tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46126951065760042382024-03-13T06:43:07.496-04:00Peace, KarenPeace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-72538731617999736162013-01-06T11:11:00.000-05:002013-01-06T11:11:54.534-05:00Happy New Year!Welcome to 2013. You might be wondering if I resolved to blog more in 2013. Don't hold your breath on that one. But I am planning to add several posts over the next few weeks. The topic? Small appliance cooking. <br />
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My oven was well used over the Christmas holidays since I did a lot of cooking and baking. Some of it <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/welcome-to-marks-daily-apple" target="_blank">Primal</a>, some not. Don't worry, I didn't fall off the wagon. I intentionally jumped off and decided to run along side for a while. This was our second Christmas after switching to Primal Blueprint living. That first Christmas we kept things very Primal. <br />
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This time, with nearly 2 years of Primal living behind us, we decided to
intentionally, mindfully include some traditional non-Primal Christmas
foods in our diet over the holidays, knowing that we'd be able to easily
pick right back up with Primal living after the holidays.<br />
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Due to our Polish heritage, we celebrate Christmas Eve with a traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigilia" target="_blank">Wigilia</a>. (Pronounce the W as a V and you've got it). This is a big Polish Catholic dinner that is considered meatless, but fish is allowed and usually severed in several preparations (don't ask me, I didn't come up with the rules).<br />
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For our Wigilia two Christmases ago we modified all the recipes to make them more Primal. I joked that we would have to turn in our Polish cards for not serving pierogi at Wigilia. This year we returned to our roots and served traditional foods in traditional preparations, including pierogi, uszka, nut roll, poppy seed roll and cookies.<br />
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Among the dessert choices were<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> </span></span>jam-filled Polish butter cookies called <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">kolaczki </span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">and sugar cookies that the kids made and decorated.</span></span><br />
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It wasn't difficult to return to our Primal Blueprint eating. If anything, we were more convinced than ever that we are doing the right thing following this eating plan. The carbs, as tasty as they were, made us feel sluggish and head-achy. I enjoyed the treats in moderation but still found that I easily gained a few pounds. On the plus side, returning to Primal eating made the weight come back off quickly and I could still fit in my New Year's Eve dress.<br />
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Wondering what all of this has to do with small appliance cooking? Well, during my holiday cooking and baking frenzy an idea took hold: perhaps it's time to replace my 20 year old, coil-burner range with a new double-oven, smooth top range. After a week of contemplating this idea I learned that my niece's oven caught fire and she was going to need to replace it on a budget. I took this as a sign. I offered her our old range and ordered a new one. Win-win! She picked up the old range yesterday but our new one isn't due to arrive for 2 weeks.<br />
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So I've dusted off our small appliance cookware and look forward to a couple of weeks of experimenting with Primal cooking without a range. Given the number of small kitchen appliances we've collected over the years what concerns me most is not figuring out how to make do without a range, but that by the time the new range arrives I'll wonder why I even need it.Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-616277186663946082012-09-20T20:26:00.000-04:002012-09-20T20:27:29.682-04:00Doctor, DoctorMy morning started today with a wonderful whole milk latte from <a href="http://www.lafarmbakery.com/" target="_blank">La Farm Bakery.</a> This is nothing like a Starbucks latte with thick milk froth that looks like detergent suds. This is true art from skilled baristas who can coax the steamed milk into the tiniest mico-bubbles and hand pour it into perfectly pulled espresso shots to create a delicious morning treat that is as tasty as it is beautiful. (Yeah, I know how cheezy that reads, but their lattes really are that good!)<br />
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<b>BREAKFAST</b><br />
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small whole milk latte<br />
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Just before lunch time I picked up my 11 year old daughter from school to take her to the doctor for a regular check up. It went well, she's very healthy. During the check up the doctor did a routine talk with us about healthy eating and gave us a hand out about making good food choices. The 10 key points in the hand out are:<br />
<ol>
<li>Sports drinks like Gatorade can be harmful to your health.</li>
<li>Vitamins are not a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables every day.</li>
<li>Skipping breakfast won't help you lose weight.</li>
<li>Cereal bars and granola bars are not health food.</li>
<li>Everyone above the age of 2 years should drink skim milk (not whole or 2%).</li>
<li>Hot dogs and chicken nuggets are not a good source of protein.</li>
<li>Most cereals that boast "made with whole grains" are actually processed foods made with white flour.</li>
<li>People eating in front of the TV will actually eat more food and make less healthy food choices than they would at the table.</li>
<li>Juice is not a necessary part of a healthy diet.</li>
<li>Not everyone likes vegetables, but everyone can learn to like them.</li>
</ol>
As far as common nutrition wisdom goes, this list isn't too bad. I disagree with item 5, but I can go along with the others. In fact, I was feeling pretty impressed with the nutrition advice... until...<br />
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When we were all done and on the way out of the office my daughter was handed an artificially colored, artificially flavored, artificially sweetened lollipop. (Sigh.) It's hard enough as a parent to steer the kids away from sweet, processed foods like that. How frustrating when your own pediatrician is undermining your efforts to discourage such junk food by handing it out the kids! <br />
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(Heavy sigh.)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QROwtuemxAw/UFuuji8jwqI/AAAAAAAAAwY/yLRymsohjzQ/s1600/IMG_1549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QROwtuemxAw/UFuuji8jwqI/AAAAAAAAAwY/yLRymsohjzQ/s320/IMG_1549.JPG" width="320" /></a>We drove from the doctor's office in search of lunch and ended up at our local Chipotle. It was a really beautiful afternoon so we got our meal to-go and took it to the local park for a picnic before returning to school and work.<br />
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<b>LUNCH</b><br />
Chipotle Salad (1/2 Carnitas, 1/2 Chicken): Lettuce, pork, chicken, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, guacamole<br />
Unsweetened Iced Tea <br />
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After we finished eating we took a short walk by the lake. Here's the view from our picnic table and some friends we met during our walk.<br />
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We had to pass La Farm Bakery on our way back from the park to school/work. I started thinking about how much I enjoyed my morning latte and decided to stop in for another.<br />
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<b>DESSERT after LUNCH</b><br />
another small whole milk latte<br />
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It was a busy family evening (softball practice, overtime work, end-of-the-week homework, etc), which meant we all ended up eating dinner at different times in order to get everything done. My dinner was a big salad and a beer. Yes, beer is made from grain. No, beer is not primal. Yes, I still drink it anyway. That's all I have to say about that. :)<br />
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<b>DINNER</b><br />
Big Salad: Lettuce, mixed greens, crumbled bacon, avocado, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, Irish cheddar cheese, tomatoes, basil, Garlic Gold Sea Salt Nuggets, olive oil based dressing<br />
BeerPeace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-22583457780048386772012-09-19T20:40:00.001-04:002012-09-19T20:40:54.332-04:00Recipe: Lime Basil Rump Roast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I'm going to work backward from dinner to breakfast so I can share my dinner recipe with you first.<br />
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This Thai-inspired marinade is quick and easy and one of my favorite flavor combinations when cooking beef. I often add hot peppers to the mix but not when I expect the kids to eat it, such as tonight.<br />
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<b>RECIPE: Lime Basil Rump Roast</b><br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>small beef rump roast</li>
<li> juice from 1 lime</li>
<li> 2 tablespoons coconut oil</li>
<li>1 teaspoon grated orange peel (zest)</li>
<li>1 handful of basil leaves</li>
<li>1 teaspoon ground cumin</li>
<li>8 garlic cloves, peeled</li>
<li>1 teaspoon salt (sea salt or kosher salt preferred)</li>
</ul>
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<b>Instructions:</b><br />
1) Mix the lime juice, coconut oil, orange peel and cumin together. <br />
2) Chop the basil finely. (I use a hand chopper. You could use a food processor.)<br />
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3) Combine the chopped basil with the coconut oil mixture to form a marinade. Slice the garlic cloves in half. Stud the roast with the garlic clove halves by cutting small Xs all over the roast and inserting the garlic. Coat the roast with the salt.<br />
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4) Smear the marinade all over the roast and place in a plastic bag. Leave to rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours.<br />
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5) Remove from plastic bag and place in baking dish or (my favorite) a cast iron skillet. Sear for 20 minutes in a 500°F oven. Continue cooking at 275°F until internal temperature is 125°F for rare to med-rare (about 20 min per pound).<br />
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6) Remove from heat and allow to rest for 20 minutes while preparing side dishes. Today I've sauteed some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatsoi" target="_blank">tatsoi</a> in bacon fat with fresh ginger and garlic then seasoned with sesame oil and tamari.<br />
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7) Serve and enjoy!<br />
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<b>DINNER</b><br />
Lime Basil Rump Roast (I ended up eating double the portion pictured above)<br />
Tatsoi with ginger and garlic<br />
Fresh Strawberries<br />
Red Wine<br />
(<b>DESSERT</b>) was <a href="http://www.chocolove.com/almondsseasalt.htm" target="_blank">Chocolove Almond and Sea Salt Dark Chocolate</a> <br />
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My lunch earlier today was a big salad.<br />
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<b>LUNCH</b><br />
Big Salad: mixed greens, crumbled bacon and sausage, bell peppers,
tomatoes, celery, broccoli, cucumbers, shredded carrots, shredded
zucchini, red onions, artichoke hearts in Mediterranean dressing, feta
cheese (no additional salad dressing, the artichoke hearts provided
enough) <br />
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And breakfast today was just a cup of coffee. <br />
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<b>BREAKFAST</b><br />
Cup of coffee with non-homogenized, organic whole milk<br />
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<br />Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-84277548695208305202012-09-18T22:20:00.000-04:002012-09-19T12:03:27.282-04:00How many meals in a day?Do a google search and you'll find a lot of conflicting information about how many meals a day you should eat. Some sources say stick to the typical 3. Some suggest more frequent, smaller meals, perhaps eating 5 or 6 times a day. Some advocate a constant grazing all day. Still others suggest fasting all day and feasting all night.<br />
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Personally, I find that what works best for me is to just eat when I'm hungry. This would never have worked for me before I switched to a primal diet because I would frequently confuse things like a drop in blood sugar (that shaky feeling) or boredom or just being near food as hunger cues. One of the most noticeable differences since switching to a primal diet is that those false hunger cues no longer affect me. For the first time in my life, I can hear my body's true, quiet cues indicating when it's time to refuel.<br />
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Sometimes I only eat two meals in a day. Often I won't be very hungry first thing in the morning and I wait until nearly 11am before I have my first meal of the day. If it's a big enough meal I may not eat again until dinner time. Or sometimes, like today, I end up extra hungry in the evening and eat dinner twice.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSIYg4JtfZs/UFiS3LDt_yI/AAAAAAAAAt0/oWBmBXaqDdc/s1600/IMG_1526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSIYg4JtfZs/UFiS3LDt_yI/AAAAAAAAAt0/oWBmBXaqDdc/s320/IMG_1526.JPG" width="320" /></a>Today started out like a two-meal day. I had a large meal around 11am. We'll call it brunch. It was going to be a three-egg omelet but I stuffed it too full so it ended up as a scramble instead. I topped it with avocado and served it with some berries. <br />
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<b>BRUNCH</b><br />
- Scrambled eggs with <a href="http://www.framani.com/" target="_blank">Fra' Mani</a> ham, spinach, Irish cheddar cheese, avocado and <a href="http://www.garlicgold.com/" target="_blank">Garlic Gold </a>Sea Salt Nuggets<br />
- Fresh raspberries topped with crème fraîche<br />
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After brunch I managed to find the one break in the stormy weather today to get outside for a little while. I walked a mile then did a slow 2.5 mile run at a comfortable pace and got back home about 1 minute before the rain started again. <br />
