I’m Still Optimistic

One of the many 4th of July family reunions

This is a story of a husband to one, a father to four, grandfather to twelve, great-grandfather to fourteen, and friend to many.

Born of German immigrants, Alvin Schultz, met his future wife at the county fair in Iowa. He and Marie were married on October 28, 1945 and resided in their comfortable home on their farm. The farm was home to cows, pigs, corn, soybeans, cats, dogs, rabbits and eventually, children. Alvin and Marie raised three boys and a girl.

Over time the children grew and had families of their own. Alvin and Marie moved into town.  Every year Alvin was asked to ride one of his beloved John Deere tractor in the 4^th of July parade.  And every winter he decorated that tractor with Christmas lights in his front yard.  Alvin was known throughout town as a joker.  When walking into his house one had to be prepared to catch flying objects.  His favorite was to throw an egg. Only when his poor, terrified victim caught it did they realize the egg was rubber. To honor his favorite dog that had passed, Duchess, a cement statue of a German Shepard sat on the porch.  When walking up to the door, Alvin would ask his guests to pet the dog.  Just as their hand got close he would “bark” loudly causing even the calmest person to jump.  He had nicknames for everyone.  I wasn’t Erin, I was Ernie.  And he loved to call my name until I finally responded with a “What?!” His response was always the same, “Oh nothing, just calling my dog.” As a kid, it was very frustrating. 

It started with some loss of balance and then came the trembling.  Alvin was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson Disease.  Then came the shuffling of his feet, the rigidity in his trunk which altered his walking, and his handwriting was getting smaller. He became more and more dependent until Marie had no choice but to let professionals help with his care. While in the nursing home Alvin received physical and occupational therapy to preserve his quality of life. The disease took its toll on the family.  This once vibrant and boisterous man was now so soft spoken he was finding it hard to communicate.  Alvin lost his fight on January 7, 2007, less than a year before his sixth grandchild’s wedding and just a year past his own 60^thanniversary.

Alvin and Marie’s 60th wedding anniversary

The point of this story is to make you aware of Parkinson Disease. It is not just something that affects Mohammed Ali or Michael J Fox. It affects normal, happy families.  It affects husbands, fathers, and grandfathers. My grandfather. 

If you have been touched by this story I ask you to help me support APDA. The American Parkinson Disease Association was formed in 1961 to “ease the burden and find a cure for Parkinson Disease.” The cause of Parkinson Disease remains unknown and it is a progressive, debilitating disease. Their organization “focuses its energies on research, patient support, education, and raising public awareness of the disease.” On April 7^th the Arizona APDA, Banner Health-Thunderbird, and the Physical Therapy students of Midwestern University will be hosting the second annual Optimism Run. This 5k/1k Fun Run will be held on the beautiful campus of Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ.  You can support our cause in a couple very noble ways. Please visit this website.  Here you will be able to sign up to run or donate to the APDA.  Funds are used for a variety of programs helping people with Parkinson Disease including wellness programs that have proven their success with this population.  If you would like to donate your time, please contact me directly.

Thank you for taking the time to read Alvin’s story.  Help me in spreading the “Optimism!”

It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it!

Today is National Running Day. Yesterday I went to my naturopath for some acupuncture.  I was telling her about my little jet ski accident and she told me she had some tuning forks.  I agreed to let her use them.  You see in school we have learned that some small fractures won’t show up on an X-ray but if you use a tuning fork the vibrations will cause some “discomfort”.  This pain is a positive symptom for a fractured bone.  So, she started on the upper ribs and moved down. Rib 6,7,8,9,OUCH! I must’ve fractured one. Crap! So, that means no running for me on National Running Day. 😦 Boo! I went hiking instead. Oh well, it was a pretty morning!

Last week I went with Chad to work. He had an overnight in the beautiful San Luis Obisbo, California. He didn’t have to to head out until late the next day so we had the whole morning to enjoy the much cooler weather.  We took off on some of the hotel’s bike cruisers down to the beach.

Sweet Ride!

I know that Chad hates being away from home all the time, but getting to spend time in places like this has got to make it a little easier!

I found a great, healthy version of my favorite soup, Italian Wedding Soup, that I had to share. It is a light soup so still a great to have in the summer.

