How I Found Out I Need Running Candy

I've been waiting for the right time to tell this story...

As you may know, I'm currently training for my second half marathon this month. It's 8 days away! I'm rediscovering my love/hate relationship with long runs, and ran 12 miles for the third time in my LIFE a few weeks ago. Getting back into long runs has reminded me of the story when I ran 12 miles for the FIRST time ever.

It has to be one of the most memorable experiences in running I've ever had.

It's kind of funny (after the fact), kind of scary (even though everything was fine), but overall, a learning experience that led to me better preparing for running and making smarter decisions in my future training.

It was back in March of this year (2013), and  was my longest training run before my first half-marathon. It was a huge accomplishment, yes, but I made some rookie mistakes in terms of staying prepared and fueled.

If you've been running for awhile, this probably won't be informative, but an illustration of how important it is to prepare and fuel properly for long runs. If you're new to running (especially long runs), I hope this inspires you to seek out the right nutritional items to fuel your runs.

I like to call these items (GU, Sport Beans, etc) "Running Candy".

So here we go...

It started off just like any other long training run. I was terribly nervous, as 12 miles was a new distance for me. Running 10 miles still made me feel like my legs were made of lead, and I'd spend the rest of the weekend hobbling around with a gangsta lean. Nonetheless, there was about a month until my first half marathon, and I had to get this in so I could feel confident  that I could run the distance.

As I typically did back then before my long runs, I drank some (plain) water and ate a banana before meeting our group at 7:30 AM that morning. I carried some more (plain) water in my handheld bottle.

We met up with our group, and I found the girl in my group who ran near my pace and would run with me. It felt better knowing I wasn't going at it alone.

Finally it was time to start running. I started off feeling strong. The weather was brisk and comfortable. I listened to Pandora on my headphones and got into the music. I felt energetic as I ran the somewhat hilly greenways in west Knoxville.

For about 6-7 miles, I was energetic and lost in my music. My running buddy was just a few steps behind me, and we occasionally encouraged and complimented each other.

Between 7-8 miles, however, I started feeling a little tired and...hungry??

That was odd. I typically am too mentally consumed with the difficulty of running to think about food. 

I remembered that there would likely be a yummy post-run breakfast/brunch to be had later, so I sucked it up and kept on going.

Between 8-10 mi, it started to feel a little tough. This wasn't unusual for me - after 8 mi I always felt drained of energy, and my legs tired, heavy, and sore. I stayed focused, tried to enjoy my music, and at about 10 mi, started on my last loop of the greenway before I arrived back to my starting point.

And then I tried to think...

Finally, at 10 miles, I'd surpassed my distance PR. This was it - I was doing this! Just 2 miles to go! Regardless of how I felt, I had to keep going.

But wait...when did I lose my running partner? She was just right behind me. Wasn't she? How long has it been since I lost her? Miles ago? Was she okay? How did I miss this? I was confused. Some running partner I was...

(Side note - she was fine, she just fell behind me in pace and ended the run early).

It wasn't like me to get confused like that. Oh well, nothing I could do about it at that moment. I would just check on her when I caught up to my group.

I was so tired, sore, and drained, I was staring at my watch: 10.7 mi...10.8 mi...

Stop looking at it! That makes it worse! Ahh! I looked again. Come on, only....wait...how many miles to go? What's 10.79 from 12 mi? Let's think this through...

Yikes! In my daily life, I'm calculating sale prices at Ann Taylor Loft, deciding which package of Bounty is cheaper by unit price, estimating marketing budgets and response rates - all on the fly.

Why is it taking me so long to do simple arithmetic?

It worried me a little, but I had to try to let it go so I could focus on my run. My legs were running under me almost on autopilot, but there really wasn't much thought going on. FINALLY, my watch displayed 12.0 mi and I had completed it. I should have felt ecstatic, accomplished, and proud. Instead I was too exhausted to process it. I felt a little weak and dizzy.

To get back to our meeting spot and my husband and vehicle, I had to walk up a GIANT hill. Likely the steepest hill in Knoxville.

I couldn't fathom it.

