Greatness

There are so many things to love about the Olympics. The commercials that inspire greatness are just one of them.
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Passions

Note: Changes have been made as the post was originally made prior to completion. Oops.

Recently I was asked to identify what I was MOST passionate about. What are those things that really create a fire in your belly? Not just things you support or like, but beliefs that move you to action; characteristics you seek out in others or feel compelled to share with others.

*Love the Lord your God with all your heart * Love your neighbor as you love yourself * We all have it within ourselves to choose differently * Fight a good fight *  Be where you are * Fear is only a problem if you let it paralyze you * Women were designed to be pursued * Until a person begins accepting responsibility for the choices they have made, they will never feel empowered to make life altering changes * Love people; cook them tasty food * Men need an adventure * Motherhood is one of life's most amazing blessings * One cannot love themselves, until they understand and embrace grace and mercy * Mistakes are inevitable * Mean what you say; say what you mean * Horns are the most underused part of vehicles * A cheerful heart is good medicine; a crushed spirit dries up the soul * Ladies, we polish our nails but paint the walls and shampoo our hair but wash the dishes *

Happy Wednesday friends!

Pic Stich and Such

Photography aps are fun aren't they? When I use them (which is often, probably too often) I pretend that I know what I'm doing.

My newest ap is called Pic Stich. I love it because pictures are just more fun in collages. They remind me of the ten thousand collage picture frames hanging in my grandmothers house. 

Are there any cuter kids in the world?

Bingo night with the girls. Makes you want to join us, right?!

Morning run scenery in the old hometown.  

 I also use camera bag, instagram, and camera plus. What aps do you use and like?

A letter to my son

Dearest Griffin,

My sweet, sweet child.

First, let me say that I hope you are having the time of your life out there in Orange Beach, AL with those other 1,999 high schoolers.

Second, you should know that your frog care request and instructions are being followed to a T. Well almost. The frog is still alive and being fed, but I may have gotten his scheduled feeding times all off. Since he isn't dead yet, I can only guess I must be doing something right.

Third, your dog misses you!

And now, I have to  get to the point of this letter. You should know that all the work you do around here to help me out is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED! Since you've been gone I have:

• unloaded the dishwasher twice
• taken the garbage out on garbage day and brought the garbage can back in at the end of the day
• taken out the recycle bin on recycle day and rolled that sucker back in at the end of the day too
• watered the yard
• fed the dog
• walked the dog
• dusted the furniture
• vacuumed the floors
• cleaned up the after dinner dishes (although its pretty much limited to my cereal bowl for dinner) 

It's gonna be a looooooong summer without you here! Please come home soon.

Much Obliged,

Mom

Corporate Cup 2012 Recap

Saturday's events proved to be a blast! It was a field day for adults, complete with corn toss, tug of war, golf chipping, football toss, and so much more. I almost thought I was 12 years old again. And then my legs started aching and my energy level wained and all of the sudden I was reminded of my true age. 

Meet some the team, friends! This pic was post 5K, so excuse the sweaty faces. It was a hot and humid morning. But, we had two people place in the top  3 of their gender, age divisions. Woot woot!

And even though the humidity almost choked me on this run and my running has been sporatic and less than ideal over the last couple of months, I ended up with a new PR. 27:57.2. It's not fast by any means, but by golly I did it! 

After all of the morning fun with the 5K and skilled events, the serious competition began. Bring on the relays! Participating in the 4 x 400 relay had me a bundle of nerves already and then I saw my competition. This lovely athlete whose warm up lunges and thighs reminded me of Jackie Joiner and had me shaking in my running shoes.

But then someone said the nicest thing to me..."she's got nothing on you with your running skirt and pearl earrings." I decided to take my running skirt and pearl earrings out to the track and give it all I had and guess what?! Our team finished that relay in 5.00:19 and our friend up there, well...her team came up just short of our time at 5.06:64.

And the moral of the story is don't mess with girls in running skirts and pearl earrings!

Holy Smokes- Beach Retreat 2012 is here!

Tomorrow kicks off Beach Retreat 2012!! Knocks my socks off that he is going as a Sophomore this year. Oh my, how time flys!
Want to know more about beach retreat, check out the Beach Retreat blog or watch the daily live broadcasts at 8pm at beachretreat.tv, including this video of reflections from last year.


Please keep these guys in your prayers over the course of this week. Not just the kids, but all those involved in organizing, serving, and ministering to these kids. Last year over 1800 kids were in attendance and they have surpassed that number of registrants this year. Orange Beach, AL will never be the same! But, neither will the lives of these kids.

