Half Training, 1/12-1/18

Monday 1/12:
Hot yoga, 90 min

Tuesday (w/dog):
Easy/Trail Run, 4.03 mi, 42:39

Wednesday:
Unplanned Rest Day (School Stuff)

Thursday:
Easy Run, 3.12 mi, 28:31
Hot yoga, 90 min
Bike Commute, 2.5 mi

Friday:
Hot yoga, 90 min

Saturday:
*Long Run, 4.25 mi, 45 min

Sunday:
Rest Day (Birthday Party w/kidlets)

*Long run on Saturday was planned as a 6 miler. My toes were going numb 30 minutes in, so I looped back home. Am wearing thicker socks for the below 30 degree runs.

The temps are still rather low this week, so I'm not pushing myself too hard on the mileage. I have the hang of layering and am now keeping my toes warm in the right socks on cold days. It's breathing in the cold air which gets me. The inside of my nose and my throat feels as though on fire once I get the heart rate up. Shooting for more running days, but shorter runs, which should help me get used to the cold... just in time for Spring, which won't be long, here in Georgia.

I started a 10 day pass with Atlanta Hot Yoga last Monday. I'm taking as many classes as possible, to get a feel for how crowded different class times are, and to experience the different styles of the instructors. After the 10 days are up, I'm going to work two classes in each week, either on stretch/strength days, or for crosstraining. I can't begin to explain how heavenly it is to hang out in the 90-95 degree room. It's not quite as exhausting as a two hour cross country ride on the bicycle in August, but it's doing good things for my chilled limbs and Winter Blahs.

Inaugural Day

There are so many people commenting on the inaugural speech, and our new President, from all points along the political spectrum. I'd like to take a minute to highlight a different speech from today. Senator Diane Feinstein, a woman who I respect, though I disagree with her often, spoke of the significance of today's historical event - which happens in our nation every four years, before her introduction for the new President & Vice President. The transition of power from one leader to the next which the US celebrates. No violence. No civil war.

In a world where political strife is too often settled with violence, we come here every four years to bestow the power of the presidency upon our democratically elected leader.

Left or Right, it doesn't matter today.

Grocery Challenge & Supper Wars - Week 3

Regular Grocery Shopping
Publix - $85.51
Trader Joes - $24.62
Whole Foods - $20.45
Week 2 total - $130.58

Weekly Average - $151.94

Year To Date - $455.84

Not a bad week. The average is now close to the $150/week target of my "normal" shopping patterns. With one more week to go, it looks like the once-a-month stockup is going to make a big difference. I'll need to get better about the quantities I need for each month, as I've needed to purchase replacements for several staples already. I seriously underestimated the brown sugar, rice, flour and oats, along with a few other items. We're eating a very good variety of fresh fruits and veggies, and organic where the cost isn't too prohibitive. The budget planning and ongoing attempt to keep the kids trying new foods, as well as familiar foods in new types of cuisine are tying together nicely.

Starting next week, I'll also be posting my actual shopping lists w/costs. I'm working on a pricebook-type record, so I can get a better handle on quantities needed during the stockup trips.

Links:
2009 Grocery Challenge


Odd week with menu planning. Ended up juggling a few days around, to accomodate project boards for one child, internet reasearch for another, and a couple of birthday parties. Started the week with the disasterous introduction of rutabaga, but ended on a pleasant note with what the kids are calling a chinese spaghetti dinner.

Green - Hit; will make again
Red - Miss; try a new variation, or not
Black - Mixed results; tweak & try again.

Casserole Roasted Chicken w/ Winter Veggies
Chicken was tasty. The lentils & leeks got past the kids. Carrots and potatoes were also good. The rutabaga was a sticking point for all of us. It will not be included in the future.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts, Peas,
Risotto w/Roasted Butternut Squash
Kids picked out mushrooms, and were less than enthusiastic about the butternut squash.
I loved the risotto, and will be making again. Probably with barley next time. Will just scoop out the kid portions before I add the mushrooms.

Cheese Pizza and Salad

Chicken Fried Rice, Garlic Green Beans
Using extra two chicken breasts cooked w/lemon pepper on Monday.

Breakfast for Dinner, a.k.a Brinner
Whole wheat & flax waffles, applewood smoked uncured bacon, cheese omelet (w/spinach, onions & peppers in grownup version), yogurt & berries for dessert.

Mac & Cheese, Florets Polonaise
Broccoli & cauliflower, blanched and tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, sauteed minced garlic, fresh bread crumbs and chopped hard boiled eggs. Need to dice the hard boiled egg finer next time. DD finds hard boiled eggs "creepy", so they need to blend with other crumbly bits.

Chinese Ginger Scallion Meatballs,
Noodles in Hoisin w/Spinach
Combined sweetened cranberries, shallot, garlic and fresh ginger with an egg yolk, then mixed into ground chuck with chopped scallions and 5 spice powder. The sauce for the noodles: sauteed yellow onion and shallot, thin sliced carrot, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 cup chicken stock, 1/8 cup soy sauce and hoisin sauce. I think it was about 1/8 cup hoisin, but added to taste. Dropped several handfuls of spinach into the sauce when adding the browned meatballs. I've been asked to use sliced green beans next time. Maybe I will, maybe I won't.

Links:
Supper Wars

Too much of a good thing?

I overdid it on the exercise today, by 2.5 miles. Didn't mean to. I missed my workout yesterday. Had planned to go to a 90 minute yoga class. Dropped the morning class plan in favor of the 4th grade Biography Fair. (Seeing my Wilbur Wright was more important, of course. B2 was fantastic!) The evening class plan went by the wayside because of rush hour gridlock. Even with a make ahead dinner, and a helpful teen, it would have meant 90 minutes in traffic to get there. I checked the traffic reports at 60 minutes. Sigh.

Figured slacking off during my first week of a half marathon program would set a bad precedent, so today turned into a make up day. Hit the road for my regular three mile hill run, then came home and changed for the 10:00 am hot yoga class. Only took 15 minutes to get there, seeing as how it's not rush hour. Gotta say, hot yoga after a 30 degree run (19 with windchill) was bliss.

Home for a shower, some leftover lentils & couscous, then work. Only a couple things promised today, so I wrapped up mid afternoon, with plenty of time to make a Trader Joes run. (There were several requests this morning for an eggs & bacon breakfast, but no time - so we're having "brinner" tonight. Needed a few things for the waffles, veggie omelet and... bacon.) Grabbed my bag & basket, pulled on gloves and coat, headed out. I run lots of mornings and follow with an afternoon ride to the bank or store. No big deal, right?

Started out fine. Little tough going uphill, but I think I still had residual warmth from yoga in my muscles. Did my shopping, unlocked Patty from the shopping cart corral, and started home.

OUCH!

I don't know if it was the added weight, but the trip home was agony. I was cold. Everything hurt.

Everything still hurts. Even my pinky toes are complaining. That could just be the cold, though.

What I already knew:
A day with both run + bike/store = GOOD
A day with both yoga + bike/store = GOOD

What I learned today:
COLD run + HOT yoga = VERY GOOD
COLD run + HOT yoga + COLD bike/store = QUIT WHILE YOU'RE AHEAD, NITWIT!

I'm tossing back ibuprofen, and wondering how I'll stay awake through fixing supper, music lessons (x3), multiplication tables and spelling, laundry and breakfast muffin baking.

It seemed like such a good idea at the time. At least the flowers are pretty?!

