March Recap

Can't believe that we're already in the second quarter of 2011. Crazy! Here's a recap of my resolutions:

R1 - Grandma's

I wrote a letter to one Grandma. Called the other. Also saw Gram for my birthday, but that doesn't count.

R2 - Walk

I really need to get out there some more. I managed to walk 6.17 miles for a total of 16.67 and 233.33 to go. Now that it's nicer out, this is a lot easier. I've been taking Adelyn with me. Only problem with that is that it is a lot of work for me as I put her in her carrier instead of her stroller so I have two hands free for Zoey.

R3 - Run

I'm slacking on this one as well. I ran 6 miles for a total of 18.5 so far. That leaves me with 131.5 left to go. Shouldn't be an issue, but I will be a busy lady this summer!

R4 - Cook

Made my goal this month. I made Spanish Rice Bake (which I thought should have been called Mexican Rice Bake) from Betty Crocker Healthy Grains cookbook. Chicken Barley Stew also from the same cookbook (Ben said I didn't need to bother with this recipe again). Creamy Chicken with home made biscuits from Real Simple. Yum! And Chipotle Beef Tacos also from Real Simple. I did count the biscuits as a recipe (since it is) in case you were wondering where the fifth recipe is. :)

February Review

R1 - I wrote to both my grandmas. Seems so not impressive, but whatever.

R2 - Ben pointed out a major mistake in my resolution for walking Zoey - too easy to fail! He encouraged me to rework it so that I could make it. So, instead of walking her 5 times a week, my goal is to walk her 250 miles this year (5 times a week x 1 mile x 50 weeks - roughly what I did before Adelyn was born). So, that's my new goal. Unfortunately, this has caused me to slip back into laziness. I hope to get back into walking this month! And once it's warm again, I can take Adelyn with, which will make it easier to go on a walk. Anyway, I have walked 10.5 miles so far this year, leaving 239.5 to go.

R3 - I was able to run 6.5 miles. That brings the total to 12.5 miles, leaving 137.5 to go. I'm thinking about doing a tri in May, so that would help bring my total up as I train for it.

R4 - This is the easiest goal for me. This month I made:

Chocolate Stout Cake - recipe from Real Simple. It turned out pretty good even though I put all the chocolate in the cake instead of reserving some for the frosting. Oops. :)

Coconut Chicken with Mango Salsa - pretty tasty, although would like more of the coconut flavor to come through. I might experiment with marinating in coconut milk or something.

Asian Style Meat Loaves - This was yummy! I got this recipe from a friend. I know that I said before that I don't like meat loaf, but this was totally different.

Beef with Smokey Pepper Sauce - This was also pretty good. It tasted better as leftovers though after the flavors mingled a bit more. Recipe from BH&G Magazine.

Ginger Pork Sandwiches - This was ok... the flavors were good, but strangely, you couldn't really taste the pork. Ben thought you could make a mean vegetarian sandwich by just making it without the pork. Recipe from BH&G Magazine.

I also made Oatmeal Fudgy Bars, a recipe from Ben's mom. But Ben said I couldn't count it since he's had them before. Not sure if I agree with his logic, but I made 5 recipes without that one, so I guess we can go with that.

January Review

The first month of 2011 is basically over. And what a busy month! I owe a few posts about our adventures, but for now, here's how my resolutions are going.

R1: I wrote Grandma S once and went out with Grandma O twice. Both visits with GO were birthday related, but I figure the second time counts since I haven't ever gone to breakfast with her on her big day (because in the past I have been working).

R2: For the first half of the month, Zoey and I weren't together, so we didn't walk. When we got back home from our adventures, I had a nasty cough. And it was cold. Usually colds and the cold don't bother me, but this cough didn't appreciate cold air and would send me into a coughing fit. So, I waited until the cough was gone to start with our walks. That only left us the last week of the month to walk. I think she likes going on walks again.

R3: While on our cruise, I did run two days for a total of 4 miles (146 to go!). I would have run more often, but on port days I did plenty of swimming in the ocean and was too tired to do much more physical activity.

R4: I made 6 new recipes! I made:

Chicken Pasta Florentine - This was ok. Not very flavorful, but not bad either.

Boston Market Meatloaf - For meatloaf it was pretty good. I don't like meatloaf. Ben loves Boston Market's, so I gave it a try. While eating it, I was apologizing for never making meatloaf. Turns out Ben isn't really a fan either, but he just happens to like Boston Market's. So, I guess I don't have to make it again.

Spiced Halibut and Broccoli-Quinoa Pilaf - The fish was just ok. But the pilaf was great! Recipes were from RealSimple magazine.

Impossibly Good Chicken - I think that if it had a different name, I would have liked it better. It was good, but I was expecting awesome. Recipe from a Rachel Ray cookbook I have.

Hungarian Goulash - This is in the crock-pot for tonight. It's from my Forget It crock-pot cookbook.

