Pumpkin Lentils

Everyone is talking PUMPKINS.

Including me.

It is that time of year afterall.

Cute little ones. Gigantic ones. Carving ones.

I mention carving ones, because, well, not to brag. Well, okay, to brag....I placed Second in the Annual Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest. Woohoo. (Knew the judge.)

This is the time of year when I not only visit pumpkin farms and carve pumpkins, but I also eat them.

It is that time of the year until Thanksgiving.

This is the only time of the year that we can find fresh pumpkins in the stores.

(Or "actual" pumpkins as they are sometimes referred to by us city folk.)

So I thought I'd share my PUMPKIN LENTILS recipe. It's perfect for Meatless Mondays.

This recipe has exotic flavors and a rich texture. Its delicious and healthy. I simply adore it.

(Now, of course you can use what is known as non-actual pumpkin. You know, canned. But try fresh. It is so good!

Rebekah's Pumpkin Lentils

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

5 cups pumpkin (directions follow)

1 tsp each:

ground ginger

ground cumin

ground coriander

ground tuneric

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

4 cups organic vegetable broth

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14.5 oz)

2 cups lentils

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 ground pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Cut 1 13/4 lb pumpkin into large cubes. Peel.

2. Steam for 20 -30 minutes until fork tender.

3. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook 5 minutes.
4. Stir in pumpkin and next 7 ingredients; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

5. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil.

6. Stir in lentils; cook 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.

7. Stir in salt and pepper.

8. When serving, top with cilantro.

Enjoy this on a brisk autumn day! Yum.

Time-Lines and Lime-Times

"Hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, they danced by the light of the moon..."
Edward Lear, not writing specifically about Hubs and me, but should have been

I thought today would be a very good day to introduce Jekyll Island, Georgia. Time-Line, here we come!

My very exciting time line of Jekyll Island, Georgia.

Backwards. yes, let's start with the Shrimp and Grits Festival, a few weeks from NOW.

Let's see.....

September 17-19, 2010: The annual Shrimp and Grits Festival will take place and who will be there? Me, yes, me. I'll be running the races and eating the shrimp and relaxing on the beach. Ah...

Approximately 11 years ago: I attended a judge's conference on a neighboring island, St. Simons Island. Hubs was with me and we decided to visit The Jekyll Club Hotel for a late lunch. We took a romantic bicycle ride on the Island later in the day and danced by the light of the moon before heading back to St. Simons.

Approximately 40 years ago, and many years thereafter: My family camped at the Jekyll Island campground for a week's vacation. We stayed in our pop-up tent called a Camel Caravan.

That's me on the left. The "Baby" of the group. I liked that designation then; I like that designation now.

I remember four things about the Jekyll of my childhood very well.

• First, Jekyll Island's beach seemed huge to my little eyes.
• Second, it was almost impossible to fall asleep in that hot, hot tent. I admire my parent's gusto for taking the three (whining? probably!) kids camping. I can't imagine.
• Three, the surrounding marshes seemed scary and creepy to me. I had already developed my intense phobia of snakes, I guess. 
• Four, the gigantic trees draped with hanging moss seemed other worldly.

Now that I think about it, I should go back up to 2010 and add something huge. The upcoming trip to Jekyll Island will be the first time that my daughter will see the vastness of the ocean. Crazy, I know, but true. Her toe-sies have never sunk into the soft sand of an ocean beach. Geeze. Work, work. Always work. What is that saying? All work and no play....Never mind.

Hmmm, this is all about ME so far.
Okay, on different day, I'll do a REAL Jekyll Island Time-Line.
In the meantime, like Toby Keith sings, "Let's talk about me, let's talk about I, let's talk about number one...."

"Me." I'm excited about visiting some of the old historic sites on the island. Some of the old homes have been refurbished and are open to the public. And it'll be fun to take another bicycle ride around the island. There's a sea turtle rescue center. Just lots to see and do.

"I." Of course I'm also excited about having a pina colada by the pool, or a drink with lime in it. (This is where I'm trying to tie in the "lime" thing from the title of his post, Time-Lines and Lime-Times. Limes, so citrusy and refreshing, delicious at the beach. Wait! I thought of it!) Key Lime Coolers. There we go-----Ding, ding, ding. Lime Time, here we come!

