A New Run

I went for a run this morning, unfortunately it was HARD to get up. This mornings run was unusal as it was hard the whole run. I was exhausted, and my longest mile was my last mile which is weird, for me. I only ran 4 miles which is mild for my current training, and it was just never easy. I don't know what it was, but I just felt in a funk. Hopefully my next run goes better!

So I ran 4 miles at a 7:52 pace. Not too bad. I am pleased with that. Though it isn't as good as the pace my Nike+ lied to me about for the past few weeks! Fortunatley, I think my recent calibration has fixed that problem!

It was foggy outside when I left this morning. Actually kind of creepy. I could see probably 200ish feet in front of me. Which was plenty for running, but just a little freaky looking. It was so cold that I ran the rest of the run with icicles - that is right - ICICLES on my eye lashes! Every time I blinked I could see them a little better, and I could see them out the corner of my eye. I suppose it was a good distraction from how I was feeling :)

When I got home I did about 10-15 minutes of strength training, and then took at LONG, HOT, shower.

I ended the night with 30 minutes of step, 2980 steps while I watched some Bachelor. What is it about that show that sucks you in???

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How did your Monday work out go?
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Have you ever run with icicles on your eyelashes?
I have a couple times, and it think it is cool :)

Week 5 menu

Here is what we will be cooking up at our house this week:

Monday: Chicken and Beans (frozen from a couple weeks ago) over rice
Tuesday: Two Mustard Chicken with rice and steamed broc
Wednesday: Taquitos! I can't wait.
Thursday: Spicey Orange Chicken Stirfry (didn't get to make it on Sunday as we got an invitation to sister in-laws house)
Friday: Homemade pizza - duh!
Saturday: Leftovers

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What is cooking at your house this week?

Nike+ Made Me a Liar

Friday, I had a longer run on my training schedule and I was excited! I had a really rough time getting out of bed in time to leave, but I felt so proud of myself for resisting the strong urge to hit snooze again.
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I began running and it was feeling really good. I decided to do one of my regular routes backwards, just to spice it up a little. --I don't like running the same routes over and over again.-- Anyways, when I got about a 1/4 mile from home I was feeling really good. I considered going a little further, but opted not too cause I knew the kiddos would be waking up soon, and Jay would need to leave for work. I headed home and when I stopped at my house and looked at my Nike+ sport band it read:

PERFECT! I had 8 miles on my schedule, and I ended just right. And to add to it, I had done it in a great time! My day was off to a fantastic start and I was feeling GOOD.
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But something wasn't sitting right with me. All day I kept running through my route in my head, adding up the miles and it just wasn't adding up. I have run these same streets so many times I am very familiar with the mileage involved. It is actually kind of an obsession I have.

*As I run I go over the miles, during the daydream about different routes I could take and how many miles they would be, it just might be out of control!*

OK, back to my story, I finally logged onto MapMyRun and checked it out. I had infact, only run 7 miles! AHHH. I was in total disbelief. I was so irritated. Because not only had I run 1 less mile than I thought, but that meant my time was completely off. And I didn't know how long my times had been miscalculated on previous runs. So obviously I am not as quick as my previous runs have logged. I don't think they were TOO far off but enough to change things.
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Moral of the story: Continue calibrating your Nike+ sportband.
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The End.
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Has anything like this ever happened to you?

Less than perfect day = Baking Cookies

To say the least, today was not the best one I have ever had. I just wanted to go back to bed and wake up, ready for the day to be better! Unfortunately, my attemps to take an afternoon catnap failed, and I had to trudge through the remainder of the day wollowing in my sadness. Ok, I am being dramatic, but you get the idea. I decided cookies would make it better, so I told Maister if she ate some of her asparagus at dinner I would make cookies. I figured this would give me a better excuse to make cookies, and I can get Maister to do almost anything for a promise of dessert! She ate her asparagus (can I get a WOOT WOOT!), and I began baking.

I chose my favorite "healthy" cookie recipe. Isn't that kind of an oxi-moron...healthy and cookie? Well in this case I think it almost fits! You see, about a year ago, after we moved into our house I was enjoying the new space in my kitchen a little too much. I was baking a little too much, if that is even possible. I decided that I needed a healthier dessert option that still tasted delish, and would fulfill my need for sugar at night. So I pulled a ton of ingredients out of my cupboards and just starting adding a little of this and a lot of that, and before I knew it I had these beauties sitting on my counter. And I was never more proud, don't worry it was the good kind of proud :)

I like to call them "Healthy Oatmeal Pecan Cookies"

I used a mix of extra dark chips and semisweets for tonights batch

Tonight we baked these with out the pecans as I didn't have any left...dang. I love the extra crunch of the nuts in the cookies. I love having a cookie recipe where I can enjoy eating several cookies and not worry about how I shouldn't be grabbing another one. Try them, your mind and body will thank you. And let me know what you think! I would be totally embarassed if they were awful and I have been feeding them to people. I know sometimes I can get in my own little world, and maybe my taste buds are just trying to boost my confidence by telling me they are good. Although, the chocolate smeared on my kids faces should say it all. I can trust the opinions of a 1 and 2 year old right? Right. Now that we have that settled...

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Healthy Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

makes about 3 1/2 dozen

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1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature (almost warm)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup dried cranberries

1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips or coursely chopped chocolate

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix butter, applesauce, and sugars until combined. Add the egg, vanilla, and mix well. In a separate bowl whisk baking soda, quick oats, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Then slowly incorporate into the wet ingredients. Mix well. Add the pecans, chocolate and craisins until just combined. Drop by the tablespoon full onto greased baking sheet (I recommend pamper chef baking stone). Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, just until the edges are slightly golden. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing.

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Now if you will excuse me, I have about 30 cookies left to eat...

Wednesday HOT Run

Jay came home from work early so I could go for a run (he had an early morning meeting that prevented my morning run). I headed out this afternoon prepared for a 5 mile run. The weather was GREAT and I was excited.

I ended up running 6.6 miles at a 6:57 pace. SCORE! Obviously I ran a little further than my original training called for. But I always find myself wanting to go a little further when I see my run coming to an end. As I got about a quarter mile from my house, I realized I would have run abour 5.25 miles, and I was so close to a 10k that I may as well just finish it out right? So I did another quick little loop while I sang to Justin Beiber and Justin Derulo, and before I knew it I was done and had covered 6.6 miles. I felt GOOD when I got home. But it was HOT.

