Breakfast, Lunch, Where is dinner?

It is pretty safe to say my Friday this week was tinged with some Monday highlights. WOW! I thought I'd get in some simple tasks, a few big meals, and some nice craftitng. What I ended up with was plenty of simple tasks, a few larger tasks, and some unexpected add on bonus events. Meals were small and I missed one somehow. Crafting? There was some of that cardio-knitting stuff and some evening catch up knitting on a pair of socks. The cardio-knitting progress was small. Not enough to see a big difference. Just a few rounds walking back and forth to the gym. The second sock however is quite obvious. I was 2 inches from the heel turn yesterday morning. I finished up the gusset, turned the heel and made it through an inch of the leg.

Breakfast was fast. I had errands to run before heading out to the gym. Grilled pattypan squash and chicken sausage. 

Morning snack was 1/8 of a fresh cantaloupe and 1/2 ounce of cheese. Lunch was late. Remember I had a few added tasks. I sauteed pattypan squash, roasted a chicken breast and had arugula salad with it. I decided to have some gluten free blue cheese dressing with it because the meal was lacking in healthy fats. 

And this is where the day fell apart. I needed to move forward and plan dinner. I needed to get on with meal prep instead of get caught up in miscellaneous stuff that didn't progress my day. There was an apple and a few nuts. Then at 9:30 I realized I was hungry. Not the kind of hungry that is really thirsty. No I realized I forgot about dinner. YIKES!! I really wanted a salad and a bit of protein. Yes. I am one of the weird people in the world that craves salad and can be happy with one for breakfast or for a late night snack. I didn't have salad. There is another story explaining why I had not purchased groceries. I'll save that one for tomorrow. What did I do? I had purchased shrimp from the coast. I steamed it up with Old Bay seasoning. We ate peel and eat shrimp at 10 pm. It tasted wonderful. It was lacking the cold beer that came with late night peel and eat shrimp in my early 30s. 

The moral here? Plan meals and eat meals. Be flexible in your day so you have food available when last minute or forgotten appointments change your meal plan. 

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.

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. 

  

It BEGINS

Every journey begins somewhere. We all have to know where we are at this moment to begin the journey. I know my beginnings. I'm pretty healthy. I'm fairly fit. I'm happy in my life. Really if you look at my life you would ask why I want to make changes. I would ask why would I want to settle for now? Why not go for the next step into WOW?

That is what the next 60 days are all about for me. The next step into WOW! I'll be posting about that journey. My goal is to post photos of my meals with some recipes. I'll post some workout comments and perhaps a workout plan or two along the way. Of course there will be plenty of crafting. Knitting and spinning are part of my life. Life is what it is all about!

Yesterday I started on the TLS Weight Loss System Detox. This is an eating detox. Plenty of veggies and some fruits. I was not perfect in my quantities. If I one of my coaching clients had eaten so little food I would have had a good talking with them. Instead I moved forward and am eating more food today. What did I eat yesterday?

Breakfast was baby kale and fresh green bean salad, one small gala apple, and a handful of baby carrots.

A breakfast like this doesn't last long! I was ready for a snack pretty quickly. On detox we are not using any oil. I use parchment paper to keep things from sticking to the pan. This is the beginnings of Crispy Kale. Not Kale Chips but a crunchy soft kale that is baked. I rubbed a small amount of tamari onto the kale and baked at 450 for 7 minutes. The result? Crunchy tops and soft centers. 

Then there was a late lunch. Why LATE?? Well...I got busy with stuff. Detox tip? Don't get busy with stuff. You will likely miss a meal or two. I baked zucchini slices with herbs and had a side of Jicama Salad. 

And how do you make that jicama salad?? I can be a bit of a "this is how much I have on hand" kind of cook. My quantities vary from one occasion to the next. Sometimes I vary my ingredients. With this salad I stick with the ingredients but vary the quantities.

