What Dental School has kept from you - An Update!

Its been a while so this might take a while!! :o)

As my first full semester of dental school (13 classes and 28 credits) progressed and got more difficult I had less time to sit down and keep everyone updated on my progress. As Lex told you guys I did a 5K before thanksgiving and RAN the whole thing for the first time ever!! It was great to see the hard work that has gone into all of this training pay off. After the 5 K it got more difficult for me to run outdoors (Michigan cold + asthma = trouble). I started to use my elliptical again and my parent's put me on the family plan at our gym but I wasnt getting to do as much training as I would have liked. Over thanksgiving I also had some health trouble which kept me from training but as a pick me up my Dad got me my very own treadmill for my basement!! It was a wonderful early Christmas present!

After thanksgiving school got even harder; in the last 3 weeks of the semester I had 10 exams, 2 quizzes, 2 practicals, and 11 projects/assignments to get through, so my running and blogging really took a back seat. I did manage to continue to do some cooking, that bonus pasta recipes I posted was predominately featured in my diet! Yumm!! I finished the semester on the 16th and I am very excited about and pleased to announce my 3.97 GPA :o) I had a few days off at home in which I spent going to the gym with my parents ever day and getting caught up on a lot of sleep! Now I am in Alta getting some much needed time in with my other Muffie, my brother in law and my wonderful, handsome, talkative and adorable nephew!! Our brother Greg is also here from the NY/ New Jersey area which is awesome, I dont get to see him nearly as often since he moved in August! Lex updated you on our workouts and cross training in her previous post, all of which has been a lot of fun.

Soon to come... Muffie New Years Resolutions :o)

Happy Holidays everyone from the MUFFIES!!!

Running Through the Holidays

Again, it's been awhile since I've posted.  Which doesn't necessarily mean it's been a long time since I ran...but in this case, I think it does.  I've been cross-training, though!  I think my last significant outdoor run was on Thanksgiving Day -- a gorgeous, gentle jog through the lush farmlands of Junction City, OR.  I regularly sing the praises of CA weather, but during this run, I was lamenting its lack of such lovely scenery.  Since getting back to CA, I slept through the Christmas Run (oops!) but made up for it on the treadmill later that evening.  I managed to sneak in a few more quick treadmill sessions, I took several core fusion classes, and I battled an outrageous cough!  Now I've made it to Alta, UT -- where Seester and I have been hitting the gym, the slopes, and the "cat tracks" (on snow shoes!) to keep plugging away towards our Tinkerbell goal.  AND -- now I have my official lime green 1/2 marathon t-shirt.  Can't wait to rock it out during our Jan 29th race!

Posting For the Both of Us

As might be expected with a Seester who is in graduate school...she's busy!  No posted recipes lately...although both of us have been cooking.  (I'm not posting the recipes I've been cooking because there's not much "healthy" about things like pulled pork and cheesy pasta casserole!  I did make an orange chicken/sweet potato concoction in the crock pot recently, but it was mediocre and not worth sharing.)  What has been happening is a LOT of running!  We've both been on the lookout for local 5/10 K races -- Seester finished a hilly one in the Arb (hilly as in, where we used to go for killer H.S. track practices!) in a respectable time, and then finished the Dexter Turkey Trot last Saturday in just over 30 minutes.  Jogged the whole thing -- no walking!!  And with her encouragement, Ronen and I were out on the roads as well, clocking a 1:04 for a 10K along a lovely stretch of San Vicente Blvd in Brentwood.  One of the fabulous things about LA -- it's always running weather!!

Baby Jogging!

It's been quite some time since I've posted...no sense in an update stating "uggh, I'm behind!"  Except, well, that's exactly why we started this blog in the first place.  It's just a chance for us Seesters to keep each other accountable for the mini-changes we pledged to make after spaaaahing together in August.  Here's my update...after several weeks of "making it a priority" to get Ronen in the baby jogger, I FINALLY did it!  Twice!!  Last Sunday, he was up unusually early on Sunday morning -- so as soon as it was light out, I loaded him in the BoB and we jogged to his favorite park.  He was a bit perturbed that I didn't let him out to play -- I had to finish my lap around the perimeter-- but after I'd gotten in a good jog I let him out to scramble around for a bit.  Sadly, I didn't get my Tuesday run in last week; I had a time crunch and succumbed to 20 minutes on the elliptical.  BUT...This past Sunday was the annual Pancreatic Cancer Challenge, which Ronen and I ran together.  A full 10 K!  I don't know my time, as the highlight of the race was jogging the last few hundred yards to cross the finish line with my momma.  Whoooooo-hooooooooo!  My shins are sore today, but it feels great to have finally worked in a way to run more than once a week.  Next up race-wise is the Christmas Run (Dec 10th), and then just a few more weeks 'til our 1/2 marathon.  It's gonna be awesome.

