Archive | November, 2011

Puppy Run

30 Nov

So last night Brent and I went for a 2m run with Freckles.  We decided to run at an easy pace and since we weren’t concerned with our time, we figured it would be the perfect time to run with the pup.  She is still only 10 months old so we don’t want to push it on her little puppy joints (plus she is terrible on the leash – always pulling and running every which way…she almost tripped Brent at least 3 times).

After the run, I noticed that my achilles tendon felt wierd…it didn’t actually hurt but I could feel it.  I looked up some achilles stretches and strengthening exercises that I am going to try to do a couple of days a week.  The last thing I want is to get injured in the very beginning of our training!  I found a good article on achilles stretching/strengthening on livestrong.com –> Here is the link!

Before we had gone out for our run I made Brent’s favorite soup so that it would be ready when we got back.  Definitely worth getting out a little bit later than planned.  When we got back I put some seasoned kale in the oven to bake.  I don’t know about you but I can almost never make perfect kale chips…but yesterdays were pretty damn close!  Even Brent liked them and he does NOT like kale.  I sprayed them with Pam olive oil spray and tossed them with garlic powder, cayenne powder, red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, sea salt and nutritional yeast.  I put them in the oven at 340 F for 7 minutes then peeled some of the damper pieces off of the foil so they would crisp up and put them back in for another 5 minutes. 

They were a little spicy but really tasty!  Normally, I have to eat kale chips with some ketchup but I just ate them plain and I really enjoyed them.  I would definitely use a little less cayenne powder next time because my mouth was burning by the time I was done – and I like spicy foods!  Just a word to the wise :)

I will probably make them again tonight because they are super easy and filling (and I need to get rid of my kale before it goes bad).  Definite recommendation!

Soupsss

29 Nov

So I have taken a long break from posting anything & now I just keep pushing it off.  I think it is probably because I fell off the wagon in every way with regard to eating healthy and exercising/training during the holiday.  I know that most people are guilty of that for Thanksgiving but I literally did nothing (besides walking around the mall on Black Friday) and ate my face off.

Brent and I have been super busy but I know that it is no excuse.  On that note – onward and upward!  I will start back with the regular blogging – still having issues with my phone camera and digital camera so hopefully I will be remedying that sooner than later.  Until then photos will be sporadic.

As for running schedule for the week:

Tuesday – 2.5m run
Wednesday – rest
Thursday – 3m run
Friday – rest
Saturday – 4m run
Sunday – cross train

As for meals for the week:

Tuesday – Brent’s Garbage Disposal soup & baked kale chips
Wednesday – Salad and baked kale chips (trying to get rid of my kale before it spoils, obvi)
Thursday – Mushroom/Quinoa/Kale soup & baked green bean fries
Friday – Leftovers
Saturday – Out with visiting friends (I will try to be good…)
Sunday – Dijon Roasted Vegetable soup

If you couldn’t tell – I love soup.  Especially when it starts getting colder.

Will keep you updated on training and meal schedule!

Baby smiles :)

23 Nov

Yay for the holidays!  I’ve come to realize how amazing the holidays are since I began working 40 hours a week.  This 4 day weekend is gonna be amazing!

This week has been very rushed for Brent and me so please excuse my lack of blogging yesterday.  We worked until 6pm, came home and ran our 2m (18:10…slowly but surely I WILL run steady 9 minute miles), made dinner out of everything perishable in our fridge, did all the dishes, took out the garbage, packed for the 4 day week up at my MIL’s, drank a glass of scotch and BAM! it was 10pm.

We had to pack the car this morning because we have our dog training class tonight and we are leaving right from class.  I’m thinking that we will hit quite a bit of traffic but I am crossing my fingers that isn’t the case.  But if I know Southern California, everyone will be on the road all night. 

