Three Things Thursday

Posted on February 23, 2012 by FoodToRunFor

There really is no right way to transition from a tribute to my fathers life to anything else seamlessly. I had planned to write about some awesome recipes I made using pepperoni, but it just seems odd to talk about food right now. I have been cooking a ton lately so hopefully I’ll get those posts up soon! But for now, enjoy my snarkiness….

I stole Three Things Thursday from Melissa Nibbles. She partakes in this every week and I always look forward to it. I often think of my own to write, but I’m usually too big of a wimp to actually post. But this week, I’m in the mood. In case you don’t know, this is a list where I get to complain about the things that have been annoying me this week. So here we go.

1. “My thoughts and prayers are with you.” Is this just something people say when they don’t know what else to say? I guess I just 100% do not understand this line. To me, it’s just words with no meaning. If you’re going to go out of your way to write me a card or send an email during this difficult time, please come up with SOMETHING more meaningful to write.
(I know this makes me seem like an ungrateful bia@$#tch. But I’m grieving. And receiving notes with that phrase and nothing else makes me angry.)

2. FACEBOOK THINGS….

Facebook and Pinterest. I am so happy that you FINALLY discovered the beauties of Pinterest my dear Facebook friends, BUT, you really need to uncheck the button that you share all your pins + who you’re following on facebook. Because I DON’T CARE. And you’re clogging my News Feed.

Here is a perfect example and just so happens to be at the top of my News Feed currently.

See that button in the lower corner when you repin? Uncheck it. Please.

You could also turn off linking to other outlets. It’s annoying.

Facebook and Babies. Yes, I know I’m pregnant and I should be all about pictures of ‘friends’ cute baby pictures all over facebook. But I’m not. I find it annoying and wish these people would start baby blogs instead of posting a million of the same iPhone pics to facebook. Use facebook for the good stuff; the pictures where your baby looks adorable and does something worth mentioning. Otherwise, you are just wasting my time. On the same note, when did all my ‘friends’ have babies? I wake up to a constant newsfeed of Mom’s complaining about their babies lack of sleep, or gas issues, or a million other problems. Again, I wish the moms on fb would find a new outlet to relay this information on … I don’t know… a BABY forum or Twitter.

Facebook and Food. Melissa touched on this on her post today and I couldn’t agree more. Even more, I really can’t stand when people take unattractive photos of their dinners and post it to facebook like it’s the biggest thing they’ve ever done. Congratulations, I eat and make dinners every night too.

3. Commuters. I have two pretty big pet peeves that I talk about wayyy too much.

First, as most of you know, I commute from the ‘burbs into the city daily. I am part of that large crew of people that walk to and from South Station every day. I am not however, part of the idiot crew that like to follow each other across big intersections during rush hour traffic without paying attention. This drives me NUTS. You’re leaving work and still have work to do, I get it. You’re looking at your blackberry while walking, I get it. But then you cross the street even though the light is green because you saw another idiot doing the same? I don’t get it. I witness people almost get hit by cars daily. And I have to ask – What’s the rush? Is that extra 30 seconds really going to kill you? Well, it might.

Second, I really, REALLY do not understand why people on the train feel the need to stand up and line up LONG before we reach our destination. This morning I was sitting in the first set of seats next to the door. I was getting off at the next stop. I was sitting on the outside. AKA, I have control. Person sitting next to me says “Excuse me” way before we get to the station. I kindly say, “I’m getting off here too and I’d like to wait for the train to stop.” I know this bothers people but again, is it really necessary to stand in a line waiting to get off the train when I’m in the first seat? I mean when the train stops, I will get up and get off the train too. Plus the train never stops gracefully and people always go flying forward so I’d rather sit safely in my seat until it comes to a complete stop : )

Alright, you’re turn. What’s annoying you this week?

The Giants Win Was for You Dad

Posted on February 16, 2012 by FoodToRunFor

The last time I posted I was talking shit about the Giants and raving about my beloved New England Patriots. Oh and talking about Superbowl food. I really believed there was no way in hell my Patriots were going to lose to the Giants… again. And in those two + weeks that I’ve been silent on this blog, the Giants not only won the Superbowl, but I lost my father, one of the biggest Giants fans I know.

