See Cat Run

Howdy friends! My apologies for the absence. I'm really into my books right now and not so much cooking, studying or blogging. My Google reader has been extremely neglected too. But I have not forgotten about you, friends!

My last attempt at food creativity was a good two weeks ago, when I attempted to modify and make Post Punk Kitchen's snobby joes. I remembered that I needed a can of tomato paste for it, but other than that it was loosely based.

These were still tasty, but not quite what the creator meant for them to be I would imagine. The biggest difference was subbing some of a bag of a frozen pepper and onion mix for the yellow onion and green pepper. It would have been so much better with fresh onion. That and my oregano expired. Oh and I forgot I was halving the recipe so it was a tad heavy on the tomato paste. More lycopene for me!

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In other news, after almost following the spring training plan I picked up for a week, I then took the weekend and next week off. Of course. Silly book. I blame Diana Gabaldon, though this is what broke the weekend:

Hubs's new toy. (Looks kinda like a bug, doesn't it?) Also known as death mobile. Notice the lack of back rest or even handles for the second rider. Yeah….

If ever you are looking for an inner thigh workout, my friends, get your mate a crotch rocket. Or a jet ski. Either one will work.

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In any case, I'm back on the training wagon: pounded out a three mile run (without music! so refreshing) followed by level one of the Jillian's 30 Day Shred. I'm finally able to do all of the reps! Not saying I'm not making some rather unfeminine noises as I do so, but I'm doing it!

I'm done with my evening lab, so I'm going to see how it works as written. Tomorrow's the last day of class! Then I have a week and a half till the final… Can't I just get it over with?

I also really, really want to do this: Tri to Beat Cancer.

It's local and it would be my first! And since I'm taking classes I can use the school's pool for free to train for the 400 m swim. I just need to get another one piece and get my bike tuned up. And scrounge up $80 for the entrance fee…

And, its only two weeks after fall semester begins and my schedule gets insane. Can we say taper period?

I'm pretty stoked.

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I'm also pretty stoked that my buddy Julie (whose blog Julie vs. Vegetables you should all be reading) gave me my very first blog award!

Here are the rules:
1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. List who gave the award to you and use a link to her/his blog.
3. List 10 things that make you happy.

• Date nights with Hubs
• My silly puppy (currently wet on my lap, he was playing peeping tom to my shower so got pulled in)
• A fast, easy run that makes me feel like I can do anything
• Cuddling on the couch with said puppy and a really good book (been spending too much time on this lately!
• A good sweat (assuming I'm seeking one out, not just from a walk across campus)
• Drinks with my running buddy (who I haven't seen in weeks and is about to graduate)
• Girl talk with bff Alex
• My 'stories': Glee and Vampire Diaries
• That perfect 68 degrees and sunny which is so elusive in the south
• A new semester or race that gives me a new direction to head in, a new goal to meet, new drive in life.

4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know about the award.

• Caitlin of Healthy Tipping Point: One of my most favorite healthy living bloggers. I love her sense of humor. I wish we could be real life friends! (I'd say that about everyone here though.) Plus its her birthday!!!
• Lo of Honey Nut Lo: For always makin' me crack a smile with her outrageous weekend recaps. Keep them coming, lady!
• Ashley of Health Ashley: Officially a vegan ultra-runner. Totally an inspiration and someone I hope to actually meet in person this summer! (Come on Bondi Band, send her to Atlanta!) She's so sweet and I could really learn a lot from her.
• Frayed Laces: What can I say, another inspiration. Both grad student and ultra-athlete, training to complete her first half Ironman in two months. Seriously makes me think that my beginning foray into athleticism while working full time and taking classes just might be possible.

Well I'm afraid I really don't have much to share today. This has been a pretty mundane week, but I'm caught up in my bio class! This is particularly exciting since I have a test on Tuesday…

Monday I took Ollie out on our first attempt at a run. We did two miles with a run/walk of somewhere around 30 seconds for each interval. He loved it once he got over how scary traffic is. He's quite the chicken. Anytime we approach a human or a dog he stops to let them pass. And big dogs, off their leash? "Pick me up! pick me up! pick me up! Save me!" He gets over it eventually though, he opened up a lot at the dog park today.

I tried to take him out again on Thursday but the weather has hit the 80s here in the south and I quickly began dripping sweat, so we just went for a long walk and ran the downhills. I didn't want to risk his over heating!

I tried another recipe out of The Vegetarian Bible today, an asparagus and pea fricassee with eggs. The shallot and white wine gravy is the only thing that took awhile, and I probably should have cooked it even longer than I did. It could have stood to be a tad thicker. I had no idea what I was looking for though. I think the eggs are only there for protein and perhaps a different texture.

The book recommends serving this with new potatoes and dark greens, but we had fries earlier and had it as is for dinner

I really like the lay-out and how informative this cookbook is but a lot of the recipes involve dairy, which I'm trying to avoid (I swear its helping my skin clear up a bit!). I'd really like to get my hand on Veganomicon to take a peek inside. I looked for vegan cookbooks on UGA library's website and they only have a book about vegan cupcakes. Tasty, but not quite life-sustaining. My library account is currently blocked (overdue book, oooops…) but as soon as I get that turned back in I'll probably see if I can find it through the statewide university library system.

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Thoughts on Veganism…

At the Orlando meet-up there was brief conversation between some non-vegans about what would hold them back from going full-on. Most said ice cream, I said eggs I was totally in love with eggs before that weekend, and then we were out. But since then, I really haven't had any interest in them lately, just like I haven't had any interest in meat in the last few weeks. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks, how my instincts change. I've lost my taste for fast food (except Arby's fries, though I was satisfied after 2-3 today), so that's good. The most difficult part for me, if I were to try to go vegan, would be avoiding the dairy used to bake breads. Or the animal products used in bottling beer (except Guinness!) and clarifying wine. Or the gelatin in gum and hard candies, though really I never buy gum.

I've been avoiding dairy because I'm somewhat lactose intolerant. I can handle pizza cheese and I love a good goat cheese, plus I'll eat yogurt on occasion, but the after affects of yogurt, cream cheese, and such aren't really worth it to me. My skin has been very uncooperative since I changed birth control back in November, breaking out like it never did during puberty. During the weeks before my half marathons when I made the effort to eat cleaner, I also tried to eliminate dairy and I feel like my skin cleared up because of it. Some would say its because of how acidifying dairy is to the body, but I'm not sure how much I believe all of that. If it works, that's good enough for me Now I should probably cut back to alcohol just a few times a week, instead of every night.

Basically, just like I haven't gone so far to call myself a vegetarian, I doubt I'll label myself a vegan (unless it helps a waiter understand why I'm making special requests or gets me out of dissections in lab ). I don't want to label myself and then feel like I've failed or let myself down when do eat meat or cheese (I do love pizza after all). There are times, like the evening after Disney, when something will jump off a menu at me and sound like the most amazing thing in the world. Like a good pulled pork sandwich. Without a label I have no one to let down, not even myself. Sounds like a happy plan.

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And now, here's a silly picture of my baby boy:

This is kind of staged, he does carry the toy around like a frame occasionally, but as soon as I grabbed the camera he dropped it. I love that it looks like a frame.

He also has a squeeky toy that he's started squeeking at us and it reminds me of the Blue Man Group skit with the Cap'n Crunch

Cereal crunch

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I'm off to watch Harry Potter in bed, goodnight!