Discovering Nashville

Shannon planned a super fun day for us on my first day in Nashville!  We went to a swanky mall and even though we were misplaced and awkward going in and out of the fancy stores like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Betsy Johnson, it was still fun to go into store that I can't in back in podunk...I mean, MS.

But by far my favorite part of th day was when Shannon took me to Radnor Lake for a hike.  We spent about two hours there hiking some trails.  The scenery was beautiful and surprisingly a pretty nice little workout.  Here are the pictures from our adventure:

 

(Radnor Lake)

(Shannon and I on the beginning of the hike, notice the absence of sweat)

(These stairways were built into many of the trails)

(I am smiling because finally I am not walking uphill)

Shannon had told me that when her and Adam had been hiking the week before, that they saw twenty deer!  They were supposedly all over the trail, but as we were drawing to the end of our hike, I still had not seen any deer.  Thanks to the basics of hunting education that Matt has giving me over the years, I knew it was probably because it was still to early.  But as our hike came to a close, the sun had started to go down and it was prime time for the creatures of the forest to be moving.  So Shannon didn't like, there really were deer.

(a doe that was right by the trail, she just stood there while I got close enough to take a picture)

The lake was covered with a green algae like film, it really was kind of gross, but to my surprise I looked over and caught these deer out in the middle of the lake eating the algae off the top of the water.  I was so interested because I had never seen deer do something like this before.

(Three deer, and yes that is water they are out in the middle of)

I can't wait to see what Shannon has in store for us today!

P.S. Matt, I really hope you enjoy the pictures of deer I took just for you!

Where in the world is Chelle

I left bright and early this morning for a weekend trip.  I was invited to accompany my dad and a friend on a road trip as they are going to do some training for the Ironman Triathlon they are competing in in August.  I thought about it and realized the route takes me right through the town where my best friend Shannon is now living.  I am going to get dropped off for a fun weekend with her, I will leave all of the triathlon training to someone else.

Can you guess where I am going?

1. Maxwell House Coffee was founded here.

2. Home to the world's longest continuously running live radio show in the world.

3. Known as "The Athens of the South"

4. The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson is found here.

Home of country music!  Maybe if I am lucky I will run into someone on the street this weekend, check back for pictures and updates about my quick trip to Music City.  

What a girl wants IS what a girl needs...

There are two things that I want.  Material things that I sometimes dream about having.  Yes, I want them, but I also NEED them.  Lets not mix up the meaning of those two words because in this instance they are exactly the same. I need them not only because they are pretty, but because they would both serve a specific purpose.  They both would aide in my ability to perform my domestic duties.

Drum-roll please......

TADA!

A pistachio Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer.  Isn't she a beauty?  Pistachio may not be the go to color for other people, as it might take them back to a time when pistachio was the must have color for refrigerators, ovens, and bathtubs but to me, it is pure love.  I have an obsession with all things green.  As much as I try to steer myself to other colors, I gravitate back.  Shh....can you hear that?  It is calling my name.  Just imagine all of the special treats and brownies that I could make in this sucker.  I promise that I would not let it sit on the counter and gather dust.  I can hear it now, the quite hum of the mixer as it stirs up the batch of brownies I want to make as welcome home to Matt.

And...drum-roll please....

VOILA!

A Dyson Vacuum

No matter what she says gentleman, I think that everyone wife secretly harbors a desire for a dyson vacuum.  Heck, it certainly isn't a secret for me.  I want one.  There is no denying that whoever designed this uber vacuum, that not only did they create a superb sucking power, but also fitted it with a magnet that attracts a woman's heart along with pet hair.  It just looks so pretty.  I have a hairless beagle...oh, wait he isn't hairless but you would think he was the amount of hair he sheds. So I need this vacuum to help keep stray dog hair form winding up in the kitchen, where it would interfere with the brownies I was making in my new Kitchen Aid mixer.  