It's a New Year

After taking last year off from New Year Resolutions, I'm ready to have some again. In no particular order...

Resolution 1 - Be More Involved With My Grandmas

While making krumkake this year, I realized that I don't spend nearly enough time with my Grandma O. I see her at birthdays and holidays and krumkake making days, but other than that, I rarely see or talk with her. This is just plain silliness. And it has got to stop. Neither of them are getting any younger, and I really should take advantage of their time. The plan is to talk or get together with my GO once a month, not including family functions. Since my GS lives in MO I plan to write to her once a month and plan a road trip to visit her (probably in the summer so I don't need to worry about snow and ice).

Resolution 2 - Walk the Dog

Back before I had Adelyn, I walked Zoey every M-F before getting ready for work. I loved having some quiet alone time with her. And she loved sniffing everything. Since Adelyn was born, I have been a major slacker. Those of you who are moms can relate, I'm sure, to how much a baby can throw off your routine. My plan is to walk Zoey 5 times a week, except for when she or I are out of town.

Resolution 3 - Run!

Two years ago, my resolution was to run 100 miles. And I did it. Then I was too pregnant to run. I really want to get back into running. I like it. I thought about just setting my goal at 100 again since last year I didn't run much at all. But I feel like running should be easier now that I don't work outside of the home. ??? So, the plan is to run 150 miles.

Resolution 4 - Be Creative in the Kitchen

Two years ago I also had a goal of making 2 new recipes a month. It was fun to try out new dishes and not have the same thing all the time. This time, the plan is to make 5 new recipes a month (2 is just way too easy). As part of this, I plan to start using some of my cookbooks that I rarely use. The other day I was looking for a recipe and realized that I have a lot of cookbooks with great sounding recipes that I never even look at.

I feel like there was another one, but I can't think of what it was. So, we'll just go with this list.

It's [was] the Holiday Season!

I love Christmas! Ben is such a dear and willingly turns the radio on during Christmas (something that he usually does not do) just so I can have Christmas tunes following me everywhere.

It started off that we weren't hosting anything this season. But then, Christmas magic happened and we were hosting three events. One was cancelled due to weather. So we were down to two - Christmas morning and a family gathering that took place last weekend. We love to host and it is nice not have to go anywhere. And now the house is clean. :)

Aside from enjoying time off, family time and Christmas, I also completed my 2009 Resolutions. I have made two new recipes every month. I have run 100 miles. It felt great to have goals that stretched the whole year to keep me motivated and going. Now I'm trying to determine some for this year. I had thought about keeping these ones, but does it really count as a resolution if you have already done it? Still pondering that one.

New Recipe

I know, I know... I'm a slacker. Maybe that will be my New Year's Resolution for 2010 - keep this updated a bit more. Speaking of resolutions... Only 6.5 miles left for me to run! And thanks to our "Eating like it's 1899" kick (more on that later) I have made a lot of new recipes. Like this one: Upside-Down Pineapple Pancakes. Ben took 1 bite and said, "This is a keeper!"

Merry Christmas everyone!

Happy Happy!

Last week was a week of celebrating. I am very and truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and a great bunch of friends. I worked on my birthday, but didn't get a lot accomplished. My team and friends from India called and emailed me throughout the day. My first phone call of the day was them singing "Happy Birthday" to me. I also had friends here sending their wishes to me. It was a fun day!

Last night we had the fam over and some friends to try out our new grill. We grilled up some salsa burgers. They were so yummy!! Luckily for me we made a bunch so we had some for lunch again today. :)

Not a whole lot else to report on. Crap! I just realized that it is 3/29 and I have only made one new recipe this month. Guess I better get my bum in gear.

Weight loss results: Holding steady = good on a birthday week where I have been eating a bunch of crap.

You Know it's Been a Long Time When...

You know it's been a long time since you have been running when:
1. You can't remember how to put the harness on your dog.
2. You can't remember what your 2 mile route is, so you end up on the 1.5 mile route, which is ok because,
3. You and your dog are ready to stop after 1.5 miles.

Yesterday Zoey and I took advantage of the beautiful morning and went for our first run of the season. It was so nice to be outside! This weather is perfect - not too cold or warm to run, and comfortable to be outside without a jacket. I love it! Too bad the forecast claims it won't last. But it's Minnesota, so what do I expect?

After the run, I went on the exercise bike. Yes, I'm insane. But for a reason - my friend Andrea and I are going to be doing a mini triathlon this June. The tri is .5 mile swim, 15 mile bike ride and 5 mile run. It's called "Swim-Bike-Run Like a Girl With a Kick." Andrea did it last year and had fun. This year they are offering the "with a kick" version - longer distances - and somehow she "convinced" me to do the longer one. I figure this is a great one to get my feet wet with. It's low competition, and you swim in a pool instead of a lake (so if you get tired you can take a break), and it's fairly low cost compared to others. I'm looking forward to it.

