I went to Portland to buy some doodads

Last week, Melissa invited me on a girls' trip to Portland. The purpose was to buy a discounted Garmin and avoid sales tax, and although that fell through, we still had a great time.

Fire Roasted Tomato & Chickpea Simmer

I have a recipe to share today! It's adapted from this one from the Brown Vegan website. I made a few alterations but her recipe completely gave me the foundation to start on. It's an incredibly easy pantry meal that will only dirty one pan (and your rice cooker), makes a ton, and is so delicious!

As you guys know, Matt and I have been mostly-vegan at home these days. This is a great plant-based recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans chickpeas
• 2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I did one with garlic and one without)
• 1 can fire-roasted corn
• 1 can coconut milk, unsweetened (I used "lite")
• 1 tbsp corn starch (optional)
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, red chili flakes to taste
• Nutritional yeast to taste (as a topping)
• 2 cups rice (I used jasmine)

Seasonings not pictured.

Instructions:

Cook the rice according to the package. (Or do yourself a favor and get a rice cooker. Best $35 I ever spent!)

This honestly couldn't be simpler. 

1. Drain all your canned legumes and veggies. 
2. Warm the tomatoes and corn in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. 
3. Add the chickpeas. Stir together, then cover and allow to cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the can of coconut milk and seasonings and stir well. (You could add your red pepper flakes at this point, but Matt doesn't like them so I held mine back and added it to my serving only.) 
5. Cover once more and cook another 5 minutes.

At this point, if your sauce still looks very runny, add some corn starch by sprinkling it evenly over the entire dish and stirring well to avoid clumps. I did so and then let it continue to simmer for about three more minutes.

You could absolutely add other veggies to this - peppers, onions, whatever!

This recipes makes a whopping nine 1-cup servings, coming in at around 170 calories/serving (not including the rice).

I topped mine with a sprinkle of Nutritional Yeast and red pepper flakes and it was freaking amazing.

I feel like this would be a great meal for weekly meal-prep because of how much it makes. You could easily halve the recipe, too. It's so versatile! I feel like this will definitely become a staple for us.

ABK

We Eat Tofu Now

This post is going to be full of pictures of delicious meals that don't look very appetizing. Why is photographing food so hard?!

For the longest time, I've had an issue with eating meat at home. For some reason, if I've prepared and cooked it, I get grossed out eating it. The texture makes me want to gag. I often end up eating whatever side I've prepared and leaving the meat to go to waste.

This happens even with things I typically love, like salmon and shrimp. It never happens when I'm at a restaurant, but we don't go out to eat very often, so most nights I barely touch my dinner.

I've always really loved tofu, but have been scared to cook it at home. Once I bought a block of it and it sat in the fridge for six months before I tossed it, untouched. Sometimes when I order a meal with tofu, I ask Matt if he wants any, but usually it's spicy so he doesn't partake. While we were in Seattle, I had tofu a couple times, and Matt was finally able to try some himself. Imagine my surprise when on our last night there, he ordered tofu in his poke bowl.

That was a turning point. When I realized Matt would eat tofu, it made more sense to learn to cook it. The consistency (somewhere between an omelet and frittata) never freaks me out and I like that its mild flavor can really take on any taste.

I watched a YouTube video to learn how to cook it, bought some already-pressed tofu, and tried it out. I was intimidated, but it turns out it's really easy to prep and cook! I'm still figuring out if I prefer the super firm or extra firm variety, but we've had tofu for every home-cooked dinner for two weeks now and I am very happy with it.

This is the brand our stores carry. Right now I think I prefer the extra firm to the super firm.

My favorite way to prepare it is with curry. I sometimes use a million shortcuts that would make Sandra Lee proud, including adding frozen vegetables or sweet potatoes to the dish instead of fresh. Dinner takes ten minutes to make and tastes amazing.

We usually use Patak's Korma curry, but I want to learn how to make it from scratch.