I don’t talk too much about my personal life on this blog. It just doesn’t feel comfortable to tell you all everything about me when I have no idea who you are. But writing is therapeutic and I know I have to get these feelings out.

My father’s life was cut way too short. His death made me realize how unfair life can be. It made me realize how the world is full of IF’s. And not having enough time.

I remember while watching the Superbowl unfold, I looked up at the clock and saw we had :57 seconds left. Under a minute for a miracle. But in my heart I knew it was too late. And when the Giants won, I immediately started to tear up. I said to myself, “that was for you Dad.”

The next day I took the day off of work and I spent a lot of time listening to sports radio. The announcers kept saying things like: “If Brady didn’t throw that interception…” “If Welker made that catch…” “IF, IF, IF.” I cried while driving because in so many ways that one football game symbolized what I was going through with my father’s life.

On Thursday February 9th, my father passed away at the way too young age of 68 due to complications from Triple Bypass Surgery.

I’ve spent the last few days wishing I had more time with him. Wishing I had more answers. Wishing we hadn’t grown so far apart in the last five years. Wishing he had met my nephews. Wishing he could meet my future son. I kept thinking “what if?” What if he didn’t have the surgery?

My fathers funeral was on Sunday and over 75 people showed up. A lot of people had great memories of my father. The truth was my dad was a big kid at heart. He lived his life according to his plan and his weaknesses shaped his unique personality.

To paraphrase from my brothers eulogy, “if a persons life is measured by the memories he’s left behind, my father has no equal.”

I’m sure all the people who showed up at his funeral had numerous stories about my father. And although my father was a complex man, he did have a very kind, giving heart.

My father captured our lives growing up through polaroids and with the worlds largest video camera known to man. As soon as those video cameras went on the market, my dad had to get one. And throughout my childhood, that video camera was always there. Making videos in the 80s and 90s left a huge impact on me and was probably a huge reason why I majored in film in college and continue to make a career in the field. When I look back on my childhood, I think back to my track meets. I think back to looking up in the stands before a big race and seeing my dad cheering his face off while carrying his big, bulky video camera.

I wish things could have ended differently for my father. I wish I could have more time with him. I wish so many things but in the end sometimes there are no answers. But the memories of my father will live on forever…

"Super" Foods for the SuperBowl

Posted on January 30, 2012 by FoodToRunFor

It’s Superbowl Week in case you didn’t know. And for once I care MORE about the game then I do about the food. You know, because my team is playing.

New England Patriots vs New York Giants. The Rematch.

This Guy: Eli Manning

Versus: This Guy: Tom Brady

The Man. I mean who would you want on your side?

All I can say is as a New England sports fan, we’ve been through a lot of heartbreak. You know the whole not winning a World Series in 86 years. Then everything got turned around. The Red Sox won in 2004 and 2007. The Celtics won in 2008. The Bruins won in 2011. The Patriots won in 2002, 2004 and 2005. Then they crushed our hearts when they lost in 2007 to the Giants with an undefeated record. I have faith this won’t happen again! I believe in our team! Jesus may be with Tim Tebow, but God is with us… I mean how else can you explain this?

It’s NO GOOD! Wide Left! The Patriots are in the Superbowl!

On a side note, how hysterical is this?

Poor Poor Bill Cundiff, courtesy of Bar Stool Sports

Okay, moving on. Besides the game, what’s the most important thing at a Super Bowl Party?

FOOD, of course.

Here’s a list of the “Super” Foods you should have at your Super Bowl gathering. Or at least some easy options for your party! And I mean EASSSSY.

FINGER FOODS

Buffalo Chicken Bites

3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bit size pieces
1/2 Package of Seasoned Shake N Bake Mixture
1/2 Cup of Panko Breadcrumbs
1 Cup of your Favorite Buffalo Wing Sauce
3 Tablespoons of Honey
Instructions:
Preheat Oven to 350. Pour Seasoning Mixture and Panko Breadcrumbs into bowl. Mix Chicken bites with Mixture until coated. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and add Chicken. Bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, add sauce and honey to another bowl and microwave for three minutes. Take chicken out and add to sauce mixture and mix well, then serve!

Taco Bites

Both recipes are adjustable and really simple. Use ground beef or ground turkey, add some seasonings. Spray muffin pan and add either wonton wrappers or small flour or corn tortillas into each slot. Fill with ground meat, and shredded cheese. Top with either salsa or sliced up tomato and avocado!

