Stuck in the Intro

I had tried to read The Pillars of the Earth twice, and both times I was so bogged down by the introduction that I just moved on to a different book.  I had no idea why people were so interested in this book.

On my 3rd attempt at reading it, because I had just finished

Half Broke Horses, which is a fantastic read too, and did not want to research which book to read next, just picked one on the Kindle.  So I skipped the introduction and was hooked by the very first page.  What an amazing book this was about dreams and goals and facing down your demons...even when they continued to resurface.  I was so enthralled with it, that I was not ready to have it end.  In the 1100's life was so much different than it is today, and yet you can see that people struggle with life no matter what the year is.  Life always comes full circle, and I really enjoyed reading a book that fulfilled that promise, even when at times it seemed like things were too bleak to ever come around.
What a great read, and I am excited to start on his second  book about this place!

Disappointing Endings

I have been reading so many good blogs and websites lately, that it sometimes cuts into my novels, but I've managed to go through 5 novels this last month.  Happiness is having time to read in the sun as your children and their friends play in the sandbox, swim, run through the sprinklers or whatever else seems to keep them entertained.   

Ever finish a great book, only to be disappointed that it ended?  That happens to me a lot, especially when I feel like there may be more to the story that the author should have got out.  Books need more sequels like movies seem to overuse but always want to do if the first one was great.

Reading The Lantern was suppose to be similar to reading The Thirteenth Tale and I always love to read a good ghost story. I am not much of a scary movie girl, but love to read them.  

The book is about a couple that move out to the country and purchase a run down cottage and farm.  The isolation that ends up occurring is strange but predictable in such a remote location.  The main character is less likable since she seems so willing to just give up everything to be with her fiance.  She seems obnoxiously able to go about living a life that she doesn't really enjoy, because of her fiance.  Yuck.  The flashbacks to the ghost are much more entertaining and interesting.  Here is a woman who is strong, is willing to stand up for herself and even thought she is not always willing to accept the truth right away, comes around to figuring out what is right and what isn't.   It wasn't nearly as scary or as suspenseful as The Thirteenth Tale, but it was worth reading...until the end...and then the author seemed to just run out of steam.  I needed a much more exciting ending...but that's just me.

Before I Go To Sleep was so good.  It's the story of a woman who loses her memory.  I was so enthralled and could not wait to see what new things she discovered each day she woke up and read her journal.  This book was hard to put down, because you knew she was on the verge of figuring something out...but the ending, again was disappointing.  Very anticlimactic, even though the actual story line was good.  I'm not sure how an author can keep you so engaged only to make it seem like the end just wasn't exciting enough.

Enjoy reading...but sometimes I feel like I should be an editor!

Zucchini Zucchini and more Zucchini (Cakes and Brownies)

So excited that my garden is doing so well this summer.  Had no idea that I would end up with so much zucchini so fast.  So I have been making zucchini recipes like there is no tomorrow.

Zucchini Brownies

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups  sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan

Mix oil, sugar and vanilla.

 Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. 

Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. 

Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes

I topped them with frosting.

Zucchini Cakes

• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, mozzarella cheese, and salt. 
• Stir well.
• Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Drop zucchini mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls.  
• Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.
• Serve with marinara sauce.

Fastest and Easiest Cookies Ever

What to do with two children who are too hot to keep playing outside but you still have 2 hours to kill before you get to leave for the party?  You get them in the kitchen to bake....or actually, you get them in the kitchen to not bake.  I had all these leftover packages of plain instant oatmeal, the ones that come in the box of Quaker Oats from Costco, and had no idea what do to with them, but didn't want to throw them away.

So today we made the easiest and fastest cookies ever.  So easy an 8 year old and a 2 year old can do it!  Love love love this recipe.

No Bake Cookies

1/2 cup milk

1 cube butter

micro 1 min

add

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

Micro 1 1/2 min

Stir

Micro 2 1/2 min

Add

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

mix until smooth

add

2 1/2 cups oatmeal

drop onto wax paper

Enjoy!

