As you already know from my cupcake earrings and cupcake bracelet purchases, I’m drawn to anything with cupcakes on them, and will likely buy it.
My fiancé is a huge fan of t-shirts. I mean to the point where his side of our closet is 90% folded t-shirts. We’ve actually found ourselves with a serious closet storage issue, mostly due to his t-shirts, and well, all of my clothes. He actually posts each of his new t-shirts on his blog.
His love for a good t-shirt has rubbed off on me a bit, and I’ve purchased a few for myself. I never realized it, but there are a TON of daily t-shirt sites! One of my favorites is Woot, who also has a section for a regular daily deal, and a kid’s deal. I actually already have two foodie shirts from them, one of which is the Hot Dogs! shirt I have on in my Twitter picture. I check their site when I remember, and two weeks ago I happened to check on the way to work (fiancé was driving), and they had a cupcake shirt!! I gasped, and immediately clicked the “I WANT ONE!” button. I mean, look at this thing – how could you not want it?!
After anxiously awaiting, it arrived over the weekend, so I rocked it at work on Monday. And because I’m completely outrageous, I thought to myself, “what a better way to show it off to your blog readers than via a ‘Girls with iPhones’-esq photo,” taken in my office’s bathroom?!
And that my friends, is your reward for reading this blog. I promise to get back to what you’re here for, the nomz of course!
I had been reading about Meatless Mondays for awhile, and recently started following them on Twitter. Though I don’t necessarily do it every Monday, I do go meatless a few times a week. Yesterday I stuck true to the name, though, and had a meatless Monday by making a Tex-Mex summer squash casserole. It sounds kind of weird, but it was really good.
I actually found the recipe on CalorieCount.About.com, which I had joined right after graduation to ensure I didn’t blow up, post-college 15 style. The site is actually pretty decent to track calorie intake and what you burn, but it’s a lot of upkeep so I abandoned it. Before I did, though, I grabbed some user-posted recipes including what I made last night.
I’ve been leaning more and more towards vegetarian dishes, for a bunch of reasons. They’re healthy, flavorful, and really versatile. Plus, since I’m almost always just cooking for two, they last longer. It’s much easier to ensure that the veggies haven’t gone bad instead of meat. And I feel better about myself and my choices when I eat an all veggie meal. However, I still can’t pass up the occasional burger, salmon, and things like that. But like my fiancé says, when given the choice, I’ll choose veggies and tofu over meat. So I’ll stick to my claim of being a halfetarian!
The recipe is for 10 servings, but I cut everything in half, which required some serious math. Since it was our main dish, we each had two servings and had enough left over for lunch the next day. The jalapeño added really nice spice, and the chunky salsa added some more veggies which are always welcome. I would definitely make this again, as a main dish or even a side dish. After cutting all the veggies I just had to put it in the oven and wait… Nice and easy!
Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole – Makes 10 Servings –
Ingredients:
10 cups of summer squash, sliced
4 1/2 oz. green chilies, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup flour
4 scallions, sliced
2/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
4 1/2 oz jalapeños, chopped (about 2)
2 1/4 cups shredded Mexican/taco blend cheese
3/4 cup chunky salsa
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Coat 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray
3. Combine squash, yellow onion, chilies, jalapenos, salt and 3/4 cup of cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour, and toss to coat. Spread mixture into dish and cover with foil.
4.. Bake the casserole until bubbling and squash is tender, 35-45 minutes. Spoon salsa onto the casserole and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese.
5. Bake, uncovered, until golden and heated through about 20-30 minutes.
6. When ready to serve, sprinkle with scallions and red onion
I know this blog is mostly dedicated to food, but after picking up running this past year, I’ve noticed just how many people are into both food AND running! Maybe that’s because in order to eat everything that’s delicious out there, some type of serious exercise needs to be involved? At any rate, through good ‘ole Twitter, I’ve been able to connect with a bunch of people that share a love for eating and running! So because of that, I’m thinking about incorporating some of my running into this blog. But we’ll see.
Anyway, I finished my FIRST half marathon today!! The race was a first annual Rutgers University UNITE 1/2 marathon, sponsored by CGI Racing. We started on Busch campus by the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center, and ran through New Brunswick and Piscataway. It was so funny to start at that particular location, because from the age of 12 to 18 (and then after to cheer for my sister), I spent countless weekends at that location in the pool. Rutgers hosted all of the big swim meets during the winter season, and pretty much all of them during the summer season because they had two short course pools that converted into one long course pool. But enough about swimming, this post is for running!
