eCornell Archives ~ TRAILMOMMA

January 26, 2015April 21, 2015

NOW WHAT?

It’s official! I finished my six month online plant-based cooking course withÂ Rouxbe. The ending was some what bitter sweet for me. When I started this course last August, I really didn’t know exactly what to expect. I’ve been plant-based for over 20 years so what more could I possibly learn throughout this course?

Well, as I came to realize (about mid-way through the course), is that this program was very much geared towards ME becoming a professional CHEF! Ya I know, the course title alone (Plant-Based Professional Certification Course) should have been a major clue but I was curious and of course I can’t forget that generous offer by Joe Girard, the CEO of Rouxbe too. Read about that here.

I would be lying if I said I did not struggle some during my certification. For me, the hardest and biggest obstacle of all was time. Finding the time. Making the time. Having the time. It was difficult and I was often challenged quite a bit by either throwing things together at the last minute or not really focusing well on my assignments.

I admit that I did not do quite a few of the practice dishes that I wasÂ supposed to do before each unit exam. It was not that I was challenged by the course content so much, it was 100% the lack of quality time for me to devote fully to the course. That doesn’t mean I didn’t love it and that I didn’t learn anything. I definitely picked up quite a few tips and tricks along the way. I also came to realize that presentation is huge when presenting a meal (just maybe not so much at home).

With all that said and done, I would recommend this course to anyone. It doesn’t have to just be for the chef in that restaurant who is curious about expanding their menu more with plant-based meals (although I truly hope restaurants and chefs consider this program for that reason alone). No, this program could benefit stay-at-home moms who do want to learn how to cook plant-based meals for their family, or for someone who is retired and wants to better their health or who just may like to cook or perhaps someone who has a part-time job and is just not entirely sure where their life is headed.

I truly think Rouxbe’s program couldÂ benefit someone who is very curious about plant-based living and who does not know where to even start. The support and content within the program is great and they will help and guide you. Those who work in hospitals or nursing homes, should be required to take this course just to expand and broaden their knowledge and to SEE how food does impact your overall health and well being.

So, I am happy that I signed up for the program. I am proud that I finished. I am proof that you can never know too much about one thing. 20 years of eating plants and I am proud to say that I have a certificate from Rouxbe and a certificate from T. Collin Campell’s eCornell plant-based nutrition program.

I am very passionate about plant-based living (just ask anyone who knows me). I do not shove my knowledge in your face and I never judge what is on your plate, but if you ask me for advice, I will give it to you 100%. My passion for nutrition and beliefs fall in line with those of T. Collin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Rip Esselstyn and the Engine2 group. I am a strong believer that food is fuel and that food can heal.

Which is why when my mother-in-law and father-in-law came down with some medical issues recently, I jumped at the chance to make them a few meals for the week to help them get by. It was super easy too because one of my presents to myself upon completing the Rouxbe course was an Instant Pot.

Chickpeas, homemade veggie broth and oat bran.

Yes, I just learned how to make these elaborate meals and garnishes through Rouxbe and what do I do? I buy a pressure cooker/steamer/crockpot where I basically can make one pot meals super fast. 🙂 The Instant Pot ROCKS. I have to say. It has transformed my life.

In less than 30 minutes (usually) I have been making all kinds of beans from scratch, not from a can. I have been using all kinds of new veggies and throwing the scraps into a baggy so that I can make my own veggie broth (in 5 minutes I might add). I have made broth before but the process was always so time consuming. Not anymore. I love my Instant Pot (or instapot as I call it).

It is fabulous and I really enjoy making these meals for people to consume. So with my new certification, I may not become a chef in a restaurant but I have become the plant-based doctor of our family so to speak. 🙂 Although I am still working on getting my girls to eat new things. Baby steps.

So now that Rouxbe is over and my instapot is creating more time for me, what exactly am I doing with all this “free” time? All kinds of things! In my first full week done with Rouxbe, I enjoyed some quality time with my family.

We hit the skate park with some friends. — We hit the skate park.

I went on a beautiful run through the fog in Auburn. — I went on a beautiful run through the fog in Auburn with friends.

