1 Mile

The best workouts for me leave me feeling very pumped up from the adrenaline rush and covered in sweat.  Today was one of those.  I ran a mile.  I mean, I really RAN.  I tried to time myself but I must have done something wrong because my watch had :32 on it.  Huh?  I'm getting better at this running but dang!  At any rate, I gave it my all like always. 

Yay-- Day 15-- Last Day

 

 

 

Ohh Yeah, this morning I completed the 5k chart and did 3.1 miles of intervals around the teardrop out front of my house.  Charlene, my neighbor friend, joined me for the final two laps.  Then, to celebrate the completion of the 5k chart I went for a victory run at Fall's Park.  It was awesome not to have to stop and start every few minutes! 



I took Sophie with me to run at the park.  Usually I don't take her because she likes to sit as soon as I pick up the pace and so I literally wind up carrying her.  However she was as ready to celebrate today as I was, and she tried real hard to run along beside me.  We ran for a mile and a half straight!  Then the only reason I stopped was to take in the breathtaking views.  All in all, we ran for a good three miles.

After the celebration run, I came home and took a nice, long, hot soak in the tub.  Maybe tomorrow I might be feeling sore, but I gotta say-- I feel great today!  Not only have I noticed improvements in my ankle, and running in general, but I feel an increased capacity in my lungs.  It's like now, I can take deeper breaths; really deep breaths.  While I think all that is pretty cool, my favorite thing is my decrease in size.  I've lost both pounds and inches! 

I'm not crazy about weighing myself because I feel like the number on the scale shouldn't be of as much importance as it tends to be.  Curiosity was getting to me so, I went ahead and weighed myself and the results were very positive.  I lost over 10 pounds and I am thrilled!  Hypothyroidism is a problem for me and the doc warned me not to expect quick results because of the metabolic problems associated with it.  Well, I feel like I am kicking hypothyroidism's butt!

In other news, the avocado oatmeal cookies that I made were a hit with the kids and the night in the fridge did help to firm them up.  I think they would have eventually firmed up just from the oats anyway. 

I'm still not allowed to disclose my super big news to everyone yet and it's killing me.  I mean I am pulling my hair out over this news.  Mainly because it's the kinda thing that is life changing. 

Ok, lets change the subject before I blab to much. Oh, I have so much to tell you about this past weekend!  Saturday started off with Egg in a Nest topped with a little smoked mozzarella cheese.  My kids love this breakfast! 

 

 

After breakfast we ventured out to do a little shopping.  The kids are contemplating what to be for tricks n treats, so we decided to browse a Halloween store. 

 

When I first spotted the iron Styrofoam maidens, I thought-- great they have a place to put the kids while I shop at this store!  (Don't judge.)  It didn't quite work out they way I had pictured though.  Jean and I were eventually released of our punishment.

 

Sunday morning I wanted something really good for breakfast so I made Carrot Cake ala Mode.  The recipe I used was adapted from V. K. Rees.  Naturally, I made a few of my own adjustments.

 

 

First, I doubled most of the recipe.  Then I added an apple and a few wild carrots, aka root of Queen Ann's Lace.

 

The other ingredients I kept the same except I omitted the Stevia entirely.

 

I topped it all off with maple syrup, which I love btw.  I mean, how can anyone not love that sweet sap?  and as for healthy-- well hey, it comes from a freekin tree!  Gotta love the maple syrup!

 



 

Oh, another thing I changed was I cooked the cake in the oven.  I don't even have a microwave in my kitchen right now. 

 

 

The cake turned out fantastic, as did the ice cream!  I followed the ice cream recipe to a T.  It was so tasty that it's hard to believe it's healthy. 

 

 

 Ingredients for the Carrot Cake

• 6 T. flour
• 4 tsp. sugar 
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. Ginger
• 1/8 tsp. Cloves
• 2 tsp. shredded coconut (optional)
• 1 T. Oil (I used coconut)
• 6 T. milk (I used almond)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 Cup shredded apple
• 1 tsp. Raisins (optional)

Directions For Carrot Cake

Mix it all together and pour into a 9" round greased glass pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Banana Ice Cream Ingredients

• 1 bundle of very, very ripe bananas. The peel should be going brown!
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 very small pinch of salt

Banana Ice Cream Directions

1. Peel the bananas, chop them into small chunks, and stick them in the freezer until they are almost frozen (it is fine if they are completely frozen, just take them out of the freezer and let them defrost for about 10 minutes before doing the next step).
2. Put the bananas, salt, and vanilla in the food processor and process until the banana mixture is smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a container and let it freeze again.
4. Once the banana mixture is frozen, use an ice cream scoop to make balls somewhere between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball. Hacky sack size, maybe?
5. You can store the ice cream scoops in individual containers such as cupcake liners or lined up on a baking sheet. Keep them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

After breakfast Sunday, I took my family to Fall's Park to hangout.  We get greeted by the ducks on every visit. :)

The current had a swift pace and we walked along side the creek.

 

Underneath the Weeping Willow looked like the perfect spot for a rest, but we only paused a moment to watch some more ducks swim and play.

 

 

The kids were busy exploring.  Gladys told me she thinks this cave looks like the type of place the Olden Day Indians would be sleeping in.  It was Indian-free when we checked it out.  :)

 

 

As we're walking along the path, Gladys and Troy spot a graveyard and checked it out.  Gladys took notes on who died when and Troy tried to convince us, unsuccessfully, to dig someone up.  Both of the little ones had non stop questions.  They spent a bunch of time looking over the tombstones and when it was time to go, (because Glenn was in pain, his back) they did not want to leave.  The graveyard is currently there new favorite place. 

 

We worked up an appetite from the hiking/graveyard exploration.  I made a very easy kielbasa skillet dish.  It's just kielbasa, tossed with cooked noodles, pesto, and cheese on a plate of grape tomatoes.  I used basil pesto and smoked mozzarella.  Naturally, I didn't include the maters on Glenn's plate.  He ate it up like crazy.

Day 14 & Super Salad

Day 14 was wonderful!  The three minutes went by in a flash and it was easier than ever.  Jean went with me and she did really well too.  She kept up with me and made it look effortless.  I just have one more day before the chart is completed.  Then I'm going to play Beat the Clock, to work on my speed and intensity.  Day 15 will be the last of the interval running. 

 

Super Salad

Kale is my new best friend!  I never would have thought that I'd actually like it this much. 

 

 

It's a little more high maintenance to prepare than your average cabbage, but totally worth it.

 

 

You see, when eating fresh kale it's best to give it a massage first (not kidding).  All you do is after washing it and tearing pieces from the tough stem, rub it between your fingers with a sprinkling of salt. 

 

This process turns pale kale into a deep vibrant green.  Then, you may proceed like any other salad and add the toppings.

 

The original recipe I have calls for sunflower seeds, nuts, chopped apple, Crasins, and onion. 

 

I like maters on my salad so I tossed a bunch of those in too.  The dressing is a cinch to make.  Just whisk your favorite vinegar and oil together with a bit of sugar and freshly ground black pepper.

 

Toss well.  The SUPER thing about this salad is the way you will feel after eating it-- SUPER!

 

Super Salad

 Ingredients:

1 bunch kale
 salt
1/4 cup chopped onion
18 grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts
1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pepper

Directions:

1. Wash kale, then tear leaves from tough stems.  Tear leaves into bite sized pieces then add to a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and massage with fingers for two minutes, or until kale is dark green and tender. Add onion, tomatoes, dried cranberries, chopped apple, and peanuts, then toss to combine.
2. Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, and pepper to taste in a small bowl or jar. Whisk or shake to combine then drizzle over kale salad and toss well.

 

 

 

 

 

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

No bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are my favorite cookies ever! I've been making these babies since I was a kid.  Nothing can compare to their chocolate and peanut butter gooeyness.  However, with a full stick of butter and 2 cups of sugar they cannot be considered healthy.  I decided to experiment and make them healthy this morning. 

 

 

The first mini experimental batch I made, I left the butter completely out and did not substitute it with anything.  Also, I cut the sugar way back and used almond milk instead of whole cow's milk.  Because I cut the sugar in half, I didn't use as much cocoa either.  I kept the vanilla and peanut butter the same in each batch.  So, Batch One was edible, but not really all that good.  I missed the butter and the sweetness. 

