Whole Dirty Thirty: The Food

Rawkstar Fuel, indeed. Please meet Dump Ranch

I finished my first full round of Whole30 Thursday. I feel really good, am planning to keep most of the routines we've established and have added a number of the food bloggers I found during my meal planning straight to the top of my rotation. I've been asked by a few people for tips and recipe ideas so I thought I'd do a couple quick posts on the process. One on the food. The other the feels.

If you're not familiar with Whole30, it's basically a super strict version of the paleo diet, which was developed first to be an elimination diet to self-test for food sensitivities and give your body a general reset. Full disclosure, and I am the first to admit that I poo-poo'd the plan for a long time. It seems a little crazy to eliminate so many food groups, it's concerning that it wouldn't be a sustainable eating plan for me long-term, so any weight loss or other gains I made during the month could be easily reversed, and I just have a general disdain for anything that smacks of elitism because I'm a reverse snob. Give me a big old truck and some jeans and I'll feel at home. Plop a diet coke in the cup holder? Homier.

A month without sugar (including maple syrup, honey, agave or stevia), legumes, dairy (no ice cream?!), chewing gum (sugar or sugar substitute), alcohol (suuuugar-boo hoo and adios vino), soy or grains. What can I even eat?! Turns out, quite a lot. And it's even good.

With four kids, I have a large-ish family, and with our already busy afterschool schedules I wasn't down for signing up for something that would add a lot more food prep or planning, but I do love to cook and make dinner pretty much every night as it is. I kept the food relatively simple because I was not making two dinners. My kids would eat what they normally did for breakfast and lunch, but would have Whole30 dinners. And no dessert. So, I figured they'd catch a little benefit from that by default. (Just to get a feel for our routine; Monday through Friday I prep dinner a bit and then grab the big kids from school. By 4:15, I have dinner pretty much ready to either stick in the oven, or instructions for reheating and I take H to swim. J feeds the other three and starts their bedtime routine so that by the time I get back with H at about 6, we eat with each other. I can't wait until H advances to the next level and has swim in the evening because I really don't like the split dinner hour.)

I had been following the Whole30 Recipes instagram account for some time, and the food they featured there every day all looked so good, and very accessible and I had read the timeline (aka what to expect) a number of times (spoiler alert: I never found the Tiger Blood).

I was not interested in adding a bunch of stores to my grocery shopping routine, or quadrupling my grocery budget. There were a few specialty items that I sourced on amazon, but other than that, everything I bought was at Safeway, which is my usual grocery store. I think part of what is intimidating sometimes about the idea of doing a whole30, is that you have to spend your whole paycheck on food. Now, I have a pretty well stocked freezer re: meat and a very full range of herbs and spices, so there were a lot of staples that I didn't have to purchase. I'd add a good $100 if you're going to be buying almond flour, coconut aminos, coconut oil, etc. I would also add some time to your first shopping trip if you're not used to reading labels, because unless you're buying a specific brand that's been listed as compliant, read; they sneak sugar into everything. Costco has a lot of compliant foods now as well, and at great prices. Their unsweeted vanilla almond milk is one of my staples, and their large bags of dried mangos, apricots, dates and figs were great staples to have one hand. (dates and figs are often used to lend sweetness where you'd otherwise be using honey or sugar in some recipes).

My husband agreed to take the plunge with me, after some convincing, and we chose the day after holiday break ended as day one. I spent the week or so before starting to cull through my cookbooks and pinterest, and realized that the genius thing about being so late to the party is that the interwebs have done all of the work for you. Honestly, enter 'whole30' followed by any recipe you're looking for in the google search bar or on pinterest and you're in business! I didn't do any big cook-up days, or spend any more time in the kitchen than I previously did. Now, if you are used to grabbing something to go more than a few times a month or eat a lot of convenience foods, then it might seem overwhelming at first until you find your rhythm. I would highly recommend that you have an immersion blender and wide mouthed jar for making mayo, dump ranch and other condiments, and that you prep condiments on an open time that is other than dinner prep. I learned that the hard way when I tried to make ketchup at the same time I was supposed to be basting drumsticks with bbq sauce that was supposed to have said ketchup in it.

Secondly, and this is my personal opinion, I think whole30 would be really really hard if you don't like eggs. We went through, no joke, about 12 dozen eggs. Jared did the 30 days with me, so with two adults eating hard boiled, egg salad, shakshuka, over medium, frittata, egg muffins, scrambled, you name it, we were the Forrest Gump of eggs. We also ate a lot of greens. From kale to iceberg and everything in between, this plan is heavy on the protein and greens, light on the fruit and healthy fats, even lighter on carbs (though it's not a low-carb diet). If you don't like to eat salads, this might also be a struggle at first.

I did not have any issues with headaches or other symptoms of 'withdrawl' from sugar, other than a general sense of resentment that I was so chubby I had to do this to get a jump start on my path to wellness. But that's for the emotions post. Overall, I just felt good. The first couple days I talked about food pretty much non-stop and my husband finally asked 'Is this going to be one of those things that we talk about food all the time, but don't actually eat any? If so, I'm out.' Okay, message received. From then on I just referred to the menu board when asked what was for dinner, ha ha.

I tried to rotate what I had available each week so I didn't get burned out on any one food. I tried Sweet Potato Toasts (pretty delicious), and making my own mayonnaise (I'll never buy it again, so simple and delicious), and the sweet baby angels at Whole Sisters created, and then shared, dump ranch. For which I will be forever greatful. Dump Ranch got me through the first week or so. I actually prefer it to traditional ranch and that is a huge deal. I kept a variety of precut veggies on hand, which made a lot of the roasted veg bases for dinner super simple.

Sheet Pan Dinner, which you'll see on the menu board a couple times, is just a couple packages of Aidell's (or I actually found the safeway brand to have a couple of compliant flavors) sausages cut into 1-2 inch pieces, and a jellyroll pan of veggies roasted. During the last ten minutes or so of roasting, add the sausages to the top to warm them through; et voila! Dinner is served.

