Into the Sunset

First Snow

2011-11-28T20:23:00.002-06:00

Outside:

Inside:

Enjoying the first snow of the season...stay warm my friends!

Heart and Sole Half Marathon

2011-10-01T15:14:00.002-05:00

This morning, Ryan and I ran the Heart and Sole Half Marathon here in Jonesboro. The weather was absolutely perfect for a race. Surprisingly, this race was pretty hilly, so it was tougher than I expected, but we still did great!

Ryan shaved more than 15 minutes off of his previous times. I'm so proud of him!!

I shaved about 4-5 minutes off my last time and won 1st place in my age group.

It may be crazy, but we love race day!

Here I am with my little trophy and the towel they gave us...I think that was our hint to go take a shower.

Here's all my loot for the day!

The final results haven't been posted yet, so I don't have our exact times or any official race pics, but I'll give you links when they are posted!

Fall Running/Racing Update

2011-09-23T17:48:00.004-05:00

Fall is officially here and that means racing season is here again! Now we all know that I'm no world-class athlete...so why get so excited about races? Well, because it keeps me motivated! It keeps me heading out the door for run after run and keeps me taking good care of my body. After a summer break from racing, I am ramping up my training again and have a few races in mind for this fall/winter.

I have found more runners here in Jonesboro than I have in all my years of running, and I'm so excited to have found a group of ladies that run at 4:50am (or earlier for longer runs)!

What? You're not excited?

Now let me just say, 4:50 am is a dark, lonely time of day (just in case you've never gone out in the streets to run at that hour). And as much as I tried to get out of bed and get my runs in before work, it just wasn't working out...until I met these ladies. It's a lot less lonely (and a lot less scary) to have 15 other ladies out there with you. Plus, it's a little extra motivation not to hit the snooze button when you know they're waiting on you!

The only catch is...they are training to run a half marathon in December and I'm training for a full in November. My 15 mile long run was pretty lonely last weekend, but this week I will get to run 7 miles of my long run with the group. It's a nice way to break it up a bit.

My first race of the fall is a half marathon next weekend on October 1, right here in Jonesboro. In November, I plan to do my first full marathon in Mtn. Home (which was where I did my first half marathon 7 years ago). Then it's quite possible we will be back at Disney again in January for Ryan's first full on his 30th birthday! So that's the plan, Stan (for now anyway). Wish me luck!

Mosquitoes Bite

2011-08-28T15:45:00.003-05:00

Anyone who has spoken to me since the move to Jonesboro knows that I was initiated into the land of mosquitoes very quickly (read: day 1). I am happy to report that the majority of the bites are gone and I no longer look like I have some horrible disease (well that may be up for debate).

Here are a few snap shots of my ankles...they really liked my ankles. Although I had some bites on every exposed area of skin (and some unexposed areas), the majority of damage was around the ankles and lower legs. You'll also see there's a reason that I'm a nurse and not a leg model...or maybe it's because I'm a nurse and on my feet all day that I can never be a leg model...oh well, I guess we'll never know. ;)

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

and C

The evidence is clear: 1. I was nearly eaten alive by tiny, flying insects and 2. I will never be a foot/leg model.

In other news, I made a Facebook album of a few more pictures to show some "after" pictures (some have actual furniture and home decor in them). Click HERE to see it!

Move Update!

2011-08-22T20:27:00.003-05:00

We are all settled in here in Jonesboro, and we LOVE IT! I started work and Ryan started classes today. I am so excited about my job, and Ryan is also excited to take the next step to reach his long term goals.

Since internet has been scarce during the transition, I'm finally back-tracking and getting some house pictures up.

First a few lighting fixtures...I just love all the finishes in this house!

This was Ryan's truck as he left on Friday (just over a week ago) with the first load of our belongings.

Bye honey! Good luck with all that!

Don't worry, I joined him the next day with another load.

When we arrived, I giggled and bounced around the empty house taking pictures before all the hard work began. Here are a few of those pictures:

Living room

Master bedroom.

Jetted tub....ahhh....

More of the master bathroom.

Kitchen.

Kitchen from another angle.

Stairway to the bonus room.

Bonus room.

Spare bedroom.

2nd bathroom (too narrow to get a good picture).

Office or 3rd bedroom.

I'll get the pictures of the finished product with furniture and some decorations soon. I'll also have updates on my mosquito bites, running on flat ground, and fence building for the dogs. I know you must be excited! ;)

Quick House Update

2011-08-02T21:01:00.002-05:00

We went to Jonesboro last Thursday. Since we had just been there the weekend prior, there's not a whole lot to update.

The brick is almost done.

The counter tops were in!!

Here's an up-close and personal look at the counter tops.

This is the breakfast nook, just off the kitchen. You can see they are starting to get some lighting fixtures up.

In other news, I went to sign up for my very first marathon on Saturday...you know, the one in December....it was SOLD OUT! I'm pretty bummed, but I'm on the hunt for another one to take it's place. Anyone know of a good fall marathon (within a relatively easy driving distance from Jonesboro)?

3 Weeks to Go!

2011-07-24T15:39:00.003-05:00

With only a few short weeks until the projected completion date for the house, we were excited to see they had gotten a lot done this week. It's coming right along!

We now have a garage door. The brick is now done on 3 sides...the only side left is the front.

Here's a closer view of the brick.

Here's the Master bathroom. It's hard to get a good view of it, but to the left there is a tall cabinet for extra storage, then the double sinks, and just past that is the closet. On the right, there is a jetted tub, a shower, and the toilet is through that door straight ahead. Yes, right where that window is...how about moving those blinds to the top of the to-do list?

This is the view from the living room. The front door is behind that pole on the right. The area with the arched window is the formal dining area.

This is the view from the dining area..looking toward the living room.

The bonus room! There is a big stack of drywall just waiting to go in this room.

The kitchen is taking shape!

Another view.

The next time we see the house will be at least two weeks from now. I'm sure it will only have the finishing touches to add by then...it's getting so close!

A Few House Pics

2011-07-18T19:53:00.003-05:00

Ryan went to Jonesboro today to meet with the builder to discuss a few final details as the construction process continues. They only have a little less than 4 short weeks to finish our house!

Here is the first sneak peek of the house.

Here she is!

Here's a little closer view of the white brick.

This is the color of the kitchen cabinets.

This will soon be in our master bathroom.

We will head over to Jonesboro again this weekend. By then, the cabinets should be installed so we can see the shape of our kitchen! Hopefully, the brick will be almost finished as well. More pictures to come!

Updates!

2011-07-17T16:00:00.003-05:00

Well, a lot has happened since my last post.

1. I accepted a job at St. Bernard's in Jonesboro. I start work August 22, which is the same day Ryan starts classes. The hours are Mon-Fri, 7am-4pm, no weekends, no holidays :)...'nuff said.

2. We made an offer on a house..and then another...and then another...The 3rd time was a charm, though! We are finally under contract! It's a house that is still under construction, so I won't have pictures for a while. The date of closing (and the date it will be finished) will be August 12th.

3. August 12 will also be my last day at work here in Mtn. Home.

4. I discovered Andy's Frozen Custard in Jonesboro...I can't decide if I like it better than Shake's or not. I may have to try them both again to decide.

5. I'm running more each week. Training has officially started for this fall. Ryan and I are excited to be moving to the flat lands of Northeast Arkansas. It's going to make marathon training a little more enjoyable. We will be able to walk out the front door and run a 5 mile loop near our house without running into a single hill.

6. I've gotten my first mosquito bites from the giant Jonesboro mosquitoes. This is a downfall of moving to the flatlands of Northeast Arkansas...lots of standing water.

7. I was chased by a giant rodent for the first time in my life. On my 5th of 7 miles today, I saw a fuzzy creature on the side of the trail. Not sure of what it was and whether it was dead or alive, I ran a wide circle around it. I figured if it was alive, it would run away. But I was wrong. It turned and saw me and ran toward me! When I ran away, it lurched toward me twice, and when it realized I wasn't going to stick around to put up a fight, it went on its way.

I still have no idea what the heck it was. It looked like a small beaver, but it had a fuzzy tail. It didn't look like a ground hog or any other common local creature. I'm not sure what type of rodent would be out in the 90+ degree heat in middle of the day unless it was sick though, so I'm glad it didn't get hold of me!

8. Hmm. I guess that covers most of the new developments over the past couple weeks. I'm sure I'll have more as moving day gets closer!

Summer Break

2011-07-02T13:11:00.003-05:00

Ahhh...the lazy days of summer. Yes, I've been on somewhat of a summer break. Not necessarily on purpose, but I've taken the past month or..ahem..month and a half to be a bit lazy.

Running? Yep, still gettin' out there but not as often and not nearly as long.

Strength training? Maybe once a week. (I'm pretty sure that's not effective at all in maintaining lean muscle mass).

Counting calories? Not since May.

Blogging? Let's not even go there.

Well, what have I been doing instead? A little fishing and boating, hot evening strolls in the park with the dogs, watching movies (I think we've gone to the theater 4 times or so in the last month), and waiting.

Waiting to find out where we go from here. Waiting to see if Ryan finds a job. Waiting to see if his job will require us to move. Well, about two weeks ago, we were contemplating the options. No jobs were showing up here (or elsewhere for that matter), and Ryan was wishing he was more qualified for the positions requiring an engineering degree or experience, so he started looking closer into going back to school, again. Well, turns out, he can continue to go to school at ASU since he hasn't been out of school for a whole year and finally get his engineering degree. He has taken all the classes he can here at the local campus, so guess what that means...

We're moving to Jonesboro! It's all happening a little fast, but the timing is right. We can likely get moved by the end of summer break, just in time for classes to start. This means I am on the job hunt over in Jonesboro and hopefully I'll find something by the time Ryan's classes start. We'll see...

As far as my summer break, I'm bringing it to an end. Fall racing season is just around the corner and I have a few half marathons I'm looking at for September, October, and November, then a FULL marathon in December. You may remember my post about this time last summer, when I first uttered the "M" word and set my goal to run my first full at St. Jude's Memphis Marathon. After being side-lined by a stress fracture, I hope to finally reach that goal a whole year after I had originally hoped. And I will.

So, summer break is nearing an end for me. It's time to start increasing mileage, strength training at least twice a week, eating clean, and yes, keeping you all updated on my progress. Oh yeah, and moving 2 hours away and finding a place to live and work in the process! I love it!

The Rabbit Hunter

2011-05-29T07:45:00.003-05:00

Warning: If the thought or site of a dead baby bunny makes you queasy, cry, or otherwise uncomfortable, stop reading now.

If you're still here, you won't believe what Duke did Thursday night.

I was just starting to get ready for bed when Duke insisted I let him outside. It was a little late for him to want to go outside, but I let him and Aspen out. Aspen came back to the door quickly, knowing he was about to miss his bed time if he didn't hurry. About 5 minutes later, I went to the back door and still didn't see Duke. So, I called him, and he comes slowly to the porch. I notice immediately that his cheeks are huge and he has a clump of clover hanging out of the edge of his mouth.

Well, I know he doesn't have a mouth full of clover. It's whatever was IN the clover that is in his mouth. Not wanting to find out by myself, I frantically call Ryan to the scene. Since I wasn't about to reach in his mouth to find out what it was, I told him to "drop it."

Not working.

So, I lifted up the side of his lip and see a furry ball of something...a chipmunk, a mole...I can't really tell, but I'm freaking out a little here. Ryan goes to the kitchen and brings back a few slices of lunch meat. Bribery, I love it. After seeing his brother gobble down a few slices without him, Duke finally opened his mouth enough for me to shake his head and get the little critter out.

This is what we found. Yes, an innocent baby bunny lost his life to Duke, the Rabbit Hunter.

I was sad, disappointed in my precious, do-no-wrong (well almost) pup, but the only thing to do now is finish getting ready for bed. Both the dogs were back inside--mouths empty. The dead bunny was disposed of, beyond the dogs' fence, so Duke wouldn't eat him.

Not long after I was back in the bathroom brushing my teeth, I heard some commotion in the living room. I took a quick look and saw the dogs were desperate to get something from behind a speaker. Did they drop a toy back there? It wouldn't be the first time. So I took a peak. It was a bit dark, so all I could see was a tiny dark shadow. Probably one of their stuffed animals, but I didn't recognize this toy. Since I was a little skittish from what just happened, I thought I should go get the flashlight before I just stick my hand down there and grab it.

This is what I saw.

Another bunny!! and IN the house! When did he carry it inside? Is it hurt? I was squealing, and Ryan was in the shower, laughing. He said, "Put it outside."

"I don't want to touch it."

"Well, get something to put it in."

So, I'm trying to figure out the best way to get the little guy out without 1)scaring him to death, 2) without scaring me to death, and 3)

Without letting him fall prey to this guy.

Or this one.

When I composed myself and Ryan arrived for assistance, we coaxed the little guy into a paper bag. I saw a little blood on his rump, but other than that, he was moving around well and we thought we should just let him go and hope the best for him.

Operation bunny-release was successful. He was far from the dangers of the back yard. The next morning he was gone, so we figured he lived and moved on or some other predator finished the job Duke started.

I wish this is where the story ended, but it isn't.

When I let the dogs out that morning, I followed Duke out...just to make sure he didn't have another bunny from the same litter out there.

You know, just on the off-chance that he might...

Well, he went directly to a clump of grass and plucked something into his mouth. I immediately called him over and shook it out of his mouth. Yes, another bunny. This one had been dead, though. I guess he killed him the day before and kept him there as a little prize. He must have taken out the whole litter of bunnies!

I looked around the yard to make sure he didn't have any others hidden. After the all-clear I thought this story would finally be over.

Two days later, yesterday, we headed outside to do some yard work. When Ryan drove the lawnmower around to the front yard, I was headed out on the front patio and something darted out from the bushes onto the patio.

It was the released bunny!

His cut was healing but there was a big mean fly attached to the open skin. I couldn't just leave him like that...all by himself, defenseless and alone, with a big, mean fly on him, and did I mention that he was alone and scared?

So now we have a bunny.

In a box...

Eating lettuce leaves.

With no flies on his healing wound.

Now what do we do? Give him to a vet? Let him go in a few days when he is healed? Give him to my nephew for his birthday, despite my sister's reluctance? (j/k, Kim)

At this point, I'm not sure, but at least one of the 3 bunnies that fell prey to Duke will be making a full recovery.

Finally, THE END.

Ryan's Graduation

2011-05-11T18:53:00.000-05:00

Ryan's parents came to visit last weekend. They were in town for a very special event...

Ryan's graduation!

