Recipes, Wordless Wednesday

Never a wordless Wednesday

Although I haven’t joined the 30 day Yoga challenge, I have decided to include Yoga in my weekly routine, at least 1-2 times per week.  Those of you that know me, know I am NOT flexible…But I am working towards being a leaner, stronger, more flexible runner in 2015…so here we go…

Balanced and even??  Heck no...but I sure am trying.
Balanced and even?? Heck no…but I sure am trying.

And meet my amazing yoga partner, my mini Mover.

My 8 year old held strong for 30 minutes tonight; So proud!
My 8 year old held strong for 30 minutes tonight; So proud! (notice my photobombing dog, yeah…lol)

After work, and Yoga, we decided to prepare a healthy meal.  The chicken wings I had (again) in the Caf at work were NOT healthy. Argh.  Someone please pass me a side of will power, please…lol.  I am down 2 lbs so I won’t complain-too much…8 lbs to go…

We made a yummy salad with mixed greens of baby kale, arugula, and spinach along with some chopped romaine.  I added radishes, tomatoes, green onions and a healthy yogurt dressing.

Top your salad with crab meat that has been seasoned with a little Old Bay and YUM!
Top your salad with crab meat that has been seasoned with a little Old Bay and YUM!

Tonight we hunkered down on the couch and watched American Idol.  Yup…still a junky 13 years later.  There are very few shows we can catch on our ONE channel, but I’ve been trying to gather the family more at least a few nights per week for at least an hour.  We all love music in our house, so this show is a win/win.  And it’s an hour spent with my favorite people.  What more could I ask for?

And now I sit here, with my thoughts and honestly I think I’ll go to bed soon. In my efforts to disengage from FB, I still find myself checking back far too often seeing people’s posts that just (sorry) piss me off.  Why do I bother?  As my sister says….FB sure can be a ‘Life suck’…I need to not let it suck the life out of me.  This brings #SMDH (shaking my darn head) to a whole new level….

So tomorrow I have a good ole dready run on deck, and despite work, kids, housework, etc, I’ve decided to MAKE the time.  Because guess what….I NEED it.  This…is no longer a want.

OOPS, my laundry timer is going off…Back to reality gang!!!

What are your favorite cross training work outs if you are a runner?  Have you ever tried Yoga?

❤ Keep Movin’ Forward, y’all….Michelle

 

 

depression, moving forward

Fear and frustration = FUEL for marathon motivation

In 2013 I ran my second FULL marathon. I swore I’d never run a second full, but got the bug after the first training run.  I PR’d by nearly an hour (58 minutes to be exact, I SHOULD know the seconds, but don’t, lol) and I SWORE I’d never run another full marathon.  I ran a couple half marathon races in 2014, to include my husband’s first half…did you read about it?  You can read about it HERE!

I love this guy...
I love this guy…

So today while on my break I decided to catch up on blog posts.  My friend Kim asked when training for the Grandma’s Marathon started, and after scratching my head and thumbing through my calendar I realized official training starts in TWO weeks.  WHA????  Here. WE. GOOOO!  In two weeks I need to be back up to a steady 6 mile run. Easy peasy, right?  I’m a marathoner for goodness sake…Ack…I haven’t ran more than 13.1 miles in 4 months…but I’m ready.  And a little scared, too…<3

Yup...
Yup…

Have you heard of this race?  If not, read here!  For those that don’t know, this is my hometown race, where I grew up watching marathoners crossing the finish line, thus my  dream of being a marathoner began.

grandmas

And a marathoner I am…to me, this is one of the hugest mental and physical accomplishments of my life.  I have loved, I have lost, and I have ran 26.2 freakin’ miles.  yeah…quote THAT.  🙂

But the last 2 days I fought with some mental demons, past hurts, and irrevocable YUCK that just can’t be forgiven forgotten.  I ALMOST let it get to me….but NOPE.  Sorry y’all, I’ve got a marathon to train for…#movinforward

So I thank you all for your positive feedback in regards to my last post.  I know we all struggle, we are all human, and we all have those negative forces that try to creep in…BUT…I also know, only some of us decide to move forward…and not let that crap in.  (Yes, I was literally shaking my head today)!!!!

LOL
LOL

At the end of the day, I managed to finish my plank challenge (Day 2) and added an additional 10 seconds, as well as did the push up challenge I am participating in this month.  Tomorrow is mill day, and I hope to get in at least 3 miles.  I’ll be taking all of my fear and frustration and ‘running it out’ tomorrow…who’s with me? Let’s leave the crap behind us, right?