I hate to admit this, but while walking that ginormous hill, I took a couple of breaks and sat on the sidewalk. I'm not sure, but I may have even closed my eyes for a moment.

Not my brightest move.

Finally, once I got to the top of the hill, I thought I had made it! Everything would be just fine!

If it hadn't been for the lady asking directions...

Just as I'd gotten up the hill and was almost to the parking lot to meet my group, a lady in a minivan stopped by and asked for directions to a park.

I could literally see it from the hill we were on.

What I meant to say was: "Yes, it's right down there. Go down the hill and there will be parking on your right. Have a lovely time at the park."

What came out was something like: "TheIt's hjklhkhpark there jhhjlright hill..." with me attempting to point.

She hastily said, "Okay thanks, bye!" and took off.

I must have looked completely nuts. 

And now I couldn't ignore it. I was starting to really worry about my mental state.

I walked across the parking lot to meet up with my group. I passed a grocery store and it hit me.

Salt. I wanted salt. There were olives in that store - my all-time favorite food!! I wanted them so badly. I know that's weird.

Then I decided to get it together...

Finally, I saw my husband, Brandon, and a girl from my group outside chatting. I thought, "The run is over. I'm fine. Get it together!" I was going to be cool. I really was.

As I approached B and my running friend, they asked me how it went.

What I meant to say was: "It was fine, and I'm proud to have run 12 miles. However, I feel drained on energy, which appears to be affecting my cognitive ability. Also, funny thing - I'm really craving salty foods. I could go for some olives!"

What came out was something like: "This lady..[gasp]...directions..[sob]...couldn't think...I WANT OLIVES!"

Yep, this story just got even weirder.

And then I proceeded to cry? Hyperventilate?

This is SO not cool with me. You see, I'm an not an outwardly emotional person. I'm much more open here in my writing than I am in real life. I rarely cry or share my feelings in front of people.

I had no energy left to maintain my usual filter.

They gave each other a confused look, and then they realized I needed a little energy and electrolytes.

Lo and behold, we were at the right place! A local nutrition and health shop just so happened to be the host location of the group run, and they were offering lots of samples of supplements, electrolytes, recovery drinks - you name it.

Most of the girls in my group got back at different times than me, so they weren't around. B walked me into the store, and I remember seeing several athletic guys (some from my group) staring wide-eyed at me in shock, unsure how to react to this outburst of emotion.

Nice guys, but not exactly "Hey girl" Ryan Gosling types.

Fortunately, B is a very kind and helpful husband, and the closest thing to Gosling I have. He started handing me little cups of potions and concoctions of the sample items. My hands were shaking but I started drinking them and felt a little less faded.

Then my RunKNOX coach, Darren, came out from the other room, and started to congratulate me. He quickly shifted from smiling and high-fiving to looking very confused when he saw me. Being the attentive coach he is, he pulled me outside to ask me what was going on and try to help. I was feeling a little more together, and I was able to give him a quick download of what happened.

He seemed genuinely concerned, and asked me a few questions.

"So what are you putting in your water?"

Oh, my water? It's just water. Why would I put something in it?

"And what did you eat today?"

Just a banana, why?

"That's it? No GU's, nothing else?"

No...

And then he looked at me in a very "I've taught you better than this" way.

To be fair, he had taught me better than this. He had told us all before about the importance of electrolytes, hydration, GU's (or other energy sources), recovery drinks, etc. Admittedly, I just hadn't listened (sorry!).

Why?

I mean, come on. I'm just a casual beginner runner. I'm one of the slowest in our group. I'm not a track athlete or trying to qualify for Boston. Those products are for serious hard-core athletes, not me. Why do I need this stuff?

He then proceeded to very kindly explain (lecture?) to me that yes, I did need to fuel effectively for my long runs. He explained all of this in a very informative way, but here's my very non-scientific takeaway: It's not about how fast I run, but simply that I'm running for 2+ hours and am burning off all of my stored energy. Also, I need to replenish my electrolytes (i.e. sodium and potassium) that are lost while running.

Here's a more scientific explanation.

We went back into the store and he walked me though the walls of bottles and pouches of stuff that would hopefully do the trick. Again, it was very informative, but in my intellectually weakened state, all I could process was, "Blah blah...gels...energy...Nuun...electrolytes...jelly beans..." I tried to take in all of the information I could.

