5 Things Tuesday

This week is off to a great start!  I've actually been getting 8 hours of sleep a night which makes me hyper all day long.


5 things I am loving

• circuits! I can't believe I used to barely lift weights.  I did a lot of pilates and cardio.  Why?  Because I really didn't know how.  I started using a Jackie Warner DVD, doing weights with Jeremy, then taking body pump and doing circuits with friends.  
• my Sunday school 3 year olds.  While 2 hours with them may feel like a circus, they are so hilarious!  It's fun to watch them grow.
• instagram + color splash.  Makes me feel like a pro!

• muscle milk light in peanut butter chocolate.  I kind of go back and forth on protein powder, but they help me curb my sweet tooth while giving me a protein boost
• The Shack.  This is such an interesting read.  It's about a man who loses his daughter in a horrible kidnapping/murder and he goes back to the place she was believed to have been murdered and finds God there.  Whether you are religious or not, it is a read that will make you think, make you question and make you expand your conceptions about God and how he (in the book he's a she!) views/affects mankind.

5 new things I am doing

• running!  kinda.  I've had a lot of issues in the past with re-occuring ankle discomfort from a sprain in high school.  Surprisingly to me, strength training has really improved my weak ankle.  I'm getting to run the Women's Fitness Celebration 5k in September!
• nutritional yeast.  I just bought some yesterday.  It was something I thought I'd never try because of lack of interest.  Never say never!

• recipes.  I have too many recipes bookmarked and starred in google reader that I've not tackled.  I'm hoping to start trying a new one every week!
• setting goals.  I'm completely the type B personality who's happy to go with the flow.  Starting in September, I'm holding myself more accountable!
• clean eating.  I've challenged myself for a week to cut out refined sugar, refined carbs and processed foods.  Not once have I felt deprived or hungry.  

Tuna and cottage cheese mixed with ranch seasoning (yummmm!) a la Janetha on spinach and wheat toast.

Any suggestions for nutritional yeast?  (I hate calling it "nooch"!  It just sounds gross... like "moist".)  

What's something new you are doing/loving? 

And so it begins...

...school that is.

Already up to my elbows in this:




But luckily, I have this AWESOME desk to get my study on.  It's huge.  Which is good, because I have a lot of stuff I dump on it.



And lots of fruits and veggies to snack on:




4 ears of corn
1 head of lettuce
4 tomatoes
2 small heads of broccoli
8 bananas
12 plums
6 peaches
3 pears
2 bunches of black grapes (I think I might have to try out frozen grapes!)
1 cantaloupe
quart of strawberries


Other than school, I haven't been up to a whole lot.  Oh, except taking a lot of pictures of Hunter:





(Love this last one, he was laying in the sun coming in through the window.)

But that's nothing new. ;)



Though I did go see The Help yesterday.



I LOVED it.  I think it was because I knew a lot of what was coming and the characters were so well played!  I'm a huge Emma Stone fan.  I would still highly recommend reading the book but because they had to leave a lot out and changed one or two things.  That being said, I think they did a great job with the movie and developing the characters which were so much like how I imagined them!

So the plan for tonight is to watch the new RHONJ episode and try to get to bed somewhat early so I can hit the ground running tomorrow!

Instagrammin'

I bought some new kicks today.  Usually, I go for function over beauty, but after pair after pair of blue and white I wanted some pink in my step!


So hot, right?


This past week, I've gotten a chance to make some recipes I'd bookmarked a while ago.

Including:


Easy Baked Parmesan Asiago Tilapia rounded out with corn on the cob, green beans and potato wedges.  The hubbs isn't a huge fish fan, but he LOVED this.  (Now if only I could smother green vegetables with butter and cheese and get him to eat those!)


30 Minute Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken  I've already made it 3 times.  Recently, I baked up some crispy eggplant that came out so crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside!

Crispy Baked Eggplant


eggplant, sliced into 1/2-3/4" slices
cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 450*.  Combine eggs and salt.  Coat eggplant slices with cornstarch.  Dip into eggs then panko bread crumbs.  Lay on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.


I'm always late to the party.  But I joined instagram and am totally hooked.


Flowers from the hubbs.


Sadly, we can't make it to this, but the poster was so cool.


Hunter and his new toy.  I don't know who's more entertained, him or me.


Let's call it a tie.


If your dog ever rips out the stuffing of a toy a day later, try sewing water bottle(s) inside.  They love the crackling noise!


Snacks.  I <3 pretzels and mustard.


The tastiest amaretto cheesecake I've ever had!  Thank you Sarah!!


Oh, good thing I have pink sunglasses to go with the aforementioned shoes...


A little biker, a lot girly.


Remember when we went to Galveston beach for the day?  Instagrammed.

Uno mas:

The first iris to (ever!) bloom in my yard this spring.  I dashed out in the rain because I knew it would make for something gorgeous.

Have a lovely week!

Accomplished.

One post in all of July!??  Guess I've been living the summer of a kid again... but I promise that August will bring great things!

Well, it's taken a lot.

The goal I set back in oh... January.  I accomplished it.


I was able to exercise 5 times a week for all of July!!  The happy face stickers represent the days of exercise... anything from a 30 minute walk, to hiking, to bodypump or circuit training with friends.

There were a lot of early mornings.  I never used to work out in the morning but now it's becoming my preference.  I feel like I'm well on my way to a great habit.




I hiked the foothills quite a bit and took in views of the Boise valley.










Two of the gals (and our 4 dogs all together) I went hiking with.  Can you spot Hunter??

In other news, we've had a family of golden eagles take residence on our roof... and fence.



I don't mind the co-habitation, but sometimes they leave dead mice on the driveway.  Eeeeeewww.  No thanks.

I know I haven't mentioned much of my dirtbike in a while.  Being sore from workouts makes it tough to ride.  But I mastered a hill...


It's not as wimpy as it looks, I promise!

I rode up and back down (surprisingly, going up is the scary part!) and lived!



I was so happy to meet up with Sara and our high school gal pals Kyla and Laura for a night out at P.F. Changs.

In the kitchen, I've been relying on my crockpot, especially Sunday afternoons.









Simply Delicious Pork Roast
(from a Crock-Pot(R) )

6 boneless pork chops
4 medium golden delicious apples, cored and sliced (I used granny smith)
3 tbs packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

1. Place pork in bottom of crock-pot (I always spray mine down with some olive oil).  Cover with apple slices,
2. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl, sprinkle over apples.  Cover; cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.



I had two half-frozen pork chops so I roughly halved the following recipe, plus threw in a few strips of bacon (hey, it's pork too right??) for good measure.  It was a perfect dinner for two!