Miracle Monday...

It's double miracle day!  Why, you ask.  Well, because not only did I make a new recipe today, but I'm blogging about it on the same day...as in, a mere minutes after I shoveled it in.  Two for one on miracles I tell ya!

Team Monfort is attempting a healthier lifestyle.  Fish a few times a week, red meat very seldom (which is strange in the middle of cattle country), roasted/grilled veggies with nearly every dinner & salad like it's going out of style.  Even our drink choices have changed.  Soda has been cut & the soda mixed adult drinks are gone.  RIP Jack-n-Cokes.   Getting ailments checked out, improving old habits & giving it our best effort to make sure we're all around to drive each other nutty for as long as possible. 

Tonight's meal was my first take on Spaghetti Squash.

Now let me just say I have been wanting to make this forever, but feeding my family a heaping pile of veggies was going to be a challenge.  (Or so I thought)

The beginning of a fabulous meal.

I went with a spaghetti squash with mini turkey meatballs, roasted veggies & a salad.  I absolutely love making homemade spaghetti sauce, but when I don't have time I found that our local grocery store carries a decent jar.  It's stuffed full of spinach & tomato chunks & requires very little added to it.  Easy peasy.
The squash was split in half, microwaved for about 7 minutes & shredded.  While that was cooking & cooling I mixed up the turkey, seasonings, an egg, breadcrumbs and then rolled up some mini meatballs.  I briefly seared them before popping them in the oven for a few minutes.  

We've been using peppers in our veggie mix, and since the nugget seems to love them {even when eaten like an apple} it makes them a good choice.

Snacking while she helps in the kitchen (for a whole 5 minutes).

 I chopped up a broccoli bunch, tossed with olive oil, a few cloves of garlic & a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  Delicious!  Pretty sure I could make a meal out of this mix.

The end result was a great success.  Before diving in Tony said it looked great, and after going back for seconds I think he'd agree it tasted pretty darn good as well.  It will definitely be a repeater very soon.  It was a meal that we all felt full from, but not stuffed and bloated while we moaned and groaned through our evening.  

I also managed to re-do my mantle today which would technically make it a triple miracle.  

I did learn a few things along the way:

* I'd probably blog about cooking more if my ugly faux wood counter tops didn't run up the wall & look ridiculous.

* I could never be a full blown food blogger!  I am clearly not cut out for cooking, taking photos & sipping sangria all at the same time.

* Healthier choices do NOT have to be boring.  Put 5 seconds of creativity into the meal plan & it'll be worth it....guaranteed!

Cheers to living the dream! 

I'm ready!

I'm ready to stop making PB&J sandwiches every single morning for the daily lunch.

I'm ready to stop walking into my house to find a giant backpack & 40 random sheets of paper approximately 6 inches from the doorway.

I'm ready to stop checking the school website weekly to make sure grades are on point.  (Who are we kidding...I check daily.  OCD Party of 1!)

I'm ready to lighten up on the bedtime police duties.

I'm ready to stop hearing the phrase, "Mom, I need this shirt washed for tomorrow" at 10 PM.

I'm ready to sip coffee while watching teeny-bopper shows with the nugget every morning.

I'm ready for the rush of brides to slowly taper off.

I'm ready to find my way to the sun every single day.

I'm ready to brave the neighborhood pool.  (It's always awkward seeing parents from school in your bikini...cause you must get good sun.)

I'm ready to BBQ more.

I'm ready to float in the lake while the dogs swim for hours on end.

I'm ready to spontaneously catch a live band or a baseball game without the guilt of school nights hanging over my head.

I'm ready for shaved ice on multiple occasions.

I've got my summer chore chart ready.  School may be over, but the household jobs are just about to kick into high gear. My calendar is looking more and more open. (Thank you Texas heat for detouring brides away from summer weddings) I'm mentally prepared for SUMMER!  I'm ready.

Now, I am ready as I write this.  As in, I may be ready for it all to be over if I hear "I'm bored" more than a handful of times in a five hour period.  But for now, I am ready.  Now, just to get through the last choir concert, the last lunches to be packed, and the last "GO TO BED NOW!" nights.

 Bring on the summer baby cause I'm ready!

Baby Get Your Shine On...

I become a completely different person when the sun is shining.  It's crazy at times.  I get giddy, amped up & absolutely LOVE sunny days.  I was once told by a Dr. that I needed to increase vitamin D levels to fight depressed days, and was told sunshine was my best bet.  Sure, buddy!  I didn't believe it.  Then I made the effort to get out in the sun every day.  Whether it was reading a magazine, walking, working...whatever the case, I soaked up sun & always felt a trillion times better.  I take supplements during the winter, but nothing compares to natural sunlight.

So, of course, I am always up for a day out and about.  Usually Tony has Sundays & Mondays off from work & it is the perfect situation.  A day off for all of us as a family & a day off for just him & I.  Monday was forecasted for great weather, so we strapped on the hiking shoes & headed out for a new adventure.  Mount Bonnell.

I heard the sunsets here are to die for so we decided to check it out during the day & plan a return visit with the nugget to experience the sunset.  Once we got there it was very obvious why it must be so beautiful.

On our way up the trail.  Overlooking the water & the houses I will one day own! ; )

So very pretty!!

The Austin skyline in the distance.
One of my favorite things about this city is the amount of trees.  I am not used to seeing so much green compared to concrete buildings. 

As we're climbing these stairs, the husband says "Throw on some ankle weights & come out here for an hour a day & you'd be ripped!"
My response, "I'll be lucky if I live through today...without the ankle weights."
(Truth is: I feel AMAZING today!)

I wonder around looking for prime photo ops, the husband holds on tight to my backpack.  We make a great team!

I swear this man is good at everything he does.  So I shouldn't be surprised when I say "You should tightrope"... and he totally does.

Warning: Exposure to sunshine may cause ridiculous amounts of smiling.

I may or may not have taken this photo twice because I wasn't smiling in the first one.
{crickets, crickets, crickets}
At least I know I'm a lame-o.

It didn't seem too high until a lady at that house on the top left came out to take her trash cans out.  It was like an ant pushing a dot.  I absolutely love days like that.  I can not even begin to tell you how excited I am that summer is just around the corner.  Texas heat = the slow season for weddings.  It's a win-win!

Cheers to gettin' your shine on!