Did pilates last night :) I'm starting to get stronger because its still a workout but I'm not doing the modified versions anymore, at least for the most part. Then spent the rest of the night reading Hunger Games with Stephen...not really sure I liked how it ended. I realize this isn't fitness blog stuff but I hate love triangles! I hate them in this book, in twilight, in pearl harbor, in first knight, in anything! But other than that, we're enjoying the book :) Minus how Cato dies...not my favorite ending for anyone, even if they are awful. Also, I think he and Catniss should have dueled it out, and then her archery skills really could have shown. I mean why else build them up the entire book, just to to have her mercy kill Cato in the end. Like I said, not my favorite ending, but we'll keep reading book two :)

Anna

Chance and I ran again yesterday morning! It was way short but still counts. We also went swimming on Saturday, but that was more playing cause we were with his nephews. But still...:)

Emily

My lame excuse for physical activity today was weeding for an hour and a half. Those weeds grow faster than anything else out there!

Emily

Did my pilates tape again today and guess what, it's starting to get (a little bit) easier! I'm making progress towards being done with the "modified" versions! :)

Here is a good recipe you should all try that Stephen and I made for dinner tonight. We pretty much followed the recipe except I cut the chicken into really thin fillets and we did it on the frying pan since we don't have a grill. One day we will :)

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon steak sauce
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Preheat the grill for medium heat.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning!

Emily

So I forgot to post this yesterday but Stephen and I went on a two hour hike up in some hills right above the Draper Temple. They lead up the west side of Mt. Timpanogos. But we were just hiking in the hills. It was really beautiful but we made the mistake of going mid-day when it's the hottest around noon. So next time we go we plan on going more around 9am or so. I didn't drink enough water afterwards so I got a headache but other than that it was great!

By the way I love that we do this blog :) I love just keeping in touch about things

Mom

This is Julie. Mom wanted me to tell you that she did situps and rode her bike today. :)

Emily

So Stephen and I made your recipe last night Anna! It just so happened that I had been planning on making something asian-ish but wasn't sure what yet and then I saw your recipe and had all the ingredients but the cilantro and fresh ginger. So I ran and got those and we made it! It was really good too. But I did make one mistake...as Stephen and I were eating it we both decided it had too much peanut butter and tasted too spicy...well the peanut butter and red pepper flakes were the two things I didn't take the time to measure properly becuase I was impatient! So I added too much and next time I'll have to be a little more exact. But we liked it :) And my favorite way to have it was cold. Thanks!

Anna

So this post may be to brag about Chance more than me. This morning Chance woke up with me at 6:30 to go running! That is big because Chance is not a morning person and also, he still feels sick when he works out (we do not know what is wrong...it makes me sad that he can't do everything he wants to). But today we ran farther than we have before and he didn't start feeling sick till the end, which is longer than it has been in the past! We are going to try going Tuesdays and Thursdays together. So yeah, good morning. Also here are two good recipes! The first is from Chance's mom, the second from Hailey, Reece's wife. Both so good.

Thai Noodles Serves: 4
(Delicious as a warm main dish
or served cold as a salad)

INGREDIENTS
6 oz. dried vermicelli (or any noodles)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth (I use chicken)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1-1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1 red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
3 green onions, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime wedges for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook vermicelli according to package instructions,
drain and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine soy sauce, broth,
peanut butter, lime juice, ginger and crushed
red pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until
peanut butter is melted.
3. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly.
4. Stir in cooked chicken, sweet red pepper, green
onions and cilantro.
5. Serve with lime wedges.

Cranberry Chicken
(this is from memory...)

Mix together:

8 oz. French dressing
1 package onion soup mix
1 can cranberry sauce (the jelly kind)
pour over chicken breasts in a pan
bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (it may be 375...now I can't remember! I think it's 350 haha)
Serve with cooked noodles or rice (we prefer noodles)

Emily

Good job Julie! That's what I like to see :) Today I did pilates again, which was a butt-kicker. I also put Stephen through some torture and tried making veggie burgers from scratch. They weren't bad but weren't really good enough to make a second time!

Julie

EMILY here is your post. :) I worked out today, situps, pushups, lunges.  So there. :) Last night Karli, Kathryn Ivancovich and I had a girls night and made some pretty amazing smoothies. We just added whatever we had around the house and it ended up being strawberries, watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, yogurt, apple juice, and ice. So if you are ever looking for an easy but healthy snack, just make a smoothie out of whatever you've got around. 99% chance it will be delicious. haha.

