Soundtrack to cook to: Michael Jackson's "Love never felt so good." It debuted last week even though it was originally recorded in 1983. It had me asking the age-old question, "Why don't they make music like this anymore?" I had goose bumps when I first heard it and just can't stop listening to it. It's incredible, and I most definitely prefer the non-remixed version. I can't wait for the album!
This past week started off promising. I was feeling so much better after having some helpful physical therapy on my knees and was getting super excited about amping up my training regimen in preparation for the half marathon.
Plus, Joseph and I were excited to surprise Alex with a bicycle for his birthday that's coming up. I can't believe our big boy is turning four years old!! *sniff sniff* This is a hard one for me because I feel like it's the last year he'll be our baby before he becomes five years old, is a big boy, and starts Kindergarten! *OY!!* I can't even think about that right now. Getting emotional...
So, we took Alex and William to a bike shop near our house and had him try out some bikes.
The boys, playing around at a bike shop. We were going
to get Alex a bike for his birthday, but it turns out that he's
just not ready for it yet. Womp wommmmp.
to get Alex a bike for his birthday, but it turns out that he's
just not ready for it yet. Womp wommmmp.
Now onto me. I was running on the treadmill last Monday morning and was not even pushing myself too hard. When I got to the 2.8 mile mark, I felt a pop in my right foot and was suddenly in a lot of pain. I ended up having to finish the rest of my gym session walking. I thought that I had maybe pulled a muscle, so I asked Joseph to massage it later that night. I was still in incredible pain.
That next morning, I couldn't put any weight on it and was in a 7 out of 10 for pain. So, I called my doctor and they managed to squeeze me in for a check up that afternoon. Thankfully, both boys took a quick cat nap before the check up, so they weren't too fussy and were incredibly well-behaved when we were in the doctor's office. I was so proud of them.
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| Here's Alex and William, sharing a chair and eating out of their snack traps while my foot was being examined. I was so proud of them for being so well-behaved. |
I got my x-rays while the boys watched The Lion King on our tablet that I had quickly thrown into my purse. (So glad that I did.) Thankfully, the x-ray staff worked quickly so that I could get my x-rays and then get back to the boys in less than 10 minutes. They were amazing.
The results of my x-ray showed that I didn't have a stress fracture (but the doctor said that I could still have one even though it didn't show up on the x-ray). Then, she said that I couldn't run for four weeks and would re-evaluate after that. WHAT??!! Nooooooooo!!! :(
I'm so, so bummed out that I can't run in the half marathon that I had been training for at the end of this month. However, my physical therapist said that it's better to rest and let the injury heal so that I don't end up with a chronic injury just because I wanted to run a race. Too true, too true.
Thus, with a heavy heart, I have to bow out of the "Run to remember" but still plan on running my 10K in June and half marathon in October.
Let's move on to something a little more positive, huh? We had just gone to Costco and had some leftover brussels sprouts. I needed something quick and simple, so I looked on The Chew's website and found a really quick and easy recipe for pasta with chicken, bacon, and brussels sprouts (I added the chicken to the recipe).
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb pasta (I used rotini because it's easy for the kids to eat)
- 4 slices turkey bacon (I had some left over from breakfast that morning - I LOVE using leftovers to create a new dish)
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into small chunks
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, shaved thin
- 2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 sprig rosemary
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
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| Brown the chicken, leftover bacon, and mushrooms in some extra virgin- olive oil over medium high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary sprigs. |
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| *To save time, I threw the brussels sprouts into the food processor* and mistakenly got the wrong attachment. The food processor chopped the brussels sprouts way too small, but it actually turned out really great! A lucky mistake. Once the chicken is browned, the bacon is crispy, and the mushrooms are cooked through, add in the brussels sprouts and toss together for ~2-3 minutes. |
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| Drain the pasta into a colander, but reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Place the pasta into the same pan with the chicken and vegetables and toss lightly to combine. Then, pour in the pasta water, parmesan cheese, and a little bit of olive oil. Stir to combine, serve, and enjoy! This was a very hearty and healthy dish that was loved by all the men in the Franses household. The boys actually really liked the brussels sprouts in the pasta. Woo hoo! Plus, it was thrown together in no time and had enough left over for the next day's lunch. |
William trying to jump up and down. He's starting to get it. :)
Last week, Alex had his 6 month check up at the dentist's office. He and I had a special morning together. We got up, dropped off William at school, and went to the dentist's office. They were playing the movie Frozen in the waiting room (one of Alex's favorites) and that managed to put him in a really good mood.
