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So, We Went to VOLT…

And it was delish!

Dan tried to make reservations for my birthday (July 22), but they were pretty booked and the first time we could get in at a decent time was this past Thursday. It was worth waiting an extra month to get in and I highly recommend it!

It was hands down the best eating experience of my entire life. This includes the time I went to Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in New York. As delicious as that was, we were sort of rushing (by rushing I mean we had to run like 30 blocks to get there to make it before they gave up the only table they had open) into Bobby’s after a log day of walking around the city and we did not have reservations, so they sort of sat us in the corner and told us we had about 45 minutes to eat until the table was needed for a reserved party. Plus, I didn’t have a lot of money, so I shared an appetizer with one of my best-ies, Tori. We didn’t get much food since the appetizer was already about two bites worth and there was two of us, but it was still really good.

But, I digress. Volt was as absolutely amazing as I thought it would be, if not more. The service itself was immpecible. And the food was so tasty. I seriously wanted to make up words for what I was eating because any words I could have used would not have described what was melting in my mouth. They gave us a few free courses, but for the price we paid, we probably could have gotten about two more meals at a normal restaurant, but then again I am sure we were paying for the quality and the proper service.

Since you can’t understand how yummy it all was, you will have to go there yourself. I would suggest making reservations now if you want to get in anytime before 2012 hits. Until then, enjoy these terrible iphone photos.

 

They came by with a big basket of bread with all different types. I picked a simple roll with olive oil and rosemary, but Dan got one with prosciutto in it.

We did not order this, it was just given to us. I remember it had some sort of vegetable in it and also foie gras. I always see this on all the cooking shows and have wanted to try it, until I googled it and realized it is basically a fatty liver of some sort of duck. This little puff melts in your mouth and Dan thought it was delicious. I wasn’t about to eat it since I am pretty much anti-animal-anything if I can help it. So I tried it. I cannot say I enjoyed this at all, but the rest of the meal made up for it.

Originally, I was only going to order this dish since it is a ravioli, I knew it wouldn’t be much food, but I figured it would still be enough to make my stomach feel heavy (I normally do not order any pasta when I am eating out, but I made an exception for Volt). Since it was considered a second course, it was not a main entree, so it was going to be a smaller portion. I was not expecting, however, only three ravioli’s on my plate, but they were the most heavenly ravioli’s ever eaten in the whole world of ravioli’s ever made. They were filled with goat cheese. I wish I remembered everything that was on the plate, but it was all good things. They were black and we weren’t sure why. Dan suggested it was squid ink? Who knows, but so very yum.

This was basically the only thing I could eat on the menu. The menu was very small and very much a meat heavy list, but no worries because this was delicious. It was chicken and noodles and mushrooms, pearl onions and bacon lardon. Do you like how I just butchered the ingredient list? Bryan is probably reading this right now and wanting to smack me for my disrespect of his food. Normally, I might (and by might I mean I straight up would) request them to 86 the bacon, particularly bacon that uses an adjective with the word LARD in it, but again I was willing to make an exception. Also, since I wasn’t 100% postivie what lardon was, I was afraid it would ruin the entire dish by requesting for them to not use it. I wanted the whole Volt experience. It was a lovely dish, but heavier than I thought it would be. I made it through half of the plate and was too full to finish the rest. Don’t worry, Dan finished it, we weren’t about to spend money on something and not eat it all up. I ate his vegetables, so it worked out.

 

Dan told our waiter we were there for a belated birthday dinner and our server came out with this pistachio and mint ice cream with a candle in it and NO EMBARRASSING SINGING INVOLVED! It was so, so good.

 

This was a free dessert sampler. Please do not ask me what these delicious little bites of goodness are, I don’t remember.

And here is a picture of some of the food Dan got. This is a Tuna Tartare. Notice the foam!

This is a picture of his dinner. It’s a lamb dish of some sort.

 

We were also given a little gift. It was a muffin wrapped up in a to-go bag so we could have it for later! I haven’t eaten mine yet, but Dan had his and he said it was really good.

So there you go! You can live vicariously through our experience!

