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A Repurposed Foot Wash, Tiny Peppers, and A Run Through Dutton Island Preserve

Day 18 of 28 Day Refocus

A Crystal Clear Morning, 7th Street
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021

We had a great walk through the neighborhood to the beach this morning and Codee was super excited about pretty much all of it, especially whatever he found in the sand under the pier.

7th Street Public Beach Shower
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021
Under The Pier, The Cloisters
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021
Neighborhood Love, 10th Street
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021

Parks and Recreation:

Dutton Island Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021

I took a run out to Dutton Island in the early evening. It’s one of my favorite routes, but for whatever reason, Codee doesn’t ever want to walk the trail, so I thought it would be ideal to head out there solo. It was the perfect time of day for it, too. Of course, the mosquitoes agreed, so I was definitely motivated to keep the snapshots short and move along.

Dutton Island Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021
Dutton Island Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 19, 2021

Sweating It Out:

A little warm, but I loved it. I stopped a bunch to take photos and then to water the plants at the garden on the way back home. I almost always wear my Camelback vest and today I was especially grateful for it.
I broke the resistance moves into two teeny tiny circuits today, one in the morning and one before bed.

Podcast of The Day:

Okay, obviously this podcast is a little heavy, but I can get into that every so often. This episode, in particular, was really personal for me for a lot of reasons. I love the conversation about the different faces of quitting…some things you quit because they are simply hard and some things you quit because they don’t serve you, yet we use the same word for both regardless if the outcome is positive or negative.

On The Plates:

After the standard brunch green drink, the meals accidentally resembled each other in palette and palate and a lot of that can be blamed on how deliciously ripe the pint of sun gold cherry tomatoes that I bought are. I can’t believe that I was able to restrain myself from eating the entire pint today, but I actually had to eat these ones because they likely won’t make it to tomorrow. I don’t put my tomatoes in the fridge, so when they are super ripe, there really isn’t any time to waste. These are like candy, so I didn’t want to wait. Okay, moving on.
For supper, I had the sun golds along with salmon salad, Mary’s Gone Crackers Classic Seed Crackers, sugar snap peas, and arugula. Dinner was with baked chicken breast, Chickapea Linguine (it’s a brand, not a typo), cauliflower, green beans, and extra virgin olive oil.

Cronometer:

That’s what I call right on the razor’s edge of not meeting the goal…I am trying to stay under 1500 calories five days of the week and 1700 for the other two days. I squeaked in right under the wire, but it was a super yummy day. Those tomatoes….

Garmin Says:

Bumping my pace really kicked that calorie number up. Plus, it was really fun to run in the woods. 🙂

Suspect Eyes, A Droopy Head, and A Cashew Comeback

Day 17 of 28 Day Refocus

Happy hump day! Is that still a thing? If I had to choose a hump day on the road, it would be Friday. We’re typically settled in the city by that point and hitting the groove before a weekend of shows. They’ll be plenty of time for that madness soon enough, but around here, it’s still summer vacation. Codee’s path to fitness is not quite as quick as one might like, but he is showing significant improvements in his overall energy as we continue to drop the daily dose of prednisone. He’ll always be my food dude, though.

“So…this is not a food thing, then?”, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021

I was reminded that I have to work on his manners when people come and go from the condo in a big way this morning. I had a contractor come to give me an estimate for some renovations and he gets worked up now when people come to the door. He calms down fairly quickly, but the whole process starts again if they leave and then re-enter his line of sight. He wasn’t protective before and he’s not in the least bit aggressive, but he is loud and it stresses him out a bit. On the other hand, it stresses me out a lot, but I remind myself that adding to his nervous energy is the exact opposite of helpful and take a deep breath. It’s a delicate line because, as I am sure you can imagine, I do, kind of, like that he responds, but we’re going to work on fine tuning it.

In The Garden:

Heavy Headed Mammoth Sunflowers, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021

From ginormous flowers to tiny trees to naturally hideous kale plants, it’s a weird in between time in northeast Florida. I think the tallest of these guys has given it everything he has, though! I wonder if the massive amounts of rain that we have had recently just soaked the whole thing. Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers, but when they get droopy, I feel like it’s sad for everyone to keep them around. Like, I should let the poor plant keep some dignity and go out with no one watching… Also, I am afraid that it’s going to come down during a thunderstorm unexpectedly. I don’t want any complaints from the neighbors about a 9’ sunflower blocking the driveway. I wonder if I’ll need my tiny hacksaw. Tune in tomorrow to see how I fold it into the Rogue.