Running Buddy

When we got back from the riverside trails today, Peter T. Dog spent a few minutes rolling around and shedding all over the carpet, then passed out for two hours. He was so wiped that he snoozed right through mail delivery. I forget sometimes he's hit the senior years, especially when he's dragging me after random squirrels and birds. Maybe our cold weather runs should be limited to the three milers?

Butternut Squash Risotto

It's cold outside. I have a 4 mile run today, but am putting it off until the temperature hits 40 or above. I'm waiting for changes for a map from a client, my kitchen is clean, and the laundry is switched. I can't pick up my copy of Nation of Sheep by Andrew Napolitano, or I'll keep reading and miss the run. It's a good book. Plus, it will make me cranky, and then I'll spend most of my run grumbling, since I'll be pushed for time and cranky. So, I'll blog last night's dinner.

Modified from a recipe in The Farmers Market Cookbook
(bought at Costco several years ago... or was it Sams?)

1 cup Brown Rice
1/3 cup Lentils
Rice cooked according to package directions; lentils tossed in about 1/2 way through cooking.

Butternut Squash
Olive Oil
Thyme
Salt & Pepper
Peeled, seeded and cut. Roasted in olive oil with seasonings at 400 degrees for 30 mins or so.

Leek, sliced
Yellow Onion, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
Baby Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
Fresh Parsley, chopped
Carrot, rough grated
1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
2 Tbs Butter
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Handful of chopped walnuts
Handful of chopped walnuts
Cook onion, leek and garlic in butter over medium high heat. When onions start to color, add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms start to fry, then add carrots. Cook until carrots start frying, then add rice, lentils, parsley and vegetable broth. Cook for five minutes, then stir in half of the grated cheese. Serve, topped with walnuts and remaining Parmesan.

-----

39 degrees. Woo hoo - almost there! I'm off to get changed for my run, so I can get back home & heat up the leftovers for lunch.

Officially In-Training

With the kids back in school. I spent last week adjusting back to a "normal" schedule. Ran four times, a total of about 14 miles for the week. Hadn't quite decided what to do with my late winter / early spring, so I spent a bit of time thinking about it while I was getting back up to daily official exercise. (Lugging laundry, ironing, cooking, cleaning, etc. - exhausting, but not officially exercise.)

While putting my Saturday run into my Runners World training log, I noticed the calendar. I'm 11-12 weeks out from the ING Atlanta Half Marathon. Just enough time to start an intermediate improve-your-time program. I don't see why I can't tackle the "run a half marathon faster than 2008" goal right now.

There are a couple of 10k races between now and March 29th, so I stand a good chance of checking the P.R. for that distance off the list, too. Any 5k races over the next few months will likely be with my kids, so it's their fun that counts. (Times count too, but in an neener-neener I run faster than you, you stinky boy/ snotty girl way, common to siblings everywhere.)

I'm reading up on Hal Higdon's Intermediate Half Plan (12 week), as well as the Long Program - Half Marathon Training (10 week) at Runner's World. I'll probably end up with a mash up of the two, but here's what I have come up with for this week:

Monday - Stretch/Strength
Tuesday - 4 mile, easy
Wednesday - XT / Rest
Thursday - 3 mile, hill
Friday - Stretch / Strength
Saturday - 6 mile, long
Sunday - 3 mile, easy

The Rutabaga Revolt

"It's not fair! Why don't YOU ever have to try anything new?"

This is what I was asked last week, during one of the Try Something New suppers. That I've been alive a lot longer, and have already tried many of these foods, doesn't occur to them. I'm just a big meanie, forcing them to eat unpronounceable dishes. So, I decided to join the kids in the trenches of our Supper Wars.

I took a casserole-roasted chicken recipe I've used (a variation of) for years now, one we all like, and followed it to the letter this time. Instead of choosing to use a few root vegetables, I used all the veggies on the list: potato, sweet potato, carrot, onion, leek, onion, and... lentils and RUTABAGA.

I didn't have anything against the rutabaga, I have just never felt the need to tackle one in my cooking. I'm sure my mom told me stories of her own childhood traumas, probably meant to allay the trauma she was inflicting on me with overcooked, previously frozen, brussels sprouts. You know, after the starving children would be grateful to have what you are turning up your nose at... at least I don't make you eat what my mother served us... blah, blah blah.

Peeled, chopped and roasted the veggies, along with the chicken breasts. Smelled fantastic. People were hungry. Scooped out the chicken & vegetables and turned the pan juices into gravy. Couscous was to be on the side, and I even made pilsbury crescent rolls, figuring I might need a bribe to get them past the lentils in the gravy.

The chicken was fantastic. The potatoes, leeks, onions, carrots - all delicious. There weren't even complaints about the lentils. There was only 1/2 cup in the whole dish, so the kids probably assumed those were bits of herbs and not a big deal. But the rutabaga? Nope.

The texture was about halfway between a potato and a carrot. The taste was about what you'd think carrot/potato would taste like, too. Pretty good start. But the aftertaste? Hard to describe. Not cabbage, but something like it. I ate mine, because I was setting an example, and really hungry. But I didn't like it much, either. I moved the bar lower than usual, and set one piece of rutabaga as the target. Two children made it. Middle child (B2) chose to go without a crescent roll, rather than finish the second bite of his rutabaga chunk.

Not every battle can be won, and it this case, I'm not sure I'd want to win. Tonight will be a peace offering. Chicken breasts, plain old green peas, and some pasta tossed in olive oil & garlic.

I'll stick with my original meal plan, but they can try butternut squash and barley risotto some other time.

Brussels Sprouts & Me: A Hate/Love Relationship

As a kid, I HATED brussels sprouts. I know that's not uncommon for kids, but I had the kind of hatred which leads one to declare "when I have a daughter, I will NEVER make her eat brussels sprouts!"

My mom always made sprouts from the frozen brick. She'd boil until falling apart, which she did with most vegetables, now that I think about it. Sometimes, the brussels sprouts would go fancy, with a bit of butter, or sprinkle of cheese. Didn't help; they were always nasty.

When I was about 20, I had a boyfriend who liked the darn things. Being the loving girlfriend I was, I cooked them. Not frozen. Fresh from the produce section brussels sprouts. Blanched, then tossed in with butter, salt, and some sort of citrus. They were pretty good. 17 years went by without me repeating the side dish, though.

This year, while working on my day after Thanksgiving meal plans (official holiday dinner on Friday, due to Thursday half marathon), I came across a recipe for Oven Carmelized Brussels Sprouts with Autumn Fruits. Pears, apples, fresh thyme... I had to try it. And it was amazing. Have fixed Brussels Sprouts this way a couple of times since then, and loved it just as much as the first.

Late in the week, while thinking about my bin full of sweet potatoes, I read Hangry Pants' write up on colorful food on a gray day. (On a side note - love the She Says / He Says of Hangry Pants! Taste tests of new Trader Joes products, grocery shopping, healthy cooking, and ice cream.) The colorful food was sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. And I thought:
IF Sweet Potatoes + Fruit = Good Stuff
AND Brussels Sprouts + Fruit = Good Stuff
THEN Sweet Potatoes + Brussels + Fruit = Really Good Stuff

So, I picked up a pack of fresh brussels sprouts at Trader Joes. Cut them in half, and tossed with:
Sweet potato
Carrot
Parsnip
Sweet Onion
Garlic
Apple (McIntosh, I think)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Whole Grain Mustard
Sea Salt & Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Brown Sugar (teaspoon)

My daughter helped with the prep, and we popped it in the oven at 425 degrees. 45 minutes later, the kids had a little of the roasted veggies alongside their mac & cheese and steamed broccoli... but no brussels sprouts. I was okay with that.

