Brooks Cascadia 5

I'm now running in these bad boys.  Liking them a lot.  Happy Birthday to me.

Weekly Dinner Plan 5/27/10

Yes, I missed a week.  Things got busy in these parts.  We also went on a camping trip at the end of the week.  FYI- Don't try any of the Vitamix recipes I tried two weeks ago.  They were terrible.  This week, I'm sticking to recipes with ingredients I'm familiar with, so I'm not disappointed.  Here's my menu plan:

Monday- Whole Foods Market Taco Salad- I've been on the lookout for more whole food recipes.  This sounds great.

Tuesday- Chicken Pesto Tomato Pizza- This is a favorite pizza recipe in our house.  Mark Bittman's crust puts it over the top.

Wednesday-  Chicken, Parmesan Smashed Potatoes, and veggies.  One of my favorite food chefs is Ina Garten from the Food Network.  She makes simple foods taste fabulous.  I hope these potatoes are as good as everything else I've tried of hers.
 
Thursday- Armenian Turkey Fassulia- This is an old family favorite turned a little more healthy.

Friday- Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken with Stir Fry and Rice- I really like Trader Joe's and need to take advantage of living so close to a store, so I'm going to be trying more of their food.  Their orange chicken has gotten great reviews.

Saturday- Free Day

Sunday- Spaghetti and Meatballs, TJ's bread, and Salad

Strawberry Protein Smoothie

Another smoothie recipe here.  Most people who read this blog know that I like to run. When training for races I try and carb load before workouts and protein load afterwards.  One way I fill up on protein is by mixing vanilla whey protein into smoothies.  I usually share my smoothies with BabyJ so I just give him his portion before I add in the whey protein.  This smoothie doesn't have any milk, but is still creamy and delicious.

Strawberry Protein Smoothie

-1-2 cups frozen strawberries
-1-2 cups Fresh Pressed Tree Top Apple Juice (start with one cup and then add more if you don't want your smoothie thick.)
-1 scoop vanilla whey protein (if you're doing more strenuous training, you might want to add another scoop.)
-4 icecubes
-water (optional)

This ingredient list is probably confusing.  Let me explain.  If I'm sharing with another person, I add more strawberries.  Sometimes I like a thicker smoothie, and sometimes it's nice to be able to drink it with a straw.  If my smoothie winds up being too thick, I just add a little more apple juice or water to the smoothie.  I added water to the ingredient list because you don't really need the liquid part to be completely apple juice.  So, adjust your smoothie to your liking.  It's hard to go wrong with these ingredients.  Blend and enjoy!

Last Week Stats and Campground

It's official. I paid for a campsite at Malibu State Park, where my 25k trail run will be taking place in August. I've never camped before a race, so I feel pretty hardcore doing this. As I stated before, my little brother's running with me for the first time, so I'm pretty stoked.

All my workouts went great this week, but I didn't end up doing my long run because we went camping and I wasn't organized enough to schedule it in. I know that's pretty lame. I thought about doing the mileage this week, but I'm just going to move forward with my schedule.

Last week I did a lot off weight lifting, I had an awesome speed workout, 5 mile run, and a terrific 6 miles rollerblading on the bike trail. I get an F- for my long run though.

Here are my 3 key workouts for this week:

1) 10-20 minute warm-up 2 x (6 x 400m) (1:30 RI) (2:30 RI between sets) 10 minute cool-down (I already did this one yesterday and did a bunch of leg exercises as well.)

2)1 mile easy, 2 miles @ MT pace 1 mile easy, 2 miles @ MT pace 1 mile easy

3)8 miles @ HMP + 15 sec./mile

This is just an outline. I'm less concerned with speed this time around, and more concerned with being able to tackle hills, since this is a trail run, so some of my miles that are supposed to be speedy, I'm going to trade out for running uphill. I plan on cross training with the stepper, maybe rollerblading again, and lifting weights.

