#58 - Cook 101 in 1001 - #42

I haven't blooged about the last 22 new recipes I've tried. Truth be told, I've probably tried more then that but I've also been a slacker on recording my 101 in 1001 progress. C'est la vie.

To summarize the 22 that I can remember:
13 are worthy of FOUR Fat Running Chefs - and may make a write-up in a future date
4 receive THREE Fat Running Chefs
4 receive TWO Fat Running Chefs
and 1 receives ONE Fat Running Chefs - only because I have to give it a rating. It actually went down the garbage disposal and we had Chinese take-out

Which brings me to number 42 of Cook 101 in 1001...

Tilapia and Mashed Yams with Pancetta-Sage Breadcrumbs from Epicurious.com.

Background story - On Tue/Thur nights, Dude gets home at about 9:45 which means we eat dinner after 10. We are both trying to eat more healthy and I want something quick/simple that late at night. This tilapia fit the bill.

Changes I made to the recipe:
To pair it down for just Dude and I used 3 tilapia fillets (two would have been plenty), halved the Pancetta and breadcrumbs (I used store-bought and next time I'd use 1/4 cup or less) and only used two small sweet potatos (less then a pound).

To lighten up the recipe I used Brummel & Brummel Yogurt Butter except for 1 Tbs for the Fish. And I added about 1 Tsp EVOO to fish,

For more flavor I added salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to the mashed yams and I added garlic sea salt to the fish.

Overall Assessment:
The prep work took less then 10 minutes (because I used the store bought bread crumbs).

Cook time - Everything could be done at one time - put the potatoes in the microwave when you start the pancetta - so it took less then 20 minutes from turning on the stove to serving. Add the prep work and that's a 30-minute meal!

Taste was just good. The fish needed a touch more seasoning, maybe cook it in garlic butter or garlic olive oil next time. There was too much breadcrumbs, like I said, I'd cut that in half. The mashed jams were good though.

Overall, I'd give this meal THREE Fat Running Chefs - and yes, this will make another (improved) appearance on Tue/Thur evenings.

Half Ironman in Hell…or Ironman FL 70.3 Race Report

I’ve been looking forward to this race...only because it was in Orlando so I would be seeing my family and maybe see some friends. Beyond that, it’s really hard to be looking forward to a Half when you’ve barely trained for a Sprint!

Package Pick Up/Registration – In true Ironman WTC fashion this was very well organized. My only issues were they did not say that the shirts were “women” sized so the large that I ordered (I like baggy t-shirts) is obscenely tight and will probably be given to Dude’s son (and it will probably be tight on him and he’s skinny)! The other issue was the Expo. I’m used to TRIATHLON Expos. You know, Expos with nutrition, bike stuff, and misc. gear that is often forgotten. Nope, there was one shoe place, a granola booth, then a bunch of advertisement type places for future races, training, peanut butter, grocery stores, etc. I didn’t pack Enduralytes or Chamois Cream because, well, these items are usually available at the Expo. Especially Enduralytes when you are racing in a hot climate! The remainder of my Saturday was spent looking for these items, failing to find them, and coming up with substitutes.

Pre: Woke up in plenty of time and made my way to Disney. The bussing system was well organized and timely. There early, all set-up and spent most of my time hanging on the beach calming my nerves.

Swim 1.2 Miles – 44:02 Slowest I’ve ever done 1.2 miles. I’m blaming that on it not being wetsuit legal. It had nothing to do with the fact I’ve only swam, oh, what, 12 times since December. It was the lack of wetsuit!!!!

T1 – 7:33 Apparently I stopped and wrote an epic novel. Seriously, over 7 1/2 minutes!! It was about a ¼ mile run on mulch to my transition area. For this race I was testing a new changing system. I put on a little skirt so I could strip down without violating the “No Nudity” rule and put on my bike shorts. This worked quite well at home, but putting bike shorts on a wet body caused some issues that bit into my time. Add that I had an end spot so I had an audience for this wrestling match and of course Mom’s taking pictures! Nice! Then the nose piece on my glasses kept falling off and instead of grabbing my spare shades I kept trying to fix them. Finally gave up, grabbed the other pair, and did the 10th of a mile run to the bike out.

Bike 56.2M – 3:18 Holy cow – look at that PR! Gotta love flat, fast courses. The only issue I had was the guy who shipped my bike put the tire on backwards so until the first rest stop I didn’t have mileage/speed/etc. There was A LOT of drafting going on. Seriously, why would you cheat yourself. Whatever! Nutrition was good, it wasn’t too hot, no mechanical issues. I loved that bike ride!

T2 - 6:43 Apparently I stopped and proof-read my epic novel. Seriously, almost 7 minutes!! Another 10th of a mile run to my transition area. I incorporated the changing skirt again to get into my compression shorts. Again, this worked at home, not so much with a sweaty body. I also debated with shin sleeves but since it was so hot, I decided against them. Thank Goodness! Sunscreen, fuel belt, devil horns on and I’m off!

