May 2017- So far!

Ugh, what am I? The worst blogger in the world? Probably 😂

I admit, my posts have been more sporadic than even I intended. I'm just so in the zone working on my fiction piece. I keep thinking I've got it finished, and as I go to do my final read, I usually decide I want to add more and write furiously until I think I've finished again. At this point, the cycle repeats itself. It's quite the process, trying to write a book. I've been doing research online to see how many words adult novels are supposed to be and I've found quite the wide range of answers. I've read 55,000 words would be considered adult fiction while other sites state that's way too short. Some say 110,000 words is the maximum amount of words a novel should be, but then I discovered some of my most favorite novels are way longer than that so-called ceiling. 'Gone Girl'? 145,700 words. 'Big Little Lies'? 142,600 words. 'The Martian' hits 124,000 and 'The Da Vinci Code' comes in at 138,000. I think my new goal is 90,000. I vacillate daily from thinking I'm utterly crazy and destined to fail, to believing I can do this while pumping one fist in the air. So, to quote what has become my official party line, I apologize for the lack of recipes and posts. I've barely been cooking while in the zone, let alone working on any photography.

My 2015 Goals

It's time to talk change. Self-improvement. Growth. You know, all that stuff that we humans loathe to do. I, myself, am a highly self-motivated person. When I set a goal, I work hard to get there. As such, I thought before I laid out my 2015 goals that we would see how I did on last year's goals.

My first goal was to run a 10k. Accomplished! I ran my first 10k in August. It was extremely hilly and my time wasn't the best, but I did it.

Me and the hubby at the Cincinnati Beer Run in May 2014.

My New Herb Garden

Voila!

I'm so pleased with how my herb garden turned out! The hubby really did such an amazing job on it. Especially considering how this herb garden came into being...

Last weekend, upon returning from Lowe's and completing our yard work, the hubby and I were looking at Pinterest. I was showing him pictures of an herb garden like this, because I was leaning towards modeling mine similarly. Well, he got a bee in his bonnet and decided he wanted to build it right then. At 4 pm. After we'd already been to Lowe's that day. So... back to Lowe's we went for lumber, screws, and gardening soil. The hubby built this in less than 2 hours after we returned home. That in itself was astonishing to me, as it would have taken me weeks to build something like this. Who am I kidding? It might have taken me months!

What do I have growing in here?

The bottom row is basil. The 2nd tier is cilantro on one side, and then flat-leaf and curly parsley on the other side. The 3rd tier is oregano and thyme. And the top tier is mint. My mother informed me that you always plant mint alone, as it will take over the space. Good to know!

If my herbs make it through this spring, it will be a miracle. So far, since we've gotten the herbs planted, we've had frost at night, a monsoon, and fairly gusty winds. The hubby reminds me plants are hardy, but I've never done this before. Sure, we grew some herbs and vegetables when we lived in Portland, but that was the hubby's project. I was almost entirely uninvolved in the gardening in Oregon. Now I'm wishing I'd paid a little bit more attention!

Flat-leaf and curly parsley.

As you can see, our landscaping leaves a bit to be desired. The hubby is planning on tilling a lot of the dirt today, so we can reseed areas of the yard with grass. We are going to have mud spots for a while longer it seems. I guess these things take time. And more importantly, money!

 My mint! Below it, oregano.

Side note- I got a picture of this fella near one of my feeders, and I'm having a hard time identifying him! I think I've narrowed him down to an indigo bunting, but I'm not 100% on that. Any birders out there know what kind of a bird this is?

And finally, the hubby and I ran a 5k for a local animal shelter, Sierra's Haven, yesterday. Sierra's Haven is one of the best in the area, and a no-kill shelter. I've been out to their site, and not only is it a beautiful place for the animals, but it's clean and the staff is super-helpful. I had to take a cat out there that I found during the polar vortex, and they took him in with open arms. They are just a wonderful organization. They been having some financial difficulties lately, so they have numerous fundraisers going on right now. The hubby and I decided to take part in their 5k, which was ran at a local high school. The course they made was a 3 mile loop around the school, which sits on a steep hill. The beginning of the course had us running down the hill, and I must admit while I was running down it, the only thing I could think about was coming back up. Sure enough, when it came time to go back up, it was right around the end of mile 2. I did my best, and I ran all the way up the hill, but I was gassed at the top. My pace slowed dramatically, and I never really turned on the juice for the rest of the race. But, I finished and that's what counts. I'll have to try for a new PR at the next race :)

The hubby, however, finished 3rd overall! Go hubby!!

This was my scene yesterday, post race. Sitting in the sun, having a beer, staring at my herb garden.

In other words, bliss :)

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!

