A Restart? Perhaps it's Time

I've made some new friends in the last year and a half or so since my last post. I've learned many new things, and there have been a lot of changes. I've run a couple more marathons and have had a couple new running injuries and stories of a race cancelled on me and me cancelling on a race. I've moved all the way to Texas, and I've also gained a few pounds and probably picked up a few bad habits. But mostly, I've learned that, at least in some part, my former posts meant something to more people than I thought, including myself.

You see, writing this blog used to be a discipline, a good habit- hard to keep- for me. It sounds silly, but once something becomes habit, it sticks and is hard to break. Creating new, terrible habits are easy to do; these are the things that fill the void of old habits- especially good, disciplined ones.

If you are new to this blog, I encourage you to read from the beginning, where everything started- to learn more about my story, my quips, my sillies, my whatchamacallits. Enjoy some old stories and learn. There are some good recipes for easy, fresh homemade dinners; there are some good tips on exercise; there are good tips on weight loss and diet; I've even put beginner running programs in there; and, of course, race stories.

If you were one of my first readers, welcome back- so sorry to have been out of touch for so long.

A really good friend of mine, Jason (read his story here), recently introduced me to a friend of his who struggles with weight, and he pointed his friend to my blog. This has rekindled a fire, a passion I once had in helping others do the seemingly impossible. By changing some simple things in our lives, learning new ways to live, and rediscovering the joy of eating and living a healthy lifestyle, many of us have renewed ourselves and rediscovered who we are. I feel as though this is a calling to me, and I've certainly missed it.

I guess what I'm saying is, I want back in, because it meant something to me before, and it meant something to others. So, I hereby recommit myself to my simple blog with these two, extremely easy tips to make a very wholesome sandwich.

Homemade Almond Butter
It's very simple

1. Buy raw almonds
2. Spread almonds on cookie sheet, spray lightly with cooking oil (optional)
3. Sprinkle with kosher salt (optional)
4. Roast in oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, let cool
5. Put roasted almonds in blender and puree for a few seconds
6. Add 1-2 tablespoons (depending on need) peanut oil or another oil of choice and puree again until the almonds turn into a recognizable butter-looking substance
7. Add salt to taste
8. Put in container and place in refrigerator

Homemade Strawberry Spread
I totally made this up the other night and it shames me that I never did it before

1. Put a bunch of strawberries, without the stem, in a bowl
2. Take two forks
3. Mash them until they look mashed with some lumps or to your liking
4. Put in container- mix with the juice of one lime
5. ta-da!
6. If you want sweeter stuff, guess what you need to add (though I recommend the evaporated cane type, but to each his/her own)
7. Optional- if you want a really healthy way to make the spread thicker, add a few tablespoons of chia seeds, mix them in and let it sit
8. I feel as though I need the 8th step because the Almond butter needs 8 steps, so- keep in mind, there are no preservatives, so it is best to store a small batch in the fridge with small batches in the freezer :-)

OK, folks, that felt good. It's nice to be back! Invite your friends and all that good stuff!

Peace!
Paul