I'm Never Running Again

     I am never running again!  Nope.  That's it.  I'm done.  100% complete.  No mas.  And this is why:  You know those people who tell you once you've faced your fear, you can accomplish anything?  They lied!  Tonight I faced my fear.  I looked him straight in his scaly little face, and I ran in the other direction.  Literally.  I hauled butt and didn't look back.  I'm calling BS to that whole "face your fears" adage.

   
     So what happened?  Well tonight while I was just running along, pushing Monkey in her stroller, about to complete my third mile when I happened to glance down, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a stick.  Keep in mind I don't have contacts anymore; I lost my last one.  So now I'm sporting glasses, and my peripheral vision is pretty much non-existent.  So all I saw when I glanced down was a stick.  A squiggly stick.  And I thought to myself, "I probably shouldn't run over this stick because Monkey was already complaining about too many bumps earlier".  So I swerved, barely missing the squiggly stick with the front tire of my jogging stroller by about 2 inches, and that's when my "squiggly stick" reared back and hissed at me!  Immediately I took off running at a pace I haven't managed in months, and in my mind all I could think was, "HOLY SHIT!  Holy Shit! That was a snake!  Not a stick!  A snake!  OMG!  We almost died!  I almost died because of a stupid squiggly stick that was really a snake!!!  Holy CRAP!  Is he chasing me?  I'm pretty sure he's chasing me!   OMG! I'm being chase by a squiggly, hissing stick!!!  Is this what adrenaline feels like?  So, right now my adrenal medulla is secreting epinephrine and norepinephrine, and that's what's causing the increased BP and increased heart rate, and this is what it feels like?  This is so cool. "  Then the panicked side came back.  "OMG! You nerd! Stop reviewing what you learned in Anatomy and RUN!!  Knees up.  Knees up! Knees UP!!!  OMG!  Why am I cold?  It's 100+ degrees out here, and I'm cold.  Oh, cool so is this what they mean by you have ice in your veins?  Omg!  If you don't shut up nerd and get your knees up that snake is going to get us!  CURSE YOU DEMON SNAKE!!!"

     Needles to say I didn't stop running until I made it safely back to the sidewalks next to my subdivision.  Even then, my eyes were still darting from side to side, scanning for the demon spawn of Hell.  Being on the sidewalk was little comfort, considering my little run-in didn't happen in the woods or when I was running through the recently torn down subdivision where the grass is unruly and hasn't been cut in a month.  Where did all this encounter take place, you ask?  On the newly paved asphalt sidewalk they created specifically for runners, the one that is near the woods, yes, but they mow it and trim it at least once a week.  That's where Mr. Demon snake decided to hang out.  With half his body on the sidewalk someone had just run past!  So that whole "they're more afraid of you than you are of them?"  Yeah, I'm calling bullshit on that one too!

Dear Reader,
    The Bored Navy Wife is currently suffering from a mental breakdown after our little adventure this evening, so she's going to go lie down now.  In a nice dark room.  Under some covers.  For a week.  In the meantime, I think it's safe to say that you won't have to suffer through another annoying attempt at a "motivational" blog about running for a long time.  You're welcome.

Sincerely,
The Demon Snake
aka "The Squiggly Stick"

P.S.  Here's a recipe:


Remember when I went back to the Eubanks Farm in Lucedale?  Well I got some yummy summer crops, and I'd like to share a few of the things I did with them.

First I sliced and pickled the jalapeños, using the same recipe I did when I pickled banana peppers.

 Next, using the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, I made Canned Tomatoes. *I don't have a formal ingredients list for this.  Because I was working in such small batch to save space, I lost count of how much I used.*

Start by gathering your jars (I used pint-sized).  Wash and dry them.  Heat jars and lids and lids in a saucepot of simmering water.  Do not boil lids.  Allow jars and lids to remain in hot water until ready for use, removing one at a time as needed.  (Or to save time and space, run them all through the dishwasher with the steam-dry option.)

Fill water bath canner half-full with hot water.  Elevate rack in canner.  Cover with lid.  Heat water to a simmer.  Keep water hot until used for processing.

Use fresh tomatoes at their peak of quality and flavor.  Use firm tomatoes free of cracks, spots and growths.  Prepare only enough for one canner lad at a time.  Wash tomatoes; drain.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, and have a large bowl of ice water ready.  Add tomatoes to boiling water, and blanch 30-60 seconds, or until skins start to crack.  Remove from boiling water and dip immediately into ice water.

Slip off the skins; trim away any green areas, and cut out core.  Leave tomatoes whole or cute into halves or quarters.

Place tomatoes in a large saucepot, adding just enough water to to cover.  Boil gently 5 minutes.

Begin removing canning jars from hot water (or dishwasher), set jar on towel-lined counter.  Add 1/4 tsp citric acid or 1 TBS lemon juice to each pint jar. (If using quart jars, simply double the amounts).

Carefully pack tomatoes into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Ladle boiling water (leftover from when you boiled the tomatoes) over the tomatoes.  Add 1/2 tsp salt to each pint jar (again, double for quart jars), if desired.

Slide a nonmetallic spatula between tomatoes and jar; press back gently on tomatoes to release trapped air bubbles.  Repeat procedure 2-3 times around inside of jar.

