chicken taco chili ~ slow cooker

very delicious indeed.  as a mom, i'm always thrilled when i come across a slow cooker meal that everyone enjoys.  starting dinner in the morning and then not having to worry about it until it's time to eat is my favorite way to feed my family.  

we had this over short grain brown rice (lundberg) which i had in the rice cooker set on a timer so it would start cooking in time to be finished when the chili was ready.

perfect!

chicken taco chili ~ slow cooker

printable recipe

via sprinkled with flour

1 onion, chopped

1 16 oz can low sodium black beans

1 16 oz  kidney beans

1 8 oz can no salt tomato sauce

1 16 oz can no salt added corn, drained

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes w/chilies

3 tbsp taco seasoning

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

cheese to top

combine beans, onion, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, garlic and taco seasoning in a medium bowl.  

place chicken in slow cooker and pour sauce mixture over the top.

cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for 5-7 hours.

an hour before eating, shred the chicken and stir to mix.

serve over cooked rice.

recommended garnish; shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips.

makes 6 generous servings

Nutrition Facts recipe taco chili Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 324 Total Fat 3.3g       Saturated Fat 0.1g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 40mg Sodium 1243mg Carbohydrate 140.6g       Dietary Fiber 9.8g       Sugars 10.3g Protein 25.7g Vitamin A 28% Vitamin C 47% Calcium    10% Iron 23%

the not-race

i'm feeling totally uninspired to write here but i wanted to update real quick just for funsies.

last weekend i planned on running the canyon to canyon half marathon but, that didn't happen.  not really anyway.  i wrote already about how i didn't register in time to race and i was hoping they would give me a number when i got to the start but, no such luck.

rather than pout or throw a fit, i decided to just run anyway.  my aunt and uncle were running the 10k so we took off together and then i started making my way to the front of the pack thinking i would decide at the 10k turn around if i wanted to keep going or not.  

along the way, i took some photos (above & below).  beautiful scenery and since i wasn't really racing, it didn't matter that i stopped here and there to enjoy the sunrise.

the hills on this course were a lot more intense than i had anticipated so i decided to turn around at the 10k turn around, run back to my aunt and uncle, run back to the turn around and then kept going for about another mile before i turned back to head to the finish line (which i didn't cross, obviously).  

{mile 4}

eight miles and it was an enjoyable run though i failed to consider the experiences of the other runners.  my stopping and going, to-ing and fro-ing was distracting.  i know this because a girl approached me at the finish and asked, "do you mind if i ask what you were doing?  i swear you passed me like three or four times."  oops.  my bad.  if only they'd have let me register .......

****

chicken scampi

olive garden's chicken scampi is one of my favorites.  i've always wanted to try making chicken scampi but i have been too lazy to recreate the dish with some healthier twists.  i.e. no cream, for starters.

when i came across the recipe below, i was excited to give it a try (with a few minor changes).   it turned out really well, something i'll make again for sure.  

chicken scampi

printable recipe

recipe adapted from stephanie cooks

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup white wine or chicken broth

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded & sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

pasta, cooked and drained (i used 8 oz barilla plus spaghetti and 8 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti)

shredded parmesan cheese to top

season chicken breasts with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  add chicken breasts and brown on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden but not necessarily cooked all of the way through.

remove chicken from the pan and set aside to rest.

add veggies to the same pan and saute for 6-8 minutes until they begin to soften.  add garlic and saute until fragrant. 

in the meantime, chop the rested chicken into bite sized pieces and cook and drain the pasta.

once the veggies have started to soften, deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and lemon juice, stirring gently to pick up any bits from the bottom of the skillet.  

add the chicken to the skillet and bring everything to a simmer.  lower the heat and continue to simmer for 10 minutes (or until chicken is cooked all of the way through).  toss drained pasta into the skillet until combined.

enjoy topped with parmesan cheese if desired.

