Mission 24 Recipe #10: Kale and Spaghetti Squash Casserole

It is hard to believe, but even with no new recipes the whole month of March, I am still on track to meet my goal of experimenting with 24 new recipes in 2014 for Mission 24. I finally had the energy to dig up and plan a new recipe for today's dinner. This afternoon I whipped up a Kale and Spaghetti Squash Casserole. I tend to stay away from casseroles because they usually call for some sort of cream and lots of cheese, but I decided to suck it up and give it a try.

To start with, I cleaned and cooked the spaghetti squash as I usually would (40 minutes at 400 degrees). I had a little surprise in today's spaghetti squash. Apparently, my squash has sprouted! I am just going to take this as a sign that spring has indeed sprung!

While the squash was cooking, I sautéed the kale, an onion and a few cloves of garlic. At the same time, I also mixed together 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of cottage cheese (my stomach may have churned a few times during this step...the consistency of these items does not sit well with me). When the spaghetti squash was done, I grated it out into spaghetti strands and mixed it in with the kale/onion/garlic I sautéed and the cottage cheese/sour cream/egg mix in a casserole dish. I decided it needed some mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top as well before I put it in the oven (the original recipe did not call for this). Last, I put it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Voila! Dinner!

Nate really enjoyed this recipe. He has requested it with breadcrumbs mixed in throughout for next time. I really loved how the kale on top crisped up with the breadcrumbs making it nice and crunchy. I still could kinda taste the sour cream/cottage cheese in there, which was a turn off for me, but I think if I reduce the amounts a bit for next time I can manage. Other than that, it was a really yummy (and easy) dish.

On another note, today we started our spring planting! I am wicked psyched to get our garden up and running (FINALLY) this year. We moved into our house August four years ago (really cannot believe it's been four years!) and unfortunately the previous owners had let the garden overgrow, as they were busy making a huge out of state move. It has been overgrown ever since, but in the fall, Nate took down the old fence and we begun the planning. In May, he will be building me a brand new fence (thank you, You Tube). We have 8 huge boxes to fill, so I started some seeds today! Time to see if I have a green thumb! 

Onions, tomatoes, green peppers and cauliflower!
One of two kits ready to roll! 

And last, but not least, after another trip to the vet last week, we made one final, as the vet called it, "Hail Mary" attempt at saving Mr. Smokey. I am literally sick to my stomach every time i think about how much money was spent to save this cat, but somehow, he seems to be turning a corner. He is doing better the last few days, but if he digresses, he will need to be put down. Since he came back home on Wednesday, he has been quite the cuddle bug, and even has found a new found love for his doggie siblings! 

Despite the look, he really is loving this...

as is his dad....

Smokey's medicine cabinet...twice a day...

Until next time...happy running (4 weeks until Marathon day!) , happy eating, and happy spring! 

Kale and Spaghetti Squash Casserole

1 Spaghetti Squash
1 bunch of Kale
1 onion
Garlic
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C cottage cheese
Mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs (if you choose)
Spices of you choosing (I used pepper and parsley)

1. Cut spaghetti squash in half and clean. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
2. Sautee kale, onion and garlic.
3. Mix egg, cottage cheese and sour cream.
4. Mix everything together in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs.
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Quinoa and Kale AND Lentil Burgers

Food prep Sunday this week brought new recipes number 7 and 8 to my Mission 24 New Year's Resolution. The best part of these recipes - I made them simultaneously and they only took 40 minutes (together!).

Here's recipe #7 - Quinoa and Kale
Another quinoa recipe - no surprise here! I love how versatile cooking with quinoa is. The possibilities of what you can mix with it are endless. This recipe was super easy. The recipe itself called with spinach, but I have been eager to try kale, so I substituted a bunch of kale for the spinach.

Ingredients:
1/2 onion
bunch of kale
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil for sautéing
parsley
salt and pepper
lemon juice
feta
1c quinoa
Vegetable broth

1. Cook quinoa in vegetable broth until water is gone.
2. Sauté onion, garlic, and kale until kale leaves have wilted.
3. Mix quinoa, sauté mix, parsley and a dash of salt and pepper in a bowl.
4. Top with a few squirts of lemon juice and feta cheese.

SUPER Easy and quick!

This quinoa dish is by far Nate and I's favorite quinoa meal yet! (He surprised me big time by a. not questioning the kale and b. by actually saying the kale is what makes this dish so tasty). This dish surpassed both the Tomato and Feta Quinoa and the Quinoa and Black Bean Salad meals in terms of tastiness. I will definitely be making this again next week...and will also be adding way more kale to it!

Now, here is recipe #8 (and the second new recipe for the day!) - Lentil Burgers/Patties
I have been dying to make my own veggie burgers for a while now and have quite the extensive collection of recipes gathered to try out, but I am yet to try one. Many of them seem like a lot of work, or have ingredients that I am not familiar with cooking quite yet. (I have come a long way with cooking in a short time, but certainly have a long way to go!). But when I found this recipe last week I knew I had to try it. It gets bonus points for 1) having just a few ingredients (all of which I am familiar with) and 2) being very quick and easy!

Ingredients
1 cup cooked lentils
1 carrot chopped
1/2 onion
Olive oil for sautéing
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Cook lentils until very soft. When water is gone, smash lentils against side of pan.
2. While lentils are cooking, sauté onion and carrot.
3. Mix the lentils, onion/carrot mix, breadcrumbs, rolled oats and salt and pepper.
4. While still warm, combine into patties. You can either freeze the patties or cook them immediately.
5. To cook the patties you have two choices. You can bake them at 400 degrees in the oven for about 15 minutes until each side is brown. OR, you can fry them up in a pan with olive oil, flipping so each side is brown. (I recommend frying them).

