Say CHEESE!

My boss actually called me out the other day on my cheese eating habits.  I guess it’s hard to miss the fact that I had 2 types of cheese with my lunch and another as a snack.  This did not include the cheese on my breakfast sandwich and anything that might have been in dinner that night.

 

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Who eats 4+ servings of cheese a DAY?  Me, that’s who.  It seems to be getting out of hand but I’m not sure I really want to rectify the situation.  I can easily justify that the calories and fat are well within my daily allowances.  And who doesn’t need the calcium and protein?  Since I’m not a big milk drinker most of my dairy intake is in the form of cheese and yogurt.

 

So what do you think?  Cut back the cheese eating?  I’m a huge fan of all things in moderation but I think that I’ve definitely passed that point. *sigh* I suppose I’ve answered my own question.

 

On the exercise front I’ve been really sticking to my workouts and enjoying them.  I’m managing six days a week and don’t feel tired or burned out.  I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again.  This running only 3 days a week, plus cross training and weights is really working out for me.  My mileage is almost back to where it was when I was running 4-5 days a week.

 

This mornings run:

 

Nothing exciting.  At least I managed sub-12:00 minute miles.  It was 81* with a dew point of 74*.  Ugh.

 

And when I say that I get up EARLY to run in the mornings this is what I mean.  Hit the streets at 4:08 this morning. 

 

6 miles is just about the longest I can manage time-wise on a morning run during the week.  My marathon training plan calls for mid-week runs that top out at 10 miles.  I’m still working on the logistics of that.

 

Hair appointment tonight!  Time for these roots to GO.  I wish I was brave enough to try something different but I know I’ll just end up telling her “The Usual”.

 

So, what’s the one food that you can eat multiple times a day?

Health, Home Cooking

July 14, 2011

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Today I am Thankful For……

- Treadmills to run on when it’s 95* outside.

- A husband who can cook a mean pot of collard greens and make smashed red potatoes.

- Click mocha espresso protein drink, over ice.

- A prefectly ripe pear in the fruit basket at work.

- Going to bed at 8:30, while it’s still daylight outside, and sleeping dead to the world for 8 full hours.

This is random, but I’m feeling a little bummed hormonal today.  To counteract the funk I decided to focus on what I’m thankful for.  My health, my family and all the big stuff is a given.  I could never take that for granted.  But sometimes being appreciative of all the little things can really change my outlook.

On a running related note, on Saturday I ran my longest run since my half marathon last October.  Eleven miles!  And it was faster than my 10 miler the week before.  This 3-day a week running plan is really paying off.

I ran from my house to a local park (2.5 miles).  Then I ran a few laps on the wooded trails there (5.5 miles).  I finished up by taking a different route home (2 miles).  I was a mile short so I made a loop around the nighborhood.

My plan was to listen to my audiobook but I had some technical difficulties resulting in that ridiculous 16+ minute mile.  I dropped my phone on the trail and freaked out because it wouldn’t work for a few minutes.  I gave up and finished the run without it.  I really don’t mind running outside without music or an audiobook.  In hindsight I should have just stopped my Garmin.

So, what little things are you thankful for today?

Happiness, Health

July 12, 2011

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(Healthy) Dinner in Under 20 Minutes – Yes, Please!

Quick, good-for-the-family dinners are something I’m always on the lookout for.  I truly enjoy cooking and time consuming, complicated recipes don’t deter me but they very seldom find their way onto our weeknight meal plan.  When Cooking Light has a 20 Minute Meal feature you can bet that I’m paying close attention.

This recipe for Linguine with Two-Cheese Sauce is incredible! Or so the family says.  I whipped it up for them last night after a ridiculously hot 3 mile run before I jumped in the shower and headed off to a girl’s night out dinner and a movie.

Linguine with Two-Cheese Sauce

Adapted from Cooking Light (link above)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked Dreamfields linguine
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated hard italian cheese, divided (I used parmesan)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

Preparation

• 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.
• 2. While pasta cooks, combine milk, 2 teaspoons basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl; stir milk mixture with a whisk.
• 3. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add flour to pan, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk mixture; cook for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and add 1 1/2 ounces grated cheese and mascarpone cheese to milk mixture. Add cheese mixture to pasta; toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining 4 teaspoons basil and remaining 1/2 ounce grated cheese.