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| Here's Alex getting his teeth cleaned. He chose strawberry tooth paste. |
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| Thumbs up, big guy! No cavities! Woo hoo! |
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| My handsome lunch date. :) |
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| As you can see, he found his banana and had bitten the stem off of it!!! What a little stinker! He seemed pretty irritated with me that I was taking a picture of him at the moment. |
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| Alex putting some food on a fork in order to feed William. |
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| William, eating the food off of the fork that Alex had set up for him. Too cute! |
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| They were both pretty tickled about that. |
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| Brotherly love :) |
Ingredients:
- 2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes (I like lots of tomatoes)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp minced garlic (I pass my garlic over a microplane)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 5-6 large, fresh basil leaves, chopped (I added this from the original recipe)
- Juice of 1 lemon (You could even use the lemon zest as well)
- 1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 lb pasta of your choice (I used Farfalle because it's easy for the kids to eat)
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| Place tomatoes in a 9x11 baking dish and coat with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss well to coat evenly. Place baking dish in a 450 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Pour the pasta into boiling water and prepare according to directions. |
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| After 20 minutes, remove the baking dish and stir in the shrimp, parsley, basil, lemon juice. Then top the dish with Feta cheese and return the baking dish back to the oven for another 15 minutes (or until the shrimp are cooked through). |
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| Oh.my.heavens. This tomato, shrimp and Feta cheese dish is simply heavenly served over pasta (as our boys like it) or on top of some crusty bread. The tomatoes are so juicy and since they've been roasting, they develop this incredible sauce as they burst in the oven. Amazing. Plus, the fresh parsley, basil, and lemon give it an amazingly fresh, clean, and slightly tangy taste. Thanks so much, Jean, for introducing this dish to our family!!! |
William saying, "Moh, moh, moh" (More, more, more)
with Alex while they're both enjoying their dinner.
with Alex while they're both enjoying their dinner.
William learned the word "shrimp" that evening! :)
This dish is THAT good!
This dish is THAT good!
It was such a lovely weekend, last weekend, that I decided to take the boys to Boston Common to ride on the swan boats and run around. It's one of my favorite places to visit, as it's so picturesque with the weeping willows surrounding the pond in the public garden. Plus, in the spring, the flowers are so vibrantly colored and gorgeous. It's really uplifting and calming at the same time. We went there with my sister and met up with her fiance later on for lunch.
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| Me and the boys on the swan boat. |
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| Mommy and William selfie |
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| Here's a better one. :) |
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| Photobombed by Kristen! |
William, Alex, Kristen, and me riding the Swan Boat
in the Boston Public Garden.
in the Boston Public Garden.
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| While we were on the swan boat, we noticed that there was a beautiful swan sitting on top of a nest by the water. See what I mean? Just breathtaking. |
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| William, enjoying a grilled cheese sandwich. This is his SUPER happy smile. :) |
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| Alex, getting ready to dig into his cream of tomato soup. |
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| "Mmmm! This is delicious!" (Alex LOVES soup.) |
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| Alex and Kristen snuggle time. |
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| And now it's William's turn! |
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| William, my sister's fiance Pete, Alex, and Kristen walking in Boston Common. |
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| A visit to the Common is not complete unless we visit the carousel! |
Until next time...
Love and kisses,
Nikki
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