Left you hanging

Sorry guys! I feel like a bad blogger because I haven't updated in awhile.

Like Laura I feel off balance. I haven't been on a good schedule to get everything I need to get done, including meal plans and cooking. There have been some pretty lax meals around here that are definitely not blog-worthy!

I'm finishing up my last 2 weeks of this semester, which has been my most grueling so far. Once that's behind me I have faith it will look up from there.

I am also leaving in about three weeks to go to my parents' for this summer for about six weeks. As with any trip there is always the preparation and planning stress, but because this one is for so long I feel more than the usual amount. I'm also nervous about not seeing Johnny for such a long time and missing him. We've never been apart this long, ever - even after our first meeting! (We met online and after meeting in real life once I moved in with him.)

Unfortunately I haven't worked out since last Wednesday, either. My goal for the Summer Challenge was to try and move more every day. I have moved more in general and am seeing results, but I need to step it up. With food I am very good at tripping and picking myself up to start the next day great again. But for some reason I'm not good at picking myself back up to exercise. I always keep calendars for my progress and every time I look back it was a short trip of a few days that I let turn into me stopping exercise for good. This is a bad habit and one I hope to break as much as it is a challenge for me.

So, anyways that's where I'm at. Just wanted to check in and let you know I didn't fall off the face of the Earth.

Today I'm going grocery shopping and have dinner planned. While in the kitchen I'm also going to make a big whey-free lasagna for Johnny while I'm gone. I make the whole thing, let it cool, and then cut it into single portions to wrap separately for the freezer. I know he's capable of feeding himself while I'm out of town, I just feel bad leaving him without home cooked food I know he loves.

I'll leave you with some pics Johnny took of me last Wednesday, during our 5 mile bike ride! That is the longest I can remember riding in a really long time!

Quick Cherry Dessert & Summer Challenge

Whenever I grocery shop with Johnny it reminds me of shopping with a kid. He sees things on end caps or is reminded of foods he used to love and gets all excited. It's always really random things too.

Take the last grocery trip we went on together, Johnny got really excited about a bag of frozen cherries he saw while I was grabbing fruit for my smoothies. "I love cherries!" he exclaimed and asked if there was anything I could do with them. I shrugged and threw them in the cart, thinking "sure I'll come up with some quick dessert."

Tonight was a pretty lax night in the kitchen for me. I was just reheating some slow cooker split pea soup, so I decided I'd make a dessert (if you could even call it that). Johnny and I are huge fans of fruit in their natural state, so this is not a gooey, sickening sweet dessert. This is more just a nice summer evening end of dinner treat.

1 bag of frozen cherries
1 tsp corn starch
~2 Tbsp brown sugar
~1/2 cup oats
dash salt

Dump the bag of cherries into a baking dish. Sprinkle the corn starch over them and roll to coat them. Sprinkle the oats and brown sugar evenly over the cherries and add a dash of salt. Bake in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes until warmed and bubbly. Run under the broiler for a couple minutes to crisp up the top. Serve warm. Yields 4-6 servings.

Yum, this hit the spot! Delicious, natural tasting cherries with just a hint of a crunch and extra sweetness in a bite here or there.


I keep forgetting to blog about this, but I joined Biz's 101 days of Summer challenge!

My goal is to move more to tone up and lose some inches! I've lead a pretty stagnant life in the last year and I really want to change that.

There are 50 participants including my mom and my cousin, so I have a lot of motivation! Each Sunday the group page is updated with our progress, so make sure to click the button in my sidebar if you want to keep up with us.

Let me know if you joined the challenge and what your goals are! I'll help cheer you on and we can be healthy together this summer! Also, please feel free to e-mail me for support, leave comments, and ask how I'm doing with my goal. I can use the constant reminders and motivation and will gladly return the favor for you!