It's my jam

Since I've been rocking the treadmill a lot lately, I've needed some serious tunes to keep me going. I have no idea how anyone runs more than 4 miles on a treadmill. I start to go crazy around 3.5 miles and that's with music blaring, TV on and a treadmill facing a big picture window. Respect.

For everyone that can't stand running indoors, here are some trusty tunes that I've had on repeat lately:

Easy - Groove Armada

Valerie - Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse

Drive It Like You Stole It - The Glitch Mob

Ooh Wee - Mark Ronson, Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg, Trife & Saigon

People Everyday - Arrested Development

Kiksu (Original Mix) - Albert & Kyau

Rocketeer - Far East Movement

Let Me Think About It (Club Mix) - Ida Corr & Fedde le Grand

H.I.A - Chemical Brothers

So What'cha Want - Beastie Boys

La Bomba - Ricky Martin

It Began in Afrika - Chemical Brothers

I'm always looking for more music, so please share what songs get you motivated at the gym!

Eat your veggies with every meal

Or make every meal full o veggies!

Armed with a pound bag of mixed greens from the farmers' market and a couple other fun salad toppings, I prepped 3 days worth of salads. Why? Because I actually had time to and that's just what I do!

I'm usually pretty good about bringing lunch to work. I've found that the only days I cave and buy lunch are the days I'm either too rushed to make a lunch or make a really lame rushed lunch. I love the rare productive evening where I can prep for the week :)

Yes, I take the term big salad seriously. Those are the large round containers. I like to prep a nice big salad base (greens and a few key toppings) that I can simply toss into a tupperware, add a couple other toppings and take with me to work. Super easy. 

Since mixed greens don't have much going on as far as texture is concerned, I like to add a variety of crunchy toppings. I see salads as a great way to experiment with new raw veggies. Like this guy, for example:

Blog friends, meet Watermelon Radish.

Not much of a looker until you slice into it...

Gorgeous. My radish wasn't as brightly colored as other specimens, but I still thought it was pretty. Since this guy has a pretty peppery flavor, I decided to shave some onto my greens for a slight crunch and bite. Whether or not it plays well with the fennel I sliced into the salad, is yet to be determined.

After the crunch factor was added, I tossed in a few of my standard salad toppings: corn, chick peas, pickled beets, arugula, and avocado. Then my salads were ready for the fridge. Dressings vary from straight balsamic vinegar to salsa to a scoop of hummus. Easy, fast and tasty when you're rushing out the door. Every so often I'll crumble some cheese onto my salad even though my doctor says consuming cheese on top of that much ruffage is just asking for trouble (sorry, TMI). 

March ingredients used: arugula, avocado, fennel, radish

I know I'm not the only salad lover out there. What are some of your favorite toppings? Any must try dressings?

The Letter M

Today's post is brought to you by the letter M. M for Mandarin Orange.

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I'm really not sure why I'm on this random citrus post kick. I think it's because I've been in the dark for so long about all the different varieties? Eh. Whatevs. I'm into the knowledge sharing. 

From the Wiki page:

Satsuma, a seedless variety, of which there are over 200 cultivars, such as Owari and mikan; the source of most canned mandarins, and popular as a fresh fruit due to its ease of consumption.

I grabbed a couple Satsumas at the farmers' market and these are itty bitty suckers! I snacked on one for breakfast and couldn't even handle how small the segments were! So cute. Flavor, not so cute. Maybe I don't know how to pick mandarins, but mine was super tart. Then again, I've only had canned/jarred mandarins before. These will not be appearing on the blog ever again. The end.

I know some of you are thinking: 'WTF? She traded in running posts for citrus fruits?!'

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Do not fret. I'll update you guys soon on the running front. I've just been too busy trying to cross stuff off my training list! Want to know what I've been up to? Check out the Training tab. I've got two big races coming up in April and May, so keep any eye out for those pre-race rambles and recaps. 

Miss any other topics? Hate my random fruit posts (seriously, they will stop soon)? Want more wine? Crave recipes that use certain ingredients? Tell me what you want to hear about: runbeansrun@gmail.com

Work it out.

