how to fall in love with your bicycle

My second week of Official Century Training was an important one. But before I tell you about that, I want to share something else with you.

I love signing up for races and events. Races and events are, hands down, my biggest expense. But I don't compete because I love the thrill of competition (it's actually kind of stressful) or because I think I'm going to win (I'm not quite that delusional). I compete so that I have a reason to train. To put it another way: It's not the destination, but the journey, that matters.


If I train for my next marathon (Houston!), put in the hours, log quality miles, push myself to be faster, stronger, more disciplined, complete speedwork and hill training, and have a spiritual ephipany on mile 19 of a 20 mile run, then I will be satisifed. The actual marathon? That's just one morning, one really long run. The four months leading up to that morning are where the magic happens. I've long known this about running, but I've only just realized that the same truths can be applied to cycling.


This should not have come as a suprise, but it did. You see, I ride my bike all the time. I commute back and forth to work twice a day (yes, it's only a mile each way, but still) and I ride a bit farther when I go to the yoga studio to get my stretch on. I thought, having a marathon, daily biking, and a few Pineywood Purgatories behind me, that century training would be an easy way to spend the summer. So when, on my last few long rides, I spent the majority of my time struggling to keep up with the group, feeling slow and out of shape, I convinced myself that I was just not meant to be a cyclist.


This past week, I turned it all around. I'm not saying I'm ready to ride 100 miles tomorrow, but I will say that by August 28th I know I'll be ready to take on the Hotter'N'Hell.


What changed? Well, I started riding more than once a week. It turns out, the more you ride, the stronger you become. Who would have thought?! For the past two Tuesdays, Nathan and I woke up early, got on our bikes by 6:00 AM (which is when the sun rises), and headed out for a fast ten mile ride and a twelve mile ride, respectively. Last Wednesday, I tried out my first spin class and even though it totally kicked my ass, I'm hooked. After a few days of rest and yoga, we tackled a 35 mile ride though the East Texas country side - the farthest distance I've ridden since last October. It was awesome. We took it easy, enjoyed the scenery, and had a snack break half way through. It was just Nathan and I, so there was no pressure to keep up with a group, we could turn down any road we wanted (and did), and I was able to quietly enjoy the feeling of my legs and heart working hard. And sometime during that quiet morning, riding up and down the hills of county road 343 with my best friend in front of me and wide stretches of land to my side, I realized that I wasn't working towards something bigger than myself. I was already in it. And once I accepted that, the ride unfolded before me. My bicycle and I were in love once more.


This week we're planning to conquer a 45 mile bike ride. I'm looking forward to it.

recipe: almost raw chocolate pudding

When I was a kid, my mom made the most glorious chocolate pudding pie the world has ever known. Sure, she used a store bought graham cracker crust, and she made her pudding from a My-T-Fine mix, but I didn't care. It was pure heaven, in pie form. 

The first time I went vegan, I broke it for my mom's chocolate pudding pie. Later that night I regretted my decision, as my intolerance to lactose was now in full swing. I haven't had her pie since, but I've tried to replicate it many times, only to be disappointed again and again. This time, though, I think I've got it.  
 

This recipe is both the best chocolate pudding I've ever made, and the messiest pie I've ever eaten. That's probably because the original recipe doesn't put pour the pudding into a pie - instead, it's eaten with a spoon, from a bowl. I initially served it as the pie you see above, but since scooped the leftovers into our wine glasses, which somehow makes it taste even better. Oh, and you might be wondering about those avocados in the photo. I have an explanation for that. 

Yes! The secret ingredient to this raw chocolate pudding is AVOCADO. I wouldn't have believed if I didn't make it, and trust me - no one at the baby shower where I served this suspected a thing. Best party trick ever. Also, as I served my pudding in a ready made graham cracker pie crust (in homage to my mother) my version wasn't completely raw but that's okay, because neither am I! 

Raw Chocolate Pudding (from the Daily Raw Cafe)

* To make enough for one pie, I made this recipe x 5.  The recipe as follows should serve two easily.

You will need:

1 avocado, diced

¼ c raw agave nectar, or more to taste

¼ c cocoa powder

¼ c water

2 t vanilla extract

¼ t sea salt

Directions: 

Place avocado, agave nectar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sea salt in a blender. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to achieve a creamy consistency.

Yum! 

weekend adventures

Eating sushi is not a flattering pursuit. I promise I don't always stare ahead blankly while I eat. Only when the food is really, really good. I am, however, really that pale. Sad, but true.

What a weekend! From Friday night to Sunday evening, we were on the go, seeing people, visiting places and doing out weekend thing. It was fun but exhausting and this Monday is off to a very slow start. But enough about Monday. Here are some highlights from the last three days.

 A blurry photo of the Pine Knot, for Bobbie!

Friday! We were going to stay in and watch a movie, but as we do that exact thing 75% of the time we decided to be crazy and head out to the Pine Knot. The Pine Knot is a monthly music performance in an old church, made up mostly of blue grass, folk and a little gospel. While these are not my usual music tastes (Le Tigre, anyone?) there is something about drinking a beer in a church pew while listening to sweet harmonies that makes me fall in love with East Texas. I was very glad we'd left the house.

