I don't think you're supposed to do that....

Today I ate Milk Duds while I ran.  I don't think you're supposed to do that.

It was the first time I have worked out in a l-o-n-g time and I abhor running.  Apart from my sister I don't think you would find someone who hates running more than me.  I am convinced if someone was chasing me I would not run...I would try to talk them out of it.  So I think today I ate chocolate on the warm up run as an attempt to condition my brain with positive reinforcement that working out is good.  It didn't really work....I felt kinda like garbage the rest of the workout.  But that's how I work.  I have a degree in psychology.  That's why I would attempt to talk my chaser out of chasing me.  To prove my point I will tell you a little story....

When I was in high school I was on the track team.  I was a three sport athlete and track was in the spring making it the last sport of the school year.  Which meant I was in the best shape by then...with two other sports seasons under my belt I didn't have to get in shape again after summer break.  Our track team was exceptionally small and not especially talented, so while my event was high jump every meet I filled in wherever they needed me so we would not have to forfeit.  This meant I ran everything from the 100m dash to the 2 mile (worse than childbirth) so my daily practices included everything that could prepare me for these races and everything in between.  I say all this so you can see I was in tip top shape...best shape of my life...and I always came in last.  Or close to it.... One race the announcer actually got on the loud speaker and announced to the meet workers not to put the hurdles on the track because there was still one runner running.  I waved proudly to the audience as I strutted on by.  I am not designed to run.  My blood vessels are not shaped to provide enough oxygen to my heart to run.  They all get stuck in my face turning me an alarming shade of red after only 10 meters.  It's not something I have to adjust to and get into cardiovascular shape....it's just not a strength.  Just like some people are artistic and others are not....Some people are runners and some are not.  I am not.

So today I was grabbing at straws to make running more enjoyable.  I actually said something untrue and unkind to my husband while we were running because that's what it does to me....puts me in a dark place.  I hurt his feelings and I am sorry.  Don't worry, he got back at me by including sprints in my workout combo.  Joke was on me. I was not laughing.  I was wheezing...close to passing out.

Here was my workout today:
Warmup:  running, stretching
Strength:  Squats 3 sets of 8 @ 65lbs
Combo:  3 Rounds-
               Box jumps (and by box jumps I mean large tree stump jumps) x10
               Pull ups x5
               Clean and jerk with rock, throw rock over branch x5
               Sprint to tree and back x2

Fallen

I am off the wagon.  I'm so far off the wagon I cannot even see it.  It was nowhere in sight while I was in the McDonalds drive-through getting two egg and cheese biscuit sandwiches for breakfast.  Yep, that's right.  McDonalds.  Only for breakfast though and no meat.  Never any meat.

Did Thanksgiving do that to you too?

So this week I'll be getting it together.  I'm sensing a theme here...getting things together.  Surely that is not supposed to be an ongoing goal.  At some point I should attain it and actually have myself together, right?  Whole Foods is going to be my first stop today in hopes of advancing towards achievement.  I'm going to buy the things for these meals:

Monday: Steaks and Roasted Vegetables

Tuesday: Sweet Pepper Steak
          Sub coconut oil or EVOO for vegetable oil
          Sub arrowroot for cornstarch
          Will use tamari sauce instead of regular soy sauce
          Eliminate the sugar.  May use honey, but probably won't.
          Will serve over cauliflower rice 

Wednesday:  Paleo Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti squash

Thursday:  Pizza  (ok, a setback....)

Friday:  Chicken Soup  (this is something my husband does every so often.  It's basically chicken broth and he has no recipe.)

Saturday:  Chili

Not much for you....

I don't have much for you this week.  With Thanksgiving looming (what?!) and a fridge packed with lettuce and little else I will be making salads, several salads, over the next few days.