Anyway, dinner was delicious, and I will definitely make this again. Thank you again to She of HangryPants for the inspiration!

Supper Wars - Week 2

This week went pretty well. Only six days this week. Power was knocked out for the neighborhood on Wednesday, so we ventured out for dinner.

There was one day when I was sure the kids would love dinner, and was totally wrong. Fortunately, knowing I'm keeping tabs on what they like and don't like, they're more open to discussing what exactly it is they don't like, if it's just a part of the meal. Making them food critics and part of building the family cookbook is putting the stops on the general "yuck" complaints.

Green - Hit; will make again
Red - Miss; try a new variation, or not
Black - Mixed results; tweak & try again.

Ginger Chicken & Noodles (Old favorite)
Vegetable Stir Fry w/Zucchini
Kids still not into zucchini. Sticking with celery, carrots, broccoli and onion.

Beef Tacos, Black Bean Salad
Leave out the mango next time, and use mild salsa.

Baked Teriyaki Tofu & Veggie Fried Rice
Steamed Broccoli & Carrots

Tomato & Cheddar Packed Turkey Burgers
Oven Roasted Potato & Sweet Potato Fries,
This is where making the kids food critics helps. They liked the overall flavor, as they're used to me putting diced onions and chopped herbs into burgers. The diced tomato pieces were the offenders. I'll be leaving them out next time.

Mac & Cheese, Broccoli & Carrots
Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Sweet Potato
Kids tried the sweet potato & carrots in the sprouts. I count myself a lucky mom there's never any battling over broccoli, so I didn't push them too hard on the sprouts.

French Onion Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Cheddar & swiss on homemade egg bread? Instant win.

Links:
Supper Wars
2009 Grocery Challenge

GC 2009 - Week 2

Regular Grocery Shopping
Publix (1/5) - $75.64
Trader Joes (1/8) - $19.54
Week 2 total - $95.18

Weekly Average - $162.63

Year To Date - $325.26

Mostly produce, dairy and meat this week, plus a few items for packing school lunches. If I had to guess, I'd say I'm about halfway through many of the staples (rice, couscous, sugar, tea). I underestimated how quickly we go through flour. Between bread, rolls, waffles, muffins, cookies, it's a lot more than I realized. Will increase the quantities during my next stock up trip, in two weeks.

Links:
2009 Grocery Challenge
Supper Wars

Time for a haircut

I realized something odd this evening. I have used writing instruments as hair accessories three times this week. Happens at my desk, when I lean back in my chair. My hair is officially half way down my back now, the longest it's ever been in my life. Even a ponytail gets caught, these days.

It's been six months since my last trim. (Was putting it off, out of fear I'd ask for a pixie cut.)
Avoiding tangles requires nightly braiding.
I've felt the weight of the ponytail, bouncing, on longer runs.
The ends are practically strawberry blond, from sun, sweat and chlorine.

Will schedule cut for next week. Taking off about four inches, and getting a couple of recommendations for future style change. Will not be talked into any color treatments, though.

Of course, my hair will know exactly what I'm up to, and begin several days of "perfect", just to mess with me.

Grumble, grumble

Back up to speed today, after a couple of crazy days. The heavy rain in my area moved out late Tuesday, pushed by strong winds on Wednesday. Tree limbs were dropping all over the place. Power lines were knocked out in two or three spots in my neighborhood, shortly after lunch. Headed to the YMCA, figuring it was safer than being on the constant watch for flying sticks and overhead wires. Enjoyed my time on the treadmill, watching Stargate Atlantis on SciFi.

Thought the power would be back by the time I got kids picked up and home. Nope. As of 3pm, Ga Power estimated restoration by 8 pm. So much for cooking. Packed up for dinner at Ted's Montana Grill. 8 pm - no power. The younger kids had a blast taking showers by candlelight and turning bedtime reading into creepy ghost stories by flashlight. Lights popped back on right as children were drifting off to sleep... of course. Reset clocks. Checked batter backups and computers. Tossed the ice cream. Emptied the ice bin. Counted our good fortune, everything else was still frozen and/or cold.

Thursday morning, while making breakfast and packing lunches, I noticed the frozen produce. The freezer/fridge kicked into overdrive when the power came back on. The strawberries and blueberries could be cleaned and popped into the freezer to use in smoothies, but the lettuce, herbs, celery, cucumbers, etc., all had to be tossed, or used immediately to make vegetable stock. Ugh. So much for the grocery budget.

Got out the stockpot. Cleaned the fridge. Added Wednesday's bread & cookie baking to Thursday's muffin batch. Tackled the laundry which had been halted mid-cycle. Finished the map work which had been promised Wednesday afternoon. Then, school pickup, homework, dinner, music lessons (x3), homework checking, kitchen cleanup, bath/storytime/bed, ironing...

Whew! With only a hill run and volunteer time at the elementary school, today is practically a holiday.

Playing in traffic

I haven't officially exercised since Christmas. I've hiked, walked, played tag and field hockey, done kid yoga, and bowled while the kids have been home from school, but nothing official. I went for my first run of 2009 today, and it was wonderful!

It was misting heavily, with temps in the low 60s. I had on my favorite nike skirt and salt crusted hat. I was outside, cruising along at grown up speed, happy to be keeping my eyes on actual cars and dodging puddles, rather than keeping an eye out for orange juice puddles and dodging matchbox cars in the house.

3.2 miles @ 8:56/mile

It was a great start to the year!

Supper Wars - Week 1

Working to expand our "try something new" meals beyond just a couple times each week, by adding new side dishes with old favorites, or alternating days between the familiar and the unusual. When I'm fixing something terribly spicy or truly odd, I'll still fix a separate kid and grown up meal, but I'd like that to be the exception, rather than the norm. Tying the planning necessary to keep the kids trying new foods to the planning for reducing the average grocery bill seems like a no-brainer.

Green - Hit; will make again
Red - Miss; try a new variation, or not
Black - Mixed results; tweak & try again.

Pan Fried Deviled Eggs, on Mixed Greens
Kids did NOT appreciate at all, unfortunately. I thought it was delicious.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup w/Rustic Bread (Old favorite)

Adobo Chicken w/ Rice & Salad (Variation)
The kids don't like dark meat. Prepared a couple of skin-on split chicken breasts, in addition to the thighs. Worked like a charm.

Baked Tofu w/Fried Rice (Old favorite),
Edamame Succotash w/ Roasted Red Pepper (Variation)
Figure if I keep putting bell peppers in dishes, I will eventually stumble upon a method of cooking and presentation they like. This wasn't it. Not only would they not eat the peppers, they wouldn't eat the corn and edamame when cooked together. They eat both on their own, quite happily. (Ack!)

Turkey Burgers (old favorite) , Couscous Salad (Variation)
I'm upping the parsley, mint, and vegetable content of the salad each time I make this. Overdid it this time. Will have to keep the chopped red peppers on the side and add just to grown up plates. Kids picked out peppers and ate rest of salad, but there was much grumbling.

Flatbread Pizza
Build-your-own pizzas. Choice of either italian sausage & cheeses or shredded adobo chicken with sauteed onion & garlic slices. You can guess which kids picked.