Finally, I felt recovered from the incident and armed with some new knowledge. B and I purchased a few items to try and the eventful morning was over.

And then I noticed, oh hey, there's a banana in my hand. B must have handed one to me at some point and I've been holding it this whole time. Hmm...

And now I know...

I tried several different things, but I landed on two essential items I use today:

• My Magic Running Jellybeans - I had tried a GU once, and the idea of slurping gooey stuff out of a packet grossed me out. It's a personal preference - many love them because they are easy to consume (among other reasons). Sport Beans sounded much more palatable to me. I was right - I love them! They give me just the right amount of energy without making me feel jittery (like I've experienced with some products). 
• I typically don't need them for training runs less than 5 miles or an hour. I do, however, consume half a pouch about 15-30 minutes before 5K races for the extra boost.
• For any run (race or training) 5-10 miles, I typically consume half a pouch about 15-30 minutes before running. I carry the other half of the pouch and nibble on a few beans every mile or so. 
• For a race or any run over 10 miles (including a half marathon), I carry an additional pouch to gradually consume over the course of the run.
• Nuun Tablets - It also sounded like a good idea to drop a tablet of Nuun in my water to replenish my electrolytes. I've found they keep me feeling hydrated and energetic - especially in the summer! I use them no matter what distance I'm running. 
• For runs under 5  miles or an hour long, I just use one tablet and drop it in my handheld bottle of water.
• For any run over 5 miles, I bring two tablets. One goes into my water, the other I carry and drop in my water bottle later when I hit a water stop.  

I use these, of course, in conjunction with healthy snacks, meals, and plenty of water before and after running. Since I've started using these products and employing these strategies, I'm happy to report I haven't had any incidents like this story. Sure, I feel tired (exhausted even), drained, and even dramatic and whiny after difficult runs, but I haven't had scary experiences like this.

I share this with you, not because I'm an expert on fitness and nutrition (far from it!). I share it in hopes that if you're like I was and aren't considering your nutrition while running, you'll seek something out that works for you. It's not just important for Olympic athletes or Boston qualifiers, it's important for any runner to stay well hydrated and fueled. 

There is a plethora of products on the market, so it can seem overwhelming. It's also highly individualized - different things work for different runners. I suggest talking to a coach, trainer, nutritionist, doctor, or visiting your local health and supplement shop and asking for suggestions.

Stay healthy out there! :)

How do you stay hydrated and fueled on your long runs?

-Amy

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

I was not compensated by any of the above organizations for this post, nor are they affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my  Terms and Conditions page. 

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My Pumpkin-Palooza + Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Recipe

In case you haven't visited Starbuck's, Pier 1, Hobby Lobby, or Michael's, it's fall. I'm going to be honest. I'm that stereotypical American that enjoys pumpkin EVERYTHING! And other fall foods.

I'm not kidding. I may just put on yoga pants and Instagram them, too. You just watch.

Also, for the first time in 8 years of being married, I decided to decorate my home for fall.

I even made this centerpiece.

Check out B's (who's "not creative") Pac-Man jack-o-lantern. Mine was candy.

Last week, I enjoyed a pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin in my oatmeal, multiple (healthy) pumpkin muffins, sweet potato fries, roasted butternut squash, a pumpkin ale, and roasted pork tenderloin with apples (Try that recipe. It's a-maz-ing.).

I'm going to turn into an Oompa Loompa if I eat any more orange foods. I'm okay with that.

But seriously, that pumpkin smoothie. It was like drinking pumpkin pie, but healthier. As you know, I love smoothies as a quick, no-fuss, healthy breakfast option. Here are my steps to concocting a smoothie.

I've gotten off-track a little in my training and diet lately. The training issues are due to some pretty bad heel pain I've been having. It's likely due to plantar fasciitis. The good news is that thanks to stretching and ice as recommended by my coaches, I appear to be on the mend. More on that hopefully on Fitness Friday. The diet - that's all my bad.

