WOD 9/19

It has been so gorgeous out that I refuse to work out indoors... thus the reason I've been running non stop!

Now that I had a nice run in, it was time to carve up some abs. Remember... you can do as many crunches as you want but unless you do your cardio no one will ever see those abs! This ab routine was adapted from Pinterest :) I love ab routines like this one here because it targets different areas of your core. A crunch is a crunch... minimal results. Routines like this are high efficiency!

WOD 9/18

Now that Fall is basically here, I've jumped two feet in. Part of jumping two feet in is having the Manchester Road Race on the mind. The Manchester Road Race is a 4.78 mile run taking off on Main Street Thanksgiving Day. Last year was our first year living in Manchester so, unfortunately, I had no idea how awesome the race was until we walked down to cheer the runners on. When I say awesome, I mean awesome!

The runners were wearing festive, creative, and outrageous costumes! There were over 15,000 registered runners, additional runners jumping in because registration was sold out, thousands and thousands of spectators, and multiple news crews. So obviously, I was there standing in the crowd extremely bummed that I didn't have running gear on. Non the less, this year I'm all in!

I looked up the course route and off I was! I wasn't expecting an entire mile uphill but not a bad run overall.

I live about a quarter mile from the finish line but I actually had some extra energy in me after I finished this route so I ran a longer way home!

Sustain Your Energy

My boyfriend is into fitness as well but before every workout he drinks a pre-workout shake. Since we started dating, I've always asked him what exactly a pre-workout does for him. His answer, and the answer from many other male friends, is that it gives them an almost adrenaline like energy boost. In my head I'm thinking, well I want an adrenaline boost when I work out! So naturally my next question is... well can I take it? The answer from him, and again many other male friends, is that it's really not made for people doing a lot of cardio and would probably make me feel sick.Okay... you've scared me off... I don't want to waste a workout feeling sick.

So if you're like me, and you want something to sustain your energy and give you a little boost, try some of these energy gels and chews. I love these things and have tried almost every kind! This is my solution and substitute for the "men's" pre-workout. I normally eat a few chews or take a gel 20-30 minutes before my run or workout and they work great! They begin to break down as you need nutrients and you can really feel a burst of energy as it does so. They also come in all different flavors and types... my favorites so far are the Power Bar strawberry-banana energy gummies and the Jelly Belly sports beans. The most effective however, I've found to be the gels and the GU Chomps.

Whatever flavor and type you go with, now you too can have a great sustained workout without the scare of feeling sick from many of those pre-workout drinks.

Now go sweat!

One Pan Chicken Parm

I love a good Chicken Parmesan but... I hate the mess it takes to cook it. With this one pan Chicken Parmesan  I eliminate one of those messy dishes for you. When your both cooking and cleaning trust me... every dish counts!

I took my biggest stainless steel pan and began there. I love this pan because it's oven safe so I'm able to throw it in the oven if need be. However, if you don't have an oven safe pan don't worry! You can just as easily do everything right on the stove top.

What you'll need:

• Chicken breast
• Italian bread crumbs
• 2 eggs beaten
• Your favorite tomato sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Fresh chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Either cut chicken into medium sized pieces and pound with a meat pound until thin or slice chicken into thin fillets. Salt and pepper to taste...I also season with garlic and onion powder.
2. Dip each fillet into the beaten egg and then into your Italian bread crumbs.
3. Heat oil on medium high heat and lay fillets down.
4. Cook fillets and flip when the down side becomes a dark golden brown.
5. When chicken is cooked through, lay on a paper toweled plate. Drain any excess oil from pan.
6. Pour tomato sauce into pan on medium heat and return your chicken to the pan.

7. Cook sauce through until it begins to simmer.
8. Add desired amount of cheese onto your chicken breast.

    9. Now you can either put your pan in the oven to broil or just let your cheese melt on the stove top.

   10. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!

I ate this over thin spaghetti that I had left over in the fridge while my boyfriend ate it in a Kaiser Roll. Either way it's a guaranteed delicious meal!