Well, I'm clearly not concussed since it's been over a week since my little spill and I'm functioning and posting. Again, ladies and gentlemen, don't forget to wear your helmets!

I'm also happy to report that my gross knee bruise is calming down and doesn't hurt that much. I can no longer use it as an excuse not to go to the gym haha. The gym and I are slowly getting acquainted, though I still think it's wrong to run on a treadmill when I live in perfect running weather.

I've started machine hopping partly in response to my gym ADD and partly so I don't overdo it on the running. Machine hopping at the gym means putting in some QT with machines I hate (read: elliptical, stair master, bike). A mere 10-15 minutes on each seems like such a chore to me :( It's slowly getting better the more I do it, but agh. So rough!

And so I present you with a few songs that have gotten me through recent gym trips:

History - Groove Armada (feat. Will Young)

Swoon (Boyz Noize Summer Remix) - Chemical Brothers

Scared of Me - Fedde Le Grand

More - Usher

House Stabs - Luke Vibert

15 Step - Radiohead

Tighten Up - The Black Keys

Give a Little More - Maroon 5

Pretty random selection, I know. One of these days I'll get around to refreshing my running playlist...

What do you do when you're trapped indoors for a workout? What songs get you through a terribly boring workout?

Post lame-o workout, I found myself seriously craving a dinner sammich. Weird, right? Originally I planned on using my Guacamole Tuna Salad as a topping for greens, but agh...this sammich craving was way too strong!

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*btw, still weirded out that Arnold is Oroweat here.

Topped one of these with some greens, followed by a couple spoonfuls of tuna and ta da! Dinner in 5! I was pleasantly surprised with my guacatuna salad (do you like how I've given it 3 different names?)...just enough saltiness, spiciness and creaminess! I was worried the carrot bits (I don't usually put carrots in guac or tuna salad) being weird, but they added a nice crunch. I diced them super small so the carrot taste wasn't too overwhelming. I highly recommend this recipe :)

Not only did I have a successful dinner experiment, but I also got another fun package in the mail...

New sneaks...times two!

So I tried the Inspire 7s on a couple weeks ago and sort of flipped out. I didn't like that they came up too high on my ankle and something just felt off about them. Boo.

I did some research on the Google and turns out they actually tightened things up a bit for a more secure ankle and arch. All that sounds great to me, but apparently my feet disagree :(

After that not so fun experience, I went online and tried to find a cheap pair of the Inspire 6s. I found them and ended up buying two pairs to tide me over. Phew. I don't know what I'll do the day I have to get new shoes :\

Why I love my new home

Mid 60s in January, not a cloud in the sky, great weather for wandering, exploring, and sitting and reading in the park.

Perfection.

Inspired.

I was catching up on blogs the other day and came across quite the delicious post on Burp and Slurp, not that it comes as a huge surprise.

Turns out Sophia and her friends partied with some dumplings over winter break. Lucky.

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Her post had me drooling at my desk and craving dumplings, all before 9am. So wrong, yet so right!

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It also inspired me to throw a make your own dumpling party. Date and guests are still TBD, but I'm determined to make it happen. Think about it...it's way more interactive than make your own pizza night and you can steam or boil and snack as you go! Add a little vino, good friends, good conversation...voila! Perfect Friday evening in. Yes, I will make this happen. Soon, my blog friends, soon.

In the meantime, I'm daydreaming about the biking/dumpling adventure I have planned for Saturday while Jamie's here. Plan is to bike across the city with a pit stop at Shanghai House for some much needed soup dumpling action. Cannot wait. Nothing warms you up better than some steamed soup dumplings!

What would you do for a 'make your own' party?

Seriously.

I'll get back to blogging in a bit. Been super busy, but have tons to write about! Major writer's block (or maybe too many distractions)!

For now, I only have 2 things...

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O yeah, did I forget to mention I got freakishly obsessed after going to my first game? Yesh. Kinda hard not to get into it when the whole city is rooting for the Giants! The game ended over an hour ago and people are STILL honking and yelling in the streets. Amazing!

AND

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Just in case you forgot tomorrow is Election Day.

