Movin' it with Michelle

There are some days, when I can honestly say everything hurts. The ache in my heart seems to permeate throughout the rest of my body, and I just don’t have much left. That’s my last week in a nut shell. And it sucked.

So here are a few things that made me smile over the weekend.

Pictured is the watch I spoke about in my previous post. It was an anniversary gift for my husband, and he truly loves it. My daughters have truly rallied around me (the 16 year old has her moments of course) and keep me smiling. This weekend was my friend Carolyn’s 40th birthday, and although I couldn’t make it to the city with the girls, I was able to meet for her surprise birthday dinner. YAY! I miss these ladies dearly, but the stressors in my life have taken front seat unfortunately. I also made a yummy roast for dinner tonight, with a sweet potato mash topped with parmesan cheese and chives. YUM. Oh and naps. Yup. I had my running clothes on today….but a nap seemed like a much better idea. See, sleep just doesn’t happen anymore so I take what I can get. #dontjudge

Check out my dress. I LOVE pretty clothes! #giddy This is one of the dresses my hubby picked out during our anniversary weekend.

12-6-15dress

This week my husband will be traveling for a leadership meeting for his deployment. It all got very real, very quick. Today he was called in for another emergency meeting, and it’s so very hard to digest the whole situation. I can’t obviously go into it, but let’s just say S#@! just got real.

Tonight, while was cooking dinner I looked over and watched him. He was sitting in his rocking chair, drinking a glass of wine and reading his favorite magazine, Wine Spectator. But he wasn’t reading. He was staring at our Christmas tree. I asked him, “Are you ok?” and he looked down and nodded. I went to him, hugging him tightly, and he choked back sobs. This big, strong man was crying. And everything hurt, a little more.

But this too, in time, shall pass…We WILL get through this. Thanks to you all for your amazing support and patience. My blog has obviously taken a turn, but it helps to get it all out there even if just once a week or so.

How was your weekend? Did you cook anything yummy? What makes you happy during tough times?

❤ Michelle

weekend wrap up

Thanksgiving/Anniversary weekend wrap up in photos

November 30, 2015November 30, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

This past weekend was a much needed weekend filled with a few of my favorite things. Family, food, and wine. I couldn’t honestly have asked for a better 4 days off. I didn’t run a single mile last week, and I am totally cool with that. My priorities have shifted greatly, and with this shift I have learned so much about myself, and the realness of the relationships I hold dear to my heart.

So. Thanksgiving went down a little like this. Wednesday night we spent the evening decorating the house and getting everything ready for Thanksgiving day. We even were welcomed over at our good friend’s house next door for a few cocktails. #Winning.

I woke up super early, and prepped the turkey. Yup. That’s bacon you see…it makes everything better, right?!? I swear this was the best turkey I’ve made yet, and I’ve been roasting turkeys for years.

These breasts were as big as the platter itself!

DELISH. My sister loved the turkey so much it just made me smile. THAT is why I love cooking so much: Seeing the joy my food brings to others is priceless. Plus I loved having my sister’s family over for the day to help eat all the yummy food! That’s the best part! I truly love Thanksgiving and the meaning of the day. ❤

Black Friday was a quiet day filled with housework and movie watching. This was our actual anniversary, but we were celebrating Saturday. My hubby surprised me with an overnight stay at The Herrington Hotel, with dinner at our favorite restaurant located inside the hotel, Atwaters. We started the day by taking the kids and my niece who is also 16 years old to a local craft fair (I totally forgot to take any pics) which was a total blast. My neighbors were kind enough to keep a close eye on the house/kids, so we headed off to our mini getaway, just 15 minutes from our house.

We started out by having lunch at The Preservation Wine company, in Geneva. We’d never been there but had heard great reviews. Everything we heard was spot on, and our wine, food, and service was on point. We will definitely go back.

We headed out to the shops of 3rd street for some Christmas shopping and just good quality time with each other. I can’t remember the last time we were just “us” for more than an hour or so, and I could feel us recharging with every minute. My hubby spoiled me with some beautiful clothes from one of my favorite local shops (I LOVE shopping local. It’s always been important to me to support local businesses), of which I forgot to take pics of, LOL. I’ll save that for another post.

