Couch to 5k and Dinner

In my meet me on Monday post I mentioned I was going to start getting back into running. Before I had Ephraim a friend and I were training for the Mercedes Marathon {we were just doing the half marathon} here in Birmingham. I had gotten up to running 7 miles at a time and then I found out I was pregnant. Well, I decided to do nothing the whole nine months. Horrible decision and next time around I will stay in shape while pregnant. Then, I broke my knee in October and it took a lot longer than expected to get back to 100%. Now my knee is back to normal so time to start running again. Yay! Stephan and I have started couch to 5k. If you haven't heard of it you can go here for more info. We use the iPhone app 5k runner. We did day one on Tuesday. It was a 25 minute work out with a 5 minute warm up, 5 minute cool down and in between we would run a minute then walk a minute and a half. Yesterday we did day two and it was a 30 minute work out with more walk/run intervals. I highly recommend this program. We are training for the Color Run coming up in September.

Here are my stats from day two! I cant wait to continue the program. Stephan did really well too. He hates running so I am very thankful he's being such a good sport and doing this with me.

After couch to 5k day 1 we decided to try a "healthier" dinner. 

Pork Chops and Fresh Green Beans

Lemon and garlic are some of my favorite flavors so I was so excited to find this recipe for fresh green beans. It's so simple and they turn out delicious. The only thing I do different than the recipe is, I add a little fresh lemon juice over the top before serving.

Here is the pork recipe:

{adapted from Giada De Laurentiis}

Ingredients:

*4 butterflied boneless pork chops

*2 eggs

*3/4c fresh grated parmesan

*1 1/2c whole wheat panko bread crumbs (I added some Italian seasoning and some rosemary and garlic seasoning to the bread crumbs)

*4tbsp light olive oil

*Salt and Pepper

*Lemon wedges for serving

Directions:

Whisk eggs in a dish. Place parmesan in a separate dish. Place panko in a third dish. Season each side of the pork chop with salt and pepper. Coat the chops with cheese patting to adhere, then dip chops in the egg then the panko patting to adhere. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook 'til golden brown and the center reaches 150degrees. This should take about 6-8 mins a side, depending on how thick your chops are. Transfer to plates and enjoy! We also added a little fresh squeeze of lemon juice over the top of our pork chops before enjoying.

Bon Appetit

Chicken Alfredo Pizza with Spinach and Red Onion

A few nights ago Stephan and I tried out a recipe (Chicken Alfredo Pizza) I found while searching foodgawker. If you haven't joined this site you totally should. We find better recipes there than we do on pinterest. This pizza was from the Sweet Pea Chef. Her blog is great and I'm looking forward to trying many more of her recipes! The pizza turned out to be so yummy that I figured it would be rude not to share it! So to start off I want to make a quick and easy grocery list of things you'll need for this meal. I'm excluding things like milk, butter, sugar, salt, pepper because these are things most people have on hand all the time. If you don't just check the recipe for how much you'll need of each before you go shopping!

Grocery List

*Bread Flour

*Yeast

*Garlic

*8oz Cream Cheese (I use low fat)

*8oz Parmesan Cheese

*1lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

*2 Small Red Onions

*2c Baby Spinach

*8oz Fresh Mozzarella (this was surprisingly cheap!) 

It's a pretty simple shopping list for this meal! The best part about it, is that it makes two large pizzas. Yay for leftovers! So here is the recipe... Starting with my go to pizza dough. Nothing fancy, just the one that came with my bread maker.

Easy Pizza Dough

*1c hot water (90-110 degrees)

*3c bread flour

*1tsp salt

*1tbsp sugar

*2 tbsp olive oil

*2tsp yeast

Add the hot water to your bread maker, Add all other ingredients except for the yeast, Dig a small well in the center of the bread pan and add the yeast to the well you made. Set your bread maker to dough and wait 'til it's done!

If you don't have a bread maker here is a easy recipe you can use instead! 

Now for the sauce. With about 20 mins left on your dough go ahead and start prepping the other parts to your pizza.

Garlic Alfredo Sauce

*1 stick of unsalted butter

*6 cloves of garlic, finely minced (I grated mine with a microplane)

*8oz low fat cream cheese, at room temp and cut into cubes

*2c milk

*6oz parmesan cheese, grated (fyi: it's cheaper to buy a block and grate it yourself)

*1tsp pepper

*Salt to taste

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. When butter is melted add garlic and cook until you can smell it (about 2 mins). Add cream cheese stirring with a whisk until melted. Add in the milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth. Add the parmesan, pepper and salt, to taste. Let the parmesan melt and cook on low until the sauce reaches the texture you would like. It took mine about 10 mins to get to a texture that it wouldn't just spill off my pizza crust.

Chicken

*1lb boneless skinless chicken breast

*salt

*pepper

*2tbsp olive oil

Heat oil in a large skillet. Trim fat off chicken. Cut chicken into cubes and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in skillet over medium heat until seared on the outside. (It will finish cooking in the oven)

Set chicken aside and let cool.

Onion and Mozzarella 

*2 small red onions

*8oz fresh mozzarella

Peel your onions. Cut them in half and then into thin slices. Set aside for later.

Using a sharp wet knife cut your mozzarella into thin slices and set aside for later.

**Make sure to preheat your oven to 400 degrees**

When you pizza dough is done sprinkle your pizza stone, or round pizza pan, with a little corn meal. Split dough in half (because remember you're making TWO pizzas). Roll out half of the dough. Now you're ready to assemble your pizza!