Run 13.1M – An Eternity, or 3:00 The devil horns came in handy because this was truly triathlon HELL. It was 1,000 degrees, no joke. In each of the three (F-ING) loops, there was about 3 miles of “access rode” running which means tall grass, ruts in the roads, swamp on one side, trees on the other. NO SHADE, NO BREEZE. Did I mention it was 1,000 degrees? It turned into a Death March. People that looked in seriously better shape then me were wandering with a dazed look on their face. During my first loop, three people were getting carted off by ambulance for heat exhaustion. My mom said it looked like the finish line was getting hit with sniper fire – people would cross the line and collapse. When I finished there was a line of people on stretchers waiting for ambulances. At each rest stop I’d stuff ice in my hat, down my shirt, in the back and front of my shorts, and on each thigh. I’d then pour buckets of ice water on my head and within a half mile I’d be boiling hot again. It was a mental test to run for more then five minutes. The second loop I was able to “run” to each mile marker then walk for 3 minutes (or 4). Lap three I did that until mile 10. Heading into mile 11 I saw the back of a mile marker and begged to all things holy that it did not say 11 (I knew just how far I still had to go to get to the turn-around and back to that sign). Sure enough…11. I yelled (screamed would the better word) F***!!!!! The girl just ahead of me said "EXACTLY – this is F-ING ridiculous"! From then on I walked. Oh, I’d try to run 2:1 intervals but those were turning into 1:4. Mile 13, only one mile to go and my brain just said no. So I walked until I got to the crowd (adoring fans) and I ran. I definitely had a final sprint at the end since I barely ran anything. I have never been so happy to end a race, and boy howdy, did I smell bad!

Overall 7:17 – I remember getting off the bike thinking that I was going to PR. Silly me! Never, ever, ever, ever underestimate heat. I’d so much prefer to race in the cold! You can always put on more layers but you can only get so naked before they put you in jail.

I was expecting more swag since this was an Ironman sponsored event but for $275 I got a participant shirt (that doesn’t fit), hat, bag, a medal, and a poster. Mooseman cost less last year and in addition to all that (minus poster) we also got a finisher shirt and an awesome thermos…not to mention the margaritas. I never found the athlete’s area after the race (apparently it was quite a walk) so I didn’t get my pizza.

I also want to give a shout out to Tri Sport Express – the company I used to ship my bike down there. Professional, inexpensive, and absolutely stress free. Use them. Seriously, use them, not that other company!!! You’ll save $$$!!!

Six weeks till Mussel Man! I swear I’m going to start training...right after my 12 hours work days and my attempt to maintain a “normal” life!

Year in Review (Thursday 13)

January – Ran my first 20 mile. Also had a wonderful trip to Colorado with Dude (pic) to do some skiing and snowshoeing.




February – First marathon and Jason and I ran every step (pic). We did miss the 5-hour goal by 3 minutes but c'est la vie. Most important though, there was a new addition to my family. Penny arrived on 7 Feb at just over 18 pounds (pic).

March – Big training month and finally back to riding outdoors (pic). Unfortunately the weather never agreed so the riding was miserable (you can't tell in the pic but it was cold). I also started getting a sport massages every other week and bought a bunch of gear during March!

April – Race season has begun - Cherry Blossom 10 miler (pic) and Rumpass in the Bumpass (still the best named triathlon) – had a blast on the Olympic relay, serious fail with the sprint. This was not the best training month in terms of performance but I got it done.

May – First 70.3…and I got injured (pic). YIKES! Took some down time, then eased back into training. In other news – I planned and arranged our post Ironman vacation to Lake Como, Italy.

June – Second 70.3 and it was Awesome! (Sang in a high pitched voice) (pic). Then came the final long days of training and the expected angst leading up to race day. That angst turned into an odd calm as THE day got closer.


July – I AM AN IRONMAN!
Oh, and I had a fabulous vacation to Lake Como (pic).




August - Basked in the glow of being an IRONMAN. Also did some local exploring and found some incredible places. Due to those finds, I cooked a lot this month (pic). Dude and I also went to Pennsylvania for a Metric Century and I even managed to get some marathon training in.

September – Two firsts this month – my first Olympic distance tri (other two I participated in either cut the swim or turned into Duo) and my first 10K run. Decided not to do Marine Corp marathon. Highlight of the month was going home and hangin' with my highschool friends (pic).



October – PID set in…BAD! Barely trained, hell, I barely exercised. I also cut out a lot of socializing. I injured my jaw and I think I spent most of the month in pain and depressed.

November – PID still there - Depression sucks!! Managing to do some exercising on my own and a little bit of socializing. On the positive side, Dude and I have decided to buy a house together – but it will be awhile until we are living in sin - must sell two places before buying one.


December – Typical in that there were a lot of parties (pic), socializing, eating and not a lot of exercising. Developed my New Plan. Had a massive snowstorm on my birthday weekend. Celebrated Christmas with Dude and his family. And am planning a quiet evening to bring in the New Year.



Plans for 2010 are in the works. Continuing with “The Plan”, increase training with Team Z, a couple races, selling/buying a house, try to squeeze a vacation in, work on 101 in 1001, and enjoying the happiness I’ve found with Dude.

I wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year!

Bring it 2010!

New Plan

If you’ve noticed in the past couple months I have been aimlessly getting by when it comes to fitness. I’ve been blaming it on PID (Post Ironman Depression) but I believe it boils down to I’m not working towards anything.

