Postcards from Austin (dining out)

When we last left our heroes on their travel adventure in Austin, they had just finished a run around Town Lake and were headed to 24 diner where they beat the crowds to demolish huge plates of food...

Being awake early (and not hung over) on New Years Day
meant we beat the brunch rush...

Brunch of champions:
deviled eggs, strong coffee, and steel-cut oats with apple chutney at 24 Diner.

Thanks to the recommendations of an ol' grad school pal, we also dined at Trudy's and the South Congress Cafe. The cafe, like many restaurants in Austin, serves brunch until late in the day so I enjoyed carrot cake french toast at 3pm.

Carrot cake french toast and venison sausage at South Congress Cafe

Goat cheese salad at South Congress Cafe

A word to the wise: The lines are long and the dining areas are crowded at every popular restaurant in Austin. Be prepared to wait an hour for a seat and to dine elbow-to-elbow with the strangers at the next table.

We spent quite a lot of time staring at the front door of the South Congress Cafe... (but the food was delicious).

South Congress Cafe

The Texas Chili Parlor was the one place where we didn't have to wait for a table. Soooo divey. But soooo delicious. The restaurant is a favorite among local UT fans. (Be forewarned, the XXX chili is not for the faint of heart, but then neither is this restaurant...)

Texas Chili Parlor
(I tried to take photos of my chili, but it was too dark inside to get a good pic.)

Austin also has a thriving food truck scene. Hubby enjoyed Torchy's Tacos...

Torchy's tacos: an Austin favorite

... while I browsed a nearby open-air market.

Arts market on South Congress

I am both ashamed and proud to admit that I ate several meals at the Whole Foods flagship store on Lamar and 6th.

Whole Foods

The store has the fresh produce, whole grains, unique spices, and healthy foods you'd expect at a Whole Foods... (with crowds galore)

Floral section of Whole Foods Austin

... and also has a series of cafe-style mini restaurants within the market, along with the biggest salad bar I've ever seen.

Seriously, if you're in Austin, go to the store. Eat there. Browse the beer cave (yes there is a beer cave). It will not disappoint.

Brew pub "cafe" within Whole Foods

Speaking of beer... the nightlife scene in Austin offers something to suit almost any taste. Be prepared to stay up late.

And not for nothing... the bartenders in this town make a mean margarita. Look for "Mexican martinis" on many bar menus (a double margarita served in a cocktail shaker is often the economical purchase if you plan to have more than one).

Margaritas: The Skinny & The Silver Spur at The Iron Cactus (6th & Trinity)

We'll end this culinary adventure where the (actual) trip began... The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que just north of the city in Round Rock, TX.

Slicing brisket at The Salt Lick

We feasted on ribs, smokey brisket, smoked sausages, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, pickles, and onions. (No Texas bbq plate is complete without a side of pickles and onions.)

What's your favorite style of barbecue?
Favorite post-run meal?

Postcards from San Diego

(Belated) greetings from San Diego!

So... that's it. I cut ties with my job in San Diego. No more week-long visits every other month. No more business trips (at least not in the near future). No more hope of renewing my California driver's license.

But... I did spend one last, glorious week there last month. Here's the picture postcard version:

There was ice skating...

Ice skating at Horton Plaza
The kid next to me is making the same face.

And I enjoyed cocktails at one of my favorite downtown restaurants: Quality Social.
The restaurant features dishes from scratch and superb beverages.
(Try the pickle back shot. Whiskey with a pickle juice chaser. Sounds gross, I know. But seriously. Delicious.)

Dress code at Quality Social:
"If it's on the Jersey Shore, it's not getting through the door."

I went for one, unplanned, last shopping spree at the Little Italy Saturday farmers market...

You can see San Diego Bay from the market

Fresh local produce...

... and some of the best uni in the world. Served fresh at the market.

After 10 years of living in San Diego, and 12 years of working there, I thought I had seen everything downtown had to offer. But on my last run through the city, in the Chinese Cultural District, I found a hidden garden I had never seen before.

Then I filled my belly with Mexican food and fusion delights...

Avocado and heirloom radish salad

Braised pork belly

Pizza with spinach and locally-grown mushrooms

I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to the Balboa Park rose garden...