In my efforts to get back on track, I'm having smoothies for breakfast a few times a week. I wanted to switch them up for fall, so I Googled pumpkin smoothie recipes. As usual, I liked some aspects of one recipe, and other aspects of others, so I made my own combination.

And I'm in love!

Lately, I've been obsessed with almonds and almond butter. I promise I don't put almond butter in all of my smoothies! I put it in my peach almond smoothie, and I loved the richness it added to this pumpkin smoothie. Not to mention, it adds a little bit of healthy fat (just watch the amount you add). If you don't like almond butter, or don't have it on hand, just omit it, You could try peanut butter, but it will add a stronger flavor. I drink this as a meal, but you could half the recipe to enjoy as a snack.

Without further ado...

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Recipe

Serves: 1

Time required: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 - 6 oz. container plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (I used canned)

1/2 banana (fresh or frozen)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tbsp unsalted almond butter

1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 - 1/2 cup ice (as frosty as you prefer)

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium high to high for a few minutes until smooth. 

Now, pour your smoothie into a tumbler, take a selfie of yourself holding it up (showing off your manicure), and Instagram the heck out of that bad boy! Don't forget your hashtags! #PSS #ilovefall #smoothie #pumpkineverywheredontcare #Mmmmm #Amytoldmeto 

I kid, I kid! Express yourself on Instagram as you wish!

I hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as I do!

-Amy

My Epic Weekend + Rosemary Garlic Bread on the Grill

As you may remember, last week was a busy one! I was SO thankful for Friday to come to relax and recharge!

Fortunately, I had plans to do just that! My sister and her husband spent the weekend at our house and we had an epic weekend planned.

Why so epic? Were we going to some amazing concert/vacation/movie/restaurant?

Actually, we planned to stay at home most of the weekend.

We grew up in a family who loves two things - food and games. We both inherited these interests as we became adults, so game nights with food involved is just how we get down. This is even more fun during the summer when games can be played outside.

Saturday, B and I left them for a little while in the morning to head out for our usual run. I ran 5 miles, and B opted to do 10. We both plan to train for half marathons in the fall, but I want to wait until I reach my 30 minute 5K goal before I move on to longer distances.

When we got back, I popped this overnight French toast in the oven, also popped some bacon in the oven (I always do bacon in the oven - so much easier! Here's how.), and cut up some fruit. Once it was ready, we enjoyed a fabulous brunch on the patio!

And then...the sleepiness set in. That is, it did for B. I'll give him credit though, he ran 10 miles that morning. After brunch, not only did he pass out, but Coco decided to sprawl out on the floor and take a nap, too.

I don't know what her excuse was. Her exercise up to that point involved eating and hopping on the couch so that someone would pet her.

While he was sleeping, my sister and I, being eager and productive, went outside in 90 degree weather to install the new light set I'd purchased for the patio umbrella.

That's okay guys, we got this!

Or maybe we don't...

We had no idea what we were in for. This "simple task" involved removing the umbrella and setting it upside down on the ground, attaching clips to the poles with zip ties, and clipping the cords of lights on the poles. The only problem...the zip ties were too small to fit around the poles.

Leave it to us to save the day! We had just the creativity and ingenuity to solve it!

We ended up using an old jewelry making wire I had lying around to attach the clips to the poles.  We had to attach 5 clips for each of the 6 poles, then go back and insert the cords of lights into the clips and snap the clips shut. All in sunny, 90 degree weather, sitting the umbrella upside down on the ground in the backyard. It took almost two hours.

The finished result!

Later that evening, I prepared for a fun dinner and evening outside. I created a chipotle orange glaze (from the June 2013 Real Simple issue) to be served with chicken breasts, prepared a foil packet of red potatoes and veggies to grill, and prepared a rosemary garlic herbed butter so that I could toast garlic bread on the grill.

On a side note, when I announced I was going to make chipotle orange glazed chicken, B had a less than enthusiastic response, despite the fact that he loved it the last time I'd made it. I guess he was hoping for burgers. Either way, I gave him a hard time the rest of the evening.

Once temperatures cooled off, we headed to the backyard to get the evening started. I placed the foil packet of veggies on the grill on low, and we played about 3 games of cornhole (or bean bag toss - whatever name you can handle).

There, I said it. The blog is now PG-13. Whoa. 

Once we were done playing, I turned the heat on the right two burners to medium and grilled the chicken with the glaze. In the last 5 minutes, I added the herb buttered bread to the top rack of the grill to toast.

Voila! Fun and easy dinner outside! (And B was happy with the chicken)

Thanks to our handy umbrella light installation, we enjoyed our dinner in a pretty, well-lit space, and spent the rest of the evening out on the patio playing cards.

Games = Success. Food = Success. I call that a win.

While all of the food went over well, everyone especially raved about the bread. Often, when grilling outside, it's easy to identify a main course (in this case chicken), but what do you serve with it? Do you fix veggies and other side dishes inside, therefore running back and forth between the grill and the oven?

I think that's really annoying.

So what side dishes can you fix on the grill? A lot of things, but here's a good one. A couple of years ago, a blogger, GrillGrrl, came to town and was featured in our local newspaper. She shared a technique of using the grill to toast bread on the grill while your other food is grilling. She had a great recipe for a basil butter (which was delicious), but this weekend I made my own variation with rosemary and one of my favorite spice blends I get at the grocery store. It was SUPER easy.

Rosemary Garlic Herbed Bread on the Grill

I used:

1 loaf of French or Italian bread (I used a loaf of artisan roasted garlic bread from Kroger)
1/2 cup, or a stick of real unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp. Weber Garlic and Herb blend (in the spice section at the grocery store - I tried it a few years ago with a coupon, and I keep using it as it's tasty and contains natural ingredients)
2-3 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (I guestimated, I probably used 2.5 tbsp.)

Here's how I did it:

1. Stir the rosemary and garlic and herb blend into the butter
2. Cut the bread into 1 - 1 1/2 inch slices
3. Spread the herb butter blend on the bread
4. Place the bread on the top rack of the grill (or on the main part of the grill on low heat) and grill until it starts to brown - about 3-5 minutes.
5. Turn over if desired and grill a few more minutes (I didn't because we liked it soft on top, crunchy on the bottom)

The result: buttery, herbed crispy bread that was easy, quick, grilled at the same time as the other dishes, and was a huge hit!

The entire loaf should provide 10-12 slices, depending on thickness.

So that was my epic weekend. At home. Doing very few productive things (other than the umbrella lights).

What do you do to relax and recharge on a summer weekend? Do you have any grilling favorites?

-Amy

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Summer Pizza on the Grill

 

I know, it's not technically summer, but for all practical purposes, it is here in Tennessee. The temperatures are in the 80s or higher, and everyone is spending more and more time outside. It's no exception for B and me. Our latest ritual a few nights a week has been unwinding with dinner on the patio. We (usually I), grill something yummy - chicken, burgers, salmon, shrimp, steaks, veggies, you name it - for dinner, we turn Pandora on my phone, and we relax outside for awhile with dinner, cold drinks, and music.

Oh the wild and crazy lifestyle of a late 20s/early 30s couple. 

What can I say? We're people who enjoy simple pleasures. It's even more fun when we have friends over to join us.

Given our summer evening ritual, I was excited when on my recent TJ Maxx/Homegoods treasure hunt (always a good time), I found a ton of grilling tools in the clearance area. Jackpot! Among other things, one tool that especially intrigued me was a grilling pizza pan. Hmm...

While not exactly the same thing, grilled pizza makes me think of the restaurants that offer brick oven or wood fired pizza. B and I love that kind of crispy, fresh pizza, so the idea of recreating something similar at home sounded interesting.

Now, this isn't the first time I've tried making pizza at home. When I was young, I lived in a fairly remote small town. We didn't have restaurants nearby (over 45 minutes away!), so we didn't eat out much. When I was in grade school, my Mom made her own pizza dough, my sister and I (and perhaps friends staying over) would help top it, and we'd enjoy it with a movie. I'm tellin ya, homemade pizza + the Lion King was a good night back in those days. Exciting times.

After I got married, I tried recreating homemade pizza with little success. It wouldn't get crispy, it would stick to the pan, or be too doughy. I'd given up a couple of years ago, but maybe this grilled concept would work.

