Comments (20)

By kilax, January 13, 2011 5:23 am

I’ve wanted to try gardein products at home since they I first heard of them a year ago. I finally got my chance last month when the products went on sale at Target. (So, gardein did NOT send me products to review, but I would be very happy if they did send me some!)

I picked up the crispy chick’n (info here). It came with a mandarin orange packet, but we didn’t use it.

You basically fry these babies up,

And use them however you want. We put them in our sweet and sour “chicken” dish but I tried a few plain too. Yummy! They have the right texture, were nice and crispy, and had a great taste – not to plain, but plain enough to add to a dish and be covered in sauce.

You can barely see it, but the chick’n is just above the two water chestnuts.

Steven and I used to eat a diet heavily based on meat substitutes – Boca, Moringstar Farms, and so on. Dinner most nights was a burger with veggies on the side. Now our protein mostly comes from legumes (and nuts and eggs for him), but every once in awhile we enjoy these fun meat substitutes.

Have you ever tried a meat substitute like Boca, Morningstar Farms, or gardein? What did you think of it?

And I mean in general – not how much you think it tastes like meat.

I used to LOVE the Morningstar Farms black bean burger. They aren’t vegan so I don’t eat them anymore. But the Boca Chik’n patties are! I have told Steven a few times I might not be vegan if I couldn’t have my Boca Chik’n. They taste sooooo good when you make them in the pan. So good.

Comments (16)

By kilax, January 12, 2011 6:04 am

It’s my best buddy Erin‘s birthday today! Visit her blog and wish her a good day! And you might want to subscribe to her blog while you’re over there. She has a very special talent that I don’t when it comes to writing about running – she makes it interesting!

How many of you saw Hood to Coast last night? How many of you immediately wanted to sign up for a relay race?

Steven and I saw the movie with the running club. Of course, I loved it. It showed what I love about running – the very large variety of people who do it, and the stories of how they got there/why they run. And most importantly, the comradeship and compassion for the fellow runner.

Maybe the running club will have room for me on one of the Ragnar Madison to Chicago teams…

Speaking of the Grayslake Running Club, why the heck did I wait so long to join? It’s only been a week, but so far it’s been the best week of the year (ha)! I instantly connect with everyone. Hmm, join a group based on one of your major interests? Who would have thought of that?!

Are you guys getting extremely sick of me using holiday gifts as prompts for posts?

It seems kind of tacky to me, but kind of not. Maybe there will be a few more.

Gina sent me this cute “Little Gifts of Kindness” calendar. Each day has little suggestions on how to be kinder (tips I can definitely use!).

I loved the January 4th tip – “Love where you are.”

I interpret it to mean love where you are physically as well as love where you are in life – in your relationships, with your work, with your happiness level…

I think it’s a great saying, and a good way to remind myself to be happy and grateful when I am feeling less so.

What do you love about “where you are”?

Comments (14)

By kilax, January 11, 2011 6:39 am

One more organizational post – while I was doing my clothes purge and organizing inside the house, Steven was organizing the garage. We were on a roll (but we didn’t get everything done)!

Data had to say farewell to an old friend…

He loved to go out in to the garage and play with this model. He liked to chew on the trees. I made one last video of it.

Don’t worry, I still saved all of my favorite models. There they are:

Damn, these things are expensive to build. Steven asked me how much I spent on each one. Maybe $200-$300? And he asked how I could afford it. Student loans and credit card, baby. That is probably why it took me a year and a half out of college to pay off my credit card (but I am credit card debt free now!).

What is/was ridiculoulsy expensive about your education? Books? Models? Beer?

Comments (21)

By kilax, January 10, 2011 5:45 am

I got on a bit of an organizational kick this weekend (that’s a good thing), and after I purged my closet, I organized our bookshelves, cleaned off my dresser, and started to go through my “sentimental” boxes.

Steven and I each have a few boxes we keep little tokens in – mostly cards/letters, but also brochures, guides, a few photos, and in his case, race bibs and medals. The boxes were completely full, and I needed to make room in them to add a few more things, so… I had to do another purge. A sentimental purge.

