Friendcation in Yosemite

For three blissful days seven friends and I went on a trip to Yosemite National Park. The trip was filled with lots of laughter, strenuous and rewardingly beautiful hikes, and more than a few new inside jokes (among which include the time we tried to fit all eight of us in a jacuzzi made for about four people. Half the water overflowed onto the porch and the heater kept turning off. We ended up in a luke warm squished situation we lovingly termed "friend soup.")

It was such a blast and very affordable to split a cabin from groupon among all eight if us.  We had time for one big hike up to Vernal and Nevada Falls. It was such a beautiful day. We went to bed tired, and we're all surprised to wake up to snow the following morning!

We were glad we could still drive around in the snow, but managed to pick up a chain link in our tire (FYI that is not where they are not supposed to go). After a quick repair in Oakhurst, we went onward to stay with friends in Visalia. It was a joy to stay with such a gracious family and enjoy their little boy (I think some if the boys in our group had more fun playing with his toys than we did). 

Don't Run it Alone

Exercise is so much more enjoyable when you don't do it alone.  That is one reason I enjoy always having my dog with me on running adventures.  But it gets even better when I have a human companion to join me.  For one, humans speak English, and can actually talk back to me.  That really helps.

My brother and I have been running together once a week lately.  It has really helped me push myself to be consistent in running, and to go further and further.  My brother is a great coach!

Do you find exercising with someone helps out?  I think making a date to meet up ensures that you stay active.

Chicken Salad

I am not really sure that a salad deserves a recipe- but you might not eat one for dinner regularly.  If not, I highly recommend you do!  So yummy and you can pretty much top it with whatever veggies you have on hand.  As a treat, I will buy chicken tenders to put on my chicken salad.  This one has mushrooms, cheese, hard boiled egg, cucumbers, and carrots.  Great for a mid-week meal!

Enjoy!

Mushroom Chicken and Rice Bake

We had some of my husband's friends over for dinner the other night.  I had no idea what to make, but after scrounging around, I adapted this recipe.  It didn't change much from the original recipe which was given to me by a friend, however was forced to become a little more healthy since I had only healthier alternatives on hand.  I think the single best secret towards eating better is to keep only healthy options on hand.  Then when you have a craving, you have the option of either learning to love alternatives, or going out of your way to pick up something else.

Without further ado, Mushroom Chicken and Rice Bake:

2 cups uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
2 cans cream of mushroom soup*
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (or whatever is on sale will work well enough, too)
1/4 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt (or use [sea] salt, garlic, onion, and paprika.  Or whatever you have on hand.)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a 9x13 inch baking dish, combine rice, water, soup, and seasonings, and stir.  Place chicken breasts on top.  Sprinkle additional seasoning salt and pepper, and top with sliced mushrooms.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about an hour and a half, or until rice is tender and cooked through.

*I realize that I am not making the healthiest choice here with canned cream of mushroom soup.  Next time, I am going to try this recipe for making my own, using coconut oil.  I just haven't been convinced until seeing this recipe that I could make a healthy enough alternative, one that was worth the time spent making it from scratch.  I am glad to have finally found one that seems simple AND healthy (not using pure cream, butter, etc.).

I recently learned how healthy mushrooms really are.  They boost your immune system and have high levels of vitamin D.  In researching, I found out that they absorb and concentrate whatever they grow in.  Learning this, I am going to make more of an effort to buy organic mushrooms.  I don't buy all organic produce, but try to pick and choose where I will get the most bang for my buck.

Guinness Fish Tacos

We looove fish tacos in this household.  When I received Sunset in the mail this month, it seemed I magically flipped to the page with a delicious recipe for fish tacos.  I pretty much followed their recipe, except I substituted plain yogurt for mayo for the sauce, and held out on some of the cabbage but added more cilantro.  Oh- and we used Guinness for the "dark beer," hence the name I have given it.  Guinness has become another favorite in our household, and I must say, I would not have thought of using it for a Mexican dish.  I am sure glad I did!  We loved it!

