Cookbook Club: "Wanna be Quiche" Frittata

We made this Cookbook Club recipe for frittata the morning of Christmas eve. But of course it was a little different from the assignment. I couldn't bring myself to make a lintel and broccoli frittata. I just couldn't. If I was going to have eggs and cheese, then I wanted to eat eggs and cheese with stuff I knew I liked.  

Oddly, I feel the same way about lots of stuff, like Subway. I used to eat Subway sandwiches all the time because it was moderately healthy and easy. Now, it just doesn't feel worth it. If I only get to eat wheat once every four days on the rotation diet, I want it to be something amazing and worth it rather than a bun from Subway. So, I wanted to make this frittata "worth it."  

I switched out the lentils and broccoli for ham and spinach and my mom had two little quiche pans, so we made two thin frittatas rather than one think one.

"Wanna be Quiche" Frittata

1 cup chopped ham

3 or 4 cups fresh spinach

1 cup chopped red onion

1 tbsp olive oil

8 eggs

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

6 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup shredded cheese

salt and pepper

avocado slices

Set oven temp to 375. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, water, pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper.  Stir in chopped parsley and set aside. Saute onions and ham in olive oil until onions are tender. Add spinach and continue to cook until spinach is wilted. Add the cherry tomatoes and stir gently to combine. Place mixture in 2 french tart or quiche pans. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the vegetables. Cook at 375 for 15 minutes, sprinkle with cheese and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve with avocado slices, lots of espresso and good company.

A Triathlon Relay

Here's a backlog for you:  The Katy Triathlon relay I did with two friends in 2009.  This was my second race and I went back in 2010, a few months ago, and did it solo.  So did one of my relay teammates.  

I did the cycling portion of the relay on my dad's twenty year old, forty pound steal framed Schwinn Paramount.  I called it the Black Stallion because it was beautiful but slow and stubborn when I rode it.  The new bike, A Trek Madone which has not yet been named, weighs half as much and is much easier to ride.   

A relay was a great way to experience one of my first races because I had friends right there with me; a built in support system.  

I don't think I will do another sprint triathlon relay.  I just feel too antsy waiting my turn.  I would like to do the swimming portion for a long distance relay, like an Ironman 70.3 or full ironman, so 1.5 to 2.5 miles.  I am a pretty decent swimmer and if I found a really good runner and cyclist, we might actually be a competitive team.  That would be a nice change of pace, considering that I am in no way competitive on the bike or on foot.  However, I don't think these longer races offer a relay option.  Sounds like a catch 22...

I think I just set a new Slowlady fitness goal.  By the way, Slowlady is my new Fitness Super Hero name.  I haven't decided on the colors of my uniform yet, but it will most likely involve glitter.

Oops

I lost my little title thingie.  :(  I wanted to change the title, because let's face it, Food Fan Club really is a little silly as a title for a blog that doesn't really focus on food. So I deleted it, thinking I had an original saved on my computer. I don't. And I don't feel like making a new one right now, so this is what we get. I feel more comfortable with the new title, considering I'm not really focusing on anything in particular but writing about things as they happen.

On another note, Did anyone see the 60 Minutes last night titled The Gift of Endless Memory? These people never forget anything. Ever. It's very interesting.

And, on an even more different note, have I ever mentioned my dislike for Andy Rooney? Last's night Andy Rooney segment was titled Andy Rooney's Stuff isn't for Sale! That's okay, Mr. Rooney. No one wants to by your stuff anyway.  

Flash Review: Eat, Pray, Love

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

I had the brave idea that Book Club could read Eat, Pray, Love and then go see it in the movie theaters.  Of course, this was a while ago, when the movie was still in theaters.  So we set a date, gave ourselves a few weeks and finally met for dinner one night, with designs to see the movie afterward. That was the plan.  However, when we got to the theater, the movie was no longer showing. They stopped showing it the night before.  Sometimes this happens when you live in a town where the movie theater only has six screens, a broken AC and rotting seats.  So instead, we went to the bar next door at the bowling alley and played two games of pool.  Yes, I realize that last sentence makes me sound very "southern."  

Eat, Prat, Love was a good title for this book.  It could also have been called Italy, India, Bali.  We watch this woman find herself in Italy, She gets really "depressy" in India and she lets lose in Bali.  We are happy for her in Italy, bored by her in India and cheering her on in Bali.  In fact, I suggest you skip India all together; the book will be much more enjoyable. I got stuck on that part for several months, and in the end, it just wasn't worth wading through.  Italy and Bali, on the other had––very enjoyable. I just got a chance to watch the movie at home. I sat down, thinking I would have an urge to fast forward through India on screen as well, but they buffed it up a bit and gave it a little more oomph.