I'm so excited and so proud of Ryan for this accomplishment. For those of you who don't know, he studied business and engineering at UAB but never finished either degree. So, over the past year and a half, he went back and finished a bachelor's degree in Business Management. He is in the process of applying for jobs, so I'll keep you updated on what he ends up doing with his degree.

Of course, he is already talking about going back...either to finish his engineering degree or to get his MBA. I'll also keep you updated on what he decides to do about more school....

For now, we will be leaving tomorrow for a VACATION! This will be our first vacation for just the two of us since our honeymoon 3 years ago. I am beyond excited! We will be making a short 2-day stop in Birmingham, then we'll head to Gulf Shores, AL for a week.

Happy Anniversary

2011-05-03T19:35:00.004-05:00

Celebrating 3 years as husband and wife...

...And Ryan's last assignment for the semester...done...turned in...now just waiting for graduation....

and yet another new stage in life to begin...

or, let's be honest, just waiting for my vacation to begin in 7 days, 22 hours, and 13 minutes.

But who's counting?

Meeting Loralei

2011-05-01T11:26:00.002-05:00

You may remember a few weeks ago, I went to my friend, Jamie's, baby shower. Baby Loralei was due today, May 1, but on April 21 after an unexpected induction, then c-section, she graced us with her presence a little early...all 7lbs 13oz and 21 inches of her.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at Jamie's home in Fayetteville. Let me just say, she is precious, tiny, and a beautiful addition to an already amazing family.

This is Jamie, her husband, Nick, and baby Loralei Dove.

I'm happy to say mom and baby are doing well. Nick and Jamie are already amazing parents, and I wish them all the happiness in the world during this beautiful transition in life.

Gainesville Relay for Life 5K

2011-04-24T08:37:00.009-05:00

Between all the storms over the past few days, there have been a few brief periods of no-rain, just-clouds, and more clouds. One of those periods of time just happened to occur yesterday, just in time for the Gainesville Relay for Life 5K. It was a small town race for a good cause, and with Sarah being from Gainesville, I happily joined her for her hometown race.

Since it was just the two of us and a handful of other runners/walkers, we took our race "mugshot" just to document the race day...and prove that we were there.

A brick wall was the background this time.

Sarah...her 3rd race!

Squeeze in for a picture together!

April Half Marathon

2011-04-16T17:10:00.003-05:00

So, if you haven't noticed, I've done a half marathon each month so far this year. Today, we ran in Jonesboro, AR for the Doc Rock and Run Half Marathon. It was about 47 degrees with wind gusts well above 20mph...horrible. It was bound to happen. I had 3 beautiful races (weather-wise) in a row. I just didn't think it would be this miserable in the middle of April.

But on the bright side, it was another PR! I don't know how. I've kept my mileage up, I but haven't been trying to incorporate speed work or other workouts that would lead to another PR. So, I was excited to shave about another minute off my PR. Today's time was 1:54:and some seconds. My official time hasn't been posted yet. I think I was just in a hurry to get back inside!

Here's a few pictures. It was too cold and windy to take pictures outside, so in front of the women's restroom inside the Convocation Center was the next best place.

A Shiny New PR

2011-03-21T19:16:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I ran another half marathon.

...and so did Ryan
...and a couple of our friends.

Ryan's friend, Jonathan, came along for his first half marathon and my friend and coworker, Sarah, came along for her first 5K...or so she thought.

Saturday, when we arrived in Germantown, TN, we headed directly to pick up our packets. To make a long story short, we talked Sarah into upgrading her registration to the half-marathon. She decided to run with Jonathan and Ryan who were a bit under-trained for this one and would be alternating walking/jogging.

I wanted a PR. A Personal Record. I was getting close with my last race at 2:04. My personal record for the half marathon was 1:59:58, which was set with my very first half marathon...7 years ago. It was time to break it.

I ran 15 miles the week before the race. My 13.1 split was 1:56. I could do it. I knew I could. This was going to be the race to prove myself to...well, just to myself, but I still wanted to do it. And to make another long (13.1 miles long) story, short. I did it! I pushed myself, my hip felt fine, I stayed well hydrated, the weather was great, the planets aligned, I pushed myself, and I did it! 1:55:53 was the magic number that broke my 7 year-old PR by 4 minutes and beat my most recent race, just 3 weeks ago by 9 minutes.

I'm super excited about my own accomplishment, but I'm equally, if not more so, excited that Ryan also beat his old time by more than 15 minutes, and Sarah and Jonathan ran their very first race...a half marathon! That's huge!

Come on now, why the look of pain and exhaustion?

That's a little better.

Here we are (left to right: Sarah, Ryan, Me, Jonathan).

After some showers (there are a lot of horse statues in Germantown).

We are already looking for our next race. We have our eyes on a mud-run just 3 weeks away. Sounds like a ton of fun. Any suggestions for other spring races?

Baby Shower

2011-03-13T20:21:00.003-05:00

My dear friend is having a baby in 7 weeks.

Saturday, my mom and I traveled to Ward, AR for her baby shower.

We shared a few laughs.

Then, we parted ways again.

The next time I see Jamie, she will have a baby girl named Loralei Dove, and a new chapter of her life will begin.

It seems like just yesterday we were two stressed nursing school students, roommates, coworkers, and 24/7 companions...5 years of time has passed since then and many miles separate us, but we will always share these precious life-changing moments and continue to create memories along the way.

Spinning!

2011-03-13T20:19:00.004-05:00

A few weeks back, Ryan and I invested in a spin bike. He (we) put it together, but this is him working hard while I run and grab the camera.

I would have loved to have this when my hip was injured, but I'm super happy to have it now to use between runs, so I can incorporate more cardio into my routine without risking re-injury.

The test ride...jeans and all.

It may not look like much, but 30 minutes on this baby and you'll be crying "Uncle" before you're done with the first set of intervals.

At least I was.

Maybe it's just me.

Running is my happy place...Spinning is my torture device.

In a good way.

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

2011-03-13T19:27:00.004-05:00

This was my recovery meal today. These pancakes are very filling thanks to their whole grain, high fiber ingredients. They are jam-packed with whole grains, flax, and oats, and no oil or butter is added. Your cardiologist will thank me.

You need:
1.25 cups whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
6 TBSP milled flax seed
1/3 cup whole oats
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 large banana)
1 egg
1 cup skim milk

Combine all the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Scoop 1/3 cup pancake batter and pour on a hot griddle (about 375 degrees). Cook until golden on each side. Makes about 7-8 pancakes.

You can see all the whole grain goodness in the batter.

In the meantime, make your blueberry compote. Now, most compotes use a boatload of sugar, but the blueberries are really sweet enough to avoid it.

1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup water
1/2 TBSP sugar

Place ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the blueberries begin to break down and form a syrup (about 8-10 minutes). This makes enough for about 2 people. If you have enough people around to eat all the pancakes, you should double or even triple the recipe.

Pour the compote over the hot pancakes instead of using a traditional butter and syrup topping. At only 150 calories per pancake and 30 calories for the compote...

...go ahead and enjoy two!

Eat well!

Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast

2011-03-06T15:57:00.005-06:00

This is a perfect recovery meal after a long run. Plenty of carbs to replenish your energy stores and plenty of protein for muscle recovery. I dreamt this up this week, and since I only have time for cereal during the week, I knew it would be perfect this weekend after my 7 miler. I'm sure someone has probably thought of this before, but for me this is a new recipe and it is now one of my favorites!

Start by spreading 1 TBSP peanut butter on two pieces of bread. It will go on pretty thin since it's only 1 TBSP for two slices, but you need a little stickiness on both pieces. Choose a 100% whole wheat bread with about 50 calories per slice.

Next, thinly slice 1/2 of a banana and sandwich the slices between the bread.

Beat one large egg, add a splash of milk, then dip the sandwich. Flip it over to coat both sides.

Throw it on a griddle or hot skillet and cook each side until golden like this.

I was going to drizzle a little honey on top instead of syrup to complement the PB, but apparently, I haven't used honey in a while. It was all dried up.

Plan B: Sugar free syrup. It only has 35 calories for 1/4 a cup, and with all the sweetness from the banana, you don't even miss the sugar.

Here's the final product! It was sooo delicious...I think I need to go on another run so I can have another "recovery" meal. Plus, it only has about 315 calories. Add a glass of milk and call it a meal!

Eat well my friends!

Food for Thought

2011-03-06T08:17:00.004-06:00

Have you ever noticed when you are trying to be extra careful about what you put into your body, food is ALL you can think about?

Ryan and I have been on a mission of sorts to decrease our body fat composition and, in turn, lose a few pounds. Why? Well, for me, to improve my running, and with several races this spring, I hope to see some improvement with each race. Ryan just wants to continue the weight loss journey he started months ago.

We have followed Matt Fitzgerald's Racing Weight: Quick Start Guide as closely as possible. The only problem is the quick start program is meant to be used before starting your race training, not during training. During serious training, the body needs more carbs and calories to fuel more intense workouts, making it difficult to lose much weight in the process. During the quick start, workouts are less intense, protein intake is higher, carb intake is lower, and calorie intake is lower.

So far, I ran one race last week and will be running another in two weeks. At that point I will have finished my 6 week quick start program and could easily transition to more serious training for maybe a...ahem...longer distance race goal. Perhaps?

So, is it working? Well, Ryan has lost another 10lbs (he had lost some weight already in preparation for the Disney Half). I have lost about 4lbs which may not sound like much but I have been essentially the same weight (give or take a couple measly pounds) for about 90% of my adult life. I had almost come to the conclusion that this was my "set point" and I would likely never break through it, but I have! I've also lost about 2% body fat.

Now, back to food. In addition to eating only high quality (no empty calorie) foods, you need to create a calorie deficit. The hardest part about this whole thing is creating a calorie deficit of 300-500 calories and still having enough energy to fuel my runs. To do this, I've lowered the intensity on many of my runs and basically stick to a 300 calorie deficit. The higher protein intake during the quick start is supposed to keep you feeling fuller, longer, but I'll just say that while it helps, we are still hungry a LOT.

Experimenting on new, yummy, stick-to-your ribs recipes? A thing of the past.

Dessert? Forget about it.

Watching Food Network? Don't make me throw something at the TV.

Browsing through Southern Living and running across Pound Cakes to Celebrate! ? Someone hide the butter and help me!

Since our weekend splurges are now out of the question, we've tried to embrace new possibilities of what we can eat which is why I posted a healthy alternative to the typical burger and fries last night. I hope to share more of our healthy recipes as we go. Not that we ate only junk before...in fact, we have always had fairly good eating habits during the week, but those efforts are easily erased with experimenting on indulgent recipes on the weekend.

I hope you enjoy what's to come!

Eat well and stay healthy!

Mesquite Ranch Venison Burgers

2011-03-05T18:38:00.007-06:00

Even though it's a burger, it's really, surprisingly, light.

First, venison (and most wild game for that matter) is extremely lean and, of course, packed with filling protein. We had some part of a deer in the freezer from a friend of ours (thanks Luke!). Don't ask me which part, but in any case, we ground it up with our handy meat grinder.

Tip: It's a good idea to grind super lean meats twice so they aren't tough (I won't charge ya for that one).

Once you have some ground meat, add this magic ingredient. It packs some huge flavor in a small amount, so don't go too crazy. For added flavor, add a little garlic powder and onion powder. Then, mix it all up with your hands and form patties...4 ounces is plenty, and the good thing about the lean venison is that it doesn't shrink once you start grilling, so what you see before cooking is essentially what you get when it's all done.

If you have the time, wrap the patties in some plastic wrap and let them "marinate" in the fridge for a few hours to really incorporate the flavor through the meat.

To grill: Find a strapping outdoorsy husband, hand him a plate of venison patties, and point him in the direction of the grill.

No, seriously, I love to grill, but with a cold front that went through last night, I kept myself in the comfort of the indoors and gave Ryan the pleasure of grilling alone tonight. It took 4-5 minutes on each side, but it will depend on the size and thickness of your burgers.

Now, what about the bun? If you've ever looked, many hamburger buns can have upwards of 200 calories each. Look for some bread (100% whole wheat) that has 50-60 calories per slice, and you can save 100 calories on your bread alone (I won't charge ya for that one either). I like this Nature's Own. It only has 50 calories per slice, and it tastes great...what more could you ask for?

Top the burger with whatever you like...lettuce, tomato, onion...and just a little light ranch for some zing.

And this is what you get! The salad is some low fat cottage cheese and tomatoes on a bed of fresh spinach, topped with a bit of red onion...no dressing, just a little salt and pepper and you're good to go! You won't even miss the dressing.

Compared to a typical burger and fries, we just saved more than 400 calories! And I think I can speak for both of us when I say, we are every bit as satisfied.

Eat well and stay healthy!

Cowtown 1/2 Marathon

2011-03-03T14:58:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, I ran another half marathon in Fort Worth, TX. I went with my friend, Laura, and her sister, Becca. We had a great time!

This Laura (on the left) and me after the race. She ran the FULL marathon and did awesome!

Here is Laura and her beautiful sisters..and her precious little niece.

Here's our whole group. Becca had a group of friends running the half marathon also, so there was a great turnout!

I ran this half in 2:04:01 which puts me back to to where I was prior to my injury! I have been hesitant on looking for another marathon to work toward, but I feel almost confident enough to put it back on my goal list for this year.

I'll keep you posted...

As for now, I have another half marathon scheduled. You may remember we ran the Germantown, TN 5K last spring. Well, this spring we are running the half marathon. I'm really looking forward to this one. It's a relatively small race, and it should have a pretty scenic course through Germantown. It's only a little over two weeks away!

Frozen Fog

2011-02-20T19:09:00.003-06:00

Since I last posted, the weather quickly took a turn for the better. We have enjoyed several 70+ degree days, many in the 60's as well. BUT I forgot to transfer a few pictures to my computer from a couple days after the last big snow, so I'm gonna backtrack to winter again for a brief moment.

A day or two after the last big snow, I was letting the dogs out as usual...just before the sun came up. I noticed something all over the trees. I knew it wasn't fresh snow. It looked...different. As the sun came up I saw that all the branches, including the tiniest twigs were completely covered. I suppose it must have been the fog freezing on any surface it touched.

Later, as I thawed out my car from under the thick layer of mystery iciness, I snapped a few photos before heading off to work.

See the thick layer of icy crystals...so cool.

As I drove to work, I saw the icy wonderland ended after crossing to the other side of the lake. I guess it was just the lake fog...any weather experts out there have a better explanation?

Okay. Now that I got that out of my system, we can officially look onward to spring...no turning back!

Cold Outing

2011-02-09T18:59:00.004-06:00

I finally got out the door today to take a few pictures of the fluffy white stuff.

Duke loves the snow...for about 20 minutes, then he's ready to get back on the couch by the fire.

The back yard.

