Confession and a Recipe

It's been a few years, but here I am again in a familiar place, the Juror Holding and check-in room.  I arrived at about 7:15 and went through the security check point. It was a different entrance this time - the side door which lawyers and employees used the last time I was here. I checked in and began my routine of people watching.  People from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds.  Some in suits, others in shorts.  There is an odd couple who catch my attention and I'm ashamed to say my judgement.  She is in a wheelchair and he is barely ambulatory pushing her. By their speech, I assume they are mentally as well as physically challenged.  I wonder why they are here.  Most bring something to do whether magazines, e-readers, hand-held games, or even crochet projects.  There is a new snack bar and coffee shop that smells good. The same blind man who has run the place since my first time walks around assuredly, going about his business (it is run by a blind organization). I had my usual fruit and veggie smoothie on the drive in so I'm not tempted by the goodies.  I settle in and anticipate the usual course of events - called for the morning case, picked to be on the jury.  Trial will last three days.  That's been my pattern.

At 8:30 the process begins. I haven't recited the pledge of allegiance since the last time I was here.  I can proudly say I still have it memorized.

By 10:30 I hadn't been called to a panel. Lunch is 11:45 so it looked like I may not be called up until after lunch or not at all.  It's so quiet in here, much more than the library.  Everyone is serious and knowing we aren't supposed to talk about cases, we don't talk at all. Mood was equivalent to outside, cloudy and cold.  Finally,10:50 and my name was called along with the woman in a wheelchair, a minister, and a lawyer/former prosecutor.  The first question, by prosecution, went to me. Yep, I'll be on the jury.  I was juror #1 but got a reprieve to be foreperson when another woman said, "so who wants to be foreman?" while everyone stared in silence at the papers. Then the elderly gentleman answered, "first person to speak gets it."

I won't discuss the case, it's irrelevant here. My day, however, gave me a lot of time to think. The woman in the wheelchair didn't have to come.  She chose to.  Her friend stayed all day. She was in a manual wheelchair and many of us gladly stepped up and pushed her wherever she needed to go, in and out of the juror deliberation room, up and down from holding room to courtroom.  Yes, she was picked to be on the jury!!  The woman didn't communicate well and I assumed we were going to have difficulties in deliberating and reaching a verdict, however, I'm happy to say she proved me wrong.  On my way home I asked God for forgiveness for judging her, assuming the worst.  I truly was ashamed of myself. She was so nice, always smiling and saying thank you.  I won't (I hope) be doing that sin again.

So what does all this have to do with food?  I was starving by the time I got home! During the wait periods (of which there were many) I had been thinking of how I was going to cook all the asparagus in my fridge before it went bad since I'm the only one who eats it.  And, to correlate to my story - I prejudged asparagus, used to never eat it until I set aside my prejudice and actually tried it (fresh, not canned).

I'm not sure how asparagus soup is supposed to taste, but I think it's pretty good. You be the judge.

RECIPE:
32 oz vegetable broth
2 large red potatoes
3 cups asparagus
1 tsp ground ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 c coconut milk
1/4 c grated/shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp salt

Dice potatoes with skin on.  Remove woody ends of asparagus and chop into about 1/2 inch pieces.  Add to broth in large stock pot and cook on medium high with lid on for 15 minutes.

Step one of Asparagus soup.

Add remainder of ingredients and simmer with lid off for 15 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, purée smooth.  Yield approximately 7 cups.  

Minced garlic, ground ginger, coconut mild and coconut flakes.

Simmer until veggies are soft.

Puree until smooth.

Enjoy your asparagus and potato soup with coconut.

PS:  I've been working on several #Runergy bar recipes.  I'll post the preliminary recipes next post. I also have a cook-book that I need to update with all my dairy-free #Runergy recipes.  If interested in purchasing ($2 plus postage), leave a comment or PM on my FB page.  https://www.facebook.com/cewait.

NEW YEAR, NEW CHALLENGE

This year, I turn 50.  To commemorate, I will be doing my 5th marathon....the hardest one yet.  What's the point in taking it easy? I still can, still enjoy the training process, still enjoy getting up at 3 am to run with hundreds or thousands of like-minded athletes.  

However, the training was getting a bit stale.  I know every inch of nearly every road within a 20-mile radius of my house.  Even with music and running buddies, it can get a bit boring.  What's a girl to do?

Why, obviously - take it off-road!!   Yes, that's right, I'm training for a trail race. It's in March so you'll be getting updates from time to time.  I'm up to 12 miles.  I've been running in a state park that has:  sand, hard-packed dirt, pine needles, lots of leaf litter, mud, a few hills, knobby tree roots that I have to dance over like a little bunny, deer, wild turkey, and I'm told a bear or two.  

Today, I did 12 very muddy miles.  

I do not have a Go-Pro so I hooked up my phone to my CamelBak.

