A few months ago at a street festival in my hometown, one of the speciality fresh food stores, Alan’s Orchard, had a booth that I stopped by. In addition to picking up a loaf of pumpkin chocolate chip bread (which was SO good), I signed up to be on their CSA waiting list. I know a lot of other bloggers participate in CSAs that are local to them, but I found they were less common in suburban New Jersey than I liked. So even though I was only signing up for the waiting list, I crossed my fingers that someone would drop out, but didn’t get my hopes up.
Fast forward to July, and I got a call from the store that they had room for me in their “Fresh Box” program! Since we were on vacation when they called, I was afraid by the time I got back to them they would have already moved onto the next person. Thankfully they hadn’t, and I was able to pick up my very first box this past Friday. The program runs from May to December and provides you with a (giant) box of seasonal fruits and vegetables weekly (you can choose from three pick up days), and the box comes with a ton of information (instructions for the best storage, recipes, and general information on the fruits and veggies) all for $25! They also offer add-ins that you can purchase like farm fresh eggs, cheese, and other goodies. The store also partners with a local wine shop in town to offer weekly wine and beer selections, too! Needless to say this program is a veggie lovers dream.
This week’s haul included giant jalapeños, an eggplant, four ears of corn, tomatoes, two kinds of peaches, rainbow chard, pickle cucumbers, green cabbage, onions, and tomatillos. I typically meal plan mid-week and shop on Sunday or Monday for the week, but obviously now that I’ll be picking up these goodies every Friday, that has to change. I’ve got grand plans for it all, though. Sunday was grilled salmon with peach salsa, Monday was spicy mushroom and eggplant tacos with salsa verde, Tuesday was a rainbow chard frittata, and tonight is falafel in a cabbage wrap! You can bet I’ll be sharing the recipes soon. I can’t wait to see what each week brings!
Do you have a CSA program near you? Do you participate?
Our train pulled into the Stockholm station at about 6:15a. Thankfully we had the foresight to set our alarms for 5:30a to make sure we were up and ready to hop off the train when we arrived at the station. Since we were so early the hotel didn’t have any rooms ready for us, so we dropped off our bags and headed out to find some coffee and get started on sight seeing.
Since it was so early not a lot was open, but we did stumble upon a coffee shop, Espresso House, that I would later learn to be the equivalent to our Starbucks (looks like I’m finding those everywhere). I ordered my new favorite drink, a vanilla latte, and we sat and enjoyed our drinks surrounded by cozy decor. After finalizing our plan for the day and wasting about an hour and a half, we set out to knock a few sights off of our list.
We headed to Stockholm’s city hall building, where we took an informative tour (they won’t allow you to trapse through the building on your own, since it is an active building with people working), and then we took a stop for lunch. The temperature was warmer than Copenhagen, but still not as hot as home, so we enjoyed our lunch al fresco; I enjoyed some fish and chips while the hubs ordered a lunch special of grilled chicken with chorizo and mashed sweet potatoes.
After lunch we took a short stroll up to the royal palace, where we were able to walk through the treasury, royal apartments, gallery, and a mini-museum. As I was traipsing through the halls, I couldn’t help but imagine what it must have been like to actually live there. I mean, to have your “bedroom” be smattering of 5+ rooms, to have marbled staircases, and beautiful gardens and rooms full of sculptures. Every time I would look in one of the less than shiny mirrors, I couldn’t help but think about all the other people that have also looked in those same mirrors. It’s pretty cool if you stop and think about it! We also stumbled upon the changing of the guards, which included a little concert from the royal band – it was perfect timing!
For dinner, we headed to Herman’s, a vegetarian buffet, which was like my heaven. They had a grill out back where they were grilling tofu and all kinds of veggies, and then both hot and cold food inside. I loaded my plate with as many grilled vegetables as I could fit and a ton of their salads as well. Everything was delicious, and I had said that I would have been totally fine eating all of my meals there. It was a nice change of pace from all the rich and heavy foods we had been eating for the majority of our trip. I also had some grilled eggplant slathered in BBQ sauce that I fell in love with and recreated as soon as we got home.
Our go-to dessert was ice cream, or as it’s called over there, glass. They had tons of shops throughout the city, and the majority of them had homemade waffle cones. So on our way back to the hotel most evenings we stopped to get some – my favorite flavor was the maple walnut.
