Sorry the picture isn't so pretty, someday I will take those photography lessons. Until then, you'll have to look at crappy pictures of yummy food!
Just finished up the last of my chicken salad. I think I made it Sunday, so really it lasted an entire three days, and it is only me here! Whoah, so much for food rotation. This tasted so yummy, I could have ate it for every single meal this week! Speaking of, it was actually my breakfast Monday morning!
Sorry the picture isn't so pretty, someday I will take those photography lessons. Until then, you'll have to look at crappy pictures of yummy food!
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Why does this blog posting thing always seem to find me when I should be in bed. Ack, I've been fairly tired in the mornings lately too.... So I should be in bed but I'm just too excited about my tasty dinner tonight and I just have to share it with you all.
So I looked in the fridge and thought what the what am I going to eat for dinner.... hmm and this is what I came up with. I went a little overboard on the jalapeños so... I've toned it down for you a little bit here in this recipe. Even though it was scrumptious, it had quite the kick. Yours shouldn't have quite as much kick, and if you always want a little more, just up the anty! Watch falling pieces on the floor if you have house pets. My pup, I think, scooped up a tiny bite off the floor. I'm almost positive because he proceeded to drink 2 bowls of water before I cut him off.. WHOOPS! Serves: 6 Time: 10-15 minutes Effort: Uber Easy Ingredients: 1 head of cauliflower, organic of course 1/2 large red onion, organic of course 1-2 large roma tomatoes, organic- no surprise 1/2 jalapeño pepper (or go brave and go for the whole thing) 5 cloves of garlic, minced 1-2 cups cilantro, chopped 2-3 cups baby kale (I pulled this straight from the garden tonight!) 1/4-1/2 cup mint leaves 1 1/2 TBS olive oil 1 TBS red wine vinegar 1/2 TBS ume plum vinegar 1/2-1 tsp Himalayan sea salt juice from 1/2 lemon 1. Soak cauliflower in a large bowl of salt water, head upside down. While cauliflower is soaking chop up the following: red onion (great advice on how to chop here), and tomatoes. Mince the garlic cloves. Put in large bowl. 2. Throw the jalapeño (1/2), cilantro, mint, kale in a food processor and chop until fine. Scoop out and dump in large bowl with onion, tomato, and garlic. 3. Rinse off the cauliflower, cut off leaves/stem, then cut into chunks. Throw this in the food processor until fine. Toss it in the large bowl with the rest. 4. Stir in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, ume plum vinegar, sea salt, and juice from lemon. 5. Mix it up and shazam, there's your side dish! *note Ume Plum Vinegar has a lot of salt/sodium so you may just want to sprinkle salt to taste or skip the salt altogether.. You decide. I love the minerals from sea salt AND I used to have really really LOW blood pressure, so I salt it up, but really it is your preference!* August 5, 2014 Chia Energy Training Bites.... I found this new app, love it, OM writer. I have to admit, its kept me up too late at night the past few nights. So I’m getting a head start tonight a little earlier. This post is going to get to the recipe, just hang on. Somehow, I have to tie my thoughts into the recipes. As of the past year, I’ve lost myself in the kitchen. Daniel almost exclusively did the cooking the first five years of our relationship. I really didn’t know how to cook and didn’t want to learn (kind of like learning the nitty gritty of taking care of my bike). But when I found myself in the middle of nowhere last year, I found this respect for the earth and what it can provide. It actually sickens me how we take care of mother earth and mother nature now. So nonetheless, the kitchen, long walks, hikes, easy jogs, rising and falling sun beams over the horizon, and food (real food) helped me to find new hobbies, while taking control of my health (note folks, it wasn’t long work hours, climbing the corporate ladder, or winning a race that got me here-there isn't anything wrong with these but I was out of balance in all these areas). It was self-reflection. A lot of that reflection time, I found in the kitchen, preparing food that was going to nourish not only Daniel and I, but Buck too (yes, I went there, my dog often eats well). Buck developed a cancerous tumor, ironically the same summer I was dealing with post concussive syndrome and an out of whack thyroid.... Which only proves my point, we live in an inter-connected world with plants, animals, energy and each other. So with no further ado, on to my energy balls recipe.. As I started to prepare and cook meals from food that breathed, that worked in synchrony with us, I watched Daniel grab chemical sugar packages from the cupboard. I thought what the hell are we doing? Yes, it was that extreme. I once too said, "if I am going to eat this junk there is no better time than while training." Because right before, during, and right after