At a hair over 300 calories per serving this dish has a truly indulgent taste.   You can almost be fooled into thinking you’re eating a much more calorie laden alfredo pasta dish.  I whipped up a batch of sauteed garlicky shrimp and steamed green beans to make it a more complete meal.

The last minute invitation to girls night out meant that my only option for my run yesterday was to hit the pavement in the neighborhood as soon as I got home.  It was 96* with a heat index of 100*.  I was thisclose to running in just my shorts and a sports bra but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I threw on a tank with a built in shelf-bra so that I was only wearing one layer, filled up two bottles of the four bottle fuel belt, strapped on my Garmin and headed out the door.

When I say the heat makes me slow, I mean SERIOUSLY slow.  I can run a sub-30:00 5K when it’s not sweltering outside.  I would say about 1/4 of the last mile was walking.  I had originally planned 4 miles but after 2  miles I knew that wasn’t going to happen.  So I settled for 3 and called it good.

I also ate not-so-healthy Italian food for dinner and stayed out until midnight knowing good and well I had to be up at 5:30 this morning.  No early workout here.  Hopefully I’ll get a lifting session in tonight and I have a 10 miler planned early tomorrow morning when the heat index isn’t in the triple digits.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Health, Home Cooking

July 8, 2011

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YumYucky Bikini Body Challenge Before and After

Several months ago I decided to take part in the YumYucky Bikini Body Challenge.  Honestly, I slacked off quite a bit in the first 6 weeks due to a groin muscle strain.  Once that healed I got my mojo back.  I’ve been running 3 days a week, crosstraining 2 days and heavy lifting 2 days.  I also purchased a BodyBugg (on my arm in the after picture) to help me be more precise with my calorie burn and intake.  It was eye opening and I’ll write a more in depth post about it soon.

I’m a few days late posting these pics but somehow my email account ate the first after pic and I had to locate and resend  it.  Josie revealed her Bikini Body just other day.  You can read all about what worked for her.

Please don’t pay any attention to the “glisten” on my face or my disheveled hair.  This picture was taken post-workout whereas the before picture was pre-workout.  As a matter of fact, the picture is a pretty crappy one overall but it’s what I’ve got.

Before on the top, after on the bottom.

The areas I’ve seen the most change are definitely my core/abs, my arms and shoulders, and my thighs.  I lost a few pounds, but the inches lost have been amazing.  More than half my wardrobe is now too big.  I’m so glad that I did this and I can’t wait to keep up my new routine throughout the rest of the summer and beyond.

Health

July 6, 2011

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Six Month Goals Review

I cannot believe that half the year is over!  I think now is a good time to look back on my goals that I set at the beginning of the year.  A little reassessment may be in order as well.

Here are my goals from earlier this year.

Health (Fitness):

Run 900 miles in 2011.  I’ll be tracking those miles here weekly. This is going to be one that I change.  I have found that running more than 3 days a week (4 MAX) just leads to injury.  I’m making sure to run more quality miles versus just quantity.  And more crosstraining.  This is working well for me.

Run 2 long distance races in the fall.  These will probably be half marathons.  I’ll have to find some fun ones! I’m planning a half in December and one in Febreuary.  Not to mention a full next March.  Not exactly fall, and not exactly 2011, but it works for me.

Find and stick to a weight lifting routine.  I’ve been too lazy in this department for too long. Going great here!  I’ve equipped my garage with pretty much a full set of weights and cables so I can do this from home.  Lifting 2 or 3 times a week currently.

Participate in at least one planned fitness event each month.  This could be a race, a hike, a day of kayaking.  Who knows what I’ll find to get into.  Hopefully I’ll drag some friends and family along for most of them. This has benn harder than I planned.  Life is so crazy that trying to organize or commit to something every week just isn’t easy.

Happiness:

Our big goal for 2011 is Disney World in December! Booked!

Monthly family game nights. This happens sporadically.  We also do Movie Nights.

Monthly date nights without the kiddos. It may be a stay at home date with dinner and a movie, but we’re doing great here!

One long weekend away with just the husband. Done!  We spent a wonderful long weekend in the Texas Hill Country for our anniversary in April.

Learning to say “NO” so that my schedule doesn’t get so overcrowded and I actually get to enjoy the things I participate in. Mission Accomplished.  I’ve been staying strong and only committing to things I really believe in.

Home Cooking:

Weekly meal plans including one of each of the following- one meatless dinner, one crockpot/make ahead dinner, one recipe makeover. Meal planning has become second nature (working on next weeks as soon as I finish this post).  The other components are hit and miss.

