Morning Beach Views, Timucuan Ecological Preserve, and A Cronometer Explanation

August 9, 2021September 26, 2021

Day 8 of 28 Day Refocus

Sea Oat Summer Views
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 9, 2021

A Quiet Morning
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 9, 2021

After a quick trip to check that everything was okay on the ocean side, I took us up to one of the National Parks that is close by. Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve has a handful of trail options and includes Fort Caroline, Spanish Pond, and the Theodore Roosevelt area. You can get everything from river to woods to salt marsh, plus the only real elevation change that I have seen in the state. We didn’t get that far today, though. Something freaked Codee out and it was too buggy to try to convince him that something wasn’t going to come out of the forest to get him. He braved it for half a mile and then we retreated. The silver lining is that he kind of quickly trots back to the car once he gets his way, so he gets a little exercise on the return.

Spanish Pond Trail, Ticumuan Ecological and Historical Preserve
Jacksonville, FL – August 9, 2021

Spanish Pond Trail Map, Ticumuan Ecological and Historical Preserve
Jacksonville, FL – August 9, 2021

Relentless Palm, Spanish Pond
Jacksonville, FL – August 9, 2021

In The Gardens:

I think it might be chard for dinner tomorrow. These probably don’t have enough soil to get much bigger, plus, if I wait any longer, I am afraid that I will lose them to pests, sun, or wind. I love the different color stalks, though, and at this size, I bet I can almost cook both the stem and the leaves together. I might have time for one more round of Guitar Greens before we take off. I was trying to decide what to do with the case when I leave…likely it’s given its all, but we’ll see when I empty it.

Guitar Case Greens, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 9, 2021

The Violated Pepper Plant, Dig Local Community Gardens, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 9, 2021

Simple Smiles, Dig Local Community Gardens, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 9, 2021

On The Streets Where I Live:

The BEST Type of Water Fountain, Bull Memorial Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 9, 2021

Sweating It Out:

I took a rest from any cardio today, but I started the week off with a continuation of my mini arm workouts.

On The Plates:

I had my standard Green Drink at 2PM, but then I wasn’t really hungry until dinner. And then I made this dish…what was meant to be two portions became one and I feasted. I really didn’t plan it this way and I need to work on my portion control worst of all. Now that I got that admission out of the way…this way SO yummy.

Cronometer:

Let’s talk rest calories as they relate to Cronometer. Your “Calories Consumed” is obvious…whatever I have entered for the day. Most entries come from their really widespread database, but I can also add custom foods and build recipes if I have items that aren’t already listed. The middle one, “Calories Burned” uses some data that I give it in my profile and a formula to calculate my daily resting metabolic rate…mine is 1242 calories. Think of that as my account balance for the day. I can add calories by adding workouts manually if my Garmin isn’t working for whatever reason or syncing it. This way, it’s slightly…that’s a big key word here…more accurate because my Garmin tracks my heart rate which is related to the entire equation. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m not sure what algorithm magic goes on, but the two apps never end the day with the same calories burned, so take it all with a grain of salt. Tracking is really great for me, though, because it focuses my attention even if my body doesn’t always follow formulas. There is also an option to add the “Thermic Effect of Food” which is the calorie cost of my body digesting whatever I ate: protein costs a bit more than fat or carbs, whole foods a bit more than processed. I don’t include that one though, but it is a real thing, obviously. Instead, I think of it like the round up savings account that I have. You don’t have to worry about it, but over time, it adds up.
Moving on, they give my remaining balance for the day based on how much weight I want to lose a week. One pound equals a calorie deficit of 3500 calories, so at a pound a week, I need to spend 498 calories more than I consume, which means that, in the app, I begin each day with 743 calories. As you can see, today, I was over my limit by 169 calories and that’s because I am not really interested in eating less than 1200 calories a day and today was a really chill day. In general, I try to keep to what the apps tell me, but I am in charge, not them, so if I am still hungry and I am under 1500 calories five days a week and under 1700 calories the remaining two days, I am going to ignore Circle #3 telling me that I am “over”. I’m going to see how that plays out over the course of the next few weeks and I will adjust that goal if necessary. That’s enough talking for about that, for now.

Yup…looks like a 92 degree rest day. I will say that I am a bit disappointed that I missed the daily step goal, but I came relatively close, so I’ll be a little more mindful of that next week. (Remember: I could have used the treadmill for a bit even if I didn’t want to be outside.)

Stay safe and moving, y’all!

Summer Flowers, Unexpected Creatures, and Martha’s Mayo Saves Lunch

August 8, 2021September 26, 2021

Day 7 of 28 Day Refocus

Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 8, 2021

It was a beautiful day to round out Week 1 of my challenge…one of those days where there is not much to report in the garden, though. August is like that around here. After checking on things there and then heading to my favorite grocery store (they have 10% off produce on Sundays), we headed back to the condo for a chill day. I did a bit of my strength training while getting extra vitamin D and composting a couple of plants on the balcony while Codee napped. It was a warm and sunny day, so we took a lot of short walks. After my coaching call, we headed to the park…again. It’s not uncommon for us to hit at least three of the parks in Atlantic Beach on any given day and today was no exception. It’s a really difficult place for boredom to set in and that is only one of the reasons I love my tiny town so much.
And now for some photos from the next town over…Neptune Beach….