training we are fuel burning machines...right? WRONG! Well maybe there is some truth to that. I’m not going to get into the science behind that because I have one premise here and that is not it.... If we are wearing our bodies down with training stress (yes, endurance training is a stress), sugar and chemicals will only further increase inflammation and damage. Now, not all sugar is created equal and there is a nice article here you can read about. However, in my mind - during high amounts of volume training we need to put the best food into our bodies, because frankly, bodies deserve the best of the best. There is a whole other agenda too. Money is energy, and well..... I’m not funding anything that could be more detrimental to our little ones' (your children or grandchildren) futures than we already have. So if I have to make a stance, I think its going to be the best spent in making the statement by not buying the bad goods (aka training junk that is on the market). And that my readers, is how I came to the Chia Energy Balls Recipe. Chia Almond Energy Balls 1/2 cup ground chia seeds 1/4 cup unsweetened organic shredded coconut 2-3 dates (soaked) 2 TBS raw honey (local if possible) 1 TBS Lucuma Powder (by navita naturals) 1 TBS coconut flour (optional) 1 TBS almond butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 square ghiradelli unsweetened baking chocolate Paste: Mix honey, lucuma powder, vanilla and coconut flour in a food processor or by hand. I used the coconut flour on my first batch and not the second batch- both stuck together and seemed fine. I then add the dates, make sure they are well combined and not chunky. Dough: Add the ground chia seeds to the processor. I first ground the chia seeds by hand with a salt grinder, then D decided I could use his coffeee grinder which worked perfect and was much easier! The Stuff: Add the coconut flakes, baking cacoa, sea salt and cinnamon and process briefly. Once all combined, grab a spoon (or if you have a cookie dough baller use that), make small balls. I stuck to a tsp sized ball, roll them in the palm of your hands and place in a mini cupcake tray (or on wax paper on a cookie sheet); place in the freezer for 15 minutes and they are set to go. I recommend keeping them in the freezer or fridge until ride/run time :) I believe the ones I made make 12-15 from this recipe. My numbers differed a bit depending on the size I made (and how much I tasted out of the food processor while making them DOH)! *photo credit to Daniel Matheny*
"When each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises" (The Alchemist, p. 27). One year ago, my body said enough... A night became a day, and a day became a week, then a week became three, and I decided to fight back. This time it would mean slowing down, pausing, listening to my body, practicing gratitude, and ultimately removing toxic stress from my environment (as much as I could). Over the course of the past year, I've learned how to love and respect my body, my time, and my space. I learned how to forgive! I've learned that people will disappoint you, but that is a figment of our own expectations. I learned how to enjoy each day, how to garden (trying), how to "stop and smell the roses" (isn't it funny my senior year of high school I wrote a rather lengthy paper on how society needs to stop and smell the roses- full circle, huh?). In the process, I've regained my health, vitality, and energy. Ultimately has it made life better- yes in every single way. Perfectionism - Friend or Foe? I heard words everyday like "overachiever," "type A," "assertive," "go getter," "successful." These words used to elevate me, make me proud, and only fueled the fire that was desperately burning inside; burning up everything inside. Work had become my existence, my life... Now these words make me cringe, literally like nails down a chalkboard over and over again. It is not that they are bad. There are some great qualities to these characteristics, if channeled correctly... I prefer "leader," "efficient," "balanced" and "productive." Scars.... I spent several years running away from or masking Inner emotional scars. I had a great life, a great family, a great history BUT we all have junk!!!! Processing and forgiving is the best remedy for that "junk." Thing is, I never processed, I just moved on. Sometimes moving on literally meant moving- across the world or across the country. Usually running as fast as I could. Was it adventurous? Yes of course. Was it exhilarating? Yep! Did it help me forget? Momentarily. Sometimes moving on meant burying it deep, real deep, and closing the door (slamming it shut on a humid summer's day, swollen, and never to be opened again). Yep, that is how I dealt with this "stuff." At the time, this was very functional for me.... The American Dream? Nah, not now.. I had life all figured out, or so I thought. I worked like crazy (typical American) and was gonna work harder than you! I trained and was gonna race faster than you! I was a