Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Chicken (Another Hungry Girl Hit!)

I promise you - Lisa Lillien, aka Hungry Girl, does NOT pay me to advertise her recipes.  She might not even like me since I sometimes post things that can't be found online - BUT - hopefully you will be looking further for her delicious recipes and buying a cookbook or two yourself.  She was even on Good Morning America today featuring her breakfast options which are amazing!

Now here is an EASY and DELICIOUS filling recipe that your family will love!  You'd think bacon would be off the table - and turkey bacon can be used - but the center cut bacon is a lot less in fat as well and makes you feel like you're not giving anything up b/c it is truly bacon, just a lot leaner and crispy.

Nutritional Information

This is per serving for (1) 5 oz Chicken Breast Serving (I made 4 since I have a family of 3, and just adapted the ingredients accordingly)

One 5-ounce raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlet
2 tbsp BBQ sauce with appx 45 calories per 2 tablespoon serving
2 slices center cut bacon or turkey bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray.  Season chicken with a dash each of salt and pepper and coat with bbq sauce.  Wrap bacon around chicken and place in the pan.  **For this part, I was a little confused as to how to roll it - but I just played around with it and figured it out.  Then realized there was a picture on another web page!  Ooops**  You can see Lisa's picture here.

Bake in the oven until chicken is fully cooked, about 20 minutes.  Set oven to broil and broil chicken until bacon is crispy, about 4 minutes.

Serve and ENJOY!!!

I served it up with a risotto, but didn't really do a step by step on how I made that.  Basic steps are to sautee some chopped peppers, onions and celery in olive oil.  Once soft, add in 1 cup of arborio rice and sautee for a few minutes, then gradually add in chicken stock.  Along the way, continue to add stock to keep the risotto from drying out.  Also add in a touch of parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and a smidgen of half and half.  It's one of my husband's favorites, so although I know it's not "Hungry Girl" worthy, I will continue to indulge him and simply practice portion control for myself.

Simple side dishes - sauteed spinach with some garlic and mixed with parmesan cheese...and some No Sugar Added ruby red grapefruit - love that stuff!

Coconut Shrimp and Yummy Noodles!

Okay...let me just give a YUMMY shout out for this one!  I love me some coconut fried shrimp, but this one was BAKED and very healthy and low cal/low fat/low everything!  And I did not change a THING from her original recipe!!!   Delicious and I served it with the Fettucine Alfredo from her cookbook that I have made in the past.  Along with some edamame! 

	HG's Sweet Coconut Crunch Shrimp
	Bigtime Shrimp!
	Once you start popping these sweet-n-crispy shrimp, you're not gonna be able to stop. Good thing they're guilt-free... Ingredients: 1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original) 1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut 3 tbsp. panko breadcrumbs 1/4 tsp. chili powder 1/8 tsp. garlic powder 1/8 tsp. black pepper Dash salt 12 oz. (about 20) raw large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed 3 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original) HG Tip! If your coconut shreds are somewhat long, give 'em a rough chop! Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cereal in a sealable plastic bag and, removing as much air as possible, seal. Using a meat mallet or heavy can, carefully crush cereal through the bag. Add sweetened coconut, panko breadcrumbs, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt to the bag; seal and shake to mix. Transfer mixture to a large plate and set aside. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside. Pat shrimp with paper towels to ensure they are completely dry. Combine shrimp with egg substitute in a bowl and toss lightly to coat. One at a time, shake excess egg from shrimp and transfer to the coconut-crumb mixture, gently patting and flipping to coat. Evenly place coated shrimp on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 - 12 minutes, until outsides are crispy and lightly browned and insides are cooked through. Serve and enjoy! MAKES 4 SERVINGS
	Serving Size: 1/4th of recipe, about 5 shrimp Calories: 164 Fat: 4.5g Sodium: 266mg Carbs: 12g Fiber: 2g Sugars: 3.5g Protein: 19.5g PointsPlus® value 4*

Fettuccine Alfredo with a PointsPlus® value of 2*!!! Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo! (81 Calories, 3g Fat, 242mg Sodium, 9g Carbs, 4g Fiber, <1g Sugars, 4g Protein = PointsPlus® value 2*) This recipe will rock your world.  Share it with everyone you know...ASAP!

