Yes, I'm actually doing this.

I been keeping a bit of secret from the social media world and actually the larger contingency of my IRL friends as well, so it's time to come clean.  I signed up for a marathon.  (Yes, the running kind, yeah the whole thing)  Sometimes people travel for that "first marathon experience" but I choose the local one here in the twin cities, in which the finish line is less than a few miles from my house.

I signed up for it initially when I was still in the glow of runner's high, injury free and drunk on my own self-worth.  Not a bad place to be at all, but post injury, I've been struggling to reconnect with the original enthusiasm.  At one point, I was ready to throw in the towel completely, but a chance meeting of someone else who was also in the TC marathon changed my mind and I decided I owed it to myself to at least make it to the starting line (and hopefully the finish line as well).

That being said, there are all sorts of reactions to sharing such news as "I'm running a marathon" or what I really mean is "I'm going to attempt to run a marathon".  Sometimes people feel the need to bestow praise, "That's awesome, good for you!", which is nice, but all I've really done so far is spend $100 in hopes of a goal.  Some people feel the need to question my motives "Are you sure you want to do this?", or my sanity "Have you talked to a doctor about this?".  Some people make a point to remind me of what's involved "Do you know how long you have to run?"  The answers are, Yes, I'm sure, Yes, the doctor says it's ok, and yes, I'm very aware, 26.2 miles.

Dealing with reactions is one thing, but perhaps a more crucial thing is dealing with the training.  There are about as many marathon training programs as there are people who run marathons.  All of them focus on different things, cross training, long runs, fast-short-runs, fartleks, hill training, and the list goes on.  Even with that, choosing the program is still the easy part and sticking to program far more difficult. 

So - the whole thing feels entirely surreal to me on many levels, but I'm actually doing this.  I've created a training program which I have followed very closely although not to the letter.  I can maintain a pace that is sufficient to be "declared a finisher", but slower than I would have hoped for.  On one level, I wish this was the glossy, victory speech that everyone loves to hear... but this is me, a human with a goal.  True passion mixed with authentic self-doubt.  There's beauty in that, even if it isn't the kind of beauty that gets tied up in a package with a bow.

Copy Cat: Thai Chicken Salad

The Copy Cat series will be an ongoing series in which I attempt to re-create mine and others favorite restaurant foods.  There are always exceptions, but generally food cooked at home is more affordable than food ordered out - and often times more healthy.  Learning to create the foods we crave can save dollars and sometimes calories!

So not only did I rip off this salad recipe from Panera Bread, I also ripped off the idea to do this salad recipe from Jen (a PriorFatGirl).  Hopefully, it's understood that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

A couple fridays ago I was getting together with my friend Jacalyn to hang out.  We were planning on eating dinner, but hadn't decided where yet, when she suggested we cook something ourselves.   Of course, I said "that'd be great" and suggest we try making the "Thai Chicken Salad" I had just read about on Jen's (aPFG) blog.  

Generally speaking, I'm not a huge fan of salad and maintain the "you don't make friends with salad" line of thinking.  I guess I see it as a side dish as opposed to a satisfying meal.  However, the "Thai Chicken Salad" @ Panera Bread has caused me to rethink that a bit.  

Here's the shopping list: 

Thai Chili Sauce  (packet I had at home)
Romaine ( $2.99 for 1 bag)
Chow mein noodles ($1.39)
Chicken ($2.67)
Red Pepper ($0.40)
Edamame ($4.00)
Spicy Peanut Dressing ($4.00)
Peanuts (in stock)
Vinegar (in stock)

The Spicy peanut dressing and edamame carry the heavier price tag on this salad, but I can assure you they were worth it.  I will also add that I'm lucky to have a local grocery store (Cub) that has a great ethnic foods section, so I'm never lacking when wanting to create recipes with more exotic flavors.

To make: 

Mix Chili Dressing - Mix one part thai chili sauce to two parts vinegar.  Whisk until even.  Drizzle chili dressing over rommaine leaves.  Add cooked edamame beans (without shells).  Add diced red pepper.  Toss together.  Lay on plate, and top with chow mein noodles, grilled chicken, peanuts, and spicy peanut dressing.

Jacalyn, who was incredibly helpful with this creation

A salad you can make friends with!

Ok, while this was a salad, it was seriously HUGE!  Not to mention hearty and delicious.  It was a very satisfying meal.   It could have been a little large in terms of portion size, but it was very well rounded and balanced healthwise.    

My back of the envelope math says that this serving was about $3.50, which I consider a little high for an at home meal, but still half of what you would pay at Panera.  

Freezer Meater Marinade

I think having a freezer is one of best purchases I have made.  Especially since it only cost me $160, and it came with "$160 worth of coupons" which was the special (a very long while back) at my local cub foods.  For the record, many of those coupons were actually very useful as well, making the freezer purchase an even better deal.  The key benefit of having an additional freezer is being able to store additional frozen foods, such that you can stock up when there's a deal and living off the storage when there is not.  Freezers extend the "life" of your indefinitely, but not necessarily the flavor.  In other words it won't hurt you to eat it, but it could lack the zip and flavor it once had.  In fact freezing meat, for whatever duration, is a flavor "killer" and it customarily avoided in high-profile restaurants.  In season 7 of Top Chef, Chef Spike was eliminated from the competition for his using frozen scallops in the challenge.

