Resolution Race 2013

Roll back to January 2013. I had been running for about 9 months. I had only participated in one race. I enjoyed it. It was a hard, long  10K and  I wasn't really ready for it. But I finished it. Took me 1:10 to finish, and I had to walk quite a bit. I had signed up for the Hot Chocolate 5K with some friends in January. That is when I got the idea to do a race each month. I had really begun to love running, and I thought this would be a great way to make sure I always had something to look forward to. I would also learn many other things along the way of this journey! After my first race, month by month, I signed up for more. I began to take on more challenges, more distance, learn more speed. I had no idea how many things I would learn from this resolution! I have never before in all my 32 years had a resolution like this! One that I stuck to. One that challenged me, made me grow. Each race, each training brought about new trials, new excitement, and fun! I actually ended the year with 14 races, 2 more than I had intended. I decided to blog about the races and my experience with each one. Some I did alone, some with family, some with friends. Each one has a special place in 2013 for me.

January: The Hot Chocolate 5K in Atlanta at Turner Field. This was my first 5K, also my first race in Atlanta. I did this with several of my closest friends. I trained to run this non-stop, which I did. The hills in Atlanta are always a challenge, but I had so much fun at this race! There is nothing better than a chocolate haven waiting on you at the finish line. 33:08 was my official time.

February:  The Shape Diva Dash 5K Obstacle Course Run. This was a bit more than a run. This course included 12 different obstacles. From climbing, to swinging, to jumping over hurdles.... this was more physically trying. Not only were they obstacles, but it was 30 degrees and pouring rain!! This made it an extra hard run. The race was over an hour from home, and I had originally signed up for it to do with my friends.. both of which backed out last minute. So I did the race alone. I think it would have been more fun with my friends though. I finished this race in 37:52, 37th overall.

March: The Publix Half Marathon in Atlanta. I decided to train for a half. 13.1 miles. I went into this with a friend by my side. Due to knee injuries, she was unable to continue her training and left me hanging, once again!! ;) But I decided to carry on and do it alone. I am so thankful for this race. Not only was it a really big, exciting race- but during the training I learned a lot about myself and my strength. Half marathon training requires weeks of long runs. All of which I spent alone. Alone time out on the road is a place to deal with stress, do your deepest thinking, and hear the Lord! I finished the race in 2:10.

April: The Color Run 5K and The Crosspointe 5K. The color run really wasn't very competitive. I was a little disappointed in the route as well. It was mostly just "fun". And lets be real, I am NOT in running for the "fun" of it. I was a little ticked it wasn't timed also. But I still had a great time with my family and friends! I finished this in 22 mins... I think because the route wasn't a full 5K. :) The Crosspointe 5K was much more competitive! It was a local run with only about 100 runners. It was an out and back down a country dirt road. I thoroughly enjoyed this run! I finished 1st place female and my son finished 2nd place for his age group. This was the first race I really pushed myself HARD to get a good time, and it paid off. I finished this 5K in 26:11

May: Brooks Beat 10K. FINALLY my friend who repeatedly stood me up came through on this race! I have to give her a hard time about it though. This race was really good for me. It was my first 10K in 6 months. I wanted to give it my all, and I pushed myself really hard to finish first in my age group. I was neck and neck with another runner almost the entire race. This pushed me to run a sub 8 min mile pace for a good portion of the race. There were several hills, and most of the race was out in the country. This is my best 10K time of the year. I finished 1st place for my age group. Official time was 50:42. Still looking to go below 50 mins on a 10K soon!

June: Dirty Spokes 15K Trail Run at Dauset Trails. I signed up for this race thinking a trail run race would be fun. I had done some trail running (3 miles) and I thought I could handle this 15K (9 miles) with no problems. Well... this race was definitely more challenging than I thought it would be! I hit these trails HARD. Literally, I tripped and fell 3 times- just look at my knees below! I started out fast, and got tired quickly. By mile 6 I was done. I finished fairly strong, even though I was miserable. I somehow came out with a time of 1:31. I love to trail run, it's so beautiful and peaceful! But it requires more thought about foot placement and focus on balance. I will definitely be doing more trail runs next year! This run was a little more fun, because my husband came and joined me by running the 5K.

