Basil Vodka

I'm 23

2011-08-24T19:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my golden birthday. I turned 23 on August 23rd. I don't know why I think 23 is so much different than 22, but it just sounds old. I used to get away with doing ridiculous things with the excuse of, "What? She's 22..." I feel like that doesn't work as well when you're 23.

What does work very well is having some very fantastic friends who took me on a birthday surprise. I usually don't love making decisions, so they told me they would plan the entire evening and all I had to do was get dressed. Easy enough. First they brought me to Wakame, this cute little sushi place that I've always wanted to go to but never had the occasion to. I had this amazing seaweed salad with some pumpkin rolls (true story, it was pumpkin) and some veggie rolls.

Seaweed Salad & Wine.

Sushi Spread.

Veggie Rolls.

After dinner my friends blindfolded me (true story) to take me to the super secret birthday location number two. I had no idea where they were taking me, and they even made me walk to the building while still wearing the blindfold! Imagine my surprise when we showed up at Lyndale Taphouse, otherwise known as Tuesday Night Bingo.

And play bingo we did.

Failing at Bingo.

The way Taphouse Bingo works is that if someone at your table gets a bingo, your entire table gets a free round of shots. While I didn't get a Bingo, my friend did. Taphouse rules: we're all winners.

Yeah, I took all of those.

It was such a fun birthday, and even better that we went out celebrating on a Tuesday night. Thanks again to my homegirls for taking me out--I love you!

Questions

When was your golden birthday? Do you remember it?
What's your favorite kind of sushi?
Have you ever played bingo at a bar?

Farmers Market Squash and Almond Pesto

2011-08-21T11:56:00.000-05:00

I have a confession. I've been in my new apartment for almost three months now and haven't scouted out the local farmers markets. Until yesterday, that is. I finally made my way out to the Mill City Farmers Market, which is one of the most talked about farmers markets in my neck of the woods. It's not hard to see why. It's right by the Guthrie Theater, so they had live music--violinists, mind you!--along with a ton of brunchey items like fresh scones and fair trade coffee. I loved it. And check it, I found a ton of yumminess to bring home with me.

Hooray for produce!

I found Japanese Eggplant, Zucchini, Patty Pan Squash, Green Onions, Hungarian Sweet Peppers, Basil and Zucchini Flowers. As I was driving to the market I had a goal of buying at least one thing I've never worked with before. While I've had my fair share of weird veggies from last year's CSA, I was excited to find some decadent flowers that you're apparently supposed to eat.

Zucchini Flowers.

According to the farmer, you can just toss them in a stir fry. I've been googling what to do with it and all the Food Network chefs are deep frying it. Decisions, decisions. Last night I was too intimidated by the flowers, so I just stuck with what I know and whipped up an Almond Pesto to go with some squash and eggplant.

Almond Pesto

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup raw slivered almonds

1 1/2 cup basil

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

salt

Combine in the food processor (or in my case the blender because my processor is out of comish for some reason).

Basily.

I sauteed up some patty pan squash, eggplant and leeks. Then I coated them in said delicious almond pesto.

Dindin.

Questions

Have you ever cooked zucchini flowers before? What do you think I should do with them?
Have you ever made almond pesto? What about walnut pesto or cashew pesto?
What's your favorite kind of squash? Summer, Winter, Zucchini, Patty Pan, or what?

Ginger Root Stir Fry

2011-08-18T19:56:00.000-05:00

Whenever I don't know what I want for dinner I just grab whatever veggies I can find, toss it in a pan and stir fry it up. The veggies don't even have to go together, I literally just grab whatever looks fresh and sounds tasty. Tonight, albeit strange, my combination was zucchini, Napa cabage, leeks, tofu and fresh ginger root.

The Stir Fry.

I know what you're thinking. Why does homegirl have fresh ginger root on hand? Honestly, I have no idea. I remember buying it last week. I picked it up, put it in my basket, brought it home and put it in my fridge. Zero plans of doing anything with it. Except randomly throwing it in a stir fry, apparently.

My table is really shiny.

What do we know about ginger root? I know it's good in both beer and ale form. It's an awesome natural cure for PMS and tummy aches, neither of which I'm suffering from at this moment. But what am I suffering from that apparently ginger root is good for? Ginger root helps reduce muscle soreness. I've been attempting to start running again (emphasis on attempting) and my calves are just killing me. Let's see what this ginger can do, shall we? Since I put a ton in my stir fry, I'll let you know if I notice my legs feeling any better.

Questions

What's the strangest thing you've ever put in a stir fry?
Do you like the taste of ginger?
Have you ever used ginger root to try and cure an ailment?

Spicy Kale Chip Recipe

2011-08-16T19:13:00.000-05:00

I'm so late to this party. I made Kale Chips for the first time last night. I did a quick Google search to find a recipe, and they all sounded pretty much the same. 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. EVOO. Salt and Pepper. When I pulled them out of the oven I was confused. I ate one and was not impressed. So, this is what people are talking about? It's like I found a fall leaf on the ground and put it in my mouth.

Not in love. So last night I finished my snip fries, which were delicious, and started nomming on my zucchini sammie. Then when I went to put my dishes away I found myself staring at the kale chips on my stove. Then I ate one. And another. And another. Okay, I really didn't like them at first. Honest. But I'm a sucker for salty snacks, I really am. Crunch and salt is my thing. So apparently now I like Kale Chips.

How to make Kale Chips taste less like kale: add other stronger flavors. When I made my Kale Chips tonight, I added the strongest spice I could find in my cupboard. Curry Powder.

Spicy Kale Chips
Kale
EVOO
Salt
Pepper
Curry Powder - Kind of a lot
Garlic Powder - Not a lot

Roast dried kale leaves at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Kale Chips!

Crispy? Check.

Salty? Check.

Spicy? Check.

Delicious? Triple Check.

Questions

Were Kale Chips an aquired taste for you, or did you love on them right away?
What's your favorite seasoning to add to Baked Kale Chips?
Do you ever get in the habit of sprinkling Curry Powder on everything? Me neither...

For the Love of Parsnips

2011-08-15T20:24:00.000-05:00

Hi friends.

It's been a busy summer. New job + new apartment = new life. I'm trying to get back into the habit of blogging, but that wasn't about to happen because I didn't have any delicious adventures to share with you. Until now. I've gotten out of my weird rut, and I have news.

I love parsnips.

Here's my recipe for how to love on parsnips so they basically act as fries. You heard me. F-r-i-e-s.

Parsnip Fries
1 bag of parsnips
1 tbsp EVOO
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

Cut your parsnips into fries. Mine were about the size of my pinky. Toss in the EVOO and your fave seasonings. Roast at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. I gave mine a quick stir at 15 and they were rearin to go at 20. And viola. Parsnip Fries.

Don't they look like fries?

I had my snip fries with a grilled zucchini sammie with roasted red pepper hummus on a rosemary flatbread. Not my fave, but it did the trick for a veggie-filled sandwich.

So why parsnips? Aside from the fact that they taste amazing roasted and have the same texture as legit potato fries, the average parsnip is all of 115 calories with 6g fiber. That's more than 25% of the daily fiber requirement! It also packs a punch of Vitamin C and potassium. Obviously, I'm a fan.

Questions

Have you ever had Parsnip Fries?
What's your favorite way to serve parsnips?
How has your summer been? What's your current love affair veggie?

Sleep, or lack thereof

2011-06-07T08:56:00.000-05:00

I officially moved! And if you're wondering (again) what's with the lack of posts, that's because I don't have internet at my new place yet. Hopefully soon, but as of now I'm stuck writing in a word doc and posting when I get to work.

You know I'm a sleep addict. I mean, a lot. Last night was the first night in over a week that I slept for more than 4 hours. Which is really not okay. Between moving during the week and party rocking all weekend, there just wasn't the time for sleep. Or grocery shopping. Or blogging. Or doing any of the things I usually do. Instead I moved. I painted. I partied.

I make interesting life choices sometimes.

Questions

What did you do this weekend? Anything good?
What am I going to do until I get internet at my new place?
Anyone interested in seeing pictures of my new place? Because I'll totally post them...

I Don't Like Broccolini

2011-05-27T07:54:00.000-05:00

Or at least I thought I didn't. I had it once in a raw cold-salad-type dish and I though it was gross. Not broccoli enough for me to get on board with it. But, when searching for my beloved broccoli yesterday and found broccolini on sale for $1.50, I thought it was time to give it another shot.

Newsflash: I now like broccolini. I used it in a curry, alongside current veg faves red onion and baby bella mushrooms. I also served my curry over barley, not Thai exactly, but it sounded good at the time. And to be honest, it worked.

Dinner. Featuring Broccolini.

I'm probably going to be talking about this more than any of you care to read, but I seriously hate moving. Despise. I can't handle it. And instead of the "ripping off a bandaid" approach, I've chosen to do a little bit of moving every day until I move. So last night, I taped. Oh yes. I'm calling that an accomplishment. Since I painted my current apartment when I moved in, it's now my responsibility to paint it when I move out. That means that before I leave, I need to paint. A lot. So, taping accomplished. That means when I finally decide that I'm ready to paint, I'm ready.

Ugh. I hate painting.

Also, as part of my bomb-dot-com job, I got to go to Fit Bloggin last weekend. For whatever reason, this is my favorite picture (taken by the talented photographer slash runner Jess), which just so happens to be from the conference kick-off 5k.

Rocking the hot pink shorts.

I made friends with Jenny & Jess, both phenom bloggers if you don't already know them. If you want to hear all about our adventures at the conference, I highly suggest you check out Jess's Fit Bloggin Recap Post, where we are very stylish in our running gear and our cocktails. Obviously.

Questions

What are your thoughts on broccolini?
Do you like painting?
Have you ever gone to any blog conferences? Which are you planning on going to this year?

Oh, Hi

2011-05-25T08:22:00.000-05:00

Um, yeah. I haven't blogged in a long time. Why, you ask? I don't know. I've thought a lot about how to start the process again. I think that's been my battle. How do you catch people up on the past two months of your life? With bullet points, obviously.

I love my new job.
I'm moving. Next week. Not far, just to a different part of Minnesota. Closer to said loved job.
I ran a half marathon in 2 hours and 11 minutes.
Sheldon's still Sheldon.

Okay. First step complete. I blogged. Here's to hoping I do it again soon.

Questions

What have you been up to?
Have you ever ran a half marathon? (That might be the ninth time I've asked, but, you know.)
Do you hate moving? Because I totally do.

Orange, Red & Purple

2011-03-16T20:52:00.000-05:00

I have a new job. So if you're wondering what's up with the lack of posts lately, that would be it. Leaving one job and starting another is very emotionally draining. I used to work at a public relations agency, but now I work in the communications department at a Fortune 50 grocery store chain. Oh yes. I now work with the grocery stores. Kind of a dream job for a food enthusiast such as myself. No, I'm not going to tell you which Fortune 50 grocery store chain (there are three of them, you know) because I don't want you thinking that because I got a fancy pants corporate job that I'll go changing my eating habits. It's still me. I still overdose on vegetables from time to time. I still drink like a fish. Don't you worry. This will always remain the original Basil Vodka.

And to prove it to you, allow me to present you tonight's dinner. Forget greenery, I don't discriminate against the other vegetable colors. Like orange. Like red. And like purple.

Boom.

That would be a sweet potato grated into hashbrown form with some red bell pepper and purple onion. Okay, so there may or may not be some black in there too from when I had to take Sheldon out for a potty break mid-cooking, but let's just ignore those slightly burnt pieces.

In addition to the exciting news that is my new job, I'm also knee-deep in my half marathon training. If for some reason you're really curious about the itty bitty details of said training, you're more than welcome to follow along on Daily Mile. Or if you just want a recap: it's going really well. I'm maintaining a consistent 9:30ish min/mile on all my runs (even my long runs!) so I've shaved about a minute off my average pace since I updated you last. Which is pretty amazing. The big day is May 1st so there's still a lot to do, but so far I can say training is definitely going well.

And with that I leave you with solid intentions of updating this blog more often and checking up on your blogs as well. Because, let's be honest: I miss you guys.

Questions

Have you had to deal with a big job change? Was it stressful?
When's the last time you've had a sweet potato? Because they're seriously amazing.
Anyone else on Daily Mile? If so please friend me!

Eighteen Schmeighteen

2011-03-01T07:48:00.000-06:00

Eighteen degrees. According to weather.com it "feels like 11." Um, okay. It's not below zero, so I suppose this will be fine.

The thought of another treadmill run sounded so positively awful that I decided to buck up--bundle up, rather--and take my run outdoors where it belongs. The outfit consisted of my running tights (yes, the pair I got on sale at Walmart), my Layer 8 fuzzy long-sleeve, and this awesome jacket that I found at TJ Max. Color-wise, I looked adorable. My Layer 8 is a turquoise that matches my shoes, and the jacket is a jewel-toned purple. And my hat, mittens and pants were all black. I was awfully cute. Because apparently that's what's important.

Monday's run was to be three miles. There isn't a great three mile route near me (or at least that I've come up with) so I just doodled around the park. I was a little cold at the beginning, but I warmed up quickly. Not slipping on ice and not splashing in puddles became a very fun game. There was a lot of leaping over things and a lot of running around giant puddles. I think I had more fun on this run than I was supposed to.

I ended at 2.6 miles, 25 minutes. That would be a 9:40 min/mile. I was UNDER 10 min/mile. Which is a rarity this early in my running career. It was simply amazing. After I got back to my apartment I did hop on the treadmill for exactly three minutes and fifty-six seconds. You know, to run the .4 miles needed to wrap up my 3 miles.

Last night I fell back in love with running.

Questions

Have you ever used a treadmill to "wrap up" your outdoor run and get your miles in?
Do you have to worry about snow, ice or slush where you live?
What is the coldest you've ever run outside?

Why I Hate the Treadmill

2011-02-21T17:27:00.000-06:00

Today is day one of my half marathon training. Since this is my first race, well, ever, this whole running schedule is new to me. As much as I'd love to do all my training outside, Minnesota weather can be a little tricky. Since the snow is coming down like woah, I thought I'd best not risk slipping on ice and cracking open my skull, and the treadmill became my only option.

And it was during that run, not more than 10 minutes ago that I learned why I hate the treadmill. To those of you who read Basil Vodka fairly regularly, you know I always whine about why I hate the treadmill. But now I know why. As I'm doodling along, right around the 5 minute mark, that's when I realized it. Staring at me in big red digits reads:

5.5

Then the voice chimes in. Uh, really Heidi? 5.5? That's like a 11 min/mile. You're faster than that. You better speed it up.

On to 5.6. Then 5.7. Then I'm cranking at 6. Okay, so that's a 10 min/mile. Just do this. For another 30 minutes. Then as I'm about to fold in half (that's my mental image when I get tired, by the way. I imagine myself folding in half) I back it down to 5.5. And then the process begins all over again.

For the record, my runs are currently around a 10:30 min/mile, and I'm okay with that. I'm new. So. On the treadmill: mental fatigue when staring at the big ol' 5.5, and physical exhaustion when it's 6.0, or better yet, my 7.5 sprints at the end to "make up for lost time."

