Healthier spaghetti pie

For those with kids sometimes it is hard to get them to eat foods that are healthy. It is a good idea to start them on healthy foods early. Here is a "healthier" version of one of my kids favorites, spaghetti pie:

1 lb extra lean ground beef or ground turkey breast
Garlic Pepper Seasoning
8 oz of whole wheat spaghetti noodles
2 tbs of olive oil
2 eggs beaten
1 cup grated Parmesean cheese
Non- stick cooking spray
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 jar of marinara sauce- I use Classico because it has few ingredients and lower sugar
1/2 to 1 cup of park skim shredded mozzarella

1. Season meat with garlic pepper and brown, drain if needed, add marinara sauce and simmer
2. Cook noodles as directed
3. Heat oven to 350
4. Place spaghetti in a large bowl and toss with olive oil
5. In a small boil combine, combine eggs, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
6. Add to pasta and mix
7. Spray a pie pan with cooking spray and pour spaghetti into pie pan
8. Spread ricotta cheese on top of noodles
9. Pour marinara meat sauce on top
10. Bake for 25 min
11. Add Mozzarella and remainder of Parmesean Cheese
12. Cook for 5-10 min or until cheese is melted

**Recipe was adapted from Everything Cooking for Kids Cookbook

Serve with a side spinach salad with grape tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, etc

Setting GOALS, not resolutions

Let's face it. Most people do not succeed in making New Years "Resolutions". It is as if people already expect to break them before they even start. This year I am not making resolutions. I am making goals and I am writing them down and I am going to do everything I can to attain these goals. For me, fitness is not a problem. I do not need to make it a part of my new year goal, but I do have a few personal fitness goals that I do want to attain. My goals for 2011 are

1. Get organized. This is so hard for me. My brain just doesn't work this way, but I am going to make an honest attempt to clean out closets, get rid of junk and try to organize myself.

2. Save more money

3. Be prepared for the 2011 Marine Mud Run Challenge in Sept- baby is due in June so I have a lot of work to do!

4. Finish my nutrition certfication

5. Work on another fitness certification

6. Continue to grow my fitness business and branch out in a few other areas of fitness

Chicken Florentine

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One of my boot campers gave me the recipe and it is fantastic!

1 1/2 lb chicken breasts or tenders
10 oz bag of fresh spinach
8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
4 roma tomatoes sliced
5 ox reduced fat feta cheese
8 oz bottle light Balsamic Vinagrette dressing, I use Newman's Own
12 oz whole wheat angel hair pasta

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and saute in olive oil- you can salt and pepper them a little
Spray 9x13 dish
layer spinach, cooked chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, feta cheese, and then pour dressing all over
Bake at 350 for 30 min and serve over pasta

ENJOY!! It is a great and healthy dish

Finally, some awesome workouts!

My energy level has been down so my workouts have been pretty puny, he better than nothing! :) This week has been a great week of workouts! My strength and energy level has been up, I have been able to lift a but heavier weights than I have been, my runs have been pretty decent and I have just felt great! I love the endorphins that I get from exercise!

Staying fit while pregnant

Pregnancy is not an excuse to stop exercising. In fact, if you have a normal, healthy pregnancy and the doctor OKs exercise for you, it can be one of the best things that you can do for yourself. Do not use pregnancy as an excuse to sit on the couch and eat chips and cookies all day long. Exercise will help reduce fatigue, swelling, helps you sleep, helps with self image, helps prepare you for labor, and helps you to get your old body back faster after the delivery of the baby. Strength training and cardio are both important while pregnant but remember always check with your doctor first. Let him or her know what type of exercise that you plan to do and make sure he/she is OK with you doing it.

I am continuing to run some but have mainly switched to the elliptical and spinning now. Running is just too much on this little bladder! LOL My goal is 5 days of cardio a week for 30-45 min but lately here during the holidays I have been lucky to have gotten 3 days in and that is about to kill me! I am so ready for my normal routine to kick back in so I can get back on my regular schedule. I am also still lifting weights 4-5 times a week. I decreased my weight on some exercises. I do upper body one day, lower the next and the only exercises that I am avoiding right now are exercises that require me to lie flat on my back. For core strength I do planks, side planks, and standing abs.

Exercise makes me feel 100% better. I know it will help me get back in shape faster after the baby, it helps with self images issues that I have during pregnancy and issues that I think all women have during their pregnancies.

Soon to be fitmamaof4!!!

I am excited to announce that we are expecting baby #4, EDD June 6, 2011. So far, the main trouble that I have had is with energy. I have had to scale my workouts down big time but I will not use pregnancy as an excuse not to exercise. I can pretty much do everything that I did before pregnancy on a scaled down version. I do struggle with having to take it down a level. I feel so whimpy. I am used to all out, hard core workouts so having to do a modified version of that is tough for me, but I will make it! :) Exercising during pregnancy makes me feel so much better. I am excited to be able to blog about my experience with exercise and pregnancy!

Day 4-Vibram Five Fingers

Yesterday I liked my Vibrams again! :) I am alternating between the Vibrams and Nikes Barefoot running called Nike Free Run (love these too). I ran with no pain in the calves and today they feel a little sore but nothing like they were. Plyometrics in the shoes are awesome! You are so light on the feet. I plan to increase my mileage in the Vibrams after the USMC Mud run. Right now with that race coming up I cannot afford to cut my distance down.

2 thumbs up today