Visitors!

Yesterday was one crazy day in the gym! Bengi (my son who is one of our trainers here at The Fire) arrived at 6:10 am to train his 6:30 group class. He was surprised by two raccoons! They had dropped into the gym through one of the office ceiling tiles. He tried to get them out. They were spooked of course. One hid in the bathroom and the other tried to climb the wall at the other end of the gym. They were finally trapped into the bathroom while someone was called to come catch them. Those clever things climbed out of the bathroom! They stood on the hot water heater and popped out through the ceiling tiles! There is a live trap set up where they entered. One was caught this morning and we hope the other will be trapped by tomorrow. It did make for a crazy stressful day though. That is my excuse for not posting my Sunday meals. I think it is good enough.

Sunday morning breakfast? I started with apple, yogurt and chopped nuts. Then I had steamed spinach (two cups but wow does it "melt" when it is steamed) and turkey bacon. Lots of protein here!

Lunch was roasted purple potatoes, wedge salad, raw sugar snap peas, and a bit of grass fed steak. I love potatoes. I rarely buy them. I know exactly why I don't bring them into the house! I had them 3 times in 48 hours! Talk about no self control!

Dinner was different. My younger son and his wife joined us for dinner. We chose to do take out from a local noodle shop. Not the best choice for me. Mari likes it though and I wanted to go with one of her favorites. I needed to make a better choice from the menu. I chose Thai Basil Noodles. They are rice noodles with chicken, veggies, and basil. It is spicy and yummy. It is not glycemically balanced. I was hungry soon after and very sleepy.

For a late night extra meal I had flash grilled salmon on a bed of spinach. Then half an apple with a spoon of yogurt and walnuts. This helped curb the incredible hunger.

Monday's meals were a bit more on track! Except of course for the excessive use of potatoes. sigh  Breakfast was chicken breast, roasted potatoes, spinach and fresh sliced tomato. It held me for a couple of hours in the gym then I needed a snack. 

Snack time? Apple and peanut butter fix! The dogs really wanted me to share. I didn't. I was hungry.

Lunch was a bit late since my snack was late. It is funny how those late meals keep getting later as the day goes by. Kam and I shared the last of her iceberg kick, a beautiful avocado, roasted broccoli, and a bison burger. 

We were at the gym until late. Dinner was very late. In a perfect world I'm done eating by 7:30. Yesterday I was sitting down to a meal at 8:30. Oh well. It was tasty. I roasted up the last of the potatoes. Thank goodness those potatoes are gone. They kept taunting me. I split a chicken breast butterfly style and coated it with basil and thyme then broiled it. I had fresh sliced tomatoes and organic radish slices as a salad. Then followed it up with an pear topped with yogurt and nutmeg.

And what about the knitting? On Sunday I reached the 75% mark on a big project. I started in April knitting 8 pair of socks. Sunday evening I completed the 12th sock! Now looking at the picture you will notice that the green striped socks are not in it. They are not part of this project. They are a bonus pair. All totaled I have actually knit 16 socks since April first. Only 12 of them count though. 

Monday I debated. I thought maybe I might just spin some yarn instead of knitting more socks. I finally went for the sock knitting adventure yet again. I cast on in the afternoon and had half the foot finished by bed time. It is the mate to one in the photo above.

Sock Completion Day

There are days that are made of awesome. Yesterday was one of those. Well parts of it was. Let's go with the awesome. SOCKS. Knitting first today. I finished that pair of green socks while listening to The Weasley Sisters Podcast. They crack me up! The first 5 minutes of this had me rolling. Why? Give a listen. They were talking about me. I love them. They are amazing sisters connecting over the miles and bringing smiles to so many people. I have been participating in a Cardio-Knit Sock Swap with them. These socks were knit for someone else. I can't say who because it is a secret swap. The rules were the socks had to be partially knit while doing cardio. I had intended to knit 100% of the second sock while doing cardio. The first sock was mostly knit while away at a training. Well...Poison Ivy and cardio don't mix. The socks had to be finished by this weekend. I decided that if I was watching the podcast and speed knitting that would count for something. So that is what I did. Speed knit socks. They are pretty cool for plain vanilla knit socks. The cool part? The yarn. It is one of my club yarns from Alina Shea Creations. The yarn is merino with a bit of nylon in it for durability. It makes a great sock that softens as it wears. Can you imagine merino that gets softer? I'm hoping the recipient of these socks loves them.

After work I finished up the blue sock. It needs a mate. I did start the second one today. I love the way the pattern worked up. The fit is fabulous. Again these socks are going out to someone else. Another swap. Not for me. I am known to knit for other people just not for sale. I knit for my family and I knit for surprise packages to trade with strangers. It is a variation on the pen pal theme. 

