Awesomeness

Those that know me, know that I work 3-11. There are many things about it that are worth it, I get the morning with Makayla, I get $0.75 shift differential.  However, things like family dinners, bedtime, snuggle time, Makayla night time stuff that I miss. So, when the job gave me an opportunity to have the day off, without hesitation, I said yes, it gave me the time to enjoy the awesome weather with Makayla, and then she went to day care so that I could go to the gym.  Lately, I have been feeling like I am stuck where I am with my weight loss so I know I need to embrace every chance I can get to move.  I also want to make sure that with the weather being so beautiful, I wanted to make sure that there would still be time to get outside and enjoy it, hopefully as a family. So, I jumped at the opportunity to make dinner and even dessert.  I was feeling like I wanted meatloaf, so when I found this recipe, I was excited to be able to try it out. I also made mixed vegetables, and mashed potatoes. All things, that I can't wait for Makayla to try. And for dessert, I found this recipe for cake mix cookies and let me just tell you, I CANNOT wait to taste them! I will let you know how they turn out...

It all starts with an "M"

Meat pie...that starts with an "M" and that was what was for dinner. It was actually really good, and I am getting better at making my own crusts. Here are some pictures, enjoy!

Motivation, yep that has an "M" too. For some reason, a motivation bug climbed up my tushy and gave me the push I needed. I went to an actual running store and got properly fitted for running shoes. And what a difference it makes to have the right shoes! I wanted to get Nikes, but they weren't wide enough for my feet. It's alright, though I found a this site to log my workouts! Now, not only am I holding myself accountable for eating, I am also holding myself accountable for working out.

Next, the important part of training for any sport, is having and setting goals. With First Strides, I train to run in a 5K race. But then what? Hopefully there will be a 10K that I can run, but now I have set my eyes and my goals higher. So, with my new running shoes I was able to run 1.5 miles today, and it felt good. I have never been able to use the elliptical for more than 5 minutes without my toes feeling numb so I never thought I would be able to run 1.5 miles. Then, I walked a 1/2 mile to cool now. I am so proud of myself. I never thought I would do it. And now...I am hoping to run in the Inaugural Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia in September. September 19th to be exact. So here's to happy feet and manymany miles.

Comfort food

What's your comfort food? To me, home cooked food is definitely comfort food no matter what it is. However, my favorite of all comfort food is macaroni and cheese. I don't know what it is about it, but eating it makes me feel comfortable, relaxed and at ease. I got an even better feeling tonight, when I made it myself and it turned out not only edible (I am still afraid it won't be) but actually quite good, if I am allowed to toot my own horn. I know that all I did was follow a recipe, but I still did make it myself. I am proud of me because since Sunday, I have cooked every meal except one. I even have a menu planned for the rest of this week, which I will share with you. I am even starting to go outside the box, OK just one foot, but I am even planning meals that don't require the slow cooker. Yep, I am trying to slowly branch outside of that "comfort" and slowly build beyond slow cooker meals. Here is the menu for the rest of this week...

Thurs: Hamburger Pie recipe courtesy of Weight Watchers magazine with fries, I am having homemade butternut squash fries, and Penguin, yeah I bought him store bought regular fries.
Fri: Tuna steak with broccoli- tuna steak prepared per package and broccoli steamed
Sat- Steak with sauteed mushrooms and onions
Sun- Stuffed chicken breast recipe courtesy of food network.

Hopefully Penguin is on the same page as me and will enjoy the choice of menu options that are both healthy and will hopefully be tasteful. I am not sure what got over me, but I really prefer to cook at home as opposed to going out, and if Penguin will continue to be cooking strike, I am ok with that, hopefully Penguin will just stop being so picky. I know that there are foods that people don't really like, but most people don't like them after tasting them at one point or another. I am not sure where his dislike is based on, but I know that I will try something once. If I didn't like it, but it is offered to me a different way, I gussy up and try it. If I still don't like it, then at least I know I gave it a fair share. Penguin, if he didn't like it once, then that is it. I just wish as I am on my goal to healthier eating that he would embrace it and try new things. Who knows, maybe he will. On the note of eating healthier, I have officially lost 19 pounds since I started ww in Jan. I am hoping now that I am on a mission to eat better, I will now stop making up excuses to miss the gym. I am also still doing that running program First strides and hopefully that in addition to going to the gym will get me to feel better about myself and by the time of the family reunion camping, I will not be embarrassed to see myself in a bathing suit.

What's do you find comfort in?

What on earth has happened?...

I am concerned, very very concerned. I am starting to love cooking. Yep, you read that correct, yours truly is actually like to cook. Granted, I am not doing anything above and beyond except following a recipe and putting the ingredients into a slow cooker, but still, it feels like such an accomplishment to me. I know that I am not as good as my sister R, heck she was my lifeline today about where to get Fontina cheese, which by the way you can get at Wegman's. (Thanks again R!). Hopefully, I will feel more comfortable and more qualified to move beyond the slow cooker cookbook and then I can move onto the Joy of Cooking. Outside of mixing the ingredients and putting them into the slow cooker, I actually had fun today planning the meal and what we were going to eat with main course. Like, my grandmother got us a food chopper and I loved putting the veggies into it and chopping them for the salad. Please, someone get the thermometer, I must not be feeling well! It actually felt energizing knowing that I had a hand in picking everything out that we are going to eat tomorrow. In the meantime, I hope Penguin doesn't get sick of the slow cooker and all of its magic! Oh, and in case you were wondering, for dinner tomorrow is Slow cooker Mac and cheese.

Has spring arrived?

Did I miss the memo? Is spring here already. I saw this today while driving to the bank (it's the thermometer for my car) and immediately cracked the windows open.

Yep, you are reading that correctly, it says 50 Degrees!!! Hello spring, oh how I have missed you!

On another note, today was Penguin's first day of work which I am totally excited about, but that means it is also my turn to cook (yikes, remember last time?) I am so totally worried that I will burn dinner again. For dinner I turned to the book my sister Rockle got us for Christmas, and will be attempting to make the Salsa Chicken. Hopefully, my cooking it for the minimum time that is suggested dinner will be edible. I am going to serve it with brown rice and a salad. Here's to hoping that spring is sticking around, and that I won't ruin another meal!

It's what's for dinner again...

So, my awesome sisters Rockle and J got us this awesome cookbook for Christmas. It is called "It's not your mother's slow cooker: Slow cooker recipes for two" and it is awesome!

It took us until yesterday to open up our cookbooks, but when we did, it was like hitting the jackpot in the casinos. Well, to me it is anyway. So, anyway since Hubby starts work on Monday and all week will be my responsibility to cook, I started today. I am making slow cooker lasagna, and I can't wait to taste it. I am sure it will not be like the Hubby's cooking, but hey, we all can't be Italian and gourmet chefs right? I will update you with how it turns out...hopefully we will both enjoy dinner!

****addendum: Well, I guess the lasagna turned out OK. I burnt it, not sure how, but hubs being the trooper he is ate it and said he enjoyed it. I have no idea how I burnt it, but next time I guess I should cook it for less time. Hopefully, this is not going to be a trend with using this cookbook.
****addendum2: Ok, so I was correct by my sister J, this cook book was from Rockle (sorry R) and J got us the Joy of Cooking, which is ANOTHER cookbook I will be busting out soon!