...and the Botanical House...

Botanical House at Balboa Park

...and the giant ficus tree...

One of several giant ficus trees in Balboa Park

... and my favorite little garden in the park.

View from Alcazar Garden

I also got to spend time with my extended family, and I stopped by to see the seals in La Jolla (at night, so no pictures).

Unfortunately, with work and family obligations, I did not get a chance to run with my long-time running buddies... but while I've said goodbye to a San Diego paycheck, I'm not leaving forever. The big difference is that on the next trip, I'll be 100% tourist!

What places would you want to visit "one last time" if you were leaving your hometown?

Have you ever eaten uni (sea urchin)?

Not a fitspo blogger

I wear many hats. I am a runner. A traveler. A writer. A weight-lifter. A cross trainer. A statistician by day and a sociology teacher by night. I even write about fitness and outdoor adventures for Examiner.com. (Feel free to subscribe!)

But please don't call me a "fitspo blogger" or "fitspirational." Heck, maybe I'm not even a "fitness blogger."

True: I appreciate a good salad, and my go-to breakfast is oatmeal with extra bran and flax.
True: I have not had a soda in years.
True: I work out an average of 6 days per week.

In short, I lead a fit and active life, and there are health-and-fitness blogs I adore.

But in the world of online personalities in which each blogger is trying to outshine others, the terms like "fitspo" and "fitspiration" are frequently distorted to reflect the extremes of diet and exercise.

Friends, I submit to you...


Exhibit A:

Marie Claire article, "The Hunger Diaries: How Health Writers Could Be Putting You at Risk"

Good fitness bloggers provide excellent tips on strength training, nutrition advice about getting enough protein, or suggestions for how to improve speed and endurance for long-distance events. But there is a darker side to "fitness blogging" that glamorizes disordered eating.

...weight-control tips and even cover "food sabotage" (spoiling treats to avoid eating them). Weeks before the 2009 San Diego Marathon, Anderson ate some coconut mousse cake, then destroyed the rest. Younger, who wrote about netting out at 1,100 calories one day, trying to maintain her "happy weight," has described pouring salt on desserts after one bite. In a post about whether this kind of food destruction was "disordered eating," Pare recalled trashing an entire batch of cookies after craving "just one more."

This theme of disordered exercise and eating is particularly pervasive on the fitspo and fitblr tagged posts on Tumblr.

To be fair, there is an obesity epidemic in the United States. Some of the nation's top fit bloggers defend their work, saying:

"The vast majority of Americans aren't anorexic or bulimic. They're overweight and have no idea how to eat healthy," says Boyle. "If they read blogs like mine, maybe they'd learn something." Anderson—who blogged about running a 5K, a 15K, and a marathon race in one weekend—says some readers have told her they've gotten hurt imitating her workouts. "I just assume people have common sense," she says.

Anderson has a point. Just because one blogger can handle high mileage does not mean everyone should try it. Readers need to maintain a level of personal responsibility for their actions.

Moreover, in a free-speech country, bloggers have a right to write about whatever they'd like.

But I have an equal right to be weirded-out by bloggers who sit down for a pre-marathon feast... then hit the gym to "work off the calories" because they "feel fat." (Running 26.2 tomorrow isn't enough? This happens with freakish regularity on certain "fit" blogs.)

I appreciate healthy recipes. (I find black bean brownies fascinating!) But I won't follow bloggers who restrict their caloric intake to < 1,500 calories per day while training for a triathlon.

There are healthy-and-balanced bloggers in the blogosphere, many of whom I love, but the terms like "fitspo" and "fitspiration," are often used to embrace the extremes.


Exhibit B:

The "fitness" pins on Pinterest are out of control. Healthy eating is a noble goal. Disordered eating is not.

The most shocking captions (selected from, literally, hundreds posted within a few hours):

• "Negative Calorie Foods" (top left)
• "How to lose body fat while pregnant." (top 2nd from left)
• "7 days to skinny jeans" (top middle)

Clearly there is no such thing as a negative-calorie food.
A fit pregnancy is a lovely idea, but losing weight while pregnant... um... downright dangerous!
There are no 7 days to anything in a healthy lifestyle.

