Cookie Dough Disciple

Movin' on Up

2009-10-23T09:54:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to update your Google Readers/Blog Rolls with my new address!

http://thebalancebroad.wordpress.com/

"See" you there!

Break on Through to the Other Side

2009-10-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

I've switched! I'm finally on Wordpress now. It was so ridiculously easy, too! Here is my new site:

http://thebalancebroad.wordpress.com/

Hope to "see" you all over there! I've still got some cleaning to do, but I just couldn't wait. Blogger = headache for me lately.

Chilly Chili Monday

2009-10-19T05:12:00.000-07:00

*Answer's to Friday's Three Things:

I do not have a birth mark. Good job, Emily and Erica! ;-)

The job thing is true. Long and complicated, which one day I'm sure I'll get into, but it's true. Just another reason to never, ever burn bridges, people!

And....the night light. Okay - let me explain. First of all, I get up to pee (sorry, TMI) at least once a night. I'm a water machine during the day - it catches up to me at about, oh, 2 a.m. Add this to being a clutz, and a night light is strictly a preventative measure.

But also I blame it all on the movie "The Descent." SCARIEST movie I've ever, ever seen! I have never had a movie give me nightmares like this one. And I like scary movies! So basically, if you're a scary movie lover - GO see this.

So last week I made some of this vegetarian slow cooker chili. I mean, with "Grandma's" in the title, it had to be good. Right?

Oh. My. Goodness. Best chili ever!

Per some of the recommendations in the reviews, I subbed chili powder and ground cumin (still giggle when I say that in my head) for the Italian spices. HOLY HELL this was good! Plus, it made enough to feed me all week.

I LOVE slow cooker recipes. Or crockpot recipes. Whatever! What's your fave slow cooker recipe??

Now about my midterm....I studied my heart out all last week and was hoping to get at least a B. After almost 20 hours of studying last week + TONS of caffeine + ephedrine (runny nose but it serves another purpose!), I finally just went to do the damn thang on Saturday morning. And....I got an 89%! One point from an A! I cannot tell you how relieved I am. I celebrated with some ice cream last night. :-) I can't/don't keep it in my house, but a trip out to get some was warranted!

Thanks to all of your wishes about my test - ya'll are the best! Hope you have a great Monday. :-)

Blogging, Books and Balls

2009-10-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!!

I've been hittin' the books hard! I have my mid-term tomorrow -eeeek. It's worth 20% of our grade, so I'm really nervous about it. If I want to get into the nursing program, I have to get an A in this class. And the next level Anatomy class that I'll take next semester. It's just a little nerve wracking. But, what's meant to be will be! I feel like I'm to the point where I've soaked up all of the information my brain can hold, ya know?

Earlier this week I was feelin' frisky and wanted some balls (TWSS), and I remembered seeing Caitlin's Flax-Encrusted Sweet Potato Balls awhile back.

Yum, yum!!!

These were so good...I liked the crunch the Flax added. I had them with mustard and a little Non-Fat TJ's Greek Yogurt - LOVE it with the yogurt! I will most definitely make these babies again.

Now, onto our little Friday game!

Three Things About Myself - which one is false?

- I have a birth mark in a place covered by my bathing suit.

- I quit my current job and asked for it back two weeks after.

- I sleep with a night light.

Wish me luck on my test!!

Lentils: A Second Chance

2009-10-14T04:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Lentil Bean,

I had you before and my experience was not so pleasant. Okay, I lie. You tasted like ass.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I might be giving up on you too soon. Maybe I caught you on a bad day, maybe you didn't mix well with the other flavahs and spices....so I wanted to give you another chance.

I found a pretty tasty recipe for Sloppy Joes - who doesn't like those? When I mixed you all up and had another bite, I realized perhaps I judged you too quickly the first time. You're not so bad, after all.

You're not as amazing as your brothers, Garbanzo, Black, and Kidney - but you're not bad. Perhaps we'll meet again.

Please forgive me,

Holly

What is your favorite legume/bean? Mine is black, by a landslide. But I'm a bean lover pretty much all around.

Oh! And any Bachelor watchers out there? Jake is the next Bachelor. WTH?!! He's sweet and all, but something about him totally bugs. I was rooting for Kiptyn. :-(

Check out Missy's Halls Refresh and Silk Milk Giveaway!

And They Called it Pumpkin Love

2009-10-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

This week is a 3-day work week for me - wahoooo!! No exciting trips for me - it'll be a "StayStudyCation." I have a big mid-term on Friday and had some vacay days to use up, so Thursday and Friday I'm hittin' the books big time.

*Answer to Friday's Three Questions? I did not trip down the aisle and fall at my sister's wedding. Isn't that every girl's worst fear?

Yes, my cousin dropped a weight on my head when I was 4. I had stitches and still have the scar to prove it!

And, yes, I did run up to Jermaine O'Neal one night outside of a bar in Indianapolis (this is when he played for the Pacers - pre-brawl). I asked if he would sign an autograph for me (hey, I didn't have any paper!) and when he asked where my pen was, I shrugged my shoulders and walked/skipped away! You can guess how many alcoholic drinks were involved in this scenario.

Moving on.

Thanks to Stephanie's recommendation, I picked up this stuff at TJ's this week - oh my, oh my!

I decided to play matchmaker with my very first Honeycrisp apple (which, BTW, blew my mind! Totally worth the extra $$).

They hit it off right away - instant chemistry. Rumor has it, there is already a second date in the works.

I got a hankering for something else pumpkin this weekend...and guess what I found!

Not even the pumpkin pie mix!

Did you know there is a shortage of canned pumpkin this year? Stock up, kids - this could jeopardize our Thanksgiving Dinners.

So what am I going to make with this pumpkin, you ask?

Why, muffins of course!

I wanted to get around to it, but alas, couch shopping, studying and mowing the lawn took precedent.

I did, however, get to enjoy a YUMMY pumpkin cupcake, given to me by my sister. It's a Weight Watcher recipe that I HAVE to get - this thing was phenomenal! I believe she used crushed pineapple, so it was UNbelievably moist.

I also got my very first Pumpkin Spice Latte to celebrate my studies and, well, the weekend.

And I ended my weekend by watching my favorite Pumpkin do his thang.

Question: Has anyone made the switch from blogger to Wordpress? Blogger has just caused me a lot of issues lately, so I started a Wordpress blog but am not sure about how to transfer it over. It is possible to transfer over all postings, right?

Check out Inside I am Dancing's CHOBANI Giveaway!

Favorite Part and Three Things Game

2009-10-09T05:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on my post about my former (?) cardio addiction. It seems like this is a lot more common than I thought, and it's good to hear that most of you have found that balance. For me, I'm working on it...but I think I'm onto something here! The first step in solving a problem is admitting the problem, right?

Meghann had a fun post the other day about her favorite body part - her back. I think it is so easy to focus on the negatives regarding our own bodies; I don't have (a butt, boobs, hips), I am too big around my (thighs, waist, arms), I wish I were (a little bit taller, which I was a baller, wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her - love that song). But you get the idea.

I will start. My new favorite body part is my arms. Before this year, they were skinny but undefined. Just....there. Now, I'm getting some guns, kids!

They are there. I promise. Look closely.

Okay, your turn.

What's your favorite body part?!

Moving on....

So I always look forward to certain things on people's blogs....Iowa Girl's Three Question Thursday, Tina's questions at the end of her posts, and a lot more but my brain is too tired right now. ;-)

I thought I'd start something fun every Friday. I'll call it....The Three Things Game (original). Anyway, I've played this before and it's actually fun....but my life has been pretty uneventful so it might require lots of brainstorming on my part. We can stop if it's lame, but I love these things! You learn lots of ~~scandelous~~ interesting things about people, too.

You list 3 things - 2 of which are true about yourself, and one of which is not. Then someone guesses which are true and which is false.

So, 3 things about me:

- I slipped and fell as a bridesmaid walking down the aisle in my sister's wedding.

- My cousin dropped a 10 pound weight on my head when I was 4.

- I asked Jermaine O'Neal to sign his name on my cleavage, then ran away when I realized I didn't have a pen.

What do you think? Do you think I'm a clutz, an abused child, or a dumb blonde? (all three answers not optional). I'll answer in the next post!

Running Hiatus

2009-10-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Heather had an interesting post the other day about maintaining her weight loss/health without a massive amount of cardio.

As you can read in Heather's story, she's a former running addict who has replaced her running shoes with a yoga mat. She also takes several walks a week. Amazingly, Heather said her body has taken on a whole new level since not running (in a good way!).

I've been brainwashed to think that running = burning calories = staying thin. I would run to eat more, and I didn't think I deserved treats unless I was running at least 7 or 8 miles that day. If I was running less than 7 miles, I would also do the elliptical for 30 minutes. Needless to say, this created a very unhealthy mindset when it came to running.

I think before, when I hurt my hip and gained 15 pounds, I got depressed from not running and ate too much cookie dough. Folks, if you eat cookie dough 3-4 times a week, you are going to gain weight regardless of your activity level! ;-)

Since my knee injury, I really haven't done hardly any cardio at all. I'll walk, do the elliptical, or swim occasionally, but mainly I've been consistent with lifting (3 x's a week) and ab work (3 x's a week). And you know what? I have not gained one pound! This is simply amazing to me. I want to go back and tell my 24 year old self that I don't have to run 35 miles a week to stay thin and healthy. (*Runners, plllllease don't think I'm knocking running 35 miles a week! I just think my way of thinking about running was unhealthy).

Of course, I have always and will always love running. But what I love NOW is the feeling that I don't have to do it to look this way. And I really hope to get back to running soon! I just think when I do, hopefully I'll be able to maintain this way of thinking.

Have you ever taken something "healthy" - an activity, food/drink, hobby - and abused it so that it was unhealthy for you?

Check out this giveaway for a $200 gift card!

And Missy Maintains Silk Milk and Surprise Goodie Giveaway!

And Jamie's Nut Butter Giveaway!

Weekend Recap

2009-10-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Happy (?) Monday!

Whew, what a great weekend! We FINALLY had a perfect fall day yesterday - sunny and about 65. I went to the Colts game with my pops and they had the roof open - wahoo!!

My dad at the "press box" after the game. Needless to say, I drove home.

Of course, the game was complete when we SMASHED the Seahawks!

Backing up to Friday, I had my adorable niece and nephew over for a sleepover. Because no sleepover is complete without baking, I decided to give these brownies a whirl, recommended by Kristin.

I loved this recipe because I had everything on hand to make it! And I never knew you could substitute cocoa powder (+ oil) for dark chocolate squares?!! (*Don't mind the holes. I was showing my niece the toothpick test and, um, we kinda poked away).

These rocked my face off. And Reese's, too.

She was happy. I swear. I know she looks scared.

Little Ryan had his gluten free cupcakes to keep him happy (poor guy is allergic to gluten, dairy, oranges, potatoes, and tree nuts. My heart just aches that he will never know the wonder of almond butter). :-( But he's a happy little guy and was more than excited to get his cuppy cakes.

Do you have anyone close to you with food allergies? Gluten is becoming a common one, so thankfully there are lots of gluten-free products out there now. I actually love this recipe for Monkey Munch, which Ryan can have! Too bad he didn't like it. LOL.

Check out Run to Finish's Arm Sleeve Giveaway!

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

2009-10-02T05:59:00.000-07:00

Hey, bloggies!

Sorry I've been MIA. It's been a craaaazy week!

My (new) roommate tore her ACL and partially ruptured her patellar tendon playing soccer last Thursday night. :-( Her mom came from St. Louis and has been ~~cooking, cleaning, and spoiling us~~ taking care of usher all week. She is seriously one of the nicest people ever...she mowed my lawn, cleaned my windows, swept the floors....I could get used to this life, people.

I DID finally get a chance to make a new recipe last night. I saw this recipe on Erica's blog for Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup. Um...I love both. So I had to try!

(*Side note - anytime I type "pumpkin" - which is often lately - I type "pumpking"....because obviously my fingers don't like words that just end in "in" and not "ing." Anyone else do this? Moving on.)

Well, in my absent-mindedness, I grabbed this instead of canned pumpkin:

Whoops!

Who knew they sold pumpkin pie mix in a can, anyway?

It was sweeter than it probably should've been, but who am I to waste food? And seriously, this was one of the best soups I've ever had...and I've had a lot! Kind of tasted like dessert for dinner. But with black beans and diced tomatoes. I'm interested to see how it tastes with just the regular ole' pumpkin.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup with a side of the Integumentary System

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I'm having my niece and nephew to spend the night tonight...then going to my first Colts game of the season!! I'm praying for good weather on Sunday so the roof will be open. Ahhh - I love my boys in blue! (or white....well, whatever).

Check out these AMAZING giveaways!

- Run to the Finish's Nutrition/Energy Bar Giveaway!

- Dori's Core Fusion and Physique 57 DVD Giveaway!

Not Better. Just Different.

2009-09-25T04:24:00.000-07:00

I've been DYING to try Better n'Peanut Butter! I didn't realize they sold it at TJ's (SCORE), so I snagged some last week.

I am OBSESSED with nuts butters. No lie. Look at my stash.

I have PB in my morning oats - the Smart Balance. You see, I work at a headquarters for a local grocery store chain and I don't think they'd appreciate me whipping out the TJ's nut butter as I eat my breakfast. ~~They don't realize I never shop at their stores because they're insanely expensive, and if I'm gonna go big, I'd rather spend that money at TJ's and Whole Paycheck.~~

At home I use the Almond Butter and TJ's PB, and now....Better n'PB! And for the record - it's not better tasting necessarily (IMO), but it does boast awesome stats:

Serving Size 2 tbsp (32.0 g)

Calories: 100
Calories from Fat:18
Total Fat: 2.0g
Sodium: 190mg
Total Carbohydrates: 13.0g
Sugars: 2.0g

I think the taste lends itself to a....coffee flavor? Am I nuts? (hahaha) It's not good or bad, just like me - different. Overall I like the stuff, but I'm not giving up my regular nut butters! Especially in the morning with breakfast....they just keep me fuller for longer.

Do you hoard a particular kind of food? Obviously I hoard nut butters, but I always have a huge stash of yogurt in my fridge at all times: Blueberry/Strawberry/Peach Chobani, TJ's Organic French Vanilla, TJ's Greek Style Honey (sooooo insanely delish!), just to name a few.

Hope ya'll have a great weekend! I'm off to visit my friend in Louisville - I'm going to a winery for only the 2nd time in my life. For a girl who doesn't really like wine, this could be really good - or really, really bad.

Stuffed Peppers

2009-09-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to try Stuffed Peppers for a LONG time - so it was perfect timing when I saw a recipe last week in Jenna's article on Health.com!

First of all, these are super easy. Second, they are CHEAP!

Yum yum yum!

I was very impressed, although I actually got the diced tomatoes with chili peppers. And though I'm sure it could be classified as "mild" to most people, it almost had me in a sweat! Whew! But they were seriously good. Although, a little tricky to eat. I have to admit, I dug into them with my hands in the end. ;-) (Do people cut these things up to eat them?) It's a good thing my co-workers know how much of a classy chick I am.

Aggh - my boyfriend (Wentworth Miller) is guest starring on Law & Order SVU tonight! Super exciting. Anyone else a Prison Break fan? I was so disappointed when they cancelled it. I miss his sexy face.

Happy Hump Day!!

Check out Missy's Zevia Giveaway!!

BMI and Body Fat

2009-09-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been slacking on the posts lately....I feel like I don't have much to post about, unless you want weekly recaps of my Anatomy class? Nah, I'll spare ya.

Anywho, today I got my BMI and Body Fat measured at my gym. I've never done it before - only the online calculators like this one, and I've also had it measured on Wii fit ;-). I was just curious to see how it compared (can you really trust a video game system for your BMI?). Plus, it was free!

They ask you your weight and height, and also how much you exercise (this question was kind of embarrassing to answer....I'd MUCH rather have answered it back, oh....5 months ago?!). Then they use this handheld device. I measured 15.9% body fat and 18.6% BMI. I guess I don't really know the difference between the two? I know BMI is Body Mass Index, but...I guess I thought that measured your body fat?

It made me feel a little better because I've been pretty down on myself for not doing any cardio in the past few months. It seems like everything aggravates my knee. I probably should walk more (and swim....ugh, I wish I could get myself to like it because it's so good for you!). I know this might not have been entirely accurate, but at least it's a ball park figure.

Have you ever had your BMI or Body fat measured? I've always heard they are better indicators than weight, because of water retention and that sort of thing.

Well, I have my first test this weekend...wish me luck! Oh, and a little update on Teacher Guy - I just don't think *it's* there. We've been out 4 times...I think I would know by now, right? Of course it stinks (just typed "he stinks," LOL) because he's so sweet, cute, and everything I'd want on paper. But that chemistry thing....it's pretty darn important! Now I just have to find a way to tell him. I won't succumb to the post-it breakup a la Jack Berger, but is it okay to text that to him? ;-)

Check out Cookin Fanatic's TJ Pumpkin Butter giveaway!

Yellow Squash Casserole

2009-09-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

My sister gave me some squash that she had grown, and I happily took it off her hands! I really, really hope to grow some veggies and herbs next year....I just never got around to it this year. Until then, I'll just steal others'.

I can't really remember ever eating squash (other than acorn squash, which I had once last fall and LOVED). And I've definitely never cooked with the stuff. So I went to my trusty cooking buddy (http://www.allrecipes.com/) and found this recipe for Yellow Squash Casserole.

The ingreds: (I didn't have milk, so I used non-fat plain greek yogurt, and I always subbed Wheat Thins - generic, 'cause mama is tryin' to save money! - for Ritz crackers...I LOVE Wheat Thins!!)

My question - how the *&%$ do you cut up a squash like this? I sliced off the skins, but stupidly forgot this has seeds. Do any of you have any good tips? I swear, this is why it takes me so long to cook. ;-)

I was a little skeptical about all of this....but it turned out amazing!! (I halved the recipe). I will say, however, that this was too much buttah for me. (Don't tell Paula, please). I hardly ever eat real butter, so I would definitely half the amount (at least) next time. It doesn't need it!

Do you ever eat or make squash? I LOVE acorn squash with brown sugar - I need to pick some up soon. And I STILL have not tried spaghetti squash....(I know!).

Check out Healthy Fit Runner's Giveaway!

And Christy's Oikos Giveaway!

Independent Woman

2009-09-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

Have you lived where you lived now your whole life?

I have. Well, with the exception of college (4 years), when I went to Indiana University (only about an hour and a half away).

I have always been a homebody. When I was little, I couldn't even spend the night at a friends without coming home! It wasn't so much that I missed my mom and dad, it was that I loved my home.

Anyway, I've always stuck close to "home" - in fact, I live 5 miles from my parents, 4 miles from my oldest sister, and 3 miles from my middle sister! (some people think this is neat....other people thinks it's...weird). :-)

Yes, we always wear white at family gatherings. Don't you?

Sometimes I wonder if I am too dependent on my family. Not that that is a bad thing, but I think I am the stereotypical youngest child - my family has always been around to help with decisions, and to just help in general. And that's great! But sometimes I wonder if I need to be more independent.

Lately I've been thinking about moving....not seriously thinking about it (I did just buy my house a year ago!), but wondering if it's something I might want to do in the next few years. I don't even know where I would go! I wouldn't want to go too far, but there are so many great places that aren't terribly far from where I am now: Louisville (my bestie is there!), Denver (GORGEOUS....though far), Atlanta (warm, and gorgeous!), Tennessee (only driven it through it, but who doesn't love the accents?), Chicago (know a lot of people there....lots to do), the Carolinas.....

