Butternut Bisque with Coconut Swirl

October 29, 2014

Besides running and cheering on the marathoners. I have been cooking and eating. It is my all time favorite season. The leaves are changing. The air is comfortably breezy and crisp. Lucky us! We have been having some absolutely beautiful FALL days here in Washington, DC. And although it hasn’t been too cold yet, I am still craving everything fall.

One thing that defines fall is butternut squash. When I was growing up it was a special treat that my mom made only at Thanksgiving, but now it is a staple in my house. I love everything about it. I eat it all different ways, but my favorite way is in soup form. That is why when I came across the Butternut Bisque recipe in the cookbook Isa Does It, I knew I had to make it asap, plus its Vegan!

INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash
oil (olive oil or coconut oil)
1 medium onion
1/2 sea salt
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more if you desire)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk (extra for garnish)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS

ROAST SQUASH

TIP: (you can do cook the squash in advanced, and the soup will come together in 20 minutes.)

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the squash in half.
Remove seeds.
Brush the parchment paper with olive oil or coconut oil and place the squash pieces cut side down.
Roast for 45 mins. until squash is tender.
After squash is cooked let cool and continue with the soup recipe. If you are making squash in advanced, refrigerate the squash until ready to use.

LETS MAKE THE SOUP

Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat, add coconut oil.
Cut up onion, and add to the pot, saute until caramelized.
Add ginger.
Add garlic.
Mix in red pepper flakes
Add white wine and deglaze bottom of the pan, by scraping with a wooden spoon.
Peel and scoop squash.
Add squash to the pot.
Add vegetable broth (if you don’t have vegetable broth on hand you can use water.)
Add coconut milk.
Add maple syrup.
Add lime juice.
After everything is heated all the way through, add soup to you Vitamix. I actually use the soup setting, which continues to heat everything. Blend until smooth. If you are using a Vitamix it shouldn’t take long.
Pour bisque into a bowl, sprinkle with red pepper flakes and swirl coconut milk on top.
Enjoy!

What is you favorite way to eat butternut squash. I would love to hear from you. Let me know what you think about this recipe.

Marine Corps Marathon Virgins: Here are some Tips and a Recap

October 25, 2014

Marine Corps Marathon is tomorrow morning!

This is by far my favorite race.

I am registered to run it, and I am extremely disappointed that I will have to sit this one out. Unfortunately, my training this summer, didn’t go as planned, and to top it off, I got my wisdom teeth pulled on friday. So I am now on painkillers and swollen like a chipmunk. UGH! But I always have to remind myself that it is way more important to listen to your body. There will always be another marathon to run. There will always be next year, to run MCM. And the most hilarious part is the dentist who pulled my teeth will be running the marathon tomorrow. She was telling me how nervous because it will be her first time running 26.2.

Here are my top 26 tips for all of the Marathon Virgins out there running Marine Corps Marathon tomorrow…

