Marcus continues to tease me about trying to secretly turn us into vegans.  I continue to promise him that I have no intention of forever-eliminating meat and dairy from our diet.

Sunday – Blood Orange Salad

Translation: Blood Orange Segments drizzled with olive oil and topped with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

I should probably be ashamed of the fact that in a week’s time, I’ve made it my personal goal to take down 10 of these.  But I justify it because we ALL need Vitamin C (maybe my immune system is trying to tell me something?), and it is perfect, whole, food.

As an added bonus, I’m now extremely practiced at segmenting oranges.  For the win.

Sunday – Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry from Veganomicon

Truth: We didn’t use red lentils because they don’t sell them at Cub.  So instead we used…Normal Brown Lentils.

There is probably a point in my life where the difference between the two will be hugely important to me, but for the moment, ignorance is bliss.  Lentils are lentils.

I almost forgot the cumin, which is a major make-or-break in pretty much every Indian dish we ever make.  Thankfully, I tasted it and realized that A Seriously Important Something had gone missing.

Vegan or not, Marcus informed me that this meal is welcome to join Our Rotation.  More blessedly, I was able to pop a large container of the stuff into the freezer.  Future Kat will be thanking Past Kat for that one.

Monday – Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Snap Peas from Great, Easy Meals over Smashed Potatoes

This recipe is one that I’ve put on our meal plan for weeks in a row and then never gotten around to making.  So when I was looking for something magnificent to adorn the dinner table, I decided that this chicken dish deserved its time in the sun.

I don’t know that I’ve ever cooked snap peas before for Marcus, so I was crossing my fingers on this one.  Thankfully, I had no need to worry.  He told me I was allowed to make it again and we tucked-in.  He also made the observation that through the prep-work and cooking, nothing about this meal seemed particularly “easy” to him.

I really enjoyed the chance to eat something over smashed potatoes.  Because I know we haven’t actioned anything on that order in forever.

Modifications: I dumped some bouquet garni into the dredging flour because it just seemed like otherwise the chicken’s flavor was going to be “fried.”  We used 2% milk instead of heavy cream.  Because that’s what I had around.

Have you found yourself stuck in a food rut lately?

Do you have any favorite vegan recipes?

In all seriousness are we not all slaying ourselves over saw-it-while running sights like this?

It was absolutely amazing to run past all of the vineyards and into downtown Yountville. 

No, I’m never giving it back.

Nothing whets the appetite quite like running past ad hoc and Bouchon.

How did you move your body today?

This year, instead of escaping to the Caribbean, we decided that a vacation to Napa was in-order.  The last time I visited was my Freshman (?) year of college when Mom had  a business trip in Sacramento over spring break.  I talked her into bringing me with for a girl-adventure and we ended up spending a couple of nights in wine country as well.  It was just lovely.

Exhibit A.

The Old Faithful Geyser of California.

When Marcus and I were looking for places to stay, I REALLY wanted to find a B&B-type arrangement that would allow us to experience the countryside more personally and relax.  You know, since the Honeymoon was go-go-go.

Fact: When I’m going on excellent adventures, I like to feel like I’m really there, culturally.

Anyway, in exchange for three nights’ stay at the cottages, I swore up and down that I would go off the grid while we were on vacation.  Since this is the first time in a long while ever that we’ve vacationed in the continental U.S.  I don’t think the cabin counts.  I also promised that I wouldn’t tell anyone where we were staying until we weren’t in Minnesota anymore.

So this is me.  Going off the grid.  Putting my phone on airplane mode.

Obviously, I’ve arranged for an appropriate amount of entertainment in my absence.

Translation: Y’all might get a few peeks of wine country here and there.  The idea of back-blogging a ton or arranging for guest posters just wasn’t doing it for me this go-round.

What you need to know: If you don’t hear from me by Monday, call for help.

The place that we’re staying delivers freshly made pastries to your doorstep (we are staying in a for real cottage) from Bouchon for breakfast every morning and s’more making supplies at night.  Because we also have our own personal fire pit.  And heated tile floors.  And a jacuzzi tub.  Which for the girl who is allergic to chlorine, is the promise of heaven.

So maybe, if you don’t hear from me by Monday, don’t call for help.