Do you like the shortness and sweetness of this book review? It's a new Flash Review, which is much less intimidating than a full recap/opinion review. And the type of book reviews I'll be writing for the foreseeable future.

A few unorganized thoughts

1.  When I'm Christmas shopping online, I get sidetracked and start looking at things that I want for myself.  When I catch myself, I feel so greedy!  And I also feel like a man because I've been looking at gym bags, shoes, bike accessories, bike gloves and so on. I used to "dream shop" on the Franklin Covey and Coach websites.  My how things have changed.

2.  I had my first photo shoot today.  Well, my first two photo shoots.  I took two portraits for a spread in the yearbook because my students had other things going on.  It was fun; the best part was that I got to tell other people what to do.  "Can you move that out of the shot?  Can you sit like this?"  Just wait... you will all be my puppets!

Here's one of my pictures!

3.  I am extremely procrastinating.  I should be writing a paper right now for my class and editing short stories.

4.  I've had six shots of espresso today.  Three this morning; three just now. WWWEEEEEEEEEEE!

A marathon: part one

I had no idea!  Really, someone should have told me what that was going to be like.  Or maybe not, because I might have rethought this whole marathon in two parts thing.  I don't think I would ever do another one if I wasn't already registered for it.  I'm hurting!  But maybe it's because I only realized I would be able to run this half marathon at the beginning of October, or because the farthest I've ever run before was eight miles, which does not prepare one for thirteen miles.  Either way, here's my recap, with images dispersed in between.

Pre Race: Nervous. Anxious. Freezing because the sun is not up yet. I go inside and stretch until it's time to get lined up.

Mile one: Okay, let's do this! I got my tunes going, I'm warmed up, the start gun went off... now I just have to wait 28 minutes until my section gets to actually start running. Once I get going, I realize that either the people around me are faster than they think or I grossly overestimated my pace because I am getting passed like crazy.

Mile two: Oops, my pants are too big! They keep sliding down so I stop to tie them up. People are warming up fast.  there are fleeces and jackets and gloves along the side of the road. Not me, my fingers are still chilly so I have my gloves on and my hand covers from my pull over on top of those.  Burrr!

Mile three: We hit Ross Ave. I can see the top of the First United Methodist Church where Pres and I got married up the road. I can see the Fairmont, which is where we all stayed. I remember walking across Ross Ave. with Pres to the Dallas Museum of Art on the way to our reception. I know the route is going to turn right before I get there, but it is a nice reminder.

Mile four: Turning on to McKinney Ave, one of my favorite parts of Dallas. Pres and my parents are somewhere between mile four and five... I wonder if I can just stop running when I see them and go home because my hip is hurting. I spot them right away, but they are on the other side of the road so I can't stop to say hi. Guess I'll just have to keep going.

Mile five: I've finally started warming up and I'm glad that I bought the running gloves with the little clasp that hooks onto my pants, which no longer feel too big because they are stuck to my sweaty legs.

Mile six: I'm starting to fantasize about riding to the finish in a golf cart. I need to find some little kids to high five. I smell hamburgers and decide that I'm eating a big fat juicy burger when I finish.

Mile seven: I'm doing a lot of walking; my hip is really sore. I'm scared that I'm going to tear Sadie again (Sadie is the name I gave my left sartorius muscle when I tore it several months ago).

Mile eight: I started eating little pieces of the Coconut Cream Pie Larabar in my pocket a few miles ago; I'm waiting for that to kick in.  Some lady just "pulled" up beside me and said she had been admiring my pull over for a few miles. This is the second complement I've received on my top during the half marathon.  Yeah, I'm gross and sweaty and I still get compliments. That's right.

Mile nine: Pres is waiting for me at the end of mile nine. I stop and walk with him for a few blocks, making sure he knows to get me to a burger stat when we're done. I realize that my lungs hurt when I try to talk. This is a much needed break.

Mile ten: Sadie doesn't feel sore anymore, so I've told myself no more walking until I finish.

Mile eleven: I'm passing people! And I have good songs on my playlist that are pushing me through. I'm singing out loud (but softly so no one hears me!)

