Football 101

Christopher made it through his first week of two-a-day practices and, although very tired each night, he handled it like a champ. He is playing the position of wide receiver which seems to be a good fit for him because he has good hands and he can run fast. Hopefully fast enough to not get tackled. This year, the freshman team plays three scrimmage games and ten regular season games. Almost all of the games are local and I think we are at home more than away which is very convenient. The season finishes in early November - just before it gets too cold. 

I am not sure how I feel about Christopher playing football. I am very worried about him getting injured and I know that seeing him be tackled for the first time (and probably for the fiftieth time!) is going to be nerve wracking. He has grown a couple of inches in the last few months and we are continuing to try to bulk him up and put some meat on his bones so he can withstand being hit. I guess the good news is that he is definitely not the smallest player on the field and he can run fast. He has also made a lot of new friends from other middle schools and will be very comfortable when high school begins in a few weeks. 

After listening to Christopher and Kevin talk football, I realized how very little I knew about the different offensive and defensive positions and the specific responsibilities of each position.  I turned to my trusted amazon.com account and soon I will be an expert on all things football!

I reached mile 2,895 on my transcontinental run early Sunday morning and this was my spectacular view at Old Faithful - Yellowstone National Park, Teton County, Wyoming...

I am getting close enough to the end of my journey that I am beginning to think, "what next?".

My run on Sunday morning took quite an interesting turn...I set out very early Sunday with a plan to run three miles. At about mile two, I realized I was in the vicinity of a house that I had read about some time ago in The Washington Post. You can find the original article here. I decide to extend my run and see if I could find it. The house I was searching for, Squirrel Hill, located in Oakton, VA, is Fairfax County's oldest documented historic dwelling, dating to 1705. I found the photo below of the original house on-line but could not identify the photographer.

New owners recently purchased the property in and are in the process of preserving the history of the ancient house in a very unique way. An extensive renovation includes an attached three-car garage built on one end of the original house and a four-bedroom home built on the other end...the original structure is situated between the two additions. This house has a lot of history (and maybe even a ghost!) and, after reading the article way back when, I really wanted to see the piece of property and the modifications made to incorporate the old structure into the new. The article in The Washington Post includes some photographs that show the modifications and the new additions.

I had a general idea where the house was located and, after a few wrong turns (which added to my mileage!), I was happy to find it. Unfortunately, I did not have my phone with me to take any photos but plan on running in that area again this weekend and will make sure I take it along. Much progress has been made in the renovations and the house looks very different than the photo above - it was truly impressive, as was the property it was located on. Although this little expedition increased my run to 7 miles, it was worth the effort.

Have a great Tuesday!

August

Whoa! What happened to July?!? Thanks to all of those snow days that we enjoyed? endured? this past winter, the kids did not get out of school until very late - June 26th (!).

Right after school ended, Caitlynne went to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland for crew camp. 

The girls stayed on-campus in the dorms and ate in the cafeteria so Caitlynne got a little taste of college life (although at an atypical college). Unfortunately, her desire to attend the Naval Academy was probably quite a bit diminished as the plebes arrived while she was there and, according to Caitlynne, "they looked incredibly miserable and sad. Why would anyone want to go through all that?"

As a belated anniversary celebration, the day before the camp ended, Kevin and I went to Annapolis for the night. We stayed downtown at the Marriott and took a water taxi across the harbor to the Chart House for an incredible dinner. Very early the next morning, we were able to catch the girls as they left the Academy for their morning rowing session on the Severn River. 

What a great experience it was for Caitlynne and what an absolutely amazing place to row! 

Christopher drove with my brother and sister-in-law to Turtle Town, Tennessee where my sister and her husband just purchased a beautiful lake house. Christopher did all sorts of things that I would not approve of...

And, having never eaten a fried insect or worm while living in Thailand, he dove right into these bacon and cheese crickets...

After he returned home, Christopher went to a basketball camp for two weeks at the high school that he will attend. He won the individual "Hot Shot" contest the first week of the camp and his team won the league championship both weeks. He was happy to add some more hardware to his collection! 