Edamole-

a mix of guac and edamame!

This is one of the simplest recipes you could ask for. Thank Cara for that. I’ve had Edamame hummus before but never edamame guac. It intrigued me and I’m glad I made it! My recipe was even easier than Cara’s because I bought Ready-to-Eat Edamame at Trader Joes, along with a Guacomole Kit (2 avocados, 1 jalapeno, 4 limes, garlic), Cilantro, Red Onion and Fage Greek Yogurt. So pretty much you mix those ingredients together in your handy food procesor and well, that’s it! I only used half a jalapeno and it was still pretty spicy. So as I always say, taste as you go and season as needed with salt and pepper.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

In the filling mix was 1 cup of corn, 1 can of black beans, 1 small can of green chiles, 1 10oz package of defrosted spinach, 4 diced green onions, cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. And all you do to wrap them is put the filling in the middle, fold up the bottom, then the sides, then roll it over and close the flap. Then you bake for 15-20 minutes at 375°. Serve with Salsa!

Zucchini Pizzas

(I used low-fat turkey pepperoni, keep in mind you don’t have a ton of room on these small slices!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat grill to medium-high. Cut zucchini into thick slices about 3/4 inch thick. Grill the zucchini 7-8 minutes, or until there are some grill marks and it’s starting to be tender. Remove zucchini from the grill or grill pan then add sauce, cheese, pepperoni. Put loaded zucchini slices on a cookie sheet and finish in the oven until the cheese is melted or if you used a grill, and not a grill pan, put them back on the grill until the cheese melts.Remove zucchini pizzas from grill and serve hot.

MAIN DISH:

Quinoa Chili

Combine quinoa and water/broth in saucepan, cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large, non-stick pan; add onion, bell pepper, celery and jalapeno. Saute 7 minutes over medium heat. Stir in fresh tomatoes and carrots; saute 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in beans, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings; cook about 25 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in quinoa; cook 5 minutes more. Ladle chili into bowls and top with avocado and cheese.

DESSERT

3 Ingredient PB Cup Cookies

Throw about 20-24 PB cups in a food processor. Process away, then add in 1 egg. Continue to process.

Then scoop cookie dough into small balls onto a lined cookie sheet.

Flatten with a fork, add some sea salt.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Watch them though! They can burn easily!

So there you have it… easy recipes to make for your gameday celebration, regardless of who you’re rooting for. But, all of these recipes will taste a lot better if you root for the Patriots! Okay, maybe not, but I can try!

My Pregnant Running Routine

Posted on January 19, 2012 by FoodToRunFor

So, the name of this blog is FOOD to RUN for. But, I haven’t talked about running lately. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried to run consecutively without walking. Even in the first trimester, I was often left defeated, slow and truthfully, ashamed. I wondered why it was so easy for other pregnant moms to get out there and why it was so hard for me. I pretty much gave up early in my second trimester and succumbed to the idea that walking was enough. Then one day I was talking to my friend Leah about her running recovery. You see my friend Leah and I ran together in college.

We were both pretty similar runners with similar times (although she definitely got faster after I quit Junior Year). But after college something changed. Leah dropped the middle distances and started running long. And well, in 2008, Leah qualified for Boston running in the high 3:20s on a very hot Chicago day. And when she showed up to run Boston in 2009, she ran an amazingly impressive 3:11.

So that’s my friend Leah in a nutshell. Once a standout 400-800 meter runner, she has now become my fastest marathon friend. Although I could go on and on about how awesome I think Leah is as a person and a runner, that is not my point of this post. But if you want to read about that and get to know her better, you should check out her new blog here!

My point is that in early June Leah found out she had a Labral Tear and all her fall running goals went out the window. She couldn’t run and she couldn’t do yoga and she was left frustrated. After surgery and months of Physical Therapy she began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And after many months off, her Doctor and Physical Therapist allowed her to run! Her Physical Therapist gave her a four week walk-to-run plan where she runs 3 days a week, gradually increasing the amount she runs.

