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101 UPDATE

1)This month's new recipe:

Garlic-Roasted Chicken Breasts

Yield: 4 servings

Active Time: 15 min.

Total Time: 40 min.

Ingredients:

• 
  
  3 large garlic cloves
• 
  
  1 tsp dried oregano
• 
  
  Scant 1/2 tsp dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 
  
  2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  
  4 chicken breast halves (with skin & bone - optional, as noted by myself)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 tsp salt, then transfer to bowl. Stir in oregano, red-pepper flakes, oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cut a 2-inch-long pocket (about 1 1/2 inches deep) horizontally in side of each breast half and spread 1/2 tsp garlic mixture into each pocket. Coat chicken with remaining mixture. Roast chicken 20-25 minutes until just cooked through.

Here is a picture of my preparation of this dish, pre-roasting. I improvised to some degree. :) I used boneless-skinless chicken breasts (which made cutting the breast more difficult). I also don't own a garlic press, so I just had to chop. Despite these changes, this was an excellent dish, full of flavor. The garlic and red-pepper flakes left my lips tingling, and it was fabulous. It has officially been added to my favorites.

I also tried the following new recipes this month (without pictures, sadly): Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro, Caramelized Corn with Onions and Red Bell Peppers, and a Garlic-Lime-Beer marinade for pork loin. All of these recipes have been brought to you by one of the best iPhone Apps ever: Epicurious! It is free, and has thousands of search-able recipes (including a whole category of Gluten Free!). It has been a great addition, helping me have easy recipes on hand.

2) Weekly 101's have been going great. Below, I am dressed for our 4th wedding of the summer. I am loving my hair that evening! It could not have turned out better!

The running has been going well, although it continues to be exceptionally hot here. I am keeping up the 5:30AM runs, which makes me very tired. Luckily, I have afternoons off to nap if needed. :)

3) We went to a Royals game last Tuesday. It was a fabulous evening for a game, and we got to sit in the shade, which made it even more perfect. I had a great time with my friend Mary (back in town from being in Texas for months). The night included: excessive amounts of chicken fingers and fries, lots of doing the wave (and researching the wave: did you know the average audience wave moves at a rate of 22 ft/second and is approximately 15 seats wide at any given time?), catching free hot dogs, and almost winning an Evo (not really, but I like to think so).

4) I finished reading What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami (a birthday gift from Gina). It was really good. It was so incredibly accurate to what runners actually think about, do, and work for. I highly suggest this book to any distance runner. It was inspiring, made me laugh, smile, and was entirely relate-able.

Here are some highlights that illustrate many of the same feelings I have had:

Around mile 23 of a marathon, he states, "I need a drink, but if I stopped here to drink some water I don't think I could get running again. I'm dying of thirst but lack the strength to even drink water anymore."

While running his first marathon, the author was thinking about how great a beer would be. Afterward, he did get that beer and summed it up this way, "It tastes fantastic, but not nearly as great a the beer I'd been imagining as I ran. Nothing in the real world is as beautiful as the illusions of a person about to lose consciousness." Haha!

This line sums up my feelings for running (granted, I am much younger than the author, although I like to think I'll still feel this way in 20 years): "Long-distance running (more or less, for better or worse) has molded me into the person I am today, and I'm hoping it will remain a part of my life for as long as possible. I'll be happy if running and I can grow old together."

5) I am thankful for summers off! Even though I am currently working summer school, I am aware of how lucky I am to have time off (and still get paid). It is great to have relaxing time, travel time, and not have to worry about vacation days during the summer. I am lucky to have a job that allows me all of these great opportunities! I will be rejoicing throughout the summer!

In non-101 related to news: this weekend we enjoyed two motorcycle rides (one in which we got caught in the rain/thunderstorm) totaling well over 100 miles, we now have functioning carports to park in, and we have a new track light in the kitchen. I suppose it's been a rather productive month!