Simple Beauty, First Street
Neptune Beach, FL – August 8, 2021

Bumper Sticker Wisdom
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 8, 2021

Creatures by Scotie Cousins
Neptune Beach, FL, August 8, 2021

I’m a sucker for a penny farthing…, First Street
Neptune Beach, FL – August 8, 2021

Sweating It Out:

I had a fun walk/run combo into Neptune Beach this evening. I walked the first 2.5 miles, jogged 2 miles, and then walked the last half mile home. Straight out and mostly straight back. There isn’t a ton of shade on First Street in Neptune, so I haven’t gone far in that direction in a long time. The bummer is that I noticed my phone was going to die, so I skipped a podcast/music and didn’t take a lot of photos, but I was reminded how nice the route is with a good breeze, creative neighbors, and the occasional view of the ocean. No turns and very little traffic means you can just get in the zone and the fellow fitness seekers provide just the right amount of motivation when you need it.

I also had a double dose of arm resistance training. It seems like such a small daily amount, but I will be honest that I am feeling it after a day off tomorrow. I’m not sore, but I’m glad I am easing back in.

On The Plates:

7 for 7 on the brunch consistency this week. This photo is from yesterday, but my Green Drink is exactly the same, so…

Have a mentioned recently that it is an acquired taste?…

I had a HUGE kitchen win today and finally found the right combo of recipe and technique to make my own mayonnaise. Why didn’t I go to Martha months ago??? I am very excited about this development. Mostly because I failed so many times prior to this success, it seemed like I was not ever going to get it right…blender, whisk, food processor…nothing had produced anything but an oily mess. Mayonnaise is a condiment that I gave up back when I lost my first large amount of weight and I don’t miss it often, but I am trying to eat more fish and I definitely miss it when it comes to canned salmon and tuna. I didn’t use much and also added Dijon mustard and caper brine, along with celery and sea salt, but it makes a big difference. I like to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours before eating, if I think to plan it out that way. I’m really excited to have this in a sandwich, but I am keeping gluten out of my diet for a month, so as if I didn’t have enough beets earlier in the week…I served it along with some roasted beets tossed with champagne vinegar, salted English cucumber slices, and greens from my balcony garden. Perfect for a hot summer day.

Cronometer:

Around 9PM, I got a little snacky…some carrots, an apple, and coconut peanut spread were a perfect, if strange, solution. It was kind of a weird day with a touch of an over indulgence at the end. As a side note, I have not had the exact same weight three days in a row in any other time in my memory…so strange, but holding steady through day 7 of my challenge and day 1 of my cycle.

Garmin Says:

It was a beautiful day… which was exactly what I needed to close out the week hitting all my goals!

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

Zucchini Carrot Egg Bake Fail and Some Views of The Balcony Victory Garden

August 7, 2021September 26, 2021

Day 6 of 28 Day Refocus

Upcycle Balcony Victory Garden, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 7, 2021

Here in Florida, the pandemic rages on, so I figured I might as well make use of that balcony furniture with plants. In between the community garden and the farmers market, we headed to Lowe’s because goodness knows what I need is another bag of potting soil, she says sarcastically. It’s really a race against time now, so I better get a few more seeds started…Before I had a car and a Codee, I would frequent my local Ace, but Codee needs practice inside new public places and most Lowe’s are dog friendly. I might have to start going to a different one though because he has gotten so used to it that he waits at the register for a treat before we leave. Insider tip, they have a container of treats under the register and some employees give them out and some don’t. Codee thinks it should be mandated…like masks should be. 🙂

Potted Pepper
Upcycle Balcony Victory Garden, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 7, 2021

I am a little surprised that the potted pepper plant is actually fruiting, but it’s awesome that it is. While we were at the community garden, I discovered that I had been robbed…I can only imagine that whatever ripped these peppers from the plant yesterday needed them very badly…they weren’t even ripe.

Violated Pepper Plant
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 7, 2021

In The Sand:

Codee Coolin’ It Down
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 7, 2021

Never one to go much past the break, Codee does love to run into the ocean to cool off. After a few minutes, we typically retreat to the shade of the pier. It was a remarkably calm day for a Saturday….which is exactly perfect for me.

The view from under the The Cloisters pier.
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 7, 2021

On The Streets Where I Live:

Just a passing shower
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 7, 2021

Turtle Love, Beach Blvd
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 7, 2021

Sweating It Out:

It was a rest day for any programmed strength training, though I find that I have picked back up on the habit of my teeny tiny body weight workouts while doing other things….like single leg balance holding the water can straight out in front of me while it’s filling or modified push ups on the counter while I wait for the water filter container to fill…I do a lot of waiting for water, but a lot of women have to walk for clean water, so I can do a few push ups, right?

