Weightloss Wednesday...

For the past 6 weeks I have been training for a half marathon in September.  Since I put that out there a few of you have talked to me about running and how I got started.  I want to start by saying that I am NOT an expert.  I have only ran off and on for about 1 1/2 years.  When I started out I couldn't run for longer than a minute without being completely winded.  It definitely takes time to build your endurance up.  I do not run fast...I run between a 10 & 11 minute mile...I'm slow but slow and steady wins the race (or at least finishes it). With my limited knowledge, this is what I know and have learned about running...

*Some days are harder than others and on those days I run and walk in intervals.

*Running is a mental game.  If you tell yourself that you are only going to run to the mailbox...your body won't let you run any further.  Tell it that you are going kick 1 mile in the butt and I guarantee you that you will.

*I don't always love running but I absolutely love how I feel afterward.  The feeling of accomplishment is amazing.

*Training for a race keeps me on point.  When I know that I have something that I am striving for then I am more likely to stick with it.

*Invest in a good pair of shoes.  In the beginning I was running in an old pair of New Balance shoes that had seen better days and once I moved up into shoes that were made for running my feet felt so much better.  They don't have to cost hundreds of dollars...shop around and look at reviews. Brooks Ghost 5 is what I am wearing now and I love them.

*Listen to your body.  There are times when my back is bothering me and so I take it easy and only walk until I feel like it is better.  You don't want an injury.

*Don't let the weather stop you.  Obviously if you don't have spikes (I don't) then running on the ice is not a good idea but don't let a little rain or cold stop you from getting out there. 

*Get a buddy.  I usually run alone because I like to go when I want but there have been times when I have ran with Tate or Taylea.  I not only run faster to keep their pace but it makes the time fly by.  It also keeps you accountable...if you have someone depending on you to meet them you are less likely to talk yourself out of going.

*Music or no music is a personal preference.  I just started running with music about 2 weeks ago.  I purchased an IPOD shuffle for less than $50.00 and it clips to my shirt.  I never want to run without music again.

*Dress in layers.  Even when the weather is nice here there is almost always a breeze...so I almost always run with a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt.  If I don't need it then I tie it around my waist and most days I am glad that I did.

These are just a few things that I wanted to share with any of you who want to run or are looking to take it up again.  I recommend trying it for a while before you decide you don't like it...for some (including myself) it is an acquired taste (so to speak).  Now I crave it...I look forward to it...my legs will start getting jumpy about an hour before I go.  It is my ME TIME and my 40+ minutes a day to clear my mind. 

There are a ton of programs on the internet that can get you started.  The C25K (couch to 5K) is one that I hear a lot of great things about.  I just went out and did it on my own.  I would walk the distance between power poles and then jog the distance between power poles until I felt like it was getting easier.  Then I would walk two lengths and jog two lengths.  In couple of weeks I would do three and then four...you get the idea...until I could run 3 miles without walking. 

Whatever you decide to do I recommend going slow and listening to your body.  You will be sore (I still am) but it shouldn't be unbearable.  Good luck.  Sweet running-

Pepperoni Pizza Quesadilla...

Sports practice is about to begin again around here.  I'm not exactly sure how August can be around the corner already!!  I'm desperate for summer to last forever...that is until I think about watching my Tater play football and my Tales play volleyball.  Somehow the thought of that can settle my soul and make the distant glimmer of Fall seem alright (I said alright...not perfect).  During the summer I am much more lax about dinner...in fact this summer has been pretty bad.  My poor kids have had to fend for themselves more times than I can count which is sad because I love to grill so very much.  Summer somehow takes over my mind and makes me feel like whatever will be will be, which is so unlike me and maybe why I love it so very much.

It is time to slowly wean myself back into school life which includes making dinner for my sweeties and because I am smack dab in the middle of my softball season that can sometimes mean a little window of time to cook.  I always have a few standby "quick fix" meals that I like to do when time is not on my side.  Quesadillas is always one of them...you can throw pretty much anything in them and they are always delish.  When I was raiding my kitchen the other night to find something to stuff inside a tortilla I found a package of frozen Turkey Pepperoni that I had bought when I made Pepperoni Pasta Salad a while back...what a great idea.

