Tofu Noodle Soup

I have been sick for the last 7 days. No voice, coughing - utter grossness. My dad called me two days ago with the same thing and it inspired me to make some homemade soup. I loved chicken noodle soup when I was a meaty. This soup can be made with chicken and egg noodles, but I chose gluten free noodles and extra firm tofu instead.

Summy's Tofu Noodle Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 box Schar Gluten Free Tagliatelle Pasta (or pasta of choice)
1 package extra firm tofu (or chicken bits if you're a meaty :-) )
2 containers of 32 oz vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you like)
5 bay leaves
4 tsp thyme
4 carrots chopped
4 stalks of celery chopped
2 small, white onions diced
1 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste

Remove the tofu from it's package. Place tofu on a plate that is covered in paper towels. Cover the tofu with another paper towel and use another plate to press and drain ALL of the moisture from the tofu. This will make it easier to cook. Chop the tofu into cubes.

Place the olive oil, cubed tofu, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme in a skillet and saute until the onions are clear

In a large pot add the vegetable broth, water and the pasta. Let the pasta boil for 5 minutes and then add the contents from the skillet and boil for 5 more minutes until the noodles are done. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

2014

As I sit here at my laptop, I am trying to think of ways to sum up 2013. The earth has fully rotated around the sun again. It is oddly symbolic, so I guess I get it.

2013 was filled with ups and downs for myself. I anticipated that I would compete again in March until I discovered that my grandfather was deathly ill. Everything else was sort of put to the wayside at that point.

I spent many months with my dear grandfather who was dying which gave me much time to reflect on those things that really mattered most. Although I felt this sort of made me 'absent' in some of my friends' lives, all in all I felt that it was necessary.

As he was preparing to pass, my grandfather talked to me about what matters most in life. His wife, his kids and being able to reflect back on his heroic time here on this earth - hoping that he had done everything right by his family and experienced all of the things that he had wanted.

It was soon after this conversation that I began to consider quitting my job. I started analyzing why I had become a nurse in the first place. I missed my interactions with patients. I am one of those nurses who became a nurse because it was what I always wanted. I wanted to help people. I wanted to take care of them. I was working for a reputable company with people I loved, but I was at a desk Monday through Friday and it limited my ability to spend time with my family and do the things outdoors that I really enjoyed. I wasn't able to volunteer like I used to and although I was still going to the gym, it began to feel more like a chore than a hobby.

I began focusing more on my relationships. Relationships with Manfriend, with my brothers and with the people that I love. I spent weekends at home or on the mountain or in the gym, drank less and focused on my health more. I quit my desk job and started working at a hospital again. I began volunteering at a local ski resort that allows me to spend time volunteering and snowboarding at the same time. I am running more. I am healthier and I am happier. Manfriend and I got engaged this month. He started lifting weights with me. We go to yoga together. We have started discussing traveling out of the country more.

The older I get, the more that I realize how quickly our time here can pass and how important it is to focus on what we want and what is truly important. We are all too often told what we 'should' want, but I believe that we should each take the time to reflect on what we actually want. There were many colleagues of mine, at the desk job and the hospital, who thought that me quitting was ludicrous. I took a $4 an hour pay cut to work at the hospital again, lost very good insurance and gave up my weekends and holidays. I am happier and that is worth every cent lost. I never became a nurse for the money, anyway.

As for competing, I may have given up on that dream for now. My focus this year is my health. My health for me. The desire to compete again has sort of drifted away and since then my gains in the gym have almost doubled. Without the pressure of competition, I have been able to increase what I am lifting beyond what I had ever thought I could.

This year, focus on you. What others think does not matter. What others believe you should want doesn't matter either. If you want a house with a white picket fence, do that. If you want to travel, do that. If you want to run a marathon, do that. When it all boils down to your last breath, what matters in this life is how you lived it.

As always, I wish nothing but the best for you all. Happiness and Health.

-Summy

A Greek Historian Once Said....

“A human body in no way resembles those that were born for ravenousness; it hath no hawk’s bill, no sharp talon, no roughness of teeth, no such strength of stomach or heat of digestion, as can be sufficient to convert or alter such heavy and fleshy fare. But if you will contend that you were born to an inclination to such food as you have now a mind to eat, do you then yourself kill what you would eat. But do it yourself, without the help of a chopping-knife, mallet or axe, as wolves, bears, and lions do, who kill and eat at once. Rend an ox with thy teeth, worry a hog with thy mouth, tear a lamb or a hare in pieces, and fall on and eat it alive as they do. But if thou had rather stay until what thou eat is to become dead, and if thou art loath to force a soul out of its body, why then dost thou against nature eat an animate thing? There is nobody that is willing to eat even a lifeless and a dead thing even as it is; so they boil it, and roast it, and alter it by fire and medicines, as it were, changing and quenching the slaughtered gore with thousands of sweet sauces, that the palate being thereby deceived may admit of such uncouth fare.”
― Plutarch

Reunited and it Feels SOOOOOO Good!

I have no photos today. Those of you that need photos...well, there are none.

I am running again. Truly running again.....and sometimes while I run, I cry. They are tears of joy, but it is a good thing that I run alone because I am sure that isn't much fun to run with....and I probably look like a crazy person to passers by when I forget my sunglasses (like yesterday) and you can see tears on my cheeks.

I ran 7 miles yesterday. The last time I reached this distance was during the run I injured myself on. It was October 18, 2009.

