For some reason, I always thought that making granola was really difficult.  When I ate the last of my Mom’s secret recipe yummy granola this week I thought to myself, “I should try to make some granola.”

Today, I was on a roll-we got up and cleaned the entire house, I made Shaun’s lunch for the week, I had lentils stewing away on the stove, I had a chicken in the crockpot, and I thought, “I SHOULD make granola.” I searched for “granola” online and Alton Brown’s recipe came up.

Here’s my take on it.  It seriously took me 10 minutes or less to put together.

Ingredients:

-3 cups GF oats
-1/2 cup slivered almonds
-1/2 cup roughly chopped raw almonds
-1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
-1/2 cup sunflower seeds
-1/4 cup chia seeds (optional)
-1/4 cup flax seeds
-1/4 cup sesame seeds
-3/4 cup shredded coconut
-1/3 cup palm sugar (you can use brown sugar)
-1/3 cup maple syrup
-1/4 cup coconut oil
-3/4 teaspoons salt

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

-Mix oats, nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, and palm sugar in a large bowl.

-In another  bowl heat up the coconut oil and then add the maple syrup and salt.

-Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix well.

-Spread mixture out on two large cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

-Stir mixture every 15 minutes for even baking.

-Let cool and ENJOY! YOM!

Lucy, Tessa, my sister and I all gave this a 5 out of 5 stars!  Shaun isn’t a granola kind of guy, so he hasn’t had any yet-he doesn’t know what he’s missing!

Not eating meat has helped me TREMENDOUSLY.  I haven’t felt this good in YEARS.  Maybe since the last time I didn’t eat meat or dairy?

(look at that glow! It could also be that I’m 24 in that picture not almost 30!)

But! I’ve found that I’m so unmotivated to cook anything for myself.  I’ve kind of been living on rice and beans with a little tofu thrown in. I’ve also found that I’m ravenous at night and can’t eat enough.  Last night I broke down at midnight and ate:

-A GF tortilla with melted cheese and hot sauce
-A bowl of rice and beans (surprise) with melted cheese
-about 15 slices of Pepperoni-WTF?!?!  It was Gluten Free but really Chelsea, really?

I then dealt with gastrointestinal issues for a good 2 hours after that.  Thankfully this morning I feel okay.

Here’s my deal, a meal without protein feels so WRONG to me and doesn’t feel like a meal. BUT when my only source of protein is either tofu, beans, or nuts (which don’t really feel like protein) I feel stuck and like it’s Groundhog Day.  I KNOW that there are a TON of blogs out there that are dedicated to this but I just don’t have the time to search OR I guess I haven’t made it a priority.  I need to.  I need to get back on the cooking band wagon and make myself some real food!

Any ideas?  Suggestions?

Oh and I’ve been CRAVING a bacon cheese burger with avocado for about a week now.  I’m tempted to just go get one and deal with the consequences and have that be a lesson to me to never eat it again.

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I tried the craze yesterday.  Yes, I know it’s been around for years but yesterday was the first day I tried Zumba.

What did I think?  It was okay.  I think I need to try it again to really know if I like it or not. It was a strange experience. Let me explain.

I walked in to the group exercise room and it was PACKED with women.  They were all in groups chatting and I was an outsider-TOTALLY expected and not a big deal.  Many of them had scarves on their waists like this:

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I went looking for the scarf, thinking that it was something provided by the class (sort of like the bar in Body Pump or the step in Step Class).  Apparently, all of those women had bought those scarves and brought them to class.

Class starts and the SUPER in shape instructor tells us that she is a sub but that she is SO excited to be subbing and that she loves Zumba.  Zumba changed her life.  She started doing Zumba in September 2009 and has lost 70 pounds since then. The first 45 of which came off by January 2010.  She did Zumba 3 times a week.  Now she loves it so much that she decided to become an instructor.  I’m thinking “COOL!  That’s awesome!”

We get started and the first 2 songs I have a huge smile on my face.  This was FUN! 

Then I start noticing that really what I’m doing is really silly dance moves that I do when I’m trying to dance silly.  This is a great example of how I felt:

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Then I notice that I’m getting really confused and the teacher is pretty confused and the rest of the class is pretty confused. Then I noticed that really the teacher isn’t a very good dancer.  In fact, she’s a really BAD dancer.  I think that she was a new instructor, she was a little nervous and probably is a GREAT student of Zumba but maybe not the best INSTRUCTOR for Zumba. So yeah….I think it could be really fun and a good-ish workout BUT I need to go the regular instructor and see if my experience is any different. 

Spinning and Body Pump are definitely better workouts for me but they are different.  I do enjoy dancing so this would be fun to incorporate into my work out from time to time.

I enjoyed how enthusiastic the instructor was.  I enjoyed how everyone in the class was enthusiastic and cheered after every song. 

I did not enjoy how confusing it was.  I did not enjoy doing the sprinkler I did not enjoy that the class was only 45 minutes.  I also wish that I had gotten a better workout.

The highlight of the class? The 60 year old man in the class (the ONLY man in the class) who had short shorts on and had his own moves which included MANY high kicks.  He kept a smile on my face the ENTIRE time.