July: The Peachtree Road Race 10K. This race is amazing! This is a famous race run every year on July 4th in Atlanta. It's full of excitement and spectators, hills and spunk! Not only was this a great race, but it was a really great night! This was a girls night out race. I got to stay in Atlanta with several of my friends, eat out a nice dinner, order room service cheesecake, and soak in the hot tub! I trained hard for this 10K, but with the rain and heat and people, I finished in 54:37, not the time I had hoped for, but still good.

August: Sunrise on the Square 5K. I had a great time at this 5K with a very good friend! With the exception of the killer hills we were NOT expecting, we both did really good! We finished 1st and 2nd for our age groups! Time: 26:15

September: Scrub Run 5K I really enjoyed this local race in Griffin. The course was downtown, around the hospital and through the Griffin City Park. Just barely missed first place female overall by about 30 seconds! This was a great race with lots of friends also participating! Time 24:42

October: Jubilee Jaunt 5K and Jack-O-Lantern Jog 5K. This was another 2 race month. The Jubilee Jaunt was in Concord, my hometown! It was an out and back course on my regular stomping ground. I enjoyed the race, it was small and only locals racing. I finished 1st place female! My son ran this one with me and came in 2nd for his age group! My time for this race was one of my best 5K times. I finished in 23:59. The other October race was at my sisters school. The Jack-O-Lantern Jog was a course in downtown Griffin through the houses down and around East College Street. I really enjoyed this run and had a PR for this 5K! Both of my girls ran in this race too which made it even more fun! My finish time was 23:45

November: Rock and Roll Marathon and Atlanta Thanksgiving Day 5K. This was another 2 race month. These were probably the two most memorable races of the year for me. The first race, The Rock and Roll Marathon in Savannah, was amazing! I spent weeks training for it, hour after hour of running. I spent the whole weekend in Savannah with my husband, and even finished off my marathon with a commemorative tattoo on my foot. This was the very best weekend! I finished the 26.2 mile race in 4:19. It was hard, but I did it! And I will definitely be doing this next year. The second race of November was the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day 5K. This was a very special race, as it was my Mom's 60th birthday! I am so proud of her! She ran almost the whole race, only walking briefly up hills. We spent the night out in Atlanta, had a nice hotel, fancy dinner and a dip in the hot tub. Other than the 24 degree weather at the start line (TOO cold for me!), it was a fantastic race! My sister and I stayed with my Mom the whole race, and I held a sign telling the world it was her birthday :) We finished the race in 49:02.

December: 

Silly Santa 5K. This was my last race of the year. Actually, this wasn't supposed to be my last race, but due to weather and race rescheduling, this became my December race last minute! My original race was the Jingle Jog 5K in Griffin at Cowan Road Middle School. I was going to do this race with all my friends and my entire family. But there was a chance of rain and the school moved the race to the next Tuesday. I already had plans on Tuesday night so I was forced to find a race. Any race! I found one and the price was right, so I quickly signed. My mom was sweet enough to do this with me! Little did we know this would be a COLD and RAINY race!! I am so glad I ended up  doing it though. We ended up with some friends and had the best time. I also managed to come in first place female and brought home a nice trophy! This was a great race and I finished in 22:50.

I successfully completed 2013 running one race every month! I feel very accomplished and I can't wait to start my new goal for 2014. I have decided to run a half marathon each month for the year. This will take a lot more effort. Not only will it be physically more challenging, but it is harder to find local half marathons. I will have to drive further to other cities and spend more time running races alone. This will be an awesome challenge for the new year! I encourage you to set a goal for 2014 and stick with it! It was so amazing to see myself end the year accomplishing my goal. You can do it too! Just make up your mind to do it and do it! Here's to 2014...