So with freezing meat, especially for longer durations, comes a lack of flavor.   Recently, I had "found" some steak in the freezer that was in there longer than um.... it should have been .... more than a few months.  Obviously, wasting meat is far from frugal and bit unethical in my mind too.  Not wanting to scratch it, but knowing the flavor could significantly less savory - I went for my best option.  Using a marinade.

Marinades can be used on basically any kind of meat although the tougher more gamy meats are where they can be most useful.  In this case, "over frozen" steak.  Marinades may sound complicated and threatening... but really are nothing special, and can basically be made from any number of ingredients.  You can also buy them in a jar, but that's not any fun.  

Here's my basic formula for creating a marinade.

1) Oil (1/2 cup or less)
Oil (any) creates a vehicle for your flavors and tenderizers allowing it to really gel (it literally emulsifies) with the meat.  I tend to use olive oil most often, because it's right there in the cooking cabinet, but bear in mind olive oil has strong flavors, so sometimes a more neutrally flavored oil like vegetable is better, especially in the case of more delicate meats (think chicken or fish).  

2) Tenderizer (1/2 cup or less)
There are so many tenderizers.  Vinegar, citrus juices, tomato juices, soda, any kind of alcohol.  Basically anything highly acidic to bring the "zip" back in.  I commonly use vinegar, but largely because it's just so easy to store and very cheap. Be careful with it because it one of the more powerful tenderizers and a little will go a long ways. 
 
3) Sauces (1 Tbs to 1/4 cup each)
You know them already, but soy, bbq, ketchup, dijon, mustard, honey, ranch, tobasco... the list goes on and on.  Don't go over board, one to three sauces in the mix.  Depending on how much sauce you add... you may want to back off on the oil.

4) Seasonings (1tsp of each)
ANY and ALL 
 
Whisk all these ingredients together and poor over meat.  Store in sealed container for 1 to 24 hours. 

So this is what I slammed together for my "over frozen" steak.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2-3 tsp a "kabob grill" mixed seasoning I had in the cupboard. 
cumin - always cumin
seasoning salt

So the "recipe" is pretty hodge podge and basically accounts for me using up some unknown seasoning I had in the cupboard.  I don't really share it because I truly hope that you copy it verbatim, but because it was good, it took very little effort on my part and it saved a pound of meat (at least a $5 value).

Final product

I hope this takes the mystery out of marinade and encourages you to experiment with your own (if you aren't already), but here are some ideas to get you started: 

Guinness Marinade
Jerk Chicken (this is a complex, but very rewarding recipe)

Still kickin'

Some of you may be wondering where I am at with my running a half-marathon plan.  The observant amongst the crowd may note that I should have run my first half-marathon a several weeks ago.  Unfortunately, life kicked in, and apparently I was training "too hard: or training "too wrong" and I wound up with a stress fracture that was identified less than two weeks before the scheduled run date.

It sucked, but I was told by the doctor that running the half-marathon was "out of the question"

Anyway, for the last month I have been in physical therapy.  It's a really interesting process and I've learn a lot about what muscles help me to run better and how to strengthen them.  Probably some things I would have never known or appreciate if it hadn't been for the stress fracture.  SO ... I guess that's the silver lining here.   

I've also began running again, albeit slowly.  According to my physical therapists, I have to do intervals (which is basically how I run anyway) and I have been running with only slight pain - so this is a good sign.  However, I'm having trouble finding that original gusto and not sure how to get it back again.  I feel running has somehow become such a chore, and I wish I could just kick myself and feel great about it again.  Right now, it feels like I'm only getting to the kickin' part though.   

Free and Cheap

It's probably well known to most of my friends that I'm pretty big fan of Groupon.  I also use Living Social and am familiar with a few other "social deal" type sites.  It's seems like a pretty simple way to save money with very little sacrifice.

Additionally, there are many other deals to be had with a pinch of internet savvy and limited qualms about giving out your e-mail address.  I have to say, I've taken advantage here.  Coupons.com is worth a look and I also visit favorite product sites (such as coffee-mate and swiffer) to find similar deals. 

Now, I've said all this first as sort of a disclaimer. 

Off and on, I have followed a number of different "frugal" blogs, and there seems to be sub-set of these strictly devoted to couponing and deal-sleuthing blogs.  What these blogs seem to share in my opinion are stories of large shopping trips costing them a fraction of the retail price (sometimes only a few pennies.) and countless links to coupons and sometime even "free" items. 

Now, while I'm still a sucker for a good bargain - I have to say some of these stories turn me off a little.  Why? While I it's impossible for me to know the exact nature or intent of the authors, there seems to be something inherently materialistic about getting all this stuff.  To me, being frugal should be synomymous with simplification of life.  Coupon mania and endless "free" samples seem like complications.  Also, there's a bit of a high in getting a deal, and it's hard to say weather these "frugal writers" are truly looking to budget or just chasing the next deal.  It almost appears "addictive" at times. 

