yummiest moroccan spiced dish

I stumbled across this recipe in real simple (one of my favorite magazines) and thought it would be so yummo in my tummo.  i love ethnici tried it, and it's now a favorite of mine.  the recipe in the magazine was 'spiced braised beef with sweet potatoes', but i just cut the beef - here is the vegan version:


heads up - this serves about 6, so if you're a single girl like me living alone, i'd half it.  the leftovers keep really well.
ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges

• 1/2 cup dried apricots

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

• kosher salt

• 1 1/2 cups couscous (i prefer wheet)

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

• 2 cups baby spinach (1 1/2 ounces)

• 1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped

directions

1. in a bit pot, throw in the onions (and i threw in some garlic) and sautee for about 5 minutes
2. throw in them taters, and sautee for about 10 minutes (stirring occassionally) until tender
3. throw the rest in (including the juice from the tomatoes), and let that cook and simmer until juice has been absorbed (about 20 minutes)
4. pour over the couscous and get ready for a food explosion in yo mouth

Earth Below, Sky Above, Fire Within

My calf ‘injury’ (really just horribly knotted and painful fascia) in mid-August set me back big time – for over two months I could run only two or three times a week, maybe up to five miles at a time, and even that was pushing it some weeks.  I lost my base, lost some strength, and just felt so defeated.  After continued body work and getting cupped (which I recommend highly to anyone going through any muscle tension or knotted fascia), I was able to start building my base back up in mid-October and early November. 

What I horrendously humbling experience.  All my friends were in full marathon shape and very strong, and I felt like this marshmallow.  Steve and Bobby both had some good conversations with me when I was feeling down, and they kinda lit a fire under my ass (as my dad says).  So, I humbly kinda took a step back, had to reflect and look inward, swallow my pride a bit, and start from the ground up building my base back up. 

I’ve had some highs and lows over the last three months, but I’m feeling so great now.  I’ve incorporated regular body work and cupping into my training, which is a tremendous help – can’t believe I wasn’t doing it before.  I went to a nutritionist regarding my seme-recent move to veganism, as well and helping my performance.  Carly has turned my world around and I feel a huge difference in my running just from the way she has me eating.  I’ve been slowly building my mileage back up, and ran 14 miles Saturday – the furthest I’ve ran since August before my calf threw a fit.  I knew we were going to have some hills – I’ve been working to get my hill strength back up as well, which is an uphill battle (ha – see what I did there?).  And I had a great run – best I’ve had in a long time, possibly the best.  I felt strong on the hills, and had the company of good friends while rolling over them. 

After they dropped me off (they were running 20 and I split off to run my 14), I immediately met Chuck from another group with Rogue.  We got stuck at a stop light together, said ‘hi’, made mention of the gorgeous sherbert sunrise, and then I wished him a good run as he passed me.  We got stuck at the next stoplight together, started up talking again, continued to talk after the light went green, and I thought to myself, ‘Self, you can run alongside this guy.  You can do it.’  And I did.  I broke out of my comfort zone, and challenged myself.  And I kept up with him, talked to him, and felt comfortable and strong.  I really surprised myself, and felt good.  I even finished with four records on my Garmin – fastest mile, fastest 5k, fastest 10k, and fasted half marathon.  If I hadn’t met Chuck, I think I would’ve stayed in my safe zone and continued on.  And not only did he challenge me, but I met a new friend at Rogue.  He told me part of his story, and offered some great running advice and training tips that work for him.

Rogue had a lot of people racing yesterday in the 3M Half Marathon, the Big Bend 50k and 25k, and the Houston Marathon.  I was on pins and needles waiting to hear how everyone did, and was really emotional for some reason, way more than what I would expect to be normal.  I had two friends qualify for Boston (the holy grail for a lot of runners), and several more that PR’d.  I had some friends run a 50k yesterday – that’s over 30 miles!!  Holy cow! 

