My Domestic Compulsion
Domestic slave for hire. I work for wine. |
I've been a bit of a domestic goddess lately. Yup. A regular Martha fucking Stewart. Ok. Maybe not so much Martha. Maybe more slave, but at least I have some Sriracha spicy kale chips, a refrigerated container of cooked chipotle chicken pieces, a frozen batch of gluten-free homemade chocolate chip cookies, and a perfectly seasoned and conditioned cast iron pan to prove it. I don't know why I've been feeling so compelled to bake and cook lately. It seems to happen every winter. I'm thinking I need a twelve-step program for this or at least be featured on one of those stupid "My Strange Addiction" shows.
But, between my extra-curricular training/baking extravaganza and getting back into work (I've been busy launching a completely new identity for our business as well as working on The Ranch Athletic's website for my coach's soon-to-be-open gym) I've had little time for anything else.
I'm pooped.
So I'm taking a few days off of workovers and runs to recover from some of this fatigue I've been feeling and to give my foot a few days to heal.
"Foot?" You say?
Yes. Foot.
Funny. Last Thursday, I did six 100 meter sprints at what felt like a hundred miles faster than I've ever run them before and felt fine. No problems. No issues. Even my hips are starting to open up and become more mobile due to some new spots I'm targeting along my adductors... but when I picked up my kid at school on Friday and squatted down to tie his shoes I got this shooting pain in my right forefoot at the joint of my big toe. SERIOUS shooting pain. I had to walk on the outside of my foot after that and be careful not to flex my toes too much. I noticed a little bit of swelling after that, but today (Saturday) it feels much better.
So I've decided to stay off of it for a few days and give my body a little rest but still do my mobility stuff which, by the way, has been amazing lately.
I've discovered my inner thigh adductors. Well, I didn't just discover them. I knew they existed all along, but I didn't know what they were called. These muscles always felt super tight no matter what kind of stretching I did. Every time I did a squat I would fall back and would have to hold on to something to stay upright. What I discovered is once I started rolling the shit out of these muscles with my foam roller and lacrosse ball my squat started getting easier. Even running sprints felt better. I no longer felt like I was about to trip over myself like the girl in the video below.
Yeah. My husband posted that video to my Facebook wall mentioning that it reminded him of me. He knows me well. Not only do I look like that, but I think this video loop is infinitely funny to watch over and over again. What can I say? I'm a sucker for slapstick. And if it reminds me of myself, then its even funnier.
So these inner thigh muscles were pretty tender to start out, but I've been working on them for almost a month now and I've noticed a huge difference with the way I squat, sprint and even walk.
My mobility routine seems to be working well for me. I get up at 5:10am to roll the Longus, Brevis, and Gracillis adductors then work on my hips and glutes. After that I'll do a 2-3 minute squat and then work on some yoga stretches and a few more air squats. Then, if time allows, I meditate for about 15-30 minutes. Its a quiet routine, but I really like the peace of the early morning to do those things. Its the only time I have solely to myself.
My homemade Butternut Squash Fries |
Excuse me...
Nom. Nom. Chomp. Chomp...
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Hey, can you share those recipes for the Kale chips and the squash fries. We have not been overly successful with the kale chips, and I want to compare notes on the fries.
ReplyDeleteAlrighty - both are my own recipes so exact measurements are questionable. Ha!
DeleteKALE CHIPS
(Oven @ 375º) - Wash and dry thoroughly 1 bunch Kale pieces. I use a salad spinner then towel dry the pieces. Mix together in a small bowl:
• 2 TBL olive oil
• 2 TBL fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 TSP Cumin
• 1/4 TSP Turmeric (this is optional - I just happen to use Turmeric on EVERYTHING. Ha!)
• 1 TSP Sriracha Chili Sauce (or to taste if you like less spicy)
Whisk all the ingredients thoroughly together. Place Kale in large bowl and toss with the olive oil mixture until well coated. Spread out on a large pan and add sea salt and pepper to taste if you want. Then place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are browned turning over and tossing the pieces from time to time. I think the key is to have them dried really well to begin with so that they dry out well in the oven.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH FRIES
Delete• 1 HUGE ASS butternut squash, peeled and cut up into squareish fry bits
• Cinnamon
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Coconut sugar (although you can leave this out or substitute any other sugar. Honey might be good. I use the sugar VERY sparingly. I like the little bit of carmelization that happens.)
I steamed them in the microwave for about 5 minutes (just cuz I wanted it done fast) then pare-boiled them on the stove for about 5 minutes. Just put them in boiling water. Par-boiling is often done with potatoes to make them extra crispy once they are cooked in the oven.
Dry them off good, put them in a bowl with some olive oil and spices (salt, pepper, cinnamon & tiny bit of coconut sugar - I don't have amounts. I went lighter on the sweet and maybe added a TSP of salt and a few twists of the pepper cracker) then lay them out on a pan and broil them on high for about 5 minutes turning them over a couple of times. Watch them carefully! I think alternatively I would cook them on lower heat for longer next time kinda like the Kale chips.
These recipes are still a work in progress, but they've turned out pretty good so far. I just need to perfect a few things. :-)
That video is a crack up... I've watched it over and over trying to figure out what tripped her up! It's like an invisible stump or something... anyway, thanks for the recipes!!
ReplyDeleteYeah. Sadly enough, I know what tripped her. Ha!
DeleteJust made the kale chips with your recipe. Had to use cutie (clementine) juice. Also added sesame seeds. Mine took about 45 minutes, but they taste great. I might try dinosaur kale next time instead of the bagged ready to eat stuff. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
ReplyDeleteWow. 45 minutes? I would increase the oven temp then and you might be able to get them done quicker. I think it also depends how big your pan is and how much kale you have. The more spread out they are the better.
DeleteYeah, the pan I used was probably too small. Still, it tastes pretty darn good.
ReplyDelete