Half-Marathon Photo Recap

I apologize for the month-long hiatus, I blame the time change (which said excuse only occurred last Sunday), and because I wanted to wait for our pictures to come in.

We finished what we set out to do and finished the half with a time of 2:25!

Here's what mile 10 looked (and felt) like,

then ended with a dramatic sprint to the end.

I just have a two comments:

A. Above ending picture we loved so much it has now replaced our 8x10 wedding photo.

B. If you want to know more about a person, train for anything with them. Nothing helps evoke teamwork like months of training and pain. I thought I loved SmithCale, but now I know without a doubt that he is the most loyal, loving man ever.

I'll just end with two more confessions:

1. I've been listening to Christmas music on Pandora since Nov. 1

2. I'm trying to refrain from putting up our tree.

Food for Life Goals,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Miles for Mission 10K

It's all becoming real now. We are officially registered for our 1/2 marathon in less than 3 WEEKS (gulp.)

As luck would have it (haha, yeah I'm sure it was LUCK), our church hosted a 5k/10k run to raise money for missions and it perfectly coincided with our training schedule!

We couldn't have asked for better weather! SmithCale was amped because he finally got to wear his Adidas Star Wars Rebel jacket he got in Montreal (even if it was for 10 minutes)!

I had a feeling it was going to be a great race because I got the number 45!

Yeah for multiples of 5!

We blew our Alley Run 10K times out of the water.

SmithCale finished in about 55 minutes, winning first place in his age group.

I came in at 1:01!

They gave away homemade salsa as prizes for the winners (a gift after my own heart), which I will politely ignore that SmithCale said it was better than mine. I think it's only because that jar will filled with so much pride.

As a side story, he also received a free peach milkshake from Chick-fil-a (in his right hand in the above pic). Since we sadly don't eat out that much, he wanted to stop and pick it up on the way home because if not we'd probably forget about it and never use it.

The window guy joked about how funny it was someone wanted to milkshake at 10 (my thoughts exactly), but I said that he just dominated 6.2 miles. Without missing a beat window man said, "whipped cream and cherry then!"

That truthfully was the about 2nd milkshake in the course of our marriage and was gone by the time we got home (in about 10 minutes), again I think pride made that one taste better.

Food for Training,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Baby Zoe Shower

Sorry I've taken a ride on the lazy train, but my house is cleaner, my rest is sort of fully rested and projects have been worked on.

Yesterday it was finally time to shower baby Zoe+Monni+Jim with love and presents!

Jim's coworker, Sarah, made this stunner of a diaper cake!

Hostesses caught being candid

Glowing Monni using her Jedi skills with her right hand.

You are very loved already Zoe Elise!

Stayed tuned to read about SmithCale's 10K age-group win!

Food for Sharing the Love,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Szechuan Fried Rice

Chef’s Notes: Knowing that we wanted stir-fry was the easy part. I set up the scene with buying mushrooms (actually two packs of mushrooms. You know when they tell you don’t go to the store hungry cause you’ll buy junk. SmithCale buys almost a pound of mushrooms…) and a bell pepper. Then I took a gamble. Rice on the side? Noodles? Szechuan sauce for sure. What about protein? When in doubt, blob it out (i.e. throw it all in one wok!). SmithCale always sneaks a jalapeno or two into our cart at the store, I think he does it just to challenge me and see where I’ll find a place for them. Because I hate to waste anything!

Plan of Attack:

1. Cook Rice

2. Chop

3. Wok

Ingredients for 2:

½ C jasmine rice

Wok oil

1” fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ C snow peas, cut diagonally

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

1 jalapeno, seeded and julienned

6 oz mixed mushrooms

2 eggs

1/4 C Szechuan sauce

Fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions
2. Heat wok oil in a wok over medium-high heat
3. Add ginger and garlic, sauté 1 minute
4. Add snow peas, bell pepper, jalapeno and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes
5. Add rice, then crack eggs onto mixture and scramble 1-2 minutes
6. Mix in Szechuan sauce
7. Top with cilantro
8. Enjoy!

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Furry Greek Tragedy

Butters had a very traumatic Friday.

She went in to get her teeth cleaned, and heaven help us if we need to do that again.

Fool her once, shame (and guilt) on you.

So, needless to say she got to do whatever she wanted to this weekend. Thankfully that short list included napping and lizard watching.

