Zucchini,
I have never liked you. You look like cucumber but don't taste like anything. However, in my quest to eat in season and also eat locally, I decided to give you another try. It turns out fried or browned you almost taste okay. Your texture is just slightly too mushy for me but I thought that if I was able to make you taste good I would look beyond your texture.
Today I made a mixed vegetable dish. You should try it, it's my mom-in-law's recipe and it's delicious. I'll send you a copy. Anyway, it turned out really well. The eggplant, onions and peppers just work so well together and they got soft and stewed. The spices and vegetables shared their flavours, melded and became a happy meal that both satisfied and nourished.
And then there was you. The zephyr version of the zucchini I got from the farmers market. you're supposed to be tastier than the usual variety. What a disappointment. Not only did you contribute no flavour of your own but you didn't even absorb any of the other flavours that were available to you.
You were bland, mushy and overall disgusting. Your only redeeming quality is that you didn't ruin my dish and I was able to remove you from it entirely.
Needless to say, I am extremely unhappy with you performance and as of now you and I are done. I think going our separate ways is best for both you and me. I wish you the best in life and in your future endeavours.
-Gayatri
p.s. If you see me with Kale or Spinach, please don't try to strike up a conversation. Eventually we may reestablish our friendship but for now let us keep our distance.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Know I need to post
I have something in the works but in the mean time please enjoy photos of my new shoes and kitten.
These shoes were talked about on the gazelle forum, runners world and a running podcast. Given this nerd trifecta, I knew I needed to go out and buy these. I ran in them once but it didn't feel very good so I won't be doing that again. I felt the impact of the run way up in my hips. They are great to walk around in and also to bike in, so still very useful.
Behold the vibram 5 finger shoes (not bought w/ my five finger discount):
and one last one w/ the cats (one of them is barely visible):
Who is this cat? This is Hexley and here is a video of him a few days after we got him home:
These shoes were talked about on the gazelle forum, runners world and a running podcast. Given this nerd trifecta, I knew I needed to go out and buy these. I ran in them once but it didn't feel very good so I won't be doing that again. I felt the impact of the run way up in my hips. They are great to walk around in and also to bike in, so still very useful.
Behold the vibram 5 finger shoes (not bought w/ my five finger discount):
and one last one w/ the cats (one of them is barely visible):
Who is this cat? This is Hexley and here is a video of him a few days after we got him home:
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Omnivore's Hundred
Found this on the chocolate and zucchini blog:
I was absolutely certain there are things I wouldn't eat but then I saw this from the writer of the above blog, Clotilde:
I love this sentiment and would like to echo it. The crossed off food items are things I wouldn't eat unless I was presented with the opportunity in the best place possible to sample it. For example, haggis is something I wouldn't seek out but if I were in Scotland and was offered a sample at a little pub, I would eat it. Atleast once and then again to confirm an opinion.
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea (I've always wanted to try nettle soup, something I saw on a show about food from Scotland)
3. Huevos rancheros (ATX! Woot!)
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding (Clotilde thinks boudin noir counts so yes I suppose I have but the spanish version)
7. Cheese fondue (Yeah, in switzerland)
8. Carp (apparently, there's a deccan white carp. As in, the deccan plateau which is part of the state of Maharashtra. The odds are high I've eaten this. I need a hindi or marathi name for this fish)
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush (in the US and in Saudi Arabia)
11. Calamari (of course a great way to test a chef's skills)
12. Phở
13. PB&J sandwich (definitely an acquired taste but I will only eat it with grape or strawberry jam)
14. Aloo gobi (huh)
15. Hot dog from a street cart (Ann Arbor had this amazing cart that serves all it's hot dogs in french bread)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle (didn't like it. Don't see why I should)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (Japanese plum wine)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream (just finished a stash in the freezer)
21. Heirloom tomatoes (darker the better, I say)
22. Fresh wild berries (does picking off the mulberry trees around austin during spring count?)
23. Foie gras (don't like it, too strong even though I do like chicken liver)
24. Rice and beans (which beans?)
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (I'm not a masochist but they do have a non spicy version which allows you to actually taste the pepper flavour. I'm told it's citrusy)
27. Dulce de leche (next step is try to make my own)
28. Oysters (not raw but fried)
29. Baklava (I think it's too sweet, let the ostracizing begin)
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas (um okay, really?)