We went to a pumpkin patch this weekend!  First the tractor came and go us:

We all got on and rode out to the patch!

They took us out to a real pumpkin field with pumpkins still attached to the vine. Lu and Daddy looked:

Uncle Will and Tessa looked:

The girls looked:

Lucy found one!

And tried to pick it up.

“It’s STUCK Mama! IT’S STUCK!”

Tessa got one of a more manageable size.

While they got weighed, the girls played.

And afterwards we had really great Mexican food in Kuna! I got the Camarones Borrachos in a Molcajetes. YOM!

Lu liked it!

Our pumpkins are now safe and sound at home.

I have a bit of a pumpkin obsession and I’m only allowed to buy 1 pumpkin for each member of the family (pets don’t count) and I have to be able to carry them myself. (Shaun is SO MEAN-a girl wins one 125 pound pumpkin 6 years ago and never lives it down…) I’m happy with my purchase.  The 2 non-traditional looking pumpkins can be baked and eaten and are quite delicious. SCORE!

I also got some amazing local, raw, honey.  I can’t wait to break into that stuff! Have I mentioned lately that I love it here?!?!?!

“You are beautiful. You are strong.” That was my mantra while running yesterday.  I went into the race with a goal of running 12 minute miles.  I finished with an average of 12:02 minute miles.  YAY!

Here I am before the race with Shaun and Lu:

and Luke and Megan:

I was confident I could do it but worried about my hip.  I had started to have some twinges of hip flexor pain on the left side earlier in the week.  The last time I ran a half marathon without swimming and biking beforehand (Half-Ironman Distance Triathlon) I hurt my right hip flexor.  I got bursitis and tendonitis in my right hip after the 2005 Nike Women’s Half Marathon and was in physical therapy for months.  I thought I’d never get to run again. Of course I did run again and even did the Ironman 2 years later. 

Running exclusively has always been hard for me and I’ve learned that I can only run 3 times a week.  The rest of my training has to be cross training or I hurt myself.  I’ve attempted to train for 2 marathons and both times, I hurt myself.

ANYWAY, I was worried.  I did a ton of stretching and tried to think positive thoughts.  I didn’t think about my race much but the morning of I started really worrying that my hip would fail me.

I tried to put that thought in the back of my mind and lined up to race!  First, let me say that this is the smallest race that I have ever been a part of.  We drove up and parked right across the street.  I got there 45 minutes early and I could have arrived 15 minutes early.  It was crazy how cozy and not stressful it was-CRAZY.  At about 8:55, they announce, we’re starting in 5 minutes, make your way over to the start!

Start we did! There I go!

My first mile was my fastest and most painful.  My hip REALLY hurt and I was feeling VERY discouraged.  When my phone announced that I ran the first mile in 10:50, I decided to slow down and massage my hip a bit.  By the 4th mile I was feeling pretty good and by the 6th mile I was in my groove.  The course started off pretty, then was UGLY, then was really pretty again.  Around the time that it got pretty again (mile 11) I was starting to feel it.  I slowed down (and had my slowest mile at mile 12) and got discouraged again.  Then I told myself that ANYONE could run 2 miles and that that it was less than half an hour of pain.  Thankfully my awesome cheering squad (Luke, Megan, Lissa, Tessa, Shaun, and Lucy) had set up camp just after I heard that I had run an almost 13 minute mile.  They almost missed me because the girls were having so much fun playing.

I saw them yelling and running towards me and I though “Ha! Those people almost missed the person they’re cheering on. That’s funny. OH wait, those are MY people!”  They came running and I got cheered on by some of my favorite people in the world.

Here’s Lu and Megan cheering on other runners and giving them fives:

They were seriously at the right spot!  It was all I needed to light a fire under my butt and make me run!

When I hit mile 13, I started crying-they were happy tears.  At some of my lowest times after Lu was born and I was being so hard on myself, I thought my racing days were over.  They’re not!  I finished strong and my cheering squad was right there at the finish line!

Stats:

Mile 1: 10:50 min/mi
Mile 2: 11:36 min/mi
Mile 3: 12:09 min/mi
Mile 4: 11:56 min/mi
Mile 5: 12:13 min/mi
Mile 6: 11:48 min/mi
Mile 7: 11:50 min/mi
Mile 8: 12:08 min/mi
Mile 9: 12:06 min/mi
Mile 10: 11:58 min/mi
Mile 11: 12:33 min/mi
Mile 12: 12:50 min/mi
Mile 13: 12:33 min/mi

Finish time: 2:37:41 Average 12:02 min/mi

I mentioned above that I “heard” my pace and that my phone “announced” how fast I was going.  My Garmin broke about 2 months ago (it won’t turn on) and I downloaded a free app for my phone called Endomondo.  It’s awesome!  It tells me at every mile how fast I went and how long I’ve been running.  I just put it in one of the pockets on my fuel belt and I have a great training partner PLUS if I get in trouble, I have my phone to call home.  I will not be getting a replacement for my Garmin!  You can also set a “goal” time and it will tell you if you’re going too slow.

