Chili bean shrimp bowl
Belgium has been spoiling us for a while now. We’ve had two months of sunny, warm weather, and even though we’ve had to postpone our holidays because there was more work than we expected we are enjoying our summer. One thing I noticed is that I have been craving lighter, fresher meals. We have a few favourites that we never say no to, but I have been wanting to experiment a little bit more and try something that can be eaten cold, or not necessarily steaming hot. I also wanted something that escaped the traditional categorisation of either “main” or … Continue reading Chili bean shrimp bowl
Deep, deep thoughts… Oh look, a snail!
When I am running I often find myself oscillating between two extremes. I am either completely unable to think, or I ponder the meaning of life. In the first case scenario, my thinking ability is severely impaired, and the most complex products of my brain activity are something along the lines of: “Look, a snail!”, or -blank-, or “Stay on it” It is not uncommon for me to be so fatigued that I lose count of the number of repeats or intervals I’m running. Sometimes I count up to 300 just to get through a rough patch (usually a long … Continue reading Deep, deep thoughts… Oh look, a snail!
A very special pasta recipe
I am a very atypical Italian. I don’t drink coffee, or wine, and I don’t particularly like pasta. I have lived for years without feeling the need to have pasta: saying no to pizza and bread was harder, but pasta, I can live without. Well, since I married a pasta lover, and since love is compromise, we sometimes have pasta. Not very often though, and it’s got to be special. This pasta is special. It is meant to be eaten cold, and given the hot and sunny weather that Belgium is unexpectedly spoiling us with, I thought it would be … Continue reading A very special pasta recipe
Pool running! First try
Yesterday Francesco and I set out on a mission: give pool running a shot. The idea is self-explanatory – you run not on the ground but in the water – and the benefits are linked to its dramatically lower impact compared to running. When we run and we hit the ground, the pounding takes its tolls on our bodies. The more you run, the more pounding you inflict on your body. Finding viable alternatives is not easy, but one has to try. The proponents of pool running say that if done correctly, pool running can provide a good aerobic stimulus … Continue reading Pool running! First try
Irresistible ricotta cheese chocolate chip tart
We make one cake a week, on average. On paper, it sounds like a good plan. It would be enough for us to have a slice a day for at least five days, right? After all, it’s just the two … Continue reading Irresistible ricotta cheese chocolate chip tart
Night ramble – on hope, risks, lists and love
I am a planner. I have always been a planner: I cherish my diary, I love lists, I like to organise everything, I like to check boxes. That approach works for me, and it can be applied both to big … Continue reading Night ramble – on hope, risks, lists and love
Sunday long run and life getting in the way
Sometimes life gets in the way. As much as we like to think we are tough cookies and that nothing can get in our way, sometimes we just have to accept that we cannot always be focused on our goals and shut out all other things. Stress takes a toll. Sadness takes a toll. Things that are out of our control take a toll. Sunday is long run day. Long runs are always hard for me, physically and especially mentally. I know that, but I usually do not allow myself to have too many doubts before I get out of … Continue reading Sunday long run and life getting in the way
Fish and pancetta roulade
Fish, ugh. It reminds us of the horrible, slimy, floppy, unspecified “white fish” we were served at our primary school canteen. Or the first thing that comes to mind might be how smelly your whole house is after you’ve cooked it. Or maybe you have been on a diet at some point in your life and you cannot for the life of you forget how sad that little fillet looked in your plate. Nope, none of that. In our house we eat mostly healthy, but we never, ever have food that we do not enjoy. Salmon is easy because, well, … Continue reading Fish and pancetta roulade
Recovery crazies
I raced too much this spring. I loved it and do not regret it at all, but I need to take some time off, some time to run just for fun and for the enjoyment of it. I also need to allow my body to recover and not be scared of high mileage, gruelling workouts and speedwork. For as much as I hate to admit it, I think my mind has started to fear going into the hurt locker. Maybe I pushed it a bit too far. Maybe not, and I’m just being a big baby. But because running should … Continue reading Recovery crazies
Less-than-5-ingredients meals for when you’re on the move
When we go to Strasbourg, we try to rent a flat for a week, instead of going to a hotel, mainly because that way we can cook our own food. The food scene in Strasbourg isn’t exactly exciting – the typical Alsatian cuisine they serve you here is one of the heaviest I’ve ever tried and everything is either bacon or cream based. The canteen at the Parliament has a penchant for using unprecedented quantities of butter on literally anything – ranging from salmon (!) to steaks to broccoli to green beans to carrots all the way to… you name … Continue reading Less-than-5-ingredients meals for when you’re on the move
