Fiesta Chicken

Thank you so much to Darci for sharing her recipe for Fiesta Chicken!  I saw this last week and knew it was something I had to try.  Normally I get a little finicky about anything with a cream soup in it, but I'm so glad I gave this a shot.  Let me just say it is YUM, YUM, YUMMMMMMMMOOOOO!

Just a few changes:

• Added about 3/4 of a can of black beans (as suggested by my sister, though it was already in my mind).  I ♥ beans and it added just one more dimension to it. 
• Considered adding chopped red peppers to it, but the salsa actually gave it some decent color so I left it alone.
• Next time I will cube the chicken instead of putting in whole breasts.  Easier for dishing out leftovers (which this dish is amazing for) and for my husband who doesn't have a desk/table to eat at, it will be easier for him to eat if it's already cut up.

I used a fairly hot salsa because I like my food on the spicy side!  I think next time I may also chop up some green onions and toss them on top after cooking.

My adjusted recipe ....

• 1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 c. brown minute rice
• 1 to 1-1/2 c. salsa
• 1 can corn, drained
• 3/4 can (540 mL) black beans, drained & rinsed
• 4-5 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. paprika

Mix together soup, rice, salsa, corn, beans & chicken in baking dish. Top with shredded cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 375° for approx. 45 minutes until chicken is cooked and rice is tender.

Optional: Top with chopped green onions after baking.

Unfortunately I did not get a picture of it.  My husband stole my camera last week for his work projects and I haven't gotten it back from him yet.  The dish was made last night, but when he got home his clients had fed him and I wasn't hungry.  So I only had a little taste last night and am now devouring it for lunch.

Had a nice run yesterday.  Did an easy paced 10K run with a friend.  I'm still slowly getting back up to more distance and pace after being sick.  I've been working on a new running plan for the remainder of the summer.  Will update when I know how it's going.

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Getting Nervous

I wanted to share this with you a few days ago, but have been disorganized getting my picture in the right place at the right time.  Last weekend I finally got around to making something I've been wanting to make for a LONG time.

Back in June 2009, my buddy Syl made these Shrimp Salad Rolls that looked so good.  For about a month after that, everytime I went to a grocery store I looked for the rice paper wrappers that were needed and they were continually out of stock.  (Was that when there was that rice shortage thing going on???? Hmmm, I don't remember)

The other day I was looking for something interesting to pop out at me in the Asian isle and BAM, rice paper wraps!  I snatched them up like a thief and knew exactly what I wanted to make.

I made them slightly different from Syl.  Mine included the following:

• Rice paper wraps
• Rice Vermicelli
• Shrimp (we're the same to here) 

then I added:

• chopped Cilantro
• julienned carrots
• julienned orange peppers (would have preferred red)
• julienned cucumber 

mixed up some:

• Hoisin sauce
• peanut butter (4 to 1 mix)

SO GOOD!

I actually didn't find them too hard to wrap if you soak the paper until just barely plyable, like 2-3 seconds at the most.  Then I placed them onto a damp plate.  I found if you put them on a clean tea towel, as many sites suggest, they often stick to it and sometimes tear.  If everything is cut & chopped, ready to go, they don't take too long to assemble.  It was actually kind of fun!

The only thing is I made so many of them (and my kids won't touch them), so we had alot of leftovers.  They still TASTE great leftover, but they continue to get softer and the wrap gets very tender and break easily.  I just used a knife and fork to eat them.  This is one of the leftovers.  Maybe doesn't look appealing, but so YUM!!!  That's a side plate, they're not that huge☺.

So as the title of this post indicates ... I'm getting nervous.

My next race is in about a week and a half (on May 9th).  It's a massive 10K run (Vancouver Sun Run).  I did it last year, first vowing never to do it again, but then loving it and being excited for the next year. 

 

On one hand I am absolutely pumped to do this race.  Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I fully expect to beat my last years time of 58:56.  Possibly by quite a bit.

