Sunday dinner and gym time

Everybody loves a lazy Sunday, but after laying on the couch all day, I decided that I needed to be productive. So I got up, got dressed, and got my workout done for the day! It's been a while since I went to the gym on a Sunday evening. Usually I stay at home and have a movie day with the hubs, but not today. Dusty was dilly-dallying on his computer, and I had already taken my after lunch nap, so what else was I to do, but go the gym.

At my gym we have classes based on programs from Les Mills (Body Attack, Body Pump, and RPM). My favorite class is Body Pump. It's a combination of cardio and weight lifting. When I first started I could only use the 1kg (2.2lbs) and 2.5kg (5.5lbs) weights, now I only use a minimum of 5kg (11lbs) weights. That may not sound like a lot, but that is per-side, because I'm using a bar. One thing to understand, is that I'm not power-lifting. I'm lifting a lighter load, but with higher repetitions.

My station and the stations of my swole sisters!

Body Pump is a full body workout. The class goes like this: Warm-up, Squats, Chest, Back, Triceps, Biceps, Lunges, Shoulders, Core, and Cool-down. The class is an hour long, so it's easy to fit in your schedule, and it will leave you feeling satisfied with your workout. A typical class burns up to 430 calories! So be prepared to sweat!

Once I got home from the gym it was dinner time; fortunately, I had already planned out the meal. I cooked some sautéed cabbage with sausage, purple
hull peas, and corn muffins. This was just a good old Southern, home-cooked meal! Plus it was heavy on the veggies! 

My dinner plate...Yum-o!

I've always heard of people boiling cabbage, but I always sauté mine, it tastes delicious, and I feel as if it may be better for you, but I have no idea. In the picture above I used link sausage and ground sausage. I only did this because I was clearing out my fridge. Normally I only use link sausage, but feel free to make your own additions and substitutions.

 

 Lesli's Sautéed Cabbage and Sausage

Ingredients:

• a head of cabbage
• a package of link sausage, such as kielbasa ( I use a Cajun flavor, to give it a little kick)
• 4 tbs oil (vegetable, olive, EVOO, coconut, or whatever is on hand)
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

1. Put oil in a large skillet (one with a lid), and turn stove eye to low-medium heat.
2. Cut cabbage into squares, or diced. Then rinse cabbage and dry. I use my salad spinner to get the cabbage dried off.
3. Place cabbage in skillet and stir, till the leaves are coated with oil, cover and stir every couple of minutes. The leaves will begin to turn a brighter green, and the white leaves should start to become translucent.
4. While the cabbage is cooking down, slice the sausage links, into 1/4 inch rounds.
5.  After slicing, place the sausage in the skillet with the cabbage, cover, and turn the heat to medium. You can sprinkle in some red pepper flakes at this point, depending on how spices you want the dish.
6. Stir the cabbage and sausage every couple of minutes, until the white pieces are tender. I usually spoon out a piece and eat it to make sure.
7. Serve and enjoy. I always douse on some hot pepper sauce, and pair this dish with corn bread.

Let me know how this dish works for you, or if you have similar dishes.

Also feel free to visit the Les Mills website for more information on their workouts and classes, they have a lot more than just the ones I mentioned!

Until next time, 

- Lesli