May 20
Burgers & Beer: The Buddha Burger
A Masterpiece Almost Too Beautiful To Eat
Veggie burgers are often thought of as discs of fake meat or pressed vegetables designed to resemble a hamburger. If you’ve been following my Burgers & Beer series, that just ain’t so! Most meat eaters are exposed to vegetarian burgers at restaurants that cater to a meat eating crowd. The veggie burger on the menu is an afterthought to satisfy the occasional veg head that arrives with their carnivore pals.
This burger was inspired by a blog I stumbled upon called Vegan Richa.com. Wonderful recipes and photographs. She takes vegetarian food and turns it into 5 star restaurant fare.
I put a few twists on the recipe and eliminated the bread. I love buns but I wanted to appreciate the full flavor of this burger without the distraction.
I served this gorgeous, easy to make burger on top of roasted cabbage. Recipe here. This time I used purple cabbage. You can follow the same recipe but reduce your roasting time by 5 minutes or so unless you like the edges really crispy (I do!).

Garnished with a roasted cabbage flower topped with a Chipotle Vegenaise
The Question to Command Your Life

What’s your metaphor for life? Is life a roller coaster? A series of ups and downs or an adrenaline rush thrill ride? Is life a journey, a marathon, or a dance? Is it a battle, a symphony or a three-ring circus?
Would that metaphor change if I asked you on your graduation or wedding day versus the day you lost your job?
Our outlook is constantly adjusting. Like a swivel chair, we’re busily twirling around and our emotions shift depending on what we’re facing at the moment. Then we compare what we see to what we want.
Is happiness really about meeting our own (or other’s) expectations? It’s like trying to hit a bulls eye with a moving target. There has to be a better way to “dance” through life.
The answer we want is “yes”. The question we need to keep asking is………..
Read more
My New Favorite Fuel! Honey Stinger Waffles
Skitz Pick
I’ve seen these “waffles”on shelves at sporting good stores for awhile but thought they sounded horrible. When I think of waffles, I think of soft, moist and doughy. Not exactly what I’m craving when I’m pounding the pavement.
Then I visited one of my favorite adventure stores, Backwoods, to purchase a gift. And my workout life changed forever:)
Artichoke Pesto with Zucchini

Roll ‘em up or stick it to ‘em. Either way, your friends will love you. Read more
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Tangled- Parents as First Responders
Welcome back to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! (Previous posts in series here). In this final post of the series, I’ll address our parental role as crisis counselor.
Concerned about child abductions, cyber bullying, gangs, and mind altering substances– today parents are concerned. Rightly so.
The playground has gotten bigger….and it’s all inclusive. The internet is a web that entices and captures. The lure of social media satisfies two human needs: curiosity and belonging. Kids still want the very same thing we wanted on the jungle gym. A bar to grab and a place to hang.
The goals haven’t changed only the methods to achieve them.
Awareness can be the ticket to despair. Social media can be the glue that binds or a pie in the face. A relentless slideshow of images, tweets and videos viewed by many as evidence of the green grass elsewhere.
Parents are first responders. Like soldiers in foreign lands, we don’t always know who the enemy is or when the next drama bomb will go off.
All parents need to learn CPR: Care. Protect. Respond. Here’s some tips to help comfort and guide your children during crisis.
★ The Eye of the Runner: The Boston Marathon 2013

Today was business as usual. Up at 4:30am, made my daughter’s lunch, went to the gym, showered, answered work emails, headed to the grocery store and ran a couple errands.
Actually nothing about today felt usual. As if I left my heart in Boston yesterday like lost baggage. I didn’t bring all of me home. Read more
Quik-E-Seat®
Skitz Pick
If we would have only discovered this chair years ago!
Fully operational with one hand, light weight, and drum roll please……..NO BAG!!













Hoo-Rag