Food and Running, Food and Running, Food and Running...

It's going to be hard to get Day 21 done - feeling rather lazy today. OK, and it didn't help that I scoffed a big bag of sour cream and onion chips down over the last two days! For those interested, it was not a half and half scoffing - it was an eat-until-you-can't-eat-another feast on Wednesday and then what was leftover got inhaled yesterday! Hey, I said I was giving up fast food, not junk food!

Speaking of fast food - had some real cravings over the last week or so. I came back from my run on Tuesday, took a shower, got dressed and this thought popped into my head: Some Dairy Queen onion rings would be really, really good right now! I think that's what started the ball rolling because since then I've been visualizing burgers and fries and onion rings, oh my!! I've kept it in check, though.

I wonder sometimes what next January will be like. I mean here we are in May and I'm still wanting the fast food. When my self-imposed fast food sabbatical ends, will I spend the entire month of January gorging on burgers, fries and onion rings? Or will I take one bite and go 'blech'? I guess we'll have to wait and see. I've got to get through the next 7 months first!!

Back to my laziness. At sometime today I have to find the energy to get a run done. My legs feel good, so it's more a matter of my brain trying to convince me I'm tired. It's cloudy and misty this morning, so I may decide on a treadmill run (change is as good as a rest -  a wonderful saying my mother always used) later today. I certainly would not be eligible for the Running Streak Association as I've slipped in a couple of spin bike sessions AND I use the treadmill - they advocate that the running has to be done sans machine assistance. Personally, the treadmill is of no assistance to me - I still have to move my legs and I still end up sweating profusely! Yep, it might be a treadmill day!

No matter what I do, I will run. I'm almost half way through the 50 Day Craziness, can't give up now! I am amazed at how strong my body really is - somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I wasn't pushing myself enough (that brain taking the easy way out again). I expected a little twinge here or there, maybe a cranky (as Keith dubs it) knee or hip, but nothing. Not too bad for a 50 year old body!!

All right, pattered on along enough. Have a great weekend everyone - feel free to share your weekend plans in the comment section. Or give a prediction of what my January will be like once I come off my fast food break. Or tell me your favorite flavor of potato chip. Or tell us what kind of crazy 'quest' you'd take on if you were, well, crazy!!

I should change the name of my blog to Janet's Journal about Food and Running!

Monday and Maple Syrup...

Well, Monday - here you are again! At least you showed up this time with some sunshine, thanks for that! And, I will also acknowledge, you're pulling along less work days as Friday has been given leave to join the weekend crowd (Easter Holiday). But you're still Monday and I still don't have much fondness for you - sorry, but I need to tell like it is!

Monday also heralds the last week of March - and the sooner that month flips over the calendar, the better. Let's see - March had me sick for almost 2 weeks due to a cold, offered up a rejection for Dancing with the Bodyguard, and was filled with grey skies and some nasty storms. Yep, glad to see it go, even though it did contain my birthday and I did have cake. OK, I'll give March that...but only that.

On another note - we took in one of the Maple Breakfasts over the weekend. Maple syrup season is in full bloom here. Anyone interested in the maple syrup making should go here for information: http://www.canadianmaplesyrup.com/mapleabout.html. Did you know that it takes approximately 40 gallons of maple water to be evaporated to make 1 gallon of syrup? Anyway, we had a fabulous breakfast of scrambled eggs cooked in maple syrup (if you've never done this, I insist you try - delicious), bacon (oh, I love me some bacon), maple sausages, pancakes and baked beans (which I didn't have - just not sure about having baked beans for breakfast, but the friends who did have them said they were fabulous). It was all delicious - and very maple-y!

I've never been to a real sugar shack - so I couldn't compare my experience to that. I would love to go to a traditional sugar shack and have the maple syrup on the snow - maybe one day.

How was everyone's weekend? Did you do anything special? Anyone out there a maple syrup fan?

Eat Then Diet...

Last night was a Couch-Fest! Still not feeling well thanks to my birthday present cold, so I made more tea and parked myself in front of the TV. First up - Eat Street!

The show is basically a tour of food trucks - the rage, it seems, in the big cities. I love this show for the simple reason that they show food. I love food. And it's fast food food - so if I can't have any in real life thanks to a self-imposed one year ban, I'm going to enjoy it virtually. The first food truck featured was all about French Fries!!! This food truck's twist - French Fries covered in strange toppings. Kind of like poutin, but not. First up was Chili Cheese Fries - French Fries covered in a beer and chocolate chili then mounded with a fistful of grated cheese. They then did a Kimchi (Korean mixture of pork belly, onions and cabbage) covered French Fries!

Over the hour of virtual fast food, I was treated to Creme Brulee (yes,  from a food truck), upscale bistro food (includin cerviche with scallops served over baby greens - a British Columbia food truck), Taiwanese Baos (a steamed bun filled with all kinds of interesting combinations), and a waffle with fried chicken smothered in maple syrup and hot sauce. I was full by the time the show finished - and also very curious about the taste of waffles and fried chicken!!

What's a girl to do after all the food? Why, go on a diet! Up next was The Biggest Loser. I know, reality TV, but I happen to love The Biggest Loser. The contestants are so inspiring (except for last year - last year was just a hot mess) - working their butts off (literally) and discovering who they really are - and coming to love that person. This season has been incredibly moving - they've all come so far, are totally committed to one another (they've become family) and have reduced me to tears on more than one occassion! Even those that have been eliminated - they've gone home and continued to shed huge amounts of weight on their own!

Last night was the show before the finale, so we got to see how far they've come and check in with the doctor to see how their health has improved. One of the contestants (Danni) has blown the health professionals away with her 19 pound MUSCLE gain! 19 pounds of muscle packed on in just 3 short months! She looks amazing (and I'm hoping she ends up being the winner - but they all deserve the prize). Yep, I shed a few tears again last night over a reality show!!

