by Sam Tackeff | Jan 2, 2013 | Challenge
I have a lot of thinking to do in the next few weeks – and by thinking, I mean putting myself out there and making things happen. Getting started is usually my weakness. Once I commit to something I’ll charge forward with full force, but determining what I’m actually going to get started on is always a challenge.
Fortunately, starting my morning is less of a challenge. This one commenced with coffee, spiked with a little bit of eggnog. I’ll be sad when Crescent Ridge eggnog season is over, but I’m probably better off without it! After several months of successfully drinking black coffee to start the morning off, it’s fair to say that I’ve regressed, and I blame it all on the nog.
Brunch was a banana pancake. It’s been several weeks since my last, and I was craving it so much that I actually defrosted a frozen banana as we had none fresh in the house. I topped it with some chocolate hazelnut butter for good measure.
Here’s a little trick for you – after making some chicken stock last night with the bones from our dinner, I woke up this morning and strained the bubbling broth in my french press. It works well in a pinch!
It was a quiet sort of day. I worked from home getting some errands done, progressing, and took a Skype call with a start-up in Brazil. Don’t get excited – I’m not moving to Rio anytime soon, but it was nice to make the connection!
Here’s some of the afternoon light in my apartment.
After working on my growing list of to-do’s, I headed to an early evening Crossfit class. It’s so nice to be able to make it in on weekdays again! The workout of the day was split (like usual) into a strength component and a more traditional circuit workout. We warmed up with a rotation of jumping jacks, leg-overs, squats, and various stretches, and practiced our lifts with PVC pipes before getting to the good stuff.
A. 3 Push Press + 2 Push Jerk + 1 Split Jerk
Build to a max in 15 minutes
For this one I shared a bar with Alexann, and we started working up the weights – first a set with the bar (30#), and then a set with 60 pounds, and another with 70. After that, I’m not sure what happened, but my brain got in the way – four lifts into the #75, I just couldn’t quite do it anymore, so after a few more goes, the #70 was my max. I’m certainly strong enough to lift heavier – just have to retrain my mind to get me there!
B. 2 x AMRAP (as many reps as possible) in 8 minutes
5 Handstand Pushups, 6 Pistols, 7 Pull-ups. Rest 4:00 between AMRAPS
Apparently, lifting was making me tired! For the past few weeks, I’ve been doing great with handstand pushups. I have a bit of a challenge though, because I have a hard time kicking up to the wall without my glasses falling off. I have no problem taking my glasses off and doing it, but if I’m doing it quickly in a workout, it gets disorienting not actually being able to see. My “solution” is keeping my glasses on for a WOD by pushing up from a headstand. It’s tiring and not very efficient. I managed a measly 3 rounds the first 8 minutes, and 2 rounds the second – the pushups were killing me!
Despite a pathetic score, this workout was great.
After all of the fun, I headed home to make dinner – gingery beef, broccoli and carrots. No real recipe here – I simply heated some coconut oil, cooked a little garlic, threw in some thinly sliced sirloin with some Red Boat fish sauce. Once cooked, I took the beef out, added the broccoli and carrots to the pan, and a little bit of chicken stock, and steamed the vegetables. While they were cooking, I made a sauce of stock, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and coconut aminos. I added a little bit of sahlep (orchid root powder) as a thickener. It works just the same as cornstarch! When the broccoli was cooked, I tossed the beef back in the pan, and added the sauce and cooked it just for a minute or two.
For dessert, I served myself a little cup of Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Caramel Buzz, a leftover treat from New Year’s Eve. Along with the eggnog, once this is done I’ll be taking a break from the stuff for a while!
* * *
Finally, one last photo. This is Jim, a.k.a. “Hoff”, one of the lovely folks I’ve had the privilege to get to know over the past many months at Charles River Crossfit. I found out tonight that he died last week, at 61, and it was a true shock. Jim was one of those people who always had a smile on his face, and a kind word to say. He’d come to the gym in his flip flops, and power through any workout with everything he had. He’ll be so deeply missed.
by Sam Tackeff | Nov 11, 2012 | Uncategorized
Despite my best intentions, I didn’t get to CrossFit until the very end of the week. I was hoping to make it to the 9 a.m. class, but was thwarted by the Newton Chilly Half – I couldn’t find a way to get around the runners!
