Creamy lemon-dill white bean dip

By

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March 19, 2012

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This recipe originally came from The Looneyspoons Collection, which was an Xmas gift to me from Elbows. I brought it to the wedding invitation-making dinner party held last night at my buddy Renée’s house. The dip is quite similar to hummus but it has a certain…je ne sais quoi, probably from the honey and lemon zest. I was also quite generous with the garlic!

Ingredients:

1 can (19 oz) no-salt-added white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt or light (5%) sour cream

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp tahini

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp liquid honey

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp each ground coriander and freshly ground black pepper (I just realized as I was typing this that I forgot the coriander. Apparently, it was quite delicious anyway.)

1 tbsp minced fresh dill (not dried)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except dill in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in dill. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with wedges of whole-grain pita bread or sliced cucumber rounds for dunking. Tastes best when eaten within a day or two.

Massada and the Dead Sea

By

dmclaren

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March 17, 2012

Shalom and this is the last short post of my trip. I will be providing a more in depth report and marathon overview of the course. Jerualem marathon is one to put on your wish list. The Holy City, the lands surrounding and the amazing history cannot be compared anywhere.

Depsite the relentless hills, I felt pretty good today enough that Sam and I walked up Massada.. which is 1.88 km and took us 23 minutes (including time for pictures). The top of Herod’s fortress is about 900 metres straight up. The views are amazing. The history behind how the Romans laid seige for 3 years and the “death before slavery” credo lives on.

The magnificance of the castle is unbelievable .

From here we took a trip to the Dead Sea. Floating is no problem. The oddest sensation is actually trying to swim., and even stand up . The bouyance is , for lack of a better word, weird.

Then we showered off, and drove back to Jerualem, passing through a couple of armed check points.
More food. The Isreali dinners consist of eating, eating, and then the main course,and when you are full more food.BTW all delicious.

Up Sunday morning for the journey to Tel Aviv, home to Toronto and back to work on Monday.

Will write up the complete travelogue next week.

L’hitra/ot (see you soon)

One. Month. Left.

By

arobitaille

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March 16, 2012

Wow. I can’t believe the fact that in one month, my very first experience running the Boston Marathon will be over.

March break has all but come and gone in our house, (sniff, sniff) and the weather has been wonderful. Who knew I would rack up so many gorgeous training days in a “winter” training cycle? In this last month of training for the race of a lifetime, I am hoping for the following things:

-more of this lovely spring (ok, summer) weather. If I am lucky enough to wear shorts in Boston, it would be nice to do so with legs that have seen even just a tiny bit of sun beforehand!

–continued patience on the part of my family/friends. With an extra shout-out to the hubs. I am impressed with the fact that I have been able to fit in all of these training runs, but really, it is because I have a very understanding family. I am the lucky one that gets to log miles while they sacrifice a clean home, perfect meals, etc.

-speed/patience while racing at the end of March. The Around the Bay Race is coming up, and while I hope to be quick, I really hope not to injure myself by trying too hard!

–Time. You know what they say…”time is money”. In this case, it really is, “time is running.” Next week, I am heading back to work (gulp!) after 14 months away. I will now face the reality of a day job, along with the kiddies, housework, (it will suffer, no doubt) homework, running and being my cheery self through it all. Wishing, hoping and praying for time is important.

–Health. I have managed to log hundreds of miles this winter without so much as a sniffle. Being mindful of getting sleep, (when the baby allows, of course) trying to eat right, and avoiding those germs the older boys drag into the house has worked so far. I have a feeling that when I head back into a high school full of students, my luck might run out in the ‘healthy’ department. I may turn into the hand-washing queen?!

I feel like the luckiest runner out there. I am so eager to get to that starting line (er, corral…then starting line) to put this training into fruition. So, be kind to me, Final Month of Training. I respect you, and I will try my best to hold up to my end of the deal. We will both celebrate in Boston, perhaps in an ice bath at a very nice hotel.

Letting Go of Perfection

By

KSkinner

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March 16, 2012

It gets to easy to get wrapped up in the wrong issue. To focus on a “trouble spot” that a magazine or website promises they will help you fix. To look longingly at the legs of the woman on a running magazine and wish yours were that long, than lean. To beat yourself up because you’re certainly no Kara Goucher, so what is it that you’re doing out here?