Ah. Who am I kidding? I'll probably never move. :-) But it is fun to think about...and maybe in a couple of years after I'm done with school (or have a new career, at least!), I will bite the bullet and do it.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?? Mine would be Colorado. Hands down! I've only been once, but it's gorgeous, the people are friendly, and Denver has over 300 days of sunshine a year. MAN! Much better than Indy's (below):

Thank Heavens for Betty Crocker Contest Winners

2009-09-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

After seeing this recipe for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookie Treats on Iowa Girl Eat's and Chandra's blogs, I had ~~try 'em for myself~~make them for my family!

Ingreds:

The PB Balls....

Shake it up, baby!

Does it get any better? No.

OH MY HEAVENS. Obviously this were not "healthy" in any way, shape or form - but life is waaaay too short not to have your favorite things. PB and chocolate ARE my favorite things, especially when mixed together. Oooooh la la! Seriously, this is now one of my favorite cookies. Maybe only second to sugar cookies with icing.

What's your favorite cookie? I also like white chocolate macadamia nut...but I've never made them! My favorite (as mentioned above) is a soft sugar cookie with LOTS of icing. YUM.

Check out Kelly's Near East Giveaway Meal Kit Giveaway!!

Me Gusta Cilantro Y Couscous

2009-09-09T05:06:00.000-07:00

New favorite recipe alert!

There are a few things I love SO much that I seek them out in meals/recipes/foods - almond butter, feta cheese, honey mustard, and...cilantro. Oh, cilantro. Te amo.

Oh. And I've never made couscous! I think I've eaten it before...but I've never made it. So I found a recipe for Black Bean and Couscous Salad that included cilantro and couscous - score and score.

The cast:

All the ingreds....

+ couscous....

WOWSA! First of all - who knew a cup of uncooked couscous made, like, a bajillion cups of cooked couscous?! Craziness. But this is seriously amazing. I love everything in it, and it's very filling because of the beans and fiber. Definitely gonna be repeated in this house!

What's one ingredient you absolutely could not live without?

P.S. Thanks for all of your "congratulations!" If you can't tell, I'm just a wee bit excited. :-)

P.S.S. Ya know how I bombed my first Anatomy quiz? Well, long story short, the computer graded it incorrectly and I e-mailed my prof about it. She corrected my quiz and gave me 100% - yahooooo! Fingers crossed for many more 100's.

Bleh Weekend....GREAT News!

2009-09-07T16:44:00.001-07:00

So for various reasons, my weekend was just bleh. Not horrible or bad, just bleh - ya know those weekends? But it was all made up for when (at my parent's house today for lunch) my 5 year old niece came out carrying this cake:

It says "Congrats Happy Baby." (huh?) And while many in my family inherited the blond gene, when my niece blurted out, "We're having a baby!" - we got it!

My sister is preggers!!

Aaaaah, I am so excited. Her kids (my niece and nephew) will be 6 and 4 when the baby is born (April Fool's Day is her due date!). I obviously LOVE being an aunt - even if I don't have kiddos of my own, being an aunt is such a close 2nd. Especially to the kiddos of your sisters. AND my sister is the CUTEST pregnant person ever! (And, no, Kristy - I'm not just sayin' that 'cause I know you're reading!) ;-) She is also one of those people who never, EVER complains about being pregnant. Plus, she's so dang cute!

So that just goes to show you when you're having a bad day (or weekend), there is always good news around the corner to pull you out.

Hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

MAT Review and a Hit-and-Run

2009-09-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

So a couple of months ago, I spent about $800 of my tax money to fix dings, scratches and a cracked front bumper in my car. I plan on having my car for awhile - I still love it! - and I wanted it to be purty again.

Well....we had a good few months, Red! Sadly, I backed into my neighbor's truck the other night. :-( The GOOD news is that a. he was super understanding and nice, and b. it's his company truck and they said it doesn't need to be fixed! (The scratch is only a few inches long).

The BAD news is that my car didn't fare so well:

Aggggh, such is life. I may or may not get it fixed, depending on how much it is. But I'm so relieved his car is okay!

So today I had my first Muscle Activation Technique Session. It was interesting....he tested my muscles (like, for example, he pushed on my outer leg while I tried to resist) to see how weak/strong they were. Interestingly, he noted right away that my right ankle is weaker than my left (I sprained my right ankle very badly 4 years ago).

I think I'll give it another go or two - it's pricey!!! $85/session...YOWSA. But at this point, I'd consider selling organs to get back on the roads again. So here's hopin'! (I kinda like my kidneys).

I'll leave you with a video of my ADORABLE nieces, Grace and Clare. Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite joke is "What do three gay horses like to eat?" A. "Hay hay hay!" I know....not very PC but my gay friends love it more than I do. Anywho, I'm doing my part to pass on the joke to Clare.

Check out Missy's Yoplait Giveaway!

And Quinn's Favorite Things Giveaway!

Stressed

2009-08-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

So I'm only a week into my Anatomy class and I feel like maybe I bit off more than I can chew.

We read one chapter a week and have to post a discussion and take a quiz. Sounds easy, right? Well, the chapters are about 30 pages long, and the handwritten notes I took on it were about 9 pages! I also did all of the activities, games, and practice quizzes....so I'm guessing I spent a good 6-7 hours last week on school work.

I was SO nervous to take the quiz last night! I just bit the bullet and totally freaked out. They give you 30 minutes, so I sort of rushed through the first 5 questions. When I clicked submit, it said I was done! Needless to say, I didn't do as well as I'd hoped. Which is SUCH a bummer because I think I just got major test anxiety - I knew the information! UGH. The GOOD news is that we can drop our 2 lowest test scores, so this will definitely be one of them.

I am kind of loving Fit Nut's lists right now. :-) I LOVE lists! So here is my goal to try and change this thing around:

- Set aside at least one night a week JUST for school work

- Make sure house is quiet and I'm not tired/hunger when taking quiz

- Print off Power Point Slides prepared by professor (tongue twister!) and take additional
notes on them after reading chapters (instead of writing them all out by hand)

- Close out of Tweet Deck prior to starting quiz. ;-)

- Don't get discouraged.

Whew. I feel better already.

Normally I deal with stress in bad, bad, ways. You know, hittin' the bottle and such. LOL - okay not really, but I do eat when I'm stressed and I'm determined NOT to let this get to me.

I just finished "The Power of Now," and I love that it focuses on being content in our present state. Basically, it says that at THIS moment, we don't have any pain/problems. Most of our pain and worries comes from thinking about past events or future events. This is SO true for me. So whenever I get stressed now about something that hasn't even happened, I just repeat "The Power of Now" to myself (in my head, don't want those weird looks) and remind myself to just BE.

In good news, my knee is feeling better!!! Not 100%, but I'd say it's definitely 80% better. I just have some achiness in the morning and sometimes throughout the day if I'm climbing stairs or something. I go Wednesday for Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) - fingers crossed! I definitely think the Active Release Technique helped, so let's hope this will get me back to 100%.

Sorry this is boring and blah...just wanted to say "hi" and hope you're all having a great Monday!

Calling All Students

2009-08-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

So...I'm a little out of touch with being a student. I need help!

In college I always took notes by hand. I know I type faster than I write, but I retain things more if I write them out.

Problem is, this is creating LOTS of writing for my anatomy class!

How do you/did you take notes in classes? I feel kinda silly for even asking about this, but I just want to make sure I kick a$$ in my classes and I really have to stay on top of things.

*Date update - going to dinner with Teacher boy on Saturday. He is SO sweet....I talked to him on the phone and just kept asking questions. Like, he was actually interested in what I was saying! LOL.

The only thing is, I'm not sure if the attraction is there. I mean, he's very good looking, but for me it's all about personality. Usually I date good looking guys (or at least I think they are good looking, and my sister does, too, since she flirts with them - *Hi, Kristy!). However, one guy I dated was not my type (physically), yet I was SO attracted to him because he was hilarious! If you can make me laugh, you seriously have me.

Are you a looks person or personality person? (And don't be afraid here....I will admit that I can't imagine dating a guy under 5'11" because I'm 5'9". Good for Katie Holmes, but that just ain't me - vain as that sounds).

Check out Missy's Dave's Killer Bread Giveaway!

Turkey Joes...Turk - Turkey Joes

2009-08-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry. Everytime I think about Sloppy Joes I always sing that song by Adam Sandler. Love that man!

So I came to the realization that it's pretty sad that I have not made some pretty "basic" meals in my life - meatloaf, pot roast, and....Sloppy Joes!

I found this recipe for TURKEY Joes. And I do love my ground turkey.

This was so. good. I will DEFINITELY be makin' these babies again! I think the mustard (and BBQ sauce) add a lil' somethin' somethin' to the mix. (*Do "regular" Sloppy Joes have mustard and BBQ sauce?) I'm thinking you could use fake meat and they would still turn out - the sauce is where it's at, baby.

After I went all buck wild on Almond Butters in my house, I finally used up some old jars and was able to rip into this puppy: Briden Wilson Farm Almond Butter.

I won this from a contest on Heather's blog. WOW. Can I just say, wow?! It's going to be so hard to go back to "normal" almond butter after this! I've never made my own AB, but this is how I would imagine it would taste if I did. Very, very fresh. Kind of "gritty," if you will. But not in a bad way! I like to taste my nuts (TWSS). Thanks, HEAB!

Almond Butter is one of the best things to come out of my blog ~~stalking~~surfing. I don't know what I'd do without it now! Of course, as luck would have it, it's also $$$. For now I'll stick to Trader Joe's - though Maranatha has my heart. What's the best new food you've found in the last year?

Coffee Date and Back to School

2009-08-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday, bloggies!

So I'm freaking out just a little bit since today I start something I said I would NEVER do again (this is why you should never say never)....I'm starting school!

Actually, I'm pretty excited about it. I figure I'll do the best I can in these classes (this fall and next Spring), and if I decide nursing isn't for me, that's okay. I won't actually apply to the nursing program until the Spring, and it's very hard to get into. But I'm a firm believer (*cheesiness alert*) that everything happens for a reason. So for now I'll just plug along and do what I can, and at least I'll learn a thing or two along the way. Hell, maybe I'll learn what the heck is goin' on with my knee!

So I met Match guy for coffee yesterday. Actually, I'll call him "Teacher Guy" since he's (duh) a teacher. (I often have nicknames for people I date....do any of you do that? I would tell you some of them, but they're not all "blog friendly"). LOL

It went pretty well! To me, a good first date is one that you're not scrambling to get out of. Did I think off the bat that he was *the one*? No. But he's a nice guy, the conversation was flowing, he asked lots of questions (!), and he just seemed very sweet. And he's cute. And ripped! Might have to start lifting more. Plus, did I mention he's a teacher?! SUCH a sucker for the guy who loves kids. I think we're going to try and meet up for dinner, so we'll see how that goes.

So yesterday I met my potential roommate and she is a total sweetheart! It's only temporary (she is hoping to get a job in either Dallas or Atlanta), but this will buy me some time to look for someone else. Fingers crossed! Oh, and D still isn't speaking to me. I know so many of us have been there, but it's incredibly uncomfortable living with someone who won't even make eye contact with you. And I don't feel like I did anything wrong?!

Does anyone else start school today/soon? If you're finished with school, have you ever thought of going back? I really hated college. Well, the learning part. ;-) There were $0.15 beers, people! But I am excited about this new chapter in my life, especially because I believe I'm on the path to doing something that I love. Life is too short. We spend so much of our lives at our jobs, it should really be doing something we love and take pride in.

Enjoy your Monday!

ART and Drama

2009-08-22T05:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks SO much for your advice on St. Louis boy....I think I'll give him one more chance and if the convo is similar to the first, I'll tell him to save the gas $$$ (hey, it's hard times now, people!). It's good to know I'm not the only picky person out there when it comes to relationships. In the infamous words of Loreal (right?), I'm worth it.

So this morning I had my 4th ART session (Active Release Technique). One thing I love about this chiropractor is that he was very honest and upfront when I first went in. He told me, "You should know in 3-4 sessions whether or not this is for you." Phew! An honest chiropractor?! Thought that was harder to find than a Patrick Demsey look alike in Indiana.

As of right now my knee feels great, but he told me that if it doesn't feel better than he's not the guy for me. He recommended someone who specializes in Muscle Activation Techniques. Anyone ever heard of this? Basically they look for muscle imbalance and weakness, and DIG into the muscles to activate them. Or something like that. I might give it a shot, since it's only $75/session (this is cheap compared to what I'd pay to see another doctor....sad, huh?!).

In other news, I've had some may-juh roommate drama this week. L-O-N-G story, but basically my roommate, D, told me he's moving out next month. So my neighbor found a gal who needs a place by September 1st. Well, D basically stirred the pot and had a very mean conversation with our neighbor, and now she doesn't want to tell this girl she should live here (because D said he'd ignore her and not speak to her).

So...my dad caught wind of this and called D, basically calling him out on what he was doing. My dad was a little harsh, but never threatening. Well, D called his cousin (a cop) and told him my dad was threatening him! WTF?! My dad wouldn't - COULDN'T - hurt a fly even if he wanted to. He's the trashrunner, for cryin' out loud! LOL. He's just really protective of me since I have a hard time standing up for myself.

So basically D angrily announced he'll move out by 9/1 and HOPEFULLY this girl is cool and can move in! (I'm meeting her today). It just stinks because D is not even speaking to me right now - he's really made this whole situation into a huge fiasco, when it didn't need to be at all.

I hate it when people are drama queens and just like to stir the pot. Even if a situation isn't ideal, what's the point of creating drama and making it worse....ya know?

On a lighter note, here's the cutest Catholic school girl ya ever saw.

My niece started KINDERGARTEN this week! Agggh!! So cute I can hardly stand it.

Well, I'm off to meet a guy I've been talking to on Match - in PUBLIC. LOL. Wish me luck! He sounds super nice, so we'll see....

Have a great Saturday!

Meet Me in St. Louis

2009-08-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

So I met this boy in St. Louis....

My cousin and I went out Saturday night and this guy started talking to me. He was really sweet and cute, so we exchanged numbers and texted the next day (we both went to the game).

True to form, he lives about 2 1/2 hours from me (I always find the out-of-towners somehow...even when I'm out of town). But he mentioned that he'd like to come see me sometime. I thought, "Ya know, why not?" So we talked on the phone this week and....yeah. He's SUPER sweet, but here are my issues:

1. LOVES to talk. About himself. I think he only asked me a couple of questions, and that was a good 20 minutes into the conversation. Now, I LOVE a guy who can talk, and maybe he was nervous, but it's always sweet when guys ask you questions....ya know? Plus, I'm not the type of person to talk about myself freely - I'm more of a listener. So I welcome the questions!

2. Talked about ex-girlfriend for approx. 10 minutes. Seriously?! I just don't think ex-talk should be brought up for awhile. It's one thing if you ask the, "When was your last serious relationship?" question. (eeeek - I hate that question!). But, guys, PLEASE don't talk about any situations involving your ex on the FIRST conversation.

3. He seems a little....unmotivated. Now, I've always joked that I would end up with the gas station attendant, because my sisters married the geniuses of the family. And you know what? If the gas station attendant were a smart, sweet guy, I would totally be down with that. Okay, so this guy is NOT a gas station attendant, but he doesn't seem motivated in his current job. He's unemployed 1/2 of the year (his job is seasonal) and he seems....okay with that? I hope that doesn't sound snobbish, because I would MUCH rather be with a pauper than a prince, but it just bugs when guys come off as lazy.

So there ya go. My question is - do I still let him come visit? If this guy lived in town, I'd go out with him just for sh!ts and giggles. Ya never know, and you only live once! But considering he'd have to drive 2 1/2 hours and I've already made a LIST about him (LOL), I would just feel so guilty having him come.

What do you think? Am I too picky? Are you/were you a picky person when it comes to relationships? Well, I know I'm too picky. But tell me that is okay. ;-)

Check out Heather's 100,000th Hit Giveaway!

and Kelly's Free People Gift Card Giveaway!

Braggers

2009-08-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing that bothers me in this world, it's braggers.

We all know them. "Look at my new car!" "I'm SO excited to go to Florida - have fun in the snow!" Ugh....they make my skin crawl.

Now, there is a difference between "braggers" and people who are genuinely not looking for praise. No, I don't get mad when each of my friends gets a new car! LOL.

Braggers

- Want you to be jealous of them
- Are insecure/unhappy and bragging brings them "up," similar to those who use bullying to make themselves feel better

For example, a friend of mine drove a total beater of a car for years....when she got a brand new SUV this year, I could NOT have been happier for her. She totally deserved it! And I knew when she told me about it, she wasn't bragging. She was just extremely excited and happy - and I wanted to share that with her!

I have another friend who gets new "gadgets" all of the time - iPhone, new cars every year, new expensive cameras, etc. When she tells me about these things, I know she wants me to be jealous. She is a stay at home mom, but I know she's truly unhappy with her weight and her marriage. So by bragging about these new things, she's bringing herself up. It makes her feel better.

Another example is a co-worker of mine. I've always gotten the feeling that she's "watching" my weight and my body. When she asked me if I'd lost weight a few months ago, it wasn't the "Wow - you look great!" tone. It was more like 'looking you up and down' tone. Does that make sense? I almost feel like she is competitive with me. (*For example, someone brought in cookies for MY birthday and she commented loudly that she wouldn't eat them because they were way too fattening. Then she looked at me and smiled condescendingly as I was reaching for one! Um...it's my birthday, bitch! LOL) Anyway, she had about 20 pounds to lose and has lost about 15 pounds so far.

When she came in the other day, her first comment to myself and my co-worker was, "Look at me! I couldn't wear these pants a few months ago because my ass was too fat!" Now, when I lost about 15 pounds recently - I didn't say a word to anyone about it. You didn't catch me galavanting around the office saying - "look at me! I'm 2 sizes smaller, people!" That's just not me. And I knew from past encounters with her that she simply wanted praise from us. Of course, I'm embarrassed to admit that I turned into stubborn/biotch mode and congratulated her, but went on to say something about how I'd lost weight, too. I know...what am I - five years old? I hate that braggers bring out that side of me....but they do.

How about you? Do you know braggers? How do you deal with them?

I've learned with friends (like my stay-at-home mom friend) I just comment and congratulate them, and move on. But it's harder for me to do that with strangers or people I'm not friends with (like my co-worker).

Check out Run to Finish's Birthday Giveaway!

Worry Wart

2009-08-18T03:57:00.000-07:00

....or is it Worry WORT?

Whatever it is, I am one.

I had a good talk with my dad this weekend on my way to St. Louis about my anxiety. I worry about money, I worry about finding someone, I worry about school (now), I worry about what other people think (all.the.time)....well, you get my drift.

My dad worked a pretty high stress job for 34 years, and was able to retire 4 years ago. Let me just tell you, the man is a COMPLETELY different guy from his working days. He's so carefree...he's like a little kid!

He gave me one good suggestion - he suggested I keep a little notebook with me and write down all of the things I worry about throughout the day. At the end of the day, I'll look and see what things I worried about that I no longer have to - maybe it's getting laundry done, or having enough time to get somewhere. And then look at the things that are more long-term (like school, job, etc.). Then estimate how much time I've wasted throughout the day worrying about random sh!t.

So yesterday morning, I got my little notebook and I started. Let me just tell you - I'd written down 3 things within ten minutes of waking! And this was my day OFF from work. LOL.

I kept jotting things down but I only made it till about noon before I stopped. I seriously had written down 20 things!

So it got me to thinking...I think I just need to be more organized about things. I LOVE to-do lists, but my problem is that I'm a may-juh procrastinator and half the things don't get done, so I just give up.