I haven't got my sweat on since last September while running outside. But when I walked in the house this afternoon, I was a glowing mess. And that made me smile. I used to hate sweating, and now I LOVE it. For me, it is a sign that I had a good work out. Oh, and that the weather just might be coming around. Sweet!

I think I will probably head out for a short one tomorrow (3m or so) just cause I always feel better when I start my day with a good run. Will keep you posted.

Oh, and I am considering running a race in 9 days. I will let you know what I decide...I don't have much time to think, so I will decide this weekend.

Wednesday Happenings

As I said on our Week 4 Menu, tonight we planned on eating out. I made a request for Subway, and Jay put a smile on my face by letting me have my way. We both ordered the footlong Black Forest Ham on wheat. I wanted the Turkey Breast, or even Turkey Breast AND Black Forest Ham, but neither of those are on the $5 sandwich menu. And we are on a budget here people! Jay got chipotle sauce, and it was honey mustard for me.


I felt like they REALLY skimped on the veggies. And I hate being the person that keeps asking them to put on more. Next time I will just do it anyways, cause it was totally lacking. Thankfully, they did put a ton of banana peppers on, as I DID continued asking for more. I need a mild zing on my sandwiches! Overall it was delicious! Definitely hit the spot.

Maister shared my sandwich. She LOVED it. She even ate the spinach with no complaints. The tomato and cucumber were all picked out, but that's ok. Her love of spinach has been growing lately, and I will take what I can get!

Gator loved his cookie that Daddy spoiled he and sister with. The boy devoured it in no time. He even had a couple bites of my sandwich that included spinach! GO GATOR! He also had more meat and bread for his dinner. This boy is picky, so we kind of let him eat what he will right now.

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What tricks do you have for getting your kids to eat new foods?

Busy Tuesday

Today was a busy one in our household. We spent the morning at the library, early afternoon at a preschool meeting (ok, Mom's just chatting and kids playing :) ), and the afternoon baking! I was feeling ambitious today and decided to whip up some delicious carbs.

On a whim I decided I was in the mood for some homemade bread. So I whipped up two loaves:SO soft. SO delicious.

We also needed french bread with our veggie soup for dinner. So I tackled two loaves of that as well. I put one in the freezer so I can use it at a later date. I love feeling a little prepared with food in the freezer for those lazy nights.

The night ended with some of the bread and strawberry jam. OOOH. Heaven on Earth, right here people. I could seriously eat AT LEAST half a loaf like this. I wonder how long this bread will last in our kitchen...

Unfortunately, I didn't get out for a run. Instead I did Turbo Jam 20 minute work out, 30 minutes of step (2800+) where I did curls for 15 minutes of the step, and 10 minutes of "wii" jogging...that is weird. Have you tried it? Weird. I also added some leg lifts and crunches in there. Hopefully tomorrow I can get in a nice run. I need to breathe in some of that cool, crisp air. Plus, I just got a couple new songs that I have been listening to on my runs. I am not sick of them yet, so I look forward to dancing and singing as I cruise down the sidewalk.

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What did you do today?

Week 4 Menu

Here is what will be cooking at our house this week:

Monday: Baked Turkey Burritos YUM.
Tuesday: Vegetable PB Soup with french bread -personal fave
Wednesday: Eating out. BYU has a basketball game, so we will be gone for dinner
Thursday: Lemon Teriyaki Chicken
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Spicey Orange Chicken Stirfry

I am excited for this weeks menu. It just makes me smile thinking of all the deliciousness we will eat this week. YUM!

What is on your menu this week?

Shoes

Yesterday I posted that J talked me into a new purchase at Nike. He didn't have to persuade me too much. So I walked out of the store holding these beauties:

J has been trying to convince me for a couple months that I should get a new pair of running shoes. And everytime we go into Nike I browse through their shoe collection, but always leave saying "No, no, the ones I have are just fine." I knew the day was approaching that I would need new ones though. When we saw these were 30% off, J began his persuasion tactics. They go something like this: "Just try them on and see how they feel. Walk around. Just try them on." Then it turns in to "Just buy them and try them on at home. You can try them on next to your other ones and see how they feel."

It doesn't hurt to try them on right? So I did. It didn't take long for me to feel a difference in the shoe. Plus, J added that since I am putting many miles on my shoes it is good to invest in a nice pair. He claimed that my current ones were just cheap runners, and they aren't meant for long distance running. Like I said, I was pretty convinced. Though I still left the store with the mindset that I could return them if they didn't feel like a big difference being worn side by side with my others. I got home and tried them on. I am keeping them. Plain and simple.

I went for my first run in them this morning. 5.18 miles at a 6:51 pace. Apparently these shoes do more than make my foot comfortable; they make me faster too! They were GREAT! They provide support in the right places, and the arch is just right for my foot. Plus they have a little hole in the sole for my Nike+ so I don't have to wear the little pocket on the top of my shoe anymore!
I love them.


However, I am having a difficult time leaving these, my now "old" shoes behind:
Silly as it may seem, I feel a sense of loyalty to these shoes. They have carried me a LONG ways in my running journey. They carried me from a 10 minute mile to a sub 7 minute mile. From mile 1 to mile 10. They have been good and have actually stayed pretty clean :) Plus they match my dri-fit jacket and pants. Can I get a shout out for running in fashion?
They have been good to me. But I suppose it is time to move on to something a little more fitting for me. These guys will still get some attention, but probably on walks and hikes. Goodbye old friends. I will think of you often. I miss you so. But I don't miss you enough to return my new kicks...don't be offended.
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Today's workout:
5.18 miles at 6:51 pace
15 minutes of strength training and stretching
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Do you ever feel a sense of loyalty to inanimate objects?
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How many miles do you put on your shoes before you turn them in for new ones?

Weekend Fun

I took Saturday day off of running to try and heal my foot and knee. I was dying to go for a run on Saturday as the weather was fantastic! The sun finally decided to shine, and you didn't even need a jacket. But I decided it was better to get my body back closer to 100% instead of making the problems worse. My foot is finally feeling better thanks to several foot massages from my J. And my knee is currently resting under a bed of ice. I can't wait to hit the pavement tomorrow morning! I have four miles on my training schedule for tomorrow. It should be an easy going run to warm me up for the rest of the week.

