Homemade Applesauce

I recently took my 4 year old to pick Fiji apples at Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville, Va.  It was a beautiful day and much fun was had!  We picnicked in the orchards while overlooking the beautiful skyline including an incredible view of downtown Charlottesville.  We, of course, picked apples, but we also rode a scenic hayride, dined on apple cider donuts, drank apple cider, and planned our vision for the picked apples.

Taking a lunch break!

Hayride

APPLESAUCE

Super easy to make and it makes great gifts!

My peeling, coring, slicing method of choice!

1. Peel, core, and slice the apples. (I cheat, I use an apple peeler, corer, slicer)
2. Place prepared apples in a large pot with 1/4-1/2 cup water.
1. Sanitize your canning jars and equipment if canning.



Cooking the apples.

3. Cook apples over medium heat until very soft. I use a bit of Ball's fruit preserver, sprinkled on the apples to keep them from browning.
4. Puree in a blender or food processor till desired consistancy (chunky-smooth)
5. Return applesauce to pot and bring to a boil (you can add sugar, Ideal sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc...if you desire at this point)
6. Ladle hot applesauce into clean, sterilized jars.
7. Place lid and ring on jar and water bath for 20 mins.
8. Remove and allow to cool for 24 hours.
9. Check seal to ensure it worked, if not waterbath again for 20 mins or place it in fridge and eat it within 5-7 days.

**If you are not canning after you boil your applesauce, season/sweeten (if desired) pour into a container that has a lid and refrigerate**

All dressed up!! Some are chunky and others smooth, but all taste divine!

Triple Tomato Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chop up
• 1/4- 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 - 1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, chopped up into quarters
• 1 can(15 oz) chicken- do NOT drain  or 2 cooked diced chicken breasts 
• 10 fresh basil leaves chopped or 2-3 tsp dried basil flakes
• 1/4 of large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic
• butter
• water (about 1/2 cup-3/4 cup or more)
• salt and pepper to taste
• pasta
• parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

1. In large skillet melt butter and saute onion and garlic powder until translucent.
2. Add in sundried tomatoes with 1/2 cup water, simmer covered for 5-10 mins, or until slightly soft
3. Add in chicken, fresh tomatoes, paste, basil, and salt and pepper and another 1/4-1/2 cup water and simmer for 5-10 mins.
4. Cook 1 box of pasta as directed (I used a spinach spaghetti), drain, and add 1/4 cup parmesan and toss to coat.
5. Add in chicken/tomato mixture and serve, garnish with a bit more parm if you want!

Melting the butter & sauteing the onion & garlic powder

Add in the sun-dried tomatoes and water (not pictured)

Chopped up tomatoes and basil. Despite my hatred of raw tomatoes, aren't these heirloom tomatoes beautiful.

finished chicken, tomato concoction, ready for the parmesan pasta!

Pasta with parm, toss around to spread cheese around

Voila!

If you like cheese, add more...me gusta queso!

SO healthy and delcious

Praise the Lord!!

Another pain free running day. I logged 4.5 miles and no aches.  I am so timid about the pain that I noticed every muscle twinge, tweak, and flutter HA HA HA.


I plan on keeping mileage low, all runs under 5 miles,  for a week to week and a half and see how that goes.  I would LOVE to get in a good 8-10 miler before the race (Nov 12) but we shall see.  I am going to try and bike after the longer runs just to keep my ticker and lungs in shape and hope my legs will hold up!! I am taking the advice of an old friend and avid runner and trying my best to keep off paved surfaces. That has been challenging. Apparently not many people like to trail run in Richmond, despite the large number of runners and athletes in the area HA HA HA.  Finding trails is nearly impossible. I guess I will check into running the soccer fields at the athletic complex nearby. Less boring than a treadmill, but I hate the idea of doing 'laps'. Oh well, beggars I mean injureds, can be choosers right?!?


Any advice on regaining mileage post injury break?  Thanks in advance and I am still in love with running!! That little piece of me that began to die during my injury break is singing like a meadowlark! Oh how I missed running.     I just hope I like running enough to endure the cold winter, I cannot run on a treadmill for anything over 2-3 miles. I get angry and bored and I just don't like it AT ALL!!!!

Easy Halloween Craft

My four year old had a blast making these...

