Summertime and the living is easy

yeah, I know, sorry, I just can't get that song out of my head lately.  In my quest to make one new healthy recipe a week I stumbled upon a frittata from Clean Eating.
Here's the deal with my cooking, I like it yummy, healthy, get as many vegetables as I can in to one dish and fast.  After a day at work, followed by either a training run or a session at 9 Round I need to get home and whip up a healthy dinner so I can enjoy the rest of my evening.  The following recipe does all of that...and uses summer vegetables (that's the tie in to the post name in case you were wondering. why is she singing that song?!)

Here is what I like about this meal, besides it being wonderfully delicious! one serving is only 169 calories! So I was thinking Great! I can have two servings. And you know what...one serving was plenty!

And the verdict from my husband who is alway at the ready to try my new recipes... I always ask questions to gauge how well he really likes the dish...
A. Would you want me to make this again?
B. Would you want me to make once a week?
C. Would you eat the left overs?

and even when he answers me I look for a physical sign that he enjoyed the meal....he had one serving and said he LOVED it....my physical sign....20 minutes later he was back in the kitchen for his second serving because it was "calling him"

Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Frittata

1/2 Slice whole-wheat bread (I used 1/2 Ezekiel Muffin as that is what I had on hand)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Leek, sliced into half moons ( I LOVE leek, I would probably put more in next go around)

1 medium zucchini sliced into half moons

8 red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved (1 cup) ( I used grape tomatoes)

1 1/2 cups Egg Whites

1/4 cup sliced fresh basil

1 tsp dry mustard powder

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 oz soft goat cheese (I used Feta cheese as this what I had on hand)

Preheat broiler with oven rack in middle position. Place bread in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine bread crumbs form. Set aside

In a 10 inch oven safe nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add leek and zucchini and saute until soften (2-3 mins). Add tomatoes and sautee for 1 minute until heated through. Reduce heat to medium

in a medium bowl, add egg whites. Whisk in basil, mustard powder, dill and pepper and pour egg white mixture over vegetables in skillet.  cook, sing a rubber spatula to stir and push egg from edges to center of skillet so liquid can run underneath.  Redistribute vegetables and basil evening around skillet as needed. Cook until egg whites are almost set, about 3 minutes. Egg whites should still be a bit wet on top but otherwise set. 

Drop dollops of cheese onto mixture; scatter bread crumbs evenly over top

Place skillet on middle oven rack beneath broiler. Broil under bread crumbs are toasted and egg whites complete set. 4 to 5 mins

Remove skillet and let frittata sit for 2-3 mins.  

Slice into 4 wedges and ENJOY!

Who knew?

Did you know that leeks are a very good source of manganese, an essential nutrient that activates the enzymes needed for your body to utilize nutrients!  AND, they are a good source of Vitamin C. and have been shown to support cardiovascular health! Eat more leeks!

Letting go

Last night I let something go; and while at first glance it seems like it is just a table and chairs....it was so much more.

I sold the dining table and chairs that my Mom and Dad bought over 40 years ago.

The set was bought a couple of years before my Mom passed away; and I never really remember her using it; just that she was thrilled and so proud to own a dining room set.

 When my Dad remarried my step mom, that first Christmas Eve we were together as a family, my Mom toiled away in the kitchen for hours preparing a large spread for dinner. Mom, Dad and the 5 of us kids sat at that table, gathered hands, said grace and....no one ate! We were all so excited for Christmas morning that none of us had any desire to eat! My poor mom looked so defeated...but we kids decided the quicker to bed, the quicker Santa's arrival so why be bothered with eating! That was the last formal Christmas Eve dinner we had at that table.  Through the years we would gather around the table for Thanksgiving Dinners, Easter Breakfast and  special event celebrations.  And there was always one extra space set at the table for the just in case someone we knew had no place to go for Thanksgiving...there was always room at our table.

In 1999 my siblings and I we were clearing out our family home, after my Dad passed (Mom has passed 3 years earlier) and I asked to have the dining table and chairs. I yearned for the tangible evidence of the good times our family shared around that table and I had my own dreams that surely the table could fulfill for me. I pictured my children around that table, saying grace, laughing, fighting, singing, talking and I dreamed of  having my family and Mark's family over for big family get togethers. Carrying on the fun memories that I had shared with my family.     And, well, God had other ideas for my life. I have no children and I live far away from my family. That table has moved with me 3 times in my hopes that maybe just maybe my dreams would come true.

But it is time to let it go...the table...the dreams...

My husband questioned whether I was ready to let something from my past that was so seemingly important to me, go.  I told him I was ready for the physical piece to move on because I was confident that I would always hold the memories of the times shared around that table in my heart

The table was sold to Natalia and Levi, a lovely newlywed couple, who are tickled pink to be setting up their new home.  Looking at the gleam in Natalia's eyes as the table was being lifted into the bed of her husband's truck....she was dreaming....I saw it...and it was beautiful.  And while the table was not passed down to my children, it was past down to someone's children and as they were getting in their truck to leave there were smiles as they discussed their first Thanksgiving dinner at that table...new dreams and memories from an old table.