Breakfast was often leftover roasted veg from the night before and a couple over medium eggs. I kept things really, really simple so that it would not feel overwhelming. Once you know what ingredients work, you can adapt regular recipes, but there are so many great resources for already whole30 compliant meals you don't need to.

I don't want this to be a novel, but I need to address coffee. I will never love black coffee. I take my coffee with a splash of half-and-half, so I needed a substitute. Some ideas I tried were cashew, almond and coconut milks, all unsweeted and carrageenen-free. They were all fine. But just fine. I found success finally with nutpods creamer, which is half coconut, half almond milk and comes in orginal, vanilla and hazelnut and had to be ordered on amazon.

RX bars were also something that I kept on-hand for mornings that were just crazy and I didn't want to skip breakfast. They have a whole30 compliant mixed case that was available on their website with a 20% off and free shipping deal so I snapped them up. They are fairly expensive purchased one at a time, but the bulk deal made them just over $1ea. My faves were blueberry and chocolate sea salt.

Without further ado, my meal plans. I only planned dinners, as lunch was either a salad or leftovers. One night I ended up having to scrap what I'd planned and make something faster, but I moved that to the following week's plan. All of the recipes turned out really well (except sweet potato fries, I've tried every trick and they just don't work out for me). Look below the plans and I've linked where applicable! On taco night, I simply had taco salad instead of a shell. Other than that I didn't add any starches to the kids' dinners. Caulirice can be found already riced in bags in the produce section.

Whole Sisters; dump ranch, zuchini bites, BBQ drumsticks, and dump ranch. Oh, did I say that twice?

NomNomPaleo; kahlua pig, mocha rubbed pot roast

WellFed: Fried Chicken Meatballs, KickAssKetchup, Burger Night (well fed Weeknights cookbook)

Rural Eating: Grilled Romaine Salad with Hot Tomato Vinaigrette

Food Faith Fitness: Jerk Shrimp Strew with Cauli Rice (SO GOOD)

Are you contemplating a Whole30? Any other questions I can answer? Stay tuned for my post in the next couple days on the feels. Because it turns out this was more about meal planning and keeping sugar out of my gob. There was some real work to be done!

Voluntary Commitment

It seems that life has a way of rushing in and swooping me along the swift path of productivity, and I often don't notice it until I find a little lull and have a minute to appreciate just how busy I've been. At the beginning of this school year, because it was such a rough school year last year, I tried to keep our after-school commitments to an absolute minimum.

This Spring, seeking some additional physical outlets for him, I decided it was high time we tried swimming lessons again. Our prior sessions resulted in H acting like a little spinner dolphin on the side of the pool while he was supposed to be sitting patiently awaiting his turn, or listening raptly to the instructor. Needless to say, it was counter-productive. This time, I asked that he not be given flotation devices and wouldn't you know, the realization that you may drown if you don't do as instructed has had the desired effect. Swimming, to me, is one of those life-skills that are not an 'extra'. Our trip to Aruba in December confirmed that my kiddos need to be confident and competent swimmers before our next water trip, because it will just be more enjoyable for everyone.

This session went really well, so I signed him up for the next as well. At the same time, I signed Charlie up for his very same lesson and was shocked when the child who had clung to me like a frightened spider monkey anytime we approached any form of water aside from the bath-tub, leapt into the arms of his teacher without hesitation on the very first try. Go figure.

Lessons proceeding swimmingly (aren't I so witty?!), I read an article in the Union-Bulletin about an imagination yoga class offered through parks and rec. Designed to help kids aged 4-12 control their bodies, quiet their minds and gain greater attention spans, I did not hesitate to sign up both of my bouncing baby boys for the April session.

Oh, and did I tell you that I had also promised H he could sign up for T-Ball? Right...when I started entering the games and practices into my calendar, I realized that there will be several nights when we go from swim to T-Ball, or Swim to Yoga, and I started to panic. Wouldn't you know, H had one of his best weeks ever in school when we were committed to the gills? Not that I'm advocating over-committing your kids, or that it will work for us each time, but with a little overlap of activities, I'm glad I didn't sacrifice one for the other. Also, while my calendar looks really full, the actual time commitment is not huge. A half-hour lesson twice weekly for swim, 45 minutes once a week for yoga and T-Ball practice three times  a week (one of those days being Saturday morning or early afternoon) for about an hour; taken piecemeal, it's not so overwhelming.

I've tried to do this with any other requests that come in for my time; can it be done in the evening after my kids are in bed? Is it something I can do on my own, without having to coordinate schedules with someone else? If I stay on task, how much time will it really take? If I think about it that way, and I feel like it's something I can truly manage, I'll take it on. If it interferes with the sanity-saving time I've laid aside for my own needs (read: time that Charlie is in pre-school), I say no. I felt a crushing wave of guilt when I declined coaching H's team for T-ball, but the realities are these: I would be a really shitty coach, since I don't know very much about baseball. I really want to be H's cheerleader, not his instructor, because it's just a better combination. Finally, I have darling Charlie to drag along with me as it is and he's, how do you say, attention-starved since the revelation of baby #3 on board.

After the initial guilt passed, I'm so happy with my decision. With Junior Club (my town's version of Junior League), exercise and other 'self-care', the activities that the kids are in, a burgeoning belly and an already full schedule, I feel like I have a full plate. But, it's delightfully balanced with leafy greens, carbs, protein and a little bit of dessert at the end.

How have you managed to stay balanced with a busy life?

Showgirls

When we get home on Friday from sunny Aruba, I promise to post about our epic flight, and the tantrum that launched a thousand ships, but until then you can read about my Vegas half-marathon/girls' weekend at My Sole Sister!

Read my post over at My Sole Sister about speed workouts and wilted chard...in that order.

Coffee Talk

This morning as I sit to type, enjoying my coffee, I am feeling very well-rested because my entire family slept until 8am. This has literally never happened. I logged on to read my daily dose of inspiration on Another Mother Runner and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Tonia Blanchet was today's guest poster on the topic of 'Why I Run' and it really hit home.  Running gives you a sense of accomplishment that's so personal.

