Pizza on the grill, fresh vegetables delivered to your car (which you didn't lock), a surprise blueberry picking adventure, crisp mountain air, and one of my fastest 10 mile runs into a different state and back.
This is what I've been doing these last two days that I haven't been posting. It's been a long time since I've really run these roads in Knoxville, PA and I have never really run this far on them. The first time I ran on them was almost 10 years ago and probably 90 pounds heavier.
That was the time that I wanted to attempt a marathon for the second time (Wineglass Marathon from Bath, NY to Corning, NY). It was my second failed attempt... but that was my fault- lack of proper training and motivation- we had all the roads, the hills, the food (mostly fresh from gardens), and I almost forgot that.
We were visiting our former church, which was celebrating its 150th anniversary. We had dinner at the house of our friends (the originator of C O R N night). And, believe me on this one, once I perfect it, I will post it, we had individual pizzas that were cooked on the grill. We went to the next door neighbors and my 5 year old immediately started playing fetch with the neighbor's dog. At the "fetch break", the neighbor took my son to the chicken coop(sp?) and he came back with an egg... as it turns out, most of the neighbors get their eggs from them. In addition to all this, our friend asked which veggies we liked and that they would bring them by on their way out of town.
The next morning, I woke up and get ready for my run. I was told where the 4th mile would be and then took off. It was cold! I haven't been this cold in a long time. Instead of looking for the shade of the trees, I was bolting for the sun. I had no idea what pace I was going, but it felt great. I hit the 4 mile mark in 32 minutes (a little faster than I was going for). I kept the pace for another mile, crossing the New York State line and turned around. I ran out 42 minutes, but returned in 35 minutes, which means the second half of my run was significantly faster than the first. It was hard to keep my pace, but it felt great, crisp, right.
Later, when we went out to get in our car, there was a bag of vegetables on the driver's seat with peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc. It was at this point I was reminded even more about the difference between this place and many other communities in which I have lived. Years ago when we lived here, it was not unusual for us to come home to bags of various vegetables, baked goods, etc. It was also fairly common to be invited over for lunch, supper, etc. Very few people lock their doors and it's normal to just knock and walk in to the house. Like everyone was just a huge family.
We went to another gathering in a place where I remember an apple orchard. We got to meet and see some great people. I wanted to take my 5 year old to see the apple trees, but was informed that the frost had destroyed the apple crop that year. I was then taken to a blueberry patch, where we got to pick blueberries for however long we wanted. We left with a gallon of fresh blueberries and you wouldn't have known we were even there as the blueberry bushes were full.
Several people still don't recognize me because I was much heavier then, once they realize who I am, it's always a great reunion. When we moved to a a suburban area, it was easier to eat out than to cook for ourselves, it was important to lock your doors, and you never come over unannounced or just walk in. Forget about someone just swinging by to drop off some fresh eggs or veggies. I gained a lot more weight there.
I guess you can say that I took for granted the open rural roads and crisp air. I took for granted the regular opportunities for fresh vegetables, meat and eggs. I have decided since I have recommitted my life to healthier living and fresh foods to not pass up opportunity when it exists. Never waste fresh air or fresh food.
Click here to support me and Team fish in the Philly Livestrong Challenge
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Spirit of the Olympics
The nice thing about blogging about eating and running is that when you successfully experiment with then blog about dishes, you have a readily available cookbook so that you can recreate the meal or something like the meal.
Tonight, I have decided to make a pizza with a provolone, gouda, and muenster cheese combination. I couldn't quite remember my dough recipe, so I looked it up. Pretty simple.
Another thing you get to do is to share information and encouragement. The 2012 Olympics start tonight with the opening ceremonies. I have been reading a bit about the 1972 Munich Olympics when the games were overshadowed by a horrific hostage crisis when eleven Israeli athletes and coaches, a West German police officer, and five terrorists were killed. I've also been reading a little bit about when the United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics to protest the U.S.S.R.'s invasion of Afghanistan.
What's beautiful about the spirit of the Olympic games and of sport is the comaraderie of the athletes. It wasn't the athletes who caused the massacre of the 1972 Olympics and it wasn't the athletes who boycotted the games in 1980- that was world politics at its worst. Somehow the Olympics embody the spirit that is both above and deeply entwined in the politics. The games are symbolic of peaceful competition and a glimpse of how things could be if we all just recognized the pure beauty of sport.
While many of these athletes have lucrative endorsement contracts, they still have to perform at their peak as they compete against the best athletes in the world. At the opening ceremonies tonight, expect to see all the athletes huddled together with their own countrymen. But in the closing ceremonies, it is a hodgepodge of athletes, all from different countries, mingling and celebrating together. Expect to see enemies become friends. Expect to see what the world would look like if we would all just come together in peace.
Whether you like sport or not, please enjoy the games, and pray for peace in the world, because there are already too many politics at play.
London 2012 for more about the schedule and the games
Livestrong Philly Challenge to support me and Team Fish in our fight against cancer on August 19
Tonight, I have decided to make a pizza with a provolone, gouda, and muenster cheese combination. I couldn't quite remember my dough recipe, so I looked it up. Pretty simple.
Another thing you get to do is to share information and encouragement. The 2012 Olympics start tonight with the opening ceremonies. I have been reading a bit about the 1972 Munich Olympics when the games were overshadowed by a horrific hostage crisis when eleven Israeli athletes and coaches, a West German police officer, and five terrorists were killed. I've also been reading a little bit about when the United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics to protest the U.S.S.R.'s invasion of Afghanistan.
What's beautiful about the spirit of the Olympic games and of sport is the comaraderie of the athletes. It wasn't the athletes who caused the massacre of the 1972 Olympics and it wasn't the athletes who boycotted the games in 1980- that was world politics at its worst. Somehow the Olympics embody the spirit that is both above and deeply entwined in the politics. The games are symbolic of peaceful competition and a glimpse of how things could be if we all just recognized the pure beauty of sport.
While many of these athletes have lucrative endorsement contracts, they still have to perform at their peak as they compete against the best athletes in the world. At the opening ceremonies tonight, expect to see all the athletes huddled together with their own countrymen. But in the closing ceremonies, it is a hodgepodge of athletes, all from different countries, mingling and celebrating together. Expect to see enemies become friends. Expect to see what the world would look like if we would all just come together in peace.
Whether you like sport or not, please enjoy the games, and pray for peace in the world, because there are already too many politics at play.
London 2012 for more about the schedule and the games
Livestrong Philly Challenge to support me and Team Fish in our fight against cancer on August 19
Thursday, July 26, 2012
C O R N
I learned this from some friends a few years back and have practiced it ever since.
"What are we having for dinner tonight?"
"CORN!"
C O R N stands for Clean Out Refrigerator Night. You know all those well intentioned leftovers that you were going to have on some other night or for lunch the next day? CORN! You know that if you leave it in the refrigerator one more day it will be a science experiment gone bad? CORN!
CORN is the perfect way to, yes even sometimes, combine several night's leftovers into one healthy and hearty meal. Perhaps several separate dishes, reinvigorated with new spices, or a simple combination of two or three dishes in a stir fry pan.
For example, this morning, I took some rice from earlier in the week and some of the meat/bean/veggie combination from last night. I put them together in my cast iron pan and stirred them around, then broke a couple eggs over it and made beef and egg fried rice... bam! CORN for breakfast!
Another one. Left over spaghetti in one container from one night along with some chopped up veggies (perhaps leftover, perhaps just before the point where you need to toss it), thrown together in a pan with some olive oil and perhaps soy sauce and/or other seasonings... bam! CORN stir fry!
You can put just about anything between two pieces of bread... like a left over salad! bam! CORN sandwich!
Also, you can put cheese or bacon on just about anything and make it taste good. (Whoops, these are supposed to be healthy meal ideas... um... err... turkey bacon?)
Talk about being simple and quick, possibly even really healthy AND your refrigerator doesn't have to house a bunch of petri dishes and mold experiments. As an added bonus, no more wasted food!
My advice- have CORN once a week and you have a night off from cooking, plus everyone gets a quick meal that tastes similar to what you had on Tuesday, and you loved Tuesday's meal!
Please consider supporting me and Team Fish in the Livestrong Philly Challenge by clicking on this link.
Thanks and God Bless!
"What are we having for dinner tonight?"
"CORN!"
C O R N stands for Clean Out Refrigerator Night. You know all those well intentioned leftovers that you were going to have on some other night or for lunch the next day? CORN! You know that if you leave it in the refrigerator one more day it will be a science experiment gone bad? CORN!
CORN is the perfect way to, yes even sometimes, combine several night's leftovers into one healthy and hearty meal. Perhaps several separate dishes, reinvigorated with new spices, or a simple combination of two or three dishes in a stir fry pan.