Wondering how the heck this is going to turn into a burger/patty?

A word to the wise when making these...cautiously add the oats/breadcrumbs. You may even want to add a little bit less of the recommended amount of oats. If you add too much and the mixture dries out, these will NOT stick together.

When I put these in front of my husband today, he tentatively observed that they "looked like meat pie." He is not a fan on meat pie. I, simply refuse to eat meat pie. The only thing that should ever be in pie is apples or blueberries. End of story. However, after his observation, he proceeded to woof them done. When done he said, "ya know, those weren't that bad." And they weren't!

Our plan is to give them a try on the grill come spring (if spring ever does come). Out of curiosity, I cooked half of the patties in the oven, and the other half of the patties in a frying pan. DEFINITELY go with the frying pan option for these as they dried out in the oven. These were not my favorite new recipe, but with a little work (more veggies and spices needed) I think I could spice them up a bit. I'll play with the recipe in the next few weeks and update it once I perfect it. What I really love about these though, is that you can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them. A very good recipe for Marathon Mondays (and other busy nights). 

Lentil Patties! Not bad...a good meal for the right mood!

On another exciting front, this came in the mail today! Can't wait to dig into this book and try out some new recipes! 

Hanson's Week 6 Wrap Up!

Week 6 Wrap Up 
Today wrapped up week 6 of 18 for my Hanson's Marathon Plan. So far, I have run just over 250 miles in this training cycle (and 59 so far this month). I'd like to say I'm 1/3 of the way there...but that would only be true in terms of training weeks and certainly not in effort or mileage. I have my first big ramp up in miles coming in 2 weeks, and then, once March 11th hits, it is game on!

Getting it done this week meant a 5AM snow run (before the
real snow came!) 

Week 6 

I started wearing my heart rate monitor again this week, after Sunday's race. I am very impressed with how this training plan has affected my heart rates already. I am running much more efficiently at level 2 heart rate. My easy runs this week (9:00 - 9:30 pace) averaged a heart rate between 140- 145ish (25 - 28 beats below lactate) and my long(ish) run at a 8:50 pace averaged 148. When I trained with my coach for my previous 9 marathons, level 2 runs (most of training with the exception of lactate runs and speed/strength work) were done at 10-15 beats below lactate, and nearly the same pace I am doing now with much lower heart rates. I am debating whether or not I need to "speed" up my recovery days 15-20 seconds per mile, but am thinking I am just going to keep to the lower end of my pace recommendations for now.

Additionally, my lactate (168) pace has dropped from a 7:40-7:45 ish pace to a 7:20-7:25 pace! I averaged 168 for the race last weekend at a 7:22 pace and felt great! I am going to try upping the ante on the tempo runs for the next few weeks to see how I feel (Hanson's says that whatever your doing your tempo run at entering week 9-10 of training, is what pace you've committed to training for for your marathon).

I've noticed that I am beginning to feel different when running this week. Gone is the "pep in my step"/caged animal phenomenon that I used to get running on fresh(er) legs during my more difficult workouts (long runs, lactate runs or speed workout). There are NO fresh legs with this program. But a feeling of strength has replaced the caged animal feel. My legs may feel tired, but I am ending every workout, including the hard ones, feeling as though I could either run way more miles, or run way faster. Those easy, seemingly purposeless, miles that I once thought were the ones I could skip every now and then, that aren't S.O.S. (something of substance) runs according to Hanson's, now have purpose. Number 1 - they have helped my heart rates drop, as previously discussed. Number 2 - they keep demanding more on my legs, without wasting them for the S.O.S. runs. And, number 3 - they are teaching me to run sans pep/the caged animal feel.

Theory: I think there are some runners who can run a marathon, in its entirety, on the caged animal/pep in step feel. I am not one of them. My marathon/racing history suggest that I, like most hobby runners,  can make it to mile 20-22 with that feel...and then crash. In Hartford, I made it to 23.5ish before that. Most runners, can run a banging half, 10k, and certainly a 5k on the caged animal plan. Hanson's is beginning to make more sense to me. There are no more caged animals, only legs (and bodies) that have been trained to handle the demands of the entire 26.2 miles that a marathon covers. Here's to hoping I can make it through the next 12 weeks of training to test this theory out on race day!

Stay tuned for Tuesday, when I post my two new recipes for the week for my 24 in 2014 Clean(er) Eating plan! Here is a preview of the fun...

Quinoa and Kale

Lentil Burger Mix!

January Recap

This is the first time I've ever done a "monthly recap" post. But with giving a new training plan a try, I want to document as much of this training cycle as possible. The reason is two-fold - 1) If I end up doing great, I want to be able to re-create this cycle and continue to grow and 2) If I end up blowing up and dying, I want to be able to reflect on what factors (or culmination of factors) led to my demise.

So here goes...

Miles RUN: 193.6 This is a monthly record by about 15 mies. I also ran more days in one month than I ever have previously this month too - running 27/31 days. I was originally very intimidated by the six day a week schedule Hanson's suggests, but I am finding it more and more enjoyable, to the point where I think I would continue it even after this training cycle ends. Friday is my sacred day off from running, so right now I am running Saturday through Thursday. Mondays are tough because I work our after school program, but we are rapidly gaining daylight (and the gym is sloooowwwlyyy starting to clear out), so this shouldn't be an issue much longer. The main thing that I have learned about running 6 days a week (and enjoying it) is to follow Hanson's pace plans to a T. DON'T GO FASTER! The plan contains 2-3 S.O.S. (something of substance) workouts each week where you can open it up...but all other runs are done at an honest, easy pace.