I thought runs were supposed to be relaxing. And outdoor runs are. I take my iPod, turn my Nike+ to "basic" and just run. I never check my time. I never get super tired. I never think about the scary 5.5 and how I better pick up my pace if I want to even call myself a runner. Nothing. I just run.

The funny thing is that my outdoor runs average out to be the same pace as my treadmill runs. So, dearest treadmill, I hate you for stressing me out and making me feel slow. Just wait until it's nice out and we can break up. Because I am so over you.

Questions

Any advice for a new racer? I need all the help I can get!
Do you prefer outdoor runs or indoor runs?
Have you ever ran outside when there's snow on the ground?

I Have the Greatest Friends Ever

2011-02-18T11:17:00.000-06:00

So one of my very good friends has been all up in my business about how I'm neglecting my blog. Which I totally am. Life is super busy, which I will explain in a recap post in the very near future.

In attempts to keep my content fresh and new, my friend sent me this email. With this picture.

I would like to guest post on BV. Please accept this as my submission.

I can only assume that's dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and some french fries. I guess if that's what he wants me to post, so be it.

Questions

Do you ever let your friends "guest post" on your blog?
Are we sure those are chicken nuggets? I'm honestly not entirely sure.

Vegetable Famine

2011-02-11T07:45:00.000-06:00

Okay, so not really a famine, but it sure feels like one. I need more fresh produce in my life. STAT. I'm having such a hard time getting inspired by asparagus from Peru or blueberries from Costa Rica. Yeah, I'm sure they're fine, but they just don't look as good as Minnesota-grown goodness in August.

I stocked up on some frozen veggies and have been going through those like it's my job, and I even managed to create some sort of fresh vegetable stir-fry last night.

Veggies.

I found some fresh broccoli, green peppers, onion and edamame, and tossed it with teriyaki sauce. It made me realize how much I miss summer.

Questions

What are you guys doing? Fresh or frozen veggies?
Do you try to buy local produce? Or at least produce grown within the US?
What are your winter food favorites?

Cooking Without Food

2011-02-01T16:30:00.004-06:00

I need to go grocery shopping. Seriously. Since I've been out of town nine days out of the past two weeks, I knew I didn't want fresh produce lingering in my fridge getting old and gross. And heaven forbid I get my priorities straight and go grocery shopping immediately upon arriving home, I am left with very few things with which to pretend to make dinner with.

However, with that being said, I want to tell you how crazy proud I am for making dinner last night. No, not just making dinner, making an awesome dinner. With no food. I totally feel like Claire Robinson with my five-ingredient dinner, but it was pretty great.

Pantry Pasta
1/4 cup orzo
1 can diced tomatoes with petite onions (otherwise known as whatever can of tomatoes you have on hand)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
dried basil, as much as your little heart desires

Cook orzo according to package directions. My package said nine minutes in boiling water. Drain excess water from the tomato can, and heat in a separate pan on the stovetop. After a few minutes, add the nutritional yeast to the tomato pan. After a few more minutes, add the balsamic vinegar to the tomato pan. Salt and pepper everything. Then, add the orzo to the tomato pan and cook for a few more minutes, or until the liquid has reduced to a consistency that makes you happy. Top with salt, pepper and basil. Be proud of your ability to create dinner with five ingredients.

Pantry Pasta.

Am I about to become the next "Five Ingredient Superstar With Only Pantry Foods?" Um, no. Although surprisingly tasty, you just can't beat fresh produce during peak season.

Questions

Do you eat orzo? I love that shape of noodle.
Have you ever seen Claire Robinson's show on the Food Network? I like it, but it's usually too meat/dairy-focused for me to do anything with it.
Since I'm going to the grocery store, what should I put on my list?

Nashville

2011-01-31T19:28:00.000-06:00

If you've never been, Nashville really is a pretty awesome place. Last week I had the pleasure of hanging out downtown with some locals, and we were shown around town.

Starting with dinner. We went to Merchant's Restaurant, and I experienced some firsts. Specifically, the first time I've ever had fried green tomatoes. Apparently it's a southern thing, but I'd never heard of them nonetheless eaten them.

Deep Fried.

I didn't even let my mind wonder how many calories are in that beast. Something tells me the 2 calorie tomato slice was severely compromised by the deep-fry action. Oh well. When in Nashville.

Spinach Salad.

I was very sad to hear that the one vegetarian dish they had on the menu was not available that night. So instead of a roasted squash dinner, I had a spinach salad. Which, let's be honest, hardly constitutes a dinner. Especially when we were headed out to the bars to enjoy some Jack Daniels.

I Do Love Downtown Nashville.

Pretty much every bar we went to had their own live band playing. On a week night. Although I'm not a country fan, it was a lot of fun. We bar-hopped to maybe four or five different places, and they were all impressive. Including, of course, the Coyote Ugly bar.

As of now, I'm so happy to be home. I'm very lucky to have a job that lets me travel and see the country, but I am exhausted. I even took the day off work today to recover. Good thing I have a few weeks before my next trip, but I'm excited because my next trip is to a city I've never been. Life could be worse.

Questions

Have you ever had deep fried green tomatoes?
What's your favorite city to travel to?
Do you drink Jack Daniels? I hardly ever do, but got convinced to make that my drink of choice when in Nashville. What can I say? I fold under peer pressure.

The Bachelorette

2011-01-28T10:30:00.000-06:00

I apologize in advance for those of you who did not watch last season's Bachelorette with Ali. Because this post pretty much revolves around a certain someone who Ali did not pick.

I'm talking, of course, about the hunky Kirk. If you're unaware of his hunky-ness, check out his Bachelorette profile. The good news? He now lives in Minnesota. And offers personal training. Do you know where I'm going with this?

On Tuesday, I had a personal training session with Kirk from the Bachelorette. And yes, he is that cute. And yes, he is that good. It's now Friday, and I'm only just now starting to walk normally. My lats, my abs, my legs, everything's been so sore for three days now. It's pretty amazing, especially considering we just did a half hour session. I was super impressed.

Oh, and sidenote, I'm in Nashville right now. Fun fact.

Questions

Did you watch the Bachelorette?
Have you ever done personal training?
Anything I need to do or see while in Nashville?

Subway + Yoga = Love

2011-01-25T16:10:00.000-06:00

As you probably know, I cook dinner. All the time. I'm not a big "go out to eat" kinda gal. I like making my own food, so I know exactly what's in it. Well, since I was gone for so long last week and since I'm leaving the state (yes again) tomorrow morning, I have no food. My fridge is looking pretty sad. So, instead of going to the grocery store and buying things I know will go bad by the time I get home, I went to Subway.

I thought seriously about taking a picture of it, but come on, it's just Subway. A footlong flatbread veggie delight, to be exact.

What's more exciting is that I finally mustered up the courage to tackle Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown Level Two last night. I'm still recovering from my pneumonia so I still cough too much to run, but yoga I can handle.

Photo from Amazon.com.

So how was it? Since I've been doing yoga for a few years now, and dancing and figure skating for the majority of my life, it was good. Definitely a workout, but also definitely doable. There wasn't anything that I couldn't do or that I needed to sit out on. I kind of expected more from Jillian, but it was a good workout. I just don't like that I can go into it already being able to do all the advanced moves. Oh well.

One more thing. Before I forget. I was definitely in Salt Lake City last week. I like how many of you knew that! I think I should have you guys all guess where I'm going tomorrow...

Questions

Do you like Subway? Specifically, do you love the flatbread sammies as much as I do?
Have you tried any of Jillian Michael's DVD's? What about the Yoga Meltdown?
Have you ever been to Salt Lake City? It's a very lovely place, if you ask me.

Guess

2011-01-24T16:27:00.000-06:00

As fate would have it, as soon as I'm ready to get back into blogging I get sick. And I mean S-I-C-K. Last week, I was the proud host of the infection known as pneumonia. If you've ever had it, you know just how terrible it is. So, that's what's been keeping me from blogging (and exercising for that matter.)

Oh yeah, and the fact that I was in another state for the last five days. Don't get me wrong, I'm back in Minnesota now, but I was definitely not here last week. Care to guess where I was?

Recognize these Beers?

Not in Kansas anymore.

Pasta.

Vegetarian Quad.

Ravioli.

Salad Wrapped in Cucumber. Fancy, ey?

Kind of a Famous Place.

Soup and Sammie.

Read the Sign.

Questions

Have you ever had pneumonia?
Can you guess where I was last week?

Mac 'n Chreese

2011-01-13T12:11:00.000-06:00

I'm in a funk. I'll admit it. I went on vacation and now that I'm back I don't know how to start blogging again. There's a lot I want to tell you about, but I'm not a novelist. Well, not yet at least.

So let me summarize the past two weeks for you. Minnesota is freezing, especially since I don't like turning on my heat. I had a really hard time getting started running again after a two week break, but now things are getting better. I ran 13 miles last week, and I'm pretty proud of that. I bought the new Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown DVD and I love it. As of 8 o'clock last night, I've officially been infected with my roommate's sore throat.

That's about it. With that out of the way, let me tell you about my guilty pleasure. Oh yes, I do have those. Specifically, Road's End Organics Mac n' Chreese. Now, I'm not a big packaged-foods-consumer, but there's something about this pasta that makes me happy.

The Box.

That big ol' V at the bottom means it's vegan. Oh yes. a vegan Mac & Chreese. Why Chreese? Because it sounds like trees. You cook it just like the nothing-good-in-here mainstream alternative, and add (soy) milk to the powder packet at the end.

The Goods.

I don't know if I knew I was getting sick or what, but when I was at Whole Foods last night I knew I had to get a box. There are very few things that are more comforting than Mac & Cheese.

Questions

Have you tried Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown yet?
Do you like mac & cheese? Do you make your own or get a store-bought box?
What's your favorite comfort food?

Vacation Food, A Sampling

2011-01-07T14:21:00.000-06:00

And of course. Merry Christmas from the puppies, Zoey and Sheldon.

Questions

Have you ever had papaya? Do you like it?
Have you ever been to a chocolate party? I have...
What's your favorite Christmas dish?

Vacation

2011-01-04T10:28:00.000-06:00

Since I was out of the state for over 2 weeks, there's clearly a lot I need to fill you in on. Too much for a blog post, as a matter of fact. So instead of boring you with the play-by-play, I'm going to highlight five things from Florida that I think you need to know about.

We got sick of buying a case of beer a night, so we got a keg. For four people. We kept it in the fridge on the patio outside. Apparently we celebrate Christmas with a keg. We're classy like that.
I ran the farthest I've ever ran while in Florida. I ran a four-miler, I ran a five-miler, I ran a three-miler, and then BAM! I ran 7.16 miles. In an hour and 15 minutes. It was pretty sweet. I kept my average pace, too, which is even cooler.
I love my dog even more, if possible. Sheldon came with me, and not only did he do great on the flight, he did great with my cousin's dog. He was a little angel the entire time, and I could not be more proud.
I'm a bit of a workaholic, so I really enjoyed the time off. No work emails, no one asking me to do anything, just hanging out. Usually on a beach or next to the pool. Relaxation is important to me.
We rode segways. My extended family owns a Segway tour service on the island, so we got to be obnoxious and ride those everywhere. I felt so cool.

Yes, I have pictures of all these things, but they're still on my camera. I promise I'll be adding pictures to my posts again soon!

Questions

What's the farthest you've ever ran? (If you run, that is.)
Have you ever been on a Segway?
Is it weird that we got a keg to celebrate the holidays? I didn't think so either...

I'm Back

2011-01-03T12:40:00.000-06:00

Well, kind of. Back in the state of Minnesota? Yes. Back to the routine of blogging regularly? No. I have a camera that's exploding with pictures that I need to sort through, and I left my camera cord in Florida. Whoops.

So until I get my act together and go to the store, I'll be here but not here.

Question

What's your New Year's Resolution?

A Day in the Life

2010-12-17T14:46:00.000-06:00

I could get used to this. Let me walk you though a typical vacation day. Specifically, this is what I did yesterday.

9 a.m. Wake up. Slowly.

10 a.m. Run. Thursday was a 5-miler.

11 a.m. Shower & get ready for the day.

12 p.m. Lunch

Cucumbers, Carrots and Hummus.

1 p.m. Lounge outside with Sheldon.

Sheldon Loves Florida.

3 p.m. Nap.

4 p.m. Head to the Island for happy hour. Last night we went to the Lazy Flamingo, which is this way-too-excited-for-the-holidays bar and grill. Check out their Christmas decorations.

For the record, the vast majority of those inflatable decorations are taller than I am. So yeah. They're pretty excited. We had a few pitchers of beer before calling it an evening.

7 p.m. Big Bang Theory marathon back at my cousin's place. With a big ol' bottle of Pinot Nior.

9 p.m. Dinner. I had edamame with basil balsamic. Sorry, too much beer and wine means I forgot to take a picture.

11 p.m. Sleep.

This is the life.

Questions

Do you work out when you're on vacation? I've ran every day so far!
Do you have any of the inflatable Christmas Decorations?
What am I missing in the "real world?"

Trip

2010-12-15T12:43:00.000-06:00

So, before Sheldon and I hopped on a plane yesterday, we spent some time with our Christmas Tree.

Yes, he has jammies on. And they have a butt flap. The things he puts up with.

Then we packed. For a really long time. Here's a snapshot of my carry on bag, otherwise known as the things that don't bore me.

Women's Health and Shape Magazine, Big Bang Theory Season 2, House Season 5, Wheat Thins (The Sundried Tomato Basil kind, obviously) and an empty water bottle that I could fill at the airport. I added my laptop, too, but that was charging when I took this picture.

So how did Sheldon do on the flight? Great. He was a little angel. Perfectly quiet, didn't bother anyone. He was super impressive. All our training paid off! He was able to be a carry on with me, so he sat under the seat in front of me.

Where am I? Florida. Thankfully. I'm chillin with my grandparents and cousins for the holidays. And by chillin, I mean warming up. We (Sheldon and I) even made it outside for an awesome 4-mile run this morning. And I do mean awesome. My cousin helped me map a route that took me past all the fancy houses. I was the ultimate creeper on this run. Just gawking at all the gorgeous houses as I went on my little jaunt. It was pretty sweet.

And my apologies for the lack of food pics, but I think my grandparents would be freaked out if I just whipped out my camera at dinner. I don't think that would fly in my family. But for the record, my grandpa made stir fry last night and it was awesome. Lots of veggies, just how I like it.

Disclaimer: Before you register me on Pleaserobme.com, you should know I live in an apartment complex with over 1,000 different people. My roommate will also be home for the holidays. And I have nothing of note to steal. So, yeah.

Questions

Do you get to vacation for the holiays?
Do your grandparents/extended family know about your blog? Do they care that you take pictures of the food?
What are your plane bag essentials?

Feast

2010-12-13T10:05:00.000-06:00

After what felt like the longest week of my life, Friday night the girls gathered to feast. Since I was cooking, it was a Chinese Feast.

The Tofu.

I'm the only vegetarian in my group of friends, but how cool is it that they let me make an entirely vegetarian dinner? Seriously. They all wanted tofu and not chicken. Well, except for one, but she brought some leftover steak to meat-ify her meal. Which is still cool.

The Veggies.

Deep-fried cream cheese pouffies.