For dinner on our second day, we headed to a traditional Swedish restaurant, Pelikan. It was my goal to have Swedish meatballs while in Sweden, so I knew this restaurant was going to be my best chance at that. I read reviews about their food, and knew that the food would be good – they only have 8 main dishes, so it was easy for me to make my decision; Swedish meatballs with gherkin pickles, lingonberries, and mashed potatoes. The meatballs were huge and so full of flavor, and it made for an excellent meal paired with the sweet berries and salty pickles.
After starting our third day at my beloved Espresso House and taking a look at their photography museum, we worked up an appetite. Since we were heading over to to another island (Stockholm is a bunch of little islands, for all you non geographers), we stopped at a little stand that seemed to be bustling for lunch. Turns out we stumbled upon one of the weirdest, but delicious combinations ever. It was a wrap filled with mashed potatoes, and a hot dog with all the fixin’s (relish, mustard, and ketchup). It sounds totally bizarre, but it was really tasty – you could even get one with seafood salad if you wanted. Who would have thought that would be a delicious combo (obviously the Swedes)?!
Dinner that night was at Garlic & Shots, a restaurant my husband had actually visited while he was in England a few years ago. I ordered a huge black bean burger and garlic fries, while the hubs ordered a spicy beef chili skillet. And of course, we had to try their garlic beer. That’s right, the beer actually has little pieces of garlic floating in it! It sounds weird, but I promise it’s actually quite delicious. They also have an impressive shots list (hence the name), and while I didn’t order any, there were definitely a few I would try.
Our last day started with a buffet brunch cruise around Stockholm’s archipelago islands. It’s here that I tried the fried pickled herring that I actually enjoyed. I also had some grilled vegetables, smoked salmon, some cold salads, bread, and some breakfast sausage and ham. They also had a phenomenal dessert buffet that I forgot to snap a picture of, but trust me it was delicious.
One thing that I enjoyed in both Copenhagen and Stockholm was the elusive chocolate ball, known as the chokoladboll. It’s a little chocolate ball that is covered in shredded coconut, and is absolutely delicious. I found a few recipes online, and definitely plan on recreating them myself. My mouth is watering just at the thought of them! So of course I ended the trip with one at the airport.
It was a great 12 days away, but it was certainly nice to get back home into a normal routine, and to of course spend time with the kitties. It was definitely an experience I’m so glad I got to have, and can’t wait for my next vacation (Disney in January)!
Olympic podium at the photography museum… I’m a winner!
Seriously, how is July almost over already? I guess being away for two weeks at the beginning of the month helped make it fly by. I was finally able to get back into the swing of things this week, and despite a medical emergency close call, I made some delicious stuff in the kitchen!
First up was a vegetarian loaf – full of beans and flavor. I wasn’t sure if it would hold together enough to resemble meatloaf, but it did. I don’t even remember how I found this recipe, but I’m so glad I did. It made enough for both dinner and lunch the next day, and I had most of the ingredients already on hand. I definitely want to make this again, and I think it could be just as delicious if I play around with the spices.
On Tuesday I decided to make brussels sprouts, because they’re one of my favorite vegetables. Someone doesn’t like them, so I actually have never made them myself; I’ve only ever had them at my parent’s house. So after checking with my mom to see how she usually makes them, I got to work in the kitchen. It was so easy – I threw about 3 Tbsp of olive oil into a pan, chopped up three cloves of garlic, and tossed the brussels (I cut them in half) into the pan with some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I sautéed them over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, and I had myself a delicious side dish. Since I wound up eating the entire carton myself, they actually wound up being my main dish! So easy. So delicious. I just don’t understand why people don’t like brussels sprouts!
Wednesday was quick & easy pizza after the Downtown Westfield 5k that I didn’t get to run (see above with the “medical close call”), but the hubs did. So even though I didn’t run, I got to enjoy the pizza!
Thursday’s dinner came from a recipe I found on Pinterest (of course) for Linguine with Smoky Avocado Sauce. I had grilled avocado for the first time a few months ago and loved it, and I’ve used avocado as a “cream sauce” before and loved it, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. The recipe itself doesn’t say how much pasta to use, so I wound up using enough for three servings, by just grabbing some handfuls of spaghetti. I really need to get myself one of those pasta measuring contraptions, because I never know how much I’m using when it comes to spaghetti.
