Easy dins

Basically, this is pan roasted potatoes below a bed of steamed greens, topped with a soft cooked egg. Here's the "recipe" even though it's more of a guideline. This is for two eaters and the amounts can be adjusted easily for more or fewer mouths.

1) Chop 1 large potato into bite-sized chunks (smaller chunks cook through faster). Heat small amount of olive oil in pan over medium heat, pan roast spuds until browned (stirring regularly). Sprinkle with some s&p and chili flakes. [Make sure the potatoes are actually cooked through. Larger chunks might brown without softening enough. You could always do this step in the oven: 375F for ~25 minutes]
2) Meanwhile, wash and chop 2-3 cups of greens (chard, kale, spinach, anything!) then steam in a steamer pot for about 5 minutes (less for spinach). Toss lightly with a dash of lemon juice to retain bright green colour.
3) Cook two eggs until whites are set and yolks are runny (poached, over easy, sunny side up, any way you like it!) You could even poach the eggs in the water used to steam the greens. Or lightly fry them in the pan used for the potatoes.
4) In 2 bowls, layer potatoes, then greens, then egg. S&p and hot sauce to taste.

And that's it!

I loooove this meal. It's super tasty and healthy, easy on the wallet and easy to pull together, and it responds well to adaptations. For instance, tonight I threw in chunks of portobello mushroom to cook with the spuds (about halfway through spud cooking), and topped it with scallions and sesame seeds. Varieties of peppers go well with this; you can always add onions or garlic at the beginning; grated cheese on top is delicious; add your favourite spices to the potatoes or toss the greens with some Braggs, etc. I'm sure this would be great over rice as well, but potatoes are rich in potassium so it's a great recovery meal after a full day of exercise. The soft egg breaks over everything else, making the dish quite creamy. **Slurp**!

Three guesses

What's my newest sport?

Dimension fun

See the little guy wearing red and blue glasses in the left top corner of your Google Map streetview? Yep, if you click him, your streetview becmes 3D. I'm serious. Serious as a heart attack. Here are steps you can use to build your own 3D glasses (it boils down to "colour clear plastic with red and blue sharpie"), or buy a box of cereal advertising 3D glasses in return for 3 UPCs (or fair facsimiles), then load up the intertubes, find an address you might be interested in (I suggest the art intervention viewable here, and information about it here), then get your freak on!

We had to experiment quite a bit with the colours. The blue lens had to be almost dark teal, and the red really had to be orangey-red, not pinky-red. We only had limited success, to be honest, but it was fun trying. And that's what really counts, doesn't it?
Here's an image to try it out on:

Flexing the tendons

Well, besides the fact I'm getting physio on my wrist for triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), I've been wanting to get a toque finished for my neighbour/landlords downstairs who are expecting their first child. Luckily, the knitting didn't seem to bother my wrist much, unlike washing my face at night or turning right while driving (who can predict these things?). So I managed to finish what might be my cutest knitting creation yet: Fraise Heads! Strawbabies! Fruit suit!

Soooooooooo cute! I'm feeling like I've got this particular baby toque NAILED. It's always the Umbilical Cord Hat from the Stitch N' Bitch book of knitting patterns, but I've started playing with the colours and pattern a bit to mix it up.It's not pink! It's red. Couldn't get a photo that really did the colours justice.

I'm not being original here; lots of folks have thrown twists at this basic toque pattern, and there are multiple lines of fruit hat wear out there for knitters to whip up. I've seen eggplants, tomatoes, apples, etc., and I'll get around to trying out a lot of them, if willing models continue to show up. But it's fun to shop for yarn and imagine the finished product, then sit my butt down in front of a movie (12 Angry Men (1957)) and start and finish a hat in one go.

Fun with yarn!

UPDATE: Turns out Kathy had a baby boy 12 hours after I finished the hat! Three weeks early but everyone is doing fine. AND I gave the hat to the new dad and he said the one thing they were missing was a hat to bring him home in! Too perfect.

Great news! Or at least a validation.

Many runners drink, and some improve their running performance

For some people, running is seen as a way to counterbalance the effects of consuming alcohol or puffing the occasional cigarette. When you’re training hard, you’ve earned a night out once in a while, the thinking goes. And there’s no doubt runners enjoy a night out at the bar. A 1996 study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that recreational runners drink more alcohol than their sedentary counterparts. As well, a 2008 poll sponsored by Runner’s World magazine found that 2 per cent of the 2,500 respondents smoked but kept it a secret from their running friends, while 4 per cent made no bones about lighting up. But as much as running may seem like an excuse to indulge vices, experts say alcohol can hurt performance and impact training for much longer than some runners may think.

and

A runner’s performance can be greatly improved by relaxation and occasionally easing up on a strict training schedule, says John Hill, a past winner of the Vancouver Marathon and coach of the Vancouver Falcons Athletics Club.

“That definitely benefits [runners],” Mr. Hill says. Getting away from a rigid schedule or self-imposed demands to perform, whether by training in a less structured way or going to the bar with friends, can take the pressure off and help runners find renewed motivation. “Whether it’s physical balance or other things in your life, it’s absolutely critical,” Mr. Hill says.

These days I'm taking a hiatus from the bottle to tone up a bit for my sister's wedding in the first week of May, but otherwise this story rings true for me. Especially during long runs when I start craving strong drinks like tequila margaritas or dry martinis. Strange, but delicious and hard earned!