Whew!

Today was endurance day for this girl.  I walked briskly for half a mile with an incline of 4 on the 'mill & then did 3 arm machines and 2 leg machines.  Hopped back on the 'mill and ran 2 miles in 18 minutes with an incline of 2.  Hopped off the 'mill again and did 10 more minutes of strength training. It was back to the 'mill again for a 1 mile run in 9 minutes. My pace started at 6.3 and I ended the mile with 7.5.   When my distance hit one mile I started to walk and I set the incline at 5.5 and walked a full mile.  I ran one more mile and finished it in 9:20. Finally, I finished my cardio with walking one more full mile. 

Total distance covered - 6.5 miles
Total distance I ran - 4 miles

I finished up my work out with 10 more minutes of strength training.

Total time at the gym - 1.5 hours

Let's just say that my legs are tired!!! It sure felt great though!

Slow Cooker Enchiladas & Chicken Parmigiana

This is one of our favorite and EASY Mexican meals!  The ingredients may seem a little strange, but trust me on this one because it's a keeper!

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Ingredients:

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 10 corn tortillas, quartered
* 1 pkg. taco seasoning OR 4 tablespoons Penzeys taco seasoning (what I used)
* 1/2 cup of water
* 1 can cream of mushroom soup
* 1 can cream of chicken soup
* 12 oz. chunky salsa (your favorite brand)
* 4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

How To:

1. Crumble the ground beef into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Add taco seasoning and water; simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the salsa, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Mix in most of the cheese, reserving 3/4 cup for later.
3. Place a layer of tortillas covering the bottom of a slow cooker. Scoop a layer of the ground beef over that, and then spoon a layer of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers until you run out of stuff, ending with a layer of tortillas on the top. Top with remaining cheese.
4. Cover, and cook on High for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Seriously delicious!!! Serve with a side salad and your favorite Mexican rice.

Penzeys Spices ROCK!!!

Soup mixture and yummy cheese

This is how I lay my tortillas in the crock pot - 2 full and one split in half

beef...it's what's for dinner =)

layering it up

Here is another fast dinner.  It's perfect for those busy week nights!

Allie's Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients:

* 4 boneless chicken breast or 8 to 10 boneless chicken tenders
* EVOO
* 3 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
* 2 cans HUNTS diced tomatoes with garlic and Italian spices
* 2 tsp. basil, oregano, and parsley
* spaghetti noodles ( I like thin, but you could use whatever)
* Parmesan cheese
* mozzarella cheese

How To:

Begin by rinsing your thawed chicken.  Mince garlic and add roughly 2 tablespoons EVOO to your warm skillet.  Add chicken to the skillet and cook through until meat is white and juices run clear.  Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes and your basil, oregano, and parsley.  Meanwhile, cook your spaghetti noodles via package instructions.  Drain and set aside.  I like to add a touch of EVOO to my noodles if they will be sitting for any length of time. This helps them not to stick together.  Once your skillet mixture is bubbling lightly, add a few hand fulls of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese to the top and let melt.  Once melted, you are ready to eat! Sorry I don't have pics for this one. 

Truly Fun Thursday!