Shepherd’s Pie

When my husband requested a Shepherd’s Pie for dinner, I started searching for a good recipe that was easy, quick, and healthy. I found many that were unhealthy and way too many steps for a weeknight.  It took many searches to find one that is easy and sort of quick, but not too healthy. I tried to modify it to make it a little better for us, but when it comes to a dish with meat and potatoes in it, there isn’t much you can do unless you choose an alternative recipe (ie. completely vegetarian). I found it at For the Love of Cooking, but here’s what I did:

 

Mashed Potato Topping:

• 5-6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thirds
• 1/4 cup of milk (I used skim)
• 3 tbsp sour cream (I used non fat)
• 2-3 tbsp Irish garlic and herb butter (or regular butter)
• 1/2 cup Irish extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I actually omitted this completely and it still tasted good)
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Chives, chopped for garnish (I also omitted this, see below)

 

Boil a large pot of water. Peel the potatoes and cut into thirds. Boil the potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place back into the pan. Add the milk, sour cream, butter, cheddar cheese, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper then mash with a masher or blend with a mixer until creamy and smooth. Cover with a lid and set aside.

Meat Filling and Sauce:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef (I used 96/4)
• 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1-2 tsp dried thyme
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp Irish garlic and herb butter (or regular butter)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cup beef broth

 

While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery then cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the lean ground beef and cook thoroughly. Add the thyme, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

Once the beef is done cooking, mix the peas into the mixture until well combined. Pour the beef filling into a large baking dish and set aside. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons of Irish butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix thoroughly then slowly add the beef broth. Season with sea salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the beef mixture and mix thoroughly. Top the beef and vegetable mixture with the mashed potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Top with chopped chives. Enjoy.

 

I bought a bag of frozen peas and carrots and threw them into the pan to cook instead of adding the peas in later, it was easier, quicker, and the peas were fine (I thought they might turn to mush from all the extra stirring, but they were completely in tact at the end). I also didn’t add the cheese or chives, mostly because cheese adds extra unnecessary calories and also because an authentic Shepherd’s Pie does not have cheese in it. And the reason I did not add the chives was because I couldn’t justify buying a bushel to just use as a garnish. I don’t think either one of us missed them.

So there you go! Hope you enjoy it if you make it!

Stick A Fork In Me, I’m Done

I wanted to post many things before we went on our final vacation of the summer (to Wisconsin, my husband’s hometown), but then life happens and things do not get blogged. And by “life” I mostly mean running, making dinner, running errands, and deciding to watch whole seasons of shows such as Dance Moms (still currently on TV, but it’s 5 episodes in). So I shall catch you up with a numbered list. Here we go:

1. Can’t really complain about life. I am still waiting to hear back from a preschool I interviewed for a few months ago. The other day my friend Tracie, after I told her about my lack of employment and how I occupy my time, called me a “trophy wife”. Hehe. Yes, I suppose that is what I am at the moment, but I desire to get back into the game of life soon enough. Although if I had a baby attached to my hip, I could some how justify this time at home. 🙂 Hopefully not too much longer before employment.

Side note: Isn’t this the time that most unemployed people start their own businesses just to make ends meet? I have so many ideas that I could come up with a lot of combos:

cupcakes and books (I would sell you crazy fun cupcakes while you read books)

coffee and crafts (I would sell you coffee while you make craft projects, or maybe the other way around)

making it rich on my blog (for no other reason then I give the gift of entertainment)

running for money (people would pay me to run for them)

an errand service (I would run your errands for you)

Personally,  I think these are all stellar ideas. Lets just get the ball rolling here, whooooooooooooo’s gonna be my financial backer?

3. In a later post, I will share a new recipe I found for a Shepard’s Pie (I never know if it’s “sheperd” or “shepard”, that’s why you got to love spell check). It was enjoyable, but very hearty. We both liked it, but it was hard to “health-ify” it. I will share with you my recipe and how I modified it soon.

Looked like this though:

4. Dan wants to get us a new camera and when I asked him why he said “so you can have nice pictures for your blog”. Be still my heart, my husband is so sweet!! And, it benefits you because then you don’t have to look at fuzzy pictures taken with my iphone or web cam. If you would like to help our quest, just make checks payable to Dan Fockel (in the note line add: for the Fockel’s camera). Thanks friends!

