2012

It's been a long time, my friends, but I was in the mood for some blogging during these last few hours of 2011.

I know I have my 101 in 1001, but I do have some new goals for 2012.

Fitness: Run a 10 miler (registered TODAY) and a half (probably Richmond again). DO NOT QUIT RUNNING OVER THE SUMMER.

Food: Try at least one new recipe a week.

Marriage: Less "eating out," more dates.

Health: Floss.

Spiritual: Read my Bible more often.

Intellectual: Read more books just for me. Blog at least once a week.

There we go. :-)

Mr. Discovery and I are going to have our Christmas morning tomorrow. We waited to get things on sale for each other since we bought a house. (Oh, I never told you that we bought a house, did I?)

Other 101 in 1001 Updates... I have crossed off the following...

1. Run another 5k

18. Buy a home

27. Buy a new rug for the living room

38. Save up for house down payment

54. Go to Disney

58. Go to Busch Gardens

93. Discover a new musician

97. Go to a Flying Squirrels baseball game

Happy New Year!

Well, it's been a while. I started school a few weeks ago, and we moved back to Charlottesville last weekend. It's been quite a rollercoaster the past month. It's hard to believe that we no longer live in Richmond and that we won't be going to Gayton anymore. That was one of the hardest goodbyes for sure. School is going well, but it is very busy for sure. Mr. Discovery has stepped into the classroom for the first time this year; he actually accepted the job while we were on vacation in Disney World! It has been an adjustment and he finally is able to see how tiring teaching is. Haha.
We had a pretty crazy week weather-wise. First some intense thunderstorms, then an earthquake, then a hurricane, which left us without power for days, and finally flooding! All of this was in about 10 days or fewer. It was crazy!
Obviously, the weather and the transitions have made training for the Richmond half marathon quite difficult, but I have been able to get some good longer runs that have been encouraging. :-)

Today, I want to take a moment to thank those who gave their lives on this day ten years ago. May God be with our country and especially those who lost loved ones that day as we all remember 9/11.

Some Recent Eats

We've had some travelling, houseguests, and sicknesses around the Discovery household, so the cooking took a bit of a sidebar, but here are some recent eats. :-)

Spicy Chipotle Meatballs, Real Simple Magazine

Buffalo Chicken Salad, Clean Eating Magazine, March 2011

 Ingredients:
-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-Olive oil cooking spray
-1 tsp smoked paprika
-1 tsp chile powder
-1/8 tsp salt
-1/2 sweet onion
-1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
-5 tbsp low-fat buttermilk
-1 to 1 1/2 tbsp all-natural hot sauce
-1 head romaine lettuce, thick spines removed
-1 head red leaf lettuce, thick spines removed
-1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
-1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
-1 cup peeled and shredded carrots
-2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (I omitted)

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler to high. Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cookign spray. Lightly mist chicken with cooking spray and sprinkle both sides with paprika, chile powder, and salt. Broil 6-8 inches from heat until center is no longer pink, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting into bite sized chunks.
2. In a blender, puree onion, yogurt, buttermilk, and 1 tbsp hot sauce. Taste and add remaining hot sauce if you want more heat. Divide romaine and red leaf lettuce among four plates and top with bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots, and chicken, dividing each evenly. Serve yogurt mixture on the side or drizzle evenly over each plate. Sprinkle with blue cheese and serve immediately.

The Verdict: Very tasty. Will make again.

Orange Salmon with Asparagus, Clean Eating Magazine, June 2011

Ingredients:
-Zest one orange
-1/4 cup freshly squeezed OJ
-1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
-2 tsp grated ginger
-4 6oz boneless, skinless salmon fillets
- 16 asparagus spears, trimmed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine first four ingredients and set aside.
2. Cut 4 large pieces of parchment paper and place 1 salmon fillet onto each piece. Divide asparagus spears among pieces of parchment, topping the fillets. Pour orange juice mixture over each fillet, and, working with one piece of parchment at a time, wrap fillets in parchment packets.
3. Place parchment packets onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until salmon is solid and firm and asparagus is cooked through but al dente. Serve with quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, or wild rice, if desired.

The Verdict: Very tasty. I've never de-boned a fish, so that was an adventure! :-) Next time, I might marinade the salmon in the juice for a little while. I don't feel like the flavour permeated the fish enough. I will definitely make again!