#this
#this

What are your plans for the week?  Do you have any upcoming races?

moving forward

Sometimes you just have to start over…Snow, Sluggish miles, and Super Bowl fun

My year started out a little rocky between injury and stress levels running at an all time high.  For the first few weeks of the year I couldn’t run OR cook.  yeah…#killmenow basically was in affect.

But today, as we start the second month of the year I woke up happy, nearly rested, and ready to run.  We were hit by a terrible snow storm over night, and I am honestly just a wimp as I’ve aged with running outside in bitter temps/wind/crazy conditions.  It was snowing…SIDEWAYS.  yeah.  I was staying INSIDE.

But as I stepped on the scale before I changed in to my running clothes my heart sank a little, and I knew it was time to start over.  Despite giving up some bad habits in the past, I’ve taken on some even worse habits of snacking at 9 pm at night which have cause my weight to go up higher than I’ve seen since the birth of my last child.  I have honestly weighed the same give or take a few lbs. for the better part of my adult life….so fighting with the scale is a new battle for me.  But…

No more.  Time to start over.

This morning I started my day with a run. Loud capris and shoes in tow…Yup…that’s how I roll.

Longest run to date this year!
Longest run to date this year!

My kids played in the snow, while I made my Detox soup for the week!

detox soup, ready for my lunches this week!
detox soup, ready for my lunches this week!
Look at those smiles!
Look at those smiles!

I researched and found a new plank challenge for beginners that I will post daily on my FB page.  Have you liked my page yet? Please look over to the right margin of my page and give me a little love!

Check it out!
Check it out!

And then, I roasted an amazing pork roast as my hubby prepared to stream the Super bowl via the internet.  YAY!

I served this with a salad of fresh greens and baked sweet potato fries.  YUM.
I served this with a salad of fresh greens and baked sweet potato fries. YUM.
Not the ideal way to watch the game, but hey!  It worked!
Not the ideal way to watch the game, but hey! It worked!

We are ending the night with the hubs plowing and shoveling, AGAIN…note the look of disdain on his face…LOL

Closing in on almost 8 inches I think?
Closing in on almost 8 inches I think?

So with all that…today I am starting over (again).  I realized that the most important thing in life that we can give, is love…I’ve fought the emotional battles of “not being enough” and it just isn’t worth it.  People will make an effort to be a part of your life-if they truly want to…and sometimes, you realize that your efforts are falling on deaf ears and you need to step back and focus on YOU.  Starting over, daily, because isn’t that what life is all about? #Movin’forward

And sometimes….most times…and always.  You need to be your own hero.

How do you overcome the negative forces in your life? Are you an all weather runner?

Recipes

A whole lot of recipes with a dash of running

I only ran once last week, and despite my scale being angry at me for the lack of exercise, I won’t complain.  The two nights during the week I can normally squeeze a work out in are Tuesday and Thursday.  Tuesday I got a couple miles in, but Thursday was my daughter’s school production and that trumps running any day of the week.  I did make sure to meet my goal of cooking at least 3 of the 5 days during the week though, leaving the other two days (Mon/Fri) for left overs/sammiches.

I woke up this morning after a good long week of a headache to not much relief so decided to push my run off one more day.  I’ll tready it tomorrow while Chiberia is in full affect. Yeah, I am wimpy like that.  I may even get bold and do yoga too!

Upon realization that we will be missing the Super bowl tomorrow due to lack of cable/streaming capabilities I wiped away my “poor me” attitude quickly and sat down to make my shopping list.  We would still eat great food and enjoy each other’s company this weekend.  Well, minus my eldest mover…she is off with friends because isn’t that what teenagers do?

Our list was filled with tons of produce and the ingredients to make some yummy detox soup I found over at Be Fit With Tracy.  Click HERE for the recipe.  I will be making this tomorrow, and can’t wait to give it a try!  We also had the ingredients for Beef Bourguignon because well, that’s what the hubby requested for dinner.  I borrowed the recipe from my favorite cooking store, Sur La Table and modified it slightly using finely diced carrots, baby shallots, pancetta and gluten free flour vs. the called for ingredients.  You can find the recipe HERE.