Today has been a fun filled day!  Emma had her first day of achievement testing today so I dropped her off at 8am.  She was so excited and could hardly wait to get there.  She told me she has been looking forward to this since last years test!!! Haha! What a girl.  You're probably thinking that's kind of strange, but the reason she was excited was because of break time where they eat snacks and play in the gym.  Yeah, you thought for a second she was excited about the test... nope, she is just a social butterfly!!! 
Anyway, I ran by the house to pick the boys up so we could go running. Unfortunately, Daniel is having severe pain in his right foot so he couldn't run with me.  We bought him nice new running shoes yesterday, but apparently it was too late.  The last 2 runs with his old shoes really damaged something in his foot and now  he can hardly walk he's limping so badly!  Poor guy!!! He's going to rest it and hopefully be able to resume running soon.  He walked with Brock while I ran.  I'm almost embarrassed to say this, but this whole time I thought I was running an entire 5k distance at Shelby....well.....I really wasn't. GRRR! I was super close and within .20 miles, but still!!! Today, I found and started at the 5k start line and finished at the 5k finish line.  The wind and cold was pretty brutal on my bare legs and arms, but I overcame and had a great run.  I didn't realize how chilly today was going to be or I would've worn pants and long sleeves! I finished my run in 30 minutes and 35 seconds!!! I was very happy with that time considering that was only 35 seconds slower than I'd been running the shorter trail!  My knee is giving me some grief today.  I'm really not sure why because I didn't do anything differently during my run.  It started hurting at about mile 2.5 and it's a dull kind of annoying pain. It feels like it's behind my knee cap?! I'm going to take a day or two off from running and I'll see how it feels.  I'm really hoping it's nothing serious! 
This afternoon we spent 4 hours at the Arlington Park! One of my good friends lives in Arkansas and we just love to hang out when she comes in town with her 4 adorable kids!  Our kids get along beautifully and really have fun together! It was so great to catch up with her and enjoy the sunshine!

Till next time,
Allie

Chicken Casserole and Roast, Carrots, & Potatoes!!!

I can't believe it's been a week since I blogged.  I do have a little excuse though. I was sick with a cold and my allergies have been going nuts!  I'm finally feeling better and it is so nice to get back into my routines.  I spent most of the day Monday deep cleaning my 3 bathrooms and kitchen, doing laundry, and changing out winter clothes for summer clothes.  Plus, I went to the gym, meal planned, and grocery shopped!  I was worn out by the day was over so I didn't finish my entire list.  I was able to work on a few things yesterday like vacuuming and mopping and my plan today is to dust and clean my mirrors and pictures.  We'll see if I get to it today. If not, there's always tomorrow!  That is a concept that I just recently became okay with.  I would pretty much kill myself and conquer the entire house - floor to ceiling - once a week.  Yikes! After Brock was born, I got some sense!  I realized that it's okay to not always have a perfect house.  I keep my house straight, for my sanity, but it's certainly not always spotless.  For in between cleanings I love to use Clorox clean up wipes or Lysol wipes!!! They are awesome!  I wipe down my kitchen counters, fridge, bathroom sink, toilet, etc...I use them everywhere.

Anyway, I do have recipes to share! Yay! I may not have cleaned, but I did manage to cook a few meals.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

I would think most of you have had either this exact meal or something very similar.  It seems to be a southern classic.

Here's how it's done-

Ingredients:

* 1 pound chicken
* 2 cans cream of chicken
* 1 cup sour cream
* 2ish sleeves Ritz Crackers
* Poppy seeds

How to:

First, rinse chicken and put in a pot of boiling water.  Once chicken is just about cooked through, pull it out and allow to cool.  Once cooled, shred the chicken and set off to side.  Preheat oven to 375.  Mix 2 cans of cream of chicken and sour cream together in a bowl.  Once incorporated, spoon mixture into a glass baking dish.  Add chicken and crush about 1/2 sleeve of Ritz. Finally, add poppy seeds to taste - 1 to 2 tablespoons. Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Crush a full sleeve of Ritz on top of casserole.  Place back in the oven for 5-7 more minutes or until lightly toasted. Serve with a side salad and rolls.

shredded chicken

This is a picture of Daniel's plate and he doesn't like poppy seeds.  I omit them and add them to my plate at the table.  It doesn't effect the flavor at all to add them later.

Roast, Carrots, & Potatoes

This is another recipe that y'all are going to be familiar with.  It's my roast, carrots, & potatoes.  I made this today and it is always a winner in my family. 

Ingredients:

* Roast (size of your choice) mine are usually 3-5 pounds.