I cannot underscore enough the impact running has had; Becoming a runner changed my life. Not only because of the connections I've made with people, but because of the way it's made me feel about myself. Sure, I'd still have weight-loss goals, but I no longer look with a hypercritical eye. Instead, I try to find the things that have changed. My legs, chubby white girl's legs that they may be, have taken me almost a thousand miles in training over the past year and a half. A thousand miles.

I'm ecstatic about the fact that on my last few runs, I've hit sub 11:30 for the last mile because my usual average is in the 12's or 13's. Most people would cry at that time, but not me. I come home feeling energized and ready to take on the day. I am the stinkiest, sweatiest girl you'll ever meet, but now instead of feeling self-conscious about it, it just lets me know I've worked hard. Hit the shower and go about your business. Get over yourself.

I found a running partner that is going to push me, and it's just what I need. She's a new runner, but she's picked it up kind of annoyingly fast, and I'll have to work really hard to keep up with her. Her goal was a 10k (remind you of anyone?), but I've just about got her convinced to run the half with me; wahoo! I have big goals for my next two half-marathons, and they don't include just crossing the finish line. If that were my goal, I could just dink around until race day because I now know that I can finish, it's all in how I want to finish. Some of the little things I've committed to are drinking enough water every day,as in 3 liters at the minimum, and I've instituted a bed-time. Best gift I could have given myself, as I've had no problem rising with the first chime of my phone at 5:40 on those few mornings a week when I run with the sun's rising.

It was a struggle post-marathon, but I feel like I'm finally back. Each run is a challenge, and sometimes I feel like I'm starting all over again, but I do it and I feel a thousand times better when I walk through my door to find my family rising than I would if I were just starting to stumble around with my first cup of coffee.

Are you struggling to regain inspiration? How have you overcome a slump? New music or a mantra that replays itself in your head? Here's to just getting out there and putting one foot in front of the other.

*Cross posted on My Sole Sister

I ran my first 5k in almost two years this weekend and it was great! Click over to My Sole Sister to read all about it.

Whew! It's been a crazy few weeks. I'm fully into the swing of marathon training now, and am starting to feel confident and, dare I say, excited about completing a full in June. You can read all about my progress over at My Sole Sister. It's Superbowl Sunday, which means I'll be rewarding myself post-run today with pizza or some other ridiculously high calorie grease-fest. Go Packers!

On the knitting front, I've made significant progress on Tree of Life, with just one row of trees left to complete, then the border and I'm done. I went to 'the' mall for the first time since we moved here yesterday, and was pleasantly surprised that I'm able to fit in shirts two sizes smaller than before. I love that the scale isn't the only way to measure change.

In planning out my month, I'm realizing that this is the only weekend I don't have something on deck. Between running, birthdays, guests coming to town and just plain life happening, I'm booked almost solid until the weekend of the marathon and H's last week of school.

Which brings me to a couple of conclusions I've come to in my life. I'm ready to admit that I need help keeping my house clean. I'm not talking about someone to do my laundry or the dishes, or even making beds and vacuuming. But hells yes, I am talking about someone else to scrub my tubs, the stovetop and the inside of my microwave. Not to mention dusting and even washing the windows. H is starting swimming lessons this week and I know that life will only continue to get more hectic.

Speaking of throwing money at your problems: J and I decided this summer that we wouldn't put anything on our card we couldn't pay off the following month. We just want to have it in use, but won't be carrying a balance. So far, so good. All of our home projects have been paid for from our account so far, with only deposits for vacation rentals put on the card, and I feel really good about it. The down-side is that the house is coming together slowly, the upside being that I'm able to live in it and see how I really want it to be before making any rash decisions.

The next project I'm ready to tackle is tiling the bath surround in the master (good-bye wet walls everytime I let the kids bathe in my tub) and the backsplash in the kitchen. Keeping in mind this isn't our forever home, I've decided to stick with the simple tumbled tile that we already have, but in a rectangular shape in a subway pattern. For the bathroom, I'm taking it up to the windowsill...will that make it look too boxed in? Yes, I'm really asking for your opinion.

In addition to not accumulating new debt, we're committed to having zero debt when we purchase our next house (in about 5 years), excluding our mortgage, but including student loan debt. Anyone with experience with aggressive debt reduction while still having some luxuries and fun is welcome to leave a comment with a program you followed or things that you found worked for you.

I watched Oprah's special on happiness and it cemented my desire to give my kids experiences over giving them things. Did you know that the income at which happiness is no longer increased caps out at $75,000 a year? That was surprising to me. Additionally, joining a club in which you are expected to attend once a month increases your happiness the same amount that doubling your income would. It's all about feeling a connectedness to those around you, and having experiences rather than things.

So, of course, I immediately went online and bought the two pair of shoes (not on credit, mind you) I'd been coveting. What?! I'm not expected to experience everything with sub-par footwear am I? I know...all over the place with this one, but that's what happens when I go so long without posting.

Lastly, in exactly a month, I'll be having quite an experience as I celebrate my friend's 40th birthday with her at Kelea Surf Spa (paid in advance, thank you) on the North Shore of Oahu. This mama has worked long and hard and I feel like I deserve this break. Here's the thing, I hadn't even questioned that fact until people started looking at me in wonderment when they heard what I was doing, where I was going, and that my husband was okay with being left to fend for himself and the kids. Well, I guess my boss was right: You'll never have to worry about Wutzke getting her needs met. I do appreciate the support of a spouse who hasn't questioned my deserve level either. There, J, I said it.

My Sole Sister

During a lazy Sunday morning, I was talking to my sister about running. She has always been a runner, and a good one at that, but hasn't laced up the sneaks in a few years and is trying to find the motivation to get back on the road. I, kind of jokingly, said that we should write a joint blog about our trials and triumphs with getting fit (mainly running) while balancing family and life in general, but also just finding the motivation to be healthy. She thought it was a great idea and My Sole Sister was born. Never one to be left out, #4 said she wanted in on the action as well. I'm really excited about what it can be with the three of us adding our own perspectives and little slices of life, and I hope you'll follow along.

