This weekend I took my first spinning class at the gym since high school. That’s 10 years, folks.
After I left college, I found out how expensive gym memberships are when they’re not discreetly packaged in with the rest of your pricey tuition. So I did what any sensible broke person would do.
I bought a ticket to Spain, got certified to teach English as a Second Language, and spent several months walking more on a daily basis than I typically do in a week (this was partly due to the culture and partly due to being horrified I’d miss my bus stop again due to language barriers).
After little kiddos taught me how I should have stuck to my double-major in college (yes, Spanish was one of them; no, teaching was not the other one), I came back to the states and then did the most sensible thing a broke person would do.
I took up running. I used to run in high school and college but never more than about 3 miles at a time. However, there was something different about this time that motivated me to go further. I was running with my new boyfriend. One look at that smile and you’d understand why I refused to be the one to turn around first and go home.
Yes, that hottie is now my husband 
And since then we’ve run several races together. When I have the motivation of training with him I don’t want to do anything but run. However, when the weather gets cold and there’s no race in sight, I like to vary my exercise routine.
So I finally decided to take a class at the gym. I remembered really liking spinning years ago and decided to give it another try. One hour in that steamy room felt like running a half marathon. I awoke muscles I forgot about and walked out looking like I just jumped in a pool.
The best part after a good workout? A good meal. I was thrilled to have these chicken sausages from Al Fresco waiting to be used. They sent me their Tomato & Basil Chicken Meatballs along with Sweet Apple and Roasted Pepper & Asiago Chicken Sausages.
For breakfast, my husband and I enjoyed the Sweet Apple flavor along with eggs and an english muffin. I loved the hint of maple in these and thought they were perfect for a breakfast or brunch!
I also used the Roasted Pepper & Asiago flavor to make a new risotto dish. I found this recipe in Food Network and was excited to give baking risotto a try! It takes away the constant stirring, which is the most time-consuming part of traditional risotto, and still leaves that soft and comforting texture!
Baked Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Risotto
Adapted from Food Network
Ingredients:
2 tbs. olive oil
2 Italian sausages, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cups broccoli spears
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 cup arborio rice
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 140z. can diced tomatoes
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in skillet (use ovenproof pot if you have one). Add sausage and onion and cook about 5 minutes. Add broccoli and carrots and cook additional 3 minutes. Add rice and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Add wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add broth, entire can of tomatoes and 1 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil. Transfer dish to oven-safe pot, cover and bake until rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and stir in cheese. Serve and enjoy!
The winner of the Share Your Goodness giveaway is Elle Sees!
~Don’t forget to enter to win 3 bags of Popped Corn!
~Have you taken spin class? Do you prefer to workout alone or with others?