Kettlebell + Cardio Workout

12 Minute workout- 1 Minute Each

Alternate one kettebell blast with one cardio blast

Kettlebell

1. Goblet Squat- Pulse last 20 seconds
2. Full Kettlebell swings
3. Alternating lunges with shoulder press
4. Simba (Squat with weight shifted to one side, pivot and lift kettle bell "like simba" up to opposing side
• 30 sec Right
• 30 sec Left
5. Dead lift to row
• 
6. Alternating cross lunge with kettle bell pass (swing kettle bell through legs)

Cardio

1. Lateral Jumps
• 
2. Jumping Jack with Jab
3. High Knees
4. Alternating Lunge Jumps
5. Burpee + 2 Front Kicks
6. Shuffle Blocks (Shuffle twice to one side and then jump up with hands in the air like a block)

GO SWEAT!

Chicken Sausage Stir Fry

I love fresh vegetables and how vibrant they make any dish! This is one of my favorite stir fry dishes, substituting traditional Italian sausage with chicken Italian sausage. Making these simple substitutions can make all the difference in how much fat and calories your digesting but still leave you completely satisfied.

What you'll need:

• 1 package Chicken Italian sausage
• 5 cloves crushed fresh garlic
• 1 chopped small yellow onion
• 1 crown of broccoli
• 1 package cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook Chicken Sausage in oven on 350 for 20 minutes
2. In a saute pan, heat olive oil and crushed garlic
3. Add chopped yellow onion and saute lightly
4. Cut sausage links into one inch medallions and add to pan
5. Add broccoli crowns and saute until crowns turn vibrant green
6. Finish with cherry tomatoes, let heat through a minute. Salt & pepper to taste
7. Eat as is or serve over rice or pasta.

You can add as many types of vegetables to this stir fry as you'd like! The more you fill up on vegetables the merrier!

Enjoy!

Jump Start into Health & Wellness

So I'm sure you guys have heard (read) me mention that staying active has been a lifestyle of mine since I can remember. I know saying this might make people cringe but, yes, I actually like going to the gym and working out. Is it easy? No, heck no, because the reality is that time is very limited in most of everyone's days. It's not easy fitting in a workout on a regular basis when you are trying to balance a full time job among getting errands done, preparing and eating dinner, and trying to get off your feet for at least a half an hour before bed. At the same time, it's not impossible in fact, it's very doable.

Time has to be the number one excuse for not working out but it's definitely not the only thing holding people back. Truthfully, a workout can be done from home while watching TV or it can be a quick 10 minute cardio blast (jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, air squats, etc) before you get into the shower every day. So if we eliminate time as an excuse than maybe it's that you simply just don't enjoy working out. The trick to this is no trick at all, find a workout that you actually don't hate doing (zumba, kick boxing, swimming, biking – spinning). Once you start feelings stronger, I swear you’re going to want to continue getting stronger and reach outside your comfort zone. The Law of Physics (the main one I remember anyway) says that a body in motion tends to stay in motion. I can't even express how true this is!

See pictures below for some quick ways to boost your heart rate (60 seconds each)

Another thing to remember is to not get discouraged! If you’re just beginning to workout, don't expect weight to fly off your body. I always say that a healthy lifestyle happens as much in the kitchen as it does in the gym. Simple equation: Calories in – calories burned. Another tip is that it takes two weeks for your body to get accustomed so keep changing up your workouts to keep your body guessing. I personally add new moves to my work out on a daily basis. It's also very effective to do both cardio and weight lifting and even inter mix the two. You can do as many of those crunches as you want but, unless you do that cardio, no one is ever going to see those abs!

If you’re really, really, not into working out then take simple steps. Eat smaller portions and snack throughout the day. This will keep your metabolism going but won't give you the heavy feeling of a full meal. A great piece of advice is to eat the majority of your carbs earlier in the day so you have the entire day to burn them off. If you want to treat yourself and splurge, yes we all do it, it's far better to eat, let's say a cupcake, at lunch than right before bed (stick to the golden rule- don't eat within two hours of going to bed). Also, try and walk after eating. Get that digestive process going! So besides healthier eating habits, I'll go ahead and mentions the things that we've always heard. Walk whenever possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator, ride your bike, etc. If you don't do these things already then they really will make a difference however, don't forget that your body will get accustomed so try adding a few simple exercises every cycle.

