Last year when I was training, I felt like I was going to die the last half of my long runs. On Wednesday, I actually picked up the pace the last 3 miles and sprinted home, 8 min/mile!! No way could I have done that before.
Next Saturday, I have my 13 mile long run. I'm doing it in the form of a race: The Bixby Legacy Half-Marathon. I'm pretty excited about it. This will give me a chance to set my pace for the bigger race in OKC on April 29th, just 2 weeks later.
Based on how I've been feeling with this training, I think that I might like to train for the full marathon, which is in Tulsa in November. The only problem I see? I HATE RUNNING IN THE HEAT!!! I prefer to run in about 45-50 degrees, with a slight wind in my face. I get really hot and I have trouble with my breathing. So, that's the only concern right now, but it's a pretty big deal. It's basically the reason I didn't train for the full last summer. Last summer was BRUTAL here. Highs around 120 degrees for a solid month -2 months. When I was supposed to start my marathon training in July, the temp at 7 am was already almost 100 degrees! I'm just praying for a mild summer like we've had a mild winter!!!
Ok, so on to food.....As you might know by now, my family LOVES cold cereal. My kiddos have been weened off the sugary colorful cereals and I have slowly introduced them to some healthier options, such as Mom's Best Naturals, Puffins, plain Cheerios, and plain Kix. But, I'm still not happy about the amount of ingredients and sugar in said cereals. NOT TO MENTION the insane amount of money I'm spending on cereal. So, I got the smart idea that I could make my own cereal! I searched around online and I found NO recipes or ideas for kids' cereals. So what the heck, I can do this, right?
I went to Whole Foods and found this generic Puff cereal.
There is only 1 ingredient: brown rice...check. And the price for a hugemongous bag was only 2 bucks....check. The only problem? It is def not sweet and actually is quite bland. So, I added some honey and toasted these in the oven for a couple minutes. THESE ARE DELICIOUS!!! Definitely kid-approved! Here is my "recipe"
Honey Toasted Puffs
- 3 c Brown Rice Puff Cereal
- 3 T honey
Mix honey and puff cereal in a bowl until evenly coated. Spread honey puffs out on baking sheet in single layer.
Toast in oven for about 8-10 min.
Let cool then store in a Ziploc bag or other airtight container.
The only thing is since there are no preservatives, you probably need to eat these up in a week. Which, for our house, that will not be a problem.
I just realized that I didn't give you an update on cooking dry beans. I have, for as long as I've been cooking, used canned beans for every recipe. It is super convenient! However, if you check the ingredient label, there is an INSANE amount of salt added plus preservatives, not to mention BPA-lined cans! So, I decided to give cooking my own beans a shot. All along, I had an out. I knew that if they didn't turn out great, I'd go back to canned beans in a heartbeat. Verdict? I will never go back to canned beans again! It is so much easier than I thought it was going to be. Although it takes a long time for them to soak & cook, it doesn't require much effort at all on my part. Here is how I cooked mine:
Open bag of dry beans
and pour into colander. Rinse off the beans and pick out any beans that are discolored. Pour beans into the ceramic bowl of your crock pot and cover with water plus 2-3 inches on top.
Don't turn crock pot on, just let sit for at least 6 hours, or over night.
Pour beans & juice into colander and rinse beans again. Pour back into crock pot and cover with water plus 2-3 inches (it doesn't really matter if you have more than that, it will all be dumped anyway). Cover and cook in crock pot on low for 8 hours.
Pour beans back in colander and rinse again.
Measure out 1 & 3/4 c and store glass jars or Ziploc baggies. My 16 oz bag of chick peas made the equivalent of 4 cans!
The best part is I know EXACTLY what is in my beans, no added preservatives or sodium. Score!
This afternoon, I was very busy and had to take Eli to soccer practice with all the kiddos. So, I knew dinner had to be quick and easy. On my list for the remainder of the week was Southwestern Veggie Panini from Amy's.com (adapted from eatingwell.com) and it was AWESOME!! Probably one of my absolute favorite dinners....I know I say that all the time but I mean it! Here are some pics and the recipe:
Southwestern Veggie Panini (adapted from eatingwell.com)
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup clean salsa (your choice)
• 8 slices whole-wheat bread
Directions:
1. Have some 15-ounce cans and a medium skillet (not nonstick) ready by the stove.
2. Combine Cheddar, zucchini, carrot, onion, salsa and in a medium bowl. Divide among 4 slices of bread
and top with the remaining bread.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 paninis in the pan. Place the medium skillet on top of the panini, then weigh it down with the cans.
Cook the panini until golden on one side, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, flip the panini, replace the top skillet and cans, and cook until the second side is golden, 1 to 3 minutes more.
Repeat with another 1 teaspoon oil and the remaining panini.
The kids LOVED this! I served it with some cantaloupes and pineapple. I also spread a little avocado on mine and the babies' paninis. They LOVE avocado and it's a healthy fat for them.
Well that's all I have for now! I have a 4 miler in the morning, so I need to get some rest. Thanks for reading!!
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