I Choose to Be Thankful

As November comes to an end, I am reminded of the many things I have to be thankful for. I could sit and make a list a mile long I am most certain! I am blessed beyond belief. I have a wonderful family, amazing children and some of the best friends in the world. I know being in the great land of the free, we all too often take for granted what we have. We take for granted the TV we all have in our living rooms. We take for granted the computers and cell phones we talk and type on daily. We take for granted the food we have readily available at our big box grocery stores. We forget that not too many years ago, we had to walk or travel horseback where we wanted to go. The ability to jump into a car and travel 500 miles is all too often taken for granted. Childhood diseases are minimal thanks to vaccines, preterm babies now survive, and deadly health conditions now have miraculous medical cures. These things are all too often forgotten. Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of what all we have, just how good we have it. I spent a few weeks in Uganda Africa as a young adult. It was a mission trip that took me to some of the most under developed, far out, third world villages you could ever imagine. Places like this don't exist. At least I didn't think they did. These people live in mud huts built with their own two hands. They wear nothing more than a rag around their waist. They grow and kill their own food. They have no contact with the outside world. They rely on herbs and teas to heal the sick. They don't know what phones are, or even electricity for that matter. Most of the people in the furthest villages have never even seen a white man. The children circled me, and wanted to touch my hair. They used the bathroom in holes in the ground. No running water to be found. AIDS and Malaria run rampant. They worship many gods and have many idols. It was so different from anything I had ever seen. I still remember the lost look in so many of the village peoples eyes. We just don't know how great we have it. I just feel as though we are given a certain amount of time here on earth. Some longer than others. Some in villages, some in America, some in poverty, some in riches. And whether we ended up with a lot or a little, a long amount of time or a short amount of time... we are all given the chance to make the best of it. To allow the Lord to use us or not. To be thankful or not. To praise Him for what we DO have, no matter how big or small, or not. The choice is yours.
I said all that to say this...

That even on the worst of worst days...  Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials James 1:2

When everything is crashing down...  Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! Phillipians 4:4

When you can find nothing to be happy about... Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus 1 Thessalonians 5 16:18

And complaining is the only word from your mouth... Do everything without complaining and arguing. Philippians 2:14

Be thankful. Just do it. Giving thanks always for all things. Ephesians 5:20

Marathon

Marathon. There is something about the word that sends chills down my spine. Only runners understand this. Most people don't even know how many miles it is. Let alone all the work, effort and dedication that goes into it. 26.2, miles that is. The marathon is 26.2 miles. The training alone involves almost 500 miles. Countless hours of running, stretching, proper nutrition, hot showers....

The day is one I will forever remember. Actually, the whole weekend I will remember, and it will be very hard to top it! I wanted to share my experience and maybe inspire you to try something you deem impossible yourself!

