CHALLENGE! dinner

The final result of the CHALLENGE! was a thorough tromping by Erin, 610 to 375.
Therefore, i owed her a home-cooked dinner.
Now Erin is not necessarily the most adventurous eater; i wanted to make something that i thought she'd like, but i didn't want to do anything boring, either.
Erin really likes ham and cheese so that was my starting platform. I decided to do a rolltini variation of Chicken Cordon Bleu, substituting medium cheddar for swiss and a garlic/herb coating (it's Shake-N-Bake and i helped) for the cream sauce.
I had some nice chicken breasts, but they needed thinned for rolling.
That's when i realized i don't own a meat mallet.
There was a moment of panic until i remembered that i have a mini sledge hammer. [it was thrown the rear window of my car during the 1996 Olympics; no, i wasn't in Atlanta; i was in my friend's living room all night watching the ladies win the gymnastics team gold; when i went outside to go home at midnight the window was gone and the backseat was filled with glass and this sledge; i don't know why i kept it; it's been living in the bottom of my toolbox for 13 years; glad i didn't get rid of it, now]
It's not pretty but it got the job done.
I also made individual escalloped potato stacks, green beans almondine and the infamous PW apple dumplings.
Everything was packed into the car
and i was off to the middle of nowhere... i mean, Erin and Steve's house.
The best part of cooking at their house was using a full-sized oven.
 Look - more than one dish at a time!
I was overall pleased with the results.
The only thing i would really do differently would be the butter on the potato stacks. I adapted a recipe from Tasty Kitchen that was spot-on about cooking time, but called for (i realize in retrospect) waaaaaay to much butter.
How much butter is too much?
Well, when the cat leaps onto the table to lap at the pool of melted butter left on the serving plate you know that there was a wee-much butter.
Of course, the cat in question also ate a toasted almond.
Yes, an almond.
Hey, can i have some, too?
Nothing like rewarding someone for winning an exercise challenge with a meal involving cheese and/or butter in every course.
Congratulations, Erin.
Thanks for the friendly competition.

CHALLENGE! Week Four Update

Oh woe is me... During Week Four of the CHALLENGE! i was struck down with a nasty summer cold that sidelined me for most of the week. In the most pathetic showing ever i only logged 35 minutes of cardio for the entire week. sigh. It makes me sad to end on such a dismal note, but what can you do? The CHALLENGE! did its job, however; Erin and I both worked out more than we would have otherwise. Once she posts her Week Four total, i'll give the final CHALLENGE results even though we all know who is cooking for whom!

CHALLENGE! Week Three Update

Week Two was so awesome that i immediately followed it with a crappy Week Three. Between the holiday and starting the weird work week i only hit the gym 4 days out of 7. Blech Anyhoo, i logged 85 minutes which i guess is better than a stick in the eye. How'd you do, Erin?

CHALLENGE! Week Two Update

I haven't fallen off the Earth; i'm hanging with my friend Colleen in Arlington and we've been very, very busy relaxing. I've watched more movies and spent more time at the pool this weekend than in the previous month. It's awesome. But, i have managed to peel myself off of the couch every day long enough to keep up with the CHALLENGE! It was a good week; i didn't miss any days (E - my previously logged frowny face will actually be changed to my Rest Day) and made up for the missed day last week. My time still isn't amazing, like Erin's, but i am pleased to be right on goal for myself. In Week Two i logged 145 minutes of cardio. How'd you do, Erin?

CHALLENGE! - Week One Update

*POST UPDATED AT BOTTOM* I am pacing myself. Week One went okay, i guess. I missed Thursday cause i went straight from work to dinner with my friend Jonah and his wife Kristie, visiting from CT, and didn't get home until 11pm. I talked to my mom on the phone for a while about some family news and decided that even though the gym is open at midnight it would best for me to read and go to bed instead. Saturday was already my declared day off due to plans. So i am off target for the first week by 10 minutes, coming in at 110 minutes total cardio. But still, that isn't terrible and i am getting back in the habit of going to the gym. Competition wise, i am not doing well. At the beginning of the week Erin was kicking my ass, posting triple my time every day - i think she REALLY doesn't want to cook for me. I don't have her total for this week yet, but i think we can assume she smoked me. On to Week Two! UPDATE : So i checked Erin's time when i got to work; she logged 275 minutes in Week One! Way to go! I am both proud and ashamed.

CHALLENGE!

Perhaps you recall that i was a dedicated gym go-er with a personal trainer until a few months ago. Between being sick, stupid doctor ordered restrictions and losing my trainer I have been lax all summer about the gym. And by lax i mean didn't go for 2 months. I feel like a lazy, shiftless blob. blech We are only 22 days away from restrictions being lifted (assuming 3 months of enforced sloth and vitamin regiments has restored my metabolism and blood pressure to normal levels; and yes, i am assuming that cause i am so done with being sick) so i need to get back into good habits of exercise. But honestly, without a trainer to motivate me and make me accountable I'm kind of at a loss. Therefore, i have devised a CHALLENGE. Starting today and running for 4 weeks, former team member and current friend Erin and I are going to record the time we spend in cardio-training. At the end of the CHALLENGE the loser has to make the winner a sumptuous dinner. If I were a betting man, i'd put money on... hmmmm... actually we are pretty evenly matched. We each have a disadvantage : - Erin is taking medication that makes her sometimes, well, cranky - I might go on vacation next week But we each have an advantage as well : - Erin has an exercise bike in her house - I am uber-competitive Win or lose i am setting a reasonable goal for myself to average 20 minutes a day or 560 minutes over the 4 week period. I will update the Nikiverse weekly for added accountability. Ready... Set... GO! *post addition* Given Erin's reasonable comment that we should have one mandatory day of rest i am revising my personal goal to 480 minutes.