Dirt: I heart cheese

I love the cheese of Valentines Day. The elementary school kind. Hokey jokes, candy hearts, platonic love and crushing on the cute boy that you have your eye on.I love that my husband and I buy each other useful gifts (coffee, gum and a dark chocolate bar) and share our love via movie quotes on social media.

Cooking: Sunday Plan Day

This weekend has been a fairly low key affair.

Cleaning, cooking, homework and laundry took up most of the weekend. Steve and I went to hear music twice outdoor in downtown.
 We are so lucky to have that opportunity in our very pretty city.

I found a new musical love/girl crush in fellow Nashvillian Holly Williams. 

I literally am obsessed with her music and store.

Steve and I tag teamed grocery shopping and our bare cupboards are almost full.
We went to the Chattanooga Market today and I loaded up on tomatoes and what I fear are the end of the peaches. I am making a peach upside down cake today as celebration of my new job and the girls going back to school.

This afternoon, as well,  I am make a huge batch of meatballs for the week and to freeze. 

My goal is to make something on Sundays to eat on Monday and freeze for the week after. 

That way when I am working and we have a swim meet or dance performance, we can pull something easy out of the freezer and still have a home cooked meal.

We will see how that works. Best laid plans and all. 

I'm pretty excited about it all, though.

 

via

Casa Swann It's Officially the School Year Menu

• Scratch meatballs and sauce, sauteed kale,
• Baked chicken, homemade pesto zucchini, 
• Black bean sweet potatoes with poached egg
• Flat bread sandwiches with Greek salad 

Cooking: I got a new book (or two)

I am obsessed with cooking right now.

We had our usual, calorie laden deliciousness over the holidays. 

I made cookies, Delaney made cookies, I made cake, Delaney made fudge.

We cooked lots of hearty dishes as well. Chicken chili, tortilla soup, Delaney made from scratch chicken noodle soup, etc.

 We ate a lot at home and out as well.

Basically, we ate the holidays.

We had a really wonderful Christmas,which went on for days, just like I like it. The theme of it was family and moderation, which is how Steve likes it. I haven't seen him this happy at Christmas in years. Our gifts were very heart felt and perfect. 

I asked for the Dinner, A Love Story book/cookbook and received it AND this one as well. I was so giddy when I opened them. It was like getting diamonds AND sapphires.

I have mentioned before I love cookbooks and I have over 70 of them. Some I cook out of regularly, some I read for ideas, some are heirlooms and others I just have because they represent an era in my life that I don't want to forget. 

Ah, yes...parking lot burritos courtesy of this book.

My two newest I have read cover to cover, like a greedy addict (which I am). 

I have been a reader of the blog Dinner, A Love Story since my friend Meg, told me about it. I think her husband, John is the one that found it. I believe (but don't quote me on it) that Jenny Rosenstratch and her blog helped fuel  what was already her weekly menu planning. I have been planning a menu for a few years as part of my family's goal of not being wasteful and my plan to lose weight a few years ago . I lost 25 pounds that I gained training for a marathon and have kept it off except for my yearly holiday 5. Writing down what we were going to eat made it easier to stay on task at the grocery store and in my mouth.

I have saved years of planners with our dinners in them, sometime remembering to put where the recipe was located, mostly not. Reading Jenny's book has inspired me to take better notes when I plan my meals.  I have done that in my cookbooks, noting things such as "great for a taking a meal to someone who had a baby" and "Ellie actually ate this" and " Substituted...".  But unless I open said cookbook, I have a hard time remembering those recipes were important or good. 

So,  notes are being added to my planner. Thanks, Jenny!

As I read her cookbook, I felt like I was talking to a friend. One with whom I have a lot in common. She has two girls very close in age. I have two girls very close in age. She had a daughter who is a

 " demanding eater", Ellie was an easy baby, but would eat nothing green, spicy, or at dinner. 

We both care about food and believe eating good and real food is important. We both move the "healthy" food to the front when guests come over.Needless to say, I loved her book and now could be a stalker of her family, if they lived anywhere near me in the south. "We NEED to be real world friends..." Joking, Jenny, just joking.

Does this look like the face of a picky eater?

