Gluten-Free Peppermint Almond-Coconut Cookies (what a mouthful!)

So when I make up an impromptu baked-good recipe, I rarely get it right the first time.

Good example: for Thanksgiving I modified a oatmeal cookie recipe by Bob's Red Mill and ended up with about 4 versions and 4 dozen cookies. The texture still didn't end up like I wanted.

Lots of tweaking is involved in baking: there's the alternative flour mixture, how much stick 'em is needed (eggs, egg alternative, etc), oils, rising agents, the pan and greasing, location in the oven, bake time, bake temperature, elevation, etc. Baking is chemistry and art.

But for this recipe, I got it right the first time! These cookies are moist, super sugary, easy to make, and we're bringing them to my parent's place for the holidays. Yum!

Ingredients

• 2 cups ground plain coconut
• 1 cup almond flour (or ground almonds)
• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 2 tsp of cinnamon 
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 tsp vanilla 
• Crushed peppermint candy canes (or pre-crushed from the baking isle)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the first 5 ingredients in one bowl then mix the rest (except the peppermint) in a larger, separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the other ingredients gradually. Place teaspoon-fulls onto a greased cookie sheet. Top with peppermint sprinkles. Makes about 45 small cookies.

Okra-home-a, Dieting Misconceptions, and a Carb-fixated Nation.

They never say it's easy.

What makes for a good diet? And by "diet," I mean Merriam-Webster's definition:

"Noun: 1. The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats."

What I consider a "diet" is a long term meal plan. You could either be trying to lose weight, gain weight, maintain weight, not get sick (from food allergies, food sensitivities), train for a marathon, or kill cancer. But this kind of diet is a "habitual," day after day, long-term selection of foods that creates a healthy functioning you.

Probably tried the bacon diet.

Many studies have shown that the best diets share the following common characteristics:

1. Matches your daily activity levels.
2. Encourages a balance between several food groups.
3. Is sustainable over a long period of time.
4. Provides you with life-sustaining/encouraging vitamins and minerals.
5. Satisfies your taste-buds.
6. Is Affordable.

Did you see any quick fixes in that list? No! Do the items on this list look easy? No! It's hard work. If it wasn't, everyone would be as healthy as an ox (minus those with hereditary health problems and those without an exercise regimen). It's hard work that is quite often thwarted by the latest and greatest food fads, and, in my opinion, a nation obsessed with carbohydrates.

One heart attack for table 2.

Let me pick apart #1 on my list. Think about it. When you go to a restaurant, any restaurant, what meals don't have a major carbohydrate like taco shells, bread, chips, french fries, mashed potatoes, and rice? Some salads and water are probably the only items without carbs. That's it.

The American way.

But do we really need it? Carbohydrates are the "go-food" of choice. It gives us the ability to be physical for long periods of time during the day. Farmers, cowboys, extreme athletes, regularly get up early and eat the larges plate of pancakes, biscuits, and whatnot before they go to work, and they need it.

What not to buy.

But if we're working, or studying, or just sitting there watching TV, we don't need much of it! At least the majority of us with average to low metabolisms don't. What I think quite often gets lost, even when trying to adhere to those 6 characteristics of a good diet, is that we not only need to match our activity levels with the amount of food we eat, but also with the kind of food we eat.

Don't go too extreme either.

This is also a very important thing to keep in mind for those of us (specifically me) with wheat and gluten problems. We shouldn't just replace and substitute our carbohydrates, we should question whether we need them at all for every meal we have. That's a large part of why I haven't blogged so much recently. I haven't been baking and making all those gluten-free but carb filled foods. I'm trying to balance a job where I sit for 8 hours with my stocked shelves of Pamela's Bread Mix and Bob's Red Mill's Brownies. Bob and Pamela have not helped me with #1.

Okay, I'm off my soap box. Here's a recipe. :)

Okra-home-a (aka okra at home).

Gluten Free Fried Okra
When you think fried okra...let's be honest...when I think fried okra, I think okra, dipped in some sort of egg and flour batter, and cooked with oil and butter in a pan, served with creamy mashed potatoes and fried chicken.

Stop. Stop right now.

Although some people don't always like the slimy texture of okra in it's more natural state, there are many recipes out there that are tasty and don't call for added carbs/gluten-filled products. In my opinion, the best okra recipes add something slightly sweet (like corn or ham). The okra side dish below is my own creation and requires no oil.