serves 6

Nutrition Facts recipe chicken scampi Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 454 Total Fat 12g       Saturated Fat 2.2g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 45mg Sodium 175mg Carbohydrate 60.4g       Dietary Fiber 8.1g       Sugars 3.9g Protein 27.5g Alcohol 3.6g Vitamin A 18% Vitamin C 123% Calcium    4% Iron 15%

exciting to me

what's up yo?  

i've spent my morning blogging about our summer thus far when really, i should be doing more productive things.

like grocery shopping.  and vacuuming.

sometimes being responsible is a drag.

before i start being responsible again, i want to share some things i'm excited about right now. but first, let me recap the little 10k i ran on saturday.  it was another race put on by riverton city.  i think they call it "town days" or something like that.  

that's me in the middle.

the image is probably not legal but, i wanted to share it anyway for three reasons.

1. neighbor/friend/running buddy was my race partner.  we took each step together and finished within one second of each other.  she's there with me, in red.  i heart her.

2. to my left in the white tee is 68 year doug.  i know his name because i looked it up (is that legal? please lawyers, tell me what laws i'm breaking). he finished just a couple of minutes behind me which is really something.  this dude runs none stop. i swear it.  for years he's ran up and down our street carrying his disc-man in his hand.  always with his knee socks and tightly clenched fists.  recently, he's been running over to the gym from where he lives.  once there, he runs around the track over and over again (11 laps = a mile).  then he lifts some weights and runs back home.  i want to be like doug when i grow up.

3. this photo shows where my running form needs improvement.  note to self: release shoulders from ears and lower arms to hip height rather than holding them at my rib cage.  noted.

finish time was 53:13.  26th out 131 women and 10th out of 44 in my age group.  not nearly as well as i hoped to do but, i'm a novice.  i am not comfortable racing this distance.  really, it amazes me that i prefer the longer distances.  another topic for another day.

so that's that.  tomorrow i will run another race either officially or unofficially. it's the canyon to canyon half marathon. i missed the registration cut off time and now i'm waiting for an email or phone call back from the director.  their loss if they ignore my request to register late because i'm running either way.  they can either pocket my entry fee or, lose money every time i utilize their port-a-potty and aid stations.

moving on to things i'm excited about.  in no particular order.

1. squeezable applesauce.  my kids are digging these big time.  the fun factor is high so this helps to make them ask for another and the nutritional factor is even higher so this helps to make me happy.  even baby nephew loves himself some sauce.

2.  coffee mate came out with a new creamer.  

thank you coffee mate for reading my mind.

it's uber sweet so a little bit goes a long way which is good. 

i think.

3.  a local builder is about finished with the construction on a replica of the house from the disney movie "up."  we went and checked it out recently and i have to admit, it's super cool.  

i would love to live there for like a week.

as soon as it's done (for the parade of homes), we'll take the official tour. i'm abnormally excited.  this sort of thing doesn't usually float my boat.  i.e. extreme makeover home edition just finished a house for a family the next city over.  it's been the talk of the town.  i could care less. does that make me bad person?  don't answer that.

4.  my mom asked me to put a weight training workout together for her.

this excites me beyond imagination.  she did not give me permission to post photos of her on the world wide web but i don't worry about a lawsuit because she knows suing me would be pointless. the most she would walk away with is three kids and an orange/blue pickup truck.

now it has new tires so, it's really quite valuable.

5. and i save the best for last. 

i had this amazing idea the other day that i hoped would help cure my cookie dough eating problem.

cookie bars!

i found an awesome recipe that is so good, it will blow your mind (not that i tasted any of it myself. clear. throat. now).  the problem i have when i make cookies for my family is that damn bowl filled with dough waiting for the next batch to finish baking.  the bowl sits on the counter screaming at me.  not just calling my name, no, it screams at me.  so how brilliant are cookie bars?  BRILLIANT i tell ya! the entire batch of dough gets baked at once.  no more temptation torturing me as i bake like i love to.

brilliant.

simply brilliant.

don't worry folks, i'll post the recipe soon-ish.

happy weekend.

any fun plans? 

any new and exciting discoveries lately?

whole wheat coconut banana bread

another keeper for the list.  no big deal.

do you love coconut? i do.  