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<b>ACTIVITY</b><br />
1 mile walk, 2.5 mile run<br />
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Our family calendar for this evening was full and it required that we split up in order to attend everything. The boys took off for basketball practice. My daughter and I had a meeting at our church later in the evening so we opted to eat dinner out before going.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nS83xY3pAgk/UFkZC168C1I/AAAAAAAAAuE/Y8T4JYzx4cs/s1600/IMG_1530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nS83xY3pAgk/UFkZC168C1I/AAAAAAAAAuE/Y8T4JYzx4cs/s320/IMG_1530.JPG" width="320" /></a>We visited <a href="http://www.rockwellsamericangrill.com/" target="_blank">Rockwell's American Grill </a>(same place we ate brunch on <a href="http://peacekaren.blogspot.com/2012/09/walking-past-dessert-table.html" target="_blank">Sunday</a>) and I ordered their Steak Burger minus the bun with an Apple & Walnut salad (my daughter ate all my apple slices).<br />
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<b>(FIRST) DINNER</b><br />
STEAK BURGER: Ground short ribs, bacon, Maytag blue cheese, carmelized onions, grilled portobella<br />
APPLE & WALNUT SALAD: Mixed greens, walnuts, apple slices (my daughter ate them all), grilled red onion, Mission figs, Maytag blue cheese, balsamic vinaigrette<br />
WINE: Cabernet Sauvignon<br />
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When we got home from our meeting I was feeling hungry again. It turns out that the boys had ordered pizza for their dinner. So now you're thinking, "Delivery pizza? How is that primal?" Well it's not if you eat it like this:<br />
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But if you scrape the toppings from a slice of pizza onto a plate full of lettuce you have a more primal meal that I like to call Pizza-Topping Salad! Lots of veggies, some cheese, a bit of meat and no crust. <br />
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<b>(SECOND) DINNER</b><br />
Pizza-Topping Salad <br />
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And since I was still a bit hungry after the salad I dished up the last of the raspberries for dessert, topped with mascarpone cheese, a few walnuts and served with a chunk of dark chocolate.<br />
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<b>DESSERT</b><br />
raspberries, walnuts, mascarpone, almond sea-salt dark chocolate<b> </b><br />
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<br />Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-25681002778050970632012-09-17T19:44:00.000-04:002012-09-17T19:44:57.223-04:00Mmmm. Coffee.<span class="userContent">My 7 year old son climbed into my bed this morning
just after the alarm rang at 6:30am.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">I said, "Do you know what I need?" (The
answer was supposed to be, a hug.) </span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /> He answered, "A jumbo coffee?" </span><br />
<span class="userContent"><br /> Well, yes, come to think of it, that *is* what I need! </span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">I love really good coffee. I love the smell of it, the taste of it, the warmth as I hold a cup of coffee in my hands. It is a comforting way to start my morning. As summer now moves toward fall I am reminded that one of life's great pleasures is sitting on the porch swing in the cool morning air sipping a fresh, hot cup of coffee. I like the effect of the caffeine, but I could easily do without it (and have done so in the past). It isn't so much the caffeine, but the full sensory experience of the coffee that holds me in the grip of this morning habit. </span><span class="userContent"><span class="userContent"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="userContent">The good news is that there are more and more studies suggesting that moderate coffee consumption <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/18/health/coffee-health-benefits/index.html" target="_blank">may offer some health benefits</a>.</span> As to <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-much-is-too-much-round-2/" target="_blank">how coffee fits into the Primal Blueprint</a>, Mark Sisson recommends that if it doesn't cause you problems and it's not used as an energy crutch it's probably OK. Even Mark enjoys a morning cup with cream and (gasp!) a teaspoon of sugar. I don't sweeten my coffee. I prefer it with a splash of whole milk but will drink it black if there is no whole milk available.</span><br />
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So this morning, encouraged by the thought of fresh brewed coffee and remembering that the leftover Italian sausages were still in the fridge, I hopped out of bed anticipating breakfast. <br />
<br />
While my coffee was brewing in the <a href="http://coffeegeek.com/guides/presspot/" target="_blank">French Press</a> I fried up some farm-fresh eggs in bacon fat and warmed up the sausages in the toaster oven. I rounded out the meal with a handful of cherry tomatoes. What a great start for a Monday!<br />
<br />
<b>BREAKFAST</b><br />
2 eggs fried in bacon fat<br />
2 Italian sausage links<br />
cherry tomatoes<br />
coffee with whole milk<br />
<br />
After breakfast I was off to work. One of the nice benefits of where I work is that my office is located in a large shopping area. This means if I have shopping to do I can usually step out on my lunch break and get it done. Today I visited <a href="http://www.earthfare.com/" target="_blank">Earth Fare</a> for lunch. This gave me the opportunity to finish off the week's grocery shopping and pick up something tasty for my lunch from their hot bar of prepared foods. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xFGGd3N9X2k/UFdYyy-bGpI/AAAAAAAAAtE/v2KCzUbHC24/s1600/IMG_1512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xFGGd3N9X2k/UFdYyy-bGpI/AAAAAAAAAtE/v2KCzUbHC24/s320/IMG_1512.JPG" width="320" /></a>My grocery cart contained a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies, an African spice mix, some canned pumpkin, prepared frozen foods (which make a quick, easy option when packing lunches for the kids), Greek yogurt and milk. My yummy lunch for today was some chicken and veggies from the hot bar. I brewed a cup of coffee after lunch. I don't usually have any after my morning cup, but I had been thinking about the planned topic for today's blog post and I had coffee on the brain. <br />
<br />
<b>LUNCH</b><br />
Mediterranean Chicken (cooked with olive oil & herbs)<br />
Roasted Brussels Sprouts (also cooked in olive oil)<br />
Sesame Kale (with sesame oil and tamari)<br />
cup of coffee with <a href="http://www.worldshealthiestfoods.net/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=150" target="_blank">non-homoginized</a>, organic whole milk.<br />
<br />
Tonight was clean out the fridge night for dinner. I made omelets for my husband and daughter using up the last of the sausage and cooked veggies from the last few nights. My son had the remaining chicken drumsticks from a couple nights ago, some strawberries and leftover rice from his dinner last night at the sushi restaurant. I made a big salad for myself.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JjBomuv59lQ/UFevZZL_Z1I/AAAAAAAAAtU/Nl_hbFgTeag/s1600/IMG_1518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JjBomuv59lQ/UFevZZL_Z1I/AAAAAAAAAtU/Nl_hbFgTeag/s320/IMG_1518.JPG" width="320" /></a><b>DINNER </b><br />
Big salad: Lettuce, <a href="http://www.framani.com/" target="_blank">Fra' Mani</a> Rosemary Ham, Dutch Gouda cheese, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, basil, cucumbers, broccoli, avocado, <a href="http://garlicgold.com/" target="_blank">Garlic Gold</a> Sea Salt Nuggets, <a href="http://www.tessemaes.com/" target="_blank">Tessemae's</a> Lemon Garlic dressing<br />
<br />
Pouring rain and a satisfying dinner caused me to lose my motivation to attend the yoga class planned for this evening. Instead I poured a glass of red wine, dished up a few raspberries with some mascarpone cheese and cut a few more slices of that yummy Gouda cheese for dessert. Then I spent the night at home with the family. I wish I had had some slivered almonds on hand to add a bit of crunch to my berries for dessert. I need to add that to my shopping list for next week.<br />
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<b>DESSERT</b><br />
Raspberries with Mascarpone<br />
Sliced Gouda<br />
Red Wine<br />
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<br />Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-89294459493686247112012-09-16T20:01:00.000-04:002012-09-17T09:43:07.866-04:00Walking Past the Dessert Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few months ago <a href="http://www.rockwellsamericangrill.com/" target="_blank">Rockwell's American Grill</a>, a local restaurant near our home, started offering a Sunday brunch buffet. It's an amazing spread including a made-to-order omelet station and waffle/pancake station, bacon, sausage, other breakfast items and a large selection of many of the items from their dinner menu such as salmon, chicken, collards, meatloaf, etc. <br />
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Rockwell's is one of our family's favorite restaurants. Not only are they close and the food is fantastic, they source most of their food from <a href="http://rockytophospitality.com/lib/upload/menus/Local%20List%2810%29.pdf" target="_blank">local, sustainable farms</a>. When they started offering this amazing brunch deal it quickly became a Sunday morning family tradition.<br />
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Not all of the menu items are primal, especially their large selection of desserts on the buffet. As enticing as this array of sweet might be, I find it very easy to pass it by and fill my plate with the farm fresh eggs and pasture-raised pork. It really doesn't require any willpower to walk away. One of the effects of switching to a primal diet and becoming <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted" target="_blank">fat-adapted</a> is that high sugar foods actually give me bad headaches. The quality, high-fat foods taste so much more indulgent to me than the sweet stuff ever did. It's no wonder that the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint" target="_blank">Primal Blueprint </a>works so well. No calorie counting required. I eat primal foods until I'm satisfied and I never feel deprived. On the rare occasion that I want a little something sweet from the buffet, I might take a small spoonful of their warm dark chocolate ganache and use it as a dip for berries, or better yet, <b>chocolate dipped bacon</b>! But today I was more than satisfied with my omelet and salad.<br />
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<b>BRUNCH</b><br />
- Veggie and Bacon Omelet (bacon, cheese, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, squash, zucchini, artichoke hearts, butter)<br />
- Sausage <br />
- House salad (mixed lettuce greens, onions, tomatoes)<br />
- Blueberries and Strawberries<br />
- Coffee with Whole Milk <br />
<br />
We had plans to get out on the lake today and do a little kayaing but the weather didn't cooperate. Instead we took advantage of this rainy Sunday to have a family cleaning day. The house was in need of a deep clean and the kids' bedrooms needed to be organized so we spent most of the day taking care of business. Scrubbing and vacuuming are actually great core workouts if you take care to use good posture and engage the core muscles correctly. It's not as fun as a day on the lake but it's a good way to keep active and it's very satisfying to see the results of the effort.<br />
<br />
<b>ACTIVITY</b><br />
Deep cleaning around the house<br />
<br />
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The chill in the pre-fall air made me want something warm, so I had some green tea in the afternoon.<br />
<br />
The original dinner plan was leftover Italian sausage but after the Japanese green tea in the afternoon I started thinking how good some Japanese or Thai food would be. Not to mention, I liked the idea of not having to clean dinner dishes after cleaning the house today. So for dinner we went out to <a href="http://sushithaicary.com/" target="_blank">Sushi-Thai</a>, a wonderful local sushi bar that specializes in both Japanese and Thai food.<br />
<br />
<b>DINNER</b><br />
Green salad with carrot-ginger dressing<br />
Alaskan Sockeye salmon sashimi<br />
Tom Kha Goong<br />
Thai Spicy Basil Beef<br />
Warm Sake <br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3xHndsTp7Lw/UFZk_dDPVjI/AAAAAAAAAsM/3fjH-OXVlx0/s1600/IMG_1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3xHndsTp7Lw/UFZk_dDPVjI/AAAAAAAAAsM/3fjH-OXVlx0/s320/IMG_1503.JPG" width="285" /></a>For the first course I had a small green salad with carrot-ginger dressing and wild Alaskan sockeye salmon sashimi. Look at that amazing orange color in the fish! You don't get that with farm-raised salmon. The carafe of warm sake was perfect for the cool, rainy day. See that small dish of green stuff in the lower left corner of the picture? That's wasabi -- real chopped wasabi root. That mound of green stuff that most sushi restaurants serve is actually grated horseradish mixed with green food coloring. It's nothing like real wasabi.<br />
<br />
The second course was a small bowl of Tom Kha Goong (Thai coconut soup with
shrimp). I wish you could smell this through the computer! It is so
warming and comforting! This is good food!<br />
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<br />
The main course was Spicy Thai Basil Beef. I ate about half of what you see here.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_sy6xSWZ9DE/UFcn1rsmJfI/AAAAAAAAAs0/OGIi8dEkrRU/s1600/Almonds+&+Sea+Salt-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="103" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_sy6xSWZ9DE/UFcn1rsmJfI/AAAAAAAAAs0/OGIi8dEkrRU/s200/Almonds+&+Sea+Salt-large.jpg" width="200" /></a>[edit 9/17/12: Just adding that later in the evening I had a 4 squares of <a href="http://www.chocolove.com/almondsseasalt.htm" target="_blank">Chocolove Almond and Sea Salt Dark Chocolate</a> as a snack before bed. (There are12 squares in a bar.)]<br />
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<br />Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-37973830014212520182012-09-15T20:57:00.000-04:002012-09-15T20:57:56.720-04:00Market Day!It's Saturday -- Market Day! My favorite day of the week.<br />