Probably 5 or 6 inches on the railing. I think there was even more snow in town. Anyone know the totals?

We took a ride down the road on the 4-wheeler...Very pretty scenery.

I know you can barely see due to the camouflage, but Ryan is actually standing in the middle of this picture. Crazy disguise, right?

Did anyone else go play in the snow today?

Snow Day!

2011-02-09T13:05:00.002-06:00

They said it was coming. They said we would get 1-4 inches of snow. I felt like there was a chance we could get a little more based on what people in Oklahoma and Kansas were getting.

I woke up this morning to a mere dusting of snow. Blah. Time to get ready for work. Well, by the time Ryan left with the truck at 6:30 and daylight had started to break, I saw that it was snowing pretty hard and that dusting had turned into a half inch or more.

I continued to get ready for work, and soon enough Ryan was calling, telling me I probably shouldn't get my car out in this snow. I felt like a wimp, but I called in to work and told them I wasn't coming...even though there was only about an inch of snow on the ground.

Well, it continued to get worse..and fast. Snow has been falling constantly since this morning and from the window, it looks like we have about 5 inches. If it will ever stop snowing today, I'll take the camera out to get some pictures. I think it is best that I stayed home. I would probably be stranded trying to get home right now if I would have made to work this morning.

I also just heard that Eaton cancelled 2nd and 3rd shifts and will be closing soon, so Ryan will be headed home soon. Looks like a cozy day for the Wood family next to the fire!

The absolute best news though? 50 degree temps by this weekend! Heat wave, baby!

Busy Week, Sick Husband, and Looong Run Sunday

2011-01-30T18:26:00.002-06:00

This week was very BUSY in every sense of the word. Busy at work, busy outside of work, busy at school (for Ryan)...just busy. So, Friday night when Ryan said he wanted to go to bed at 7:30, I didn't object. I went right to sleep too. Ryan was just starting to feel sick, and I was just, well, exhausted.

I slept until 7:30 the next morning. The long night of sleep had me ready for anything on Saturday. I finished cleaning the house by 10:30, had a Walmart trip done by 12:30, and went back to bed for a nap by 2:30.

Yes, a nap.

A two-hour long, glorious, Saturday afternoon nap. Thank you.

Ryan ran a fever all day Saturday, other than when he had Tylenol in his system. So, with him feeling sick, he went right to bed around 9:30 on Saturday, even after sleeping most of the day away.

Me, on the other hand, I was wide awake until about 12:30am. I guess 14 hours of sleep will do that to you.

Today, I went for my first long run since the half marathon. Well, I did run 7 miles last Sunday, but that was on the treadmill and it always seems a little easier on the flat surface (I never voluntarily add hills). I ventured out with my trusty Garmin to tell me when I had finished my 8 miles. I ran through neighborhoods and through town, just enjoying the freedom of not having to follow a specific route to know my distance. I felt great, my hip didn't hurt, and I averaged a 9:39 pace.

I am signed up for another half marathon at the end of February. It's the Cowtown in Fort Worth, TX. Some marathoner-friends of mine are going to do the full marathon and asked if I wanted to join. I would love to try for a full, but I still think it's too soon for my hip, so I will be tagging along for the half.

For now, I just hope Ryan feels better soon so he can get back out there with me again. The only running he did today was running a fever all day again. Hopefully this will be short-lived...and I hope I don't get it!

Have a wonderful week!

Race Report: Disney Half Marathon Jan 8, 2011

2011-01-22T08:36:00.009-06:00

Let me just say this race was my FAVORITE part of the Orlando trip. The weather could not have been better. It was about 54 degrees at the start of the race and almost 70 by the time we finished. And since we didn't spend any time at Disney this year, this was our only glimpse in the parks during the trip.

Mostly though, it was sharing the event with Ryan, the self-proclaimed nonrunner. The day of the race was also his 29th birthday. Running is something I love and enjoy so much and to see Ryan run a half-marathon...let's just say I've been beaming with pride ever since.

So, since every race report needs a bit of a play-by-play, here we go:

We had a strategy. To jog 3 miles/walk 1 mile. This method helps to prevent fatiguing too easily and prevent injury. This was going to be key to our success since this was Ryan's longest distance ever, and my longest distance since my stress fracture. We were able to stick with this strategy more or less. There were some areas where the course narrowed and was so crowded that we had to stop and walk before it was time, and there were some areas where we took advantage of more room and ran longer than 3 minutes.

Around mile 4-5 we were running through a great cheering section and one guy yelled, "Keep goin' guys, you're doing great! The pain goes away!" I laughed and tucked that motto away for later.

By the time we reached the Magic Kingdom, we were still feeling strong. We took some pictures, and thanks to my trusty Garmin, I saw that we were at about 1 hour 20 minutes at the 10k split. Slow, yes, but on track to finish in under 3 hours which was Ryan's first half-marathon goal.

We pushed along and about a half mile after the castle, I thought, I want to see how the castle picture turned out. I pulled out the camera and looked. There was the picture I took of Ryan in front of the castle, but the picture he "took" of me...nonexistent.

"Ryan, the picture of me isn't there!"

"It took, didn't it?"

"No!" I shoved the camera over to him, proving that the picture did not exist. "I wanted a picture in front of the castle," I pouted...and continued to pout for about the next mile when I finally decided to get over it and not let it ruin the rest of the race. We stopped around mile 8 for a couple more photos. This time, Ryan hit the review button before we started running again...just to make sure.

By mile 10, Ryan's pace had started to slow a good bit. By mile 11.5, he hit a wall. "Screw it," he said and started to walk. "I tried, but it's just not gonna happen."

I looked at my watch, knowing that if we didn't jog this last mile, we wouldn't make it in under 3 hours. "You've got this, Ryan. We just have one more mile. Just like one lap around the park at home. You do it all the time!"

"My ankle hurts."

The words I heard around mile 4 came to mind, "The pain goes away! Come on, it's only temporary...you can do it!"

With that, he started jogging again. We jogged the last mile through Epcot, and when the finish line was in sight, we had barely over a minute to make it in under 3 hours. "Do you see it honey!?! We're gonna make it!" I cheered.

Ryan grinned with happiness and probably down-right relief.

We made it across the finish line in 2:59:55, just barely meeting the goal, but we did it! My hip remained intact, Ryan crossed the finish line upright, and we had done it together.

I am so proud of this guy! This is where we took pictures of each other in front of the castle. The picture of me didn't take.

Here's the view looking up, just as we were about to run through the castle.

Here we are approaching the castle. I grabbed one of the race volunteers to take this snapshot.

Squinting in the sun after the race...medals in hand!

After an nice shower and just before we hit the road for a 9-hour drive.

Ryan, me, Bobby, and Ryan's cousin, Cammy.

I think Ryan has finally caught the running bug. He says he wants to do the FULL marathon next year, which will fall on his 30th birthday. His ankle remained sore for a couple days, but guess what...

The pain went away.

The Overdue Orlando Post

2011-01-22T08:11:00.003-06:00

I know, I know...the suspense has been killing you. I promised an Orlando post, and we've been back for two weeks, and still no post.

Well, your wait is finally over. We had a wonderful time. This year, we drove and took our time traveling down to Orlando. We visited family along the way. During our time in Orlando, we spent a day at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure to see the new Harry Potter park. We also spent a day at Sea World.

The whole week led up to the long awaited Disney Half Marathon (which will have its own post). It was my favorite part of the trip. The only downside was that we had to get in a car after the race and drive 9 hours to Birmingham, then 7.5 hours the next day to get home in time to get back to work on Monday. The driving ultramarathon is something I could've done without.

Anyway, click here for a sampling of photos from the trip.

A Video for Your Enjoyment

2011-01-13T19:59:00.002-06:00

This video made me laugh out loud. This is how I felt after my first half-marathon. This last one, I had almost no muscle soreness at all. Of course, I did finish a full hour later than my best time. So, speed probably has something to do with it. I'm sure if I ever make it to the FULL marathon, this is how I'll be feeling the day after.

Now, if you're wondering what happened to that last guy, just take a close look at Bobby's shirt below...

Let's just say 13.1 (or more) miles of friction can do it to anyone.

I'll get around to posting more about our trip this weekend. I'm still in the process of unpacking if that tells you anything. I'll get it done eventually!

Fresh Florida Oranges

2011-01-05T17:57:00.004-06:00

Fresh Florida Oranges...

and Grapefruit....

and Tangerines...

Ryan's Aunt Teddie has a wide variety of citrus trees, and during our visit on Monday and Tuesday, we had the opportunity to pick our weight in oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, and lemon.

We took the oranges straight from the tree to the juicer.

There is absolutely no comparison to fresh squeezed OJ and grapefruit juice.

We are enjoying our time here in Florida and have a few fun things planned to finish out the week. I'll have lots of pictures to share by the time we are done here!

Happy Birthday Duke!!

2010-12-30T19:02:00.005-06:00

This is my baby.

He turns 4 today.

We loved each other from day 1.

I took him everywhere.

It may seem like I carried him everywhere.

And apparently I only had one shirt back then.

He has always loved to swim.

And use his sniffer.

And ride in the car.

Not much has changed since then. He has grown a bit, but he's still the sweetest, snuggliest pup in the whole wide world.

Happy 4th birthday Duke!

In other news, we are headed south tomorrow to eventually make our way to Orlando. We will be making stops in Birmingham, Dothan, and Ocala before we finally make it to Orlando. So far, it looks like we will have some nice weather. And of course Saturday, Jan. 8th, is the Disney Half Marathon! I'll try to keep the updates coming this week, but I'm not sure what my internet status will be. Either way, I'll miss ya, I love ya, and will be thinking of ya!

Looong Run Sunday

2010-12-19T15:37:00.003-06:00

Ryan is a self-proclaimed nonrunner. He doesn't run, doesn't like to run, but yet he signed up for a half marathon, to run, on his birthday, so go figure. A few weeks back, with less than 2 months left to train for the race, he decided to, well, START training. He's been walking/jogging a good bit with a training plan I developed that should be just enough to get us across the finish line without me getting re-injured and without him passing out midway through!

So far, our longest run has been up to 6 miles, which we ended up doing on our own. Today our long run goal was 8 miles, so we decided to do it together to stay motivated. This was my longest run since August before I was injured, and this was Ryan's longest run, ever. Fortunately, the weather was great. It stayed in the upper 40's with minimal wind and all the sunshine you could ask for. I brought the camera along, but we didn't run into anything too exciting. Here are a few clips, one before, during, and after the run.

Ryan says it was horrible, but it was really great! We used a jog/walk method (thanks Jeff Galloway!) where we jogged 3 minutes/walked 1 minute. You can really average a pretty good pace using this method because your muscles don't tire out as fast. We averaged a 12:38 pace. Although it was slower than my normal, I made it 8 miles without hip pain, so it worked as far as I'm concerned! AND Ryan made it through his longest run ever! I'm so proud of him and so excited that our half marathon is just around the corner and we may actually be ready!

One of These Things is Not Like the Other...

2010-12-05T20:22:00.005-06:00

Looking at my last few pairs of running shoes, you may notice a trend. Well, until you look at that last pair on the top.

You see, I've been running in Asics for as long as I can remember. Even in high school, when I took an occasional jog at the park and wore my cheerleading shoes, they were Asics.

This was my first "real" pair of running shoes. When I say "real," I mean that there was more thought into their function as good running shoes rather than just how they look and how they fit. I got them 6 years ago when I was training for my first half-marathon. I went to a "real" running store and was fitted for them and everything. I thought they were amazing. This particular pair of shoes is now dedicated for yard work which is why they are so clean and shiny.

Every pair of running shoes since have been Asics, until just recently. Now don't get me wron, I will forever love my Asics and will probably buy more in the future, but I got sucked into a new craze and just had to try something different. Anyone in the running community knows that there is currently a new craze for minimalist shoes. Minimalist shoes mimic barefoot running, causing a runner to run off the midfoot rather than strike hard with the heel, also causing a shorter stride length. All of which helps to decrease impact and risk for common injuries. Plus, they are incredibly lightweight, feeling like you have feathers on your feet. For more info from some people who actually know what they're talking about read this article: click here.

Since I'm currently all for anything that could possibly help reduce my risk for another injury, I researched some of the current options in minimalist footwear. I finally chose to give Saucony's Kinvara a try.

Here they are in all their hot pink glory!

I went on my first run in them on Saturday. The first thing I noticed is how incredibly light and flexible they are. I felt like my foot turnover was much faster than normal, and as it turns out, I maintained an average of a 9:30 pace which is much faster than I've been running since coming back from my injury, and much closer to what I was running prior to my injury.

Today my ankles and calves were a bit sore which matches some of what I've read about switching to minimalist shoes. Apparently, it engages different muscles in the feet and ankles and it takes some time for your body to acclimate. So for now, I will be switching back and forth from my old shoes for every-other-run, or so, to give my feet time to adjust.

Ryan got a pair too! We have just over a month left before the Disney Half Marathon, so we are looking forward to "breaking in" our new shoes over the next month in preparation. For more info on the Kinvaras (way more than I can give you here), visit saucony.com.

Aspen's Rough Week

2010-12-03T20:35:00.003-06:00

Aspen had a rough week.

When Ryan got home from class around lunchtime on Monday, Aspen had a flap of skin pulled back on his side. How?

We still don't know. He must have gotten stuck on the fence somewhere, but we haven't figured out where.

The wound had a collection of fluid underneath it, so the vet made an incision above and below the site of the injury and put a tube through to allow the fluid to drain.

Nice, huh?

He got the drain out on Thursday.

It's looking much better! He will get the stitches out in one more week.

We had to miss our obedience class this week, but we got some homework from the teacher, so maybe we won't be too far behind. Hopefully, Aspen will have a better week next week!

Christmas Season is Here!

2010-11-28T12:51:00.003-06:00

Talk about a catch-up day! This is my 3rd post today (trying to catch up for the past couple weeks), so be sure to scroll down and get caught-up along with me!

After our 10 hour drive yesterday, we promptly headed to town to pick out a tree. We didn't have the energy to decorate last night, but this morning we got it all done!

We try to get a new ornament for any new place we visit. So here's a look at the new ornaments we collected this year.

Orlando and Disney World in January

Another from Disney in January, this one representing the half marathon.

Washington DC in May
Branson in October.

Dothan, AL in November...The peanut capital!

This is an ornament that Ryan's mom gave me just a few days ago. I love it! My real mixer was my favorite Christmas present last year.

Here it is...all put together! A daytime picture doesn't do it justice, but you get the idea!

Did anyone else start decorating this weekend?

A Week in Review

2010-11-28T11:19:00.003-06:00

I'm back!!

