Updates: Our Home :-)

So I've had these pictures sitting on a disc for forever now. Perhaps you'd like to see our new digs?

The living room pre-paint. I really did like this color, but it was almost exactly the same color as our couch! 

Don't you think the yellow livens it up a bit? And please note the beautiful rug, courtesy of mis padres. :-) I loved loved loved that rug when I saw it, but definitely plan to get some more red/brown for the walls and windows to make it coordinate a little better.

Lovely kitchen. :-) 

Guest room, complete with extra box spring for decoration. 

Extra bathroom, that has since been dubbed mine. 

Eric's office area. The pictures are just hung where there were already nails in the wall, thus the weird layout.

Master suite. :-)

And no old house is complete without... a creepy basement!!

We have laundry down there too, ensuring that I go down to visit the mermaids and unicorns at least 5 times a week. 

Updates: Adventures in Cooking

You guessed it, I'm behind again. Hopefully today and tomorrow I can [maybe] catch up a bit and get all of these picture off of our camera? 


January has been a good month. LONG, but good. I've been trying to get into a semi-healthier pattern of eating. While today's menu wasn't so indicative of that (Eric wanted Krispy Kreme this morning to celebrate being done with IM and we went to a pizza party tonight), I have managed to try a few new healthy  things. 


As mentioned in my previous post, I am working toward eating a vegetable every day in January. Granted, sometimes I've had to be a little creative get them in. Today I had actually had edamame, which is actually a legume, not a veggie (but it's green, so it  counts, right?). I've also been guilty of chopping up a sweet potato a couple of times and tossing it in the oven to make quick sweet potato chips (yum!).  Still, I'm getting a veggie a day, which is more than I can say for any month... ever! 


I was really encouraged in this endeavor a couple of weeks ago when our Bible Fellowship group started a study on the book of Daniel. The first chapter is all about how Daniel chose to give up the king's hearty meals in favor of a diet of fruits, vegetables and water. After 10 days of following such a diet, he was in far better condition than the rest of the men in training. While there is far more to the story than that, it served for me as a reminder that the best things to put into my body are things that God made, not things that have been processed over and over by man. So I'm trying to do that little by little. It's not easy though!


I think the hardest thing this month has been a succession of new, "fresher" recipes that just have not turned out well. A couple were total disasters, and others just weren't that good. What's the point of cooking if you're not going to enjoy what you eat? So here's a run down on the good and the bad (with a few batches of paella, stir fry, and pigs in a blanket in between). 


Spaghetti Squash + Pesto Chicken
There's no real recipe here - it basically speaks for itself. I cut the spaghetti squash in half, baked it for 25 minutes, took the "spaghetti out" and mixed it with grilled chicken tossed in the pesto sauce mix. 

I think the problem we had with this dish was just the fact that it was a LOT of new stuff in one meal. I don't think I've ever made anything with pesto before, and of course spaghetti squash was a new adventure for us as well. It was edible. At times even good. Just... different. I think next time I will just try spaghetti squash with regular meat sauce or pesto chicken on regular spaghetti. Maybe we'll get back here... one day. 


Overnight French Toast

Not healthy but about as yummy a breakfast as I could dare to dream. I got this recipe off of pinterest and would definitely recommend it for a Sunday morning treat! 


1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
bread (Texas Toast or I used wheat bread)
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
powdered sugar for sprinkling


Melt butter in microwave and add brown sugar. Pour half of mix in the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread around. Layer 1/2 of bread over brown sugar mix. Spread the remainder of the brown sugar mix on the bread. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour half of egg mix over bread. Add a second layer of bread and cover with the remainder of the egg mix. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 


Spinach Artichoke Pasta

I won't even bother giving you the recipe on this one, because, while it looks good, it did NOT taste good. I may play with the recipe and try again later... the idea has potential.  It was supposed to be a  creamier, dinner version of spinach artichoke dip. It sounds good, but NOT in this format. If you see this meal on pinterest, skip it! 


Homemade Granola Bites


No picture for this one, but oh-so-delish, and easy too!


1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. honey
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. crushed almonds/walnuts or flaxseed
1 tsp. vanilla
(You can also add coconut, but I'm not a fan)


Mix all the ingredients together. Roll into small bite-sized balls. Refrigerate and enjoy. :-) 


Tomato Frittata


I've tried frittatas before and they didn't turn out so hot. This one, though, turned out great! 

The beauty of a frittata is that there is no real recipe. You just throw in what you have.


1) Grease a dutch oven (basically a frying pan that can go in the oven too)
2) Scramble 5-6 eggs with about 1/2 c. milk and pour into the pan. Add in any veggies/meats/spices you want (In my case, tomatoes and some salt and pepper and cheese).
3) Cook the frittata over medium heat until the bottom and sides are set. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler on your oven.
4) Once the bottom and sides of the frittata are set, put the pan in the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes, or until the middle is set as well.
5) Let the frittata cool, then cut like a pizza and enjoy! 


Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
We won't even comment on what a disaster that was... Needless to say there are NO photos of that mess!


