Houston Half

Being my first half marathon I thought I would document my...

TOP 10
2009 HOUSTON HALF MARATHON
MEMORIES
(in consecutive order)

1. waiting for race to start, the lack of worry or fear about running the longest distance I've ever run in my life. why was I so calm?

2. compression socks don't fail me now.

3. feeling like an ant. Gosh, there are a lot of people here. Good. I'm not crazy.

4. feeling like a GIANT. I got some dirt on my shoulder, could u brush it off for me?

5. rocking Blue October, singing along, sometimes dancing and jumping to the music. Basically, not giving a s&*t anymore. this is too much fun!

6. making friends along the run with Ryan, an overweight 30 year old, who I gave my last GU to, had a full-on conversation with about his breakfast that morning, his HH training, his dog. I would never be this nice on the track. Who am I? Ahhhh...endorphins are being released, making me more pleasant. Note to self, run away.

7. stopped to use the restroom in a completely murdered port-o-potty. not happening. holding till the next set of port-o-pottys. moments later...Damn, that is the only set of port-o-pottys. Damn, which one did I go in last time? damn, damn, damn. holding again.

8. drink. drink. drink. meditate. listen. decide. run. repeat.

9. Thinking to myself at mile 12, "I will totally do this again." Same exact relaxed, sensible sentiment I had moments after giving birth. Am I a glutton for punishment or what?

10. Walking down the stairs about 2 hours after finishing, praying for my knees. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Look for me next year, New Orleans Rock-N-Roll Marathon.
Half or Full?
Weigh in!
Wanna come?
:)

Spicy Fall Stew baked in a Pumpkin

I found this fabulous recipe in Vegetarian Times, October 2008 edition, made it for the first time last Fall for my Thanksgiving with Alex Rosa, Rogelio Rendon, Ed Onecic. Appealing one meal to 3 men is not easy but this stew made everyone agree, It's a Hit!

Recently I brought it to a Fall themed dinner party the night before Halloween. Despite using a traditional pumpkin, it's carcass collapsing a bit, resulting in an oozy mess and inability to transfer to a more decorative serving dish, people still liked it so I feel like I really must share this recipe to ensure memorable Fall meals for everyone!

Beware! Children may NOT like this. It is spicy, very smoky flavored. Gia, my 9 year old, deems it too spicy for her seasoned mouth. Proceed with caution!

If you can't find a pumpkin or squash, bake this stew in 2 smaller ones.

2 tbs. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced (1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. chili powder, pref. New Mexican
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and quartered (1 1/2 cups)
1 15-oz. can hominy, rinsed, drained (get the best brand you can find, it really does make a difference. I like Bush)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3-4 lb. pumpkin, either sugar pie, cheese, red kuri, kabocha, or buttercup squash
2 oz. grated sharp Cheddar cheese (1/2 cup packed) (if you want the vegan version just skip this!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté 7 minutes, or until softened. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and cook 3 minutes more, or until spices darken.

2. Add tomatillos, hominy, ı/2 cup water, and salt. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, 10 to 12 minutes, or until tomatillos are softened. Uncover, and cook 5 minutes more to thicken stew, if necessary.

3. Meanwhile, cut top of pumpkin around stem to make lid. (SAGENICOLE NOTE: IT'S A LOT EASIER TO CUT THE STEM WITH AN ELECTRIC KNIFE! PICTURE OF MINE ABOVE TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT TO USE.)

Scoop out pumpkin seeds and strings. Rub inside of pumpkin with remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle generously with salt. Sprinkle cheese in bottom of pumpkin.

4. Fill pumpkin with stew, then top with pumpkin lid. Place on parchment-covered baking sheet and bake 1ı/2 to 2 hours, or until pumpkin flesh is fork-tender. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.