The camp was run by the high school basketball coaches and some of the current players so he got some great exposure to them and the program and is looking forward to basketball season.

The other day, I realized that, although school is not even in session, I have been at the high school at least once, if not twice, every day this summer with the exception of Saturdays, Sundays, and July 4th. One or the other kid always has something going on there and it is only going to get worse as back to school activities begin! Both kids have been weightlifting and conditioning in the high school gym three days a week (and, of course, on different days and at different times). Caitlynne has been training for crew as Fall rowing will begin in early September and, until today, Christopher had been conditioning for football. This morning, Christopher began "two a day" practices for the freshman football team. For the next three weeks, the team is dressed and on the field at 5:50 a.m., ready to begin their practice. They take a 1 1/2 hour "break" to eat lunch inside and have team or position meetings and then, at 10:50 a.m., they head back out to the field to practice until 2:00 p.m.

Other than the obvious concussion/injury concerns, my biggest problem with Christopher playing football has been trying to figure out what to feed him. He does not like to eat in the morning but, really needs to eat something to fuel him for the morning practice session. He and I talked about what I could make or get for him to eat in the morning and a quiche was one idea that he was agreeable to. So, yesterday, I very quickly threw together a quiche. And I mean quickly...I was very pressed for time. It wasn't pretty but it turned out really well. 

I combined a few recipes that I saw on-line and created this "Bacon, Spinach, and Onion Quiche". 

I would have preferred to make my own pie crust (or at least take a few minutes and make this ready-made one a little "prettier") but I didn't have the time. 

For the filling, I used 7 eggs, 3/4 cup of half and half, one cup of  shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese, and 2 cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese. I did not add salt or pepper and, after tasting it, I don't think I needed too. Next time I might add some dry yellow mustard for more flavor. 

I covered with aluminum foil, baked for 50 minutes at 350 degrees, and then took the foil off to bake for another 20 minutes.  

 Voila! Lunch is served.

This is certainly not a low calorie meal but, at 5'9" and 122 pounds, Christopher can use all of the calories he can get. And then some. Before he left the house this morning (at zero dark thirty), I warmed a piece of the quiche in a Tupperware container and he ate it in the car on the way to practice. 

Figuring out what to pack for his lunch was much easier.

The first day was hard but he made it through and will probably sleep like a log tonight!

Have a great Monday! 

A "SpongeBob Squarepants" Inspired Dinner

Many years ago, Christopher was a fan of the Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob Squarepants". Please don't judge! One evening way back when, he asked me to make Krabby Patties for dinner. In case you don't know (and I didn't at the time), Krabby Patties are the type of burger sold at the Krusty Krab (the restaurant on the show). Krabby Patties are the best-known food at the Krusty Krab, the most famous sandwich in Bikini Bottom, and SpongeBob's favorite food. 

Since the show took place under the ocean and given the name of the patty, I concocted a recipe based on what I *thought* a Krabby Patty would be. I assumed it contained crab meat, however, since I am deathly allergic to shellfish, I substituted salmon for crab meat and made "Keating Krabby Patties". They were easy and delicious but, for some reason, I never made them again. 

Fast forward about 4 years... this week, my office had an off-site luncheon and, several of the women ordered crab cakes. They looked amazing and the women raved about how good they were. I couldn't get them out of my mind and thought back to our "Krabby Patties". I did some searching on the internet but couldn't find a recipe that suit my fancy. I found a lot of recipes but most of the recipes for crab/salmon/fish cakes called for crushed crackers (i.e., Ritz crackers), potatoes, or even pancake mix (?!?). None of these "binders" appealed to me so, using several recipes as guides, I wrote down a few ingredients that inspired me and went to work creating our dinner. 

My ingredients assembled and ready to begin. 

The green pepper was from my garden. I used canned salmon - it was not cheap but worked very well for this purpose. There were larger cans of salmon available at the grocery store but those contained the bones and skin which needed to be picked out before using. That is the ONE thing I do remember from the last time I made Krabby Patties! Totally. Gross. 

