Running? Me?
(source)
PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT….
But in all seriousness, I am running late for church! YIKES! It’s been a great weekend so far though, so make sure you guys check back tomorrow for lots of details and pictures 
In the meantime, what’s your favorite holiday? It’s hard for me to pick one, but I am a huge fan of Thanksgiving and Christmas…not only for their individual meanings, but just having that time off to relax with family, friends, and great food
{ 14 comments }
Well guys, it was pretty close for a while, but the big dogs won the Marriage Ref Friday battle! Growing up we had medium to large dogs until my family adopted Arnie, who’s a 20-lb terrier mix. We always say we should have named him Napoleon though! I always knew I wanted big dogs to wrestle, run, and play with, but I would definitely say that if there’s a dog who’s sassy like Arnie I wouldn’t mind a small one. No froofy ones or teacup Chihuahuas though! Speaking of large dogs, here are mine in typical Friday afternoon fashion:
There are days that I would do just about anything to lay on the floor (yes, you read that right) with them and snuggle
Lunch was basically a replica of our Wednesday night dinner:
Traditional meatballs:
Traditional risotto with mushrooms & Parm:
And a big Romaine/carrot salad:
I gobbled it up, but let a little of the salad…apparently I put too much dressing on it and I got tired of that real quick! Since I am taking a break from walking because of my knee, I decided to hit up the local Panera bread for some iced tea and a snack while I read outside:
Not too shabby, right? Honestly, today at work was OK, but it drug on and on and oooooonnnnnnnnnnnnn. Now I’m pretty exhausted, so I’m thinking a little napper is in store before we head to Amy’s for drinks!
What are YOU doing this Memorial Day weekend? Any fun plans (and please note that sitting on your hiney definitely still counts as fun!)? We are going to sleep in tomorrow, maybe smoke some brisket, and do some photos for our friend Jonah who’s about to release his new CD. There’s also talk of camping, but from what I know it’s not 100% sure just yet If we go I’m sure there will be some fun pictures though! Happy weekend y’all!
{ 17 comments }
Happy Friday (finally)!!! This week has been so busy yet so slow at the same time…does that even make sense?
Last night I had an impromptu dinner with my friend Stefanie last night in Boulder. Originally we were planning on going to a rooftop patio at The Rio, but there was a 45 minute wait, so we ended up going to Centro, which was just down the street:
I was so excited, I’d never been there before! First off we started with water (it’s all about hydration, y’all):
And some cucumber infused mojitos:
SOOOOOOOO good and sooooooooooo refreshing! Since Stef is friends with the manager, he also hooked us up with some of their fabulous lime cured white bass ceviche:
The only other time I had ceviche was in Dallas, and I swore I would never EVER eat that crap again. But since this was free and a gift of sorts, I tried it anyway…and LOVED it! Turns out the stuff in Dallas was cured in lemon juice, which is just too tart, and didn’t have any other seasonings! This had tomatillo sauce, fresh avocado, and jicama in it too. I am now a ceviche enthusiast We also split this asparagus, spring mushroom and queso oaxaca quesadilla:
Once again, incredible. It had a tomatillo-avocado cream sauce served with it, and there was a party in my mouth I think I’ve found a new favorite restaurant! We just sat and talked for a while, then decided to walk down Pearl Street Mall since it was so nice out. Once we got down to the other end we both needed to use the restroom, but since there are so many homeless people that hang out there, all of the coffee shops and restaurants will only let you use the restroom if you buy something. We stopped at a coffee shop and each got a shot of espresso
I haven’t had one of those since my Starbucks days! It was good though, and I was thankful for the restroom More sitting and talking, and then we decided to walk back. This is where things get REALLY exciting though…
I have been looking and looking for a frozen tart yogurt place nearby, and I had just about given up when all of a sudden…BAM! Maiberry shone like a beacon in the night and beckoned us in to try its yogurt. And I am ever EVER so glad that I did! First of all, it’s amazing, second of all it’s really affordable, and third of all it’s actually good for you! Sounds like a winning combo to me
Breakfast this morning was a GM in a Hawaii mug because I’m doing everything I can to pretend I’m on a tropical vacation these days:
Always the perfect breakfast
So first of all, thank you all for your sweet comments on yesterday’s post…I’m thankful that I’m in all of y’alls thoughts and prayers! There could be some big changes ahead for Nate and myself, but it’s all in God’s hands at this point! I’ll keep you updated when I can
Marriage Ref Friday
Today’s Marriage Ref question has to do with dogs…and if you’re a cat lover I’d still love it if you voted anyway! So here goes: big dog or little dog?
