Whoever has the most saliva, swallows the most pinole

After reading Born to Run I’ve been a bit obsessed with some of the things discussed in the book. One of those things being pinole – a traditional Mexican food that is often used when travelling, or by the Tarahumara when running long distances for energy (in dry form). It’s hard to get an official recipe on how to make it, since it’s such a simple food, but this is my take on a traditional ‘pinole’ and I’ve been enjoying it many ways for the past few weeks.

Basic Pinole Recipe

1/4 cup course grind cornmeal

1 tbsp sweetener (I’ve used agave, maple syrup & brown rice syrup)

cinnamon to taste (I use a lot)

~ 3/4 cup water

1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)

Combine the first three ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add the water, stir, and microwave for 1-2 minutes (you could also cook it on the stove for 15 min or so). Once cooked, stir to smooth out the mixture and add the chia seeds if using. Let sit for a couple minutes to let the chia seeds absorb the excess water, adding more water or other liquid to reach the consistency you like. If you don’t want to use chia seeds you can either microwave the cornmeal mixture for longer to thicken it up or just use less water. I like mine to be a bit thinner than I would oat bran with more of a ‘cream of wheat’ consistency.

I usually add toppings and eat this about an hour before exercising. It digests really well and is very filling for less of a caloric load on the body. I love the slightly gritty texture from the cornmeal and the chia seeds give it a really cool consistency. It’s also a flavour that lends itself well to many different additions.

Here’s another bowl, topped with raisins and pom arils. This was a pre-run snack.

And another with sliced banana. I like to keep my pinole pretty simple so far, mostly because I usually just use it as a snack.

And today’s breakfast. I played around with this one a little and added pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon, maple syrup and 1/4 cup pumpkin puree to the cornmeal. I also added some hemp protein powder to give it a little more protein heft. Topped with raisins and apple butter. This might be my favourite combo yet.

Some people seem to think that ‘grits’ or ‘pinole’ is less healthy than oatmeal or oat bran but I find the nutritionals to be pretty comparable if you’re buying a good brand. I buy Bob’s Red Mill brand coarse cornmeal and when compared to the same brand of oat bran or rolled oats the only real difference is that the cornmeal has less protein. It actually contains more fiber per gram than most of the oat products. So, not so bad at all.

Of course, it’s never going to replace a good bowl of oatmeal, but so far I’m quite the fan.

BTW – the post title comes from the Wikipedia article on pinole. In case you were wondering

And I’m back

Sorry for the long hiatus. Once I got sick I got a little off in my schedule. I’m a very habitual person and not exercising and eating oddly for almost a week threw me off my game. I’m only just finally getting back to normal.

My food photography has been pretty sporadic and I don’t actually have any pictures from yesterday or today so I’m just going to share some of the ones I’ve taken this month and you can just pretend that’s what I ate today.

Let’s start with a yummy plate of french toast-ed cinnamon raisin ezekiel english muffin. That’s quite the mouthful. I topped it with sliced pear, maple syrup and some goat feta. I love using tangy cheeses with sweet breakfast dishes, it’s such a good combo.

For lunch, lets say I had this:

I remember this meal as if it were yesterday, so close enough. A massaged kale salad with chipotle avocado, tomatoes and hemp seeds. Paired with a foodgasmic sandwich on whole wheat baguette – hummus, sliced radish, carrot, cucumber, avocado and pesto. So, so good.

And, what about dinner?

A stuffed acorn squash, perhaps. Filled with a vegan stuffing of whole wheat bread, apple, onion and cranberries. Stuffing is one of my favourite foods but I usually don’t think to make it for just a random dinner. I’m so glad that I did in this case because it was really good. I also had some spicy baked tofu with BBQ sauce for dipping.

Now back to reality -

Yesterday was a fun gym day. I was supposed to go to my weekly strength/cardio class but my favourite instructor wasn’t there and I don’t usually bother going if she isn’t teaching. Nothing against the other instructors, I just don’t usually find them as challenging and I end up regretting that I’m not off doing my own thing. So, I was left with an unplanned gym trip on my hands, my very favourite kind.

