CSA Pick-Up #2

Posted on June 20, 2010 by ellen

My CSA just started 2 weeks ago. If you aren’t familiar with CSAs, they are basically subscriptions to a farm share. CSA stands for community supported agriculture. To buy into a farm’s CSA, you are essentially making an investment into their crops… your yield is whatever they harvest. (To find a CSA near you, click here).

The season at our farm began on June 10. Each Thursday until the end of the season (usually November-ish), I’ll head over to the pick-up point and get what’s fresh this week.

Garlic scapes, spinach, lettuce, arugula, snap peas, beets, turnips, and rainbow chard.

The great thing and the most challenging thing about a CSA is figuring out what to do with SO MANY VEGGIES. I found that last season (my first) was a lot of trial and error. It was tough to eat through everything before it began to spoil.

I typically rinse and chop greens as soon as I get them. I put them in a baggie or container with a paper towel in it to absorb excess moisture. As for the other veggies, I’ll try to cook them up and fridge/freeze them so that I can easily eat them later.

This week, I made pesto with the garlic scapes.

Love those crazy looking scapes.

Add chopped scapes (I used 7 of them), handful of pine nuts, grated cheese (like parmesan), and olive oil to a blender or food processor.

Garlic-licious.

I also attempted to make a raw beet salad. I say attempted because it turned out to be my first Vita-Mix fail. As much as I love the Vita, she was too strong to simply pulse and chop my beets. They were pulverized in seconds. SO I decided to make beet juice with some carrot juice in the fridge and ginger.

After straining it multiple times, it was, well, beet-y. You know that earthiness that beets have? Well, yes, it was beet juice. Refreshing for sure.

The rest of the stuff we either ate in salads (turnips, most of the greens) or sauteed (chard). It’s not all gone yet, but we should get through all of it well before Thursday’s pick-up. I really can’t wait until the summer produce (squash, zucchini, peppers, etc).

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In other news:

  • My morning workouts have been GREAT (and consistent). I’ll be adding early morning swims to the mix next week as M and I train for our August sprint-tri in August. (I’ll post the schedule… eventually)
  • Are you running in the NYC Marathon this year? I am. Training to commence shortly…
  • I’m doing my first Blueprint Cleanse starting tomorrow. I’ll give a full recap.
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How to workout in the morning without hating the rest of your day

Posted on June 2, 2010 by ellen

As I’ve mentioned, for the last six weeks or so, I’ve maintained regular early morning workouts. Yes, I still have to talk myself into getting up sometimes (like this morning), but that happens more and more infrequently. I’ve grown to love and look forward to my early morning workouts. And with summer here ( = heat and humidity here in NYC), the wee hours are the only ones that I can comfortably work out.

Several friends and co-workers have said “I wish I could work out in the morning..” or “I’d love to do that but…” you get the idea. The truth is, you can do it! In fact, for those of us with busy schedules, who often find dragging ourselves to the gym after a full day of work gets skipped over, morning workouts are perfect! Here’s how to get started:

  1. Define early. How much time do you really need in the morning? Set a loose time line. For me, I like to walk out the door for work by 7. To do this, I need to get in the shower by 6, which means my workouts need to begin at 5-5:15 on any given morning.
  2. Once you set your time table, you can realistically see what parts of your morning routine you can shave down. For me, this means making my whole lunch the night before, laying out my work clothes (underwear, socks, the whole deal), and sleeping in my workout gear. I know that the minute I have any time to think, I may decide not to go. The idea is to take any thought out of your morning routine.
  3. Set your workouts. Mix up your strength and cardio as you see fit. Jillian’s 30 Day Shred is great is you are tight on time. On-Demand channels have many workout videos that you can often order for free (see FitTV, if you have it). I typically run outside 2 days/week, do circuits 1 day, and mix up the other two days with gym workouts (easy elliptical or strength stuff). It will take some trial and error to see what works best for you.
  4. Just do it. Really. Commit to at least a full week. It may take you a little time to adjust. Make sure you hit the hay earlier the night before and prep all of your clothes/food/etc…
  5. Reward yourself. Sure, I know as well as anyone that the true reward for being fit and healthy is, well, just being fit and healthy. But I also know that I love getting presents. Even if I’m getting them for myself and they are things that I’d buy myself anyway. It’s positive behavior reinforcement. Complete your first full week? Treat yourself to a new magazine, or latte at Starbucks – whatever floats your boat. Up the reward ante as you gain some momentum. The lure new workout gear keeps me going…