Wipe rim and threads of jar with a clean, damp cloth.  Remove lid from the hot water (or dishwasher).  Place lid on jar, and screw the band down evenly, just until resistance is met.  "Fingertip tight".

Set all the full jars onto the elevated rack in the water bath canner.  Lower the rack in canner.  Water level must cover the lids on the jars by 1-2 inches.  Add boiling water if necessary.  Put lid on canner.  Bring water to boil.  Process pint jars for 40 minutes (quart jars for 45 minutes).

When time's up turn off heat, remove lid.  Let canner cool 5 minutes, then remove jars and place on a dry towel to cool, about 1-2 inches apart.  Let cool 12-24 hours.  Check seal by pressing on the cent of each lid and listening for the "pop".  If not sealed properly reprocess the can.  Store jars in a cool, dry place.




After that, I made Tomato Sauce, again using the Ball Blue Book.

To make 14 pints or 7 quarts, you'll need:
45 lbs tomatoes
Ball Citric Acid or lemon juice

Wash tomatoes; drain.  Remove core and blossom ends.  Cut into quarters; simmer 20 minutes in a large sauce pot, stirring occasionally.  Puree tomatoes in a food processor.  Strain puree to remove seeds and peels.  Cook pulp in a large, uncovered sauce pot over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, stirring to prevent sticking.

 Reduce volume by 1/2.  Add 1/4 tsp citric acid or 1 TBS lemon juice to each pint jar (double for quart jars).  Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Adjust two-piece lids. Process pints 35 minutes in water bath (quarts 40 minutes).

Ta-da!

And because Monkey has been on a Lilo and Stitch kick lately, I couldn't help but think of this clip tonight.

Run to Eat, Eat to Run

     This morning I woke up sore again from the brutal beating I've been putting my body through lately.  I started the Insanity program a few weeks ago when it got too hot to run.  I've been enjoying Insanity, but I have been missing my runs.  Running is an excellent way to clear my mind and meditate on anything that's bothering me.  It also gives me time to simply reflect on anything and everything that comes to mind.  The thing is, though, I have to convince myself to get out there.  The heat has been a good excuse to not go, but at the cost of my mind becoming cluttered and chaotic since it wasn't being "cleaned out" on a regular basis.

    The other night, J had taken Monkey to the store with him while I stayed behind to finish up my grocery list and do a few chores around the house.  I had just finished and decided to check the mailbox.  Inside I found a note from my sister, encouraging me to not give up running.  She had also included a 10K bumper sticker for my car to celebrate making it through the Couch to 10K program.  I grinned from ear to ear when I saw that sticker.  It reminded me of how far I've come.  It got me excited, and it made me want to go farther.  I found myself racing around the house, grabbing my tennis shoes, throwing on some jogging shorts, and racing out the door for my first run in 6 weeks.  And you know what?  I beat my last mile time by a minute and a half.  I felt amazing, and I felt my form improving.  I have Insanity to thank for that.  Shaun T, the insane man in the video screaming at you to "dig deeper", emphasizes using your core to workout.  The few weeks of doing his workouts have taught me how everything should come from the core.  You lift your knees with the core, instead of just throwing them around.  You keep your balance with your core.  You keep your body in line with your core.  The thing is, I never truly found my core before I did these workouts.  Now that I know what it means though, I can't imagine how I made it this far in running without knowing how to use my core.  It makes running so much easier, and it helps you achieve that good runner's form much more naturally.

   Since that night, I've adopted a new goal.  My sister and I have been talking about doing a Half Marathon for a while now, but I guess I never really thought about it.  The other night, after that awesome run, I came up with a plan.  My husband has this book, the Navy Seal's Guide to Fitness and Nutrition, and it happened to be next to the bed when I was looking up training programs for a Half.  Inside I found a program that helps you get to running 40 miles a week in nine weeks.  From there you go on to another program to help you run a half marathon in 12 weeks.  I did the math on my calendar and found that if I start this week, I will finish just in time for the Woman's Half Marathon in Baton Rouge this year.  Here's the first program if you're interested in trying it:

Weeks 1 & 2:
Monday:          4 mile run
Tuesday:         Cross Train (I'm going to keep doing Insanity)
Wednesday:    5 mile run
Thursday:       3 mile run
Friday:           Cross Train
Saturday:        3 mile run
Sunday:          5 mile run
Total: 20 miles per week

Weeks 3 & 4:
Monday:        5 mile run
Tuesday:        Cross Train
Wednesday:   5 mile run
Thursday:      5 mile run
Friday:           Cross Train
Saturday:       5 mile run
Sunday:         5 mile run
Total: 25 miles per week

Weeks 5 & 6:
Monday:       5 mile run
Tuesday:       Cross Train
Wednesday:  6 mile run
Thursday:      6 mile run
Friday:          Cross Train
Saturday:       6 mile run
Sunday:         6 mile run
Total: 29 miles per week

Weeks 7 & 8:
Monday:       7 mile run
Tuesday:       Cross Train
Wednesday:  7 mile run
Thursday:      8 mile run
Friday:           Cross Train
Saturday:       5 mile run
Sunday:         8 mile run
Total:  35 miles per week

Week 9:
Monday:        6 mile run
Tuesday:        Cross Train
Wednesday:   8 mile run
Thursday:       8 mile run
Friday:           Cross Train
Saturday:        8 mile run
Sunday:          10 mile run
Total:  40 miles per week

    Okay, so I'm tired just typing all that.  It is a bit overwhelming to think about doing two 8 mile runs back to back, or an 8 mile run followed by a 10 mile run, but I have to remember that there was once a time when repeatedly running 30 seconds then walking 1 minute for a total of 30 minutes was overwhelming.  Baby steps.  That's what got me this far.