Ingredients
15 oz or 1 lb of frozen okra
1 can of tomatoes, no salt
1 large onion, diced
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions
In a large sauce/frying pan, cook frozen okra, onion, and corn on medium. The okra should turn from bright kelly green to a more brown or muted green when cooked. Add the tomatoes, salt, and garlic powder and heat for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with chicken, fish, or that Thanksgiving turkey.

Eating Around Normals during the Holidays and Cranberry Relish

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are the most food-centric holidays on our calendar, and they all happen within about a two month time frame. If you have food allergies or any food digestive issues like me, that means adding food stress to your already full holiday plate (or maybe it's empty like mine above).

To avoid my favorite conversation, where someone looks directly at me and yacks away for about 15 minutes about how "this [insert cheesy wheat filled food] is so tasty. Yum! I love this food. I'd give my life for this food," I've thought about all the food strategies and coping mechanisms that I've used or heard of in the past and evaluated them for their effectiveness. This is my personal opinion of course. Maybe with a little self reflection and a little humor we can get rid of some stress together.

Strategy 1: Leave it All to Chance
Don't make and bring anything that you know is safe to eat to the holiday meal. Don't help the cook prepare food for the meal so that you know all about each ingredient. Don't bring any allergy medicine, pain relievers, tums, pepto-bismol, or a last ditch laxative. Don't even forewarn people about your food issues. Just show up, eat what "you think" is safe, or what other people think is safe, and live with the consequences. Fun!

Grade: F (is there a grade Z?). Yes, maybe you're in a hurry and don't have time to communicate or participate in any of the cooking or maybe you're shy. Oh my goodness! Make time! Join a Toastmasters Club! It's not worth getting sick over. In fact, if I were to try out this strategy, which I thankfully never have, I know I'll end up not only un-happy, but also with a 90% chance of a three-day headache and "potty-trots." If this is my strategy, I personally believe it's my own fault for not having anything to eat and I deserve to watch other people eat cheese and bread while I eat my lonely, no-butter squash (or at least I think it has no butter since I never saw the ingredients with my own eyes). This strategy is also great for making cooks feel bad. No one wants to poison their guests!

Strategy 2: Medicate
Bring the medications with you so that if your run into trouble or you choose to run into trouble, you can maybe salvage part of the holiday.

Grade: D. I used to practice this strategy while pretending that I didn't have any food allergies. Yeah, that worked out swell. So, maybe the headache or digestive issues get smaller with medication, but I'm not myself. I'm either wired from the caffeinated Excedrin Migraine or I have digestive issues that are still pretty bad, but just preferable over those when I'm not medicated. With this strategy, I know I'll probably end up with less food on my plate, some kind of body pain, and, again, an unhappy host/cook.

Strategy 3: Tell People about Your Food Sensitivities
Give your host a list of your food issues and hopefully they'll come up with some alternatives. Send your holiday host a list by email. Personally hand them a paper with the items you can't have! Give them the general picture and some specifics. I personally like to write things like:

Katherine's Food Allergies:

• cow milk: often an ingredient in cheese, yogurt, ice cream, sausage, salad dressing, canned soup, bread, TV dinners, sandwich meat, and hotdogs. Milk is often identified on labels as whey, lactic acid, and other 'lactic' terms." Substitute with goat milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, and coconut milk. If it's creamy or says cream, use your brain; it probably has milk. [...maybe leave out the last sentence...]

Grade: B-C. Yea! Communication feels good don't it? However, make sure that you can trust your cook. Not everyone is familiar with reading food labels and not everyone has a great memory when it comes to making a 15-year-old traditional family dish (auto-pilot often kicks in). After using just this strategy, you could end up being told,

"I just cooked you a plain chicken. Nothing on it. I just put a little bit of [insert allergen food here] on the pan so it wouldn't stick."

Lovely! I'll just have a little bit of headache later! However a cook's good intentions, if they're not familiar with cooking for alternative diets, then they might need a little more help then just a list of no-nos. But then again, the main cook for your holiday meal could be a pro (I'm thankful to have many in my family) and you'll have no problems whatsoever. Also, don't write them a novel! If it's over a page of information (which I've seen before) it's too much information. Give them the highlights and show them your bullet-point skills.

Strategy 4: Bring Food
Hit the main food groups that you know will keep you happy and your gut satisfied. Maybe bring a dish with some protein, then a carb, and maybe a desert. Most cooks tend to make a variety of veggies for Thanksgiving, and more than likely one of them will be safe to eat, even if it's just the salad.

