Even the Rain Couldn't Stop Me!

I did it! On Sunday I completed my first Half Marathon in Newport, Rhode Island. Despite awful weather conditions I accomplished my goal of running the entire 13.1 miles. I cant begin to describe the adrenaline rush I got as I saw the 13 mile marker and then my husband came into view, jumping up and down and cheering for me. Part of the fun of running this race was training all summer. Here are some photos I took on some of my particularly long runs.

Beverly Hills, California

Williamsburg Bridge

New York, NY

Centennial Park

Ellicott City, Maryland

A country road in upstate New York.

Friday: Hearts for Hearts of Palm and Tilapia Tacos

Salad: Tomatoes, hearts of palm, and avocadoes.

Seared Tilapia, topped with salsa and sour cream....I heart Fridays!

Thursday: Asparagus and Mushroom Rigatoni

Ingredients:

olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced and stemmed

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch spears

4 ounces rigatoni

fresh basil, chopped

lemon zest

salt and pepper

Cook pasta for 10 minutes in boiling water.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and saute garlic until it turns golden colored. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes then add asparagus and continue sauteing for a few more minutes. Turn heat to high and add one cup of the pasta water. Reduce water by half and add pasta to the saucepan with a slotted spoon. Toss for about one minute, then remove from heat and season with fresh basil leaves and lemon zest.

Serves two.

Wednesday: Pork Chops, Applesauce, and Sweet Potatoes

Tonight's menu was surprisingly simple, healthy, and left my apartment smelling of cinnamon. I rubbed these boneless pork chops with my favorite Stonewall Kitchen blend, then grilled them.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes (serves 2)

2 sweet potatoes

1/4 cup skim milk

salt and pepper

Peel and chop potatoes, then cover them with water in a pot. Simmer until soft (about 10 minutes), then drain and return back to pot. Heat milk in a small saucepan then pour over potatoes and mash. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Applesauce:

5 small apples

1 pear

1/2 cup water

1/4 sugar

lemon juice

cinnamon

Peel and core fruit, then simmer for about 20 minutes. While the fruit is simmering, mix in sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice.

Tuesday: Birthday Fun

Here is a photo of my one and only blowing out his birthday candle. We had a fun evening....dinner with friends, live music, and of course cupcakes!

Monday: Spinach Lasagna

This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light. I actually made it Sunday night, and it was even better Monday as leftovers.

Ingredients:

olive oil

1 chopped onion

1 minced garlic clove

1 16 ounce package of frozen spinach (thawed)

1/6 cup flour

1 1/2 cups low-fat milk

salt & pepper

1 jar marinara sauce

cooking spray

6 cooked lasagna noodles

1 cup fresh shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375. Saute onion in olive oil until brown. Add spinach and garlic and saute for a few more minutes.

Whisk flour, milk, salt and pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add half of the milk mixture to the spinach mixture. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer the following: 2 noodles / spinach mixture / marinara / 2 noodles / spinach / mozzarella / 2 noodles / marinara. Top with remaining milk mixture and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes.

A Week of Healthy Dinners

And the countdown begins....this weekend I am running my first half-marathon. I've been training for the past 10 weeks and I can hardly believe October 18 is almost here! So that I am feeling my best on Sunday, I've decided to prepare high carb/low fat meals all week.

This Week's Dinner Menu:

Monday: Spinach Lasagna

Tuesday: eat dinner out, celebrate J's birthday!

Wednesday: Pork Chops and Sweet Potatoes

Thursday: Asparagus and Mushroom Rigatoni

Friday: Tilapia Tacos and Hearts of Palm Salad