The plan was something like this:
Day 1: Walking for 4 minutes and 30 seconds and running for 30 seconds
Day 2: Walking for 4 minutes and running 1 minute
Day 3: Walking for 3 minutes and 30 seconds and running for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
… and on…
lowering the walking and increasing the running…with each week…

Leah and I gchat daily so when she told me about this plan sometime around early December, I thought to myself… “hmmm, I can do this too!” And MAYBE this will make me feel successful at running instead of such a failure.

So for the past month and a half or so, this is the plan I’ve been doing. 1-3X a week (depending on how much time I have), I’ve been walk-running.

My workout plan that has worked for me is:

4 minutes walking to 3 minutes running for 30-45 minutes

Which translates to about 2 to 3.5 miles and about a 14 minute per mile pace

So I walk pretty slowly- 2.8-3.0mph on the treadmill and run at about 6.8mph.

I’ve done this workout on the treadmill at my gym, outside, with my brother and with Dave and it’s made me feel strong and worth something. Although I can’t run like I used to, the fact that I can still run at all brings a smile to my face. See, I’m smiling!

So at 6 + months pregnant, I’m still trying to get out there. I may not have had the ACTIVE pregnancy I would have liked, but I am happy that I’m doing something. And those 3 minute spurts of running is giving me just the adrenaline I need. I hope I can continue this plan for the rest of my pregnancy! Wish me luck : )

Red Curry Shrimp Dumplings & Green Vegetable Curry

Posted on January 14, 2012 by FoodToRunFor

Also on my theme week using Wonton Wrappers, I made Red Curry Shrimp Dumplings and equally as delicious Green Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk over Jasmine Rice. Both dishes packed a ton of flavor and I had a ton of fun creating Asian takeout style meals at home!

First, before I tell you about these recipes, I first want to tell you about my favorite Asian ingredients. If you like eating this style of food, here are some ingredients I think you should always have on hand. And yes, some of them are “cheat” ingredients (meaning they make your life much easier!)

I always have red and green curry paste. One of my favorite ingredients! I also always buy :90 second Uncle Ben’s Microwavable Rice. It’s an awesome, easy product to have around! And the squeeze ginger…. it lasts longer and I love it.

Okay back to the dumplings. They take some prep work, but they are pretty simple to put together and cook. And look how gorgeous they turn out!

Red Curry Shrimp Dumplings

Inspired by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece) or 2 big squeezes of your ginger bottle

2 scallions, very thinly sliced

3/4 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined) (I bought mine pre cooked and already peeled and deveined- make it easy for yourself!)

4 teaspoons red curry paste

1 teaspoon fish sauce

24 wonton wrappers (from a 12-ounce package)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons ginger and scallions and cook, stirring, until scallions are slightly softened and mixture is fragrant, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. In a food processor, pulse shrimp until finely chopped. Add ginger mixture, curry paste, and fish sauce and pulse a few more times.

Place a spoonful of the shrimp mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper. With a wet finger, moisten edges of wrapper, then bring all 4 corners together, pinching at top to seal. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high. Add dumplings, seam side up, and cook until golden brown on bottom, 1 minute. Carefully add 1/2 cup water to skillet, and cook until water is almost evaporated and dumplings are tender, 3 minutes.

Continue to cook until water evaporates, 1 minute (reduce heat to medium if dumplings begin to overbrown). Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Serve dumplings with dipping sauce.

Quick, simple, beautiful and delicious. Can’t beat that.

And because I can’t just have dumplings for dinner, I also made a Green Vegetable Curry. I love curry dishes because curry paste mixed with coconut milk is one of my all time favorite combinations. I could drink the broth … not that I did or anything….ummm…

This dish mixed together a ton of vegetables, you can really use anything you have on hand. It was another dish inspired by Martha Stewart.

Green Vegetable Curry

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons green curry paste

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed, halved if large (I used half shitake, half portabella)

Handful of Broccoli

4 heads baby bok choy sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk

Cooked jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, broccoli, bok choy, and bell pepper and cook 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until beans are crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Both these dishes I will make again in different ways. This was DEFINITELY a favorite of the week.

Curious what else I made using Wonton Wrappers?

Cara’s Baked Salmon Rangoon with Apple. Combining salmon, goat cheese, sesame oil, ginger and apples… I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But they were quite good. I was really impressed!