 

 

All you will need to make them is Pepperoni, tortillas, cheese and dipping sauce (I used marinara)...

 

I like to use my griddle to cook quesadillas because I can do two at a time and most of the time that is enough for the three of us.  I begin by spraying the griddle with non-stick cooking spray.  I lay a tortilla out on the hot griddle followed by cheese and pepperoni and more cheese...

 

 

I then add another tortilla to the top and spray it with a little non-stick spray and dust with a pinch of salt...

 

 

While they were cooking I warmed my marinara sauce in the microwave.  Just be sure to cover with plastic wrap...you don't want an explosion.

When the first side is browned and the cheese is beginning to melt I carefully turned it over...

 

Cook until the 2nd side is browned and everything is warm and melty.  Transfer to a cutting board and using a pizza cutter cut into 6 pieces...

 

 

A little dipping sauce and in 10 minutes (literally) dinner is served...

 

 

Sweet quesadilla-

Zebra Cake (on the inside)...

Every year I make the birthday cakes for a handful of kids that I know & sweet Lanie is one of them.  When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted she came up with a ton of ideas but in the end decided she wanted a zebra cake on the INSIDE.  I had remembered seeing something on Pinterest about how to make the cake part look like a zebra print when you cut it but I had never done anything like that before.  I admit I was a little fearful that I would follow the directions and when she cut the cake it would just be a blob of mess...how disappointing!!  Luckily it was easy (a little more time consuming) and successful.

To make it I used two 10" cake pans but you could use any size round pan.  I mixed up two mixes (but 1 of each would be fine...I had a lot of left over batter) for both white and chocolate cake mix according to the instructions on the back (adding an additional 3 Tablespoons of water for each mix). 

 

 

I lined the bottom of the cake pans with wax paper and sprayed with Pam cooking spray...

 

 

To get the zebra affect use a 1/3 measuring cup and pour that much batter it into the middle of the pan...

 

 

Then using the other flavor of cake take a 1/3 measuring cup and pour that much batter into the middle of what you just put in there...

 

 

Do this until your pan is filled about 1/2 way...

 

 

Bake in a preheated 350° oven until a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.  The baking time will depend a lot on your oven and how full your pan is.  I would set your timer to 25 minutes and go from there. 

 

Once it was baked I let it cool and decorated it...hoping that it worked...

 

 

Cheesy Lanie grin an added bonus!!

 

Then it was time to see if it was a success...

 

 

Not only did it get the affect that I hoped for but everyone it tasted good too.  Sweet cake-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Campout 2013...

Every year we try our best to get our entire family together for a camping trip.  Unfortunately as schedules fill up and kids get older it gets harder and harder to do.  I really hate how that happens but it is life...darnit.  The one thing you can be sure of when you get my family together is that there will be an abundance of kids and dogs.  That was really brought to my attention as I was going through my photos but who doesn't love that?  Here are my favorite shots...

A ball and some water can keep these kids busy for a long time...

Owen...

Gavin...

One afternoon the boys decided (or maybe their dad decided) that they needed to have a gladiator style competition to see who was king of the dock...

Gavin may have been the victor but I couldn't resist this photo of Owen...

Shelby and Lanie loungin in style...

One of my only pictures of an adult.  It took everything Owen had to not add bunny ears...

GeGe and her baby Bella...

Owen and Gibbe...

Another one of Owen...

Tales getting a ride on the Jet Ski...

I can't believe how bad I was at getting more pictures.  Next year I really need to do better.  Sweet campout-

Weightloss Wednesday...

I know it has been a while.  The fact is that I was working at it and not seeing a whole lot of progress which made me discouraged and ready to give up...but I haven't.  In fact I have hit the glorious 10 pound mark (finally) and am ready to keep moving down.  The last time I posted I had mentioned that I would be increasing my running but I didn't exactly tell you what was up.  Mostly because I hadn't completely made up my mind but I have decided to run a half-marathon (13.1 miles) in September.

It wasn't a hard decision to make because it is on my bucket list and running makes me happy (most of the time).   There is a lot of dedication that is required and my body has been a little fatigued but so far I am in Week 4 of the training program and I haven't quit or even thought about it.  I chose a 13 week training program in which you run 3 times a week.  Two shorter runs (between 30 & 55 minutes) and one longer distance run (between 3 and 12 miles).  So far my longest run has only been 5 miles and since I like to keep it real I will tell you that it is the longest run I have ever done. 