Tons more later! Runs, recipes and even a night of Halloween-y fun!

Quasi deep thoughts by yours truly

As I wrote all those Labor Day weekend recaps, referencing previous visits to San Francisco, it dawned on me how many times I flew out here before moving. It was as if I jumped at every opportunity to visit the city that would soon be my home. Wait a second, who am I kidding? I DID jump at every opportunity.

It's now edging on 5 months since the big move and I've had a few friends ask me if I'm happy I moved out here and oddly enough, this question always shocks me. Do I seem unhappy? I mean, I guess my transition has been pretty mellow with a few "I miss DC" moments popping up here and there. It's expected though, right? I did leave everything comfortable back east for an unfamiliar city where I only knew a couple of people.

It's a tough question to answer. I can't give an emphatic yes or no. Maybe it's because I've been so caught up in work and running or maybe it was just too gradual of a transition (with all the previous visits) to affect me? I don't know. I feel like I've fallen into a somewhat comfortable, busy routine. Sure, I wish I knew more people and had more close friends to randomly call for an impromptu dinner/drink/veg out session, but I know all of that will come in due time.

Yeeeaah, I think I'm pretty happy I moved here. It's the first city I chose to live in. It's not somewhere my parents picked, it's not a city I had to move to for school, it's not a city I lingered in out of comfort; it was my pick and I like it.

I like that a 17 mile run (that should have been 20) excites me because of all the new sights I can look forward to.

I like the fact that if a running buddy and I want some banh mi post-run, there are a ton of nearby options.

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I like being able to picnic in Golden Gate Park in the middle of September in a tank top in front of the gorgeous Conservatory of Flowers.

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I like having fresh, local, cheap produce all the time.

A lot.

So yeah, I think it's safe to say I'm happy.

I know a few of you have also made some big moves and life changes recently. Are you happy with your decisions?

Sometimes it's okay to stray

Sometimes I get super crazy about following my training schedule. Other times, I say f the schedule! Ok, ok...maybe I say f the schedule a little too much :\

I had a 5 miler planned for this evening, but the 5 mile route took us all the way out to Hopper's Hands and back. My issue with running out to HH (for the sake of this post, that means Hopper's Hands and not happy hour ;p) is that the ground is so uneven that my calf gets so freaking sore the next day. I figured that wasn't a good follow up to bouncing around at kickboxing and Saturday's 12-miler.

Sooo, I took it down a notch and opted to do an easy 4 miler instead. I was cruising and feeling good...a little naked since I forgot my water bottle, but good overall. Hit the Warming Hut turnaround and decided to take the dirt path Promenade back.

Not going to lie, I started feeling a bit rough toward the end. It was a little too warm for the pullover I had on, I was starting to get tired and my belly was not happy (perhaps too many fruits today :\). I was convinced I shortened my run even more by taking the dirt path and was pissed off at myself for taking it so slow.

So I got home, kicked my shoes off

Think I have enough sneakers in my life? And no I didn't fix those up...I think that is exactly how I take my shoes off.

Mapped my route and, o hey, what do we have here? I ran 4.3 miles? In 39 minutes? THAT explains why the end was so rough.

I did a whole lot of stretching and stick-ing afterward and (knock on wood) the calf/achilles are feeling ok right now. Hopefully they still feel good tomorrow!

For dinner, I busted out the trusty steamed lentils from TJs for a quick and tasty meal

Lentils with Chicken Basil Sausage and Feta

1/2 package steamed lentils

1 chicken basil sausage, cut into bite sized pieces

3 stalks kai-lan, cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 c onion, minced

1/3 c grape tomatoes, quartered

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp broth or water

1 heaping tbsp reduced fat feta, crumbled

pepper

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onion and sausage for 3 minutes or until onion starts to soften. Add broth or water and kai-lan and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and freshly ground pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in lentils and reduce heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with a small sprinkling of feta and serve immediately.

Two thumbs up. I heart lentils.

Gotta try everything once, right?

If it's terrible then I don't have to eat it again...always a good motto and definitely the case for tonight's dinner.