Ingredients: 1 Package Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Tofu Noodles 1/2 Wedge The Laughing Cow Light Cheese 1 teaspoon Fat Free Sour Cream 2 teaspoons Kraft Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese Salt & Pepper (if desired) Rinse fettuccine noodles VERY well.  Microwave them for one minute, then drain them and pat dry. Add cheeses and sour cream.  Mix thoroughly.  Microwave to help melt cheese further, and mix some more.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy.  Serves 1. My pics: I made a dipping sauce with horseradish sauce and orange marmalade - still LOW in calories and everything else! Love me some edamame!!! For whatever reason, my noodles picture won't come through, so just look at hers and admire.  It is SUCH a great way to eat pasta without any guilt!!! Went on an 8 mile walk tonight and made yet ANOTHER HG recipe - some delicous bacon wrapped chicken.  Will post that tomorrow b/c it was deemed another home run!!!

Melissa D'Arabians Shrimp Recipe and Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Alfredo!

Wow.  Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like you completely hit the nail on the head with a meal, and it is also healthy?  That was tonight - DELICIOUS!  Thank you Melissa D'Arabian for an AMAZING shrimp recipe tonight!  I paired it with a brand new endeavour using Tofu Shirataki Fettucine noodles...and when you can eat Fettucine Alfredo with no guilt, it makes it just better and better!  A simple side salad, and here was my delicious and healthy plate for the evening!

I am still learning how to take these pictures so that they look more inviting, but let's just say that Melissa's shrimp over this HEALTHY fettucine alfredo with a side salad was just DELISH.

Let me post her shrimp recipe first.  The ONLY thing I would have changed would have been to use 2 tbsp instead of one of the pesto mixture when stirring in the shrimp b/c it would give it more of a crispy sear with the delicious elements it included.  But it was super delicious as is!  Here are the ingredients, minus the pecans because I accidentally left them off my grocery list so sweet hubby was at the store buying them.

I did want to share a "trick" when you are peeling and deveining the shrimp to save on extra plates etc.  I kept the peeled shrimp in the middle of the white paper it came on.  I then did the peeling and put those parts to the right of the shrimp, and put the peeled shrimp to the left.  Once complete, I could take the peeled shrimp off and do any deveining needed.  And just simply roll up the white paper with the shells and put in the plastic bag it came in so that it won't stink up your garbage can!  Just a tip :)

Ingredients

Pesto:

• 1 lime
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves (I used about a cup to make sure it wasn't too overpowering)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shrimp:

• 3/4 pound raw medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt

Directions

Pesto: Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lime and juice the entire lime for about 2 tablespoons of juice. (P.S.  go ahead and zest the whole lime so that you will have 1-2 tsp of zest for future!  Just set it aside in a separate container.)  Combine the zest and juice with the cilantro, green onions, chopped pecans, chopped garlic, sugar, vegetable oil, and extra-virgin olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until well-combined, but still slightly chunky. Season the pesto with salt, and pepper, to taste.

Shrimp: In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the pesto. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the shrimp until just opaque and pink, about 3 minutes. Put a generous spoonful of pesto into a serving bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Serve the remaining pesto on the side or freeze for another use.

I have decided that Melissa must be my long lost sister.  Her choice of ingredients is SO similar to mine and I feel lucky to use her as a base and make teeny tiny adjustments.

Fettucine Alfredo Using Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Noodles

My sister and niece had told me about these during their recent visit.  Okay - who doesn't LOVE pasta?  But who hates the carbs and calories that come with them?  For an 8 oz package of these beauties, there are 40 calories total with .5 grams of fat and 3 carbs, although there are 2 grams of fiber, so basically that's 1 net carb.  NO sugar and 1 gram of protein with a few trace vitamins.  I was doubtful until I made the recipe on the bag which is from Hungry Girl - I have to go check out her site b/c this was seriously rock star!

HG's Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Alfredo

1 package of the noodles
2 tbsp fat free cream cheese (okay - ours was low fat)
2 tsp reduced fat Parmesan grated topping
1 tsp fat free sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Drain and rinse the Tofu noodles thoroughly.  Parboil for 2-3 minutes, then dry very well.  Add cream cheese, parmesan and sour cream.   Mix well.  Microwave for 1 additional minute and then mix again.  Add salt and pepper. 