Saturday! We switched our weekend days around and slept in on Saturday instead of Sunday. Rebels! After a nice breakfast and a trip to the Farmers' Market, we headed to Bryan and Eralda's to watch the USA vs. Ghana World Cup match. I was sad to see the USA lose, but now I'm behind Ghana all the way. Ghana! Ghana! Ghana!

After the game, Nathan and I hightailed it to Merci's place, where we attended a double baby shower for Mary and Chay. It was the usual crowd and we drank beers, swam in the lake, played with the cutest baby in the world (Omo!) as well as the cutest toddler in the world (Reesie!). (Our new babies will have some stiff competition in the adorable category, but I am quite certain they'll be up to the challenge!) It was another perfect East Texas evening, despite the heat and humidity (and maybe even because of it!).

More photos coming to flickr just as soon as I get a chance to edit them, so stay tuned!

Sunday! Oh, Sunday. This was a monumental day for me, because on Sunday Nathan and I headed out with nothing but a few liters of water, some energy bars, and his GPS, and rode our bikes 35 miles. We ended up covering some new ground and finding a great route to ride along. The ride was pleasant while being challenging, and relaxing while working up an awesome sweat. Two and half hours later, and I was in love with cycling once again. This was a great relief and I rode the high for rest of the day.

The remainder of Sunday included some quality time spent editing and submitting stories to journals (finally!), playing kickball (I got someone out!), and sharing fried pickles at the bar (warning: fried pickles right before bed will cause very bad dreams). 

All in all, an excellent weekend. The only thing that would have made it better would be a third day. Luckily, that's exactly what happens next weekend! Just have to make it through the next five days. Together, we can do it!

sunday pupdate

We've been taking Seamus to our Sunday evening kickball games the last few weeks. Since he's pretty well convinced that he is more a fellow person than an actual dog, he believes this to be only right. Last week, he kept trying to go out on to the field (to catch a fly ball, perhaps?) and we had to attach his leash to a cooler of beer. It was also very hot, as you can see by his enormously long tongue.

Seamus has a drinking problem. He went though this gallon of water in about a half an hour. This week, we'll bring two gallons.

Happy Sunday!

friday +/-

 Seamus has a friend for the week while we dog-sit. Her name is Zoe and I love how they balance each other out when sharing the couch.

 

This has been a long, exhausting and busy week, but it has also been an overwhelmingly + one, for which I am grateful. Here's your weekly run down:

 

- I seem have to lost my early morning exercise mojo. Skipped two swim workouts (but made one up today - 1200 meters is better than nothing) and only wrote once this week. I blame it on the whole new job thing. Next week will be better. 

 

- Speaking of working out, I miss running. Yes, it's 100 degrees daily, and yes it's so humid I can't breathe, but still. Cycling and swimming are fun, but running is my one true love. 

 

- My experiment in not grocery shopping is a total failure. Our diet has suffered, my spontaneous meals have fallen flat, we broke down and ordered - ordered! - a pizza on Wednesday, and I am really looking forward to meal planning and re-stocking my cabinets this weekend. If it ain't broke...

 

And on the + side!

 

+ I love my new job. Sure, it's only been a week, and I still have a steep learning curve ahead of me, but the people are nice (so nice!) and the work is interesting and challenging, and I feel like I'm already gaining skills that I can use for the rest of my life. Also, I have a window and my office is not freezing. It's been a win every way you look at it! 

 

+ I went to my first ever spin class on Wednesday and I think I'm in love. Despite all my activity, I spend most of my time training for endurance, which doesn't necessitate a very good cardio workout. Spin class took care of that. For an hour I huffed and puffed and struggled up imaginary hills and mopped about four liters of sweat from my body. I can't wait to go back next week. 

 

+ Today I had lunch with two of my favorite people from the library - homemade black bean burgers and chocolate raspberry cookies at Rachel's house. It was delicious and made me feel lucky to have so many smart, intelligent and awesome ladies in my life. 

 

+ Even though I'm new at my job, I'm not new to the university. This means I don't have to wait three months to take vacation, and can still go to New York at the end of July for my grandparents' 80th birthday party. My mother will be very pleased. 

 

+ I'm looking forward to another great weekend filled with baby showers, futbol, and bicycle rides. Damn, life is awesome!

 

Hope you had a great week, too! Why don't you tell me about it?

lgrab summer games part II

I am once again doing the challenges for the Let's Go Ride a Bike Summer Games at the last minute - deadline for Part II is Sunday! And speaking of Part II, it's "Learning Experiences." The two challenges I've decided to undertake are "perform a maintenance task" - coming this weekend! - and "decorate your bike" - coming right now!

