Where's the Beach?

Lately I've been cooking with quinoa quite a bit. What I like about it, other than the fact that it's a complete protein source, is that it cooks up fast. It's also super versatile and can be used in many different ways, such as a base for a veggie burger. I try to keep veggie burgers in the freezer for a quick meal. I'll admit that I used to buy them out of convenience. But they can be quite pricey. Plus, if you make your own, you can control the ingredients and choose whatever flavor combos you fancy most. Did I mention it's a lot cheaper too? Since I make veggie burgers often, I try to get creative with ingredients and flavor profiles. I had an eggplant on hand that needed to be used quickly, so for this veggie burger recipe, I decided to go with more of a Mediterranean flair. While I used chickpeas, you could use another bean of your choice, but I like the texture of chickpeas for veggie burgers. Other beans can often be too soft I find. But, it's abso...

Sunday, we decided to walk over to one of the local farmers' markets a few blocks over from our house. We actually have several farmers' markets around town. I'll admit that we don't frequent them as often as we used to though. But this past Sunday, the Bernice Gardens Farmers' Market was having a tomato festival, so we decided to stop by and check it out. It's not a large space. Most definitely local vendors, but a unique little variety none the less. We quickly spotted some Purple Cherokee Heirloom Tomatoes that we snagged up. I should back up and admit that I'm not really a tomato fan. What? Why go to a tomato festival you ask? While I don't just love and crave tomatoes, I have found that I can enjoy a really goooood tomato. I like the smaller tomatoes, almost always cooked, but that's progress (trust me). Last year, I randomly bought some Purple Cherokee Heirloom Tomato plants and discovered that, while larger, I still really enjoyed the f...

Jason and I used to make pasta salads all the time during the summer. I decided to do a healthier twist on a pasta salad by using quinoa. I had some fresh grape tomatoes on hand and a garden full of basil and oregano, hence the " Italian Style ." I'm fairly certain basil and tomatoes were made for each other. I wanted the dressing to be bright and fresh to compliment the fresh herbs and tomatoes, so I used lemon zest and juice to bring out the flavors of the herbs. I also decided to add in re-hydrated sundried tomatoes for an extra tang. This is really easy to put together and would be fantastic to take to a summer picnic or family gathering. You could also serve it as a side dish to a grilled meat or non-meat protein of choice. Italian Style Quinoa Salad Ingredients: 1 cup red quinoa 2 cups water 1 container grape or cherry tomatoes, 1 can cannelini beans Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1/2 tbsp minced garlic 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (or to desired consistency...

Lindsay (AKA The Lean Green Bean ) is hosting another Pin it Party. Here’s what you do: Round up 5 blog posts you’ve written that you would like to see on  Pinterest . Make sure there is a nice, pinable image or photo included in each post. Write a short post featuring the posts you chose - Put 5 nice images & links to the posts all in one place, along with a short description of each post. On first Thursday of each month, publish your post, then visit The  Lindsay’s Lean Green Bean  and add your post to the linkup! The linkup is open for about a week! 1. Vacation Workout - Full-Body Resistance Band & Cardio Workout Typically when I'm on vacation, I don't have access to weights. Resistance bands are fantastic for travel and allowing you to get in a good resistance workout even when you don't have dumbbells, barbells or machines. Plus, sometimes it's just fun to mix it up with something new. 2. Don't Apologize for Living This post is ...

Do you ever make dishes that sound like they're meant for one season, but actually can be good in another season? Last week I did just that. I had a butternut squash that needed to be used, but I really wasn't sure how I wanted to use it. I also had some red quinoa stashed in the freezer, so I started to think about ways to incorporate the quinoa with the squash. I decided that a salad sounded good. I know that it's spring, but it sure isn't feeling much like spring around here. So the comforting flavors of fall actually sounded appealing. I love the sweetness of butternut squash pared with the tartness of dried cranberries. But I also really like some spice to my food. I ended up trying out a new marinade/dressing for tofu using maple syrup, something I almost never use unless a specific recipe calls for it. But maple syrup, butternut squash and cranberries sounded more like a desert. This is where the chipotle peppers come into play. The smoky heat helps offset ...

Do you try to eat the so-called super foods regularly? Do you think they're over-hyped or hold true to their nutritional claims? Sometimes I do think certain food trends end up overly hyped, but probably with cause. I don't think anyone will argue that lentils or kale are bad for us. Well, actually, if you have blood clotting issues, then excessive amounts of kale could be an issue because it is high in vitamin K, a natural coagulant. But, that aside, super foods are nutrient-dense foods. They are often cleansing as well as offering healthy doses of minerals and nutrients our bodies need. For example, lentils are a fantastic source of iron, folate, thiamin, and manganese. Quinoa is also a great source for manganese as well as magnesium and even protein. So, why not combine some of these ingredients for a nutritionally dense salad? I had on hand some cooked lentils so I thought I would try pairing those with a massaged kale salad. I wanted to "beef" up the protei...