5. Met up with my college girls last weekend for a fun time of hanging out and talking. I love that we can still get together years later and catch up on life. We try to get together every few months or so at one of our house’s. It’s been such a blessing to continue walking alongside them through new seasons of life (ie. weddings and babies). Here’s two pictures of some of us:

 

 

6. Our cat Eddie is sloooooowly growing on me (not ON me, silly). After we put down Jack, he had kidney disease and was just getting a little bit worse every day, Eddie has been my buddy. Although he can be rather annoying. He likes to whine a lot. He cleans himself whenever he is not eating or sleeping and he sounds like an old man eating a banana when he does. This would not be a problem if he didn’t do it right by my ear. He will also lick your hair if you like (see picture below)….

 

 

Notice my disdain and Dan’s enjoyment in our weird cat’s ritual of trying to lick our hair clean. That pretty much sums up our relationship with wild life.  Also, I never wanted to be that girl who blogs about her cat…so NO MORE I SAY. This is it. This is all you get.

 

7. My friend Tori shared with me this hilarious you tube video, so I must share it with you:

 

Also want to share this one with you before we depart, it is HILARIOUS (Dan and I found this gem)!!

Ok, I hope to blog soon, if not I will catch you on the other side of our VACATION!

 

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

THIS IS NOT FROM MY 5 DAY SLOW COOKER CHALLENGE. I haven’t started my challenge quite yet!

 

This is one of our main go to recipes. It is the absolute easiest recipe I have ever used. I heard about it from my sister-in-law, Becky. And since it’s cooked in a crock pot, it is so easy you have no excuse not to try it! Plus, it’s yummy.

1 lb. chicken breasts- diced in 1 inch cubes

1 jar of salsa

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 can of black beans

*lately we have been adding frozen corn (not quite a whole bag 16oz bag)

Throw everything in the crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5 hours.

We normally eat it over organic brown rice from Trader Joe’s because we are food snobs, but you could eat it over regular rice. It’s the perfect combination. You could wrap it up in a tortilla and add all your normal taco fixings (guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, cheese, etc.), but it might be a bit sloppy. It’s not really a soup, but it’s still a little runny so it seems perfect over some rice to soak up the liquid. Whatever you choose, it’s so good and good for you! Bon Apetit!

Promise You’ll Still Be My Friend?

I sat down to write a new post today and then the power in the house shut off!! I couldn’t believe it! It’s not raining, it’s not windy, it’s not even super hot…what gives?

When it didn’t immediately come back on after a second or two, I started to hyperventilate. After a moment or two of panic, I decided to busy myself with some “non electrical” fun.

They did it back in the days of yore and I am more refined then they, so certainly I can do it too. Here’s a list of things I started to do:

blog

start a load of laundry

call BGE (using the internet to find the number)

turn on the light in the kitchen so I could clean out the pantry

watch tv

plug in my computer to charge

Needless to say, my quest to find something to do turned into a comedy of errors. You don’t think about it until you can’t do it. Instead I updated my address book, sent off some mail I have been delayed in writing/sending, looked at my upcoming week in my planner…I know it folks, you are so incredibly jealous of all the fun I had!

ANYWHO, I digress. What I wanted to blog about was how old I am and my new cooking challenge.

The pain in my shoulder has not really gone away, but it has lessened every day. I still went out (at the request of the husband) and bought this:

It heats up the muscle underneath so it soothes the pain and I must say that it is really helping to limit the pain. And it makes me so stylish! I’m still sad that I am at the place in my life where I have to wear this. I guess if I were in my 20’s I still would put it on, but I always associated it with grand-parental units. Next step BENGAY!

I also wanted to tell you about my new 5 Day Challenge. 5 days. 5 Slow Cooker Recipes. I know that it’s not quite slow cooker season, but I love, love, love preparing a meal in advance and then either starting the crock pot in the morning or throwing it in the oven (actually don’t throw it in the oven or you might have a mess).

I got this cook book from the library:

So I’m very inspired to try to make my usual (and healthy) dinners in the slow cooker. I don’t think I will have time to start this next week, but I assure you that you will know when I am doing it. I will let you in on how it’s going. I realize it’s only 5 days of cooking, but I normally only cook 2-3 week nights (with a day for left overs and another day of “fending for yourself”). For me, this challenge is just a fun way of trying new ideas and practicing for the Fall when I will *hopefully* be working full time.

“Fending for yourself” was something I grew up on. I knew as soon as my mother uttered the very words that it meant I would have to scrounge around for my own meal that night. I normally liked those nights because it usually consisted of me eating a piece of bologna, a raw hot dog (I’m not proud of this) some ice cream and a bowl of cereal. It was a license to eat crap and I enjoyed every second of it. And then she would get mad at me for making poor choices…”But mom, you said I had to fend for myself!”