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I started my morning with a whole milk latte and then I was off to the farmers' market to do my weekly food shopping. Today's purchases included grass-fed rump roast, sweet Italian sausage (pasture-raised pork), fresh eggs, baby ginger, garlic, basil, cherry tomatoes, tatsoi, greenhouse lettuce, carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, multi-colored bell peppers and some cut flowers to brighten up the home.<br />
<br />
I recently came across a recipe at Everyday Paleo for <a href="http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/12/22/sweet-potato-latkes/" target="_blank">Sweet Potato Latkes</a> and I can't wait to give it a try. I had that in mind when I picked out the sweet potatoes and eggs.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F0aY4obYhJ8/UFTjR_YKNyI/AAAAAAAAAq8/ZfkHm0EXGFc/s1600/IMG_1460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F0aY4obYhJ8/UFTjR_YKNyI/AAAAAAAAAq8/ZfkHm0EXGFc/s320/IMG_1460.JPG" width="320" /></a>After putting away the morning's purchases I finally sat down to my first meal of the day. I suppose you can call it brunch since it was already 11am. For the kids the meal was an early lunch before heading out to my daughter's noon softball game. I had a market salad topped with a couple of smoked drumsticks that we ordered to-go yesterday while we were visiting <a href="http://www.thehumblepig.com/" target="_blank">The Humble Pig</a>. <br />
<br />
<b>BRUNCH </b><br />
(Whole milk latte earlier this morning) <br />
Big market salad (lettuce, basil, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, olive-oil based vinaigrette)<br />
Two smoked chicken drumsticks<br />
<br />
My daughter's softball game went very well. It was her first ever game. She did well and her team won 20-1! By the time we got home the kids and I were all hungry again. I made
sandwiches and lettuce wraps as a snack / late lunch for everyone.<br />
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<b>LUNCH</b><br />
Lettuce wraps (leaf lettuce, Munster cheese, avocado, crumbled breakfast sausage (left over from Thursday), <a href="http://www.framani.com/" target="_blank">Fra' Mani </a>Rosemary ham, shredded carrots)<br />
<br />
Later in the afternoon I went out for a run (barefoot, as usual). I needed to keep it short today so I did a few sprint intervals. According to the Garmin, the total distance was only about 2 miles, but I worked hard and had fun!<br />
<br />
<b>ACTIVITY</b><br />
2 mile sprint intervals (barefoot) <br />
<br />
After the run I cooked dinner. I fried up the sweet Italian sausage that I bought today at the market from <a href="http://coonrockfarm.com/" target="_blank">Coon Rock Farm</a> (love those folks!) along with some of the bell peppers. I had some raw spinach in the fridge from last week. I picked out the best leaves to serve the kids in a spinach salad (they will only eat their spinach raw) and I sauteed the rest in the sausage fat. I served it all up with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.<br />
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I sprinkled some <a href="https://secure.garlicgold.com/products/garlic-gold-nuggets/ROGGNSS-2.3OZ-EA.html" target="_blank">Garlic Gold Sea Salt Nuggets</a> over the cooked spinach just before serving. If you don't have Garlic Gold nuggets on hand, go get some right away! They're crunchy, garlicky, yummy! Perfect to top sauteed veggies, salads, or a steak! I love 'em! (Wish they paid me to say that, but they didn't.)<br />
<br />
<b>DINNER</b><br />
Italian Sausage with peppers<br />
Sauteed spinach with crunchy garlic nuggets<br />
Cabernet SauvignonPeace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-68500110385971578772012-09-14T21:38:00.003-04:002012-09-15T21:51:50.032-04:00A Day in the Life... A year laterIt wasn't long after I switched to a primal lifestyle last year that the positive changes started to show. I lost weight, I looked more fit, I had more energy. Friends and family started asking about my recent diet changes and many wanted to better understand what I was eating and doing to have such success. In reply to that I kept a running food/activity journal on this blog so anyone interested could get a better idea of how the Primal Blueprint fit in my life.<br />
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More than a year later and I'm still seeing great benefits from the primal lifestyle and still getting questions from friends and family. With the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-2012-primal-blueprint-21-day-challenge-begins-now" target="_blank">2012 Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge</a> currently underway, some friends are taking this opportunity to give the Primal Blueprint a try. With that in mind I've decided to once again blog a daily food/activity journal to offer a few tips, ideas and encouragement.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2TwDxtWq0Pg/UFMxGyBYmfI/AAAAAAAAAqM/JdM9HpHdx30/s1600/IMG_1454_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2TwDxtWq0Pg/UFMxGyBYmfI/AAAAAAAAAqM/JdM9HpHdx30/s320/IMG_1454_2.jpg" width="240" /></a>I left for work a little earlier than usual this morning and stopped for breakfast on my way into the office. <br />
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<b>BREAKFAST</b><br />
Whole milk latte and a Tartine Diablo (scrambled eggs, tasso ham, spinach, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, jalapeños topped with avocado slices) from one of my favorite local eateries, <a href="http://www.lafarmbakery.com/" target="_blank">LaFarm Bakery</a>.<br />
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A tartine is an open-faced sandwich and the bakery serves this wonderful creation on a slice of asiago cheese bread. I just skip the bread and it's a great primal breakfast! I ate the 2 small orange slices but skipped the melon.<br />
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I had a busy day at the office and was full from my large breakfast so I opted to skip lunch. (A form of <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting" target="_blank">intermittent fasting.</a>) I had plans to go for an afternoon walk but I got bogged down in work and that never happened. I also had plans to get home early enough to go kayaking with my son, but that didn't happen either.<br />
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<b>LUNCH</b><br />
Nothing (Intermittent Fasting)<br />
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In fact, nearly all of my afternoon and evening plans did not go as expected. But my goal with this blog/journal is not to show the ideal. Sometimes life throws you a curve and you fall back on the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/8020-principle" target="_blank">80/20 principle</a>. For me, today, that meant that I didn't get in the level of activity I intended, I didn't eat the amount of veggies I usually eat and my dinner was not as primal as usual (but it wasn't too far off and it was incredibly delicious). That's because when I finally got home from work today the family informed me that our favorite food truck, <a href="http://www.thehumblepig.com/" target="_blank">The Humble Pig</a>, was going to be located just a few miles away from the house. Even better, The Pig was going to be at a local winery. Seriously, wine and pig? And not just pig, but happy, pasture-raised, local farm pig made into the most delicious smoked ribs that you've ever tasted. That's not a bad end to a day even if it didn't go as planned!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GExs6HLG0RE/UFPRpW5LWbI/AAAAAAAAAqc/ZRIcfPWLnsQ/s1600/IMG_1455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GExs6HLG0RE/UFPRpW5LWbI/AAAAAAAAAqc/ZRIcfPWLnsQ/s320/IMG_1455.JPG" width="320" /></a>My glass of Cabernet Franc from <a href="http://www.chathamhillwine.com/" target="_blank">Chatham Hill Winery </a>was surprisingly nice (it's the only NC wine I've ever tried that I liked). It paired well with my amazing ribs, sweet potato waffle fries (I only ate 3 or 4) and coleslaw. Oh, and I also shared some of my daughter's delicious smoked chicken leg. I usually eat lots of leafy greens during the day and would have loved a salad or collards with the meal, but the small side of slaw was the only green veggie the food truck offered, so I made the best of it. The vegetable oil used in the potatoes and cole slaw and the little bit of sugar used in the sauce and potatoes are not primal ingredients, but I ate those in small quantities and concentrated on the pasture-raised pork which is very primal.<br />
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<b>DINNER</b><br />
Smoked ribs and chicken leg, sweet potato waffle fries, cole slaw, red wine<br />
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Back at home I had another glass of wine and some dark chocolate for dessert. Just before bed I spent some time practicing yoga, working on a few strengthening poses and some deep stretches and finishing with the foam roller to work out some trigger points.<br />
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<b>DESSERT</b><br />
More red wine and dark chocolate<br />
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<b>ACTIVITY</b><br />
Just some light yoga.<br />
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Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-23389526499207063502012-09-12T22:41:00.000-04:002012-09-12T22:41:45.552-04:00More Than a YearAnd what a great year it's been! Last time I blogged I had recently transitioned to the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint/" target="_blank">Primal Blueprint</a> lifestyle. I was already having great success with it. I used this blog as a way to share my daily meals and activities with friends and family who wanted to know a bit more about what I was doing. My wonderful husband had also made the transition to primal and it suited both of us well.<br />
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By the end of last year we had each lost about 20 pounds and effortlessly maintained that loss. When we took our annual family Christmas picture and compared it with our picture from the previous year we were both amazed at the difference.<br />
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We have both continued to eat and live primally and feel the benefits every day. <br />
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One of the elements of health that <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/about-2/mark-sisson" target="_blank">Mark Sisson</a> often addresses in his blog is posture and mobility. He regularly references the writing and work of <a href="http://gokhalemethod.com/" target="_blank">Esther Gokhale</a> in regard to posture training. I had the great privilege and opportunity to learn from Esther back in February of this year. I attended her Gokhale Method Foundations course, a 9-hour course that teaches the posture fundamentals of the Gokhale Method. I can't say enough wonderful things about the experience! I hope I stay motivated enough to keep blogging so I can share more details about it in a few days.<br />
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This summer has been fantastic. We tried to take advantage of as much outdoor time as possible spending time swimming, hiking, running, camping, playing with the kids and kayaking (my new-found joy). The effect of all this activity and playing in the sun has been nothing but wonderful for us all. <br />
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I can't believe autumn is already drawing near. The kids are back in school and the pool is closed for the summer. This season the kids have chosen to play softball and basketball. The leagues are just getting started and both kids are geared up and ready to go, their first games just around the corner.<br />
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The past year has been wonderful and I figure it's long since time that I got back around to this blog. I was prompted to get back to this blog by the recent start of Mark Sisson's annual <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-2012-primal-blueprint-21-day-challenge-begins-now" target="_blank">Primal Blueprint Challenge</a>.<br />
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I still get questions from folks who want to know what Ski and I are doing to look so healthy and have so much energy. For anyone who is curious about it, now is the perfect time to give it a try. Mark is giving away daily prizes from his blog over the next 3 weeks. It's a great time to find the extra support and encouragement you might need to get started. You don't need to sign up for anything and there's no cost or catch. (I'm not paid or compensated to write any of this or share the links). Just read Mark's blog and give it a try for a few weeks to see if it works for you as well as it has worked for us. I'll see what I can do to keep another running food/activity journal on this blog (probably starting Friday -- the day after tomorrow) so find your way back over here in a day or two if you can.Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-70484365110238813012011-07-16T20:20:00.012-04:002011-07-17T11:55:28.000-04:00Fun And SunFor the last week I've been highlighting how I put the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint/">Primal Blueprint</a> into practice in my life in regard to diet and exercise. While it is true that the base of the Primal Blueprint is the diet, that is only the first of Mark's 10 Primal Rules of Living:<br /><br />1. Eat lots of animals, insects and plants.<br />2. Move around a lot at a slow pace.<br />3. Lift heavy things.<br />4. Run really fast every once in a while.<br />5. Get lots of sleep.<br />6. Play.<br />7. Get some sunlight every day.<br />8. Avoid trauma.<br />9. Avoid poisonous things.<br />10. Use your mind.<br /><br />Today I'm going to focus on my practice of rules #6 and 7 -- play and get some sunlight every day.<br /><br />Growing up I spent nearly every day of the summer outside, usually on or in the water. "Tan" was the word most often used to describe me by my classmates. As I moved into adulthood I spent less and less time in the sun, partly due to the demands of adulthood (work, etc) and partly due to rising awareness and concerns for skin cancer in relation to sun exposure. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3MJIvj4GomU/TiI5t-HkvtI/AAAAAAAAAnI/HgKaXtRIT94/s1600/IMG_0824.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3MJIvj4GomU/TiI5t-HkvtI/AAAAAAAAAnI/HgKaXtRIT94/s320/IMG_0824.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630125946098204370" border="0" /></a> It got to the point where even my weekends were spent mostly indoors (except walking to and from my car).