March 31st, 2009: Dinner

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Andrea

Hi gang! I made it back to MT class tonight, woot! It felt so nice to be back and not missing class because of my stupid cold. But before class, a snack.

Oh yeah, yogurt + granola, you know I love you. Mmmm Seriously has to be one of my favorite snacks. Love it!

Class tonight was a lot of clenching and knees. Whew, wears you out, I promise. I worked me out so well that I was starving when we got back home. First a quick walk with Rocky, cleanup, and then jammies. Finally I could make dinner! Tonight it was all about the leftovers. All day long I was dreaming about the pasta I was going to eat for dinner.

best pasta

You know I ate all of that too. I had a few bites of chicken but mostly focused on the pasta because that’s all I was dreaming about! I could have went back in for some more but I think I might want a piece of chocolate later so I stopped.

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March 31st, 2009: Breakfast and lunch

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Andrea

Hi guys! Last night SF class did indeed run late. Ohs well, no biggie. I was a bit munchie though when I got home so after nightly chores (Walking Rocks, changing into jammies)I snacked on a bowl of yogurt and granola.

bedtime snack

YUM! Then I immediately headed up to bed to read for a bit. I made the comment to Scott about how much I actually miss my 10pm and 10:30pm bedtime. Since I’ve been getting up at 7ish in the mornings and not 6am, I’m staying up later. And I don’t like it! I like early bed and early rise. It’s dark out at 6am so I can’t go run which means there’s no need for me to get up. Now that I think about it, we don’t see daylight until 7am in the summer. When I started running last summer I got up at 6:40am so that by the time I was done with Rocks and changed into running clothes it was finally light out, which was 7am. It would be awesome to see sunlight earlier!

Tuesday Tip: Washing your hands

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Andrea

We all know that washing our hands is important. Changing of the seasons, going from Winter to Spring, and from Summer to Fall, seems to be a time when germs and sickness prevails. It’s almost like everyone is sniffling or coughing or sneezing. Going out in public during these times is almost like a video game where in order to reach your goal you have to dodge and get by obstacles.

“Kid with runny nose at my 9, dodge to the right. Ack! It’s Sneezy Senior headed straight for me cruising at a steady assisted-walker speed. Note: Walker has four wheels not two, must backtrack doubletime. Okay, okay. Easy. Target spotted. Only one hacking guy at my 2 to get past and then I’m home free at the deli counter. Silent prayer to whomever that the deli lady doesn’t have the sniffles. Restock. Allow health to replenish then make way to the dairy aisle.”

March 30th, 2009: Dinner

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Andrea

Whenever I need to work through things, clear my head, or brainstorm plans there are two things I turn to, running and cooking. Running being recent but it allows me to zone out and reflect on things that need attention. So does cooking and since today is a rest day for me, I turned to cooking (although I dearly wanted to get out and do a quick run today in the beautiful weather but I did not). I got dinner prepped so that at dinner time all I had to do was pop things in the oven.

This is how I spent my afternoon, cooking and clearing my head. Part of dinner today was the dish I had originally planned on making last night. It’s not a quick dish, but it is oh so worth it.

Dinner time

On the menu was roasted chicken breasts with a side of pasta. The pasta being the dish meant for last night. No side of veggies because the pasta contains everything we need. ;) It’s going to be a recipe soon, don’t worry. I have to fiddle with it once more and then I’ll get to post it. I will tell you that it’s sort of a twist on my pumpkin penne recipe. And it was fabbo. So fabbo that I went in for seconds.

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March 30th, 2009: Breakfast and lunch

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Andrea

Hi guys! My sleep was just okay last night due to the throat drama. I’m thinking it may be time to suck it up and see a doctor. Perhaps this is something more than just a passing cold. Maybe it’s bronchitis or something bigger. Blah I hate going to doctors especially if they have to take a swab of my throat because I have a really sensitive gag reflex. Keep the jokes to yourself thanks. ;)

This morning all I wanted was to start drinking things to help hydrate and sooth my throat. First up was coffee! It was good and I wasn’t hungry at all so I decided to wait on breakfast.