Motivational Failures:
- Marine Corp Marathon – I was still injured and it was too much after IMS
- Training for the Shamrock 13.1 - after last years uber-exercising 13.1 miles is JUST 13.1 miles (I’m still doing it, it’s just not a strong enough focus)
- Worrying about my weight – it’s just depressing and makes me want to eat more

So in looking back at what got me to/through Ironman (other then the debilitating fear) what kept me motivated was #32 in my 101 in 1001 – money towards Finisher Gear (which, by the way, I only spent ½ of what I had earned).

Apparently, my career in finances has rubbed off and it’s all about money. So here’s my new plan:

Starting on 14 December, for every workout I finish I put $5 in the coffer (ok, I document it in a spreadsheet). Next year, on 13 December, that money will be used to buy myself either a really BIG gift or a substantially smaller one.

The missing piece to this plan is still a goal though. You see, I’m one of those people that rarely ever WANTS anything. And on those rare occasions when I do, well, quite honestly, I’ll just go get it. For this to work I think I need to be able to say, "The money is going to go towards…"

- a long ski weekend vacation for Dude and I ($1,000) = ~4 workouts a week
- cooking class once a month ($1,200) = ~5 workouts a week
- a spa day every other month ($1,500) = ~ 6 workouts a week
- a cycling vacation($2,000) = ~8 workouts a week

What should it be? Then again, perhaps it will be more fun to keep an on-going list...

13

1. Middle of the week holidays RULE! Happy Veteran's Day yesterday to all those who are serving/have served.

2. Work is busy so exercising, sleeping, and quality time has gone to the wayside.

3. But because I had to be at work by 0730 I decided to go to swim practice this morning. Yep, you heard me right, swim practice...at 0530. And today is the day the coach decided to video tape me and critique my stroke. Um, hello, this was my first day back after a four month break. I'm more concerned with survival then stroke technique. (But I did notice the increased speed once I corrected to what use to be natural)

4. I forgot the side effects of morning swim - goggle wrinkles for half the day, starving ALL DAY LONG, and the joy of a neon red left eye. Oh, and I am exhausted!

5. I seem to have hurt my right knee by sitting on my ass for 8-hours. A couple weeks ago when we went to Williamsburg I spent Sunday working on my laptop in front of the TV. Something about the way I had my leg, I pulled the tendons behind my knee. But, after months of PT for IMS I apparently learned something. I am doing the same exercises, taking the same OTC pills, and doing the same icing of the leg and it seems to be healing.

6. Oh, I forgot to mention my temporary wading pool. I got a call from my neighbor at around 0700 on Monday morning saying there was water leaking from my garage door. Hmmmmmmmm..... My water heater faucet completely broke off and by the time I got home my single car garage had about four inches of water built up. So, 8 hours and $900 later I am the proud owner of a new water heater (thanks Lowe's) and a clean/organized garage (thanks Dude).

7. Lesson learned from #6 - Give your neighbors your contact information! If I hadn't done that (just this summer) I wouldn't have known about the leak for a good 12 hours. Imagine the damage (and the water bill)!!!

8. Looks like everyone from Team Z had a great race in FL (and Holly is now an Ironman after her Beach 2 Battleship (B2B) race). It was fun tracking them on-line and there were some fast times - I still think if I do another Ironman sanctioned Full Ironman it will be FL (or Arizona).

9. Thanksgiving menu is ALMOST finalized. So far we are having 7 people over, possibly 9.

10. Men Who Stare at Goats = GOOD (and not just because they show George Clooney's naked arse). Where the Wild Things Are = BAD (and not because it's a kids movie - it was just depressing and seemed to reinforce bad behavior)

11. I made an incredible Rachel Ray recipe of Pasta with Pumpkin & Sausage (Cook 101 #23) on Friday night. By incredible I mean 4/4 FRC's. The only changes I made from the link are used spicy Italian turkey sausage instead of sweet Italian, used light cream instead of heavy cream. I served this on its own and it was quite filling. And did I mention incredible?


12. I met with a realtor about my townhouse. It seems I was overestimating the market. It looks like I can break even once all the fees are paid. I'm now seriously considering is renting it out. I can definitely cover my mortgage and I know having a rental is a great tax benefit.

13. I can't believe 2009 is almost over. Where'd it go?

Thirteen

1. My jaw is getting better. Headache has essentially subsided - it only hurts after chewing but I got quickly got tired of the soft diet.

2. Weekly Fall is the Best Season Remark: Sandals are put away for the next 6-months. No more obsessing over cracked heels (I do still get my pedi’s, I just don’t worry about what my “ugly runner’s feet” look like)

3. I’ve worked out TWICE this week (after nothing last week, or the week before, or…). Granted it is still transition time so those workouts were 40 minute spin, 45 minute run. And tonight will be another 40 minute spin. This weekend will be an hour run and a two hour bike ride (weather permitting).

4. I’m 37 years old and I still feel like a little girl playing dress up when I have to wear a business suit to work.




5. While I was laid up with the Worst Headache Known To Man I managed to finish two of the books I was reading and have started another. I also watched 4 movies, way too much Food Network, and almost caught up on my DVR shows.

6. I did not win the chili contest. I was robbed! The guy that did win said he actually voted for mine, as did another person that entered a chili. Oh well – I tasted all of the entries and there were some good ones but I think mine was the best.