I think I'm going to start making a daily to-do list (also at the suggestion of my dad...apparently he should be my free therapist now?) and list things that need to be done soon at the top, and things that don't need to be done as quickly at the bottom.

Hopefully this will help....I think about all the time I've spent worrying in my life about STUPID stuff - I mean, I've probably spent weeks of my life worrying if you'd add it all up! It's just silly to live that way, ya know?

What about you? Are you a worrier? How do you deal with anxiety? Are you a to-do-lister?

Weekend Recap

2009-08-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

It was so nice to get away for a little bit, and the sight of this made everything that much better.

We went to the game on Saturday and on Sunday...they won both games so I think we're good luck. :-) Here's my cousin and I before Saturday's game.

Us and Fredbird

My dad and I...check out that sexy taped knee!

My cousin and I ensued in some crazy shenanigans that evening....

Sunday's game with the fam

My cousin scored AMAZING seats for Sunday's game. 10 rows behind home plate!! I was in HEAVEN.

My boy Albert....sigh.

Me, my dad, and my cousin

My dad showin' off his socks...he's such a goof.

It was SUCH a great weekend...and I took today off from work to catch up on some things at home. Um....Mondays are SO MUCH BETTER when you don't have to work!

So I had to delete my last post because it's kind of a long story, but I think there's a chance the boy saw my blog or knows about it. But long story short, everything went pretty well. I was kind of proud of myself for standing my ground, and it made me realize sometimes we have to do what's hard if we know in the end it's what is BEST for us....ya know?

Hope you all had great weekends...I'm off to tackle the to-do list!

Check out Lesley's Magazine Subscription Giveaway!

Special Delivery

2009-08-13T04:36:00.000-07:00

So I might have been a big premature in my excitement about my knee not hurting. It's bothering me again today - urghh!

But you know what? I think Sagan hit the nail on the head when she said I need to continue with treatment long enough to see if it really works. Like most people, I want results ASAP, but I guess it's just not that easy! So I'm going back to ART next Tuesday and will probably go twice after that....if it's not better in a few weeks - Plan B! (I'll go get a 2nd recommendation from another doctor).

Since I'm thinking about going back to school full-time for nursing, I'm taking some pre-reqs this fall and next Spring. One of the classes is Anatomy and Physiology. I actually took Anatomy when I went to Indiana University, and it was my FAVORITE class - hands down! We got to work with cadavers, which sounds horrible (they were already dissected by the med school students), but it was actually very interesting to see what the insides of our bodies look like.

ANYway, so I'm taking these classes online - kinda crazy that they offer Anatomy online?! I ordered my books, and got my books and this box in the mail yesterday.

So as I'm perusing through the box, I see some goggles, a container with liquid....and a bag of something....SQUISHY. What is this?? I'm feeling around the bag, and THEN I see the label:

FETAL PIG

WTF??!!! Can a girl get a warning up in here??!

Surprisingly I didn't scream, just dropped it into the box in my state of bewilderment. I mean....REALLY?

I'm assuming I'm supposed to disect this thing. Oh - and the container of liquid? A sheep's eye. Needless to say, I might go veg.

My friend said her sister took the same online class and ended up watching some great dissection videos on YouTube. Um....sign me up! I think that's what I'll do, but I mean - do I throw this away? I am so perplexed.

On a brighter note, I'm so glad it's Thursday!!! I'm going to St. Louis with my dad on Saturday/Sunday to see my cousin, and of course go to a couple Cardinals games. And then Monday I'm taking the day off! I have to go to an information session for the school I'm taking the online classes through, but it will be SO NICE to not have to work.

What are you up to this weekend? Any ideas what I should do with little piggy?

I am thankful for:

- Fresh apples with cinnamon

- Chick flix

- Busy days that go by fast!

ART Review

2009-08-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your comments about trying Match - I'm excited about it! It's good to hear so many people have heard good stories. I will keep you posted on any ~~creepers~~dashing young men that I meet. ;-)

So I went last night and had my first "ART" session (Active Release Technique). It was different than I thought! I thought it was going to hurt like a mother, but it really wasn't that bad at all.

The chiropractor said he could definitely feel the "adhesion" on my IT band that's been bothering me - it's like a giant KNOT and I can't work it out with my foam roller OR the Stick. He said it's the worst he's felt in a long time (I always wonder when they say this....is that true? Or are they saying that so you'll come back? Hmmm.)

Anyway, my knee feels GREAT today! I woke up in the morning with some achiness (per usual), but after I got done with my strength training at the gym, it felt AWESOME! I go back next Tuesday for another session, and I'm also going to try getting taped at my Physical Therapist tomorrow.

Sideline: I gave in!!! I'm tweeting now. Are any of you?? Not to sound like an 80 year old, but I really don't know what the hell I'm doing! LOL.

Check out:

Special K's Cetaphil giveaway!

And Missy's Flax Matters Giveaway!

Today I am thankful for:

- Goofing around with the roomie
- Clean kitchens
- Planning out future vacations!

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match

2009-08-10T04:44:00.000-07:00

*Note: I feel like I've gotten kind of monotonous with my posts lately since I am not running and my knee is still bothering me....so expect to see some posts about ~~my randomness~~a little of everything.

So after a lot of ~~prodding~~encouragement from my sisters and friends, I decided to join Match.com. I will be very honest - I never have wanted to do the online dating thing. I know it works - 2 of my best friends found their spouses online, and another is getting ready to get engaged! But you know? All 3 of those people lie to others when asked how they met their significant other. It makes me think they are embarrassed, and to be honest, I don't really want to tell people I'm doing it, either!

I always thought I would meet "Mr. Right" all on my own. I mean, not to toot my own horn (toot, toot!), but I think I'm kind of a catch. ;-) I have my own house, an awesome family, I'm not in debt, and I think I'm funny - well, I laugh at my own jokes, LOL. And I obviously take care of myself and am confident, probably more than I've ever been. But a part of me thinks of online dating as "cheating," somehow? I guess it's like infertility treatments, though (which many of my friends have experienced) - you want it all to happen naturally, of course, but what is wrong with going an alternate route just to make it happen?

Anyway, I've talked to a couple of guys over the phone and no luck so far. I only got a 3 month membership so I'm giving it until October to try it out. Have any of your friends/family had good luck with online dating?

Today I am thankful for:

- Fantasy football
- The Cardinals being back in 1st place
- Vacations to look forward to

Twilight SPOILER and Yucca!

2009-08-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

UGH!!!

I have been saving the last book of the Twlight Series, "Breaking Down" for FOREVER. Why? Because I don't want the series to be over! Everyone says they're depressed when it's over, so I just won't let it be over.

Anywho, no one has told me any spoilers and I've not even asked. I don't want to know! (Even though I DO). So when I saw that Stephanie Meyers (the author) was being sued for this book, I clicked on this article. Um....it TOTALLY says what happens in the book! Bella and Edward ----- and she ------. OMG.

I was so sad to have it spoiled. Guess I should read the book now.

Have you read the Twilight Series or are you staying strong and resisting? Have you ever had something spoiled?

I refused to read the books at first, but finally gave in out of curiosity's sake. I think it's more that I've fallen in love with the characters (not to sound cheesy, but that totally does), moreso than the story line. The story line is great, but you really are just rooting for the main characters the whole time.

Anyway, onto food.

After I saw yucca fries on Emily's blog, I knew I had to give them a shot.

I'm not a huge salty foods person, to be honest. I mean, given the choice - I choose SWEETS! But if I had to choose one salty food, it'd be fries. NO doubt.

I actually had to ask Emily where exactly to get yucca in the grocery store. :-) When I first saw it, I was a little ~~scared~~surprised.

This thang was kind of hard to chop! I felt so Swiss Family Robinson. But I cut it into fry-like shapes, sprinkled it with pepper and THIS salt:

(Is that not the best salt ever? And I don't even like salt!)

And baked it for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

These were SO good!!! They were pretty hard/crunchy - much more than I expected. But you know...I LIKED that! The only time I'll eat mushy fries is if I'm dipping McD's fries into their ice cream. ;-) (Anyone else tried this? Bomb.)

I'm definitely making these again!

Check out Running Around Normal's Larabar Giveaway!

Today I am thankful for:

- Traffic reports

- Multi-tasking

- Cold, refreshing drinks

A New Legume

2009-08-05T04:52:00.000-07:00

After reading about lentils on Iowa Girl Eats blog, I knew I had to try them! They're supposed to have a lot of staying power, they are cheap, and they are super good for you! Sold.

So I found this recipe for Lentil Tomato Soup.

I omitted the wine because I already have one mostly full bottle of wine in my fridge - this non-wine drinker doesn't need two! I also just used 2 tablespoons of butter instead of 4.

Hmmm - I didn't like it! Not sure if it omitting the red wine, or the cloves/nutmeg combo (I only like those spices usually with pumpkin pie). :-)

Thankfully this gal came to my rescue.

I love her. Mrs D. makes it all better. Well....mostly better. She's no miracle worker.

But ONE thing is for sure - lentils stick with you! Like, they keep you full for several hours after. I can't wait to try lentils again. Do you ever eat lentils? If so, what's your favorite lentil recipe?

I also picked this baby up at Whole Foods this weekend:

Hmmm. I guess if you go into it not expecting flavor (and definitely not expecting "Squirt" soda!), you'll be happy! It was pretty bland, but the more I drank it, the more I didn't mind. It DID make me feel good that it had no artificial sweeteners or calories. I'd be anxious to try the other flavors, too.

Hope you have a great Wednesday!! Hooray - we're halfway through the week!

Check out Missy's Gluten Free Dessert Mix Giveaway!

Today I am thankful for:

- 24 (Just started watching Season 1....I am HOOKED!)

- Albert Pujols (Homerun AND Grand Slam last night....amaze!!)

- Eggs (so CHEAP and yummy)

WholePaycheck Foods

2009-08-04T04:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for your great suggestions as to what to do with my knee. I feel like such a whiner sometimes, but it's like having your most favorite thing taken away from you (for me, running) - after you'd just gotten it back! (because I couldn't run for a year).

Heeding Holly's advice, I made an appointment next Tuesday for Active Release Technique (ART). I've heard nothing but GREAT things from people who've had this done. It's pricey ($80 for the first, $40 for the second...I didn't ask after that! lol), but you know, it's still much cheaper than what I would pay out of pocket to go to the doctor! I figure this is worth a shot. Have you tried ART or know anyone that has?

The other night after my sister's birthday dinner, I realized I was just a few miles from Whole Foods - and I've never been (shock!). I thought we didn't have any here in Indy, but apparently we have 2! Unfortunately, the closest is still 8 miles away, so I can't get over there too often.

Oh my goodness! I can see why everyone is in love with this place.

I can also see why all of the celebrities shop here.

They can actually afford shiz!

Now I know grapes are on the dirty dozen list for produce, so when I saw organic grapes, I snagged them right up. When I was checking out, I said to the cashier, "Um, I'm sorry - I think that is wrong? It says $10.50 for the grapes?" He looked at me and smiled. "No, that is right. They are $2/lb. Would you like to keep them?"

Um, NO! WTF?!

I was so embarrassed, since the store is in a nice area of town and didn't want to look like the cheap skate I am. So he offered to take out half, which was fine. Still $5!!! For grapes?! I eat a bag a week...if I bought organic grapes year-round that is over $500 (if I got the full-size bag).

Sigh. Hopefully one day I'll live in a world where organic produce doesn't cost so much that I have to contemplate selling organs to afford them.

Do you buy organic products? And do you shop at Whole~~Paycheck~~ Foods? Or do you try to save by shopping at "The Wal-Marts"?

Check out Quinn's Favorite Things Giveaway!

Today I am thankful for:

- Helpful advice

- Quick Mondays

- Comfy shorts

I (K)need a Solution

2009-08-03T04:32:00.000-07:00

It has been over two months since I first started to experience pain in my left knee. I'm frustrated, to say the very least, that it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Some days are fine, but the achiness always seems to come back. Here are the things I've done and been doing since in May, and the breakdown of how much it has all cost me out of pocket:

- Went to orthopedic surgeon and was diagnosed with patella femoral malalignment ($154)
- Went to PT 2 x's and have been doing exercises on my own at home ($342)
- Using knee tape everyday ($17)
- Bought an orthotic for my left foot ($240)
- Bought the Stick and the Foam Roller, use one or both once a day ($70)

Grand Total: $823

I have also been icing 2-3 times a day, and taking 8 ibuprofen a day (not all at once!).

Do you see why I'm so frustrated? This is like my hip problem all over again. I know injuries are inevitable with runners at some point, but if they could just tell me what I need to do to fix it, I'd be totally fine with that!! Not to mention, I haven't even been running and it's giving me problems.

Sorry to bitch. It's just that running is a HUGE - HUGE - part of my life. I've run for 13 years, and I'm just not the same without it. I am also worried that I'll go down the path of either restriction or binging again, although my weight has stayed the same since I haven't been able to run.

Here are my options as I see them now to figure this thing out:

- Wait it out and see if it gets better (bleh)
- Go to a sports medicine doctor for 2nd opinion
- Go back to Physical Therapy for more stretches/exercises
- Stop all cardio (walking, elliptical, "rulking") all together to see if it gets better
- See if diet of only cookie dough and diet coke helps the healing process

Of course options 2 and 3 would cost more $$$, and I'm trying desperately to save money for school next year. BUT at this point I would sell my kidney, folks.

What do you think I should do? I'm just at a total loss. Sorry again to be a whiner, but this is something I really don't talk to my family/friends about because they've heard it before and I don't want to be a broken record. But ya'll don't mind my broken record-ness...right? ;-)

- Check out Iowa Girl Eats Pure Bar giveaway!

Today I am thankful for:

- Fresh water
- Ice packs
- Football season being right around the corner!!

Front Loading

2009-08-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

I've always been a light eater in the morning, heavy eater at night. Let me tell you what I had every single day while I was teaching and training for my 2nd marathon:

- Breakfast: Banana + fat free yogurt

- Lunch: Campbells Soup by the Hand + String Cheese

- Snack: Fat Free Yogurt

Um....YEAH. How the heck did I survive on that?!! I was basically only eating 500 calories during the day, and then I'd have the majority (1000-1500) at night. I was such a p.m. grazer - my ass would be in the kitchen all evening, just snack a lackin'.

Here lately, I've been consuming bigger breakfasts than I EVER thought I would. Usually I eat about 900-1000 calories during the day - this would have made me highly uncomfortable back in the day.

But the good thing? I'm not as hungry at night! I come home and eat a reasonable dinner and a small snack after. I'm actually consuming less calories than I did back in the day when I ate practically nothing all the live long day. I know I am less active now (thanks, bum knee), but it's interesting to me how keeping myself full (but not stuffed) during the day really sets me up to not graze in the evening.

I will be honest, though, I struggle at times with feeling guilty for eating so much during the day. I feel like since I am not as active now, I don't "deserve" to eat so much. Without running, shouldn't I be less hungry? Well, I'm not, but I struggle with listening properly to my hunger because it doesn't feel well deserved. I guess it is okay, since I'm not gaining weight, but I still feel like I shouldn't be this hungry? I don't know.

What about you? Do you front load your calories? Or are you a p.m. grazer like my former self?

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful sister, Kristy!!

Today I am thankful for:

- Pancakes on Sundays

- My caring, loving sisters

- Laughs from little ones

My McArnold and the MOST Amazing Meal

2009-07-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

Going on a recommendation from Fitzalan, I tried an Egg "McMuffin" - although, I guess mine would be an Egg "McArnold" since I had no English Muffins...just Arnold's Sandwich thins.

I used 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters, and topped in on my sandwich of 1 Laughing Cow Wedge/Garlic Hummus.

Best. Breakfast. EVER!!

This seriously rocked. I was hungry not too long after so just had a banana for a snack, but this is definitely on my list to do again!!

I am so glad I tried out different breakfasts this week! This may seem weird to many of you, but I usually will have the same breakfast - every single day - for years. I guess it's part comfort, and part just being easy this way. Not to sound cheesy, but it was definitely fun to switch things up this week and kind of gave me something to look forward to after I got to work each morning.

Now, onto my new recipe.....I LOVE bean recipes - I am no vegetarian, but I do love meatless meals because a. they are cheaper and b. I get a little freaked by what MIGHT be in my meat (it's on my list to try organic!). And this recipe has wine in it. And I don't like wine, but I do love alcohol.

Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce With Feta and Wine

Now the funny thing is, it called for 'dry wine.' Hmmm. I know dry means kind of bitter tasting, but I had NO clue what kinds of wines were dry. I figured what the hey, this sounds good and if it's not, the roommate will drink it.

Folks, this was AMAZING!!! SO easy, too. I used flavored feta (tomato/basil), but everything else was the same. It's SO good, in fact, that I'm making it again this weekend. My house smelled like Pizza Hut, I kid you not.

TGIF!!! This week went by fast, but I LIVE for the weekend. Tonight is my baby niece's birthday party and tomorrow we're celebrating my sister's birthday. I love birthday celebrations! Especially ones for little kids.

Anything fun planned your way this weekend? Have a great Friday!

Today I am thankful for:

- Talking to my sweet nieces and nephew on the phone
- Morning walks
- Checking Facebook from your cell phone ;-)

Breakfast Cookie and a Sexy New Man

2009-07-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

I've been curious about the infamous breakfast cookie ever since I first saw them on Gina's blog. I knew the recipe called for protein powder (which I've never used), so when I saw these little packets at the store, I snatched 'em right up.

LOOK at those biceps. mmmmm.

It smells SO good. Like cocoa powder!

I also got to try out this new stuff....I've never had the TJ's brand and being that it's about $3 cheaper than Maranatha, I might be a convert.

My cookie contained 1/2 the ($2!) packet of sexy powder, 1/2 smashed ripe naner, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1/3 cup oats, a splash of skim milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

The outcome....

The verdict? This was SO GOOD! I almost felt guilty eating it for breakfast. ;-) I am fo' SHO' making this again.

Do you use protein powder? What's your fave? They are pretty $$$, but I have to admit they are so convenient and dayumn this stuff tastes good.

Today I am thankful for:

- New recipes

- Wi-Fi

- 80's music

Breakfast Take 2 and New Snack

2009-07-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

So obviously my heart belongs to oatmeal. But I've never tried overnight oats. And with this hot weather, what better time than now?

I found this recipe for Strawberry Banana Almond Oats on Kath's blog. I only made a few changes - 1/3 c. skim cow's milk, 1/3 c. Chobani vanilla yogurt, and no granola/cereal.

This was pretty good! I think I would definitely add in some almond butter (surprise surprise!) next time, or maybe some cereal on top for some crunch. But I love how all of the flavors mix together. Strawberry + banana = one of my favorite combos. (Remember the strawberry banana Hubba Bubba gum?!! I used to tear that UP!) AND it actually - wait for it - kept me pretty full. My tummy didn't rumble until around 11, which is definitely progress.

I also found this new snackie at the grocery store and took it for a whirl.

I used to LOVE the Breakstone Cottage Cheese Doubles, but they have 15 grams of sugar and it always left my mouth wanting something more sweet.

I love sun dried tomato anything. Plus, this baby had 15 grams of protein, and only 6 grams of sugar.

The verdict? WOW! I loved it. I'm so used to eating something sweet with cottage cheese, this was a nice change. I'm definitely stocking up on this next time (ugh, if they're on sale like last time).

Today I also had my follow-up appointment with my hot, Bow-flexing doctor. He was so incredibly sweet, he sat down and talked to me before he started. He said, "Don't worry. You aren't going to get cancer, you're going to be able to have tons of kids, and you'll be just fine." I just love that man.