For example, this morning, I took some rice from earlier in the week and some of the meat/bean/veggie combination from last night. I put them together in my cast iron pan and stirred them around, then broke a couple eggs over it and made beef and egg fried rice... bam! CORN for breakfast!
Another one. Left over spaghetti in one container from one night along with some chopped up veggies (perhaps leftover, perhaps just before the point where you need to toss it), thrown together in a pan with some olive oil and perhaps soy sauce and/or other seasonings... bam! CORN stir fry!
You can put just about anything between two pieces of bread... like a left over salad! bam! CORN sandwich!
Also, you can put cheese or bacon on just about anything and make it taste good. (Whoops, these are supposed to be healthy meal ideas... um... err... turkey bacon?)
Talk about being simple and quick, possibly even really healthy AND your refrigerator doesn't have to house a bunch of petri dishes and mold experiments. As an added bonus, no more wasted food!
My advice- have CORN once a week and you have a night off from cooking, plus everyone gets a quick meal that tastes similar to what you had on Tuesday, and you loved Tuesday's meal!
Please consider supporting me and Team Fish in the Livestrong Philly Challenge by clicking on this link.
Thanks and God Bless!
 |
| CORN is how THIS |
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| Becomes THIS |
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
The Devil's Angel Hair
Go to the Amish/Mennonite package store and buy some "The Devil's Angel Hair" pasta... what's this? Well, it "has a bite. Fills a need for hot red pepper without serious injury." or so says the package. The ingredients are as follows: Hard unbleached red spring wheat flour, natural spring water, eggs, cayenne pepper, paprika, and extra virgin olive oil."
It packs a punch, so the rest of this meal did NOT require any more hot spices.
I boiled the water and added the pasta. I used cooked, refrigerated, leftover corn from a couple days ago which I cut off the cob. I also used a three "sprouted" bean mix with organic sprouted mung beans, organic sprouted green lentils, and organic sprouted adzuki beans, finally, add the cut corn from 2 cobs. In addition, I used pressed garlic, diced tomatoes, and diced onion. I also used organic, grass fed ground beef.
Here's the process.
*Obviously boil the water and add the desired pasta
1.) 3 cups water to 1 cup sprouted bean mix (covered 20-30 minutes- boil to simmer)
2.) Brown the ground beef, add the onion, add the garlic, add the tomatoes, add the corn, add salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and cilantro- once everything is done, remove from heat, cover and set aside.
3.) Drain the bean mixture then add it to the mixture above.
4.) Serve with pasta on bottom and the rest on top. Portions are up to you, but it's nice to finish it with some shredded cheese on top.
Here are some pictures
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| The whole mixture in the pan |
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| The finished product. |
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
That Roadside Amish Food Stand Just Might Have the Best Food You've Ever Had
This is the season for fresh local produce. So, get out of the supermarkets and start heading for farmers' markets. They are all over the place in roadside stands, brick and mortar buildings, weekly markets happen all the time in cities, and even sometimes your next door neighbors are growing and selling.
By shopping locally, you'll be sure that the produce you are buying and eating is fresh and in season. You are also sure that the produce didn't have to be chemically altered in order for it to be transported by a refrigerated truck over thousands of miles. As a result of all this travel, the food loses its nutrients and isn't nearly as good for you and the local varieties.
Non-local food has become a staple in the modern diet as we have grown accustomed to eating what we want, when we want it. To some extent, that is OK when the item is something that we cannot grow. For example, I've yet to see a banana or avocado farm in Pennsylvania. I don't believe our soil or our climate is suited for such food, but they are good for you and are readily available. Pennsylvania does grow apples, peaches, plums, blueberries, strawberries, green beans, broccoli, asparagus... you get the idea. My general rule is that if you can get it locally, then buy it locally. I don't need to buy apples from Washington state, if I can get them here... unless of course, I live in Washington.
So, take this as my pitch to buy as local as you can. Your local farmers will thank you and your body will thank you, too.
Don't forget the Livestrong Philly Challenge. Click here to support me and Team Fish.
Monday, July 23, 2012
An, "Oh my gosh this is too spicy" solution
I'll make this somewhat short. This evening, I made a little bean, rice and vegetable medley for dinner. I made some red beans, brown rice and squash/onion/tomato mixture, then combined them. I will leave out the watermelon and sweet corn from the description, only because how can you mess that up!
For spices, I used salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coriander, pressed garlic, and cilantro. I used the spices on the beans and the vegetables. Unfortunately, I was a little heavy handed with the cayenne. As I started eating it, before my wife, I realized it was too spicy and I wanted to make sure she would enjoy the dish.
Immediately, I made a quick decision... one that would alter the course of history as we all know it.
I told my wife that, while it was spicy to my liking, it was spicier (ie, more spicy than she would have enjoyed) than I originally wanted. It needed a diary-based sauce to temper the spiciness.
I quickly made a yogurt based sauce using about a cup of plain yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dill, and sugar. I quickly mixed it together, tasted it and spooned it out onto the final dish. It greatly enhanced the flavor and cut down significantly on the spiciness.
Lesson learned and now shared. Good day.
Please consider supporting me through prayer and finances in the Livestrong Philly Challenge by clicking this link.
For spices, I used salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coriander, pressed garlic, and cilantro. I used the spices on the beans and the vegetables. Unfortunately, I was a little heavy handed with the cayenne. As I started eating it, before my wife, I realized it was too spicy and I wanted to make sure she would enjoy the dish.
Immediately, I made a quick decision... one that would alter the course of history as we all know it.
I told my wife that, while it was spicy to my liking, it was spicier (ie, more spicy than she would have enjoyed) than I originally wanted. It needed a diary-based sauce to temper the spiciness.
I quickly made a yogurt based sauce using about a cup of plain yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dill, and sugar. I quickly mixed it together, tasted it and spooned it out onto the final dish. It greatly enhanced the flavor and cut down significantly on the spiciness.
Lesson learned and now shared. Good day.
Please consider supporting me through prayer and finances in the Livestrong Philly Challenge by clicking this link.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
No Fingers, but Someone Did Offer Me Beer...
I went to the Susquehanna River today in Millersburg, and when I got there, all I could think was, Dude! Where's my car!? It was at home... in Tower City... 25 miles away. I had just ridden my bike 25 miles and the only way back home, save from calling my wife to come a pick me up, was to ride it back. A total ride of 50 miles, my longest ride ever.
Somewhere around 20 miles at the top of a hill, some guy shouts, "You look like you could use a beer!" I put my hand out, but he couldn't get to me with the beer fast enough. That's probably a good thing, because I'm not sure that chugging a beer would help me go the other 30 miles that I was planning to go today... who knows?
I have a new respect for the longer distances on bicycles. In previous posts I've tried to quantify the differences in running and biking. I've said that to get the same workout from riding that you do from running you need to ride four times as long and the work out time is at least twice. I based that on calorie burning calculators, but today I've changed my tune a little bit.
I've been trying to find that wall on the bike, that moment of exhaustion that you have to work through mentally and physically to attain your goal. My longest previous distance was 40 miles and that was a lot of work, but today I can attest to a sort of riders wall(?) That was around 40 miles. The total time it took was 3 hours and 42 minutes with my average speed 14 mph.
The reason why my previous effort "formula" comparing running to riding would mean that today's ride was equivalent to a 12-13 mile run and a 1h 51m workout. While that is a good workout, it is not one that I have really hit a wall quite like this one. While my legs are recovering nicely, only time will tell how I will feel tomorrow. It's hard to equivocate the two workouts because you really are using different muscle groups at different intensities.
On a caloric level, you burn more calories faster while running versus biking, but the a comparison of the effort levels is not as simple as I once thought. This has enhanced my new plan of attack. To simultaneously train for long bike rides and marathons might just help me become a better, more balanced athletic type... and save me from burn out.
My upcoming races are as follows, just in case you were wondering.
August 19- Livestrong Philly Challenge (bike)- click to support (first riding event)
September 9- Harrisburg Half Marathon (Half #4)
September 22- Movie Madness Half Marathon (pacing my wife in her first half!) (Half #5)
November 11- Harrisburg Marathon (Marathon #5)
I'm still looking for a 10K to try and I would love to try for a century on a bicycle. In addition, I'm starting to look at a 50K (31 miles running) in the future.
Please consider supporting me in my fundraising goal with the Livestrong Philly Challenge. At the very least, please pray for me and the rest of Team Fish, but most of all, please pray for those who are fighting cancer and their families and for the families of those who lost their fight.
Thanks!
Somewhere around 20 miles at the top of a hill, some guy shouts, "You look like you could use a beer!" I put my hand out, but he couldn't get to me with the beer fast enough. That's probably a good thing, because I'm not sure that chugging a beer would help me go the other 30 miles that I was planning to go today... who knows?
I have a new respect for the longer distances on bicycles. In previous posts I've tried to quantify the differences in running and biking. I've said that to get the same workout from riding that you do from running you need to ride four times as long and the work out time is at least twice. I based that on calorie burning calculators, but today I've changed my tune a little bit.