7. Here are pictures from my cubicle contest (also did not win) of my Team Z paraphernalia. I did get asked a couple times “what’s Team 2”?



8. The guy in the cubicle next to me has his (annoying) cell phone ringer on AND an alert that goes off every 5 minutes when he has a voice mail. And he’s never at his desk…BEEP!

9. I wore my contacts for the first time in a LONG time yesterday and I loved them until about 4:30. Dry, itchy eyes - drops would be a good idea.

10. I re-read my Ironman Race Report last night…and got teary eyed remembering that AWESOME day! This is still my favorite picture...look how happy I am coming to the finish line!

11. BEEP!

12. I haven’t mentioned it lately, but Dude is the greatest! *SIGH*

13. I just realized I have my (annoying) cell phone ringer ON and I’m rarely at my desk. At least it doesn’t beep when I have VM! (And people rarely call me)

Still Alive, Just Blah

Well, I'll be brief since there's not much to report.

Last time I checked in it was all about the 10K. And that ends the exercise report.

My groove has been missing since I deferred the marathon. I am still finalizing my 2010 schedule. Currently I'm looking at The Shamrock Marathon or 1/2 Marathon in March, something in April, Florida HALF-Ironman in May, at least one race in the summer, and the Marathon Du Medoc in Bordeaux, France in Sep (there's wine at the rest stops - almost a guaranteed Personal Worst but also guaranteed to be a blast). If I can't get into the French race, I'll do another Half in Sep and Marine Corp in October.

Other catching up - while home I got to visit with my high school buds. I had a blast and it gave me opportunity to once again be thankful for all the good in my life. I have friends taking care of their elderly parents, going through divorce/separations/break-ups, lingering illness, surgeries, job loss, deployments to Iraq, etc. The silver lining is they are all taking it in stride. Seems the common theme is "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then add vodka."

On the family front, there's some old drama that I have just become privy to and it's really pissed me off. I'm very angry with my sister but she doesn't know it (because I'm passive-aggressive). We'll see how long until she notices that I haven't called.

Other then that, still uber-happy with Dude. Still looking for motivation to exercise. Still trying to lose weight (haven't exercised since the 10K and dropped 1 pound but I'm still above Ironman weight). Still working my way through 101 in 1001.

All in all, life is good, just uneventful.

If only I won Fool's giveaway!

Nation's Tri Race Report

I’m going to stay positive here, so all I have to say is this whole race could have been better if they limited the number of people participating. Pre-racking, mandatory safety briefing, parking nightmare, etc. would have been eliminated. Round trip on Saturday was 4 hours – that’s longer then the race. I will not be doing this race next year.

Pre: It was great to see a bunch of Team Z folks that I haven’t seen in awhile. And since we all had over an hour to wait, there was plenty of time to catch up.



Swim 1,500 M – 35:56 – Most physical swim I’ve ever been in. I didn’t help my time by swimming half way to the other shore after the turn around.
Note to self: 1,500M is quite the distance when you haven’t swum in 2 months - I definitely felt it the next day!

T1 – 3:27 – Long way to the bike and its been awhile since I wrestled a wetsuit.

Bike 40K – 1:21:37 – I was pretty happy with my time. I did notice that when I skipped a nutrition round it seemed like within minutes my speed would rapidly decrease. I’d take a gulp of PowerBar Endurance and I’d be back up to speed. Apparently that nutrition thing is important. When I got back to transition I didn’t realize the bike was over. I actually laughed because all I was thinking was “that’s it – I don’t have to ride for another 87 miles”?!

T2 - 3:28 – My rack seemed much further in then I remembered. And my knee was hurting so I did a slow walk while I debated DNF-ing. The race didn't provide adult beverages and the Team Z supply wasn't there so I soldiered on.

Run 10K – 1:02:30 – The first mile was gawd awful. Had I continued at that pace, my time would have been around 1:20. I decided to do the run/walk method but 1-minute into the walk I decided to test my legs again. Other then one aid station I never walked again and I was able to pick up the pace a bit with each mile. Once I saw the finish line it was a Zone 5B “sprint” (my definition of sprint may differ from most other peoples). It hurt, I thought I was going to hurl, but I was able to finish strong and smiling.

Overall 3:06:57 – 95/252 Age Group – Going in, with the lack of training since IMS, I was thinking 3:20 so needless to say I am quite happy with my time. It is a PR since this is the first “true” Oly that I’ve done. Mooseman 2008 shortened the swim due to fog and Patriot 2008 turned into a Duo due to a hurricane.



Thanks to all the Z-ers out there racing, cheering, volunteering, and giving shout outs throughout the course.

Other thing to note: My heart rate was averaging about 165 (Zone 4) and OMG I felt it the next day. In comparison, my heart rate rarely got above 150 in Ironman and I felt great the next day. Apparently Coach Ed knows his stuff!

Since I deferred Marine Corp Marathon my 2009 race calendar is complete. I'm all happy-happy-joy-joy right now but I know I’m going to miss it!

And She Can Cook!

First I’ll do an update on my training, since this blog is supposed to be about training, blah, blah, blah. This week I ran once (yep, once, marathon schmarathon). It was supposed to be 10 miles, I made 5. That’ll teach me to start a run at 2:30 in the afternoon, on a boiling hot day, after eating nothing but ½ a muffin and a tasting of tomatoes. I was one hot, dizzy, dehydrated, slow mess!