Have you ever visited Napa?  What were your favorite vineyards/restaurants?

Not gonna lie, I will be checking the comments on this post tomorrow so that we can add some of these places to our list of Things To Do!  Please share!

Or maybe it’s because I was really excited about the fact that I was wearing a not-long sweater with jeggings.  And for a moment, I actually looked like I might be a contributing member of society.

Who knows, really.  My vanity knows no bounds.

Today, I realized it was The Universe directing me towards self-photography, because I finally got my hair cut after an embarrassing number of months.

No, I didn’t put it off because it was Too Expensive.  Or because the appointment would Take Too Much Time.  I just didn’t have a strong feeling about my mane one way or the other.

But my ends were starting to look really damaged and I felt like I was slowly creeping away from You’re So Lucky Your Hair Is So Naturally Straight/Healthy and closer to being That Girl With Long Hair Who Doesn’t Take Care Of It.

Sometimes?  I don’t mind being That Girl.  But this is definitely a situation where I want nothing to do with being That Girl.

I know.  It wasn’t exactly a dramatic change (we’re talking ~2″ here).  But it looks worlds better.  And it has that swish-y, just-cut feeling that will most definitely disappear with tomorrow morning’s shower.

What remains to be decided: Whether or not I’m going to continue my life as a brunette or embrace my roots (literally) and explore life as some sort of extremely ash-y and not-so-blonde-blonde.

How often do you get your hair done?

Blonde or brunette?  What is my Calling?

This week’s focus?  #4 Train to Minimize Injury.

It’s quite possibly the most obvious of my resolutions, which in a lot of ways, makes it more challenging.

I think we can all agree that emotionally (and physically), I can’t handle another debacle like The Marathon That Almost Wasn’t.  Considering the amount of ugly crying and make-up ruining that took place, I’m willing to do basically anything in order to make sure that situation does not repeat itself.

But we all know that doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different end-result is the definition of insanity.

So.  What, then, am I doing differently?

I upped my yoga practice to five times per week.  Last winter, this would have seemed insane.  But my back, core and legs have been thanking me immensely.  Hip openers and I?  Have gotten extremely close.  Just ask Pigeon Pose.

I’ve kept-up with the power walking routine that I took up in September to kick-start my recovery.  Allegedly the intervals and inclines make it a fat-burning beast,  but I love it because it gives me a reason to move on the days where I really, really don’t need to.

I bought calf/shin compression sleeves.  Allegedly they “aid” in recovery and ward off shin splints.  So far, I feel like they’re fancy leg warmers that hide well beneath my work pants.  To their credit, I haven’t been cold at work since I started wearing them.

So, there’s that.  Because sometimes it’s not all about the running.  But sometimes it is.

I’ve spent the last month hemming and hawing, trying to figure out what training plans would be challenging, but manageable.   Because right now (though that window is very quickly closing), I have the luxury of time.

My final choice?

I’ll be using Hal Higdon’s Intermediate 2 plan for Grandma’s Marathon and then once I’m done with my recovery month, I’ll roll straight into the 12 week plan from Advanced Marathoning (Up to 55 Miles Per Week) to train for Twin Cities.

Partially because at that point I think I’ll be physically ready to handle that plan, and partially because by the time my recovery month is through, I’ll only have…12 weeks left.

Tricky.

What do you do to avoid injury when you’re working out?

Runners, what training plans have you used?

Apparently sometimes you don’t know how much you were using your Outdoor Voice until you’re not anymore.

Croaking = Not My Cutest Moment.  Though Marcus seemed to get a bit of a kick out of it.

As we all know, The Show Must Go On.  Even though, in this case that meant leaving the house with a wet head to drive in freezing rain.

Y’all know I don’t ever want you to forget that I was a blonde in a past life.

But it was for good reason – Emily, Ann and I made plans weeks ago to gather at Falafel King so we could workshop a summer plan of ours that is (finally) starting to come together in a coherent way.

I mean, come on kittens, I wouldn’t leave the house on a day like today for just anyone.

So we workshopped away over plates of wonderful Middle Eastern food.  Hummus, Spinach Pie, Falafel and Salad were just what the doctor ordered.

