All posts by Caitlin

Travel and Exercise: 26 ways to include exercise in your travel itinerary

Americans travel. A lot. In fact, according to the US Travel Association, Americans took 1.7 billion trips for leisure and 452 million trips for business in 2014. That’s a lot of nights away from home. And, travel can be challenging. One of the many challenges that come with travelling is staying healthy. A key to healthy travel is to exercise.
Continue reading Travel and Exercise: 26 ways to include exercise in your travel itinerary

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
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Is just showing up enough?

Looking back on this year, some of my blog posts have been less than perfect. I’ve been working to find my voice, find my audience, and find my passion. I’ve learned a lot. What I have done, no matter how busy I get, is publish a post with a trustworthy message each week.

Continue reading Is just showing up enough?

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
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The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!

Dialogue: 7 ways your words can bring out your best self

This week, I wrote a guest post about Dialogue: 7 ways your words can bring out your best self. It kicks off bullying prevention month with seven strategies to use dialogue and words to be your best.

Check out my blog post this week on the website Get it Going, a brand that inspires and motivates people to be their greatest self.

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
Manners matter here! Not sure whether your comment is irrelevant, impolite, or disrespectful? Read my commenting rules Commenting Rules

The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!

Fridge Cleanup: Make a Simple Mediterranean (mayo-free) Chicken Salad

This Saturday (around lunchtime), I desperately needed a fridge cleanup. We had veggies in the refrigerator that I knew would not last the entire week, and we also had bits of leftovers from dinners this last week. For example, my spouse and I had grilled up some chicken and eggplant earlier in the week, but there simply wasn’t much left for us to split.

I thought—you know what? I’ll throw some Mediterranean veggies in with these two base ingredients. The resulting salad not only ended up being delicious, but these leftovers transformed into two pretty satisfying salads for a Saturday lunch.

Here’s what I did. I looked through the fridge. We had a little bit of salad mix, a cucumber, tomatoes, leftover grilled chicken (like a ¾ of a breast), and some grilled eggplant. I also found some Kalamata olives, almond slivers, basil, raisins, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in my pantry. These ingredients make a really nice, mayo-free chicken salad!

A quick note: this became a “chicken” salad, but really the stars of the salad were the veggies. Their flavors really brought out the Mediterranean feel of the dish. You don’t need that much meat to enjoy lunch—a little can go a long way if you add flavorful veggies.

Clean Out Your Fridge Ingredients

First, I took the sliced almonds and started slowly roasting them in my toaster oven at 250 degrees.

Clean Out Your Fridge Almonds

While the almonds were toasting, I chopped up the veggies and chicken into bite-sized pieces. This made the salad more interesting and fun when each bite has a little bit of a different flavor. Once the veggies were chopped, I turned off the toaster oven (my almonds were a light golden brown).

Clean Out Your Fridge Tip

Then, I whisked together my simple dressing ingredients: olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I moved all of the chopped ingredients in a mixing bowl and gently mixed with a big wooden spoon. Then, I added the dressing to the mixture. I topped it with those crunchy, toasted almond slivers and chopped basil.

IMG_3975

Then, I put the little bit of salad greens I had left in the fridge to the bottom of a salad bowl. I topped the greens with the veggies (tossed in dressing) and added this mixture to it to some salad mix. Here’s what it ended up looking like:

Chicken Salad

Cleanup (also very important on a busy Saturday) was minimal. I just sprayed the area with a homemade green cleaner, and loaded the rest of the dishes in the dishwasher. And, I got a two-fer out of this salad—it helped me clean out the fridge without having to throw food away!

Clean Out Your Fridge Easy Cleanup

Here’s the final recipe:

Ingredients:

For the salad:
¼ cup Kalamata olives
½ cup grilled eggplant, chopped into ½ inch chunks
1 cup chopped chicken
Clean Out Your Fridge Cucumbers
1 medium cucumber, sliced into quarters
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted at 250 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
¼ cup raisins
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

For the dressing:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil

Directions:

Mix all salad ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar and olive oil together. Add the dressing to the medium mixing bowl.

In a salad bowl, add greens. Top greens with the chicken salad mixture and enjoy!

Have you ever made the best of a fridge cleanup? Let me know by commenting below! And, try this salad and let me know what you think!

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
Manners matter here! Not sure whether your comment is irrelevant, impolite, or disrespectful? Read my commenting rules Commenting Rules

The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!

Should you spend more time building your strengths or overcoming your weaknesses?

Apparently, many of us are not living to our fullest potential. Based on a Gallup poll analysis, people who don’t have the opportunity to spend time building their strengths at work are six times less likely to be engaged in their job. In fact, of the ten million surveyed in this poll, seven million did not fully operate in their strengths zone. 1

Continue reading Should you spend more time building your strengths or overcoming your weaknesses?

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
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The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!

Notes:

  1. Rath, Tom. StrengthsFinder 2.0. New York: Gallup Press, 2007.

Save money, gain time, eat healthy: Cook your meals in bulk

These last couple of weeks, we have been purchasing ready-made foods at the grocery store. And, I’ve noticed a couple of things: our grocery bill has gone up, we are eating more salt and fat, and are enjoying fewer whole grains and veggies. Why?
Continue reading Save money, gain time, eat healthy: Cook your meals in bulk

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
Manners matter here! Not sure whether your comment is irrelevant, impolite, or disrespectful? Read my commenting rules Commenting Rules

The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!

A Dedication

I am dedicating my post this week to my amazing grandmother-in-law, who passed away this weekend. At the age of 98, she had a blog of her own (with help from one of her nieces), featuring her writings on nature, family, and life. I hope her work and words inspire you as much as they inspire me.
Continue reading A Dedication

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
Manners matter here! Not sure whether your comment is irrelevant, impolite, or disrespectful? Read my commenting rules Commenting Rules

The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!

27 Ideas for Your Stay-At-Home Holiday Weekend

Sticking around for labor day? According to the American Express Spend and Save Tracker, 53% of us plan to get away during 2015’s summer holiday weekends, which means that about 47% of us plan to stay at home.

Staying home doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the time off. In fact, it’s a wonderful opportunity to rest, reflect, and boost your creativity. Continue reading 27 Ideas for Your Stay-At-Home Holiday Weekend

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
Manners matter here! Not sure whether your comment is irrelevant, impolite, or disrespectful? Read my commenting rules Commenting Rules

The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!

Back to school with 15 packable, healthy snacks

Healthy snacks can keep your creativity and productivity going throughout the day. For those of you with kids to feed (and those of you with an inner kid to feed), this post is choc-full of yummy, packable snack ideas for back-to-school season. Check out these 15 ideas, organized by craving.

Continue reading Back to school with 15 packable, healthy snacks

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
Manners matter here! Not sure whether your comment is irrelevant, impolite, or disrespectful? Read my commenting rules Commenting Rules

The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!

12 moments that make summertime happy

Reflecting on these summer months, there are just some moments that simply stand out. As we work to practice gratitude and mindfulness, it’s the it’s the following feelings, sights, smells, and tastes that are most appreciated.

Continue reading 12 moments that make summertime happy

© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
Manners matter here! Not sure whether your comment is irrelevant, impolite, or disrespectful? Read my commenting rules Commenting Rules

The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!