Instead of getting to class at 9:20, and being forced to do lots of burpees, I headed over to the Charles River Center, strapped on my Garmin, turned on my RunKeeper, Pandora, and set about trying to beat my 5k time from 8 weeks ago. I’ve been exhausted for the past 7 days straight, but I still managed to pull out a 31:40 run, which was an improvement on the same course!
After my run, I headed over to the gym to get some strength training in. Things were quiet because most people were watching gym-mates compete at the Garage Games Finals at Crossfit Southie. I went for one of the workouts I missed this week:
Skill: Power Clean & Push Jerk – worked to 2 reps @75#
WOD: “Max”
12-9-6 reps of:
Power Snatch (115/80)
Thruster (115/80)
Although the prescribed weight for women is 80, I went with 55, and it nearly killed me. My Snatch form is horrific, and I spent the whole time just muscling up the weight. (For non-gym folks, this means that instead of using intelligent form and force, I slowly pulled the entire weight and tried to push it with no momentum over my head. Ouch.) After watching me suffer for the 20:21 it took me to get through this, Coach D-Payne was super kind to help me out on technique. Keep the bar close! Drive those hips! DROP INTO A SQUAT! After some serious practice, watching video of myself on Coach’s Eye, and much appreciated patience, my form was significantly improved.
When I got home, I made myself a banana pancake with almond butter and maple syrup, a cup of coffee, and read a few chapters of Shucked, which I’m very much enjoying.
I had a significant amount of work to do today, but maximized my productivity by batch cooking for the week. I started out by roasting carrots with olive oil, salt and cumin.
Then I chopped up two heads of cauliflower, and steamed them with a half dozen cloves of garlic for a half hour until tender. I then drained the pot, added salt, pepper, and a generous spoonful of schmaltz (chicken fat!) and pureed it with my immersion blender. I transferred it to a pyrex and put it in the fridge. The “Mashed Faux-tatoes” will last me several days, and reheats well.
I also roasted some delicata squash with salt, pepper, and coconut oil.
And fried a few fresh sausages for my lunches. One’s a fresh pepperoni, and the other is hunter’s sausage with bacon, both from M.F. Dulock.
For dinner, I fried up some pork chops, served them with some of the mashed cauliflower, and a side of collard greens cooked with bacon and cider vinegar.
Now if I could only get some rest before this long week ahead of me! Happy cooking!
by Sam Tackeff | Nov 2, 2012 | Breakfast
Most of my favorite foods are absurdly simple (and sometimes slightly odd) combinations of just a few ingredients. Eggs simmered in tomato sauce, spinach mixed with ground beef, a bowl of hot rice topped with plain yogurt, or a perfect grilled cheese. These are the foods that I go to over and over, because they are easy, comforting, plain, but never boring.
The recipes for these meals are easy, so easy that you may have stumbled upon them and thought you invented them. And it’s quite likely that you have – the same way they have been invented over and over for generations.
That’s something I really love about food – the deep, invisible patterns. Throughout the world, the same combinations repeat themselves, stumbled upon over and over in unique, random moments. It’s amazing if you think of it. How is it that every culture has a type of dumpling?
Many years ago, I “invented” the banana pancake.
I spent a lot of time making sweet omelets – tossing fruit and a spoonful of sugar into my eggs. I came across wonderful combinations in my pursuits – peaches in particular – have you ever ripe peach slices in an omelet in the heat of summer? Divine.
And then I stumbled across the banana. The banana, it seemed, was the perfect mate to the egg. I’d slice a banana and caramelize it and fold it into an omelet. Soon, I became lazy, and the omelets became banana scrambled eggs, and mashing ripe bananas into the eggs led to the banana pancake.
Unlike regular pancakes, which can be a heavy breakfast, the banana pancake is light, and airy, but still has the shape and spirit of a pancake. You can top it with syrup and those who don’t know the secret might not have a clue that you are serving them a gluten free, dairy free, paleo-approved protein rich breakfast. It’s quite good for you.
I must admit that I was shocked – shocked! – that my invention started showing up all over the internet this year. Tina at Carrots N’ Cake practically made this a household staple for her thousands of followers. And suddenly… I started craving it again. So here are just a few of the many I’ve eaten this year.
I make these a lot.