Ryan and I visited his family in Dothan, Alabama for the week of Thanksgiving. We had a great time, and I wanted to share a few points of interest for the week.

1. I am running again, slower than before, but I am running again! In the past few weeks, I've gradually started alternating walking with some jogging. At the end of the week prior to leaving for Alabama, I jogged 3 miles without any pain! While in Dothan, we went to the local park which had a 3.3 mile walking/jogging trail. The first day, I walked/jogged the trail. Day 2, I did more jogging and wanted to go a little further. By mile 4, I began to feel a slight ache in my hip, so we walked back to the car (about 5 miles total that day). Day 3, we went to the gym and had a great workout on the spinning bikes and gave my hip a break from any impact. Day 4, Thanksgiving day, we started from the house and walked/jogged to the park, jogged the 3.3 mile trail, then walked/jogged home...a total of about 5.5 miles with no hip pain! I earned my Turkey that day! Day 5, we went to the gym again and had a good workout on the bikes. Finally, yesterday, after a 10 hour drive, we walked 2 miles at the park to stretch our legs. Today is a day of rest! I am thrilled, and very thankful, to have made it through an active week with almost no trouble with my hip.

2. Auburn came from 24 points behind to beat Alabama!

3. The weather in Dothan was beautiful! Temperatures were in the upper 70's to lower 80's the whole time we were there. The only problem was my allergies went haywire with all the leaves still on the trees and flowers still blooming, it was like driving from winter to spring in one day. My sinuses still haven't fully recovered.

4. 2 hours or less of a car ride with the dogs is fun for them and easy for us. 4 hours is beginning to push it. 7 hours is a bit more difficult but still manageable (we used to do it all the time between Birmingham and Mountain Home). 10 hours is stressful, for them, for us. Let's just say we won't be doing it again anytime soon.

5. Black Friday is way more fun when you have more places to shop than Walmart. We aren't typically big Black Friday shoppers, but we did venture out around 10am (after making and eating homemade doughnuts) and found a couple good deals on things we needed.

Did you do anything fun over the holiday weekend?

Linguine with Olives and Feta

2010-11-28T11:17:00.001-06:00

This is a dish I tried a couple weeks ago, and I felt it's definitely worth sharing.

You need:
1 (12 oz) pkg linguine (I always use 100% whole wheat)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1-2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped
4 medium-large tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp dried basil (feel free to use fresh if you have it)
Black pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sliced olives. You can use which ever variety you prefer. I had a "Greek Medley" which has ripe (black), green, and calamata olives.
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (if you don't like feta...ahem, Dad...you could use shredded Parmesan instead)

Cook your linguine according to package instructions. Drain, place in large bowl, and set aside.

In the meantime, saute 1 chopped onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the chopped chicken. When the onions get transparent, and the chicken is fully cooked, add the chopped tomatoes, basil, pepper, and salt. Let this cook until the tomatoes just begin to soften (about 5 minutes).

Pour the chicken/tomato mixture over the noodles and toss. Sprinkle the top with olives and feta.

Beautiful!

This recipe will make about 6 servings. I only made a half batch for Ryan and me, and we had plenty.

Enjoy!

First Day of School

2010-11-18T17:56:00.005-06:00

Last week was Duke and Aspen's first experience with doggy obedience school. They are sweet, loving dogs, but a little crazy in social situations. They love each other (most of the time) and love Ryan, me, and a few select others that come to visit, but they get very nervous around other dogs and people at the park. So, basically they need good socialization, and to learn to listen and do what they are told, and to find out that they are, indeed, dogs, not humans. But other than they're great!

We've been to two classes so far. How did it go?

Duke cried THE-WHOLE-TIME.

And I'm not talking about an occasional whimper. It was more like when you first bring a new puppy home...you know that first night you leave them alone in his kennel without his mom or siblings...you know that kind of unbearable cry?

Well, it was like that.

He did do everything I told him to do, mind you. He was just crying the whole time, while all the other, much younger dogs were completely calm and collected.

This week, I thought I would be proactive. I took the dogs on a 30 minute walk/jog to run off some energy prior to class. Did it work?

NO.

Duke continued to cry. But get this, about halfway through the class, Ryan was having some trouble with Aspen and asked if I wanted to switch and try it with him. I said, "Sure!" My inner dog whisperer wanted to show him that it wasn't the dog, it was the handler. ;) Well, with a little trial and error, I got Aspen to cooperate and class continued. I noticed it was suddenly much quieter since we switched dogs. Gasp! Duke stopped crying!

He-stopped-crying...the instant he got to be with Dad...that little runt.

We aren't speaking anymore.

Oh, who am I kidding...I told him he hurt my feelings and he looked at me with those puppy-dog eyes and floppy ears, and I forgave him.

And we lived happily ever after (as long as Duke gets to be with Ryan at obedience school).

Here was a quick photo op on their first day of school, and yes, that is Aspen's tongue inching very close to my teeth. Yikes!

Love Songs

2010-11-11T20:31:00.003-06:00

You know how sometimes a song comes along that just belongs to you and your spouse. Well, it happens to us occasionally, but it's usually not your typical love song.

For a recent example: Last weekend, Ryan said you need to download this song by Sugarland...and before he was finished telling me the name, I was already bopping around, singing, "Stuck like glue. You and me, baby, we're stuck like glue. Wah oh, wah oh, stuck like glue..." Listening to the lyrics, you can see where it quickly has become our "love song" of the moment.

But then, somewhere along the line, I watched the video. It made me laugh...I thought, well too bad the video doesn't fit us at all.

Then, I watched it again...Well, maybe that's kinda like us after all. Ryan always tells me that I was put on this earth just to aggravate him. In the most endearing way possible, mind you.

I think I was too (hey, somebody's gotta teach a man how to snuggle and be all domestic).

Anyway, here's a link to the video. Perfect for falling in love ;).

Click here.

Soup it up!

2010-11-07T19:17:00.008-06:00

It's that time of year when a bowl of soup just hits the spot. I was looking forward to using up a package of Bear Creek Cheddar Broccoli tonight, but Ryan (who rarely eats a meal without some kind of meat) was less than excited. I even offered up a grilled cheese...can you believe he STILL wasn't going for it?

He did say he could go for some soup in a bread bowl. So, instead of driving all the way to town to hunt down a bread bowl, I went to Google and found this recipe for bread bowls: Super Bowl Bread Bowl. It's a fairly simple recipe. Plus, I just happened to have all the ingredients and a bread machine.

For the soup I started out with this:

If you've never tried Bear Creek soups, you really need to look for them at the store. You "Just Add Water" but the soups are super flavorful and hearty. BUT you can make it even more hearty. Tonight, we used some of the suggestions on the back of the package and added corn and extra broccoli. We also added some onion and cauliflower. So we really got a good serving of veggies in every serving.

Here's the final product:

Yes, it did "hit the spot." AND Ryan is full and satisfied without even a bite of meat. ;)

Fall Photos

2010-10-31T19:20:00.005-05:00

My second post for the day!

I got the itch to do some fall pictures with Ryan this weekend...as photographer and subject. This was a bit tricky, especially since Ryan has about a 5 minute attention span when it comes to getting his picture taken (he didn't even shave for the photo op). I also don't have a remote for my camera, so I was doing a lot of running back and forth to set up the shot, then get in the shot. Here's a few that turned out alright after some editing.

We tried to get a shot with the dogs, but this pretty much sums up how that went:

Not too bad for 15 or 20 minutes in the backyard, behind the shed. I'm trying to convince Ryan to do a few more shots next weekend. I still have to get a shot that I like for a Christmas card!

Aspen Turns 5!

2010-10-31T18:42:00.006-05:00

Aspen turned 5 yesterday.

You know how when someone has a hyper dog, and other people tell the person, "Oh, he'll calm down in a couple years. He's just a puppy."

I'm still waiting.

I'm not sure that a 5-year-old dog can still qualify as a puppy. That's what? 35 in human years?

I'll give him a little credit (for his birthday and all).

He is a handsome dog.

He's been a good big brother to Duke from the very beginning, always watching over him without stepping ON him.

He's always good for a laugh.

He's a great foot warmer.

He's always happy to see me, even if I'm mad at him for dripping water from his bowl from one end of the kitchen to another.

He's a good running/walking partner.

So, I guess there's enough good stuff to keep us satisfied while we are waiting for him to grow up, but in the mean time, we'll just watch him do things like this while we are trying to take a family photo:

Maybe growing up is overrated after all. We could probably learn a few things from our carefree dogs.

Happy Birthday Aspen!

A List

2010-10-24T19:11:00.007-05:00

I've been suffering from a case of writer's block lately, and well, let's face it...my life is a little (read: really) boring, so I really have to dig sometimes.

So here's a list of things that have made me very happy/grateful lately.

1. Starting this past week, I will have every Thursday afternoon off work. This means I may actually have time to run some errands on my own, rather than having Ryan do everything. I'm sure he's probably happy about that too.

2. Ryan FINALLY, after 6 weeks of limping around on an ingrown toenail, went and had the ingrown corner of the nail removed. It's still very sore, but at least it can begin healing now.

3. Dinner and pumpkin carving/painting with the girls Friday night.

4. Auburn beat LSU.

5.
Aspen let me trim his alien toenails last night without putting up a fight.

6. A two-mile walk without any hip pain.

7. Fall foliage.

8. Beautiful weather.

9. Photoshop for Dummies. Sometimes I think I need a level even lower than that for dummies.

10. Doing little more than this all weekend. I love a good, lazy weekend.

What has made you happy lately?

He Who Cuts His Own Wood

2010-10-16T18:52:00.002-05:00

"He who cuts his own wood is twice warmed."

I'm not sure who to give credit for that quote, but it was on a picture in my parent's house for years.

Last week, Ryan's parents came for a visit, and Ryan wasted no time in putting his dad to work on splitting a whole pile of wood (thankfully his dad enjoys this type of thing). We spent a whole day splitting and stacking wood.

What? What do you do when your parents come to visit?

The pile started out looking modest enough.

But it grew...a lot.

Finally done.

And in case you're wondering if the quote still applies when you use a gas-powered log splitter, rather than the traditional ax-in-hand approach....

It was a toasty 80 degrees (or so) that day, so I guess that would count!

Macaroni and Cheese

2010-10-06T21:04:00.004-05:00

My grandparents gave me Southern Living All-Time Favorites (compiled and edited by Susan Hernandez Ray, 2010) recipe book for my birthday last week.

This is the result of the recipe on page 86 of that cookbook.

It's so creamy and cheesy...they call it Creamy Macaroni and Cheese.

This is the recipe:

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

1 8oz package elbow macaroni

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper

1/8 tsp granulated garlic

1 cup half and half

1 cup milk

5 oz extra sharp shredded cheddar

10 oz sharp cheddar shredded and divided

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in flour until smooth, cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in salt and next 3 ingredients. Gradually whisk in half-and-half and milk, cook, whisking constantly 8-10 minutes or until thickened.

3. Stir in extra-sharp cheddar and half of sharp cheddar until smooth. Remove from heat.

4. Combine pasta and cheese mixture, and pour into 6 greased (6 oz) ramekins or 1 (8 inch square) baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

I didn't have any half-and-half so I just used 2 cups of milk instead of 1 cup of each. I also just had mild cheddar (which I tend to prefer anyway). Even with the substitutions it turned out great!

There are so many yummy recipes in this book. I'm hoping to try a new one every week.

Now go make some macaroni and cheese...you've got to try it!

Pizza Night!

2010-10-02T19:56:00.005-05:00

I made pizzas tonight using Pillsbury's Hot Roll Mix.

I heard about (and tried for the first time) this pizza crust at my last Bible study. It's a simple out-of-the-box approach, but it gives you the homemade goodness in less time!

I made a Mediterranean-inspired pizza with chicken, artichoke hearts, calamata olives, feta and mozzarella cheeses, red onion, and pepperoncini.

I used this instead of a tomato sauce as the base. It is a garlic-flavored extra virgin olive oil.

Here's the other pizza. Tomato-Basil...and some chicken (also with the olive oil base).

And the finished Mediterranean!

You've got to go try this crust!

4 more weeks...

2010-09-28T20:27:00.007-05:00

Today, I had my 4-week follow-up on my hip. To keep it short and sweet... My hip isn't healed and I have to "rest" for 4 more weeks.

That will make a full 11 weeks without running, walking, biking, anything...except a few pilates exercises.

That's almost 3 months for anyone who's counting.

Because I'm not.

I'm not worried at all that I'll be relatively sedentary for 1/4 of a year.

But hey, it could be a lot worse. At least I'm still hanging on to my sanity.

Right?

Ryan's vote doesn't count.

Duke thinks I'm perfect, so we'll just go with his vote.

Duke? Help me out here.

Yes, mom, perfectly sane.

Thank you.

The End.

Fish Fry!

2010-09-26T15:48:00.003-05:00

This is another event from Labor Day weekend, but I'm just now getting around to posting it. You may remember our early summer fishing adventures and hopes for a fish fry..eventually. Well, we went through a dry spell. Fish are just hard to find when it gets unbearably hot...until one late August evening... Ryan and his friend, Jonathan, went out for a few hours an brought home 4 fish that they caught in their last 30 minutes on the water!

This left us with a freezer full of fish when we added it to what they had already caught this summer. (Notice I said they...I still have yet to catch a keeper...and no, it's not just my aversion to cleaning them.)

This is the final product! (the darker ones are Cajun seasoned). We had the whole family over to help us eat it and still had leftovers!

Now with cooler temperatures here, we may have better luck catching more!

Labor Day Golf

2010-09-12T17:05:00.003-05:00

I'm going back to last weekend to try to catch up on a few recent events. Labor Day Monday was my first experience on a golf course. I didn't attempt any golfing because of my bum hip.

...or let's just be honest...because me attempting to hit a golf ball with any force greater than required in put put could be ugly...and dangerous (to others). So, I drove the golf cart and took pictures. A great way to spend a beautiful afternoon!

Sorry there's only a few pictures. Unfortunately it takes FOREVER to upload pictures to blogger...especially since I got my new camera. If any of you probloggers out there know of a faster way to upload pictures, I would greatly appreciate any advice. AND I would share more pictures!

Hair Donation

2010-09-07T19:46:00.006-05:00

I planned to donate my hair in December, but I had a bad hair day today.

And this is what happened.

(Please excuse the photography. Ryan was in class, so I had to take these on my own).

I had an appointment today for a trim, but my hair woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, so at lunch, I frantically called my hair dresser.

"Do you think you have time to do more than a trim today? I'm really getting tired of my hair and I think it's long enough to donate now..."

"Umm...yeah we could probably cut enough to have 8 inches plus the 1/2 inch extra to get it shaped. I'm just preparing you for that, so...well...you don't cry."