In addition to dinner, there’s been no lack of dessert. Most nights of the week end with a little ice cream. Somehow, our cats know exactly when it’s ice cream time – no matter where they are in the house, they come bounding into the kitchen, and subsequently perch themselves on either arm of our couch, stalking our every bite. It may seem like a bit of an exaggeration, but I captured the below picture one night while we were trying to enjoy our dessert. It happens every single time. They’re lucky they are so darn cute.
I have next week’s meals all planned out already, but I’m thinking they may change. I’m picking up our very first CSA box today (and I’m so excited!!), so I’ll need to be sure to incorporate the goodies into our meals for the week. I can’t wait to see what we get!
Did you have anything noteworthy this week? Do you have pets that stalk your every move when you eat?
When I was contacted by the folks at Vega to see if I’d like to try their new line of smoothies, I jumped at the offer. I currently have a tub of their vanilla performance protein at home and enjoy that post-workout, so I was excited to see what their smoothie powders were like.
I love smoothies, but I never make them. It isn’t that I’m too lazy to make them, rather the majority of recipes I find online involve one fruit I just can’t stomach – banana. I realize banana can easily be omitted from most recipes, but most of the time they’re used for texture rather than taste, and I’m too much of a smoothie novice to know what would be a good replacement. I’ve tried packaged smoothie mixes before, and have always been left feeling like they were missing something, so I was looking forward to see what Vega had to offer.
So, when I learned about Vega’s pre-made smoothies, I couldn’t help but wonder if they would really have the same level of both nutrition and “yum” factor as a fruit-blended drink. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was skeptical. I mean, how could something with ingredients like pea protein powder be made to taste like vanilla and almonds? Or fruit? Well, I don’t know how they did it, but the smoothies are good enough just with water! Each serving contains two servings of veggies, 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of omega-3. I was impressed with those stats, considering it’s just a bunch of powder. The best part (in my opinion) is that it’s completely plant based – so when you look at the ingredient list, they’re all things that you can pronounce, and more importantly, you recognize.
Winning combo!
While the directions say to just add water and shake, I wanted to do a little more than that. Instead of using water, I decided to give their Vanilla Almondilla a try with some Cheribundi tart cherry juice. Since I typically drink some type of protein mid-afternoon at work (you know, to help me reach my buff arms goal), I swapped this out on Tuesday and was pleasantly surprised. I loved that I could just bring the individual package to work with me and make it whenever I wanted. And, the cherry and vanilla almond combination was delicious; I gave myself a little pat on the back for coming up with that one. I had my husband try the Mango Tango, and he was equally impressed with the flavors, and he’s a tough critic!
I’m looking forward to sampling the last few flavors, and I’m trying to come up with something creative for the unflavored package I received. The bottom line is that I would absolutely recommend these to someone looking for a quick, easy, and tasty way to get in some extra nutrients throughout the day.
Would you try these quick & easy smoothies? Do you have any non-banana smoothie recipes that you like and want to share?
Disclaimer: Vega sent me these protein powders to try at no cost to me, and all opinions are my own.
We arrived in Copenhagen at around 10pm after a late flight from Berlin. It was actually the first time I had to walk out on the tarmac in order to board my plane; my mom has a thing about flying on big jets only, so growing up that was the only type of plane we would take – a big ‘ole jet. While this plane wasn’t small, I couldn’t help but giggle on my way out, thinking about my mom.
Since we arrived so late, we snacked on some of the chocolate I procured earlier in the day, and got to bed early in order to take full advantage of our time in Copenhagen. We started the day with breakfast at the hotel, which for me included a veggie sandwich and a pastry. I was happy to see that it was completely acceptable to eat a sandwich for breakfast – something I love doing. We then headed to Tivoli Gardens, which is a big amusement park with gardens, and tons of restaurants in the heart of the city. Once we had done our fair share of rides, we settled on lunch at a bier garten, because we apparently weren’t done with Germany just yet. After lunch, we headed to check out my very favorite Disney princess – Ariel!
For those of you that don’t know, Hans Christian Andersen was Danish, and actually wrote the famed Little Mermaid, that was then made into my favorite Disney movie of all time. So of course it was necessary to visit the statue of her while in the city. By the time we finished the treck from Tivoli to the water, we had worked up quite an appetite for dinner. So, upon the recommendation of Yelp, we headed to a Thai restaurant right on the water, that allowed us to watch evening runners while we enjoyed our dinners. We both wound up getting the same dish, and it was delicious!
