Middleton Chamber of Commerce Member Spotlight

Hey, Everyone! It’s Eric here, and I hope you’re having a fantastic February. I’d like to share with you a Q & A that I recently did with the Middleton Chamber of Commerce.  I have been a member of the chamber for over 16 years, attended numerous events and have made some wonderful connections. Not only have I learned firsthand what’s going on in Middleton (ie: new developments, updates about the school district, downtown businesses, etc.) but ways to get involved and help make our community even better. Enjoy!  It’s called Member Spotlight.

Middleton Chamber of Commerce Member Spotlight2021-02-19T16:42:11-06:00

Rows, Rows, Rows for Your Back

We all have our favorite strengthening exercises. Mine have always been prone bench rows. Why? I like how the movement feels and how my body responds. While performing dumbbell or barbell rows, my shoulders remain secure and my arms never feel overstretched like when I do heavy lat pulls. Rows work the rhomboids (muscles of the inner back that are between the shoulder blades and spine), upper and lower trapezius muscles (together they make the shape of a diamond), posterior deltoids (rear shoulders), biceps and latissimus dorsi (muscles on the sides of the back). So as you can see, back rows cover a lot of territory. Below are 3 video demos to get you started. Enjoy!

 

Rows, Rows, Rows for Your Back2021-01-19T09:08:24-06:00

Colombian Ajiaco (Chicken and Potato Soup)

With 4-5 inches of snow expected today, it is definitely soup weather. Yesterday I perused the December issue of the Willy Street Co-op Reader and looked at the recipe section. The Chicken and Potato Soup recipe looked great. We had most of the ingredients, so I didn’t need to go to the grocery store. As always, we made some adjustments for taste and what was available. It turned out absolutely delicious. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients

1.5 pounds boneless skinless thigh meat, chopped (recipe called for breast meat, but I prefer the flavor of dark meat)

1 yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt (recipe called for 1 tbsp)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp ground black pepper

4 cups chicken stock

1.5 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped

1.5 cups corn kernels

1 green onion, chopped (recipe called for a bunch, but we didn’t have that much)

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 avocadoes, cut into cubes

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (recipe called for sour cream)

 

Directions

Place chicken in a casserole dish and top with the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. (Recipe suggests 8 to 24 hours.)  

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken with the garlic and onion and brown for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock and raise heat to high. Bring to boil, then lower to medium-low heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is tender.   

[At this point we made a significant change. The recipe calls for removing the chicken and then cooking the potatoes in the pot of cooking liquid. This is followed by adding some of the herbs and vegetables, then removing/discarding some of the vegetation and then returning the chicken to the pot. I find this entirely unnecessary and wasteful.]

While the chicken was simmering, we peeled and chopped the potatoes. To save time, we microwaved the potatoes for a few minutes. Just enough so that a fork or knife could penetrate. 

We stir in the potatoes, corn, green onion and oregano. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Serve the soup with avocado and yogurt. (The recipe suggests garnishing with 2 tbsp capers. We left that out.) 

Colombian Ajiaco (Chicken and Potato Soup)2021-01-14T09:48:49-06:00

A New Client Testimonial!

I don’t often toot my own horn, but I like to share a new client testimonial every once in a while. Here is one from Steven P of Madison. 

“I enthusiastically recommend Eric.  I’m a  68-year old man, fairly active, but have been looking to improve my strength and flexibility. I sought a routine which I could perform at home.  Eric gave me a wide variety of exercises which were tailored to my goals and  modest ability.  He devised a comprehensive routine which incorporated the equipment  I already had available to me, but also introduced me to some other equipment that I could potentially use as well.  He ensured that I was using the proper form and technique while performing the exercises so as to avoid injury. He answered all my questions, and his experience and expertise were very useful in sorting through all the advice one might find on the internet.   The sessions were very enjoyable and worthwhile!  — Steven P.”

A New Client Testimonial!2020-12-21T09:43:48-06:00

Give the Gift of Health for 2021

Not sure what to get your spouse, relative or friend this holiday season? Give a gift that will make a positive difference in their life. Buy a package of personal training. Don’t stress out standing in long lines at the store or throw money at another electronic device that will break or be obsolete in a year or wonder if your on-line order will be delivered in time.  A Personal Training Gift Certificate shows that you care about a person’s health and well-being. Personal training is an experience and not just another thing that you pull off a shelf. It’s a great way to help someone achieve their fitness goals faster, stay on track, and have fun along the way.

I have four private training packages to choose from. If you are having difficulty choosing, here’s some motivation. From now through the end of December, you can buy any training package (1, 5, 10 or 20 sessions) at my lowest 20-session price of $70/session if paid by Google Pay, check or cash. For your convenience, I’d be happy to send a gift certificate to print out or email. So don’t wait. The clock is ticking.

Contact me today (608)203-8817 or balancepersonaltraining4u@gmail.com.

*For new clients only.

Happy Holidays from Eric and Bob ❄️

Give the Gift of Health for 20212020-12-03T11:40:38-06:00

Stay Warm and Keep Active

BOB (Body Opponent Bag) and I are all ready for December Wisconsin weather with our new winter hats. What do you think?

Remember to make sure to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and embrace the changing seasons. If it’s rainy, put on a rain coat or carry an umbrella. If it’s cold, put on mittens or a winter hat. If it’s icy and slippery, bring trekking poles or wear microspikes. If it’s warm and sunny, then I’m jealous.  Basically, there are no excuses to getting outside in the winter. So what are your favorite outdoor winter activities? Other than shoveling snow off my driveway (har har har) mine is tromping around our woods looking at animal snow prints.

Stay Warm and Keep Active2020-12-02T13:05:45-06:00

7 BEST Tips for Living a Healthy & Fit Lifestyle

Trying to implement a laundry list of 50 or 40 or even 25 action ideas to help you achieve your health and fitness goals can be daunting, if not impossible.  So I have distilled it down to my top 7 tips. Yes, 7!  One tip for every day of the week. Now that’s doable. And I know you can do it!

7 BEST Tips for Living a Healthy & Fit Lifestyle2020-10-28T15:54:28-05:00

Tomato Panzanella Salad Recipe (by Windset Farms)

Summer is the perfect time of year for potato salad. Lucky for us, the Costco magazine came out and featured this unique recipe. Very different from your typical potato and mayo mixture.

As always, feel free to change the amounts and kinds of ingredients based on your taste, dietary restrictions and what you have in the fridge. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup rice wine vinegar (*we used 1/3 cup)

1 cup honey (*we used 1/3 cup)

2 pounds baby bell peppers, sliced

2 pounds multicolor potatoes, cooked until soft

1/2 cup olive oil, divided (*we used 1/4 cup)

12 ounces grape/cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup radishes, sliced

2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (we used 2 tbsp)

1/2 cup feta cheese

4 basil leaves, torn  

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

salt to taste

 

Directions

  1. Bring rice wine and honey to boil over medium heat; pour over sliced peppers.
  2. Smash the new potatoes. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook 1 to 2 minutes each side. Place potatoes, tomatoes, radishes and peppers in a bowl with remaining oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt.
  3. Sprinkle with chunks of feta cheese, basil and parsley. Ready to serve! 

* We reduced the amounts of vinegar and oil, and I’m glad we did. There was plenty of dressing coating all of the ingredients. If we had used the full amounts, they would have been swimming in the bowl.

Tomato Panzanella Salad Recipe (by Windset Farms)2020-07-20T18:12:13-05:00
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