So, that was my night. Anyone want to weigh in on The Biggest Loser? Anyone out there watch Eat Street? How about food trucks in your neck of the woods? I know we have a bus that does the regular burgers, fries, fish and chips just down the road from us in the summer (last year was their first year), and there's a fish and chip truck that sometimes parks itself on the beach a mere 15 minutes from here - but that's all the food truck experience I've had. Would love to hear from those that have experienced the food truck rage (as in popularity, not violent "Give me my fries!!!" kind of rage).

A Love Letter...

Dear Fast Food,

It's been 49 days since we last were together and I miss you so. I remember the day vividly. You smelled so good, pheromones wafting into the parking lot, luring me through your doors and into your sleek, funky-new millennium setting. If you had noticed me amongst your adoring fans, you would have seen my happiness. From the smile on my lips to the twinkle in my eye; my push forward in anticipation of seeing you, touching you; my eagerness to pay for the pleasure.

As I indulged in my addiction of you, I knew it had to end. My thrill of simply walking through your doors indicated an affection that was not healthy. My desire to see you had gone from an occasional whim to planning outings based solely on getting to you. If it had been a couple of weeks, my mind would focus on nothing but you. Only when I had fulfilled my need, could I continue with the monotony of my life. But that need grew and grew until I was so hopelessly and sadly tied to you, you became the monotony of my life.

I thought this would be easy. Simply stay away. The first couple of weeks were easy - I put you out of my mind. I drove miles out of my way so as not to pass your tempting facade. I sent my husband into town to shop just so I wouldn't fall into old habits or fall into 'just this once'. I was strong. And doing so well.

But you couldn't let me go, could you? You, with your millions of admirers, I never thought you'd miss me. Let alone stoop to such tactics to get me back. The surprise love letter in my mailbox made my heart beat quickly with the memory of your wares - and the ploy to offer yourself at less than what I've paid for in the past, that was ingenious. I remembered my pledge and stayed strong. I'm having a much harder time ignoring your pleas on television, your constant begging for my time and attention. Why do you torture me so?

Please! Please don't do this. It breaks my heart to tell you its over and you have to move on. I love you, I'll always love you, but we are not right for each other. To continue would only send me spiralling down into despair and illness. And, my love, you don't need me. You will be fine without me. You will continue to thrive. Let us end this with maturity and dignity. Let me go.

Yours,

　

　

In a Perfect World...

In a perfect world, my friends and family would be agents and publishers! I recently heard back from a very good friend to whom I sent Dancing with the Bodyguard. This friend was one of the first to read The Seduction of Lady Bells back when it was fresh off the first revision presses - and she encouraged me to continue with my writing, encouraged me to do something with it! Until then, all of my writing had been kept underwraps - for my eyes only. This time, she was even more enthusiastic - and her e-mail is one I will put in my feel-good folder (with the others - you know who you are) to pull out whenever I doubt myself and my storytelling skills.*

In a perfect world, my mouth would stay closed until my brain had time to catch up with the latest crazy scheme hatched up by my inner Idea Girl**! I figure that once the mouth has engaged, then you can't go back (I think my upbringing has something to do with that - those life lessons of following through and 'making your bed'). This marathon training is one of those things that should have been given a good going over to see whether everyone was on board. Yeah, I'm freaking out - can you tell?

In a perfect world, I would eat cake for breakfast every day. Oh! Wait! Today I ate cake for breakfast***!! We had company over for supper last night and I made cake, which leaves cake sitting on the counter staring at me while I pour my coffee, which means said cake will be my fast breaking choice. Remember the post I did on making sure to eat something (no one said what that something was) as soon as getting out of bed? Remember the article I read said that after a week or two you'll start to feel hungry when you get up (a good sign that your metabolism is kicking it up a notch)?  Cake for breakfast - it was Idea Girl's suggestion!!

*Self-doubt? Me? Seriously? Yes, I read those encouraging e-mails almost as many times as I check for incoming e-mails!!

**Idea Girl has no reasoning skills - she reads something on-line, hears someone talking about something or sees someone doing something and she's all over a new idea without consultation!!

***It was Oatmeal Cake (recipe HERE) so I figure it's good for me!!

What's it like in your perfect world?

Leftovers - Take 'em or Leave 'em?

Leftovers - bleh! It's a good thing I found The Husband because he loves leftovers! I don't have to worry about throwing good food into the compost bin, which would happen if I were the only one in the house. Because I hate leftovers.

But, that's not entirely true. I love some leftovers - like this past weekend, The Husband made a big feed of spaghetti and meatsauce on Friday night to help fuel me up for my long 12 mile run on Saturday morning. Carb-loading? Yes, a post on running nutrition is coming - there's so many differing opinions out there that it's giving me grief. But I'll buy into that carb-loading one because I love pasta. And I love The Husband's recipe for spaghetti and meatsauce!

Recipe:
Ground beef - scramble fry with some chopped onions
Add spices (oregano, some chili flakes, basil, garlic powder)
Tomato soup (yes, canned tomato soup) - as many cans as to make the consistency you like (we use about 5 cans to 1 pound ground beef.
Bring to simmer - let simmer for half hour or so.
Enjoy!!

Super easy, super good - and fabulous as a leftover. Yes, I will eat this left over. We take all the leftover spaghetti and mix it with enough of the sauce (we always have sauce left to freeze for a quick 'What are we going to eat?' meal). Then, the next day, fry (yes, fry) it up in some butter. So good. And that was my post-run meal! I don't know about carb-loading after a long run, but I certainly enjoyed it!