Saturday we cleaned, pulled weeds, and cleaned some more. Then J, Maister and I headed to the Nike Outlet while my sister in-law watched Gator (read: while sister in-law and Gator both napped). We got some slick shoes for Gator to grow into, and J may have talked me into picking up a little something. I will post on it after I try it out on the run tomorrow. I can't wait!

The Nike Outlet just had a new neighbor move in; Ghirardelli Chocolate Store

mmm. Here is only a sampling of the loot we picked up:
That gold one was Egg Nog. It tasted exactly like egg nog. I could have passed :) My favorite we have tried so far was the chocolate peanut butter. But that is really no surprise since I practically inhaled THE cake from a few weeks ago.

For our date we went for chinese food with some friends, watched the BYU vs. CSU game, and followed it with some grocery shopping. Romantic. Actually it was great. J was on the phone, so I didnt' have to worry about in throwing random things into my cart, and he just followed me around the store while I shopped away. We had a whole chat before we began our shopping about how we are on a budget and he can't throw in stuff or it is going to throw me off for the rest of the month... Secretly I usually think it is cute when he throws things in. He always buys the "fun" stuff, aka the stuff I will never buy. I am sure the kids will beg for him to do the grocery shopping when they are older.

What did you do this weekend?

Friday Night Pizza

I was able to squeeze in a quick 5 mile run before some friends joined us for our weekly pizza night! I ran while the pizza dough was rising, came home and added toppings, then stuck it in the oven, and the timing couldn't have been better. I make the same pizza crust every night. I love it! I am kind of a pizza dough snob, and I never try new recipes. Maybe I should sometime, but I like me own enough that I feel no need to. I love that it doesn't have any oil in it, and it is SO quick and simple. I got this recipe from a friend we met when we lived in Georgia. Quick shout out to Nate. Thank you for making Friday Pizza Night possible for our family!

Here is what it looks like rolled out:

Pizza Crust
(makes 2)

1 cup warm water
1 TBSP honey
1 packet (2 1/4 tsp yeast)
3 cups flour (can do 1 cup whole what, 2 cups all-purpose)
1/2 tsp salt

Mix water, honey, and yeast together trying to work out the lumps. Just use the back of a spoon to work with it. Then add flour and salt, and knead for 10-15 minutes. Cover and let rise for an hour. Add any toppings and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. ENJOY!

Tonight we had BBQ Chicken as it is Gator's favorite

My friend Emylee brought toppings to make a pizza too. She put pesto as the sauce, with goat cheese, bacon (the bottled kind that is 50% less fat. NOT bacon bits!), and carmelized red onion. It was DELICIOUS. I definitely want to make this again! I may have snuck an extra piece after they left...

She also brought these hot chocolate cupcakes. Aren't they cute? No, they did not have liquid hot chocolate inside to sip through the straw. But they did have hot chocolate baked into the cake. YUM.

Hungry now? Do you have any weekly food traditions?

I like having something during the week that I can count on and know we will always do. Plus, it is fun to make and come up with new kinds of pizza. And it isn't very hard to get the kids to eat!

Open Face Enchiladas

I switched our menu up because I had forgotten I bought everything to make these Black Bean, Cheese, and Lime Chicken Enchiladas. So last night I threw it all together and enjoyed these with mango salsa:

YUM! I really enjoyed them and so did the kiddos. Not to mention they are pretty healthy. SCORE! I gave Maister a taste of the lime chicken before I put it in the enchilada mix and all she said was "yum!" That put a smile on my face.

Here is the recipe so you can enjoy it too:

Black bean and Chicken Open Face Enchiladas
adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

10 corn tortillas
1 big can of red enchilada sauce
1 15oz can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4 or 7 oz can diced green chilies
1 small onion
1 tsp cumin
1 Chicken breast
Olive oil
1 lime
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
Mix of monterey and cheddar cheese - as much as you want!

I don't measure thesee ingredients. I just mix until it looks and smells good. Mix olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper, and 1 clove garlic. brush it over a chicken breast and allow to marinate for about 15 minutes. Grill and dice in small pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.

In a small bowl mix the chicken, beans, chilies, onion, cilantro, cumin, and s&p.

In a small casserole dish spread some of the enchilada sauce and dip the tortillas before you roll them to keep them moist so they won't crack. Mine totally cracked anyways, so I just didn't roll them and kind of folded the tops over as much as I could. But they were more "open face enchiladas."

Spread the filling in each tortilla, sprinkle a little cheese inside. Then just place them side by side in the pan. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top. Then sprinkle with more cheese and cilantro. Bake for aboug 20mins. It should start bubbling and smell divine.
Chopped fresh cilantro

Excited!

Today I set a new PR! I ran 6.48 miles at a 7:15 pace. SWEET! That even included sitting at a stop light forever. I hate having to wait for all the cars to pass at a busy intersection...
I was pretty tired for my run today because I went to bed late last night. But I forced myself out of my warm sheets and made myself go. I will admit, it was hard to enjoy the run this morning, but I did my best. I just kept clicking through my songs to find my latest downloads. I was looking for DJ Got Me Falling In Love but I never did find it.
I have been getting these killer stomach aches too. I think I am just not fueling myself enough. So I ate some extra nutella today to make up for it...that should do the job, right?

I haven't decided whether to make my 3rd training day of the week tomorrow (friday) or Saturday. I guess I will see how I feel when I get up tomorrow morning!

Delicious!

I am loving this cereal, as of late. I don't normally buy Kashi cereal, because I bought it once a couple years ago and the taste resembled that of cardboard. But Kashi sent me a free sample of their new GoLEAN Crisp in the mail. Plus they included some awesome coupons for future purchases. I was skeptical when I poured my first bowl. But seriously, this stuff is SO good. Kashi has come a really long way in these past few years. I am back on the Kashi boat now. This stuff has 9g of protein in one serving. So it is perfect for breakfast after my morning runs.
My kids even like it. And I am happy to let them. With the coupons they sent me I was even able to get a full size box for free too! And my grocery store has them on sale right now, so with the other coupons, I can still get a box for $2. Not a great deal for cereal in general, but for a healthy one I think that is a great deal. I am going to stock up with the rest of my coupons this month. This is definitely my greatest cereal find in a long while! If you haven't tried it, DO!