Mile twelve: Still going strong; still passing people. I'm running behind a woman who has some kind of handicap; it looks like her legs are only moving from the knees down. She's faster than me! If she can this, then so can I.

Mile thirteen: This is a long mile. I keep thinking the end is right around the corner... there it is! No, that's a chop shop. Oh, there it is!  Wait, that a used car sales banner.  Oh, THERE it is! No, that's just the mile 1 marker... does that mean mile thirteen hasn't even started yet? But when I finally do see the finish banner, I get excited. And as I'm approaching, I see myself on a big monitor. I don't look so bad running, especially for someone that couldn't run a month and a half ago. When I cross the finish line, they call out Nacogdoches (and pronounce it correctly) and my name (and pronounce it correctly, too) and I'm done. I'm done!

Post Race: I pass the people with the tacky trash bag blankets because I'm hot and I don't think I need one. As I'm walking toward the food and water tables, I start to feel like I'm going to pass out and that I may end up on a golf cart anyway. I grab a metal, a shirt, two bananas and two glasses of water and head outside to find Preston. When I find him, I realize that I'm freezing. I immediately regret my decision to not get an awesome trash bag blanket, but we get my soaking-wet-yet-still-looks-good pull over off and Pres' gives me his fleece. When we get to the car, we notice that my calfs look like little nerf footballs and I can't stop laughing...

 I think I'm delirious. And what do we do? We go to the Burger Bar and eat big gross cheeseburgers with sweet potato fries and drink fat tires, even though I'm allergic to all of those things. And then I sleep for two days. The end... or to be continued in part two of "A Marathon in Two Parts" which hits March 2011.

Seven Very Cool Things About San Antonio

Husband and I in front of the Alamo.  For some reason, this weekend getaway felt very much like an organized field trip.

After tailgating at the Cowboys game in the one day of freezing Texas weather and gorging on Thanksgiving dinner, Pres and I packed up our gear and headed to San Antonio for a Mavs road game and a weekend getaway.  To sum up the best parts of the weekend, I've made a little list here, Seven Very Cool Things About San Antonio.

The Discovery of a Gap Outlet

Okay, so maybe we weren't in San Antonio yet, we were in Hillsboro. I got a little carried away at the Gap Outlet. I did buy jeans and slacks, both of which I vowed to not buy while I was still changing sizes... but they were over half off! Sweaters, shirts, Christmas gifts, a little wallet for my little purse.  You name it, I got it.  

Mavericks beat the Spurs (ending their 12 game winning streak)

Our hotel was crazy crowded because of the lighting on the Riverwalk and some kind of kiddie beauty pageant, so Pres and I caught a cab to the ATT Center early and took a seat at a cool little bar area.  We saw a lot of Mavs fans, but man, everyone in San Antonio is a Spurs fan!  I guess because it's their only team, they don't have a football or baseball team.  It was neat to see. I might be a Spurs fan too if I lived there.  And... we won!  We won! We also beat The Heat on Saturday night by like 10 points.  It was a good weekend for the Mavericks.

A very shaky iPhone picture at the ATT Center.

Authentic Mexican Food at Acenar Restaurant
Pres and I slept in on Saturday morning, finally leaving the hotel around 11am in search of food.  We found Acenar, and I'm glad we did. We both loved our meals the first go round. I ordered the Crab Salad and Pres ordered the Entomatadas. But the best part was the dessert, which we almost didn't order (gasp!) Pineapple-coconut-habanero sorbet in a strawberry watermelon soup.  Amazingly amazing.

Despite walking around in search of a different restaurant and despite the principal of it, we actually went back to Acenar for dinner.  It wasn't as good, I think because we tried to make it something it is not:  A tex-mex restaurant.  Pres ordered a chili rellano and I ordered beef fajitas with a side of queso.  Let me just tell you now, they don't have queso.  If you go to Acenar when you are in San Antonio, order from the specialities section, it is definitely worth it.

Pineapple-coconut-habanero sorbet at Acenar

Riverwalking

After lunch, Pres and I headed up the riverwalk towards the old Pearl Brewery. Pres had read that the brewery had been renovated and was now a cool shopping area with bars and restaurants. It was a new part of the Riverwalk too, so it was not crowded at all.  But when we got there, we realized that the Pearl Brewery is being, not had been, renovated.  There were only a few shops and two restaurants.  It was a really nice walk though, all together 4.5 miles round trip from the Marriot Riverwalk, and looked like a great running route.