...and don't even get me started on the bones poking out of the model in the middle. Ugh.

There is nothing fit or healthy about protruding hip bones, weight-obsession, and exercise addiction... yet these images consistently show up in the "health and fitness" section.

Exhibit C:

I find #FatFluential to be the funniest thing on Twitter.

I rest my case:

You can stick me squarely in the not-a-fit-blogger camp.

I'm fit.

I blog.

But I am not a here for fit-spiration.


What's your take on the fit blogger concept? Healthy inspirations or unhealthy extremes?

Things I'm baking for Thanksgiving

This year I'm not hosting Thanksgiving, which always makes me a little sad. I enjoy the bustle of activity in my kitchen starting at least two days before the big feast.

That said, it is also nice to just sit back and relax... I can sip wine and watch football while kind hosts do all the heavy lifting. (That's something to be thankful for!)

So this year all I'm on the hook for is the contribution of a few side dishes.

I've decided to go with some tried-and true recipes, and to tackle one new dish.

TRIED AND TRUE:

Cranberries waiting to turn into delicious chutney

I like the rich Thanksgiving dishes as much as anyone else, but my Thanksgiving meal isn't complete without a heaping helping of homemade pear-and-cranberry chutney. (The tart-er, the better!)

My recipe is simple...

Pear and Cranberry Chutney
Rinse and pick through a 1-pound bag of cranberries, discarding any bad berries.
Dice 2 ripe pears
Add fruit and 1/4 cup of wine* to a medium-sized pot.
Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries start to pop. (If the chutney gets too dry, add another 1/4 cup of wine.)
Once the berries have all burst, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the mixture.
Taste test, and adjust the seasoning by adding more sugar until you achieve the desired level of sweetness.
*Sweet white works best. Orange juice is a successful substitute.

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts with pecans

Another dish I tested out last year, and plan to make again, is roasted brussels sprouts with pecans.

I like the brussels dish both with pecans and with pancetta.

I'm not sure which variation I'll make this year. That will be a game-day decision...


Pumpkin Cheesecake

You can keep your pies. My favorite Thanksgiving dessert is pumpkin-pecan cheesecake with a gingersnap crust.

While I don't fancy myself much of a baker (I'm more of a pinch-of-this, dash-of-that cook), cheesecake is surprisingly easy to make. Even I, who often feels completely inept when it comes to following precise measurements required for baking, can handle the recipe.

Pumpkin pecan cheesecake

As for the fancy-looking pattern, even that's easy. Mix all of the ingredients except the pumpkin. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the mixture, then mix the pumpkin in with the rest of the batter. Fill the crust with the pumpkin mixture, as directed. Pour the 1/2 cup of no-pumpkin mixture on top, and drag the tip of a knife through the filling to make the "swirls."

I could - quite literally - eat an entire cheesecake all by myself this weekend.

In fact...

Our hosts might wind up with store-bough pumpkin pie.

The cheesecake stays home.

NEW CULINARY ADVENTURES:

In addition to the tried-and-true side dishes, this year I'm going to attempt to re-create a recipe I had while I was in Atlanta last month: Aunt Fannie's summer squash casserole.

I'm swapping panko for the saltines, but several variations on Aunt Fannie's recipe suggest that breadcrumbs are an acceptable substitute for the cracker crumbs.

With half a cup of butter, the squash casserole hardly counts as a healthy side dish, but that's why I'm Turkey Trotting before the meal... right?

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Healthy snacking at 37,000 feet

My running shoes are always on my feet in the airport (except, of course, when TSA makes me take 'em off). So exercise is rarely a problem for me when I'm on the road.

But travel can wreak havoc on healthy eating habits, and it can also be brutal on the wallet.

Peanuts: the traditional airline snack

Most airlines charge a small fortune for a can of chips or the "healthy" alternative: a crackers-and-cheese plate that contains a grape or three. TSA doesn't help matters by confiscating a wide and seemingly ever-changing variety of comestibles.

As a result of the dearth of healthy, cost-effective airline dining options, I've become a pro snack-packer. Here are my go to foods for in-flight snacking.

