Some Good & Bad News

Hey everyone! I have some good and not so good news to share with you!

Let’s start with the good. I have been wanting to start a food/travel blog for a few years. I finally bought my own domain name: thymeandlove.com. It is still a work in progress, but I am really excited to share it with you! This is my passion in life and I am looking forward to pursing it! I will mostly be posting here from now on!

Some bad news is about my running. I haven’t been running a lot for one big reason: my hip hurts really bad. It has hurt since June, but the pain comes and goes. I was born with hip dysplasia and was treated with triple diapers. {Apparently I was really cranky with all those diapers!} I haven’t had any pain since I was a baby until last year when I really starting upping my running milage. I finally went to go see an orthopedic yesterday and he basically told me that I shouldn’t be running if it is painful, which right now it is. I also have raw cartilage on my knee and will never get any cartilage back. {Scary!} I do have a shallow hip socket, which is the dysplasia. I can do an MRI and see if I have a fracture. I just don’t like the idea of a needle going into my hip bone. So I am not sure if I will get that done just yet.

He said that I can’t do any weight baring activities like squats, lunges, etc. The best thing for me to do is pool jogging and the elliptical. I need to build my strength back up and then start running and see how I feel. I also should only ride my bike in moderation. I guess that I will have to join a gym! I just need to focus on being healthy right now and not worrying about complete any races.

What does this all mean? I am going to build my strength back up and them try running a low amount of miles later on this year. I am taking action now because I don’t want to really injury my hips later on in life and have to get a hip replacement. I am suppose to be running the Disney Marathon Sunday. Well, I know that I can’t finish it. Being a marathon runner just isn’t meant to be, at least for the time being. I might start that race, but I don’t know yet. I really wanted to do this race, but it just isn’t meant to be. I am trying not to think too much about it right now. {Tears were shed last night.}

This is really frustrating, but I am trying to be grateful for what I do have and that I can walk and overall my legs are not in that bad of shape.

I will still post here and update you on anything running/exercise related. I will mostly be posting over at thymeandlove.com.

For those that live in Chicago, do have any inexpensive gym recommendations? Have you had an MRI before & how was it?

 

Friday Things

I can’t believe that it is already Friday! I hope that everyone is having a great week! I have had a pretty normal week, but a couple of exciting things to report!

This week was my last week of classes for the semester! I am glad to be done and next semester I only have one class, my thesis! I can’t wait to graduate in May. It has been a long time coming!

I made two cakes for Hector’s advanced typography class this Wednesday. I love to bake for others & this was a fun project to do! His group had designed a logo for this idea of growth & decay. They came up with a bunch of different projects that related to growth & decay. It was very artistic! I baked the cakes & made the frosting, but he did the cut-outs and frosting. Everyone in the class said that it was great & asked if I was a pro. I will take that compliment for sure! 😉

Last night for dinner I made roasted acorn squash & black bean enchiladas. I also made homemade green tomatillo sauce to go on top! I used my favorite tortillas, El Milagro. I have been able to find them at my Whole Foods on some days and always at the local Mexican grocery store & also they are at my Target. After having fresh tortillas from the local tortilleria in Mexico, these are the next best things! They turned out really yummy!

The Disney World Marathon program is now available! This marathon is getting really close & I am both scared due to my lack of being properly trained, but I am also getting super excited just to have fun!! Plus, we are spending a week in the parks! I love Disney World. Plus, I get to spend time with my parents.

Speaking of my parents, they are coming this Sunday!! They are staying downtown & I might be staying with them. I’m not quite sure yet. I expect that we will be doing some very touristy things. I will be heading back to Michigan with them next Wednesday. I will miss Chicago because I won’t be back until after Disney.

Have a great weekend everybody! 🙂

Vegan Gingerbread House Party

After decorating cookies Saturday afternoon, I headed back to the apartment to pick up Hector who just got home from school. We headed to Megan’s for our December Post Punk Kitchen {ppk} potluck. This month we decided to make vegan gingerbread houses. The kit that you can buy isn’t vegan but Megan made the cookies for the houses and figured out how to hold the pieces together!

Before we got too much sugar into our system, we had a lentil cauliflower soup that Megan made. It was really delicious. A perfect way to start the evening.

We all brought cookies to share with each other. All of them were really yummy!

Megan warned us that once the sugar was heated, we had to act fast and start building. Nissa & Hector tried really hard to figure out their game plan! {Hector & I shared a house, which was pretty comical}

While we waited to start, we enjoyed some So Delicious Nog.

