Tag Archives: crock pot

Shiner Bock Beer Short Ribs with Chipotle Cheese Grits for CrossFit 16.1 Recovery

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Shiner Bock Beer Beef Short Ribs can be made ahead in the slow cooler -- and then the grits only take 10 minutes make.Oh hello, how was your weekend? Mine was very meaty and gritty, let me explain! First up, I had to, ahem, knock out Cross Fit Games Open 16.1 Workout. And, when I say “knock out” I mean muster up every gram of grit I have to lunge around with a really-heavy-to-me 65 lb. overhead bar. Seems everyone else was worried about the Chest-to-Bar Pull ups in this WOD which I nailed unbroken (need to have some silver lining in the recap).However, the Achilles heel of my scrawny rear is any task that requires more butt strength than getting up off the couch. I kid, but still.

CrossFit Games Open 16.1 Workout - thefitfork.com

In the end and with many rest breaks, I lunged 275 meters with more than half of my body weight above my head  (tongue out!). . . at the finish of one set I half dropped the bar on my head. That hurt. As I bragged mentioned, I killed the Chest-to-Bar Pullups and the positive visualization of whipping those out is what would get me through the last few lunges in each round.  And, the burpees – well, they were burpees. One young beast of a girl at the gym scored nearly double to me – so awesome, so humbling!  Right now I am hanging at 14h place in my age group for the South Central states region (and will surely drop significantly by Monday night when all scores are reported), I’m really happy that I challenged myself to do something that was out of my comfort zone. That’s what it’s all about, right?!

Shiner Bock Short Ribs and Chipotle Cheese Grits

So, I rarely write a race or workout recap without also including a recipe –for me the love of food and fitness are forever entwined.  So, anticipating my fatigue from the CrossFit 16.1 WOD, I knew I was going to need a protein-rich meal to bring the old bod back to life. In the morning before heading out, I threw some beef short ribs and a bottle of beer in the slow cooker to work their magic. To prep dinner, I only needed 10 minutes to whip up some grits and toss a salad – thank you Crock Pot for doing all the heavy lifting at dinner!

Chipotle Cheese Grits are ready in 10 minutes and add South of the Border meets The South flair to dinner.

Hope you enjoy this recipe for SHINER BOCK BEER SHORT RIBS WITH CHIPOTLE CHEESE GRITS – I originally created it for the Texas Beef Council – head on over there if you’d like to learn a little more about this cut of beef or get my useful slow cooker tips. It’s a super easy and forgiving recipe that will pamper your primal meat cravings without any fuss. Not normally on my diet, the Chipotle Cheese Grits were a delicious treat . . . and using some of the beef liquid reserved from the Crock Pot complemented the peppers’ smoky heat and kicked up the flavor of often bland grits into beast mode!  And, the ribs were literally fall off the bone tender which I feel was somewhat metaphorical for the state of my muscles.

ancho chili slow cooker pot roastIf you are looking for another beef slow cooker meal,with Texas flair, check out Ancho Mama’s Pot Roast —  cook up a chuck roast and serve over potatoes, in tacos or on a salad.

So, did you break a sweat in the CrossFit Games Open WOD 16.1 ? Have you ever eaten or made beef short ribs? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer 

 

 

Beef Short Ribs with Chipotle Cheese Grits #recipe for CrossFit 16.1 Recovery

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Shiner Bock Beer Beef Short Ribs can be made ahead in the slow cooler -- and then the grits only take 10 minutes make.
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Shiner Bock Short Ribs with Chipotle Cheese Grits + CrossFit 16.1 Recap
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 hrs
Total Time
10 hrs 15 mins
 
Course: Main Dish, Side Dish, Worout
Cuisine: American, Southern, Southwestern
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For Short Ribs in Slow Cooker
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 4 pounds beef sort risbs, bone-in
  • 14 ounce can beef broth
  • 12 ounce bottle ShinerBock or other medium to dark beer
  • 1/4 cup molassas
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce, like
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
For Chipotle Cheese Grits
  • 1 cup liquid reserved from slow cooker
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon minced chipotle in adobe (from can)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dry instant grits
  • 3 ounces Monterrey cheese, shredded
Instructions
  1. Rub olive oil in bottom of skillet, bring to high-heat.
  2. Pour Greek seasoning into shallow dish and roll each short rib though to coat.
  3. Add seasoned short ribs to skillet, searing quickly for about 30 to 60 seconds per side. Remove from heat.
  4. Add broth, beer molasses, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper sauce to slow cooker, stir to combine.
  5. Add short ribs to liquid and place lid on slow cooker. Cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours.
  6. Ten minutes before serving, remove 1 cup of strained short ribs cooking liquid from slow cooker, add to medium pot.
  7. Add water, salt and chipotle in adobe sauce to pot and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add instant grits, stirring frequently for 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened.
  8. Remove pot from heat and cheese, stir until combined.
  9. To serve, make a pile of grits and place a short rib on top. Present with strained short rib juice, if desired.