So let's revisit this Thanksgiving thing.  How did that happen?  I know it is early this year, but holy smokes I was not prepared for it.  So much so that we don't have any plans.  We have been invited to a few places, but I'm not sure what we're going to do.  See, I have control issues when it comes to holiday meals.  A few years back we went to some good friends for the Thanksgiving holiday and (forgive me if I offend you with this story) the food just wasn't good.  Wait.  It wasn't that it wasn't good, it was simply that it wasn't what I was used to.  I am Dutch.  I am from the midwest.  That means we have mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread casserole, green bean casserole, jello salad, baked beans, ham, turkey, rolls, stuffing, and pies.  And in my family everything that can be made homemade is.  The mashed potatoes and stuffing are not from a box.  The pies are not from the bakery section of the grocery store.  That's just not how I was raised.  So when the food was presented and not one of those items was on table and the only homemade thing there was what I brought I lost it.  Well, I kept it together until we got in the car and then I lost it.  I mourned for "my" Thanksgiving dinner.  You know what I mean right....on certain days (holidays especially) you just expect certain things.

That day was a huge learning experience.  I now know I have control issues in the kitchen on holidays and I have no trouble hosting.  You can bring the football team, just let me cook what I want to cook and we will be just fine.  Surely I cannot be the only person who feels this way.

The only things I'm putting on the menu this week are Mango Chicken Salad and Sweet Steak Salad.  We may have a random thing here or there, but mainly I am not planning on making anything besides those to things and the aforementioned Thanksgiving dinner.  And no, it probably won't be paleo.   For reasons I just explained.  This meal is worth it to me to cave.....You can see more on my reasonings on this post.

A story and a Meal plan

We have a dog.  A four legged family member.  A German Shepherd.  She lives outside mostly but comes inside at night.

We also have a large yard (1.25 acres) with a lot of wild vegetation on it.

We now have a tick problem.  In the 8 years since we have had her and the almost 3 years we have been in our house I have never seen a tick or a flea.  She is on prevention medicine and I've never even thought about it.  So on Friday when my in-laws were visiting and Grandpa noticed a "mole" on my sons head that turned out to be a tick I freaked out momentarily, felt like I had bugs crawling all over me, and then remembered he had been wearing a sweatshirt with the hood on he has worn to school so I figured he picked it up there on the playground.  Well, last night I gave him a bath and found another tick.  I also found two mysterious looking bugs underneath the windows, by the dog bed but had no idea what they were and neither did my husband.  After I found the tick in the boys head my husband did some research and those mystery bugs were engorged american dog ticks.  Since then we have found several more and I. am. freaking. out.  The dog is in quarantine and I am frantically trying to coordinate the outside exterminator with the inside exterminator and the vet all at the same time since it is no use to treat one at a different time than the rest.  Can I just tell you I feel so disgusting and dirty.  I know it's not the cleanliness of my house that determines this infestation; nevertheless it's the way I feel.  I want to get a hotel room and fumigate my house.  I need help.  Emotionally and physically.

So doesn't that story make you want to take cooking advice from me?  Surely it does.  I promise you I am not a dirty person.  And anyway, I don't provide you any food I just give you other peoples recipes...

Monday:  Leftovers.  We have steak, shredded chicken, and chili so we will be clearing out the fridge today before stuff gets thrown out.

Tuesday:  Taco Salad  (here is the seasoning recipe I use)

Wednesday:  Meatloaf

Thursday:  Pizza

Friday:  Aloo Gobi

Saturday:  Chili

Last Weeks Meal Plan

I am not a single mother and so when my husbands schedule becomes crazy hectic and I turn into one I do not deal well.  I applaud single parents everywhere.  There cannot be a more difficult job.  This past week and this next week to come I will not see the husband much at all so I have tried to make meals that will be good whenever he gets home.  So here is last weeks and I will post another of this week.

Monday:  South of the border acorn squash.  I used the recipe from Paleo Comfort Food, but this is identical.  I used ground beef instead and it was delish.  One of the husbands favorites.

Tuesday:  Spiced chicken with mashed plantains.

Wednesday:  Salad with shredded chicken, grapes, walnuts, and avocado.

Thursday:  Pizza.

Friday:  Steak with roasted fall vegetables.  Normally if I make this for just us I leave out the red potatoes, but my in-laws were in town so to make it go a little further I threw the potatoes in the mix.  I actually like it better without them.

Saturday:  We went out to eat to our favorite place Leftovers.  I had plantain and butternut crusted chicken over greens with pears, watermelon, and a cactus pear dressing.  It was so delicious I can't even describe it.