Have a great day! I start running again tomorrow after a month's hiatus! Gotta get in shape for that half!

I must be crazy...

I just registered for...


 


I can't believe I'm going for number two! I want to do a time goal for this one, but it's going to be a lot hillier than the absolutely flat VA Beach course of March. We'll see what happens!


Also... McDonalds and running? Hmm... An odd combo, I think.

Strawberry Shortcakes

Adapted from Good Housekeeping, June 2011

I cleaned this recipe up a little bit as I made it, but not entirely. It was really tasty. I think I'll have one for breakfast tomorrow!

Extremely tasty, yet... HEALTHY? Well, healthiER.

Ingredients

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 3/4 cup AP and 1/2 cup Whole Wheat)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons sugar, divided (I used both sugar and Florida Crystals Pure Cane Sugar*)
1/2 teaspoon sugar, for shortcake tops ( I used Florida Crystals Pure Cane Sugar*)
2 tablespoons cold margarine or butter, cut up
3/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
2 large egg whites
2 pounds strawberries, hulled, cut in half (I for some reason only bought a pound, but I doubt we'll make it through all eight servings in the next day or two!)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel (or more...)
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream (I used fat free)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2.In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse oats until coarsely ground. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 tablespoons sugar (Here is where I used the Florida Crystals). Pulse until combined. Add margarine; pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add buttermilk and 1 egg white; pulse just until dry ingredients are evenly moistened.

3.With 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop mixture and drop onto prepared sheet, 2 inches apart.

4.In small bowl, lightly beat remaining egg white. Brush on top of mounds, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sugar/Florida Crystals.

5.Bake 16 minutes or until shortcakes are golden brown. Cool completely on sheet on wire rack. Can be kept, tightly wrapped, at room temperature up to overnight. (Refresh before serving in toaster oven or preheated conventional oven at 375 degrees F for 5 minutes.)

6.Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine strawberries, lemon peel, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand. Can be refrigerated, covered, up to overnight.

7.In medium bowl, stir yogurt, sour cream, vanilla, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Can be refrigerated, covered, up to overnight.

8.Split open shortcakes. Divide strawberries and filling among shortcakes.

The Verdict: Mr. Discovery said they were very good and he'd eat them again. I really liked them. They weren't too sweet and they were very filling. I didn't feel guilty eating this at all! :-)

*Florida Crystals states that it is "less processed pure cane sugar with the flavor that nature intended." I was searching for Evaporated Cane Juice all the live-long day and found this at Kroger. Upon just now searching the label, it says that the ingredients are... drumroll please... EVAPORATED CANE JUICE. I guess I bought the right thing without even knowing it! :-)

Steak with Argentine Herb Sauce Recipe

Courtesy of Good Housekeeping Magazine

Yummy! :-)

Ingredients

1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (I used basil... I am out of oregano!)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
Pepper
4 (2 1/2 pounds total, each 1 inch thick) New York beef strip steaks (I used 1.5 lbs of good, lean steak to make 4 servings)

Directions

1.Prepare outdoor (or indoor if you live in a teeny apt like me!) grill for direct grilling on medium-high. Fit wire rack into jelly-roll pan.

2.Prepare herb sauce: In food processor with knife blade attached, combine parsley, cilantro, and garlic; pulse until finely chopped. Add oil, vinegar, oregano, red pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and black pepper; pulse to blend.

3.Pat steaks dry. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper all over steaks. Immediately place on grill; cook 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare or until desired doneness, turning over every 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Let stand 5 minutes.

4.Stir any meat juices into herb sauce. Slice steak; serve with sauce.

The Verdict: We liked the bite the sauce had, but it just didn't hit it off with our taste buds. I liked it in a thiiiin layer on top, but I wasn't eating chunks of it on top of the steak. I'm glad I plated it the way I did. I don't think this one will grace our plates again, but it wasn't awful.

I served it with purple cauliflower and Annie's Low Sodium Mac 'n Cheese for a nice, colourful plate. I think that was accomplished, though the cauliflower was a little bitter. Oh well. Another meal bites the dust!

I'm headed to the gym soon for a good working out. Tomorrow we are headed to an amusement park with college friends- I am SO excited!!

Baked Manicotti Bundles

Courtesy of Clean Eating Magazine March 2011

I already took out my two to eat... so you could see the inside of the manicotti... riiiight...