While I was spending time scouring the internet to not only learn the dining customs (we didn’t want a Berlin repeat) but to also find restaurants, it became apparent that there wasn’t a lot of Danish food around. The places that did exist, were unfortunately very upscale and required very far in advance reservations (I’m talking months). So, I made sure to find and try “traditional” Danish food for lunch on our second day. There were restaurants lining the water in Nyhavn, making our decision tricky. Eventually we settled on Nyhavn 37, and while the hubs ordered some steamed blue mussels, I went with their “Traditional Danish Lunch Platter,” which included the infamous pickled herring.
I’m willing to try pretty much anything, and I can now say that I do not like pickled herring. Fried pickled herring is okay (I had that in Stockholm, we’ll get there eventually), but I am not a fan. So while my meal was only okay (based solely on my own tastes – my husband’s was delicious!), I had a beautiful view. The weather in Copenhagen was significantly colder than Berlin and by extension home, so I enjoyed the meal outside by heating lamps with a blanket. Since it’s cooler there but everyone enjoys eating outside, most restaurants provide fleece blankets for their patrons – it’s so cool!
While my lunch on our second day was a little lackluster, dinner certainly made up for it. We stumbled upon Halifax, where I enjoyed what may have been the best burger I’ve ever tasted. The concept is neat – you pick the style of burger, what type of patty (size and if you want beef, chickpea, or celery), what type of side you want (fries, salad, etc.), and what dipping sauce you want (chipotle, aoli, remoulade, salsa, or straight up mayo). I decided to go with their Zurich burger, which had rösti as the top bun (it’s basically like a potato pancake). The whole not having a full bun thing worked out, since they eat their burgers with knives and forks! Of course, my husband and I washed our burgers down with beer.
We spent each day in museums and wandering the streets, so caffeine pick-me-ups were required here and there. While Copenhagen didn’t have Starbucks, I found a Baresso on almost ever corner. I fell in love with their vanilla cappuccino, and ordered one every time we visited the shop. The fact that they served it in a glass cup and topped it with a heart made it all the more enjoyable.
We only spent three days in Copenhagen, so our last full day started with some Barreso to fuel a stroll around Stroget, their shopping district. Our last meal was at an Italian/Mexican fusion restaurant, Momma Rosa’s where I did something my husband just couldn’t get behind – I ate pizza with a fork. I didn’t mind it so much (I used to start eating pizza that was too hot that way when I was little), but my husband just couldn’t justify eating pizza that way.
We had a late train from Copenhagen to Lund in Sweden, where we then took a sleeper train to Stockholm. We stopped at a 7-Eleven in Lund to grab some drinks, and while making small talk with the cashier, she asked where we were from. We mentioned the U.S, specifically New Jersey… where she informed us she’d heard of NJ thanks to Jersey Shore. Fabulous.
While our time in Copenhagen was short, we absolutely loved the culture – they bike everywhere, and would love to return. Next up is our final stop, Sweden!
The first stop on our 12-day European adventure was Berlin.
As I mentioned in my previous post, the trip there was off to a rough start, but we made it eventually. If we want to get technical, my first meal of the trip was a shared black bean Smash Burger before boarding the plane (for the first time – we had to deplane for a bit before finally taking off).
Since it was an evening/overnight flight, we were served dinner, and I opted for the vegetarian selection. I assumed it was either going to be a bunch of bland steamed vegetables or a variation of pasta primavera, but I’m happy to report I was pleasantly surprised; it included some chana masala, basmati rice, and palak paneer. While it wasn’t the prettiest of meals, it was much more than I expected for in-flight food – I’m used to just a bag of mixed nuts and my choice of soda. It was surprisingly flavorful, and despite it’s own questionable appearance, looked a lot better than the chicken or beef options.
Once we arrived in Berlin, (even though it was the middle of the night at home) we got down to business and set out on foot to do some sightseeing. We checked out the Berliner Dom, and just wandered around for a bit to try and get a baring of where we were. Our first meal in the city was at Maximilian’s, where we learned the hard way that you seat yourself in Germany. We walked into the restaurant and stood there like deer in headlights as waiters and waitresses walked past us as though we didn’t exist. After realizing we were supposed to seat ourselves, I cursed myself for not looking up dining etiquette prior to the trip. I quickly Googled the information (thanks to my husband buying a cheap data plan once we landed), and learned that in addition to seating yourself, ordering a glass of “still water” is frowned upon. I usually drink water with my meals, so this was a bit of a disappointment. I supplemented the water with a liter of weissbeir, as any logical person would.