Italian Wedding Soup (adapted by me from Experience Life Magazine)

• 1 T olive oil
• 2 carrots peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups parsley, chopped
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste
• smoked paprika to taste

For the meatballs:

• 1/2 lb ground turkey (or chicken) (I used almost 1 lb of turkey)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (use the italian seasoned, much better!)
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: add more oregano, basil, and garlic to taste

1.Preheat oven to 375* In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and saute carrots, celery, garlic and mushrooms until al dente.  Add chicken stock and simmer until veggies are soft. 2.While stock is simmering, make the meatballs by mixing all the ingredients listed. Shape into small balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for about 15 minutes and then add to simmering soup. 3. Add the broccoli rabe, parsley and beans. Simmer for another 5 minutes.  Add salt, pepper, and paprika to season. 4. Serve and enjoy!  Makes 6-8 servings

Wish I was here!

Ready for Battle

This weekend we decided to try something new. I’ve now been consistent with my running and lifting,but this my friends, was a whole new beast. The Warrior Dash. Just a little 5k, no big deal.  Oh, but let’s throw some cars to climb over, walls to scale, ropes to climb, fire to jump over, and end with crawling through mud under barbed wire. Now that is what I’m talking about! First, obviously, you must have a costume.

We decided to call ourselves Warrior Goddess. Chad was a little offended so we amended it to Ultimate Warriors. I think we look tough 😉 It’s the gold sequin headbands.

It was pushing triple digits in heat again so our 3 pm start time was not ideal. But, we made it, we got dirty, and had a blast doing it.  I highly recommend even you non-runners to try one of these events.

Now, if you are going to race like a warrior you need to eat like one too.  Here is a recipe that I originally started using back when I was on the Clean diet a year ago. It was a good book with many good points. I found, however, that it is just not realistic as a lifestyle. It is also not a good choice for someone who works out. I became very irritable and tired, which is exactly opposite of how you are told you will feel. I was in the middle of a tough quarter in grad school, so being exhausted all the time was not an option. I only lasted two weeks of Clean. But, as I said I learned some good things from it and I use many of the delicious, healthy recipes like this one.

Baked Citrus Fish in Parchment

• 2 filets of fish (I’ve used Cod, Halibut, and Orange Roughy, all good)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
• 1 Lemon sliced
• 1/2 zucchini sliced
• 2 T capers*
• 1 T lemon juice*
• salt and pepper to taste*
• Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 425*. Cut two strips of parchment, approximately     in size.  Drizzle oil on paper and place fish on top. Arrange zucchini and lemons on top of fish, alternating them.  Top with remaining oil and lemon juice (split between the two equally).  Add the olives and capers to each and salt and pepper.  Fold up paper around fish like a little package.  If I can’t get the paper to stay put I secure it with toothpicks.  Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes.The paper will be slightly browned. Serve in the paper immediately. 

This time I didn’t have the lemons, but I would highly recommend them. I also added fresh basil from my plant and used spears of mini zucchini instead of slices. I grilled some shiitake mushrooms and brussels sprouts for a side.  Just a little olive oil drizzled on top with some salt and pepper. There is also a mini steamed artichoke in there 🙂 This is so easy, so healthy, and so delicious!

It’s probably about time that I give an update on the actual Operation Meltdown.  The mission has been less about weight loss and more about getting healthy and it is paying off.  Slow and steady I am now down six pounds.  Not a ton but if you have been following for a while you have seen the ups and downs as I have tried to figure out what works and what doesn’t.  I’m feeling good and I’m only four pounds away from my goal. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon!

Working Up An Appetite For Panuchos

So I got a new workout from my “personal trainer” (Chad) this week.  Yet another gem.  Let me share my last two days with you:

Monday

• 3 mile Tempo Run.  I ran on the Arizona Canal last night after work.  I think I run faster when I’m trying to make it back to my car before the sun goes down 😉 In honor of the Boston marathon yesterday I ran 26.2 miles (just minus 23.2 miles).