**If anyone that works at Kashi is reading this, I wouldn't mind if you sent me another free box or two. I promise they will be thoroughly enjoyed, and devoured quickly. Plus, I did just give your company a plug...just sayin' :)

Plans

So here is my current GOAL.
I am training for the Fleet Feet Trail Half Marathon on March 26th. That means I have 68 days left to train. I am confident that this goal is very realistic. That is, as long as I can get this knee under control again. Ice is my friend, ice is my friend (repeat, repeat, repeat).

I am using my Nike+ to train, and the Nike+ running website has a whole training program that I am following. It has be running MWF, with breaks the other days. I am not sure I can 100% follow all of the training advice, but I will do my best. Some weeks I just need to run more than 3 times though.

I am excited for these next few months of RUNNING. I am off now to download some sweet iTunes with the gift card I got from my parents for Christmas. I need some good stuff to listen to while I run. It makes me smile and dance while I run. Seriously...

What are your current fitness goals?

Monday Run

It sure was hard to get up this morning. I forced myself out of bed at 7:45 and it was difficult! Even though I let myself sleep in 30mins, it was as if I was getting up just as early as usual. I ran 4.15 miles, and it was at a 6:59 pace! WAHOO. This was great news. This is the fastest I have ever run, and I have been pretty happy about it. I also did about 10 minutes of strength training. I was supposed to do 15-20 minutes, but my kids come first. So I cut it short. Overall I feel great today. My knee is feeling a little better, and I am learning to love running in the morning more and more all the time. I just can't wait for it to get easier to waking up early!

What did you do today?

Week 3 Menu

Here is what we will be eating this week:

Monday: Out with family (cousins came to town)
Tuesday: Philly Cheese Steaks (made these to eat Sunday but was postponed)
Wednesday: Mexican Chopped Salad w/honey lime dressing
Thursday: Vegetable Soup w/ French bread
Friday: BBQ Chicken Pizza (homemade)
Saturday: Out with friends - Chinese Food- YUM!
Sunday: Spicey Orange chicken Stirfry OR Pineapple glazed chicken w/Jalapeno salsa

It should be a yummy week of food. Tonight was the first time I had anything fried in a LONG time. It tasted pretty good, but I was really missing a big spinach salad on the side. I didn't have my normal veggie wrap for lunch, so my body was craving veggies. I did have a veggie burrito, but the beans and corn just can't replace the spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms in my usual daily diet.

Do you have anything delicious on your menu this week?

Morning Run

I started off the day with a fabulous 7.73 mile run at about a 7:35 pace. I can't remember the exact seconds... That does include waiting at a stop light FOREVER. I swear I was waiting a minute or so. Which when you are running, it totally bites to have to wait for the light to change for even 10 seconds. I kept moving, but this particular intersection is really busy and has this weird island thing that has the cross walk button. So I couldn't keep running on and off of the island because of the cars, so I just walked quickly around it in circles. I am sure I looked ridiculous.
The only bad news from today is that my knee is hurting. I don't know why it is acting up again. Frustrating. I am icing it as I type this post. I haven't felt this much knee pain since November. Hopefully the ice will do the trick.

I have been starving pretty much all day. I didn't eat before my run this morning, and that was a bad decision. As I was running, and my stomach felt like it was eating all of my other organs, I decided I would always eat before my runs from now on. I have been trying to catch up on calories all day, but it has been so busy that I haven't done a very good job. In fact, it is 11:30pm and I am still starving. So not good.

Stay tuned, as I have an exciting update I will post this weekend!

Totally Addicted

Tonight I whipped up some mean lasagna, french bread, spinach salad, and most importantly, these scrumptious Pumpkin Chocolate chip cookies. It is safe to say that I am totally addicted to these little bites of pure joy. I like to throw them in the microwave for 10 seconds to get the chocolate a little melty, and then drink a big glass of milk along side them. The best part is they are nearly guilt free! I got the recipe from my cousin, but I know many people make these same treats! Here is the recipe so you can whip up a batch too. It takes literally no time at all!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 spice cake mix
1 can (15oz) Pumpkin puree
chocolate chips (however many you want!)

Mix these 3 ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Just use a toothpick to determine when they are done.

VOILA! I love to take these to friends when I am in a pinch and don't have time to make anything fancy. Plus, I am happy when there are leftovers :) My kids love them too. And that makes me happy!

Latest workouts

I haven't posted what my workouts have been lately. So here it goes:

Monday: Ran 3.2 miles at about 7 minute pace
Tuesday: Turbo Jam (20 minute work out) - I felt unusually exhausted this day
Wednesday: Ran 3.7 miles at about 7:10 pace again

I am not sure why my speed has gone up. I told Jason it was probably because of my sweet new socks. I am running these early in the morning, so maybe my body is just more alert and ready to take the run on? Who knows? All I know is, I like it!

My knee has been hurting a little more than usual today. Perhaps it is just getting used to the speed? I am trying to be careful, but I always forget it is hurting until I tweak it doing something. Hopefully I can get rid of the pain soon! I am planning on doing a long run on Saturday morning, I just hope my knee will cooperate. Here is to lots of ice and hot chocolate to heat up the other parts of my body while my knee is cold!

Winter Garden

Today I feel grateful that I live in a place where I can enjoy a "winter garden." This week we were able to go in our back yard and pick these beauties:

The big ones are meyer lemons, which I have been more than excited about! And the little ones are called lemon quats or something like that. I am not sure what I will do with them. But the worst case scenario is that I throw them down my disposal so my kitchen will smell lemony fresh!
As for the big ones, I have been debating what to make. My husband isn't a huge lemon lover, but I on the other hand love everything lemon. Whenever I read cookbooks, I always take a 2nd and 3rd look at the lemon dishes. I have had my eye on a lemon cake for quite some time. Or I could whip up so lemon chicken, or lemon pasta, oh my the possibilities are endless! I will be sure to post about whatever I do finally make.
I'll be honest, the cake is probably going to happen....sorry hunny :)

Our House Guest

When Jason and his brother were installing the new part in the furnace, they found this furry little critter "resting":
I about flipped my lid when I saw them bring this guy into my kitchen. I didn't want to look at it. However, I did want to snap a quick picture. For posterity's sake, right? For some reason when I looked at it through the lens on my camera, it didn't feel as real to me. It didn't creep me out quite as much.
J told me later that the previous home owners (friends of ours) had set the trap years ago. Apparently they never went up to fetch the little guy when the scratching in the attic stopped.