Okay, so putting a bumper sticker on your bike is probably not the most creative or exciting thing I could have done. Here's my excuse: this very awesome bumper sticker was on our car's bumper, where a bumper sticker should be. However, Nathan started a new job a few weeks ago at a very small company in town, and was advised by his superiors to remove any stickers that could possibly be viewed as confrontational. At first, I was up in arms about this but quickly realized that they were not, in fact, specifically targeting our Darwin fish and puppy puns - no one at the company has bumper stickers of any political persuasion on their vehicles. And so, we removed our stickers and tossed them - all except for "Dog is my Co-Pilot." I love this sticker and decided to put it on my bicycle instead. End excuse. :)

Challenge two is coming soon, and then before you know it we'll be at Part III - the final challenges! See you at the finish line!

recipe: strawberry rhubarb pie

Before baking this pie, I'd never had rhubarb before, and with each thwarted attempt at following this recipe, I thought I never would. Finally, though, it all came together and on Sunday afternoon I found myself pulling a perfect pie (my first ever lattice crust!) out of the oven and then serving it to friends while we watched the World Cup. Everyone liked the pie, including me, though I have admit - rhubarb looks a lot like sliced hot dogs post-pie, and that kind of freaks me out.

To make this pie, I adapted a recipe from Smitten Kitchen, who has one of the best foodie blogs out there. You can follow the link to her recipe; my slightly amended vegan version is below.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie 


You will need:
For crust
3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled Earth Balance, cut into pieces
10 tablespoons (about) ice water
For filling
3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed)
1 16-ounce container strawberries, hulled, halved (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup soymilk (for glaze)

Directions: 

Make crust: Combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening and Earth Balance using a pastry cutter until a coarse meal forms. Blend in enough ice water 2 tablespoons at a time to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; cut in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap separately in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)

Make filling: Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.

Assemble Pie: Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang. Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Cut into fourteen 1/2-inch-wide strips. Spoon filling into crust.

Arrange 7 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Form lattice by placing remaining dough strips in opposite direction atop filling. Trim ends of dough strips even with overhang of bottom crust. Fold strip ends and overhang under, pressing to seal. Crimp edges decoratively. (There was nothing decorative about my crust, but it did look better than it usually does. I have no patience or talent for pretty crusts. Just delicious ones!)

Brush soymilk glaze over crust. transfer pie to baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about another 25 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

hotter'n'hell hundred training plan

Photo from Time Record News coverage of the 2009 HNH100. Exciting!

Before I share with you my training plan for the Hotter'N'Hell Hundred, I need to tell you what Nathan has done to me. Nathan and his brother, Eric, were texting two nights ago, and it turns out Eric is planning to run the San Antonio marathon in November. Naturally, Nathan wants to scrap plans for Houston ("We probably won't both get in anyway, and we'll have a free place to stay in San Antonio, and I'll get to run with my brother, and blah blah blah.") While he brought up some valid points and made a good argument - San Antonio is important to him, as it was the longest he lived anywhere besides Nacogdoches (four years, for high school - he was a military brat) - I was still highly annoyed. Why do I even bother making plans? Why? Also, I'd have to start training in JULY. JULY in TEXAS. While training for a CENTURY RIDE. That is just too much. I'm still going to enter Houston's lottery and cross my fingers, and if he's really intent on running San Antonio I might do the half. But I'm sure he'll change his mind again twelve times before then.

Is there anyone else out there who thinks plans are sacred? Or am I alone in this? Sigh. 

Moving on. Century training officially started this week. You can see my plan here. I decided to ride four days a week instead of five (trying to be realistic) and because I've been riding for a few weeks, my base abilities are higher than they were in, say, April (hence the 35 miler scheduled for this weekend). I'm going to continue practicing yoga and swimming as cross training, because yoga is the best and I don't want to lose the swimming skills that I worked so hard for, but I'll be taking a break from running until triathlon training rears it's ugly head. 

I started my training plan this week, and kicked it off by skipping my swim on Monday and sleeping in. I'm such a champ. I did, however, go to a great yoga class on Monday night and on Tuesday morning, Nathan and I woke up bright and early and by six a.m. we were on the road, riding as hard as I could for ten miles without having to give up at mile 8. It was a good ride and I was glad to get it done while the sun was still forgiving. Tonight, I'm going to try out my first ever spin class at the Rec Center. I think one spin session a week will keep me from getting bored on my bike, plus I can push myself without worrying about falling a mile behind everyone else. After Saturday's ride, I'm looking forward to keeping up by not actually moving at all. :) 

So that's the plan! The wonderful, detailed, SACRED plan. I'll keep y'all updated on how it actually pans out. Until then! 

recipe: savory tofu with vegetables and couscous

This dish may not be much to look at (tofu isn't exactly the most photogenic ingredient out there) but believe me when I say that it's one of the most yummy recipes in my arsenal, and one of the few recipes I follow exactly, every time. I discovered this fast and flavorful dish in an issue of Vegetarian Times a few years ago, and we've been eating a few times a month ever since, not counting one stretch of a few weeks when Nathan got sick of it and begged me not to make it for a while. That did not last long, and it's back in rotation in a big way. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Savory Tofu with Vegetables and Couscous (Vegetarian Times) 

You Will Need: 
1 (6 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup whole wheat couscous
2 garlic cloves, minced (2 tsp)
salt, to taste

Directions: 

1. Combine artichokes and liquid, tofu, cumin, and 3/4 teaspoons pepper in nonsick skillet. Cook over high heat 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring constantly. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
   
2. Heat oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, leeks, and 1/4 teaspoons pepper. Cook 10 minutes or until carrots are tender and leeks are lightly browned. 
   
