Plants and Pickleball

[VegSeekingFit]

This week I will be enjoying home made pasta sauce. There was a very good sale on peppers so I air fried about 12 and blended those up with tomato paste and herbs and spices. Today I will have the sauce over beans and steamed cauliflower as that was also on sale so I got 3 large heads. I’m always pretty happy when I can find great bargains on my produce. Green cabbage is also extremely cheap right now. I love to include a couple of cups in my salads. I prepped that also by slicing it very fine on my mandolin. I don’t know why red cabbage doesn’t seem to go on sale….perhaps they just don’t grow as much of it.

Today I’m going to a newer place in town called Activate, my daughters invited me. I’m not totally sure what it is and sometimes I like it that way as it’s kind of fun to be surprised. I do know I need to be ready for a workout as sweating will be involved. I think it’s some sort of facility where you get to do different physical challenges in various areas or rooms. In any event I’m sure it will be fun and I will be able to report on this next week.

The week has been good, played Pcikleball 4 days and got in all my scheduled strength training plus swam a couple of days. The sauna is still my reward when I can fit it in. Our weather continues to be almost like spring we must be setting some kind of record for mid November. I’ve been trying to get outside for walks in the early afternoon as the sunshine in my face feels so rejuvenating.

Hope everyone had a great week!

Erin

Hi Erin,

I am so with you on the awesomeness of outside walks with the sunshine on the face - love it!!! Great that you are able to get in that much pickleball and swim and strength train too!!! ❤️

Your air-fried pepper pasta sauce sounds delicious!!!

Would love to hear more about your trip to Activate --- sounds cool!!!

Hope that you are enjoying the week!

Best,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Hi Stephanie. Activate was very fun. It’s essentially several different rooms with various physical and some mental challenges. For example in our team of 5 you enter a room with 5 basketball hoops and when the timer goes off you all shoot hoops and try to get the highest score you can. Another was you throw soft baseballs at targets that light up on the wall. There was a room with laser beams and you had to get from one side of the room to the other stepping over or ducking under. Rooms where you have to run all around hitting targets on walls as they light up are avoid them on the floor. A couple rooms with some spelling and trivia type challenges. They have set it up very well and scores are tracked so it encourages people to come again and do better the next time. It’s a great team event as you mostly work together.

I had a great week, played lots of Pickleball and such. Got my Christmas tree and decorations all set up. We still have no snow which is very strange for us this time of year. Yesterday I had a lovely walk listening to some Christmas music and enjoying the sun and blue skies. I haven’t been doing much cooking just eating the usual rice salad bowl plus soups from the freezer. I did make a batch of fries where you boil the potatoes for 5 minutes and then drain and put back in the pot with garlic powder, onion, and paprika and a bit of flour. Coat the fries and then bake. They are most delicious. I also got all my wrapping done which is early for me. I don’t buy all that many gifts so it’s not a huge job. Our grandson turns 2 next weekend so I had to be ready for that event. My how the time does fly.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Erin

[bunsofaluminum]

Good afternoon Erin.

I've been enjoying your journal and find myself energized and cheered by reading your posts. Love LOVE this Activate thing. Sounds like so much fun. Bet you looked like a kid in those challenges!

[Matcha]

i never picked ball. I am not so good at tennis but i like badminton.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin,

Activate sounds awesome! Thanks for describing it --- hope that something like that would be built around by me!!!

I don't know if you have pickleball places that are more corporate --- like with food and drinks and such? I am not a fan of the food and drinks --- but they opened one about half an hour from me a couple months ago. People I know who have gone there like it --- you can reserve a court or join various open play times or lessons / league. One of my friends is having a NYE party there...

https://picklehaus.com/

Hope that you and your family have a Happy Holiday!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Buns, thanks for stopping by and glad you enjoy reading my journal.

Matcha, you should give Pickleball a try it’s such fun.

Stephanie, that’s quite smart to have a NYE party at the Pickleball place. No, we don’t have courts where there is food, at least not yet. This morning I played at a new facility, it’s basically a big warehouse with concrete floors and they painted on the courts. Worked fine though, doesn’t need to be too fancy just need nets that are straight and floors without any cracks.

My grandson was quite sick with a cold on his second birthday, and then he couldn’t go to daycare so I babysat and caught his cold. Feeling fine now, but tired of having a virus haha. Luckily it seems everyone is healthy at the moment. I will be back to playing outdoor Pickleball next week as we are heading south to be snowbirds this winter. I plan to do quite a bit of hiking as well and will keep up with my strength training.

