Thursday, March 8, 2012

True Confessions about Fish

Grilled Salmon Cutlet

OK, I'm going to come out of the closet. After 18 years as a lacto-ovo vegetarian, I've decided to include fish in my diet. Not just any fish - it's got to be wild-caught, not farmed, and preferably labelled with one of the sustainable fishery seals, so I can be reasonably confident no dolphins, whales or seals were harmed in the process. Also, given the laws of kashrut, the fish have to have fins and visible scales - so no shellfish for us.

I've got some nice Pacific salmon filets in my freezer, and even better, northern pike and pickerel (walleye to you Amurricans) from Lake Winnipeg - as close to local as you can get in a landlocked province like mine. Well, OK, it isn't really landlocked, but I don't know how much of a fishery they have up in Hudson's Bay. Some people dream of  ice fishing up there ... but I digress.

Now, of course, I'm looking for some good recipes. I've marinated the salmon and baked it in aluminium foil - I guess that's the default for any fish, but I'd like to expand a little, especially for Shabbat. All constructive suggestions welcome!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Dashing through the Snow

Dashing Through the Snow

So, I didn't run barefoot or in a skirt, but I am still recovering from a 5K I ran on Sunday in St. Vital Park. It was called the First Annual Run Your Heart Out Run/Walk in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association. I have to admit, my heart was fine, but I did have some concerns about my ears and toes.

It was my own silly fault, of course. It was -16C and I decided not to bother with a hat because I tend to get very hot on top of my head when I exercise. The obvious answer is a headband, and I do actually own one, but unfortunately I didn't bring it. I did have gloves on (not really warm enough), and I was the only person not wearing a windbreaker (although I did have a warm jacket from Iceland). I was wearing my normal padded running socks and outdoor running shoes (which hadn't seen any use since November or so).

I have to say, it was fun, except for the cold ears and toes. I definitely did not miss the windbreaker - I was sweating inside my Iceland jacket. We ran on the road that loops around the park (about 2.5 times around to make up the 5K). The snow was freshly plowed, there was no visible ice and it was in fact not slippery at all. My husband had expressed some concern about breathing freezing air but I, at least, did not experience any difficulty from this. My ears did warm up after about 2K, on their own so I'm not concerned about frostbite. My toes took longer to recover but appear to have suffered no ill effects. I probably should have put more moisturiser on my hands and face.

I'm a slow runner at the best of times, and of course, what with the snow and the preoccupation with my sore bits, I clocked in just over 40 minutes, one of the last people in (if not the last). I honestly don't care. I did it, I finished it, and I'm very proud of myself. The people who were ahead of me ran faster but also took walking breaks. I decided to stick to a steady slow jog - maybe it's not the best way to go, but I did run the entire 5K without a single break. I do know about the advantages of intervals, so I'm debating in my mind what to do next time.

Runs can only get warmer from here on out. I'm trying to decide whether to stick with 5Ks and try to get faster, or look at moving up to a 10K - although, if I stay with this pace it would take me nearly an hour and a half! Not even thinking about the half marathon at this stage ... and I'm not looking for distance for distance's sake. I just want to be healthy and happy and do things that make me feel good.

What do you think? Which way should I go?