Steamed Veggie Eggrolls.

And wine. Of course.

My plate. We'll pretend I just had the one.

It was a wonderful way to end a crazy week. That only lead to a crazy weekend. I left my friend's house around 8 o'clock on Saturday morning. Everyone else stayed. And then it snowed. A lot. I was safe and sound at home, but everyone else was stuck at my friend's. Until Sunday.

In case you haven't heard, Minnesota got slammed with snow. Yes. Slammed. With seventeen inches, my friends. Seventeen inches of snow.

My car.

I wish I was kidding. But no. That was my car as of yesterday. Notice the entire front hood is under snow. Yeah, I had to deal with that. Speaking of dealing with, according to the weather, it's -4 degrees right now. But with windchill, -21. For my Canadian readers, that's -30 C. Why do I live here?

Questions

Does it snow where you live? Does it snow a lot?
What did you do this weekend?
Which sounds better, deep fried cream cheese pouffies or steamed eggrolls?

Pinstripes

2010-12-09T12:48:00.000-06:00

There's a new restaurant in my neck of the woods. Pinstripes. Apparently they have a few other locations in Illinois and such, but they just opened their first Minnesota location. Not only do they have food, but they also have bocce ball and bowling. Pretty sweet set up, if you ask me.

Right on Centennial Lakes in Edina, they are in a perfect location. By that, I of course mean that they're very close to my office. So yesterday I gathered some friends for a long lunch at the new eatery.

We began with the complimentary bread and pesto. Yes, not just bread and oil, but bread and legit pesto. As an (obvious) basil lover, they had me hooked from the beginning.

Bread.

The pesto was a bit oily, but still good. The bread was pretty awesome as well. Don't let the photo fool you, I'm sure I had like seven slices throughout the course of the meal.

We all ordered off the "Lunch on the Fly" menu. These dozen or so menu items are all $10, and are a little lighter than their main menu fare. I opted for the chop salad and soup. Thankfully, Wednesday's soup of the day is Five Onion, so I was able to get a certifiable vegetarian soup to go with my salad.

Lunch.

Salad.

The salad was great. They had these deep fried tortellini throughout, so there was a nice surprising crunch every so often. I did ask for my salad to be cheese-less, and that request was not honored. But it's okay. If I had a huge issue with it I would have said something. The salad was a little dressing-heavy for my liking, but that's easily resolved with a simple "dressing on the side" request next time. So, next time, less dressing and cheeseless, this salad would be epic.

Soup.

Speaking of epic, this soup was. It's only available on Wednesdays, so I'm going to need to get strategic about this. It was so good. Very onion-ey, and the crispy onion rings on top were a great texture change. It was really rich, so I don't know if I could have eaten much more of it, but as a lunch option it was the perfect accompaniment to my salad.

Cheesecake.

I love supporting restaurants that embrace social media. If you check in to Pinstripes on Foursquare, they give you free cheesecake. Not one to turn down free desserts, I absolutely took advantage of this offer. Unfortunately, the cheese in my salad and the cheese in the cheesecake did not sit well with this mostly cheese-free gal. I took one bite, and although it wasn't bad, I absolutely couldn't eat it. Dairy overload. The others at my table agreed that the cheesecake was good. In the words of one of my friends, it was "stupid good." So there you have it.

Unfortunately, I think it was the cheesecake that did me in. My stomach hurt for the rest of the day. I had a horrible time trying to log my three miles on the treadmill last night, and ended up just drinking a lot of water to try to make myself feel better. I'm fine now, so my self-diagnosis of too much dairy for the dairy-free gal sounds about right.

In conclusion. I love Pinstripes. The lunch on the fly option is super inexpensive for the quality you receive, and it's a great lunch spot for me. I just need to not eat dairy while I'm there, that's all.

Questions

Do you like bowling and/or bocce ball? I didn't get to play yesterday, but I'm sure I will over happy hour soon!
What's your favorite kind of soup?
Do you like cheesecake? What's your favorite kind?

Carbs

2010-12-07T15:39:00.001-06:00

Whew. Last week was Capital-C Crazy. Let me catch you up as to what happened.

Nutritional Yeast Potatoes.

I continued on Carb Overindulgence 2010 through most of the week. I also got in three weight training sessions, two runs and a yoga stretch. It all evens out, right? Thank you to everyone who commented on my Stress Post and told me to exercise. It helped!

Last Thursday was Minnesota PRSA's Professional Practices Conference. Since I help out with social media for my local chapter, I was working the camera and tweeting like a champ. Look how excited I am.

Pure Excitement.

Picture used with permission from my partner in crime. In addition to all the industry-related genius I was able to learn at the conference, they also had one of the greatest vegetarian lunches ever. It was seriously impressive.

Conference Lunch.

As if a bed of couscous isn't enough, I proceeded home and consumed even more carbohydrates.

For the record, I love squiggley noodles.

I also made another Tofu Banana Bread Loaf. Notice my awesome tablecloth is gone. Don't worry, it'll be back after Christmas. I promise.

Bread.

I only did a half a cup of sugar, and it worked out fine. A little more crumbly, but worth it for a less sweet bread if you ask me. It was amazing. So amazing, in fact, that it's already gone.

By the time the weekend was over, my eating habits returned to normal.

Salad.

Brock, Onions and Eggplant with Orzo.

In addition to just eating, this weekend I also successfully attached a tree to my (dad's) SUV. And I drove home without it falling off and causing a major accident.

Look at that skill.

Lack of Skill.

Apparently I can't take a decent picture of my Christmas Tree. It is pretty, I promise. I just couldn't figure out what setting to have my camera on to show it.

Questions

What's your favorite noodle shape?
What all do you do to decorate for Christmas?
Have you put up your Christmas tree yet?

Stress

2010-12-01T11:47:00.000-06:00

Things at work are getting pretty crazy. There's a lot to be done before the holidays, so I've been working a little too much for my own good. Like any normal person, I address this issue with carbs and wine.

A lot of Pasta.

So, my apologies if I get behind on my blog-reading, but I promise I'll catch up. Hopefully soon. Until then, it's all I can do to squeeze in a yoga sesh to stay sane.

Questions

Do you tend to go carb-heavy when you're stressed?
Does your work get busier around the holidays, too?
Do you have any good ideas on how to relieve stress?

Bath

2010-11-29T13:57:00.000-06:00

Guess who got a bath this weekend...

Sheldon did!

Wet Puppy.

Sudzy.

Clean!

Yes, he has both a shirt and a scarf. My little sister made him the scarf, and I found the shirt at Target. If you're wondering, his shirt says, "Sorry Santa, I ate the Cookies." It's adorable. Speaking of adorable.

Snuggly.

I adore my puppy.

Questions

Does your dog like baths?
Do you dress your dog? Because I totally do...
If you don't have a dog, tell me your favorite part about the weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-27T08:47:00.000-06:00

Belated post, I know, but I've been busy just hanging out with my family. I came back to my parents' house for the long weekend, and am currently enjoying a weekend filled with Donkey Kong and the Big Bang Theory.

For my vegetarian readers, you'll know where I'm coming from on this one. How many times were you asked, "Well, what are you going to eat for Thanksgiving?" and "Do you make something special, or what do you eat?" Well. This is what I ate.

Salad. With an excessive amount of edamame.

Sweet Potatoes.

Wild Rice.

Wine. Of Course.

The Plate.

Seconds included a plateful of salad. As is Thanksgiving tradition, I ate way too much and spent the rest of the afternoon with my brother playing Wii. It was a very gluttonous day, to say the least.

Friday I had my first encounter with Black Friday. We went shopping around 8 o'clock, and it was surprising how much was already gone! I ended up getting a 1/4 zip fleece, a new DVD player and season five of House from Target, and seasons one and two of Big Bang Theory from Best Buy.

Yesterday we also went ice skating. I used to be a competitive figure skater. Fun fact. I also coached for a few years in high school. My little sister's still taking lessons, so I got to help her perfect some of her elements. I also got to try out some jumps and spins. I hardly ever make it out on the ice, probably just once or twice a year, so I'm always surprised when I can just pick up where I left off. I could spin just fine, and jump without falling. It was so much fun, I forget how much I miss skating.

Next on the agenda, trying to get the motivation to go for a run. I haven't run at all this week, and I don't want to lose my cardio. It's been pretty chilly, but I just need to bundle up and get out there!

Questions

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Did you go shopping on Black Friday? What did you get?
Have you ever figure skated? Do you like skating?

Not Brownies

2010-11-22T08:58:00.000-06:00

Friday night was glorious. I left work a bit early, took a nap, then headed off to happy hour with some of my best friends. We started with martinis at the Independent, then ended up at Il Gatto for dinner around 9 o'clock. It's at that point where we all started devouring all the complimentary bread (and olive oil) while waiting for our food. Speaking of which. I got pizza.

Melanzane.

So on my fancy pizza we have grilled eggplant, smoked mozzarella, oyster mushrooms, tomato and fresh oregano. Normally I'd do without the cheese, but in this case I made an exception.

Saturday was a soup day. This entire weekend was a soup weekend, actually, as we're all still struggling to get used to the cold. I opted for a classic Black Bean Soup with the help of my fancy new pantry.

Black Bean Soup
2 cans black beans
1 can tomatoes (I went Southwest style)
1 cup water
cumin
chili powder
salt

Sometimes I'm really lazy when it comes to soup. But that's okay, because it always turns out delicious.

Soup and Coffee.

Clearly trying to warm up with that one. And it was Saturday that, despite 25 degree weather, I had one of the greatest runs of my life. To date. Four miles, forty minutes, a flat 10 min/mile. Thanks to everyone who offered their layering advice, because I got it right! I ran with my long sleeve shiny on the outside, fuzzy on the inside long sleeve and put the 100% polyester track jacket on top of that. Hat and mittens. That's it. The first half a mile I was convinced I was going to get hypothermia, but after that I was toasty!

So after my run, I had myself a carb-o-licious dinner.

Squiggley Noodles, Squash, and Spinach.

I also threw together some sort of white wine sauce for this, so it was extra comforting. The spinach and squash were amazing, exactly what I wanted after my run.

Then on Sunday, I got my bake on. Yes, again. I made Whole Wheat Quick Bread from the good cookbook.

Whole Wheat Quick Bread

1 1/2 cups creamy soymilk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour or soy flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup molasses

Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the soymilk and lemon juice and let sit for 5ish minutes until it starts to curdle. Mix the flours, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add the oil and molasses to the soymilk bowl. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and cook for 50 minutes. Then eat.

Not Brownies.

I think it's so dark because of the molasses. But I can promise you two things. Number one, this is not brownies. Number two, I didn't burn it. This actually turned out right. This also convinced me to start baking yeast breads. It's not bad per say, but it's just not as bready as I'd like it. Think the tastes of a good whole wheat bread, but the texture of a banana bread. Like I said, not bad, just different.

Earth Balance Overdose.

Questions

What's your favorite soup?
Are you still lovin' on the squash as much as I am?
Have you started playing holiday music yet? Because I totally have...

Holiday Party

2010-11-19T13:45:00.000-06:00

Yes, already. Yesterday we had our annual office wine tasting, so since I knew I'd be working late I got to sneak away and make lunch at home.

Lunch.

That would be a Julie Black Bean Burger with spinach, onions, tomato and ketchup. Then I headed back to work for our annual wine tasting. Yep, our party was centered around the idea of drinking wine. Spanish wines, to be specific. Here's a photo montage of the goodness I ate (and drank!) last night.

Happy Friday!

Questions

Do you have holiday parties you get to go to?
Do you like olives? Green or Black?
What are you doing this weekend?

I'm Full of Questions

2010-11-18T08:56:00.000-06:00

Thank you for everyone's support on my first baking adventure! There's another simple (looking) non-yeast recipe for whole wheat bread that I'm one ingredient short of making. If I can make it over to Whole Foods and snatch some molasses I'll be making that this weekend.

Also, as the title suggests, I'm full of questions. Hopefully questions that can be answered by all you runners out there. I read all about your running adventures, your under 8 min/miles and how you run 8 miles in less than an hour. Yeah, you. I have some questions.

I'm just starting to run outside (in the tundra) and I'm building my running wardrobe. First and foremost, what do I wear? I buy my running gear at the awesome discount stores that are Marshalls and Kohl's, mostly because I just can't justify spending $100 on a Nike track jacket. So. I have these things.

A thick-ish long sleeve shirt from Layer 8. It's shiny on the outside, and really fuzzy on the inside. I also have a long sleeve fleece and a down comforter-esque vest from Old Navy. I like snuggly things when I run, apparently.

Yesterday I went to Kohl's and found some long sleeve shirts on sale. These ones, to be specific. A runner friend told me something or other about Wiking. I don't know what that is, but these long sleeve shirts have it, so I bought three. I also bought a 100% polyester track jacket type thing. This one.

So. I need help. How do I wear these things? I went for a run yesterday, it was 30ish degrees with little to no wind. I wore one of the new Kohl's long sleeve shirts, then put the Old Navy fleece on top of that, THEN put the pouffy vest on top of that. Hat and Mittens. Way. Too. Hot.

Do you have any tips on how to layer these things? What are your favorite fabrics to run in? My pants are just straight up running tights (from Wal-Mart, admittedly) but my legs are always fine. Any tips for me, because apparently I struggle with dressing myself, would be greatly appreciated!

Also, because I'm not about to have a picture-less post. Here's a picture of my dinner.

Leftover Lentil Soup. Doesn't it look gross?

I promise the soup only looks gross. I actually love it. A lot. Another question, for the runners out there, how do you get hungry?? Legit question here. I ran 5.3 miles from like 3:30-4:30 yesterday. I went to a happy hour, wasn't hungry, so didn't eat anything. Then I went to Borders to get some work done, wasn't hungry, so I had some tea. I finally got home around 9:30, still wasn't hungry. I had to talk myself into eating this soup. What's up with that? Why doesn't my body want food after a run?

I'm a Baker!

2010-11-17T08:58:00.000-06:00

Because if I baked something, I'm a baker, right? I hope you're excited for the first ever baking success story on Basil Vodka. Not only on the blog, in my life, actually. Sunday was the first time I've even attempted to make something that doesn't come in a box with the instructions of, "add milk, eggs and water."

My all-time favorite vegan cookbook has this neat little section called quick breads. These are the ones that don't include yeast--which still scares the bejesus outta me. So, with my $50 prize I bought some baking essentials and went to work.

Tofu Banana Bread

3/4 cup medium tofu (about 6 ounces)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used two medium bananas)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. First combine the wets. Add one mashed banana, sugar, olive oil and vanilla in the blender. Then, after it's combined, add the other banana.

Wets.

Then combine the drys. Otherwise known as the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Dries.

Then add the flour mixture to the tofu mixture. Fold in the walnuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Tofu Banana Bread. Pre Heat.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until it looks delicious.

Tofu Banana Bread. Post Heat.

I don't know what's up with the gigantic split down the top, but I really don't care. I a) didn't burn it and b) managed to create something with a definite crust and bread-like interior.

Look at that goodness.

One of the many slices I've been noming on all week.