I'm excited to learn more ways to prepare it, because unlike most meals, it's so quick and easy to make that I don't mind experimenting a little. Plus, a block costs about $3 and easily makes enough food for two nights, so we're saving money on top of everything else.

Passage Foods sauces have all proven tasty!

This pad thai did not disappoint! 

I am not going vegetarian, but Matt and I are both happy to be eating less meat because the meat industry - especially beef - is terrible for the environment. I'm also happy to finally be able to stomach a meal at home. I feel like I'm on a soapbox, but it's not moralistic at all. I'm just suddenly in love with tofu and I don't know why it took me so long to buy it!

If you've been curious but intimidated, like I was, take it from me - tofu is awesome!

ABK

Sorry if This Gets Controversial

I have some really random things on my mind right now! First of all, I'm thinking about Hurricane Matthew.

It's supposed to be a big one, and it's not on my side of the state, but who knows where it's heading? I'm currently (as of Wednesday afternoon) trying to convince my sister to evacuate and come to my coast, and I'm also waiting to hear if school will be canceled on account of high winds.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY!

(Apparently buses can't run if the winds are over 40mph.)

On another note, I got my hands on some Pumpkin Spice Cheerios finally! I like to mix my flavored Cheerios with the regular kind so they're not too sweet. The PS were good, but they really reminded me of the apple cinnamon flavor with less cinnamon. They weren't anything really new.

Oh, here's a fun little thing I want to share...I got to meet Joe Biden on Monday! He was speaking in Sarasota so, despite having driven up and back already Friday and Saturday, I drove up again and met Britt, and we went together! After standing in line for about 90 minutes and then waiting in the auditorium (we almost didn't get in!) for over an hour, he, Bill Nelson, and mayor Fredd Atkins arrived. Biden's speech was invigorating, funny, poignant, and earnest. Basically I love him and he was everything I dreamed!

Britt and I can be seen in the background of this video. I give the newscaster quite the look at one point. (She's in the striped shirt and cap and I'm wearing my white Gay Pride Hillary tank top.)

After the event he shook hands with the crowd, and I shook his hand and looked him in the eye and said, "I met your wife at the All Star Game!" and he smiled back his beatific smile and replied, "You met the best part of my family!"

There he is!

My best selfie haha!

Here he is again!

I wasn't able to get a selfie with him, unfortunately. Hearing him speak live was still such a rewarding experience, even if rallies make me uncomfortable. I love the Bidens!

The last thing on my mind today is about religion. Fair warning, this may get a little controversial...I honestly don't mean to be offensive here - I'm just thinking through my personal bias and thought process.

Driving home from work I passed a van for an electrician that was named ABC ("Abiding by and Believing in Christ Jesus"). Their tagline was "Available 24 Hours, just like Him", which I thought was clever.

Now, the Christians I know and associate with are honest, friendly, dependable, and loyal. Those are traits that would make a great electrician! And if that's how this guy runs his business, then I think that's a really great example of displaying Christian values in all parts of his life.

I think we can all agree THIS is the Christianity we want to see more of in the world.

But the truth is, I have this lingering mistrust of Christian businesses because I worry they'll take the money they make and put it toward causes and campaigns I completely disagree with. I wonder if businesses that are overtly religious or political lose a lot of customers.

FYI, I feel the same way about company trucks with political bumper stickers and the like. I just feel like it's not a smart move to alienate potential customers...but I guess if they believe that strongly, then that's their prerogative, but it still makes me really uncomfortable.

Matt took this photo near his ceramics studio. He was wondering how many customers this bike shop owner had alienated by putting up a Trump flag.

How's that for deep (and random) thoughts this Thursday?

Have you attended any political rallies before?
Have you ever met a celebrity?
What do you think of overtly religious/political businesses?

ABK

Friday Five

Today I'm linking up with Mar on the Run! et. al. for the Friday Five. Let's dive right in, shall we?

1. Pumpkin Spice: I know it's become so popular that now there's backlash against it, but certain pumpkin spice things still get my attention. And I love pumpkin pie and pumpkin rolls. I really want to try this Cheerios flavor before fall is over.

