What About Diversity?

Today started with one of my new favorite breakfasts. Green Stirfry Omelet.

It wasn’t quite as good today as last time because I ran out of Stir-Fry Sauce. I also didn’t have any Tofu to add. But it was still pretty yummy!

After breakfast Lincoln and I went grocery shopping to pick up some essentials. Nothing incredibly interesting.

Lunch was leftover Firenza pizza from SaZa. I actually think the pizza tasted better today than it did last night.

Our grass has gotten out of control with the rain we’ve had lately. I decided that I would attempt to mow the grass this afternoon since it was such a mild day outside. I couldn’t figure out how to keep Lincoln occupied and out of danger, so I strapped him to my back.

I’m sure I was a ridiculous site mowing the grass while pulling around an extension cord (our mower is electric) with a 30 pound kid strapped to my back. Unfortunately it didn’t last long because the motor went out on our mower and it started smoking. Oh well … I guess I’ll have to pay someone to mow it. Sorry neighbors for the state of my yard!

I got a couple cute pics of Lincoln playing outside.

He sure does love his hat!

I was craving mexican tonight, so I made some vegetarian soft tacos. I used Morningstar Farms Meal Starters ground beef substitute instead of my regular Boca Crumbles. They were just as good if not better.

My tacos included:

• Morningstar Farm Ground Crumbles
• Mexicorn
• Onion
• Avocado
• Lettuce
• Salsa
• Sour Cream

I forgot to buy cheese. I didn’t miss it at all!

While I was cooking dinner I saw the most appalling political ad on TV.

I actually thought I might have heard it wrong so I played it a second time. I couldn’t believe my ears!

Alabama has many foreign companies that provide a large number of jobs in the state. Mercedes and Hyundai both have plants in Alabama, and with that comes a Korean and German community. “Thanks for providing jobs and economic stimulus in our state, but don’t even think about driving here.” Great! No wonder Alabama has such a bad reputation.

Not to mention that:

If his entire political platform is centered around what language our driver’s test is offered in, I think he needs to re-evaluate the needs of Alabama. How about focusing on something that matters? Not offering the driver’s test in other languages is not going to stop illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants couldn’t take the driver’s test in any language.

If this guy is elected Governor … I might just have to move.

“Long” Run and Date Night

Today was my scheduled 9-miler long run. I haven’t had a good long run in several weeks, so I thought I might try to do 10 miles today instead of 9. I got off work this morning and got to bed about 8:00, I woke up several times throughout the day and finally got up for good at 2:00. My throat was sore when I woke up, but I knew it would probably feel better once I got up and got going. Tim and I decided to try a new location for our run, he’s actually been to the spot before but I haven’t.

I was excited to be able to wear one of my new Bondi Bands for my run today. Unfortunately I still think they look pretty stupid on me though. 😦

The road we ran down was mostly dirt. There was some asphalt at the beginning and end, but the majority of the distance was dirt. At first I really enjoyed the new route. There were cows in the field on the side of the road and there was plenty of shade to make the 82 degree day not seem quite as hot.

About a mile into the run I saw a huge set of bones on the side of the road. I immediately recognized a rib cage and at first glance I thought it was a HUMAN! It turned out to be just a large dog, but still … gross.

I made it to the end of the road (about 2.3 miles) and turned around. On the way back a car approached me … I waved. Then the car slowed down and stopped beside me. This has now happened to me twice on runs, and it totally freaks me out. I don’t know if the driver was trying to ask me a question or what, but I think there is no excuse to ever stop a woman on the side of the road for any reason. PERIOD! I kept running and the car drove off, thankfully.

I spotted something on the road ahead of me and when I got close enough I noticed it was a huge snake curled up in the middle of the road. I stopped dead in my tracks trying to decide what to do. I finally backed up and then sprinted past the snake, but it really freaked me out. Snakes are not my friend! About a mile further down the road I ran into another snake. This one was much smaller but he was moving and I almost stepped on him.

I realized about 3 miles into the run that I had forgotten my water bottle in the car and I was starting to get really thirsty. I was able to make it through 5 miles of the run and then I began feeling very weak. I stopped at my car for a drink and attempted to keep going. Between mile 5 and 6 I had to stop twice to walk. I actually felt really strange like I might pass out. I went back to the car … sat down, cooled off, drank some water and then willed myself to complete atleast 1 more mile.

I finished 7.04 miles in 1 hr 2 mins. An 8:45 average pace. That does not include stopped time or walking time.

I’m really disappointed that yet again I was not able to finish my intended distance. There are several factors that may have contributed to this however: tired from working three 12 hour shifts, dehydration, 82 degree weather, not eating anything all day except a granola bar and waking up with a sore throat. I set myself up for failure with all these things working against me.

