It's Saturday, and after a week like this one, I needed the long run today! And for more than one reason.
1. Being snowed in for four days made me crave sunshine.
2. Being snowed in for four days with 2 children made me crave "me" time.
3. Being snowed in for four days made me bake and eat a lot more than norma.
4. Did I mention we were snowed in for four days?
So, here's my mileage totals in this 1100km in 2011 challenge:
Weekly: 18 miles
YTD: 73.3
The 8-miler was good...hard, but good. I had planned on hitting the treadmill with a movie, but the weather got up to almost 50 degrees with sunshine and little wind. The snow/ice was melting pretty good. I had to dodge a lot of slick spots and slush, jumping over puddles and up on to the curb quite a bit, so it was interesting. Still, I could not pass up the outdoors on a day like today. Made my heart smile.
Despite the crazy week, I made all my runs this week. Still need to fit in one core training session, but I can do that this evening.
So, how did you fare this week? Post your mileage here!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Hot Vanilla Drink
With this being Day 4 of being at home due to the snow and ice, I've been able to try new things (which also attests to how much time I've had to look at recipes online). It's finally not in the teens for temperatures, so the kids and I headed outside this morning for some snow fun, which gave us the perfect chance to try this: Hot Vanilla. It is so simple to make and delicious! If you don't want to click on the link for the Family Fun site, here's what you do:
Heat up 1 cup of milk and 2 tsp. sugar for each drink you want to make. Add about 1/2 tsp. vanilla per drink after it's warmed. That's the basics of the drink, but the best part is the topping. The recipe calls for making your own whipped cream, but I had Cool Whip on hand so I used that. Add about a tablespoon of chocolate syrup and a dash of cinnmon to the whipped topping before putting it on the hot vanilla. Drizzle a little more chocolate syrup and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. It's a really "pretty" drink (if there is such a thing) and it's warm and cozy.
Heat up 1 cup of milk and 2 tsp. sugar for each drink you want to make. Add about 1/2 tsp. vanilla per drink after it's warmed. That's the basics of the drink, but the best part is the topping. The recipe calls for making your own whipped cream, but I had Cool Whip on hand so I used that. Add about a tablespoon of chocolate syrup and a dash of cinnmon to the whipped topping before putting it on the hot vanilla. Drizzle a little more chocolate syrup and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. It's a really "pretty" drink (if there is such a thing) and it's warm and cozy.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Trying new things 3
Three days in a row...three new things. First, brussel sprouts. Second, edamame. And third? Polenta. I used the store-bought stuff because, well, because it was an impulse purchase. I had visions of crispy outside, creamy inside rounds of the stuff. It didn't work out quite like that, but I liked it.
I just cut the tube-shaped polenta into rounds. I attempted to "fry" it in a little oil/butter mix. That was a mess and it never crisped up like I thought it would. I drained the butter and oil for the second batch, and it turned out much better! It got a little browning action going. I did not like the flavor of it by itself though, but I topped it with chili from the crockpot (and a little cheese and sour cream). It was perfect! Nice and creamy under the spicy sauce. Good stuff!
I think next time I will make the polenta myself so I can add a little salt and parmesan though.
So, three new foods in three days. And I made pretzels for the first time too. These snow days aren't so bad after all :)
I just cut the tube-shaped polenta into rounds. I attempted to "fry" it in a little oil/butter mix. That was a mess and it never crisped up like I thought it would. I drained the butter and oil for the second batch, and it turned out much better! It got a little browning action going. I did not like the flavor of it by itself though, but I topped it with chili from the crockpot (and a little cheese and sour cream). It was perfect! Nice and creamy under the spicy sauce. Good stuff!
I think next time I will make the polenta myself so I can add a little salt and parmesan though.
So, three new foods in three days. And I made pretzels for the first time too. These snow days aren't so bad after all :)
Snow daze
I am so thankful for my treadmill!!! Granted, the garage is still really cold when it's 7 degrees outside, but at least it's not icy or windy. We are home for our second day of ice/snow with a third coming tomorrow...school's already been called off. If I hadn't been able to get my run in today, I'm not sure this mommy could have handled another day stuck inside. Luckily, I didn't have to find out.
I used the "new" SmartCoach plan from Runner's World for my speedwork today. It called for 2 one-mile repeats at 9:46...well, we all know that my math skills are lacking so I just put the treadmill at 7 mph and hoped it was close. I had a half-mile warmup, recovery and cooldown bookended by a quarter mile of walking for a total of 4 miles in 44 minutes.
The biggest fear today was whether or not we'd have a rolling blackout while I was running. We've only had one this morning (around 6:30) and it didn't last terribly long (under an hour). They warned us that we could be having them for a couple of days as they try to conserve power. I was terrified that the electricity would go out as I was running and I'd fly off the back of the treadmill. Ouch. That would have hurt.
The run itself felt great. I still have a couple of tender spots on between my shins and calves on the insides of my legs, but they aren't painful. I'll put on my compression sleeves after a while, and all will be right with the world. At least until the kids wake up from their naps. Then we'll have to find some more things to keep us busy as we're stuck inside for another day.
