31 Days of Adventure ~ Day 5

Day 5 | January 5

Get foodie with it

The colors and aromas of ethnic cuisines from around the world can open us up to all kinds of adventure.

For today's adventure, try a new food.

Maybe it's one you've never heard of. (Quinoa? Kim chi? Let's give it a go!) Or how about a food or spice you're used to avoiding. Hot salsa? Chili paste? Wasabi? Or you can simply order a different item from your favorite restaurant instead of the regular.
Now is the time to give your palate a little extra adventure. You never know what you might fall in love with.

I love to cook...sometimes. Spurts of creativity overcome me on occasion which sends me pouring over recipe books and foodie blogs like Iowa Girl Eats and Peas and Thank You. My husband (insert giggle, because that still seems so odd to write) has been spoiled with dishes he would have never had the pleasure of trying such as Homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowls and Yoshinoya Beef Bowls along with some vegetarian/vegan dishes like Cinnamon Toast Cereal, which is made without wheat flour AND I can eat a whole batch by myself...in one sitting, Red Wine "Beef" Stew and our favorite General Tao's Tofu. You see, I like to be fair and try to accomodate his meat-eating tendencies while subtly introducing yummy meat-free alternatives...what ever you may think of this approach it at least got him to marry me! 

Ain't we cute!

So, when I received the prompt for the Day 5 challenge I was excited because I am not afraid to try new foods but then realized I am still in lazy mode (thanks 17 day vacation/honeymoon).  Therefore, my day 5 challenge is being posted on day 6.

I actually cooked something new 2 days in a row starting with The Joy of Clean Eating's Vegetarian Paella Stuffed Eggplant followed by Skinny Bitch in the Kitch's Penne with Butternut Squash, Sage Pesto and Almonds (minus the almonds as I was out of stock).

But wait...there's more...I also made a Raw Food meal! Yep, so I 'uncooked' something too, kinda. I cut celery, cucumber, carrots, radishes and mushrooms into tiny slivers. I then cleaned several collard green leaves, de-veined them, spread a small amount of hummus on each leaf, topped with my chopped veggies and rolled them into delectable fresh veggie spring rolls. It may seem like a lot of work but if you chop your veggies in large batches you can make enough for several lunches or snacks. Simple, delicious, healthy and inexpensive...I don't know why I didn't try it sooner.

So, there's my food adventure. I'm also happy to report that the hubby loved everything I made, except the veggie rolls...he wouldn't even try them, but that's okay...more for me!

Peeling Beer Labels = Sexual Frustration (or so I've heard)

Remember back in the day when peeling the label of one's beer meant they were sexually frustrated or {hopefully} going to get 'lucky'?? (There's even a Facebook Group dedicated to it see here!)  I don't know if the luck came from the perfect peel-off or the fact that guys could slap that label on some girl as if he were claiming her ('the chick with the Dos Equis label is mine fellas') but nowadays we all seem to be searching for some kind of word to help identify who we are or to which group we belong.

All of us use certain words to describe who we are...some of mine are daughter, runner, horse lover, Californian, Air Force brat, kettle bell fanatic, reader and, for some reason I've felt inclined to include wanna-be-vegan.  I was recently watching Eat, Pray, Love {again} and there was a scene in which the characters are looking for that one word that would describe themselves as well as certain cities (ie. Rome = Food).  It's just what we do when we want to try to explain the type of person we are when getting to know one another.

The problem I am having is when those descriptive words become labels and those labels somehow become negative even though I embarked on these 'earning' them on a quest to become a better person.  Or, when somehow, one feels obligated to include one of these labels because it is still perceived as 'against the main stream', such as being a vegetarian.  After all, most 'regular' folks who eat 'regular' foods don't include a "what type of food do you eat" label, "Hi I'm Bob...a lawyer who likes to hike, reads Playboy for the articles and eats fish, chicken, pork, and beef along with some vegetables and starchy foods but NOT potatoes (ewww) or peanuts (allergic), or green bell peppers (that's just gross).  Nice to meet you.".

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am NOT 100% vegan or vegetarian but I strive to make these types of food choices MOST of the time.  I find when meeting people (and only when the food issue comes up...like do you want to grab a burger with me??) the easiest thing for me to say is that I am a vegetarian (even though I've been known to eat a piece of fish or a few shrimp).  My other option would be to go into a lengthy diatribe of all the things I will or won't eat, which would take so long that surely one of us would starve to death.  So, for simplicity's sake I claim to be a vegetarian who strives to eat vegan.

Here's the problem...as soon as you 'claim' this title, you open yourself up to complete criticism and not only from the 'meat-eaters' but also from the true-vegans.  Weird, I know.  I mean, I am completely used to getting 'picked on' by friends and family who still think it's funny that I won't eat meat (ok, except the fish) or drink milk (truly gross) and will sometimes even try to engage me into a debate about it all.  I really try not to push my own beliefs onto people but if they ask, I'll get into it.  I don't claim to be an expert at all thing vegetarian/vegan or animal rights.  I just do what I do...and it works for me.