"Number One." And I've got my eye on one of these.
I found this picture and the recipe here, on the Jekyll Island Club's Blog. Oh my!

Drunken Monkey

(I'm such a hardly-ever-drink drinker, I don't even know what this 3 count and 2 count thing is....must find a bartender to ask!)
3 count Parrot Bay Coconut Rum 2 count Coffee Liquor
2 count Crème de Banana
½ oz ½ & ½ cream
Squirt of Banana Puree
Chocolate syrup drizzled around cup
Mmmm,mmmm,mmmm. Maybe even a scoop of vanilla ice cream in there.
I'll provide a review of this drink upon my return. For sure. Just for you.


And while I'm lying on the sand or by the pool, testing the merits of the Drunken Monkey just so that I can report back to you, I'll be listening to a little Buffet....Been too long since I heard Jimmy Buffet! I'd be hard pressed to pick out my favorite Buffet song, how about you?
Hey, that reminds me. I need to think about my beach playlist for my three runs that weekend in the races. Jimmy Buffet is a classic place to start....and the Beach Boys....and Bob Marley.....

And dancing. We'll be dancing, hand in hand, this time with daughter too, by the edge of the sand, under the light of the moon. Now there's a song I haven't thought of in forever. "Dancing in the moonlight, everybody here is outta sight...." Y'all old enough to remember that one? Hey, I think I'll add that to my playlist if itunes has it.  Maybe that Toby Keith song I mentioned a minute ago too. That's been in my head since I typed the words to it.
Oh well! Let the day dreaming end. Gotta work now.
(All work and no play-----, never mind.)

Making Life~Chasing Joy
Love y'all, Rebekah 

Leap of Faith

Today.
Take a leap of faith.

Ready, set...
Go ahead.
Trust yourself.

Early Saturday Morning

Yes, I see the time. It's not quite 6, Saturday morning. I am up, drinking a cup of joe. Fifteen minutes ago I was sitting in a rocking chair on my deck with my dogs, Blue and Strudel. I heard weird howling noises in a distance and got creeped out. Coyotes?
I'm up this Saturday morning to do more than relax on the deck and listen to the sounds of wildlife.
I'm headed out to run a 5k. It's my way of training. My thought is that it's easier to run 3.1 miles--in a row--all at the same time--in a setting like that.
So I think of it less as a race than as an opportunity to get together with a bunch of other runners whose names I happen not to know. Runners who are getting up before the sun to go run. Gotta love 'em.

As I sat on the deck I remembered that it's the 28th. I had received an email about a spectacular event in the night sky on the 27th. Mars was to be so close and so big and bright it would look like the earth had two moons. It would not happen again in a long, long time. So said the email.
Not.
Not here anyway. Not now anyway.
Here's my current sky:

Spectacular?
Nay. Beautiful as always, but nothing different that I can see. That tiny speck is Mars, I'm guessing?
Did anyone see anything different? Anything spectacular in your neck of the woods?

Now, I am truly going to chase joy this morning. For 5k....
Gotta run! Wish me well---that I'll finish the race. I'm hoping not to walk for any of the k's.

Cliques

There are "cliques" and there are "clicks."

This "chick" is concerned with "clicks." (I'm long over "cliques" and refuse to recognize anything that resembles a "clique.")

But as to clicks---well, I've gotten clickier and clickier.

I wake up. I walk down the hall and hear (and feel) my ankle click with each step.
My shoulder joins in--click!
My knee will sometimes--pop!
And you've already heard me moan about my shin splints--achy.

I've gotten clickier as I've gotten more active. I am getting sorer and sorer from working my body.
I'm just not used to it. My mind? yes, used to that. My legs? No. This is new....
So I'm working on helping the discomfort. And the clicking noises that come along with it.

My new arsenal:

First, a hot Epsom salt bath at night in this.

You see why I picked up this brand to start with, right? Don't know him or her, but sure like the name!

