it's a beautiful life

i never thought that ace of base would get my through my run. :) this was the first time i ever ran six miles. virtual high five for me!

wii fit: 20 minutes (warm-up stretching)
running: 6:01 miles || time: 1:14:30 || pace 12:21 minute/mile

be your own [blank]

i've begun seeing a life coach. a life coach to people like an independent consultant is to companies: their job is to help you identify what is holding you back from your potential.

i spent an hour and half yesterday with her talking about my life and my goals. i have three homework assignments and one of them is to be your own [blank] - i.e. what would your best friend, mom, dad, sister, brother, son, daughter, coach, mentor, etc. say to you when you do something good.

in retrospect, it's seems so simple. when you are doing something good, you should praise yourself. but why do we find it so hard?

today, i caught myself saying "you can run better"instead of "good job getting back into running!"

why am i so hard on myself? maybe that is the key to being a better me.

it's all about setting a baseline

today's workout:

wii fit: 30 minutes (stretching, balance, and super hula hoop)
running: 2.5 miles / 14 minute pace
** this includes warm-up || jogging || cool-down

the disney marathon

today i signed up for my first marathon. i feel all the emotions i felt when i was training for my first triathlon but at least this time i don't have to swim while wearing a wet suit.

holy toledo - it's happening!

salsa verde

fresh tomatillos = fresh salsa verde. yumsh!

1 small onion (diced)
5 cloves garlic (diced)
25 tomatillos (husk removed - halved)
2 jalepenos (diced, seeds removed)
1 bunch cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lime
salt

1. brown onion, garlic, jalepenos. add tomatillos and cook until soft.
2. add mixture to blender or food processor. add cilantro and blend until smooth.
3. add juice of lime and salt to taste.

we used the sauce for tacos and i added about 4 tbsp to the rice water to make verde rice. deliciousness!

creamy spinach deliciousness

i've been traveling for the last few weeks, so i was extremely happy to be in the kitchen cooking yesterday. eric and i went to the farmer's market were we were given an extremely long neck squash - something i've never seen before.

i decided to make a potato quiche with a squash/spinach stuffing. it was awesome.

1 large potato
3 cups squash (cut into small bite size chunks)
5 cups spinach (steamed, water removed)
2 tbsp sour cream (i used tofutti vegan sour cream)
1/8 cup plain soy milk
bread crumbs
1/8 cup cheese (i used a vegetarian pepper jack)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1. brown onion, garlic, and squash in pan - set aside
2. slice potato into very thin circles (mandoline works best)
3. spray pam in pie dish, arrange sliced potato around edges and bottom
4. mix onion, garlic, and squash with spinach, sour cream, cheese, and soy milk
5. add bread crumbs (i added enough until it was slightly stiff - maybe 4 tbsp)
6. mix in salt and pepper for taste. add mixture to pie dish.
7. cook at 350 for 30-35 minutes. during the last five minutes, brown with broil.

our friend jamie came over and the quiche was gone within 10 minutes. it was really tasty!

easy spicy asian sauce

i'm a big fan of stirfrys and love this sauce.

1 tbsp vegan bbq sauce
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp plain yellow mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Sriracha or sweet chili sauce
1 tsp corn starch

mix wet ingredients first, then add corn starch with fork. super yummy and super easy.