The boxes before

I went through each item, one by one, reading them all. I was surprised to find myself getting a bit emotional. There were cards in there with a lot of meaning – cards from people no longer alive, cards with special messages, cards sent to me when I lived in Italy… I felt pretty worked up looking at them all.

It amazed me that just from reading these cards, I could remember the time they were given to me, and the significance of the words in them… and how receiving it made me feel at the time.

In the end, I ended up saving a lot of them – if they had special meaning, or if I just thought they were cute. I only got rid of the ones that didn’t have much in them (for a message from the sender).

The boxes after

The Ferrari bag is full of travel items, and underneath is a stack of letters. If I was really organized, they would be in chronological order. Nope.

A very small sample of some I saved

The cards to get rid of (maybe donate to one of those places that reuses old cards)

I felt really guilty getting rid of cards, but, I can’t hold on to them forever, right?

How long do you keep cards you’ve received? How do you decide which to keep? Which ones have really special meaning to you?

Going through all of these, it became aware to me how much time and thought people put in to these cards. Writing something meaningful in a card is sometimes important, and that is not something I am good at. I would like to work at becoming a better “card writer.”

Comments (7)

By kilax, January 9, 2011 8:44 am

My next race is the Frozen Zucchini Snowshoe Adventure (5K) on January 30th.

Day 442 | January 3, 2011: 5 m run

This run made me regret all the junky food I consumed over the month of December. I felt very “blah” and stopped to rest quite a few times. Sad.

I also stopped to check out the progress on the bridge being built for the new trail by our house:

Happy! It’s coming along!

But this trail? Kicks my butt. Here’s the elevation profile (same route, just upped the scale):

Maybe running it regularly will make me a stronger runner?

And P.S.:

Distance: 5.0 | Start Temp: 35° | End Temp: 34° | Time: 49:33 | Avg Pace: 9:54 | 1: 9:54 | 2: 9:40 | 3: 10:01 | 4: 9:59 | 5: 9:55

Day 443 | January 4, 2011: rest

Day 444 | January 5, 2011: cross

Recumbent Bike Time: 40:00 | Distance: 6.80 | Set on “Forest Ride”

When I was changing my socks in the gym I noticed the toenail on my second toe on my left foot was loose. Upon further examination at home, I found there was another toenail growing underneath, so I clipped the top one off. My first lost toenail! I feel like I should have a little badge or something.

So I made one. Feel free to use it if you want. Ha ha.

Day 445 | January 6, 2011: 4 m run

I felt like I was running in to the wind this entire run. How is that even possible? At least I didn’t stop at all… I just slowed down. A lot.

But… I did wear the new Tek Gear jacket from my Grandma. I love it! It has a nifty little pocket in the arm for your MP3 player, and has thumb holes. And it’s a beautiful purple color (or as Tek Gear calls it “blue iris”).

Distance: 4.0 | Start Temp: 23° | End Temp: 24° | Time: 39:31 | Avg Pace: 9:52 | 1: 9:26 | 2: 9:58 | 3: 10:05 | 4: 9:59

Day 446 | January 7, 2011: strength + cross

I did Level 1 of The 30 Day Shred with 2-lb weights. So, I am not sure when the last time I did the Shred was, and I am not looking it up, but DAMN. DAMN DAMN DAMN it was hard. A good workout for sure, I felt like I could actually feel my muscles stretching out. Maybe I will stick with it? Ha.

Steven and I went on a 2.5 mile walk in the afternoon. It was 20°F and lightly snowing. Brr!

Day 447 | January 8, 2011: 7.3 m run + stretch

Saturday was my first virtual 5K and my first run with the Grayslake Running Club! Twelve of us showed up, and I instantly found myself with 11 new friends. Everyone was very friendly and chatty, and someone (various people) ran with me the entire time, despite my slowing down. I can’t wait to get to know everyone better!