Traditional Greek Salad

I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes today. In fact, as I was looking through recipes I've already covered, I couldn't believe I hadn't shared this recipe before. It's one I've been making since I first started cooking, and one I've continued to make. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Greek Salad was one of my first introductions into Greek food, and it helped me realize how much I love the Mediterranean diet. Lots of tomatoes-check. Olive oil- check. Cheese- check. Marinated meats- check. Olives- check please! Greek food (at least what I make at the house!) is always fresh, bright, and freakin' delicious. Sometimes I make Greek Salad to serve alongside Chicken Soulvaki, sometimes (such as this) I serve it with hummus and naan. It's an amazingly versatile salad.

It's also an incredibly healthy salad. Honestly, it's mostly vegetables with some cheese and olives to complete the dish. The dressing is olive oil emulsified with lemon juice. There's nothing to not like about this salad. It keeps in the fridge for a good 4 days, however it rarely lasts that long at my house. I've usually scarfed it down by then. It's convenient to have in the fridge, and be able to grab a portion here or there. I've also been known to eat this as an after-dinner snack. One that never makes me feel guilty :)

Well, it's Friday friends. Does anyone have any exciting plans for the weekend? I woke up to a monsoon this morning! I'm enjoying my coffee, and thanking my lucky stars I went for a long run outside yesterday. You won't see me out there today! I take it back, I do have to go to the grocery store. I might get a little bit rained on yet. The only thing I ask for is that the rain is gone tomorrow! The hubby, I, and a couple of friends are doing a 5K for a local animal shelter tomorrow, and it would be swell if it wasn't raining... well, cats and dogs. Haha, I just couldn't resist that one! I hear my friends in Oregon have been dealing with a typical Willamette Valley spring aka. rain all day, everyday, for weeks. I guess I'm thankful we only get one of those days every once in awhile. Sorry Oregonians, you know what they say. April showers bring... June/July flowers :)

Ok, I changed that phrase to represent how I feel about spring in Oregon :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ingredients (serves 6):

4 large tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
1 large cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, grated (you could chop here, however the hubby hates raw onion texture, so I grate to change the onion texture)
1/4 cup kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large salad bowl, combine tomatoes through feta cheese.
2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Whisk thoroughly to emulsify the dressing.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad. Toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Stores in fridge up to 4 days.

Recipe adapted from Sunset.

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday

My 2014 Goals

Yes, I'm a little late to the party. Sue me :)

My goals would have been here a lot sooner, but I really have been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year. I love New Years' and the feeling of a blank slate. Like anything is possible. As I was thinking about my 2014 resolutions, I happened to ponder if I had accomplished my 2013 goals (you can read that post here). After re-reading the post, I concluded I did a pretty darn good job. I did get back in shape. I kept a food diary for half the year, until July (I should write a post on why I stopped because the conclusion I came to is that a food diary is completely unnecessary for me, and somewhat unhealthy). I successfully learned how to roast a chicken. I did improve my photography, however I now know I will probably be improving my photos until the day I die :) And while we did save a lot of money, we did have an extremely decadent month in Oregon. YOLO, right?

I've put a lot of thinking into 2014. Here goes-

1. Run a 10K.

In 2013, I successfully ran my first 5k. Heck, I started running successfully period. The hubby and I ran (4) 5k's last year, and we are definitely planning on running more. I would like to get my time under 30 minutes for the 5k. I've been doing a lot of speed training at the gym, so 2014 looks like the year of "The Under 30 5K". A 10K will happen this year too! I've conditioned myself to run 5 miles, I'll definitely be able to add one more mile. I hate long distance running on the treadmill though (too boring), so I'll be working on my endurance when I get back outside.

2. Plant my first garden.

The hubby and I are composters now! My parents have been into composting for awhile, and I really got bitten by the bug when I was out in Oregon. As of last Thursday, we've started. I've got my little house compost bucket, and we've got a bigger one for the back yard.

What does composting have to do with a garden? It's simple, really. Our soil on our property is almost pure clay, which is not conducive for growing anything really. We are going to need nutrient rich soil to grow my vegetables, and this seems to be the way to do it that makes the most sense. We've got one composter in the backyard so far. We will be investing in another when we fill this one, since it will take 10-12 weeks to make compost once the contraption is full.

Another reason for planting the garden? Another one of my 2014 goals is to eat more whole foods and drastically less processed foods. Having fresh fruit and vegetables in the garden will help with that goal, plus I plan on canning and/or freezing as much of my garden harvest as possible to have on hand for next winter.

3. Read more!

Through trial and error over 30 odd years, I've discovered I'm a lot happier off the Internet. There's a lot of awful news, and bad images out there. While I'm by no means saying I want to be an ignorant ostrich who sticks her head in the sand, it's enough for me to say I'm aware of certain bad situations but I don't need to know every detail. Getting caught up in the fantasy of a fiction novel, or being fascinated by a how-to book can be a lot healthier for the psyche than reading about the situation in Syria for the 100th time. I got a library card at the local library, and I plan on taking full advantage this year.

4. Increase charitable donations.

Beginning of 2014's Salvation Army donation.

Beginning of 2014's Animal Shelter donation. 