One green apple cored and chopped (about a cup maybe more it was a big apple this time)

2-3 cups of chopped jicama (this was a really really big jicama I only used half of it)

1/3 cup of chopped cilantro

one tablespoon (more or less as desired)minced jalapeno

one lemon juiced

Toss it all together and let the flavors blend. 

And then I was off to work. My clients had excellent leg workouts. I had an apple as a snack. I remembered exactly why I tell my weight loss clients not to eat fruit all by itself when on detox. Yeah. I was hyper and my belly hurt from all the sugar. I made it through though. After clients we hosted a business presentation. I ended up leaving the gym at 9:30! Then remembered that I ate almost all the fresh veggies. I learned exactly why not to go to try the grocery store checkout at 10 pm day one of detox. For some weird reason at 10 pm all the checkout lanes are closed and have to do a restart. As an added bonus last night they dropped one of the register drawers on the floor. That was a bit more than my over hungry self could handle. 

My last meal of the day was a beautiful yellow tomato on a huge bed of arugula. Remember that I started this by saying I ate less than I normally do on a detox day. I promise today has been better but you will have to wait until tomorrow to see. 

Exercise? Why YES! I did 50ish minutes on the spin bike. It was a cardio-knitting activity. I did get very sweaty but I promise I did not push too hard for a person on detox. I just don't have AC in my house and for some reason we are already in full summer hot and humid mode!

I started the second sock and had a chance to catch up with friends on their podcast! All in all I would say Day One of Detox was a success!

Endurance Training

If anyone had ever told me that I would choose to train for endurance athletic events in my mid-40's I would have told them they were out of their mind. There is now way I would ever have predicted that I would be running let alone running distances. To run long distances or for hours at a time, you need to train. The body needs to build up to long unending cardio sessions. Today when I was cardio-knitting I was pondering the depths of endurance training as it relates to running half marathon races and as it relates to sweater knitting.

My goal of running 4 half marathon races during 2012 had me logging in quite a few miles. I ran three and four days every week. Yes, there were a couple of weeks since January 2012 that I did not run. The only reason I didn't run those weeks was because I was sick. I feel fortunate that those weeks were few this year. Now that the final half marathon race is only 5 days away I have my training eyes on a new goal. My first marathon race in March. To prepare for that longer endurance I'm increasing my running and my cross training. The goal is to have the body accustomed to exercising for hours. Not hours and hours and hours, just 4 hours.

As I posted last week I've begun cardio-knitting for and one-two hours on my non-running days. This past weekend I had the fabulous opportunity to experience the benefits of that cross training before my big race. I ran a 12K yesterday. I ran it as a coach with a client who had never run more than 5 miles. Instead of running at my normal pace or pushing myself to run a personal record, I ran at her pace. That slower pace was what could be called an "easy run," if you can imagine running 7.5 miles as an easy run. I was so proud of her for running 99% of the race! What did I gain? A huge wealth of knowledge! I learned that cross training has extended my cardiovascular capabilities without me needing to run more miles. I learned that with my current level of running fitness I could easily have run another 6-7 miles. I learned that I'm quite prepared to run my next race exactly the way I want to, as though it were "just another long run."

How does endurance training relate to knitting sweaters? As you can imagine knitting a sweater requires a good deal of time commitment. Before you embark on the adventure of knitting said sweater you need to assemble all the materials, tools, and pattern. Reading the pattern from start to finish is always recommended. A knitting pattern is just like any other set of instructions, it tells you where to begin, where to end, and what to do along the way. One item that all knitting patterns list is gauge. Gauge is the number of stitches and rows knit per square inch. Master knitters, and knitters who want their item to actually fit, will knit a gauge swatch. This swatch is much like a practice run. You knit a piece of fabric that is four inches square. Just a mini practice sample of the garment itself.