J went that night to get 4 or 5 more traps to set up in our attic, just in case the rest of the family is hiding up there...I hope they got scared by the first trap and exited the house soon thereafter. I don't want to find any more of these things in my house!

Week 2 Menu

I finally found a minute today to sit down and figure out our menu. Unfortunately, I had to completely change it when I saw the price of salmon filets now-a-days! Plus, my store didn't have any arugula for the portobello mushroom burgers I wanted to make too. So I made and impromptu menu change! If I have any grocery $$ left over at the end of the month I will definitely snag some salmon, and search a little harder for the arugula (the portobello mushrooms were quite pricey as well!). Here is what we will be eating this week:

Monday: Tortellini with Tomato & Basil sauce and steamed brocolli
Tuesday: Poppy's Casserole -- a go to recipe
Wednesday: Pesto w/pasta or Chicken tacos - I will go with my mood
Thursday: Lasagna, french bread, spinach salad
Friday: Homemade Pizza -- I am thinking artichoke and sundried tomato-- and salad
Saturday: Leftovers - I never really plan Saturdays because we either have leftovers, sanwiches, or have dinner with friends!

What are you having this week?

New Gear

J and I went for a run today (we had to take advantage of his Mom being here!), just under 6.5 miles, and he was sweet enough to let his hands freeze in the cold and let me borrow his gloves. After only about 5 minutes, I was sold. I will admit, I was skeptical. I kept telling him I didn't need gloves; whenever my hands get cold I just tuck them into my sleeves. Really good running form, huh? But today he won me over.
So he and Maister went to the Nike outlet (we only live a mile away, jealous?) this morning to get him some new compression shorts, and my running gloves. Unfortunately, they were ALL out of gloves. Can you believe that?? But he did surprise me by coming home with these goodies:

Charcoal gray dri-fit shirt

and two pairs of dri-fit socks! SWEET!
Jason really knows the way to my heart. :)

I have been wanting these socks for a long time, but I am too cheap to purchase them myself. Luckily J spoils me with treats like these. I can't wait to wear these on my next run.

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When we were first married I would always steal his bright blue dri-fit socks, and we would both laugh as they were huge on me. They are also this super bright blue and red colors. They never matched anything I wore. But they were so comfy that fashion lost. But now I have two of my own pairs that I can work out in and not look so mismatching!

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Someday I will dedicate a whole post to my feelings on Nike dri-fit clothing. I would just do a quick write up, but it is so awesome it needs to be a post all on its own!

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Does fashion matter to you when you work out?

THE Cake

The family is in town, and it is always difficult to get a good work out in, so I took the day off. As you can see from the picture below, I took the day off to bake this delicacy: This is a chocolate cake with peanut butter filling, and peanut butter frosting, with chocolate ganache over top. MMM. I got several compliments, and my mother in-law's boyfriend even went back for thirds. He is definitely on my good list now :)

Do you ever watch Rachael Ray? I love her show, and she always talks about how she wishes someone would invent the "smell-o-vision." Well, I wish someone could invent the...ok... I can't think of a good way to blend the words 'taste' and 'computer,' but you get what I am saying right? If you enjoy peanut butter, this is SO the cake for you. My friend has the recipe posted on her site, here. But I found it in the Sky High Cakes book I received for my birthday. It is easy peasy, and I think I scored points with some family members as my sister in-law said I have to make it again. And she is the most honest of the bunch :)

Even though I didn't work out today I felt good about eating this cake for a number of reasons:
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1. I ate carefully in my other meals today
2. It was a time to celebrate
3. I have been working hard at working out 5-6 days a week, and everyone needs an extra break sometimes!
4. Life is supposed to be enjoyed!!

Here is how my meals went for the rest of the day:

Baked oatmeal with 1/2 a granny smith apple on top
Indian food - vegetarian for lunch. I had a dosa and it was delicious! I wish I had a picture.
Breakfast burrito for dinner. But it was chocked FULL of veggies and only a couple of cubes of ham. I just bathed my burrito in mango salsa and it was fantastic. Plus I had some fresh fruit on the side.
*I did have a snack or two in there, I just can't remember. It was a really busy day.

I am planning on getting a good run in tomorrrow so I can eat another slice or two of the chocolate cake before it is all gone!

The weekend should be full of good food, good games, and a GREAT run tomorrow...

Have any weekend plans?


ps Our furnace is fixed! YAHOO! We have heat. My husband and his brother found a precious little something in our attic when they were installing the cooling fan. I will post a picture of that little treasure later... I can't put a picture of it on the same post as the cake!

Anniversary of sorts

Valentines 2007

Isn't he so handsome? I just love this guy. And don't worry it was just Martinelli's in the glasses. :)

Almost 4 years ago I had a little fire ignited in me that made me want to run and "compete."

I had NEVER, I repeat NEVER had any desire to learn to run, or just to run in general. In fact I hated it. Or so I thought. Plus I had the excuse that ever since blowing my knee out completely in 2003, it had just never been the same.

But 4 years ago J and I went to watch a friend of ours compete in a sprint duathalon. He did well, and I remember watching him and thinking "I want to be in a race someday." I thought about it many times after that. But I got pregnant a few months later, and just kept putting off my new found desire to run. I ran a few times after my daughter was born, but nothing worth mentioning. But in January 2010, I decided this was my year. I had just given birth to my son in October, and I knew that this was my year. I wrote down a goal of running in a 10k, but in the back of my head wanted to run a half marathon. I told J my goal, but nobody else. Then my sister in-law saw my little goal paper and I knew my secret was out. Now there was a little pressure to actually complete this goal. With many new years resolutions I will just drop them fairly quickly and not think about it again, but I was deteremined to make this year different.

I started in January, but it was cold, and we were about to move. So the months went by, and in June we went to watch my brother in-law run the Newport, Oregon marathon. It was so exhilerating to watch all the runners come across that finish line. I felt proud of them, even though they were strangers!

I let out my secret that I wanted to run and that I wanted to run a half marathon someday. I figured that if I told them my plan, then I would REALLY have to complete it. I didn't want to embarass myself, and I wanted my husband to be proud of me too. I bought new running shoes on this trip and I was excited about the future! Some unforseen events happend over the summer that kept me from running and at the end of August I decided it was now or never. So I started. My sister in-laws and I decided we were going to run a Turkey Trot, so I knew I had a goal date, and this really helped! It was HARD, but I soon learned to LOVE running. It became therapeutic to me. Finally I didn't have to drag myself out of the house to run, I actually looked forward to it, and my body quickly became addicted and would "crave" a run.