Grade: C. You know you'll be able to eat the items you cook. Whahoo! But that means a lot of cooking for you, limiting the foods you can eat, potentially alienating the family cook because you've brought redundant dishes, and, again, making the cook feel bad because you didn't tell them about your problem before hand. But hey! You're not going to end up sick.Yea. . . .

Strategy 5: Help the Cook
Watch them like a hawk and ask if they could use different ingredients real time. 

Grade: C. You're cook will probably not be prepared with alternative ingredients if you just show up and start making suggestions. Plus, they'll be that awkward conversation about your diet the day of a family get-together. I'm not a huge fan of making my diet the sole topic of conversation (I don't mind talking about it, but I don't want to wine or focus too much on what I can't have). I just want to eat and talk similar to most normals.

Strategy 6: Combo Pack of Strategies 2-5
Tell your family cook about your food issues, help your cook fix the meal, and bring food. Also, if your reactions are bad, you might still want to bring some medication as backup.

Grade: A. Yes! Yes! Yes! This is my strategy of choice. It's better to be over prepared for family get-togethers in my opinion. However, I have to keep in mind that every food situation will not require all of the best strategies and sometimes they will. Strategy 6 is a balancing act based on time, place, and the people involved. I must say, it's always nice when I don't have to bring anything to a meal because I know the cook is really informed. Not required or necessary, but nice. That's my favorite type of "eating out." :) This is also a good strategy even if you don't have any food problems, but are on a diet to lose weight. The less things you leave to chance, the smaller your chances of eating something you shouldn't.

Cranberry Relish
If you're thinking about bringing something to your family Thanksgiving meal next week, you might try something like the recipe below. It's a traditional side dish, but it can also operate as a desert if the need arises. For the next blog posting, I'll probably be sharing versatile and simple holiday recipes just like this one.

Ingredients
2-3 oranges, peeled and separated
1/2 cup sugar
1 bag of rinsed cranberries

Directions
Rinse your cranberries in a colander and throw away any squishy berries. Blend up of the ingredients in a food processor. Try processing the oranges first then adding the other ingredients so as to avoid hang-ups in your mixer. To make the recipe a little healthier, try adding more oranges and less sugar.

Sack of Potatoes and Hot Carob

It's in the cards.

If the love/hate relationship most runners have isn't enough, preparing for the first run in cold weather always comes with a bag of mixed emotions for me.

Nada moo here.

On the one hand, my gut is telling me to make a cup of hot carob and coconut milk with just a touch of honey and cinnamon, curl up on my recliner with a comfy blanket, and read the Harry Potter series for the 4th or 5th time while I wait for Kevin to get home. What a perfect way to wind down after 8 hours under florescent lights and a marathon in front of a computer screen!

I hear you.

Instead, I'm rummaging through stored winter running clothes, squishing my atypical running legs into a pair of dry fit tights and shorts, tugging on my high neck and long sleeve top, fighting off goosebumps because we've had the heat off in the house all day, and wondering what pocket my favorite blue and black striped headband/ear warming machine got stuffed into...6 months ago.

Fun.

Instead, I'm peaking out our back door, checking to see if, yes indeed, Kent the mild mannered boarder collie is muddy because he lives in a semi-grassless wasteland where he's found out how fun it is to dig a hole in the mud as a result of our lack of grass, and now he must be carried through the house so as not to make a mess on our living room carpet.

Good to eat. Difficult to hold.

Instead, I'm picking up said 45 pound Kent who turns into a limp and awkward blob not much different than a sack of potatoes, and I'm rushing to the front door only to realize that I haven't opened or even unlocked the front door and must do so now while attempting to hold Kent one handed...unsuccessfully.

Some of this was on me.

But then I have to laugh because, as Kent slips through my left arm (partially because he's heavy, partially because we're now both muddy, and partially because I'm giggling) and slowly melts to the floor as I attack our deadbolt, I have a feeling that this first winter run will be fun and fast. This run, like most cold weather runs, be over before it even begins.

Why not.

Once upon a time Kevin ran something like a 12-13 minute 2 mile with Kent. That's close to his best high school time. When I asked him "how many cars did you pass" (Kent's a car chaser), he replied,

"I don't remember much of what happened."

Well, I don't remember much of what happened. I know we made it back in 23:25. You can see my running log to the right. We did have a few short stops so that I could keep Kent from lunging into oncoming traffic (remember: Kent = car chaser). However, I do distinctly remember being pulled through the middle of a puddle with Kent at some point and I also remember saying out loud to no one in particular, "...run through a puddle? We don't care!" Other than that, not much else to report.

