Three Years Ago Today (Remembering Dad)

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Coco

Three years ago today, my son got his driver’s license.

Jeep

Three years ago today, I went to The Healthy Back Store to order a fancy desk chair.   

Aeron Chair

Three years ago today, I got a phone call while I was confirming my order. Continue reading →

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Observing Lent — Reading Scripture

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Coco

Today marks the second Sunday in Lent, and the end of my first full week of observing Lent. So far I’ve done well with reading Scripture–or at least listening to the Daily Prayer Podcasts–and trying to take the words to heart.

Weekly Scripture Readings

The Old Testament readings have been pieces of the story of Joseph, which you may know as Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors or Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (the musical). It’s really such a good story that touches on so many human failings (favoritism, jealously, pride) and redeeming qualities (honesty, love, forgiveness).

The New Testament readings have been from Paul’s First Letter To The Corinthians. While I struggle with many of Paul’s writings, I appreciate many others. But, none of this weeks readings from I Corinthians really spoke to me.

On the other hand, I found lots of good nuggets in the Psalms and prayers.

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Have you seen Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat?

Are you going to see the “Noah” movie?

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Mediterranean Goat Cheese And Kale Pizza

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Coco

I have such a hard time coming up with menu ideas. A few Saturdays ago I had already done my weekly grocery shopping, but still was feeling uninspired about what to cook for Sunday dinner. When I came across Marie’s recipe for kale and goat cheese pizza, it sounded so good I braved Trader Joe’s on Sunday morning to get the ingredients.

Mediterranean Goat Cheese And Kale Pizza

I can’t make any recipe without making it my own, and that is especially true for pizza. I used a whole wheat crust and Trader Joe’s bottled pizza sauce, omitted the fresh sliced tomatoes that Marie used, and added kalamata olives and a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce
Kalamata Olives
Crumbled Goat Cheese
Massaged Kale
Unbaked Pizza With Mozarella

Because I knew I wouldn’t be putting all the kale on the pizza, I massaged the kale. Have you heard about this? When you are going to use kale in a salad, massaging the leaves with a bit of oil makes it much more tender. I washed and dried the kale and then sprayed it with Olive Oil Pam® and massaged the kale leaves until they looked softer and shiny. It really did make a difference!

To make the pizza, I basically followed the directions on the pizza dough package, but watched the baking time carefully with Marie’s warning in mind. I thought it was delicious and my husband even ate all the kale from one of his slices. 😉

Have you ever massaged your kale?

What is your favorite pizza topping?

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Sightseeing In Marburg Germany

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Coco

One of my goals for February was to run on my business trip to Europe. I made sure that I could check that one off by going for a run to do some sightseeing in Marburg on the morning I arrived. It was a great way to try to adjust to the time difference (a 7 hour flight doesn’t leave much time for sleep!) and explore the city.

On the way to my hotel, I had notice a running path that ran along the Lahn river, so I headed out that way.

Sightseeing In Marburg

When I first saw the castle off in the distance, I had no idea that I’d run/walk all the way up there several times!  Continue reading →

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Milestone Pod Review

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Coco

FTC Notice: The people at Milestone Pod provided the products for this Milestone Pod review and giveaway. All opinions are my own. 

I first heard about Milestone Pod early last year, when they were raising money through indiegogo to bring the product to market. It sounded like such a great idea, I made a contribution and crossed my fingers that they would reach their goal.

Milestone Pod Review

I know that running shoes should be replaced about every 300 miles, but I am horrible about keeping track of the mileage I put on my shoes. I can’t even remember when I bought my current pair of shoes, and usually have to resort to my Facebook or Instagram history, searching for an excited “New Shoes!” post.  With that information in hand, I try to estimate how much I’ve been running and caluclate a rough estimate of my shoe mileage. That all falls apart if I’ve been wearing more than one pair of shoes, which I have been doing lately, keeping my trusty Mizunos for my longer runs and having fun with lighter shoes (like the new Reebok ZQuick shoes) on shorter runs or treadmill workouts. Continue reading →

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