Recipe Six - Italian Turkey Loaves with Pasta Pesto

Italian Turkey Loaves
Servings 6
Calories per Serving 100

1 Cup Zuccini
3/4 Cup Carrots
1/2 Cup Celery
1/4 Cup Onion
1/2 Tbs Garlic
Step 1 Wash and Chop Veggies
Step 2 with FOOD PROCESSOR (yay) running drop in the garlic to minc and then add the other veggies to fine chop them

1 1/4 Ground Turkey (yes I chose this recipe cause I needed to use up my ground turkey :o])
3/4 tsp Marjoram
1 1/2 Tbs Browth Powder
1/4 tsp Thyme
3 Egg Whites
Step 3 Add to mixture in the food processor and process to mix
Step 4 Form 6 Individual loaves on a cookie sheet

Italian Sauce
3/4 Cup Tomatoe Sauce
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Basil
Step 5 Grind herbs and mix into the tomatoe sauce
Step 6 Top loaves with sauce and bake at 375 for one hour
Step 7 Serve topped with fresh parsley


Pasta Pesto
Servings 6
Calories per serving 170

12 oz Spinach fettucini or Spaghetti
Step 1 Cook and set aside

1/2 Cup Fresh Spinach
1/2 Cup Fresh Basil leaves chopped
1/2 Tbs Fresh pressed garlic
1 1/2 Tbs Water
Step 2 Place in blender and process to liquify
Step 3 Heat a large skillet then add spinach mixture bring to a simmer
Step 4 Add pasta and toss to heat through

3 Tbs Grated parmesan cheese
Step 5 Serve on ehated plate and top each serving with a GENEROUS sprinkle of cheese :o)

YUMM

It's a Process

First -- no, I did not get Ronen out on a run last week.  Bummer.  And yes, I'm weeks behind on cooking the meals.  (It's one meal a week -- good grief, you'd think I could do it!!)  However, I'm not going to beat myself up about it.  In fact, I will publically celebrate the small victories since my last post.  (1) I did a yoga DVD last Thursday morning.  It wasn't quite the same as getting to class, but hey, it was yoga.  At 6 AM.  Victory.  (2) The Bailey Family has not had leftovers for dinner for quite some time.  I didn't get to making the halibut, but I've roasted veggies, made crock pot soup, experimented with buttermilk in several favorite recipes (thumbs up in the shephard's pie, thumbs down in the pancakes), and sent Ronen with something different for lunch every day.  Victory. (3) I ran the 1.5 miles in my annual fitness test in just under 12 minutes, passing the (fighter pilot) boss in the final 100 yards.  Victory!
The cooking and running routines are part of a larger effort to feel like my life and my schedule are manageable and under control.  It's been satisfying to go to bed every night with the dishwasher loaded, a load of laundry running in the dryer, and a sense that I'll be well rested and ready to tackle the next day.  Getting in a run and having the night's dinner planned out are one small part of the routine -- some days are more on the ball than others -- but I'm giving myself full credit for taking lots of steps in the right direction.  And yes, it's still on the agenda to get Ronen into the BOB for a run!

Bonus Recipe - Alena's Charizo Pasta

Extra Virgin Olive Oli
Red Pepper Flakes
Step 1: Heat Oil with Red Pepper Flakes in skillet

Pasta (usually Penne) - Boil Pasta as other stuff is cooking!

Sweet Onion Sliced
Garlic (2 or so cloves)
Step 2: Add Onions and cook for about 2 minutes
Step 3: Add Garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so

Charizo (uncased and pulled apart)
Step 4: Add charizo

Red and Yellow Bell Pepper
Step 5: Cut peppers into thinish slices and add to the skillet - cook for a few minutes

Tomatoe
Step 6: Chop up the tomatoe and add to the skillet approximatedly 2 minutes before the pasta is cooked

Spinch
Step 7: Add spinich and pasta unitl spinach is wilted

Goat Cheese
Step 8: SERVE!! add goat cheese once in your bowl!!

Yum Yum!!