• Mixed nuts
• Sliced cucumber or bell pepper with hummus*
• An apple and a string cheese
• Whole-grain ginger snaps or a piece of good, dark chocolate

Because I never know what I'll be craving 4 hours from now, and airport fried-food kiosks are all too tempting, I try to bring a variety of salty, crunchy, and sweet snacks with a balance of carbs and protein.

Image source

I particularly like cucumbers as an in-flight snack because they're refreshing in an otherwise very un-refreshing situation.

As it turns out, bringing high water content snacks (cucumbers, oranges, apples, grapes) is also wise from a food science perspective.

Does This Taste Funny?

Due to a combination of low humidity and high altitude, food tastes more bland at 37,000 feet than it does in your home. Bringing water-rich snacks helps to combat the low humidity problem.

In addition I often spice my snacks in advance (think cumin-and-cayenne roasted almonds) and I bring a couple of salt and pepper packets with me when I travel.

Also, while we're talking about what I do pack, we should discuss...

Things Not to Bring:

While TSA rules can be frustrating, some suggestions for foods to leave at home during airline travel are plain ol' common sense.

• Heavily scented items - I like a good tuna sandwich, but no one wants their airplane to smell like a bait bucket.
• Food that requires slicing, dicing, or other preparation - If you need a knife to eat it, leave it at home.
• Dishes with sauces that can spill/stain - See note below on sauces.
• Foods that are not properly wrapped - TSA doesn't want your hamburger grease on their equipment, and I don't want it on my luggage.
• Any of the items on the banned-foods list - I repeat: See note below on sauces.

*A Note on Sauces, Liquids, Creams, Gels...
...and other foods TSA won't let through the security gate.

TSA thinks hummus and peanut butter are "liquid, cream, or gel" items, and agents have been known to confiscate sandwiches for contraband peanut butter.

Clearly the rule-setters are not scientists, as I'm pretty sure ground legumes do not count as a "liquid" by any physicist's or chemist's standards. But having lost one battle over a yogurt, I gave in and learned how to work within the rules. After all, the TSA agents are the ones with the guns, and it was just one yogurt.

But you'll note that my list above includes hummus as a favorite in-flight snack.

How do I do it, you wonder? Magic, maybe?

My Traveler Trick:

Put a 2-3 tablespoon serving of hummus in a small snack-sized plastic bag, seal it well, and put the hummus snack pouch in your 1-quart toiletries bag. As long as the hummus packet fits in the toiletries bag, it passes security standards.

(Don't get me started on how ridiculous this policy is. Just be glad you now know the frequent-flier's inside scoop on how to get your snack onboard!)

Source: Uploaded by user via Missy on Pinterest

The same trick works for other small containers of liquid, including packets of soy sauce, salsa, and those single-servings of peanut butter you sometimes find at breakfast buffets.

That said, I avoid soy sauce and salsa on the airplane if only because I'm clumsy under normal conditions. Give me a stain-inducing liquid and a bumpy flight, and both I and my neighbors will be wearing more food than I eat.

What's your favorite snack - in flight or on land?

Thursday thanks

This week I'm thankful for the fresh culinary adventures I had during my week in San Diego.

Don't get me wrong, I love the sweet Gulf shrimp, creamy grits, and collard greens here in Pensacola. But a change of pace is good for my palate and my sense of adventure. Dining out inspires me to experiment with new flavors in my own kitchen.

Plus, meals in Southern California tend to be just a bit healthier than traditional Southern fare. A Pensacola menu might feature grilled grouper, but the sides would be cheese grits and fried okra. A similar plate in San Diego is likely to be rounded out with brown rice and sauteed spinach. Both are delicious. Only one leaves me in a food coma.

Grilled halibut with soy chili glaze at The Local

My first order of business on any trip to San Diego (after work, of course!) is to make up for lost time in the Mexican food department. (The Florida Panhandle sorely lacks traditional Mexican dishes.)

Spicy carrots, guacamole, carnitas, tamales, beans and rice... So many favorites, so little time!

Spicy carrots... Best snack ever?

Fresh guacamole... enough said.

