Blah Blah Blah....

Sometimes you just have one of those days.

You know the one I mean.

What should have been one of my awesome energy filled days... just turned out blah.

When you wake up early for a run that turns out to be more of a walk... at least there was good conversation.

When you get work related text messages on your day off.

When your physical therapy appointment that started with a,"Now my left leg hurts, but a different kind of hurt."

Turns into, "I think you have a strained calf muscle."

Five days before my race.

Blah.

Blah.

Blah.

At least it ended like this:

My oldest brother Marcus is in town for a couple of days!
He lives on the other side of the mountains in Yakima.
I miss him like crazy! Its always so nice to have the whole fam together.

And maybe a bit of gluten in the form of a chirro (somethings you just can't say no to ever, as you can tell from the blurro blurry photo, I was trying to get a photo before anyone snagged one and my brothers are quick).

ok and maybe this.... 

And since last night ended with this...
I think no more sweets for me (now that I'm re-addicted)!
Those extra 5 chocolate pounds aren't gonna make running 13.1 miles with a strained calf and two sore shins any easier thats for dang sure!
Oh! and did I mention that it is supposed to be over 70 degrees on Sunday?!
Not my ideal running weather but its better than 30 and windy. 

Lets look on the bright side..... I get to go to sleep now! :)

Help.

Well I think I've done it! I think I've fixed "The Books" page so all of the links work! You should now be able to click on a book title and my book review will pop up! Now I need your help, if you find that any of these links either don't work or bring you to the wrong place... PLEASE let me know!

When I went through all of the links it became obvious that I skipped around on some of the books that I have read! Now I wouldn't want you to go without knowing my thoughts now would I?! So here ya go! A wholelotta book reviews for one post!

69. Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francis Lelord
How could you not pick this book up? If the name doesn't get you, then surely the cute cover art will. I don't know exactly how to describe this book more than the title already does. Hector begins a journey all over the world to discover what makes people happy. He meets people in China, Africa and the USA and keeps a list of what he observes that make people happy. These observations include things like: "Happiness is a certain way of seeing things" and "Making comparisons can spoil your happiness."

This book is written in a very unique way. The writing is very matter of fact. I enjoyed this book, it was lighthearted but at the same time really makes you think, "What makes me happy," "Am I happy?" and "Could I be happier?" Very interesting stuff. Recommend!


70. Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
Suzanne Selfors is a local writer! In fact she does most of her writing in the coffeeshop that I manage. So She always gives the girls her advance copies to read. She writes mostly young adult fiction. It was really neat to read a book and to know the author. She is a complete sweetheart. And I liked the book! It wasn't as captivating as some other YA fiction I've read, but it had a good underlying message (I will say that at times that message was a bit too dark for my taste). She also has a book called, "Coffeehouse Angel," that is based on Poulsbo and the coffeeshop I work at!

71. Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts
Sigh... the last of the Bride Quartet. You know I love me some bad romance novels (especially Nora Roberts') but this series is actually really good! It could be because the girls are living my secret dream of living in a mansion with three of my besties and opening an event planning business together. I enjoyed each and every one of these books! I've read a lot of her books and I could tell that she had fun writing these ones. These would make for a great vacation book!

72. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
Did I just mention that I love bad romance novels? Well this one certainly falls under that category! Amazon recommended this book to me because of my love for the Outlander Series. I must say they are no where close to being in the same category! 'A Kingdom of Dreams' was entertaining in the way any romance novel is.... the predictable way. But isn't that why we read them? They are quick, easy reads that you don't have to think too much about to be entertained!

73. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
I've read a few Mith Albom books in the past. My favorite is, "The Five People you Meet in Heaven." Read it and prepare to shed some tears. What I like about his writing is that he makes you want to be a better person. A person who gives more, who is there for other people, and in this book: a person who has faith. I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I never felt a strong urge to keep reading past 10 pm. It was well written and interesting, but this time it felt a little preachy. That is one thing I don't like when people talk about issues of religion and higher powers. It is a fine line between talking about your faith and preaching your faith. In 'Have a little Faith, I felt Albom sometimes balanced nicely and sometimes was completely off the tightrope. I can see how this book would inspire many people but I wouldn't outright recommend it to a friend. That is not to say that there weren't parts of the book that I didn't enjoy, because there was. Albom is a gifted storyteller and he made some great points, I just didn't love the entire book.