<br /><br />Then 2 years ago I took up running (barefoot running, in fact) and I started to rediscover the joys of spending time outside. Hello sunshine! At the same time I started reading more and more about the concerns of lack of Vitamin D and the cancer risks associated with LACK of sun exposure. So when I first read Primal Blueprint Rule #7 (<a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sun-vitamin-d/">get some sunlight every day</a>) it made sense to me.<br /><br />This summer, for the first time since I was in my 20s, I've been spending time outside intentionally soaking up some rays. The image above shows today's beautiful mid-day sky as I saw it from my deck while working on my tan.<br /><br />As Mark Sisson points out in <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-importance-of-play-long-walks-and-outdoor-workouts-or-why-the-optional-stuff-isnt-actually-optional/">this post</a>, play, long walks and spending time outdoors is not optional stuff, it's essential to our health. With that in mind, I had planned a long hike for late in the afternoon. As I was getting ready to go, Kathryn, my 10 year old daughter, asked to join me. Taking her meant an abbreviated hike for me, but we turned the entire event into play. Hiking with her included stopping to feel the coolness of the dirt under our feet, giggling at silly jokes and ending the hike by dangling our feet over the edge of the boat dock and wading in the lake. It was a lot of fun!<br /><br />Here we are getting ready to head out on our hike. This is my new favorite picture of the 2 of us together. Some nice stranger offered to take it for us when he saw us trying to set up the camera.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Xhin4Bg5xY/TiIq4uWgI_I/AAAAAAAAAmI/dtcnju9GiJ4/s1600/IMG_0831_sm.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Xhin4Bg5xY/TiIq4uWgI_I/AAAAAAAAAmI/dtcnju9GiJ4/s320/IMG_0831_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630109638169994226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We leave the lake side for a trail hike through the woods. This is the start of the path.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v1YTcpHXWlA/TiIq44jlLdI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/XAoW1Mf0KkY/s1600/IMG_0832.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v1YTcpHXWlA/TiIq44jlLdI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/XAoW1Mf0KkY/s320/IMG_0832.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630109640909204946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Kathryn walking barefoot along a rocky section of the path. No problem!<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--p5SQp1aJ4A/TiIq5PfVKxI/AAAAAAAAAmY/jymV4Jgf0GA/s1600/IMG_0834.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--p5SQp1aJ4A/TiIq5PfVKxI/AAAAAAAAAmY/jymV4Jgf0GA/s320/IMG_0834.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630109647065393938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Our dusty, dirty feet at the end of the trail.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5PpH2DqhH4M/TiIrsRNEnAI/AAAAAAAAAmg/odmvGTTSGaU/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 208px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5PpH2DqhH4M/TiIrsRNEnAI/AAAAAAAAAmg/odmvGTTSGaU/s320/IMG_0835.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630110523699010562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The view over the lake nearing sunset, after the hike.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---olbJTQ9LE/TiIrtGlsj-I/AAAAAAAAAm4/MHWL7aHHm0Y/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---olbJTQ9LE/TiIrtGlsj-I/AAAAAAAAAm4/MHWL7aHHm0Y/s320/IMG_0844.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630110538029371362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Dangling our (still dusty) feet over the edge of the boat dock.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9UEeH4nk5Rs/TiIrseMWScI/AAAAAAAAAmo/orcgkjgZhqI/s1600/IMG_0838.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9UEeH4nk5Rs/TiIrseMWScI/AAAAAAAAAmo/orcgkjgZhqI/s320/IMG_0838.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630110527185635778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Wading in the lake at sunset.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v5vrmuT5M7s/TiIrtc2AvtI/AAAAAAAAAnA/cBy1x5-zG4c/s1600/IMG_0847.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v5vrmuT5M7s/TiIrtc2AvtI/AAAAAAAAAnA/cBy1x5-zG4c/s320/IMG_0847.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630110544003382994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />And in case you really wanted to read about my food choices for today, I'll summarize here.<br /><br />BREAKFAST<br />------------------<br />(Stopped at the bakery with Evan before a brief trip to the Farmers' Market this morning.)<br />Omelet with cheddar, tomatoes and avocado.<br />Small side of fruit.<br />Small whole-milk latte.<br /><br />LUNCH<br />-------------------<br />(Local restaurant after Evan's T-Ball game this morning.)<br />Seared tuna topping a salad of Napa cabbage, mixed salad greens, cucumbers, bean sprouts, tomatoes and carrots in a ginger soy dressing.<br /><br />DINNER<br />--------------------<br />Ski planned to make sloppy joes but discovered we didn't have all the necessary ingredients. He ended up making a meat sauce instead, similar to what we stuffed in the peppers <a href="http://peacekaren.blogspot.com/2011/07/fast-food.html">Wednesday night</a>...<br />-- Meat sauce made with local grass-fed ground beef, local pasture-raised pork breakfast sausage and <a href="http://www.thomassauce.com/tgf_products.html">Thomas Pasta Sauce</a> (simply dished up in a bowl).<br />-- Salad with mixed baby lettuce, purslane, kale, carrots, sungold tomatoes, avocado, purple bell pepper and champagne vinaigrette.<br />-- Smithwicks beerPeace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-54215378104494192962011-07-15T20:51:00.007-04:002011-07-15T21:50:41.451-04:00TWO-FERI started writing a post yesterday, but then I got sucked into a "making of Harry Potter" program on TV last night and never finished. So today you get a twofer. Two days, one post. I'll go in reverse order starting with today.<br /><br />===========================<br />Friday, July 15, 2011<br /><br />BREAKFAST<br />--------------------<br />I stopped at the <a href="http://www.lafarmbakery.com/">bakery</a> for a small whole-milk latte this morning after dropping the kids off at camp. That was enough for breakfast for today. (Notice a trend?)<br /><br />I worked from home today and dashed out to a nearby cafe to grab a take-out lunch. <a href="http://www.martinscurryrice.com/">Martin's Curry Rice</a> offers a build-your-own curry bowl that is made with fresh ingredients, many sourced from local farms through the <a href="http://westernwakefarmersmarket.org/">Western Wake Farmers' Market</a>. It was quicker than making my own lunch and full of the same quality ingredients that I use in my own cooking.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gsX4e1_UMVM/TiDhkbzTmTI/AAAAAAAAAkk/NX_-E3ZG7lE/s1600/IMG_0814.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gsX4e1_UMVM/TiDhkbzTmTI/AAAAAAAAAkk/NX_-E3ZG7lE/s320/IMG_0814.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629747550267611442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />LUNCH<br />-------------------<br />Sunfish, kale, zucchini, squash, onions and broccoli with just a splash of curry sauce (half sweet and half hot) all cooked up in a skillet with ghee (they usually cook without added fat -- I have to ask for the ghee). I skipped the rice, but doubled up on the delicious raita (yogurt cucumber sauce).<br /><br />SNACK<br />---------------------<br />Large mug of French Press coffee with a splash of organic whole milk<br />1 square (10g) 88% dark chocolate<br /><br />After a full day of work we picked up the kids from camp. The plan was to have a snack and go on a family bike ride. My snack was a small salad.<br /><br />SNACK<br />---------------------<br />Small salad: mixed baby lettuce, purslane, crumbled bacon, sungold tomatoes, avocado, fresh herbs, carrots, champagne vinaigrette.<br /><br />Kathryn (10 year old daughter) decided she was too tired from a full day of summer camp for a bike ride. Evan was pretty tuckered out too, but he still wanted to ride, so it turned out to be just the 2 of us. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nLJ8Us9A2-U/TiDhqrgAVjI/AAAAAAAAAk0/cxuyR0Tr8Pk/s1600/IMG_0815.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nLJ8Us9A2-U/TiDhqrgAVjI/AAAAAAAAAk0/cxuyR0Tr8Pk/s320/IMG_0815.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629747657560839730" border="0" /></a>Evan has a bit of a disadvantage: shorter legs, smaller bike wheels and only one gear. He can manage the downhills like nobody's business (in fact, he makes me a bit nervous considering he's only been riding for a few short weeks), but the uphills, well, they're not really his thing. In fact, his bike is a pretty hefty weight for its size and he struggles just to walk the bike up the hills. The end result is I end up walking 2 bikes up the hills and then chase after him on the downhills. We managed to get in a good 30 mins together (which was impressive considering how tired he obviously was) before I made him call it a day. I went back out for another 30 mins on my own just so I could actually ride a while.<br /><br />We've had the most incredibly beautiful weather the last couple of days (low humidity with highs in the 80s) and it's supposed to continue throughout the weekend. It makes it so easy to want to get outside to move and play. I'd complain about work getting in the way, but with the job market and economy what it is, I think I'll just grateful to have a good and enjoyable job where I can reasonably balance my time between work and play.<br /><img?><br />MOVE / PLAY<br />----------------------<br />30 min bike ride with son (lots of walking 2 bikes up hills)<br />30 min bike ride on my own (finally got to ride a bit!)<br /></img?><img?><br />I cooked up some easy lemon and basil chicken drumsticks for dinner. Coat chicken skin in bacon fat, sprinkle on course sea salt and fresh basil, place in baking dish with lemon quarters, bake at 450 until done (internal temperature is 165</img?>° F<img?>). The crispy, lemony skin is so yummy!<br /></img?><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DwfYfFqeDJY/TiDhk3uP61I/AAAAAAAAAks/SrMHGK6COE8/s1600/IMG_0816.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DwfYfFqeDJY/TiDhk3uP61I/AAAAAAAAAks/SrMHGK6COE8/s320/IMG_0816.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629747557762591570" border="0" /></a><br /><img?><br />DINNER<br /></img?>---------------------<br />Lemon and Basil Chicken Drumsticks (I had 2 -- too yummy not to have seconds)<br />Kale sauteed in bacon fat and dressed with tamari and toasted sesame oil<br />Fresh organic cherries<br />Heirloom tomato slices<br />Dry vodka martini with 3 olives<br /><img?><br /></img?>===========================<br /><img?>Thursday, July 14, 2011:<br /><br />BREAKFAST<br />-------------------<br />Stopped for a small whole-milk latte at LaFarm this morning on the way into the office.<br /><br />Stand: work, work, work.<br /><br />LUNCH<br />------------------<br />Take-out from Earth Fare prepared foods:<br />Herb crusted beef tenderloin (organic, but not necessarily grass-fed)<br />Broccoli salad with bell peppers, cranberries and a very little bit of mayo<br />Cucumber dill salad with onions in olive oil and vinegar<br /></img?><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eBNMLIM-FD8/TiDhkIukRuI/AAAAAAAAAkc/-pxO1AD5vR8/s1600/IMG_0813.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eBNMLIM-FD8/TiDhkIukRuI/AAAAAAAAAkc/-pxO1AD5vR8/s320/IMG_0813.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629747545147459298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><img?>SNACK<br />--------------------<br />1 serving of dark chocolate with almonds & sea salt<br /><br />Stand: work, work, work.<br />Sit for meeting.<br /><br />SNACK<br />--------------------------<br />Fresh berries with creme fraiche<br /><br />Stand: work, work, work.<br />Go home, change clothes, hit the trails for a hike/run on this amazingly beautiful 85° F day!<br /><br />MOVE / PLAY<br />-------------------<br />Really amazing trail run today (same location where I took <a href="http://peacekaren.blogspot.com/2010/07/tonights-trail-run.html">these pictures</a> last year)! I ditched my usual hand-held items for this run so I had less gear with me. The air felt wonderful and I felt light and free! This is one of those dangerous runs when it all feels so good that I'm tempted to do way more than I should. Having learned this lesson the hard way several times in the past, I stuck with a single 3 mile loop (though I was seriously tempted to do a second loop)!<br /><br />We had breakfast for dinner (bacon and eggs). I followed that up with a salad and then some wine and chocolate for dessert. I don't have a picture to share; you'll have to use your imagination.<br /><br />DINNER<br />---------------------<br /><a href="http://www.canecreekfarm.us/">Cane Creek Farm</a> Life-Altering Ossabaw Hog Bacon<br /><a href="http://www.twobridgesfarm.net/home.html">Two Bridges Farm</a> Incredible Eggs (fried in bacon fat)<br />Salad made with mixed baby lettuce, purslane, carrots, sungold tomatoes, avocado, green onions, champagne vinaigrette.<br /><br />DESSERT<br />---------------------<br /><a href="http://www.michaeldavidwinery.com/wines/7-deadly-zins/">7 Deadly Zins</a> red wine<br />1 serving dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt<br /><br /><br /></img?>Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-85906892297009683722011-07-13T20:45:00.002-04:002011-07-15T21:40:05.462-04:00Fast FoodBREAKFAST<br />-----------------------------<br />No breakfast today. Just a cup of coffee brewed in the French Press with a splash of organic whole milk, then off to the office.<br /><br />LIFT HEAVY THINGS<br />------------------------------<br />I hit the home gym during my lunch break and went through two sets of the Essential 5 Moves (pull-up, push-up, squat, overhead press, plank). (Details in free<a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-fitness/"> Primal Fitness</a> e-book.)<br /><br />After my work-out I stopped at <a href="http://www.earthfare.com/">Earth Fare</a> on the way back to the office to grab lunch. I boxed up a few selections to-go from their prepared foods bar and ate it back at my desk. The entire delicious lunch was only $6.87, not a bad deal for such a yummy and Primal-approved healthy lunch! That's my kind of fast food!<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rv5etOLJUhI/Th45vQ544aI/AAAAAAAAAkM/i0_4BNxF8HI/s1600/IMG_0811.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rv5etOLJUhI/Th45vQ544aI/AAAAAAAAAkM/i0_4BNxF8HI/s320/IMG_0811.