normally i don't end up with many brown banana's sitting on the counter.  usually, i'm making quick runs to the store in between for reals shopping trips because we're out of banana's.  or creamer.  we eat a lot of banana's and apparently, we use a lot of creamer.  

sometimes though, the banana's i buy start to brown much quicker than other times and i don't like banana's with brown spots.  picky maybe?

anyway, a few weeks ago i ended up with four black banana's on my counter.  since i already have bags of frozen black banana's in my freezer, i didn't want to add to the stash so i decided to try this recipe i'd bookmarked some time ago.  

it was fantastic.

i might have made a few changes. the original calls for white flour.  i used all white whole wheat flour.  it also calls for 4 tbsp of butter but i used coconut oil in place of half the butter as well as fat free plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

whole wheat coconut banana bread

printable recipe

recipe via honey and butter

2 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled to room temp

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe bananas (about 4 large)

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

3 tbsp skim milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sweetened, flaked coconut

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

whisk flour, baking soda and salt together.  set aside.

in a large mixing bowl, beat butter, coconut oil and sugar until blended.  add the eggs and beat until combined.  add the banana, sour cream, milk and vanilla.  beat until blended. slowly incorporate the flour mixture until just combined.  fold in the coconut.

pour batter into a large loaf pan that has been sprayed with baking spray or lined with parchment paper.  sprinkle the additional 2 tbsp of coconut on the top.

bake uncovered for 50-60* minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  

let the loaf cool on a rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove it from the pan.  cool for an additional 15 minutes before slicing.

*my bread was very dense.  it took 75 minutes to cook all of the way through so i covered the top with tinfoil after 50 minutes to prevent over browning.

yields 12 generous slices

Nutrition Facts whole wheat coconut banana bread Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 241 Total Fat 6.6g       Saturated Fat 4.3g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 35mg Sodium 200mg Carbohydrate 42.3g       Dietary Fiber 3.3g       Sugars 23.3g Protein 4.8g Alcohol 0.1g Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 6% Calcium    1% Iron 4%

green monsters and a weigh in

the deliciousness does not match the nutritiousness.

that's not to say that i don't think nutritious foods are delicious, i definitely do but when you cram two handfuls of fresh spinach into a blender with fruit, you don't typically expect it to turn out to be a delicious treat, snack, meal. BUT IT IS!

the top smoothie is a blend of fresh squeezed oj (from one orange), about 3/4 cup cold water, 1/2 tbsp agave, one banana, 1/2 a green apple, two handfuls of spinach, 1 tbsp of chia seeds and ice.

i've been experimenting with all sorts of fruit combinations and so far, not one mix has disappointed.  even the little guy comes back asking for more.  today, i used the oj, chia, spinach, water and ice with mango, strawberries & pineapple YUM!

chia seeds are new to me.  i've heard/read a lot of positive things about chia seeds being loaded with healthy omega fats.  straight from wikpedia:

... Chia seed may be eaten raw as a whole seed, providing protein, fats and fiber.^[9] Ground chia seed is sometimes added to pinole, a coarseflour made from toasted maize kernels. Chia seeds placed in water or fruit juice are consumed in Mexico and known as chia fresca. The soaked seeds are gelatinous in texture and are used in gruels, porridges and puddings. Ground chia seed is used in baked goods includingbreads, cakes and biscuits.

Chia sprouts are used in a similar manner as alfalfa sprouts in salads, sandwiches and other dishes. Chia sprouts are sometimes grown on porous clay figurines which has led to the popular U.S. cultural icon of the Chia Pet.

