Absentee Ryzzie?? Nah just busy Ryzzie....

Yah sorry about that...no I haven't been on any epic adventures.  Sometimes life gets in the way!  I've been extra dilligent about riding to work lately, which was totally ruined this week because I've had a stomach ache all week!  Chris and I watched a couple documentaries last night Forks Over Knives (2011) and Killer at Large (2008).

Riding my bike more has been great.  I needed to do some maintenance the other day because it started making a funny noise...this turned into a massive If You Give a Mouse a Cookie situation (one of my favorite books from childhood because it is a cute example of a real life problem of getting distracted while trying to complete a task that I am constantly falling prey to).  I ended up re-truing the wheel because it was wobbly.  Then it was still making the noise so Chris replaced the axel, cones and bearings.  Yet the noise persisted.  Turned out one of the spokes (this one has gone loose before) had gotten loose...even though I just tightened them up.

Meanwhile I was riding Chris's bike to work, which is slightly too big for me.  Boy did that little bit of size make the world of difference, that was a tough ride!  Well after I fixed the noise the wheel got out of true again...so I get to go back to that (plus it's not round anymore either) so I'll make it work!  It's like a giant tangle of yarn, and I can sit for hours and untangle that mess.  Tonight will be a good night, maybe Chris will BBQ for us.

Unfortunately, even though the weather has been absolutely ideal for a good ride, I have been having a tummy ache for the last few days.  I feel a lot better today, must have gotten whatever was bothering me out of my system...so to speak ha ha ha!  Originally I was hoping that Chad would be able to join us for a ride with a bike club in his area (I think he'd enjoy having fellow cyclists to enthuse with and learn from), but I think he's going to be studying this weekend (per his FB post).  We'll ask anyway...it's just the morning right (and Scouting is just one night a week....right?)?

Ultimately I'm hoping to meet up with a cycling group in my area that I can ride with regularly on something a little more trying than my 10 mile round trip commute.  I need a challenge.  I love doing triathlons, I really do, but I think my tendonitis is really going to hold me back from progressing at any reasonable pace towards doing anything other than sprint triathlons with a 5k run portion.  After 5k it starts to act up big time, and that's with Vibrams as my shoes.  If I try regular running shoes I give it a quarter of a mile before I'm in tears with pain.

I'm looking forward to a post from my favorite Yogi in training, Wednesday, and I've also passed out an invite to my former program leader (she's just graduated from work!) who is a Marathoness (Marathoner seems too masculine!) with a passion for getting her feet on the pavement.  Hopefully she'll accept the invite.  She gave me my copy of Born to Run, which I absolutely loved reading, it was completely inspiring, and the reason I'm still running!

Exciting news - Guest writer announcement!

I just wanted to announce that my beloved friend and littlest sister (ok, she's not so little anymore!) is going to be coming on as a guest blogger here on Get Out!  We will have our own Yogi to add her insight, advetures, recipes, tips, tricks, and toils to the mix.  Please give a warm welcome to Wednesday when you see her first post (soon?).

Sunday Dinner: Salad with Seared Ahi Tuna

Yes, I am aware that it is Monday, and not Sunday...Sorry it's late folks!



Tools
Frying Pan
Sharp Knife*
Spatula
Tongs


Ingredients
1 small ahi tuna steak (roughly the size of...a can of tuna!)
1 head red leaf lettuce
5 or 6 grape or cherry tomatoes (or more)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 serving miso or sesame or ginger (to taste!) dressing

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time:  5 min

Recipe

1. Rinse and chop your lettuce into nice bite sized pieces (I like 2" squares)
2. Put lettuce and tomatoes in a salad bowl and set aside
3. Heat olive oil on medium heat until water will sizzle, but not spatter.  Coat the pan thoroughly.
4. Place the tuna in the pan.  Let sear until a golden brown color is achieved (about 2 min).
5. Using a spatula release the tuna from the pan.  Using tongs gently turn the tuna and brown the other side until golden brown (about 2 min).
6. If desired sear remaining sides of tuna.  Do not overcook.
7. Remove Tuna from heat and immediately slice into 1/4" thick medalions.
8. Serve on salad with dressing as desired.

Note:  You can prepare this the night before for your lunch, or in the morning, as the tuna cooks very quickly.  I prefer to toss it in the pan after I'm done fixing my morning egg whites.