If you have not read her blog, do it. She and her husband write it together and I have to say their writing styles are so similar, I often wonder if she is writing as him. They are smart, funny and really into food and books, with which I can personally identify. (The books and food...well, I hope I am smart and funny, too.)

The cookbook is an extension of the blog. Reading it felt like a conversation. The recipes are easy to follow and don't require much outside of what most experienced cooks would have in their kitchen. 

My family is going to love the book, as a lot of meat recipes are contained within, meaning I might actually cook more than my fall back chicken. In fact, tonight we are having pork ragu. 

WHAT? 

In Season is a lovely cookbook as well, but with recipes for things such as emu eggs and eel, neither of which are available in Chattanooga, even at The Wholefoods, makes it more of a read for inspiration cookbook. Summer will be the season I cook from the most. 

Here is the link for the meal we are eating for dinner. The crew is camping in the yard, so we will be eating it outside in 40 degree weather. I will be eating defrosted Tortilla soup. There will be s'mores. 

Come on over!

Whatever: Mainx24

Today is one of my favorite events in Chattanooga...

We start this morning and will end sometime tonight.

Very late.

We could go until tomorrow, for it is a 24 hour party.

Details Monday, but here are a few shots of last year's great fun.

Whatever: Outdoors

I was sitting at the bar Wednesday night after the weekly evening run that my husband drug me to and I attended for the first time last night with one of my good friends. 

I was telling him how mad I was for years that we did not move to Colorado after my husband graduated from grad school.
It was weird, but as I was saying it, I realized that I am not really even close to regretful anymore. Which is a huge step for me.

 Instead, I realized that Chattanooga has most of the things that inspired the feeling that I wanted to move to Colorado.

 

 

 Chattanooga has changed a lot in the past 14 years. There are a lot more cultural opportunities and much better restaurants than when we first arrived. We have a huge culture of outdoor enthusiasts, other than the red blooded bass fishermen that I encountered the first few years we lived here.

That overwhelmingly red state state of mind has been tempered by quite a few of the people I have personally met over the past 5 years, making me realize I am not the only moderate in the sea.
We were even Outside magazine's number one place to live last year due to the abundance of outdoor activities and relatively affordable cost of living.

 I realized I just had just  been really remiss in utilizing all the great outdoor opportunities.
I started running about 8 years ago and that gets me in the company of a club of people who enjoy fitness and each other's company. But until recently, it was such an unrewarding experience to go hiking (one of my major reasons for moving to Colorado). 

My husband literally runs and my kids lagged and cried. So, I was opposed to doing it. I had given a stab at it a few times in the past two or three years, and it had not been horrible, but I still wasn't as into it.

Then something changed.

 

I went hiking with my parents and it was fun.


I wasn't sprinting to keep up with my husband and no one was crying about being bored. I was able to look around and the beauty surrounding me and truly enjoy it.

So, over Thanksgiving I took my sister and her family on one of my favorite EASY hikes.

There was little whining (her kids are tougher than mine, apparently) and we had a lovely time.

 

The wind was wild at the top and a cold front was coming in, so we didn't get the awesome photo I thought we might, but it was really peaceful and...enjoyable.

We had a great time as a family.
Even our dogs enjoyed themselves.

So, as I near the end of the year and start making my "want to do" list for 2013, I am adding Enjoy the Outdoors to the top of my list.

 

Exercise: 100,000 pounds

Y'all know my husband is a beast. 

Literally, the strongest man I know.

Sometimes, I forget that he is human and I assume he can pick things up like trees and cars.

He inspires me to be "stronger" even though with him around, I really don't have to be.

That's right...he's strong!

We went to dinner Saturday night and I was explaining how I am stuck.

Stuck with "being healthy" as my only motivator for working out.

I am happy with my weight, he thinks I am hot, and I eat well, so I feel pretty great most of the time.

So, he suggested we make a goal together to run a certain distance and lift a certain weight.

Now running is easy for me. I am not fast, but I get it done.

Weight lifting is easy for him. He is strong. 

So, we agreed on 15 miles and 1,000 pounds for me and 5,000 for him.

Until he lifted 10,000 pounds on Sunday, just working out in our yard.

I laughed  until I added it up.  

Monday, I went to the gym and had an easy workout of 20,000 pounds. Literally, an "ease back into it" workout. I was amazed, as I always thought about leg press as 100 pounds. NOT 3,000 pounds.

So, I upped my goal to 100,000 pounds (same as his) and I am 28,250 pounds into my goal. I think a more realistic goal is 50,000. Tweaking, still tweaking.

So, with that goal, we are training yet gain for this. And lifting tons of weight. 

TONS! I feel stronger already.

Dirt: I am a junkie and I married one too.

What are you doing New Years...New Year's Eve?

I will be with the cutest boy in the world indulging in our mutual love of all things live music.

In the RYMAN...

Don't hate...you can't get tickets anyway because it sold out in less than 10 minutes.

Here's a little something to soothe you instead.

Gratituesday: Along for the ride

We just got home last night from a whirlwind trip to see my husband's best friend.

Our trip was literally there and back and less than 72 hours.

We had planned quite a few things that did not get done (driving to see my FIL was one of them). 

Our friends have four kids and so with six kids in tow, we were very slow moving.

Instead we hit Busch Gardens.

We hurtled through the park as fast as we could, trying to beat the lines to ride all the rides.

I say "we" like I actually experienced even one roller coaster.

I didn't. I hate them. They make me ill.

But, my husband does love them and for that reason alone 

(and of course many much more important ones), I am glad he is the father of my children.

I would ride them if he hated them, or if I was a single mom. 

But...lucky for all involved, I am not a single mom. And he loves them.

The rides were scary and fun and I am quite sure exhilarating.

I am very grateful I did not ride them.

Food: New year dinner

My husband is a nut.

pink helmet...Step back...he's all mine!

 A health nut. He belongs to a gym that he loves and, as he has been working out there for almost 2 years, it is his home away from home.

Manly man...

They are always doing some sort of challenge to keep them on their toes.
Be it rowing from here to China on a rowing machine, or eating Paleo, they are all about it.

He loves it and is happy, so I am happy.

Their newest insanity challenge, is a food challenge for one month. He is eating pretty much what we normally eat, but subtracting all grains, legumes, or sugar and only one caloric beverage a day. Veyr entertaining watching my beer loving husband "ration".  He invited me to join in, which would have been fairly  easy for me as that is pretty much how we eat anyway. I usually only have one glass of wine at night , tea (no sugar) in the morning and water the rest of the day.

However, as I eat little if any animal protein besides eggs, I have to have my beans. 

So, I am not doing the challenge. But I am cooking for it.

http://www.getbuiltchattanoogacrossfit.com/yannuary-2012/

If you are trying to reset your bodayafter a holiday of shoveling cookies, fudge and holiday beverages, this is a pretty good way to get it done. The hardest part is making it okay with your mind, and being creative with your food choices.

I am not a fan of "diets" as I have done most of the ones around and have always gained weight when I stop them, due to psychologically feeling deprived. I just try to eat sensibly ( high fiber/low carbs), avoid high fat/fried foods and processed foods, and drink lots of water. I don't eat potatoes, corn, or cheese (which I love) very often, as I have found they are allergens for me.
I do enjoy sugar and eat it way too much.

Doing this, my weight has stayed almost exactly the same for over three years. I fluctuate in my fitness level (read: sometimes I am a flabby tub of goo), especially after a big event when I am burned out (read:about twice a year).  But overall, I stay about the same. I feel like  if I stay active and exercise regularly, I can eat whatever I want, as long as I don't over do it and eat the whole sleeve of cookies. Which I have done, hence, I don't buy them. 40 has been hard on working cookies off!

The crazy people at Get Built know what they are doing, setting a pattern for good habits and not fad diets.  What are your tips for staying fit? Do you "diet" or just eat smart? Do you have tricks that you use to  manage your food urges?

Yannuary meals for Casa Swann

Ribollita for me, Chicken soup (with noodle for carb eaters)

Eating at my daughter's school after swim meet...best food in town, courtesy of Meg's dad

paleo salmon cakes, roasted sweet potatoes, oven roasted broccoli/cauliflower

Savory Squash soup and meatloaf

Gumbo

 I have made the salmon cakes and they are pretty good. Super healthy and very easy.
I "fry" them on my griddle.