Product Review: Old Wessex Ltd. Scottish Style Porridge Oats

Breakfast in my house growing up was all about cold cereal and peanut butter toast.

Sometimes, I would pretend like I was working on the set of a major cereal box photo shoot. I would make myself the very breakfast which was featured on the front of my cereal box. You know, when cereal boxes used to have pictures of breakfast rather than movie stars and silly looking characters.

Huge bowl of cereal with milk. White bread toast with copious amounts of margarine. A banana. Orange juice.

Amen.

Now that's a health, well-balanced breakfast!

Right Food Pyramid?

The only time when there was a change of breakfast pace was when my dad made pancakes and bacon on Sunday mornings. The smell of bacon would wake my husky little ass up out of bed, I would run downstairs, and the feast would begin.

Most mornings, my mother ate puffed rice cereal. In my opinion, puffed rice cereal is the thing that makes people want to go on hunger strikes. To cease existing. To fall on the ground and plead for something to eat other than puffed rice cereal.

Puffed rice cereal?

Why?!

Some mornings, however, my dad would whip out his culinary expertise (I kid), and surprise mom with a nice steaming bowl of oatmeal.

In my childhood huskiness, when breakfast only included those things which were advertised on the front of the Lucky Charms box, oatmeal was strictly off limits. Moms ate oatmeal.


Now, I'm a fan of oatmeal, but I'm picky. I don't do packets of oatmeal. I don't like how they chop up the oats so much. I like my oats whole and hearty. Husky, if you will.

This morning for breakfast, I partook in a bowl of Old Wessex Ltd. Scottish Style Porridge Oats.



I picked up this container for $3.75 at MOM's (My Organic Market) yesterday. I thought the price was reasonable, and I was ready to try some new oats, so I went for it!

The Preparation:
I cooked my oats in the microwave for 3 minutes at 50% power, stirred, then cooked or another 2 minutes at 50% power. I always cook my oats at 50% power when I'm at work because otherwise, I blow them up and make a mess of the microwave. My boss doesn't really like it when I do that, especially since then it takes me like 10 minutes to clean blown-up oats from the microwave. Not the best way to get my quarterly bonus.

After taking them out of the microwave, I added a tablespoon of almond butter, and about 1/2 cup of almond breeze. Then I sprinkled the top with some HempPlus granola.

The Initial Impression:
I really liked the way that the oats smelled when they came out of the microwave. They looked cooked, but still retained their shape. For me, this is key, because I don't really do mushy oats. I'm just not a fan of the texture.

The Verdict:
I might be partial to these oats due to familial heritage alone, but I love them. I really liked how the individual oats did not mush out. They were actually chewy, which was a very welcome surprise for me.

I will be adding these oats to my short list of foods to buy on the regular. They are hearty, good for you, and chewy. That's fun.

Up and Down. And Up. And Down. And Up...

And down.

That is what I did today for 8 miles.

Hello? Did you hear me?

I said EIGHT miles!

Not 4 miles. Or even 6 miles.

EIGHT miles!!

I did it by myself, and I walked for a total of 3:31, but my pace was still not too painfully slow (for me).

Here she is:



And this picture has been brought to you by MotionBased, thanks to the technological reciprocity that it shares with my cute little Garmin 305.

My Sweet Gazelle bought me the 305 for our anniversary. Knowing how incredibly badly I was jonesin for my very own Garmin, he gave it to me the day that it arrived on our doorstep. One more reason to love him.

So far, I've done 6 runs with 305, but during one of them, my battery died. Hence, I have learned to charge 305 as soon as I arrive home from my run! I am absolutely in love with my Garmin, and I think that everyone should get one of their own.

I also love how on days like today, when I'm running with an overabundance of bodies littered on MY trail around the lake, my beeping Garmin scares everyone and makes them move. Maybe they think I'm harnessing a bomb. I don't really care what they think, as long as they move.

Funny thing happened today. I came across one of those annoying zoomers during the last 1.5 miles of my run. Although I kept a steady (albeit slow) pace throughout my run, I was gassed out by the time that I got back to the lake path for my last 1.5 miles. As soon as I got back on the path, there was a pretty big hill to climb, and I had already done like 12,574 hills during the previous 6.5 miles. I was still running (albeit slow), and this guy zoomed right past me.