All you need is...

• White felt sheets
• Hot glue gun
• Fabric Paint (I used black, orange, and green)
• Black paint that is washable

Finished Product

Fold Felt in half and glue the longest sides together to form seams, turn inside out. It should look like a pocket with the glued seams on the inside.

*I had already finished this with my daughter so this is my hand in representation*  Paint your kiddos hand place in the middle of one side of your "pocket"

Repaint the same hand and position the opposite direction with the palm overlapping the already painted palm print.

This is what it will look like at this point. Let it dry.

Cut a strip lengthwise from another piece of felt about 1" wide and glue to the insides of the pocket.

Decorate with paint and googly eyes if you wish!!  We made these for  her cousins and put some treats in them.

Shin Splints Stink

My race is Nov 12, I was up to 10 miles and ready to go up to 11, but...


Shin splints struck and they struck hard!!!

As of now I only have them in my right leg and the pain is very mild but I know if I don't watch it, this minimal throbbing pain will turn excruciating in a heartbeat.


I rode a bike set up on a stationary trainer for 30 mins today and my tush just couldn't take anymore.  I am dying to find something I can do to baby my shin and still get a good cardio workout.


HELP!!! What do you do to cross train when injured and can't run?

Sausage Alfredo

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey
• 12-15 oz light alfredo sauce (I juse buitoni but homemade would be better!!)
• 8-10 oz frozen spinach- you could always substitute broccoli just adjust cooking time or cook it prior to using
• 1 box whole grain linguine
• 2 tbsp sage
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper-to taste
• parmesan if you want

DIRECTIONS:

1. In large skillet brown and crumble the ground turkey.
2. While cooking season with sage, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper (if you like spice, add crushed red pepper flake-my family doesn't so I add mine to my own plate later!!)
3. If you see the turkey looking dry during cooking add 1/4 cup of water as needed, since it is so lean it won't have all that grease to keep it juicy so add just enough water to keep it from drying out.
4. Cook pasta as directed and drain.
5. Add in spinach when turkey is done and stir it in until it is thawed and well warmed.
6. Add in alfredo sauce to turkey/spinach mix and stir until heated.
7. Pour over noodles and stir.
8. Garnish each plate with parmesan and crushed pepper flake (optional)

Browning the turkey with seasonings

Finished ground turkey sausage (this is the point I add in spinach...i left that out for some reason during photographing!)

Super easy, healthy, delicious!

Running Update (ONE MONTH TILL HALF?!?!?)

I ran 10 miles yesterday, new record for me.  I am still at a snail's pace, but it is just about crossing that glorious finish line!!

I am on the look for compression pants and socks to help speed up recovery, any suggestions/recommendations would be much appreciated!!!


I am pretty siked and have begun wondering if it is possible, for me, to run a full marathon.  I would love to do a cancer fund raising related full. I suppose I should wait and see how the half goes huh?


It has been really hard trying to find trails to run on here, I am sure they exist. This is kind of a bummer in being new to an area.  I hope to find some soon to give my twinging shins some much need cushioned ground!

Thanks for your support and well wishes!  Oh and yesterday for my follow up Dr appt...I weighed *DRUM ROLL PLEASE*



Less than what I weighed for my high school, senior year physical WAHOOO Running is paying off and apparently I truly am running my rear off. LOL

Tuna Casserole

Could be one of the simplest recipes to date!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 12 oz can tuna (I used chunk light)
• 6oz whole wheat egg noodles (half of a bag)
• 6-7 oz cheddar cheese with dill
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook noodles as directed. Drain.
2. While noodles are cooking, melt cheese along with salt and pepper
3. Add in milk slowly, stirring into cheese until it is a creamy consistency (it may be a bit lumpy, but should be thickish)
4. Add in tuna to cheese, stir.
5. Place cheese/tuna mixture into noodles and toss.
6. Garnish with parmesan if you desire.

I cube up the cheese into tiny cube to help it melt faster

The cheese was soft and starting to melt so I added about half the milk and stirred constantly.

When all the milk is incorporated add in tuna, stir

Toss noodles with cheese/tuna, stir well and top with parmesan

A close up of the goodness!

We plated this up with a broccoli and cauliflower mix. YUM