Run The Mile You’re In

July 20, 2015July 20, 2015 / ktbuchs87

1 mile down, 6 to go.

Only 45 minutes left. 40…35…30…

The minute I cross the street and go from walking to running, I am counting down. I love running, I really do, but there is a struggle between my mind and my body. Some days my mind is fully prepared to run, it urges my tired and leaden legs forward. Other days my legs are ready to go 100 miles, but my mind wants nothing to do with the pavement beneath my feet.

There are good running days and there are bad running days. The bad running days are brutal and each step, each labored breath, each drop of sweat pleads for me to stop. On those days I am only looking forward to the second that my run is over and I can move onto better things, easier tasks, and just take a shower and wash the bad run juju off my body.

But then I think of a quote from Scott Jurek’s book, Eat And Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness.

Run the mile you are in.

It’s so simple yet so powerful. Run the mile you are in. Be there. Be totally present for THAT mile, right now. Notice the air on your face, the sites around you. Take inventory of your body and see where you are in that moment. Don’t think about the tough hill in that next mile, stop longing for the finish line, and run the mile you are in.

Take this mantra and apply it to all areas of your life. Having a hard time eating better and incorporating more healthy food? Run the mile you are in. Don’t think of all the things you have to give up, focus on what you can do today to make a better choice. In the middle of a tough project at work? Run the mile you are in. Stop thinking about what will happen if you don’t meet the deadline, accomplish one task at a time until you reach the end. Finding your life in a rough patch? Run the mile you are in. While the suffering might hurt, learn as much as you can from this experience so you can grow as a person and help others with similar problems.

My tough run is making me a stronger person. I need to be there for every single mile of that tough run to get the full effect of it’s lessons. I need to be present for all moments of my life instead of wishing and waiting for better things. Often the better things are passing us by in those moments we are wishing were over sooner.

I’m running my 7th mile and it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t run the other 6.

DIY Wednesday: Fruit Chips

July 15, 2015July 15, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Does anyone remember the Seneca brand of apple chips? They came in all these super delicious flavors like granny smith and my absolute favorite, cinnamon. When I was younger my sister and I only got to eat them once in a blue moon. My mom considered them a treat and not an everyday snack. She was smart to do that because those things were loaded with added sugar.

Well, today’s DIY was partly inspired by those chips. I wanted to make a snack that tasted just as good but didn’t have all the added sugar. Fruit is naturally sweet and when you dry it out you concentrate those sugars even more. Fruit chips don’t need to have any added sugar and they can still be a sweet snack.

For those of you who have a dehydrator, fruit chips are simple to make. You just slice the fruit, place it on the trays, and go about your day. Hours later you get tasty fruit chips. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can still get fruit chips with a few simple steps. I tried this with apples, bananas, and peaches. You can use whatever fruit is your favorite. Strawberries, mangoes, and pears would also be really good.

DIY Fruit Chips

1-2 of your favorite fruit (apples, bananas, pears, strawberries)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon, optional

Preheat your oven to its lowest setting, 170-200. Wash your fruit and dry it thoroughly. Slice the fruit VERY thin. The thinner you slice the fruit the crispier your fruit chips will be.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Place the fruit slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Make sure they don’t touch.
Sprinkle the lemon juice and cinnamon over the fruit. Bake the fruit slices in the oven for 2-4 hours, flipping every so often. The baking time will vary based on the temperature of your oven. The chips are done when they’re lightly brown, starting to curl, and no longer soft.
Once the chips are done, let them cool on the sheet until completely cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Put Down The Phone And Step Away: Try Unplugging

July 13, 2015July 13, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Raise your hand if you feel uncomfortable when you can’t check your phone every five minutes? How about if you have to turn it off? If you go a day without checking Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/whatever social media site?

Don’t worry if you raised your hand and kept it up there, you’re in good company. Most of us have a hard time getting away from our TV, phone, or computer screens for longer than a few minutes. I’m just as guilty as the rest of you. As a blogger, I spend an inordinate amount of time writing and researching posts, putting things up on all of my social media accounts and browsing the enormous amount of cat pictures online. Ok, that last one really doesn’t have anything to do with blogging but you get the idea.

As a culture, we are enamored with the instant gratuity that social media provides us. It feels good to post a picture on Instagram and have 20 likes in the first 5 minutes. I love hearing my phone ping with a notification that someone favorited my last tweet. It makes me feel important worthy, like I’m doing my job as a health blogger right.

While that’s somewhat true, if no one liked or read my stuff I would be pretty ineffective, it’s also a little counterintuitive. Being healthy doesn’t mean spending all my time trapped behind a screen and in the online world. We need to get away from the glow of our phones and laptops and televisions and out into the world of people and natural light.

I recently noticed that some of my best work for my blog came when I was actually away from it. Every day I try to take an afternoon walk. It helps break up my day of sitting and gives me a chance to not be working. While out on these walks I don’t have my phone to tell me there is a new notification on Facebook or my laptop refreshing with new emails.

It’s just me and the great outdoors.

It clears my head and I can actually come up with some awesome ideas for the blog. Sometimes I compose whole posts while out on my morning run or solve a problem that I have been struggling with for the past few hours while I’m strolling by the lake.