I think the trouble is knowing where to draw the line.  I've clipped coupons, and managed some major savings from time to time.  "Free Samples" are often great ways to try new products.  In high-school I got a free-set of Neutragena products (kind of a first run in my own-deal-sleuthing adventures.)  It can be "fun" and cost-effective to combine strategy and budgeting.

However, for me, the end goal of the frugal life is for me to wind down and not to wind up.  Many coupons are for highly processed products.   Many Groupons are for things I never needed or wanted.  Adding these items to my life is neither simple, and often times not even cost effective. 

So you tell me - where is your line in the couponing, deal grabbing world?  other thoughts? 

Green Monster EXPERIMENT!

Better eat this soon!

Perhaps my most oft-advised piece of food frugality wisdom is using what you have already in the fridge to cook what you "want" to eat.  This can also be re-hashed as buying what's on sale and cooking with that instead of choosing the recipe first then purchasing the ingredients later.  Additionally, another element of frugality is using what you have around before it spoils.  At any rate, I remind you of this because recently my local store flier had both yogurt quarts and spinach bags (large) on sale.  They are both good individually of course, but like anything that has to be bought in larger quantities - it's tough to down it before it spoils.  Even with my recent vigilance about eating in - I was beginning to get frantic about the impending spoilage time line.

On an entirely different note, I really like those Naked Green Machine Drinks... but they are not budget friendly.  I've justified with Costco coupons, sales and the occasional treat, but for the most part I exercise resistance.  Anyway - my love of those peaked my interest in something I had browsed over on a friends blog not that long ago.

THE GREEN MONSTER... dun dun dun! 



Anyway, the Green Monster is not only a drink it's a movement.  A drink that is made up of Spinach and basically whatever else you want (best I can tell from the example recipes).  In this case yogurt was include.  So onto my very own recipe experimentation (this is a food blog after all).

Ruby Leigh's Green Monster Trial #1
-1 Cup Spinach, not tightly packed
-Just a bit of Chopped Carrot

Just enough cucumber and carrot to make it real.

-Just a bit of Diced Cucumber
-Whole Apple Diced (and cored)
-1/4 cup Yogurt
-2 Tbs water
-1 tsp Flaxseed oil

Ingredients are listed in the order that I dumped them into the Magic Bullet Mug.  Once in, you blend, shake a little, and blend some more.  If you use a rather large apple and a rather small blender (as I did), everything may not fit in at the start. This was the case in my experiment.  Eventually, everything worked out though.

Nice Bright Greens, Stark White Skin!

And, here's the final concoction (half-eaten ;)).  The verdict: It was very tasty, although not really comparable to Naked's Green Machine as I had thought.  However, it was a little mealy and thicker then I like my "drinks" I'm not sure if simply adding water would help or if I should also remove the apple skins.     

A cat "tail" for cat lovers and cat so-so-ers alike

Whether it be a lack of allergies, or love of the feline species.  Last fall I found myself - single with 3 cats in tow - in a large house.  Yes, I was scarily close to becoming a "cat lady".... yikes (oh well).  Anyway, a little over three weeks ago, one of my cats escaped and...

Well, let's back up a little here.  As I said I have three cats:

Kenya - the boss cat (still under the impression that she owns me)

Sugar - the scaredy cat (also the pretty one - I think)

 

and Spice - the goofy cat.

I love all my cats, but Spice is kind of a special cat.  She entertains guests, likes to cuddle, purrs the loudest and has recently tried her hand at playing RPG games (or at least the dice-rolling part).

Anyway, Spice also has a knack for escaping outside, CONSTANTLY! Usually she's pretty easy to catch, and when I don't catch her - she comes back.  So a few weeks ago when she escaped out the door for the third time that day - I figured she'd be back soon.  I figured wrong.  Several hours later, I was coming the streets with a flashlight and the significant in tow.  That night I couldn't sleep, thinking every screech was a meow and waking up to check the door constantly.

Next, I took action! In the following 48 hours - I made a couple Craigslists ad, made an animal humane society ad, called local shelters, posted lost cat signs, and distributed fliers to peoples doors.  I went on daily cat search walks, talked to neighbors, and put out food.  After a couple weeks - I wouldn't say I lost all hope, but I felt for personal sanity I needed to limit my efforts and get on with life.

So that's why when I missed a call from a number I didn't recognize - I assumed it was something from work (don't program work numbers into personal phone).  Instead it was a gruff voice saying I think I have your cat!  I couldn't believe it - I called back right away and while talking to him enough of the story matched that I said I would come right over and check it out.

So as I drove up to the determined house - I saw a cat outside and it wasn't Spice.  My spirits drooped a bit, but I figured I should still go up and say thanks and hi to the nice people who had thought to call.  When I got up the porch, they saw the look in my eye and quickly told me that the cat outside was theirs, and mine was outback. And guess what - they were right! It was Spice.

The people told me they were calling her cuddles because she is such a sweetheart, and though I didn't have much doubt, that assured me that this cat was mine.