Dreadmill Blues

image: benjamuna.files.wordpress.com

When I first began running after my shoulder surgery, it was winter and I made use of the treadmill at the gym. I really had no complaints about the experience. I could listen to music, watched muted Home and Garden television and people watch - all at the same time without tripping. I was motivated by the display screen and played around with the incline and speed, watching the calories count off. Actually, it was probably one of the few times I considered myself to be a numbers person. I never really understood the blanket dislike of running on a treadmill, I mean, what's so bad about running like a hamster in a cage?  For outdoors time, I had the golf course for cross-country skiing. Remember when it used to snow here in the winter?

In the past couple of months, though, I've found myself  beginning to understand the disdain for this type of exercise. Maybe it started at the Greenbush Area YMCA where they have televisions mounted from the ceiling rather than individual screens on each machine.  It might have been the incessant FOX "news" assaulting my eyes that first turned me off to running as fast as I can without creating any distance between myself and something I find repulsive.  And if it wasn't that, the episode of Paula Deen "cooking" with canned mushroom soup and multiple sticks of butter certainly was enough to make me uncomfortable.  Gross.  But, I believe my major issue with running on a treadmill comes from the basic fact that I simply enjoying being outside.  In recent months, I've actually had a couple of moments when I've been running and I thought to myself, "If it all ended right now, I'd be happy."  I've never replicated that emotion indoors on a treadmill, believe me.

Quinn and I are preparing for our epic train trip later in the month and I'm a bit stressed about getting my weekly miles in.  I'm hoping to cob together some sort of babysitting when we're on the road and I'll bring a swimsuit also, just in case.  Last week when I was in Boston, the hotel had a running concierge - have you ever heard of such a thing?!? Apparently it is a weather dependent service, but I thought it was a really cool amenity to offer guests.  The timing of it didn't work for me, but check this out:

Now, granted, it was Boston and I always get lost in Boston, but it was an awesome little map nonetheless.  As I try to push my weekly mileage closer to the 20 mile mark, my acceptance of a lack of snow, (and thus no cross-country skiing), feels far more natural than running indoors.  Let's hope D.C., Baltimore and NYC offer opportunities similar to Boston or else the only thing more dreadful than the dreadmill will be my mood.

Mohonk Mountain House

I don't know what you know about this place, but allow me to share some of what I've heard and experienced about this amazing place. I first saw the Mohonk Mountain House (MMH) on a perfect October afternoon. I was taking a little hike walk through the woods one gorgeous Columbus Day weekend with some girlfriends and I think, a Lilly boy on my back. We had parked in a lower lot and followed a lovely path through the woods pausing to observe the rock climbers and to surreptitiously  catch our breath. We were all a bit out of shape as we ignored our own physical selves to devote our attention to the little beings we had produced and whose demands exceeded our own supply of hours in a day. The trail took us past fields and under evergreen trees as we continued to gaze up at the tower made of rocks, the tower which didn't seem to get any closer despite our continued efforts. As we rounded a curve in the path all of a sudden it was there - the Mountain House. And we were no longer in the Hudson Valley but had somehow been transported to Europe, perhaps Austria or maybe the Schwarzwald. Or, maybe it was Camelot. Built on, or perhaps birthed by, the grey rocks was an edifice that defied symmetry yet still appeared perfectly balanced. The building was a conglomeration of materials and colors and architectural styles, yet was perfect in it's disharmony. Unforgettable.

I've been back to the locale over the years and seem to always walk away with a new piece of information or legend about the MMH. Although none of this has been confirmed (maybe I should check wikipedia?), I recall hearing that Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining after a stay here, and that he also wrote some of the Mystery Weekends that have been hosted here over the years. Apparently the actual movie was filmed at an Inn in Estes Park, Colorado Oregon, but the inspiration came from Mohonk. My oldest son, the one I hauled on my back, tells me he has seen an episode of some program about haunted buildings which featured Mohonk. I'd like to think the spirit was benevolent and just couldn't bear to leave such a beautiful spot.

Just this weekend I finally got myself inside the Mountain House via an organized x-country ski trip with the Out of Control ski club. Who says I'm not a joiner? The timing of the trip worked out perfectly since I needed to be in New Paltz for an event anyway and I was able to stretch my day of skiing into a 2 night kitchen pass, an ideal beginning to my winter break. I met my ski buddies (bunnies?) a little after 9:00 a.m. at the gate and followed their bus up the winding road.  We quickly got ourselves organized and hit the trail to Skytop. The conditions were less than ideal with lots of ice and even more wind, but I always say a bad day skiing is better than not skiing at all. The views were panoramic and even more breathtaking than the 50 mph wind gusts. The ski up required removing our skis a few times to traverse the worst of the ice patches, not a problem just something of which to remain careful. At the top of the trail we took our skis off and tucked them into a corner of the tower for safekeeping - concerned far more about the wind than theft. The view was magnificent and had the wind not threatened to blow us away, we might have enjoyed relaxing a bit longer, but lunch was calling and I couldn't wait to enjoy the inside of the property.

cheesecake

The buffet began at noon and we were changed and at our table by about 12:30. Although we're not buffet regulars, we didn't make any amateurish mistakes. First we polled our table mates for their favorite items and then we did a reconnaissance lap around the entire display area prior to picking up plates and getting started. I began with a salad of Arugula (surprise, surprise!) with pickled beets, feta, garbanzos, some crunchy seeds and a balsamic vinaigrette. On the side I had a piece of pita with some yummy yogurt-cucumber sauce, pickled red onions and chunks of chicken turned yellow with turmeric. Delicious. My next lap brought sliced duck, Israeli couscous, red curry chicken and grilled vegetables. I wrapped things up with a taste of Oreo mousse pie, a slice of excellent traditional cheesecake and a small pile of fresh pineapple with toasted coconut. All of this, washed down with a half bottle of Alsatian Pinot Blanc. Bliss.  You should go - really.