*Don't cheap out on me here folks.  Do yourself a favor, go to some place like Sur la Table or if you're feeling bourgeoisie  Williams-Sonoma and get yourself a nice santoku from Wustof or Henckle.  This is a great all purpose knife that will last you a long time if you take good care of it (that means washing it as soon as you are done with it and putting it RIGHT BACK....NO DISHWASHERS EITHER!)  (Thanks for the pro tips Chad!)

Why can't I take a race picture that doesn't look...well...you'll see

well I just completed day uno of P90X...again.  Loki helped me as usual, yay furry kitty man.  He meows at me and it's almost like he's cheering me on.  Or laughing at me.  Or complaining that I'm at his level, but not petting him.

So I finally looked up my race pictures (yes, whenever I'd had enough of the video, and just couldn't move anymore I filtered through the race pictures from a few weekends ago.  Man I look aweful!  Well I suppose I felt dead inside when I was done, so it probably shows, but man do I always have to make a face like that?

Check it out  oh and don't forget this lovely number getting out of the pool.  I won't make excuses for myself, that race is setting the bar, now I have to keep it up.

If I want to do well at these things, I probably should make something more substantial than popcorn and Smarties for dinner, eh?  Well I've promised my fellow Pers (hehheehehehehehehehe) that I'd post some HEALTHY recipies here to share. (see the next post!)

Back on the wagon...of P90X & Triathlons

So a friend of mine has coerced me into doing P90X again.  Actually a couple of them have.  Dane shared the secret to putting up with Tony's annoying nicknames and innane jokes.  What is this secret you say?  I shall tell you:

Memorize the workouts, then put the T.V. on mute.

Sheer simple genius....right?  Yeeeeesssss.  Kayla has asked that a few people join her in doing the exercises, like some kind of support group.  If you have never watched P90X (there are some out there who have been mere bystanders to this torture session, and know exactly what I mean by watched) then I bid you to do so, so you understand that the dedication is not to being able to do it physically, no. 

The dedication comes in when you have to willingly subject yourself to Tony's self centered innanity (is that even a word??? I guess it is now!) for an hour+ a day.  Every day.  It's harder than you might think.

So today, when I get home from work, I'm going to turn on my computer and do it.  I swear!

Speaking of work, I haven't ridden to work in like a week, and even then the week before last I drove a few days because I had to borrow things from coworkers, or it was rainy or windy.  (I know I know...I live in Los Angeles and I'm whining about the wind and rain, I just feel like a cat those days and just want to hide!)  Today has a slight chance of rain, and I'm just too freaking tired to put up with it, after my friend's wedding this weekend.  Tomorrow I shall ride, and either first thing in the AM or when I get home tomorrow I shall again subject myself to the P90Xification.

I also need to get back into my morning run.  I used to get up every day and stumble out of the house for a run in the morning.  Then I got tendonitis in my foot, and couldn't run for almost 2 years.  While that's always going to be there, the Vibrams seem to really help keep the pain at bay.  Riding the bike all over the place has really helped with my asthma too.  I noticed when I finally did the Tinsel Triathlon again this year, that my athsma was never a factor in my slow running like it always used to be, this time it was just that my legs felt like lead.

One thing at a time though.  I'll keep biking, and I'll get my overall fitness up with Tony & Kayla before I start adding the runs in more than once a week with Nick.

Lastly I've been motivated to keep up with my blog once more.  I feel like there are lots and lots of things that I wish I could do regularly, and there just simply aren't enough hours in the day.  I'd like to post a regular recipe up here once per week, and call it Sunday Dinner.  I'll have to invent some other things for me to post regularly about, like...an assignment!

Enough of that, I have a real job to keep up with.

Sunday Dinner - Tacoritzolada Casserole

Is there an e in casserole?  We may never really know the answer to this question.  What you will know is how to make my delicious Taco-Enchilada-Soy Chorizo Casserole (thus the Tacoritzolada).