Sorry to disappoint you, Anthony Bourdain.

But I draw the line at PSLs. And can we all just acknowledge that pumpkin has almost no flavor and "pumpkin spice" is really just a fancy way of saying "cinnamon and other spices used in pumpkin pie"?

2. Coconut Oil: A few weeks ago a company called Skinny Co. (yeah, another really terrible company name that turned me off a bit) reached out to me to see if I'd want to try and review their coconut oil products. I said yes...but maybe I shouldn't have. Most of the products I received are skincare, and last time I tried coconut oil on my skin, I broke out like crazy.

I can try the razor burn moisturizer and the mouthwash (even though I think "pulling" is total bull...along with most of the other supposed benefits of CO).

I know it works for some people, but not for me.

I did want to try it for my hair and to cook with, but I didn't receive anything along those lines. So I think I'll hand these off to my sister and let her test them out and see what she thinks. The products are really beautiful and smell delicious.

The company supports Fair Trade and sustainability, and the oils are 100% CO without fillers. Do they boost metabolism, improve thyroid function, and maintain healthy blood-sugar levels? I don't think the FDA has approved those claims. But it does smell good!

3. Running/Reading/Writing as Punishment: Elizabeth and I had this discussion recently:

I know some runners like the "our sport is your sport's punishment" mentality, but I've harped on running-as-punishment or running-in-PE multiple times on my blog. No wonder so many people think they hate running! Our first experiences with it are usually negative!

It's the same for reading and writing. How many of you have been told to "write a letter apologizing/explaining why what you did was wrong" in school? Or to read silently because you had lost a privilege? It's hard to get creative, I know, but I hate seeing things I love used as punishments!

4. Technology Updates: The new iPhone OS is really a bit busy for me, if I'm being honest. I feel like the entire phone has gone Snapchat crazy. However, I DO love that texting facilitates replacing words with emojis, and that the female runner emoji is finally here!

Debating running at 5am for a second day in a row.

In other technology news, Pottermore has finally released its Patronus quiz! I'm a proud Ravenclaw and think I was sorted perfectly, and I think my wand matches me really well.

I'm a little disappointed in my Patronus, but the quiz was really cool and - nerd alert - I'm going to research the Chow a little bit to see why it fits me, because I trust PM and its sorting process.

5. Time Management: This seems to be the time of year where things all pile up. Work, workouts, writing, reading, the studio...it's just so hard to divide my time! I feel fulfilled when I'm really busy, but I also feel like I don't have any downtime. This week, Elizabeth suggested we (along with another friend of ours) have a girl's night and as I was saying, "Yeah, I need girl time!" I realized that actually, I haven't had quality time with Matt in weeks! I actually need husband-time, and usually it's my friendships that suffer when I'm super busy. I need to prioritize and fix that.

Bonus: How weird is it to get a phone tripod just to take better running/post-running photos? Because I'm seriously considering getting one of these babies so I can branch out from selfies:

It's like $10 on Amazon and would easily fit in my running bag!

Do you like pumpkin spice flavor?
What's your favorite fall flavor? I actually love candy corn because I'm disgusting.
Do you use coconut oil for anything?
What do you think your Patronus would be? It's not an animal representation of yourself - it's a protective shield made up of your best, happiest memories.
How do you prioritize family/friends/alone time when your schedule is packed?

ABK

Weekly Workouts 8/29-9/5

Monday: I was craving a run because I didn't run Sunday. After a really awesome circuit, I decided I didn't need a run...but I went anyway. It felt good to just take a jaunt around the golf course before dinner!

I cooked, stuck dinner in the oven to stay warm, ran 1.65 miles, and came back to gorge myself on tacos.

YUM.

Tuesday: I conquered my fear and did 3x1600s! I now know I can push those faster next time; oh yes, there will be a next time!

We made sure to warm up with dynamic stretches and an easy loop first, and I think that really helped.

