It was a rainy morning, and I found myself sleeping in until the ripe old hour of 7:08.
This is serious stuff for me. It means that I’m slowly overcoming my internal alarm, which normally shouts at me when I dare to sleep beyond 6:30. “Get up, get up—there’s so much to do!” I trained myself to think this way during 4 years of college, so naturally it takes more than one night to overcome this voice. But slowly—oh-so-slowly—my body is learning that it’s okay to “sleep in” now and again. A dark, cool, rainy morning certainly helps in this department.
I wanted to finish off the Dannon yogurt this morning, so I made a yogurt & oat mess and called it breakfast:
- 1/2 c. oatmeal
- 2 T. wheat bran
- 1 pink lady apple, chopped
- 6-oz. plain, nonfat dannon yogurt
- cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
- toppings: 2 T. walnuts
I like to keep a record of all my workouts in a journal. It’s a great way to pinpoint what works, what doesn’t work, where injuries might have possibly come from, etc. It’s also a great motivation tool. I can look back at all my past workouts and training schedules to see where I’ve been and how far I have come.
As I was journaling about my 3-mile run + 1-mile walk this morning, I quickly noted “laid back work-out week” at the top of the page. Then I realized how dull this sounded and scratched it out. Since when did 3-miles become laid back? Just last month, I couldn’t even run a mile without severe knee pain. I should be jumping—absolutely leaping!—with joy, over the fact that I ran without knee pain. I should be shouting at the top of my lungs. I should be dancing through the streets (okay, maybe I’m getting a little carried away now.) The point is that it’s so easy to forget how far I’ve come in training and where I once was. Our bodies do so much for us, and it’s incredibly important that we give it the respect that it deserves.
The current “getting back from an injury” running plan: 3 times a week MAX, 3-miles each run MAX—until the end of July, and then I’ll see how things are feeling from there on 😉
Post run, I quickly headed to the deck to ice my knees and refueled with a grapefruit and some almonds.
I had many food items to finish off in the refrigerator before going grocery shopping today. And—lucky me—they all worked marvellously together to form one killer of an omelet (or veggie scramble, which is probably a more accurate a way of describing it 😉 ).
- 1 whole egg + 1 egg white
- steamed broccoli
- 3 mushroom caps, sauteed in 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 slice of reduced fat, sargento provolone cheese
On the side, I toasted two slices of homemade wheat bread, topped with a pat of butter.
Afternoon Snack: Voskos Plain Non-Fat yogurt with a homemade blueberry banana muffin
I’ve mentioned my sister and her talented tastebuds before, and I’ll mention it again. It completely blows my mind to see her taste something and know what the secret ingredient is. The ingredient that makes the dish. And then she goes home and remakes it in her own kitchen. Yes. It blows my mind.
I have no ability at all when it comes to pinpointing a specific ingredient. When I order a meal at a restaurant, I simply know whether my tastebuds are happy or not. It serves me well for the most part. Just don’t ask me to tell you what’s in your favorite dipping sauce. I honestly couldn’t tell you.
However, I’ve been toying with the idea of remaking the Cheesecake Factory’s Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps ever since I first tried them. And this recipe is as close as I’ve come to repeating the meal. But don’t be upset if it tastes nothing at all like the real deal. All I can promise is that it will make your tastebuds very, very happy.
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Chicken:
- 1 lb. chicken breast, sliced into long, thin strips
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 c. pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 tsp dried garlic (or 1 tsp fresh)
- 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Heat the broiler on high.
- Mix all ingredients together, add chicken. Marinate for 20 minutes. Thread chicken onto wooden skewers and place on broiler pan (cover ends of sticks with foil to avoid burning them.)
- Cook under broiler for 8 minutes, flipping once halfway.
Other Ingredients:
Just have fun with the rest of the stuff! I julienned some carrots, added in some black beans with red onions, bean sprouts, red bell peppers and cucumbers. I also had guacamole and peanut sauce for dipping (check the label to be sure you can pronounce the ingredients…or better yet, make your own! ) This was easily one of the funnest, tastiest meals of my week. 😀
Tomorrow is my sis’ 27th birthday! If you want to wish her a Happy Birthday, check out her blog: Loving Simple Moments. We’re spending the day with shopping, girly chatter, and icecream sundaes. I don’t think it gets any better. 
Question: Have you ever tried to recreate a meal that you had while eating out? Is there a meal that you wish you could recreate?
Running To Slow Things Down 