And I do these two things in the morning:

Before I get out of bed, I've started to do stretching. Except I like to call stretching "Yoga" because it sounds cooler. These moves are gentle and delicious.
I wake up, bless and embrace the day, and then

• Stretch arms straight out, making a little "t" with my body. Hooooold....
• Then stretch one arm straight across my chest, joining the arm on the other side. Pull that arm over even further by folding up the arm at the elbow. Hooooold.....
• Now the other side.
• Onto those over worked legs. First, I bend one leg up, bringing my knee way up to my chest, holding with my hands. Hoooooold.
• Now the other leg.
• Finally I bend my legs and drop them open, bottoms of the feet touching. It's kinda like the goddess pose, opening your hips.

It only takes a moment, lying there doing those smooth moves.
But I'm telling you--I'm less clicky when I walk down the hall!

Once I'm up and at 'em, I'm taking 2 Osteo Bi-Flex with my breakfast. I'm currently loving and living on that yogurt recipe I shared yesterday. (These days Daughter has grits, and Hubs has Lucky Charms.)

Yogurt and Yoga and Dr. Teal and Bi-Flex. Sounds like a clique to me....

A Runner's Power Breakfast

Okay, okay, so it's an old favorite of mine. I just changed the name.

It was previously known as "Rebekah's Mediterranean Breakfast." It's deep within the archives of this blog somewhere.
But I tell you: I love it.
I love, love, love it.
I had gotten into the habit of not eating a healthy breakfast.
But now that I have The Shrimp and Grits Festival Challenge Runs right around the corner, I'm thinking more about food as FUEL.

Not just BORING OLE FUEL; I mean DELICIOUS FUEL.

I enjoy food way too much for the FUEL not to be DELICIOUS.
And then I remembered this recipe.
To me, the flavors blend crazy well. Tangy and sweet and nutty.
And the textures are crazy too. Crunchy and smooth and chewy.
Oh my!
It's a nutritious start to your day.
It's filling, it's healthy, it's yummy.

I mean, come on!

A Runner's Power Breakfast

(f/k/a--that's formerly known as--Rebekah's Mediterranean Breakfast)

1 cup oats (steel cut oats are great, but so are regular. A combo my favorite---1/2 cup of each)
1 cup organic vanilla yogurt (low fat is a-ok)
1/2 cup milk (anywhere from skim to whole)
1/4 cup oat bran
1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup nuts (almonds are my favorite. I like them whole, but most folks like chopped)

3 Tbsp chopped dried figs (I use figlets..lighter flavor and cute name)
3 Tbsp chopped dates
3 Tbsp other dried fruit of your choice (golden raisins, cranberries, apricots) (coconut is also killer in there!)

Combine the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.

Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Yikes, I couldn't take it. I couldn't wait. So I just dolloped some yogurt in a plate and put the mix on top. And yummy-yum. 

Fresh berries make a lovely topping. And chopped apples are divine.

You will be so satisfied after enjoying this breakfast. You'll be ready to conquer your world!

So. Go. Do. It.

Make life~Chase Joy

My Flowers bid me "Good Morning" on  my way out of the door

The Digs

Oh yeah---All Right! You talk about digs!
Check out mine for The Shrimp and Grits Festival!

A little place called the Jekyll Island Club Hotel

Now that's what I call digs!

I'm practicing a different southern accent, "Well, my dah-lin', I do de-cl-ah..."

My own personal southern accent doesn't have the same lilt.

Hmmm, that actually rolled off my tongue pretty easily. Perhaps I should "upgrade" my southern accent permanently. I have an aunt who did that. Now hers is now much less down home, much more high flalootin'.

Anyway.

I'll be a-stylin' on the beach......... 

Croquet on the lawn......

High tea on the veranda........

I can't wait to learn more about the history of the Jekyll Island Club.

Historic buildings grab me as soon as I catch a glimpse.

  

And then, if I'm lucky and can walk through the door of an historic building, I can FEEL the history.

I'm weird like that.

And this one, wow! I LOVE the architecture! It's a real beaut!

I've actually been there before. It was several years ago and only for lunch.

"Yes, Dah-lin', lunch. Ach-ley we call it din-nah and din-nah is called sup-pah."

(I'm already pretty good at that.)