I've been trying to find that wall on the bike, that moment of exhaustion that you have to work through mentally and physically to attain your goal. My longest previous distance was 40 miles and that was a lot of work, but today I can attest to a sort of riders wall(?) That was around 40 miles. The total time it took was 3 hours and 42 minutes with my average speed 14 mph.
The reason why my previous effort "formula" comparing running to riding would mean that today's ride was equivalent to a 12-13 mile run and a 1h 51m workout. While that is a good workout, it is not one that I have really hit a wall quite like this one. While my legs are recovering nicely, only time will tell how I will feel tomorrow. It's hard to equivocate the two workouts because you really are using different muscle groups at different intensities.
On a caloric level, you burn more calories faster while running versus biking, but the a comparison of the effort levels is not as simple as I once thought. This has enhanced my new plan of attack. To simultaneously train for long bike rides and marathons might just help me become a better, more balanced athletic type... and save me from burn out.
My upcoming races are as follows, just in case you were wondering.
August 19- Livestrong Philly Challenge (bike)- click to support (first riding event)
September 9- Harrisburg Half Marathon (Half #4)
September 22- Movie Madness Half Marathon (pacing my wife in her first half!) (Half #5)
November 11- Harrisburg Marathon (Marathon #5)
I'm still looking for a 10K to try and I would love to try for a century on a bicycle. In addition, I'm starting to look at a 50K (31 miles running) in the future.
Please consider supporting me in my fundraising goal with the Livestrong Philly Challenge. At the very least, please pray for me and the rest of Team Fish, but most of all, please pray for those who are fighting cancer and their families and for the families of those who lost their fight.
Thanks!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Isn't it Funny How Some Things Just Work Out
A few days ago I read an article and saw a CNN interview with Ryan Hall (one of the USA Olympians for the marathon). He has switched coaches... now, the way Runner's World magazine put it a little while ago was that he was switching to being "self coached" rather than taking on a traditional running coach. However, when he was going through a mandatory drug screening, he listed as his coach, "God".
Woah! You mean the creator of all things is your running coach?
The way he puts it is that he is using scripture and prayer to determine what kind of workout he's going to do that day. When pressed whether or not he'd blame God if he doesn't win, he said that while it is tempting to do so, he recognizes his own frailty as a human being. He is a great competitor, but winning isn't his only goal. He also understands that there are times that he trains against God's plan by doing too little or too much and it is at those times that he fails. He says he is going from being a "runner who is a Christian" to a "Christian who runs".
I like it. No more following such a crazy, strict plan, no more traditional training plans... if one day the Spirit says, "Go fast!", you go fast, if another day the Spirit says to "Rest!" you rest, etc. It takes a lot of time, patience, and practice to try to tune your life to God's plan. When we say "just pray and everything will be alright", we're kind of missing the point. Just "praying" really isn't enough.
We need to be completely willing to let God take over our schedules, our checkbooks, our plans, and our lives. We need to be immersed in the Spirit's direction in our lives. Sometimes that means that maybe we just let things happen and go with it for a while. It's amazing how some things just work out. Sometimes we just need to say "yes" when presented with opportunity and stop worrying. Sometimes our schedule gets messed up because something happened out of our control, but maybe that's just something God is doing so that another opportunity might arise- maybe just to help another person... who knows?
Today, I wanted to run 12 miles. I wanted to go early, but my wife needed to do a 5 mile tempo run, so she went first. She had an appointment afterwards and needed to do some errands at the church. While I originally thought I'd be out the door by 10:30, I didn't get out until after 12... just around the time the rain started to come down. I was originally upset... but the rain was cool, and after all these 99/100 degree days it was nice for a change, so I got over it.
Close to mile 3, I noticed a library card on the shoulder of US 209 where I was running. I thought that was a little odd, but then noticed a wallet size picture album, shortly followed by a wallet. At first I was going to just leave it there, but I thought about it and realized that if I had lost my wallet on a highway, I would rather someone honest pick it up and get it back to me. So, I gathered all the stuff together and ran, with it soaking wet in my hand back home. I dropped it off and ran my second 6 mile loop to complete the 12 miles.
When I got home, drenched, I brought the wallet inside, dried off as best I could and looked in the wallet. Wow, this guy had everything in there! Social Security card, driver's license, old pictures, his draft card, etc... was I ever glad I picked it up! It was easy to find him in the phone book and I called his house. He was incredibly grateful that I picked it up. I returned the wallet, in tact.
I can't help but think God was in that. Had I ran when I wanted to, that wallet wouldn't have been there. He hadn't left yet, he hadn't lost it yet. There was apparently $100 inside... anyone else could have picked it up, many, I'd like to think, would have done the same thing, but there are those who would have just taken the cash and ditched the wallet... all those memories inside. Someone could have used his information to steal his identity.
God knew what was going to happen and it was at His urging that I did what I did. Maybe Ryan Hall is on to something we're all missing. Maybe in order to run and eat simply, we need to tune our bodies with the One who designed them- listen, pray, soak in His goodness and obey His urgings. We might be surprised by the opportunities that come to us and the courage we have at following through.
Thank you for reading and God bless you on your journey.
PS. please remember to pray for me and cheer me on as I have joined Team Fish in the Livestrong Philly Challenge. And, if you are so moved, please donate by clicking here to help fight cancer.
Woah! You mean the creator of all things is your running coach?
The way he puts it is that he is using scripture and prayer to determine what kind of workout he's going to do that day. When pressed whether or not he'd blame God if he doesn't win, he said that while it is tempting to do so, he recognizes his own frailty as a human being. He is a great competitor, but winning isn't his only goal. He also understands that there are times that he trains against God's plan by doing too little or too much and it is at those times that he fails. He says he is going from being a "runner who is a Christian" to a "Christian who runs".
I like it. No more following such a crazy, strict plan, no more traditional training plans... if one day the Spirit says, "Go fast!", you go fast, if another day the Spirit says to "Rest!" you rest, etc. It takes a lot of time, patience, and practice to try to tune your life to God's plan. When we say "just pray and everything will be alright", we're kind of missing the point. Just "praying" really isn't enough.
We need to be completely willing to let God take over our schedules, our checkbooks, our plans, and our lives. We need to be immersed in the Spirit's direction in our lives. Sometimes that means that maybe we just let things happen and go with it for a while. It's amazing how some things just work out. Sometimes we just need to say "yes" when presented with opportunity and stop worrying. Sometimes our schedule gets messed up because something happened out of our control, but maybe that's just something God is doing so that another opportunity might arise- maybe just to help another person... who knows?
Today, I wanted to run 12 miles. I wanted to go early, but my wife needed to do a 5 mile tempo run, so she went first. She had an appointment afterwards and needed to do some errands at the church. While I originally thought I'd be out the door by 10:30, I didn't get out until after 12... just around the time the rain started to come down. I was originally upset... but the rain was cool, and after all these 99/100 degree days it was nice for a change, so I got over it.
Close to mile 3, I noticed a library card on the shoulder of US 209 where I was running. I thought that was a little odd, but then noticed a wallet size picture album, shortly followed by a wallet. At first I was going to just leave it there, but I thought about it and realized that if I had lost my wallet on a highway, I would rather someone honest pick it up and get it back to me. So, I gathered all the stuff together and ran, with it soaking wet in my hand back home. I dropped it off and ran my second 6 mile loop to complete the 12 miles.
When I got home, drenched, I brought the wallet inside, dried off as best I could and looked in the wallet. Wow, this guy had everything in there! Social Security card, driver's license, old pictures, his draft card, etc... was I ever glad I picked it up! It was easy to find him in the phone book and I called his house. He was incredibly grateful that I picked it up. I returned the wallet, in tact.
I can't help but think God was in that. Had I ran when I wanted to, that wallet wouldn't have been there. He hadn't left yet, he hadn't lost it yet. There was apparently $100 inside... anyone else could have picked it up, many, I'd like to think, would have done the same thing, but there are those who would have just taken the cash and ditched the wallet... all those memories inside. Someone could have used his information to steal his identity.
God knew what was going to happen and it was at His urging that I did what I did. Maybe Ryan Hall is on to something we're all missing. Maybe in order to run and eat simply, we need to tune our bodies with the One who designed them- listen, pray, soak in His goodness and obey His urgings. We might be surprised by the opportunities that come to us and the courage we have at following through.
Thank you for reading and God bless you on your journey.
PS. please remember to pray for me and cheer me on as I have joined Team Fish in the Livestrong Philly Challenge. And, if you are so moved, please donate by clicking here to help fight cancer.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Team Fish? A New Challenge!
My post will be short tonight. Put simply, I am going to ask you for money. I hate asking for money, but I hate cancer more, and I was invited to participate in the Livestrong Philly Challenge... and... well... you know I like a challenge. So, I accepted.