Initially, I bought the treadmill to mitigate a few limiting factors in my quest to get a bit more exercise. I wasn’t sure if it would be another waste of money, so I bought a relatively inexpensive one that has a folding handle and can go under my desk. There is a maximum speed of 7.6mph, though I don’t typically go that fast. I have put about 100 miles of actual running (6.6mph) on it in addition to all of my walks and wogs, so I am starting to feel like I have gotten a return on my investment. Just this week alone, it has helped me reach my goal at least three times. It’s so much more difficult to come up with excuses when you shop out your limiting factors. 😉

What I Watched:

Streaming on Netflix, it’s a great introduction to the remarkable world of fungi. The more we learn, the more we don’t know what we don’t know, it seems.

On The Plates:

Today’s meals started like all the others this week with my Green Drink for “brunch” at 2PM. I had gotten away from adding the chia seeds in the past year, but now that I have them back, I’m into the texture. It does mean blending the whole thing at full for longer, but it’s worth it. Otherwise, you get really big chunks.

Supper was so good for little work. I roasted a couple of skin on chicken breasts the other day, so I had one in the fridge. I removed the skin and cut it up into a large dice. I added 2tbsp of Coconut Amino Gochujang Sauce and a little full fat coconut milk and stirred everything up in a mason jar, lidded it, and put it back in the fridge for four-ish hours. Then, when we got back from a walk a mixed up Chris Morocco’s chickpea pancake batter. I didn’t read his cooking instructions or make anything else in the recipe, but the batter was good. It’s four ingredients after all…
I heated my pan to a low medium and added a little toasted sesame oil….I added more to the pan mid flip as well so that both sides got it….I would almost say pan fried, but not quite.They were super light and crispy. (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chickpea-pancakes-with-kale-and-fennel)
Then I cranked the heat, added the green beans and let them cook for a few minutes. Instead of using water to steam them, I used tamari and it reduced down in the process. I added a splash of tamari to the hot pan and then covered it super quickly. A few minutes later, they were on the plate. Two thumbs up, if I do say so myself.

Gochujang Chicken, Chickpea Pancakes, and Tamari Steamed Green Beans
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 7, 2021

Dinner was not quite as successful, but it still tasted good and I grew the greens in my hydroponic garden, so it was not a complete loss on the excitement front. It was going to be a zucchini and carrot frittata, but I forgot that last time I used the Ninja for a frittata, I used 6 eggs… This one had four and two of them got added at the last minute. I was thinking of other things and more focused on the veggies, but of course two eggs isn’t enough….neither is four. It just ends up being too thin. Like I said, it was late and, truthfully, as long as they are actual eggs and not powdered eggs, I pretty ,ugh like them all. The carrots got just soft enough and air frying the zucchini earlier in the day really helped keep it from being too watery. I ate the whole thing (not pictured), so I’m going to chalk it into the win category even though it isn’t perfect.

Cronometer:

It was a pretty even keeled day with some really delicious bites.

Garmin Says:

Clearly, we’re coming to the end of the week. This makes a streak of 6 days hitting my step and calories (according to an algorithm) burned. One more to go.

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

Mayport Road Corridor Murals, Tomatillo Sprouts, and Too Many Blended Frozen Bananas

August 6, 2021September 26, 2021

Day 5 of 28 Day Refocus

Mayport Road Corridor Murals
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 6, 2021

I’ll put this delicately…The little man had some digestive issues that caused a very early morning (2:54AM) trip outside. Historically, I am not known for my natural ability to wake, but luckily, I have woken up every time that it has really mattered when it comes to this guy…so far. Oddly, he doesn’t bark, but I must sense that something is different in the bed. Tonight was no exception and we made it in time. 3AM isn’t an unknown hour to me, but it did mean that I was awake for awhile after. No worries for Codee though. He was definitely my partner in sleeping in today and seemed to be just fine when we got a late start. We headed straight to the community garden instead of hitting the beach or the park. The garden is 1.75 miles from the condo and to get there, I go through an area, apparently known officially as the Mayport Road Corridor. Earlier in the year, Atlantic Beach partnered with the firm ArtRepublic to add about 15 murals to buildings in the neighborhood and this one is part of a large group of them on Mayport Road. They have been pretty controversial, as all good art should be. The other side thinks that they aren’t “beachy” enough, but I think that is why I love the project so much. It’s nice to have a little originality and diversity in our public art. Someday, I’ll try to find out more about the man in this particular mural.

In The Gardens:

Sprouts are so fun because, well plants are just awesome, but also because changes are noticeable day to day when they are this tiny. I’m going to have to break these guys apart pretty soon, I think. I still marvel at how all of these purple tomatillo sprouts popped up after an unripe fruit that fell from a plant a few months ago decomposed just right. Mother Nature carried on the most important part of the plant even if I have yet to taste one proving yet again that she does not need us. Maybe this season, the timing will be right. 🤞

Tomatillo Sprouts
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 6, 2021

Here at the condo, my sunflowers are just about to burst into color. I really didn’t expect them to get to 9’! This is going to be quite a compost run once the season is finished.

Mammoth Sunflowers, The Condo
Atlantic Beach FL – August 6, 2021

On the other hand, I am not holding my breath about the fruitfulness of this pepper plant patch.