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (see above)
33. Salted lassi (tempered w/ mustard seeds and curry leaves and untempered)
34. Sauerkraut (meh)
35. Root beer float (like most foreigners to the US, don't like root beer)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (whatevs. We get it, you're a man's man)
37. Clotted cream tea (I'm counting this because the only way to get cream in india used to be to skim it off milk which I have then added to tea)
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (was this list made by a 20 year old frat boy?)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail (would love to try this in spain)
41. Curried goat (my mom's and my dad's recipes both great but subtly different)
42. Whole insects (I do want to try crickets but no grubs ever.)
43. Phaal (apparently, this is a south indian style curry. Perhaps, I've tried it?)
44. Goat’s milk (surprisingly tasty)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/€80/$120 or more (maybe, what about scotch?)
46. Fugu (I really want to even get into a situation where this is even a possibility. In the US the fugu available is completely tame, the poisonous organs are removed in Japan and then it's flown here)
47. Chicken tikka masala (really? bleh)
48. Eel (yum)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (I tried one of these warm and understood the lure of the donut)
50. Sea urchin (a while ago, I don't remember liking it but I would give this another try)
51. Prickly pear (growing wild outside a mexican restaurant. Made Sandeep stop the car, got one, peeled it and ate it right there. He wouldn't let me in the car till I was done)
52. Umeboshi (I do want to try this. It sounds like some thing I would like)
53. Abalone
54. Paneer (cannot be made with skim milk. Will be cooking some with spinach for dinner tomorrow)
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (never have eaten this, don't intend to. Whataburger 4Eva)
56. Spaetzle (wurstfest, texas)
57. Dirty gin martini (with hendricks. Delicious but I couldn't finish it.)
58. Beer above 8% ABV (started drinking beer on the harder stuff like triples)
59. Poutine (I don't know if I could stomach this)
60. Carob chips (it's as if they have to make these super sweet so that they don't taste awful)
61. S’mores (too sweet.)
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin (um, this is a clay. Why?)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (yes, yes, yes and yes please)
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain (My favourite are the sweet ones but also those plantain chips which are slightly sweet and salty)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette (in menudo but did not like it)
71. Gazpacho (love it but had it once at Epoch where it was so thick it was almost gummy. Gross.)
72. Caviar and blini (almost, caviar and toast not blini but I think the point here is the caviar. Yum!)
73. Louche absinthe (I want to try absinthe so badly. I think we would make great friends. Nope, didn't get along at all.)
74. Gjetost, or brunost (brown cheese with caramel undertones, sounds tasty)
75. Roadkill (I would try it because I really like the concept of it. Nothing wasted)
76. Baijiu (why not, think rice wine but closer to rice vodka)
77. Hostess Fruit Pie (Why? Why not just have some pie?)
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong (tasty but easy to overdose on the smokiness)
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum (one of my favourite soups)
82. Eggs Benedict (again, was this list made by a 20 year old just being introduced to the joys of brunch?)
83. Pocky (Ah, yes, yes it was)
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant (not interested in that level of food snoberry)
85. Kobe beef (got it, fatty beef is tasty)
86. Hare (what about rabbit?)
87. Goulash (I even liked the crappy dorm cafeteria version)
88. Flowers (sure. Eaten as a meal accompaniment and as a kid on the playground)
9. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate (apparently the thing to eat if you're a chocolate lover. I'm not)
91. Spam (I come from a family of canned meat lovers. Me, not so much)
92. Soft shell crab (have I told you that I'm allergic to shellfish? No? Well soft shelled crab is amazing fried)
93. Rose harissa (it's harissa with rose petals. Color me intrigued.)
94. Catfish (yee haw)
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor (allergic to shellfish and won't push my luck w/ lobster)
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake (I think I would like snake meat. Beating snake heart in snake blood? Not so much.)
The Omnivore's Hundred is an eclectic and entirely subjective list of 100 items that Andrew Wheeler, co-author of the British food blog Very Good Taste, thinks every omnivore should try at least once in his life.
Rules:
1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2. Bold all the items you’ve eaten
3. Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4. Optional extra: post a comment on Very Good Taste, linking to your results.