Tiny Plants, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021

I think if I can keep these guys alive through the heat, they might make it through the fall. The big pepper plants still have peppers on them, but the kale is in pretty rough condition, however, it is still growing new leaves and in my garden, that means hope. I think it’s growing back from the last big harvest in a really unique way. None of the other plants in the garden have side offshoots. I hope she makes it.

Lacinato Kale and Gatherer’s Gold Sweet Peppers
Dig Local Communtity, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 18, 2021

Sweating It Out:

Feeling hot, hot, hot… I am grateful for the luxury of my treadmill for so many reasons. It’s a much better practice to spend some evening time on the treadmill than on the couch. The silver lining to living alone is that I can watch whatever I want while I trot along. To boost the calorie burn a bit, I held my 3lb dumb bells for four of the five miles.

Okay, I swear that I am not completely obsessed with Jason Bateman, but since they mentioned this movie on Smartless, I wanted to check it out. It’s entertaining, but I’d watch Ozarks again before re-watching this one, for sure. I definitely know people that have that seriously competitive spirit, though!!

On The Plates:

If it ain’t broke…the green drink brunch continues, but in some shocking news…today, I mixed it up and added some bonus cucumber. A co-worker of mine called it “crunchy water” one time and I think that it’s a much better name for them. I like to be fancy and buy the English cucumbers when they aren’t too soft. It often feels like I am the only one who eats veggies as a snack…I mean, I also love a pickle, but maybe it’s that the fresh cucumbers always seem so refreshing. Maybe, I don’t drink enough water. Does anyone else love to eat salted slices of cucumber?
At the end of the day, I thawed some plums from a farmers market a few weeks ago that I had tucked in the freezer and I added cashews back into my life for the first time in four weeks. I missed them so much. Nuts are definitely my binge weakness though, especially since it’s really easy to lose count of how many I have had. I’m going to keep measuring, tracking, and for sure posting because that accountability really helps me make better choices. Thanks for that. 🙂

On to dinner. I had a Hot Chicken Arugula Salad with Chickpea Leek Squash Fritters. It sounds super complicated, but it’s not. I mean, it could be but it wasn’t. I added some Seite hot sauce to a cooked, shredded chicken breast that I had in the fridge. Then, I used what was left of my over cooked spaghetti squash and mixed it up really well with some chickpea flour, sautéed leeks, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper and tucked that back in the fridge alongside the mason jar of marinating chicken…is it still marinating if it’s already cooked?… hmmm… Anyway, they both joined the already roasted cauliflower that I cut into bite sized pieces. When it was time for dinner, I cooked the fritters in some avocado oil on the stovetop, chopped some celery, put the arugula on the plate, and piled on the chicken. I cheated and filled in a fake sauce because I thought it would look better and because most people have a ranch or blue cheese dressing that they like. I wasn’t in the mood for a dressing, but you should use one of those if you are.

Cronometer:

Garmin Says:

I am enjoying my time off, to say the very least.

Stay safe and moving, y’all!

Taco Tuesday, Val Kilmer, and San Marzano Sprouts

Day 16 of 28 Day Refocus

Jack Russell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021

We headed out for a neighborhood walk this morning and hit up our favorite parks. The water is starting to recede a bit, so we moved a little faster this morning. The dangerous part about walking during the summer storm season is that, sometimes, you think it’s a safe path through the grass and the next thing you know, you are stepping into an ankle deep puddle that was cleverly disguised by said grass. It reminds me of trick puddles on NYC street corners…you think they are snow and ice, but you are wrong…and now your shoes are wet. Wet sneakers are pretty much a daily occurrence around these parts no matter the season, I have learned…and Codee just suffers through lots of baths.

Howell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021
“Maybe I can get in over here…” – Codee
Howell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021
Howell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021

In The Gardens:

It’s still too hot to move these to the garden, but we’re getting close. Most of the sprouts are San Marzano tomatoes, with one tiny Purple Peacock Broccoli sprout in there, and they mostly came up really fast. As I have mentioned before, my balcony faces east, so I get great sunlight in the morning. The end of the direct sunlight comes right around 12:30, saving them from baking all afternoon. They lean so far towards the sun that I have to keep rotating the pots to keep them growing straight.