And the food you ask? Yes I did eat. I woke with a weird craving for eggs. I go through phases with eggs. I'll have months when I eat eggs every morning and then all of the sudden I can't face them any more. I like eating them best with toast. Toast is not on the menu this summer. See that? Not just today or this week. This summer! So I went with eggs and bacon with a side of greens. 

Check out these beets! They are candy cane beats. 

Aren't they pretty? It would be cool if they stayed those colors when cooked. They turn plain pink. They are pretty though. I had them with a green salad and roast turkey thigh. It was a great lunch!

Snack was a fresh peach and 10 raw almonds between clients at work. Then for dinner I made crispy kale with sliced new red onion. New red onion is similar to scallion but a bigger red bulb. I sliced up the bulb and the greens and rubbed all of it with 2 tsp of coconut oil. My kitchen is so warm right now the coconut oil is liquid. I used some freshly ground sea salt as seasoning. Then I sliced up more of the roast turkey and warmed it up. The bowl was full. I was just so hungry I started eating before I remembered I needed a picture of the food! 

For desert I had some frozen strawberries with chopped almonds. It was simple but satisfied all the taste cravings. Sometimes you just have to go with what is available in the fridge. 

Chocolate Mint Yumminess

Can you have chocolate mint on detox? That depends on if you are talking about chocolate coming from cocoa. I'm not. I'm talking about the lovely chocolate mint plant. Mint is one of those herbs that takes over. It goes wild. I love it. I love having mint in my herb garden that creeps its way out into the yard. Why? Because when you mow the grass it smells wonderful.

I think we should all have small moments that make us smile. The smell of mint or the smell of wild onions in fresh mowed grass is one of those small moments for me. It brings back happy childhood memories. My grandfather mowed his large lawn with a riding mower. Along the creek banks the spearmint grew waist high and along the edges of the hay field the wild onions crept into the yard. In the summer we would spend many weekends in the cabin in the woods just down a dirt road from my grandparents. Saturday must have been lawn mowing day. It seemed the grass was always freshly cut when my brother and I walked up the road to their house.

Yesterday when I was out in the back yard with the dogs I noticed how the chocolate mint I planted last summer is spreading out into the yard. I picked some and chewed a leaf while the dogs ran about. It was so tasty I brought in a few sprigs and made myself a cup of refreshing tea.

I'm finding meals to have themes this week. Breakfast is like a salad with fruit in it. Yesterday I expanded on that by using lettuce instead of heartier greens for my base. The colors were vivid. Blue and green and orange all in one bowl. The meal was as pleasing to the eyes as it was to the taste buds.

By lunch time I was looking for something warm and heartier. I chose to experiment. I cut up large pieces of cauliflower, slices of rutabaga, and strips of green pepper. I put them all in a large mixing bowl and coated with the juice of half a lemon. After tossing thoroughly I sprinkled garlic powder and salt free Spike seasoning over it then mixed it all through. I roasted these veggies at 400 for 30 minutes. It can take a while for the rutabaga to cook through. To keep the veggies from sticking to the pan I'm using parchment paper. Added bonus there? EASY clean up. While the veggies were roasting I steamed up some fresh mustard greens and sliced more jicama. You can never underestimate the importance of crunch in a meal. To make my day easier I made an extra large portion of this so I could eat two meals for one prep time!

Before heading out to train an evening class at the gym I roasted up some fresh squash. I've been enjoying an Italian herb mix. It is in a grinder so the dried herbs are ground up just before using. The result? My squash has that distinctive pizza aroma and flavor.

My day didn't involve much cardio. Unless you count the multiple trips up and down the stairs of the house. Laundry in the basement and master suite on the second floor does make for a bit of stair climbing on laundry day. I did manage to get some knitting time in. LOTS of it in fact. There are times when your attention is only needed for listening and occasionally speaking. It is these times I find knitting is the perfect accompanying activity. Last night I managed three and a half hours of knitting while listening. That sock I was just beginning the heel flap on Thursday was ready for the toe before bed on Friday. Yes, I completed it today but you will have to wait for tomorrow's knitting report to see the picture proof. 

 

Salad for Breakfast Today

I have told clients they could eat salad for breakfast. The faces I get make me giggle. Of course it is on the inside. I wouldn't laugh in their faces. The best part is when they come back to me in 6 weeks and are shocked at how they missed their veggies at breakfast when traveling. I love that conversation. They are trying to convince me that I was right all along.

My breakfast today was essentially a salad. Arugula greens, fresh raw green beans, sliced jicama, and some wonderful fresh blueberries. Simple and satisfying.

When I was starting my lunch I was hungry. I was missing my hot coffee too. In a stroke of brilliance I remembered that I had purchased some fresh ginger. I chopped up a teaspoon and put it in my favorite mug with the juice of one quarter of a lemon. I added hot water and let it brew. The result was a spicy tangy treat that held me through until lunch was ready.