Wednesday: Elizabeth and I did the cardio boxing video from last week again. We just really enjoy it! It gets your heart rate up, but it's fairly low-impact, and it's a nice full-body workout.

I am in LOVE with Skirt Sports' fall prints. I was skeptical of the orange but in person they're so bright and fun!

Thursday: Rest.

Friday: We ran before work because I had a flight to catch in the afternoon. The humidity and heat were back with a vengeance, so it wasn't our best run, but at least we got it done!

Running before school is hard. We never go quite as far as I'd like because of time constraints.

Saturday: We got a few miles of walking in at Chagrin Falls and downtown Cleveland, so while I didn't do a workout, I was still active. I did try to get up early to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and run Saturday, but I was too tired!

Steph and me climbing birds in Cleveland's new downtown Square.

Sunday: Travel and rest.

Monday: We pushed our long run to Monday (because there was no work for Labor Day) and did just about 7 miles. It felt good to run long again but part of me is just not enjoying long runs right now.

Drenched.

My legs are tired for the first few miles and I'm having trouble breathing in the humidity. I need to be more diligent about doing warmups first!

Did you have a good week?
I hope you enjoyed your long weekend!

ABK

I have a Radio so I'm basically a Secret Service agent now

Today I'm thinking out loud with Amanda from Running with Spoons!

1. Despite being completely difficult, sluggish, and electronically glitchy, Tuesday's run felt amazing! Elizabeth and I ran the bridge and when we got to our usual 2-mile mark my watch clocked a single mile. I know the route well enough that I wasn't concerned about adjusting it afterward, but losing the data and our splits was frustrating.

I mean...what do I even say? The run was actually 4 miles, only 3 recorded, and the paces are clearly totally wrong.

The weather was overcast and the pre-storm humidity that so epitomizes the tropics in summertime was in overdrive. Basically we slogged through a run we couldn't even properly track...and yet it was awesome.

Of course, it rained as soon as we finished and got in the car to go home!

2. Kids are officially back to school! I spent my first day putting together teacher resource binders and helping with drop off and pick up; it felt really weird not to have students of my own. I love fostering personal relationships with students and I think that's the way to get kids to care about education, but I still think I'll be able to make a difference and feel fulfilled in this new position, too.

Check out my awesome secret service earpiece!

3. Last year, Kristin introduced me to these amazing gluten free "thin mint" cookies, but I could never find them anywhere. Then, they appeared at my parents' house and I happily helped myself, only to go through withdrawal once they were gone. I'm so glad my Publix is finally carrying them!

I honestly don't remember what real Thin Mints taste like, but I think these are softer, fudgier, and a little more plush than the originals with just the perfect hint of mint.

4. This year our school is doing a book study on The Happiness Advantage. I don't really care to wax on about the book itself, but it got me thinking: can we all afford to be more positive, or should we just accept who we are instead of forcing ourselves to change our personalities?

I'm naturally a realist. I border on pessimistic sometimes. I think I can afford to be more positive sometimes, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with the way I am!

5. Speaking of books, I pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and it arrived last Friday. I read it all that night! I plan to reread it to pick up on some nuance, but it was a nice way to end my usual rereading of the series. It's been eight years since I read a new HP book!

I will say that this is not a novel. It's a play; it's meant to be a play. I like reading plays and I think the stage directions in this one are just whimsical enough to give it a little extra literary flair. I liked the storyline but also felt, at times, that it seemed Rowling had listened too intently to fan theories when crafting it.

The wisdom of the Harry Potter world lives on in this installment.

I won't spoil anything major here, of course. But I enjoyed the added maturity that was sometimes missing when our protagonist was a teenage boy, and I'm considering this an enjoyable companion piece to what I will always consider the "original" series. I loved catching up with my favorite characters again and seeing what their lives are like now, 19+ years down the road.

Yes, I'm talking about them like they're real. Deal with it.