Ready to Run

My 1st run by myself that I tracked.

I am so excited.  I actually was able to run 5 miles of hills doing 7:30 minute miles.  It was fabulous and  exhausting all at the same time.  I really am hoping that I'm going to look back at this post in 6 months and be embarrassed that I was willing to post this mileage at this time...but right now I am so happy to be running so hard!  It's difficult to really gauge workouts when you are stuck on a treadmill, or forced to run with a jogging stroller.  This run I did all by myself and it really wasn't that bad.  I say that because it took me about 20 minutes to work myself up to doing it.  I am so use to running with Scott or the kids, I just didn't know if I really wanted to run 40 minutes all by myself.  I actually listened to music, which I think helped for some of it, but was very distracting when I lost one earpiece halfway through my run and had to juggle it back around into my ear.

We've been talking about running a half marathon, just to say we did it.  I'm worried about running 13 miles because of my knee and because I really have a hard time pacing myself.  Scott helps keep me on a good pace, even though he ran 4 miles at 7:30 on the treadmill last week.  We are going to get a babysitter and go for a 10 mile run next week.  I figure we'll try to run it around 8:30 minute miles, but I don't know if either of us are going to make the whole 10 miles.  Running for 40 minutes seems like forever...not sure how it's going to feel to run for an hour and a half.

Tracking Goals

I realized that I am still reaching goals and not documenting them.  Since I've been running outside 3 days a week, I don't normally time myself or track my miles.  When I'm stuck on the treadmill in the winter, I have no choice but to set my pace and my miles.  The other day, I took my phone on our 5 mile hill run with the kids and was shocked at how fast we really went.  I  didn't feel the need to document my progress, but then when I look back and realize where I was and where I am, I decided that I'm kind of proud of my 36 year old self and I should be documenting what I'm doing.

 4 months ago 

3 miles at 8:30 minute pace

 2 miles and 7:30  minute pace

level 12 group ride

3 months ago

3 miles at 7:30 minute pace

level 12 group ride

2 months ago

3 miles at 7 minute pace

5 miles at 8 minute pace

level 14 group ride

now

5 miles at 7:30 minute pace

5 miles of hills at 8 minute pace 

(pushing jogging stroller and walking Sawyer's bike up the 2 steep hills)

level 16 group ride

It's fun to see how my hard work has paid off and just how quickly I am able to make improvements.  Scott tells me that most people don't go to the gym to "kill themselves" but why waste your time if you aren't there to improve.   I love that my body fat is still at 16% even though I went to 6 BBQ's in less than 2 weeks and ate a ton of food I normally wouldn't eat.  My body is almost exactly where I want it to be.  I just need to get my knee to not hurt on 10 miles at 8 minute pace so I can go running with the "hot moms" (the nickname, I was told that the staff says, of all the pretty moms with rockin' bodies that all go running together...now that's a mom's club that I wouldn't mind being a part of...lol).  They keep asking me to go with them, but I keep saying no.  I just would hate to embarrass myself...as much as they reassure me I won't, I want to do it on my own first...and then I'll go with them.  

Bruschetta Apps

Nothing like being creative when making appetizers.  I am always one who likes to try out new things...on other people.  This time I made two different type of bruschetta and they both were gone in a matter of minutes, so they must have been pretty good.

Blue Cheese & Tomato Bruschetta 

and 

Blue Cheese & Honey Bruschetta

1 whole wheat baguette thinly sliced and toasted with olive oil

mix together until smooth:

4oz of blue cheese

4oz of cream cheese

Stir together:

roma tomatoes diced

fresh basil sliced thinly

garlic, diced

balsamic vinegar

chopped pecans

Take 1/2 of baguette, spread with cheese mixture and top with tomato mixture.

Take other 1/2 of baguette and sprinkle with 4oz of blue cheese and drizzle with honey.