 

 

For Batch Two, I really got crazy and added a healthy fat-- avocado.  Now, before you wrinkle your nose and turn it up at that, lemme just say, Batch Two turned out pretty darn good!  Jean and Gladys were the guinea pigs and they ate it right up and then had some more!  Nono, I did not tell them, until afterward it was made with avocado.  Also, I only added half the sugar as the original recipe and an additional half cup of honey.  Once again, I replaced the whole milk with unsweetened almond milk, and kept the cocoa, vanilla, and peanut butter the same.  This batch tasted pretty good but the trouble was it did not hold it's shape enough to be dropped into cookies.  Hence, the pan-- not bad for very moist bars though.  I'll see how they do after a night in the fridge.

 

Batch Three was the absolute best!  You know what they say-- the third times the charm!  Well my secret for batch three was that I followed the original recipe EXACTLY.  Some things are just not meant to be changed.  While I can't say these are healthy cookies, I can say they are the best ever cookies.  The key is moderation and after experimenting for myself, I decided I would much rather have one itty bitty cookie and taste of their chocolate and peanut butter gooeyness than to replace it with something that doesn't compare. 

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Original Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups oatmeal
• Waxed paper

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.

 

Day 13 & Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ahhh, I was like a superwoman for today's workout.  Lemme tell ya, I changed my normal routine of running 30 minutes after I down breakfast.  Instead, I had things going on here at the house (some plumbing work being finished up) and I just didn't make it out the door to well after 10 AM.  The combination of the cooler weather and being fully awake was like my morning dose of caffeine-- it got me moving a little faster!  Yes indeed, I could get used to this running later in the morning.

In other news, I'm slightly addicted to fishing, especially in the Fall. I feel like it's my very last chance to get out there and enjoy my relaxing hobby before the freezing cold weather ices things up, and I want to make the most of it.  Today I made exceptionally fresh & spicy tomato sauce and let it bubble away in the crock pot.  Dontcha love coming home to a home with something yummy cooking inside?  The beauty of making it in the crock pot is, Mama can take the evening out fishing and this little Mama's got supper covered! 

 

 

The maters are coming in like crazy around here!  This recipe takes 6, YES 6, big and ripe maters.  After washing them thoroughly, I quartered the maters and tossed them in the blender.  Don't worry when after you blend them up if it is a unmanly color, for as it cooks it will turn into a deep and vibrant red.  

 

  

 

Get the good ole crock pot out and pour it in there, if you please.  If you like meaty sauce, like my peeps do, then pour over a mix of some cooked ground beef/sausage that has been drained.  I cooked mine up earlier in the day along with a minced onion.  Sorry, no pics of the meat-- the battery needed a charging-- trust me-- it's in there.

Next, go raid your neighbors herb garden (just kidding) sorta.  I picked me a little this, a little that, mostly fresh oregano, basil and thyme.  Add salt and a couple of bay leaves and fresh cloves of minced garlic to the mix and you're in business.
 


I tossed my fresh herbs in with the maters to get chopped up.

At this point, if you like a little heat cayenne pepper does the trick nicely as does red pepper flakes.  I added a bit of both to mine.  Now you're gonna have to trust me and add a heaping teaspoon of sugar.  I promise it will not be enough to make the sauce very sweet, only take away some of the acidity.

 

While that simmered away, I cooked up some ziti.

 

Now here's the thing that takes your meal from yum to SUPER YUMM:

 

 

 BUTTER!

 

 

If you have fresh unseparated whipped Goat's Milk on hand, add that to the sauce for the absolute best sauce ever.  Nowadays, I just use good ole butter.

 

This time I tossed the butter in with the hot noodles, but you can add it directly into the crock pot with the sauce if you like.  It just adds that creamy bit of extra deliciousness.

 

When you are ready to sit down for supper, just spoon the hot sauce from the crock pot over the  buttered noodles and sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

And as the French say, BON APPETIT!

