Seasonably tasty makeover

For those of you still reading (thank you!), you may have noticed a couple layout changes over the past couple days. There are more coming, but I thought I'd take some time to fill you in on the bigger changes going down. 

I think one of the reasons why I haven't been posting as much is because I felt like the blog was turning into more of an online journal where I recapped my days and blahblahblah. I wasn't getting excited about writing and blogging was starting to feel like a chore. Not cool.

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At first I considered closing up shop, but then I realized I'd never keep track of my recipes and the blog was a way to keep friends and family back east informed. Then I started thinking about doing a major blog overhaul. That required way too much work and honestly, I don't have the time or patience to deal with that at the moment.

SO, Run Beans, Run is getting a makeover. 

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I'll still write about the usual topics - running, biking, food, food, more food - but I'm hoping to keep the tone a little less 'dear diary-ish' and will work on my flavor descriptions. I'm also hoping to get a little more creative in the kitchen. Instead of making variations of trusty standbys (which I've noticed I do a lot), I'm going to try my best to experiment with different flavor combinations and actually follow recipes once in awhile (eek). 

I do want to bring your attention to one important addition to the blog - please glance at the left sidebar for a quick second. Ready? Ok.

After a deliciously simple dinner with a friend, it occurred to me that I live in a city that is full of fresh fruits and veggies year round. I don't have to rely on grocery stores for my produce; I can head to a farmers market every week for fresh, locally grown produce. WHY AM I NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS?? 

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Anyway, I did some Googling and found a few sites that posted month by month lists of in-season produce (in Northern California) and the makeover was born. 

Every month I'll update that little sidebar with a list of fruits and veggies that are in season. My goal is to eat and cook as many of them as possible. Canned and frozen don't count (because we know I love to dump beets, artichokes and corn on my salads year round). I figure this will get me cooking outside my comfort zone, especially when random veggies like nettles pop up on the list.

As you can see, I've already crossed a couple items off my list. As I use these seasonably delicious ingredients, I'll post the recipes so you can enjoy them as well (and I'll try to keep the salads to a minimum)!

I hope you enjoy my little experiment and maybe it'll get you all thinking about making the most of what's in season in your neck of the woods!

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?

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?? :(

annyeonghi gyeseyo

I am coming back to the States on Tuesday.  This has been the longest three months (haha) of my life, but I have absolutely no regrets.  The Republic of Korea is a stunning, friendly, delicious, confusing, and sometimes frustrating country.  It is a weird feeling to leave the place I have called home for the past eight months.  It is hard to contain my excitement to get back stateside…but, at the same time I definitely have some sadness about leaving the ROK.  I guess you could say I have “gone bamboo” a little.  Maybe bamboo is the wrong term, “gone kimchi” or “gone garlic” is probably more applicable.  I have made some great friends at both bases and without them my time here would have been a fraction as enjoyable.  So with that I would like to say farewell to the ROK.  You will be missed, but don’t worry, I will see you next year :)

Some things I will miss:

• soju monster
• one dollar soju
• two litre bottles of beer
• korean food (lets be honest, korean food in the States is good but it can’t touch the real thing)
• konglish
• kunsan and songtan
• my subs and korean family
• panchan and self service
• amazing and efficient public transportation

Some things you may see me doing in the States:

• bowing
• eating communally (more than normal)
• making “x” signs with my fingers or hands
• saying “aahhhh” or grunting in acknowledgement
• using two hands to accept/hand things over
• asking for “changeee”
• speaking in korean accidently
• use of non-proper english (most already know my limited grasp on the american language)

Things I will not miss:

• kimchi blossoms
• wondering what i just ordered
• 83 inches of snow
• working in negative temperatures
• juicies

These lists are not complete at all.  I’m sure I could add tons more to all three.  The above items are just what came to mind as I typed this post up.  I hope you guys have enjoyed my reports on Korea.  I still have a couple of ideas up my sleeve and have to fill everyone in on the side trips I took once I moved up north (including a visit to the DMZ).

First weekend of 29

Saturday morning brought my first trip to Bikram yoga in oh, 2.5 years. Jeebus, talk about a long break.

We stopped in for an early class at the Bikram studio on Columbus in North Beach. It's a small, neat, friendly studio that offers a great intro special - unlimited classes for the first month for $29. Pretty sweet.

Lobby (off of Yelp)

Room (again, off of Yelp)

Yes, that's carpeting and french doors you see. Don't get me wrong, it was a great studio, but I was definitely spoiled by all the classes I took at Bikram Yoga Dupont - my favorite place in DC.

The Dupont studio was pretty large and it felt pretty secluded once the door was closed, plus the floors were slick mats that I like to think made it seem cleaner. Don't get me wrong, this new place was super clean...I'm just weird about carpet.