One Little Word

My sister posted about the 'one little word' concept last year, and I noticed she was doing it again this year. I had struggled back and forth with what my resolution would be this year because there are so many things I'm working on; training for and completing a marathon (huge!), working on one knitting project at a time (I tend to get ahead of myself), getting my house organized (and staying that way), signing up for at least one race a month from March to November, by which time I hope to have shed the last 50 pounds I still want to, and be knocked up again. Be a present and mindful mother and wife instead of someone who's just 'there' a lot. Make healthful meal choices for myself and my family, even when the chinese take-out menus and pizza delivery boys are singing to me, at least five days a week.

How to sum that all up in one resolution? I know! How about instead of trying to use lots of words, I'll just pick one. There will be a lot of roadblocks, and excuses along the way I'm quite sure, but in the end I want to cross that finish line, bind off one by one, and most of all, be a good example to my kids about how you can have what you want if you're willing to work for it in spite of all the things that make what you want really, really hard to get. But more importantly, that you can still have a life outside of your goals.

My husband is the inspiration for this word as whatever he sets out to do, he gets it done. He read the entire Shelby Foote Civil War series line by line, page by page in the space of less than a year. That's a million and a half words on over three thousand pages. He completed Ranger School, and then hung around with those boys for another four years. He muscled through eleven years of higher education to get his first 'real' job. He's becoming quite the accomplished 'car stealer' on Grand Theft Auto (okay, so I won't count that one). He's been married to me for almost eight years, for crying out loud; I bet he'll say that one was the hardest. Perseverance folks.

And this year, I'm gonna get mine. Perseverance.

Hit the Road Jack

So, now that I've told everyone, paid the money, and am officially registered for my very first full marathon. I guess it's time to start putting in the work. J surprised me with the Garmin Forerunner 405 from my wishlist and  stocking of herbal tea samplers, gum and other non-candy items to show that he's fully in support of my goals. This watch is amazing, and I'm so excited to start using it. Luckily I have a 6 mile run planned for this morning, so I'll get to really see what it can push me to do. I've never run with a watch at all, since I was always with a group where my buddy was timing me. I have a vague idea of my pace right now, but it will be interesting, and perhaps even a little bit of tough love to see at what point I'm really starting from.

It was a wonderful Christmas, capped off with boys who were so excited about the gifts they got each other and J got a great new camera (his first!) so he can take pictures when he's at his trainings in January and May and I still have a camera to document Casa de HP.

In addition to my 'magic pants', I also got a pair of YakTrax which are proving to be awesome. I went on a snowy, icy run the other day and was completely confident in them.

It's not just been all about training, though, I'm still getting my knit on with a hat for Baby A, and a new sock pattern (Monkey Socks by Cookie A) that looked oh-so-complicated a year ago when I first contemplated it, but is just flying off the needles now. The hat just needs seaming, and I'm getting ready to turn the heel on the first sock. 

Using a twisted rib for the sock band

With the skein of yarn inside so you can see the pattern. I love the texture of these.

But now, as the notepad on my fridge says 'So many things to get done, but first I'll run'. The sky is darkening and I can't miss my window of time before J has to head to work. Hit the road, toad!

In Vino Veritas

Yesterday I put on my magic pants (aka compression tights) for the first time. Which led to a second 'first' for me; going commando. The only time I don't regularly wear underwear is to bed. I know that the majority of people don't wear them when they run, but I was not sad to be a minority in this matter. Why the sudden change of heart? Because when you stuff sausage into casing, there's often not room for foundation pieces.

After yesterday's run, I could be convinced that it's a better way to go. I'm just glad that I take care of that 'situation' or it may not have been as comfortable.

On the running note, I've officially registered for my first full marathon. It's not the same one I talked about before, but it will be a great fit because Jared will be there to cheer my on, and my best friend is running with me. I think my sister-in-law who ran with the two of us at the Fine Wine half-marathon in July is going to run as well. My friend and I are marathon virgins, while my sister-in-law has birthed this baby before, so it will be interesting to see how our experiences differ. June 4th, 2011 in Newport, Oregon. I'm equally excited and nauseated, but I'm willing to apply the same suspended disbelief that I did while training for the marathon and only focus on the mileage for the week.

Last night J and I went to a fun holiday party. A good time was had by all and the vino was flowing freely. A little too freely, actually. It was my day off in the game, so I relished my glass five glasses of cabernet and a cab/syrah/merlot blend and had a great time meeting some of the people with whom Jared spends those long days and nights.

I was feeling nice and toasty, but not bad, as we paid and thanked the sitter, went through the nightly routine and the enjoyed the rest of all that date night entails. (see C.D. I do talk about sex sometimes!) Okay Dad, you may want to stop reading now.

Anywho, the fear of all parents became a reality for us as I heard the pitter patter of little feet, about a fraction of a second later than I normally do and voila; coitus interruptus. Awesome. As I lay mortified in the bed, J ushered a sleepy and seemingly unaware H back to bed. Within about 30 seconds both kids were awake and crying for their Mama.

Rocking them both in the La-Z-Boy, I was starting to drift off when I felt that unforgettable hot and flushed feeling. I called out for J trying not to wake the sixty plus pounds of dead weight that was pressing on my guts and exaccerbating the urge to purge. J to the rescue and kiddos were extracted from my grasp just in time for me to rush to the bathroom and tango with the gods of drinking. I'm so glad I left the lights off because I can only imagine I would forget what I'd drunk and think I had stomach cancer.

Teeth brushed, clean shirt slogged over my head (does anyone successfully avoid splash-back?), water swish-swish-swished and then a glass downed and I welcomed the surrender to my bed. Thanks to a caring spouse who's been there, done that a cold cloth was pressed to my forehead and I was out like a light, but only after I murmured 'Seriously, how old am I? Nineteen?!'

This morning brought two pre-schoolers who don't really care to know about what you did while they were sleeping, and raring to go with zero sensitivity to noise, action or speed of movement.  The show must go on so rally I did with a bowl of oatmeal fortified with greek yogurt, peanut butter and some ibuprofen. Opening the Advent Cubicle for the day's activity and found the rest of my cure, watching my kids decorate gingerbread cookies (well, mainly eat candy and frosting.)