I don’t have much to talk about but to hold you over until my fun thanksgiving 5k post – it’s WIKIPEDIA WEDNESDAY!  I just went to wikipedia and clicked through until I found something fun and this fun fact won the day:

“People will instinctively smile back at babies who gaze at them and smile.  If a baby cries, many people will desire to pick them up.”
I hope a lot of babies smile at you over the holiday weekend!  See ya tomorrow :) 

MNF and Red Velvet Cupcakes

22 Nov

Nothing too special today.  We are going to watch MNF with some co-workers tonight so we will probably get a beer or two.  If you were wondering…
WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR:
Mini red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  Is it just me, or do mini cupcakes taste waaaayyy better than regular sized ones?  I think it was someone’s birthday or something today and Brent stole two mini cupcakes for me.  They were REALLY good.  Not too much icing, not too big.  I wish they weren’t stolen so I could have asked where they got them from…oh well.  Elusive cupcakes taste better, right?

Not the end for the Birds…yet.

21 Nov

E.A.G.L.E.S. Eaglessssss!
So the Eagles won…even though our  record is pretty terrible and it is very unlikely that we will make the playoffs, it’s nice to see your team win.  Especially against a division rival.  And that is exactly what happened on Sunday.  Cool J
The rest of the day was pretty relaxing.  Kinda the theme of the whole weekend.  I reheated the black bean burgers for dinner and made sweet potato fries and mashed potatoes.  Apparently I was carbo loading for no apparent reason.
Then I made our Supper Schedule for the rest of the week.  Because it was Supper Schedule Sunday.  Obviously.  Unfortunately, the first menu is kinda boring because we are leaving to go to my MIL’s on Wednesday night and won’t be back until Sunday.  Which means that I am attempting to eat everything perishable in our fridge in 3 days.  Here goes…
Supper Schedule for the Week of 11.21.11
Monday – MNF = leftover polenta
Tuesday – Vegan pumpkin cheese sauce with shells & steamed peppers, mushrooms, spinach and kale 
Wednesday –Black Bean Burgers and baked kale chips with nutritional yeast
Tuesday is honestly just everything in the fridge thrown together with some vegan cheese sauce.  But just about anything will taste good with cheese sauce.
And since I was on a roll/have been slacking on my fitness/plan on eating a lot on Thanksgiving, I decided to be a little ambitious this week and create an exercise schedule.
Exercise Schedule:
Monday –Abs
Tuesday – 2m run and 15 mins stretching
Wednesday – Insanity Recovery DVD
Thursday – Cantrell First Annual Turkey Trot 5K
Friday – Insanity Recovery DVD
Saturday – 3m run and 15 mins stretching
Sunday – Rest day/Football!
WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR:
3 day work week – nuff’ said!

Black Bean Burgers and Pajamas

20 Nov

Running in the dark

19 Nov

One bad thing about daylight savings time is having to run in the dark.

Brent and I didn’t get home from work till 6 & then we got ready for our run. We were both really not feeling it but we forced ourselves to do it. Since it was cold and dark, we attempted to run on the treadmill at our little fitness center in our  apartment complex.  I put on How I Met Your Mother and ran about 1.25m before Brent got bored and wanted to run outside.  So being the wonderful wife that I am, I went with him and ran another 1.25m outside. I was definitely pushing pretty hard and I was expecting a pretty good time.  I was not disappointed!  We ran the 2.5m in 23:10 :)   Pretty good for slow me!

So now I am laying around, drinking a scotch toddy and attacking our backed up DV-R!  Revenge and American Horror Story and Parks and Recreation and The Office…woot woot!  Have a wonderful night!  I know I will! 

Introducing…BOO!

18 Nov

So today is Furry Friends Friday! 

To start with, Brent and I went to Barnes and Noble on Wednesday night to peruse.  I found a book called “Awkward Family Pet Photos”.

I don’t know what is better in this picture.  The rattail or the laser background?  So hard to decide…

Are.You.Kidding.Me?

Monkeys in overalls and frilly dresses.  Pure awesome.  But why is one naked?  Poor little naked monkey.
Clone dogs.