Remember my week of soy adventures? Well, I experimented with some baked Teriyaki tofu for tonight's dinner since it looked like fun.
Um, yeah. Not feeling it so much. The flavor wasn't anything exciting and I think I don't really like baked tofu. The texture is a little too pasty for me.

I also grabbed a bag of these frozen stir fry veggies and forgot about them until tonight.
Not exactly a great sub in for fresh or canned veggies, but they'll do in a pinch.
Yes, that's a pita under my stir fry ;p

I was too lazy to pop some rice in the rice cooker so I figured I'd chip away at the bag of pita I had leftover in the fridge. There's absolutely nothing wrong with pita and stir fry...in fact, I think I'd do it again!

Last night I made some buffalo burgers with a side of sweet potato fries. I didn't have any bread in the apartment so I ended up using some leftover whole wheat naan from Saturday.

Topped the burger with some brie and mixed greens and voila! Dinner!
I also smeared on some of this spicy apple mustard for some extra flavor
I had seen this on Meghan's blog (Travel Eat Love) shortly after the FoodBuzz Festival and practically drooled on my keyboard - I LOVE mustard. I was SO excited when I saw this jar at World Market! Cannot wait to use this in more dishes!

Fast food?

Posting real quick before I forget and then I'm off to finish planning my last minute Thanksgiving menu and clean!

Last night, I was good and opted to cook a giant vat of chili instead of caving into my Vietnamese craving. I'm not kidding when I say I made a giant vat either...I filled FOUR quart-sized containers for future consumption! I forgot to take pictures, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll be seeing it soon enough ;)

I did a slight variation of my usual Turkey Chili, tossing in some chunks of chicken breast (instead of the chorizo), a little more of the spices and added about 1/3 c of the Magic Hat #9 I was drinking. Also, I put the beans in as it simmered (instead of waiting) and used about 3 cups of broth to make up for the extra meat. Verdict? Not bad. I definitely missed the chorizo, but I liked that it was a little thicker and the extra cinnamon-y flavor (uh, yeah, I messed up and put in a 1/2 tsp instead of 1/4). Do you find yourself changing up safety recipes?

The next few nights are going to be a bit crazy since I've got a ton of cleaning and cooking to do and not so much extra time. I'm hoping I can get a lot of stuff prepped Wednesday night after job#2 so I can take it easy on Thursday. There's just 5 (I think?) of us right now so it's not a massive feast or anything. I am experimenting with roasting a turkey breast...kinda nervous. I'm fine roasting a chicken and a whole turkey, so how hard can it be to roast an 8lb boob? We'll see.

Since I'm trying to be super productive tonight, I made a fast and really random dinner based on stuff that needed to be eaten in my fridge. I present to you Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tortizza.
O yes, Tortizza. A tortilla pizza.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tortizza
1 flour tortilla
1-2 tbsp goat cheese
handful asparagus, thinly sliced
sprinkle Herbs de Provence
sprinkle garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper
pinch salt
lemon zest
pinch shredded parmesan cheese

Sprinkle goat cheese on tortilla and season with Herbs de Provence. Scatter asparagus on top and sprinkle garlic powder, black pepper, salt, lemon zest and parmesan. Throw in toaster oven until tortilla starts to brown.
For a random meal, it was pretty f-ing delicious! I liked the asparagus/goat cheese/lemon zest combo - really fresh tasting and the Herbs de Provence added another dimension of flavor. I'd even try this combo as a regular pizza!

It went perfectly with the last of the Magic Hat box:
YUM.

Also, for those following me on Twitter, I've FINALLY found a place to get my jeans shortened with the original hem! Kenyon Square Cleaners - I get my jeans back on Monday, so I'll definitely report back!

My taco-flavored kiiisses

taco taco.
You guessed it...tonight marked the return of the Brown Rice Taco Bowl. Comforting, filling and full-o-ruffage! This time around, I threw some feta in my bowl...um, not a good idea. Not that any of you would be crazy to throw some feta in a taco bowl, but I thought I'd give you a heads up anyway haha.