I usually knit lots of socks and shawls. Gauge is not very important with shawls. It is not important for a rectangular or triangular piece of knitting intended to drape over the shoulders without a particular fit to be the exact same size as the pattern directions. With my sock knitting I'm not terribly concerned with my gauge either. I knit so many socks I'm familiar enough with my gauge that I can pick up my needles and yarn, match choose a pattern and go. Sweaters though are a completely different story. I need to swatch. I need to swatch using two or three different size needles to get the right number of stitches.

I've been wanting to knit the Gathered Pullover for 5 years. Yes, some patterns hang around and wait for me while others grab me by the throat and demand to be knit immediately. This sweater has been patient. It has even waited while I have the yarn in the house to knit it up with. I decided this would be a fun sweater to take to the beach this weekend. I'm hoping for some beautiful weather to sit outside and knit in. I'm OK with sitting outside in a sweater or sweatshirt while I knit. I just want to be able to knit on the beach. My yarn is a lovely hand dyed yarn. I have four skeins and each is slightly different than the other. I needed to swatch all four skeins of yarn to find the perfect blend of colors in order to come up with a pleasing sweater. My swatches are my practice runs that gear me up for the endurance event of knitting a full sweater.

I'm finding my endurance training is taking a toll on my cooking. I don't have as much time for cooking nor do I have the same interest in creating new foods in the kitchen. What I have been doing is going for basic protein and veggies. I purchased a large bag of broccoli florets, a pound box of baby spinach, one of baby kale, and one of spring mix. I picked up easy protein too, ground turkey, rotisserie chicken, and chicken thighs. My meals have been an odd mix of these. Example?? Sure!

Odd Spinach Salad

2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped peppers
garlic powder and pepper to taste
1 serving guacamole

Saute the ground turkey and the chopped peppers with garlic powder and pepper. Layer the spinach, ground turkey, and the guacamole on one plate.

Internet and Storms

As everyone knows, the East Coast of the United States suffered a terrible storm this week. Western North Carolina was not spared the high winds, and we also experienced a mix of snow, sleet, and rain instead of the heavy rains that the coastline experienced. While I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and the tremendous damage to property, I am also grateful that the storm spared my town the heavy snow and ice that was predicted. Based on past experiences, I was prepared to loose power and not be able to drive for days due to icy roads.

What did happen? Not much except my internet at home is glitching off and on. It works for a minute and then it stops. Ironically, there were AT&T technicians on my street Monday and Tuesday. Both days when they were there the internet service was fine. I thought they had fixed some issue in the lines on the street. No such luck. I have thought though it might be fun to call and ask AT&T if they would please send out a repair truck and just leave it parked in front of my house. That would be a much better solution than me spending 45 minutes on the phone with a repair-techy person.

So how did I keep myself busy for 2 days while I was offline and not writing? I finished that $5 in Paris sweater. I ripped back the collar. That silly task took me over an hour. Who knew it would be so hard to unknit a sweater collar? I'm pleased with the results! The body of the sweater is a beautiful collage of color and the ribbed bands hold it all together.

I did an hour of cardio indoors at the gym and saw clients afterward. I attempted an hour on the treadmill. Oh did I ever try! I made it 35 minutes before I finally caved in to the soreness in my joints and the boredom! Then I switched to our Elliptical Edge by StarTrac (he he). I did that for another 25 minutes of burning quads. I think I might be spoiled with outdoor running. I'm not sure how to handle that. We are rapidly approaching winter and after the OBX half marathon race in 10 days I'll be training for my first marathon, the premier Asheville Marathon on the Builtmore Estate here in Asheville, North Carolina. This winter, I might be forced to run 2 or 3 hours on the treadmill. Looks like I'll need to search out some inspirational running music for those long treadmill runs.

Finally, I went grocery shopping. I learned that if the weather is already bad and you go to the grocery store it is empty of people! I went to the busiest health food store in town just before 5 pm and there were plenty of parking spaces and very few other last minute dinner shoppers in the store. I wish I'd bought more food when I was there. Somehow I only bought for one day. Silly. I bought enough fresh chicken to enjoy a tasty high protein entree Spicy Baked Chicken Thighs. (Thighs have a higher concentration of the amino-acid L-cartintine in particular ~ essential for metabolizing fat and other fun things! They are a little more fatty, so enjoy them about once a week.)