3. Meanwhile, bring tomatoes and liquid and 2/3 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand five minutes, then fluff with fork. 
   
4. Add garlic and reserved tofu mixture to vegeable mixture in skillet. Cook 3 minutes over medium heat, or until heated through and garlic is fragrant. Serve tofu and vegetables over tomato couscous.

weekend adventures

Fresh peaches from the Farmers' Market!

Did you think I forgot about my Weekend Adventures post? I did not, and believe me - not being able to post until after my first day at my new job was killing me. On the bright side, my new job is awesome - I'm busy, I share an office with a super nice woman, and we have a huge window. Folks, I believe this is what they refer to as "JACKPOT." Now if I could just learn how to do all my new tasks, I'll be golden. In time, in time.

Also golden? This past weekend. Let me tell you about it!

Friday! After my last day at the library, Nathan and I went out for sushi (which is how we mark every single celebration in Nacogdoches) and then ambled over to the MRTs, to swim in their new pool (which is how we should start celebrating every 100+ degree day in Nacogdoches). Swimming and sipping beer as the sun went down was the perfect way to end my tenure as an SFA librarian.

Josie does flowers right.

Saturday started the usual way - with a 30 mile bike ride. The bike ride was less than awesome. I am the slowest rider AND I have the oldest, heaviest bike - a recipe for low self-esteem and a mostly solo ride, during which I tried not to cry in frustration. Nathan ended up waiting for me and we finished the last ten miles together, which was much more pleasant. I'm thinking of upgrading my road bike, but so far it's just a thought.

After cleaning up and eating pancakes, we headed to the Farmers' Market, where I scored blueberries, peaches, a perfect watermelon, and a bouquet of beautiful flowers from Josie. I love having fresh flowers in the house. They make me feel both earthy and decadent!

In the evening, we headed to the Fredonia to hear the Mustnt's play their last show with our friend Steve, who is moving to Oregon. A bittersweet night, made more so by the fact that Nathan and I spent way too much money on gin and tonics. Since we go to the bar about once every three months, I couldn't feel too badly.

Strawberry-rhubarb pie! Finally!

Sunday started late, as we had some ridiculously expensive gin and tonics to sleep off. We drank coffee in bed and watched Arrested Development while Seamus made funny noises at the end of the bed (a family tradition). I also baked my first every strawberry-rhubarb pie (success!) which I brought to Eralda's and Bryan. We ate it while we watched the Brazil and Ivory Coast soccer game.

Speaking of games, we ended the weekend with our other Sunday tradition - kickball! Final score was 22 to 1. Yes, one. I was on the losing team BUT I  also scored the only run. This makes it seem like I am either really bad at kickball or really lucky. I'll let you decide which. ;) 

And that sums up my rushed report of the weekend! I hope you had a great one as well. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the park, where I will throw a ball for Seamus and recover from my first day at my new job. Until tomorrow!

sunday pupdate

Even though it is 1,000 degrees in East Texas, Seamus still wants - excuse me, needs - his quality time with the park. Such is the life of a couch dog. 

Did I say couch dog? I meant rock dog.

friday +/-

Amy's flowers in front of her kitchen's flowered wallpaper. So meta!

It was a strange week, but a good kind of strange. Between resigning from my job and cleaning out  my office, I've felt the excitement of new possibilities and the bittersweet reality of saying goodbye to librarianship - for a few years, anyway. Here's how the week balanced out: 

- Quitting my job. While I'm excited to work in the grant office, the reality of no longer being a librarian is sinking in. For all the lows of my current job, there were certainly a bunch of highs and I'll miss going to conferences, learning about trends in librarianship, and being part of a profession that I have come to love and respect. I'll also miss a good number of my colleagues. C'est la vie - new opportunities beckon! 

- My lower back hurts. It hurts on and off quite a bit, and I think I might have to go to the doctor and have it looked at, to make sure it's not something more serious than stress/cramps/being too ambitious in yoga. I do not like going to the doctor, so I'll probably put this off for about six to nine more months. 

- After buckling down and creating a training plan to carry me over and through the Hotter'N'Hell Hundred this August, I realized that my running will be pretty much non-existent until after the century. Riding 100+ miles a week will not leave me the time or the stamina to also log running miles. I guess I'm okay with this. Running in the humid East Texas air sucks anyway, and I don't want to associate running with pain and suffering. I've worked too hard to get past that! 

And now for the +'s... 

+ I'm starting a new job on Monday! As much as I'll miss the library, I'm really excited to take on a new challenge and gain new skills. Change is good! 

+ Nathan has settled into his new job and we discovered that he gets paid twice a month, which is awesome. (The university only pays us once a month, on the 1st.) This will help us avoid the dreaded end-of-the-month dry spell, involving nothing but pasta and limp vegetables until payday. 