Full Pots, The Upcycle Balcony Victory Garden
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021

On The Beach:

Atlantic Beach, FL – August 17, 2021

Sweating It Out:

Above 95 degrees outside means an inside treadmill wog with 3lb dumbbells.

What I Watched:

What a collection of footage he has! I may have only been 8 years old when Top Gun came out, but I feel like his movies were such a huge part of my teenage years. I mean, come on. How great are Willow and Real Genius?

On The Plates:

Taco Tuesday!!! These were Lola Farms chorizo tacos with sauteed leeks and homemade pickles. I served them with some zucchini slices that I brushed with avocado oil and broiled for about 15 minutes. Truth be told, I’m guessing at that number because I really just keep my eyes on it. The broiler and I have a history and I have learned the hard way that I shouldn’t get distracted while I have something under it. It’s best to just check it often because it might have been closer to 10 and, anyway, your oven will be different. Or, you could grill the zucchini and that would be delicious. I’m not allowed to have a charcoal or gas grill here…HOA rules say electric only…so the broiler is the way to go for me.
I also had my daily green drink and peanut treat, along with a quinoa bowl with very little imagination and thought, but I was hungry and it did a fantastic group of fixing that problem.

Cronometer:

Well, I am consistently a woman who loves hers carbs…so, I have that part down.

Garmin Says:

Tuesday numbers are my favorite. Nothing even close to the realm of steps that I’ll see once I am back to loading in on Tuesdays, but a good start.

Stay safe and moving, y’all!

A Road Trip To Mom’s New House

Day 15 of 28 Day Refocus

Sunset in Wildwood
The Villages, FL – May 3, 2021

We took a road trip to Wildwood, FL today to take care of a few projects for my mom. She recently purchased a house down here, but since she is still working in Connecticut, I am very grateful that I am not. It’s nice to be able to help HER for a change. It takes about three and a half hours to get there because I take my time and enjoy the views of the farms along the way. There are so many pieces of property for sale and I find myself daydreaming about having some land of my own. A micro farm, a tiny orchard and a General Store Cafe. It’s a nice dream, right?
I had a mostly successful trip from a to do list perspective and, despite a wicked downpour on the drive home, we made it in time for a peaceful beach walk.

Atlantic Beach, FL – August 16, 2021

On The Plates:

A day on the road meant a ton of raw veggies and fruit during the day. Who am I kidding? I always eat a lot of fruits and veggies, but they are perfect for car snacking. I brought a cooler with some extra things with me in case we ended up staying and, more importantly, because I like to keep my coffee cold. I had a jar of Ground Pork Smothered Cabbage that had started to thaw on the trip and when we made it home in time for dinner, it was quick to reheat in a skillet. I used my tiny cast iron skillet to make a couple of sunny side up eggs to put on top because the day had been fairly void of protein. Also, they make this dish really feel like a meal.

Cronometer:

Ah…travel days. Not terribly different from other days when it comes down to it. They just require more ice.

Garmin Says:

I remember writing last week that I was going to be more mindful of at least hitting my step goal on my cardio rest day, but I completely forgot that I was going to spend 7 of those hours in the car. We jogged a bit at the rest area and took a walk on the beach, but I still missed it by over 3,000. Glad I broke 5 digits, but better luck next week.

More Flooding, Leslie Jordan, and A Tree Full of Fish

Day 14 of 28 Day Refocus

“What does ‘torrentially f*ing pouring’ mean, Food Lady?” – Codee
The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021

The storm lasted most of the morning, but passed in time for the farmers market at Jack Russell Park. This Sunday market is new, but in the park where the Saturday Market used to be. At least, where it was during most of the pandemic….it’s about a half a mile from where I live. The organizers have had lots of location and schedule changes in the last year and a half. I’m not sure of any of the back story, but I like that our favorite vendor, Kim with Lola Farms, is closer to the condo every other week. We skipped the Saturday market because of the rain, but Codee loves seeing her and hanging out for a bit.

