Something to Talk About

We really need to talk about what happened tonight.

It was just beyond delicious. I'm nervous I won't ever make a chicken this good again. But 'tis better to have loved and lost...

I threw the chicken in the crock pot this morning before work, along with some paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and olive oil. We set it on low for 7 hours, then the thing clicks to "keep warm" until we get home. Science. (Anyone watch The Soup?)

To accompany our chicken and asparagus, I whipped up Courtney's Hearty Oat Loaf (I used applesauce instead of oil, all whole wheat flour, and a little less sugar than called for) and thought it would be a perfect way to round out the dish. Well, wasn't I right? It was phenomenal! The recipe is super simple and doesn't require any yeast or special equipment, so I highly recommend trying it out. The bread turned out incredibly dense and moist, perfectly chewy and textured. Thanks, Courtney!

The entire meal knocked my socks off. I couldn't stop telling Terry how much I loved the chicken and bread.

Before that amazing meal, I squeezed in a terrific lower body workout. My legs are still shaking, and I know I'll be sore tomorrow!

Note: For the curtsy lunges and clams, I completed 25 reps on one side, did the other exercise, then completed 25 reps on the other side. But you could also alternate side for a total of 25 reps each set.

This workout hit some less common areas of the lower body, including the gluteus medius and minimus (side of the tush) and hamstrings.

We also took a quick walk after dinner to enjoy the friggin' hot lovely warm weather. I decided to take an evening off from school work tonight to spend time with my poor, neglected husband, and it feels fantastic to not have 800 things on my to do list. (Okay, they're still on the list, but I've vowed not to touch it tonight. Whatever.)

Of Possible Interest:

• What Does the 80/20 Rule Really Look Like? (Tina)
• Project Life (Sarah)
• How to Cook and Use an Entire Pumpkin (Gina)
• Spooky Sweatfest Workout Calendar for October (Gina)

Hope you had a terrific day!