I can't tell you how excited I am that I actually baked something. I think what pushed me over the edge is the tofu aspect. You all know I frequently squawk about how I never get enough protein, and with nearly a half a block of 'fu this bread definitely has it. It is a bit sweeter than something I'd usually go for (probably due to the entire cup of sugar in this bad boy) but it's supposed to be sweet, right?

In other news, I've been busy eating this kind of thing.

'Fu and Cabbage.

And that kind of thing.

Squash and Basil.

I've also been running. Yes, in the snow. In addition to never really baking, I've also never ran outside when there was snow on the ground. Until Monday. When I cranked out 3.59 miles in 36:17. That would be a 10:06/mile. I was super excited, as that's been my fastest run in a long time. It helps when I don't have Sheldon to weigh me down. Sorry, pup.

Questions

Do you bake? Yeast breads, non-yeast breads, what?
Do you run in the snow? How cold is too cold for your outdoor runs?
What should I bake next?

How to Spend Fifty Dollars

2010-11-15T11:35:00.000-06:00

I forgot to give a whole-hearted "Thank you!" to everyone who participated in the Kale Question Mark discussion. You're right, it was absolutely not kale. Turns out it was just grown-up spinach.

As explained by the Loon Organics Farmer:

It's....spinach!! Because it has been growing outside for the past couple months and gone through a couple of frosts, it gets much sweeter and nuttier and actually has a lot of 'spinach' flavor (in comparison to the baby spinach you buy in bags at the grocery store for salads--those are tasteless to me). The leaves are also heftier, larger, and more dense than baby spinach we are used to buying at the grocery store. It's great for eating raw in salads or for cooking with (obviously you know this now). As a somewhat dorky side note: fall spinach and greens are more nutritious than spring greens, due to warmer temps and greater sunlight that fall veggies are exposed to.

That, my friends, is why you get a CSA. Personalized veggie identification!

As the proud winner of Itzy's Kitchen Shake 'n Bake Contest, I received a $50 American Express Gift Card. I'd like to share with you the Basil Vodka way of using $50 to create a pantry.

Do you recall when I mentioned that I was out of protein? And all your comments were, "I'm sure you have some quinoa," or "just toss in some canned beans." Well. I have none of those things. The only things in my freezer are (probably expired) popsicles from like 2 years ago and some leftover Black Bean Burgers. The only can I had in my house was a can of coconut milk. Just the one. I have a ton of produce, but no "pantry" so to speak. So, I took the $50 and went to four different grocery stores and made a pantry.

The New Pantry.

Target - $24.58

4 cans vegetable broth

6 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans cannellini beans

4 cans black beans

2 cans dark kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 pound of dried lentils

Canola Oil

Walnuts

Baking Soda

Baking Powder

Silk Soy Milk (not so much for the pantry, I'm just out.)

Cub Foods - $2.79

(The good) Whole Wheat All-Purpose Flour

Trader Joe's - $9.29

3 blocks of Organic Tofu

1 bag Orzo

1 bag Harvest Grains Blend

6 bananas

Whole Foods - $12.96

Lemon Juice

1 block Soft Tofu

3 packs of Koyo Ramen

1 bag Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 bag tri-color pasta

Total For Pantry Makeover: $49.62

I'm good at budgeting, what can I say? Now I officially have a cabinet filled with canned goods should I ever get snowed in. Because that's a legit concern of mine, you know.

So what did I do with my new everythings-right-there pantry? I made Lentil Soup. Starting of course, with Celery Root.

Celery Root.

Another added benefit of my CSA is that I get to fall in love with really weird veggies. Like Celery Root. Essentially you cut the skin off and chop it up like you would a potato, but it tastes (and smells) like celery. Totally weird, but I love it.

Choppin' Celery Root.

My Lentil Soup has 1 cup of lentils, celery root, 1/2 onion, 5 small parsnips and around 3 medium carrots. I used water instead of broth, and just seasoned with oregano, parsley and thyme. Then I splashed some apple cider vinegar into the pot for some extra flavor.

Lentil Soup.

I know we've had this conversation before. How on earth do you get soup to photograph well? I mean, seriously. Let's all admit that my soup looks disgusting. Why is it bubbling? I have no idea. What I do know is that it's super tasty and will be my lunch for the next 3-4 days.

Questions

What are your pantry staples? What do you always have in the house?
Have you ever had Celery Root? What do you think of it?
Are you wondering why me, girl who never bakes, bought two types of flour and baking powder AND baking soda? Well. Secret's out. Guess what I baked yesterday...

Minnesota

2010-11-15T08:30:00.000-06:00

I essentially have three whole posts I want to share with you. Unfortunately, my wireless internet wasn't exactly working this weekend, so here I am on Monday morning with a cameraful of pictures and stories to share with you. So I'll start with the one post, and probably post another in a few hours.

First of all, I woke up on Saturday morning to this.

Way too much snow.

Let's not forget that on Tuesday I went for a run outside. In a T-shirt. It was 70 degrees. Then, four days later we get bombarded with snow. And this is what I get for living in Minnesota.

You guys all follow Erica of Itzy's Kitchen, right? Well, if you don't you totally should. Not only is she awesome for a number of other reasons, I was also the winner of her Shake 'n Bake contest!

Football gear! Plates, Shake 'n Bake Goodies and a $50 American Express Gift Card.

Do you know how difficult it is to get into football when your team sucks? We were all excited to have an awesome 50th season, now that we have Favre and all but no. The Vikings are horrible.

So instead of cheering for the Vikings, I'm cheering for breakfast.

Coffee and Pancakes. On the new football plate.

I thought seriously about putting in some horrible "Breakfast was a Touchdown!" line, but decided against it. I wouldn't do that to you guys.

And of course, included in the Shake 'n Bake contest was Shake 'n Bake.

Anyone else keep thinking of Talladega Nights?

I already talked my meat-eating roommate into trying it for me. I might try to Shake 'n Bake some tofu, but we'll see. I'll report back once she makes her chicken, hopefully before Thanksgiving. Thanks, Erica for the giveaway!!

Speaking of Minnesota, as this post is completely dedicated to the wonderful snowy state in which I live, I also went to the Minnesota Rising Un/Conference on Saturday. Essentially, the conference aimed to connect emerging leaders in Minnesota and discuss how we can start changing our state for the better.

Honestly, I was just there to hear Leslie Kruempel speak. Her session explored how we can lead the food revolution by eating (and supporting) local, organic and sustainable farming practices. It was an awesome session, probably my favorite food session ever. It was that good.

Leslie!

I realize the session looks empty, but it wasn't. I was just being obnoxious and sitting in the very front. There were a ton of people behind me, I promise.

Questions

Does it snow where you live?
Have you ever tried the Shake 'n Bake? Thoughts?
Is your football team any good? Do you follow football?

Kale?

2010-11-12T07:58:00.000-06:00

Seriously, you guys. Help. Remember yesterday when I couldn't say for sure what I was actually putting in my Christmas Pasta? Well now I love it and I have no idea what it is.

What am I?

I put some Smarties in the pictures so you know how big they are. They're thicker than spinach, so I have no idea what that means. I still have a bunch left--thank you CSA--but I'd still like to know what I'm eating!

Well, regardless, I still used a bunch in last night's dinner. I started with roasting a big ol' Butternut Squash at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Until it looked like this.

Note to self: Next time cook for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute some onion and question mark kale. Then add some garlic (I went three cloves) and at the very end add 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. I'm really lovin on red wine vinegar lately, it's a really nice flavor to go with sweet squash.

Cubed butternut squash tossed with question mark kale dinner.

Yummy.

Wilted Greenery.

I know I really, really, really should have had protein of some sort after my 4 mile run last night, but I'm out. No edamame. No tofu. Nothing. I've actually been protein deficient for a few days now. Whoops. I went to the grocery store this morning for some faux turkey so I can pump up my lunch, but still. Need. Protein. I'll buy (several) blocks of tofu after work. Promise.

Questions

Do you know what the question mark kale is? Is it even kale?
What have you been doing with your butternut squash?
What are you up to this weekend? Anything fun?

Christmas Pasta

2010-11-11T08:59:00.003-06:00

Thanks for everyone's help on convincing Julie to start a blog. I'll let you know when she decides to get hers going. Hopefully soon!

As for me, I've been busy playing with this.

That would be 3G.

I (finally) got around to buying a new phone. Not that I didn't love my Blackberry, I mean it was cool in 2007 when I bought it. But there comes a time when you need to grow up and get a fancy touch screen. So I did.

Left: Oldie. Right: Goodie.

Going from a Blackberry to a Droid is way more confusing than I'd like it to be, but I know once I'm used to it I'll love it. I'm already really diggin the screen-only keyboard. It's pretty cool.

Do you know what else is cool? Christmas Pasta. Yes, I'm still talking about Christmas, believe it or not. I'm a holiday-lover, really. This dish did not start out as Christmas Pasta, but rather received its name after I saw what it looked like. It looked like Christmas.

Christmas Pasta

Spaghetti

4-5 beets, peeled and sliced

1/4 onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 cups kale?
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar

pecans, for garnish

Start by cooking the spaghetti as directed on the box. About 2-3 minutes in, add the beets to the boiling water. Continue cooking another 7-10 minutes, or until al dente. Just so you know, the beets will turn the pasta red. Very very red.

Meanwhile, cook onions in a lightly oiled pan. Add kale. The reason kale is a question, is that I'm not really sure it's kale. I found it in my CSA. My money's on dinosaur kale, but you could easily use spinach here, too. As that wilts down, add the garlic. At the very end of the cooking time, add red wine vinegar.

Drain the pasta/beets mixture and toss with the kale mixture. Top with pecan pieces. Red pasta + Green veggies = Christmas Pasta.

Christmas Pasta!

All-natural coloring.

Yum.

Questions

What kind of phone do you have? Do you like it?
Have you ever used beets to turn something red?
Are you excited for Christmas, or not yet?

Julie's Black Bean Burgers

2010-11-09T09:25:00.002-06:00

My name's not Julie. Just so you know. This baller recipe came from a friend of mine, who's name is in fact Julie. I made a gigantasaurus batch of these to-die-for burgers on Saturday, and I've been eating the leftovers like it's my job. Wouldn't that be a sweet job?

Anyways. You need:

2 cans black beans
2 cups sweet potato, grated
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 can diced green chilies
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced

Step one. Rinse and dry the black beans. A lot. Since Julie's recipe calls for eggs, and I do not eat eggs, we need to get these suckers as dry as possible.

Drying Black Beans.

Step Two. Grate the sweet potato. Preferably with some ridiculous animal-shaped potato peeler.

The Monkey.

Then toss everything else in a large bowl. Like so.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink.

Then comes the fun part. Squish everything together. With your hands.

Starting to squish. Not to be confused with smush.

Then form patties. You can make them whatever size you want, but I chose jumbo.

Big.

I was able to do eight huge patties. I'm sure you could get more if you made normal-sized burgers. Then, put on wax paper cookie sheets and freeze until they look like this.

Frozen.

Then you can consolidate into a Ziplock bag. There's no need to have cookie sheets taking up valuable freezer real estate. When you're ready to eat, simply broil 8-10 minutes, flip, and broil for another 3-4 minutes. And viola. Dinner.

Black Bean Burger, Cilantro and Avocado Fixin's, and Sprouts.

Money Shot.

These pictures are all from Saturday. Then I had a burger again on Sunday.

Sunday. Burger Explosion.

Don't act so surprised, but I had another burger last night.

Burger and Cauliflower with Nutritional Yeast.

Black Bean Burger Addiction: I haz one.

Questions:

Do you make your own faux burgers?
Have you ever had a dinner that you ate a few nights in a row?
Julie's thinking about starting a food blog. Any advice for her? Help me convince her to start one!

Good Finds

2010-11-08T08:43:00.001-06:00

First of all, I just want to say that I had an absolutely amazing weekend. So great, in fact, that I feel just fine tackling Monday. It was that good.

It started with Christmas. Otherwise known as Veggie Overdose 2010. Compliments of Loon Organics.

Boxes and Brussels.

Unfortunately I didn't get to the shop in time to meet the farmer, but I did get there in time to at least pick up the veggies. So what's all in the boxes? Christmas Cheer.

Veggies.

This picture doesn't do my produce justice. The parsnips, carrots, spinach and beets bags are just filled. I do, however, love how the sunlight shines in on just the one butternut squash. I think that means it's special. So special, in fact, that my booze had to get some new roommates.

Greatest Cupboard Ever.

To continue my weekend of good finds, I also went to the Mall of America yesterday. Since I want to run outside, and since outside is quickly becoming a refrigerator, I had to buy some cold-weather running gear. I normally don't post pictures of clothing finds, but Kelly over at Fitting Back In always posts her posh apparel finds and has inspired me to post mine.

Old Navy. $15 Vest & $10 Long-Sleeved Fleece.

Marshalls. $13. Fleece & Fuzzy Inside.

Urban Outfitters. $5 Skirt. Not For Running.

Why are my clothes on the kitchen table, you ask? Well, because at 8 o'clock at night that's the only place in my apartment with decent light. So my tablecloth gets to be in the picture yet again.

In case you didn't notice, I'm a bargain shopper, especially when it comes to workout clothes. I just can't justify spending a ton of money on something if I'm just going to sweat in it and get it all gross. Party dresses and clothes for work? Sure. I'll spend the money. But not on soon-to-be pit-stained exercise gear.

Speaking of stylish exercise gear, do you know who else has style? Sheldon.

Stylish, no?

Questions

Do you spend a lot on you workout clothes or are you like me and spend as little as possible?
Do you have any recommendations for cold weather running clothes?
Let's place some bets. When do you think I'll have eaten all of the CSA veggies?

Christmas

2010-11-05T07:47:00.000-05:00

Not the actual holiday, but rather what I'm about to experience tomorrow. Remember my CSA that I was all obsessed with? Loon Organics. Every other week I got a huge box filled with organic, fresh, local produce. It lasted all summer, and I was heartbroken when it ended a few weeks ago. Where am I going to get my fresh produce now?

Well. They have what's called a Thanksgiving share. I'm calling it Christmas. Earlier this week I received this email from my farmer. Re: Fall Box.

There will be two 3/4 bushel boxes filled with all of your produce. You may want to bring bags to unload your produce so that we can take the boxes back to the farm with us. Here's what we plan to have in the box: 10-12 assorted winter squash, 5 pounds of carrots, 5 pounds of Yukon potatoes, 2-3 celery roots, 1-2 bulbs of garlic, 2 cippolinni onions, 2 lb parsnips, 2 lb beets, 1-2 romanesco, 1 bag spinach, 1 cabbage, brussels sprouts and slicing or cherry tomatoes (!). Cauliflower and/or kale may also be included.

That's right, kids. Yours truly will be the proud owner of 50 pounds of fresh produce come tomorrow. Fif-ty. If you're curious, it's $55. So worth it. I'll make sure to take lots of pictures of this extreme overdose of veggies, and hopefully get a picture with my farmer!

Speaking of Christmas, do you remember that one time a really really long time ago that I was trying to plan for some air travel? Well, I booked yesterday. I will be spending 15 days down in Florida with Sheldon. I'm already stressed. Delta's pet policy is that to be in-cabin, the dog needs to be less than 20 pounds. Sheldon is 22. The soft crate needs to be a maximum of 18", Sheldon's is 19". I talked to a few different reps, and they said that both are so close that it won't be a problem. So, the next steps are to get Sheldon used to his crate.