Now for the sad part:

You can only afford these two products if you happened to marry into the royal family or if you are a Kardashian.  I kid, I kid, but they are both rather expensive and not something that you just pick up on a whim while at Wal-Mart. As much as I want them, it will take a considerable amount of time to convince myself that the price tag is worth it.

That is why these are still on my wish list and not on the kitchen counter and hall closet respectively.

A girl can dream, so for now, I am just going to stick to lusting after them from a far and imagine myself prancing around the living room, apron on, vacuum in one hand and a plate of brownies in the other.

A Message From Duece

Isn't this the funnest thing? Alright, Alright, so his voice is a little "off", but don't hold that against him, he is going through the vocal changes that most young men experience. He is also a little choked up over how much he misses his dad.

Now We're Cookin!

No, this is not another recipe.  This is me sharing with you my success in the kitchen over something that has mocked me for years.  Tonight, I successfully made gravy!  This may not sound very complicated to those of you who are thinking, "So, I make gravy all the time, dump the pack of gravy and stir in water."  I don't think so people...I am talking about gravy made from pan drippings and flour.  Gravy has been my nemesis since I started trying to cook for my husband.  So Matt, you will be glad to hear this.

I will tell you the story about what should be called The Great Deer Steak and Gravy Debacle of 2008.  One of my husband's favorite meals is fried deer steak w/ gravy...the kind made in the pan.  In my efforts to be the perfect wife I slaved over the hot stove and fried my deer steak, took a deep breath and gave it my best effort 

at making the gravy.  One word:  DISASTER.  

(not Chelle's gravy, so other tortured soul's gravy)

My gravy turned out looking something like this.  I had failed, I had to march into the other room and tell Matt that the gravy got the best of me.  Bless his heart, he tried to eat it.  But it just wasn't edible.  It certainly wasn't worth having our stomach's pumped over.  And he had already met his "eat it because my wife cooked it" quota when he ate the orange beef a few months before.  I just resigned myself to the fact that I needed help.  I called my mother in law and had her walk me through the process of making the gravy, thinking surely I forgot a step, but no...it just wasn't in the cards for me.

Fast Forward to July 27, 2010...

I MADE GRAVY!  

I melted butter in the pan, slowly mixed in the flour and seasonings until I had this:

(Chelle's pretty gravy)

Notice the lovely color, the smoothness, NO CHUNKY BLACK STUFF.  To bad I was home alone at the time and no one could jump around the kitchen with me singing, "Whoop there it is...Whoop there it is...".  Surely this wasn't a fluke occurrence, I think I have learned that mixing it in slowly, little bit at a time, not having the pan to hot, and constantly stirring it helped me make the perfect gravy.

In celebration, I made myself a certificate of completion that I will proudly hang in my kitchen so all that enter those hallowed walls will know of my accomplishment.

Grease is the word

You know you love it!  And like the website said, it is the original High School Musical

Word on the street is, Grease is being re-released.  But not just as a movie, but in sing-a-long fashion.  Go ahead Matt, roll your eyes... I won't make you take me.  I am so excited.

I spent many nights/days/slumber parties being uber nerdy and singing and acting out Grease with my friends!

Unfortunately I don't think it came to my theater, go figure.  That won't stop me from getting it on DVD and reliving my adventures with Danny, Sandy, and the rest of the gang.

Pizza or Pasta?

Why not both?  Pizza and pasta are two of the classic dinner dishes, the following recipe marries them together for the best of both worlds.  And guess what?  As a bonus it is healthy too!

3 cups uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta

1 lb. lean ground turkey (I used beef because it was all I had)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 1/2 cups garden style spaghetti sauce

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp pepper

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (I used shredded)

4 oz slice turkey pepperoni

1/2 cu shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

2.  Meanwhile in a large non-stick skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium high until meat is no longer pink; drain.

