Halloweener

Here is my homemade costume. It cost about $11 to make. Tulle, elastic, and felt, oh my. Simple and cute! It's for running the Halloweener 5k race  I can't wait to wear it!

Late night ponderings

Just wanted to drop a quick note to say I haven't given up on blogging. Time is limited and I have this incredible knack for frittering away my time doing meaningless things. Although I knitted up a calorimetry head wrap sunday and did a little crocheting this evening, I still manage to look back on my day and wonder where all the time went.

The other day I answered a question on on daily mile -it asked: if you could have one super power at all, what would it be? My answer: the ability to manipulate time. Oh how I would love to add hours to the day! Or to the night.

What would yours be?

Summer lunch makes me feel fine.....

Here is a delicious and quick lunch I threw together using some of the fine fresh garden veggies I had on hand. 

Sautee onion chunks in some coconut oil. Meanwhile chop up some veggies. I used squash, eggplant, peppers -red, banana, and one other kind, I think cubanelle. I threw the veggies in with the onions, added salt and pepper and some fresh ginger, grated. Lastly, I added chickpeas. I cook my own, so I didn't get an exact measurement, but it was about the same as one 15 oz can. Heat through.  

As you can see, I don't worry too much about measurements, so I recommend that you just keep adding what you like and go from there!! You can also use whatever seasonings/veggies/beansthat you like. 

Enjoy your food, my friends!! :)

The Best Grilled Chicken. Ever.

At Thanksgiving time, I usually brine my turkey, yielding a succulent, flavorful, and juicy bird.  Saving the brining technique for special occasions, I haven't used the technique for everyday cooking...till recently.  A couple of weeks ago, Sophia and I decided to brine a chicken before grilling it. It was also still partially frozen, and I wanted to expedite the thawing process. We used lemon, garlic, rosemary, salt and sugar. Today, I used fresh basil and oregano instead of the rosemary. It comes out so delicious! Following is my recipe for the most delicious way to prepare chicken. I *urge* you to give it a try. With the suggested sides, it makes the perfect summer meal. Enjoy!

You will need -

1-2 whole chickens, cut up.

1 lemon, cut in half, juice, peel and all

1/2 head garlic, sliced in half, skins and all

Fresh herbs - as much or as little as you want. I went with basil and oregano or rosemary. You can do any combo.

Slight 1/3 c salt

Heaping 1/3 c sugar

Water to cover

In a large bowl, pour salt and sugar into 2 c water, stir to dissolve. Add chicken, lemon, herbs, and garlic, then add water till it's all submerged. Stir around to distribute everything evenly. Let sit for 2-3 hours. I let it sit on the counter top, but you can stick it in the fridge if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Get your grill going. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. Rub with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a bit of garlic powder (opt) or seasoning of choice. I like to start with some foil on the grill with the chicken skin side up. Grill for 15-20 minutes, then remove foil and flip chicken. This helps the skin develop a delicious crust without sticking.

Grill 15-20 minutes more, till chicken is done.

Meanwhile, prepare some brown rice. I like to use this recipe:

Boil 4-6 c water with a bit of salt.

Rinse 1 c brown rice, then add to boiling water.

Reduce heat to med-high and boil for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Drain for 10 seconds then return to pan, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

I took the rest of the basil that I had and stuck it in the food processor with 2 cloves garlic and 2 T olive oil and the zest of one lemon. Then I stirred this into the brown rice when it was finished.

Lightly coat some fresh veggies with olive oil and salt and pepper and throw n the grill for the 2nd half of cooking time. I used yellow squash.

All three components of this meal went really well together. Sophia made some fresh squeezed lemonade to go with it.

Give it a try and enjoy! Play around with it and try different combos of herbs and spices. Just stick with the basic water, salt,and sugar brine.

Re-Run

What with all this running I've been doing, naturally I am inclined to want to run every race that comes along, especially those that give the proceeds to charity. Unfortunately, shelling out between $25 and $65 per race isn't always an option. SO, in true Melanie fashion, I put some thought into it and decided to market the recycled feed sack bags that I have been creating from...you guessed it, recycled feed sacks. They come in an array of colors and designs and are made with this cool material that is extremely strong and durable.