I am no hero, and I have not done anything all that incredible. All I have done is lost a lot of weight, run a few marathons, and that's about it. The people who have really done something incredible are those who have battled cancer and won. The people who have really done something incredible are those who have lost their battle to this terrible disease. Their families and friends have triumphed and mourned. I think of what they have done and I am humbled. They have all suffered through challenges I never want to suffer through.
I pray for them, and, while I have given money to various organizations to support them, I have never really done much else. Now I can, and you can, too.
This is a challenge I have never attempted and have no idea what will happen. On August 19, I am going to fight for them. Please join me, pray for me, and support me through this. Most of all, please pray and support those who have done so much more than I can ever really imagine, and hope that I never have to live through it.
Click here to read more and to help
I am no hero, and I have not done anything all that incredible. All I have done is lost a lot of weight, run a few marathons, and that's about it. The people who have really done something incredible are those who have battled cancer and won. The people who have really done something incredible are those who have lost their battle to this terrible disease. Their families and friends have triumphed and mourned. I think of what they have done and I am humbled. They have all suffered through challenges I never want to suffer through.
I pray for them, and, while I have given money to various organizations to support them, I have never really done much else. Now I can, and you can, too.
This is a challenge I have never attempted and have no idea what will happen. On August 19, I am going to fight for them. Please join me, pray for me, and support me through this. Most of all, please pray and support those who have done so much more than I can ever really imagine, and hope that I never have to live through it.
Click here to read more and to help
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Decisions, Decisions... LiveSTRONG Philly Challenge.
I'm in sort-of training mode for a half-marathon (for a PR) in September and another half-marathon (pacing my wife in her first half-marathon) in September. I'm aiming to use all this training as a way to prepare for a marathon in November. My last marathon was in March and I PRed a 5K in May. So, I've never really stopped training, just taken some down time between training regimens.
A friend of mine, who is a cancer survivor now for 6 years, has done a number of Team LiveSTRONG Philly Challenges in the past few years and posted on Facebook about him doing this year's ride. As I was investigating the possibility of joining in, I received a message from him in my inbox, "You should get a bike and join us one of these years"... I messaged back, "I have a bike, and I'm listening."
As you might remember, I have some desire to try a 100 mile ride. There are a lot of choices for distances and the ride is August 19... about a month away. But 100 miles is daunting in August with only a few weeks to train and I can choose 15-20 miles, 45-65 miles, 85-100 miles.
I'm torn on a few things. Some of you who read this know more about biking than I do, and some of you actually have run long distances and even have biked 100 miles. And some of you just have a thought or two on this.
The other part of the challenge is that, by signing up, I am committing to raising $250. I would want to have a goal to raise $500 or more. I hate asking for money, but I hate cancer more and anything I can do to help fight it, it's worth it.
I ran 7 miles today in 99 degree heat... it was all a mental effort, but I'm glad to be running again. I understand the mental challenge it takes to run a marathon and the fatigue involved in all of it, but I want to make the right decision in all of this. I'm pretty excited and pretty nervous, so it must be a good thing.
Here's the site for more information. If you would be willing to support me in this effort, I'll let you know how if and when I register. Thanks for reading and helping me make this exciting decision.
A friend of mine, who is a cancer survivor now for 6 years, has done a number of Team LiveSTRONG Philly Challenges in the past few years and posted on Facebook about him doing this year's ride. As I was investigating the possibility of joining in, I received a message from him in my inbox, "You should get a bike and join us one of these years"... I messaged back, "I have a bike, and I'm listening."
As you might remember, I have some desire to try a 100 mile ride. There are a lot of choices for distances and the ride is August 19... about a month away. But 100 miles is daunting in August with only a few weeks to train and I can choose 15-20 miles, 45-65 miles, 85-100 miles.
I'm torn on a few things. Some of you who read this know more about biking than I do, and some of you actually have run long distances and even have biked 100 miles. And some of you just have a thought or two on this.
The other part of the challenge is that, by signing up, I am committing to raising $250. I would want to have a goal to raise $500 or more. I hate asking for money, but I hate cancer more and anything I can do to help fight it, it's worth it.
I ran 7 miles today in 99 degree heat... it was all a mental effort, but I'm glad to be running again. I understand the mental challenge it takes to run a marathon and the fatigue involved in all of it, but I want to make the right decision in all of this. I'm pretty excited and pretty nervous, so it must be a good thing.
Here's the site for more information. If you would be willing to support me in this effort, I'll let you know how if and when I register. Thanks for reading and helping me make this exciting decision.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Yes! I Can Run Again!
I got to run today! 10 miles in what felt like a swimming pool the humidity was so high. When I took my shirt off I wrung it out and a lot of sweat poured out of it. But I refuse to complain about it, because I got to run... relatively pain free.
If you haven't been following lately, sometime last week, I somehow pulled something in my lower left calf. I would characterize this as a precursor to an injury, this was last Saturday after I had run 10 miles. Sunday, I did my usual bike ride, about 32 miles (equivalent to about 8 miles running). Monday, with full intention to do 10-12 miles, I got about 5 miles in when it felt like something moved in the muscle and I essentially limped home. Tuesday and Wednesday I concentrated on riding the bike rather than running, then attempted, somewhat successfully, another run on Thursday. It was a painful 10 miler, but I made it through (I probably shouldn't have). I took Friday off, rode 40 miles on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday.
What I did right. I took some time off, I found an equally challenging activity that I enjoyed, and I was honest about my pain versus my soreness. I tested my strained muscle, I gently stretched it and rehabbed it with wobble board exercises, a foam roller, and a roller stick. I probably pushed it too hard on Thursday, but the ultimate result is three days off with some at-home physical therapy and it seems as though it's healing well.
I would say I am at about 90% right now and the run wasn't completely pain free, but the pain was obviously different than what I was feeling this past week and a lot less worse. I'm also walking normally with just a little twinge from time to time in the lower calf. Nothing serious, so I'm still calling it a non-injury.
What's important about injury prevention is to know when to take things down a notch. Only you know your body, you know when it's a pain that will become an injury if left untreated. You also know when it's just a pain that you can push through. Yes, you can push through some pain and come out on the other side OK, but it's not a bad idea to err on the side of caution some of the time. It's much better, for example, to focus on cycling for a week than to have to take 6-8 weeks off from doing anything because that strain became a tear.
Yes, there are people who run 100+ mile races through torn fill in the blanks and broken you know whats, but that's not most of us. Remember, this really is just something we do for exercise and enjoyment. Sometimes, I think God can use these little pains, injuries, etc to help us see that there are other things that can be just as enjoyable. Keep your eyes and ears open for all that is out there, you might just be surprised!
If you haven't been following lately, sometime last week, I somehow pulled something in my lower left calf. I would characterize this as a precursor to an injury, this was last Saturday after I had run 10 miles. Sunday, I did my usual bike ride, about 32 miles (equivalent to about 8 miles running). Monday, with full intention to do 10-12 miles, I got about 5 miles in when it felt like something moved in the muscle and I essentially limped home. Tuesday and Wednesday I concentrated on riding the bike rather than running, then attempted, somewhat successfully, another run on Thursday. It was a painful 10 miler, but I made it through (I probably shouldn't have). I took Friday off, rode 40 miles on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday.
What I did right. I took some time off, I found an equally challenging activity that I enjoyed, and I was honest about my pain versus my soreness. I tested my strained muscle, I gently stretched it and rehabbed it with wobble board exercises, a foam roller, and a roller stick. I probably pushed it too hard on Thursday, but the ultimate result is three days off with some at-home physical therapy and it seems as though it's healing well.
I would say I am at about 90% right now and the run wasn't completely pain free, but the pain was obviously different than what I was feeling this past week and a lot less worse. I'm also walking normally with just a little twinge from time to time in the lower calf. Nothing serious, so I'm still calling it a non-injury.
What's important about injury prevention is to know when to take things down a notch. Only you know your body, you know when it's a pain that will become an injury if left untreated. You also know when it's just a pain that you can push through. Yes, you can push through some pain and come out on the other side OK, but it's not a bad idea to err on the side of caution some of the time. It's much better, for example, to focus on cycling for a week than to have to take 6-8 weeks off from doing anything because that strain became a tear.
Yes, there are people who run 100+ mile races through torn fill in the blanks and broken you know whats, but that's not most of us. Remember, this really is just something we do for exercise and enjoyment. Sometimes, I think God can use these little pains, injuries, etc to help us see that there are other things that can be just as enjoyable. Keep your eyes and ears open for all that is out there, you might just be surprised!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Pineapple and Peach Spaghetti with Watermelon and Honeydew Sauce
Pineapple and Peach Spaghetti with Watermelon and Honeydew Sauce
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| You'll feel like you're eating dessert for lunch |
I brainstormed with what I did have while I was boiling spaghetti for my son's lunch. I realized that I could do something with the pineapple and left-over watermelon, peaches, and honeydew. I started cutting them up into small chunks as I brainstormed what I was going to do... then it hit me.