3.  Add can of diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, worcestershire sauce, and pepper

4.  Add spaghetti sauce to mixture in the skillet

5.  After you have drained your pasta transfer it to your 13x9' baking dish

6. Then sprinkle with parmesan cheese, next cover with your sauce/meat mixture.

7.  Top with slices of pepperoni

8.  Finally sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, your cheese will be melted and resemble the top of a pizza!

Enjoy your best of both worlds dish!

Voila, the finished product, served with a side of delish pan sauteed green beans!

And if you are feeling extra good about being in the kitchen take the time to whip up a nice batch of chocolate chip cookies...I am just saying, no pressure. :)

Dear Matt, 

Just so you know.  I think you will love this dish, right down to the green beans.  Aren't you happy I started liking green beans and can eat them with you now.  So I will be adding this dish to my "meals to make for Matt when he comes home" list.  Love you.

Your Happy Homemaker

Guilty As Charged

I am a stalker.  I hang my head in shame and raise my hand in the air.  I used to be a stalker on only one venue...Facebook.  It is so tempting, all this information out there for everybody to see, but no one watching you.  I generally do not feel bad about it because, lets face it, everyone stalks.  And I am sure at some point, not that I lead that interesting of a life, I have been a victim myself.  Don't worry, I won't press charges if you have been sneaking peaks of my profile.  However, today while browsing the internet it hit me like a brick...a am a double dirty stalker.  Not only do I curiously mosey around Facebook, but now a days I have begun to stalk blogs as well.  What is the world coming to?  Why can't I wait patiently for my favorite blogs to be updated?  Why must I refresh a page over and over waiting and hoping that my fellow bloggers have updated their page with a new tip, recipe or juicy tid-bit about their lives?  

These questions may never be answered...  

Today's unknowing victim is my friend Shannon over at Why Not on a Tuesday.  Well I guess technically now she knows because I just told her.  But I am supposed to be going to see her next weekend and since she just moved to Nashville I am stalking her blog so I can see what all cool things she is finding to do that I can make her take me to do/see when I get there!  Beware Shan.

Project as promised

Well, project #1 is completed.  I know I have mentioned several times about these "projects" I am going to do, and usually I buy all of the stuff to complete them but um...never actually get around to completing them.  But score one for me because I completed it!  I mentioned several weeks ago going exploring at a local antique mall and about all of the little treasures I found there.

One thing I found was a set of tacky little shutters that you would find at someone's house that likes to decorate in a country theme.  

 (No offense if you have something like this at your house.)

(eww)

(close up of said shutters)

So, what do you think I am going to do with them....well prepare to be amazed!

It is now, a stylish, pistachio card/memo holder!  I can't wait until I get back to Georgia and can hang this on my kitchen wall to keep up with all of the cute cards/photos we recieve!

(close up of finished product)

Look back for more things to come, now that I finished something it feels good.  I love the euphoria I feel from taking something from trash to treasure.  Now I will just sit here and wait for HGTV to call me and ask me if I would like my own TV show??  Yes please!

Tough Decision

I want to blog tonight, really I do.  I promise.  But I am also watching my newest Gossip Girl disc that came in from Netflix today, and seeing as how I only get one disc at a time it takes forever to watch a season.  I thought about blogging and watching at the same time but it just isn't possible people.  So I paused it briefly so apologize for my lack of interesting material tonight.  There ya go, that is the truth, I love Gossip Girl and now I am going to watch until the wee hours of the morning.

Gossip Girl: 1  Blogging: 0

XOXO.

COAS WEP

I made up my own accronym for something that I dearly love, and Matt also contributed.
CHICKEN ON A STICK WITH EXTRA PICKLES
Can we say,  Y to the UM, yum!

So I guess you want the story behind this?  Fine.
I love COAS.  What isn't to love?  Friend Chicken, check.  Onions, check.  Pickles, check.  All on a stick, check.  I search all the time for COAS, gas stations and fairs are usually the best places to find such a delicious delicacy.  One time Matt actual teased me with promises of a gas station down the road having chicken on a stick, salivating we pulled in and wouldn't you know it, no COAS, my destiny alluded me.  Today, I had another chance to satisfy my craving.  Driving down the road I passed a gas station/BBQ joint and saw the sign.  In big red and orange letters it read, "Chicken on a Stick $4.49".

