Time to make the donuts! Oh wait no, just time to hit the gym.

Still going to the gym. Feeling good about it. I try to go 5 times a week. My workout is about an hour. Lots of cardio and core work with a few other exercises. I talked with the trainer last night and signed up for an "upper body" class next week. We'll see how that goes. Things I'd like to avoid: crunches and free weights.

Crown Financial seminar tonight and tomorrow. Hope to learn new techniques!

-Alicia

I <3 CC

Improvising as I go! AKA: "New chicken recipe"

Made some yummy chicken last night. Had a recipe for the "tater tots, mushroom soup, chicken dish". Clint looked at the recipe, saw the soup and tater tots part and said his Mom used to make it ALL THE TIME. So okay that's the hint to ME that he isn't all into it. (Kind of like me and lasagna Hamburger Helper) But I still really have been wanting to make it. Last night I pulled it out and took a look again...well it wasn't a chicken dish, it was ground hamburger! Oh good grief. Well I had chicken out thawing so I'm gonna improvise. I also didn't have tater tots (for shame!) but I did have frozen seasoned pototo wedges. Basically same thing right?

The more and more I looked at the recipe I decided I really couldn't copy this recipe and just subsitute chicken. Because you cook the meat, mix in the soup and yadda yaddda yadda. See my problem? So here's what I did.

3 thawed chicken breasts (I always use boneless)
1 can mushroom soup
3 handfulls of the seasoned frozen potato wedges.
*note these amounts are for my family of three, so add more chicken or wedges depending on how many you are serving. The soup could definately stretch to more chicken.

Grease 9x13 pan. I always grease the pan, why take chances of having things stick and...ugh! Scraping and soaking just to end up killing your sponge and nails? Forgetaboutit.

Place chicken breasts in pan, meaty part up. Cover with soup. The soup is pretty thick and I thought about adding water, but didn't. I just gooped it on there with a spoon. Made sure each breast had sufficent soup on it. What I had left I just dolloped around the chicken for moisture.

Scatter 3 handfuls of the potato wedges around the chicken. Cook at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes. You can go longer to get the wedges a bit crispier but they soak up the soup and get real tender and yummy.

Serve immediately and enjoy! This fed us 3 with the kiddo having seconds on the potato wedges.

Until I make it up as I go along again-
Alicia

I <3 CC

Another sad day.

Another sad day at work. Our Operations Director has resigned. She is one of the nice ones. I'm sorry to see her go.

On the wings of angel food cake

Did I mention the Angel food cake? The one I made a week or so ago? It was gooooood. Just a recipe from the BH&G cookbook. But it really turned out moist. MMmm! I heartily encourage anyone to try it. Not hard to make. I do suggest using a stand mixer if you have it for the eggs. You have to beat them til stiff peaks and this can take some time. A stand mixer will allow you to move about and go on with your time as you see fit. The first time I made angel food cake I didn't have a standmixer. This was 10 years ago. Heck I didn't have a hand mixer. I had no electric mixer to my name! So I used my wisk. Yes I wisked 1 dozen egg whites to stiff peaks! Yeah, I'm the woman. I served it with whipped cream and fresh berries. But all that wisking... well it frightened me for years. Such a fright that I just couldn't imagine making it again. Til I caved last week. Wanting that sweet, light, FAT FREE wonderfulness. So I get out the cookbook and find the recipe. "Yup, the dozen egg whites, I remember this", I thought to myself. But then it occurred to me, "Hey! I have a stand mixer! I can DO this!" Got it done in no time. Of course I don't have the newly formed arm muscles that I had after wisking my hand, but it was good. Even the next day it was good. And the next day after that it was still moist!

Yes yes, you must try making this recipe instead of buying it.

Until I wisk again-

Alicia

I <3> CC

Going on day 2.

I've gotten over day 1 of my new workout. Feelin' pretty good! My biceps are a bit sore and so is the upper part of my belly. But other than that I'm feeling energized! I go for Day 2 tonight. Then hopefully to dinner with the hubby. Went to Hobby Lobby last night. Got there just before 8 when it closes. Didn't have what I hoped for but I've come up with a new plan and I'm running with it. Also went to Walmart last night after dinner and got a cheapie MP3 player for 30 bucks. Very excited to be in my own little bubble while at the gym.

I'm trying to cut my portions down, and I'm starving! Might need to eat just before going to work out.


munch munch...

Alicia

I <3 CC

I'm a little 'Runaround Sue'!

My life as I know it is about to change:
This past weekend the hubby and I joined a gym. Nothing fancy but very inexpensive - Planet Fitness. Biggest plus is that I can take a guest anytime I want as often as I want. Cool. Started on the treadmill on Sunday. AM also goes to this gym so we walked together on Sunday. Also went yesterday. Upped my walk and got my butt kicked! So today I'll take off since tomorrow I meet with the personal trainer (which is a freebie) and find out from him what exactly I should be doing. Also grocery shopping tomorrow. Thursday back to the PF working whatever the trainer has suggested for me. And Friday...well Friday should be jam packed for me. After work I'd like to run over to Hobby Lobby and get some stuff for Clints birthday party invites. Then a bite to eat and head to the big suprise for the kid. Maybe after that I MIGHT get over to PF for a quick work out/walk on the treadmill. Just to feel good about myself. Saturday morning meeting AM at the gym for a full work-out, home to shower, then to sisters house for card making/scrapbooking party. Which AM is going with me. And hopefully Carls Jr for lunch. I know I know, going to the gym and still eating fast food? And NO this isn't a "reward" for going to the gym. I am going to try and cut out the junk food, but hey this is ME we are talking about. I don't see myself cutting everything out completely. Besides other than the occasional Friday lunch I don't eat out all the often. Not as often as I'd LIKE anyway, hee hee. Saturday evening is a rest for me. Maybe a nice healthy dinner at home, we'll see.

Plan plan plan!

Alicia

I <3 CC

Tirelessly blogging

I'm sorry to admit that I've gone back to one-a-week blogging. I just get so wrapped up in day to day. I dunno. I'll try more for my sake. After reading one of my favorite blogs today and finding a new one I'm not so sure about I've figured out or finally resolved myself to think that this won't be a blog with photos. I just can't get everything together. Maybe in the far off future but for now it ain't gonna happen. I'm okay with it. Really I am. Really.

Off to PetSmart tonight. We told the kid that we would get him a really "far out" present if he managed to get his act together and finish the 6th grade year with straight As. Well he did. And we have been toying around with different ideas and tonight we are going window shopping to see if we like the "pet idea". He has no clue what we are up to so that helps to keep him off our backs while we decide.

I realized today that monsoon season is upon us here. So hot during the day and the humidity???! Wow, we are usually so dry here any humidity kills me now. It rains in the evening just as I'm getting off work but does it cool off? NO! Sheesh. Is it Christmas yet? :)

Oh and had my annual review today. All went great. They love me and I love them.

Until I blog sooner-

Alicia

I <3 CC