I had a colposcopy and he ended up doing a biopsy as well. He said the questionable area was very small, so small that he might have even gotten it all when he did the biopsy. And the biopsy wasn't even that painful - after the nurse told me it felt like getting your ears pierced (ummm, in your vajayjay?!), I was scared of course. But it wasn't bad at all. In any event, I should know the results in 7-10 days!

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL Tuesday.

Check out Lesley's Awesome Giveaway!

Today I am thankful for:

- Short, afternoon summer rainstorms

- Reassuring doctors

- Quiet evenings at home

Breakfast Take 1 and Key Lime Pie

2009-07-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

So this morning I did something TOTALLY out of the norm for me - I had a "hearty" breakfast rather than my usual "sweet" breakfast. I cooked an egg and paired it with a slice of Provolone cheese + some avocado.

The verdict? This was pretty good! I should've added some hummus, though, because it was a little lackin' in the flavah department for me.

Did it keep me full? Uh...big fat NO. I ate my breakfast around 8:30 and my belly was rumbling around 9 already. Seriously, what is my deal??? I had a handful of almonds, but even that didn't tide me over. I had a banana around 9:45 and ended up eating lunch around 12:30. Sigh....better luck tomorrow.

So my girl friends, sisters and I get together every Monday night to watch "The Bachelor" (I know...I know). Usually we rotate bringing things and I get a little nervous because 4 of the girls don't really eat healthy foods, and some are struggling to lose baby weight so it's always a sensitive issue. (AKA - I don't want to be called out for being the only healthy eater).

Anywho, I wanted to bring something healthy without it screaming RABBIT FOOD. And of course I always have a hankering for some Key Lime in my life. One of the best desserts I've ever had was Key Lime Pie on a stick that I had in Key West. I can't think of it without my mouth watering! I looked into getting a box shipped to Indiana - just can't justify $150, though.

I found this recipe for Key Lime Pie and gave it a whirl. The only other KLP I've made before has been the "no bake" kind...felt kind of weird sticking this in the oven?

Before Cool Whip....
After Cool Whip....

I only tasted the filling so far (what friend am I if I don't sample what I bring??) but OH my gosh. So, so good!

What's your favorite kind of pie? Mine would probably be Key Lime or Peanut Butter. Mmmmm! With Apple and Pumpkin falling right behind in 2nd place.

Don't forget to check out MegaNerd Run's Chobani giveaway!!

Today I am thankful for:

- The Bachelorette finale! (Think she's gonna choose Ed but I wish Reid....SUCH a cutie).

- Hanging out with my sistahs

- Sunny Mondays

Michigan Part 2

2009-07-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Indoor water parks are the COOLEST!

Avalanche Bay was right down the street from our condo. It worked out perfectly that it rained on Wednesday, so we took the kiddos and headed there for half the day.

Aren't lazy rivers the best? I want one surrounding my mansion when I grow up. ;-)

Reese was my little buddy for a little bit.

Uh...Ryan? Tryin' to cop a feel?! LOL. Ryan is ALL boy. He cried when he couldn't go down the biggest water slides there! Poor guy. He went down the other slides no less than 30 times, I would guess. Such a cutie.
Aunt Holly went down no less than 20 times.

And check out this stud!! They had a little "surfing" area (the only thing I didn't try - NOT a good idea as I trip over my own 2 feet on dry, flat land) and my dad wanted to give it a whirl. Does this look like a guy who had a pacemaker put it a little over a month ago?!

We had SUCH a great time - and I'm so excited that they are building a huge indoor water park literally a mile from my house! You can bet this girl will be the first in line for a season pass.

I stocked up on some new foods this week for brekkie, in the hopes I can find something more FILLING for my tummy. More to come on that this week!

Have a wonderful, beautiful Sunday!

Today I am thankful for:

- Wikihow

- Juicy cantaloupe

- Anything key lime flavored!

I Heart Vacation.

2009-07-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Vacation = heaven. I've decided it doesn't even matter where I am...simply being away from WORK (!) and spending time with the fam (who I get along with - weird, huh?!) is enough for me.

The place we vacationed in Michigan was beautiful! It was not too far from Lake Charlevoix, and the towns there were so cute. Here was the view from behind our place. (It's a ski resort, but you could probably figure that out). ;-)

How FUN would this be in the winter? Except, um, I'm really scared of downhill skiing. I'm more of a Family Hill kinda gal.

So I did pretty well with my food and being active. It was SO tempting as we made a huge trip to the grocery store and, well, LOTS of 100 calorie pack foods, cookies, and ice cream were purchased. NOT that I don't love or eat those foods, I just have no "off" button! So I loaded up on fruits, yogurt, and almonds, and I tried to snack-a-lack on those.

The workout room wasn't all that bad! Teeny teeny tiny, but everything was nice and new. I went everyday for about an hour of weights, abs, and walking on a treadmill (on an incline).

It was kind of neat - they had the ski lift open in the afternoon, so my sisters, brothers-in-law and I all rode to the top of the mountain one evening.Me and my "brave" face. I'm terrified of heights!!

My sister and her hubs are so goofy. I love.
Me and the sistahs.

I also went for a couple of beautiful, gorgy walks. Don'tcha just love walking/running in new places?! Here is the cross country skiing trail that I came upon. I was so excited!

Until I came to this.

I quickly turned around.

Has anyone seen the movie "The Descent"? Scariest. Movie. EVER. It gave me nightmares for the longest time! I know the movie takes place in a cave, but they started OUT in the woods. So I avoid the woods when I'm by myself now. :-)

We also went kayacking....I LOVE kayacking. A great way to get a good arm workout - and the water was so clear!
Hope you all had a great week. Sorry this post is lame - I'm so tired and am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed rather than on a sofa sleeper with my 3 year old nephew. I love that kid, but I love my own bed! I'll post more pics this weekend. :-)

Today I'm thankful for:

- Good books

- Napping in the car (not when driving)

- Reunions with old friends

Vacation Time!

2009-07-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for your happy thoughts/prayers coming my way. It’s kind of reassuring knowing that so many of you have had the same procedure – I’m hoping that the doctor is just being precautious. In funny news, I had a dream about my doctor last night – I have a total crush on him. Kind of weird to have a crush on a guy who gets paid to probe your vajayjay, but you would, too! Go here to see him – yes, that IS him (Dr. Mernitz). He lost 55 pounds on the Bow Flex! LOL. My friend goes to him, too, and randomly found that one day. How funny is that?!

Also, thank you SO MUCH for all of your wonderful breakfast ideas!! I made a list of breakfast foods to try the week I get back from vacation. Now, this will definitely take some extra time in the morning on my part – but it’s worth a shot. I’ll post my breakfasts and let ya know what holds this gal over.

So….vacation time!!!! I can’t even tell you how excited I am. Not necessarily for the vacation (though it will be a blast) – just time away from work! I’m only taken one vacation day this year and I just feel burnt out.

Tomorrow morning our family is headed to Boyne Falls, Michigan until Thursday.

Like the pic? I don’t want to see any of that white stuff for awhile.

I do get a little nervous about vacations because of my workouts and eating – and this will be a little more challenging since I can’t run. Usually I run almost every day on vacation. It’s a great way to see new things and places! This trip I’m planning on taking lots of walks, hitting the weight room a few times (that is supposed to be available, hopefully with some equipment at least from the 90’s), and some “rulking.”

I USUALLY do pretty well on my eats as far as vacations go. There are 11 of us total, 4 under the age of 5. So it’s pretty hard for us to find a restaurant that can ~~put up with my noisy fam~~accommodate all of us. We make our own meals with the exception of maybe one or two meals out. I’m also bringing some of my own goods:

Plus we’re hitting up the grocery the day we get into town, so I’ll stock up may-juhly on some fruits and veggies.

Oh, and I plan to bring this along for the ride, too:

Thanks, Fitz, for the recommendation! This thing HURTS like a mo-fo, or maybe I’m just weak. But the foam roller hurt a lot in the beginning, too, and now it really doesn’t. I’m hoping the Stick is the same.

We have almost eight hours in the car tomorrow...hopefully I'll get some reading done at least (and watch a few DVD's...um, hello, Wentworth Miller AND Robert Pattison?!).

Do you get nervous when you travel because of workouts and eating? How do you plan ahead?

Hopefully we’ll have Wi-Fi there and can post at least once this week. If not, you’ll hear from me Thursday night. Have a great weekend, friends!

Today I am thankful for:

- Cool weather for mowing

- Clean bed sheets that smell amazing

- The Swiffer (gosh I love this thing)

I Can't Get No Satisfaction

2009-07-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

Phew. This morning I got a voicemail from my (girlie) doctor to give him a call about my test results. I called and their office wasn't open for another 20 minutes. Longest. 20 minutes. ever. So apparently my lab results came back abnormal and I have to go in for a colposcopy (better than a colonoscopy, right??). The nurse I spoke to was very reassuring, but of course anything that insinuates a possibility of cancer scares the crap out of anyone. It could be a sign of Dysplasia, which actually my mom and aunts had. Wow, that's a lot to handle at 8:30 a.m.! Hopefully all will be fine...I go back July 28th, so nothing I can do about it until then!

Anywho, I have a problem.

I need new breakfast ideas!! No, I am not sick of oatmeal. I'm going on about 8 months of pretty much having the same breakfast everyday - oatmeal + PB (a spoonful or two) + banana. But it's not filling me up anymore. I eat breakfast around 8:30 or 9, and usually by 10:30 I'm starving. Hangry Holly is not a pretty sight!

This is weird to me, since I haven't been running. I'm strength training 3 days/week and walking or "wulking" 4-5 days a week, but not that far (maybe 2-3 miles at a time). I honestly am a little confused because it doesn't seem like I would need a "huge" breakfast with my activity level? I don't know.

So anyone have any good, filling breakfast ideas? I've never tried protein powder of any kind....maybe that would do the trick? I'm going on vacation next week with the fam, but the week I come back I'm going to try an experiment - a DIFFERENT breakfast everyday. Which is, like, very out of the norm for me! But it might be kinda fun, too. :-)

Check out:

- Kelly's a-freakin'-mazing Nut Butter Giveaway!

Today I am thankful for:

- Moms for reassuring
- Perfect summer mornings
- Sore legs after wulking (the good sore!)

Two Quickies

2009-07-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

I've been getting out of the habit of trying new recipes lately. So....I'm vowing to make at least one newbie a week. I have a stack full of recipes that just are waitin' to be made!

You will never believe this, but I have never made anything using a crock pot/slow cooker. Yes, 'tis true! I actually had to borrow one to make this.

I found this recipe for Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbeque. Sounded easy to me.

As P-Dub would say, the cast of characters (+ the chicken):

I really wanted to HFCS-free stuff, but this was either all my store had or it was SO much more to buy the "good" stuff! Next time, next time....

In the cooker....
All shredded up.

Oh my frickin' goodness! This was so good, and ridiculously easy! I will definitely be making this again. Right after I buy a slow cooker.

82 years ago, I also found this recipe for Campbell's Chicken & Rice Casserole. It, too, sounded quick and easy. And who doesn't like a quickie?

The cast (+ the chicken - so camera shy!):

All baked and ready to go...

This was wonderful, too! I love having veggies with my meal - so this was great, because it was built in for me.

What's your favorite quick and easy recipe?

Check out:

- Run to the Finish's Good Gear Giveaway!

Today I am thankful for:

- Playing at the park with my nieces and nephew

- Oat bran

- TJ's almond butter which I just bought and have yet to try! Still thankful for it, though.

Almond Breeze...Makes Me Feel Fine

2009-07-14T04:16:00.000-07:00

I tried it!

In the mix --> the normal nanner + kale + ice + flax, plus some strawberries....

The verdict?

Very tasty! I have had a recent ~~obsession~~craving for almonds lately, so of course I fell in love. Don't know if I would drink it alone, but it was perfect in my green monster!

Have you tried any alternative milks? Soy? Almond? Rice Dream?

On a side note, thank you so much to all of you for your comments on my last post. Nobody likes to feel alone in the things they think, so it was comforting that many of you feel the same. I have more to say on this topic, for sure. I think for now, I need to focus on what is right for me - not compare myself to others, because my needs are not the same as theirs.

Today I am thankful for:

- Vacation in 5 days!
- The Bachelorette (what will I DO when it's over?!)
- Being close to the restroom at work ;-)

Food Blogging...and Two Cute Photos

2009-07-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to show you two photos because they are too cute.

My niece, Reese, lost her first tooth (she's 5...seems early?!). How cute is she? My other sister (Reese's aunt) took this pic. I'm trying to convince her to start her own photography business~~so I can quit my job and become her personal assistant~~. She's good, right?

So as I was mowing today I noticed a baby bunny run out of my yard. Seriously, it could fit in the palm of your hand!! When I was done mowing I was pulling out weeds around my house and found this nestled against my house:

Do you see it?! It was adorable! I screamed at first, because, well, I wasn't expecting to see something furry right in front of me. It was so sweet, it didn't move. I checked later and it was gone...hopefully Peter C. found his mommy.

Anywho, sometimes I get nervous about posts in which I come clean about something. This is very funny to me because I don't (personally) "know" any of you! If I can't be truthful here, there is a real problem, eh?

Let me preface this by saying I firmly believe that whatever works best for your body, have at it. I know some can't handle dairy, some can't handle tons of protein, some can't handle fruit, and that is okay! I am no way judging others for what/how they eat. Lord knows how many people have judged me for my weird eats. ;-)

I will be honest. I’ve heard other bloggers say the same, but sometimes I don’t know whether or not food blogs are helpful or hurtful to me. I mean, I guess at times they are both. How are they helpful? I love reading about the bloggers who can take in a piece of cake or a cookie and get over it. Life's too short not to eat some cake, right? And also I've gotten some amazing recipes and learned about new foods (hello, almond butter and quinoa!) from these ladies. Not to mention, I've "met" some v. awesome people!

However, I'm sad to say that in the recent months I have struggled with binging/restricting and binging/purging. Not to the point where it is excessive, as it used to be, but still to the point where it concerns me. Especially the purging.

With so many food bloggers leaning towards a more drastic type of clean eating than I am used to seeing, it has left me a bit unsettled. Sometimes I feel bad because I don't eat as "clean" as others. Sure, I don't eat very many processed foods like I used to. But some people don't eat any at all. I know we should never compare ourselves to how others eat (see above), but I would be lying if I said seeing and reading about these people's food choices didn't affect me in a negative way at times.

Do you feel as though food blogs in general are helpful or harmful to you? What is the greatest benefit you get out of reading them - or having your own?

2009-07-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

I got this Meme from Kim and I just love doing these things. No one bothered me at work because I must have had the "concentrating" look on my face! lol

1. I’ve come to realize that my chest-size. . .is not to be taken for granted. I say this because of my numerous friends who've nursed one or several babies. We gotta appreciate the goods now, ladies!

2. I’ve come to realize that my job. . .is sucky. Wait, be positive! Okay - is only a temporary situation that will provide me with financial security when it comes time to pursue my "dream job." (Better?)

3. I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving. . .I zone out. Kind of a lot. Bet you're glad you don't live in Indy!

4. I’ve come to realize that I need. . .something that I can't post here because it's inappropriate. lol - half kidding! I need water. Like, I drink over 100 ounces a day. I literally get cranky when I don't have it! (although I pee much less)

5. I’ve come that realize that I have lost. . .my mind? No, I've lost my patience with people who are constantly complaining about something, but yet refuse to do anything to change the situation.

6. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when. . .people tailgate me. Although not so bad if number 3 (above) is happening.

7. I’ve come to realize that if I’m drunk. . .I have diarrhea of the mouth. If you want to know my secrets, bring me some Jose!

8. I’ve come to realize that money…if in excess, often makes people unhappy, because they are always wanting the next best thing...and they are never satisfied.

9. I’ve come to realize that certain people. . .aren't in my life anymore because they made me feel bad, even though it was hard to cut ties with them. If they make you feel bad, why be friends with them?

10. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always. . .be ultra-sensitive.

11. I’ve come to realize that my sibling(s). . .are my best friends, just like mom said they'd be (darnit, she's right again).

12. I’ve come to realize that my mom…loves to nag only because she loves me.

13. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone. . .needs to be with me at all times.

14. I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning. . .I was SO GLAD it was Friday. 2 days free from work!

15. I’ve come to realize that last night before I went to sleep. . .I was only thinking about sleeping in on Saturday.

16. I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking. . .gosh I love these memes. People think I'm working!

17. I’ve come to realize that my dad. . .is probably the best guy I've ever come across in my life. Ever. And I'm still in awe that I deserve for a man that pure and good to be my father.

18. I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook. . .I giggle when I see the updates of all my SAHM (stay at home mom) friends - whom I respect so much - like, "Jonny pooed in the potty!" and "I'm going to send the girls to juevy if they don't shut up!" Tooootally different than the updates from my single friends.

19. I’ve come to realize that today. . .is awesome because it's Friday.

20. I’ve come to realize that tonight. . .will be chillaxin' time with my sistahs.

21. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow. . .I will get to see my dear grandma, and many members of my family!

22. I’ve come to realize that I really want to. . .find a rewarding, fulfilling job.

23. I’ve come to realize that the person mostly likely to repost this is. . .not sure about this one!

24. I’ve come to realize that life. . .is about how you look at things. The same sucky thing can happen to two different people, yet they can react in complete opposite ways.

25. I’ve come to realize that this weekend. . .is a time for me to re-group and eats LOTS of fruits and veggies.

26. I’ve realized the best music to listen to when I am upset. . .is currently "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine (from the "Twilight" soundtrack). Or Britney Spears in general.

27. I’ve come to realize that my friends. . . might be at different points in their lives than me, but that doesn't mean we can't still be good friends.

28. I’ve come to realize that this year. . .is going to bring about a lot of change!

29. I’ve come to realize that my exes. . .were kind of jerks, but I don't hate 'em. They were fun!

30. I’ve come to realize that maybe I should. . .get back to work?

31. I’ve come to realize that I love. . .my family.

32. I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand. . .why bad things happen to good people. I know everything happens for a reason, but it's just upsetting when something tragic happens to someone very loving and kind.

33. I’ve come to realize my past. . .involved LOTS of mistakes, from which I am still learning everyday.

34. I’ve come to realize that parties. . .are a time to indulge, but not to the point of being sick (that goes for sweets AND, um, beer).

35. I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified. . .of flying. But this won't stop me from doing it...that would mean giving up travel!

36. I’ve come to realize that my life. . .is unpredictable. And I kinda like that. :-)

Today I am thankful for:

- Ice packs
- Fresh strawberries
- Friendly faces at the gym who know my name

Irony or Coincidence?

2009-07-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

I had a ~~smart-ass~~pretty intelligent boyfriend in college who would get PISSED when people interchanged the words "irony" and "coincidence." Like, "Oh, that's ironic - we were just talking about you!" Well, technically that's a "coincidence." Anyway, it makes me super paranoid about using the word "irony" now.

So when we last left off I was telling you about my new inserts that my PT recommended ($40 from Amazon).

This morning I went in to see my ortho doctor. Upon telling him that my knee, in fact, is not 100% (I would say it's 70% better?), he mentioned the "s" word - surgery. "Is it bad enough to warrant surgery?" he asked. Um, NO! I would say the pain (on the pain scale: 1 being nothing and 10 being near death) is only a 1.5 - 2. I know that seems like nothing, it's just that it aches all day long sometimes. That is more my concern - not the pain itself.

Anyway, he looked at my feet after I mentioned that I supinate more on the left foot. What did he suggest?

