I’m Moving! DOTR is alive

Alright, folks, this is it. Adios, Trials of Training!

I’m moving my blogging-ness over to my new site – Dietitian on the Run (DOTR). Update your Google Readers, RSSs, Subscriptions, or whatever it is you use to keep up with all these crazy posts!

Thanks for sticking around here; I’ve definitely learned a lot about running, and had a blast hanging out with you all and finding your blogs. I hope to see you in my new digs! I promise it will have more running, a glass (or two) of wine, and some good eats. Come on over….

tuesday trials: kitchen fails and DOTR

Hola, Runner (and non-runner) peeps! 

Tuesday trials brings news of a few losses around these parts, but hang out to the end and I’ll partially answer that question in your head {likely} saying “What the heck is DOTR?! Obsessed with acronyms much?“

But first I’ll address the latter; YES, yes I am. It comes with studying medical-related fields. They love them some acronyms and it’ll make your brain spin!

Anyway.

Kitchen Fails: I am happy to admit that not everything I create in the kitchen turns out well. In fact, it’s probably about 60/40 – depending on what it is that I’m trying to conjure up. As of late? The Food Processor (FP) and I are still trying to get past our “get to know each other” phase. We had a few riffs over the weekend…

Homemade Almond Butter: I bought a bag of raw Almonds from Whole Foods and decided I’d use about half of it to see if this was actually possible. Or, I should say, do-able for me. If you look at an ingrdient list on natural ABs it reads: Almonds, Salt. Seriously?! That’s it?! HOW IS IT CREAMY? I don’t really get it.

I put 1/2 c Almonds into FP. Then I thought – why not add some Cinnamon? And with cinnamon, goes Nutmeg, right? AND HONEY. Brilliant.

Pulse pulse pulse – FP made a lot noise for about ~3 minutes while I watched the almonds get smaller and smaller and smaller. Eventually it was sticking together as a sort of “paste”; it was Not a “butter”. This seemed to plateau, I kept pulsing but didn’t see it get any creamier. Then I got restless. So…

HC’s Almond Paste it is! Which, actually tastes pretty delicious. It’s a little powder-y/pastey/not-exactly-butter, but it works! I topped half a banana + spoonful of Almond-powder-paste + Chocolate syrup and that was actually very tasty.

Green Monster Smoothie: I got a little ambitious with FP; my blender is on the fritz for now, but I’ve been wanting to try these GM food-blog phenomenons (seriously, I’m behind the pack here!). I put ~2 c spinach, 1 tbsp Cocoa powder, 1/2 banana and 1/2 c Almond milk into the FP and mixed it up!

Well, FP is not a blender. It was happy to make that very clear to me with my GM. I’m not gonna lie, this did not taste good. The main problem? The spinach didn’t get “blended” in very well, and chunks were left and the texture was just…um…EW. You could definitely taste the spinach; not a smoothie-friendly food.

I am buying a new blender, and I will try this again! I will not be defeated by the GM. Nope.

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In other news! My new site is ready (or, as ready as it will be for now, as I continue to learn and experiment with templates and CSS codes ) and I will be switching things over TOMORROW.

DOTR is very excited to meet you all.

happy marathon monday!

No running to report here, but in case you’re interseted – IT’S MARATHON MONDAY! I’m tracking one of my fellow DC-running buddies, and checking the commentary on the Elites as we speak!

I’m excited to hear back from those of you who are running, I can only imagine the experience. GOOD LUCK!

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In other news, apparently when I take a weekend off from running, I go into foodie overload! Whew.

We went shopping at Whole Foods instead of Trader Joe’s this weekend; omg, WF, I bow down to you.

Confession: I’ve never grocery-shopped at WF before. Ever. (I’ve only had a meal or two from their deli-thing.) I KNOW.