It was time to head to our hotel, so after checking in we were pleasantly surprised by a beautiful bottle of champagne. I gave my hubby the gift I had made for him, and he got a little choked up. I had a pocket watched engraved with “See you in my dreams,” which is what we said to each other in ever communication we had while he was deployed to Afghanistan. He’s going to set it to “home time” while he is away. #sobs

We got ready for dinner, and headed down to the lobby for a pre-dinner drink. We sorta clean up nicely I like to think…;-)

Old dress, but new memories :-) — Old dress, but new memories 🙂

And then there was dinner…Words can’t even describe it, so here it is in pics…

a little "bite" compliments of the Chef — a little “bite” compliments of the Chef

As you can venture to guess, we were stuffed afterwards, but WOW, what an amazing meal. We each had a starter, soup/salad, and entrée and both shared dishes. AH. MA. ZING. We had reservations about going back, as our favorite Chef no longer works at this restaurant but I can honestly say we were pleasantly surprised that the staff and food hadn’t missed a beat.

It was an amazing weekend, one I won’t forget and I am truly thankful and blessed to be married to the love of my life. Despite struggle, tough times and bumps in the road we always end up back in each others arms, literally. People say, “Oh, you are so lucky.” But really, we just work our tails off to keep our marriage strong. Are we perfect? Heck no…but we do our best to focus on US even when times are tough. At the end of the day, we know we have each other.

How was your Thanksgiving? Do you cook, or go to family/friend’s homes?

Have a great week, y’all!

❤ Michelle

Deployment thoughts

Counting my blessings

November 25, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

This post is about my favorite time of year. Thanksgiving. Not only is Thanksgiving one of my favorite holidays, it always lands right near my wedding anniversary so it’s a double whammy of happiness.

With that, I thought I would type up a little list of things I am most thankful for this year to share with you all.

Coming up on the 4th anniversary of this blog, I am truly thankful for all of my readers. I have met some amazing people through my blog, and this makes my heart so very happy. Thank you so much to you all!!!

I am thankful for the health and wellness of my family. If you recall last March, my daughter was in a pretty bad accident. You can read about it here. She is now 100% back to her normal snarky teenager self, and I wouldn’t change a single moment because her snarkyness means she’s healthy and happy, LOL.

I am thankful for my own determination and perseverance. I have finally started to REALLY catalog my recipes, and although my dreams of a cookbook may be far off still, I am at least moving forward with this goal. You can see the most current list of my recipes here.

I am thankful for the strong family bond I have with my immediate family. Upon hearing the news of my husband’s deployment this coming spring, I have been supported more than I even imagined possible and this makes the sting of his leaving a little easier to bear.

I am thankful for my amazing co-workers, friends, and neighbors who have been there for me through thick and thin this past year, and remind me daily that I am not in this alone.

And I am most thankful for my husband who continues to selflessly serve his country, all while taking extra steps to remind both me and my daughters how much he loves us and appreciates all that we do to serve our country as well. He truly is a hero, the love of my life, and just a really amazing man. I swear I don’t tell him enough, but he’s my rock.

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving? What is your favorite part of this holiday season?

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!!!

❤ Michelle

Recipes, Uncategorized

Chicken Sausage over “spaghetti”

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

It’s no shocker that I’ve been a bit MIA. I just haven’t felt like doing a whole lot to be honest. Sometimes work, life, etc. just overtakes us and we forget to make time for things we love.

So tonight I decided to dust off my apron and make a healthy meal for my family for dinner.

Chicken Sausage over “spaghetti”

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded

4 links of chicken sausage, sliced at a diagonal.

1 shallot-finely diced

2 cloves of garlic-minced

6-8 shitake mushrooms, sliced

2 heads of baby bok Choy that have been cleaned and sliced-add these in the last 10 minutes

1/4 cup of frozen peas-add these in the last 10 minutes

Extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano and parmesan cheese to finish.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place the squash open face down and roast for 20 minutes. Turn it over after 20 minutes and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano and put back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, add extra virgin olive oil (just a drizzle) to a non-stick pan. Heat to medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes until golden brown. WAIT to season until you get the golden brown color. Next add your chicken sausage and let brown. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes or until golden brown, and in the last 10 minutes add the bok Choy and peas. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as needed.

After the squash is done roasting, remove from the oven and let cool just slightly. Scoop out with a fork into a pasta dish, and top with the chicken sausage mixture. Finish off with parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

11-23spaghetti squash

Do you have a favorite low carb meal? Does your family give you the side-eye when you try new and healthy recipes?