Once Hector, Megan & Nissa began making the houses, I could not stop laughing. I will blame that from the sugar, but it was so much fun to witness the making of these houses.

We had to get some string reinforcement to hold the houses together. It worked!

Nissa’s dog, Oliver, wanted some sugar! He is too cute!

We finally finished building the houses and decorated them. They turned out really unique!

Our house may have some flaws, like a hole in the roof, but we just incorporated that into the house as a skylight. The additional awning really adds a nice touch to the house.

Megan’s house was amazing. The best part would have to be the boarded up windows!

Nissa’s house lives in a different neighborhood. It is well taken care of and color coordinated. Just look at that roof!

I really had so much fun Saturday! I am really for more holiday related things! 🙂

Have your every built a gingerbread house before?

Christmas Cookie Decorating Party

This past Saturday was filled with lots of holiday activities. In the morning I finished baking cookies to bring to the Chicago Healthy Living Blogger’s Christmas Cookie Decorating Party. I haven’t decorated cookies in a very long time & I was really looking forward to it!

Bethany graciously hosted the cookie decorating at her apartment. She had a table set up with lots of cookies and decorating supplies. It was very festive!

I made two gluten-free vegan cookies from Manifest Vegan. The Russian Tea Cakes turned out yummy. I also made the candy cane cookies but didn’t shape them into candy canes. I was just happy that they held together without falling apart. I thought that gluten-free baking was going to be intimidating, but it wasn’t so bad!

It was so much decorating cookies! This definitely jump started my holiday spirit!

After decorating cookies, I went to a gingerbread house making party. That was a lot  of fun & tomorrow’s post will showcase my wonderful house making skills! 😉

Do you decorate cookies for the holidays? What is your favorite Christmas {holiday} cookie?

Christmas Cookbook Wish List

I already own many cookbooks, but I am always on the hunt for more! There are cookbooks that I haven’t even cooked from, but I am always wanting to add to my collection! It might be an addiction, but I am ok with it. I find recipes online, but sometimes they don’t turn out. I have much better luck with recipes in cookbooks!

Since I am newly gluten free, I have a whole new cookbook genre to explore! I have complied a list of gluten-free cookbooks that I would like to own. Maybe my list will help you find a cookbook for someone who is gluten-free and vegan!

Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats: Cut Out the Gluten and Enjoy an Even Healthier Vegan Diet with Recipes for Fabulous, Allergy-Free Fare By Allyson Kramer

{Via Amazon}

Allyson Kramer is the author behind the popular blog Manifest Vegan. I have been reading her blog for awhile and have really been intrigued by her gluten-free recipes. This cookbook looks like it would be great for beginners. I really love that the nutritional information is included. This book is at the top of my list!

Review from VegNews Magazine:

“Top-notch photography, interesting-yet-not-overwhelming recipes, and an affable, approachable style are the hallmarks of Manifest Vegan, and each of these qualities shines through in the 200-plus page Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats.”

Gluten-Free and Vegan Holidays: Celebrating the Year with Simple, Satisfying Recipes and Menus by Jennifer Katzinger 

My eye caught this book because it is geared towards the holidays. Finding vegan and gluten free recipes that can be enjoyed during the holidays can be difficult and having recipes in one book is a great resource to have all in one place! I am especially interested in the holiday cookies, cakes, and bread section! I have been struggling to find really good gluten free christmas cookie recipes!

Review from VegNews:

“Katzinger’s expertise sets this book apart. As founder of the Flying Apron Bakery in Seattle and author of Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking Book, Katzinger bucks the stereotype of gluten-free baking as boring and tasteless.  Her recipes…would be welcome on anyone’s holiday table, whether the host is vegan, gluten-free, or just hungry. Katzinger also includes tips on where to source specialty ingredients (just in case your local supermarket doesn’t regularly stock teff), and organizes her recipes into complementary menus for each holiday that make planning out your meal a breeze.”

The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook by Cybele Pascal

 I like the idea that this book focuses on baking for those with all the common allergies  It can be hard to find a baking recipe that doesn’t call for wheat, eggs, soy, etc. 100 recipes are included!

—Review from Cookbook Digest “Somehow, without using wheat flour, dairy, soy, eggs, or nuts, Pascal finds that baking ‘possibilities are endless’ and with recipes for Chocolate Chunk Brownie Bars, Classic Yellow Cake, or Brandied Peach Tart, she is very convincing.” “the kind of advice that can make you an intuitive, allergen-free baker.”