I put small chunks of pineapple with small chunks of peaches on top of the spaghetti, and decided to make a sauce out of the watermelon and honeydew. Pineapple and peaches are a rather tart fruit while watermelon and honeydew are more neutral, sweet and watery... the sweet cuts down on the tart and a flavor hoedown ensues on your senses.
I placed chunks of watermelon and honeydew in a blender and blended it. The texture is very similar to that of spaghetti sauce, but very watery. I added a few tablespoons of honey to add to the sweetness and a few tablespoons of chia seed as a thickener and re-blended. The thickening worked (remember, you need to wait a little before it really takes effect).
I placed a serving of spaghetti in a shallow bowl, with some small chunks of pineapple and peaches on top, then spooned out the watermelon/honeydew sauce on the top. This meal is full of nutrients and vitamins as well as water. You are practically hydrating while you are eating and it feels like you're eating dessert for lunch.
Talk about some serious yum! Enjoy!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Some People See You on a Bicycle and Just Assume You're a Doctor
As my strained calf muscle continues to heal, I am finding a way, through cycling, to mimic my long runs so that my training doesn't suffer. What's also nice is that I've found new ways to challenge myself and a way to build untapped muscles. I've also learned that certain motorists entrust their medical care to cyclists... unfortunately, cyclists are often too preoccupied with their ride, rather than healing ailments of others (sorry guys!).
Case in point. I was challenging myself to a 40 mile ride today which was a simple out and back on US 209. Generally this road has nice, wide shoulders and I can spend the majority of my ride out of motorists' way- the only exception being when I ride through towns and the shoulders disappear. Now, I can generally stay as far to the right as possible and even at times go the town speed limit (which is pretty cool).
As I was on this ride, a motorist all the way on the other side of the road (the left side) decided that I was the person he needed to show his injured finger to. Now, I can't say that it was broken because I clearly kept on my ride, but he looked pretty surly, and I know that when I'm injured I get pretty surly, too. This is the only explanation I can think of for him showing me his finger.
After all, I was on the right side of the road, which is the correct side, so there's no reason why he would need to point me in any other direction. There was nothing interesting in the sky or on the ground to look at. There's no way he was proud of his car or his appearance so I can't imagine why he would be pointing at either of those. It's kind of a weird way to wave or cheer for someone (if I'm making a cultural faux pas, please forgive me). The only reasonable explanation for his showing his finger to me is to highlight something wrong with that body part.
I've known other cyclists who take offense to drivers showing off their fingers. I mean, come on! WE'RE NOT DOCTORS! Stop trying to get free medical care from us! Some of these cyclists get really offended and gesture back that they won't see them without at least a $1 co-pay. The drivers, apparently, get really offended at the $1 medical fee and will pull their cars over and "have words" with the cyclist.
I, however, take a different tact... I simply ignore and move on. In life we need to realize that some people want medical care from random people on US highways free of charge. We need to be OK with that and let it go.
Other things I've noticed while riding more. People in cars do not wave to anyone. People on motorcycles only wave to people on motorcycles. Runners wave to runners and often cyclists, but only if the cyclists are decked out in cycling gear and looking like they're making an effort. Cyclists wave to other cyclists who are decked out and making an effort and they will wave to runners. Walkers wave AND talk to anyone who passes by, which makes you a real jerk if you don't say something in return- so cyclists and runners should always have something nice to say- the weather is usually a safe topic. People on scooters... this is a new one that happened today... will wave at cyclists (this happened twice, with the same scooterist).
In any case, remember while you're out there driving- stay off the phone, keep your eyes open and watch for children, cyclists, runners, and walkers. Go slower as you pass and give them a reasonable berth... and wave, they might wave back and, if they don't, that's OK, just remember they're not all doctors and they don't really care about your ailing finger.
Thanks and God bless!
Case in point. I was challenging myself to a 40 mile ride today which was a simple out and back on US 209. Generally this road has nice, wide shoulders and I can spend the majority of my ride out of motorists' way- the only exception being when I ride through towns and the shoulders disappear. Now, I can generally stay as far to the right as possible and even at times go the town speed limit (which is pretty cool).
As I was on this ride, a motorist all the way on the other side of the road (the left side) decided that I was the person he needed to show his injured finger to. Now, I can't say that it was broken because I clearly kept on my ride, but he looked pretty surly, and I know that when I'm injured I get pretty surly, too. This is the only explanation I can think of for him showing me his finger.
After all, I was on the right side of the road, which is the correct side, so there's no reason why he would need to point me in any other direction. There was nothing interesting in the sky or on the ground to look at. There's no way he was proud of his car or his appearance so I can't imagine why he would be pointing at either of those. It's kind of a weird way to wave or cheer for someone (if I'm making a cultural faux pas, please forgive me). The only reasonable explanation for his showing his finger to me is to highlight something wrong with that body part.
I've known other cyclists who take offense to drivers showing off their fingers. I mean, come on! WE'RE NOT DOCTORS! Stop trying to get free medical care from us! Some of these cyclists get really offended and gesture back that they won't see them without at least a $1 co-pay. The drivers, apparently, get really offended at the $1 medical fee and will pull their cars over and "have words" with the cyclist.
I, however, take a different tact... I simply ignore and move on. In life we need to realize that some people want medical care from random people on US highways free of charge. We need to be OK with that and let it go.
Other things I've noticed while riding more. People in cars do not wave to anyone. People on motorcycles only wave to people on motorcycles. Runners wave to runners and often cyclists, but only if the cyclists are decked out in cycling gear and looking like they're making an effort. Cyclists wave to other cyclists who are decked out and making an effort and they will wave to runners. Walkers wave AND talk to anyone who passes by, which makes you a real jerk if you don't say something in return- so cyclists and runners should always have something nice to say- the weather is usually a safe topic. People on scooters... this is a new one that happened today... will wave at cyclists (this happened twice, with the same scooterist).
In any case, remember while you're out there driving- stay off the phone, keep your eyes open and watch for children, cyclists, runners, and walkers. Go slower as you pass and give them a reasonable berth... and wave, they might wave back and, if they don't, that's OK, just remember they're not all doctors and they don't really care about your ailing finger.
Thanks and God bless!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Lentil and Rice Tacos
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| Lentil mixture with brown rice, fresh veggies, and homemade corn tortillas |
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| Lentil and rice soft corn taco |
1/3 cup brown lentils
1/3 cup red lentils
1/3 cup split peas
2 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock
Several cloves of minced garlic
Several leaves of fresh basil ripped up
Fresh cilantro
4 TBS chia seed
Salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper to taste
Start by boiling then simmering the lentils and split peas in the chicken stock. As the lentils soften begin adding the garlic, basil, and cilantro. Next, add the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. When you have the seasonings to your liking and the mixture has reduced some, add the chia (not only will it enhance the health of the dish, but it will act as a thickener). Let simmer, uncovered stirring occasionally until the mixture is fairly thick.
Homemade Corn Tortillas
The neat thing about authentic corn tortillas is that it only requires 3 ingredients... masa harina, water, and salt. The recipe I used had 2 cups of masa harina to 1 1/2 cups hot water to 1/2 tsp sea salt. You basically mix it together until it's moist and firm (not sticky), then let it sit for an hour. Then make them into approx 12 balls and press them with a greased tortilla press. Put them on a hot skillet then flip. Immediately put them in a tortilla warmer (this step is important because it helps the tortilla regain its moisture after cooking it).
Brown Rice- basic brown rice following the directions
Fresh Veggies- diced tomatoes, diced cucumber, and spinach
Layer a small spoonful of rice on the tortilla, then spread a small amount of the lentil mixture, top it off with some veggies and enjoy!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
S'mores
They are called S'mores because once you eat one you want some more. And for good reason.
In all seriousness, though, they are easy to make and you can make it part of something to do as a family. It's very simple... marshmallow, graham crackers, and 2 squares of a bar of chocolate.
Now, honestly, it's very easy. Just start a fire, not with one of those fire-starter-logs, but with leaves and small, dry branches. Then let the fire get bigger and add bigger logs until you have a low flame with hot coals. Break the graham cracker in half, and place two rectangles of chocolate on one of the crackers... roast the marshmallow (some like it blackened- like me, and others like it toasted and browned). Place the marshmallow onto the chocolate and take the marshmallow off by squeezing the sandwich together.
While this is a rite of passage for many, it seems to be a lost art. The art of making S'mores requires scavenging to find the right pieces of wood (from kindling to logs) and knowing how to make a proper fire. There are many "helper" products in stores, but seriously what's the point. S'mores might take a little bit of work, but if you can include the family in the making, you'll only have to deal with minimal effort... you might even get the joy of poison oak, which really isn't all that bad.