But I've never stayed there. I've never had the opportunity to spend any time there. And hey, rumor has it that they have ghosts.

"This could be very interesting, Watson."

And that was my fake British accent.

Another good choice.

I'll practice that one too.

(photos from the Jekyll Island Club's website.)

Figuring Out How to Train

Well, I just don't know.
I have searched all over the internet and there is so much information out there, it's overwhelming.
Really, I could spend the next 12 hours on the computer doing research on it!

So let's just start this thing with what I know so far.

This I know: 

I am a

• 47 year old
• new runner
• who is happy that she can finally run 2 miles without stopping
• who likes to succeed, but who doesn't have a whole lot of free time

But I also know this:

I am on a mission.

And this too is something I know:

I, the chick described above, works well under plans and goals and challenges. I also work best under pressure.

So based on what I know so far, here's how I'll train for the Shrimp and Grits Festival Challenge races:
 
-----run outside 3 times a week for at least 20 minutes each run
-----in those runs, do speed bursts
                         I'll push myself for at least one tenth of a mile
                         followed by
                         my regular pace for two tenths of a mile.
-----do yoga 1 time a week (using an dvd)
-----eat for FUEL
                          I need to do more research on what a runner needs                        
-----drink plenty of water

Yes, I think that's a good start.

I do enjoy "a plan." That is something else I KNOW: things always go smoother for me when there's "a plan."
Oh! And yet another thing I KNOW: plans are made to be tweaked....

I guess I am kind of a know-it-all this morning. huh.
Now, I believe it's time for me to get out there and do a run...

IseeU

Grits 101: Lesson Two

Grits Love

My daughter's breakfast. Quick grits with butter in a heart-shaped Care Bears bowl.

Lesson One explained that there are three kinds of grits, instant, quick and regular. You may recall how the Instant Grits were indeed instant. They only take an instant to make....hence the name. All you do is pour them in the bowl and add hot water. Or add cold water and mic it. The problem with Instant Grits is that the taste suffers greatly from the instant-ness of them. I'm guessing with all the processing, some of the goodness was lost.

Lesson Two focuses on Quick Grits. They are very quick to make....also hence the name. Quick Grits are quick, but they taste WAY better than the instant. WAY!

This trip to the store I purchased the brand Dixie Lily out of Alabama. Now, isn't that a "down-home" name? Dixie Lily? I think it is adorable and must remember it for the next female thing I have to name. Kitty, Doggy, Child, doll, cow, whatever: "Dixie Lily." Too cute.

Anyway, I've tried them all. Jim Dandy is the usual favorite of mine. I just couldn't resist the name on the day I bought the grits.

HOW TO MAKE QUICK GRITS

With Quick Grits, you bring water to boil on the stove. Stir in the grits and salt.

(BIG IMPORTANT NOTE HERE: ADD THE SALT. Grits require salt. They just do.

Not only that, but grits require the salt to be added while they are cooking. Not after. Not when they are on your plate; it's too late then.) 

So after adding the grits AND THE SALT, lower the heat and cover. In 5 minutes you've got you some grits. Pretty quick, huh?

But.

If you want to kick them up a notch, to make them even better, do this. After the requisite 5 minutes, add some butter and some milk. Stir; cover; cook another 3-5 minutes.

Delicious.

Now a lot of folks add cheese to grits. That is a delightful addition, I must say. Either grated or chunked in there. Make sure the grits are hot enough to melt the cheese. Yum. Adds calcium too, right?

