The accidental vegetarian meets race week...

And it should be an interesting party.

I'll get into the whole 'accidental vegetarian' bit later on. Let's start with the fun stuff, shall we?? RACE SWAG!

So this Sunday I'll be running my first race in my new city...

No, I didn't sneak one by you guys. I'm just running the half. The second half to be exact. Yep, you get to choose which half you want to run! How fun is that?? Apparently the first half sells out pretty quickly since it takes you over the Golden Gate Bridge, but I'm more than ok with passing on that.

The second half marathon starts in Golden Gate Park and winds through Haight-Ashbury, the Mission, Mission Bay, past AT&T Park and finishes at the Ferry Building. Conveniently, all the neighborhoods I haven't yet explored. Very excited!!

I scooted out of the office around 2 to pick up my bib and check out the expo goods. If I wasn't so flustered, I would have busted out the camera to take a picture of the crowd. INSANE. SO thankful for half day Fridays.

I grabbed my bag, bib and shirt (as shown in the pic above) and flew past the official race merchandise (my new thing is I will only allow myself to by 'official' merchandise if I'm doing the full) and into the expo area. O my...holy overload. I'm happy to report that I only bought a few things:

Pace tattoo (I only bought it b/c I couldn't find the free ones). Yeah, that says 2:02. I know I said I was going to take it easy on this one, but I mean if I happen to cruise in at 2:02, I won't complain ;) I also vow not to be miserable if I don't finish in 2:02.

Nuun and portable Nuun (yeah, that's an individually packaged Nuun tablet. I'm a sucker.) to replenish my stash.

Double Espresso Clif Shot Gels! Do you know how long I've been looking for these?? I forget the first time I had one of these, but I thought they were awesome. Unfortunately most stores don't stock them...maybe it's the 100 mg of caffeine! haha. I picked up 2 just in case I ever have a tough time waking up pre-Saturday run ;)

Check out some of the expo/bag surprise highlights:

Joint Juice (plus some powdered packets) - I keep seeing ads for this stuff. Will definitely report back after I try it.

Itty bitty Larabars - how cute are they? Finally snagged a PB&J one...can't wait to try it!

Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil? I found these at the very bottom of my bag. Kinda random, yeah? Maybe not so random? They did have a pho table set up at the expo. WTF??

So today was also supposed to be couch delivery day, but that didn't happen. I'll spare you the story. All that matters is I'm getting free delivery on Monday now. Score.

Since I didn't have to wait for the delivery folks, I got to work on dinner - Broccoli Rabe with Tofu. I know...you can barely contain your excitement. I was psyched to see broccoli rabe at the farmers market on Sunday, but I didn't have a chance to use it until today.

Broccoli Rabe with Tofu

1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, cut into 1.5 inch pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 block high protein tofu, cubed

1 tbsp mirin

1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp chili garlic sauce

1 tsp unagi sauce

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Brown tofu over medium heat and set aside. In same pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat, saute garlic for 30 seconds, add mirin and broccoli rabe. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until broccoli rabe begins to wilt. Add oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce and unagi sauce. Cook for 2 minutes before stirring in tofu. Cook for another minute and serve over rice.

I ate this over some brown rice (totally rocking the brown carbs tonight, white carbs tomorrow in the form of sushi rice!) and thought it was pretty good for being so simple. I've made this dish, in some form or another, many times before but this was one of the better versions!

Just a couple observations:

1. These were super leafy. Usually when I get broccoli rabe in the store, the leaves aren't that big and there are a few little florets poking through. Not the case here.
2. The stems were pretty thin. I've usually gotten ones with thick stems. These were closer to watercress thickness.
3. There was more crunch going on. Less of a broccoli stem crunch, more of a watercress stem crunch. Yes, I listen to how my food crunches in my mouth. I know, I'm very strange.

Ok, so onto the accidental vegetarianism. There's no denying my love of meat. I could probably give up chicken in a heartbeat, but red meat could never leave my life. I've never had random chicken cravings, but you bet I crave juicy steaks and burgers. Lamb shank? Hell freaking yes.

Unfortunately, good quality meat isn't exactly cheap and apparently chicken isn't cheap these days either? Meh. Damn good thing I appreciate soy and soy products.

