Thinspiration with a hearty appetite: Pesto Chicken Alfredo

Today was a day for my man and I to be off together. We saw the movie "Warm Bodies" this afternoon; however adorable, not my favorite. The love story was cute though. Anyways, on the way home we stopped at the store to get ingredients for a dish that I made a few weeks ago in which he was been requesting ever since. It is from his Nan's recipes: Pesto Chicken Alfredo. For how hearty it is, the serving size of 1 1/2 cups is only 475 calories, which really isn't bad because it is so filling and the best pasta I have ever had (if I do say so myself).

I'll make this recipe easy to follow. I'm going to type it in a list today also because I have it cooking and I can't wait to enjoy it!

- Boil 1 lb. penne noodles. (I use wheat)

- Cook (steam) 4 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast. Seasoned with Nature's Seasoning.

- Mix 1/2 C bread crumbs, 2 T EVOO, and 1/2 C shredded parm (set aside for topping)

- When noodles and chicken are finished, mix them in a large mixing bowl with; 1 can crushed tomatoes, 1 jar Alfredo sauce, pesto sauce (I made with a packet of pesto, some basil, and EVOO), 1 1/2 C milk (I use skim), 2 C shredded mozzarella, 1 1/2 C shredded parm.

- Once thoroughly mixed, sprinkle bread crumb mixture ontop of dish.

- Cover with foil & bake in the oven on 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Then ENJOY! It really is an amazing dish. Wish I had a photo of it for you all. But trust me when I say this is the best - better than Olive Garden (which used to be my favorite alfredo). This recipe I found from Pinterest, so I'm not sure who to credit but thank you!

Today was also weigh-in Wednesday. I lost a half pound since I started on Monday! Goes to show that each day, each little change really does add up. Those good choices one plus one really do keep surmounting to something we strive for. Although I am far from my goal, I did my hair and makeup today and went out with an amazing man who makes me feel beautiful beyond measure. 

As the next few days come, I hope that our choice for moving or vacationing this summer or staying put really becomes easier. I can't imagine anything changing right now. All I know is that the more snow I see and the cold temperatures here the more I want to head start to the beach like we have thought about for 12-weeks for post cancer finding yourself because you have an amazing man that you want a future with type thing. Well, we shall see!

Thinspiration 2.0

A Monday in February. Nothing screams excitement like a title of that sort. Just another mundane day in an uneventful week, so it seemed. It did have a touch of flair added to it. Bobbi was off school today for Presidents' Day (like it's a holiday or something). She spent the night and so we had the day together, which was so nice because we hadn't had that in a long while. We did some fun things together and then I got my dancing in for a half hour. It was actually fun because I had someone to talk to while I danced and lately I've been dancing alone because Maunie has been busy with pre-deployment things. I understand though and there is plenty of time for weight loss!

Today I had a roast beef sandwich, less than 250 calories and lots of carrots. For some reason lately I enjoy baby carrots with no dressing; they taste sweet to me of late. Also for dinner my mom and I made a recipe off the top of our heads with the few ingredients that my mother's cupboard had. We put boneless skinless chicken in a skillet with some EVOO. When it was steamed to done we added sliced onion, diced tomatoes, cornstarch, nature's seasoning, italian essence, basil, salt, and pepper. As a side, we cooked Kulski noodles and added shaker Parm and basil. SO AMAZING. I don't think I have ever had a chicken and noodle (non-pasta-like) combination like that in my life. ITALIAN! YUM! Try it sometime, all of you!

Lately, Mark and I have been weighing the pros and cons of moving to Norfolk. We are thinking about relocating to Norfolk for the summer, just three or four months to get used to the area and see where we want to be. I would hate to think what if when we are old and think about not taking a chance. Derrick and Maunie have been amazingly accommodating to let us, if we decide, to stay with them and save up money so we can have a stepping stone before we move in the next status in our relationship (heart!) So we are going back and forth about things. Leaving my mom and sister would be the hardest thing. It was so hard being away from them once, and I'm not sure that I want to do it again. Also finding doctors now that I am cancer-free. That is another worry of mine and always will be. However, I know that I can't live my life with a what if, because it will eat me up inside. As a great movie once quoted, " "What" and "If" are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What if? What if? What if?" 

Tomorrow is Monday.

Well, seeing that I fell away from my lifestyle change for awhile, here I am. Ready to start and embrace a healthy living once more. You really can only start things of importance on Mondays. With that being said, I plan to start myfitnesspal again. It really was a great help with my calorie count. I did dance yesterday, but it definitely wasn't the same with having a partner, Maunie cough-cough, to keep the motivation. We talked about getting our schedule synced here soon so that we can both be on the road to wellness once more! Maunie's husband, Derrick, is leaving on Thursday for deployment again. I am sad that he must go away again, especially for her sake and because he is Mark's best friend as well. Hopefully it will fly by until he gets back and we all will be able to take a vacation together like we talked about. Anyways, tomorrow starts everything again. Dancing - Just Dance, at least a half an hour, yoga, as many times this week as I can, then some other body workouts. I found a little workout session online where you increase your reps with jumping jacks, lunges, squats, none of which require the gym, over a period of a half a month and by the end you are just piling on the reps and I'm sure much stronger! So with that being said, I am going to be incorporating that, most definitely. I need to drink more water. Lately I have been drinking less and less pop, which is good. However I have been drinking things that I wouldn't normally. My cycle for female things is all messed up from the medicines and such and so I'm craving weird things. I drank hot chocolate the last few days and some pink lemonaide, crystal light packets in my water as well. Neither of those things are my typical drink of choice. I do love crystal light and skim milk. Although, Mark forgot when he went to the store and bought a ton of milk (because of his amazing protein intake daily) he bought 2% milk. I drink it, sure. But it definitely is not as healthy as skim milk and I most definitely like the taste of skim better. Oh well, next time he shall know the right one! So I guess that means more water...much more. I need to fall in love with it again. It definitely made me feel so much better in the summer when I was drinking it and only it. I felt amazing! Well, one thing that blogging about my dinner has aided me in is my love for food. I had people actually messaging me and asking "what did you make for dinner tonight?!" or something like "you didn't post last night, is everything okay?!". Those kinds of amazing feedback from people, my readers I guess you could say, surely lift my spirits, making me want to cook and blog and do everything I love and my readers or followers think I am good at. I appreciate it all! Well, be looking out for some more from Thinspiration 2.0. This time there will be no lapse in time! Things got crazy with my cancer-free diagnosis. All I wanted to do was celebrate! And eat white cheddar popcorn of course. But I am ready to trade that in for carrots or apples because I know that I feel best when I am eating my best. I feel best as well when I am moving around more! The more I do in a day the better I sleep at night, the better my body feels, etc. You wouldn't think that would be the case if you wear yourself down like that. But for me, it seems like I feel so much more alive when I am more involved and such. Looking forward to tomorrow. Redeveloping better new habits for a lifetime! Well, until breakfast.....Night!