Ingredients

olive oil or cooking spray
3 to 4 green onions
10 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 carrot peeled
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
12 oz tilapia filets
4 oz light cream cheese (I used light ricotta instead)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp dried dill (I think I used about 2 tbsps!)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 oz. reduced fat mozzarella (I used pepper jack for the sauce... I was out of mozzarella, so I ran to the store while it was in the oven and then sprinkled the top with the mozzarella... that's why it's not browned on top... that and I had to leave sooner than I thought)
fresh dill for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a glass pan with olive oil cooking spray and set aside.

2. Rinse onions well trim off white tops and discard. Carefully score the connected layers so that you have strands, set aside.

3. Prepare lasagna noodles according to instructions, rinse, set aside. During the last 90 seconds of cooking, add strands of onions to soften then set aside.

4. Grade carrot, set aside.

5. In a large non stick pan, over medium heat, add oil, heat and add tilapia. Shake pan so fish does not stick. Cover and cook for 3 minutes then flip and cook for a minute more or until fish is no longer opaque. Remove from heat.

6. Mix cream cheese, together with milk, dill and salt (I forgot! No wonder it felt like it was lacking!) in a medium saucepan. Whisk constantly until mixture is melted and creamy. Add half of mozzarella in. Stir in carrots and tilapia and remove from heat.

7. Lay lasagna noodles out on a cutting board, place 2 tbsp of the mixture at the bottom of the noodle and roll away from you. Make a bundle that stays together without squeezing out the filling. Tie each bundle with an onion layer and place in the pan.

8. Place remaining mozzarella over bundles and top with dill and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serves: 4


The Verdict: Tasty. It needed salt, but then I realized I didn't put it in. Haha. I would make this again with a few changes. More dill, for sure. :-)

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

I know! Two posts in one day! CRAZY!

Well, here's another recipe from Clean Eating Magazine, June 2011!

Again, my plating skills stink... haha.

Ingredients:
Tomatillo Sauce:

- olive oil cooking spray
- 1/2 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, cleaned and halved
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- juice from 1 lime or lemon
- 1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- pinch salt

Quesadillas:

- 1 tbdp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- Pinch sea salt
- 1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 zucchini, washed and sliced into thin rounds
- 1 6 (or 8) oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
- colby jack or mexican blend cheese (or cheddar if you run out of both!)
- Whole wheat tortillas

Directions:
For the tomatillo sauce:
1. Preheat grill to high and coat with cooking spray.
2. Place tomatillos cut side down and grill 10-12 minutes or until softened. This seemed long... which is evidenced by the color of my tomatillo sauce. I would cut in half almost.
3. Remove from grill and pulse in food processor with cilantro and lime until pureed. Season with salt and garlic powder and set aside.

For the quesadillas...
4. Combine cumin, chili powder, and salt  in a small bowl.
5. Toss in a bowl with prepared vegetables to coat completely.
6. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on the grill and cook until softened, 10-15 minutes.
7. Grill the chickn until cooked through and grill marks appear, 10-15 minutes.
8. Assemble quesadillas by layering cheese, vegetables, and cheese on one half of the tortilla.
9. Place on grill and grill until cheese melts, flip over and grill until browned and cheese melts
10. Cut in quarters and serve with the yummy tomatillo sauce.

Serves 4.

The verdict: Delish! I accidentally burned the bottom of my quesadillas. I thought my panini press would brown the tops, but it didn't. Oh well. I loved the tomatillo sauce, even though mine turned out a different color. Haha. Definitely will make again!
One of my favourite blogs, Branny Boils Over, did this recipe a few days ago, but sans chicken. You can check it out here.

Back in Action!

Well, I have officially begun summer vacation and that means... NEW RECIPES! :-) Last night's winner...

Baked Pecan-Crusted Flounder with Squash Saute
Modified from April/May 2011 Clean Eating Magazine recipe

Not the prettiest plating, but I promise it was DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:

Fish

- Olive oil cooking spray
- 4 4 oz boneless skinless Pacific flounder fillets, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 1/2 tsp honey
- 1 1/2 tsp mustard
- 1 packet stevia
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup unsalted pecan pieces, toasted and finely chopped

Squash

- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 medium yellow squash, sliced
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425*. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat foil with cooking spray. Place fillets on foil.
2. In a small bowl, combine honey, mustard, stevia, salt, and cayenne. Brush tops of fillets with mixture, dividing evenly. Sprinkle pecan over top, dividing evenly, and coat tops of fillets with cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, prepare squash: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes or until begins to richly brown, stirring frequently. Add squash and cook for 4 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Add salt and black pepper, stir gently.
4. To serve, place equal amounts of squash mixture on each of 4 dinner plates, then top with 1fillet. Or, serve family-style on a platter.