Natural Snack: Cottage Cheese and Bananas with Honey and Nutmeg

I thought I'd start posting snacks here, because often times, it's not what we eat for dinner that makes us put on the pounds, it's what we eat the rest of the day.  This snack actually works well as a small lunch too.  A few years ago I did a few sessions with a personal trainer at the gym.  She encouraged me to eat more cottage cheese because of the protein content, and so I have.  Topping this snack with bananas, honey, and nutmeg, makes it especially yummy.  I love nutmeg.  Did you know if you eat it in large doses it can cause delirium?  True story.  I wrote a paper on nutmeg drug use in a class once.  (Abnormal psychoactivity is caused by nutmeg's myristicin content.)  There have been only a few fatal cases of myristicin poisoning, but I was shocked by the number of recorded hospital incidences in which people have tried to get high on this stuff.  So, stick to eating nutmeg in small doses, as in this recipe, and your only side effect will be happiness.

Cottage Cheese and Bananas with Honey and Nutmeg
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/2-1 banana, sliced
natural honey (for drizzling)
nutmeg (to taste)

Put cottage cheese in a bowl. Cover with sliced bananas, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Enjoy!

Weekly Dinner Plan 6/13/10

Monday- Bacon Cheddar Potato Soup (From Whole Foods Recipes For Better Living- Vitamix Pg. 122) I bought potatoes last week for my Dutch Oven Chicken and Potatoes dinner, so I thought I'd use the rest in this.

Tuesday- Lahmajoon- I've had this on my itinerary two weeks in a row, and I still haven't made it.  I know, I'm lame, but last time I made these it took a long time.  I bought all the ingredients though, so I have to do it!!!!!!

Wednesday- Alfredo Sauce (Lowfat) with Fettuccine (From Whole Foods Recipes For Better Living- Vitamix Pg. 136) I don't make pasta a lot, but I'm going to try to make it more often because I know Jackson enjoys it.

Thursday-  Food Storage Flautas - I'm going to be featuring more food storage recipes on my blog.  Coming from a family of survivalists on both sides, I need to start keeping up with the Jones'.  I love fresh food, so I've been neglecting doing this, but eating a rotation of food storage recipes a few times a month isn't going to kill me.  Plus, if there's ever a natural disaster, my family will be prepared. (PS- I don't think I can bring myself to fry these.  I'll probably bake them.)

Friday- Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches- (From Whole Food Recipes For Better Living - Vitamix Pg. 109)  I'm obviously on a Vitamix kick, but I really wanted to try this recipe because it's made with Tofu and soy milk.  Don't tell Andy that though.;) 


Saturday- Free Day


Sunday- Cassoulet - I've put this on my menu over the last few weeks, and didn't get a chance to make it, so hopefully this will be my lucky day.  I really heart this recipe though.  So good.

I know I didn't share many links this week, but sometimes, that's just the way the cookie crumbles.  I'm on a lookout for low-calorie recipes that taste good and don't use additives like Splenda, so if you have any good ones, please send them my way!!!!

Camping: Basic Dutch Oven Chicken and Potatoes

This weekend we went camping and rafting with my family in Kernville.  What a trip.  I actually grew up in Kernville until I was eleven, so being in that neck of the woods brought back so many wonderful memories.  We had a great time.  For dinner I made Dutch Oven Chicken and Potatoes and Cobbler.  Everyone seemed to like both, but I was more of a fan of the Chicken and Potatoes, so I thought I'd post the recipe here. 

Dutch Oven Chicken and Potatoes
Adapted from Mark's Black Pot

- 1-2 large onions, diced
- 3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
- 5 medium potatoes, sliced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3-4 stalks of celery, sliced
- 2 jalapenos, sliced
- About a half a pound of bacon, cooked crispy
- 1 T. italian seasonings (or whatever you like)
- 1-2 T. balsamic vinegar
- kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

Light 30-35 coals. While those are heating up, prepare your ingredients.  Chop up bacon and put into dutch oven.  Put 10-15 coals on bottom of oven, making a ring.  Place 15 coals on top of lid, dispursing them evenly. Leave a few coals aside.  After bacon is mostly cooked, add the rest of the ingedients.  After about 10-15 minutes, put about ten or so fresh coals on those. They'll get lit, and by the time the coals on the dutch oven have burned down, they'll be ready to be replenished. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the chicken and the veggies are done.



