Sunday Special - Italian Chicken on Rice

OK - it is Sunday and I am watching the USA - Canada hockey match. Canada is ahead 2-1. Beginning of the third period . . . GO USA!!!

Ran this morning with Sophie - 4 miles - it was a relatively warm, 28 and no wind. I really think that 3-4 miles is Sophie's maximum. I am not just saying this to make myself feel better . . . but she is slowing me down. The last mile - she is behind me and I need to pull on her lease to get her to speed up a bit. Problem is when I am running - she is trotting. If she runs . . . I would not be able to keep up. ;-) Last summer I would take her out for 2 miles (because of the heat) and then drop her off at home and then run the rest of my miles. I will probably need to do that again.

After our run - then it was off to church.

I have been thinking about something to make my blog unique . . . so on Sunday's I am going to share some of my "GO TO" recipes. These will not win culinary awards - but these are recipes that I turned to whenever I didn't really have a lot of time and everyone in the family enjoyed these. And many of these are basic ingredients that I would keep on hand.

Before we had children, I loved to cook and spent a lot of time on weekends trying new recipes and making bread (kneading by hand - not with a bread maker). We were married for almost 12 years before we had children. But once the boys were born I just didn't want to devote too too much time to cooking . . . especially since it took them the same amount of time to eat the food, whether I spent 2 hours making the dinner . . . or 15 minutes. ;-)

So here is one of my favorite recipes:

Italian Chicken on Rice

2 whole chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds - skinned, boned and cut in thin strips or chucks - I usually slice the breast in 1/2 inch wide strips and then cut those slices in 2 to 3 inch long strips.) I almost always use frozen chicken breasts - you don't need to thaw them. Simply slice them while frozen.

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons butter

One 15 1/2 ounce jar spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning - or use some Basil and Oregano

3 cups sliced celery

4 cups cooked rice

Season chicken with garlic salt and pepper and leave sit for 5 minutes. Saute in butter until cooked through. Stir in spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning: cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add celery, continue cooking until celery is tender crisp (about 10 minutes). Make rice while the chicken is simmering. Serve over Rice. Sprinkle with Parmesan or Roman cheese.

ENJOY

Peace

Running Plans - Gorgeous Blogger Award

Happy Thursday - February 25

OK - enough whining. I have been doing a lot of that lately - or at least it seems that way. I am busy - there is no getting over that fact . . . but lots of people are busy and they still prioritize their exercise. Me too. ;-)

I ran 3 miles on Tuesday morning. It felt great - but slow. I didn't run this morning because I had to drive to Milwaukee, for the second time this week for a meeting. Good news is I made it back in time to go to my Circuit Training class at 4:30. I needed that - especially after sitting in the car and meetings all day. Tomorrow morning - another running morning. Yea!!!! Tomorrow after work I am planning on trying out a new Yoga Studio. I am very excited. I love Yoga and currently only take a 1/2 hour class at work.

Plans for Spring/Summer running:

Shamrock-Shuffle - either 5 or 10K. Sunday, March 14th

Crazy Legs Classic - 8 K - April 24

MAYBE -??? maybe ???? Syttende Mai - 20 miles - May 16

East High Pi run - 3.1416 miles - May 23

Komen Race for the Cure - 5 K - June 5

Madison Mini-Marathon - 13 miles - August 21

I want to thank Anne at Asthma and the Gift of Running for tagging me to receive the Gorgeous Blogger Award. I must now tell you six things about myself that you do not know.

Here goes:

1. I love to have polish on my toe nails - but hate to have my finger nails polished. I can feel the weight of the polish on my fingers.

2. I use to drive and race Radio Control Sedans and Trucks (10th scale). It started with my son's participating and then they bought me a truck and sedan. I was generally the only women - I have won trophy's.

3. I was diagnosed with stage IIIb Breast Cancer in September 2004. So far so good.

4. My eyebrows are tattooed. As a result of chemotherapy - I lost all of my hair, including eyebrows. Brows never came back - I have a few hairs - but not many.

5. I started college as a music major and then changed to Accounting in my Junior year.

6. I am a CPA

New Yaktras and Tuesday ramblings

First things first . . . when I got home yesterday there was a package waiting for me. Isn't that one of the best feelings. Just like a birthday or Christmas. It makes me feel very happy.