{Slow Cooker} Sugar Free Peach Sauce

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Sugar Free Peach Sauce is great by the spoon and also on pancakes, ice cream and in smoothies!Using a slow cooker in the dogs of summer?  Normally I associate this appliance with winter and making stews and pot roasts. But, in an effort to keep from heating up my kitchen further during this 100+ degree heatwave, so it makes perfect sense to me!  I think you’ll love this Sugar-Free Peach Sauce recipe that is super easy to whip up in the crock pot, is deliciously aromatic as the spices mingle together – and it’s a great way to take advantage of a bumper crop of summer peaches.

bagging peaches for freezerIf you REALLY have a windfall of fresh peaches that you can’t eat up before overripening, then check out my How To Freeze Peaches.

If you don’t have fresh peaches, feel free to swap in frozen peach slices (store bought or home packed) – it’s a pretty forgiving recipe.  It is my experience that the store-bought peaches need the higher range of Stevia listed in the recipe.

 

 

Sugar Free Peach Sauce on Vanilla Frozen YogurtEnjoy this healthy fruit sauce either warm or cold by the bowl full– and also used as a topping on yogurt, waffles, protein pancakes and in smoothies. It is also great to pack up into a small container and send in your child’s lunchbox.  Instead of eating a processed sugary treat, peaches make an excellent source natural carbohydrates for quick brain and body energy – plus, you get the extra benefits of fiber, potassium, vitamin C.

Sugar Free Peach Sauce on Waffles

Sugar Free Peach Sauce simmers all day in a slow cooker and makes a packable lunchbox side dish or healthy topping for pancakes, ice cream and more.

Sugar Free Peach Sauce in #slowcooker Eat by the spoon or on ice cream!

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Do you have a summery recipe for the slow cooker? Or, just a peach recipe that will tempt me? Please share in the comments below —  XOXO, Jennifer 

Sugar Free Peach Sauce is great by the spoon and also on pancakes, ice cream and in smoothies!
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Slow Cooker Sugar Free Peach Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs
Total Time
6 hrs 5 mins
 
This sugar-free peach sauce makes a summery topping for ice cream, pancakes, and yogurt -- or just eat by the spoonful. An easy slow cooker recipe.
Course: Breakfast, Condiment, Dessert, Fruit
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16
Ingredients
  • 5 pounds peeled, pitted and sliced peaches (or substitute frozen slices)
  • 6 - 12 packets small packets stevia or 1 ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
  1. Blanch, peel and pit peaches; cut into slices. Or, if using frozen (easiest method), partially thaw in microwave. Place fresh or thawed frozen peaches in the food processor and process until flesh is getting smooth, but still slightly chunky. Pour peaches into slow cooker set on LOW for 6 - 8 hours, stirring a couple times during the day. After 8 hours, stir in lemon juice, cinnamon and ginger. Sever warm or cool. May be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days or freezer up to 6 months.

Brisket Tacos with Spicy Watermelon BBQ Sauce and Pickled Rind Relish #TacoTakedown

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Brisket Tacos with Spicy Watermelon BBQ Sauce and Watermelon Rind Relish - TheFitFork.comI enjoyed a one-of-a-kind, sorta-strange experience as only Austin can host at the Taco Takedown that was held this past weekend near the be-hip-or-go-home scene at SXSW (South by Southwest).  I’ve been in quite a few cook-offs including the iconic Pillsbury Bake Off in Vegas with $1 Million prize (obviously I didn’t win), the Crisco Cook Off in Nashville as part of the Country Music Festival, and even many times in my home-town Hatch Green Chile Cook Off where I hold bragging rights as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner.

Taco Takedown Contenders - TheFitFork.com

The right to battle it off as a finalist in most of these showdowns required each recipe to make it through some sort of qualifying round, being made and examined in a test kitchen by professional chefs and pre-judged on factors like presentation, fit within a certain category, creativity, convenience, taste and so on. Typically, pages of rules, do’s and don’ts, and lists of disqualifications were also involved.  However, not at the Taco Takedown – basically all the info I was given was just show up with your best taco. So, of course I started over analyzing and guessing at the non-existent details. And, in the end I decided to fly by the seat of my pants. I wondered what kind of taco would win – surely in Austin, a freaky taco would beat a traditional taco any day.

