cha-cha-cha-chia

Chia seeds. 

Like Chia Pet?

yes.

 

So what are they?

"A chia seed is an ancient superfood. The little black and white seeds were once a staple of the Incan, Mayan and Aztec cultures, along with the Native Americans of the southwest. "Chia" is actually the Mayan word for strength. The seeds were used by these ancient cultures as mega-energy food, especially for their running messengers, who would carry a small pouch of it with them. Chia has been called 'Indian Running Food' and gives an incredibly 'sustaining' surge of energy". (source)

Interested? Me too.

Chia seeds are rich in fiber, antioxidants, full of minerals like iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and manganese. No other grain has more protein than a chia seed. They are also loaded with omega-6 and have the most omega-3 out of any other seed.

 

Where do you get them? 

Check with any health food store. You can find them in the bulk bins or packaged.

(speaking of health food stores......locals, did you hear the AMAZING news?! Trader Joes is coming!!!)

What can you do with chia seeds? 

This is the best part......you can do anything! 

They are so tiny and mild flavored, you really can add them to anything.......

for example:

-Granola

-Yogurt

-Oatmeal (whether raw or cooked)

-Smoothies

-We've been taking peanut butter, honey, and chia seed (whole wheat) tortillas (rolled up) on our hikes

-My pre-run meal lately has been whole wheat toast or english muffin with peanut butter, honey, and chia seeds. (with a glass of frosty o.j.)

If you have read Born to Run (a book you really need to read!!) you are probably familiar with the drink Chia Fresca or Iskiate. When chia seeds are soaked in water, they turn into a gel. While they don't need to be soaked to eat them, soaking does aid in digestion. Add your seeds to water with a little lime juice and some honey. (recipe here, scroll to the bottom). I have been mixing this up for the past few weeks a little here and there, and while I don't LOVE the texture of the gel, it's not too bad. I've also added the gel to my smoothie.

Speaking of smoothies....

Get Up and Go Smoothie

this smoothie is loaded with a little bit of everything you need to get your day going

serves 1-2

BLEND:

1 small banana

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

heaping spoon of peanut butter

small handful of raw oats

small handful of almonds

small handful of blueberries (you don't taste the berries--I just threw them in for some extra antioxidants)

spoonful of chia seeds

spoonful of ground flax

large drizzle of raw honey (more or less as you like)

spoonful of coconut oil, in liquid form

spoonful of cocoa powder (optional....sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't....I like to mix it up)

a few ice cubes

enjoy!

Do you eat chia seeds? 

I'd love to hear how YOU use them!

ketchup

How are you? We haven't been talking so much lately.....have we? 

This is a power packed post......so much to catch up on.

Starting with:

I am now married to an MBA graduate. IT'S TRUE!!! He did it! We did it!

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This weekend was graduation and it was an amazing feeling knowing that we made it through this crazy time in our lives. He still has three weeks of school left (uuuhhh....kind of a buzz kill, right?) but I am almost done with this whole single-mother thing.....yippee!!!

We even got to go on a graduation weekend date.....bonus!

 

and here is my haggard family after a 17 hour long ceremony.

 

I have a five year old. FIVE!!! How do babies grow up and turn five? It should be illegal.

Her cake was chocolate cake layered with whip cream, chocolate buttercream, and strawberries. 

(basically this cake)

(last year's ruffly cake here)

I ran the Timpanogos Trail Half last weekend (which actually clocked in for me at 13.7 miles)  

I ran it last year, and apparently I forgot how insanely steep sections of that trail are.....like, straight up. OH. THE. BURN. calves. quads. buns. all on fire. this race pooped me out, but it was a great run. The UP was exhausting, but I pushed and pushed and pushed and felt strong all the way dooooowwwwn the giant mountain. 

My kids chased me through the finish line and then we all collapsed.

I wore the boy's camelbak, and while it was't 100% ideal for me (I would like wider straps, a bottom strap, and pockets on the straps).....it actually worked out ok. 

I ended up getting 4th place for women (only 39 women in the race), and while the course was beautiful....to be completely honest, I left wanting a little more. Everyone in this race was so quiet. No one really talked during the race, or even after. Everyone really kept to themselves, which was so different than last month's race in Moab, where I felt like we were all a team. So my advice to you if you are out on the trails--say hello! Tell someone they are doing an awesome job. 

You are all in it together, so why not make a party out of it?

after:

 

Speaking of running, my Saturday (early early) morning run looked like this:

 

AMAZING! We climbed up 4000ft. 

as much as I love to sleep in, early early morning runs are the best because:

-sunrise

-not so many mountain bikes to run you over

-cool temps

-the rattlesnakes are still sleeping, so when you come within an inch stepping on them, (aaaAAAAaAAhHHhhhhHHh!!!!!!!) they are too lazy to sink their fangs into your chicken leg.

annnnd last, and totally least:

My wisdom teeth are coming out Thursday. 

all of them.

oh. man. 