He had one of those weird 1995 spiked hairdos. And a very, very flat butt. That's all I saw as he zoomed by.

I am used to people zooming past me pretty often. Most people are keeping at least a 10:00/mile pace, and I'm just not there yet. I've figured out that I have staying power, but I'm not even a little bit fast.

So, Spikey Flat Butt zoomed past me, and I was like "meh...whatever". I already ran 6.5 miles bizotch.

So then at the top of the hill, Spikey Flat Butt is walking. I jogged past him.

A quarter mile later, SFB zooms by me again.

I proceeded to pass him again, as he walked off his tenth of a mile sprint. I don't know...maybe he was doing interval training or something, but that's just not generally something that people do on the lake loop.

We repeated this for for at least 1/2 mile, and finally I got fed up and just jetted past him. I have no idea where the energy came from. Sheer annoyance most likely.

Today's incident reminded me of the last 5K I did wherein this chubby kid kept doing the zoom/walk bit. I would pass him while he walked, then he would zoom past me as I jogged. Then walk again.

Repeat. For 2 entirely too long miles.

Unfortunately, during that race, I didn't have the same annoyance energy reserves as I did today. So, the chubby zoomer finished before me.

Grrr.

But not Spikey Flat Butt. There was no way I was getting crushed again by a zoomer. Especially not by a Spikey Flat Butted zoomer.

Speaking of Peanut Butter

I am crazy about peanut butter. There seems to be a serious peanut butter movement going on in the Bloggiverse lately. All of this talk of peanut butter is making me feel the need to run out and buy every variety of peanut butter that I can find. Or, maybe not. Maybe I'll just enter The Food Snob's Contest.

I am seriously dying at the thought of winning Jungle banana, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Raspberry White Chocolate PEANUT BUTTER!

So, please don't enter this contest. Because I want to win. And if you enter, you'll steal my winning entry.

Product Review: Nike Air Pegasus+ 25

In case you missed the news on Wednesday during my drunken shoe porn post, I purchased a new pair of running shoes. One of my favorite things in the whole world. I bypassed all of the spring beauties in my local shoe mecca (a.k.a. DSW Shoe Warehouse), and opted for new running shoes. How very practical of me.

I tried on approximately 8 pair of running shoes that day, and even went so far as to take my custom orthos out of my shoe and insert them into the potential new running shoes.

Gross you say?

Maybe.

But I'm just not taking any chances with my money...in this economy. PS...is anyone else sufficiently sick of hearing that phrase yet? Me too!

The Nike Air Pegasus+ 25 was smack in the middle of my running shoe party at DSW. I ended up trying on several pair before and after, and ultimately went back to the Air Pegasus+ 25 and tried them on again. This time, both feet.

And proceeded to walk around the entire clearance section wearing them.

For about an hour.

Hey, like I said. I'm not taking any chances with my money. In this economy.

After wearing them for 1/2 of my adult life, I felt sufficiently satisfied that these were "the ones", and paid $74.95 for them. I thought this price was very reasonable. Especially considering the fact that I had just worn them for free for the past hour. The least I could do was pay for the rest of my time with them.

Some info about the shoe itself from the Nike website:


Celebrating 25 years in the making, the Nike Air Pegasus+ 25 Women's Running Shoe is the most advanced incarnation yet, including Nike+ technology to help track your training progress.

Nike+ enabled for instant workout feedback when used with a Nike+ SportBand or iPod® nano and Nike + iPod Sport Kit
Built on women's specific last just for her
Breathable mesh with 360-degree supportive overlays
Full-length Air-Sole unit embedded in PU midsole
Women's radiused Crash Pad with women's Fitsole
BRS1000 carbon rubber heel for durability
Waffle pattern outsole for responsiveness and cushioning
Weight: 9.6 oz. based on Women's size 8


Appearance-wise, these shoes are very cute. The green/dark grey combo makes me think "spring". And who couldn't use a little more "spring" in their life?



Speaking of spring.