Before the start of the race!
Today was actually pretty chilly. Both my fiancé and I were completely clueless as to outfit choices. I went with some cotton/spandex mix capris from Old Navy, a technical shirt I got from a 5k race last summer, and a throw-away long sleeve shirt from high school. Within two miles I had ripped off my long sleeve shirt, and was really glad I hadn’t worn any more layers. There was some wind here and there, and a mix of sun and shade, so I was pretty comfortable the entire race (temperature wise, that is!).
The first mile was a little difficult. When I had signed up for the race, I put myself down to finish between 2:16 and 2:30. I really had NO idea how I was going to do, because it was before I started training, and had never raced more than 4 miles. By the end of our training, though, I had completed 10 miles in 1 hour and 40 minutes, and realized that even if I kept that comfortable pace the whole time, I’d crush my goal. So I definitely lined myself up with a slower pack – just behind the 10 minute mile pacers. My first mile wound up being just under 10, because I spent most of it dodging in and out of slower runners, and trying to make room for others passing. The race had over 3,000 entrants!
From there, I kind of hit a stride for the next 5 miles or so. I kept a just over 9 minute mile pace for the first half. I really felt great those first 6 miles. I remember thinking to myself “I can totally do this again! This is awesome!” The course had four spots where you pass runners in front/behind you, and I got to see my fiancé TWICE! The second time we high-fived. That was a really great motivator. He was flying through the course, and apparently to his standards I was too! [You can read his race re-cap over at IHateFun.net]
My legs started to get a little tight after those 6 miles, but I didn’t really start to feel it until about mile 9. Holy moly. My hamstrings were NOT having fun. After mile 10 I had to tell myself that I only had a 5k left. But to be honest, I was a little scared, in our training we had never gone over 10 miles, so I really had no idea what to expect. I wound up slowing down a bit between mile 11 and 12. I realized that the end was near, and I didn’t want to look like one of those people coming down the finish line that you can tell is trying SO hard to move their legs, but just aren’t going. I ran down the main drag of the College Avenue campus (on College Ave.) and picked it up about half way, realizing I really had no more than a quarter mile left. I felt like I was going to puke, but I knew it was almost over.
Right at the 13 mile marker I saw my mom jump out from the crowd, and then my dad. Now these two went to almost every single swim meet of my 10 year swimming career (high school and college), and since I started running have been at most of those races too. It’s really great seeing them on the sidelines or up in the bleachers. My mom threw her hands up in the air, screaming for me, so I humored her and did the same back. It really was that final push I needed to give it what little I had left to get through that finish. The clock barely passed 2:03 when I finally made it to get my medal and a water. After looking up my time online, I officially finished at 2:02:15! I kept an average of a 9:20 pace!
Check me out finishing here [I’m in the bright blue and black]! (My fiance finished about 15 minutes before I did, so he was kind enough to video for me on his iPhone!):
I know it might sound a bit ridiculous since it was my first one, but man, if only I had known how close I was to breaking 2 hours, maybe I would have pushed it a little more somewhere between mile 10 and 13. My competitiveness is a bit much at times. I’ve been able to keep it completely internal, but it’s something that I focus and obsess over when I have goals in my head. I’m going to spend the next two weeks analyzing this race, trying to figure out what I could have done differently. But at the same time, I’m really not sure if I could have done anything else. At least I know for next time, I’m really not going to hurt until that 10-ish mile point, so I need to prepare my body for it.
After the race, my fiancé and I hobbled home to get ready to go out to lunch with my family as a celebration. We went to Red Robin, and I devoured a Santa Fe burger. After that, we came home and napped for an hour or two. The combination of being up at 6am and running 13.1 miles followed by huge hamburgers made it impossible to stay awake. Now, thanks to the Rita’s Italian Ice’s “Birthday club” we’re going to head over there to get some ice, since we have a coupon from my fiancé’s birthday!
I really think I’m going to do another one of these badboys. I don’t know when, though, since I still can’t really walk. I’m sure tomorrow will feel great! I’m totally wearing my medal to work, though. Let’s see if anyone notices 🙂
Here’s the breakdown of my race – 7 miles – 1:01:41 (8:49 pace) 10 miles – 1:29:37 (8:58 pace) <– that’s over 11 minutes faster than my training pace! I did 11 miles in that time! Last 5k – 32:39 (10:32) – YIKES! I told you I slowed down! Final time – 2:02:15 (9:20 pace)
I just want to say a special thanks to all of the people that sent over well-wishes before my race… it really meant a lot to see such support from co-workers, former teammates, friends, family, and fellow running and/or foodie bloggers!!