I call my nifty recycled feed sack bags "Re-Run Bags." If you are interested in purchasing a "Re-Run Bag," please contact me at melesqueda@live.com. If you live close to me and would like to arrange for pick-up, I can arrange that, and the cost is $10 per bag. If you live far away and would like me to ship one to you, the cost is $13 per bag. International shipping will be determined upon order.

Buy a bag and tell your friends about it. If you get three or more of your friends to buy one, I'll give you one free of charge as a thank you.

Here are a couple of bags that I have made and are ready for a home. They are exceptional for groceries, books, beach gear, etc. Each bag contains an inside pocket, perfect for keys, cell phones, library cards, waterpark passes, etc.

I have many different types of feed sacks - including horse feed, chicken, game, deer, cattle, and bunny. If you have a specific request, please let me know.

Ham and Steve are ready for bed. I love my little boys!!

Whole Foods to Thrive - Lentil Soup with Wilted Spinach recipe review

With many thanks to Vanessa from Vanessa Runs, I have had the opportunity to read Whole Foods to Thrive by Brendan Brazier in exchange for doing a book review.

I opened the book and was immediately drawn to great variety of vegan recipes that are simple and nourishing. While not a vegetarian myself, I have always enjoyed vegetarian/vegan foods and aspire to include more in my cooking repertoire. I love how Brendan Brazier creates recipes that are nutritionally complete and formulated for maximum performance. The first five chapters in the book are a comprehensive guide on optimal nutrition and how our health depends on it. He also teaches us how to be kinder to our earth with our eating habits, including encouraging us to eat locally. While there were a couple of ingredients that I had not heard of yet (Yay! Something new for me to learn!) such as yacon syrup and sacha inchi, most of the ingredients listed in his recipes are easy to find and just happen take up residence in my pantry already.

From the moment the book was in my hands, I was chomping at the bit to try out a recipe. Always seeking out the simplest of recipes, I decided to make "Lentil Soup with Wilted Spinach." As I sauteed the garlic in coconut oil, my mouth began to water like crazy. It is one of my favorite fragrances! I soaked the lentils for the afternoon so it didn't take as long to cook this delicious soup. At the end of cooking, the recipe says to add lemon juice and spinach. This was lovely. The lemon was bright and summery and the spinach tasted amazingly green and fresh.  I am a huge fan of soup, even in the summer, and this was perfect. It was filling yet light, leaving me satisfied with no post dinner sweet cravings.

I will most definitely make this again, and I look forward to many more delicious and nourishing recipes from this book.

So, thank you, Vanessa, for providing me with this exciting opportunity, and thank you, Brendan Brazier for this well-written, informative and inspiring book. :)

Oh baby it's hot outside!! Even my little Ameracauna/Black Orpington mix hen is taking a cool bath. :)

Hard Times in blogging land... Just when I think it's time to get back into blogging, the hard drive in my laptop died. Yup. Dead. I bought the thing in January, without warranty (like a dummy). Right now I am waiting to get it back from our computer guy so I can call HP and see if there is any type of manufacturer's warranty that might help me get this replaced. For now, I get to use a real computer in the evening when my sweetheart gets home from work OR I use my phone (thankful that I just got mobile blogging set up a couple of weeks ago).

On a side note, I saw that there is a Naked Foot 5K in Austin in August....the registration is $35 so I'll be trying to sell some of my wares to raise the money to go. It sounds like a fabulous time for the whole family, and will be after the first week of school. I plan to actually race it and Olivia wants to raise money to do the race too. There will be a free 1K for kids, a whole mile of grass to run, Tarahumara games and competitions, and foot painting for the kids. I don't know how to post a link from text blogging but I'll try to post one when I get on Honey's laptop tonight. Meanwhile, google Naked Foot 5K for more info.

If you live in the area and would like to purchase one of my totally cool recycled feed sack bags ($10) or some farm fresh free range multi colored eggs from happy chickens ($3.50/doz) please let me know!!! Olivia has a face painting/sharpie tattoo business for birthday parties and other special occasions. She has reasonable rates and if you have ever seen her artwork , she is remarkably talented.