Have I noticed anything different? Why yes, yes I have:

1. When I do get around to eating meat (usually when I'm out), I end up eating less of it. Not because I don't like it, but because my stomach starts to feel weird.
2. I tend to feel bloated more often (I've even tried to not eat dairy with lots of soy or ruffage, but that doesn't seem to help)
3. General weirdness when it comes to digestion. I will refrain from sharing TMI.
4. I still crave meat, I wish my wallet did too.

So I guess I've become a quasi-vegetarian (an at home vegetarian??) for financial reasons. Anyone else find themselves in the same situation? Is there a secret butcher somewhere that had good, reasonably priced meat? A secret Safeway?? :(

Only 24 hours left...

Until my giveaway will be gone...the socks, gel, Nuun, Moons and earbuds...all gone! C'mon, you know you want to enter ;)

Double work day = no run for me...unless I learn how to get up early. I know there are tons of you morning people out there! How on earth do you do it?? Fess up!!

I had two extremely pleasant surprises waiting for me when I got home today. FIRST was the smell of dinner cooking when I walked into the apartment :) Jamie set out to make Penne Arrabbiata from our stack of How to Cook Everything calendar cards.
Penne Arrabbiata (from How to Cook Everything)
1/4 c olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-oz) can whole plum tomatoes
1 lb penne, ziti or other cut pasta, cooked
1/4 minced parsley
grated Pecorino Romano (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil, garlic, and chiles in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes brown (but not black) - 7 or 8 minutes. Turn off th eheat for 1 minute. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes and remove their seeds, if you like. Crush them with a fork or your hands and add them to the skillet, along with salt and pepper; turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes saucy, 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Top pasta with sauce, parsley and serve with grated cheese if desired.

I was a little worried that the garlic would taste burned, but it was actually quite nice in the sauce. We only had a box of rigatoni so that's what we used for this dish. I don't know why, but I always associate rigatoni with meatballs or a chunky meat sauce. That being said, we both agreed this dish might have been good with some ground meat, or without the parsley garnish (which was a little leafy/grassy tasting to me). I like when I don't have to cook dinner :)

My second surprise came via mail. A week or so ago, a friend of mine suggested I sign up to receive the Republic of Tea catalog. She's a die hard fan and has always talked about their teas so I figured why not...I like tea and glossy pictures! I totally forgot about this until I opened the mailbox and saw my catalogue...with a free teabag! Thanks to the generous folks at the Republic of Tea, I am now sipping on a very tasty mug of this:
It smells fantastic and fruity as it steeps - it smells a tiny bit like the Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger, but not quite as tart. The flavor is smooth. I didn't really notice the green tea at first, but now that I'm a little closer to the bottom half of my mug, I get that green tea-y aftertaste (hard to describe!). Anyway, it's a tasty tea that I bet would be great iced. Hmm...now that's what I call a fun introductory catalog :)

For dessert, we hacked into that Korean melon from our Eastern Market adventure. The one that was supposed to taste like a watermelon and canteloupe
Yeah...not quite watermelon-y or canteloupe-y...and trust me, I KNOW my watermelon and canteloupe hehe. This tasted like a crisp honeydew. The flavor of a ripe honeydew with the texture and crunch of an unripe one. Not bad. Though, I am a little bummed it wasn't a cantemelon or waterloupe :(

Ok, off to finish up the last few pages of Eat, Pray, Love. Definitely going to make a Borders trip tomorrow for a new read. I think Bitter is the New Black is the winner ;)

Speaking of winners...why not enter for a chance to be one??

Hmph. That'll teach me to post at work!

What's with the funky layout, blogger? Has anyone experienced weird text issues (different fonts and sizes throughout a single posting even though it looks fine when you type it?) with blogger? Boo. Ah well. It's a sign I shouldn't be blogging at work hehe.

This will be quick since I've been writing some pretty hefty entries! Don't forget you have until Thursday to enter my fun giveaway...even if you're not a runner, who can turn down free socks, earbuds and gooey treats??