I bought the pan and told B about it. I was surprised that he was pretty excited about it since my last pizza attempts hadn't gone so well. In fact, he was so excited that when we were at Kroger together (usually he views grocery shopping as pleasurable as a root canal), he started talking about the toppings he wanted on it. He disappeared for a few minutes, came back with half a pound of prosciutto from the deli (a little more than necessary), and was happily nibbling on a sample they had given him. 

Oh Beebs. It doesn't take much to make him happy.

In addition to the prosciutto, I stocked up on flour, yeast, fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, and veggies for the pizza.

Warning: This isn't a weeknight dinner

Now that we were all stocked up on ingredients, we were excited to try this new creation. One Wednesday night, when we didn't have running practice or other plans, B suggested I try making the pizza. I Googled grilled pizza recipes. I followed the ingredients for the pizza dough recipe from this article (although I didn't follow the grilling instructions or toppings from that article). 

I dissolved a packet of yeast into the warm water, measured out my salt and flour (I actually used King Arthur whole wheat white flour to make it a whole wheat pizza), and mixed them together. This dough was a little tough. I don't make bread much, but I kneaded the dough to the best of my ability. It took awhile - over 7 minutes of kneading for it to look even remotely soft and smooth. 

I realized this recipe wasn't going to be feasible that night when I realized it had to rise for over 2 hours. It was already almost 7 PM when I started, so this wasn't going to work. I decided to abort mission and do something else for dinner. I still allowed the dough to rise that evening. To provide a warm environment for it to rise, I turned the oven to 300 degrees, and set the bowl of dough on top of the stove. As the recipe recommended, I brushed the dough with olive oil and covered it with plastic wrap (warning - any part of the dough not covered will get crusty - not in a good way). Once it was done rising, I placed it in the fridge to save for the weekend.

Note - that recipe actually makes enough dough for 3-4 pizzas, depending on the thickness you prefer. Once the dough has risen, you can actually freeze what you don't need using these instructions. That's what I did. With dough already prepared, this could theoretically be a quicker dinner.

Ready to Grill

Finally, this Saturday was a perfect opportunity to try this new creation. It was one of those perfect lazy Saturdays. We ran in the morning, followed by breakfast and a nap. I was so lazy, that when I washed my hair that day, I didn't even dry it. I let it air dry and put it up in a messy bun. Perfect conditions for a relaxing patio evening!

It was time to pull out all of my ingredients. To make this recipe healthier and tastier, I used as many whole, fresh ingredients as possible. I should also warn you I went a little toppings-overboard. You can use whatever toppings you desire.

B is a carnivore who has to have meat on pizza. While not the healthiest thing in the world, at least B picked out a natural variety of prosciutto by Boar's Head, which states on their website that salt is the only added ingredient.

I can do meat, but I love veggies on pizza. Solution: I did both. I would have loved to add olives (my all-time favorite food) if I'd had them on hand. Next time. This could easily be a vegetarian dish by simply omitting the prosciutto.

I used:

• 1/4-1/3 of this pizza dough recipe, using whole wheat white flour, already risen
• 6 oz tomato or pizza sauce (I used canned sauce from Trader Joe's - sorry authentic Italian chefs! At least TJ's is a little more natural)
• 1 3/4 oz. fresh mozzarella, packed in water (you could use shredded, but I thought fresh was delicious)
• 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• A sprinkle of a garlic herb blend
• 1/8-1/4 lb prosciutto (I used a little less than half of what B bought at the store), torn into small pieces
  1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup fresh spinach leaves
• Olive oil to drizzle

I pulled the dough out of the fridge and warmed it the same way I let it rise - on top of the oven.  I drizzled the tomatoes with olive oil and roasted in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, and set the dough on top of the oven.

While warming, I got the rest of my ingredients ready. I pulled the basil from my herb garden and chopped it up. I sliced the mozzarella and blotted it dry with paper towels. I tore the prosciutto into pieces. Finally, I pulled the rest of the ingredients together

Once the dough was warm, I drizzled olive oil on the pizza pan, pressed the dough to spread it out over the pan, and brushed the top of the crust with olive oil.