Emily’s Turkey Ravioli with Spinach Cream Sauce. Only I used swiss chard because I didn’t have spinach and ground chicken instead of turkey. I don’t think this dish was quite as pretty as the others, but wow did it have a ton of flavor. I loved every bite and I enjoyed it even more the next day! I mean c’mon, spinach cream sauce? How could it be bad! One other big thing I changed was I added cream cheese AND boursin cheese in the filling.

I also made a sweet dish- Mini Pumpkin Pies! I got this recipe from Dashing Dish and I really didn’t change much. I can totally see myself making these again for parties!

So there you have it. My week in Wonton Wrappers. By the end, my husband was definitely sick of eating bite size meals but I know he enjoyed it. I do love theme weeks! If you’re going to buy the ingredient, why not use it in a variety of different ways, especially when they give you so much in each package : )

What is the best meal you’ve made with Wonton Wrappers?

Brined Turkey with Chipotle Maple Butter Gravy

Posted on December 6, 2011 by FoodToRunFor

So maybe you’re all turkied out and maybe this isn’t the best timing for a “How-To” on Turkey’s, but I wanted to get this recipe up here on my blog. Who knows, maybe one of you will make a Turkey for the other big holiday we have coming up THIS month… Hanukkah. Oops, I mean Christmas. Either way, it’s a recipe worth having!

When I tell you the turkey dipped into the Chipotle Maple Butter Gravy was the best thing I had this Thanksgiving, I’m not kidding. It was delicious in every way and pretty simple. And usually I’m not even a huge fan of turkey!

First, I believe the key to the perfect turkey is brining. Every year Dave and I say we are going to create our own brine, and every year we find it easier to just buy it from a store. Yep, cheat when you can people. Plus, for 12 bucks, you get all the spices you need AND a bag to brine your turkey and liquids in. Easy Cleanup! I bet it would cost at least 12 bucks to buy all the spices you need for the brine.

In this brine mix, according to the Crate and Barrel website, you get:

salt, sugar, orange peel, spices, juniper berries, shallots and pink peppercorns

Crate and Barrel Instructions: And all you do is an overnight soak in our own seasonal brining blend transforms the holiday turkey. The requisite salt and sugar base produces the moistest, juiciest meat, while the inspired choice of spices imparts the flavors of orange peel, juniper berries and pink peppercorns. Heavy-duty brining bag included.

There are directions that come with the packaging. But for the most part you just mix your spices with water or broth over heat. Once combined, you cool it overnight. We did this on Tuesday night.

Wednesday morning we removed the giblets bag from our turkey, added the turkey to the brine bag and then added the brine mix. We put that in a huge cooler and left it on the deck. Then Wednesday morning we were ready to cook! After taking the turkey out of the brine, rinse and put dry.

Before we cooked the bird, I had to make some flavored butter. The first butter I made was a Chipotle Maple Butter. After I made it, I spread some on a piece of bread and fell in love. But I got worried. I got worried it may be a bit too advanced for the palettes that were coming to dinner. The recipes below are all adapted from Food Network Magazine- November 2011.

FLAVORED BUTTERS:

Chipotle Maple Butter
Pulse 2 sticks of softened butter in a food processor with 1/4 cup of maple syrup, 1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce (depends on heat level), 1 garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Process that up and reserve for the Gravy. You will have lots leftover!

I saved all of it and decided to make a classic herb butter for the actual turkey itself.

Classic Herb Butter
Mix 1 stick of softened butter with parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, teaspoon of pepper, shake of paprika and salt. Process that up. Spread it under the turkey skin and on the breasts and legs. Then rub the rest on top of the skin.

Cooking the Turkey
Put the oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the turkey breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan, tucking the wings under and tying with twine. Tie the drumstick together as well. Put tinfoil over and cook for about 15 minutes per pound. We cooked for about 3 hours with the foil and an hour or so without. We also added chicken broth to the pan and basted the turkey throughout the cooking process. Roast until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees. Then Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for a bit before slicing.

Okay, now let’s move on to the gravy.

