Thank you DuClaw Brewing for sponsoring this post and sending me the DuClaw Sour Me This. All opinions and recipe are my own. Welcome to the July edition of “Cooking with Beer”! Each month DuClaw Brewing sends me a beer and a friend and I create a recipe. It's a fun time to think outside the box and try a new beer and new food. This month's beer is the DuClaw Sour Me This, a sour beer that starts sweet and ends with a pucker. I'm not going to get into the process of how sour beers are made, but if you are interested, check out DuClaw's video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI3xXdt7wJI Beer Geek is a huge fan of sour beers. I like them, but I don't generally go out of my way to drink them. The DuClaw Sour Me This was not … [Read more...]
DuClaw German Pilsner Barley Salad
Thank you DuClaw Brewing for sponsoring this post and sending me the DuClaw German Pilsner. All opinions and recipe are my own. Welcome to the May edition of “Cooking with Beer”! Each month DuClaw Brewing sends me a beer and a friend and I create a recipe. It's a fun time to think outside the box and try a new beer and new food. This month's beer is the DuClaw German Pilsner that is part of their Foundation Series. This is a traditional German pilsner, so it tastes, well, like a traditional German pilsner. This is not one of DuClaw's push the limits beers, but rather a tasty, true to style, beer. When I first saw this beer, the first thing that came to mind (of course) was beer and brats. This would be the perfect beer to soak … [Read more...]
TOTR: Staying hydrated on the run
Hydrating on the run is an extremely important part of running, especially when it's warm out, but lots of runners choose to drink very little while running. That's why Patty, April and I chose hydration as our Tuesdays on the Run topic. I've learned the hard way that I need liquid on any run over 3-4 miles in the summer, so I carry a water bottle on pretty much every run as soon as it warms up around here. This summer, with all of my longer runs, and the 6 days a week of running, I've learned a lot about what works for me. Maybe some of what I do will help you feel better on the run. Hydrate before, during, and after. I don't mean you need to be chugging down water or other liquids. I just mean be aware of whether or not your are … [Read more...]
Be ready for anything summer throws at you
Summer is a lazy time for us. Or more specifically, for my kids. They don't wake up early. Pajamas make up a large percentage of their wardrobe choices. Not every week includes a camp. Etc. (We aren't going to talk about the fact that I'm up and out the door running early every morning when I'd rather be sleeping in too...) But even though we are taking it easier this summer than many summers, that doesn't mean we aren't out there doing things. We've hit the zoo, we are going white water rafting soon, we are hitting various state and county fairs, we go to the pool, Shoo has soccer practice twice a week... We are just less tied to a schedule than we usually are. So, here are my tips for those days when you actually … [Read more...]
Keep your kids healthy and safe this summer #ReadySetCamp
Disclaimer: I received promotional consideration from Minute Clinic to discuss keeping kids healthy at camp, but all opinions are my own. School's out for the summer!!! Finally. Finally we made it through the last few days of school. (OK, we aren't completely there, but Jones is done and Shoo has a short day today.) Now it's time to focus on summer fun. Pools. Hiking. Visits to museums, zoos, and amusement parks. Camps. Sunburns. Poison Ivy. Bug bites. Yeah, I know those last three things aren't fun, but they often go hand in hand with summer fun, especially summer fun outdoors and at camp. So here are five tips for keeping your kids healthy and safe this summer. Get your camper (or you!) a camp physical. … [Read more...]
Running sucks
Ok, maybe running doesn't suck. Running in Virginia in the summer sucks. Yeah, that's more accurate. After a June of lots of rain and lower than average temps, suddenly summer has arrived in Virginia. Highs in the high 80s, low 90s. Humidity at 80-90%. Dew Points higher than 70*. It's like running in soup. I don't run well in soup. I have difficulty breathing. I can't cool down. My heart rate sky rockets. (And, yes, all of this is normal, according to Runners World). So, how am I surviving it? (My usual answer would be the treadmill, but mine needs repair. Boo.) Running slower - I've been leaving Garmin at home so I don't feel bad about how slow I am. Running shorter - 30-45 minutes is max these days Taking … [Read more...]
Three Things Thursday
I'm sure someday soon I'll actually have a coherent post. Today is not that day. Between end of school activities, trying to wrap up all my client work to go off the grid for a week (Ack!), and my usual day to day stuff, I can't seem to keep a single thought in my head for more than a few minutes. I've been relying heavily on jotting notes, which would work great if I then didn't immediately throw the notes away in a cleaning frenzy. 1. I took the boys to the pool for the first time yesterday. Some random observations: Other women are obviously more comfortable with their bodies than I am. Nearly every woman there had on a bikini, regardless of age or size. Athleta Gotta Have it Run Shorts really work well as a swim suit … [Read more...]
Isn’t that the way?
The heat here lately has been sucking all of my motivation to run long or run fast. I've been all about the short runs at a 10+ minute pace. Knowing today was going to be 78 degrees at 6:30 am and 80 degrees at 8:00 am, I wasn't particularly motivated to get up and out early. It was going to suck either way. Knowing I only needed 6 miles to hit my 20 for the week and knowing that I had two days to get the miles in didn't particularly motivate me either. I finally headed out at around 8:15, knowing I needed to be back by a few minutes to 9, I planned 3 easy miles. Mile 1 - 9:29 and it didn't suck. Hmm, mile 2 - 9:36 and it still felt pretty good. Mile 3 - 9:21, ok, that felt a little too fast. Mile 4 - 9:42. Crap, I'm feeling … [Read more...]
I am SO over summer (even though I’ve found more shorts)
Today was another hot and humid day here in the south. When the boys and I met up with friends for a walk to the playground at 8:30am this morning, it was already uncomfortable. We walked to the playground, hung out there for a while, walked to Whole Foods and Barnes and Noble (Jones has been reading Harry Potter, so I promised him the second movie) and then walked home. It was a total of 2.5 miles of walking and by the time we got home it was over 90 degrees. Needless to say, we didn't do much else outside today. I'm having a really hard time hitting 20 miles each week since August started. First, we were on vacation for a week. Then we got home and got hit with ridiculously hot weather. Now, both boys are home (no camps) and it's hot … [Read more...]