So bottom line is this. Forget about the instant grits unless you are in a huge gigantic hurry. The Quick Grits are delicious and don't take much longer to prepare.

~~~~A side note is that I've never tried to make grits in the microwave. And I doubt I ever will. It just seems wrong to me somehow....Someone else will have to report to us on that.~~~~

Okay, okay, that sounds too "set in my ways" and harsh. I'll try it! I'll make some in the mic and report back.

Here's the nutritional and ingredient info for Quick Grits.

Next up is Regular Grits.....

Or how Cousin Vinny won the case.

Die Hards Unite

There was a race right down the road, so I decided to run it at the last minute. It was a 5k, to be "chip-timed." I learned that "chip timed" is not a guy named "Chip" taking down names at the finish line. It's a computer chip each runner has on their person. That way, when they cross the finish line, you get your EXACT time. Exactly exact. This is important to "real" runners.
Not being a "real" one quite yet, well, I just nodded my head and said, 'Huh..." when the race guy explained it to me.
I went by and signed up on Friday. The race was this morning at 7:30 am. "Sharp," he said.
It was pouring rain all night long.
At 5:30 am, it was still raining.
At 6:00 am, it was still raining as I ate half a bagel, drank some coffee.
At 6:15 am, as I checked the website for the race for a cancellation announcement, it was still raining.
No word on the website.
At 6:30, as I tied my running shoes, it was still raining. Distant thunder started rumbling.
At 6:40 am, as I kissed hubby goodbye, it was still raining, now pouring. Day was starting to break.
Well, the race was very close to my house. If it was cancelled I'd just turn around and come back home and have another cup of coffee and the rest of that bagel.
When I drove into the parking lot I couldn't believe my eyes.
Runners, runners, everywhere.
Runners, runners, standing out in the pouring rain, or waiting in long line to get their numbers.
This race was obviously ON.
Interesting.
This told me a lot about runners. Die hards, for sure. Oh yeah, I liked these people....
So I jumped out of my car and stood in the rain. With perfect die hard strangers. I was soaked within minutes.
Maybe I am a runner after all....
We stood around and visited in the rain. This was fun, I decided. An adventure, if you will. The guy in charge announced that the race would have a delayed start; they were experiencing registration problems that were slowing them down. It was already after 7:30.
The next thing I know there is a clap of lightning right above us. Everyone screamed. I felt the clap inside of me, deep in my heart. It was incredibly loud and powerful and close. Survival instinct makes you dart off in such a situation, as if to run for cover, so we had all moved quickly.
Of course, there was no cover, so there was no where to go. So we came back to our places. 
The perfect die hard strangers talked now about how close that lightning was and how they, too, felt it in their hearts. They re-formed their line as they discussed that loud, powerful clap of lightning so incredibly close.
It only took me a few seconds for me to decide, "I'm done. I'm outta here...." I told them.
I left as they encouraged me to stay, telling me that the storm will pass, that that was the last of it, that we're already soaked, that races that start this way are always fun.
"I'm not there yet, guys, I'm not a die hard runner yet."
By the time I made it back home, the rain had become a mist. Ah, my new die hard friends were right, the storm was passing indeed.
I got out of my wet running clothes to drink my coffee and eat the rest of my bagel on my back deck.
I watched the sun break through the clouds.

Cross Training

So it's the middle of the night and I'm lying in bed and not sleeping, as usual ('tis the curse of being a woman in her late 40's) and it comes to me.
Down in my basement, in a dark corner somewhere is something I picked up at a garage sale maybe 15 years ago.
It's the perfect piece of equipment for cross training for The Shrimp and Grits Challenge Race at Jekyll Island.

And it feeds my need to be eco-friendly at the same time.
Cool.
It's a human powered lawn mower.
No gasoline. No electricity. Just me.
And my very big lawn.
And my dog, Blue, who's never far away.
Hey Blue! What do you think of my idea?

Really? That bad?
What about you, my Strudel-Noodle, who adores all my ideas?

Yes, I think you're right, Strudel----Either I'm brilliant or I'm crazy.
She's such a thinker.
I'll let you know how it goes.....

Grits 101

Here it is. Just what you've always been waiting for.
Drum roll, please.
Grits 101.

I had so many requests to talk more specifically about the very important subject of grits, that I decided to go ahead and tackle this tough issue.