That's the Way The Cookie Crumbles

Is it really the 15th already?! This year, the holidays feel like they've come way too fast and I have so much catching up to do. Today after H got home from school, I sat at the table and stuffed Christmas cards into envelopes while they sat and colored. I know! Yes, I just said 'while they sat and colored.' Every once in awhile they surprise me.

We've got almost all of the shopping for the boys done, Santa says he's completed the Wutzke list, and our Elf on the Shelf , Nicky, has been reporting back with mixed reviews to Santa each night, but it's an awfully great blackmail tool for good behavior. H gets out of school on Friday, and I haven't even fully decided what to get for his teachers yet. While I'm sure they'd love yet another plate of baked goods, I'm trying to think outside the box a little bit.

And, if my banana bread from tonight is any indication, I should get anywhere near an oven in the near future. I don't know what happened. I've been trying to satisfy my sweet tooth while still staying within the parameters of the game-on diet, which generally means vegan desserts. Contrary to popular belief, I haven't yet had one that was bad. They're all sweet and just as satisfying as the 'real' thing; though one might argue they are  the real thing since they have whole and natural ingredients instead of relying on processed sugars and grains. But I digress.

Tonight I made the banana bread from Natural Papa because I couldn't find the one I'd made last time. The recipe looked very similar, so I got out the bowl and potato masher and within ten minutes, I had a lovely batter in the bread pan.

I set the timer for fifteen minutes, knowing I'd have to do it a little longer. When I tested it, the toothpick came out clean in several places, but the top still wasn't golden, so I put it under the broiler to give it a crispy finish. After removing it from the oven, I turned it out onto the cooling rack and it just didn't look right. Because it wasn't. Realizing there was no way it just needed a little cooling, I plopped it onto a cookie sheet and put 'er back in the oven. After more time, all I can say is thank goodness it tastes so much more wonderful than it looks!

Paired with some fat-free, plain greek yogurt, you've got a great 'meal' (read 5th meal of the day, which I usually make a dessert of some kind) with protein, carbohydrate, fat (walnuts and olive oil) and a little bit of sweetener. I modified it a little bit to make it comply better. This food plan has allowed me to continue to lose weight while indulging in Holiday fun (one day off per week) and feeling like I 'deserve' those times instead of regretting them.

In addition to my never-ending quest to create a more natural kitchen, I've found another new love and that would be yoga. Specifically heated yoga. Now, those of you who know me know how much I love to be hot. Ha! Okay, you know that I get super self-conscious of the ridiculous amount of sweat that pours out of my body every time I just think about moving my limbs. After running, however, I've started to embrace that part of myself. I'm just really good at clearing toxins from my body, right?! Instead of thinking of being sweaty as an indictment of my fitness level, I was able to see that some people just sweat a lot, fit or not.

My friend Jen has a yoga practice that has been the best thing ever. I honestly was thinking to myself as I lay in the final savasana (don't worry, I've had to look all these up too) the other night that if I had her to talk me through contractions I could totally do a natural child-birth. She's amazing, and I would strongly urge any Walla Wallans who've been even thinking about taking a class to start now. I think it's really been a huge part in getting me through this holiday season without a major beyatch episode. Just a couple minor ones. Another huge benefit is that when I go running right after a yoga class I feel amazing. I'm already warm and stretched and that first mile is infinitely easier to slog through.

Which brings me to something pretty huge for me. Since my friends all got a sweet 26.2 tattoo emblazoned on their arches, I've decided that I too will earn that tattoo. They say you're supposed to tell everyone when you set a big goal so that you won't back down. On the converse, I've heard the that you're supposed to hold your dreams close to the vest so that people won't dash them. Well, I have a wonderful coach who's making a training plan for me, a supportive husband, and a will to go the distance. I'm counting on the people in my life to make only positive comments about this training. Because if you can't say something nice...well, you know the rest.

It's going to be a long road, with lots of training, probably some tears from the mental barriers I'll have to push through and about half a year to nine months where I'll be one-track-mind girl, but it will culminate in the most physical feat I've accomplished aside from child-birth. I hope you'll join me for the ride.

Bust Your Buns!

It's Day 1 of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge hosted by Run To The Finish. If you want to sign up, it's not too late! A great way to stay accountable through the holidays and let your competitive side win. Even better, there are prizes to be won!

Today, I'm going to yoga from 9-10:20, which is 4 points and then running the three miles home, for a total of 7 points. I will also get in my 7 servings of fruits and veggies (3 down) for the bonus point. The contest runs through January 7th. Start working on those New Year's Resolutions in the old year!

(Not So) Guilty Pleasures

I love, love, love the food blog 101 Cookbooks. Over the last couple of years, I've become more interested in having a 'natural kitchen.' Ms. Swanson's books Supernatural Cooking, Supernatural Everyday and Cook 1.0 are on my amazon wishlist. I'm gradually switching my kids over to Adams Peanut Butter instead of Jif, honey and maple syrup and sweeteners instead of white sugar (my cryptonite) and the idea that yogurt or fruit with some whipped cream is dessert. This is as much for me as it is for them. Well, actually it's probably more for me than it is for them. I love sweets.

The Game On challenge has been very good for me in helping me to identify the times I eat, the things I eat and, aside from my day off and meal off, eliminating butter, white sugar and white flour from my diet. I am not saying that nobody should use the above ingredients, I'm just saying that I grossly overused them in my daily life. There have been many meals where I found that a spritz of olive oil cooking spray did the job just as well or better than a pat of butter, and meals where I found the opposite. My attempt to make a butterless whole-wheat pie crust was edible, and better than having no pie crust at all on my roasted vegetable tart, but really, I'd rather save pie crust for a day of indulgence and blend those lovely crumbs of butter in.