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Watched my girls so Vans could ride and take these awesome photos. — Watched my girls so Vans could ride with the guys and take these awesome photos.

And of course I continued to cook some amazing meals (our fridge is looking a little crazy at the moment).

Peanut Butter Banana Cookies (for my runs - and well every minute in-between) — Peanut Butter Banana Cookies (for my long runs – and well every minute in-between)

Life has been good. I know it won’t be long before I get some kind itch to try something new or take on another adventure but for now, I am content to just enjoy my family, continue to experiment with plant-based dishes and of course run. Speaking of running, my training has been going really well. I feel strong when I am out there on the trails each weekend. Weekdays I may drag but once I step foot on the dusty trail, I explode with energy and excitement. I am looking forward to my 50k in February.

And of course coming home to these two beauties and not having to complete an assignment or take a test is just icing on the (plant-based) cake. 🙂

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

August 2, 2014April 21, 2015

ROUXBE

So for the last few posts, I have alluded to the fact that life has been extra busy and that I had a “big announcement.” Maybe I exaggerated a little bit or put too much emphasis on the “announcement” part. The simple fact of the matter is, I am enrolled in a cooking school. An ONLINE cooking school.

Let’s go back in time shall we? It may make a little more sense if I do.

Quite a few months ago, I was surfing the internet reading about Holistic Nutritionists, Life Coaches, Personal Trainers … all the things that interest me. Unfortunately, I have thought long and hard about my goals and dreams as well as the more realistic side of life (kids, house, mortgage, retirement etc).

Vans has been fairly patient with me. I would go up and down contemplating “what SHOULD I be doing in life?” The job that pays the bills, while not a horrible job, isn’t my “dream” job and definitely not one that fulfills my inner happiness.

But what DID make me happy? That was a question I repeatedly asked myself over and over. I had people ask me that question and follow it up with “What are you good at doing?” Honestly, nothing. There is not one thing that I excel at whole heartedly that would earn me a living. Not without some kind of degree or professional education behind me. Although I guess oneÂ could say that I excel at multi-tasking and having a lot of things on my plate all at once. 🙂

Sure if you ask me about plant-basedÂ eating or fueling for races using a plant-based diet, I will (and have) talk your ear off with a million suggestions, ideas or plans.

When someone questions my dietary choices and asks me “where do you get your protein?” or “how can you run ultras on a Â plant-based diet and still feel okay?” I go into hyper explanation mode. I do not get defensive about it, I want to explain it, share it and hope they are inspired.

When I see those around me suffering from ailments that could easily be cleared up by improving their diet, I secretly pray they ask me for help. But why would they? I am not a Nutritionist. I am not a Dietician. Â I have looked into going back to school to get those types of degrees but the cost and time alone is more than I can imagine right now, not to mention the experience that goes with having a job like that. I would be 80 years old before I had a few years under my belt not to mention the fact that I have two kids to put through college and two weddings to finance some day.

Quite a while ago, I took the eCornell Plant Based Nutrition course online. Most of what I learned in that three-monthÂ course was nothing entirely new to me. Sure it showed me the “science” behind what a plant-basedÂ diet can do and has done for many civilizations. It was interesting and I am glad that I took it as now I can say that I have a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from (e)Cornell. 🙂 Sounds so fancy.

Still, I wasn’t satisfied. I kept searching. Vans kept sighing and praying that I wouldn’t just up and quit my job all Jerry McQuire like … “Help me … Help you…” No, instead, I surfed the internet.

Randomly one day, I received an email in my inbox from an online cooking school that was offering a new course, a Plant Based Professional Cooking Certification Course. Wait, what?! So I did what most people do not do, I clicked on the email link.

It brought me to the Rouxbe Plant Based Professional Cooking Certification homepage. I surfed around on the page a bit and then did what most paralegals by dayÂ would do … I researched the living crap out of this company. Who are they? Who has taken their courses? What are they doing now? How long have they been around?

Some what happy with what I discovered, I signed up for a free trial. The free trial allowed me a day or two of access to some of the recipe videos and other teaching videos to give me a feel for how the course would be structured. I mean, come on, who can take a COOKING course…ONLINE?

