Birthdays and Back to Blogging

The good times just keep on rolling! This weekend my sisters and mom came to Kansas City for a weekend filled with shopping and loads of laughter. From left to right- My sister Amy & her dog Lunch Box, my sister Erin, myself, and my Mom.

And the love of my life posed for a photo as well:)

I thought this one was good enough to change my profile picture on Facebook. It had been almost two years since I had updated my picture. This one isn't too shabby if I don't say so myself.

After all of the craziness with parent-teacher conferences last week, visitors, and a little scare with my blood pressure, I plan to just relax today. Yes, I did say blood pressure in that last sentence. The day before my birthday, I was not feeling that great and feeling super anxious. The last time I remembered feeling that way was right before the surgery. So, I went down to the school nurse to have her check my blood pressure. It was 150/120! She suggested that I leave and go straight to the doctor. I did as I was told, as I don't tend to ignore my health. Low and behold, I am now on a low dose blood pressure medication. I'm not particularly thrilled about it, but it has been a reality check to chill out. Plus, this situation has encouraged me to sign up for a 5k event coming up next month. Viva la Diva Dash!

Being I like to feel my best when I run, I've got a great, healthy, low stress menu planned for the week. After checking up with the doc this morning, she has encouraged me to try and lose ten pounds. I've decided I am going to target this in little increments with a goal of a pound or two a week. It is tough to think about weight loss since we've been trying to conceive for so long, but I know the magic won't happen with high blood pressure and an extra 10 pounds weighing me down. This menu is packed with a good blend of super foods, fiber, and protein. I'm starting the week off with a soup I had intended to post a while back. We never did eat it, so I'm pulling it out of the freezer for a low stress meal. Today I plan to prep everything for a spin on my Deep Dish Quinoa Pizza I made last spring while on the Drop 10 challenge. I lost a total of 6 pounds that I managed to keep off throughout the summer. With the help of the Diva Dash 5k, My Fitness Pal, and the Self Drop 10 challenge I think losing will be manageable. Here is this week's rundown:

Monday 2/18          Ham & Bean Soup with Cranberry Cheddar Corn Bread

Tuesday 2/19          Leftovers

Wednesday 2/20     Veggie Deep Dish Quinoa Pizza with Tomato Salad

Thursday 2/21         Leftovers

Friday 2/22 or         Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli
Saturday 2/23

Here is what you will need:

1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 package low sodium deli ham
1 yellow or white onion
1 cucumber
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 small zucchini
2 shallots
1 bag baby carrots
1 bunch celery
1 bulb garlic
2 sweet potatoes
1 bag or box quinoa
1 box low sodium chicken broth
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 bottle BBQ sauce (check ingredients for modified starches)
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 bag frozen corn
1 container light or fat free sour cream
1 container Parmesan cheese
1 package 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 package shredded 2% mozzarella cheese
1 package shredded 2% cheddar cheese
1 pint buttermilk
Butter
1/2 dozen eggs

Pantry items you will need:

Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Granulated sugar
Brown sugar
Honey
Brown rice flour
Corn meal
Baking powder
Dried cranberries
Dried bay leaf
Dried chopped chives
Cinnamon
Ground cumin
Herbs de Provence or dried Italian herbs
Salt & pepper (even though I am trying to cut back on salt:))

Have a great President's Day!