The flower pots are a nice touch, i think.
So we laughed about that book for about 10 minutes too long.  & then Brent found my new favorite book in the whole world!!
Um, what kind of dog is this and where can I get one?!!!! (My first questions, of course)
So I did a little bit of research when I went home (after making Brent wait while I read the entire book) and found out that Boo is a pomeranian but groomed to look like a little teddy bear.  I am OBSESSED.  I am now friends with Boo on facebook.  How can you not smile when looking at that little face!?  His little friend Buddy is okay, I guess.  My bet is that Buddy has some self-esteem issues living with Boo.

Here is another photo of the lovable Boo.  Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

Awwwww!
Although none will compare to Boo, I found some more cute animal pics for your viewing pleasure.

If we had a big enough place, I would definitely rescue a husky.  Look at those eyes!

HAHAHAHA!

Pigamist.

Here is the “Happy Tail” for the week (AKA adoption story).
Adopted Dog
Sister Sue
 - posted 11/16/2011 on Petfinder.com

from Jessica of Muskogee,  OK
“I was just getting over losing my pit and wanted to try and find a smaller dog, I went to look at the local animal shelter and looked around, all they really had was bigger dogs, when I got to the last cage there was a terrier mix, she was so skinny, all of her bones was sticking out and she lost all of her hair on her chest, stomach, legs and was starting to lose hair on her head and back. They said they found her chained up on a porch with no food or water. They said many people have looked at her but no one wanted her. The first time I held her all she did was shake and act so scared. Now, almost a year later she has all of her hair and meat on her bones. I love her with all of my heart and I am so happy I picked her!”
I am truly a sucker for adoption stories especially with sooooo many great dogs at shelters that really need a loving home.  Plus, my Freckles was a rescue and she is amazing.  I would urge anyone who wants a dog to think of adoption first.  You would be very surprised how many breeds of dogs you could find through animal rescues.  There are specific rescues for huskies, pomeranians (like Boo!), dachsunds, pugs…you get the idea.  There is no need to purchase a pup from a breeder when there are so many dogs available for only a minimal adoption fee that may be euthanized if no one rescues them.  If I could rescue them all I would!
Lunetta: Pomeranian, Dog; la Mesa, CA 
I mean, just look at that face!  This is Lunetta.  I found her on Petfinder after seaching pomeranian.  She is spayed, house-trained, up to date on her shots, 3 years old and good with other dogs. She is the type of dog that you wouldn’t think that you could adopt, but you CAN adopt the perfect dog for you with just a little bit of research.  Most shelters/rescues will even allow a sleepover so that you can really make sure that you have found a compatible pup. 
Clearly I am passionate about this.  I don’t mean to judge those people who have chosen to purchase a dog from a breeder.  That is entirely your choice.  I just get so sad when I go on petfinder.com and see all the dogs that need homes.  Especially those labelled “High Risk”.  “High Risk” is equivalent to saying that the dog is set to be euthanized if it is not rescued within the next few days. 
Even if you want to rescue a dog, understand that it is a very large commitment – But it was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
So to end on a happier note – here are some more pictures of BOO!

I won’t put anymore today.  But I can guarantee this is not the last you will see of BOO.
WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR:
Cute animal pictures because they can make me smile no matter what :)

Thirsty Thursday!!

17 Nov

Today I decided to institute some theme ideas for some of the days of the week.  I always love the blogs I read that have things like “Meatless Monday” or “Three Things Thursday” or “Twenty Minute Tuesday”, etc, etc.  I have thought up something for each day of the week so even when I don’t have anything important to say I will be forced to write a little something anyway.  Also, there may be days I skip but if I REALLY wanna blog and I have nothing to day, now I have something :)  Keep in mind, I have gotten some inspiration for these ideas from all of the wonderful blogs I frequent but I am trying to make them mostly my own. 
They are as follows:
 
TWITTER TUESDAY – While I do not tweet very often, I do follow quite a few notable twitter feeds.  On the occasional Tuesday, I will post some of the more interesting, humorous, silly tweets.

