Harley

November 20, 2013

Beating the Soon-to-Be Winter Blues

Winter is getting ready to show her ugly face here in Nebraska soon.

As in tomorrow, soon. BLAH!!!

Knowing my window of opportunity to ride was quickly closing, I text my girl Tyree yesterday at 3pm and we were on our bikes and in the wind by exactly 4:45pm.

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Impromptu ride…. And soooo worth it. Totally needed that open crisp air in my face. We rode for a while and then made a pit stop at The Rusty Nail for some dinner and a cocktail.

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I chose a mushroom Swiss burger and Tyree had the burrito plate. Warm, delicious and filling. Vodka and sugar free redbull also made its way onto our tabs. Wonder how that happened…

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Perfect little evening if you ask me.

This AM I woke up and whipped up an oatmeal pancake. First time making something like this and I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I think I will continue to tweak ingredients as I go, but for the first one, I was impressed.

Oatmeal Pancake

1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup egg whites
2 Tbsp. PB2
1 Tbsp. Plain Greek yogurt
1 packet of Stevia

Mix, spread on heated griddle, lightly brown each side, soak in syrup, enjoy!

This recipe was 264 calories, 35 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams protein.

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I have a full day at work today. Hello meetings!!

After work I teach TurboKick at the Y from 4:30-5:15 and then it’s off to In This Moment concert at Sokol with my girl, Tyree!!

Eek!!!

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Have a Great Day, all!!

November 15, 2013

Why I Ride

 

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Freedom, self-determination, choice, inspiration, therapy, camaraderie, dad, LOVE, empowerment.
 
 

Freedom– from my thoughts and worries. Nothing is more freeing than the feeling of the wind against my face, an open road and the sound of a Harley.

 

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Self-determination– focus, strength of mind, control
 
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Choice– Freedom of choice.  The choice to take the risk of riding two wheels. A risk that empowers me every time I roll that throttle.
 
 
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Inspiration– To be inspired.  Riding clears the cobwebs and allows for new ideas and sense of purpose.  To inspire others.  Giving women a reason to go out there and do it for themselves.

 

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Therapy– No therapist can give you the kind of peace, serenity or clarity that comes with riding through the countryside, down tree lined roads, over rolling hills and riding into a sunset.
 
 
 
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Camaraderie– Nothing is better than a biker community. You find some of your best and longest lasting friendships among bikers.  They are Family.
 
 
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Dad– Harley Davidson was/is/and always will be my connection to my dad and is the one bond that will never be broken. Dad: Live to Ride~Ride to Live
 
 
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LOVE–  For love.  Love of riding.  Love of life.  Loving Me.  Love for us.
 
 
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Empowerment– With freedom, clarity, focus and determination comes empowerment.  Two wheels and a few miles is sometimes all we need.
 
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November 13, 2013

Our Harley Davidson Wedding: Part 2

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Our wedding took place at Westfair Amphitheater.  This was venue number 2 that was secured less then 3 months prior to our wedding, thanks to our original venue drowning from the crazy Missouri River Flooding.  Talk about last minute stress, but it all worked out.

Clint and I chose to walk each other down the aisle as opposed to me meeting him at the front.   Our lives were already operating as one unit, we had committed to each other long before our wedding date, and it just seemed appropriate to walk down the aisle together.

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My younger brother, Gabriel, played guitar for us. We chose the song Beautiful Day by U2 as we all walked down the aisle.  He did such a great job!

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The Happy Hubby and Wife!!

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Kyle is officially my step-son!  Handsome kid.

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Our Beautiful Families

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Clint had my ring custom made.  All his idea to do a bar and shield.

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In lieu of a traditional guestbook.

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And how amazing are these cookies?  One of my besties mom made them for me.  She makes the BEST sugar cookies I have ever had.  Ever.  Think Loft House Sugar Cookies, but better.  Her cookies were the one requirement I had for food.

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People ate, drank, socialized and as the sun set, our band set up to start the real party.

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We hired Lemon Fresh Day and they rocked the reception from start to end.  We partied until well after midnight, others even longer.  I heard some pretty entertaining stories about hotel pool after-hour shenanigans.  🙂

Beer, rock’n’roll, friends, family and a happy couple.  Wedding Day Success.

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October 28, 2013

Spinach, Feta, Egg White Casserole and Sunday Funday!

For whatever reason, I woke up at 6:30am Sunday morning.  Who.  Does.  That?!?!

I took advantage of the early morning and ran to our local Hy-Vee to grab a few things for a new breakfast casserole I wanted to try out.  I LOVE Hy-Vee, and love it even more now that they have the Fuel Saver Card.  Seriously makes my heart happy.  My vehicle isn’t the most economical for gas mileage.  

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Before we get to the casserole, let me give a quick recap of my Sunday Funday.

1) Breakfast with my hubby

2) Church with one of my best friends, Tyree.  Their guest musician and speaker that day was Roddy Chong.  He was phenomenal and I could have listened to him play for hours! He currently tours with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  How cool would that be?  His testimony was interesting and entertaining and truly showed how the right amount of tenacity, perseverance and faith can get you where you never imagined. 

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3) Harley Time!  The weather will soon be against us in regards to motorcycle riding, so my husband and I took off for a few hours Sunday afternoon.  We toured a few Nebraska back roads to soak up the crisp fall weather and took a pit stop at Dog House Saloon in Waterloo for a bite to eat and a cocktail.  Their watermelons are seriously yummy!  And one is plenty if you want to think straight!  WOW!  I didn’t get any pictures of the two dogs my husband ordered, but they received high remarks from the man himself.  A traditional dog was topped with cooked onions, pickles and mustard.  The Italian Dog had roasted peppers, pepperoni and some sort of sauce.  They also weren’t your typical dogs… more like hamburger/sausage mixture.  He recommends highly.

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For the record, that stupid Styrofoam cup has been there since our Milwaukee trip.   Boys….

 

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4) After our afternoon ride, we returned home, I worked on a new TurboKick Round (I start teaching at the YMCA tomorrow), blogged and watched a little TV.  Great little Sunday!

 

Now for the recipe.

 

Spinach Feta Mushroom Egg White Casserole

100% Liquid Egg Whites, 16 oz.
Spinach, 9 oz.
Sliced Mushrooms, 8 oz.
Reduced Fat Crumbled Feta Cheese, 3 oz.
Diced Red Onion
2 cloves diced Garlic

In a large nonstick pan, saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms with a little bit of EVOO. Transfer to a bowl once cooked

Add spinach to same pan, cover, and let wilt (a few minutes)
Remove from heat. Drain liquid. Toss lightly before adding to mushroom mixture.

Pour half the egg whites into 8×8 dish. Mix in the spinach, mushroom, and onion mixture.  Sprinkle Feta Cheese on top.

Bake at 350-375 for 30 to 40 minutes or until light brown on top.

 

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Healthy, Nutrient Rich, Protein loaded.  Can’t ask for much more!

Hope your Monday has been a good one!

 

Do you have a favorite breakfast casserole?