Butter Chicken w/Basmati Rice, Nan and Green Beans
Two kids loved the mild curry chicken; one did not. He was extremely opposed to the entire concept. Will try this again, but let him add coconut milk, instead of the yogurt.

Pho Bo (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) w/Basil-lemongrass Meatball (Old Favorite)
Big bowl of rice noodles, topped with ladles of fragrant broth (beef, chicken & ginger). Toss in a couple of the basil meatballs, and let everyone pile bean sprouts, fresh leaves of thai basil and cilantro on from the salad plate. Can't go wrong.

GC - Week 1

Stock-up Shopping
International/Farmers Market - $155.04

Regular Grocery Shopping
Publix (2 trips) - $61.98
Trader Joes - $13.06

Week 1 total - $230.08

This was the stock up week. Refilled the spice cabinet, bought organic basmati rice, oat flour, wheat flour, flax meal, barley, whole wheat couscous, and more, in bulk. Spent at least $30 more at the farmers market than I would have, had I not had helpers (note the lower case h) clamoring for dark chocolate dipped ginger cookies, anchovy stuffed olives, large containers of pistachios and 1/2-lb bags of exotic coffee (the $40/lb stuff).

Made three smaller trips to the grocery stores through the week, for milk, meat/poultry, and for produce at the end of the week. (Included the wine for New Years Eve/Day)

This week's spending will be lower. Don't know how much yet, since I'm still working out the plan. I'm on day two of week two, and haven't needed to go to the store yet, so it's looking good so far. I'll be heading out when I get the rest of the meals planned for this week. Only needed half of the pack of boneless, skinless chicken thighs Friday for Butter Chicken, so the other half soaked in ginger/soy/honey and became Sunday's stir fry.

Links:
2009 Grocery Challenge
Supper Wars - Week 1

Boycotting resolutions

I don't do so well with New Year's Resolutions. For starters, I can never actually come up with them in time to make them officially part of the New Year. Then, there's the matter of specificity. If the resolution is too vague, there's no way to measure it, and I get discouraged. Too specific, and I feel locked in, and my natural rebellion to anything resembling authority kicks in. (Yes, I realize I'm technically staging a self-revolt.)

I do love a challenge though, so setting a goal works for me. Fitness goals for 2008 were:
Train for and complete a 5k, a 10k and a half marathon.

• Completed two 5k races on my own, and two with my children. This was spaced through the year.
• Finished two 10k races. One at the beginning of summer, one at the end.
• This October, ran my first half marathon. Thanksgiving Day was my second.

I also wanted train for and finish a half century, but trying to increase cycling mileage at the same time I was working up to 10+ mile long runs turned out to be a bit too much - both from the physical and schedule standpoint.

My stats for 2008:*
Cycling: 1,082 miles
Running: 502 miles
Hiking (with kids): 49 miles
*all the miles I remembered to tally - often short bicycle commute trips and kid hikes miss the training log.

This year, I want to kick my own butt. I'm going to go farther and faster than last year. And climb higher.
I'm shooting for:
2,000 miles, between running and cycling.
Beat my 2008 P.R.s (5k - 31:27; 10k - 1:01:56; half - 2:18:09)
Train for & complete an autumn half century
Finish a trail 10 mile or half marathon.

There are a few trail races not too far from home which should fit that last challenge. If the rescheduled holiday trip can be worked out for mid-June (which would make two grandfathers VERY happy), I'd love to try the Garden of the Gods 10 mile in Colorado. It's on paved roads and paths, so isn't technically a trail race. I'm pretty sure the higher altitude and big hills will be tougher than our little trails here in north Georgia, so as far as I'm concerned, it counts.

Grocery Challenge - 2009

For one month of 2008, I challenged myself to keep the grocery bill for five to $125 or less. Did it. We cut back a little, but it wasn't too difficult.

Once I finished the month, I figured it would be a cinch to keep my bills lower, without extra work. I stopped planning a few days in advance, and returned to my normal pattern of "what do we want tonight?" I was wrong. The weekly spending in October and November crept up a little each week, until I hit $200/week. Reigned spending back during December, by $40-50/week, simply by going back to planning 3-4 days of meals before heading to the store.

I'm going to see how low I can keep my average weekly spending this year. I know the under $150/week target is easy to hit, with plain old, ordinary shopping at Kroger, Publix, Whole Foods & Trader Joes. No cut backs required, just that little bit of meal planning. But, what happens if I go for the bulk items at the international markets? Rice, flour, oats, pasta, beans, coconut milk, tofu - all cheaper than at standard stores. Same thing for many of the root veggies, which last quite a while when stored properly. Can setting up a vague monthly meal plan for staples, in addition to the weekly planning, make $125 or less the new "easy"? Can I get it down to $100?

We're also working to expand our "try something new" at meals beyond just a couple times each week, by adding new side dishes with old favorites, or alternating days between the familiar and the unusual. Tying the planning necessary to keep the kids trying new foods to the planning for shopping seems like a no-brainer.

The first week of shopping, the stock-up week, was split between 2008 & 2009, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Here's my rules:

• Weeks will run Sunday to Saturday, and I'll be posting my weekly total for the previous week on Sunday nights, after prep for Monday morning lunchbox packing. (Or Monday mornings, after the kids are at school and I have my coffee.)
• After the weekly amount, I'll post the updated weekly average.
• This is only grocery items. I handle shopping for most health, bath and home products during a once a month trip to Costco, Target or CVS. I will include any food items purchased on those trips with the grocery total. Even if that item is a bag of dark chocolate twix bars. (Which it won't be, ever, because I never do anything that unhealthy.)

If you're interested in what we're eating, you can take a look at Supper Wars.

Off to a good start

All three kids managed to stay awake past midnight this year. (Usually, my daughter falls asleep.) We slept in a little, had breakfast together. A little bit of housework and chores, followed by video games. After lunch, headed out for a couple hours of semi active sport:Then back home for construction. Legos, modeling clay and a build your own pizza supper. Italian sausage, sauce & cheese(s), on flatbread crust. There wasn't time to make the dough from scratch after bowling.

I had helpers, though only one who was willing to be photographed. That's only partly true. The boys were willing to be photographed, but only if I'd accept shots of them imitating alien monsters - or was it zombie alien monsters?

Tossed out my plan for shakshuka for two, and chopped up leftover Adobo Chicken to make pizza, along with sweet onion, shallot, scallions, thin sliced garlic and red bell pepper (see cutting board). My official cheese grater helped build two samples of our Adobo Pizza:

1. with smoked applewood and mozzarella cheese
2. with smoked mozzarella, mozzarella, parmesan and asagio

Both were good; the second version was my favorite.

Watched The Mummy Returns with our supper, and followed it with mugs of hot cocoa. Not too much fighting on a not-to-late bedtime, which left quiet time for reading Neverwhere with a cup of herbal tea before bed.

I'm not a terribly superstitious person. I don't collard greens and black eyed peas on New Year's Day. My trash does go out, and I do not hesitate to do a load of laundry, in light of the mountain created by three children. (New Year's superstitions at Snopes). I do think you can set the tone for, if not the rest of the year, at least the immediate future, with what you do during the day of fresh starts.

Given our New Year's Day, I think 2009 is looking pretty good.

Spend now to save later?

Blew the $150 (or less) grocery budget this week. In a B-I-G way. Only half way through the week, so I won’t know what the total is until Sunday. But a trip to the International Farmer’s Market in Dekalb early this week cost $155.04.

