Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

Whoop!  Whoop!  It's A-lmost Fri-day AND I'm soooo happy:):):):):)  Friday = Camping Time!!!!!  Before I leave the blogging world behind while I'm camping this weekend,  I wanted to share a De-licious recipe with you!  My favorite veggie of ALL time has to be broccoli!!!  When I was younger I hated broccoli with a passion, but not so much anymore!  The best part about broccoli is that it's yummy, healthy, and a good source of fiber.

Lately, I've been trying different ways to prepare broccoli, to try and spice things up around here!  I made Parmesan-roasted broccoli!

Mmm  mmmm!!!

Ingredients:

- 1 full bag of cooked broccoli
-2 tblsps of light Parmesan cheese
- 2 tsps of chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp of pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 tlbsp of extra-virgin olive oil

First preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Once you have cooked your broccoli, in a middle bowl mix all of your ingredients together except for the extra virgin olive oil.  Spray Pam onto a cooking sheet. Transfer on a cooking sheet and drizzle the olive oil on top of the broccoli.  Place in the oven for 15 minutes and serve immediately:):):)

Yummy!

Believe you, me, it is awesome!  I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!!!

Thanks for stopping by:):):):)

Until next time!!!!!!!

Everything Ombre

Since I just read a post about ombre nails (which you should definitely go check out!) on a great blog, Fit, Crafty, Stylish, and Happy, it got me thinking about how I have so many different things that are ombre pinned on my Pinterest board.  Maybe some of you would like them also:)

Via

Lamp Shade!

 Aren't you just loving how the lamp shade just pops out at you!

Ombre

 I heart all of the red in her hair.  It makes her hair look really soft.

Plan to Tackle My 5K

Happy Tuesday...well almost Wednesday:):)  You know what that means....we're almost halfway through the week!!!  Woohooo!!!!  Once the weekend hits then it's time for this girl to go camping!!  We are having a couple friends, so that means that we will be able to catch up on some things.

I don't know why, but today I was thinking....dammmn...I only have a little over a month to train for my 5K.  I better get my butt into gear!  Planning is my middle name, so I decided to make a running plan for each week until October 6th for The Color Run!

This is what I was thinking of doing by:

Sept 2nd - 1.25 miles
Sept 9th - 1.50 miles
Sept 16th - 2 miles
Sept 23rd - 2.5 miles
Sept 30th - 3 miles
Oct. 6th - 3.2 miles

I started running about 2 weeks ago and I think that I'm ready for this.  Plus, it helps that I have been weight training since June:):):):)  The only thing I'm a little worried about is that I'm heavier than what I was before when I first started running.  I don't want to pull a muscle or hurt myself....maybe I'll just have to really listen to my body and if it's hurting then just back off a little on the running!  You guys have been a great support for me and by writing this, it will make me feel more accountable for following through with this schedule!  Thank you guys for being my cheerleaders along the way:):)

Wanted to share with you all some random pics that I have been taking this past week:

Luc dog and I:):):)

This was this past Friday when we were on our way to go camping!!!  Lucy loves to go camping!

Delicious snack for the night!

Goal # 2 : The Color Run:):):)

These past few weeks have been going so well!  I thought it would be a struggle with working at school and working out, but I have been enjoying these past few weeks, even though they have been crazy!  I have stuck to my same routine that I did before school started during the summer and I'm pretty proud of that.  I haven't really cut back on my exercising:)  In fact, I have added something extra, going for runs/jogs!!!!

Via

When I went camping, I went with family and friends and one of my soon to be family members said something about The Color Run.  I have seen pictures on Pinterest before and I thought that it would be sooo neat be able to participate in it, but someone told me that it was only in Las Vegas.  So, I was a little bummed about it, but when i found out there is one semi-close to where I live now, I became ecstatic:):):)  We have formed a team that consists of: my friend, Dana, my sister(Mandy), my soon-to-be sister-in-law(Suzie), her friend, and my mom!  We are planning on going to the race and staying at a hotel for the night to relax, have some drinks, good food, and best of all catch up with each other!  I CANNOT wait until we get to do this!  I have been saying for the past 6 years, I need to start back into running and I never did until now.