5. Scoop stew, including pumpkin, into bowls and serve hot, topped with Poblano-Cucumber Salsa (Click here for recipe).

This weekend almost killed me

If I don't have another beer-battered, fried piece of food for another year I think I may be able to reconcile some of the damage I did to my cholesterol this weekend in South Padre Island.

God love em, people in love. But why is it that we throw sense out the window when we fall in love? Celebrating a friend's pre-nuptials my boyfriend and I headed down to South Padre for a weekend of fun and frolicking with a few other couples. Could I have fore-shadowed my own alcohol consumption I would have laughed out loud. It's true, you are allowed to have 8 mixed drinks at Schlitterbahn and yes, you will still walk out of there. Drinking, fried foods only seems to enhance the experience, as evidenced by our combined $500+ spent on debauchery at the water park.

Here is what I learned about drinking & eating in South Padre Island, with a group where no one else really gives a damn what's going in their pie hole, or sometimes, what comes out:

-DON'T be the annoying person who refuses to indulge. No one likes an anchor of guilt sitting next to them when they order 3 beers at lunch. Roll with the punches.

-DO drink water after every drink so you are not the other annoying dip-shit that got too drunk and pissed somewhere you shouldn't have. Like on the bed. This may also prevent you from having ill-fated heart-to-hearts and royally upsetting your peeps. If you can't carry on a conversation stop drinking. :)

-DON'T mix spicy food, beer, liquor AND fried foods unless you want to sleep in the restroom. It will hurt no matter how "badass" you think you are. Hot wings count for 2=fried and spicy.

-DO get your punk ass out of bed in the morning so you don't miss critical beach time. It could be the only time of the trip you were not too drunk to see all of the nice, normal people building Hogwart's worthy sand castles in the sky.

-DON'T be ungrateful to your event planner. There is one on every trip. The person who brought it all together and kept you from playing Skip-Bo all day in your rooms. This person doesn't usually claim themselves because they secretly are planning everything THEY want to do anyway, but you don't have to think very hard or entertain, so be happy. That's vacation. Hugs and drinks are usually good payment but if you feel so inclined a handwritten note or shout-out on their Facebook page will do nicely, thank you.

And finally, do something YOU want to do. One thing. At a minimum. Take that walk alone. Sketch at the beach. Watch a movie in bed. Drive around looking at architecture. It will be your memento memory when you get home.

FYI, we came home and cleansed ourselves at Central Market then I made a RAW dinner using my new Japanese slicer! Zucchini spaghetti, tomato, red pepper, cilantro, garlic, green pepper, basil, oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper marinara. YUM!

Happy to be home.

clean teeth=higher satisfaction levels of water ?

So my friend has an interesting hypothesis about drinking water and teeth. (and when I say friend I don't mean me)

She contends that people with cleaner teeth enjoy drinking water more than dirty teeth people and as a result, drink more water.

Whatdoyathink?

This all started with a conversation about dehydration and how/why we can't seem to get enough water in our pie holes.

I advocated a trick I used back in the day to increase my water intake. Buy packages of bottled water and leave them in your car, by your bed, in the kitchen, at your desk, etc.
Convenience is key!
After I got used to drinking a lot of water it was like a desert in my mouth (and belly) if I didn't have it and eventually I bought a water cooler for my house/home office. Now I drink approx. 60 ounces of water every day. I can't say I drink less because of dirty teeth.

What is the science behind water and our ability, nay, our desire, to consume what we really need each day?

I posed the question. Now it's your turn to provide feedback!

Also, I will be on vaca (not to be mistaken with stay-ca) this weekend so pickins will be slim on my blogging. Unless it rains in South Padre Island and I have more time indoors, plugged in that anticipated. 40% chance of rain...it could happen. :)

Thirsty anyone?

exploring extreme biking!

Ahhhhhh...more Sunday morning good times!

Just about every Sunday morning I have an outing. It's usually a bike ride, roller blading, running or yoga. It's a great time to enjoy the outdoors (Thank you weather Goddess! Today was gorgeous!) and sometimes I get to enjoy with a friend! Call me if you want to go sometime.