 

However, I'm starting to get extremely nervous about this race.  Why?  Because of the events that went down at my last race, the half marathon.  Since then, I DO NOT run anywhere unless I'm 100% sure there is available potties or I carry TP.  I've also become quite aware of how often I actually use the facilities during a run.  Over 5-8K I pretty much need the services once on most runs.  Afternoon/evening runs are suprisingly not so bad ... but morning runs (which races tend to be), pretty much guaranteed.

 

This makes me feel very nervous for this upcoming race.  Actually, no .... it's makes me nervous for ALL future races.  What if this is a continual problem?  Can I only enter races that have facilities on route?  Some of my favourite races there is no option other than bushes.

 

I didn't seem to have this problem last year.  The only thing I can see that's different is I used to NEVER eat before running in the morning.  No food, no drink (other than maybe a little water).  But then again, on the morning of the fateful run, I also didn't eat.  So maybe that isn't the solution.  Plus there seems to be so much positive information in regards to pre-race fuel.

 

I'm sure I'll get through this.  Likely that was a race out of the norm and hopefully it will never happen again.  But saying that and KNOWING that are two very different things.

 

Wow, this is almost a post worth of Shut Up & Run.  Sorry if it's TMI for you :)  It's just a concern that is weighing heavily on my mind.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to have a very exciting (well for me) post.  Stay tuned!!!

Have a wonderful today!!

And to my friends out there in bloggy world and beyond who are receiving snow today ... my heart goes out to you.  There is no words of condolence.  That just SUCKS!  Bring on SUMMER!!!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Yummy Copycat Soup

Yesterday I had THE BEST  protein bar I have ever tasted.  Ohhhh Heaven!  Chocolate Coated Peanut Butter .... MmmMmmmMmmmmmmm!  Doesn't taste anything like your typical protein bar.  Though with 350 calories, 15g fat but 20g protein ... it's really a glorified chocolate bar.  But as an occassional treat, or maybe after one of my long runs, I think this would be pretty good.

At $3.29 per bar though, that's a bit on the steep side.  I did find that you can buy them from their website HONEY STINGER.  I also found them for a pretty good price at Amazon.com. 

Also made a new soup recipe last night.  Garry (that's my hubby by the way, I never mention him by name) and I went to the Super Walmart the other day and they were sampling Knorr's Orange Soup - Butternut Squash, Carrot & Curry.  It was SOOOO good, but at $2.50 per 2 cup container I figured I could make it much cheaper.  So, I went in search of a recipe to create my own.

This recipe is so, SO simple.  Makes a pretty big batch too and costs next to nothing.

CURRY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

• 
  
  1 medium butternut squash
  
• 
  
  1 tablespoon oil
  
• 
  
  1 large onion, diced
  
• 
  
  4 stalks celery, diced
  
• 
  
  4 meduim carrots, diced
  
• 
  
  4 cups chicken stock
  
• 
  
  1 tsp curry powder (to taste)
  
• 
  
  1/2 tsp cayenne powder (to taste)
  
• 
  
  1 cup milk (1% was fine)
  
• 
  
  1/4 cup light sour cream
  

1. 
   
   Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, place in dish with 1/2" water.  Either bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes OR microwave for about 15 minutes until tender enough to scoop out with a spoon.
   
2. 
   
   Meanwhile, saute onion, celery & carrot in oil until tender.
   
3. 
   
   Add chicken stock, softened squash and seasonigs.  Bring to a low boil for a few minutes.
   
4. 
   
   Let cool slightly (though I didn't) and stir in milk.
   
5. 
   
   Blend until smooth.  Return to pot, add sour cream and stir until well blended.
   

Did a Sparkspeople generated workout tonight - Advanced Dumbell Full Body:

Dumbbell Squats with calf raises & overhead press

Wall sits with Bicep Curls

Wall sits with Lateral Raises

Dumbbell Forward Lunges

One Arm Rows

Tricep Kickbacks

Chest Presses

Dumbbell Crunches

2 sets of each x 15 reps

Was pretty good, though not killer.  I added 1 min of elliptical between each set to keep the heart rate up a bit.