Knowing a little bit about the food culture of each city prior to visiting, I knew right away what I was going to order – currywurst! It’s a big deal in Berlin, and they have little shops and street vendors selling it everywhere. I like curry, and I like wurst, so I had no doubt I’d enjoy the concoction. It was served with pomme frites, and I ate it like a true European – knife in my right hand and fork in my left! My husband ordered their version of meatloaf which is nothing like what your mother makes – it tasted more like a delicious ham steak to me, and he devoured every last bite.
For breakfast on our first full day, we went to Chipps at the recommendation of a friend who had visited Berlin a few months earlier. They have a lot of really delicious vegetarian and vegan options, which in a city that loves their meat is appreciated by someone like me. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, but I eventually settled for some scrambled eggs with baked beans, veggie bacon, toast, and a mixed salad.
It was the perfect fuel for a day full of sightseeing, including an amazing walking tour that highlighted all the notables in the city. We actually got really lucky and had a tour guide that was a history Ph.D student at Humboldt University; I learned SO much, and the tour was completely free! As a side note to all the food, I would definitely recommend checking out these tours if you are thinking about traveling abroad. But back to the food…
While our dinner the second night was far from traditional (I wound up ordering a burger and my husband had sliders), it was enjoyed at a table that provided us our very own beer tap at The Pub. That’s right – Paulaner weissbeer was right at our fingertips; we had glasses, could fill them up on our own, and paid per liter. The even cooler part was that the ordering of food and getting the waiter/waitress’ attention was also done through the computer attached to the tap. I’m all for the “experience” of dining out, but sometimes it’s nice to not be asked how I’m doing right as I take a giant bite of food, or equally as annoying be unable to get the waiter or waitress’ attention when you need them.
The rest of our mornings were spent at Starbucks for a few reasons – there was one on every corner (no different from around here!) and they had free wi-fi, which allowed us to plot out our day’s plan of attack. While it isn’t a glamorous sidewalk café, one of those Starbucks does happen to be right across the street from the hotel where Michael Jackson dangled his baby out a window, a mere stones throw away from the US and French embassies. Go figure.
For dinner on our last night, we headed to Jedermann where I enjoyed some super creamy and delicious spätzle while the hubs had weinerschnitzel; I figured it was necessary to end the trip with a more traditional dinner.
We had an evening flight from Berlin to Copenhagen, so we had a pretty full last day. I made sure to take a trip to Fassbender & Rausch for some much needed German chocolate, and some really delicious Indian food at Amrit. It was the perfect end to an awesome four days.
By the time we were ready to part ways with Berlin, I felt as though I was really getting a handle on the city. I was able to differentiate between East and West Germany, I could generally navigate to the larger landmarks, and I was getting the hang of pronouncing different things (like the ß letter is pronounced as a double S, so straße is strasse – the word for street!), and it felt like a city I could live in.
There is no way I could do any of the sights we saw justice in a recap – there is just SO much history in the city – it’s a pretty great place, so that’s why I decided to just stick to the food. You’ll have to go check it out for yourself to see all the amazing sites and learn the history!
I know you’ve all been chomping at the bit to see another post from me – and you need not wait any longer (do you feel the sarcasm oozing on you screen?)! We returned from our European adventure late yesterday morning, and I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what time it was, doing laundry, and playing with our extremely needy, but angry for leaving them, cats.
Aside from our yearly Disney World trips, my husband and I wanted to do something different as well this year, and figured a trip outside the US would do the trick. So, after scouring the Internet and trying to come up with all the places we want to visit (pretty much everywhere), the most affordable and doable trip for us this time around was to spend a few days each in Berlin, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. While I plan on doing a full foodie recap of each city, I figured I would break the radio silence to give you a few fun tidbits from the trip.