In front of a Mexican restaurant near the Pearl Brewery.

Saweet Cupcakes

We saw two food trucks at the Pearl Brewery, one of which was a cupcake food truck!  We split a pumpkin cream cheese cupcake and it was grand.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese... mmm

We were sure that it wouldn't be as good as Pres' mom's pumpkin bread, but it held it's ground pretty well.  What is up with the Cupcakeries?  This was my second cupcakery experience, the fist being Crave Cupcakes in Houston, and they were both pleasant.

Saweet Cupcakes Van parked near the Pearl Brewery

San Antonio Museum of Art

The Museum of Art is right on the Riverwalk, so we stopped in.  The first thing I saw, right when we walked in the door, was a Chihuly Glass ceiling in the entryway.  Chihuly always reminds me of our wedding reception at the Dallas Museum of Art where there was a whole wall of Chihuly glass.

Chihuly ceiling at the SAMA

We only had about an hour in the museum because it was closing, so like Mom and I perfected in Paris, Pres and I had a speed art session.  There were some cool exhibits, but my favorite was the Chihuly glass that we saw when we first walked in the building.

El Mercado

On the way out of town, we stopped at the Mexican market.  It was full of the same old Mexican themed goodies like pottery and blankets that I would have been obsessed with six years ago.  Mostly, I enjoyed the people watching and the food and talking to the people that worked there.  Preston bought some sweets at Mi Tierra Bakery and a gordita at a street vendor.  He ended up sharing both of those, even though I didn't want anything to eat when we walked into the market.  I think I would've really enjoyed this market on a day that the farmer's market was going on, considering my love for food and all.

Mi Tierra Bakery.  image from http://food.leapfish.com/Bakeries/MI/Portage

Easy Pumpkin Soup.

Did you notice the recipes are slowly making their way back? They are! Pumpkin recipes are everyone right now.  This excites me; pumpkin is one of the things I eat regularly.  And once again, I was inspired by a recipe from the Cowgirl Chef for potimarron soup.  Potimarron is basically a pretty little French pumpkin.  The soup she makes is a pretty little French soup.  And it's from scratch.  This soup is not, hence the word easy in the title, but it is pretty tasty.  And because it was inspired by a trip to Paris, I paired the soup with the Paris mugs that I bought for Husband, who will only eat soup out of oversized mugs.

Easy Pumpkin Soup

1 15 oz. can plain pumpkin
2 tbsp. butter
1 potato
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup water
nutmeg

Wrap potato in plastic, microwave for 4 minutes.  melt 1 tbsp. butter in skillet, add chopped shallot and garlic.  After 4 minutes remove potato from microwave. Remove skin and add to skillet.  Add water.  Simmer until water reduces.  Add pumpkin and maple syrup.  Heat through.  Remove from skillet and puree in blender.  Melt 1 tbsp. butter in skillet, return puree to skillet.  Add milk.  Stir and heat through.  Sprinkle with nutmeg before serving. This soup is creamy and sweet.

There is something to be said for the crème.

Not many things are better than a cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. One of my family's staple desserts is cherry cheese cake, which I haven't had in a very long time. Recently, I've started making recipes using dairy rather than just eating whole chunks of cheese. What did I start with? Creams.  They're a classic really, but to me, they're new and exciting.  

This morning, I made an maple almond cream cheese spread and ate it with apple slices. It was pretty good for the first creamy spread I've made in a while. And very simple. I've also made a cream with goat cheese and agave nectar, which I think was even better.

Maple Almond Cream Cheese Spread

(2 servings)

1/2 cup Cream cheese

2 tbsp. Justin's Almond Maple Butter ( if you don't have this, you can probably use regular almond butter and maple syrup... it may be even better with maple syrup added.  hmm...)

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1/4 cup Milk

2 tbsp. Truvia

Mix all ingredients. serve with sliced apples.

Goat Cheese and Agave Cream

3/4 or 1 cup goat cheese

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 tbsp truvia

Mix ingredients.  Serve with sliced strawberries, sweeten with truvia, and ground pistachios.

Wish List

I know the question on everyone's mind this holiday season must be what to get me for Christmas.  So here is a list of wonderful gift ideas, just in case you need some encouragement.  I am so tempted to put jeans and slacks at the top of this list.  I have both in a variety of sizes, but not many that really fit well right now.  Well, they fit for about five minutes in the morning, but then the bottoms get all saggy.  I can't stand that.  So I have the saggy butt size, and I have the size that just needs one more inch of material before the button MIGHT touch the button hole, but only one or two in between sizes.  I'm determined, however, to wait it out until the small sizes fit.  It's very frustrating to get new clothes and not be able to wear them.  SO, that being said, I'm going to start this list with...

A Pony

Really, did you expect something else to be first?

Image from http://syeiraxx.deviantart.com/art/Palomino-Horse-92679940

The Champion Juicer

These are awesome, wonderful and amazing.  This is the juicer that Banana Joe's uses to make banana smoothies in Kauai.  Any color but cream would be nice.

Socks

Husband always makes fun of me because socks are perpetually at the top of my list.  If I could fashion a jacket or a throw blanket from Thorlo socks, I would.  But I don't think anyone else would want to use it.

Wire bound planner from Franklin Covey

Garmin Watch Thingie

These are my requirements for said thingie: Watch style, so I can wear it on my wrist.  Small.  Shows my pace and distance while I am on the move.  Waterproof, so I can wear it in the pool.  That's all.  EDIT: It think this might be it!   

A feasible method of making home made donuts and apple fritters.
When I look at this picture, I feel like Homer Simpson.  "MMMM, Donuts."

Image from www.sheknows.com

Running shoes

Yes, it's probably going to be that time of year again when I need those brand new running shoes.  What kind to get, what kind to get... I overpronate, so that cuts down the choices a bit.  However, Zappos.com has lots of choices.  Should I buy and return until I find the perfect fit?  Sounds so time consuming... I may just need the same ol' Asics.    EDIT: No, I didn't realized this paragraph rhymed. :)

Brown eye shadow and Eye liner and Mascara

One of my students recently gave me a makeover.  I rarely wear makeup, but the only thing we did differently from my normal routine was eye liner and mascara.  I need some of that!

My husband not to grow a beard ever.

Even this guy is less pretty with a beard. Well, maybe.

Should we cut the cheese?

Photo from www.american.com

Can you believe I've eaten cheese twice now?  In fact, the second time I bought cheese at the grocery store, I purchased five different types before realizing that I would never be able to eat five different types of cheese before they spoiled.  

So I had a party.  A wine and cheese party.  Or rather, a wine and cheese dash beer and basketball party because the Mavs were on and Preston likes beer rather than wine.  I bought havarti, sharp cheddar and smoked gouda.  My favorite was the harvarti, although the smoked gouda grew on me.  It kind of tasted like salami; I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.  

Another plus, foodwise?  I drank lots of wine, some that I had checked and others that had not been checked for corn or sugarcane, and no attacks.  That may mean they just didn't happen to have corn or added sugar in them, but I like to think it's a positive allergy sign.  I also ate cottage cheese... which had dextrose in it... which I have associated with corn but just recently found out that it can be a few different things.  No attacks there either.  My body and me, we're making progress.

In other news... We have new neighbors!  Now, let me explain why this is exciting.  While we love our neighborhood, the majority of the people that live in it are twice our age.  Our new neighbors are the same age as us and they are right next door!  It's an exciting prospect.  They came to our wine and cheese dash beer and basketball party, at which, I might add, we sat outside on our patio furniture amongst a multitude of lights.  It was a big hit.  We've had both for a while now, but never really had a party that showed them off.

While it was a fun night, I regret to write that I forgot to take pictures for you.  Sorry.  Blame it on the wine.  Speaking of which, I think it's time to make a trip to the Dry Comal Creek Winery.  My wine rack is dry!  

Hello Beets! (oh, and pssst... I ate cheese.)

I bought beets the other day.  Okay, I bought beets two weeks ago and they've been in my fridge.  I've been looking at them every so often, wondering what to make of them.  At the Lake Austin Spa, they served little yellow slices of beets with a layer of goat cheese in between and I gobbled them up, telling the server to make sure she brought more for dessert after the meal.  Well, dessert for me.  Mom ate something wonderful; I think it was a poached pear.

So I picked up a magazine, hoping to pick up a few ideas as well, and I came across two recipes involving beets.  One was hummus, the other was simple roasted vegetables.  I went for the simple roasted veggies this time, using beets, onions, sweet potato, apple and garlic in what Husband calls "Everything in the fridge" fashion.

I realize that beets, alone, are probably up there on the gross scale with brussel sprouts.  Okay, brussel sprouts may be in a class all their own unless they are soaked in bacon grease, but still.  I was originally planning to eat these beets with goat cheese, but alas, it is not goat cheese day.  