The other leftover I absolutely love is leftover pizza. Bonus, The Husband made home-made pizza yesterday for the big game (Superbowl). I will be enjoying my leftover pizza perhaps as early as mid-morning. And for this leftover, I like it cold. Always have loved leftover, cold pizza!!

I'm sure there are some other leftovers I do like (turkey comes to mind), but, on average, leftovers are yucky! Anyone out there with me or are you all leftover fans? Do you have someone in your house that either loves leftovers (allowing you to continue to shun them) or hates leftovers (my kind of person)? Have you ever tried fried spaghetti? Dare I ask: Did anyone watch the Superbowl?

My Name is Janet and I'm a Fast Food Junkie...

I should come clean here - they do say that it helps to admit to a problem and talking about it to friends and family can be beneficial. *Deep breath* So, here goes -

I have decided to give up fast food for the entire year!

OMG, I can't believe I wrote those words. I can't believe I'm attempting such an astounding feat! This goal feels bigger and scarier than the goal of running a marathon in May and 50K in September! Because you all know my addiction to fast food!

I don't seem to do things in half measures - perhaps I am going through a midlife crisis!?! The fast food idea rumbled around in my head from the moment I saw the November campaign for Stick it to Fast Food (a group of Ontario students raising awareness of our addiction to fast food - I talked about it here: NaNoWriMo or One of These). Then, at the end of December while I was watching a fast food commercial and planning a trip because I was craving, I decided that I really should do something with this addiction.

You see, it's not just going out for fast food every now and then. It's grabbing a burger almost every time I'm in town picking up groceries or whatever. It's looking at my calendar and deciding the perfect day to go in for a fast food lunch. Or using it as a very unhealthy carrot on the stick I dangle in front of me when I don't want to do something (like run). It's looking forward to going into the city and getting to pick which fast food restaurant we'll stop and eat at - not the looking forward to going into the city for a day with The Husband.

So, as with any good addict who's looking to stop the insanity, I took myself out for a final burger at the end of December. It was one of the worst burgers I've ever had, which should make this quest that much easier. I lifted my paper/plastic cut and toasted The Husband, toasted the end of fast food for a year. In my mind, I was toasting only the end of a certain fast food establishment, but as I got thinking (never a good idea with me), I realized if I was going to do it, I had to do it big.

WAIT! Please be aware that I am not giving up FRIED FOOD, just FAST FOOD. I still plan to enjoy the occasional fish and chips (one of the reasons I live in Nova Scotia). And when we do go out to eat, I will order french fries (because ordering a salad could be a health risk - terrible outbreak of e-coli and the cause is lettuce from restaurants). So, don't go thinking I'm over-the-top crazy. Just partially crazy.

It's been almost a month. My only problem has been the plethora of commercials for a certain fast food fried chicken chain, who were kind enough to send coupons in the mail (appealing not only to my fast food addictions, but to my very frugal Scottish blood, too). I will be strong. I will get through. I will report back!!

Have you ever given up fast food? Any fast food junkies out there? Hands up if you want to join the support group!!

Break That Fast...

Are there breakfast eaters out there? I've never been a big breakfast kind of person. Back in the day, when I smoked, breakfast consisted of a cigarette and a coffee*. This was the total opposite of how I was raised - we had a hot breakfast before school, usually shredded wheat with hot milk, a dab of butter and a spoonful of sugar. Mmmm, I remember the taste of that butter, sweet milk. My mom is an advocate of breaking the fast!

Now, it could be because I was lazy when I moved away from home. Or I just fell into the coffee and cigarette habit. When I started teaching, I knew I had to eat before leaving the house, so that set up my cereal and orange juice routine. For years and years, cereal and orange juice. Don't be fooled - the weekends came and I would have coffee for breakfast then get around to making some eggs and toast around brunchtime. The cereal and orange juice habit continued with every 9 - 5 job I had.

I still have that kind of job, but I work from home, so I've gone back to the very bad habit of coffee for breakfast (thank goodness there's not a cigarette with it - gave that habit up long ago). OK, truth be told, it's two coffees for breakfast, then I usually take a break around the 10 o'clock hour and make oatmeal. I'm just not a breakfast kind of person.

BUT - in a magazine article talking about the Undiet (you know, eating nutritionally, enjoying some indulgences every now and then, making sure your plate isn't filled to capacity - taking everything you know about smart eating and applying it to your daily life), they, of course, recommended breakfast. Did you know that if you wake up and you're NOT hungry, it's a sign of a slow metabolism? I found this fascinating. Yes, my metabolism has slowed considerably (sitting around staring at a computer, typing, sedentary and all) over the past 6/7 years. And I'm never hungry in the morning, thus the coffee for breakfast.

Google 'not hungry in the morning is a sign of slow metabolism' and you're going to get a ton of different responses. So I'm not saying that this article was correct - it just got me thinking. I'm having a coffee (and thinking), so it didn't spur me on to eat breakfast as soon as I got up. But I think I will - start, that is. See if there's something to this. The article said that after a couple of weeks of eating as soon as you get up, you will start to feel hungry when you wake up. I'll let you know.

*Yes, I am back on coffee. The whole no coffee experiment lasted maybe a month, month and a half and then I was right back to that morning brew! I'm doing a new experiment, which I will fill you in on next week (it's a big one).

So, hands up if you eat breakfast upon rising?

Calories Out, Calories In and a Sore Arm...

A brilliant run yesterday - my running partner and I headed out to Liverpool, NS (about half an hour drive from here) to do our long run. There was no snow there, the temperature was a perfect 5 degrees (41F) and no wind. The sidewalks and roads were clear of ice, so no worries of slipping and sliding. We did 8 miles and, according to my Garmin, I burned 889 calories. Not that I worry about the calories burned, I don't do the whole calorie counting thing, but the watch provides that information and I have a little spot in my running journal to note it.

That's the calories out!

The Husband decided to cook up a prime rib roast last night on his new BBQ (a Green Egg - uses lump charcoal and makes everything taste heavenly). I started out with the thought of mashed potatoes and an au jus, but then....then I thought of Hollandaise sauce! I haven't made Hollandaise sauce in over 15 years. One of our favorite fancy dinners out used to be Chateaubriand (beef filet with Hollandaise sauce). Living in the Arctic, one doesn't have the opportunity to eat out at restaurants, so I learned to make my own. Last night, I pulled out the recipe and got to it.

OMG!! We had our prime rib with brown rice, steamed veggies and way more Hollandaise sauce than we should have. I believe I exceeded my calories out from the morning run with the calories inhaled at dinner time!

Oh, and the sore arm? Yeah, I forgot how much whisking is involved in making Hollandaise from scratch! A few more calories burned, but still not enough to compensate for the rich, creamy sauce that I ladled over my meat, rice and veggies!!

Anyone out there count calories? Have you ever counted calories? Do you like Hollandaise sauce? I know, you usually put Hollandaise sauce on Eggs Benedict and Bearnaise sauce on meat, but I don't!

*Edited: For those interested, here's the recipe for Hollandaise Sauce:

3 egg yolks - whisk in a double boiler over hot water (not boiling) until thickened slightly

Add 4 tbsp boiling water 1tbsp at a time - whisk between each addition until eggs are thickened slightly

Add 1 1/2 tbsp warm lemon juice and continue to whisk until eggs are thickened slightly

Remove from heat source (I use a stainless steel bowl over a pot - water not touching bottom of bowl - and then remove the bowl to a kitchen towel on the counter to continue, towel keeps bowl in place...there is more whisking to come).

Add 1/2 c melted butter in a very slow stream, all the time whisking the egg mixture until thickened and lemony colored. Add 1/2 tsp salt (recipe calls for a pinch of cayenne, I never add it).

*If sauce is done before rest of food - whisk every couple of minutes so it doesn't get a skin and then just before serving, place bowl back over hot water (I leave the water on so that it's ready) and whisk until it comes back up to serving temperature.

Enjoy :)

 

Never Fail Turkey Soup...

I awoke this morning at about 4am - nothing unusual, I'm often awake at that time for a trip to the bathroom and then to toss and turn for a couple of hours. But this morning, as I stumbled to the bathroom, my stomach growled with hunger. The smell of turkey soup simmering away in my crock pot made me instantly hungry! Yes, I make turkey soup in my slow cooker over night!

I've never been able to make turkey (or chicken) soup before. I'd try - every time we'd have a chicken or a turkey, I'd throw the bones and stuff into a pot and set it on the stove to simmer away - just like my mom advised me to do. It never turned out - watery, thin, and very un-turkey like in flavor. Finally, I gave up and would fight to ignore the sound of my mom's outrage in my head as I threw the bones away! To her, that was a waste - but if I couldn't make good soup, then keeping the bones was useless.

Then, a good friend told me to use my slow cooker. He said that it would work - he guaranteed it would work - so I tried. And it did! I've been making turkey (and chicken) soup ever since - not wasting anything, Mom!! A bonus - the smell of simmering turkey soup filling the house from early, early morning is better than any air freshener or incense...but, be warned, it makes you hungry.

So, for all my friends who would like to make Turkey Soup but have never had any luck - here you go. Try it - it works.

Slow Cooker Turkey Soup
In a large slow cooker, dump all the bones, bits of meat, skin, even the giblets (if you want). Add a couple of chopped carrots, a couple of stalks of celery chopped, and an onion quartered. Stick in a bay leaf or two. Cover the entire contents with water (just cover - and don't overfill your slow cooker - I leave about an inch to an inch and a half at the top). Add (very, very important) 2 tbsp of white vinegar (this will stop the frothy foam from forming - say that fast). Put the lid on it, plug it in, set to low, cook overnight (or 8 - 12 hours).
Let cool, strain into a stock pot, set in fridge for a couple of hours to solidify the fat. Skim that off and discard. (At this stage, you have excellent stock - if that's all you want - which can  be frozen for future uses)
Get your husband to pick the meat off the bones and add to the stock (I don't like that job), you can add the carrots and celery back into the stock or chuck them (I add them, they are so tender and flavorful). Add some leftover turkey meat if you want it meaty and a handful or two of rice (or noodles, if noodles are your preference). Bring it to the boil on the stove, then simmer until the rice (or noodles) are cooked through. Enjoy!

Anybody out there make turkey soup -  want to share your never-fail recipe? Did I miss adding anything to my soup, something I should consider this afternoon when I put it on the stove and start the second stage?

Non-NaNo Post...

Well, another day, another 1667 words ahead of me! I'd love to NOT talk about it, but since that seems to be my life focus right now (that and keeping up with my running schedule, which I am - yay, me), I don't have much else to talk about.

I could talk about the glorious weather we're having on Canada's East Coast right now. Yesterday we hit a high of 17 degrees (Celsius), with very little wind and full blown sunshine. So nice to see the sunshine - we've been cloudy and grey for the past couple of weeks, and with the time change I found I had the lights on in the house from 2 o'clock on! A little depressing! But yesterday was fabulous. And today is supposed to be just as nice - I will relish my run, maybe even put on my running capris instead of the full-blown sweatpants, and I will need my visor to keep the sun from my eyes. Let's not look toward tomorrow because they're calling for rain and more grey sky!

There's food - I can always talk about food. Although with all the writing (or sitting at my desk thinking about writing), I haven't done a lot of cooking. I bought 2 Bite Brownies for the write-in Janice and I did on Saturday (fun afternoon) and am still enjoying them (eating two right now - I mean, 2 Bite Brownies...one can not be satisfied by only two bites, it takes at least four, which equals two ;) I did come home to steak and potatoes - The Husband had everything ready and his potatoes were the twice stuffed kind (I'm getting a theme here - twice stuffed, two bite). He did them on our new BBQ (The Big Green Egg) - the skins were crispy, just like potato skins you'd get in a restaurant, and the filling was hot and gooey with cheese, sour cream and green onions. There were leftovers, so I ate them for breakfast yesterday. Yummy...see, I can always talk about food.

Excuse me while I try to shove a 2 Bite Brownie in my mouth whole, which would then render them 1 Bite Brownies and with the above mathematical equation, I could legitimately have four!

Yum. OK, I could talk books. Just finished reading Philippa Gregory's A Respectable Trade (she of the book The Other Boleyn Girl). I really enjoyed it - all about the slave trade in Britain and one man's quest to move up the gentry ladder. Gregory doesn't stick to one POV per scene (rules - urgh) and I loved it. Knowing what they were all thinking in one scene? Love it. I wrote Lady Bells like that - then edited it like crazy when someone told me that each scene had to have a main character's POV! Did I scoff at rules? Anyway, the story (A Respectable Trade) takes place near the time of abolition of the slave trade in Britain and Wilberforce is mentioned many, many times (he's the man who fought in parliament to have the slave trade ended). I think that's why I enjoyed the book so much, one of my favorite movies is Amazing Grace - the story of William Wilberforce's life.

So, look - I didn't talk about writing...specifically NaNoWriMo - so refreshing. But I will leave a quote for those continuing on in the struggle (don't worry, so am I):

I haven’t had trouble with writer’s block. I think it’s because my process involves writing very badly. My first drafts are filled with lurching, clichéd writing, outright flailing around. Writing that doesn’t have a good voice or any voice. But then there will be good moments. It seems writer’s block is often a dislike of writing badly and waiting for writing better to happen. ~Jennifer Egan

Weather, food, books - what say you, People of Blogland? Or tell us how NaNoWriMo is going - we're very sympathetic and good listeners!

This, That and Wagons...

It's the blank screen and the blinking cursor this morning! So, time for another 'This, That and...' post! Or random thoughts as they come to me while drinking my coffee and listening to the wind howl outside my office window.

Coffee? Yes - you may remember that I did a no-coffee experiment after listening to a chat about how coffee raises your cortisol level and, in turn, could be the reason for the belly fat. I was very good about not having my coffee in the morning, but (as with all my wagons) I fell off. It was a gradual, slow-motion falling off of the wagon - almost spineless, jellyfish falling where I had a cup of coffee one morning and I sunk to my knees. Another cup had me slithering on the wagon floor. Slowly, my body became boneless and rubbery until I just oozed off the back and lay on the trail watching that wagon disappear into the sunset. Most of my wagons are on a continuous loop, always coming back to see if I want to get back on - but I haven't seen that wagon again...perhaps it's on a much bigger loopy track!

Dedicated Zen - my new mantra for my marathon training. I look ahead at the fact I need to be running 26.2 miles and my mind goes crazy, I start to panic and that's usually when I JUMP off that wagon! Trust me - this is something I do with all my wagon riding. Looking ahead instead of living in the moment, focusing on the big picture instead of enjoying the scenes as they play out, running a marathon already instead of taking each step of the journey that will eventually lead me to my destination. But while on holidays, I tried very hard to live each day and only that day - I had a mere three weeks and if I over-planned or kept thinking about all the stuff I wanted to do instead of taking each day as it came, my three weeks would be gone in the blink of an eye. It worked - my three weeks stretched into what seemed like six and I enjoyed every day and the moments of sight-seeing and being with my mom. I'm trying very hard to maintain that perspective, especially when it comes to my running. No, I'm not running 26.2 miles today - today I'm running for 15 minutes. As Thich Nhat Hant advises: "Smile, breathe and go slowly."

*For more about living a Zen Life: http://zenhabits.net/12-essential-rules-to-live-more-like-a-zen-monk/ (Fabulous post)

Wagons - I have a lot of wagons. In my imagination (oh, yes, we're going there - hang on), my wagons are all the big, old, horse-drawn kind that you would find at a hay ride or sleigh ride (depending on the season). They are not exactly high wagons - I don't want to hurt myself when I fall off - but they are off the ground. Of course, the winter riding is much nicer since I fall onto the snow and not the hard ground! And I'm not usually alone on these wagons - there are others with me (coffee abstainers, runners, writers, bloggers - depending on the wagon) who keep me company when I'm riding along. I think they also try to encourage me not to fall and cheer me when I climb back up as the wagon loops around (or yell at me to get on if I'm just sitting at the side of the road trying to decide if I want to get back on). Oh, my - that's probably much more that you needed to know about what goes on inside my head!!

Your turn - got any This, That or Wagon you'd like to share?

Back to Reality...

Ah, the dog days of summer are over (wasn't that an adorable picture of Taz?), the suitcase has been unpacked and the feel of fall is in the air. It's time to get back to a routine and reality - which means the Day Job, a running schedule and an effort to try and eat better!

Yes, my three weeks in Scotland (and a brief stint in London) were filled with lots of greasy, fried food - my favorite kind of food and, seriously, should be a part of the nutritional food groups! Here's my final meal before we returned home:

Fish 'n Chips - from the Chippy - wrapped in newsprint (not the kind that you read anymore :( with a ton of salt and malt vinegar added before the clerk wraps it up for you to take home! I added the ketchup (such a Canadian) and included a bun because I needed to have one more Chip Butty before I left. Nothing like getting everything I love into me in one meal!

A Chip Butty, you ask? Well, take your deep fried potatoes (don't mind if I do) and stuff them onto a buttered bun! Ta Da - a Chip Butty (basically a French Fry Sandwich - don't knock it until you've tried it). I had plenty while on holidays - with the requisite ketchup. Fried and greasy on bread - what's not to love?

Besides the food, I had a marvelous time! I'll be posting pics and blogging about the trip - so stay tuned if you're interested. Until then - hello, my blogging friends, are you ready for fall? What's the weirdest thing you ever ate? Would you eat a chip butty?

Tuesday - Rejection, Food and 10 Minute Exercises...

Whew! I'm glad that's over - Monday, that is (although, I'm writing this on Monday night, so technically it's not over yet). What a whiny, sniveling mess that was!

I don't think coffee deprivation (that's hot water in my cup over there - and, yes, I own fuzzy slippers, justnot purple)  is the only thing contributing to my blah-ness! I'm coming up to Day 49 of the Embrace Failure Program! I find it hard to stand there and get hit by a rejection-bat over and over again - but I did do it! Of course, I haven't heard back from every query - some agents' policies on rejections are "No response means no" and others have a rather long wait time (I remember back a couple of years ago I waiting a whole year for a response - in the end it was a rejection). Oh, yay - just realized there's a good change I'll be getting rejection letters for months to come! Woo Hoo!

In other news, and related to the talk I went to last Thursday, I'm eating more. Really! I want the tape measure to show less inches and I'm busy stuffing my face. Seems most of us don't eat enough (I'm talking healthy food - I certainly know that I eat enough junk). And, again, this is something I knew. If you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and holds onto whatever it has in order to protect it! Bottom line is your metabolism slows way down! With my coffee in the morning and not eating until 10am, I knew I wasn't putting enough good calories into my body. Is it any wonder my running doesn't seem to be improving?

Let's hope I can stick with it until I see some changes - in this day of diet craziness, putting more food into my body just seems wrong! But I really want to see a change in the belly fat - the health issues are the big thing (higher percentage of belly fat equals more insulin issues and diabetes runs in my family). When I question how I managed to get this way, I remind myself of the 5 years sitting on my butt - 8 hours at work at a desk and then coming home to sit on the couch and write! All you writers out there - all you desk workers - get up and move. Here's some interesting links:

http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/fitness-25-fast-and-easy-ways-fit-10-minutes-exercise (great advice on how to get your exercise in even when you don't think you have the time)

http://www.healthywriter.com/ - I really need to follow this blog!

Oh, and I really think this would help tremendously:

http://www.treadmill-desk.com/ (I see they have a pattern, maybe The Husband could make me one!)

OK - on to Tuesday - yay!!

My Coffee Addiction...

I went to a talk last night on nutrition and exercise - and how to create a strategy that works for me! Why, you ask? Because with all this pavement pounding and trying to eat healthfully, I still can not lose inches (I'm not concerned with the pounds - I'm probably at a good weight right now - but, man, I'm so tired of the tape always measuring the same thing -  and the fact that my waist is the same circumference as my boobs - see Boobs Away * for an accurate drawing of my body)! Now, I figure I can do one of two things - get a boob job or figure out a way to melt those inches off my belly. I've decided for the latter**!

So - what did I learn? Well, there was talk about exercise and resistance training being the best method for losing fat and gaining lean muscle mass (oh, yeah, I want some lean muscle mass - and I love the mind games that involves = instead of thinking of 'losing', I need to be thinking of 'gaining'...muscle, that is). Cardio is good - interval cardio is even better! And it's important to eat frequently during the day, remembering to digest enough protein. Eating frequently keeps your furnace burning, therefore using up the calories you consume. And protein is important for feeding those muscles you're building!

I think I do a pretty good job on all those accounts. Of course, I should work that Bo-Flex more than I do (as a runner I need to remind myself that getting lean and strong will make me a better/faster runner). And there are days when I know I don't eat enough (again, mind games - eating more = more weight). See, as an info junkie, I know all these things - nothing new. What was new was the little tidbit about coffee!

Coffee (caffeine) can increase your body's level of cortisol (the stress hormone) and high cortisol levels are associated with weight gain in the belly! Add to that the fact that cortisol levels are already naturally higher in the morning - and I believe I've found the answer to my waist = boobs dilemma! Don't get me wrong, I love my coffee - but I've gotten into the bad habit of drinking two cups of it before I even think about eating breakfast! And now, it's the first thing I think about when I get out of bed.

Coffee? You and I are about to have a heart to heart! Thanks to Jason's discussion last night, I'm implementing a strategy that should help me conquer that tape measure. Of course, for the first two weeks, it will also create bitchiness and anger - aren't you glad you don't live with me?

If you're interested in the relationship between coffee and cortisol, here's some great links:

Stress, Hormones and Weight Gain

Caffeine, Stress and Your Health

The Stress Hormone Cortisol...

*My computer's security software warns me when I go to this post that it may contain pornography - obviously, my computer's security software does not find big boobs attractive!

**Not that a boob job would be bad - but since I absolutely hate needles and anything to do with a hospital or a doctor, I figure I better go with the second option!

Anyone want to 'weigh'  in?

Pot Luck and a Recipe...

We had a lovely dinner out last night with friends - pot luck that relied more on loose planning than on luck. There should be another name for a dinner like that since 'pot luck' usually refers to unplanned, take what comes, you-could-be-eating-a-whole-meal-consisting-of-desserts! On a side note, why have I never gone to a pot luck where everyone brought dessert? Dessert is the first thing I think of when invited to a potluck!

OK, back to the planned pot luck, which should be called "Pot Planned". This was one of my favorite kinds of Pot Planned - a theme dinner. Alright, I made it a themed dinner since there were only 5 of us and the person making the main kind of influenced those making the side because it was a curry dish and we needed rice to go with - a willy-nilly side of 'luck' such as buttery, creamy mashed potatoes might not have worked. I was in charge of a salad. So, off to the computer to see what kind of salad dressing would go well with a curry dish.

Everything (well, not everything because I didn't look through all 44,000,000 results - I usually go three pages into Google and then change my search description) suggested a peanut dressing for a simple green salad. Done! I love all things peanut.

Next search: 'peanut salad dressing'. Over the past four or five years, I've found more recipes online that I'm thinking of packing up my huge collection of recipe books. I find it much easier to go search online for something new - although, I have my favorite recipe books that are a standard go-to for various recipes (you can tell which ones those are by the food splotches on the pages and the wear of the book binding). Where was I? Right - online search gave me a couple of options, so I did some combining and came up with my own Peanut Salad Dressing. So good! I was eating the stuff before I even had the salad made - yummy!

And it was a hit at the "Pot Planned" dinner. The curry dish was a tomato based chicken and shrimp one - so the heavier peanut dressing didn't compete with a thick, creamy curry! The basmati and quinoa rice dish was perfect as a bed for the curry. And there were Naan breads to accompany. I'm training for a half marathon, so 'carb loading' is my new go to catch phrase. Yes, this (wo)man CAN live on bread alone! Dessert last night was a scoop of vanilla ice cream, strawberries soaked in balsamic vinegar, a wafer thin cookie (not mint, you Monty Python fans) all sprinkled with some cracked black pepper - don't knock it until you've tried it!

My Peanut Salad Dressing

3-4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2-3 tbsp canola oil
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
2-3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
pinch or two of cayenne pepper
pinch or two of ground ginger (next time, I'll try a grating of real ginger)
3-4 tbsp lime juice
-water to thin

You may have to heat the peanut butter in the microwave to soften it for mixing. Whisk everything together (I know the ingredient amounts are loosey-goosey - just keep tasting). Add water to thin to dressing consistency.

This batch made plenty - enough to dress a spinach, cucumber and grated carrot salad (garnished with chopped, salted peanuts) for 5 with leftovers planned for a noodle salad later this week. I would like to make this without the water and use it on a pizza crust for a Thai Peanut Chicken Pizza!

So, People of Blogland, how many pages do you go through on a Google search? Do you like pot luck dinners? What do you think of my new tere, "Pot Planned"? Do you have a peanut salad dressing recipe and would you share it? Would peanut salad dressing on noodles be a weird choice for breakfast (I'm hungry)?

Butter Versus Margarine...

The other day, during a shopping trip, I was asked "Butter versus Margarine" - not by a store employee and not by a surveyor! By a customer! Yes, I am that kind of person who people stop to ask questions of - or get things off top shelves for (being close to 5'10") - this is not something new. Anyway, this lady was busy examining a package of butter in one hand and a container of margarine in the other. I was there picking up a fabulous sale item (I'm all about the sales).

Her: "Ooh, you get that. Is that better than this?"
Me: "We like it."
Her: "I never know which to get."
Me: "Yes, they tell you that all that saturated fat in the butter is bad for you, but that the margarine is equally bad. Very confusing."
Her: "Exactly."

Anyway, we had a discussion of butter versus margarine - she having used a margarine for years that had a low salt content, but finding the product no longer available and having heard that margarine is not good for you. She was wondering if she should change to butter.

The Husband and I go through this debate every couple of years. A health tidbit will be discussed on TV about one or the other and we'll go through the process of switching to the lesser of the two evils, only to find another tidbit that assures us our first choice was much healthier. I truly believe that neither is good for you, but I can't live without!

The latest - margarine is one molecule away from being plastic!

For a while we were taking a page from our good friends, Anna and Jacques - using butter, but cutting it with olive oil to make it somewhat healthier. It also helps to make the butter spreadable when stored in the fridge.

1 pound of butter
1/2 c olive oil
- Mix completely and store in fridge

It's very good, but I am by nature a lazy person. All fine and dandy when the stuff is there, mixed up, in my fridge. Not so dandy when there's none left and I have to haul out the processor and get mixing (doing it by hand is time-consuming; ooh, I wonder if it would work if I melted the butter first - sorry, thinking out loud). It's also very messy!

Her: "So why do you buy that kind?"
Me: "It's got olive oil in it, it's not so salty and we find we like it."
Her, putting down the package of butter and the container of margarine and picking up the sale item: "I'll give it a try."
Me: "I hope you like it."

Yes, we buy and consume the almost plastic product! Having a pound of the stuff last for a month tells me that we're not over-consuming in that department. I use it for everything (including popcorn - but I add even more olive oil to it as it's melting), except for baking. There, I use butter!

I guess I stand in both camps.

Where do you stand in the Butter Versus Margarine debate, People of Blogland? Do you change sides depending on the latest health trends/reports? Have you noticed a decline in your butter or margarine consumption over the years? Does anyone remember the margarine that came with a color package, taking the product from white to yellow?

*For a history of margarine (which is fascinating and, whoa, who knew margarine was that old), check this out: http://www.butteryspreads.org/historyofmargarine.php
*To give equal time to butter, here's a link: http://www.dairygoodness.ca/butter/the-history-of-butter

Vietnamese Food Experience...

We went out for a fabulous dinner last night - the local college puts on a 2 month global tour at the beginning of every year with their students in charge. Each student selects a country then goes about creating a menu, budgeting the food, ordering the food, running the kitchen - a simulation of what it will be like when they graduate and become a chef in real life. A win for the public as these dinners are wonderfully unique in our little corner of Nova Scotia.