Good, wanted more but refrained

I puttered around and got Scott up to start his day. Then I started laundry and puttered around some more.

classic combo

Different

March 29th, 2009: Dinner

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Andrea

Hi guys! I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with Scott yesterday. :( He was doing taxes most of the day and I was off on my own puttering around. Late afternoon we took Rocky out for a walk and holy cow it was cold and very windy. It was a damp cold, the kind that sinks right into you. After the walk we drove the route I ran and it ended up being 8.6 miles. So I did run farther but not that much. I had my slowest pace time ever yesterday at over a 12 minute mile. Goodness that’s slow. At least you know I wasn’t lying when I said I took it easy. ;)

Just as we got in the car to drive the route, it started raining and rained most of the night. We finished Rocky’s walk just in time! When we got home I chatted with my mom for a minute and then it was time to get started on dinner. I was very lazy last night and being selfish. It was going on 8pm by the time I was starting dinner and I didn’t want to spend 45minutes or so making it. I wanted to be sitting on the couch with my boys!

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March 29th, 2009: Breakfast and lunch

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Andrea

Hi guys! I had another little bit of soda + seltzer last night while we watched a show and played some more Lego Batman. We were at the end of one level and just about to snag the final piece of something we were collecting when Scott walked into another room causing the end fight to start and ending the level. Doh we just missed that piece and I was staring right at it too! We would have cleared the whole level if we could have just reached it. Ah well, we can always replay it. ;)

I was in bed by 9pm and read for about an hour and a half then it was lights out. Last night was a much better night in terms of my throat. I think it was all the extra water I drank before going to bed. It was still a bit rough and sore but nothing compared to what I dealt with previously. I was very thankful for that because I had a large run ahead of me and wanted to be very well rested for it.

Chili Rubbed Beer Can Chicken

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Andrea

Substitute

I have been intrigued by the beer can chicken technique ever since I first saw it done. At first I thought it seemed a little silly and then I realized that perhaps those folks were on to something. Just maybe this would be an awesome idea. However, when I saw it done it typically involved a smoker or using a grill for hours on end.

Those things did not appeal to me. I just sort of stored the concept in the back of my mind. Time had passed and if this were a video blog I would insert some sort of musical montage at this point but since it’s not a video blog, you’ll have to imagine one. Be sure to include jazz hands, headbands, and 80s music.

Trust me it’s fitting because the person who brought the beer can chicken concept back to the forefront of my mind was Guy Fieri. Bling, bling! I saw him make beer can chicken in his oven. “Oh snap, I can totally do that too!” Cue me busting around the house gathering ingredients.

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Posted on March 28, 2009 by Andrea

Hi guys! One post today because this morning and afternoon I was sort of feeling blah. I woke up to a very sore throat, sneezing, and blowing my nose like I own stock with Kleenex. I felt like crap.

coffee

I had a cup of fuel which was a surprise today, Peppermint mocha! Awesome! I read some blogs and all that happy stuff. Scott got up and we discussed me going to class. I decided that it was best not to possibly spread my germs so I stayed home. That makes a week of no MT now! Grrr! Stupid cold! I think my throat is getting better, it’s more just night time and no water that dries it out. I did take some dayquil today though to help my sneeziness. Eventually I got hungry and moved to oats.

didn't go down too well

Basic oats with some dark chocolate PB. Ugh this was rough going down. It just didn’t taste good and the texture and heaviness of it didn’t sit well in my tum. Bleck. After doing some work and walking Rocky it was time for lunch.

Thoughts on dry rubs

Posted on March 28, 2009 by Andrea

Make your own

Dry rubs are exactly as their name describes, they are a dry mix of seasonings/herbs that are rubbed onto meat or poultry. You might have heard it referred to when people discuss prepping meats for a smoker or BBQ. However, you can use dry rubs anytime, not just for grilling or smoking. I started using dry rubs when my attempts to marinade meats and poultry just were not working out. With a marinade I’m looking for a punch of flavor with each bite. I want that wow factor. Marinades were not wowing me. This is when I started looking more into dry rubs and I’ve been a fan ever since.

In fact, I don’t even marinade beef at all anymore, I’m strictly a dry rub girl. Everything in this house that is not seafood, will get some sort of seasoned rub on it. And that includes things I’ve brined. Just because they’ve brined doesn’t mean I’m done adding flavor. Let me explain myself a little bit so maybe you can see where I’m coming from. I’m huge on flavor, I want things to knock me over. I’m not into subtle and I’m not into no flavor at all. There are folks who grill steaks and add nothing but maybe a pinch of salt or butter.