Keepin' it cool,

Channeling My Inner Athlete

Two things...

1. Saturday I am participating in this event. Help me Jesus! I'm running the 5K first thing on Saturday. Later in the day, the real nerves will kick in when the 400 meter relay comes around. I've never run a relay race before. I'm scared I will drop the baton. Eek!



2. Runners World Summer Run Streak 2012 has kicked off...a mile a day from Memorial Day to July 4th. It's not too late to join so get to running, peeps.

Today's run...slow and easy 10 minute treadmill mile. Saving up for my track debut on Saturday.

Happy Feet friends,

Memorial Day Weekend Recap

The weekend festivities kicked off with fiesta dinner to celebrate the fact that this guy successfully received full credit for his Biology course and didn't have to find out what summer school was all about. It's been a nail biter of a year.

Live music on the patio, amazing weather, and some very cool friends was the perfect recipe for fun! There may or may not have been scandelous behavior that took place.

After a rejuvenating Sunday morning at church, a little pool time relaxing just what I needed.

Memorial Day Monday was a day for rest, relaxation, and reflection, but only after a morning run. I have a 5K event coming up this next weekend and training has been a little inconsistent and hardly considered training lately.

Have you seen We Were Soldiers? In honor of Memorial Day, we lit up the grill and watched this beautiful story.

Hope you all had a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend!

Ciao' friends,

Extraordinary

I never want to treat anything in life as if it isn't worth celebrating, or that it is too ordinary to deserve extraordinary attention and appreciation. I want to settle in to life and always bring the best of myself right where I am recognizing that even if it's less than ideal, it's better than nothing.

Lately life has proved to be riddled with challenges. Life is funny that way....the cycle slows down and then ramps up again. Sometimes it's as quick as an unforeseen drop on a roller coaster and other times you can feel yourself climbing to a peak on the track with the ticking sound of the tracks, like time, in your ears. You anticipate the inevitable drop that may shake you to your core or be ever so slight that it barely begs much attention at all.

"Life is too short."
"You should live each day to it's fullest."
"Carpe diem."

I've professed these things many times in my life and hold them in my heart as precious beliefs. However, I flounder in the execution. More often than not, I fail to celebrate or give extraordinary attention and appreciation to my less than ideal life.

So, as I sit this morning with coffee in hand savoring each sip, soaking in the sunshine that flows through the windows, graciously thinking about the sum of my life experiences, and anticipating the joys that are yet to be had this day.


Seizing the day,

Dinner and a Movie Saturday followed by a Sunday Kind of Love

Last night I enjoyed an evening of quality entertainment, including a dinner of popcorn, chocolate truffles, wine. Scent of a Woman has to be one of my top five favorite movies ever, so any evening that I can spend a little time with the antics of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade and the sensibility of Charlie Simms is a good night indeed. Ho-ahh!



I had a sofa snuggle partner. She missed all of the quality entertainment last night because she exhausted from trying to convince me she needed some popcorn and truffles. I gave her one piece and then proceeded to finish off the bag.

I woke up ravenous this morning. After scrounging around in the fridge I managed to pull together enough ingredients for a hearty veggie omelet. Spinach, onion, and tomatoes sauteed and added to my two-egg omelet with just a tad bit of cheese. Topped off with salsa...MmmmMmmm!

Now that I am fueled for the morning, I'm off to start the laundry. Laundry stinks. It's the chore I procrastinate on the most.  Everyone needs a little fuel to get through that chore.

And in honor of the great Etta James, I'll leave with you with this.

Sunday kinda love to you all,



Blogging a go go.

Entering the world of mobile blogging. Watch out.

Tasty Veggies- No Kidding

I wish I had a functioning camera right now. If I did, I would share the most beautiful food pictures with you. The pictures don't do the recipe justice though, so I'll just share the goods with you now.

Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Stack

1 Pablano Pepper cut in matchsticks
2 Red Bell Peppers cut in matchsticks
1/2 Head of Cauliflower
1/2 Medium Onion Slice
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Cumin
1 lb ground turkey
1 1/2 cups of salsa verde
1-2 cups of grated cheese
Corn tortillas
Fresh Spinach

In a casserole dish or cookie sheet place all of the chopped veggies except for the spinach. Drizzle with olive oil, garlic powder, and cumin. Stir to coat. Roast in over on 425 for about 20-30 minutes or until veggies are tender. While the veggies are roasting, brown some ground turkey and season with garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. (Or just use a taco seasoning packet).