If I don’t have a set plan at the gym I just have fun with it and do whatever my heart desires. Yesterday that involved the following:

2 min on the rower (was supposed to be 5min but, being the klutz that I am, I jammed the hand grip against my knees and it hurt too much to continue).

1 min limping around in pain, deciding what to do next.

10 min on the step machine (I did the ‘aerobic intervals’ on level 10) while reading Impact’s feature on triathlon training.

5 min run around the track, gradually increasing speed to a sprint and then back down again. (~ 1km)

2 x 10 @ 12.5lb – bicep curl to shoulder press

2 x 10 @ 12.5lb – tricep extention

1 x 20 @ 12.5lb – lunges

5 min run around the track, gradually increasing speed to a sprint and then back down again. (~ 1km)

13 min on the bike (2 min spin, 1 min right leg, 1 min both legs, 1 min left leg, 1 min spin, 1 min climb, 1 min spin, 1 min right leg, 1 min both, 1 min left leg, 2 min spin). 6km total.

1 x 20 @ 12.5lb – squats and hammer curls

10 min run around the track, varying speed however I felt like (~2km)

I was a sweaty mess after this. Does anyone else sweat like gangbusters on the bike? I’m always dripping and it’s kind of gross, although also awesome.

Today I started off right with some pancakes . . . okay, not really.

But they were definitely worth sharing. I made these from a gluten-free baking mix I bought on accident but I really like it as a healthier alternative that still comes out with similar consistency and taste to classic, white flour pancakes. I made a really lovely sauce out of sauteed apple, pomegranate arils and maple syrup.

Then I half-jogged my way to yoga with 50lbs of baggage through a foot of snow, did a 90 min class, cleaned the studio (as part of my volunteer job), walked 25 min to the bus and came to work. I’m actually really exhausted now, even though it doesn’t seem like much I’m definitely feeling it. I’ve been ravenous all shift and finished my whole lunchbox before 3. I might have to scrounge up something from the dregs of the office fridge in an hour if my stomach doesn’t settle down.

Tomorrow should be pretty fun. I’m going to the gym to run, then meeting up with some friends for some swimming and then I have a family party to go to for my twin cousins’ birthday. The theme is Hollywood and I have no idea what to wear. Any ideas?

Second Breakfast

Just so we’re clear.

One may be so sick that one can’t go outside on a much anticipated trail run in the unbelievable November weather we’re having.

One may be so sick that one must call into work sick for only the second time in over three years.

But one is never so sick that one cannot artfully arrange banana slices on one’s breakfast.

Even if it’s the second breakfast of the day and it’s happening at 4pm.

It’s not so bad when you consider that the first one happened at 12:30.

First breakfast: Green smoothie in a bowl (banana, pineapple, cucumber, black kale, Vega) with apple cinnamon cereal and almond butter toppers.

Second breakfast: Cinnamon banana waffles with almond butter/maple syrup dipper.

Sometimes being sick isn’t all that bad

But damn I wish I could run. Or bike. Or swim. Or do anything.

It’s an ugly day in the neighbourhood

Blah. So my words are coming back to bite me and I’m feeling a bit sick today. It’s always right after I talk about how I don’t get sick that I inevitably do.

I’m pretty sure it’s just a short bug, probably because I went from hot to cold so many times yesterday. This morning I’ve instigated my get-well routine:

- Sleep in until 9am – Check

- Shot of Wheatgrass – Check (really isn’t all that bad)

- Curled up on couch with big blanket, computer and TV – Check

- Big pot of tea (Echinacea Plus and Lemon Ginger Green Tea steeped together) – Check

I feel better already.

I’m not feeling very hungry this morning, probably because I had a huge meal last night after yoga, so for breakfast I’m just having an apple and some almond butter for now.

I may see some oats in my future, though.

