You know what’s awesome? Not feeling like I’m a whale compared to my siblings.
What’s red and blue and orange?
August 16, 2010 By 3 Comments
I’m sure you’ve seen some of the pictures of me with electric blue bangs. That was a clip-on hair piece (obviously fake).
You also know I’m a little crazy.
You probably know that I am determined to help find a cure for Crohn’s and Colitis.
I also have a hard time turning down a good challenge.
If y’all help me reach my goal of raising $2500 by the Team Challenge recommitment date of October 18, I will have permanent streaks of blue and orange dyed in my hair. Think highlights, only blue and orange. I will do this in November, a couple of weeks before the race. That means I’ll have blue and orange hair on Thanksgiving. And, it’ll still be there for Christmas, so you know my mother will be thrilled about that. Let’s also consider that I have red hair. Red hair is going to be hilarious with orange and blue streaks. Think about it.
October 18 is 63 days away. That means I have to raise $36.30 every day between now and then. If 3-4 people donate $10 each day, we’ll get there in no time. The reason why I really want to reach my own fundraising goal by October 18 is so I can spend the rest of the season helping my teammates reach their fundraising goals. As a mentor, I have “mentees,” many who have never done something like this before. I want to make sure each and every one of them gets to Vegas. Last season, I surpassed my goals fundraising-wise and was able to help out some teammates getting closer to their goals.
Can you spare $10, or can you spread the word to all your friends and family? Let’s leave the craps in Vegas!
Click here to donate: http://tinyurl.com/vegas10.
VEGAS, BABY!
August 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Well, I’m at it again. I was asked to be a mentor for the next season of Team Challenge and I gladly agreed! (If you want to join the team, there’s still time. Click here for more info).
I start training in just a few weeks for the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon December 5. This time around, I only have to raise $2500!
If you could, I would appreciate if you visit my fundraising page (http://tinyurl.com/vegas10) and consider making a donation of $26.20 or whatever you are able to contribute. If 100 people donate just $25, we’ll hit my goal in no time!
Stay tuned for some awesome Vegas-themed challenges.
Inspired by my friend Sarah, I am issuing a challenge. Donate here if …
- You’ve been cursed at, honked at, or flipped off while biking or running. – $1
- You lost a toenail because of running. – $2
- You spend more money on training gear/clothes than regular clothes. – $3
- You stopped making fun of fanny packs because your running belt looks very similar (and cooler) to one. - $4
- You run barefoot or with those five fingers thingys because it feels better. – $5
- You’ve ever discovered a hole in your pants during a fitness class. – $6
- You’ve had chaffing near your lady (or man) business – $7
- When someone tells you their pace, you calculate their 5k/half marathon/marathon time. – $8
- You extend the length of your runs so you can have another beer guilt-free. – $9
- You have no problem talking about bodily functions with your training buddies. – $10
- You’ve come in first in any race you’ve ever competed in. – $20 (screw you)
- You’ve seen one of the following during your swim, bike and/or run training:
a.) Asian Carp – $10
b.) mountain lion – $15
c.) bear – $20
d.) dog – $1
3.) frog or turtle – $5
Swimming and being comfortable in your own skin
August 10, 2010 By 2 Comments
You know, it makes me sad to think how much time I missed out on swimming these last four years. I bought a swimsuit 4 weeks ago and have gone swimming every single week since. I love swimming. I always have.
I could have been a lifeguard when I was in HS but didn’t want to sit out in the sun all day (gotta protect my gorgeous porcelain skin). Swimming was always one of my favorite summertime activities.
As I got older (and fatter) it became less and less exciting and more and more anxiety-causing to go swimming because I was so uncomfortable in my own skin.
Three years ago, I weighed 10-15 pounds less than I do now. Then, I wouldn’t be caught dead in the pool. Now I’m very comfortable in my swimsuit. Sure, I’m no SI swimsuit model, but I can wear a suit in public without rushing to wrap myself in a towel.
I guess you finally just say to yourself, “Get over it. If people are judging you because you’re fat and in a suit, they’re the ones with the problem. They can go screw themselves.”
So here it is world, me in a swimming suit.
Coincidentally, all of these photos involve me drinking copious amounts of alcohol. The day before my half marathon. Nice work.
PS. Screw you Sarah for looking so amazing in that itty bitty bikini right next to me.
There’s the margarita again. In the pool this time.
I swear, we didn’t have anything to drink.
Food Porn: Triple Berry Pie
August 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
It’s been awhile since I shared some food porn, but today’s food porn is quite magnificent (if I do say so myself).
Today I made a pie. From scratch. I even made the crust from scratch. I have mad skillz.
Notice the lattice crust? Oh yeah baby. I cannot wait to eat this pie later tonight with my sister (not the whole pie, but a good sized piece of it for sure).
How did I make the pie? Well, I searched the Internets for some recipes — which I sort of followed.
Crust
Oil Pie Crust from Allrecipes.com:
- 2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1/4 cup grapeseed oil)
- 1/2 cup milk
Sift flour into bowl, add salt. Pour milk and oil into one measuring cup – do not stir – and add all at once to flour. Stir until mixed and separate into two flat balls. Refrigerate for 15-20 min. Roll out on lightly floured surface.
Pie
I took much liberty in following this recipe: Bridgid’s Blackberry Pie Recipe from Allrecipes.com:
- 2-3 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1.5-2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 – 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
I put about 2 cups of blackberries, 1/4 cup blueberries and 1 cup strawberries and pureed them using the Magic Bullet. I added the puree to a saucepan with the melted butter. Then I added 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup flour and the salt to the pan. I let the sauce get to a slight boil and turned off the heat. In a separate bowl, I mixed the rest of the berries, sugar and flour. I slowly added the sauce mix to the bowl. Then I poured the mixture into the pie pan and baked for 55-60 minutes at 350F.
I ended up with extra filling, so I made some mini tarts:
I had a bit more of the filling left, so I stuck it in the freezer. You never know when you might need some pie filling. 
Obviously, I don’t like to measure when I cook. I’m more of a stream of consciousness cook/baker. I go with the flow and make modifications along the way. MMMMMmmmmMMMMM Can’t wait to eat it all!