I made a batch of wraps with green lentils instead of red this time. I soaked the lentils for a few hours first. The wraps turned out pretty good, they weren’t really big enough to roll like a wrap, but I used them more like a taco shell. I would make them again.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2024. It’s the start of my 10th year as a McDougaller and I feel fantastic.

Erin

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin!



YAY, for your 10 years McD'ing!!! That is awesome!! Glad that you are feeling fantastic - what a benefit of healthy eating!!!

Thank you so much for setting a great example and for your encouragement on these boards!!!

Wishing you an amazing time in the sun and playing PB outside!!! (Yes, I may be a bit jealous here... )

Happy 2024,
Stephanie

[Starflower]

10 years!!! Congratulations, Erin! Thanks for your inspiring example!

[Ejeff]

Thanks Stephanie and Starflower.

I’m enjoying the sun so far. The temperature isn’t as high as it could be, but the sun is sure bright and the sky is so very blue. I’m really liking the short walk to the Pickleball courts very handy indeed. I’ve been playing a lot and chatting with many nice people. I will be playing in a fun tournament here next week so that will be exciting. Also many options to play games and cards so I’m taking advantage of that also.

On the food front, keeping it very simple right now. First meal is frozen broccoli with lentils or beans and some flax and hemp. I am taking Jeff’s advice and I bought several bags of frozen broccoli at Walmart. Super handy, and I eat half a bag each day which is about 1.5 cups. I’ve also been enjoying black beans with some corn tortillas. At home, Costco doesn’t sell the big bag of mixed greens, but I was happy to get it here. It’s a mix of baby kale, spinach and chard. It’s so delicious I’ve been having that in my mid day salad. I make a simple dressing with tahini and lemon juice with added water. I can eat it everyday without getting bored.

I finally had my first sumo orange lol. Everyone raves about them and it’s true they are delicious. I bought it in a smaller place and it cost $3.74 for one orange. I will keep my eyes on the lookout for more at perhaps a better price.

Have a great week everyone, enjoy your walks and your starches.

Erin

[Ejeff]

My partner and I won gold in the fun tournament. Needless to say with courts basically just down the road I have been playing Pickleball almost everyday. I’ve been keeping up with twice a week gym workouts and try to swim a couple times a week. Every day I count my blessings that I am able to be in a place with lovely weather. I play in a weekly poker tournament and last night I finally won a little money lol, placed 3rd out of 22. I’ve been playing Canasta and Mahjong also. I’m not very good at Mahjong, but I do enjoy the mental challenge of it. We’ve been doing some hiking and also longer e-bikes rides. The surrounding mountains are quite beautiful. Oh and I had a lot of fun at a dance, got lots of steps in

Still keeping food very simple and am loving having the pressure cooker in the RV. Yesterday I made a quick lentil stew with tomatoe paste, carrots and mushrooms. Basically just toss it all into the pot and stir well with lots of herbs and spices. Cooked for 9 minutes and quick released the pressure. Gosh that sure is fast and delicious meal preparation! I could have throw in a bag of frozen broccoli also. At the end I stirred in some frozen corn. I’ve been eating a lot of sweet potato too. I enjoy it best when I mash it up with some peanut butter, cinnamon, raisins and applesauce. I sometimes make fries in the air fryer also.

That’s all for now, January sure did fly by.

Erin

[Daydream]

Erin, congratulations on winning the gold in the tournament! You must be really good at Pickleball and I bet you're in good shape. I like hearing about the delicious food you are eating too.

[VegSeekingFit]

Erin,

Awesome and congratulations on your PB win!!! Way to go!!!

It sounds like you are having so much fun this winter! What state are you guys in? It sounds lovely with the games, pickleball, great food! Love your recipe for lentil stew --- I like to do similar but throw it in my crock pot – always comes out wonderful.

Hope you enjoy the weekend!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Hi Stephanie,

Sorry for long delayed response. We were in Arizona for 2 months and California for a month, it’s nice to escape the winter, but always good to be back home too. I enjoyed reading your posts and seeing your pictures.

Been having fun with little grandson since we’ve been home, he sure does keep me running around and on my toes all day lol. The month of March was a bit off the rails in terms of too much restaurant food with oil. Just keeping food pretty simple right now with lots of veggies and starches. I’m having a morning smoothie for breakfast which is filling as I include flax in it. It’s always purple from the frozen blueberries.

I’ve rejoined the gym and am enjoying my workouts twice a week. Also doing some simple band exercises on the off days at home. The organized outdoor Pickleball league starts next month, but since the nets are up already we can play it’s just a bit chilly some days.

Hope everyone is enjoying the extra sunlight and warmer days of spring!

Erin