I have felt lost at times, for months on end (as has everyone, I’m sure). Having children, while it has undoubtedly been the biggest blessing of my life, also really threw me for a loop.

I had my first daughter two days after my 25th birthday. Coming from a place where I wasn’t even exactly sure who I was, I was thrown into the milky and terrifying world of babies. While there was never any question of my devotion to her, I realized, two years later, with a second baby in my arms and a toddler on my knee, that I had no idea who I was.

It happened at a family get together almost four years ago: we were asked to turn to the person on our right (I have a big family) and tell them something that we liked to do. I turned to my cousin, opened my mouth, and nothing came out. After opening and closing my mouth for a few seconds, I think I mumbled something about liking to run.

That realization stayed with me for a while, but I didn’t really do anything about it. Quite frankly, I was too tired, what with the babies and diapers and stuff.

Time passed, and mostly, life started to seem less overwhelming, and then somehow, along the way, I started to identify with this new me, with this “Mom Kaitlyn.”

While I don’t feel so lost anymore, I’ve still hit some stumbling points. Moments where it feels like I’ll never be enough, never do enough. Moments where I am jealous of others, angry at myself. Moments when I wished I was somehow different than I am. Times when I felt so very far away from being perfect.

The thing is though, that I am very far away from being perfect. And that in itself is kind of lovely. I’m not perfect, and hell, I’m not even trying to be anymore. I’m just… me.

Will I ever look like the girl on the cover of a running magazine? Will I ever run a sub-four hour marathon? Will the crow’s feet around my eyes ever lessen? Probably not.

And yet, if I looked like very tiny girl on the cover of the magazine, I may not have been able to give birth to my two beautiful (and hefty!) babies.

If I concentrate on my inability to run a sub-four hour marathon, I will miss out on celebrating the best part of running: the joy it brings me.

So many people strive to be perfect, but I think that if we just took a moment and asked ourselves what perfection really looks like, you may realize that it’s not so far from where you are now. Or if it is, you may realize that you are capable of getting yourself there.

People’s lives aren’t what you see on Facebook. People are sweaty and smelly and we get tired and yell at each other and say shitty things. People are small and weak and scared.

But people are also kind and loving and looking for someone to recognize all of the good that they do, all the sacrifices they make for those they love. People are wonderful and giving and yes, smelly and sweaty.

So if you’re struggling because you’re lost, or because you’re not perfect, ask yourself where it is you truly want to go. Ask yourself how you can get there. If you let go of the notion of perfection, chances are, you’re pretty close.

Jerusalem Marathon- March 16, 2012

By

dmclaren

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March 16, 2012

Shalom runners: What a day. We (Ben, Ross and I) walked to the start. Met up with a runner from Johannesburg South Africa. Shea is visting family in Isreal.

The runners here today (or at least the ones I talked to are Jewish) some were born in New York and moved here. The guy in the liquour store was born in Toronto but moved here with his family 13 years ago.

Anyway, back to the race report. It was overcast as we walked to the start. Found the press tent and stored our stuff,quick portolet check, then off to the start line.

It started to rain, then the dowhill began followed by an uphill. Iwas taking pictures along the route. The hills were non stop, and the wind was not stop.
The views were non stop so that kept the race fun.

I was going to mention the effen route. Fun and festive.

All along the course are the soldiers and guns. It becomes a way of life here to carry guns.

But I always felt safe. A lot of the runners I spoke to ( speak English btw) and alot of them have run this before.

I also passed 4 visually impaired (blind) runners with their guide.

This is a very hilly course, but the k’s went bye quickly. The wind was non stop, but that helped blow dry your clothes from the rain. I will post pictures of the excellent scenery later.

We rain through the old city and disrupted a few tourists.

I was given bananas and one volunteer section was giving dates as well.

The winner, from Kenya won with a course record of 2:19.

The day was sunny, rainy, and hilly. The hills never stopped and the wind never stopped.

This was my 51st marathon and although it may have been the toughest, my recovery time was good. I would run this again, because the scenery and tecture of the route is not comparable to other events.