Once we adjourned and I made it (safely) back to The Nest, I curled up in bed with a marathon of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills that I promptly fell asleep to.

It’s extremely rare that I actually have a three-hour chunk of time on the weekend where I can enjoy that sort of thing without the fear of Getting Everything Else Done hanging over my head.

And to be totally honest, I usually can’t justify spending that much time in front of the television set.  I mean, come on.  There’s always life that needs living.

So just call it coincidence.  Or The Universe at work.  Because there was definitely a point where I thought that the best I was going to be able to do was Guy Fieri.  No one is strong enough to take that for 30 minutes, much less three hours.

Once I emerged from my fleece-cocoon, I took it upon myself to research The Official Date of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  Because really, it’s never too soon to start making plans to watch The River Pageant and throw a “street party” of our own.

For the record, The Big Day is June 3rd.

How this actually fits in with anything else I’ve just told you, I’m not entirely sure.   It likely has to do with the fact that beyond doing three loads of laundry and windex-ing every flat surface in our house, I’m counting it as My Major Accomplishment of the day.

What’s your definition of a perfect lazy afternoon?

p.s. Mads is hosting a giveaway on her blog that includes everything from slippers to dark chocolate with sea salt.  You know you want it!

Because after you’ve been out in the bitter cold, the only thing you can focus on is Making It Stop.  In my battle against the perma-chill, I’ve found that a dry pair of socks and a hot mug of tea are the things that make a world of difference.

Amen.

After the event wrapped up, I made a Pilgrimage to the Whole Foods Salad Bar with some lovely ladies.

I met Annie and Erin at Ann’s birthday party last weekend.  I jokingly refer to Ann as my bouncer when it comes to meeting people from The Internet, because she knows SO many people.

In all seriousness, I left her party trying to figure out how I could see all of these people again.

Don’t you just love when you get that feeling?

So we had to kick-start the process of making it happen.  Conveniently, today was one of Those Days where everything just happened to come together.

And because no trip to the salad bar is really complete without a snap of the madness,  the goods.

In the mix: Curried Cauliflower, Garlic Broccoli and Roasted Tomatoes, Roasted Peppers/Tomatoes/Eggplant/Onions, Marinated Mushrooms.  Over chopped spring mix.  Naturally.

The curried cauliflower was by far the most delicious selection.  That curry and cauliflower go well together really shouldn’t come as a surprise.  But this was just so…beyond.  I will likely be spending the better part of the next month trying to re-create that arrangement.

What’s your go-to healthy meal spot?

Do you have a friend-bouncer?

It just so happens that as I was meal planning for the week (and cooking what I really wanted in a pinch), the chips largely fell on the side of no meat.

At the very least, we can rest assured that Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman would be proud.

Sunday – Creole Stuffed Peppers from Veganomicon

Truth: This is the first time I have ever successfully soaked and cooked beans from scratch.  So if for no other reason than the fact that I accomplished that, this recipe was worth it.

The reality is that while the pepper was extremely filling, it was also extremely…bland.

Which seems to be the case with every stuffed pepper that I try to action.  So I think that next time, I would double the amount of sauce and cut the amount of beans in half, just to give it that little extra “kick” of flavor.

Monday – Tomato Egg Cups from time for dinner

I wasn’t sure whether or not I would be making it home in-time for dinner, so I didn’t want to over-commit to a meal that was never going to be made.  Which is why I’ve been sitting on this recipe in my back pocket for the better part of a month now.

After Monday night, this one is officially on the backup-dinner rotation.  Because it’s easy-easy (I know I say this about a lot of things.  But really.  It’s easy).  It’s insanely cheap.  It takes half an hour from start to finish.

What was more novel?  The fact that we could dip our toast “soldiers” into the egg cups?  Or the fact that I made a dinner that involved two slices of bread per person for the first time in recent memory?

Our modification: I added a generous pinch of dried tarragon to the top of each egg before the dish went into the oven.  We will be doing this…every single time.

Wednesday – Mama Pea’s Chickpea Tacos and Kirsten’s Corn and Avocado Salad

This dinner is the perfect example of me documenting a meal on the blog, deciding to make it again, and actually listening to my intuition.

Which directed me to action some Corn Salad.  Because really, that’s never the wrong choice.