I pulled into the parking lot on 2 wheels, with a napkin in my hand wiping the drool off of my mouth.  I patiently stood in line in the sweaty little gas station behind the rest of the hungry lunch crowd.  Finally, time to order.  In the sweetest, yet most anxious voice ever, "Can I have one chicken on a stick please."  As I waiting for her to say sure and hand over that golden stick of goodness all I could hear her say, "Sorry darlin, we didn't make any chicken on a stick today."  WHAT!! Hold up!  Did she just tell him there was no COAS?  I think she did.  But why, they had sausage on a stick...who would choose to cook sausage on a stick over chicken.  Nobody, thats who.

Dissapointed and resolute I dragged myself back out to the car.  When I told Matt how my morning had gone he immediately felt sorry for me, he truly understands my love for it.  So that is where the WEP comes in.  He told me, "Baby, when I come home I will get you a COAS with WEP"  He also knows how much I love pickles.  That is true love right there people.

You bet your bottom dollar I will be going back next week now that I have found a gas station that will serve me what I need, but I will definitely be calling ahead and checking that they can accomodate my taste buds.

Obviously this isn't my photo, but this is the closest thing I could find to show you what COAS looks like.  

Have you ever been in a coma?

Yesterday I had a pretty crappy day, and my allergies played a small part in that.  From about 1 pm until 5 pm I was sneezing constantly.  Finally my  mom decided that I should take some Benadryl.  She said, "I think this is expired but it should still be good enough."  It sure as heck was!  I read the directions like I always do and it said that the recommended dosage for 12 years to adult was 2 to 4 tablespoons.  I took my medicine and almost instantly I felt better.  The feeling better lasted for about 20 minutes and then I felt this uncontrollable urge to sleep.  So I did.  I took about a 2 hour nap passed out on the couch with my little furbaby curled up on my legs. I finally made myself get up because I knew that if I stayed in the fetal position on the couch that I will not be able to sleep when bedtime came around.

I got up, ate something, talked to my family, watched a little bit of a movie, but by 9 pm, I was dying.  I could have used a pair of chopsticks to prop my eyelids open.  Reluctantly, and a bit confused about how tired I was, I excused myself and went to bed.  I don't even remember falling asleep, the last thing I remember is brushing my teeth.  Then the fun begins.... Sometime during the middle of the night I did the following:  Removed all of my clothes and turned the AC down to 70.  I might be wrong, but I might have been hot!

I woke up this morning feeling like I had slept for ages, refreshed.  That is when I realized that I did the above.  I might have been burning up and fully clothed at 2 am, but at 5 am when I woke up to go work out I was naked and felt like I was in a freezer.  Throughout the rest of the day it was brought to my attention just how out of it I was:
1.  A text message I sent to a friend that upon further inspection made NO sense.  Sorry bout that.
2.  Apparently I had a conversation with my mom about meeting my Nana for supper the next night (I swear that didn't happen)
3.  I couldn't remember watching a movie

Then while I was at the aforementioned supper with my Nana, we were discussing my benedryl induced haze that was the previous night.  I kept saying, "Thank God I didn't take the full 4 tbsp dose."  It was at that point that my brother asked "is it possible that the dosing was tsp instead of tbsp?"

This is how I felt 

Hmmm....

Wouldn't ya know it, he was right.  I took 2 tbsp instead of 2 tsp.  So basically I took 3, THREE, doses of benedryl.  No wonder I was in a coma and have memory loss of last night.  Oh well, at least I got a good night's sleep.  Let this story serve as a warning to you, always read dosing instructions carefully!