The contest only goes for four weeks at a time. As we're settling into the third week, I've been trying to prep for ways that I can still implement a lot of the principles of the game in my everyday life in a way that's sustainable. Drinking three liters of water a day is something I should have been doing all along, and one of the facets I'll definitely keep. Drinking black coffee, or no coffee at all? Not so much. However, I've definitely developed a much lower threshold on the sweet factor and am satisfied with a lot less; one tablespoon of creamer is just fine in my coffee instead of the two or three that I would have used before. Also, and I'm admitting this even though it makes me ridiculous, if I were eating grape nuts or a similar cereal before, I'd have sprinkled a little sugar on top. I know. But, I don't anymore, so that's that.

I love to bake, so have been looking for ways to feel fulfilled in that area without feeling like I'm just filling my house with sweets. You can only bring so many treats to the school, afterall. 101 Cookbooks to the rescue again. I found a Peanut Butter Cookie recipe that is not only fairly healthy, but it's a recipe you can make for a vegan friend without having to make any adustments, and it fits into the parameters of the game (if you eat one and count it as your fat for the meal.)

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did! I think the biggest trick is in underbaking them a little bit so that they don't get dried out and crunchy. I had my neighbor taste-test them without telling her they were 'healthy' and she liked them. I didn't have whole wheat pastry flour, so I just used regular whole wheat flour and it just adds to the nuttiness of the cookies. Lastly, I measured out almost a cup of the Adams creamy (no salt added) and then topped off the cup of peanut butter called for with some Mara Natha Almond Butter. Yum! My kids loved them as well, and were able to taste-test the batter since it's egg-less. Bon Apetit!

All In The Family

Tonight, I got out my Kitchen-Aide, buttermilk, softened butter, eggs, German chocolate...yes, it's birthday cake time again. This weekend, I'm headed to the family abode to celebrate my mom and oldest sister's birthdays. I have been making the birthday cakes for the last few celebrations because I love to bake. This time, my sister requested the cupcakes I made for H's party (Billy's Bakery Vanilla Vanilla), and my mom said she would love a German Chocolate cake.

The weekend we celebrated my dad and niece #2's birthday, I'm sorry to say I punked out and made cakes from a mix. Not this weekend, said I. So, right now my kitchen smells divine as the first round of cakes is baking.

It has been busy, busy, busy over the past month. I have been at H's school for everything from random check-ins at recess to collecting money for a fundraiser and punching cards for a fun physical fitness program that a parent created for kids to participate in during recess a couple days a week.

Now that the play room couldn't be mistaken for a Chernobyl fall-out zone, I hosted the very fist play-date at our house this week that was just for Charlie. I have been having so much fun with him, as H is in school, and have to admit that even though I have a large soft spot for him; he's going to be 'the one'. He is stubborn. I know. My child? Stubborn? Get out!

On to the next. J completed his third half-marathon two weeks ago, and last week I went to Boise to visit my college room-mates and ran in the Barber to Boise 10k with one of them. Before I left, I finished the Serenity blanket, and have scheduled a post for November 7th (after it's given to its intended) so stay tuned. I'm so happy with how it turned out. It's definitely the most complicated pattern I've completed thus far, while being so simple at the same time.

Recent reads include Ape House by Sarah Gruen, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (highly recommend it), and am in the middle of Run Like a Mother (love, love, love and follow them on facebook and their blog) and The Graveyard Book, which is aimed at children 10 and up, but so was Twilight, so hold your comments.

I have discovered how much I love having a dog. He is essentially me in dog form; afraid of the dark, needs to be with people, and has gastric issues that he's not afraid to share with the crowd. Getting crop-dusted by him has become a regular part of my morning coffee routine. Mmm. Good to the last drop.

I'm smack in the middle of a pair of socks (my first with a pattern other than ribbing) for that same patient friend, and next up is the Josie Newsboy, an uber-cute child's version of the Hannah newsboy hat. Both of which I need to complete before I head out to visit my besties in Woouhstuh the first week of November.

I am SO excited to run with my group again, I can't even stand myself. It's been very bittersweet to watch them train for the Cape Cod Marathon for the last four months, being so proud of them, but also knowing I'd be right there with them if I were still in Massachusetts to be swept up in the whirl of comraderie and suspended disbelief. Alas, I am where I am, and happy to be here; time to organize my own Walla-Mamas running group. If Moses won't come to the mountain, right?

Halloween is right around the corner and, of course, I volunteered to head up the party for H's class. I've got visions of sugar cookies and cupcakes dancing in my head. Yes, each child will have little pumpkin cookies to decorate with their own little portioned out ziploc bags of frosting. I. Am. Out. Of. Control. I know.

And, la piece de resistance: Charlie peed in the potty for the first time tonight! M&M's for everyone! (except me, who's smack in the middle of a round of the Game On! diet with my sistahs and best friend)

Whoops, the timer's dinging so that's all the time I have!

Photo of the Josie Newsboy is by Heidi Hennesy of Pepperberry Knits, designer of said pattern who hails from Boise, Idaho. (yay for local artists!)

The Great Slow Down

I ordered a great new cookbook; The Gourmet Slow Cooker which has awesome slow-cooker renditions of everything from Artichoke Risotto to Beef Burgandy separated out by country. I made the risotto last night and it was fantastic. It's the same as any other risotto in that you start it out on the stovetop, but when you get to the point that you'd lovingly ladle in 1/2 cup of stock at a time and stir, stir, stir, stir...and stir some more (generall right after you've added 1 cup of wine) you transfer the rice mixture to the crockpot and dump all the stock in at once. Cover and cook on high for two hours and Voila! Generally, I like the meditative process of it all, but now that school is in full swing, I don't want to spend 5 nights a week with H being tired or over-excited trying to corral him and make dinner at the same time.

When I lifted the lid with about fifteen minutes left, I had my doubts...there was a lot of liquid left to be absorbed. But after about twenty minutes more, I lifted and stirred and it was the same perfect creamy consistency of every risotto I've slaved over. Except instead of stirring for about 30 minutes constantly, I was watching H race his bike down the street, getting to hear all about his first day of Kindergarten and how he's 'nervous to not make new friends.'

Another bonus was that I was able to hit the road (literally) with my new running buddy, J and the kids ate, and when I got home, dinner was still warm for me. Genius!