Well, I'm off to bed.  Got a TON to do tomorrow.  Goodnight!!

Shred - Day 2

Shred - Day 2 = Uninterrupted Success    YAY!!!

Hmmmm, Day 2 seemed easier.  Maybe it's because I didn't run BEFORE shredding this time.  That would make sense ... DUH!  Still drenched in sweat, still muttering during certain moves (push-ups, squats with presses, and mostly during those side lunge front raise things ... grunt).  But I managed to do the whole first set and two-thirds of the 2nd set of push-ups in big-girl position before dropping to my knees.  My next mini-goal is to do both sets all the way up.

I'm surprised how excited I get before I do the video.  I'm literally SKIPPING down the hallway.  Though I'm sure that won't last - hahhaa.  It's just like I feel that I'm doing something big and positive and I can't wait for the results.

Running

I had a group run planned for today but after I got home from work I just wasn't into driving all the way back into town again.  It sure would be convenient if their run time was a little closer to my after work time.  I'd have to waste about 2 hours in town waiting to avoid the extra drive.  It's a good 20 min drive each way and with my fuel tank on the lower side (as well as my bank account) I figured I could just run from home tonight.

But .... as plans will go, that didn't happen.  After I did the shred, I made dinner, cleaned up, and then I was just done.  I was in bed just after 9:00.  I never go to bed that early.  Good thing I did because we got an INSANE rain storm last night, seriously I thought the house was going to float away.  It kept me up for a good hour or so in the middle of the night. 

Here's the new recipe I made last night.....

BLACK BEAN SOUP

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 small-medium carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (not condensed)
• 1 can corn
• 3 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• pepper, to taste 
• 1 handful of cilantro, chopped fine
• hot sauce - optional

1. Saute onion, garlic, carrot & celery in oil for about 5 minutes until onion is softened.  Add ground cumin and chili powder, stir through. 
2. Add lime juice, broth, 1 can ONLY black beans, corn, and pepper.  Stir and bring to a low boil.
3. Puree remaining two cans of black beans and tomatoes.  Add to pot, stir.  Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes until carrots are tender.  Add hot sauce if desired.

Makes 16 cups

Nutrition per cup:   114 calories, 0.8g fat, 4.8g fibre

Mmmmm, new recipes!

Yesterday I decided to get a little creative in the kitchen. It's been a while since I tried something new and since I haven't really been cooking much lately, I was getting the itch.

I made three new dishes...

TOMATO CAPRESE

~♥~ 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
~♥~ 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
~♥~ 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
~♥~ ¼ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
~♥~ Sea salt & pepper, to taste
~♥~ 1 c. Mozzarella pearls (or cubed small)
~♥~ 1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
~♥~ 6 On-the-vine tomatoes, cut into large cubes

1. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, sea salt & pepper. Whisk lightly.
2. Add mozzarella and onion. Stir and let sit approx. 30 min.
3. Add tomatoes 5-10 minutes before serving and stir.

Serves 6
Nutrition: 130 cal, 10 g fat, 1.5 g fibre – 3 points per serving

My father-in-law said this was the best salad he's ever had.

SPANISH STYLE GARLIC SHRIMP



Note: This dish was originally an appetizer, but we had it as part of our meal.

~♥~ 2 teaspoon olive oil
~♥~ 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
~♥~ 3 cloves garlic, minced
~♥~ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
~♥~ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
~♥~ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
~♥~ salt
~♥~ 1 pkg (approx 650g) uncooked medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
~♥~ ¼ c. cilantro, chopped
~♥~ 1 tablespoon lime juice

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and cook jalapeno pepper & garlic.
2. Add shrimp, cumin, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and salt.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until shrimp just turns pink.
3. Add cilantro & lime juice, stir and heat for about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

Nutrition (for 4 servings): 195 cal, 5 g fat, 0 g fibre – 3 points per serving
Nutrition (for 6 servings): 130 cal, 3 g fat, 0 g fibre – 4 points per serving


SPICY RICE & RED BEANS

~♥~ 1 ½ cups water **See note
~♥~ ¾ cup long grain & wild rice**See note
~♥~ ½ large red onion, diced
~♥~ 3 cloves garlic, minced
~♥~ 1 tablespoon ketchup
~♥~ 1 teaspoon cumin
~♥~ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
~♥~ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
~♥~ 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1. In a medium pot add all ingredients, except beans. Stir.
2. Bring to boil, stir, cover and reduce heat to simmer for approx. 10 min (**See note) until rice and onion are cooked through.
3. Add kidney beans, stir and let sit in covered pot approx. 5 min to heat through.