My sweet parents took my kids for the weekend. It was my 13th wedding anniversary as well. We (my husband and I) stayed at the River Street Inn in Savannah right on River Street. Our hotel was about 20 steps from the start line and worth every penny of the over-priced rate we paid ;) If you have never stayed in a historical hotel on River Street, this is a must! And I highly suggest this one. It was gorgeous! We were able to park our car on the street and never have to use it again until we headed home. This method also allowed me to sleep in a little later and stroll right to my start corral in minutes. I tried not to think about the excitement of the race or finishing it. I tried to think of this as just another long run. Just another day. I managed to get a little sleep, and woke up feeling refreshed. (I am literally getting nervous just typing this..) It took about 15 mins after the race start for my corral to make it up to the start line. I was focused on getting my watch connected to GPS and my music playing. It was very cold, and I was trying to stay warm. When I finally made it to the start line, I took off running! Seeing how over 18,000 people were running in the Rock and Roll, this was not easy. I tried to zig-zag, hop, skip and jump my way through the herd of people. My first mile took a little longer than I anticipated due to the people. But what a rush! What an exhilarating experience! I just soaked it all in for the first 5 miles. I waved at all the wonderful people of Savannah, out so early in the cold, supporting us and cheering us on! I people watched of course, and checked out other runners shoes, pants, leg muscles.. ;) I think the Lord sent me a friend about 6 miles in. He just kind of showed up beside me! He was running the same pace as me (although he had no time goal- he just wanted to finish). We kept a steady pace of 9:15 to 9:30. We talked about races (found out we both did the Publix half), running, family.. all sorts of things. He actually lives in Fayetteville, not too far from me! We enjoyed the split of the race. The split separates the half runners and the full runners. This is where is gets real. 80% of the runners go down the half route, leaving only a handful taking the full course. There is a sense of pride here though. Proud to be one of the 0.5%  of people who finish a marathon. Not that I look any less at the half marathon runners, I just felt accomplished and strong to be taking the harder, longer route. We just kept on running, and before we knew it- we were at mile 17! It was a nice distraction, to forget what your legs are doing and just enjoy the bands, scenery and people around you.  At some point he stopped, and told me to go on without him. He had to walk, he was tired. So I just waved bye and kept on running. I felt really good until that 20th mile. I started getting hungry. The kind of hunger no running gel, chew or bean could fix. I reached in my Camelbak for a fruit squeeze. It's basically like baby food in a suckable pouch. Bananas and blue berries I believe. It satisfied my hunger, but left me with a horrible side cramp. I have had this happen before on long runs (when I tried eating raisins). So I knew exactly what caused it. It lasted over 15 mins. It forced me to walk for about 3 minutes as well, something I had NO intention of doing. It slowed me way down. I felt discouraged and weak. My best friend was under strict orders to call me at mile 20 and check on me. She did, but I felt too bad to talk. I told her to call back and check on me in a little while. I managed to finish mile 20 and 21. Painstakingly finish them. The cramp passed, finally. And as I neared mile 22 my friend called back. She talked me through the next 3 miles, telling me I could do it, I could finish strong. She was watching live video feed of the finish line and told me about the inspiring people crossing the finish line. About 75 year old men, 275 pound women... all who finished a half marathon! Amazing what the human body is capable of! I continued running (except for one hill- which me and everyone around me decide to walk up). I told my friend thank you and bye at mile 25 and buckled down to finish strong. I managed to run that last mile in about 10 mins. Which was difficult. My legs felt like lead. I could barely pick up my feet to take another step, but I kept on. I prayed for strength, I prayed for all the children on my I Run 4 board (a place where runners are paired with kids who have permanent disabilities, diseases or terminal conditions and you run for them), and I thanked the Lord for the ability to run. I crossed the finish line strong! I crossed that finish line a stronger person than the one who started. The hours following the race were tiresome. I sat in the park and stretched and ate a bagel and a banana and downed chocolate milk. We had to walk over a mile back to the hotel, which took a while considering my legs felt like spaghetti. But it was amazing! The high you feel from a race like that is indescribable. We made it back to the hotel where I showered and changed and then we walked to lunch at Outback. By the time we made it back to the room I could hardly hold my eyes open. I took a nice nap until 5, then we walked to Starbucks for a pick me up coffee and then to the tattoo shop to get my awesome 26.2 tattoo. This weekend was just amazing! Words will never be able to describe it. The whole adventure was a long, challenging and a learning experience.

Headed down the chute to the finish line!

Out of 1,645 women who ran the marathon , I beat 1,173 of them across that finish line. I'm proud of that!

I had a friend tell me she was proud of me and congratulated me. She said, "I am proud of you for running the marathon, but I am even more proud of how running has changed you! I know you have come a long way and conquered and defeated so many demons to be here." And she could not be any more right! It was about more than running the marathon. It was about putting so many things behind me and moving forward with my family and my life! Years of anxiety, worry and a truck load of unhealthy habits have gradually unraveled. My journey actually began before I started running- but the only reason it finished strong and remains that way is through this gift of running the Lord has blessed me with! I prayed for years a way out of the anxiety, fear and stress. I spent countless hours on my knees praying and crying for an end to the wicked prison I was in. Little did I know that the day I picked up my phone and downloaded the Run Double C25K app, it would forever change my life! Not only my life, but the lives of so many people around me. I feel like the Lord led me to running. He has a perfect plan and purpose:

I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

This is my purpose, this is my gift! I know that through Christ, I can reach people. I can reach them through running. I can encourage, teach, inspire and love on people through my running! So my friend was right, this was about more than the strength to run 26.2 miles. This was about my life! This was about change! This was a symbol of what I have accomplished.