HOWEVER.  In other news:  I ate cheese today.  That's right, real cheese.  Two months after testing positive for dairy, wheat and corn allergies, I can try to add them back in to my diet, as long as I rotate them.  So I bought some beautiful havarti cheese and ate little samples of it throughout the day.  I know, this should be my headline, right?  I guess I'm... more excited... about the beets? 

So tonight, husband and I are going to dine alfresco on grilled beef tenderloin with roasted vegetables (a rule of the rotation diet is that cheese day must coincide with beef day), watch the Mavs game on our little outside TV and enjoy the nice weather (and the cheese).

The only thing that would make it better would be a glass of wine... but it's not wine day.

Vote for Chrissy

Take a second to vote for my friend Chrissy to win a job blogging, $30,000 and a new laptop.  She is an inspiring person with an addictive blog, The New Me.  It's just one click, well two if you count the click to get to the voting page.  You don't have to fill anything out, just click the badge to the right here.

Vote for her please... just consider it your 'pay it forward' move of the day.  And if you need multiple "pay it forward" moves to make up for the past few days, you can spread the word by posting the link to your blog, twitter or Facebook page.

You can vote once a day!

Postcards from the rotation diet

A few of the things I've been preparing... and eating.  We start with egg day.  Yes, EGGS.  I can eat eggs again and I'm quite excited about it.  I may eat about six eggs on egg day.  Here we have poached eggs over grilled asparagus with fried plantains, a coddled egg with onions and shiitake mushrooms and bacon and an omelette with chopped bell peppers, avocado and bacon.  It's a real treat when pork day and egg day come together.  Bacon and eggs.  Sounds normal, doesn't it?

And then there's steak day.  I like to call it steak day rather than beef day, because really I eat as many pieces of steak on steak day as my body will allow.  Beef tenderloin, really.  So I guess it should be called beef tenderloin day.  I just whip out my grill pan and grill me up some steak, no need to fire up the grill when I come home for lunch.  Above, we have steak with grilled asparagus and new potatoes with a creamy cashew and chive sauce and steak with goat cheese and broiled okra.

I'm not so big on fish day, although I really like to make tuna salad.  I've made it a number of different ways and I think I've perfected it.  I used tuna, celery, raisins and chopped macadamia nuts.  For the sauce, I puree 1/4 mac nuts, 1 tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar and water to thin it out and eat it over spinach and strawberries or wrap it in lettuce leaves.  Or just spoon it into my mouth.  For the fish pictures, we have tuna salad, pan fried cod with parsnips (except I found out that I'm allergic to carrots now) and sauteed mushrooms and cod (again) with broiled okra and a sweet potato/mac nut sauce.  That was a good sauce.  I used half of a left over baked sweet potato, 1/4 cup mac nuts, a tsp. mac nut oil and water to thin.  Very sweet.

And then there's seared scallops (I'm never sure if those are cooked all the way through), broccoli and onions and roasted eggplant, burnt acorn squash with maple syrup and salmon with pineapple and avocado.

Oh, and frozen grapes.  So good.

Below, is my latest creation.  I made it last night after being inspired by the SFA homecoming talegate yesterday.  There was bacon wrapped everything.  I've only ever thought about bacon wrapped jalapenos, but they had bacon wrapped asparagus, bacon wrapped green beans.  So when I got home, I wanted to wrap bacon around something.  

What came from that was bacon wrapped eggplant stuffed with a pumpkin and goat cheese filling.  It was pretty good, but I know what I will do different next time... smaller, bite size pieces (these pieces worked as one bite, but really they were two bites) only stuffed with goat cheese.  I don't think the pumpkin added anything.

And as yesterday was eggplant day, I feel I must share that for a late breakfast, I pan fried some eggplant in mac nut oil and ate it with maple syrup like pancakes.  And yes, it was good.  And yes, it did taste like pancakes.  Except that I probably don't remember what those taste like.  But don't burst my bubble.

A Triathlon is a hard thing.

I always feel like the most unfit 

person at the triathlon party.

A triathlon is a hard thing.  Afterwards, while my fan base and I were on the way to eat a post race lunch at Los Cucos and I was covered in salt and sweat, moss and road dirt, I asked my mom, "Why did I do that?"

