A Homemade Christmas

This is my favorite day of the year. How can someone not love a day where you gather with your loved ones, share traditions and thoughtful gift giving and dine on amazing food.

Merry Christmas

I love giving presents! I can honestly say it is more fulfilling for me to think of the perfect gift and watch the recipient open it, than receiving them. Since I started the blog this year, it was only fitting that I give a gift from Kettler Cuisine to each member of my family.

Before I share my homemade gifts, I want to thank everyone that reads my blog and for all of the support I have received from family and friends this past year. It has been quite an amazing year for me, and Ryan. We are so blessed to have empowering and inspiring people in our lives. What better way to show my love and gratitude than through my cooking.

Ryan Wants Brittle

The hubby was pretty easy, mostly because I know what he likes and doesn't like. Since he was majorly spoiled from all of the cookie baking during the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, I decided to bring back an oldie, but goodie. I like to call it Freezer Brittle, but it really is Angie's Brittle (named after an old family friend). This isn't the typical peanut brittle that one thinks of, but a sweet and salty, chocolatey brittle. It's pretty simple to make and delicious to eat!

Mom Gets Truffles

She was also pretty easy - just find a no-sugar, no-gluten, no-dairy, raw dessert! Hah! Yes, this such thing does exist. Exhibit A: Raw Brownies. Since she often has these in her freezer, I decided to try something new: Choco-Chili Truffles from Green Kitchen Stories. Chocolate and chilis make a deathly amazing combination. I rolled them in different things (coconut flakes, almonds, cacao).

Oh Poppycock, Father

Poppycock. And no, I am not referring to the British term for nonsense, I am referring to the sweet and salty popcorn-candy snack. I found a recipe online from Noshing with the Nolands that is a copycat version of the store bought kind. It was a bit tricky to make, but worth it when I saw his face!

Cookies for Desiree

She got some of my Cherry Walnut Oatmeal cookies. During all of my cookie swap testing and baking, she never got to try them. She specifically requested them, so I had to oblige. 

Just Buggles

Every time I make "Trash" (chex mix) and my brother-in-law Paul is around, the buggles in the mix just magically disappear! The boy loves his buggles! Hence why I made an all buggles trash. Let's just say he was a wee bit happy :)

Jerky for the Brother

And then there is my brother, who loves his beef jerky. We grew up with a second mother, Sandy. I have mentioned her and her husband in a previous post about the buttermilk-brined pork chops. She gave me (along with a dehydrator) her amazing beef jerky recipe as a wedding gift. My brother and I used to fight over this jerky when we were kids. I literally made myself sick from eating too much at one point during my childhood. I knew this was the perfect gift for my brother.

(Side note - Thank you Sandy for making this jerky when we were kids. I NOW know how time consuming it is!!)

32 hours later I had some delicious, homemade beef jerky. I will share the recipe at a later time. For now, I am going to enjoy Christmas with my family - the most important people in my life.

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays!!

Love,
Kettler Cuisine

Sunday Mornings and Gingerbread Pancakes

I covet Sunday mornings at home!! For as much as we travel, it is so nice to wake up in my own bed, without an alarm and leisurely go about my morning. Sunday mornings are often times for me to catch up on enjoyable things (basically, anything related to food and cooking). Ryan usually sleeps in, so I put on a large pot of coffee and gather all of my recipes, food magazines, emails and notes from the previous week. And by emails, I mean the many food bloggers that I subscribe to. I read through the emails and flag the recipes I want to try or note ideas for my own blog.

The Golden Recipe

I have become VERY selective on which recipes I save or plan to try since there are so many out there. There are several things that attract me to what I like to call a "golden recipe."

1. Whole ingredients
2. Ryan might like it
3. Something I have not tried before
4. Unique food or ingredient combinations

One such "golden recipe" was Whole Wheat Gingerbread Pancakes on Cookie and Kate! I often file away breakfast recipes, but rarely get around to them. Not this time! 

