My First Mile

Today I ran a mile. No stopping, no walking. For most of you this would be not a very big deal at all. Most people have (or can currently) been able to run at least one mile, but not me. I have never ran a mile. For me this is a huge accomphishment, a distant dream of the past. In order to really understand why this is such a big deal, I need to take you back in time.

It was fourth grade. Mr. Finny, the elementary school P.E teacher announces that it is "mile week". The idea is that on Monday, everyone ran a mile. If you didn't run it in under 10 minutes, you ran it also on Tuesday, same on Wednesday... ect.. I was one of the only kids who was still running a mile on Friday. I remember trying so hard, running as fast as I could, but I could never do it without walking. I wasn't good enough. This was my first experience running.

It didn't get better from there. Middle school was full of P.E failures and discouragement. By the time I got to high school I had convinced myself that I suck at anything physical. Especially running. Mrs. Fry, my well intentioned P.E. teacher, had us run every Friday. Her thing was that all we had to do was "stay in front of her" in order to receive credit. We would start the run, and I started falling behind, until I could hear her right behind me saying "dont let me pass you!" Of course, she always would. Again, I fell behind, and eventually just refused to even try.

My whole life I have watched those athletic people in awe. Do they know how lucky they are? But, I moved on and got comfortable with the idea that I really do suck at anything physical.

Fast forward to this past September. I decided to make another attempt. This time, focusing on fitness. I got my butt to the gym and have tried running everyday. Every run, so many thoughts of doubt and failure  race through my mind, but I kept going. I try everyday to stay positive and convince myself that maybe I can.

Today, I got on the treadmill and faced my doubt and failure in the face. I ran. I ran, and I didnt die. I ran, and it hurt, but I could breath. The muscles I have been growing, carried me. My heart didn't pound out of my chest. I ran a whole mile. 14 minutes straight no stopping. While I ran I imagined that little 4th grade girl trying so hard. I imagined that 16 year old Mimi kicking the dirt on the track and watching those "athletic kids" effortlessly glide across the track. I said in my head. "I can do this. I can do this...". Why not me?

No joke, when the mile was over I literally cried right there on the treadmill. Today I proved to myself that maybe running is hard for me, but maybe I dont suck so bad. Maybe... I can do this. 
Since I started running in September I have said I can do this, but today was the first day I really believed it.

Special thanks to my friend Leslie- who was right beside me pushing me on!!!!

Gluten Free Advice

Hello Blog world! I havent updated this blog in a while becasue I've been a LITTLE busy taking care of baby Olive, and writing in my other blog Olivemygirl.blogspot.com

I've had several people in my life decide to try going gluten free, and have asked me for advice. I want to state first, I am NO expert, and I could be totally wrong on something here. This is intented to be advice, and all is my opionion.

I've been gluten free (GF) now for three years, and it was a HUGE shock and adjustment to my way of life. Before going GF I would eat gluten at almost every meal. I had NO idea. I felt like death most of the time. I had a hard time concentrating, maintaining energy, and digesting my food. These days I pretty much am used to it now, know what I can and can't have, and it is just become my way of life. Here are some tips and product suggestions. I tried SO many different brands, so I think my opinion is a good one.

What I eat for:

Breakfast: 
This is the easiest meal of the day. Eggs, bacon, fruit, ect are all GF. Easy.
When I want a carby meal, Bisquick makes the BEST mix. Even Adam likes it. Other brands are OK... but, less like the "real thing".
If you want something frozen Vans makes the best ones.
Chex also makes a bunch of GF cereals, but I dont eat cereal anymore. I need more substance.
Hot cereal? Bobs Red Mill makes this "Mighty Tasty Cereal", which is AWESOME with butter and salt (kinda like grits), and also good with brown sugar and rasins. If your watching your wasteline though, be warned. This stuff is very carb heavy.

Eating out? Easy. Get an omelet  meat, fruit. Ask for corn tortillas instead of toast. I'm amazed at how good this is, and how many places will actually do this.

Lunch:
Also, Easy to do.
If your looking for frozen foods Amy's makes some good GF ones. Gluten Free Cafe is ok, but... not super good for you, and not very filling.

I usually will have a sandwich or a wrap. I prefer Udis frozen bread. The slices are small, and the cost is high, BUT... It tastes real good. If you want a lower carb option, Rudi's makes a REALLY good tortilla. This tortilla is great because it doesnt break and crumble like corn tortillas do. I squirt it with a little water, and stick it in the microwave first.

Several brands of chips are "safe" to eat. Any potato chip is safe unless it has some weird powder on it. Cheetos are also good. I eat Lays.

Eating out? It gets tricky sometimes... Fast food is hard if your celiacs or really sensitive because the french fries are fried in the same oil as the chicken nuggets, and have gluten. (Im OK with them though) Wendy's and In and Out apparently are ok. I usually will order a sandwich, and bring my own bun, and swap it out, but again, if your really sensitive, you might not be able to do this. Also, there are always salads... (keep away from the croutons) You want croutons  Save the ends of your frozen Udis bread, chop into small squares, cover in olive oil, salt, garlic, sage, thyme, ect.. and bake. I do this and keep them on hand. 

