Workout of the Week – Erin & Sonya use Latin beat to work up a sweat!

“It’s addicting, that’s for sure. People that come, keep coming back,” says Asa Ivers, an instructor at Aspen Athletic Club on Merle Hay Road.

She’s talking about Zumba, a workout that’s part Latin dance, part toning exercises and part strength training.

Click Here for the Full-story & Video

A Successful USTA Tournament at Aspen Athletic Clubs!

Aspen was excited to recently host the 2.5 and 3.5 Women divisions of the USTA Missouri Valley sectional championships. Competitors from a five state region descended on Des Moines for three days of matches to determine who will represent the Missouri Valley in the upcoming USTA adult national championships. Fortunately the rains held off long enough for the sectional matches to be completed as originally scheduled. We hope you were able to see some of the exciting matches that took place that weekend. We were very proud of the feedback we received from the participants about the quality of our tennis courts and the Hickman club in general.

As an example, here are a couple e-mails that were sent to the USTA Missouri Valley by the participants.

” My ladies 3.5 team just finished Sectionals last weekened in Des Moines at Aspen Athletic Club and I wanted to make sure you all knew what a fabulous facility it was.  The head pro Gary was incredible and ran a tight tournament…things were VERY smooth!  He and his staff could not have been more helpful…they were really great in making sure we all felt at home…they also let us use the facility the day before to practice on their courts at no charge.

The facility itself was amazing…we all dreaded the whole playing indoors thing, but their courts were in superior shape…and it was just overall a great experience!  The set up of the courts was perfect for people watching…the locker rooms were clean and had everything we needed…they had ice and vending….plus there were so many hotels and restaurants around we did not feel isolated.  It was also right off the highway which made it easy to get to…and was close to the host hotel.  If I had to rate this place I would give it a 10/10.

We played at Kickingbird last year in OKC…and I would choose the longer drive for the hospitality and facility any day.”

- Captain of 3.5 Team

“Our ladies adult USTA 3.5 team just returned from Des Moines Iowa sectionals.  We had all our matches at the Aspen Athletic Club.  I wanted to let you know what a wonderful experience and facility the Aspen Athletic Club is.  The courts themselves were in great condition. We were extremely happy with the overall facility and experience.  Gary was the contact person and he made us all feel welcome and was very helpful.

We were able to use the facility to practise the day before the matches began with no to nominal fees.  Very nice.  Nice job in selecting Des Moines, and the Aspen Athletic Club for adult sectionals this year.”

- Melanie

Tennis is a great way to stay in shape and is certainly a “sport for a lifetime”.  If you are interested in finding out ways to get started or participate in tennis, please contact our Director of Tennis, Gary Scholl, at 278-2582 or gscholl@aspenathletic.com.

Boneless Buffalo Wings

Provided by Eatingwell.com Even though boneless Buffalo wings are made with healthy white-meat chicken, they’re usually deep-fried and drenched in hot sauce laced with butter. The solution: chicken tenders are dredged in seasoned whole-wheat flour and cornmeal, pan-fried in only a small amount of oil and then drizzled with a tangy hot pepper sauce. With a fraction of the fat, calories and sodium, these boneless wings are reason enough to throw a party. INGREDIENTS 2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream 2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 tablespoon nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip) 3 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot, divided 2 pounds chicken tenders, (see Ingredient Note) 6 tablespoon whole-wheat flour 6 tablespoon cornmeal 2 tablespoon canola oil, divided 2 cups carrot sticks 2 cups celery sticks COOKING DIRECTIONS Step 1 To prepare dip: Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Step 2 To prepare wings: Whisk buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a large bowl until combined. Add chicken; toss to coat. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Step 3 Meanwhile, whisk flour and cornmeal in a shallow dish. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl; set aside. Step 4 Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour mixture until evenly coated. (Discard remaining marinade and flour mixture.) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Step 5 Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, placing each piece in a little oil. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Transfer to the platter. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved hot sauce mixture. Serve with carrots, celery and Spicy Blue Cheese Dip. MAKE AHEAD TIP The chicken can marinate (Step 1) for up to 1 hour. RECIPE TIPS Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.” Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Raspberry, Avocado & Mango Salad

Raspberry, Avocado & Mango Salad Provided by EatingWell.com

 

Pureed berries give the tangy wine vinegar dressing a creamy texture that gently clings to the lettuce and fruit. This is a salad to enjoy when fresh berries are in the market. INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, divided 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar 1 small clov garlic, coarsely chopped 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground peppers 8 cups mixed salad greens 1 ripe mango, diced (see Tip) 1 small ripe avocado, diced 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/4 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts, or sliced almonds (see Tip), optional COOKING DIRECTIONS Step 1 Puree 1/2 cup raspberries, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender until combined.Step 2 Combine greens, mango, avocado and onion in a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and gently toss to coat. Divide the salad among 5 salad plates. Top each with the remaining raspberries and sprinkle with nuts, if using. RECIPE TIPS 1. Slice both ends off the mango, revealing the long, slender seed inside. Set the fruit upright on a work surface and remove the skin with a sharp knife. 2. With the seed perpendicular to you, slice the fruit from both sides of the seed, yielding two large pieces. 3. Turn the seed parallel to you and slice the two smaller pieces of fruit from each side. 4. Cut the fruit into the desired shape. Tips: To dice a mango: To toast chopped or sliced nuts, heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.