Today's Workout

P90X Chest, Shoulders and Triceps = Totally kicked my BUTT!!!! yay!
Ab Workout
Ran 4 miles (on the treadmill)

I felt like I have totally neglected myself in the workout and eating right area. Especially over this last weekend being out of town. I think I gained like 5 pounds with all the stuff I ate!! So, it totally felt SO GOOD to get on the bandwagon of eating good and working out. As much as I am grateful for the treadmill that sits in my "nice piano room".....it sure is boring running on that thing! I haven't done one of my long runs yet this summer because after mile ONE I'm so bored!! I have to force myself to keep running to even do my 4-6 miles. I will definitely be glad to run outside when the weather changes again. But, for now, I'll be happy that I even have something to run on inside!!!!

Lemon Garlic Chicken

This is one of my families favorite meals. I love the flavor of the chicken. This recipe is from my P90X workout meal plan. We have this chicken often. I serve with wild rice and usually steamed brocolli and zuchini...this night I only had the brocolli!!!

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp molasses

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

combine first 4 ingredients in a nonreactive dish and add chicken. cover and marinate in fridge for 1 hour, turning occassionally.preheat oven to 425 degreesremove chicken from dish, reserving marinade and arrange in shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. pour reserved marinade over chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper. bake for 20 minutes, basting occasionally with marinade. continue baking, without basting, for an additional 20 minutes or until chicken is done...serve with lemon wedges and garnish with parsley if desired

Workouts have been good. I've been running, on the treadmill, but still running!!! I have found that I sure get bored on the treadmill though...and really FAST too!!! It just isn't the same as running outside, but hey, I'll take what I can get!! Last week I wasn't in the mood for strength training...I don't know why!!! So this week, I'm back on the band wagon and todays workout was a BEAR!!! Chest, Shoulders and Triceps...one word...YIKES!!!! But it sure felt good. I'm definitely feeling it already though!!

MIA

I have not posted for quite some time...

Have I been exercising? Yes Have I been sticking to my running/training schedule? Kind of Have I been eating right? Um, a big fat NO for that one. My running has been a little speratic because I haven't been feeling well. I have been doing my strength training though and this week my running should be back to normal! AND hopefully my eating will be too. My meals have been pretty much healthy...it's the AFTER DINNER part that I've had some trouble with. Too much ice cream in so little time!!!!! Yes, ice cream is my BIG DOWNFALL, well that and homemade cookies! ha! Sad, sad story....

Normally, I don't eat sweets during the week, and I let myself have something on the weekends. So NOT the case for the last few weeks, I've been eating anything and EVERYTHING!!

And definitely at the wrong time of night! My butt, hips and thighs are definitely

feeling the aftermath!!! So, here's to a new week...a new start

#1 Goal for the week: NO eating after dinner

#2 Goal for the week: Drink more water

#3 Goal for the week: Stick to my running schedule

#4 Goal for the week: Eat slower and enjoy my meals

Good Dinner

Thanks to Jenny over at Picky Palate for this very yummy salad recipe. I have been so excited to try this recipe because I LOVE salads so much. This was a BIG hit for us parents AND the kids! They even had seconds!!! I was hoping to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow but everything was GONE!!! I guess that's a good sign! I added cucumbers to our salad because the girls don't like tomatoes (weird) and I forgot to buy cilantro while I was at the store, so needless to say, I didn't add any to the dressing. In the words of my hubby...'I think this ones a keeper!' Yay!!! Also, as I was eating this, I was thinking that it would taste really yummy to have crushed tortilla chips on top too! Maybe next time!!!
BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing
3 cups thinly sliced Green Leaf Lettuce (I used green and red)
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup black beans
8 grape tomatoes, halved
1 cooked grilled chicken breast
1/4 cup favorite BBQ sauce (My fave is Sweet Baby Rays..YUM!)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing
1 heaping tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro leaves

1. Layer lettuce, corn, black beans and tomatoes. Dice cooked chicken breast and mix with BBQ sauce. Top over salad and sprinkle with cheese. Please ranch dressing and cilantro leaves into a small bowl to combine. Drizzle over salad and serve!
**This recipe is for 1 large serving, double accordingly**

As for my workouts...I have been continuing with my P90X workouts. I haven't ran for like a week and a half:( I'm very sad...but hoping to be able to get in a run tonight after my food is digested and it cools off a bit. Last week it was too hot at the beginning of the week to run, and then at the end of the week it was raining and COLD! So I didn't get ANY running in. I am SO missing it! Thanks to one my of best friends, Diane, AKA Dave, I will be "borrowing" her treadmill for the summer so I can get my runs in! Hopefully I can get it soon! And it will fit somewhere in my house!!!!