After the veggies have roasted, layer your ingredients in a casserole dish in the following order:
Salsa Verde
Corn tortillas
Roasted Veggies
Hamburger meat
Spinach
Cheese

Repeat and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browning on top. Serve with sour cream.

Y'all- my kid ate cauliflower! Make this dish. You won't be sorry; I PROMISE!!!

Happy Eating,

SA Rock N Roll Race Recap

Last Sunday I ran the San Antonio Rock N Roll Half Marathon. It was a fantastic experience, although my training this go 'round left much to be desired. I vowed to do my best in spite of only completing about 70% of my training. Justin wavered on actually running the race, but his last minute decision to run with me had me pumped and motivated to get through all 13.1 miles.

After hearing about the insane crowds and logistical nightmares with parking and shuttle,  Justin and I set out to arrive super early in order to avoid too much stress on race morning. It was a great idea, until the alarm didn't go off and we were an hour behind schedule. So much for avoiding stress on race morning. It was just nuts from there.

We ran late, sat in traffic, stood in line for the shuttle, ate on the shuttle, walked a mile to get Griffin set up at the finish line tent, walked another mile to get back to the start line, stood in line for the port a potty FOREVER, and jumped straight into a corral to begin the race.

Mile 1- The crowds were crazy! We were running easy and I was taking in the crowds and the atmosphere of the race.
Mile 2- Justin timed our pace. Remember, there was no goal of a glamorous finish time, just to get through the miles and cross the finish line.
Mile 3- We were at a 10:00 minute pace. Faster than I would have liked for the beginning. Justin was chomping at the bits to move a little faster.
Mile 4- Justin started easing out it front of me, but would turn back and shoot me an encouraging and motivating smile and thumbs up ever now and then.
Mile 5- I spied Team Determination Coaches! One of them jumped out and ran with me for bit. She offered up all kinds of supplies, but the only thing I took was a wet wipe. Who knew that thing would be so amazing on a run?!?! It was so humid and the sweat and salt was beginning to feel cruddy on my face. Being able to wipe it off was refreshing.
Mile 6- I lost Justin by this point, but was so thankful he was feeling good enough to take off and run a little faster. We entered a historic district and one of the homes had a table set up with free beer. At the beer table I spotted a runner that was nothing but pure entertainment for the next several miles. Dressed in neon, 80's workout attire, he downed a beer and pulled off a few dance moves.
At the 10K point I was at 10:16/mile pace
Mile 7- 80's dude had been entertaining the crowds with his dance moves and even replicated the Flash Dance water scene, when he grabbed a spectators water, assumed a somewhat sultry position, and poured the water over his head. He then headed over to another crowd watcher for a little smoke time because filling your lungs up with toxins always helps when your running. Good entertainment,guys!
Mile 8- DONUTS! The sweetest girl was standing in the crowds holding a box of the most amazing, fresh, glazed donuts. Guess who headed straight in her direction? It was so sad to lose sight of 80's guy shortly after this point. The sadness was short lived because in the most perfect timing, my love showed up! My legs were feeling a little achy at this point, but otherwise I was feeling great! Justin's calf was acting up and he was really having to push through some pain.
Mile 9- Justin had to stop due to the pain, but he encouraged me to keep going. The roads got narrow and the crowds started to get a bit thicker here. The encouragement of the cheering crowd was great.
Mile 10-12- The Alamo! Bands!, Cheering crowds! But, of the lactic acid build up in calves was intense. It was so painful, but I never started cramping up and my breathing was under control and not labored at all. I kept thinking I should be moving faster, but I was only slowing down.
Mile 13- I was hurting and knew there was one last hill coming right before the finish. But, the crowds were incredible. I spotted ahead of me a lady in a pink shirt that said " I run because______!" My mental chant from here to the finish was every reason why I was running. Which is actually a good thought for another post, another day. But, to give you a hint, because I CAN is on the top of my list. We rounded the last corner and faced the hill. It was a moment where I was actually thankful for all of the hills I have encountered since moving to San Antonio. About 1/3 of the way up the hill my pink shirt stopped and doubled over to grab her leg. "Oh no you don't," I said as I grabbed her arm and forced her up. "Your shirt has gotten me through the last mile and I need you to keep going to the top of this hill." She quickly got on board and resumed her run across the  finish line.

My legs were burning as I shuffled through the finishers maze. I made it back to the Team Determination tent and was immediately hit with the leg cramps. During my stretching, as soon as one muscle would stop another would start. It became quite comical for a moment.