wife, gonna be the best! I slept, only a little because I could be wonder woman. I surely thought I was far from perfect but if I did more, just one more thing, I'd get there eventually. I fear that my story....is not far off from many others, possibly maybe your own? My soul tried to speak, but I didn't listen. My heart tried to yell, but I didn't listen. My brain was running so fast on a hamster wheel, it didn't dare jump off for fear it might just roll around in sawdust. YIKES! THE DAY MY BODY STOPPED Good Evening, The picture to the left is of me, the night prior to my wedding. Notice my thick hair. I can't wait to get back to that again! Since my last post was about eating seasonal (and I'm trying, trying hard), I thought I'd give ya a summer recipe that I happen to fancy and have gotten rave reviews about! Plus it is fool proof- you don't have to be a culinary chef to make this dish. You just need a bowl, some measuring cups, a spoon and the ability to shake! Sure, shake that booty while you make these! I promise the kids will like this too! As fate would have it, last night as I was reading I stumbled upon an excellent article about berries and how they are related to your health. I'll bullet point some key facts I found:
-Berries have high concentrations of phenolics (classified as antioxidants) -Berries and whole berry extracts (not juiced) help with cholesterol balancing, urinary tract balancing, blood sugar balancing, microflora balancing, cell membrane balancing and yes, vision support -Research supports the efficacy of berry consumption in treating brain and neurological disorders -Blueberries in particular may help improve memory function in older adults when consumed daily -Hawthorne berries support the heart -Cranberries support the urinary tract -Elderberries support white blood cell function -Sea buckthorns berry supports skin, nails, and hair (I need to get me some) -Bilberry the eyes -Blueberry, blackberry, gogi berry, and black currants are rich in anthocyanin and proanthocyanin compounds...all helping reduce the risks associated with aging brains But berries don't only support your brain, they are good for performance as well. According to a study conducted on the effects of ingesting blueberries before and after strenuous exercise, biomarkers of recovery and muscle strength were positive. Noting specifically, "that 36 hours after ingestion the "blueberry group" demonstrated significant increases in strength as well as decreases in muscle soreness as compared to the placebo group" (Nancy, www.developinghealthyhabits.com). If brain health and performance effects are not enough, then here are few more reasons to persuade you to munch on berries: -blueberries can support the health of the colon -Billberry positively can effect visual degenerative issues but slowing and reversing Therefore, eat your berries during season like they are going out of style! I have just the recipe for you, Berry Cobbler! Recipe adapted from the Practical Paleo Cookbook! By DanielIn my eyes, nutrition and the recommendations surrounding are currently and will be ever evolving. This process is good for the health of the everyday person and the athlete as well. Things that I once believed as hard facts, that I was instructed in my college nutrition textbooks, I'm now beginning to challenge. In part I think this is due to further research and knowledge, but also because our food sources are becoming more industrialized to fit the lifestyle and population demands. Recently I've been reading The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle and a concept struck me that I don't believe the author intended, but did because of my recent mindset to challenge the norms of nutrition recommendations. The concept was the nutritional role of fats (lipid) as they relate to endurance training, skill development, learning, and our immune system. This realization began forming from several points made by research and statements as they were played out over several chapters. Here over the course of a series, I will bring them together and explain. First it's important to lay a foundation, which is Coyle's key principle contained in the book is myelin, which is a dense fat, composed of phospholipid membrane, that wraps around a nerve fiber insulating it like electrical tape. It is important to note that not all nerves or synapses are myelinated, but with learning our body triggers the insulation of specific pathways that you hone more frequently with repetition. So the nerves are running everywhere, getting signals from the brain, innervating muscles, and firing off the marching orders for each and every twitch and action you make, but it's the myelin that is keeping our wires from getting crossed. It's not a glamorous component as he explains, “If the brain is....a cityscape of dazzling neuronal structures, flashing lights, and whizzing impulses, then myelin plays the humble role of asphalt.” |
Heather Matheny,
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