So why am I writing all this? Well it's definitely an interest of mine and I like to help people get into and maintain a more active lifestyle. If you don't know how to work out, and pin point certain areas of your body, try finding someone who does and join in with them or... Youtube and Pinterest (two of my favorites) can be very helpful in discovering new moves and combinations. I'm not a certified personal trainer nor a nutritionist but I have done my research on health and wellness. These are things I practice on a daily basis so I'm able to see what really works and what keeps people in a rut.

Remember, if you’re afraid of the gym or trying something new, don't be! Everyone you see at the gym, at some point, had their “first day”. You have to start somewhere and sometime so make that  time now!

W.O.D 9/4

It was so gorgeous out yesterday that I refused to stay indoors. Yes, I could have went on another long road run however; it's always nice to switch things up. I decided to head to the track and field of our local high school. Once I got there, I realized just how much I missed  training in that environment!

Tracks are great because there really is a lot you can do with your body there. Get creative! Use the bleachers, use the benches, use the marks on the field as guides. Here's the breakdown for my workout yesterday.

Warm up

100 meter jog

100 meter butt kicks

Run

3 mile run (12 laps)

1 mile jog sprint (sprint the straight away- jog the turn)

Tip: When running multiple miles on the track, I always alternate my direction after every mile. This way both your right and left leg gets used as the inner leg.

100 Meters

• Forward lunges half way- backward lunges completing the 100m
• Side step squats half way - alternate direction completing the 100m
• Grape vine 100m
• High knees 100m
• Skip 100m

Bench 

20 Tricep dips

20 Bench Push ups

20 Bench jumps - jump off both feet onto bench with both feet

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

I'm a soup lover... and one of my favorite soups is Zuppa Toscana. It was introduced to me at Olive Garden and this recipe tastes EXACT to that first bowl I ever had. I have played around with this recipe a few times now and I can promise this final recipe will not disappoint.

Let me note, I cooked up this pot of soup while it was 85 degrees out... it was worth it!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1llb ground Italian sausage (mild or hot)
• 3 large Russet baking potatoes with skin on (halved both vertical and horizontal then in 1/4 in slices)
• 1 large yellow onion chopped
• 4 minced fresh garlic cloves
• 2 cups kale (de-veined and chopped)
• 24 oz chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• (If using mild sausage) Cayenne pepper to taste
• Pepper to taste

Directions

• Brown ground sausage with olive oil in large pot
• Add chopped onion and garlic to sausage. Saute until fragrant 
• Season with cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste
• Add chicken broth and water to pot and stir
• Bring to a simmer
• Add potatoes, skin on, to pot
• Cook on medium heat until tomatoes are tender
• Turn to low heat
• Add both Kale and Heavy Cream
• Heat through and serve

Bon Appetit!

W.O.D 8/29

3 mile run
Jog Sprints

• Jog at 4.5 for 1 minute
• Sprint at 8.2 for 1 minute
• Repeat 6x

Repeat 3x
20 kettle bell swings (20lbs)
20 alternating lunge jumps 

Repeat 3x
20 weighted cross lunges
20 weighted step ups with knee raise

WOD 8/28

Normally, most of my cardio is dedicated to running. Since I've been doing A LOT of running lately, I decided to incorporate different variations of cardio in this workout. Since I went with metal dumbbells for lifting today, I sported my lifting gloves. The dumbbells at the gym tend to irritate to my hands so these definitely help with both grip and comfort. 

If you don't know what the workouts are, don't worry, just click on the workout and I've directed it to a guide for you!

I. Repeat TWICE

10 Dumbbell bench press

10 Dumbbell flyes

10 Incline dumbbell bench press

10 Shoulder press

20 Tricep dips

Run ½ mile (7.5 mph)

II. Repeat TWICE

10 Burpees

60 second Mountain Climbers

50 Jumping Jack Boxing Jabs

STRETCH

Phillo Berry Cups

I don't know about you guys but I love any dessert made with Phillo Dough. These extremely thin sheets of dough turn to such a crispy, flaky, melt in your mouth, decadency after they're layered and baked so I knew I couldn't go wrong with this dish. I've actually never seen this dessert anywhere and kind of just made it up but let me tell you, they were so easy to make and better yet they taste just heavenly.

Here's what you'll need...