On that note- if you know how to make beer batter, you can fry up just about anything and call it delicious.  Easiest recipe to remember, too: 1 cup flour, 1 cup beer, 1 tsp salt.  And Bob's your uncle!

Dog Running Bliss

I cannot tell you how much I love running with my dog.  I pretty much hate running by myself, but if I run with my dog, my whole perspective is transformed.  Perhaps some of the joy lies in the fact that he has not always been easy to run with, or even to walk with, for that matter.  My Siberian husky, Shadow Fax, is large for a husky and a very strong puller.  Combined with the fact that he still acts like a puppy, despite him being almost five, and it can make for some stressful moments when I am out in public.

We rescued Shadow when he was about two.  If you didn't know, huskies are often abandoned when they are no longer oh-so-cute puppies, and turn into full-grown crazy balls of energy.  The name "Shadow Fax" we thought was perfect for our grey and white boy, who looked so majestic.  He seemed to be the Lord of all the Dogs (LOTR reference for all you nerds out there), and we thought his original name, Marley, just didn't fit him.  We soon found out that his bad habits were very Marley-esque, as were his amazing lovable moments.  Still, he didn't respond to Marley, so changing his name was easy.  Any-who, I believe I am getting off-track...

The bliss of running with Shadow Fax lies in how he has transformed into a dog who trusts me, and whom I have come to trust.  After running with him on a leash for a mile, I successfully took him off-leash, which I have not been able to do for about 6 months after some bad experiences.  The joy of having one of your best friends (choosing to) run beside you, challenging you, and inspiring you is wonderful!  Not to mention that he looks like a wolf!

For those who have huskies, or other dogs that are difficult to take off-leash to enjoy the outdoors, perhaps this will work for you.  I weighted him down with a dog pack full of some water bottles for weight.  Then, I ran with him for a mile on-leash to help calm him down so he would listen to my commands.  When I could tell that he wasn't interested in going off the trail, but focused on running straight ahead, I took him off-leash.  There were a couple moments when I could feel he was starting to get interested in exploring the mountains away from the trail.  At these times, I told him, "no," firmly.  Twice he didn't come back right away, but explored further out of my sight.  When he did this, to get him to come back I ran on ahead of him since he is driven to be in front (the only thing that works for me if he isn't listening to come is to actually run in the opposite direction so he will chase me).  Then, once he came back I put him back on the leash.  The leash I was using was retractable up to 15 feet or so.  I think that this showed him how far was OK to wander.  We will see how he progresses, but I am always trying to find what works for us.  Hopefully this helps anyone who is having the same issues.

After my run yesterday, I am considering training for a 10k.  I would love to run it with my dog.  Does anyone have experience racing with a dog?

Easy Coconut Green Curry

Just got back from a weekend in Las Vegas, where we hiked during the day and dined at night.  We went away for our two year wedding anniversary, and had the fanciest meal we have ever had.  It was a great celebration!  We were both feeling the effects of eating so much rich food, however, so I was happy to return home and cook one of my go-to meals: easy coconut green curry.  What follows is the recipe I used tonight, but feel free to add whatever veggies or meat (or even tofu) sound good to you.  What's really great is fresh sweet basil, of which I usually do not have on hand (regrettably).  My husband loves it when I add bamboo shoots, which my local grocery store sells canned.  I eat it covered in Sriracha and sea salt.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste (or other curry paste)
1 can coconut milk
1 garlic clove, diced
1 carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup frozen vegetable mix
1 orange bell pepper
Dash of basil
3 chicken breasts

Simmer the coconut milk in a pan.  Add the curry paste, basil, and garlic and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Then add the potatoes and veggies, and then everything else.  Allow to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft.  Serve over brown rice.

I haven't tried it yet in a crock pot, but I have been meaning to try.  Does anyone have a recipe they like for curry in the crock pot?