I'm going to try to make at least three slow-cooker meals during the school week throughout this year. There are two more volumes to this cookbook, including a vegetarian slow cooker tome. And now, it's time to hit the road with my new BOB jogger and baby Charlie while the big boy is at school.

And, if you were born before 1986, you'll appreciate that today is 90210

Barefoot in My Kitchen and Not Pregnant

I had my backyard dream come true today. The kids had a morning playdate outside. I left the window open and listened for any cries that seemed to indicate loss of life or limb and made dinner, cleaned up, and had it prepped in the fridge for baking that evening. All before 11am. I am in love with my new home.

Our worldly possessions arrived on Friday. Well, most of them anyhow, and I unpacked the kitchen that first night. I loved knowing that I would wake up the next morning and push past the mass of boxes in my bedoom and closet to a box-free world of main living space. I could open any cabinet and find my flour, sugar, olive oil, wine glasses...and a lot of room to spare. Unpacking was like Christmas and grocery shopping all in one.

Our new furniture arrived just minutes before the moving truck so in one fell swoop, our house was becoming a home. As I try to decide where to place all my favorite prints and artwork, I'm realizing that the scale of these walls is totally different. I see a fun lets-have-the-kids-do-a-giant-art-project-in-the-yard post coming up. Hopefully it turns out that I can actually hang the result on our gynormous living room wall!

Taking a shower this morning, I realized that the only hitch is that the sparkly clean house we moved into would eventually have to be cleaned, and for the bathrooms, that eventuality is now. Ah well, the bliss of sparkly white porcelain couldn't last forever without intervention, right?

I haven't run since the half-marathon. Yikes. However, J and I have decided to train for, and run, the first annual Walla Walla half-marathon. I love how strong I feel when I'm running consistently, and have not yet gotten to the point of no return for the land of the in-shape, so tomorrow morning I have a date with the black top.

I got J's blessing to order the double Bob so that there are no excuses if we both want to go running and the kiddos aren't otherwise occupied. I can't wait for it to arrive! I had initially felt myself very small town minded when I decided to order the stroller from the local bike shop. Alas, they called this morning and said that their distributor was out of them until the end of August. Boo!

As for feeling powerful when running, there have been lots of other fun benefits as well. There are many aspects of your life that are more fun when you're in shape and feel more confident about your body...but one is especially fun.

Speaking of fun activities. With plans for a Baby #3 in the works around spring time, I started asking around about local OB's that will do a VBAC. To my horror, I found that the hospital here has a no VBAC policy. I was incensed, and immediately watched The Business of Being Born again, because instant play on Netflix is the best course of action, right?

I am only semi-joking when I say that a home birth is not far off my radar, as I can't imagine having surgery for no reason. I contacted my Massachusetts OB, whom I love and respect very much, and he said that a home-birth was actually not a bad option if the midwife I use has rights and back-up at the hospital. My husband is a doctor, after all! He also, however, encouraged me to be very proactive in talking with the hospital and advocating for my wishes. Now, this is all assuming that once I actually talk to my OB and explain that I've already had a successful VBAC and that doesn't change everything.

Get ready for one hi-larious birth story post if this wailing mama goes au naturel at home. Maybe we'd even use my sweet soaker tub and have the ultimate low-tone moaning experience of water birth. I am not making fun of home birth, or water birth for that matter. But, I know that those who know and love me are laughing at the thought.

On that note, I better go drink another fabulous crisp, cool glass of local Viognier (Cougar Crest, yummy!) as my oven timer is about to beckon.

Wide Open Spaces

I'm sitting in my new kitchen, perched atop a stool with a rug-rat at my feet who's not quite convinced this time change ever happened. We hit some snags along the journey, but the bottom line is that we're in our new home, and it's everything I hoped it would be. Save for one little detail; we have no furniture, or any of our things.

Wait, you say. Didn't she just say she was perched atop a bar stool? Okay, yes, I have a card table with four folding chairs and two bar stools. But our actual possessions were last seen in Syracuse, NY and are slated to be delivered next week. In the meantime, I rounded out my trifecta of dream appliances with the Electrolux 'red hot red' front-loader washer and dryer and a monster of a french door stainless Samsung refrigerator.

J and I spent the last four days building the fence that will allow me to sit on the back patio and lazily sip my coffee while the kids have the run of the yard. J's parents came from Montana to help with the fence-building process, and when Granny and Papa came to deliver the bedding I had shipped to their house, they also donated a day of labor and child-watch. I can't even begin to describe how nice it is to be close to family.

Prior to Day 1 of Operation Build a Fence, I ran my second half-marathon; Fueled by Fine Wine in Dundee, Oregon. It was the most beautiful, but also the hardest course I've ever run. I was so dreading the race because I'd run exactly once since June 27th, but I'm so glad I just got over myself and did it. The course itself was a 'slow' course, which made my slow time just fine.

I ran the race with my best friend and my sister-in-law. It was my friend's first half-marathon and she rocked it, I'm so proud of her! My sister-in-law ran it even though she was sick, and still had an awesome time. After two 900 gains and decreases in elevation, I was deliriously happy to see that finish line. At the end, I actually did want to sample some of the offerings and a crisp, chilled brut followed by a cold pinot noir rose never tasted so good! Lunch and a shower with my brother and sister-in-law on the East side of Portland before making the drive home were just what the doctor ordered.

When we arrived back in Walla Walla, we stopped by Safeway where I picked up an assortment of cheeses, some crackers a salad...the perfect light dinner fare. We were home for about 10 minutes when the doorbell chimed and I thought 'Seriously...I'm too tired to be neighborly' but I opened the door anyway. On the stoop stood our old friends, who we hadn't seen in person since I was pregnant with Charlie. We put the kids to bed, opened a bottle of wine and sat in our back yard visiting until almost midnight. It was the perfect end to the day.

On the flip-side of all of that; I miss my friends. We had a good thing going in Massachusetts, and it's just hard to start all over again. Last night was the first time H has watched TV of any kind in over four days, and it was as if the Backyardigans were the best thing since sliced bread. Today we're going to our first playdate where H will get to play with kids his own age since we left Massachusetts. He's starving for some same-age stimulation!