The verdict: I loved the fish, but flounder was REALLY expensive, so I think I'll use a cheaper fish next time. Also, I think I would have used zucchini instead of squash. The plate was boring-looking with all the same colored food.

Only a few more days!

Well, the school year is winding down and the kids are winding up. As we say at MHS, the natives are restless... and that includes the teachers. I am looking forward to several things that will come along with the summer such as early morning runs, scrapbooking with my Cricut, reading the GIANT stack of magazines on my coffee table, cleaning this dump up, cooking new recipes and old, and NOT driving an hour one way to work several times a week.

I promise that when the summer comes in just a few short weeks, I'll have plenty to say. :-) Enjoy the ever-warming weather and a few pictures from my last race, Run For Their Lives 5k. The race proceeds went to Freedom 4/24, which is an organization that is fighting to stop sex slavery in Thailand and other countries. I got a great new PR of 28.22, which I was thrilled about! I was 63/218 and 35/149 for women. They didn't do age groups.

My BFF at school- a total lifesaver!

One Chicken... Three Different Meals

Sunday night I roasted a chicken with some great veggies.

From Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook

Ingredients:
- 1/2 turnip, peeled and diced (I omitted because I forgot to buy)
- 2 parsnips, peeled and diced
- 2 cooking potatoes (I used Yukon Gold), unpeeled and diced
- 4 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (I omitted because I hate sweet potatoes)
- 2 large carrots
- 2 large yellow onions
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp coconut butter or olive oil (I used Land O Lakes light butter because I love it)
- 3 garlic cloves, passed through a garlic press
- 3 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 good-sized roasting chicken, washed, drained, and dried (don't forget the giblets!) Mine was 5 lbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss all chopped veggies and olive oil in a large roasting pan.
3. In a small mixing bowl, place the coconut butter or oil, garlic, and chopped fresh herbs. Mix into a paste. Set the chicken on top of the diced veggies in the roasting pan.
4. Using your clean hands, scoop some of the herb mixture and rub in onto the chicken. Repeat until the mixture is used up and the bird has been coated all over. Season with salt and paprika.
5. Place roasting pan in hot oven and let roast at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting for an hour to an hour and a half. You can check the temp of the meat by inserting a meat thermometer into the thigh. If the temp reads 165 degrees the chicken is properly roasted.
6. Remove from head and let sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Monday night I took the leftover meat and made fajitas. Not a special recipe, but I find it to be tasty, as does the hubs.

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin (guestimate)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (guestimate)
- Black Pepper to taste
- 1/8 tsp cayenne (guestimate)
- Chopped chicken (however much you feel like having in your fajitas... I eyeballed it to probably about 8 oz for four servings) I really need to measure things...

Directions:
1. Heat oil in pan
2. Add peppers, onions, and spices until they start to caramelize
3. Add chopped, cooked chicken and heat through
4. Serve with salsa, cheese, and any of your other favourite fajita fixin's. :-)

Tomorrow night I plan to make a stock from the carcass. I will post that process later. :-)

I just finished up my Spring Break, which was depressing... but... only 9 weeks of school left till SWEET SUMMERTIME!! :-) I'm still waiting to hear about my job for next year, but I'm just hoping and praying that I have a job in my county again next year. It's a great job and I am so blessed to have it this year. I really hope I can continue on there.

Y'all have a good night!

2011 Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k

Well, I did it. I ran the 10k in 59.35. Unfortunately, I felt like I was going to puke the whole time... I am proud of the time accomplishment, but it's been a rough day. I ran with my girl Julia for the first 5 miles, but she was too fast for me for that last mile. I'm so proud of her for powering through that race!

I have learned that this race is not a race in which I should aim to PR ever again. There are too. Many. People. I was bobbing and weaving the whole time, which is not fun... I still feel a little puke-y, so I've been sitting on the couch watching... Austin Powers. I forgot how terrible these movies are. I'll leave you with a few pictures. :-)





Julia and me in the corral




Aaaand... we're off!




