Dooms Day

I committed to myself (and Hannah via a very nice Google chat) that I would start exercising and being healthier on May 1st. CRAP! That is tomorrow - a few weeks ago when I made the commitment, it seemed so far away and now it is TOMORROW. Many of you know that I have a free gym at my work - yes, its free, they even have contests all the time and PAY YOU MONEY or give you FREE PRIZES if you lose the most weight, spend the most time exercising, etc. I have never set foot in the free gym except for the day it opened and they were giving out free first aid kits and some refreshments. I have to laugh at how lazy I am - I went to the gym once - FOR FREE FOOD!! What is wrong with me?? So, tomorrow is the big day. I plan to be at the gym at 7:00 am - work out for 30 minutes and shower and get ready for work by 8. I am not sure what I am going to do for those 45 minutes exactly - we have 2 free personal trainers that hang out in our free gym, but I am afraid of them. I am sure they are nice and I just need to get to know them so I don't feel intimidated. I took a big step today by actually going into the gym and looking around. l picked up a nutrition plan packet from one of the trainers while trying not to make too much eye contact. Wish me luck...

Super Hannah

I got to see Hannah run last Saturday and I was amazed!! How could someone who has had 2 kids and bum feet for 6 months run 13.1 miles?? It was definitely more mental strength than physical strength. This is something that I admire about Hannah - she decides to do something and then makes it happen. She is this was with parenting, money and now running. I certainly admire (and lack) her will power. Watching the race was definitely inspiring. It was neat to see Mya watch the race. She was so excited as she watched for her mom's orange shirt.

"My dad's favorite color is orange, so my mom has a an orange shirt and orange dishes"

"Gimme five, on the side, up high, in space, IN YOUR FACE!!!"

"My mom is the fastest mom in the whole world, she's gonna WIN!"

"Look at the cute doggie, he's runnin' the race TOO!! He's runnin' the race, he's runnin' the race TOO!!! Hillary! Hillary, take a picture, hurry!!!"

"I love you mom!"

"Gimme five, on the side, cut the pickle, TICKLE TICKLE!!!"

Seattle Loot

I didn't blog about Seattle yet, so I thought I would. We all had a great time. We missed Rebecca, but her absence will hopefully allow us all to have an excuse to go again with just the girls. I'm not a big shopper, but shopping was probably the highlight of the trip for me. I bought a lot of stuff from Trader Joe's and even looked at their website to see if we could open a franchise here in Utah. We can't - their privately owned and they open stores wherever and whenever they feel like it. With all of the Californians living here in Utah, I think we will get one soon. Here is a picture of my loot:


The real highlight of the trip was seeing my sister Heidi. I really miss her, but I can see why she loves living in Seattle.



I think Randy survived just fine. Here is the evidence I found when I came home (p.s. - This was not posed):

Lion House Chicken Broccoli Bake Recipe

The weather has turned cold once again. Bad news for being outside, but good news for comfort food cravings. I always call my mom for this recipe, but I decided to finally blog it so I actually have a record of the recipe. If you have never had it, don't be fooled by the simple recipe... this is really good - its not the usual boring cream of chicken casserole!

2 lbs chicken (get a rotisserie chicken and save yourself some time)
12 oz. frozen broccoli florets
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup miracle whip salad dressing
1 cup shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup buttered bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese

Tear cooked chicken into bite sized pieces and place them in the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan. Cook the frozen broccoli according to the package directions and drain really well. Mix the chicken soup, mayo, and miracle whip in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Add the lemon juice at the very end and stir a few more times. Pour 1/2 of the sauce mixture over the chicken. Place the broccoli on top of the chicken and sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the broccoli. Top with breadcrumbs or Parmesan cheese. Cover pan with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with the foil on, remove foil and bake another 20 minutes or until cheese sauce is bubbly and top is lightly brown.

**Variations:
Add 2 cups cooked macaroni or shell noodles to the chicken layer

Add 2 cups cooked rice to the chicken layer