I did a pretty hard workout at the gym today. What does that even mean? Well, for me, it means I was breathing hard by the end, the muscles in my shoulders got about half as pumped as they used to when I went climbing, I could see some extra veins, I had trouble closing my fingers afterwards, and I could only marginally feel my legs as I shakily made my way back to the locker room. I have been "going to the gym" and doing some manner of strength workout for, oh let's see...twenty-one years now. I started all the way back in junior high (when they still had schools called "junior highs") and have not stopped for longer than four months at a stretch since then. That is a lot of strength training. I started out pretty basic, goofed around with some plyometrics in college, goofed around some more with functional stuff and mobility exercises before that was cool, and have been experimenting ever since.
I have apparently gotten to an age where I am really not interested in spending five hours each week at the gym and another fifteen hours each week on my bike. I never used to understand those people who said they didn't have time to exercise or that they didn't like it or that it was hard to get back into it once you stopped. If I don't exercise, I lose my mind. No exaggeration. I become a different person who is anxious and angry and quite unpleasant to be around. However...I am now beginning to understand about having other things going on that take up time and that sometimes override the go-to-the-gym compulsion. It feels very strange to me to shorten a ride because I want to (yes, want to) get home and harvest my vegetables and water my plants and go hunt squirrels with my dog. And write. It feels strange, and when I first started noticing it I tried to stop it. I got angry. I got frustrated. I weighed myself three times when I went to the gym to see how fat I had gotten from thinking about something other than my next ride/run/lift.
My attempts at going back to my old habits failed time and again. I just do not have that same drive. It isn't exactly that I am lacking motivation. It is more that a shift in priorities has occurred, and more life has been added to the Life Mix. I don't think this shift is necessarily a bad one. It's just one that I am still adjusting to. So, in the interest of still getting my needed endorphins but also getting, god forbid, OTHER things accomplished as well, I have played with my strength workouts quite a bit to shorten them but make them more intense at the same time. And more fun. And...entirely coincidentally but perhaps not surprisingly, a TON more effective. So, let's see. I spend less than half the time I used to at the gym, I enjoy it more, and I'm at least twice as strong. Maybe getting old isn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Today's recipe is a celebration of efficiency. It's quick, easy, delicious, and you can do other things while it's in the oven. No compromises here. Well, unless you were hoping for a marathon of kneading and a War and Peace length ingredient list. Not this time! Even I am finally learning the beauty of keeping things simple. Sometimes.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Today's recipe is a super easy side dish, snack, or even breakfast that you can make in about 25 minutes. The baked sweet potatoes to the left are from a gluten-free gnocchi I made last spring. Stay tuned for that recipe in upcoming posts!
This recipe is not a "baked good" so to speak, but you make it in the oven and it tastes good, so I think it still qualifies as something I can put on a baking blog. Plus, it is simple AND delicious, so perhaps I will get some feedback from someone who makes it....
Roasted Sweet Potato Morsels
2-3 large sweet potatoes - orange or white will work
Preheat your oven to 400, unless you know it runs hot. If it runs hot, use 375.
Chop your sweets into 1/2 inch squares. No need to peel!
Toss in a bowl with enough olive oil, grapeseed oil, or coconut oil to coat. Don't be shy with the oil.
Sprinkle 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional!).
Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg if desired.
Or parsley.
Or cinnamon.
Toss again to coat.
Spread evenly on a baking sheet, leaving space around each morsel.
Place on a rack in the center of the oven.
After 11 or 12 minutes, stir/flip/toss the morsels. They should be beginning to crisp and brown.
Return to oven for another 12 minutes. Check again. If they are crispy on the outside and deep golden, they're done. If not, leave them in for additional time, checking about every 2 minutes.
These are delicious right out of the oven, or can also be tossed with whatever like to make a roasted sweet potato salad.
Enjoy!
~GFG
I have apparently gotten to an age where I am really not interested in spending five hours each week at the gym and another fifteen hours each week on my bike. I never used to understand those people who said they didn't have time to exercise or that they didn't like it or that it was hard to get back into it once you stopped. If I don't exercise, I lose my mind. No exaggeration. I become a different person who is anxious and angry and quite unpleasant to be around. However...I am now beginning to understand about having other things going on that take up time and that sometimes override the go-to-the-gym compulsion. It feels very strange to me to shorten a ride because I want to (yes, want to) get home and harvest my vegetables and water my plants and go hunt squirrels with my dog. And write. It feels strange, and when I first started noticing it I tried to stop it. I got angry. I got frustrated. I weighed myself three times when I went to the gym to see how fat I had gotten from thinking about something other than my next ride/run/lift.
Today's recipe is a celebration of efficiency. It's quick, easy, delicious, and you can do other things while it's in the oven. No compromises here. Well, unless you were hoping for a marathon of kneading and a War and Peace length ingredient list. Not this time! Even I am finally learning the beauty of keeping things simple. Sometimes.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This recipe is not a "baked good" so to speak, but you make it in the oven and it tastes good, so I think it still qualifies as something I can put on a baking blog. Plus, it is simple AND delicious, so perhaps I will get some feedback from someone who makes it....
Roasted Sweet Potato Morsels
2-3 large sweet potatoes - orange or white will work
Preheat your oven to 400, unless you know it runs hot. If it runs hot, use 375.
Chop your sweets into 1/2 inch squares. No need to peel!
Toss in a bowl with enough olive oil, grapeseed oil, or coconut oil to coat. Don't be shy with the oil.
Sprinkle 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional!).
Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg if desired.
Or parsley.
Or cinnamon.
Toss again to coat.
Spread evenly on a baking sheet, leaving space around each morsel.
Place on a rack in the center of the oven.
After 11 or 12 minutes, stir/flip/toss the morsels. They should be beginning to crisp and brown.
Return to oven for another 12 minutes. Check again. If they are crispy on the outside and deep golden, they're done. If not, leave them in for additional time, checking about every 2 minutes.
These are delicious right out of the oven, or can also be tossed with whatever like to make a roasted sweet potato salad.
Enjoy!
~GFG
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