That's the lean, mean biking machine Jennifer Brugh, toughing it out with me on the not so nearly-completed Heights Bike Trail this morning. The picture is evidence of only one of the many off-the-trail experiences we had on our 2 hour, approx. 20 mile bike ride.

I've got two things to say about this trail:
#1 Do not try this with kids!
#2 Get on this trail soon before its entirely paved and boring!

What you see in the background is the decrepit wood of an old bridge, maybe intended to be a dam, that we had to cross to get to the other side of the bike trail. (I'll be making a friendly phone call to the City on Tuesday to find out what exactly they were thinking when they built the trail and forgot to pave this part. :) Here is a map of the trail. Enter at your own risk and expect to get lost.

But I'm not here to bitch about the trail. The message I have to share with you today is don't forget about exploring!

Explore your garage for old trinkets or treasures to resurrect. Explore your neighborhood on foot or bike and stop to admire the architecture or landscape. Explore your body and curiosity by going an unknown distance or path.

Leaving the mark of your soul is never without adventure!

GO!

macrobiotic life

ooooooooooo.....i love this article about macrobiotic living!!

http://ow.ly/o7zl

It takes a athlete's perspective and incorporates a touch of emotional intelligence=web publishing at its best.

If you like pina coladas, hot tubbing and getting lost in the rain you'll love this article. You may also be my new BFF ;)

Tomorrow is the creation of the new & improved Caribbean Kale salad. Any guessers on the secret ingredient?

No, it's not crack rock.

Also, Lululemon is having a free yoga class tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. in Highland Village. Keep an eye out for Day of Free Yoga this Monday! Almost every studio in town has at least one free class if not the whole day! Namaste!
www.yoga-houston.org

new quinoa at Kroger!

Very exciting news quinoa lovers!
I found a new Inca Red Quinoa at Kroger on W. Gray today! FUN!

The grain is dark red, an "heirloom variety" according to the box. It was $3.89. I haven't cooked with it yet but will let you know the outcome. I may sprout half of it just for kicks.

ALSO, RICE MILK IS ON SALE! $3.50 for a 1.5 gallon! I have been buying rice milk for about 5 years and just found the half gallon in the health food refrigerated section of Kroger's. CRAZY! The 1.5 gallon in the box is $3.99 just down the aisle. MORE CRAZY!

I will be making my special Caribbean kale salad this Sunday for a Labor Day party and I am including a secret ingredient! Du du du du.

Those of you who were my taste testers in the summer of 2007, when I created the salad, will remember a variety of "special taste appearances" including:
coconut (gets wet and loses flavor quickly)
carmelized onions (actually turned the salad quicker) and
ginger (too much flavor when combined with the cayenne pepper).

Recipe to follow festivities on Sunday revealing the special ingredient.
Think Psych!

AND...this Saturday at 8 a.m. I will be teaching a hot yoga class at YogaOne that will be featuring RADIOHEAD. :) and it's $5 for my class if you say "Healthy Living is a 24/7 party!" hehehehe

Stay-cation

Prior to last Monday I had never heard of a stay-cation.
Honestly, it caught me a little off guard when my sweetie suggested I stay put after canceling a vacation trip to Mexico.

"Stay" cation? Say Whaaat?

It's where you stay home and take a vacation.

My iteration of it became this:
I will try NOT to do the things I feel responsible for doing just because they are part of my day-to-day schedule.

For instance, I bathe. Infrequently, and usually in the shower, but I bathe. Well, for 4 days in a row....I took baths. Long, luxurious baths in a jaccuzi bath tub with bubbles, wine, candles, music, during the day! HA!

Baths have become my new favorite remedy for anything that ails me. Kid driving me nuts with temper tantrums? BATH. Nincum-poops I work with not doing their jobs. BATH. Knee swelling and sore. BATH. Dog won't stop dropping wet, slimy ball on my lap. BATH

Get it? :)
To the bemusement of my domestic partner, the bathroom has received more art and accutrements around the toilet to further enjoy bath lounging time.