    Yesterday I read an awesome comic all about running.  It was hilarious, and y'all should really check it out.  I completely identified with the author, especially when he talks about how he runs so he can eat.  (I'm typing this as I'm devouring a slice of Green Tomato Bread).  Reading it I got a sense of, "Yay! I'm not the only one."  And I loved his "Blerch", the being that basically follows you around, trying to convince you to go home and eat cake instead of run.  My own Blerch is very loud, and rather manipulative.

    At any rate, I've learned a lot from running, not just physically, but mentally as well.  I've learned to face things that are hard.  I've learned endurance.  I've learned patience.  I've learned how good it feels to reach impossible goals.  I've even learned that no goal is truly impossible.

   For those of you who simply come here for the food (I don't blame you), thank you for putting up with my ramblings on running.  I do have an amazing meal I want to share with y'all.  It comes from one of my Paula Deen magazines (Yes; I still love her!).  This meal was quick and simple, but looked and tasted amazing!

Pork Cutlets with Rosemary Dijon Sauce, Balsamic-Roasted Potatoes, and Steamed Asparagus 

Pork Cutlets with Rosemary Dijon Sauce
1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 TBS Dijon mustard
1 TBS fresh minced rosemary

Cut pork into 1" slices.  Place pork between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/2" thick with a meat mallet .  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Cook pork, in batches if necessary, 3-4 minutes per side or until browned.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Add cream, mustard, and rosemary to skillet.  Scrape brown bits from bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer.  Add pork back to skillet, turning to coat with sauce.  Cook for 5-6 minutes or until sauce is thickened.  Serve immediately.

Balsamic-Roasted Potatoes
2 lbs red potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 onion, quartered
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 TBS balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450, and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.  In a large bowl, toss potatoes and onion with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread on baking sheet in a single layer.  .  Bake for 20 minutes.  Drizzle with vinegar.  Bake an additional 4 minutes.
*I started these first and cooked the pork while these were in the oven.

Steamed Asparagus
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
1/4 cup water
3 TBS butter
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt

Place asparagus and water in a microwave-safe dish.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Microwave on high for 3 minutes or until tender-crisp.  Drain well; transfer to serving platter.  In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium.  Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes.  Stir in salt.  Drizzle butter mixture over asparagus.
*I did this part in the last 4 minutes that the potatoes were cooking so they'd still be nice and warm to serve.

I hope y'all enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Me

     I've never been one for making New Year's resolutions.  To me they've always seemed cliche and impersonal.  Just because I bought a new calendar, I'm supposed to make some life changing goal?  I tried a few times, but it never took.  They were always cheesy, and I'd forget in a week.

     As a teenager I began a new tradition of making one big change every year on my birthday.  These were petty things then, new piercings when I was 16, a new tattoo at 18.  My thought process then was that I was changing, growing older and (hopefully) wiser, so the outward appearance should reflect the inward change.  I never thought of this as my own personal "new year" with my very own "new year's resolution" until recently, but that's how it has evolved.

     Last year I made another goal.  Instead of another hole in my ear or the loss of several inches of hair, I decided to get healthy.  This past year I have struggled over countless obstacles that threatened to bring me down and keep be there so that I would never achieve my goal.  I have lost many battles along the way, but today I'm proud to say that the war is over, and I have won.

     This is after one year of hard work:

     Needless to say, I definitely feel better.  I have more energy.  I get out more, and when I do, I have less worries about what I'm wearing or how I look or if I need to sit up straighter so that my belly roll isn't as obvious.  I'm not perfect.  I'll never be a size 0, and I don't want to be.  I like the way I am now.  For once in my life, I feel happy in my skin, and that's an empowering feeling.

    That being said, this year's goal has yet to be announced.  I'm thinking...ABS! lol  Seriously, though, this year my goal is less about my body and more about my mind.  My goal this year is to get into a Nursing program and get 4.0s each semester.  Oh, and run a 1/2 marathon with my sister in the winter.  Here's hoping. :-)

    Now since y'all have been forced to look at pictures of me in a bikini, let me give y'all something else to drool over (just joking).

Rotelle and Shrimp with Yogurt Dill Dressing

2 TBS butter
2 cloves garlic
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise (optional)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
3 TBS chopped fresh dill
3 scallions including green tops, chopped
1/4 tsp paprika
3/4 lb rotelle

In a medium frying pan, melt the butter over moderate heat.  Stir in the garlic and then the shrimp, 1/4 tsp of salt, and the pepper.  Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are just done, about 4 minutes.  Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, the mayo, the jalapeño, cucumber, dill, scallions, paprika, and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just done, about 12 minutes.  Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water, and drain thoroughly.  Toss with the yogurt sauce and the shrimp and garlic.