My January....that is a lot of days running for me....

Cross Training: This plan does not suggest cross training while in a marathon training cycle. The reasoning is that 1) if you want to run a marathon, you need to run and 2) you want to give all your energy to those S.O.S. workouts, and cross training may take away from that. I'm not really sure if I completely agree with part 2 of that, I think there is a time and a place for cross training and it definitely has some great benefits, but seeing as I'm not married to any one type of cross training, I have no problem not doing it for the next few months for the sake of seeing how Hanson's works. I am, however, doing a new strength training routine where I cycle through three different routines after each of my runs. I am really enjoying these "routines" as they are super short (the longest one takes about 15 minutes, if that), target to runner's areas of weaknesses, and the fact that I can do this routines consistently and still run. I already feel the difference, especially in my hips.

"New Year's Resolution"/Mission 24 Check In: This month I tried out five new recipes. Our all time favorite was the Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Mushrooms recipe. We LOVE this dish and have been making it weekly since trying it out. Hmmm....just thinking about it makes me want to try it now. On another food related note...I have a problem...

Said problem is mostly with my wallet...

I may have polished this all off in a week. What can I say...I'm running more miles than ever...at least its clean fuel...

Races: None!! That's right, I can actually go a month (well, two really) without racing and not spontaneously combust. Now, with that being said, this is the eve of the Mid Winter Classic 10 Miler. I am not sure my plan for tomorrow. I will, at the very least, at least be running 6 miles at tempo pace to replace my tempo run from Thursday, as suggested by the Hanson's plan for racing during training season. But...we shall see. I honestly do not know what to expect from my legs right now after my highest month of miles yet. I really don't know if they are ready to turn over yet...and I am tentative to even try and risk an injury right now.

High Point of the Month: TIE between...

Finding out that Chicago changed their entry procedures and are offering guaranteed entry to their marathon this year for females who have a marathon time 3:45 or under. Nate and I have not gone on a honeymoon yet, and in 9 years together (this month!) have never taken a trip together, been on a plane together, ect. So...we are (**most likely**) freaking going...with Mama Attardo in tote to sherpa again. I cannot even contain my excitement about this one. Boston next year will most likely be my last marathon for a while, as it will be time to start thinking about family, so I wanted to be really picky about what marathon I pick for the fall...and I just feel like this was meant to be. Begin major penny pinching!

AND

FINALLY finding out what was wrong with my foot/toes after Hartford. After running the Hartford Marathon in October, my foot/toes swelled up like a sausage. It went away after a week, but every now and then some aches and tightness would return to the foot. Umm..and maybe now is a good time to admit that I had a numb second toe for about 3 months straight. Hehe - oops. After a run about two weeks ago the spot on my foot started zinging again and my ankle got really right. The ankle was fixed the next day by the AMAZING new miracle worker at my chiropractor's office, but I needed peace of mind so I scheduled an appointment with Sports Medicine. My appointment went AMAZING. After chatting for less than 5 minutes and taking a look at my foot, I was told I either have a poorly healed stress fracture or a Morton's Neuroma. A stress fracture was ruled out with an X-ray so we moved on to ultrasound and found a little neuroma in between my second and third toes. I got a steroid injection in between the toes and I can finally feel my toe again! Now, knock on wood that puppy doesn't come back!

This was also a nice surprise this month...Thanks Maine Track Club <3

Low Point of the Month (that turned into some great points): This month would be a great example of "everything happens for a reason." Taking on this plan has taken a lot of me mentally and physically, and that has been a very, very great thing. So far 2014 for me has been the "year of the bad news" everywhere I turn..and on not one, but three separate fronts. Luckily, I have been so focused on this plan and so consumed by it (and I mean that in a good way) that I have been able to power through like a champ (pats self on back - I feel like I have the right to say that...things got pretty rough there for a while). Nate has been my rock through this month. He hit the nail on the head the other night, saying that my "three fronts"of stress can all be summed up in this following quip -

"Your actions are speaking so loudly, I cannot hear your words."

Thursday, I had a bombshell and a half thrown at me (enter in the third 'front' of the month). I also was suppose to take the day off because I had the steroid injection the previous day. I had 9 miles on my schedule, but I was ok missing them. I got home and immediately  started "mourning" the news I had received. And before I knew it, I had my shoes laced up and running gear on and was out the door. Oops. So much for taking the day off. I promised myself only 4 miles. And then I returned home an hour and a half later with 10 miles logged on my Garmin. Oops again. Running really is therapy I guess and I am thankful for the timing of this new training plan.


Running Related, Non-Running, News: When I wasn't running or working this month, I finally got ahold of a few decent reads.

First, I read In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan. I have wanted to read this one for a long rime. I had a lot of "aha" moments while reading this book and it put a lot into perspective for me. For one, as someone who has struggled with eating her whole life, I know that I have some distorted ideas in general. However, according to Pollan, as Americans, we all have distorted ideas about food, thanks to advertising, government policies of the 40's and 50's and capitalism. Horrifying - yes.After I got over my initial..."holy crap, I never want to eat anything that I don't personally grow" phase (which lasted a few weeks) I started doing some research and really analyzing my diet. I have made some huge improvements in the last year and a half..but now I know where I am going next. First off, this book really made me get serious about getting out garden up and running this year. Secondly, I've reworked my budget a bit to spend some more money on food. Pollan points out that while it is ridiculous that healthy foods cost more than unhealthy ones in American, we, as a nation, tend to want to spend less on food and more on luxury, where in almost every other country healthy food is the priority. Thirdly, I really have little desire to eat meat much anymore. Currently, I really only eat meat on the weekends (when we go out to eat). I'd like to keep it that way (if not gradually cut that out eventually too). I have a feeling I will be revisiting this book, and the companion reader which I've read a number of times already, in the near future.


