Last night I made my very first risotto!  Butternut squash risotto to be exact.

It was absolutely delicious if I do say so myself.  Risotto is one of those dishes that I knew wasn’t very difficult, but I was still intimidated to give it a try.  I am so glad that I did because Brian and could not get over how tasty this dish was…and there are left overs so we get to have it all over again!

I found this recipe by Rachael Ray to be very easy to follow, not call for too many crazy ingredients, and be worthy enough to add to my personal recipe files.

If you are intimidated by the thought of giving risotto a try…don’t be!  It is worth the time it takes to make it and at the end you will feel so accomplished 🙂  At least I did.

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This morning I woke up wanting to run.  Although it was a mere 17 degrees outside, I just HAD to try out all of my new running gear!

For Christmas, Santa got me some Pro Compression socks.  I have trained with compression sleeves in the past, and I am a strong advocate for compression gear so I knew that these socks would be a great addition to my compression training wear.

Yesterday, I also managed to purchase my first pair of running shoes that I have been fitted for.  It’s crazy to think that I have trained for three half marathons with shoes that I just got off the clearance rack.  Luckily, I haven’t suffered any injuries and actually did a pretty ok job of picking out running shoes that are for my gait, but it is nice to know that I have been fit by an expert to find the shoes that work for me!

I ended up with a pair of Asics Gel-Kayana 19.  Not only do I love the bright colors, but they are so light weight and feel excellent on my tootsies!

So, this morning I was ready to hit the ground running.  Because the weather is not what I am used to running in, I made sure to not focus on distance or time but just on how my body was feeling.

I completed two miles and actually felt pretty ok, just a little cold.  The thing that really made me stop were all of the obstacles.  Unfortunately, there were not a lot of cleared running paths and I did not feel safe running on the street.  But two miles is better than no miles!

After my run, I came in to stretch and do some ab work.  I then showered up and was more than ready for a tasty breakfast of egg white veggie scramble with a side of my very first Harry and David pear.  Oh boy was my breakfast good!!!

Now, Brian and I are off to a friend’s house to watch the Colts game.

Have you ever been fitted for a pair of running shoes?  What is your favorite running shoe?

I am so excited to have my first fitted pair of running shoes.  I am really not brand loyal because I usually just buy what is on sale.  😉