Hubby and I planned a date night for tonight, so we dropped the toddler off at grandma’s house and headed out to a new restaurant that we’ve been wanting to try for a while.

We ordered the polenta and wild mushroom appetizer, a salad to share and a Forenza pizza. We also ordered a bottle of wine.

Our salad came first. It was ok, not spectacular.

Next came our pizza. No appetizer. Turns out the waitress forgot to put in the order for our appetizer. It is one of my major pet peeves when the entree comes before the appetizer, so we just told her to forget it.

The Forenza pizza was suppose to include: goat cheese, carmelized onions, and roasted tomatoes.

The onions were most definitely not carmelized and the goat cheese (if that is even what it was) was extremely bland. It wasn’t bad, but most definitely not impressive.

I drank most of the bottle of wine and was giddy though.

We shared a chocolate truffle cake for dessert.

I was expecting something more impressive for $8.

Overall it was a completely mediocre meal. I don’t think we’ll be going back to SaZa anytime soon.

Time for bed. Have a great night!

Running Skirt Giveaway

My Reason to Run is hosting a running skirt giveaway! Get in on the action …

Mommy & Son Day

I woke up super early (for me) this morning and went for an invigorating run at Ft. Toulouse. I felt extra speedy today!

I completed 5 miles in 40:27. My splits looked like this:

Mile 1 – 8:12
Mile 2 – 8:00
Mile 3 – 8:01
Mile 4 – 8:03
Mile 5 – 8:05

By the fifth mile I was worn out! I felt strong today though, and I know I could have gone farther if I had slowed down some. I think I’m in desperate need for a good long run, its been several weeks since I’ve had a legitimate long run.

I needed protein for breakfast so I decided to throw a few things together and make a Green Egg Stirfry Omelet.

I mixed 2 eggs with a big handful of fresh spinach in my blender for the omelet. I stuffed it with leftover tofu stirfry that I’ve been needing to get rid of. Sooo good! I think this is my most favorite breakfast that I’ve had in a long time. You must try it sometime. I buy the huge bags of frozen vegetable stirfry mix at Costco. Its amazing!

I desperately needed to get out of the house today before I head back to work tomorrow night. I decided today would be Mommy & Son Day. In my 101 in 1001 list I said that I would do something extra special with Lincoln once a month by myself, so I thought today would be the perfect chance.

We headed to the Museum of Fine Art to play at the children’s exhibit.

I can’t believe I never knew this place was here. It was great! The children’s exhibit was called Artworks.

Lincoln had a great time making art.

He built towers with foam blocks.

And tried on masks.

I attempted to make some art of my own while we were there.

Lincolns favorite part by far was playing with the racecars on the Talledega painting.

I thought this would be a perfect place to leave an Operation Beautiful note, but I left my Post-Its at home. So I improvised …

Lunch was a huge salad bar from Jason’s Deli.

After lunch we headed to Lincoln’s most favorite place on earth Books-a-Million to play with the choo-choo train. I swear that boy can spot a Books-a-Million from a mile away!

We are finally back home and I’m exhausted! The rest of the day is going to be low key for sure. Hope you are having a great day!

Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Today was a double workout day, first my hilly run this morning then a 45 minute spin class this evening. I was obsessed with Spinning when I first discovered it and I went to atleast 3 classes a week for a while. Sometimes I even went to back to back classes in one day. For me Spinning got repetitive and boring after a while. Every now and then I like to shake things up and go to a class though.

Since I knew I’d be home late, I started working on dinner early this afternoon before Spin class. I had some pasta shells that I’ve been needing to use up for a while, so I decided to make a veggie stuffed jumbo shell creation of my own.

I started with some chopped spinach, ricotta cheese, squash, garlic and mushrooms.

I sautéed the diced squash, mushrooms and garlic in a little olive oil and added some herbs for flavor.

I mixed the veggies with a 15 oz container of ricotta cheese and the chopped spinach.

I stuffed 15 cooked (per package instructions) Jumbo Shells with the mixture, covered them with some spaghetti sauce and baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

The last 5 minutes I added mozzarella cheese and baked until the cheese was melted. I served the shells with my sautéed green beans and onions and a small side salad.

 

Pretty fantastic if I say so myself. I may submit this recipe to All Recipes as one of my three recipes from my 101 in 1001 list.

Sweet baby Lincoln fell asleep at the table. Almost too much cuteness for one picture:

Have a great night!

Sweet Potato Perfection

Did you miss my Potato Perfection post? Check it out.

Now thanks to Caitlin, I have also mastered the Sweet Potato. But first … ever wondered what happens when you forget you were in the middle of making a grilled cheese sandwich and you sit down and start catching up on your blog reading?

Well the first thing that happens is your smoke alarm goes off. Then you end up with this:

Definitely not good eats!

Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point informed me via Twitter yesterday that “If you have not tried the baked bean and sweet potato combo, you are not living.” So I decided to give it a try for lunch today.

Honestly I’m not a big sweet potato fan, sure I like it covered in brown sugar with lots and lots of butter, but other than that .. not so much.

I baked my Sweet Potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour. (I’m not a fan of microwaving, but you could take that route). Then I topped them with Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans and served it with a side of roasted brussel sprouts.

I literally can’t believe how well this combination of flavors works! So delicious! I’m sold.

Thanks Caitlin 🙂

Hatin’ Those Hills

I love being able to walk out my front door and go for a run on the mornings when I’m short on time or I don’t feel like driving somewhere to run. What I don’t like so much are these hills in my neighborhood. I’m not sure whether its a blessing or a curse, but the major hills are right at the beginning and end of my run. This one at 0.2 miles is the lesser of the two evils …

The picture doesn’t really do it justice. Its the slow steady incline that gets me!

The hill on the way back at mile 4.9 of my 5 mile run is definitely the killer. The picture most certainly doesn’t do this one justice.

You can actually tell more about the last one looking down from the top of the hill.

When Tim and I first moved to this house we would occasionally (very occasionally) take walks to the end of the road and back (0.6 miles) and on the way back I could never make it up this hill walking. At 260 pounds that hill was almost impossible for me to even walk up, I’d have to stop midway and catch my breath and more often than not I made Tim hold my hand and literally pull me up the hill.

Although I still don’t love the hills, I do look back and feel such an overwhelming sense of accomplishment knowing I can run those hills with very little trouble whereas I once couldn’t even walk them.

I ran 5.04 miles in 42:00 this morning. Splits were: 8:33, 8:18, 8:12, 8:12, 8:23.

After my hilly run I decided it was definitely an oatmeal morning.

My oatmeal contained:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 over-ripe banana
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter
• Drizzle of Agave Nectar

Perfect post-run breakfast!

Boston Marathon Monday

Unless you live under a rock, or just aren’t interested in running at all (then why would you be reading my blog?) you probably  know that today was the Boston Marathon. I’ve been looking forward to this day for a couple of months now and actually had it marked on my Google calendar. I was disappointed to find out on Friday that I don’t have the TV channel that the marathon was being broadcast on. However, I was able to watch the coverage online for the small fee of $4.99. I wasn’t in love with the idea of paying to watch it, but I’ve looked forward to it for far too long to not pay 5 bucks.

Thankfully the toddler slept late this morning, so I was able to get my run out of the way before he woke up. I wasn’t intending on a treadmill run today, but Hubby had to work super early so that was my only option.

I completed 5 miles in 41:45.

After my run I had a quick shower, got Lincoln dressed to go to grandma’s so I could have a quiet morning to myself to watch the race and I made myself a yummy post-run breakfast.

Yogurt with strawberries and Kashi Go Lean Crunch is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I was on a Greek yogurt kick for a while, but I actually think I like this Yoplait Light & Fit Vanilla even better.

While eating my breakfast, I settled down at the computer to watch the Boston Marathon. I won’t go through a play-by-play, but it was a very inspirational and at some points tense race. I can’t wait until I can call myself a marathoner!

Some interesting facts about the Boston Marathon:

• The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s best-known road racing events.
• It is always held on Patriot’s Day, the 3rd Monday in April.
• Women were not allowed to enter the Boston Marathon officially until 1972. (In 1967, Katherine Switzer ran the race but did not indicate that she was a female on her registration, she ran under the name K.V. Switzer and was almost ejected from the race).
• The Boston marathon is open to all runners, male and female, from any nation, but they must meet certain qualifying standards. In order to qualify a runner must finish a prior marathon (within 18 months) with a certain period of time. The standards are as follows:

Age Group	Men	Women
18-34	3:10	3:40
35-39	3:15	3:45
40-44	3:20	3:50
45-49	3:30	4:00
50-54	3:35	4:05
55-59	3:45	4:15
60-64	4:00	4:30
65-69	4:15	4:45
70-74	4:30	5:00
75-79	4:45	5:15
80 and over	5:00	5:30

 

Who knows … maybe one day I’ll be good enough to qualify to run Boston. Anything is possible!

Back to reality ….

I had alot of leftover spinach that was getting past its prime that I needed to use up for lunch today.

I decided to go ahead and cook all the spinach, chop it and freeze what I didn’t use. Why have I never thought of this before?!

I made spinach and mushroom quesadillas for lunch.

Hubby has notified me that I don’t talk about him nearly enough on my blog, so he took some pictures of his lunch for me to share. (Actually, he kept fiddling with his plate rearranging his food and when I asked him what he was doing he said “I want mine to look good so you’ll post a picture of it on your blog).