In 2013, I made donations to the local women's shelter, the Salvation Army, and my local animal shelter. I also participated in the March of Dimes, and each 5k the hubby and I ran was for a local charity. I still plan on participating in the March of Dimes, and competing in those 5k's. I've also begun donations for the Salvation Army and the animal shelter. My plan this year is to add to my donation boxes (buying items free or close to free with coupons), and have really nice donations for my local charities at the end of the year. I think this is one of the projects I'm most excited about, I can't wait to see what I have to donate at the end of the year! I hope I can provide my readers with pictures of overflowing boxes to take in :)

5. Save MORE money.

Here's what's cool about my goals. They all tie in to each other quite nicely. Running outside is FREE, achieving my goal of saving money. It gives me the energy to do yard work, and makes me want to eat healthy. It also relieves my anxiety, which makes it easier for me to focus on reading. Planting a garden will also help save money, since the majority of my grocery budget is spent on fresh produce. Reading more means more trips to library, where I'm not spending any money. And I'm trying to increase my charitable donations while spending as little money as possible.

-There you go! My 2014 resolutions. I think it's going to be great year! I hope everyone had a great weekend :)

Enjoying Something I've Always Hated

I'm not a natural-born runner. Or a fast runner. Or even a good runner.

I've hated running my entire life. I've come to realize now, as an adult, that while my childhood self was really speedy, I also had no endurance. Not a lick of stamina. I was technically in good shape, I loved being athletic. I played soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, ran track, and competed on my high school's dance team. I was playing sports year round, which means I was getting plenty of exercise everyday. But I never ran. I hated conditioning, and ended up giving up soccer and basketball to focus on the two sports that made me run the least: volleyball and dance. Loved them, still love them, but they don't require the same endurance as say football or cross-country. They just don't.

For the last couple of years, I've had a pretty much exclusive relationship with my elliptical machine. While I got in some yoga and Pilates on the DL, I pretty much stayed loyal to that machine. That lasted until one month ago. My elliptical machine found its way to that special place for dead electronics in the sky. It was bound to happen, it was 6 years old. I'd logged in plenty of hours on the ol' girl, she had a good life. It was time to think about what I was going to do. Buy another one? Join a gym? Become a couch potato/obsessed soap opera fan? After a lot of thought on the subject, I'm currently at that I-really-want-a-new-elliptical-but-I-really-don't-want-to-pay-for-it state of mind. I decided I would run stairs here at the house until I found a good deal on an elliptical.

2 days into running stairs (OMG, I hate running stairs. Talk about BORING), I up and decided to go for a run. Outside. What was I thinking? I hadn't run in years, and besides, didn't I hate running? Sure enough, the first run sucked. My legs felt like they were being yanked from my body, my hips felt about 80 years old, and I never felt like I could gulp enough air. I wasn't even able to run a mile without walking. At the same time, it felt kind of good. I found this strange, because I'd never felt that way before. In fact, it felt so good, I've continued.

Yesterday, the hubby and I participated in the Path to the Cure event in Huntington, WV. 3000 walkers and runners showed up, all decked out in pink for the 5K. I'd only been out running a couple of times before the race, but I managed to run almost the entire race. The hubby thinks I may have walked 2-4 blocks, which isn't bad for me. I'm pretty proud I just finished. Plus, now I have an actual time that I can try to beat while I'm enjoying my fall running.

Path to the Cure
Huntington, WV
September 29, 2013

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone has a great week!

Donating To the Women's Shelter

Last Wednesday, I finally got everything organized enough to drop it off at the shelter. Truth be told, it was really just load after load of laundry. The finished product ended up being quite the haul, and included:

28 tank tops
43 long/short sleeve tees
34 sweaters/sweatshirts
20 pairs of pants/shorts/skirts
5 dresses
15 pairs of shoes
13 bottles of shampoo
14 bottles of conditioner
6 boxes of tampons
7 bottles of mouthwash
15 tubes of toothpaste
4 cans of hairspray
19 razors
8 deodorants
14 bottles of body wash
11 bottles of lotion
5 cans of shaving cream
17 sticks of lip balm

Whew! The lady who met me at the shelter was flabbergasted. She asked me if I'd held a fundraiser to gather the items. Nope, I told her, just my stuff and couponing pickups. She told me that a lot of people don't donate because they think they don't have enough to give to make a difference, and that couldn't be a bigger misconception. Everything little bit helps, she told me. She also told me that they are always collecting the following:

-women's clothing and shoes
-children's clothing and shoes
-children's toys
-personal items: shampoo, conditioner, oral hygiene products, deodorant, razors, etc.
-household items: cleaners, paper products
-food: canned goods and non-perishable items

So, to sum up. I cleared out space in the basement. I thinned out my stockpile. I donated items to women who can really use them. I will receive a tax deduction for my donation. It's a win-win-win-win situation.

I'm looking forward to growing my next 2 projects for charity. This week, I was able to add dental products, baby wipes, chicken noodle soup, and cat litter to my homeless shelter and animal shelter donation piles. This train is chugging along!

I hope everyone's having a great week, happy Hump Day!