And then on a final, non related note, I have noticed a trend while I am out at the grocery store lately. On several occasions I have been minding my own business when I am stopped by an older lady (or two) who ask me to get something off the top of the shelf for them. I really don’t mind at all, but with my 5′ 6.5″ (okay, okay 5’5″, I swear I used to be taller but I’m shrinking) frame I’m not the tallest person out there and I usually have to hop to get something off the top shelf myself. Hop or use the bottom shelf as a step and grab the item real quick. In the last two weeks alone, I have probably been tracked down by 4 people for help. I’d like to believe it’s because I give off kindness vibes.

Honestly friends, I am so glad you enjoy reading my blog. It’s friends like you that keep me writing to avoid boredom or self combustion from all the pent up thoughts/ideas that swirl around in my head.

Until I have more random thought to share, I bid you adieu.

This Post Should Be on Post-It’s

Are you ready for some serious randomness right about now? Then read on blogger friend, read on.

Last night I went to bed with major pain in my knee and upper back. Dan says it’s because I’m old. I disagree. I think it’s from running. Either way, I still was uncomfortable sleeping all night.

And then like an idiot, I woke up and still ran 8 miles today. I was still sore from yesterday’s workout (8.5 mile run and an hour of strength training) and my bad sleep, I had to pop some Advil at the start of my morning. I thought I would be hurting throughout my run today, but once I got going it wasn’t too bad. I just wanted to be done with it so I could just go home, shower, and relax.

That’s mostly what I have been doing these days, running and relaxing. I used to think that this would be the life. I would love for this to be my full-time job: stay at home, run errands, clean, be a cute house wife, run to my heart’s content and have dinner on the table by 6PM. Yes, I have enjoyed my time off but I do have a confession…

I miss working.

Ok, so maybe I don’t completely miss it, but I am starting to feel like I really want to be back in the world of making a living. It’s certainly not for lack of trying. I have put an advertisement on Craigslist several times this summer. I have gone on a few interviews, I have waited a long time to hear back from many of them. I always figured that there will always be people in need of child care (which is true), but I have found that many of them only want some one to fit their needs. We’re talking weird hours (read: come to my house at 7AM, put the kids on the bus at 9AM, come back to pick them up off the bus at 3PM and stay til 5PM), too many hours (read: come to my house at 6AM and stay until 6PM), or they just want someone to work here and there (read: usually during evenings and weekends).  Some think that’s ok to pay me $5.00 an hour for what I do. I am not even exaggerating this. So,um, no.

GGGRRRRRR! It’s so frustrating.

I have been prayerful about finding the right job and I totally trust God to give me the right one, as in the one HE wants me to have. It’s just a matter of finding what direction He is already moving in and follow. I honestly believe that the right job will open up at the right time. I am just getting impatient. Friends, prayer for me would be lovely, if you think of it.

Meanwhile I have had a lot of time on my hands, so many cabinets have been organized, random crevices have been cleaned, and many hours of unnecessary television have been watched, which leads me to:

It’s trashtastic. Don’t watch it. It’s seriously a train wreck, but I tend to get sucked into these shows.

Here’s some pictures of our laundry/utility room after we cleaned it out last weekend:

This would probably amaze you more if you could have seen what it looked like before we cleaned it. The wardrobe is supposed to be in the guest bedroom, but it wouldn’t go up the steps (You can’t make me!) or fit into the room itself. It’s been in our garage since I moved in and now it’s in our laundry room so we can use it for storage (mostly Dan’s tools and such, but it gets them off the floor and neatly put away).

I have spent several hours on Pinterest. Seriously if you haven’t ventured over to the website I dare you to do it. I’ve even somehow gotten my husband browsing through it and he has even found a new project for the house:

It’s a DIY Mason Jar Chandelier. What do you think?

I’ve also had time to sit around in my wedding dress:

Alright, I know that this might be lame-ers, but you wear it ONE day. I have always wanted to do it though since I saw this episode of Friends:

Enough randomness for one day? Ok. Good. Happy Tuesday!