02. Water for Elephants
I am completely at a loss for why I skipped reviewing this book!! The only reason I can think of would be that I wanted to wait when I had more time to really put my heart into a review. I loved this book. This is the book that got me back into reading after my slump! First I will say that there are some really dark parts in this book, but I hope that when you read it you wont let that affect your overall judgement of it. When I read it I became a part of the story (thats my favorite feeling while reading a book! And it so rarely happens!) The characters felt so real to me. I've read a lot of great books but this one is a definite favorite. It has everything I love about a book; love, mystery, murder, betrayal, and friendship. It also doesn't leave you hanging at the end. I read this on a beach in Hawaii and let me tell you, I sat out longer than I should have most days just so I could finish another chapter. Make this the next book you read! I haven't see the movie yet, but hear it is a pretty good, but promise me you'll read the book first! I want you to connect with it the way I did!

010. Help by Kathryn Stockett
This book has been on my shelf for ages. Seriously far too long. I kept hearing what a great book it was, but could never get excited about it. I had even attempted to read it before picking it up this time. I just couldn't get into it. Basically it wasn't the right time for me to read it until now. I will start with a bit of a warning, this book is written with a lot of slang. Once you get used to reading it, you wont be able to put it down. This is an amazing book. I loved it. Everyone should read it. The way Stockett writes is so.... Honest. That is the only word I can think of. There are several narrators throughout the book and each one is endearing in her own right. You will fall in love with the characters, you will cheer for them each step of the way. I think you owe it to yourself to read this book. Also, the movie comes out this summer... so get to reading!

Sweet Pea.

I've had a non-stop busy day!
What makes it worse is that I stayed up waaaaayyy too late reading last night!
I haven't done that in forever and I've really missed feeling that engrossed in a book!
I hope my next pick is as captivating.

I love the basil you can buy at the grocery store that is still alive,
It keeps so much longer than the refrigerated stuff.
It also looks pretty on my windowsill.
Along with the sweet peas I bought at the farmer's market yesterday.
Little bouquets of simple flowers are much more my style that anything intricate.

Love the mix of colors. 

Today I almost caved and ate gluten.
(I know, I know, its been less than a week!)
I hate missing out on things, especially things I know I would love, like fresh made crepes!
Poulsbo has a new crape shop in town!
It is right next to the Poulsbohemian coffeehouse.
I went after work with my friend Hayley.
I was debating back and forth in my head about getting one even though I knew they were wheat packed.
But I asked the lady a couple questions and found out that she has been testing out gluten free batter!
So she tested it out on me!
Pretty darn good.
I'm pretty sure it is a snap to make.
She said she used Bob's Red Mill pancake mix.
Simple substitution.
My toppings were simple for a dessert crepe:
Nutella (hazelnut butter, hooray! I ignore the fact that it has milk in it)
Stawberries and banana!
Yumm-o!
Hayley liked her Gluten one too.
I like how many restaurants are making an attempt to offer gluten free alternatives.

I'm exhausted! Off to bed I go.... early morning tomorrow!

Wedding Crasher.

My Oatcake flipping technique has improved immensely!
This recipe always satisfies my pancake craving!
All without gluten! And today I even made it vegan by swapping the egg whites for a flax egg.
Ground flax and warm water can be used in baking as a sub for eggs.
There are a couple different ratios but for this one I used 2 1/2 T Flax with 3 T warm water.
Let it sit and get gelatinous then use in your recipe!
Worked great and no worries about getting enough fiber in my diet thats for darn sure.  

Farmer's Market day!
Like my basket? I got it specifically to haul my FM loot!
Duck eggs, 2 basil plants, Marigolds, vegan cookie, Loaf of GF bread!

Yum, Honey Millet bread.
I really like Millet in breads, may be my favorite non wheat....

Vegan GF Ginger snap!
What is in it you ask? Sugar... and molasses... which is basically just a different type of sugar.

Then I crashed a wedding.

Well not really... I did know the groom. Just barely. Ha!
Katy needed a partner in crime on this one and I never miss an opportunity to scope out groomsmen...
Still no heels for this girl!
I went on a run after the wedding.
Could have been the glass of wine or the big dinner I ate, but it was rough and my left leg was hurting.
This running thing is so up and down! Stop playing with my emotions!

Check out the HS senior portrait! :)
Actually the point of sharing this one is so you could check out my bling!
Stella and Dot!
I love their jewelry! This piece is massive and colorful and every time I've worn it I've gotten a bunch of compliments!

Time to go to sleep! Early morning tomorrow and a late night planned!

I'll Take a Pint.

I don't think there is anything that makes me more content than a clean house..... laundry is folded and everything!