[edit]Nutrient content and potential health benefits

In a one ounce (28 g) sample, dried chia seeds contain 9% of the Daily Value for protein (4g), 13% fat (9g) (57% of which is ALA) and 42% dietary fiber (11g), based on a daily intake of 2000 calories.^[9] The seeds also contain the essential minerals phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium and sodium^[9] in amounts comparable to other edible seeds, such as flax^[10] or sesame.^[11] ...

some call it a "superfood" and since i believe everything "some" says, i decided to give it a try.  will it give me more energy?  will it help clear up my skin?  will it keep me feeling full longer?  will it help with my digestion? 

chia seeds are packed with fiber, protein and omega-3's (which is great for healthy skin, hair and nails).  supposedly, they're "good for" diabetics and great for your thyroid.

honestly, i do notice a difference in my energy level after i drink my smoothie. no lie.  maybe it's just because i'm no longer hungry but whatevs.  i'm going to keep adding that tablespoon to every smoothie until the bag is gone and then i'll make my final judgment call. buy more or not?

****

in other news, i finished my 30 day cycle of "making the cut" and started again.  i took my final measurements last week.  i was up just under a pound but down a few inches.  i actually took before and after photos which are really telling. the fact of the matter is i didn't/don't have a lot of weight to lose so the difference was muscle gain and a noticeable loss of inches around my waist, butt, thighs and back.  i'm not brave enough to post the photos here though.  wimpy.  instead, i tried to be discreet and take my a photo during my last workout. 

throughout the process i re-learned what i already knew.  honestly people, diet is everything.  i workout often and i workout hard but, i did not follow jillian's meal plan recommendations and as a result, i did not drop any weight.  

for me, this is not a big deal.  i'm at a healthy weight and i'm happy with the way i look but more importantly,  now i'm really happy with the way i feel.  this program helped me gain a lot of muscle and, it made me more excited to go to the gym everyday.

so diet is everything and, i genuinely enjoy hard core workouts.  these are the two things i re-learned.  i know for a fact that if i had followed her dietary recommendations, i would have walked away leaner but, i also know for a fact that i eat really balanced and healthy as is.  if were unhappy with my progress/results, i would have made more of an effort to change my diet.  

at the end of it, i finished happy, healthy and ready for more.

****

another thing to mention is the awesomeness that is impact fitness.  this gal sells the cutest fitness wear out of a little studio in her back yard.  she sells by appointment only but had a little open house on friday so i took the kids up to check it out.

this stuff is not easy on your pocket book but the quality is top notch and, for someone who wears workout clothes a lot, i think having higher-end pieces is the way to go.  considering the beating these clothes take (think sweating, washing, repeat over and over again), it's worth the money to get some items that will last.   

so i did.

first, the little guy was super proud of himself when he found a hidden stash of clothes in the closets against the wall.  he opened one to show me and it came toppling down on him.  an embarrassing mess.  luckily the owner was super sweet and has young kids of her own.  

i walked away with a pair of combat shorts, capri's and two tanks.  the tanks are long which i love because i'm tall.  the shorts and the capri's are so very comfortable, loose but not too loose.  just right for me.  i get so tired of super tight fitting workout clothing.  i noticed she had a variety of sizes and fits which means there's something for everyone and the clothes are cute enough that they could actually be worn outside of the gym (not that i'm not guilty of this anyway).

even though i used up all of my allowance for the next two years and even though i didn't branch out and pick colors other than army green and black, i'm excited for my new gear.  maybe i'll take a picture of myself one day?  yeah, probably.

****

what else?  gosh, we've been loving this weather (hence the lack of posting here and everywhere).  we've been hanging in the sun as much as we can and playing with friends.  this means i'm running (the car) back and forth and here and there all day long.

i went to the dermatologist last week which was a nice thing to be able to cross of my "list of responsible things to do."

she made me take my sandals off and then giggled at the mole on my big toe, "you have a mole on your toe!"  she was really kinda of awesome.  not what i expected at all.  basically, she only removes moles that cause concern for melanoma and while i have "a lot of moles," i also have only "good moles."  word.

and then on another day, my friend amanda sent me a box with goodies. i love getting boxes. don't you?! girl does this thing where she's subscribes to cooking magazines but she doesn't like to cook.  she's one of those people who wants to like to cook but doesn't really want to like to cook.  maybe the magazines will make her want to cook or like to cook?  no.  they don't.  so she sent them all to me.  and i'm excited to cook some things.  AND, she sent us a bag of peets coffee.  oh my.

