The Hurricane

You know those times where everything in your life, seemingly unrelated, come together in one cosmically unexplainable marriage. It would be like only having peanut butter, root vegetables, wine, and maybe some lemons in your kitchen and you somehow make a wonderfully delicious Thai inspired dinner.

Most times it would be an epic failure.You would probably find yourself dipping carrot sticks into the peanut butter and maybe drinking tap water with lemon. Whole heartedly awkward, and unfulfilling. 

It seems as though all of the things that I am attempting to control in my life at the moment, working, training, coaching, cooking and just living could all be improved by one simple ingredient. Focus. Like the disparate ingredients mentioned above, everything in my life at the moment seems hodge podge. Sometimes running is going well, sometimes work is going well, sometimes I make it home on time and clean up the kitchen  after I cook (not often-sorry Mom). 

When I was about 4, so old enough to open my Christmas presents, I started a tradition. Not purposefully, but it started nonetheless. I would run downstairs, barely wait for my sisters and tear through my presents. One after another, I made it rain wrapping paper, barely looking at what exactly it was I was unwrapping. Hey- I was four, things were shiny, and I was excited- cut me some slack. I think around age 12, still continuing this blitzkrieg of unwrapping, my sister Deirdre dubbed me Hurricane Fiona, I left a swath of devastation everywhere I went.

I feel as though my life has been a little too much unwrapping bonanza-esque for my own good. I have been attacking various tasks with unbridled ferocity without actually paying attention to what I am doing. 

For example,  I cannot run a workout from 7-8:30, drive home immediately afterward, make dinner and be in bed by 11. No, I cannot remember cards for everyone's birthdays, work, volunteer and go out on a Friday night. I will end up eating peanut butter on your kitchen floor with carrots and maybe a turnip- unfulfilled and awkward. 

Something will give. It may just start with a few cracks here and there, a missed birthday, an allergy disguised as the flu, a fender bender, or an injury. Or in my case all of the above!

To cure this malady, I have to thank Flour for shaping my unfocused willy-nilly self, into a focus ninja. It's all about the mise- ie mise-en place. The french word that is ubiquitous in every kitchen means "everything in place." So get your act together before your act has to be together.

 I can't make my morning breakfast pizzas (brioche dough crust, creme fraiche, cheese and assorted toppings) without having every ingredient and tool I need, next to me. You want to have everything in place before attempting to accomplish a task- no distractions- 100% focus.

Bacon, Parm, Egg and Roasted Tomato Breakfast Pizza @ Flour

So my Achilles blowing up? I had warning signs that I ignored because I wasn't focused on running. Car accident circa a few months ago? Perhaps if I had focused on how tired I was, the gratuitous heat of my car and more sharply on the road, I wouldn't be in such a pickle and eaten the bumper of a Suburban in front of me. So now focusing on my focus- is my goal. Short bursts of intense focus on one particular task- like writing, like cooking and like training (more often not so short bursts- more like long extended efforts). 

So in the vein of managing your life-here's something short and simple that gets seemingly disparate ingredients to harmonize, a melody in your mouth so to speak. I recently used it with shaved carrots, minced roasted beet and lentils to make an unbelievably satisfying dinner post pool workout.

Spinach Basil "Pesto"

Makes 1 and a half cups, Refrigeration necessary

Tools

Spatula or scraping object

Food Processor

Cutting Board

Pan (for Toasting)

Ingredients

1.5-2 C fresh Basil

1 Heaping handful of Spinach

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 tbs of Salt (guideline- I usually go by pinches from my countertop salt bowl)

1 tsp of black pepper- By Choice

I cup of Roasted Cashews

Olive Oil

1. Find your food processor and get that guy ready for some action. Preheat oven to 325.

2.If you are roasting your own cashews, get those little guys toasting in the oven for about 15 minutes. Occasionally stir them to make sure for an even toasting. To check for doneness bite into one and it should snap pleasantly. Color will change from sandy to Necco wafer brown. (If you are buying pre-toasted nuts -skip this step.

2. Pop the top on your food processor and load it up with the greens, garlic and seasoning.

3. Process those guys into submission. You will have to stop and scrape down twice or three times to make sure you get everybody incorporated.

4. With the processor running, add oil to personal preference. I wanted my pesto to be a semi solid. So I added about a tbs. Others prefer theirs oilier.

5. Scrape, and place into your favorite tupperware or mason jar and use with vegetables, pastas, or meat as desired!