Last week I spent a little extra time in the kitchen with the goal of putting together a few new dishes to try out. We've definitely been in a major rut with cooking. I thought it would be fun to try out a few new ideas. First up was to use up some cauliflower. I love roasting cauliflower and using that for lunches throughout the week. I decided to kick it up a notch though. Usually I just toss with salt and olive oil. This time I broke out some other spices. I have been using more and more turmeric in my cooking because it has some pretty fantastic health benefits to include acting as a liver detoxifier and as an anti-inflammatory. Spicy Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower Ingredients: 1 head of cauliflower Olive oil To taste: salt, powdered red pepper, garlic powder, turmeric Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, toss together the cauliflower, oil and seasonings. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake approximatel...

Running & Tailgating  We had some incredible weather this weekend. The lows were in the low 60's and highs mid-80's. It actually felt like fall. And I guess that came just in time for the first of two AR Razorback games held in Little Rock. The university is in Fayetteville, but two games of the season are in Little Rock.  And, it's a huge deal. Everyone turns out for some serious tailgating. It's just one enormous party on the public golf course outside of the stadium. We, of course, went. We met up with our friends. Walked around and visited with other friends. Lots of standing, walking, walking and standing. Let's just say that didn't bode well for my feet after our morning run. Because it was cooler, we actually got to sleep in until after 7 and didn't have to start the run until around 8:30. It was a nice change of pace, being able to actually wake up fully before taking off out the door. Jason and I decided to try out a slightly differen...

Rainy Run & Cross-Training  We didn't really have much going on this weekend. No complaints about that really. I woke up Saturday morning ready to run. The weather, however, was not in my favor. It was storming. I kept watching the radar like an obsessed fool trying to figure out when it'd pass. Finally, around 9:45 the storms were gone and the rain had mostly turned into light sprinkles. I asked Jason if he wanted to go with me. He balked at the idea. Whined that it was raining. But in the end, he headed out with me. The sprinkles turned into a light rain, but it felt amazing. Very refreshing I must say. My plan was 6 miles and I told him we could loop near the house so he could drop off sooner. He didn't of course. I think the rain added some pep in my step. We had some really great splits (mile 3 was 8:38, mile for was 8:38). Mile 5 was a little slower (I think it was 8:50) and that was a part of the run where we had to run in some grass and hop over some miss...

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday because of a crazy wild storm that ended up knocking out our power. It wasn't an exciting day exactly, well, maybe the storm part. Here's how it went down: I decided it would be safer to stay home again (and I'm sure my co-workers would agree). So more work from home. Which is mostly fine. I would love to work from home to be honest. However, I am just not properly set up to access everything I would normally need. I did get up for a morning run. It was about 74 degrees and the humidity seemed to be a little lower. Or maybe I'm just beyond noticing any longer. It was still dark when I set out for my run with the exception of the stars and lightening off in the distance. No rain of course. I wanted to just do an easy 4 miles. Not really pushing it. I did get negative splits, but kept the run fairly slow and taking a slightly easier route, meaning fewer hills. That's my version of being lazy ;-) It was a really pleasan...

Double on Monday Today Jason and I decided to do another speed work run during lunch. This has become our normal routine on Mondays. I think the speed workouts are a great way to kick off the week. They are short, but effective. And while it's hot, it's very doable because the first and last miles are slower since the focus is on the intervals. It was already 90 degrees when we set out for the run. 90 and super windy. But, the wind was very welcome since it was so toasty out. Honestly, I think it's good to try to get acclimated to the heat as much as possible. You can't avoid it unless you take the running inside, which I pretty much refuse to do. Anyway, we headed over to the arts center where there is a nice park, lots of grassy area to do the intervals on. We did the same thing as last week. It basically ends up being 10 20-second sprints with a 30-40 second recovery jog (very slow). I think next week we will increase the intervals to 40 seconds for something di...