Except when...I get lambasted by a true (yet very judgmental) type of vegan who can only point out the things I'm doing wrong instead of the things I'm doing right.  Yes, I sometimes have energy gels when I'm running that contain honey (but NEVER gelatin) and I still own a pair of leather shoes that I've had for years and years.  But I also helped gather signatures to end the crating of veal calves, volunteered to rehabilitate injured wild animals, participated in numerous petitions for animal rights and better nutrition in schools, I've written my congressmen, senators, and others in key positions on the issues that mean a lot to me, rescued a horse from the charro rodeo, etc.

I'm not trying to pat myself on the back and I'm sure there are people who have done way more than I have in helping society.  I am simply thinking that it's high time we stop worrying about the labels and dissecting people because of them.

Some other comments I've seen or heard in the blog/twitter/real world recently that apply to what I'm trying to get to here:

1- You call yourself a weight-loss blogger yet you're not losing weight?  Why are you wasting your time with this then?

2- You say you're a runner but you do walk intervals??  So, you're not really a runner then...

3- You walked part of that marathon???  In other words you haven't run a marathon.

4- You hardly have (or have no) followers on your blog so how can you call yourself a blogger?

5- You can't claim to be a vegan and consume anything with non-vegan sugar (apparently sugar companies use bone to make the sugar fine).  {So, it's not enough even if I don't eat meat, eggs, dairy, honey...don't wear leather, fur or suede, my lotion doesn't have lanolin and my vitamins don't contain gelatin but shit...I just had a teaspoon of sugar in my coffee...I might as well just give it all up and slaughter a baby cow...veal for everyone!!}

As I write this I realize I am so guilty of this...always striving but never quite accomplishing.  Because then what??  While training for the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon I was in the zone, now, having completed it, I am suffering the goal-setter's let down.  What I've come to realize is that there really is no finish line to self-discovery.  This is all one big journey and there will never be enough words to describe any of us fully.

Funny, but true.
Source

While I understand we still need to use words to help define ourselves to others, I feel that it may be helpful to lighten up a little when it comes to expecting people to fit neatly into the boxes we create.  And maybe we need to ease up on using some labels we use to explain who we are since we are obviously so much more than any words could say and can often open ourselves up to negative self-talk (especially when bombarded with remarks like the ones above).



Note:  I do not mean to be critical of any person or group of people.  I have many vegan/vegetarian friends and acquaintances who are very supportive and helpful.  I am just venting on an experience I've had with a small handful of people who happened to be Vegan and were very passionate about their beliefs.

Defending Health?

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am usually game to try healthier ways of eating, whether it be removing sugar from my diet or adding things like flax seed and kale smoothies.  Over the course of many, many years I suppose I have acquired a taste for certain foods that others (aka my boyfriend) do not share.  However, I will stand by the fact that carrot juice, when combined with romaine lettuce juice, tastes so much like chocolate milk that I tend to avoid it, opting instead for beet, lemon, green apple, and lettuce smoothies. 

When I was 14, my dad moved from Warner Robins, Georgia to Redlands, California via the Air Force.  The rest of us (mom, sister and me) soon followed after our school year was over and discovered that dad had {surprisingly} gotten on a health kick.  He purchased the book Eat to Win by Robert Haas and had been following it's principles for a couple of months.  Immediately upon arriving to our new home, we ALL went on the Eat to Win 'diet'.  There were certain benefits...the first being that my dad was actually cooking almost all of the meals which were really quite basic AND delicious.  My dad looked great, smiled more, and was very active in our lives.  Family dinners were fun.

Unfortunately, this health kick didn't last for very long.  My dad, being an alcoholic (who was also bi-polar, unbeknown to anyone at the time), seemed to flip a switch and go back to an all red meat diet and snacking on bags of chips and buttered popcorn and beer.  I, on the other hand, embraced the healthy eating idea and just made the meals myself and even ate things like cottage cheese sandwiches before heading to the stables to work!

Since then I have been an avid reader/researcher on all things healthy.  I've been some form of vegetarian since about 18 years old.  I've also toyed with a vegan lifestyle as well as attempted to be a raw foodist.  I now kind of incorporate the 3...eating mainly vegetarian, mostly vegan (but no where strict enough to claim the title) and eating raw foods fairly often.  As would be expected, I catch a lot of flak for my food choices...mainly being told that I'm not getting enough protein, Vitamin D, iron, etc.  My favorite comments involve the "blame" people put on my diet if and when I ever get sick (which is rare).  As soon as I have the sniffles, or catch the same cold that everyone at work has shared, I am informed that my system is too delicate to fight off viruses and germs!**  Ridiculous! 