I left with a plethora of goodies, and this was me behaving myself (there will be Round 2, in which I allow my inner-foodie to act like a kid in a candy store. Mmhm.):

• Quinoa (which I will be cooking soon; a first!)
• Fruit: apples, pear, bananas, Large grapefruit, Strawberries
• Veggies: celery, whole carrots, purple onion
• Pecans & Almonds (buy by the scoop! So you can get as many as you want! brilliant.)
• Whole-wheat Pitas
• WF Whole-wheat bread
• Eggs

I think next time I’ll need to implement a time-limit so that 1) I don’t buy the entire store, and 2) I don’t drive my grocery-shopping-date crazy.

First new cooking venture? Pita Pizzas! Yes, I love me some pizza. Plus, we have shredded Mozazrella cheese that seems to be bottomless, so I have to use it right? RIGHT. Anyway, I’ve never tried the personal-sized Pita Pizzas, and now I’m positive they’ll be a staple. So easy, quick and healthy!

Pita Pizzas for Two
2 whole wheat pitas
1/2 c Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 c Pasta sauce (or pizza sauce, whatever you have on hand/prefer!)
oregano
Veggies of choice: Spinach and Artichoke hearts
Protein of choice: 1 sweet Italian chicken sausage

D wanted artcihokes, I love the greens! I topped each pita with 1/4 c Pasta sauce, sprinkled Oregano, and layered on 1/4 c Cheese. Mine: spinach & 1/2 chicken sausage chopped up. His: artichoke hearts & 1/2 chicken sausage.

Bake at 425* for ~8 minutes. I also threw in some Zucchini “fries”: 1 zucchini (cut into strips), garlic powder, black pepper and EVOO. Baked at 425* for ~10-12 minutes.

Delicious! The baked pitas provide the perfect crunchy crust; you’ll definitely see these again (with different veggies and toppings; gotta keep things interesting!).

Today’s lunch experiment: Pear & Pecan Sandwich. I’ll be back with the verdict…

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How are you spending Marathon Monday?! If you’re running (and, obviously, reading this much later), HOW DID IT GO??

foodie friday: me and my FP

Last night I put my Food Proccessor (FP) to work; I’ve been wanting to make these patties for a while! Mostly because 1) we have 3 cans of Garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), and I just keep thinking I have to do something with them (oh yes, one can will quickly turn into hummus! LOVE THIS FP!), and 2) I saw this recipe on Carrot’s ‘n’ Cake about a month ago, “starred” it and it’s just been sitting there in my email.  Get on it!

Guess who was starving after an 8-mile run (in 70* – perfect – sunshine!) last night?! THIS CHICK. Oof, I went out planning on 6-7 depending on how hot it was. However, my brain didn’t process the fact that with the route I took, I’d have to finish up the 8 either walking or running to get home. So, might as well Run, right? Right.

Luckily, these patties don’t require any prep (besides rinsing) and it was a quick dinner!

Chickpea Patty Salads
Serves 2

 1 can Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), rinsed*
Garlic powder (or fresh, if you have it!), parsley, salt/pepper, and Ground Roasted Red Pepper
2 tbsp Flour
2 tbsp Olive Oil

*the can we used had 3.5 svgs, 120 cals for each svg

Put chickpeas and seasonings into a FP and pulse until mixed well. Put mixture into a bowl and form ~4 patties.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet/pan. Coat patties in flour, and cook in the oil for ~2-3 minutes on each side.

In the MIX: spinach, mixed greens, cucumbers, carrots, red/yellow/green peppers

These were delicious with the salad, but could also be a “burger” substitute! How you want to enjoy your patties is up to you!

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I’ll be at a Conference all day tomorrow for the DC-Metropolitan Area Dietetic Association. We’ll get to hear a few authors and Social Media Gurus talk Nutrition, it should be interesting! If you’re an RD in the area and will be in attendance, let me know!