This recipe is approximately 95 calories with 2 grams of fat for the whole thing!  Hubby and I split it so b/c my Parmesan was not reduced fat and cream cheese was low fat (not fat free) I would guesstimate that total was maybe 180 calories - so that is 90 calories a piece!!! 

I definitely had my doubts - but no longer!  It is much more expensive than regular pasta, but if you like your carbs like we do, it is SO worth it so enjoy it without the guilt!

Paired it all with a side salad

and the meal was filling, healthy and if I had to guesstimate calorie wise, less than 500 calories!

For those who are following my fitness journey, I had an AWESOME walk on the treadmill at 4 mph with incline between 4 and 6.  At times, my calves and shin splints were a little mega sore, so I went back and forth.  Burned 540 calories and felt GREAT! 

Tomorrow we get to SLEEP in as late as we want!!!  We plan on taking a nice long walk in our hilly neighborhood and get some much needed Vitamin D.

Thanks again Sue and Sarah for the turn on to the noodles!  Will definitely be playing around with those quite a bit in the near future!!!  Not gonna even tell Julia of the substitution!!!

A Fancy Schmancy Meal...and a TOUGH Run!

Back in late July, I was proud enough of making a yummy Melissa D'Arabian recipe, then posting to her wall about it and she commented (so I thought I was the coolest cat ever)...but I guess I never posted it or took any pics.  Let's just say that it was good enough to make the cut again and was just as wonderful as it was last time!  Just by serving the rib(s) over polenta and with a side salad, it was a restaurant quality meal and on the cheap!

Here is the full episode recipe from Food Network TV, and below are my "common folk" notes because I actually watched the episode and took notes instead of following her recipe online.

Country Style Pork Ribs

1 pound or so of country style pork ribs, bone in
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Vegetable Oil
Garlic
Tomato Paste (I used tomato soup b/c I was out)
1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
Chicken Stock
Red Pepper Flakes (I omitted)
Bay Leaves

Start by salting and peppering the ribs and sear them in a hot pan with olive oil.  You will want a nice crust on them, so get the pan.  Once they are browned, take them out and start to build a braising liquid by adding in some chopped celery, carrots and onions.  You may need a touch more oil, and also add some chopped garlic and tomato paste (or tomato soup worked in a pinch tonight).  Add in 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan.  Use some red pepper flakes if you want some heat; or a few bay leaves.  Add the ribs back in and add chicken stock - just enough to cover halfway up the meat.  Bring that to a simmer and then put the covered pan in the oven at 350 degrees.  Cook for an hour with the lid on and 1/2 hour with the lid off.

Creamy Polenta

1 cup of milk
1 cup of half and half (I used almond milk tonight b/c we were out)
1/3 cup of coarse corn grits (polenta)
butter
parmesan cheese

Melissa says the ratio of cornmeal to liquid is 1 to 7 - but you start with 1 to 6 in a saucepan using 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of half and half and 1/3 cup of coarse corn grits.  Add in some butter and salt.  Whisk them and then spray a slow cooker with cooking spray.  After 20 minutes or so, I then poured the polenta mixture in there and cooked it for a few hours on high.  I cooked it about an hour and a half tonight and it was a good consistency.  This way you don't have to "nurse" it but can stir it once every 30 minutes or so.  Right before serving, add in some grated parmesan cheese, and if you want (and if your calorie content allows, you can add in a bit more half and half (to get to the 1-7 ratio) and butter).  But with just the cheese, it's still tasty.  Mine looks so messy - remember - I'm still learning!

So the meal was the good part of the day.  The tough part was my run - my 10 K is this coming Monday and I know for a fact I am undertrained.  But I was bound and determined to do 5 miles today so that at least I know I'm close.  And I did - but it was not pretty.  My knee was aching, my hips started hurting and just as I was nearing the finish line I started to get nauseous - a combination of speeding it up too much in the last 5 minutes along with not eating nearly enough throughout the day to fuel my body with energy. 

