Feeding the Family: Spinach Stuffed Portabellas

A tasty recipe made with lots of veggies from our very own Stroller Stridin' mama, Kerri Kanter...

I made spinach stuffed portabellas last night with items I had in my pantry and fridge. It was so easy and yummy that I thought I'd share. I didn't measure so some of these are guesstimates! Hope you like! ~Kerri

Ingredients:

2 Portabellas

1 large bag of baby spinach leaves

14oz can of fire roasted tomatoes

1 mini can of sliced olives

1/4 cup or so of reduced fat feta

Generous sprinkle of black pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Portabellas

1. Wipe clean and remove stems.
2. Place in a baking dish with top facing down.
3. Brush inside with 1 tbs of Italian dressing in each (you could also use wine or a vinegar of choice).
4. Let marinate for 45 minutes.

Spinach Stuffing

1. Heat olive oil in saute pan.
2. Saute spinach until wilted on medium heat.
3. Add remaining ingredients execpt for mozzarella cheese.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stuff portabellas top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 - 20 minutes in a 350 oven.

Thanks for sharing, Kerri! Can't wait to try this one out at Chez Currin. To share a recipe with your favorite Midtown Raleigh Moms type it into an email or Word document and send it along to missycurrin@strollerstrides.net and I'll post it up here for all to try.

Our February Mom of the Month...

Our Mom of the Month Program honors moms for making strides in fitness, motherhood and life and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time! February's Mom of the Month is Sharon Morris (aka Alexander's mom)!

Sharon's hard work during class and amazing attendance record have really paid off... every time we see her there's less of her to look at! She is getting so fit and trim that we wanted to honor her efforts and encourage other moms with her success story. Sharon has also agreed to serve as our Playgroup Co-Captain starting in February and will be planning and coordinating our playgroup activities with our current Playgroup Captain, Nora!

It has been a joy to get to know Sharon this Fall/Winter and to call her our friend. Here are a few interesting facts about Sharon to help you get to know her even better...

Hometown Raleigh, NC
Education NC State University
Stroller Strides Member since October 2010
Members of your Family William (hubby), Alexander (son), and Bernie (beagle/chihauhau mix)
Current Career Mom! previously a project manager
What was your childhood ambition? To be a judge
What does motherhood mean to you? Being challenged and rewarded each day in ways I never imagined.
What is the furthest you have been from home? Western Europe
What has Stroller Strides done for you? Helped me tone up and feel the best about my body ever! It has also allowed me to get out and meet some amazing women (gee- thanks, Sharon!).
What is your favorite exercise? Lunges or squats- I am trying to one day have a perky backside!
What is your proudest moment? Every time my mom instinct kicks in and I figure Alexander out.
What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Reading, laying on the beach and being outdoors doing anything!
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. After college I used my sociology/criminal justice degree and worked for a police department. I got to go to training and become a Certified Hostage Negotiator.
If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say? Patience, dedication, and organization.

Holiday Get Fit Challenge Champion

I'm so thrilled to announce that our Stroller Strides Holiday Get Fit Challenge Champion is...
Alex Johnson (pictured here in the middle of a family hug at our Halloween party)!

This Holiday Get Fit Challenge lasted 10 weeks and took participants through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays (traditionally times that most of us forsake healthy lifestyle habits). The three measurements used to determine "fit-ness" were a timed Plank (for core strength and endurance), a 1-minute 4-Point Touch (measuring agility, speed, and endurance), and BMI (pregnant moms exempt from this measurement). Our winner was determined by calculating the overall percentage change.

Alex is one very fit mom who started by holding her Plank for over 2 minutes and in post-testing she improved by holding her Plank for over 3 minutes- WOW! That is a 42% improvement and is especially impressive as Alex is halfway through her 2nd pregnancy. Those are some strong core muscles wrapped around that baby boy!

She also improved in her 1-minute 4-Point Touch by 1 additional cone... a 6% change from her pre-testing 4-Point Touch score. Because Alex is pregnant, her BMI did not affect her score and she finished with an overall change of 48%. As our Get Fit Challenge Champion Alex will receive a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure and, of course, bragging rights!

13 moms participated in the initial pre-testing and 7 completed the entire challenge... ALL of them had improvements in at least one, if not all three, categories! I'm so proud of all of you ladies! Keep up the good work!

How are we doing on those New Year's Resolutions, Mom?

As we enter into the second half of January 2011, take stock of the resolutions you made just 2 short weeks ago. How are you doing? If you have veered away from your plan maybe it is because you have taken your eyes off your goal. If you have intended to obtain a certain level of fitness, lose weight, eat healthier or any other goal for 2011, it is crucial to keep that goal in front of you throughout your day…everyday.