But what was for lunch? Steamed veggies of course! I diced up rutabaga, turnip, and kohlrabi. (Remember these veggies need to be peeled first. Yucky wax on the rutabaga will melt into the water. We don't want to go there.) These veggies took about 40 minutes to get soft. 

And how would you eat these steamed veggies? With baby kale of course! Or any other green or salad. It would also make a nice side for a "regular" meal. Though if I were having this with a regular meal I might have a bit of butter or cold pressed olive oil on top of it. The great benefit of making a large pot of veggies like this is that second lunch is all ready to eat! That is exactly what I did. I had this meal twice!

Dinner? Before work I made myself some roasted squash, sliced up some jicama (I did say that was one huge jicama didn't I?) and added half a green pepper to the mix. It was yummy. I was full for hours. Seriously. HOURS!

There was of course some cardio-knitting involved in my day as well. I didn't get to the spin bike. I had a client at 8:30 in the morning. It was hard to get on the bike after the house had warmed up. I was fortunate enough to walk back and forth to work 4 times. That was plenty of walking and knitting time. I managed to knit an inch and a quarter and get a start on the heel flap of this sock! I started my morning where you see my thumb obviously finished where the needles are. These are new dress socks for Kam. She is fortunate to have little feet. Little feet are faster to make socks for. This pair is also a nice neutral color. 

  

Early Fall

What a beautiful run it was this morning! The fog was still hanging low at 9. We chose to run through the trails of The North Carolina Arboretum and Bent Creek Experimental Forest. The run included 9.5 miles of single track trail and gravel paved forest roads. More than half of the run was along water, Bent Creek itself and Lake Powhatan which is in the above photo. By the time we were done the fog was gone, the skies were blue, our bellies were hungry, and our bodies were tired. I must say it was the most perfect last day of September ever!

In honor of the coming Fall season I decided to spend the afternoon knitting on a sweater and making butternut squash soup. The sweater is almost complete. One sleeve is lacking 4 inches. I'd love to complete it tonight. I might have to bail. I might just have to go to bed. That run has me tuckered out and the warm soup has me feeling satisfied for the night.

Butternut squash is one of the more common hard winter squashes. I've chosen it today because it is so easy to find. This soup can be made completely vegan, vegetarian, or with chicken. I chose the vegan version but will tell how to make each.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash
1 large sweet yellow onion
1/2 heart of celery
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp powdered ginger
1 can coconut milk (for the vegan version)
1 cup milk (for the vegetarian version)
4 quarts chicken stock (for the meat eaters)
1 pound diced cooked chicken breast (also for the meat eaters)

Peel and dice the squash. I cut it into rounds and then cut off the edges of the rounds before dicing up. It seems easier for me to peel it that way. Clean and chop the celery. You don't need to cut the celery too small.. Slicing at about every 1/4-1/8 inch along the stock is fine. I used the leaves too. As long as they look good they are fine to eat. Peel and coarsely chop the onion.

All the cut veggies go into a very large pot and are covered with water. Unless you are planning to do the chicken version and then you are adding the chicken stock instead of water. The salt and spices are also added at this point. Then it is a nice long slow simmer until the veggies are soft through. This is where the knitting comes in handy. Knit a few rows and then stir the pot.

Once everything was cooked through my pot looked like this. If you are making the chicken version here is where you add the diced chicken breast.

It can be served up as is or blended with coconut milk or milk to make a creamed soup. Here is what the chunky soup looks like.

I added a can of coconut milk and blended it with a hand blender. This task could also be completed using a food processor and processing in small batches. Once blended I served it garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Veggies it's what's for breakfast!

One of the most common responses I get when I'm starting with a client is, "You want me to eat vegetables for breakfast?" We are so ingrained in our views on vegetables the concept of eating them first thing in the morning can seem odd to say the least.

There are a few vegetables I would classify as "classic breakfast" foods. Potatoes are high on that list. Unfortunately potatoes are not on my recommended foods list. I'm focused on vegetables that are rich in nutrients and fiber. Potatoes meet neither of these requirements. What is a good substitute for those home fries in the morning? A vegetable hash. 

I make this using a variety of vegetables. It really depends on what is fresh and in the fridge when I go to make it. I've used chopped brussel sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, hard winter squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, and even cabbage. This morning I had carrots, sweet potato, broccoli, and cauliflower on hand. 

Vegetable Hash

2 cups of mixed chopped veggies (this is per serving)

1/4 cup chopped onion (again per serving)

garlic to taste

1-3 tsp olive oil

water for steam saute

Heat oil in pan and add onion. Lightly saute until onions are soft. Add chopped veggies and stir through. Allow veggies to sear a bit then cover. Check frequently. I often add a few TBS of water and cover to steam saute the vegetables. This cooks them through faster and prevents burning. 

