2010 Races

Running is great!
These races wouldn't have been as meaningful without my faithful running buddies the Sabins!



June


Lehi's Round Up 10k (6.2 miles)
1:01:40



Provo River Trail Half Marathon (13.1 miles)
2:13:55

September
Utah Valley Relay Marathon (5.2 miles each)
Total Race Time:4:02:54
Rac's Time: 50:35
Fran's Time: 46:52J
ason's Time: 41:38
Drew's Time: 54:01
Amy's Time: 49:48

My neighbor Amy came to race with one hour's notice when our teammate, Jeremy, had to rush home with a bad case of food poisoning!




May everyone to even better next year!

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I loved the movie and decided to read the book. I loved it too although it was quite different.

Interesting concepts: Dantes believes himself to be God's avenging angel... I think that although God often uses people to "punish the wicked" in his own due time, these people, if acting out of revenge, are actually comminting a sin. Dantes realizes that to some extent when things get out of hand and his enemies punishments end up being a lot harsher then Dantes intended. Feeling repentant, Dantes pardons, Danglar, his third enemy before his punishment is carried out completely.
Things I liked better in the book than the movie: I loved the way Alexandre Dumas describes the expression and the body language of the characters. The reader feels that much more involved.
In the book, you see Dantes doing good around him, especially toward the Morrell family.
Things I liked less in the book than the movie: I like fairy tales! In the movie, Albert is actually Dantes' son and Mercedes only married someone else upon Dantes' imprisonment because she was pregnant. When Dantes, comes back he gets both Mercedes and Albert back. '
My favorite parts: I really enjoyed the wisdom of the Abbe Faria.
The end of the book, when all "the dominoes fall" was very exciting, especially when Benedetto reveals, in the middle of a court session, that he is M. de Villefort illegitimate son.
The way Monte Cristo shatters most of the remainder of Danglar's fortune is hilarious although the reader is brutally brought back to soberness upon the recall of Dante's own starved to death father.
The reuniting of Maximilian and Valentine was of course sublime. From the time of Valentine's "death"until her reappearance, the author does a fantastic job of cruelly playing with the reader's emotion. He had me both anxiously hoping and desperately wondering.

Great read!!

Celebrating Claire

Tortilla Soup

This has been our family's favorite meal for a while now...













1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloin
2 Tbsp lime juice
Tortilla chips
3 plum tomatoes, diced
2 ripe avocadoes, sliced or prepared guacamole (Costco's is delicious!)
1/2 cup cilantro

- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, jalapeno, chili powder and garlic. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer, partially covered, until no longer pink, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and let cool. Continue to simmer the broth for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- Remove the broth from heat and stir in lime juice. Divide portions of tortilla chips, chicken, tomatoes and aocado among individual bowls. Ladle the broth over each bowl and sprinkle with cilantro.

Enjoy!

Grapes Terrine

This dessert doesn't taste like much, just grapes really, but it is very fun looking and the kids loved it.

- 2 env. enflavored gelatin

- 1/2 cold water

- 2 1/2 cup white grape juice

- 2 Tbsp fesh lemon juice

- 2 cups red seedless grapes

- 2 cups green seedless grapes

1- In cup, evenly sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand 2 minutes.

2- In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of juice on medium-low. Stir in softened gelatine mixture until dessolved. Remove pan from heat. Stir in lemon juice.

3- Pour gelatin mixture into a loaf pan. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours. Add grapes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4- To unmold terrine, place loaf pan in a pan of warm water for a few seconds. Remove pan from water. Insert knife around edges. Place serving plate on top of loaf pan and grasping both together, invrt terrine onto plate.

Sausage & Tomatoes (Rougail Saucisses)

This is a popular dish from my native island. This picture doesn't do it justice.
















· 8 Italian sausages
· 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
· 4 roma tomatoes, sliced thin then chopped
· Salt & pepper
· 1 tbsp oil
· ½ cup water
Prick the sausages with a fork then boil for 10 minutes.
Drain sausages and cut each in 3 pieces
Brown the sausages in oil
Add onions then tomatoes
Add salt & pepper to taste
Cook on high for a few minutes
Add water. Simmer down.
Serve over Jasmine rice.

Great sides: sorry the directions are a little vague, I never measure these dishes!
Lentils - Pour picked over lentils in a saucepan. Place a bunch of thin onion slices, fresh crushed garlic or garlic powder, salt and a fresh thyme sprig if you want, on top. Cover with twice as much water as there are lentils. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until all liquid is absorbed and lentils are soft (20 minutes?)

Zucchini Etouffee
Place zucchini slices or chucks in a saucepan. Place sliced onion, garlic (crush or powder), salt, olive oil and a fresh thyme sprig on top. Add a little water (1/3 as much as the zucchinis?), cover and cook over medium heat until the zucchinis are soft. Some like it with a little bite left, others really squishy. I like them in between: still fairly green but soft enough to squish with your tongue.