(source)
Which do YOU prefer?!?!
Happy Friday!
{ 36 comments }
This is paradise (also, please note that these photos are severely Photoshopped….we were using them for a presentation and they wouldn’t show up well on the large screen if they weren’t!) Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Tortola & Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands:
Yes, this is practically a Corona commercial. Except I hate Corona. And I also hate commercials. See those specs out in the water? One of those is me!
I would rather wake up to this view every morning than just about any other view in the world. And yes, that includes the Rocky Mountains (note: I love that I get to see the mountains every day…it’s a close second ) I’m not ungrateful, just truthful!
Sigh.
I would give all of my fake lottery winnings to float on my back here again…
…and frolic on the sandy beaches. Alas, I’m stuck in Colorado…
…to enjoy these fabulous treats! Thanks, yet again, to the fabulous Jessica for her White Chocolate Mocha Cookies (that I turned into bars because I’m lazy and that’s just how I roll)!
Holy heaven these were good! I followed the recipe to the letter, EXCEPT I added a full bag of white chocolate chips, and if I’d had enough, I would have added 3-4 Tbsp of coffee powder. I’ve had so many compliments on these today from my coworkers and even emailed the recipe to a few of them!
Those babies kind of make my perfect salmon salad open-face sandwich look kind of weak-sauce, huh? Good news is it tasted fabulous anyway! I love the crunchy veggies and the spice in the Old Bay:
And now we enter the part of the post where I talk about PAIN. So I mentioned this morning that my knee is still bothering me? Yeah. So basically at least PART of the issue is the inside of my knee…I don’t even know what muscle that is…is tightening up and causing a tremendous amount of pain in my knee. Since there’s really no way to stretch that muscle, LeeAnn sent me home with this instrument of torture stick:
Basically those little rollers help with myofascial release (much the way foam rolling does) but it’s easier to use since you use your hands rather than trying to balance your body on a foam roller. Y’all, this little stick has the power to bring tears to this grown woman’s eyes…OK, OK, it’s not that hard to do since I’m a huge crier, but still. It hurts! I’m glad I have it though because otherwise I don’t know if that little knot of muscle would EVER release!
Today I found out some really sad news that I don’t feel comfortable sharing until at least next week; however, it could instigate some really huge changes in my life over the next several months. I’ll share it at another time, but any prayers or thoughts y’all could send my way would be great
So, on a slightly more lighthearted note, what’s your favorite thing to do when you’re near a body of water? I know we talked a while back about what body of water you prefer (ocean vs river vs lake), but now I know what you like to DO there! If I’m by a lake, I love riding wave runners and sitting in boats…I tried to waterski once, but got frustrated because I couldn’t get up so I quit In rivers tubing is fun, but only if it’s a lazy Texas river…I tried that up here, almost died, and the swore off tubing faster moving water! And the ocean? I just like to wade around, bodyboard, surf…and then go sit on the beach
{ 26 comments }
Morning y’all I’m so excited that the long weekend is ALMOST HERE!!!
Like I said, last night we had some new friends over for dinner, so I wanted to make something yummy to eat. I took some inspiration from this post and decided on mushroom risotto and traditional meatballs!