Spicy Baked Chicken Thighs

1 pound boneless chicken thighs
1/2 onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
2 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Put all in a 9x9 baking pan and toss together, coating the chicken. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Serve on a large green salad for a healthy lunch or with two hot veggie sides for dinner.

Accepting the Cold

I've been in denial. You know the drill, ignoring the cold hard facts put right in your face and looking the other way. What am I trying so hard not to face? The change of season. Oh, I've been enjoying the leaf color changes and crisp morning air made for perfect runs. What I've been ignoring is the harsh cold, brisk wind, and inevitable snow that will follow the more pleasant aspects of fall. Today that all changed. What finally opened my eyes is an approaching winter storm. Such a rude awakening before we have even left October! There is a chance of snow and ice or it could just be wind and very cold rain. Wind is a definite  We already have 15-20 mile per hour winds. That makes for a chilly night.

Cold nights make me want warm drinks. In years past I would have a sweetened hot drink. Perhaps a hot cocoa or hot spiced apple cider, I might even go so far as to have a special decaf coffee drink to warm myself up. Now I stick to the sugar free non-dairy indulgences. Tonight I'm making hot cocoa with almond milk, cocoa powder, and stevia for sweetener.

Almond Milk Hot Cocoa

16 ounces almond milk
3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
stevia to taste

Heat the almond milk in a sauce pan. Stirring with a wire whisk add the cocoa powder when the milk has reached room temperature. Continue stirring and heating until the cocoa is mixed in and the milk has reached your desired drinking temperature. At this point you can add stevia to suit your sweet tooth desire.

Saturday = FUN!

I went to SAFF today! What is SAFF? Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair. Amazing fun, beautiful colors, incredible textures, soft wool, curly mohair, yarn, roving, fleeces, dyes, knitting needles, spindles, wheels, carders, you name it if it has to do with the preparation of fiber or use of fiber it was all there! Even the animals were there. Adorable alpacas, cute little Shetland sheep, curly angora goats, and this crazy fun ram! I think he was there last year, or perhaps it was his brother I'm not quite sure. I was so tempted to buy an animal today. If I didn't live in the city limits I would have for sure. I guess I'm lucky I haven't moved out into the country yet!

So what did I buy? Well I kept it minimal this year. I already have bins of yarn to knit, and boxes of roving and fleeces to spin. I only added one skein of sock yarn. I'll be knitting that up come November 1. The yarn is hand painted. It looks like tie dye when it is knit up into socks. I'm thrilled! After yesterday's adventure into the world of dyeing and my stroll down memory lane with tie dye I couldn't resist! I also picked up some Suri Alpaca locks and Angelina to add to an art batt I'm thinking of carding this week. (That is a whole new adventure. The Drum Carder Adventure shall commence in November as well.) Finally I purchased a small amount of silk hankies for spinning. I've seen them around and have been interested in spinning them. These are white. Tomorrow, if I have any energy after my long Sunday run, I'm going to play with my food coloring dyes again. I though it would be fun to drip dye these hankies and then spin them up. I must say the Muse was quite content to go to SAFF this weekend!

After my busy morning filled with fiber adventures I went off to the health food store for food inspiration. I was convinced the Muse would be equally as vocal given the opportunity to pick and choose from organic healthy foods as she was to pick and choose from all the wonders at SAFF. She didn't disappoint! I walked around gathering some staples, cold pressed olive oil, GF sriracha sauce, canned beans, canned diced fire roasted tomatoes, and fresh greens for salad. I don't usually use hot sauce on my foods but the others that live in my house love it so I felt it was important to purchase a fresh bottle so we don't run out.