So literally, I finished, hopped off the treadmill, and let's just say I had a quick "puke-a-rooskie" but then felt fine.   I know gross - TMI.  But hey...I'm hoping some runners out there might have some pointers for me so that is not how I cross the finish line on Monday!  Definitely learned my lesson fueling up during the day.  Timewise it was okay...not my goal, but close to it, and I really need to be sure I am setting realistic expectations for myself so that I am not disappointed.  I did stretch out a lot, then took a nice hot bath with mineral spirits or whatever they are called - to help with aches and pains. 

I'm trying to figure out my game plan for the next few days...don't want to over do it for sure, but also I want to keep on running.  I'm thinking maybe 4 tomorrow, walking on Thursday, 6 on Friday and then walking on Saturday and Sunday so that I have fresh legs on Monday.  Does anyone have any thoughts other than "you should have started training sooner than just two weeks ago!!!"  It's just that the race is so close by and I drove the course today...relatively flat and it's one where you turn around at the halfway point and I like those better for some reason.

Thank goodness my awesome supportive husband has all the faith in the world in me that I CAN DO THIS!  Now it just has to rub off on me :)

Alrighty - a few more chapters of my book "Pope Joan" and then off to bed.  I planned on an earlier bedtime but I am just way too entrenched in my night owl ways!

Putting on the Ritz...Taco Salad Pictures Tomorrow

Many of you who actually know me for real know that today is my ONE YEAR anniversary - being married to the most awesome man who could ever exist is just a dream come true.  Obviously since I have a 15 year old, I have been married before, but this time is just SO different.  It is a true partnership - one where we honestly love each other more each day and concentrate on doing the small things for each other.  So...he had a surprise up his sleeve for last night, and my only clue was to "wear something dressy."

So I obliged of course, and got the surprise of my life.  Of course he had to be "funny" and kept saying we were going to Waffle House and actually did pull into the parking lot and was about to park...when he did say he was kidding.  Whew!

We were to stay at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead and have dinner at Ruth Chris - two adventures I had never had!  I had always heard about the Ritz - how all employees are just over the top happy and acknowledging and empowered.  And it is totally true.  We checked in and they were literally oozing over us.  Acknowledging our anniversary and announcing our upgrade to a corner room.  Every time we passed an employee, they were greeting us and being sure we had everything we needed!

And would we like a complimentary glass of champagne to take to our room - uh - duh, yeah!  So we arrive in our GORGEOUS HUGE room with views of the skyline all around and there is a small chocolate cake with a HAND WRITTEN note to Mr. and Mrs. John Carroll to congratulate us on our anniversary.  Really...could it get much better?  Very nicely done John - seriously amazing!!!

So...we sit in the room for 45 minutes or so sipping on champagne and admiring the view before dinner.  We talk, and reminisce and just enjoy the time before we head out to dinner.  The "courtesy car" (a Lincoln Navigator!) comes to pick us up and we go to Ruth Chris Steak House, about a mile down the road. 

I found the PERFECT choice on the menu for me - I hate being stuck with just one option so for $34 (way less than most entrees), I found an AWESOME choice - a "Mixed Grill" that included a crab cake, a mucho petite filet and a small chicken piece stuffed with an herbed sauce.

We started with salads.  His was the classic caesar, and let me just say that the Harvest Salad may be the best thing EVER!  It was a spring mix - with goat cheese crumbles, cajun spiced pecans, dried cherries (the bomb dot com), and crispy onion straws on top with the most ridiculously delicious dressing ever.  I put it to the side halfway through to save room.

So the meal came and it was phenomenal.  But alas, I was stuffed.  Literally from all the hard fitness work I had done the week to 10 days before, I felt like my stomach had shrunk.  And I WANTED to finish it.  But couldn't.  I bribed the waiter with money so that he would buy a styrofoam cooler so I could have it for lunch today.  I asked if we could meet him at 11 AM today so I could have my leftovers.  But no dice.  It's all good.  I just know that next time I go to Ruth Chris we WILL have a place for leftovers!  Believe it or not (and I counted EVERYTHING), I came in at 8 calories UNDER for Saturday!

We went back to the Ritz and were treated like royalty again the second we stepped in the beautiful palace like hotel.  I admired the crystal chandeliers in the elevator and all the gorgeous artwork and architectural details...and had a wonderful night's sleep in a super comfy bed.