Sheldon.

I almost didn't post this picture because it's so deceiving. I promise Sheldon actually fits in his crate, but this picture makes him look huge and the crate look small! He's just standing a lot closer to the camera than the crate is, I swear!

In other dog-related news, Sheldon went running with me last night for the first time since the Spring. Back in May, I had a horrifying experience when Sheldon saw some other dogs mid-run, and he thought that being friends with them was more important than my safety. So, he jetted in front of me, I tripped over him and got beat up pretty bad by the sidewalk. That's when he lost his running privileges. But last night we went on a very lightly-traveled path and had a great 2.5 mile run. I had my concerns, but I think he knows what he did wrong and he actually did really well. He still tries to set the pace sometimes, but that will just take practice.

Questions

Do you run with your dog?
Of all the goodies I get to pick up tomorrow, which would you be most excited about?
Am I crazy for trying to take my dog on a plane? The correct answer is, "yes."

B-fast Tofu Tortilla

2010-11-04T14:35:00.000-05:00

Last night I had leftovers. So not exciting.

See? Boring.

Which is why this morning's breakfast will be featured. As promised, I'm excited to share with you my latest obsession. Tofu Tortilla.

First dry out your tofu. I use 1/4 a block, and because I'm not fancy enough to own a tofu press, I just wrap it in paper towels and put it in a (not hot) Foreman. The weight of the grill seems to do the trick. As the tofu's drying, prep veggies.

Green peppers and broccoli.

On Tuesday I did green peppers and onion, on Wednesday I did green peppers and eggplant, and this morning I did green peppers and broccoli. Needless to point out I have a lot of green peppers that need to get eaten.

'Fu Scramble.

Next scramble up the tofu. I added just a smidge of oil, and then broke the tofu into egg-like pieces with a spatula. After a minute or two, add the veggies.

Veggies.

Let the veggies cook, depending on which you picked, for 2-4 minutes. Then add 1 tbsp nutritional yeast. Yep, an entire tablespoon.

Kinda looks like eggs, doesn't it?

After another minute or so, after the nutritional yeast is mixed in, wrap the goodies in a whole wheat tortilla. Then put it on the George Foreman to seal in the goodness.

The longer it sits on the Foreman, the gooier it gets. Just 2-3 minutes is long enough, and that will keep it pretty dry. Perfect if you need to eat while in the car. But, 5-7 minutes gets it all gooey and, although still edible by hand, is less reccomended if you need to be driving. My solution?

Tupperware.

My drive to work is anywhere from 20-30 minutes, so it just so happens that as soon as I get to work the hot gooeyness is cool enough to eat. Oh nom.

Questions

Do you usually eat protein at breakfast?
Do you ever eat breakfast in the car? Guilty...
Have you ever done wraps on the Foreman? What's your favorite grilled wrap stuffing?

Risk Taking

2010-11-03T11:23:00.003-05:00

I realize I really shouldn't admit this, but I'm going to anyways. After spending way too much time in line to go vote, I didn't get home til close to 6 o'clock. I was supersonic hungry. That's when I decided a stir-fry was in order. Stir-fry with substance, to be specific. How does one add substance to a stir-fry? By adding carbs.

With no instant rice in sight, I grabbed jasmine rice. Yep, the kind that takes 45 minutes. Well. Instead of just sitting there waiting for 45 minutes, I went on the elliptical. Outside of my apartment. I left rice cooking on the stove unattended. Well, Sheldon was there to watch it, but I don't think that counts. The workout room is just down the hall, but I still felt so guilty leaving the stove on! My elliptical sesh was just 20 minutes, so I was back with plenty of time. No harm no foul, right?

After my quickski jaunt--because that's the verb that goes with the elliptical, right? jaunt?--I started prepping the veggies.

Green Pepper, Cabbage, Broccoli, Bok Choy and Onion.

I don't know what it is with me and cabbage lately. First brussels sprouts, now this. It's just tasty.

Speaking of tasty.

My old standby. Veggies with teriyaki sauce over rice. Everything I need to be happy. For the record, I could only eat about half of this. The rest went in the fridge. Maybe for dinner tonight, or lunch tomorrow. Who knows at this point.

But now I'd like to talk about something that I never talk about. The morning. I always post about dinner, because that's usually when my most awesome meal is. Not lately. I've been getting up early to make tofu tortillas. And they're delicious. I haven't snapped a pic yet, but I will. And I'll share the amazing recipe with you.

I did want to show you this. Which is how unrealistically difficult it is to get up circa 5:30 a.m. and leave this lil guy in my warm and cozy bed.

Morning Sheldon.

Questions

Have you ever left a pot on the stove unattended?
Do you like cabbage? What do you eat it with?
What's your favorite meal: breakfast, lunch or dinner?

As promised

2010-11-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

Here are Halloween pictures. Friday night I went to a friend's new house, and we got our dance on.

An Owl, Indiana Jones, a Flamingo, a Showgirl and a Swan.

That would be me, the showgirl. Otherwise known as my 11th grade ice skating competition dress. I won a lot of competitions in that dress, believe it or not.

Dancin.

Saturday night we did more partying and less picture-taking. Which is why I have exactly one good picture of me as a bee. Just one. And "good" is debatable.

Imma bee.

Never mind my friend who's strategically cropped out of that picture. She was helping me put on my stinger. My favorite part of the entire weekend would be the number of people--myself included--who would just start randomly singing Black Eyed Peas. Imma bee, Imma bee, Imma Imma Imma bee...

With that out of the way, allow me to get back to normal posts and tell you about last night. I ran 2 miles in 19:36, and am officially ecstaticed to be under a 10 min/mile. Even though it was just two miles, I'm still really excited I could pull my time down! I also had my boo-tay handed to me on a silver platter via Hard-Body Workout C.

I'd like to share with you what is the hardest arm move of my life. The pushup and row. Grab two 5-pound dumbbells, one in each hand. Do a pushup, with your hands on the dumbbells instead of the ground. Once you get to the top of the pushup, row with one hand, bringing the weight straight up into your shoulder/arm socket. Then do another pushup, and row with the other hand. Holy cow, this was insane. The workout called for 12, so 24 pushups and 12 rows on each arm. I did six. And I'm not exagerating when I say it's difficult to lift a glass of water right now.

In preparation for the pain I knew I'd be in today, I had tofu for dinner. Yep, just tofu.

1/2 Block of 'Fu.

I need to figure out a way to get my appetite back after I workout. I had a supersonic huge lunch of, well, Sunday night's leftover veg explosion, so I knew I was good in the veggie department. So post-workout food was 'fu marinated in sesame garlic with parsley. That's it.

Questions

What were you for Halloween?
Have you ever tried a pushup and row?
And to my readers who run, is it better to run quickly and have to take breaks or run slower with no breaks?

Winner

2010-11-01T12:57:00.003-05:00

Sorry kids. Halloween pictures will have to wait until tomorrow. I know I promised I'd show you today, but I can't. The good picture is on my friend's camera, so I have to wait for her to send it to me before I can post it on here.

But in other news, did you know that I'm a winner? Allie from All I eat Food! hosted a giveaway from Nuttyguys.com. And, you guessed it, I won. I'm a big nut fan. I try hard not to buy them too frequently because a) they're expensive and b) I eat them all in a single sitting. Well, turns out I'm one lucky gal, because I won $25 worth of nuts, which works for me because I didn't have to pay for them, and there's way too many for me to eat all at once.

Nuts.

I chose walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts and pecans. I also chose wasabi cashews, but those were not photographed because I already ate them. Yes, the entire bag. I told you I have issues with nuts. But $25 for five 1/2 pound bags of nuts? Not too shabby if I don't say so myself.

The wasabi cashews were absolutely amazing. Just spicy enough to balance the sweetness of the cashews. Definitely worth a try.

As for the rest of it, I'm looking forward to incorporating them into dinners instead of just eating from the bag. Like last night.

Roast.

I roasted brussels sprouts with some carrots, green peppers, broccoli and onions. I was strangely not hungry at all for dinner--maybe because I ate all the wasabi cashews?--so I just had a baby bowl with some apple cider vinegar. Topped with toasted walnuts for extra deliciousness, compliments of course from the Nutty Guys.

Questions

Do you have a favorite kind of nut?
How often do you eat nuts?
Do you like wasabi-flavored things?

Big

2010-10-31T19:56:00.000-05:00

As always, on Friday I stopped by the Farmers Market to grab some goodies. It was officially the last Farmers Market of the season, so I kinda stocked up.

Veggies.

I found broccoli, potatoes, cilantro, bok choy, brussels sprouts, cabbage, butternut squash and green peppers. I really should start trying to get better at "eating the rainbow" as they say, but I can't help that a lot of the good veggies are green.

Did you happen to notice the size of that brussels sprouts stalk? I realize it's probably hard to tell on the table, so I took another photo so you can see just how big that monster is.

Taller than Sheldon.

I thought seriously about buying two stalks, and now I'm starting to think I should have. It's only been a weekend and I've been plowing through my veggies. Like a champ.

Saturday Morning Breakfast.

As for this weekend, I had two of my very good out-of-state friends fly in to spend Halloween in Minnesota. One even stayed with me, so I'm glad I got to spend so much time with her. We had parties both on Friday and Saturday, and I promise I'll post pictures for you tomorrow. They're, uh, a little ridiculous. In a good way.

Questions

Are you good at "eating the rainbow" or do you not focus on veggie color?
Do you buy brussels sprouts on the stalk?
What did you do for Halloween? Did you dress up?

Patience

2010-10-29T08:10:00.006-05:00

My very dear friends are very well aware of the fact that I lack patience. It's pretty much my new year's resolution every year--trying to be more patient. And that is the exact reason that I've always been way more into steaming or sauteing my veggies. We're talking ten minutes, tops, from start to finish.

I'm starting to learn the benefits of being patient, especially when it comes to squash. Last night I had my first encounter with Carnival Squash. Well, I've been staring at it for over two weeks now, but I actually ate it last night.

Squash Centerpiece on the Halloween Plate.

Yeah, my carnival squash has friends. As if yours doesn't.

Carnival Squash.

I really love the pattern on carnival squash. The green and orange almost look pixilated so it looks all techy. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

Anyways. First things first. Cut him in half and scoop out the seeds. Like so.

Halvsies.

Then, cut him into wedges. This is fairly easy in the sense that the ridges provide a place for your knife, but made less easy because it's a thick-skinned raw winter squash. Let's just say I called this my arm workout of the day.

Wedges and 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Then I threw them in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Yep. Twenty whole minutes. Then I flipped them over and roasted for another 25 minutes. That's right. The girl with no patience waited over 45 minutes for dinner.

And good thing I did.

Dinner.

Seriously, I can't begin to tell you how amazing this squash is. I topped it with a smidge of red wine vinegar, thyme and salt. That's it. It was so rich and filling. Exactly what I needed after my 4-mile run earlier in the evening. Just yum.

Skinless.

There were ten total wedges of squash. Care to guess how many I ate? I'll give you a hint. I ate all of it.

Questions

Are you patient?
How long does it usually take you to make dinner?
Have you ever had Carnival Squash?

Where's the Veggies?

2010-10-28T13:21:00.000-05:00

My fridge is so sadly empty. The only veggies in there are celery root, carrots, green peppers, eggplant, some hot peppers, sprouts and potatoes. What am I supposed to do with that?

Since last night I had an industry happy hour with some of the coolest people ever, I came home late and didn't feel like cooking. Especially with a lack of inspiring veggies. So, instead I went for carbs.

Banana Pancakes.

So unlike me. But it worked. And after dinner I spent a lovely half hour with this woman.

The Talented Denise Austin.

Twenty minutes of Yoga Body Burn and ten minutes of Yoga Relax to finish it off. My legs are still pretty sore from Hard-Body B earlier this week, so I didn't want to push it.

And in other news, I'm now a proud member of Daily Mile. If you have an account on there, please friend me! It looks like a great way to connect with people over workouts, so hopefully I'll be chit chatting with you over there, too.

Quesitons

How many days a week do you "happy hour?"
When's the last time you had breakfast for dinner? What did you have?
Are you a fan of workout at home DVD's? Who's your favorite instructor?

Order Does Matter

2010-10-27T13:22:00.000-05:00

I learned a great deal of things during last night's workout. First of all, I learned that you should never lift weights before you run. Instead, you should run and then lift weights.

When I got to the gym last night, there was Girl Who Runs A Lot on the treadmill. Judging by her lack of sweat, I could tell she had a ways to go. I thought about going back to the apartment for an hour or so until she was done, but instead I lifted. First. With this book.

The Book.

Does anyone else who has this book get irritated at the fact that her pants are see-through? It's weird. White pants, black text, I think they could have done better with the graphics. Anyways. This was the workout.

Hard-Body Workout B.

I did love the workout. It's filled with a lot of very weird exercises--like the cable pull through that has you lifting through your legs--but you can tell it totally kicks your butt. Workout B definitely focuses on your glutes, hams and lats. Oh and your abs. My stomach still hurts, which is awesome.

Do you know what's not awesome? Trying to get on a treadmill after you just completely exhausted your lower body. I've definitely made better life decisions. I made it for 15 minutes on the treadmill, barely over 1.3 miles if I remember correctly. And I was upset.

But instead of ending there all mad at myself for ruining a good run, I hopped on the bike. Yep, the bike. Because I knew the bike would keep my heart rate above 170 but my legs wouldn't be under so much stress. By the end my workout had included 35 minutes of lifting, 15 minutes of running and 15 minutes of biking. Not terrible, but have definitely done better.

Lesson Learned. When Girl Who Runs A Lot is on the treadmill: wait.

Per usual, I was not hungry after my workout. Which begs the question, do I workout before or after dinner? I still don't know. After work I grabbed some trail mix and had 1/2 cup edamame to prep for the workout, and then proceeded to work out from about 6-7:30 p.m. So that means at 7:30, I was done working out and not hungry at all. It was at 9 o'clock that I had to make a choice. Eat even though I'm not hungry, or just go to sleep?

Definitely eat.

Pita Pizza. Ready in under 5 minutes, and my version has about 200 calories. 100 for the pita, 50 for the sauce, 25 for the nutritional yeast and about 25 for the veggies. Eat then sleep is always the correct order.

Questions

Have you ever lifted first then tried to get your cardio in? Is it that difficult or am I just being a big baby?
Do you eat then workout, or workout then eat?
Do you have a version of Girl Who Runs A Lot at your gym? How do you handle it?

New

2010-10-26T11:45:00.000-05:00

I'm starting a new lifting routine. I used to dabble in the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises Bikini Workout, but it's time for a change.

On Sunday I completed the Hard-Body Workout A. The Bikini Workout had intense exercise in the form of an A and a B. The Hard-Body has fewer sets in the form of A, B and C. So instead of lifting for an hour twice a week, I'll be lifting for about a half hour three times a week. I really liked the workout on Sunday, so I'll let you know how I like Hard-Body B & C.

And since I lifted on Sunday, I also ate protein on Sunday.

Not New.