It's been quite a frustrating day that culminated in me sprinting (we're talking full out sprint for 2-3 blocks in work clothes) in my fairly new shoes only to miss an appointment by like half a minute. UGH. As cute as my shoes are
they are not exactly appropriate for running. Though, I guess I got a random taste of quasi-barefoot running. Hmph.

Passed on my run today since I could barely move my legs. Holy soreness, Batman! Totally a combination of my 19 miler/lack of stretching and bootcamp! I feel like I have buns of steel...unfortunately they hurt when I move! haha.

So, bootcamp...does not involve one of these guys
Nono. It's a fitness bootcamp taught by a personal trainer that I took for a few months earlier this year. From 7:05am - 8:00am Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I pay to get my butt kicked. Or at least that's what it feels like. Our instructor is actually pretty forgiving when it comes to workouts. I was a little scared before my very first class - thinking I'd get yelled at if if I had to stop in the middle of the stair workout I had heard so much about. Thankfully, he's not crazy and understands that everyone is at a different fitness level and is in the class to get into shape.

Class usually consists of jumping jacks, pushups, lunges, ab work, squats, lots of stairs, some running if it's nice out, lots of weight training and other workouts that reminded me of high school track. I enjoy it because it lets me get an early workout in (I am still amazed that I can get up for bootcamp and my long runs, but I fail the rest of the week), it's a different workout each class, AND I get my strength training in!

I complain about the soreness, but I know it's mostly due to the fact that these muscles have been napping since I last took the class in May. I also know that I can attribute all my PRs this year to this class. I noticed after awhile of taking the class, that I felt like a stronger runner - more upright as I ran and felt stronger, faster and super buff...well for me, at least.
Ok, not Madonna buff, but you get it :p

That being said, I'm going to snack on some of Jamie's favorite fall treat
What's your favorite fall candy?

Quickie b/c I drugged myself

Well, not really. I popped a Nyquil because I could just feel the sickness brewing. Ugh. I want it to hold off until after Sunday!!

Anyway, it took a lot to get my butt out and running this evening. That sick feeling in the back of my throat, mentally drained from work, the 4 or 5 Jolly Ranchers I consumed in 2 hours, and my quads still mad at me for not stretching enough on Sunday - all of it made me want to say 'Eff it. I'm not running.'

Thankfully, Susan made it to the apartment after battling tons of traffic so I HAD to get up and run...or else I'd be mean for making her sit through all that ;p I decided to cut the planned 5 miles down to 4, which we finished in 40 minutes. I'm just a little confused about that since I felt like we were going pretty fast and even Jamie commented on the speed. Hm. Strange.

Anyway, point of the story is that I'm happy I went on my run and I'll be even happier if I don't get sick :)

Dinner tonight was fast and easy - Chorizo and Spinach Quesadillas!
Quesadillas are definitely my 'I don't know what to make but I want food fast' meal. You can stuff them with pretty much whatever you want without f-ing them up. Tonight's version included the leftover chorizo from Sunday (I had Jamie brown the leftovers while I made the chili - hello prep ahead!), reduced fat Mexican cheese blend, baby spinach, chili powder and Adobo seasoning. Usually I like to throw in some pickled jalapenos, but in my haste, I forgot.

Topped them off with some avocado slices, a side of salsa and dinner was ready!
YUM. Cheesy goodness in my belly!

Speaking of cheese. I had a long (well, long considering the topic) email discussion with a friend about cheese this afternoon and while we were on the subject of goat cheese and how versatile and delicious it is, I remembered this cheese I sampled at the Teet awhile back.
Don't ask why goat cheese triggered Blue Brie in my memory - it's probably because Blue Brie is AMAZING. I thought it would be kinda weird...I'm not a big blue cheese fan, but I am a brie fan. I sampled it and it tasted more like brie, but had a slight hint of that blue cheese taste - just enough that you knew it was there, but it wasn't offensive (yes, sometimes I find the taste of blue cheese offensive). I'd totally buy this at the store if it came in smaller wedges. Oh how I love cheese...cheese and corn - two things I can never get enough of. What are some foods you can't get enough of??