(Almost Two Ingredient) Banana Pancakes
makes 1
Take a small-medium very ripe banana, and mash it with a fork in a bowl. (You can also get a headstart by mashing the banana in the peel, just by smooshing it around. Crack in a large egg, and beat together. Usually I’ll add a tiny cap-ful of vanilla extract, and a dash or two of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, but all this is optional. I got it into my head once to use my immersion blender to make a smoother batter, but I find that I don’t mind just a slightly more rustic pancake with larger pieces of banana here or there.
In a non-stick pan, heat up a spoonful of coconut oil over medium heat. Slowly pour your banana batter into the pan, so that it forms a pancake shape. It’ll be a little runnier than pancake batter, so pour slowly so it can set well.
I re-iterate: cook the pancake slowly – you don’t want it to burn, and the slower it goes, the better it retains it’s shape. Wait until you see lots of little bubbles rising to the surface of the pancake (just like a normal pancake!), and when it’s nearly done, flip! Cook for another minute or so until set.
Gild the lily: this tastes delicious with a dollop of almond butter, and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Or, if you are feeling really snappy, a big spoonful of coconut butter. Or a huge dollop of rum spiked whipped cream.
Be flexible: I typically make one large pancake, but a few silver dollars would also work. Occasionally you’ll end up with a pancake that doesn’t hold it’s shape. Just dump it in a bowl, top it generously and dig in.
Enjoy these!
by Sam Tackeff | Oct 25, 2012 | Blogging
(Wellesley, 1931 via the Wellesley Archives.)
Hello! It’s been a long, fabulous, drawn out week, but I’m happy to be back. The bulk of my weekend was spent at Wellesley, participating in the Alumnae Leadership Council. I went to the beautiful campus to convene with hundreds of fellow graduates, all smart, sophisticated and accomplished women who have achieved so much good in the world. It was just what I needed. Wellesley is a very special place.
When I struggle or feel nervous about my future, I think of all the brilliant role models I have. Women with incredibly varied life experiences. Women who make a tangible difference. Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, the late Nora Ephron are just a few of them. Women whose will and spirit I aspire to emulate. One of the highlights of this weekend was listening to a panel of current students discussing their experiences at the college. These were four incredibly eloquent and accomplished young women, who I couldn’t have been more impressed with. If these women represent our future, it will be a bright one.
The best part of the weekend was getting to spend time with Lizzy – one of my dearest friends, a Minnesotan, Data Scientist, Kiteboarder, Dog Lover (her family breeds and shows Bernese Mountain Dogs) and the super human being who accidentally introduced me to Devon more than half a decade ago.
Here’s a week-long catch-up:
Wednesday: Acquired Lizzy from the airport. Went for a long walk through the city, grabbed lunch at Felipe’s in Harvard Square. Visited the Honey Store. Walked through Kendall. Headed down to the water. Cooked up dinner – chicken thighs with brussels sprouts and bacon.
And… a Pinkberry run. Did you know you can just get fresh fruit and toppings? Well, you can!
Thursday: Headed to CrossFit to complete my challenge of the week – 100 overhead squats for time. 5 burpees everytime you drop the bar. There was a 20 minute cap, and I made it to 75 with a light 35# bar, having dropped the bar one too many times and dying on the burpees. (I was not pleased with my results.) Lunch was a hugely underwhelming bowl from Boloco. In the early evening, we met up with a friend at Barbara Lynch’s Drink, and I ate an entire bowl of delicious warm olives, and a single taste of each of the night’s cocktails: Old Fashioned, a Champs–Élysées, and a Ramos Gin Fizz. Next time I head over, I’ll be having a Ramos Gin Fizz of my own! I happily partook in the steak tartare, minus the toasts! For dinner we got Anna’s to compensate for our lackluster lunch experience. Burrito bowls have been my go-to when ordering out, and I never tire of them.
Here’s the inside of Drink:
Friday: We went for long walks and headed over to the North End. Lizzy got her cannolo at Modern, and I made do with an espresso, standing up at the bar at Caffe dello Sport. For lunch we picked up some food from Whole Foods – roasted brussels sprouts and beef stew. Dinner was spaghetti squash with Rao’s marinara and Trader Joe’s Italian sausage.
Isn’t this the most fabulous photo of Lizzy? Those cheekbones! That delightful ricotta filled snack! The powdered sugar explosion! I digress.