I was absolutely certain there are things I wouldn't eat but then I saw this from the writer of the above blog, Clotilde:
There are a few that I wouldn't rush to eat, but none that I couldn't swallow if someone's life, honor, and/or feelings were at stake.
I love this sentiment and would like to echo it. The crossed off food items are things I wouldn't eat unless I was presented with the opportunity in the best place possible to sample it. For example, haggis is something I wouldn't seek out but if I were in Scotland and was offered a sample at a little pub, I would eat it. Atleast once and then again to confirm an opinion.
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea (I've always wanted to try nettle soup, something I saw on a show about food from Scotland)
3. Huevos rancheros (ATX! Woot!)
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding (Clotilde thinks boudin noir counts so yes I suppose I have but the spanish version)
7. Cheese fondue (Yeah, in switzerland)
8. Carp (apparently, there's a deccan white carp. As in, the deccan plateau which is part of the state of Maharashtra. The odds are high I've eaten this. I need a hindi or marathi name for this fish)
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush (in the US and in Saudi Arabia)
11. Calamari (of course a great way to test a chef's skills)
12. Phở
13. PB&J sandwich (definitely an acquired taste but I will only eat it with grape or strawberry jam)
14. Aloo gobi (huh)
15. Hot dog from a street cart (Ann Arbor had this amazing cart that serves all it's hot dogs in french bread)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle (didn't like it. Don't see why I should)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (Japanese plum wine)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream (just finished a stash in the freezer)
21. Heirloom tomatoes (darker the better, I say)
22. Fresh wild berries (does picking off the mulberry trees around austin during spring count?)
23. Foie gras (don't like it, too strong even though I do like chicken liver)
24. Rice and beans (which beans?)
27. Dulce de leche (next step is try to make my own)
28. Oysters (not raw but fried)
29. Baklava (I think it's too sweet, let the ostracizing begin)
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas (um okay, really?)
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (see above)
33. Salted lassi (tempered w/ mustard seeds and curry leaves and untempered)
34. Sauerkraut (meh)
35. Root beer float (like most foreigners to the US, don't like root beer)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (whatevs. We get it, you're a man's man)
37. Clotted cream tea (I'm counting this because the only way to get cream in india used to be to skim it off milk which I have then added to tea)
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (was this list made by a 20 year old frat boy?)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail (would love to try this in spain)
41. Curried goat (my mom's and my dad's recipes both great but subtly different)
42. Whole insects (I do want to try crickets but no grubs ever.)
43. Phaal (apparently, this is a south indian style curry. Perhaps, I've tried it?)
44. Goat’s milk (surprisingly tasty)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/€80/$120 or more (maybe, what about scotch?)
46. Fugu (I really want to even get into a situation where this is even a possibility. In the US the fugu available is completely tame, the poisonous organs are removed in Japan and then it's flown here)
47. Chicken tikka masala (really? bleh)
48. Eel (yum)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (I tried one of these warm and understood the lure of the donut)
50. Sea urchin (a while ago, I don't remember liking it but I would give this another try)
51. Prickly pear (growing wild outside a mexican restaurant. Made Sandeep stop the car, got one, peeled it and ate it right there. He wouldn't let me in the car till I was done)
52. Umeboshi (I do want to try this. It sounds like some thing I would like)
53. Abalone
54. Paneer (cannot be made with skim milk. Will be cooking some with spinach for dinner tomorrow)
56. Spaetzle (wurstfest, texas)
57. Dirty gin martini (with hendricks. Delicious but I couldn't finish it.)
58. Beer above 8% ABV (started drinking beer on the harder stuff like triples)
60. Carob chips (it's as if they have to make these super sweet so that they don't taste awful)
61. S’mores (too sweet.)
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin (um, this is a clay. Why?)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (yes, yes, yes and yes please)
69. Fried plantain (My favourite are the sweet ones but also those plantain chips which are slightly sweet and salty)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette (in menudo but did not like it)