Parmesan Mushroom Risotto
In a large (and I do mean LARGE) pot, melt the 4 Tbsp butter on medium low heat. Saute the chopped onion until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add minced garlic and sautee for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the 2 cups of rice and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the kernels start to take on a toasted color. Add 1 cup of wine to help deglaze the pan. From that point on, add 1 cup of liquid at a time, constantly stirring, until the rice is cooked. In the meantime, over low heat, melt the other 1 Tbsp of butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mushrooms are soft. Add the 1 tsp of thyme and take off heat. When the rice is cooked and the amount of liquid in the risotto is minimal, add the cheese and the mushrooms. Stir together until cheese is melted and everything is combined!
Traditional Meatballs
Preheat oven to 400. Saute the onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. In a large bowl add all ingredients plus the sauteed onions and garlic. Gently combine using your fingers (do not squish the meat!) until well mixed. Form into 1/3-cup portions and roll into balls. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the middles of the meatballs are no longer pink. Serve hot with marinara sauce!
We also had a simple side salad of Romaine and carrots (I planned on using some grilled squash, but just didn’t have enough time):
And dessert was a big cast-iron cookie (take break-n-bake cookie dough and add to a cast iron skillet. Bake as directed until cookie is brown and done) with ice cream!
So rich and so good We had a great time with Drew & Rachael and can’t wait to get to know them more!
Yesterday my knee really started to hurt again, so I decided to take today off from walking, and will just do my upper body strength training later tonight. We slept in til 7, got ready for work, and then I started my day off with the usual GM:
I’m working really hard to not let my injury define me right now, and I can honestly say that this is the first time I’ve really felt remotely peaceful about it. I’m not excited that it hurts, I’m not excited that I need to take it easy, and I’m actually truly afraid of the effect that having easier workouts will have on my body, but I do know that God has a bigger plan for me through this. In the meantime, I will probably still walk, but much more slowly, and focus on doing strength training, yoga, and core work instead. I also know that I’m really going to have to watch my portion sizes as well, which is going to be the hardest part of all. My hope with that is that I will learn to savor every small bite and be OK with simply being satisfied and not full. Anyway, I don’t want to dwell on that stuff, but I did want to keep y’all in the loop about what’s going on as far as my workouts are concerned!
Random question: what’s your favorite Italian food dish (and it can be multiple things )?! I know I said yesterday that I don’t like raw tomatoes, but I LOVE them in Italian meals! Marinara (if it’s done right) is a huge favorite, but I really love handmade gnocchi, cheeses, and pasta. All of which is super-generalized, but still The best Italian dish I’ve ever had was at a Sardinian restaurant in Dallas, Arcodoro & Pomodoro, where I had handmade gnocchi topped with a wild boar ragu…HOLY HEAVEN!
{ 22 comments }
Woohoo for being halfway done with this week! I don’t know about y’all, but work has been BUSY for me lately! It makes the time go by slower and faster all at the same time!
I was excited and a little scared for lunch today! You see, last weekend Nate smoked about a quarter ton of pork (hence all of the smoked pork meals lately), more cheese than I could eat in a lifetime (ok, that’s not true), and 2 filets of salmon. Thing is, all we’ve been eating is pork and I didn’t want the salmon to go to waste. SO last night I gave my last portion of pork to our friend Josh, and planned on making SALMON SALAD today!
Now, you must know this about me in order to appreciate this salmon salad: I HATE mayonnaise. There, I said it. I can handle it highly flavored with chipotle and lime, but by itself? Fuhgeddaboudit. So thinking about making a salad with mayo kind of freaked me out. For all of my fellow mayo-haters out there, this one’s for you!
Perfect Simple Salmon Salad (makes 2 servings)
Flake the salmon with a fork. Add chopped veggies and stir together. In a separate bowl stir together the mayo, mustard, and Old Bay seasoning. Pour onto veggies and salmon. Stir together and enjoy!
I served mine on a piece of toasted whole wheat bread with some melted mozzarella and a simple Romaine salad:
Y’all, like I said before, this was AWESOME! I’m so glad I have another serving of it for lunch tomorrow Plus, since there’s not a ton of mayo in there, I felt good about eating it too!