Enjoy!

How to Survive a Zombie Attack

     This morning my team and I headed off to fight the oncoming wave of zombies in Gulfport.  My team, DOA (Dead on Arrival) consisted of myself, my husband, my little brother, my older sister, and her husband.  We arrived to what looked like just another 5K, with one major difference:

   
     Zombies!  Playing bagpipes?  Well, just this one at least.  The rest were trying to steal the tags we were wearing around our waists.  The goal is to finish with at least one tag per team.  We started with three tags per team member, so a total of fifteen tags.  You'd think it would be easy, but it wasn't.  We crawled under chicken wire, slid down a wet slope, ran through zombie-infested woods, and waded through deep mud holes all before we were halfway to the finish line.  At this point J lost both of his shoes, and as he searched for them a zombie came up behind him to snatch his remaining two tags.  I had lost all of mine, so I shouted for him to look out, and ran to block the zombie.  That's when we found out that not all the zombies on this run would be the slow, easily avoided "walkers".  This one took off after him, and chased him deeper into the course.  She finally gave up, and J kept his two tags, but it had cost him his shoes. Our team took the moment to regroup, and we found we were down to 3 tags total.  J had two, and my sister had one.  As my little brother and I went back to search for J's missing shoes, the rest caught their breaths in preparation for what was next.  The zombie who was guarding the mud pit that ate J's shoes gave us a good tip.  If we could snatch a tag back from a zombie or find one on the course, we could keep it and have a better chance of surviving.  I ran back to the group with the news.  J left his remaining tags with the group and returned to the mud pit with me to regain a few more.

Wading through the muck.

That's not a tag!

   
     He didn't find any tags, but he did get one shoe back.  He was a champ and decided to continue the course in his socks.  After that point the zombies became more and more aggressive.  As did we.  After making it out of the muck in the woods, my brother and I decided to double back to sneak up on a zombie who had a handful of tags in her fist.  Her back was to us as we approached, and I was reaching out to grab a tag from her when another runner shouted for her to look out.  The zombie turned in time to move the tags from my grasp, and the other runner used that as her chance to get past with her last tag still attached to her waist.  Frustrated, we moved on.

     At this point we were adopted by some little teenager who had left his dad in the beginning.  This kid helped us block off zombies, and tried to help us win back some tags a time or two.  As our group moved from the zombie infested woods to the open grass, we saw the next obstacle: a series of hay bales you had to climb only to get to the other side where zombies on steroids were waiting for you.  My little brother and I decided we would be the blockers for J.  We were successful in getting him through the first batch of zombies with both tags in tact, but  when we went back for my sister, J decided to go ahead alone.  He lost both of his tags, and my sister lost her last one.  Thinking we were near the finish line, we accepted defeat and assumed the zombie position.

I don't make a good zombie.

     We were wrong to think it was over.  Just ahead was a mock quicksand pit made of water and cornstarch with two zombies.  We noticed another group that only had one tag left, so we figured what the heck, we'll help them guard their last tag and hopefully find another one in the bargain.

Digging through the muck.

     My sister went into full country girl mode when one of the tutued zombies tried to steal the tag off the other team.  She tackled her, and almost won the tag back, but then she lost her footing in the goo and had to let it go.  She tried really hard to find another one though.  Soon we had to accept defeat again and move on.  This is where our luck started to turn around.  We came to the next station, where we could shoot paintball guns at zombies in an attempt to hit them in the head and win back a tag.  Our men were successful, as were a few members of the other group.  We continued on with a new spring in our step.

J took out a zombie with a head shot on the first try.

Our men are heroes.

     After this our two groups merged into one machine in survival mode.  We made it through the next group of nurses/doctors-turned-zombies.  Then we came to another tag challenge where we would have two shots to shoot a real (moving) zombie in the head with a Nerf bow and arrow.  I'll admit here that my archery skills are nonexistent.  The zombie in footie pajamas actually laughed at me.  No one won back a tag on this challenge, but we found a few more along the way.  Before we rounded the next curve we tallied it up, and we found that everyone had a tag but me.  We then had to jump a few hurdles with zombies waiting between each jump, and J lost his hard-won tag.  I suddenly became a bodyguard for my little brother as he went through the last obstacle.  Finally we ran into the last zombie of the race.  Although I knew I'd be considered a survivor because my teammates had tags, I couldn't help but want to finish with a  tag of my own.  So when I noticed that the zombie facing me had a tag between his teeth, I grinned.  He grinned back when he saw what I was thinking, and I lunged at him.  He swerved, but I was determined not to be thwarted again.  I tackled him, got him on the ground, and literally ripped the tag from his teeth.  I was more proud of that tag than anything else, teeth marks and all.  We finally crossed the finish line as survivors.  The team we adopted made it through alive as well.  It was such a fun-filled day, and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely.

     We did lose one along the way...

RIP J's shoes June 2008-April 2013

     But we managed to survive...

Or did we?

Coming soon: How to Survive a Zombie Attack, the video.