My Running Story

If you read my blog even a little bit, then you know that I run a lot and that I always love it enjoy it everyday most days. I have often been asked how I got started and how I got to the place where I can run several miles a day. I can honestly say it didn’t happen over night. I know some people are just born “runners” and can easily run a 6 minute mile or run 20 miles a day, but some of us have to work at it. Within my running story is my desire to lose weight (I gained a lot of weight in high school) and maintain a certain level of fitness, so often the reason I kept at it was to make the necessary changes to my body that I felt were needed.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers or believe that I am the best at what I do. I know that there are millions of runners and some can run circles around me while others are not at the same level I am, but that’s why I love running because we all have our stories and we all have to start somewhere. I hope that this inspires you…

I started running my senior year of high school because I joined the Club Lacrosse Team and pretty much sucked at it. All we did during practice was run. All we did during games was run. Most of the girls on the team were Field Hockey stars or perfectly toned Swimmers or amazing Soccer players.  I had never done a sport before in my WHOLE life and here I was starting my first venture at being athletic in my Spring Semester of my Senior year. What was I thinking? We would start almost every practice with a run that I almost always finished last (it usually was a mile or less). I hated that feeling. I was never super athletic (I gave those accolades to my sister and brother, I was more of the theater kid), but growing up I would play outside until I couldn’t see my hands and run around all summer long. I loved being outside, but it wasn’t a structured time of learning drills and skills. It was playing tag, running through the woods, biking around the neighborhood, or running in and out of my friends’ houses. Somewhere between all the games of tag and building sets for the high school plays, I think I lost all excitement for anything that had to do with fitness. So, making the choice to be on this team (there were no try outs) was totally out of character for me.

After seeing how much I failed on the field, I made the decision that I would come home from practice every night and run a few blocks before I would allow myself to sit down for the night. I figured the more I ran, the better I would be at it. For the most part, I assumed I would never be the fastest on the team or be able to run a whole game like everyone else, but it wasn’t going to be for lack of trying.

After the season was over, I was at a cross road. I could easily fold in the towel or hit the pavement and force myself to do something I really didn’t enjoy doing all that much. So, I made the hard choice to continue running. I was motivated by the thought of looking better in my clothes, boys maybe falling in love with me, and being able to say that I did something I had never done before (for example, “I ran two miles today”). I enjoyed the opportunities it gave me to think about everything happening in my life and even pray. I loved how it relaxed me and gave me a place to throw all of my stress.

Another motivation I had was my friend Patty, who lived in the same neighborhood as me. She would run almost everyday and would tell me how long she ran or how far she ran. Mentally I had a goal: be able to run as fast or as long as she did. I would normally do whatever she ran and even a little more :). I never told her this and Patty if you are reading this then thank you for the inspiration! And since it was now summer, I had a lot of time to devote to running. I was pretty good at meeting my goals which always felt awesome and gave me the desire to keep going the next day. I remember running in 90 degree weather (maybe not the smartest idea I ever had) because I didn’t want to lose momentum. I even kept running into the Fall and during snow and ice storms. I may not have been the brightest bulb of the bunch, but I was doing what I thought I needed to do.

And then it happened, I started to really like running and craved it when I couldn’t get a run in during the day.

Underneath all the small goals (run an extra 5 minutes today or go around the neighborhood one more time) was the dream that I would one day look like Cindy Crawford. Ok, ok, maybe not her exactly, but someone like her. I wanted to lose the weight I had somehow woke up one day and saw was all over my body. Like I said before, I went from climbing trees (at a size 0) to graduating high school at a size 10. Wow-zers! I would lose a little here and there, but there wasn’t a huge change in my body. I maybe went down to a size 8. It was mostly due to the fact that I was not eating well, just working out more.

When I went to college I was ready to make a new name for myself and a new reputation (one I would hope would contain the words “she’s the girl who runs”). Unfortunately, running 30 minutes a day was not going to do much when you are on a meal plan that allows you to eat three meals a day at an all you can eat buffet. I would make “nutritious choices” and would run every day, so I never understood why I kept gaining weight instead of losing. I realize now that my “nutritious choices” included:

4 huge bowls of cereal for breakfast

a plate of macaroni and cheese with my garden burger

3 cookies after dinner

ice cream

juice

eggplant parmesan

mashed potato bar (yes, we actually had a bar with several varieties)

make your own pizza nights

3 bowls of cereal for dessert

pasta

chicken sandwichs

bagels

bananas

apples

granola (the high fat kind)

2 big broccoli spears

Not to mention what I ate outside of the cafeteria…cake, cookies, crackers, pop tarts, etc. I can’t imagine why I was gaining weight! Haha. This wasn’t a typical day, but it was typical of what I would eat during this season of my life. My portion sizes were out of control and I was choosing high calorie foods over fruits and vegetables.