Rain Rain Go Away

It is a rainy day today.  Kind of fits my mood.  I have few things that I should be working on for school but I just can't convince myself to do them.  Any takers?  If the weather turns around I might go for a run.  Tomorrow is the start of the new week and hopefully it brings good things to all of you!  Sorry this is such a short post, and that I shorted y'all altogether yesterday.  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday afternoon.

Sold Out

So my mom went out of town for the night with girlfriends and my brother and I talked my dad into sushi and movie.  He hasn't been to the movies in forever so it took a considerable amount of convincing.  We were going to see Grown Ups.  Sushi was great, but there was a problem...the movie was sold out.  FAIL.  We will probably never convince him to go to a movie for another 5 years.

Oh well, if your Friday night turned out like mine, I highly recommend finding and listening to Mel Gibson's released rants.  Particularly rant #4.  It is hilarious!  I can't say what he says on here because this is a family blog.

Goodnight Everyone!

Sharing with Strangers

So, how much do you share with strangers?  Weird question coming from me because virtually anyone in the world could read this blog.  It doesn't bother me that my friends and family read because they know me, they know my jokes, and how to read the things I say.  There is also a small feeling of anonymity with the blogosphere because it isn't face to face contact.

That brings me to my question. I am taking a class right now about utilizing technology in the classroom.  Today we talked about how to integrate a blog into your classroom, all the ways you could use it, etc...  When the teacher asked if any of us had a blog, without even thinking I raised my hand.  I mean, I do.  But then it hit me, "what have I done, I am fixing to have to share my blog with the entire class".  A wave of panic washed over me when I thought about having to share with a group of strangers my blog, where I recently talked about a giant bunny named Wonny, my Justin Bieber fiasco, and the sweaty pictures of me as I finished my 5K.  I would have been embarrassed, standing there as my classmates were seeing that silly/bloggy side of me.  Thank God that another student actually had a blog they used in the classroom, which was much more relevant to what we were discussing.  Whew, dodged that bullet.

Kind of funny that I put all of this stuff, some serious but mostly not, out there into the universe, but the second I am confronted with sharing it all with a group of strangers I clam up.

Also, a few days ago a swarm of birds made a mess all over my driver side door.  I say a swarm because only a swarm could have done that much damage.  I haven't had the time to clean it off.  I did run my car through the drive thru wash, but it only barely scraped the surface of the mess.  So for now I am driving around with all of the "bird snow" on my car.  I have put it out of my mind until at Sonic this afternoon I could see the look of disdain on the carhop's face when she had to lean over my window to give me my slush.  Maybe I should get that cleaned up this weekend.  If you see me driving around...don't judge.

Thanks for reading!

You Are A Warrior: Dealing with Deployments

You Are A Warrior: Dealing with Deployments

New to the Army Lifestyle? Then check out this awesome new blog dedicated to helping you navigate all the ins and outs of Army life!

Wonny the Wabbit

The other day I was talking to Matt and he said, "You want to hear an ironic story?"  Never the one to turn down a good story, I was eager to hear.  "Well, I have a pet rabbit", he told me.  "A rabbit, really?!  That is funny/ironic", was my reply.  You see people, we have a beagle, and a beagle by nature is a rabbit hunting machines.  Beagle are trained to run rabbits all day long and bring them full circle back to their master for the kill (sad I know).  Don't get these beagles confused with our sweet little slightly overweight beagle who can only be described as a couch potato, the only thing he runs are crumbs.  BAHAHA!  But nonetheless, he is a beagle so it is fairly ironic that half a world away his dad has a pet rabbit.

So more about the rabbit...
This is just a testament to the kind heart that my husband really possesses.  This rabbit hangs out around his office from time to time, laying in the sun, sometimes sprawled out in the shade, all around just a big ball of fur.  Matt described him as "huge".  Now in my mind huge means one thing, I have yet to see a picture to see if he is actually as big as I am picturing him.  But rumor has it, he is as big as our dog, which makes the whole situation even funnier.  The best part is that Matt brings him food.  He hides a way little bunny treats (carrots, lettuce, nuts) and brings them back for the rabbit.  I had only one logical course of again when I found all of this out, to name him.  You can't have a pet and not give it a name.