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629000068414103970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />LUNCH<br />---------------------<br />Ginger White Fish<br />Asparagus<br />Sauteed Squash<br />Small Salad (lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes with champagne vinaigrette)<br /><br />SNACK<br />---------------------<br />About a dozen fresh organic cherries (I bought these while I was Earth Fare today)<br />3 oz Fage Total (full fat) Greek yogurt<br />1 square (10g) of 88% dark chocolate (<a href="http://chocolatebar.com/index.php">Endangered Species</a> brand)<br />1 square (10g) of 72% dark chocolate (Endangered Species brand)<br /><br />I made some quick and easy stuffed peppers for dinner tonight. I added <a href="http://www.thomassauce.com/tgf_products.html">Thomas Pasta Sauce </a>(jar sauce full of only good stuff and no added sugar) to browned ground beef (from <a href="http://www.canecreekfarm.us/">Cane Creek Farm</a>). I then sliced a bell pepper in half lengthwise and filled each half with the meat sauce. I topped them with tomato slices, garlic slices, basil and grated cheese and baked them until the peppers were toasty and the cheese was bubbly. The kids ate the sauce over pasta because 1) I've been unsuccessful at converting them to Primal, 2) spaghetti with sauce is something they'll actually eat, 3) bell peppers are NOT something they'll eat and 4) I only had 1 bell pepper left , anyway. Dinner was served with a salad and leftover roasted okra. I had actually planned to have a martini with dinner tonight, but as I was cooking the aromas made me want a nice bold red wine, instead. I opted for my favorite old vine Lodi Zinfandel, <a href="http://www.michaeldavidwinery.com/wines/7-deadly-zins/">7 Deadly Zins</a>.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UEJgaZM16Sk/Th45vaLWyQI/AAAAAAAAAkU/KwPf-x-KeP8/s1600/IMG_0812.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UEJgaZM16Sk/Th45vaLWyQI/AAAAAAAAAkU/KwPf-x-KeP8/s320/IMG_0812.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629000070903286018" border="0" /></a><br /><br />DINNER<br />---------------------<br />Stuffed bell pepper<br />Roast okra<br />Salad made with mixed baby lettuce, purslane, carrots, sungold tomatoes, green onions, basil and champagne vinaigrette.<br />Red wine<br /><br />After dinner I topped off my wine glass and enjoyed the remaining wine with some cheese for dessert.<br /><br />DESSERT<br />-----------------------<br />Slice of double cream Brie topped with fig spread.<br />The fig spread is basically fig jelly and contains sugar, so it's not really Primal but such a small portion fits in <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-8020-revisited/">my 20%</a>.<br /><style type="text/css">#avg_ls_inline_popup { position: absolute; z-index: 9999; padding: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px; }</style>Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-89016529296892666892011-07-12T20:27:00.005-04:002011-07-17T12:13:45.909-04:00Work PostureI didn't have to drop the kids at camp this morning which meant I could get to the office a bit earlier than usual. For that reason, I decided to just pack up the leftover ribs as today's lunch and stopped to get take-out for breakfast instead of eating breakfast at home. If you've been following along with me this week, you probably have a good guess as to where I might go for take-out. Yep, <a href="http://www.lafarmbakery.com/">LaFarm Bakery</a> for a repeat of Sunday's breakfast (minus the prosciutto this morning). The latte was gone before I got to the office. I enjoyed my breakfast with another cup of coffee while checking my morning e-mail at the office. No picture of breakfast this morning. It looks<a href="http://peacekaren.blogspot.com/2011/07/just-sunday.html"> just like it did Sunday</a> and tastes just as good.<br /><br />BREAKFAST<br />--------------------<br />Cheddar omelet with tomato and avocado<br />Small side of fruit (orange slices and honeydew melon)<br />Small whole milk latte<br />Second cup of coffee with organic half-and-half<br /><br />Once I finished breakfast seated at my desk (I prefer to eat sitting down), I converted my desk to it's usual configuration: a <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/standing-at-work/">standing workstation</a>. A few years ago I suddenly realized how bad my posture had become and I set out on an on-going quest for improved posture with the hope that doing so would reduce my chances (or at least delay the onset) of osteoarthritis, a condition that effects many members of my extended family. That quest has led me to adopt two habits that I believe have been very beneficial to my health: regularly going <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/even-if-the-shoe-fits-forget-it/">barefoot</a> and working as much as possible in a standing posture (with regular movement and stretching throughout the day).<br /><br />It turns out that these are two practices that Mark Sisson also recommends. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A6ARSbE3MaU/ThzocDCKTcI/AAAAAAAAAjs/xwScPW-5Ldo/s1600/IMG_0805.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A6ARSbE3MaU/ThzocDCKTcI/AAAAAAAAAjs/xwScPW-5Ldo/s320/IMG_0805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628629202854628802" border="0" /></a>When I first started reading <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/">his blog</a> earlier this year it resonated well with me because I was already following many of his lifestyle recommendations and I knew first-hand the benefits of those choices. It's the reason I was motivated to experiment with full Primal Blueprint. If I was already following most of Sisson's recommendations to great success, how might following his entire plan work for me? Turns out, it works quite well.<br /><br />Anyway, several years ago when I was first motivated to try a standing workstation I was lucky enough to work in an office where pneumatic height adjustable desks were standard issue for each employee. With the push of a lever I could quickly adjust the height of the entire desk for either sitting or standing. (Oh, how I miss that desk!) I've changed employers twice since then and neither has provided adjustable desks. For good reason, they're not exactly a dime a dozen. But no worry.<br /><br />If, like me, you're not lucky enough to have an adjustable desk, don't fret. As you can see in my picture, it's not that difficult or expensive to make your own modifications, especially these days with the ultra-light flat panel computer monitors. I use an upside-down, inexpensive plastic storage box to lift my primary monitor to standing height. I leave my secondary monitor on the desk and just tilt it up toward me. It's sufficient for my needs. I could always get a second box for the other monitor if I needed it at standing height. My keyboard and mouse live on a lap desk that I use for both sitting and standing posture. When standing, the lap desk rests on a short stack of empty boxes that lifts the keyboard to the perfect height for me so my shoulders stay back and relaxed.<br /><br />It takes just a few seconds to switch between a standing and sitting work station. When sitting, I use the lap desk, as the name suggests, in my lap. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tmfh4pY1fCE/Thzorm233yI/AAAAAAAAAj0/fswaATI3b_o/s1600/IMG_0808.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tmfh4pY1fCE/Thzorm233yI/AAAAAAAAAj0/fswaATI3b_o/s320/IMG_0808.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628629470168997666" border="0" /></a>To facilitate this, I removed the arms from my chair. Using the lap desk allows me to keep my shoulders back and down as I type on the keyboard in my lap instead of rounding my shoulders to reach out in front of me as I would be doing if the keyboard and mouse were on my desk. The lap desk measures 22" across which is comfortably wide, but still not ideal with a standard keyboard. The solution for me was the Microsoft Arc keyboard which provides full-size keys and all the functions of a standard keyboard but a reduced overall width due to the lack of a number pad. I find it a perfect solution.<br /><br />I worked straight through the morning into the early afternoon and finally stopped for lunch around 1pm. I had some dark chocolate as a snack shortly thereafter.<br /><br />LUNCH<br />-----------<br />Leftover pork ribs (sadly, there were only 2 ribs left)<br />Big salad: mixed baby lettuce, purslane, sungold tomatoes, avocado, green onion, blue cheese, dressed with champagne vinaigrette<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2f5PUT7lVl8/ThzpXuKVImI/AAAAAAAAAj8/t2tg7pAtHXE/s1600/IMG_0797.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2f5PUT7lVl8/ThzpXuKVImI/AAAAAAAAAj8/t2tg7pAtHXE/s320/IMG_0797.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628630228043899490" border="0" /></a><br /><br />SNACK<br />------------<br />Dark chocolate<br /><br />It was just too hot for a long mid-afternoon walk break today. Actual temps were at 100°F with the heat index upwards of 107°F. I took a 2 minute stroll around the outside of the building and decided that was enough.<br /><br />When I got home from work, my darling husband had already cooked up a mess o' greens for dinner. I love that man! I roasted some okra and whipped up a shrimp scampi to go with it and served it all with some fresh sliced tomatoes. Delish!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXQNC3Y0_oo/ThzpX-ujrmI/AAAAAAAAAkE/jyWAy3qtniQ/s1600/IMG_0810.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 289px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXQNC3Y0_oo/ThzpX-ujrmI/AAAAAAAAAkE/jyWAy3qtniQ/s320/IMG_0810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628630232490815074" border="0" /></a><br /><br />DINNER<br />------------<br /><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/shrimp-scampi-recipe/index.html">Shrimp scampi</a><br />Collards and Beet Greens with Smoked Turkey<br />Roasted Okra<br />Tomato Slices with Balsamic and grated ParmesanPeace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-1307891673833280792011-07-11T21:42:00.005-04:002011-07-12T07:27:19.776-04:00Monday At The OfficeI started my morning at home with some freshly ground coffee in the French Press. I'm a serious coffee lover and very picky about the quality of my coffee. There are several excellent local roasters in my area and I tend to keep a variety of coffee beans on hand. This morning I select my very favorite beans which come, surprisingly, by way of my local wine shop. It is <a href="http://www.sipawinestore.com/newsletter/103-oct-19th-2010.html">a custom blend of beans</a> created especially for <a href="http://www.sipawinestore.com/">Sip, A Wine Store</a> by local coffee roaster <a href="http://www.openeyecafe.com/carrboro_coffee/about.php">Carrboro Coffee Company</a>. I enjoy the coffee at home while getting ready for the day and wait until I'm at the office later in the morning to have a small breakfast of Greek yogurt with fresh berries.<br /><br />BREAKFAST<br />-------------------<br />Large cup of coffee with organic half-and-half<br /><a href="http://www.fageusa.com/products/fage-total-classic/">Fage Total Greek yogurt</a> with fresh blueberries and blackberries<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j2Fwdr17ziU/ThumsTPTamI/AAAAAAAAAjc/gRtOOxfsjH4/s1600/IMG_0795.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j2Fwdr17ziU/ThumsTPTamI/AAAAAAAAAjc/gRtOOxfsjH4/s320/IMG_0795.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628275439338482274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Later in the afternoon I fix a large green salad with veggies that I brought to the office from home. I mix some canned salmon with organic mayo and serve it on the side. Organic or not, the store bought mayo still contains vegetable oil (soy and/or canola, in this case) which is NOT part of the Primal diet, but I count this small serving as <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/8020-principle/">part of my 20%</a> and don't worry about it. The rest of the meal is high in omega-3s which will balance out the omega-6s in the mayo.<br /><br />LUNCH<br />---------------------<br />-- Large can of <a href="http://www.vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?pageStyle=h&idCategory=222">Vital Choice</a> sockeye salmon (skinless, boneless) mixed with <a href="http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=57#j96">Spectrum organic mayo</a>. (Yes, I know <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/about-2/who-is-grok/">Grok</a> would eat the skin and bones, but it's just not my thing.)<br />-- Salad made with mixed baby lettuce, purslane, sungold tomatoes, purple bell pepper, carrots, avocado, basil, green onion and local semi-ripened cheese (similar to brie) all dressed with a champagne vinaigrette.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7A72k2EZoaA/Thumsl17gsI/AAAAAAAAAjk/quPIad1-I4c/s1600/IMG_0796.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7A72k2EZoaA/Thumsl17gsI/AAAAAAAAAjk/quPIad1-I4c/s320/IMG_0796.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628275444332331714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I took a 10 minute break from work in the afternoon and went out for a short barefoot walk. I came back in and treated myself to some dark chocolate as an afternoon pick-me-up. An hour later I brewed a cup of tea.<br /><br />SNACK<br />--------------------<br />dark chocolate<br />iced Darjeeling tea<br /><br />SPRINT<br />--------------------<br />I got home with just enough time to change clothes and dash out the door for a short sunset run. 2.5 miles of walk/run/sprint intervals. It started out as one of the best runs I've had in a long time, effortless and fun, so I opted to add in some short sprints. Just before the 2 mile mark I noticed I was getting a small blister between my toes. Must have been the sprints. I opted to walk the last 1/2 mile, smiling the whole way, watching the sun set behind the trees. Oh, and for what it's worth, my sprints are probably slower than most runners' easy runs, but that's fine. I may not run far or fast, but I always run happy!<br /><br />I rarely have an appetite after a run and tonight was no exception. I had been looking forward to some leftover ribs for dinner, but it looks like they'll be my breakfast. I did have a cold glass of coconut water after the run. That seems to be enough for now, so consider this some unplanned <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-intermittent-fasting/%22%3EIntermittent%20Fasting">intermittent fasting</a>. It's all good. I'll likely make up the calories tomorrow or the next day.