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happy friday! 

three things thursday

(a la Morgan)

1) I have a New Toy! Isn’t she pretty? I’m thinking of a name, but it hasn’t come to me yet (seriously)… I am absolutely obsessed with this little beauty. I love how tiny and red it is; perfect size for our kitchen (not a lot of extra space for gadgets!), and cooking-for-two.  I splurged a little to go with “Kitchen Aide”, but I trust their products and the parts are dishwasher safe. Um, YES, I’ll take that! And it’s red, did you notice that?

Anyway, you guys left some Great suggestions (and I got a few on Twitter too) yesterday. A few of my faves: homemade Salsa, Falafel and HUMMUS (so. excited. for. hummus). You’ll be seeing plenty of recipes featuring this little thing…

2) This week, in running: after the 10-miler on Sunday, I took Monday as a rest/do-whatever day. I ended up taking ~3 mile walk around the ‘hood because it was gorgeous outside, and those days are not to be wasted! Tuesday morning was an easy 5.5 miler before work; it’s So much more fun to run through Georgetown before people are awake and crowding the sidewalks, heh. Today I’m heading out after work, in what I hope will be the 70* sunny evening in the forecast. Perfect.

To give you a little peak of Spring in DC (now sans most of the Cherry Blossoms)…

On the Connecticut Ave bridge, over Rock Creek Park

Gorgy, no? I heart Spring.

3) Thank You, for the CSS / Web Development tips yesterday! Keep ‘em coming! I’m that much closer to a design that I’m happy with, and will keep you all posted.  I have no timeline in mind yet, but hopefully things will be up and running (mmhm) by the end of the month…? *fingers crossed*

Happy Thursday!

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P.S. If you’re in need of a grocery bag and yogurt coupons, check out Anne’s giveaway!

chef heather’s kitchen-for-the-week: and CSS CFH

I’m slowly becoming more and more experimental and adventurous in this whole cooking thing.  It’s entertaining to buy “new” foods, do a little google-ing (and/or foodie-blog stalking, ya  know, whatever), and see what kind of menu I can come up with…

On Monday, I came up with a tentative Dinner List for the week. It’s completely different than any “norm”, and we’ve got two things knocked off so far! Step into my kitchen…

(Stick with me here, I have a random request at the end!   )

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HC’s Roasted Red Pepper Mexi-cheese Rice
(inspired by this recipe on Closet cooking) Makes 2 Servings

2 svgs Brown Rice (~1 cup, uncooked)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c onion, diced
1/2 c corn
1 Roasted red pepper, chopped into small pieces
Oregano, Salt, Pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Water
1/4 cup Lite Mexican Cheese Blend, shredded

Heat the Olive Oil in a small pan; saute the onions and mushrooms, eventually adding the oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add rice and corn; include amount of water needed to cook the rice (may vary according to type used/package directions, etc). Cook rice according to directions. When the rice is done cooking, add the Shredded Cheese and stir thoroughly throughout the rice mixture.

As always, feel free to add any other veggies you might have on hand. You could also use a different variety of cheese, use what you like! The main flavors with this are the Roasted Red Peppers, Garlic and Oregano. And it was delicious! Stirring in the cheese to let it melt and stick to the rice added a soft texture and great mix of flavors.

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Personal Polenta Pizzettes
(inspired by Janel’s post) Makes 2 servings

~4/5 Polenta tube
~3/4 cup Pasta (or Pizza) sauce
~1 cup Shredded Italian Cheese
Toppings of Choice: artichokes, mushrooms, spinach
Garlic Powder, Oregano

Cut Polenta tube into ~8 slices and place on a greased (sprayed with PAM) baking sheet. Top each with one Spoonful of pasta sauce. Sprinkle garlic and oregano on top. Top with cheese and veggie of choice! Bake at 350* for ~20-23 minutes (until cheese is melted). Let cool for ~5 minutes before serving.

(Note: Each pizzette is big enough for ~1 veggie topping. We split this up: 2 artichoke pizzetes, 2 mushroom pizzettes, 4 spinach + mushroom pizzettes)

Letting them cool….(i.e. being patient!)

