Scenic River Classic Race

I did my Race for this month today. I did it 2mins faster than last month. Feeling good about it. Though I have been having issues with my knee and I need to figure that out.

Finished!

4 of my 5 boys came to cheer me on

My awesome supportive husband and one of the boys sneaking in the picture.

Peaches & Cream Pancakes

I think I already posted my Oat Bran Pancake recipe. I was trying to figure out a new way to get in my fruit in the morning, all my protein, and still have a great breakfast. I found a new way!

Peaches & Cream Pancake
3 Tbsp Oat Bran
2 Tbsp Water
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1/4 c Cottage Cheese
1/2 c diced peaches (I use canned and rinse them)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except the Peaches. This recipe should make 2 pancakes. Cook in a skillet. Place on a plate. Top with the peaches. I also add just a little Sugar-Free Syrup. Delicious and Healthy!

Featured Blog

My friend Anna has a killer Running Blog. I was so excited when she asked me to do an "interview". Read, read, read!! Follow her too, she is a great Blogger.
http://therunningstory.blogspot.com/2012/05/lets-share-alicias-story.html

Oat Bran Pancake

Oat Bran Pancake
3 tbsp Oat Bran
2 tbsp Water
1 Egg
1/4 tsp baking soda
Dash of Salt
Artificial sweetener, Cinnamon, Vanilla *optional

Mix all together and cook in a skillet. Enjoy!! (1 serving)

This is a super yummy, and healthy breakfast.

Biking and GF

So, I have put biking into my workouts. First, because I signed up to do a Duathlon in July and need some major work. Second, because it gives me another form of cardio. Biking is freaking hard! As a kid I rode my bike every where! I would ride across Sacramento, CA without even thinking about it. I want to get back to being able to ride without wanting to die.
Today's ride consisted of mostly wind trying to blow me backwards. I was hating life for a good 3 miles of the 3.2 I rode. Nothing like throwing yourself in the fire to become stronger.
My family is still going strong with eating Gluten Free. I have found that GF bread at the store is nothing short of disgusting and I have been making my own bread. I have to boast that mine is fabulous! My next endeavor is to make hamburger and hot dogs buns. I don't really feel like I am missing out on anything food wise and my eating is far more controlled.

Gluten Free

So, this last weekend my husband and I decided we are changing our family's eating to Gluten Free. We have a couple family members with Autism and other with different cognitive disability. I know the research on this is still debatable; however, we are willing to try it. I also have a son who is Type 1 Diabetic and we are hoping this will improve his health in that area too.
Today, breakfast went great. I helped the boys measure their cereal and they like the one they tried. I bought a bunch of different kinds for us to try to see what we liked and didn't like. GF bread is so expensive and tiny to boot. I had to make my son 2 sandwiches for his lunch to equal 1. Other than that so far so good. Now, I just need a plan!

2012 Races

I made a goal for myself to do a 5K race every month until Nov. I have registered and am excited! These are the Races I will be doing this year. My goal is to improve my time with each race. Happy Running!

2012 5k Schedule
March 24 - Community Health & Fitness Run *48:27
April 14 - Go Me *47:13
May 19 - Personal Best
June 9 - Teton Dam
July 14 - Rigby Lake Duathlon
July 28 - MAD Run
August 10 -  Nite Lights
September 15 - Rolling Hills Classic
October 20 - Wish Walk Run
November 22 - Run to Feed the Hungry

Hungry

I found this to be very powerful. Tell me what you think.
http://www.hungryforchange.tv/online-premiere

BBQ

I love, love, love to BBQ. In Summer I BBQ at least once a week, usually. So tonight we BBQ'd burgers and hot dogs. After I am done cooking I always through some frozen chicken breast on and grill them up. Yes, it takes a bit longer for me to sit outside and grill the chicken. However, it saves time  later when I need pre-cooked chicken and I don't want canned. Plus, it is way cheaper than buying cooked grilled chicken from the store.
 Let the chicken cool after removing from the grill. Place it in an air tight container (I use ziploc bags) and either refrigerate it or freeze it for later use.
 So my hint for all your BBQ's this Spring and Summer....Grilled Chicken! Try it, I promise you will be happy you did.

My First 5K

This morning I did my first 5K. It is funny to say that since I did a Triathlon in 2009. However, I have had some ups and downs since then.
I had a great time and can't wait for the next one. I beat my goal time by almost 2 mins and hope that I can inspire other in my life to improve their health.

Waiting to Start

With my husband before starting

With my Dad (Race Director) after my finish

Apple Cupcakes and Portabello Pizza

I am going to combine 2 "recipes" in this post because, well, they aren't what I would call a real recipe. However, they are so yummy that I have to post them.