Finish time 4:36… Memory is metzuyan (excellent)

April is Run Canada Month

By

Karen Karnis

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March 15, 2012

April is Run Canada Month

In case you haven’t heard, April is Run Canada Month. In a nutshell, the purpose of Run Canada Month is to promote running to people of all ages across Canada. But what exactly does that mean?

I had the opportunity to sit down with Run Canada director Chris Moulton to ask that very question. He explained the background and how it all came about, as well as the goals of the initiative.

The most obvious and explicit goal is to promote running across Canada, both formally through the Run Canada Races and School programs, as well as informally by inspiring people to give it a try. In addition, each year, the initiative will include a fundraising project – for 2012, the money raised through donations and purchase of merchandise will go towards the training and support of Canada’s 2012 Olympic marathon team.

The other major goal, however, is to unite the running community. Running simply doesn’t enjoy the same high profile as other sports (most notably hockey) in Canada, but there is something cool about running that other sports lack. When I go out to a road race, I could find myself in the same event as Eric Gillis or Dayna Pidhoresky. Sure, I will be much further back in the pack, and they will probably be home and showered by the time I finish, but it’s the same race – and you can’t say that about hockey.

Yet somehow, there is still a great deal of disconnect between elite and recreational runners, and even between different types of running, such as track, cross country, and road running. While this is changing due to factors such as social media, and the mainstream media coverage of the athletes who have recently qualified for the Olympics, Moulton says we still need to find ways to connect and grow the sense of community among runners.

Moulton is involved in doing just that in the small city of Guelph, Ontario, home of the Speed River Track and Field Club and the Canadian Centre for Running Excellence. Through multiple efforts such as runner’s brunches at a local restaurant, free seminars, and inviting the public out to watch some fast runners run at local meets, Moulton and his colleagues have managed to bring runners together in a very profound way. The greatest illustration of this sense of community that I can think of is the recent fundraising push for the Guelph Track Project. After receiving a Trillium grant and a very large anonymous donation, the group behind the effort to build an 8-lane international level track found themselves with less than two weeks to come up with another million dollars – and they managed to do it. Imagine! A million dollars in two weeks, in a city of about 122,000 people. Sure, the elites will use the track for training, but it will also be available to the public, and have the capacity to host major track and field events. It wouldn’t have been possible to achieve these outcomes if runners and fans continued along in their silos.

So now, Run Canada Month is aiming for something similar at a national level. “The concept of Run Canada Month started out as Run Canada Week,” Moulton explains, but as they looked at all of the great races available in April, the idea grew to a month-long celebration. “While there is no way to really measure individual participation in Run Canada Month, we just want to get as many people active and engaged as possible, and bring more people into the running community,” says Moulton.

“You can say what you want about ‘the other guys’ but ultimately the goal of running is the same. There is a kinship amongst runners no matter who they are,” says Moulton, his passion for the sport bubbling over. He adds, “Running is a lifestyle sport. You people can come to it at any age, and there’s no retirement.”

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Do your part to bring people into the running community, iRunNation! Check out our Get Canada Running contest!

Thursday March 15 and running tomorrow

By

dmclaren

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March 15, 2012

Shalom: what a long day…and we will be walking to the start of the marathon which begins at 7.a.m. or get a bus at 4:30…what would you do? They close the streets beginning at 6 am

Today began at 7:30 and we got a tour (sort of) of the course. But it was raining and cloudy and windy and cold.

We also toured a recently discovered archilogical site in the City of David, near the Western Wall.Waited for an hour for the bus to pick us up..this is very congested place for tours. We witnesessed 3 bar mitvahs, complete with music and dancing while we waited, so that was ok.Then more eating, then to the expo, then to the pasta dinner,, and we forced the tour guide to bring us back so we could get off our feet.

Will post more after the race.

Long day Wednesday

By

dmclaren

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March 14, 2012

Hello RG followers: Up at 7 am for the press conference with the Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Baraket (who has run 5 marathons himself). Got to meet Kevin Lin (Running the Sahara fame) and the elite Kenyan Andrew and the elite Russian woman Camila (will provide last names later).