The kids are home. Many friends are out of town for a few more days. I’m limiting video games. They’re bored. We’re hiking trails along sections of the Chattahoochee every day, but that doesn’t get my grocery shopping done. It’s the end of the year, so it’s time to swap out spices in the cabinet. I’d run out of couscous. And rice noodles. And fish sauce. It was time for a field trip.

The farmers market is in a warehouse - bigger than a Costco, with row after row of vegetables, herbs, fruits, most marked with information about the geographic region where it’s grown. We spent 90 minutes walking, doing our shopping in a meandering fashion. Wonderful smells of baking bread, roasting coffee; not so wonderful smells by the tanks of live fish and shellfish.

The $155.04 bill was a bit painful, at least at first glance. Not only did I purchase the majority of extremely fresh produce, dairy products and poultry for this week, I also completely restocked my spice rack. (Quick example: madras hot curry powder - 57¢ for 1/2 lb, which whill last me about six months. Can’t get that at the supermarket.) In addition to stocking up on root vegetables at a cost far lower than the supermarket, I also hit the canned goods and bulk items, and stocked my pantry with a month’s supply (or more) of:

• organic basmati rice
• whole wheat couscous
• cashew butter
• rice noodles
• black ceylon tea (looseleaf)
• orange blossom honey
• flax meal
• popping corn
• oat flour
• barley
• quinoa
• green olives
• diced & crushed tomatoes
• dark soy sauce
• fish sauce
• rice vinegar
• white wine vinegar
• olive oil
• vanilla extract

There were a few indulgences included, pistachios and a small bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee being two of them.

Most of the groceries - there was still one bag in the car.

The big list of staples on this trip should allow for smaller bills over the next four weeks - at least that’s what I’m hoping. This Sunday (1/4) I’ll post my first week spending. For the three Sundays which follow, I’ll keep track of the change to the average. I hope this will help me plan a monthly bulk trip to the YDFM. I’ll have to go without the entire bunch though. A little over $30 was spent on items I’d normally not get... like Jamaican Blue Mountain.

Putting the (R) back in RNC

I officially became a republican again about five years ago. Not because I agree with everything the party stands for - that's far from the case. I left the Libertarian Party because of the kook factor. The 9/11 conspiracy talk and increasing importance placed on being the purest Libertarian in the room... it was too much for me. The DNC was never an option. I just can't embrace the idea that the money I earn is public property. I prefer candidates who are fiscal conservatives AND social liberals. The RNC platform of less regulation, lower taxes, and lower spending was the best I could hope for, right?

I held my nose and voted for (R) candidates who had supported no child left behind and drug coverage for seniors, while allowing partial privatization of social security to drop off the radar. After all, it was better than the (D). That ended in 2008.

I voted for a few republican candidates on the ballot this past November. (Not Saxby Chambliss.) I didn't cast a vote for President. I skipped that section of the ballot. I couldn't vote for Barak Obama. He seems to be a good man, but I have a family to take care of - I didn't think I could afford him. I wouldn't vote for John McCain. His stance against pork barrel projects didn't translate to opposition for other government spending, and he was proud of the job he did on campaign finance reform. RINO!

The last few months of bailouts have only served to give me confirmation that I made the right choice. I knew I wasn't the only fed up republican out there. Even my mother, who joined as a young republican back in the 60s, admitted to feeling the need for a shower after leaving the voting booth this year.

Well, somebody at RNC headquarters seems to have remembered the R:

(from the washington times) Republican Party officials say they will try next month to pass a resolution accusing President Bush and congressional Republican leaders of embracing "socialism," underscoring deep dissension within the party at the end of Mr. Bush's administration.

Those pushing the resolution, which will come before the Republican National Committee at its January meeting, say elected leaders need to be reminded of core principles. They said the RNC must take the dramatic step of wading into policy debates, which traditionally have been left to lawmakers.

"We can't be a party of small government, free markets and low taxes while supporting bailouts and nationalizing industries, which lead to big government, socialism and high taxes at the expense of individual liberty and freedoms," said Solomon Yue, an Oregon member and co-sponsor of a resolution that criticizes the U.S. government bailouts of the financial and auto industries. Republican National Committee Vice Chairman James Bopp Jr. wrote the resolution and asked the rest of the 168 voting members to sign it.

Finally! It's a case of too little, too late, but (raising coffee mug in toast) here's hoping it catches on.

Do thin people think differently about food?

Charlotte of The Great Fitness Experiment posed this question. She's read a diet book by Dr. Judith Beck called - wait for it - The Beck Diet Solution. Charlotte pointed out the book's neon pink cover "cause women love pink, get it?" So I suppose the question should really be "Do thin women....?" because men would never obsess over calories, body image and famine-chic, right?

Dr. Beck uses a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach to weight loss. She sticks to the eat less food portion of weight loss, rather than the exercise more. I guess that makes sense, given our TV-watching, computer-jockey lifestyles. From an interview w/ Dr. Beck about her latest book The Complete Beck Diet For Life at Crabby Fitness:

Judith: The truth is that if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. If you eat more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight. There is a solution, though, to losing weight permanently.

Crabby: "Permanent" is the tricky part, isn't it? I tried to make some suggestions once, but somehow I got off track and ended up talking about Eleanor Roosevelt and Mr. Rogers instead. What's the real solution to losing weight and make it stick?

Judith: First you need to learn a specific set of thinking and behavioral skills, such as how to motivate yourself every day, how to get yourself to use good eating habits, how to cope with craving and negative emotions without eating, and so on.

Second, you need a highly nutritious diet you can stay on for life. That means it has to have a sufficient number of calories and be very healthy so your body doesn’t rebel. It also means it has to include your favorite foods—as often as every day—so your mind won’t rebel.

This got my attention. When I lost weight (30+ lbs over 12-18 months), it was due almost entirely to three things:

1. Eat at regular meal time.
2. If it's not meal time, wait 15 minutes before grabbing a snack.
3. Eat a little dessert, every night.

At that time, exercise wasn't always an option. Three children in school, each with a different sport/activity. A 2-hour round trip commute to the office, three days each week, with the other two days being longish hours of work via telecommute, to finish everything I couldn't do during my partial days in-office . A husband with a daily commute time of almost three hours, meaning he was rarely home before 7:30, and often needed a nap before supper.

I stopped waiting until 8:00 for my own supper. Since I was eating with the kids, it meant I stopped nibbling during homework supervision and food prep.

I had breakfast every day. Sometimes cereal. Sometimes fruit & yogurt. Sometimes hot milk & instant breakfast, mixed into my coffee.

I ate a little dessert, every night. Stressful days had often led to chips or a candy bar, usually while driving from office to school for pickup. Knowing that I'd be able to sit down in peace at night to enjoy scoop of ice cream with an oreo (or two) or half a baked apple, or a dollop of whipped cream on berries with a couple of ginger snaps, made the quick fix less appealing.

Those were all behavioral changes. Over the last four years, they've become habits. Sure, there are rainy Saturdays when I'm scarfing chips and pizza with the kids, over video or board games and movies. Or when a friend and I meet for lunch and celebrate - or commiserate - over a particularly decadent concoction of sugar, cream and chocolate. That's now the exception, rather than the normal part of my days.

I think the reasons I lost the weight matter as much, if not more, than the way I did it. I don't have a great body image, but I haven't focused on a desire to "be thin" since I was a teenager. I woke up one day and realized it had been a very l-o-n-g time since had felt like anything other than a blob. It wasn't my size 14 jeans. It was being tired all the time. The constant drain of always feeling almost like I was getting sick.