After all, there's no need to talk about a Shrimp and Grits Festival if the grits part of it is a mystery.

So let's do it.

Grits.

Grits are widely available in the south in every grocery store.

Here's the grits shelf in the local Kroger:

As you can see, grits are located in the cereal aisle, next to oatmeal and something called "cream of wheat." (I'll tell y'all about grits and somebody tell ME about cream of wheat. I have no idea what that is...)

As you browse the grits shelves, you will see not only different brands, but also different types of grits.

There are three different types of grits: instant, quick, and regular.

Now I noticed right away that Kroger didn't have "regular" grits, only instant and quick. So I headed off to a different grocery store right across the street, Ingle's. Ingle's didn't let me down. I bought all three types there.
Lesson One in Grits 101: Instant Grits

Okey-dokey, let's start with INSTANT. Quaker is the dominant brand for instant grits, though there is always a store brand at the large grocery stores.

Instant grits are the only type of grits that come in flavors.

There is usually cheese, bacon, butter, plain to chose from.

Today I picked up a box cheese of the store brand. 

Instant grits are the easiest to prepare.

They come in little serving-size bags. You just rip it open, pour it in a bowl and add water.

You either add boiling water or add cold water and microwave. It's that easy. In a minute you've got a warm bowl of instant grits.

There's a trade-off for easy. There always is. These guys don't taste much like "real" grits.

My daughter says it best. She said they taste "fake." And they do. She wouldn't eat them. So I did. Yes, they taste a bit off and fakey, but they are warm and have a nice texture. These taste kind of like those cheese puff balls. And I like those cheese puff balls. You know the ones I'm talking about? Airy cheetohs snacks in a ball? Usually come in a can? 

Anyway, I would never, ever serve them for breakfast with bacon and eggs. But standing alone as a quick, warm cereal breakfast, I think they are fine. They just don't taste like grits should taste. 

So let's check out the nutrition facts on the instant cheese store brand grits.

A lot of carbs, not much fiber, loads of sodium. Eh...

How about the ingredients?

Hmmm...Pretty bad, huh? Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, corn syrup solids....

Wow, that surprised me.

(I just went over and checked Quaker's website and I have decided it's because I bought the cheese flavored grits that the ingredients are iffy. The ingredient list on the regular Quaker instant grits, according to the Quaker website, is far less full of crapola. Now I've bought the Quaker variety pack of instant grits before when I was looking for a fast warm breakfast for my duaghter on school days. I found them all to be tasteless other than the cheese. Which is why I picked up the box of cheese today.)
So bottom line for me is this. Forget the instant grits. They do not represent grits well. And grits deserve to be well represented.

If instant is all you ever tasted, you would not have experienced grits.

And grits are something to experience, believe you me.

Tomorrow for breakfast I'll make the QUICK grits variety for Lesson Two in Grits 101: Quick Grits.

First Things First

This 47-year old new runner....
Three races, Three terrains, 24 hours......

My main focus here, about 30 days before the Shrimp and Grits Festival, is training for the races.
I'm a new and slow runner. I started running to cross a few things off my "bucket list." Right up there, close to the top was: "Run A 5k." 5k is 3.1 miles. Very do-able, I thought.
But.
I was not a runner; I have never been a runner. I do not run.
I was not an exerciser; I have never been an exerciser. I do not exercise.
I have always been too busy with other things. Busy, busy, busy.
Plus, I have never, no never, liked to sweat. The hair! The mascara!
So believe me when I tell you that I did not enjoy the training process for that 5k. It was brutal. Two times a week. Oh lawdy.
But when I ran the actual race---the 5k---I was hooked. I'm  not sure what it was, but it got me. I loved it.
So I kept running.
My challenge is to run one 5k every month, so that's what I've been doing. It's the only thing that keeps me putting on my shoes and heading out of the door.
That, and my very dedicated and very entertaining running partner, Vanessa.
Even so, I have not never, no-never, run 4 miles. I can do 2 miles pretty easily these days. And quite frankly, I'm proud of that. I know for you younger folks that sounds like nothing. But believe me, I've had to work to get there. And here's my excuse for how slow I am, I have chronic shin splints. I got them the first week of running and I've had them ever since.
If they ever go away, I'll come up with another excuse. I have several ready to go....