NIGHT BEFORE: Check social media for inspiration and updates, this includes facebook and instagram. Marine Corps Marathon pages always have a count down. And the night before race day facebook status always gets me pumped.
NIGHT BEFORE: Always prepare your race outfit, and everything you will need for the race, the night before. (That means tonight if you are running MCM tomorrow morning.)
Never wear anything you haven’t worn before.
Make sure your ipod and garmin are charged and ready to go.
Eat protein and carb race morning, good option – Bagel with Peanut Butter.
GETTING TO and FROM: If you are riding the metro in the morning, you will be getting off at the Pentagon. But honestly if you get confused just follow all the other runners. If you plan to metro after the race make sure you get enough money on your metro card for both ways, getting there and coming back. Metro will be really busy on the way back. The Rosslyn Metro stop is the one closest to the finish line.
THE START: At the start, strip down and check your bag. If you are one that gets cold easily then make sure you have throw away gloves and shirt. It will be cold in the morning but warm at the finish.
Oh and don’t forget to BODY GLIDE everything.
CORRALS: Because Marine Corps Marathon is the people marathon they do not have any assigned corrals. Instead you choose where you want to be, by looking for the sign that says your finishing time on it. Try to get in the proper corral or the one a head of you. For example if you think you will finish in 4:30 then hang with the 4:15 group. This race is a very crowded race with 35,000 runners.
WATER STATIONS: Have a game plan. Are you going to walk the water stations? When are you going to take your sports beans?
ROCK CREEK PARK can get congested. But stay light on your feet and use momentum to fly down the down hill part.
FOCUS ON RUNNING FORM.
13.1: Once you hit the half way point start to break your race into pieces. At this point, you are in Hains Point, the most boring part of the race. It is time to start counting. 2 more miles and you will be at mile 15 and out of the stupid park and on to the National Mall.
MILE 15: Enjoy, look around you are running the National Mall.
MILE 17: This mile is significant meaningful mile in a marathon because it takes us into single digits, only 9 more miles to go.
SIGNS: Don’t forget to look at funny signs. The spectators are the best at this race.
MILE 20: Beat the Bridge. The bridge is long and slow. A lot of runners HIT the Wall here. There aren’t very many spectators here. Sometimes it feels brutally hot with sun shining on you. Other times it feels really windy. This is the time when a lot of runners start walking and stretching out. This is when I tell myself to keep running, don’t walk. At the end of the bridge you are in Crystal City. Leaving DC and entering VA.
MILE 21: This mile is significant for me because in training my longest run is 21. During my weekly training I do a 5 mile easy run. When I reach 21 in the marathon, I tell myself, “Only 5 miles to go, my 5 mile easy run.” Everything is mental at this point.
CRYSTAL CITY: Once I’m at mile 23 looping around Crystal City I am looking at the spectators focusing on seeing people I may know. I also am saying my mantra.
Always have a Mantra. For example, when things get rough, I always repeat, “No matter what… Just keep moving forward. Keep moving forward.” Another good one is … “One More Mile.”
HOME STRETH: At this point I am focused on the traffic signs, I try to get to one traffic sign then the next. You’ll see signs that say, “Memorial Bridge.”
The last little bit is up a hill and then the finish line. But who cares there is a hill, you made it to the finish.
Enjoy getting your medal and check out all the hott marines. You earned it.
MILE 27: Walk, Walk, Walk. The most important mile is mile 27. The mile you walk after the marathon. This mile walk helps avoid cramping.
Eat an awesome brunch to refuel and celebrate.
Take it easy for the rest of the day. Consider taking hot yoga later in the week.

SO there it is!

Good luck to all of the Marathon Virgins out there running tomorrow for the first time. Good luck all runners. Enjoy!

I’ll be cheering you on! Look for me at mile 23. xo

For a full race recap check out my Marine Corps Marathon experience from last year.

Hello Fall…

October 6, 2014

Fall has arrived. It is my absolute favorite season.

The air is crisp and it’s time to get cozy.

The things I am most excited about are…

I love the touch of soft warm colorful hand-dyed yarns that are later handmade into chunky knits. (I’m a knitter.)

I love the feeling of a hot and steamy Bikram yoga classes.

I love running, running, and more running. I love seeing the trees which are colorful along the running trail, then hearing the leaves crunching under my running shoes at each stride.

I love tasting… Spicy soups, smoky chili, butternut squash, pumpkin everything.

First pumpkin beer… 2 years ago at October Fest!

I love the smell of… Gingerbread, cinnamon, pumpkin spice…

I love hot tea, chai tea, hot cocoa with coconut milk.

Those are a few of my favorite things… What are yours?

DC VegFest

September 21, 2014

Today was a fun and fulfilling Saturday.

The sun was shining and there wasn’t a drop of humidity in the air. It was the perfect day for a quick five mile loop around the monuments. I wore my new running shoes, Newton Gravity. I also wore my new running watch, Garmin 620. It was my absolute first time wearing the watch and I loved it. However, I will be writing a detailed review on the Garmin 620 later this week so stay tuned.