NOTE: Depending on the rice used, consult packaging for cooking instructions – vary rice & water quantity and cooking time as required.

Serves 4-6
Nutrition (for 4 servings): 275 cal, 1 g fat, 11 g fibre – 4 points per serving
Nutrition (for 6 servings): 185 cal, .75 g fat, 7 g fibre – 2 points per serving

This rice was SOOOO good. Today I added 2 oz. diced chicken breast and have it packed up for my lunch, mmm, can't wait!

My husband asked me last night if I made sure to write down everything exactly as I made it because it was one of the best meals he's ever had!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

Had a great weekend. My baby boy turned 15 yesterday. I can't believe I have a child that is 15! I swear I'm far too young for that. LOL. He's never been into birthday parties so we didn't really do anything. He chose pizza for dinner and his number one thing he had to have for his birthday was a DQ ice cream cake. Unfortunately for me, when we went to pick it up they had a special "free sundaes" for Mom's - so I got one for me as well as my son & daughter. I must say it was VERY good. I only had one very thin slice of pizza (on multigrain crust) and some bean soup for dinner, but I did have a slice of the ice cream cake and the sundae. Went over on points, but not too horribly considering the amount of exercise I got in this weekend.


Saturday I went for a 14K run with a couple friends. We took a slightly different route than we normally do and I made one of my friends do this killer steep hill TWICE! It took everything we had to run the whole thing without stopping, but we did it. Then on the return run we did Fartleks. Those were tough and each one definitely got harder, but I can totally see how that would improve your running. We're tossing around the idea of doing a half marathon this fall and I can't believe I'm feeling kind of excited about that.


Went to a BBQ Saturday night and did a bunch of yardwork over the weekend. Today it's pissing rain again which will give me a chance to stick indoors and cath up on housework. It will also keep me on the treadmill so I can get around to trying out my new shoes. :)

Today's planned menu....

Breakfast - Red River Cereal (I didn't know this product was only available in Canada - hmmmm, finally something that is awesome and only we can brag about)

Lunch - Veggies & homemade hummus (it turned out pretty good, though I want it spicier next time - used small amounts of cumin, cayenne, crushed red pepper & black pepper), homemade Navy Bean Soup (I made a big pot and will probably have this multiple times this week)

Afternoon Snack - Banana & Yoghurt

Dinner - Tequila Lime Chicken Thighs & Asian Noodle Salad

Evening Snack - Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich (this will be instead of leftover ice cream cake, I can only justify that for one day. May as well leave the indulgent calories to my skinny mini family)

Total Points - 21

Exercise - 30 min run on the treadmill, 30-45 min weights

Tonight is TV night. I'll be checking out the Canucks game (hoping they don't lose, but not expecting any miracles) and watching One Tree Hill (my fav show), maybe Gossip Girl too if my workout is done.

UPDATE: I used chicken breast instead of thighs for dinner. The recipe was a little bland in my opinion. I can think of better uses of the Tequila. I didn't make the topping she suggested, so maybe that's what makes it. In my opinion this was just OK chicken, tender, but not much in the way of flavour.

I also substituted my afternoon snack with a handful of pretzels and a 1/2" slice (at the most) of ice cream cake. Not nearly as healthy, but similar in calories. Just heading down to the gym to get my workout in.

Hummus Recipe

Jen at Priorfatgirl posted today about her love of hummus. Alot of people mentioned the ease of making it on your own. So I said I'd post a recipe. I just bought a tub of hummus but I really should just make it again.

