Good Morning Friends!!!
Yesterday, I had an intense workout. Intense.
Intervals, tough ones. Sets of hundreds. Sets, and sets, and sets. I finished; I did it; I felt good; I was on top of the world. Usually, after one of these workouts I am ravished. I turn into torpedo Andrea. I have to hold myself back from eating everything in sight.
Fast forward two hours after my run. The very thought of food made me want to barf. I had zero appetite, and if you know me at all, that is the strangest thing in the whole wide world. I had to force down some shrimp and green beans, and that was no easy task.
I have no idea what that was about (and no, I'm not preggers!). Don't worry too much, though. I am back to normal today!! I am wishing my chair had a seat belt to assist in stopping me from stalking the vending machine.
May your day be filled with curious happenings.
Cheers,
Andrea
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Kindly Choke on Your Sound Bite.
Nothing drives me more crazy than being in the middle of a great story, or an epic complaint, or a general this is how things are going, and somebody throws me a sound bite:
"Such is life."
"... and this too shall pass."
"Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels."
"The early bird gets the worm."
"All good things must come to an end."
Here's one for you!! "Get stuffed!" I am not talking to you, because I want you to recite the wisdom of the ages. I happen to enjoy your individual personality, and want you have to think for yourself. Using these sound bites just shows me that you are being lazy, and aren't really listening to me. Which could totally be possible, but then say that!!!
That's not to say there isn't an appropriate situation for some of these bites, I have been known to use "do, or do not, there is no try" a time or two, but sparingly would be fantastic.
May your day be filled with an original thought or two!
Andrea
"Such is life."
"... and this too shall pass."
"Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels."
"The early bird gets the worm."
"All good things must come to an end."
Here's one for you!! "Get stuffed!" I am not talking to you, because I want you to recite the wisdom of the ages. I happen to enjoy your individual personality, and want you have to think for yourself. Using these sound bites just shows me that you are being lazy, and aren't really listening to me. Which could totally be possible, but then say that!!!
That's not to say there isn't an appropriate situation for some of these bites, I have been known to use "do, or do not, there is no try" a time or two, but sparingly would be fantastic.
May your day be filled with an original thought or two!
Andrea
Saturday, April 2, 2011
On the Road Again...
Wowzers, it has been a crazy couple of weeks!!!
Boston, CT, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Alaskan Airline Meltdown - and that's only the beginning. I had to switch rooms, got seriously honked at, got mildly lost, and my hair thing caught on fire!! No worries, I snubbed it out before the sprinklers or alarms caught on.
During my adventures, and before I left - I had gotten a little lazy. Lazy, in the sense that I was using the treadmill WAY more than appropriate. I should have just put on my big girl pants and hit the road.
Well, this week I have made a promise to myself - no more treadmill. Especially, after reading an article that explains how running on a treadmill is like cheating. The machine pulls your legs behind you, leaving you to only do half the work. I understand that when it is 42 below, and snowing like crazy, sometimes you just need to use it... but no snow was in the forecast this week - so off I went.
I have ran in rain and wind - and I am still here to tell the story. I didn't melt and I didn't get blown away. I think it is all just mind over matter, and if you don't mind than the weather won't matter. I'll be running 80 mins on the Moscow/Pullman trail Sunday if anyone wants to join me!!
May your day be filled with positive thoughts,
Andrea
Boston, CT, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Alaskan Airline Meltdown - and that's only the beginning. I had to switch rooms, got seriously honked at, got mildly lost, and my hair thing caught on fire!! No worries, I snubbed it out before the sprinklers or alarms caught on.
During my adventures, and before I left - I had gotten a little lazy. Lazy, in the sense that I was using the treadmill WAY more than appropriate. I should have just put on my big girl pants and hit the road.
Well, this week I have made a promise to myself - no more treadmill. Especially, after reading an article that explains how running on a treadmill is like cheating. The machine pulls your legs behind you, leaving you to only do half the work. I understand that when it is 42 below, and snowing like crazy, sometimes you just need to use it... but no snow was in the forecast this week - so off I went.