Then I headed outside to the grill to get it ready. While I followed the ingredients of the dough recipe, I went rogue on my grilling technique. After reading several articles on grilled pizza, I decided to preheat the (gas) grill to about 500 degrees.

Once it was ready, I placed the pan on the grill, closed the grill, and left it in there for about 3-4 minutes. 

At that point, the crust started puffing up and the bottom was a little brown.

I flipped the crust over, and grilled for another 3 minutes. 

Now, I pulled the crust out of the grill and onto a trivet on the patio table. I then topped with ingredients

Sauce

Cheese and herbs (on a side note, I have never understood why people would ask for no cheese on pizza, or pick it off. Not judging, just trying to understand. Why oh why?)

Basil

Prosciutto

And finally, veggies - roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach

Now it was back on the grill for another 4-5 minutes (I was shooting for 4 but got distracted. Typical me. It may have been 4.5).

I placed it back on the table, let it rest for a few minutes, and it was ready to slice and enjoy. I served with red pepper and Parmesan.

The result? I was pleasantly surprised! It was crispy on the outside, and dense and chewy (but not tough) on the inside. My only area of improvement will be to better dry the mozzarella. Even with the blotting, it was a little watery after cooking. Only mildly so, however.

The only unhappy campers were Coco and Cali, who wanted to join us outside. They are indoor kitties, and since we don't have a fence, we can only give them occasional supervised visits.

B and I settled in with our music, pizza, and drinks and had a great evening! We even stayed out later in the evening playing a rowdy game of Uno. It got a little out of control.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed our summer pizza party and look forward to trying again, perhaps next time with friends! If you're looking for something different and fun to do on the grill, I recommend trying it!

Have you grilled pizza before? What recipe or technique worked best for you?

-Amy

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Tomatoes - 3rd Time's a Charm?

 

"It's time to plant your tomatoes when you look up at the mountains, and you see leaves on the trees at the very top" - Gardening wisdom from my husband's grandmother

As both of our families are from Appalachia, my husband, Brandon, and I have many family members who grow, can, and preserve food. It's amazing the wisdom you can learn from them. They don't go by charts, calendars, or detailed websites. Their knowledge has been handed down from generations before them who relied on growing and preserving their own food to survive. I've found their advice more valuable than Google!

Although I, too, spent most of my younger life in small town Appalachia, I downplayed my country roots for many years. I was focused on my education and my career, and I set my sights on living in a city where I could pursue these dreams.

In recent years, however, I've surprised myself by taking an interest in going back to basics and trying my hand at gardening. I suppose this was for several reasons. I love the taste of fresh vegetables. I like learning new things and doing things myself. While I'm not super picky on being 100% organic all the time, I like knowing that the foods I eat are local and don't have a ton of preservatives on them.

However, it's time to be honest with myself. My prime motivation is salsa. Yummy, fresh, spicy salsa. I don't need a complicated recipe - tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and a little lime juice. I suppose I love it so much because it combines my love of fresh veggies with my love of spicy foods. The key is it all has to be fresh.

As you can see, and probably already know if you live in this part of the country, the trees on the mountaintops have had leaves for a few weeks now.  Yep, we're a little behind on planting our tomatoes, but I don't think it's too late! According to this article, you can plant tomatoes as soon as nighttime temperatures stay above 50 degrees. I haven't found a deadline on when it's too late to plant. Since the 8 weeks it takes tomatoes to mature will transpire before it gets chilly in fall, I think it's still okay.

The problem is that we don't exactly have a great track record in the tomato raising department...

Year 1

We tried two options :

1. In-ground garden next to house with herbs and jalapeno peppers. The soil near our house isn't great (it's kind of a red clay), and it gets a lot of drainage from a slope in the backyard. The herbs and peppers were hearty enough to deal with it, but the tomatoes didn't dig it. The tomatoes were fresh and delicious, but we only got a few, very small tomatoes.
2. We also tried using a Topsy Turvy. The plants were bigger than the in-ground plants (likely due to the rich soil we put in the bag), and that method looked very promising. However, we had a huge windy thunderstorm that summer. It tossed the Topsy Turvy around, breaking the plant. If you try a Topsy Turvy, I highly recommend bringing it inside during storms!