We awoke to our AJC in a FANCY bag,

and slowly got ready for the buffet breakfast that was included with the package that John had gotten.  I had to giggle when I read the room service menu and honestly found a breakfast that would have been $575!!!  Really???  Who does that?!?

Even with an "all you can eat" option, I chose a two egg white omelette with spinach, mushroom, tomatoes and peppers, as well as some fruit and bacon.  It was amazing, and I just wish I was not so shy about taking pictures in restaurants!  Oh...and I tried smoked salmon...not my favorite but glad I could try it for "free" so I knew not to order it!

We headed home after a goodbye to the Ritz



And we took a 4.5 mile walk (in our HILLY neighborhood) as well as did some yardwork. Believe it or not both our regular and miniature gardenia bushes are blooming, so I picked some blooms and put them in water for a wonderful look and smell!

We kind of giggled as we felt like we should be totally relaxing, but it was stuff that needed doing, so it was all good.  For dinner, John wanted Taco Salad, and who was I to say no after this AMAZING anniversary present?!?  More on that tomorrow complete with pictures! 

In the meantime, I got our family 3 tickets to see Train at Chastain Park on Friday, September 7th as an anniversary present.  And next year, I will plan the dinner and a night out so we can switch gears every year.

Not sure how I am allowed to be so blessed but sometimes just a fancy night out really rejuvenates you and renews you and relaxes you.  I am the happiest of happy - that's for SURE!!!

A 4 Mile Run...From Boredom to Guilt to Runner's High (And ADD the Entire Time)

First of all...let me just say what just got through a FOUR mile run on the treadmill!!!  YOU.  And you and you and you.  Seriously, it was almost as if I composed this post while running and it was helpful knowing how proud I would be to be able to post it.  Let me start off by saying that I LOVE walking on the treadmill at a 4 mph pace and an incline of 6.  I love it b/c I can multitask and watch TV that I have DVRed...or sometimes even a movie.  I truly think I could walk all day long.

Running...I will admit...I don't love it.  I'm frustrated b/c in the 43 minutes I ran, it only logged me as burning 380 calories whereas my walk as noted above burns 450.  And the first 10 minutes or so, I was BORED.   That quickly turned into guilt - lots of things that needed doing.  What I DID learn was that next time I will finish my to do list BEFORE my run so that my mind can slow down and I can eliminate the guilt!

I used my IPod b/c I figure I won't be able to run the half marathon I want to run while watching TV, so I'd better get used to running to music.  Yesterday, I had it on Pandora, but I am definitely a song skipper...I can tell in 3 or 4 notes if it's a song I want to run to.

Ummm...in 43 minutes, I went through 225 songs.  Of course I did not LISTEN to all of those songs, but I heard a few chords and then either hit skip or let it play.  Interesting choices I made.  The Glamorous Life by Sheila E made the cut.  Bright Side of the Road by Van Morrison got almost a full listen.  Along others that I heard at least part of were Let's Get Ready to Rumble (Jock Jams), Mr. Brightside (The Killers), Werewolves of London (Warren Zevon), Keep on Growing (Sheryl Crow), Last Chance (Shooting Star), What Was I Thinking (Dierks Bentley), Pump up the Jam (Technotronic), Hero Takes a Fall (Bangles) and Glamorous (Fergie).

My original goal was 40 minutes...but b/c I slowed my pace a bit so I can run longer, I realized that I wouldn't hit 4 miles.  So the second that Ballroom Blitz came on, I somehow did the math and realized that if I cranked up my pace to 6 mph, I would only have to run a few more minutes and could hit 4 miles.  So I did it and ran FOUR miles in a ROW, in 43 minutes.  I know - super slow for many of you, but it's a start, and I will continue to keep this up and run my half marathon(s).

Gotta boogie now and shower, then get a haircut before our date night out!  Still no idea of where we are going.  But can't wait to spend an awesome evening with the love of my life.  And my anniversary present to him is for the whole family - but can't spoil it here, so will share tomorrow.

Thanks for being there to cheer me on during my run.  I hope it gets easier...and funner...and that I get faster.  But for now, I am enough.  And I am continuously practicing self improvement and doing the best I can do so I am the best I can be.

