The Birth of a Morning Runner

Salutations and Good Vibrations Everyone! It's Fr-Fr-Friday!

It's been a little while since my last post, but haven't made anything ah-mazing that I wanted to share with you. I tried lentil meatballs which were tasty when i put them in spaghetti sauce, but didn't hold their shape. So it just ended up being tomato saucy lentil meat. Without the sauce they were pretty much high-protein sawdust balls. YUM.

I did make a yummy stir-fry which I will share with you, so don't you worry. There IS a point to my babbling.

The past two weeks I have been a clinical dietitian working at Jackson hospital here in Montgomery. It is not as scary or as dreadful as anticipated and all the dietitians are so sweet. There is a thread of hope for clinical work. A thread. In a giant blanket of foodservice management. Thread.

Since we don't have to be in until 9, I actually have time in the morning to think, eat, and wake up and (drumroll please) RUN. I know, I know. Morning running + me = No bueno. I always lack motivation to do anything except some exhausting games of tetris and facebook stalking in the morning, but glory halleluah I am starting to run in the morn'. I'm trying to be good and exercise just about everyday so I can indulge in the holiday season! And that fact that it's good for you, and makes you feel good! By the time I get home for the day I'm ready for dinner, and after that is too dark for a run so I made myself do it and run in the morning. It's actually been quite nice. My pace is pretty slow, but by golly I'm still running! Sounds like my southern is coming out....

If you too want to make the transition to working out in the morning, here's some tips:

1.) Plan ahead. Set everything out the night before. Clothes. Watch. Ipod. Sneakers. The works. This will leave you with more time for exercise and less time fumbling for your headphones in the dark.

2.) Just do it. Don't think about it, just get up. Trust me. If I think about it, I give myself time to come up with all the reasons I shouldn't go running. When the alarm goes off, I'm up and ready. Pretty sure I wouldn't be able to do it otherwise.

3.) Enjoy it. Don't make your morning routine something you dread. Don't feel bad you didn't run the WHOLE time. I am finding I can run longer with short breaks now and then. When it comes down to it, you're still running the same time, and that's all that matters. Push yourself, but don't beat yourself down. What's the point of all the endorphins from exercise if you make yourself feel bad?! As Elle Woods would say....

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands"

Save your husbands and take a walk : )

If you need another motivator, as if my Tony Robbins speech didn't win you over already, here's my playlist for this weekend. A totally random but motivational mix of tunes!

Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root
Die Young - Ke$ha (yes, I even took the effort to do the dollar sign)
Show Me Love - Robin S
Good Feeling - Flo Rida
Pound the Alarm - Nicki Minaj
Only Girl (In the World) - Rihanna
Take Your Time (Do It Right) - SoS Band
La La La - LMFAO
Borderline - Madonna
Jump Off - Lil' Kim
Now That We Found Love - Heavy D & The Boys
Be Gentle With Me - The Boy Least Likely To

I bet you're already out the door!

Here's a quick and simple stir-fry you can make for dinner after your anti-husband killing workout.

Stir Fried Veggies & Tofu
serves 2
1 pkg tofu, drained, and cubed (or 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed)
1/4 cup soy-sauce
1 green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup water
1 tsp ground ginger
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 cups chopped collard greens (or any other vegetable you want)


Start by combining the soy sauce, water, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, and green onion in a closeable container.

Add the tofu (or chicken), close and marinate in the fridge at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. If using chicken remove from the marinated, add to pan, and cook until no longer pink inside, reserving the marinade.  If using tofu, add the vegetables first and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.

Add the tofu and marinate and cook until mixture is thickened.

Serve over a bed of rice, or like me in a giant collard green "wrap". Look at the size of that leaf?!

Enjoy the weekend and look for another post soon!

Sharing is Caring.

Good Morning! Another bright and sunny day here in Montgomery. How's the weather on your side of the world?

Already the weekend?! I could get used to this 4 day work week. I have to say I am glad that this week's internship rotation is complete. I spent it with a WIC clinic, which is a great public health service but not for me. The dietitian job is very repetitive day in and day out. Since I tend to get bored quite easily, I need constant change in my work routine. Jangle some shiny keys in front of me occasionally and I MAY be able to work at WIC for another week.

Next week I will complete my rotation with Public Health which I'm a little sad about. After my tv stardom, and working with everyone there I really started to get comfortable there. But in light of it, I will move on to my first foodservice management rotation at one of the local schools, which I am looking forward to. I mean, it is where I'm looking to work.

In the blogging world, I FINALLY have caught up with the sharing technology! I learned how to install a "share" bar so you can like my post on facebook, or tweet it, and even pin it! I'm moving on up.
<===== See here!

This recipe is what I have for dinner last night. I was getting tired of eating the chili I had made to last me until my next grocery trip, so I whipped this up using what I had left in the fridge. I have to say it was rather tasty. Just wish I had some salsa to dip in to!

Collard & Onion Quesadilla
serves 1
2 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup chopped collard greens (spinach, kale, or swiss chard would work as well)
1/4 cup onion chopped
2 Tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese

Start by heating a skillet on medium heat, and spraying with cooking spray. Add your greens and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened. In true southern style, I of course bought me some collard greens. No ham hocks for me though.

I always speed up the cooking process by steaming my veggies a bit. Add a couple tablespoons of water to the pan and cover for a minute or two. Remove the lid to allow the remaining water to evaporate. Season veggies with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and transfer to plate.

Now spray your pan again and add one tortilla. Add a half of your cheese, then top with veggies, remaining cheese and other tortilla. Cook for a minute or two, flip and cook another minute. Splitting up the cheese helps the whole thing stick together better. Melted cheese is the best food glue around!

Transfer to plate and cut in four pieces with a pizza cutter. Like I said I wish I had some salsa to dip in to. I'm a fan of BBQ sauce too, which may be good inside this concoction as well.

Happy Saturday!!