Barefoot Buddy Walk

Today, Hubbs and I went for a barefoot walk together.
It was nice to share the experience with him. Here's Hubbs getting his own 'Sewer Feet' pic action. I actually think this one is a telephone manhole cover- the lines on that street are all underground so it's possible.

Ahh, two sets of paws, joined in matrimony. Can you feel the love, can you?

This was the one downside- I have a sore/raw spot on my left big toe. It's quite painful when I tap it. Otherwise more just annoying.

It was interesting how much easier it was to walk barefoot this time. It's only my second 'true' bf walk and my feet are already tougher on the bottom. It's not a toughness with callouses and whatnot- more like well-worn leather.

I wasn't in pain as much from the rough parts of the sidewalk either. The cobblestones still felt as good as always. Those pavers sent from heaven!

First Barefoot Walk

So I went on my first barefoot walk the other day. It was eye-opening and toe-wiggling fun. I highly recommend it!
I felt like a three year old just playing around. Ahh my virgin feet! Cooped up in shoes too long- they revolt and take to the streets!

I was walking all over the place just to stand on different textures and see what they felt like. Who knew pavement came in that many flavors? (Don't lick pavement- you don't know where it's been)

This was an awesome feeling. The springy grass and the smooth cobbles. I stood there for a while just scooting my feet back and forth.

The super slick cobbles are by far the best so far! I wish there was a path around me that was all cobbled so I could walk forever. Had to watch out for little pieces of glass in the space between the pavers, but it wasn't too bad.

Now this was painful. These rocks were eroded and sharp as hell. Felt like walking on shards of glass- I know this texture will help my form- but honestly, it sucked! I imagined myself in some tribal community performing a right of passage- instead of hot coals- I get old cheap sidewalk.

This grassy area was the first thing I went to after the Walk Of Glass. I stood there for about ten minutes just wiggling my toes around. It was the best feeling- springy coolness on a hot July day.

I love this pic. It felt even better than it looks. There is moss that grows between my house and my neighbor's. I've always like the look of it- but the feel of it is so much better than I had imagined.

It was like standing on a cool moist sponge of natur-ey goodness. Ice cream for the feet.

Ahh, the post walk pic- look at those sexy Used-For-What-They-Were-Intended-For feet!

When I started researching running I came across a lot of information about pronation, supination, stride and shoes. LOTS about shoes. All kinds of them- stabilizers, grippers, track, distance, cross-trainers...

Something inside me rebelled at the thought that something was inherently wrong with how God made me. We were given feet- powerful and beautiful feet. So why was I looking at them like they were the bastard child of my body? I don't wear gloves to 'correct' my finger grip or rotation of the wrist do I?

So what made feet different?

That kind of thinking lead me to barefooting. I started minimalist and am transitioning into barefooting. I found that I wasn't the only one, even 'real' athletes agree, who thought that nothing was inherently wrong with my feet- just that I wasn't using them correctly. I had babied them, thinking they were 'weak' and couldn't be trusted outside of a pair of 150 dollar shoes.

Turns out, those shoes are why my feet are so weak in the first place.

It's been about a week of walking minimal/barefoot and my ankles are stronger than I ever thought they would be. I've always had weak ankles and I thought that I had to shore them up with braces and the like. Turns out they're weak because I never used them.

Common sense. Where have you been all my life?

Cooking Show Woes

Watched some cooking shows today. They were pretty, fun, and holycraptooexpensive.

Who has enough money to buy whatever is the latest haute foodie item? A fifty dollar block of parmigiano reggiano to sprinkle on my soup? Why thank you! Seventy dollars for wine made by geese in the small French village of Wearetomuchtoafford? Oh goody goody!

Would it kill the premise if they just made normal affordable food? Give me some pasta and tomato sauce. Where is my simple ham sammich? 

In the spirit of Food You Can Actually Afford To Cook, I'm going to throw some recipes out there occasionally. Things that take two pots or less and won't kill you to make. Sauteing petit diced rack of virgin lamb? Uh, no. A kick ass chili that's one pot? Ah, yes.

What's that? Veggie in the house? Fear not, you guys are included too. I'll even throw some recipes in that you veggie heads can serve your Gnaw On A Carcass buddies. 

Just a heads up: I'm assuming you have basic cooking skills. Nothing fancy but enough to know what kind of food goes in what pot. If you can't boil water, then well... you're screwed. Sorry about that. 

First up:

Tuscan Lasagna. (I don't know if it's Tuscan at all, it just looks good on a recipe card) It's a tall, thin layered lasagna so choose your pan accordingly. The smell of this will have you drooling within five minutes, I promise. 

What you need:

A box and a half of lasagna noodles. (maybe both boxes if your pan is gargantuan.)

A bag of frozen squash, zuccini summer squash-ish mix.

A can of pasta sauce. (I use the 99 cents one)

One can of diced tomatoes. (two if you like wet lasagna) 

About a pound o' beef. (cheap stuff is just fine)

Some red wine (cheap is good here too)

One container of ricotta cheese.

A bag of mozzarella cheese (Mizithra works better, but is more costly)

Five slices of Italian bacon. (this is the only really expensive thing)

Italian spices you have lying around.

   I know this sounds like a lot, but it is worth it. Don't forget to go cheap on these things. Once they're all together it won't really matter if they cost 99 cents or fifty bucks. 

 So cook the beef in about a cup of red wine. Brown it but don't crisp it.

Boil pasta per box instructions. Remember to leave some cooking time on the pasta because you'll be putting it in the oven to bake. 

Combine tomato dices and tomato sauce in a bowl on the side.

This lasagna has thin layers so don't overfill it too much or it'll slide all over the place. 

Layer as such: Oil the pan, layer of lasagna noodles, layer o'beef, noodles, thin layer of ricotta, noodles, squash mix and 1/4 of cheese, noodles, rest of the cheese, then on top put the Italian bacon.  

In the beef and squash layers spread the tomato/tomato sauce mix and sprinkle on some Italian spice mix (or basil, salt, oregano). Make sure you leave enough tomato mixture to put over the top layer of noodles as well.

Bake at 350 for about 20-40 minutes. Check the pasta to make sure it's not getting too soggy.

Take it out and let it set. Setting is important in this recipe because of the squash layer being so wet. 

Cut it up and nom down. 

So there's a recipe from my humble room where I say things like, "where the hell is my cutting board and who moved my pan". 

Up next, Fufu Souffle' .