*updated* Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships + we're registered!

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had a bowl of organic rolled oats cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, water, cinnamon, and vanilla before heading to my (now weekly) OB appointment this morning.   fresh blueberries, more cinnamon, more almond milk, and pure maple syrup went right on top.  i had egg whites w/ salsa on the side too. fueling up for some kickboxing a little later today.

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was running late and threw on whatever (but i was comfy though!)  and we made it just in time for my group b strep test and routine check up.  if only pap smears were that quick & easy-peasy!  all is well @ 35 weeks and i thank Him for another great progress report. and yes, i smacked Chiso right after he smacked me.

on to our new hospital to registerrrrrr!

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so the hospital where Chiso was born doesn't do L&D anymore. i enjoyed the experience there and was saddened after hearing that!  however, the new hospital is literally 3 minutes away, so no biggie.  AND my favorite OB in the entire universe will be there to deliver Odego this time, Lord willing.  (she was out having her twins at the time Chiso was born :'(  ) .  i went ahead and registered juuuuust in case we have to pop up there sooner than expected, but i am coming back with Sonny to take a tour so we can be cheesy and take pics and stuff.  a date i am so looking forward too, again.  i hardly EVER buy overpriced convenience store food/snacks, but i was unprepared and Chiso got restless while i filled out paper work.  so i got him this Sabra pretzel and hummus dip along with a banana.

enjoy this updated recipe of last night's dinner:

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*updated* Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships

the stuff:

  • 4 large, raw zucchini, halved & seeded
  • 2 cups cooked and seasoned extra lean ground turkey
  •  1 cup homemade marinara (add more if you'd like and the recipe is below)
  • 8 turkey pepperoni, cut into thin strips
  • 1 cup shredded almond or rice cheese
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced into coins
  • 2 tsp dried italian seasoning or parsley or fresh basil
  • sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

do this:

  1. set your oven to 350 degrees and coat a large baking pan with foil and no-stick cooking spray.
  2. after halving the zucchini, scoop some of the insides out using a small spoon.  they should look like empty canoes cruise ships once you're done; arrange them flat and seed-side up on your baking sheet.
  3. mix the cooked ground turkey and the marinara sauce together, then spoon the mixture evenly into/onto the zucchini.
  4. sprinkle the turkey pepperoni, tomato, and italian seasoning on top of the cruise ships, and bake them for about 20 minutes.
  5. remove them from the oven and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. ( i used 2% colby jack cause that's all i had. to keep this recipe dairy free, use almond or rice cheese.)
  6. let them bake once more for 7-10 minutes or just until the cheese melts to your liking.
  7. top with fresh basil or parsley!

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i thought i posted my marinara recipe in the Fit N' Crispy Chicken Parm post but maybe it didn't save like i thought?? can't explain that one.  but here it is:

homemade marinara:

the stuff:

  • 1 6oz can tomato paste
  • 6 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend (optional)
  • sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

do this:

  1. heat a large sauce pan to medium-low heat; once hot, pour in your olive oil.
  2. add onions & garlic and sauté until translucent...about 2-3 minutes.
  3. add in the rest of the ingredients except sea salt and cracked black pepper, stir, cover, and let simmer for 12-15 minutes.
  4. shut off heat; add mixture to your blender or food processor and blend on high until super smooth.

you can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge to be used for pizza sauce, wing dip, breadstick dip, whatever!

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happy hump day! hollaaaaaaaaa

le

not so fast

everything happens for a reason!  you better believe it.  i logged into Facebook earlier this week and saw that two friends of mine had been selected to run in the Chevron Houston Marathon 2013!!!  if you can run a 10K in 51 minutes or so, you automatically qualify to run in either the half or the full marathon.  if not,  you have to sign up for the lottery and then wait to be selected randomly.  i excitedly pulled up my email account and right away this caught my eye: 2013 Aramco Houston Half Marathon Lottery: Not Selected.  disappointed? a little, but i was immediately reminded that what i want is not always what He wants.  who knows just what the heck i will have gotten myself into by early next year!  i did one of my first posts on this annual event- seems like yesterday.

 i have so many fond memories from this race and i'll definitely do the 5k again or just go volunteer and support all the other runners to keep my tradition going.  outstanding event to attend and be apart of whether you are running or not.  i still got love for you, ChevronHM!! :roll: kidding :lol:  congrats to all who were selected!  if you weren't, KEEP running!!!

my mom got me one of those enormous desk calendars ( just 54 cents, who knew? i didn't).

it helps me stay organized and see just how much time i have left before my first show.  i know it's 2012 and i should be putting tasks, reminders,  etc. in my iPhone or have an electronic copy somewhere (according to Sonny), but there is just something about writing things down and 'x'ing off the days by hand that keeps me on track, positive, and focused...and hopefull!

it's that time again-

 blueberries are in season :)

 sometimes it's all you can get your hands on, i know, but store-bought blueberries fail greatly in comparison to the wild, hand-picked ones straight from the country.  i do hope you get the chance to taste the difference.  i happen to have a country connection i'm so grateful for- 1 gallon for 20 bucks.

  i split up that big bag into smaller portions for my meals so they are ready to grab and go.

frozen blueberries are SO GOOD! get you some snack size bags and go to work.

if i wasn't in training right now i'd be making blueberry crumbles, pancakes, cobblers, turnovers and muffins GALORE.   i have even been putting them in Chiso's food:

his dinner last night: grilled chicken, new potatoes, and wild blueberries!

(before and after i blended it with a little breast milk.)

off to go burn some more fat- 1 hr of cardio awaits me.  my first posing camp is coming up this weekend- i gotta go buy my shoes and get ready to soak up all this knowledge.  may the rest of your thursday be EXCELLENT!

le