Then it was off to DC VegFest…

The DC VegFest was located in South East DC at the Yards Park right along the river. Growing up in the DC area, South East was a part of the city you always tried to avoid, it was poor and dangerous. But now, it tells a different story. The famous Eastern Market is located in South East, and eastern market is one of my favorite markets in the area. There are also some really cool bars and restaurants on the neighboring streets.

But today, the VegFest took me to another area in South East. I would have never thought to go down to the waterfront. Wow! Things are changing everyday. Check out how cool the South East waterfront is…

After walking around the waterfront my friend and I headed over to DC VegFest.

At the DC VegFest, there were some fabulous vendors, delicious plant based food, free samples, and amazing guest speakers.

SPEAKERS

I didn’t get to see all of the speakers, but I saw a couple. They discussed the health benefits of living a vegan lifestyle. They also touched on politics, and environmental reasons for becoming vegan. They touched on animal cruelty, and some told their personal stories of why they went veg. The last speaker of the event was actually on the October cover of Runner’s World, wearing vegan compression socks.

VENDORS

There were some awesome vendors at the festival, but this soap vendor was by far my favorite. I have been using this sugar based shower gel from Blue Mercury which has been irritating my skin. Sugar is bad for you in every way. So when I saw this vendor, I thought perfect just what I needed. Buying soap here, saved me a trip to Sephora or Blue Mercury. All of the soap is free of animal products and both of the bars of soap I purchased have coconut oil in them. Coconut oil is my new obsession… (I will be writing a detailed post on the health benefits later this week so stay tuned.) The only negative thing I saw is that some of the soaps contain palm oil. Palm oil is in everything, and although it is not an animal product, it is not very vegan. Palm Tree farms in South East Asia, are taking away food and habitats from Elephant, Tigers, and many other animals. Anyway, I went home with two soaps a coconut one and and oatmeal one. The coconut soap is free of palm oil, but the oatmeal one may have some small amounts. Unfortunately, palm oil is hard to avoid.

FOOD

Going Veg is all about eating your veggies. If you go to DC VegFest next year, make sure you come with an appetite. There were tons of amazing food vendors and food trucks. A lot of the vendors only took cash, so make sure you bring cash. However, there are ATMs for those who forget. The food ranged from pizza to Indian, Ethiopian to mexican. There were sweets, and southern cooking, even greek.

Overall, I enjoyed DC VegFest!

I highly recommend VegFest for anyone who is already living a plant based lifestyle, and for those who are just interested to see what it is all about. At DC VegFest I learned a little more about animal cruelty, politics, and the environment. I also got the chance to eat some awesome plant based food, while learning how I can help create a better food system for the USA. And in my eyes, at the end of the day that is the most important thing. You are what you eat.

“That’s when I heard part of the secret. What we eat is a matter of life and death. Food is who we are.” ~ Scott Jurek

Stay tuned for some upcoming posts…

Review on Garmin 620

Coconut oil health benefits.

© 2014 sweat1xdaily

Will the Apple Watch replace your Garmin?

September 11, 2014

The newest addition to the Apple family will be the Apple Watch, which will be released early 2015.

They have a couple different models, including a Sports model!

When Apple first announced they were releasing a watch, I thought the idea was stupid. But now that there is a sports addition I am very curious.

It looks really cool, but will it function as good as some of the leading brands?

Some of the Features…

Band is durable and strong. Yet surprisingly light and soft.
Sport models are as light as possible.
Made with strong scratch resistant alumina-silicate glass.
There are a variety of apps that will do things such as monitor your activity through out the day.
Heart rate sensor.
There are reminder features to tell you when your next workout is.
Data sharing.
It is unclear whether the GPS feature to track runs will be used from the iPhone. In this case runners will need to run with your iPhone.

The watch will retail $349.

Being a serious runner, my watch has become my running buddy. I am
pretty loyal to Garmin.