In all seriousness, I was trying hard to work it all off, but there was no way I could work off all those calories in a day. But, I kept on running. I never really pushed myself through this time. I was pretty content to run 30 minutes and maybe do a quick DVD for some work with weights then pat myself on the back for a job well done (then rush over to the kitchen to make a batch of cookies) I didn’t push my time, my mileage, or my pace. Sadly the saying that goes “if nothing changes, then nothing changes” was in full effect.

During my Junior year of college, my brother-in-law asked me to run the annual Ukrop’s 10K in Richmond (6.1 miles) with him. Well maybe not “with” him, but run the race as well. I had NEVER run 6 miles before. I was terrified. I had a few months to train, so I tried really hard to push myself every time I ran. I started going to the gym (a place I avoided like the plague…that’s where all the serious athletes go) because that was the only way I would be able to clock my miles. I remember getting to about 4-4.5 miles and thinking that was all I could muster. I didn’t really think I could do go any more. I was so done. I mentally halted my progress which in essence told my body it couldn’t go any further.

The night before the race I literally laid awake the whole night. I was worried I would not finish. Worried about a horrible time. Worried that I would pass out. Just worried. I finally told myself the worst that could happen would be death and that would more than likely not happen. So, the next morning I was as ready as I could be. When the gun went off my nerves were a hot mess, but I was ready to go. I ran. I ran steady and slow, but I ran. I found myself passing people. I found myself moving my feet even when I wanted to quit. I found that the pain was minimal and I pushed through all the emotions. Around mile 5.5, I saw my sister waving and cheering me on to keep going. At that point I knew I had to push through and finish. And I did it! It was an incredible feeling.I don’t remember my time, I’m sure it was dismal, but I finished it and accomplished something that was really daunting.

After that day, I had a renewed sense of excitement. I still never really pushed myself too hard, but I was more conscious of how many miles I ran at a time. A bonus of my training was I finally lost several pounds. Yippee!

Fast forward a few years and I now was doing Weight Watchers. I wasn’t hitting up meetings or anything, but I had been given the tools and tips by two of my girlfriends who had done it, so I had all that I needed. At this point, I was finally matching up my nutrition with my workouts. Because of WW, I finally understood portion sizes as well as what choices were the best to make. I always tried to find what I could eat for the least amount of points so I could eat more. Come to find it’s fruits and veggies, go figure! So, I would load up on those all day. I also understood how exercise helped me lose weight. The more I ran, the more points I got, therefore the more I could eat.  Every food has a point value and you are given only a few points a day. I was in heaven!

Then something strange happened and I stopped wanting to “eat” the points I would earn by running. I wanted to lose weight faster, so they said not to eat the points you earn for faster results. And wouldn’t you know, the weight simply melted off my body. I weighed myself everyday and was astounded when I would see a few pound deferential in one week. I was also pretty upset when I would plateau or gain some weight. Overall, I tried to not let the scale dictate my emotions, but rather I would concentrate on how far I had come and kept the end goal in sight.

I started running more and more. Even adding a few minutes to my runs would be the difference between 6 points or 7-8. I would easily run a few minutes to gain more points. Once the weather started to turn cooler and it was getting darker earlier, I would try to keep running, but it was getting difficult, so I eventually joined the gym next to our house. Once I was on a treadmill again I was able to see how my time was translating into miles. I was able to push myself longer and further a little bit at a time. It got to the point when I was running up to 6 miles a day because I was slowly increasing how far I ran each day. Once upon a time running 6 miles made me fearful and now it was my daily routine! That’s when my body went through some crazy changes. People actually thought I was sick because I had lost so much weight (about 35 pounds). Every few pounds I would go to the mall and try on a new size just to see if it fit. What an exciting time for me! I finally got the formula that I should burn more calories than I was consuming. Running was a great way to get there.

Once I saw major results, running became “my thing”. I suppose it always was “my thing” from the start, but once I started to push myself like never before and hit and even pass certain goals then I felt like I could call myself a runner. But it really doesn’t matter if you run a mile or 20, you are a runner. It doesnt matter if you run fast or slow or if it’s painful or easy, you are a runner. If you hate it one day, but enjoy it the next, you are still a runner.