Y'all have an awesome day! Peace out!

The Big Race

Today I ran a 4.5 mile race called the Dog Days of Summer - it was "challenging and hilly course" with a HUGE hill at the very beginning. I made it by speedwalking the 2nd half of the hill, conserving my energy in order to complete the rest of the course. At the crest of the hill, I quickly gained speed and passed a good 15-20 folks, only 2 of whom passed me at the very end of the race. Unfortunately I woke up this morning feeling under the weather. My DH had a really bad flu-ish cold with fever, chills, sinus, etc.this week. I managed to stay healthy all week till this morning. While running, I had to take several little walking breaks. I still managed to pass people, and the ladies in my division all beat me by at least a minute and a half, I don't think I could have beat them feeling well. I took 4th place in my division, which is OK, considering the terrain and the way I felt. (Last race, I woke up with a tummy big but still managed to set a great PR of 9:06 miles).

My lovely photographer (the eldest of the fruit of my womb) was distracted by squirrels and dogs, so missed me coming through the finish line. After I kicked off my shoes and Bad Ass socks, I ran through the finish line barefoot so we could have a shot of it - and hopefully a preview of races to come, crossing the finish line in minimalist shoes or even barefoot!!

For fuel this morning, I ate 3/4 of a half bagel with some PB and drank about 16 oz of chia fresca which no doubt gives me tons of natural, jitter-free energy. I had a coupon for Power Bar brand energy goo - which I tasted but istantly gagged on and threw in the trash. LOL.

Now that this race is over, I am looking forward to training in my Merrells and tackling the next challenge.

Till then......

Enjoy your awesome life!

Minimalist Shoes came in!

OK, so the long anticipated Merrell Barefoot Pace Gloves came in yesterday - I love them!! They fit like a glove, literally. I can feel the ground beneath my feet without pain or discomfort. They feel natural. While somewhat narrow (which works for me) they have plenty of room in the toe area, allowing my feet to spread out and be themselves. I got the black ones, which look pretty frickin' awesome with shorts, pants, or workout clothing. I took them out for a spin yesterday, a short little run/walk of about 1.55 miles. Surprisingly my calves didn't cry out for mercy like I had been warned. That could be because I've been running in what has been referred to as gateway shoes - running shoes that are between the traditional thickly cushioned and the true minimalist shoes. Maybe that was a good preparation for my legs. I will not be running in the Merrell's for the upcoming 4.5 mile race because I haven't had the time to fully adjust to them, so I will begin training in them next week. My hope is to run the 10K in September in them, followed by a half marathon in October.
I will try to update on the status after being able to run farther distances in them. Till then, adios, bonjour, good day!


***UPDATE***
I have been wearing the Merrells around the house and on a one mile walk this morning. The more I wear them the more aware of my feet and what they are doing/capable of. It's pretty amazing. I can feel the rocks and ruts under my feet, and my toes are able to grip and feel barefoot with the protection of the Vibram sole, which I still need at this point. I also noticed for the first time this morning how my feet had to work for stability. It was reassuring knowing that my muscles were doing the work, strengthening along the way. So...all in all I am thrilled with the purchase, and I am looking forward to a full transition to minimalist footwear. Thank you, Merrell. :)

Lovin life. :)

At the lake today. 

Hello, Again!

As the case has been with the last several posts, there has been a good amount of time since I last posted. Before I actually write about what has been on my mind, I'll update on what has happened since I last updated.

During the spring semester, I took 4 classes while working full time. That was NUTSO!! I will never do THAT again!! My word. I am not saying that I can't handle it (I got 2 As and 2 Bs), but I wasn't present as mom and wife, my exercise fell to the wayside, and I feel like no part of my life got 100% from me.