Tonight we are having our new friends Drew & Rachael over for dinner, and I’m excited about what I’m going to make. I’ll give you hint: it’s another blogger recipe! I know, I know, that wasn’t a great hint, but I am certainly excited to share it with you all tomorrow morning
I can’t remember if I’ve asked this before, but what are some foods that you absolutely HATE? It can be anything for any reason! I absolutely despise green bell peppers (can we say BITTER?!), mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (vomit), raw tomatoes (the texture kills me), and water chestnuts (I just got goosebumps in a BAD way thinking about that one)!
{ 22 comments }
Morning everyone! Dinner was pretty boring last night, and I have more to talk about, so let’s get moving!
Dinner was the exact same thing as Tuesday night:
And I made a quick berry crumble for dessert:
Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl combine the frozen berries, 1/2 cup of the flour, and granulated sugar. Stir until combined, then pour into a baking dish (mine was 9 x 9). Next, combine the brown sugar, the other 1/2 cup of flour, cinnamon, and melted butter. Crumble over the top. Baked, uncovered for 45 minutes or until bubbly and brown. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving!
Super easy and delicious…that’s what I love about that crumble! Plus we have enough to last us at least 2 more nights Breakfast this morning was coffee from home and a sausage Starbucks sandwich:
I love sausage. I wish that they had a turkey sausage option at Starbucks…
I’m excited about lunch today too! I’m trying something new and I *THINK* it’s going to be fabulous!
The Joyful Kitchen Part III: Joy in Your Body
I can hear it now: “Heather is still fighting off fat talk and disordered eating; how can she speak to having JOY in her body?!”
Even though it’s true that I’m still fighting a war with my brain in regards to my love for my body, I do have a very real understanding of how blessed I am to have the body that I have. That’s actually part of why this battle with disordered eating and thinking is so frustrating: because I KNOW better! Today’s post isn’t going to be long, but I wanted to list out the things that I love about and take joy in in regards to my body.
) They help me to walk, run, hike, and bike. They carry me, without fail, anywhere I need or want to go. They look good in shorts or in jeans. The only thing I would change in regards to my legs is the fashion industry’s standards for what a woman’s legs should be. I am not a stick, nor do I want to be. I am a woman, and my legs are beautiful.As much as I whine and complain about my body, I know that a lot of it stems from my frustration with being able to find clothes that fit, which sounds completely and totally shallow. Let’s be honest though: how many people actually fit the shape that the apparel industry says they should? I WORK in the apparel industry, and it’s super frustrating to know that the “standard” is much MUCH smaller than I am. When I sit back and think about it though, I am not defined by my numerical size. I am beautiful the way I was created!
I do know that I should be healthier than I am, but at the same time I love the strengths that I listed above, and wouldn’t change any of them for the world. I am blessed to be as healthy as I am and thankful to have the ability to change my eating and exercise habits. And this disordered eating and thinking thing? That is on its way out the door and I am daily encouraged to be growing in my appreciation for myself.
I am beautiful
{ 24 comments }
Hi there! Boy, am I glad to almost be home for the evening! It’s just one of those weeks that is super busy but still just draaaaaaaaaagging…anyone else know what I’m talking about?!
Lunch today was a smoked pork BBQ sandwich with leftover BBQ white beans & peppers:
Oh, and a Diet Vanilla Coke Zero
Such a great lunch! Although I am just about ready to be done with the pork…it’s getting to be a bit much, no matter how flavorful it is!
Today on the drive in I was thinking about women in sports and how I hope that, if we have girls, they want to participate in athletics somehow. It’s something that they will have to decide for themselves, but I just feel like there’s so much to learn in athletics, specifically team sports. Back in my day I was a pretty good volleyball player. But more than the fact that I was good at it, I loved bonding with my team and working together to WIN.
Now, please understand that the things I’m saying are strictly based on my opinion, which is based on my experience. I feel like women in sports should also be looked to as role models for many reasons, but one major one being that the majority of them take care of their bodies. I think it’s important to have role models who take care of themselves for HEALTH and PERFORMANCE, and not just looks. My athlete role models are Kerri Walsh & Misty May Treanor:
(source)
I’m lucky enough to have met these beautiful women (it was at a tournament; not likely they’d remember me ), and not only are they beautiful on the outside, they are two of the sweetest, most humble people I’ve met. I also really appreciate that everything they do for workouts and eating are to increase their performance and ability to win, not just look good (even though let’s face it: they rock the bikini like no one’s business). I think that strong is sexy!
