Meal Plan Monday {Feb 20}

The husband was off work today for the President’s Day Holiday so we’ve been busy all day long!  We went for a 5 mile run, deep cleaned our kitchen, took the puppy for a walk, and made dinner.  I’m looking forward to relaxing with him on the couch, drinking some wine and watching a movie when I’m done sharing my meal plan for the week :)

 
Monday ~ Spinach Tomato Orzo Soup {new recipe} + salad

This recipe made a huge pot of soup {16 cups total and I reduced the amount of water from 2 qts to only 1 qt} so we’ll be enjoying leftovers tomorrow for dinner, later this week for lunches, and we’ll be freezing some for future meals :)

There are a lot of mixed reviews on the site for this recipe.  I think it turned out great but here are the changes I made:  only 1 quart of water; only 3/4 lb of orzo pasta; added salt, pepper, & dried basil; added 1 small can of tomato paste to “thicken” it up a bit.  Also, I think I would reduce the amount of orzo even more next time if I make this again as it bulks up a lot. 

Tuesday ~ Leftovers + salad

Wednesday ~ BBQ Chicken Rolls {new recipe} + asparagus & salad

Thursday ~ Lentil Tacos + salad

These tacos were so good when I made them a couple of weeks ago that I knew I would be adding them to my meal plan again soon.  I had accidentally cooked my lentils too long and the end result made the mixture more like refried beans and DELICIOUS.  Besides needing to cook the lentils {which only takes about 25 minutes} this recipe comes together quickly and is both satisfying and filling :)

Friday ~ Pasta with semi-homemade marinara sauce with turkey meatballs

Last week I used up some leftover polenta in our pasta dinner.  I cubed up the polenta and crisped it up in a hot skillet with a little bit of olive oil.  It was really yummy.  This week we’ll be using turkey meatballs {from Trader Joe’s} but I think we’ll be using polenta again soon :)

Saturday ~ Enchilada Casserole {new recipe}

After I had my recipes picked out for the week and my meal plan all created I was going through a Taste of Home cookbook I own and saw this exact recipe that I had dog eared the page on previously so I’m excited to be making it this week :)

Sunday ~ Leftovers

 

What’s on your menu this week?
Do you meal plan? Why or why not?
Got a favorite recipe that I’ve got to try? Please share :)
Don’t forget to check out the links … you never know what you might discover! There are some GREAT food blogs & recipe websites out there :)

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Weigh-in {02.20.12} = 135.8 lbs
Loss/Gain from previous week = +0.4 lbs

I am taking a break from WW and I’m not tracking points but I’m still weighing in each Monday morning, as I always have since 2007 when I was at my highest weight ever.

Confessions, V3

I’m currently running my weekly long run.  8 miles planned for today.  But last night I was thinking about a few random things and decided to share … confessional style.  Enjoy :)

Confession #1 – Remember that sneaky spider that took a shower with me a couple of weeks ago?  Well, his sneakiness and creepiness has provoked me to obsessively check my towel, wash cloth, shower curtain, shower head, and water handle before turning on the shower or getting in every single day since.  Thankfully, there have not yet been any more spiders. 

Confession #2 – We are {still} currently using our guest bathroom because I’m still working on removing all the old mildew covered caulk from our master shower so we can re-caulk it.  Thankfully we recently picked up some new razor blades and the process will go much quicker now.  But, that means I’d actually have to spend some time working on it … and I just haven’t.

Confession #3 – I didn’t apply for a single job this week.  Yes, I know I can’t get a new job if I don’t apply for any jobs.  Sometimes I get so fed up with the whole job hunting/applying/receiving rejection after rejection that I need to step away from it to regroup.  Being {unwilling} unemployed is very stressful and emotional.  I urge you to be thankful for the job you have, if you do, regardless if you love it or not.  Times are tough.

Confession #4 – We live well beyond our means.  We are fully aware of it.  I constantly think about money.  Being unemployed sucks.

Confession #5 – One of the main reasons that I feel like I need a break from WW is that I miss cooking anything I want for dinner instead of tried and true recipes that I’ve already calculated the points for.  I love cooking and dinner is my favorite meal of the day :)

Confession #6 – I’m terrified that my portion control will be non-existent without a structured “diet” program to follow.  I have the knowledge and experience and I know what I need to do to maintain a weight loss so now I just have to DO IT. 

Confession #7 – I haven’t followed the 30 Day Cleaning Schedule or the De-Clutter Calendar in weeks.  I’m cleaning on a whim and the clutter remains for now. 