Tools

• 8"x13" baking dish

Ingredients

• 1 large can green enchilada sauce
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 cans vegan refried beans
• 1/2 to 1 package soy chorizo
• 2 eggs *omit for vegan
• 1/3 c egg white *omit for vegan
• 1 package of Veggie Shreds - Mozzarella flavor (or your favorite veg, or other "Mozzerella" cheese)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 Bell pepper, diced
• Coconut oil

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min

Recipe

1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
2. Pour a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of the dish.
3. Place 6 of the tortillas on the bottom of the dish, covering the bottom of the dish as thoroughly as possible.
4. Spread the refried beans over the tortillas, they should only be about 1/2" thick at most.
5. Spread the soy chorizo over the beans.
6. Beat the eggs and egg whites together.  Pour them over the casserole.
7. (OPTIONAL) If you like your Tacos REALLY cheesy, sprinkle a layer of cheese over the egg.
8. Sauté the onion and bell pepper in the coconut oil until the onion is transparent, and the peppers have softened a little.
9. Layer the onions and bell pepper over the egg (and cheese if you added it here).
10. Place the remaining tortillas over the contents of the casserole, covering as thoroughly as possible.
11. Pour the remaining sauce over the casserole.
12. Sprinkle cheese over the sauce, to taste (I like mine nice and cheesy!).
13. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until the egg is set in the center (it should reach about 140F).
14. Allow to sit for 15 min before serving.

This makes a great hearty meal, and makes even better leftovers!  Enjoy this with a side of brown rice cooked with veggie broth instead of water - just add 1/2 c of your favorite salsa for a great twist, and a tasty salad (yes everything should be preceded by a salad in my opinion!).

I must tell you that I'm sitting in my folks cabin and watching the snow coming down as I write this warm tasty recipe.  If you like to you can replace the soy chorizo with seasoned and browned grass fed bison or beef.  Be careful not to cook the bison to death, as bison is much leaner than beef.  Some sausage from your last hunting trip would do really nicely as well.

Sunday Dinner - Ryzzie's Vegan Bean Soup

Today I'm going to share with you my Vegan Bean Soup recipe, per special request of Stacey!  This soup is hearty and inexpensive to make.  PLEASE COOK SAFELY!



Tools:

• Large bowl
• Large slow cooker*
• Measuring cup

Ingredients

• 2.5 c Dried beans **
• 12 c Water 
• 6 Bouillon cubes***, vegan (fount at Sprout's)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tbsp Sage
• 1 tbsp Turmeric
• 1 tbsp Oregano
• 1 tbsp Basil
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Chili powder (optional)
• 2 Stalks celery, diced (optional)
• 2 Large carrots, peeled and diced (optional)
• 1/2 Onion, medium sweet yellow, diced (optional)
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes (optional)

Prep time: 24 hours
Cook time: 6+ hours  

Recipe

1. Thoroughly inspect your beans.  Pebbles sometimes get into them, and you do not want to take a bite of rock.  Your teeth will tank you.  
2. Place the beans in a bowl and rinse 3-5 times with cold water, or until the water is relatively clear.  Bubbles may form, that is okay, it's just the beans!
3. Fill the bowl with water and set aside to soak overnight (24 hours is best!).
4. Drain the beans, then put them into the slow cooker.
5. Add the water, bouillon and herbs to the slow cooker.
   
   WARNING. Be careful when touching the slow cooker after it has been turned on.  The sides, lid, handles, contents, or cooking implements become VERY HOT and touching them can cause severe burns.
   
6. Set the slow cooker to HIGH heat.
7. (optional) Sautee the celery, carrots, and onion over medium heat until onions are transparent.
8. (optional) Add the celery, carrots, and onion to the slow cooker.
9. (optional) Add the diced tomatoes to the slow cooker, including juices.
10. Cook for 2 hours, then reduce to LOW heat.
11. Cook for 4 hours, or until beans reach desired consistency.
12. Serve while hot!

Stores well in the fridge or freezer.
Pair with a slice of crusty bread and a large salad with tomatoes, radishes and cucumbers for a balanced meal.

Please read the instruction manual (no matter how smart you think you are!  I have a BSEE, and I always read the books that come with my stuff...someone spent a lot of time writing that for you!) for your equipment.  If you do not know where to find the manual, try looking online.  Most user guides and instruction manuals are available electronically.  Understand the operation and safety considerations for your slow cooker.  I do not advise leaving it unattended the first few times you use it (if ever), though I do leave mine on during the day when at work.


* Verify that your slow cooker can accommodate the large volume of this recipe.  I have one of the large oval kind, and it gets about 1/2 full. If you do not have a slow cooker, this recipe can be prepared on the stove in a big stock pot, in a french oven in the stove (this method will take a very long time), or even in a dutch oven over coals (this method will also take a long time).
** Any mix of dried beans will do, I like the ones in the bulk section at sprouts, one has barley, the other is heavy on lentils, any of these will work just fine!
***There were three varieties of vegan bullion cubes for me to choose from, I selected the one with herbs and sea salt, but any flavor will do.