This is getting out of control…😉, Jack Russell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021

He also loves that the park is still flooded. This was really hilarious and adorable until I started to feel the wrath of the fire ants whose home I had just, unintentionally, destroyed with my shoe. They are SO fast!!!!!! I made a very rapid retreat to the car, which was luckily very close and a straight shot. Super grateful that I threw a towel in the front seat and that Codee was on his long leash, I desperately swatted at them as they continued their frenzied biting. How can something that small move that fast?? At least I don’t seem to have any adverse serious reactions to them…just a bit itchy for a day or so, but ugh, that crawly feeling stays with me for hours!!! Our evening walk was a touch less exciting, but involved a lot more water.

The storms have mostly moved on…
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021

On The Streets Where I Live:

Neighborhood Love, Beach Blvd.
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
Neighborhood Love, Oceanwalk Drive
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021
Tree Fish, Beach Blvd.
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 15, 2021

Sweating It Out:

It was super fun to be back outside tonight for my 5 miles. The air was still a little heavy, but the earlier cloud cover and time of day made it perfection for me in terms of temperature. I mean, don’t get me wrong…I still looked like I got caught in a simmering downpour when I finished, but it felt amazing

Podcast Of The Day:

While everyone is on a summer break, my standard podcasts are all about advertising for other shows in the form of “Guest Episodes” or “Presents” series. I think I will check out some of the other episodes of Homemade, but I have to say that Leslie Jordan sets the bar a little high. His voice is like an audible hug. I want to eat chicken salad and drink sweet tea on the porch while listening to him tell stories of the old days.

On The Plates:

I’m bored of mentioning my daily green drink, but I’m digging having one less decision to make about what to eat every day. The consistency of my schedule is really fantastic these days and blending the first couple hundred calories of day fits in perfectly. It also helps with my water intake, which I am notoriously bad about regulating.
Supper was a grain bowl with quinoa, zucchini, mushrooms, parsley, and the spicy version of the Moroccan red pepper sauce, harissa. I threw a grated up glove of garlic in there, as well, and even though it’s not listed in my food log, some avocado oil.
Dinner was some ground pork smothered cabbage that I had in the freezer with a couple of fried eggs. I didn’t photograph it because I dramatically screwed the plating and I think I am going to have the same thing tomorrow anyway.

Cronometer:

It’s the end of Week 2 of my challenge and I have stayed on my calorie goals successfully for both weeks! It’s a nice self esteem boost to say that. Knowing that I have kept in line with what i said I was going to do makes me stand a little taller. Does that sound so silly? Well, maybe, but it’s true. Eating is never just about fuel for me, so like most people, I have a complicated relationship with food. I often turn to it to provide comfort or entertainment and, while that’s not always trouble, it’s so easy for it to become routine….A.K.A. a vicious cycle. This feels so much more balanced…
A note from above, not that anyone is critiquing my program here, but I used some avocado oil in the dish that I made for supper. I didn’t note it in the food log because it was leftover from an amount that I logged yesterday…like an oil savings account…😉

Garmin Says:

I missed the bonus point goal, but ended the week content just the same.

Stay safe and moving, y’all!!!

Stormy Weather, A New Swimming Hole, and Peeping Flowers

Day 13 of 28 Day Refocus

Fort Caroline, Timucuan Ecological Preserve
Jacksonville, FL – August 14, 2021

We had a quite a few quick outings today, mostly scheduled around breaks in the rain. I took us up to Fort Caroline this morning for a little stroll, but we didn’t stay long. The afternoon took us to the beach and then an evening walk to a couple of our favorite parks where Codee discovered his favorite benefit of Florida summer rain…flooding.

Sky Art
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021
Enjoying The Breeze, Cloisters Pier
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021

Parks and Recreation:

Jack Russell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021
“Don’t mind if I do…”, Jack Russell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021
Jack Russell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 14, 2021

Sweating It Out:

Just fast enough to get my heart going in the aerobic zone, but I could chat at this pace for hours. It was a nice, peaceful, evening jog.

What I Watched:

Nothing like watching a baking show during your six week added sugar break while on the treadmill. Really not much of what I do is normal, I guess, so…
I learned about Christina Tossi from an actor on Dear Evan Hansen when they recommended her Milk Bar episode of A Chef’s Table. Instant fan, to say the least. She hosts this one, but they put together a fun team of people. Everyone is specialized in a different discipline of the dessert world and they are competing against one another to win the guest’s choice of best dessert for their upcoming special event.