Introduce at least one new food/ingredient to the family every month. Doing well with this.  June was whole wheat Isreali couscous and everyone loved it.

Branch out into cooking more “exotic” cuisine at home that we currently only eat out. I’ve definitely enjoyed this one the most.  We’ve done Indian and Vietnamese a few times.

 

So there you have it.  I think I might have been a little overly ambitious in January, but I think things are coming along pretty well!

In other news, Bikini Body Challenge pics were pushed back until tonight.

Happy long holiday weekend!

Happiness, Health, Home Cooking

July 1, 2011

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*Tap, tap* Is this thing on.

I’ve been a terrible, horrible, no good blogger.

Things got crazy, crazy for a while and blogging was one of the things that had to be sacrificed so that I could keep up with the important stuff… like caring for my kids and hubby, doing my actual job, and still fitting in my workouts.  Things seem to  have calmed down quite a bit so I’m going to try to get back into regular blogging.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day!  Since half the year has passed I’m going to do a review and probably a reassessment of my goals for the year.  I know that a few of them have definitely changed.

Also, today is the last day of the YumYucky Bikini Body Challenge!  Even though I haven’t been blogging I’ve been working hard and will be taking after pics tomorrow morning.  I have no illusions that I’ll win the cash prize but I know for sure that I’ll see positive changes!

I hope everyone is surviving the summer months.  It’s been ridiculously hot and humid here.  We’ve set record temps and we are smack dab in the middle of the worst drought our area has endured in recorded history.  Talk about rough running weather.  I’ve been battling it pretty well and I don’t feel that my long term running will suffer.  Here’s how I’m managing.

Hot Weather Running Tips

• Run early in the morning or late in the evening.  If I’m running outside you can bet it’s never in the middle of the day!  Most of my outside runs are predawn.

 

• Sloooooooow down!  I’ve accepted the fact that running fast just doesn’t happen when it’s this hot.  My pace is about 1.5 minutes slower than when it’s cool out.

 

• Hit the ‘mill.  The treadmill is my frenemy.  I see it as a necessary evil if I want to do any speedwork at all.  80*-95*, 85% humidity =/= good for intervals.  I have taken to listening to audiobooks to pass the time on the treadmill.

 

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  I take water for ANY outside runs during the summer, 2 miles or 10 miles.  Anything over 5 miles and I’ll carry along some electrolyte replacement (Gatorade or such).  And I try to stay well hydrated even on days I don’t run.

How are you handling the summer weather?  Or is it cool as a cucumber where you happen to be?

 

Happiness, Health

June 30, 2011

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Blue Bell Fun Run 4.9.11

I’m quite possibly the world’s proudest mother after last Saturday.  My older girls participated in their first chip timed race.  It was only a mile, but they did great!  Here they are with their friend Savannah.  Savannah’s mom, Laura, is my racing buddy when our schedules work out.  Our hubbies work together and are soon to be working the same shift which means that hopefully we’ll get to run together alot more.

 

Brynne (in the purple) ran her mile in 8:36!  Brooke and Savannah were right behind her at 9:15. 

Laura and I ran the 5K.  It didn’t start until 8:45 and it was relatively warm that morning.  I think it was close to 70.  There was a pretty good breeze though.  The course was super hilly compared to anything I usually run.  I was wishfully hoping for a PR but wasn’t going to bet the farm on it.

The course was an out and back and the first mile was almost all downhill.  I knew immediately that I was going out too fast when my garmin was showing my pace in the 8:30′s.  I reigned it in and managed to run the first mile in 8:53.  Still way too fast.  Mile 2 was up and down and lost a few seconds at the water stop when people seemed to come to a screeching halt at the table.  If I hadn’t desperately needed a sip of water (forgot my gum) I would have skipped the whole thing.  9:43 for mile 2.  Not too shabby.  Should  have been better.  Mile 3 (and the remaining .1) were ROUGH.  All that downhill from the first mile was now uphill.  All the way too the finish line.  I managed to keep a 9:48 average pace for a 29:30 finish.  PR!

My shins weren’t happy about the course at all but it really was fun.  And there was all  you could eat Blue Bell ince cream at the finish.