I ran 7.3 miles total, and ran the first 5K for Adam‘s Freeze Your Thorns Off Virtual 5K. I slowed down after the 5K point, and the group meet again at mile 4 (7 people stopped at 4 miles). Then I ran 3.3 more, even slower. It was cold, I was sore from doing The 30 Day Shred, it was windy, I felt out of breath, and… I’m heavy. Things will get better! I really enjoyed meeting new people and having someone to run with.

Run stats: I wore the Asics Cumulus 12s. I drank 6 ounces of water and ate a Vanilla Bean GU at mile 4. I had on wool socks, tights, pants, Under Armour ColdGear, my green Fila jacket, Under Armour Hood, Tek Gear beanie, and gloves. I took the gloves on and off a few times.

Distance: 7.3 | Start Temp: 10° | End Temp: 19° | Time: 1:15:27 | Avg Pace: 10:17 | 1: 10:09 | 2: 10:16 | 3: 9:49 | .1 : 00:59 | 4.1: 10:29 | 5.1: 10:18| 6.1: 10:31 | 7: 10:20 | .2: 2:31

In the evening I decided to try Jillian Michaels’ Yoga Meltdown (which I received for the holiday) to stretch out my muscles. Um, no. That DVD is like yoga CARDIO, and I did not need another cardio workout! I will have to try it another day.

Has anyone else done the Yoga Meltdown DVD? What did you think of it?

Day 448 | January 9, 2011: yoga

The first thing I thought when I woke up is “I am so sore and stiff!” I wasn’t planning on doing yoga first thing in the morning, but I thought it would make my day a lot better if I did! I did the YogaWorks Beginners DVD.

I wore a cute new yoga outfit that my mom gave me for the holiday. It’s Tek Gear (love!) from Kohl’s. It was perfect for yoga – it stayed right in place and allowed me a full range of motion.

Steven was in the garage on Saturday night, so that was where I had to go to have my picture taken. I first put this outfit on to use in the Yoga Meltdown, then quit 6 minutes in!

Week Summary: 16.3 miles

Despite all of my whining about my hard runs this week, I actually felt pretty motivated and energetic, so let’s hope that sticks around!

I really enjoyed running with the group on Saturday. It put me in a very good mood that lasted all day!

Comments (13)

By kilax, January 8, 2011 9:11 pm

One of my favorite bloggers, Adam, hosted a virtual/real 5K today – the Freeze Your Thorns Off 5K. I decided to participate as my first virtual race!

Have you ever done a virtual race before?

Those lucky enough to live near Phoenix (not me) got to run the 5K, with friends, in a beautiful setting, in 45°F weather. I am not really sure if they can say they froze their thorns off.

Me though? I did (wait, do I have thorns?!). It was 10°F where I was running, with nasty wind. I was so cold, the only picture I took was when I got done running, in my car. Now, you know that is not like me. I am the Queen of Taking Too Many Pictures.

That is how cold it was – no cheesy running photos.

While I did not have the same weather conditions as the real 5K, I did get to run with friends. In fact, 11 new ones! It was my first run with the Grayslake Running Club, and I really enjoyed it.

Oh yeah, my time? Did I mention it was cold? And I did the 30 Day Shred yesterday and felt super sore? Pretty sure I didn’t mention that. Oh yeah, and that I am a bit heavier now than I was before the holiday…

Do you still want to hear my time? 31:13 (10:09, 10:16, 9:49, 00:59)

Gulp. Um, I was running slow because that was the start of my run? I went on to run 7.3 miles? Ha ha. Just kidding! That is a good time for me, right now! I am happy with it!

Comments (23)

By kilax, January 8, 2011 5:37 am

I had four large rubber maid boxes full of clothes in my closet, so I decided to go through them yesterday, and get rid of the stuff that is the wrong size (too big OR small) or that I just don’t like anymore. I LOVE getting rid of things.

The aftermath:

I realize that is a lot of clothes. A lot of it is pants and tops that are way too big for me, and I was still holding on to for some reason.