The one thing that seems to help me the most is to eat my biggest meal at lunch.  I have only been snacking at dinner and that has helped a lot.  My biggest advice is to not diet with a man!!  They can seriously eat a banana for dinner 3 nights a week (and not change anything else) and loose 15 pounds in 3 weeks!!  It is insane!!  BOYS!! :)  Sweet running-

Stuffed Sweet Peppers...

Side dishes often stump me.  I find myself in a side dish rut A LOT!!  I decide on my main dish easily and then coming up with something to serve with it makes me crazy.  I am always trying to find new and fun sides...ones that will go with anything, be healthy and tasty.  I have seen the bags of mini sweet peppers for a while now and honestly...I'm not a big pepper fan but they are so cute.  The mini things get me every time. 

I decided that stuffing them would be a fabulous option.  To make them you will need a dozen mini sweet peppers, 1/2 an onion chopped, 2 links of sweet italian sausage, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 bricks of softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and herbs of choice (I chose basil and parsley from my garden)...

I began my browning my sausage that I removed from the casing...

When it was cooked through I transfered it to a paper towel lines plate to remove an access fat...

I then cooked the onions in the same pan using a little added olive oil until they were translucent...

While the onions were cooking I removed the stem and seeds and cut my peppers in half...

Once the onions were cooked I added the sausage back to pan, along with the garlic and cream cheese.  The heat from the pan will slightly melt the cream cheese so that you have a creamy consistancy...

Once I had everything incorporated well I added 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and the chopped herbs...

Using a teaspoon I filled each pepper with filling and topped with a little extra cheese...

Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 20 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbling...

Serve with your favorite grilled meat and a salad for a delicious meal.  Sweet peppers-

10 great reasons to love Summer...

There is no doubt that Summer is my favorite time.  Here are a few of the reasons why...

1)  Long days...I can get up at 5:30 a.m. and get a run in before work or wait until late in the evening and go then.  It is light and I get to be outside.

2)  Wearing flip flops...I really don't like to be confined by shoes, so flip flop season makes me happy!!!

3)  Fresh Fruit...I can go to the store and get fruit that is ripe and delish.  In the Winter that doesn't happen here.

4)  Time to be spontaneous...with the long days I can load up the kids after work, drive to the lake, picnic, swim and cool off for a couple of hours before dark...so fun!!

5)  Camping...time shared in the woods with good friends and family makes for a good time.

6)  No schedule...my kids can make me crazy but it is nice to not have night practice's or meetings like we do during the school year.

7)  Green grass and flowers...besides the fact that newly cut green grass smells so good, I love the life and freshness that they bring.

8)  BBQing...firing up the grill and cooking outside is so yummy and the best part...less dishes!!

9)  Warmth...I realize the last few days have been REALLY warm but compared to the 20°- we suffered for a week this winter...I will take it.

10) Being sporty...In the summer I hike, run, swim and play on a softball league...I love the variety that you don't get in the winter!!

I hope you are enjoying summer too.  Sweet Summer-

Celebrating 100 years...

Each and every year my family celebrates the 4th of July in Yocum Valley.  I don't remember a time that we didn't go...it is a family tradition that I look forward to and love.  Years ago I remember my grandpa Leo cooking mutton (Yuck) over coals.  Now my sweet dad bbq's ribs (much tastier) at home and transports them to the picnic.  Everyone else is responsible for either a salad or dessert and then the potluck begins.  Over the years the picnic location has never changed.  I love that too!!

This year is a special celebration.  It marks the 100th year of when my Grandpa Leo's parents homesteaded in Yocum Valley.  Maybe this is why I love Yocum Valley so very much...the family history is painted all over each and every part of it.  When I am there I am happy.  It is quiet, it is peaceful, it is beautiful, it is my place. 

I'm looking forward to Thursday and being here...

I'm looking forward to spending time with these two...

What a great way to spend the 4th of July.  I wish each and every one of you a happy and safe Independence Day.  Sweet celebration-