Recipe Five - Thai Coconut Curried Chicken with Potatoes

1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 lb chicken breast (cut in strips)
Step 1: Wipe skillet with toasted sesame oil and heat
Step 2: Add chicken, cook then set to the side

1 large Red bell pepper
1 large Onion
1 Tbs Curry Powder
1 Tbs Soy Sauce
Step 3: Add Onion Bell Pepper, Curry Powder and Soy Sauce to a Skillet. Cook on High heat to soften onion.

1 3/4 Cup Water
2 tsp Coconut Extract
1 Tbs Arrowroot Powder
Step 4: Combine Water, Coconut Extract, and Arrowroot, add to skillet and bring to a simmer

3/4 lb Potatoes (cut in 1 inch cubes)

Step 5: Add potatoes and chicken and simmer until potatoes are tender

6 Cups Spinach Leaves
Step 6: Stir in Spinach to just wilt and serve

Overcoming Excuses

I'll admit it publicly: aside from teaching Core Fusion classes and going on my regularly scheduled Tuesday AM runs, I haven't exercised in weeks.  There are lots of reasons -- AFROTC classes have started and we're severely short manned, we're hosting a church-wide garage sale in our garage this weekend and I've been putting in an enormous amount of time and energy to get ready for it, Justin's grandma passed away and we travelled to her funeral, Ronen is at my favorite kid age I'm loathe to give up any of the few waking hours I get with him (does taking Ronen to Gymboree count as exercise???)...standard excuses.  I know better than to over-extend myself to the point where I'm not taking care of myself.  As I was running on Tuesday AM, I was thinking about ways to get Ronen time while I'm running -- I have a jogging stroller, so it's kind of a no-brainer.  Here's the problem: I don't like running in neighborhoods; I like paths.  So to include Ronen would mean either: (1) hauling him and the stroller to the beach path or (2) running closer to home.  One involves a lot of time, the other involves a lot of street crossings and traffic!  The rest of this week is a little insane with the garage sale, but my goal for next week is to take Ronen on a run -- some day other than Tuesday AM!

Recipe Four - Halibut with Black-Bean Relish

This recipe is not from the Oaks cookbook but it is from another fitness cookbook that I have that I have wanted to try, so here we go!!

Halibut, Black-Bean Relish and Greek Salad
Servings 1
Calories per Serving 385 (for all)

6 oz Halibut Filet (or Steak)
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tsp chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1/2 tsp dried)
Salt and Pepper
Step 1: Season Halibut with herbds and salt and pepper
Step 2: Grill or Broil until cooked (about 5 min on each side)

1/2 Cup Black beans
2 Tbs Minced Onions
2 Tbs Tomato Diced
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Minced Cilantro
1 tsp Dried Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
Step 3: Combine all ingredients for relish

2 Cups Torn Romaine Lettuce
1/2 Cucumber Sliced
2 Tbs Crumbled Feta Cheese
Halved Cherry Tomatoes
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
Step 4: Combine and Serve with a light Dressing

Happy Eating :o)

Recipe Three - Teriyaki Turkey Burger with Mushrooms

I searched as best I could for something with lamb but I'm starting to believe the Oaks considers it a "Red Meat" so there are NO recipes that use it. This is what I found that sounded tasty, and it requires very few ingredients (bonus!). Maybe my lovely sister will post her delicious sweet potato fries recipe for a side dish, counting I have a hard time eating a burger with out FRIES!!!

Teriyaki Turkey Burger
Servings 6
Calories per Serving 150

1 1/4 Lb Fresh (never frozen) Ground Turkey
1 T. Teriyaki Sauce
1/4 Cup Onion - Minced
Step 1: Combine ground turkey, teriyaki sauce and onion
Step 2: Form Burgers
Step 3: Grill burgers to brown on each side. Do NOT overcook!!

1 1/2 Cups Mushrooms
Step 4: Toss mushrooms with a little teriyaki sauce and saute in the juice from the burgers. Just enough to make them tender but not long enough to shrink them.
Step 5: Serve the mushrooms on top of the burger.

I will also be serving this with a simple Green Salad and some Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt for Dessert!

Happy Eating!

Bonus Recipe! "New-Fashioned" Banana Bread

I have some leftover bananas from last week's "peach melba" -- just thought I'd share what I'm planning to do with them. 

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp [freshly grated -- ha!] nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1 Tbs canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line the bottom of a loaf pan with waxed paper and spray the inside of the pan with oil.

2. Whisk the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.

3.  In another bowl, beat the brown sugar, mashed banana, applesauce, buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla until lightened and frothy (about 2 minutes with an electric mixer on high).

4. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Do not overmix.  Spread in the prepared pan.

5. Bake until cracks appear on the top, the loaf springs back when pressed, and the sides are beginning to pull away from the pan.  Do not overbake.

Enjoy!!

Thanks to the "Healthy Oven Baking Book" by Sarah Phillips for this recipe!

It's all about a consistent routine

Can't say I did much in the way of cooking OR running over the Labor Day weekend, but I did enjoy several evening events and taught EIGHT Core Fusion classes.  (Teaching classes is much easier than taking them, I promise; and warming up something from Trader Joe's doesn't count as "cooking," does it?)  There's something about holidays and breaks and changes in the routine that make it tougher to stay on track.  But this morning was back to the usual schedule: I taught my 6:45 AM class, put on my running shoes, and headed back out to the Santa Monica bike path for 15 minutes out towards Malibu and then slightly less than 15 minutes to get back.  I love how I've built this little run into my weekly schedule!  I haven't built another run in (yet...) but given how good it feels to get out and jog a little, I'm looking for some longer running options.  I know it seems simple, but there's nothing like having a workout "on the recurring calendar" to make it happen!

Recipe Two - Salmon in Court Bouillon

Salmon In Court Bouillon
Servings 6
125 Calories per Serving

1 1/2 Lb Fresh Salmon Steaks
1 T. Parsley - Minced
1 T. Lime Juice
Step 1: Place steaks in a skillet and sprinkle with lime juice and parsley

1 1/2 Cup Water
2 T. White Wine
2 T. White Vinegar
1 Sprig Parsley
1 Clove Stuck in a Small Onion (WHAT!?)
1/2 T. Broth Powder
1 tsp Stone Ground Mustard
1 Bay Leaf
2 Pepper Corns
1/2 Celery Stalk
Step 2: Combine and Simmer for 1/2 hour
Step 3: Cover Salmon Steaks with hot liquid and simmer for 15 min

6 Lemon Wedges
6 Parsley Sprigs
Step 4: Serve on hot plates garnished with lemon and parsley

Cauliflower Puree
Servings 6
50 Calories per Serving

5 Cups Cauliflower, Chopped
Step 1: Steam until tender (approx. 10 min)

1/2 Cup Lowfat Cottage Cheese (1%)
1 T. Nonfat Yogurt
2 T. Parmesan Cheese - Grated
1 tsp Broth Powder
1/8 tsp Dried Dill Weed
Step 2: Combine in food processor and process until smooth
Step 3: Add warm cauliflower and puree

1/8 tsp Paprika
6 Sprigs Parsley or Fresh Dill
Step 4: Serve on a warmed plate topped with paprika and parsley (or dill)

The sample menu also recommends Steamed Spinach and there is no recipe so it must be as simple as it sounds... Steam Spinach.

Let me know if there is a request for a Dessert! :o)

Why does cooking have to take so long??

We had chicken fajita success last night!  I confess to modifying the recipe slightly...no homemade sour cream, chicken bullion cubes instead of broth powder, pre-made fajita spices in place of the chili powder (that was unintentional -- I could have sworn I had chili powder!!), and avacado & low-fat mexican style shredded cheese as additional toppings.  (Shhh...I don't think the Oaks at Ojai would approve of the added cheese and avacado.  But we all know that eating healthy is only worthwhile if it tastes good!!)  We also had non-fat refried beans as our side dish.  Justin thought they were yummy, and I'll get a final verdict when I get the little guy's daily report from school -- he gets the leftovers for lunch. 

Which reminds me of my biggest fear about this whole project, which is the fact that when I go through the effort to prepare a meal from scratch AFTER I get home from work, it basically guarantees that dinner won't be on the table until after we put Ronen to bed.  He gets to enjoy the fruits (veggies?!?) of my labor during his school lunch the next day, but it means that we miss out on family meal time together.  I know this is only tangentially related to cooking and running, but it's a major hurdle that I have to figure out how to overcome in this bigger cooking and running project. Justin and I were commenting last night on Ronen's behavior in his high chair -- he was munching on his dinner while Justin and I were preparing ours -- he was being quite fussy.  I've read that fussiness like that can be an "attention getting mechanism" which makes perfect sense to me.  I can understand why Ronen would be eager for our attention during the short period of time that we have to spend with him after he's spent a full day at day care.  Even with his high chair visible and easily accessible from the kitchen, it's still a bummer that I was taking him to bed as the fajita meat finished simmering.  I aspire to provide healthy, home-cooked meals to share TOGETHER as a family...it's going to be a process to figure out how to make that happen.