The best part is that I am okay. I am sore today, but I feel great and much better than I have ever felt running before. My times are not what they once were (9 mile per hour average yesterday), but I am taking it easy and not trying to push myself. It will come with time.

Yesterday during my run, my music turned off after the first mile because I am awesome and I forget to charge anything that requires charging. Technology and I are not friends.

It was surprisingly ok, though. I really enjoyed just taking everything in as I ran and observing parts of my neighborhood that I don't really get to appreciate when I am in my car. It was also nice just to spend an hour in my own head. Running has always been such a release for me emotionally and mentally. I think this is why I prefer to be a 'lone runner'.

Manfriend and I are practicing for a triathlon. I don't know if I will be able to do the one that we had planned on, but we are swimming together nonetheless. 

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

I am not a mother, but I do have a dog and I decided that if he had opposable thumbs and could cook that he would make me pancakes today.

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

Flax egg replacer (1/2 tbsp ground flaxseed with 1 1/2 tbsp warm water) *you can use one egg white
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Optimum Nutrition Soy Protein)
1/3 cup oat flour (you could also use whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk of your choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 packet stevia
*1/3 cup warm water (I had to add water because of the consistency of the soy protein. This may change depending on the protein that you use. If the batter is too thick, add water 1 tbsp at a time.)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Mix all of the ingredients and then pour 1/4 cup scoops onto a heated, non-stick skillet.

This makes 4 pancakes which I decided is one serving because I am hangry.

I served mine with Walden Farms pancake syrup....and by served, I mean to myself. Manfriend was still sleeping so no pancakes for him.

Enjoy!

PB2 Shortage and The Wizard

I went to Good Earth earlier this week to pick up some groceries, including my beloved PB2. When I came to the shelves full of peanut butter there was a gaping hole where my beloved PB2 is supposed to be. A cute store clerk asked if she could help me and informed me that the PB2 jars would be out until VALENTINES! She then proceeded to tell me "We sell the packets". The packets have about 1 whole Summy serving. Who is she kidding?! I go through about 4 jars in 2 weeks. The poor girl took a step back because I think I must have been snarling and foaming at the mouth. I was forced to get these:

 

Yes, that would be the chocolate PB2 and some other powdered peanut butter substitute that has more sugar. Thumbs down. I even checked Whole Foods. They are out too. I promptly went home and ordered 4 pounds of PB2 in bags that should be here on Valentines day. 

I also picked up some Ezekiel brand pita pockets! Yeah buddy!

At least I have my pitas and hummus to save me during this PB2 famine. 

Biggest news of all. I went to see the Wizard. The amazing and wonderful physical therapist that I was referred to. Cheryl Farnsworth. Every time I go to see a therapist they look at what is hurting and treat it. This therapist did a head to toe analysis of my body to find out WHY I keep getting injuries. I was in her office for three hours being poked and prodded by two therapists. The final word was that my feet pronate, which causes my pelvis to come out of alignment forcing strain on my knees and IT bands which are stuck in the middle. She explained that I can wear high heels on end because I am not pronating in them and am standing on the balls of my feet. She also told me that was ok and I am welcome to wear....wait for it....ANY KIND OF SHOES THAT I WANT! I am officially in love with this woman.

They taped my feet, my knee and my heels. They gave me exercises and referred me to a podiatrist for orthotics. Final answer: I will marathon again and I will wear heels for-ever.

So now I am wrapped like a mummy in medical tape:

Don't mind the tramp stamp

My feet are taped too, but I didn't want to take off my shoes because my feet are cold. Sorry kids! Hopefully my blog will soon be full of race training scheduled and runs to come this year. I am hoping to be able to run a full marathon again by the end of the fall if this magic works!

I Really Wanted to Run

My physical therapy appointment with the magical therapist is on Monday and I can't stop thinking about running. My knee continues to hurt just about every day and every day that I am at the gym, I have to convince myself to not get on the treadmill because I am aware of what will happen. Sore knee for days....even more so than it already is.

I woke up this morning at 8 am and it was no different, so I decided to make the best of it and went to the gym determined to make the next hour of cardio the best hour ever. I got on this machine that they have at my gym....I don't think you can actually call it an elliptical? Maybe?

It is this thing:

 

The Cybex Arc Trainer. Anyway, it is basically like lifting your knees up to your chest for an hour with resistance. I burned 930 calories according to the machine. I still wanted to run....so I went to Bikram Yoga. Apparently the desire to run fills me with energy. I went to Bikram Yoga for 90 minutes and I don't think I have ever had so much sweat in my eyeballs. Ever.

I came home around noon and finally had my "morning" cup of coffee and then the urge to run came over me again....oh dear. I sat on our stationary bike downstairs for 30 minutes. Yes, I am a crazy person. 

Speaking of crazy, I have been reading this awesome book by Rich Roll that I highly recommend. He is an ultraman, meaning that he competes in Ultraman which is twice the length of an ironman. Amazing book and HE IS VEGAN! Yay! The book is called Finding Ultra. 

So now I have been having a dream about running and cycling in an Ultraman about every other night...one of these days.

I have been trying to convince my dad, who is also a vegan, to start cycling again. If you ask him about his cycling career, he will say "Oh, I liked to bike a bit once." The truth is, he was an AMAZING cyclist. He took 3rd overall in his first ever race when I was a little girl with almost no experience and would go out for 50+ mile bike rides every weekend until I was probably 8 years old. I will leave you will a pic of me and the pops both pre-vegan:

 

Have a most excellent weekend!