Taco Stew
So this is something I actually made right before Christmas, but I froze a bunch and have since been enjoying it for lunch. As my darling husband despises beans and all bean-related dishes, I have gotten to keep this one all for myself. Yay. :-)


1/2 onion, chopped
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can Rotel
1 pkg. frozen whole kernel corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder


Combine all ingredients and cook in the crockpot for 10 hours or on the stove over medium heat for one hour, stirring occasionally. Scrumptious. 


Baked Banana Bread Oatmeal
Lucky for you, I saved the best for last. Well, maybe not the BEST, but I just made this for the second time this month, so it's definitely not the worst!

4-5 mashed bananas
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 c. milk
2.5 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla (or more like 2 T. if you're me...)
nutmeg & cinnamon to taste
nuts, raisins, blueberries... any other additional goodness


Mix bananas and brown sugar thoroughly. Add other ingredients and stir. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the middle is set. 


I have been making batch of this on the weekends and then refrigerating it all week, warming it up on cold mornings and mixing with a bit of milk. SO good! 


Oh! And one last baked oatmeal recipe. This one may REALLY be the best, especially if you're a chocolate lover!!


Cookie Dough Baked Oatmeal
1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. milk or water
1 banana or 1/4 c. applesauce (or just 1 T. oil works too)
1 tsp. vanilla
chocolate chips to taste


Mix ingredients together, place in a baking ramekin, and bake 20-25 minutes at 375.


I told you I've been cooking a lot! :-)  I've also been eating fresh salsa, roasted red pepper hummus, organic apples and bananas, tomato soup, and Clif bars (my current post-running obsession). It sounds a little healthy at least, right?


On another note, does anyone know where I can get some rutabaga?? I have a recipe I'm wanting to try.


Until next time!!


<3 Christie

January Challenge

For my own accountability's sake....

I made a few not-so-out-there New Years resolutions (which I will have to post about later), but I also made a more challenging January resolution: to eat a vegetable every day (potatoes & corn not included). Granted, I am a bit ashamed to say that I haven't been doing this all along... I mean ONE vegetable is not that much. I'm also a little embarrassed to say that I don't actually think I will be able to keep this up all year long (although I will try). So far I'm 10 days in, and it's been harder than I thought it would be... I've had to add spinach to my pizza and make late-night batches of green beans. So any suggestions for fresh, yummy recipes would be great! 

So there it is. I'm committed for 21 more days. Let's see if this actually happens...

The Finish Line!

In the busyness of the holiday season (and my own slothfulness), I haven't taken the time to post about how my RUN went. So now, for your reading pleasure...

There is a LOT of advice that is given to marathoners (and measly half-marathoners like me) about how to prepare for a long run. While methodology varies from runner to runner, some things are universal, particularly getting enough rest and eating a lot of carbs the few days before the race. I failed on both counts. 

You see, the problem was that Eric was on night shift the whole week (and night) before my run. Unfortunately, I still do NOT sleep well when Eric is gone. I almost always end up staying up a good hour later than I should, I wake up in the middle of the night, and then of course I wake up when he actually comes in at 5:30 or 6. I probably totaled 5 hours per night the whole week before the race.  

Likewise, I also found myself eating solo all week, and for some reason I wanted to use that opportunity to eat things Eric doesn't like. On any normal week, I have to seriously fight to pull myself away from the cereal and Wheat Thins. The one week I SHOULD have been eating those things, I was eating soup and chili (with beans) instead. Not my smartest move ever. 

So, as you can see, my pre-race prep was kind of a bust. But, no worries, because I still FINISHED and I RAN the whole stinkin' way. 

Of course I was crazy nervous and got up at 6 the morning of the race. I stretched and ate a pop tart and then made myself lay down for 20 more minutes. I got to the YMCA way earlier than I should have and waited around for forever.  After 12 weeks and over 225 miles of training, I was sooo ready to get this thing going! 

I started off super slow, but picked up my pace a bit around mile 5 (when the guy who finished first passed me on his way back already at mile 10!) and started passing people one by one. That was probably the most fun part. I would just choose a person and focus on passing them next. It's a pretty great feeling to pass someone and not look back. 

 I felt really good until about mile 11, when suddenly the HURT kicked in. I guess my legs decided they didn't like moving that much any more.To make matters worse, they RAN OUT OF WATER at the last water stop. That's right. NO WATER. My plan all through the race was to run like crazy no matter how much it hurt after the last water break, because I KNEW that water would give me the energy I needed to finish strong. But as I had my last few sips of water at mile 8.5, I was so parched that it took everything I had just to keep moving. Still, I never quit running. I was slow slow slow, and my muscles hurt more than I thought possible, but I kept at it. And I just kept thinking "how in the world do people run twice this far?!?" 

And, finally, parched and legs burning, I rounded the last corner to see my sweet husband smiling at me. He'd gotten up after 2 hours sleep just to come watch me finish. And it meant the world to me. :-) Of course, I wasn't physically able to tell him that until after I'd downed a bottle of water and some Gatorade... 