One of the first tests that I do on all runners before I even try them on is the "spring" test. I bend back the shoe from the toe to the middle, and see how easily it rolls into itself, and then see how well it springs back to normal. According to my PT, this is one of the things that I need to be concerned with because I have a chronically rigid foot. If the shoe is rigid at the mid-foot (arch area to the ball of the foot under the toes), then I'm screwed. Shoes like that cause me to run like I have on cement shoes...all cloppy and heavy-footed.

Out of all of the runners that I did my incredibly scientific "spring" test on that day, these were the ones with the most flexible sole. Some of them didn't even make it on my foot because they couldn't pass my spring test. Poor things. They never had a chance.

The color of these shoes is actually much brighter than is depicted on the Nike website. And, by "dark gray", they actually mean "silver". Because It's not dark gray. Unless I'm color blind or something.

Last night, I inserted my orthos in place of the regular Nike insoles, and prepared for a 4 mile spin in my new Air Pegasus+ 25's. When I got everything all tied up and ready to roll, I noticed a bit of slippage in the heel area...like my foot was too high in the shoe due to my insole, and was going to be uncomfortable during the run.

I also notice this with my standard Nikes...and my Saucony's. I'm thinking that my orthos might be a little too "built up" in the heel. Up until last night, I was just running with them anyway, and not thinking much of the "slippy heel" issue.

Rather than continue being a fu$kt@rd, (thanks GQH-that's my favorite new word) and running with the insoles, I opted to remove them and use the standard Nike insoles.

The Result:

I loved them!

My calves were already sore yesterday when I started running from doing stability work on Moday and Tuesday, but I didn't have any knee pain at all during my run. My calves didn't ache or provide any additional pain...in fact, they felt much better as I kept running.

I found the shoe provided just enough stability for me to feel comfortable, but not so much that it felt rigid. Although Nike is not notorious for their "stable" running shoes, I found that these were a good neutral shoe with a fair amount of cushion to absorb the pounding of my large man-calves on the pavement.

With the subtraction of my insoles, I'm also starting to feel like I'm not so high-maintenance in the running department, and that was an awesome feeling.

The Day After:
My calves are still mildly sore today, but not more than they were prior to the inaugural run of the Air Pegasus+ 25's. No knee pain, no calf pain, and no excessive calf tightness.

My final verdict is that these runners get the Jogger's Seal of Approval. I'll run with them daily now.

Drunken Shoe Porn in Honor of The Gazelle

In honor of my bloggie friend, Gazelles on Crack, I present you with the following Drunken Shoe Porn.

Tonight I went out for drinks for my friend Mandy's birthday. I only had 1.75 beers while at the restaurant, so I was well-equipped to drive home (well after I finished my .75 of the last beer). Naturally, I decided to have a glass of the already opened wine when I got home.

Well...I don't want it to go bad, ya know?

Mmmmm hmmmmm. Right.

After I partook in my glass of half-rancid wine (which I just spelled "whine"), I made good on my promise and began the drunken shoe porn photo shoot.

This is me, almost drunk, with a really bad hairdo. Seriously, non-cyber friends. Could you have told me that my hair looked like s&it tonight? I mean, I knew it wasn't a good hair day, but I had no idea it was this bad.



This is me, almost drunk, holding the red shoe, which was the motivating force which caused this whole silly photo shoot. I just took notice that in this picture, it clearly appears as though I am a pre-op tranny. This upsets me, but rest assured...it's just my ill-fitting jeans.



Here is my extremely large man-calf (the source of all of my running strife), which is only slightly de-manified by the beautiful girly shoe on my hoof.



Aren't they lovely?



And, since I don't ever know when to leave well-enough alone, here are a few of my other favorites. This is the early spring edition...no sandals included, because those are still in storage. Maybe there'll be a spring edition of Drunken Shoe Porn. Oh, the suspense.

Super pointy-toed BCBG Girls, which are surprisingly comfortable, considering the Halloween-ish toe and all.



Nine West patent peep toes. I love these, but they are a bit on the uncomfortable side. Which doesn't necessarily stop me from wearing them. Don't tell my physical therapist. Please.



