It’s spooky time, baby!
Happy Monday, folks! I don’t typically get jazzed up for Halloween, but for some reason, the jazz is bumpin’ this year.
I love fall, always have, but this year seems more intense as far as my clinginess to cozy season and the embedded traditions goes. I’ve experienced a lot of internal and external wobbliness this year, from my car accident in June and the succeeding difficulties with regaining my running prowess and training motivation, to starting a new medication and navigating my identity as related to the diagnosis, to working more than I usually do and balancing those hours with FMG hours and hours of peace at home.
Balance – that’s a difficult concept as I get older and my cognitive load seemingly increases. And that’s where garnering excitement for holidays I usually found meh in the past. Halloween being one of them. Sure, I ate candy and whipped up maybe one spooky-adjecent treat, but this year my creativity has carried me further than is typical and given me more joy than I previously figured it would.
During my Halloween recipe tests I made a point to wear my witch hat, and even sometimes lounged around reading with the hat still stuck up on my head. My favorite thing this past Saturday was making witch hat garnishes in my witch hat. That recipe is going up on Thursday, by the way!
For Halloween itself, we’ll be snacking on charcuterie, sipping something seasonal (cider? Hot chocolate? Black Magic Lemonade? Maybe all the above!), and carving our pumpkins that we’ll be picking up today. And yes, I will be garbed in all black with my witch hat, snickering like an evil old warty woman stirring potions in her cauldron.
I do a mean witch laugh, by the way. No word of a lie.
Monday I tried to go to the doctor for a LONG overdue appointment, but somehow the office fucked up my check in so I was left sitting for an hour only to be sent home sans my annual physical. I was pissed, but we already planned to get ice cream from Chill Bros, appointment or no, so we walked over for cones once I returned. I got the Apple Pie flavor, which was perfect on a crisp evening and after so much frustration.
J was out of town this weekend so I was left to my own devices around the house. Saturday, Little Miss Ba wanted to wear her witch costume out so we wandered to Shortwave for an afternoon latte. My former coworker was working and I swear she tries to make my drink every time I come in, which is very endearing if true. Either way, she always does a wonderful job.
Both days over the weekend were extremely windy, and for whatever reason I thought to fling my Juliet doors open and sit by the Netflix fireplace, tea in hand, listening to the whistles and rustles. It was so peaceful, the noise. Running in the wind is the bane of my existence but I’ve always enjoyed hearing the leaves shift about and the air move through the branches. We have some big palms towering over our building – I find those things awesome, how resilient and stable they are.
A very cozy scene, I’d say.
Good eats…Sheet pan harvest salmon with some added rice (recipe soon!); pork and beans with cornbread; crockpot pot roast; pizza with leftover pork and beans; and nachos with pork and beans. SO many ways to repurpose such a simple meal!
That’s all for today. ENJOY the weekend festivities, safely of course, and be kind to one another this week, pals!
The Fuck We Cooking This Week?
…A big pot o chili mac!
…A super decadent, rich hot chocolate.
…A spooky Halloween cheeseboard I probably won’t post until next year! Woo!
A Few Things I’m Digging
Cornbread…Trader Joes’ boxed cornbread is a fantastic side dish for cozy dinners. I whipped up a box to enjoy alongside some pork and beans and pot roast. I swapped out the oil called for on the package with an equal amount of melted butter.
Pajamas…Excuse you, I NEED these sheep pajamas. Not that I don’t already own sheep pajamas, but I need more, and these are also available for men which means J better watch out…
Christmas sweater…Pining (heh) after this fair isle Christmas tree pullover. Looks so cozy and adorable for the holidays.
“5 Amazing Facts About Sheep”…I think it’s obvious by now how much I adore sheep, and this little article proved that there is certainly more to our fluffy flocks than the stereotype of idiocy! Just more reason for me to love sheeps.
Notable Food Holidays
Monday, 10.26: National Pumpkin Day (HELLO, fall’s favorite arbitrary holiday! A good excise to make a loaf of Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread!)
Tuesday, 10.27: National Potato Day (peep below for 5 solid selections!)
Thursday, 10.29: National Oatmeal Day (I vote Halloween Harvest Oatmeal Cookie Bars.)
This Week’s Menu
Meatless Monday…Broccoli Cheddar Potato Soup
Tuesday…Kale “Bacon” Harvest Salad with Bourbon Candied Walnuts
Wednesday…Pumpkin Risotto with Herb Butter Mushrooms
Thursday…Red Wine Braised Salmon
Halloween Happy Hour…Black Magic Lemonade
Halloween Baking…Mummy Cookie Bars
Sunday Brunch…Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Five for National Potato Day
1. Creamy Bacon Potato White Bean Soup
2. Smothered Potato Breakfast Enchiladas
4. Crispy Cheddar Ranch Potato Stacks
Week in Training
Monday, 10.19: 9.75 miles, 10:01 pace
4 x 2k at marathon effort today, in some SERIOUS WIND. The tailwind pushed me right along for the first two reps and kicked me in the pelvis for the last two, though the average paces weren’t all that different between them. I felt strong and steady for the most part and very encouraged! Ran 8:30 and 8:29 for the tailwind efforts and 8:35 and 8:34 against the wind, for an 8:32 average.
Tuesday, 10.20: 4.01 miles, 11:25 pace + 26 minute lift & mobility
Trying out the Saucony Guide! These are stability shoes that I’m hoping help me correct my wobbly hips. Run felt good and the shoes, although a little heavier, didn’t make a marked difference in my gait. So far so good!
Strength:
- 3 x 10 ea. wall banded hip airplane
- 3 x 10 biceps curl 20#
- 4 x 8 ea. banded single leg sit squat 20#
- 3 x 10 ea. single leg row
- 2 x 16 banded diamond squat 40#
- 2 x 15 ea. single leg extension with floor tap
Wednesday, 10.21: 9 miles, 9:54 pace + 3.2 miles, 10:20 pace
8 x 800m at 10k effort, averaged 7:50 and felt super strong! Slower than the last time I did this workout but I also hit a mean headwind at the end and tried to keep a steady effort. I’m not in the shape I was last year but honestly, feeling smooth today was one of my biggest wins lately.
A beautiful, sunny evening run with Little Miss Ba after my workday!
Thursday, 10.22: 6.5 miles, 11:44 pace + 23 minute lift
Easy miles felt like they took FOREVER, just very slow and stiff but a nice morning at least.
Strength:
- 2 x 15 ea. calf raise 15#
- 3 x 10 ea. lateral step up
- 2 x 15 ea. triceps pressdown 11#
- 3 x 20 ea. banded donkey kick
- 3 x 8 chest press 25#
- 2 x 20 elevated bridge band abduction
- 5 minute somatics
Friday, 10.23: 5 miles, 12:12 pace + 15 minute somatics
9 x 50m hill, tweaked my hamstring on the 7th rep so didn’t get the power I wanted during the final few. Knocked down to a 4:46 pace, though, which I was very satisfied by! A gorgeous morning to boot.
Saturday, 10.24: 12 miles, 11:53 pace
Kind of a dumb run, don’t know why I was so slow except when I hit the tailwind on the way back. My legs felt okay with the Guide, though, and seemed to have fatigued less!
Total running mileage: 49.5