After they left, and I wept, I went to my husband and he held me in his arms and gently whispered in my ear  "if I got you a Lexus would that make you feel better" and we both roared with laughter!
Yes it would make me feel better, (SC430 please) but it would not make me feel as good as I did in letting go, being held, laughing with my husband and discussing how we should furnish the now empty room. The sparkle of new dreams that could only occur once I, let go.

Sunrise Sunset

Don't you just love that song from Fiddler on The Roof....when I saw that movie I just KNEW that I needed to have that song at my wedding.  And then I grew up, married later then the 18 year girl in that movie and the song was no longer appropriate...but I still love the song; I pretend it played at my wedding and I get teary-eyed when  I hear it.

So....I'm on a quest to Be Jill (yep, I am reading The Happiness Project) and to Be Jill I have to discover who Jill really is as opposed to who Jill want's to be.  I WANT to be a person who enjoys waking up early; my whole life this has never happened. So, I am wondering if who I want to be and who I am can find a happy medium, and if this will make me happy.  Because of the HOT, HUMID down right HORRID summer weather we have been having here in South Carolina I have been FORCED to get up early to get my running in before Hell rises. This morning was a real struggle and I noticed; the days are getting shorter.  I asked my husband, to be certain because it was early and I normally am not a clear thinker in the morning; and he confirmed that indeed it was darker at 6am that it was even 1 week ago.
When I arrived home today this gift was on the kitchen counter

Verilux Rise and Shine Natural Wake-up Light

  This gadget mimics a sunrise and will help me rise and shine as early as I want every morning. And it also mimics a sunset! How cool is that! Tonight I'm sleeping on the beach; set my Rise and Shine for a 1 hour sunset, cue the ocean sounds on my sound maker, have my oscillating fan on gentle breeze and viola I will be sleeping and waking on a tropical beach!  I love technology~ Sweet Dreams!

Cat Litter in my slipper

We have a crazy big white cat named Klondike.  He went through a phase where he was peeing everywhere BUT the litter box.  One particular place he started to pee was in the corner of our bedroom, near where I sleep.  To beat him at his game I stuck the cat box in that corner.  It seemed to do the trick and so now I sleep with a cat litter box on the floor near me. Joy.   Sometimes when I get up in the morning and put my slippers on there will be a piece of cat litter in my slipper. (We use the Feline Pine litter, so it is more like a pellet) If I walk around with a pellet of litter in my slipper it will continue to nag and irritate and quite possibly hurt the bottom of my foot until I remove the pellet.

I started to think this is similar to  an ache or pain that I get from running.  If I don't stretch or use my foam roller then it will continue to worsen and quite possible leave me on the DL until I address the situation. And that is where I am today.  I can't really pin point the area, but I have a pain near, around, my hip/lower back,butt and sometimes thigh area. I ignored the "pellet," and wasn't stretching as much as usual since I was away for the holidays and not running; I then decided I better address the pain. So I stretched, foam rolled, espsom salt bathed, Cryodermed, yoga'ed and ibuprophened and its till keeps me up at night with a throbbing pain.  My next course of action is a sports massage, and rest. UGH....hate the rest part; two steps forward, 1 step back.  I have a race in two weeks in which I am not prepared for and, now even more so with this situation.  However, I would rather rest now, for a few days, then for 6 months because I didn't listen to the signal my body was giving me.

In addition to resting and the massage I thought this would be a could time to incorporate strength training into my work out schedule.  So since today is a "snow day" here in the South I will use this time to come up with a strength training program. Oh, and also do some research for my pending trip to Hawaii :)

Here is to noticing the cat litter in your slipper!

New Year's Fizzle

Don't you always ring in the New Year with such high hopes in what lies in the year ahead for you?  I do, although I don't make "resolutions" I usually save those for my birthday, I can be different like that.  So this year I was all set to go hit the ground running, yes, pun intended.  But I started with a flat tire.

Tuesday, January 4th  was my first day back at work after having a wonderful 2 week vacation!  It would also be my first day back to yoga in as many weeks.
Yoga didn't happen.....I forgot to set my alarm, overslept, got to work late, therefore worked late and missed yoga.

Wednesday, January 5th was to be my second day back to running in two weeks, after a very poor run performance on Monday.
 Running didn't happen....I forgot my run shoes at home.

Now, if you know me, this is the complete opposite of how I survive in this world. I'm organized and structure and apparently my two weeks of willy nilly lifestyle has corrupted me.

Today, Thursday, January 6th I am to meet my friend Traci for another run attempt....as I type this I am looking out my window and the BIGGEST, LARGEST, DARKEST clouds I have every seen! (yes, I am using some flair here). Traci assures me the clouds will produce no moisture....I will let you know how it goes.

On the upside...I have joined Run For The Bling Of It Challenge, 12 races in 12 months!  And, I bought a new pair of running shoes today! YAY!  Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11.  I am looking forward to breaking them in tonight.  My quick test drive run around the block before I purchased them already has me giddy.  Yep, I get giddy over new run shoes, new run attire, new run undergarments....all of it! More excited about run attire then my every day clothes.  But that....that is a whole post all on it's own.

Off to stretch and gear up :)

J