Look at the cool readout it gives me online:

I highly recommend it!  It works with: Works with: Nokia, HTC, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG, HP, Eten, Palm, Motorola, as well as Garmin devices.

So, there you have it.  I did it!  I’m really proud of myself and can’t wait for the next race!

I’m running my half marathon tomorrow.  I haven’t really thought about it much this week.  I did got pick up my race packet today, looked at the route, and I laid out my clothes but other than that I haven’t really thought about it.  I don’t know what that means.  Maybe I have some apathy because my last race was an Ironman?  That was over three years and a baby ago.

I hope it goes well!  I’m aiming for an average of 12 minute miles. We’ll see…

I saw?!?!

 
(Photo courtesy of KERF)

I was only a little over an hour away from Kath and since I snubbed her on my East Coast visit 😉 (we really had a jammed pack schedule and we couldn’t fit any other visits in), I decided to jump in the rental car and drive over to see her.  We were do for our fourth annual visit ;). I’m glad I did!  We had a blast and I got to eat this:

 
(Photo courtesy of KERF)

And drink this:

(Photo courtesy of KERF)

And eat with these lovely people:

(Photo courtesy of KERF)

It was the perfect way to end my crazy day! I presented from 8 am until 4:30 pm.  I’m lucky to have a voice and it was getting weak by the end of the day.  I have to do it all over again tomorrow :-/

Throughout the day I got picture updates from my sister about Lu.

Unfortunately, I can’t figure out how to get the MMS’ off of my phone?! BUT in trying to figure it out, I found this gem:

(I apologize for the poor quality-it was taken with my phone!)

My parents took Lu to Fred Meyer to buy some Skechers Light-Up shoes.  Tessa had some and Mimi thought Lu needed some.  Evidently she did.  Too bad they are so GAUDY!  She loves them though and they’re perfect for her.

I MISS my baby!

It’s been CRAZY busy since we last talked and now I’m in Virginia for work. 

On Sunday we watched Tessa so that my sister and her husband could go hunting and fishing.  My brother-in-law is a pilot and they take his plane and go to the “back-country”-you can’t get there with a car.  It was the first time in almost 2 years that they got to get out in the plane, just the two of them.  Tessa has always been with them.  I am SO happy that we got to help out and the girls were utterly adorable. This is why we moved!

Here they are in the morning, both sitting on the bird’s food containers, drinking water.  Right before this, they were scooting the containers around and squealing:

Yes, Lu is still in her PJs and yes that is a necklace around her neck.  Gram and Pop sent her a necklace for her birthday and it is now on her whenever she is awake.

Later that morning, we hopped on our bikes and took the girls to the zoo.  They had a blast!  I have all sorts of cute pictures but alas they are at home.  I did capture this shot on my phone from the ride home:

Poor Tessa was tired.  Lu isn’t quite sure how she feels about being a human pillow 🙂 (Do you see the necklace?)

Lu also always has her purse and “cell phone” with her.  Here she is taking a picture of Mommy with her “cell phone”-it’s an old defunct T-Mobile phone that her sitter gave her.  I was trying to get a picture of the hundreds of butterfly stickers on her chest and she, in turn, was taking a “picture” of Mommy:

Where did this girly-girl come from?  If there was ever a question in my mind about nature vs. nurture, there is no longer.  We have NOT encouraged this behavior.  We don’t discourage it either but purses, necklaces, and obsessions with shoes?  She is a girl, through and through.  That stuff is NOT learned.  Believe me!

~~~~~

How am I doing?  I’m good.  I’m really good.  I’m continuing to eat gluten, corn, dairy, and meat (sans fish) free. I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t helping.  It is helping.  At the encouragement of my doctor I tried some lamb (my favorite) last week-we were working under the assumption that I’m very allergic to corn so I should try truly grass fed animals.  Big mistake. Big. HUGE.  I got a stomach ache almost immediately and spent the night in the bathroom.  Lovely.

As for my energy level, I ran 10 miles this weekend in 1 hour and 59 minutes.  Like I said on Twitter, Ironman Chelsea would have cried because it was so slow.  Lucy’s Mommy?  Was really proud of herself.  I’m learning NOT to compare me to my pre-Lucy self.  I will get there BUT I was in the best shape of my life when I got pregnant, I had just finished an Ironman for goodness sake!  My half marathon is next weekend and I feel confident that I can finish with a 12 minute mile pace. The 10-miler didn’t make me sore! YAY!

Want to know what has made me sore?  Soccer and mountain biking.  Both of which, I am LOVING.  Absolutely LOVING.  Soccer is such a rush and I love playing on a team.  Mountain biking is fun and I love that Shaun and I have something to do together again.  Just the two of us.  We go during the week at lunchtime and it is awesome.

I love that our move has afforded me the possibility to be so active again.  I haven’t once missed my 2 hour commute.  I love that I get to work from home, see Lucy 20 times more, and work out during the time that I used to spend in the car.  Life is good, really good.

I’d better get to bed.  I have an 8 hour meeting that I’m leading tomorrow and it starts in 7 hours.  *Gulp*