We left on 4th of July after rocking our 4 mile race, and were met with an oh-so-fun delay thanks to a mechanical issue on our United flight. This wound up putting us behind hours, almost completely losing a day in Berlin. Thankfully we were able to make up for lost time, and really only missed out on a few stops that were planned originally. Initially we were supposed to fly from Newark to Geneva, and then to Berlin. In order to get us there as soon as possible, though, we wound up taking a detour to Zurich first, and then made our way to Berlin. So we took three planes just to get to Germany! But we made it safe and sound, and that’s all that really matters. Another plane took us from Berlin to Copenhagen, and a sleeper train the size of my closet took us from there to Stockholm. Good ‘ole United took us straight back to Newark yesterday.
While I didn’t get in nearly as much running as planned (a measly 15 miles over 12 days), we walked at least 5 miles every day, which I like to think counts for something. I also scored myself plenty of extra poundage, thanks to phenomenal food, liters of beer, and everything being served with pomme frites. I’m bummed to be back home because that means things like work, responsibility, and traffic, but it also means things I like – running, cooking, being a crazy cat lady… and so on. So stay tuned for the city recaps – Berlin is up first!
While I was running on Monday thinking about how awesome my new Oiselle tank top is, I thought to myself, “I always like to know when people think products are awesome (and aren’t being compensated for saying so), and can never find enough reviews of things online.” I’ve recently started doing my best to review products I get where they have the option online, but I also appreciate when I stumble upon people’s blogs doing the same. So I figured why not share with you what I’m loving (McDonalds didn’t make the list… this time).
Lululemon’s Dart and Dash shorts. These bad boys are awesome. I have a few pairs of spandex shorts, and I find myself tugging at them during most runs afraid I’m showing off a little cheek. Most of the longer pairs I find are a bit too long and border on bike shorts, so when I saw these I figured I’d give them a try. Yes, they’re more expensive than I would like to pay for some spandex, but I’ve been more than happy with them, making it worth the money. They have two little pockets on the inside (as most running shorts have), as well as two on the either side on the outside of the short (which are cool, but look awkward when something thicker than say a small Gu is in there), and my favorite part is the rubber material also on the outside of the shorts to help your shirt from rising up. Because I have a small waist and larger hips, I find that most running shirts that are on the more fitted side like to turn into belly shirts, which is not cute. So this helps keep them in place, and reminds me of my old racing suits that had the same material on the inside to keep it snug on your leg while swimming. So, the bottom line is despite the high price tag, I absolutely recommend these shorts to anyone looking for a little more coverage than your average spandex booty short.
Oiselle’s Aero Tank. I paid zero dollars for this tank thanks to winning a Twitter contest, and received the tank just in time for my birthday (fate, I tell you!). I’m not usually a fan of sleeveless shirts (I prefer either racerback tank tops or short sleeve shirts, nothing in between), but am happy to report I love this one. The real kicker for me is that there is a little side pocket with a zipper, perfect for a set of keys or a Gu. I actually brought some keys with me on my test run with the shirt, and had no problems with it. Not only do I love how into running Oiselle is and the support they provide the running community, but they make great gear, too! I’ve heard wonderful things about their shorts, and who doesn’t love the rundies?
Send the Trend. This is a new-to-me website, and I’m obsessed. You sign up, and can then get adorable accessories for $29 – always (bags are usually $39). They were having a sale a few weeks ago and I scored two awesome necklaces (one seen above), and a set of bangles. For anyone that’s looking for affordable on-trend accessories, this is definitely the place! I also appreciate that there isn’t any pressure to buy, since I’ve found so many of those “you’re guaranteed a price” sites require you to spend X amount each month, etc. Their shipping is also incredibly fast – I ordered something Thursday morning, and had it at my doorstep Saturday.
Big Ass Salads. I’m not usually one to order a salad when I’m out at a restaurant, but lately with the temperatures being so high, they’re the perfect filling refreshment. I’ve found that diner salads are my favorite, because they’re HUGE, and have a ton of stuff in them. Plus, when I make them at home they’re super easy and require little to no cooking, keeping the house cool. I also like the tortilla shells, and make them at home by baking a burrito sized tortilla in a glass bowl (yes, I realize that requires the oven, but I don’t make them all the time), which makes the salad a little more fun… because let’s be honest, just lettuce is boring.
While the things I mentioned may seem to be a little random, they pretty much show who I am – someone that loves running, fashion, and food. RFF? FRF? RFF? Either way, these are the things I’m currently obsessing over.
So, have any of you used/tried these products? What are your thoughts? Or, do you have others that you just love and want to share?
Because a title like “Baby, you’re a firework” just wasn’t going to happen.
