Hide and Sneak!

Last night's dinner included Mr. Daisy Mae's Spaghetti Squash, Mediterranean-style.  If you've watched the video, you know this is a simple recipe that substitutes as pasta. Now if I told our daughter we were having squash, she'd turn her nose up quicker than you could blink an eye. However, by disguising the spaghetti squash as pasta, I found everyone wants seconds!
If you're trying to get more vegetables in your family's diet, there are lots of ways to "hide and sneak." Not only can you substitute spaghetti squash for regular noodles in spaghetti and casseroles, but you can also add vegetables to the sauce itself. Add finely chopped carrots, onions, or celery...or if your kids are really picky, puree' the vegetables into a smooth mixture before adding to the sauce. Vegetables can also be mixed in with scrambled eggs or omelets, or they can be hidden in favorite soups. It's also easy to add a few veggies to a pizza...With a favorite pizza sauce and cheese, the healthier toppings can go unnoticed by those who resist eating vegetables.
It's not just picky kids who don't get enough vegetables in their diets. Most of us have trouble fulfilling our daily requirement of fruits and vegetables. (If you're not sure how many servings you should eat, check out this handy calculator.) I've found the easiest way to add fresh produce to my diet is just to have it available. By cutting up raw vegetables and having them in the refrigerator ready to eat, I'm much more likely to snack on this healthy choice. By keeping lettuce and sliced tomatoes ready, or an avocado nearby, I can easily add these vegetables to a sandwich or burger.
When it comes to those of us who know better, it's exactly the opposite of picky eaters...Don't hide the veggies, but rather keep them in plain sight. You'll find you can increase your vegetable intake without much effort, and you'll be sneaking some healthy habits into your routine.

If I Had a Dollar for Everyone Who Said...

Not a day goes by at Findlay Market without hearing someone say, "I haven't been here for years." Today was one of those days where excellent weather combined with special events to bring a lot of new faces to the market. While musicians played on Elder Street, the smell of fresh sausages on the grill and the thought of cold beer in the Biergarten invited people to not just shop, but to linger a while. And, yes, I heard it more than once..."Why haven't we been here sooner?"..."This is so different from when I was last here"..."We're going to come every week!"...
Old and young, native Cincinnatians and international visitors...professionals, students, families, neighborhood residents...On foot, by car, by bicycle, by bus--it seemed everyone came to Findlay Market today.
If you missed it, vow to come soon to see this special place. If you were at Findlay Market today, tell someone what you saw, smelled, heard, or tasted....and next time you visit, bring a friend.

Hey, Flying Pigs! It's Not About the Destination

Eleven years ago I ran my first Flying Pig Marathon. If you've ever wanted to know if you're really qualified to include "goal-oriented" on your list of character traits, running 26.2 miles is the perfect way to fine out. Somehow I managed to find time for 6 months of training in the middle of being a wife, a mother, and a business partner. And, yes, I finished the marathon in a stellar 5 hours and 14 minutes.
For those of you getting set for the Flying Pig on Sunday, your training has all but come to an end. This is the week for worrying about "hitting the wall," eating and sleeping right, and figuring out the logistics of race day. Come Sunday, your weeks of training will culminate in a memorable experience. 
As I look back, my journey to the finish line was filled with memories. I remember Sunday training runs that took me all over Winton Woods and took longer than it would take to play 18 holes of golf. I remember race day morning and the excitement in the bathroom lines prior to the start. I remember the relief of hearing a barbershop quartet at the Eden Park Overlook after climbing that first hill. I remember the elderly woman on the curb at one of the last mile markers in Covington who looked me straight in the eye, clapped her hands, and said, "You can do it!" And, yes, I remember the finish line, but not so much for the end itself, but for the sight of a former soccer teammate encouraging me the last few steps. 
So as you Flying Pigs do your thing this weekend, take time to smell the flowers. Sure, your race time is important and the medal is cool, but as my friend Ross has said for years, "It's not about the destination...It's about the journey." 
And now a word from our sponsors: Eat more fruits and vegetables. They make you run fast! 
Good Luck, Racers!