lucky for me, the husband/hunk makes my coffee every morning.  lie.  he makes his coffee and is nice enough to add a few cups for me. peets coffee is the best coffee i've had so far in my coffee-drinking life.  if i can't find it here, she's going to have to ship me more OR ... bring me more when i meet her in arizona this coming november!!!!

yep, that's happening and i haven't been this excited to save money in quite a while.  "nobody gets to eat food for the next three months, dad and i are going to arizona!"

anyway, life around these parts has been awesome.  never a dull moment and nothing to complain about.   i've been getting an hour at the coffee shop once a week while sissy takes tumbling and this is like h.e.a.v.e.n. 

we've also spent a couple of lovely evenings at my parents enjoying their nice deck.  yesterday the kids swam in the blow up pool until little guy had an accident in his pants and ruined all the fun.  

we had delicious food and always, great company. 

saturday i enjoyed a lovely 9.52 mile run and a breakfast of gnats with my favorite running buddies including neighbor/friend/running buddy, her sister and candice.  the air smelled so sweet, i asked candice if she wanted to lick it like i did.  i can't remember what her reply was.  probably, "absolutely" or, "no doubt" or, "for sure."  naturally.

i want to scream I LOVE SUMMER! but, you can't hear me.

now i'm off to the gym for an hour on the treadmill and then an hour of yoga.  the family will have to fend for themselves as far as dinner is concerned because i just took way too long writing this post.

done.

spicy honey chicken salad with honey citrus vinaigrette

i'm alive.  

to prove it, i'm posting the dinner we had last saturday after a visit to the local carnival.  we shared this delicious meal with my bro/sister-in-law and baby nephew.  it was very, very tasty.

we ate out on the back patio for the first time this year.  best time of year, fo' sho'.

{spicy honey chicken salad with honey citrus vinaigrette}

the chicken was delicious.  especially so cut up and eaten as part of the salad.  a perfect combination of flavors.

spicy honey chicken

printable recipe

recipes via our best bites

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (i used breasts because it's what i had and it was delicious)

2 tsp canola oil*(see note)

rub:

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

glaze:

1/2 cup honey

1 tbsp cider vinegar

combine the rub spices in a bowl and mix well.

drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all of the pieces.  toss the chicken with the spice rub to coat sides well.  (*you could also just spray the pieces with non stick spray and then sprinkle the rub evenly on each piece - this is what i did).

grill the chicken over low heat for 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked through.

while the chicken is cooking, warm the honey in a microwave save dish so that it is not thick.  add the vinegar and combine well.  reserve 2 tbsp of the glaze for later.  generously brush the rest on both sides of the chicken in the final minutes of grilling. 

cover cooked chicken with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  drizzle the remaining glaze over the chicken and serve with the salad.

spicy honey chicken salad

1-2 heads romaine and/or red leaf lettuce, rinsed and chopped

2 ripe but firm mangoes cut into 1" pieces or sliced

2-3 ripe but firm avocados cut into 1" pieces or sliced

optional: thinly sliced red onion for top

serve salad either by combining everything in a large bowl (included dressing) or, by making individual salads on each plate topped with the sliced chicken.

honey-citrus vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp grated onion

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsp honey

3/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

process all ingredients except for oil in a food processor, blender or, if you're spoiled like me and your mom and dad gave you a handheld mixer for your birthday, use that instead.  once everything is mixed, slowly incorporate the oil.

enjoy with good company and then you're set.

nutritional info pending my non-laziness

it's sunny out. what's your excuse?

right now i'm totally laying out in the back yard like i used to do in high school except for now, rather than a bikini, i'm trotting around in my sports bra and shorts with awesome mom belly flippin' and a floppin' around.  my hair looks like it's been through the ringer but it hasn't.  that's just how my hair looks all of the time.

husband/hunk/lover is at work.  again.  i took the kids to the local parade this morning by myself which made me sad but i hid it well.  we rocked the candy-getting and i'm certain that we annoyed all of the nearby parade goers with my our enthusiasm.  i took some cute photos but i'll save them for my little family blog for a near future post.  in the meantime, here are two for you to enjoy.

