More MetroParks Love

I've been kicking around an idea for a while, and I'm pulling the trigger.

I want to hike every single trail in every single Columbus MetroPark.

I thought of maybe doing it all within a year, but I have a kid to think about, so I'm going to call it a 5 year goal. This could get interesting considering one new park is partially open, another opens later this year, and they just bought land for yet another new park. Maybe I should call it a lifetime goal?

Either way, I'm going to have to figure out a way to track which trails I've done. Maybe I'll just keep a check list of all the trails and check them off one by one.

I'm not yet counting the Greenway Trail system. That's a goal for someone without a toddler.

So, there's my goal. I want to hike them all, with or without my kid strapped to me.

Let the adventure begin!

EDIT: I've added a page. I've listed every park and trail (with a few exceptions, explained there). I've also totaled up miles per park, and added a running tally at the bottom. Go me! I'll update that page as I complete trails or as new parks/trails open up.

My Kid Walks!

Addy took her first steps on January 9, and every day would take a few steps, fall over and crawl where she wanted to get. Gradually she walked more and more, to the point she doesn't crawl around the house at all.

I'm excited. She still crawls when we're at other places, but even that tendency is starting to fade away. My little girl is really becoming a toddler, which is exciting and terrifying. She's been a climber since before she could even crawl, and she's now getting downright daring.

She's also starting to show preference between items. She prefers one book over another, one shirt over another, etc. Most recently she's starting bringing me jackets (if they aren't put away properly) and freaking out until I help her put them on. She wore a denim jacket all day (including nap time) one day last week. She brings me a pair of her shoes and says "Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!" until I help her put them on her feet. She's preferring her white tennis shoes this week, and will even walk with them on, which is a first. Usually shoes on her feet would inspire her to crawl. Last week, she wanted to only wear her pink cowboy boots.

Sad Puppy is still her absolute favorite toy above all others. She'll throw anything down, including forbidden items, if presented with Sad Puppy.

So, I guess today I'm realizing more and more how fast they grow up. When you aren't a parent, you don't fully get it when people say that. Damn you, general knowledge for being correct!

Earlier this afternoon, Addy was standing in front of her rocking chair and watching Sesame Street, and I realized she's starting to look like a kid more than a baby, too.

I blame the tennis shoes.

Balsamic & Onion Pot Roast with Roasted Red Potatoes

I found a recipe for Balsamic & Onion Pot Roast indirectly on Pinterest. It was linked on a blog I found via Pinterest, and it is quite possibly the best pot roast I've ever had. I tweaked the recipe a very tiny bit, and my husband ate most of a 3lb roast in one sitting. (yeah, it's that good).

Here's the Link: Kalyn's Kitchen: Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast

What I changed was minor and can be ignored, but I kinda forgot to decant part of the fat from the broth at the end, but I had trimmed the roast very well, so there wasn't really any to decant.

Also, I used a 5qt cooker and 8 hours was a touch too much. Next time I'm pulling it at 7 hours.

I paired her pot roast with roasted red potatoes, and here's what I did with those. I cooked these for just the two of us with plans for leftovers, so adjust as necessary:

6 medium red potatoes, diced in medium to large chunks
3 tablespoons of butter
1/4-1/2 c fresh chopped parsley
salt to taste (optional)

In an 8x10 glass baking dish, put 2tbs of butter in the bottom of the pan.

Put the pan in the cool oven, and turn it on to 350 degrees to pre-heat. After 3-5 minutes, just as the butter melts, pull the pan out.

Put in the potatoes, and stir them to coat in the melted butter. Add the parsley and a little bit of salt (if desired) and stir/toss them some more.

Make sure all the potatoes are very well coated. Put back in the oven for about 45 minutes, checking it fairly frequently after 40 minutes. I've made these 100 times and they cook for a different amount of time every time.

Test them by poking one with a fork. The potatoes should be sturdy enough to be poked with a fork, but starting to get soft. If it's tough to poke the fork in, wait another few minutes and check it again.

Depending on your personal preference, here is where the 3rd bit of butter comes in. Sometimes I leave them in to where they're starting to get just a touch dry. If this is the case, add that last bit of butter and mix well. That extra butter will help soften them back up and make them extra tasty.

TIP: leave the skins on the potatoes, they're tastier and prettier that way.

Columbus MetroPark Love

I absolutely love the Columbus MetroParks system. I've loved it as long as I can remember. I still love it even though I nearly stepped on a black rat snake down in Three Creeks that one time. Yup, I nearly stepped on a snake and I still love my park system.

To me, exercising isn't the boring crap in a gym. Seriously, push ups and weight lifting and running suck. They're boring. To me, exercising is being active outdoors. One of my favorite things to do in the world is to hike in the woods. Be it an easy paved trail through the parks, or a more rustic trail, I love it. Every week, weather depending, I've been heading out to a MetroPark and hiking around with the kid strapped to me in her carrier. It's the FatAss Momma version of backpacking. Sometimes it's a short 30 minute trek, sometimes longer, but I always have fun and Addy has started looking around and being interested in the things around us as I walk. My goal is to hike at least 1 trail in every single MetroPark. So far, I've done all of the trails except for 2 in Blendon Woods, and yesterday I went up to Highbanks and hiked part of two trails. It was muddy and getting dark, so I only got a 2.2 mile loop done.

I love it. Absolutely love it. I'm looking forward to Addy being a more reliable walker so I can let her toddle along the paved trails a bit. I want to share a love of nature with her.

These parks are how I'm starting to shed my sedentary lifestyle, slowly but surely. I try to get out and do a minimum of 45 minutes hiking at least once a week. This week I've gotten out twice, for a 30 minute and then a 45 minute hike. Today I'm not going out because it's way too cold to drag myself and the kid out there. We'll see how the weather is tomorrow.

There are some absolutely beautiful spaces here in Central Ohio. If you're nearby, I urge you to check out at least one of the MetroParks. It's worth it, I promise.

Fatass Update

I've been doing very well with sticking to a maximum number of calories each day, and as a result, I've made smarter snacking choices. It's funny, I still indulge in junk food every once in a while, but now that I'm a month in, I no longer feel deprived. Heck, I even indulged in some McDonald's the other day. (Those large fries were totally worth the 500 relatively empty calories).

So, I'm down 10.3 lbs overall as of this past Friday. You can't really see it yet, but I've noticed that my clothes are starting to fit just a little bit better, which is motivation enough for me right now.

I was asked why I'm doing this, and I could tell you the noble reasons of just wanting to be healthy and wanting to set a good example for my daughter, and those are true. I can say that I want to prove that I can control myself, and that is also true, but I'll give you the true, original reason I decided to start making better choices:

I want my existing clothes to fit again. I'm cheap & lazy and don't want to have to go buy a bunch of new clothes. I have some awesome tshirts and comfortable jeans that just don't fit my fluffy self. I worked hard building my crazy tshirt collection, damnit!

I did purge out some pieces that are just inappropriate for me or that will NEVER fit again no matter how much weight I lose (post pregnancy/breastfeeding boobs, anyone?). I also got rid of those pants that I couldn't figure out why I still had them. I still probably own too many clothes, but I'm not purging anything else until I know for sure what kind of weight I maintain.

I've found that sticking with this for the just over a month that I have that little changes have been the biggest help. Bored? Take a short walk. I dance around to music while doing dishes. I dance around a lot, actually, now that Addy can somewhat walk and spends more time on her feet.

I honestly am looking forward to her walking more because I think chasing her around will do wonders for building up a more active lifestyle.