When I returned home, I wanted to make a simple one pot meal so I could spend my afternoon spinning. After looking at all those beautiful hand spun yarns and new wheels I couldn't neglect my wheel and current spinning project! I finished my yarn and made a simple three bean chili.

Simple Three Bean Chili

3 cans (15-16 oz) beans of choice, rinsed and drained
1 can (28 oz) fire roasted tomatoes
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS chili powder

In a large pot saute the onion and peppers in the olive oil, just before the onion is clear add the garlic and continue to saute until the onion is clear. Add all the other ingredients and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes. Serve with sliced scallions on top and a green salad on the side.

Dyeing for Color

I've been thinking about color lately. Lots of color. The leaves are in full fall color. When I'm running through the forest I can see the entire rainbow in the fall foliage. I love looking for the rainbows in nature! Sunsets have every color of the rainbow in them. When I lived in Puerto Rico I thought it was only the ocean sunset that was so ablaze with rich color. Now that I'm in the mountains and watching the big flaming ball sink below the mountain tops in fiery displays of majestic glory I know there are beautiful sunsets around the world. We now have trees full of red, yellow, and orange reflecting the glorious sunsets.

Years ago I was an avid quilt artist. I designed and sold art quilts. My favorite fabrics to use were the ones I dyed myself. I would dye unbleached and bleached cottons in varying lengths using cold water fiber reactive dyes. One of my favorite ways to do this was a graduated rainbow in 24 mason jars. I ended up with yards of deep rich color in varying intensities. It was perfect for my particular style of quilting. I took peoples memories, dreams, and experiences and portrayed them in fiber. Some were pictures, some were geometric interpretations of one aspect of the memory. 

This week I've been thinking about yarn dyeing and how I could apply my experiences dyeing cotton fabrics and tie-dye t-shirts to wool dyeing. I've come up with a few ideas I want to play with. The first is mason jar dyeing and a graduated rainbow using 20-30 yard lengths of cream sock weight yarn. I measured off the yarn using my niddy noddy.

Then I soaked it in warm water while preparing the jars for dyeing.

The dye I used is food coloring. I know I could use powdered acid dye and have some very rich color combinations. I was after a simple rainbow and wanted to keep my supplies food safe. I used 6 jars and spread out my food dye in a manner that blended color from one jar to the next. Each jar had vinegar and food coloring in it before I added the boiling water to it. After I added the water I put yarn into each jar and waited for the color to be absorbed into the yarn. I had to repeat this process to dye 12 colors.

It only took minutes and then I was able to rinse each yarn under hot water. About the same temperature as the yarn was. I usually try to keep my temperature very close so I don't end up felting the wool. This wool is a superwash wool so there is no danger of it felting. That makes the process much easier. 

What I ended up with was about 400 yards of yarn in varying degrees of a rainbow. I'm planning to knit this up into a wide scarf, it will be so wide you might even call it a shawl. The colors are bright and happy. I'll wear it this winter to bring a fresh splash of color into my dark winter world.

With all this talk of color what am I fixing up for my dinner meal? Color of course! Butternut squash, red potatoes, red kale, and some purple eggplant. Not a super fancy meal. Just a meal filled with beautiful food, rich colors, both soluble and insoluble fiber, and flavor!

Convenience Foods?

Let's face it there are days, even weeks, that are so busy you don't have time to cook everything from scratch. What are you going to do? How are you going to continue to eat whole foods and have food quickly?

One of my go-to quick meals is rotisserie chicken. I love that it is already cooked and a whole food. I'm fortunate enough to have two major health food stores in easy driving distance. Both of these stores sell rotisserie chicken. Both of them use free range, hormone free chicken. I can feel good about purchasing this. I am also thrilled they are about the same price, and often less than, purchasing a raw chicken that I must cook up. Many of the local grocery stores have them too.