Emily

So this is a late night post but I wanted to write that I did 5 minutes of jump rope today. Not much but it was good :)

Emily

Well the bummer news for today is I couldn't really exercise because I'm sick! Stephen got sick with a cold last week then I caught it. But my good news is to make up for the sick non-exercise day, I tried to make something really healthy for dinner. Here's what we had:

Leek & Potato Soup

1 tsp olive oil
2-3 leeks: white and light green parts washed and sliced
3 small zucchinis sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tbsp sea salt (or regular, it doesn't matter)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 russet potato (I used Yukon gold) cut into 1 inch chunks
4 cups chicken or veggie broth
Juice of 1 lemon
chives

Cook leeks in olive oil till soft. Add zucchini, garlic, thyme, salt, & pepper: cook two minutes. Add potato and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 min.

In blender, blend soup till very smooth (I had to do it in two batches), add lemon juice and more salt and pepper if wanted. Top with chives, cheese, crackers, etc, whatever you want ;)

This was my first time trying this recipe and we loved it! The taste was great and it was very creamy, although there is no cream in it, which is the great part! Hope everyone gets a chance to try it. Let me know how it turns out.

Emily

Just got done doing pilates! For the first time in years I think! I bought this video called Crunch Workout Fat Burning Pilates. I love it because the first half is standing up cardio (which has a lot of ballet ish moves so it was fun) and the second half is regular pilates. So you get both in one workout. And I'll be honest here, I had to do the "modified" versions of most moves. But I have the goal that one day I'll be able to do them all the way and talk while I do them, like the lady does :)

Also, something kind of cool: today I made homemade granola bars...I guess they're more of a ball shape but whatever. They are no-bake and have oatmeal, flax seed, millet, soy protein powder, craisns, dried cherries, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, molasses, vanilla, and something else but I can't remember. They're really good though and very healthy. They're a good fill-you-up snack. I'll be posting the recipe later on :)

Keep being healthy everyone!

JULIE

Emily, here is my post. And I don't really have much to report today :/ I mowed the lawns yesterday. Nothing so far today. Maybe later??? heheh. But I'll keep posting don't worry!

Edamame

So I have a good food idea. Try edamame (soybeans in pods). It is so good! A while ago Chance and I got hooked on them. Now we eat them for snacks and with dinner a lot. You just buy them in the frozen veggies section, heat them up and eat them with salt. Apparently they are super good for you. I've gotten them at Wal Mart and Smiths but I hear you can get a huge bag at a really good deal at Costco :)

Anna

I went running yesterday with my friend Mary. I love it cause I was like, "I think I don't wanna go too long today" and she said, "Oh yeah, me neither." We were still gone like 25 minutes. Haha. That's short for Mary :) It pays to have motivating partners.

Emily

I didn't any exercise today because I am a little under the weather :( But I did eat healthy! On to tomorrow. And Julie, where are your posts! ;) I expect to see one tomorrow

Emily

My exercise for today was mowing the lawn! Usually Stephen does it but he is out of town this week in California for work so it was up to me. I broke a good sweat, and got a few bugs up my nose...but it wouldn't be mowing the lawn without a few right? :)

Also, here is a kind of unusual food that I had never had before we went to Ukraine. Its buckwheat! Despite the name it is not related to wheat and has no gluten. Anyway, you buy it as buckwheat groats. They are kind of hard to find, so you may need to ask. You cook them by boiling them for about ten minutes till they're soft, and then stick them in the frying pan with a little butter and salt, just like you can with rice. I have to give a disclaimer, it is very much an aquired taste! It wasn't until the end of being in Ukraine that Anna and I liked it. Now we love it. It's a really common thing to eat there. The good thing, and the reason I'm posting this, is it's really healthy for you! So give it a try and see what you think :)

Julie

Well I havent' done anything since wednesday but I think running around after kids all weekend at camp totally counts as a workout! :)

Mom

I love new recipes - thanks for sharing!  I rode my stationary bike for
30 minutes this morning and did 30 sit-ups.  Now that I know how to
post I'll try to do it more often:)  Now I'll try to add a picture from when
we picked cherries from our tree on Saturday - that's a little exercise, right?

Oh and rice too! Apparently I think of recipes one ingredient at a time!

Emily

Oh and I also add black beans to the soup. Don't forget that!

Went for a power walk this morning. And I've already forgotten to drink water since I've been back!

Also, here is a healthy recipe Stephen and I love. We made it last night so I figured I'd share :)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 8 ounces corn tortilla chips
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, saute the chicken in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and mix well. Then add the broth, corn, onion, chili powder, and lemon juice. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Break up some tortilla chips into individual bowls and pour soup over chips. Top with the Monterey Jack cheese and a little sour cream or salsa.

Emily

Just got back from a run. We've been doing two laps around this trail for the past few times so I think next time I/we go...hopefully tomorrow...we will up it to three laps. Which is good because it's getting too easy. My problem is I run too slow!

Good tip = drink enough water when you're exercising! I probably don't do that enough.

p.s. I confess, I did not do diddly squat yesterday. I'm putting it behind me and improving!

...

Oh. I see them. Okay never mind you're okay. :)

Behind!

So yeah I'm a day behind but YOU are like 4 days behind!! Shame on you. ;) Where are your posts?? I don't see them!! This is unacceptable.  I just worked out a little today, so yeah.