This road has led me to a healthier lifestyle. It has encouraged my family and friends to eat better, exercise more and to do something you never thought possible! I continue to pray that the Lord would use me through this healthy lifestyle. Use me to help others understand that the Lord has given us this outlet and a way to handle our depression and anxiety and fear. If we trust our lives to the Lord, and allow Him to shine through us- we can love on those around us and share the same gift of Jesus Christ that was freely given to us with others!



I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for my gift of Salvation, my family and of course ... RUNNING!

Oh the Citric Acid...

For those of you who don't know, Kennedy developed a rash on her face a few months ago that would not go away. It seemed to get worse at times and them some days not as bad. But it was always there. I asked her pediatrician at her 2 year check up about the suspicious rash. She said it looked like some type of contact dermatitis and it was nothing to worry about or do for it.

Well, the rash continued. I treated it with every cream known to man with no change. Several friends had suggested food allergy, but since the doctor had shrugged that off I was hesitant that food could be the cause. After several weeks of no change in the rash despite my avid attempts, I decided to start reading the labels of her foods. I noticed her rash was a thousand times worse after consuming Cran-Grape juice. I scanned the ingredients, only 3 or 4. I wondered if she were allergic to cranberries? I decided to eliminate the juice from her diet and see. It got a little better, but was still there and would still flare. I examined her diet again and decided to check the label on ALL her favorite foods- fruit snacks, fruit puree squeeze's, and ravioli. The only ingredient all three things had in common WITH the cran-grape juice was .... Citric Acid. Oooh I cringe at the word. With a few Google searches you will realize it is in virtually everything on an American grocery stores shelves. After eliminating the citric acid from her diet, her face returned to normal within two days. Ding ding ding... we have a winner.

Now here is the breakdown on the citric acid. It is man-made. Naturally occurring citric acid, like that found in citric fruits, is not the citric acid she is intolerant too. Citric acid is made from the mold Aspergillus niger. The mold is cultivated and allowed to metabolize sugar. The by-product is citric acid. Gross. I know. It's the by-product from a mold. And it is in everything. Deemed not harmful in general, it may also be GMO. After a little research you will see how the government regulates certified organic and that Citric Acid is allowed in certified organic product, even if it was produced by using know GMO's such as sugar beets or maize. Citric acid is used in products to create a sour flavor. It is also used as a preservative. So basically I can't count on a label saying "organic" and it being free of citric acid. My grocery store trips now take 20 mins longer as I have to read labels on so many items. Finding the right tomato sauce, apple juice, jelly, baby fruit squeeze's, loaf bread, bubble bath, shampoo and even yogurt (yes citric acid is in all of these things) takes time. Most of my info came from these sites: 

http://girlmeetsnourishment.com/citric-acid/

http://foodreference.about.com/od/Food-Additives/a/What-Is-Citric-Acid.htm

I wanted to share all this information with you for several reasons. One- your doctor doesn't know it all. Be your child's (and yourself) advocate. Take things into your own hands and find out what is really going on. Two- read your labels and know what you are eating. American food is full of chemicals, preservatives and toxins. Know what you are eating and what is good to avoid. Do some research. Americans have the 7th highest cancer rate of the world. Cancer in other less commercialized countries is almost non-existent. Their diet of fresh, unprocessed food is the key I believe. The United States is a money hungry, selfish country. Companies will put many preservatives and chemicals into our food found at the grocery store to make it last longer, look prettier and taste better. The FDA has allowed many additives into our food that are BANNED in other countries. To me, it's no wonder my baby is allergic to this and it's no surprise that so many others have food allergies. Our bodies were not created to consume these chemicals. 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/8-foods-we-eat-in-the-us-that-are-banned-in-other-countries

Okay, I'm off the box for now. Hope this info will help someone, somewhere along the way!

Citric acid free face!