It really is a super simple recipe to make, with SO many variations. Plus ... it's super cheap to make. Probably the biggest expense is the tahini, but you use so little so a jar will last a long time.

Store this in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. And have fun with the varieties you can make. Look to the prducts available at the grocery store for further suggestions of combinations - or just get creative. You could also take a batch and split it to make a few different combos.

HUMMUS (singing) "any way you want it ..... that's the way you need it"

1 - 19 oz. can Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas)
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1- 2 lemons (approx. 2-4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper (and/or other spices) to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Drain Garbanzo beans and reserve liquid **see notes. Add beans to food processor along remainder of ingredients. Pulse until smooth. Add water (or reserved liquid) and continue to pulse until desired consistancy.

It is best once the flavours have blended for a while in the fridge (a few hours or overnight). But you can eat it right away.


NOTES:

Liquid - a lot of recipes recommend using the reserved liquid from the drained beans. However there is a lot of salt in that liquid and you may want to just use water and then adjust salt to taste.

Garlic - use as much or as little as you like. Apparently roasted garlic is a more mellow taste, but I like it zippy.

Lemon juice - You can use bottled, but fresh just seems to taste best. Again, you might want to experiment with the amount you use. Start with less and add more.

Tahini - (paste of ground sesame seeds) Usually found in the specialty (Middle Eastern) area of your grocery store. I've heard you can substitute peanut butter, but I wouldn't. I have made hummus without any tahini, but it's much better with it.

Olive Oil - do NOT leave out in an attempt to lower fat/calories. It's a healthy oil and it definitely makes hummus … hummus!

Seasonings - Add to taste. There is a ton of variety here. You can add any of the following on their own or in combination (be creative): black pepper, cumin, cayenne, crushed red pepper, hot sauce, chipotle or jalapeno pepper (SPICY!), roasted red pepper, sundried tomato, chives, cilantro, chili pepper, parsley

This morning I woke up just feeling gross. The last few days have been so filled with salty foods and boy, oh boy, am I ever feeling it. I even took off my rings the other morning because they were bothering me. My husband took me for lunch yesterday at a little local Mexican restaurant (OMG so good!). Even though I've learned to eat way less at these places, they still leave me so bloated. I weighed myself this morning and that was a big mistake because the scale is showing me up almost 4 lbs - yikes! I know it's temporary and most of it should be gone next week, but still, I almost (for a brief few minutes) felt defeated today. Then I got reading on various boards & blogs and remembered that I'm in this for life, no matter what!

Just sometimes it's frustrating when I work so hard to have minimal losses and more often than not to just maintain my weight. And the odd times when I go overboard the pounds just pile on, and the cycle starts again. 2-3 days of slight overeating gives me a gain that takes 2-3 weeks to take off again. Sometimes I almost feel like a fraud when I give others advice about weight loss/healthy eating/exercise. Really, ya, I lost 20-something pounds over a year ago, but since then I just bounce around the same numbers and nothing really changes. I should feel proud that I did lose that weight and keep it off, but some days ....... Anyhow, my train of thought has improved since first thing this morning and is much more positive now.

We had a pretty big windstorm last night. My husband and I were going to go out on the trails for a run, but he deemed it too dangerous. Then he needed me to go get some building supplies for him and by the time I got back it was too late to exercise. Well, not entirely true. If I had exercised I would have missed The Biggest Loser and I wasn't willing to do that. Though I probably should have missed the first half because a big part of it was devoted to the return of players eliminated at the beginning of the season and Ron's time in the hospital - which I just couldn't give 2 hoots about.

Saw this recipe today posted at Kalyn's Kitchen for Asian Lettuce Cups. This is definitely a recipe I want to try as I had these in a restaurant a couple weeks ago and they are amazing.

Also, over at Prior Fat Girl, Jen is giving away PopChips. Mmmm, they sound very good. Of course, being Canadian, I can't get them here, but I've already done a search on their website to find out where I can find these little treats. Sure we have Baked Lays here, which are pretty good, but not the flavours these guys have. I'm thinking that the Salt & Pepper would be my choice.