On The Plates:

Remarkably, I am still digging my daily green drink as my first small meal of the day and I like to try to follow that with some actual greens later on in the day. This was a super quick way to do it. I made a really fast lemon vinaigrette in a mason jar and I had just over 2oz of Butcher Box Ranch Steak left, so I sliced it and tossed it in. I also added a serving of quinoa that I had in the fridge, stirred everything up, popped a lid on it, and put it back in the fridge for a few hours. I put it on a bed of balcony garden greens for a bright summer supper.

You know I love my eggs for dinner. Tonight, I served them over a chickpea and spaghetti squash pancake and sautéed spinach and garlic. I kind of made Chris Morocco’s chickpea pancakes, but instead of water, I used some tremendously overcooked spaghetti squash. It added a bit of sweetness and some bonus nutrients…assuming I didn’t cook them all away. 🙂 I also don’t add any oil to the batter, but I used a tablespoon of avocado oil in the pan, so I definitely got it in there.

Cronometer:

It was one of those days when I couldn’t believe the numbers. I had that moment of, “There’s no way the calories came in as low as they did.” I re-checked and, apparently, it’s the true. Now seems like a good time to remember that calorie counting is about as inaccurate of a “science” as you can find. Labels can be up to 20% off and, even though I am weighing all of my food for this challenge, there’s really no guarantee that a.) the info in the app is correct and b.) that my body is going to process and react to that food exactly as a bomb calorimeter would. Seems suspect, but it’s a good practice for me for a lot of reasons. Having said all of that, it seems it was a pretty good “volume eating” day, to use the newest diet phrase trend I saw the other day…like we need another one….
Long story short…I felt like I ate a lot of food, but it was not a lot of calories. 🙂

Garmin Says:

It’s very frustrating when I notice how close I am to a round step number after midnight. Only sixty nine steps shy of 25,000. That’s like, one more trip to fill up my water glass…bummer. Maybe it’s time to officially up my goal considering it’s 15,000.

Stay safe and moving, y’all!

Walking The Wall, Blood Sugar Balance, and A Scary Crab

Day 12 of 28 Day Refocus

Atlantic Beach Dog Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021

We had a little bit of time back at the Atlantic Beach Dog Park. When I first started bringing Codee here he didn’t know how to swim and he would jump off of this wall to run with other dogs…Of course, he would land in a sliding face plant, but he never seemed to mind. He’s way calmer now, but he still likes to be up high.

Atlantic Beach Dog Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021

In The Gardens:

Gatherer’s Gold Sweet Pepper
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021
Purple Tomatillo Sprouts
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021

On The Beach:

I haven’t seen Codee jump in a long time…I really wish I had a video of it because he, absolutely, did NOT expect this guy to be alive!!!

Unexpectedly Alive, Codee and A Crab
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021
Clearing Up
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 13, 2021

Sweating It Out:

It was such a beautiful day that Codee and I spent most of it outside. He’s still not feeling the consistency, so I pushed the exercise part of my day into the evening. Not going lie, there’s something nice about just trotting along while you watch people bake epic desserts on TV. It’s, oddly,, very relaxing to me.

Podcast of The Day:

This is one of those episodes that I think is really good if you are just trying to dip your toe into the “health space.” The conversation is about taking an active participation in the regulation of your blood sugar. Like most things, there’s a product, but the topic of blood sugar balance and inflammation is relevant to so many people’s struggle to taking back control of their health.

On The Plates:

In the interest of posting a plate a day for this challenge, I give you a shot of my dinner, but it’s really not anything to write home about, so to speak. As my boss Buist would say, “They can’t all be winners, right?” It’s the end of the week and the farmer’s market is tomorrow and 10% off produce is Sunday, so this was a meal from the freezer. I had some overcooked spaghetti squash that froze a couple of weeks ago because I wasn’t sure what to so with it, so I mixed a bit of it into some quinoa and frozen peas. It gave it a bump of sweetness and maybe a few nutrients without a lot of calories. The veggie burger is okay, but not really anything exceptional and you can see that it was having a difficult time staying together. I had some harissa, homemade mayo, and balcony greens with it though, so that helped a lot. For 15 minutes of work, it did a very nice job even if it will never be a five star plate.
The photography only got worse as the plates went on. I had peanut oatmeal scramble for dinner which is rolled oats, peanut protein powder, and eggs. I assure you this does not photograph well even under the best of circumstances. I added a couple of frozen plums because I could…I shouldn’t have. They were really yummy, but definitely didn’t help my artistic endeavors…Good thing food doesn’t always have to be beautifully plated to be nourishing and tasty, right?