<br /><br />One of the things that has really surprised me about this change in diet is that when I'm not hungry, I'm REALLY not hungry. There are hardly ever any food cravings and there are times when I simply don't feel like eating. You always hear about only eating when you feel hungry, but I don't think I ever knew what that meant until now. My hunger cues have been very different for me since going Primal. It seems that what I used to consider "hunger" was either a food craving or a shakiness due to a sudden drop in blood sugar. Now that I hardly ever experience either of those sensations I have a completely different (better?) sense of hunger. It's not something I expected when I started this experiment and it's one of the main reasons why this eating style seems to work so well for me.<br /><br />DINNER<br />----------------------<br />Coconut water after my run<br />No dinner (<a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-intermittent-fasting/">Intermittent Fasting</a>)Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-83145494207127318982011-07-10T19:30:00.004-04:002011-07-11T22:09:59.007-04:00My Husband Has Started Smoking AgainAnd I'm so glad! We used to own a smoker (cooker) many years ago when we ate meat before we went vegetarian. We got rid of it once we realized we had little use for it. Now that we're meat eaters again (nearly a decade later), Ski went out recently and bought a new smoker. Tonight's dinner is thanks to his cooking efforts: smoked pork ribs and turkey legs!<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gy3p7vS8ysE/Tho3cHNLO6I/AAAAAAAAAjU/hQsTsL708ZU/s1600/IMG_0793.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gy3p7vS8ysE/Tho3cHNLO6I/AAAAAAAAAjU/hQsTsL708ZU/s320/IMG_0793.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627871640463031202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />DINNER<br />--------------<br />Smoked pork ribs from <a href="http://www.canecreekfarm.us/">Cane Creek Farm</a><br />(Just a bite of the turkey, but not worth missing out on the ribs for more turkey.)<br />Heirloom tomato (also from Cane Creek Farm) with basil, balsamic vinaigrette and grated Parmesan cheese<br />Farm fresh green beans cooked with bacon fat<br />Just a bite of scalloped potatoes<br />Evodia red winePeace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-59623780921140200852011-07-10T15:27:00.007-04:002011-07-10T16:47:25.198-04:00Just a SundayMy day started before 6am today. That's when my 6 year old son climbed into my bed and asked if it was time to go, yet. "Ahhhh, no son, go back to sleep." But he'd have none of that. There were plans to meet with his school friend for breakfast and a fun morning at the park, so sleep was now out of the question. <yawn!> I was able to put him off long enough to get about 15 more minutes of rest then I was up loading his bike in the car and getting ready to go.<br /><br />The plan was to meet his friend and friend's mom at our local bakery for breakfast at 8am. </yawn!><yawn!> If you think a bakery sounds like a poor choice for a Primal breakfast, you might be right. </yawn!><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OCeYXp8kY_Y/ThoCRsbeZoI/AAAAAAAAAjE/YZEfa7hxsFY/s1600/IMG_0780.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OCeYXp8kY_Y/ThoCRsbeZoI/AAAAAAAAAjE/YZEfa7hxsFY/s320/IMG_0780.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627813187360286338" border="0" /></a><yawn!>But this is <a href="http://www.lafarmbakery.com/">LaFarm bakery</a> (I mentioned them <a href="http://peacekaren.blogspot.com/2011/07/farmers-market-trip.html">yesterday</a>) and the siren song of their amazing lattes calls to me. Besides, they also serve wonderful omelets that fit well within the Primal Blueprint.<br /><br />We arrived a bit early and our food got to our table before our guests, </yawn!><yawn!>but we trusted that they'd forgive us for starting without them. Evan had already been awake 2 hours and was hungry for breakfast.<insert></insert></yawn!><yawn!><insert> As you can tell, Evan is NOT following the Primal Blueprint diet since French Toast with maple syrup doesn't fit in the plan. We've been slowly reducing the carbs in the kids' diets, but they're not yet fully on board and restaurant breakfasts will likely be the last place the carbs get cut. In any case, my omelet was fabulous and the latte was outstanding as usual.<br /><br />BREAKFAST<br />-----------------<br />3 egg cheddar omelet topped with tomatoes, avocado and prosciutto<br />Small side of fruit<br />Small whole milk latte<br /><br />PLAY<br />-----------------<br />The morning was spent on foot chasing two 6-year-old boys on bikes. Evan's friend learned how to ride his 2 wheeler during our morning outing, so there was a lot of stop and go. He did great! Evan, who recently learned to ride his 2 wheeler, would ride out and back while the rest of us slowly made our way along the paths. I covered around 2 miles on foot (barefoot, of course).<br /><br />LIFT HEAVY THINGS<br />---------------------------<br />Early in the afternoon I spent about 20 minutes in the home gym working on the Essential 5 Moves from the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-fitness/">Primal Fitness ebook</a> (free download available). The routine is to do 2 sets of pull-ups, push-ups, squats, overhead presses and plank -- each exercise done to exhaustion. There are progressive levels for each exercise so you're always working hard and the routine only takes about 20 minutes, whether you're a beginner or an athlete.<br /><br />I had a refreshing glass of coconut water after my workout and then finally got around to lunch at 2:30 pm. (That omelet was very filling this morning.)<br /><br /></insert></yawn!><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TWI8icYbPO0/ThoLRwSBsFI/AAAAAAAAAjM/AsVsJ_GXk8c/s1600/IMG_0791.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TWI8icYbPO0/ThoLRwSBsFI/AAAAAAAAAjM/AsVsJ_GXk8c/s320/IMG_0791.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627823083999047762" border="0" /></a><br /><yawn!><insert><br />LUNCH<br />--------------------------<br />Big salad made with mixed baby lettuce, purslane, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, green onions, purple pepper, local semi-ripened cheese, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and topped with leftover bratwurst. Served with sparkling water.</insert></yawn!>Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-31690986042060210342011-07-09T20:49:00.002-04:002011-07-09T21:07:25.913-04:00Evening's DinnerTwo posts in one day. Am I starting to spoil you? Maybe you were just really curious to find out what I'd choose for dinner with so many tasty choices as an option. But you'll have to wait another second, because before dinner I had a snack.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfFCqqCuniw/Thj3fv0QQOI/AAAAAAAAAi0/CQhdK5pzq7o/s1600/IMG_0777.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfFCqqCuniw/Thj3fv0QQOI/AAAAAAAAAi0/CQhdK5pzq7o/s320/IMG_0777.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627519859183075554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />SNACK<br />-----------<br />Fresh berries with creme fraiche<br /><br />And now, for dinner tonight, drum roll please....<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G5yiN6bbms8/Thj3f3a2n_I/AAAAAAAAAi8/WNO2tyljTGU/s1600/IMG_0778.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G5yiN6bbms8/Thj3f3a2n_I/AAAAAAAAAi8/WNO2tyljTGU/s320/IMG_0778.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627519861224022002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />DINNER<br />------------------<br /><a href="http://peacekaren.blogspot.com/2011/07/farmers-market-trip.html">Eliza's brats</a> (cooked in Guinness)<br />Served over <a href="http://www.bubbies.com/prod_sauerkraut.shtml">Bubbies sauerkraut</a><br />With Coleman's mustard<br />With fresh sliced tomatoes, basil, grated parm and balsamic vinaigrette.<br />Plus.... A beer! (Smithwicks)<br /><br />OK, so I know that beer is absolutely NOT part of the Primal Blueprint, but I consider the occasional beer <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/8020-principle/">part of my 20%</a>. Besides, there are some things that just aren't done -- and eating a beer brat on the weekend without an accompanying glass of cold beer is one of those things.<br /><br />DESSERT<br />--------------<br />3 squares (1/2 serving) of <a href="http://www.chocolove.com/almondsseasalt.htm">Chocolove -- Almonds & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate</a><br /><br />ACTIVITY<br />------------------<br />No formal exercise today. I spent an hour walking around the farmers' markets this morning, straightened and vacuumed the house and cleaned and prep'ed all those veggies. Consider it Moving Frequently at a Slow Pace or consider it a Rest day. I suppose it's all on your perspective. Either way, it was enough for me today. I'll probably use the foam roller and do some light stretches before going to bed. Aside from that, I'm calling it a day! Thanks for following along with me today.Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-50912618617911027472011-07-09T15:59:00.013-04:002012-08-21T08:53:10.929-04:00Farmers' Market TripSeriously? You actually checked back today? I wonder what's more surprising, that you bothered to come back here or that you actually found a new post. Well your faith has been rewarded. Here begins another day in the life of Karen.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TZMnwVlMjGM/ThimT6mo4PI/AAAAAAAAAhE/5OKTN_1346I/s1600/IMG_0731.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627430595478479090" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TZMnwVlMjGM/ThimT6mo4PI/AAAAAAAAAhE/5OKTN_1346I/s320/IMG_0731.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 288px;" /></a><insert pic="">Meet Farmer Eliza. Here she is with her helper, Brad. Eliza MacLean is one of the owners of <a href="http://www.canecreekfarm.us/">Cane Creek Farm</a> and one of the few farmers in the world to breed <a href="http://www.canecreekfarm.us/2009/06/what-is-an-ossabaw/">Ossabaw Island Hogs</a>. Why does this matter? Because Eliza's Ossabaw hogs are the source of life-altering bacon! Yes, it is that good! And the pursuit of this life-altering bacon is what caused me to leave the house at 6:30am this Saturday morning and make the 30 minute drive out to the amazing <a href="http://www.carrborofarmersmarket.com/">Carrboro Farmers' Market</a>.<br /><br />My Saturday mornings almost always start with a trip to the farmers' market(s). I am lucky to live in an area of the country where there are several outstanding, year-round farmers' markets.</insert><insert pic=""> The market trip is something I look forward to each week, usually sharing the experience with </insert><insert pic="">my 6-year-old son who took on the role of "Mommy's Farmers' Market Helper" a couple of years ago. This Saturday was no exception.</insert><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tkcEXrkUFfY/Thi-eWT1-4I/AAAAAAAAAis/IBgZWobgAOM/s1600/IMG_0746.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627457162993597314" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tkcEXrkUFfY/Thi-eWT1-4I/AAAAAAAAAis/IBgZWobgAOM/s320/IMG_0746.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 313px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<insert pic=""><br /></insert><insert pic="">Before heading out to the markets (2 market stops planned for today), we swing by <a href="http://www.lafarmbakery.com/">La Farm Bakery</a>, our local artisan bakery, </insert><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P44OdCuF4tk/ThimTJ641xI/AAAAAAAAAg8/6IgdLDkymto/s1600/IMG_0729.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627430582410073874" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P44OdCuF4tk/ThimTJ641xI/AAAAAAAAAg8/6IgdLDkymto/s320/IMG_0729.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 286px;" /></a><insert pic="">for one of THE BEST lattes in the world. The lattes are expertly made with locally roasted <a href="http://counterculturecoffee.com/">Counter Culture</a> espresso and whole milk. I wish they'd use local / organic milk, but the fact that they use commercial milk is not enough of a deterrent to keep me from regularly treating myself to the frothy goodness of these lattes. Consider it <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/8020-principle">part of my 20%</a>.</insert><br />
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I'm not particularly hungry this morning so the latte is all I have for breakfast. I do grab a second cup of coffee with a splash of organic half-and-half at the farmers' market later in the morning.<insert pic=""><insert><br /><br />BREAKFAST<br />---------------------<br /><lafarm bakery="">small whole milk latte<br />second cup of coffee with half-and-half<br /><br />Following breakfast we're off on our shopping adventure. First stop is the Carrboro Farmers' Market for Eliza's bacon. Yay, bacon! </lafarm></insert></insert><insert pic=""><insert><lafarm bakery=""> We also get some bratwurst, ground beef, steak and tomatoes from Eliza. Then we make the rounds and fill our basket with salad greens, collards, kale, beets, purslane, carrots, green onions, tomatoes, blueberries, blackberries, peppers, green beans, okra, basil, local cheese and fresh cut flowers.</lafarm></insert></insert><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dfjteCQwBJ4/Thispc5Fn9I/AAAAAAAAAhk/Z60rueFUhTc/s1600/IMG_0740.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627437562529685458" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dfjteCQwBJ4/Thispc5Fn9I/AAAAAAAAAhk/Z60rueFUhTc/s320/IMG_0740.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UuaXRwhgC84/ThisppNZXHI/AAAAAAAAAhs/EY37BGKoJ5A/s1600/Trip2FamersMkt.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627437565836090482" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UuaXRwhgC84/ThisppNZXHI/AAAAAAAAAhs/EY37BGKoJ5A/s320/Trip2FamersMkt.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 308px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<insert pic=""><insert><lafarm bakery=""><br />Our second stop is the <a href="http://westernwakefarmersmarket.org/">Western Wake Famers' Market</a>, because we're running low on eggs and need to visit </lafarm></insert></insert><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JFia7yqG8Ug/Thi3meJfjdI/AAAAAAAAAic/VpbCr0a26qA/s1600/IMG_0748.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627449605955227090" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JFia7yqG8Ug/Thi3meJfjdI/AAAAAAAAAic/VpbCr0a26qA/s320/IMG_0748.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 241px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><insert pic=""><insert><lafarm bakery="">Farmer Austin from <a href="http://www.twobridgesfarm.net/">Two Bridges Farm</a> for the perfect accompaniment to Eliza's bacon. If you've never had eggs fresh from a farm where the chickens run around all day and scratch for their food, you've never had *real* eggs. The yolks are an amazing orange color and the taste is incredible. I've been buying eggs like this from several area farms for years and they're all wonderful, but I've recently started only buying from Austin when possible. The eggs from his farm are the best I've ever had and well worth a second stop this morning on the way home.<br /><br />All of this is way more effort than a quick trip to the corner grocery store for a bunch of packaged items, but I don't remember ever coming home from the grocery store inspired to take a picture of the day's shopping.</lafarm></insert></insert><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_H-Ucb6uCj0/ThiyeBloZcI/AAAAAAAAAiU/xTYjdlJXpk0/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627443963291526594" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_H-Ucb6uCj0/ThiyeBloZcI/AAAAAAAAAiU/xTYjdlJXpk0/s400/IMG_0755.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 342px;" /></a><br />