 
WIKIPEDIA WEDNESDAY – My dad is OBSESSED with Wikipedia (he even has a couple of pages that he wrote) so on Wednesdays I will be picking a Wikipedia page to discuss/comment on.  Maybe I’ll even learn something!
THIRSTY THURSDAY – I used to love Thirsty Thursday in college when it meant that bars would have ridiculous deals on booze.  In honor of my college days, I will discuss a new or special drink of the day (alcoholic or not…depends on how I’m feeling).  Perhaps they will even be seasonal – peppermint martini?  Yes, please.
FURRY FRIENDS FRIDAY – As you know, I am obsessed with my pup and animals in general.  There are way too many dogs in shelters that need homes, volunteer programs that need help and cute animal pictures that need to be viewed.  Friday will be the day to view all things furry :)
SONG SATURDAY – I love music so I will post a song that I am loving (maybe more than one) on Saturdays.
SUPPER SCHEDULE SUNDAY – For the past month, I have been attempting to plan our meal schedules for the week every Sunday.  So why not post it!  Again, keep me accountable!!
I think the theme days should be fun plus it will give me something to write about instead of napping and laundry ;0)
I will be starting today…because, well why not?! Sooooo today is à tHiRsTy tHuRsDaY!
The drink of the day will be:
ChocoMint Tea (non-alcoholic although if I had some Bailey’s Irish Cream, I would substitute the almond milk for 3-4 TB bailey’s!)
Mint Tea bag
8 oz hot water
2 TBS chocolate syrup
1 tsp cocoa powder
2TB almond milk
Sprinkle cinnamon
Mix cocoa powder and chocolate syrup into mug of hot water.
Add mint tea bag and let steep for 5 minutes.
Add almond milk and put in microwave for 30 seconds.
Let stand for 2-3 minutes.
Take out tea bag and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Enjoy!!
WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR:
I am thankful for my puppy.  I don’t know how it took me until the 17th day of the month to mention my little Freckles!  I love her little black eye, her little stretching noises, how she likes to stare at herself chewing her bone in the mirror and how excited she gets to eat (just like mommy!).  To be honest, there is very little I don’t love about her.  She is just completely and utterly adorable. <3  Here are some more photos to make you smile.

This one is when she was about 4 months old.  She is almost 10 months now!

She is a puppy star!  There were over 37 million of these flyers printed out and posted at PETCO’s around the country.  And, yes, that is MY dog :)   Go into a PETCO and check her out!!

Aggravating Garmin

16 Nov

Yesterday, Brent and I started our new training schedule with a nice short 2m run.  Brent’s garmin would not locate the damn satellites (!) so we got impatient and just decided to time our run.  We know the approximate 2m distance from our apartment complex so for all intents and purposes we got an accurate time without needing the satellites to assist.

It was the first real run since our sickness hiatus and since it was only 2m, I decided to really push it.  I felt pretty good through out – especially during the last .5m.  We finished in 18:10!  Wooooo!  I was pretty happy considering most of the time when I think I am running REALLY fast…I end up finishing at a little under a 10 minute miles.

After our run we stretched real good and ate Brent’s Garbage Disposal soup which was cooking while we ran!  We watched Burn Notice and Gossip Girl and then went to bed.  Had to be at work earlier than normal today.  And that brings me to…

WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR:
Coffee!!  I really needed it this morning :)   I am also thankful to have an unlimited supply of it at work so I don’t need to waste my precious (and expensive) Keurig cups every morning!  I used to drink my coffee black but more recently I have been on a sweets kick so I use a little bit of flavored creamer.

I am tweaking the polenta recipe that I made last week tonight and I am pretty excited about the changes.  I will be sure to post if it turns out as good as I hope it will!

← Previous Entries