• 1 package of Phillo Dough Sheets (you can purchase the ready made Phillo cups if your in a time crunch)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 Package of strawberries and 1 package of raspberries (any fruit will work)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup Nutella
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Nuts to top

Step by step

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray cupcake pans with non stick spray.
• 2. Melt butter and brush onto one single sheet of Phillo Dough. Layer three more sheets of Phillo Dough on top of the first, for a total of 4 layers, and brush butter in between each. Cut your 4 layered dough into 12 squares (4x3).
• 3. Take three of the prepared Phillo Dough squares and create a shell within one cupcake mold. Repeat until 4 shells are created.
• 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you're desired amount of shells are created or until all of the Phillo Dough sheets are used.
• 5. Bake shells for about 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.
• 6. In a medium bowl whip together Nutella and heavy whipping cream on high speed for about 3 minutes. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
• 7. Cut up fruit and mix with sugar. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
• 8. Fill Phillo Dough shells with a dollop of Nutella cream, spoonful of fruit, and top with toasted nuts.

Enjoy!

 Tips

·         By using the premade Phillo Dough Shells you can skip steps 2 and 3. However, the premade shells are smaller, more expensive, and only come in a quantity of 15.

·         Phillo Dough Shells can even make great or d'oeuvres... fill with taco ingredients, spinach or artichoke dip, etc.

·         These Phillo Dough shells can be filled with anything so let your imagination run wild!

Fit Inspiration

Why do we keep fighting? Keep pushing?

Because we can.
Because we're able.

That is the gift we were given.

Appreciate it and KEEP GOING


As I felt that I could push it no further, this is what popped into my head during my workout today. I was ABLE. So I broke through that mental barrier. I appreciated the capability I was given and in return my body kept going. 

You too are able. You too have it in you. 

ABOUT ME

Hi guys! My name is Tulin and I'm so excited to get this blog up and running. You'll find that much of this blog is going to consist of food and fitness, my two favorite things! 

My passion for food definitely derives from my family. EVERYONE in my family loves to cook and, I have to admit, they are all pretty darn good at it. If I had to pick just one place to eat for the rest of my life it would, no doubt about it, be mom's house. I was born in Connecticut but my parents and grandparents came over from Turkey so I grew up with a lot of Middle Eastern flavor profiles. That being said, my culinary interests go far beyond one area of the world. I often indulge in Italian dishes however, I love experimenting with Thai and other Asian flavors. 

I'm a fitness fanatic that truly appreciates good food... that can be difficult. I deliver recipes that have the same fantastic taste without the stomach pit of guilt. For example, you can get the same crisp of buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, and french fries without the deep fry. You can get the same warmth and comfort from chili without all that fat content. Think of baking instead of frying, ground turkey for ground beef, whole grains and oats instead of bleached carbohydrates. Whenever possible, I show you those easy, waist line friendly, alterations. 

Hate doing dishes? Yep me too. I do my best to make cooking simple and use as little pots, pans, and bowls as possible. I don't make things more difficult than they need to be. Days are short, time is crammed, and that's why I bring workouts and meals that the every day "busy bees" can fit into their schedule. 

Feel free to comment or drop me an email anytime! I can be contacted at t.karasay@gmail.com

Triple Chocolate Cake

Yes... there are a million different chocolate cake recipes but this one... oh this one... is probably the most moist, most rich, and enjoyable I've come across. My sister is a chocolate fanatic so she insisted that we make a triple chocolate cake for dessert last week. She came across this recipe and, to be honest, I was a bit apprehensive because it started off with a boxed cake mix. However, after we added the additional ingredients, I have to bow down to her for her incredible chocolate intuition.

What you'll need

• 1 box devil's food cake mix
• 1 small package instant jello chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups mini chocolate chips

Let's whip it up!

• Preheat oven to 350
• In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients minus the chocolate chips. (Batter will be very thick)

• Once ingredients are blended and smooth, fold in chocolate chips

• Grease baking pan of choice and pour batter in
• Since the batter is quite thick, baking time will need about 10 minutes additional to the baking time listed on the back of the cake mix box. To test, insert a toothpick and when it comes out clean that is when your cake should be taken out.

We used a 9 x 13 cake pan and it took over 50 minutes.

The cake had a slight mound on top when we first took it out of the oven but, once we let the cake cool, the mound actually flattened itself out which ( if you were using two separate pans) would make it great for layering. 