I need to make a food plan for the next week! Somehow this race has sneaked up on me even though I've been counting down. Tomorrow I need to run, I'm feeling antsy and need to get rid of some of my nervous energy.

I finished the most recent Sookie Stackhouse book! I can't wait for True Blood to come back on this month. I need to figure out who all has HBO so I can spend my Sundays camped out on their couch! 

I just watched the movie, 'Country Strong.' I haven't rented a movie forever and I actually a good pick (it was either that or the Justin Bieber movie... ha! not). I did think it was weird that the only person who didn't sing was Tim McGraw.

Gluten Free wasn't so hard today since I made all my meals at home! 

Classic Oats with some fruit on the side!
1/3 C is the perfect portion for me in the morning.

Lunch was pretty similar to dinner last night only black beans instead of tofu and corn tortillas on the side.

There was no Mojito (or beer) to go with my Mexican inspired salad, but there was a big glass of water!
In a Pelican Pub and Brewery Glass!
Two years ago my Dad and I took a camping trip down the Oregon Coast and stopped into this fantastic pub that is right on the ocean!
We wanted to get pint glasses then, but they were sold out!
So this weekend when Joe and Carly went down for Reach the Beach they picked me up one!

We had such a great week! I love camping! (September 2009)

Dad at the Brewery. (September 2009)

Brew List! (September 2009)

Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day on the Coast. (September 2009)
When I look back at photos it makes me think about how important it is to live every moment of your life to the fullest. Spend time with the ones you love and never say no to something you want to do.
Work to Live Don't Live To Work (I think that might be my brother's favorite saying).

Dinner was amazing!
Yes you can have gluten free delicious pizza!
No I didn't make the crust myself... This is from the brand Udi's which also makes GF bread, hamburger buns, hot dog buns, muffins and I'm sure lots of other stuff (it does contain egg whites).
I topped it with some tomato, basil and Daiya vegan cheese.
Super quick and easy.
I do need to be conscious of how much of these pre-made GF products I'm eating.
Time to get my canister of Bob's Red Mill GF AP Flour out!

Elisatarian.

I've been weird enough about food for a long enough time that no one seems surprised when I tell them I'm no longer eating some random food. But I'm a little overwhelmed with this latest food decision. People do seem to like a title such as: Vegetarian, Vegan or Gluten free. Basically there isn't a label out there for my recent food choices (was there ever?) so I've created one! I'm an Elisatarian. What the heck does that mean (now this is mostly for my benefit so I can remember everything that I've given up or was told I should eliminate from my diet)?!

The definition of an Elisatarian: Adjective 

Will not eat: Beef, Chicken, Pork, Turkey, or most byproducts of those animals (Think gelatin)

I'm staying away from but may cave to the occasional treat of: Milk, Cheese, eggs, almonds, peanuts and gluten.

I'm trying not to consume: caffeine, soda, and most processed foods.

But I will eat: Fish, Duck eggs whey and butter.

I feel like this allergy test is something that everyone should take. It should be a no brainer that the foods you eat can substantially effect how you feel. 

Are you bored with hearing about this yet? Sorry, its sort of consumed my life!

Luckily for me, I've been trying a ton of new foods recently and trying out lots of gluten free stuff. So on a day to day basis I don't think too much has changed.

I started the day with overnight oats (using up the last of my almond milk). Maybe it was the soybutter on top but I stayed full until lunch which is rare.

I hear so much about coconut water and had tried a flavored version before and wasn't so much a fan, but I liked the pure version. It is supposed to be really good for you with lots of electrolytes. I liked that the only ingredient was coconut.

Pre-workout snack looks familiar...
The changes: Soynut butter and millet english muffin.

Those are some sexy socks!
If you didn't know it... these are compression socks.
(Please disregard my ridiculously white legs! the sun never comes out.)
I wore these all day at work and during my elliptical and treadmill session.
How did I feel afterwards? My left leg hurt. Which makes me nervous.
But my right leg was feeling good!
I'm trying to decide how I want to proceed for the next 9 days before the race.
Do I continue as planned and run a 9 miler this weekend? or keep it to no more than 5 until race day?
I think I'll see how it feels, if it hurts I'll stop.

Protein smoothie for recovery!
I can't even tell that there is protein powder in these.

What I didn't picture was the half a bag of cereal I snacked on while I was reading through my latest library book: The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions. So for dinner I was just craving straight veggies and protein!
This my friends is a spaghetti squash! So named because after you bake it you scrape out the insides and it looks like noodles!