That would be tofu marinated in sesame garlic sauce tossed with broccoli, carrots, garlic, onion and bok choy. Nom.

Also not new, yesterday I went to Q. Cumbers for lunch with a friend. For those of you who don't know, Q. Cumbers is a very veggie-friendly buffet, featuring a 50-ft. salad bar. Sometimes I go a little overboard.

Veg Pile.

And in a very new kind-of-way, I also went out to eat for dinner last night. I had a work thing, so we ended up going to the Dakota Jazz Club downtown Minneapolis. Wine, live jazz, and an amazing vegetarian option--needless to say it was a lovely Monday night.

Pumpkin Risotto.

They didn't even list a vegetarian option on the menu, it was simply titled, "The Chef's Vegetarian Inspiration." In other words, it's whatever the chef feels like making that night. I was a huge fan of the pumpkin risotto, even though it had a bit too much cheese for what I'm used to.

Did I mention there was live jazz?

View from our booth.

It wasn't until after I got home that I realized why this picture was blurry. I left it on the "indoor close up" mode, rather than changing it to recognize faces. Oops. I guess that's the learning curve of new cameras.

And since my Monday included eating (a lot of) food, consuming wine and staying out late-ish, I ended with ten calming minutes of Vinyasa Yoga before bed.

Questions

When's the last time you switched up your workout routine?
Would you rather yoga in the morning or at night? Why?
Do you ever go to jazz clubs?

Green

2010-10-24T13:15:00.005-05:00

Not as in eco-friendly, but as in the color of my food yesterday.

On Friday I stopped at the Farmer's Market on my way home from work. That's where the greenery began.

Bok Choy, Green Peppers and Broccoli.

Thank you to everyone who commented yesterday and gave me advice on the sleeping vs. working out debacle. I decided to sleep. On Friday I had my very adult dinner of chips and salsa and went to sleep around 8 o'clock. I'm about the most boring 20-something ever.

On Saturday morning I woke up ready to get my life back on track. It took every ounce of motivation, but I hopped on the treadmill around 9 a.m. Hardest run of my life. Around mile 1.64 I really thought I was going to die. My nose was so stuffed I couldn't breathe, so my lungs were working extra hard. After a little internal pep talk, I convinced myself to make it to 2 miles. That's it. Just Two. And at 21:58, that's what I did. Even though an 11 minute mile is, well, kind of embarrassing, I'm honestly proud that I at least ran it. Take that, sickness!

Then I met a few friends and we went to the Mall of America to do some birthday present shopping. We had lunch at Wolfgang Puck Express, where I found yet another explosion of greenery.

Veg Sammie with a side of Organic Greens.

Unfortunately, the purpose of the trip was to get a present for a friend, so no, I didn't actually end up getting anything for me. Which I'm okay with.

When we were shopping, a friend kept talking about how she's been roasting everything lately. You guys know I'm a bigger fan of steaming and sauteing, but after awhile roasting was starting to sound pretty good. So that's what I did for dinner.

Started with some more greenery.

Brussels Sprouts.

I don't know why, but I still think it's so strange that this is how brussles sprouts grow. After cutting the sprouts from the stem, I added some carrots, onions, garlic and broccoli to my roastin' pan.

Dinner, Pre-Roast.

I added 1 tbsp of grapeseed oil and roasted at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes. After the veggies were done, I added 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. I'd like to go on record and say that was a brilliant idea.

Dinner. Full of Greenery.

Questions

Do you like Brussels Sprouts? What do you eat them with?
What's your favorite way to prepare veggies? Steam, saute or roast?
Have you ever added vinegar to veggies? If not, I'd suggest you try it soon...

Common Cold or Narcolepsy?

2010-10-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

I'm only kind of kidding. I've already shared with you my severe addiction to sleep. Last night, I fell asleep at 8 o'clock. Luckily I woke up in time to catch the end of Project Runway, but still. I just could not keep my eyes open.

Before sleep, I did manage to assemble some sort of dinner. Evident below.

Pasta.

I promise, there is spaghetti in there. It's just covered with a monumental amount of edamame, eggplant, garlic, green onions and tomatoes. No sauce. And topped with basil, of course.

The unfortunate aspect of all of this is that since I can't even manage to stay awake to sit quietly on the couch, a workout was completely out of the question. Before bed (after my nap) I did cycle through a few Vinyasa yoga sequences to at least stretch out my muscles, but even that was difficult.

Stupid cold.

Questions

Did you watch Project Runway last night? Michael's breakdown was pretty intense...
What are your favorite pasta pairings?
Should I try to workout tonight, or just keep sleeping through the cold?

I Have the Worst Immune System Ever

2010-10-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

Seriously. I'm sick all the time. I'm starting to think I have some sort of immune disorder that allows me to get sick every other week.

Currently infecting my body: the common cold.

Last night my dinner included Amy's Alphabet Soup with 1 cup of edamame.

Comfort.

After eating my soup like a 90-year-old woman, I had some toast. It was the last of my farmer's market wild rice bread, and it was delicious.

Toast.

I crawled into bed at 7 p.m. and watched The Blind Side. Everyone kept telling me how good that movie was, but I wasn't super impressed. I mean it was fine, I just thought it was going to be way better. And then, as fate would have it, I woke up around 2 a.m. just feeling like crap. Stuffy nose, super sore throat, and achy muscles. Not fun. I popped in Sex and the City (the movie) and managed to watch the entire thing. I probably fell back asleep around 4:30 this morning. Ick.

Questions

Do you get sick a lot? Or does your immune system love you?
Do you work out when you're sick?
Have you seen the Blind Side? What did you think?

Run

2010-10-20T11:12:00.000-05:00

Without even trying, I ended up taking Chelsea's advice last night. I'm trying to get on a consistent running schedule to prep for my 1/2 marathon in May, so it's all about distance and time. How far did I run? How long did it take me? Was I faster or slower than last time?

Yesterday after I work I laced up my sneaks and went for a run outside. We're lucky it's been a gorgeous October, but I still haven't ran outside in quite awhile. So I headed for my normal 4-mile path. Down the road, to the lake, around the lake, and back. Well guess what. About a mile in, as soon as I reached the lake, my iPod died. So not only did I not get to listen to my music, but my Nike + is also connected to my iPod. Meaning that run is untrackable.

So rather than getting all upset and heading home, I just ran. No music, no time, no distance. I know it's about 4 miles, but I took the bike path on the outside so it was a little longer, and I cut one corner on the other side of the lake so maybe it was a little shorter. The point is that I have no way of knowing. It was kind of nice. I did have to take one 15-second stretch break because my calves were so tight, but other than that I was able to run the entire thing.

After I got home, I just sat. With the puppy. I'm never hungry after a run, it takes a few hours before I can convince myself to eat. Not sure why that is. But when I got around to making dinner, I came up with this.

Dinner.

For the whole protein aspect I had 1/2 cup of edamame with a smidge of low sodium teriyaki sauce and a glass of chocolate soy milk. For the main course I opted for pita pizza. Since I like thin crust, I cut the pita in half to make it uber-thin. Then I sauteed garlic with some eggplant, and tossed that on the pizza with tomato sauce, nutritional yeast and some onions.

I love Pita Pizza.

The night ended with me relaxing while watching Biggest Loser. Relaxing because I knew I already had my workout in for the day, and it felt great.

Questions

Have you ever ran an "untrackable" run? How did it go?
Do you eat right away after your workouts or does it take you awhile to get hungry?
What are your favorite pizza toppings?

Lentil Balls

2010-10-19T08:53:00.000-05:00

Last night's dinner really excites me. Only because it was one of those, "throw everything in the food processor and hope it works," situations. And it worked.

First of all, I made a stop at my beloved TJ's.

$24.

That's where the inspiration came from.

Black Beluga Lentils.

You mean they're fully cooked? So I don't have to waste a day soaking them and another several hours cooking them? Score.

Black Beluga Lentil Balls

1 package of Black Beluga Lentils

3 carrots

3 parsnips

1 green onion

1 big garlic clove

1/3 cup panko crumbs

salt

Combine in Food Processor.

Process.

Form into balls and heat stove-top.

Balls.

I know what you're thinking. How did I get them to stick together without eggs? Answer. Not very well. They stood up enough to stay in ball-form, but crumble fairly easily. Which you may think is a downside, but crumbly beans are actually quite delicious.

Lentil Balls and Spaghetti Squash.

You may notice that it's on the circle plate. As you may or may not recall, circle plate is huge, square plate is tiny. I was too excited and couldn't portion correctly, so only ended up eating about half this. The other half will be today's lunch.

Crumbly.

To review, Black Beluga Lentil Balls are delicious. I think I could do without the panko bread crumbs next time. They are a little dry, but not in a bad way. This recipe made 12 balls, six of which went into the spaghetti squash dinner and six of which I snitched straight from the fridge while watching Monday night TV. Yep. They're good enough to eat plain from the fridge.

Questions

Have you ever had black beluga lentils?
Do you ever play the "throw it in the food processor and hope it works" game?
Have you ever made your own faux meatballs? How'd it go?

Muscle Fuel

2010-10-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

Otherwise known as protein. As a (primarily vegan) vegetarian, I rarely get enough protein. I'm trying to get better, I really am, but it's just so dang difficult when I'd rather eat broccoli.

I had an hour-long lift sesh on Saturday morning, so I knew that if I wanted to maintain my ability to walk without looking like a duck, I'd really have to up the protein. So I started with lunch on Saturday.

25 grams of protein

That would be Friday's leftover Eight Vegetable Stir-Fry with 1/2 block of tofu. I figure 20 grams of protein from the tofu and five from the veggies.

Dinner was less substantial.

17 grams of protein

That would be some cherry tomatoes halved, a half of an avocado and a Lightlife Mushroom Burger. With ketchup.

Now before you even think about going all Marie Claire on me, allow me to share this fun fact with you. Remember that loaf of bread I bought from the farmer's market on Friday? There are two slices left. Two. So by no means is this all I ate on Saturday. Just to set the record straight. I eat a lot.

Sunday started out with yet another protein-attempt.

20 grams of protein

In my 'fu scramble is 1/2 block of tofu, 2 kohlrabis--is that the plural of kohlrabi? It looks like rabies. Anyways.--1 green onion, some black sesame seeds and 1 tbsp nutritional yeast. Then I went to my parents' house for some spag squash and other comfort foods of sorts. Hooray for protein!

How did Project Protein Overdose turn out? Fairly successful. I'm still sore, don't get me wrong, but I've definitely been more sore. Conclusion: be an adult and eat more protein. Even if you don't want to.

Also, for those of you who were asking about the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises, I'd highly recommend it. Especially since I was lifting-illiterate before buying the book, it's an easy way to get started on a strength training routine that really whips you into shape. It'll make you super sore, that's for sure.

As for Sheldon, he had a productive weekend of napping. He was so relaxed he couldn't even be bothered to lift his head for the picture.

Puppy Love

Questions

Have you tried any workouts from the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises? What's your favorite?
When are your best workouts, on the weekdays or weekends?
Do you have a good vegan protein source you think I should try?

Eight

2010-10-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

Friday is Farmers Market Day. Luckily there's a small market on my drive home from work, with maybe 15 or so farmers.

Cute, huh?

So what's in season in Minnesota in October?

Apples.

And Squash.

This week was (sadly) my very last CSA, so I already have organic parsnips, carrots, potatoes, celery root, onions and beets chillin' in my fridge. Needless to say, I didn't end up buying a ton.

Eight Dollars.

A few weeks ago Julie mentioned she tried going to the farmers market but left empty handed because it was so expensive. Which sucks. I bought garlic for $1, eggplant for $1, kohlrabi for $1, green onions for $1 and bread for $4. Totaling $8. It would have been a lot cheaper if I didn't buy the bread, but I'm trying to support the local little guys.

Truth time. Last night was my first experience with kohlrabi. Seriously. I never got it it in my CSA, and before yesterday I was pretty scared to try it. But hey, for $1 I thought it was worth the risk. I was chitty chatting with the farmer and she gave me some ideas on what to do with it. I decided a simple veg stir fry was in order.

Eight Vegetables.

In my veg stir fry: green onions, kohlrabi and eggplant from the farmers market, red pepper, broccoli and carrots from the CSA, and mushrooms and bamboo shoots from the grocery store. Hey, not everything can be organic and local. I try.

To make veg stir fry, simply chop everything into bite-size pieces and saute with some oil. Then add 2 tbsp low-sodium teriyaki sauce. Easy peasy.

Questions

What's in season where you are?
Have you ever had Kohlrabi? What did you do with it?
What are your favorite vegetables to stir fry?

Impulse Purchase

2010-10-15T10:35:00.000-05:00

Oh yes I did. I'm the new proud parent of a Canon SD1300. I'm joining Erica, Jessica and Mellissa in team Canon now--thanks for your suggestions! Even though I did play around with the Nikon S3000 as suggested by Kelsey, just because of the food setting (which is awesome, by the way), I ended up going with a new Canon. So that means blog posts will now start to include food pictures again. Thankfully.

I really wish my camera was ready for last night, because I had a lovely evening. A friend of mine ran a marathon 2 weeks ago, and now she's in "recovery" mode. Which is perfect, because I'm a new runner and in "I'm not very fast yet" mode. So we went for a quick jaunt along the river. According to my Nike+, it was 2.55 miles, 27:33, so an average 10:46/mile. It also claims 269 calories, but I'm less concerned with that.

Here's where the night got interesting. After the run, we cleaned ourselves up and went to Stanley's in NE. That's Northeast, not Nebraska for those of you confused. Two and a half beers later we decided food was a good idea, so we headed back to her house for dinner.

My friend has this bomb recipe for black bean burgers that I'll be veganizing and recreating for you all within the next few weeks. It had just enough spice to warm you up without being too hot. She's good like that. She also made this amazing spinach and arugula salad with CSA goodies, so it really was a great dinner.

Running + Beer + Dinner = Happy Heidi

Questions

Have you ever drank after running? Yeah...
Do you have a recipe for homemade black bean burgers?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you to see pictures on here again?

33:26

2010-10-14T07:59:00.002-05:00

Let's see how interesting I can make a blog post without pictures. First of all, thank you to everyone who chimed in with camera suggestions. I have every intention of printing it out and just bringing it to Best Buy with an announcement of, "I need a camera, this is what I know."

I do have news. It's pretty exciting news, actually. First of all, as a little test, on Tuesday I chose the "5k" setting on the treadmill. Now, since I hate treadmills it wasn't my most productive run, but it took me 33 minutes and 26 seconds to complete it. This is where I am. Right now. 33:26.

May 1, 2011 will be my first half marathon. Yikes, right? The good news is that I've got the time to train. That and I already signed up so I actually have to train. First things first, getting on a consistent running schedule. I'm more of a "work out when I feel like it" kinda gal, so this might be a bit of a challenge. But at least I have several months to ease my way into it.

In addition to running, I've also started lifting again. Unfortunately this excessive amount of work lately has left me feeling a bit blah, so I'm ready to get back into a more steady fitness routine. Tuesday night I ran the 5k and chose Bikini Workout A in the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises. If you don't recall me complaining excessively about how difficult those workouts are, just know they're intense. So, 33:26 of cardio and about an hour of lifting.