Now you can frost this cake with pretty much anything and it would still be the best chocolate cake out there. Like I said, my sister is a chocolate fanatic so naturally we went with more chocolate. Chocolate mousse!

Chocolate Mousse

• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 sifted confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• Dash of salt

Whip ingredients together in a chilled bowl until mixture holds a peak. Frost and enjoy!

There you have it! Maybe I should call it Easy Peasy Chocolate Cake. Call it what you may but at the end of the day, do yourself a favor and whip this baby up!

Lasagna

My family loves to cook which is, no doubt about it, where I've adapted and inherited that "the kitchen is the heart of the home." For me, being with family is like being on vacation... this is the time where we all indulge in a little comfort food. That being said, last night I got together with my dad and two sisters and what did we make? Lasagna and Triple Chocolate Cake...yum. I normally might feel a little guilty about digging into this ooey gooey cheesy delight but not when my sister and I put so much love into making it.

This lasagna starts with the most delicious home made meat sauce. Now I'm a huge fan of sauces and refuse to use a jarred sauce when I can easily make a sauce of my own... especially when I can utilize all the fresh herbs and vegetables from my dad's garden.

Meat Sauce

1. Brown 1 llb. ground beef, drain fat, and set aside.

2. In a food processor- chop 5 large tomatoes, one large yellow onion, 4 cloves of fresh garlic, handful of fresh parsley, and a handful of fresh basil.

3. To your vegetable puree- add salt and pepper to taste as well as a pinch of red pepper flakes.

4. Add vegetable mix to your sauteed ground beef, as well as a small can of tomato paste, and simmer for about an hour (the longer you simmer the more complex the flavor profiles will become.

Lasagna

1. Boil lasagna pasta sheets, in salted water, for 4 minutes. Lasagna sheets will only be half cooked because we want them to continue cooking in the oven to absorb the sauce.

2. Shred about 2-3 cups of mozzarella cheese.

3. Mix 8 oz ricotta cheese with one egg yolk and a hand full of fresh parsley until nice and creamy.

4. Now begin layering in a casserole dish. Some sauce on the bottom, pasta sheets, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, sauce, pasta, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, sauce, pasta, ricotta cheese, sauce, mozzarella and some more fresh parsley to top it off!

5. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for about an hour.

6. Uncover the lasagna and broil for about five minutes until cheese bubbles and becomes a golden brown.

7. Let the lasagna rest out of the oven for about 10-15 minutes so it can firm up and set.

8. Serve and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 llb lasagna pasta sheets
• 8 oz ricotta cheese
• one egg
• block of mozzarella cheese (I use part skim)
• bundle of fresh parsely
• hand full of fresh basil
• 1 llb ground beef
• 5 ripe large tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 can tomato paste
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Guapo the Dog

So today I came down to my dad's house to spend some good ole quality time with my sister and dad. On the agenda; grocery shopping, baking, cooking, and... giving Guapo, the Mulit-poodle, a nice bath. As we're all reminiscing around the kitchen table, my dad tells my sister and I that it's time for Guapo's bath and asks if we'd like to wash. Haha, now I'm thinking "um sure?" My sister and I find my dad in the bathroom and oh my goodness... right then and there I realized why this bath was so entertaining to watch. I have NEVER seen a dog LOVE his bath SO much! He was drenched, full of suds, and yet stood there completely content.

How freaking cute is that?! Not only did he take his bath like a pro but he then continued to thoroughly enjoy his nice towel dry!

Just ADORABLE!

Anyways, I know, totally random but I had to share. Soon to come are the recipes for our Meat Lasagna and The Best Triple Chocolate Cake.

Hi from Guapo!

Delicious Baked Chicken Thighs

Now if you want delicious, tender, fall off the bone chicken, then this dish is for you! I can't even express to you how mouth watering good this chicken dish is and honestly it's easy enough for any at-home chef to make. Many people hate chicken on the bone because it can be messy to eat. My boyfriend, Dave, sums it up... he doesn't like to work for his food. I promise to you that you don't have to work to get your chicken off the bone. If I can get Dave to like this then I pretty much guarantee anyone will haha.

Since chicken thighs were on sale this week, .99 cents a llb, I decided to buy a family pack and, despite the heat, bake up my "fall off the bone" chicken. 

1. Wash your chicken thighs and pull off all the skin and fat. I pull this off under running water because it's not the most appealing job. 