My second read of the month was Night Runner, by Brian Wallace.

I wanted to read this book because it, in large, was mostly about the Boston Marathon. I was a little turned off when there was a typo on the second page (and others throughout the book) and the book itself read like a movie script instead of a book. But honestly, I actually really enjoyed the story in and of itself. The characters were likable, and it made me super excited to volunteer Boston again this year AND to run in 2015!

Coming Attractions: Training plan related, I only have two more weeks in the 40 miles (47 next week and then 49 the week after). The remainder of the plan calls for 50-62 miles each week. If this mileage is too much, I am going to modify the non-SOS days of the plan and mesh the beginner's plan with the advanced plan. I figure it will still be way more than I've ever run, so hopefully I will reap the benefits! Also - although the bad news of January was great fuel for my training, I'd also be a-ok with some better news in February!

Veggies, Veggies Everywhere: Veggie, Rice and Black Bean Casserole

Two new recipes in two days - go me! Since today was the dreaded 12-hour marathon Monday, I prepped this Vegetable Casserole yesterday and Nate was able to stick it in the oven 30 minutes before I got home from my run tonight. This vegetable casserole is meatless, but contains black beans (and cheese!) for protein. A little bit of brown rice also gave it some substance. I suppose you could add any vegetables you wanted, but in ours I put grape tomatoes, green peppers, onions, carrots, and of course, lots of garlic. 

Veggie Casserole prior to adding on cheese and breadcrumbs

After sautéing up all the vegetables with some olive oil and paprika, I added the vegetable mixture on top of one cup of cooked brown rice and a can of black beans. I then covered the casserole with mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs. 

This dish was pretty good - certainly not one I would make every week, but very good for those days when you feel you need to detox after eating crap all weekend long (which was not the case in this instance, thankfully) or are in need of some veggies. I actually think Nate liked this one more than I did. If I were to make this again, I think I would cut down the recipe and make it as a side dish to something else (what, I don't know, considering we hardly eat meat anymore). 

Topped off with mozzarella and breadcrumbs...

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

One onion

One green bell pepper

1/2 pint grape tomatoes

1/2 bag frozen carrots (or fresh, whatever you have!)

Garlic

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 can black beans

Mozzarella Cheese

Breadcrumbs

Paprika

1. Sauté all the vegetables and garlic with olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika. Meanwhile, cook the brown rice. 

2. Layer vegetable mix, rice and black beans in a casserole dish. 

3. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs on top. 

4. Cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Bowl full of veggies! 

On another note, I came across this a while ago and thought it was appropriate for motivational Monday, albeit, a little discouraging. One of the things that initially drew me into the running community and marathoning was how supportive people were. I was never far from encouragement and more experienced runners were always willing to motivate me or offer their words of advice. I loved hearing (and still do) about the training plans of others and their race recaps. Listening to other peoples adventures always left me thinking - "wow...if they can do that..I wonder if I can too?"  This is something I have adamantly tried to pay forward. I love, and I mean LOVE, recruiting new runners and seeing new runners complete new distances (and times) that they could never have imagined. 

When I cleaned up my act (eating and training) last year, success followed quickly. I was meeting my goals. I was getting faster and stronger by the day. I was also working my friggin' tush off (and still am - phew Hansons marathon method is no joke!). The majority of those people who supported my running endeavors are still extremely supportive. However, these past few months, I have sadly realized that a few people I am , ahem, was surrounded by are nay-sayers. I don't do nay-sayers. There is no place in running for nay-sayers. I have no clue if I can complete Hansons. I have no clue if I can break 3:30 in a marathon in May. But guess what...the uncertainty of it doesn't scare me anymore. Because I am going to try. Because I will never know if I can or can't do either of those things until I try. And I fully intend on giving 100% of myself to trying. A few people have commented that my training plan is going to be like a part time job. And yes, it may be. But it was a choice...because it is what I want to be doing right now. I am actually enjoying it! Everyone is different. Everyone has different priorities...and different things going on in their lives. To each...his own. 

And on the flip side...don't ever let someone else's successes take away from yours. Everyone's journey is different. Don't compare your chapter 1 to someones else's chapter 20. Just because I have met some of my goals, don't hate on me for it. Use it for encouragement. Question yourself, as I questioned myself after seeing those before me meet their goals. Let the question be "WOW - If they can do that...can I do that too??" Remember, the only person you are trying to be better than, is the person you were yesterday...

Sunday = Funday = Cooking Experiment Day: Spaghetti Squash Cassole

I loveeeee, nope, USED to love, pasta. Pasta dishes were my favorite. Now, I could not care less about pasta. I have no desire whatsoever to eat pasta. Just thinking about a pasta dish makes me feel icky and bloated and slow. Discovering spaghetti squash was seriously the best thing that ever happened to my diet. You can make ANY pasta dish imaginable with spaghetti squash. This has opened up so many possibilities for dinner.

So tonight's dinner was Spaghetti Squash Casserole. Yum, Yum and more YUM! This was definitely an experimental recipe, but it was delicious none-the-less. I will be trying this one again next week with some modifications, however.

Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash
Grape tomatoes
Onion
Garlic
Basil
Parsley
Olive Oil
Mozzarella Cheese
Ricotta Cheese
Breadcrumbs

1. Bake the spaghetti squash at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
2. While the squash is cooking, sauté onions, garlic and tomatoes. When finished, mix with 1 cup of ricotta cheese and flavor with basil and parsley. (side note: I never measure spices or seasonings...just dump 'em in as your little heart desires).
3. When the spaghetti squash is finished, rake it clean with a fork and mix it with the ricotta/onion/tomato mixture. Layer it in a casserole pan and top it with mozzarella cheese and a light layer of bread crumbs.
4. Cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
5. Serve hot with grated cheese.

Nate enjoyed this one too (although, he was quick to remind me that the roasted mushroom and spaghetti squash recipe was still his favorite). However, this definitely needed a bit more tomatoes. I only bought 1 pint of grape tomatoes to split between this recipe and tomorrow's new veggie meal, but next time I make this I think I will use a can of diced tomatoes instead. Also - I totally flaked out when I made this and forgot to put the breadcrumbs on the top! Oops! Next time I guess! Both quick and easy fixes for this yummy meal.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole (minus the breadcrumbs...oops!) 

On another note...this may have happened last week. I have a serious problem. I think I could live on raspberries (the blueberries weren't all that bad either). Wouldn't be such a big problem if they weren't so darn expensive. We have started out plans for our garden this week and we are also looking into making a separate area for raspberry bushes come spring...so hopefully in a few years I can have all the berries I want! Hmmmm...raspberries....

On a training related note, today completes Week 4 of Hansons. So far, so good! This week's runs totaled 45 miles in all. I am getting used to the paces and learning that even when I feel like going faster, I need to stick to the plan. Faster on one day = bad news bears the next! This week also brought a few outdoor runs, finally! While I was out running 10 (pretty darn cold) miles yesterday morning...this is what this guy was busy doing...

He was actually completely under the covers and hidden. After my run, I went to grab the TV remote so I could do my post-run hip opener routine and foam roll I bit, and I found him in his "fort." He is such a bum...just wait Fenway...just wait till we start training together for cani-cross 2.0. There will be no more fort building/sleeping for you while I am out running then! 

Tomato and Feta Quinoa

Ahhhh, Marathon Monday is here again. Which means I made tonight's dinner last night and stuck it in the fridge to reheat when I got home after my 12 hour day (which started with a 5AM  six mile run up and down my street....5 times - ooff...is this ice gone yet?).

Tonight's meal was super easy - quinoa, lemon juice, chopped tomatoes, feta and parsley. I also threw in some extra mushrooms from last night's AMAZING Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Mushrooms. Super easy. Super yummy. Super filling. It was so good (and I was so hungry when I got home from the after school program) that I woofed it all down because taking a blog picture. But here is the link to the recipe (I assure you, for once...my version looked pretty close to the beautiful pictures in the recipe...)

Tomato and Feta Quinoa

And now I'm ahead of the game! 4 new recipes already and I'm only 13 days into 2014! Woohoo!

The BEST Spaghetti Squash Recipe (so far...) and Hanson's Week 2

If you try one recipe from my blog, try this one. Seriously. It was delicious. My husband took one bite of it and said "THIS, is a keeper." Bonus points for how easy this one is as well. I was not sure how this one would go over, since Nate is not really a mushroom fan, but sauté them up in a little bit of olive oil with the spaghetti squash and parsley and it brings out a whole new flavor. UPDATE: (2/9) - Now adding kale to this recipe! It adds quite a bit of additional flavor to the dish! SO good!)

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms

I am pretty sure this will be made again in the very near future.

Today also completed week 2 of Hanson's Advanced plan, with the addition of the first speed workout. It was a challenge, as I have never done a speed workout that required 9 miles of running before. By the last 400 I was pretty tired (and I kept thinking to myself "WHAT THE HELL...IT'S ONLY A 400). Then I remembered that a) I hadn't done speed work since September b) I'm on a treadmill in a 85 degree stuffy gym and c) it was the first day back to work after vacation. Overall, this week was 41 miles of training and I was able to get 6 out of the 41 miles done on the VERY icy road. With the addition of the first tempo run and first run done at long run pace, next week will be a real test to see if this plan is do-able for me. In the meantime, I have another NEW recipe already made for tomorrow night! Review to come! Now - go get some spaghetti squash and mushroom and make this recipe! 

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats (meatless!) and Baked Parmesan Tomatoes!

Last week I made spaghetti squash for the first time, and much to my surprise, we BOTH ended up loving it. We joked all week about how fun it was to create the spaghetti by raking the crap out of the squash. Very therapeutic (or we just lead very dull lives).

So today's recipe for Mission 24 was to use the spaghetti squash to make lasagna boats, using the shell as the boat/bowl. Now, before I go about telling you MY recipe, here is the original recipe that I modified to make them "meatless" - Skinny Taste Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats.

Now, onto my recipe. Instead of using "chicken sausage" or any other meat, I decided to give using lentils a try. It is not that I am entirely against meat, but I do try to limit processed meat and honestly, I just find it too expensive. Lentils = $1.39 per bag. This recipe used 1/3 of the bag, if that.

This is what food prep Sunday looked like today!
Lentils cooking in the back! 

 While the squash was cooking for 45 minutes in the oven, I boiled up a cup of lentils (which was plenty!). When the lentils finished cooking, I added them to the ricotta, sauce, onion, parsley, cheese mixture. I also added in basil and garlic (hmmm, there can never be enough garlic!). I did not make the sauce as it was called for in the recipe, I just used some leftover sauce from the fridge.