+ I received a kick ass package from Bobbie in the mail, full of all the vegan goodies she knows I can't get in good old Nacogdoches. Next week's recipes (chia seeds!) will surely be compliments of her. :)

+ I finally swam one whole mile without stopping. It took me 34.5 minutes, which is really fast for me. Even though I won't be running much this summer, I want to keep cross training by swimming. There is a triathlon in September to think about, and swimming is currently my weakest area. (But getting stronger every day!) 

+ Last week, we bought a gallon of paint. Tonight, we're taping up the walls. And tomorrow, we're finally repainting the bathroom. I already took a ton of atrocious before-photos - hopefully, I'll regale you with those + breathtaking after-photos by the end of next week!

+ We finished watching season two of True Blood, the act of which pretty much dominated my evening Twitter feed for the last two weeks. Plans are in the works to begin watching season three before we fall too far behind. Friends with cable are the best! 

Now it's your turn. Give me some +'s and -'s for your week, and let's all have a super +++ weekend!

the newest new me

When I started blogging over seven years ago, I treated my "online journal" much the same way I treated my paper one - I wrote about my life, my thoughts, my adventures, my experiences and my goals. I still write about these things (and I suspect I always will) but the older I get, the more focused my interests and goals become. Chrissy at 22 was trying to figure out who she was and what she wanted by writing her way through life; Chrissy at (nearly) 28 knows who she is, what she wants, and uses her writing to plot and plan her way to achieving those things (and then celebrating once she gets there!).

My blog has always been a place where I can share the things I'm passionate about with the people who care to follow along. Right now my passion lies in living a good life, and that means being creative, healthy, expressive, joyful and adventurous, and these are the things I've been blogging about.

In keeping with the constantly evolving nature of life, I've been slowly making some changes around The New Me over the last few months. The design of the blog has changed significantly (thanks to Blogger's new template designer!) and so has the focus. In an effort to help myself produce posts that are good, interesting, and entertaining enough to keep y'all coming back, I've developed a loose sort of schedule for my blogging. I've actually been following this for the last few weeks, so it probably won't come as a surprise. And make no mistake - my blogging won't be limited to what you read below. Oh, no. There will also be crafty projects, race reports, camping adventures, thoughts on writing and publishing, and a plethora of other things that pop into my mind on a daily basis, just as you've come to expect. Think of this as the skeleton upon which all those other things are layered. So, without further ado, here's what you can expect from The New Me on a weekly basis:

Mondays - Weekend Adventures
The most "ME" posts on my blog, as the weekend is when I tend to do 90% of my living. I love sharing my adventures on my blog, and I won't lie - the idea of showing up Monday empty handed has made me take more photos, more risks, and say yes to more things than I probably would otherwise.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Recipes 
I'm no gourmet chef, but cooking is something I love to do. Seriously - it's a CRAFT you can EAT! So I hope you don't mind that I've been posting recipes, and I hope you let me know if you make anything from my blog. 

Wednesday - Training Check In 
I'm always training for something. Instead of posting the gory details of my workouts on a daily basis, I'll discuss my progress once a week, including any lessons I've learned or tips I might be able to share.

Fridays - + / -
A run down, list style, of the last week's highs and lows. I got this idea from Ramsey, and I love how it forces me to reflect on all the things I did or did not do, all the successes I had and all the opportunities I've been given to try again. Plus, I'm usually hard pressed to think of many -'s, and that is a lesson in itself.

Sunday Pupdate
I plan to kick this tradition off this weekend. Basically, I'm going to post the best Seamus photo of the week each Sunday. My dog is awesome and his awesomeness needs to be shared.

So - what do you think? Feedback, comments, critiques? Will you keep reading? Do you even care? Are you worried? Don't be worried. To the casual observer, nothing will change very much at all. But to me, things are slowly improving with each passing day and I like the way that feels. I hope you do, too!

recipe: mixed berry crisp for two

As you may have noticed, I am a glutton for desserts involving fruit. Pies, cobblers, crisps, muffins, waffles - you name it, I'll find a way to add fruit to it. A few nights ago, I was hit with a craving for a fruity dessert - a craving that had to be answered. I looked through my cookbooks for some inspiration (I will make a masterpiece!), and my cupboards for some cold, hard truths (I will make do with what I have!) and this is what I came up with. The inspiration comes, as usual, from Veganomicon, but my finished product is so far from their original recipe for Coconut Berry Crisp that I'm just going to say that it's an original. ;)

I baked this in a Pyrex loaf pan and consider it a dessert for two, but that's because Nathan eats three times the amount a normal person eats (where he puts it, I will never know) and I have no control when it comes to warm piles of fruit topped with vegan ice-cream. No regrets, either! For all you "normal" people out there, you could probably get away with four servings. But is that a chance you want to take? I didn't think so.
 