First off is the Apple Cupcake. I found this idea on Oh She Glows website and have wanted to try it. I used 1 fresh apple, chocolate peanut butter, and granola. Core the apple, slice in half horizontally. Spread peanut butter on top and then dip in granola. Voila! Apple Cupcake, yummy, satisfying, and no where near the calories or fat of a real cupcake.

Second is Portabello Pizza. I got this idea from Pam's site. I was very hesitant to try this. I had a bad experience with portabello's a couple years ago and have not looked their way since. I hated mushrooms of any kind through my whole life until about 2 years ago. Not sure how I came to like them, but now I put them on everything! (Same story with Zucchini) I am so glad that I went ahead and tried this. I made them for my husband and I for lunch yesterday and am in love!

Portabello Pizza

Large Portabello top (as many as you need for servings)
Tomato Sauce
Cheese
Toppings *anything you like on your pizza

Pre-heat oven to 400 and spray a baking pan (or line with parchment). Gut portabello tops and rinse out, pat dry. Spread the tomato/pizza sauce into the middle well of the mushroom. Top with cheese and any toppings you like. (I used turkey sausage, green onions, zucchini, bacon..basically what was in my fridge)
Place pizza in the oven for 12-15 mins or until cheese is melted. For a nice texture turn your oven to broil and brown the cheese, watching so not to burn it.
Take out, let cool a bit and dig in! This was amazing and I love having a pizza option the does no have dough! You could do this without the cheese as well and do a straight veggie. However, in my house, pizza must have cheese on it.

Try both of these dishes, you will love them!

Crumble Chicken

I made some really good chicken for dinner tonight. I have been wanting to make chicken for a while now but not just a plain ole chicken breast. So I got creative and man did it pay off! I thought of making a breaded type chicken but needed it to be a bit healthier. So here is what happened.

Crumble Chicken (The name just popped in my head so I am sticking with it)
Chicken Tenders cooked *
Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers (1 sleeve)
Honey Mustard, or Honey Mustard Dressing

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put a piece of parchment on a baking pan. (This is more for easy clean up. If you don't have parchment it is ok.) Using a coating tray, or 2 dishes, place the Honey Mustard in one dish. Crumble the crackers as best you can. You can leave some bigger pieces but the finer the crumbs the better. Coat the chicken in honey mustard and then cover with crumbled crackers. place on the parchment. Do this with each piece individually. They should look similar to Chicken Strips.
Place the tray in the oven for 15 mins until the crackers are a bit darker and crisp. Serve warm with additional Honey Mustard if desired.

*You can use any type of chicken you like. I like the tenders because they are smaller but you can use chicken breast too. If you use whole breasts I would recommend tenderizing, pounding them out, before you bake them.
**You could also try using raw chicken and coating it to avoid the pre-cook phase. You would need to bake the chicken for 45 mins when cooking from a raw state. Do not use frozen chicken, it will turn out chewy.

I had this for dinner and it was great! I wanted to avoid bread crumbs and eggs/butter for a healthier version of breaded chicken. The Honey Mustard adds a nice flavor without any thing added. You could also use a BBQ sauce too. Basically whatever you would dip a chicken strip into you could use for coating. Yum, Yum, Yum. My kids loved it and my husband had seconds.

Baked Eggs...again

Ok, so I know I posted this recipe before; however, this time I have ramekins! I made baked eggs like 3 times this week and love them! This week I made them with turkey sausage, bacon, tomato, spinach, and red. fat Feta. Yum!! I have been trying out Ezekiel bread. For those of you who have not heard of it, Ezekiel bread is a non-flour bread. It has a very "healthy" taste, as my husband would say. I tried the plain bread as toast and was not a huge fan. I then tried the Cinnamon Raisin bread and love it for breakfast! I think I can use the plain loaf for sandwiches. I also made a Green Monster to drink, Yum!

Can't always be perfect

So yesterday was a really hard day emotionally for me. I had the boys go with me to the park yesterday when I went to workout. Let's just say I won't do that again. Only take children to the park when you do not plan on doing anything else.
I got the majority of my workout in and then ended up leaving early. I was super flustered when I got home and it ruined my drive for the rest of my workout.
I really need to post some new recipes. I will work on that this week.
I am entering Week 4 of Training and am excited to get into annotate set of challenges next week.

Week 2 Done

I just finished my second week of my program. I honestly feel a huge sense of accomplishment. I didn't quit, I didn't miss any work outs, and I didn't do anything half-way! I finished Week 2 and am exciting to continue to Week 3.
I promise to post some more food blogs soon. I even have another Challenge in mind.