* 3.5 cups beef broth or stock

* 2 bay leaves

* onion powder

* garlic powder

* Italian seasoning - weird...maybe - but  yummie!

* A1

* Worcestershire sauce

* Salt/ Pepper

* 1/2 bag of bite size carrots

* about 6 potatoes, washed and cubed

How to:

Last night at 10 I put my frozen roast in the crock pot with the beef broth, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, splash of A1, splash of Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tsp. pepper.  I turned it on low and let it simmer all night long.  When I got back from the gym this morning I added the carrots and potatoes. It was perfectly cooked and ready to eat by lunchtime!  I heated up some pillsbury biscuits and we had a delicious lunch!  Sorry for the lack of pictures on this one! Y'all give it a try!!!

a good run, anyone???

I want to talk just for a second about something I mentioned yesterday.  I purchased a belt that holds a small 6oz. water bottle for my outside runs.  It helped me tremendously on Saturday when I ran my 3 miler at Shelby Farms. I don't recommended drinking the entire thing on your run, but it is a good thing to get a sip here and there. Really just to moisten your throat.  I don't know about you, but when I run my throat gets extremely dry.  Anyway, I just wanted to expand on that a little bit and encourage you if you run outside at all to find something that will hold a small water bottle.  It will make a huge difference!

my water bottle belt

purchased from Dick's Sporting Goods

Cost - $ 29.99

Now for today's workout!

I was able to go the gym with my dad today.  It was such a special treat for both of us.  When I was growing up he was an avid runner and I would love to ride my bike along side him while he ran. He has always been such an inspiration to me in so many ways and one of those ways is how he has been so consistent to exercise!  In fact the entire reason he began running was because he wanted to be healthy and in shape for his girls.  He began running when my older sister, Ashley, was born.  So, when we got to the gym  I went straight to the 'mill and ran a pretty tough 3 miles. It was crazy hot in there and  I kept telling myself that this is good training for the hot summer coming up!!! It was seriously warm.  After running 3 miles I decided to walk on a high incline for half a mile and then slowly lower the incline as I approached one mile.  When the 'mill told me that I had gone 4 miles total, I decided to run one more mile.  I ran at a little slower pace than my first 3 miles, and surprisingly it felt pretty easy.  So total distance covered today was 5.30 miles!!! Yay!!! After my run I did weights for 30 minutes.  I worked each muscle group and I left feeling worn out but great!

Blessings and Love,

Allie

Birthday Time!!!

I have been working out and cooking, I PROMISE! It's just that my birthday was Saturday, and well, I've been busy celebrating and eating everyone else's cooking =)  I do have 2 new recipes to share!!!

I had a fantastic 29th birthday - definitely a great way to kick off my last year in my 20's - goodness, that's not fun to type!!! My celebration officially started Friday when Daniel had the day off.  I went to the gym that morning and worked my legs, abs, and did the stair climber.  It was a good workout and a great way to begin the day.  I let Daniel sleep in until 9ish because he had been working on his truck most of the week and he was up until 7am, yes alllllll night long, Wednesday night.  I figured I'd be a nice wife and let him catch up on some much needed snooze time.  Plus, he wasn't feeling all that great. Probably due to the lack of sleep during the week.  After lunch we went to the Arlington park and after we'd been there less than 5 minutes we were approached by several different people who informed us that there were two prison escapees just down the road. UMMMM, OK - so we promptly left!!! We decided to head to Shelby Farms and just hang out.  The weather was gorgeous and we wanted to be outside!  Once we got there we realized we weren't exactly in the best walking shoes so we decided to rent a paddle boat! What fun that was - the kids LOVED it and so did D and I.  We were on the water an hour and enjoyed every minute! I love spending time doing fun activities with my family. 

boat time!!!

the girls were chillin'

how cute are they??

Next on my birthday agenda was to get my very first tattoo!!! Yes, I did!!! I have been wanting one for so long but just couldn't decide what to get and where.  Plus, I always worried what everyone would think.  I finally decided that I can't worry about what others think - so, I went for it!  I searched and searched for the perfect design.  I knew I wanted something small and I wanted it to mean something special to me.  After hours of looking around I decided to go with a Chinese symbol.  I always wanted to incorporate my kids names in the tattoo somehow but wasn't sure how to do it.  The symbol I got means "mom".  I got it on my right wrist and it's black.  I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.  I went to Trilogy here in town and they were great.  I was super nervous and they made me feel so comfortable and at ease.  Getting the tattoo was about a 15 minute process and when I say process, I mean painful process!!! The tattoo artist said it wouldn't hurt too badly but just be an annoying feeling.  Well, I highly disagree - it was painful! But, again, so worth it in the end!!! I may even do it again one day =) Here are some pics!!!

my new addition!

isn't it cute??!!

I am sporting my new workout clothes from Target! love that store!!!

Saturday, my actual birthday, was amazing!!! D and I slept in until 10:30!!!  We ate lunch at Mellow Mushroom - my favorite pizza joint EVER!  We did a little shopping and hanging out outside.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect! It was in the high 60s and sunny.  Seriously perfect weather.  I really wanted to run on my day, so we ran home and changed clothes. I was going to be running outside and have been wanting to get a water bottle that I could take while running.  I found one at Dick's that goes around my waist like a belt.  It even has a little zipper area for my key and whatever else I may need on my run.  So, I filled the water bottle up and wiped it down with a baby wipe (can you blame me...I mean I didn't go home and I had no other way to wash it) - Daniel made fun of me =) I'm a bit of a germ - a - phoebe! I decided that I wanted to run at Shelby farms and run the 5k trail.  It is a bit hilly and challenging, but it was one of the best runs I've ever had! I don't know if it was the amazing weather or just the fact that it was my special day.  It was amazing! I ran it in a little under 30 minutes!

my run!

I had a fantastic 29th birthday - looking forward to the big 30 next year!!!

I have a recipe for y'all that I got from my hubby.  His family would eat this meal fairly often.  It's super easy and delicious. 

We call it - MEAT PIE -

Here's how it's done -

Ingredients:

* 1 pound ground beef
* A1
* Worchestire sauce
* salt/pepper
* garlic powder
* onion powder
* about 6 potatoes
* cream cheese
* milk or heavy cream
* butter

Directions:

Take your ground beef and place it in an 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish.  Add a good splash of A1 and worchestire.  Also add 1-2 tsp. of garlic powder and onion powder.  Mix well with your hands.  Add salt and pepper (again, I don't measure - I'm so sorry - I really will try better!!!) I would say a dash of salt and also a dash of pepper.  You can always add more once it's on your plate.  Pop that in a 350 degree oven for 20ish minutes. Just watch it and when the meat is cooked through, pull it out.  I usually don't drain all the grease off the meat after it's baked. It dries out if you do. I may drain a little bit if it's overwhelmingly greasy, so just use your better judgement on this one.  Meanwhile, begin your mashed potatoes.  Peel and dice your potatoes.  Add to boiling water and cook until fork easily slides through.  Drain potatoes and add about 1/2 a stick of butter.  Also add 1/4 block of cream cheese and your milk or cream to the desired consistency.  Add a dash of salt and pepper.  Once potatoes and meat are done, spoon potatoes on top of meat.  Spread evenly and bake for another 10 minutes or until bubbly.  Serve with a veggie of your choice or salad! It's yummie!!!

Sorry, I don't have pics for this one.

Southwest Steak & Black Bean Salad!!!