2 more sleeps until I see my parents. 4 more sleeps until my next race. Looking forward to both those events.

Registered for the Sun Run

Finally, I got myself (and my husband and son) registered for the Sun Run. Now my sister doesn't have to kill me. I'm still very apprehensive about being in a crowd with that many people, but the actually running part doesn't worry me at all. I'd like us all to carry a cell phone so we can find each other afterwards.

Had my last local trail run today for a while as next weekend I'll be at my parents doing a 10K race. Then the following weekend is Easter and we are probably going to be away (...somewhere). I'll still run, but I have no idea where. Then the following weekend is the Sun Run. I'm looking forward to seeing my sister, even if it is only for a few days.

Today's run was great. My husband went with me, and I always enjoy when he comes along. We ran by ourselves most of the time and I'm guessing we did about 12 Km of running and another 2 Km of walking. Kept it at a nice, casual pace and ran the whole thing except for a bathroom/stretch break at the halfway mark.

RECIPE REVIEW: Twice now I've made Sticky Chicken from the ESBM cookbook. The first time I got mixed reviews and it was pretty much the same this time. My husband said it was good (though he didn't rave about it so I know it's not outstanding). I thought it was not bad, though not my favourite thing. My son said it was OK, as in it's edible but he'd prefer something else. My daughter said it was disgusting (she's normally not the fussy one). So I think that one will be retired from the collection. It may be that there was too much fresh ginger in it, or perhaps the wine vinegar was to much. Everyone agreed that it does NOT smell good while cooking.

Also made a black bean & corn salad. Kind of followed a recipe and kind of did my own thing. I didn't love the dressing, I thought it was too much lime. But I fussed with it for a bit and it seemed to turn out OK. The dressing ended up being 1/2 c. lime juice, 1/4 c. olive oil, 1 tsp cayenne, sea salt, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tblspn ketchup, 2 tsp chopped garlic (I didn't have fresh on hand, just from the jar - I think fresh would have made a world of difference). Shook that in a container and added: 1 can black beans, 1 can corn, 6 roma tomatoes, very thinly sliced red onion & a good handful of chopped cilantro. The dressing was a bit too acidic - I added the sugar afterwards and that should make it better. But I do think fresh minced garlic would have balanced it out better too. It made a HUGE bowl of salad that should last us for a few days.

Tonight is Schnitzel with either roast or mashed potatoes and the leftover black bean & corn salad.

What a great, active few days I've had. Thursday my daughter's dance class was on break so I had the opportunity to take a class I normally don't. Did a Abs, Butt & Thighs class, followed by a 30 min Abs Only class. It was good and I like the instructor, but I found her quite a bit easier than the instructor I have for my other classes. After 30 min of abs I should have been near tears and I wasn't even close.

Friday I took my usual fitness class. Saturday I took my daughter to the mall to meet a friend. While there I hoofed it around the mall for a few hours ... and maybe, just maybe ducked into a couple of stores. I ended up buying a fitted blouse that's just a teensy bit tight and I can't wait to have it fit perfect. Plus I bought some cute black capris. I had bought the same style from this store last year, but in white. I grabbed a smaller size than I thought I'd need and ... they fit - really good. I tried on the size smaller but it was a big jump and I didn't want to waste money so I got the ones that fit good. Got home and compared them to the one I bought last year and WAHOO there were a size smaller - YEAH!!!! After I got home I tackled some of the stalls (way overdo and gross). That is most definitely a tough workout.

Sunday I met up with the ladies for the most beautiful run I've had in a long time. It was fairly cold, but the sun was shining and the trails were packed with active people. We're guessing we ran about 12 Km and other than stoping for about 30 seconds to tie my jacket around my waist, I ran the whole thing. One of my goals this year is to run the entire thing without stopping. Had I remembered that I wouldn't have stopped to take off my jacket. HAHHAA.