People who workout in the morning tend to have more energy throughout the day, and are more consistent in their exercise routine than those who workout at other times of the day (SparkPeople). My biggest reason? It frees up my evenings for social activities (I hated trying to juggle dinner plans with gym time).

Tomorrow’s post? How I eat for my early morning workouts.

So how about you – do you exercise in the morning? Would you like to? Will you try it?

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Great read from the NYTimes about the “new” generation of foodies who are making a go of local farmer’s markets and festivals. Check it out!

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June 1

Posted on June 1, 2010 by ellen

Happy Summer! After a weekend at the beach, I feel like summer is officially here. And I couldn’t be happier to see it.

True confession time: I suck at the monthly goals thing. I love it in theory. I love writing down my goals and workin at ‘em… but I’m really bad at it. That’s not to say that I don’t accomplish good things… they just don’t always turn out to be the goals that I originally set. For most people, it seems, making goals public gives them motivation to achieve them. For some ass-backwards reason, though, it just makes me, uhh, not do them. But do other stuff instead. (That was unintentionally very Zoolander… read good and do other stuff good too…).

In May, I’ve had a green (or green-ish) monster almost every day (since I got my Vita-Mix). I also wake up with Amazing Grass or a wheatgrass shot every morning. Pretty good, eh? Wasn’t on my list. Still super proud of these things, though! I’ve even been hitting up the 5am workouts consistently. Yowsa.

So for June? I’ll keep it up. And I’ll throw in a few new things gradually. I promise :)

What are YOU up to this month?

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Doing More Before 6 AM…

Posted on May 27, 2010 by ellen

than many people do all day is an awesome feeling.

I’m a total morning person. As soon as my eyes are open, I’m up and wide awake. When I was working and in grad school, between 5am and 7am are when I did the bulk of my grad work before going to my full-time job all day. Lately, I’ve been trying to work out in the wee hours.

Since I usually like to leave for work at 7, this means reeeeeeally early. Like o-dark-hundred early. So I recruited my husband, M, to accompany me. For moral support, for safety reasons, and really just for fun.

I figured out a little weekday schedule for us to follow. M just goes with whatever I’m doing, and I’m acting like our little trainer for our upcoming triathlon (his first, my second). Here’s how it looks:

  • Monday: Either strength training or recovery on elliptical/bike
  • Tuesday: Run
  • Wednesday: Circuits
  • Thursday: Run (soon this will be our speed work day alt. with hills)
  • Friday: Strength

Today? Circuits. M really didn’t know what I had in mind. I put together a quickie routine for us to repeat twice. I figured I’d read enough chick-fit magazines and done enough workouts with Jillian to throw together some circuits…

  • 5 minute warm-up run
  • 1 min push-ups
  • 1 min mountain climbers
  • 1 min bench crunches (not sure what these are called… but when you basically do Pilates V with legs in table-top and crunch it)
  • 1 min jumping jacks
  • 1 min single leg squats
  • 1 min plank
  • 1 min side shuffle
  • 1 min pull-ups (we assist each other with these. My goal is two without assistance – it’s pretty pathetic so far, haha).
  • 1 min crunches
  • 5 min cool down run

We repeat the blue twice, then cool-down. I tried to alternate upper body, lower body, and cardio (like jumping jacks). We were both sweating our faces off after the first 7 minutes or so. I felt pretty good, but really started to lag by the end of the second circuit. Overall, we loved it. With a few tweaks (may add in jump rope in place of something else), we’ll definitely keep circuits on our Wednesday morning routine.

Do you work out in the morning? If so, how do you squeeze in a great workout in not much time?

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Also, check out the $50 iherb giveaway at Pure2Raw!

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Hello, Lovahhh

Posted on May 26, 2010 by ellen

You tease…

OMFG!

