Starting Seeds

Hey ya’ll! What’s shakin’. I’ve been super busy lately, but nothing exciting enough that you’d care to read about it. My eats have been repetitive and boring lately, too.

One exciting thing that happened last weekend was that I started my herb garden from seeds! I heard that they’re predicting the final frost around Mother’s Day. I counted backwards from then and decided that I’d better get my behind in gear if my cute little seedlings were going to be ready to go into the ground then. The weather was beautiful last Sunday so, after a trip to the local hardware store (coolest. place. ever) for supplies, I got down to business and got my hands dirty.

seed starting tray (the lid is underneath), seed starting mix, gardening glove & seeds

Here are the herbs I planted:

Dill:

Cilantro:

Thyme:

Parsley:

Oregano:

Basil:

Lavender:

I also planted some Zinnias. I love these flowers, but had tons of trouble finding them in the nurseries last year so I decided to give them a go myself.

Fingers crossed that these seeds do better than my first attempt two summers ago. I didn’t do much research before that debacle so I’m hopeful that doing my homework pays off with this batch. I promise that I’m not turning UFC into a gardening blog, but you will probably see lots of progress pics of our outdoor endeavors as the summer goes on. That is, if anything survives. LOL

On another happy note, I weighed in at Weight Watchers a day early this week (so yesterday) and I was down 2.6! I was beyond thrilled. After last week’s big loss, I was half expecting a gain. That obviously wasn’t to be. My total post-pregnancy weight loss is now at 17lbs and counting.

I’m SUPER excited for my 5k on Saturday. I did my last pre-race run yesterday and I feel like I’m truly ready. My main goals are to 1) not walk at all and 2) finish in under 40 minutes. My pace with the stroller is around a 14 minute mile and without it’s around 12. I’m running sans stroller so I know that’s totally doable. Now I just have to decide on the most important things…a playlist and what to wear.

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Hangin’ Around

Saturday was a laaaaazy day in the UFC household. Well, for me anyway. My husband was up and at ‘em at his usual time (2:30AM) and out the door at 4 for a Saturday work meeting. I got up long enough to see him out the door and then headed back to the cozy bed for more rest and cuddle time with the pup. We ended up lounging there until about 8:30. I was still tired, but decided it was well past time to get up and moving.

Breakfast was a fiesta for one:

• flour tortilla (we were out of the healthy kind)
• Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger chopped into chunks
• scrambled egg
• shredded cheddar cheese
• dolop of sour cream
• salsa
  

It was delicious and very filling! It was enjoyed alongside a good book and some hot maple tea from Canada, courtesy of my aunt on her last visit.

There was also a hungry, hungry hippo at the table:

Breakfast was followed by reading on the porch and a nap on the couch. I had the brilliant idea of a 30 minute workout to boost my energy. It felt good to move, but afterward I was back to lounging.

My husband finally got home around 3 and was pooped. I’d purchased some video games for him from eBay and told him I’d at least like him to test them all out and make sure they worked before I left feedback for the seller. His comment? “I never thought I’d hear my wife tell me that I NEEDED to play my video games.” He did just that while I read some more. Neither one of us found motivation to do much more than that for the rest of the evening.

Sunday I was determined to be more productive than Saturday. We got up fairly early (AKA before 8:00), got dressed and headed to town. My husband got his hair cut while I walked the perimeter of the shopping center. Next was lunch out. We always think that we want Buffalo Wild Wings, but it turns out to be a disappointment every time. Too bad none of the local places are open on Sunday.

After lunch was grocery shopping. We came in under $75 which isn’t bad considering I didn’t shop at all last weekend. I also found this gem in the clearance carts:

Regular price $12, marked down to $5! I love videos from The Firm and have been wanting this one for a while. It’s high impact so I won’t be doing it anytime soon, but it will give me something to look forward to later.

I was putting groceries away when my husband walked in the back door with a stressed look on his face. All he said was “I’m going to need some help. Grab some bags.” I had no clue what the problem could be until after I’d followed him to the garden. We filled 4 bags with yellow squash, banana peppers, a few cherry tomatoes (FINALLY!) and some ginormous zucchini. Now I know what everyone meant when they told us that these things can quadruple in size overnight.

