Tabouli, Tabbouleh, Tabouleh!

I love Tabouli. If you don't know what Tabouli is, well.... It's a super hippie dish that's for sure!  Okay, seriously it's a traditional Middle Eastern dish. Simple, clean, and refreshing.  Everytime I eat it I reminisce of my childhood, grade 9, and summer. My mom would make this healthy stuff for us as far back as I can remember. When I was a little older, and she didn't make it as much, I think I would beg her to make it because I had a friend in grade 9 who's mom made it for her! But I don't think she makes it anymore? So now I make it!
However, my recipe is with a bit of a twist. I make it with Quinoa instead of Bulghar wheat. Then it's gluten free.  This is not a new recipe. You can search the internet, and there are many quinoa tabouli recipes.  But I thought I would post mine anyhow. With my flavours, and now that more local produce is coming out as well, I'm taking full advantage of buying some local,  tasty tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs.

Quinoa Tabouli
1 cup quinoa, rinsed several times( I rinse it right in my rice cooker by swishing the quinoa around in cold water, then draining the water from the pot while holding the lid on snuggly. The water slowly pours out.)
2 cups water
Once quinoa is rinsed really well, add the cooking water and cook in the rice cooker.

1 1/2 cups fresh, organic, parsley, finely chopped
3-4 tbsps. fresh mint, finely chopped
1 large, local tomoatoe, finely chopped
1 local cucumber, finely chopped
1 organic lemon, juiced
1/4-1/3 cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Once quinoa is done cooking, remove the lid, and let it cool.
Then prepare all the other ingredients while quinoa is cooling, and add them to a large bowl.
Once the quinoa is no longer steaming, add it to the bowl, and mix well with all other ingredients, seasoning to your liking.
You can let it sit in the fridge overnight before eating, or eat right away. However it always tastes a little more flavourful after sitting for awhile.

I think I'm going to go get another bowl full now...

What I learned this morning....

Had the swim coach make some comments on our swim stoke. Which is great. It's always positive to know that you can keep making improvements.Then I read a little quote which I thought was fitting to this morning.
"... I'm running with serenity and confidence and letting the improvements come to me."  Kara Goucher, America long-distance runner.
Yes, it does have to do with running specifically, but I felt that it could be applied to any part of sport. I mean, honestly, who am I kidding! Even as a recreational triathlete, we're never really satisfied with just doing alright. We always crave more, better, faster.
But I think there is a certain point where sometimes it doesn't hurt to shut that expectation off and just let the improvements come to you.

CNS & PNS

Had a great acupuncture session today, and Dr. Nelson gave me a different "exercise" to do before I go to sleep at night. It's a way to "reset the Nervous System" she said. I think I wrote that correctly? A way to sleep better at night. I'm looking forward to feeling the results.
So during my run this afternoon, I was thinking of this "exercise" . It made me wonder about my little brain .   The CNS, and PNS! The brain, the spinal cord and all the nervous structures outside of that. Everything that keeps me running, biking, and swimming, laughing, and eating of course!
Here are some ramblings on our complex systems. I may not be entirely acurate on all of this, so by all means correct me.
The nervous system can be sub-divided into "three basic funtions". Sensory, Integrative, and Motor. The Sensory bit has to do with internal stimuli(ie: blood pressure) and external stimuli (ie: a raindrop on your skin). The Integrative bit processes the Sensory information.(ie perception)  Then there is Motor function. This function takes the integrated sensory information and brings about a response. Then the sensory and motor functions of the PNS can be further sub-divided into the Somatic(SNS), Autonomic(ANS), and Enteric(ENS) nervous systms! The SNS takes the external and internal information from the body and relays it to the CNS. This action is voluntary. The ANS relays information from the visceral(internal) organs to the CNS(involuntary). Then there is also the ENS. This one is involuntary also, and takes the chemical changes in the gut and relays them to the CNS. Oh boy. So now taking all of that into account, the simple acts of eating and working out, and basic daily functions, seem to be a lot of work for the body!
And all of this made me think about proprioception,  how we view the world around us,(CNS & PNS)and how it is so vitally important to continually change our external surroundings, and exercises/activities that we expose our bodies too. Essentially,  improving and changing, the way our body, and mind, perceives the environment around us.
And wouldn't you have it, hills were on my schedule today! Hills are important for power, apparently even injury prevention, and when you run or bike hills, this challenges our fitness. Hmmm, does this change the bodies external and internal stimuli as well?  Hey, even work on adjusting the running stride a little. Improve propriocetion? Which is not a bad thing to do when you run all the time any how. Why stick to the same stride that you've always known? 
With the CNS and PNS, and all the bodies daily workings, I'm looking forward to "resetting my nervous system".
The more I read about the body, the more humble it makes me.

Principles of Human Anatomy, 11th Edition, Tortora, G.J., Nielsen, M.T.

A great read

A really well written article about Ryder Hesjedal.
Can't wait to see his performance in TDF! woohoo!
http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articles/2011.07-sports-the-pain-principle/1/

Pizza

Homemade pizza has become a staple in our house lately.
I finally found a descent Gluten Free mix that even non-gluten free-ers love!

I don't like to buy pre-mixed stuff, but this one rocks! It's simple, quick, and easy to prepare.
Plus there are always leftovers!
I've done Foccacia and some flat bread with it as well.

So Saturday evening, we opened some vino, and made some pizza!
I made mine tomatoe sauce free.

For the pizza "sauce":
 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1/4 cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp dried basil
Mix the 3 ingredients in a bowl, and let sit until crust is ready.

Then make your pizza crust.
Once the pizza crust is ready, top with the sauce of choice, and toppings of choice.
We topped our pizza's with:
Mushrooms
Fresh red and orange peppers
Kalamata olives
Artichoke hearts
Organic turkey meat slices
Organic bison pepperoni slices (fresh from the Farmers Market, Olson Bison)
Goat cheese feta

Bake in the oven until browned and bubbling! So delicious.
Can't wait until lunch today for leftovers!

Cycling Calgary

Now this is what I like to read!

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Calgary+cycling+plan+aims+double+downtown+riders/4927274/story.html


And this is what I love to see! Sigh... wouldn't it be amazing if this is what our city slowly transformed into??? One of my favorite videos.

Well I can dream can't I?



Words of Wisdom

Mark found this video and it was hilarious!

"Rock and Roll!"

Good Enough

Read this in the Globe and Mail earlier this week. I thought it was a great article


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/news-and-views/sarah-hampson/the-secret-to-happiness-live-a-good-enough-life/article2037845/page2/

Tour de Victoria

We were off playing in Victoria for a few days. The main reason Mark and I were there was to participate in the inagural Tour de Victoria.  It was a blast!

  Ryder Hesjedal!

 The Atrium

 Habit Coffee shop

 The kids Crit

The ride was over and done with before we knew it. Time flies when  you're having fun!  We ate, walked, ran and biked for four days. Here is the TDV link where you can check out more pictures of the ride. http://www.tourdevictoria.com/index.php?option=com_igallery&view=igcategory&id=1&Itemid=265
Victoria is such a gem. Can't wait to go back!