6. I've been thoroughly enjoying the Olympics! I can never sleep the first week of school, so I haven't minded staying up late to watch the events. As usual, I'm obsessed with our gymnastics team (and watch with the same intensity as Aly Raisman's parents) and I'm completely loving Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky's continued domination in the pool.

I think some of my motivation to get back on track this week is coming from watching the events in Rio!

Have you been watching the Olympics?
Do you plan to read the newest Harry Potter?
What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?
Are you an optimist, pessimist, or realist?

ABK

Frozen Desserts: Wink vs. Arctic Zero

You may have seen pictures of these two ice cream substitutes floating around "fitness" Instagram accounts. I am definitely an ice cream binge-eater, and during summertime especially I can polish off a pint without much thought.

That can be a problem considering ice cream's not exactly a health food. Enter Wink Frozen Desserts and Arctic Zero Fit Frozen Desserts. Both of these brands boast lower fat content, lower sugar, and higher protein than regular ice cream. I honestly don't care about GMOs or any of the other "allergen free" stuff, although it's nice to see so many gluten free options.

I was intrigued, so I bought myself some Wink first. Due to cost of shipping, you have to buy at least four flavors at a time. (If you buy six, they ship for free.) All of Wink's flavors are gluten free so I had a lot to choose from. They arrived packed in dry ice and perfectly frozen.

My first impression was kind of a let down. The desserts are definitely not ice cream. They're closer to a granita or Italian ice...very icy and brittle. The flavors aren't as strong as traditional ice cream, and there was a definitely protein aftertaste I didn't quite like.

I tried Cake Batter with a little chocolate syrup and sprinkles, but the texture and flavor still wasn't what I look for in a dessert.

I did find that by allowing them to thaw a little (about 10 minutes) before eating, the texture and flavor improves, but that aftertaste is just a deal breaker for me. Matt doesn't notice it, though! I've always been sensitive to protein-powdery flavors.

The bottom line here: I could totally dig the texture if the flavors were stronger and the aftertaste wasn't an issue.

A fellow runner had posted about her Arctic Zero experience on Instagram, so I commented asking if they were creamy because Wink had disappointed me. The next day, Arctic Zero emailed me offering a free "care package" so I could try their desserts. Of course I said yes and requested all gluten free flavors, because unlike Wink, some of theirs include cookie and brownie pieces.

AZ arrived overnight, came adorably packaged, and included an ice cream scooper! Because they were already a bit thawed from their trip (their dry ice hadn't held up quite as well as Wink's), I dove right in to the taste test.

Allergies got my eyes looking rough...sorry about the closeup, guys. Also sorry for the "zero guilt" label...It would be cool if they'd drop that.

First of all, AZ sent five flavors and two aren't gluten free, so I was disappointed not to be able to try those. But I was very pleased with the flavors I could eat. They're definitely creamier than Wink and do not have a weird protein taste at all.

I enjoyed the Cake Batter flavor with a mug cake and it was divine.

Their flavors are again...lighter...than ice cream, but more enjoyable and cleaner tasting than Wink. Because it's best to eat them well-thawed, I found that once I scooped them into a bowl, they melted fairly quickly.

Arctic Zero also boasts a huge product list, including "chunky" pints and bars.

The verdict: Arctic Zero is a nice alternative to ice cream if you don't want to derail your healthy eating. It's not ice cream, but it's a nice sorbet-like treat. Wink is alright if you don't mind that protein-mix taste that sometimes hangs around after certain protein bars and smoothies.

One final note: You can purchase both of these brands in some stores, but they're not easy to find. I was able to find the Vanilla Maple Arctic Zero at a local Publix and bought it myself before I was offered the care package.

There's one last brand along these lines that I'd like to try called Halo Top, but I think I'll eat what's in my freezer before I test it out!

Arctic Zero sent me a care package of these flavors free of charge. I purchased the Vanilla Maple flavor and all Wink flavors on my own. All opinions are my own.

Have you tried any of these frozen desserts?
What's your favorite summertime dessert?
Are you ice cream/FROYO obsessed? 