Ryan's absolute least favorite way to wake up is from an alarm or from my screaming at the bottom of the stairs. I have learned over the years to either very gently wake him up with whispers or just start cooking and let the aroma's fill the house (and his nose). So when Ryan was still asleep this morning and I started getting hungry, I decided to "wake him up!"

The pancakes were amazing! Ryan adores his plain pancakes, so I was taking a big risk with this one, but he loved it too! It was like eating gingerbread for breakfast. The batter is a bit different, it thickens up quickly, so be prepared to cook the batter right away.

Gingerbread Pancakes

Adapted from Cookie and Kate
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 T baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp powdered ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (or freshly grated if you have whole nutmeg)

2 T brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup 1% milk

3 T molasses

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 T butter, melted and cooled

Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Maple syrup

Honey cinnamon butter (optional)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/2 tsp honey

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Make the honey cinnamon butter first by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar until combine. Heat a large griddle or skillet to medium low heat. One this is ready, prepare the rest of the batter. In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, vanilla, molasses and melted butter together. Add the milk mixture into the flour mixture slowly, stirring constantly. 

Melt a pat of butter onto the griddle and pour about 1/3 cup of the batter onto the griddle. The batter will be thick. Once the outside of the pancakes are not shiny*, they should be ready to flip. The bottom should be a darker brown. Serve pancakes right away or store in a warmed oven until ready to serve. 

Garnish with pomegranate seeds or the honey cinnamon butter.

*These are not like normal pancakes where the bubbles come through signifying the cakes are ready to be flipped. Bubbles will not form on these!

Vacation Margarita

Even though it is now officially the holidays, I am on vacation too! A vacation from work, traveling, chores and anything else that stresses me out. And when I think vacation, I think margaritas!!

Clean Margarita

Yea, I know, it is 40 degrees outside and probably snowing where many of you are. But dangit, I want a margarita. When Ryan and I were in Austin several months ago, we decided to treat ourselves to some final Tex Mex before flying home. While perusing the menu, I spotted a "Clean" Margarita, which was absent of all sugar. To my surprise, this was delicious and absolutely what I needed after rich food-filled weekend. Light and refreshing! Who knew that the most essential ingredient of a Margarita (besides tequila) isn't really needed. 

Since that is the last margarita I had, and was associated with a happy memory, I decided to recreate the Clean Margarita, Kettler-style. This turned out to be a lot easier than expected - just use good quality silver tequila. My personal favorite is Patron. I love it and so does my family! 

So, cheers to my holiday vacation (and yours)!!

Clean Margarita

Serves: 1
Prep Time: 3 minutes

1 shot silver tequila

2 shots Pelligrino (or other sparkling water)

1 tsp lime juice
2 tsp orange juice

1 cup ice, split

lime wedge (garnish)

salt

Dampen the rim of a glass, and dip into a plate of salt (to create the salt rim). Fill the glass with half of the ice and place the tequila, lime juice and remaining ice in a martini shaker. Give this 4-5 good shakes and pour into the prepared glass. Top off with the Pelligrino (or other sparkling water) and gently stir. Garnish with a lime wedge and let your home vacation begin :)

Feel free to adjust the amount of lime and orange juice to your liking.

Cherry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

What better way to dive right into the food blogging community, than a world-wide cookie swap with food bloggers. I have been at this blog for about 8 months now and absolutely loving it. Nothing gives me more joy than to share my recipes and adventures with cooking, especially baking since I am still perfecting this area of the culinary world.

A few months ago, I received information for an international cookie swap that only food bloggers could participate in - The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. For a small donation to the Cookies for Kids' Cancer, I received three bloggers to send each a dozen cookies to, and in return I would receive a dozen cookies from three different bloggers. There were a few stipulations along the way, but ultimately all the food bloggers would post their cookie recipe on 12/12/12 (today) for massive cookie recipe sharing!