As soon as school let out (a benefit of working at the school is I get to vaca with the kids) my mom came for a 10 day visit. She arrived the night school let out. We had a great time, taking advantage of the *very* warm Texas weather, the water recreation, and the generous supply of cool things to do in my sweet little town. When Mom left, we vegged out for a day or two then resumed our summer schedule, which really isn't much of a schedule! We got some library books, visited friends, and have been making numerous visits to the local waterpark. I have been walking with my sweet friend 3-4 days a week, which leaves me feeling renewed and refreshed. Somehow I don't know where the last month and a half has gone, because the time since school let out has been a blur. :)

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I took up running last May. Since I did the Couch to 5K program, I have been able to pick up and run a few miles at a shot. It isn't always easy but it is always fun, rewarding, and refreshing. I love the feeling of solitude that I get while I am running. My neighborhood is BO-RING, there aren't many options as to routes, so I usually run the same route or at least reverse the direction or zig zag through the cross streets till I reach my desired mileage.

When I began running, I wore traditional running shoes. They felt nice and cushy and stable, but my back started hurting after I wore them out. I had shin splints pretty much the whole time but I wrote that off to being a novice runner and figured they would go away sooner or later. When it was time to get new running shoes, I bought another pair by the same company that ended up aggravating my shin splints, making them worse. I decided to go to a local running specialty shop where the specialist said that I have a normal gait and I was wearing shoes for over-pronation. Um...OK. I tried on a couple of pairs of shoes and found a nice, lightweight pair that I liked but that were out of my price range. Later when I got a few bucks together, I ordered a pair of Saucony Kinvaras. All the time I spent in between gave my shin splint a chance to heal.

All I knew at the time was that these shoes weighed a LOT less than my previous ones, my shin splints went away,my running form transformed, and I started reading up on why that may be. Research led me to discover that the Kinvaras are known to be a go between from traditional running shoes and minimalist shoes. Hm...minimalist shoes? Wow - that sounds like something that interests me! I searched for more knowledge and heard about the book "Born to Run" from a friend. I got the book at the library and hungrily devoured every page. I learned about barefoot running and minimalist running and WHY people are doing it.

Fast forward a bit. In the last month or so, I have discovered that listening to music on my runs wasn't cutting the mustard. My mind kept wandering and my playlist got boring. I decided to search for some running podcasts and came across Caity McCardell's Run Barefoot Girl.. Listening to Caity has been incredibly entertaining, motivational, and inspiring. I listened to pocast #7  today and she was interviewing a woman who took up barefoot running despite her skepticism. This got me to thinking.....I tend to be more skeptical about mainstream, common things, about government and corporations, the medical community, the media, and just about anything that people tend to put their faith into. Just give me any grassroots movement, any group of people trying to go against the grain, and you have my attention.

This all leads to why I have decided to take the plunge into minimalist running. I think that it makes perfect sense that minimalist and barefoot running strengthen our feet, improve our posture, and reduce injuries. Perfect sense! I ordered a pair of Merrell Barefoot Pace Gloves (Amazon.com is the BOMB - they bought back my textbooks and gave me credit, woohoo!) and I am DYING to receive them and put them to the test. I don't think that I will wear them for the 4.5 mile HILLY race that I am running in a week, but I definitely plan to step up my training and aim to run the 10K in September and the half marathon in October wearing them.

I have tried running barefoot on a few occasions, and I did better on a smoother surface. The roads here by my home are rough and I think I need to toughen up my soles a little before going all the way. For now, I am satisfied and excited to take on minimalist running.

As you might be able to see, I have so much to say, and it is late on a Saturday night, and it's time for me to say good night, but I have more to say, so I will be back soon. For tonight, peace out, good night, God bless.....see you soon. XO

A new project

This is a re-usable tote bag that I made from a used feed sack. I've seen them around and wanted to give a shot at making one myself. It was easy breezy, took about 45 minutes for my first attempt. I have a trunk full of feed sacks ready to go, so any free time I might have will go to these. :)

Groupon

If you haven't signed up for Groupon yet, you should. Today's deal (San Antonio area) has a deal for Rita's Natural Food Market in New Braunfels - $10 to buy $20 of groceries. I don't know about you, but I never walk out of there for less than $20.

There are great deals on Groupon every day - and the more you use it, the more Groupon bucks you earn to buy more Groupons with! AND if you get your friends to sign up, you can earn even more.