After a couple minutes, I got over the whole carpet thing and got back into the yoga zone. Bikram has been the only type of yoga I've actually enjoyed and look forward to practicing. I think part of it is due to the fact that you do the same 26 poses in the same exact order each time. Not only do you know what to expect, but it's easy to notice progress. Also, there's no denying I love sweating. The more sweat, the better. ;p

Since it had been so long since my last class, I decided to take it super easy and not do certain poses. OMG, still pretty rough...but I felt so great afterward.

So great and SO hungry. I made a spicy oat bowl for breakfast (not so pretty) with eggs, spinach, canadian bacon, cheddar and chili garlic paste. I think the chili garlic paste and cheddar made it extra yummy. I may or may not have followed it up with a slice of birthday cake...

Eh, seemed appropriate ;)

After a very productive morning, we headed out to the East Bay for some pool time. Much needed pool time.

Couldn't have asked for better weather - not too hot, slight breeze. I didn't know this, but apparently there's a good 10 degree temperature difference once you leave the city. I like it!

We sat down for a late lunch poolside and I went with a Chicken Salad on Sourdough (I can never say no to a chicken salad sammich).

It was pretty good, maybe a little too mayo-ey for my taste and the bread tasted more like white bread than sourdough, but it was a great poolside treat. Can I call a sammich a treat? haha.

We eventually made our way back into the city and started working on dinner. There were a ton of taco leftovers from Friday so it was taco night again! Well, for me it was nacho and taco salad night:

Innovative reuse of ingredients! I do love me some taco salad!

This morning I decided to close out the weekend right with a nice, easy, long-ish run. I haven't really done more than 3 or 4 miles at a time since the injury and I've been craving a long run like no one's business. I started mapping out a route when I realized I had no idea what I was doing. Then, I got the brilliant idea to search for the Nike Women's Marathon course map. It was, after all, the race that brought me here for the first time :)

I originally mapped out an 8 mile course, but I cut it down to 5 since about halfway through I realized I should have carried my water bottle and maybe a gel if I wanted to go further. I took the run super slow since I didn't want to aggravate the achilles and ended up running 5.03 miles in about 53 minutes. Not too shabby.

My run basically took me from somewhere a little before Mile 1 of the marathon course to just past Mile 4 before I turned around. The weather was absolutely perfect and I was psyched to have a camera on hand this time. One thing that will always stick out from my first marathon was the first super steep hill I came across early on in the race that I huffed and puffed and shuffled up. It was totally worth it in the end because of the phenomenal views - there were actually people stopping and taking pictures.

Three years later, I was finally able to snap a photo! Of course, to get there, I had to hoof it up this monster

It also winds around, but I thought it was worth it. Of course every uphill is followed by a downhill, or flatness

As I ran through Fort Mason, I got another case of the warm and fuzzies as I remembered running through in 2007. I kept thinking about how nervous I was back then and how I felt throughout the course - I feel like so much has changed since then! Not only am I now living in the city I told myself I wanted to live in back then, but that hill wasn't as horrible as I originally thought it was. Also, I told myself back then that I'd only do one marathon and here I am about to start training for number 4!

I took a leisurely walk back to the apartment by way of the famous Lombard Street

And yes, I joined the throngs of tourists stopped in the middle of the street...momentarily. :)

Since I got home around lunchtime, I made a pitstop at Caffe Capriccio for some lunchtime reading and snacking. This time I tried a lunch item - Roasted Chicken & Bacon Salad (romaine lettuce, roma tomato, toasted croutons and creamy poppy dressing)

Awesome. Loved the poppy dressing (found out they use this) and they didn't over-dress the salad either. Just the right amount and everything was chopped into easy to eat pieces!

To wash it all down, I had some water (duh) and a large cup of White Orchard Mighty Tea

I loved the fun teabag (it wasn't paper) and it was a nice subtle peachy/melony tasting tea!

How's that for a picture-loaded post? :) Hope everyone had a great weekend!

You say it's your birthday

It's my birthday too...just kidding.

It IS my blog's birthday, though :)

A year ago today, after a month or so of marinating on the whole idea, I decided to take the plunge and start a blog. A few friends had suggested I blog about my cooking adventures but I was always hesitant since I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to read what I wrote. I sat down and knew I wanted to write about the three things I loved the most - cooking/eating, running and traveling. I figured it would be a great way to remember things and if people read my blog, awesome. If they didn't, not a big deal.

Who knew I'd find so many people near and far with similar interests? Who knew that a year later, I'd be blogging from a completely different city with a very different life plan mapped out? I certainly didn't expect it.

There have been some huge changes (living arrangements, jobs, etc.)

And I've swapped out these views (the views I've had for the past 10 years...memories!)

For these (so much exploring to do!)

And who knows what the next year will bring...

I hope y'all keep reading to find out :)