What a great way to start the fall/winter season of running! I got my hot drink later that evening and I wore my mud splattered outfit with pride for Kevin to see when he got home. Oh, and I watch the Pentatonix for like the hundredth time in the last couple of weeks.

Hot Carob Drink

Ingredients

• 1-1/12 cups of coconut milk (from the refrigerated section; soy, almond, or goat milk also just as tasty)
• 1-2 heaping teaspoons of ground carob powder (coco powder just as good, but not for me after about 5 pm)
• 1-2 teaspoons of honey
• sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions
Heat milk first in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes on high. Stir in rest of the ingredients. (Hint: You might try some other spices in the drink like pumpkin spices, nutmeg, ginger, etc, but don't try adding pure mint extract unless your want to taste mint for about 2 years after drinking. I've tried it and I had to pour the rest of the drink down the drain. I hardly ever waste food. You know it was bad.)

Allergic to Sitting Must Sit

My right foot after two weeks of sitting, limited biking, and one run. Those aren't varicose veins.

Running is my drug.

[Cue the Ke$ha music "Your love, your love, your love, is my drug..."]

How have I come to realize this?

For the past two and a half weeks, I've been forced to sit for long periods of time in my recliner with my foot propped up on a pillow and a bag of frozen spinach wrapped around my ankle. I've regretfully watched my husband leave out the front door with his Asics, Kaiya, and blinky light, night after night. I've had to stare into the eyes of a panicked border collie as he realizes that he won't be able to pull me like a tow truck along the road, but instead made to retrieve tennis balls 60 times in a row. I've been sidelined during two races (and now a third this weekend) with the great "honor" of filming family members as they huff and puff their way to glory, half of a banana, and a paper cup of Gatorade. I've been forced to stop running (temporarily) because of a sprained ankle.

http://l.thumbs.canstockphoto.com/canstock3273766.jpg

For almost four and a half years, I've made it my duty and my pleasure to run at least three times a week. Colds, stomach viruses, post-marathon slumps, traveling, tornado alerts, weddings (morning of even), nothing keeps me down for more than about 5 days. It is my attitude adjustment, my flu shot, my counselor, my reprieve from boredom, my group workout, my alone time, my allergy medication, my vacation, my itch that needs to be scratched, my time in the sun, my rainy day activity. It's who I am! Not everything, but a whole darn bunch.

http://aroadmorebalanced.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dsc_0057-edit.jpg

Everything became a chore after the sprain. I started scooting around on an office chair around the house. Simple tasks like getting dressed, cooking, driving, going to the bathroom, taking a shower (and shaving, legs not face), became time consuming and overly complicated. My poor husband's to-do list was doubled (if not tripled). When I finally got crutches, my puny arms hurt and reminded me how much I like using leg muscles versus arms. And the random headaches and itchy eyes of pre-running Katherine, they came back with a vengeance.

But there's good news! No, I haven't saved 10% or more on car insurance.

I'm baaaakk!!! Whoohoo hoo haa ha ha ha.

http://www.bondiband.com/product_images/a/784/I_LOVE_RUNNING._I_HATE_RUNNING._(purple_ink)__15327_zoom.jpg

It's been two weeks and one day since I haven't gone for a jog. Yes, this sounds ridiculous even to me. Like, "two weeks off of running." That's nothing. But it means a lot to me. Yesterday was my first jaunt after work. I ran one mile in 11 minutes and 4 seconds and then I biked for another 30 minutes. I felt like a had a pillow for a right foot (didn't seem to react like I wanted) during the run. Also, during the first 400 meters, I probably looked a little gimpy. It's a start though, and I'm so happy! I'm ready to get off of bike!

http://www.stillmanphoto.com/Crazy-Faces-web.jpg

Here's to all of you who have a love affair with your exercise routine or want to and are struggling with health problems and time crunches. Keep it up! Like Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Thanks, Kevin, for the great insight and for listening to me complain. Thanks to my other family members for their thoughts and prayers. I know I'm insanely single minded in my exercise and I hope I'm not too much of a hindrance. I'm kind of hoping everyone I know joins me on my trip to the "funny farm" and visits on a regular basis.

Herbs and Drought

Smells good!

Want to start an herb garden, but it hasn't rained in years because of some Nino person that they keep mentioning on the news (who is this Nino person and how do you type the Spanish "n" on Blogger)? Well, your in luck! Rosemary is the right plant for you. If you plant it in the shade, and it will stretch towards the sun even in 109 degrees. It loves sun! Don't plan it in the shade!

