my secret recipe

i tried a new recipe out last night on the family - overall review - i liked it, ross said it tasted good, jillian and helen didn't like it (helen said she did not like it because it had broccoli in it and jillian agreed even though she was not sure which vegetable was the broccoli!) and the boys - well i don't think they WOULD have liked it as much as they did but a 1.5 hour swim practice left them pretty hungry so they actually had 2 servings of it. (AND - it even looks like the picture from the magazine! - see recipe below)

jillian readin' the mornin' paper and having breakfast :)

i really think these are THE.CUTEST.SHOES.EVER! i picked these shoes up for helen yesterday after realizing that her feet grew a couple sizes since she last wore her tennis shoes. she opened the box and said "oh mom, NIKE!" probably helped that we lived in the town of Nike Euro Headquarters in Holland.

a shot of my 3 medals! - these are the biggest medals i have ever received in a race. i still hear the sound in my head of all 3 medals clanging together as i walked around the airport. AND i must say i wasn't the ONLY one wearing all my medals in the airport :) ---now they are pretty much necklaces for the girls :) but nonetheless - I earned them!

and now for THE SECRET RECIPE ----- 39.3 miles and no blisters (or yucky toenails either - gross, i know!) these socks are officially my secret recipe to running without blisters! the shoes aren't bad either... i love asics kayano - not my color preference but they have worked out ok for the rainy/snowy/salty/sandy ground conditions this winter in Michigan. i bought these socks in Holland before i left and they were my last 2 pairs that did not have holes in them. i was lucky enough to find ONE pair at the fitness expo in Orlando. I can assure you that these will ONLY be worn in races now :)

and now for the food!

2 recipes i've tried recently (the recipe in the photo above had mixed reviews) but the soup recipe was a big hit with EVERYONE!

easy baked cheese & vegetable twist

2 eggs

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheese

3 cups of frozen broccoli cuts

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)

4 green onions, sliced

2 cans of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

combine the first 3 ingredients and stir. then add the other ingredients. unroll the crescent dough and separate into triangles then arrange them in a circle on a cookie sheet. add the mixture onto the dough and then tuck in the ends of the triangles. bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

tortellini soup

1 pkg. (9 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini

2 cans of tomato soup, undliuted

2 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of milk

2 cups of half and half cream

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 tsp. onion poweder

1tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

cook tortellini according to the package directions then add them to the ingredients listed above. enjoy with some homemade bread!