I was supposed to swim and maybe bike today, not to mention soccer tonight, but I’m thinking I should just take the day off. I had a trail run planned for tomorrow that I really want to do, so I want to get better for that. I’m undecided on soccer because I think I could easily do it, but I also don’t want to spread my germs to other players. We’ll see.

Since I didn’t have time to post it yesterday I thought I’d sneak yesterday’s lunch in here, too. It was just so fun.

I’ve had a loaf of pumpernickel cocktail bread in the freezer for months and I finally decided to pull it out and make some mini sandwiches. I often say that my favourite kind of meal is a one-pot concoction of a bunch of different ingredients piled together happily, but I also have a soft spot for meals with lots of variety and snacky components.

I made three little sandwiches.

Far left: Sabra pinenut hummus, hot sauce, pickles!, meatless meatballs.

Centre: Marinara sauce, eggplant bacon, goat gouda.

Far right: Cranberry sauce, sweet potato patty.

They were all good but I think the hummus won out. I love my spicy foods.

I also had some grapes on the side.

I wanted to talk about the special yoga class I did yesterday, because it was so amazing.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it yet but I’ve always struggled a bit with yoga. Not only with the physical side but with actually buckling down and doing it with regularity. Hot yoga has been really great for me this past month because the environment is perfectly conducive to motivating me. I don’t usually deal with heat well, but in yoga it’s been indispensable in getting my muscles to relax enough to do the moves and calming my mind enough to stay focused. I’ve still been struggling with my breathing, though.

The instructor we had yesterday was the first to get me to a place where I finally understood what it meant to have your breath guide you through your practice. We did a lot of breathing exercises, which helped, including this awesome quick breathing pattern in warrior two. She also brought in a djembe (one of my favourite instruments, I’ve always had great experiences around djembe drumming) and the rhythmic sound was so helpful to me because I really respond to that kind of stimulus. We even did some Sanskrit singing while in dancer pose, which was a great way to stay balanced and focused in the pose. We also ended the class with a long floor sequence and some chanting. I love chanting and it reminded me of the days when I used to be heavily involved in meditation and studying Tibetan buddhist rituals. I spent a good, long time in Savasana and left the class feeling like butter.

I highly recommend taking a yoga class with djembe, singing, or chanting if you can find it. It was a totally different experience and really made a huge difference in experiencing the whole realm of yoga.

Anyway, that’s enough from me. I just finished my whole pot of tea while writing this, so I’m off to make more

What do you mean it’s not Sunday?

I am loving having Wednesday off in the middle of the week (It’s Remembrance Day in Canada).  The last two days have felt like an extra weekend.

Yesterday I dragged my butt out of bed early so I could adjust my schedule and headed straight to hot yoga class. It was a new instructor and she was having some difficulty so the class didn’t flow quite as well as usual but it was still awesome. I think she might have been an athlete too, because we did a lot of pigeons, runner’s lunges and all my favourite poses for loosening up my ridiculously tight hamstrings and hips. I feel so much better with all the yoga I’ve been doing lately.

I also got a fantastic tempo run in. It was crazy windy out but I was feeling speedy and energetic. I always second guess myself on this route because there’s a giant hill halfway and I often question if I can keep my pace despite it, but it barely fazed me today.

Distance: 9km (5.6 miles)

Time: 47:40

Pace: 8:31 min/mile

This is right where I want to be with my tempo pace right now so I’m quite pleased. I felt so good at the end of the run, like I could have gone another 5k at that pace, so I’m stoked. Hopefully I can do another 10k race soon because I’m definitely on target to set a PR. My last 10k was May 30 and I ran a 51:46. My goal now is to make it under 50 min. It may be a lofty goal but I think I can do it.

Before yoga I was finally able to try Brendan’s Toasted Apple Cinnamon Cereal recipe from Thrive. I’ve been meaning to make this for months now but I’ve procrastinated because for some reason the long cooking time was throwing me off. It was more than worth the wait, though.