Wednesday, otherwise known as last night, I took the puppy on a lovely hour-long walk/hike. Next to the dog park we frequent is this fab 2.8 mile hiking trail. It's extremely hilly, so my legs get a good workout even though it's just a walk. This is one of those situations where I wish I had a camera because the leaves in Minnesota are gorg-to-the-ous. Bright red, orange and yellow--that and the ones on the ground crunch when you walk on them. I like that. And, unfortunately, this place will probably look like the tundra by the time I get around to buying a camera. Booh.

Questions

Have you ever ran a half marathon? Any tips for me?
Anyone else loving all the fall colors as much as I am?
What's the difference between a walk and a hike? I mean, really.

Hiatus

2010-10-11T07:48:00.001-05:00

Well hello OCTOBER. Where did you come from? So I took what I thought was a few days off of blogging, and here it is. October 11th.

Holy cow.

So to give you a brief update: Sheldon and I are still alive. I've been working 10-12 hours a day, and sometimes on the weekends. It's just the busy time, apparently. So I go to work, I cook food, I bring Sheldon to the dog park. This is my life.

In other news, my camera broke. Yep. B-r-oken. So I'm going to need to invest in a new one, I suppose. But since I know nothing of cameras, this will be quite the adventure. The one I was using was an old Nikon, purchased for my study abroad trip in college. Now that I take pictures of food 'n stuff, I'm not quite sure what to get. Or how much I need to spend. Or really anything involved with photography. Hopefully I'll venture out this week and try and track one down.

Questions

Have you ever taken a break from blogging? How long was it for?
What kind of camera do you have? Do you like it?
What kind of camera should I get? How many MP? Any features I need for pretty food pictures?

Minnesota, How I've Missed You

2010-09-29T11:04:00.000-05:00

It's good to be home. Not that I didn't enjoy eating at the amazing restaurants in Asheville, but I can't tell you how nice it is to just make my own dinner.

Like last night.

Organic Blue Corn Chips & Homemade Corn Salsa

Corn Salsa

3 ears of corn

1/4 red pepper

1/8 red onion

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp grapeseed oil

cilantro

salt

Chop. Combine. Devour.

I have a camera full of photos from Asheville, and I'll get to posting those. But right now I'm just excited to be sleeping in my own bed, driving my own car, and eating my own food.

Questions

Have you ever been to Asheville?
What's your favorite city to travel to? Why?
Because I'm about an entire week behind on my Google Reader, what did I miss?

Greetings from Asheville!

2010-09-25T06:51:00.000-05:00

That's right. I'm not chllin in Minnesota this weekend, I'm experiencing the gorgeous 80 degree temps of Asheville, NC. Even though I really wanted to meet up with Megan, apparently Asheville is nowhere near where she is.

I'm already so supersonic behind on telling you guys what I've been up to, so I'm just going to start with Wednesday. AKA Plane day.

Bfast at MSP Airport. Organic Hemp Seed Bagel with Peanut Butter and Naked Juice.

Lunch at CLT. Santa Fe Salad.

App at Asheville Hotel. Tomato Basil Bisque Soup.

And dindin. The only vegetarian-able option on the menu. Noodles, tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms.

What am I doing in North Carolina, you ask? Well, I'm here for work. And by work I mean this fantastic blogging conference called the Type A Mom Conference. No, I'm not a mom (unless you count Sheldon) but this is a great group of women who are really determining what new media looks like.

I'm also here with some awesome clients, but what's most nerve-racking for me is the fact that I'm speaking!! There's a session today--yes today--that centers around how PR professionals (such as myself, in this case) can best get along with bloggers. Wish me luck!

Questions

Do you eat at airports? What do you normally get?
Have you been to a blog conference? Which one(s)?
Do you work with PR professionals for reviews and/or giveaways? What's your experience been?

How to Stuff Squash

2010-09-21T13:18:00.000-05:00

First, pour yourself a glass of wine. This is important, so please don't skip this step.

Blue Fin Pinot Noir.

Next, chop off the top of your acorn squash. If he (or she) can't stand up by itself, cut the bottom to make a flat surface. Scoop out seeds. Steam upside down (open-side down) for 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your carb. Might be rice, might be noodles, but I chose Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend of couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa.

Then prepare your veg stuffing. I went with carrots, leeks and garlic.

Veg stuffing.

Saute your veg stuffing for 3-4 minutes then combine with your carb.

Carb + Veg = Complete Stuffing

Place stuffing in squash. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve.

Dinnahhhhh

If you didn't cut a big enough piece out of the top and find yourself foraging inside the squash for food, feel free to split open and devour. Like so.

Mushey deliciousness.

Questions

Have you ever stuffed squash? What do you put in yours?
What's your favorite kind of wine? I love Pinot Noir lately.
Did you watch House and/or Gossip Girl and/or Hoarders last night? I'm open to having in depth discussions about any and all of those (amazing) shows.

Weird

2010-09-20T08:40:00.000-05:00

There are very few words that can describe my food choices this weekend, including uncharacteristic, strange and weird.

Exhibit A: Domino's Pizza. With Wine.

Greasy Pizza.

We helped a very dear friend move into her new house this weekend, and this was the "Thank you for helping us move" present. I liked it.

An early dinner.

Half is dinner, half is breakfast. On the left, tofu broccoli scramble with leeks and soy sauce, and on the right, hashbrowns. It made sense at the time.

Steel Cut Oats.

Normally I don't eat oatmeal. It's not a favorite of mine. But when I woke up on Sunday hungry for carbs, it sounded like a satisfying way to start the day. Plus I threw some honey in there, so it's like dessert.

And for the final weirdness of the weekend, squash.

What is this even?

One of the (many) benefits of a CSA is that you're forced to eat things you might not have bought at the store. I have no idea what kind of squash this is. No clue. Yet I made a delicious pasta dish out of it. Let's call it Mystery Squash Pasta.

Mystery Squash Pasta

1 Mystery Squash

Squiggley Noodles

1/2 inch leek, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp dried thyme

oil

Put the mystery squash in the microwave for 2-3 minutes to let the skin separate from the flesh. After it cools, cut off the skin. Then scoop out the seeds and chop into 1" cubes. Cook the cubes in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of squash water.

Meanwhile, cook squiggley noodles according to package directions. Heat leeks and garlic in oil until they begin to turn translucent. Add 1/2 cup of squash water and thyme. Cook until water reduces by about half, then add squash and squiggley noodles. Enjoy.

Mystery Squash Pasta!

Confession: Mystery Squash Pasta is inspired by my favorite cookbook's recipe for Butternut Squash with Thyme something-or-other. Lesson learned: Squash is squash. And by squash I mean delicious.

Questions

What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? What about weird combos?
What's your favorite cookbook?
Do you know what kind of squash that is?

Refocus

2010-09-17T10:07:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who commented yesterday. Sometimes you just need to refocus and say out loud what you're trying to do. I'm thinking about turning yesterday's post into a to do list of sorts and cross them out as I go. Nothing like ambitious goal setting to start the weekend.

I even tackled one of my wants yesterday - I want to spend more time outside, before outside becomes an ice box.

So Sheldon and I spent an hour at the dog park last night. If you're wondering why I don't post more pictures of him, it's because he won't hold still.

Blurry Sheldog.

To make yesterday even better, it was CSA day. Remember I only have a half share, meaning I get a box every other week. This week we got a lot of squash.

Veg Nirvana from Loon Organics.

That would be arugula, basil, beets, carrots, onions, red pepper, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, cauliflower, cabbage and potaters. I do love how Loon Organics gives us a newsletter each week that explains what is all in the box and gives a few recipes. A CSA is about the greatest idea ever. Please consider getting one next year if you don't already have one. Eat local!

So for dinner I tackled yet another want - I want to eat more beans. Seriously. So I settled on a very black-bean-heavy burrito.

Spinach Burrito. That's shaped like a fish.

There was way too much "stuff" in this burrito, so I just wrapped it the best I could and threw it on the Foreman. And I do mean threw.

Nom nom nom.

In the burrito of nomminess is cilantro lime rice, black beans, red pepper and leek. I'm really digging the spinach tortillas lately. But, surprise surprise, I was absolutely still hungry after this. Do you know why? Lack of veggies. Don't worry, I changed that.

CSA salad!

Normally people eat salads first, but I don't care. This was my dessert. In this nutrient-filled heap of deliciousness is arugula and tomatoes from the CSA, leeks from the farmers market, sweet peppers from my mama's garden and cucumbers. In other words, this is a very Minnesotan dessert.

Questions

Are you feeling fall yet? Are you excited for the cooler temps or do you miss summer?
Do you get a CSA? What's been in your boxes lately?
What's your favorite fall vegetable?

Wants

2010-09-16T09:46:00.000-05:00

I want to spend less time in front of a computer and more time with my friends.

I want to drink less coffee and drink more tea.

I want to like vegetables less and eat fruit more.

I want to workout without the TV on.

I want to teach my dog new tricks.

I want to be stronger, even if that means lifting weights and eating more protein.

I want to spend more time outside, before outside becomes an ice box.

I want to walk without a destination.

I want to spend less time sleeping and more time living.

I want to run farther than I've ever run before.

I want to have a clear answer when people ask why I'm a vegetarian.

I want to eat more beans. Seriously.

I want to bake my own bread.

I want to start caring about what I put on my body as much as I care about what I put in my body.

I want to go to an apple orchard.

I want to do a pull up.

I want to spend more time thanking the people who have changed my life.

I want to actually pay off my credit card.

I want to save. Money, face, the planet...

I want to be a better person.

Question

What do you want?

Healthy Fat

2010-09-14T09:20:00.001-05:00

If it's a fruit or vegetable, I eat it. So what if 'cados have 250ish calories? They're delicious and make me happy. Instead of making a legit "dinner" as one may call it, I had chips and guac.

Dinnah.

Sidenote: If you haven't tried the Veggie Flaxseed Tortilla Chips from TJ's yet, you're not living life to the fullest. You need these tortilla chips.

Guac!

4 'cados

1/2 inch of leek, finely diced

1 sweet pepper of choice (or jalapeno if you live life on the edge)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

juice from 1/2 lime

cilantro

salt

Cut, Smash and Combine. Easy Peasy.

You may notice that leek is now my onion of choice. Salads, stir fries, whatever. If it says onion, I add leek. It's a nice flavor change.

In other news, you may or may not remember me telling you about my friend who recently moved to Chicago. Well, homegirl just finished her second half marathon to the tune of 1:40. She makes me want to be a runner. Also, she's started cooking. She made curry with tofu for the first time on Thursday, and look how it turned out!

Chicago Curry!

I'm so proud of her.

Questions

Do you make your own guac? Do you make it spicy?
Have you ever tried the veg/flax chips from TJ's?
Do you have any *really easy* recipes for my friend in Chicago? Links, please!

Farmers Market x2

2010-09-13T08:37:00.002-05:00

I need to learn to start posting on the weekends, because every Monday I have way more to say than I think you want to read.

As always, on my way home from work on Friday I made a stop at the Farmer's Market. However, this week I decided to supplement my veggies with some carbs a la Mattison's dill bread.

Beets, Basil, Cilantro, Leeks and Dill Bread

I've had an eggplant in the fridge from the CSA, and when I went to make Baba Ghanoush I realized the only ingredients I have for it is the eggplant, garlic and salt. The logical thing would be to go to the store to get the remaining ingredients and make it later.

Baba Ghanoush minus the Ghanoush. So just baba.

Roasted eggplant tossed in the food processor with garlic and salt. The verdict? Simply delicious. So delicious I put it in my burger wrap.

Veg Burger Wrap. Again.

Saturday was the much-anticipated Minnesota Blogger Conference. It was amazing. My favorite session was an overview of CSS for Wordpress. This (obviously) isn't in Wordpress, but the majority of my work stuff is. Things were learned.

The downside of a mainstream conference is mainstream food. Tuna salad or egg salad? No me gusta. So, I grabbed some newfound friends and walked two blocks to the farmers market during the conference lunch. That's when I made this.

Cucumbers and Hummus.

Now that's lunch. I even had some leftover cucumbers that I used to make a delicioso sammie when I got home.

Sammie with dill bread, baba, lettuce, leeks, cucumbers and tofu.

You kids know by now I go a little nuts for breakfast on Sunday. It's the best weekend food ever. Especially when you can make a color explosion breakfast.

Purple hashbrowns and tofu scramble with mystery sweet pepper from the CSA and leeks.

I'm now in love with purple potatoes. Not as if they taste any different than normal potatoes, but they're just colorful and make me happy. Do you know what else makes me happy?

Chipotle Salad.

There's lettuce in there somewhere, I swear. But yes, you're right. The most of that bad boy is corn, tomatoes, black beans and guac. N-to-the-OM.

So how does one end a weekend of fabulous eats? With beets, of course.

Beets + Salt.

El fin.

Questions

What are your favorite farmers market finds?
Have you ever made Baba Ghanoush? How'd it turn out?
What's your favorite weekend breakfast?

One Question

2010-09-10T10:08:00.000-05:00

Grapes

Bee

Turtle

Doctor

Submarine

All photos and costumes are from Target.

Question

What should Sheldon be for Halloween?

Copying

2010-09-08T14:39:00.000-05:00

Truth: The burger I posted in yesterday's Wordless Weekend is without a doubt the best veggie burger in the Twin Cities. Found at the one and only Joe's Garage. According to the menu this little gem is:

Southwestern Veggie black bean, corn & falafel with asiago, avocado, and pico de gallo in a flour tortilla with a side of chipotle ranch

Yep. Delish. So yesterday I went to TJ's to see if I couldn't do a decent copy of this non-burger in wrap.

Twenty Dollars worth of food

Shopping spree includes waffles, two packs of tofu, persian cucumbers, avocado, spinach tortillas, horseradish hummus, veg burgers, chocolate almond milk and marinara sauce. I love this shopping trip because I haven't boughten waffles in at least two years. It just sounded like a good idea at the time.

As for the horseradish hummus, that's okay. Not my favorite. I'm going to say good in moderation, but if you want to have more than two tablespoons of hummus in a single sitting I'd vote getting a less-intense flavor.

Okay. Anyways. Burger.

Veg burger with avocado, red peppers, onions and ketchup in a spinach tortilla. With almond milk.

The verdict? Definitely not the same thing, but I'm going to make a notion. All burgers should be served in wraps. Way better than buns. That way you can taste the veggies inside instead of just a mouthful of bread.

Questions

What's your favorite burger joint?
Do you have a favorite hummus flavor?
Have you ever had a burger in a wrap?

Nevermind Wordless Wednesday, This is Wordless Weekend

2010-09-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

Veg

2010-09-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

So I know the title of this post is kind of crap, because isn't every post on here about vegetables in some way? I know. Total cop out.

I had some very boring errands to run after work, so except for grabbing beers with an industry friend, I really didn't do anything exciting last night. I wanted to check out the pet carriers for Sheldog's Flight Adventure 2010, but did not make it to a pet store. Hopefully I can check some out tonight, because according to my vet we need to start training ASAP.

Do you know what's not boring? Vegetables.

