This is a meal plan based on the the typical meals that I actually cook on a regular basis. It is not an exact diary of what we eat, but it’s pretty darn close. Enjoy!
Monday – Gram’s Beef Lentil Stew
Tuesday – Chicken with Loaded Greek Salad
Wednesday – Mediterranean Chickpea burgers over salad
Thursday – Pork loin with sauerkraut & roast carrots
Friday – Lemon Pepper Fish with Wild Rice pilaf
Owlshead Fire Tower 3/20/16 – 5.8 mi. RT
Last weekend Brody and I joined our friends Carrie & Baxter to hike Owlshead Mountain in Long lake. We did this as part of the Fire Tower Challenge. This is the 4th mountain that Brody and I have completed in this challenge.
With winter conditions we expected the trip to take longer than it did. It was so quick we considered doing Wakely Mountain nearby but with Brody’s foot still healing from a toe nail injury (he had to have most of the nail removed last Monday) we decided not to push it.
The trail itself was pretty easy. The first mile or so is a wide trail with little elevation gain. About half way the trail got steeper and a bit icy. This was my first hike using microspikes, and I’m pretty sure they are the greatest. The top was sunny, warm and clear with great views. The weather had predicted cold and rain so this was a pleasant surprise.
We did not go up the fire tower, because the bottom step was a little rickety and we decided the dogs didn’t need to go up with us. Besides Brody had already given me his standard scare before we even started the hike by getting his leg caught between the rails on the little bridge near the parking lot. I swear there isn’t a single trip where he doesn’t do something like that.
Overall a great little hike for the whole family.
You might have noticed over time that I often try to mimic my favorite restaurant dishes at home. If it’s something I really love like Linguine with Clam Sauce, or Penne con Fionchietto why not learn to make it at home so I can have it more often and spend less money? At least that’s been my thought process.
This pizza is one of those recipes. We have had a version of it at a number of restaurants and it continues to be a favorite of both chuck and I. A simple but flavorful dough is definitely key, since the rest of the ingredients are fairly subtle. This has been my favorite pizza dough recipe for a while.
The real stars of this dish are quite obviously the figs and prosciutto; though I personally think the reduced balsamic is the thing that really brings it all together. Then again I may or may not have a slight love affair with the stuff. I also think the arugula is necessary to add some freshness, and a peppery bite to an otherwise salty-sweet dish.
![IMAG0465[1]](http://www.sweetloveandginger.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMAG04651.jpg)
February ended with birthday celebrations and March started off a little nutty for them, but it all settled out in no time.
She got excited about working in the garden, and learning about permaculture
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He daydreamed about far off hunting seasons.
They started planning kitchen renovations and financial futures.
She got in her first hike of the new year while he hit his first few golf balls of the season.
It was awesome.
Yesterday marks the first day of spring (the spring equinox). We have now entered the season of new life, and with that I thought it was a good time to check back in with my goals.
We started off this year with a diet challenge that really changed the way that both Chuck and I view food. It has made lasting changes in our diet and daily habits that I believe will stick with us for the long haul.
In conjunction with this change I have been able to change some of my workout habits for the better. Realizing that I was no longer capable of simple physical tasks (pull ups, pushups, lifting boxes, etc.) really gave me the slap in the face that I needed to get back into it. I know it’s early in the year but so far I have been working out consistently and can definitely feel the changes in my body (seriously wishing I had before and afters of my tush for you right now, because it’s looking tight!!). Right now my focus is on strengthening my arms and core. I think since I’ve always had strong legs I tended to focus on them more and subsequently have a very weak upper half. I’d like to even this out, and be strong all around. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten in as much hiking as I had hoped by now. Honestly winter hiking has never been my jam, so as things thaw out I’m hoping to get out there more, before the sweltering summer heat takes over.
We have gotten a number of small house projects done in the New Year like fixing the heat, light switches and garden chores. We have finally started to seriously talk about the kitchen renovation, which I couldn’t be more excited for. It’s going to be a big job so planning is key. While we are in the planning stages I am looking forward to putting together the fire pit, designing the deck, painting the living room, and updating some furniture. There’s a lot to be done in this little space.
Financially I had a few goals that I did not mention previously. One of those was to pay down the house enough to get rid of PMI. I didnt mention it before because I wasn’t sure if it was even a realistic goal until Chuck and I made some time to really go over our finances. Though this is just one of our financial goals for this year it’s a pretty major one. I also made a little extra cash in the New Year by selling some of our old stuff, amongst other things. I’m going to post more on this later but let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was able to pull together without trying too hard. It makes me wonder how much “easy” money or money savings we are all missing out on each year.
In conjunction with finances I wanted to really put some effort into pairing down our lifestyle. I read the Life Changing Magic of Tidying last year and was really drawn to some of the core concepts. I have gotten rid of a large quantity of stuff, but I always feel like there is more to do. I’m hoping that with the nicer weather I will be able to open some windows and clean out some spaces in the house. Recently I have also been interested by the idea of reducing waste whether it be food, garbage or recycling it’s become increasingly important to me to have a lower impact on the environment. I switched to a moon cup, composted more (and starting thinking more about closed loop cooking), put more effort into buying in bulk and finding reusable products. Even Chuck has noticed a large reduction in our waste production.
With the intent to fortify some of my friendships I have spent more time than ever putting an effort into simply staying in contact, whether it be by text, phone, email or in person with the ones that mean the most to me. It’s never been easy for me but I want my friends to know how much they mean to me and to be there when they need me.
So far I think 2016 is off to a good start. I’m not sure I’m living up to the whole idea of being brave yet, but I’m making small steps and taking chances every day.
How is 2016 going for you so far? What are your goals? And how have you worked toward them?