*My* Pizzettes (I opted out of the artichoke ones…)

Delicious! The mushrooms got a little crisp, so if you like yours soft…take Janel’s tip and saute them while the pizzettes cook, then add them on for the last ~10 minutes. The polenta ‘crust’ is definitely much different than your typical pizza, but I love the mix of a grainy and soft texture.

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A CSS – CFH (Cry For Help!)

I’ve been working on another site (to transfer this blog to) for a little while now; after some creative-contemplating, I’d like to take this “blogging” thing into a more Nutrition/Food and Running – direction.  I do know some HTML/CSS coding (i.e. the basics!) but WordPress doesn’t allow FTP access so….I’m a little inhibited here. Agh! IF you have any idea what I’m talking about and/or any tips, LET ME KNOW!

Thanks

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OLRT – One Last Random Thing (because who doesn’t love a good acronym?! I know.)

I’m buying a Food Processor today and am ridiculously excited about it!(!!!!!). What are your favorite recipes that involve this wonderful magic gadget?! I’m ready to start a list….

Cherry Blossom 10-mile Race Report

The race started at 7:40 a.m.; the alarm was mistakenly set for 6:50 (instead of 5:50) and um, I woke up at 6:47. FAIL! I didn’t care too much, as this race was mostly for fun and, given that there are 15,000 runners, I figured I’d at least make it for the last wave…

As it turned out, I was not alone – the Metro was packed with last-minute travelers. Whoop, let’s go! I walked up to the Starting line right as the announcer said “I need all Red-bibs to the Front” -  that’s me!! PERFECT.

I walked right into the RED wave and got started!

8:38, 8:20, 8;16, 8:00, 8:04

Since I left the house while chomping on my Peanutbutter-toast, coffee and water-less, I was still trying to feel awake at this point. Heh, oops! Luckily I had absolutely no time or PR-goal for this race. Just run, enjoy, and try not to get trampled (15,000 runners!). I settled into 8 min/miles and hoped it would last. I had done an easy 5-mile run on Saturday, so the legs were fresh and ready to G-O…

  7:57, 7:56, 8:01, 7:43, 7:37, 7:00 (0.10)

The course stayed right along the Tidal basin; it was relatively flat and very scenic. Ideally, we would be surrounded by Cherry Blossoms. However, last week’s 90* temps and sudden rain/windstorm had other plans. Adios, Cherry Blossoms! We ran through a sea of green, instead of pink. 

Ah, well. You’ll never hear a complaint from me if it’s sunny and a brisk 65-70* on race morning. PERFECT, in my opinion. I grabbed some water at mile 8, hence a slightly slower split. From there, it was time to Speeeed it up until I crossed the Finish line - With a new 10-miler PR!

G came in at 10.10 miles; the Garmin never reads “exact” race distances, probably due to corner-cutting (or extending) and my fancy-footing to hop around people as I go…

Chip Time – 1:21:13, avg 8:08 m/m pace
(Garmin Time – 1:21:12)
111/967 – Age Group (20-24)
760 /8813 Women

My usual race-buddies were outta town for this one, sad day! I missed you guys! My #1 supporter was there, as usual. Change of clothes, water bottle, and camera in hand!

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Time for Brunch!

You know the deal – we race, and WE BRUNCH! A friend hosted it at his apartment this time. We dined on the balcony to enjoy the sunshine and the view. Oh, the view….

Some things were still cooking when we arrived…but the SWEET stuff? It was ready and waiting…

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Another race (and delicious Mimosa-brunch), in the books! Next up? GW Parkway Classic 10-miler on April 25th! If you’re racing or in the area for the event, let me know!

cherry blossom 10-miler: pre-race, fueling up!

On Saturday, Anne and Lauren organized a Blogger-lunch for those of us in DC; we chirped and dined at Toscana Grill in Arlington!