Deconstructed quiche salad

I don't know about you, but I believe that nothing but good can follow butter and onions. Geez, the aroma is practically a meal in itself!  I was running a bit of a caloric deficit after completing the big loop at Muni and, truth  be told, I probably spent the last .5 mile or so imagining the perfect substantial lunch salad.  Here's what I came up with...

Saute a chopped onion in about 2 t of butter,  over medium  low heat.  I went with a chop instead of the more attractive rings because I wanted the carmelization to happen sooner rather than later - greater area, quicker cook, right?  After a quick stir to make sure the onions were all coated in butter, I turned the heat to low and allowed them to get beautifully soft.  At that point, I added a thick slice or 2 of leftover spiral ham that I had cubed.  As the onions and ham became acquainted, I laid out a couple of piles of greens and dressed them with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.  I tossed some roasted beets on the plate and then shaved Parmesan generously all over -  like snowmageddon generous.  The gorgeous onions and ham were distributed around the plate and then I cooked 2 eggs perfectly over easy in the onion/ham pan.  Ah - the crowning glory of the fried egg!  Lavishly salt and pepper - then dip your fork into the yolk and let the mouth party begin.  De-frikkin'-licious!  It was a meal that was like the best of books - sad to conclude, but remaining alive in your memory for long after the inevitable end. 

eggs, cheese, ham, onions = quiche

impossible to convey the deliciousness with just a photo...

Snow Day in the DelSo

You know I love snow. And you know I love my neighborhood.  So what could be better than a snow day in the DelSo?  Here's how I like to do it...

toll house and peanut butter blossoms

Followed by....

a great movie!  not happy, but wonderful nonetheless.

 

at  

the only place i want to go to see a movie.

Concluded by...


the rocky + bullwinkle

at

Salad? In the winter?

I've heard a lot of people complaining about the weather we've been having recently.  You know, the winter weather we're having in winter.  I've come to realize that I'm  a person who definitely appreciates all 4 seasons - I don't think I could live in a region that didn't have the variety of weather conditions we experience here in upstate New York.  And, while there  are certainly advantages and drawbacks to each of the seasons (you can fill in your own pet peeves here), I try to stay positive and embrace the aspects which I enjoy.  No reason to mention cross-country skiing here again, right? 

When it comes to winter eating,  I love hearty stews, soups, baked goods and roasted vegetables and meats.  As soon as the temperature begins to drop, I look for ways to turn my oven on to supplement the 66 degrees I keep the thermostat set on.  Salad may not be your first thought for a winter's lunch or a light dinner, but, add a couple of roasted vegetables to a bed of greens, and you just might find yourself not missing the warmer seasons quite as much.

For today's lunch I roasted a bunch of beets (cut greens and root off of beets, wrap them individually in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees until they feel a bit soft, ~ 35 minutes.  Cool and then unwrap and slide skins off.) and some asparagus (snap bottoms off, drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper and sea salt, roast for about 8 minutes at 400 degrees).  Prepare a bed of greens - I used baby spinach and arugula, and dress lightly with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.  I make my lunch typically at night and find that the combination of olive oil and lemon juice really holds up overnight without wilting the lettuce.  Plus - who needs all that crap that is in commercially prepared salad dressings?  Add your roasted beets and asparagus, a small handful of dried cranberries, some croutons for crunch and a bit of soft cheese.  I went with goat cheese for today's lunch, but have happily used varieties of bleu in the past, as well as Rondolet.  It all depends upon what's in the cheese drawer.  Dig in with your fork and savor the flavors which transcend the calendar.  Enjoy.

Delso Snow Job

look closely...see where they claim to offer snow removal?

note the condition of their sidewalk?  hmmm....

XC Skiing In Mohonk Preserve

Last week I had a second opportunity to ski in the New Paltz area with an old friend.  For this day, we chose the Mohonk golf course for our explorations and it was beautiful!  The trails were nicely groomed and marked and we were nearly alone as we shussed through the woods.  One of the first challenges we encountered was the hill below - yikes!  It was a bit on the icy side and more than a tad scary looking from the top, so we elected to ski down the more subtle incline and climb up the severe hill.  Which we did repeatedly - for fun.  Really.  I'm heading down there again in 2 weeks with another friend as part of an organized trip.  Very excited to actually eat at the Mohonk Mountain house instead of just gaze wistfully at that beautiful Camelot-like building. 

XC Skiing In Mohonk Preserve With Silvia by James

come ski with me!!

thanks, lisa for the camera loan

this is the hill james and i did laps on - what a blast!!