71. Gazpacho (love it but had it once at Epoch where it was so thick it was almost gummy. Gross.)
72. Caviar and blini (almost, caviar and toast not blini but I think the point here is the caviar. Yum!)
73. Louche absinthe (
74. Gjetost, or brunost (brown cheese with caramel undertones, sounds tasty)
75. Roadkill (I would try it because I really like the concept of it. Nothing wasted)
76. Baijiu (why not, think rice wine but closer to rice vodka)
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong (tasty but easy to overdose on the smokiness)
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum (one of my favourite soups)
82. Eggs Benedict (again, was this list made by a 20 year old just being introduced to the joys of brunch?)
83. Pocky (Ah, yes, yes it was)
85. Kobe beef (got it, fatty beef is tasty)
86. Hare (what about rabbit?)
87. Goulash (I even liked the crappy dorm cafeteria version)
88. Flowers (sure. Eaten as a meal accompaniment and as a kid on the playground)
9. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate (apparently the thing to eat if you're a chocolate lover. I'm not)
91. Spam (I come from a family of canned meat lovers. Me, not so much)
92. Soft shell crab (have I told you that I'm allergic to shellfish? No? Well soft shelled crab is amazing fried)
93. Rose harissa (it's harissa with rose petals. Color me intrigued.)
94. Catfish (yee haw)
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake (I think I would like snake meat. Beating snake heart in snake blood? Not so much.)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Things I have learned from years of physical therapy
Had my annual pilgrimage to the physical therapist today. Actually this was the referral to go see the PT tomorrow. I came away with my head swimming in lots of fancy words and compounded latinates like patellofemoral. I'll have more details about how this will affect the training plan tomorrow.
But for now I give you some nuggets of wisdom:
1. Names of the muscle are fun to say. Popliteal muscle anyone? How about iliotibial? But with another word attached they become scary. e.g. popliteal tendonopathy or iliotibial syndrome.
2. Do not trust a first diagnosis of anything that ends in 'bursitis' that means, they don't know what it is. Sandeep had a 'bursitis' till they figured out what is was. My SI syndrome (OMG SYNDROME!!) was a 'bursitis' till Dr Spears got to it. Just get a second opinion.
p.s. the SI syndrome has undetermined-graded to SI joint dysfunction.
p.p.s. I might have to start aquajogging. I might also have to give myself a wedgie. We'll see.
But for now I give you some nuggets of wisdom:
1. Names of the muscle are fun to say. Popliteal muscle anyone? How about iliotibial? But with another word attached they become scary. e.g. popliteal tendonopathy or iliotibial syndrome.
2. Do not trust a first diagnosis of anything that ends in 'bursitis' that means, they don't know what it is. Sandeep had a 'bursitis' till they figured out what is was. My SI syndrome (OMG SYNDROME!!) was a 'bursitis' till Dr Spears got to it. Just get a second opinion.
p.s. the SI syndrome has undetermined-graded to SI joint dysfunction.
p.p.s. I might have to start aquajogging. I might also have to give myself a wedgie. We'll see.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Magic Mixer
I used the bullet to make vegetable soup yesterday with roasted veggies and spinach. Blended all of them up and heated the soup with a pat of butter. Served with goat cheese crumbles. So simple and so good
Also made banana peanut butter smoothies with it.
peanut butter (also bananas) makes everything taste better.
Also made banana peanut butter smoothies with it.
peanut butter (also bananas) makes everything taste better.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
The one about the pull ups
I can't do a single pull-up, I hang there and bend my elbows pretending I'm lifting myself.
I did five yesterday. By 'did' I mean, I hung there and bent my elbows while the guy who helped me did 5 of those 'lift a weak G' exercises that are so trendy right now.
My arms hurt.
I did five yesterday. By 'did' I mean, I hung there and bent my elbows while the guy who helped me did 5 of those 'lift a weak G' exercises that are so trendy right now.
My arms hurt.
Weekend run
My first ever 14 miler. It's the longest distance I've ever run and I can't believe it went so well. My knees were tired by the end of it but otherwise I felt great. Since my left side (leg, knee, hips back) are weaker than my right, I was encouraged (is that the right word to be using here?) by the fact that both my knees felt equally worn out. We've started to experiment with salt tablets and they make such a difference during the long runs especially given the humidity in this hell-hole that is austin this summer.
I ran with Leslie and Jessica. I'm surprised how smoothly things went considering, I ran 14, Leslie ran 12 and Jessica ran 8. We ran into a fellow Gazelle that had been left behind by her group who ran my 14 with me. Having someone to run large distances with you is great but having someone who is fun to talk to really makes the run. Emily, the girl I ran with, was a talker and interesting to boot.