"I won't cry."

"Okay, good, cuz I would be crying with you."

I didn't cry...My neck feels a little naked, but I haven't cried.

I have no reason to cry. If I had cancer and lost my hair to chemo, I would deserve to cry, but I have my health, and now someone else can have my hair. Someone who needs it more than me. Someone who needs it to feel a little more like herself...before cancer.

That is worth every inch.

Hip Update

2010-08-31T18:35:00.003-05:00

Good news: I don't have to use crutches.

Bad news: At least 1 more month without any running or walking (other than the amount of walking required for my regular daily activities). The ortho also said many times this can require surgery and without surgery, it can take even up to 3-4 months to fully recover. BUT he said, "I have to completely shut you down for the next month to give you your best chance to heal on your own."

"Shut me down?" I said, having a little trouble following...

"Yes."

"Does that me I can't do ANYthing?"

"Maybe a little core work...What did you have in mind."

"I do Pilates two or three days a week. It's a mat workout...mostly core work...not really any weight-bearing except if we get on our hands and knees for back and butt work." He didn't look like the type to have done pilates in the past...hence the need for excessive explanation.

"That might be ok as long as you don't feel anything in your hip."

Darn, it really started hurting last week, about halfway through the class. My pilates instructor is going to think I'm dead. I haven't missed a month worth of class...ever. "What about a stationary bike?"

"No."

But that's not technically weight bearing the last time I checked. I guess I better just shut up, I'm starting to sound desperate. "Okay then. I can do it...absolutely nothing for one month."

"Good. Sorry this happened to you."

Not as sorry as I am. "It's alright. As long as it's something that will heal eventually, I'll be alright."

If I don't go crazy in the mean time.

Then he said something like: we'll see ya in a month and oh-by-the-way make sure you're diet is sufficient and get at least 1500mg of Calcium and 1000IU of vitamin D.

So, I hobble my way to the desk, make my appointment, and head back to the office. I immediately run into Dr. Burnett, "How's the broken hip?" If you know him, you're probably laughing a little now. I told him all about it and he says, "You need to get your vitamin D checked..." and oh-by-the-way "It looks like I'll be running a marathon before you!" and he laughs...and if you know him you are probably laughing even harder now. I was (his laugh is contagious). And he's probably right. He's hoping to do a marathon in January...His first at age...well I'm not sure exactly, but he's been a physician for over 30 years, so you do the math.

So I head to the lab have my arm poked for the second time today for my vitamin D level. I had already gotten lab this morning because one of my fellow NP's thought that I should have a routine set of labs, because apparently, young healthy people aren't supposed end up with a broken hip. I knew he had a good point, plus, I haven't had my cholesterol checked in a few years or anything else for that matter.

I got the results this afternoon. Total cholesterol was 148...boo-ya! And all my other labs were great. The vitamin D level takes a few days, but I started a calcium+D supplement today, just-in-case.

So, I looks like I'm a perfectly healthy young woman...with a broken hip. But you never know what may come out of this. Maybe I'll find a new fun hobby that will help pass the time. Any ideas?

Marathon Training: On Hold

2010-08-29T11:36:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed that I didn't even post a plan for last week. That's because the week prior I still wasn't able to run, and I didn't see that changing anytime soon...and I was right.

This past week was my 3rd week without any training. I was getting pretty worried because any injury I've had in the past has healed with just one week of doing nothing, let alone 3 weeks. So, my doctor thought it would be a good idea to get an MRI...which I did on Friday. It showed a stress fracture of my right hip. I had a feeling that's what it would be because of the area that was hurting and the long amount of time it was taking to heal, but I was hoping it wouldn't be that serious. Now, all training is on hold for a while.

So what now?

Good question.

I have an appointment with an orthopedic doctor on Tuesday to find out my exact treatment. Typically, stress fractures involving the femoral neck (which mine does) require several weeks of completely non-weight bearing activity, which means crutches..and a lot of sitting around...

But all that will depend on how bad (or not so bad) the ortho says it is when he looks at the MRI himself.

So, for now I'm just waiting. I'll keep you posted on what I find out Tuesday. But for now, marathon training is on hold which makes me sad in so many ways, but mostly just sad because I miss running. I miss the sense of accomplishment after a good run. I miss the peaceful solitude of a solo run and the energy and camaraderie in a group run. I miss rhythm of feet on the pavement....the complete exhaustion after a looong run...the energy it gives you for the rest of the day...the stopping to watch the sunrise or sunset...and I could go on.

I'm definitely missing it all, but I realize my body needs rest for now, so that is what I'll give it...how much rest it needs is still to be determined.

Marathon Training: Week of 8-16-10

2010-08-15T18:56:00.003-05:00

This is my 3rd post today! You can tell I've had a lot of down time this weekend. ;)

As you may remember, last Sunday, I was stopped in my tracks by hip problems. The plan was to start running again on Wednesday. I was feeling pretty good and pretty confident that I would be able to pick up where I left off. Well, I tried. I made it one mile before the hip was screaming again. So, I stopped, consulted a physician...and haven't run since. It's likely a strained/sprained/stressed tendon and I was told to rest the remainder of the week, which is something I knew was needed, but didn't want to admit. I am now at the end of the week and was hoping to start back with an easy run tomorrow, but I'm still limping just as much as I was Wednesday morning before I tried to run.

So this week is supposed to look like this:
Monday: ?? maybe hop on a stationary bike at the gym and see how I feel
Tuesday: 3 miles easy, and pilates
Wednesday: 8 miles
Thursday: pilates
Friday: 9 miles
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 16-18 miles

I have a bad feeling that it won't look like that. But, hey, I would be happy with even half of that, ANYthing is better than nothing.

Mediterranean BLT...and more

2010-08-15T14:56:00.005-05:00

Ryan and I have had a very relaxing weekend (thanks to him finishing all the housework on Friday!). Yesterday, we went to the Farmer's Market and picked up some fresh produce. We used some of the tomatoes to make BLTs today. I put a little Mediterranean spin on mine...brush the bread with olive oil, add a few kalamata olives, and feta cheese and you get a delicious new spin on an old favorite!

We also wandered into a couple organic/health food stores yesterday...one on the square, and the other is called the Truck Patch which just recently opened. I LOVED them both! I didn't even realize we had anything like that around here. We found a wide variety of fresh spices at one of the stores...including real vanilla bean. I couldn't pass it up. So today, I made vanilla bean cupcake tops (with a muffin top pan) with vanilla bean icing.

It's like vanilla heaven.

I ran out of butter so I had to improvise another icing for the remaining cupcakes. I used some fresh almond butter that we had picked up yesterday.

These were a little warm when iced, so the icing got all warm and melty...I'll just let your taste buds process that for a minute...

1/2 cup almond butter

1.5 cups confectioner sugar

and a splash of milk

These vanilla cupcakes were yummy enough to eat plain, but the vanilla bean buttercream icing and almond butter frosting made them over the top! I have plenty of leftovers if anyone wants to come sample some!

More Sunsets

2010-08-15T14:23:00.005-05:00

It has been too hot, lately, for the fish to bite, so I've been doing more lounging around with my camera than actually fishing on our outings. Here are a few pretty sunsets from last week.

Marathon Training: Week of 8-9-10

2010-08-09T18:37:00.002-05:00

Last week, I began feeling an ache in my right hip. Sunday, about 6-7 miles into my long run, the ache became a sharp, stop-me-in-my-tracks pain. I limped/jogged 3 miles back to my car. All day yesterday, I could barely walk, no matter how much ice, ibuprofen, rest, anything! I thought I really messed up. Well today was a new day, my hip had gradually felt better through the day. I will probably take one more day off from running, but looks like I should be back on track by Wednesday!

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Rest, maybe pilates and/or a short, easy jog if my hip continues to feel better and better.
Wednesday: 5 miles
Thursday: Pilates
Friday: 7-8 miles
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 14-16 miles.

This is a bit of a recovery week. If my hip starts acting up, I'll end up cutting back a little so I can come back stronger next week.

Peach Cobbler

2010-08-05T19:46:00.007-05:00

Last weekend, we got some fresh peaches from my parent's peach tree. I found a great recipe for peach cobbler. It has a perfect balance of fruit and crust...and it's from Paula Deen. Need I say more?

This recipe makes a 9x13 pan. I cut the recipe in half and used a square pan...but I'll go by the full recipe.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

You'll need:

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (if you don't have the self-rising variety, add about 1.5 tsp baking powder and a pinch or two of salt for every cup of all purpose flour)
1 1/2 cups milk
Ground cinnamon, optional

Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

It will look like this.

Place the butter in a 9x13 baking pan and put in the oven until melted.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping.

Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir.

Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

When you pull it out of the oven, it looks like this.

Mmmm..

But you can't eat it until you add this...ice cream!

Today, all the peach cobbler is gone. I may cry, or dream of robbing someone for more. OR you could make some and invite me over :)...Hey, a girl can dream!

Marathon Training: Week of 8-1-10

2010-08-01T12:25:00.002-05:00

Last week got a little mixed up because I realized I was doing week 5 of my training plan and should have been doing week 6...oops! They are pretty similar except the long run is a bit longer, so I did about 14 miles this morning to catch up. That put me at a total 33 miles for the week.

The coming week looks like this:
Monday: 5 miles easy
Tuesday: Pilates
Wednesday: 6 miles, Hills or speedwork
Thursday: 5 miles, Pilates
Friday: 7 miles
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 16 miles

Total: 39 miles.

I stopped putting the pace goals because I've consistently been running a bit faster. It's hard to estimate my pace on different routes until I get home and punch in the numbers on Daily Mile. But I guess that's a good thing...hopefully I can keep it up as the miles add up!

P.S. Today was a big milestone for me...Since I have only run up to a half-marathon before (13.1 miles), today marked my longest run ever! It will be a new longest-run almost every week from here on out!

Fruits of Summer

2010-08-01T12:08:00.004-05:00

Today is August 1st. The first day of the hottest month of the year. By this time of the summer, with heat indexes of 102, and 2 drops of rain in the past 2 weeks, most of us begin to resent summer and beg for the milder fall temperatures. But here's a reason to remember that summer is a darn good time of year.

This is a yellow-fleshed Cave City watermelon.

So sweet and sooo juicy.

You can't get this sort of thing in January...or September through May for that matter. Same goes for garden fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peaches off of Momma's tree, and well, you get the idea.

Enjoy it while you can!

Marathon Training: Week 7/26/10

2010-07-25T08:48:00.003-05:00

Last week went well. It was a bit easier than the 2 weeks prior. My schedule got mixed up a little, but I got my runs in...and about 27 miles. I did my time trial on Thursday, and I ran a mile in 7:22...not too bad. I'm hoping to see that improve little-by-little as the weeks go by.

The coming week is Week #5 in my training plan and should go something like this:

Monday: 4 miles at 9:58/mile
Tuesday: Pilates
Wednesday: Hills, 7 miles (this makes me nauseated just thinking about it...I'm getting really tired of hills).
Thursday: Pilates, and 4 miles with 2 of those miles at Marathon Pace (9:09).
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 13 miles at 9:58/mile
Sunday: 4 miles easy.

Total: 32 miles

Weird Dreams

2010-07-23T08:19:00.003-05:00

If you've known me long enough, you know that I have some WEIRD dreams. They're usually pretty humorous looking back, sometimes scary, but almost always weird. Why I have weird dreams, I have no idea. But I could probably blog only about my dreams and have a good story every week. I'm not on any medications that could do it, and I'm a pretty restful sleeper (although Ryan may tell you otherwise, and my dentist recently told me I grind my teeth and must have tension when I sleep...news to me!).

Anyway, last night's dream still has me laughing, although while I was in it, I was pretty scared...it seemed so real! The details are a bit hazy, but it went something like this:

The first thing I remember is me in a donut store/bakery...

with a large gun under my left arm.

I approach the counter and demand they open the donut case. As I start pulling out the ooey, gooey treats another band of robbers come in and steal from another case and make a fast get away. I noticed the donuts that they took had pretty, colorful icing. I thought, If I'm going to steal all this stuff, I better get the ones that taste the best. So, I demand the attendant to open another case full of cakes. I tasted a red velvet cake that looked like a red cake on the outside, but was filled with an ooey gooey cream cheese icing in the inside (That's how vivid this dream was!).

I decided I would take that along with my donuts.

When I got home (a home that I've never seen in real-life). Ryan was there, not concerned at all that I had just robbed a bakery at gunpoint! It was at that point and only at that point that I realized I did something wrong. Why did I steal those donuts and not just buy some...it's not like I don't have any money. And I bet that place had cameras...I didn't even wear a mask or gloves or anything! They are gonna find me and put me in jail! The remainder of my dream consisted of hiding guns, hiding from the police, and hiding from suspicious neighbors who thought they could find the donut thief!

Does this mean I didn't eat enough yesterday? Maybe.

Does it mean I haven't had a donut in 2 weeks, 3 days, and 13 hours, and could be having withdrawals?...probably.

Not that I'm counting or anything.

Does it mean I should probably go eat a donut soon so no one gets hurt?

I vote YES!

Marathon Training Week 7/12/10...change of plans. AND What's to come for Week of 7/19/10

2010-07-18T17:57:00.006-05:00

Last week went just as planned...

Until the weekend rolled around.

But it's not for lack of planning. As you may remember, the plan was to run 12 miles Saturday with a nice 3 mile recovery run on Sunday. There was one obstacle...work. This was my weekend to work. Which means 11-straight days of getting to work at 8am, making it very difficult to squeeze in 12 miles in the slightly cooler morning hours.

But I was determined to stay on track. I set my alarm for 4am Saturday morning and was out the door by 4:20. I had decided that I would do my 3 mile out-and-back loop from the house...4 times. I thought this would be the safest thing to do rather than trying to run 12 miles in uncharted territory...in the dark.

I had my head lamp, so I could at least see until the sun started to lighten the sky...because, you see, on my rural road, there are about 2 street lamps for every 3 miles of road. What happened next was not so much a run but more of a series of me being startled about every 2.73 minutes. First, 2 crazy raccoons that ran TOWARD me instead of away...no wonder they end up as road kill so often. Then, there was a rabbit, some unidentified creature scurrying across the road, endless rustling in the woods...

And then there were the spider webs. With many trees hanging over the road, and no cars passing through for hours, the spiders had made giant webs that extended from the tree tops all the way down to the street...perfectly positioned for me to run into and then feel like I had spiders all over me. It was like some horror movie...except I was running by choice, not because some scary monster was after me.