Losing weight through healthier eating boosted my energy and improved my mood. Stress levels dropped. Sleep improved. My quality of life went up as the scale went down. The smaller wardrobe was just a side benefit. I had the luxury of beginning my exercise program with the desire to be fit, as a "want to", rather than the "have to" most folks face when they tackle diet and exercise on January 2nd, year after year.

I'm not great at this whole nutritional planning, by any means. I cook with butter. I splash heavy whipping cream into sauces. I think mashed garlic potatoes should be it's own food group. During the four hot weather months of heavier cycling and running, I struggled with getting enough calories into my body each day, to the point I was becoming ticked off about having to eat. I question my food choices, my motivations, and what kind of example I'm setting for my daughter and her future relationship with food.

I may not need The Complete Beck Diet for Life * to get started changing my way of thinking about food, but I think it is probably still a good idea for 2009 reading. Confirming what I've done so far is good and - hopefully - giving a bit of guidance to carry it into the future.

*Note the snazzy green cover.

Supper Wars

Most days, if my children are asked what they want for dinner, the answer(s) will be some combination of:

• Spaghetti
• Pizza
• Macaroni & cheese.

It's odd, because not one of them considers any of those three things to be their favorite food. (With the possible exception of the 14 y.o. - I think pizza worship arrived with puberty.) Those seem to be the autopilot responses. I'm short circuiting the autopilot this week. Since I'm home with them all day, every day, I'm taking the opportunity to serve the kid foods for lunch. Hopefully, this will leave the way clear for new foods, or twists on familiar meals, at supper.

I had the luxury of extra time to plan this weekend. We'll be alternating meals between the strange and the familiar, as well as combining something old and something new in the same meal. Really hoping this keeps the whining to a manageable level. The plan, so far:

Pan Fried Deviled Eggs, on Mixed Greens (New!)
Delicious! Kids did NOT appreciate at all, unfortunately.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
w/Rustic Bread (Old favorite)
Easy win; used up roasted chicken leftovers from Christmas dinner

Adobo Chicken w/ Rice & Salad (Variation)
Attempting to make one of my favorites more acceptable to them. No one but me is a fan of dark meat, so I'm trying a couple of skin-on split chicken breasts, in addition to the thighs. 24 hours of marinating, so this is an advance planning only meal.

Baked Tofu w/ Drunken Noodles (Old favorite),
Edamame Succotash w/ Roasted Red Pepper (Variation)
Figure if I keep putting bell peppers in dishes, I will eventually stumble upon a method of cooking and presentation they like.

Turkey Burgers (Old favorite), Couscous Salad (Variation)
I'm upping the parsley, mint, and vegetable content of the salad. So far, shifting the ratio gradually is going smoothly.

If all goes well, New Year's Day will be kid food heaven. Peanut butter & honey sandwiches for lunch, and they'll get to make their own pizzas for supper. I'll be having shakshuka*, extra spicy. Like hot curry dishes, it's an acquired taste, one which I'm not going to push them into... yet.

*Shakshuka is an amazing dish. It's an excellent brunch, or as comfort food on a cold rainy evening. I use a combo of fresh and canned tomatoes, instead of just canned, but other than that, this video seems to be dead-on.

More Vegetarian Recipes videos at 5min.com

Speak & Spell Magic

When tucking my daughter in on Christmas Eve, she asked me for a story. Not just any story, but the story of my favorite Christmas present. I told her of the year of the Speak & Spell.

It was a year of clothing and "girl stuff". (Barbies were never my thing.) Then, at my grandmother's house, after the big family dinner, we opened presents. My present was... a Speak & Spell. I'd seen them, and secretly hoped for one of my own, but figured the closest I'd get would be playing with it at one of my friends - you know, that one friend every kid has whose parents made sure to get the IT toy each year. But I received one of my very own! I was thrilled. Convinced it would make me the greatest spelling bee champion in the world, I played it constantly.

That's where I ended my Christmas tale. What I didn't tell her was that I already knew all the words which were tossed my way, and after a week or so, I knew all the mystery words by 1-2 letters in. It gathered dust, only to be played when I was supposed to be cleaning my room.

Imagine my surprise this morning, to find a link to an Flash Speak & Spell during my morning news & blog reading. (Thanks, Agitator!) Opened the link, played for a few minutes, and then turned it over to my little girl. You see, her Christmas toys are a few days old now, and...

Happy Baking!

It's Christmas Eve, and the oven has been cranking out the goodies, with help from my little band of elves. We've rolled gingerbread, roasted pears for tomorrow's bread pudding, and baked egg bread for sandwiches, as well as for the bread pudding.

Even the ordinary breakfast muffins have gone festive. Instead of 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips, I added extra cinnamon to the batter, and used a scoop of the green and red swirled white chocolate chips.

I've spent the last couple months tinkering with the recipe. Milk from the carton. Plain yogurt. Vanilla yogurt. Buttermilk. Evaporated milk. Condensed milk. Sour cream. Since I don't buy prepackaged breakfasts, and the kids get tired of waffles (make extras on weekend & freeze for easy toasting), I make a batch or two each week, so have had plenty of opportunities to use my children as test subjects.

This is the winner, according to them:

1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Milk (evaporated or whole)
1-1/4 cup Rolled Oats (not quick cook)
1 Egg, beaten
4 Tbs Butter, melted
1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips*
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup Bread Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt

Mix sour cream, milk and oats in a bowl; let oats soak for 15-20 minutes.
Add beaten egg, melted butter and brown sugar. Let it rest while you mix dry ingredients in separate container, and start oven preheating - 400 degrees.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips. Combine with wet ingredients. Let rest for five minutes. Prep muffin tins with butter, cooking spray, or use paper liners.

Scoop batter into muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes, depending on your oven. Makes 12 muffins.

*I often toss in a 1/4 cup of dried cranberries, raisins or cherries, as well as a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans. The presence of chocolate chips makes everything I do which would be considered "good for you" still yummy. Even my child who has an almost irrational aversion to dried fruit will scarf down a muffin without complaint. After all, it's chocolate for breakfast. (The actually chip count per muffin is pretty low, but I'm not ever going to point that out to him.)

If you use quick rolled oats and plain all-purpose flour, you'll want to reduce the amount of milk by 1/4 cup, to avoid ending up with a chewy cupcake consistency. Also, these are great made with vanilla yogurt in place of the sour cream. I reduce the amount of sugar to keep it from being too sweet, though I have occasionally left them sweet and used them as desserts in lunchboxes.

It's been a marvelous day of family prep today. We're tired, flour coated, and in a post-board-game, cookies-and-eggnog, sugar coma. And tomorrow, we'll be doing it again. With wrapping paper scraps in place of the flour, and extra relatives for the board games. Looking forward to it.

Whatever holiday you're celebrating, enjoy!

What I'm Reading - Good Omens

I'm reading Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett. I've been a fan of Gaiman since the early-ish days of The Sandman, and Terry Pratchett - well, I've not read any of his books, but I plan to remedy that in the near future.

I'm enjoying this book. A lot. It's funny. Sometimes biting and satirical, sometimes zany, but definitely full of humor. The four horsemen are... unexpectedly modern. I found myself alternating between chuckling and horrified realization when reading about Famine's antics, in particular.