No more "Ill do better tomorrow"

Any one who has known me a long time would know that I have been in a constant battle with my weight since I was... well... since I can remember. Whether it was wanting to lose a few pounds or wanting to be in better shape for whatever sport I was involved in or what I am currently facing... needing to live a healthier lifestyle in order to lose a large amount of weight. I have never actually been successful in any of these tasks. I have to say that something about this time feels different. Why is this? I think it is because I have never wanted something more... Proof? This evening I was perfectly comfortable curled up on the couch cuddling with my brother's dog; I had not worked out yet due to self inflicted crappy feeling day caused by a late (and wonderfully fun) night in Mt Pleasant with my friends. It was getting pretty late and I kept thinking to myself, one day off wont hurt anything, but then I realized... yes it would. In the past I would find myself saying "Ill do better tomorrow" on a regular basis...and then tomorrow turned into next week and next week turned into 10 pounds and so on. So what did I do? I got myself changed and headed down to the elliptical trainer and ran for 45 minutes and because I did that it saved my 2 week, workout everyday, perfect record!!! Woohoo!

A Quick Jog Along the Pacific Ocean

To go along with the humble blog beginnings, I had a humble run beginning this morning. I taught my 6:45 AM Core Fusion class -- gotta love the guys and gals who show up with me bright and early -- and then went for a 30ish minute jog on the Santa Monica bike path. Embarrasing to admit, but in the 7 years I've lived here, I'd never done that. Now it's on the weekly calendar! The best part about the loop is that it ends with a long, gentle climb from the PCH up to Wilshire...and right in to the steam room at the Fairmont!

Recipe One - Chicken Fajitas

I am not very profound with the written word so my main contribution to this blog will be copying recipes for us to try each week! I will do my very best to post anywhere from 1 to 3 recipes a week that will be healthy and yummy! We chose our first dinner together and here it is!!

Chicken Fajitas
Makes 8 Servings
150 Calories per serving

1 Lb. Chicken Breast (Boneless/Skinless)
Step 1: Cut Chicken into Strips and place in a shallow baking dish

4 Cups Red and Green* Bell Peppers - Seeded and Sliced
2 Cups Onion - Sliced
Step 2: Toss in with Chicken

1/2 Cup Tomato Juice
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Arrowroot
1 tsp Bernard Jensen's Broth Powder**
Step 3: Combine and toss with Chicken mixture
Step 4: Place mixture in skillet, cover and let simmer until chicken is cooked
Step 5: Remove cover and "stir-fry" until sauce thickens and coats chicken and veggies

8 Corn Tortillas
Step 6: Place Tortillas in a plastic bag and microwave for 2 minutes to soften

*I hate Green Bell Peppers so I will be using Red and Yellow Bell Peppers
**I don't have this soooo I'll do my best to find it or improvise!

Lowcal Sour Cream (optional)
Makes 32 One Tbs Servings
10 Calories per serving

1 1/2 Cup Low fat Cottage Cheese (1%)
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
1 tsp Fresh Lemon juice
Step 1: Combine in food processor until smooth
Step 2: Store in refrigerator


and For Dessert....
Peach Melba

Half and Half: Non-Fat Yogurt and Mashed Banana
Use this Combination to fill Fresh Peach (or Apricot) Halves
Top is with Fresh Raspberry

Because I cant finish a meal without a little sweet! :o)

Happy Cooking!!

Humble Beginnings

We have a plan. It's not particularly specific, but it's a plan. Grand scheme -- we're going to run a 1/2 marathon together in every state. Thus far we've run a marathon together in Ohio; we haven't decided whether or not that counts towards the 1/2 marathon there. We certainly won't put Ohio high on the list of halfs to do anytime soon! Since we're living half a continent apart, we're going to be virtual training buddies as we're preparing for our races. First up is the Tinkerbell Half in Disneyland, CA at the end of Jan 2012. Seester tells me that we'll be running in green tutus...In any case, we're using the blog to share our workout and run plans for the week. A little bit of motivation and accountability should go a long way for both of us!!

In addition to posting training plans, we've committed to trying recipes together. First up is chicken fajitas (recipe to be posted by Seester in the very near future) and whatever the cookbook recommends for additional sides. We're trying not to over-commit -- just one recipe a week -- we'll see what happens!