Saturday: Leadership council! We snuck onto campus early to have brunch at Tower Court. Eggs, bacon, a little bit of chicken, grapefruit, and pumpkin coffee. (Although I rarely ate in dining hall – despite being forced to stay on the meal plan – brunch was one of the best parts of my college experience.)
I smartly loaded up, fearing the worst with my dietary needs and the impending catered meals. While I would have just brought my own food or been flexible, I had decided to make advanced plans with all the caterers giving proper notice of my gluten and dairy free requirements. Multiple caterers were being uses, all in the running for reunion events, and as I’ve volunteered as dinner chair, I thought this could be a good test. Lunch was salad and a chicken breast, and I had to argue with a server who was going to take away my chocolate mousse because I had requested “no dairy” and they “needed it for someone else”. This, for the record, was ludicrous as they had plenty of extras (including one at an empty seat at our table). I was looking forward not to the mousse – which wasn’t challenge friendly- but the raspberries on top. After clarifying that I was not allergic to dairy, and getting snapped at, I had to scowl to keep my three beautiful raspberries. Dinner was not much better. Steak, two pieces of broccoli and purple potatoes. I had to clarify that dairy free meant I couldn’t have the mashed potatoes made with butter, which the server brought back a second time insisting it was rice. My final plate consisted of a 4 ounce piece of steak and about three spears of broccolini. The food, despite the mishaps was all actually quite good.
After a day of not eating nearly enough, I found myself starving, and regret to say that I cheated on my challenge. Considering the majority of folks have cheated since week one, I only felt a tiny bit bad. The worst part is that it wasn’t even food I’d crave normally: my downfall was roasted marshmallow on graham cracker at the Wellesley fire pit. C’est la vie.
Sunday: Leadership council day two! Yet another morning breaking into doing hall for brunch. This time I grabbed a few extra eggs and a banana to go as hunger insurance. For lunch, most people got butternut squash ravioli, but the gluten free meal was a portobello mozzarella stack with a tomato vegetable sauce. Which I had without cheese. Which means my entire meal was a mushroom. Sigh. After the conference, Lizzy, Devon and I headed to Basho for a meal, and by meal, I mean, for $70 we ended up with enough food to qualify as “appetizer”. Basho has a really nice atmosphere, but the food for the price just doesn’t cut it. I should note though that they were particularly accommodating for my needs. I ended up with three very small rice-less hand rolls, but they were kind and flexible. We were so hungry after dropping off Lizzy that we went to the store and picked up some food. I went with kielbasa and salad.
Monday: Back to reality. Met up with a friend for a long walk/run. 4.5 miles in the crisp early evening air. Food: I ate it. Mostly leftovers – cabbage and kielbasa, tomato braised cod with olives and artichokes. Dessert was a shake – blended a frozen banana with 2 Tbs. of cocoa and some light coconut milk. Highly recommended.
Tuesday: Crossfit! A fairly strenuous workout. The workout of the day was called “Ace + Gary”. There were two rounds: the first was 15 minutes long, alternating a 400 m. run with as many unbroken pull-ups as you could do. You scored based on total pull-ups, which for me was… 13. Then a 7 minute rest, and round two: alternating between a 500m row an as many handstand pushups as you can do before toppling over or tiring out. Over my four rounds, I made it to 30 – although scaled by getting into a headstand and pushing up. (My cartwheeling into the wall still needs practice, so this made it easier to actually get in pushups for the workout.) For dinner, I roasted a chicken, and served it with salad.
Wednesday: Rest day! Breakfast was a banana and egg “pancake”, with nut butter and a little maple syrup. For lunch I made do with Trader Joe’s Gazpacho, a handful of black olives, and some canned sardines with mustard. In the late afternoon I picked up some decaf coffee at Formaggio. (Note to self, just don’t do decaf. It’s never as good.) For dinner, a low point of the week, I crumbled up some ground beef with spices, and served it with roasted delicata squash, nothing else. Devon got his with mashed potatoes.
* * *
Before I go, I want to give you a few shots of breakfast over the past week. There is nothing like waking up in the morning and walking into the kitchen when someone else has made coffee for you.
Banana and egg “pancake”.
The Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Coffee we blew through… fantastic until we went back to TJ’s and were informed that they wouldn’t have any more due to a production snafu. Grumble.
Lizzy’s cocoa oats.
Apples and nut butter.
Back to the grind – and regularly scheduled postings. I’m looking forward to it.
