Gourmet Runner

Normally when I get a product to review, I'm really eager to tell you all about it. With Tommie Copper , I held back on making a judgement about them because I really wanted to test them thoroughly. I've never owned ANY compression gear before, so I was curious if they were really working, or if I just thought they were. I got to try some calf compression sleeves and knee compression sleeves, both of which I ordered by doing my measurements and checking their size chart. First up for review: the calf sleeves: Oozing sex appeal... Close up How can you tell they're not my legs? I am officially in love with these guys. I first tried them after last week's long run. I had a three hour drive to Nashville for blogger meet-up, which wasn't ideal. 6 hours in the car after 13 miles = leg pain. But I wore them in the car there and back, and even slept with them on that night. They fit me perfectly. I wore them a few times this week, but the real test was yeste...

If you said go to Ace Hardware, work all afternoon, and then hit up Home Depot for some Saturday night action, you're weird. Also, we have something in common.  The morning started out like so many weekend mornings so...hitting the alarm at 6:10 and getting the oatmeal/bathroom routine out of the way. Tried to take some pictures to show you how excited I was to be running this morning. Let's just say 7am photo shoots are not my thing: Also, it was COLD this morning. Not complaining (yet) because it's still a novelty but I actually didn't sweat much the entire run. Bizarre.  Covered 18.04 miles in 2:53:57. And yes, I want to include those 0.04 miles because they COUNT. Garmin stats: Drove my stinky tush to the hardware store to pick up some house stuff after the run, and then lunch and some work. BOO. Started getting HUNGRY for dinner earlier than normal-no surprise there-so I made a garlic/chicken/broccoli stir-fry to top some jasmine rice with. Not sure who is ...

...because yesterday was as good as it can get. I was on Oprah. Yes, that Oprah.  Wait? She doesn't have a show on anymore? Fine, you got me. I wasn't on Oprah. But my blog was on her blog, which is about as good as it gets for me.  They did a feature on easy two-ingredient baking, and my simple Baked Alaska recipe made the cut. Remember that one? So tasty. Now, I read a lot of blogs, but Oprah's isn't one of them, but I found this because my blog blew up yesterday. Normally I get my traffic from other blogs, Facebook, and Google, so when I saw this on my traffic feed I was definitely surprised.... Anyway, if you want to contribute to my (blog's) 2 1/2 minutes of barely noticeable content  fame, check it out here . In other news, I (okay, hubby) finally put up my Allied Medal Display in the new house. I love it! I just need to add some more medals to the mix. Right now I'm only at three (the fourth one belongs to hubby)-and they're all age group...

Want to know how I ended up doing this, a little tipsy, on a Wednesday night? Yeah, me too. Let's start from the beginning, shall we? A week ago I got a fun package from the people at Foodbuzz and Sargento. They sent me a guide to tasting cheese, and because they knew my cheap tush wasn't going to buy anything that I haven't already guaranteed is delicious, they also sent me a $25 American Express gift card to buy some goodies. I love free money, so I was in.  The idea is to taste test Sargento cheese along with another type of cheese. Well, I bought two types of cheese, two crackers (one regular and one gluten-free) and still had money left. I don't know about where you guys live, but here in Georgia $25 buys you way more than that. So I figured the people at Sargento would want me to buy some ham, grapes, and wine. You know, for research testing purposes. Uh huh. So hubs and I headed to our new place, used all the great new kitchen stuff, and dug in to the fea...

Alright...I'll be honest. If I could figure out a way to pick myself for this giveaway I would. Larabars just make me so happy. Lucky for you all, I can't pick myself, and hubs didn't enter, so one of you gets to win. Between comment entries and a few more on Facebook, we have a total of 263 entries. Put that into Random.org, and the winner is.... And comment 189 belongs to...Britt at Chicago Runner Girl ! Congrats Britt! If you have never checked out her blog before...be prepared to be impressed. Nothing major, just 5ks in 19:26 and other leisurely jogs like that. Seriously, I promise her blog will inspire you. She is an amazing runner! If you didn't win this one, don't despair! I've got another giveaway coming up soon. Just reviewing it first so you can all see how wonderful it is. Question: what would you like to see a giveaway for? Obviously this is geared toward running/fitness/healthy eating, but are there other items you would be interested in? In ...

You might think I get monthly checks from Ikea for all the free advertising I give them. But, no...I just go there every 3 or 4 day to get MORE stuff for our house. Yesterday was yet another trip. The highlights: 1. Frozen yogurt cones that cost $1. Yes please!  (P.S. Hubby really loves taking pictures of me at the exit of Ikea posing with frozen yogurt and totally doesn't get embarrassed AT ALL. ) 2. Amazing veggie wraps so that I can eat to pretend to be healthy, and then eat with a side of cornbread that is 0% bread, and 100% cake.  3. Hubby gets a ginormous plate of pasta, meatballs, garlic bread and salad for less than $5. Of course, it can't all be awesome. The cons: 1. One of those previously mentioned foods made me SICK. Like, race to the bathroom while I was standing in line sick. Gross.  2. I do not appreciate going to the returns section, then upstairs to kitchens, then back down to refunds...they should just trust me and hand over the cash. I look...

Ok...first. I promised I would make you laugh. I apologize if I actually just make you cringe. Today's run was humid. I almost wish there was an extra word to describe that level beyond just "humid." A way to accurately describe to you how I felt like I was peeing on myself because so much sweat was running down the inside of my legs. You're welcome for that lovely mental image. Lucky I don't have a picture of that for you. I do, however, have a picture of what that level of humidity does to my hair. I have it tied up in a ponytail, then twisted into a tight bun, and stuck down with my trusty active band. But those freaking guys still find a way to get loose. Exhibit A: And Exhibit B, after stretching: I don't get it. I swear I'm a good person. WHY?! At least I managed the whole 7 miles (middle 3 at tempo pace). Moving on. I got sent a box of Kikkoman's Kara-Age coating mix a while back to make Japanese style fried chicken. I got pretty excited,...