Please tell me I will live. 

I am so bummed out because I am missing out on opening day at the farmers market this weekend.....will you go for me?

I think that's it.....well.....some if it anyway....I just found out it's already June....what?!

What have YOU been up to?

walkin in a winter wonderland .....

life gets busy. 

we are swimming in end of school madness. 

a graduation is quickly coming up (hooooooray!!!)

a little girl turned five. 

house work.

yard work.

garden work (why! weeds! why!)

family visiting.

wisdom teeth coming out soon (ok so I'm totally dragging my feet making the appointment.......not really looking forward to that moment in my life)

my brain gets crowded.
jumbled and unorganized.
and loud.

so we head for the hills,
 where it's clean, calm, and quiet.
(mostly quiet, except the occasional (or constant) hoot and holler of excitement)

we love love loved this little hike.
so fun to be playing around in winter, knowing summer was waiting for us below.

Silver Lake, Utah

Trailhead: Make your way into American Fork Canyon (exit 284 off I-15)
After about 5 miles, turn left onto N American Fork Canyon Rd towards Tibble Fork Reservoir.
Drive through the parking lot, and then take the sharp left turn. Just before Granite Flat Campground, take a right onto Silver Lake Road (super crazy bumpy road.....make sure your car sits up high)
Follow this road to the Silver Lake Flat parking lot, where you'll find the trailhead.

Distance: 4.5 miles round trip

Elevation gain: 1686ft. We hiked up to 9014ft!

Trail: mostly smooth single track. not too steep. we had quite a bit of slush towards the top but there was a big storm just two days before our hike. The next few weeks into summer I'm sure the trail will be dry.

Destination: Silver Lake. pretty pretty pretty.

Worth mentioning: You cross over a smaller creek (there are some logs to use if you really don't want to get wet). There's also a larger creek crossing that you most likely are going to get wet, so wear shoes that will accommodate that.
Dogs are allowed and will LOVE the icy cold lake.
We ate: peanut butter, honey, and chia seed tortillas
trail mix
dried fruit
beef jerky
snow, because, why not.

so if I'm a little absent over the next few weeks......I'm either ear deep in life (and wisdom teeth), or I ran away to the mountains again......
yes, let's hope for that one.

friday senses

first pick

 

Harvesting: arugula. herbs. baby radishes to make room for the big guys.

 Running: I recently headed into a new web of trails. twisty turny, roller coaster-y, tree covered fun. 

Yoga-ing: lately I am really loving half moon.

Anticipating: a long weekend. grilling. hiking. mountains. yay.

Seeing: thunderstorms in the forecast. I love a good thunderstorm.....

Crying Over: My baby finished preschool this week......why do they just keep growing?

 

Hearing: crickets. windows open all night. love it.

Craving: summer tomatoes. with mozzarella. and basil. There are at least 10 green tomatoes on the vine and they cannot possibly ripen fast enough.

Wanting to Make: my own mozzarella. have you done this? I hear it's not too hard....

Grilling: Everything. We recently made a new favorite.....grilled broccoli. Drizzle a few (large) pieces with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill, turning once sides start to blacken.

mmmm.....

Learning About: chia seeds. such powerful little guys......adding them to lots lately.

Missing: Zion. Needing to get back there. Soon.

Eating: Grilled Beets. Goat Cheese. Cilantro Lime Quinoa. 

Golden beets taste just like their purply red cousins, but if you stay away from beets for the mess, try these--prep and cleanup is much easier. 

Grilled Beets with Goat Cheese and Cilantro Quinoa

I love quinoa because you can really mix it with anything and it's tasty, easy, and filling. It can be worked into a main dish, or a nice little side like this one here. I will do a full quinoa post soon, but for some more ideas and cooking tips try here.

you'll need:

-3-4 beets, sliced and grilled. 

to grill, toss in olive oil and place on heated grill. grill (medium low heat) 8-10 minutes on each side, or until fork tender. 

-goat cheese (put a bit of cheese on beet slice the last few minutes of grilling)

-cooked quinoa (I used about two cups)

toss with quinoa:

-large handful of chopped cilantro

-small handful of chopped chives

-juice of one lime

-salt and pepper

top with grilled beets 

enjoy.

feel free to play along with the senses in the comments or on your own blog. 

