Posts from — February 2010

We were bracing for another snowstorm here.  It was supposed to be a big, messy one, but so far it’s looking kinda wimpy.  Fine by me!

I was able to hit the gym for a workout before the daughters got dismissed from school early.  I set up to run on the treadmill.  I can’t believe it’s been almost 3 weeks since I’ve ran!  I ran on Tuesday at the gym and I was surprised that my endurance hadn’t really waned from ditching the running for 3 weeks. 

Today, I decided to do a little something different.  I’ve been reading up on the Galloway Method for running and I’m intrigued by it.  I like the injury-free part!  It’s a little hard to wrap my brain around because it involves alternating running with walking.  When I started running, I didn’t follow any particular program.  I know a lot of people used the C25K program, but it was too ADD for me.  Run, walk, run, walk.  Watching the time for small second intervals would make me crazy!  So, I just ran.  And I would try to go a little further every time until I got to 3.1 miles.

What interested me about the Galloway Method is that it is supposed to help with endurance levels and distance.  I feel like I have struggled with my endurance while I run.  I have tried eating different things, not eating, drinking and not drinking.  Nothing seemed to make much of a difference.  So, I figured what the hay?  I might as well give this whirl.  I had to change my mindset about it because at first, I felt like I was going backward in training by walking through a run.

I decided to do a 1:1 ratio for the run.  It’s easier for me to keep track of and I knew that I could manage running for longer periods of time than 30 0r 60 seconds.  I started off with a 5 minute warm-up walk, then proceeded to alternate running and walking for 3 minutes at a time.  Wow, I was impressed!  By the end of the run, I was upping my speed and going faster than I had ever run before on the treadmill without feeling winded.  And I was sweatier than when I normally run steadily.  It was a great workout!  I cut it off at 35 minutes and switched over to the Arc Trainer for 25 minutes of hill interval.  A glutton for punishment today!

I came home for a well- deserved breakfast of Chocolate Cranberry Chia Muffin Top …

and a cup of  Henry’s Blend…

Lunch was the last of the Vegetable Barley Stew… in a non-fancy container…

and a whole wheat Bagel Thin smeared with homemade hummus…

As a snack, I had some plain Oikos yogurt with crumbled Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies!

For dinner, I decided to torture everyone by making BBQ Adzuki Bean Burgers and carrot “fries”.  You should have seen the look on their faces.  It was as if I said we are having dog poop on a roll with a side of worms.  Ingrates

Here’s my recipe…if you like dog poop…

BBQ Adzuki Bean Burgers

• 1 3/4 cup cooked adzuki beans
• 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 handful fresh baby spinach
• 1/8 tsp. paprika
• 1/8 tsp. chili powder
• 1/8 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. barbeque sauce
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 3 tbsp. whole wheat flour

The Method:

Place 1 1/4 cup beans, carrot, garlic, green onion , spinach and spices in a food processor…

Pulse until ingredients are finely chopped…

Transfer to a bowl and add remaining beans, egg white and barbeque sauce…

Stir in flour and combine well…

Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, place 6 mounds of bean mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper…

Flatten each mound …

Bake for 10-12 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  Let cool for 2 minutes to allow the burgers to release from the paper.

Enjoy on an Arnold Sandwich Thin with 2% cheese…

Roll your eyes while your whole family complains and make faces :/

Serve with a side of equally disgusting carrot “fries” (carrots sliced, coated with olive oil and baked @ 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes)…

Nutritional facts per burger (calculated using www.calorieking.com):  116 calories, .2 grams fat, o mg cholesterol, 273 mg. sodium, 22 grams carbohydrates, 5.8 grams fiber and 5 grams protein. 
POINTS value: 2

I ended up eating half of little daughter’s, too.  I LOVE  dog poop on a roll ;P

Total – 22 POINTS

Have a great day, everyone!

A special shout-out to Tamara and Kelly for sending me the Sunshine Award!  Thank you so much!!!

What foods do you like that other people think are gross?

It’s officially been one week of Vegetarian for Lent and I’ve been successful so far!  I have to say it’s been fun and quite honestly, not much of a sacrifice.  Maybe I should have picked chocolate for that   But, it has taken extra thought and preparation, so that may count for something.  Overall, I am enjoying eating this way.  I like veggies, fruit, grains and beans.  I had a few days of turkey sandwich withdrawal and almost popped a piece of chicken cutlet in my mouth (helllllooo mindless eating), but otherwise stuck to the plan.  Only 39 more days!