Why so late? Why a tasting of tomatoes? Well, after living in Northern Virginia for 3 ½ years I FINALLY ventured out to the Eastern Market (bigger (better) then a farmer’s market, much smaller the Reading Terminal in Philly). And that, my friends, is the first of two Happy Places I found this weekend (2nd is Total Wine - someone explain to me how I missed this gem?!).

Eastern Market is heaven on earth. We went there with no menu, no recipes, just an open mind and the desire to make a fabulous dinner. We walked through all of the vegetable stands and ideas were forming, but I needed the main dish solidified before making a purchase. I was starting to get disappointed because there was no meats/seafood - then we went inside. The first counter we saw was the seafood counter…Frutta di Mare? Next was fresh meat…Pesto stuffed Pork Loin? Focus on the appetizer and that would determine the main dish. Choice between Prosciutto wrapped Cantaloupe (then I'd make the pork loin) or Bacon Wrapped Scallops (to go with the Frutta di Mare). HMMMMMM

And the decision is:
Thick Sliced Hickory Bacon wrapped Sea Scallops
Grilled Baby Octopus (17/101)
Tomato Salad
Baked Sweet Onion
Tomato Basil Fettuccine (Cheated and bought this)
And Frutta di Mare (18/101)

I thought I bought 2-person quantities, but know that these recipes could have EASILY fed four. I also don't believe in measuring things when I make up my own recipes so everything is an approximate.

Recipes:
Fresh Herb Mix
1/4 Cup Loosely Packed Basil
Leaves from about 6 inches of Rosemary
Leaves from about 6 inches of Oregano
Sprinkling (teaspoon-ish) Sea Salt
Pepper (about 5 turns of the grinder)
Put everything in a bowl and chop. I prefer to use scissors, Dude uses a knife on a cutting bored. I don't recommend a processor - in my experience too much moisture is released. Set aside - will be used throughout these recipes.

Thick Sliced Hickory Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops
6 slices bacon, cut in half
12 Scallops (ordered ½ lb, this is what I got)
Wrap bacon around scallops, put on metal skewer. Grill for 10 minutes (500 degrees*).

Grilled Baby Octopus
4 Baby Octopus (figure 2 per person)
¼ C Olive Oil
2 Tbs Fresh Herb Mix

Marinate octopus in olive oil and herbs for 15 minutes. Remove from oil, shake off extra oil. Grill on top shelf of grill (500 degrees*) for 10 minutes.

Note: Some people can’t get past the look of the octopus and won’t eat this. Once they are cooked you could chop them up so they no longer resemble little 8-legged aliens. (Not that Dude or I have an issue with this, but Dude did apologize to each one before he ate it).

Fresh Tomato Salad
3 Different (Colors/Types) of Tomatoes - I used beefsteak, Green Zebra, and a big orange one. Do some tasting at the farmer’s market to find a good mix.
2 Tbs Olive Oil, divided
Sprinkling Sea Salt
1 Tbs Fresh Herb Mix
2 Basil Leaves, sliced in this strips
Drizzle Platter with Olive Oil and sprinkling of salt. Slice/Core tomatoes. Arrange on Platter. Sprinkle with Fresh Herb Mix and Basil Leaves. Top with additional Olive Oil.

Baked Sweet Onion
Dude and I have been trying to duplicate this since we had it in Italy. It seemed simple enough, a baked onion that was basically caramelized in its skin. After trial and error, I think we have it.
2 Onions - top/bottom cut off, cross cut in top and bottom, and stabbed on each side
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Fresh Herb Mix
Preheat oven or grill to 500 degrees*. This is why the grill was so hot for the scallops and octopus.
Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in two bowls. Put onion in bowl, top with Fresh Herbs. Cover with saran wrap and let sit for ~30 minutes.

Make tinfoil pouch. Put onion and oil mixture in the pouch and seal. Bake/Grill for 1 hour. Remove skin and serve piping hot.

Frutta di Mare
Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
3 Tomatoes, chopped, with juice and seeds
1/2 Cup White Wine
Fresh Herbs
Sea Salt
4 Calamari Tubes, cut into rings
5 Large Shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut into 3 pieces
6 Mussels, scrubbed, debearded
6 Clams, scrubbed
1/4 Lb Bay Scallops

Fill a large pot with water, add some salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Bring to a boil. While boiling the water do the below.
Wash, clean and lightly steam the Clams and Mussels just enough to open. Remove meat from shells and set aside.
Wash the calamari and cut into rings
Heat olive oil and add garlic, Stir for ~2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and herbs and cover. Simmer on Med-Low for 5 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add all seafood except clams and mussels. Salt to taste. Cook for ~5+ minutes. In the last 3 minutes or so add the mussels and clams. Add red pepper flakes right at the end. Cover and let sit (on the same burner) until ready to platter.

Pasta:
In the last 3 minutes of cooking the sauce, add fresh pasta to the boiling water and follow the directions (usually calls for 2-3 minutes). I recommend under cooking it, drain. Reserve some of the pasta water. Put on serving dish, drizzle with olive oil. If it seems to dry out quickly add a scant amount of the reserved water. Serve seafood on top of pasta.

