Wow! What a busy 2 weeks it’s been! I traveled from my home base in North Dakota back to Ohio to see some friends, do some work, and run some sweet trails! And Mother Nature could not have been more accommodating; the trip started off with some chilly temps which still made for lovely running (Hey! I was back on the trails with friends…I didn’t care what the temps were, to be honest.)
and then BOOM! Can you say 70 degrees?! In December. In OHIO?! Hello shorts and t-shirts!
Needless to say, I had an amazing time!!
Annnnnndddd…now I am back to reality in North Dakota. Case in point? My run this morning:
And while it was chilly, it was so pretty in its icy desolation. Don’t get me wrong…I miss my trails and my running buddies, but this is pretty, too. And I am taking advantage as I know sooner rather than later the weather will drive me to using the treadmill more often than not.
Now on to some really exciting news!!
I found out last week that I was selected as an ambassador for Orange Mud! Never heard of them (for shame!)? Well, Orange Mud is the maker of kickass, amazing, durable, functional and comfortable hydration vests (among other things!) and their Vest Pack 1 is the ONLY vest I will run in (ok, kind of a lie…I’ll also run in their VP2. 😉 ) If you’ve followed me on Instagram you’ll notice a theme; I almost am always sporting one of my OM vests (see picture above, for example!) Their vests are that good. And as a running gear geek, I have tried them ALL. Once you’ve been mudded, there is no going back! Take a look:
They back their products with a 100% guarantee, so it’s a risk free try. If you follow my link HERE you can check out all their cool gear – hydration vests, gear bags, transition towels (AMAZING!) hats…you name it! Order through tonight (12/16) for 20% OFF hydration vests!!
And finally…I whipped up an amazing dish for dinner this evening (it smelled so good I had to try some early!)
Curry, Lime and Cilantro Infused Quinoa (adapted from All Recipes)
(I made a double batch to last a few days, so if you’re only looking for a meal, go ahead and half this. But trust me…you’ll want leftovers!)
You’ll need:
2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
4 cups water (I add veggie bouillon to give it more flavor)
1 TB olive oil
1 ea red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, carrot, small red onion – diced
1/2c fresh cilantro (if fresh cannot be found, dried or tube can be used – adjust accordingly)
1TB curry powder
4 oz ea dried cranberries and cherries (can use all of one or the other)
1/2c sliced almonds
Juice of one lime (can add up to 2 limes if you love that bright note limes give a dish!)
1c chopped spinach
salt and pepper to taste
Optional – 6 oz feta cheese, 8 oz light red kidney beans
To make:
Place water/broth in a sauce pan, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add quinoa and reduce heat to low, simmer for 15-20 min, or until liquid is absorbed. Place in mixing bowl and add olive oil, curry powder, salt and pepper – mix well. Chill.
After mixture above has chilled, add remaining ingredients and toss well to mix. Serve chilled with pita wedges, on top of a green salad, or as a side dish. Delish!