Earlier last month, one of the blogs I follow, Eat to Blog, had a cook book contest. They simply said, post your favorite vegearian dish, and you have the chance to win “The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat,” by Tal Ronnen.
Now, I NEVER win contests; ever. Any fundraiser that has a raffle, any time I re-Tweet something, etc. I lose without fail. But, this time I won!!
As you know, I’m not vegan or vegetarian. I consider myself more of a halfaterian. I eat meat sparingly, and really enjoy vegetarian dishes, but I do still eat meat on occassion. I have a ton of vegetarian recipies, though, because when I wasn’t eating meat at all, I tried to stockpile as much as I could. So, this made my decision of a favorite recipe a daunting task. It took me a few days, but eventually I settled on a recipe from Fitness Magazine, Buddah Stir-fry.
I haven’t made any of the recipes yet because I just received the book this past Monday. I’ll definitely need to make a trip to Trader Joe’s to get myself some of the necessary ingredients, but I’m going to try to make something maybe next weekend. They are definitely more intricate and time consuming than most of the meals I make (I try to make them a half hour or less; hello Rachael Ray!), but I’m willing to give it a try.
Here’s the recipe I posted that won me the book. Give it a try; it’s super easy, really affordable (about $3.04 a serving) and delicious!
Buddah Stiry-Fry
Ingredients 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 14-ounce packages firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup snow peas
Directions
Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of the water. Stir in the remaining water, soy sauce, and chili sauce; set aside. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, 15 seconds. Add the green beans and red pepper and stir-fry 2 minutes; push them to the perimeter of the skillet. Add the tofu and cook, stirring once or twice, 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Stir the sauce and pour it into the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots and snow peas; cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Today was a somewhat hectic day. So, to calm the nerves, instead of going to the gym like a good girl, I spent it in the kitchen, cooking and baking.
I subscribe to a lot of food/recipe sites on my Google Reader and Twitter, so I’m taunted with deliciousness all day long. I’m constantly sharing and e-mailing recipes that are just filed away and rarely used. In the mood to bake AND cook, I decided to whip out my growing stack of recipes.
I suppose we should start with dinner. Late last week, while browsing Twitter, I happened upon Every Day Food, which is actually a division of Martha Stewart Living. Laugh all you want, but they offer up some seriously simple and delicious recipes! This recipe was the epitome of simple; it required mini-shell pasta, smoked bacon, frozen peas, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese.Can it get any easier than that? Aside from EasyMac, I don’t think so. Take a look at the final product, and judge for yourself.
It was surprisingly light, despite having heavy cream and a ton of cheese (6 oz of Parmesan!). Mix in with one of the most underrated veggies out there (peas), and some bacon – quite the mix. The recipe makes 4-6 servings, and since there’s only two of us, my boyfriend has a nice re-heatable meal for later in the week when I’ll be away for work.
Now onto the good stuff!!
Being that I’ve made multiple pumpkin recipes in the past few weeks, I decided to continue on the trend (really just because I had 1/2 a can of pumpkin puree sitting in the fridge). I found the recipe for the chocolate chip pumpkin brownies on Betty Crocker’s website. I don’t think I’d call them brownies, though. They’re more like super-moist cookies, or bars.
At any rate, they were absolutely delicious. Again, my kitchen started to smell like fall almost immediately after putting them in the oven. Taking a lick of the leftover batter, it tasted a lot like pumpkin pie. I knew I had success! I decided to pair mine with some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and it was pretty heavenly. I think I could have gone for some more chocolate chips, though. It’s definitely a repeat.
I’m starting to worry that my pumpkin days are numbered. Being that I don’t enjoy mint flavored things aside from toothpaste, gum, and mouthwash, I’m going to need to find another “winter flavor.” Suggestions are more than welcome!
I think my next feat will be either Cherry Pie (for you, MerMer) or a sweet snickerdoodle cupcake recipe I found on Bakerella. They look phenomenal. I’m not sure when I’ll have time, though; the next few weeks are extremely busy.
It’s now time for me to nurse the not-so-pretty burn I have on my wrist, courtesy of pulling the brownies out of the oven a little too hastily.
And that my friends, is your reward for reading this blog. I promise to get back to what you’re here for, the nomz of course!
Foodosaurus Rex 