I have ran in rain and wind - and I am still here to tell the story. I didn't melt and I didn't get blown away. I think it is all just mind over matter, and if you don't mind than the weather won't matter. I'll be running 80 mins on the Moscow/Pullman trail Sunday if anyone wants to join me!!
May your day be filled with positive thoughts,
Andrea
Thursday, March 17, 2011
St. Patty's Day - Margarita Cupcakes!
Hey Everyone -
Sometimes you just need a treat. I find that if I make my own treats – I enjoy them so much more. Cathryn and I made these bad boys for my mom’s Pampered Chef Party, and they were a HUGE hit.
Ladies and Gents,
Say “hello” to Margarita Cupcakes!!
Ingredients -
3 sticks of butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temp, plus one large egg white
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 3/4 cups of flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 plus two tablespoons whole milk
grated peel of 4 small limes, plus 1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3 cups of confectioners’ sugar (maybe a 1/2 cup more)
2 tablespoons tequila
green food coloring
lime wedges for decoration
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line two cupcake pans with baking liners. Using mixer, beat two sticks of butter and the granulated sugar until creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs and oil. Scrape down sides of the bowl and mix again.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large glass measuring cup, stir together the milk, 2 table spoons lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla – this will curdle – just like a science project. On low-speed, mix in one-third of the wet mixture, then one-third of the dry mixture. Repeat twice, ending with the dry mixture. Mix in half of the grated lime peel.
3. Fill each baking liner about three-quarters full with batter. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, about 24 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes.
4. Now for the frosting – (I had to make a double batch, but I LOVE frosting) beat the remaining stick of butter until creamy. Beat in one cup of the confectioners’ sugar. Beat in the tequila, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, lime peel, and food coloring until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining sugar – until you get the consistency you like.
5. Frost and top with a wedge of lime – enjoy!!
May your day be filled with unexpected flavors and the luck of the Irish!
Andrea
Sometimes you just need a treat. I find that if I make my own treats – I enjoy them so much more. Cathryn and I made these bad boys for my mom’s Pampered Chef Party, and they were a HUGE hit.
Ladies and Gents,
Say “hello” to Margarita Cupcakes!!Ingredients -
3 sticks of butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temp, plus one large egg white
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 3/4 cups of flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 plus two tablespoons whole milk
grated peel of 4 small limes, plus 1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3 cups of confectioners’ sugar (maybe a 1/2 cup more)
2 tablespoons tequila
green food coloring
lime wedges for decoration
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line two cupcake pans with baking liners. Using mixer, beat two sticks of butter and the granulated sugar until creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs and oil. Scrape down sides of the bowl and mix again.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large glass measuring cup, stir together the milk, 2 table spoons lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla – this will curdle – just like a science project. On low-speed, mix in one-third of the wet mixture, then one-third of the dry mixture. Repeat twice, ending with the dry mixture. Mix in half of the grated lime peel.
3. Fill each baking liner about three-quarters full with batter. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, about 24 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes.
4. Now for the frosting – (I had to make a double batch, but I LOVE frosting) beat the remaining stick of butter until creamy. Beat in one cup of the confectioners’ sugar. Beat in the tequila, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, lime peel, and food coloring until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining sugar – until you get the consistency you like.
5. Frost and top with a wedge of lime – enjoy!!
May your day be filled with unexpected flavors and the luck of the Irish!
Andrea
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Patience, Grasshopper.
Today, I ran in my first ever 10K - that's 6.2 miles (in case you were wondering). It was windy, it was cold, I had to fight pooping dogs, and I encountered some serious hills I didn't plan for. In spite of everything, I came in at 53:3?.
I wanted to be mad at myself. I wanted to tell myself I should have worked harder. I wanted to shake my fist at mother nature. And then I called coach.
Initially, I told him I was upset that I didn't do better and he ask me why. He asked me what I thought I should have done, and why. Well, I didn't have an answer for that. There was no science behind the magic number I thought I should have run. He told me that I ran a damn good race, for my first ever 10K, and just think, next time will be better. I gave him the, "yeah, but..."
To which he replied, "no... think of where you were a year ago... 6 months ago.... you are still a beginner and you will get stronger, and you will get faster."
