Once again, I’m trying recipes from 101Cookbooks.  I love using ingredients that aren’t my normal choices. I’m learning a lot, and eating better because everything is different and good.

Making Tempeh Curry. It called for tempeh but we used chicken instead because I used our last tempeh on TLT sandwiches. It turned out AWESOME.

Next, I tried ‘Nikki’s Healthy Cookie Recipe’. These are REALLY good as well. The only thing I changed was the chocolate.  I used a bar of chocolate I had around which was 87% cocao. It made the cookies a little bitter, but the banana made them sweet enough. So if you don’t like a very very dark chocolate, I would go lighter.

Yay Food!

Over the past couple years I have made only a handful of completed artistic ‘pieces’. Maybe less than a handful. Most of them have been for other people. It’s something emotional, special and very important that I do. Communicating verbally and always when person to person makes me nervous and unable to express myself. I want to connect somehow, and I am very grateful that I can make that happen through images and the act of sharing it with someone else. They are little emotional explosions. I’m provoked and need to connect. Partly a selfish indulgence of strong emotions and this need to connect, but also maybe a method of support. I don’t know what it causes in other people, because its almost a private moment or thought. Usually I don’t share any of these pieces but I haven’t made anything in such a long time, and the circumstances for why I had to make it have been on my mind quite a bit. There is not exactly a reason why I feel close to this person. Possibly I see myself in her and respect her character and circumstances. Maybe she is at an end and I am at a beginning? She has experienced my beginning and it makes me realize there are ends in my future. Aren’t ends just beginnings? Maybe neither apply, and it’s all change. Change is hard… but so is not changing.

Crazy fermented moldy soybeans.

Ive been searching nutrition sites and blogs for fun food with loads of fiber and protein and I kept coming across tempeh. I’ve always been intimidated by the mushiness of tofu and using it in anything other than smoothies. Hmmm… a soy product with a firmer texture and awesome nutritional qualities? I’m game!

My first attempt was maple glazed grilled fried tempeh. I found the recipe at 101Cookbooks, where I had found my awesome pea soup recipe. I love this site. I think my new goal is to make every recipe shes created. Annnnyyyway…. I loved how it turned out. Of course its hard not to like something smothered in sugary, mapley, salty, spicy goodness! Seth, however, thought it was too salty. *gasp* I never thought I would hear him say such a thing. A guy who eats Ramen noodles for lunch! Then he proceeded to tell me he doesn’t really like maple flavored things. So he was bound not to be a big fan.  I think I also ruined it for him when I told him that I was finding recipes for tempeh bacon, which he is WAY excited to try. I would have made TLT sandwiches but I didn’t have enough supplies to make the tempeh bacon. Oh well, something to look forward to. With 12g fiber, 22g protein per serving and other benefits, I will try it again… and again.

It doesn’t feel like I’ve had 5 days off.  I know I haven’t been very good at using my time efficiently, but 5 days shouldn’t feel like 2. Geesh. They have been 5 fun days though. Fireworks were on Saturday. As usual we went to Tyson and Jessie’s for a party, and as usual it was fun and filled with yummy food. Sunday night we had a bonfire at Seth’s parents house. Before we went, we picked up some squirt guns for kayaking trips and tested them on the alpacas. Considering its been in the 90s they didn’t seem to mind.  Then yesterday we went to the zoo! I’ve had a hard time getting runs in this weekend because of the heat and then having plans most evenings. I’m hoping the rain we are supposed to start getting will cool things down. Also, good job Dadoo on making third in your age group on your past two races… way to kick butt!

Made my first batch of split pea soup. REALLY good. Found the recipe at 101 Cookbooks.

Rowan the Fabric Tortoise.
(All her own doing.)

I woke up this morning quite sore in my legs and bum. The more I moved around the more I noticed it. I couldn’t remember what the heck could have done it . I ran yesterday, rather fast and a few speed intervals, but that wouldn’t have caused this amount of soreness. Then I opened my computer and Firefox popped back up with the window to Health on the Run, on The Core page.  There it is. I forgot. I did this circuit with the only weights I had (only 5 lbs each). I felt it when I was doing it, but I wasn’t straining or anything so I didn’t think much of it. This morning I found out that it kicked my butt. Stupid squats… actually working. I can’t even imagine having used the kind of weight these girls are using in the photos. Shows how much more I need to strength train. I’m a puffy wimp right now!

Seth and I took a trip to Dave’s Running Shop in Toledo to use our coupons we got from the 5k. Seth got a Dave’s t-shirt and I got a new pair of shorts. Pink isn’t my color of choice, but I loved how they fit and the only other color was a lavender purple and that is REALLY not my color.

Now it’s storming outside, so I probably won’t be able to try them out till tomorrow. Bummer.

This previous Friday marked one year of being married to this guy…

The good, the not so good, and the everyday have been experienced together and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.