Happy Weekend!

the first of summer

summer treat

I remember the house I grew up in. A patio out back with a brown picnic table and orange and pink poppies overflowing the flowerbed. Summers spent with stacks of pb&j, running through the sprinkler, and always plenty of popsicles. They ranged from cream-sicles to push-pops to twin-pops, and as long as they were cold, we were happy.

Last summer we made our fair share of fresh fruit popsicles and chocolate dipped bananas, and this afternoon I dumped a few simple ingredients into the blender for fudgesicles. 

Just add a beach towel and a healthy dose of freckles, and it's a perfect summer day.

what you'll need: any kind of popsicle sticks and molds/coconut milk/cocoa powder/banana/vanilla almond milk

 

Coconut Almond Fudgesicles

(dairy free)

The best thing about this "recipe" is that you can really add whatever you like. 

another banana, more coconut milk, more cocoa, swap out the coconut milk for more almond milk and add some peanut butter.....you get the idea. easy easy.

add to the blender:

1 banana

2 cups vanilla almond milk

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

blend. pour into popsicle molds. freeze. run through sprinkler. eat. repeat.

enjoy. 

What's your favorite frozen treat?

the girls take zion

Girls trip. 

What do you think of?

the spa.

a massage (or two)
facial.

a soak in a mineral bath.

makeovers.

shopping.

pedicures.

fine chocolates.

cute shoes. 

well........

How about:

100s of feet of rope. 

harnesses. 

helmet hair.

dirt.

sweat.

scrapes.

bruises.

camping with 10,000 moths.

dangling off a cliff.

the biggest bestest most fantastic burger you've ever eaten in your life.

mud.

wading through a waste deep stagnant pool.

a 12 mile run through the high desert. 

that's how WE did it. 

we crammed as much adventure into two quick days as we could, and we had the time of our lives.

How to Play in Zion with the Girls

just do it.

this was a very spur of the moment trip. it was all planned out in just a few days. all four of us had stuff to do and busy busy schedules, but we decided to stop talking about and just make it happen.

sometimes you just have to jump.

pick a spot

If you really want a great girls adventure, I reccomend any national park. There are lots of different activities to do (all well mapped) and always small towns near by with places to stay (either hotels or campsites) and good food to eat. We chose Zion National Park--it was in the middle(ish) from where we all were coming, and the scenery is hard to beat.

mix it up

we could have spent our days hiking around the park, and had an amazing time.....but we wanted a little more.....something we'd never done before. We decided we wanted to go Canyoneering- the park is known for it's slot canyons, and we wanted to explore them the best we could. 

find a guide

We knew we would have the best experience with a guide. 

We booked a day with Zion Mountain School, and I cannot recommend them enough. We were lucky enough to go out with the owner, Caleb, and we had an awesome experience. 

The school provides ALL of the gear--everything you'll need for the day (except food and water) and they even take you to the location. We hiked in--up up up the mountain through canyons, over boulders, under fallen trees, and then made our way dooooowwwwn by rappelling. 

We traveled through slot canyons (some with water) and went down the cliffs over and over again.

It is a feeling that compares to no other as you walk your way down the edge of a massive rock wall.

Screams and giggles were not uncommon as our day went on.

eat

for our day we packed a variety of trail mix, jerky, granola bars and dried fruit. All high energy snacks that were easy to pack and kept us going.

After our full day of canyoneering, we were ravenous. If you are anywhere near Zion, eat at Oscars. 

EAT AT OSCARS. 

We did, 

twice. 

I love a good burger after a long day out, and I'm pretty sure this was the best burger I'd ever had.

Really. 
Fresh ingredients, lots of options (I had grilled pineapple on my burger!), and a great surprise when alot of tourist towns can get away with serving up dull food.

run.

The second day of our trip we wanted to explore the park and we decided the best way to do it would be by running it. We could cover more miles that way, and really, running through mountains  and cliffs and forests and slot canyons and red rock just had to be done. 

We mapped out our trail and headed out. We carried lots of water, a few gels, and our map, and we were good to go for a few hours. We started our day early so we could beat most of the desert heat.
Since it was a trail I'd never been on, I also packed a few band-aids, and some iodine tablets for water purification. We had more than enough water, but when I'm heading out into the unknown I like to be extra prepared, just in case.

some phone shots
(I am constantly asked how to follow me on instagram....sorry, I'm private. boring, I know)

After much debate, I DID take my big camera along for our canyoneering adventure. I am so happy I did. While it did spent a lot of time being heavy in  my pack, I was able to get a few shots of the day. I was so happy to spend the time with these awesome, strong, funny and inspiring ladies. A good way to really get to know eachother is to spend a night giggling in a tent, and then hanging off the side of a mountain together.

left to right:
tanae, me, kelly, leilani.
amazing girls those three.

the end.