Recently, we had to clip tons of branches off so that our sprinkler system would reach the grass on the other side of our rosemary bush. Now we're learning how to dry herbs. I read an article online that says I just need to rinse off the branches, tie them up in small bundles like you would if you were trying to dry flowers, and hang them upside down in a cool dry place for 4 weeks. It's been almost a week so far and I'm thinking we'll end up with a boat load of the herb when it's all done. I many have found my retirement job. :)

Other herbs that have been taking the heat in our yard have been our chives (as long as it's mostly in shade)...

That ain't grass, so keep your dogs off.

and our sage.

Soft, velvety leaves. Mmm...

Our oregano is looking pretty sad and our garlic bit the dust sometime in July. But rosemary is boppin.' We love adding rosemary to our eggs, stir fry dishes, homemade spaghetti sauces, baked turkey, baked chicken, and Italian dishes. It's tasty, and it's relatively cheap seasoning from the garden. These herbs are also a great way to stay away from the more processed, high calorie, and allergy prone sauces and marinades found at your local grocery store. And most wildlife don't like to eat them. They're strong!

So, try some today!

***This has been a paid advertisement by the "Nino person."

5K Tour de Texas

http://images3.cpcache.com/product/16967673v3_480x480_Front.jpg

This September marks the return of Kevin and Katherine to the racing scene after a much needed hiatus from marathon training. Please, if you come, take pictures only before and after the races, otherwise the flashes might distract us from our task at hand. If you bring flowers, make them be pink and odoriferous. Clap only when we're done. By the end of the season will be selling autographed sweat bands (sweat included) and snotty Kleenexes (snot included) to raise money for allergic to sitting research, which may or may not go to a down payment on a cabin in the mountains. Please give freely. :)

Races currently scheduled to be attended (by us) are as follows:

• September 11, 2011: Run to Remember 5K
• September 17, 2011: Brownwood Celebration Locomotion 5K
• October 29, 2011: Halloween Hustle 5K
• November 19, 2011: Turkey Trot 5K

More than likely there will be t-shirts aplenty, medals to be won (not necessarily by us), and Gatorade to be had.

In the meantime, I'd like to share the following Haiku in honor of my former Slam Poetry days (which a friend reminded me of recently on Facebook). Not that I ever read aloud, or was very good at poetry, but I was very inspired by those who did and were.

Gut Rot

Piff on you, you milk
From cows that turns to gut rot
Goat milk is my friend

Kabobs a la Katrina

Balsamic vinegar smells really good. But not when it's in a puddle on the pantry floor after falling out of a ripped grocery bag. So the following is a recipe from one of my sisters-in-law after a second go around with a new bottle of vinegar. It's mighty tasty and pretty fun to make, especially if you have everyone construct their own kabob. Just remember to double bag your glass items. :)

Ingredients

• 2 mostly cooked boneless chicken breasts (cut into 2" cubes)
• 1/2 or whole green bell pepper
• 1/2 or whole onion (cut into chunks)
• Balsamic vinegar
• Any other veggies you want (yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, potato, etc...)

Skewer chicken and veggies. Brush w/ balsamic vinegar. You can dip the ingredients in a bowl of vinegar intead of brushing, but it gets kind of messy and balsamic tends to stain. Broil on low for 15 minutes (5 kabobs). Serve w/ rice.

Allergies, allergies, and more allergies. Where do they come from?

I just had a great question this week on an old blog entry of mine and I started to type a short answer, but then got carried away! So, as to reap the benefits of several hours of contemplation, I'm re-posting my answer here, but with some pictures for illustration. First is the question and then my answer.

____________________________________________________________
Jen said...
I was wondering what you thought might be the cause of the escalation in food allergies reported in the kids in this study? http://www.dailyrx.com/news-article/peanut-allergies-appear-more-prevalent-14145.html

Why do you think it seems that there is such a higher instance of this in recent times?Do you think it is because of better medical tracking giving a more accurate picture or changes in the environment?

____________________________________________________________
Katherine said...
Jen,
Good question! I'm definitely not an expert, but I have heard several theories about why people have allergies. The most prevalent one is the "hygiene hypothesis" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy#Hygiene_hypothesis).

At least this person uses a toilet.

In case you're not familiar, this theory suggests that our society has become increasingly too clean and therefore our immune systems do not develop properly as it shapes and changes throughout our lifetime. Somehow fighting off diseases and infections and gaining more experience with unfiltered air and un-washed foods is somewhat essential to our growth according to this theory.

Some scientists behind this theory go so far as to say that our immune system is built off of that of "early man" where it was necessary to have an extremely high-functioning immune system.