I used the "new" SmartCoach plan from Runner's World for my speedwork today. It called for 2 one-mile repeats at 9:46...well, we all know that my math skills are lacking so I just put the treadmill at 7 mph and hoped it was close. I had a half-mile warmup, recovery and cooldown bookended by a quarter mile of walking for a total of 4 miles in 44 minutes.
The biggest fear today was whether or not we'd have a rolling blackout while I was running. We've only had one this morning (around 6:30) and it didn't last terribly long (under an hour). They warned us that we could be having them for a couple of days as they try to conserve power. I was terrified that the electricity would go out as I was running and I'd fly off the back of the treadmill. Ouch. That would have hurt.
The run itself felt great. I still have a couple of tender spots on between my shins and calves on the insides of my legs, but they aren't painful. I'll put on my compression sleeves after a while, and all will be right with the world. At least until the kids wake up from their naps. Then we'll have to find some more things to keep us busy as we're stuck inside for another day.
Repurposed crayons
So, technically, they aren't "repurposed" since the purpose remains the same...they color. Still, they are a fun way to use up those bits and pieces of leftover crayons, and the kids can help for most of it. And don't start thinking I'm all creative and crafty. This idea came from my mom, who used to make these either with or for her preschool students (of which I was one).
Start with your broken, old crayons.
This is where the kids can help (and we've actually been working on this part on and off for some time). You need to peel the paper off of them and sort them into muffin tins. We used the disposable foil ones. I know you can use shaped molds as well. Check out Etsy for some really cute ones. We sorted ours by similar colors, but you can let the kids go crazy with them.
Then, put them on a larger cookie sheet for stability and put in the oven at 350 degrees. I started worrying that this was too hot and turned them down for a while, but then they weren't melting. They will be very runny, so be careful pulling them out of the oven. I didn't watch to see exactly how long they took, but I'd guess about 15 minutes or so.
Pop them out of the molds after they have cooled. This didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would.
The kids are looking forward to coloring with them this afternoon. The cool thing about these is that they color with a swirled effect. These are really great for toddlers who can't hold the skinny crayons yet, but they're fun for all ages.
Start with your broken, old crayons.
This is where the kids can help (and we've actually been working on this part on and off for some time). You need to peel the paper off of them and sort them into muffin tins. We used the disposable foil ones. I know you can use shaped molds as well. Check out Etsy for some really cute ones. We sorted ours by similar colors, but you can let the kids go crazy with them.
Then, put them on a larger cookie sheet for stability and put in the oven at 350 degrees. I started worrying that this was too hot and turned them down for a while, but then they weren't melting. They will be very runny, so be careful pulling them out of the oven. I didn't watch to see exactly how long they took, but I'd guess about 15 minutes or so.
Pop them out of the molds after they have cooled. This didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would.
We have two sets of them...Ryan's and Sarah Beth's.
The kids are looking forward to coloring with them this afternoon. The cool thing about these is that they color with a swirled effect. These are really great for toddlers who can't hold the skinny crayons yet, but they're fun for all ages.
Trapped in the house = cooking
Yesterday, I attempted to make homemade pretzels. Ok, attempted isn't the right word because they were delicious! I used this recipe: Butter Soft Pretzels. I followed it pretty closely, but I did take the advice of one reviewer and started with 4 cups of flour with the intention of adding more if needed. However, it didn't need more. My dough didn't want to rise, but it worked anyway. I was really impressed with the dough...very smooth and stretchy. I was also impressed with the baking soda/water dunk before baking. It really did make a crispy crunch on the outside. I doused mine in melted butter as they came out of oven and sprinkled them with a cinnamon/sugar mix. I did one with salt, but with this dough, I'd stick with the sweet. They were really, really good...as in, I think I ate 3 or 4 of the dozen I made.
See, don't they look tasty?
I'm sure we'll tackle another recipe right now, but first, we're going to do some crafting. I'm getting all the crafty stuff out and letting the kids play away. We'll see what they come up with :)
See, don't they look tasty?
I'm sure we'll tackle another recipe right now, but first, we're going to do some crafting. I'm getting all the crafty stuff out and letting the kids play away. We'll see what they come up with :)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Trying new things 2
Yesterday it was brussel sprouts...today, it's endamame. I'm hooked! I keep meaning to try it, and in fact, have 3 bags of it the freezer because, apparently, I remember that I want to try it every time I go to the store only to forget about it once I get home. I just boiled it in some salted water and tossed it with some kosher salt after I draiend it. It is so yummy! I've already bagged it up for snacks later in the week. Or day. It's a "snow day" so snacking is invetable. At least this one's healthy.
So, I'm thinking I'll try the polenta tomorrow. After I get to the store again, I'm going to try beets. I am not sure if I've ever eaten them, to be honest. I saw a beet slider on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives last night, and I read an article about them somewhere. Once again, I no idea what magazine or web site I'm thinking of...and honestly, I'm not even sure what the article said.
So, I'm thinking I'll try the polenta tomorrow. After I get to the store again, I'm going to try beets. I am not sure if I've ever eaten them, to be honest. I saw a beet slider on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives last night, and I read an article about them somewhere. Once again, I no idea what magazine or web site I'm thinking of...and honestly, I'm not even sure what the article said.
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