White Chicken Lasagna

I found several recipes for this and kind of made my own version. This would also be good a can of chopped artichoke heart, or a package of frozen spinach. My husband doesn't eat veggies, so I had to leave those ideas at just that.. ideas. This will fill you up quick, and we had a TON left over, so this would be good to serve to a crowd.

White Chicken Lasagna:
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (chopped)
2- 8 oz. boxes of softened cream cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons basil pesto (or chopped fresh basil)
1 tablespoon of Italian season (or fresh chopped basil)
12 cooked lasagna noodles
1/2 cup chicken stock reserved from boiling chicken

Boil noodles and set aside in cold water. Boil chicken and shred. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and garlic powder with a hand mixer until well blended. Blend in Pesto (or Basil). In a separate bowl, combine shredded chicken, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1/2 parmesan, 1/2 cup chicken stock and sun dried tomatoes. (You could add artichokes hearts or spinach here if you wanted). Combine 1/3 of the cream cheese mix with the chicken mix. Add 1/3 of the cream cheese mix to the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread out. Top with 3 noodles. Top with 1/3 chicken mix. Top with 3 noodles. Top with 1/3 chicken mix. Top with 3 noodles. Top with remaining 1/3 chicken mix. Top with noodles. Top with remaining cream cheese mix and 1 cup of mozzarella. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Italian season or Basil on top. Cook covered for 25-30 mins at 350 degrees, Uncover and cook an additional 5 mins to brown.

Boil chicken and noodles.

Mix cream cheese (soft, not melted), milk, garlic powder and pesto.

In a separate bowl mix chicken, parmesan, stock or artichokes, chopped sun dried tomatoes.

Mix chicken with 1/3 of the cream cheese.

Pour 1/3 of the cream cheese mix in the bottom of 9x13 dish

Top with 3 noodles, and 1/3chicken mixture. Continue 3 times, ending with noodles on top.

Pour remaining cream cheese mix on top, Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella and 1 Tablespoon Italian Season

Bake covered for 30 mins at 350 degrees, then uncover and cook an additional 5.

Cheesy and delicious!

French Toast Casserole

I never make french toast. I enjoy french toast, but I have never taken the time to make it. This is a really easy way to make it, without dipping each piece and cooking them individually. The actual recipe I used left out an important ingredient. Cinnamon! I didn't realize this until I had already poured the egg/milk on the bread. So I added a sprinkle of cinnamon/sugar to the top and then baked. Also, if you wanted this to be a little fancier, you could cut the crust off to make it more aesthetically pleasing. This needs to made the night before, or at least 6 hours, so that it has time to soak in fridge. We had some leftovers that I reheated for my Sunday School class the next day and I don't think this is very good warmed up, but it was okay. Just a little gummy.Okay, here is the recipe:

French Toast Casserole: 

1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar
1 loaf Texas toast
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar for sprinkling
1 teaspoon cinnamon (more or less to your liking)


Combine melted butter and brown sugar. Spread into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Beat eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Layer a single layer of Texas Toast on top of the butter/brown sugar. Spoon 1/2  the egg mix on top. Add 2nd layer of toast. Spoon remaining mix on top. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. Bake at 350 degrees from 45 minutes. Keep covered with tin foil the first 30 mins. Sprinkle with powder sugar. 

Melt butter and add sugar.

Spread in dish.

Beat egg, vanilla, cinnamon and milk

Pour over toast.

Cover and refrigerate over night.

Bake at 350 for 45 mins. And sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Dinners at the Hawkins house tend to get a little boring. I tend to repeat a lot of the same meals. I like to try and throw in a new recipe once a week though to break up the same old. This week, I tried ham and cheese sliders for dinner. They were delicious! I had to leave out the sesame seeds for this recipe though (my husband can't have them), but I think that would have made these perfect! So don't forget to add in the sesame seeds. This is also a great party finger food! You have your choice of bread here as well. You could use the Sister Shubert dinner rolls, or the parker house rolls (I thought those would be a little small), or you could use a larger roll you find in the deli. Some people use the Hawaiin sweet rolls. Whatever you chose, make sure it's cooked before you start. I chose plain old yeist rolls- the small balls you leave out covered in syran wrap for 4 hours and let rise, then bake. I think they were perfect for this dish! Not too big or small. Okay, now onto the recipe...