From the breakfast, our guide, Irit, took us to the Old City, where we got 5000 years of history in about 3 hours.We visited the Arab Market (shuk) and the Muslim Quarter the old city is divided into 4 sections, Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian) as well as the Church of the Holy Speulcher- Christian (and walked 5,6,7 sections of the cross). Visited the site where the church was resurrected where Jesus Christ was crucified.

We visited a few other areas which I will describe later. We are going out tonight to tour nightclubs.

Back to the tour. We also saw the Dead Sea Scrolls and learned about how they were written and discovered. The Community Sect was responsible for writing them.

Then we visted the Mount of Olives and the Church of Gestmanie.

Then back to the hotel., but before we did this we visited East Jerusalem and due to a traffic incident (not our fault) our driver had a little chat with some armed policemen. They were not dressed in uniform.

The course tour is on Thursday, and I have a feeling the hills will be challenging.

Got to have a nap now.

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

By

WhatsCookin

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March 14, 2012

Mr. Shuffler was visiting last week so that meant I got to flex my cooking muscles. We decided to visit a past triumph: chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. We found the original recipe in an LCBO Food & Drink magazine a few years back but for some reason, that recipe is one of the few that is not archived online.

We started by stuffing about 20 unpeeled garlic cloves into the cavity of a whole chicken (we splurged on a “traditionally raised” one). We then rubbed the bird down with olive oil and sprinkled it with dried thyme. We then covered the bottom of an ovenproof pot with unpeeled garlic cloves and rested the chicken, breast-side up on the garlic. Some recipes suggest that you brown the chicken first with olive oil before putting it in the oven but I think that’s a largely aesthetic choice. We baked the chicken for about 1.5 hours at 350F. The Internet informed me that it is safe to eat once a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh reaches 170F. When it’s done, let it rest about 10 minutes before carving.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that after 1.5 hours in the oven, the garlic cloves become very soft and much, much less pungent. You can spread them on bread and have instant garlic bread.

For the sweet potatoes, I cut and peeled two large ones, cut them into chunks and then tossed them with olive oil, thyme, rosemary and just a little bit of salt. They were then baked for one hour at 350.

The spinach salad is a recipe that we tried at Play restaurant several years ago. Start by toasting 2-3 tbsp of pine nuts in a frying pan; this should take about 5 minutes or so if the pan is hot when you start. Set aside. Wilt about 250g of spinach (half of a large container). Mr. Shuffler is an expert spinach-wilter but I’m learning. The trick is to take the spinach off the heat as soon as just a little bit wilts. The pan will stay hot and so the rest of the spinach will wilt shortly thereafter. Sprinkle the wilted spinach with the toasted pine nuts and 2-3 tbsp of raisins.

Jerusalem March 13,2012

By

dmclaren

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March 13, 2012

Hello RG follwers: Got up and ran 8k with Ben and Sam. We ran north along the pathway from the hotel. Getting warmer. Then we checked out of the hotel and took a walking tour through Tel Aviv. Viewed the market and a few other places.

Then we left around 4 pm to drive to Jerusalem. Noticed a lot of fencing on both sides of the highway.

Checked into the Prima Kings hotel and then went out for our media reception at the Canela Hotel for our meal with our host from the Israeli Tourism . There was media reps from Germany, Korea and Russia.

The food just kept on coming. Not sure if this is a middle east custom,but there was salad, dips for bread, more salads, olives, and other dips, then plate upon plate of meat, chicken (and I ordered fish) They served us wine, and then we were presented with our media passes, The host has run marthons. Tomorrow is the press conference with the mayor of Jerusalem , Nir Barket and other runners including the elites.

After this meal we went to the Mirror Bar for a reception before we walked over the Old City for our private sound and light show.

As we approached the old city walls and David’s Tower, you became in awe of where you are standing. I am not an overly religious individual, but so a brief moment was struck with a tingling sensation.Not sure how else to describe this “ah ha” moment, but the fleeting feeling was unique.

We were given a 45 minute extraganza showing of the history of how Jersualem was became and is. Remember this city is over 5000 years old and has a number of significant events and rulers.