Remember, you should enjoy your food, not dread it... so get out there and make some S'mores!
In all seriousness, though, they are easy to make and you can make it part of something to do as a family. It's very simple... marshmallow, graham crackers, and 2 squares of a bar of chocolate.
Now, honestly, it's very easy. Just start a fire, not with one of those fire-starter-logs, but with leaves and small, dry branches. Then let the fire get bigger and add bigger logs until you have a low flame with hot coals. Break the graham cracker in half, and place two rectangles of chocolate on one of the crackers... roast the marshmallow (some like it blackened- like me, and others like it toasted and browned). Place the marshmallow onto the chocolate and take the marshmallow off by squeezing the sandwich together.
While this is a rite of passage for many, it seems to be a lost art. The art of making S'mores requires scavenging to find the right pieces of wood (from kindling to logs) and knowing how to make a proper fire. There are many "helper" products in stores, but seriously what's the point. S'mores might take a little bit of work, but if you can include the family in the making, you'll only have to deal with minimal effort... you might even get the joy of poison oak, which really isn't all that bad.
Remember, you should enjoy your food, not dread it... so get out there and make some S'mores!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Following Good Advice Pays Off
This strained(?) calf muscle is obnoxious, but I am thankful for the wisdom of learning to love and push myself with cycling. I don't know much about cycling, but I do know it is excellent cross-training and tends to work the quads in a different way than running... which is good, because it was those good-for-nothing quads that betrayed me in my last marathon so I figure if I work them in as many different ways as possible, I might overcome such a problem in my next 26.2.
About a month or so back, I had posted on this blog about an experience of having a blowout a mile in to a 12 miler. I walked the bike home and wrote about the experience. Then a friend commented about getting a kit with a CO2 cartridge since having a blowout, a slow leak, or running over some sharp something that embeds itself into your tire are just a part of the sport. I went out a few days later and picked up a CO2 kit and a spare tube and placed them all in my saddle-bag which hangs under my seat.
I didn't think much of it until today. I have been going regularly 30+ miles 1 day a week and about 15+ on another day. These are my cross training days. I've been running longer runs twice a week and speed/tempo runs twice a week. Then this whole calf thing happened, and while I'm not yet classifying it as an injury, it can be a precursor to one if I'm not careful. So, while today was supposed to be a speed workout, I turned it into a 16 mile bike ride, instead (time constraints as they are).
I went out about 8ish miles and turned around to come back. This is when I started to notice that my front tire felt a little low and sluggish, eventually I pulled over next to a guardrail and took the little pump that is attached to my bike and pumped up the tire. I realized that there was probably a slow leak, but that I might have enough air in the tire to get home. In about another mile, the slow leak turned out to be a fast leak and a flat tire. I pulled off to another guard rail and knew what needed to be done.
I thanked God for the advice of my friend, Amy, who suggested me buying this kit and that I had the wisdom to follow the advice. I simply took off the front tire, removed the tire and tube (quickly finding a small metal wire stuck in the tire), pulled out the new tube and gave it a little shot of air with the CO2 kit, put the tire back on and shot more CO2 into the tire (it took less than a second and the tire was completely full), and I rode home. The whole episode with the tire took less than 15 minutes off my anticipated finish time.
So, thank you Amy :-)
I really hope this calf thing heals itself soon, but I am beginning to like cycling, too... all I need is to get into some open water and start swimming and I'd be ready for a triathlon.
Thanks for reading, and God Bless!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Among the Things that Suck
What the heck is that?!
I've had what I have been describing as a knot in my calf muscle for a week or so... I've been running on it fine for my last couple of runs, but today it just got crazy.
I wasn't even half way into my 12 miler when POW! It felt like something moved in there and the pain made me stop and walk the last quarter mile (5.75 miles out of 12 miles). I was (and am) pretty upset to say the least. This does not go well with my goal of an injury-free, personal record year! I hobbled home, stretched it out, rolled it with the foam roller, the stick, and the wobble board. I then put ice on it and took some vitamin I (ibuprofen). At this point, I'm glad I have warmed up really well to my new cross-training activity of cycling... but what the heck?!
Seriously, I've run much harder weeks have had much harder workouts. I even decided that I needed to mix things up a bit and not work so dang hard and yet, here I limp. I refuse to call this an injury yet. But, again, I'm glad I have already decided, and am doing well at, a cross training activity... but I'm still really mad.
I'll keep you updated... I've got 2 half marathons and a full marathon coming in the fall and this is NOT in my training plan. I guess no matter what you do right, the possibilities of little hick-ups along the way are always there.
I've had what I have been describing as a knot in my calf muscle for a week or so... I've been running on it fine for my last couple of runs, but today it just got crazy.
I wasn't even half way into my 12 miler when POW! It felt like something moved in there and the pain made me stop and walk the last quarter mile (5.75 miles out of 12 miles). I was (and am) pretty upset to say the least. This does not go well with my goal of an injury-free, personal record year! I hobbled home, stretched it out, rolled it with the foam roller, the stick, and the wobble board. I then put ice on it and took some vitamin I (ibuprofen). At this point, I'm glad I have warmed up really well to my new cross-training activity of cycling... but what the heck?!
Seriously, I've run much harder weeks have had much harder workouts. I even decided that I needed to mix things up a bit and not work so dang hard and yet, here I limp. I refuse to call this an injury yet. But, again, I'm glad I have already decided, and am doing well at, a cross training activity... but I'm still really mad.
I'll keep you updated... I've got 2 half marathons and a full marathon coming in the fall and this is NOT in my training plan. I guess no matter what you do right, the possibilities of little hick-ups along the way are always there.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
The Pampered Chef People Are Jealous of this Cold, Cream Cheese, Veggie Pizza
This one is meant to be eaten cold, and it's a flavorful, refreshing summer dinner. Oh, and yeah, I know that Pampered Chef does some "cream cheese pizza" thing, but this is nothing like it and shouldn't even be considered together in the same breath. Thanks!
1.) First, make homemade pizza crust:
2-3 Cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
Olive oil
Dissolve 1 tsp yeast in the warm water, then add 1 cup of the flour and stir together. Add the remaining yeast, salt and sugar and mix. Add the second cup of flour slowly mixing together until the dough is hard to stir. Dump out another 1/2 cup flour on the counter and turn the dough onto it. Fill the bowl with water and let soak. Knead the dough adding flour until it doesn't stick anymore but is pliable and still a little moist. Keep kneading, lightly dusting remaining flour until the dough is springy and not too sticky (5-10 minutes). Rinse out and scrape the bowl and dry. Pour some olive oil into the bowl and place the dough ball into the bowl coating it with the olive oil. Cover with damp, lint-free, cloth for about 2 hours.
When the dough has risen (approx. 2 hours), preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Dust a pizza pan with some flour then work the dough onto the pizza pan until you have what resembles pizza crust.
2.) Crust coating:
Coat the pizza crust with a mixture of olive oil, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper. Finely chop 2-3 cloves of garlic and sprinkle all over the uncooked pizza crust.
3.) Baking:
Place in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, but check after about 12 minutes and allow it to stay in for 20 if necessary. You're looking for a golden brown crust. Remove from oven and let cool.
4.) Cream cheese, veggie topping:
Put about 8 oz softened cream cheese in a bowl add to it salt, pepper, oregano, onion powder, dill, and garlic powder. Stir until the completely combined. Spread out onto the cooling pizza crust.
5.) The toppings:
You can do whatever you want with this one, but here's what I did. Tomato, cucumber, spinach (which I ripped into small pieces), fresh basil (just a few leaves, which I ripped into tiny pieces), diced avocado (this was a risk that paid off in flavor and texture), topped off with some grated Parmesan cheese.
Try this and enjoy! Here are some pictures.
1.) First, make homemade pizza crust:
2-3 Cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
Olive oil
Dissolve 1 tsp yeast in the warm water, then add 1 cup of the flour and stir together. Add the remaining yeast, salt and sugar and mix. Add the second cup of flour slowly mixing together until the dough is hard to stir. Dump out another 1/2 cup flour on the counter and turn the dough onto it. Fill the bowl with water and let soak. Knead the dough adding flour until it doesn't stick anymore but is pliable and still a little moist. Keep kneading, lightly dusting remaining flour until the dough is springy and not too sticky (5-10 minutes). Rinse out and scrape the bowl and dry. Pour some olive oil into the bowl and place the dough ball into the bowl coating it with the olive oil. Cover with damp, lint-free, cloth for about 2 hours.
When the dough has risen (approx. 2 hours), preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Dust a pizza pan with some flour then work the dough onto the pizza pan until you have what resembles pizza crust.
2.) Crust coating:
Coat the pizza crust with a mixture of olive oil, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper. Finely chop 2-3 cloves of garlic and sprinkle all over the uncooked pizza crust.