More stay-cation break thru's...I took a nap from 2 - 4 p.m. one day!

My 2 hour nap elated me for the next 2 days! I was SO happy! Mostly, it was giving the "capitalistic midget in my head" the middle finger and TAKING my nap time that made me feel triumphant and accomplished. (insert Rocky theme song)

Now, I know what you may be thinking..."Seriously, was it that great?" What most Americans don't realize is that sleep deprivation is kind of like a gateway drug. Stick with me...

You are sleep deprived so you gulp some caffiene. Then your thirsty and hungry because your body's metabolism has been shocked into over drive so you eat quickie food (a soda and vending machine fare).
Cut to after work, you go exercise and are not properly hydrated so you cramp and possibly dehydrate more.
Now you have about 2500 empty calories in your body, no energy to poop and you are wondering why you can't sleep even though you are dead tired (thanks, caffeine).
Heaven forbid a stressor enter your day, as happens to most humans, and leaves you feeling emotionally bruised. Cherry on top of your sleep deprived day.
See what I mean?

It's not rocket science, The Washington Post got to it best here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/08/AR2005100801405.html

Back to stay-cation epiphanies...

Surprisingly, I advocate little to no exercise during stay-cation!
My motto was, "More wine, less movement"
For people who move their bodies all day, every day this is critical. For people who sit at a desk for the majority of their day I would say listen to your body.
Teaching yoga 20+ hours a week, I am exhausted on Saturday afternoon and sometimes have difficulty getting excited about weekend outings because my body is craving the lateral lines of my bed. Does this sound like your body talk? Stay-cation could be your new BFF.

I taught my first yoga class today since my 6 day stay-cation and it reminded me of why I LOVE doing what I do. :)

If any of this resonates with you then create your own stay-cation. My girlfriend Denise did one too but said her 3 day was too short. Be greedy with your stay-cation!

And then blog here about it, I wanna know how it went!

Beet-it

I have an addiction.
To beets.

Raw, shredded, in a salad.
Juiced.
Jellied, not pref., but throw in some cranberries and I'm a sucker.
And for the past few years my beet of choice is baked with a tablespoon of lavender honey, cinnamon and maybe a few nuggets of crystallized ginger. YUM!

(My fellow beet addict friend Hanka told me today during our play date that she almost called & asked me to make her these, she's been craving them. Her eyes got big and her jaw dropped when I presented her a container.)

It has come to my attention that I am possibly not the only one supporting the election of beets into mainstream veggie culture. So, "Where's the beet?"

What are your favorite beet recipes? Where do you buy the best beets? Organic vs. regular? Does it matter?

Here are a few of my musings on the subject, good restaurant beet varietals:

-Tiny Boxwood's beet burger
This soft, loaf-y burger is served on a whole wheat (REAL whole wheat!) bun and is a bonanza for your intestines. SO EASY TO DIGEST! It can come with chips but if you stick to the micro-biotic statutes you should get a salad or another grain. (Hello french fries!) FYI, wear a bib! Or risk looking like you gave blood over lunch.

-Cafe Brazil's Beet & Goat cheese sandwich
Piled high with uber-green arugula (one time I swear they had mache though, which I would prefer) and scant goat cheese, this is a sandwich for 2. Ask for the focaccia, request that they NOT grill/toast it. The hardness of the bread cuts up the roof of my mouth and contrasts too much from the wet-ness of the yummy beets. Opt for the additional $2 salad and it's a meal. :)
I converted my friend Alex to a beet lover with this sandwich. Take a friend and see if you can bring them to the light.