Cut in half scrape out the seeds, place face down on a baking sheet with some oil or butter in the  cavity.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until you can poke a fork in it and it goes in easily.
I topped some greens with the squash, salsa and baked tofu! Yum-o!

Dessert!
Plantain chips.
I've been curious about plantains for some time now and the other day I saw them at the store.
So what to do...
Slice the unripe fruit with a mandolin layer a baking sheet with parchment spritz with olive oil salt and pepper.
Crunchy and pretty tasty.
But different... maybe even a little weird!

I'm so excited that 'So you think you can dance' is back on tv! It is one of the few shows that I get obsessed with and can't miss an episode of!

I haven't forgotten that the reason I started this blog was mostly for book reasons. I have been reading! And reviews will come soon! But do check out my book list page for my past thoughts on books.

Lessons Learned.

So many lessons learned in the past two days!

Vitamin water is not only not that great for you, but this particular flavor tasted like plastic.
Not a good pre-run energizer.

The IHOP in Sequim lies.
The 'Simple and Fit' blueberry nut pancakes sounded great on the menu...
"Two Harvest Pancakes topped with fresh slices of bananas, served with egg white substitute."
I asked for it with one whole egg over easy instead of the egg white and for it to be dairy free.
What I got was Pancakes covered with blueberry sugar compote with whip cream.
And two eggs, hash browns and turkey sausage on the side all drenched in butter.
Umm... why so much food and umm... where the heck are my bananas?!
Eating out is getting less and less fun.
And this was all pre test results!

It's a bad idea to stuff yourself with almonds, because "its my last day of eating!!!!"

Soy nut butter isn't half bad, but it is no almond butter!

When you reach for half a hamburger bun to go with your salmon burger your mom will take the opportunity to say, "that has gluten in it," to get back at you for saying the same thing to her a million times. :)

Ice cream isn't as good as I remember it.... and not worth feeling like crap.

At least oats are gluten free and sunflower seed butter is good on top!

Protein powder is scary, but actually didn't change my smoothie much at all!
Since whey is ok for me to eat, my Dr. told me to pick up a 100% Whey protein powder,.
I meant to pick up vanilla, but got unflavored. I'm not even mad.

Baby steps. gluten free bread.... but dairy free almond cheddar cheese.
Hey! The package was 4 bucks, I'm not gonna waste it!

It is a terrible idea to go to the grocery store hungry.
It makes it an even worse idea when you have to check every product's ingredient list.
Almonds are in everything. So much harder for me than the gluten free thing.
Salad bar makes a great dinner when you don't want to create any dirty dishes!

I'm sucked into a trashy book! Sookie Stackhouse!

That Just happened.

This is a sad story.

Hold your breath.

Prepare yourself mentally for what I'm about to tell you.

The tests are in.

The food allergies have been 'discovered.'

It's what you expected only worse. ;)

Well maybe not what you expected, I wont pretend to be privy to your thoughts. I should say it is what I expected.

Yesterday when I went to see my naturopath we went over a bunch of things but the biggie was the food allergy test. Basically what he told me was that the test was inconclusive. Meaning I didn't spike too high on anything. What he also said was that I am a 'low reactor,' which means that I although I didn't react dangerously high on any one food item (thank goodness!) that because most everything was low, the ones that were moderate are actually foods that I could have reactions to (not anaphylactic or anything, feeling crappy). I'm not sure if I'm restating it all correctly, but what I know is that he highlighted some foods that I should steer clear of and some that I should probably think about eliminating from my diet.

So basically what he told me was no:
Beef... awe shucks! ;)
No dairy, except whey, butter and duck eggs.
He also recommended I stop eating gluten for a few months to see how my body feels because I did react higher on the gluten and wheat. He said I would probably feel a ton better and never want to go back. umm... has he ever had Central Market pizza?

All of that I can handle. I didn't eat meat before and have been dairy free for over a month and really happy with it. The gluten freeness will be annoying but I feel pretty prepared because I've done so much research for my Mom that I'm pretty well informed.

Here's the toughies...

My second highest (after beef and tied with eggs) was ALMONDS! Are you kidding me?! If you've read my blog for more than a week you know how obsessed I've become with almonds and almond butter. I seriously have an addiction. I could probably survive without it since I only discovered my love a few short months ago, but I'm also supposed to avoid peanuts! My two favorite things. *sigh*

After he went through the first page he went on to the second. I don't know what I would do if he would have told me I shouldn't eat bananas.

