Plants and Pickleball

[VegSeekingFit]

YAY, Erin!!! Thanks for posting your amazingly beautiful pictures!!! Wow!!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[Ejeff]

I have been enjoying the fall so far. Last weekend we went to a very large farmers market and I got some purple kale and Swiss chard. Gosh Swiss chard lightly steamed is so delicious. Today we are going on a family bike ride at a very large recreation area just outside the city. Looking forward to that. The weather forecast is perfect about 23C and hardly any wind. Afterwards we are having a picnic. The trees will be pretty and some leaves have started to decorate the paths.

Just 2 more weeks until they take the Pickleball nets down at the outdoor courts. I’m very fortunate as there are great options for indoor play during the winter too. After the long hike my left knee needed some rest so I have cut back a bit on the exercise. It has helped and I’m slowly getting back to normal, another week and I think I will be back to my normal mostly pain free self.

Nothing much new on the food front. I did reorganize my large freezer and pantry which was good. Seems odd, but when it’s too messy I feel stressed. I haven’t been preparing any fancy recipes lately. I did want to use up my rhubarb so I made a double batch of rhubarb/strawberry crumble. I used only banana and dates to sweeten it and I have frozen it in chunks to enjoy over the next few weeks. I also made a batch of pumpkin oatmeal cookies from the Jaroudi recipe. I used blended raisins to sweeten instead of dates. I’m still eating a huge salad bowl almost everyday, I had some frozen cranberries to use up so have been adding those. Gives a nice little sour/sweet kick. Oh and I did make a batch of flax crackers. They are quite easy to make and turned out really nice. The recipe includes red pepper flakes so they are a bit spicy. I like spicy food.

Enjoy the week and the fall colors!

Erin

[Starflower]

I hope you have a lovely bike ride! We’re about the same age. Your active life inspires me to do more.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin,

Hope your bike ride and picnic were amazing! Sounds like you were going to have beautiful weather.

That is cool that your area is moving to the indoor pickleball courts. We have kind of a mish-mosh here --- where we have some activities already indoors - like League and Pickle Spears. Our one park keeps the courts open year-round (yes, Il Chicagoland!) and only locks access to them if there is snow on the ground. So I have heard that there is a die-hard contingent of folks who keep playing outside (in parkas if need be).

I hope your knee is recovering nicely.

Have a fabulous week!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Thank you Starflower and Stephanie. Yes the bike ride with family was lovely. Stephanie, it’s much the same here our league offers some organized play in school gyms and such. We also have a couple facilities where a court can be booked with a small group and I believe they also offer league play. The private Pickleball places cost around $14 each session. My other option is drop in at the County gyms and I usually do this as it’s already included in my monthly gym pass. Only draw back is some days it’s early play like 7am. Hard to get up and out the door early in the winter. Most days play goes until 11 so it’s not too early. Right now we are so lucky still playing outdoors as temperatures are in the low 20s. I enjoy the outdoor play the most. I will be looking forward to hearing how your sessions with personal trainer go.

I’ve been travelling for the last couple of weeks. Met a friend in Vegas for a few days and then a week in Nashville. We had never been to Nashville and really enjoyed the Opry. Also went to a rock concert at the Franklin Amphitheater. That was a cool experience too. The museum and hall of fame was really good. So much history in country music. I always enjoy travelling, but it’s nice to be home where I feel in complete control of my food. I did enjoy some lovely meals in vegan restaurants and also just baked spuds with chives and broccoli in the steak/bbq places. I never get tired of plain potatoes.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy week!

Erin

[bunsofaluminum]

Sounds like a grand vacation I've been to Vegas a couple of times and enjoy the shows, restaurants, walking the strip. It's fun. Nashville also sounds like a great time as well.

[Daydream]

Erin, your recent traveling experiences sound fun. We've been to Vegas but have never been to Nashville. I never get tired of plain potatoes either!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin,

Excellent that you have a selection of options for indoor pickleball!!! Awesome that you are able to go to one where you already are a member. We have similar drop-in options --- and also times offered are heavier in the early AM. Work gets in the way of pickleball playing opportunities --- boo!

Sounds like you had a great vacation!! We ❤️ Nashville!! The Opry is incredible!!! Beautiful area for sure.

Hope you have a terrific week!

Best,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Thanks for stopping by my journal Buns, Daydream and Stephanie.

I had a couple friends visit last weekend. We had planned to dine out one evening, but I was very stocked up on all types of dried beans. One type was whole mung beans so my friend showed us how to cook a lovely curry dish in the Instant pot. Gosh it was so tasty. I’m going to try making more curries as I sure do enjoy them. I just finished cooking up black beans and tomorrow I will do kidney beans. I had depleted all my inventory so it’s time to do some batching again. I had never before bought the mung beans so it’s good to expand my bean variety I suppose.

I made a new recipe for them which was a Butternut squash lasagne. Very delicious and I would definitely make it again. The recipe used fresh sage and basil. I doubled the recipe and it made 2 9x13 pans so I gave some to the kids and froze a couple portions as well. I also made the thyme cream cheese ball that I’ve made before. It’s one of my favorite things. It can be baked or not, and if not it is a bit more like cream cheese consistency. I use two smaller ramekins which works well as I freeze one. Not planning to do any fancy cooking or recipes for the next bit, just eating my usual bowls and such.