She also happens to be crazy!
She is training for her second marathon and she does all her runs without any nutritional supplements, I mean no food whatsoever! The only time she has used gels was during the marathon itself and it her cramps so she's a little weary of using them. I shared an extra gel and salt tablets with her during our run and I hope that has changed her mind about using the stuff.
A weird result of the salt tablets is that I need less gels to run on. I took three with me since that's how many I used during my training runs over 12 miles during the half. I ended up using only two. As long as I was alternating the tablets w/ the gels. I was fine. Actually that's a lie. I almost forgot to take a second gel because I felt fine but around mile 9 I started to feel a little nauseous. Realizing that I was probably low on sugar, I took a gel and immediately felt better. Ah, mustn't forget to take those things.
Then, the strangest thing happened once stretching was finished. I realized how amazing my legs are. This is a big deal because my legs (thighs) are what I like the least on my body. But the run made me feel this intense love for them. They carried me through those miles and kept me moving. They are getting stronger as training progresses and I can't help but be proud of them.
I ran with Leslie and Jessica. I'm surprised how smoothly things went considering, I ran 14, Leslie ran 12 and Jessica ran 8. We ran into a fellow Gazelle that had been left behind by her group who ran my 14 with me. Having someone to run large distances with you is great but having someone who is fun to talk to really makes the run. Emily, the girl I ran with, was a talker and interesting to boot.
She also happens to be crazy!
She is training for her second marathon and she does all her runs without any nutritional supplements, I mean no food whatsoever! The only time she has used gels was during the marathon itself and it her cramps so she's a little weary of using them. I shared an extra gel and salt tablets with her during our run and I hope that has changed her mind about using the stuff.
A weird result of the salt tablets is that I need less gels to run on. I took three with me since that's how many I used during my training runs over 12 miles during the half. I ended up using only two. As long as I was alternating the tablets w/ the gels. I was fine. Actually that's a lie. I almost forgot to take a second gel because I felt fine but around mile 9 I started to feel a little nauseous. Realizing that I was probably low on sugar, I took a gel and immediately felt better. Ah, mustn't forget to take those things.
Then, the strangest thing happened once stretching was finished. I realized how amazing my legs are. This is a big deal because my legs (thighs) are what I like the least on my body. But the run made me feel this intense love for them. They carried me through those miles and kept me moving. They are getting stronger as training progresses and I can't help but be proud of them.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Mile repeats
Yesterday's workout was mile repeats. I've never done this one before so I was a little nervous. I was also late. The cat hasn't been feeling well and I woke up to puke. I ran by myself to Zilker where we do mile repeats around the pool area. My group did 3-4 depending on how 'accomplished' they were feeling. I stopped at 3. I ran all three at an approx 9:35 mins pace. That's crazy because I'm not that fast in reality. Even coach was surprised.
The first two miles were great, albeit tough. The last one though was like running with 20lbs weights attached to my legs. I couldn't seem to move as fast as I wanted to. This was also how I felt during my long run on saturday. The same long run that we had to cut down to 10 miles from 13.5 because of the humidity.
So the question here is, is the humidity making it difficult to run because it makes my legs really heavy or is it something to do with what I'm eating or drinking. I suspect it's the humidity combined with the fact that I have been a little lax with my water/electrolyte intake.
The first two miles were great, albeit tough. The last one though was like running with 20lbs weights attached to my legs. I couldn't seem to move as fast as I wanted to. This was also how I felt during my long run on saturday. The same long run that we had to cut down to 10 miles from 13.5 because of the humidity.
So the question here is, is the humidity making it difficult to run because it makes my legs really heavy or is it something to do with what I'm eating or drinking. I suspect it's the humidity combined with the fact that I have been a little lax with my water/electrolyte intake.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Peanut butter smoothie time
My mom-in-law (MIL) is a teacher and she gets the most crazy gifts from parents. One of the gifts she got was the magic bullet. Actually she got two. While it may sound kitchy is supposed to work really well and is a really great tool to have for a small kitchen.Since she doesn't use either, I asked her to send one to me.
It arrived yesterday in all it's awesome informecial glory complete with the other ten thousand things I will never need to use. I don't have the space for a blender but this fits in a much smaller area and I think I might able to get rid of some of the other single taskers I own (like my coffee grinder I use for spices).
Anyways, the number one reason I've wanted one was to make smoothies with. It's just too hot for a warm breakfast but smoothies are perfect for this weather.
So this morning I went for a run. A short one, around 4 miles and made a smoothie when I got back. It was delicious. I can't wait to try more recipes.
For this morning I used:
Ice
Milk
Soaked almonds
Banana
Cottage cheese
Honey
I've been adding strained yogurt or cottage cheese to my smoothies to add protien since I can't take the taste of whey protein. It works beautifully. There is absolutely no texture of the cottage cheese in the smoothie. It's smooth and a little tangy from the addition which makes it really tasty. I think I want to experiment w/ rose/kewra water(kewra is a flower, the essence is a bit similar to rose but flowery-er) and vanilla next.
It arrived yesterday in all it's awesome informecial glory complete with the other ten thousand things I will never need to use. I don't have the space for a blender but this fits in a much smaller area and I think I might able to get rid of some of the other single taskers I own (like my coffee grinder I use for spices).
Anyways, the number one reason I've wanted one was to make smoothies with. It's just too hot for a warm breakfast but smoothies are perfect for this weather.
So this morning I went for a run. A short one, around 4 miles and made a smoothie when I got back. It was delicious. I can't wait to try more recipes.
For this morning I used:
Ice
Milk
Soaked almonds
Banana
Cottage cheese
Honey
I've been adding strained yogurt or cottage cheese to my smoothies to add protien since I can't take the taste of whey protein. It works beautifully. There is absolutely no texture of the cottage cheese in the smoothie. It's smooth and a little tangy from the addition which makes it really tasty. I think I want to experiment w/ rose/kewra water(kewra is a flower, the essence is a bit similar to rose but flowery-er) and vanilla next.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Did you know?
1.Alcohol is metabolized as fat? Fat has 30-something kcals (kJ, I can't remember) per gram, alcohol has 29. Both protein and carbs are in the late teens for energy/gram.
2. Oxybenzone (half of neutrogena's helioplex) is a chemical sunscreen but it's also a carcinogen? I started to use sunscreen w/ helioplex a few months ago and had a significant allergic reaction to it. So I went online to look for what might be causing it.
I found this wikipedia link.
And it's not even the only one; the internettings are full of information about this chemical. If I remember correctly, it cannot be used in sunscreens in Europe. Just in the US. Nice.
I switched to Eucerin's sunscreen w/ titanium dioxide*. This took about half day's worth of going through all the suncreens in the stores because almost everything has oxybenzone.
* in the interest of full disclosure, titanium dioxide may also be carcinogenic but the study deals more with inhaled Ti dust not in suspended form.
2. Oxybenzone (half of neutrogena's helioplex) is a chemical sunscreen but it's also a carcinogen? I started to use sunscreen w/ helioplex a few months ago and had a significant allergic reaction to it. So I went online to look for what might be causing it.
I found this wikipedia link.
And it's not even the only one; the internettings are full of information about this chemical. If I remember correctly, it cannot be used in sunscreens in Europe. Just in the US. Nice.
I switched to Eucerin's sunscreen w/ titanium dioxide*. This took about half day's worth of going through all the suncreens in the stores because almost everything has oxybenzone.
* in the interest of full disclosure, titanium dioxide may also be carcinogenic but the study deals more with inhaled Ti dust not in suspended form.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Nike women's marathon
I love the idea of sport events directed at women. The whole feel is different at a women's sports event. It also takes some of the intimidation away from someone just getting into a sport who is starting to compete.
Now, here's my problem. I don't want to run for a tiffany necklace. Or chocolate at a water stop. Or a pedicure. It's a friggin' marathon and no amount of telling me it's a party is going to make 4-6 hours on my feet 'fun'.
I happen to know for a fact that love for chocolate, pedicures and branded jewellery don't make or define being a woman.
That being said, even I'm not stupid enough to complain about the firemen that hand said necklaces out to the finishers.
Now, here's my problem. I don't want to run for a tiffany necklace. Or chocolate at a water stop. Or a pedicure. It's a friggin' marathon and no amount of telling me it's a party is going to make 4-6 hours on my feet 'fun'.