Unfortunately a few weeks ago I started having a nagging groin pain.  It wasn’t bad, just irritating.  Or at least I chose to ignore it.  Anyhow, after the 5K it’s made itself quite known.  Dr. Google says it is a pulled muscle.  As hard as it is on me mentally I’m taking a complete rest for the rest of this week.  The hubby and I are headed out of town this weekend and we’re planning on doing some hiking.  I might try a short, easy run next Monday jsut to see how it goes.

Happiness, Health, Uncategorized

April 12, 2011

3 Comments

I miss the internet.

Life is super crazy busy right now.  Work is insane and I’m a single mom for the next week and a half while the hubby works nights.  Internet time is the first thing to go when things get crazy so I won’t be around much.

I’m still running, and cooking and all that jazz so I’ll have plenty to talk about when things slow down.  Hopefully by then the pictures will be up from my Warrior Dash!

Uncategorized

March 23, 2011

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Running is for the birds.

Or at least that ‘s what I though 2.5 miles into my 5 miler this morning.  I just wasn’t feeling it.  I’ve been crazy busy the past week and all I really wanted to do was stay in bed as long as possible before I had to stumble to the shower to be presentable and on time for work.

But I forced myself out of bed (after two rounds with the snooze) and out the door.  I really wanted to try a short run with my new Nathan hydration belt that Amazon delivered yesterday.  More on that in a bit.

The first mile was pretty good and right at 10:00 mpm but after that it pretty much fell apart.  I bargained with myself that I would do 3 miles and then quit if I wanted.  At 3 miles I told myself to speed walk another mile just to get a little more activity in and then I would call it quits.  Yeah, I LOATHE speed walking.  After about 15 seconds I though, to heck with this and started a slow jog.

I picked it up on the last loop around the hood because I was having some a’hem *intestinal issues*.  TMI for sure but whatever it took to get me home faster.  At least the run was over.

Back to the Nathan hydration belt.  It was great!  I got the medium and wore it relatively low on my hips.  I did not adjust it at all and after five miles it had only crept up slightly and wasn’t really jostling around at all.  It was pretty comfy.

I suspect my crappy run was caused by the fact that I have sat still for almost a week.  I have camped, been to a concert, got a mani/pedi, dined out, shopped, cooked for twelve ladies, cleaned and played bunco all in the past week.  I’m super pooped.  I passed up another concert tonight in favor of sitting at home on my tush.

The cooking for twelve ladies?  That was me hosting my Bunco group last night.  I pink, puffy heart Bunco nights.  Once a month we get together and eat, yack, cackle and laugh.  Oh yeah, we also manage to roll a bunch of dice and hopefully win a prize.  Since I hosted on St. Patty’s Day I prepared a huge Irish dinner.

I’m not posting recipes since I followed them to a T.  They were all delicious!

I made Kier’s Irish Beef Stew and Amped up and Loaded Colcannon.  I prepared the stew Wednesday because it takes a pretty good while to cook.  I swear stews are always better the second day.  The only change I made was to omit the celery because I forgot to buy it.  Oops.  I’m positive that the hubby will be asking for colcannon on a regular basis.  Potatoes and cabbage are two of his favorite foods ever.

This Irish soda bread with cheese was ridiculously easy to make.  It doesn’t sound very impressive but it was wonderful for soaking up the juices from the stew.

Dessert was a big flop.  I made a green velvet cake using my favorite red velvet recipe ever.  Only I chose not to read the part that said cake flour and went with all purpose flour.  Cake FAIL.  It was so dense you could barely get a fork through it.  At least my go to cream cheese icing didn’t let me down.

Have a great weekend everyone!  I’m running the East Texas Warrior Dash Sunday morning.  Yikes!  Here’s a picture I swiped from their FB page.  It’s just one of the dozen or so obstacles.

Yeah, this is going to be interesting!

Health, Home Cooking

March 18, 2011

2 Comments

Happy St. Patty’s Day Y’all!

Hope you’re wearing something green!

I’m hosting Bunco tonight and I’m excited about the Irish themed dinner I’m preparing.  I’ll definitely have a blog post about it tomorrow.

I originally wanted to go with all green foods but some of the ladies expressed their dislike for most green veggies.  What?!?!  I love green veggies.  I actually crave them and the hubby regularly hears me declare that we’re eating something green with dinner.

In honor of St. Patty’s day, what’s your favorite green veggie?  I love so many of them it’s hard to pick.  Beans, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, zucchini, asparagus.  I could go on and on.

Happiness, Health, Home Cooking

bunco, veggies

March 17, 2011

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