One of the goals we have here at Stroller Strides is that moms take care of themselves so they can be FIT FOR MOTHERHOOD! With that goal in mind, here is an exercise which targets very functional muscles in motherhood. Give it a try!

When we make decisions with our goal in mind, we find ourselves there faster! Stay focused and you WILL accomplish what you set out to!

Original blog post written by Lisa Druxman, CEO and Chief Founding Mother of Stroller Strides

3 More Opportunities to Try Stroller Strides for FREE!

Just 3 classes left to try Stroller Strides for FREE!

(Jan 10-15th, 2011)

Cary Towne Center or Gold's Gym of North Hills

Stroller Strides of Raleigh & Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh would like to invite all local moms out to try our program (the largest and fastest-growing mom/baby fitness program in the nation) for a full week at no charge! Join us for up to 6 classes for free (offer valid for all who are new to Stroller Strides). Start the New Year off right with a great week of workouts!

Schedule (for the rest of the week):

• Thurs, Jan 13th
  
  
  
  • 9:30am: Cary Towne Center
  
  
• Fri, Jan 14th
  
  
  
  • 10am: Gold's Gym of North Hills
  
  
• Sat, Jan 15th
  
  
  
  • 9:30am: Cary Towne Center (FAMILY CLASS--Dads welcome too at no additional charge!)
  
  

Locations:

Cary Towne Center mall, 1105 Walnut St, Cary (meet at 'Center Court', near Macys; best parking/entrance: Food Court)

Gold's Gym at North Hills, Main at North Hills St, Raleigh (near Renaissance hotel)

Interested in signing up for Stroller Strides?

Don't miss our 'New Year, New You' membership discount--

only $20.11 registration fee!

Commonly-Asked Questions:

What should I bring?

Please bring a sturdy stroller, a towel or mat for ab work, water, walking/athletic shoes and attire, and any toys/snacks for the little one/s as desired.

Do I need to pre-register?

You can pre-register so that your info is on file by clicking here for Cary Towne Center, or clicking here for Gold's Gym at North Hills. However you can also show up on any day (or every day!) between Jan 10-15th to attend class for free. We suggest arriving 10-15 minutes before the start of class.

What is Stroller Strides?

Stroller Strides is a total fitness program for moms that they can do with their baby or stroller-age child. The hour-long workout includes power walking and intervals of body toning, using exercise tubing and the stroller. Taught by nationally certified instructors who are trained in pre- and post-natal fitness, it's a great workout for any fitness level.

Fitness for Mom, Fun for Baby

In addition to providing a great full body workout for moms, we engage the children throughout our classes through songs and activities, keeping baby entertained while mom exercises. We welcome moms and babies from 6 weeks to any age that they’ll stay in a stroller (usually about 4 years old).

More than an Exercise Program

Our program also offers our Luna Mom Playgroup at no additional cost (click here for Southwest Raleigh/Cary/Apex area; or click here for Midtown/North Raleigh area) that consists of weekly playgroups after class, monthly moms night out activities and special community events. Don't put it off any longer... come join all the Stroller Strides fun!

We hope to see you there!

-Team Stroller Strides Raleigh

Is your baby warm enough in the stroller this winter?

Babies cannot monitor their warmth like we can. As a general rule they should have on 1 more layer than we do. Here are a few of our favorite things to keep your little one warm while out and about this winter season (from Joggermom.com):

• A warm sleeping bag or sleep sack is perfect to keep their body temperature up. They easily attach to most strollers (excludes BOB strollers) or infant seats. We like the universal JJCole BundleMe or Mountain Buggy sleeping bag.



• A hat will also help keep his body temperature up.



• If it is raining, snowing or just plain cold out a weather shield will help keep your little one dry and happy in the frigid temperatures.



• A seat liner or stroller insert is also another option. This will add warmth from underneath only. It will be a warm and cozy spot for your little one to sit in as most stroller canvas fabrics get really cold.

Thanks to Joggermom.com for the content of this post!

Feeding the Family: Spiced Carrot Muffins

Monty is currently a very picky eater and unfortunately it is leaving him rather constipated. It is so sad to see your child cry when he poops. It wasn't always like this. When he was a baby just learning to eat solid foods he would eat anything... I even made his baby food with added onions, garlic, and even cumin.

But now that he is a toddler, he prefers starchy staples and things covered in cheese (don't we all?!) such as goldfish and pizza and won't touch a vegetable and rarely eats fruit. So I was really excited when a friend of mine made these muffins and Monty gobbled one right up because they are full of carrots! And I made them with Greek yogurt so they have lean protein in them too! This is originally a Martha Stewart Everyday Recipe... enjoy.

Spiced Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
2-3 cups of shredded carrots

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, butter, and eggs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add yogurt mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in carrots. (I had to add a splash of milk to loosen up the batter a bit... maybe you don't have to if you use regular yogurt.)
3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.