Their menu is exclusively Vegan on Saturdays, for the month of April. With plenty of appealing options, I decide to branch out and try TOFU. Uhh, this was definitely an “adventurous” move (for me), but I have to try it sometime, right?! Right…

Tofu Berry Salad: Strawberries, blueberries, dried cranberries, sliced almonds and Tofu, with Raspberry Vinnaigrette.  Salad? Delicious! Tons of fruit and sweet flavors. The Tofu? Um, RAW. Gooey, cold, white, and not my thing. Sorry, Tofu. You did Not impress me on Round #1. Hopefully we’ll meet again, and you’ll be cooked/baked/flavored and firm.

For dessert? Jacquie and Anna provided some delicious cookies! Vegasn Peanut butter & Chocolate Chip  – thanks, gals! These things hit the Spot. I happily ate them both, and finally felt satisfied. Mmm…

*****

Saturday Night: D & I headed out for dinner, venturing over to Busboys and Poets to test out somewhere “new” (to us). I’ve been here once before, but just to check it out and meet friends. Looking through the menu online had us convinced pretty quickly – looks gooood! It’s quite the list of options, and there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian meals too! I like restaurants with some variety…

It took some serious contemplating, but I finally decided on the {NEW!} Veggie Roll Up – fresh beets, cucumbers, carrots, red rice, spinach and a black bean spread. All in a soft flour tortilla….YUM!

This was bursting with flavor, and I loved the mix of soft rice with crunch vegetables. I opted out of the beets (not my fave), and certainly didn’t miss the “sweet”. Veggie Roll Up = two thumbs up!

Dessert this time? Not homemade, but was certainly just as tasty. We shared a rich, chocolate brownie a la {soy ice cream} mode!

*****

Whew, big day o’ eats! Definitely fueled up and ready for those 10-miles….

foodie friday: meat(less) balls, oats & cherry b’s

I took last night off and gave the bod a break; going non-stop for 4 days is good enough for this chick! We met some friends for a birthday-happy hour and came home starving. Quick dinner ideas?! Go!

I had actually pregamed for this a little bit; I cooked the pasta right after work, before heading down to meet D, and stuck it (steaming hot, ehhh) in the fridge with a little extra water so it wouldn’t go dry. Three hours later? It was ready to be baked! This ended up being a variation of one of my favorite Cooking Light recipes.

Baked Meat(less)balls & Pasta

1 1/2 cups Penne Pasta (cooked)
2 svgs Meatless Meatballs (thawed)
1/2 can stewed tomatoes, cut into pieces
~1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Black pepper
1/4 cup Shredded Italian Cheese and/or Grated Parmesan

Preheat Oven to 400*

Combine all ingredients into a casserole dish, top with Cheese and bake for ~22-25 minutes.

It was quick, full of flavor, and filling! The meatless-meatballs are a great substitute for ground beef (and a lot quicker than making meatballs, if you’re in a rush); we found them at Trader Joe’s and decided to take the risk. Well worth it!

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For breakfast today (and um, almost every other day…):

HC’s Sweet Cinnamon-Pb Oatmeal

I’ve raved about various oatmeal combos on here before; I love me some oats! My current addiction is a little random, and actually results in me eating one half of my bowl at a time. I’ve combined my two favorite flavor mixes and come up with one giant bowl ‘o delicioso!

2/3 c Oats
2/3 c water ( I like to use less liquids = thick oats!)
1 tbsp Peanut butter
Cinnamon & Honey

Notice the split? One side is devoted to peanutbutter  + honey;
one side is purely cinnamon + honey.
Both sides are Mmm mm good.

On any given day, you will find these three things in the pantry: peanut butter, oatmeal, and honey. My kitchen will never be without them.

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Just to show you what all the hype is about in DC right now….the Cherry Blossoms have bloomed!

