My Week in Review: Parks and Rec withdrawal plus a favorite recipe

This week gone by too quickly. Between work for me and work plus homework for my hubs, we literally (Parks and Rec, anyone?) flew through this week. I've hardly stopped to think. I did fit in exercise each day, including two trips to the gym. Going to the gym sounds like torture, especially when I'm driving there, but I feel fantastic once I'm done. (My gym has ellipticals and treadmills with individual TVs, so if I'm not careful, I catch myself literally laughing out loud at a Friends re-run. I'm sure I look ridiculous, but I'm not staring at the minutes on the elliptical, so I'll take it.)

Also, Kelly's Korner is hosting a main dish recipe link-up. Before I start stealing everyone else's ideas, I had to jump in the fray with one of our favorites. Healthy-as-you-want-it-to-be dinner in 30 minutes - yes, please. (My husband likes to add sour cream in addition to the cheese.)

White Chicken Chili
1 lb ground chicken (or ground chicken breast or ground turkey)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
3 cups Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 medium zucchini, chopped (about 3 cups)
2 cans (15 oz each) Progresso® cannellini beans or 2 cans (15 to 16 oz each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1. In 4- or 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, cook ground chicken, onion and garlic over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Stir in all remaining ingredients, except cheese. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.
3. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted.

(Go here to see where I snagged this recipe from and to get a printer-friendly version. I finally broke down, and handwrote it on a recipe card. I thought it deserved it.)

Now, continuing on to my week in review.

High:

We have some dear friends that are relocating to another Navy base next month. We hit it off with them almost instantaneously, and we, along with another excellent couple (who thankfully, are NOT relocating next month), hang out regularly. (The coolest part is that we all live in the same neighborhood.) With their time here winding down, we snuck in a random weeknight dinner on Tuesday. Then the ladies went to Target and Starbucks, while the guys played videogames. The hubs and I get pretty predictable in our weeknight routines, so it was fun to do something out of the ordinary.

Low:

I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I'm bummed that most of my favorite shows have come to a close for the season. Last night, the hubs and I watched the season finales of The Office and Parks and Recreation. Parks and Rec is probably my current favorite show, and it's always so defeating to watch the cliffhangers unfold and know that you can't find out how they resolve until the fall.

Lesson Learned:

The day always ends better when you take the dog for a week. (It's even better if you bring the husband - or a friend - along.) I was encouraged and challenged daily by the pure excitement on my dog's face each time I pulled out the leash. It doesn't matter what he's doing, he'll drop it (ok, he's usually sleeping or looking out the window, but somebody has to do those things during the day), wagging his tail as we set out to walk the streets we've covered a million times before. I think I could learn something from him.

Linking up with My Week in Review: