long gone

i always hate when i get on here and realize it's been over a month since i've posted... i think it's time to abandon the idea of ever being a "regular" blogger :)

sometime soon, tonight or tomorrow, a summer crossfit WOD's post will be coming. but there is much else to update as well! first and probably most importantly, donny and i are building our first house here in college station! it's in a new neighborhood in south college station that we LOVE called castlerock. it is on a somewhat small lot and will only be 1620 square feet, which will be one of the smallest houses in the neighborhood but will be the perfect size for us, for now at least! it is completely custom... we got to sit with an architect to develop our floor plan and have selected EVERYTHING ourselves- brick, stone, floors, granite, cabinets, appliances, backsplash, plumbing & lighting fixtures, paint colors, roof shingles, doors, and probably even more that i'm forgetting. very fun but also a lot of pressure!! not as stressful as we feared on our marriage, probably because when we don't see eye to eye donny just gives in to what i want... which is apparently pretty typical as every vendor/sub-contractor we've met always seems to direct questions my way and looks to me for final choices lol! i'm sure it's a woman thing. it should be finished sometime in november, so we'll be in by our first anniversary and the holidays! we CAN'T WAIT!!

second on the big news front would have to be that i have a new job. i am now working as a speech pathologist in a skilled nursing facility instead of the public schools. overall, it's been a good change. there is a lot that i really like about it, and i don't miss the stress of the schools one bit. i never feel like i have to take work stress home with me at the end of the day, and i get paid for the time i actually work which is a concept i love and something that always frustrated me before... i resented having to work "extra" and not getting compensated for it, because it happened a lot and the pay was already not great. this new setting is quite a nice pay increase, which we can really use at the moment with all of the expenses the house brings! there are a few things though that i miss dearly about my former job, most namely the people i worked with and of course my sweet kiddos. you just don't find people like the ones who work in schools anywhere else- kind and wonderful and big-hearted- and i dearly miss them!! but back to the new job, i really love the geriatric population and feel so rewarded every day by helping and making a difference in these people's lives. they are so appreciative and so wonderful, if you take the time to get to know them and listen to their stories and histories. old people have a LOT of history, and i say that with the utmost fondness and respect.

other big news? it's college football season!! HOOK 'EM, and let the rivalry, competition, excitement, fanaticism, school spirit, and LONGHORN DOMINATION begin :)

quotable

"if we all did the things 

we are capable of doing 

we would literally 

ASTOUND ourselves"

-thomas edison-

this quote makes me want to try harder, do more, live better, love deeper; we are capable of infinitely more than we realize. i'm thinking that perhaps i should post this quote next to my bed or on my mirror, in the hope that it encourages me daily to live the kind of life that i will be fulfilled by and proud of... because for me, that doesn't come easily or naturally. i have finally begun to learn to push myself physically, but in order to grow in other areas as well, i could certainly use a friendly reminder now and then. i hope this quote is even half as inspirational to you as it is to me!

london broil

while searching for recipes to cook the london broil i got on super special at the grocery store, i learned that london broil is not, in fact, a cut of meat, but instead is a way of preparing it. hmm, i guess the kroger butchers/meat packagers have not yet been so enlightened.

anywho, i googled and found this recipe from a site that i have never gotten recipes from before. it turned out ABSOULTELY DELICIOUS, without question the best dish of meat i have ever prepared! and the best part is that it is a paleo recipe! and, it was pretty simple (although i made donny cut it after because it's supposed to be sliced really thin and i really dislike cutting/slicing/chopping of any kind.

london broil (from about.com's american food section... weird, right?)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 lb boneless top round "London Broil" steak, about 2-inches thick
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• salt as needed

Preparation:

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, and rosemary, and Place the beef on a plate and poke both sides all over with a fork. Transfer to a plastic freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Seal and refrigerate overnight. 

Turn broil on high. Remove the London broil from the marinade and pat dry. Salt generously, and rub in the freshly ground black pepper, on both sides. Place on a broiler pan, or other oven-safe pan. Broil about 8 inches under the flame for approximately 6-7 minutes per side for medium rare - internal temp of 130 degrees F. 

Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil; let rest for 10 minutes. To serve, cut against the grain into very thin slices. Serve hot, topped with any juices from the plate on which it rested.

may WOD's

5.3.2010

90 secs box jumps + 90 secs KTE= 61

60 secs box jumps + 60 secs KTE= 50

30 secs box jumps + 30 secs KTE= 41

5.4.2010

2-2-2-2 push press

3-3-3 dead lift

4 rounds:

12 dead lifts

24 sit-ups

300m sprint

(2 min rest between rounds)

2:23 / 2:12 / 2:13 / 2:13

5.6.2010

max snatch

62 lbs

AMRAP in 10 mins:

10 goblet squats (35 lbs)

15 double unders

20 push-ups

4 and 1/2 rounds

5.7.2010

5-5-5-5-5 back squat

112 lbs

7 rounds:

4 burpees

6 wall ball (12 lbs)

10 hammer swings

time= 7:46

5.10.2010

1-1-1-1-1 push jerk + jerk

3-3-3-3-3 snatch pull

bottom-to-bottom tabata squats

lowest round= 14

5.12.2010

5-5-5-5-5 dead lift

153 lbs

500m row

followed immediately by

3 rounds:

10 power cleans (63 lbs)

30m overhead carry (35 lbs)

time= 8:16

5.13.2010

modified "elizabeth"

21-15-9

KTE

ring dips (small band)

time= 9:32

5.14.2010

60 GHD

time trials

1 min max reps of each:

box jumps (40)

pull-ups (15, no band)

burpees (21)

double unders (44)

kettle bell swings (25)

5.17.2010

3 mins L-sits

5 rounds:

10 kettle bell dead lifts

10 kettle bell swings

20 double unders

time= 6:53

5.19.2010

push press

57 lbs

5 rounds:

10 thrusters

5 burpees

100m sprint

(rest 90 secs between rounds)

1:25 / 1:22 / 1:22 / 1:28 / 1:34

5.20.2010

"isabel"

30 power snatch (52 lbs)

time= 3:34

5.21.2010

FGB

3 rounds:

1 min box jumps

1 min push-press (42 lbs)

1 min row (calories)

1 min wall ball (12 lbs)

1 min sumo dead lift high pull (42 lbs)

total reps + calories= 95 / 80 / 80

5.24.2010

3-3-3-3-3 front squat

"annie"

50-40-30-20-10

double unders

sit-ups

time= 7:53

5.25.2010

5-5-5-5-5 push press

team WOD

5 rounds each:

20 lunges

10 kb swings

5 burpees

time= 7:57

5.26.2010

weighted box dips

pull-up negatives

4 rounds:

5 KTE

10 OHS

15 push-ups

300m sprint

5.31.2010

100 burpees

time= 7:31

eggplant parmesan "pizzas"

in my ongoing attempts to not only be more domestic, but also become healthier and more conscientious about what i put into my body, i have continued to periodically try out new, paleo-friendly recipes...

this yummy meal was loosely based on a paleo recipe i found, but with quite a few adaptations and improvisations based on ingredients we had available... i LOVED how it turned out, delicious!!

first off, we didn't have enough of all of the ingredients to make they ooey gooey casserole, so instead i made individual servings like mini pizzas, where the slice of eggplant served as the "crust". second, we didn't have any ground meat so this was vegetarian eggplant parmesan... next time i will for sure add ground turkey though! third, we didn't have mozzarella so i used white american, which we actually loved! here's the improvised recipe:

1 eggplant

~1/2 cup almond meal/crushed almonds

~1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 egg

your fave marinara sauce

several slices of mozzarella (or american) cheese

olive oil

salt and pepper

*ground turkey/beef- maybe 1/2 pound?

preheat oven to 350 degrees. slice eggplant into circles about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. beat egg in a bowl. mix almond meal, parmesan, and some salt and pepper in another bowl. heat stove top and put several tablespoons of olive oil in pan. dip each slice of eggplant into egg, then dip in almond meal mixture to lightly coat it. then put in frying to pan to brown. make sure you add more olive oil with each batch of eggplant!