I guesstimated measurements (as I do when I make meatloaf) and adjusted according to taste once everything was mixed together. 

The patties shaped and ready to cook. 

 I swirled some olive oil around a warm pan and began to cook the patties.

Ready for the table. 

I made a very simple garlic aioli to top the patties. 

Again, no measurements, I added salt and pepper and adjusted the other ingredients to taste after mixing. We prefer our aioli to be very garlic-y and lemon-y so I tend to use a heavy hand with those ingredients. When we use this aioli to top grilled salmon fillets, I throw in a handful of capers as well.  

Yum - aioli! We are totally addicted to this stuff.

Slice tomatoes for topping the patties. One is from the garden, one is from the grocery store - can you tell which is which? This year I am going to save some seeds from my tomato plants and begin a tradition of "heirloom" tomatoes.

I made a green salad to serve on the side.

And Kevin contributed some grilled corn - another thing that we can't get enough of in our home at this time of year.

Taa Daa! The composed Keating Krabby Patty. 

Everyone gave this dinner a "thumb's up" and I was quite pleased with how the patties turned out. The one thing I would do differently next time would be to make the patties smaller and serve on slider rolls. I think these were Kaiser rolls - they were large and I made the patties to fit but it would have been nicer to have smaller portions. I think the patties would have cooked better too if they had been smaller. 

I recently found out, *real* Krabby Patties are made out of a frozen hamburger with fresh lettuce, crisp onions and tomatoes with undersea cheese, pickles, mustard, ketchup, and with a special secret formula (a pinch of King Neptune's Poisedon Powder. Mine didn't even come close in terms of ingredients but they tasted pretty darn good!

Have a great Saturday!

I Wish I Had Read The Reviews First

Earlier this year, I read "The Aviator's Wife", by Melanie Benjamin.

Truth be told, the only reason I even picked this book up at the store was because the woman on the cover looked so elegant, stylish, and confident. After a quick read through of the back cover, I thought it would be interesting to read about a woman that I knew nothing of other than her first child was kidnapped and killed. 

From amazon.com...

"When Anne Morrow, a shy college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family, she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong. Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. In the years that follow, Anne becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States. But despite this and other major achievements, she is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness."

I was very disappointed in this book and it was a real struggle for me to finish it. While I was putting together this post, I found this review by L. Young on amazon.com that reflected my exact thoughts on the book...

"The Aviator's Wife' is the latest entry in the sub-genre of historical fiction that I call 'The Subjugated Wives of Famous Men Historical Novel'. 'Loving Frank' and 'The Paris Wife' are two other examples about Mrs. Frank Lloyd Wright and Mrs Ernest Heminway. The mark of this sub-genre is the bright and educated wife who must struggle to establish her own identity while under the thumb of the famous and domineering husband. In 'The Aviator's Wife' we have the story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, shy daughter of the Morrow family. Her father was US ambassador to Mexico when she first meets aviator icon and hero Charles Lindbergh. Later her father will become the US Senator from New Jersey. Anne a Smith graduate who wins two literary prizes while there, lives in the shadow of her gorgeous older sister Elizabeth. This prepares the plainer Anne to live in the shadow of her husband Charles, whose solo flight over the Atlantic makes him the superstar of his age. Lindberg is presented as an emotionally cold and controlling golden boy who ultimately fathers half a dozen illegitimate children with three other women during his 47 year marriage to Anne.

Anne bemoans endlessly (and irritatingly) how she isn't worthy of the God-like Lindberg and spends her time subjugating her will to his, including writing a pamphlet supporting his pro-Nazi views. The novel is entertaining enough if you can bear the pedestrian writing and the endless repetition. It seems to be well researched and doesn't gloss over Lindbergh's Nazi sympathies in the years leading up to WW 2. The description of the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby is heartbreaking. Finally Anne will emerge as her own person, thankfully." 

I should thank Mr./Mrs. L. Young for writing most of my blog post for today!

Have a great day.

Favorite Summer Recipes, Part I

Like most people, we tend to use the grill for most of our dinners during the summer. However, there are some nights when I do cook dinner in the kitchen and, on those nights, I like to cook something that is light, simple, and - most importantly - doesn't require the use of my oven. 