My youngest mover and I hit the road running and battled the crowds with smiles on our faces.  You’d think the world was ending without a single empty shopping cart in sight, and hundreds of people squeezing through the isles.  But we survived, LOL!

me and my mini mover
me and my mini mover

After unloading all of our groceries, I started the cooking process as this is no “quick” dish.  It takes about 2 1/2 hours to be exact!  Here is my prep in pics!

Everything is ready, and the lid is about to go on!  T-2 hours!
Everything is ready, and the lid is about to go on! T-2 hours!
Be patient, let the butter and the heat do the work...after about 15 minutes you'll have perfection!
Be patient, let the butter and the heat do the work…after about 15 minutes you’ll have perfection!
1-31mushrooms
Use the same pan you cooked your onions in, just add a bit more butter!

Can I get a drum roll please?  Here is the final product after 2 hours of simmering.  Did I mention how GOOD my house smells?

YUM!
YUM!

My husband tasted, and literally picked me up and started swinging me around the kitchen.  I’d say that’s a win.  ❤

Final dish, served with red wine, Pinot Noir goes well with this dish!
Final dish, served with red wine, Pinot Noir goes well with this dish!

I can honestly say this is one of the best dishes I have made to date.  I am proud that I tackled a dish that Julia Child herself is known for, and even more proud that it tasted so good!  I was also reminded that I just can’t give up on my dreams.  It may not be happening for me now, but I will keep movin’ towards those goals!

How do you stick with your dreams and goals despite road blocks?  Have you ever tackled a recipe you didn’t think you could prepare?

❤ Michelle

Recipes, Uncategorized

Mexican spiced chicken stew over gluten free rotini

As part of my effort to compile all of my recipes this year (I started this effort in 2014), I will be blogging more of the magic food I create in my kitchen.  Please keep in mind some of these recipes may seem almost too simple…But that’s the joy of cooking-especially on week nights!  Creating simple, healthy, and tasty meals without having to really think!  Win WIN, right?

I think so!

Tonight I had approximately 40 minutes upon arriving home from work to create a tasty dish before piling the family in the car to attend my youngest Mover’s school production.  That’s plenty of time, right?  Even better, I was able to speed walk for 2 miles at an incline while this yummy goodness simmered!  Triple win!

Pic credit: tobreatheistowrite via google
Pic credit: tobreatheistowrite via google

On the menu was:

Mexican spiced chicken stew served over gluten free rotini pasta.  This is a great dish on a cold, damp, winter evening!

Top with crème fraiche, sour cream or yogurt!
Top with crème fraiche, sour cream or yogurt!

Here’s what you’ll need:

One package of boneless skinless chicken thighs (feel free to use white meat if you prefer, to me the dark meat has so much more flavor)

Four cups of vegetable stock, separated into three cups/one cup mixed with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken

One russet potato, peeled and cubed (sweet potato would be great too, I just didn’t have one!)

One white onion, diced

One large carrot, halved and chopped

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2-3 teaspoons (to taste) of taco seasoning (I buy pre-made from my local mart)

2-3 teaspoons (to taste) of chili powder

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Crème fraiche, sour cream, or yogurt and chives to garnish. (This helps cut the heat of the stew)

Here’s what to do:

Take a Dutch oven or soup pot and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat

Add your chicken, and season with salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, taco seasoning and chili powder.  Sauté until cooked through, and add your three cups of stock and vegetables.  Mix well, and add your additional one cup of stock that has been mixed with cornstarch.  Bring the stew to a boil.

As the stew cooks, you will need to continually taste and season accordingly!

Reduce the heat to a simmer, and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

I served over gluten free rotini pasta cooked according to the package instructions, but this dish could definitely be served on it’s own.

Enjoy!

Question!  What are some of your favorite weekend night meals? How do you balance work, kids, and healthy cooking?

❤ Michelle

 

Recipes

Carrot soup with a little kick!

My co-workers and I love, LOVE, love to talk about food.  Today was no different, so when one of my coworkers started talking soup-my ears perked up quick! I LOVE soup in a probably not so healthy way, especially in the winter time.  She mentioned making a carrot soup with curry….”HMMMM,” I thought…that sounds AMAZING.

I will admit the underlying effort to lose the belly fat that this winter has given me as a not so sweet gift fueled my motivation to head to the grocery store after a very busy day at work. I picked up a bag of “horse carrots” as my youngest calls them, shallots, and some fresh herbs so I could make my OH so yummy soup for dinner.

