Running the Household

Squash Buckler: Lite muffins

Mrs. Household — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:01:58 +0000

I do like squash. So does my family. So does my CSA. And because our CSA provides us also with other yummy vegetables, we often cannot get through all that they give us. I thought our zucchini supply was heading that way, and thought I would make a delicious morning treat – muffins. But when I took stock, I noticed more yellow than green. And because there are more zucchini muffin recipes out there, I used one as my starting point, and then referred to others to tweak it. Because I have modified it so much, I’m calling it my own.

Too often, zucchini bread is overly greasy or laden with sugar. Doesn’t that just defeat the purpose of eating a vegetable for breakfast? This one tasted great (with yellow squash). Family and friends, little kids and grown ups devoured it!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup shredded zucchini or yellow squash, packed
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c apple sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cases.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and sugar. In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, lemon zest, canola oil, egg, apple sauce and milk, stirring well.

Make a well in the dry ingredients; add zucchini mixture, raisins and walnuts. Stir until just moist. Do not over mix. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum … CHARD!

Mrs. Household — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:28:13 +0000

Number three (of my meal of “and three“): Sauteed Rainbow Chard With Garlic and Lemon

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 pounds rainbow or ruby chard—thick stems discarded, inner ribs removed and cut into 2-inch lengths, leaves cut into 2-inch ribbons
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir in the garlic and cook over moderately high heat until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the chard leaves in large handfuls, allowing each batch to wilt slightly before adding more. Season the chard with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the leaves are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chard to a bowl. Wipe out the pot.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. Add the chard ribs and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wilted chard leaves and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with the lemon zest and serve right away.

MY COMMENTS:

What I did differently: Nothing, aside from using a lot less chard (that was all I had), and a lot less oil.

Kid factor: We had a lot going on in this meal. I am not sure how they felt about the chard.

Adult factor: I would make this again.

Time factor: Pretty easy, once you get the greens trimmed.

What else: It was a good balance with the sweet squash casserole and the hearty colcannon.

Meat & Three – minus the meat

Mrs. Household — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:25:24 +0000

In these parts, the “meat and three” is well known, well loved (except by waistlines). For me, though, the best part of the meat and three is the “and three.” I do love sides. In one of my first jobs, for lunch in the company cafeteria, I used to often order just the veggies. My favorite was to get a dollop of mashed potatoes, plus (to balance the buttery deliciousness) a serving of steamed vegetables.

So, tonight, in an attempt to use some of the fabulous veggies from our farm share, I made an “and three.”

Number one: Summer Squash Casserole, as per my previous post.

Number two: Smashed Colcannon

When I lived in London, my favorite convenience food was the mashed potatoes I used to buy in the refrigerator section of my local supermarket, Waitrose. While I tend to steer away from packaged, pre-cooked food, this was an exception. There was nothing funky in the ingredients. Just potatoes, butter, salt pepper, and in my favorite variety, Colcannon, cabbage.

I perused the internet for a perfect recipe, and then decided to make my own.

4 small-medium potatoes, cut in 1-2″ chunks, peel on
1 small cabbage, chopped in 1/2″ pieces
salt & pepper
1 Tbsp butter (to taste)
Milk (to consistency)

1. Boil potatoes until getting soft. Add cabbage, and boil until soft.
2. Drain and place in large bowl. Add butter, season and mash with potato masher.
3. Stir in a little milk (1/2 c?), to make consistency desired.

Yum!

Squash Casserole: I’m slowly becoming southern.

Mrs. Household — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 02:30:29 +0000

[NOTE: I found this recipe in my draft posts. However, I had no comments with it. I must have made it last year, but don't recall anything about how it turned out. So I tried it again. Here are the results:]

Squash Casserole

A squash casserole with pecan or bread crumb topping, along with cheese and onions.
Ingredients:

* 2 pounds yellow squash, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
* water
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 cup saltine crackers, crumbled
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped, or buttered bread crumbs

Preparation:
Place the squash, onion, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Add a small amount of water. Cover and cook the squash until tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary. Drain the squash and onions; return to the pan and stir in the butter. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to your taste.

Butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish well. Stir the crumbled crackers into the squash mixture, and turn into the buttered casserole. Pour the milk over the squash and sprinkle with the cheese and chopped pecans or crumbs. Bake at 350°, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the milk is absorbed and the squash casserole is bubbly. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.

MY COMMENTS:

What I did differently: I cooked the squash and onions forever. I love butter, but I try to keep it to a minimum. I only used one Tbsp in the squash. And rather than buttered bread crumbs, I used panko. The Cheddar has to be super sharp.

Kid factor: One apparently didn’t like it. The other seemed to.

Adult factor: Amore mio said, “I used to not like squash casserole until now!” I had seconds it was so delicious.

Time factor: If I had started earlier, it would have been better, as it still needs 30 minutes after the squash cooks. But there is very little hands-on time required.

What else: I wonder what happened last time I made this. I don’t recall it being so remarkable, but now I know!

The Dreadmill

Mrs. Household — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:34:26 +0000

I have said it before. I will say it a million times: I really hate running on a treadmill! But when you are in Vermont, and it’s raining and cold and hilly and rainy and wet and hilly, running outside doesn’t feel like a good option. I’m a pretty fair-weather runner. I don’t mind a little drizzle, but I am not dedicated enough to tough out the real rain. I have made that mistake before.

A year after my first foot injury, I had registered for a 4-mile race. I was so excited about it, but didn’t manage to pick up my number beforehand. No problem, just go to the start line a little early. And that is all good and well when it is sunny. But in the pouring rain, in the middle of an urban park, there is no shelter from the elements. So by the time the starting gun was fired, I was already soaked. I remember finishing the race, and continuing to walk homeward, not caring one bit, because I could not have been any more wet. When I finally arrived home, I was soaked to the bone. I was so surprised that when I disrobed, my “moisture wicking” shirt and pants were so laden with water, they must have weighed an extra five pounds!

So back to Vermont. Just not gonna do it! Fortunately, there is a gym here. I hadn’t been there in ages, so I had no expectations. But I was determined. So I hopped on the treadmill, and turned on a Podcast about the Romanovs. It was old and tired (much like its user). After walking one mile, I couldn’t take it any more. And I decided to go for a big-picture work out. Rather than do the planned 2 mile walk-2 mile run- 2 mile walk, I did some more cross training. First, I got on the Spinning bike. It too was old, but it still worked pretty well. And so did I! I chose Pandora’s C&C Music Factory station for this one. “Pump up the Jam” is still in my head, even though I am showered, fed and it is several hours later. After 30 minutes (this was simulating my “run” portion, but I had to make up a little for not doing two miles on the dreadmilll), I stepped on an elliptical machine and listened to a Podcast on Josephine Baker. A bunch of situps and some stretching, and I was finished. I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have lasted much longer than I did on the dreadmill. This workout was perfect, albeit altered.

My week was less than perfect, in terms of following my training schedule. But I really did my best. I still haven’t signed up for the Half Marathon. I think I might need to do that soon, otherwise, I risk losing what momentum I have. But I am on a ski vacation right now. I will “try” to do some running, but I am not hopeful, as I intend to tire myself pretty well on the slopes. Let’s reevaluate next weekend.

Two is better than one

Mrs. Household — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:05:15 +0000

After Monday’s 90 minute long work out, anything less than that seemed like a piece of cake. Hmmm. Did someone say cake?

Anyway. Yesterday, I had fully intended to do my “easy” cross-training workout. When I got up, I dressed in my exercise attire with the anticipation of doing it after lunch. And yet, I never got to it. So, today, I showered (just in case) and again donned my work out clothes. You know, that old saying: dress for the job you want to have.