What’s the best way to prepare an arm-sized zucchini?

I spent the majority of the evening cleaning and organizing in the baby’s room. I filled the trunk of my car with things to take to my parents for their garage sale and listed a few items on eBay. I LOVE the feeling of getting rid of things I don’t need!

By Request

I’ve had some requests to see pics of the baby bump. Ask and you shall receive.

29 weeks down, 11 to go! I know that I am growing a life and that these extra 40 (!!!!) lbs. are necessary to protect the Peanut. That said, I really want my body back.

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Clean Out the Pantry Week: Days 3 and 4

I’ve had to combine 2 days into one post due to some technically difficulties. Note to self: Do not attempt to upload pictures at 5:00am before having coffee. It’s bad news and doesn’t work out so well.

Wednesday lunch was eaten not only by myself, but by my camera. It wasn’t part of my Clean Out the Pantry week because I dined out with BFF, my mom and another friend.

Wednesday dinner was a bit of a cheat. It didn’t require me to purchase any veggies. When I told my dad that my husband was staying out of town for the evening, he offered to send me home with one of the extra stuffed peppers my mom had prepared. It’s one of her specialties so I just couldn’t resist.

On the side, I had a little buttercrunch lettuce from our garden drizzled with EVOO and balsamic vinegar.

After dinner, I headed out to visit my husband’s cousin and his wife who are scheduled to have their second child tomorrow morning at 8:00AM. They seem to be prepared mentally and the house is ready. *healthy surgery vibes* to H! My husband and I can’t wait to meet their new little one.

You guys are really going to think I’m slacking when you see my Thursday lunch. My mom and her friends get together every Wednesday for dinner at a fantastic restaurant. Since the portions are large, she tries to order something she knows I’ll like and then just takes her leftovers home for me to try.

Today it was quinoa-stuffed zucchini with spinach, red onions and marinara sauce.

Delicious and extremely filling.

Lunch was followed by time with the girls.

Millie (my parents’ miniature dachshund) was quite the princess, just lounging on her throne bed.

Macy (my pooch) and I fetched:

and fetched:

I’m very lucky that my parents live so close to my office and have a fenced yard. Macy makes the hour and a half commute with me every morning, stays at “doggy daycare” with my parents during the day while I’m at work, and then travels home with me every evening. Otherwise, she’d be at home alone or in an outdoor pen every weekday for 12 hours since my husband and I both work too far from home to go there at lunch. We never would have adopted her if we didn’t have this option. Fortunately, she likes car rides and is the perfect traveling companion. Well, except for the snoring in the backseat.

My husband is making this whole Clean Out the Pantry thing really easy. His request for dinner was leftover baked spaghetti. Easy enough. The quick & easy dinner meant more time for some housework and this stability ball workout from FitPregnancy.com.

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Our First Harvest

Houston, we have some veggies!

Well, just zucchini for now. Lots and lots of zucchini. This picture was taken after my sister-in-law took 8 (to make zucchini bread), my mother-in-law took 4 and I set aside another 4 to take to my parents tomorrow.

And a few banana peppers. My husband failed to remember which row he was picking them from so we weren’t exactly sure which were sweet banana peppers and which were hot banana peppers. Good thing we both like spicy food.

I was solo for supper tonight and decided to go meatless. Pasta (as always) sounded delicious. I was determined to use a zucchini in my dish so I whipped up a quick and easy marinara with not only a zucchini, but also 2 banana peppers. It seemed a
shame to combine canned ingredients with my fresh-from-the-garden veggies. It still tasted good and I think it turned out quite pretty.

Has anyone tried whole grain pasta? I’ve been a strictly whole wheat girl for a couple years now, but the grocery had whole grain on sale for ridiculously cheap a few weeks ago and I stocked up. I’ve had it several times now and both my husband and I like it. The nutrition information and health benefits seem very similar to whole wheat and it sticks together like whole wheat when cooked. However, the color and texture are more like regular white pasta. Am I missing some key piece of information that makes it healthy only in name?

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