And the results...mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm GOOD!



For each one of these recipes, I give them:

Thursday Thirteen Things I Did and Did Not Do This Week

Yes I know it's Friday - Deal with it!

Things I DID:
- Got my wireless card reestablished on my computer so I can work from home again

- Worked from home every evening M-W until midnight

- Had over 40 hours in by 9am on Thursday - still worked the rest of the day and working 1/2 day Friday. And NO I don't get paid for all my hours.

- Booked a trip to FL in September to go visit my family and catch up with the highschool friends I've reconnected with on Facebook. (101 in 1001)

- Made homemade pasta with my new pasta machine (and homemade pesto with our basil that we grew).

- Tried to give blood. (101 in 1001)

- Lost one pound (I gained three since Ironman)

- Week three of 100 crunches every other morning. (101 in 1001)

Things I Did NOT DO:

- Give blood. Despite BEING AN IRONMAN my iron was too low

- Any training (other then the aforementioned crunches) since the run on Saturday

- Finish cleaning my house - upstairs spotless, downstairs not so much

- Weed my backyard. The weeds/grass is almost up to my hips.

- Wash my car, well I haven't done this since May(!)

2010 Already

No, I haven't figured out time travel. I'm starting to think about my 2010 Race Schedule.

Things I know for sure - NO IRONMAN! No long-distance travel. And that's all I know for sure.

Things I'm considering:
Marathon (Just one):
Either ING Marathon (Atlanta) or Shamrock Marathon (Virginia Beach and Yuengling after) the weekend of 20 March.

Half Options (Thinking two):
Kinetic Half - After this years failure I kind of feel like I have to try again.
Mooseman Half - I just love this race venue.
I also really like Endurfun (folks that put the race on) so I'd consider Timberman or Longhorn.
An Ironman Half - either FL (get to visit mom), Vineman (wine country), Amica (Rhode Island - kind of close)

Olys -
Rumpass (if they do it again)
Nation's (in my backyard)
Mooseman (if I don't do the Half)

I'd also like to do some more distance cycling, maybe an adventure race, rock climbing class, cooking class, housework, etc., etc., etc.

CRAP - looks like next year's weekends are filling up!

#58 - Cook 101 in 1001 - #'s 10 - 16

I have been cooking just not blogging about it. These span the last couple months. If the recipe is not typed, click on the link:

To remind you of the Fat Running Chef (FRC) scale:
1=Never Ever Again
2=Try One More Time
3=Good But Needs Tweeking
4=OMG This Is So Good Calories Don't Count


#10 - White Bean & Roasted Tomato Soup – Wegman’s Recipe - Followed the recipe to a tee except I chopped my own onion, added a minced garlic clove, omitted the croutons (served with bread) and did not strain the mixture, just blended it. 3 ½ FRC – nothing wrong with it and I’ll make it again, but not “to die for”.


#11 – Chicken w/Pancetta and Olives came from Epicurious – I halved everything in this recipe with the exception of the Pancetta. I bought the pre-diced and used ½ of the package. I probably used a few more olives as well. 4 FRC


#12 - Pancetta & Taleggio Conchiglioni is from the Delicious Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 5. This magazine is an Austrailian magazine, so all weights are in metric. And I’m going to make you do the math!

Ingredients:
250 g Cannelloni Shells
1 C Breadcrumbs, fresh
8 Pancetta slices, chopped
1/3 C Parsley, flat leaf, chopped
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
200 g Taleggio
1 lg Egg Yolk, lightly beaten
2 Tbs Parmasan

Tomato & Red Wine Sauce
2 C Tomato Passata
100 ml Dry Red Wine
1 tsp Brown Sugar
Pinch dried Chili Flakes
1 Tbs Olive Oil, plus extra to toss pasta

Directions:
Place all sauce ingredients in a pan over medium-high heat. Season, bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, over low heat for 12 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until just thickened.

Preheat oven to 200 Celcius. Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water according to directions. Drain, toss with olive oil. Set aside.

Mix together all remaining ingredients, except parmesan, with some pepper. (If using Cannelloni shells) use a piping bag with a large plain nozzle (or a zip-lock bag with 1 corner snipped off), to fill pasta tubes. Pour half the sauce into a 3-litre baking dish, then top with pasta, preferably in a single layer. Pour over remaining sauce and scatter with parmesan.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until pasta is tender. Serve with extra parsley.

Changes I made and Lessons Learned:
Converted everything from metric
I used giant shells instead of Cannelloni (hence the Conchiglioni), they’re easier to stuff. Used packaged Italian bread crumbs. For the sauce I couldn’t find Passata, which is a cooked tomato concentrate so I used Pomi brand Strained Tomatoes - could have used tomato paste. I added minced Garlic Clove, Season-all, and Ground Italian Herbs. I should have used less bread crumbs and more spices in the sauce. The sauce was a little too sweet for my liking. I used a Chianti wine so that may have added to the sweetness. 3 FRCs – it was good but needs some work.


