Is it lunch yet?

Zach and I have decided to re-new our vows at our one year anniversary. We went to a wedding on the beach a few months after we got married, and we thought that would be the perfect place to re-new our vows for our one year. Debbie (Zach's mom) is going to come to NOLA August 17th, and the morning of the 18th, we will be going to Pensacola, Florida and spending the night, coming back to NOLA sometime on Sunday. 
With that being the case, I need to get in shape...FAST! lol. Last night I made up my mind to go ahead and start this morning! I told Zach to wake me up when he was going to go to PT and I would go with him. When that time came, I thought there is no way it's morning yet...I just went to sleep. But alas, it was morning and I thought, screw this! I was a grouchy monster and almost didn't go. Then I thought about our beach adventure coming up in a few short weeks...and jumped up out of bed, ready to go! 


I started out slow, since I haven't been to the gym since right after my 6 week check up:
Walked on the Treadmill for 10 minutes: burned 56 calories
Did the Elliptical for 11 minutes: burned 87 calories
Did 75 crunches and some arm work outs with 10 pound weights.

All of this before 7:45am! Then Haiden and I dropped Zach off at work, and went to the commissary to get creamer and powdered sugar (I will be making fudge very soon!) and waited for the NEX to open so I could look at running shoes (I have the new balance shape-up type walking shoe) and cologne for Zach. 

Haiden was such a good and happy baby throughout the whole early early morning ordeal. Once we got to the NEX all the workers were all goo-goo over him, and of course...classic Angello, Haiden was being a huuuuuge flirt! We found a cologne for Zach, but I'm gonna let him check it out first since it's a tad different than his normal colognes I've gotten him in the past. And I tried to get some NewBalance Minimus shoes, but those gouged the back of my ankle and was starting to rum me raw, which would be a no bueno to try and run in them at all. They are like those toe-shoes everyone has and would be perfect to start out with those for barefoot running, which I REALLY want to get into, but I guess I'll have to keep looking for something similar that will work. So I tried on the Reebok RealFlex Optimal shoes, which I had been wanting, even though they aren't going to help barefoot run, they will transition me from the walks that I take Haiden on, to running with him. The NewBalance are also in my FAVORITE color!! The magenta Reebok are the only ones at the NEX that are ultra-thin, but I saw some at Academy that were grey and black with neon green or blue soles. Either way, I can dig pink shoes! lol. And I'm excited about getting them regardless! 

               

But check out these bad boys!

Tortilla Lasagna 

Yields: 8 servings
1 pound ground beef (I used turkey)
1 cup water
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used chipolte)
1-1/2 cup sour cream
1-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon cornmeal (I did not use this)
10 flour tortillas
1 jar (8oz) salsa (I used rotel)
1 small onion, sliced


1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in water and taco seasoning, garlic powder and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and chili powder. Sprinkle cornmeal into a greased 13X9in baking dish.
3. Arrange 5 tortillas, overlapping, in the bottom of the prepared dish; spread with 1/2 cup salsa. Layer with half of the meat mixture, onion and sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with 1-1/2 cups cheese mix. Repeat layers. 
4. Bake uncovered, at 375 for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mix. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. 


You really need to let it stand for the ten minutes, or else you will need a knife and sme patients to cut it.


A vegetarian option would be:
Instead of meat use mushrooms, bell peppers, and extra rotel or tomatoes. Even olives could be added as well. 


A healthier option would be to use less cheese and sour cream (we did) and use spinach or wheat tortillas instead of the flour. 


Enjoy!! It is another killer dish, super delicious!

I love my friends!

So this is just to let everyone know, how crafty and amazing my friends are:


Linds is one of my favorite people in the whole world! She has created a blog full of super awesome vegetarian dishes and oober healthy yummy foods, as well as updates on her sweet daughter Reese, and their upcoming addition! She loves the vintage and old classic black and white romances, as well as novel writing! She became my friend when I moved to Ohio back in 2005 and worked at Borders! I still talk to everyone I worked with, but Linds and I have a special bond! We are now both married with babies, and love being creative in food, crafts and family activities. If you need a true inspiration, check out her amazing blog and share in her love of all things girlishly chic and healthy! 

Bri is one of the friends I have had so many crazy times with, our kids will hear about them as they grow up. Even though I broke her ACL and she elbow punched me in the eye, making it swell shut for a day...we were still able to remain friends! Our friendship started from being low on the totem pole during our short basketball careers in junior high, and has remained strong, traveling across the country to see each other, even leaving the US to have a good time! Bri is one of my friends who has it all: she is a Fighting Texas Aggie graduate and where's her ring proudly for all to see, has a wonderful career as a Landscaping Architect, has her trusty bird Lacie (who has been through it all for the passed 13 or so years!), and is in a loving relationship where both their dreams have come together in such a beautiful way. If you want to check out her chatter, photography and her landscaping portfolio, then check out her website! She designed the whole thing herself...um AWESOME! 

Grace and I went to high school together, and our circles intertwined here and there. We have stayed in touch via Facebook and I have followed her amazing journey these last few years. She is another amazing individual with so much passion and drive, it's intense!! She does it all: film making, directing, editing, making shorts, writing screen plays, short stories, novels! I mean, there is seriously nothing this girl cannot do!! Check out her blog and enter the world, some of us only dream of, the world of film making and novel writing, and making it all happen!!