How at home Famine must be in this day and age. Starvation is still a problem for the poor in the third world countries, but it's also the goal of so many well-off women and young girls. (And even a segment of the young male population, apparently.) People stuff themselves full of easy and cheap calories, loading themselves up with excess fat while becoming deficient in the basic nutrients required for a healthy life. Our obsessions with food, at both ends of the scale, make his job so much easier.

I don't want to give key story points away, so I'll stay out of detailing what he and the other horsemen are up to in the days leading up to Armageddon. Instead, I'll quote the description from the publisher:

There is a distinct hint of Armageddon in the air. According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (recorded, thankfully, in 1655, before she blew up her entire village and all its inhabitants, who had gathered to watch her burn), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse are revving up their mighty hogs and hitting the road, and the world's last two remaining witch-finders are getting ready to fight the good fight, armed with awkwardly antiquated instructions and stick pins. Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. . . . Right. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan.

Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon -- each of whom has lived among Earth's mortals for many millennia and has grown rather fond of the lifestyle -- are not particularly looking forward to the coming Rapture. If Crowley and Aziraphale are going to stop it from happening, they've got to find and kill the Antichrist (which is a shame, as he's a really nice kid). There's just one glitch: someone seems to have misplaced him. . . .

Gaiman & Pratchett did a lovely thumbing of the nose at our current culture. I think it's a great book to put on the shelf with Jonathan Swift and Douglas Adams, for my kids to pick up as they grow beyond the 2nd-3rd grade satire of Captain Underpants.

Accessories: Who needs 'em?

In the ongoing attempt to become, if not adept, at least not completely incompetent at accessorizing, I've been digging through my jewelery box and top dresser drawer to see what I already have, before doing any spending. I have more than I thought. Started breaking out pieces, especially gold. I figure I'll wear what I have and see how I feel about it, now that it's been 5-10-20 years since I first purchased or received much of it. There are items passed down from my grandmother which I've never even tried on. Granted, some of them won't ever be. They are just fine as part of my daughter's costume trunk.

Here's one of the first combos, resurrected from the drawer of limbo:

Normally, this scoop/cowl neck knit top gets nothing more than my normal tiny hoops and a small silver & garnet pendant on black silk, if even that. This necklace was picked up at a boutique several years ago. I think it was the place in Decatur where I bought my all time favorite winter skirt. (Kaleidoscope) The Winnie-the-Pooh earrings don't necessarily fit with this, but they were a gift from the children. It's always good for a hug and an "Ooh! You're wearing my earrings" from my daughter. Can't pass that up. Wore my Citizen gold/stainless steel wristwatch, along with a mother of pearl ring I received 18 years ago, from a long ago boyfriend.

Gotta admit it. Taking that few minutes to think about what I'd put on with my clothes, I felt more put together. It was nice.

I'll keep working on this, and post a few photos when I get a chance to pin groupings up on the corkboard. It should help me plan out a "what I like" and a "what I need" list.

It really IS the humidity!

Last week was an awful week for my running. I ran four days, total of 18 miles, which doesn't sound too bad, but 14 of those miles were miserable.

I'd start out chipper. Glad to be outside. Glad to have a sanity break before dealing with either work or children's Christmas Parties - oops! - I mean Holiday Centers. (That's a whole 'nuther story.) About one mile in, I'd go from running to shuffling. I felt like I was overheating, even when I was running in sleeveless top & running skirt.

It wasn't a hydration issue. I wasn't injured. My sinus infection was long gone. It was in the mid-60s, which is usually a marvelous temperature for me. WTH?

Then it dawned on me. The temps were great, but I was running in 97-99% humidity each of those days. Without any noticeable breeze. I was running through a pea soup of mist, which only added to the slick of sweat. The rain had rinsed it away, which is why the 100% humidity runs during the previous week's rains had been comfortable.

If I needed any proof, I got it this morning. It's 31 degrees, with the humidity back under 40%, and my happy run was back. Didn't need any breaks, beyond the normal wait to cross the big intersection on my easy route. Ended winded, but not wiped. Shaved almost 90 seconds off my pace, compared with last week.

Now it's time to get my children bundled and outside, for a bit of fresh air & exercise. I think a walk by the Chattahoochee with the dog is in order. Then, lunch and house/yardwork. They want video games, and that means earning the time. An hour of chores or outside playtime = an hour of video games. No, the time does not generally accrue for future use. (Exceptions are made when we have a very active outdoor day followed by a rainy day.)

Harvest Grains Salad

Picked up something new during my last trek to Trader Joe's. Harvest Grains Blend: Israeli couscous, orzo, red quinoa and baby garbanzo beans. Directions say to cook it in broth or water, with butter, and serve immediately. I had salad on the menu though (and I'm sticking to the plan), so let it cool on cookie sheet while I chopped veggies.

Chopped:
Parsley
Mint
Red Onion (1/4 cup)
Yellow Bell Pepper (1/4 cup)
Cucumber, peeled and seeded
Grape Tomatoes, halved

Mixed with the juice of a lime, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Mixed everything together, and ended up with a very festive looking dish. Topped it on the plates with sliced chicken breast (leftover from night before) and crumbled feta cheese.

It was really tasty. The couscous and orzo are the standard texture you expect in this sort of dish, but the quinoa and especially the baby garbanzos added an element into which you could sink your teeth. I liked the texture.

Tonight's something new is Parsnip & Potato Baked in Garlic Cream. It's out of a Farmer's Market Cookbook I received as a gift, a few years ago. I use several of the Spring & Summer recipes on a regular basis, but haven't done much out of the Autumn and Winter sections. Had little people helping with the peeling of the parts, and also in the au gratin building process in the pan.

Fingers crossed!

Grocery Budget Backsliding: Update

A few weeks ago, I had rude awakening when looking over my post-challenge grocery spending. Have been making an effort since the first of December to get back in the habit of planning meals a few days at a time, ahead of the shopping trips. So far, it seems to be paying off.

Where my average weekly grocery spending from the latter half of October through November was a little over $200, it's now well within the $150 target I set. The first week of December - $148. Second week - $126.37.
This week might be slightly over, depending on guests, special requests for Christmas dinner, etc. Even with the extras though, and a bottle or two of wine, I don't think it will exceed the $200 mark.

My next four dinners are already planned and on the white board in the kitchen. Most of the shopping for the week was done Sunday. I'll bike to the store tomorrow, for the couple of items which must be super fresh (fish will be involved), and for a bottle or two of white wine.

Wonder if I have a miniature wreath I can wire to the basket for the trip...

Winter

As much as I love the green of spring and bright flowers of summer, and the vibrant reds and golds of autumn, I can't help be amazed by the beauty of winter's emptiness. The grass is gone. The trees are bare, leaving the wind... changed. Without the soft swishing of green leaves overhead, or the crisp brushing sound as fallen leaves are blown across the ground, even the wind is empty. We don't see much snow here, so there's no white blanket to soften the landscape.

Where the greener seasons let me feel as if I'm escaping my day, I have no choice but to confront my troubles in winter. No pretty flowers to distract. Fewer people to watch. Shorter days mean running at dawn or dusk, so the skies are generally grey. Mindful of the need for extra caution in the gloom, I sometimes skip headphones, and run with only the sound of my footfalls, labored breathing, and passing cars. I'm exposed, just like the trees.

It's a great time to run.