This was such a hit, and you can omit the crème fraiche if you desire!
This was such a hit, and you can omit the crème fraiche if you desire!

Here’s the recipe and what you will need:

6-8 large “horse” carrots, pealed and chopped

2 shallots, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

6 cups of organic vegetable stock-low sodium if possible

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 pats of unsalted butter

1-2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil

Seasoning: Tumeric, Curry, Cayenne pepper, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnish-Crème Fraiche and chives

Get a large sauce pot and heat to medium high heat.  Add in your butter and olive oil.  Add all the veggies, and sauté until soft.  Add your seasonings, but just a pinch at a time to ensure your get the right flavor.  Next, add your stock, and bring to a boil.  Reduce down to a simmer and let cook for about 25 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat, and puree with a blender or immersion blender until smooth.  Return the soup to the heat, and let simmer for a few additional minutes while you ensure the seasoning is just right.  Garnish with crème fraiche and chives, and serve!  I accompanied the soup with a yummy shrimp salad (dressing free-just marinated the shrimp in lime juice, salt, pepper, and evoo!) that was the perfect pairing for this spicy soup!

Can I get a YUM!?
Can I get a YUM!?

Question-are you a soup eater?  What is your favorite kind?  Do you enjoy making your own soups?

Thanks all, I hope you have a wonderful week!

❤ Michelle

moving forward

Movin’ forward, Two things this Tuesday

I have had a bit of a rough week physically.  I’m not sure if it is the weather, crazy storm fronts or lack of good sleep but I’ve just felt a bit off. My sinus cavities aren’t happy with all the weather changes, and my stomach has that “Are you two months pregnant?” look to it that means it MUST be that dreaded time of the month or I have been eating too much crap aka salt. Crap…it’s only Tuesday!

As I drove to work today on my 0.1 nano-seconds of sleep I decided to reflect on how my year has started. (In reference to the nano-second please, PLEASE tell me you know who Mork and Mindy are…).  I use my commute to think, reflect, and devise my daily plan for forward movement.  That is my mantra….right?

 

1-27nano

Firstly, I started off my year by NOT running due to my accidental idiot mistake to lop off part of my thumb.  I almost let this incident get to me, but remembered last year’s winter and decided it best to keep movin’ forward.  So last week I started running again and yeah…a month off can hurt a person’s mojo.  I can’t get my breathing straight, I hate the dreadmill, and it truly is hard to get motivated enough to get movin’ after a long day of work.  But I’ve kept at it despite not feeling 100%…and although my mileage/speed is crap, I am at least MOVIN’…right?

After work, while dinner was cooking-THIS happened...lol
After work, while dinner was cooking-THIS happened…lol

Secondly, sometimes winter gets to my emotional well being.  Ok…I hate winter, more eloquently said, winter hurts…ROFL. That being said, I started to let the negative forces creep back in to my life…until I promptly kicked them to the curb.  Be gone!  People, stuff, events, you name it…I refuse to get sucked back in to it all.  So sorry if I am a bit absent from the negativity…#noroomforthatcrap #sorrynotsorry

Pic from writerscafe.com
Pic from writerscafe.com

Yet tonight I had SEVERAL text messages from friends both near and far that wanted to check in on me/say hi/chat.  Score. My heart was re-filled and I knew I was on the right path yet again.

photo credit, Pinterest
photo credit, Pinterest

And now, as my hubs heads off to his late night soccer game I bid you all good night, and sweet dreams.

Questions…how do you keep yourself movin’ forward during tough times, winter months etc?

❤ Michelle

 

goals

I have and am, ENOUGH-Living the dream!

This weekend was a blur to be honest.  But it was a wonderful weekend I have to admit.  I am having a hard time forming my thoughts, so please bear with me.

My husband had reserve duty this weekend, which means the household is my responsibility.  It is one that I have taken on, and have been doing for over 15 years of being a single mom/Army wife.  I’ve done my fair share of bitching, whining, and complaining.  Yes.  I suck sometimes.  But this weekend was different, and let me tell you why…

First, I spent the weekend with my girls, shopping, eating, and getting pampered as we got our hair done.  Our awesome friends/neighbors came over last night for a pre-celebratory drink, and my sister and her family came to my hubby’s ceremony today.  Stack on the feelings of happy and bliss because my cup truly is over flowing.

Me and my girls!
Me and my girls!
1-25silly
SILLY!