Codee Cooling Off, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 6, 2021

Sweating It Out:

That’s right. It’s not a typo. I’m calling this category a Wog. It’s not quite a walk and not quite a jog…something immediately in between though it’s enough to give my heart rate a little boost. I’m sure I live in the Sunshine State, but I keep lining my timing up with our daily storm, so here we are…Well, here we are after Codee decided that I had had a long enough wog.

What I Watched:

Amazon released Season 2,Episode 1 for free, but the rest of the Season 2 episodes are on Showtime.
It’s a guilty pleasure and I feel like that’s the only other thing I need to say about it.

On The Plates:

I had my usual Green Drink for brunch, but then it was a natural sugar landslide from there.

So many sweet potatoes this week!! I like to roast a few at a time and keep them in the fridge or the freezer…it’s a tiny amount in sweet potatoes, but more on resistant starch later. Dinner was simple and nice. I pulled everything cooked from the fridge, so I just heated it in a skillet with some avocado oil, starting with the baked sweet potato, then the cubed, skinless, roasted chicken breast, then the steamed broccoli. It only takes a few minutes to get everything up to a good temperature.

Maybe it was TOO simple, though. It was really good, but I kind of wanted it to have a sauce when it was all said and done…I don’t usually get into making one, but maybe a lemon vinaigrette or a mustard sauce? I got some nice color on the sweet potatoes, though. I won’t be surprised if I make this next week, so I’ll keep that note in mind.

Cronometer:

The day played out with me skipping supper and tacking a double portion onto my evening sweet tooth fix…My Frozen Peanut Banana. It was the second dessert day of the week…Go big or…never mind…I’ll see tomorrow what this does to my scale number, but I’m going to guess that it won’t move much in either direction tomorrow morning. This will more than likely halt that quick water weight drop I was experiencing. Two bananas and an apple are a lot of sugar to have at once at any point in the day, but especially two hours before bed…I know better, but it’s a splurge, so let’s make it worth it, right? Points to me for dulling the blood sugar effect a tiny bit by blending the bananas with peanut protein powder and full fat coconut milk. To be clear, the apple didn’t go in the frozen banana. It was it’s own crunchy craving after I had the “nice cream”…one is too many and two is not enough… It’s all good. I still think it was a successful day.

Garmin Says:

Not as active overall today, but I still hit the goals.

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

Salt and Vinegar Beets, Tiny Sprouts, and A Sandy Seed Spreader

August 5, 2021September 26, 2021

Day 4 of 28 Day Refocus

It was in the low 80’s this morning and the beach was lovely. We walked with a neighbor and her dog for about a mile and then hung out like riff raff under the pier for a bit. On the way home, Codee found something that he just couldn’t get close enough to…

Boys Are Gross – Codee Rollin’ It
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 5, 2021

Camouflage Codee
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 5, 2021

In The Gardens:

The balcony plants get a pretty decent amount of really direct morning sunlight this time of year and because they avoid the blistering heat of the afternoon sun, they do pretty well. I’m excited to see if this pepper comes all the way through ripening.

Potted Pepper Plant
Upcycle Balcony Garden, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 5, 2021

I don’t typically get any squash up here, but I think the plants are fun so I grow them anyway.

Honey Nut Squash Flower
Upcycle Balcony Garden, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 5, 2021

Just waiting on the last two little seeds to sprout in this lot of tomato plants….

Tiny Tomato Sprouts
Upcycle Balcony Garden, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 5, 2021

Speaking of seeds…I give you The Ultimate Seed Spreader!

The World’s Cutest Seed Spreader – Codee
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 5, 2021

Sweating It Out:

By the time I got around to hitting my five miles for the day, we were just starting our daily storm, so back to the treadmill. I am really grateful that I bought it though I need to stop filling my living room with recreational gear. It was a walk/jog combination holding 3lb dumbbells for 4 of the 5 miles.

What I Watched:

What a fun soundtrack! I mean, the whole movie is pretty glorious, but the orchestrations and songs are everything you want in a musical. Also, I confess that Hugh Jackman is pretty awesome workout motivation for me. A girl can have day dreams, right?

On The Plates:

Should I start posing my brunch Green Drink in random places around the condo so you don’t get bored with it? That’s the thing…it’s not exciting and, I repeat, it’s an acquired taste, but at 215 calories with 25g of protein (important albeit, not complete protein), my concoction takes about an hour to drink and is more interesting to me than plain water. Plus, it’s full of all sorts of things that are really beneficial (for most people) that I definitely wouldn’t consume most days if I didn’t intentionally try, like chlorella and spirulina.

My brunch plate was the greatest example of a silver lining to being single and only cooking for myself. It’s also a reminder that I would never ever recommend that anyone follow my eating plan because it is very specific to my…let’s say…uniqueness. I’m not saying that what was on the plate wasn’t delicious and remarkably nutritious, but who in their right mind wants to eat a plate of roasted beets and steamed broccoli?…Besides me, that is because I really enjoyed it. 🙂 I used a bunch of champagne vinegar and sea salt and the beets I cooked in the Ninja the other day were perfect! You have to be a big beet and broccoli fan for this one. I get it if you aren’t.

