Category Archives: Food for Thought

Snowy Photos and an Icy Run

Daily Life!, Food for Thought, Running, , , ,

Happy Monday! I hope your work week is off to a great start. It’s rather gloomy here in Springfield, but the snow on the ground + my Christmas tunes are keeping my spirits high today. 🙂

Let’s back up to the snowy weekend a bit….

Since I stayed home on Friday from work due to the snowy weather, and I wasn’t feeling very well, Nick stayed home too (his office was actually closed…lucky!). We ventured out briefly to Walmart to grab a few groceries and some meds for me. And while we were out, we decided to grab some lunch. Yes, I wasn’t feeling awesome, but I also was starving and wanted some hot food in my belly. So we opted for my favorite…Mexican!

photo(123)I had this large burrito stuffed with black beans and shrimp. It was awesome! And we were lucky to get our lunch when we did because the restaurant decided to close early as soon as their lunch crowd was out the door!

Once we made it back home, I put dinner into the Crockpot and slept for the rest of the afternoon in hopes that I would feel better when I woke up. I made an old classic…. Creamy Chicken & Rice!

image(19) image(20)This has been the most visited post on the blog so far, so I thought I should revisit this hearty recipe on one of the coldest days of the year. It was delicious, and I’m so thankful for all the leftovers this week!

Family Photos

Sorry, I have no real photos to show you yet, but the main highlight of our day on Saturday was family photos with CaraDee Photography!

I usually starts my Saturdays with a long run. This week, I had 11 miles on the schedule. And that obviously couldn’t happen….ugh. So I opted to go take 2 Jazzercise classes instead to at least get some exercise in my day. I was still a little on the sicky side, but sweating and working hard really did make me feel a little bit better. And by the time I got home and cleaned up, we had to head off to our photo shoot!

image(17)Mac was so excited to go to the park and take photos. Can’t you tell??! He really loves his new Christmas sweater too. It even has a scarf attached. It was one of my Black Friday purchases!

image(18)Nick, Mac, and I put on our color-coordinated sweaters and headed off to Nathanel Greene Park for our snowy photos. We braved the cold for an hour and even laid in the snow for our lovely photographer. I’m hoping they turn out well! We have an appointment to see them on Wednesday night. I can’t wait!

We thawed out in the car on the way home. Poor Mac was so frozen he even let me blow dry him for about 10 minutes…and that never happens! Dry, warm clothes never felt so good. 🙂

Since we had stayed in the night before, I decided I wanted to eat dinner out that night. So Nick and I headed out to Cheddar’s for a quick and early meal on Saturday evening. We got seated right away, and that NEVER happens! Win!!

I started with some Chicken Tortilla soup to help warm me up.

photo(55)And then had an amazing grilled chicken and pecan salad for my entree.

image(16)We polished off our meals in no time and headed back home. I was ready for my warm blanket and the couch.

Icy Run

Sunday morning I was feeling adventurous to say the least. I wanted to run, so before I could talk myself out of it, I bundled up in my running gear and headed out. It took me a few minutes to get adjusted to the icy landscape.

image(15) photo(54)It was definitely harder than running on the typical day! I took it slow, and once I was out of my subdivision, I stayed on the roads where the salt had melted off most of the ice and snow. It was early and traffic was light thankfully, otherwise staying on the roads would’ve been a challenge.

I headed out around 7 and knew I couldn’t be out too long since I have a Jazzercise class at 8:30 am. So I opted to complete my typical 3ish mile path. My pace was about a minute slower than normal, and I’m totally okay with that. I didn’t fall or hurt myself, and I know it’s because I was extra careful.

It was also misting/sleeting very lightly while I was out running. I could feel the moisture in the air, but it was light and didn’t bother me. The front of me was pretty icy, but it wasn’t until I got home that I realized this was going on.

image(14)Ice lashes!! So, if you’re going for the snow bunny look, just go running when its below freezing and precipitating a bit!

This was definitely a first for me in my running, so I felt pretty accomplished. There’s something about running in less-than-ideal weather that makes me feel about 10x more awesome than my normal running high.

This morning I was sadly banished to the gym to run because the roads were covered in black ice at 5 am. But fingers crossed that I can brave the elements tomorrow morning for a few more miles. We’re supposed to be getting a few more inches of snow tonight, and that little dusting over the ice will actually help me with traction.

Well I think that’s about it for my snowy weekend. I know the snow can be an inconvenience (especially to someone who’s training for their first half marathon!), but it really is beautiful. It makes me extra thankful to live in an area that has so many different kinds of weather!

Enjoy your Monday – it’s already halfway through!

Return of Overnight Oats

Daily Life!, Food for Thought, , ,

Hey party people! I hope you’ve had an awesome Wednesday Hump Day. Mine’s been busy busy busy, and I’m thankful to have tonight off from teaching to rest and clean my messy house!