*If anyone is interested, here is the link to the Zombie Run.  Proceeds benefit the Smile Train, which helps children with cleft pallets get corrective surgery.*

Family Outing

     This week is Spring Break for both Monkey and me.  I'm catching up of a lot of things from running to blogging, but most importantly I'm catching up on quality time with my little family.  We've had a wonderful weekend, and I'm looking forward to some down time.  I even managed to clean the house today!

     Friday after I picked Monkey up from daycare we went for a run.  It was an hour long affair, and we ran about 4 1/2 miles.  When I got back to the garage and parked the stroller, I was looking forward to a shower and some relaxation before I got started on dinner, only that didn't happen.  As I unstrapped Monkey from her stroller, I noticed she was missing something.  One of her boots had mysteriously vanished as I ran.  Just then J came back from the gym, so we decided to make it a family game, so we leashed up the dog, got the kid a second pair of shoes, and set off to find Monkey's missing boot.  Monkey was loving it because she was out of the stroller this time, and she pretty much set the pace as both her daddy and I were worn out.  (Did I mention I had just run 4 1/2 miles, and here we were retracing that path?)  Yeah, our search turned up nothing, even though we roamed all over the base to find that silly shoe.  Monkey didn't complain, though, because we ended up at the park as a consolation price.  By the time we all came home J, the dog and I were worn out, but Monkey was nice and revved up.  She helped me park the stroller back in the garage, and that's where we found her elusive boot.  Apparently I should have swept the perimeter before heading out on our particular mission, but at least we had a nice little family outing.  And we all slept really well that night.

     I have also had extra time to try a few new things around the kitchen (of course), and I want to share something yummy with y'all:

Homemade Parfaits

These were so simple, and yet so good to go with breakfast the other morning.  Here's what you'll need:

Chobani Greek Yogurt, Vanilla
Rolled oats
blueberries
honey
a dash of cinnamon

Simply spoon a layer of yogurt into the bottom, add some oats, drizzle with honey and blueberries, then repeat until the jar is full.  Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top, and you're in business.

     I put mine in these jelly jars, because I knew Monkey couldn't eat all of that, so I just twist the lid on top, and save the rest for later.  The best part about these is that you can mix it up.  Add different berries or maybe even some chocolate chips.  Enjoy :-)

Light and Frolicsome

   Today, at least, I succeeded.  Too many times in life I find myself feeling like I'm going through the motions.  I try to force the joy and happiness that should just come so naturally.  It's understandable, especially when life gets in the way of living, but it's not acceptable.  I've been trying in all the wrong ways to find my joy again.  Today when I stopped trying, it found me.  It always seems to work out that way, doesn't it?  So why don't I ever think to try that first?

     This morning I hit the gym with my new workout buddy, and together we tackled the first day of a 12-week body building program and then some.  My arms now protest if I lift them over my head, but it just reminds me that I'm alive.  After taking care of some of my usual duties (schoolwork, the house, etc.) I began to get that feeling again, that I was just going through the motions, and that I needed to get out.  That, of course, required a little mood music.  So I went to Youtube and began blaring the 80s music as I got changed from my sweaty workout attire to something cute.  Just then J came home and laughed as he pointed out that my outfit seemed to match the background music.  He came along for the ride when I decided to pick Monkey up from daycare early.  They both were pleasantly surprised when I decided on a whim that instead of staying straight to head home, I would turn the car left and head to the beach.  We played in the sand for a while, chasing each other, writing our names in the sand, and going on a "Spider hunt" at Monkey's request.  The beach trip was followed up by a spontaneous trip to the mall for cookies and pretzels.  As we headed home we watched the sun set over the water.

     It may not sound like much, but it was good for the soul just to be happy and unexpected.  As the mommy, too often I feel like I have to do exactly as others wish.  It's like I have a role to fill, and if I don't fill it properly I'll let someone down.  Today I felt like an actor who threw out the script, and came up with something brilliant anyway.  Kinda like what Harrison Ford did the day he decided to whip out his gun and shoot that bad guy instead of going through that long, arduous fight scene the writers had planned for him.

     Keeping with the whimsical theme I seem to have going here, I'd like to share a recipe from the Harry Potter Cookbook:

 Molly Weasley's Meatballs with Onion Sauce
For the Meatballs:
1 lb extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup fresh or dry bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 onion, finely chopped
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

For the Onion Sauce:
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 TBS all-purpose flour
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

For the meatballs, combine the beef, bread crumbs, eggs, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Heat the oil in a skillet.  Form the meat mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls, and working in batches, fry the balls on each side until well browned, about 4 minutes per side.  Transfer meatballs to a dinner plate.  For the Onion Sauce, add 2 TBS oil to the skillet and heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.  Add the flour, and stir to combine.  Pour in the chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling.  Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes.  Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or wide egg noodles.

Condescending Mutt

     Thursday I was finally able to emerge from my cave, rested and ready to reclaim that long-lost social life of mine.  Monkey is still in daycare, so I have just about all the "me time" I can stand.  Thank goodness for the holidays because I'm just about sick of my own company!