Running felt good and on October 30th, it felt so good that I just kept running and running. I arrived home having run 10.5 miles. I was SOOO excited. I felt so good, and I felt like I had just conquered a whole other world or something. For the first time I felt like I might actually be able to run a half marathon.

Well, I learned the hard way you can't train so quickly, as my bad knee barked at me for a couple weeks. But I was able to run a 10k for the Turkey Trot and was able to set my first PR. It was so fun to have J and the kids there cheering me on and pushing me to do my best. And I felt great because my husband was so proud of me. He was surprised I was able to run the race so quickly. And I learned that I really enjoyed passing people, especially men :)

I am finally in the place physically I have wanted to be for so long, and it feels so good. I have my eyes on 2 different races and I have not yet decided which one I will participate in, but I will make my announcement here as soon as I make a decision! Hopefully in the next 2 or 3 weeks as deadlines are coming up!

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What made you want to start running?

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Was it a single event? Was it something you always wanted to do? Is it something you have just always done?

Craving for today

So while our furnace has been out, we have been watching this is our fireplace all day: Then Maister asked about marshmallows, and it was all over for me. I had to have smores! I figured we may as well take advantage of this misfortune of having our furnace out and being forced to use the fireplace. And I love smores.
Surprisingly it is a new found love. I was never a big fan of them as a kid. I liked to roast the mallows, and eat all of the parts separate (ok, let's be honest, I mostly just liked that chocolate). But last September we went to a campout with our Church, and that is where my love grew for these little babies. Mmmm.

We mixed it up this time though and used a Symphony bar instead of a regular old plain chocolate bar. Is it possible to improve a smore? I am pretty sure my taste buds sang a song in honor of the Symphony bar. So I type here today to say, yes, yes it is possible to improve a Smore. They were so good I may have eaten three of these little guys. Don't worry, they were just half cracker size. Delish!

Here is when the smore met my mouth. Long lost love.

Now that you are on your way to your kitchen to make a smore, try and mix it up. Make it creative! Let me know if you come up with any cool combos. It would be my duty as this blog author to try out your ideas. Right? Right!

Feeling Good

I set out for a "long" run today. For me, I consider that anything over 5 miles. I always struggle the first 2-3 miles, but then I hit my stride and I feel like I could run forever. Today was no different, except it was cold and I could barely feel my fingers and nose. But it was SO worth it.

About half way through the run, a man on a bike shot past me and then stopped off to the side of the path. I thought he was probably asking me for directions or something. I get that a lot, I think I just must look like one of those direction gifted people. You know the type right? Anyways, I took my headphones out as he waved me down. We had a conversation that went something like this

Biker man: "Excuse me, have you been running a long time(meaning in general)? You have perfect form."

Awkward me: "Oh no, I just started last summer. Thank you very much. That is so nice."

Biker man: "I was just watching you from behind and thought, 'Wow, that woman has perfect

running form. You are a natural. Have you had any training?"

Awkward me: "Oh thanks! No, I haven't had any training. I am training for a race right now

though." --thinking back, I suppose that whole phrase is a contradiction

Biker man: "Well keep it up, you are a natural. You are a natural!"

Awkward me: "Thank you so much. Thank you!"

Then I ran off into the sunset. --ok that part is a lie, but I did run off to a stop light.

I know that I am not the best runner, I know that I don't have perfect form, but just receiving a compliment really boosted my confidence. It made me feel so good! And I think I ran a little faster after that.

I then listened to Enrique Iglesias' song, 'I like it'. For some reason that song always puts a smile on my face. I enjoyed the rest of my run and I still keep thinking about what a kind man he was. If you ever read my blog, thank you biker man! You really gave me the boost I have been in need of!

So today's run totaled 7 miles. SWEET! And besides being cold it felt GOOD. Oh, I just love running. Somehow I feel like it feeds my soul or something. Was that corny enough for you? I wish I had started running much sooner. I would have really enjoyed it even more when I was a student, or first married. But at least I have it now!

Here is a shot of me and my little one post-run. Looking good. I really need to blow dry my hair one of these days. The ponytail is getting old!

Veggies and a little work out

Today's work out wasn't worthy of praise, but it was definitely fun! I did a 20 minute turbo jam work out, and then a few songs on Just Dance 2. Uhm, that game ROCKS! Have you ever played it?

The game was even more fun than I expected. I tried to get my husband to play with me, he just replied with, "I think that is more of a girls game." I will keep working on him. If I ever get him to play I will take pictures for proof. It actually did get my heart rate up a little, probably cause I was getting really into it. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I danced to "Hey Ya."



Dinner tonight was a simple rice bowl. I just sauteed a bunch of veggies, added a little soy sauce, lime, ginger, salt and pepper, rice and egg. It was quite tastey, and very easy on the wallet! I almost always have all of these ingredients on hand. I even got the kiddos to eat some. Maister was bribed with the lure of hot chocolate if she ate some of the veggies. We are not above bribery. Especially when it comes to eating vegetables!

I got Gator to eat tomato, mushroom, spinach, and carrot today! WAHOO! This was huge. He usually likes carrot, but the fact that I got him to eat all of the others was amazing. I was such a proud mother at lunch time. Granted these vegetables were served with his favorite dried cranberries. But I figure I just need to slowly warm him up to the foods. It is the small victories right?

Does anyone else salivate just looking at these vegetables? I also added mushrooms a few minutes after this... mmm

Anyone have a tricks to getting your kids to eat better?

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I like to try and be sneaky! But I also like to try and get them used to the look and texture of the foods in the "true" state. So I try to do a little of both.

Is this foreshadowing?

Today the furnace broke. To put it lightly: bummer. The kids and I were gone most of the morning to the park, and when we got home I couldn't figure out why I was still so cold. I finallly went to turn the thermostat up, and this is what I found on the bedroom wall unit:

It was slightly warmer in the rest of the house, but only by a few degrees. It was COLD. And this was how I felt about that:

I guess our furnace is 17 years old...but still. I was shocked nonetheless.

I started calling differnt heating companies and everyone said the soonest they could come out was tomorrow. No good. I finally got two different companies to commit to coming this afternoon by telling them I would call a few other comanies and try to find someone who could come today. This comment produced results. I wasn't even trying to manipulate them, I was just trying to politely tell them "Yeah, I am not going to be using your company." Apparently they did want my business. Eventually I went with the company that said they would send somebody to my house right then. Booyah. I learned a good lesson there; making empty threats does work sometimes.