Training Week 1

I completed my first week in Training with Tina. It was great and Tina is wonderful! I have been on vacation since Wed and have had really weird eating schedules. I am proud to say that I did not miss one workout and completed everything I was assigned! Woot!
Week 2 begins tomorrow and I am excited for it!
I did get to use my Garmin yesterday for an outside walk. It was great at helping me keep a good pace and I could see when I was slowing down. I liked walking outside much more than my treadmill. I also got in 3 miles in the same time. I hope it warms up at home soon so I can be outside more.

Training Day 1

Today I started with my Trainer, Tina. The workout went well and I am pleased with the sets. I walked on the treadmill this morning and I think I am adjusting to my new shoes. I have some significant pain in my left foot, which is the one I lean on. It is not horrible, but still there. Tomorrow is strength and I am stoked to try it out.

Training

I am excited to be working with a new trainer starting on Monday. It is Tina from Best Body Fitness. I got my plan today and thrilled with how well she did at customizing it just for me.
I also got my Garmin 305 yesterday and am excited to try it our on Mon for my cardio session. Top that off with a new pair of Saucony's that I got. The last pair of running shoes I purchased was 13 years ago in Japan. I thought it was time for a new pair so I could get serious about running and not kill my feet!
I have been walking at my nearby park. It has a trail that is flat and markers that tell you how many laps to 1.1 miles. I have been walking 2.2 miles and love it. I plan on utilizing it for my beginning session getting back into running.
Part of my training includes strength training. I am so excited about this because I know that ST is vital to being healthy, but I am so lost when it comes to creating a solid routine. Thus, my hiring of Tina.

Baked Chicken Wrap

Tonight's dinner was amazing! Last minute and more thrown together than anything. I guess I'll call them Baked Chicken wraps because, well, that's what they are. Here is what i did.


Baked Chicken Wraps
3 cups Shredded Chicken (I used 2 cans, drained)
1 yellow onion diced
2 cups shredded Monterrey or Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup cilantro (you could use green onions too)
1/2 tsp Corriander
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2-1 tsp Salt (too taste)
1/2-1 tsp Cracked pepper (too taste)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
Olive Oil
Tortillas (I used a couple different ones, Spinach, Blue Corn, and Chipotle)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix together chicken, onion, cheese, cilantro, and spices. Spray a cooking pan with non-stick spray. *I use Olive Oil instead* Spoon chicken mixture into the tortilla. Wrap up and place on the sheet seal down. Brush wraps with olive oil. Cook for 10-15 mins. Turn wraps over, brush with olive oil, and cook for an additional 8-10 mins. The cooking time will depend on your oven. You want each side to be a golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
I served these with sour cream and fresh avocado on the side. They were so good! My husband has requested they become a family staple item on the dinner menu. The best part is these are all ingredients I have in the house all the time. Minus the cream cheese, but I can change that. You must try these, they are amazing!

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's day has long been a holiday I spent lots of time making great for others. This year my husband did an amazing job making it great for me. He surprised me with a beautiful necklace with a two-butterfly pendant made of rubies and pink sapphires. Beautiful!

This morning for breakfast I made a quiche type dish. Adapted from Pam's site. I found a great porcelain quiche dish on sale and had to bake something in it! I did it a little different from her recipe. I used mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, diced ham, chicken sausage, and fresh jalapenos; topped with reduced fat feta. It was fabulous! This is a great dish to use whatever you want. Yum!

Where is Winter?

So, I got my IceSpike package yesterday. However, I have no idea where the snow is. I haven't even taken them out of the package yet because...well...I don't need them right now.
I did go for a 2.25 mile walk yesterday and it was beautiful outside. I walked around the track at the park down the street from me. I was happy to see that I was doing the same speed, if not faster, on the track as I do on my treadmill. I got my first blister on my ankle! I know I should not be excited about getting a blister; however, I am! I am glad we don't wear shoes in my Zumba class because last night would have been far more painful
I also invested in some Bondi Bands. I used one for walking and for Zumba yesterday and it worked great! I have to admit, you could probably make them yourself for less though. I still am happy with my purchase.
I am planning on walking more and moving into jogging soon. I want to walk for a good amount of time at a faster pace before changing to jogging. Though, I feel ready for it.

Cooking Challenge #2

I was sad to not get many responses to this post. Thanks Kristin for your reply. I did make this dish a few nights ago and it was Amazing! I used brown rice pasta in mine and green enchilada sauce. I topped it with sour cream, avocado, and blue corn chips. Wow!!! If you did not get around to making this dish, I highly recommend it.

This dish has multi-grain crackers crumbled on top.

On the Road Again

A running related post, at last!
Ok, so I have been trying to figure out a way to walk/run outside in the winter. I am not a huge fan of the treadmill for some reason and need to find something. So I was reading a friend's blog and came across these. Icespikes, I was sold! I had read and heard good reviews for them and Can't wait to order some. I watched the little video on them and will post when I have actually used them. I am super stoked!