Check out what the reporters had to say about their experience at Pure Food and Wine.  I guess I had a positive impact on their evening!  Hartford Courant

I must admit, I was pretty bummed out to see my friends head north to the Mohawk Trail this weekend for a 30 something mile training run.  Since the Hat Run last month, I have been dealing with some pain in my hip flexor.  This pain has caused my pace to slow down as well as not being able to go out and do long runs.  With the crew spending 10-12 hours out on the trail, I knew it wouldn’t be best to join them.  Yesterday was also Leatherman’s Loop, an 8 mile race filled with mud and river crossings.  Again I didn’t think it would be best to go out an push myself, so I took a much needed day of rest.

I would use the weekend as an opportunity to make a little bit of cash.  My friend Glen asked me to watch over his cafe, so I put some time over there on Saturday and Sunday.  It was nice to be back in the kitchen as well as meet some  new raw loving folks.  I was once again asked by my dear friend Kai, to prepare a birthday meal for her.  I created areally cool chocolate swirl cake and made a mexican influenced entree for her.

I have been on a major watermelon kick lately.  The local market has the personal sized melons going for 2 for $4.00  With that price I picked up 8 of them and have been enjoying them since.  Every morning I sit down to a whole melon.  I take my time to joy each sweet and juicy bite.  Afterwards, I am full but revived, energized, and well hydrated.  It makes a perfect meal before going out and running.  

Speaking of running, despite the fact that it was cold, windy, and rainy today, I went out and did a 2.5 hr run.  It was perfect.  I love running in the rain!  For whatever reason, when I run in the rain, my body feels perfect and time escapes my mind.  I feel like I could have stayed outside for another hour or so.  I am sure as people drove by me they thought I was crazy for running in the rain, but I loved every minute of it.  Over the past few weeks, I have been making a point to run from my house instead of driving somewhere to go running. 

Last night I joined 12 people for an amazing dinner at Pure Food and Wine.  Dinner was sort of a celebration for the 3 reporters from the Hartford Courant who are about to complete 30 days raw.  Normally Pure Food and Wine leaves me with an upset stomach due to their rich and nut heavy meals, so last night I opted for the lighter vegetable based dishes.  After 3 courses, I felt very content. Although this sort of eating no longer works for me, I do enjoy a treat no and then. Getting a crowd out to meals, especially raw meals, is always a treat.  The reporters seemed very happy with their meal and content with the last 30 days of eating raw food.  I can’t say that they will become life long raw fooders, but I think their general awareness of what goes into their bodies has changed.

Just before I was about to head out for the day, UPS arrived with my new trails shoes and my newly purchased Vita Mix!!  I love getting mail, especially when its multiple packages!!.  Unfortunetly, my new La Sportiva Fireblades were not a good fit, but the Vita Mix is a keeper.  So this evening, after putting in around 2 hours on the bike with my buddy Ultra, I put together a super tasty 811 style fruit stew for dinner.  

Into the Vita Mix addI:

3 peeled navel oranges, about 2 cups

1 mango, about 1.25 cups

8 cherry tomatoes, about 1/4 cup

1/4 cup soaked raisins

Blend well until smooth creamy consistancy.

Into a bowl add:

8 cherry tomatoes, halved, about 1/4 cup

2 celery stalks, small dice, about 1 cup

1 cup cabbage, chopped small

1/2 cup grapes, halved

Pour soup over veggies, stir well and garnish with chiffinade of basil.

While I await my new Vita Mix, I am stuck using a 20+ year old Oysterizer Galaxie Blender. I must say, the name is pretty hot! It’s certainly not as powerful but it does the trick, for now.  Before I started my day, I was in the mood for a smoothie.  I had recently purchased a beautiful big papaya and was waiting until it was nice and ripe, before digging in.

So into the blender went the following: 

1/2 deseeded papaya, peeled

1 ripe banana

juice of 2 oranges

Blend well, savour and enjoy your day!

Makes 3 cups

Hint of the day:  Green,unripe bananas actually keep the body from absorbing nutrients, so wait until your bananas have brown spots on them before eating.  They are also best stored outside of the fridge to fully ripen.

After some inspiration from another 811 blogger, I decided to create a 80-10-10 friendly pasta dish.  For those of new to the term 811, the numbers stand for 80% carbohydrates, 10% protein, and 10% fat.  These are percentages of total daily caloric intake.

Here’s what I came up with.

Spirulize 2 zucchini and place in a mixing bowl

In a blender add:

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes

1/2 mango

1 small clove of garlic 

Blend well then add a few leaves of fresh basil and blend again

Mix sauce with zucchini noodles.  Garnish with the remaining mango, a few more cherry tomatoes, and some chiffinade of basil. Without any additional fats or seasonings, this dish was light and refreshing and a perfect way to refuel after an hour training run. 

Despite feeling slightly “under the weather”, and seriously wanting to spend my day indoors yesterday, I got the itch to go for a run.  A few miles from my home is the Stony Creek Quarry.  The quarry pulls out beautiful slabs of granite that have been used on the Lincoln Memorial and even on the base of the Statue of Liberty.

The loop, which I like to call it, goes about 7-8 miles through various sections of Stony Creek.  This particular route has it all:  roots, rocks, uphills, some down hills, roads, curves, and even a bathtub!!  For any of you who own the Runners In the Raw calendar, you know what I’m referring to! Where’s Mort???