Here I come



So close!



Wavin' to the hubs




Headed to the finish!




Almost there!!

 Have a great day! I am on Spring Break now! No students for 8.5 more days!!!

I came, I saw, I shamROCKED!

The big race was just a few days ago, and I am definitely basking in post-13.1 glory. :-)

We got to VA Beach around 2.30ish on Saturday. The expo was EXTREMELY crowded. I ended up buying two stickers for my car and two shirts. One says "Will Run for Ice Cream" and the other says "13.1 miles 'cause I'm only HALF crazy!" I love them both. We also got a free tech tee, which I wore on my run yesterday. It's nice. :-)

We drove around a little because our hotel check-in wasn't until 4. After we checked in, we went for a gorgeous walk on the boardwalk. It was divine to be at the beach again. We then got groceries for my breakfast the next day. The Harris Teeter was really close to the hotel, so we just walked there. We got Applebee's for dinner, which was super tasty. That night, we watched Despicable Me! It was so cute. I really enjoyed it. It was lights out around 10 pm, which meant it was "Battle Sleep" starting around 10.15.

I did not sleep. I was waaaay too nervous. The alarm went off at 4.45 and I slathered some PB and honey on a piece of bread (NOT TOAST), which was pretty gross. I almost puked in the sink after brushing my teeth. :-/

We left the hotel around 6.10... and about 5 minutes later, I realised I had left my watch in the hotel. Mr. Discovery was kind enough to run back to get it. We met back up and I got to the corrals. I ended up starting with a different corral than I meant to, but it didn't matter. Shortly after 7 AM, we were off. It was REALLY windy, which I was NOT happy about, but luckily it died down once we started.

Chillin' before the race

I must have peed about 12,000 time between lunch the day before and the race, but it still wasn't enough. I had to pee around mile 2, but every single porta-potty had a line and I wasn't going to risk my time by waiting in line for the potty.

Mr. Discovery snapped shots of the sunrise while I ran

Neptune palming the sea turtle

I felt really strong for the first seven miles. No aches, no blisters, no bad thoughts. I would have to say that throughout the race, I felt very mentally strong. I was just really happy the entire race. We got to run through a Naval fort, which was slightly interesting, but overall the race was really boring. There were two D.J.s and one band along the way and nothing to look at... at all. I saw the beach a few times, but really it was so far away.

Around mile 7 or 8, I got an aching feeling in my right leg and knee, but it wasn't that bad. I think it was from just being so darn tired from tossing and turning all night. I ran through it and everything ended up being fine. It never got worse, though it didn't really get better, either.

At mile 12, I called the hubs so he could look out for me at the finish line and so I would know which side to run on so he could snap my picture best. :-) I really picked up the pace the last 5k because I was pretty sure that I could beat two hours and fifteen minutes if I pushed hard. It paid off. I crossed the finish line right on the boardwalk at 2.14.23.

After we finished we had to walk FOREVER as they handed us water, t-shirts, hats, pretzels, bananas, and cookies. All of which I ate gratefully (well, except for the t-shirt and hat). :-)

I can honestly say there is little else that I am as proud of as I am of this race. I am hooked!

Diez. Zehn. Decem. Dix. Tien. Dez. Tio. Dieci. Dette. Ten.

That's right. 10 miles baby.

10.11 to be exact. In 1 hour, 48 minutes and 50 seconds. That's a 10.45 pace. :-) I have some GNARLY blisters, and I am extremely sore in the legs, but I feel great other than that! I ate at Chili's for dinner (I made good choices!) and had Turtle Pie for dessert (thus the being "good" at dinner). I like this run more to eat more thing.

One month (four weeks) till the big race!!! :-)

It's been extremely difficult to train and work at the same time, but I am starting to really love teaching my little freshmen. They are really fun kids and I'm starting to finally get into a groove.

I am sorry for my long absence, but school is really draining my time up right now! I hope to be blogging more soon, especially about the last month of training.

So I ran 7 miles...

and it was awesome.

Actually, I ran 7.15 miles, which is awesomer.

The first few miles were a bit of a mental battle because I was just scared of trying to get over the six mile mountain (since a 10k is the farthest I've ever run). Once I turned around, I started feeling more mentally stable and when I had about a mile and half left to go, I knew I was going to do it and I DID! I ran it in about an hour and sixteen minutes, which is a great pace for me for such a long run.