Spicy Tomato Sauce

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef
1lb ground sausage
1 medium onion, minced (or cut in half)
6 big tomatoes
1 heaping teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf (or 2 small)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (as desired)
4 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

Brown ground beef & ground sausage with minced onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain then add to a large crock pot. Add all the ingredients, stir to combine, then cook on low for 3-5 hours. Remove bay leaves, stir in butter if desired, then serve over cooked pasta.

Chocolate Quinoa

 

 

Chocolate Quinoa with Bananas, this will take some getting used to:

Plumbing getting redone-- yay, no more washing dishes in the bathtub!

 

 

 Making this blog post short and sweet since I get to go fish.  :)

Day 12 & Bean Soup

Brr, it was a cold morning out compared to what it has been.  Also, even though all the windows are open at my house, my home still feels much warmer.  That wind sure is brisk!  I felt good and invigorated once again, running in the rain/mist.  It was the kinda rain that isn't big drops, but rather a barely there mist.  I am excited about completing Day 13, because I actually get to run for three minutes straight and I have a theory.

My theory is: once I complete the interval style of the 5k training I will be stronger in my all out run then when I trained without doing intervals.  Unfortunately the only way to test my hypothesis would be to have my clone (I wish) do it too.  Although, from past training, a few years ago, I should get some kind of idea if intervals are more effective for me than all out running.  In any case, I'm almost done with the chart and (knocking on wood) no injuries, which was my main concern.

The cross training has been going very well too.  Today, I biked for a total of 10 miles.  I went for a 5 mile ride this morning after my run and another 5 with Jean and Troy this afternoon.  Yes, that is my crazy, shirtless 6 yr. old picking up is bike after crashing into the front of the Reformatory.  Nobody got hurt, he's pretty good at crashing.

Bean Soup and Cornbread is something I make every Fall. Well, this time I decided to change things up a bit and tried a new recipe from my Cooking Light book.

 

Also, instead of serving it with cornbread, this time I really went crazy and served it up with a warm and crusty sourdough baguette!

 

The Cooking Light recipe is actually a vegetarian recipe that calls for two types of beans.  I am just fine with that, however the rest of my family really, REALLY likes meat.  So, to appease them, I chose one of their favorites-- smoked sausage.

 

Also, as I completely skipped the olive oil and just cooked my onions and carrots with the sausage.  That worked very well as the veggies got nice and tender and the sausage browned, I added some freshly minced garlic to the mix.

 

This is were Jean and Glenn arrived.  They inhaled deeply upon coming through the door.  Jean was trying hard to stop me from adding anything else because she was intoxicated with the scent of roasted garlic and summer sausage.

 

However, I managed to add a few cups of chicken stock, a lil' bit of red wine vinegar & fresh rosemary, tossed in a few bay leaves and a whole bunch of fresh, healthy kale. 

 

Kale is one of the healthiest foods on Earth.  I love the bright green color it changes to once it's cooked.  I just tossed it right in, put the lid on and simmered for about 10 minutes.

 

While that was cooking down, I rinsed beans.  These babies were soaked overnight and then cooked earlier today, but canned beans will work too.  I added these last since I may have overcooked them a bit earlier and I wanted them to remain on the firm side.

 

 

Lastly, I tossed in a few Parmesan cheese rinds.  The Parmesan flavor is the best part of this dish in my opinion.  Steaming it Up!

 

I like it so much, I grated extra to add at the table.

 

Everyone slurped their bowl clean; this soup was very good. 

 

 

Even Jean and Glenn liked it, which is saying something since they tend to avoid beans and veggies at all costs.

 

 

 

Here's what I thought about it:

                                                                            

Ingredients

13 oz.Turkey Smoked Sausage
1/4 cup chives
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup chopped carrot 

salt and pepper, as desired

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken stock 

5 cups stemmed, chopped kale

2 cups cooked beans 

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 or 2 bay leaves

Parmesan rinds, as desired
 

Preparation

1.  Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown meat, add onions, and carrots sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth vinegar, rosemary, bay leaves, and kale. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until kale is crisp-tender.
2. Add cooked beans. Parmesan rinds, salt and pepper.  Simmer 10 more minutes in covered Dutch oven.
3. Remove bay leaves (Parmesan cheese rind can stay in – it will continue to flavor leftovers) then serve with additional Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, if desired.

Adapted from Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2009