This year we chose the Vietnamese Dinner. Here, I shall let the maitre d' explain my meal:

Good evening, madame. To start, a lovely presentation of summer rolls; paper thin rice noodle wrapped around a summer fresh medley of bok choy, cucumber, carrot and green onion on a spicy ginger sauce. And it is spicy, madame; a little goes a long way for those who like things mild, bold tang spread heavily for those who like a little more adventure. Enjoy.

Your main, madame. A spicy pork accompanied by fluffy coconut rice and a stir-fry of mixed vegetables. The mango sauce is a pleasant accompaniment to the pork; fresh and cooling against the heat of the spice. Bon appetit.

And for dessert, deep fried bananas with a swirl of whipped cream, a panna cotta with thin caramel sauce with a slice of dragon fruit. One of our most popular choices, we hope you enjoy.

This, of course, was just my meal. Everyone at the table (and there were 9 of us) enjoyed summer rolls, mango and papaya salad, or spicy prawns to start. The main ranged from more prawns over rice noodles, a jungle curry (the vegetarian offering), a red snapper or duck with black rice. Desserts, the two tried amongst the dinners last night were the fried bananas and a sticky rice pudding. Every dish presented with flair and every plate figuratively licked clean!

As to my personal experience - the ginger sauce on the summer rolls was very, very hot (and very, very good - you know how hot stuff works, the more you eat, the more you want). The pork was good, but it was the stir-fried veggies and coconut rice that I could have eaten three-times over. The veggies were done to perfection - a difficult thing to do in one's own house, let alone a kitchen where you're trying to time your meals and your cooking for 40! And the dessert - hey, it was deep fried, what's not to love. I had never had dragon fruit before, so that was something new (no real flavor, but pretty on the plate) and the panna cota was spectacular!

The only disappointment - no chopsticks!

Do you like trying new global cuisine, People of Blogland? Anyone out there experienced dragon fruit before? Do you like going to restaurants where the maitre d' explains the meals (I can name a handful of times this has happened - there was no maitre d' last night, but the choices were fully explained on the menu)? I'm trying to remember a TV commercial where the maitre 'd was explaining a chocolate bar - can't find it on Google search - anyone remember?

FYI - anyone interested in my first dining experience with the college can go HERE to read the poem I wrote about my Italian Cuisine!

Not Fair...

A new year – a new beginning – and sabotage comes in the mail!!

I know I’m not the only one trying to eat better as part of a healthier 2012 – even those that just want to spend a month trying to eat better after a couple of weeks (or a full month) of Christmas Indulgence are looking for healthy choices. And I will admit it’s hard to get back to regular, healthy eating – the sweets and snacks taste so much better than lettuce and spinach and fruit.

Then there’s the issue of my addiction! Everyone who knows me knows I have a love of all things greasy and fried. Fried potatoes in the form of chips or French fries – check! Fried onions, burgers, chicken, eggs in a little bacon fat, ooh bacon – check! And I love bread, but bread fried (as in donut) – check, check, check!!! I have even eaten fried cheese – OMG, fried cheese is the best, but take a jalapeno pepper, stuff it with cream cheese, bread it and fry it…Need I say more?

So eating well, for me, usually means trying to stay away from town and all the temptations. Obviously, the marketing people have found out about my strategy because they’ve sent me coupons in the mail!
Coupons! Tempting me with burgers and fries, onion rings, fried egg breakfast sandwiches, even a wonderful fried fish sandwich! They must also be aware of my love of all things ON SALE! Coupons! Fried foods on sale! I’m doomed!

How's your January Healthy Eating coming along, People of Blogland? Any temptations arrive in your mailbox? If you're a fried food/fast food addict and you could only choose one item, which would it be? If you're not a fried food/fast food addict, what unhealthy food would tempt you away from clean eating?

Now Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding...

I'm including a link to a recipe for Figgy Pudding just in case you feel the need to make it this holiday season! From what I know, it's very much like fruitcake, but more on that later.

Shortbread cookies are on the agenda today. I wasn't going to make any - goodness knows there's enough stuff around here and out and about that I don't need to add anymore, but shortbread cookies are a tradition and I can't seem to shake my craving for them (especially when I'm sipping on an eggnog). I always make the same ones - the recipe on the cornstarch box - and I use a cookie press that my mom gave me (it has a thistle on it). These are so delicate and melt-in-your-mouth good - I'm sure that my afternoon will consist of eating way too many!

Yesterday, we received in the mail our other 'must have' Christmas sweet. The Husband's mom sends us a rich, dark, decantly drunk fruitcake every year - and we love when the package shows up on the doorstep! She makes it in September - and then serves it rum over and over again until it's time to package it up and send it off. Not everyone likes fruitcake - but we do and this year's edition was perhaps one of the best she's ever concocted. Lots of red and green cherries - and very, very moist.

There was a time, years ago, I make a ton of sweets for Christmas. I would freeze them all and bring out assorted plates if we were going to friends' or if company came. Then, I did a stint of cookie exchanges - a great way to have a variety of sweets without having to make them all (not to mention all the different ingredients). My contribution was always rum balls (ooh, haven't made rum balls for ages). Again, the loot would get frozen and brought out at appropriate times.

Of course, not all the goodies made it to friends' or the plate - The Husband has a wicked sweet tooth and likes to eat the cookies and squares frozen! I would go to get a Nanaimo Bar or a Turtle Dove Square and the container would be empty, except for a few crumbs (which I've learned from him make wonderful ice cream toppers after all the sweets have gone). Then there were the 5 or 8 pounds I gained over the holidays because I can't say no when asked if I want a sweet with my evening tea!

So, we've pared down to just shortbread cookies and fruitcake. How about you, People of Blogland, do you bake up a storm? Do you like to try new recipes or do you have your tried, true and loved favorites? And let's get a show of hands for fruitcake - love it or leave it?