Cronometer:

A little light on the protein side, but a pretty solid day in terms of the calorie and macronutrient goals.

Garmin Says:

Moving and grooving today!

Stay safe and moving, y’all!

A Couple of Quick Dips, Love In The Sand, and A Visiting Dragonfly

Day 11 of 28 Day Refocus

10th Street Walk Out
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021

Good morning!!! What a glorious view, right? Now that I have been able to spend my second summer here at the condo, I have grown to love it more than I ever thought possible. It’s ridiculous to imagine that I found this little oasis by using the “Draw” function on Zillow. This leap of faith has worked out pretty well so far and, truthfully, I don’t even begin to take full advantage of what my town offers. Maybe that’s part of it, as well…I can, safely and happily, keep to myself around here and never get bored of the landscape and I am so very grateful for that, especially now.

A Busy, Late Summer Morning
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021

Codee likes a fair bit of distance, too.

Codee Coolin’ Down
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021

From sea to sea… No, I’m just kidding, but we did take a quick trip out to Dutton Island after the beach. I wanted to wander the woods for a few minutes, but Codee was more interested in the high tide.

Dutton Island Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021

And… a little reminder that love can be found wherever you want to see it.

10th Street
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021

In The Gardens:

Speaking of visitors and keeping company…You never know who might come by for a visit to the Pea Rack, which is really just an old closet shelf that a neighbor threw out, but the peas that I grew really liked climbing it…Anyway, it doubles as a place to hang my bag and meet spectacular folks like this creature…

Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021

I didn’t edit anything about these pictures or change any of the phone’s camera settings before I took them and they were taken moments apart. Yet, it’s remarkable to me how they can seem like they were very different environments.

Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 12, 2021

Sweating It Out:

It was too hot to hit the streets today and it was a resistance training day off. An inside wog kept me on my goals.

What I Watched:

I really enjoyed her first special, Nanette, and this one did not disappoint. It is a really good thing that I was not actually running on the treadmill while watching this one. I definitely would have bit it a couple of times if I was. She is funny!!

On The Plates:

It was a day full of veggies. For supper, I had roasted chicken, chickpea spirals, broccoli and extra virgin olive oil. So simple. So yummy. I find that the key really is seasoning my food properly, but I am a veggie lover all the way. The chicken adds even more fantastically filling protein and tasty fat. The only thing that I actually cooked today was the broccoli and the pasta. Everything else that I had today was what most people would call, leftovers. I didn’t photograph dinner because it was just thrown together…not that this wasn’t, but I digress. I had some leftover steak, beets, asparagus, and tiny carrots from the garden, but it was not really a meal so much as food that I like in a bowl. I didn’t even heat it up…
I ended the day with a natural sugar laden, tart and sweet, blended frozen pineapple and banana jar. I really don’t love the term “nice cream”, but I can’t decide what to call it….I sure do love them, though.

Cronometer:

I finished entering the last few things and I realized that I haven’t had this many calories in one day in almost two weeks. I’m totally a volume eater…as most of you know, but this can quickly morph into binge eating depending on mindset and how you want to define things… Anyway, it’s a pretty gray line, but today was not a binge. It was just so much delicious food! Three solid meals, including two meat based which is VERY unusual for me.

Garmin Says:

I’ll take middle of the road….not great, not bad. Solid and acceptable, though.

Stay safe and moving, y’all!

Tideview Preserve, The Beach, and A Tasty Failure

Day 10 of 28 Day Refocus

Morning Shade, Tideview Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 11, 2021
Codee, Tideview Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 11, 2021
Tideview Preserve
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 11, 2021
The Cuban Oregano Takeover, The Upcycle Balcony Victory Garden
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 11, 2021
“Wanna race to the water?” – Codee
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 11, 2021
Codee Coolin’ Off
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 11, 2021

Sweating It Out:

This is definitely a program that I can keep doing consistently and use as a good foundation for the next coming months.