After my free trial ended, I received an email from the school asking me what I thought about my free trial. Totally thinking that this was purely an automated email, I responded and basically asked them what is up with this course? It is crazy expensive and the syllabus seems very daunting. I basically said that I was a full-timeÂ working mother of two kids, with three jobs, a husband and lots of extra curricular activities … oh yea, and I have been plant-based for 20 years so IS this course worth my time and money?

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I received a reply … from the co-founder and CEO of the company! He not only answered all my questions he also said, “I donâ€™tÂ have kids, but I do know that many of our students DO have kids. So that all depends on how busy you are withÂ Peanut and Squeaker (yep, stalked you :-). I would say this is a very good question and I really want Rouxbe to be able to empower busy moms and families on how to cook better. So I have a deal for you…”

Um, what? He stalked me? Sure enough, he read my blog and his “deal” was very Godfather like “an offer too good to refuse.”

Ultimately, he cut a significant amount off the tuition price for me on the agreement that I would track the time it takes to finish the course as well as document any challenges that I may face along the way. This would give them the feedback they need to modify the course in any way for more people like me.

Tuition reduction alone, this said to me that they truly care about educating mothers/fathers about how valuable a plant-based diet is and how important it is for our families to eat this way.

I agreed and the rest is history. I started my “schooling” on July 23rd and I have approximately 6 months to finish (sometime in January). Some people think I am completely nuts and I won’t lie, there are days when I am ready to pull my hair out thinking about all that I have to accomplish in a day, week, month. I may need to reconfigure some of my priorities, but for now, I am thoroughly enjoying the course.

The format is nothing short of amazing. The video quality for some of the lessons is outstanding and the manner and detail in which some things are taught, is very impressive. I am not that far into the program obviously, but so far it involves performing certain activitiesÂ and taking specific photos of your work and uploading them for grading. There are tests and quizzes and practical diagrams. Very hands on.

Overall, I am quite impressed and eager to keep moving forward in the program. I do find myself stressing some days about whether or not I will be able to complete it. Some days I find myself studying while at work (you can view the program on your iPhone) during the lunch hour etc. Some days I can’t fit a single lesson in which means that on another day I will have to double up on lessons.

Ironically though, within the last few weeks I have had quite a few friends ask me about plant-based diets. Either they are just curious or they have had some sort of health scare and are looking for a change, I am happy to share my experiences with them. Hopefully, down the road, after this course, I will be able to share even more.

After all of this internal searching for what I am “supposed” to be doing in life, I realize that what does make me happy is sharing and showing people how living a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be hard. It truly doesn’t once you learn some basics and I would love to be able to take someone to a grocery store and show them the products they need to buy (or more importantly NOT buy) and then take them home and show them how to prepare an easy plant-based meal that will heal them from the inside out.

For now, I am content to continue on with my course while maintaining my every day job(s). I answer questions at work almost daily aboutÂ following a plant-based diet or how to cure something holistically. Maybe I am supposed to be where I am in order to help those around me?

Either way, I am excited about this journey and I am sure Vans is excited to have a few more recipes thrown into our repertoire.

Happy ~~Trails~~ Cooking!

~Trailmomma

February 21, 2014April 21, 2015

PLATES

Too much. I hear those words often and I am probably not alone.

“Don’t eat too much!”

“Don’t do too much!”

“Don’t drink too much…”

Errrr, am I the only one who has heard that last one? (kidding!) Â Generally I hear, “Don’t WORK too much!” That’s a common one that I am sure a lot of people hear but in my case it is generally directed at the fact that I have three jobs, run ultras and do a bunch of random things on the side.

This week I was tired. No doubt a result of last weekend’s run (you can read about that by clicking here) or perhaps the fact that Squeaker is sick this week and up a lot throughout the night … or maybe the fact that work has been extra frustrating and stressful lately. Most likely, a combination of all of that I am sure.

Still, I posted something on Facebook and a lot of comments came back saying things like: “burning the candle at both ends” or “too much on your plate girl!” While I don’t disagree that is true, I do feel that I am handling ‘my plate’ fairly well albeit not the way in which I would handle it if I only had ONE plate. But who has one plate in life? A mom certainly never has one plate. We juggle so much that it makes clowns look like amateurs.