The technician came by and our cooling fan is broken. Did you know a furnace has a cooling fan? Did you know it has a motherboard? Did you know I didn't even know where our furnace was when it stopped working? Well that last one is totally solved now. It is in the attic, in case you were wondering. If your is "missing" look there. Anyways, the part won't be in until Friday, so we are making good use of our fireplace and a friends space heater. I hope mother in-law and boyfriend are ready for a chilly night tomorrow! Bring your long johns!

I just keep thinking this can't be a good way to be starting off the year. Please tell me this is NOT a foreshadowing of things to come this year!


On the bright side, I have always wanted to start a fire in our fireplace ever since we moved into our house! It makes it feel so cozy in our family room. The kids love it!

Enjoy the heat in your home tonight, and send your warm vibes our way!

No-cone-n-a-gup

I used to babysit these two cute little boys, ages 3 and 2, when I was 12 years old. They were family friends, and if I recall I didn't even get paid usually. But I have always loved kids and was happy just to play with them! I have a vivid memory of pulling them up and down a hill in a wagon. They LOVED it and would plead for me to drag it back up to the top of the hill again and again. I remember thinking how nice it would have been to be one of those kids sitting in the wagon, basking in the sun while another youngster slaved away dragging me around where ever I requested.
On hot summer days, (OK not that hot. We lived in Washington state) the younger of the two, Jacob, used to beg for snowcones - or a no-cone-n-a-gup. My Dad and I used to just laugh and laugh about this. And still do to this day. In fact we joked about it over Christmas. Everytime I eat a snowcone and I can't help but think of little Jacob and his no-cone-n-a-gup.

Does it still make me a kid for the simple fact that I will drink a snow cone any day, any time of day. I know the things are straight sugar, but they are brain-freezing goodness. Only three sounds explain how I feel about them. "Mmm Mmm Mmm."

My husband and I went to Hawaii for our 5th anniversary a few months ago and I put all of my health conscious sugar hesitations out of my head (or at least tried to) and downed a minimum of one HUGE snow cone per day. Usually two. Yes, my blood sugar levels were shooting threw the roof! I got through that by playing on the beach and then crashing as soon as we got in the car to go back to the hotel. Sooo worth it.

If you haven't eaten a snowcone from Matsumoto's Shaved Ice on Oahu, they are SO worth the flight. Too bad they can't package and mail a snowcone. Maybe I could invent a way to make that possible. I better hurry and patent this brilliance!
Instead of sulking in the reality that I will not have another one of their famous shaved ice for many years, I will simply dream of eating one and having the above look on my face. Memories are SwEeT!


What is your favorite sugar HIGH indulgence?

Tuesday Schmoosday

I started off the day with a brisk 5 mile run. I left the house around 7:25am and boy was it cold. It may be California, but OH! I should have worn my Nike skull cap (aka my du-rag). It was probably only in the high 30's or low 40's but it was cold. The run felt good, but I felt a little sick this morning afterwards. I may have pushed it a little. I shouldn't have skipped so many runs while I was gone for Christmas. I did exercise, but not 5 miles a day. I suppose it will just take some adjusting. Especially the early morning runs.

I got home and took a HOT shower that I did not want to get out of. I figured when my bathroom was too foggy to see, it was probably time to get out. I let Maister pick what we had for breakfast, and she requested my favorite Baked Oatmeal. I was more than happy to grant her request, as I had been craving it myself.
I mixed it up a little this time and threw in some cameo apple and raisins. That was definitely a good idea, and one I will do again, and soon!

Maister, Gator, and I enjoyed this before our long morning of the library and playground.
I have been craving another bowl all day, but will resist until tomorrow morning. I won't deny that I have been known to eat this for multiple meals in a day. I LOVE having breakfast for dinner. It just feels right to me. I eat enormous amounts of this in the summer when strawberries are floating around our house! Have I mentioned how excited I am for all the summer produce. I am excited! Let the 3 month (or so) countdown begin! I hear costco has blueberries already. Maybe I should scoot my way over there. I need to renew my membership. I need their produce!

Anyways, here is the recipe to my favorite breakfast ever. That is right. E.V.E.R.

Baked Oatmeal
adapted from My Sisters' Cucina

6 cups oats (quick or rolled. I like to do half and half for texture)
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups low fat milk (I drink 1%)
4 eggs (2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites) beaten
1 TBSP baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2-3/4 tsp cinnamon (I just usually sprinkle a bunch in, I don't measure)
**optional ingredients
Diced Apples
Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Other dry fruit
Nuts (walnuts are a SUPER food!)
any fresh fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with fresh fruit and a little milk.

This morning I threw in half of a granny smith apple and half a banana on top of the apple and raisins that were already baked into the oatmeal. The oatmeal will keep you full for longer and it tastes spectacular! Enjoy.

What is your favorite breakfast food?

What keeps you full for longer in the morning?

Monday work out

Today I didn't get to do too much. I could not pull myself out of bed for a run this morning. Sad, I know. I settled for some Turbo Jam (20 minute work out) and about 15-20 minutes of rotating between crunches, pushups, leg lifts, and waist crunchers. It was no run, but I felt good knowing I had done something! It was actually a decent work out, even if Maister thought it was hilarious to latch onto my legs while I was trying to kick and move. Haha! That girl cracks me up! At least Gator was napping, so I didn't have to worry about him getting bored.

I am going to bed early tonight in hopes that I can get up early tomorrow for a rockin' run. Here is to high hopes!

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Do you work out at home with your kids?
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What do you do to make it easier?

Week 1 Menu

Part of sticking to a budget (for me) is making a menu, and sticking to it. Hopefully posting my menu weekly will hold me a little more accountable to sticking to what I picked, and what I have on hand.

Monday: White Bean Chicken Chili (eaten taco style)
Tuesday: Thai Pizza
Wednesday: Rice Bowl Dinner
Thursday: Baked Turkey Burritos
Friday: BBQ with family
Saturday: Eating out, probably Mexican. Score!
Sunday: Eating at Jason's brother's house. His wife is a great cook so, double score!

Here is the white bean chicken chili we had for dinner tonight. I know it doesn't look too pretty, but it was quite tasty, and super healthy! I found a great new website for healthy eating that I am loving so far. I found this recipe here, and only tweaked it a little. ENJOY!