What can you do with one of these chickens? There is the obvious. Cut it up and eat it with veggies. What if you don't want to cook veggies? Salad bar! Fresh veggies only though; don't go for any of the prepared salads whose ingredients may be questionable. Those salads will add hidden sugars and fats you likely don't want. Stick with the fresh raw veggies and a small amount of dressing on the side. I've been known to purchase frozen veggies to go with the chicken. They heat up fast. They are not fresh but they are better than nothing on a day when you are really not interested in the kitchen.

For a two-adult household  a whole chicken provides at least three meals. The breasts are one meal, and then the leg/thigh portions another. Then pull the remaining meat off the bones and make a chicken salad. It might only be enough for one depending on the size of the appetite. I see the chicken salad as a "bonus meal". Now, don't throw the bones away. Freeze them in a zipper plastic bag! When I have collected 2 or 3 of these I'll make a rich flavorful broth.The way I prepare this delicious chicken broth pulls the nutrients out of the chicken bones and puts them into the broth, and it makes my home smell like love is cookin' in the kitchen. My "Bone Soup" is a healthy tonic, and I can use it for a variety of recipes. Sometimes I have a cup of this basic stock to warm my belly; sometimes I just freeze it into small containers for future use. Other times I use it as the base for a hearty veggie soup. I love knowing I'm adding in extra nutrition, and I also love that I'm able to be so thrifty with all these meals from one affordable purchase!

Bone Soup 

bones left from 2-3 chickens
1 bunch parsley
1 onion coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed

Put all ingredients in a large soup stock pot and cover with water. Simmer for 10-12 hours. As the bones soften, they release their calcium. Strain the broth (keeping any bits of meat is optional, after 10 to 12 hours the small amount of meat is flavorless). Use this rich broth as you would any other stock.

Reviewing the past

We went for a hike today. It was a simple hike. Not too far. It was one of the first hikes we took the kids on when we moved to Asheville. WOW! That was so long ago. We would pack up and go to Craggy Gardens to get away from the heat in the city and cool off for a summer afternoon. We took them up there to see the Fall leaves for their first experience of the Fall season after living in the tropics for their entire lives.

Today when we hiked to the pinnacle and looked at the 360 degree view it was like I was there with my young teen boys 12 years ago. I loved being up there sharing a wonderful day with my nephew and his girlfriend who are visiting from Virginia Beach. The leaves were just past peak. Last weekend we were close to peak, this weekend we were just past. The mountains never stop giving me breath taking moments and unforgettable memories.

Tonight we are reviewing yet another of our past favorites...peanut butter sauce. We used to use this peanut butter sauce for dinner every other week. It is from the Moosewood Cookbook but slightly altered. I go for a bit more vinegar and cilantro. I also use more water so it is more of a fluid sauce.

Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup fresh ground peanut butter
3/4-1 cup boiling water
2 TBS soy sauce OR 1 TBS wheat free tamari
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
cayenne, to taste

Put all ingredients except the water into a small bowl. Gently stir the water in to make a smooth sauce. Serve over stir fried veggies, roasted veggies, or a nice fresh salad. I have used this sauce with a rice noodle stir fry and been more than satisfied. I think I could eat this sauce by the spoonful and be happy!

Progress

Progress can be measured in large chunks or small bits. Sometimes our biggest goals, those ones we would like to take chunks out of, come to us in small bits. When those successes seem to slow and come at a snail's pace it is important to take a moment and look at the bigger picture. How long have you been working toward the goal? No really. How long?

I know I've set some goals recently that are inching their way along. If I take an honest look at them and assess where they originated I've been working on them for years not months. In my early to mid 30's I was what I consider my ideal weight but not my ideal body fat percentage. As a fitness professional I am quite aware of the difference here and how it plays out on a person's (me in this case) health. Unfortunately for me my health took an interesting turn in my early 40's. I broke my leg in 3 places and required 8 screws and a plate to repair it. When I was finally able to walk easily again, I found myself with an even higher body fat percentage and a scale weight that made me sad.