Cookies Galore

It took me all of 10 seconds to process this and sign up! What is not to love about receiving three dozen cookies in the mail! Then it took me another 5 seconds to figure out which cookies to bake; my Cherry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies. These cookies remind me of growing up, home and both of my parents. My mom always made them and my dad always devoured them!! I reserve these cookies for the holidays so I can share with others (otherwise they would all end up in my belly). They are absolutely addictive, buttery, tangy, sweet and delicious, all at the same time.

Before I share my cookie recipe, I want to give a quick thanks to three bloggers that sent me delicious and beautiful cookies! I was very happy to come home one day last week to find several boxes (full of cookies) at my front door.

The first one I opened was a bag of delicious, chewy Molasses Cookies from Annakatet at la aguacate. Baked and packaged beautifully! These were my favorite of the three! How did she know about my love for spicy, gingery cookies?!?!?!

Then I received a holiday tin full of Layered Butter Cookies from Christine at Cook the Story. She sent me an assortment of vanilla cookies with lemon and raspberry, layered with apricot preserves AND vanilla cookies with orange and fennel, layered with cranberry jelly. Talk about buttery, melt-in-your mouth delicious!!

And finally, I got a cute red box full of Candy Cane Macaroons from Jennifer at Mother Thyme. I was VERY impressed that she sent macaroons since they are so delicate. Most of them made it through the shipping travels and were very yummy (one of my husbands favs).

Eating and baking these cookies truly get me into the Holiday Spirit! Even the hubby wanted to help out! I made sure to squeeze in lots of taste tests for him!!

Cherry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Yields: 3-4 dozen, depending on size of cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes + 1 hour
Cook Time: 8-12 minutes

2 sticks salted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoon low-fat milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups quick cooking oats

2 cups dried cherries, coarsely chopped

1 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped

In a large standing mixer, cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. In a small separate bowl, beat the eggs and add in the milk and vanilla. Add this into the butter mixture and beat until blended.

In a medium separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add this into the butter mixture while on low speed until just blended. Remove the bowl from the standing mixer and stir in the oats by hand. Fold in the cherries and walnuts and stir until just combined. Do not over mix!

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Once ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350F and grease several cookie sheets or use silicon pats.

Evenly scoop the cookies onto the cookie sheets and cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes for smaller cookies and up to 12 minutes for larger cookies (we like larger cookies).

Quick Breakfast Enchilada

Quick is the key word here, every meal over the past month has been quick! When our schedules get busy, Ryan and I try very hard not to succumb to the dreaded takeout or fast food. I like to keep things homemade as much as possible, but sometimes it is difficult in the mornings. I am one of those that presses snooze about 10 times before I actually get out of bed. I know this is horrible and both Ryan and I hate it, but that is the way my morning goes. I sleep in until the absolute, possible last minute!

So breakfast is usually out of the question for me. On weekdays, I typically have a green drink in the morning and then a hearty snack mid-morning to keep me going until lunch. However, there are some days when I know I won't get that snack and I need breakfast to tide me over. This little gem of a recipe got me through a particularly long day last week!

Last week was crazy - holiday parties, demanding work days, unpacking from New York, laundry and re-packing for Kiawah...Not to mention squeezing in a few final training runs before the half marathon. I needed a protein-packed breakfast that would last me longer than 2 hours. I didn't need a greasy fast food breakfast, so I pulled out the eggs and a few other ingredients. This breakfast literally took me less than 10 minutes to make and it was delicious! 15 minutes later, I was out the door.

Substitutions are easy here. Flour tortillas instead of corn, any type of bean instead of black beans, chilies for salsa, etc. Onions or other vegetables could be added or fresh tomatoes on top.

No more Dunkin' Donut runs for me in the morning!! I am starting my days off right!

