I Will Run For Food

May 17

It’s cold and rainy today which reminded me that Katie had asked for some hearty soup recipes. This is one of my favorites. Rich butternut squash, pasta and spinach combine to make an almost stew like soup. Easy to make and very filling. The perfect warm dish on a cold day. Winter Minestrone Serves 6 to 8 Good olive oil 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions 2 cups (1/2-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots) 2 cups (1/2-inch) diced celery (3 stalks) 2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) diced peeled butternut squash 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves) 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi 6 to 8 cups chicken stock (I use vegetable stock) 1 bay leaf Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti 8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves 1/2 cup good dry white wine 2 tablespoons store-bought pesto Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving   To cook the pasta, put 1 cup of pasta into a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook according to the directions on the package, drain, and set aside.   Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy  Dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach,and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top.Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.  

It’s cold and rainy today which reminded me that Katie had asked for some hearty soup recipes. This is one of my favorites. Rich butternut squash, pasta and spinach combine to make an almost stew like soup. Easy to make and very filling. The perfect warm dish on a cold day.

Winter Minestrone

Serves 6 to 8

Good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups (1/2-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots)
2 cups (1/2-inch) diced celery (3 stalks)
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) diced peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi
6 to 8 cups chicken stock (I use vegetable stock)
1 bay leaf Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup good dry white wine
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

 

To cook the pasta, put 1 cup of pasta into a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook according to the directions on the package, drain, and set aside.
 
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy  Dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach,and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top.Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.

 

May 15

Dear person who dumped 10 tons of lava rock in the front yard, I would like to punch you in the throat. That is all.

Dear person who dumped 10 tons of lava rock in the front yard, I would like to punch you in the throat.

That is all.

May 13

May 12

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[video]

May 11

This post is going to be 100% personal and not at all health/fitness related. Feel free to scroll on by. I’m about to drop some feels up in here. I got a very sweet Mother’s Day card in the mail today from my former best friend. It was such a lovely gesture, but it just has me a little baffled. Let me break down our history for you. L and I were best friends for almost 10 years. We saw each other 3-4 times a week and talked on the phone almost everyday. When she had brain surgery, I sat in the waiting room with her parents for hours. She counseled me through several broken hearts and a few bouts of depression. I stood next to her on her wedding day when she married the love of her life. Then her dad died from cancer and her world stopped. She retreated. She stopped hanging out with her friends. She stopped returning calls. She became distant and unavailable. For a year and a half I called her almost daily. She never wanted to go out anymore. She barely wanted to talk. I felt abandoned. I realize now that that was probably a selfish reaction, but I desperately missed my friend. I told her that I felt rejected. That I felt like she no longer wanted to be my friend. I left the ball in her court and I stopped calling. We had many mutual friends, they all stopped calling me at the same time. I went from having a core group of wonderful, supportive friends, to being completely alone. I heard through the rumor mill that I had done something to destroy the friendship, but no one would tell me what it was. They made it clear that she hated me and never wanted to see me again. To this day, I don’t know why she was so angry. I was too afraid to ask years later. I spent a lot of time grieving the loss of this important relationship. Years in fact. I reached out a few times only to be ignored. Shortly after I got engaged, I sent her a message on FB, I told her that I was getting married. I apologized for any hurt I had caused her and I told her that I had never stopped caring about her. Her response was vicious. I was devastated. I did not respond. I closed the door permanently on the relationship and moved on. Fast forward to a year later. The week before my wedding she sent me another message. She apologized for the hurtful words in her previous message and wished me well. That message opened a dialog that has continued for the past 2.5 years. We have shared our struggles and triumphs. She gave birth to a little boy 3 weeks before me. I supported her when her mom passed away a few weeks after that. She gave the biggest donation to LLS when I was fundraising for Chicago. We have so much in common. I often read her messages and then say out loud, “Why aren’t we friends?” But we have not seen each other in person in 7 years. Neither one of us seems willing to suggest an in person meeting. I pushed for that in the beginning, but she was reluctant to comply. And then today I get this card in the mail. And it makes me happy and sad all at the same time. I want to meet for coffee. I want our boys to be friends, but moving forward would mean facing the ghosts of the past. Clearly neither of us wants to do that. You’re probably wondering why I am making such a big deal out of this. The end of this friendship changed the course of my life. It made me very distrustful of other people. I have never opened myself up to a friend in the same way again. I always hold pieces of myself back. For that reason, none of my friendships have been as deep or enduring in the last 7 years. At times the loneliness has been overwhelming. I love my husband, my sometimes you just need to talk to a woman. The more we reveal and share in our messages the more the spark of hope is kindled. The spark scares me. The hotter it burns, the more likely I will get burned.

This post is going to be 100% personal and not at all health/fitness related. Feel free to scroll on by. I’m about to drop some feels up in here.