2. Lye all your thighs in a metal casserole dish. You can definitely use glass if that's all you have. 

3. Drizzle olive oil over chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. The following will also go on chicken; 2 cans diced or stewed tomatoes, one chopped yellow onion, 3 cloves minced or crushed fresh garlic, handful of fresh parsley and basil, and a couple stems of rosemary.

5. Cover with tin foil and cook at 375 for 90 minutes.

This is what it looks like going in (before I covered it)...

Cooking it for 90 minutes is what will result in the chicken to fall off the bone. Here it is coming out...

Yum... Now just pick off and discard the rosemary stems.

I served my chicken over brown rice but it would be delicious with pretty much any side.

I debated about showing you my half eaten food but I just had to show you how easy this chicken falls off it's bone. So tender and so... well... delicious. Delicious seems to be the "word" of the day.

Try it, taste it, let me know what you think!

Veggie Spring Rolls

So during my time at News 8 I got to see many, many, Connecticut Style segments. Now, naturally, the cooking segments were really the only segment I paid attention to and that is where I learned how to make these delicious little spring rolls. These aren't the heavy deep fried, Chinese style, spring rolls (which are delicious in their own way) but instead they are raw rice paper spring rolls. Yes... no cooking!

It all starts with the ever so fantastic rice paper for spring rolls. I think I almost jumped up and down when I found these in the international aisle at Shop Rite. Then the second most important ingredient... broccoli or rainbow slaw. From here, you can pretty much put anything in these little suckers. My favorite addition are pumpkin and sunflower seeds. However, I have a few variations... sometimes I'll put honey in with my ingredients, my favorite is putting crumbled feta and a bit of Parmesan peppercorn dressing, and today I even put Thai chili sauce with my veggie and seed mix.

Making these spring rolls couldn't be any easier, which is why I make them pretty much every day for lunch now. I first take a plate and pour enough water so it fills the bottom.I then take my rice paper, which is actually hard and crispy, and let it sit in the water until it becomes soft and translucent. You'll see in the picture below that you can barely even see the paper. After it becomes translucent, just hold the paper onto the plate and let the remaining water drip into the sink or trash.

Now you fill! I place all my ingredients on one half of the paper and then I fold the shallow side to cover my veggies, fold the two sides in, and continue rolling until you have a nice spring roll.

Tada! Now I don't deep fry, but if you wanted to saute your rolls in a pan (I use coconut oil spray) you can definitely do that as well.

Deep in whichever sauce you please or enjoy it alone. Either way they are absolutely delicious and a guilt-free treat!

The Blog Begins!

Hi all!

So today is the day... the day I FINALLY get my blog up and running! If your a Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest follower of mine you'll already know that I'm constantly uploading pictures of my food, my workouts, DIY (do it yourself) projects, and so much more. A couple nights ago I had my sister over for dinner and she witnessed, as every guest does, that I had to take a picture of my prepared meal before I actually let everyone dig in. So she asked, "why don't you just start a blog?" Ah genius right? I already subject all my followers to my pictures, and many are always asking me for my recipes, so why not create a sole site for all these goodies? And thus, the blog of Tulin Karasay begins!

Your going to get pictures and recipes of all my meals and I do meals the way you WANT to do meals. I make delicious food that can feed the whole family without making a huge mess in the kitchen. I stick to one pan whenever possible and find solutions to make cooking a little less complicated. I have too! I cook for a hungry boyfriend who has absolutely no desire to step in the kitchen and honestly, I'm not convinced he wouldn't burn the house down! A little secret... he tried to toast cheez-its to make every cracker that perfect burnt and he actually caught the toaster on fire... yes that happened. So since I take the reigns in the kitchen, I'm always trying new dishes to switch things up. Meals with flavors that even the pickiest person would enjoy as well as the person with a most sophisticated  pallet.

But let's not forget, I'm kind of a fitness freak too. My day is not complete without a good sweat and burn! So that too will be apart of my little blog :) Tying my two passions together, you get food and fitness! Now, not all of my meals are super duper healthy (I love cheese)  but if your working out there's no reason you can't treat yourself. Then again, I do have a lot of healthy meals and tips to make your favorite meals a little more guilt-free. So stay posted as I post and let me know what you think!