I found this recipe in the May 2014 edition of Cooking Light and it was an instant hit with our family. It is hearty enough for dinner but won't leave you with that "oh, my gosh, I am stuffed!" feeling. Even if you eat three bowls of it. I served with a green salad. 

Chicken, Tortellini, and Spinach Soup with Pesto

Cooking Light MAY 2014
Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 1 (9-ounce) package whole-wheat cheese tortellini

• 1 (5-ounce) package spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup diced seeded tomato
• 1/4 cup refrigerated pesto 

Preparation

1. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add stock; bring to a boil. Add tortellini; reduce heat to medium, and simmer 6 minutes or until tortellini are done. Stir in spinach, salt, and pepper. Divide soup among 6 bowls; top evenly with tomato and pesto.

And, of course I made some changes to the recipe! I made fresh pesto (using a lot of that basil from my garden), a fresh tomato, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I put the pesto, chopped tomatoes, and grated cheese in small bowls on the table so each person could add what they liked and in the amount they preferred. The kids like spinach so I tripled the amount of spinach that the recipe called for. I used chicken breasts instead of the boneless chicken thighs but only because that is what I had on hand.

Have a great day!

From The Garden

The reward for me being very vigilant about watering and fertilizing my container gardens...

There are quite a few more green peppers and tomatoes on the plants and in various stages of growth. I hope that they continue to ripen without rotting or being eaten by bugs, squirrels, deer, etc. 

I have been using as much of this basil as possible but cannot keep up with the new growth. Both the basil and the french thyme in this pot grew like crazy!

As did the sage and parsley. 

The rosemary and lemon thyme did not do so well. I have no idea what happened but they literally died overnight. 

The boys at rest...

Chester has not outgrown his affinity for his lovies. It is hard to believe that it is almost one year since he became part of our family. He drives me absolutely CRAZY sometimes with his antics but I wouldn't trade him for the world. 

 

This is one of the few photos I have of Chester that show his eyes. 

The boys love playing "chase" around the yard with their cousin Ridley when we get them together. The photo below was taken when Ridley and Christopher visited my sister's home in Turtle Town, Tennessee for July 4th. She has grown so much! 

Have a great day!

A Long Time Coming!

I am not sure where the last four(+) months went...between crew (Caitlynne), basketball and football (Christopher), work (Kevin and I), running (Kevin and I), and keeping our home and our family somewhat together (me), the time just flew by and here it is the end of July. Yikes! I am particularly ashamed that I had promised a post the day after Saint Patrick's Day and this is the soonest I have gotten around to it! Trust me, almost every day I thought at least once about this blog and planned out a post to write. Several times I even went so far as to say to the kids, "today I WILL write a post". Alas, 'twas not to be. I was simply overcome by events as "they" say.

But, here I am. Energized. Organized. And desperately hoping to carve out enough time out of my crazy schedule to commit to posting 4-5 times a week. We shall see. I realized over the last 4+ months how very therapeutic writing for the blog was for me and how much I really missed it. 

I will start with the easiest "catch up". Running. While my blog publications ceased, my running did not. The weather has been fantastic (although who wouldn't say that after the winter we experienced here in Northern Virginia??) and I have been running like the madwoman that I am. I have been able to run 35+ miles/week several times recently and this month I am on track to run 125+ miles. I haven't seen those kind of numbers in a long time and am very happy!

Obviously, I have progressed great distances in my transcontinental journey. I ran six miles yesterday morning to reach mile 2850.0 and am 7.01 miles from the Yellowstone Park Entrance, in Wyoming (Teton County).

While it is great to see the end (also known as the Pacific Ocean) in the very near distance, the downside of my increased mileage is that my body is showing its age. I have numerous aches and pains - nothing too serious but bothersome. Every day something new hurts. Right now, I am running 5 (sometimes 6) days and I can feel it. I am thinking of a new plan for August to decrease my running and increase cross training, strength training, and stretching. 

Have a great day!