It was my YAKTRAX that I had won from Jen at Setting You Free. THANKS so much. I am looking forward to trying them out. I might have an opportunity to try them tomorrow morning - we are expecting snow showers again this evening. I will let you all know how they work.

Tuesday Ramblings ... ..... ..........

This last weekend my family got new cell phones. That was 4 cell phones . . . three data plans . . . oh my. I admit - I like tech gadgets. I have had to spend some time learning some of the features of my new Motorola Droid. But, so far, so good . . . it is really nice (and fun).

It seems I am always saying how busy I am . . . I am tired of complaining about being busy.

This weeks activities:

Monday - work and church council meeting in the evening - home at 8:15

Tuesday - out of town for work - dog training class in the evening - home at 7:45

Wednesday - work - Lent service at church (probably not home until 8:00)

Thursday - out of town for work - nothing in the evening. yea

Friday - TGIF

I didn't run or take the dog out for a walk this morning because I had to get to work early to drive to Milwaukee - so I am looking forward to my run tomorrow morning.

Over the last week I have been running in the morning and running after work on the treadmill. I am really trying to increase my distance on my morning runs. Nothing too long - because I don't want to get up any earlier in the morning . . . but certainly something longer than the normal 2 mile route around the neighborhood. So I have been running 3.5 miles in the morning. My time has been slow - but it will get faster.

I feel like I need and want more direction . . .

in my life . . . prioritizing and simplifying and accepting

in my running . . . re-commiting and increasing my distance and speed

in my blogging. . . figuring out what I am trying to do

Maybe I am thinking to much . . . as the nike slogan says . . . Just do it . . .????

Peace

Blog Motivators

Jen is a true blog motivator. I was lucky enough to win a pair of YakTraks from the give away on her blog. She bought an extra pair and gave them away. How lucky am I?

Read her story . . . it is very inspiring . . . check it out at Setting You Free.

I have much more to say - but it will have to wait. I have work to do and it is already 9:00. yikes!!!!

I really need to get it done before tomorrow and

I also need to get to work early and

I need a good nights sleep.

I have been EXTREMELY stressed out at work and really need to watch my sleep time.

Sooooooo

Peace

Winter

OK - short post. I just got done with some work and am ready to go to bed. I ran 3 miles this morning. It felt good - but it was sloooooooow. Oh well - at least I was out there. I am running on the treadmill tomorrow at lunch. Might bring my clothes to run outside - ????

Hey - the best news is that it is less than 1 month until Day Light Saving time comes back.

March 14th. Yahoo!!!!

Goodnight . . . sleep dreams . . . happy running feet.

Peace

Happy Valentines Day

Few days off -

I got back into Madison Wednesday evening - from Colorado.

Back to Reality. Back to Work. Back to Housework.

Back to Family. Back to Running. Back to my own Bed.

Ran on Thursday morning - just 2 miles - but it felt really good.

Todd and I went snowshoeing today near Token Creek . . . took Sophie . . . it was a beautiful blue sky day and temp's in the high 20's. BEAUTIFUL.

I have taken the last few days off of blogging . . . and am now sitting down and trying to catch up. Wow it seems like a few days off . . . and it takes a while to read everything . . . yikes.

Planning on a 5 mile run tomorrow morning. I need a plan - a goal - something to keep me motivated in the middle of winter. . . . next weekend is the Madison Winter Festival - 5k run. Might enter.

Watching awesome Olympic Women Mogul's on TV . . . we saw Hannah Kearney at the Olympic trials in Steamboat in December - while it is great to see on TV - it is totally unbelievable in person.

Peace

Back to Reality

I skied at Beaver Creek again today. As you can see in the pictures it was a blue sky day. Pretty chilly temp's in the morning - but it warmed up in the afternoon. I skied 21 miles today. It was a very pleasant day. I had a good final run down the mountain.

I left Avon around 3:00 and headed down to Denver, where I am staying the evening. My flight leaves at 11:00. I should be back in Madison around 5:00.

While I am sad to be leaving this area . . . I am anxious to get back to my family.

Would I go on vacation again by myself?

I am not sure . . . .

I had a great time . . . and think that more people should try this . . . but I kept thinking about how much more fun it would be to share it with someone. I really am glad I did this - it allowed me time to only depend on myself. ;-)

It was fun to chat with people on the lifts and at the shops. Today I had lunch on the mountain and were joined by several members of a family enjoying a ski vacation prior to their son's wedding in Denver this week end. The parents immigrated from Romania - it was fun listening to their stories.