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There was enough time after our shopping trip to quickly stash the food in the fridge before heading out for the kids' tennis practice and T-ball game. Both kids did great in their sports and had a good time. After all that, I fed the kids and started washing the veggies from today's shopping. I find that if I don't wash and store the veggies on Saturday so they're easy to grab and eat throughout the week, there's a higher likelihood that they'll never get eaten. After all of that, around 2pm, I'm hungry and ready for a big market salad for lunch.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XEc8uubJVrU/Thisq5sg5PI/AAAAAAAAAiE/9NHG7A3spS8/s1600/IMG_0776.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627437587441444082" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XEc8uubJVrU/Thisq5sg5PI/AAAAAAAAAiE/9NHG7A3spS8/s320/IMG_0776.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 310px;" /></a><br />
<br />
LUNCH<br />
------------<br />
Salad made with mixed baby lettuce, kale, purslane, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, green onions and some Fra'Mani ham, dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette and served with some sparkling water.<br />
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No plan yet for dinner. I need to go take something out of the freezer. Check back later to see what I selected.Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-6353265667889413372011-07-08T19:07:00.006-04:002011-07-11T22:14:23.169-04:00A Day In The Life...<span style="font-style: italic;">"It's been about 2 weeks since I started this experiment and so far, so good. I plan to share more about the Primal Blueprint, my implementation and the effects in future posts. With any luck, they'll come more frequently than once every 6 months."</span> (February 2, 2011)<br /><br />Yeah, right.<br /><br />In my defense, it hasn't actually been 6 months, yet. OK, so it HAS been over 5 months. But it's not 6! So there! The good news is that if you're a regular follower of my blog (chirping crickets), it doesn't take too much time out of your busy schedule to keep up with me.<br /><br />I know you've all been waiting with great anticipation to learn how things are going for me with the Primal Blueprint. (more chirping crickets) Perhaps not, but I'm going to tell you anyway.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fantastic!</span><br /><br />What started as an experiment has quickly turned into a lifestyle. And not just for me. Ski (the hubby) hopped on the Primal bandwagon with me in March and we've both been amazed at the changes. We've both effortlessly lost 20 pounds so far this year! All with no hunger and no calorie counting.<br /><br />We've had several friends and family ask about our food and activity choices. I've directed them to <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint/">Mark Sisson's web site</a>, but some have still asked for more specifics. Earlier this year Mark posted <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-week-in-the-life-of-mark-sisson/">A Week in the Life of Mark Sisson</a> to his blog. I'm going to attempt to do something similar, but not all in one post. For a while on a daily(ish) basis (or maybe once every 6 months, no promises) I'll blog about my food and activity choices and note how they fit in with the Primal Blueprint. The idea is to have someplace to point folks when they ask for more specifics about what I'm doing.<br /><br />Today went like this:<br /><br />EXERCISE<br />--------------<br />Woke at 6am <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-wake-up-without-an-alarm/">without the alarm</a>.<br />Rewarded myself with a morning run.<br />2.5 miles of barefoot walk/run intervals at sunrise. Ahhh!<br /><br />BREAKFAST<br />--------------<br />Refreshing glass of coconut water after my run.<br />I wasn't hungry for breakfast so I opted to <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/intermittent-fasting-skipping-meals-healthy/">skip the meal</a>.<br />I did, however, stop for a small whole-milk latte on my way to the office.<br /><br />LUNCH<br />--------------<br />Went out with coworkers to a typical American eatery (unusual for me). I ordered a large salad topped with shrimp but didn't realize that the shrimp would be breaded. I ate the salad veggies (it was a big salad and very yummy) and I ate a few of the small shrimp, picking off as much of the breading as I could manage politely with my fork.<br /><br />SNACK<br />--------------<br />Small handful (about 6) dark chocolate covered almonds<br />Cup of coffee with a splash of whole milk<br /><br />PLAY<br />--------------<br />Some storms rolled through in the early afternoon. Once the sun came back out I took a 10 minute break from work, went outside and splashed barefoot in some rain puddles. (Seriously!) I came back into the office feeling refreshed and better focused.<br /><br />DINNER<br />---------------<br />Scrambled farm fresh eggs with <a href="http://www.framani.com/products/hams-turkey-salumi/">Fra'Mani Rosemary ham</a><br />Kale sauteed in bacon fat mixed with spinach and garlic sauteed in olive oil<br />Caprese salad (tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, garlic, olives with balsamic vinaigrette)<br />Glass of red wine (<a href="http://lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/2011/06/wine-review-evodia-2009">Evodia</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--cxEoL2_8wg/TheSLfjs64I/AAAAAAAAAfk/ZNyMDEQOH3A/s1600/IMG_0728.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 360px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--cxEoL2_8wg/TheSLfjs64I/AAAAAAAAAfk/ZNyMDEQOH3A/s400/IMG_0728.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627126985570184066" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sadly, I'm not much of a food photographer. Dinner was a lot more tasty than the picture suggests. It was a mix of home cooked food and take out from a local pizza place. The base of the caprese came from the restaurant to which I added sliced cherry tomatoes. The restaurant also provided the sauteed spinach and garlic. I cooked the kale and added it to the spinach. I also cooked the eggs and ham. The ham (and wine) came from Whole Foods. The other ingredients I prepared came from local, organic farms. (And, yes, red wine goes well with scrambled eggs -- but only at dinner, not breakfast!)Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-17500185968579005022011-02-02T20:50:00.005-05:002011-07-11T22:15:17.705-04:00Getting Back At ItWow! I knew I had been away for a while, but I'm surprised to realize it's been nearly 6 months! I suppose that makes sense. That's right about the time my job took over my life and I was working seriously crazy hours. I'm back to something more manageable now.<br /><br />As my job took over, my healthy habits took a dive. I quit exercising regularly, quit planning meals, gained 10 pounds and constantly felt sluggish. Once the New Year arrived I found myself finally finished with that project at work, refreshed from some time off over the holidays and ready to return to my healthy habits.<br /><br />For nearly 10 years (the last 6 months notwithstanding) I have been following (more or less) the healthy lifestyle suggestions recommended by <a href="http://www.drweil.com/">Dr. Andrew Weil</a>. I've had great success following his advice and have experienced many health improvements as a result. I plan to share more details on that in a future post.<br /><br />However, something interesting happened as I prepared to resume eating and living the Weil way. I stumbled across Mark Sisson's blog, <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/">Mark's Daily Apple</a>. As I started reading through his blog entries I became more and more intrigued by what he calls the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint/">Primal Blueprint</a>. Much of it falls in line with the lifestyle recommendations of Dr. Weil. The main difference is in the dietary recommendations. Dr. Weil makes whole grains and legumes a staple in his eating plan. Mark recommends avoiding them completely.<br /><br />Mark presents a lot of good reasons for that advice and I found the logic compelling enough to give Primal Blueprint a trial run. I'm sure Weil would approve. He recommends experimenting (within reason) to see what effects dietary, supplement or lifestyle changes might have.<br /><br />It's been about 2 weeks since I started this experiment and so far, so good. I plan to share more about the Primal Blueprint, my implementation and the effects in future posts. With any luck, they'll come more frequently than once every 6 months.Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-15795276501548406332010-08-13T11:32:00.003-04:002010-08-13T09:05:03.974-04:00Experiment #2 - Barefoot Sandals For GuysActually, I don't plan to make these. But several of the guys on the <a href="http://www.barefootrunners.org/">Barefoot Runners' Society </a>forum have asked if I could do the same kind of thing for guys. OK, gents, here's my $0.02. It's up to you to make a pair. If you do, please post a link to pictures of your creation in the comments.<br /><br /><br />1) Buy this pair of $20 sandals from K-Mart.<br /><a href="http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_035B015762000001P?vName=Shoes&sName=Sandals&cName=Mens&blockNo=8&blockType=G8&prdNo=8">http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_035B015762000001P?vName=Shoes&sName=Sandals&cName=Mens&blockNo=8&blockType=G8&prdNo=8</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TGU8BIRuXQI/AAAAAAAAAdM/MLNOtgSd-XI/s1600/shoe1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TGU8BIRuXQI/AAAAAAAAAdM/MLNOtgSd-XI/s400/shoe1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504872109629660418" border="0" /></a><br /><br />2) Cut where indicated by the red lines below (both sides). You might choose to seal the edges with some glue and use a permanent marker to fill in the areas where the trim would be. (Or not.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TGU8Bbl1ixI/AAAAAAAAAdU/JUy-YP5Lmrg/s1600/shoe2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TGU8Bbl1ixI/AAAAAAAAAdU/JUy-YP5Lmrg/s400/shoe2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504872114814290706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TGU8BTMCu7I/AAAAAAAAAdc/MZ33mnoXgF0/s1600/shoe3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TGU8BTMCu7I/AAAAAAAAAdc/MZ33mnoXgF0/s400/shoe3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504872112558619570" border="0" /></a><br />(Alternatively, you could leave the side straps (along the 'tongue' of the shoe) long and cut them off at the base of the shoe instead of where shown. Then you could glue 2 pieces of flat elastic cord to the straps so that the elastic cord would fit across the bottom of your foot and hold the side straps to your foot. The finished product would look more "shoe-like," but it would take more tools and time and mean that the bottom of your foot wouldn't be completely bare -- there would be 2 parallel elastic straps across the sole of your foot.)<br /><br />Assuming you're going with the quick and easy method (and, hey, you're guys -- so of course you are!) let's continue...<br /><br />3) Now loosen the laces all the way and extend the cord out at the toe end. (You'll need a bit more imagination with this image, but hopefully you get the idea.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TGU8CBFg95I/AAAAAAAAAdk/IFT6xBYcog4/s1600/shoe4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TGU8CBFg95I/AAAAAAAAAdk/IFT6xBYcog4/s400/shoe4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504872124879271826" border="0" /></a><br />4) Attach the back strap around your ankle and loop the cord around your toe. Voilà! Just enough shoe to pass the glance test and keep under the radar of the shoe police. And it's yours for just $20 and about 5 minutes of effort.<br /><br />Good luck with it! Let me know how it goes.Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-26636544961556024832010-08-06T13:29:00.000-04:002010-08-06T13:38:04.613-04:00How To Make Barefoot SandalsThis is experiment number 1. I'll let you know how well they wear after this weekend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxG2h-AcEI/AAAAAAAAAcM/nZ5iEYU9X2k/s1600/IMG_0331.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxG2h-AcEI/AAAAAAAAAcM/nZ5iEYU9X2k/s400/IMG_0331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502350747385229378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxG23FeTfI/AAAAAAAAAcU/DdanJOiWb78/s1600/IMG_0333.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxG23FeTfI/AAAAAAAAAcU/DdanJOiWb78/s400/IMG_0333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502350753053691378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxHKBPRhgI/AAAAAAAAAck/Eu-9MjRFhgQ/s1600/IMG_0337.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxHKBPRhgI/AAAAAAAAAck/Eu-9MjRFhgQ/s400/IMG_0337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502351082196665858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxIImjTkPI/AAAAAAAAAdE/7A3kn1ZJTo4/s1600/IMG_0324.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxIImjTkPI/AAAAAAAAAdE/7A3kn1ZJTo4/s400/IMG_0324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502352157364687090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxG18WusOI/AAAAAAAAAb8/IFx9ucyuAhI/s1600/IMG_0325.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxG18WusOI/AAAAAAAAAb8/IFx9ucyuAhI/s400/IMG_0325.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502350737288376546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxG2fBXwTI/AAAAAAAAAcE/6w2kIQuqhcU/s1600/IMG_0327.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxG2fBXwTI/AAAAAAAAAcE/6w2kIQuqhcU/s400/IMG_0327.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502350746594033970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxHJ2EOdKI/AAAAAAAAAcc/HFQbqWUz50U/s1600/IMG_0335.