Above are the facts, but it will be interesting to hear reviews once the watch comes out.

Will the Apple Watch replace your Garmin? Which running watch is your favorite?

References:

The best RUNNING Quiz ever!!

September 6, 2014

The other day… I was reading blogs.

I came across one of my favorites thedancingrunner. Chelsea, owner of the blog – thedancingrunner, posted a running quiz.

Because the quiz made me laugh, and was really fun to take, I decided to share it with you. Aren’t you curious how much does running rule your life?

Take the quiz here… and find out…

My score was a 40/50…

let me know what your score is.

Oh… and I have been squatting everyday of the month of September. This is Day 4 of Sweat a Day!

Comment below with your quiz scores… and tell me which part of the quiz was your favorite. Also who’s squatting this month? What’s your favorite squat?

September: Squatting Month

September 3, 2014

I use Instagram for fitness inspiration all the time. I have been following @shauna_harrison. She is a sponsored athlete for Under Armour and is the creator of the monthly Sweat A Day. I’ve wanted to try her monthly challenge Sweat A Day for a little over a year. Finally, this month, I am doing it.

September is all about Squatting. Check out the September calendar. If you decide to join the challenge, take a photo or video of yourself doing the challenge daily and hashtag #sweataday. Also tag @shauna_harrison. Feel free to tag me as well @dorseyml. Seeing more people doing challenged like this inspires me to challenge myself.

Here I go… Day 2 of Sweat A Day.

Single Leg Squat. I did 3×10 for each leg. I am not really good with this type of squat. However, I am very proud I tried it. I’ve always wanted to try it but didn’t know how to go about it. I am hoping with practice I will eventually be able to do this type if squat with out the support from the wall and ball and maybe eventually add weight.

But for the time being the wall and ball give great support so I can focus on form.

I love this squat because you have to balance, which really works your core.

My friend Raiza, told me another variation to try is with the TRX. I’m pretty obsessed with the TRX so I can’t wait to try the single leg squat on that.

Updateon my first day back to the gym since my summer break… It went well! I worked my back and woke up this morning sore. It was a good sore though…

I’m back at it!!! Bring it on September!!!

Summer Running… Why I may defer my MCM bib.

August 25, 2014

I can’t believe how fast this summer has been flying by. Honestly, it has been really busy and I can’t believe this summer girl is saying this… But I am ready for summer to end. Normally, I love summer, but because my wedding was at the end of June, my first month of summer was consumed completely with planning our big day. I definitely had a love/hate relationship with the planning process.

I loved everything about my wedding, but because of my wedding, I took off 9 days of work, which has made it swamped for me once I got back. So I am ready for things to slow down, and for the crisp air to make an appearance.

I know I haven’t blogged much this summer. And most of my blog posts have been about my wedding. It has seemed like I have been pretty obsessed. But, in all honesty, I have been. Every bride-to-be or newly wed is… It only happens once so might as well be.

Anyway, I haven’t had much free time this summer. In the small amount of free time I have been squeezing in runs, cooking up a storm, knitting, reading, and trying to do some design changes to my home.

This summer has not been too hot. In fact, I’m considering this summer straight up cold. Being from the DC area, I am use to sweltering record breaking, code red days. But this summer has actually been perfect running weather. Most runners have been in heaven. That is why it disappoints me that I have no desire what so ever to run far. Instead, I have been enjoying faster shorter runs. Unfortunately, I also have been having some minor health issues, that I have seen the doctor about. Because of this, I may defer my bib for MCM until next year. I have until August 31st to decide.

This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. A couple years ago, when training for the Chicago Marathon I had some digestive track issues which left me unable to fuel my body for long runs. When it comes to running and training, I do it to be healthy and have fun, not to injure myself. Plus, I have run MCM 3 times before, I have already proved to myself that I can finish the 26.2 distance. With that being said, if I can’t train to PR, and my training isn’t at the intensity level I want it to be at, then it is best to defer until next year when I can really train at the best of my ability. In other words, I don’t half ass my training, and I definitely do not run a race I don’t train for. The training is part of racing, and it is one of my favorite parts.