And that's all for now because I have a toddler struggling with the sliding glass door, and the coffee has brewed. Off to enjoy the early morning sun and the beautiful fenced yard that is all my own.

Like a Chicken With Its Head Cut Off!

For the last two weeks, I feel like I haven't had time to sit and breathe, let alone write a post.

Highlights include my precious Baby Charlie making the shift to the Terrific Two's, a fantastic day out with the girls to Newburyport, which included a stop at the Todd Farms Flea Market, walking through the great antique shops like Flukes, and ending with lunch at Grogs followed by dessert and coffee at a cute bakery.

H is winding down his time at school as we start to pack up our belongings in preparation of the big move at the end of the month.

Our house is completed including sod and (I think) all the paperwork for the loan is in, now we just have to play the waiting game until closing on the 30th. One of my girlfriends emailed me offering to take the kids for the morning, and another friend offered to come occupy H in the afternoon while Charlie napped, so J and I had the WHOLE day to pack. No matter how much I hate packing, I'm so glad that J suggested we start early because we've already gotten rid of a massive amount of stuff that would have just gotten shoved into boxes had we waited until the end to start.

It's the busy times in your life that you realize how great your friends are. Over the last three years, I've been blessed with an amazing support network both near and far.

This weekend was a bit of a whirlwind, beginning with us dropping the kids off with family in Connecticut, because they'd generously given their time to watch them overnight so we could attend J's graduation ceremony for the residency program and not have to worry about a sitter.

I couldn't quite hang with the big dogs for the entire after party so I took my tired booty home so that I could awake bright and early for my last training run before the big day! While J picked the kids up, I sort of stood in the loft and stared at the boxes I could be packing should I have the energy or motivation. Finding neither I headed back downstairs to watch another episode of what has become my current obsession; Friday Night Lights. Oh, how glad I was to find that the actor who plays Tim Riggins is only 2 years younger than I in real life because I was starting to feel downright pervy.

Dinner with the team over, I quickly escorted the kids home, gave them the most abbreviated wipe down possible and sent them to bed. I packed my bag, a bag for them that J could bring with when he and the kids came to cheer me on, and got my outfit laid out. By 9pm, I had reviewed the course map one last time before driving peacefully, and had one of the best nights of sleep I've had in a very long time.

5am came rather quickly, but I was wide awake, ready to face the biggest challenge of my life to date. I think I can say it was almost as challenging as childbirth because they don't give you an epidural during a half-marathon if the pain is too much, or you need to get some rest.

I dressed, rolled, ate two pieces of toast, drank a packet of emergen-c and it was off to the Y I went to stretch with my team-mates and chat away the nervous energy. I was so much less nervous than I anticipated being, and even less nervous than those first Saturday long runs. I realized as I was standing there that it was because I felt really and truly prepared.

The race was great, filled with so much encouragement by the spectators, water station volunteers and the police officers that were controlling the mayhem that is Kelly Square. As I crossed over mile 8 and was feeling good, I knew I'd be okay. However, whoever said that the last mile is the easiest, I'd like you to identify yourself so that I can smack you in the face. You are a horrible liar! I cannot even describe the joy I felt as I saw that huge FINISH banner looming ahead and I sprinted in.

Waiting at the end were H, Charlie and J. As I crossed the timing pads, H looked at me with his sweet smile and said 'Congratulations, Mom!' I swooped him up, and the emotion of the moment hit me. Swollen fingers, tired legs, I started to cry. Which is really difficult when you've not yet caught your breath so I pulled it together, and put on a smile.

And that's the last two weeks, in a nutshell.

Hot To Trot

Today was a super hot run! We ran as a team in 99 degree weather with I don't know what percentage of humidity. For 5.15 glorious miles we sucked in what air we could and sweat profusely, but at the end we were done. And we'd all done it together.

The race is coming up quickly, and I feel pretty prepared. I'm certainly nervous, but the course is out now, and we've run every bit of it in training, so there are no surprises. Tonight's run was rough also because I came off of a very good week. Last week, I ran both runs without stopping to walk, which felt amazing. The weekend long run was over eleven miles and it was hilly, hilly, hilly. After we'd completed it, we were told that if we could complete that run, we were golden for race day.

This evening when I felt the sun baring down on me, I started to worry; what if it's like this on race day? Although I know that it will most likely not be 99 degrees by the time I finish (hopefully before 11am), it could very well be quite uncomfortable. Runs like tonight serve only to help me not be as concerned about the effects of weather on my performance. Thanks to an incredibly unpredictable New England Spring, we've run in every weather condition from sleet and snow to insufferable heat.

I'm getting closer and closer to that thirty pound mark, and after spending the last few days hitching up my shorts, I think it's time to break down and buy a couple, since I don't see altering my current shorts happening anytime soon.

A friend from high school started a team for the Portland Marathon in October. While I won't be training for the full marathon, J has become inspired and just might. I'll be doing the 10k at the least, and the half at the most. I'm excited to have events that I'm committed to at least through the fall so that I can be motivated to continue training.

Losing this initial weight and getting into shape is making me feel more confident about presenting myself to new people when we move. This whole process of 'dating' other moms is hard work! Almost as much as getting ready for your annual exam.

With a 'four and three-quarters' year-old who's starting to express his anxiety about making new friends, I've got to be ready to hit the ground running (literally, probably!) in order to make connections. J rolled his eyes about this idea, but I'm doing it anyway; I asked the realtor for some of our new neighbors' stats and will be sending them a letter 'from H' letting them know that we're coming to town; as luck would have it, the neighbors across the street have four boys ranging in age from three to twelve. I'm all about letting my freak flag fly.

Tomorrow will be crazy busy, but I get to cap it off with...that's right: Sex and the City 2 comes out tomorrow! I'll be in the theater with a smile on my face, will you?

The photo is of me after the 11 mile run. I was SO proud of myself! We ran at just over 12 minute miles for the whole time...and no, that's not a WWF championship belt, or a really big rodeo buckle, just turned the camelbak around before they took the picture!