Dinner was another “pasta” plate, this time black soybean spaghetti. Now that I have leaned into the single ingredient alternative noodles, you can expect to see lots more of them in my rotations. I do this with most new ingredients that I get into…potentially eat it too often…but I’m reminded why so many people are drawn to making and eating pasta. Obviously, actual, real, good pasta is also amazing, but pulling a meal together with a base of pasta is SO easy and fast. The bonus with the alternatives is that you get the plant protein you want, the downside is that none of them are pasta.

The packaging is a little deceptive on this one in that it says black bean on the front, but the black beans that come to mind don’t have the protein content this product boasts about. It’s because the noodle are actually made from organic black soybeans, so be wary if you are sensitive to soy. I’ll say it a little louder for the people in the back…ALWAYS READ THE INGREDIENTS! Sorry, I don’t mean to be so aggressive about it. Anyway, at the end of this month long challenge, I will do a whole taste test comparison of a few varieties to actual pasta. The soybean ones have a little chew to them versus the chickpea noodles, but I really like most of the varieties that I have tried.

Tonight’s plate had the noodles, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, sea salt, and dried thyme. I cooked the noodles in salted water, drained them, and tossed them in a small bowl with 1tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. I added my veggies and dinner was served.

Cronometer:

Time restricted eating saved me from myself again. I had entered in double of my dessert peanut spread and was still in the calorie range, but I was right up to the edge of 10PM with what I actually ate that I didn’t have the second serving. The calorie count wasn’t really the point, but I had already had a TON of food and really didn’t need to eat it. The genesis of that spread is that I was trying to find something to replace, or at least mitigate, the amount of my beloved peanut butter that I eat. I bought what is effectively peanut powder. It is a single ingredient product, but clearly HIGHLY processed. See? I have a bunch of exceptions to every rule, too! The protein powders and supplement powders, and coconut milk that I use fall into the exception category, though I do try to keep them single ingredient items, like the NorCal Organic Peanut Protein Powder. But here’s where my addiction shines through. I have taken to mixing it with full fat coconut milk instead of water completely negating the lower fat, lower calorie feature of the powder. Of course, when you mix it with water, it’s not nearly as yummy, but it’s dangerously close to higher in calories than peanut butter this way plus, the fat from the coconut milk is predominately saturated. At this point, I might be better off with actual peanut butter, but I have MAJOR portion control issues there so it’s never just one serving. With this spread, one is enough.

Garmin Says:

A fairly consistent day which translates, in my mind, to a win. A decent amount of calories burned and steps taken, according to the algorithms.

Stay safe and moving, y’all!

Dash Egg Snack Plate, Freaky Birds, and A Conversation About Hydration

August 4, 2021September 26, 2021

Day 3 of 28 Day Refocus

Fascinating Mushrooms, Howell Park
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 4, 2021

We started the day with a walk to Howell Park where the recent rain made for some fun puddles. I suspect that it was about a mile and three quarters total and along the way we chatted with some guys playing tennis in Jack Russell Park. I say “we” because Codee can still be a bit barky at strangers who try to talk to him, but he is getting so much braver…and, thankfully, quieter. Truth be told, guys just like to get him riled up and he only has so much restraint before he is compelled to answer them….because they are talking to him. He’s not aggressive, just vocal. Back to the parks…Howell has some cute, very, very short trails and Jack Russell is right across the street and marks our loop with a nice public restroom. It’s a great destination with a lot of route options..

In The Gardens:

Gatherer’s Gold Sweet Peppers
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 4, 2021

I can’t believe this pepper plant is going to produce again!! Good thing I came to check on it because it had been knocked over in the storm the night before. It’s safely tucked in a cage now and still has two peppers on the cusp of ripening and now at three in the second round. Then, I decided to do some weeding and came across a couple of these…

Purple Tomatillo Sprout
Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 4, 2021

I had about a dozen purple tomatillo plants that had a TON of fruit on them and they were beautiful in their delicate wrappers, but they started dying off without ripening…maybe it was too wet…I have no idea, but then a tropical storm came through and all the plants took a hit, some from wind and some from a palm tree branch that crushed them. It looks like the pods decomposed fast and dozens of the seeds sprouted in the same spot… I popped it back in the ground to see if any of them make it for the fall plant. Mean while, in the climate control section:

Mixed Lettuces
Moistenland Hydroponic Garden, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 4, 2021

On the Streets Where I Live:

Neighborhood Love, Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 4, 2021

Pop Up Artwork by Scotie Cousins, Beach Blvd
Atlantic Beach, FL – July 22, 2021

Sweating It Out:

It was a nice easy spin around one of my favorite routes. I walked the first little bit and probably started a jog somewhere around a half mile in. I made it home just as the daily rain set in.

Podcast of The Day:

I am a recent subscriber to Gastro Pod which is a podcast where they “look at food through the lens of science and history.” They have a lot of interesting episodes, but one of the nice things that they do is guest episodes so they have introduced me to a few other new podcasts. This one is from Body Stuff.
The episode is about water and hydration and isn’t ground breaking, but it is interesting especially if you are like me and have any interest in the industrial food system and how messed up it is. I haven’t had time to fact check this, but could the US military really be the leading purchaser of Gatorade in the US? Recent dips into this rabbit hole tells me that it is definitely a possibility.