Why DID I do it?  How did I get into it?  I don't really know.  I think one day, while I was swimming laps, I had a conversation with this girl, she planted the thought in my head and it just started to grow.  I remember thinking 'wouldn't it be cool if I could do one of those triathlons?'  It wasn't until several months after the thought was there that I started telling people about it.  

It's the only reason I started cycling and the main reason I started trying to run.  It's definitely the only reason I began running outside.  It's the reason I looked for new weight training ideas instead of the same old ones and the only reason I started going to a nutritionist, to make sure I was eating enough to keep my body healthy.  

I guess I just needed this idea of a triathlon, something big and unattainable, to get myself going physically.   This was my second full race and I could definitely tell a difference.  Let's take a look.

Rose City Triathlon, August 2009

Swim: 650 m - 13 minutes / 2 min per 100 meter pace

Bike: 14 mi - 1 hour, 1 minute / 13.9 mph

Run: 3 mi - 38 minute / 12:35 per mile pace

Katy Triathlon, October 2010

Swim: 500 m - 9 minutes, 55 seconds / 1.91 min per 100 meter pace

Bike: 16 mi - 1 hour, 3 minutes / 15.2 mph pace

Run: 3 mi - 34 minutes / 11:27 per mile pace

So, I've taken about 9 seconds off my swim pace and over a minute off of my run pace in about one year.  I'm not so sure about the bike because the Rose City course was very hilly and the Katy Tri course was flat, but the others are pretty nice improvements.  Goooooooo me. 

See my race notes on Dailymile.  

This is where I've been.

I've been a little overwhelmed lately so posting has moved back a notch on the list of things I like to accomplish regularly.

Why?  Four reasons come to mind.  There is the short story that I need to turn in on Thursday for workshopping, and the fact that I've been super busy at work and haven't been able to blog during that time.  Also, I realized I'm not allergic to Absolute Vodka last Saturday, which was citrus fruit day, so I had several screwdrivers that set me back on Sunday.  Should I also mention that I've been cleaning out my closets?  Not in the Eminem way, but really organizing and cleaning closets.      

But mostly, it's because I did a last minute sign up for the Katy Triathlon.  It's this weekend, so I've been trying to get up to par with my running abilities.  They haven't been so stellar in the past.  If I were a super hero, I would definitely be one of the water kind, like Storm or Aquaman, rather that one that requires speedy running like Quicksilver or Speed Demon.  I mean, we've already discussed my headquarters of choice, the Cylinder of Silver, a cylinder of impenetrable silver fish that constantly swim around in a circle, creating a cylinder shaped fortress that can be moved at a moment's notice when danger approaches.

But, I digress.

Since I've been rotating foods, I have not had as much swelling in my knee.  Yesterday, I ran four miles, not fast miles, but four miles none the less. Maybe I'm not exactly sitting pretty for the running portion of the triathlon, but I am sitting very nicely in a comfortable Indian Style position.  I know I've got the swimming portion in control, the biking portion, on the other hand, is up for grabs.  It could go great, becasue Katy is really flat, and it could go bad, considering that I haven't biked in a while.

So that's where I am right now.  I hope you're sitting comfortably with whatever you have going on in your lives at the moment.

Four Favorite Things about Lake Austin Spa

My mom and I went to the Lake Austin Spa this past weekend for a nice few days of relaxing. It's a trip that calls for relaxing, massages, laying beside a fancy pool, swimming laps in a beautiful lap pool, lots of workout classes, morning kayaking, good food, interesting activities and not doing our hair or wearing makeup once all weekend. It's like camp for adults.  These are a few of my favorite moments, illustrated with pictures from the Lake Austin Spa website.  

1.  Swimming yoga laps (nice, slow, relaxing laps) in the Pool Barn in the mornings.  It was chilly out, but the pool is heated.  The windows along the side stay open and you could see the steam rising off the pool in the morning sunlight.

2.  Cooking demonstration with Chef Terry Conlan, where my mom and I learned lots of little tricks.  Also, the food in general was PREA-TEE good.

3.  Outside massage. 

4.  Laying in this hammock by the lake and reading a book, until the wind got too rowdy and forced us to find less breezy accommodations by the pool.

Cookbook Club! Potato Leek Soup

Yes, I'm in a cookbook club and it's awesome.  Yes, I decided it was a good idea before I knew I needed to live in a bubble. No, I didn't drop out, and why should I?  My version of the monthly recipe will probably not ever be the one that looks "the best", but they will look pretty good to me.  And what better way to motivate myself than to try new dishes? So, I'm still in, and I'm in this month with Potato Leek Soup.

