Another great quote landed in my inbox today by Peggy Flemming.  Remember Peggy? She was the American Champion Figure Skater.

“The first thing is to love your sport. Never do it to please someone else.  It has to be yours.” 

How true is that?!  If we aren’t doing something for ourselves, we can never really give 100%.  Find your sport and love it.

Today’s workout:

Up before the crack and down into the dungeon gym. Pumped out 35 minutes of back and arms. That completes weight workouts for this week leaving only running.

Today’s run was 10.06 miles.  The switch backs were beautiful this morning. Quiet and still except for the occasional movement in the woods, probably deer.  It was barely light out and the trees gave it an even spookier aura.  Shane came with me for 7 of those miles.  We looked for his blister last night, it was gone. Wow – he heals quickly!  To be honest, I did do a little doctoring to help it along  .   We took it slow and made 3 water stops. Thursday will be a day off in prep for the long run on Friday since Saturday will be too busy for long runs. 

My parents are coming up for the summer. They’ll be staying for about 4 weeks. Yay! Can’t wait to have them home.  Mocha will be visiting as well.

Shane could care less. 

Annnddd… on Friday, Pam (Ted’s daughter), Heman, and Heman’s mother will be stopping in for a short visit.  Pam and Heman are getting married in October so we are throwing a Jack and Jill party for them on Saturday.  Big weekend coming up!

Vegetable Tiers

A layering of all things fresh from the garden. Once again, this recipe is wide open for your favorite flavors. 

This is what I did …

• 2 TBS Olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 6 oz small, baby carrots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 TBS Italian seasoning (if you are growing herbs, use fresh basil, oregano thyme…etc.)
• 4 cups Cannellini beans (*if using dried beans, soak for 12 hours, changing the water 3 times then bring to a boil and let simmer, covered one hour.  Otherwise, use canned, drained and rinsed).
• salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 to 3/4 tsp each)
• 1 cup Vegetable broth
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced length wise, about 1/4” slices
• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
• 12 oz Pasta sauce
• 1 to 2 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (or a blend of Asiago, Romano, Parmesan, etc.)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Add the crushed garlic, Italian seasoning, beans, salt and pepper and cook another 5-6 minutes. 

In a food processor, add the onion – bean mixture.  Add the 1 cup of veggie broth and puree until smooth. *Next time, I would leave 1 1/2 cups of the beans whole (not pureed). It will add a more pleasing texture to the dish.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a 12 x 8 or 13 x 9 baking dish, add 1/2 of your pasta sauce.  Spread on the bottom.

Add a layer of zucchini, about 1/2 the slices. Top the zucchini with 1/2 of the puree.   Top the puree with all of the tomatoes.  Top the tomatoes with egg slices. Top the egg with the rest of the zucchini, then the rest of the puree.  Add the mozzarella slices. Top with pasta sauce and sprinkle on the 1/2 cup of Parmesan.

Tent with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and return to the oven for another 25 minutes.

Let cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy your vegetarian protein, vegetable ensemble, nutritionally sound meal. 

Ted wonders how my running power will be with all those beans.  I’m sure I’ll be turbo charged

What’s growing in your garden right now?

Joanne

Since I set my alarm for an early wake up call and running and weights are the first things to get done in the course of the day, there isn’t time for excuses and my workouts are fresh and filled with energy. Most of the time.

Did you know there are certain foods that boost energy?  The following information was from Active by Kelly Bastone of Runner’s World

• Red Bell Pepper:  Vitamin C.  Repairs connective tissue and cartilage.  Alternatives = papaya, cantaloupe, oranges.  *Monet of Anecdotes and Apples has a SUPER recipe for Cantaloupe muffins!
• Salmon:  Fresh or canned, salmon contains protein and Omega-3.  Protein builds and repairs muscle.  Omega-3 is a healthy fat that helps prevent sore muscles and other injuries by acting as an anti-inflammatory. Alternatives: Flaxseed, walnuts.
• Carrots:  Vitamin A found in carrots helps the body generate infection fighting cells and repair muscular micro tearing.  Alternatives:  Sweet potato, spinach
• Almonds:  Healthy fat, Vitamin E and the crunch is good for your teeth.  Alternatives: nut butters, vegetable oils, avocados.
• Cereal Fortified with zinc and other important nutrients:  Zinc and other nutrients in fortified cereals help to assist the protein and fat repair the damages done to over worked muscles.  *Too much zinc can suppress the immune system.  Alternatives:  shellfish, seeds such as pumpkin.