I got down to two rubber maid boxes – one for seasonal/miscellaneous stuff (tank tops, skirts, dress suits, sweaters) and one for sentimental stuff that I can’t seem to get rid of. Stuff like sports shirts,

vegetarian themed shirts,

travel shirts,

Iowa State University shirts,

Architecture themed shirts,

this shirt I never wear because Steven hates,

and race shirts I hope to have made in to a quilt or something.

How often do you “purge” your clothes? Does you hold on to any sentimental clothing items?

Comments (23)

By kilax, January 7, 2011 5:19 am

What do you use for your alarm clock – an actual alarm clock or your phone (or maybe the sun, your kids, your pet, other)?

On the days I have to go to work or get up for a run, I use my phone. On other days, Data wakes me up.* Too early.

I have been using my cell phone as an alarm clock since college (2002). But I still kept my old alarm clock around:

The last time my sister, Christina, visited, she noticed that I was still using this alarm clock from middle school… and thought that was pretty sad. So she got me a schweet new alarm clock for the holiday!

(the red light is not always on)

Now, I think I WILL use an alarm clock!

Notice the other Star Wars stuff on my book stand?

We have Darth Tater (Spud Trooper is on the dresser), an R2D2 Pez**,

and even my memory board is Star Wars themed (Christina made it for me – I love it).

Yes, I am a big dork.

*Yesterday was a work at home day for me, and Data woke me up at 5:00 am. Thanks Data. The bonus of working at home is that I get to sleep in until 6:30!
**My Uncle Tom gave this to me the last Christmas I saw him, in 2005, before he unexpectedly passed away. I like to keep it where I can see it each day.

Comments (4)

By kilax, January 6, 2011 6:21 am

Check out this neat piece of art my friend Courtney gave me this holiday. It’s about an inch thick piece of glass with these words about friendship etched in it. And it’s even personalized with my name!

I love it! I put it on the shelf where we keep all of our sentimental treasures, so I can see it when I am working at my desk.

I really like its definition of friendship. Especially the emphasis of being a supporter, and a “person with whom one can laugh or cry, share hopes and dreams.” I think that sums up the type of friend/spouse/family member I want to be.

What characteristics define a friend for you?

Beside what is listed above, I also value honesty in friendship/relationships. As in, if I am being crazy about something, tell me. If I am doing something you don’t like, tell me. Be honest with me! And that is not a complaint against any friendship/relationship I am in now, just another characteristic I value.

Comments (28)

By kilax, January 5, 2011 5:13 am

What comes in a box this size?

Not something for Data!

My new snowshoes!!!

Or shall I say, air guitar?

One more:

It looks like this outside:

But I know (sadly) we will get more snow. And I am going to embrace it!

I just hope that snow comes in time for the Frozen Zucchini Snowshoe Adventure I signed up to “run” on January 30th.

Okay, enough photos. I have two interesting stories to tell about these snowshoes. The first is when I tried to buy them. My brother-in-law, Andrew, gave me a Sports Authority giftcard for Christmas, and took me to Sports Authority in Kansas City to look at snowshoes. I though they sold them there, since the Sports Authority in our town does. So…

Sales Dude: Can I help you find something?
Me: Hi, where are your snowshoes?
Sales Dude (with sarcasm): Do you mean boots for walking on the snow?
Me: No, I mean snowshoes for snowshoeing.
Sales Dude (being a d-bag): We don’t sell those here! You have to be close to the mountains to use those! Muah ha ha. (Chuckles at me) I think there is another place that sells them… (tries to remember)
Me (the bitch comes out): That’s okay. You DO sell them online, so I will buy them THERE.

I am not good at re-telling stories, and Andrew may remember the exact words better than me, but basically this guy was MAKING FUN OF ME for asking him if they sold snowshoes. And being a dick by saying you can only use them near the mountain…? It was weird.

BAD SALESMANSHIP!!!

Do you have any bad salesmanship stories?

The second interesting story – I immediately went back to the house to order snowshoes. I was bummed to have to order the 8×25 Women’s Version:

because the Men’s was not available online. At all. I wasn’t digging the flowers. Well, guess what? The Men’s ones were what I received in the mail! Schweet! That is one mistake I am happy with.