I'm sure most of you have heard the news by now...today is National Running Day . I don't normally run on Wednesdays for a few reasons: Jason gets up for swim, it's so dark at 5 am that I don't feel comfortable to run on my own, then it's too hot by lunch to run at that time. But, today was a special day. In the back of my head, I had semi-planned to run 2 miles. But only if everything fell into place a certain way: IF when Jason got up for swim and I woke up and my legs felt ok after yesterday's leg workout. AND IF when Jason got up for swim and I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep OR I happened to wake back up as the sun started coming up around 5:45. So that's not exactly what happened. What ended up happening was that I heard Jason get up at what I assumed was 5 am. Then Jason got back into bed. I got up to potty and took note of how my legs felt. They felt ok, but I got back into bed to see just how sleepy I really was. Then Jason...

Running How did Monday get here so quickly? I guess that's the sign of a really good weekend huh? I really wish the sun came up earlier, especially on mornings when I'm already up. Like this morning for example. Jason was going to swim, but Maddie woke us both up long before his 5am alarm. The dogs have been sleeping downstairs because of Maddie's early morning antics (basically just wanting out of the kennel so barking and banging around). This morning we heard her start in with her barking. But it was that one certain pitch that meant she wasn't just being a butthead, she needed to go out. You kind of feel bad for yelling all the way downstairs telling your dog to be quite when they're about to explode. But sometimes she's just barking because she wants water (as in toilet bowl water not the water out of the completely full water bowl) or who knows whatever crazy reason - like Heath being in "her" bed. Let's just say she can be a handful. ...

Gym Day Today I went back and forth about my workout. In the end, I went with the gym after work rather than a run. I had really wanted to run because I got in a new pair of shoes yesterday. But, I had meetings and a going away lunch that meant an after-work run - and it was mid-80's today. So, it ended up being a leg and shoulder workout for me. I started with 15 minutes on the elliptical as a warm up and essential did the same legs as last week. Though, I did go with one less set of the 3-point lunges at least. I do want to walk tomorrow. Squats - warmup set of 10 reps SS#1 3x8 Squats Plie squats SS#2 Single-leg deadlifts 3x8 Calf raises - 3x20 3-point lunge (front, side, rear lunge) - 2x4 (last week 3x4 about killed me) Weighted plie hops - 2x12 Single leg square hops - 2x4 (on one leg hop front, then right, then back, then left making a box) GS for shoulders 3x8 Upright row Lateral raise Front raise overhead, open to T It ended up being a pretty good w...

Letters are Fun So glad you all seemed to enjoy the Letters to Self yesterday. I really enjoyed reading yours as well. It was kind of fun writing those out, may need to do that more often. Last night was low-key after the migraine. We did meet up with friends for a pre-wedding happy hour. She's getting married on Saturday and there aren't any bachelorette plans. So one of our mutual friends wanted to just gather a few people to have one last happy hour with Gwynne before the big day. I wasn't able to stay long as I wasn't feeling super fantastic. But it was still nice to show up for her at least. Jason made some quick fajitas for us, and then I was in bed snoozing by 9. I actually only woke up only once during the night. For me, that's the equivalent of sleeping through the night. Guess I needed the rest! Hot Running I had really and truly wanted to get up early this morning for a run for two reasons. One, it's supposed to be in the low 80's this aft...

Off to the Doctor Well, I had such high hopes for the Mucinex D. While it's definitely helping my sinus stoppage and drainage, it's not easing up the headache at all. I am definitely maxing out on the ibuprophen right about now. I ended up breaking down and making a doctor's appointment. Thankfully they were able to get me in today. Though, I spent 45 minutes sitting on the exam table just waiting....and waiting. Then I saw the doc for maybe 10 minutes. Maybe if they started getting paid by the time they spent with a patient then they may actually take the time to "really" see you. Within minutes he said, and I knew he would, it was a sinus infection and automatically gave me antibiotics, which won't work unless it's bacterial, but he didn't check. Very blase about it. He also gave me a prescription for prednisone (steroid) for inflammation. At least maybe the steroid will help with this massive headache I've had. He seemed to think it should ...

Running for Normalcy  For whatever reason, I am having a very difficult time getting back to normal (or my version of normal) after the Seattle trip. I've been super covered up at work, so that's been a bit stressful. And overall, I've been feeling rather blah. I hope to recover soon! At least it's sunny out finally. Apparently it continued to do nothing but rain and storm here while we were away. There was major flooding that even caused the closure of major interstates, highways, and roadways. We need this drying out period in a bad way. And I can enjoy the sunshine of course. In order to take advantage of the sun, and to attempt to interject normalcy into the day, I went out for a run. It's been almost two weeks since I've done more than 2 miles. Crazy. I took care of that today with a great 6.7 mile run. It was about 70 degrees with a slight breeze. The only downfall was that the sun was drying all the dampness in the grass, so this meant humidity. Ov...