I made it to my turn around point, and I had already decided that I wasn't coming back. I made it home by 4:50 (still dark). Frustrated that my safe, easy (because its right out my front door)go-to route had failed me, I decided to just take a shower and rest until I had to get ready for work. 3 miles...check.

I thought I may get my miles in Saturday evening, but the yard work HAD to get done this weekend. So we did yard work and then had a date night...dinner and a movie (Despicable Me..Great movie! not really good for young kids though) and got home around 11:30, which meant no chance for a morning run before work on Sunday.

So, after work I waited...hiding indoors all afternoon waiting for the heat to subside. I checked weather.com which told me the temperature was 92...Heat index of 110! I'm never gonna make it 12 miles tonight...

But I did. It took starting at 8pm and finishing around 10pm, but I got it done. And I can sleep tonight knowing I accomplished what I set out to do this week.

The coming week tapers me back to 28 miles before a steady increase over the following 3 weeks which will be 32, 36, then 39 miles. This helps to prevent injury which is what I have to remind myself, so I don't end up overdoing it this week.

Monday: 4 miles at pace of 10:04min/mile

Tuesday: Pilates (1 hour)

Wednesday: Hills, 5 miles

Thursday: Time trial..this is where I'll go to the track, and after a mile or two warm up, I'll see how fast I can do 1 mile. I'll do one of these about every 4 weeks to see how my training has improved my speed. And Pilates (1 hour).

Friday: 4 miles at pace of 10:04

Saturday: 10 miles at pace of 10:04

Sunday: 4 miles easy.

Total: 28 miles

Time for bed...

Marathon Training: Week 7/12-7/18/10

2010-07-11T13:21:00.002-05:00

A quick look back at last week:

Monday: 6 miles, pace 8:55min/mile
Tuesday: 1 mile, pace 9:05, then 1 hour of pilates
Wednesday: Hills 5 miles, pace 9:46
Thursday: 1 hour of pilates, then 5 miles, pace 9:40
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 10.4 miles, pace 10:00
Today: Pilates 30 minutes this morning...I plan for 5 miles, slow and easy tonight.
Total this week: 32 miles

Next week goal (according to my training plan):

Monday: 5 miles, pace 10:04
Tuesday: Pilates
Wednesday: Hills 5 miles
Thursday: Pilates and 5 miles, pace 10:04
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 12 miles, pace 10:04
Sunday: 3 miles easy
Total: 30 miles

I work next weekend, so it will be tricky to squeeze in 12 miles, but I'll do what I can!

The "M" Word

2010-07-10T13:16:00.004-05:00

It has been almost six years since I ran my first half-marathon, almost 8 years since running became a part of my life. I never would have pictured myself running a half marathon when I first picked up running just as a way stay in shape. But two years later, I did, and at that point I knew I wanted to run a full marathon someday...6 years have passed. Running has been one of the few constants in my life since then. With a packed school and work schedule, I didn't know if I would ever find the time to train for another half marathon, let alone, a marathon, but I kept running as much as I could...for stress relief, if nothing else. Now that I'm done with school, settled in a job, and finally finding more time to venture out for my runs, I think it's time to reach that goal that I made years ago.

When I joined Daily Mile and pointed you to my training widget (to the right), you may have noticed it was entitled "Marathon Training." I've been very hesitant to share my goal of training for a Marathon. It's so much easier to say I'm training for a half marathon, because even if I skip a few runs here and there, the consequences won't be detrimental, and I'll still make it across the finish line...even if my time is a half-hour slower than I had hoped for. But "Marathon" ushers in a whole new level of commitment. It's not something that I can pull off with a few weeks of training or even a few months. In fact, I started a full six months in advance to pick my race, my training plan, and to begin picking up the mileage.

I'm about 5 weeks into my initial increase in weekly mileage, and it looks like I'm going to break 30 miles for the week. I ran 10.4 miles this morning, and somehow I feel a little bit more confident...well confident enough to share my goals without wondering if I'm going to end up failing miserably at some point along the way. I know there will be obstacles along the way and that I may not reach my goal time, but my main goal with my first marathon is to finish it...all 26.2 miles, whether I run, jog, walk, or crawl across the finish line.

As a way to keep you involved, I'm going to post my training plan every week and keep you updated with how the training is going from week to week. If you get hooked and want to come witness my very first marathon, plan to be in Memphis on December 4th, 2010 for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon. Or if you want to make your own goal to run and help support St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, they have a 5K and a half marathon too...or you can run the marathon with me ;).

Hope to see you there!

Fried Blueberry Muffins and more!

2010-07-05T10:27:00.008-05:00

These 3-day weekends are dangerous.

The long weekend+Family in town+Holiday weekend=A good excuse to fry some dough!

Here's a blueberry doughnut recipe I attempted. They turned out pretty good. My cousin, Olivia said, "It's kind of like a fried blueberry muffin with glaze on top." They're gonna be swarmin' like flies with a slogan like that.

Start with 2 Tbsp shortening and a cup of sugar. Mix them in an electric mixer until combined. Add 2 eggs, one at a time (mixing after each addition). With the mixer still running, add 1 cup buttermilk.

Now, go ahead and change the attachment to the dough hook and throw in 1 pint of fresh blueberries (rinsed and patted dry).

In a separated bowl, sift together 4 cups flour, pinch of salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda. Add the flour mixture (about a cup at a time) with the mixer still running, until it forms a ball of dough.
Like this.

Transfer the dough into a bowl that is slightly coated with oil. Flip the dough once, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour (or overnight).

The dough is stickier (is that a word?) than yeast dough, so you'll need a good bit of flour handy when rolling them out and cutting them.

Roll the dough and cut with a doughnut cutter or 2 biscuit cutters.

Fry them at 350 to 375 degrees until golden on each side. Pat dry and dip them in glaze (see recipe below).

This is the finished product!

I also made yeast doughnuts that you may remember from my last 3-day weekend. I used the regular glaze which consists of:

3 cups Powdered Sugar
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Vanilla
½ cups Milk

I also made a semisweet chocolate glaze made like this:

1/3 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup warm water
Melt butter and chocolate. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in the water until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.

And looks like this.

Another crowd-pleaser today was a maple glaze made with:

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp maple flavoring

1.5 cup powdered sugar

Slowly add milk until desired consistency (usually about 1/4 cup)

It looked like this.

I'm probably the last person on Earth to know about Picasa, but Kim just recently told me about it when I asked her how she makes all of her collages. I just love the compact way of displaying all the pictures together. So here is a perfectly sweet doughnut collage:

So fun!

Stromboli

2010-07-03T19:43:00.005-05:00

I recently realized that I haven't posted a recipe in a while. As it turns out, we did some experimenting last night, and it turned into the perfect opportunity to share a recipe for easy at-home Stromboli!

It's really not a recipe at all when it comes down to it, because, just like pizza, everyone likes something a bit different. But I'll give you the step-by-step run-down of how we did it and you can add or subtract anything you want.

We started with refrigerated pizza dough, but if you like to make your own, more power to ya. You then cut it in half for smaller stromboli or leave it whole for a big one...we did one of each.

Here is one roll cut in half for the smaller ones.

Then get your toppings ready. We browned some hamburger meat and threw in some green peppers, onion, and mushrooms. We also had pepperoni and of course...mozzarella cheese.

This is some fresh basil from our herb garden. We chopped it up and threw it in the meat as it was browning along with some garlic and red pepper flakes.

Now pile it all on the edge of your dough, starting and ending with a layer of mozzarella.

Then you roll it up, pinch the edges, and brush the top with olive oil.

It will look something like this (this is the big one..a full roll of dough!).

Then sprinkle some dried parsley on top and throw 'em in the oven for about 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

When you pull them out....

Where have you been my whole life?

All the melty goodness...

It was so good...Ryan loved the meaty goodness, but it would be delicious as a veggie stromboli as well. Just add some various olives, maybe some tomatoes, extra peppers, red onion....my mouth is starting to water. I think I'll go eat the leftovers for lunch!

I Have a Confession

2010-06-29T20:41:00.003-05:00

I

bought

dog cologne.

Dog what?

Cologne.

How did it come to this? It's hard to say, except that when we headed to our groomer's/pet store on Saturday, we were on a mission. It was time for the dog's post-farm bath (they stayed there when we took a short trip to Branson last week). We have dog shampoo. But whenever Duke goes to the groomer he smells so clean and fresh for weeks. I wanted my groomer's shampoo.

So we walked in the store and guess who was standing right there! The groomer! So we asked, "What kind of shampoo do you use on Duke?"

She said, "Bio-Groom." And kindly proceeded to take us to the shampoo isle and hand us the exact bottle. Great right!?!

It didn't stop there.

Then she picked up another bottle and said, "But if you really want him to smell good and for it to last a long time use this..."

That's why I'm here right?

I look at the bottle and she says, "Doggy cologne."

"Dog cologne?"

"Yes..." As she continues telling us how to use it, I'm thinking, they make dog cologne. What kind of crazy person would buy...who am I kidding...I want it.

I bought it.

And we (along with two very fresh smelling dogs) lived happily ever after.

The End.

Evening Sky

2010-06-26T22:23:00.003-05:00

We went fishing this evening and caught a couple little ones. Then, Ryan caught a HUGE one! It had to be bigger than the last one you saw from our last adventure. As I was fumbling around to grab the camera, he got it right up to the boat, and as he pulled up on the line to lift it into the boat....

the line broke.

So, all that's left is a sad fish story.

And a few pictures from our outing. There were scattered storms today and this evening. We didn't run into any rain while we were on the water, but we did see a rainbow and some very pretty clouds. These were taken from my old point-and-shoot camera, but you get the idea...a very pretty evening sky.

P.S. We will be investing in a fishing net very soon so we don't keep losing the big ones. :)

Too Hot to Run?

2010-06-18T19:16:00.003-05:00

If you feel the need to let your loved ones know where to find you in case the worst happens (Read: heat exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration, unconsciousness), is it too hot to run?

Probably.

Ryan was at the gym. I wanted to go for a run before he got home so my evening run wouldn't interrupt our plans to watch a movie, go fishing, or veg on the couch (we hadn't decided yet).
My car said it was 99 degrees, my sweat glands said it was 110 with the humidity. But I went anyway, slowly but surely...4 miles. There was a breeze when I was facing one direction, and an occasional tree for shade, and even more rarely, a cloud passing overhead...all of which saved me.

I made it home, no heat stroke, but tomorrow I'm going to go at about 5:30am rather than 5:30pm.

Happy Running,

Two in the Freezer

2010-06-15T20:16:00.003-05:00

We now have two bass in the freezer (inching our way closer to a fish-fry). One was caught Saturday night by Ryan's friend, Jonathan, and one was caught Sunday night by Ryan. I came dangerously close to catching one myself, but the line got hung and my luck ran out just like that (you need the sound of fingers snapping in the background to make that line work...just bear with me).

Now, I say dangerously close because of this:

As Ryan was cleaning his fish Sunday night, he asked me to spray the hose on the fish to get rid of the blood resulting from its recent decapitation. As I'm rinsing blood and Ryan begins scraping scales off the fish's sides, he says, "You know the rule don't you?"

Me: "Rule?"

Ryan: "You catch it, you clean it."

He can't possibly be serious.

Ryan: "So make sure you watch everything I'm doing."

He's serious. "No, I'm not cleaning any fish."

"Why not?"

"Cuz that's a boy's job." It's the best I could come up with at the time.

"Yes you will," he says with a devious grin on his face. "Here honey, I need some water over here so the scales don't fly everywhere."

Oh yeah, I'm holding the hose...almost forgot.

This almost deterred me from wanting to catch a fish, but I'm pretty sure Ryan will feel sorry for me and do it for me anyway...rule or no rule. But it could make for a good story if he doesn't ;).

Now, sit back and relax. You are about to enjoy the second installment of our fish catching extravaganza. This stuff should be on the Outdoor Channel.

Here it is: the biggest fish caught off the SS Minnow (to date). P.S. We really have to rename our boat. Ryan jokingly called it that the first few days we had it and it kind of stuck. But now I know that was the ship that sunk on Gilligan's Island (I had a sheltered childhood with only 2-3 channels until I was 18, so I never saw one episode of the show).

Anyway, without further delay...drum roll please...

Who's ready for a fish-fry?

The Daily Mile

2010-06-12T15:59:00.002-05:00

A blogging friend of mine (Hi Erika!) introduced me to the Daily Mile. It's a great place to keep track of your workouts whether you walk, run, swim, bike, or whatever you do for fitness. You may have noticed my counter to the right...If not, you can take a glance now....

You'll see my most recent workout and my total miles. The site also allows you to network with others, find routes, races, etc. I love it! Plus, it tells me how many donuts I've earned ;)...You'll see that counter to the right as well. 10 so far this week! That means I better make some donuts in the morning!

Who's coming over for breakfast?!? seriously...Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Kim..anyone?? Come on over there will be plenty!

Garden Update

2010-06-10T20:48:00.004-05:00

As you may remember, we planted a vegetable garden a couple months ago. We chose not to do a raised bed, but to till an area and plant directly in the ground instead. We were diligent about pulling weeds and little spouts of grass, but a few sprouts of grass suddenly became thousands of teeny tiny baby blades of grass sticking through the soil within a matter of days. AHHH! We quickly realized we wouldn't be able to keep the grass at bay. So this is what the garden looks like today.

Now before you go thinking it's ruined, we have been pulling the grass from around the base of our plants to protect the roots as much as possible....and guess what we found today...

Life! A teeny-tiny cucumber.

And a teeny-tiny tomato!

There are lots and lots of blooms on our cucumber, tomato, and squash plants. The peppers don't have blooms yet, but they are still looking strong and healthy.

Looks like a good start to me!

Back in the Saddle

2010-06-08T21:06:00.002-05:00

I went on my first official run (outside of park walls) since my little incident last week. It's not for lack of trying. I did get to walk with Ryan Friday after work. Saturday, I attempted a run at the park with the two rugrats (Duke and Aspen), but I didn't make it half-a-mile before a man kindly asked how long the trail is, and before I could answer him in a complete sentence, Aspen lurched toward him, about causing the man a heart attack. Talk about misbehaving dogs....jeez. At least mine was on a leash, and promptly got a whack on the behind, and got taken back to the car and back home without a walk because he was a bad dog. Maybe he learned a lesson, but I missed another run.

Sunday we went fishing at 5 a.m., which led to an afternoon nap, and more fishing at 7 p.m. = another day without running. Monday, some clouds (if you didn't see them, click on this link, they were crazy-cool clouds) rolled in, making for a wonderful afternoon for a walk in the park. Ryan and I set out to do a few laps. The goal was to walk 2 or 3 together, then Ryan would head to the gym to lift some weights, and I would carry on to finish out 5 miles total. Well, conversation was great and before we knew it (1.5 hours later), we had walked 6 miles! So, we both headed home for dinner after that...no running.