And, because no woman's closet would be complete without a pair of purple suede peep toes...




Did I mention that prior to my drunken night with da ladies, I stopped at DSW Shoe Warehouse? The heavens parted when I walked into DSW this evening. It was like a breath of fresh spring air. I walked through aisles and aisles of sandals and flats and dress shoes. And, after nearly an hour of wandering the aisles, I came out victorious.

With a new pair of runners.

Typical.



There were like 5,872,928 pair of shoes in the store, and 5,872,900 of them were not runners. But, I walked out with a pair of runners.



And aren't they adorable?!

Product Review: Truvia & Story Time

I must first say that I grew up on artificial sweeteners. My Momma has been type I diabetic since I could remember, so our house was padded with plenty of diet soda and sugar free candy.

In the 4th grade, I went on a field trip to The Burnet Park Zoo, which was a huge deal since I had never been to a zoo before in my life. Or, if I had, I just didn't remember it. I was so excited about the trip, and I loved the fact that my Momma so lovingly packed me a great lunch. She also packed me a root beer soda, which was really a treat, because I very rarely got to drink soda.

Since my school was way too cheap to rent a pavilion at the Zoo, we had to retreat back to the bus to eat our lunch. This was back in the days when the seats on buses weren't 16 feet high. You could see everything that was going on around you without even trying.

In the 4th grade, I was a little on the husky (see definition #1) side, and for some reason, everyone was always worried about what I was eating.

Needless to say, it was 'all eyes on the husky girl' as I pulled out my lunch.


Peanut butter and jelly sandwich...check.

Barbeque chips...check.

Disgusting creme-filled cookies...check.

Waist Watcher Root Beer soda...check!


I got completely blasted by my classmates for having this Waist Watcher soda. They thought it was hilarious that the husky girl was trying to watch her waist. They were relentless. I tried to justify that the name was not "weight watcher"...it was "waist watcher", so this somehow made it more reasonable for a husky 4th grader to partake in this beverage. They didn't see my point.

Oh well.

I thoroughly enjoyed that soda anyway, and I survived the abuse.

The moral of the story is that I am no stranger to artificial sweetener.

You didn't think that was the moral?

Surely, it was.

*****

Lately, I have been trying to cut out all sweeteners, natural or artificial. However, I do still enjoy the occasional cup of coffee--extra sweet, of course. I have been using Splenda religiously for many years, but one day in the grocery store, the giant boxes of Truvia were on sale. I had a coupon. And, you know how I feel about coupons.

Coupon + sale = heaven.

I purchased 80 packets of Truvia ("Nature's Calorie Free Sweetener") for $3.99, and since I was so excited about trying a new sweetener, I was very excited to get it at such a great price.

The following morning, I tried 2 packets in my morning coffee.


Initial Impressions:

The flip-top lid on the box is way cool. I liked the simple design on the box, and the strawberry looks delicious.

Upon opening the packet, I smelled the contents (which is a bad habit of mine), and the granules smelled sweet. There didn't seem to be a strange smell, which was good. I touched the contents of the packet, and they felt like sugar. When I moved the contents around in the packet, it sounded like sugar.

I put both packets in my coffee with regular creamer.

Although Truvia looked and sounded like sugar, unfortunately, it didn't taste like sugar.

I took one sip of my coffee and had to dump the rest out and start over. The taste was so bad that I can't even explain it with words. I opted for no sweetener that morning, since I was out of Splenda because I had given my heart and soul to that $3.99 box of Truvia.

And, because I had no words to describe the wretched taste, I had to ask my coworker to try it as well. I didn't tell her if I liked it or hated it, I just told her that I had "that new Truvia stuff" if she wanted to try it. She tried it, and said that it tasted like "iron".

I'm not sure what iron tastes like exactly, but it's probably not something that I want in my morning coffee.

I Just Thought you Should Know.

I have not died.

I am merely buried in a heaping pile of end of fiscal year paperwork. This will be my life for at least 3 more weeks. Hopefully I will survive.

I shall write something more meaningful later, likely involving Green Smoothies, my new Garmin (YESSSSS!!!!), and how to really piss your neighbors off at 11:30PM.