What really kills me about these tacos is that even though they’re vegan (until you doctor them up with cheese and greek yogurt like we do), Marcus and I devour them like they’re the only tacos we’ve ever known.  Just make sure that you only snarf them in front of a loved one because ohmigod they are an absolute mess!

Next time?  We’re doubling the recipe so that we can have some proper leftovers.

Thursday – Lemony Chicken with Potatoes & Gremolata from time for dinner with Roasted Broccoli

This is me getting on a soapbox.  Because when I make a meal like this and Marcus declares I want to eat the smell, it makes me incredibly sad that so many Americans refuse to cook.

The ingredients: Chicken Breast, Garlic, Lemons, Parsley, Onions, Potatoes, Chicken Broth, Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil.

I know, I’m as confused about the simplicity of the ingredients as you are.

But they’re cheap.  Accessible.  And in a half-hour, we ended up with a meal that I am still thinking about.  A meal that I’m adding to my list of dinner party-worthy foods because I can toss it on the stove and enjoy myself.

How often do you bake eggs for dinner?

What’s your favorite stuffed pepper recipe?

It didn’t used to be this way.

Once upon a time, I couldn’t polish off a dozen before they went bad.

Since I’m not the kind of girl who can walk into the grocery store and walk directly towards the item that I’m looking for, I took a lap.

And for whatever reason, when I entered the produce section (on the opposite end of the store from eggs…obviously) I heard the siren song of the Blood Oranges.

It’s always something.

Maybe it’s because I workshopped them at length this weekend with a girlfriend.  Or maybe it’s because the Food Network dedicated all of its efforts last fall teaching viewers how to segment citrus fruits.

Who knows, really.

I brought one home.  Segmented it.  Tossed it with some olive oil and salt + pepper and called it a snack.  I think I might have seen that one in a cookbook somewhere.  It’s hard to be sure.

The verdict?  It hit the spot.  Struck a chord.  Revealed a craving to me that I didn’t even know I had.

So I promptly called Marcus and asked him to stop by the store on his way home and grab a few more.

Which brings us to the here and now.

Jenna suggests actioning a Blood Orange Italian Soda.  Which looks lovely.  Really.

But I’m just not up for making Simple Syrup.  I mean, I already soaked beans this week for crying out loud.

You have to draw the line somewhere.

What are you craving right now?

Have you ever eaten a blood orange?

Defend your vice.

Vices.

I jumped off of the Diet Coke bandwagon a little over two years ago.

I don’t think my daily coffee ritual is some sort of caffeinated sin.

I tend towards over-training and I don’t take rest days.

In my head, I feel like I live in extremes.  But on paper, it just doesn’t add up that way.

If anything, my life seems…extremely vanilla.

And what do vanilla people claim as their vice on every New Year’s Day and Ash Wednesday?

Sugar.

I suppose you could make a case for cursing or french fries, but let’s be serious.  It’s always sugar.

Just take my word for it.  And start asking when Lent rolls around.  But if someone tries to tell you that instead of giving something up, they’re taking something up?  Walk away.

Ironically, I never used to crave it.

When people would describe themselves as being addicted to chocolate or having a sweet tooth, I would roll my eyes and laugh.

And then I would cheerfully pipe in that I was more of a salty/crunchy girl myself.

Retrospectively, we call this Karma.

I say no to soda, because drinking calories outside of alcohol has never really been my thing.

But I think we can all agree that my love for eating frosting sans-cake is well documented.  Every birthday, every wedding.

So imagine my amusement when, over the past year, a rather startling development began to emerge.

Behold.

I started out small.  A bar of chocolate here.  A bag of candy corn there.  Just a little something to have around.  To stave off the odd-craving or to offer a guest.

Because I don’t know about you, but the entertainer inside feels like if you’re going to have Not Family Members over to your place, you need to be able to offer them all of the things.

We can save the discussion of whether or not that’s a rational response to having Company another day.

I would make sure to finish my first treat before I sourced the next.

But, as I’m so fond of saying, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, He’s Going To Ask For A Glass Of Milk.

In addiction circles, they’re known as gateway drugs.

Now?  I’m pretty sure that this stocked shelf of mine qualifies as a full-on stash.

What’s your vice?