I heard about some 3M PRs first.  I was sending my two friends trying to BQ good juju – I was glued to my Facebook newsfeed to get updates.  Then I got word that they both qualified – I don’t know why, but I kind of teared up a bit.  Another friend ran his first marathon yesterday and ran a 3:40 – that is an amazing time for a first time marathoner!  Another friend was pacing her dad to meet his goal of a sub-2 hour half and he got it!  I was waiting to hear about my other friends running the Big Bend 50k and they all finished, and finished strong.  I teared up yet again when I saw their Facebook pictures and heard from Steve.  It was just an amazing day for Rogue, and I was inspired by everyone that ran yesterday.  Again, and fire was lit under my ass.

I reflected a lot yesterday on my running.  I have come far from where I started last March and then again a few months ago, but still have a lot of work to do to eventually meet my ultimate goal of qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon.  But instead of focusing on that goal that seems so far away, I’m going to celebrate my small victories, as well as those of my friends.  I’m going to work on achieving smaller goals (stretch goals, as my coach calls them) – this year I want to get a sub-2 half and a sub-4 full.  Those goals seem a bit far right now, but I know with hard work I can do them.  As Steve has told me (and his voice rings in my ears often), ‘You can do anything you set your mind to.’  When I get discouraged and have bad runs (as we all do), I’m going to think about how far I have come instead of far I have yet to go.  I’m going to find inspiration in those around me, and there is an abundance of it (as was proved this weekend).  I’m going to continue to challenge myself to break out of my comfort zone.  I’m going to trust my legs and body – our bodies are capable of some amazing things when you think about it.  I can see and feel the slow and steady progress, so I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing as well as learn from others.  As I’ve heard several times before, ‘slow and steady wins the race’ – I really like that phrase.  Be patient, and keep it slow and steady.

Even though the set back of my calf pissed me off, I’m glad it happened – perhaps a blessing in disguise.  If it hadn’t had happened, I don’t think I would feel this fire within me that I do, or at least not as strong (if that makes any sense).  I’m hungrier now than I was before, and I’m going to let that drive me to where I want to go.  I am so grateful that I found Rogue – it has truly changed my life.  There is such a strong feeling of family and community – it’s just fantastic.  We all encourage each other.  When someone is having a rough run, another picks them up – no Rogue left behind!  We celebrate in each other’s victories.  Although I’m grateful I found Rogue, I’m even more grateful I found Coach Bobby.  When he tells you he’s proud of you and loves you, he really means it.  He is the biggest cheerleader for all of his runners, and is dedicated to each one of us. 

At any rate, I was just feeling all warm and fuzzy inside yesterday and wanted to share J

how dogs love us

i haven't had a book review on here for a while...

'how dogs love us' is my latest read - finished it over christmas break. this book is pretty new - heard about it on some website, and pre-ordered it on amazon before it was released. i initially read about it on some website - i can't remember what site i was on, but it was an article about this book and how peta was going to have a 'field day' with it (which now after reading this, i can definitely see why). 

the book is written by a man who studies the brain for a living, how they work, emotions, etc. dr. berns wasn't always a dog person - i don't recall he grew up with them.  he adopted a dog later in life when he had a family and found himself growing quite attached. he was looking at his dog one day and wondered to himself, 'does my dog actually love me? does she love me as i love her, or does she just see me as a source of food and shelter?  does she have human emotions?' now me being a dog person who nurses what *might* be an unhealthy attachment to toby, of course i knew he loves me. no brainer - duh. the author thought the same thing, but he wanted to prove it.

he and his team trained dogs to lay still in an mri machine to study their brains and to see if, in fact, dogs (and animals) have human emotions. long story short, they do. the book is fascinating. our dogs (and other animals) actually do love us - they feel emotions very similarly to what we do. they feel love, happiness, sadness, loneliness, depression, frustration, stress, fear, silliness, attachment, abandonment, etc. 

