Snowball series #4

The 4th run in the Snowball Series was this morning round Creve Coeur lake.  I made pretty good time (maybe my fastest run yet) but it was nice and flat, so I should run faster.  I had to run on my own because Sam was working today.  The weather was cold, but still good for running.  I wore exactly the right amount of clothes.  Also ran in my new shoes.
I haven't ever been out there, seems like a great place to run, I need to go more often.  Drove back to take a picture of the frozen waterfall

First run of 2016

We ran the 5 mile Forest Park run in the Snowball Series yesterday morning.  It was pretty cold when we got started, but the sun was out and it turned out to be really nice.  Sam waited for me, so his time is much slower than would be normally.  I am now #17 out of 48 in the series ranking.  Not bad at all since I am so slow these days!!!!

Paleo Cauliflower au Gratin

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1 Tbs minced garlic
a scant ½ cup of minced shallots (This was 2 large shallots for me)
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup of coconut cream (I like the Savoy brand)
½ cup of organic chicken stock (make sure there is no sugar in the ingredient list)
½ tsp of salt
¼ tsp of pepper
¼ tsp of ground nutmeg
2 tsp coconut flour (I like the Nutiva brand)
4-5 strips of nitrate-free bacon, crumbled
optional-1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese (skip to make strictly Paleo)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the cauliflower head into smaller cauliflower florets.
Fill a big pot of water, put a dash of salt it in, and heat over high heat until the water boils. Put the cauliflower florets into the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and set aside.
Put 2 tsp of olive oil into a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Put the minced shallots and garlic into the pan, mix into the olive oil with a spatula, and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the coconut cream, chicken stock, salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg to the pan.
Whisk the coconut flour into the mixture.
Increase the heat to medium/high heat and let the mixture boil for 5 minutes, while mixing often. Remove from heat and set the saute pan aside.
Cover a plate in paper towels, put 4-5 strips of bacon onto the paper towels, and cover with another paper towel. Cook the bacon in the microwave for 4 minutes. The bacon should be cooked to the point where it crumbles easily.
Crumble the bacon and put into the white sauce. Put the cauliflower into the sauce, mix with a spatula and then pour everything into an 8 X 8 inch pan.
Put the pan into the oven, and cook the cauliflower for 20 minutes.
Then, set the oven to broil.
If you are adding goat cheese, remove the cauliflower from the oven and top with the crumbled goat cheese.
Then broil the cauliflower (with or without goat cheese) for 5 minutes. Make sure to check on it regularly to make sure it doesn't burn.
Allow the cauliflower to cool for a bit, serve, and Enjoy!

Reindeer Run 2015

The second run of the Snowball Series was at Tower Grove Park this morning.  Even though my legs haven't fully recovered from last Sunday, I still did pretty well.

My first 15K-Hot Chocolate 2015

I ran the hot chocolate run yesterday morning.  First time I have run more than 5 miles.  It was much better than I thought it would be, even with the rain....
My goal was to be under 2 hours and ideally under 12 minutes per mile, and I made it, so I was very happy!!!

First of the snowball series runs

Chicken, bacon and avocado salad

Ingredients:

1/4 pound bacon, or 4-5 slices, cut into 1/2 inch bits

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 2 inch pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 avocado – peeled, pitted and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped walnut

1 apple – cut into 1 inch chunks (optional)

Dressing:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon apple cider

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon mustard

pinch salt

pinch black pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil