Kitchen Adventures

   Hey y'all! Yesterday kicked off the beginning of my +AdvoCare 24 day Challenge and today hasn't been half bad. This morning I mixed my fiber packet into my spark drink and the taste was phenomenal but the consistency was awful. Dear Sweet Baby Jesus I finished the drink off using my spoon due to the thickness. Then I drank a chocolate mocha meal replacement shake which was so good that even my husband had one. I am so happy that I listened to the wonderful Ashley Doran when she suggested the chocolate mocha. Hopefully, the next 23 days will go as smoothly as Day 1 did.

   The rest of my day was filled with grocery shopping, visiting with my mama, and cooking dinner. I hit it out of the ballpark with dinner! As I was perusing my kitchen cabinets and fridge I noticed that I had all the ingredients for chicken Florentine. Being the rebel that I am, of course I changed the recipe a little. I thawed out four chicken breasts, cut them into bite size chunks and threw them into a hot pan with olive oil. Salt, pepper, garlic, and crushed red pepper dressed the chicken as it cooked through. A 14 ounce can of tomato sauce went into the pan along with finely chopped brussel sprouts. This lovely concoction simmered for 15 minutes while I tried to work on my essay exam. I am a firm believer in hiding vegetables in most of the meals that I prepare for my husband. Steven likes to believe that man can exist on pizza and +Monster Energy drinks alone. That darling husband of mine ate his entire meal and never once noticed the brussel sprouts which he despises. Winning!

My version of Chicken Florentine

      Another winning moment came when I bought a very adorable octopus from +Bath and Body Works that holds hand sanitizer. This little beauty clips onto my new purse. This was a winning moment because I did not buy several chocolate chip cookies that looked equally delightful.

My new purse buddy. What should I name her?   

  Today has been both productive and satisfying in that I checked off several things on my to do list. Tonight we are taking mama out for her birthday at a nice Italian restaurant which will be so much fun! To top it off the weather has been glorious. Have a lovely evening everyone :).

It's Here!

Thank goodness they sent a daily guide.

A box of happiness and opportunity.

   Today a box came with a special logo on the front of it. Advocare's 24 Day Challenge came today! Steven and I will be tackling the next 24 days together as a team, a fat fighting team. It is high time that we start taking better care of ourselves and I think this program will be a wonderful jumping off point. The Challenge begins Monday which is the start of Spring Break and this means I have a little extra time to cook and focus on the challenge itself. Time to kick ass and take names!

Blonde Moments and Mentally Correcting Other's People's Form in the Gym.

      While on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical machine I like to people watch. People working out with a private trainer are my favorite to view. From my perch I can spend several minutes mentally chastising a person using incorrect form while doing a: burpee, push-up, jump squat, etc. Bad form can be easily corrected if the personal trainer were paying attention to her clients. @OptimusPhysicalTherapy, there is a small gym with several great pieces of equipment that personal trainers utilize. One in particular did not notice that her trainee's had no clue in what they were doing. At times I would like to quietly walk over and gently say "You, Stop That" and then perform the move correctly. My knee surgery scars may be sexy but trust me, you do not want to earn them by using poor form.

        I had a blonde moment while throwing a ball against a trampoline and standing on a rubber foam brick. While swaying to and fro, it suddenly occurred to me that if I simply squeezed my left quad while bearing full weight, then my patella doesn't roam. Thursday morning I had quite the surprise when my patella popped back into correct alignment while standing on the foam brick. This most likely happened because I failed to utilize my left quad muscle...DUH!

       This weekend is my wonderful niece Anna's birthday and I am so excited to be in Lubbock tomorrow to celebrate with her. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend :)!

                                                           Funny Friday

Grown Up Advice

   I have a life tip for everyone in the working world. If, heaven forbid, you are throwing up and have a fever, then you should stay home. Yes, it really is that simple, stay home. Due to just two co-workers coming into work very ill, now I am ill. Thanks y'all, I really appreciate hurling my guts up. Thankfully, after sleeping for 14 hours, cleaning out my stomach, and sticking to a bland diet I am on the mend. Remember kids, no job is worth your health or the health of others.

Ready for Change

    When your physical therapist gives you more exercises, its as if he/she handed you a promotion. In addition to the existing things I get to do are: mini wall squats, 10 minutes on elliptical machine, single leg squats done on a shuttle machine, wall ball, calf raises done on foam pad, hamstring curls done on a foam pad, quad sets, and walk aways with exercise band. I am in the gym from 8:30 am till 11:15 completing my workout. Being challenged in the gym has always been fun for me. I like to push my body to the limits to become stronger and faster. It is also very gratifying that my physical therapist feels as though I am healing well enough to handle the added exertion.

    March 10, 2014 will mark the first day of my 24 Day Challenge with +AdvoCare! I want to reset my body, feel better, and see what all the fuss is about. I began my +AdvoCare journey with replacing Monster energy drinks with #Spark and #Slam. The difference was Incredible in that I didn't have a carb crash and felt focused with no sucky side effects. Many of my friends have changed their lives for the better with the help of +AdvoCare. Being a Nosy Nancy I have to try this challenge out and will report back with my results. I will post my starting weight and how my body changes throughout the process. I think its important to back up any claim with verifiable facts. !


    As a graduate student I am constantly thinking about what assignment is due next. I don't always want to make time to eat healthy because usually I am too tired to care. The middle of the semester is upon me and I need to feel better pronto. With the help of +Onida Bountifulbaskets, Advocare, my stubbornest, and getting back in the kitchen I know I can meet my goals. It is high time to take care of me!

Food Love

    If you have never heard of a little website called www.primalpalate.com, then you must go visit it right now. Laundry, dishes, and a small grease fire can wait.  The food pictures will make you drool, the easy recipes will inspire your inner Betty Crocker, and did I mention the pictures are wonderful?!

   For the past several months I have been experimenting with different recipes that lean more toward the Paleo side of the fence. I happened upon this gem via www.paleomg.com while reading one of Juli's posts. Now I am in love and want to neglect my homework in favor of making duck confit with roasted lemon green beans.

  
   Speaking of wanting to be in the kitchen all day, my mama has lovingly fashioned a recipe book of food that she and my grandmother made, when mama was a child. I cannot wait to get my hands dirty! There is something quite special when recipes are handed down through the generations. From farm to my table is how these recipes came to be.

   Happy cooking to everyone :)!

My Weekend

   

    I had such a wonderful weekend with these two badass women. This weekend I was able to attend a Texas Blood Tracking seminar in Hamilton Texas. Hunters use dogs that have been certified to be Blood Trackers when an animal is wounded during a hunt, and needs to be found. The gorgeous pregnant woman in the picture is Bliss Lay and owns a Blue Lacy named Kiyah (Ki-Uh). A Lacey is a working dog that can track, bay, and herd cattle. They have boundless energy, are quite protective, and are hard workers.  Most of the dogs at the seminar were Blue Lacys, with one vizsla, one Rhodesian ridgeback, and a few terriers. All the dogs were beautiful and did a wonderful job at the seminar! I was so impressed with the dogs and the seminar that I would like to own a vizsla and train her for search and rescue.

   My knee performed above and beyond the call of duty this weekend. No swelling, little pain, and great stability despite walking around for 10 hours with the dogs and working on rough terrain. Good job Hertha! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend :)!