But before we get into the fun stuff, I must share something with you.

photo(50)Sneezing dog!! I found this on BuzzFeed yesterday and almost immediately peed my pants. If I ever caught a photo of Mac like this, I’m pretty sure I would have to get it framed. Classic.

Morning Run + Return of Overnight Oats

I started out my day with a 6+ mile run that happens every Wednesday on my half-marathon training schedule. It was 50 degrees and HUMIDDD when I took off, and I was not loving it. My body has really grown accustomed to running in cold, dry air, so it’s hard for me to feel my best in anything warmer than 40 degrees. I never thought I would say that in a million years.

I made it to 6.6 miles in a little under 57 minutes. I wanted to push to 1 hour and/or 7 miles, but I was just done by around the 5 mile mark. Still better than nothing though, and I’ve been sore all day. Must’ve done some good! My calves and shins have been particularly sore lately, so I’m spending this evening in my awesome calf compression sleeves. I love these babies.

image(7)After my run, I quickly got ready for my day and grabbed my breakfast out of the fridge to bring along to the office.

photo(33)Doesn’t this look gross?! I made overnight oats last night with some frozen mixed berries, and it was basically terrible. I’m in desperate need of fresh groceries, but until that happens this weekend, I’ll be depending on some frozen fruit to get in my daily serving of healthy food. Ugh.

Diva Dash & Family Photos

Late this afternoon I started thinking about everything we have going on this weekend. It is going to be a busy one! But I’m okay with it – at least I get to sleep in my own bed and don’t have to travel. 🙂

Saturday morning is going to start with a long run of 11 miles before I head downtown to run a 5K with my girlfriends! Me and two of my gal pals are running in the Diva Dash in downtown Springfield. Neither of them are crazy/intense runners, so I’m hoping it will just be an easy and relaxed race. I may be totally wrong in doing my long run before the 5K, but I have afternoon plans and can’t shift my schedule around. So here’s to hoping I can keep up with my girlfriends!

Then later on Saturday, Nick, Mac, and I are having professional photos taken at a local park. I bought a Livingsocial deal for an hour-long photoshoot + photo holiday cards with Caradee Photography. The best photos that Nick and I have together look about like this…

photo(52)So we are in desperate need of some nice photos after 2 1/2 years together! It’s going to be freezing and possibly snowy, so I’m struggling to decide what we should wear. Such a hard decision!

I hope you all have fun weekends planned too. Springfield is forecasted to have lots of snow and ice starting tomorrow, so it’s quite possible that my plans will change. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn’t get too yucky!

Stay safe in the winter weather, and I will see you all tomorrow!

Thanksgiving in Hartville

Daily Life!, Food for Thought, , , ,

Hey there! I’m back in the land of high-speed Internet after a busy weekend at my parents house. It was a great weekend to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with my immediate family.

Nick and I headed to Hartville on Saturday morning after I got in a long run of 11 miles. It was a cold morning, and the run was fairly easy for me knowing that I was earning the right to eat a huge turkey dinner!

image(13)YUM!!! Once we made it to Hartville, my mom and I got to work on preparing this small feast. I whipped up my sweet potato casserole first thing and put it in the fridge to bake right before dinner time.

photo(52)This stuff was tasty right out of the bowl, so I was excited to bake it with marshmallows! The marshmallows kinda failed though…I melted them instead of just toasting the top.

image(10)Ooops! Still tasty though! I made them extra spicy with cinnamon and nutmeg. They were a hit around the table.

My mom cooked our 9 lb. turkey in her beloved CrockPot (hence my obsession with my own Crockpot!), and it turned out amazing despite my doubts of it even fitting in there!

image(15)It was falling apart it was so tender, and all the juices made an awesome gravy.

photo(50)But let’s not forget about the amazing carbs that we all know and love too so much.

photo(32)I had a couple of these babies, and I enjoyed every bite!

Our little feast also featured stuffing, sweet corn, and a cauliflower salad that my mom is famous for.

image(12) photo(33)And for the sweet stuff, cranberries and pie!

image(11) image(14)My sister-in-law made the homemade pumpkin pie. She made the crust and everything! My pies weren’t that homemade, but at least I tried. 🙂

photo(51)This is Angel, my brother’s schnauzer-mix. Isn’t she cute!? Her and Mac played the entire evening. They are a hyperactive-match made in doggie heaven! Also, check out my mom’s awesome retro kitchen floor. Love it.

Getting together like this makes me so thankful for my family and all the blessings they bring me throughout the year. I’m one lucky girl to have such wonderful parents and family members!

Nick and I headed home on Sunday after church with full tummies and lots of leftover pie and sweet potatoes. And now I’m trying to get in the groove to get through 2 more days of work before we head off again to St. Louis. Tonight’s agenda is packing my suitcase…again!

Have a wonderful evening, and I’ll see you tomorrow!