Tuesday

• 10 min on stepmill
• Legs: 3×16 Alternating Jumping Lunges
• 5×8 Squats (heavy weight!)
• 4×8 Single Leg Ext
• 3×15 Ball leg curls
• 3×10 standing calf raises
• Shoulders superset: 3×10 shoulder press, then lateral raises
• Abs circuit: leg raises 3×15
• WoodChop 3×12 each
• Bicycles 3×20

Whew!  Just wait for the next few days.  I’m already tired looking at it! I have had a healthy little appetite lately due to the more intense workouts.  The other night I had a wild streak and decided to try this new recipe I found in Sunset Magazine for homemade tortillas stuffed with black beans, Panuchos.  My version came out more like tostadas. Even though I didn’t get it 100% correct, we all still enjoyed it.  This is what I ended up doing:

Tasty Tostadas

• 1 lb chicken breasts
• Your favorite marinade (We used a pouch of a chipotle flavored marinade, yum)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 T of vegetable oil
• 2 1/3 cups of masa
• 1 1/3 cup of chicken broth
• 3/4 tsp salt
• TOPPINGS:
• Romaine Lettuce
• Roma tomatoes chopped
• Avocado
• Salsa
• Diaya “Cheese” or if you’re lucky real cheese 😉

Chicken: Marinade the chicken.  Heat grill to medium. Grill chicken until cooked through turning once, usually 10-15 minutes.  Let chicken cool and then cut into bite sized pieces. Filling: In a food processor blend the beans along with their liquid until smooth.  The original recipe called for cooked onion in it too, but you know how I feel about those. Add them if you want.  Tortillas: Combine the masa and the chicken broth to make dough. Divide into 14-16 equal balls, set on a baking sheet, and cover with plastic wrap.  Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.  One at a time, flatten out a masa ball into a tortilla shape. A freezer bag cut in half works well to press them out, using a little flour if it gets sticky. Peel the tortilla from the plastic and put on the skillet. Flipping once, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a plate and continue with the rest of the dough.  This is where you are supposed to slit the tortilla and stuff with beans. Didn’t work for me so I just put some beans in between two tortillas and cooked a little longer on the skillet.  Put it all together: Top each tortilla “sandwich” with some chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and salsa. 

I’m Optimistic, Are You?

One of the many 4th of July family reunions

This is a story of a husband to one, a father to four, grandfather to twelve, great-grandfather to fourteen, and friend to many.

Born of German immigrants, Alvin Schultz, met his future wife at the county fair in Iowa. He and Marie were married on October 28, 1945 and resided in their comfortable home on their farm. The farm was home to cows, pigs, corn, soybeans, cats, dogs, rabbits and eventually, children. Alvin and Marie raised three boys and a girl.

Over time the children grew and had families of their own. Alvin and Marie moved into town.  Every year Alvin was asked to ride one of his beloved John Deere tractors in the 4^th of July parade.  And every winter he decorated that tractor with Christmas lights in his front yard.  Alvin was known throughout town as a joker.  When walking into his house one had to be prepared to catch flying objects.  His favorite was to throw an egg. Only when his poor, terrified victim caught it did they realize the egg was rubber. To honor his favorite dog that had passed, Duchess, a cement statue of a German Shepard sat on the porch.  When walking up to the door, Alvin would ask his guests to pet the dog.  Just as their hand got close he would “bark” loudly causing even the calmest person to jump.  He had nicknames for everyone.  I wasn’t Erin, I was Ernie.  And he loved to call my name until I finally responded with a “What?!” His response was always the same, “Oh nothing, just calling my dog.” As a kid, it was very frustrating. 

It started with some loss of balance and then came the trembling.  Alvin was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson Disease.  Then came the shuffling of his feet, the rigidity in his trunk which altered his walking, and his handwriting was getting smaller. He became more and more dependent until Marie had no choice but to let professionals help with his care. While in the nursing home Alvin received physical and occupational therapy to preserve his quality of life. The disease took its toll on the family.  This once vibrant and boisterous man was now so soft spoken he was finding it hard to communicate.  Alvin lost his fight on January 7, 2007, less than a year before his sixth grandchild’s wedding and just a year past his own 60^thanniversary.

Alvin and Marie's 60th wedding anniversary

The point of this story is to make you aware of Parkinson Disease. It is not just something that affects Mohammed Ali or Michael J Fox. It affects normal, happy families.  It affects husbands, fathers, and grandfathers. My grandfather. 

If you have been touched by this story I ask you to help me support APDA. The American Parkinson Disease Association was formed in 1961 to “ease the burden and find a cure for Parkinson Disease.” The cause of Parkinson Disease remains unknown and it is a progressive, debilitating disease. Their organization “focuses its energies on research, patient support, education, and raising public awareness of the disease.” On April 15^th the Arizona APDA, Banner Health-Thunderbird, and the Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy students of Midwestern University will be hosting the first annual Optimism Run. This 5k/1k Fun Run will be held on the beautiful campus of Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ.  You can support our cause in a couple very noble ways. First, you can click on this link (Optimism Run 2012) to participate in our event. Secondly, you can support the work of the APDA by clicking on this link (Donor Drive).  Thirdly, if you would rather donate your time, contact me for volunteer opportunities at the race.  