Nyquil's kicking in so I'm signing off...and singing 'Nyquil will help you get your Z's!' EXCEPT - that was the Nytol commercial (wow I just googled and um, I'm old) and Z's should really be Zs. Way to not be grammatically correct, ad people. Psh. Ok. Getting loopy. Nite! :)

Quick post b/c my computer hates me

My computer freaks out almost every time I turn it on, telling me I have practically no disk space...even after I delete a whole bunch of things. AGH! So frustrating. It's getting sent off to get checked out while we're on vacation, so I apologize for the short, all over the place post! I'll write more once I get my butt near a functioning computer!

For now, a few highlights -

• Pizza for dinner Friday - toppings and sauce were delicious, whole wheat Boboli, not so delicious. I think from now on, if I want pizza it's just going to be regular pizza...it must! I'll post pics soon of my creation.
• After a slight misunderstanding, I found myself altering today's scheduled 17 miler in VA to an 18 miler (I really only threw that extra mile in b/c it seemed silly to stop between two metro stops, not far from home) downtown. Jamie ran the first 10 with me and I ended up finishing in just over 11 min pace - WITH a not so pretty uphill on Connecticut Avenue from Farragut North to Cleveland Park! I also showed Hains Point who was boss...ME! muahahaaa! Got home, stretched briefly, made a ghetto wrapSabra Supremely Spicy Hummus and turkey in a multigrain tortilla), and off to work for 7 hours...on my feet. SO glad to be sitting right now. (
• Around 4pm, my stomach couldn't stand it anymore so I fed it some California Tortilla. Got the Carnitas Soft Taco - holy delicious. Totally hit the spot.
  
• Off to watch Body of Lies now since computer is yelling at me. I'm a nerd and really want to check this movie out b/c they were filming this when I worked near the White House. Totally guilty of doing stalker laps mid-day for Leo and Russell sightings. haha.
  

Hope you're all having fantastic weekends! I'll try to find a computer to post tomorrow! I've got some fun stuff in store for everyone :)

First Giveaway - DONE!

And the winner is...

Julia at Chocolate Shoestrings! Shoot me an email with your address and running shoe size (for the socks) and I'll pack everything up :)

Thank you for participating!

While I was googling about how to figure out a winner, I stumbled across the Online List Shuffler - brilliant. I made a list with everyone's entries and copied it into the list shuffler box. It generated a shuffled list with numbers and then I hopped on over to Random.org and it spit out lucky #32! You should definitely look into it for your next giveaway :)

I'm exhausted from my surprisingly long and brutal 7 miler so I'm off to lounge in bed w/one of the three, yes three, books I picked up at Borders this afternoon. I swear, I need supervision at all times. I can't even be trusted on a mid-day trip to the bookstore! Though I must say, I am pleased with my summer reading selections. They all sound like easy, funny reads. Don't worry, I'll give you the full report as I finish each one ;)

Bitter is the New Black - Jen Lancaster
I'm looking forward to reading this one on the plane.

The Geography of Bliss - Eric Weiner
This was one I just grabbed from one of the front displays. I like getting lost in a good travel book now and then...plus, it seemed like one Jamie would enjoy as well.

Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
This one was also a random pick up. I read a few pages at the store and it seemed like a fun read.

Use whatcha got!

Allo! I hope everyone had a fantastic Friday! I sure did :) Jamie dropped me off at the metro after my early morning meeting out in Virginia and I decided I'd kill some time at the mall (the shopping kind) since I didn't have to work until 5:30. It's been AGES since I've been to the mall. I usually avoid it at all costs because I don't have the patience for the hoards of people. Luckily it's not too bad around 11am :)

I found these super comfy pants at Banana Republic that fit perfectly, but I passed on getting them since I don't really have the patience to wait for them to get hemmed. Plus, I wasn't too sure about the pockets. Not really my thing. What do you think?
Wow, those look like they have a crazy high waist...which they don't in real life. They definitely hit my hip. Super lightweight. We'll see.

After wandering around a bit, I caved and stopped at Noodles & Company for lunch. I made a really rushed decision and wasn't exactly thrilled with it :\ I decided on the Trio (a small noodle dish with my choice of protein and a choice of side salad) with Pesto Cavatappi (fresh basil and garlic pesto sauce tossed with a touch of cream, parmesan and olive oil with curly cavatappi noodles), Grilled Chicken and a Side Garden Salad.
Sorry...didn't have the camera on me so I had to use the berry! Anyway, it was a good size serving - just enough food (the plate was more like a salad plate), but the flavor was blah. The chicken was surprisingly good...I expected the weird textured chicken that you sometimes get at places like this, but no. It was a legitimate grilled chicken boob! Hurrah!

I definitely waited too long to eat because after a couple bites, my stomach started feeling super bloated and not fun. This is why I must eat every hour or so...I HATE this feeling. I'm hungry and it hurts to eat. UGH. Since I knew I had to eat something, I decided to take it slow. Super slow. Pulled out Eat, Pray, Love and took my sweet time.

On the metro ride home, I started thinking about dinner options. Since a few of you suggested I pull something together with what we had in the kitchen, I figured I'd make something centered around the two chicken thighs we had defrosting in the fridge. I also knew that Jamie wanted to make this Mark Bittman recipe for Warm Lentils with Bacon. What to do with chicken thighs? WELL, Mel suggested I make something with peaches or some other in-season fruit. Ah HA!

I started thinking about maybe a tangy, peachy, barbecue-y sauce to pour over some shredded chicken thighs (because I'm not a big fan of eating it off the bone) and then it somehow spawned the idea of a spiced/brandied fruit sauce. I don't know. Anyway, on the way home I ended up buying a random flask of brandy at the liquor store (and definitely got a look from the woman at the register since it was like 1pm) and a couple peaches, plums and a pluot from the Giant.

As soon as I got home, I threw some water, salt, peppercorns, whole garlic cloves, white wine vinegar and Adobo seasoning into a pot, brought it to a boil and dumped the chicken thighs in to cook for about an hour. Jamie took care of the shredding while I was at work :)

It didn't occur to me until my walk home from work that I had no idea what I was going to do with the ingredients I bought. I don't play with sweet things. So I googled just to make sure I wasn't totally insane for considering the combination of brandy, plums and peaches. Thankfully, I'm totally sane ;)

Spiced Stone Fruit Sauce
1 ripe peach, diced
1 small plum, diced
2 1/2 tbsp brandy
5 cloves
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
sprinkle allspice
1/4 c water

Combine all ingredients in a pan and cook on medium heat until fruit becomes soft and sauce thickens.
I also toyed with the idea of throwing a bit of onion in there for a savory/sweet combination, but we didn't have any onions. Sad. I think the experiment turned out pretty well. Though, I can't believe I bought this flask of brandy
for barely a shot. What am I supposed to do with the rest of it? Who really drinks brandy???

It went okay with the chicken...
Though, I think the chicken needed a barbecue-y sauce...but that's just me ;)

While I was making the sauce, Jamie was working on the lentil recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (aka Jamie's kitchen bible)
Warm Lentils with Bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 lb bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped (we didn't have any)
1 carrot, peeled & diced
1 tsp minced garlic
3-4 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock
2 cups lentils
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dry
1 tsp red wine vinegar

Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan and cook the bacon until brown. Remove the bacon and set aside. In the fat, brown the onion and carrot about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or so. Add most of the liquid, leaving approximately a cup aside for later. Bring to a boil, then add in the lentils, salt and pepper, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover partially and cook over medium-low heat approximately 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender. If the mixture becomes too dry, add some of the reserved liquid. Once the lentils are soft, you can raise the heat to cook off the remaining liquid. Stir in the vinegar. This really helps to brighten the taste. Remove the bay leaf. Add in the cooked bacon, stir, and serve.

We also threw in some grape tomato stragglers from last Sunday's Farmers Market and a handful of arugula since it was in the fridge.

Here's the lentils in all their glory:

And here they are playing nice with the chicken:Man, Jamie's getting really good at this cooking thing ;)

Ok, I'm off to bed...early early morning 15 miler and I've got my fingers crossed that my hip/butt/back cooperates! I'm also hoping to squeeze a Sunday trip to Eastern Market in this weekend. Anyone have suggestions for must-see vendors??