Via

 "The Happiest 5K!"

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I love the feeling you get when you are finished with a run in general, but a run in a race is A-mazing!  There is just sooo much energy at a race it's crazy!  So, my newest goal is to run the full 5K in The Color Run and to feel great afterwards:)  I know that I can do this because I have done this before.  I just need to keep on training and no matter how tired I get to keep on keeping on:):):)  That's my new motto "Keep on, Keeping on!"  Never give up on your goals, or yourself because if you truly set your heart into something you can accomplish it!!!

Here's to setting goals and and remembering "the feeling" when you get to accomplish them:):):)

Thanks for stopping by:):):):)

Until next time!!!!!!!

Skinny Chili Seasoned Potato Slices

Happy Tuesday everyone!!!  I have officially gotten through the first two days of school:)  Whoop! Whoop!  Busy is my middle name now, especially between working out and school, I'm barely at home!  It's all good though:)  This past weekend, we had over the hubby's family, his mom, dad, sister, niece, and brother-in-law.  They live quite a ways away from us, so they stayed the weekend!  We made supper, and had a little campfire in the backyard:)

The hubby grilled some steak and chicken and I made potato slices, broccoli, and caramel chocolate chip bars.  I will share with you all the recipe that I used for all of those delicious side dishes.  For now though, I will share the Skinny Chili Seasoned Potato Slices...mm mmm, were they good!!!

De-licious!!!!

Devil's Lake!

Hey everybody!  I hope you are enjoying this fabulous day:)   I haven't had much time to share with you some pictures from our camping trip to Baraboo, Wisconsin Devil's Lake.  So here it is:

We went hiking!

We took some pictures:)

Lighter Italian Pasta Salad!

Hey All!!!!  It's been a crazy last few weeks!  We went camping 2 weeks ago and then came home and hubby left for a week for work.  I started school this past Wednesday and tried to stay on my same exercise plan, which makes for no free time, but it's all worth it because I feel soo much better after all of my workouts:)  I have even been waking up early to take our puppy for a walk before work, which is completely unlike me since I haven't usually been much of a morning person.  I guess I'm turning a new leaf!

I have some Excellent news to share with you all, I have lost over 20 lbs!!!!  I stepped on the scale on Thursday and saw that I down to 173.2 lbs which means I lost 21 lbs:):)  I was soo happy, I screamed and did a little happy dance.  The hubby wasn't there, but our puppy, Lucy, was and she didn't know what to think!  I'm 1/3 of the way to my goal weight...woohoo!!!

I'm kind of behind on my posts and when we last went camping, I made a lighter Italian Pasta Salad that was really tasty and quite refreshing!  Whenever we go camping, I'm trying to find recipes that will be a little on the lighter side instead of eating really fattening and grease filled food, like I used to do!  That food is not so good for eating healthier!!!

It was pretty easy, it may have taken a little bit of time to chop up all of the veggies, but it was so worth it:)

Lighter Italian Pasta Salad

Yummy Caramel Cashew Chex Mix!

I have been pretty busy lately! On Sunday, the hubby and I got back from camping at Devil's Lake and it was soo much fun:) I'll have to tell you more about that a little later! Then on Monday it was back to school to get my room ready. Tomorrow will be my "first" day of school, just mainly teacher inservice:)

Before I went camping, I whipped together some Caramel Cashew Chex Mix and let me tell you it is the BOMB! I'm not even lying! It is soo addicting:o I don't know why I do that to myself when I go camping, but I had to have something to indulge a little on:)

Finger Lickin' Good!

Skinny Funfetti Cupcakes!

I can't believe it's Tuesday already!  This week is going to fly by!  We're planning on going on a camping trip to Baraboo, WI at Devil's Lake.  I have been going to Devil's Lake State Park with my family ever since I can remember and now I'm going with my family and the hubby.  Hopefully, the hubby and I can make this Devil's Lake a tradition with our kids when we eventually have them.  I also hope that the kids will love it as much as I did growing up!  I will share some pics with you in a later post of all of the times we went to Devil's Lake and the fun activities that we did!!!