Thanks for the amazing support lately, I can’t thank you all enough! ❤

Michelle

Deployment thoughts

Reasons to smile

November 16, 2015November 16, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

Last week was difficult to get through, to say the least. I think the week compounded by some crazy work drama that I was NOT expecting. You know the old saying, “When it rains, it pours!” right? Well, someone forgot her umbrella last week so I was drenched by the end of the week.

I was completely over myself, so Friday night we had “family movie night” and watched “Raiders of the Lost Arc.” I then proceeded to have an extra couple glasses of wine, LOL, which led to an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Something I haven’t had in weeks. I woke up with a purpose, and that was to SMILE as much as possible over the weekend.

Here are my reasons to smile over the weekend, via photos.

untitled2 — We found a new dress for our Chicago staycation weekend next month. We’re going to see “The Lion King” and S wanted a new dress! 12 bucks at Once Upon a Child! Score!

Because wearing deodorant for the first time warrants a pic, at least according to her, LOL!!

Back at it with my planking after a few days off.

And this:

My new wrap bracelet, and daily reminder.

Thanks to my friend Teri for getting me up and out the door on Sunday morning. We ran at a nice easy pace and both got a lot off our chest. Having felt pretty alone the last few weeks this is JUST what I needed. 6 miles later, and we were both smiling.

How was your weekend? What do you do to make yourself smile during tough times?

Have a great week, y’all!

Michelle

Deployment thoughts

Tuesday truths

November 10, 2015November 10, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

I haven’t worked out very much in the last few weeks since getting the news of my husband’s deployment. (FYI-I’ll be discussing a lot about what I am going through with my husband getting deployed – to include the next few months of preparation and the year long deployment. Please bear with me as this is a much needed outlet.) Between lack of sunlight and lack of physical/mental strength I’ve just sort of been going through the motions of work, and home life. I’ve managed a couple runs each week, and planking 4-5 times each week, but that’s about it.

I do however, cry. Kind of a lot. I sure try not to do it in front of my husband or kids, but sometimes I just can’t seem to wrap my brain around another year of worry for my husband’s safety. This man is the rock I lean on, for everything. And maybe I didn’t realize it truly until receiving this news, but it’s become very apparent that I need him as much as I want him in my life, and that maybe I am not as strong as I thought. And with tomorrow being Veteran’s day and all the shows and commercials on T.V. I’ve found that lately it’s just all a bit too much. So then I cry some more…Gah. Stick a fork in me already!

I’m going to attempt to run on the treadmill this week and my friend Teri invited me to run with her this weekend. I really need to let myself have ‘my things’ too, because in the last few weeks of doing everything for everyone else but me have left me very…tired.

Today my sister reminded me that it’s ok to feel this way, but to not waste the next few months I DO have with him being sad. I suppose it’s just hard because even though he’s still “here” he really isn’t because he’s knees deep in preparation for the deployment, working longer days than I can even fathom. He truly is my hero.

This afternoon my husband texted me thanking me for all of the love and support and that he understood how hard this was on me. And sometimes just hearing that helps lighten the load, even if just a little.

I truly appreciate everyone’s amazing support through all of this craziness. It really has helped knowing I am not going to do this alone!!!!

❤

Michelle

Recipes

Stuffed and roasted Acorn squash

November 7, 2015November 7, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

Today was a busy day for us, but we managed to get to the DMV before the line went down the block, most of the housecleaning done, and our shopping at Aldi done for the next couple weeks. They had beautiful acorn squash, so I just had to buy a couple to stuff and roast!

Ingredients/Recipe:

2 acorn squash-halved and seeds removed-Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with kosher salt and pepper and roast in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Next get the stuffing ready.

In a sauce pot boil water and prepare your quinoa according to the package instructions. Mine called for 2 cups of boiling water, and cook the quinoa for 15 minutes. I cooked it al dente as its going to cook a bit more in the oven.

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small white onion, diced

4 baby portabella mushrooms, diced

1/2 of a green apple, peeled and diced-add LAST, just before removing from the heat

2 links of chicken sausage, cubed

2 pieces of bacon, cubed

While your quinoa is cooking, sauté the above ingredients for 20 minutes. Start first with the bacon and chicken sausage, then add the garlic, onions and mushrooms. Add the apples just for the last 2-3 minutes. Season with kosher salt, pepper, sage, and parsley (about 2 teaspoons each of sage and parsley). Add in the quinoa when cooked and add to the stuffing mixture and remove from the heat.

Remove the roasted squash from the oven, and spoon in your stuffing. Top with grated parmesan cheese, and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes at 375 or until the squash is slightly tender.