Quick Breakfast Enchilada

Yields: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

1 teaspoon oil or butter
2 small corn tortillas

2 eggs

2 tablespoon canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon  salsa

2 tablespoon  favorite grated cheese

sour cream

avocado

hot sauce

Heat a saute pan over medium heat and melt the oil. Crack two eggs into the pan and start to scramble. Right before the eggs are finished to the consistency desired, add in the beans and salsa (or other vegetables being used). Stir to combine well and heat the beans and salsa.

On a large plate, lay the corn tortillas between two damp paper towels and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. This makes the tortillas more pliable and easy to roll. Fill each tortilla with the egg mixture and roll up. Sprinkle cheese on top and heat in the microwave for another 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Top with sour cream, salsa, avocado or favorite toppings.

Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee or tea!

Tales of a Weary Traveler and Minestrone Soup

Five weekends down, two more to go. After a month of traveling, Ryan and I are "hitting the wall," as they say in the running world. We are in the middle of a traveling marathon visiting friends, family and running in races. 

This past long weekend was fantastic. We were beach-bound for a Hegele Thanksgiving Extravaganza (Hegele is my maiden name). Most of my crazy family gathered for food, fun and several drinks! We then traveled to Charlotte for my high school reunion, which was more food, fun and several drinks! 

After this type of weekend, Ryan and I seriously crave vegetables. Since we only have a few nights until we jet off again (this time to NYC), I thought a vegetable soup was in order and would last us a few nights without filling up our fridge with a million items.

A hearty winter minestrone soup sounded like the perfect thing for me! To make things easier, I started from an established recipe so I could just chop and drop in the large soup pot. We both thoroughly enjoyed this recipe from Ina Garten's (also known as The Barefoot Contessa) Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust. I did make some changes (of course) to the recipe, so here are my notes:

• I usually always increase the garlic in recipes because we love garlic in our house. If you are not too keen on garlic, reduce the amount or leave it out entirely.
• If you can find fresh bay leaves, use those! Same for the other dried herbs. However, I don't like spending a lot of money on fresh herbs in the winter.
• Chop the onion, celery, carrot and butternut squash into even size pieces. This ensures even cooking!
• If you are like me and save your Parmesan rinds, this is a perfect soup to throw one into.

The recipe falls somewhere between a soup and a stew, filling your bowl with hearty vegetables.

Winter Minestrone Soup

Recipe Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten

Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Good olive oil

4 oz. pancetta, diced

2 cups yellow onion, chopped

2 cups carrots, chopped 

2 cups celery, chopped

2 cups butternut squash, peeled, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried sage

26 oz. can diced tomatoes

6 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

Salt and Pepper

1 (15oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups cooked small pasta (which is about 1 cup dried pasta)

4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 T pesto

Parmesan, rind and freshly grated

Heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom. When the pancetta is lightly browned, pour in 2 T of white wine to deglaze the pan. Be sure to scrap up the bits on the bottom well with a wooden spoon. When the wine has reduced down a bit, add in the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, butternut squash, thyme, oregano and sage. Cook this over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.

Add in the tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. While the soup simmers, boil the pasta and set aside.

Stir in the drained beans and cooked pasta, heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it is too thick, add more chicken stock. If making the soup ahead, stop here and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, reheat the soup, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Serve with shredded Parmesan

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

I have to thank my friends Erin, Nicole and Nancy for this post! Ryan and I are in the middle of a 6 weekend-in-a-row traveling frenzy, which has not left much time for cooking and blogging! However, I have received a lot of requests for Thanksgiving sides, desserts and snacks. First of all, I am extremely flattered that people come to me!! I am the first to admit I am not an expert, but I do love to cook. 

I responded to each with a long list of ideas and recipe recommendations, some from Kettler Cuisine and some from other sites. I thought it might be helpful to combine all of these into a Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup! Especially for those last minute planners that are in need of ideas.

I may not be cooking, but I never stop thinking about it!