When it comes to naming things, I have a penchant for naming them by the first letter of what they are (Molly Mazda, Janet Jeep, Wanda Waverunner, you get my drift) so my suggestion went down a list of R's for Rabbit and nothing really fit until I got to Ronny.  Isn't that just the cutest name for a rabbit, Ronny.  I think so, or at least I thought so until Matt took it to the next level...thus our (yes I claim him too) desert pet shall be called Wonny, Wonny the Wabbit!  Perfect!

I am supposed to be getting a picture of Wonny.  Matt promised me that the next time he comes out for carrots and nuts it will be time for him to Vogue for the camera.  Until then, this is kinda what I am picturing...very interesting.

Life has a way

Well guys...I guess life has a way of keeping you from doing things you really shouldn't be doing...
My Justin Bieber saga continues.  I shared with y'all yesterday that I purchased "wonder bangs' " album on iTunes.  I burned the playlist to a CD and was waiting for the opportunity to "rock" out.  I was blasted by everyone I know, except for a friend named Dayle, she supported me in my efforts to listen to the Biebmeister.  I had to defended my decision to listen to whatever music I choose, but...

Life has a way.  Today when I got into my car, I put the CD in and anticipated the sounds of a prepubescent male voice singing, "Baby, baby, baby," and I got nothing, nada, zilch.  My CD didn't work.  Ugh, so frustrating.  Was this the world's way of telling me, "No Chelle" ? No Bieber for me, not today at least.  I will try again tomorrow.

On another note, I had some time to kill before my class started today so I ventured into a treasure chest called Marketplace Antiques.  I fell in love.  It really isn't so much antiques as it is "junk", but some of the junk has so much potential.  I bought a set of old shutters for $2.50 a piece and I have something neat planned for them, they called out to me when I saw them laying in the back corner against the wall.  Stay tuned to see what I do with them.  I know I have promised updates on several projects and I promise that one day I will post about them.

Confession

I am almost ashamed to admit this, and when I told my brother he shunned me.

I got on iTunes today and purchased an album...a Justin Bieber album.
*I hang my head in shame*  Yes, I know that he is basically a singing haircut, and that this purchase wasn't appropriate for someone at my stage in life...blah blah blah...

On the way to work this morning, Kidd Kraddick in the morning was doing a stint on giving away Justin Bieber  tickets.  To win the tickets, dads had to call in and pretend to be their daughters.  They had to tell Kidd and the crew why they deserved to win the tickets while doing their best impression of their daughter.  It was so funny, I couldn't help myself.  They kept playing "Baby" over and over during the segment.  It was stuck in my head all day and I am pretty sure that the subliminal message in the song was, "go to iTunes and purchase my album, you are skinny and beautiful if you purchase my album."  Next thing I know it was download the 13 songs to my playlist.

I feel better having got this off my chest.  Please don't hold this against me.

I Tri'd

Almost.  It was more of a 1/3 of a Tri.  I completed my 3.2 miles and I did better than expected.  I ran the entire thing, no walking from this lady.  But to be honest, had I needed to run another 2 feet my two legs would have fallen off, they were on fire.  I ran it in 36 min.  When my brother rode his bike back into the transition area I knew it was time, I had butterflies in my stomach because I was nervous...I wanted to do well.  I put the timing chip on my ankle and away I went.  I had so much adrenaline at the start I ran the first mile in 10 min and 20 seconds.  The next two miles were a little slower clocking in at around 12 minutes or so.  I did not pass anyone, but I sure did get passed by lots of people.  Oh well, you know what?  I did it and that was my goal.  I was tired yesterday, but I think that had more to do with getting up at 3:45 and less to do with the fact that I ran.  I am not even sore today.

Our group before all the fun started.

(Terra, Kristi, Michale, my dad, me, and my brother)

There I go, just getting started

And here I come, looking...sweaty.