he then begged to ask the question, 'if animals do in fact feel similar emotions and stresses as we do, is it morally okay to eat them?'  my point exactly.  when i wrote my 'among the vegan path' blog, i touched on this.  in china and other countries, people eat dogs.  dogs!!  as i looked down at toby, it made me sick to my stomach to think that people might find his meat a delicacy.  can you imagine eating your dog?  absolutely not.  i have a couple friends who have pigs as pets, and they seem just as intelligent, loveable, and cuddly as a dog.  so why is it okay to slice them up in the bacon and fry them up when the thought of eating your pet dog is not acceptable?  i have a new friend who has a baby lamb - why is it more acceptable to slice her up into expensive lamb chops and serve them medium rare?  i'm not sure if i can come up with an answer to that.  and when i found i couldn't answer that question, that is when i ventured onto the vegan path.  again, not trying to push this on anyone, just sharing thoughts.

a little while after i finished this book, i came across an article - again, scientists have proven that animals have feelings as we do and had made a formal declaration and statement.  a group of international and highly esteemed scientists have recently signed he cambridge declaration on consciousness, declaring their support for the idea that animals are aware and conscious to the same degree as humans.  read it - awesome article.  

www.elephantjournal.com/2014/01/science-proves-that-animals-have-feelings/

i'm hoping that books, articles, and testaments like these will raise more awareness about animals and how they feel.  one day it was acceptable to enslave and consider people as property, even acceptable to hang them.  now that thought is morally repugnant.  i do hope that one day we will think the same of animals and how once they were treated.

whether you are an animal person or not, these are good reads that will really make you think.  and if you're one of the people who thinks they are 'just animals', you may think twice.

steer into the skid

The flu and pneumonia are bad this year, some have said the worst it’s ever been.  We’ve seen stories on the news of the fatalities – in fact, a woman I work with had a 48 year old friend that died from complications of the flu.  She went to his funeral earlier this week.

I was surfing the net trying to keep busy and awake on a slow, gloomy day at work and came across a story about one of these fatalities.  The headline intrigued me – ’12-year-old girl dies unexpectedly, family comforted by letter she wrote herself’.  This story went somewhat viral – you may have seen it on.   My heart just sank for the family as I started to read the article.  One day their daughter had some cold symptoms,  tested negative for the flu, was going to be okay, and then died from pneumonia – I can’t imagine the shock.

While going through her things after Taylor died, her parents came across a letter she had written her future self to be opened and read by her ten years later – she would’ve been 22.  Some of what she wrote was pretty typical and expected of a 12-year-old girl – how are you?  Congratulations on graduating high school.  How’s college?  But something in the closing of the letter struck a chord with her parents, and a statement that we can all learn something from.  She wrote, ‘Stuff has happened good and bad, that’s just how life works and you have to go with it.’

Indeed it does, Taylor – and thanks for the reminder.  Bad things happen in life, just as often as the good.  Bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, and it leaves you questioning the logic and existence of karma.  Her message is something I like to call ‘steering into the skid’.  Struggles and life obstacles are inevitably going to happen that are out of your control, but it’s how you react to them that matters.  You can fight it, which I found makes things worse.  Or, instead, you can go with it, make the best of it, smile, and ‘steer into the skid’.  In Mrs. Semen’s (yes, that is truly her name and I even giggle today as I type it) driver’s ed class, we were taught when our car fishtails, starts to hydroplane, or skids we turn into the direction of the skid instead of the opposite direction.  Sure, steering in the opposite direction might be our instinctive reaction, but it makes the situation worse and can cause a bad accident.  Although it seems like a dangerous choice, and once that seems wrong, you steer into the direction of the skid to level things out and get on track again.

So my message to you all is this.  When life throws you a curveball, accept the plot twist as a challenge a move on.  As a popular ecard states, ‘No matter what life brings you, kick some grass over that shit and move on.’  And most importantly, steer into the skid.