I went on today to buy the Rita's deal, prepared to spend the $10, and discovered that I have a credit because of passing the word around. This made me very happy!

SO - click here, sign up, and pass the word around! Enjoy!

Groupon is available everywhere, not just in TX, so when you sign up, just put your city in! It costs you nothing to join and the benefits a many.

Here are two of my favorite things...

Hello!


I have a TON of homework to do and I am always finding new and sometimes unusual ways to procrastinate, BUT I wanted to share a couple of my most recent favorite recipes - both from blogs. They are both sure fire ways to make standard foods that can sometimes be tricky.


Behold: How to make PERFECT brown rice. Read this from Pinch My Salt. It will forever change the way you cook brown rice. Trust me. :)


Fluffy Whole Wheat Biscuits. You ask yourself, what? Whole wheat biscuits? Fluffy? Try them and see. I've made these several times and they are absolutely fantastic with peach jam. Or raspberry. Or fig. Or scrambled eggs...you get the picture. Don't let the vegan thing scare you. You can always substitute with butter and milk if you have to. :) Enjoy!!!!


OK - off to hit the political journals for an article that I can write a two page response to. This little distraction was fun while it lasted.


Love to y'all!

Howdy-Do, Buckaroos!

Hello!

I wanted to check in with a little update on school and everything.

December, I completed my 2nd semester back at school. Everything went well, and I got an A in government and a C in History. C sounds bad BUT since I had attempted History before (a couple of times) I aimed for a C and got it. I worked really hard for it, too!

Since I coasted relatively smoothly through two semesters of taking two classes, I decided that in the spring semester, I'd give four classes a try. So, here I am, beginning week three, and it's a lot of hard work, a whole lot of reading and time management, but it's going well so far. I'm taking government 2 and history 2, both in person at the SAC satellite campus here in town, and I am taking world geography and intro to education online. I am really enjoying the online courses (esp. edu) because of the interactions with classmates and the professor.

Next week, I have to go to SA to pick up my internship paperwork so I can spend some time in a classroom other than mine learning lesson planning and teaching from another perspective. (Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to use my classroom for it because PPCD wasn't an option).

*****

Running has become a new passion to me. Since doing the Couch to 5K program last year, it has become a part of my life. It seems like my body craves it and I get antsy when I don't make it out. On the off days when I can't make it to the gym, I've been doing yoga. I got a great DVD called Yoga for Athletes which has 16 different sports to choose from (including running) - each sport has 12 different yoga sessions from 20-75 minutes targeting different areas that are important for the sport you choose. It's been helping me a LOT. I generally run appx 3.5 miles, three times a week. My running space is limited where I live and it gets boring sometimes, but the time to myself is priceless. My running playlist is awesome so getting out to run is a real treat.

*****

The kids are doing awesome. Olivia has blossomed into an amazing young lady now that she is in middle school. I am amazed at her every day. She is taking better care of herself, yet not falling into fads and trends that are prevalent in middle school. She is excelling in all areas and has been reunited with friends she made in the early years of elementary school.

Sophia has blossomed as well. I think after Olivia left the elementary school, Sophia has (in a way) come out of her shell and taken on some really cool activities such as choir club and student council along with library shelf elf. Her grades are awesome and she has been blessed with one of the most awesome teachers I have ever known. This has been a very exciting year for Sophia.

Danny is having a great time in 1st grade. He just had a birthday and we celebrated with (you guessed it) SUSHI! Lol! Teachers and staff at school are always praising him on his good attitude, desire to learn, and always making good choices. Those are words that warm a momma's heart!

Danny Sr and I just celebrated our 12th anniversary in December - 12 happy years and counting! I love to tell the girls all the romantic things their dad did for me in our early years. It's not that I want them to eventually choose someone just like their dad when they become interested in boys (trust me, I am not advocating it, I just want them to have expectations when the time comes) but I do want them to choose someone who truly cares about them as a person and chooses to do things to make them feel special and happy.

I hope all is going great for you, my blogland friends!

Until next time....Adios!