And the crowd erupts in cheers...sorta, lol.

\

Another sweaty shot of myself and my brother.

Will I do it again?  I will tri.  :)

All I can say is...

All I can say is...I am pooped.

I got up at 3:45 am so we could be at the triathlon to be registered and in the start position.  As soon as we got home, I napped for 30 min, showered and hit the road again for my Aunt's 50th birthday party.  I am pooped.  I will blog about the race tomorrow.  Night.

Sunfish Tri

Tomorrow is race day!  That is a loaded exclamation point because not only am I excited I am also kinda of scared.  I am competing (and I use that term loosely) as a part of a relay team.  I am only doing the 5 K at the end of a sprint triathlon.  It's only 3.2 miles you say.  Yes, yes I know it is ONLY 3.2 miles.  But do you know how far that is to a semi couch potato as myself?  Far!

I have been running over the last two weeks.  So I am in a little bit better position today than I was a month ago. But running with your brother or your dad is a lot different than running with oh a hundred or so people.  Am I going to make a fool of myself?  I sure hope not.  I would love to be able to run the 3.2 miles straight without having to walk, but I haven't been able to run that far consecutively at one time.  I also hope that I don't trip, that my thighs rubbing together don't start a fire, and that I don't choke went I try to hydrate while running. So many things to think about.

To top it all of, I am worried about what to wear.  Kind of trivial to be worried about how you look when you are running...running equals sweat and bad hair.  I have to make up for the sweat and bad hair.  I gotten several running shirts that are thin and dry fit, so my shirts aren't a problem.  What I am torn about is my shorts.  I have a pair of tight compression shorts that help my thigh rubbing problem, and I think I would be most comfortable wearing them only.  When I wear shorts over them it is just an extra layer that makes me HOT.  Tune in tomorrow to see if I sucked it up and wore the tights.

If you are awake tomorrow around 8 o'clock central keep your fingers crossed for me that I manage to run my measly little 3.2 miles and cross the finish line not on a stretcher.

GO TEAM Langford/McWilliams/McWilliams!!!!

Yummy in my Tummy

I took charge of supper tonight.  I love to cook, but since I am not in my own kitchen right now, I don't do it as much as I normally would.  I found a fun looking recipe in a magazine and since it is always fun to try something new, I decided to cook it.  Bonus:  It is healthy and it is freezable.  While I never actually freeze freezable recipes I do like to know that should the mood strike me, that I can make extra and store it away for a rainy day. I actually want to try cooking more "new" things in an effort to expand my go-to recipe selection..

Enchilada Lasagna

Prep: 25 min     Bake:  20-25 min     Yield:  8 servings

1 lb of lean ground turkey

1 large onion chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

1 pkg (8oz) fat-free cream cheese

1 tsp. chili powder

1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce

6 whole wheat flour tortillas (8in)

1 cup shredded reduced fat cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook the turkey, onion, and peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in cream cheese and chili powder.

(I added some frozen corn because it gave it more color, and added to the dish)

2.  Pour enchilada sauce in a shallow dish.  Dip tortillas in sauce to coat.  Place two tortillas in a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray; spread with half of turkey mixture.  Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of cheese.  Repeat layers and top with remaining tortillas and cheese.

(I cut my tortillas in 1/2 to make them fit in the pan better)

3.  Cover and freeze for up to 3 months or bake, uncovered at 400' for 20-25 min or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 min before serving.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

(yummy)

A few notes from the cook:

-To use from frozen, thaw in fridge overnight.  Remove from fridge 30 min prior to baking, and the bake!

-I think that adding chopped zucchini would be absolutely delish, but unfortunately the grocery store didn't have any today.

-As a 2 person household (when Matt is home) I always struggled with finding recipes small enough not to leave a ton of leftovers, but big enough to satisfy us.  This is perfect!  I would use these recipe in the amounts it calls for, but I would make/bake only 4 servings and freeze the other 4 servings for another night.  Just use a smaller pan.