Last weekend was tourist-mania. Holy whoa, this city was PACKED with visitors; the Metro even broke a few records for highest “ridership” (is that a real word?).  But, can you blame them? These CB’s are beautiful.

I took the first picture downtown; this will be the setting for the Cherry Blossom 10-mile race I’m doing on Sunday morning! The “peak” bloom was a little earlier than expected this year thanks to these crazy-warm temps, but it’s still a gorgeous view and will make for a fun race!

Anyone else racing (CB-ers?!) this weekend? Goood Luck!

three things thursday: meetups, 9s and into the kitchen

(a la Morgan – Redhead Running)

1) Last night I met Anne (from fANNEtastic food) for dinner in Georgetown – blogger meetup, CHECK! We chose Sweet Green for our dining; it’s one of my favorite salad places in DC for two reasons – 1) the obvious: delicious salads and a make-your-own option! but, more importantly, 2) they serve frozen yogurt, too!

Perfect. Combination.

I chose the “Curry Gold” salad, which can be pretty easily recreated at home – grilled chicken, greens, cucumbers, celery, dried cranberries, toasted almonds and…..Curry Pineapple Yogurt Dressing. Let those flavors soak in for a second – this was a leap of faith, as I’m not typically Curry’s biggest fan. Verdict? I got it on the side, used it lightly, and it was delicious.

Top that off with some Froyo (original flavor, i.e. tart) + strawberries, chocolate chip and two chit-chatty bloggers! Good times.

on a side note: reading her post yesterday caused an improptu lunch-trip to Target to browse for a Food Proccessor! First of all, why do I not have one?! Secondly, I WILL be making those. YUM.

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2) Last night I went out for another run in this crazy heat (90*); this time I was Much smarter about things. I drank plenty of water all day, I was mentally prepared, and I took it Sloooowly. All I wanted was a simple 4-miler that didnt’ feel like death; success! My first splitw as around 9:20, the next few dropped down to 8:40s. This was faster than I planned on, but it didn’t feel that way. I ended on a hill and hadn’t reached the puke-threshold yet. I consider this a victory! Summer temps, you will not defeat me!

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3) Food choices have been creative around the house, as of late! My last TJ’s trip was almost two weeks ago, but I’m still goin’ strong! The only thing that’s been lacking now is fresh bananas; I bought a bag of frozen pineapples, which have sufficed as a “fruit” until the next go-round. Veggies have been abundant, and I’ve used a lot of pantry items in new ways. Here’s a look at a few creations….

Nacho Lunch!

1/2 c Fat-Free Refried Beans
1 slice Avocado (cut into pieces)
Onion pieces
1/2 stewed tomato (from a Can), cut into pieces
Sprinkle of Lite Mexican Shredded Cheese
10 Corn Tortilla Chips (not pictured)

I combined everything except the chips into this container, and microwaved for ~45 seconds ( melt that cheeese!). Voila! You have the perfect combination for some chip-dipping or nacho-topping. Another bonus? This kept me FULL for the afternoon. Thumbs UP.

Mexican Polenta Casserole

(adopted from Caitlin’s Polenta Pie)

1/2 tube Polenta
1/2 c Skim (or soy) milk
1 Chicken Sausage Link (Basil & Sundried Tomato flavor), chopped
1/2 Green Pepper, chopped
Onion pieces, chopped
1/2 Roasted Red Pepper, sliced
Lite Shredded Mexican Cheese (optional)

Ideally, I would have used a Food Processor to mix the milk and polenta (+ hummus, using Caitlin’s recipe…which would’ve been added if I had some ). I attempted the blender, but it wasn’t very helpful.

Mix all ingredients, put into a greased baking pan. Top with Shredded Cheese, and bake at 350* for ~45-50 minutes. Let it cool for ~10 minutes before serving.

I messed around with the cooking time a little bit, since I only used 1/2 tube. The texture result was a little iffy – but the taste and the veggies were still good!

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Happy Thursday!