Today’s workout:  I ran on the tread mill. Boring!  Poor Shane has a blister on his foot so I’m giving it time to heal.  The workout went like this:  8.25 T/M miles at 9:05 pace.  A good leg workout followed with abdominals in between leg sets. I made sure to do walking lunges which are an important exercise for runners.  They strengthen all leg muscles and you will especially feel it in your hamstrings. 

Shane and I walked just around MVCC looking for tennis balls but the hunt was a bust.  We came home and played catch in the yard for 10 minutes with a baseball we snagged the other day during one of our walks. He was huffing and puffing so all in all, Shane had a good workout playing catch.

What food energizes your high activity days?

THE FRUIT NEWTON

This recipe produces a sweet layered cookie.  Be flexible. You can use figs, you can use blueberries, strawberries, basically fill the cookie with whatever you like.  I had left over candied fruit mix. The kind you use to make fruit cake.  I simply added water, brought it to a boil, drained the water (and excess sugar that boiled out of the fruit) let it cool then added some apricot preserves to make a sweet, moist filling.  Honestly, fresh blueberries with a little sugar would be my favorite. 

Check out this recipe and see what you can come up with to satisfy your Newton loving crew.

Fruit Newtons – makes 32 bar cookies

• 16 oz fruit *If using fresh fruit, add about 1/2 cup sugar)
• 1 cup water  (1/2 cup for fresh fruit)
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves *use this only if using the candied fruit
• 1/2 cup healthy butter alternative  (*such as Promise Healthy Heart) – room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 TBS milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour (* this may have to be adjusted. Originally I used 2 cups and the dough was too soft)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder

In a saucepan, add the fruit (sugar if fresh fruit) and water. Bring to a boil then turn off heat, cover and let sit 1 hour.  Drain excess water.  Stir in preserves if using candied fruit and give it all a quick puree with an immersion blender or food processor.

Beat the butter, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla.  Add the flour, salt and baking powder.  Mix to make a soft dough.  Make sure it is not too soft so as you won’t be able to roll it out.  Add more flour if needed.  Chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 13 x 9 pan.

On a floured board, roll out 1/2 of the refrigerated dough.  Place the rectangle in the pan.

Spread the fruit puree on top.

Roll out the remaining 1/2 of the dough and place on top of the fruit puree. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

There isn’t anything much better than a homemade Newton.

 What’s your favorite fruit flavor?

Joanne

The boom of thunder woke me up at 6 am today.  If that kept up, it would mean finding a gym with a day charge.  By 7 am the thunder had stopped and there was only a light rain.  That wouldn’t deter me.  In fact, I thought it would cool things off. 

The rain felt good and it gave me the idea that today would be a faster run.  Then it tapered off.  At about 2 miles, it felt like I was running with 10 extra pounds.  Shane felt it too since he was panting like crazy and dragging behind.  The air was so heavy and made running a chore.  I was dreading the strides. 

We finished our run and Shane was flat out on the floor. There was no Frisbee playing in his mind. I had a huge bowl of fruit, hit the tub and made myself a healthy breakfast of oats and a protein shake. 

All in a Friday’s Fun Filled Day:

Began my day doing some research, downloading work email, and supping some Starbucks wonderful coffee.  Then it was off to find something to do.

Since Shane was my partner in crime for this trip, I loaded him in the car and we set off in the direction of Georgetown, S.C.  We went a little past Georgetown and considered a drive to Charleston but decided it was after 12 pm and the 1 hour drive wasn’t turning me on.  We made a left turn into a development site for future condos.  Parked and walked around the loop overlooking the water.

Shane wasn’t too impressed with the area so after he had done what he had to, it was back to the car.

We stopped in historic Georgetown and walked the river walk.

It was a gorgeous day and I was dying to stop at one of the restaurants along the water, sit outside and sip a nice glass of wine. Unfortunately, Shane wouldn’t allow any waitress to get within 10 feet of us so that was out of the question.

When we got home at about 2:15 pm, we played Frisbee in the yard then decided it was time for my scheduled cycling. 

Pumped up the tires, got the helmet and sunglasses on, put on the biking shoes and off I went.  I must have covered every nook and cranny inside Heritage Plantation.  Going in and out of every cul-de-sac, back tracking around circles, but it was still only 5 miles.  I left the plantation on my way to who knew where. 

I turned at True Blue, a nice golf course/plantation area.  The condos are time shares and very attractive inside.

I went down the road to a prepatory school and couldn’t believe what was happening! Perspiration was DRIPPING from my nose!  I so RARELY perspire like that!  Was it that hot?!

I’m not picking anything, but wiping the dripping sweat perspiration from my face.  Drip or no drip, I continued on.  The plan was 12 to 15 miles.

After exiting True Blue, I decided to ride to the club house in Caledonia.  But this is what I saw upon entering:

Turn around and head back towards Heritage.  I went past Heritage down to Route 17 but there was no way I was crossing that road alone.  Making my way back, it was a rough ride. The road wasn’t smooth and there were plenty of pot holes and other miscellaneous bumps to avoid.  15 miles cycling done. Then I was shut out of the house. My dad had closed the garage door.  I went stalking around the house until finally being seen and let inside.

Once home, I was hot and thought this would be a great time to do some laps in the pool.  The pool had some kids splashing around, a couple of guys chit chatting and a couple (you can see in the back ground) snogging.  Isn’t that a Harry Potter word? 

I didn’t want to stay with all that going on so I did 4 laps and called it quits.

DINNER FOR ONE…and the DOG

It was 5:30 pm.  I made a pizza for my dad and my mother only wanted soup again. She wanted a grilled cheese sandwich to go along with that soup but didn’t like the way I was going to make it so my dad was her chef of choice. 

I made the pizza for my dad thinking I might have some as well for dinner otherwise I would go out to eat. I put turkey bacon on one half.  The entire pizza had a mild salsa topping, sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomato slices topped with shredded fresh basil leaves, pepper, and sharp cheddar low fat cheese.  I had a slice. It was good. My dad took the two remaining vegetable slices leaving only the turkey bacon covered pieces.  Dad just can’t get the fact that I won’t eat meat. 

I went out to dinner.

,

The Blue Crab is very close to Heritage, right across route 17.  When I saw the sign that said “Welcome Bikers”,  it dawned on me that this might not be my usual Friday night fare. But what the heck. 

When I walked in and said “dinner for one”.  The waitress showed me to the bar. Ohhhhh KAY! I realized I wasn’t dressed up or anything and my hair was still slightly wet from swimming but ….the bar?!  Whatever. 

No wine list.  I asked for a Pinot Noir. It was a Cavit and pretty much lacking in any notable flavors. 

The bartender then said, “My name is Bradley. What’s your name?”  Very friendly, I like that ….”Joanne”.  “Hi Joanne”.  “Hi”. 

I was going to order a grilled salmon and take half home to Shane.  There was no salmon on the menu.  The special was a Mahi filet with 2 sides.  I really don’t enjoy Mahi and it’s on my list of being close to meat but, if I didn’t have that, it was the fish tacos.  Not in the mood for those. I chose  the Mahi with asparagus, black beans and rice as my two sides.  I also wanted a garden salad.  I asked for oil and vinegar.  That took a little explaining.  Apparently the usual patron of the Blue Crab does not ask for oil and vinegar. 

My salad arrived

Then I was handed a little cup and “Bradley” said it was Balsamic.  I asked if it was a vinaigrette? He said “yes, it is balsamic vinegar”.  I said “but does it have oil in it?”  He said “I think so”.  When I looked at it, there were no oil droplets floating on the surface.  Bradley then had a short conversation with another server who shook his head and, consequently, another tub of balsamic was brought to me.  Bradley said “I think this is what you want”.  It wasn’t oil and vinegar but the conversation had gotten old to me by now. Just let me eat my salad.

I asked if I could get just a plain hamburger patty, no bun, no trimmings.  I explained that it was for my dog.  Bradley said he could do just a …whatever he called it and it would be about $2.00. Fine. Then he consulted another server, they had a little discussion, Bradley turned and said, “ is $3.00 ok?  Fine.  I said no sides, and no bun. He doesn’t eat wheat (they both looked at me funny) then the other server said “No ketchup?”  HA HA – NO!          Bradley:  “Well done?”  Me:  “Medium – juicy please. It’s for a dog”.  

The Mahi had very little taste. The asparagus was delicious probably because it was buttered but I couldn’t imagine the conversation should I have asked them to take it back and give it to me plain.  The black beans and rice were also very good. 

Shane enjoyed half of his burger when I got home with the rest of his dog food. 

The night ended with a walk to the Marina and now it’s toes up.  The obvious question for you all is….

Do you ever go to dinner alone? 

I enjoy my time alone so I really don’t mind it.  It’s not something I would do at home but I will if I am travelling on business or, like tonight, if the situation suggests it.  It can be a fun experience.

Joanne

Weights:  chest, shoulders and abs.  That leaves only a run for Thursday. YAY! Love those easy aerobic only days. 

Walking the dog:  It was a little wet outside so I grabbed the tennis ball and Shane and I went over to the college track.  We ran  little, walked  little and played ball a lot.  Passing the tennis courts on the way home, we spotted 2 lonely tennis balls. More for us!   We went back, grabbed them and continued on.  A total of 2.83 miles. Ted won’t be happy about more balls, they are all over the lawn when he mows it.  

Tonight we have the ride in silence to recognize those hurt or killed while riding a bike.  It’s a 10 mile bike ride in total silence, hand signals only, with a police escort.  We all meet up at 6pm and leave at 7pm.  Can’t imagine what we are going to do in the Rec. Center parking lot for an hour but….whatever.  I’m SO impatient! 

Not sure about Thursday’s ride.  If it’s windy again, I’m calling it quits. That wind has been relentless this year and I’m sick of it. Enough already!  PLUS, my half is on Sunday and those bikers pedal fast on that Thursday ride.  I’ll have to evaluate my leg condition before embarking on a glycogen exhausting endeavor such as 20 miles of riding at 14 – 15 mph with only one stop.  I’m telling you… these people are bike maniacs!  In a good way

Grabbing some grub….

Sometimes you just grab stuff and try to make a meal before you even have a plan as to the end result.  This is what happened when I simply peered into the pantry and grabbed.  It was a good outcome.

RICE SCRAMBLE: Serves 3 to 4 with a side salad.

• 1 pkg. black beans and rice (removed from the BURRITO DINNER package during our private party). *This packet had some spicy mix added to it.  Normally, I would simply cook 1 can black beans with 1/2 cup of rice and then add my favorite spices.
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 4.5 oz jar sliced mushrooms – drained
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1 small bunch of asparagus, chopped
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 6.5 oz can chopped clams – drained
• 1 cup Egg Beaters
• salt and pepper to taste

Make the beans and rice according to package directions which were:  Boil 2 cups of water, add the rice and seasoning, reduce heat to medium and cook 12 minutes.  Following the 12 minutes, uncover and let cook an additional 10 minutes to reduce some of the liquid.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Heat oil in pan over medium heat.  When hot, sauté the pepper, asparagus and onion for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and mushrooms and cook until spinach wilts.  Stir in Old Bay seasoning.

Transfer the cooked rice and beans to a  9 x 9  or so baking dish sprayed with non-stick. 

Top with veggie mixture. 