 welcome to the herriman days parade:

busy. busy. busy. describes life right now.  for one, my girl started tumbling again this week which is now twice a week for an hour each time as opposed to once a week for half an hour.  her gym is 25 minutes from home which makes it tough to drop her off and then go home until she's ready to be picked back up.  since the little guy and i had time to kill on tuesday while she was cartwheeling, we chose to kill it at the local coffee shop.  (free wi-fi).  that there is a full fat chai latte and pink milk.  not making the cut.

on thursday i was without little guy and had an hour to kill by myself.  what do you do with an hour all alone?  me, well, i went to costco and then promised sissy "fuel" for after class which ended up being a jamba juice.  i went in for her only but couldn't resist trying their new fruit and veggie smoothies.  i had orange carrot karma and i have to say, it was tasty.  180 calories, 430% vitamin a, 90% vitamin c and only 38 grams of sugar.  only 38 grams of sugar!!!! no wonder it was tasty. i know better but still, oops.

that evening my boy had his last baseball game of the season and the coaches presented me with four lovely "smart cookies" to thank me for being team mom.  yeah, that's me.  mom of the team.

turns out smart cookies make me really dumb because i was only going to have "a bite" but ended up eating two whole cookies by the time i took a bite here and there. i have no idea what happened.  it was probably something like, "let me have a bite of your cookie. just one bite."

sissy had her last day of kindergarten on thursday so she came with the little guy and i to the gym on friday morning.  i let them try the "kid fit" class rather than making her hang out in the playroom with a bunch of poopy babies and snotty-nosed toddlers.  

when i came down after getting my sweat on, they were just winding down class.  doing push ups and stretching.  it was one of the cutest things i've ever seen.  gavin doesn't want to go back though.  he's "fraid" of the big bouncing balls and brooklyn said he cried every time they tried to get him to sit on one. so, i promised him he could hang out the in playroom next time.

my workouts have been awesome.  i'm almost done with the "making the cut" 30 day schedule.  i'll still keep doing these circuits though.  i really, really enjoy them and, i've definitely noticed a difference in my endurance, strength and body fat.  i'll weigh myself and take measurements sometime soon.  still waiting for a visit from flow.  never wise to weigh or measure when she's here.  tmi.  gross.

i tried the kettle bell swings i talked about here.  holy shizam candice! they're tough.  25 pounds was not happening.  i used the 20 pound bell and could only squeak out 10 swings before i needed a break.   um ... candice was prescribed 100 swings with a 25 pound bell.  i need to practice.

one great workout i threw into my circuit was jump lunges on the bosu's.  i love working on bosu's.  i tried to find an example but i couldn't find an image of anyone actually jumping.  i found this one though:

she takes bosu training to a whole new level.

basically though, you start like this (less weights unless you're used to doing 100 kettle bell swings with 25 lbs) and then jump, switching your legs in the air and landing in a lunge.  the idea is to pause only briefly in between lunges for a great cardio exercise.

last of all,

food:

i've been eating the same turkey wrap for lunch every single day.  it's just easy and delicious so, why not?

spiced chicken was flippin' awesome.  the recipe is simply a cumin, paprika, salt & pepper.  check it out here.  i plan to make this a lot.  unfortunately, i'm the only one who liked the tomato basil couscous.  i like couscous but i like it alone.  sniffle.

pretty boring stuff, right? (don't answer that).

it is my goal to be less lenient with my diet for the next few days.  every choice i make is deliberate but i'm allowing too many treats too frequently.  i feel like crap when i eat crap.  frito's and cheese "flavored" dip does not make the cut and i know it.

so that's my update for now.  we'll be headed over to the carnival later today.  i was bummed to not be able to run the local 5k/10k this morning but, oh well.  he's out making money while i pout over not being able to spend it. races are expensive.  i wish it weren't true.

congrats to all those who ran the utah valley marathon and 1/2 marathon this morning!  i can't believe it's already been a year.  i'm so glad they had better weather today than brother-in-law and i had a year ago.