It has taken me diligent work but my fitness has improved and my numbers are turning around. One factor has been my dedication to my TLS low glycemic impact eating. Once I saw how easy it is to put on lean muscle and take off unwanted fat by eating healthy whole foods I chose to be a coach. Now my eating plan fuels my goals.

Another factor is my dedication to exercise. Running has completely changed my life. Today's run was 5.5 miles. I ran on flat ground. I stopped when I felt pain and ran when the pain eased off. I knew my body could sustain the run. I knew my muscles could continue. I knew my lungs and heart were strong enough to take the extended cardiovascular exercise. I was happy about that.

When I take a look back at where I was 4 years ago I am amazed. I am awed at where I was and where I am now. I could never have run 5.5 miles 4 years ago. I doubt I could have run 1 mile. I had to learn I wanted to run. I had to find that bottom place, even as a trainer, to get to the place where I wanted to excel. Once I reached that place I had to start the training. Most people don't wake up runners. Most people have to start walking. Then they have to progress to walking with a few jogging or running bursts in there. Eventually they switch out to running. Few people enjoy running more than 3-5 miles. Some people enjoy endurance running. I never thought I was one of those people.

Six weeks ago I wanted to make my 5 mile easy run be an 8 mile run. I wanted to have that easy recovery at the longer distance. Yesterday's run was not 8 miles but it was darn close. This morning I woke without any soreness in my body. I feel I've achieved that goal. That is one step on the road to my grander goal. My goal of running a full marathon in less than 5 hours in March. My scale weight is approaching my desires as is my body fat percentage. It seems the running and the fat burning goals are inching their way to achievement at about the same rate as my running goals.

I have a simple exercise for anyone who is struggling with their grand goals right now. Look at that goal. Look at all the steps to achieving that goal. Look at where you had to come from to even state you wanted to reach that goal. Take pride in yourself. Take pride in the path you have been on. Take great pride in what it took to get to where you are today. Think about what your next step is. Are you working on burning fat but not getting the results you desire? Get yourself doing another 30 minutes of cardio. Are you doing plenty of cardio but not eating enough or the right foods? Set a meal plan and follow it to the letter. If you are having issues remembering to eat on time set a timer and eat when the timer goes off. Getting the right foods into the body does not happen by accident. You have to plan it. Getting your cardio done requires planning. Getting your strength training done requires planning. You are just as important as all the people and events that are filling your days. Take the time to put yourself first. I can guarantee you will have more energy and be more productive in the time you offer to others.

How about ranch today?? How about we go for a comfort food? Wouldn't it be nice to have a ranch dressing that you could use without feeling guilty?

Ranch Style Dressing

1/2 cup kefir OR 4 TBS Greek  yogurt mixed with milk to make 1/2 cup
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and allow flavors to meld. Use sparingly on salad. I have used this dressing as a dip for roasted chicken. Yup. I'm just that weird. It does taste yummy though!

Spice

Spice is important in life. In my creative life I add spice by knitting lace. It is soothing like adding cinnamon to chocolate. It is invigorating like adding crushed red pepper to meats. It brings me joy like adding fresh herbs to salad.

Over the weekend I knit on my lace sweater. I spent 2 hours on the spin bike knitting. I am fortunate enough to have a spin bike in my living room. I was able to spend my Sunday morning knitting, biking, and listening to a book. I have added some more length to the sweater since that biking session. This afternoon I had a fun photo opportunity. The sun was coming through the big windows at the gym and casting a shadow of the bike on the floor. I couldn't resist. When I'm biking I put each ball of yarn in a separate knitting bag and hang them on the handle bars of the bike. It is very much like the way they are laid out in the shadow. This lace sweater is spicy in that crushed red pepper kind of way. It adds zing to my day. It takes me a while to digest and leaves me feeling happy and warm!