    With the school chaos at bay until about the middle of next semester, I'm trying to catch up on my running.  As I'm sure y'all recall, I did the Couch-2-5K program a few months back, and I was starting to work on a 10K when school became hectic.  These past two months I've been lucky to get one run in every 2 weeks.  Today I decided that I would hit the pavement after dropping Monkey off at school.  I even thought it would be fun to take Roux along with me.  I figured she could use the exercise.  Ever since we found a new home for Andouille, she hasn't had anyone chasing her around the house, nipping at her ankles.  That is, unless Monkey decides to play "puppy".  At any rate I figured the fresh air would be good for her.  And it was.   What is wasn't good for was my self esteem.  There I was jogging along, giving it all I've got, feeling like my lungs were going to explode when I glanced down to check on the dog, and I realized she was walking!  Granted, a brisk, bouncy walk, but a walk none-the-less.  Talk about a kick in the pants.  I tried running faster, but she would just bounce along at her brisk walk, mocking me with her superiority.  I mean, what gives?  I know I haven't been working out as much as I should, but the dog hasn't seen a track since her daddy deployed 6 months ago, and here she was taking it all in stride...literally.  Damn mutt!  Needless to say, I'll be venturing out to the track a little more often.  In my defense, however, since we've been home I haven't sat still, but Roux collapsed on the floor and hasn't budged an inch.
  
    As usual, I have a yummy recipe to share with y'all; after all I have a lot of making up to do. This is a  recipe for Chicken Fajitas that was a big hit with my Monkey and was pretty easy to throw together.

Chicken Fajitas

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 TBS vegetable oil
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve

Preheat your oven to 400.  Grease a 9x13" baking dish.  Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions in the dish.  In a small bowl, mix together oil and spices.  Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken mix, and toss to coat.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender.  Serve with tortillas.  Enjoy :-)

    Now I'm going to hit the heavy bag for a little bit, but first I'm going to check and make sure that my mutt is still breathing.  

Bring It On!

     As most of you know through Facebook, I'm reaching the end of the Couch to 5K program (much to your relief if you're tired of my updates) which means I was starting to lose some of my focus.  I mean, the goal was to be able to run a 5K with my husband, but my husband is still months away from returning home.  So I was left wondering what my new goal would be to keep me occupied between now and then.  Coincidentally, my husband was the one who helped me come up with it during our Skype session this morning.

Me:  Would you be interested in doing a Valentine's Day run?  They have this annual one that looks like it'd be fun.

J:  Yeah!  That sounds awesome.

Me:  I figured you'd want to.  We can even register as a team and run together.  The top 5 couples to cross the finish line together win a prize pack.

J:  Sure, I guess.

Me:  Are you saying you don't want to run with me?

J:  No; it's just I don't think we'd win.  I'm faster than you.

Me:   Seriously?  When's the last time you ran?

J:  When I was home.

Me:  And when is the last time you saw me run?

J:  *obnoxious laughter*

Me:  Exactly.  I'd probably lap you by now.

J:  Not if I have two weeks to get back into it.

Me:  We'll see.

     See the new goal yet?  No; that's fine.  My new goal is to be able to beat my husband in a race and humble is cocky self just a little bit.  I may be setting myself up for failure considering the man did go through Navy SEAL training, but can you imagine the boasting rights if I do?  Totally worth it!  Plus I figure I'll have about 6 months worth of training on him ;-)  And I promise to have a scathingly brilliant blog about it when I win.

     Speaking of humbling, you know how I'm always trying out recipes I find on Pinterest.  Well here's one I tried a while back that tasted amazing, but...well... you'll see...

Nailed it!

Well...Sort of....

   This Braided Cinnamon Roll Wreath looked so tempting on Pinterest I had to try it (seriously, click the link to see how pretty this thing is supposed to be).  As you can see, however, I'm not quite as talented with the presentation part of cooking.  It still tasted fabulous, though, and J, Monkey and I devoured in it a matter of five minutes!  I'm not going to retype the recipe because I obviously need to go re-read the original instructions.  If you try it and get a better result let me know :-)


Update:  Apparently we will continue the theme of picking on my mom tonight, because tonight my mom, who works on computers all day, messaged me to say that she could not figure out how to leave me a comment on tonight's post.  What makes this scenario even funnier is that fact that she has left several comments in the past, but tonight it just wasn't happening.  She was kind enough to message me the comment, however, so I thought I'd share:

"Keep training and wear some really short shorts that he will have to look at when you are in front of him. You will so win. Hugs."

Yeah; that's my mom.  There's a reel from Will & Grace that keeps playing in my head.  Unfortunately, I can't find a video of it on Youtube, but basically Grace's mother was being her usual self and Grace looks at her and says, "Can I bring you to meet my shrink, because he thinks I'm making you up."

Feelin' Good

     I've been going back and forth on wether or not I'd post these, but I think it's time to share.  I know I mentioned a while back that I was beginning the couch to 5K program and the 30 Day Shred.  I finished the Shred a little over a week ago, and I wanted to share my results.  I didn't really change the way I ate.  I did, however, give up my only vice: sweet tea.  Instead I now drink water all day, except for the occasional coffee.  I was amazed at the results I got after adding 1 hour's worth of exercise to my routine three days a week and 30 minutes a day on the days I wasn't running.  So here we go:

Sorry for the dirty bathroom mirror.