I thought about it. A year ago, I couldn't run a mile straight through. Six months ago I was running 11 minute miles, no more than three or four at a time. Today, I ran 6.2 miles in 53:3?, and I am very proud of that.
He reminded me that the best runners have been doing this awhile, and I need to have the patience and give myself the grace to grow. He couldn't be more right.
May your day be filled with sage advice.
Andrea
I wanted to be mad at myself. I wanted to tell myself I should have worked harder. I wanted to shake my fist at mother nature. And then I called coach.
Initially, I told him I was upset that I didn't do better and he ask me why. He asked me what I thought I should have done, and why. Well, I didn't have an answer for that. There was no science behind the magic number I thought I should have run. He told me that I ran a damn good race, for my first ever 10K, and just think, next time will be better. I gave him the, "yeah, but..."
To which he replied, "no... think of where you were a year ago... 6 months ago.... you are still a beginner and you will get stronger, and you will get faster."
I thought about it. A year ago, I couldn't run a mile straight through. Six months ago I was running 11 minute miles, no more than three or four at a time. Today, I ran 6.2 miles in 53:3?, and I am very proud of that.
He reminded me that the best runners have been doing this awhile, and I need to have the patience and give myself the grace to grow. He couldn't be more right.
May your day be filled with sage advice.
Andrea
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Pampered Chef to the Weight Loss Rescue!!
Hi, my name is Andrea and I am a runner. I am currently training to run the Portland Marathon in 2011. In, order to keep it all together and to stay healthy – I run a pretty tight ship. Meaning, I eat pretty healthy these days except for the occasional cheat meal. I wasn’t always this way. I used to be the girl that could down three boxes of peeps in one sitting, but we evolve.
I have a handful of Pampered Chef products that I use when I prepare my meals, that I couldn’t live without. They make preparation easy, cooking fun, and the food amazing. Here are my top 5!!
Pampered Chef Rubs: These rubs are excellent additions to any meal. You just sprinkle them over your meat or veggies, and they add a new twist to a boring old meal. My favorites are: Jamaican Jerk Rub, Greek Rub, Smoky BBQ Rub, and the Chili Lime Rub.
#1187 The Egg Separator: Ah, Egg Whites. These are great to eat, but not so great to attempt to prepare. This egg separator makes it so easy to do. It has special ridges and rests on the side of your pan or bowl so you can separate your eggs without having to hang on to the gadget.
The 2 Cup and 1 Cup Prep Bowl Sets: I pack my lunch in these every day. Not only are they easy to clean, and look great – but they have measurements on the side so you know exactly how much of that brown rice you are getting. I would be lost without them.
#2242 Digital Pocket Thermometer: I usually boil chicken every week for my lunches and dinner. This handy little guy takes all the guess work out of cooking. I know that when he reaches 180 degrees – the chicken is done. I don’t ever have to worry about eating undercooked food again.
#2868: Square Grill Pan and Press: I use this at least 3 times a week to cook my chicken, fish, and veggies. It has an awesome non-stick surface so you don’t have to use any oils, and the ridged base allows all the fats to drip down and away from your food. One of my best investments ever.
May your healthy eating days be a little easier.
Andrea
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Runners Are Resourceful.
It was a nasty little guy; stretching from my index toe to my ring toe (if my toe did indeed wear a ring). Part of the blister was deep, cracked, and a little bloody. (So sorry if you are in the middle of breakfast). It hurt to run, to walk, to put any pressure on it, and I racked my brain on how to make it better.
I tried band-aids; they fell off. I tried ointment; more ended up on my socks than anything else. I tried nu-skin; it came off. Shiloh suggested duck tape, and that is when the light bulb went off. I will see your duck tape, sir and raise you some SUPERGLUE!!!
That is right ladies and gents - I super glued my foot backed together, and you know what... It worked. Now, I am not a medical professional, nor, am I licenced to give medical advice - but if you have a nasty little blister nagging at you... you may want to give super glue a whirl. My foot feels so much better, no pain, no blood, and I am back to running normal.
May your day be filled with super resourceful ideas.
Andrea
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