In addition to stuffing myself with Mexican food favorites, I took full advantage of the explosion of farm-to-table restaurants in San Diego. Two shining stars on this trip were La Villa and Prepkitchen, both in the Little Italy neighborhood.

Kabocha squash soup and Chino Farms sweet corn salad at La Villa

If all vegetables tasted this fresh - this good - we'd never again need to convince a child to eat broccoli by smothering it in cheese sauce.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Do you experiment with new foods or have go-to favorites?
What are you thankful for this week?

Healthy eats while traveling

Over my years of traveling, I've developed a few strategies for eating healthy while I'm on the go.

To be clear, while vacationing, part of the fun is trying the local delicacies.
(In addition to my intense wanderlust, I also happen to be an adventurous eater.)
If that means eating biscuits and gravy for breakfast and po-boys at lunch, I'm in. If that means trying barnacles for an afternoon snack, then eating bites of jamon on bread at midnight, and washing it all down with cava, I'll gladly oblige.

But those trips are the exception, not the rule. In general, I try to keep things as healthy as possible, especially when I'm on the road for work.

Here are some of the tricks I use to eat well when I'm traveling:

• Grocery stores are a traveler's best friend. Many markets have a good salad bar (Central Market, in Texas, is one of my favorites). But even without a salad bar, I've been known to make a lovely lunch out of a couple of pieces of fruit, a single-serving yogurt, and a bag of mixed nuts.
• While TSA has taken away most of my favorite travel food options, I still pack some things with me for the trip.
• I often bring a snack (a piece of fruit and some almonds, or cheese and whole grain crackers) for the flight so I'm not tempted to spend $4 on a can of airline Pringles. (I did once have an overzealous TSA agent re-screen my lunch bag 3 times because of an apple, but I finally got ticked off, said "just search the damned bag," and haven't had another incident since.)
• These days even McDonald's sells oatmeal, but why pay $3 when you can pack your own for about 25 cents? I measure 1/4 cup of quick-cooking oats plus flavorings (cinnamon, raisins, walnuts, and ground flax seed) into snack-sized plastic bags. I make these oats the same way I'd make one of those single-serving oatmeal packets. The result: all of the convenience and fewer preservatives (the key: be sure to use quick-cooking oats).



Homemade single-serving oatmeal packs: cheaper, healthier, and no preservatives.

• I pack a few bags of my favorite herbal tea. If I can brew a cup of tea in my room, it keeps me from wandering down to the hotel bar for a nightcap or over to the local coffee shop for a beverage (which usually leads to buying a pastry). 
• For dinner, I often order salad and an appetizer. If I get an entree, I wind up over-eating because I know I'm not going to take the leftovers "home."
• If I do get an entree for dinner, I will often ask to swap a calorie-dense side (like butter-laden mashed potatoes) for something healthier (like steamed broccoli).

What travel tricks do you use?

Potluck (and other short stories)

Welcome, friends, to another Friday potluck!


Food for thought:
Bored with stress eating? Try grief bacon.
Thanks to Nitmos at Feet Meet Street for filling us in on the German word, Kummerspeck, composed of Kummer (grief) and Speck (bacon) which means "excess weight gained due to emotional overeating."

I might need some of that grief bacon to get over  the news that sexism is still alive and well in 2012. Case in point: the baseball team at Our Lady of Sorrows Academy in Arizona forfeited their state championship game because the opposing team includes a girl player.

Image source

Yes, folks: you read that correctly. OLSA would rather lose a state championship by forfeit than play when a girl is on the field. Way to teach our children good values about sportsmanship and equity, OLSA!

Don't the coaches know that girls don't really have cooties?

Losers.
(literally)


A moveable feast:

Image source

Check those bike tires! Next week is Bike to Work Week.

Many communities sponsor special cycling events, including contests and giveaways. Check the list to see if your city is promoting pedal power.

Speaking of travel, have you ever wanted to take a cross-country trip, but couldn't convince your friends to join you? Sarah Von explains how to road trip solo.


Words of wisdom (aka quote of the week):

If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Link love:
Instead of closing with a question, today I'd like to use the comments section to find other weird and wonderful stories. So...