Now, having said that, I will let you in on a little secret.  I didn't actually use the recipe.   Why?  Because the original recipe is Chicken and Rice Casserole from a Paula Dean cook book.  I'm actually allergic to five out of the nine ingredients in Chicken and Rice Casserole, two of the being chicken and rice.  And I'm probably allergic to Paula Dean, too.  However, If this rotation diet does it's job, then maybe I can make chicken and rice casserole in a few months, maybe I can belatedly post my version on the Cookbook Club, wave my hands in the air and say "here I am!  I finally made it... look at me go!"  But if I ate Chicken and Rice Casserole now, I would become a hive.  A big, red itchy hive.  

Thankfully, The Cookbook Club offers an alternative recipe, and this month's alternative is Potato Leek Soup.  But... after having shared THAT, I should tell you that I still didn't follow the recipe.  I didn't even think to look at it.  I just thought "look at all the vegetables I can have today!"  Actually, the recipe does call for vegetable broth, and by using a million vegetables in my soup, I guess I just made my own.

Another thing, this soup is a splurge.  Can you believe it?  It's totally healthy, yet I consider it my splurge because it has so many different veggies in it.  I won't be able to eat any of these things for another four days, but it was worth it.  So worth it!  I think what made it good was the goat cheese, but I think goat cheese makes anything good.  I don't know, it may be too bland for the average person.

Rotation Diet Potato Leek Soup 

( but also, a "what I had around the kitchen" soup)

Makes four 1.5 cup servings

2 potatoes, chopped

1 sweet potato, chopped

1 lb. bag of baby carrots, shredded in food processor

5 stalks of celery, chopped

8 mushrooms, shredded in food processor

3 cups chopped leeks (from frozen)

2 bay leaves

4 cups water

2 cups unsweetened soymilk

1 lb. ground buffalo

cumin, to taste

toppings: salt, avocado and goat cheese to taste

In large dutch oven, add potatoes, sweet potato, carrots, celery, mushrooms, leeks, bay leaves and water. simmer over medium heat for thirty minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Meanwhile, brown meat.  add cumin to meat for flavor.  Set aside.  Remove bay leaves.  Puree veggies and cooking water in blender (may need to be done in batches).  return to pan.  And soymilk.  Spoon soup into bowls and top with ground buffalo, avocado and goat cheese.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  

So, can you see how I consider that "making my own veggie broth"?

Oh, and if you have bacon, preferably crumbled... add that.  

Book Review: Tomorrow, When the War Began

So, I had to take this reading class in high school where all you do is sit there and read, then the last ten minutes of class, you write about what you read so you can prove to the teacher that you read something.  I wish all classes worked this way.

They had a full bookshelf in the classroom, so I just picked up one of those books.  It was John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began.  It's the first book in a seven or eight book young adult series called The Tomorrow Series.  I know, again with the young adult books!  But when I read this book, I was a young adult.  And I loved it.  It was my Harry Potter, before Harry Potter was written.  I breezed through probably four of the books, because they only had four of them in the classroom, but for some reason I never finished the series.

So a few weeks ago, I got the first one on my Kindle.  and then the second.  And now I'm reading the third book.  It's another one of those addicting little sets of books, except the characters are Australian and say Australian things and I even read the dialogue with an Australian accent in my mind.  Also, the first book was published in 1996, which I think was two years before Harry Potter, so it's not a "follower" series.  There's no witches or warlocks.  No vampires.

In the book, there is this group of high schoolers that goes camping in the bush, and while they are gone, their country is invaded and the small town where they are from is hit hard as a crucial part of the enemy's strategy.  Their families and neighbors are prisoners.  The book follows their actions after they realize there is a war in their own country.

The beginning of the first book is a bit slow, but it picks up when the war begins.  Also, there are several typos... At first, I thought it was because no one edited the kindle version, but I somewhat remember typos from the printed books I read in high school, although they may have just been the australian slang words that I didn't understand.  Despite the typos, I'm reading through this series like a hungry hyena.  

This whole time, I've been thinking "this book should be made into a movie."  Well, it was.  (Read the following sentence in a giddy little girl voice) It's a movie, it's a movie, it's a movie! But it's an Australian movie, so I just have to find it, somewhere out there.  I watched the trailer.  It looks like a bust, but I'm still going to hunt that sucker down and watch it.  Watch it like... like a... a hungry hyena.  What ever that means.