The Game

Are you all set for the big football game tomorrow? Some people are more excited about the commercials than the game itself. Some people may not care about said game or commercials. What about you? Do you watch from home? Go to a friend’s house? Head to the closest sports bar that serves gluten-free food? If you watch from home or are going to a friend’s house, there are all kinds of different gluten-free food ideas. Some people like to make chili and serve with cornbread, chips and adult beverages, while others prefer pizza, subs or a variety of appetizers. 

Crunchmaster, America’s #1 selling brand of gluten-free cracker, has some great party appetizer and snack recipes and ideas. Check out the two recipes below for some mouthwatering appetizers.

White cheddar stuffed mushrooms

White Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms

By: Amie Valpone 

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Crunchmaster White Cheddar Multi-Grain Crackers, crushed
  • ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 2 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 28 large white button mushrooms, stemmed 

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large baking dish with nonstick baking spray.

2.      Stir the Crunchmaster Crackers, Pecorino Romano, goat cheese, garlic, parsley, sea salt and pepper and olive oil in a large bowl; mix well to combine.

3.      Stuff the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet.

4.      Bake until the mushrooms are tender, approximately 25 minutes.

5.      Serve warm.

Chicken meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

by Carol Kicinski 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Crunchmaster Sea Salt Multi-Grain Crackers
  • 1 pound ground chicken1 one-inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
  • 2 small garlic cloves, grated or finely minced4 scallions (green onions), finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 large egg, lightly beaten 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with gluten free, non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Grind the Crunchmaster crackers in a blender or food processor to fine crumbs. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix to combine. Shape into small balls using about one tablespoon of mixture per ball. Place on the prepared baking sheets and spray the meatballs lightly with gluten free, non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are browned and feel firm to the touch. Remove the meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra fat. Serve with your favorite gluten-free barbecue sauce or Thai peanut sauce. Makes about 30 meatballs.

However you prefer to watch the big game (or spend your Sunday evening) and whatever snacks or meals you decide to enjoy, have fun! 

*Recipes provided courtesy of Crunchmaster. Look for Crunchmaster crackers in stores across the US

Mental Shift

When I first began exercising as an adult, I was doing so for all of the wrong reasons. Maybe I shouldn’t say, “wrong” reasons, but not for the right reason(s). We are told to exercise to lose weight, lower cholesterol, increase bone density, etc, but I feel that one of the most important reasons isn’t mentioned often enough – and that is our mental benefit. More on that later.

I have been pretty lucky most of my life in regard to weight, in that I haven’t ever really been overweight, but that didn’t mean I was healthy. I have suffered from an eating disorder (anorexia) on and off for decades and that was, at times, my motivation for exercise. My disordered thinking convinced me that the more I exercised, the more I could eat or the more weight I could lose. I didn’t see that as wrong, as I wasn’t technically starving myself. As I have journeyed through recovery, instead of using exercise as a means to lose weight, I have come to understand that it is much more about what my body is capable of doing…running marathons, lifting weights, etc. 

I would have expected that by this point in my life (personal trainer + running coach), I would recognize and understand the benefits of exercise. I do – don’t get me wrong – when it comes to the facts. But bring in the personal, emotional side of all of that and it adds a new level of complexity. During marathon training season, I follow a training plan, which basically schedules my workouts for the week. I add in a strength training session or two, plus core class, and there is really nothing for me to think about. I do the workouts, feel great, and go about life. Once marathon training season is over (usually May/June and November/December) with no training plan and no set workouts, things get complicated. My body is recovering from the training and race I just completed, and that recovery is sometimes more challenging than the training itself. I sleep in, maybe squeeze in a couple of runs and a strength training session and attend core class sporadically.This is all well and good. Until it’s not. 

The less I run and the less I work out, the worse I feel. My legs are stiff, my back aches, my brain is cloudy. I want to sleep more, but can’t figure out why I am so tired, as I am not working out nearly as much as I had been a month or two earlier. I know what will make me feel better, yet I can’t bring myself to do it. From past experience, I know that I have the best chance of getting my workout done when I exercise in the morning. When I try to sleep in and head out for my run late morning or early evening, I find every excuse in the book to not do it. I am busy. My head hurts. Homeland is on. Something has to give…I have to change something. 

I figured out that I was making a couple of critical mistakes that needed to be corrected in order for me to get myself out of this rut. First of all, I realized that I had been beating myself up for some decisions I made. If I woke up and decided not to run in the morning, I berated myself for the remainder of the day. I made a decision (with the help of my therapist) to live by and accept my choices. Move on and find something else to occupy my mind. I cannot begin to describe to you how much of a difference this has made for me! By giving myself permission to accept my choices, there was no further self-abasement or rationalization. No questions, no arguments, no berating. It is like I flipped a switch. 

Additionally, I had been of the mind that if I didn’t get in a certain number of miles or lift weights for so many minutes, it wasn’t worth the effort. I always tell my clients that something is better than nothing, so why couldn’t I follow that advice? It was high time for me to start! In an effort to keep myself accountable, I began scheduling workouts with my friend, Sue. One morning I didn’t have time to get in much of a run before we lifted weights, but I decided to take the time when I otherwise would have surfed Facebook on my phone and hopped on the treadmill. I managed to squeeze in “just” a mile, and the difference it made in my mental state was totally unexpected. It seemed as though I had run more like 4 or 5 miles, judging by the way I felt mentally. After that brief one mile run, I had a fabulous weight workout, and my whole day gained a much brighter perspective. 

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Sweaty and happy after a treadmill run and weight lifting session.

Since that day, I have applied these lessons to my workout plans. At the beginning of each week – usually on Sunday afternoons –  I schedule every workout for the entire upcoming week.  And while I used to enjoy running alone, that approach isn’t working for me right now. So I run with friends. I went back to core class on Sundays. I lift weights. I go to hot yoga. The difference in how I feel today from how I felt in December is like night and day. I wouldn’t have believed such an outcome was possible unless I had experienced it myself. With my new perspective, I took all of the pressure off and focused on just moving. If I found I didn’t have “enough” time or if I only felt like doing so much, fine. The mental benefit I have gained from even 10 minutes of exercise is priceless. I feel good. I feel strong. I am exercising to get that mental benefit more than anything else right now, and because I am focused on that, the rest of it all falls into place. 

I had to make the mental shift. Our bodies were made to move. Exercise is the best medicine. The key is finding what works for you. When in doubt, work it out.

Stayed tuned for my upcoming post on how I am fueling gluten-free for my workouts these days. I have a fun new toy that has allowed me to make some fun new post-run drinks. 

National Gluten-Free Day

Happy New Year! Enjoying any new gluten-free products I should know about? According to P.F. Chang’s, yesterday was National Gluten-Free day. Have you ever eaten at P.F. Chang’s? It is a favorite of mine, though I don’t get the chance to go often enough. 

P.F. Chang’s has 19 different gluten-free menu options ranging from Lettuce Wraps and Fried Rice to the amazing Flourless Chocolate Dome. 

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P.F. Chang’s has locations across the US with a few new locations that just opened or will be opening soon. They take reservations online or over the phone, so make those reservations to celebrate National Gluten-Free Day!

With all of this food talk, it’s a good thing I am back in the swing of running regularly. I am training for the Cap City Half Marathon that will take place on May 2, 2015. I can’t believe this will be my 16th half marathon! 

What is your favorite P.F. Chang’s gluten-free menu item?

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