Winter Running

It has recently become cold, dark and gray; for me this creates a major problem for my running.  While I know I will enjoy running outside much more once I am out and moving and will probably run much farther, the dilemma is trying to convince myself to actually go outside into the cold, gray and snowy world outside my warm house.  You see, there is a treadmill in our nice warm house, and while I hate running on it, it is much warmer in here than it is out there. 

 

This year, however, I am taking a stand.  Well, a mild stand.  Wednesday nights  and Saturday mornings, one of the local running stores hosts a Frosty Turtle challenge.  It is like a little running party. There are waves of people who go out on this one route, with blinking lights and head lamps, and often not all in the same direction.  It is a little glowing light parade (there are over 130 people signed up for this thing). Then, when you return back to the store, there are additional ways to earn points and enter the evening raffle, for example try the sales rep's shoes, earn a point, core work out 5 points, bring food for the local food shelf, more points.  Therefore outside I go, into the dark and the snow.  I hear they make studs for sneakers, I may have to try those later on as the snow falls.  Winter running here I come.

 

Dilemma

  

Since Little Man has been alive, we have gone to the same cut-your-own tree farm 2 miles down the road from our house to find the perfect tree.  Typically, because we have been away for Thanksgiving, we have not cut our tree until the Monday or Tuesday after Thanksgiving and it has been by flashlight in the dark (yes, they will let you cut your own tree in the dark and it is an adventure, since you never quite know what your tree is going to really look like until you get it home). This year, since we were home on Black Friday, we set out for the tree farm in the daylight hours since everyone else would be shopping at that time.  When we arrived at the tree farm, we noticed a tent full of trees that they were loading onto the tree stands and that the happy man handing out saws was not standing at his usual post.  Upon exiting the car, we found out that since the trees are exceptionally small this year, the man who owns the place has decided to give them a year to grow; however, there are trees cut from another farm the day before for people to buy. What to do? Since we had an eager four year old and well.... an eager mommy who were determined to have a tree in the house and decorated by dinner time, we bought one of the trees, went inside for our free hot chocolate and candy cane, and then headed home to decorate and enjoy. 

Daddy's not slouching, just trying to hear the little one's questions over the noise of the tree shaker!

 

While we did not cut our own tree, we have been thoroughly enjoying our tree.  The house smells like Christmas the moment you head down the stairs and I am pretty sure both little man and I spent an hour one morning staring at the lights.  My happy Christmas season has begun.   

Farmers Market: Take 2

Our second winter farmers market of the season has arrived! While our shopping was limited by the fact that Thanksgiving is this week and we will be dining on turkey and stuffing the second half of the week; we did not let that stop us from the fun of the market.  Actually the knowledge that we were not going to buy as much also meant that we would be purchasing meat at the farmers market.  If you have never bought local/grass-fed meat, it tends to run a bit on the expensive side.

 

Due to the shorter meal planning week we actually did go in with a slight shopping list this trip.  We knew we needed some kind of meat, honey and broccoli.  Once those items were purchased we were able to explore a little.  Our major discovery for the week; there is a cranberry bog in the fine state of Vermont.  Yep a cranberry bog less than an hour away from our house.  We of course had to try those.  Then, of course, the boys (who have a thing for redheads) managed to find themselves standing in front of a bakery table run by a cute redhead.  Not sure if they were there for the sweets or the redhead, but hey, she makes a wonderful chocolate croissant so I won't complain too much. Yet another great weekend at the farmers market. 

Indoor Farmers Market

In years past we have allotted some of my coaching stipend towards a CSA at one of the farms just down the road from us.  Unlike me, Andy is not overly thrilled with going because he can never figure out what needs to go in the basket and we always end up with way too many potatoes.  As a result of his dislike of the farm share and my need for vegetables in the winter, and to try things we would not ordinarily eat we decided to instead to put the money towards bi-weekly visits to the indoor farmer's market in Burlington. Today was the first one of the season, so off we went to explore and pick out a few foods for the week. 

 

Our first mistake of the day was bringing a hungry four year old to the farmer's market (he had just come from hockey practice).  He was not going to settle until he had something in his tummy.  While we tried to get him to try bacon soft pretzels, he had his mind set on his usual favorite: The Samosa Man! Once little man's belly was full we were free to explore. 

 Believe it or not, we did actually have a few planned items on our shopping list like garlic and cauliflower, but at the farmers market you can have fun with even your planned-out items.  Rather than the boring white cauliflower, we settled on purple and we picked golden beets instead of the same old boring red ones. 

 While Andy spent a significant amount of time talking to the woman serving up Maple Vodka made from maple sap, little man and I hung out at the Nutty Vermonter table.  After sampling some delicious nut butter varieties, we settled on the Maple Cinnamon one which was immediately pulled out and snacked on when we arrived home.  Our other interesting buy of the day was lamb snack sticks.  Having set a certain amount aside for the farmers market, let us play around a bit with purchases; it was great and we already have a few things picked out for our next visit in two weeks.  Ok, maybe Andy was right, the farmers market would be a lot more fun. 

Pumpkin Pie Soda

Why I should never have unstructured time: I try weird stuff.