This is a side dish for breakfast. You will need to add protein. Today I had 2 eggs and 2 pieces of chicken sausage with my veggies. I sometimes will crack my eggs raw over top of the almost cooked hash and then cover them. The steam cooks the eggs and softens the vegetables. I've also made this with turkey bacon or chicken sausage added to the vegetable mix. I find quite a lot of freedom of choice with this. Keep experimenting to find the perfect combinations for your taste buds.

Chicken Salad For Breakfast?

It takes time to eat right. Time is one thing that most people feel they don't have enough of. If you can prepare something for breakfast the night before you are more likely to eat in the morning. Since breakfast is so important I'll be focusing on make ahead breakfast ideas for the next few days.

This morning I made what I call "breakfast chicken salad". I would normally make it the night before so it is ready first thing in the morning. Last night I cooked the chicken. I also spent the evening knitting socks. Socks are my favorite knit. These socks were fun. They kept me entertained while my chicken was roasting. They kept me further entertained while I was waiting for the chicken to cool before putting it into the fridge. Sadly, I do not have a fun picture of those socks to share with you. They were mailed off today. I mailed them away without documentation. I promise to not deprive everyone of such wonders in the future. 

What is the difference in a breakfast chicken salad and a regular chicken salad? The amount of veggies, fruit, mayo, and flavorings. I want my clients eating veggies at breakfast. That is why this salad is packed with  fiber rich celery and apple. This recipe makes one serving. Yes. ONE. Double it if you like. Triple it if you want. Quadruple it if necessary. Just be sure you are understanding you need all this food at one sitting. Balancing the blood sugar requires you to eat food. It requires you to eat food in the appropriate portions and combinations. I'm so happy that eating is a required part of healthy living!

Breakfast Chicken Salad

4 oz cooked chicken, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 apple, cored and diced

1/2 oz walnut pieces

2 TBS craisins

1 tsp mayo

Simply mix all the ingredients and chill overnight. You may want to mix the mayo in at the last moment before eating. I'm not a big mayo fan so I don't mind the salad being dry. Others are not as happy and would rather have the rich mayo taste. Adding it just before eating will give you more satisfaction if you are in the later category. 

Variations

Substitute or add 1/2 tsp honey or real maple syrup (if you do this omit the craisins because you will have too much sugar in your meal with both).

Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and/or a dash of nutmeg

Lightly salt before eating

Use 1 TBS Greek Yogurt instead of the mayo

Make it vegetarian and use tempeh or a soy analog meat instead of chicken

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that sentence in my life. I'm sure for each and every time I've skipped at least 3 mornings' breakfast. I used to pride myself on not eating until noon. Times change. Personal lessons are learned. Education expands the mind. Breakfast is never skipped now. Now I'm preaching "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". The best part of this is I believe it now.

When you wake your body needs food. You need protein and veggies to give your cells the building blocks to fuel a productive day. Protein at breakfast anchors your blood sugar through the day. Eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast is like eating a bowl of sugar. Even "whole grain sugar free" cereals turn straight to sugar in the body and let you down quickly in your morning routine. This is a pretty quick up/down roller coaster ride for your system. A body with balanced blood sugar is a "fat burning machine". I want my body to be a "fat burning muscle building machine". No, I'm not interested in building huge body builder muscles. That takes work, dedication, and massive amounts of food. I'm interested in a lean, fit, healthy body that is ready to play.

This morning I made myself a big breakfast. I had 3 eggs, 2 cups of kale, and one medium sweet potato. I peeled and diced the sweet potato before roasting it under the broiler in 2 tsp of olive oil. The greens and eggs I poached together. It is a quick and easy way to have fresh greens and protein at breakfast.

Poached Greens and Eggs

In a shallow pan or fry pan bring 3/4 of an inch of water to a near boil and add 2 cups (more or less) to the pan.

Then crack the eggs onto the greens. This is before you cook the greens.

The yokes float on the top and the whites go down into the greens a bit. That is fine. You then cover and steam with the water close to boiling (sometimes mine boils over when I'm not super careful) until the whites are cooked through and the yokes are just starting to set. This takes about 5-7 minutes.

Remove the greens and eggs with a slotted spoon. They can be a bit drippy. I'm not a fan of drippy. I'll wait extra to get the water out of the greens. As you can see from the top picture the greens are set into the eggs as they cook. I'll add salt and pepper before eating. You could add garlic before steaming if you like. You could also thinly slice onion and toss some in with the greens.

This is one of my favorite go to foods in the morning. I've covered 2 servings of greens and one sweet potato. I have anchored my blood sugar with the protein in the egg whites. My body will be super happy and energized!