I am also noticing what is filling and satisfying.  Beans are filling, beans and veggies are filling, Bob’s 5 grain hot cereal is filling, cereal and fruit is filling.  Barley is kinda filling.  Barley and veggies, still kinda filling.  Quinoa is super delicious, but not filling for me.  I had it for dinner one night with a salad and I made Breakfast Quinoa two days in a row and I was hungry after an hour with both.  Maybe, I’ll try quinoa, beans and veggies together and see how that works!

***

Wednesday was a catch-up day for me.  I decided to forgo the gym in favor of yogadownload.com and some cleaning of the house. 

I fit in breakfast between them – an Egg and Cheese McBagel Thin – heehee…

I tried my best to stay away from distractions (computer, phone, etc.) to get stuff done.  I motored through quite a few things and felt pretty good about that!

Time ticked away and lunch was calling.  The leftovers are dwindling!  Sorry to bore you with one more leftover shot… Black Bean Burritos (minus the extra cheese) and Black Bean Mango Salsa…

I was feeling extra hungry, so I had two for lunch.  They are on the smallish side;  I used the 6 inch La Tortilla Factory tortillas (50 calories per tortilla)…

Lunch was filling, however later in the afternoon I started looking.  You know, that “hmm, what’s in the cabinets…pantry…where are the chocolates hidden…why don’t we have any good junk…maybe I should go out and get some” looking.

I ended up with 2 handfuls of Reese’s Puffs Cereal (yeah, don’t ask)…

Thankfully, I forgot there was half a chocolate birthday cake left in the basement refrigerator.  Yes, I have two refrigerator/freezers.  It’s a requirement if you’re Italian 

Since little daughter had religion class, dinner was relaxed and easy.  I made Pasta and Peas for the family and something along the same lines for myself – Pasta with Chickpeas and Chard…

I sauteed swiss chard in 2 tsp. olive oil and garlic until wilted.  I added chickpeas and a splash of Cholula.  I served it over ditalini pasta with a sprinkle of pecorino romano cheese.  Yum!

It was a dessert-ish kinda day, so I had a homemade Gingersnap.  These are big daughter’s favorite and I made them as a special request for her birthday.  We still had a couple left…

Um, not any more

Total – 30 POINTS

Have a great day, everyone!
Can you believe it’s going to snow here AGAIN?!!! Aaaahhhhhh!  If you’re getting some too, check out my Examiner article for some safe shoveling tips!

Do you have a special food that you request or like to eat on your birthday?

Since going vegetarian for Lent, I have been sleeping like a log!  Basically, I can’t keep my eyes open passed 10 p.m. and I slip into this coma-like sleep state.  I have no idea why, but I like it!  Anyone ever hear of a vegetarian diet supporting good sleep?

I was looking forward to trying out another grainy breakfast.  I got the inspiration from my Twitter friend, @NotJustCelery.  She sent me the link to this Breakfast Quinoa.  It sounded so great, I whipped it up first thing.  The only change I made was to substitute unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze for the regular milk…

It was delicious!

Then, I was off to the gym.  Why are so many people still there?!  Everyone is doing a good job sticking with their New Year’s Resolutions

I cranked out 40 minutes on the Arc Trainer while chatting with my friend, Coleen.  She makes the torture less…well, torturous

I ran a couple of errands in my stinkiness, then headed home to finish up my Examiner article.  Before I knew it, hours had gone by and my stomach was screaming for some lunch!

And looky looky what I found…

Bagel Thins!!!  I saw these a couple weeks back on TJ’s blog and I have been stalking the stores ever since. 

I put it to work right away with a Cuban Black Bean Patty topped with cheese and a side of carrots and orange slices…

The Bagel Thin was bigger than an Arnold Sandwich Thin, soft and doughy.  It was a nice alternative!

I did some house stuff in the afternoon, then got to making dinner.  We have so many leftovers in the fridge right now!  I’m trying my best to use everything up and not let anything go to waste.  However, I like to eat different things all the time, so I need to change it up for myself or morph leftovers into something different.

For this dinner, I just tried to use up some of the veggies/herbs  in the fridge that were about to go south to make Black Bean Burritos with Black Bean and Mango Salsa.

The burritos were filled with black beans, onions, orange bell pepper, leftover bruschetta topping, cumin and lime.  To liven it up, I added a splash of new-to-me find.  Say hello to my little friend…

Cholula is fab!!

I used La Tortilla Factory tortillas to wrap the filling and topped them with Cabot’s 75% reduced fat cheddar…

The Black Bean and Mango Salsa was just as easy.  I combined black beans, chopped onion, 1 chopped mango,  chopped orange bell pepper, cilantro, lime, a dash of cumin, s +p and 1 tsp. olive oil…

A delicious and very filling dinner!

I ended the night with a teensy bit of this…

Total- 23 POINTS

Thanks for the birthday wishes for big daughter!

Have a great day, everyone!