"Early Man" hadn't invented wipies much less the wheel.

Some say we still have that same immune system, but it's no longer getting a complete workout (like having a V8 engine with a bazillion horses, but never going above 30 mph). As a result, it's "bored."

I think it's the hat that's the problem.

I'm not sure how these theories fit with the idea that we can also inherit allergies from our parents. Genetically speaking, what our parents' immune system "learns" while they are alive does not pass down to us. If they get a cold before we are born, we won't somehow be magically immune to that same cold after birth (otherwise I'd be like "my parents version 2.0").

Me 2.0. Don't I look dapper?

We can still become infected by the cold our parents once had. We can only inherit their genotype or the blue prints of an immune system. So "hygiene" can't be the only explanation for why there may be more cases of allergies today.

Like you said, better medical tracking could also be an influence on the statistic you found. Doctors might be keeping better track of this information. Also, it's common knowledge in the medical field that once a pharmaceutical company advertises a drug for some medical problem, people will see their doctor and ask about that medical condition at higher rates than during the previous time period before the advertisement.

Disturbing. Click to view a large image.

Knowledge of allergies and medications for allergies have grown exponentially in the last decade (according to my own observation). More and more people might see information in the news media, infomercials, books, etc, and then realize "hey, you know that problem I've been having? It might be allergies." Then they go to their doctor.

Yes, because I always equate fiber with a sexy stomach. I'm going to go now and talk with my doctor about Benefiber [said sarcastically].

In summary, nobody really knows why we have allergies (and as a result, why there are different trends in allergies). I'm sure you were anticipating that answer. :) Allergies have been a pseudo-scientific area of study for quite some time.

My husband and I are planning to have kids in the next few years, and it's a real concern what genes their going to inherit. All I know is that, Lord willing, we're going to encourage our kids to be as active as possible and to be healthy eaters because I know that's what has really helped me.

Thanks for your question Jen!

I Hate Numbers, But I love Salad.

So, you may have noticed that I haven’t been keeping track of my exercise using my handy little widget on the side of my blog. The marathon didn’t kill me or my interest in working out. I’m still alive! Exercise-wise at least. However, I haven’t been keeping track of times. I need a break. I can only take so much of the numbers game before I burn out. Keeping track of my times just makes me want to improve each and every time I’m on a bike or running on the pavement. That’s mentally tiring not to mention physically impossible.

Most of last year I was constantly thinking, “that’s my third mile at a 10:30 pace. I need to pick it up a little more so that by mile 8, I’m not so behind my target time.” Instead, I’d rather be thinking one of the following.

• “I’d like to make spaghetti tomorrow night. Maybe I can use that new recipe that calls for basil.”
• “Should I watch ‘My Princess’ Korean drama or “My Girlfriend is a Nine Tailed Fox’ Korean drama after the run? That Nine Tailed Fox is going to eat somebody’s liver at some point. I know it!”
• “I wonder if I can fit more clothes in my closet if I organize mementos from childhood a little better.”
• “Hi! My name is Tonje. I’m a little pretty girl trapped inside a grownups body. I don’t wanna be. I don’t wanna be a crappy house wife.”
• “That was three miles. I’m done!”
• “I shouldn’t eat beans before a run.”
• “Man! Kent just farted.”

These are all preferable topics to consider while I work out rather than numbers. Well, maybe not the beans...or Kent's farts.

Plus, I’m no long running like a gazillion miles where it’s fun to look back and think how cool/insane my previous 15 mile run was.

A few other reasons to lay off the record keeping: I’m not training for anything, I don’t like math so much, I’m not keeping track on my weight, and also, my watch broke.

All of these things have contributed to my hiatus. I’m sorry if I’ve let you down. Please don’t cry. I’ll be back sometime next year with more number crunching. But right now, it’s fun to just run/bike/dance/weight life/whatever with no set goals.

So, instead Kevin and I have been working out regularly almost everyday. We do keep to a schedule to some degree, but it’s not fixed by distance, sets, or time by any means (see below). You might say this is crazy, but keep in mind that I sit at work for 8 hours during the day. I’m ready to move when I get home!

• Monday: Run
• Tuesday: Strength training for 45 minutes and 1 hour dance class
• Wednesday: Run
• Thursday: Strength training for 45 minutes or freestyle swimming
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: Bike
• Sunday: Bike

To fuel our hot summer exercise, I've been getting pretty creative with cool salads. Here's a list of my favorite ingredients for salads that make my meals jam packed with taste and energy. If I had a salad every night for dinner, I'd be happy. But I have a husband. I think that would kill him. :) I want him around so I have to make all my salads count.
 