Technology is great, don’t get me wrong. I love being able to reach a big audience and have my words and thoughts make an impact all while I’m sitting in my pajamas. But don’t forget there is so much more out there than getting more followers or retweets. Try unplugging yourself for just a few minutes each day. Just 20 minutes where you don’t look at any technology.

Go outside

Take a walk

Read a book

Get coffee with a friend

And don’t post one picture of you doing it on Instagram. You’ll be more productive for taking a short media break and the internet and slew of cat memes will be waiting for you when you get back.

There is a whole world waiting for you to find it, all you have to do is put down the phone and look around.

Mexican Shepherd’s Pie & TV Talk

July 10, 2015July 10, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Friday’s have always been for recipes. I like coming up with new and creative ways to make food not only healthy but tasty too. Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring and I have a whole page of recipes to prove it. Friday’s are still going to be for recipes, but they are also going to be for something else.

TV and movies.

Yeah, that one probably came out of the blue. Why would a health blog talk about TV or movies? Because I love them and want to talk about them just like everyone else. Plus it’s something fun to add in with a yummy recipe. Even better. Go make my food and then come back and talk about TV while you’re eating it! Best of both worlds!

I work from home and usually have a show on in the background to pretend like I’m not alone with my cats for the majority of the day. Don’t worry it isn’t as sad as it sounds. I tend to be a solitary person and my cats are awesome. Netflix is amazing because I’ve been able to watch shows that I’ve always wanted to watch but never had the time. And no commercials. It’s a dream.

I’ve just started Orange Is The New Black. I know I’m behind but I had other important things to watch, like every single episode of Doctor Who. Twice. Don’t as questions. I don’t know how I feel about the show yet. I know everyone is crazy about it and I’m only 4 episodes in so I don’t have a strong opinion yet. I always give a show a whole season to find their groove before I pass my judgment. Even though I don’t have an opinion yet, I can already tell I’m gonna like Sophia. Girl is fierce. And Dayonara Diaz. Something about her I like.

Have you watched OITNB yet? Do you have other show recommendations for me? Are you only here for the food?

This meal is another one of my Sunday throw all the leftovers in a dish and hope something good comes out at the end dinners. If you have leftover taco fixin’s then you are all set to make this Mexican Shepherd’s Pie. If not you can still easily throw this together and have dinner on the table fast.

Mexican Shepherd’s Pie

2 cups cooked black beans, about 1 can’s worth
1 cup cooked brown rice
3 corn tortillas, torn into bite-size pieces
1 red pepper, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup mashed potatoes (you can also use pumpkin or butternut squash puree)
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tsp taco seasoning
2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425. In a skillet, saute the sliced peppers and onions over medium-high heat until they are slightly softened. About 7 minutes.
While the onions and peppers are cooking, mix the beans, rice, tortillas, and 2 tablespoons of cilantro in a medium bowl. Add the taco seasoning and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the peppers and onions and stir.
In a separate bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, tomato paste, the rest of cilantro, and chili powder together. Taste and add salt as needed.
Pour the bean and vegetable mix into a deep pie dish or casserole dish. Spread out evenly. Spread the mashed potato mix on top and make sure all the bean mix is covered.
Cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Like I said, if you have taco fixings you can just use those and add whatever else you would like. Use ground beef or turkey, shredded pork or chicken, or add shredded cheese if you want. This can be totally customized to your tastes.

Have a happy Friday and an awesome weekend!!

DIY Wednesday: Caramelized Onions

July 8, 2015July 8, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Fun fact time: I have never had caramelized onions. I know what they are, I know people love them, and I’ve listened to many a chef on Food Network talk lovingly about making them just right. Despite all that, I have never eaten them or attempted to make them. I don’t have anything against onions, I use them all the time. I always have some in my kitchen and will throw them into any meal.

The biggest thing stopping me from making my own caramelized onions? Time.

If you have ever made caramelized onions, you know that it takes quite a bit of time. You have to cook them for a long time, at least an hour, over a very low heat. That’s how you get the onions to release their sugar and caramelize. I don’t know about you, but on most days I don’t have over an hour to slowly cook onions no matter how delicious the outcome. Plus, now that it’s summer the idea of standing over a hot stove for an extended period of time doesn’t sound too appealing. Have no fear though, I have the solution to our problem.

The slow cooker.

I always forget about the slow cooker during the summer because I always equate it with soups and chili’s and their ain’t nobody who wants to eat soup when it’s 90 degrees out. But the slow cooker does so much more than cold weather favorites and today it’s going to do all the work for you when it comes to caramelized onions. While this method actually takes much longer than the traditional way, you don’t have to do anything but turn the slow cooker on. Nothing could be simpler than that!

Caramelized Onions

3-4 large yellow onions, I used 3 very big onions each a little over a pound
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Peel the onions and cut each onion in half, longways (cut from the top down to the root) then cut the onions into half moons. Place all of the onions into your slow cooker. You want to leave just a little room at the top.
I actually switched to my bigger slow cooker because I had so many onions!
Drizzle 2 tbsp of the oil over the onions and toss to coat. If you need more add in the last tbsp of oil. Sprinkle the salt over the top and stir to combine.
Cover the slow cooker and cook the onions on LOW for at least 10 hours. If you can stir the onions occasionally, but this isn’t a necessary step.
At the end of 10 hours, turn off the slow cooker and let the onions cool. Drain off any liquid and store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze the onions in ice cube trays to be used later.
Just freeze and then pop them out whenever you need them!