       

 Southwest Steak & Black Bean Salad

Ingredients and Cooking Directions

2 15-oz. cans black beans, thoroughly
rinsed
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
(around 24)
2 avocados, diced
2 limes, juice of
1 TB. SOUTHWEST SEASONING
1⁄3 Cup canola oil
1⁄4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lb. steak (we used sirloin)
1 tsp. SOUTHWEST SEASONING * purchased from Penzeys
1 lime, juice of

In a large bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes,

avocados, lime juice, SOUTHWEST SEASONING,

canola oil and cilantro. Stir well to combine. Set

aside to let the flavors mingle while you prepare

the steak.

Wash the steak and pat dry. Rub on both sides with

the SOUTHWEST SEASONING. Grill or broil to your

desired level of doneness. 1” thick sirloin medium

rare is about 5-6 minutes per side over medium

high heat. Divide the black bean salad among

6 plates. Thinly slice the steak and arrange on the

plates. Sprinkle the steak with lime juice and serve.

Steak seasoned with Penzeys Southwest Seasoning

Black beans- drain and rinse

my beautiful blue eyed helper

Cilantro!!! Love this herb.

Delicious Avocado - gotta love it!

Tip - roll the lime back and forth a few times before cutting it. It helps the juices flow =)

Squeezing lime goodness over the bean mixture

Me and my little sous chef

How good does this look?!

Steaks on the grill - thanks to my hubs and dad

the grillin' boys!

more lime goodness going on the grilled steaks...yum!

Fantastic dinner!

Live Strong!

I have 2 different workouts to tell you about.

Yesterday I was excited to be able to run outside! The run felt pretty good overall.  It was chilly and windy which was difficult to run in especially since I've gotten used to no wind and temp. control in the gym.  When I finished what I thought was 3 miles in 24 minutes I was super excited - only to be let down a little bit when I realized that in fact I had only run 2.75 miles.  One downside to not having the 'mill calculate the mileage for me.  What happened was Daniel had previously run this specific route to map it out and to see how far we had to run to reach 3 miles.  I misunderstood him when he was talking about the start/stop points.  Oh well, I was still happy with my time for the distance I ran. 
I came home to find Brock, Emma, and Daniel watching the P90X DVD. Ha-ha! To be fair, we just got the program and Daniel was checking it out.  It was pretty funny walking in to this guy working his tail off on TV and my family all comfortable on the couch watching him.   I checked out the section on abs and I may try to incorporate that into my weekly routine.  It's pretty hard core! But hey - swimsuit season is right around the corner and who doesn't want nice abs!

Today in the gym was a pretty light day, but still effective.  I worked my arms for 25 minutes and abs for 25 minutes.  That was followed by an intensive 5 minutes on the stair climber. 

Side Note:

Today was day 36 of working out in 2011!!! Yay!

I really want to encourage each of you to do some sort of work out - just a few times a week. Even if it's a brisk walk or some crunches & pushups in your living room.  Just get moving!
I can't tell you how much better I feel and how much more energy I have.  It's a great feeling to LIVE STRONG!!! 


Blessings and Love,
Allie

Delicious Banana Cake with Chocolate Icing

Today I made a cake completely from scratch!!! I have to say this was a first for me.  I've always been a little afraid of baking.  I have no idea why, I just have.  I received my monthly Penzeys Spices catalog and saw the recipe for the Banana Cake I prepared today. It didn't seem too difficult and the pictures were basically saying "eat me!"  I had to try this recipe. I went to Penzeys yesterday and bought the cocoa powder and pure vanilla extract that it called for in the recipe.  Before I discovered Penzeys I had no clue the amount of flavor I was missing in my food. Their spices are amazing and truly make a huge difference in your food.

Now for the recipe!