The Gluten-Free Vegan: 150 Delicious Gluten-Free, Animal-Free Recipes by Susan O’Brien

The beginning of this book has an introduction to eating vegan and gluten free. I love when cookbooks provide information, especially if you are new to vegan/gluten free cooking. It is really helpful. It also looks like most of the recipes call for real, whole foods, which is very important for me!

Gluten-Free and Vegan Bread: Artisanal Recipes to Make at Home byJennifer Katziner

I will be honest. I am intimidated by gluten free baking, especially with bread recipes. Maybe this book would help with my fear of gluten free bread making? This book looks wonderful and would be a great addition to a cookbook collection!

These 5 gluten-free & vegan cookbooks are definitely on my Christmas wish list this year! If I do get any of these books, I will do a more in-depth review!

Do you own any of these cookbooks? Do you have any cookbooks on your list this year?

Monday Happenings & Eats

Happy Monday everyone! I hope that your week is off to a great start! I can’t believe the weather. It is really warm here in Chicago & I am wondering if this winter is going to be mild.

For breakfast I tried a new frozen waffle: Nature Path’s Buckwheat Wildberry Waffle. I really loved that these were gluten free! I normally make my own waffles, but I wanted to have something that was easy & didn’t take a lot of time to make. I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast almost everyday for the past 5 years. I am really sick of it & looking for new options!

This morning Chicago was extremely foggy. I haven’t rode my bike to school in a few weeks & it felt really nice to get out there again! I really love riding the bike, except in the wind. For some reason I really struggle when I am riding against the wind.

For lunch, I had an African sweet potato & peanut stew from The Vegan Table. It was yummy! I love the combination of sweet potatoes and peanut butter. {Sorry for the crummy photo! It just didn’t turn out with my phone!}

For dinner, I made my own version of Mexican rice using brown instead of white. It was really yummy! I have made a chili rub tofu before & it has been really good. While I was making it today I ran out of mild chili pepper and had to add some really hot pepper! The tofu was so spicy, but the avocado helped cool it down!

I really want to start posting here on the blog a lot more! I also want to show my eats on a more regular basis. I am now off to read some articles for my thesis project.

Have a great night! 🙂

Healthy Eating {Gluten Free}

This past few months I haven’t been eating as healthy as I should be. This needs to change asap. One thing that I have been noticing and paying close attention to the past few months is my gluten intake and how it makes my body feel. I have discovered that I tend to have these side effects when I consume gluten: my head hurts, joint pain, stomach issues, tingling and numbness in my hands & bloating. These symptoms only arise right after I consume gluten. I don’t really want to be tested to see if I have a gluten intolerance. Plus I don’t have a doctor here in Chicago and I am not sure where to go. I know that “gluten free” has become a popular diet and I think this is why I haven’t tried to go eliminate it from my diet.

My stomach issues have become more of an issues & I have decided that now is the time to try and eliminate it from my diet. I have done some preplanning & hopefully shouldn’t have any problems finding gluten free foods in my kitchen!

One thing that I am worried about is the fact that December is filled with lots of holiday get togethers. Also, my family isn’t too accommodating with my vegan eating. I will be bringing my own dishes to pass! Another thing that is a concern is gluten free vegan baking. This will be something that I need to try. I have found quite a few recipes, so I will have to try them out! Plus, it isn’t like I need to have baked goods all the time.

The rest of December I plan on testing out a gluten free diet and see how I feel. I also would like to cut back on my sugar intake. I want to feel lighter & my best by the time I run the Disney World marathon in January. I definitely want to keep a detailed account & plan on blogging a lot more about my eats. This is something that I have been wanting to do for awhile anyways.

I am really nervous about posting anything about eliminating gluten from my diet, but I really want to share this with everyone. It has been a couple of days without gluten and I feel really good! A lot of the symptoms that I have been having lately are gone. Hopefully this keeps up!

**Disclaimer: I am not advocating that going gluten free is best for everyone. I just feel it is best for me to try it right now. These are just my opinions that I write here on the blog. 

Detroit Turkey Trot 5k Recap

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I had a pretty low key one but my highlight was running a turkey trot.

I have been looking forward to the Detroit Turkey Trot for months. I had so much fun last year & figured this year would be the same. One of my favorite things about this race is that it really is a fun run. You see lots of families running together and I love that. This year there was a lot of chaos.