White Bean Chicken Chili
adapted from Raise Healthy Eaters

3 cans (15oz) white beans (I used cannellini)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced or finely grated
1 can (7 oz) diced green chilies
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder (or use cayenne)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 pinch salt
1 pound chicken breasts (I used 2 breasts)
2 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

Mix beans, onion, garlic, chilies, and spices in the bottom of a crockpot. Lay chicken on top, and pour the broth over the top. Turn the crock pot on for 4-5 hours on high or 8-9 hours on low. Before serving, remove chicken and shred with two forks. Then return it to the juices in the crockpot. Serve with tortilla chips, or in a tortilla. Then sprinkle with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, or whatever you want. I liked it the best in a tortilla, kind of taco style.

I may or may not have added a few more handfuls of cheese after I took the picture. I will let you guess.

Can you tell from my menu that I LOVE mexican food? I always want to try the hole-in-the-wall restaurants in town, but Jason says he is afraid of getting sick. I think I will get him to one in the near future. I am craving some GOOD mexican food.

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What is your favorite kind of food?

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I love Mexican, but definitely have a taste for Italian, and Thai too. Even Indian has a place in my heart. I suppose it just depends on my mood. Oh and a juicey burger puts a big smile on my face as well.

Lunch Bunch

We rhyme a lot around our house. I suppose it is our nerdy way of teaching our daughter about different words and their sounds. This has definitely helped her, as she makes up her own hilarious rhymes now. My personal favorite is when she is talking to hubby's friend Josh. She refers to him as "Joshy de moshy."
The problem now is Jason and I keep rhyming even when she is not around. We are cool like that. It is when we do things like this that I know we are meant for each other...I know he really loves me if he will make up silly rhymes with me! Or maybe he just put up with them. I am happy either way!

Ok, back to lunch bunch. In high school we had this thing called "lunch bunch." (are you wondering yet how many times I can say lunch bunch in one post? I am going for a record) My junior and senior years, myself and a group of friends would go to one another's house for lunch everyday and enjoy our Mom's home cooking. It was so much better than taking a sandwich in a paper bag. Mine always ended up smooshed and looking nasty. I look back now and think about how nice our Moms were for making us gourmet (seriously) meals in the middle of the day. If only we could have a lunch bunch now... Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Today I made toasted butternut squash and cheese sandwhiches for the kids. Maister (almost 3) said "It's pretty good." I'll take that.

Ok, so this picture doesn't look so hot. But the kids were hungry and this was the last piece left on the cutting board.

Do you think Gator enjoyed it? YES! And that really says something! This guy is picky. He won't even eat a small cube of cheese. So I was thrilled when he ate this sandwich!

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For me, I went for a wrap. It was full of veggie goodness, and I enjoyed every last bite. DELISH!

I took a jalapeno and cilantro tortilla and smeared one wedge of reduced fat laughing cow cheese on the bottom. This is my secret to a "moist" wrap without using mayo. I stuffed it full of tomato, green pepper, zucchini, cucumber, mushrooms, tons of spinach, and drizzled it with a little sweet chili sauce.

So when I took the first bite, I think about 1/3 of it fell out of the tortilla. But that's ok. I love eating all of the extra bits that fall out with a fork after I finish the wrap. I can't wait to eat this again tomorrow! I drank a big glass of water, and was still hungry. I went for my favorite chocolate chip cookie. Someday I will post that recipe. YUM!

Peace out, boy scout :)

Gimme FOOD!

I took the two kiddos grocery shopping this morning, which is always an adventure. I had one elderly gentleman stop and tell me I better watch it because my little girl was a flirt! My little girl sure knows how to pick em; 70+ and married. To add to the crazy trip, all of the kid friendly carts were gone by the time we walked in the doors. Arg! I spent the whole trip telling my daughter to sit on her "bummy" and telling my son to stop pulling her hair. Shouldn't every grocery store buy about 15 extra of those? I digress. It really is fun though :)

My husband and I have a monthy budget that we try to adhere to every month. It isn't always easy, and I missed the mark on my food budget many times last year. We have $250 for a family of four, and that includes dish detergents, paper towels, etc... I have tried the coupon thing, and I do use coupons whenever I can, but it is hard to find coupons for all the fresh produce we like to buy! This year I am determined to stick to my budget. Thankfully we have an entertainment budget for when we have company over, especially last minute. But I am really hoping I can stick to it. Here is how it all played out today:

Today's grocery trip included: mushrooms, roma tomatoes, zucchini, a lime, avocado, bananas, broccoli, 3lbs granny smith apples, red bell pepper, plain greek yogurt, yobaby Yogurt, frozen strawberries, frozen blackberries, milk, green chilies, pinto beans, cannellini beans, cilantro, applesauce, enchilada sauce, low sodium soy sauce, and Jalapeno and Cilantro tortillas.

These tortillas just make me smile :) They are Tumaro's Gourmet Tortillas. I also recently bought the tomato and basil tortillas. They have 4g of protein, low in soduium, and the flavor rocks. I will take a few extra carbs and calories for these babies. They have several other flavors I am dying to try, but I thought I should start working my way through the two bags I currently have before I start stocking up my pantry! So far I am obsessed!

(how is that for a plug? Tumaro's, you want to send me a few free samples? hehe)

Today's grocery trip came in just a pinch over $39. Not too shabby. I am hoping this will be all I need for the week, as my mother in-law is coming in town so we will be eating out. Sweet.


Do you have a grocery budget? If so, how much is it?


I have a really hard time sticking to our budget, especially in the summer when strawberries, watermelon, and blueberries surround me. We go through about 3-4 pounds of strawberries every week during the summer, and we eat way too much watermelon. I craved it like crazy when I was pregnant the first time.


Do you have any tricks to keeping your produce bill down?

Let's get this started

How do you really "start a blog"? I think you just have to start by pretending we are mid-conversation. We can act like we are old friends who have known one another for years. But before we start our conversation, here are a few key facts about my life:

I am 25 years old
I have been married 5 years to my love, Jason
I am the mother of 2 children, ages 3 (next month) and 1 (14 months)
I am a stay at home mom who loves to PLAY
I love to EAT
I love to RUN

Now, let's start talking...

Photo courtesy of my 2 1/2 year old daughter (taken 9/2010)