Disposable Values

I'm a big fan of Wenchypoo. Not only does she make it easier for me to narrow down my daily financial news reading, with handy-dandy links to financial articles, she has an interesting way of thinking. Does a good job typing up those thoughts, too. On more than one occasion, she's inspired me to put a little more thought into my day-to-day household finances. The grocery challenge is a good example. Today, Wenchy wrote about wasteful behavior.

From An All-Day Sunday Peeve-a-Thon:

Over the last three days, I've lost three neighbors to various reasons--one was military, and had orders to Florida, one lost his job, and I don't know why the third one left--probably a rent increase.

Their leaving doesn't piss me off so much as how they went: all three households saw perfectly fit to sweep nearly everything they owned into the dumpsters here, filling them to the brim with things that other families would've been grateful for in these times. Of course, they threw the "best" things on the dumpster FIRST, then piled mattresses, box springs, broken down cribs, and other assorted large, heavy, and/or unwieldy things on top of it all.

I took my car down there and grabbed what I could get. Thank god someone left a double stroller and a tricycle out beside the dumpsters, and some pieces of clothing within my reach just inside.

...

I'm just PISSED OFF that this hideous waste of perfectly usable stuff from THREE FAMILIES went straight to the trash without a minute's concern for anyone else this holiday season!

Oh well--SOMEBODY'S going to get a like-new double stroller, a tricycle, some clothes, and a livingroom rug tomorrow from the thrift store. I only wish I had an SUV or truck so I could also get the colonial-style triple dresser with mirror that was alongside the dumpster, along with the two ironing boards, the bookcase, the flat part of a sectional (someone else was carrying off the hide-a-bed part), and countless other things too bulky and too heavy for me to deal with alone and with one car. As it was, the double stroller filled my trunk!

Wenchy wondered if the waste was due to decadence, or stupidity. I think it's a case of expediency, fueled by a distorted set of values. A couple years ago, I read Something for Nothing, by Brian Tracy, in which he talks about both the good and the bad side of laziness, greed, etc.

Instead of lazy, think of people as being expedient. When you look at a situation, you weigh the cost to you in time, money and effort against the benefit you gain from acting. In the case of the inventor who came up with the agitator basket for a machine washer, freeing up hours of time for housewives everywhere, expediency is a great thing.

In the case of these three families, the cost of their time to drop the items off at the thrift store, along with the hassle of having to think about sorting and boxing was greater than the benefit of a tax deduction and a sense of satisfaction at having made the items no longer useful to them available for others.

There was a great comment on an article I read at NPR recently. "there's no legacy in a throwaway society" It followed an article on Workman Cycles, a US company which manufactures heavy duty work bikes (delivery, ice cream vendors, transportation) which last for decades. That commenter was right, in many respects.

Our society has gained so much from easy access to inexpensive goods. Our standard of living has been greatly improved by labor saving devices. In my head, I know this. In my heart, I can't help but wonder about the quality of the lives we're living, and the messages we're teaching our children. If the goods we buy aren't worth taking care of, and passing on when we have outgrown our need of them, what does it say that we spent so much of our time earning the money to purchase these "things" in the first place?

Over the river...

...and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we won't go.

Every two or three years, we drive cross country for visits with the midwest and mountain grandparents. Other family members fly in or drive from California. A good time is had by all, and the kids get a chance to play in snow.

This year's big trip has been canceled. A few months ago, when it was just gas prices which were up, I wouldn't have dreamed of canceling. So what changed?

Other family members, especially the older ones who rely on investment income, have seen their net worth plummet. Less money and peace of mind meant adjusting travel plans to get the best prices on airfare. Shorter trips, and either before or after Christmas, to avoid the premium days. One other family member called off her whole trip.

This means the only way we'd be able to see [no longer] everyone, would be for us to be in Nebraska and Colorado for the entire winter break, with a couple of one day trips back and forth between the two.

• Over 3,500 miles of winter driving - alone, with three children and the dog.
• At least six nights of hotel stays during drive, with more needed if weather takes a bad turn.
• Six or more days of eating on the road. Even planning for snacks from grocery stores, this cost will be high.
• Airfare to get the oldest child back to his father's for New Years, since we'd be gone for the entire winter break. (Eek! This would mean the trip back would be the two younger children & dog, without my helpful teen.)
• Three weeks away from work. Planned for up to two weeks, but three weeks off for this freelancer/independent contractor is not an option.

Switching to air travel could help shave four or five days, by eliminating the bulk of the drive, but the costs would be higher overall. The airfare is a little higher as hotel and gas/auto costs. We'd still need to drive between Colorado and Nebraska, which means a rental vehicle. There would still be a need for a few hotel nights; and the dog would be boarding back here in Atlanta.

There's just no easy way around it. The trip's off this year.

We're far from being the only family making this call.

According to Market Watch, a recent survey found roughly a quarter of people who traveled in the previous few years have canceled all travel for 2008. Almost half of Americans who had been planning larger trips have scaled back to destinations "within driving distance." 53% say it's because of the economic downturn.

Other findings from the research include:

• Key reasons for cancelling holiday travel plans include "general economic uncertainty" (53 percent), "job concerns" (26 percent) and "expected pay cut/no bonus" (13 percent). Other reasons for not traveling this year include "reducing carbon footprint" (7 percent) and "parents will no longer pay for me" (3 percent)
• While travel budgets have dipped significantly, more than half (52 percent) of consumers plan to spend about the same amount of money as last year on gifts, so holiday retail sales may not be as flat as predicted

Our gift budget had been cut this year, to allow more money to go towards the trip. Even with the cancellation, I think the lower shopping budget will stay. A portion of the travel funds will be used for an intown family vacation. We'll stay at home, but spend a few days out and about, doing things together. A day downtown, visiting World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium. An evening performance of A Christmas Carol at The Shakespeare Tavern. Ice Skating at Centennial Olympic Park.

Then there's the low cost pleasures of being near home. Taking in one of the Christmas concerts at a local church, where there's a donation basket, instead of tickets. Spending an afternoon seeing if we can string more popcorn on the tree than we can eat. A contest between the boys and girls, to see who can make the longest paper chain, with the winners getting the big mugs for hot cocoa, and first pick off the cookie plate.

The money not spent on the trip will be split between the emergency fund we hope we won't need, and a summer trip to visit the grandparents, when we have two months of flexibility in scheduling, and an extremely low chance of being stranded in Kansas by a blizzard on the way.

Ode to... Me

Ode To Joy from Beaker on Vimeo.

The Christmas season is an "interesting" time of year when you have my name. You never know when you'll be greeted by an enthusiastic, off-key version of Joy to the World. Or when handing a cup of hot coffee, or even just a memo to a co-worker, friend or loved one inspires them to sing thanks for bringing "tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy... oh-oh tidings of comfort and joy".

We're entering the height of holiday cheer, now that it's only 1-1/2 weeks to Christmas Day. How do I know? I've been sung to everyday, four days in a row. Different person, each time.

I don't mind it. It's far better than all the "jump for joy" comments during the middle & high school years.

Show Me!

YouTube is marvelous! I had a song going through my head today during my run, and couldn't recall a portion of the lyrics. Tonight, I searched for it. Not only did I easily find Show Me, from My Fair Lady, I found umpteen versions of it. I chose the clip of Julie Andrews from the broadway production, rather than the Audrey Hepburn movie clip(s):


Now, if you'll excuse me. I have a group of Munchkins, waiting for me to kick open the first dungeon door. I'm hoping to draw an Orc class card tonight. I'm in the mood to use the +5 Slug Thrower.