Wait a second..."As would be expected"??  Why should I expect to be harassed about my food choices?  After all, I didn't walk up to my co-worker, who was off work from "throwing his back out" and say, "You know, the reason you miss work and your back hurts is because you're carrying 40 pounds of useless fat right in your stomach area.  Lose THAT and you could do something as easy as mow your lawn.".  Or, when I see others in the break room, surrounded by bags of Taco Bell or Burger King I don't run in there and blame every little cough, sniffle, head ache, or other aliment on their diet.  I suppose I could, and I would have a better leg to stand on with medical backing, but it would also put me in the category of bully or prejudice against overweight or unhealthy people, even though I've been quite heavy myself.  Yet it seems fine for them to criticize my lifestyle with their unsolicited opinions.  

How is it okay for someone to go out of their way to basically inspect and then make fun of my smoothie but I don't have the same "right" to point and laugh when my friend orders chicken nuggets and a milk shake?  Even the grocery store clerks comment when I go through the register with a cart full of fruits and veggies and other 'healthy' items, yet never utter a word when someone goes through with 2 cases of soda, 3 bags of chips, a gallon of ice cream, and a box of Cocoa Puffs.

I find it odd that I am treated almost as an outsider in many areas of my life simply because I try to eat healthy and exercise regularly. It's strange, that in this day and age, it is still viewed as a 'novelty' to strive to be fit.  I think that's one of the reasons the blogger world is so appealing to me...to find other people who share the desire to eat well, be healthy and get active.  

Do you have similar experiences with people (co-workers, family, friends) who seem to think it's okay to question your healthy life style?  How do you cope with it?

**I recently had a complete physical, including blood work and an EKG.  I passed with flying colors and my doctors were quite impressed with my cholesterol numbers, blood pressure as well as all of my other blood work results.

First Training Run complete with Sound Effects

Yesterday was the first day of training for Team In Training held at Benicia State Recreation Area.  It was a beautiful Saturday morning, perfect for measuring our baseline running pace and cadence (foot stikes per minute~mine was 152, an exceptional athlete is 180+, I've got some work to do).  I completed my first mile in 8:20 minutes and my second mile in 9 minutes.  Not too bad for having been stuck on the treadmill for months.  I guess the incline and sprints have been paying off thanks Iowa Girl).

We also learned a few tips about conserving our energy by keeping out feet close to the ground and hips as level as possible.  Not that it matters a whole lot for a 2 mile run, but multiply that 2 mile run 13 times and every movement will count for or against you.  But it was still something one of my teammates might have wanted to pay attention to before we set out on this short run. 


Yes, he went balls to the wall and every stride he moved forward was matched by an equally impressive, yet unnecessary, vertical movement.  I quickly, as in about 100 yards, caught up to him only to be greeted by his running farts (imagine the "let me introduce you to my little friend" scene from Scarface).  Yes, it was flight or flight, duck and cover, as I quickly found the motivation to pass him.  With a burst of fresh air, I was able to comfortably complete my run with no other distractions save for my confusion on exactly how far that first mile seemed (this is what was going through my head, "surely this must be a mile by now...okay maybe now...seriously, where is the turn around point??  Did I pass it??  What the hell, did they not mark the course??  Oh wait, is that it up there?  This seems WAY more then a mile!").  As for the guy, he was lapped by several other {female} runners and finally crossed the 'finish line about 4 minutes later.

I've been working on eating "clean", vegetarian (sometimes vegan), heart healthy, and gluten-free foods this past week.  The gluten-free part came from a suggestion from Lauren Brooks in her February Fat 
Loss Challenge she set up on Facebook.  It's kind of a test to see if we will feel better and less bloated if we cut out gluten.  So far, so good!


Now I absolutely LOVE Thai Food, it's my number one favorite, followed closely by Cuban and Indian food.  So, when I came across this EASY recipe in the Engine 2 Diet book I had to try it...and it did not disappoint.  I made a few modifications to utilize the ingredients I had on hand and I also doubled (okay, maybe tripled) the red curry sauce because I like it spicy!  Here you go...

Red Curry Tofu & Brown Rice (from The Engine 2 Diet)

1# extra firm tofu frozen, thawed and pressed (cubed into 1" pieces)

Bragg Liquid Amino

2 TBS red curry paste (this is different then curry powder)

24-32 oz Veggie broth

1 onion, diced

2 cups sliced carrots

*1/2 cup potato (cooked, peeled and cut into chunks)

*1/2 cup sweet potato (cooked, peeled and cut into chunks)

2 TBS tamiri (low-sodium)

1 TBS molasses

1 Cup Almond Milk

*1 TBS cornstarch mixed with 1 TBS cold water (for thicker sauce)

juice of 1 lime

3 cups cooked brown rice

sliced green onion

1 cup cilanto leaves (fresh)

(*my add modifications)

1- Toss or spray tofu with Braggs and broil on oiled baking sheet for 20 minutes, turning once to brown both sides.

2- Preheat large skillet or wok until smoking. Stir-fry curry paste in 4 TBS stock, stirring continuously until combined.

3- Add onion and stir to coat.  Add carrots, both types of potatoes (and any other veggies such as snow peas) and cook one minute.

4- Add remaining stock and tofu.

5- Combine tamiri and molasses in small bowl and then stir into skillet.

6- Add almond milk and lime juice.

7- Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro and green onion.