Signing off from Denver . . . Madison here I come.

I will be back to running on Friday.

1hour and 15 minutes of bliss . . . Private Yoga Class

I got up this morning and headed across the street to Yoga class. I was the only person . . . let me repeat . . . I was the only person in class . . . can you say private lesson for $15. Wow . . . the instructor was Nicola and she was wonderful. The studio is called synergy and I would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in Yoga or Pilates.

I feel great . . . relaxed . . . more in tune with my body and taller. I take a 1/2 hour class through our work fitness classes . . . but 75 minutes of yoga is sooooooo cool.

So much time to warm up . . .

work really hard . . .

hold poses until fatigue . . .

time to relax and

reconnect with your body.

Peace

and

Namasté

Beaver Creek and Vail

I have had a great two days skiing. I started Saturday off with an hour long Yoga class. The studio is right across the street (how lucky is that?) from my hotel and the class was absolute bliss. I then took the bus (right outside my hotel) to the gondola which took me to one of the ticket centers and I headed up the mountain. It was snowing most of the day - we probably got a couple of inches. I stopped at the Ritz-Carlton, which is located at the bottom of one of the runs and ate at the grill outside. I had a ginormous burger for lunch. Needless to say, the burger and lemon-aide was $20 . . . I ate every single bite. Usually if you eat at one of the resort restaurants on the mountain you can stay around $10-$12 for lunch - since I was at the bottom of the lift and hungry I thought what the heck. I won't do that again. It was a pretty good burger.

I skied with my garmin and only tracked the ski miles - not the lift miles. I skied 23 miles.

When I got back to the hotel I hopped in the hot tub for about 15 minutes - it was really hot - I was alone . . . which I liked. Then back to the room to shower.

I then decided to go for a walk. I am staying in Avon, which is right off I-70. Beaver Creek Resort is about 3 miles away. I started walking up to the resort. It was up hill (well it is really up the mountain) all the way. It took me over an hour to get there. I didn't have my garmin with me - but I am going to do it again tomorrow and will wear my garmin so I can check the elevation. It felt like I was climbing 1000's of feet . . . but I doubt it was that much . . . but who knows. I walked around the shops at Beaver Creek, and stopped for a bowl of Gelato. sooooo good.

Today - I skied Vail. It was another great day. I headed to the back bowls. On the way 18 groomers were heading back from grooming some runs of the back bowls . . . it is like a parade on the mountain.

Vail does a great job grooming some runs on the back bowls. If not for the grooming - I would never be back there. I made my way around the mountain without any problems. There was only a couple of times that I had to get my map out to check which lift to take. Usually when I have been skiing in Colorado - my son's have been with me and they lead me around the mountain . . . . I just follow. But this trip it is up to me to make my way around the mountains.

Tonight I am back at the hotel - blogging, updating facebook and watching the Super bowl - while enjoying a glass of wine.

Tomorrow is going to start with a 9:00 Yoga class. I am then going to head over to the Starbuck's, enjoy some coffee and do some work. I have personnel reviews coming up and thought this would be a good time to get some of the write-ups completed. I am then planning on running up to Beaver Creek again. I am sure I will walk quite a bit - but thought it might be fun.

Peace

Am I the luckiest person on earth?

That is pretty much what I feel like right now. Why am I so blessed to be able to vacation in Colorado a second time this winter? I have no answers. I am just very thankful.

I spent the last couple of days attending a conference in Denver. The conference ended at 1:00 this afternoon and I headed west. I got to my hotel in Avon, CO around 3:00 pm. I unpacked and then walked to the city market and bought some fruit and Luna bars for the next couple of days. I also scoped out restaurants . . . settled for a pizza joint. I ordered a greek salad and slice of pizza. It was the wonderful slice of pizza, with spinach, feta cheese, onions and tomatoes on a thin crust. Yum - worked out that I am by myself - onions and peppers. Yum. I didn't have any lunch so I was really hungry. I also had a glass of Sunshine beer - similar to Blue Moon.

Tomorrow I am going to ski at Beaver Creek. But first I am going to a Yoga class at a studio right across the street from my hotel. How lucky is that.

Usually we are try to get to the slopes first thing in the morning. Tomorrow - I will ski when I get there. Oh the joy of not having to please / or worry about anyone else.

Life is Good!!!