Please post a link to the best article you read (or wrote) this week.
(Don't be shy - if you wrote something great, share it!)

Bucket lists - food, running, travel

I'm a sucker for lists.
This morning I woke up to a note in my Facebook feed about the "100 foods to eat before you die." I had to try that challenge. (See below for details.)

The food list got me thinking about life lists. I went for a run, mentally putting together my "races I want to run before I die" list. I know Comrades and the Himalaya 100 are on my "dream race" list, but 2 races does not make a list. Plus, I'm working on "half-ing the 50 states" right now: One running bucket list at a time...

Speaking of states...

I returned to find a new list in my FB news: "How Many States Have You Been To?"
Now that's a list I already have!

For the record, my score is: visited 30 states (not including airport-only layovers), run in 19, raced in 6, and lived in 4.5 (4 of my own plus I spent enough time in Seattle when Hubby lived there to count it as my home-away-from-home).

Now for that food list...

1. Abalone (nope - I draw the "I'll try anything new" line at endangered...)
2. Absinthe
3. Alligator - Y (better I eat them than they eat me)
4. Baba Ghanoush - Y
5. Bagel & Lox - Y
6. Baklava - Y
7. BBQ Ribs - Y
8. Bellini - Y
9. Birds Nest Soup
10. Biscuits & Gravy  - Y
11. Black Pudding - Y
12. Black Truffle - Y
13. Borscht
14. Calamari - Y
15. Carp - Y
16. Caviar - Y (and loathe it)
17. Cheese Fondue - Y
18. Chicken & Waffles - Y
19. Chicken Tikka Masala - Y
20. Chile Relleno - Y
21. Chitlins - Y
22. Churros - Y (the best were from street carts in Tijuana)
23. Clam Chowder - Y (I grew up in New England. I'd never live it down if I didn't say "yes" to this one!)
24. Cognac - Y
25. Crab Cakes - Y
26. Crickets
27. Currywurst
28. Dandelion Wine
29. Dulce De Leche - Y
30. Durian
31. Eel - Y
32. Eggs Benedict - Y
33. Fish Tacos - Y
34. Foie Gras - Y
35. Fresh Spring Rolls - Y
36. Fried Catfish - Y
37. Fried Green Tomatoes - Y
38. Fried Plantain - Y
39. Frito Pie - Y
40. Frogs' Legs  - Y
41. Fugu
42. Funnel Cake - Y
43. Gazpacho - Y
44. Goat - Y
45. Goat's Milk
46. Goulash - Y
47. Gumbo - Y
48. Haggis
49. Head Cheese - Y
50. Heirloom Tomatoes - Y
51. Honeycomb - Y
52. Hostess Fruit Pie - Y
53. Huevos Rancheros - Y
54. Jerk Chicken - Y
55. Kangaroo
56. Key Lime Pie - Y
57. Kobe Beef - Y
58. Lassi - Y
59. Lobster - Y (one of my favorites - and the best is fresh off the boats in New England)
60. Mimosa  - Y
61. Moon Pie - Y (you can't go to a Mardi Gras parade and not try one...)
62. Morel Mushrooms - Y
63. Nettle Tea
64. Octopus - Y
65. Oxtail Soup - Y
66. Paella - Y
67. Paneer - Y
68. Pastrami on Rye - Y
69. Pavlova - Y
70. Phaal
71. Philly Cheese Steak - Y
72. Pho - Y
73. Pineapple & Cottage Cheese - Y
74. Pistachio Ice Cream - Y
75. Po' Boy - Y (of course I have)
76. Pocky - Y
77. Polenta - Y
78. Prickly Pear - Y (puree in a drink)
79. Rabbit Stew - Y
80. Raw Oysters - Y (this is another.. of course I have)
81. Root Beer Float - Y
82. S'mores - Y
83. Sauerkraut - Y
84. Sea Urchin - Y
85. Shark - Y
86. Snail - Y
87. Snake - Y
88. Soft Shell Crab - Y
89. Som Tam - Y
90. Spaetzle - Y
91. Spam - Y
92. Squirrel
93. Steak Tartare - Y
94. Sweet Potato Fries - Y
95. Sweetbreads - Y
96. Tom Yum - Y
97. Umeboshi - Y
98. Venison - Y (yes, and the best I've ever had was given to me by a neighbor)
99. Wasabi Peas - Y
100. Zucchini Flowers - Y

My total: 85.