Raking out the squash and mixing up the ricotta mixture

After raking out the spaghetti and mixing it with the ricotta mixture described above, I returned the spaghetti to the squash shell and baked it for an addition 20 minutes. The result - a SUPER yummy and SUPER filling dinner! While this was baking for the second time, our house smelled super sweet! Rebaking the squash let out some amazingly sweet aromas. Nate gave this recipe two thumbs up as well, although we both agreed that next time instead of just using spaghetti sauce it needs a jar of diced tomatoes as well! Will do!

SO filling! 

Since I was cooking for about 2 hours today for food prep Sunday (egg bake and hard boiled eggs for the week, quinoa salad for dinner tomorrow, prepped the chili in the crockpot for Tuesday, salad for lunch for the week), I decided to make an easy little appetizer while the squash was cooking. I was super excited to find a use for my mini pampered chef pan and our "side oven" that we have never used. The appetizer I made were Baked Parmesan Tomatoes. I followed the recipe as written. These were a super yummy little snack before dinner, but next time, I am definitely adding some breadcrumbs to the top!

Use for the side oven! Finally!

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes - a yummy snack! 

Today also wrapped up week one of Hanson's for marathon training. This week was only a half-week of training, starting on Wednesday with a weekly mileage total of 29 measly miles. It was a nice little way to transition back into following a plan. Starting next week, I will be up to 6 days a week of running (something I've never done before) and I will also do my first speed workout of the plan (and my first one since the beginning of October). I am a little anxious about it, as it will end up being about 9-10 miles midweek (I have NEVER done a speed workout like that before!). My total mileage for next week should be about 41 miles, and this will be my lowest mileage week of the plan, if I am able to follow it as written. I am nervous and excited about it all at once, but, as always, I am up for the challenge! ;-)

Mission 24: Recipe Numero Uno - Sweet Potato PANCAKES!

Alright, before I tell you all about my first recipe for Mission 24, I'll let you on in a dirty little secret that reveals just how inexperienced I am with cooking. 2014 is the year I turn 30. I may have 9 more months, but I turn 30 this year. And today, in order to make this recipe...I had to make mashed potatoes for the FIRST time. No joke, I actually had to google how to make mashed sweet potatoes (hangs head in shame). Ok, now that that confession is out of the way...here goes...

Look, Ma! I made mashed potatoes for the first time!
And, I LOVE my pampered chef masher! 

Sweet Potato Pancakes: 
Ingredients: 
mashed sweet potato (I used 1 medium sized sweet potato for this)
1 egg 
1 tbsp coconut flour (or any other kind of flour you have)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla 
extra cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Instructions: 
1.) Mash the sweet potato.
2.) When done mashing, take off heat and add in one egg.  If it's too thick to pour into pan, add another egg. 
3. )Stir in remaining ingredients, except cinnamon sprinkle.
4.) fry em up like you would normal pancakes! Add extra cinnamon on the top as you like!

As my kindergarten students would say - "easy peasy lemon squeezy!"

Starting to look like pancakes! But my, oh my, these
smell strongly like French Toast! 

I would suggest making small pancakes, as these do take a bit longer to cook in the middle than typical pancakes. I had the heat on my stove turned all the way up and let them fry for a good ten minutes. These smell (and taste) a bit like French Toast! They were pretty yummy! My first experiment of 2014 went well. These will definitely be made again. And, might I add, for the money-savy cooker, these are an excellent choice! Most people have flour, cinnamon, baking soda and vanilla lying around the house, so at the cost of 1 sweet potato and 1 egg, this recipe costs about $1.50 (if that) per serving!

No syrup or butter needed! These pancakes were sweet
enough! 

Mission 24: 24 New Recipes for 2014 AND the First Day of Training for Marathon #10!

I have really enjoyed trying new recipes out this past month, especially since discovering that cauliflower, quinoa, lentils, sweet potato, spaghetti squash and other beans/grains can be substituted for almost any pasta/bread based item or meat. Now that I have a base of foods I can eat that do not make me violently ill the next day, I am excited about experimenting with them in new recipes.

With that being said, I am embarking on a mission to expand my recipe repertoire in 2014 by trying out (at least) two new recipes a month. By the end of the year, I am hoping to have at least 24 new recipes I can whip out at a moment's notice that are healthy and yummy. I have already pulled a number of recipes to try this month, including spaghetti squash lasagna boats (thanks Lauren!), sweet potato pancakes and sweet potato burgers!

AND, since I got the a gift card to get the best present ever today, there are way more recipes that I am going to be able to make!

Thanks Katie and Joel! 

On another note, today started my eighteen week Hanson's Marathon Method training program for Providence on May 4th. Let me say, nothing pleases a runner with OCD more than having their marathon training cycle start on January 1st!

Todays run was a six miler at "easy A" pace (for my marathon goal this pace is 9:00-9:30minute/mile). I ended up with an 8:50 pace for my miles. From the people I've talked to who have done this plan...most say that it takes about a month to get used to the slower paces on "easy A" and "easy B" days...but then the plan hits you like a ton of bricks and the heavy mileage forces you to slow down on these days. I finished up my workout today by borrowing Nate's T-25 Ab Intervals DVD. LOVE THIS! Will definitely be adding T-25 into the mix a few times a week as the next step in my weight training in the next few months! Here's to 2014!

