Recipes, Sunday Supper

Shoes and Sunday Supper

Sundays are always usually a good day in my household when I am not scheduled to work.  I think because of a few reasons.  Some of which being, I normally do most of my laundry Friday night, and spend the majority of Saturday trying to get the chores done around the house.  I do this, so I can at least have ONE day to have some fun, be it relaxing, shopping, what have you.  I also almost always cook Sunday Supper, even if it’s something simple.  But I’m jumping ahead…

Every few months the girls and I love to head out to our local consignment stores to pick up a few things.  I LOVE clothes, always have, but I don’t love paying full price for anything other than a new pair of running shoes…you just can’t buy those used.  My youngest, S, loves ‘Once Upon a Child’ and will spend quite a bit of time going through the leggings, skirts, and shirts to create the perfect outfit.  Today we got her several outfits to include a handful of skirts, a couple pairs of pants, a dress for spring, 2 pairs of tennis shoes and several shirts.  We walked out of the store with a large garbage sized bag of clothes for $88 and change. WINNING.

Next it was my eldest daughter J’s turn to shop. She isn’t as big on the whole consignment shopping gig, but realizes it gets her more clothes, more often, so she is pretty good about being thankful.  She ended up with 8 or so shirts, and me with a running vest, two running tanks, and a pair of Converse along with S getting 2 work out T’s for just over $100.  If you would have paid retail for these clothes between both stores (name brands included Hollister, Forever 21, American Eagle etc) we would have paid at least 2-3 thousand dollars I am guessing.  Yet we paid 200 bucks.  More WINNING.

That got J and I talking as we drove to a running store for me to test drive some shoes.  Even if we HAD the money, would we pay full price for something as silly as clothes?  We agreed, nope…All 3 of us love getting new items, and tire easily of our wardrobe so it’s awesome in my eyes, that we can share our bargain shopping together.  ❤

Pic credit: retailmenot.com
Pic credit: retailmenot.com

I also, test drove these bad boys that I think are the winner winner of my marathon training’s chicken dinner.  Hope to have time to pick them up tomorrow so I can give them a test drive on Tuesday.  (I need a neutral running shoe that still provides cushion and stability-these seem perfect!)

Brooks Launch 2's
Brooks Launch 2’s

Since the hubby is home briefly for his drill weekend (his first weekend as the Commander I might add, woop woop so proud!) I jumped at the chance to make our traditional Sunday Supper.  I kept it simple as J had Badminton practice tonight.  (She’s super excited to try out for the HS team, and it’s nice to see her excited about, well, anything other than locking herself in her room to read).

Tonight we have for you, a stuffed chicken tenderloin served with roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed cauliflower and red cabbage.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Chicken

1 package of tenderloins, dried and pounded out with a tenderizer.  Season each piece with kosher salt, and pepper.

Place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

Layer each piece of chicken with one piece of prosciutto, and one piece of mozzarella cheese that have been cut 1/8 inch thick.  Top with another chicken tenderloin.  Repeat until all tenderloins have been “stuffed” and topped.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and season lightly with Italian seasonings.  Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  (Don’t worry when you see a lot of the cheese oozing out, it’s magic happening!)

Fingerling potatoes

Wash potatoes with cool water, and dry on a kitchen towel.  Place the potatoes in a bowl and add 2 cloves of minced garlic, kosher salt and pepper to taste, and 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Drizzle in a couple teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, and mix well.  Pour the tots on to a cookie sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.  Ensure there is an even layer, and place in the oven with the chicken, on the bottom rack. Cooking time is the same as the chicken; ensure tots are cooked until fork tender.

Cauliflower and Red cabbage

Clean and chop one head of white cauliflower, set aside.  Mince 1 clove of garlic, and add to a pan that is heated to medium/high heat with extra virgin olive oil.  Add in a pinch of red pepper flakes, and sauté for about 2 minutes. (Don’t burn the garlic!!) Add in the cauliflower, and cook until the veg has a bite to it still.  In the last minute or two, add in 1/4 cup of chopped red cabbage. Season with kosher salt and pepper.  Garnish with a pinch of parsley.

this pic really doesn't do the dish justice.  GREAT comfort food right here. And healthy too!
this pic really doesn’t do the dish justice. GREAT comfort food right here. And healthy too!

Questions!  Do you try to have one family meal each week?  What are your feelings on consignment shopping?  What are your favorite running shoes?

Have a great week, y’all!!

 

❤ Michelle

 

Recipes, running, training, Uncategorized

Weekend wrap up, fitness, and food in no particular order…

Last week was a tough week for me.  I’m not sure if it was the bitter temps, or the hubby traveling for the second week in a row but I admittedly found myself in tears more times than I care to admit.  My eldest daughter tried my patience, multiple times, and I found myself with my head in my hands choking back the sobs early Friday morning.  Could I DO this yet another week on my own?  And then at around 9:30 a.m. while I was at work I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.  “I’m sorry for being grumpy this morning.”  Smiles…I immediately felt better.  It’s amazing what a simple acknowledgement to even unintentional hurts can do…so as the day went on, we planned a nice dinner out after school/work to celebrate another week of surviving Chiberia 2015.  J and S decided on our favorite Mexican place called Sergio’s.  If you are ever in the western suburbs of Chicagoland I highly recommend it.  It’s family owned and operated, has fresh ingredients, and SOOOO affordable.