If any of you go camping then you probably know it's quite a bit of work to get everything ready!  You have to get everything prepared and made before you go.  Whenever the hubby and I go camping, I always make a meal plan for each day of camping and for each meal, including snacks(if you can count that as a meal...LOL)!  Anyways, I decided to try something new, skinny, and quite a tasty little treat for camping....Skinny Funfetti Cupcakes!!!  I mean, come on, who really doesn't like Funfetti Cupcakes?!?!

I found the recipe for these on this website: Fashion Meets Food on Pinterest:)  Of course my favorite site of all times!

Skinny Funfetti Cupcakes

Delicious Skinny Ham and Noodle Casserole!

Hey everyone!  It's another beautiful day in Iowa:)  The temperature is perfect and the sun is shining!!!
Last night, I made a healthy and delicious supper for the hubs and I.  It really was a hit!  At first, when I told him was I was making, he didn't want to try it.  After he tried it, he changed his mind.  I have to say I was a little skeptical because it contains cottage cheese and I'm not a fan and either is the hubby.  Needless, to say, I didn't tell the hubby that it had cottage cheese, I told him it was ricotta cheese.  Otherwise he wouldn't of even tried it, you know how men can be sometimes!

Skinny Ham and Noodle Casserole!

Thankful!

When I went to church this morning, it just dawned on me how thankful and blessed I am to have everyone that I do in my life!  I have always been blessed, but I'm just now realizing how lucky I am!  Since, I've been loosing weight, it's been making me think definitely and on a more positive note.  I have been trying to take better care of myself and do what I need in order to be happy.  I am at a much better in place in my life right now and I'm just so darn happy!!!!

I'm thankful for such an understanding, loving, caring, helpful, and funny hubby!  He 's always been there for me.  He is my rock and keeps me motivated:)

The hubby and I:)

New Lifestyle Change!

Happy Friday everyone!!!  It's a very happy Friday for me because I went for a walk, lifted weights, and biked at the gym and finished all before 11 am:)   For me that's great because before I started changing my lifestyle I would usually get up between 9-10 am!  It's also a great Friday for me because my best friend, I, and all of her bridesmaids are going to be going to look for bridesmaid dresses today:)  I'm excited for that because she is my best friend and  I love doing wedding things with her and because I won't be afraid or depressed about trying on the bridesmaid dresses!  My lil sis had a bridesmaid dress trying on and it was seriously horrific!  I couldn't fit into any of the dresses because they were all a size 12 or smaller.  I really felt like a stuffed sausage!

Via

Skinny Finds!

I have been a Pin crazy woman, over here!  I pin everything plus the kitchen sink...not even lying.  Needless, to say I have found some great recipes crafts and the list can go on and on.  Today, I wanted to show you some of the A-mazing skinny recipes I have found:)

I have a million Lean Cuisine's and Smart Ones in my freezer and I LOVE BBQ pizza from Lean Cuisine.  It's definitely not the healthiest way to by on a diet, but for me it's convenient and a quick way to get the food that I'm crazing and eating it in moderation.  A week or so ago, I was looking through Pinterest and came across this....

Yumminess x 10!

I found a recipe for BBQ chicken pizza AND it's healthy:)  Who woulda thought?!?!  The crust is partly made from cauliflower....this really made me say "hmmm".  I've never heard of using cauliflower as part of the ingredients for the crust.  I thought it would be worth a try because this pizza looks soo tasty:)

Anyone in the mood for Mexican?  I ALWAYS am!  Here's a delicious Chicken, Spinach, and Artichoke Quesadilla....mmm mmmm!  Who's mouth is watering now?

Holy Guacamole Spinach goodness!!!

Monterey Jack Chicken

Hope you all are having a great Wednesday:)  I have realized that since I've been eating healthier, I have been making different types of chicken!  Between the hubby and I, we've made grilled chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, and lately Monterey Jack Chicken!  Chicken is a great protein to have when you're watching what your eating and a type of protein that is lower in fat and calories, but still tastes good:)

When I made the Monterey Jack Chicken the hubby LOVED it!  In fact, he loved it so much that he ate the chicken for leftovers!  He never usually does that.  So when he does eat leftovers then I know that he really enjoyed that meal:)

This chicken was really pretty simple, easy, and quick to make!

Yummy!!!!