Year 2

We tried in-ground in the same spot, but the hot dry summer didn't bode well for us. Again, only a few, small tomatoes.

Year 3

This time, we're starting over, and starting small. We have only purchased 6 tomato plants, and we're trying a new method - a raised bed. Since the soil and drainage in our yard is so poor, we decided this method might be the best for us. After a weekend of running, family time, and a little outdoor fun, we took Memorial Day off and start our raised tomato bed.

Here's how we did it:

• We bought supplies - We headed out in Brandon's truck, and purchased the following:



I love B's truck. Makes me wanna roll my windows down and cruise (I love the song, "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line)! I even sing, "Brandon's Mitsubishi without a lift kit looks a whole lot better with me up in it!" Now you know how much of an odd bird I am.

 

• A 4'x4' raised bed kit, found at Home Depot.

• We started small on size, but the kit is expandable if we want to grow the garden next year.
• There are many plans out there to build your own, and it's probably less expensive that way. However, this was so easy and for the most part didn't require tools.
• The kit was about $40. I know, you're thinking, "those are going to be expensive tomatoes!" As a business nerd, I prefer to think of it as a capital expenditure that could last more than one year, not a component in the unit price of the tomatoes.
• 5 bags of organic soil (I prefer to use the organic kind) to fulfill the almost 8 cubic feet of soil required (as provided on the raised bed kit package) 

• 6 tomato plants
• We started from plants. I know starting from seeds and later transplanting seedlings is a more natural process that gives you more control. Perhaps we try that in the future, but for now, we're keeping it simple.
• We purchased tomatoes by Bonnie Plants. I'm new to learning about GMO's, and I'm admittedly not knowledgeable there. However, Bonnie states on their website that their plants are not GMO.
• We chose two kinds of tomato plants to try:
• 4 plants - "Rutgers Heirloom", a good canning (i.e. salsa) tomato according to the label
• 2 plants - "Big Boy", Brandon recommended it as a classic slicing tomato
• Because the soil in the raised bed isn't compacted, it only required a small hand spade to dig the hole for the tomatoes. We already owned one, as well as gardening gloves to wear.
• We found a flat, well drained spot, and put together the raised bed.



This was child's play for my handyman, B. I helped too (I promise!) but I was the one taking pics.

• Because the herb garden next to the house doesn't drain well, we chose a flat area farther away from our house above the slope in our backyard.
• I wasn't kidding when I said that the raised bed kit we purchased was easy. It basically consists of dovetailed planks that fit right into corner posts. It took less than 10 minutes to set up!
• We filled the raised bed with all but one bag of soil. Time to get dirty!

 

I'm not afraid to get dirty. With gloves on, of course. :)



• We planted the tomatoes.

• We dug holes with the spade, and gently placed the tomato plants in those holes. We placed 2 rows of 3 plants in the 4'x4' space to give them plenty of room.
• The "Big Boy" plants were in a biodegradable package that could simply be transplanted entirely into the soil.
• The Rutgers heirlooms had to be gently lifted from a plastic carton and placed into the ground
• We covered the plants with soil.
• We opened the last bag of soil, and used it to cover the plants even more.

And now we're off! I can taste the salsa now! Although this is what we did to begin, the work is far from over! Here are our next steps:

• Set up a cage around them. Tomatoes need to be secured against a stake, cage, or other structural element to stay off the ground. We have a couple of cages from last year, which we plan to use once the plants are a little bigger.
• Water regularly with watering devices. A friend of mine who is a true Appalachian and avid gardener and homesteader recommended I try using these watering devices. They stake into the ground, and you can place a liter sized plastic bottle into them. They water only the roots and keep the leaves dry (as recommended).
• Mulch the area. I plan to use grass/straw clippings collected after mowing to hold moisture into the soil.

That's it! Fingers crossed that this year our tomato plants will thrive and I can make fresh salsa from my own garden! Any advice for me as I take on this endeavor again this year? What are your success tips?

-Amy

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*As I referenced, my poor track record makes me a novice gardener at best. I'm simply sharing what I'm trying, and hoping it will work!