TEN!!

I did it!! I lost 10 whole pounds! It took me almost two months, but I did it! Actually I have lost 11, but who is counting?

That means since I last posted about weight loss I have lost 3.4 pounds!

I have been running a bunch and trying to avoid shin splints at the same time. I am always having to remind myself that it takes a long to build up the strength in the muscles needed for longer distance running.

In between my running days I have been having a hard time being consistent in what I do. Most day I still walk the dogs for an hour. Some days I add Pilates, 30 day shred, Yoga, or P90X to my walking. I need to come up with a solid schedule of what I am going to do so I don't have to decide every day what I am going to do.

With winter coming up, I have been trying to decide what I want to do. I really don't like running on the treadmill, but I can't run in my VFF's in the snow....I will lose toes. Some of the alternative options I have come up with are:

• Find an indoor track that will let me bring my stroller - This would be the ideal option!
• Get a gym membership and just deal with treadmill running for the winter
• Get a gym membership and do swimming, classes, and weight training instead of running
• Put a hold on my running until spring and focus on strength/weight loss
• Find an alternative minimalist running shoe that will keep my feet warm and dry while running
• Switch back to running in tennis shoes - Haha, not likely!

I want to start P90X soon. I think I need a little more preparation physically first though. One thing I think I might do is start and finish the 30 day shred (all 3 levels in 30 days) and then start P90X. If I am going to reach my goal of weighing 150lbs by the end of the year, I need to get on it!

As for my diet. I have been trying really hard to eat healthy choices. I track my calories in and calories burnt. Some days though, it is just tough. I need to find some really tasty healthy recipes that wont cost me an arm and a leg to buy ingredients for. One that I tried the other day that was super yummy is:

Baked Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. In a shallow dish, combine the butter, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Place bread crumbs in another dish. Dip chicken in butter mixture, then coat with crumbs.
2. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Drizzle with remaining butter mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear.
3. You can choose to double the butter and lemon juice and add 2 tablespoons of honey. Or drizzle honey over the chicken instead of the leftover butter mixture.

New Recipes #1 and #2

I was actually excited to try both of these recipes for our ward's Halloween party. They were having a Chili cook-off and I signed up for it, so I figured it was a great time to try something new. This was the recipe I used, because it didn't look or sound too difficult.

Amazingly, out of about 20 different chilies at the party, MINE WON!!! Haha! I was so proud and kept gloating to myself that my first ever chili attempt won 1st place in a contest!

Ghost Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Chicken Breast, Cubed
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 1-½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 2 cans (15.5 Oz) Great Northern Beans, Rinsed And Drained
• 1 can (14.5 Oz) Chicken Broth
• 2 cans (4 Oz.) Chopped Green Chilies
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• ¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ½ cups Whipping Cream

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large pot. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream.

If you like your chili very mild, reduce the amount of chilies to 1 can, or rinse and drain the chilies well.

To make a less rich, healthier version, use 2 cups sour cream and 1/4 cup milk.

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I also decided to make a dessert for the party too and these were the first dessert that caught my eye. Not super simple looking....ok, REALLY not simple looking, but they didn't sound hard. I was in a big hurry while I was making them, and was making the chili at the same time so I didn't put my best effort into them. I also ran out of time to put the spider webs on the tops. Personally, I don't think they tasted that good. Maybe I didn't put enough sugar in them, but they weren't very sweet.....and they didn't look as good as these one.

Halloween Oreo Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

• 12 whole Halloween Oreos
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, softened
• ½ cups Granulated Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ½ cups Pureed Pumpkin
• 1 whole Egg
• ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 1 pinch Salt
• ½ cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips, Optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 Oreo in the bottom of each muffin tin. Set aside.

In large bowl, whip cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and salt until combined. Scrape sides of bowl and whip mixture until completely smooth. Spoon mixture evenly over Oreos. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cheesecakes have set. Remove from oven to cool.

Once cheesecakes are cool enough to handle, remove from muffin tin. Remove paper wrappers. Microwave chocolate chips until smooth and completely melted. Spoon chocolate into a piping bag with a small round tip. Pipe melted chocolate in concentric circles on top of cheesecakes. Drag the end of a toothpick through the chocolate to create a spider’s web look, starting in the center and dragging outward. Repeat with remaining cheesecakes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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I really want to try both recipe's again, especially the chili because I didn't get any! It was gone 5 minutes after I put it on the table at the party.