Flour-less, Dairy Free and no sugar added "Cookies"

When I first made my "pretend cookies" over a year ago, I stuck to a pretty plain recipe - 2 bananas, 2 cups of oats and some craisins - mix em together and pop them in the over for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. They were pretty good, but certainly did not taste like a real cookie, and certainly did not have the consistency of a real cookie.

As I was putting groceries away today, I found 3 extremely old bananas in the pantry. Seeing as I HATE throwing out food, I decided to give the cookies a try again, but play around with the recipe. I took the basic recipe, but this time added in cinnamon, and some PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter with Chocolate.  I also cooked them for 25 minutes (and on my brand new pampered chef stoneware!!) to help the middles firm up a bit.

These were WAY better with the PB2 and the cinnamon, and had a much firmer consistency with the additional 5 minutes of cook time. They could just actually pass as a cookie now! I was also very pleased to find some use for my PB2 with chocolate. I accidentally bought the chocolate kind and was very disappointed when I sat down to eat my nightly apple + peanut butter last week. It just was not the same with the chocolate, but I figured I could find some recipes to throw it in! Voila!

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom...these didn't last long! 

Recipe of the Week: Slow Cook Quinoa, Chicken and Lentil Chili

It seems that I've been on a roll with experimenting in the kitchen, so I figure this might just become a weekly segment. I dug up a half a dozen recipes that I'm dying to try, so I have decided to give one a try each week.

This week's winner (and it was a winner!) was Quinoa and Chicken Chili (and then I decided to add lentils to thicken it up a bit) in the slow cooker. Monday's are my long day at work, and then I hit the gym, so I tasked Nate with giving the chili a few stirs when he got home from work. When I walked in EXHAUSTED at 7:00 tonight the first thing he said to me was "I've been taking licks from the spoon, and this is really, really good." Woohoo! I win! Of all the new recipes I've tried, the hubby said this was his favorite, and he has already requested that it be made again as our Marathon Monday meal.

I kinda borrowed from 3 different chili recipes to put this together...but this is what I did...

2 cans diced tomatos
1 can black beans
1 cup of salsa
1 cup of quinoa
1 cup lentils
1 chicken breast cut up into little pieces (may do it without this next time and make it a meatless Monday meal)
Chili powder and Cumin to taste

Dump in all into the slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low.

Thank God for the slow cooker that automatically switches to "heat" when it's done...this meal was sitting in there for 11 hours today before we actually got to eat it.

Just another one of my recipes that looks like mush, but is actually delicious!

On another note, Hanson's Marathon plan starts in 15 days! I'm beginning to get a little bit nervous about running six days a week given that there is already a foot of snow on the road and it's super icy! I've resolved to just see what happens with training this winter and give this plan the best I can give it under the circumstances, knowing that it lends itself to my summer schedule more so than winter. Time shall tell! 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust Revisited

A few weeks ago, I tried out a new recipe for a cauliflower pizza crust. We both ended up loving it and have had it every Sunday night for dinner since. While I love eating it, I do not love making it. It is a lot of work (which is why it has become our Sunday night dinner - only night with time to make it). I had shared the recipe on a long run with a friend, and she tried it out and came back with a few tips for speeding up the process.  The result - MUCH easier to do AND more crust! (yum, more pizza for me!).

Here is what we changed...

Instead of chopping of the cauliflower and putting it into my teeny tiny food processor, I boiled it for about 15 minutes, strained it, and then mashed it up in a mixing bowl. Same result (riced cauliflower) - a lot less work. From there on out, I followed the rest of the original recipe doubled (used 2 eggs, 1 cup of cheese, and upped the amount of basil and red pepper - I don't measure spices, I just throw them in).

If you decide to try the recipe and boil the cauliflower instead of putting it in the food processor, I have some tips (learned from mistakes made- oops!) - you are going to need to strain/squeeze the water out of it like CRAZY as it retains way more water when you boil it. Also, you may want to cook it for 3-4 minutes longer if you boil the cauliflower.

Revamped and doubled the recipe = a LOT of pizza...yum!

My Week in Clean Eating

Swim started this past week for me on Monday and Wednesday, and Nate started his 90 day journey with T25, which posed a slight problem for my clean eating mission. Clean eating is great, but it does require planning and preparation. Side note: it is TOTALLY worth it. But, when I get home at 8:30 at night twice a week, the last thing I want to do is cook dinner. Since I am on an absolute mission at the moment (see this blog entry) I know I needed a plan.

So, I spent about two hours on Sunday night preparing some new clean meals in advance for the week. I was really pleased with all of them. They will definitely be added into the meal rotation!

1. Roasted Cauliflower - This one was even a hit with the picky eating husband. This seriously tasted like french fries to me. I added one thing to the recipe - I sprinkled bread crumbs on the cauliflower prior to putting it on the oven (ya, ya, ya, I know, I made it slightly less clean...but hey..we are eating cauliflower here! That is a huge step for former mac and cheese junkees). I forgot to take a picture of my version, but it actually looked pretty similar to the one on the website.


2. Quinoa and Black Beans - Ok. This was seriously delicious. And holy packed with protein! A friend of mine made this at our pot luck dinner prior to the MDI relay a few weeks back and I loved it. I *somehow* managed to follow the recipe and make mine taste like hers! (Ok, the truth is I had one failed attempt first...but I fixed it here the second time around).

3. Cauliflower Pizza Crust I was surprised how easy this was to make - cut the cauliflower, throw it in the food processor, microwave, wring it out, add some spices and throw it in the oven. Super easy, and good for pizza night because I ALWAYS forget to take the frozen pizza dough out in the morning. We have been using Portland Pie Company's multigrain dough for a while now, but since I'm not putting in the high mileage of marathon training, I was looking for something slightly less "carb-y."