Ingredients
cool winter squash (my favorite is butternut)
raisins
carrots
cooked (and cooled) zucchini or yellow squash
cooked onions
cooked broccoli
bell peppers
celery
cucumber
cooked (and cooled) brussel sprouts (from fresh, not frozen)
radishes
sunflower seeds
MEAT
 
For a Non-traditional dressing

• tbl spoon grape seed oil
• tbl agave nectar
• salt and pepper to taste

Forbidden Pizza Love

Love.

Have you ever made a pizza that you'd sell your car to eat? I have. Just now. Of course, I have the supreme honor of co-owning (with my husband) a 1995 Ford Taurus. But that's still saying a bunch considering it's still worth a couple of hundred smackaroos. Maybe five. I'm not good with numbers.

Anyway, back to the pizza.

The pizza that I made this weekend was freakin' awesome!!!! Da bomb!!!! I basically mixed the best ingredients from all previous recipes together in one insanely cool, yummy in the tummy, MASTERPIECE. I'm totally not bragging. Kevin loved it too.

But it's all gone. And now all I have is the picture above picture. And two other pictures that aren't quite as good.



Darkish picture of whole pizza.



Strange lighting picture at an oddish angle.

The dough was a perfect combination of crispy and chewy. The cheese didn't taste like the way goats smell. The veggies were well done, but not burnt. The sauce was super spicy and plentiful in every bite. But there's no more. I ate the last two pieces yesterday. I'm not sure what else I have to live for.

Wait a minute! Wait a minute. It's just pizza. Get a hold of yourself girl!

Here's the recipe

• chopped zucchini
• diced onions
• chopped brussel sprouts
• shredded sheep cheese (yes, sheep, the hard cheese, from a wheel)
• 3/4 pound all natural pork sausage
• chopped celery
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 package of Bob's Red Mill Pizza Crust Mix (Gluten Free)

Cook according to the Bob package.

Side note:
I just noticed that I have a tag called "pizza dogs" (see list of tags on the bottom-left of the page). [Update: tag no longer available]. That's wasn't intentional. I've never eaten a pizza dog in my life. Truly.

Summer Night Runs and Bean Bloat

Watch out! They may be small but their feisty!

It’s hot. It’s summer in Texas. So the runs outside have been pushed to the time slot after sunset. That means what I eat after I get home from work is super important for a pleasant run. And like placing a keepsake in a safe spot and then forgetting where it's located, I've evidently misplaced all of the important techniques of late night running. Hey! What can I say? It’s been a while. So let's review the disasterous consequences of poor food choices before a run.

My wake up call came on Wednesday night of this week. Kent, the Super Border Collie, and I start off at a respectable sub-9:30-minute-per-mile pace on our 3 mile run. Kevin’s close to the curb with Kaiya. We’ve both got a buddy system (leashes tied to belts). Kent’s breathing like an asthmatic. Kaiya’s sniffing everything in sight. I’m feeling the cool breeze that’s missing while the sun is out. We’re having fun. Then a mile into the run, I develop a sharp little knife pain in the gut and it dawns on me...

Oh yeah! I need to watch what I eat before these evening runs. Crap. Literally.

During the second mile, that sharp knife pain in the gut turns into a larger knife pain (let’s say a cleaver or bowie). Then ye olde rock in the gut appears. That’s the rock that makes you feel like you’ve gained about 10 pounds around the middle. It’s also the rock that, like molten lava from a volcano, likes to push upward towards the lungs, providing an itty bitty working space. But it's not a rock; it's gass in the stomache. Then, because I had beans for dinner, bean bloat rears it’s ugly head. I look like I’m a couple months pregnant. But no, family peoples! It’s the beans.

This is a man-gut. Mine's not this bad.

So I'm about to resign myself to suffering through it all. And it dawns on me. I’m not training for anything. There is no half-marathon or marathon in my future. I’m not living off a schedule ("schedule" reads “torture”). I can walk off my aches and pains. So that’s what I did. I don’t like walking during my runs because I like to maintain a good steady workout, but hey, one walk is not going to kill me.

They're not that bad! Just don't eat'em before running.

So my dad likes to keep several things in mind when he’s buying or selling retirement stocks/mutual funds or the like, but one of them is the old saying “buy low, sell high.” It’s a good mantra for forcing one to think before one acts. I think I need to find something just as catchy on days when I run after dinner. How about the following. Perhaps they could be made into t-shirts? Perhaps you can come up with better ones?