Since I had an appointment out near Jamie's office after work, we decided to grab dinner at one of Jamie's favorite lunch spots - Pollos Inka out in Herndon. We stopped here once before, pre-Leesburg outlet outing, and went with the Pollo a la Brasa.

I have take a minute to tell you about my looooove of Peruvian rotisserie chicken. AMAZING. I can't bring myself to eat any other kind of chicken...it just doesn't compare to whatever delicious spices they put on that bird! It's such a distinct smell too...I've smelled it on long runs before and I've started salivating and CRAVING chicken. SO GOOOD! Anyway, my favorite place to get Pollo a la Brasa is El Pollo Rico in Arlington. Fast, reasonably priced and perfectly cooked chicken. I'm a white meat sort of girl and I have never had a dry peice of meat at this place. Check out my brief review here.

Pollos Inka doesn't quite compare to EPR, but it does have a large menu...and pupusas! Oh pupusas, you are up there on my list of favorite foods! I was a little overwhelmed with the menu and couldn't decide on something other than chicken, so I went with the chicken. 1/4 white meat with yuca fries instead of rice and beans (I also will take yuca fries over regular fries any day).
Ta daa. Pictures courtesy of the Berry...in all their blurry goodness. That's what happens when you don't come prepared with a camera!

And the yummy pupusas.
A tad smooshy, but definitely tasty!

Peaaanut, peanut butter...and jelly.

Wooo! Random mid-day posting thanks to a lapse in the hardcore security on my work computer. Thought I'd take the time to fill you in on a few things before I forget!

First of all, check out Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet for some fabulous recipes AND this week’s Blogger Secret Ingredient…

Yep. PEANUT BUTTER! Unleash your peanut butter recipes…you know you have some :)

This afternoon I had a pluot fail. I think Val may have posted about pluots a few weeks ago and it piqued my interest. I'd never heard of a pluot before...and let's face it, I kinda like the way it looks and sounds. haha. Apparently I don't know how to pick these things because mine ended up all meely and gross so I didn't get a good taste :( Ah well, better luck next time!

I'm just about through with Eat, Pray, Love and am looking for my next read! Thanks to K at the Special K Treatment, I've got a copy of Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant headed my way...

but to tide me over (and to prepare for the plane ride we'll be taking in 15 days!), I'm also considering picking up one of these:

The Nanny Diaries

and/or

Bitter is the New Black
Has anyone checked these out?

Speaking of checking things out...

HeatherBakes has a yummy giveaway going on right now that I think you should hop on over to read about and Don't forget my giveaway that's going on until Thursday...

More this evening :)

100th Post, lots of food and A GIVEAWAY!

Happy Monday, bloggers :) I'm happy to report that this is my 100th post! WOOO! Why am I so excited? Well, I initially had doubts that I'd stick with this whole blogging thing, but thanks to you all (however many readers I have out there!) I've made it to the triple digits :) Yay!!

In honor of this milestone, I'm going to share some of my favorite running-related items with one winner.

Here's how to enter (You have until 9pm EST THURSDAY 8/20 to enter):

1. Leave me a comment on this post - 1 entry
   
2. Mention this giveaway on your blog and link back to this post - 1 entry
3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway - 2 entries
4. Add me to your blogroll - 2 entries

And what do you get for all that work?

A pair of my absolute favorite sock EVER - the Balega Hidden Comfort. It's seamless, thin on the top, cushioned on the bottom and wicks moisture away from your feet. What more could you ask for in a running sock?? I wore these during the Baltimore 10-Miler when it stormed for the first 5 miles. My feet were blister-free and they didn't even feel squishy in my sneakers! Sometimes I love sitting in the office just in these socks...they are that amazing.


Two Mocha Clif Shot Gels. I swear by these on my long runs. I was hooked on the GU brand gels during my first marathon and tried these while training for Chicago...ADDICTED. The texture of these is much better compared to the GUs - they aren't as thick. The flavor is fantastic...just like a chocolate covered espresso bean or a cafe mocha! These have just enough caffeine in them to give me that boost on Saturday mornings when my body just wants to stay in bed ;)

A pack of Watermelon Luna Moons. Hey, solids aren't for everyone. I'm still giving them a shot because they taste like a delicious treat mid-run! Hell, I'd eat these like candy if no one stopped me ;p After sampling Blueberry and Watermelon, I decided Watermelon had just the right amount of sweetness to be consumed mid-run. I hope you like them too :) They taste like watermelon fruit snacks from elementary school days...ahhh memories!



