Time to Talk Cranberry Sauce!

Okay, I know. Pretty pathetic. It has been 8 months since my last blog post. I think I read so many other blogs and my day is already filled to the brim with a full-time job, a pre-kindergartner, marathon training, looking for a new house and twittering, that I have left no priority for blog posting.

I am hoping this short post will help shoot me into a new orbit of blogging motivation.  I got this far...so it must be working!

So, the big turkey (I am now a vegetarian) day is now approaching and although I have tentative plans to spend it in  Beaver Creek (check it out and be very jealous) skiing, I have requests from my husband and son's school to contribute to work and school-place Thanksgiving festivities -both of which take place tomorrow.

Suffice it to say I am taking the easy way out and will be contributing cranberry sauce. No, not that jello-like-appearance-crap-in-a-can cranberry sauce. REAL cranberry sauce.

If you need an easy to make recipe that tastes YUMMO, then this is for you! This recipe originated in Sunset Magazine, November 2002 issue.  How in the hell does cranberry sauce relate to Getting Fit the Tri Way?

It doesn't. Well, not really. Not unless you count the fact that 2002 was the last time I ran a marathon and here I am once again, training for a marathon 8 years later -ouch.

Okay, back to the recipe (by the way, I never claimed this was a healthy recipe but you can adapt it):

Anise-Pear Cranberry Sauce (Sunset Magazine, November 2002)


2 Bosc Pears
1 Orange
3/4 Cup Sugar (I use unrefined cane sugar and cut this amt in 1/2)
1 Star Anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
1/2 C. honey (you can reduce this too, to taste)
3 C. fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions


Rinse, peel and core pears; cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Grate enough peel (orange part only) from orange to make 1 1/2 t (I grate the whole orange). Ream juice from orange and measure to add enough water to make 1/2 Cup of liquid.  In a pan over high heat, stir orange juice mixture, grated peel, sugar, star anise and cinnamon stick until sugar is dissolved, 1-2 minutes.  Stir in honey and pears and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally until edges of pears are barely tender to bite, around 3 minutes. Stir in cranberries and cook, stirring occasionally until cranberries begin to pop and pears are tender when pierced, approximately 6-8 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate. You can also make this ahead of time and chill for 3 days. Makes 4 Cups. Eat & Enjoy!

How will YOU be spending your Holiday? Running? Skiing? Sitting by the beach or sitting like a beached whale from all the food?! 

30 Days Until the Big Tri Day!

Oh my goodness! Only 30 more days until I am running down the lake beach, goggles on, cap on and swim punches ready. Only 26 more days until I get on the plane and try to decide all the necessities to pack.

I've never planned a race out of town that required an airplane, a bike transport company,  a really good friend to pick me up and take us to the race and a campground to stay for the weekend. The excitement is definitely in the air. The race is official. The timelines are now more than just scary, the timelines are here! The bike fit is done and the plane ticket is purchased. Everything is in place.

Am I ready?

That is the question of the day, of the week, of the month.  I am not ready in the physical spirit that I was hoping to be ready for the race. Am I completely down on myself because of it? No!  Excuses are just that, they are excuses. But I do have some good ones.

My husband is in physician assistant school, in the thick of his rotations. His schedule is not consistent. Could I get up at 4:30 in the morning and go to the gym or get on my trainer or treadmill? Yes, absolutely. Have I? No. My level of comittment to that type of a lifestyle did not click, at least not yet.

I have a beautiful 4 year old and I like to say that being a near single-mother right now does not allow me to workout like I want to but the truth of the matter is that I don't work out enough because I choose not too. It's truly not because I can't. My little one is in pre-school and although I have a more than full-time, professional job, I do work from home which allows a bit more flexibility than most other jobs.

As it is stated,

Where there is a Will, there is a WAY!

Would it be easier to get in my workouts and healthy lifestyle if I didn't work full-time, have a husband in school, a 4 year old and no other family support in my town? Absolutely, yes. But there are so many others out there that get in what they need to no matter what is going on in their lives.

If you really want something, you will do it, you will find the time to achieve your goals!

I'm hoping that my Sprint Triathlon and 2nd 70.3 Ironman in August will be my main focus this Summer and that I will find my WILL to get the WAY of what I truly want to achieve with my body, my mind and my inner, athletic spirit!

Cheers to you all and happy training along the way. Go find your WAY!