Confession #8 – I’ve been secretly searching for a 50k to run this year … in addition to the two full marathons I’m planning on completing.  Eeekkk! 

 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday!  Rock your long runs, races, or workouts :)

Got anything you want to confess?!?

Thankful – Wk7

It’s all the little every day things that make life so extraordinary and this year I want to make sure I am appreciating and focusing more on them.  In an effort to remember to slow down, let the little things go, and enjoy every moment of this life I am going to share what I’ve been thankful for each week.

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This week I’m thankful for …

• Feeling better and the sickies are all gone :)
• My body and that it is capable of running and handling multiple workouts in one day!
• Running with the husband and being able to share my love of running with him :)
• A perfect Valentine’s Day at home cooking dinner together, drinking champagne, and eating chocolate.
• Getting our taxes done and finding out that we don’t owe this year!!!
• Talking to my niece on the phone :)
• The feeling of welcomeness at the new church we are attending.

What are you thankful for this week?

{Thanks to Sam at Fitness Food & Faith for this wonderful idea … I’ve enjoyed reading her thankful posts ever since I discovered her blog!}

Three Things Thursday

1.  I saw this photo on Pinterest recently and then I read this post and it finally clicked.  The post talks about muscle vs. fat and the common misconception that muscle weighs more than fat. 

“… it makes me think of that riddle from my childhood, “what weighs more, a pound of bricks or a pound of feathers?” The answer is that they weigh the same. A pound is a pound.”

“So let’s clear up this common misconception. A pound of muscle takes up LESS SPACE than a pound of fat. That much is true.”

“So as you exercise, lose fat and build lean muscle (as your body composition changes), YOU will take up less space (your pants will fit better, you will “lose inches”), even if you are not seeing a change on the scale. This is why the scale should NOT be your sole indicator of progress!”

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Seriously, I read the post and saw the photo above in my head and had an “ah-ha” moment. 

The post goes on to discuss reasons why you may not be loosing weight even if you are exercising.  Go read it.  It’s common sense stuff but maybe you’ll have an “ah-ha” moment too.

 

2.  Since I’m already talking about weight loss … I’m not tracking my food via WW this week, nor did I most of last week.  Honestly, after not tracking last week while I was sick I just felt like I needed a break from it.  I’m still measuring everything I eat but I’m just not calculating the points.  I love the WW program but I think I need a change.  It was beginning to feel like a “chore” and more like a “diet” each day.  And that’s definitely not how I want to feel. 

 

3.  I saw this video today and was compelled to share it.  I am totally loving all the “Sh!t … say” videos!  Please tell me I not the only one.  I have not yet seen one that I didn’t find hilarious!

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Other random updates:

• The sickies are almost all gone, except for a lingering runny nose.  I started to feel 100% normal again on Monday.  Then, I woke up with a scratchy throat this morning.  I’m hoping it’s related to the runny nose and not a new round of sickies.
• Today I feel a little crazy.  I went to the gym at 7:30am and did strength training for 20 minutes, then took an hour spin class, then drove home and changed and headed out for a 5 mile run.  I’m now exhausted.  Spin class kicked my butt but RUNNING is my first LOVE and I wanted to RUN so RUN I did :)
• Last night after getting our taxes done I really wanted to go out for Froyo to celebrate that fact that we don’t OWE this year … then the husband reminded me that we gave up ice cream for February.  Boo. 

 

That’s all I’ve got.  Do you have any randomness to share today?

Team Gab Virtual Race

On Monday the husband was off work so I convinced him to run a 5k with me for the Team Gab Virtual Run.  It didn’t take too much convincing since he was going to go running anyways.  {You know, to keep up his streak --- he’s over 50 days of running every day at least 1 mile.}  Since it was his day off he slept in and we headed out to run around 9am. 

It was a rainy day on Monday but that didn’t stop us.  We geared up in our water proof running jackets and headed out to run a loop around our neighborhood.  I wore my Zensah compression sleeves under my capris and socks because I don’t like water getting on my legs when I’m running in the rain.  Pink and yellow totally go together, right?!? 

