AmAzInG, yep that's my word!

I woke up this morning and thought:  Coffee, RUN, Food!!!  We were up and about at 6am and getting ready to hit the gym.  Marsella tells me "Mom I only want to do one fun thing today, not two.  I'm so tired."  She knows that after the gym we are meeting Dearest for lunch and then shopping.  I am proud to say that I got us at the gym precisioly at 8am just in time for the Kids Klub to open.  Once she was gone like a flash, I headed up to my trusty treadmill.  I did about 4.88 miles (13.93 total this week) and then some upper body.  I am not liking the total number so far.  I have to get that up before the end of the week.  

Tomorrow morning, I'm heading out to the trails to get out six.  I have to.  No questions asked.  I will do it.

After an awesome workout this morning, the girls went to lunch at Macaroni Grill.  I LOVE Macaroni Grill!  I always do the build your own pasta and utilize the vegan options.  It's pretty easy and straightforward.  Today mom and I split the Whole Wheat Penne with Arrabbiata Spicy Sauce  and grilled garlic, spinach, and mushrooms.  Say this with me now.... AMAZING!!!!

IT was delicious! A glass of Chianti just complements the meal very nicely.  Hell, the whole bottle of that Chianti would have worked too!  YUMMY!!!

After a day of exciting shopping, I scrounged up what I could in mom's kitchen to make a hummus.  I used the Veg Web recipe of 5 Minute Hummus.  You should totally check it out and even adapt it to your tasting.  Hummus can be prepared in so many different ways, it's amazing.  (Amazing must be the word of the day cause I sure am usuing it a lot!)

Finally feeling like myself again

This time of year, aren’t we supposed to gain weight?  I’m so thankful I have been able to avoid that.  In fact, I feel like I am venturing down the opposite path.  It has to be that I’ve cut out dairy and eggs and have been able to get back to a normal running routine.  I feel amazing.   I haven’t been able to hit the trails as much as I like but the treadmill has turned into a very good friend of mine.  Plus the fact that Marsella gets to run off some energy in the child care is certainly an advantage.  She is off of school for the holidays so I’ll just have to wait til next week to tear up some dirt. 

My mileage this week has been 4.5 on Monday and Tuesday.   When Marsella goes back to school next week, I’m going to do some 6 milers!  My knee hasn’t been giving me any problems this week so I believe I am good to go.  I'm so thrilled to finally be able to integrate some longer runs into my schedule.  I feel like ME again!  The sane vegetarian runner!  The next run scheduled is Superbowl Sunday!

My First Vegetarian Thanksgiving

This was an amazing dinner!  Mac and Cheese, Deconstructed Green Bean Cassserole and a yummy tofurky!  I was totally satisfied!  Both dishes came from the Vegan YumYum Blog.  Successful!

Not enough running, too many cookies....oh, and pasta

Oh the holidays!  The time of the year when I should be pushing out at least 25 miles a week.  That has certainly not happened this week.  So far, I have run about 10 miles and it’s already Thursday.  I would like to point out that my knee is better but certainly not 100%.  I was advised by a friend that maybe I should see a doctor.  Actually, a few friends have told me to get it checked out.  I am thinking that since the injury occurred in October and it’s still not fully healed, they just might be right.  I’m always so cautious about going to a doctor though.  Don’t get me wrong.  I feel like I have the best doctor that the VAMC has to offer but it’s always the same thing with a running injury: get an x-ray, take Vitamin M (800mg motrin), and start physical therapy.  I’m going to suck it up and make an appointment.

Now to the fun part: Cooking!  Whenever this time of year rolls around, I find myself baking up a storm!  This season has brought on a new challenge though.  Figuring out all these substitutes for eggs and milk is fun.  Milk is easy because of all the options we have now: soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk (my favorite), etc!  The eggs…well, that’s a little different.  Substituting an egg with a banana in one recipe might not be so yummy in another.  I went ahead and bough some Ener-G Egg Replacer.  I used it in the Espresso Crinkles and it was successful!  So, so far, I have cooked up some Espresso Crinkles and Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies.  The recipe for the later has already been posted so here are the

Cooking Light: Espresso Crinkles.