So I park my car near the library and make a mental note of what time I start.  Then I am immediately running uphill and into the woods.  A wide used up trail opens into Fireman’s Field.  I bounce around to avoid the copious amounts of broken glass before making my way to Quarry Road.  Here, I have a 1+ mile road section to deliver me to the start of the Quarry Trail.  

Once in the woods, I step over cables, roots and rocks, and make my way up towards the northwest corner of the quarry.  After a short sprint uphill, my legs get a break on a open straight a way leading towards another shorter road section.  Before making my way onto the soft ground I do my best to not get wet, but sometimes I don’t do too good of a job. 

After another short uphill, I make my way into my favorite part of the loop.  With pine tree overhead, and big granite boulders surrounding me,  I suddenly feel like I am in another world.  I try to think of the colonials who first settled these parts of New England, and what it was like for them to be in this part of the woods. 

Back to reality, I come to realize that I must climb again, but before to long, my legs feel a surge of power, and work hard down the next section of trail.  I switch course and find the green trail.  Here, I go down the steepest section of the loop before the river crossing.  As of the late, the water has been running higher than normal, and the easy to access plank crossing, is not so easy to access.

Once across, I make my way to single track and the last climb of the day.  I meander through pines and maples, check out the oddly placed bathtub before coming out to a field where the I get a blast of sunshine and a great narrow path to run on.  

With warmer weather upon us, the skunk cabbage is making its way up towards the heavens.  I take careful steps across muddy water and try to avoid stepping on the fresh sprouted plants.  Now I am out onto rte 146, where the borders of Guilford and Branford meet.  A short blast of road leads me to Medlyn’s Farm where I make my way through his newly tilled corn fields.  

Once under the train tracks, I stumble upon  what is referred to as The Dykes.  This scenic part of Stony Creeks give wonderful hidden views of Long Island Sound as well as some beautiful homes on the water.  

Another mile passes, and I reach The Dome.  Somewhat of a dream home for me, this geometric shaped structure stands hidden in the woods and inhabited by nobody except for possibly a few mice.  I continue forward until I reach the town dock and quickly realize my run for the day is coming to an end.  With less than a mile left, I try put a little pep into my step and finish strong.  I reach my car, check the time and get a few bananas down into my belly.  I smile and give thanks.

I certainly don’t know how many times I have run that same loop, but time after time, I still find the beauty in my surroundings.

After picking up my friend Kenny from the New Haven train station, we made or way east to Providence.  Along the way we made a pit stop at the newly opened Citrus Juice Bar in Mystic, CT for a tasty Tropical Berry Smoothie.  Citrus Juice Bar is owned by a fellow IIN  student Lyndsay and her mother whom took it upon just a year ago, created the Health-in-Harmony Spa.  After an energizing treat we made our way to Providence.  Once there, we would meet up with friends Philip and Vanessa and spend the evening with Nora, the lovely hostess of Sundays event.  Saturday night was filled with good food, music and inspiring talk of saving the planet!! 

The chocolate lecture would begin at 1am, but we arrived early to help Vanessa set up her booth and meet and greet some 200 people who had signed up for the event.  Goji Girl was in full force at the Sunfood Nutrition booth as well as the team of ninjas from Elixer Craft.  Daniel Vitalis is possess a wealth of knowledge and has been given the great gift of creating AMAZING chocolates-herbal elixers.  So with a heavy abundance of chocolate, smiles became uncrontrollable and David Wolfe took the stage.

When attending a lecture by David Wolfe, you know your in for a treat.  Besides being extremely intelligent, David makes food fun.  Avocado, as he is often called, is a 15 year raw foodist, has such a passion for raw food nutrition and  superfoods, especially chocolate.  When David speaks, everybody listens, and the wheels get turning.  I was immediatly inspired to go deeper, and continue on my journey to help others find true health and make a positive impact on the planet.  

One area that he touched upon was having the ability to make the choices to eat the best food ever as well as drink the best beverages ever!!  I have eaten all the crappy foods that are on the supermarket shelves and now I only want what is best for my body and the environment.  For me, this means choosing organic products whenever possibly as well as supporting the small independant farms.  Choosing to shop at farmers markets for food instead of large corporate food centers, helps to put the power and the money into the farmers hands.  

Afterwards, the crew headed back to Nora’s apartment for the Cacaoabunga party.  With David Wolfe, we stayed up until early morning while enjoying some of Vanessa’s amazing chocolate treats and being in the company of good people.

Tomorrow I am off to Providence to attend a rare east coast lecture given David Wolfe.  The topic, well chocolate of course!!  As one of the leading authorities in raw food nutrition David will discuss the amazing health benefits of cacao.  Afterwards, Nora, this weeks hostess will be throwing an all night chocolate party.  No drugs, no alcohol, nor any other illegal substances.  Just a bunch of wild and crazy kids, eating chocolate, drinking smoothies, and having a great time amongst like minded people.  

A few years ago, the thought of going to a party without drinking was absurd.  My mind set was that I couldn’t possibly have a good time if alcohol wasn’t involved.  I know now, that I probably have more fun without the reprocussions of drinking.  I no longer have to worry about getting DWI’s. Hangovers are also out of the picture as well as worrying about making a complete ass out of myself after way too many shots of whiskey.  Not that I no longer make an ass out of myself, but it is now more of a rarity!

Welcome to my new and improved blog/homepage.  Here you will find up to date information on my latest happenings as well as information regarding my catering services and retail business, Frank’s Finest.  I hope you enjoy the new look. Thanks Iggy and Laura for all your help!

Blessings

Franky