My knitting spice today was knitting on my lace shawl. The pattern is Shipwreck. I'm just starting on the final patterned round before the massive net begins. It is wonderful. It is soft. It is comforting and reassuring. It is spicy in a cinnamon kind of way. It has me captivated. The yarn is like butter in my hands. I love working on it!

For today's meal I added spice. I bought a turkey breast portion to cook in the crock pot. I love the crock pot for cook while I'm at work meals. Cooking turkey breast this way makes the meat juicy and tender.

Pulled Turkey

1 split turkey breast
1 TBS spicy barbecue seasoning mix
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup water

Put the turkey into the crock pot. Cover with the seasoning mix and the garlic powder. Add water to the pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 and a half hours or until the meat is tender and coming off the bone easily. I would have it on the plate with salad and steamed greens for a well rounded meal.

Endurance

Today was a cardio-knitting day. Instead of the planned 10-12 mile run I had planned I spent 2 hours on the bike with my sweater. I listened to a book and knit. I peddled and I knit. I wasn't speed knitting. I wasn't speed peddling. I was out for the endurance of the activity. My intention was cardio for an extended period of time. I feel pretty successful. I reached my goal for endurance cardio. I added close to 1.5 inches on my sweater.

On Sunday, in many American homes, football is the center of attention. The common foods being consumed are not low glycemic nor are they healthy for the body. Most of them are full of empty calories and unhealthy fats. A common sports watching snack is hot wings. I thought I'd share a way to have the hot wings taste and keep the meal on the low glycemic impact plan.

Healthier Hot "Wings"

1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 package spring mix salad greens
2 TBS blue cheese crumbles
2 TBS sugar free hot wing sauce

Broil the chicken 5-10 minutes on each side or until cooked through. In a bowl toss the chicken with the wing sauce. Divide the spring mix onto 3 separate plates and top with the chicken. Garnish with blue cheese crumbles.

Feeding the Soul

There are days that are meant for feeding the soul. Today was one of those days. I went out for a 5.7 mile hike with 3 other women today. What a moving experience it was! We started mid-morning when the chill had not yet left the forest. The first 1/2 mile was straight up hill and before we reached the top, well the place where it leveled off into a more gentle switchback climb, I had shed one of my layers. We walked through shade and sun. We felt pockets of heat coming up from the valley below and chilly winds that whipped over the mountain top. It was 4 hours of change. It was 4 hours of physical challenge. It was 4 hours of wonder and joy.

Hiking in these mountains is always amazing. The ecosystems change as you ascend. At one point I looked out over a cove of trees with moss covered boulders at their bases. On the next turn there were lush ferns covering the ground. Much of the hike was technical and strenuous. Technical in that we had rocks in the path and roots to avoid tripping on. Strenuous in that we were climbing up about 80% of the time. It was so worth the climb. We reached a few pinnacles where the view was unobstructed. On this clear day I felt like I was seeing the end of the Blue Ridge Mountains off in the distance.

As we hiked we talked. We enjoyed each other's company. The dogs that accompanied us ran and played. At the 3/4 mark as if there was some unspoken agreement we walked in silence. It was peaceful. We were on a ridge with views and drop offs to either side of the single track path. My thoughts fell into place. My heart filled with joy and love. My creative spirit yearned to express itself. My soul filled and was fed by the beauty of the undisturbed wilderness around us. It was a glorious day in the woods!

As we say goodbye to the deep greens of summer I thought I'd honor that change with a French Lentil Salad. Each of the greens in this salad have a distinctly different flavor. I hope you enjoy it!

French Lentil Salad

1 pound dry lentils, cooked and drained
1/2 cup finely sliced scallions
1/2-1 cup chopped Italian parsley
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup olive oil

Boil the lentils over medium to low heat for 30-45 minutes or until soft. Drain and rinse them. While the lentils are cooking chop the other ingredients and combine in a bowl. Add the lentils and mix through. This can be eaten right away or served once the flavors have had time to mingle deeply.