• "Eat smart, run smarter."
• "Eat smart, don’t fart."
• "Feed the run, not the tum-tum."
• "Want to run? Don’t eat a ton."
• "Run to end bean bloat."
• "Don’t eat and run."
• "Friends don’t let friends eat beans and run."

While I decide on the best slogan, here’s my personal list of guidelines for when I’m running after dinner. I really need to force myself to go through this list before each run! If you want more tips on digesting beans in particular, try out this great article at http://www.lbveg.com/Articles/digestingbeans.php.

• Don’t eat nuts, dried fruit, chips, beans, or milk products (goat or otherwise) for dinner.
• Eat foods low in sodium and fat for dinner.
• Don’t go back for seconds during dinner.
• Drink lots of water during and after dinner.
• Don’t drink a lot during the 30 minutes right before a run.
• Wait at least 3-4 hours after eating dinner before running.
• Don’t get frustrated by digestive issues on the run. It'll be okay, little one. It'll be okay.

Oatmeal Morning Mash Up

That Ain't Mud

What tastes like oatmeal cookies, but it's healthy for you? That'd be hot oatmeal cereal. My latest good friend...for breakfast that is. Ha! Thought I was going to say something brilliant like "a rainbow, because it's pure and refreshing" or something, didn' ya? No. People. This is a food/exercise blog. :)

Oatmeal is gluten free and I make it up cheap and quick. I love it. L-o-v-e  it! We buy the largest tub of whole oats we can get our hands on. Here's my current favorite recipe. Use whole oats or steal cut oats (the less processed the better).

Big Tub

Ingredients
1/2 c whole oats oat meal
1 tbl Splenda or Truvia
1 tbl coconut flakes
1 tsp cocoa powder (or carob powder, a cocoa replacement)
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tbl dried fruit or nuts (optional)
1 c water or low fat milk (cow, soy, coconut, almond, flax—you’re choice; it's all good)

Microwave Directions
Mix all ingredients together and microwave on high for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Make sure to use a microwave safe container that can hold at least twice the amount of ingredients listed here (it'll expand when cooked like a creature surfacing from the black lagoon). Feel free to mix and match ingredients. You might try adding a little allspice, ginger, nutmeg, rosemary, turmeric, or cloves. Slice up some fruit like strawberries, peaches, pears, or apples. No two oatmeal bowls need to be the same. Just add a little spice at a time at taste it before adding more and cooking (raw oats are safe to eat).

Calories
About 250 according to http://caloriecount.about.com/ and http://www.quakeroats.com/

Dying in Dish Detergent, Help Wanted

Do you have this problem?

Or this problem?

We do. On average, with just the two of us we'll (I'll) typically do about 3-4 full loads of dishes a week. A week! That's just us! Insane! But eating out is not so much fun for me, so I (we) cook a lot, which creates a lot of food like this.

White and dark turkey meat baked this past Wednesday. Yum!

And this.

GF Pancakes a la Gluten Free Pantry

And this.

Japanese Sweet Rice. Have some? We've got plenty.

And this.

Katherine's typical dinner during the work week (lately).

But it also creates a lot of these.

Typically, I'll eat out once every other month (food allergies don't make it very fun). No joke. My husband eats out a bit more, but not by much (poor guy). But according to the US Department of Agriculture, not everybody eats at home as much as we do. According to their findings, "Spending on food away from home was 48.6 percent of the $1,182.0 billion in total food expenditures in 2009." That's almost 50% of people's food monies!

Are we eating healthier because we're not eating out? Yes. Are we saving monies? I think so. Even with the cost of washing dishes, we're still saving money. According to the GE Web site, a dishwasher costs on average about $8 a day to use in Texas. So we're spending approximately $24-32 dollars a week to wash our dishes. Dude! That's a lot. But it's only the cost of eating out for a meal or two for two people, which equates to very few dishes (two-four plates or bowls and silverware, plus a cooking container or two, not an entire load).

But we still wash a lot of dishes, and that means a lot of pre-washing. So, I'm taking out an add in today's blog. See below.

Magic Dish Washing Tutor Needed.
Teaches spells that make dishes wash themselves (see example).
Preferably has white beard, reading glasses, and wears blue robe (oh, and a hat).
Jazz band included.
Will work for home cooked food.
No squirrel or fish spells, please.



Might look a little like this. Wand is necessary.


YouTube Video Update

The sound quality and video angles weren't quite what I was hoping for, so an upgrade is needed before the next AllergictoSitting video extravaganza. Looking to purchase this.  And thinking about this.