arrange browned eggplant slices on a cookie sheet lined with foil. **if you are using ground meat, i would add a spoonful of browned and seasoned ground meat first ** add spoonful (or however much you want) of marinara to each slice, then add a square of sliced cheese to the top. bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese starts to brown on top. i ate my pizzas with my hands, although my civilized husband opted for a fork. enjoy! (and leftovers nuked in the microwave were great, although may have been even better had i used the toaster oven or oven)

i almost forgot that i made the BEST london broil ever a few weeks ago... i'll post that recipe soon if i can track it down :) also, i'll be posting may and june WOD's (i know, super exciting)

see no evil, hear no evil...

i've been thinking a lot about the oil spill lately. while i'm sure this is a relatively common sentiment at the moment, for me it isn't. you see, most of the time i am completely successful (albeit not necessarily intentional) in completely tuning out anything unpleasant (to put it mildly) in the world. only when something reaches magnitudes that simply cannot be tuned out do i become aware, invested, or involved. this is a personal issue that i've been aware of for a while, but i've managed to make excuses for myself and simply shove the issue on the back burner.

excuse one: i'm too busy to watch the news. i almost laughed out loud while typing that. donny and i watch hours of tv shows per week, yet those hours hardly ever encompass anything informational. granted the news has it's flaws and, particularly at the local level, and tends to be guilty of the same ignorance that i myself am guilty of, at least in regards to many issues, but it would at least be a small step in the right direction towards social responsibility. whether it be reading daily articles online, watching the world news, or listening to npr, i vow to become better informed.

excuse two: i can't handle tragedy. while true, this is not a valid excuse. i have tended to justify my non-involvement by pointing towards my often times heightened, over-reactions. i cry when i see dead animals on the side of the road. i become physically nauseous during movies and tv shows that feature human evils. hell, i can't even stomach to hear about the mice that have been caught in the traps at my sister and brother-in-law's house. BUT... just because i am easily affected, i should not have a free pass to blissful ignorance. so what if i read, see, hear, or think about things daily that upset me? there are certainly hardships and tragedies out there that deserve my thoughts, sympathies, and tears, at the very least. and only when we are affected do we take action which is my ultimate responsibility. which leads to the next excuse...

excuse three: i donate money to charities that deal with the injustices that i ignore. by giving nearly ten percent of my income to causes that i feel connected to, i give myself a free pass to give nearly zero percent of my time or energy. yes, by giving anything at all financially for building wells in developing nations, supporting less fortunate children, rescuing stray animals,  researching a cure for AIDS, etc., i may be doing more than many americans out there. but that doesn't mean i'm doing enough. giving money is without question taking the easiest route. although i am confident that what i give is making a bit of a difference, i also am confident that i could make more of a difference by giving some of my time and increasing my own awareness, and then in turn hopefully the awareness of others.

but i may be getting ahead of myself here. my goal is not to change the world, but to be better aware of and informed about what in the world needs changing. the one must necessarily precede the other. it has always been a goal of mine to be a responsible citizen of this world, and now i'd like to stop making excuses for not being one. if you are at all like me and my family, maybe you'd like to challenge yourself to do the same.

with that said, don't expect my blog to suddenly become filled with current events or world tragedies. in all likelihood, my next entry will feature current events in the life of the wilsons. but i will try to update on my personal challenge at some point, hoping that doing so will keep me accountable.

good things: june edition

- the return of movie mondays with donny (starting next week)

- hearing kate say "megan" and "donny"

- my future nephew!

- naked fish sushi (i hope!)

- more than 6 months of wedded awesomeness

- frozen yogurt on hot days

- outer banks with the fam

- my new keurig single cup coffee maker

- my dermatologist

- bacon wrapped, oyster stuffed shrimp from the flying dutchman

- ron pope's tunes

- skinny margaritas by the pool

- the WORLD CUP. duh.

- reunion weekend with b and ash in july

- SYTYCD

- a house?

now i just need to find a job, and more urgently, some books to read on the beach! la la la la la la life is wonderful...