Custom orthotics.

So would this be ironic or a coincidence since I was just talking about new inserts? Hmmm. C'mon, you English majors!

Anyway, I'm off to get fitted for one on Monday. Anyone want some inserts for their shoes? Size 9.5 -10.5?

At first I panicked because of the price ($216!), but then I told myself I am willing to try anything to fix this. Plus, it costs me that much just to see my doctor! (My deductible is $2500. For those of you on your parents' insurance plans - STAY there as long as you can! lol). So we'll see if this helps to fix things. In the mean time, I'll continue to do my PT exercises and "ralk," since it doesn't seem to have an effect on the pain.

In the mean time, I have a post coming this weekend that I'm a bit nervous about putting out there. But it's something I'm anxious to get your opinion on, so I promise I won't chicken out. :-)

Today I am thankful for:

- The smell when it first starts to rain (before it smells wormy!)

- Spending time with my nieces, Grace and Clare

- Classical Music (maybe it's dorky, but it kinda relaxes me) ;-)

Good for the Sole

2009-07-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

My physical therapist (also a runner) suggested I try Sole Softec Inserts to help with my knee problem.

Interestingly, I checked my running shoes and found something weird. I supinate (my foot rolls out) noticeably more on my left foot than my right. And it's my left knee that is giving me trouble. Surely there is a connection?

Left Foot

Right Foot

It's hard to tell from the pics, but I only ran in these shoes for about 5 weeks before my half-marathon (and during). I'm going to the doctor tomorrow, and I'm anxious to see what he says about this.

Anyway, back to the inserts. Kind of weird, but first you pop 'em in the oven....

...then you put them in your shoes and stand for about 2 minutes (it's supposed to "mold" around your foot).

We'll see if they help! I've been "ralking" (run/walking) 3 times a week, and my knee doesn't bother me hardly at all when I run. I just wish it wouldn't ache during the day! I'll let you know what the doc says tomorrow. :-)

Do you pronate or supinate if you run? Have you ever tried inserts or orthotics?

I am thankful for:

- Hydrangeas

- Space heaters

- My close friendship with my sister, Kristy

Check out:

Missy's E-Cloth Giveaway!

Special K's MacroLife Bar Giveaway!

When Hard Work Pays Off

2009-07-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to admit that strength training does not come easily to me. Maybe it's not that it doesn't come easy, but that I have never really enjoyed it. I have to actually give myself pep talks when I go to the gym to lift, something I've never had to do with running.

With my recent knee injury, I've gotten into the routine of doing 3 days a week of strength training. This is probably the first time in my life I've ever been consistent with strength training. Sure, I used to try and lift once or twice a week, but if I skipped it? No biggie.

WELL, let me just tell you - and please sit down - I'm actually starting to enjoy it. I don't know if it's the whole act of it that I enjoy, but I can't tell you how great it feels when I'm finished. Kind of like a long run. Except for the FIRST time in my life, I feel strong.

I've always been the girl with string bean arms who gets teased (lovingly?) for being weak. I've also always envied women who have real strength. In fact, as I watched Serena and Venus Williams battle it out on the court this weekend, I thought - they could seriously kick most guys' asses. That's awesome!

I've slowly increased my weights and the pounds I'm lifting over the past couple of months, and can definitely tell a difference physically. But this weekend, I also had solid proof of my hard work!

Long story short, I bought a TV stand off of Craig's list. I went to get it and the guy wasn't there. Um....wtf?! It was at a storage place, and I tried the door and it actually opened. I only had my parent's van for an hour, so I knew I had to buck it up and do the damn thang.

Well, it took about 15 minutes, but I managed to lift the stand into the back of the van. All by myself! (Look, mom - no hands!) The guy pulled up just as I was leaving (of course) and said, "hmmm, you lifted that in there yourself?" I told him yes, and he said, "well, I'm impressed!" It made me feel so good to know that I'm not that weak girl with string bean arms anymore!

(Yes, I am a wee tad bit obsessed with "Twilight".)

I hope that doesn't come off braggy, but it just goes to show you that you can really surprise yourself in terms of what you can accomplish. I hear runners ALL the time say, "I couldn't even run a mile __ years ago!" Or I hear people say things like, "I was forced to swim when I was injured, now I love it!" (Sadly, I wish that was me.) Me? I was the girl who thought she'd never be strong.

What about you? How have you surprised yourself with your achievements?

Today I am thankful for:

- red, seedless grapes

- flats being in style

- driving with the car windows rolled down

Takin' Shots and Chewin' the Fat

2009-07-03T04:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you all SO much for your advice on being tired! I am ashamed to admit in a moment of haste, I picked this sucker up at the drug store.

I know, I know.....bad, bad, bad! But I was desperate to try it out. I'm tired of being tired! Okay, I'm done whining.

I chugged half of the bad boy before working out yesterday. The verdict? Might have been a coincidence, but I was fully charged throughout my workout!! I will say "7 hours" is deceiving, as I crashed about 5 hours after drinking the stuff. But, I'll take it. Don't worry - I'm not planning on making a habit out of this, but I just wanted to see if the caffeine helped (and it did!).

I will definitely get caught up on my sleep this weekend (yayyyy!), and I might try playing around with my food, too. Maybe I need more protein? Who knows.

And now, an ode to HEAB.

Up until the past year or two, I was terribly afraid of "fattening" foods. Which is quite funny as now I can't go ONE DAY without peanut butter or almond butter.

Anywho, I've been seeing a lot of avocados 'round the blog world lately. Here are just SOME of the benefits from avocados, taken from here:

One-fifth of a medium avocado, or about one ounce, has 50 calories and contributes nearly 20 beneficial nutrients to the diet.

Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases.

Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 8% folate, 4% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.

Avocados act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

So I thought, why not? This week I added it to my crack wrap...

....and with tofu. Sounds gross but it was very yummy!

I am in love!! This stuff keeps you full, and you don't need very much of it.

I'm SO EXCITED to have today off work! Hopefully I'll be somewhat productive and ~~get a really good tan~~get some yard work done.

Happy (early) Fourth of July to all you Americans! Tomorrow will be filled with good food, friends, and GREAT beer. Be safe and enjoy your holiday...and for the rest of you, enjoy your weekend!

I am thankful for:

- My freedom
- Eating sushi with friends
- Daydreaming about future vacations

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2009-07-02T04:08:00.000-07:00

I am turning into a monkey.

I tend to hoard bananas since I eat ripe ones in my oatmeal every morning and in my smoothies. OBVIOUSLY I have a fear that I will run out, go to the grocery, and they will only have green naners - bleehh! So I stock up at least twice a week to ensure this doesn't happen.

Do you hoard any foods? There are certain foods I canNOT go without and always make sure I have extras - PB (obvi), apples, and greek yogurt (mmmmm).

On a side note, I have been absolutely exhausted lately. We aren't just talking one day a week, but every single morning and afternoon I am just beat. In the evenings a lot of times I get sort of a second wind, but not always. In true Holly fashion, I've already tried to diagnose myself. I'm thinking it might be one of the following reasons:

1. Not getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night (I've been getting between 6 and 6 1/2)

2. Not drinking caffeine everyday (I usually drink it 2-3 times a week)

3. Anemia? Far fetch but my iron levels are sometimes too low to give blood.

4. Pregnancy? hahaha JUST KIDDING.

5. Not sleeping as soundly at night (my neighbor's dog...ugh!)

6. ~~Being kept up by an insanely hot man who won't keep his hands off me~~

Do you ever have periods where you are exhausted and can't wake up?

Today I am thankful for:

- 4th of July falling on the weekend!

- Jeans Days at work - I am easily pleased.

- New CD's/Music!

Amazing (?) Grass

2009-06-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

Since I've been drinking Green Monsters almost everyday, I decided to get on the Amazing Grass bandwagon and give them a whirl. I looked up on their website where the AG products were sold, and amazingly found that they were available at a health food store a few miles from where I work. The only sample they had was one packet of the Green Super Food powder for $1.50. I snatched it up and put it in my GM this weekend.

Hmmmm.

Now, I have to say I added crunchy PB to the mix for the first time. But really, I didn't like it all that much! Not sure if it was the PB or the Amazing Grass powder. I'd be willing to give their other flavors a shot, but maybe not in a GM.

Have you tried any Amazing Grass products? If so, what's your favorite?

A Different Kind of 5-K

2009-06-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

My sister, Kelly, asked me to walk a 5-K with her and her 2 daughters yesterday (her hubby was running in it). The 5-K is part of the Annual Fishers Freedom Festival. Fishers is a cute little "town" in the suburbs about 25 miles from downtown Indianapolis. I really love it here....lots of families and people are always outside doing something. Love that!

I cherish all of the time I have with my nieces and was excited to go to the 5-K, but a part of me really just wanted to be out there running it. I hate that I let my pride get in the way, and really just told myself that life is TOO SHORT and who cares if I can't run in this race? I can still enjoy the time with my nieces and sistah.

My cute carmates - Clare Bear....

...and Gracie Girl.

The Family of Four

Me and the Crew

Clare came armed with her racing gear - Cardinals baseball cap? Check. Snacks for the road? Check. Sippy cup o' milk? Check check and check.

During the race, we passed a lady in a wheelchair - not a racing wheelchair, mind you, but a regular wheelchair. Now, I've never been in a wheelchair before, but I can only imagine how difficult this must be. She kept having to stop and I felt very guilty for hesitating to do the race only because I couldn't run. I'm a true believer in signs, and not to sound preachy, but I do think God put her there to remind me that I need to be thankful I am not more injured than I am.

Today I am thankful for:

- Getting 8 hours of sleep for the first time in weeks!

- Taking a nap yesterday (for one since I had the flu in January...I forgot how much I LOVE them!)

- Green grass

Check out Run to the Finish's Amazing Grass Giveaway!

Me Gusta Enchilasagna

2009-06-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

I grew up having lasagna at least once or twice a month - LOVE it. So when I saw this recipe for Enchilasagna, I had to give it a try.

The layering part is SO much fun for me. Like an art project or something.

As you can see, this feeds an ARMY. Even after my serving, I have enough for the rest of the week! Actually, it's nice because I don't really have time to cook during the week. Or....I am just too tired/lazy when I get home from work. ;-)

What is your favorite Mexican dish? Or do you like Mexican food at all? My tummy can be bothered with it sometimes, but in the end I love a good black bean enchillada!

On a different note, my sisters and I grew up dancing to MJ's music. We even had the "Thriller" RECORD. Rest in peace, Michael. I think I'm going to download some MJ tunes on my iPod now.

Today I am thankful for:

- Nip/Tuck on DVD

- "Magic" knee tape (more to come on that later!)

- Michael Jackson's music.....especially "Thriller." And who can forget that VIDEO??!

Check out Iowa Girl Eat's Real Simple & Pure Bars Giveaway!

Baking With Aunt H

2009-06-24T04:26:00.000-07:00

First, of all - thank you all so much for your comments on my last post! It's like, free therapy, I swear. :-) I'm just a natural worrier, so I tend to muse things over so long and then I really doubt myself. I will keep you all posted on what I decide (or if!) for sure.

This weekend my niece, Reese, spent the night with me. She is my only niece who hasn't stayed over yet at my new house, and she was so excited.

Guess what I got her to try?!

I was making a GM and, with wide eyes she asked, "Can I have some, Aunt Holly?"

After I picked myself off the ground from fainting, I gladly gave her the glass and eagerly awaited her response. This is the girl who only likes macaroni and cheese or PB&J sandwiches!

After a sip I took the glass back, she asked for another sip. And then another!

I was completely flabbergasted, and I loved showing my sister the picture of what she drank at my house. My sister freaked! lol. Then I assured her how TASTY they are (she still didn't totally believe me, but then at a glance they do look scary).

Anyway, after Reese woke me up at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning, I thought....what better thing to do with your fun, cool aunt at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning than bake cookies?!

My friend's birthday was Monday and these are her favorite cookies, so I baked them for her and for my pops (for Father's Day). I grew up making these only at Christmas time. But as I get older I realize that life is too short to only bake your favorite things once a year. Are ya with me?

I also grew up thinking this was my grandma's original recipe. My mom burst that bubble when she told me it's actual the recipe of a neighbor of my grandma. Oh well. I still call 'em grandma's sugar cookies.

Grandma's (Neighbor's) Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine (I used butter)

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

Combine flour, soda and salt in small bowl and set aside. Cream together sugar, margarine and egg. Add in vanilla and sour cream. Pour half of flour mixture and beat together. Pour in other half and beat. Roll out dough with rolling pin and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Let cool and frost away!

In order to prevent snacking on the dough, I had one of these bad boys. Don't hate. The trick worked!

However I wish I could say the same for my lovely assistant.

She begged me to "test" the dough, and who am I to say no?

Fresh out of the oven....

Mmmm mmmmm good!

Today I am thankful for:

- Feeling sore from lifting yesterday (I'm gettin' stronger!)

- My sister who helped me hang pictures in my bedroom (I've only lived here....8 months)

- Ice, cold water

Check out Missy's Amazing Grass Giveaway!

What to Do...

2009-06-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

I am not a risk taker.

I never have been, and probably never will be. And I am okay with that. I like my feet on the ground, I like to know tonight what I'm eating for breakfast in the morning, and I like to follow the beaten path.

I am also one of the most indecisive people I know.

But, I am also very unhappy in my job.

Don't get me wrong...it's a "great" job in terms of stability, the people I've met, and it pays the bills. It's even made it possible for me to buy a home last fall. But at then end of the day, it's a JOB. Not a career; not something I have any passion for whatsoever.

I've thought about a million different things to pursue: returning to teaching, finding another office job at a non-profit agency, personal training, etc. Unfortunately, as a new homeowner I know have to think realistically about finding a career that will, um, help me keep my house. (I don't want Freddie and Fannie gettin' their hands on my home!)

There IS one common tie to the careers I keep thinking about: they all involve helping people in some way. I know that sounds incredibly cheesy, but that's the "teacher" in me. That's the nurturing side. The one career that I keep debating in my head would be one that will help me keep my house AND help people. I've been thinking about becoming a nurse!

The scary shiz is that I would have to quit my job for 2 years to complete the nursing program. This means: (GULP) loans. I am very blessed in that my parents paid for my undergraduate education, and other than my mortgage, I don't have a current loan of any type. I am TERRIFIED of taking out a loan, especially because I'm not 100% convinced that I want to be a nurse. I love the field of health, helping others, the flexibility of nursing schedules, and the great benefits that come along with the job....but it's scary because I'm not 100% certain. But are we ever certain when we do something outside of the norm?

One day I feel like I could conquer the world, and I am 100% for quitting my job and pursuing my nursing degree.

The very next day I feel like I would be WAY too stressed to undertake something like this.

I just wish someone would tell me what to do! lol. That's always been my answer/response to things: "Just tell me what to do." Like I said....Ms. Indecisive, comin' at ya.

Are you currently happy in your job/career? If you're not working, do you have a career in mind that you think might suit you best?

Check out Missy's Amazing Grass Giveaway!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

2009-06-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I ain't Oprah, but a girl has her favorite things....right?

Well, this quiche is one of my favorite recipes - very quick and easy, and again...this girl LOVES her eggs and cheese!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsn buttah
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 oz. cottage cheese
2 cups shredded low-fat cheese (I use Colby/Monterey Jack)
6 egg whites
4 eggs
1 small can diced chiles
1/3 cup flour
salt
pie crust (optional)

Makes 2 quiches (6 slices per quiche)

Approx. 265 calories per slice
(*the nutritional information accounts for the pie crust)

Cook onion and butter in small skillet. When fragrant, add in garlic cloves and cook on medium-low heat for 2 minutes. In large mixing bowl, add in all ingredients minus two egg whites. Mix together, and add in onion/garlic mixture. In smaller bowl, whisk two egg whites together until stiff peaks form and slowly fold into cheese mixture. Poor mixture into two separate pans. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let stand for at least 5 minutes.

I've made both quiches and frozen one of them, and it keeps very well. Crust gets a leeeettle soggy, so this time I made one without the crust - perfect!

What are some of your favorite recipes/things to make? I like things that are quick, easy, and have a (relatively) short ingredients list. ;-)

I am thankful for:

- Having part-time jobs to earn spending money! (should be SAVING money, lol)

- The Twilight Soundtrack, especially the song "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine....SO GOOD

- Melty peanut butter (is there any other way to have it?)

Check Out Lucky Taste Buds Awesome, Awesome Giveaway!

I Love Betty

2009-06-18T05:50:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night my guy friend and I were hanging out, and we (okay, I) had a MAD craving for something sweet.

I try not to keep trigger foods in the house (ice cream, chocolate, candy, etc.) – this is KEY in preventing binges for me. I hope to get to the point one day where I can have those things around…I’m just not there yet.

The one thing I DID have was brownie mix, which I keep on hand in case I ever have to bake something up quickly for a pitch-in or something. So, we decided to whip us up some brownies (FYI: They are the Betty Crocker “Dark Chocolate” kind – SO GOOD!).

I read on Melissa’s blog what one of the infamous New Jersey Housewives was quoted as saying: “I could be hit by a bus tomorrow, and I’d be wishing I ate that freaking piece of cheesecake before I saw that bus coming.” I really tell myself pretty much the same thing – although for me, it’d be cookie dough and ice cream over cheesecake. Life is too dang short not to have those brownies every now and then.

After fighting over the middle pieces (both our favorite) I had 2 brownies and my mouth REALLY wanted more. To be quite honest, I really wanted to eat the whole frickin’ pan. :-) But I stopped myself. I was full; not STUFFED, just full and satisfied.

Next time I might eat that whole pan, but for right now I’m pretty proud that I stopped after 2.

What about you? Are you easily able to stop after just one or two of a certain “treat?” Or do you just normally choose to avoid them all together?

I am thankful for:

- Wicked! (I saw it last night for the first time - very good and FUNNY!)
- Good hair days
- A possible change in career? (more to come on that soon!)

And the Thunder Rolls

2009-06-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

...and by "thunder," I mean my stomach.

I've really been working on intuitive eating lately, fueled (hahaha) mostly by me being sidelined with running. When I was running, I let my mouth get a little out of control with the eating at times. I was still able to maintain my weight because of the calories that running requires, but it still hasn't been good in teaching me to eat only when hungry.

As defined by Wikipedia, intuitive eating is "a nutrition philosophy on the premise that becoming more attuned to the body's natural hunger signals is a more effective way to attain a healthy weight; rather than keeping track of the amounts of energy and fats in foods or satiety levels. It's a process that is intended to create a healthy relationship with food, mind, and body."

This is so sad to say, but I don't know if I have ever only eaten when hungry. Maybe when I was a kid? Even then, at a young age I ate sleeves of cookies (hellllooooo Oreos!) or 3 bowls of cereal as a "snack."

I've always been a routine person, and I take comfort in eating at certain times of the day. I'm still keeping those times (loosely), but at the end of the night (when I'm most likely to binge), for the most part I'm doing really well with listening to my hunger cues. The other night at my sisters I had a small bowl of ice cream, and when I got home my mouth wanted a lil' somethin' somethin'. But I wasn't hungry, so I had a few grapes and a glass of water.

(A lot of the times, when I think I'm hungry I'm really just thirsty (I think). Grapes are perfect at night for me because they quench my thirst AND are very yummy.)

I'm trying to train myself to listen to my stomach growling and really eat only when I'm hungry (it sounds so obvious typed out...duh, Holly!). My question is this: When your stomach growls, do you always listen? Do you let yourself get to this point, or do you prefer to graze and avoid "the thunder?"