Never fear. Today’s schedule called for a two-mile run. And I know I can do that without much difficulty, and certainly in less than 90 minutes. So, I tacked on my cross-training.

I decided to do the run first. A good two mile run. Although I could have continued. But I was grateful to stop. Just as I did, I ran into a neighbor (it didn’t hurt). And we walked and talked for a bit, before I headed back into the house to hop on my bike.

I have my bike on a trainer that I bought at REI a few years ago. We keep saying we are going to get some real home gym equipment, but this isn’t a bad alternative. I have it set up in our bedroom right now, which while not aesthetically pleasing, makes it easier to remove the bike for outdoor use, rather thank schlep it up and down the stairs to the room where we have some exercise equipment. Because if you make it harder, you just won’t do it.

With some extra walking time tacked on to my run, I cut the biking portion down. I turned on HGTV, and caught the last half of House Hunters. That was just enough time to get a 55 minute work out, and call it a day.

The moral of the story is that on the days I don’t shower in anticipation of working out, I’m less likely to actually do it. Go figure. So much for making thing easier.

Back in the Groove

Mrs. Household — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:21:07 +0000

Despite my best efforts to get out of the gate strong, I lost momentum very early last week. Enough with the excuses. The were legitimate, but they are no longer viable. So, at the beginning of another, my second, week of training. I am determined to keep this going.

I think I may have been delirious when I printed out and thought the new training plan was a good idea. The layout is so prettty. And that one-mile run last week was such a treat. And then I looked at today’s task. Walk 2, Run 2, Walk 2. That is six miles! And with four of them at a walk, it was going to take a loooooooong time.

I had a few things going in my favor today. First, a clean schedule. For the first time in a while. No meetings. No events to plan. Just a little, well a lot, of cleaning up to do after a very busy week. But it was nearly 70 degrees today. So, hell, yeah! I was going to go outside and spend my hour and a half in the sunshine. And I really just needed to exercise. My body was screaming for it.

The trouble with such a long exercise routine is that I get very bored. Just last week, I spent 69 minutes on the dreadmill, and that was about 68 minutes too long.

I decided to go with a different entertainment approach this time. You know I am a huge fan of Pandora. I can always find something to go with whatever my mood. But music via earphones, earbuds, whatever, can get a little tiresome.

So I thought I’d best find another diversion: reading. Well, not reading. Listening to someone read to me. What a treat, after all those hours I spend reading to my kids, to have someone read to me!

But I couldn’t find the right book, and time was ticking. I thought about a classic. But I anticipated that I would not be able to fully concentrate. And then I found it … Podcasts. Specifically: How Stuff Works, Stuff You MIssed in History Class. . Each Podcast runs about 20 minutes. It was a perfect solution. No investment. If I didn’t like it, I could change to a new Podcast. It was all right on my iPhone. No pre-downloading required.

So today, I learned about Garibaldi and Italian unification, Stokey Carmichael (whom my father knew, sort of), and Mary Seacole, a self-trained nurse. Hmm. Fit

and

Smart. It’s worth a shot! And when I had to do the two mile run, I switched over to Pandora.

All in all, it was an excellent work out. I’m pretty beat. Who wouldn’t be after one and half hours? I felt surprisingly strong during my run. And I say “surprisingly” because I couldn’t remember where on my plotted course I was supposed to have started the running section, and ended up starting after I had walked three, not two miles.

Oh, and did I mention, it was nearly 70? Next time bring water. But other than that, perfect.

Temporarily sidelined

Mrs. Household — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 03:43:50 +0000

I feel like crap. Just a little bug, I hope. And a bugger of a sinus headache. Plus I’m extremely busy with a fundraiser for la petite’s school. For the past two days, I have suited up in my exercise gear, thinking I would continue as planned with my training schedule. But, alas …

I really wanted to start off on the right foot – ha ha. But I have to listen to my body. I’ll be back soon. And now I will go rest.

Good night.

