Happy Pi Day!! (food focused house and the projects that keep me from running)

Happy Pi Day!  Did you get out and get a run in?  3.14... miles, maybe?  Did you eat pie?

I won't lie, I still need to get a run in, but I did eat some pie... 

Chickpea Pot Pie

Serves 6

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 lbs small white mushrooms (quartered)

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

1 onion chopped

1 poblano pepper chopped (and deseeded.  You could also use a green bell pepper instead.)

2 garlic cloves minced

3 cups veg. broth

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 ounces soft neufchâtel cheese (or cream cheese softened)

1 (15oz) can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large pie crust (14 ounces)

(we ended up using two pie crusts, each in a 9 inch pie pan.  Our favorite recipe is from a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook that is 1 1/4C flour and 1/3 C butter and 4-5 tablespoons cold water and 1/4 tsp salt. Mis the dry together and cut in the butter.  Slowly adding in the water.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray pie pan with non stick spray.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med heat.  Add mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, poblano (or green bell) pepper and garlic.  Cook, stirring until veggies are softened.  Stir in broth and cornstarch in a med bowl until blended.  Add to skillet and stir constantly.  When mixture starts to boil and starts to thicken, add in neufchâtel cheese and stir until smooth.  Stir in chickpeas, sage and salt.  Spoon mixture into pie crust.

Place pie crust over filling; press edges with fork for decorative edge and cut one inch slits throughout top for ventilation.

Place on baking sheet and cook until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.... about 25-30 minutes.  Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

Hope you enjoy!  I loved it!

I'm not really injured, but this was a good segway picture...

I had a spring cleaning bug bite and have been reorganizing a closet in my "craft" room.  Well, to be completely honest, it's the "zoo" room.  We have birds and a couple bunnies... and it's a dusty mess.

Anyway, I've been cleaning and sorting... and came upon some old clippings and note pads from my beloved great grandmother...  Oh, how I miss her.  

The irony is I came upon this stuff in the back of a spare closet... just sitting and waiting to be looked through and remembered... on the anniversary of her death.

12 years now without her.  

I still remember the feeling of her knotty hand holding mine so tight, and I think some of the stuff still smells like her, so I've hidden it away again so it will keep those memories fresh....  but not before scanning it in the computer for some craft projects.  

Her handwritten recipe for zucchini bread, an open notebook of hers with writing peaking through the pages, a business card from the 1950's for a cafe in Boise and a different aged note pad.

I typed "on" to the paper with a computer program to create a "menu board" to hang in my kitchen...

I'll create something like a scrapbook page with her recipe, some old coupons for spam and fake butter, and other odds and ends (that will fit without being too crowded) and throw it all under glass in a picture frame... then I'll get a fine point dry erase marker to write out the week's menu and any grocery items we need to add to it.  Then, in theory, it can all be wiped off and used again.

And, in theory, my sweet family can stop asking me "What are we having [for lunch/dinner]?"
"Go check the Menu board..."

The best part is this is all scanned in a high resolution in my computer, so if I don't like the size/shape of the board, I can start again with a bigger picture frame.

This is what I have so far and will post a finished product (as soon as the spray paint on the frame dries and I can get it all together.)

Family Menu Board!

So, with heart strings tugged and lots of tears the last few days as I sort through this stuff and work on this project, I have been ignoring my fitness.  

Tomorrow I'm working at a half marathon to help direct runners on the course... I'm really looking forward to that and then I get to be a walking buddy to an amazing young gal who is walking her first 10K race.  I promise to get an interview up with this young lady, but you will be inspired.  She has a disease that is wrecking her muscles and deteriorating them... but before she is made to be unable to walk ever again, she has a goal to tackle a half marathon, and since she's up to 9 miles on her training walks, it's only a matter of time before you see her on the half marathon course!  ;-)

Happy Pi Day and Happy St. Patty's day tomorrow friends!  Hope it's a good one for you.

It's been a week of deep reflection for me... I won't lie, I might end the day tomorrow with a little Irish Whiskey to wash down my corned beef and cabbage dinner.  But not before getting a run in... really.

I really really need to run.

Does running help you sort out your thoughts and work out the heaviness in your heart?
Does grief for a lost loved one ever ease?

What is that...? I think it's called.... the sun?

Well, all those April showers are bringing the May flowers in my neighborhood.  There are all sorts of beautiful colors, but I never realized just how pink my street is!  PINK everywhere!  ...Or I have pink on the brain since I am gearing up for my breast cancer charity walk.  I did my 4 miles on Sunday and was seriously in awe of how the breeze grabbed the cherry blossom pedals and made them dance in the air.  I would have imagined something silly like it was my victory lap and it was celebratory confetti, but my sore calves were killing my mood.  It did carry me home though.  I would just look for the next pink blossom and before I knew it, I was done with my 4 miles!

When I took this picture, I dropped my husband's white headphones...  It took him about an hour to help me find them.  Oops.

 These were very pretty, but full of bees!  That's okay, right?  Leave them alone and they leave you alone... or something like that.  I do know a running friend who got stung and then an infection!  Leaves me a little paranoid about them...  :)

  

This isn't a rose, but looks a lot like one!  Anyone know what it is?  It's very pretty.

This tree lost a lot of it's flowers from the rain and breeze... and let me tell you that it's huge, waxy pedals are very slick!  Don't fall when running through the flower pedals!  

Monday was a day of stretching and strength training, but I spent the evening at Portland Running Company and found my new candy store.  I love supporting local businesses and found the staff so incredibly helpful and great product selection.  I don't want to sound insincere, but I can seriously gush!  They know what they are talking about.  My helper was John, and he just ran a full marathon the day before!  Anyone who does that is freakin' amazing.  Anyone who gets off the couch and runs or walks is amazing in my eyes...  but this guy got it done in just over 2 1/2 hours.  Wow.  It took a bit of time to find the right pair for me, but I appreciate that he never lost patience and went outside with me with every pair of shoes to watch my stride when I ran.  

                                            

As you can see, my trusty worn out pair on the top have a HUGE, bulky heel.  I hated trying to run in them... so, not knowing anything about shoes or running, I flocked to the sparkly ones like a raven hoarding shiny things.  Aren't they nice for a run on a gloomy, overcast day?  They could be... depending on your pronation type.  It would seem that I over pronate, big time!  My heel rolls inward and this can cause further pain in my already iffy knees and aggravate my "runner's knee".  ...Which I happen to be in physical therapy for!

The garish rainbow shoes (that I am totally smitten with,)  have too much "flex" and it seems that I need to have that bulky heel to provide the support I need not to roll my heels.  This is made even more clear by examining my wear patterns on my shoes....  My worn out, over-loved, day-to-day shoes are worn out in the middle of the shoe while the edges still have some traction.  Exactly what is desired.  So....  after an hour and a half of running in all sorts of shoes (I was in denial about the bulky heel and hoped to avoid it...), I now introduce you to my new running shoes!  (Drum Roll please!)

Brooks Addiction 10th edition

If you haven't been fitted for a shoe with your running style evaluated, I highly recommend it.  And if you live anywhere near driving distance to the Portland Running Company,  please visit them.  They are so awesome.  And in true spirit of Portland, they have free beer and snacks after their group runs.  Check them out!