My Beefy Man Hunk Taco Model

My Beefy Man Hunk Taco Model

That’s why I wrapped all my loves, as strange as the combo might sound, in one tortilla – viola, a Beef Brisket Taco with Spicy Watermelon BBQ Sauce (and Pickled Rind Relish) recipe was born. Well, I guessed wrong because a Crispy Chicken with Avocado Taco dished up by Evin at Food Good, Laundry Bad took top honors.  As partial as I was to my wacky yet wonderful watermelon beef taco, I have to admit, the winner was really, super-ultra-deluxe good – and it was fried, how could I compete with that?!  But, I got to go home with the beefy man-hunk taco model — so, really, I was the WINNER!

 

Brisket Taco with Watermelon BBQ Sauce - TheFitFork.com

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of meaty beef, and summer-sweet watermelon and a surprise of spiciness, these are a few of my favorite things (is there a song here . . )?  I knew these flavors would mingle together for a memorable taco –as they did. I didn’t want to smoke the brisket, so I had four massive slow-cookers breaking down the beef into the perfect tenderness for fork shredding.  But, holy-moly, it took a long time to shred 27 pounds of brisket!    The BBQ sauce was a not-too-vinegary, not-to-tomatoey sauce sweetened with watermelon just and spiced up with Sriracha. Probably the most unique thing going on was the pickled watermelon rind that was diced up in the salsa. A true southerner uses ALL parts of the watermelon. And, of course, I topped it all off with some salty, crumbly queso fresco cheese.  Pickled Watermelon Rind Relish - TheFitFork.com

Use this Spicy Watermelon Barbecue Sauce on beef — but also on chicken, baked beans, fish, sausage, pork and more. I’ve also used it as a salad dressing!

Spicy Watermelon BBQ Sauce - TheFitFork.com

Because you’re probably not cooking for a 250 person crowd, I’ve scaled down the recipe for you to feed about 8 and maybe some leftovers!

Brisket Tacos w/ Spicy Waterrmelon BBQ Sauce, Pickled Rind Relish #SXSW #TacoTakedown

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What’s the craziest thing you’ve wrapped in a tortilla and called a taco? Please share in the comments!

Brisket Tacos with Spicy Watermelon BBQ Sauce and Watermelon Rind Relish - TheFitFork.com
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Beef Brisket Taco with Spicy Watermelon BBQ Sauce and Pickled Rind Relish
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 hrs
Total Time
10 hrs 20 mins
 
Beef Brisket Taco with Spicy Watermelon BBQ Sauce and Pickled Rind Relish -- a strange but good recipe that will rock your next backyard party.
Course: Condiment, Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
For Brisket:
  • 2 lbs. Beef Brisket preferably center cut
  • 4 cups water can substitute beef broth or beer!
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 medium sweet yellow onion sliced thinly
  • 3 jalapenos seeded and quartered
For Spicy Watermelon BBQ Sauce:
  • 3/4 cup watermelon juice
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 ounces tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Sriracha pepper sauce more or less, to taste
Pickled Watermelon Rind Relish:
  • 1 cup diced watermelon drained of excess juice
  • 1/2 cup diced pickled watermelon rind homemade or oldsouth.com
  • 2 tbsp liquid from picked watermelon rind
  • 2 plum tomatoes seeded and diced
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
Other:
  • 16 tortillas
  • 1/2 cup queso fresco cheese, crumbled
Instructions
For Brisket:
  1. Add ingredients for brisket into 6 - 8 quart capacity slow cooker. Cook on low setting for 10 hours. Remove brisket from cooking juices and strain out onions and peppers. Chop of onions and peppers, set aside. Cut excess fat of brisket and use fork or fingers to shred beef. Stir back in onions and peppers.
For Spicy Watermelon BBQ Sauce:
  1. Prepare BBQ sauce by adding all ingredients together in medium sauce pan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and reduce to low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour desired amount over beef, remainder may be stored in the refrigerator for a week. Makes about 2 cups.
For Picked Rind Relish:
  1. To make relish, toss together all ingredients in medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To Serve:
  1. To serve, place sauced, shredded brisket in tortilla. Top with relish and queso fresco.
Recipe Notes

Easy Autumn Dinner! Braised Lamb with Cranberry Ginger Sauce

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Fall weather is here! Fall flavors are here! Fall family togetherness is here! All I want to do through the end of the year is gather my family ‘round the dinner table for a hearty and healthy meal paired with productive, thought-provoking conversation with my three teens. After all, one is leaving the nest next year and the others aren’t far to follow.