Finally, tonight was my normal pilates at 5:30, dinner around 7, and I decided to head out around 8:15 for a jog on my usual, safe 3-point-something mile out-and-back route near the house. The dogs came along which made for a nice hum of panting and occasional drool dripping down the legs. The hot, sticky air, we were running through made us all struggle a bit, but I was happy, hot, loathing the hills, but happy to be back into the swing of things.

And let me just go back to Friday and Monday...This whole walking-with-Ryan thing is a fairly new development. Ryan has never been much for cardio of any kind. He started working out more often (pumping some iron) last fall, but it has only been in the past 6 months or so that he has been walking a good bit. It's not unusual now for us to walk at least a couple days/week together. That makes me so happy, not only because he is healthier and happier, but because of the time it gives us together. When was the last time you got lost in an hour-and-a-half long conversation with your significant other?.. Without the T.V. in the background, without kids, dogs, work, cell phones, computers or other distractions? With just the sound of shoes hitting the pavement and your two voices? I know it seems nearly impossible in this fast-paced society. And for me sometimes it means slowing down and missing a run, but I wouldn't miss times like that for anything in the world.

My First Fish of the Summer!.. and Ryan's Keeper!

2010-06-05T22:03:00.003-05:00

Tonight we had a couple firsts on our little fishin' boat. Here's Ryan with his first keeper of the summer...16 inches!

Here's me with my first fish of the summer...a 12 incher! Not quite a keeper. Please ignore my fishing attire...nuff said.

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the nail-biting video of Ryan reeling in the keeper! You'll hear me say, "Get him in the boat!" about five-hundred times. I was afraid he would wiggle off the hook and we'd lose him for good....so once again, just ignore me.

For the record, we didn't catch any other keepers tonight, so against my burning desire for a fish-fry, Ryan let the keeper go to live another day. Better luck next time...

Cheddar-Stuffed Jalapeno Burgers

2010-06-05T10:45:00.007-05:00

We tend to grill a little bit year-round, but during the summer that is almost the only type of cooking we do. Almost every meal we prepare at home involves something on the grill. Here is a spicy spin on your plain ole summer burgers.

For this particular burger, we need it to hold its shape, so a relatively lean ground meat is good...I think we used a 93/7. Throw it in a bowl with about 1/4 cup worcestershire, 2 cloves finely minced garlic (or some garlic powder), 1/4 of a medium-sized onion (finely chopped), and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Now for the heat! Chop up some jalapenos. All we have right now are some from a jar, but as soon as our garden starts making fresh peppers, we'll be using those...so use whatever you have. If you like a lot of spice and the flavor of jalapenos, use at least 1/4 of a cup of chopped jalapenos...a little less if you don't like as much heat...a little more if you're so bold.

Mix it all up with your hands.

Start forming the bottom of your patties. Make them super thin in the middle, with a little lip around the edge. You should get four of these burgers out of a pound of meat. You'll only see three burgers in my pictures because I dropped about a 1/4 of a pound of meat over the sink and lost it to the disposal.

Make sure to leave enough meat to cover your cheese in a minute.

Sprinkle some shredded cheese in the middle, or if you have sliced cheese, fold it up and put it in the middle (it spreads as it melts). Either works fine. We had a cheddar/monterey jack mixture. Plain cheddar would be good or even pepper jack if you like even more heat!

Throw 'em on the grill. Relatively low and slow is key to make sure they get cooked and melty on the inside without burning the outside...and so all the cheesy goodness doesn't bubble out and end up on your grill.

While those are grilling, get your fixins ready. Why is there a picture of spinach here? Because that is the only "lettuce" I had at the time. We usually keep romaine or spinach around for salads, but we'll use either for anything that requires lettuce. We even had spinach on our tacos this week...surprisingly good.

Anyway, after you toast your bun-of-choice, assemble your burger the way you like and enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

2010-06-05T08:37:00.007-05:00

Have I ever told you breakfast is my favorite meal??

Breakfast is my FAVORITE meal.

My ever-loving passion for cereal would really be enough to make it my favorite meal, but the fact that I have an enormous sweet tooth also contributes for my love of breakfast. You see (I may not be the only one who has noticed) a lot of breakfast foods are sweet enough that they could double as dessert. Take for instance: doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, danishes, leftover cake from the night before, muffins, chocolate chip pancakes, and the list goes on and on.

All of this brings me to what I made this morning for breakfast. Let me first say, I've always really, really liked pancakes. Then, Ryan's mom gave me her homemade pancake recipe. Now, I really LOVE pancakes, and I haven't used instant pancake mix since. This recipe combines parts of Rose Marie's homemade pancakes with a cinnamon pancake recipe I saw several months ago...and here's the result:

Mouth watering yet? Here's how you make 'em:

You'll need:
1 1/4 cup flour
3tsp baking powder
2 T. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 T. cinnamon
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
2 T. salad oil

First, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon). In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg, and oil. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture, stir until just moistened. Bake on hot griddle.

Now for the glaze: Combine 2 T. melted butter, 1/2 tsp maple flavoring, and about a cup of powdered sugar. Then add milk (a tablespoon or so at a time) until a nice, thin consistency.

Pour a nice layer of glaze over each pancake as you stack em up, and you can go ahead and stop right here and start eating...

But I like to add a little syrup too. Get a glass of milk and/or a cup of coffee ready to balance out all of the sweetness here!

Enjoy!

A Scary Encounter

2010-06-02T21:19:00.005-05:00

No, I'm talking even more scary than a sweaty, red-faced me with a stick.

Let me start from the beginning. I've been meaning to make my weekday runs a bit longer, but I have the same route that keeps me in the same 3-mile rut. So last night, I took Duke for a little car ride and mapped out a path that took me exactly 2.5 miles away for a total of 5 miles round- trip...perfect! No possibility of skipping a lap and heading back to the car sooner (like at the park), no turning down questionable gravel roads just to get 5 or 10 more minutes added on to the run, and best of all, less hills!...And I was ready, mentally prepared, looking forward to my 5-mile out-and-back. The only problem (and the thing that had held me back from branching out of my usual route) was that I had to venture out onto the main highway that travels through Henderson which is kind of a busy road and of course, no sidewalks on a highway...but what's the worst that could happen, right?...right?

So, about 7:45 this evening, I head out. It's starting to cool off a bit outside, and I'll have just enough time to get back before dark. I'm about a mile into my run (I'm on the main highway at this point), I'm enjoying the change of scenery, and the steady stream of cars passing every few minutes makes for a nice breeze. Just then, I see a classic, stereotypical Arkansas image. Picture this: Run-down house, man on front porch (shirtless), beer-belly hanging out, trashy run-down cars scattered around the yard...I'm rolling my eyes a little as I trot along, thinking, it's people like you that give us a bad reputation (this is probably where I doomed myself with bad karma or something). I'm just a little around the corner from the house when I suddenly hear something approaching me fast from behind, and I mean FAST...I could tell immediately that it wasn't fatboy...or anything human for that matter. I turn my head slightly and see a white blur of a dog charging at me, and not just any dog. This was a pit bull, and they don't play. The only time I've ever seen a pit bull playful and submissive is with Cesar Millan, and he's pack leader/dog whisperer. I guarantee this pit bull didn't belong to a dog whisperer.

I try to remember what you're supposed to do when you're being attacked by a dog. I slow down, turn around to face him (trying not to make eye contact) and try to make myself look big (or is that what you're supposed to do when you encounter a bear?). I say, "NO! NO!" In my meanest, gruffest voice....NOT a good idea. At this point he charges at me, his bark getting louder, and he's sensing my fear.

NOTE: This is not the first time I've encountered a viciously barking dog on a run, but for normal dogs, all you have to do is talk in a squeaky voice and they're immediately wagging their tails...they can't help it. I knew that a squeaky voice was not going to work on this one.

Anyway, somewhere in the shuffle, he has backed me onto that highway I was telling you about. I now have flashbacks of stories I've heard on TV about pit bulls tearing faces off and having an arm for dessert. I'm dreading how bad it's going to hurt when he bites me and subsequently tears me to shreds (because once they start attacking almost nothing stops them) and hoping that a car doesn't come around the corner and kill us both (well if it killed him, I wouldn't have cared at that point to be honest). All the while I'm yelling at him in my meanest voice, knowing that tubby is just around the corner, and he must be hearing his vicious dog and my fearful voice. I finally yell, "Somebody HELP ME!!!" Here comes tubby, he yells his dog's name and immediately the dog turns around and runs home. I look at the man and in my meanest voice yell, "YOU KEEP HIM INSIDE!!!!!!!!" I'm pretty sure the guy saw devil horns and a tail sprout from me...I was disgustingly mad and he knew it.

About 20 more steps and I could've turned down my sister's road, ran to her doorstep, begged for a bottle of water and a ride home, and lived happily ever after (which is exactly what I wanted to do), but no, I wasn't going to let this stop me. I had prepared for this run all day. So, I had to keep going; stopping would have cut my run 4 miles short.

I continue on, formulating a plan. The dude will have the dog inside when I come back through, right? Well, just in case I better have something more than my arm to fight him off. I start looking at sticks along the way, large and small. Then I see a big rock. That would hurt him, I thought (I've never wanted to hurt anything so bad in my life), but it would be hard to run with a big rock in my hands, and what if my aim isn't good...I'll be no better off than my last encounter. Maybe I'll go to Kim's house on the way home, then I'll only be about a mile short of my goal...NO I'll just find a stick.

As get close to turning back on the main highway, and in turn, closer to the pit bull's house. I find a nice stick. I was thinking about beating him senseless until I notice the end of the stick was very pointy. Then I thought, Maybe I should use more of a stabbing approach.

Disclaimer: You have to understand, I have never thought so hard about harming another living being as much as I thought about harming this dog (except maybe which flip-flop I would use to kill a spider). But, I knew that this dog meant business, and it would be my only chance to defend myself. Plus, he's not even going to be out there anymore...I'm just being overly cautious. Maybe I should just leave the stick. It's kind of making me look like a wild banshee.

I approach the house. I'm on the opposite side of the street this time. I think I'm in the clear when suddenly, I see him. He gets up and starts running step-for-step with me just on the other side of the road. I see him glance to the right and left (he was looking for cars to see if he could cross the street!), and he took his first steps to dart across the road. Immediately, I'm in defense mode. I raise the stick and yell, "GET OUT OF HERE!!!"...over and over. I swing the stick a bit, and he's definitely not charging as bravely as he was last time, but he's still not backing down and going home. Just as he's getting close enough for striking range, tubby comes to the rescue again, calling his dog and telling him to "Leave her alone!" To the dog's credit, he listened immediately and headed home again.

I struggled the last mile home, weakened by the declining adrenaline rush and still shaking a bit. But now that I'm home and looking back on it, I find myself so incredibly thankful for a few things:

1. However neglectful the dog's owner seemed, at least he did eventually hear my cries. Without him finally calling the dog, I would have been bitten, or worse...without a doubt in my mind.

2. I didn't end up in the emergency room...here...or anywhere...but some of you know what I mean.

3. I didn't have my dogs with me. I often take them when I do my 3 mile runs, but since it was still hot, I was going farther than usual, and I was taking a new route, I decided against taking them. If they would've been with me, they would have been in full defense and protect mode and there's no way I could have stopped the fight that would have likely left my dogs seriously injured or worse. For that, I cannot tell you how grateful I am.

Moral of the story: 1. keep your crazy (ahem pit bull ahem) dogs on leashes or in well fenced backyards. 2. Never go for a run without pepper spray, a pistol, a machete, a giant stick which can double as a spear, or some other form of weaponry...you never know what you'll encounter. 3. Maybe a 3-mile rut isn't such a bad thing after all.

PW's Homemade Doughnuts

2010-05-31T11:17:00.006-05:00

Because I had a 3-day weekend, and because I was feeling nice and rested because of it, and because I've been dying to try them, but never have the time or energy...This is what I did this morning:

Yes, these are doughnuts, and yes, I made them, and yes, I ate them. They are straight from the Pioneer Woman's website (I'll link you straight to the recipe in a second). I didn't do step-by-step photos while making them because it's all on her website, but I did want to share a few photos to get you salivating.

Here is a golden pile of fried dough, just waiting to be glazed.

Oh yeah, I did do one thing different.

I made this. A chocolate glaze to mix things up a bit. It's just 2 Tbsp cocoa, 2 Tbsp butter (softened...almost melted), 1/4 cup milk, and 2 cups powdered sugar.

These are the regular glaze. I dipped them twice for a nice thick layer of glaze.

These were regular glazed...until I dipped them in my chocolate glaze...mmmm.

I had a bag of coconut in the cupboard, so I dipped a few of the chocolate ones in coconut...so fancy ;).

You must go to Pioneer Woman's website to try the recipe yourself...here's a link straight to the recipe: Pioneer Woman's Homemade Glazed Doughnuts.

Enjoy!

Turkey Jerky

2010-05-30T22:21:00.004-05:00

With summer here and outdoor activities on the rise, portable, nonperishable snacks are essential. We recently picked up a food dehydrator which has been key in making all sorts of easy to grab-and-go snacks. Yesterday we made turkey jerky...and let me just show you how easy it is!

All you need is ground turkey and some jerky seasoning and cure. You can pick up these handy little packets wherever you can buy a dehydrator.

Mix it all together... yeah, go ahead and get your hands dirty!

Then you'll need this....an extruder (or jerky gun). This is also right next to the dehydrators in the store.

Now, load all the meat into the extruder (it holds a pound of meat easily).

Pick the tip you want...we like the regular flat jerky.

Squeeze the trigger, and out it comes!

You may have to spread them apart just a tad so air can circulate around all edges.

Continue filling each tray and stacking them up. At the end there may be a little meat that won't quite push through, we just flatten it out and add it to the tray too.

Set the dehydrator on its highest setting (ours goes to 155 degrees). It usually takes about 3-4 hours. Then, since it's turkey and we don't want salmonella, place the jerky on a baking sheet and put it in a 165 degree oven for 30 minutes. That will kill any remaining germs without over cooking the meat.

When it's all done, it looks like this! A perfect portable snack.

I'll be trying out another recipe for a jerky marinade that's great for beef, venison, and other game. I'll let you know how it turns out...it may come in very handy next fall for anyone who lives with a hunter like I do!

His Eyes Were Bigger Than His Stomach

2010-05-30T15:01:00.003-05:00

This little guy bit off way more than he could chew.

See that slimy thing wrapped around him? That's the worm he attempted to eat. Did he really think it would fit in his teeny tiny stomach?