Restaurants-
Most American-style restaurants will have a burger. Order without a bun and extra lettuce. Easy. You can order any sandwich this way. You can also bring your own bun (Udi's brand).
Again, salads are usually safe but watch out for the small crunch stuff they put on them. You might need to ask. Most of the time dressings are safe, but you might wanna ask just to be safe.

Mexican- Easy. Just stay away from Flour tortillas.

Italian- Good luck. You can do meats and cheeses.... otherwise, you might wanna check ahead of time to see if they offer a GF pizza or pasta. Places like dominos and macaroni grill have these options, but there are some great small, local places that do too. You just need to call or check out their website.

Thai- Apparently, real soy sauce from Thailand is made with soy, and not wheat. You can ask to be safe. I always order the spring rolls (made with rice paper) and pad thai. Thai has a lot of rice based items, but beware of the soy sauce, and any wheaty wrappered appetizers.

Chinese: This one is tough because they put soy sauce in everything. I have learned though if you bring your own like this one, they will actually use it to make your dishes. Stay away from dumplings and potstickers... so sad.

What else?....

Dinner:

I eat pretty traditional for dinner. Usually some protein, like chicken, some carb, like potatoes or quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAH), and some veggie. These are all safe. If you WANT some chicken with a crust or make nuggets or something I find that I use a couple things.
To make chicken strips or nuggets:
coat chicken in egg, then roll in rice flour with seasonings, then fry. EASY
Rice flour can be a little... chalky though, so you can try the bisquick or these
super good.

Its easy to just cook your own food, but the products are easy and really good. I prefer Udi's, Rudi's, and Glutino.

Snacks:
Crackers? Glutino
Pretzels: Glutino
Muffins: Udi's
English muffins: Glutino

OK, one last thing. There are so many local bakeries that do a fabulous job! Around here, I can't say enough good things about Mariposa Bakery. They are AMAZING! Seriously. Amazing. They also ship.

Let me know anything else specific you want help with, and good luck!!!

Dining in

If you keep up on my blog, you already know how obsessed with good food I am. Since I went gluten free almost 2 years ago, finding and making some of my favorite foods has been a challenge, but has not held me back. Today was a nice day, and I didn't have much planned after my acupuncture appointment. I spent some time down on 4th street having lunch, looking in shops, and resisting the clip board people. (people with clipboards, want you to donate money or petition.... HATE.) I ended up in one of my favorite Italian specialty food/deli/bakery shops: The Pasta Shop I ended up buying some beautiful prosciutto. I was looking at the pasta and felt sad that I couldnt just buy fresh pasta. Then I saw it.... WHAT!!!??? Yes, my friends, they actually make fresh gluten free pasta. I also bought some almond cookies that are also gluten free. So, I knew dinner was going to be fabulous.

I picked up some heirloom tomatoes, sweet onions, Parmesan cheese, and cantaloupe on the way home. So excited to cook.

I ended up roasting the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil until oh so tender. Then, I made an alfredo sauce with butter, olive oil, half and half, and cheese (shhh.... this part isnt low cal..). I put the veggies in the food processor with chopped basil. (smells so good) Then, I pour the red veggie mix into the alfredo sauce and cooked with a splash of white wine. I also crisped some prosciutto to put on top. Also, our favorite tuscon melon with prosciutto.




I told you, I refuse to let gluten get in the way of eating like this every now and then. ahhhh!

Family reunion time

Hey friends and family! I get on my blog the other day and saw I have finally hit 5000 views!!!! I thought, "ok, I need to post again", so here we are.

Here we are in July and in some ways time is in slow motion, and in other ways, it seems to be going so fast. One exciting thing that happened this month is this big family reunion we had for my dad's 60th bday. It has been a while since we have all been together, and it was so wonderful to have all the siblings all together. All grown up.

We all went to Tilden park and had a BBQ/picnic for my dad. It was wonderful. Here are some pictures!

This is my dad RIGHT before he realized Matt was standing next to him. It was a WONDERFUL surprise!"WHAT!!!?"Adam playing "patty cake" with Mia. Priceless....

Then, all week I got to see my brother and his adorable family, Vanessa, Mattie, Jacob, and Mia. We went to Roaring camp and rode the train through the redwoods.


We went to the boardwalk and rode roller coasters!Matt's family on the ride together!!


Overall, it was a week full of fun, laughs, and family. We need to do this more often.

Now, my house is so quiet...filled with sounds of pugs snoring and people's court and price is right.... But thats ok with me too. I am thankful for my family. They are each so special and amazing in their own way. I am thankful for my husband, who continues to fill my life with laughter and happiness.

Happy 5000 views to me! Keep reading! (and commenting!)

Spring

Hello friends and family!

