And the Heat Goes On....

Man, it is HOT here in San Antonio! I love summer, I really do but we have had triple digit heat for almost two months. I never thought that clear blue skies with lots of sunshine could get annoying but I would LOVE to see some rain clouds right about now!

We have had a busy summer, as usual. We took a wonderful trip to Boston with my parents and Erin (pictures to come), did some tubing/"toobing" on the Comal River, and took a great beach vacation with our pals Nathan and Emily. We also visited the San Antonio wildlife park for some up close and personal time with zebras, ostriches, gazelles and tons of other animals. (for pictures: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.584097377515.2078472.50401332&l=5d5c27adc4&type=1). I've been working on decorating more of our house but it's hard to get motivated after fighting the heat all day.

I've been looking for ways to spice up my exercise routine. There's nothing more annoying to me than when someone says, "Oh, you're so skinny! Why do you work out?" First of all, I wouldn't look the way I do if I didn't make fitness and healthy eating a priority. Secondly, why would you discourage someone from doing something that is so beneficial mentally and physically? Thirdly, doesn't skinny imply lack of womanly curves? I think my husband would agree I'm not some pre-adolescent string bean either. Anyway, if you're looking to tone it up and feel great, take a look at these websites. They've got some great suggestions!

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a-complete-body-toning-workout
http://www.shape.com/
http://topexercisevideos.com/

Has anyone tried the Jillian Michaels workout DVDs? I'm thinking of trying that next.

Summer Zucchini Recipes

**from allrecipes.com**


Oh gosh, our garden is producing zucchini out of control! I love them but I had to find new ways of preparing them so that Ricky and I didn't get totally sick of them. I highly recommend the zucchini cake recipe. It was light, delicious and a great way to have veggies in dessert!

3. Zucchini Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 13x9 inch baking pan.
2. Combine eggs, oil, sugar, grated zucchini, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix until just combined. Stir in the chopped nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F(175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

**Compliments of Allrecipes.com

4. Zucchini Scramble (a twist on my grandmother's recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced zucchini
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
coarse ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste
2 eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup feta cheese

Boil zucchini in a large pot until tender. Drain water and season with garlic and onion powders. Add onions. Sautee onions and zucchini together for about three minutes. Crack eggs and scramble in a separate bowl. Add eggs to vegetable mixture and scramble together until eggs are almost done. Add 1/4 of feta cheese and season with salt and pepper. Great for brunch!:)