My sister-in-law, Rose, helped me cut up all the veggies, and my dad started heating the coals, in this awesome do-hicky thing:

This worked WAY better than just heating them in the fire.

Next, I started heating up the bacon in the dutch oven.

After Rose and I chopped up all the ingredients, I took the dutch oven with bacon off the coals and added the rest of the ingredients.

Now doesn't that look delightful.

Jackson and Uncle Jesse waiting to be fed.

We thought we'd check on things after about 20 minutes. The food was cooking up nicely.

The meal was done in 45-50 minutes, and we all gobbled it up.

I had to brighten this picture so you could see my eyes underneath my hat.  Unfortunately, you can't see the food.  But we were the gobblers, and it was good.

Here's my brother showing off his marshmallow roasting skills.  I'm not sure why his always come out perfectly brown and mine are always torched.  He has a gift, I suppose.

Weekly Dinner Plan 6/7/10

Last week was kind of a hectic week and I didn't cook everything I said I was going to.  The Weight Watchers Easy Enchiladas were awesome and so was the pasta with tomato cream sauce, (although I didn't follow the recipe.) My aunt asked me if I made the Lahmajoon and I didn't get around to it, although I bought all the ingredients.  I'm hoping tomorrow will be my lucky day. This week is gonna be another crazy week because my little brother's coming down from Utah.  We're gonna to go camping and rafting in Kernville, so that means more dutch oven goodness!  Hurray!

So, here's my menu plan:

Monday- Weight Watcher's Chicken Stir Fry
Tuesday- Lahmajoon
Wednesday-  Shredded Beef Sandwiches and Salad (My parents entertained like 60 people in their home on Sunday and they have A LOT of leftovers
Thursday- Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kebabs, BBQ Corn, and Watermelon
Friday- Dutch Oven Chicken and Potatoes and Campfire Cobbler I never got around to making the chicken and potatoes the other week so I thought I'd do it this day.
Saturday- Free
Sunday- Hamburgers, Steak Fries, Watermelon (Yes, second time I'm planning watermelon in a week.  Gotta take advantage of the summer!)

Boysenberry Sauce

My dad asked me to pick his boysenberries in the back yard, so I whipped up this sauce and put it over vanilla ice cream.  It was DELISH, if I do say so myself.  My mom ate the rest over ice cream in the morning but don't tell her I told you that.:)

Boysenberry Sauce
Adapted from Cooks.com


2 heaping cups fresh boysenberries (frozen would be okay too.)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 capful almond extract (can use vanilla as well)

Pick ripe berries.

Don't those look great?  They obviously aren't washed yet.  The boysenberry is a cross between a raspberry, a blackberry, and/or a loganberry in case you're wondering...

In a sauce pan, combine boysenberries, sugar, and lemon juice.  (I mashed these berries up with a potato masher.  Worked like a charm.) Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water in small bowl.  Make sure cornstarch is no longer clumpy and add to berry mixture.Bring to a boil and stir for 1-2 minutes.   Add almond extract or vanilla. 

Pour into a serving container and use to top your favorite treat. We put ours over vanilla ice cream, but this would have been awesome over pancakes or waffles too!  ENJOY!

12 miles

Yesterday I ran the farthest I've run in awhile: 12 miles. I actually read the wrong week on my calendar and was supposed to do that next week, but oh well, I'll do it again. After my run, my tendon that was giving me problems before felt a little strained. I'm going to try really hard to just put in 3 quality runs a week and cross train by biking and doing the stepper on the other days with the hope that I'll stay injury free. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

After my 25k trail ran, I have my eye on the Santa Barbara International Marathon for November. My plan is just to be anal retentive about trying to stay injury free; the rest is out of my control.

Here are my 3 key runs for the week:

1)10-20 minute warm-up 2 x (6 x 400m) (1:30 RI) (2:30 RI between sets) 10 minute cool-down
2)1 mile easy, 2 miles @ MT pace 1 mile easy, 2 miles @ MT pace 1 mile easy
3)12 miles

I'm not sure what marathon pace should be for a trail run, so I'm just going to run those miles as hills.