Ginger, Garlic Rub

6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 piece (2 in) fresh ginger, peeled
1 Tbs coarse salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs fish sauce
2 lbs of meat to grill (beef or pork ribs work well)

Place garlic, ginger, salt & pepper in mortar or small food processor. Work in soy sauce and fish sauce. Spread spice paste over meat on both sides. Let ribs marinate in refrigerator, covered for 1 to 4 hours. Grill and enjoy!

Strawberry Basil Popsicles

So refreshing... great if you have a bunch of over-ripe strawberries.

original recipe calls for 1/3 cup sugar - I used 2Tbs honey

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and cut in half

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

pinch salt

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and basil. Pour 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until suagar has desolved ans mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the basil syrup into a blender, discarding the basil leaves. Add the strawberry halves, lemon juice and salt. Process until very smooth.

Pour in popsicle molds.

Sisters Lunch

My sisters and I resumed our monthly lunches. I'm so glad we live close enough to each other to see each other on a regular basis! We went to "La Jolla Groves" at the Riverwoods (see review).
Mes soeurs et moi avont repris nos déjeuners mensuels entre soeurs. Je suis tellement heureuse que l'on habite suffisament proche les unes des autres pour se voir régulièrement!

La Jolla Groves

General Impression: Definitely on my list of favorites


The dishes I tried there (see below) were amazing-- fresh, flavorful and cooked to perfection. The portions were small compared to the average portion around here but they were sufficient. The waitress brought a basket with various bread rolls to our table. They were ok. I prefer hard crust breads...

The dessert I tried (Lemon Tiramisu) was very sweet. I took it to go and fed it to Cam :) The waitress said that all their desserts were very sweet. They won't be a temptation for me when I go there!

I also very much enjoyed the decor. Elegant, yet simple and fresh.


Website: http://www.provorestaurants.com/

Raw Seared Sesame Tuna

Grilled Salmon with Cilantro Butter

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

-- This is one of our family's favorite dishes. It can be served as a side dish or as a main dish by adding a few more things-- Picture coming soon!

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp grated ginger
6 tsp Thai red curry paste
6 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
2 (14oz) cans coconut milk
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken meat, sliced thin into 1” strips (you might want to make it 2lbs if serving as the main dish)
(½ lb white mushroom, sliced thin)
(1 can bamboo shoots, drained)
1 can baby corn
1 pkg bean vermicelli – (if serving as main dish)
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
½ cup whole fresh cilantro leaves
Fresh tomatoes, quartered
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in the ginger and curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add ½ cup of the broth and stir until the curry paste dissolves. Stir in the remaining broth, the fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
2. Stir in coconut milk, chicken and mushrooms. Simmer until the chicken is cooked (abt 5 minutes). Turn off heat. (Add vermicelli and let soak for 15 minutes. )Stir in the lime juice and season with salt. Sprinkle the bowls of soup with cilantro leaves & tomatoes before serving.

The Garden / Le Potager

This year's crops are zucchinis, corn, tomatoes and red peppers. With my trip to Réunion I got a very late start on my garden (I planted it at the end of June! So our tomatoes are still green! And our corn barely budding!) The herbs featured are the perennials chives, oregano, thyme, sage (It's huge and we never use it, I'm pulling it out at the end of the season). There was also curly parsley, basil, cilantro (it goes to seed so fast... and then it's bitter. I'll have to find a solution for nest year) and finally lemongrass!! I'm very excited about this last one because I grew up with it and it makes a wonderful tea especially paired with basil. I ordered the plant on Amazon!

Tom Sawyer

We loved this book! It was very interesting and it ended well (for me, that's a must for a good book). The kids loved the adventures Tom had and they often asked me to read just a little more. I particularly enjoyed the part where the boys of the town, trade their treasures to be able to white wash Tom's fence. The fact that Tom talked them into beleiving they were getting a good deal is entertaining in and of itself. But I enjoyed reading what the treasures were-- random pieces of junk really but treasures to the boys. It reminded me of Michael and the things he picks up everywhere. Boys stay inherently the same throughout the ages it looks like :)

Principles

I really enjoy nutrition. Here are the main principles I strive to follow. I'm planning on writing many more posts in the future, I just thought I'd throw a few things here in order to create a "Health" tab on the main page :)

Use whole grains as much as possible
Have vegetables fresh or frozen at every lunch and dinner. (I don't like canned. I've read they still retain their nutrients but the color is gone and the taste is off so I rarely use them) A variety of fresh fruits available to snack on
I try to pair proteins and carbs as much as I can -
A balanced meal includes proteins, carbs and vegetables.
I try to sneak the calcium in at breakfast, snacks and desserts.
Fats... they get an undeserved bad name. I try to buy lean cuts of meat but all the milk products I choose are full fat!!!