Here's another angle (sorry it's a bit blurry..but you get the idea...tiny fish, big worm). Maybe he thought he was attacking a sea monster that was taking over his territory. Either way, he's back in the lake. I hope he doesn't pick a fight with a less-merciful worm (or bigger fish) next time.

First Fish

2010-05-30T09:02:00.002-05:00

As promised, here is a picture of the first fish caught off the SS Minnow.

It was a pretty good size, not quite a keeper, though.

This is the second fish caught.

Notice how I'm not the one with the fish...I had a lot of nibbles but no bites that night (or last night for that matter). Maybe my luck will turn around soon.

Just in Time

2010-05-28T22:03:00.005-05:00

We've been keeping our eyes open all spring for the perfect little used fishin' boat at just the right price. Well, we finally found one!...and just in time for the official-unofficial start of summer. It's just big enough to get us out on the water to do some fishing, swimming, and relaxing.

Here she is in all her glory, the SS Minnow.

Don't let the seat fool you, that's a perfect tanning platform (not that I recommend tanning...but 10 minutes a day is good for Vitamin D :)).

This was just after our maiden voyage...I'm smitten.

Ryan still admiring the back end (that's where all the important stuff is).

We did some fishing last night, but didn't catch anything big enough to keep. I'll post pictures of a couple little bass that Ryan caught and released next time!

How to Eat Corn-on-the-Cob

2010-05-27T19:53:00.003-05:00

Okay, most of you may be more advanced than me, but I guess I never learned how to effectively eat corn-on-the-cob.

This is what my corn looks like...

...and if you think that looks messy, you should see my teeth..

...and my face..

...and my shirt...it's not a pretty site. I refuse to eat corn-on-the-cob in public.

Ryan has always been a pro, and until now, he just shook his head at my struggles and told me I was wasting perfectly good corn by eating it that way (not that I knew any other way to do it).

This is how his corn looks....

....clean, every kernel gone, and his teeth? Let's just say he could get up and go to the dentist and they wouldn't find a trace of that stuff in his teeth.

So, tonight we were eating our corn as always, me making a mess, Ryan enjoying ever morsel. He looks over and says, "You know if you just go straight across a row once, from there go across again, using only your bottom teeth to pop the kernels out, you get the whole kernel, and you don't get as much in your teeth."

Although I had my doubts, I tried it...and behold:

...my first row of perfectly eaten corn! And it's so much easier that way! I've always loved the taste of fresh corn, but the mess often deters me from it. If I had only known this the first 26 years of my life...and why Ryan waited 4 years to share this with me I'll never know.

One more time...Before:

After!

Amazing...Now excuse me while I go alert the media.

Another Dog Post

2010-05-21T18:53:00.003-05:00

First, let me apologize for another dog post. If you have children, and your life no longer revolves around your pets please quit reading now. Otherwise you may like to read on and see Duke's obsession with his stuffed (well, was stuffed) fox toy.

This is Duke's (or Aspen's depending on what day it is, or what time of day for that matter) fox.

This is Duke about to leap into the air to grab it because its not torn up quite enough yet.

This is Duke trying to start some tug-o-war. You may note the deflated turtle toy from last month lying in the background...poor thing.

And this is a shiny new fox who doesn't yet know his fate.

And a droopy eyed monkey because I can't resist that sort of thing.

We are about to have two very happy puppies.

My New Favorite Thing for Taco Night

2010-05-17T18:48:00.002-05:00

Ryan and I usually make tacos a couple times a month. Ryan recently picked these taco salad bowls up at the store, and they are my new favorite thing for taco night. You start by putting together these cardboard contraptions that are like upside-down bowls...it's very fast and easy.

You drape the shells over the cardboard contraptions...

Then stick 'em in the oven for about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile...Start preparing a few things to put IN the bowl. I usually chop some lettuce and tomato.

Brown some hamburger...if you have taco seasoning, great, but we usually just use fresh onion and garlic and lots of chili powder.

When you pull the shells out of the oven, they look like this...all golden and delicious. Take them off the cardboard molds and flip them over to fill.

Throw in your lettuce, tomato, meat, beans (black or pinto), cheese, salsa, and anything else you can come up with...and eat!

Burnt Sugar Candy Bar Cake

2010-05-16T13:25:00.008-05:00

The day we left for our trip last week was my mom's birthday. I love baking for people on their birthday, so I made this always crowd-pleasing candy-bar cake for her birthday:

When you're done wiping the drool from your chin, return and I'll begin showing you how to make it for someone you love...or even better, for yourself :).

This is a recipe from Better Homes and Garden's Test Kitchen Favorites Cookbook. It's a bit of a complex recipe the first time you look at it, but once you break it down and try it, it's not so daunting...plus it's SOOO worth it. I love it for special occasions, holidays, and well, any day you want something absolutely rich and fabulous (which is most days for me).

To start, cook 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to melt (do not stir yet). Once it starts to melt, turn the heat down a bit and stir constantly.

Until it looks something like this:

Cook about 1-3 minutes after this, until it's just a bit darker. Then add 3/4 cup hot water (carefully)...The recipe says this will cause lumps, but that's the nice way of putting it. It's nothing short of a small nuclear reaction. Expect bubbles, steam, and a hard sheet of sugar that gradually melts into a nice syrup. So stir until there are no more "lumps" and remove from heat. Pour into a glass measuring cup and add hot water until there is 1 and 3/4 cup liquid total (no nuclear reaction this time). It will look like this:

Now set that aside. In a large bowl stir together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp baking soda. In another bowl, beat together 1.5 cups sugar, 2/3 cup softened butter, 2 egg yolks (save the whites in another bowl), and 2 tsp vanilla until smooth. Alternately add in dry ingredients and sugar syrup, beating after each addition.

Now remember those egg whites? Use a clean, dry hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they look like this: fairly stiff.

Then, gently fold the whites into the batter. Now it's ready to bake! Use three 8 inch baking pans, greased and floured (or in my case, doused with Pam cooking spray...sshhh, don't tell anyone). Evenly divide the batter between the 3 pans, then bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto wire racks to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, go ahead and start preparing the icing/toppings. Chop some assorted candy bars. You'll need about 1.5 cups of finely chopped bars, and a few coarsely chopped bars for the top.

For the icing, start with 1/2 cup butter (1 stick salted butter, no substitutes). Heat it in a pan over low-medium heat until melted. Keep heating and stirring until it turns a dark nut-brown color. There will be some sediment in the pan, but that's what gives you such a great aroma and flavor. Once it looks like this, remove from heat and cool for about 5 minutes.

While that's cooling, beat together 8oz cream cheese (softened) and 3 TBSP butter until combined, then beat in 2 cups powdered sugar. Next beat in the browned butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in an additional 4.5 cups powdered sugar. Then add 2-3 tbsp milk until the frosting is spreadable. It'll look something like this... At this point, try to resist licking the spoon (at least until your done assembling the cake).

Now it's time to assemble the layers. With each layer, spread a generous amount of frosting and sprinkle a nice layer of those mixed candy bars.

After it's all together it will look like this:

But there's something missing...There we go...that's when you pull out the big chunks to throw on top.

Enjoy!

Washington D.C.

2010-05-15T20:49:00.003-05:00

I have way more pictures from D.C. than anyone would care to see, but I did add an album to Facebook to share a bit of what we saw. Rose Marie and I had a great time sight-seeing...I saw everything I had hoped to see even though we only had 2 full days of sight-seeing. Needless to say our feet were tired at the end of everyday! Here is the link to the album...click here. Enjoy!

It couldn't last forever

2010-05-04T19:59:00.003-05:00

Remember the cute, fuzzy turtle toy we gave the dogs a few weeks ago? Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that it lasted longer than 1 week...which is very unusual with our pups. But today, I found this... that's the bad news...and the fact that I had just vacuumed approximately 37.2 minutes prior to this finding.

Oh well, at least someone is still smiling...

I'll just throw him in the basket of other deflated, previously stuffed, animals. They love them all the same.

2 Years

2010-05-04T19:08:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it has been 2 years since we stood on the beach and said, "I do." We have come a long way since then, and I'm thankful for everyday we have together.

Ryan surprised me at work yesterday (I'm a day late on this anniversary post) with a beautiful bouquet. Getting flowers never gets old...I would have fresh bouquets all around the house if I could!

We are headed to Birmingham tomorrow to meet up with Ryan's family. From there, I will be headed to Washington D.C.! Ryan's mom is coming and his sister will be joining us on Saturday. I will be attending a conference on Friday and Saturday, then we'll have a little time for some sight-seeing before we head back on Tuesday. I've never been to D.C., so I'm sure I'll be posting lots of pictures next week!

Happy Anniversary to us...and here's to many more!

I Love Taking Pictures of Food

2010-04-24T22:38:00.006-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, I got a new camera somewhere between here and here (if you click on the links, you will notice the difference immediately). I quickly discovered that some of my favorite photos came from the kitchen.

And it's not because I'm obsessed with food.

Because I'm not.

It's just fun to try new recipes, taste new foods, take pictures, eat, and repeat.

Okay, maybe I'm a little obsessed, but I still think I'd like the pictures even if food wasn't my reason for living. Plus, I guess the food makes it a little easy on the novice photographer...it doesn't move, you don't have to beg it to smile, and when you're done taking pictures, you can eat it.

I still have a lot to learn with my new camera...maybe I should learn to love other subjects to photograph.

My hips would thank me.

Meet Turtle

2010-04-17T19:53:00.002-05:00

Yesterday evening, while wandering through Walmart's pet section, we came upon some of the cutest dog toys. I couldn't pass this one up...

It has Duke's eyes.

droopy and puppy-like...I'm a sucker for this sort of thing.

What is it, you say? It's a turtle....

..with a squeaker in its head. Duke is in love...and so am I. I tried to look for more info on these little toys but didn't come up with much. They are DanDee Collector's Choice stuffed toys and dog toys...sold at Walmart, Amazon, and some other various sites. And I will say that it is day 2 and the toy is still intact...stuffing and all. It typically takes 24-48 hours for Aspen and Duke to tear a seem, rip out the stuffing and the squeaker and viciously argue over who gets to play with the deflated toy, so I think it safe to say that these toys are fairly durable since it has survived thus far.

I give it a week...

Planting Day

2010-04-11T18:20:00.004-05:00

As you may remember, we started some vegetable plants several weeks back. Yesterday was planting day. We ran into a problem right away. The ground was way too hard for a little tiller. So, Daddy to the rescue!...

The tractor got the ground broken up much faster than the tiller would have.

Here's a wild flower after it met its doom from the tractor.

And here's Ryan tilling away after the tractor was long gone. Don't worry, he didn't to all the work. I even took the tiller for a spin through the garden (now THAT would've made a good picture...and an even better video).

Me towering (well my shadow. I, at 5'4" on a good day, don't tower over anything, except maybe Duke) over the freshly planted garden.

I can't wait for these itty, bitty plants to start growing and making some fresh veggies!

Guard Dog

2010-04-03T09:45:00.004-05:00

One of Duke's many favorite pastimes is watching various creatures (birds, dogs, squirrels...and an occasional human) and cars from the living room window. He doesn't get to do this often because it requires jumping on the back of the couch, but when he does get to climb on his lookout point, he has such a sense of purpose. He alerts us to every passerby, including the tiniest birds...nothing gets by him..

Until the other day, when I found him...ahem...sleeping on the job.

Duke? You see something out there? Duke? Yep he was OUT.

Well it's a hard life being a dog around our house...even Aspen has trouble coping from time to time...can't you tell by sense of unrest in this picture?

I know. If they were anymore stressed, they would need a puppy shrink.

Duke's Photoshoot

2010-03-28T19:32:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, after I was done snapping pictures in the back yard, this is what greeted me on the way back to the door...

Me: "Duke?"

Duke: "What?"

Me: "Do you want YOUR picture taken now?"
Duke: "Who, me? Right now?"

"Let me just fix my ears...does this look alright?"

Me: "Say cheese!"

Duke: "Can't really say that, but here's my best attempt." (He tries so hard to do what I ask)

Aw...perfect...

I took this one for Rose Marie on the way back inside...

Back inside...Aspen was lounging and soon was wondering why I was sticking a camera in HIS face.

They are such good sports.

Spring Flowers

2010-03-28T16:31:00.003-05:00

Stop and smell them.

A Sweet Week

2010-03-28T15:30:00.003-05:00

Ok, so this week, we whipped up a few sweets. This is one of our favorite sweet snacks (you've probably seen it here before). It's quick and easy and who can go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.

For this recipe, you need 3 ingredients: crackers, peanut butter, and chocolate.
Spread a little peanut butter between two crackers and dip in chocolate bark, and here is what you get:

Yummy...we usually use crunchy peanut butter for a little extra texture.

Also this week, was the return of the Pioneer Woman's pound cake. I made it for Bible study. We have dinner and desert every-other-Thursday, and the person who brought the main dish brought the Pioneer Woman's chicken spaghetti...and no, we didn't plan to have an entire meal from PW, but it sure was tasty!

And you can't have pound cake this time of year without some early-season strawberries.

mmmm...

Happy Birthday Kent!

2010-03-26T19:58:00.003-05:00

While we were gone to Memphis my brother celebrated his 19th birthday! I hated to miss it, but I did leave him some of our family-recipe, yummy, made-from-scratch, yummy, chocolate-chip cookies...

Did I say they were yummy? What? I had to taste them for quality control...

This was my first batch of cookie dough made with my Kitchenaid mixer. Oh how I love the ease of mixing dough with this magic machine. Anyone who has stirred the flour into cookie dough can appreciate what I'm talking about. No more sore shoulders here! Now excuse me while I go wipe the flour from its shiny brow...

Lovin' my mixer...oh, and a Happy Birthday to my brother, :)

Another Cold Race

2010-03-26T19:26:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday we arrived in the Memphis area to meet Ryan's parents for a visit and a 5K. We were greeted with sunny skies and 70-degree weather. Sunday morning, when we woke for the race, it was 49 degrees and pouring rain. Of course, this just seems to be our luck...if you'll remember...in Disney World, it was sleeting, then raining as the temperature rose just above freezing, last spring we ran through the rain at Oak Mountain...This just is just par for the course.

Pre-race

I crossed the finish-line in just over 29 minutes. Turns out I was second place in my age group, but don't get too excited, it was a small race...very little competition...most real runners would have left me in the dust.

Here comes Ryan: for someone who doesn't run on a regular basis, he did pretty good!

And Bobby...My running partner through it all! (I think I just about have him talked into a full marathon someday)

After...all wet...

P.S. By the time we got home on Monday, the temperature was back in the upper 60's, sun was shining without a cloud in site....You can shed a tear for me now if you'd like.