One mile

Mrs. Household — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:55:50 +0000

It should be easy. One stinking mile. That was all I had on the workout agenda today. No walking before or after. Nothing. Nada. And yet, it took me forever to get motivated to go run that mile today.

I was actually pretty excited to run just a mile. Once I finished, that was it. Nothing else to do. No more fatigue. And I could push myself because I had nothing more to do.

Had it been 60 and sunny, I probably would have been more enthusiastic. But it was snowy, cold, bitter. So I bundled, put on my trusty neck gator, baseball cap and hit the road.

The thing about running just a mile is that it usually takes the first mile for me to really get in the groove of running. The first mile is always the hardest. The one when I curse myself for endeavoring to do, say 5 more. Usually, though after that first mile mark, things get a little easier. And then after mile 3, even more so. So just when I was getting warmed up, I had to stop.

I cranked up my iPod with some songs that had a good quick beat so that I could get a good pace. No worries about tiring out. Actually, I do think I started a little to quickly! Bob Sinclair’s Love Generation got me started.

The good news is that I ran at a quicker pace than usual. Even though I was barely warm, I still felt good. And glad it was a short workout. I know I will be longing for it as I do my long runs later in this schedule.

And because I felt a little silly with such a short workout, I walked a little afterwards to cool down, and then did some sit-ups and push-ups (in the comfort of my heated house).

Crazy again

Mrs. Household — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:34:11 +0000

Yup. I’m doing it. The Half Marathon. Like I said, Crazy, with a capital C.

Or at least, that’s what I am planning. I haven’t actually registered for it. Give me a week to make sure I am not falling apart.

The past three times I have trained for this race, I have used Hal Higdon’s training schedule. And it served me well. I mean, it wasn’t Hal’s fault I broke my toe the week before the race. And it wasn’t his fault that I kept running in spite of the numbing pain in my right foot. But I was getting a little tired of Hal. Plus, his is a 12-week schedule, and I only have eight weeks.

So I searched, and finally found, the perfect (I hope) 8-week schedule from Fitness magazine. I was thrilled because it assumed the ability to run only 2 miles (and I can do more).

Today I began. Actually, I was supposed to have begun yesterday, but the stars were not lined up. I ended up spending the entire morning doing volunteer work at my daughter’s pre-school. When I looked at the clock I realized she would soon be going to naptime, and I would have to return in two hours to pick her up. So I opted to bring her home early, and let her have a longer nap at home, all while saving me a trip, and buying me extra, albeit not conducive to exercise, time. Plus, I had done something funky to my back. My muscles were all out of whack. And running was truly the last thing I wanted to do.

I promised myself I would start today. And was I ever committed! In the sleeting snowy mess, I made it to the gym, And I used the treadmill! I hate the treadmill. Give me an elliptical or a stationary bike any day. But it’s called the dreadmill for a reason. Never the less, I got on. And stayed there for over one hour!

Today’s routine called for:
-2 miles walking
-1 mile running, at a comfortable pace
-2 miles speed walking.

69 minutes later, I got off. Success! Even though I was not really happy on the treadmill. Bored, really. And I always feel awkward. Maybe it’s because I am of short stature that I have trouble with the pacing. As much as I wanted to go faster (so as to finish sooner), I could not keep walking at a quick pace without landing on my ass at the back of the machine. So I did what I could.

But, as for my one mile run, I really pushed myself. My road pace has slowed considerably over the years. And if I can ever stay in good running shape for a significant amount of time, I would work on that pace. Because, when you are running such distances, it would be nice to finish sooner.

Because I “only” had a mile to run, I decided to set the pace at a 10-minute mile. And I pushed through it and did the entire mile at that pace.

Pandora’s C&C Music Factory got me through with some fun, nostalgic songs. I kept fearing that I would start singing out loud. “She’s dressed in yellow, she said, ‘hello, come sit next to me you fine fellow.’” Or maybe I did? Nobody said anything. But I do know that I giggled out loud a few times.