I happen to know for a fact that love for chocolate, pedicures and branded jewellery don't make or define being a woman.
That being said, even I'm not stupid enough to complain about the firemen that hand said necklaces out to the finishers.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Do Not Want
I almost don't want to talk about this but I must. Please forgive me if I offend you.
I just don't want it.
I don't want to get my degree, have a kid and then do something else. I don't want to have kids, decide academia isn't for me and stay at home. Then write a blog about my kids or about gardening or food or knitting.
I want to be a researcher (well be good at it). I want to be proud of my accomplishments independent from those of my children.
Note: I do reserve the right to change my mind as the situation demands.
I just don't want it.
I don't want to get my degree, have a kid and then do something else. I don't want to have kids, decide academia isn't for me and stay at home. Then write a blog about my kids or about gardening or food or knitting.
I want to be a researcher (well be good at it). I want to be proud of my accomplishments independent from those of my children.
Note: I do reserve the right to change my mind as the situation demands.
Friday, June 13, 2008
JELJAB!!
I've been struggling on my long runs ever since I got back to running in April. Last week changed all that. I took the first two miles really slow and that may have done the trick. Or not restricting my calories (carbs more specifically) may have done the trick. Or drinking accelerade before the run may have done the trick. Or not drinking coffee before the run may have done the trick. Or drinking electrolytes during the entire week leading up to the run may have done the trick.
Anyway, finally kept up with EELBA (w/o one E, erin but with two extra Js, Jessica V and Jessica C).
Let's see how this saturday fares, we plan to do the lopsided lolli (since there is a turnaround that looks like a circle). That's 9.8 miles with a middle with serious hills. I plan to sing 'lollipop' in all its misogynistic glory.
she says he's so sweet....
Anyway, finally kept up with EELBA (w/o one E, erin but with two extra Js, Jessica V and Jessica C).
Let's see how this saturday fares, we plan to do the lopsided lolli (since there is a turnaround that looks like a circle). That's 9.8 miles with a middle with serious hills. I plan to sing 'lollipop' in all its misogynistic glory.
she says he's so sweet....
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Well that was fun
Let's never do that again.
We ran a 4 mile run on wednesday with the last two miles paced.
It started out great. I kept a pace of under 10mins/mile for the first two miles and I wasn't even pushing it. I tried to take it slow to keep from overheating in the afternoon. With close to 100 degrees, I thought I was doing well. Then during the third mile, I started to struggle a bit. Walked, felt a little pucky and then ran some. Mile 4 created more nausea but also added chills. A little unusual and alarming.
When I got back Allison was nice enough to get me some water and coach didn't let me run the cool down mile.
I went to his truck to get some accelerade and managed to spill it all over my shirt. It wasn't exactly dissolved in the water and looked like I had thrown up all over myself. Yikes, I left. I went home, showered and wallowed in self-pity for the rest of the evening. This could/would have been the best tempo ever. Stupid texas summers.
Note:
self-pity entails me yelling 'my life sucks' intermittently through the night.
We ran a 4 mile run on wednesday with the last two miles paced.
It started out great. I kept a pace of under 10mins/mile for the first two miles and I wasn't even pushing it. I tried to take it slow to keep from overheating in the afternoon. With close to 100 degrees, I thought I was doing well. Then during the third mile, I started to struggle a bit. Walked, felt a little pucky and then ran some. Mile 4 created more nausea but also added chills. A little unusual and alarming.
When I got back Allison was nice enough to get me some water and coach didn't let me run the cool down mile.
I went to his truck to get some accelerade and managed to spill it all over my shirt. It wasn't exactly dissolved in the water and looked like I had thrown up all over myself. Yikes, I left. I went home, showered and wallowed in self-pity for the rest of the evening. This could/would have been the best tempo ever. Stupid texas summers.
Note:
self-pity entails me yelling 'my life sucks' intermittently through the night.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Note on currently craving
The 'currently craving' posts do not include any of the PMS cravings. I've been monitoring those and it seems like it is always something sweet and soft like Quack's strawberry oat bars (effing awesome!) and the newly discovered carmelita bars at Whole Foods. The interesting thing is that it never involves chocolate and the carmelitas have chocolate chips which kind of ruins them.