Okay, so there are three races at the Shrimp and Grits Festival.
RACE ONE: Saturday 6:30 pm: 4 miles
The first race at the Festival will be a 4-miler on the beach. That's what I need to work on. Distance. And I wonder what it is like to run on sand? I hate sand in my shoes....
RACE TWO: Sunday 7:30 am: 5k
The second race is a 5k. I'm comfortable with that. I'm not fast, mind you, but I'll make it. Unless I kill myself first on the 4-miler.
RACE THREE: Sunday 2 pm: 1 mile
The third race is a 1-mile speed race. I'm okay with this, as long as I can still move my legs....but it ends at  the food, so there's my motivation...


Do you think I can make it?
Do you think I can complete all three races?
What I need to do is come up with my training plan today and start training tomorrow.
Any advice?

Stay tuned. I've gotten requests to talk some more about GRITS--so I'll definitely do that!

Shrimp and Grits Festival

We're talking about sayings over at The City Farmgirl Blog. Drop by and share your favorites. I also share my very secret recipe for my famous Southern Cornbread. Try it and let me know what you think!
Cornmeal and grits are kissin' cousins, both made from ground corn. Which leads me right into my latest grits adventure. I guess I can't really say my "latest" grits adventure as I've never had a grits adventure before. But here it is, the event I'm getting ready for:
The Shrimp and Grits Festival.
WooHoo~One month. That's how long I have to get ready. Three races in 24 hours. Me? I reckon so because I committed to it!
This is the place I'll be tracking and journaling the path to The Shrimp and Grits Festival. It's an annual event held every year on an island off of Georgia’s southern coast, Jekyll Island. There’s a lot going on that weekend and I’m totally psyched to be a part of it. Not only will there be wild Georgia shrimp and freshly ground grits, and famous chefs, and arts and crafts, but there will be three races in 24 hours.
I’ll be training for the race and experimenting with all kinds of shrimp and coastal recipes. And of course, we’ll be celebrating the warm yumminess of grits. I’ll be exploring the unique history of the island 'cause I'm a research person by nature. The Shrimp and Grits Festival is in about a month, September 17. Come back and visit. I'll be a posting maniac here!

Speaking of 'Maters

I lamented in my post at www.maryjanesfarm.com about my scarce supply of 'maters. What is summer without home-grown vine-ripened tomatoes galore? My garden has only produced a few. Three that have made it to my kitchen.
Luckily I'm not having to go without home-grown 'maters though.
I'm lucky to have a father-in-law who has grown tomatoes this year in his suburban, beautifully manicured yard. You wouldn't believe the harvest he is enjoying from tomato plants hidden between the boxwoods and hydrangeas. A thing to behold! Whenever he comes to see us, he brings a big bag of his 'maters. Thank goodness he has a green thumb and a generous spirit.
And no matter what I'm doing, I stop. I must immediately eat one of his delicious tomatoes.
What is your favorite thing to do with a tomato? Do you ever cook them? Or saute them? Or just eat them au naturale?
My favorite way to eat a tomato is simple. Peel. Salt. Eat.
My hubby's way to enjoy a tomato is sliced (peel on), laid out on a plate with alternating slices of fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves draped on top, sprinkled with balsamic vinegar and kosher salt. I must admit that is a very delicious combination. But I like my method better. And mine gets the tomato in my mouth sooner!
My Daddy also shares his delicious 'maters with us. He grows the old-timey varieties that he grew up eating. Like Rutgers. He also brings us lots of cucumbers from his backyard garden. I eat "cukes" the same way I eat tomatoes. Peel. Salt. Eat.
I'm looking forward to being in town this weekend to hit up one of the local Farmer's Markets. I'm hoping there will be a LARGE supply of tomatoes!

Chasing joy, y'all! Rebekah

Three

Just posted a blog post over at maryjanesfarm about "three." Pop over and join in the comment-versation.
I came up with that title from Seinfeld. You know how I continue to refer to old Seinfeld episodes even though it's been off the air for ever? Here I go again. Does anybody 'member when----George decided he'd name his first born "Seven"? A clip for your viewing pleasure.
Seinfeld makes me laugh like no other since.
Here's some news about "Three" that I didn't mention.
Hard to believe. And impossible to fathom considering my s~l~o~w running self. But I won a medal this past weekend in a 5k race. Third place for female, 44-49. And yes, to answer the obvious question, there were more than 3 females in that age group running.
I must cherish this medal as surely there will be no others.
Blue ribbons perhaps....for grape jelly perhaps...