Last night I tried something new ... TILAPIA .. and I'm in LOVE ♥♥♥. I'd heard before it was good, but hadn't actually tried it. If you're not a really fishy lover this is the fish for you. I didn't even notice a fish smell and my kids didn't saw ewww while it was cooking. I topped it with a tsp of olive oil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, lemon juice and about a tablespoon of cornflake crumbs. Then a bit more lemon juice upon serving. It was SO good and I plan to have it again this week.

I'm planning to do another run, a 10K, on April 5th. My parents have been down south all winter and should be back by then and this run is in their hometown - so it makes a great excuse for a visit, and keeps me on track. I'm very much looking forward to it!!!

Asian Noodle Salad

Trying this recipe tonight. It was on my work computer and I figured this was the best way to get access to it for when I get home :).

ASIAN NOODLE SALAD

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
8 oz. pasta (uncooked)
2 cups mixed vegetables (Broccoli, Red Pepper, Sugar Snap Peas, Baby Corn, Mushrooms, Red Onion, Celery, Carrots….)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil (separated)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onion

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds, and cook stirring frequently until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain pasta, and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in skillet, add garlic and let it sizzle. Add vegetables and sauté until tender crisp. Add vegetables to pasta.

4. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, ginger, and pepper. Shake well.

5. Pour sesame dressing over pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Gently mix in cilantro, and green onions.


Can add cooked chicken, beef strips, pork, shrimp as desired. Can be served warm (don’t rinse pasta with cold water) or cold. Keeps well in fridge and flavour improves if it sits before serving.

2009 Goals

Last night it was back to Boot Camp - WAHOO I LOVE that class. I wish I could do it at least 3 or 4 times a week (hmm maybe I wouldn't love it so much then). This seems like a really fun group too. There's about 1/2 of the group from last time and then some new ladies who were having so much fun.

She divided us up into groups of 3 last night and I was so happy to be put with the 2 other most competitive people in the class - our one and only guy and a super fit girl. The 3 of us have been in the same class for a while and we're always super competitive with each other. So it was great to be with them as we pushed each other alot harder.

I've set myself some goals for 2009:

* 20 consecutive big girl push-ups
* run 10km under 1 hour
* run the entire Ft to Ft non stop (about 14 km)
* climb the Grouse Grind in 50 minutes or less
* eat fish at least once a week
* REACH MY GOAL WEIGHT!

If I can surpass any of my fitness goals by the end of June then I will reevaluate and change as necessary.

Tonight is fish night. I'm making a recipe from one of my WW's books. They call it Easy Crusty Cod, but I've adapted it and call it Crusty Citrus Sole :). It's sole fillets (super thin, no bones!) top with a mix of flour, milk, olive oil, lemon & lime juice & cayenne pepper, then sprinkle with a bit of bread crumbs & green onion and bake in the oven. I'm not a huge fish fan but this is so good, quick and simple. So far I haven't been able to under or overcook the fish so it's a good one for me. I'm a bit freaky that my fish is fully cooked without getting tough.

I just have to post a link to this post on another blog http://doinitforme.blogspot.com/2008/09/weigh-in-process.html. So funny, and scary how true that I do alot of those things (not all) before I have an official weigh-in.

Last night was Boot Camp and I'm LOVING it!!! Hopefully I'm not as stiff this week. I just love doing so many different things and challenging my body in different ways. I've been so bored with the typical step class and such that I've taken on and off for years. This really inspires me to get out there and try new things.

Hmm, let's see, we did (among other things like alot of sprints): Burpees, push-ups with an elastic band across our upper back for resistance, planks, jumping jacks, combination tricep curl/bicep curl with opposing arms while balancing on one foot, "axe-chopping" while on one foot, lat raises with an elastic, overhead presses, bent arm lateral raises, inner/outer thigh raises (with a weight on mid thigh), and a variety of ab exercises for upper and lower abs.

I'm so glad I'm already signed up in the next session. If they add another day of it that I can attend I'd love to. Definitely worth the $6 per class.