Enjoy Mi Amigos!

Nutrition Info:  1 serving equals 282 calories, 11g fat, 27g carbohydrates, 22g protein (without sour cream/salsa)

I am back....

I am back from a fabu Fourth of July weekend.  


My parents, along with another couple, have a camp on the Jordan River in Bay St. Louis, MS.  It is such a fun place to be.  The "camp" and I used the term camp loosely, because it is more so a house, is located on a canal that ties into the river.  You can stand on the balcony and see all of the other camps, look down at the canal, or hop in the boat tied to the dock and be on the river in 4 min.  We don't get to spend much time down there because we all have such busy lives you know.  So this weekend was a rare occasion that my parents, brother, and I were able to go together*.  


We didn't do much other than lounge around, eat eat eat, play cards, take the boat out for a ride, and...spend Friday night in the ER.  My dad had a bike wreck.  My dad and bro where riding their racing bikes down the beach front highway, but a pothole had other plans for them, and my dad was the one to pay the price.  Six stitches and a battle wound later, he lives to tell the story.   

(In the ER)

(The next day + stitches)

So once we got over the trauma of that incident we proceeded to enjoy the weekend.  I said we took the boat out for rides.  Normally we probably would have fished, but I am sure you have heard of a little disaster called "The Oil Spill".  When all of the coastal shorelines are shut down, that pretty much puts a damper on any deep sea fishing you plan on doing.  Nevertheless, the river was still open, so we enjoyed it along with all of the other Fourth of July boaters, tubers, and jet-skiers.  My dog Duece even got to go on his first boat ride.   Did he like it you ask?  Well if you consider digging your claws into the wooden dock to keep from being forced on the boat, then yes...he loved it!

(Duece channeling Leo Dicaprio ala Titanic)

So, its back to blogging and back to reality for me.  

* I just wanted to mention that while we were together, we were still missing part of the crew.  My hubby Matt was definitely missed this weekend.  Love you baby.

Celebrate America

Happy Fourth of July everyone!
I will be spending the weekend with my family at our camp on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  (minus my true love)
I will not be updating the blog this weekend, but hopefully when I get back on Monday I will have lots of fun stories to tell!

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

What is chasing me?

I started running, something I never really had the desire to do.  Sure, in my mind I always kind of thought it would be nice to say I could run a mile, but I didn't have the gumption to make myself do it.  With Matt being in the Army and having to adhere to certain physical standards, one of which requires them to run two miles for a PT test, I have watched him run.  On rare occasions he talked me into lacing up my tennis shoes and going running with him...I never made it that fare, and running "with" him turned into more running "behind" him.  Let's face it, it is easier to run with a partner, at least it is for me, and by the time Matt would take off and leave me in the dust I just had one thing on my mind... "What is the fastest way back to my couch."

With Matt being gone for the past 8  months, I have made some changes in my lifestyle.  I started going to work-out on a regular basis, making healthier food choices (most of the time), and most recently I started running.  I have no grand illusions of being a  long distance runner, it really does not appeal to me at all.  But I do like being able to say, "Hey I ran 2 miles today".  I feel accomplished.  Am I fast?  No, actually quite the opposite.  But speed doesn't matter to me right now, just doing it.

Staying motivated was/is my #1 issue.  I have only been running consistently for two weeks and in that short 14 day span there have been days that I really DO NOT want to run.  My dad suggested registering myself in some sort of race, pay for it, and commit to it...that way I either have to train/run or look stupid in front of a bunch of people on race day.  So I did it.  I signed up to be part of a sprint triathlon relay team.  My dad is doing the swim, my brother is doing the bike, and I am going to tackle the 5K.  That is next weekend, so it has served its purpose in keeping me motivated.

I also like to know that when Matt comes home and he suggests we go run, that I can actually go and run with him.  Before if someone had asked me how far I could run, my answer would have been, "Whats is chasing me?".  Now I can say, "Eh...around 2 miles."