I am thankful for:
- Peach Iced Tea
- Air conditioning
- Being able to finally do "real" pushups!

Monster Morning

2009-06-15T04:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend I decided to try something different for breakfast instead of the normal oats. We keep our house at 74 degrees (which I looooove), but it gets a little toasty in my bedroom at night. So I wanted something cool and refreshing in the morning. Immediately I knew I wanted to try a green monster! I have them for "snacks" almost everyday, but I was anxious to see how this filled me up for brekkie (I had lots of yard work to do - wahoo!). I added almond butter for the first time, hoping that would help.

In the mix:

Handful (or two) of kale leaves
1/3 cup vanilla non-fat yogurt
1 banana
4 or 5 strawberries
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 1/2 tablespoons almond butter
handful of ice cubes

You caught me! I've always been a bowl/beater (and I guess now blender?) licker. I want to get every last drop of this stuff!!

(It actually made more than this glass...but I took a big ole' gulp before snapping this picture).

The almond butter made it so smooth and creamy!! More like a "milkshake" consistency than "slushie." I couldn't really taste the almond butter, but it made a definite difference in texture.

How did it hold me over?

Pretty well, I'd say! I was hungry about 3-4 hours later, which is about how I am with my oats in the morning.

I wish I could make these more often for breakfast, but I have to say I missed "eating" something. I tend to gulp the GMs down so quickly, but oats take me awhile and I like that.

Do you always eat the same breakfast? Do you ever have smoothies/GMs for meals?

Edited to add:

Today I am thankful for:

- Tofu.
- Hanging out with my girls tonight.
- Not a lot of traffic coming into work!

Confessional: Reaching a Goal

2009-06-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever reached a goal, and not known what to do with yourself once you're there?

I remember the day of my sister's wedding very vividly. She was the perfect, most beautiful bride. SO incredibly happy with her new husband (FYI - their 8th anniversary is Tuesday and they still act like newlyweds....LOVE that) and beaming with radiance.

My sistah - she was just a baby!

I was confused, then, after the wedding was over when I saw her crying. I asked her why, was something wrong? "No....not at all. Everything is absolutely perfect. It's just that I've dreamed of this day my whole life and now that it's over....well, I'm kind of sad, I guess," she replied.

This has always stuck with me. I think sometimes when we've reached a goal, or an event that we've looked forward to is finally coming to an end, we (and by "we" I mean "me") don't know what to do next.

I spent my late teens and early 20's being unhappy with my body and weight. I always compared my current weight at the time to when I was grossly thin, and I was never happy. When I couldn't exercise from the fall of 2007 to the fall of 2008, I gained about 15 pounds. During that year I was even more unhappy with my weight - it's hard for anyone to lose weight, but without exercise? Twice as hard (IMO).

I've worked hard in the last 8 months to lose the 15 pounds. With the combination of eating healthy and working out, I've successfully lost the weight and kept it off for about 6 months. But sometimes, just sometimes, I find myself not knowing what to do next.

It sounds CRAZY, I know. I honestly have never been more happy with my body and weight than I am now, but that creepy little voice in the back of my head sometimes tells me maybe it's not enough. Maybe I should lose more. I try really, really hard to ignore that voice - but it's difficult as that's what I've been telling myself for more than 10 years!

I sometimes wonder if those "skeletons in my closet" will ever go away completely. My thinking is about 80% more "healthy" than it ever was in the throes of my ED - but that nagging 20% hangs on and creeps up sometimes.

Like all things in life, I'm hoping the more I practice my healthy way of thinking about food (I NEVER would have touched PB 5 years ago!), the more of a habit it will be. And maybe, HOPEFULLY, I will silence that little nagging voice forever.

Have you ever reached a goal and not known what to do with yourself once it's met? Did you set a different goal, or focus on being happy in the moment?

Three Things I'm Thankful For Today:

- I'm finally getting my car fixed! So it'll look good as new (hopefully).
- "The Hangover." SO, SO funny.
- Sleeping in.

Your Prayers Worked - and I Can Cook?

2009-06-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

The surgery went well yesterday and my dad is doing great! Thanks so much for all of your prayers/happy thoughts. I went to visit him last night and he was in great spirits...cracking jokes for the nurses and everything. I also threw some trash on his tray so he wouldn't feel like he was missing out on trashrunning.

I've always been amazed by people who can come up with their own recipes. How do they know what to use? And how much? And how do they know it will taste well together? I've never considered myself a good cook because I don't feel comfortable wingin' it. But last night I did! Kind of.

I used Caitlin's Turkey Bacon Egg White Mini Quiche Recipe as *inspiration*, lol. Except...I didn't have turkey. Or bacon. So I opened my fridge and pulled out random things I love.

- 1 egg and 3 egg whites

- 1/2 cup cottage cheese

- 1/4 cup monterey/cheddar cheese (shredded)

- approx. 1 tablespoon chopped onion (I had some leftover)

- 1 tspn. minced garlic

- salt & peppah to taste

- 1/4 cup chopped brocoli

Just mix it all up, pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and....

voila!

These were SO good. I basically love anything with cheese and eggs, though. You just can't go wrong there...right?

Have you ever cooked without a set recipe? More of a recipe gal/guy?

TGIF!!! I think the roomie and I are going to see "The Hangover" this weekend. It's supposed to be hil-freakin'-larious!

The Secret

2009-06-11T05:02:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading "The Secret." I've only had the book from my friend for the past 3 months! Has anyone else read it?

Basically it talks about how positive thoughts and affirmations have a dramatic effect on our lives. It's all about the Law of Attraction. For example, if you are constantly focused on things you DON'T want to happen to you, those things will happen. And vice versa.

I'm not sure I buy into all of it (especially because I don't believe material things make anyone happy, and a portion of the book talks about how it is possible to obtain "things" by willing them), but I love how it focuses on optimism. I've always considered myself to be somewhat of an optimist, but this gets clouded by all of my worries and anxieties.

A perfect example of this is all of my running injuries. I get soooooo stressed at every ache and pain, that I'm almost afraid to walk and feel pain somewhere (like right now...my knee). I do wonder if I focus on my knee (or whatever) getting better instead of worrying about it getting worse - will that really help?

Along the same lines, I've seen and heard that it's helpful for everyone to remind themselves everyday of things they are thankful for in their lives. I remember hearing this on Oprah yeeeeeears ago - pre-Dr. Phil days even! I think it's a wonderful idea, yet I've never actually tried it. So here goes....

Three Things I am Thankful For Today:

- Thursdays...they are my favorite day of the week!
- Getting to leave work an hour early today
- All of the rain we got yesterday and are getting today that helps my flowers outside look so darn pretty

What are you thankful for today? Do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?

**Please say a prayer or send good thoughts for my dad today. He's having surgery to have a pacemaker put in. Basically his heart rate is extremely low - in the 30's! I always thought this was a good thing (I have a low HR, too), but the pacemaker will allow his heart to work more efficiently and give him more energy. He's just excited he'll be able to run afterwards and continue trashrunning. :-)

Walkin' on an Incline...

2009-06-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

*to the song of "Workin' on a Gold Mine*

I've been racking my brain trying to think of exercises I can do that won't make my knee worse, but will also work up a sweat. I've been swimming, doing the rowing machine, walking, and using the elliptical, then the other day it hit me: why not try walking on the dreadmill on an INCLINE?

I remember reading about how Angela from Oh She Glows was coming back from her injury, and she really focused on treadmill walking on an incline. Let me just tell you....it is INTENSE!

I walked last night for 1.5 miles at a 4.0 mph pace, switching between 8% and 10% incline. YOWSA! I was SOAKED when I was finished...and my knee didn't hurt one bit!

I also found this article that describes the benefits of walking on an incline, some of which are:

- It challenges the cardiovascular system without requiring speed; ideal for people either not in the mood for speed workouts, or people who cannot ambulate swiftly due to orthopedic conditions.

- Because an incline challenges the heart at a slower walking pace, this means less impact on knees and hips.

- The slow nature is good for people either just getting back into exercise after injury, or for people new to exercise who don’t want to pull a muscle at faster speeds.

- Provides a stretch to the calves and Achilles tendons

- A great alternative for people suffering from heel pain (plantar fasciitis) because of the minimized heel-strike impact, and the stretching of the foot with each step

According to Spark People, I also burn 274 calories if walking at a 4.0 mph pace on a 10% incline for 30 minutes. This seems high to me, but I know after my heart was pumpin' last night that it "ain't no joke!" (as dear Jillian would say).

Have you ever walked on the dreadmill on an incline? Or tried an exercise/workout that was VERY intense...when you thought it wasn't?

Clean Eating Challenge

2009-06-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Heather at Hangry Pants is doing a Cleaner Life Month Challenge, and it's got me thinking about how I can clean up my life/eating. I've decided to start my own challenge, but of course I tweaked it just a little bit. :-)

A big part of my problem is that eating processed foods (cereal, bars, ice cream) can lead to binges, and I find that they aren't as "filling" as other options (like nuts and nut butters). So my challenge is similar to my ELC (Eat Less Crap) week. I am going to snack on only fruits, veggies, dairy (LOVE my greek yogurt!) and nuts/nut butters. I've actually done this the past 2 days, and it's amazing how "clean" I feel. Plus, who doesn't want to eat yummy fruit during the summer time?!

When I tend to eat processed foods, it actually makes my mouth want more. I've definitely learned that eating sugar leads to eating more sugar (for me)! What's interesting is that after a few days of avoiding these foods, I don't really find myself craving them all that much.

Do you eat a lot of processed foods? I have to admit, I LOVE the Weight Watcher "Cookie" Ice Cream bars....they are heaven on a stick! And I can't get enough cereal.

Let's Talk Trash

2009-06-08T05:51:00.001-07:00

We call him the Trashrunner.

I know so many children say this, but I truly have the best dad in the whole, big, wide world. He is one of those guys who puts money in people's expired parking meters, always thanks fans of visiting teams at Colts games (they always think he's being sarcastic - he's so not!), will pay for people anonymously if waiting in line somewhere, and he does so without ever wanting to be thanked or called out. In fact, he doesn't like the recognition at all...he says it "ain't no thang" (my paraphrasing).

In addition to the numerous things he does, he's also been a runner for almost 40 years. He's completed 14 half marathons and one full marathon (at age 50 - he totally rocks!). What's interesting is that he's not like most runners, who are constantly striving to improve their time or lengthen their distance. What makes a "good run" as defined by my dad is how many bags of trash he can collect.

He was recently recognized in this article in a local newsletter/publication. He says this week he's been stopped by so many people, thanking him and acknowledging him for the work he does for our community. His response to everyone? "Slow news week!"

My dad doesn't run for his weight, looks, or to keep that farmer's tan going. He runs because he can do something positive for his health AND clean up the community to boot. He is truly inspiring me ALL THE TIME, and you will never, ever catch this girl throwing trash out of her car window.

Who are the people you look to as examples in your life? Do you know any trashrunners? If you have lots of trash in your area, don't tell my dad...he'll be on the next flight there.

Blame it on the Alcohol

2009-06-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

I might have had a little too much fun on my birthday....I woke up at ten in the morning and have to be at work by eight! Hmmmm. THANKfully my boss was very understanding. How old am I again??!

I had a little help from my nieces and nephew blowing out the candles on my cake. They were glad to volunteer as they knew they would get paid with cake. I had not one, but TWO pieces of this yummy stuff! And some Edy's "Take the Cake" ice cream (mmmmmmm). No guilt here! I remember birthdays when I didn't even eat cake because of the guilt. No way to live, I tell ya!

Me and my fellow Geminis! My neighbor, Doug, was born on the same day as me. How cool is that?!

Take One....

Take Two....

Success!!

Blame it on the 'tron....
Classy.
Dancin'! I just love to dance.
I had such an amazing birthday. Thank you so much for the b-day wishes!

Go Shawty...

2009-06-04T05:14:00.000-07:00

...it's my birthday! I'm gonna party like it's my birthday...

The big 2-9! I have a feeling I will be 29 on my birthday for the next, oh, 10 years or so. :-)

Not that 29 is old (!), but I don't feel 29. I feel more...21, maybe 22? Maybe 22 since I am a wee bit better at controlling my alcohol.

Just for shits and giggles, here is a throwback to 1986. Don't you love my Dorothy Hamill haircut?! THANKS, mom. I'm on the far right, and those are my two sisters.

And here we are, with slightly better hair, in 2008.

I just love birthdays...I know so many women dread getting older, but like my dad says - birthdays sure beat the alternative. :-)

Hope you all have a wonderful June 4th! I'll have some cake for ya. Maybe even 2 pieces.

Patella WHAT?!

2009-06-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

Patella Femoral Mal alignment. Basically? My knee cap done got crooked.

The X-ray below isn't mine, but it's pretty much exactly what the X-ray of my left knee looked like.

I guess it's not supposed to look like that. :-)

I went to my orthopedic surgeon last Thursday, and one of the first questions he asked was, "Have you been doing any squats or lunges lately?"

Gulp.

Jillian Michaels, anyone? That evil bitch! lol

Truth be told, I have never really done squats or lunges before the 30-Day Shred. I'm not saying my running technique or muscle imbalance hasn't played a role in my knee trouble, but I do think the squats and lunges gotta go! At least for now.

He also gave me a prescription for physical therapy, which I had been hoping for. I went yesterday and my PT is SO, so nice! I explained to her my $$/insurance situation (LSS: my insurance sucks and I'd have to pay out of pocket for PT appts., so I can only go to her 2 or 3 times) and she was very understanding. She said I could even just phone in my symptoms and explain to me things over the phone!

My doctor says it's okay to run (if I "take it easy"), so I've been "ralking" (run/walking). But I'm not sure how comfortable I feel running if my knee feels achy. It's not a pain, just a general achiness. Do any of you run with achy knees?

I'm continuing to swim, do yoga, bike, and strength train. I'm really trying so hard to avoid weight gain during my last (year long!) running hiatus. I haven't weighed myself in almost 3 weeks, right before my last run. The curiosity got the best of me things this morning and I stepped on the scale (grrrr). I gained nothing at all! I am the exact SAME weight as I was before my last run.

So I'm trying to take this with me that I don't need running to maintain my weight and "control" my eating. Sure, it is HARDER for me (especially mentally), but this reaffirms the fact that it is just about moving and sweating. And eating less crap...which I'm trying to do during the week at least.

It's just so interesting how our bodies surprise us....how we tend to think (or maybe it's just me) things that simply aren't true. Like, "Oh, that cookie will spoil my whole day," OR, "If I can't run, why bother working out?" I am working to change all those silly ways of thinking. Progress, at least!

June is Busting Out All Over

2009-06-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you so, so much for all of your kind words regarding the death of my grandpa. He was truly such a special person....a "man of few words," but we all listened when he spoke. Saying he'll be missed is a huge understatement, but I know he is happy and at peace now. And I *might* even cheer on the Cubbies in his honor this year. :-)

(Side note: My dad has been a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan since birth as he was named after Stan Musial...so naturally my sisters and I are huge Cards fans, as well. My grandpa is a huge Cubs fan, and there was always humorous banter at family gatherings surrounding the rivalry.

At the funeral, my dad was the last one to speak. After the lovely things he had to say about my grandpa, he said, "Now I'm going to do something you've NEVER seen me do before."

And he went and grabbed my grandpa's Cubs hat and put it on.

My dad asked that everyone stand, and in honor of my grandpa (a lover of all things baseball AND music), sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." I don't think I've ever sang this song through tears before, but I know my grandpa would truly have loved this. Especially my dad wearing a Cubs hat. Why didn't we get a picture of that?!)

Anyway....so it's been a rough week for obvious reasons, but also I've been very reflective of what I want to do next in life. And, no, I don't mean what race I will run next (although I'm already thinking of that, of course!). This sounds very cheesy, but whenever there is a death that hits close to home, it just really makes you realize how life is too short and we all should spend our time doing things we love.

I am very, very unhappy in my current job. It's boring, it's your typical "office" job, and it's just not me. Sure, it's pretty good money and has allowed me stability to purchase a home - which is wonderful - but I need to be in a career when I'm either a. not in an office and/or b. am helping others and making a difference.

I keep thinking about going into nursing, and I'm looking into an accelerated program (for those who already have a bachelor's degree). There are a few schools I'm looking into and I hope to meet with some advisers soon.

I'm anxious to hear what they have to say, since I know the program is very competitive and this one (*shrinking down in her seat*) didn't attend class all that much in undergrad - smart, huh?! My GPA isn't horrible, but it's not the best - and definitely not what I was capable of achieving. Ugh....why do I like beer so much?! ;-)

Change is so incredibly scary for me....but in a way I know that if I don't get out of my comfortable job now, I'm not sure I ever will.

Here are two pictures taken at my grandparent's 60th Wedding Anniversary celebration in February. I love the first picture because a. the look on my face is hysterical and b. my grandpa was tickling the little ones...he just loved to tickle.

Happy Monday....I LOVE JUNE!!! There is a very important birthday this week (ahem). ;-)

A Loss

2009-05-25T10:49:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, my wonderful and amazing grandpa passed away. He had been battling for awhile, and while this doesn't make it any easier, I am so glad he is at peace and resting now.

Here is my grandparent's wedding photo - a handsome guy, I tell you!!!!!

And the photo above was just taken in February as my grandparents celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary.

It all doesn't feel very real right now as they live a few hours away and I won't be able to make it up there until the calling and funeral (tomorrow and Wednesday). I'm anxious to see and spend time with my family...deaths always remind us of how precious life is and how silly I feel spending my time worrying about eating/weight/exercise.

I hope you're all enjoying your Memorial Day weekend with loved ones. :-)

ELC Challenge: Day 3

2009-05-23T05:12:00.000-07:00

Food Blogging is kind of a lot of work - phew! (And I don't even take good pictures...I am just lazy).

I forgot to take a picture of my b-fast yesterday morning, but refer to days 1 and 2 and copy that picture of oats + PB + banana. :-)

For lunch, I had leftover tofu. I am seriously starting to CRAVE this stuff! + a Laughing Cow Wedge. Yeah, might be a weird combo, but I won't apologize...mmmm kay?
For my p.m. snack I had more honey greek yogurt. Sorry for the messiness - it got jumbled around in my car this morning.

I drive too fast, and I can't be trusted.

For dinner I had another crack wrap (serrrrriously addicting) + an orange.
For dessert I had more greek yogurt (I'm almost done with the container!) + strawberries. I also added some Kashi/Nasty cereal....I'm not a fan of it, but I just needed some *crunch*. I know it's not dairy or a fruit/veggie, but it helped my crunchy craving.

Usually when I get cravings, it's not for certain types of foods exactly (except chocolate!) - it's for textures/temperatures. Like, I'll crave something crunchy (so I'll have cereal or nuts), something warm (oats or a "baked apple"), something cold (two words - ICE CREAM!) or something soft (yogurt or a smoothie). Do you have cravings like this? I have to crunch on something every night...I guess it doesn't feel like "real" food otherwise (to me).

I also had an unphotographed bowl of cottage cheese + cinnamon after this. SO GOOD! Again, lazy blogger.

TGIS! Hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday....I'm off to mulch and mow. I know, you're impressed. But I'm calling it my workout for the day. ;-)

ELC Challenge: Day 2

2009-05-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

*Warning: I told you I'm a creature of habit. ;-)

For brekkie yesterday morning I had my trusty oats + nanner + PB/Cinnamon.

They were out of the "Creamy Smart Balance" PB at my grocery store, so I snagged the chunky stuff.

MMMMmmm! One you go chunky, you never go back. (Or something like that). Love!