I tend to crave things a lot and they tend to strange, specific items like salmon sashimi or the potatoes from tacodeli. But I'm discovering that the cravings right before my period always involve sugar in a soft chewy form like caramels or fudge or local cinnamon buns (think cinnamon sugar dusted croissants).
I tend to crave things a lot and they tend to strange, specific items like salmon sashimi or the potatoes from tacodeli. But I'm discovering that the cravings right before my period always involve sugar in a soft chewy form like caramels or fudge or local cinnamon buns (think cinnamon sugar dusted croissants).
dee-lie-ma update
Her royal laziness returned the pants and hopes to find a similar pair that are as cheap and cute. At the rate she is going, the ETA is 2012.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Conundrum
I bought a pair of shorts at target. For $7. Ya for me.
They are a size 13. I am not a size 13 but my thighs are. So while I fit into the smaller sizes, I like the way these look around my widest part (my thighs).
But here's the problem, as I mentioned, I am not a size 13. I worked really hard not to be a size 13 (actually 14) anymore but really I don't know if I care, it's just a number. But these shorts don't sit on my hips, they slip off. I could spend a little more money and get them altered to fit my hips. Or I could return them and hope to find something in my size in the same colours (did I mention they are tan, green and blue? Cute.)
So help me with my dilemma (or like Chitu likes to call the frivolous ones, dee-lie-ma), should I return the shorts or alter them?
They are a size 13. I am not a size 13 but my thighs are. So while I fit into the smaller sizes, I like the way these look around my widest part (my thighs).
But here's the problem, as I mentioned, I am not a size 13. I worked really hard not to be a size 13 (actually 14) anymore but really I don't know if I care, it's just a number. But these shorts don't sit on my hips, they slip off. I could spend a little more money and get them altered to fit my hips. Or I could return them and hope to find something in my size in the same colours (did I mention they are tan, green and blue? Cute.)
So help me with my dilemma (or like Chitu likes to call the frivolous ones, dee-lie-ma), should I return the shorts or alter them?
Monday, May 12, 2008
Mama's day or the weekend of two runs
Elizabeth and I ran two shorter long runs this weekend. We ran 6 miles on saturday and decided to keep Jessica company as she ran her 6 miles on sunday.
First of all, this is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!! I can't believe we did that. This time last year, just the one run would have been an accomplishment. It's amazing that we ran two of those in succession.
I had been dealing with a strange backache that appeared out of nowhere on thursday. After not moving for two days, I knew that warming the muscles up would help. I did make a pact with myself to stop if it didn't feel good and turn around no matter what. I considered not going on saturday and sunday but I'm so glad I went because today I woke up feeling fine.
Saturday was disgusting: humid, overcast and warm. The run was slow and uncomfortable. The highlight of the run was the family of swans on the lake, complete with five fuzzy cygnets (or as Leslie called them 'ugly ducklings'). Perfect for mother's day weekend.
Sunday was beautiful: cool, sunny and dry. We ran the eastside trail again but slightly altered so that we didn't have to deal with the road at all. We got to see the swans again, on mother's day no less! That made the two mom's day. This was the kind of run that reminds you why you love your city and running with the people you chose to run with.
I came home, called my mom who then proceeded to scold me about not 'making babies' :)
First of all, this is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!! I can't believe we did that. This time last year, just the one run would have been an accomplishment. It's amazing that we ran two of those in succession.
I had been dealing with a strange backache that appeared out of nowhere on thursday. After not moving for two days, I knew that warming the muscles up would help. I did make a pact with myself to stop if it didn't feel good and turn around no matter what. I considered not going on saturday and sunday but I'm so glad I went because today I woke up feeling fine.
Saturday was disgusting: humid, overcast and warm. The run was slow and uncomfortable. The highlight of the run was the family of swans on the lake, complete with five fuzzy cygnets (or as Leslie called them 'ugly ducklings'). Perfect for mother's day weekend.
Sunday was beautiful: cool, sunny and dry. We ran the eastside trail again but slightly altered so that we didn't have to deal with the road at all. We got to see the swans again, on mother's day no less! That made the two mom's day. This was the kind of run that reminds you why you love your city and running with the people you chose to run with.
I came home, called my mom who then proceeded to scold me about not 'making babies' :)
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