On The Plates:

I had my standard Green Drink for brunch and oatmeal made a return for a dessert for dinner switch up. Supper was the plated meal of the day and I used it for a bit of an experiment. I had sliced Butcher Box Ranch Steak with Asparagus and Cauliflower Scramble.
At the moment, I have paused my Butcher Box subscription because I buy most of my meat directly from Kim at Lola Farms in Lake Butler, FL, but I am still working my way through the last pieces of the last couple of Butcher Box orders. (Side note: I’m really grateful for my three freezers.) This plate is 4oz of their grass fed ranch steak. I find that, like with most meat, I really notice a difference when I remember to seasson it the night before I want to cook it. I seared this on the stove and finished it in the Ninja.
I was reading Christina Chey’s Bon Appetit newsletter about the unglamorous eating habits of a recipe developer and, on that note…Let’s talk about the weirdness underneath that delicious piece of meat…It all started when I bought a leek at the grocery store and decided that I wanted to make cauliflower and leek mash with a bit of my latest obsession, nutritional yeast, for a little “cheesiness”. I roasted the cauliflower in the Ninja, naked, at Bake/400 degrees for 20 minutes and the leeks for 10 minutes. That’s where I should have stopped….those two ingredients plus some nutritional yeast, but I didn’t…I had two egg whites leftover from making mayo and I figured, “Great. Protein. Perfect.” So, I whirled it all up in the food processor. “Hmmm…” I had a very heterogeneous mixture…definitely not fit to call a mash. ”No worries…I’ll make pancakes with it. The pan is right here…” Cut to some bad words uttered during an ill fated attempt at flipping, but after some time over the heat, the story ends with a rather interestingly delightful scramble that I can only describe as pillowy and full of umami….

Cronometer:

Clearly, I am a lover of carbs. This isn’t news to me and, frankly, because I know this, I’m not looking to go low carb or Keto, but I may have to reign that in a bit to see the results that I want. It all comes back to balance, of course, but I’ll see how the next couple of weeks go.

Garmin Says:

I got my heart rate a little higher than I though I did this afternoon.

Smartless, Silly Faces, and Sunset Sunflowers

Day 9 of 28 Day Refocus

“You wanna do what now?” – Codee at The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 10th, 2021

We have been getting out and about in the morning, but mostly in the car to run errands. Like everywhere else, it’s pretty warm outside no matter the time of day and Codee gets in most of his steps in the evening. I did a bit of container gardening after we got home and he took a little nap. Luckily, I have an eastern facing balcony, so by 12:30, we have some shade. He really likes to break up the early afternoon by going in and out. This way he can check out any neighbors passing by and then cool off on the air conditioned, hardwood floor. Not a bad gig, if you can get it.

Honey Nut Squash, Tom Thumb Peas, and Arugula
Upcycle Balcony Victory Garden, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 10, 2021
The Carrot Patch
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 10, 2021

Parks and Recreation:

An Unusually Empty Day, Atlantic Beach Dog Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 10, 2021
Howell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 10, 2021

On The Streets Where I Live:

There are all kinds of unexpected joys kicking around Atlantic Beach. Finding hidden bits helps keep me motivated….and not just because it means I can stop in this heat to take a photo. 😉 I find I have just a little burst of energy after I smile.

“Nothing to see here, folks.” – Tree Man, 11th Street
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 10, 2021
Sunshine in Rock Form, Beach Ave
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 11, 2021
Mammoth Sunflowers, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 10, 2021
Happy Little Clouds
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 10, 2021

Sweating It Out:

A return to the streets!!! It was great, but it was a walk/run/limp combo, to be completely honest. My left hip HATED me at the end of this. I stretched it out a bunch and used my roller ball, but this is a great reminder to do what I say…or not…and not what I do. I am a negligent stretcher/flexibility training buddy. Heed the warning, please.

Podcast of The Day:

This section should be retitled, “My Schoolgirl Crushes”… Today, it’s back to my boys and their guest, Tony Hawk. I was never cool enough to be a skater, but I think the first time I saw him was in the movie “Gleaming The Cube”…Could that be accurate?

On The Plates:

The old standard… Guitar Case Greens, Roasted Lola Chicken, Roasted Shaved Beets, Grapefruit, Sautéed Onion, and English Cucumber with a Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Since we’re being honest…this is how it played out behind the scenes….

How I Really Eat My Salads, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 10, 2021

Cronometer:

Garmin Says:

That step count is a little more in line with what I like to see.

110 Days Until Load In!!…Stay safe and moving, y’all!!!