On The Plates:

I used the last of the parsley in the fridge for my daily green drink at 2PM. If you had told me even two years ago that I would make it through multiple bunches of parsley before their demise, I would have rolled my eyes at you, but now…I love it. I just want you to know that I don’t think anyone should dive into this combination all at once, but I will say that I forgot the vinegar this morning and I immediately knew when I tasted it because it was really not good. The point is that all of ingredients kind of work together, but it’s, for sure, an acquired taste.

The snackiness of the meals that I have at this time of day is why I originally called it tea, but it has been pretty consistently between 6:30PM and 7PM this week, so I’m sold on renaming it supper. I had an easy plate of blistered carrots and broccoli stalks, Mary’s Gone Crackers Super Seed Classic crackers and Dash Cooker Eggs with black pepper.

I am going to call what I had for dinner Call Your Mom Chicken. The deliciousness is a result of the fat in and on the dark meat of the chicken and the time everything was left to simmer together in my cast iron pan while I chatted with my mom. I had just about three ounces of chicken thigh left in a mason jar and I had saved the cooking juice with it. Well, obviously, when the fat and collagen cooled, they hardened. This is a very effective trick for separating everything if you don’t pull the meat off the bone first, which leads to much more surface area for the fat to cling to, and if you don’t use the shape of mason jar that I used, which was a pint size regular mouth jar. In my case, I did both of those things making it messier and less effective, but the result was that some of the fat melted by back onto the meat and fat is delicious so there’s that. All in, I used a brush to coat the bottom of the pan with a little of the leftover chicken fat/collagen combo from the jar and tossed the sliced raw mushrooms in. Once they got a little wilty, I added the leftover roasted cauliflower (which had color, but was still very crunchy) and then the chicken and some sea salt….and then the whole thing stewed together while I finished my chat with my mom. After we hung up (maybe 30 minutes later?), I plated it on a bit of my tiny hydroponic arugula. The chicken and cauliflower got more tender as they cooked and the mushrooms lended an extra push of umami and flavor. This plate is a real reminder that good things come, sometimes in unexpected ways, from talking to Mom.

Cronometer:

I have developed such a sweet tooth since I stopped drinking a few years ago. Even though there are studies that say the body recognizes all sugars as equals, I have a guideline of no refined or highly processed sweeteners (well, no refined or highly processed anything really) which means that I tend to stick to maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, dates, and bananas as my primary sweet sources. This month, I have locked the pantry door on the first three and would like to limit the other two to one day each a week. I’m not all about restricting foods for people, but I am an addict so it’s helpful for me to set up a very specific plan. It helps me lower the number of times that I have to argue with myself about food and makes the day easier.
I came in a little low on the calorie side of things today and that Is super unusual for me, but not in a bad way. I actually wasn’t hungry and felt good about what I had eaten, but I definitely took my last bite at 10PM. Having that hard stop definitely made me question whether to keep eating whereas, with no guideline, I would just grab something else…..I decided earlier in the day that I wanted banana nice cream (there’s that sugar addiction), so I had logged that info before Codee and I headed out for a walk. We ended up being out later than expected and it was a really great evening. Like I said, I am trying to get Codee’s weight down as well and if he wants to walk, I want to walk. I had loosely planned what I was going to have for dinner, but hadn’t really decided on the details and when we got home I happily prioritized chatting with my mom over eating…and during the call, I threw together dinner and ate a red pepper that wasn’t going to make it until tomorrow. Since Kristina May taught me on Dear Evan Hansen that I like them by bringing me one to cut up, I actually really like snacking on strips of raw sweet bell peppers, except green, thank you very much. In any event, by the time I finished eating what turned out to be a delicious meal and my banana nice cream, I was really full and it was precisely 10PM, so there you have it.

Garmin Says:

A little lower on the steps and the calories, according to this one, but I got my heart rate a little higher today.
Eventually, I might try to get on board with caring more about what the other numbers mean, but I don’t really pay much attention to them. All of this with the caveat that these numbers are definitely not 100% accurate by a long shot and should only be used as a guideline. The expression “Don’t eat calories a watch gave you” always makes me chuckle. I happen to like to track data though, so I fitness trackers are kind of a hobby of mine. There are SO SO SO many to choose from.
Personally, I wear a Garmin Forerunner 245 and it does everything that I need it to do and likely more, it was reasonably priced, and is a good size (though still a little big) for my wrist.

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

The Arboretum, An Usual Crab Hole, and A Bateman Oldie

August 3, 2021September 26, 2021

Day 2 of 28 Day Refocus

Jacksonville Arboretum
Jacksonville, FL – August 3, 2021

It was a pretty overcast morning, but we headed to the arboretum instead of the beach because, frankly, Codee motivated straight for the car after some morning business. I totally understand not being into exercise first thing. Most of the people that I know like to start their day with a workout and I get that, too. It’s great to get moving and “get it out of the way”, but some of us just don’t function like that. The only time that I like running in the morning is if it is a race and there are LOTS of other people involved. My preferred time is in the afternoon and I think Codee is on board with that.

