The Accidental 5K

 

Happy Sunday!! I hope that you guys are enjoying nice weather where you are, because we are having an AHHMAZING day here in North Carolina!! As soon as I woke up, I practically ran outside. I knew it was going to be cool today, and Parrish and I were planning a run.

Cutie, patootie Allie over at Live, Laugh, Eat is a former Durham resident, and she was always blogging about the Wa-Duke Trail. Last night I talked Parrish in to trying it out with me today!

I didn’t want to have a full breakfast before running, but I knew I needed a little something.

Lucky me, the kind folks at Rudi’s had asked if I would like to try their new Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin bread and give them feedback.

Done and done.

This bread was such a special treat! You do have to microwave it (in my opinion), but I didn’t toast it.

I savored one piece with 1/2 tbsp. of peanut butter and one piece plain.

I can’t remember the last time I had cinnamon raisin bread!! It was truly a treat :) And it definitely fueled me just enough without being overly full – perfect for running.

Hardest. Run. EVER.

Being our first time on the trail, Parrish and I really had no idea what to expect. We started out at a light run pace, until we reached our first hill. I’m not sure why when reading Allie’s posts on the Wa Duke Trail that I glazed over the part that spoke about being hilly.

Holy Moley!!

Those hills are CRAZY. We powered through, but I had to walk a few of those hills! Parrish did a great job of staying with me at my pace. Being a tall, long legged soccer player…and a man…he could run laps around me!

Towards the end of the trail, we ended up getting a bit lost and completing a second trail in addition to the Wa Duke Trail. So what we thought was going to be 3 miles, turned in to 3.71 miles… :) Or what I’m calling the accidental 5k.

By the time we finished, we were both ridin’ high on our endorphins and feeling the hunger! Max agreed!

Once home we made a quick lunch and set to cleaning the house! We’re having my parents over for supper tonight, and with all the wedding preparation it was beginning to look like a real pig sty in here!!

I’ll be interested to see how sore I am tomorrow…but if the weather continues to be gorgeous, I don’t think I’ll be able to keep myself from running!!

Queen of Corn

 

A few years ago, I watched a really fantastic movie. It was one of those life changing movies, that really made me reflect on my own choices.

The movie was King Corn. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. When I was cooking supper tonight, I couldn’t stop thinking about that movie! Between my lunch at the movie theatre and my supper tonight, I am quickly becoming the Queen of Corn. But not in the High Fructose Corn Syrup way…

in the REAL FOOD way…corn you can see in your poop! Come on, you guys know I had to say it!! ;)

I call these “Queen Corn Cakes” and they are SUPER easy to make, fast and delicious!

To make these, you’ll need:

• 1  cup  chopped parsnip – boiled and softened
• 1  (15 1/4-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
• 1/3  cup  gluten free all-purpose flour
• 1/4  cup  skim milk
• 1  tablespoon  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 green onions, chopped

Place corn in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until chopped. Add parsnip, flour, milk, sugar, salt, and eggs. Pulse 5 times or until combined. Stir in green onion.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat – around a 5. Spoon batter onto the skillet. I used the 1/4 cup. Cook for about 4 minutes or until crispy on each side.

Top with Greek yogurt and cilantro!

Crispy on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside!

So good.

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16 days until the wedding…eeep!!

Can I get a discount?

 

I can’t believe that only A MONTH ago I was having a hard time wrapping my brain (and my stomach) around breakfast. I was stuck. Mental Road Block.

Block be gone!

In the mix: 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup skim milk, 1/3 cup gluten free rolled oats, 1/2 tbsp. chia powder, and 1/4 banana sliced – whipped at the boiling point; topped with:

Bakery on Main Gluten Free Granola Bar – Loved this flavor! I crumbled half the bar and sprinkled it on top :)

I’ve come to realize that I LOVE crunchy toppings. And look at how creamy those oats are. Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom

For lunch…

well…

Let me put it this way: Around lunch time, Alex and I went to the movies for her birthday. We saw

The Switch with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. HOLY funny pants, this movie was hilarious! Really, really well done. Loved it!

But back to lunch, well, I may or may not have just eaten popcorn. Not exactly the poster child for healthy eating at that moment, but I’m allowed the odd lunch out at the movie theater! :)

For supper, I bounced back and paid my penance.

We went to a restaurant in Durham called Cuban Revolution. I’m not linking to it, because I don’t recommend you go there gluten free folks!

