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Monday, May 24, 2010

Good Morning Mike!

I both look forward to and dread Monday mornings. I have this little ritual.  I set the alarm on my phone for 5:00 a.m., with a "second call" at 5:10 and then a "last chance" for 5:15.  I'm not sure why I don't just set it for the last and final flurry of beeps but somehow the staggered warning makes me feel a little more ready to start the day.  Let me add that Michael hates this habit of mine so on Sunday nights I sleep with my phone under my pillow, this way the triple threat of alarms are muffled and audible just to me and our lab, Hunter.

My favorite part of this morning ritual is coffee.  Michael sets it up the night before so that the percolating begins just as the first set of beeps start on my alarm.  I don't think it is the caffeine I need but the aroma and the sheer hot goodness of it all.

I always make sure I have something to eat before my workouts.  This is not easy and I really am never hungry this early in the morning.  I've learned though that fuel is an essential part of getting through a workout with the Evil Training Monster.

Pre-workout breakfast consisted of:

1/2 cup of 0% Fage
6 blueberries
1 tsp of Agave
1 Orowheat sandwich round
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/3 banana

310 calories



Maybe because his job is to watch us suffer but Mike is always way too chipper first thing in the morning.


He is a great trainer, wonderful at what he does but I think there is a little bit of him that likes to see us suffer.


Just two of us training this morning and doing "plank to a push up" pictured here.  I'm the one with the poor form on the right.  Mike's always telling me to get my butt down.

An hour and too many prisoner hops later we were done.  Back home quickly for a power shake and shower then off to work.

I love this shake.  It is:


1/2 cup of berries
1 scoop of Greens & Whey
1/4 cup of Fage
1/3 banana
1 tbsp of flax oil


270 Calories



I only had a little time in the office today before I drove north to Arterra for a lunch meeting with the officers from the San Diego Bailliage of the Chaine des Rotisseurs to discuss involvement for the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival and the Chaine's upcoming 50th Anniversary celebration in October.

The Chaine des Rotisseurs is the oldest, largest and most prestigious international society of gastronomes in the world.  They unite industry professionals with amateur gourmands by participating in and promoting the culinary arts.  Based on the great traditions and high standards of the medieval French guild of rotisseurs or "meat roasters," their confrerie focuses on celebrating the pleasures of the table.
The staff at Arterra was very patient with me and my million questions about the menu.  Before our main courses came out, the chef treated us all with a beautiful Roasted Corn Soup.  It took a whole lot of willpower to simply taste this and not slam my face into the bowl, licking it clean.


It really was exceptional but heavy in cream and butter so it did not get devoured.  We also ordered a couple of appetizers to share:

Whole Wheat Flatbread of Duck Confit - wild mushrooms, caramelized onions and goat cheese


I had a slice.  For only a slice it felt hearty and decadent and I was thrilled with this tease knowing that my salad would be nice and light.  We also split flatbread and hummus which was tasty and gave me the carb portion of the meal I would need.


My salad was really exceptional, filled with fresh vegetables from Chino Farms.



Ira, Hal, Marti and Ken all seemed to enjoy their meals as well, and I think found humor into my new blogging obsession.  It was a great meeting filled with possibility for our organizations.  Have I said how much I love this business?


I had every intention of taking spin tonight with Norma (Mike's wife) but Michael (that little devil on my shoulder) talked me into spending quality time with Hunter instead.  We did a power walk through the hills of La Mesa stopping once or twice to give Hunter a water break.


I really need to get a dog friendly adapter for our water bottles, although Hunter has gotten pretty good at this method.  We walked for about an hour winding through some neighborhoods we had not explored before.  There are a number of historic homes in La Mesa and it seems like the hillside we were on today was dotted with them.


My final push up the stairs.  I made myself run up them though I got a bit fatigued at the top.  I blame Evil Training Monster...my legs were exhausted.

By the time we got home we were starving and looking for some comfort food.  I put together turkey and pesto panini sandwiches from a recipe I saw on Cooking Light.  I made a more manly portion for Michael and made mine minus the mayo and on Ezekiel bread instead of sourdough.  Honestly, mine was great, but man...Michael's was really, really good.

Michael's:


Mine:


I also heated up Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup from Pacific Natural Foods.


And, of course, ate my salad:


On a side note, I can't believe that I've been in an email exchange tonight with Gale Gand!  Chef Gale is a nationally acclaimed pastry chef, cookbook author and restaurateur that I am working toward booking for the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival.  She's booked for 2010 but said she might be able to join us next year.  Yes, I'm culinary star struck.

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