Mixed Berry Crisp for Two

You will need:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp Earth Balance

For the filling:
16 oz bag frozen mixed berries (mine contained strawberries, blackberries and raspberries)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp cold water
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, coconut, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the Earth Balance using a fork or a pastry knife. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix together the berries, cornstarch, water, sugar and vanilla until well combined and the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Pour filling mixture into a loaf pan; sprinkle the flour and coconut mixture over the top and spread evenly.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the top is slightly brown and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then top with vanilla Coconut Dream and enjoy!

the psychology of a race schedule

 Plotting and planning the race schedule to end all race schedules.

Last weekend, Nathan and I sat down (again) and plotted out our race schedule through the winter (again). I know it seems like we do this every weekend, but I think this one is going to stick. Originally, we planned our races before Nathan was employed - his new job, obtained at lightening speed, changed things. I also underestimated how much time it takes to train for a triathlon, and with both of us starting new jobs this month (woot!) we're understandably letting training take a backseat for a few weeks.

Alas, I am a glutton for schedules, calendars and training plans. I need goals in order to stay motivated, and I don't like changing plans once they've made. In order to make a realistic, workable calendar of events, Nathan and I spent three hours on Sunday hashing things out. First, we determined what our long term fitness goals are (a century bike ride, a triathlon, our second marathon, and a return to adventure racing). Next, we researched races in our area and tried to find ones that were less than three hours away (the less traveling we do for events, the better - staying local saves money, time and the environment!). Then, we attempted to balance events so training wouldn't overlap too much and, where it did, would work to enhance our fitness levels without leaving us overwhelmed and exhausted. And finally, we took our own personal interests into account (I was dead set on keeping the four months of marathon training as free as possible; Nathan revealed his deep seeded desire to do the Hotter'N'Hell 100 after all). We ended up with the following, and I'm 99% sure that it's going to stick.

Chrissy and Nathan's Summer 2010 - Winter 2011 Race Schedule

Hotter'N'Hell 100 - August 28, 2010

100 miles in the August heat of Wichita Falls, Texas. Nathan did it last year and he really wants me to share the experience. Plus, there's supposed to be an awesome expo with tons of gear for really low prices. We are going to ride AND shop until our legs fall off. Since this is our next event, I'm going to have to start racking up the miles on my bike.

Stonebridge Olympic Length Triathlon - September 26, 2010

I know, I know. We keep pushing the triathlon back further and further. We considered going back to our original plan (tri in July) but as you can see from the pros and cons list above, it made more sense to put it off. More time to train will make us more confident, and while we don't expect to win I would like to do more than just finish. A September tri will also give us time to figure out what gear to use, especially for the open water swim.

Marathon Training Starts! 
I want four months to train for Houston, so I'll start in the beginning of October. I still plan on cross training and the next two events are early in October, so I don't think they'll really effect my race. It's the last two months I need to worry about (IE, when the 20 mile training runs kick in!).

Pineywoods Purgatory - October 2, 2010

This will be my third year riding the Purgatory and I love supporting an awesome local cycling event. We haven't decided what course we'll do this year (50? 72? 102?!). It'll depend on how we feel and where we are in our training. The PWP is a very hilly course as opposed to the flat HNH100, but the weather in October will be much more forgiving. We'll see what happens!

Tyler Half Marathon - October 10, 2010

The 2009 event was my very first half marathon, and I'd love to see if I can get a better time on the same (very hilly!) course. (Time to beat: 2:09:43.)

Huntsville Hammer Adventure Race - November 13, 2010
Nathan's second love (I'm his first, naturally) is adventure racing, which is a combination of running, biking, rowing and orienteering. He wants us to work our way up to a 12 hour race, but we'll probably sign up for six hour course so I don't die the first time around.

Jingle Bell 5K - December 4, 2010
We hardly have any truly local races, so I must run the ones in town! Last year I placed 3rd in my age group for this run and it was FREEZING. It would be fun to get first or second! 

Houston Marathon - January 30, 2011
Triathlons, Century Rides and Adventure Races are all well and good, but the thing I love most is RUNNING and the event I am most excited/serious about is the MARATHON! I really want to run Houston - the course is way flatter than Austin so I'm almost positive I can get a new PR (time to beat: 4:43:44), it's only two hours from home, and Houston is hosting the Olympic trials. Just one problem: this year, they're doing a lottery system for registration. I have no idea how likely it is that Nathan and I will get in but I'm crossing my fingers, especially because this is my plan and y'all know how I feel about plans. I don't really have a backup plan at this point, but on August 17 I'll know whether not I need one.

Heartbreak Duathlon - February 19, 2011
I did this race two years ago, and Nathan's done it the last two years. 2.5 miles of running, followed by ten miles of mountain biking, ending with another 2.5 miles of running. This race will encourage me to mountain bike more, which is good, and Nathan wants to train hard and actually win it. He came in 9th in 2008 and 8th in 2009, so his chances are good! 

Pain in the Pines Adventure Race - March 12, 2011

This is a 12 hour adventure race! I've never raced that long before, but after all the races and events I'll have under my belt by March, I think I'll be in the best possible shape to attempt it. Only one way to find out!