The best thing about this cereal, aside from the crunch factor, is the great roasted flavour the molasses provide. The “cereal” is pretty much a granola made with a ton of seeds and nuts and a coating made up of molasses, hemp oil and spices. It’s quite delicious. Unfortunately I ran out of almond milk the day before and forgot to soak any nuts to make some more so I ended up doing a cheater version of coconut milk. It was pretty much about 3 tbsp of dried, unsweetened coconut blended with just over 1/2 cup of milk and a couple drops of vanilla stevia extract. That blinding white blob in the middle of the bowl is some of the yummy coconut pulp left over after straining (holy overexposure, sorry about that). This is quite a lovely and quick milk solution when in a pinch.

For dinner I decided to try out Melissa’s Raw Pad Thai, which has been waiting patiently in my recipe folder for months now. I really wasn’t expecting this to turn out as well as it did.

It might not look like much – a bowl of red cabbage, carrot, cucumber and green onion may be a feast for the eyes but it isn’t that palatable on its own. However the dressing for this was outstanding and I almost gobbled up the whole (HUGE) bowl before remembering that we were going for dessert in an hour and I might not want a belly full of fiber first. This would have been even better if I’d had the mango & cilantro recommended but I’d used the last of my cilantro in a smoothie that afternoon. Damn me.

It was a good smoothie, though. You can’t really go wrong when pineapple & cilantro play together.

Post-dinner we went out with some new (!) friends for dinner at a great restaurant in town called The Ranche. The last time I was there the dessert was absolutely transcendent. I could have waxed poetic about the intricacies and perfection of that dessert for hours. And, like all good food, it had me swinging from the rafters. Alas, the dessert I had yesterday (the Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Marshmallow & Cranberry Beet Syrup), while lovely, did not quite reach those heights. I plan to go back to try the Banana Rum Sticky Toffee Pudding and hope for better luck. Not to be too greedy or anything. But I love sticky toffee pudding and would have chosen it had I not ordered my wine first and thought the cheesecake seemed like a better match for it.

I really, really planned to take pictures and even had my camera sitting patiently on the windowsill beside me, but I got wrapped up in friendly conversation and didn’t remember until my plate had been licked clean. Too bad, because the presentation was impeccable. I’ll definitely remember when I go back for seconds.

This morning I had a fabulous swim. I’ve been slacking hardcore on my swimming training lately. It’s unfortunately my least favourite of the triathlon disciplines and therefore the one I need the most work on, but I’ve had difficulty being motivated to swim since fall has arrived. Luckily I managed to make it there today and the best thing about midday swims is that I usually have a full lane to myself. It felt good to just get in the water, cruise, and let my mind wander. Unfortunately, since I tend to zone out while swimming I have a hard time keeping track of my stats. I think this is pretty close, though.

Distance: 1750 m (70 lengths)

Time: 42 minutes

Workout: 2 x 25m breast stroke, 2 x 750m freestyle, 2 x 50m side stroke, 4 x 50m breast stroke

Dan picked me up after the pool (he’s had the week off work) and we went to an early matinee at the cheap theatre. We finally saw District 9, which I’ve been wanting to see for awhile now. It actually exceeded my expectations (which were already quite high) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I had an early dinner/late lunch that was pretty much just thrown together on a whim. It consisted of roasted cauliflower with a crunchy coating of bread crumbs, nutritional yeast & red pepper flakes, sweet potato fries with chipotle seasoning, and a mushroom, onion & spinach frittata with a little blue cheese on toast. I may or may not have added some ketchup to this post-pic.

Tonight I went to see a play with a friend who got free tickets through work. It was called Speed the Plow, written by David Mamet, on the suitable topic of the movie industry (in case I didn’t mention it before, I work in film/television post-production). The play was really funny with blazing fast dialogue and very truthful subject matter. If it’s playing in your area I’d definitely recommend checking it out. I don’t go to the theatre nearly as much as I’d like because I really do think it’s a completely under-appreciated form of entertainment. The talent involved in even a local production is often amazing.

I’ve had a fabulous ‘faux’ weekend so hopefully the real one lives up to it