I ran four and half today at a 10.03 pace. I can't believe how fast I was! Tomorrow, I am making the hubs leave me at church so I have to run home. It's only three and a half miles, so I can do that easily. :-)

I've settled into my new job pretty well now that I have new tires on my car. ;-) I've been planning away for when I get my kids on the 24th.

I promise I have a recipe coming. It's called Moroccan Braised Beef and it is tasty! I should also have a new chicken chili recipe sometime soon, too. I am making that in the Crock Pot tomorrow for dinner. :-)

Have a good long weekend everybody!

First day of work!

If there was a day that I would not condemn myself for using some colorful language, yesterday would have been it.

About 30 miles into my journey to school (about half way), I hear THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK coming from the front left area of my car. I think to myself "This can't be good." I pull over, and with one deft motion, I pull open the door handle, press the door lock button, and get out of the car. Without my keys. Which are in the ignition.

Of course, I do not realise this until I try to get my coat out of the door as traffic whizzed by at 75 miles an hour two feet from me. I walk around the car frantically, trying to show some kind stranger that I need assistance, considering everything I have is in the car (read: cell phone). After about two minutes of this, I see in front of me that an SUV is in reverse on the shoulder coming toward me. I begin to cry and pray that this person is not an ax murderer.

My rescuer came with a cell phone and a kind spirit. I called the hubs, explained the situation, and then while he turned around to go back home, I called school to let them know that their new English teacher will be late on her first day. Mr. Discovery and I tried the over the phone keyless entry trick to no avail, so he had to drive 30 miles to come save me, calling a few times on his way to make sure I had a jack and tire iron for changing the tire.

My rescuer stayed with me until a State Trooper arrived. At this point, the whole ordeal began to seem quite humourous. The State Trooper told me to wait in my car to get warm, until I kindly reminded him that part of the dilemma was that I could NOT, in fact, get in the car because my keys WERE, in fact, in the ignition. So begins my first ever adventure in a cop car. I got to see how the radar works, and I got to see my incident on his computer. Awesome.

Mr. Discovery arrived after about 5 to 10 minutes in the cop car. We got into the car. We took all of my extremely heavy boxes of books for school and placed them on the side of the road. We lifted the flap that covered my spare tire, jack, and tire iron. Oh wait, my tire iron, the one I'd told my husband I had, was NOT there. Awesome.

Mr. State Trooper then said that he lived five miles away and could get his toolbox to get my wheel off. The situation was no longer humourous. Nor was it humourous when he had to step on the wrench just to get the lugnuts off. They were extremely tight. It also wasn't humourous when my spare was basically flat. Or when we had to drive 5 miles to the next exit to put air in it. Or when I had to drive 50 miles an hour on the interstate.

Luckily, my dad was able to pick me up from the garage and take me to school, at which point I was only two hours late. The situation was funny again, until...

I get a call from the garage. "Ma'am we are having trouble finding the front left wheel. Can you call back and let us know where to find it?"

"Why yes, kind sir, I can tell you that it is in Richmond because my husband, brilliant man that he is, took the wheel back to Richmond with him." Awesome.

Well, the husband drove it back into Charlottesville, gave it to the garage, and I got two new lovely tires on my car. Also, we had dinner at Asian Fusion, because it was getting late, I didn't want to cook, and that place is right next to the garage and its awesome.

The ironic part (oh wait... "There's more?" you ask?) I was going into the garage on the 17th to get new tires. They just couldn't wait that long.

It's funny again. :-)

It's over... and it's beginning

Well, the Christmas decorations are down and the house is overrun with gifts from our loving parents who don't know how to stop buying things for us. We've not been home in almost three weeks and there's a lot of catching up to do around here. Taking all the decor down and rearranging the furniture is giving me a good opportunity to clean deeper than usual... if only I didn't want to clean at night instead of during the day when I am home during my last week of freedom. That's right; I start my job on Monday! I'll be teaching 9th grade English and I'm pretty nervous, but I think it will be a very good opportunity for me.

With the holidays, I've had some trouble keeping up with my half training as well as I'd hoped, but I've gotten in some good runs despite the holidays and various ailments I've had throughout the past month. I hope everyone is having a great 2011 so far and I'll be updating with some new recipes very soon. I think you'll see more CrockPot recipes from me when I start work! :-)