Just as I got my legs back in order, Justin appeared with a finishers medal in hand. It was a terrific moment to know that we finished. He would probably beg to differ with you- the idea that I finished ahead of him was enough for him to commit to another half marathon in the spring. The idea of hanging up the towel on long distance running has been in the forefront of his mind pre-race day.

Here we are Race #1 in 2010 on the left and the most recent on the right. I'm 10 pounds heavier than I was the first go around, and definitely less trained than before, but even with the leg pain, I felt stronger and better post-race than my first time. I do attribute some of that to the northern terrain of San Antonio- THANK YOU neighborhood hills!

For this race, I joined Team Determination of the American Cancer Society with a group of co-workers. The experience of getting to know some new faces in the office and fundraising for a good cause gave me a different focus at this race. I wasn't just running for what I could accomplish, but for a multitude of other reasons. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to run with such a great organization and group of people!

And you, my lovely readers, still have the opportunity to support my fund raising efforts. Although race day has come and gone, Cancer has not! We have left our fundraising open a little longer for those of you who would like to make a contribution. Please click here to make a donation! Help me meet my fundraising goal!

Off and Running,

It's that time

Sun sets, a full moon rises

before each is done twilight glows

This crossing of a season into the next

begins with the crossing of day into night

Taken from a BHLDN advertisment. I have the Starburst Pleated Shift and love it.

Week 2- What's been cookin' in my kitchen?

I'm a little behind schedule on getting this posted, but I've had some stuff come up the last couple of days that needed some immediate attention. I'm popular and when people need me, they need me. What can I say?

So last weeks cooking endeavors where well intended, but I took the easy way out a couple more times that I would have liked last week and dined out. But, we started off well and it's the intent that matters most, right???

Monday: Roasted Chicken Quarters, pan sauteed veggies, and mashed potatoes.

How'd ya do that? Skin-on chicken quarters were on sale this last week at the store, so I snagged up a family size package so we would have leftovers, of course. I rubbed them down with a blood-orange olive oil (but any old olive oil would do) and seasoned them with salt and pepper. Threw in a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, a quartered onion and added a bulb of garlic (which I cut the top off of and rubbed with olive oil )to the pan and roasted everything on 350 for about 30-40 minutes.

Boiled the cut washed red potatoes until soft. Drained the water and added milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste.

For the veggies, I melted a little butter in a saute pan and added some pine nuts until they were toasty and brown. To that I added the following leftover items from my fridge; steamed green beans, roasted asparagus, jar of pimentos. Just cooked until heated through and added a little salt and pepper.

Tuesday: Creamy spinach dip, chicken croissant rolls with salsa for dipping with chips and fruit salad.

How'd ya do that? Remember that left over spinach dip?? Well, it came in handy. I spread it on a package of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and shredded up some of the leftover roasted chicken from the night before. Rolled them up and baked according to the package directions. And the fruit salad was my favorite medley of sliced bananas, strawberries, and blueberries.

Wednesday: Willie's Ice House

How'd ya do that? This is where we started to go downhill. But, it was a celebratory meal of sorts. Griffin had a tennis match that he won. He won!! This was cause for celebration and what better way to celebrate such a victory than a savory burger from Willie's.


Thursday: Homemade pizza. This started off with good intentions of being a veggie pizza, but the Italian sausage and peperoni's in the freezer caught my eye and stole my heart.

How'd ya do that? Click right here for The Pioneer Woman's easy, cheesy, pizza dough recipe. It makes plenty for a family of 5-6 or leftovers for a family of 2, like mine. Topped with some leftover jar pizza sauce hanging out in the fridge and browned Italian Sausage, Peperoni's and Kraft Pizza Cheese Mix.

P.S. I had leftover browned Italian Sausage to be used in a future meal. Love.

Friday: Boiled crawfish from Repka's. We had cause to celebrate again. It was the weekend. We live for the weekends.

Their motto is: Good food. Good friends. Good fun. I like these people and their motto.  It's a hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere. And if you think I'm exaggerating, I dare you to drive there. Only be prepared to wait on a Friday night. Because a lot of other people dare to drive all the way there too. It's just that good and that fun. Pool. Crawfish. Dollar bills stapled on plywood ceilings. Juke boxes. Peackocks and guineas out back with a fire pit. Open kitchen crawfish purging and boiling. Picnic tables. And they even moved up a little last year and got a credit card machine. Whoa. You have no excuse to go.