Classic Turkey Gravy with Chipotle Maple Butter

FOR THE BROTH:

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 medium onion

1 leek

Neck and Giblets from Turkey (I omitted this because my husband had already throw it out…no biggie)

8 cups Chicken Broth

A Bundle of Aromatics- Sage, Thyme, Parsley

FOR THE GRAVY:

Turkey Drippings from your roasting pan

1/2 cup of flour

salt and pepper

a couple tablespoons of Chipotle Maple Butter

Instructions:

When turkey goes into the oven, start the broth: melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion/leek (and turkey giblets and neck if you have them) and cook until browned about 15 minutes. Add the broth, herb sprigs; cover and simmer while the turkey roasts, about 2 hours. Strain broth and keep warm.

When turkey is done, transfer it to a cutting board and pour all the pan drippings into a degreasing cup. Add 1/2 cup of the prepared broth to the roasting pan and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add bits and liquid to a degreasing cup. (I didn’t have a degreasing cup, so I just used a measuring cup… the fat will rise to the top… so after it does that, use your baster to remove the fat).

Next, make a roux. I did this in the same pan I had my broth in all day. I added a bit (maybe 3-5 TB of the chipotle maple butter and flour together until the flour browns slightly. Then I gradually added the broth back in whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium low.

Season with salt and pepper and add more butter in if necessary (I think necessary).

Enjoy the best gravy of your life.

You’re welcome.

What’s the best gravy you’ve ever made/had?

State Park Walk/Jog/Hikes

Posted on November 29, 2011 by FoodToRunFor

First, thank you so much for everyones feedback on my running post. I realize now how important it is for me to do what’s best for ME and the baby. And if running isn’t part of that equation then that’s okay. But walking and being active will be! PS- My other form of exercise lately has been playing the Wii. Have you ever boxed on Wii Sports? Now that is a workout!

Anyway, Saturday, Dave and I decided to walk/hike all the way around the State Park closest to our house. In all the years we’ve been going to this park, we’ve never made it the whole way. Saturday was our day! We had such a blast exploring and discovering new sights and both of us can’t wait to get back out there.

While we were walking our first trail, we hit a crossroads; go the way we always go or try a different route. Choosing the different route made all the difference. We found this amazing gravel path that was flat and easy to jog on. On our walks/hikes, anytime I find a flat part, I run. Dave always jokes “There she goes!”

And off I went.

For a very short while.

Once we reached the end of the gravel path, we hit this….

We continued around the lake until I found a perfect spot to take a Baby Bump Shot of Week 17.

I still don’t feel like I have a “baby” bump yet. I just kind of feel big all over. But I’m really trying to change my mindset and embrace it. I’m growing the belly because I have a baby inside of me after all!

An hour into our walk/jog/hike, we stopped for some snacks and water. This rock is now Dave’s favorite spot.

And we eventually made it to the dam which is the path we are most familiar with.

As we were walking back to our car, I captured these gorgeous photos…

I’m lucky I live in a place where beautiful trails and paths are a short distance away. These walks mean the world to me and I feel very thankful that I can still enjoy them. As I’ve written before, the power of “place” is very important to me and this walk/jog/hike made me feel so much better about my inability to run like a used to. What’s important to me now is just getting out there whether it be outside or the gym. Trying to stay active during this pregnancy is the goal for my remaining 23 weeks!

Do you have a go-to path or trail that you love?

Thanksgiving 2011!

Posted on November 26, 2011 by FoodToRunFor

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all time. I love planning my menu, grocery shopping, prepping, cooking and seeing my families smiling faces while eating a delicious meal. Thursday was our fifth year hosting Thanksgiving. It’s crazy how fast FIVE years goes by. I can’t believe we’ve been in our house that long! Dave and I are lucky that from day 1, our two families combined. We don’t run around from house to house on important holidays and we get spend the day with all the people we love. Although I wish we did have bigger families or extended family lived closer, I do love that we have an intimate dinner of eight including both sides of the family. Of course, we cooked like we were having about 20! But leftovers are a good thing, right?

I’m also happy to report that prepping and cooking this year was DRAMA FREE! I stayed relaxed and calm throughout the cooking process and really tried to go with the flow… if something didn’t work out the way I hoped, I didn’t get bent out of shape about it, I just moved on. I will tell you I made WAY too many sides and it really seemed like the options were endless!

My appetizer menu changed quite a bit from what I posted the other day. Instead, I made a savory Pumpkin Pesto Cheesecake inspired by Julia.