However, I do like to get moving and an easy stroll or walk is my favorite way. During the summer months, I have a few spots that like to frequent and The Jacksonville Arboretum tops the list. They have a bunch of short trails that are almost completely shaded and lots to look at if you are the nature loving sort. It’s also completely dog friendly if they are on a leash and I can usually get Codee into it for at least a mile, even at the peak of his laziness/weight gain/summer heat. The downside is that it’s about a fifteen minute drive from the condo. Of course, Codee has a different perspective and doesn’t see it as a downside, He loves to snooze in the air conditioned backseat. It’s all about how you use your time, right?

It’s too good to resist!
Jacksonville Arboretum
Jacksonville, FL – August 3, 2021

Off Duty
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 3, 2021

The storm cleared as the evening rolled in and it was perfect for a beach walk.

Dig It Out
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 3, 2021

Beach Avenue
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 3, 2021

Sweating It Out:

Rain days call for some treadmill time. For resistance training, I added a few different arm moves and a bonus core exercise. I’ll add this on Thursday and Sunday, which gives my arms a break on Saturday and finishes out the week by compounding all the moves on Sunday.

What I Watched:

We need all the laughs we can get these days…well, actually, on ALL days, but anyway…especially now. And you may or may not know about my crush on Jason Bateman, but despite my minor obsession with his current projects, there are lots of his movies that I haven’t watched. I have been working my way through some of the older ones and today I chose this one. There are parts where his character is reminiscent of his character, Marty, on Ozarks and I have to say, I am just fine with that. His dry delivery through ridiculous obstacles gets me every time.
Also, In the past, I have said that I am not a huge Melissa McCarthy fan…we just have a slightly different sense of humor, but her talent is undeniable. I really enjoyed her performance in this one though and the two of them together are hilarious. Yes, it is a movie from 2013, but I still lost my footing on the treadmill because I was laughing pretty hard.

On The Plates:

Brunch was my standard for the week, 700ml of water blended with these ingredients. I opened the bag of chia seeds too much and instead of 12g of seeds into the VitaMix, I got 22g. There is no turning back from that…I believe this is why chefs mise en place their stuff, but alas….I skipped the eggs I was going to have because it was a lot.

Sam Sifton mentioned Gabrielle Hamilton’s piece in The New York Times Magazine featuring her recipe for a sous-chef salad in his newsletter this week. In it, she says, “I don’t question that the greatest meal salad of all time, the chef salad, was created by a chef. The combination of textures and flavors is consummately professional. Sometimes people mistake the salad bowl for a lawless place of disorganized and mismatched ingredients, chopped up and thrown in — dried cranberries on top of pumpkin seeds on top of soggy corn — which offends even me, who stakes no strong claim to her chef bona fides. A salad nonetheless requires a bit of cheffing, a little experienced attention paid to balance, texture and restraint. Not everything tastes better with bacon bits scattered on top.” There aren’t any bacon bits around here, but something tells me that she would not be a champion of this particular plating anyway. Despite the less than stellar photography of this dish, I assure you, the meal salad was great. The cauliflower still has a lot of crunch, adding in texture and the peppery arugula compliments the earthiness of the roasted beets….It’s a favorite combo of mine and I bet it’s not the last time I write that description. I am taking a month off of dairy so I skipped my standard goat cheese, but there is 4oz of shredded, roasted chicken thigh and I mixed in 2tsp of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of champagne vinegar. This salad was a little overdressed, but I definitely didn’t miss the cheese.
Sometimes, when the beets in a dish turn things pink, it is a fun thing. Sometimes, it is not, but it’s almost always delicious and this was tasty.

To wrap it up, I had breakfast for dinner and an apple for dessert. I roasted the sweet potato the other day, so this came together pretty fast. Plus, I got a tiny dose of resistant starch. The unseen heroes of this dish are the 1.5tsp of avocado oil that I used in the pan and my cutting board that I use as a lid. The first teaspoon went in the pre heated pan for the cooked sweet potato and raw broccoli and then, once the broccoli was super bright green, another 1/2tsp for the eggs. Once the eggs were in, I covered it for a few minutes. I was in the mood for pretty runny eggs today. I think the yolk is super delicious with the sweet potato. I wish I got a little more color on the sweet potato, though….notes for next time. 🙂

Cronometer:

The food log app that I use and love is Cronometer. This week, I have a goal of staying below 1500 calories during five of the days and 1700 calories during the other two. I am also doing a version of time restricted eating so I don’t consume anything except black coffee, my daily vitamins, and water from 10PM until 2PM. That means that I have to eat all of my calories in an eight hour window which can be slightly tricky. These are not long term ways of life. I am working a specific program for a specified amount of time in an effort to reset some habits and refocus my nutrition.

I want to stress that nothing that I am posting is a nutrition or training recommendation for you, though. Please don’t think that I am ever recommending my plan for anyone but me.