That's as far as our planning went, which I think is pretty impressive! If you got to the end of this really long and overly detailed post, thank you. Now - your turn! What big races or events are you training for? What's your premier event for the coming year? But don't make it sound too good. My schedule is already full and there's no way I'm changing it again! :)

recipe: kitchen cupboard corn muffins

This past Sunday, I was invited to a BYOB breakfast. That is, Bring Your Own Brunch! Despite knowing about the party in advance, I woke up Sunday morning with empty cabinets and nothing brunch worthy in my refrigerator. I tried to think of the easiest thing I could make - something simple and wholesome, that would dazzle the brunch table BUT (and here's the kicker) for which I already had all the ingredients lying around. After sorting through my bags (and bags, and bags) of flour, I finally settled on corn muffins. And dazzle they did! 

When I make corn muffins or corn bread, I always fold in frozen corn before baking because it's delicious. I'm also completely in love with King Arthur Flour Organic Yellow Cornmeal. The texture is rougher than some of the other brands, which makes me feel a little bit like Laura Ingalls Wilder, and it gives these muffins the perfect crunch. Speaking of crunch, these muffins are a bit on the dry side and are best served with a generous slather of Earth Balance. Happy brunching! 

 
You will need:
1¼ cup all purpose flour
1¼ cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1½ cup almond milk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup frozen corn

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F and grease a muffin tin.

In one bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine agave, oil and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just moist.

Fold in the frozen corn. Pour dough into muffin tin (this will make enough for 12 medium sized muffins.) Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out dry. Enjoy!

change is good!

 From Indexed.

Big news, friends! As of next week, I will no longer work at the library. I am accepting a new position in the university's grant office, as the Research Development Specialist.

This might surprise some of you, as I received my Masters in Library Science just three short years ago and have been employed as an enthusiastic librarian since. But the truth of the matter is that I have not been happy in my job since the library's reorganization in January, which effectively dissolved my beloved department, Digital Projects, and moved me into the archives. I tried to make the best of the situation, but I am simply not an archivist and I wasn't doing myself or the library any favors by pretending otherwise.

So what do you do when you're unhappy, when you feel that your professional interests aren't being addressed or explored, when the path of your career abruptly reaches an apparent dead end? You make a change. A few weeks ago, while perusing the university's Human Resources page, I saw that a position in the grant office had opened up. The job involved researching grant opportunities for faculty and staff at the university, helping applicants develop their proposals, and assisting in the grant writing and editing process. I love research. I love writing and editing. I love public service. It seemed like a perfect fit. Last week I had an interview; this past weekend I found out I got the job; and next Monday I start the newest phase of my professional life. I'm really excited for this opportunity, for the doors that a background in grant writing will no doubt open in the future, and for the chance to make a difference in my community. Plus, the possibility of an office with a window and the generous bump in my salary are pretty awesome too!

I'll miss my friends in the library, and I'll miss librarianship. But I'm consoled by the fact that all the best parts of being a librarian - finding information and getting it into the hands of the people who need it - will be the foundation of my new job. I'm a very lucky woman.

Here's to new adventures and experiences, and refusing to settle for less!

weekend adventures

Fresh Blueberry Lemonade from Merci's World Cuisine!

I had a crazy-busy weekend so you'd think I'd have a crazy amount of pictures. Not so. When you're on the go for two straight days, it's hard enough to catch your breath, nevermind snapping photos. At least I have my memories! 

On Saturday, Nathan and I started the day right with a 30 mile group bike ride. I'm pretty sure the group was riding a little slower than usual because I was able to keep up (for the most part). We rode an average of 14 mph, so while they took it easy I definitely pushed it. I may not be fast, but my endurance is excellent! 

After our ride and an obscene amount of chocolate chip waffles, we watched the World Cup game at Brian and Eralda's. Nacogdoches native Clint Dempsey was playing for the USA team, and it was cool to see his name all over town, wishing him luck. Three cheers for hometown heroes! Unfortunately, I had to leave the game early because I had to work a shift at the library's booth at the Texas Blueberry Festival. It was at least 100 degrees and I attempted to cool off with a glass of fresh squeezed blueberry lemonade. It helped, but not nearly enough. Luckily, we shut down a little early and I had time to hang out with my Crafty Ladies before a movie night at J and L's. When I said I was busy, I was not kidding. 

 Nom, nom, nom. Keeping with the weekend's theme, Amy baked blueberry muffins.

Sunday was more of the same. First, delicious vegan brunch was devoured at Vicki and Jeromy's. Then, I went to the inaugural meeting of Old Town Scrabble, the newly official Scrabble Club of Nacogdoches. My friend Brent is the organizer and we are going to be SERIOUS. I started my career as a professional Scrabble player by losing my first game by 7 points. It was pretty awesome. Next meeting is Sunday, July 11th - hope to see you there! 

After Scrabble, we had about six minutes to go home, change clothes, grab the dog, and head to the park for our weekly Kickball Throwdown. It was - again - 100 degrees, but we play mostly in the shade. Seamus had a good time and drank about a gallon of water, and I'm pretty sure my team won, but who knows? Also, I am not getting any better at kickball. Sports involving balls are really not my thing. 