     I'm embarrassed to say that this was me in the middle of June, modeling a bikini a friend of mine convinced me to buy because as she said, "There's always someone at the beach who looks worse."  Not exactly the motivation you want to hear, but it did motivate me in a way.  If my only consolation is looking for someone who is bigger than me, that's a problem, right?  Right!  I bought the bikini in May, and it stayed hidden in my closet until I pulled it out that night.  My husband and I had started Insanity (which I never finished), but something else was started that night too.  My determination to be better, to be healthier.  I wanted to be fit for the first time in my life.

Sorry for the blur.

     This is me from last weekend.  As you can see, I've still got some work to do, but the difference between who I was then and who I am now can't be captured with a picture.  I feel so much better.  I no longer avoid going upstairs, in fact, some days I run up and down them just to wake myself up.  I love running, even though I still get butterflies before setting out every other night.  All-in-all I'm happier, and I am finally proud of my body.  I'm not finished, but I can see how far I've come, and I'm not stopping here!

June 19, 2012

August 4, 2012

     Although Jillian Michaels got on my nerves long before the 30 Day Shred program was over, I can definitely give her props.  It worked for me.  No; I'm not "shredded", but well, you can see the benefits for yourself.  That video took a total of 30 minutes, and Monkey loved doing them with me, so it was easy to fit into our schedule.  

   Like I said, I'm not stopping here.  I'm on Week 4 of the Couch to 5K program, and I'm loving it.  The program is designed to help break you in gradually, and that's made all the difference for me.  Running is a head game for me (I blame the horrible Middle School coaches I had lol). This gradual process eliminates that.  The first night, I kept telling myself, "Keep going, you'll be able to walk in just a few more seconds."  Now I can tell myself, "You ran for 3 minutes straight and weren't sore, so you can handle 5 minutes."  It may not sound like much, but by the end of it I'm hoping to be able to say, "You've run one 5K already; you've got this!"

   I've also started the 7 Day Arm Challenge, so I'll let y'all know how that goes.  Now enough of this, I want to show off one more thing before I go.  I made a dress!  For me this time!!!

   I'm so excited!  I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and bought myself a men's 3XL shirt for $5 so I could try this tutorial out.  It was so much fun, and I love the dress I turned it into.  I wear a size L in dresses, so I used a 3XL Men's shirt.  I could've used a 2XL, but they were too short for my taste.  Once I got it home, I tried it on inside out and, following the tutorial,  marked where my shoulders started with some chalk.

Feelin' like I'm back in high school, wearing a borrowed t-shirt from my football-playin' boyfriend. Lol

    Then I drew a line from that mark to where the original armpit was and cut.  Then I put the sleeve back on my arm to measure where my armpit actually was, leaving a couple of inches for breathing room.

   
     I marked this with chalk and sewed.  Before I cut off the excess, I put the sleeve back on to make sure it wasn't too tight.  When I was sure it fit I cut the excess fabric.  Then I simply sewed the sleeve back on to the shirt/dress.

Now it fits better up top.

But the bottom's still big.

   Now I marked from the new armpit all the way down to the bottom of the dress, and sewed and cut away the extra fabric.  Then I measured the elastic to be about an inch shorter than my sleeve, cut two pieces of it, and sewed a piece to the top of each sleeve (while the sleeve was inside-out of course).  

Ta-Da

  This is where I strayed from the tutorial a bit.  You can sew a piece of elastic all the way around the dress where your waist is, but I found a belt that used to belong with the shirt I repurposed for Monkey, and I used that to cinch my waist instead.  I did go back and put some elastic on the front half of the dress, but that was just so that the belt wouldn't bunch up the dress in a weird way.  Here's the final result:

   Sorry for all the cheesy Facebook-style mirror pictures, but I haven't trained Monkey to use a camera yet. Haha.  I can see it in her future, though.  My camera went missing, and I found it in her toy box a few days later.  O.o

  Well that's all I have for y'all today.  I hope you're enjoying your Sunday!

"Do One Thing Everyday That Scares You"

   Over the years, I've discovered something about myself.  I'm a chicken.  I am!  I am afraid of just about anything you could name.  Some are reasonable fears that come from years of experience.  Take, for example, my fear of public speaking.  I'll never forget the time, in my Freshman year of college, when the teacher (being a laid-back and easy-going woman that everyone loved and could relate to) said that she knew that the weekend had had a lot of social distractions and asked us to be honest about who hadn't read the chapters assigned.  My hand shot into the air, grinning and saying, "Oh yeah, who was too busy at the Renaissance Fair?"  This was before face-palms were a thing you said instead of did, and that day I saw at least three faces actually hit their palms.  Apparently that was the weekend the first Twilight movie came out, and most people had spent their time at the midnight premiere, not watching men in tights pretend to joust and explain falconry.  I didn't get the memo.  Needless to say, I'm much more cautious about what I say in public now.  Hence, Public Speaking=Reasonable Fear.