Pickleball is all indoors now, but I can play drop in as much as 6 days per week if I want. I try not to play quite that often as I do like to have time for other things haha. My little grandson was sick this week so I babysat him a couple of days. Now I’ve managed to catch a virus too, but I just take lots of vitamin C and D and also gargle with hydrogen peroxide and water. I get over these things quite quickly and I’m sure it’s because my immune system is quite strong.

That’s about all for now. Wishing everyone a healthy week ahead with lots of yummy starches, fruits and veggies!

Erin

[bunsofaluminum]

I love that pickleball is your passion...something you crave and enjoy and want to do with ALL your free time LOL Like my brother-in-law who plays frequently. I've played a couple of times, and met my hubby at a Meet Up group on pickleball day...it's fun!

well done, getting some beans cooked. stocking up, ready to go.

[Daydream]

Erin, it's wonderful when a friend comes over and shows you how to cook a new recipe that's delicious! I have never tasted mung beans.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin,

Putting the mung beans on my list to try! Love how you were able to share great meal with friends.

Totally laughing on your pickleball comment that there may be other things to do (are you sure?) !! Phenomenal that you have 6 opportunities to play during the cold weather though!!!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Buns, Daydream, Stephanie thanks for your kind comments.

Not too much to report on. Took a couple weeks to get over the cold I caught, which wasn’t a huge deal other than I try not to be around others so I couldn’t stick to my usual routine. All better now and back to enjoying Pickleball and the gym. I am keeping cooking and food pretty simple for the most part. Trying to use up current inventory as much as possible. Last night I had a big bowl of whole wheat pasta tossed with a fresh tomato, black olives, some cashew Parmesan, steamed cauliflower, mushrooms and Thai basil. A friend grows the basil and it is so delicious. I had never had Thai basil before, but sure do love the licorice flavour in it. It smells so great also.

We had another family birthday. It seems there is always one lol. This time I was asked to make tofu butter chicken. It turned out very nice and the recipe is a keeper. It was quite low fat too I used 1/4 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup coconut milk as I had some cubes of each frozen. For dessert I made an ice cream cake which was vegan, but not healthy. I had never made one before, it was quite easy. Definitely only for rare special occasions that’s for sure.

Our weather has been fantastic. We got snow a couple weeks ago, but now it’s all gone and our daytime temperatures are around 6 Celsius. Lots of sunshine also so it’s been perfect for walking. My strength training routine seems to be going well, I suppose the main thing is I am sticking with it. I started doing leg machines at the gym and I think that will help too. So I’m doing upper body twice a week and legs twice a week. I find during the toughest part of the weight lifting I have to really focus on why I’m doing it and that seems to help. I really love that I can push my body and I am living pain free. I hope I can say the same in another 9 years when I’m 70.

I was reading the MWL thread and now I want some buckwheat pasta and would also like to try the brown rice pasta Wildgoose mentioned. When I’m in the US this winter I will look for it. We might have it here who knows. I sometimes eat white pasta although I much prefer the whole wheat varieties. Same with rice, I don’t mind white, but if given a choice I would pick brown. I suppose that’s a good thing that I just so happen to enjoy the more nutritious higher fiber options. I can’t complain about that can I!

Hope everyone had a good week with some nice outdoor walks and a bit of sunshine.

Erin

[letsfixmyheart]

I wish I preferred the whole-grain versions of rice and pasta! Maybe in time.

[Ejeff]

Letsfixmyheart, I think people sometimes mix white and brown rice as a way to get used to brown. I love a lot of texture in my food which is why I think I prefer brown over white rice. I still have white sometimes.

This week I will be enjoying home made pasta sauce. There was a very good sale on peppers so I air fried about 12 and blended those up with tomato paste and herbs and spices. Today I will have the sauce over beans and steamed cauliflower as that was also on sale so I got 3 large heads. I’m always pretty happy when I can find great bargains on my produce. Green cabbage is also extremely cheap right now. I love to include a couple of cups in my salads. I prepped that also by slicing it very fine on my mandolin. I don’t know why red cabbage doesn’t seem to go on sale….perhaps they just don’t grow as much of it.

Today I’m going to a newer place in town called Activate, my daughters invited me. I’m not totally sure what it is and sometimes I like it that way as it’s kind of fun to be surprised. I do know I need to be ready for a workout as sweating will be involved. I think it’s some sort of facility where you get to do different physical challenges in various areas or rooms. In any event I’m sure it will be fun and I will be able to report on this next week.

The week has been good, played Pcikleball 4 days and got in all my scheduled strength training plus swam a couple of days. The sauna is still my reward when I can fit it in. Our weather continues to be almost like spring we must be setting some kind of record for mid November. I’ve been trying to get outside for walks in the early afternoon as the sunshine in my face feels so rejuvenating.

Hope everyone had a great week!

Erin