When I asked if they had a gluten free menu, or if someone could tell me what was gluten free, the hostess looked at me and said, “Sure. I can ask…I mean, you want a discount?”

No.

No dear girl, I don’t want a discount. I want a meal that is free of gluten and will keep your bathroom free of my explosive diarrhea.

'When I explained to her what gluten free meant, she nodded and went to ask a waitress. The knowledgeable waitress came over and let me know the deal. In her words, “You just can’t eat the sandwiches, you know, on the bread.”

Oh! You mean I CAN eat half the other entrees that are battered and fried? And you mean that you don’t cook your sweet potato fries with those battered items? And the crab cakes don’t have bread crumbs? And the marinade on your chicken breast is wheat free? Really?

Really.

I don’t think so.

But I didn’t bombard this young lady with my own pent up anger at her suggestion of just not eating sandwich bread, instead I asked her if they fried their yucca fries with other items that were battered, such as fried chicken. Light bulb. “Oh yeah” she replies “we do”.

BINGO

So I ordered a bowl of spinach with mandarin orange and red pepper, no dressing. After feeling so sick this past week, I knew I couldn’t put the fate of my health in their hands. No sir.

The salad was fine. I love spinach. So I figure that I made up for the popcorn lunch! :)

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Ok! I’m off to work on guest posts and finish up our wedding weekend itinerary. Who knew not hiring a wedding planner was such a bad idea!?! FAIL! There are way too many details.

How Now Brown Cow

 

Yesterday morning, I woke up STARVING! But also nervous. I really wasn’t wanting to spend more time in the bathroom. But I knew that there was no way that I could go to work without eating.

So…I kept it BROWN.

And crossed my fingers I could keep it DOWN…and not out!

In the mix:

1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup skim milk, 1/3 cup Gluten Free rolled oats, 1/2 tbsp. chia powder, and 1/4 banana sliced; topped with a dollop of peanut butter and a sprinkling of gluten free graham crackers.

I wish I could tell you that everything went well and I felt great after breakfast, but that would be a flat out lie. So for lunch I stuck to crackers and ginger ale. It stayed down, so in the afternoon I decided to take a BIG risk and get an iced coffee.

**Angels Sing a Chorus**

As if sent down from heaven, this coffee was not only delicious, but it didn’t send me running. And it did keep me going through out the afternoon.

And I couldn’t have been more relieved, because my bestie Alex was coming up from Wilmington and I really wanted to be able to enjoy supper with her!

Did I ever enjoy it!! :) I made this recipe for the second time and I just love, love, loved it!

The recipe is from 101 Cookbooks, and it’s perfect for gluten and gluten free folks alike! You make a thick veggie burger, cook it, cut it open, and STUFF IT!! We stuffed ours with fat free cream cheese, tomato, and avocado! No bun needed. :)

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BIG HUG and thank you to everyone for their sweet comments and emails!! Getting glutened is never fun, especially when you’re not even 100% sure where it stemmed from!

So I’m FINALLY off work today and Alex is here for the whole DAY!! We’re definitely going to get in to some trouble ;)

It’s a Sick sort of Happy

 

I am physically and mentally DEMOLISHED. I have been working for 7 days straight, with my fair share of early mornings and late nights. Plus I have been lifting, carrying, flipping, and dragging rugs…which are not light my friends!

And last night I was glutened. BIG TIME. I unknowingly ate two tortillas of a brand I have never tried (Mission White Corn). While wheat isn’t listed as an ingredient, I’m pretty sure they’re dirty. I woke up at 7am this morning and was a hot, watery mess in the bathroom. Ugh. I was pretty much nauseous all day, and everything I’ve eaten has gone straight through me.

Unfortunately, Parrish bought the tortillas. And as he tells it, the Yellow Corn Tortillas by this brand have gluten free on the label. The White Corn ones he purchased did not say gluten free, but he read the ingredients and thought they seemed okay. I researched it tonight, and their website claims they are gluten free. But the other items on my taco were cilantro, chicken, and Greek yogurt.

So I’m just not sure. In all honesty, I don’t want to eat anything. I can’t even describe how awful I felt today, and I still had to go to work. Their was a bigger job at hand.

And it’s all because of my job, that I am hanging in there right now. Because while I may be physically and mentally spent, I am on an emotional HIGH!!