My Garmin was under my jacket so I couldn’t see it.  This ended up being good for me since I wanted to keep the pace “easy” since this run was my 5th day of running in a row.  Thankfully it wasn’t really raining very hard, just steady and light.  I actually enjoy running in the rain, especially when it’s just a little sprinkle.  Since it was later in the morning, a “holiday”, and raining there was no one else out running or walking in our neighborhood and traffic was light.  {Not that we have a lot of “traffic”.}

Mile Splits:  11:15, 11:26, 11:16, last 0.11 = 1.02 {9:23 pace}
Overall:  3.11/35:00/11:15 avg

We ran a big loop around our neighborhood and finished up nearby our house and walked home for a cool down.  We talked about grabbing some fuel and going back out for another couple of miles but decided it was probably best that we didn’t.  We were both ready to get warm and spend the day lounging around the house.  {The sun ended up coming out later in the day so we took Lucy for a walk.}

Cancer knows no boundaries.  It shows no preference to age, color or ethnic background.  It strikes the rich and the poor, the old and the young.  Chances are that cancer has touched your life in some way or another.  It’s touched mine, more than once. 

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.  ~John Diamond

If I lived in So Cal I would totally be joining Team Gab and running the
PCRF Cinco de Mayo Half Marathon for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. 

GO TEAM GAB :)

"Cancer continues to claim the lives of more children than any other disease.
This statistic has not changed in more than 20 years."

 

Visit 365 Days of Awesome to learn more about Gabby and her diagnosis. 
You can learn more about Team Gab by clicking HERE.
You can donate to Team Gab by clicking HERE.

WIAW

 WIAW is hosted by Peas & Crayons

This month Jenn has challenged the WIAW’ers to VEG-ify our posts. 
{Talk about our favorite vegetables, share our go-to cooking/prep methods for veggies, talk about how to eat more veggies/fruit, or any other veggie-centric topics we can think of.}

I was sick last week and didn’t post a WIAW, nor did I take any photos of a day of eats.  So, today’s photos are from Thursday February 2nd. 

I definitely eat my fair share of fruit and vegetables, as you can see by my photos.  My favorite vegetable is … ???  I’m not sure I can pick just one.  I really love zucchini, even though I prefer it cooked.  Fresh tomatoes from my garden or the Farmer’s Market in the summer are amazing.  I love to add mushrooms to anything.  Asparagus is super yummy and so is broccoli.  Carrots are tasty and crunchy as well as is celery.  Radishes and cucumbers are always great, especially on salads.  Spinach is tasty and makes a great green smoothie.  Eggplant makes a great addition to a pasta sauce when roasted and pureed.  I could go on and on.  Corn, peas, green beans.  Cauliflower, bell peppers, artichokes, beats, garlic, leeks, lettuces, onions, potatoes.  The only vegetable I’m not fond of is … brussels sprouts.

What is your favorite vegetable?

 

Breakfast:  Coffee and a yogurt bowl with greek yogurt, raw oats, 1/2 a banana & Trader Joe’s Honey Apple Butter
Snack:  Water, Pear, 1/2 banana, 1 hard boiled egg & 1 hard boiled egg white with salt & pepper
Lunch:  Green Monster Smoothie & String Cheese and Carrots, Celery, Grapes & 1/2 an apple
Snack:  Grapefruit & mini Chocolate Chip Clif Bar
Dinner:  Salad with lettuce, zucchini, carrot, radish, tomato with homemade ranch dressing and a rice bowl with brown rice, kidney beans, salsa, and two tortillas with milk and water
After Dinner Snack:  Key Lime Flavored Sparkling Water and mini pretzels with Soy Nut Butter

 

Thanks to Jenn at Peas & Crayons for hosting!

10 Things I LOVE About Running

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I saw this idea on the #RunChat blog and in the spirit of Valentine’s Day today I decided to participate and ‘spread my love of running’ especially since I enjoy talking about running all most as much as I enjoy running :)

Ten Things I LOVE about Running …

10.   The tranquility of an early morning sunrise, running in the rain, or the peacefulness of a quiet trail 

9.     Exploring new places

8.     Time alone with my thoughts OR time to shut down my brain and zone out

7.     Setting, and then achieving, goals --- big, small, mental or physical

6.     The challenge … every run is always different and unique

5.     The way I feel after I finish a run … strong or defeated, good or bad, beat up or rejuvenated … but mostly ALIVE

4.     It’s always there whenever I need it; anytime, anyplace, any weather

3.     The amazing people I have met and the camaraderie I feel with fellow runners

2.     Sharing my love of running with my husband and spending quality time with him pounding the pavement :)

1.     “Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.” –Oprah Winfrey

 

What do you love about running?  What would you miss the moss if you couldn’t run anymore?