Gram's Banana Cake

Ingredients for the cake:

1⁄2 Cups sugar

2 1⁄2 Cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 6 fresh, 8 if using previously frozen)

1 Cup butter (2 sticks)

4 eggs

1 Cup sour cream

2 tsp. baking soda

3 Cups all-purpose flour

1 TB. PURE VANILLA EXTRACT (purchased from Penzeys)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans and
set aside. Mash the bananas and place in a measuring cup. If using
previously frozen bananas, just cut the tip off and squeeze the thawed
bananas into a measuring cup, pouring off any watery liquid. Cream the
butter and sugar together until well mixed. Add the eggs and beat well.
Mix in the sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and
baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture and beat well. Add the
mashed bananas and PURE VANILLA EXTRACT and mix well. Divide
evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30  minutes or until a
toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool a few minutes
and remove from pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Ingredients for Frosting:

5 Cups Powder Sugar

1/3 cup Natural Cocoa Powder (purchased from Penzeys)

1/3 cup butter / softened

2-4 Tablespoons Black brewed coffee

Directions:

Sift the Powder sugar and Cocoa together in a large bowl.  Add softened butter and mix on very low speed until they are incorporated. Add the coffee starting with 2 TB.,  and mix until it reaches your desired spreading consistency.  I kinda messed up on my icing because I didn't think it had enough coffee in it. Instead of adding the coffee slowly, like the directions clearly state, I poured prob. close to a cup (on accident). Whoops! So, be careful not to add too much coffee. I fixed it pretty easily by sifting more powdered sugar and cocoa and adding it to thicken the icing back up.  It taste wonderful, luckily! I was glad I didn't have to start over!

Brock and Emma peeling the bananas

Sugar BABY!

Making the cake batter

Sifting powdered sugar and cocoa

He LOVED it -

Icing time - my icing was still a little thin so it ran a little but it didn't effect the taste at all!

Finished Product!

Now, go bake something =)

Blessings and love,

Allie

2 NEW recipes and a good run!

I have 2 new recipes for y'all today. 
Last night I prepared what I'm gonna call Chicken and Egg Burritos.

They are delicious, easy and kid friendly.  I wasn't sure what to make for dinner last night and I have made similar burritos before just with out the chicken.  Usually they are more of a breakfast food, but with the chicken, sour cream, and A1 - I think it classifies as a dinner meal.

Ingredients:

*     1/2 pound of chicken
*     Evoo
*     5 eggs (I made 3 burritos)
*     about a cup of shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese ( I used monterey jack )
*     salt and pepper to taste
*     flour tortillas
*     sour cream and A1 added as toppings - the A1 may sound strange, but it seriously makes it delish!

How it's made:

First, you crack your eggs and add them to a warm skillet.  Meanwhile, add about 1 tablespoon of Evoo to skillet and add chicken.  Cook chicken thoroughly - season to taste with salt and pepper.  Shred the cheese and add half to the eggs. I use a whisk when I make eggs - it seems to work nicely.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Once eggs are cooked, spread evenly over tortilla. Top with other half of the cheese, sour cream and A1.  Enjoy!

chicken cooking in EVOO and salt and pepper

eggs mixed with cheese and a little salt and pepper

OK, so I had some down time while things were cookin' =)

very quick and easy dinner burrito - I forgot to take a picture with the sour cream and A1 but I'm sure you can use your imagination =)

Now for another fantastic dish! This seriously tops my "favorites" list - it is truly something special!  It is power packed with flavor! Here it is...

Fantastic Pesto Chicken Pasta

Ingredients for the Marinade:

1&1/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

Ingredients for everything else:

1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 (8 ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced

1 jar Classico Pesto Sauce

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

salt to taste

1. In a bowl, stir together chicken broth, dried basil, oregano, and minced garlic. Stir in chicken pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until just al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain & Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and sprinkle with sugar. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts, and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and marinade. Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth. Simmer chicken pieces, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
4. Add pasta and pesto to the skillet. Stir in cream, and cook until the sauce is thickened. Adjust salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Today in the gym was fantastic.  I ran 3.30 miles in 32 minutes!!! It consistantly feels pretty good and I'm feeling stronger and stronger.  Yay!  My knee and ankles were tight and hurting a little bit the first half mile, but as the run progressed they felt great.  After my run I did some ab work.