 

I have always preached to do what you love, and do it with passion.  I have not always lived this statement, but this last year has been different.  I’ve cooked more, ran a lot, and chased dreams that still have yet to be caught.  But mostly, I have smiled more this last year than I have in the last 5 years.  Because I realized something…

I AM enough.  I HAVE more than enough…

And this is greatly due in part to the fact that I have the most amazing family and friends, well…EVER.  I’ve got a job I enjoy, a roof over my head and food on my table.  And did I mention the best family and friends ever?  Oh yeah, I said that already…lol

Secondly, this weekend was my husband’s weekend to shine.  And shine he did.  He took command of his first unit.  I always joke and say he loves the Army more than me, (totally kidding) but this afternoon as he spoke to his soldiers, his face was all lit up and shining…you could FEEL the energy, and my heart sang a little song just for him…HE is doing it.  He is chasing his dreams, and achieving SO much in his career and I simply couldn’t be more proud.

My hero...
My hero…

To wrap it all up, I finished the week with a total of almost 8 miles of running, my ab challenge, and a smile on my face.

What brings you the most joy in life?  Are you living and pursuing these passions?

 

Keep Movin’ forward, y’all!

 

Michelle

Tagged posts

How well do you know me? 4 things and fun!

4 Things You’ve Always Wanted to Know about Me… Or Not

4 names that people call me:
1. Michelle                                                                                                                                                                                              2.  Chelle  Best friend calls me this, as well as some childhood friends.                                                                                      3. Mom                                                                                                                                                                                    4.  My last name…it’s a military thing.

4 jobs that I’ve had:

1. Fry girl at Hardees-my first job nearly 30 years ago                                                                                                                 2. Steak flipper at The Great Steak Escape-I had a mean flip with my spatula, I could also peal potatoes faster than most       3. Airmen (MSgt retired) in the United States Air Force-20 years, and the best job in the entire world!                                        4. Currently-Histology Laboratory Supervisor.  Don’t feel bad if you don’t know what this means-check it on online.  It’s a pretty cool job.

4 movies I’ve watched more than once:

1. Chef-my new found favorite movie. Have you seen it?  If not, it’s a must see for foodies.                                                        2. Breakfast at Tiffany’s-what more can I say?                                                                                                                             3. Pretty Woman-BEST. EVER.  “In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight.”                                           4. Ratatouille-My favorite animated movie.

4 books I recommend:

1. The bridge across forever-Richard Bach.  Probably my all time favorite book.  “There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.”                                                                                                         2. A light in the Attic. Shel Silverstein. It’s truly a magical book.                                                                                                   3. A return to love. Marianne Williamson.  This book saw me through many hard times.                                                              4. Care of the Soul. Thomas Moore.  #This

4 places I’ve lived:

1. Duluth Minnesota, (born in St. Cloud MN) where I spent most of my childhood years                                                             2. O’Fallon IL, where I learned true independence.                                                                                                                      3. Various areas in the Washington D.C. area-one of my favorite places I’ve lived, although would never want to raise a family there.                                                                                                                                                                                  4.  Anchorage Alaska-Where I found myself, and in turn met the love of my life.

4 places I’ve been:
1.  Cancun Mexico-9 glorious days spent with my hubby for our honeymoon                                                                    2.  Santa Monica California-a little piece of heaven if you ask me.
3.  Corpus Christi, Texas-our happy place even in the toughest of times while living in Texas
4.  Canadian Borders-God’s Country

4 places I’d rather be now:
1.  Italy
2.  The Beach-any will do
3.  Fiji
4.  Disney World/Land…either would make my heart happy

4 things I don’t eat:
1.  Coconut-the texture kills me
2.  Water Chestnuts-see above reason
3.  Lima beans if I can help it…
4.  …Gosh, I eat most everything…

4 of my favorite foods:
1.  Fresh seafood of any kind
2.  Brussels sprouts (with bacon of course)
3.  Sushi                                                                                                                                                                                        4. Anything salty, to include chips, fries, and anything truly unhealthy.  Darn it.  LOL

4 TV shows I watch: (I don’t have cable anymore, and only get one channel, so anything I see is on HULU besides the Fox network)
1. MasterChef-duh                                                                                                                                                                        2. MasterChef Junior                                                                                                                                                                     3. Chopped                                                                                                                                                                                    4. Iron Chef

4 things I’m looking forward to this year:
1.  Running the Grandma’s marathon (my first time at this race) with my sister!!!                                                                        2.  Visiting my hometown of Duluth MN for the first time in 20 years nearly.                                                                           3.  Planning some sort of trip with my family-somewhere with a beach would be great…                                                     4.  Continuing my decluttering goal as well as working on building my blog and writing more recipes for my cook book.