So as we sat down to dinner and started eating, there was silence. I held my breath and waited for the verdict. And then it came - "Actually, this is pretty good!" SCORE! We both enjoyed this meal. If you make it, DO NOT expect it to hold together like a real pizza crust. We had to eat ours with forks. But nonetheless, it was still really quite tasty. We will be making this one again next week, but next time I am going to double the recipe. While I am not marathon training at the moment, I am still running (and Nate is still doing T25), and we both felt since all this basically is is vegetables, we needed a little more substance to be a meal.

On Recovery and Eating...

We all have our weaknesses with running. I'm sure I have many...but one has been completely evident these last two weeks. I STINK at recovering from marathons. I have had a particularly hard time recovering from the  ING Hartford Marathon that I ran on October 12th. My legs seemed to recover fine initially, but I ended up with a case of metatarsalgia in my left foot that *still,* three weeks later, is not 100% better. The good news is, after a trip to the ER and Xrays, I know it is not broken and there are no stress fractures. Even better, is that I can now run on it again.

Between some outside stresses in life, a three week cold that would not go away and the metatarsalgia, this recovery period has been absolute misery. My body (and brain) was it's own worse enemy, and with all the stress I was under from all parts of life, I was just not healing. Until last night.

Rewind 14 months ago. 14 months ago, a comment from a (not really) running friend spurred me to clean up my nutritional act, eventually lose 18lbs, and attain the strength and speed I needed to qualify for Boston and set a personal record in the marathon in 3:32:32.

Last night, some friends let me know that this person was at it again, making shady comments. I was initially hurt by it, but when I told me husband, he laughed. He said "Wait a minute. Last time *he* said something to you, you whipped your ass into shape. You just BQ-ed and PR-ed (he didn't!). What are you going to do this time. Remember baby...KARMA!" Then he followed up by "Now, don't forget to thank him next time you see him, he just gave you a huge gift."

And with perfect timing too. This recovery period did serious damage to my motivation. I BQ-ed. That was the goal I was working on for 14 months. Now what?

All at once, I wasn't angry anymore. Truthfully. A shit eating grin came over me, and I laughed. DAMN STRAIGHT. Game. On. Plans made. Preparations done (thank you husband for your help with this). Time to execute.

1. New training plan made and new training tools purchased - and with lots of time to execute now that I've said buh-bye to facebook.

2. New kitchen tools needed for clean eating prep acquired, new recipes collected.

3. I FINALLY got by Bento box I've been dying for. I know it sounds materialistic, but I've been dying for one of these to help "organize" my clean eating snacking throughout the day.

4. Countdowns Made. 65 days until Providence training starts January 1st. 100 days until Mid-Winter Classic 10 miler - my first check in to see if I'm on track. And...183 days till Providence 26.2.

Although I'd love to write more about how much I stink at recovery...recovery is officially over. I'm off to execute day one of my Karma-riffic training plan.

Bento Box LOVE. IN the tin foil are two egg whites. Also, clementines, strawberries,
raspberries, almonds and carrots with hummus. This, with an apple and a yummy spinach salad
are my eats for the school day. 

Veggies Galore

One of my big goals this summer was to get my garden up and running. Sadly, it never happened. We need to replace the old fence, completely clean out in between the boxes (and the boxes themselves) and need new soil for six huge boxes. This was not in the budget for this summer. However, it WILL be priority number one come next spring. We have already started taking down the old fence and will be digging up the old fence posts shortly. If we can get it cleaned out this fall, I am hopeful to get most of the boxes planted next spring.

Because honestly, we need to. Since Nate got on board with the veggie eating, our grocery bill has skyrocketed. I am buying double the veggies we did a month ago, not to mention the crazy amount I spend on fruit each week.

Veggies were never eaten in big quantities in our house, as dinner was always a struggle. We aren't big meat eaters - chicken maybe once a week, my cooking skills are limited at best, and we always tended to rely on meals heavy with pasta. It took me 11 months of transitioning to a clean(er) diet to figure dinner out. But now, I think I'm moving in the right direction. I have been trying to live by the rule of 80% - 80% of my diet is clean, unprocessed food. With the exception of the starch that we have with our vegetables (quesadillas, panini bread, pizza dough) and dairy products which I refuse to give up as as a runner (I do eat them in portions now though!), I am now happy to say that our 20% is mostly only dining out meals, and even those choices have changed considerably.  Everything we eat at home is pretty darn healthy. Here are a few of our new favorite cleaned up dinners...

Veggie pizza on the grill! DELICIOUS! We use the multigrain dough from Hannaford.
My side is the spinach side! 

The final product. Spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, green peppers and chia seeds.
Sometimes, I don't use sauce on my half, but put hummus down instead. It's yummy! 

Veggies quesadillas on the panini maker! Spinach, tomatoes, green pepper, mushrooms and avocado! 

I forget to take a picture of these loaded with veggies before I cooked em up!
Paninis on multigrain bread with spinach, tomato avocado and mozzarella. These are super yummy! 

We pair the quesadillas and paninis up with a yummy salad for extra veggies as well! My favorite part about these veggies meals - they are SUPER quick and easy. By the time I get home from school and squeeze my run in, I am ravenous and have little time for meals with long prep/cook times. These 3 meals are done in less than 20 minutes. If you have any super easy meals with tons of veggies, please send them my way! I'm ready and willing to try!