The only thing I had to adjust in this recipe was replacing the egg with the Ener-G Egg Replacer.  The end result was not a let-down.  Very yummy and these cookies make a great show!

For Lunch today, I had a craving for some pasta and some sort of non-tomato veggie type sauce.  I was searching around on vegweb.com and found a recipe that I adapted to my own taste.  Here is the end result:

Spinach Spaghetti

    2 cups pasta (anything except angel hair, spaghetti, etc.)
    1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach
    vegetable oil, as needed
    1 tablespoon minced garlic
    3 tablespoons vegan butter
    2 tablespoons flour
    1 cup nondairy milk
    salt and pepper, to taste
     3-4 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Start boiling water for the pasta. Add pasta to boiling water as soon as it’s ready. In a small pan, spritz some oil over low heat. Add the spinach or broccoli and the garlic. Saute and then set aside.

2. In a medium pot, drop the butter in and melt it. Add the flour and keep stirring until you make a roux. Add nondairy milk, and keep stirring.  The sauce will get thick fast so just keep adding the milk to your liking.   Add garlic salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning. Turn the heat up to thicken it.

3. Add veggies to the drained pasta and add the pasta to the white sauce. Enjoy!

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies - Vegan style!

I'm so excited!  I just "veganized" my first cookies!  The original recipe is from the Taste of Home magazine.  My "mother-in-law" makes these every year for Christmas and they have always been my favorite.  Since deciding to make the switch to eliminating dairy products, I had to take matters into my own hand and try to adapt this recipe.  First try was a success!!! (I was really expecting a total disaster!)

 Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 mashed banana
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 24 maraschino cherries, blotted dry
• 
  FROSTING:
• 1 cup (6 ounces) vegan semisweet chocolate chips
• 10 oz silken tofu
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 to 3 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice

Directions

• In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in banana and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture (batter will be very firm). Shape into 48 balls, about 1 in. round, and place on un-greased baking sheets. Push one cherry halfway into each ball.
• For frosting, melt chocolate chips and silken tofu in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add cherry juice and stir until smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon of frosting over each cherry (the frosting will spread over cookie during baking).
• Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Yield: about 2 dozen

The joys of running and cooking

What a busy day!  I woke up this morning prepared for a non-stop adventure.  And amazingly, despite the rainy weather, I was in a great mood. Once I got Marsella to school 15 minutes late, I headed to the gym for a run on the treadmill.  It was pretty wet outside when I woke up so that’s why I opted for a visit to the gym.  Every time I run on the treadmill though, I am reminded how much I enjoy outdoor running.  There really is nothing compared to the great outdoors.  Being able to feel the freezing air on my face, hear the leaves crush under my feet, and greet the familiar faces of other runners is just amazing.  Nothing compares.   After I finished my run, I squeezed in a couple upper body exercises before I braved the grocery store.

 I had no idea how busy the grocery store got during the holidays!  Seriously, it’s just ridiculous!!  Christmas dinner is a week away but I believe everyone and their mother is attempting to get a head-start.  I ran in to pick up all I needed for the soups I was preparing today.  I made a Potato and Garlic soup and a Creamy Broccoli with Dill soup (from The Complete Vegan Cookbook).  The potato soup was specifically for two mommies that needed some extra help this season so I didn’t make any for us here at home.  Once I got home, I whipped us up some of the Broccoli soup.  My roommate seemed to enjoy it but honestly I felt like I had just thrown up in my mouth.  I know this is gross but everyone knows about that after-taste.  *gag*  I will never make that soup again!  I am just so thankful I prepared the Potato & Garlic soup for the church families today.  I feel like I spent all day in the kitchen but it was worth it.  I especially love being able to deliver a wonderful vegan soup to families that probably enjoy meat at least once a day.  To be able to share my love of a meat-free, dairy-free diet is wonderful.  I only hope that I not only can help others but that others will also realize that not every meal has to include animal products.