Spread your alfredo sauce onto the pizza crust, leaving about 1in for the crust. Lay half of your spinach leaves on the pizza. Spread half the onions and half the chicken cubes on the pizza. Top the pizza with half of your mozzarella slices. I also topped my pizzas with what I had left of my grated parmesan from the sauce. Put your pizza into your preheated oven and cook for 10-15 mins. You should have something like this when your oven timer goes off

 Let it cool for about 2 mins and then...

Bon Appetit 

Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Lately Stephan and I have been branching out and trying lots of new recipes.

We try to cook two new meals per grocery trip (which is every two weeks)

I've started picking recipes that seem a little fancy but will still fit in our grocery budget!

I love watching the Rachael Ray show so most have been coming from her.

This one is our new favorite!

Pasta Alla Carbonara-With Spring Onions and Lemon 

Courtesy of Rachel Ray

(With a few edits)

 Ingredients:

Salt

1lb egg tagliatelle 

(These are hard to find where we shop (target,publix) so we just use regular fat egg noodles only difference is the length of the pasta. If you wanted a long pasta you could substitute fettuccine noodles)

3tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/3 lb pancetta-chopped into fine dices

(you can find prepackaged diced pancetta in the deli section at target, however it is pretty pricey(about $7 per pack and you have to buy two) so we just use bacon) 

1tsp coarse black pepper

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 small Fresno chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped, optional

(we've tried it with and without (b/c I was afraid of the spiciness) but we like it better with the pepper. Just adds a little something extra)

1 bunch spring onions (scallions), finely chopped, whites and greens seperated

The zest and juice of 1 large ripe organic lemon, divided

1 tbsp fresh thyme

(spend the extra money on fresh even if you have the dried already. It makes a huge difference in taste)

3/4-1cup dry white wine

3 large organic egg yolks

Handfull of flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped

About a cup of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

(our first time making this we splurged and bought a really fresh block of parmigiano from the deli for about $10, the next time making it we used the grated kind that comes in a bag... there isn't a difference in taste and if you're on a budget like us it's a better option to go with the prepackaged.)

About a cup of freshly grated Pecorino Romano

(we get a fresh block of this cheese b/c we cant find it prepackaged)

Directions:

Brind a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add salt and cook pasta to al dente. Reserve 1/2-3/4 cup of the starchy water just before draining the pasta

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with oil. Add pancetta (bacon for us) season with black pepper and brown lightly.

Stir in garlic, chili, the whites of the chopped onions, lemon zest and thyme. Stir for 2-3 mins then add wine and reduce by half, 1-2 mins. Reduce the heat to low

When pasta is about ready, in a bowl, beat reserved starchy water with egg yolks to temper them

Add lemon juice, parsley and greens of the onions to the skillet

Drain pasta and add to skillet. Turn off heat and pour in tempered eggs and sprinkle in the cheeses. Toss all together for about 1-2 mins or until he sauce coats the pasta and is thick and shiny. Serve with a little extra cheese on top

{http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/pasta-alla-carbonara-spring-onions-and-lemon/}

Here's a picture from her webiste of the dish

(The colors of the dish are much brighter when we make it but I dont have a picture from the times we did)

When we made this the first time we ate is as is but the second time we ate is as a side dish a long with some red fish my dad and brother shared with is from a spring break fishing trip they went on. 

It was a real nice compliment to the fish because of the lemon in the pasta! Having it as a side dish also allowed for leftovers!

Its even better the second day haha

 We have been waiting for publix to get Mahi Mahi in and as soon as they do we will be making this dish again to go along with the Mahi.

 Bon Appetit   

Oh baby, oh baby

Baby Nichols is busy busy busy. It had a schedule for about two weeks where it would move at 9:30 am every morning! Too sweet! Stephan said "hey do you think it'll keep this same schedule once it's born?!" He's cute ha ha! Unfortunately I don't think that will be the case. It has already created a new schedule of moving whenever it feels like it, even if that means bothering me while I'm sleeping. You would think I'd be used to feeling this little baby move by now but it's still strange every time!

7 days til I find out what baby is!!

So ready to talk to it and be able to call it buy a name, instead of "It"

That's so impersonal!

Sunday night we had dinner with friends. They have a new baby and I had the pleasure of seeing his awesome nursery. It inspired me! So this week I went to the thrift store with my soon to be mother in law and sister in law in search of finding... anything that would get my creative juices flowing in the "making the perfect nursery" area. 

And I found this!!

 at the super saver thrift store- in Roebuck

and yes I know... Missing handles and not the prettiest thing anyone has ever seen. However, when I get done with the extreme makeover I plan on carry out on this piece it will be as good as new!  It's going to be the baby's changing table and then dresser when it grows up.

Stay tuned for the revile (but don't get too excited it probably wont be 'til after the wedding)

As of yesterday I only had plans for a baby girls nursery. I am in love with the plans I have for it but realized that it's a little unfair to the baby that I've been so excited about all these girl plans when I'm still not positive on what it is yet. So yesterday with the help of Stephan we came up with a pretty awesome boy nursery as well. I am now equally excited about both! 

Before I go... Quick wedding update!

This week we started marriage counseling at church. I was nervous at first but now I am very excited about what all we are going to learn and how much we will grow!

50 days til the wedding!

That is less than two months AH I cant believe it!!

I cant wait to be married to Stephan!