My must have earphones that I tell EVERYONE about - the JVC Marshmallow Headphones (though, they are really earbuds). I'm really picky about headphones/earbuds because I'm convinced my ears are either too small or funky shaped. Stuff that fits normal people, never seems to fit me. Grr. I stumbled across these 'buds a couple years ago and have been hooked since! They've stayed in my ears through numerous sweaty sessions on the treadmill and I love them for that. They also come in a variety of colors, but I'm sharing my fave - lime green :)

And of course...the Nuun! Nuun is great to keep on you at all times because well, you never know when you might need it. Jamie and I found ourselves in quite the dilemma in Grenada last November and luckily I had a tube of Nuun in my bag. When water isn't enough, portable tablets of electrolytes are a quick fix. These are also great to stick in your pouch for a long run. Fill up at a water fountain, pop a tablet in and poof! Instant electrolyte replenishment. Pure genius!

Good Luck :)



Now on to the eats!

As promised, here are the details from last night's Gnocchi Experiment

Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage
1 lb gnocchi, cooked and drained
2 links chicken sausage
1/4 c chicken broth or dry white wine
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 handful arugula
1 shallot, minced
1 c grape tomatoes diced

Brown sausages in a large pan. Remove and cut into thin disks; set aside. Deglaze pan with wine or broth, reduce heat and add butter. Once butter has melted, increase heat and saute shallots until soft. Add tomatoes and sausage and cook until sausage is cooked through. Add arugula and saute until wilted.
Stir in gnocchi and cook for three minutes. Serve immediately.
Not bad for my first gnocchi experience! I think the dish would be equally good without the sausage...or a different flavor of sausage (I used that Chicken Habanero and Tequila sausage from the market and thought it was a bit overpowering).

Tonight's dinner was a throwback to our Grenada vacation last November. Jamie and I seem to be a bit obsessed with trying to find a recipe for the pigeon peas and rice that kept showing up at all our meals. I attempted one a few months ago (maybe pre-blog?) and it wasn't quite what we were looking for. I think tonight's recipe might be close!

Pigeon Peas and Rice (adapted from TriniGourmet.com)
1 c long grain rice
1 c pigeon peas, rinsed and drained
1 c lite coconut milk
1 c chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp butter
1 small tomato, chopped

Simmer coconut milk, broth and thyme in a medium pot for 15 minutes. Add butter, tomato, rice, salt and pigeon peas. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
To go with the peas, I got a little frisky and experimented with marinade for some boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Sweet Curry Chicken*
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp sliced lemongrass
1 tbsp guava jam (or maple syrup)
1 tsp sesame oil
splash fish sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes before placing on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.
*I may have to revise this recipe...I wrote down the ingredients and for some reason I have lemongrass down twice so I think there's something missing from this. Hmph.
For a green veggie, and because I wanted to experiment with okra, we had some Indian Style Okra

Indian Style Okra (adapted from Allrecipes.com)
1 lb okra, sliced
3 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
splash chicken broth

Heat butter in a large skillet and saute onion until soft. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.
And everyone invited to the party:
Not a bad meal! The rice and okra combination was a little rich for me, but I LOVED my chicken experiment! It was just the right amount of heat and curry flavor. Jamie mentioned he didn't even notice the guava jam I threw in (I really just saw it and dumped it in for no reason) so maybe next time maple syrup will do. No need to waste the precious guava jam!!

Phew, that was a massive posting! I promise I'll keep it shorter tomorrow ;p

One last thing...I think you should check out this posting over at the Special K Treatment, not only because I won a new book (just in time!), but because she has created a cookbook of everyone's 'ME Meals' - Meals you make just for you. ME Meals aren't made to wow people, they are made because you want them. My ME Meal might repulse some people...in fact, I'm pretty sure most would find it gross...but you know what? It makes my belly happy and is my ultimate comfort food. :) I think you should share your ME Meal too :)