ABK

How Did I Get Here?

There's nothing quite like basking in the afterglow of a goal race that went your way. I've spent all week enjoying the twinges in my quads and reflecting on how I was able to finally nab a new PR after three years of half-heartedly trying.

There's no magic or surprise here - once I got rid of the "half" part and really decided to go for it, it was mine. But I had to really change my mindset in order to get to the point where my priorities shifted. I had to change mentalities from distance to speed. I had to willingly take a step back from certain aspects of training to focus on parts that I usually don't enjoy very much. I had to make each run purposeful, and that meant some of them weren't fun.

But I ended up really enjoying this whole 5k training thing. I liked having new workouts to try; I liked finishing each run totally exhausted. I liked feeling like my workouts had a reason.

I've also noticed this new mindset has helped in my recovery. I wanted to skip my run this Tuesday, but I told myself that this time of year - with the heat and the stress and the crazy schedule - is always when I quit, and then I have to work extra hard to get back to basic fitness. I don't want to lose my progress, and this time around I was able to convince myself to stay on track!

So, besides the shift in my mental faculties, here are a few things that I think really helped me kill the SUP & Run 5k last Saturday.

1. More consistent cross training that worked for me. This is key! I've tried cross training before and it always ends up boring me or injuring me. When I was just doing T25 for cross training, I was always too sore from all the jumping around to really push hard during my runs. This time around, I took aspects of T25 and other circuits that I enjoyed and I created my own HIIT-style workouts.

Oh you know, just pumping iron in a church parking lot...totally normal.

I also added cross training on running days. Once it became habit to lift weights for a few minutes following a run, I didn't think twice about capping off running workouts that way.

2. Sticking to a schedule. Like cross training, scheduling has bored me in the past, too. But this time, I made sure to sprinkle in a variety of stuff, so my schedule never felt old even though it was consistent and predictable. I also made sure that each of my runs was purposeful throughout the week; I don't really believe in "junk miles" but when you have a set goal in mind, each run should contribute to reaching that goal.

Obviously I have to stay flexible, especially because this time of year is nuts. Some weeks I move around which days I rest, and I know that when I'm in DC with students next week my plans will change drastically, but in general, this schedule has made working out second nature and hassle free.

3. Having a training partner. Elizabeth is actually my "accountability partner" at work, and that's a more apt name, really. Even when we don't train together, we keep each other accountable for our workouts. That will come in handy this summer when she's in Nicaragua for a couple weeks.

4. Speed work. This is so obvious it hurts, but you have to run faster to get faster. Again, a dedicated speed work day on my schedule has helped keep me consistent here. I don't follow a specific plan or prescribed workout; I just play around with what feels good and challenging.

5. Smarter eating. I hate that this is true, but there it is. When I eat less junk, my energy is higher and my body feels better. So I guess this is something I need to continue. I'm aiming for an 80/20 mindset right now, but I sure do miss my junk!

Luckily summer makes eating healthy easier. I can't wait for all that fruit!

6. Believing in the plan. This one may be the most important. Once all the cogs were in place, I had to trust that the wheel would turn. Instead of giving up or monitoring progress daily - which is sure to lead to disappointment - I really focused on the long-term goal. I kind of let myself get through workouts and meals without thinking too hard about them or over-analyzing them. I'd celebrate individual workouts that rocked, but then I'd move on. It was the same with workouts that were just kind of blah. I think this mindset is healthier and really helped me trust the process and believe in the eventual outcome.

Looking back on my activity and knowing I'm putting in the time is a huge confidence booster.

I finally feel like I'm on a good, consistent track right now, and I hope that recognizing the different elements that contribute to my success will help me stay on that track. Seeing results is fun, but in a way, I'm more excited about the results I haven't seen yet. I just have a good feeling that if I keep it up, things are only going to get better!

Easier said than done - how do you stay on track when you're on a roll?
What a major change you had to make to reach a goal?

ABK