Wedding day workout-Anna

Hey guys! I knew I wouldn't be able to post every day but just wanted to spread my exciting news that I ran on Monday and Tuesday :) Yesterday was funny because it was about an hour before we had to leave for the wedding and Jamie, my older sister-in-law said, "Hey wanna go for a quick run? I haven't gone in a while and after driving all day (from Texas) I'm going crazy!" Haha, so I wore Kage's shoes and shorts and my mother-in-law's sports bra and went! And we were still on time and ready for the wedding. I'm glad she understands that itch you sometimes get to exercise. :)

Emily

So I just have to quickly say what I did yesterday, Monday. I didn't  get a chance to post because it was a really busy day and to be honest my exercise was kind of pathetic...situps and stretching for about 10 minutes. But hey, like you said, better than nothing. I think tonight I will either do stairs or a pilates tape we just recently bought. Also, we just got done watching Savannah and Kylar for a few hours. Can I count that? :) There's no denying they keep you on the move! But I was also eating pizza while we were watching them so maybe they cancel each other out. :) Until next time!

Julie

I did old school Pilates today! hahah. Spandex, Dagne and all. Remember that?? Let me tell you it WORKS though if you're trying to tone your stomach! Maybe I'll do that more often, switch it up with plain old situps. Thanks for that tip! I'm trying to eat healthier and I'm getting better. Stuff like ice cream sounds more gross to me now. We're getting there!

:)

Emily

I went running again today, which was painful because of the lunges I did yesterday! But feeling sore feels good sometimes! We ran along this paved trail near Grandma & Grandpa's house and the funny part is that a ton of rollie pollies were out in full force for some reason...they were crawling all over the ground. So it turned the run into an obstacle course of sorts :) I'm happy to say, I don't think I stepped on any!

Here is a good idea that works well for me. Anytime you are craving ice cream (which by all means you should indulge in every now and again :) just make a smoothie instead! It's just as satisfying and you don't have to feel as bad. Plus all the berries are in season :)

Julie

Wellllll I didn't do a whole lot today.... I did lunges and situps and that's about it. So nothing super exciting. But it's something!

From Anna :)

Hey guys I love that you are doing this! I will try to post when I can too! Yesterday I went running. That's usually my workout. I just like how it makes you feel afterward. I totally know what you mean about having someone to motivate you. I go running with my friend Mary from time to time. She is an amazing runner. I always run faster when I'm with her. It was always hard but it did pay off in that race I did Saturday. Because I was more used to pushing myself it was easier to push myself then. Mary is in amazing shape and I asked her, "So besides running, what do you do?" She said, "Just running. But I vary it every day, what my goal for that day is. Sometimes it's distance, sometimes it's speed, sometimes it's hills and stairs..." I thought that was smart and helps running feel less boring. Anyway, thanks for this, I'll check this blog and it'll definitely motivate me!

I'm making today's post early because I exercised this morning because Stephen and I have something going on tonight. I wanted to make sure I got it in. I jump roped...which I found out is hard to push yourself in because it's so easy to stop! I set the alarm on my phone so at least I knew an end would be in sight :) Then I alternated it with some lunges. I did a little bit of weeding as well, which isn't that physical but it makes me feel good to count it. Everything all together took me about 40 minutes. I'm ready to start the day!

So far this blog is really motivating because when I think about skipping a day of exercising I think, "wait, what will I post on the blog then?" :) So it's a good thing. Also I want your opinion on something. Do you think we should aim for at least 30 min exercise 6 days a week or 5?

day 1...a bit late :)

I forgot to post yesterday about my exercise for the day. Stephen and I went on a (short) run and the reason I bring up the fact that it was short is because it kicked my behind! Man, I am out of shape. It's okay though, the first day's always the hardest. I'm glad Spencer pushed you Julie because Stephen does the same thing for me. I'm always trying to get sneaky and start slowing down but then he takes on the role of drill sergeant...okay that's a slight exaggeration. But still it's good to have someone to push you! I'm not sure what kind of exercise I'll do today, but I'm thinking either jumprope or stairs :)

Day 1.

Yay! New and improved :P I haven't done anything today to post but I did run on Monday. A couple miles, not impressive but not bad either! Spencer Chandler is/was my running partner. He's great to run with cause when I'm just ehhh he's like skipping and saying COME ON!! He also didn't listen to my crapload of excuses why we shouldn't go and when I asked if he was SURE he really wanted to go today, he's like "Yep, I'm coming over right now!" Keeps me motivated. That's all I have for today but don't worry, much much more to come. :)

Welcome!

Welcome to the newer, younger, hotter, fitter versions of ourselves Julie! I think to start we should each make a post every day of one thing we did to exercise that day. How does that sound? Starting today if possible. Also, I will be posting recipes on here that you and Mom can make and feel free to do the same and share recipes with me.