace Burns Branch (Franklin)
Marcella Vivrette Smith Park Trails (Brentwood) - Trails. 7 miles throughout 4 wooded trails with some rolling fields; can add more miles with park roads and paved paths or by adding on 10+ miles with the Brentwood Parks Trail System
Dry Branch Wetland (Brentwood) - Grass Trail. .4 mile around the loop where you can walk and learn about the ecosystem around you
Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary (Brentwood)
Bowie (Fairview)
Preservation Park Trails (Thompson's Station)
Alexander Trail + Stephen's Trail (Thompson's Station)

Blueways

Franklin, TN Harpeth River Canoe Access Points - Discover the 6 different canoe access points located in Franklin to help you explore the Harpeth River (Ladd Park, Eastern Flank, Pinkerton Park, Harlinsdale Farm, Williamson/Franklin Rec Center, and Rizer Point(closed))

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