#13 & 14 - Grilled Mojo Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Grilled Peach Salsa – Both Wegman’s Recipes – Did not make into a sandwich, just had the pork (which means I grilled a pre-marinated pork loin - tough stuff!) and salsa. As a note, I’m a fake Mexican and don’t like spicy food and I thought this salsa was incredible. Quick, Easy, and mmm, mmm, good! 4 FRC’s


#15 – Grilled Swordfish Nicoise Salad – Wegman’s Recipe – This is one of those recipes you can take the basics and mix it up. I’m going to go with 3 FRC’s only because there is so much room to play with the ingredients.


And #16 Creamy Tomato Pasta with Pine Nuts is from the Better Homes and Garden Special Interest Publication “Ultimate Italian”.

Ingredients:
3 Oz Pancetta, finely chopped
1 Tbs Butter
2 C Mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C pine nuts, toasted
¼ tsp Black Pepper (eyeball)
2 Med Tomatoes, chopped
½ C Parmasan Cheese
1 9 Oz Pkg Refrigerated Linguine
1 ½ C ½ & ½ or Light Cream
Additional Parmasan and Pepper if desired

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook and stir pancetta over medium heat just until golden brown. Remove pancetta from skillet; drain off fat. For sauce: In the same skillet, heat butter. Add mushrooms and pine nuts; cook about 5 minutes or until mushrooms ar etender and pine nuts are golden brown, stirring frequently. Return pancetta to skillet. Stir in half & half and the ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently uncovered, over medium heat about 7 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Stir in tomatoes and Parmasan cheese.

Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions; drain. Add the sauce; toss gently to combine. If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmasan cheese and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

As written 578 Calories. Saved some calories with fake butter and fat free cream (but probably evened it out with the additional pancetta and pine nuts)

Changes I made and Lessons Learned:
Used 4 oz Pancetta, Brummell & Brown Yogurt Butter, about ½ the mushrooms, ½ C pine nuts, 3 Plum Tomatoes, Fettuccini instead of Linguine, Fat Free Cream, and did not add the additional parmesan or pepper. I added minced Garlic Clove, Season-all, Ground Italian Herbs, and flour (for thickening). I should have used right amount of mushrooms, stuck with original amount of pine nuts (if not less), and added another plum tomato. Also, if you use fat free cream you have to watch it constantly when it’s boiling or a film develops on top (which can be removed, doesn’t change the flavor).

Lake Como Italy = BLISS!

This is a picture story. Which means you are in luck! A picture is worth 1,000 words, right?! So imagine how long this could have been!

On Monday Dude and I boarded a train to Lake Como, Italy. Switzerland to Italy in the Alps – words can’t describe the beauty so here’s my favorite photo from this leg (ignore my reflection):


The train ride was suppose to be a major highlight of the trip and this is how I enjoyed it:


Got to Lake Como and we had to figure out how to get to the marina to catch the boat to the hotel. It was about a ½ mile so we decided to walk. Nobody mentioned the stairs I had to walk down…with my suitcase…and my tri bag…and my laptop THE DAY AFTER IRONMAN(view from the bottom):


We made it, boarded the boat and about 15 minutes later we made it to the hotel. Here is our lake view from the balcony.

Straight out:

To the Left:

To the Right:


We got cleaned up and I packed up all of my IRONMAN finisher gear, removed my Athlete bracelet, took off my Heart to Tri necklace and became a GIRL for the rest of vacation. Girly Clothes, Hair, Makeup, Heels – the works! It was just one of those things I wanted to do to put the IMS obsession behind and concentrate on us. We went for a walk around town looking for a place for dinner. Finally we found La Baia Bar and Restaurante. Ok – it looked more like someone’s house with balcony seating. The owner, Mario, was the host/waiter and his mother was the chef. ABSOLUTELY incredible food! We started with carpaccio, my main dish was the special of the night – asparagus stuffed ravioli’s, but I can't remember what Dude had. Here's a pic of the restaurant (there were maybe 10 tables on that balcony) and a blurry shot of Dude with Mario (owner), his mother, and the waitress (picture was taken a couple nights later).


Tuesday – Tourist Day/”5 scoops of Gelato Day”
We took a 2 ½ hour boat ride to Varrena – the stop just North of Bellagio because the tour book said it was as nice but not as “touristy” as Bellagio. The boat ride was GORGEOUS (one view):


While aboard we went Villa Shopping and narrowed it down to this one:


Or this one:


What do you think?

Got to Varenna, and had the first of 5 scoops of gelato for the day. I tend to stick with pistachio but also find banana quite tasty. Walked around a bit (had more gelato) and found a museum/botanical garden (Manastareo) to explore. Couple pics from there:




After taking 100’s of pictures we wandered back into town, had more gelato and decided it was time for a drink. Here is Dude’s review of the 1st place we tried:
Rudest waitress EVER – you can see her in the doorway.

So we went next door. Dude’s review of this place:


Dinner was back at a place close to the hotel where I had salmon fettuccine (the salmon was actually IN THE PASTA – oh my Gawd – Incredible). And Dude had Spaghetti with Fruitta de Mare which can only be described as the essence of Italy in every bite.

Wednesday – Isola di Comacino/Cinque Bottiglie Di Vino
There is one island in all of Lake Como called Isola di Comacino. On the island are the ruins of S. Eufemia basilica and an incredible restaurant with no menu but endless amounts of food. You basically have a choice of fish/no fish, wine/no wine. We went with no fish/with wine. We soon found out it was bottomless wine. Yeah! The food was incredible, basically course after course of vegetables in olive oil (best onion I’ve ever had in my life), pancetta, parmesan, gelato, and bread (and some coffee that you had to drink to break the island’s curse). Here's Dude and I after some wine and one with me and the restaurant sign.