I got a very sweet Mother’s Day card in the mail today from my former best friend. It was such a lovely gesture, but it just has me a little baffled. Let me break down our history for you.


L and I were best friends for almost 10 years. We saw each other 3-4 times a week and talked on the phone almost everyday. When she had brain surgery, I sat in the waiting room with her parents for hours. She counseled me through several broken hearts and a few bouts of depression. I stood next to her on her wedding day when she married the love of her life.


Then her dad died from cancer and her world stopped. She retreated. She stopped hanging out with her friends. She stopped returning calls. She became distant and unavailable. For a year and a half I called her almost daily. She never wanted to go out anymore. She barely wanted to talk. I felt abandoned. I realize now that that was probably a selfish reaction, but I desperately missed my friend.

I told her that I felt rejected. That I felt like she no longer wanted to be my friend. I left the ball in her court and I stopped calling. We had many mutual friends, they all stopped calling me at the same time. I went from having a core group of wonderful, supportive friends, to being completely alone. I heard through the rumor mill that I had done something to destroy the friendship, but no one would tell me what it was. They made it clear that she hated me and never wanted to see me again. To this day, I don’t know why she was so angry. I was too afraid to ask years later.

I spent a lot of time grieving the loss of this important relationship. Years in fact. I reached out a few times only to be ignored.

Shortly after I got engaged, I sent her a message on FB, I told her that I was getting married. I apologized for any hurt I had caused her and I told her that I had never stopped caring about her. Her response was vicious. I was devastated. I did not respond. I closed the door permanently on the relationship and moved on.

Fast forward to a year later. The week before my wedding she sent me another message. She apologized for the hurtful words in her previous message and wished me well. That message opened a dialog that has continued for the past 2.5 years.

We have shared our struggles and triumphs. She gave birth to a little boy 3 weeks before me. I supported her when her mom passed away a few weeks after that. She gave the biggest donation to LLS when I was fundraising for Chicago. We have so much in common. I often read her messages and then say out loud, “Why aren’t we friends?”

But we have not seen each other in person in 7 years. Neither one of us seems willing to suggest an in person meeting. I pushed for that in the beginning, but she was reluctant to comply. And then today I get this card in the mail. And it makes me happy and sad all at the same time. I want to meet for coffee. I want our boys to be friends, but moving forward would mean facing the ghosts of the past. Clearly neither of us wants to do that.

You’re probably wondering why I am making such a big deal out of this. The end of this friendship changed the course of my life. It made me very distrustful of other people. I have never opened myself up to a friend in the same way again. I always hold pieces of myself back. For that reason, none of my friendships have been as deep or enduring in the last 7 years. At times the loneliness has been overwhelming. I love my husband, my sometimes you just need to talk to a woman.

The more we reveal and share in our messages the more the spark of hope is kindled. The spark scares me. The hotter it burns, the more likely I will get burned.

Tumblr Dietbet

I am an unofficial winner. Down 11.4lbs in 4 weeks!

May 10

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May 09

[video]

Flat Heather is ready for the Medtronic TC 1 mile tonight.

Flat Heather is ready for the Medtronic TC 1 mile tonight.

May 08

Quinoa Black Bean Lettuce Wraps! All the noms!

Quinoa Black Bean Lettuce Wraps!

All the noms!

May 07

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May 06

Little Mister and I met up with Melinda for a run today. It was a day of firsts: my first run outdoors since November. My first time running with a partner since October. The first time running with the jogging stroller. I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t easy.

The stroller weighs 25lbs. The infant car seat weighs about 8lbs and the baby weighs 13lbs. So pushing 46lbs while carrying an extra 50 on my frame was a little more challenging than anticipated. I’ll get used to it, but its going to take a little practice.

Good company made the time pass quickly. We ran/walked 3.7 miles in 51:51 at Lake Nokomis.

I spent the rest of the day working on the yard. We planted 3 boxwood shrubs and one Juniper tree. We are making progress slowly but surely.

May 05

Tonight’s dinner brought to you by random crap in my fridge. Red cabbage, beets, shredded carrot, edamame and sunflower seeds with a side of black beans. Yum!

Tonight’s dinner brought to you by random crap in my fridge.

Red cabbage, beets, shredded carrot, edamame and sunflower seeds with a side of black beans.

Yum!

May 04

Meanbook

I have been crying on and off all morning (at work!) over a comment that somebody made on Facebook.

I know I shouldn’t let it bother me, but it really hit me where it hurts.

I guess this is a good reminder that your “friends” over there aren’t really friends. It’s a collection of people you haven’t talked to since high school. Weird relatives, co-workers, exes and people who picked on you as a kid. Not the most supportive group to rely on.

So I am once again reminded that I really am mostly alone, other than my immediate family. If I want someone to talk to they are the ones who will care (and of course my tumblr family).