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.
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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).