   I also have irrational fears, like my fear of going to the hair salon.  Don't misunderstand me, I love having my hair cut.  I like feeling pampered when someone else washes my hair; I'm all for the dead ends being gone, and that feeling of lightness when you get rid of a couple of inches.  But, I can't seem to drag myself to the hair salon as often as I should.  The reason?  Two words: head lice.  I am so petrified that I am going to sit down in that chair, and as the woman begins to brush out my hair, she'll jump back, saying, "Ma'am, we'll have to ask you to leave.  You have lice!"  Then I'll be forced to hang my head and walk out while she sets about burning all her brushes.  I know this is irrational, but it doesn't help that I had a three-year-old in daycare up until a month ago, which made the fear at least possible.  In my mind anyway.

   Finally I have emotional fears.  These are the fears that make me feel like if I even try, I'll fail.  Then I don't try and I never change, so I feel like a failure anyway.  I saw the quote "Do one thing everyday that scares you" on Pinterest, and it spoke to me.  Tonight I was scared again.  I wasn't afraid of the run that was facing me; I was afraid of the idea of failing.  I was afraid of all the people on my street laughing at the fatty as she ran by.  My mind went back to PE in middle and high school, and I almost didn't do it.  But then I remembered this quote, and I began to feel something totally different.  I felt excited.  I felt ready to rip off those chains of fear and face my obstacle head-on, and you know what?  It was worth it.

    Tonight I finished Day 1 of the Couch to 5K program.  I came home with my calves burning, drenched in sweat, and jittery, but I felt like a bad ass!  I told myself when I started out that I wouldn't be one of those people that talk incessantly about their workouts (and I still don't plan to...incessantly), but I get it now.  It's a feeling of pride I've never had before.  It's pride in oneself, and I wanted to share it the best way I know how.

   Keeping in theme with a healthy lifestyle, I made a yummy soup that I want to share.

 Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

2 slices applewood-smoked bacon
3/4 cup green onions, divided
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 lb yellow summer squash, chopped
1 lb frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels, thawed and divided
2 1/4 cups low fat 1% milk, divided
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 tsp drippings in pan.  Crumble bacon and set aside.  Add 1/2 cup onions, celery and squash to drippings in pan.  Saute 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside.  Place remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender, and puree until smooth.  Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to blender.  Process just until combined.  Add pureed mixture and reserved corn to the Dutch oven.  Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.  Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt.  Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls.  Top each with 1 TBS onion, 1 TBS cheese, and 1 TBS bacon.

Enjoy!

PS-If you want the Nutrition facts, simply click on the link :-)

Deployment Goal

   Life's been pretty busy lately, what with the fractured skull, the 24 hour visit home, and the house guests, but I'm enjoying it, because it's helping this month pass by quickly.  I've also been busy working on my deployment goal.  In the time that J is gone, I'm getting into shape.  The goal is to be able to run a 5K with him when he gets home.  Anyone who knows my husband knows that working out is to him what cooking is to me.  Go figure!  This homeport, though, J made an effort to get involved with me in the kitchen, so it feels right that before he left I made more of an effort to take an interest in what he loves to do.  We began the Insanity workouts together, and although I was proud of myself for hanging in there as long as possible with the videos, I realized that my fitness level was way under what those required, so I decided to start off a little slower.  I began the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred the day after J's departure, and I'm enjoying it.  I'm also seeing and feeling a difference already.  I don't have an ideal weight in mind, but I do have an ideal feeling.  I want that feeling that comes with chasing my little girl around the house and up and down the stairs without getting winded. I want the feeling of a pair of jeans that no longer fit suddenly becoming too big.  I want the feeling of sitting down without sucking in, and I want it in a way that doesn't mean I have to punish my body for enjoying good food.

   With that in mind I've also begun to make some (small) changes to the way I eat and cook.  I'm not saying I'm going to throw out my Paula Deen magazines any time soon, but I am saying that I'm cooking more vegetables and drinking more water.  I'm also "pinning" more healthy recipes, like this one for Chicken Divan.

Here's what you'll need:

1 1/2 lbs broccoli (3 large heads) chopped

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. light butter

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp. shallots, minced (onions would work too)

4 Tbsp. flour

1 cup fat free chicken broth

1 cup fat free milk

1/4 cup white wine (or dry sherry)

6 oz. shredded reduced fat swiss cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper

Cooking spray

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the broccoli and boil for about 3 minutes.  Pour into a colander, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.  Drain well and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Saute chicken on medium-low heat until browned and just about cooked through (about 5 minutes on each side).  Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a cutting board.  When cooled, slice chicken into bite sized pieces. 

Heat a medium skillet on medium heat.  Add the butter and oil until melted and then add garlic and shallots (or onions).  Sprinkle flour and whisk until smooth.  Stir in broth, milk and wine (or sherry) and bring to a boil.  

Remove from heat and stir in half of the swiss cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange broccoli in a casserole dish.  

Pour half of the sauce over the broccoli. 

Arrange the chicken on top and cover with remaining sauce.

  

Sprinkle in remaining swiss cheese, grated parmesan cheese and top with bread crumbs. 

Spray a little oil on top.  Bake 30 minutes, serve hot. 

I don't have a picture from when it came out the oven, but I can tell you that it was yummy!  It didn't even taste like something that's low-calorie or anything like that.  That's probably why I loved it.

Enjoy!