Doesn't get much better than this...
Doesn’t get much better than this…

Today, as most non-working outside of the house Saturdays go, I had a full schedule.  I had planned on meeting up with my run club for coffee after my dreadmill run, but I slept through my alarm and started my day an hour and a half behind schedule.  The hubby arrived home late last night, but only for his Army drill weekend so I saw him all of 30 minutes.  But that extra glass of wine probably was NOT a good idea seeing the fact I had 6 miles on deck this morning.  I got up, ate my tablespoon of PB with chia seeds, texted Maria, and hopped on the ‘mill. I knew immediately this was going to be tough.  Barely half of a mile in, and I wanted to cry.  I cussed quietly, at myself, the ‘mill, and anyone who would listen.  And at 60 minutes, the ‘mill reset, and real tears formed in my eyes.  I wasn’t quite finished with my 6 miler, but thankfully I finished.  That is all I can say.  I did it.  It sucked.  And Mother Nature could bring on spring like temps ANY time now…please…

Week 1, long run, DONE.
Week 1, long run, DONE.

After my run it was time to EAT.  It’s been a while since I said 6 miles was a long run, but I was famished.  What did I eat? Check it out…

My go-to post long run meal.  Yup...bacon and eggs.
My go-to post long run meal. Yup…bacon and eggs.

And then it was time to shower, and tackle 3 hours of housework.  I turned up the tunes, scrubbed bathrooms, vacuumed floors, dusted, washed bedding, and mopped.  My house now looks and smells amazing! YAY!!  Then, it was time to shop for the week so the girls and I headed to Aldi to stock up on groceries.  I love this store sooooo much.  My basket was completely full of fresh produce, fish, chicken and healthy snacks for such a reasonable price. Winning!

So tonight for dinner I decided to make something simple after such a busy day.  I made a yummy gluten free pasta dish, that had my famous semi-homemade marinara sauce.

Here’s what you’ll need for the sauce:

1 package of turkey sausage links cut into bite size pieces

1 cup of diced pancetta

1 small white onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 baby Portobello mushrooms, chopped

Crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, kosher salt and pepper to taste

Here’s what to do:

In a wide sauce pan heat a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Add in your onion, garlic, mushrooms and red pepper flakes and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add the turkey sausage and pancetta and cook through for about 12 minutes.  Season with kosher salt, pepper, and Italian herbs to taste.  Once the sausage is cooked through, drain off the grease.  Also, wipe your pan out with paper towels removing the excess grease.  Add everything back into the pan, and pour in a jar of your favorite marinara sauce.  Taste for seasoning, adding in more S&P if needed.  Let simmer for about 25 minutes.  The longer, the better…

I served over gluten free rotini, and as always it was a hit with my family.

Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese!
Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese!

Lessons learned this week:

1. Running is hard.  Running on the treadmill? Even harder.

2. Teen kiddos will test us more than nearly almost anything in life.  We won’t always pass, but there is always room for growth.

3. Knowing your passions in life, and participating in said passions is freeing…really.

4. Ask someone how THEIR day is, or what THEY are up to…it truly can make a difference.

5. It’s ok to cry. But don’t forget to wipe away those tears and move forward.

I am rounding out the week with 15 miles of running, 1 yoga work out, and strength training as well.

Questions!

How was your week?  How do you deal with one sided conversations?  What are your favorite “easy meals?”

❤ Michelle

 

running

Three things, Thursday

I haven’t slept worth crap (is sleep really worth crap?  I digress…) this week.  I can pretty much pin point the problem, but it’s a good problem if that makes sense…

1.  I am breaking up with my love of my nightly glass (or 2 or 3) of wine.  For those that know me, you know I LOVE wine.  I love researching vineyards, checking out new wines featured in the “Wine Spectator”  magazine, and my husband and I enjoy attending wine dinners.  And so my habit formed, and I saw myself downing at least 2 large glasses in the evening, which of course let to a “good night’s sleep.”  But was it good?  Nah…I wake up feeling unrested, and sluggish.  Hung over?  Nah…I’m not THAT bad, lol.  But unrested regardless.  So this week with my goal of not only having fun training for my hubby’s first half marathon, I decided we needed to cut back on our other passion…sorry wine…you and I will still meet up, but at a lesser frequency.

 

tee hee
tee hee

2.  Sometimes, people will hurt our feelings.  I will leave this one a bit vague…but I will say I have a teenage daughter.  (Enough said?  lol)

Despite having a great day at work, my heart got the best of me, and I let attitudes and looks nearly ruin my day.  I went upstairs to change in to my running clothes, yet really I just wanted to sit in the bathroom and cry silent tears.  I splashed water on my face, got my gear on, and came downstairs to get ready with my husband for our 4 mile run.  Thursdays work perfectly for our run as we drop our youngest off at the Park District at dance class for an hour, which is just enough time to run and peak in and see her dance for a few minutes.  But my oldest saw my face…and knew I was upset after I finished getting ready.  “Mom, can I have a hug?”  Of course…I love my daughters dearly…#sigh

daughter

3.  My husband and I had a GREAT run.  Neither of us has been feeling very rested…between the wine, and working more hours than we can count, we decided tonight’s run we would take it easy.  We did our speed/hill work out Tuesday, so tonight we planned on settling in with him letting me dictate the pace.  My goal was to keep it under a 9:30 pace, with a desired average pace of 9:15.  We finished at a average pace of 9:18, and the best part?  Him looking at me nearly bewildered saying, “That was a GREAT run, and I felt like I could’ve kept going!”  WIN.  During our run along the Fox River we spotted several fisherman that had 6-8 fishing poles set up.  My husband remarked, “Just think, some of these guys are probably relying on those fish for dinner.”  And suddenly my piles of student loans and debt seemed very small…and I silently slapped myself in the head for always wanting more…

Oh, and my hubby has learned this lesson too during his long runs…LOL

Doh!  Embrace the chafe?  LOL
Doh! Embrace the chafe? LOL

How is your week going?  Do you use speed/hills in your training? How do you prevent chafing?  (I use good ole Vaseline)  Have you counted your blessings tonight?  There is still time…

 

❤ Michelle