Back to running - Sunday is the free Holiday run put on by Fleet Feet.  It will be my friend’s first organized race.  I just know he will be addicted once he crosses that finish line!  This run was my first back in 2007.  I can’t believe I’ve been at this for three years.  Though I have encountered many ups and downs, these legs still carry me through!

Who needs a bunch of gadgets anyway?

Feeling the cold air fill my lungs, I curled my frozen fingers into my sweatshirt as I took off on the trails. This morning was absolutely beautiful!  Cold but beautiful.  I soaked up the sunshine and listened to the river rushing by and morning birds chirping away.  I decided to make it a gadget free 4 miles, which turned out to be a blessing.  When I have Run-Keeper reminding me every .5 miles how long I've been running and what my pace is, I find I become my own worst enemy.  I am so competitive with myself.  My goal right now is to just get back into my running routine without hurting myself again.  So leaving all the fancy accessories back in the Jeep, I headed out with just the essential: Mace.


A friend of mine wants to start training for his first Marathon.  The idea is pretty exciting but after having been out of commission for two months, I have a lot of miles to put under my feet.  First goal: River City Half Marathon in April.  Steps to get there: Free Holiday Run this weekend, Superbowl 10K, and then whichever other runs I can convince him to run with me.  I always get excited when I have a new running partner.  I love that I can help others get in shape and develop the same love for running that I have.  Most people think I'm just a little on the crazy side but if I didn't run, I would be one cranky lady.  I am looking forward to our road ahead...full of sweat, dirt, and maybe even burning through a couple pairs of Asics (my shoe of choice). :)


Mileage to date this week: 8 miles

The first 4...

I did it.  I was able to complete 4 miles without to much trouble.  I took it easy (avg 9:27/mile) but I did it.  There is just something about the trails that makes me feel home.  I feel like I am where I belong.
As long as my knee continues to heal and get stronger, I plan on training for the River City Half Marathon.  A friend of mine is interested in doing the full but I'm not quite sure I'm ready to push that far after having been out for two months.  I'll take it day by day and the closer we get to the race, I'll make a more solid decision.

Now for my first dish that I will introduce.  On Saturday, I whipped up a yummy Tortilla Casserole for a few friends.  It came out fabulous!  Seems like I always try a new dish and test it out on my friends.  I got no complaints.  Here it is:

Tortilla Casserole

By Nava Atlas

Serves: 6
Here’s my favorite in-a-hurry casserole to make when craving southwestern flavors. It involves throwing together a lot of convenient ingredients like canned beans and tomatoes, and frozen corn, but it’s unbelievably good when you need an emergency dinner. In the 12 to 15 minutes that this is in the oven, steam a big batch of broccoli and make a simple salad of mixed baby greens, carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers.

• One 16-ounce can pinto, pink, or black beans, drained and rinsed (I used a can of kidney beans.)
• One 16–ounce can crushed tomatoes
• One 4-ounce can chopped mild green chilies
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups grated nondairy Monterey Jack, cheddar, or jalapeño cheese
• I grated some Vegan Gourmet Chedder.  I wouldn't use this cheeze again because it did not melt very well.
• Salsa for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
Lightly oil a wide, 2-quart casserole dish and layer as follows: 4 tortillas, overlapping one another; half of the bean mixture; half of the cheese. Repeat the layers.
     -I added a fresh spinach layer.  The added color was the perfect touch.
Bake the casserole for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Let stand for a minute or two, then cut into squares to serve. Pass around salsa to top each serving

Back in the game

It's been a while since I've been able to get back out to the trails and put in a few miles.  In October, I injured my right leg.  It has seriously been to long not running.  I have had to substitute running with cycle classes which just isn't quite the same.  Nothing beats the fresh air, views of the river, and feeling the trails under my feet.

I have finally been able to do 3.5 miles on the treadmill without my leg hurting.  This surely doesn't add up to my normal 5-7 mile runs but I will get there.  Tomorrow, I will head out to the trails for a trial run and see how I do. :)  Wish me luck!