Sometimes the dinner chatter is really deep – like the other night my middle son posed the question, “Do you believe that retaliation can ever be justified?”  I’m thinking, “oh no” what happened, who did what to whom? The good news is that these three brothers who usually get along so well, still do – the query was actually one asked in school. Apparently, my son was the only kid who vocalized that retaliation, in any form, is not okay. He said, “If everyone gave an eye for an eye, then the whole world would be blind.”  So true!  Although he paraphrased this wisdom from Ghandi, I still got that warm fuzzy feeling of good parenting — ahhh, I’m doing an awesome job.  Then, youngest son – “I will so smash your computer if you take that last dinner roll.”

This is what a boneless lamb shoulder looks like!

This is what a boneless lamb shoulder looks like!

So, let me just say, there was no retaliation against mom after serving a (gasp) new food to the kids – lamb.  My husband and I have both had lamb in the past, served as chops or roasts with the nasty mint jelly – it’s not something I’ve ever thought to make myself. But, American Lamb sent me a big ole boneless shoulder roast and some votes of confidence that I could create something really delicious with this often overlooked meat.

 

 

So, I came up with a fall-inspired recipe for Braised Lamb with Cranberry Ginger Glaze and I served it over some insanely mouth watering Caramalized Onion and Kale Sweet Potatoes – I will share this sweet potato recipe later this week (you do not want to miss it)!

Braised Lamb with Cranberry Ginger Sauce Caramalized Onion Kale Sweet Potatoes Jennifer Fisher

So, these are the things I learned from the lamb experiment. The lamb was delicious and braised up just like a beef chuck roast and shreds up really nicely to serve over sweet potatoes, rice, or even in a sandwich – my kids thought it was really great! I also realized you could easily make this recipe in a slow cooker rather than the Dutch oven – just set it on the low setting and slow cook for 8 – 10 hours.  Another thing I learned is that fresh cranberries lose their color when you cook them all day. That’s okay — I still needed to reduce the sauce down, just threw in some extra. Bam, there you go – meaty, sweet, tangy, total deliciousness.

Fall Flavors! Cinnamon Rubbed Braised Lamb with Cranberry Ginger Sauce #Recipe @FANofLAMB

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braised lamb shoulder with cranberry ginger sauce title

Braised Lamb with Cranberry-Ginger Glaze Recipe

  • 1 3 – 4 lb. boneless American lamb shoulder roast
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground thyme
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped
  • 12 oz bag fresh cranberries (divided)
  • 1 cup red wine
  • ½ cup cranberry juice
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (divided)
  • ¼ cup honey
  1.  In 6 quart Dutch oven, heat olive oil to medium high.
  2. In small bowl, mix together pepper, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and thyme. Rub into lamb roast, coating evenly.
  3.  Add lamb shoulder roast to heated pot and sear for approximately 3 – 4 minutes on each side until browned nicely.
  4. Lower heat and add chopped onions, cranberries, wine, cranberry juice, garlic and 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger. Top with lid and simmer on medium to medium low for approximately 3 hours or until fork tender and easy to shred.
  5. Remove roast from pot and discard unwanted fat.  Pour off approximately ½ of cooking juices and add remaining fresh cranberries, remaining 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, and honey.
  6. Simmer this mixture for approximately 15 minutes until cranberries have popped and sauce reduced and thickening.
  7. Serves 8

The American Lamb Board provided me with product for this post, but all thoughts, comments, opinions and recipe are my own.

Just curious , have YOU ever cooked lamb at home before?

#MyAdventure with Artichokes & the Art of Yoga

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Okay, random enough for you – artichokes and yoga?!  Well, actually the pair makes perfect sense to me since discovering new ways to cook favorite foods and pushing myself into challenging and sometimes even uncomfortable situations (literally) are two of the ways I satisfy my adventure-seeking soul.

travel dress lightweight wool

I was very excited, yet a bit skeptical, when Icebreaker.com invited me to try out their New Zealand Merino wool fitness, outdoor and travel clothing for my next adventure. My first thought was wool in August – now that will definitely be a memorable experience! However, this company makes clothing in all weights that perform beautifully in the extremes of weather – cold and hot!  The clothing I ordered didn’t itch like traditional wool, didn’t leave me feeling sticky and clammy like synthetics and was never soggy or stinky like cotton can be.