Turkey Day Starters (Appetizers)

First up, the appetizers. The quintessential beginning of a food-filled day! There is usually one rock-star appy that appears at the Hegele Thanksgiving Extravaganza (and yes, we literally call it that) - Trash! No, I am not talking about the waste-filled bin that stinks up your kitchen, I am talking about the most delicious, addictive, buttery, herby, chex-mix you can imagine. Luckily for you, I have already posted the recipe.

Fillo cups with Caramelized Fennel and Pancetta

Other appetizer ideas from Kettler Cuisine past:

• Roasted Red Grapes, served over brie or goat cheese with crackers.
• Fillo shells filled with either Caramelized Fennel and Pancetta or a favorite cheese.
• Pimento Cheese with crackers or cucumber slices (for the gluten free folks)
• Grilled Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon for the Thanksgiving grillers.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon

Since I don't only cook from my blog, I wanted to also share some of my favorite recipes from fellow food bloggers:

• Caramelized Onion Dip, from 101 Cookbooks - seriously amazing, I promise!
• Walnut and Roasted Red Pepper Dip (my gluten free version is coming shortly, but for now enjoy Ellie Krieger's).
• Cranberry Feta Pinwheels are a festive and VERY easy.

The Side Show (Sides)

The side dishes that accompany the big bird on the Thanksgiving table are just as important as the turkey itself (especially for Vegetarians). I recognize that everyone has their traditions and I will be the first to tell you that we won't be doing anything different this year, but for those looking for a change of pace, here are some of Ryan and I's favorites:

Balsamic Red Cabbage with Bacon

• Balsamic Red Cabbage with Bacon, because bacon makes anything taste better!
• Brussels Sprout Saute is a new take on a old green cabbage.
• Roasted Garlic! Add this into your plain, boring mashed potatoes.

Roasted Garlic

And of course, there has to be stuffing! My family does oyster stuffing, but oysters tend to be an acquired taste. Here are some other options that I have tried or want to try from the blogosphere:

• Sausage Cranberry Apple Stuffing
• Paleo Stuffing
• Poblano Cornbread Stuffing

Give me the Sweet Stuff (Desserts)

We are pie people, and we don't joke around with our pies! I am working on a pie crust post, since I use it in several recipes on my blog. Until then, you will have to get by with non-pie desserts for the holidays from KettlerCusine. But don't worry, I have listed some killer pumpkin pie options from other blogs a little bit further down.

Cherry Galette

• Pumpkin Bars are a great substitute for the non-pie eaters. They NEVER disappoint!
• Chocolate Cherry Brownies for the chocoholics out there. Warning, chocolate coma ahead! Don't worry, I sneak in some whole wheat.
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, for those not on the East Coast and actually have access to good produce outside the summer months.
• Cherry Galette can easily be made with apples or pears instead.
• Raw Brownies are my personal favorite, not to mention gluten free, dairy free, and good for you.

Raw Chocolate Brownies

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is the standard dessert for Thanksgiving, so I had to represent! I have used a recipe from a local bakery called Fosters Market for as long as I can remember. It is my go to pumpkin pie recipe for the holidays, except that I always double the spices and use freshly grated nutmeg instead of already ground. Ironically, pumpkin pie is not the family favorite in the Hegele crew, so I usually end up making my own to bring. I CAN NOT, I repeat, CAN NOT have Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. This year, I am making two pumpkin pies! My standard and then a dairy free version from 101 Cookbooks. 

• Silky Pumpkin Pie from Fosters Market in North Carolina.
• Spice-kissed Pumpkin Pie from 101 Cookbooks, which I am literally in the middle of making right now!
• Gluten free and Paleo Pumpkin Pie from Deliciously Organic for all of my GF and Paleo friends :)
• Paleo Pecan Pie from Deliciously Organic that does not have corn syrup in the recipe.

Pumpkin Bars

More recipe ideas

I completely understand if you don't like my suggestions, in which case I hope you can find something from the below links. These are other recipe roundups from various blogs and sites I follow. 