So the year before last I felt the same thing about long runs. I was tired of running slow and far. So I decided to switch it up and sign up for half marathons and 10 milers. I switched to a natural barefoot running shoe, (out of being bored) and focused on running form. I worked on speed, cadence, and started lifting weights. I became a faster, stronger runner. This change made me happy. And being able to change… is also the reason I love running. If you are bored switch up your shoe. If you are tired of running slow and far, start running shorter and faster. If you are tired of city running, hit the trails. This sport has something for any runner’s mood, for whichever type of runner you choose to be. And it is perfectly okay to be a marathon runner one year and a half marathon runner, or ultra marathoner the next year. Switch it up, keep things exciting.

If any of you have been reading my blog over the years, you would know last year, was quite the opposite. I was pretty excited, and ready to really consume myself with marathon training. I looked forward to longer runs, and higher mileage weeks. I was sooo obsessed about my marathon training that I annoyed a few people with my daily facebook and instagram running posts.

Anyway, one thing I want to make clear, is that I love MCM. This race is my absolute favorite! And I’ll be involved in it in some way, whether that means running it or showing love and support.

A lot of people are running now. My coworker just started training for her first half marathon (Go Katie). My other coworker is running as well. My running buddy is doing her first full marathon (MCM.) Seems like everyone is running and racing. And although, training for a race and then racing it, is my favorite thing to do, I don’t feel the need to run every race in the area.

Racing all the time can be fun, but it also is expensive and time consuming. Trust me I know, last April I ran two 10 milers and 1 half marathon. It was fun, but it was expensive. But, once April had ended I was happy to sleep in. I will admit I definitely got tired of waking up early and trying to get to a race, then rushing into work right after.

This fall I only signed up for MCM. When I train for a marathon, I am very disciplined. I run long runs when I am scheduled to, I taper when I am scheduled to. Because of this, when I run MCM, I don’t normally sign up for any other races, unless it lines up with my training plan.

I’ve come to the conclusion that signing up for a race and running it, doesn’t make you any more of a runner than someone who is still running daily to stay in shape and have fun.

And at the end of the day, even elite runners and professional athletes sometimes need to pull out of a race…

So with that being said, I’ll keep you updated on what I decide about MCM.

If I decide NOT to run MCM….

there is always next year! There are always other marathons to run… Trust me I have plans… Plus, I have some other fun exciting things I will be doing to get my running fix…

But in the mean time enjoy some of these summer running photos below…

That’s it for now… Hope you are enjoying your summer.

Do you have a race this fall? Who is training for a marathon?

Running on my Wedding Day!

July 13, 2014

From the title of this post…

Thoughts of a run away bride may be passing through your mind…

But nope, hell no… There is no way I would ever run away from this handsome man.

no way… we are stuck like glue!

So I wasn’t a runaway bride, but because I am a runner, I was desperately trying to fit a run in the week of my wedding.

I flew out to San Francisco Monday, June 23rd. I stayed in the Berkley area with my mom, and then drove to Upper Lake (Wine Country) on Wednesday the 25th. I really wanted to run over the Golden Gate Bridge while I was in San Fran, but it was impossible. My mom and I were so busy, shopping, eating, and wedding preparations consumed us.

I had been lifting heavy and running consistently leading up to the wedding, so taking a few days off felt really good. Plus my main priority was getting married and having a fabulous celebration (wedding.)

My sisters and now husband met me in Upper Lake, on Wednesday night. I will never forget that smile my groom gave me when he first arrived. He was so happy to see me his wife to be, and I was happy to see him.

The rest of the week was still busy with wedding appointments and errands. So it turned out, I wasn’t able to fit a run in until the morning of my wedding.

My sister made me a running bib that said BRIDE.