Salad Mountain

I know you're sitting there thinking, "But I thought she had square plates? What's she doing with a circle plate?!" Don't be alarmed. Square plates are about half the size of circle plates for portion control reasons. However, when making salads, portion control is a non-issue.

Buried in this Asian-inspired heap of greenery is five lettuce blend, cucumbers, some sweet peppers from my mama's garden, red onions and sprouts. I went a little overboard with the sprouts, but I'm okay with that.

Questions

Do you theme your salads? Asian, Mexican, etc?
What do your plates look like? Do you have a favorite plate?
Are you excited for Project Runway tonight, or what?

Planning

2010-09-01T09:39:00.000-05:00

I'm planning a vacation, but I can't tell you when and where. Not yet. I can tell you it will be for an extended period of time and it involves air travel. So top of my list this week is figuring out how to bring this guy on a plane.

Pirate scarf and snuggie. Double threat.

Trying to be as humane as possible, the goal is to get this 24 pound monster into a box that's 9x17x12. I talked with my vet, and even though it's not the best idea, it is better than leaving him at a kennel for that long. So. I'm going to buy a flight-ready bag (all of them are for use with dogs up to 20 lbs. Great.) and we'll start practicing. We're even going to do practice runs with the drugs, just to make sure we give him enough that he'll be comfortable but not too much it slows his heart excessively.

I'll keep you updated on Plane Training. I'll probably buy the carrier this weekend. Ugh, there goes $75.

As for meals, last night I had rainbow explosion.

Halfsies.

On the left, eightball zucchini, striped eggplant and tofu smothered in pesto. On the right, blue potatoes with vegan butter and garlic powder. My eyes were way bigger than my stomach and I only ended up eating about half of this. The rest is currently sitting in the fridge at work patiently awaiting lunchtime.

Instead of working out last night, I spent my time cleaning the apartment. It was overdue, I'm going to be honest. I also took fridge inventory, looking at what produce I have so I can start thinking about this week's meals. Guess what I found out?

There's over a dozen tomatoes in there.

My parents always have extra tomatoes, and I love salsa. The logical conneciton is that I'd take their tomatoes and make salsa. I'm going to have to hop to the store and grab some cilantro, but I think I'm going to enter mass production mode and live on salsa for a few weeks. Good idea, huh? Speaking of lacking protein...

Questions

Have you ever traveled with a pet? Any tips?
Do I get the cute pet carrier from Target or the practical carrier from PetSmart?
What else should I do with all these tomatoes?

Protein

2010-08-31T09:08:00.001-05:00

Monday was a good day. Not only does Comedy Central have their Happy Hour with four episodes of It's Always Sunny, but I had a great workout and an even better dinner.

After work, I headed straight to my workout room and hopped on the elliptical. Only 20 minutes, but burned some 320 calories. Then I did workout six from the "15 Minute Workouts" in the Big Book of Exercises. I didn't pick up more than 5 lb dumbbells, but it was an intense workout. I adore that book.

According to this book of genius, you're supposed to eat protein right after your workout. Not one to break the rules, I nom'ed on a Morning Star vegan burger with ketchup before hopping in the shower. Call it an appetizer.

Ketchup art.

Since my birthday was last week, I had a coupon for Noodles & Co. Not one to turn down free food, I had to use it yesterday before it expired. But heaven forbid I go to Noodles and get noodles. I got veggies.

Chinese Chop Salad with Tofu.

So, 12g protein from the veg burger, 6g from the salad and 16g from the tofu. So 34g. And that's me trying to eat protein. Keep in mind my lunch was a salad with tomatoes, onions and red pepper. Not exactly a lunch fit for body builders. Maybe my excessive tiredness is from a lack of straight up protein.

I also went to Target and nabbed a multivitamin. Fun fact: I hate swallowing pills. They always feel like they get stuck in my throat and it leaves a gross coating. Anyways. I bought them, and I've decided I'm going to take them with dinner. I had one last night, so we'll see if they make me feel any better.

Questions

Do you take a multivitamin? What brand/kind?
Do you like Noodles? The Chop Salad is Ah-mazing.
How much protein do you get a day? Do you count?

Home

2010-08-30T08:18:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, lovelies! I know I usually don't include pictures of lunch, but Friday was an exception. I met some of my industry friends at Q. Cumbers for lunch. What is Q. Cumbers you ask? Well. It's like Old Country Buffet but 90% salad bar. I'm talking unlimited vegetables. In other words, Basil Vodka Utopia.

Plate Number One. Cactus Black Bean Soup, a gigantasaurus salad, potato salad, roll and med pasta salad.

No, I'm really not going to tell you just how many plates I had. I can tell you it was way more than just the first plate. Surprise, surprise, the gigantic lunch meant I did not want dinner. But I made some anyways.

Steamed Pattypan, Eightball, Eggplant with a titch of Peanut Satay Sauce.

I took about two bites before realizing that I really really wasn't hungry, so I threw it in the fridge for later. Then on Saturday I headed home. Recap: I live in the thriving metropolitan area that is the Twin Cities of Minnesota. My parents live in rural Minnesota. They have chickens. They also have a fantastic garden that I treat as my own personal supermarket.

There is so much food in there, you have no idea.

On Saturday morning, before the long drive to my parents' house, Sheldon and I stopped at Walser Subaru for their Homeward Bound Dog Adoption Event. I'm not looking to adopt another dog, but with a $10 donation to the shelter Sheldon got a gift bag and a wash. He definitely needed the wash. Also, I feel like he needed this pirate bandanna.

Tough guy.

Arrrgh!

So after a relaxing weekend home, I spent Sunday night back in the cities snuggled up with Season Three of Mad Men. Do you remember when I made that squash and didn't eat it? Well.

Friday's leftovers become Sunday's dinner.

Livened up with TJ's Harvest Blend of Orzo, Quinoa and other delish grains. With Peanut Satay, of course.

Thanks for all your suggestions about my energy issues. I did get my priorites straight and instead of doing happy hour with industry friends on Friday I made myself workout. 45 minutes on the treadmill for about 3.5 miles. That's not so good. But I do hate the treadmill...hopefully it will cool off so I can run outside again. I also did one of the bite-sized 15 minute workouts from the Big Book of Exercises and I'm still sore.

I'm thinking about hopping over to Target tonight to get one of these "multivitamins" everyone seems to be so fond of. Thanks for all your help!

Questions

Do you like Eggplant?
Do you have leftovers frequently? Do you love them or hate them?
Are you watching Mad Men? I'm only on season three so don't ruin anything for me!

Blue

2010-08-27T08:16:00.001-05:00

Thanks for being so supportive about my lack of life enthusiasm lately. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's gotten off track for weeks.

Last night I did do some minimal strength training while watching Project Runway. I have 5-lb hand weights, so I was doing bicep curls, some lunges and other very arm-focused exercises. Bad news though, apparently this was not the best idea. I got nauseous while doing it. It wasn't even anything intense--it's 5 pounds!

So the conclusion is that there's definitely something going on that I don't know about. Chelsea brought up a good point, that low iron levels make you really tired, and apparently it's common in vegetarians. Is that the same as hemoglobin? I gave blood two weeks ago and my hemoglobin was 13.5. The nurses at the blood center said that was high for girls, but maybe that's not the same as iron?

I should probably go get myself checked out. Or put on my big girl pants and deal with it, either one.

In other, better news, dinner was amazing. Remember that recipe I wanted to try in Edible TC? Well. It's delicious, even when you change 50% of the ingredients.

Minnesota Vegan Potato Salad
1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
5-7 blue potatoes
2 green onions, chopped
7-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 block tofu, baked

1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
oregano, to taste
salt
pepper

Boil blue potatoes until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and chop into bite-sized peices. Combine potatoes with green pepper, cucumber, onions, tomatoes and tofu. In a separate bowl, combine oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss the veggies with the dressing. Serve room temperature or chilled. Enjoy!

This recipe is called the 'Minnesota' Vegan Potato Recipe because the blue potatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onions and tomato all came from my CSA. Eat local!

I love blue potatoes.

Questions

Have you ever had blue potatoes? What do you think?
Do you make an effort to eat local? August is Eat Local month, you know.
Are you watching Project Runway? What do you think of the season so far?

Being Honest

2010-08-26T07:59:00.000-05:00

I've let stress get the best of me. Work has been absolutely insane lately, and unfortunately that's taken priority over everything. Over my blog. Over my workouts. Over my eats.

The first step to getting back on track is admitting that I'm not on track. I haven't worked out in two weeks. I've barely been eating lunch, and dinner lately has been chips and salsa--homemade pico de gallo but salsa nonetheless--and I can only assume my daily protein intake has maxed out at 20 g. I'm exhausted all the time, and when I finally get home I just sleep.

In the words of one very famous Minnesotan, "The times they are a changin." I made dinner, real actual dinner for the first time in a while last night.

A true Basil Vodka Dinner.

Whole wheat penne pasta, broccoli, tomatoes from the CSA, green onions from the CSA and homemade (by yours truly) basil pesto. Still lacking the protein, and that is getting bumped to the very top of my life list today. Step one to feeling better - eat protein.

Step two. Work out. The Book o' Death has some nice bite-sized 15 mintue workouts that might be a good step for me. I'm thinking I want to get into a running routine--baby steps--and partner it with some lifting.

There is a pretty big hurdle here though. I don't have the energy to workout. I tried to work out last night but couldn't peel myself off the couch. It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I'm mentally exhausted. I set the alarm for 5 a.m. this morning, thinking since I went to bed early I could work out in the a.m. Did. Not. Happen.

So new tactic. Heidi doesn't get dinner until she works out. I was really good about going to yoga five times a week because it was right after work. Perhaps I can apply this same strategy to lifting and running. Right after work. Then I eat. Then I relax. Then I get back to normal.

Questions

Have you ever gotten off track for a few weeks?
Do you have any advice on how I can get my workouts in?
When do you workout? How often?

Sleep is a Luxury

2010-08-19T07:39:00.000-05:00

I live a luxurious life. I don't think I've ever mentioned this on BV before, but I'm fairly confident that I have a mild sleep disorder of some kind. Very mild, but still evident. The concept of "not being able to fall asleep" is so strange to me. You lay down, you sleep. End of story. I'm going to say maybe once in the past 1,000 sleeps has it taken me more than five minutes to get to sleep. That's going to bed at midnight, that's going to bed at 7, it doesn't matter. If I want to sleep, I sleep.

My friends can speak to this. When we went to the Dave Matthews Band Concert in July there was a fairly long car ride to get from the campsite to the concert. This was maybe 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I wanted to take a quick nap, so I did. A van full of seven people, loud, excited for the concert, and I took a 15 minute nap. No problem.

Sleep is my ultimate stress release. I don't go out with friends, I don't go for a run, I sleep. So yesterday, after an extremely stressful day at work, I went to sleep. At six. As in dinnertime six. And I woke up this morning. At six. And I see no issues with this.

Quesitons

Do you have problems falling asleep?
Do you take naps?
How many hours of sleep do you usually get at night?

I'm Back

2010-08-17T07:36:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delayed vacay guys, but I just got back from a lovely weekend in the Wisconsin Dells. And my apologizes to Bud Light, but this is the sure sign of a good time.

Tequila, Vodka, Vodka, Vodka and Whiskey.

I hit the road on Friday with four of my very dear friends, and met up with our two out-of-staters for a much needed weekend vacation at the waterpark. On Saturday we ate at Pedro's, this fantastic Mexican restaurant right on the strip. Yes, Wisconsin has a strip.

I ordered a Mug-a-Rita. Not a Margarita, because then it wouldn't be served in a 34 oz. mug.

Delicioso.

Dinner was fantastic, too. I ordered the veggie fajitas, and I don't know when cauliflower and broccoli became Mexican standards in fajitas, but I'll take it.

Veg Fajitas.

On Saturday we also went to go get old time photos taken. Don't worry, we did buy the copyrights to our photos so I have the legal rights to post this picture.

My girls.

Now I'm back in Minnesota, ready to get back into the swing of life that includes eating and blogging. Since the Wisconsin Dells was a little bit of an early birthday celebration for me, I did get an early present. I'm now the proud owner of a food processor. Thanks again, ladies!

Questions

Have you ever been to the Wisconsin Dells?
Do you have any end of the summer vacation plans?
What's the first thing I should make in my new food processor?

Camera-less

2010-08-09T11:33:00.000-05:00

Blogger Fail. Or Party Foul, I guess. However you want to look at it. Saturday was spent on a boat, with some of my favorite people. Apparently I was having so much fun, I completely forgot to grab my camera when I left. So. I'm officially camera-less until I can pick it up from my friend. Until then, all I have is this grainy photo of dinner last night, taken with the Blackberry.

TJ's Harvest Grain Blend with Beet Greens.

I still have a boatload of veggies (pun intended) from my CSA, so I'm thinking tonight will be a potato mix with dill. Maybe some sweet corn, who knows. There is an awesome recipe for a potato/dill/cucumber salad in this month's Edible TC, so I also need to create that at some point.

Questions

Have you ever had to go sans camera? What did you do?
Do you know how amazing beet greens are? I mean, really.
Do you get your version of Edible? It's a great magazine for local goods--I love it!

Squash, Salsa and a Shark

2010-08-06T20:09:00.000-05:00

I love how everyone is so supportive of both me having a job and Shark Week. Two things that are essential to life if you ask me.

I finally got around to making some basil pesto last night, and it was a long time coming. Thanks for all your suggestions last week, and I ended up going with almonds. I don't think I can ever justify spending $8 on a container of pine nuts, so I'm just going to keep going with my discount nuts.

Cheezeasy Pesto
1 clove minced garlic
lots of basil
3 tbsp slivered almonds
1/3 cup EVOO
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt

Combine in blender or food processor, EVOO last. With the motor running, slowly stream EVOO in the top. Enjoy.

I imagine dinosaurs would be this color.

I bet you guys know what's coming. My dinners are moderately predictable. Pesto + Veggies. Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Pesto with zucchini, squash and eggplant.

Delicioso. Now for the second 's' theme for this post. Salsa. Well, two picos, technically.

Red Pico.

Red Pico

1/4 red onion, minced

1 clove minced garlic

1 gigantasaurus tomato, diced

1/2 lemon (juice only)

2 tbsp EVOO

Cilantro

Salt

Pepper

Combine. Eat.

Yellow Pico.

Yellow Pico

1/4 red onion, minced

1 small sweet pepper (or 1/4 bell pepper, I suppose)

2 ears of corn, cooked and de-eared (shucked?)

2 tbsp EVOO

Cilantro

Combine. Eat.

Yes, my dinner tonight was chips and pico. It's Friday and I didn't feel like cooking. And for my third 's' of the post, allow me to introduce you to my shark-enthusiast friend.

Sheldon loves Shark Week.

Sheldon is only a year and a half. That means he's only had one Halloween so far. Last Halloween, for his one and only, he was Bruce the Shark from Finding Nemo. Sheldon basically begged me to get the costume out so he could wear it while watching Shark Week.

Learning Shark Technique.

ShelShark!

Questions

Do you have a food processor? I've been using my blender and contemplating buying a processor. Do I need one?
I got a ton of dill in my CSA this week. Anyone have good recipes for it?
What are you up to this weekend?