So that's one more thing I can check off my bucket list. I am officially a half-marathoner (I got my 13.1 sticker and everything). And I am still amazed at how many people showed up to run 13 miles. 13! I've worked really hard over the last couple of years to get to this point. But do you know that more than 1100 other people showed up to run that far? And with a time of 2:14:01 (that's an average of 10:13 per mile), I finished as number 800 and something. That tells me I have a LONG way to go!! But hopefully the next one will be that much easier.

 I've run a few (short) runs over the last two weeks and officially crossed the 750 mile mark for the year (yikes!). I've accomplished more fitness wise this year than I ever would have dreamed, and while it may not seem like much, it feels great to close out the year knowing I really challenged myself and finished strong. I can't wait to see what next year brings! 

2011 Stats

Fastest mile: 6:52 (okay, it was all downhill, but still!)

Fastest 2 mile: 15:34

Longest run: 13.5 miles

St. Leo 5K (March): 26:56

Ardmore 5K (October): 25:56

Mistletoe 1/2 Marathon (December): 2:14:01

And as of 12/18/11: 755 miles this year!

Desserts-In-Mugs

So I don't think it's a big secret that I love, and I mean LOVE sweet stuff. Especially pastries of any shape or size. Brownies, cake, cookies, scones, strudels, even pop tarts. I just can't get enough. Unfortunately, making brownies usually results in me eating a whole PAN of brownies. The same with cake, batches of cookies, etc. 


Therefore, these quick one-serving desserts made in the microwave in less than 3 minutes are a hands-down winner. 


Here's what I've tried so far (and you should too):


Two Minute Mug Brownie (from this website)
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp milk, coffee or water

In a heatproof mug, stir together dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Stir in oil and milk until you have a think paste. Microwave on high for a minute, checking it after 30 minutes. It should be springy on the sides and gooey in the middle.

60 Second Gooey Chocolate Mug Cake

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 scoop ice cream

In a mug, whisk together the egg, cocoa, and powdered sugar until a batter forms. Zap the mug full of batter in your microwave for 60-90 seconds. Remove and top with ice cream. 

Coffee Mug Cake (from this website) - I actually halved this recipe and left out the eggs to cut calories. Still delicious!

1 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/8 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. sour cream

1 egg (optional)

Crumb topping:

1 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together cake ingredients in a mug. Mix crumb topping together and sprinkle on top of cake. Cook in microwave for 1 minute. 

Happy snacking!

Sweet Getaways.

So this post is long long long overdue, but I saw these pictures and thought I would recount our little getaways from this summer.

One thing I really love about living in North Carolina is the fact that there is quite a bit to do within a drive-able radius. I mean, obviously the ideal situation would be to live just outside a large, cultural city on a mountain overlooking the beach (Barcelona? Monte Carlo?). But that probably will not happen anytime soon. So for now we can make due with driving a few hours to the beach or an hour to the mountains, an hour to Charlotte or 5 to D.C.

This summer, in lieu of a crazy vacation extravaganza like last year, we opted to go to Hilton Head Island, S.C. and stay a nice hotel on the beach, which, funny enough, we had never done before. Why did we always think paying $20 less to stay NOT on the beach was a good idea? Don't ask me. We won't make that mistake again!

The trip was basically awesome. We could lay in bed and see the ocean. We could walk downstairs, out by the pool, and then into the sand. We didn't have to search for hours for a parking space. The hotel actually gave us a $100 credit to eat on-site at their restaurants, which were great.

We rented bikes and rode along the beach to the main shopping area.

Eric went crazy on some crab legs.

It was the perfect relaxation trip after a long summer of work.

[Views from our room]

Labor Day weekend we trekked over to Blowing Rock, NC (which we visited again with my parents in October). The actual "Blowing Rock" was kind of a letdown. You pay $6 to see this [very small compared to the pictures] rock. Supposedly you can throw something off the rock and it will come back up to you boomerang-style. It didn't work for us. At least the view was pretty though!

The town of Blowing Rock (not to be confused with the actual rock) was REALLY cute, however. It has a lot of little shops and restaurants, pretty stone churches and buildings, and was just a fun place to explore. 

Not too bad for a day away, right? Hopefully we can find more [places and time] to explore soon!

...And it was awesome.

So I got brave Monday night and tried a recipe I found on Pinterest. Score! You should definitely try this. I will certainly be making it again soon!

Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake

8 oz uncooked pasta (I used Vegetable Rotini)

1 T olive oil

1 c chopped onion

1 c. fresh spinach, chopped (or you can use frozen)

3 c cubed, cooked chicken breasts

1 (14 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained

1 (8 oz) container Philadelphia Cooking Cream Italian flavored cream cheese

½ t salt, ½ t pepper

1½ c shredded mozzarella cheese

Prepare rigatoni according to pkg directions.  Spread oil on bottom of 11x17 in baking dish; add onion in a single layer.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or just until tender.  Transfer onion to large bowl, set aside.

Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels.  Stir in rigatoni, spinach, chicken, & next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl.  Spoon mixture into dish & sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly. 

Then try to keep yourself from eating the whole pan...