• 101 Cookbooks Thanksgiving recipe ideas from her blog and others
• Oh She Glows for vegan holiday ideas
• The Wall Street Journal side dish ideas
• More Thanksgiving inspiration from Love and Lemons

Most importantly, plan ahead as much as possible so you can enjoy time with your family. Thanksgiving is a time to be with loved ones and be thankful for what you have. I certainly am!

Avocado and Fried Egg Sandwich

Marathon training was very time consuming, and often took away from my passion of cooking. I am glad to say that training is over and the Holidays are among us! I can't wait to dive back into the kitchen and share new recipes with you. 

Until then, I thought I would share a sandwich I made on one of those long training nights. Towards the end of the training schedule, the runs got further and longer, meaning dinner options had to be quick. Eggs were often my solution for this. They are quick, healthy and very filling. Not to mention, they provide the protein needed to recover muscles after a long run.

I dove right in, then remembered I needed to take a picture!

This sandwich was quite enjoyable and inspired by one I recently had in Austin. Toast your favorite bread (gluten or sans gluten), slice ripe avocado, fry two eggs, schmear pepper jelly or favorite condiment on the bread and assemble. I didn't include cheese because I was doing no dairy the weeks before the race, but I bet a slice of Swiss would be delightful on this bad boy!

Avocado and Fried Egg Sandwich

Yields: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 2-4 min

2 slices bread, toasted

1/2 ripe avocado, sliced

2 eggs

pepper jelly or onion jam (or caramelized onions)

lettuce or fresh spinach

mayonnaise, mustard, cheese (optional toppings)

Toast 2 slices of bread and prep all of the condiments and sandwich components for assembly.

Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, melt a little bit of butter in the pan. Crack two eggs into the pan, being careful not to burst the yolk.

After about a minute, flip the eggs over gently to fry the other side, again being careful not to disturb the yolk. Cook the egg to desired firmness. I like a runny yolk since I don't use mayo or cheese on my sandwich.

Place the fried eggs, avocado and other sandwich components onto the toasted bread, slice in half and devour!

Go crazy and try a new condiment, like Stonewall's Kitchen Roasted Garlic Onion Jam or a Seven Pepper Jelly. Or even, a pesto or olive tapenade.

26.2, Despite the Odds

I did it. I ran a marathon! 26.2 miles. The most difficult thing I have done, mentally and physically.

How did I do this? I trained very hard, kept a positive attitude and lived by Jimmy V's mentality, "don't give up, don't ever give up." Despite several odds against me, I did it.

The biggest "odd" against me...Crohn's

About three and half years ago, I was diagnosed with Ileitis Crohn's Disease. Crohn's is a form of IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) that is described as a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). It is considered an autoimmune disease - meaning my immune system attacks the good bacteria in my body causing inflammation, which leads to many symptoms. Symptoms that I suffered through for a better part of a year.

Take Action

I was forced to make a decision, either sit and feel sorry for myself or take action and prove to myself that this disease didn't need to control my life. There was certainly a period where I did feel sorry for myself. I was constantly tired and sick, not wanting to go anywhere, afraid that I would get out and not feel well. It affected the relationships around me. My friends, my family and most significantly, my relationship with Ryan. Don't get me wrong, he was extremely supportive of everything, but there were months where I had no energy after work, couldn't eat anything without feeling sick and I never wanted to go anywhere. I let Crohn's take over my life.

My parents - part of my awesome support group!

I don't exactly remember the turning point, but at some point I decided there was a better way of living with Crohn's Disease. I started researching inspirational stories of IBD patients that battled their way back into remission. One such story was of a runner and then a friend convinced me to join a Running Start program to train for a 5K.

Good friend Dhruv! He got me into running. You can also see all the shadows of our families taking pictures of our accomplishment.

The small amounts of exercise slowly started to improve my health and energy levels. I then started playing around with different food combinations, keeping a food journal and cutting back on discovered "trigger" foods. 