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxHJ2EOdKI/AAAAAAAAAcc/HFQbqWUz50U/s400/IMG_0335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502351079197537442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxHKZ2IxMI/AAAAAAAAAcs/njXBtehMr0o/s1600/IMG_0339.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFxHKZ2IxMI/AAAAAAAAAcs/njXBtehMr0o/s400/IMG_0339.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502351088802120898" border="0" /></a>Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-62657287385577952782010-08-04T20:52:00.001-04:002010-08-04T21:10:10.966-04:00An Ah-Ha Moment!Earlier today, thanks to a link posted on the <a href="http://www.barefootrunners.org">Barefoot Runners Society</a> forum, I read a great article by Steve Magness: <a href="http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/08/how-to-run-running-with-proper.html#more">The Biomechanics of Running</a>. <br /><br />When I was done I thought, "I finally get it! It's all about the hip extension!" <p>All along I've been equating hip extension with pushing off (pushing off = bad). As a result, I've been limiting the range of motion at my hip joint. But hip extension isn't pushing off -- it's pushing <span style="font-weight: bold;">back</span> -- and that makes all the difference!</p> <p>I went out for a trail run at lunch today and focused on hip extension. I let the leg extend back and didn't try to pull the leg in too early (as it seems I've been doing all along). I ended up with a faster, easier run. And I *finally* understand a few other things that <a href="http://therunningbarefoot.com/?p=623">Barefoot Ken Bob</a> suggests that just never really clicked for me. </p> <p>- Let the hips rotate -- Previously, in my attempt to lift the foot I was actually pulling the leg forward too early. There was very minimal hip rotation. With my focus on the hip extension, the hip joint relaxes and rotates naturally. </p> <p>- Relax, relax, relax -- I could never figure out how I was supposed to relax AND hold myself up AND propel forward. Now I understand that's just another way to say let the stretch reflex do the work (as described in Magness' article). Now it makes sense to me!</p> <p>As Magness points out, "All runners will respond to a cue slightly differently, that is why it is important to come up with several different ways to say the same thing." Seems that's exactly what I needed. </p> <p>My hope is that this adjustment to my form will help prevent my recurring TOFP and, as a bonus, will also make me a faster runner. </p><p></p>Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-52428639491012561622010-07-28T21:18:00.000-04:002010-07-28T22:10:46.648-04:00Tonight's Trail RunI did 3 miles of barefoot run/walk intervals tonight on the trails. Then I grabbed my camera from the car and went back for a 1.5 mile barefoot hike to get some photos on the trails. This is my 3rd run since recovering from tendonitis (TOFP) and my foot is still feeling good. Keep thinking those good thoughts for me!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXpuoXi7I/AAAAAAAAAZc/cmh-PjpaViM/s1600/IMG_0268.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXpuoXi7I/AAAAAAAAAZc/cmh-PjpaViM/s400/IMG_0268.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132256911330226" border="0" /></a><br />The path leading up to one of my favorite trails.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXp-YGgbI/AAAAAAAAAZk/DEOgycfJDgY/s1600/IMG_0269.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXp-YGgbI/AAAAAAAAAZk/DEOgycfJDgY/s400/IMG_0269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132261138071986" border="0" /></a><br />The sun setting behind the trees.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXqDwiMZI/AAAAAAAAAZs/ltr9KuwUcLs/s1600/IMG_0272.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXqDwiMZI/AAAAAAAAAZs/ltr9KuwUcLs/s400/IMG_0272.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132262582727058" border="0" /></a><br />My first thought is, "OK, then I'll run, instead." The sign might as well say, "I dare you!" Don't ya think?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXqWoxGnI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/x3YLeVtlfTI/s1600/IMG_0273.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXqWoxGnI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/x3YLeVtlfTI/s400/IMG_0273.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132267650423410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYGSKJxMI/AAAAAAAAAak/95_S1aceJeg/s1600/IMG_0290.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYGSKJxMI/AAAAAAAAAak/95_S1aceJeg/s400/IMG_0290.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132747484611778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXqjtf5BI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/x5JWTLqZHpE/s1600/IMG_0276.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDXqjtf5BI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/x5JWTLqZHpE/s400/IMG_0276.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132271159927826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYFOMC0cI/AAAAAAAAAaM/0jHh0dpJSmE/s1600/IMG_0280.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYFOMC0cI/AAAAAAAAAaM/0jHh0dpJSmE/s400/IMG_0280.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132729238933954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYFQMDe1I/AAAAAAAAAaU/rRDxilqe7xs/s1600/IMG_0285.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYFQMDe1I/AAAAAAAAAaU/rRDxilqe7xs/s400/IMG_0285.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132729775848274" border="0" /></a><br />I saw a baby snake here when I went running through the first pass. I was hoping he'd still be around when I came back with the camera, but he had moved on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYF5v0x5I/AAAAAAAAAac/ECSi4NTubPI/s1600/IMG_0286.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYF5v0x5I/AAAAAAAAAac/ECSi4NTubPI/s400/IMG_0286.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132740931733394" border="0" /></a><br />I found this guy, instead. He was moving along at a pretty good clip. I guess he didn't give much heed to the sign, either.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYE26SXNI/AAAAAAAAAaE/xDRriAECTYg/s1600/IMG_0279.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYE26SXNI/AAAAAAAAAaE/xDRriAECTYg/s400/IMG_0279.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499132722990439634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYf6WjlzI/AAAAAAAAAas/sebck0JB4qA/s1600/IMG_0292.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYf6WjlzI/AAAAAAAAAas/sebck0JB4qA/s400/IMG_0292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499133187770783538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYgMoH8DI/AAAAAAAAAa0/P5MTcTF8EhQ/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYgMoH8DI/AAAAAAAAAa0/P5MTcTF8EhQ/s400/IMG_0293.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499133192676306994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYg_ejflI/AAAAAAAAAbM/L-H8Ve-9kh8/s1600/IMG_0298.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYg_ejflI/AAAAAAAAAbM/L-H8Ve-9kh8/s400/IMG_0298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499133206326378066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYgboAyDI/AAAAAAAAAa8/Maf9a7QzmiY/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYgboAyDI/AAAAAAAAAa8/Maf9a7QzmiY/s400/IMG_0296.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499133196702369842" border="0" /></a><br />Oh, look! A puddle. Only one thing to do...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYgkDBk2I/AAAAAAAAAbE/0ZJm-0X8-hE/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYgkDBk2I/AAAAAAAAAbE/0ZJm-0X8-hE/s400/IMG_0297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499133198963151714" border="0" /></a><br />Ahhh!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYzQSj0eI/AAAAAAAAAbk/D6c5jPTClW4/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYzQSj0eI/AAAAAAAAAbk/D6c5jPTClW4/s400/IMG_0304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499133520077115874" border="0" /></a><br />The smooth river rocks by the boat house are always a nice place for a cool down walk after a run.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYzFvclmI/AAAAAAAAAbc/OaML_ARV5y4/s1600/IMG_0302.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYzFvclmI/AAAAAAAAAbc/OaML_ARV5y4/s400/IMG_0302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499133517245486690" border="0" /></a><br />I like to wrap my feet around the rocks. It's very soothing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYz_JbatI/AAAAAAAAAbs/pKc3DH7lMe4/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TFDYz_JbatI/AAAAAAAAAbs/pKc3DH7lMe4/s400/IMG_0308.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499133532655282898" border="0" /></a><br />Time to kick back on the boat house deck and watch the sunset.Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4612695106576004238.post-79010800434302283452010-07-25T12:57:00.000-04:002010-07-25T14:07:01.267-04:00FootwearA common question asked by new barefoot runners is, "What shoes do you wear when you're not running?"<br /><br />My answer is, "Barefoot whenever possible, otherwise as little shoe as possible."<br /><br />When I started out barefoot running last year, the thought of barefoot living didn't even cross my mind. What I found is that the more time I spent barefoot, the more time I wanted to spend barefoot and the more I disliked the feeling of shoes. It's now been over a year since I've worn any kind of elevated heel, not even a regular tennis shoe. My comfort and balance are now noticeably affected by even the smallest heel elevation.<br /><br />Today I spent some time cleaning out my closet and pulled out all my old shoes from the back. Before donating and/or consigning them I thought I'd take some before and after photos to show what has happened to my shoe wardrobe over the last year.<br /><br />Here are some of the shoes that I wore before June 2009. Look at those heels!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExwZhithfI/AAAAAAAAAYc/ERt4TLXg_FA/s1600/shoes1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 141px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExwZhithfI/AAAAAAAAAYc/ERt4TLXg_FA/s400/shoes1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497892828915533298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is my current selection of footwear.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExw8F_FMLI/AAAAAAAAAYk/viBziacA-Dc/s1600/shoes2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 103px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExw8F_FMLI/AAAAAAAAAYk/viBziacA-Dc/s400/shoes2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497893422813753522" border="0" /></a><br />From left to right:<br /><a href="http://footzyrolls.com/">Footzyrolls</a> - Limited Edition Collection, Gold Gator<br /><a href="http://footzyrolls.com/">Footzyrolls</a> - Everyday Collection, Black as Night<br />Target gladiator sandals, resoled by a local cobbler<br />My favorite footwear option of all -- none! :)<br /><a href="http://footzyrolls.com/">Footzyrolls</a> - Summer Snake Skin Collection - Wonderous White<br />Converse One-Star (from Target)<br /><a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/">Vibram FiveFingers</a> KSO, brown/brown<br /><br />I curled up the gold and white Footzyrolls in the photo to show how light and flexible they are. They are not durable (I wore out my first pair in a few months), but they are the most minimal shoe I've ever worn and I find them a reasonable option for dress clothes.<br /><br />I bought the gladiator sandals this summer at Target. These images are from Target showing how they looked when I bought them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExw8eE1D0I/AAAAAAAAAYs/UqQsRZGLZrA/s1600/shoePt1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 394px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExw8eE1D0I/AAAAAAAAAYs/UqQsRZGLZrA/s400/shoePt1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497893429280313154" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As I noted at the beginning of this post, I'm not fond of even the slightest heel elevation. I bought these with the intent of taking them to my local cobbler to see what he could do to make them more minimal. He resoled them with his most minimal sole material. They're nice. A bit thicker than I'd prefer (~5mm), but much better than when I bought them.<br /><br />Here are a couple of close ups showing how they look now. You can see that the sole is completely flat now, no heel elevation at all.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExw80YfS5I/AAAAAAAAAY8/QMBOIFi7u_Q/s1600/shoePt2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExw80YfS5I/AAAAAAAAAY8/QMBOIFi7u_Q/s400/shoePt2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497893435268352914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExw9VmkFnI/AAAAAAAAAZE/HMxgn4DXaXw/s1600/shoePt3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TExw9VmkFnI/AAAAAAAAAZE/HMxgn4DXaXw/s400/shoePt3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497893444185757298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next time I think I'll make a few more calls and see if there are any other cobblers in town who can get things a little thinner. The good news is that if I come across a cute pair of kitten heels or flats with a wide enough toe box, I know I can get them resoled to a more minimal option. It's not an inexpensive option, but it's one that I hope will help me better balance the fashion and function aspect of shoes for those occasions when a shoe is necessary.<br /><br />One thing I've really started enjoying since moving to a barefoot lifestyle is dressing up my feet without using a shoe. My toe nails are almost always polished and occasionally decorated with nail art. I have a growing collection of toe rings and ankle bracelets. And I make my own foot jewelry which proves to be the ultimate in minimal footwear. (Sorry, no, I'm not planning to sell any. :) I don't have the time to handle orders.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TEx7pspXMfI/AAAAAAAAAZU/q2qkWFghJZw/s1600/newFootJewlry.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TEx7pspXMfI/AAAAAAAAAZU/q2qkWFghJZw/s400/newFootJewlry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497905201402032626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TEx63eZJPwI/AAAAAAAAAZM/Jg8ZptOPYzM/s1600/feet.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ej8YBxn7iL4/TEx63eZJPwI/AAAAAAAAAZM/Jg8ZptOPYzM/s400/feet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497904338582454018" border="0" /></a>Peace, Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08790123832737299509noreply@blogger.com2