Here she is showing off her arm buzz-cut.

and just for a little laugh, my fave picture of first time I tortured her when we sprayed for bugs and had to wait outside.

Food for Kitties,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Umami Soup

Have you ever been picking up nasal strips and Medjool dates (current SmithCale OBSESSION) from your favorite health food store and see something that will forever change your dinner?

Yeah, me neither.

Until today.

I was in our local Drug Emporium which is the only place for a hippie to get their organic fix surrounded by flax seeds, granola and dried fruit.

Then I saw it. The biggest, most glorious Kale I'd ever seen. At only $1.99 a bunch (and trust me it was a BUNCH), I knew my evening wouldn't be complete without it.

So I came home and essentially cleared most of our veggie drawer into a soup, which I do have to say turned out pretty delicious.

I named it Umami Soup because try as SmithCale might he couldn't think of a single thing to change. Which is weird, because usually he has an opinion on EVERYTHING.

Me with my head-sized Kale

Umami Soup

1. Reduce

2. Simmer

3. Wilt and Serve

Ingredients for 4:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 C grape tomatoes, halved (or 1 whole tomato, chopped)

1 tsp garlic-chili paste

5 C water

2 tsp chicken bouillon

3-4 oz sausage, sliced

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed

6 oz mixed mushrooms

1 bunch kale, stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat
2. Add tomatoes salt and pepper and reduce for 5 minutes
3. Add garlic-chili paste and cook for 1 minute
4. Add water, chicken bouillon, mushrooms, sausage and butternut squash. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until butternut squash is softened
5. Use a ladle to transfer about 2 cups of mushrooms and butternut squash with broth (try to avoid the sausage) into a blender and pulse until smooth and return to pot.
6. Add kale into the pot to wilt for about 3-4 minutes until vibrant green.
7. Enjoy!

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Sausage Bread Casserole

Chef’s Notes: SmithCale is the definition of a Momma’s boy. So when he spoke with his mom yesterday and she requested more recipes, he promptly took pictures of dinner. In honor of you, Diane, a savory recipe baked in the ramekins you gave me last Christmas!

Plan of Attack:

1. Toast

2. Brown

3. Combine and Bake

Ingredients for 2:

4-5oz (3-4 slices) bread, cubed

Cooking spray

¼ + 1/8 C shredded cheddar cheese

3 green onions, chopped

¼ + 1/8 milk

1/8 C chicken broth (or water)

4 oz sausage links (we used chicken)

1/4 C fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp squeezy parsley)

2 large egg yolks

2 large egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Place bread cubes on a baking tray sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes; set aside to cool
3. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat, add sausage and cook until nicely browned and cooked through; cut into chunks; set aside.
4. While bread is toasting and sausage is cooking, in a large bowl combine ¼ C cheddar, green onions, milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper and egg yolks
5. In another small bowl whisk the egg whites with a beater for 1 minutes until frothy; set aside
6. Once bread has cooled slightly (only about a minute or two), add to the green onion mixture along with the sausage
7. Fold in the egg whites, being careful not to over mix
8. Divide into 2 ramekins sprayed with cooking spray and top with remaining 1/8 C shredded cheese
9. Bake for 20 minutes
10. Enjoy!

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

P.S.- you shouldn't be eating this today because it's Meatless Monday, but I'll forgive you even if you do.

Ode to 9/11

Just up in glory land we'll live eternally.

the saints on every hand are shouting victory

source

their songs of sweetest praise drifts back from Heaven's shore

source

and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

source

Oh Lord, you know, I have no friend like you.

source

If Heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do?

the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Food for Remembrance,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Grilled Veggie Salad (with Couscous)

Chef’s Notes: I would first like to thank the people who send me recipes to try (and manipulate)! This one was sent by way of Holly Wesson, a mother and member of the most beautiful branch of the Hunt Clan. We missed you at the reunion this year!

Plan of Attack:

1. Couscous

2. Grill

3. Combine

Ingredients for 2:

2/3 C couscous

Cooking spray

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into large strips

1 zucchini, cut lengthwise

½ yellow onion, sliced into ¼” rings

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

¼ tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

½ C grape tomatoes, halved

1 C cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

¼ C crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:

1. Cook couscous according to package directions
2. Heat grill pan to medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray
3. Grill the bell pepper, zucchini and onion in batches until all our nicely charred (about 10-15 minutes)
4. Once veggies are grilled dice them into forkable pieces and place in a large bowl along with the cooked couscous, olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, tomatoes, cannellini beans; toss to combine
5. Divide between two plates and top with feta cheese
6. Enjoy!

