Chronicles of a Chubby Runner: Coach Scruggs

For those who might not know it... I have another blog where I post all things about my running... since this one is about Scruggs, I thought it was worth re-posting here...

Chronicles of a Chubby Runner: Coach Scruggs: "I know that most of us that run primarily for reasons of health and fitness don't usually enlist the services of coaches... even if, ideally..."

One of our cats has skillz...

I think a picture is worth a thousand words. I walked in the bathroom this morning and there it was, balancing precariously on the edge of the litter box just as you see it in the picture. Not sure which one of the four cats is the gifted one of the lot, but thought I should brag on him/her anyway! LOL!

Wishing you the best in 2011

Edward Gorey

I am a fan of Edward Gorey who, for those not familiar with the name, is the artist featured at the beginning of Mystery! on PBS. He is well known for his darkly humorous black & white illustrations as well as his penchant for cats (of which he also drew quite a few).

I stumbled across this photo of him online the other day. I honestly don't know that much about his personal life, but thought this photo was a wonderful glimpse into the life of this creative man.

Jake & Elwood

I really haven't decided if they're on a "mission from God" or not, but they would definitely not object to the 5 fried chickens if offered! Introducing the newest additions to our family... Jake & Elwood! They are litter-mates that we adopted back in late January. They are now about 4 1/2 months old and full of mischief.

More Lenten Recipes

I had originally put this in yesterday's post, but have decided to start a new post for today.

This is a soup we were first introduced to at church. Thanks Raeanne! Since then we have introduced several other people to this soup who are surprised by its ingredients. During the rest of the year, you can add chicken to this soup, but this time of year, just follow the directions as listed. It's much yummier than the ingredients might suggest! Raeanne says she adds much more spice than is listed in this recipe when she makes it for herself, so if you're not sure, start safe and add more as you go!

Spicy Peanut Soup

1 TBSP garlic minced
1 TBSP curry powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
6 cups vegetable broth
½ cup Tomato paste
2 cups stewed tomatoes (chopped)
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
In dutch oven heat sesame oil over med. Heat. Saute’ onions and garlic until tender. Add other ingred. Stir will to combine. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve hot.

I still was reminded of yet another Lenten favorite by my friend TJ and her bemoaning of tofu:

There's a tofu scrambler recipe online that we really like. Chris had grown really tired of the pre-packaged scrambler mix that you can get at the store, plus, it gets kind of expensive. We like this recipe much better! With tons of tumeric it takes on a slightly curry-like flavor. Also note; nutritional yeast = brewer's yeast. It goes by both names.

After the tofu scrambler is all mixed up and ready to be cooked, I make a big batch of hash-style mixture:

• Fry up approx. 1/3 - 1/2 a package of Potatoes O'Brian (I go the lazy route and buy the frozen) when potatoes are nearly done add
• 3-4 Morningstar Farms sausage patties cooked & crumbled up
• tofu scrambler mixture
• top with regular cheddar or almond cheese and let melt

This recipe is easy to extend as needed by adding a few more potatoes and sausage patties.

Also, Bob's Red Mill makes a tofu scrambler for breakfast (in the Mill store restaurant) where they add broccoli and fresh tomatoes as well. I would think you could add just about any veggies that you like to this and maybe reduce the potatoes by a bit.

I hope you enjoy!

Lenten Recipes

OK, I am NOT a huge resource of Lenten recipes, but I do have a few that are favorites of ours through this season of the Fast. So here they are...

My hummus recipe is basically this one. Over time I have adjusted the amount of seasonings I put in it (usually a little extra garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, cumin) and I usually add just a tiny bit of cayenne. Last year, if I must confess, we went through two #10 restaurant supply cans of garbanzo beans making hummus. Yikes!

My sis-in-law Heather has a "Wendy's" chili recipe that Chris & I really like. This time of year, I don't put any meat in it (although I usually add some cooked TVP - see my recipe below). Also, I use red beans & black beans instead of the pinto & kidney beans, but that's just a personal preference of mine - I'm not a big kidney bean fan.

Another one of my other favorite Lenten dish is Majedra. Thanks to Kh. Krista West for this recipe! It took me a long time to make the first time I ever tried it as I didn't quite get the timing down on the onions, lentils & rice. But I am getting better at it! I'm still getting used to some of the middle eastern flavors, so I cut back on the allspice just a bit.

Madjedra (The classic Middle Eastern lentil and rice dish)

2 cups dry lentils
1 cup rice (I use brown basmati rice)
3 large onions
5-6 T. olive oil (or more, depending on taste)
Salt and pepper
Allspice

To the lentils, add 8 cups water and some salt. Boil the lentils halfway until done. While the lentils are boiling, chop 2 of the onions and sauté in half of the olive oil, sautéing until a little beyond golden brown. When the onions are almost done, add ½ T. allspice and 1 t. salt and sauté a little more. Set onions aside. When lentils are halfway done, add the rice and boil until the rice is almost done (stir and add water as needed). Turn down the burner to simmer off the last liquid 10-15 minutes and add salt, pepper, and about 1/2 T. allspice along with the sautéed onions.

Take the last onion and slice it into rings. Sauté it in the remaining olive oil until very brown (almost black). Use the onions rings as a garnish when serving.

TVP Crumbles (Ground meat substitute) again, the thanks goes to my sis-in-law, Heather for this!

1. Prepare/soak a batch of TVP according to the directions (For Bob's Red Mill TVP: to rehydrate the granules, pour 7/8 cup boiling water over 1 cup TVP. Stir and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.)
2. Add a small amount of "Kitchen Bouquet" (optional) to the soaked TVP until it becomes a darker tan color (this will add some flavor & color to the TVP - it is a vegetable based flavoring agent)
3. Fry TVP in skillet over med-low heat with 1-2 T of oil, turning regularly until some of the excess moisture is cooked off and the TVP is closer to the moisture/consistency of cooked ground meat. I'm not sure how to describe this, as it's more of just a "feel."
4. Approx 12 oz of cooked TVP = 1 lb of ground "meat" in recipes

Notes:

• I use Bob's Red Mill TVP as I pick up the Bob's in bulk at the Mill Store!
• The TVP will stick to the pan if you're not using a non-stick pan. Don't worry if it does, just keep scrape it off the bottom and keep going!