What about you? Do you have any athletes in mind who are role models to you in any way, shape, or form? Who are they and why? Obviously I’ve already listed mine, but I just think that it’s important to realize that the thing that makes these women beautiful to me is not the fact that they look good…it’s their work ethic and the WHY behind their workouts!
{ 15 comments }
This morning I danced like no one was watching…well, probably because no one was except for my pups. And they won’t tell anyone how traumatizing it must have been 
Last night when we got home I was SO EXCITED to see that our peonies are about to bloom!
And it’s looking like any day now! When we moved in last year I noticed these bright magenta flowers came in practically overnight, and they were gorgeous. Then a hail storm came and killed them all, but this year I’m going to pick some when they bloom and bring them up to work
Dinner last night was smoked pork and corn crazy crust pizza (use the recipe on this post, but subbed pork instead of chicken):
Plus a big salad with romaine, carrot, red bell pepper, and light sundried tomato vinaigrette:
All together now!
Dessert was pancake truffles from Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point!
They were pretty good! I liked the warm, ooey, gooey bananas in the middle the best We watched Dancing With the Stars and then I went straight upstairs and went to bed! I was exhausted and figured I’d be more likely to get up and work out in the morning if I went to bed early. This morning I got up and did a pyramid upper body workout and then got ready for work. Y’all, my arms were shaking so bad when I took this picture! Apparently I’m weak-sauce again
I love reading Bon Appetit! Can’t wait to get some recipe ideas for dinner tomorrow night with our new friends Drew & Rachael Breakfast was the usual (and fabulous) PB & Chocolate GM:
I know I’m in a serious rut with these things, but they’re so good and I look forward to drinking them! Plus they hold me over all morning, which is great.
So, as you might have been able to guess from the very first line of this post, I’m not much of a dancer (or a singer for that matter, which sucks because those are things I LOVE to do…in the privacy of my own home when Nate is gone ) What about you? Are you a dancer? Or a singer? Or both? What kind of music makes you want to get up and shake your groove thang?! I love singing to ballads, but dancing requires a beat and some SOUL…anything older from MOTOWN and, at the moment, ABBA songs from Mamma Mia! are what get me up and moving
{ 19 comments }
Hey guys Sorry, I got nothin’ for you as far as cool titles…it’s just one of those days where I’m totally exhausted and I’m having daydreams about sleeping.
Lunch was pretty tame today. I started off with a Starbucks Chipotle Chicken sandwich:
It was good, but not very substantial in my opinion. I also had some Greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp of Bonne Maman cherry preserves and about 1/4 cup of coconut chia granola:
I also decided that I wanted a bean burrito from Taco Bell (unpictured) and am now regretting it…I’m stuffed in NOT the fun way! Dinner is going to be pretty light tonight, but I just know I should have let my food sit for a little bit before springing for that burrito. To make matters worse, it’s SO WINDY outside that I didn’t walk, so what would have made me feel better and burned off some energy didn’t happen. Oh well, sometimes there are days like today and we just have to take it in stride, right?
Right!
Tonight I’m going to try and lift some weights, eat a salad, work on some writing and photography projects, and go to bed early so that I will get up in the morning and workout. I’m also nervously awaiting the results of my bloodwork from last Thursday…on one hand I really hope that there’s nothing wrong and we can go on living life like we normally do, but at the same time I’m also kind of hoping for a good kick in the pants to really buckle down and have to eat healthier. I know that sounds weird, but it’s how I feel!
RANDOM QUESTION: What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Or favorite frozen treat? I would have to say that Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla is THE BEST vanilla ever, and I’m also a huge fan of Haagen Dazs 5-Ingredient Coffee ice cream. I might or might not be drooling right now…
{ 23 comments }