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

My Kind of Fast Food

Before we even left for Montreal, I had enough foresight to plan out what we'd eat when we got back.

Knowing that we would not want to go to the store on Monday!

Shredded Chicken Sandwich with Potato Salad

1 baggie shredded Crockpot chicken

1/4 C favorite BBQ sauce

1/4 C water

sliced Red onion

Squash Pickles

thawed buns

I Forgot I Wanted Potato Salad

Chef’s Notes: So Labor Day has gotten me all messed up! It’s Tuesday, right? Or aka a Monday dressed up like a Tuesday. I’d like to share what to do with two tiny potatoes sitting in your pantry and you lack the desire to haul yourself to the store. God bless pantry staples!

Plan of Attack:

1. Boil

2. Chill

3. Combine & Chill

Ingredients for 2:

2 small potatoes, cubed

2 Tbsp mayo

1 tsp mustard

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

¼ C red onion, diced

¼ C bread ‘n’ butter pickles, diced

Parsley (fresh or squeezy)

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Place a metal bowl in the freezer
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add potatoes and boil for 8-10 minutes. Once potatoes are soft, drain and place them in the bowl from the freeze and put bowl back into the freezer. (this is to expedite cooling)
3. In a small bowl whisk together, mayo, mustard, vinegar, onion, pickles, parsley, salt and pepper.
4. Once the potatoes have cooled (about 2-3 minutes), gently stir in mayo mixture
5. Enjoy!

Au Revoir Montreal

By Saturday we had enough courage to travel a little farther via the Metro, so we headed north to the Olympic Park and Botanical Gardens.

The 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal. Obviously someone forgot to keep the stadium in repair.

Atop the torch was a little flame, that had fallen over; alas he had lost his spark.

Just 1.5K up the road are the Botanical Gardens

They are separated into sections: China, Japan and First Nations (aka Native Canadians)

Both SmithCale and I agreed that the Chinese gardens were our favorite.

We were drawn in by the colors, characters and charm.

Mark one off for SmithCale's bucket list.

Lotus flower!

These were found in the Japanese section and are known to be popular is most Japanese gardens.

There was also a little bonsai (is there any other kind of bonsai?) section. This tree is 270 years old!

I couldn't get over all the history it had lived through, but SmithCale made an excellent point; Not only had it survived through all those events, but it's far more fascinating to know someone had to continually take care of it!

Quick trip through the child-filled insectarium

*Unpictured trip back to the Atwater Market for artisan bread, cheese and Quebec smoked meat lunch*

*Also an unpictured nap*

Finished up our last meal in Montreal on Crescent Street

AAA Beef with roasted red pepper, grilled zucchini, portobello mushroom and top with baba ghanoush! (<--SmithCale said mine was better, and eggplants are in season. You should make some!)

Au revoir, Montreal! (and sweaters until November)

Food for Travel,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Old Town Montreal

Technically the city of Montreal is OLDER than the country of Canada.

So there is a plethora of history to be seen and experienced.

Our Friday started navigating the Metro System to get to Old Town Montreal by the Canal.

Cartier Square (pronounced Car-t-A)

Onto St. Paul street!

THEN THE BEST STORE IN THE CITY!

I look just like a little kid scurrying inside.

CHRISTMAS!!!!!! (and some Halloween)

Notre Dame Basilica

Hey mom, did you know you're name is famous in Montreal? You were their first nurse and so loved that they put you on stained glass inside the Basilica!

(My mom's name is Jeanne sans Mance)

This picture can't even describe the awe you feel walking into such a place.

It seats 3,000 and every inch was ornate and gorgeous.

Not to mention the Bride's Chapel in the back.

The sculpture behind Mary (our guide) is made of 22 tons of Bronze.

*Nerd Alert* SmithCale took a sculpture class at ACU and made little foot tall statue that was about 10 pounds.

A mold has to be made, then the bronze must be poured.

Holy Moly.

SmithCale was in need of a pre-dinner snooze.

I'd read about Cafe Stash in our guide book and again online, so we knew we had to try it.

It was Polish Food!

I do believe he captured the exact moment of when they were bringing out our borscht.

Borscht! AKA beetroot soup. Surprisingly good!

Food for Travel,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time