Large “pile of food” dinners featuring all kinds of veggies/ sauces you may have never thought to combine!  This one = braised beef from Sunday (which was actually cooked sometime in the past year and dug out of the freezer on Sunday, let’s be real), with some Trader Joe’s sweet pickled cherry peppers AND SOME OF THE PICKLING LIQUID (I was going for agrodolce- sweet/hot/vinegar balance), kale- well because, kale…  and green beans.  And feta cheese.  It was pretty much amazing.  Actually, I really loved what adding the pickling liquid did to the long-braised wine sauce (which tasted a little “dead” to me, and frankly, salty)- it perked it up and added a slight zip to everything.

Not pictured, because it was a true mess:  last night’s porchetta (also mined from the freezer- I am so glad I label things/package well!) sandwich-  which turned into another “pile-o-food”-  the bread I used (also from the freezer-  do we see a trend here?) just didn’t hold up to the fig jam, pickled red onions, whole salad’s worth of greens, and slab of pork.  Also-  do note- the porchetta INCENSED the cats.  My gray cat, The General (previously famous for absconding with a turkey leg-  see here ) also wanted to eat crispy pork belly.  Yep…  he got some while I was cruising the internet for large baby dogs to rescue.  True story.

Breakfast has been a little more pedestrian this week since I have been managing the household-  I refuse to get up earlier, so I simplified the first meal of the day.  1 entire English muffin, 1 tablespoon peanut butter (ahh, I LOVE peanut butter), and fruit.  This breakfast could be made better if I took a trip out to Whole Foods and got some of the fresh ground honey-nut PB that really makes my heart sing- but again- I’ve been getting home late, and I AM NOT going out again into the 7 degree weather after a full work day and work out just for peanut butter.  Not yet, at least.

The next great debate?  To race or not to race this weekend.  I am all signed up for the Super 5k in Lowell on Sunday (Super Bowl Sunday!  food ideas coming tomorrow!)-  but I really ought to be fitting in another 20 miler.

My running feet are itching to see what we have for speed these days…  my “stick to the plan” brain says run 20 miles Saturday and pace Mike to a PR in the 5k Sunday.  We shall see.

Running Recap for the week so far:

Sunday- 16 miles (race)- 8:11 avg pace.  See here
Monday- 60 minutes elliptical, 20 minutes foam rolling, 15 minutes core
Tuesday- 6 miles, 8:20 pace, followed by Muscle Pump class, 60 min
Wednesday- 12 miles, 8:34 Pace
Thursday- (planned)- 8 Miles w/ 4×800 5k pace
Friday- either rest (if running 20 mi sat) or 9 mi easy (if racing Sunday)
Weekend- TBD

Any thoughts on this weekend?  Any recipe requests for the big game?  How have your weeks gone?