The Villa Plume Dress (above) is my new favorite dress – which is a huge testament to its awesomeness because I love LOVE dresses and have a closet full to compete! What I appreciate about this 200-lightweight wool dress is that it feels as comfy as wearing my favorite nightgown around town, but is super stylish and dressy enough for business meetings or just heading to the market to shop for – ARTICHOKES! Plus, for summer trips – I just tossed it in my luggage and it came out totally wrinkle-free!

lightweight wool underwear for travel

So, on a trip to Mount Vernon this summer, I packed along some other Icebreaker gear – the Siren Hipkini Underwear. Sorry, you’re not going to get to see me modeling these panties (ha) but trust me – the underwear are under there! While I was traipsing through George Washington’s lower gardens looking at the bounty of fruit and vegetable crops (including one of his favorite — the artichoke!), I thought I was going to melt – it was pushing 100 degrees and the Potomac River humidity was only adding to the sweatfest. Thank goodness for my lightweight wool undies – they wicked moisture right away and were quick to dry. Too bad Martha and her ladies in waiting didn’t have these itty-bitty green bloomers!

merion wool running socks icebreakersI also was able to try out the Women’s Multi-Sport Ultra-Light Micro Socks as I ran around the Mall in Washington, DC – lightweight for summer sports, non-chaffing toe seams and cute colors! I’ll be stocking up on more of these for my upcoming race season!

 

artichoke plant mt vernon

At artichoke growing in the garden at Mt. Vernon.

 

When I got home from #MyAdventure, I really had a hankering for those artichokes I saw growing in George’s garden. I’ve always purchased artichokes already prepared and marinated from my local gourmet store — Central Market has some delish ones on the deli bar.  I’ve seen recipes for grilling artichokes and steaming artichokes the way my mom did back when I was a kid (I remember my parents dipping artichoke leaves into garlic butter as a special appetizer), but I was always a bit intimidated by these big thorny thistles.

Then, I had a light bulb moment – why not make them in a slow cooker? The low, slow cooking method would surely yield a tender treat – and I was right! Plus, I loved the convenience of just popping them in the slow cooker and then leaving to run errands for a few hours rather than standing around in the kitchen waiting for them to steam for 45-ish minutes. Also, instead of a decadent butter dip – I added a drizzle of Caesar dressing and a few Parmesan cheese sprinkles to keep things healthy. It’s a recipe I created for Litehouse Foods; check it out for the rest of the story and more mouthwatering photos!

caesar slow cooker artichokes

Caesar Slow Cooker Artichokes Recipe

  • 3 medium artichokes
  • 3 lemons (divided)
  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup white wine or cooking wine
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2/3 cup shaved or grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup garlic croutons crushed into crumbs
  • 4 – 6 ounces Caesar salad dressing (I used Organic Caesar from Litehouse)
  1. Prepare artichokes by first washing under water and shaking dry. Next, cut off stems and remove small lower leaves with paring knife. With larger knife, cut ½” off the top of artichokes to remove the prickly spines. Use kitchen shears to snip off remaining spines on lower leaves. Cut one lemon in half and rub on exposed areas of artichoke to prevent oxidization.
  2. Pour broth, wine, garlic and bay leaf into bottom of 4 quart slow cooker. Place artichokes, bottom side down into slow cooker. Cut second lemon into slices and place a slice on top of each artichoke. Add remaining slices of that lemon to the broth mixture.  Put lid on slow cooker and cook on high for approximately 3 hours, or until softened and leaves pull off easily.
  3. Transfer artichokes from liquid to serving platter. While still hot, gently squeeze to pull apart leaves and stuff with bits of Parmesan cheese and crouton crumbs. Sprinkle remaining cheese and crumbs on tops of artichokes. Drizzle artichokes with Caesar Dressing and serve with third lemon that has been cut up into wedges.

The rest of #MyAdventure focuses on the “art of yoga” or in my case — it’s often “the agony of yoga.” I used to be a very flexible person but that bendiness got left behind a long time ago. However, I’ve been trying to build a few minutes into each day to practice some yoga moves to reclaim my flexibility – I hope the focus on a greater range of mobility will keep me from getting injured in my running and workouts as I get older.  The fitness wear from Icebreaker was perfect for my little yoga session — check out the cool and comfortable Dart Shorts and Sprite Racerback Tank from Icebreaker. These items were ultra-light weight (150 gauge wool) and super soft — almost like wearing nothing!

icebreaker merino wool shorts and tank for yoga

If you haven’t tried working out in wool, you definitely should! Head over to Icebreaker, they are having a great end-of-the-season sale and have free shipping on orders over $99 and have a “love it or send it back” policy with free return shipping. I will definitely be trying out their cold weather gear come ski season – I am always the one that is too cold and I’m not going to let that happen this winter!

Icebreaker provided me with product in return for my review, but did not tell me what to say or how to say it – all opinions are my own!

Have you ever worked out in lightweight wool?

Do you have a favorite artichoke recipe, please share!