I boycott:
Trans Fats - Partially Hydrogenated oils and Mono & Di-Glycerides
High Fructose Corn Syrup
BHT & BHA
Sodium Nitrite
Food Coloring
Bleached flour
Aspartame

A friend of mine had questions about some of the above mentionned substances or principles. I'm copying the answers I gave her to possibly benefit others too :)

What is BHT? BHT & BHA are preservatives. They have been shown by some studies to be carcinogenic. The State of California has actually declared BHA to be carcinogenic. They are found mostly in very processed foods (that we shouldn't anyways) but most cold cereals also use it in their packaging. How much exposure do we get from the cereals being in contact with the substance I don' t know. I prefer to stay away from them altogether. Most cereals have high fructose corn syrup too anyways. Cheerios uses Tocopherols (vit E) as a preservative which is great. The brands who don't are just trying to cut cost at the expense of the consumers' health. I've also found found that most gum as BHA ot BHT in it....

What are sodium nitrites? It's a meat preservative mostly used in deli meats (ham, hotdogs). The biggest danger is that nitrites can be converted in nitrosamines which are highly carcinogenic. This conversion more readily occurs when the meat reaches frying temperatures, think bacon and breakfast links! Here's a good article I found. The statistics are compelling... http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/08/22/the-dangers-of-nitrites-the-foods-they-are-found-in-and-why-you-want-to-avoid-them.htm

What do you consider to be good carbs, the kind to pair with a protein? Think Whole Foods (ie, the way God gave them to us :) ) Whole grains and fruits. Chemically, eating protein by itself is fine. It's when we ingest carbs that we can benefit from the blood sugar regulating effect of proteins.

Why do you feel it's okay to eat full fat dairy products? Taste? Yes, I use full fat because of taste. And it is the way God gave them to us... :) We need fat to utilize the calcium from dairy products because Vitamin D, which is required for fat utilization, is fat soluble. Sure, the fat doesn't have to come from the milk product. But then again, it's prefectly ok if it does. So cheers to whole milk and sunshine!

Here's another good article. http://www.sweetpoison.com/food-additives-to-avoid.html

Random Thoughts

Here I will share random thoughts .... :)

Labor Day

Labor Day was a gorgeous cool and sunny day. I grabbed my little clan and headed for the beautiful canyon I feel so blessed to have nearby. Cam was plagued with allergies and couldn't come. I missed him very much.

This and that

The kids love going to Grandpa & Grandma's. Here are the later playfully going along with the game the kids invented-- wood sledding on a blanket!

Les enfants adorent aller chez leur grand-parents. Ceux-ci se prêtent volontier aux jeux inventés par les enfants. Ici, on fait de la luge dans une couverture sur le parquet!

Michael no longer wants to go to a lot of the fun places we used to go to. He comes home from school, has a snack, plows through his homework and runs off to play with his friends... sigh... He's growing up so fast! Well, Claire and Gabriel still very much enjoy going out so I started taking them after their school and before Michael gets out.

Michael ne veut plus aller faire des choses chouettes comme avant. Quand il rantre de l'école, il mange son goûter, fait ses devoirs et file jouer avec ses amis.... mon petit garçon grandit si vite... J'ai donc commencé à emmener Claire et Gabriel en sortie après leur école et avant que Michael ne finisse.

Claire started dance lessons and she is very excited. We tried when she was younger but she wasn't crazy about it. I'm a fan of waiting until kindergarten to start lessons of most kinds.... Claire a commencé la danse et elle adore!

School! **La rantrée!**

First day in First Grade for Michael!

Premier jour au CP pour Michael!

Claire started Kindergarten. Isn't that uniform adorable? She barely missed the deadline to be able to attend public school this year. All her neighborhood friends are in Kindergarten and she's very ready so she's going to a private school. Next year, public school will have to accept her in 1st grade... he he he


Claire a commencé la grande section. Aux Etats-Unis, l'école publique commence à la grande section. Les enfants nés entre Septembre et Décembre sont mis avec les enfants de l'année d'après. Toutes les petites copines de Claire dans notre voisinage sont nées avant Septembre et on donc commencé l'école publique. J'ai mis Claire dans une école privée pour cette année. L'année prochaine, l'école publique la laissera entrer au CP.

And my little Gabriel started school too! He's in the same school as Claire so he goes every morning. He's happy to finally be doing something the big kids too!

Et mon petit Gabriel a commencé l'école aussi! Il est en petite section. Aux Etats-Unis, les petites et moyennes sections sont privées et ne sont souvent que 2 ou 3 jours par semaine. Il est dans la même école que Claire dont les cours sont tous les matins donc j'ai choisi l'option de 5 matins par semaines pour Gabi aussi. Il est content d'enfin faire ce que les grands enfants font!