For lunch I had a Morningstar Chik Patty on an Arnold's Sandwich Thin. Now, I have been doing SO well at eating homecooked meals lately (and leftovers). But Morningstar burgers are my go-to meal when I am short on time. A-freakin'-mazing! Even my roommate loves them - and that says a lot. I also brought a Blueberry Chobani and an orange for a snack.

Dinner has been a little hard this week since I've not been home, but I made an attempt at a crack wrap - an Italian Herb Flat Out Wrap + Roasted Red Pepper Hummus + cheese. OH MY GOODNESS. I need to go by myself some wraps so I can do this at home! I also had some cottage cheese....and some grapes + almonds. (And a handful of almonds that didn't want to be photographed). ;-)

Coming home from swimming I am usually SO HUNGRY. This is weird for me because running usually (temporarily) curbs my hunger. I found this new stuff at the grocery store because I've been craving Greek Yogurt like MAD. It's honey flavored, and OH my goodness! It is so good! I'm glad I found this stuff. I paired it with a nice apple and had a few more almonds for some crunchiness.

*Knee Update: I was all geared up for my doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon, and they told me I went to the wrong office! Grrrr! So disappointing. But I'm still continuing to stretch, ice (3 x's a day now), take ibuprofen and foam roll the heck out of that thing. I rescheduled my appointment so we'll keep our fingers crossed I go to the right office this time. Am I the only one who does stuff like that all the time??!! Anywho, my plan is to not run until I'm 100% pain free...I think that will only do me more harm than good. The good news is that my arms are crazy sore from lifting this week, so maybe there is hope for me yet to get some trace of muscle on these weak arms. ;-)

It's Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wishin', and Hopin'...

2009-05-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

...that THIS were my kitchen. Seriously.

I'm house sitting this week and I REALLY am going to have an extremely difficult time going back to my kitchen. It reminds me of when I was a freshman in college and dreaded going back to my crappy old dorm room after staying at my parent's house for a weekend. BUT you somehow miss the crappy old dorm room...because it's yours. Even though it smelled funny and old (my current kitchen at home does not). ;-_

And the best part (or some might say...worst part?) My parent's house is right next door! So I don't have to worry about becoming a part in some Lifetime Movie drama here.

View from the back window.....ahhhhhh.

I am SO EXCITED for this weekend! I always go with my family to the Indianapolis 500, so I'll do that Sunday. I know it looks crazy boring on TV, but trust me - it is SO MUCH fun! Well, at least the beginning and the end are. Hopefully I'll get some sun (with sunscreen!) this weekend and get to hang with the fam and friends. Are you doing anything fun this weekend? Memorial Day weekend is my favorite weekend of the year - it means a *certain* birthday is not too far away!

Check out Missy's Rudy's Organic Bakery Giveaway!

ELC Challenge: Day 1

2009-05-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

ELC = Eat Less Crap. :-)

This morning I had my standard oats + nanner + PB/cinnamon for brekkie. I went back in for anotha dip of the PB. I really think I would have a serious issue eating oats without nut butter now. I am RUINED!

This is my lunch and snacks for the day – leftover quiche for lunch + strawberries (sooooo good right now!!), and an orange for a p.m. snackie.

Although…my DINNER sounded good to me at lunchtime. So I switched ‘em. For lunch I had:

Caitlin’s Perfect Baked Tofu!!! (Minus the Sesame Seeds) :-(

This was SO, SO, SO good. I seriously might make tofu once a week now. I love it because it’s EASY, CHEAP, and it fills me up.

I eat my lunch and p.m. snack over the course of a couple hours, usually. I don't know why...I think it's because I eat at my desk (so bad) and it gives me something to look forward to (so sad).

For DINNER I had my quiche + some grapes, cottage cheese, and a flat out wrap + cheese. I'm house sitting the rest of the week (more on THAT later) and they have QUITE the selection of produce. Yay! If I were a millionaire, I would get weekly mani/pedis AND a ridiculous amount of fresh produce.

After swimming tonight, I had to tear into some more berries, some yogurt, and raw almond slices. I could seriously eat almonds all. day. Long.

So I did pretty well, and I’m proud of myself for not binging tonight. The knee feels a little better and I thought about canceling my appointment that is scheduled for tomorrow, but I think I will feel so much better after going (mentally). Plus, I’m hoping the money I get house sitting will foot the bill. ;-)

Have a great evening!

Preventative or Paranoid?

2009-05-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

So I made an appointment to see the doctor on Thursday for my knee….it might be a bit premature and I know it’s going to cost me and arm and a knee (hahaha), but it’s just really, REALLY getting me down in the dumps. I just want to be sure I find the root of the problem and don’t end up with a chronic injury.

One thing about when I get injured is that my eating can go out of control. I either restrict or I binge…and I wish I knew how to change that. With my ED history, I really want to get back to exercising so that I am able to control my eating. I WISH my eating weren’t so dependent on being able to workout – especially run. However, it seems to work best for me. One day (because I probably won’t be able to run forever!) hopefully I will get there and be in control without having to run 20-25 miles a week.

During my running break, I’m challenging myself on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to eat only fruits, veggies and dairy as my snacks (what can I say...I get cranky without yogurt, lol). I eat lots of fruits and veggies during the day, but at night I often turn to processed snacks.

I’m doing this NOT to be restrictive, but I remember during my “Crap-Free Week” I didn’t binge because I was so FULL on fruits and veggies. Who wants cereal or a bar when they got a big ole’ belly bloated from veggies, right? I’m going to take pictures of my eats to hold myself accountable, too. I wish I were a more exciting eater so I could take pictures of all of my food all the time, but alas I am a creature of habit. So just be prepared to see the SAME pictures over and over and over…. ;-)

What about you? Do eating healthy and exercise go hand in hand for you? Or have you learned to find one without the other? If so - tell me your secrets!!

These Shoes Weren't Made For Biking...

2009-05-18T04:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the first official training day for my triathlon on August 8th! I am a triathlon virgin, and it's something I've always wanted to do. I pretty much suck at swimming and I'm not the best biker, so it's definitely going to be a challenge.

I've based my training program off of this program that I found. Yesterday called for a 45 minute bike ride, so I blew off the dust of ole' Red and headed on out.

Little Red next to Big Red

It had been a loooong time since I went for a nice, long ride (that's what she said), and here are the things that quickly came to mind as I headed out yesterday morning.

1. Biking is COLD!!! It was about 55 degrees when I started out, which would be perfect for running. I'm just a wuss in the cold, what can I say?

2. Biking hurts your bum! I do have padded biking shorts, but c'mon...I need a little more cushion for my pushin', I guess.

3. Biking is....a little boring! I only say this because I'm used to running with music. And I love my music. Spending 45 straight minutes with just my thoughts is a little scary. lol

4. Biking is hard! I think runners in general (or maybe it is just me) tend to be biased that running is the best or the only way to get your heart rate up and get a good sweat on. Sometimes I will see bikers on the road and think, Pssshhh! How easy! Um....NO. This is not 1988 and this ain't no pink Huffy I'm on.

I've been having knee pain this week, which has made me feel a little bummed and, to be honest, a little depressed. I did my normal hours of research to try and diagnose myself (doctors LOVE it when you do this!) and I think it has something to do with my IT Band. It is sore, too, and I'm off to purchase a foam roller today. I've wanted one for awhile and know they can work wonders.

I am taking the next week off of running, and I'm hoping it will help. It's just so frustrating because running makes me so happy. I just have to keep telling myself that it's not worth it to push myself too hard right now. My knee pain isn't constant, but it's definitely achy - even when sitting all day. I want to make sure I nip this right now before it gets worse.

I'm also going to take a yoga class once a week - I wish I could afford to go more! I think yoga is so key in preventing injuries....plus, it really calms my mind. And who doesn't need that?

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Welcome to 2009, Holly!

2009-05-16T04:53:00.000-07:00

So some VERY exciting news to report - but make sure you are sitting down so you don't pass out as a result of shock, horror, or pity.

I moved into my house in October, and I have been living without the internet. I have it at work (well, except personal e-mail and Facebook), and of course I'm always annoying my friends/family when I go to their houses.

Of course with all of the expenses that come along with being a homeowner (new furnace, whaaaat?), I wanted to wait and buy a laptop in the Spring. I gladly present to you....

my new laptop!

I am SO excited. Hopefully this means I'll be posting more recipes, workouts, all that jazz. I think I might switch to Wordpress, too. Any suggestions from any techies out there/people who have Wordpress? Seriously, I so technologically challenged.

So welcome to 2009, Holly. I now look forward to devoting most of my time to blog reading, Facebook, and reading trashy celebrity sites.

Reason No. 376 I Would Like a Garmin

2009-05-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

May I present to you, my running route one day last week.

I think I might use some of my tax money to get a Garmin Forerunner 305. I've never had a heart rate monitor and, while I love GMaps Pedometer, I'm getting a little tired of mapping out routes to run. Especially when my lists (like the above) get all smeared with water and then become incredibly difficult to read. Looking like a lost tourist while running in place and wearing a water belt is just something I'm not trying to do.

Do you have a heart rate monitor? Do you love it? Hate it?

To THAI For

2009-05-06T04:42:00.000-07:00

So I am obsessed with peanut butter. I also love chicken, therefore it was only a matter of time before I married the two and set them off to enjoy their little newlywedded bliss in my tummy.

One day while hard at work ( read: combing through recipes on allrecipes.com), I found this recipe for Thai Peanut Chicken.

Oh. My. Goodnessgracious.

I did omit the cayenne pepper because, well, I didn't have any and don't really know if I want any. This is such a dumb question that I'm ALMOST embarrassed to ask, but does adding cayenne pepper to things make it really, really spicy?

This was amazing!!! It didn't even need the rice, it was so tasty. HIGHLY recommend if you love PB!

I was tagged by (hilarious) Nicole to list 5 guilty pleasures...only 5? lol. I have many, but here are the top fave (that are appropriate enough to type out while I am at work):

1. Diet Coke (as the blog world shudders, you should know that I am MUCH better than I used to be - only 1 a day! and sometimes 0)

2. Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, House, Desperate Housewives, The Office

3. ICE CREAM! I don't keep it in my house because I have ZERO self control around this stuff. But my favorite without a doubt is Cake Batter with Cookie Dough from Coldstone Creamery. :-)

4. Blog reading, internet surfing, looking up useless knowledge on Wikipedia, and surfing allrecipes.com

5. Extra Sugar Free Gum (Polar Ice) - again, trying to cut back on this stuff, too. But what can I say? I had a lot of teachers in junior high with HORRID breath and who wants to be *that lady*?

Happy Seis De Mayo! :D

Mini-Marathon and Port-a-Potty Parable

2009-05-04T04:36:00.000-07:00

I finished!

The weather turned out to be PERFECT running weather on Saturday - about 50 degrees and cloudy at the start. I woke up, had my go-to long run breakfast (banana + PB + SF Red Bull) and was off.

(Me pre-race. Like the ladder in my bedroom?)

I didn't allow myself enough time and ended up parking about a mile away from the start line. I had to go to the bathroom (of course), but as I was waiting in line for the port-a-potty, I was worried I wouldn't make it to my corral in time. So I decided I would either stop along the way at a port-a-potty, or try and suffer through it.

The race began and I felt great the first few miles. Maybe I can make it the whole way without going to the bathroom, I thought. I was just mad at myself because I made it through one of my full marathons without stopping to use the restroom, and here I had to go at mile 2!

I kept a lookout for the port-a-potties. The first few had long lines, so when I finally found one at mile 5 without a line, I made a mad dash. I went into the 2nd or 3rd one and quickly ran inside (and, of course, tried not to breathe). Of course the door wouldn't latch shut! I wanted to get in and out as quickly as possible because we all know races are won and lost in the pits. lol.

Sorry if this is TMI, but I had to share as this is SO something that would happen to me. I decided to hold the door with my hand and PRAY that no one try to open it. I'm going, and towards the end I think, hmmm, my sock feels kind of wet. WTF? Um, I look down and the lid was closed! So, yes, it was overflowing and landing on my sock. Ew ew ew! Well, I wrapped it up and as I pull up my pants, a guy opens the door on me JUST in time. Phew! But I hightail it out of there because I wanted to die of embarrassment. :-)

Moral of the story? Yes, I was in and out of there in 50 seconds, but next time? Make sure the lid is open!!

I did feel MUCH better after stopping. I was averaging about an 8:15/8:20 pace and felt really great. I really tried not to think about what my projected time would be until around mile 10, when I knew I could come close to matching my PR.

At Mile 11, my watch time said 1:30:xx. I knew this meant I had to bust it out in the last two miles if I wanted to beat my PR. I had a lot of energy left - I was really surprised! Must have been the fact that I wanted to get out of my socks immediately.

At Mile 12, I knew I'd have to get under an 8 minute mile. I didn't want to push myself too hard - I'm scared of speed because of all of my hip trouble. But I sprinted it out, and ended up finishing in 1:46:15! A new PR!

Tears welled up in my eyes as I crossed the finish line - not only because of my new PR, but mainly because I was so thankful to be able to run again. I know I've said that many times before and sound like a broken record, but the year without running for me was so incredibly difficult emotionally. Now I finally feel like myself again when I lace up my shoes and head out to pound the pavement.

I ended up heading down to Louisville for a Kentucky Derby party later that day and whew, I was tired! I wish I had pics, but let's just say I did my part in stimulating the economy through alcohol sales.

Of course yesterday I had to treat myself to one of these bad boys from Dairy Queen.

Be still my heart.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Check out these contests:

The Fitnessista's Sweet Giveaway!
Missy's Kay's Naturals Giveaway!
Ashley's Smoothie King Giveaway!

Setting the Bar Low

2009-04-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

In 2 days I will run my 9th Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. I love running the Mini. It is actually the largest half marathon in the U.S. (I know...in Indiana, can you believe it?!) with over 35,000 runners.

My favorite part of the race is when we get to run the 2 miles around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I grew up going to the race every Memorial Day weekend, so it's exciting to run on the same track that racers like Mario Andretti, Danica Patrick, and many others have driven. (Note, I am not featured in the photo below. I'm pretty sure these guys would have kicked my ass).

I found a website that listed all of my past times, which was kind of fun. Back in '97 and '98, we didn't even chips.....whew, I am old. :-) It's interesting to see how I was "stuck" for 5 years with about the same pace - and this is without a Garmin or really paying much attention to my pace.

1997: 2:21:44
1998: 2:20:31
1999: 1:55:23
2001: 1:55:48
2002: 1:57:15
2003: 1:54:35
2004: 1:54:37
2005: 1:46:37

The first time I ran the Mini I was 16 - a young pup! I made the mistake of under training (note to self: a 7 mile run is NOT long enough when training for a half-marathon), and got a stress fracture as a result. Live and learn!

The last time I ran the Mini I PR'd (is that a verb? I made it one). I'm not expecting to PR this year, since I'm not nearly in the shape I was then. But it made me think about what my goal time will be. Usually for races, and I think with a lot of things I do, I set the bar low. I guess I do this so that I will not disappoint myself if I don't succeed. I remember doing this when I was in school, too. I would HOPE for an A, but expect a B. In my head I always have my ideal goal, but I don't let myself focus on that too much for fear of letting myself down. For example, when I ran my 15-K a few weeks ago, my goal was under 80 minutes. But deep, deep down, I knew I really wanted to get around 75 minutes.

With that said, my "low" goal this year for the Mini is 1:55 and under. My "ideal" goal is 1:50. And I'm going to really try to NOT beat myself up if I don't achieve my ideal goal. After all, this isn't the Olympics, and I ain't no Kara Goucher. :-)

What about you? When you have an event coming up, do you set your bar high? Low? Or do you just sit and drink at it?

Ain't Nothin' Gonna Break My Stride

2009-04-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

This Saturday night, I’m going to a party for one of my friends. The weather is supposed to be perfect, and I’m excited to see my friend and her family. However, my stomach is in knots because a girl I know will be there (actually, I used to be friends with her), and she makes me nervous.

I can’t explain it. I’m such a people pleaser, and I get incredible anxiety if I think someone doesn’t like me or is mad at me. Short story long: this girl (we’ll call her “J”) and I used to be friends, and now she is very condescending and snotty towards me. In short, she makes me feel bad about myself.

I think we’ve all been in this situation (or maybe it’s just melodramatic ole’ me), when we’ve had to go to an event where we know we’ll see someone we don’t necessarily want to see. Weddings are a big one for me – why do so many of my exes insist on being invited to the same weddings as me? lol.

Whenever I’m feeling anxious about a situation such as the party this weekend, or anything really, sometimes my anxiety manifests itself through my eating. I hate that it does, when really I should just take a walk, meditate, or call a friend when feeling stressed. But eating cookie dough is easier. ;-)

I’ve been eating so well the past few months; why should I let the presence of someone else dictate my eating this week? Exactly. It’s a hard habit to break because I’ve been using food as my emotional outlet (under eating/overeating/binging and purging) for years. But I’m challenging myself to NOT let this stress get to me.

How about you? How do you deal with stress and upcoming events? Ever tried to hide from an ex in a conga line at a wedding?

Check out Daily Good's Bob's Red Mill Giveaway!

Down on the (Southaven) Farm

2009-04-22T05:09:00.000-07:00

I was SUPER excited when I won my very first contest and received these last week from the lovely Sara!

There are 5 baking mixes from Southaven Farm. Of COURSE the Cinnamon Baking Mix jumped out at me first.

What I absolutely love about these is that they are SO EASY to make - and they give you suggestions on the back of the mix for 3 various ways to use the mix. My family was getting together on Saturday to work at my house, so the least I could do was feed 'em some of this loveliness, right?

And....voila! This was PERFECTION. Incredibly moist and tasted fantastic! I'm so excited to try the other mixes. Next time, I'm thinkin' either pancakes or muffins.

Thanks again so much, Sara!

And don't forget to check out:

Missy's ALWAYS INFINITY GIFT BAG GIVEAWAY!

Meghann's Glee Gum Giveaway!

Angela's Stiletto Mascara Giveaway!

Three Years Ago....

2009-04-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

...was one of the best days of my life. Maybe the best so far.

It was always my dream since I started running at age 16 to a. run a full marathon and b. qualify for the Boston. I ran my first full marathon when I was 24, with a time of 3:58:38. To qualify for the Boston at my age/gender, I had to complete a full marathon in less than 3:40. I knew I had my work cut out for me! But qualifying for the Boston was not something I wanted to do by a certain age - it was something I wanted to do at SOME point in my life.

Just before my 25th birthday, I ran the Cleveland marathon. My training went really well, and I even cut down to a 4 day/week program because I did a lot of cross training. I was in a zone that day, and when I crossed the finish line with a time of 3:35:42, I could hardly believe it. It's like someone could have told me I just won American Idol - I really was in SUCH SHOCK!

On April 17, 2006, I finished the Boston Marathon. FINISHED being the operative word. It was the toughest physical thing I have ever, ever done. I live in NO HILL LAND. We consider highway overpasses "hills". While I did the little hill training that I could, nothing could have prepared me for Heartbreak Hill. (I always thought of Heartbreak Hill as being ONE hill - it is actually 5 miles uphill! Heartbreak Hill was the last hill around mile 20. It is also where I wished to curl up into a ball and be taken away on a stretcher).

My goal during the Boston was the exact same that I have had for all of my races - to not stop running. While I did have to wait 2 minutes to potty around mile 14, I am proud to say I didn't stop running the whole way. My friends and family back home were also tracking me live, and this gave me extra determination to NOT STOP. I finally crossed the finish line with a time of 3:52:57, and a volunteer promptly asked me, "Miss, would you like a wheel chair?" I must not have looked that great. ;-)

(Signing my name by my bib number - 12626)

(Recovering at the finish line - I was freeeeezing. No wheel chair required.)