 

I have to give him credit though, the avocado shell/salsa bowl was a great idea. I copied it for my portion.

I used LaTortilla Factory brand, Smart & Delicious Whole Wheat Tortillas for mine. They have only 80 calories per tortilla, compared to the 220 calories per tortilla the Mi Casa brand tortillas have that I used for Hubby’s portion.

I really feel like re-joining Weight Watchers is helping tremendously so far in making me aware of what I put into my body. Although I’m not trying to lose much weight, I really want to focus on portion control and nutrition balance.

Have you ever run a Marathon? Which ones? Ever dream of running Boston?

All facts about the Boston Marathon came from here.

Epic Rest Day!

I went to bed super early last night (before 9:00) with full intentions of getting up this morning and going on a run with the River Region Runners. Today was a group practice run for the Jubilee City Fest 8K on May 22nd, which I actually won’t even be able to run in because I have to work that weekend. Lincoln woke up crying around 4:45 and when I got up to take care of him I realized my legs were really aching from yesterday’s 8 miles. We fell back asleep and when my alarm went off at 6:00 I tried again to get up hoping that my legs would feel better after a little more rest … NOPE! My legs felt like lead, it was obvious there would be no run today.

For breakfast I had a little over one serving of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal with a cup of skim milk.

Lunch was a pimento cheese sandwich on an Arnold Sandwich Thin with a side of baby carrots and Hummus and some delicious Four Bean Salad from Costco.

 

This salad is definitely a new obsession. Its awesome!

Hubby and I decided that since we missed our run this morning we would make today a shopping/errand day instead. We headed out after lunch for some major shopping. I’m sure it was much more fun for me than it was for him. He actually sat in the car while I went in TJ Maxx to buy myself a new purse.

Hubby hates my huge purses but I LOVE them! The bigger the better. 🙂

I also got a much needed pedicure.

Its amazing how horrible running can make your feet look and feel. It was so nice to treat myself to a pedicure, especially the foot massage part.

We stopped by Books-a-Million so I could pick up the latest edition of Vegetarian Times magazine.

Then I convinced myself that I NEEDED to go to Costco again, even though I just went 2 days ago. I tell you .. I love that place. I’m going to have to start setting limits on my Costco trips though.

Today I picked up:

• Boca Burgers
• Hummus (Artichoke flavor)
• Liquid Egg Substitute
• Baby Bella Mushrooms
• Tzatziki

and some Madras Lentils that I’ve been eyeing for my last couple trips.

I have no idea what its going to taste like or even what to eat it with. Is it a chili? dip? side dish? … either way, it looks yummy. I’m sure I’ll figure it out.

After all my shopping I immediately came home and caught up on my blog reading. Megan at MegaNerdRuns posted a pic of herself wearing the cutest Bondi Band, so then I felt the need to buy a few of those as well. I’ve been wanting one for a while. I couldn’t pick just 1 … or 2, so I got:

and …

I can’t wait to try them out!

Dinner tonight was Lentil Loaf, Roasted Asparagus, Corn on the Cob, New Potatoes with mushrooms and green beans, and Hush Puppies.

Now its time to curl up on the couch, catch up on some Tivo shows and look through my new magazine. Have a great night!

Potato Perfection

I’d like to announce that I have mastered the baked potato! And I’m going to share my fabulous secrets with you. Hubby and I have been eating baked potatoes alot lately since I discovered I could buy an enormous bag of them at Costco for a little over $6.

I’ve tried this method of baking the potatoes with every size and no matter how big or how small 1 hour and 10 minutes seems to work perfectly.

Tonight I cooked two very different sized potatoes together. I call them … Mommy potato and Daddy potato.

Here are the steps to the perfect baked potato.

1. Wash potato, poke holes with a fork all the way around.
2. Coat with olive oil. (I like to put them in a Ziploc bag with a little olive oil and coat them, no messy hands!)
3. Sprinkle Kosher or Sea Salt all over outside of potato. I like alot of salt, most of it falls off anyway.
4. Bake in preheated over (straight on rack) at 450 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Now for the toppings …

I like a conglomeration of multiple toppings on my potato. The more the merrier!

This may sound like a super strange combination, but bear with me. Its out of this world.

1. Hummus (I use Sabra brand Roasted Pine Nut usually)
2. Tzatziki (Greek Dill Cucumber yogurt, I buy mine at Costco)
3. Sauteed Veggies (Broccoli, Onion and Mushrooms)
4. Artichoke Hearts (the kind packed in delicious oil, again .. I buy mine at Costco)
5. Feta Cheese

The toppings need to go on in that exact order … (well, probably not really but thats how I think it works best).

Presenting Mommy potato …

And now lets hear it for Daddy potato …

I like my potato completely cut open while Tim likes his stuffed. Either way … absolute perfection.

Enjoy!