4 things I’m always saying:
1.  “Huh?” -I get distracted easily and my attention span is shot, sorry guys…
2.  “Good Morning” – I say it at all times of the day, and 99% of the time with a smile                                                                  3.  “I know, right” – I think I may be a born again teen with a 15 yr old daughter.
4.  “That’s what she said”…because it nearly always makes the most innocent statement, well…funny!  😉

So now it’s your turn!!!!

If you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged!

❤ Michelle

food, Tuesday Truth

Time to be true-Two things…

 

 

Ok, so I started last year at a pretty dark place, but managed to finish on a pretty high note with lofty yet achievable goals. Running, writing, and researching recipes are high on my list this year mixed in with some awesome photography…Right?  Um…so yeah…about that…

 

Then, I cut my thumb on Christmas day, and my running, motivation, and goal making days halted all too quickly. BUT…thankfully only for just about a month.  Whew…bullet dodged.  I caveat this with saying I DID NOT/DO NOT want a repeat of last winter.  Ever.  Both the weather, and my mood were beyond frigid.

So here we go…

First:

I started running again last week.  My miles are minimal and my pace is slow as can be…but I’m MOVIN’…can I get a yahoo???  Today at work I had a leadership workshop of sorts to attend so my 8 hour day was squashed in to 4 hours of playing catch up.  I was tired by the time the final ‘bell’ rang, so upon arriving to my daughter’s school I texted my Maria…”I’ll be on the dreadmill in 30 minutes in case you want to join me.”  Of course she did, despite battling a migraine for 5 days, and her virtual hug and push helped get my on the mill.  2.6 miles, complete.

My pace may have slowed, but the passion is still very real.
My pace may have slowed, but the passion is still very real.

Second:

I hit the restart button after the holidays to try and lose my 5-7 lbs of marathon training/winter weight/I’m lazy and just ate all the food weight…so I’m back on MyFitnessPal for anyone else who uses this app, tracking my food and fitness and REALLY trying to stop eating all. the. chips.  I have to giggle when it says I should weigh a certain weight if I continue to eat the way I am because yeah-pre-menopause obviously isn’t calculated in to the equation, and well yeah…I don’t see that number on the scale.  BUT…I’ve just restarted in the last week or so, so baby steps, right?  With that I have been eating high protein/veggie/fruit type of diet, so here is tonight’s easy peasy dinner recipe!

Baked Pork chop with white wine, onion and caper sauce over baby spinach salad

Easy peasy pork in just over 30 minutes!
Easy peasy pork in just over 30 minutes!

What you’ll need (pork chops):

4 thick cut boneless pork chops, seasoned with kosher salt, pepper, and a dash of lemon pepper seasoning on all sides-apply liberally and set aside for about 5 minutes while you get everything preheated.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Pre-heat a non stick pan and add extra virgin olive oil and 1 pat of unsalted butter.  Heat to high heat, and pan sear chops on both sides (5-7 minutes each side-don’t over crowd your pan!) until golden brown and transfer to a baking sheet.  *Tip-line your pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up! Place in your pre-heated oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until your chops have reached 155 degrees-let rest for 10 minutes minimum-chops will reach required temp of 160 degrees by this time.  *Tip-cover with foil while resting your meat.  It helps hold the temperature.

While your chops are baking, make your “sauce.”

Sauce

1 white onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

2 tablespoons of Kalamata olives, chopped

Zest of a lemon

1 cup of white wine

1/4 of cold water mixed with cornstarch to thicken

Kosher salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.

In the same pan you seared your chops, deglaze with the white wine (make sure it’s wine you’d drink!)

Add your onions, garlic, capers, and olives.  Reduce down the liquid by half, and add your seasonings and cornstarch water to thicken.  Add zest just before serving.  I served the spinach and pork with the sauce, who needs dressing/gravy?  Not this girl!

So in order to stay on track with food, fitness, and life in general my TRUE goal this year is to BE CONTENT.  I have said it before, but I’ll say it again.  I am, and I have, ENOUGH.

Who’s with me?  How are your eats and exercise lately?  How do you battle off season eating/motivation?

❤ Michelle