The 5K came and went, then came the half marathon training program. I started a diligent routine, training not only my muscles and lungs, but my stomach as well. It was very important to watch my diet, especially around the longer runs. The half marathon came and went, several of them actually, but what was the next step? I was afraid to go on to a full marathon, scared that my body couldn't handle the intense, long workouts. Scared that I would be thrown back into a flare up from the exertion. 

The fear didn't last long, someone reminded me that life can be short. I wasn't going to let fear subside me again.

The Hubby figuratively and literally holds me up!

I signed up for the marathon! I signed up for 26.2 miles of running…what was I thinking?!?!?! It was tough, REALLY tough. There were moments where I wanted to give up, but I kept going knowing that my family was waiting for me at the end.

My training buddies, Shauna and Dhruv.

It took me a few years, but I went from a tired, pained, miserable Crohn's patient to a healthy, energetic, optimistic marathon runner! Who would have thought.

There are several people out there with conditions, even some in my family. I hope that these conditions don't stop you from doing the things you dream about. I am not telling you to go out and run a marathon, but certainly strive for your own greatness!

I leave you with Jim Valvano's inspirational speech from 1993, watch it!!

Just Vote

Support our Troops

We often forget about all of the brave men and women overseas that are fighting for the freedom that we take for granted. Well, this day will certainly not be forgotten by many in my life. Saturday, we lost a great soldier, one that fought bravely for his country. One that was a wonderful man, loved by many. He was a brother, a son, a friend, a boyfriend, an uncle, but most significantly he was young, too young. He served for his country and paid the ultimate sacrifice.

My heart aches for his family. They are in my thoughts and prayers. 

This tragedy has made me think...a lot. There has been a lot of political banter back and forth about the election. And while I have kept myself out of the middle of it, I will say one thing, I voted today! Regardless of party affiliation or candidate following, just vote! It is important to take interest, no matter what amount, in the issues that affect us. Whether it be tax cuts, healthcare or foreign policy, everyone is affected and should have a stance. I feel this is my duty as an American citizen. This is the service I can give to my country.

GO VOTE TODAY!

Fall Spinach Salad

Fall into Spinach

Leftover night! Our attempt to clean out the fridge before Sunday Fun Day! And yes, Sunday Fun Day is my favorite day of the week, because it usually means going to the Farmer's Market and grocery store, then cooking all day! Oh and not to mention, football!

But, I digress. So, we were eating leftovers and I decided to use the remaining fresh spinach for a side salad to accompany the leftover soup (for me) and pasta (for him). I literally did not have any dressing in our fridge, so decided to make my own. A little homemade dressing, a little nuts and dried fruit and this became a "throw together" that turned into a delicious salad, especially for the Fall.

We devoured the salad so fast, that I didn't take a picture. So I woke up the next morning and remade it. 

Ryan is a Ranch-lover, we all know this. I have been on a mission to create (or buy) other dressings that he will equally love. This was one such success. The key for Ryan is to create a creamy texture that mimics the thickness and richness of ranch. However, I am not a fan of the fat content that accompanies ranch dressing. So I improvised a bit. Yes, I do add a little bit of mayonnaise to this dressing, but only in moderation to get the texture. I have to face the fact that Ryan will never stop eating Ranch, but if I can get him to use it less, then I consider that an accomplishment!

This is a very easy and quick salad, especially in the fall, when apples are crisp and abundant in most kitchens.

Fall Spinach Salad

Yields: 4 salads
Prep Time: 10 minutes 

2 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup apple, julienne (we use Honeycrisp)

1/3 cup raisins (can use dried cranberries, cherries or currants as well)

1/2 cup raw walnuts, toasted, chopped (can use hazelnuts or pine nuts here too)

Sharp cheddar or Gruyere cheese, grated or chopped into small squares

2 tablespoon cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoon  honey

2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

For the salad, place spinach on a small plate and equally distribute the apple, walnuts, raisins and cheese among the plates. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, honey and salt and pepper. Slowly add in the olive oil, while whisking. 

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.