That’s right. I gifted myself with a Vita-mix!

Oh, you sexy thang. Haha, my husband was a leeeetle worried as I whistled and dropped lines on my new blender.

Sorbet: apple/berry/banana sorbet

Smoothie: strawberry, banana, almond milk

Smoothie: spinach, blueberry, coconut water

Garlic Hummus

Since getting the Vita a few weeks ago, I’ve used it at least once a day. Always for a morning smoothie. Sometimes in the evening for ice-cream or sorbet. I’m really looking forward to making soups when our CSA start up in two weeks.

As I keep experimenting, I’ll post some favorites. I haven’t tried nut butter yet, but will do that soon. I’m also looking forward to dips, sauces, and salad dressings. Any suggestions?

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Recap: Brooklyn Half-Marathon

Posted on May 23, 2010 by ellen

Yesterday, I ran my third Brooklyn Half-Marathon. And while this one wasn’t my fastest, it was definitely my proudest.

The back-story: I’ve been getting back in to my prime running shape after lagging a bit over the winter. I trained for (sorta) and eeked out a Philly Broad Street Run (10-miler) three weeks ago. (That race recap is long overdue, but coming soon). Since the 10-miler, though, I haven’t run at all. Not so much as even laced up my shoes. Scary, right?

So typically, I would have just bailed on the half. I thought about it too. But, I paid already. AND, more importantly, my friend got me access to the VIP tent before and after the race. I was more than a little excited to check it out.

So I went into the race thinking it would be pretty bad. All I wanted was to run a bit, and not get injured. I was even okay with the idea of not finishing. I carried a metro card and $10 in my pocket in case things got real and I needed to bail. I was pretty sure this would happen and was perfectly okay with the idea.

I got to Prospect Park around 6:15 for the 7:00 start. The VIP tent was right at the starting line, so I dropped off my bag and drank some green tea (from the tent spread) while I waited for my friend. The tent itself was really small (smaller than I expected). The biggest perks, though, were the private porto’s – no lines! – and seeing the pros up close.

At the start, I came up with a game plan: run the 7 miles in Prospect Park as best I can, assess my sitch at mile 7, and either bail on the race, or continue. The first few miles I felt okay and kept a pace of 10:00/mile or less. It was pretty muggy, but my breathing was normal and I felt good.

As I approached mile 5, I started to feel like I could probably do the whole thing. I told myself that if I kept this pace up to mile 7, I’d keep going and take little breaks at each water station (still walking, though) until the end and not think about pace.

This worked great for me. I felt really motivated and there were water stations at pretty much every mile until the end. I hit each station for some water and walked quickly until I finished it. I told myself that even if I started to feel tired, I could push it from one water station to another.

I couldn’t believe how quickly it passed. This was my third time running this race (second time with this exact course lay-out), and usually the second half on Ocean Parkway kills me. It’s straight and flat, but boring and usually has little shade from the sun. This year there was a light breeze, and I think focusing on water stations help divert my attention.

By the time I got close to the boardwalk, I realized that I could make it in under 2:20. I didn’t really change my pace and came in at 2:18:07 (10:32/mile) . This is not my fastest time. Not even my fastest on this course, but I was really happy that I stuck with it. Thrilled in fact. It was such a boost of confidence and I feel that it was my welcome back into running.

I celebrated with a power nap then a bachelorette party last night. I had to turn in early (I was exhauuuuuusted), but I’m feeling great today. Can’t wait to run on Tuesday… and fill my race calendar for the rest of the summer.

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Adventures in Allergen-free Baking

Posted on April 8, 2010 by ellen

This week has been totally amazeballs. I picnicked for dinner not once, but twice in Central Park with the foxy hus. AND I’ve hit up a class at Core Fusion every day since Sunday. (Nothing like yuppie scumming on my $40 unlimited week-long pass!).

So pretty much all week I’ve been craving french toast for some odd reason. Random, I know. So without eggs, and a little gluten intolerance thang, I thought I’d experiment with a gluten-free, vegan version of it. And hey, why not make it soy-free too.