Wednesday morning marked my fourth year running Cranford’s Fire Cracker Four Miler. When I ran the race for the first time in 2009, it was my very first road race. I look back and laugh at how much of a novice runner I was; I rocked a pair of Nike Shox that were almost a year old, and somehow thought it was a good idea to wear a cotton swimming t-shirt to run 4 miles in July. The race went well because I had no expectations, and I finished in just over 36 minutes. The second year I knocked off another 2 minutes, and was again pleased with my time considering I was still on the early road to considering myself a “runner.” Then last year, the race marked the first day of official marathon training, and my husband ran with me. Somehow, I shaved off another 2 minutes, leaving me with a Firecracker PR of 32 minutes.
Throughout half marathon training this Spring, the majority of my 4 mile training runs were about 32-33 minutes. Sometimes, I even hit closer to low 31. So, I figured that as long as I didn’t fall, break a leg, or pass-out, I’d be able to PR again. Considering the apparent tradition of running 2 minutes faster each year, I was aiming for around 30 minutes. This race actually has categories you can sign up for, one of them being a spouse category (technically it’s labeled husband/wife, but I prefer to simply call it the spouse group). So, I thought it would be fun to sign up as a couple, and see how we would place. We looked up the results from last year, and we figured if I could keep around a 7:30 pace, we’d have a chance at placing in the top 3 for that category. Somehow, that’s just what I did.
Even though I started taking new medicine on Monday night, it hasn’t quite kicked in yet, and I was worried I’d need to make a pit stop on the course. Thankfully everything worked out and I was able to keep a 7:33 pace, crossing the line in 30:11. While my ultimate goal was to go under 30, I’m more than happy with the 30. I was able to keep my tradition of PRing by 2 minutes each year and scored 4th place in my age group, and the 28th woman overall! And, my husband ran it in 26 minutes, so combined we finished in 56 minutes – enough for a W in the husband/wife category! We scored ourselves a sweet medal, and two t-shirts (not quite sure what I’m supposed to do with the XL size shirt, though).
After waiting around for about an hour to get our medal, we went back to my parent’s house to down some bagels and coffee. It was the perfect way to start the 4th of July!
Can you think of a better way to spend part of your birthday than a trip to the doctor (specifically the gastroenterologist)? Clearly I can’t, because that’s exactly what I did on Thursday afternoon. This was just a follow-up to all the tests I had back at the end of May/beginning of June, but it was a trip to the doctor on my birthday, nonetheless. Thankfully after blood work, an endoscopy, colonoscopy, and HIDA scan, my doctor had some rather good news for me, which I told him better be the case since it was my birthday and all.
Birthday brownies from co-workers… good thing I’m not lactose or gluten intolerant!
The appointment started as they always do, sitting in his amazingly fancy office making small talk while he reviewed my file. He began by reading off the results; no lactose intolerance, no celiacs, no colitis… the list continued, and I started to worry. Of course, not having any of these issues was great news, but at the same time I started to fear he was going to tell me that he couldn’t find anything, and I was out of luck. But then we got to my gallbladder. Turns out my eye isn’t the only lazy body part I’ve got, and my gallbladder functions just on the cusp of being considered active and normal – basically, it gets the job done, but not well.
A little anatomy lesson for you
So what does this mean? For me, my lazy gallbladder likes to leak out some of the bile it creates to help breakdown my food, in turn acting as a laxative. There’s no need for me to go into more detail than that, because I know you’re all smarty-pants. Also, my B12 and Vitamin D are a little low, and I have a bit of a hiatal hernia. It basically just causes heartburn every now and then – nothing a Pepcid AC can’t cure! As for the gallbladder condition, it’s called Habba Syndrome, and can be managed by simply taking a pill before I eat a meal (i.e. breakfast, lunch, or dinner). I was also told to stay away from rich and heavy foods, which I already do for the most part, but may need to indulge here and there. If for some reason this doesn’t help (though my doctor is confident this is the issue), we’ll do one more test to confirm I don’t have Crohn’s (which we had thought it was a few months back).
My prescription was filled yesterday, and I had my first set of pills last night. I have to play around with the dosages to see what works best, but I’ve got my fingers crossed that this will help alleviate my “issues,” as I like to call them. In the meantime, I’m going to continue guzzling all the fro-yo and cheese I can.
Foodosaurus Rex 