We sold over $45,000 dollars worth of rugs in 5 short days!!!!! We were in total bliss when we locked the doors today (after reloading 350 rugs) because the artisans in Pakistan really REALLY really need support. And more than that, they need to get back to work!! And have their looms replaced and their homes rebuilt. And I could really go on…but I’m so tired.

And still feeling pretty sick :(

So I’ll just leave you with a pretty cute picture of Max. He’s been missing you guys! :)

 

And he’s really hoping you guys will take him on a walk…and give him a treat!

And the Award Goes To:

 

Three crazy fast days…work, work, working. And unfortunately, Parrish and I didn’t have time on Sunday to menu plan, so we decided to skip the grocery store and save the money. At the time, we thought it would be an awesome way to save some cash; especially since we’re getting married really, REALLY soon.

Bad idea.

For a gluten hater, planning is imperative. I really don’t know what I was thinking. So I’ve been relying heavily on my Tasty Bite goodies, and I’ll have more reviews for you guys soon. But yesterday I had a tiny window of time before work, so I decided to change it up.

Banana peppers from our garden, grape tomatoes, red onion, and mushrooms (that were too shy for the camera)

Yep, that is the extent of the veggies available in our fridge right now! We have NO spinach, NO carrots, NO squash…and for dairy…we have milk. NO CHEESE!! Not even a crumble for a mouse. 

So I scrambled :)

Breakfast for Lunch Sandwich:

Served on my beloved Udi’s Whole Grain Bread (BTW, if you still haven’t tried Udi’s yet, then I want you to email me and tell me one good reason why not. Then I will tell you FIVE good reasons to try it)

It was good…but it would have been better with a little mayo…or cheese! :)

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Today I woke up at 5:30 AM and went to my little part time job. I was a smart girl and wore my running clothes and packed my work clothes. This seems to work for me. It forces me to go run.

After an AWESOME 3 miles, I went to work with SO MUCH MORE energy! If I can keep this up for two more weeks, I’m going to reward myself with a YMCA membership! I will have successfully gotten up and exercised and for two months. And in all honesty, if you follow me on twitter then you know that it’s becoming a bit addicting. FINALLY ;0)

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For supper tonight, Parrish and I decided to do something SUPER QUICK. So quick and delicious, they deserve an award! And the award goes to: MELLOW MUSHROOM

Don’t worry, I’ll accept it on their behalf. “First and foremost, I would like to thank God, without you, none of this would be possible. And I can’t forget my friends and family, who have helped me ever step of the way. And of course, Mellow Mushroom, without whom I wouldn’t have been able to call in a take out order for gluten free pizza and pick it up 22 minutes later. Thank you so much. I love you.” smile and pose. What. A. Nerd.

Sigh. Love it. And ya’ll know what I ordered! Need a refresher?

OK. Off to bed! Tomorrow is the second to last day of the rug event and it’s going to be Cuh-RAZY.

Feeling Fiber

 

Oh man!! I’m actually really glad that I waited until tonight to post this recipe because I can now tell you, that this recipe WORKS! Not only were these pancakes delicious, but they held off my hunger for 4 1/2 hours!!

Food is Fuel Fiber Pancakes – Gluten Free of course!

To make, you’ll need:

1 cup milk (I used 1% Organic Valley)

1 cup Gluten Free Pancake Mix (I used 365 which they don’t make any more because they are a doofus)

1/3 cup Gluten Free oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1 tbsp. Chia Powder

1 egg

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Heat a frying pan on medium heat.

 

Cook each side evenly, and to your desired “done-ness”; which basically means, some folks like pancakes smooshy and some like them fully cooked!

I like mine just in between!

I topped my GF pancakes with 0% fat FAGE Greek Yogurt and blueberries. Super Tasty!

Missed my recap on Chia and all it’s yummy health properties? Read more here!

Oats and Chia are fiber power houses, and I personally think fiber is the jazz! Aside from the benefits in the bathroom, (which as a person with Celiac never hurts!!) it also helps lower blood cholesterol and blood sugars. It also has been shown to aid in weight loss, which I certainly won’t shy away from. PLUS it helps you stay full longer, which I LOVE! :)

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Starting today, until Sunday, the non-profit I work for is hosting a rug event! We’re selling over 350 hand knotted, fairly traded rugs that are made by 850 families in Pakistan. Due to the flooding and devastation, this rug event is even more important than ever. So pray for me this week…no days off :(

Hopefully this gluten free gal can keep it together!