Thank you for taking the time to read Alvin’s story.  Help me in spreading the “Optimism!”

Case of the Mondays

Yesterday I totally had a case of the Mondays! Work Sunday night was brutal! Our computer system bit the dust so we had to go back to the dark ages of hand written tickets. Makes you appreciate technology when you have to hand write tickets for over 30 tables, for which you were the lone server. Needless to say I got home late but still got up early to get in a run before work.

Tonight I pulled together a pretty tasty little meal.  If you are stuck in the “chicken and rice” rut, try this out.  A while back I found a recipe for Peanut Poi Sauce in Natural Health Magazine.  Topped on grilled chicken it is delicious. This recipe makes a ton so I froze the leftovers which I was able to defrost on a day like today.

Peanut Poi Sauce

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
• 1/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 4 T agave nectar
• 3 T brown sugar
• 2 T fish sauce
• 2 T red curry paste

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, whisking regularly, until sauce is creamy. Serve over grilled chicken or a dipping sauce for chicken skewers.

I paired the chicken with something I will call Coconut Curry rice.

Coconut Curry Rice

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1-2 T red curry paste
• 1 cup brown rice

Bring coconut milk and water to a boil in a medium pot. Add curry paste and rice and reduce to a simmer.  I had to keep adding coconut milk and water to make sure it didn’t burn, so keep an eye on it.

And Ta-Da! A boring chicken and rice dinner gets some flavor.  With dinner I enjoyed a present from my brother-in-law.

Do you think that drinking from a Buddha bottle counts as meditating? I’m going with a yes 😉

Gazpach-wow!

My personal trainer (my husband 😉 ) is very happy that I have actually listened to him and have completed all my workouts so far this week.  Yesterday was a 20 minute easy run followed by an upper body workout.  I did back, chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, and abs, in that order.  Piece of cake. So last night I decided to go to hot yoga.  It’s been awhile since I’ve been to a class and my doctor has been telling me its part of my prescription.  I always feel so amazing afterwards, why don’t I make it a better habit?!

Today was sprint day. It was a tough one but I survived!:

• 2 minute sprints, 5 times followed by
• 1 minute sprint up a 6% incline, again repeated 5 times
• 1 minute recovery in between each sprint

Last night I went to a farmer’s market.  I picked up some nice skin care products and pretty vegetables. 

I decided to try out a gazpacho recipe tonight to use my fresh veggies.  Here is the recipe that I loosely used because I have never made this delicious soup myself.  Of course I tweaked it to my liking, so this is my recipe:

Green Tomato Gazpacho

• 2 green tomatoes seeded and diced
• 1/3 cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1/3 red pepper, diced
• 2 clove garlic
• 2 T fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno
• 3 T water
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp sherry vinegar
• salt to taste

Throw everything in the food processor and blend until smooth.  Garnish with diced fresh tomato. 

This was so surprisingly good.  I’m so excited that I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Speaking of tomorrow, the Hunger Games movie comes out! I’m as excited as my “tween” patients… maybe more, that’s so embarrassing 😉

 

Getting Creative

It has now been almost two weeks of this current “anti migraine” diet.  Much to my surprise, I have not keeled over yet. I have had to become creative with my meals, however.

Plain Greek yogurt with honey and pumpkin pie spice

Lentil Wrap with Beef Pho

For dinner this evening I made a great marinade for some chicken kabobs.

Chicken Kabob Marinade

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper (I like it spicy, if you don’t do less)
• season with salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a container. Add 1 lb of diced chicken. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.  Add to kabobs with red peppers, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Grill on medium-high for about 10 minutes. (If you are using metal skewers be careful taking them off the grill. Chad burnt himself. He also has reminded me about this five times since dinner 🙂 )

We supplemented these tasty kabobs with some kale chips, a roasted tomato and sweet potato gnocchi. I’m not a potato fan but I like sweet potatoes.  These things kinda rocked.  I have gotten in a rut with my workouts and running. Although I was a trainer for years sometimes I find it impossible to get motivated to do what I know I need to do.  It’s a good thing I have an ex-personal trainer for a husband.  Chad wrote me a fun little plan for this week.  Day one was a two-mile run at a quicker pace (I’m trying to get faster) followed immediately by 20 minutes on the step mill (I’m also trying to continue the meltdown). I ended with some abs an foam rolling.  Tomorrow is leg day and I am already feeling sore just thinking about it!