Oh, and this was my George stalking day. Apparently he’s dined at this restaurant so I got my picture taken with him (kind of):


We went back to the mainland and took a terrifying bus ride to the next town which required us to have more wine. Then a boat ride across to our town where we had more and more wine. Then we rested up for dinner. We went back to the restaurant from the first night where they made me Fruitta de Mare and I have no idea what Dude had. By the way, we had more wine. And my camera died so no more pictures.

Thursday – Final Day
We hung around the hotel in the morning and went swimming in the lake. Finally packed up and headed to Como and I FINALLY got to have pizza in Italy (this was a quest everyday). It was a miserably hot day and I was thankful to get on the train to head to Zurich. In keeping with my original travel nightmare the train was delayed and we didn’t get to the Zurich hotel until well after 8 (left at 2 – should have been 4 hours max). We did room service because we had an early flight to catch in the morning.

Friday – Travel Day
In keeping with my original travel nightmare, we were suppose to leave at 10 am (got to the airport at 0800) but we finally had wheels up at just after 7 pm. Because of the delay we obviously missed our connecting flight. We finally got home at close to noon on Saturday. Ask me how I feel about American Airlines!

Besides the travel issues this was the best and most relaxing vacations I've ever been on. Since I recently received an email saying I won $1 Million Euro I'm seriously considering getting one of those villas. Just as soon as I send my bank account information back so they can deposit my winnings!

1st Time In...um ever

I did every single workout in the Team Z 140.6/Phase 3 training plan last week, to include the optional swim!! In the past, I rarely do strength training - to the point it doesn't count against my #32 in 101 in 1001 dollar totals. Throughout marathon training I skipped a practice at least once a week. And I've never made the Optional swim - there's a reason it says optional!

What's changed? This was the first official week of IMS training (it was considered marathon training before). I'm bearing down on only 4 months to go, and as Ed said, it's amazing what fear will get you to do. The bigger driver is I finally joined a gym - X-Sport Fitness. It's less then a mile from the office and Jason is a member so he is holding me accountable for the strength training (and got me to lift and swim after the Sat. run).

The shooting pain down my leg is gone. I did have some issues in my arch after running Saturday so I'm testing the Asics 2140 this week. They have quite a bit more stability then my Cumulus so we'll see how I like them.


The long ride at Glen Echo on Sunday rocked! I love my bike - so comfortable! My average speed was 15 mph so right now I'm looking at a 7 1/2 hour IMS bike split. Granted, Glen Echo is a hilly ride so maybe I can shave off a couple minutes. There was one near death experience when a truck came to a complete stop at a speed bump (bleeping idiot!!). Tires slid this way and that but somehow I did not fall. Heart rate got up to about 170 during that little slip-n-slide!

All this exercise left me exhausted. Poor Dude...we were sitting on the back deck talking last night and it was a struggle to keep my eyes open. When he went to cook dinner (the best ribs ever) I took a nap. It's going to be a long 124 days!

Looking forward to Week 2 of IMS training - let's see if I can do a repeat!

What can I say, I’ve been busy so here goes what’s happenin’ lately…

Thursday – Swam in am/Dinner with friends in pm

Friday – Gave blood – Just Do It!!

For dinner I made incredible Mussels in Saffron and White Wine Broth . Changes: I quartered the amount of mussels (2 pounds) but halved the sauce. Only other change is I did not have any ½ & ½ or any other dairy - didn’t miss it. I served this with some sautéed scallops because they are Dude’s favorites and some Italian bread for sopping up the broth.


Saturday – Attempted to run at Burke Lake - turned into a walk/ran due to back/butt pain. Made appointment for a massage. Ended day with dinner with friends.

Sunday – Cuddled with Dude – love to cuddle with Dude. Headed out for massage. Now, back in the day, getting a massage was relaxing. I’d lie down and within minutes I’d be sound asleep. Times have changed!
The massage therapist from Rejuvenating Massage Therapy was incredible. And by that I mean she awakened muscles that I did not know I had. It hurt a bit as she dug in but right after she was done I felt incredible. I followed her advice and drank plenty of water, took a long hot shower, and relaxed/stretched for the remainder of the day. I woke up around 11pm in pain – I mean tears in my eyes pain. Struggled to get a couple hours sleep and awoke on Monday feeling like someone used my back as a punching bag. I think this was normal reaction since I haven’t gotten a massage in years and never deep tissue. And with all the training, my body was in desperate need of a massage. I’ll go back – my plan is to go the Sunday before recovery week starts (after the long bike ride) or sometime at the beginning of recovery week. If you head to this place, despite the pain, I recommend Sarah. Vicky was also recommended if Sarah is unavailable.

Monday – Snow/Pain Day. Played hooky from work and ended the day by spinning. This was kick-off day for training for my A race (that’s IMS by the way). All I can say is HOLY COW!!! – seeing all of the volume that is planned for this month – this is the first time I’ve felt truly confident that I will be able to finish IMS...if I follow the plan!

Bedeep, Bedeep, Bedeep, That’s all folks.