Happy Friday party people! It’s time to link up with Courtney, Cynthia and Mar for the Friday Five. Today we’re talking about favorites, which is easy because I’ve got lots of those lately. Let’s get started:
Feeling better. I’ve whined here for literally years about fatigue, weight gain, running paces being off the cliff slow and my doc blowing it off telling me everybody “my age” feels this way. I told you about my breakthrough with a new doc. The good news is I’m starting to feel like my “old self” again. More energy, less fatigue, and hello BETTER RUNNING! It’s like a switch has been thrown. Amazing!
Eating better. I mentioned in my running “off-season” post I’d be dialing in my diet and oh yes, I’m dialing. One of my favorite ways to get more veggies in is by doing these “bowls”. Another case where I’m probably the last blogger on the planet to go the “bowl” route. They’re simple. I make a bunch of brown rice or quinoa, steam a bunch of broccoli, roast veggies. Then for lunch or dinner I simply top some brown rice with 3 parts veggies and 1 part lean protein, then spice it up with my new favorite dressing. Read on for the dressing.
Tahini dressing. Since so many bottled dressings out there these days have ingredients lurking that I’d rather not have, I’ve been making my own and this one’s so simple and so delish. This tahini from Sesame King has just four ingredients: pure ground sesame seeds, garlic, citric acid and salt.
| Simple Tahini Dressing | Print |
- 2T Sesame King Tahini with Garlic. If using plain tahini paste, add a clove of minced garlic).
- 4T Hot water
- 3T Olive or avocado oil (use half as much sesame oil for an Asian variation).
- 3T Red wine vinegar (use rice vinegar for an Asian variation
- Salt to taste
- Whisk together all ingredients and enjoy.
Better treats. You know I love my popcorn. Cheese corn. Caramel corn. It’s all good. But with the dialed-in diet, I had to stand down from the cheese and caramel. Instead, I’m topping my popcorn with Ellyndale’s Coconut Infusions. It’s simply butter-infused virgin coconut oil. Organic, vegan, non-GMO, crazy delicious. 
When role models rock. I’m going to geek out on figure skating for a minute here. It’s the sport that took me away from running in high school so yes a long-time passion. The Skate America competition is in Milwaukee this weekend. It was here in Chicago last year and Thing 1 performed, which was huge for us. When we got to the rink on Wednesday, I immediately spotted none other than Denis Ten on the ice, practicing his programs. Denis is a World Silver Medalist and Olympic Bronze Medalist. He could easily have played his ice divo card and demanded open freestyle practice be cancelled so he could train alone. But no. He trained just like every other person on the ice, many times having to weave and work around others. Did he care? Sure didn’t look like it. He was so friendly and kind to the other skaters. Talking, taking pics, signing autographs. Just a super great guy and wonderful role model for younger, impressionable skaters.
Next Friday and the last Friday of every month is Runfession Friday! Share your run-, swim-, gym- heck any confessions will do, and link them up right here! Join us!
You’re not the last to jump on the bowl bandwagon….
How cool to meet that ice skater! I always wanted to get into that when I was a kid, but there weren’t many ice rinks in Texas where I lived at the time haha.
I’m so glad your determination to find out what was going on with you has paid off and your feeling much better! I am loving my steamer right now and no I’m afraid I haven’t jumped on the “bowl” wagon either. It would be so easy for me to do though. I’m about the only one in my family who uses the steamer, but that’s ok I cook what I want and take the rest to work for lunch! Ice skating is something we do not know much of down here in the South. I have ice skated before. Mostly recently up in Gatlinburg, TN. Tell me Marcia, can you do all those crazy jumps on that little blade? I do really well to keep my tush from hitting the ice 🙂
So glad you are feeling better. I would love to have four pounds drop off and see immediately improvement in my running. I am struggling a bit because with marathon training I am so hungry, but don’t want to gain weight. Gggrrrr. Have a great weekend.
I love bowls. I make a lot of one dish meals like that (though sometimes I serve them on a plate lol!). And I could pretty much live on tahini dressing.
I’m really trying to eat healthier this training cycle. I’d love to try that coconut butter stuff on my popcorn. We use to use coconut oil in our old fashion popcorn maker instead of the other oil and I didn’t really notice a difference.
I do love a good Tahini myself! Glad to hear that you are feeling better. I’m struggling a little with that whole age weight thing all of the sudden not fun
Where did you find the Tahnini? Looks amazing and would be perfect with hummus. We have that coconut oil too– we love it.. especially on popcorn!! So good! Happy Friday
So cool to see the ice skater!! The Tahini sounds intriguing! I will have to try it!
Um, it’s really, really cool when a professional athlete will give you the time of day, let alone isn’t “above” training non-Olympic/non-Elite/non-Pro athletes of the same sport! FAVE!:)
I love hearing that you are feeling so well!!! I am so happy for you! 🙂 YAY!
And that is super cool about the elite skater! It’s so great to hear when the elites aren’t divas 🙂
Glad to hear you’re feeling more like yourself! And that butter-infused virgin coconut oil sounds amazing!
So glad for you that you have been feeling better. The nutrition thing is really rough. I have the most difficulty when my food is outside of my control (like this week, sitting in three straight days of catered work meetings). Figure skating! How cool! I didn’t know that about you. I never really learned how to ice skate…that really impresses me. Especially when I try to do a pistol squat in the weight room.
Bowl bandwagon? I didn’t know there was one and I’m not on it! Hmmmm….
Oh I am totally dialing a LOT of things in during the off season. Picking up strength training pretty hard and the diet it is a changing!!
I wish I could try this ):
horrible confession: I’m allergic to tahini! I can’t even have store bought hummus!
YUM!!! Love tahini and tahini dressing is right up my alley! Can’t wait to give this a try!
I love coconut oil for popcorn! The best is to sprinkle nutritional yeast and a bit of Braggs aminos (I actually have a spray container of Braggs) on the popcorn after it’s popped. It’s really good!
Soooo glad that you are feeling better! And I love when role models rock. I have someone new to root for.
I have my Runfession post written and scheduled already! This time I am actually going to post it on the link up day. 🙂
That’s so cool about Denis Ten! I was a competitive figure skater for 14 years so I know how some of the pros can get 😉 Congrats to your daughter for participating in that competition!
And butter-infused coconut oil??? I need to get my hands on some of that!
Always great to have a breakthrough with with your personal health!!! Glad you are feeling less fatigued! Love tahini dressing! Your recipe looks great!
That butter flavored coconut oil sounds really good. Although I do like my butter. Regular ole butter.
OTOH, yes, I struggle with my weight, fatigue, and obviously I don’t particularly like the pace I run at, but then I’ve been a slow runner from the get-go. I’m actually faster now than when I started!
Love ice skating! When we first moved here, before I started to run seriously, I used to skate about once a week during the winter. Now I run . . .
Amazing post! You have a great blog:)
What about following each other on Instagram, Bloglovin, Twitter?
http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3880191
Tahini is often a go to for DIY dressings. So happy you’re feeling better.
My diet is another thing I’m wanting to rein in in my off season too. There’s been a fair bit of entitled eating around this part of the world and it’s time that stopped. The bowls look like a really great way to deal with the ‘what will I have for lunch’ question.
I dump leftovers into one container and topped with salsa for a yummy lunch. Who knew I was already into “Bowls”. How cool you ice skated in high school. Do you still?
That Tahini dressing sounds absolutely delicious! I might have to give it a try!
why didn’t i know to make the bowls like that!?! makes so much more sense. but i did just make a MASSIVE quinoa salad for us to eat all week and just add whatever protein we want. i love tahini (obvious for a lebanese person, i suppose).