I love the quick losses on the scale in the beginning 😉…it is the ultimate manipulation device, right? I TRY to use it just as a piece of data because I understand that it isn’t just about THAT one number, but the idea of a “right” number existing has had so long to marinate in my brain that sometimes I get lost in the obsession. I track it daily because it works for me to see just how much it can fluctuate in one day based on a significant number of factors. In any event, all data is good data and weight is a marker that is often used to predict risks of chronic metabolic disorders, so I like to know it. Technically speaking, I was two pounds from overweight yesterday. What it is not, is a judgement or a moral failing. Having said all of that, because I have been up and down the scale, I can say that the weight where I usually feel and perform the best is in the 118-121lb range and that’s the long term goal at the moment.

Garmin Says:

My Garmin app sends data to Cronometer app, so I’m not sure how they have different calorie info, but they do. There’s an algorithm kicking around in there somewhere…
I have my step goal set at 15,000, but in my head I really want to hit closer to 20,000-25,000.

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

Gatherer’s Gold Sweet Peppers, A Summer Garden of Guitar Greens, and A Great Start

August 2, 2021September 26, 2021

Day 1 of 28 Day Refocus

It wasn’t much cooler than it was this weekend, but Codee actually ventured for a bit of a walk in the neighborhood before we headed to the beach. I might regret this comment if full on puppy suddenly comes back, but it’s really nice to see his energy level return. Fingers crossed that he doesn’t lose any mobility because I really don’t want to revert to the old dose of prednisone. This morning, he even started playing with one of his buddies again. It was such a beautiful morning so Codee played and hunted for snacks while I chatted with a neighbor. There is a pier not far from my beach access that offers some shade and that has become more and more important for both of us as August sets in.

In The Garden:

Gatherer’s Gold Sweet Pepper, Dig Local Community Garden, Dutton Island Road
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 2, 2021

There aren’t many plants left in the garden these days because of the tropical storm that we had, not to mention the heat. A few peppers, the carrot patch, and a lacinato are hanging on despite it all, though. I ate this one with some hard cooked eggs after my walk. I’m not sure that it was entirely ripe, but it was super sweet! There are two more on the plant that I am hoping to have next week if all goes well. One never knows in the garden….

Guitar Case Greens, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 2, 2021

But the balcony is rocking! (pun intended) The guitar case greens are filling in nicely, my potted pepper plant is flowering, and I have a bunch of seedlings starting to come up for the fall season. I know it seems crazy to plant since I am leaving. I love to garden so much though and I don’t lose anything by doing it…whether I harvest anything or not. I just can’t find a downside and I got really, really sad when I started to think about not putting another round of seeds in the soil. Besides, I think I might actually have some success this season, so I’m going for it.

Podcast of The Day:

I’m not a huge sci fi and action fan so forgive me. After looking at his IMDB, I can confirm that I have not seen a single one of his movies even though clearly, he is a tremendously prolific producer. I love listening to episodes that introduce me to new people and I thought he was a great guest. His comment about the difference between “seeing” a movie and “experiencing” a movie made me remember the feeling of community that accompanies shared moments of storytelling. As for the three boys, I feel like I write “I laughed out loud” after every episode… because I do. 🙂

Sweating it out:

My fitness goal this week is to get in 5 miles a day of purposeful exercise and I got the week off to a good start. I decided it doesn’t matter if it’s running or walking…TMI, I have a callous on the bottom of my foot that is really jacking things up, but since I know it’s not an injury, I am powering through and trying to get it under control. This is one of those circumstances where something is better than nothing and building the practice is what really matters this week and next. Anywho…..leery of going in too hard, too fast in the beginning, I am easing back into full time running. That means leaving Codee at home. He just doesn’t have the energy back, yet. Also, it’s really important that he gets used to me coming and going throughout the day, so in a way, he really is training while I am. Good news is that he is super comfortable here at the condo, so typically, he just ends up on the bed snoozing.
I’m also going to do this super quick arm program on Monday (check), Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. There will likely be a lot that is different when the tour starts back up again, but I am willingly to bet the condo that actor trunks won’t be getting any lighter. Time to start lifting again.

On the plates:

The meal that I am going to call Brunch was my Green Drink, two Dash eggs, and the pepper from the garden. Dash eggs are simply steamed in the Dash egg cooker that I love, but I am such a fan that I like to market for them. Also, here are the before VitaMix and after VitaMix photos of the Green Drink…weirdly appealing to me after all this time.

Because I am doing time restricted eating for the first few weeks, meaning that I am going to consume calories during a specific time frame, in my case 2PM until 10PM, the meal names feel a little weird, but after Brunch is, what I was referring to as Tea. Not because it draws any relation to anything even remotely related to tea, the service or the drink, but because I didn’t love calling it Supper. I will now though because it happens around 6PM. So, for Supper, I had Roasted Chicken Thighs, Baked Sweet Potato, and Sugar Snap Peas.

Lola Farms Chicken Thighs, Baked Sweet Potato, Snap Peas

Dinner, which I eat some time between 8:30PM and 9PM, was a variation of the recent Go To meal in my kitchen…Chickapea Linguine, Roasted Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Arugula, Nutritional Yeast, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. At the end of the day, I like something sweet, so today I had an apple. I am Fuji apple fan, but every once in awhile I branch out, but that’s the variety that I keep stocked right now.