I’ll admit that I haven’t had too many experiences with vegan, allergen-free baked goods. The ones I’ve had have been good, but I hadn’t made any myself. I mean, I’m pretty skeptical that anything can be sweet and delish without all the “good stuff.”

Banana French Toast Casserole

Gluten-free, vegan, soy-free

  • 6 slices of sprouted grain bread (I used Ezekiel)
  • about 1c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (any other milk could probably be substituted)
  • super-ripe bananas (I used 3)
  • 1/4c maple syrup
  • cinnamon
  • vanilla extract (2 tbsp)
  1. Oil a square oven-safe dish.
  2. Cut the bread into cubes and sprinkle in the dish.
  3. Mash bananas.
  4. Mix in almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon.
  5. Pour liquid mixture evenly over the bread cubes. You may want to add more almond milk to get the desired consistency.
  6. You can now pop this in the oven right now. 20 minutes at 375 and it will be allergen-free perfection. I do, however, recommend letting the casserole hang out in the fridge overnight to let the bread soak everything up (yum!). Prior to baking it, I’ll drizzle a little more maple syrup and cinnamon on top.
  7. Enjoy!
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Workout Review: Soul Cycle

Posted on April 6, 2010 by ellen

[source]

I’ve been dying to try out Soul-Cycle for quite some time. That time came on Friday. I was willing to pay the steep price of a class ($32), but was delighted to see that the Westside location was offering a free community ride on Friday at 1pm. And since I was on vacation, I happened to be free at this time :)

I went to the 72nd St. location, and by the time I found the entrance (it’s just a lobby-front, the studio is in the back), it looked like everyone else in the class was already there! The narrow entry-way had soul-cyclists changing shoes and getting their stuff together, and I squirmed by to get my borrowed shoes (clipless pedals).

This was, I should tell you, my first time wearing cycling shoes. Once I awkwardly walked over to my bike, I snapped my shoes in (after a few minutes of failed attempts and having the lovely girl next to me help me out a bit) I started rolling. The lights were dim, the music was awesome, and the studio was candlelit. Almost more like a yoga studio, than spinning – in a good way. The zen similarities ended there.

Surrounded by fit women of many ages, mostly Lulu-clad, we got started with our instructor, Kaili. The warm-up through the very last minute was high-energy and saturated with awesome music, and loads of encouragement from the instructor. I almost forgot how badly my thighs were burning about 20 minutes in.

Afterwards, the room emptied quickly for a new group coming in, I rode my Spinner’s high to the juice bar next door for a tasty reward :)

The verdict? I’m in LOVE. I’d love to check out a few more classes, and I’ll keep my eyes peeled for some freebie community classes. I think I can only justify paying full price about twice a month, but that’s good enough for me!

Have you hit up Soul-Cycle? What did you think?

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Bits of My Weekend 4

Posted on April 5, 2010 by ellen

It was a really beautiful weekend, and the husband and I got out of the city to enjoy some R&R in Montauk.

Since my camera lost battery power before we even got moving on Saturday, I’ll spare you the grainy iPhone pics, and show this video that pretty much sums up the trip.

Untitled from E Frac on Vimeo.

(Sorry for the shaky cam, I’m a total amateur)

How was YOUR weekend?

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Gwyneth, Jamie, and TED

Posted on April 1, 2010 by ellen

Many of us tuned in to watch Jamie Oliver’s new show about changing the world by changing how we eat.

This morning, I got Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP newletter which featured an interview with him. It’s a great read – check it out here.

And while you’re at it, below is Jamie’s TED speech. Wondering what TED is? Here’s a description from Jamie Oliver’s website:

Last night in Long Beach, California, Jamie won the prestigious TED Prize for 2010. TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design is a non-profit community of some of the world’s most influential “thinkers and do-ers”, and previous TED Prize winners have included Bono, Bill Clinton and Dave Eggers. The prize is $100,000 to go towards current social projects as well as a “wish” – the TED community pledges to help make the wish come true.

Note: This was actually awarded back in February…

It’s incredibly powerful. Settle in, it’s about 20 minutes long.

So what do YOU think about Jamie’s mission?

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