I left my house at 4:30 and was meeting Hector at his house who was driving. I wanted to make sure that we had enough time to park and get our bibs & shirts without having to rush. We parked by Joe Louis around 6 AM. We beat the traffic! We walked to Cobo Hall got our stuff without any problems.

After getting settled I tried to find a bathroom. The line for one was too long, but I was able to walk to the other side and there was no line! We headed over to the start line and then all chaos started. Our wave was suppose to start at 7:45 and the other side had another wave that was suppose to start at 8:00.

We started off good, but when the two waves meet we all came to a stop. There was a gridlock of runners. You couldn’t move. After we got moving again there was another traffic jam at the turn around point. There was a lot of dogging runners and walkers throughout the whole race.

I had planned on running the 10k, but Hector was just doing the 5k and I really wanted to run and finish with him. I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to pr the 10k, so I changed to the 5k just to finish with him! It was about having fun.

After mile 2 Hector and I really pushed it! We thought that we might be able to get a decent time. This was until we reached the finish line where there was a block of people. We were not able to run across the finish line. Instead we had to wait and slowly crossed the finish line.

After crossing the finish we couldn’t move. They were handing out the medals but I think this was the cause of the backup at the finish. I was just happy to get a medal because they ran out!

I didn’t wear my garmin and I should have so I have a more accurate account especially since I had to stop and wait before crossing that finish line. My official time was 34:51. I haven’t ran a 5k in almost 3 years and really would’ve like to have a more accurate time, but I do plan on running a 5k on New Year’s Day.

With a record of 23,000 runners the Detroit Turkey Trot became the largest in the country. I think next year having a better corral system and breaking up the runners by paces will help eliminate the congestion issues. I also think that it is important to remember that for a lot of people this race is purely for fun and not setting PRs. Overall it was a fun race and I would run it again, but from reading the comments on their facebook page, I don’t think some people will be back.

Did you run a Thanksgiving Day race?

Looking Forward…

Tonight Hector and I are heading to Michigan for Thanksgiving. I am excited to go back home since I haven’t been back since August. Truthfully I am really excited to see my two pugs Charlie & Tucker. Tucker is literally me in a dog form. Yes, I know that sounds weird but we are two alike.

Tomorrow I will be spending the day running errands. My parents & I might even make a stop to see Santa and have our photo taken. That should be fun. My family isn’t getting together for Thanksgiving. This is a first. So I am not quite sure what dinner will be. I just hope I can eat something. My parents aren’t vegan and don’t really know how to adapt the side dishes to be. I do know that I will not be cooking much. Next year I really want to do a big Thanksgiving spread where ever I will be living. We are going to my favorite restaurant: Inn Season Cafe in Royal Oak on Friday. I am really looking forward to that!!

But I am super excited for the Detroit Turkey Trot!! Last year was my first time running it and I loved it! My plan is to run easy and enjoy it!! I did finally convince Hector to register last Saturday. He is doing it for the medal.

I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving and spending time back at home. It should be really nice! 🙂

Turkey-Less Roast {Holiday Eats}

Earlier this week while I was at Trader Joes, I spotted a vegan turkey roast. It was located in the refrigerated section by the real turkeys and veggies. It was $9.99 and I normally wouldn’t spend that much on one item, but I really wanted to try it. They always get me with new vegan products. I just want to try every vegan product that I see!!

I knew that I wanted to try this roast well before Thanksgiving. Since Thanksgiving is only two weeks away, it is time to figure out what to make! So, last night I tried it for dinner. On the side of the box there is directions for a holiday roast. Basically you cut up some veggies coat with olive oil and salt & pepper. Place the roast on top and bake in the oven. Simple. Anyone can make this.

One hour later the roast was done. It came with gravy and you just heat the up on the stove.

Overall, I thought that the roast was pretty good. It was simple and easy to make. I normally do not eat processed “meats” like this, but every once in awhile it is a nice treat. It kind of tasted like Gardein, but not sure if it is. I would definitely recommend this, especially if you like to eat Gardein, Tofurky, etc. I eat them only a couple times a year, so this really was a treat. Hector said that he could eat it everyday. I am not sure if I will be having this for my Thanksgiving dinner, but it is a good backup option for me.

It would be great if you had vegetarian/vegan guests coming to your Thanksgiving and have no idea what to make. Just put it in the oven and your done! Your vegan guests would greatly appreciate the effort!

Have you tried a vegetarian roast before? Do you have a favorite roast?