We pinned on the bride bib, grabbed our running gear, and off we went. We run a 3.5 mile loop in Lake Port, along the lake. It was gorgeous. I always wanted to run in Wine Country, and what better day to do it then on my Wedding day.

There is my something blue… So blue…

There I am running… I know you are jealous. This is by far one of the most beautiful places I have ever run.

Although, it was a short run, any run is better than no run. This run will be an unforgettable one. It got me sweating for my wedding and relived any stress I had.

When my sister and I were done with our run, duh… we stopped at Starbucks. The Starbucks girl wrote Bride on my cup.

With a good run and a lot of Caffeine I was pumped to do the damn thing or in other words, get married to my favorite man, and get the party started.

Did you run on your wedding day?

Wedding Planning and Diet and Exercise Routine…

June 12, 2014

So the count down has officially started. In 17 days my groom and I will make things official, and commit to each other for a life time. In 17 days we will celebrate our love, by having a wedding, sharing it with our closest family and friends.

I am very excited! I can’t wait to be married to Erik – what can I say, he is my favorite guy in the world. I am one lucky girl.

However, I will say this… there has been times during the wedding planning process when it hasn’t been fun. I am not a crazy planner girl, so I have been out of my element. I think the below photo expresses the way I feel about wedding planning more than any words could.

However, I am very proud of myself though because I have planned most of this wedding by myself. I am now the QUEEN of weeding planning. I am soooo thankful for my Mom and Aunt Nina for being my side kicks – I couldn’t have done it with out them.

I will say this- I have been swamped with wedding stuff. When I am not busy planning my own, I have been doing tons of wedding hair and make up. It seems like every time I see a client and tell them I am engaged… They respond, “Me Too!!”

Being swamped with wedding hair and make up has actually been really fun. Because I am also a bride planning my own wedding, I can totally relate to my bride clients on a whole different level. We share stories with each other about the ups, downs, and drama of wedding planning. Plus, it is so special to me to be a part of such an exciting time in my clients’ life.

When it comes to my wedding planning, at the moment, I have my checklist and I’m checking it twice. I also am still emailing vendors back and forth. I have never emailed so many people in my life. But my questions need to be answered and so do theirs. I am hoping by the start of next week my emailing will come to an end. It is coming down to the wire. So at this point I am trying to stay focused.

Ask any of my friends, and they will tell you I am the type of person who always goes above and beyond. I am the type of person who totally gets wrapped up in what she is doing. (For example, I don’t just run, I run marathons.) Some may think I am obsessive and extreme, but I am just trying to be the best person I can be.

My advice to all brides to be…

And that is exactly what I have been doing… Working on my wedding details everyday. I will admit I have never been so tired. It is a lot of work – now I understand why my best friend quit her job to plan her wedding. Wedding planning is like a job on its own.

On the other hand, I did not quit my job, but instead I am working more. I have never felt so busy. This type of stress is normal for all brides to be.

Alright, now that I have told you, I am excited, in love, exhausted, busy, and stressed. Let me talk to you about my stress reliever.

Of course I have been running and lifting. Two weeks ago I finished another round of the Livefit trainer.

As for my…

Along with running, I am now doing Ashley Conrad’s Clutch until I head out to California for my wedding. I am loving the intense circuit training. The one thing I need to stay on point with is the clean eating diet. I am eating clean but I need to eat more, and drink more water. Being so busy has made it difficult for me to meal prep and eat every 3 hours. I will say this though…

I am seeing awesome results. I am looking stronger and leaner. I can’t wait to be in my wedding dress! (I’ll post pics of me in my dress after the wedding.) But here are some progress pics.

The Clutch programs make me sweaty. Running in the heat does too… And although, I am seeing great progress, I have been really sore lately. I am definitely taking rest days when needed. Marathon training starts in mid July so I want to feel refreshed, not burned out.

So thats what I have for you guys today! I promise you, I will be updating more often. I awesome have an amazing green tea product to share with you! Look for that post by friday.

What work out do you use to relieve stress? Do you take regular rest days?

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