Running

I love it! I don't know when that happened, but I do! Specifically running outside. Not so much in my neighbor hood, because being chased by dogs and jumping over poop piles is not fun. But I do love trail running. Be it a paved trail or just in the woods. So much to look at and enjoy, keeping your mind on other things and before you know it, you have logged 3 miles!
Today I ran with John, in the hood. Much to my surprise we did not get chased by any dogs, I only had to jump over 5 piles of poop on the sidewalk, and the best part was I got my time back to summer pace! Oh, and John was with me...that was great too! Ha!ha!
I got in 2.52 miles at a 7:19 pace. I was haulin today! Seriously I felt like my legs were detached from my body!
Very proud of John, he ran the whole way and that's huge since he hasn't ran in quite some time.
Give runnin a chance, younger find you actually enjoy it and it can be quite addicting!
Look for post about Jacob and I working towards our next race! Spring is almost here and we are itchin to do another 5k together!

For the littles, pumpkin cookies

Made some cookies yesterday for the kids, they look so disappointed lately if they come home and I haven't made something new for them to try. Gonna keep that momentum going for as long as I can. (John enjoys the treats too)

Pumpkin cookies
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats (I use red mill oat bran)
1/2 tsp baking powder and baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (I add a bit more cause I love it)
1/4 cup brown sugar Splenda
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp canola oil
Optional cocoa chips

I alway mix wet and dry separately and then mix together. Bake @ 350 for about 10 min. My oven cooks a bit hot, so you may need to go longer, deepening on your oven.
They can out Kind of cake like, which everyone in my house loves.

Power up with some pancakes.

I have been messing around with protein pancakes for a while now. John has found the texture to be a bit scrambled eggish inside, which sounds nasty, so I am trying to fix that for him.
This is what I came up with today and I think they are the best ones yet!

Sweet potato protein pancakes:
2/3 cup oats
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 cup egg whites
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
Vanilla
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
1/2 large already baked sweet potato
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

Mix all above in blender and poor into hot skillet with a tiny bit if coconut oil. ( I like crispy edges on mine)
Cook on a lower heat to make sure they cook all the way through and don't burn.
I topped mine with pecans and a very tiny bit of sugar free syrup.
This made 5 large pancakes, next time I will make little ones to store for the week, for easy use in the mornings before school!

Goal setting time...

Well, its a new month and I am setting my goals! 

Health:
Try a new veggie every week.
Incorperate veggies into EVERY MEAL.
Keep guzzlin that water!  At least 6 large cups per day.

Personal:
Never leave the house in workout clothes.
Paint my finger and toes a new color every week.
READ!!

Excersise:
Run at least three times a week.
Add 5 more lbs to my sandbag for squats and such.

Family:
Turn my phone off after 9pm and no phone while at homework time with the littles, ITS RUDE.
Do something FUN and outside one day every weekend, which ever day is not rainy.
Contact ALL my brothers in some form (email, txt, letter, or call) once per week.

My goals are not meant to torture me, yet get me into a routine of doing some things that I have NOT been doing.  It should be fun, somehting that makes you smile when you know you have completed them.
Have fun setting your February goals!

Push...

Feeling like I need a little push today. Tired and unfocused. Going to do some BodyRock.tv, take a shower and try to get this day going in the right direction! I know it's already 2:30! Ha! Ha! It's Never to late to try and turn the day around.

...if you don't know what bodyrock.tv is or have just been browsing the site waiting for the right workout, JUMP on board! It's an amazing community of people. I will post the link later when I am on the computer. You can check them out on Facebook.

http://www.bodyrock.tv/

The above it the link for the bodyrock.tv workout program that I follow!  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!
Nothing but LOVE!  Check it out, they will get you motivated to get off the couch, eat healthy and feel good about yourself! I have been at it for a little over a year nowand have seen amazing changes in myself! HAVE FUN!!

Prepping for a successful week.

I have started really thinking about ways to help our family have a successful, healthy eating week. Truth be told that if things are not convenient, easy or quick, we tend to look to something that IS. At least I do!
So I have started Not buying unhealthy items like packaged cookies and puddings for the kids. Choosing instead to make them on Sunday to last the week. Packed full of good things like honey, oats, flax seed and such. I know exactly what's in them and the kids love to help make the things they will be snacking on!
I have also started cutting up fruits and veggies on Sunday. Putting them in containers in the fridge and at eye view for everyone. The kids are free to snack on this stuff whenever they wish, and it's easy for me to create a quick lunch or something with, since half the work is already done.
Make it a little easier for you and your family to make good food choices, take an hour to prepare for your week on Sunday. It really does make a difference!

Fuel up before my run.

Made John and I some lunch before I head to the gym to run. Simple spinach salad with cut up veggies that I had pre cut up. ( I started doing this recently and it's so convenient) no dressing for me, but balsamic vinaigrette for John. Some grilled shrimp and a bit is cottage cheese.
Trying to get creative with lunch can seem complicated, but this only took about 10 min to make.

Update: ran 2.5 miles and did 5 min on the row machine. trying to get my pace back to what it was in the summer, running almost a min behind what I was doing! Ugh! Ave pace currently is 8:09 per mile