Made with eggs and cottage cheese, the recipe really interested me because I love cooking with Cottage cheese. I think its a great way to add protein and lower fat! I used store-bought fresh Basil Tomato Pesto from Whole Foods and a few tablespoons of Pumpkin Puree from a can. I also used Ritz cracker crumbs as the crust instead of breadcrumbs and I made the whole thing in an 8 inch cake pan, instead of 4 inch. It was a huge hit! I’ll be blogging about this recipe later on!

My other appetizers were cheese and crackers and hummus and pretzel crisps. Easy peasy, stress free.

My mom made our first course: Leek Soup. I’ve tried making this recipe myself, but it never comes out as good as my moms. I think the reason is because there really is NO recipe. My mom cooks as she goes and this soup is my favorite!

I’m going to write another post about brining and roasting a turkey because Dave and I have become quite the expert over the years. We love brining our turkey for at least 20 hours. We think the turkey becomes so moist! We also use a flavored butter on the bird itself. Originally I made an amazing Chipotle Maple Butter and I LOVED it, but was worried it was a little too much for my families tastes. (Don’t worry though, I used it later in the best GRAVY ever!) SOooo, I decided to make an herb butter instead. The herb butter was made in the food processor – I combined a stick of butter with a bunch of fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and paprika then we rubbed it over the turkey. And voila!

5 hours ish in the oven and our turkey was done! And once it rested, Dave got slicing!

19 Pound bird= way too much food for 8 people!

Alright now let me give you a run down of the sides.

Brown Sugar Glazed Baby Carrots and Peas.

Hearty Winter Green Saute with Pomegranates and Pancetta.

Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest.

Sausage Herb Stuffing

Smoky Scalloped Potatoes

Mashed Potato and Kale Cakes

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta and Pomegranates

Chipotle Maple Butter Gravy (OMG! So GOOD!)

Natalia was ready to dig in!

Dave’s insane plate of food..

And he ate it all! Pretty impressive stuff!

My delicious plate of food : )

After dinner, we rested for awhile and played lots of Wii.

And then we finally ate dessert as well. I feel awful, I forgot to take any pictures of dessert other than what I made! My mother-in-law made Pumpkin and Apple Pie AND Chocolate Chip Blondies. Everything was delicious. I made Pumpkin S’more Bars. And yes, they were as good as they sound!

I’ll get all the recipes up on a Google Doc early next week for you guys to enjoy. I’m also going to do separate posts of the dishes I feel were standouts.

Overall it was such a wonderful day with family and I have a lot to be Thankful for.

Including the 3 babies coming in 2012!

Happy Thanksgiving!

On Running…

Posted on November 20, 2011 by FoodToRunFor

I’m about to write a post on the things you’re not supposed to say while pregnant. But I feel the need to voice my opinion so I’m venting. I’m 16 weeks pregnant and I weigh more now then I’ve ever weighed in my life. I’ve already put on somewhere around 11 pounds. I feel large and I’m not even obviously showing yet. But it’s not the weight gain that bothers me so much, I know thats par with the course. What really bothers me is that I can’t run.

I shouldn’t be that surprised that running is so difficult for me, but somehow I am. My running in 2011 has been less than spectacular. I ran great January-March even setting a new PR in the Half. Then I ran Boston on very little training and after it took me awhile to get focused again. In June I set PRs in both the 5K and 10K. I thought I was back!

Why don’t I look that happy while running anymore?

Then I ran one of the worst races of my life at the end of June. I mentally and physically gave up by the second mile. After that, I don’t know what happened. I tried to get my focus back in mid-July but I think it was a little too late. I ran two half marathons in August that I was in no shape to run and my times reflected that. And then a few weeks after my half in Freeport Maine with Lindsay and Theodora, I found out I was pregnant. Truthfully, I knew in my heart I was pregnant when I ran that last half marathon.

So, basically, I wasn’t in the best of shape BEFORE I was pregnant. Then I got pregnant and I’ve had a really hard time having an active pregnancy. I wake up with massive headaches everyday and sometimes the only cure is throwing up. When I was training, I did most of my workouts in the morning. But with how awful I feel in the AM, that was out of the question. In the first month of my pregnancy, I was scared to run at all. I could feel weird stretches and cramps in my stomach and I didn’t want to risk anything while my baby was developing. Then when I was ready to start running again, my body was not.

