Whats for Dinner: The List

The List-
I had a friend comment after my last dinner post that as much as she liked the idea of meal planning, coming up with that many meal ideas was a little overwhelming. I totally agree and if I had to come up with 7 new dishes a week, I would have thrown in the towel long ago. The answer is my dinner "List".


I started my list with all the meals I could think of that I knew how to make and my family liked. I then went online and found one new recipe to try out. I usually add one new dinner a week, although some weeks I may have two and some weeks nothing new. Every time I get two sets of thumbs up on a new dish, I add it to the list. To keep things balanced I try and make sure to rotate through dishes having one pasta dish, one Mexican dish, a soup or salad and recently a meatless meal of some kind, per week. The "List" has gotten pretty sizable of late and I have recently thought of organizing it in a database of sorts. 


Don't be overwhelmed, it is so worth the effort. I promise once you get meal planning down, you'll never go back.

Monday: Barbecue Chicken with Asparagus
Tuesday: Baja Bowl
Wednesday: Spring Pizza*
Thursday: Cashew Chicken Curry Sandwiches
Friday: Steak Salad
Saturday: Pasta Primavera


Featured Dinner:

Picture taken from the "Eating Well" Website

Spring Pizza
One of my new favorite summer meals. This pizza is so quick and easy. I usually make it on a night I run, because It goes together so fast. I get a whole wheat pizza dough in the Deli section of our grocery store.
Check it out here.

Still going

I have had this running update post half finished for the last few weeks, but struggled to finish it up. Today I deleted it all to start from scratch. So whats the deal? I'm still on track with my training plan. In fact I ran 12 miles this last Sunday. I kinda wanted to send out a blanket text to everyone I know to brag about it. I have three weeks left until the big day. I'm excited and nervous and now that I think of it a little scared.

I'm not scared for the race though, I'm scared for the week after, the "Now what?" I know that I need motivation to keep me on track, but I'm not sure I'm ready to sign up for a another race yet. One day I would love to finish a marathon, but knowing the time commitment that is involved with training is giving me pause. If I don't sign up for a race of some kind, will I still get off my but and run? Will running a 10k after I have finished a half marathon be motivating? Maybe its just that typical let down after any exciting event. I want running to be incorporated into my life, not because I love it or am good at it, but because it's good for me. I just realized that although I may never get any meddles for running, I sure have earned a few for over thinking. 

In the next few weeks I'm going to try something new. Running for the joy of running, not worrying about pace or form or distance. I want to run and enjoy the sunshine, the beauty of nature and the fact that my body is able to be active. Now that I know I can finish 13 miles, I just want to have fun. What a novel idea.

Still learning,

Kristen

Color of May No. 2

This week I'm thankful for:

The sweet smell of rain
A clean house

New shoes

The way Bentley runs around with reckless abandon after a bath

Forgotten songs that I love, rediscovered

The men and women who gave their lives for our freedom

Happy Memorial Day!

What's for Dinner

I have been pondering sharing my weekly meal plan on here for a while now, and decided just last night to take the plunge. After years of talking and thinking about creating a weekly meal plan, I have final got it nailed down. I will admit that it was a struggle at first, but the time it takes at the front end significantly recoups itself over the rest of the week. Not to mention I have been making great food that my family loves. My spice rack has tripled in size.

Through this whole process I have discovered how much I enjoy cooking and I love finding new recipes on blogs and Pinterest. I'll be sharing my current weeks meal plan, featuring one recipe that I will share. What are you having for dinner this week?

Monday: Spaghetti with Penne Pasta and Italian Sausage
Tuesday: Street Style Beef Tacos*
Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pie
Thursday: Sesame Pasta Chicken Salad (First time)
Friday: Pork Roast with Tangy Sauce (First time)

Featured Dinner:

Photo taken from Allrecipes.com

 Taqueria Style Tacos - Carne Asada

This recipe is from Allrecipes.com and has been in the mix for a few years. I use the marinade portion and serve the meat on small flour or white corn tortillas topped with a mix of onion, cilantro and lime.

Get the recipe here and enjoy!

My Day

I had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.

My boys treated me like a princess........

well the dog just chewed on his fox, but I could tell he was doing it for me.

Kristen

Moms

My Mother and Grandmother are truly amazing women. The are so talented, so loving, and so generous. I am very grateful to have been born in to this family of wonderful women. They are creative and strong, independent and funny.

Mom and Grammy,
I love you with all my heart! Thank you for all you have done for me, your love and support. I wish I could spend this day with you, but know that your in my prayers. Have a wonderful day, you certainly deserve it!

Kristen

Color of May No.1

This week I'm thankful for:

Sweet Tea
Running
The beauty all around us

Inspiration from all the wonderful bloggers out there

Hearing laughter ring out in my home

My Mom! Happy Mothers Day

The Color of May

My colors for this month may need some explanation.

• Blue Gray - Is for rain
• White - Is for the trees that bloom outside my house
• Yellow Green - Is for the new little plants growing in my garden

I did a pretty pore job last month keeping up with my "Colors of Life" series. I really enjoy taking pictures, but I was having a hard time fitting it in. Since I take all my photos with my iPhone I don't have any excuses, my camera is always with me. We'll see how May goes. I'm looking forward to finding some rain puddles.

Kristen

First camping trip of the year...burrrr

Something of 20

Im still running and running.......and running. No I haven't stuck to my training schedule completely, but not to worry, this girl is still moving her feet. Once I crossed the half way point something kind of strange happened though, I stopped really caring about the numbers.

Im not going to say that I don't track my runs or pay attention to my pace, it's just that at this point.....who really cares. Im running more, Im running faster and my knee feels less likely to fall off my leg. With a little over a month left in training, I would rather focus on the things that will get me to the finish line in one piece. Who am I kidding, I don't care if I end up in multiple pieces, as long as I finish. If I can make it in under 3 hours, that would be great. The closing ceremonies start three hours after the race begins and I would love to be done before all the food is gone.

From here on out, when I update you on my weekly runs, I will focus more on how I feel than the numbers I ran. Hope you don't mind. Stats are great and all but they dont tell you what's truly going on.

Here's a fun fact for instance, as I was getting my cup of tea ready this morning and had a terribly wonderful realization. I was actually excited about my long run of 10 miles tomorrow morning. If any one finds the screw that's come loose in my head, just let me know. I'll see if I can manage 10 miles with my head rattling around.

Kristen

I'm: In Love

Being in love, in and of itself, isn't all that impressive. Being in love for over 15 years, that's something special. Being in love is just that, a state of being. You make a choice to "Be", it doesn't just magically happen. Falling in love is one thing, but being in love is a choice.

Each and every day, I choose to be in love with this boy that stole my heart so many years ago. I choose to forget about the bad and hold on to the good, knowing that each and every day, he must make the same choice.  My husband isn't perfect and big shocker, neither am I, but I would like to think we are perfect for each other.

Until the day I am no more....I choose love!

Kristen