Dinner is served! Enjoy!!!

Do you like squash? What’s your favorite way to prepare it?

I hope you are all having a great weekend!

❤ Michelle

running

My place of peace

November 5, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

Thanks to everyone for your amazing love and support during this tough time. I’ve truly turned a new leaf and although am still overcome with sadness, I finally feel like I can maybe. Just maybe…get through this next year and a half. Although my husband hasn’t left yet, his spare time is spent preparing, and sadly worrying. We’ve both had our fair share of sleepless nights. So last night I revisited one of my favorite trails where I run, and it was there I found a little peace.

And as I rounded this corner at mile 2 of my 4 mile run, I forgot for a moment that I was running. I forgot all my worries. And I was smiling from ear to ear.

The sun was setting, I was chasing daylight, and I was smiling. It’s days like these I realize I must hang on tight to during the next year and a half.

Where’s your place of peace? How do you find the good in a bad situation?

Have a great night!!

~Michelle

moving forward

Assumptions

November 4, 2015November 4, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

I think it’s only human for us to have assumptions in certain situations when it comes to what is thought to be “the norm” in life, no? We assume that if there is something big in our lives, or something that we put our heart and souls in to, that those we consider closest to in life, will support those big things…at least I do…or did…

But assuming is a naughty naughty word, and it truly does end up slapping you in the face from time to time. And for a split second I caught myself being sad about the person(s) that don’t support my crazy #keepmovinforward mantra, page, and blog. I looked into my husband’s eyes with sadness, and he reminded me that HE will forever be my best friend, MY PERSON…and suddenly the sadness vanished. I’ve accepted that sometimes friendships run their course, and that is ok. It’s all the circle of life, right?

Since learning of my hubby’s upcoming deployment I have been flooded with phone calls, texts, comments and emails from friends and family. And despite crying more than I’d care to admit, I am also counting my blessings. Because you don’t get through the hard stuff without your friends and family.

Here's a pic my friend Andrea made after I spectated and ran the last few miles of her first marathon with her. One of my all time favorite running memories. — Here’s a pic my friend Andrea made after I spectated and ran the last few miles of her first marathon with her. One of my all time favorite running memories.

With that, I thank you all for being just plain awesome. I love the fact that I’ve met so many amazing people through this community, and that you have chosen to join me on this journey. My hat goes off to you all!

Moving forward, I will continue to rant about running, recipes, and real life adventures. Let’s see where the upcoming year takes us!

Cheers!

❤ Michelle

Recipes

Slumps and Spicy Salmon…keepin’ it real!

November 1, 2015 Movin' it with Michelle

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t in a bit of a slump. With the news of my husband’s upcoming deployment, I honestly don’t feel like doing anything other than sleep even though trying to get more than an hour of sleep at a time seems impossible. I don’t want to run, I don’t want to cook, I don’t want to do much of anything…I think my husband sensed my blues setting in, so he took me on a date on Friday. We only do date nights a few times a year, so this was just what I needed.

I actually felt pretty, which doesn't happen too often anymore!! — I actually felt pretty, which doesn’t happen too often anymore!!

We had a great date, first by going out to a nice dinner, and finishing the night off with seeing the movie, “Burnt.” As a wanna-be Chef, this movie was all that and a bag of chips in my book, and it really portrayed what being a “real” Chef entails. I highly recommend it to any food lovers!

Today, staying with the theme of trying to quit feeling sorry for myself, I got up early enough to watch the New York City Marathon. A good friend of mine is running it, and I am always in awe of the enormity of this race. Watching the elites almost inspired me enough to go for a run, but my naggy Achilles and I decided to call it and clean the house instead. Because of course, I haven’t felt like cleaning either. I took out some salmon for dinner, and decided to change things up from my typical recipe of baking it with herbs and butter (recipe can be found HERE) and giving the salmon a little kick.

Spicy Salmon

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 fillet of salmon cut into 4 servings patted dry, seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard lightly spread on each fillet

Lightly sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons (total for all 4 fillets) of cayenne pepper over all 4 fillets, season to taste

Light sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar over all 4 fillets

2 chives, finely chopped for garnish

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the salmon flakes with a fork. Garnish with chives, and serve with your favorite side dishes.

I served mine with roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa w/portabella mushrooms, sweet potatoes, garlic and onions.

What’s your go-to activity to get out of a slump? Do you like salmon? Did you watch the New York City marathon today?

Have a great week, y’all!

❤ Michelle

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