Lately I have really become obsessed with plants. I am proud that I have somehow managed to keep someplants alive for a year and a half. (record!) My thumb is as far away from the color green as humanly possible. Lately though, my thumb is telling me it wants to change. As you guys know, I started my veggies from seeds during my 30 day challenge. Well, yesterday was "graduation day", where I took them and put them in bigger pots, and took them on a field trip to the outside. I have 4 beautiful pea plants, 2 gorgeous zucchini plants, and some onions, lettuce, and tomatoes (still have some growing to do.) These are the peas.

Adorable?

Its funny how attached i feel to them. I am so proud I grew these all myself from seed. Im sad to send them outside now where there are scary things like bugs! But, I know they need room to grow, and more sun than I can provide inside. Sniff sniff. Its like my child moving away to college... hahahaha (pathetic?)



So, in effort to try and make a happy permanent home for these babies, I have been cleaning out the mess that is the back yard. Oh man, how the plants took over out there, and its like my nightmare. I got an estimate from a company to clean it up, and NO THANKS 1,400 dollars to weed my back yard. BS. SO, I am trying to do it and I am becoming so overwhelmed. I work and work till my hands hurt and I cant bend over, and it STILL is a mess! This is the "pile" AFTER 7 yard waste bags full.....

Im trying to take it one thing at a time, but gee wiz. I think this season my veggies will be planted in pots back there. I wont give up, I filled 10 LARGE yard waste bags, and 2 trashcans- today. By myself ... (pride sniff...) I know tomorrow I will be hurting, but what can you do?

Part of my job today was to take this huge pile of weeds that my KIND brother pulled for me, and bag them. The problem is I HATE BUGS. So, here I am, raking these weeds from this huge pile and all these bugs are jumping out. I SWEAR I saw a worm (thought it was a snake) that was 9 INCHES long. (Scream) I also hate spiders, weird beetles, and anything creepy looking. I have to pump myself up (I am strong, I am strong..) just to bend over to pick up this stuff. I swear if there was someone hiding in the bushes video taping me, they would post a viral video named: "crazy lady afraid of weeds".

Anyways, I enjoyed the sunshine, and just cant wait till it is cleaned up back there so I can plant things and enjoy it out there. Meanwhile... where is the Tylenol? Enjoy the picts of the pretty parts of the yard.

Time with family

Hello friends and blog followers. I have been really missing blogging daily, so I thought I would write a new entry today. What have I been up to? Well, pretty much the same thing, but last week was wonderful because I got to spend so much time with my family!! My parents came over from Utah with my younger brother, John. I grandparents came up from New Mexico (?), my aunt and uncle from Colorado, and other members who live in Ca, came from here there and everywhere to the bay area to celebrate my grandpa's 80th birthday!This is a pict of all the "ladies" at the party. I dont have one with everyone.....

I had such a wonderful time visiting with my parents while they stayed here for a few nights. They brought their pugs, Nick and Jack too. We mostly just hung out and visited, but we also went out to eat and went on walks. We took all FOUR pugs to the big dog park, and I was so proud of Mango for not killing anyone. ;) She proved to be a happy dog park lover (Also, salami helps.) This is an old picture of all four pugs!



My mom and I got our toes done, went shopping, and lunch! I wish I had more days like that! I love her so much, and just love spending time with her. Adam also loves her- hes always teasing and joking with her! My dad and I got to go out and walk around 4th street. I took him to the stained glass shop, which he LOVED!

My brother I spent the most time with, and I just really miss him. Hes so interesting and different, which I like. He also did some work in the yard, took the trash out, and cleaned my kitchen after dinner. I called him my "man servant". I paid him in burritos. hahaha


Now that they are gone, my house is so quiet. I can only hear 2 pugs snoring. I look forward to their next visit!

The birthday party went well. I was in charge of decorating, (my mom helped too!) which went really well! I think my grandpa really enjoyed seeing us all. We sat around telling jokes and memories involving him. Funny! I decorated tables with blown up pictures of him and his kids! I also made a picture poster for everyone to sign.



Today- Im off to the dentist, dinner with Rachel, and the last meditation class. Im down 6.2 pounds, (total of 29 since i went gluten free) and feeling pretty good.

Day 30!!!

Holy cow, I made it! 30 days ago I was in a pretty bad place. Emotionally and mentally I was really struggling. I started this challenge as a way for me to try and focus on the good stuff in life, and I really feel like in the past 30 days I have really grown and changed. In forcing myself to do something interesting everyday, or at least think about something interesting everyday, I actually feel happier. Now, I know my life problems aren't "fixed", and I am still going to have good and bad days, but I know I can get through it.

I have so many wonderful things in my life. Sometimes its hard to look on the good side when the "bad" stuff seems to take over in my heart. I think everyone will agree with me on this one. I have really enjoyed exploring what I already have, and new things that I can be grateful for. My family, my amazing husband, my friends, my pugs, my life, music, nature, knitting, crafts, walking, peace, and food are just things I can always look to for happiness.

Thank you all for reading my blog for the past 30 days. I promise I wont disappear, but blogging everyday is actually pretty hard!!! Spring is here and I have this wonderful life to live!!!!

My seeds have grown (some of them!), and so have I. Hugs to you all!