Add the clams

top with the Egg Beaters.  Sprinkle with just a little salt and pepper.

Cook  30 to 40 minutes until Egg Beaters are cooked.  

The rice will not set firm on the bottom but adds such flavor to the entire egg-clam bake.

Light and very healthy.  Enjoy for a perfect summer night meal.

What do you ALWAYS have on hand in the pantry for a quick meal?

Last chance for the GIVEAWAY!  I will select the lucky BISCOFF winner at noon.

Joanne

I ignored all feelings of tiredness, lack of concentration, nausea, right up until 2:15 pm.  At that point in the afternoon, I gave up and left work to go home.  All I could think about was going to bed.   From the moment I got home until 4:30 pm I slept.  After waking up, it took some time but the energy came back and I started to feel better. 

The weird dream I had should have been the signal that my body wasn’t feeling good.  I seem to always have very vivid and weird dreams if I am getting sick or just generally not well.  That doesn’t happen very often, thank goodness.

Thursday was back to normal but my workout wasn’t as intense.  30 minutes of Elliptical + 40 minutes of back, shoulders, abs with weights + 3.25 mile run at 9.06 pace.  Slower than I wanted but I felt good.  

The cycle ride:  The wind was gusting at points of 20 miles per hour.  I told Ted I was really unsure about riding.  We decided to go for it and got the the meet up just in time.  The group left at about 5:40 pm. 

The wind was pushing me back.  The hills plus the wind were more difficult than the ending miles of any long run I’ve ever done.  My right hip began to hurt and my left hamstring was throbbing. I told Ted I couldn’t do it.  He tried to block the wind by riding in front since I wasn’t keeping up with the group.  Finally Ted pulled up… in sand of all places and then told the trailer rider that he just kind of lost it but he actually pulled up for me.  He just didn’t mean to pull up in deep sand. 

We stopped the group.  Everyone was saying just a little more and then we turn and the wind will be behind us. Someone questioned my gear settings then EVERYONE chimed in that I was in high gear in the front. “YOU shouldn’t be riding in that gear – YOU SHOULD BE IN MIDDLE GEAR!” Ok…this was my 4th time out…what the heck do I know?!  I was told to get off my bike so two of the guys could change the front gear.  “LEAVE IT THERE!”  I was told to simply adjust the rear gears for now.  That was LESSON ONE.

LESSON TWO.   The young kid, a front rider who was told to help me out at that point,was EXCELLENT.  Apparently he races and does 2 century rides per week (2 x 100 !!!!! ).  He further told Ted and I that the reason we use the clip in shoes to pedal are so we can PULL up the hill –hence use quads. instead of hamstrings. That was another HUGE help.  After we stopped, he told me not to listen to anyone who tells me not to change gears.  Practice.

So the ride after the extended stop on my account turned out a little easier than the initial 8-9 miles.  We did a total of over 21 miles – not sure of the exact number.  Bodily damage was just the left hamstring.  I may need to wrap it on Saturday for the race but the hip pain went away – thank goodness. 

What a week this has been.  Good by April… Hello May! 

LETS EAT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE…

Delicious!

On page 241 of the book “Chocolate Epiphany” by Francois Payard, you will find the best chocolate mousse recipe ever tasted.

In the group, Chocolate with Francois, the recipe for April was chosen by Moogie of Moogie and Pap.  Terrific pick Moogie! 

This was so chocolaty, but not overly sweet.  It melted onto your tongue for the most luxurious experience, kind of like snuggling down under the richest of silky sheets. Ooohhh so good.

Don’t hesitate to visit Moogie’s site for the recipe because it has all of 6 ingredients and one of them is water.

I never knew making mousse could be so easy.  It didn’t require gelatin (which would have made it non-vegetarian) but it does require egg.  Specifically 1 whole egg and 1 yolk.  The rest is simply cream, sugar and chocolate.

Just fold it all together, chill and you have the perfect dessert. 

This recipe will be sure to hit the Apple Crumbles table in the future for a quick and easy presentation of sweet luxury to serve to our friends.

Joanne