3.) Baking:
Place in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, but check after about 12 minutes and allow it to stay in for 20 if necessary. You're looking for a golden brown crust. Remove from oven and let cool.
4.) Cream cheese, veggie topping:
Put about 8 oz softened cream cheese in a bowl add to it salt, pepper, oregano, onion powder, dill, and garlic powder. Stir until the completely combined. Spread out onto the cooling pizza crust.
5.) The toppings:
You can do whatever you want with this one, but here's what I did. Tomato, cucumber, spinach (which I ripped into small pieces), fresh basil (just a few leaves, which I ripped into tiny pieces), diced avocado (this was a risk that paid off in flavor and texture), topped off with some grated Parmesan cheese.
Try this and enjoy! Here are some pictures.
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| Bon Appetite- the paper plate just classed it up |
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| My 5 year old does not like topping, hence the triangular void- He loved the pizza though |
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| The Crust |
Saturday, July 7, 2012
5 Word Phrase to Make Any Trail Runner Freeze
"There's a rattlesnake over there"
Today was 100+ degrees and I needed to do a long run. My goal was 12 miles, I stopped at 10- and I only made it to 10 miles because I had a revelation right before I was going out the door. I realized that it was the perfect time to hit the Stony Valley Rail-trail- a flat, straight, and easy trail that was created when they picked up the old rail tracks. The beauty of this trail is that it is located in between two mountains and is lined by tall, shade-bearing, trees.
I was right about this choice, there was even a breeze- but a slight breeze on a shaded trail when the temperature is over 100 degrees is still a very difficult workout. I had strategically mapped my route so that I came back to my car every 5 miles for a reload of sport drink and re-evaluation of my plan based on the weather.
During my first out-and-back loop two bicyclists rode by, within a mile I looked ahead and noticed they were stopped... perhaps just looking out over the reservoir, I thought. Then the man shouted back to me, "There's a rattlesnake over there." At first I didn't quite make out what he was saying, but it sounded like the word rattlesnake, so I stopped and had him repeat it.
Surprising myself, I didn't freak out, I didn't turn around, my heart didn't even skip a beat. I just asked a few questions, (1) Where is the snake? (2) Is it coiled or just laying there? (3) Is it rattling?
He told me it was coiled, the woman who was with the man said she could see it rattling. They also informed me of its position, which was on the same side of the trail that I was running, so I walked to the other side and moved slowly forward. They then informed me that it was gone, it had slithered away back toward the water. I walked slowly down the side of the trail until I passed the point where the snake was, there was nothing. The man told me he was a little surprised because he had just rode passed it, but as I approached it took off.
Once I started running again, I evaluated the situation. Was it still safe to run this trail as there was just a rattlesnake spotted? It is extremely rare for a runner to come across a rattlesnake on a run, but it does happen. I've been reading up on this for a little while and decided that it was still safe, so I decided to continue, but to keep even more vigilant about snakes... of course that meant that everything looked like a snake after that.
One thing that's really important to note about rattlesnakes is that they have no intention of eating you, so it's not to their benefit to bite you. Even if they were to kill you, they wouldn't eat you, so the only reason why a rattlesnake will bite you is if you startle it or threaten it in any way.
Snakes don't hear with ears, but they feel with the vibrations in the ground, this is why they are rare for a runner to come across one. The snakes can feel the pounding footfalls from a pretty good distance and they will take off the moment they think you're close. This is why the cyclist rode right by it, and I think it only coiled when he stopped and got off his bike- the cyclists had come upon the snake suddenly, so the snake was preparing for defense... my footfalls, plus the man not getting too close, gave the snake the impetus to bolt in the other direction. Had we cornered the snake or gotten too close, it would have struck. Also, had the man said nothing to me or I just ignored him and ran up to the snake, it would have struck in defense. However, if I had been in front of the cyclists, it is more likely that my footfalls would have cleared the way. At least that's how I read it.
If you encounter a snake on the trail, stop. Give it a lot of space and move slowly away from it. Don't make any threatening motions, don't hit it with a stick or a rock, just slowly move away from it or stand completely still and wait for it to leave. It doesn't want to have anything to do with you, either.
If, by some small chance, you get bit, call 911 as soon as possible (in other words, carry a cell phone) and move slowly and calmly to a place where the ambulance can get you. Most initial bites are "dry" bites to warn you, but assume it was a wet bite.
Here's a good resource. Click Here
Be safe and have fun! Thanks for reading!
Today was 100+ degrees and I needed to do a long run. My goal was 12 miles, I stopped at 10- and I only made it to 10 miles because I had a revelation right before I was going out the door. I realized that it was the perfect time to hit the Stony Valley Rail-trail- a flat, straight, and easy trail that was created when they picked up the old rail tracks. The beauty of this trail is that it is located in between two mountains and is lined by tall, shade-bearing, trees.
I was right about this choice, there was even a breeze- but a slight breeze on a shaded trail when the temperature is over 100 degrees is still a very difficult workout. I had strategically mapped my route so that I came back to my car every 5 miles for a reload of sport drink and re-evaluation of my plan based on the weather.
During my first out-and-back loop two bicyclists rode by, within a mile I looked ahead and noticed they were stopped... perhaps just looking out over the reservoir, I thought. Then the man shouted back to me, "There's a rattlesnake over there." At first I didn't quite make out what he was saying, but it sounded like the word rattlesnake, so I stopped and had him repeat it.
Surprising myself, I didn't freak out, I didn't turn around, my heart didn't even skip a beat. I just asked a few questions, (1) Where is the snake? (2) Is it coiled or just laying there? (3) Is it rattling?
He told me it was coiled, the woman who was with the man said she could see it rattling. They also informed me of its position, which was on the same side of the trail that I was running, so I walked to the other side and moved slowly forward. They then informed me that it was gone, it had slithered away back toward the water. I walked slowly down the side of the trail until I passed the point where the snake was, there was nothing. The man told me he was a little surprised because he had just rode passed it, but as I approached it took off.
Once I started running again, I evaluated the situation. Was it still safe to run this trail as there was just a rattlesnake spotted? It is extremely rare for a runner to come across a rattlesnake on a run, but it does happen. I've been reading up on this for a little while and decided that it was still safe, so I decided to continue, but to keep even more vigilant about snakes... of course that meant that everything looked like a snake after that.
One thing that's really important to note about rattlesnakes is that they have no intention of eating you, so it's not to their benefit to bite you. Even if they were to kill you, they wouldn't eat you, so the only reason why a rattlesnake will bite you is if you startle it or threaten it in any way.
Snakes don't hear with ears, but they feel with the vibrations in the ground, this is why they are rare for a runner to come across one. The snakes can feel the pounding footfalls from a pretty good distance and they will take off the moment they think you're close. This is why the cyclist rode right by it, and I think it only coiled when he stopped and got off his bike- the cyclists had come upon the snake suddenly, so the snake was preparing for defense... my footfalls, plus the man not getting too close, gave the snake the impetus to bolt in the other direction. Had we cornered the snake or gotten too close, it would have struck. Also, had the man said nothing to me or I just ignored him and ran up to the snake, it would have struck in defense. However, if I had been in front of the cyclists, it is more likely that my footfalls would have cleared the way. At least that's how I read it.
If you encounter a snake on the trail, stop. Give it a lot of space and move slowly away from it. Don't make any threatening motions, don't hit it with a stick or a rock, just slowly move away from it or stand completely still and wait for it to leave. It doesn't want to have anything to do with you, either.
If, by some small chance, you get bit, call 911 as soon as possible (in other words, carry a cell phone) and move slowly and calmly to a place where the ambulance can get you. Most initial bites are "dry" bites to warn you, but assume it was a wet bite.
Here's a good resource. Click Here
Be safe and have fun! Thanks for reading!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The Sweet Smell of Sweat in a Public Restroom and an Avocado Salad
You know you're a runner when...
There's a difference between "people who run" and "runners", and today I encapsulated the difference. The old me, given the situation of a 7:15 AM appointment for a state inspection/oil change/tire rotation would have just brought something to occupy my time, maybe even conceded defeat and actually watched the morning shows that are always on the TV- I was figuring about 1- 1 1/2 hour.
The new me, well, the new me dropped off my car, went to the bathroom in the service area and changed into running clothes. The runner just left his stuff in a gym bag on the coat rack and left the service station, heading out in one direction about 30 or so minutes, then turned around and ran back... roughly 6.5-7 miles. It was humid and hot (about 85 degrees) so I was, of course, drenched in sweat upon my return.
Then, this sweaty, "runner", grabbed his gym bag and went back into the bathroom to clean up. Have you ever tried to change out of sweat-saturated clothes, rinse off, dry off and then change into cleaner clothes (well, dry gym clothes)? Easy to do at home... but very challenging in a public restroom. This separates the "runner" from "someone who runs".