Miles run this year: 7.9 miles. Miles to goal: 92.1.

Flannel

Why is it that flannel sheets feel so warm when you crawl into bed but regular Cotton sheets don't? This weekend I (finally) put the flannel sheets on our bed. Mmmmmm.....

Since I last posted I have made two new recipes! I am really on a roll here. :) On Wednesday night I made Meatball Soup also from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I made a few slight changes (no surprise there): instead of making my own meatballs, I used frozen ones; I didn't have mini pasta so I used regular sized (and increased to one cup); I also threw in some leftover chopped tomatoes from taco night. It was a pretty tasty soup. And easy!

Last night we had David and Heather over for dinner and Guitar Hero. I made a Vegetable Stuffed Roast (recipe from BH&G). I thought it was pretty tasty. For dessert I made chocolate molten cakes, but I've made them before, so that's not a new recipe.

I guess that brings my new recipe count up to 3. I probably won't make anything new this week. On Friday we are leaving for Texas for Cassie's wedding. So excited for her. And also excited to see John, Sara, Malachi and Val.

Why I don't run in the winter

This morning Zoey and I went for our normal walk. We were rounding a pile of snow when all of a sudden I was on the ground. I somehow managed to slip. Thankfully all my skydiving training kicked in and I did what I am sure was a very graceful PLF (Parachute Landing Fall - let the soft spots absorb the shock). I am sure I will have a nice blue patch on my butt! Zoey was so cute, as soon as she saw me fall she ran over to check on me. Such a good protector. But that just goes to show you that it is unsafe to run with conditions like we have. It could have been much worse if I was moving faster. I know that you can run on treadmills, but I hate treadmills. My normal stride is too long, so I end up shortening my stride which just kind of messes me up.

Speaking of treadmills, I did (grudgingly) use one on the cruise. I decided to start on my resolution to run 100 miles. I wanted to run on deck, but the first day I tried to the running deck was closed due to the wind. So I went inside to the gym. The first day the treadmill and I took some time to get to know each other. It was somewhat broken - it wouldn't register my heart rate. Oh, well. I picked a speed and started running. I thought it was going well until I looked down and saw that in 8 minutes I had run about 1/2 mile. So I continued to increase my speed to try and find the "right" one. The second time I ran, I picked a different machine. This one worked for heart rate. Except it kept getting mad at me because my heart rate was higher than it thought it should be, so it kept decreasing the speed. So, despite my best attempts, those two days I only ran 1.7 miles each day. Third time is a charm... I went to yet a different machine and just picked a manual workout. It was great. I ran at the speed that I wanted to and finally got up to 3 miles (in the same time frame)! I was so excited! So, all in all I ran 6.4 miles on the cruise. Only 93.6 left to go!

Also on the topic of resolutions, last night I made a new recipe: Cabbage Rolls with Vegetables and Bulgar from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. I couldn't find Bulgar at the store (anyone know where to find it? I looked in the bulk section, the organic section, rice and beans section and baking section and couldn't find it) so I used white rice instead. It was pretty good. Although since I was using rice instead of Bulgar I had to change the cooking times and I think that resulted in crisper veggies than what was intended. Ben thought that it was tasty. The only problem is that it so low cal (only 173!) so we were both pretty hungry around 9.

Not Bad

Today we hosted the annual Glover/Obert Christmas. My mom's best friend from high school and her family and my family have been getting together every Christmas time since before I was born. It is always so much fun. In the old days it was 8 of us. Over the years it has grown to 16. Yikes! We alternate years hosting, and this year it was the Obert's turn. Since we have a new house, we decided to host. We decided to do a taco bar this year. After everyone said they would bring something, the only thing left for me was the meat. Easy.

Everyone came around noon. We gave tours, then had lunch. Then we played the dice game for presents. It was a lot of fun. Ben ended up with a puzzle, which I am excited about but he isn't and I got a cold/hot pack for muscle aches. Neither one of us are excited about that one. Oh, well. Maybe I will just gift it back next year.

After family pictures, everyone started heading out. I cleaned up the kitchen and was ready for our next "to-do" list item by 3:30. Not bad.

I know I'm a few days late on this, but I thought I would share my New Year's Resolutions with you. I don't usually do this, but Ben did it last year and it inspired me to do the same. So here they are:
1. Run 100 miles during 2009 - While this might not sound too impressive for those that run, (or maybe even to those that don't) last year I run about 40 miles. So this is a big increase. But last year I had a sore foot until May and a house move in July. Without those two things in my way this year, I think that this is a do-able goal.
2. Try out two new recipes a month - I was going to try one each week, but then decided with vacations and stuff, I might not get to a new recipe every week. A side goal to this one is to have better-for-you meals. I will try to post all my new recipe adventures.

Anyway, that's about it. Wednesday Ben and I leave for vacation, so it's been very busy getting ready for today and for vacation.