Many Happy Times,

What's been cookin' in my kitchen?

This last week's menu went a little something like this...

Monday: Cracker crusted chicken strips with mashed red potatoes and oven roasted broccoli.

How'd ya do that? Cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into strips. Dredge them in melted butter and dredge them in a mix of crushed crackers, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake them in the oven on 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until done. I used Ritz crackers, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Tuesday: Spicy Dr. Pepper pulled pork, leftover mashed red potatoes and roasted broccoli.

PS. I froze a lot of the leftover pork. That will surface again. I give it a two thumbs up. But, boy is it spicy!

Wednesday: Fox's Pizza with Caesar Salad.


How'd ya do that? Pick up the phone and call your nearest Fox's pizza right now. You won't be sorry. I promise. While your waiting, wash and tear up some Romain lettuce leaves. Toss them with creamy Caesar dressing, Caesar croutons, and Parmesan cheese. I bet you will eat one or two less pieces of pizza if you throw this salad together while you wait. A little roughage and fiber never hurt anyone.

Thursday: Gorton's Fish Sticks, steamed green beans, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Don't judge. Just don't. We do the quick and easy and totally processed diet from time to time. Especially when the 14 year old is in charge of dinner.

Friday: Pork Chops topped with mango, apple, habenero salsa, garlic and cheddar mashed potatoes, and oven roasted asparagus.

How'd ya do that? The pork chops were seasoned with a little salt and pepper and grilled stove top in my grill pan for about 4 minutes on each side. Then, I placed them in a casserole dish topped with the Mango Salsa and finished cooking in the oven. For the potatoes I boiled and mashed potatoes and added milk, butter, grated sharp cheddar cheese, minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Tossed the asparagus with olive oil and sea salt and roast on 350 degrees for about 7-10 minutes.

This weekend has left me with a large helping of leftover spinach and artichoke dip. I've got my thinking cap on and  getting creative about how to use it and can't wait to share it with you. Hope you all have fabulous weeks planned!

Munching away,

What's Cookin?

At Christmas I was doing a little shopping at a spice store called Penzey's in The Heights. Tucked in the bottom of my bag was a bumper sticker that says...."Love people. Cook them tasty food." I stuck it up on my fridge and it has become one of my favorite things in my kitchen. You see there are a few things in life that I really love.....like, really, really love.

One is that I love food. Not just eating lots of food. But, I love the flavors and the preparation. The magic that happens when you add the right mix of ingredients with a little heat or cold that causes a party in your mouth.

The other is that I love cooking for others. It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

So, the sticker is perfection on my fridge.

In an attempt to reacquaint myself with more consistent posts, I am going to attempt to introduce some regular weekly posts. One of which will be a weekly dinner menu. This is a trial basis, so don't get too attached too quickly. My life is known to get crazy on a whim and if that happens, the blog usually gets neglected. So this is my disclaimer, you could get your heart broken if you fall too fast, too soon. Remember the heart on the sidewalk lesson, people. There was truth in them thar words!

But, because I love people, I am going to cook them tasty food. I mean you. Cook YOU tasty food.

My goal is to 1. cook regularly, 2. do my shopping and cooking on a decent budget, 3. incorporate a balanced diet with occasional splurges on cupcakes and chocolate cake (because who can live without those little bits of sweetness) and 4. use my leftovers wisely.

It is simply divine to end my days with good food and good people. There isn't much that  I can think of that makes it better, except maybe a great glass of wine.

So, keep an eye out for upcoming posts on my weekly menus. I'm preparing one today for this upcoming week and will get it up over the weekend.

Happy Dining Friends,

For the love of NOLA

Last weekend we celebrated Spring Break in New Orleans with some friends. We walked the endless streets, ate beignets and incredible seafood, drank fruity drinks, visited the casino, caught beads while watching a parade, sang and danced our hearts out....we basically did all the things you do in New Orleans and had a downright good time!!

On Saturday night we ventured out and found this fantastic place with a nice patio, great music, and a mechanical bull. Memories were made here, folks. The ladies were infatuated with Justin and dancing skills, but one in particular decided she needed to take our picture dancing together after she had her turn dancing with him. I found this series of photos on my phone and I love them. Love. Them. There is something sort of artistic about them.

However, what I perceive as an artistic eye could also be her lack of ability to hold a camera straight while being completely inebriated. After all, it was NOLA on a Saturday night.















From the bottom of my dancing heart,

P.S. I may or may not have ridden that mechanical bull.