Also tried another new recipe last night. It was OK, but not outstanding. I wanted it to have more flavour and I certainly didn't find it spicy at all. Perhaps some hot sauce or cayenne might do the trick, or more garlic. Should probably just be called Marinated Pork Chops. Original recipe called for chili sauce, not powder, but I didn't have any - maybe that makes a different.

SPICY MARINATED PORK CHOPS

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5 large pork chops

In a large resealable bag, mix together the soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, chili powder, and garlic. Place the pork chops into the bag, carefully seal the bag, and marinate for 6-12 hours in the refrigerator. Turn the bag over about halfway through.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Grill 5 to 7 minutes on each side.

Mmmm, made a meatloaf recipe from Weight Watchers last night. So good! The family loves this one (other than my picky son). I've adapted it a bit from the original recipe.

MEATLOAF

1/2 c. Ketchup
1/2 c. BBQ Sauce
1/4 c. Minced onion
4 Green Onions - chopped fine
3 garlic cloves - crushed
1 tbsp. Brown sugar
Salt & Pepper
2 Large egg whites or 1 whole egg
1 1/2 lb. Ground Beef
1/2 c. Quick-cooking oats
1/4 c. Ketchup
1/4 c. BBQ Sauce
Cooking spray

Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 c. BBQ sauce, onions, garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl; stir well. Add meat and oats; stir just until blended. Shape mixture into a 8x4-inch loaf on a broiling pan coated with cooking spray.

Brush remaining 1/4 c. ketchup & 1/4 c. BBQ Sauce over meat loaf

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until done. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Also I have two new food finds - All Bran Bars new flavours - Cinnamon Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip - both 2 pts per bar. Personally I find the Cinnamon Oatmeal absolutely amazing - and the kids love them too. I dipped it in my tea and it felt sinful. Just had the Chocolate Chip one and it's definitely good, but if given a choice I'd take the other one first. The Chocolate Chip one is probably better dipped too.

Tonight is my Boot Camp class. I sure hope that I recover better this week. I've been pretty active so I'm hoping that helps.

Class was pretty good last night. Though, while it wasn't easy, I would have liked it to be a bit harder. Did a variety of sprints/runs alternated with some strength moves - push-ups, burpess (OMFG!!), planks. Did some lunges, a ton of squats and the move that is killing me today - outer thigh abduction ... ouch! Then did a bunch of different weights and sit-ups. I haven't done squats for a long time and actually missed them(that sounds weird even to my ears). I think I'll perform my own boot camp class at home at least one other day per week as I like the basic idea of it and the variety of mixing things up.

Made a yummy veggie pasta salad this morning for lunch (which I'm eagerly waiting for heehee). And I've been looking for some new ideas for dinners. Going to try this one this weekend:

Sesame Chicken Strips

6 Chicken Breasts, 4 oz each, cut into thin strips
2 tblspn. sesame seeds

MARINADE
½ c. chicken broth
2 tblspn. soya sauce
4 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
½ tsp ground coriander
few drops hot pepper sauce
¼ c. finely chopped parsley
¼ c. finely chopped green onion

Combine the marinade, add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes (or longer for more flavour).

Preheat broiler. Drain the chicken & discard the marinade. Sprinkle chicken with sesame seeds.

Broil 4" from the heat for 3 minutes. Turn and broil for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until the chicken is no longer pink.

You could do this with whole chicken breast too, but I’d think you’d want to marinate it longer to get the flavour infused. You could also thread it onto skewers if you wanted, make sure to soak them in cold water first if using wooden skewers.

I also have a hankering for Grilled Tomatoes (like you get at the Keg) topped with olive oil, salt & pepper, some parmesan cheese and maybe cilantro or oregano. Mmmm - so good!

Wearing my new jeans and fitted sweater today and not only are they comfy but I feel pretty good wearing them. WAHOO!! Hubby gave me a hug this morning and said I felt slimmer - hahha. Sad thing is he probably could tell as he's very intune to minor changes which can be a good thing and a not so good thing depending on which direction it's going.