Other highlights included: Kitchen Cupboard Corn Muffins (recipe coming soon!); revising our race schedule again, for the last time (details coming soon!); celebrating some good news with some good sushi (news coming soon!); and borrowing The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake from Mary T (Aimee Bender! EEE!). All in all, a fine weekend in this corner of the world. How about you?

friday countdown

This past week was about 100% better than the previous one, mostly because I did not have teeth forcibly ripped from my gums and thus was in little to no pain AND could eat solid foods to my heart's (and stomach's) content. Never underestimate the power of comfort! I usually do a +/- for the week, but I actually can't think of any -'s, which is a good thing! So here are some +'s along with a look towards the weekend.

Yesterday I took Seamus to the vet for a long overdue check-up. He has a bad case of the fleas and all our usual remedies were not working, so a new medication was obtained. While there, he also got a shot for heartworms (and tested negative - whew!) and had his blood tested (perfect health!). Seamus is a very social dog, but he does NOT like the vet and as soon as we entered the waiting room he began shaking like a leaf and trying to hide behind me. This was especially funny after he was weighed and we discovered that he is, in fact, 108 pounds. Picture a dog of that size shaking so hard his teeth are chattering, and I can assure you - it was as hysterical as it sounds. Lucky for Seamus (and us) the flea medication is already working. I found tons of dead buggers on the couch this morning, and I'm looking forward to washing and vacuuming everything in the apartment this weekend. Oh, and speaking of Seamus, I made a flickr album specifically for his mug. If you're feeling down at any point during the day, I recommend looking through it. Seamus is excellent for lifting spirits!

Here in East Texas, it rained all week. Usually this is not cause for celebration, except for the fact that prior to this week we'd been experiencing drought conditions. The rain was a welcome change! Suddenly everything is green and lush, standing up straight and leaning towards the (cloudy) sky. Even our bed of day lilies, which we'd just about given up on, have sprung tight buds which should open any day now. I'm glad because, as you can see from the above photo of last year's specimens, they're beautiful.

After a week off from training and rearranging our race schedule, I took my workouts down a notch this week. And by down a notch, I mean I've been exercising once a day, for 30 minutes-one hour, instead of twice a day for two hours. At first I felt guilty, but then I realized that one workout a day is perfectly adequate and also, whoa! I have so much more energy and time! I'm still planning to do the triathlon in August, but when I rewrite my training plan this weekend, I am going to be a little less ambitious and a little more realistic. I love racing, but I also love having a life. Balance, baby. We'll find it!

Last Sunday I went to a goodbye party for some acquaintances. Amy served a glass pitcher of ice-water with lemon slices, and it was the best. drink. ever. I liked it so much (in a fancy wine glass, of course) that I didn't even bother drinking alcohol. Amy also made my Strawberry Summer Cake, except she used a horse-shaped cake pan which somehow made it taste even better than usual. Cute food is the best.

This weekend shall be dedicated to home improvements, bicycle rides, blueberries and the first meeting of Old Town Scrabble. I'll be back on Monday with a full report. Until then, enjoy the day!

recipe: kohler created's thai peanut sauce

 
One night, when I was 17 years old and a senior in high school, I announced to my family over a plate of meatloaf that I was going vegetarian. They laughed at me and told me it was a phase, that I would be begging for hamburgers in a week. It's been ten years since that night and while my dad is still convinced that this is a phase, offering me a turkey leg every Thanksgiving, I'm pretty sure my veggie ways are here to stay.

While my mom grudgingly agreed to buy me things I requested from the grocery store ("Tofu? Soymilk? Brown rice?!") she had no intentions of preparing a separate meal for me. That was fine. I had to learn to cook for myself, and there is no better seasoning than hunger.

I started with stir fry, which seemed easy enough. Except I didn't know how long broccoli can take to cook in a pan. And I didn't realize there was a difference between soft and firm tofu. And when you don't boil rice in a bag, it can be very tricky indeed. Needless to say, my first stir fry was a disaster, but you better believe I ate every last bite. No way could I let my parents win!

Since then, I've grown up and so has my stir fry. Last night, instead of the usual Bragg's I decided to make my own peanut sauce. I just started reading the blog Kohler Created, and while it's not a vegan blog (or even vegetarian!) I'm already getting a lot of inspiration from their beautiful photos and fresh outlook on life. This recipe is definitely a winner - a warm peanutty taste, with the perfect kick from the red pepper flakes and Sriracha. Easy to make, too! This recipe serves four, but I tend to make massive stir frys and the flavor got a little lost in the miles of bok choy. If you are a normal person, though, this should be fine. And the leftovers (which I may or may not have sampled this morning over breakfast) were out of this world. Enjoy!

 Kohler Created's Thai Peanut Sauce 

You will need: 

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
cayenne pepper
Sriracha sauce

Directions: 
Assemble sauce ingredients and heat on a medium setting till ingredients are melded. Do not burn! Add sauce to stir fry in last minute of cooking and stir to coat.

Can you remember the first meal you ever cooked yourself? Were you a born chef or did you (like me) have a very steep learning curve?