What he did say was, "Do you like beer?"

I said, gasp! "Yeah...."

He said, "Maybe you could learn to like wine."

I shed a tear and said... probably not as much as I like beer.

Brewers yeast is on my avoid list, as is the gluten in the barley.

So to sum it all up so nobody is confused here (if my Dad read my blog I'd want him to pay special attention cause he seems to hear, "no this, no that," and freaks out stops listening and calls my Doctor a quack). These results don't mean that I will have a terrible allergic reaction to any of the items on my avoid list, what he is saying is that I will feel better if I avoid them. Since I started going to the naturopath because of my lack of energy throughout the day and just general crappy feeling when I was eating no junk food, just clean whole foods, I think I will give this a shot.

So what else did we talk about?

My legs!

He set me up with some vitamins (magnesium), told me to almost over salt my foods, to lay on my back with my legs against the wall after a run and have someone massage them (any takers?!), and to wear compression socks to work. All of this is to stop cramping, improve blood flow and help me heal!

I really like that when I go to see him he looks at the big picture. He doesn't just talk about one thing. He wants to make sure that anything that is off is taken care of.

He also gave me a referral for massages for my legs!

Alright this is a really long post with lots of words and not very many photos, if you've made it this far I wanted to tell you what I also did yesterday!

Checked out the race course!

Ryan and I drove up to Sequim, got lost for a while and finally found the starting spot for our race! We ran just about 2.5 miles of it. Really flat farm land, kind of boring to run. But when we got back into the car and followed a little bit more of it it did look more interesting. The run felt good, but my legs were sore from physical therapy which doesn't make me happy! I'm glad I can visualize a portion of the run, maybe that will make me less nervous?!

I did take food photos yesterday but to be honest there isn't enough memory on the site to hold all of them. I may have indulged in quiet a bit of Almonds, Gluten and some dairy :) Last day of it!

Feel the Burn.

I don't know if I feel better or worse after my physical therapy appointment today. Right now I'm leaning towards worse with the hope that tomorrow will feel much better. They WORKED on my left leg like crazy today. I mean it. Worked. I felt worked. I feel like I have a pretty high tolerance to pain but today I had to tell them to stop. Tomorrow might mean bruises. But man did my leg need it. For the past two months they have been working almost exclusively on my right leg, but after Saturday's race it was the left one that felt it the most. Now I know why, apparently it was a big ball of knots. 

Tomorrow, if I'm feeling good, Ryan and I are going up to the race course to run the first few miles. I wont get as nervous if I can visualize a bit of the course. 

Tomorrow I will also be visualizing the Art Institute of Seattle. I'm going on an interactive tour. I don't really know what this means yet... All I know is that at 12 noon I need to be at my computer with my phone. I'm still not sure if the Art Institute is the place for me yet (maybe a different culinary school may be a better fit or a better opportunity) but I do know that everyone I've talked to about my idea has been really behind me. We shall see. It has been my experience in the past that these things seem to work out the way they are supposed to.

On to my promised food diary photos. The only one I forgot to take a picture of was my carrot snack. I ate completely normal for how I've been eating the past three weeks or so. This is my jumping off point...

Overnight Oats in a Jar. So delicious!
I also read that lemon juice in the morning is supposed to aid in digestion.
Well it was hard to swallow thats for sure.

Terrible lighting for a photo
Leftover sloppy joes on some spinach!

Dessert....
Dark Chocolate stick (ok sticks... I had three)
I love them with my mint tea.
I used to be addicted to Hershey's kisses with Earl grey.
And by addicted I mean I ate like ten every night.

Pre PT snack Apple and almond butter
This almond butter is from the bulk section at Central and is not my favorite.
It is way too close to what I can make at home, I like it creamier with chunks in it.
If that makes any sense.

Post pt snack
The other half of my english muffin with some Almond butter and chia seeds!

Handful of trail mix...

You know how I said I wont let myself buy tortilla chips anymore?
Well I never said I couldn't make them.
Cut up a corn tortilla. place on lined baking sheet.
Spray with olive oil and drench in salt.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Flip the chips and bake for another 8 minutes.
Crunchy warm tortilla chips! With half the fat!

Ryan came over to study for our spanish class.
So far the class hasn't taught us very much except for an appreciation of cerveza...

Watermelon in a watermelon inspire bowl for dessert!

Side note... I don't know where my brain is at the past few days. I've been mixing up times and messing up words. I think I need more sleep.

OH! Tomorrow I go back to the Naturopath for my results from the allergy test!