Bow Ties With Sausage & Sweet Peppers

Cute Rebekkah INSISTED on taking a picture of me serving up dinner...and of course, then Abby wanted to be in the picture too!! (don't mind the UGLY hair...i didn't dry it after i got out of the shower...yikes! just be happy that i'm actually SHOWERED in this picture! ha!) *side note*~~ aren't my shorts so cute???!! haha...i love them, they are my favorite...my hubby likes them because they show off my BUTT!!! hahahahaheeheehee
Ok, moving on to tonights dinner...I love this dinner...it's so light and fresh...and it's ALWAYS a hit with the kids. I'm going to probably have to start doubling this recipe when I make it, because with Walker-Boy now eating ALOT, there just wasn't quite enough!!!!
The recipe calls for Spicy Italian sausage links...I use Jennie-O turkey sausage! I've never even tried it the "real" way...I'm sure it's good too! The recipe is from a book I got from Barnes & Noble a LONG time ago, called, Fresh and Simple Pasta Pronto!
Bow Ties with Sausage & Sweet Peppers
8 ounces dried large bow ties
3/4 pound spicy Italian sausage links
2 medium red sweet peppers, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup vegetable broth or beef broth (I always use vegetable)
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup snipped fresh Italian parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and return pasta to saucepan.

Meanwhile, cut the sausage into 1 inch pieces. In a large skillet cook sausage and sweet peppers over medium-high heat until sausage is brown. Drain off fat. (good part about using the turkey one, I never have fat to drain out!)

Stir the broth and black pepper into skillet. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour over pasta, add parsley (I always forget the parsley!). Toss gently to coat. Transfer to a warm serving dish and enjoy!

Summer Time Blues

I'm already having the Summer Time Blues...and the kids aren't even officially out of school yet!!! Why? Because it's hot...and yes, I do like the warmer weather...but not the HOT, HOT, HOT weather because then that means running outside is kind of put on hold. I'm trying to figure out how the heck I'm going to get my running in this summer. Should I get a YMCA membership just so I can use the gym? Buy myself a treadmill? If my cute hubby had a normal 8-5 job, this wouldn't even be a problem! But he doesn't...and I'm not gonna get up at 2am to go running before he leaves for work at 3am!!! ha! Hmmmm...decisions, decisions, decisions....I don't WANT a YMCA membership, I cancelled that one last fall. I'm sure I could find a decent treadmill on Craigs List, but where in the crap would I put it???!!!! *sigh*

Homemade Wheat Pizza

I've been making pizza at home for quite a while now...Trader Joe's carries a wheat pizza dough, already made, all you have to do is roll it out and put on your favorite toppings! I loved it, was so easy and they used wheat. Well, since buying my Bosch, I have been wanting to make my own dough, using FRESHLY ground wheat...but I've been scared! Just because I've never done it before I guess. Tonight I took the plunge and put myself to the test!!!!

This Pizza Sauce is the best I have found...well, canned atleast. I love that its Organic, obviously, and it doesn't have any "added" garbage to it.
Toppings for me and Nathan's pizza...pepperoni, olives, onion, red and yellow bell peppers..(cheese of course too, just not pictured)
Kids pizza, just pepperoni and cheese
Our Pizza!! YUM!!!!
The dough turned out pretty good...since it was my first time making the pizza, I wasn't quite sure on how much dough to use on the stone, how much sauce I wanted, etc....I made 2 pizza's with the amount of dough I had, and our pizza turned out REALLY thick. Next time I will make 3 pizza's and have leftovers for the kids for lunch the next day or something. It also definitely needed more sauce and pepperoni's. But now I know!!! I will post the recipe, but the instructions are for using a Bosch, just so you know!!!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

3 cups hot tap water (not hot enough to burn)

2 Tbsp honey

6-8 cups whole wheat or unbleached white flour (approximate amount)

1 Tbsp Saf yeast

1 Tbsp Salt

1 Tbsp Kitchen Resource Dough Enhancer

Put water, honey and 3 cups of flour in Bosch bowl. Mix until paste consistency. Add yeast and salt. Add additional flour quickly 1 cup at a time only until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl. You may not need to add entire amount of flour or you may need to add a bit more.

If using all white flour, knead 5 minutes. If half white half wheat flour, knead 8 minutes. If all wheat flour, knead 10 minutes.

Add dough enhancer last 2 minutes of kneading.

Place pizza stone in oven and preheat to 500 degrees.

Roll crusts to desired shapes and sizes. Add favorite toppings and bake on stone for 7 minutes.