-Reef's beet trio
AHHHHHHHH...if you bathed a beet in blessed water, clothed it in silk robes and then presented it to your king you would have Reef's beet trio appetizer. Just go try it. Don't attempt to make it at home. It's futile. They must marinate the beets for a defined amount of time because they are always perfectly edible. Not too hard or soft and the don't bleed a lot when you cut into them. Tell Kendall, the award-winning bartender, hello for me. She may have some of my freshly juiced ginger if you want her to make you a Nicole specialty drink! ;)

Not on the "restaurant" grid but certainly worth trying, possibly making a mainstay on your grocery list is Central Market's raw juice. Many people don't know this but one of beets most desirable characteristics is that they allow more oxygen to enter your blood stream.
This helps bring mental clarity, reduces swelling after workouts and gives you a natural high. Su-su-su-dio. O-O-O.

Check out this article, go to the last paragraph of the article for beet/blood talk: http://www.examiner.com/x-7160-Sacramento-Nutrition-Examiner~y2009m4d11-beet-juice-nitrates-slow-breathing-music-and-research-results

This article, and others I've read, recommend peeling the beets. SHINANIGANS! I have been juicing with beets, baking unpeeled beets for years and have never noticed a contraindication. If veggies and fruits were served skins-on or from the rind I estimate we would gather almost 2x as many nutrients from what we eat AND we would get to eat with our hands more often! That's another blog entry.

If you wanna have a "Beet-it" contest write me! I know a few chefs/food writers that would love to get their hands on some beets and show-off their egos.

Until then...party in the produce aisle.

Sunday Cooking

So Sundays are usually my favorite day to cook. For a small window of time I can escape to the kitchen and play. Most important is that no one wants to cook with me b/c they are too busy relaxing/sleeping/biking/etc. to make fun of my culinary oops! Like the yams I sliced into wheels and covered with a variety of accouterments: ginger, agave nectar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, sesame oil, brown sugar, butter and honey...and then proceeded to burn. Inedible. Stunk up the house. Wasted $3.50 of perfectly worthy yams. Poop.

But this week my experiment was with lima beans and quinoa. I had an idea to harden the lima beans by frying them in onions, garlic, sesame oil and sesame seeds. I added soy sauce to my quinoa while cooking which helps to give the otherwise dirt-flavored grain a nice, light flavor with a little pop for the tip of your tongue. I mixed the quinoa and lima concoction over a bed of mixed greens, broccoli sprouts, radish sprouts and clover sprouts, then ground up some of my favorite nuts and spread them on top. Where's the lube? At this point in my life, I'm a little under-whelmed by salad dressing. I prefer to make my own or stick to the ones that are expensive and worth the calories. Culinary delights to spring for...that's another blog entry!

I thought the salad rocked, next time though I will create a sesame oil-based dressing, maybe with some orange juice and rooster sauce for a kick.

Skipped exercise on Sunday and opted for heavy housework (linens, massive art overhaul in the house, floors, dishes) which gave me such a deep feeling of content-ness, I was speechless for the entire afternoon!

Gave way to an HGTV addiction, prob watched more decorating, remodeling shows in 2 days than in the past 2 years. I may have new purpose for the pedestal tree trunks in the back yard. Wait for it...
Recycle, Reuse, Reduce!

Off to price vintage clothing for a friend!
Happy Monday!

where's the wheatgrass?!

So, I naturally gravitate towards healthy living and enjoy eating well. In other words, it's not hard for me.

Lately I've had friends asking me to help them establish more healthy habits, I LOVE IT! Taking friends grocery shopping, cooking for them, providing private yoga, exercising with them and setting goals have made me realize- I'm pretty freakin' good at this stuff!

SO...

This blog is to chat up those who share my interests and trade tips for a more luxurious healthy lifestyle.

Let's be frank! Healthy living isn't always glamorous (hello! neti pot) but it is rewarding not only for your physical body but your mental health as well. I am going to share recipes, product reviews, natural remedies, opportunities and want you to share yours as well.

Where's the wheatgrass? :)