My dad made the trip with me, having been a runner for 35+ years himself! He dropped me off at the start line and actually managed to find me 2 different places along the course. I cannot explain how proud I was of myself knowing my dad was so proud of me. I think this is something many daughters strive for, and it meant so much more knowing my dad was a runner and knew how hard I'd worked. I truly have the best father in the world!

(Me somewhere around mile 20)
(Celebrating that night at dinner - of course I had pasta)

Thanks for letting me relive my memory for a little bit. While I would LOVE to be Boston bound again at some point in my life, I am proud of myself for achieving the goal I had set for myself. Good luck to all the runners out there today - you deserve to throw back a beer (or two or three) tonight. :-)

Just Chillin'

2009-04-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

I am realizing that I eat a lot of soups and stews - is that horrible? I guess I like them because they are a. great for leftovers and b. super easy to make.

I found this recipe for Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili and, given I love both SPs and BBs, I wanted to try it out.

Like WHOA. This stuff was awesome! I am a huge fan of cilantro + lime + cumin (always feel dirty typing that), and they added a great flavah to the mix.

In running news, my half-marathon is two weeks from tomorrow! I'm so excited - I feel like it's my first one. I'm nervous about my time, but that's a whole other post.

Sorry to be blah blah boring - hope you all enjoy your weekends!! Anyone doing anything fun? I have an 11 miler tomorrow (wahoo! bring on the carbs) and my family is coming to "help out" with my landscaping and some house projects. (I realize my age in typing out that sentence, moreso because it's exciting to me...hmm). I plan on ordering, eating pizza and directing them. lol. Just kidding - I'll at least pick up a paintbrush. ;-)

Don't forget to check out:

Heather's Stonyfield contest!

Cottage Cheese Roast

2009-04-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

I really don't LOVE to cook. I love to BAKE. (That may or may not have something to do with testing the dough and or batter at any given time during the baking process). But one of the things I DO love about cooking is the chance to find a delicious new recipe. I'm not adventurous at all when it comes to eating, but I have been since I've focused on eating more home cooked meals and no mo' frozen dinnahs.

So I saw this recipe for Cottage Cheese Roast - sounds nast, right? But I LOVE cottage cheese. I love corn flakes. I love roast. So there ya go. I modified the recipe by omitting the oil and walnuts, and I also added shredded spinach.

The result:

Looks pretty tasty, right? Of course I expected nothing but perfection after reading reviews like, "This was just as all the five-star reviewers described: Absolutely delicious and loved by every member of my family, including my meat-loving husband who didn't realize it was meatless. Can't wait to make it again and again!"

Normally I find the reviews on Allrecipes.com to be fairly accurate, but WHOA BETTY, this didn't deserve the 4.5/5 stars that it received! Maybe it was the omission of the oil? Addition of the spinach? The cook? I don't know. I did finally think to add ketchup to the leftovers as I ate it (I don't waste food! Unless it takes like poo.) The ketchup made it better, but I probably won't make this again.

Oh, well. Better luck next time!

Have you ever tried a recipe/combination that sounded completely disgusting, but tastes great? I get weird looks at restaurants if I put ketchup on baked potatoes ('it's like a big french fry!' I tell people. But still the weird looks.), but it is EXCELLENT.

New Things: Almond Butter and a New Quinoa Recipe

2009-04-10T05:42:00.000-07:00

I had to try it. And BOY am I glad I did!

Now, I had every intention of purchasing BARNEY BUTTER - I even made a special trip to the Fresh Market to get some. Wouldn't you know as I was unloading my groceries that night I noticed ONE thing that I forgot? lol. I do that sometimes. Okay, a lot of times. Anywho, thankfully Miss MaraNatha came to my rescue at my normal grocery store.

WOW!! Is all I can say. This is SO very yummy. I love my PB, but this is nice to change things up a bit. It's sweet, too, and perfect with vanilla yogurt/fruit (sounds weird, but YUM!) or shmeared on a sandwich thin. I still want to try Barney Butter, though. Really I just like the name "Barney Butter." But I would like to give it a shot.

Since my new found love of quinoa, I was *tipped off* to this recipe on Wiggs website, The Beholder. Quinoa-camole. YUM!!! I added lotso cilantro (oh, how I love thee) and this was just absolutely perfect. And cherry tomatoes? I love you gals, too. Thanks, Wiggs! This will definitely be reappearing soon.

Well, we made it through another week...I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend (and Happy Easter if you celebrate)! The Easter Bunny still comes to my parent's house for me. Yeah, I know. But I'm not trying to stop him! (Her?)

Happy Friday!!!!

Reason No. 328 NOT to Run in the Dark

2009-04-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

and

I am a clutsy girl. I run into things, I fall down, and sometimes people might think I'm drunk when I'm 100% completely sober. So as I was running the other morning and totally BIT IT on the sidewalk, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise. Thankfully, no one was around to see the comical event (unlike when I fell on the treadmill at the gym. Yep, it was just as embarrassing as you think). If you run, have you ever fallen during a run? Or do you fall when you are walking? Please make me feel better here, folks.

Let's also say that doing Level 2 of The Shred that night was NOT a great idea. (Hello, plank jacks). Speaking of Level 2, I definitely agree that it is much harder than Level 1 (duh, Holly!). Surprisingly it's the cardio that is more challenging than the strength - I thought it'd be the other way around. My FAVORITE part is towards the end, when Jillian yells, "I WANT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO DIE." It just makes me giggle. Love you, Jill.

Thank you for all of your sweet comments about my run! They all made me feel so good, and it's so fun to share this stuff with you guys. You made my day!

And don't forget to check out The Hungry Yogini's Fage Giveaway!

Mission Complete

2009-04-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished my 15-K - and my hip feels great! :D

Pre-race pic: (excuse my pasty self and my weird eyes...I think they look different colors or one looks really large. Hmmm.)
I'd never raced in pants before, but when I found out it was 40 degrees this morning, pants it was. I also had to chug-a-lug this guy before I got out of my car. No vodka was added, that I can assure you.

I know, I know....aspartame, yuck yuck yuck. But, it's kind of a ritual of mine to have one before each race and before my long runs. I really feel like they make me run faster...maybe it is just in my head? Either way, it's my one guilty pleasure and I'm stickin' to it!

I started out my first mile a little fast for me (8:00), but I was all amped up (see above pic) and really didn't want to slow down. My pride takes over during a race, and I really have to force myself to slow down. It's hard to do because who likes it when people pass them, ya know?

I picked 3 girls to 'follow' in the beginning, but they all took off between miles 3 and 5. Lucky for me, I found a hot firefighter (or a cute guy just wearing a firefighter t-shirt, either way, it works for me here) and followed him to mile 8. I told myself I was going to pick it up during the last mile, and I sprinted the last 0.3 miles of the race. And guess who I passed? 2 of the 3 girls from the beginning. It made me feel a lot better knowing that I'd saved my energy for the end. I did feel like I was going to puke for a second, which I actually thought was funny because I just commented on Kelly's blog that I am not a post-race puker. I think God was just testing me?

Here are my official stats:

time: 1:15:14
pace: 8:06

It feels SO good to have met my goal!!! This whole day I've been a bit euphoric, because not only 6 months ago I couldn't even run one mile because of my hip. So for any of you who are injured, have been injured, or will get injured in the future: don't ever give up hope that you can get back out there! It sounds incredibly cheesy, but so many people tried to get me to give up running. It is such a passion of mine, though, and I was determined to hit the pavement again. I'm starting to sound like a serious after-school special, so I will stop. :-)

I hope you all had a wonderful Saturday!

DOWN dog! DOWN!

2009-04-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Inspired by reading about Heather's yoga journey, I decided to give yoga a shot after a 3ish year sabbatical. I'd taken yoga for about a year and LOVED it; however, the $$ factor came into play when I started to save for my house. I decided to do a few walk-in classes at a studio close to where I live, just to test the waters again. I reallyreally want to do Bikram, however, I don't think it's offered where I live (we always get things about 5 years behind everyone else, so....I'm expecting it to come in the next 3 years). lol. Also, in coming back from my injury I made my body a promise: I resolved to take better care of my body to prevent further injury, and that means more varied workouts (not JUST running!), more stretching, and YOGA.

The class I went to was a basic Hatha/Vinyasa class. I absolutely loved the teacher - she was incredibly sweet and SO ripped! I felt surprisingly strong in most of the poses (thanks, Jill) and left feeling verrrrrry refreshed. Although I love my cardio, I love the peaceful feeling I get after leaving yoga.

My 15-K is tomorrow - yay! The forecast says it will be 61 and sunny. Although I'd prefer clouds (for running only!), I am SO glad it's going to be dry. I'm a bit nervous, but my goal is to finish in under 80 minutes. Hopefully I can do it, but more importantly I don't want to push myself too hard and get hurt.

TGIF!

Check out these giveaways!

- Meghann's Erin Baker's Giveaway!

- Fit Feet's Southaven Farm Giveaway!

- Lucky Taste Bud's Zoe's Giveaway!

New Things: Tofu and a Quaker Show Down

2009-04-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

I took the plunge and finally tried tofu. Did anyone ever read the Babysitter's Club books? Remember Dawn was such a health foodie and she ate tofu? I remember vividly thinking, Ugh - what a disgusting sounding name for a (probably) disgusting food. (I was, like 8 years old, and if it wasn't pasta or pizza I probably wasn't eating it). Anywho, Dawn would be so proud of me today.

Because I could eat quiche for each and every meal of my life, when I find this recipe for Eggless Tofu Spinach Quiche I decided to give it a whirl. I thought it would be a nice way to ease me into the world of tofu.

I just finished a long run when I made this and think I dove into it too quickly. ;-) It wasn't really set up and.....I wasn't so sure on the flavah. I gave it try no. 2 after it'd been in the fridge overnight, and I'm so glad I did! I really liked it. Now, I don't know if I would make this for other tofu virgins (or people who don't like tofu) because I can definitely taste it. I want to try baked tofu next, because I try to be equal opportunity like that.

I was also inspired by Heather to try the "other" oats by the cute, old Quaker guy.

Now, as a COH (creature of habit), I have become just a TAD obsessed with eating my oatmeal in the morning (+ cinnamon + nanner + PB thankyouverymuch). But the OB is gonna give the OM a run for its money! The best part is that I had it at 9:00 a.m. and it kept me full until almost 2! Yow.

Last but not least, I needed something chocolately at the store and snagged these babies:
Simply Well? Simply DIVINE. These were so yummy, and the ingredients/nutritional stats weren't that bad, either:

My ONLY qualm with these is that it left me wanting more. (Aren't you always supposed to leave them wanting more?) I did love them, but not sure if I'd get them again because it definitely set off all 15 of my sweet teeth.

What about you? What is your favorite chocolately snack? I gave up candy for Lent (which is a great thing and maybe it'll be permanent!) so, please, help a sistah out.

iPod stands for...

2009-03-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

i Probably Ought to have Done This Forever Ago.

Yep, it only took me until 2009 to actually get one of these babies!

While I've owned 2 other MP3 players in the past, for whatever reason I refused to get an iPod. I think it's because they were so popular and I didn't want to be a "sell out." THEN I realized they are so popular because, well, they are awesome. My last MP3 player was SO hard to figure out, not to mention it would completely erase my songs every few months. NICE, huh? In any event, it was so long, Sansa when I ran it though the washing machine last week. Oops. :-)

I have to admit, it's a little more confusing to figure out than I thought! But I LOVE it. What took me so long again?

In other news, I decided to sign up for a 15-K next weekend! This will be my first race since I did a full marathon in 2006 - YOWSA. I'm a little nervous only because I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself to maintain a certain speed. Of course I keep reminding myself that I am actually able to run again - I should be (and am!) so happy with that in itself. It's just tough when I know how fast I was able to run a couple of years ago. Hopefully I'll get back there...and if not, that's okay, too - I'm grateful each and every day I can lace up my shoes and hit the pavement. :-)

New Things: I Love Lara

2009-03-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

....because of this.

I heart you, Lara. Thank you for coming into my life in the form of the Cashew Cookie bar. This frickin' rocked my socks off! The best part? Only 2 ingredients. Yowsa.

I've been intrigued by the Fitnessista's Indian (just typed Indiana) eats. Now, being that many of my friends are too scared to even try sushi, I knew there was no way any of them would try Indian (I did it AGAIN! Seriously???) food with me. The next best thing I could think of was to try this lil' guy, Amy's Indian (yep, I did it again - from here on out it's "Indiana" food) Mattar Paneer:

I have to say, I got some funky "What the eff are you cooking?!" looks when I heated this in the micro at work. When the buzzer went off I promptly grabbed my dish and hightailed it outta there. :-)

It was pretty good! Interesting flavor...I'm not quite sure how to describe it. To be honest, it didn't smell all that awesome. But I would definitely eat it again (at home, with my windows open).

While at Trader Joe's last week I also snagged this kiddo:

I'm in loooove. :-) A lot of times those healthy chocolate bars taste like anything BUT chocolate. But this is tried and true. And if it's good enough for kids, it's seriously good enough for me. And we all know I'm just a kid at heart.

Planner Planner Eat My Nanner

2009-03-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

In an effort to eat less crap, I've decided to stop eating those lovely frozen Lean Cuisines we all love so much (or maybe it's just me). I had gotten into the habit of having them everyday at lunch because it was a. fast, b. cheap (I get the generic ones - hollah), c. low-fat/cal, and d. fast. And it's also pretty fast. Knowing that it's not exactly good for me to be eating all those preservatives, I'm making an effort to bring in wholesome, hearty foods for my lunches during the week.

I lllllove me some leftovers, so my plan is to bring in leftovers as much as possible. My GOAL is to plan out my meals at the beginning of the week (I go to the grocery on Sunday or Monday), and either cook a couple on Sunday or as much at the beginning of the week as possible.

Do you plan meals out at the beginning of the week? Or do you just shop it up and wing it as you go?

Don't forget to check out Oh She Glow's contest for some free POM products!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Polenta Casserole and The Shred

2009-03-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

Guess who came in the mail on Saturday!

I have been dying to try this since I've read a LOT of great things about this workout. I normally don't like workout DVD's (Billy Blanks, anyone?) but I do think Jillian is just the drill sergeant I need to get my a*& out of bed and try this one. So on Sunday (usually a strength training day for me) I gave this a whirl.

A great workout in 20 minutes? I'm sold. I must say, though (and I hope this doesn't come off as cocky) that it wasn't quite as hard as I thought. I've heard the Level 2 is MUCH harder, but I'm waiting until I have ze Level 1 fully mastered before I attempt that one. Has anyone else tried this workout? What do you think?

I also tried POLENTA for the first time. I must admit, I was a lil' scurrrred. I found this recipe for Italian Summer Squash Polenta Bake and thought it sounded yummy - veggies and cheese? Um, yes please. I made this for my parents and my dad was a little scared, too.

Dad: "So....what are you making us for dinner?"

Me: "Um....a casserole....with polenta (tries to say quietly)."

Dad: "HUH?!!"

First the polenta.....

Add some veggies....how pretty! I'm such a sucker for colors. What am I....five?

All baked and ready to go! Sorry for the yellowish pic - it was super sunny that day.

This was very good...I definitely would make it again. It felt good to eat so many veggies, and honestly the polenta wasn't all that scary. I love all things corn so I'm sold. I can't wait to experiment with it again!

And don't forget to check out these awesome contests:

- Chance to win free Granola at Missy Maintains!

- Chance to win a year's subscription to Fitness Magazine at Every Gym's Nightmare!

Virgin Green Monster

2009-03-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

I did it! I officially tried a Green Monster. I used the recipe Angela recommended from Oh She Glows - the only difference is that I used vanilla yogurt instead of Almond Breeze (couldn't find it anywhere! Grrr.) :-)

It was so fun to make! This was my first time using my blender. I won't tell you when I got it.

Packed it up and saved it for nighttime....

and hid it in the bottom of my fridge so my roommate wouldn't freak and throw it out! lol. He hates healthy food, but I'm workin' on him. ;-)

The Green Monster verdict? SO GOOD!! I wonder if I didn't add enough kale or spinach, but I literally couldn't taste it. My nanner was realllly ripe, and I added some extra blueberries - maybe that was it? It tasted like a banana smoothie - YUM. In any event, this will for sure be a regular!

Crap Free Week Reflections and Turkey Quinoa Stew

2009-03-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

I'll give you one guess what I was so happy to have yesterday morning. :-)

Strangely, I felt SO guilty for purchasing this. I wish I could tell you it tasted like dirt and chemicals and blech. It did not. It tasted like heaven. ;-)

What I loved about CFW is that I learned SO much about my eating as far as things that I need to change or improve. Here's what I learned:

I learned that:

I don't have to have dessert each and every night. There is absolutely nothing wrong with dessert! When you are hungry, that is. I always just assume I'm going to have something at night (usually a bar or an ice cream bar...or two!), and I need to start asking myself if my hunger really warrants those treats.

I need to eat more fruits as snacks! It was amazing how some grapes or an orange could really fulfill my sweet tooth. I am definitely buying grapes in bulk from now on!

I need to eat bigger meals. This is so simple, yet I've been so SCARED to eat bigger breakfasts and lunches for so long because of point #1, above. I found that I didn't need a morning snack OR an afternoon snack because my breakfasts and lunches were so hearty! Eating bigger dinners also helped prevent me from wanting to raid the pantry at night.

I can go without diet coke and SURVIVE! For maybe a day. lol. I don't want to give up DC for EVER because it makes me happy. :-) I DO want to cut back and not depend on it each and everyday. I'm going to try going 1-2 days a week without diet coke. If I can do that, MAYBE in the future I will cut back now. I'm just not a cold turkey gal.

I can go without caffeine and SURVIVE! I slept better (although usually I'm a good/heavy sleeper anyway) and loved having "natural" energy - it felt different to me, if that makes sense. I'm going to go one day a week without any caffeine from now on...I might increase that in the future.

Hearty meals = Happy Holly. :-) I was in the habit of bringing a Lean Cuisine everyday for lunch...as soon as I eat them up, I'm resolving NOT to bring them for lunch anymore! I'm really going to work on cooking on the weekends or Monday nights and taking leftovers. I heart leftovers.

Things I didn't like about CFW:

having to go to bed a little hungry sometimes. Especially since I wake up early to workout (before having breakfast), this wasn't so much fun.

going low on my calcium intake. I have weak bones, and don't drink milk. I did have yogurt a few times during the week, but normally I have it at least once or twice a day.

All in all, I am very glad I did CFW. I learned so much, and while this is NOT a way I could eat all the time (too restricting for me), I am going to try to do one Crap Free Day a week. I think it'll help open my eyes to heartier, healthier foods...and I also hope it will also help me with intuitive eating.

Psssst....I celebrated Sunday by eating waaaaaay too many Thin Mints.

Last night I was VERY excited to try Erica's Turkey Quinoa Stew! My regular grocery didn't have quinoa (that I could find), so I didn't get around to making it until last night. I was very excited to try this stuff:

I've seen it all over blog world and it looks...interesting.

This stew is SUPER easy and very filling - and YUMMY.

I will definitely be having this for leftovers later this week. So good! I'm such a soup/stew girl...my co-workers are going to wonder if I eat solid foods? Ever?

And check out these 3 great contests below!

* Erica's Oikos Coupons Giveaway

* Missy's Erin Baker's Giveaway

* Heather's Coconut Milk Product Giveaway

Happy early Hump Day!