Moms are typically able to juggle kids, work, personal lives and everything else that is thrown our way pretty easily. Sometimes however, the body says otherwise. As much as our minds want to go, go go all the time, our body needs to be honored.

This week, instead of working out at Breakout Fitness on Monday morning at 5 am, I opted for sleep because Squeaker woke up. Tuesday morning I made it, but didn’t really “feel” like I was working out vs just going through the motions. No one wakes up at 4:30 am just to go through the motions.

When Wednesday rolled around and the Squeaker came in like a burning ball of fire and curled up next to me scalding my pjs, I decided not to workout once again. Squeaker is not alone in feeling “off” this week. To be honest, I haven’t felt quite right for weeks. Something is off in my digestive track and I just keep feeding the problem (no pun intended) instead of figuring out what is causing my discomfort.

I’ve resorted to eating pretty bland with no relief or results. Sadly, I am one of those people who holds their stress in their belly. I may look fine on the outside but my belly is in knots. Work has definitely been less than happy lately, my other jobs are fine although they take me away from my family time and that stresses me out too as the girls are at the age where they WANT to be with me. The Peanut is going through some emotional things right now that have me a little bit worried. I am thinking constantly about the fact that I have to run a 50K in 3 weeks and a 50 miler in about 4 or 5 both of which I don’t feel I have put in enough miles towards and if I have put in the miles, why am I not recovering as quickly as I used to? Stress. It all comes down to stress, poor sleep and diet.

I eat well. There is no denying that I eat probably far healthier than most (I could probably cut back on the wine but it is good for the heart right?). I lack sleep. QUALITY sleep. But I am a mom. I have a two year old that is having nightmares and/or is fighting a cold so she is up and only wanting the comfort of her mother. Unfortunately, that comfort comes in the form of taking her back to her room and sleeping on her hard cold floor which really doesn’t treat my aching tired muscles very well.

In an effort to combat that situation, I miss out on morning workouts which will result in guilt and more stress about lack of training. A vicious circle that goes round and round sometimes.

Of course there is the logical side of me that says, “Snap out of it Trailmomma! There are people with far greater worries in life than what you are faced with! You have a healthy happy family!” I need to just chill out. I do. I admit it. I also need to create another day in the week or learn to say ‘no’ to some things in life.

But I enjoy the things I take on. I wouldn’t take them on if I didn’t enjoy them! I enjoy working for the Kings on occasion (namely weekends), I enjoy working for Gold Country Run and Sport on Sundays, I enjoy my FT job (okay, that’s not entirely true but I like my manager and we do have a mortgage), I enjoy long runs with Pigeon and friends, I enjoy blogging here and I enjoy taking a class. Wait. Did I fail to mention that I am getting a certification from Cornell online so that I can have a certificate in Plant Based Nutrition? Um, yea, I am doing that too.
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I’ll probably write more on the certification when I finish the course. It is only 6 weeks and while not entirely at your own pace (you do have to follow a curriculum) it isn’t as high pressure as I thought but I do wish I could devote more time to study and learn. It is fascinating information and has really changed a lot about how I look at food and food intake in the face of major diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

It has also changed my thoughts on taking additional courses while doing what I am doing. This course has some flexibility, some of the other courses I want to take, do not and I would undoubtedly need to create more time in my day to take on something a little more intense. Just more food for thought (there I go again).

So really, there is no point to this post. I am just sort of randomly writing about what I am facing right now. Perhaps blogging is my therapy? My way of alleviating stress in my life? I certainly don’t stress about what to write here because honestly, I don’t have that large of a following and while this blog gives me great pleasure, I do hope to grow its readership some day but in order to do that, I guess I should have a common goal or purpose. However, for the time being, I love posting about my training runs. Whether they are interesting to anyone else, it doesn’t really matter. They serve as a way for me to look back in time and see what I have accomplished. A way for my girls to hopefully look back and see why their mom was nicknamed Trailmomma.

My plate may be really really full right now … but my heart and brain are as well. Things happen for a reason in life. Doors open and door shut and who knows where my life may take me this year. I guess I just have to wait and see what my plate is served with next.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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