The photo is a little fuzzy because the lens got foggy.  What I did was rubber band my phone to the horizontal clap.  Stayed in place perfectly!!

After my run I cooled my feet off in the 74-degree springs.  Ahh.  It was cold but felt really good.  

PS.  My #Runergy bars came in quite handy.  Gave me great energy.  

#Runergy

What is #Runergy?  

Good question.

#Runergy is energy.  It is fuel.  It is food, but not just any food.  It is food to sustain your body through a tough work out, a long run, and a busy, hectic life on the run.  

This is the first recipe I dubbed "#Runergy":  

#Runergy Bar

I won't post the full recipe yet, because I haven't perfected it.

Basically it is made of raw honey, rolled oats, almonds, dark chocolate or cocoa beans, coconut, puffed amaranth, salt, and dried fruit.  I consume half of one of these 3-inch bars before a long run and the other half after an hour.  Keeps me going strong.  

If you have food allergies (I'm allergic to dairy) and are looking for a natural product to replace the prepackaged stuff you buy in stores, try #Runergy.  You'll be glad you did.

This morning, I made another batch of chocolate pudding.  This time with a little peanut butter.  Yummy.  

2 avocados, 2 TBS raw honey, 1 TBS natural peanut butter (peanuts+salt), 3 TBS cocoa powder, 3 TBS coconut milk, 1 tsp vanilla.  Puree and chill. 

Pudding.

Fruit and Nut Bars

In my never-ending quest for the perfect running fuel, I present to you the "Fruit and Nut Granola Bar".  The cocoa and amaranth bar is soft and great to take while running and my previous bar was chock full of chocolate chips.  This time, no chocolate.  I know, that's very different for me.  These are great for pre-workout fuel and anytime for breakfast. 

This bar takes time, two days or roughly 12-14 hours total including prep. Unless you want to start at 5 am  give it two days. I dried my fruit on day one, the rest on day two.  The results are well worth the effort.  

Here's the recipe:

1 cup local, raw honey
3 cups oats (I use Quaker rolled)
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup each:  pineapple and dark cherries 
1/2 cup blackberry puree ( or 1 c blueberries)
1/2 c or 3 Majool dates pureed
1/4 tsp salt
1 c raw almonds
1/2 c raw cashews
1/2 c raw pumpkin seeds

*fruits and nuts can vary, but must partially dehydrate first.  Also good with pistachios and sunflower seeds.  Adding cacao beans and cacao powder gives an additional 'kick'.  

Instructions:
First, puree and strain your blackberries and make a fruit roll up in your dehydrator.  At the same time, partially dehydrate the pineapple and cherries and/or blueberries. Takes about 4 hours of drying time. I purchased dates from Nuts.com.

Blackberry fruit roll up.

TWO:  Chop the fruit.  Roll up the blackberry roll and chop/dice.  Use 1/2 cup of this. 

THREE:  Chop the nuts.

FOUR:  Add ingredients, one at a time in the order listed above.  Stir after each addition.  

FIVE:  Line a baking dish or loaf pan with plastic wrap.  This is your mold.  Press down to about one inch thick then compress with a second dish or a brick or get a strong person to squish it for you (I have very little upper body strength).  

Granola mix and loaf pan for a mold

SIX:  Unwrap and place logs onto dehydrator trays.

Fruit and nut bar on dehydrator tray

SEVEN:  Set dehydrator for 125F and dry for 8 hours.  After this time it will be firm. They will harden further after cooling.   If you want crunchier bars, leave in another hour or two.  

EIGHT:  Allow bars to cool for about 5 minutes, cut down into smaller pieces (I cut them into thirds) then begin wrapping.  Wrap with plastic wrap to keep moisture in, for freshness, and for easy portability.  Store in the refrigerator if not planning on eating within 3 days.  

Fruit and Nut Granola Bars.

Runergy Bar

Pudding!!

Corn chips

Hand made Paper from El Valle, Panama

While I was on a Mission trip in El Valle, Panama I helped to move some items for storage.  Among the boxes was a crate full of hand made paper.  Lisa Carter, the missionary who she and her husband had planted the church, told us that her husband, David, taught a man by the name of Lorenzo how to make the paper.  He was going to use the new trade to  earn a living for himself and his family.  There in El Valle is an open air market that tourists come to shop from local artisans.   David and Lisa purchased this batch of paper a while back but as yet had not had the time to do anything with it.   I thought it was too beautiful to sit in storage, therefore, I accepted the challenge of finding good homes for the paper.  Below are a few photos and how to order.  The monies collected from the sale of this paper will go toward purchasing Bibles for the children.    Contact me at freedspirit05@yahoo.com to order.   (UPDATE:  bundles of paper are now available on EBay -. Five posts are listed and more to come.)

Chose your bundle then contact freedspirit05@yahoo.com to order

Home made paper from El Valle