Summer is coming and we are all hoping and thinking about sun, sand and days of jumping into the waves in our bathing suits. Yes, folks, bathing suits! Time to pump up your fitness routine and build some serious lean body mass…so, once again I am offering my annual ‘ Gardening Boot Camp’ for free!

We will have a full day of total body workouts including:

Squats:

Oblique Twists:

Upper Body Strength Exercises:

Cardio:

and intermittent weed pulling meditations.

Here is what past participants have said about ‘Edie’s Gardening Boot Camp’:

“Wow, she worked me to the bone!” – Mike E.

” Just when I thought I couldn’t push anymore, Edie would push me harder!” - M. Ewald

” Edie doesn’t let up, it was a brutal workout!” Michael E.

So there you have it – no lycra necessary; just your grubbies, a shovel and a wheelbarrow!

And after a full day of shoveling…er, I mean, working out…..we will dig into this beautiful bowl of veggie pasta salad:

Beautiful Veggie Pasta Bowl

1 box (300g) of whole grain pasta: rotini, penne, fusilli

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tbsp balsamic or other vinegar

juice of 1/2 lemon

freshly ground pepper

several cups of bite sized chopped veggies: sweet peppers, cucumber, celery, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, carrots ( I made carrot ribbons with the vegetable peeler)

I had some leftover roast chicken – so cubes of that went in the bowl

other add-ins: crumbled feta, cubes of cheese, walnuts, pitted olives, chopped fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, chives…

1. Cook the pasta until al dente in boiling, slightly salted water. Drain in a colander.

2. Mix the vinaigrette ingredients ( olive oil, garlic, vinegar, lemon, pepper) in a bowl (this can be mixed in the very large bowl that you will put the salad to save washing a bowl)

3. Add the pasta to the bowl. Mix in with the vinaigrette. Let cool.

4. Add the chopped veggies.

5. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.

6. DIG IN!!