(Silly facebook says most people only get 20. What people are they asking???)

Honestly, I could have added a few more to this list... I was surprised that Ostrich, Crawfish, and Jellyfish did not make the top 100. There weren't many exotic fruist or vegetables on the list either (except durian... eww!). And some of the foods that did make the list were not a stretch at all...

**late update: Christine clued me in on the Beer List Challenge. I'm almost halfway through that list, too.**

How many states have you visited? Run in?
How many of the foods have you tried? (And what's the most unusual or unique?)
And... Last, but not least, what races are on your bucket list?

Weekend wrap-up

It's taper weekend. Hubby and I ran a beautiful and sunny 7 miles this morning. I felt fantastic at the end of the run - like I could have easily kept going for another hour. If I'm not ready for next weekend's half marathon now, I never will be.

So, with a short run on the schedule, what did I do with my extra time today?

Well... since you asked...

I worked on updating my course content for the final weeks of the semester. Today's upbeat topic: sexuality and cultural influences on transmission rates for STDs. (April is STD awareness month!)

Previewing documentaries on the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is decidedly not the most pleasant way to spend a Sunday. In fact, it's a total downer.

So I also...

Started work on an article about a local chapter of Girls on the Run for Examiner.com. (That non-profit's work is a much happier story, but more on that later this week...)

Baked multi-grain pumpkin pecan muffins (recipe here).

Multi-grain pumpkin pecan muffins

I firmly believe in being realistic about the problems in the world, but dwelling on those problems won't solve them. So I put my energy into being a good teacher (including teaching the not-good-news topics). And then I bake/run/read/garden/write-about-other-stuff when the serious topics threaten to get overwhelming.

How do you balance bad news or unpleasant tasks?
What exciting adventures (or lazy days) did you have this weekend?

Multi-grain pumpkin pecan muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup regular oats
1 tablespoon ground flax seed (optional)
1 tablespoon oat or wheat bran (optional)
1/4 cup skim milk
1 cup whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour works best)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add pumpkin, oats, flax, bran, and milk to sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir flour mixture with a fork or whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring only until flour is moist. Add chopped nuts, and gently fold nuts into batter. (Do not over-mix the batter.) Coat 9 regular-sized muffin tins with cooking spray. Spoon batter into 9 tins. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove muffins from pan.
Eat delicious muffins (once they're cool enough to handle, of course).

Multi-grain pumpkin pecan muffin

Chopped: The Empty Refrigerator Edition

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Before travel, Hubby and I try to eat everything in the fridge.

There is no sense in leaving a head of lettuce or a bowl of leftover lentil soup hanging around while we're out of town. So for at least a week before a trip, we stop grocery shopping and start pretending meal time is an episode of "Chopped: The Empty-the-Refrigerator Edition."

The fact that we keep our pantry stocked with good basics (whole grain starches, spices, asian sauces, nuts, and frozen vegetables) makes this game a little easier than it could be. We're not talking about frat-house bare fridge, where the leftovers include only beer, a couple of packets of ketchup, and a half-eaten pizza crust.

We have a bit more to work with.

So we ate some meals that were tasty but certainly wouldn't land our kitchen on the cover of Food and Wine magazine. There was a rice caserole built from leftover veggies, salsa, and a chunk of cheddar. There were several "creative" salads.

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And this week's winner was tofu pad thai that used up our last egg, an old carrot, and a lonely lime. We had no bean sprouts, but we did have crushed peanuts, thanks to my inability to say no when a Delta flight attendant offers a snack. (Yes, I have a plentiful supply of airline peanuts in my pantry.)

Those airline packets are the perfect amount to garnish a serving of pad thai. With the packet still sealed, smash the peanuts with a rolling pin. Open packet. Pour perfectly crushed peanuts over pad thai.

What creative use-what-you've-got meals have you cooked up lately?