I probably workout about 3X a week. Every time I put on workout clothes, I set out to run only to be disappointed by what my body is capable of. Pretty much every time I go to the gym or run outside, I want to run a 5K as fast as I can, and that time is usually around 40 minutes with walking breaks. You see, I’ll start off running, I’ll feel okay. Then I need to walk, so I walk a quarter mile or a half mile and then try to run again. And that cycle continues until I’ve hit 3.1. I know something is better than nothing, but I generally get off the treadmill feeling more depressed then refreshed. Am I just weak mentally? Am I imagining that this is too hard? Why can’t I push myself? These are the questions I’ve been struggling with.

It doesn’t help when I read other pregnancy blogs where women were still racing and PRing in their second trimester. Now, I’m not the type of person that compares myself to others. I get jealous easily but I try not to judge myself against others, but it’s not easy.

All my life, in order to maintain my weight, I’ve had to run. I know gaining weight is healthy for my baby, but it does seem like I’m gaining it at an aggressive speed. Working out and running has always kept me sane and without that rush of adrenaline, I feel a bit lost.

But in order to turn this already depressing post into something positive, I’ll leave you with this thought. My mom has really been helping me a lot through all of this. Her biggest message is to let my body do what it needs to do while pregnant and just use it as EXTRA motivation to lose the excess weight after the baby comes. Because to me the most important thing is having a healthy baby.

If walk-running is what my body needs for now, that is what I will do. I am fortunate to live so close to many state parks and reservoirs because views like this have been keeping me positive. And of course I love going on these walks with my husband as well.

I hope I’ll be able to run for a two or three mile length of time at some point in my pregnancy without walking breaks, but if that doesn’t happen it just means I’ll have more motivation come May.

Thanksgiving Day Menu

Posted on November 18, 2011 by FoodToRunFor

Hello Everyone! I’m back! I went on a vacation to the Dominican to celebrate Dave’s buddy Jay’s Wedding. Now I’m back with a pretty bad head cold. I had just a bronchitis-like-cough before the trip but that has turned into a full blown runny nose and sinus infection. And lucky me I can’t take anything! But enough of the complaining- here’s some photos from our trip.

Alright, now to the task at hand. It’s Friday, which means we have exactly 6 days until my favorite holiday in the world: Thanksgiving!!!!

Dave and I have hosted Thanksgiving for the past four years. This will be our 5th year hosting at our house and I love every minute of it! The key to a successful Thanksgiving is PLANNING AHEAD and ACCEPTING HELP. Delegate dishes to guests. Oh and the fact that my husband takes care of the Turkey helps a ton as well.

In 2009, we had 14 people- my extended Nebraska family was here and I loved every second of it. Click here for a recap of Thanksgiving 2009.

In 2010, we had 8 people- just our immediate family.

Click here for a recap of Thanksgiving 2010.

And this year I will be hosting 8 people plus three babies in the womb! (Woah, that was weird to write!) I’m linking to either the recipes that inspired the menu or my own recipes on the blog. Or if I can’t find them online, I’ll tell you the magazine I found them in. I’m the type of home chef that cooks a lot of things up on the fly so this is all subject to change next week!

2011 Thanksgiving Day Menu

Appetizers:

Whipped Feta with Pita Chips

Sweet Potato Avocado Salsa (Everyday Food)

Cheese, Hummus and Crackers

First Course:

Leek Soup (Mom)

Main Dish:

Brined Turkey with Chipotle Maple Butter

Maple Butter Gravy (Food Network Magazine)

Side Dishes:

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta and Pomegranates

(same recipe as last year only with pomegranates instead of dried cranberries)

Winter Green Saute

Smokey Scalloped Potatoes

Glazed Carrots with Thyme

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes and Kale Cakes

Roasted Butternut Squash (Mom)

Basic Stuffing with Sausage

without the apples and cranberries (Mom)

Cranberry Sauce

from 2009 on the blog (Mom)

Roasted Potatoes (Mother-in-law)

Cranberry Mold (Mother-in-law)

Desserts:

Apple Pie (Mother-in-law)

Pumpkin Pie (Mother-in-law)

Coconut Macaroons

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Pumpkin Ice Cream

So that’s the menu! I can’t wait to celebrate with my family next week.

What are you making for Thanksgiving?