Ham and cheese sliders:
1 dozen  rolls
1/2 lb sliced deli ham
12 slices provolone cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Split each dinner roll. Make a sandwich of the ham and cheese and the dinner rolls. Arrange the sandwiches in a 9x13 pan.

In a small sauce pan combine butter, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and poppy seeds. Bring to a boil and pour over sandwiches.

Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until the tops are brown and crispy.

Mix butter, sugar, poppy seeds, mustard and worcestershire and heat until melted.

Slice open rolls and top with ham and cheese.

Place sandwiches in greased 9x13 pan.

Pour mix over the top of the sandwiches and bake at 350 for 20-30 mins

Sandwiches are done when tops are brown and crispy.

Fit Friends

 I have had quite a few people ask me "how I did it". Well , I really wish it was an easy answer. Unfortunately it's not. It's not necessarily a hard answer either... more so a long, complicated response. After all, it was not a quick process that put us in this situation either. You didn't wake up one morning and weigh 50 pounds more. You slowly put the weight on over time, so it only makes sense that you will have to slowly take it off. The more you need to lose the longer it will take of course. And the less you need to lose, the harder you will have to work. The important thing is to not get discouraged. Decide today, right now, this minute to make a change and do it! You are worth it! You are important! Your health is one of the most important things about you. Your health is also important to many other people. Your family, your spouse, your children... they all need you to be the best you can be. Carrying around extra weight not only causes pain and guilt, but it reduces years off your life. Consider an unhealthy diet like that of a smoker. Eating poorly leads to being overweight and an untimely death. The exact same as smoking! Both things put you closer to death than you should be. You are worth way more than that! Value yourself enough to take the steps to stop this. You have the control of what you eat. You have control of how much you exercise. You can do this!

I have recently felt led to start a group. A weight loss group so to speak. A place to come and be encouraged, to share, to teach, to learn. I have friends all over the United States, so I feel like the best place to start this journey would be online. I feel like the Lord has given me a desire to help others through their weight loss journey's. I have set up a facebook group. I want to invite anyone to come and join the group. This will be a place for accountability. We will share weight loss, recipes, exercise, vents, stress... whatever you want to share! I will post tips and information here as well. I would love to help anyone along on their journey and I encourage you to join if you need someone to "do it with you". This will be a journey to a healthier lifestyle! We will focus on eating healthy and being active and in turn, weight loss will come! The link to the group is:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/405643276202213/

You can use whatever plan you like, Paleo, MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, Atkins... I am pretty familiar with them all and I can provide a lot of insight with MyFitnessPal and Weight Watchers. Our group will also really focus on exercise. I will be pushing a good workout program and helping you with it. I will be starting a Couch to 5K running program locally for anyone who lives in the area.

I've settled on a name for the group. Fit Friends. I look forward to this program and I hope you will join me on this journey!

Two Timin' Pasta

I happened upon this recipe on pinterest. My kids love all things pasta. They love marinara style pastas, as well as alfredo style. This recipe gives the best of both worlds! You could use any pasta you wanted. Rigatoni, penne... whatever you like or have on hand. It's very simple and very quick and my kids loved it! You could pop this in a 9x13 pan, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins to make this a pasta bake. I was short on time, so we skipped out on the baking part. You can use your own alfredo or marinara, or use a store bought version. Here is the recipe:

Two Timin' Pasta:

1 box penne pasta

1 (15 oz.) jar Alfredo sauce

1 (24oz.) jar Marinara sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Boil pasta and drain. While pasta is boiling, heat marinara, alfredo, mozzarella and parmesan in a large saucepan until bubbly. Stir in pasta and serve! Or pour into 9x13 pan, sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins.

Heat all the ingredients in a large pot.

Boil noodles and drain.

Combine the noodles and sauce.

Serve like that, or bake!