The runner, when faced with the torment of The Today Show in a car service center decides that this would be the perfect time to get in that run. The runner doesn't care that he is a disgusting mess of humanity whose stench permeates at least 100 square feet around him, he just runs, cleans up the best he can, picks up his car and leaves. That's what I did today, and I liked it.
To reward you for reading this far, let me give you a recipe for an Avocado Salad I came up with today for lunch!
2 Ripe Avocados- diced
1 large tomato- seeded and diced
1 cucumber- diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 sweet onion finely diced
1/2 cup almonds- more if desired
Juice from 2 limes
Gently combine all the above ingredients together in a large bowl- squeeze the juice from the limes on top and mix in- add salt, pepper, ground hemp seeds, and cilantro to desired taste
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek style is what I used, but it's up to you)
Add the following seasonings- salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and dill weed- mix together- start small until the flavor is to your desired taste.
Serve by putting the salad in a bowl and topping it with the yogurt dressing.
Enjoy!
 |
| With Dressing |
 |
| Without the Dressing |
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Chicks Aren't All About Breasts
"Because healthy cooking is boring"
This was my response to my wife this evening when she commented on the fact that the "healthy point of view" chefs on The Next Food Network Star seem to be dismissed early. She was a bit taken aback and replied with, "But your food is always good and it's healthy".
The fact is that my cooking may be healthy, but it's not because I go straight for the "healthy" options when I'm shopping and cooking. My cooking is healthy for the simple fact that I cook most of our food from scratch... not from a box, not in the microwave, and not from a store. I simply take raw ingredients and make a meal out of them.
I try to make food with the following simple principles in mind... a source of protein, fruits and/or vegetables, and some sort of whole grain. Some nights and days, I haven't a clue about what I'm going to make for any of the meals, but somehow something gets done.
This evening, July 4, I decided to ride the grill train and grill some meat... when I grill, however, everything gets done on the grill. If I was cooking "healthy", I would have only gotten the boneless, skinless chicken breast, you know, to cut down on the "fat" content. When I was looking for the meat, I chose the whole bird, because, if you only focus on the breast, you'll miss out on all the other good stuff that you can get from a chicken.
This same principle applies to eggs vs. egg whites but that's another post for another time.
I wound up taking apart the chicken, which took some time, but was less difficult that I anticipated. The basic idea about taking a raw chicken apart is to realize that a chicken essentially has 2 legs, 2 breasts, 2 thighs, and 2 wings- identify where these are and breaking down and cooking a chicken isn't all that hard.
Next was the marinade. I stay as far away from the pre-packaged junk as much as I can. A marinade is simple to make. You basically need a fat, an acid, and whatever combinations of flavors you're looking to taste. This evening, I used Olive oil as my fat, juice from 2 limes as my acid; then salt, pepper, powdered coriander, powdered onion, powdered garlic, and cilantro as my seasonings. I mixed them until it tasted good and then spooned and brushed a portion onto the chicken reserving a portion for the grill later on (never use the juices that marinaded the raw meat beyond the marinading... unless you really want to get sick- you can always use a portion that didn't touch the meat later so long as the utensils used to spread the marinade have not touched the raw meat).
I grilled on low heat until the chicken was done... everyone liked it :-)
For my starch (potatoes are a rarity), I cubed some red-skinned potatoes and combined them with chopped onions, basil, chopped garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. I put these onto the grill as well in a glass casserole dish (soak to clean and I also used a brillo pad to be certain), "yummy" was the response.
For my vegetable/fruit, I simply took some fresh green beans that I bought from a road-side stand and put them in a glass bowl with a tiny bit of water, salt and pepper... I also put these on the grill.
Finally, I cut up a cantaloupe, which I also bought at the roadside stand, for good measure.
The fact is, I think that Americans have lost the art of cooking using fresh ingredients. There is no reason for this except that we have forgotten how. Cooking with fresh ingredients is healthier and cheaper than canned or processed food, yet Americans seem to be all about easy, lazy food.
While on vacation, I noticed an article in a newspaper that stated that 38% of Americans are obese... 38%! That means that in a group of 3 people, most likely, one will be obese. This is a serious problem. One which I believe would be solved simply by eating more plant- based foods and making our own food at home.
Notice- this marathon runner didn't say anything about exercise!
Exercise is only part of the equation, eating right is the biggest, and most important thing to conquer before any exercise practice will be of any good.
This is prime time to stock up on fruits and vegetables... shop at as many roadside stands as possible and eat what you buy liberally... it rots a lot quicker than the processed stuff. As the growing season gets closer to the end, start rinsing and freezing what you can. Eat various forms of protein, legumes, beans, meat, fish, etc. Buy whole chickens and learn how to break them down- don't worry about the "fat" content of the dark meat, just enjoy!
Whole food is tasty and good for you, "healthy" food is boring... chicks aren't all about breasts, there's a lot more to the whole bird and a lot more nutrients and yumminess... enjoy yourself and have fun! Get out there and get active!
Thanks for reading, and it's good to be back!
This was my response to my wife this evening when she commented on the fact that the "healthy point of view" chefs on The Next Food Network Star seem to be dismissed early. She was a bit taken aback and replied with, "But your food is always good and it's healthy".
The fact is that my cooking may be healthy, but it's not because I go straight for the "healthy" options when I'm shopping and cooking. My cooking is healthy for the simple fact that I cook most of our food from scratch... not from a box, not in the microwave, and not from a store. I simply take raw ingredients and make a meal out of them.
I try to make food with the following simple principles in mind... a source of protein, fruits and/or vegetables, and some sort of whole grain. Some nights and days, I haven't a clue about what I'm going to make for any of the meals, but somehow something gets done.
This evening, July 4, I decided to ride the grill train and grill some meat... when I grill, however, everything gets done on the grill. If I was cooking "healthy", I would have only gotten the boneless, skinless chicken breast, you know, to cut down on the "fat" content. When I was looking for the meat, I chose the whole bird, because, if you only focus on the breast, you'll miss out on all the other good stuff that you can get from a chicken.
This same principle applies to eggs vs. egg whites but that's another post for another time.
I wound up taking apart the chicken, which took some time, but was less difficult that I anticipated. The basic idea about taking a raw chicken apart is to realize that a chicken essentially has 2 legs, 2 breasts, 2 thighs, and 2 wings- identify where these are and breaking down and cooking a chicken isn't all that hard.
Next was the marinade. I stay as far away from the pre-packaged junk as much as I can. A marinade is simple to make. You basically need a fat, an acid, and whatever combinations of flavors you're looking to taste. This evening, I used Olive oil as my fat, juice from 2 limes as my acid; then salt, pepper, powdered coriander, powdered onion, powdered garlic, and cilantro as my seasonings. I mixed them until it tasted good and then spooned and brushed a portion onto the chicken reserving a portion for the grill later on (never use the juices that marinaded the raw meat beyond the marinading... unless you really want to get sick- you can always use a portion that didn't touch the meat later so long as the utensils used to spread the marinade have not touched the raw meat).
I grilled on low heat until the chicken was done... everyone liked it :-)
For my starch (potatoes are a rarity), I cubed some red-skinned potatoes and combined them with chopped onions, basil, chopped garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. I put these onto the grill as well in a glass casserole dish (soak to clean and I also used a brillo pad to be certain), "yummy" was the response.
For my vegetable/fruit, I simply took some fresh green beans that I bought from a road-side stand and put them in a glass bowl with a tiny bit of water, salt and pepper... I also put these on the grill.
Finally, I cut up a cantaloupe, which I also bought at the roadside stand, for good measure.
The fact is, I think that Americans have lost the art of cooking using fresh ingredients. There is no reason for this except that we have forgotten how. Cooking with fresh ingredients is healthier and cheaper than canned or processed food, yet Americans seem to be all about easy, lazy food.
While on vacation, I noticed an article in a newspaper that stated that 38% of Americans are obese... 38%! That means that in a group of 3 people, most likely, one will be obese. This is a serious problem. One which I believe would be solved simply by eating more plant- based foods and making our own food at home.
Notice- this marathon runner didn't say anything about exercise!
Exercise is only part of the equation, eating right is the biggest, and most important thing to conquer before any exercise practice will be of any good.
This is prime time to stock up on fruits and vegetables... shop at as many roadside stands as possible and eat what you buy liberally... it rots a lot quicker than the processed stuff. As the growing season gets closer to the end, start rinsing and freezing what you can. Eat various forms of protein, legumes, beans, meat, fish, etc. Buy whole chickens and learn how to break them down- don't worry about the "fat" content of the dark meat, just enjoy!
Whole food is tasty and good for you, "healthy" food is boring... chicks aren't all about breasts, there's a lot more to the whole bird and a lot more nutrients and yumminess... enjoy yourself and have fun! Get out there and get active!
Thanks for reading, and it's good to be back!
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