Oh...on a food note, I did find that by using My Fitness Pal I was MUCH more conscious of the appetizers at Book Club last night.  I started off with a HUGE plate of watermelon and grapes and then nibbled on a few chips and dips, but really did well. 

Promise I will get back to cooking, especially once the damn fridge is fixed.  Needs two new parts so most everything is STILL crammed into the small fridge in our garage.  NOT an ideal situation for someone who loves to cook!!

"We Are Family"

So I digress...I guess this blog will not be ALL about cooking!  I would also like to branch out a bit into fitness, health, books, and whatever else is on my mind.  Today's topic brought on by this last weekend's amazing family weekend will focus on fitness.  I can't tell you how great it was to walk with my sister and niece each day of their visit - we walked a full hour each day, and this is in our VERY hilly neighborhood.  At the end of the visit, we promised we would keep each other motivated and inspired, and one week later, I can absolutely say 100% that the visit did me a world of good.

Those who know me have seen my "all or nothing" approach to things.  If I can't get in a full hour of exercise then why bother.  If I can only read one or two chapters at a time, what is the point?  It is a flaw for sure - I will get SO gung ho on something (Boot Camp, Body Pump, Walking, Visalus Shakes) - whatever it is - and then I simply fizzle after awhile.  Now that I have my new BEST FRIEND My Fitness Pal (check it out if you haven't!!!) I have such a great way to hold myself accountable, and also take my fitness journey with others.  And now I have all of you whom I do not want to let down!

I am surprised my computer is even working right now as I am dripping sweat all over it as I type.  But I was so excited to just post my fitness accomplishments for today onto My Fitness Pal.  I barely got off the treadmill and ran to my phone to log them.  Not only did I do the 45 minute Pump and Shred (Les Mills Body Pump - a weight training DVD) but I RAN 2 and 1/2 miles on the treadmill at a 6 mph pace (a 10 minute mile - a good start).  The ironic part, hence the title, was that I had my I Phone on Pandora on the "Disco Mix" channel, and the last song to come on was "We Are Family".  Oh how many weddings have we boogied up a storm to that song, including mine, just last August 26th.

It's funny how though I planned to keep this blog so food focused and not really share too much else, it's kind of fun to recap my days with others - some total complete strangers whom I have never even met.  Did I mention I actually have 50 or so page views in Russia?  Shout out to you guys overseas!  And a handful in Germany, the Netherlands and Costa Rica...is that you in Costa Rica, Chrissy?  I never thought I would have so much fun with this, but it is a great way to just freestyle write about whatever I want to.

Now that I have opened up my soul to those who are NOT on Fitness Pal, I feel I will hold myself accountable to myself and to you on here as well.  I won't promise miracles, but I will do what I can to keep on going on a day by day basis.  There will be some days when I need a rest day - that has been one of my mistakes in the past actually.  The Les Mills Pump program SCHEDULES for rest days and I would always skip them...and then burn out rather quickly.  So I promise to listen to my body and do the best I can to take care of it.  Hey - it's the only one I got.

I have some weight goals in my mind - did you really think I'd share numbers with you?  Hell to the no!  BUT...I do want to run another 1/2 marathon this year - maybe two.  Sarah...send me the link when you can!  I will remind you by text as well.  There is one in Athens, GA (my alma mater old stomping grounds and you actually get to run around Sanford Stadium!!!) that will be hilly, but a good test run, and then one in flat Florida in November that I would love to run with my niece.

For now, I am me and I am enough.  I am inspired by others, and I hope one day to be an inspiration to others.  I have so many good and wonderful things in my life and I have made the most of a lot of God awful things in my life.  We are who we choose to be.  So today, be yourself and have an AWESOME DAY!

Tomorrow is "date night" - my hubby has a surprise evening planned for our one year anniversary and all he has hinted is that it is dressy.  So I will take my magic pill and lose 20 pounds before tomorrow night.  Ha ha.  Wishful thinking.  I WILL take my vitamins in about 1/2 hour and then a long, HOT shower before heading to book club tonight.  And I WILL get in my exercise for tomorrow, most likely using Sunday as a rest day to relax and read on the porch.

Ciao for now!!!!


Mari