I might be a little weird

I am loving having a week off of responsibilities! And I am loving this weather! Yesterday I went for a nice run at Thunderbird Park. Almost four miles of hills and I think I got a good workout. It doesn’t hurt that there is a nice view along the way.

I had to run some errands and I was hungry so I picked up my favorite snack at Trader Joe’s. Real bananas, so good!

For dinner last night I went back to my new BFF Rachael Ray. This recipe is perfect for me because I HATE potatoes.  I know, I’m a freak of nature. I can eat most french fries and chips are fine, but you will never see mashed potatoes or baked potatoes on my plate. It’s really hard to  believe I’m from the midwest. While we are on the subject…Things I Hate: pork (bacon is only to be eaten in the morning after a long night out), ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, cheesecake, coconut (except pina coladas:) ), lasagna, and I don’t eat onions either (I always chop them really big so I can pick them out). Whew! I feel better getting that all off my chest. Please continue reading, I’m really not that crazy… or am I?

Deconstructed Tex-Mex Potpies (Of course I had to put my spin on it to make it that much better 😉 Those additions are notated with a *)

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water
• 1 T veg oil
• 3 T butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small red pepper, chopped
• 2 small ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 bulb fennel, chopped*
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped
• 1 can of green chilis*
• 2 T chopped cilantro*
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper*
• salt and pepper
• 3 T flour
• 2 cups chicken stock (I used broth)*
• 3 cups rotisserie chicken (I cooked my own chicken because I’m still steering clear of it because of our last experience! I seasoned it with some paprika, salt and pepper and cooked it through before adding it to the rest of the filling)
• Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425*. Roll out the dough and cut out four circles using the ramekins you will be serving in as stencils.  2. Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet and brush with the egg wash (it says to line the sheet with parchment paper, I forgot and they were still fine). Bake until golden, 15 minutes.  3. Meanwhile, in a deep pan heat oil over medium-high heat; add butter to melt. Stir in all the vegetables and season with the cumin, cilantro, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Partially cover and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the chilis 4. Stir in the flour for 1 minutes (no lumps!) and then the chicken broth until thickened.  Stir in the chicken and heat through.  Lower the heat and season with worcestershire and hot sauce. (careful, a little worcestershire goes a long way!).  Spoon the filling into the ramekins and top with a pastry round.

This was a nice and filling meal after our long day.  My brother-in-law has moved back to Phoenix and is crashing with us until he gets everything in order.  So, yesterday we also cleaned out the garage and made a huge donation to Goodwill.  It’s starting to look like a bike shop out there:) I still have 12 more days of freedom! What will I get myself into next?

 

 

Free to Frittata

Holy moly! It’s been quite the week for me. I am sad to report that my new shoes have injured me 😦 This will not stop me because April is going to be a big month. I’ll divulge details later.

I have been buried underneath books studying for finals for what seems like forever.  But as of noon today… done with another quarter! In two weeks I embark upon another internship.  10 whole weeks pretending to be a real therapist. Little scary if you ask me.  But for now, I will enjoy my time off.  First on the agenda is to enjoy some cold beverages and quit ignoring my husband.

For dinner tonight I did not want to leave the house to go get something to cook so I searched the fridge and came up with this.

Red Pepper, Artichoke and Olive Frittata

• 1/2 Red pepper chopped
• 1 clove of elephant garlic
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 5 chopped artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup of kalamata olives chopped
• 6 eggs
• 1 T of milk
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 2 T of feta

Preheat the oven to 375* I started by sauteing the red pepper and garlic until the garlic was golden and the red peppers were soft.  I whisked the eggs and the milk.  Add the egg mixture, the peppers and garlic, and all the rest of the ingredients into a bake dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until it is cooked through.  Top with feta and serve.

This experiment was a success. Even my super-picky brother in-law had some! Well, I have just been handed a martini and think I will be making my way out to relax at the hot tub.  I’m not really a lush, I promise 🙂 Ahh it feels so good to finally have some free time!