I have certainly grown up running. Been at it for 13 years now. I have progressed further than I ever thought possible, but I also feel like I have so far to go. That’s what I love about it, I run to make myself better. It’s not about competing against someone else or making their achievements yours, it’s about making your own goals and pushing past them. It’s getting to what you think is the place you never thought you would get to and maybe even going beyond it. You can certainly just run to run and not make goals. It’s mostly all a mental game, some days putting on your shoes and taking the first step out the door is the hardest. You tell yourself you can do it and then you do it. If you tell yourself you can’t do it, then your body will probably follow suit. It helps if you like it, but you certainly won’t enjoy every run. If you have a crummy run, then you wake up the next day and put on your shoes and go at it again. Running is a very forgiving sport. Give it a go and enjoy the rush!

I’m Pretty Sure I Just Wasted My Life Watching The Hills

I did it! It only took 35 hours (like a full time job). I finally finished The Hills. Let’s put this in perspective…I started watching the day before my birthday (July 21) and finished today, August 3. That is 14 days of my life-GONE.

Well, it wasn’t all bad. I obviously watched it because I was addicted, but do I feel great about it? No. Do I feel like I gained anything good from it? No. Did I enjoy it? Oh, yes!

There is something about watching episode-after-episode-after-episode-after-episode that allows me to glean a few observations about life in LA with these frenemies. I started to notice some trends and not just their cool LA style. Allow me to explicate:

1) Fashion- I can’t say I have a passion for fashion or anything, but I do really enjoy seeing all the trends and clothes the girls wear. Can I pull off half their outfits? Heck to the no! I can only imagine I would look half as  great if I tried to pull it off. That won’t stop me from trying. I already noticed I am jazzing up more outfits with some jewelry and I am wanting to wear heels with more of my every day wear. I have fallen in love with these styles in particular:

2) Save the Drama for Ya Momma- I don’t know what it is…in my life there really isn’t any gossip, backstabbing, stealing of boyfriends, sneer glances across the club (or being in a club for that matter), caddiness, hatred, lies, alcoholics, or rumors. I certainly don’t live a completely sinless life by any means, but this drama is so out of the realm of reality for me it’s just so interesting to watch. It also led me to wander what was real and what was MUD (made up drama).

3) Food- They go out and eat ALL. THE. TIME. I suppose they make enough to be able to eat out every day of their lives, but when you watch episodes back to back to back to back, you start to notice that they are lunching with besties (who has that kind of time during the work day?) going to nice places with guys in the evening and then clubbing at night (drinks in hand). They just eat a lot, so how are they all so slim and trim? If that were me I would probably have about an extra 100 pounds on me. No lie. Also, I maybe saw them at the gym like 5 times over 6 seasons. I suppose that is because no drama happens there. I would say a lot of sweat happens there, but they never seemed sweaty or gross after a work out. Meanwhile, I come home soaking wet. But whatever.

4) Do they ever work?- I mean seriously? They do show them at work here and there, but it always seems like they have so much time on their hands. Maybe it’s just the way it all gets edited down, but one thing is for sure Spencer never worked a single day…or Brody for that matter.

5) Travel- Several times throughout the 6 seasons, they would just decide to leave for a few days to Vegas or fly to Hawaii. I have never been able to just drop plans and money so quickly for a trip that would normally take months to plan.

Whatever, I am sure it was mostly all for the entertainment value and I was pretty entertained, but I was more stuck for the ride once I started. A ride I am sure glad is over. Phew!

Healthy Blueberry Crisp Recipe

Healthy Blueberry Crisp Recipe a la Mode

Serves: 8
Ingredients:

• 6 cups blueberries
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour(I used brown rice flour to make it gluten free!)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinammon
• 4-1/2 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinammon
• 2 cups vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt Note: to reduce calories and fat even more, serve without the frozen yogurt
• Directions:
  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; spoon into an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon, and cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over the blueberry mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Top each serving with 1/4 cup frozen yogurt.Nutrition facts for Healthy Blueberry Crisp:
  CALORIES – 288, FAT – 8.3 G, SATURATED FAT – 4.8 G,
  CHOLESTEROL – 22 MG, SODIUM – 96 MG, CARBOHYDRATES – 52 G, DIETARY FIBER – 3.8 G, PROTEIN – 4.2 G

Source: Cake and Carrots…Blueberry Crisp