Minimalist Shoe-oops!

Insta Minimalist Shoe? :(

Soooo, I went trekking over the weekend and wore my trusty old running shoes (instead of investing in trail appropriate footwear), and this happened. :( Yikes, how embarrassing. 

The trail was a bit rocky, but good thing the ground was dry, so that saved me from a dangerous situation of slipping on the rocks. Our guide was ready to patch it up with duct tape, but I insisted that I was fine. Since the shoe was sewn as a whole, it just felt like a bootie once the sole fell off. It helped that I had insoles as well, so that cushioned the walk. 

I wasn't so bad, I guess. I had a glimpse of how barefoot running must feel like. In fact, I kind of like the feeling of having a constant foot acupressure every time I landed on a rock. The little pebble-sized ones hurt though.

Tell you all about the trail soon! That part was fun. :)

Eco Warriors Slash Runners (Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2016)

I was supposed to run at the half marathon category, but decided to downgrade to a 10K instead. Good thing I did, as I really enjoyed the leisurely run, especially since we've been drowning in sweat these past few weeks. Is is just me, or is this summer especially scorching?

I must say though, I'm glad that the organizers had the foresight to make the gun starts earlier. Though it's not unusual for the full or half marathoners to start madaling araw, I appreciate that the 10K category started earlier than usual at 4:30 AM, which saved us runners from the extra hot morning. 

I even finished the run early enough to enjoy the runner's village with no lines at the booths. Little victories. haha. I felt bad that I wasn't able to line up to drop my "I am running for the..." stub my chosen beneficiary's drop box though. I kinda forgot 'coz I was busy checking out all the booths. For the record, I am running for the Irrawaddy Dolphins!

All in all, I think the Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2016 was a success! Thousands of people joined (I think they even added more race bibs), not only in the Philippines, but also simultaneously across Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Taichung. And what's good is that I saw a lot of runners bring their own water bottles to help minimize the disposable cups at the water stations. Good job, eco-warrior runners! :)

Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2016 Results here.

10K Starting Point at BGC

Rockstar mascot!
Didn't know who he was.
I heard someone say he's the Meralco Man, but it turns our he was the Cherifer Boy. ;) 

Kalayaan bridge.
Look at that sky! How do you even describe that? Cotton candy, maybe. :)

A kilometer away from the finish line at McKinley Hills.

Congratulations, eco warrior finishers!

Betadine game. Steady hands (not mine).
I won a bunch of sample packs here.

A new muscle spray player in town. All natural ingredients and all the way from India.
Bought a can, since it's only P120 introductory price here at the run (from P400 original).

A Starbucks booth at the runner's village.

I probably deserve this Frappuccino, right? ;)

All natural brewed tea by homegrown brand, Bayani Brew.
The teas were brewed by nanays from Gawad Kalinga.

Ice cooooold iced tea!

Thank you for the race kit, Takbo.ph (Jinoe & Que). :)

Yep.

Earning back the 555 cals that I lost! ;) Yep. Starbucks caramel frap at the Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2016. 

Recipe: French Onion Soup w A Secret Sexy Twist

Staying fit is a combination of a balanced diet and exercise, that's for sure. But more that that, it's a combination of the ff. things: Motivation, Non-deprivation, Moderation, and Substitution. 

On that note, I want to share something I whipped up in the kitchen. Home cooking lets me determine exactly what and how much I'm putting into a dish. On days I wanna feel lighter on my feet, I stick to veggies. On days, I need a punch of power, I add a bit of protein. Plus, I can cheat with a slab or two of butter, yet know exactly how many kilometers I need to put in to offset it. That's my motivation. ;) haha

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I love French Onion Soup. It's my comfort food. But sometimes this healthy comfort food needs a bit of adventure now and then. Just as you're enjoying gulping down this very predictable soup, you get a hint of grainy smoothness(?) that makes you want to let your tongue linger on the soup just a little longer. Yup, it's that "secret ingredient", which I'd like to think of as my version of umami. A subtle flavor that you just can't decipher, so you just enjoy it!

French Onion Soup w/ A Secret Sexy Twist

French Onion Soup with A Secret Sexy Twist

Ingredients

For the Soup:
4 cups Chopped onions
6 cups Beef/Chicken/Vegetable stock (I substituted it with the healthier vegetable version from Skinny Carbs Skinny Soup Base Paste)
1/4 c. Magnolia Butter (I used unsalted)
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp. Sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Sexy Pate (for Bread Topping):
1 can Purefoods Sexy Chix Chicken Chunks in Guiltless Broth
3 bulbs Roasted garlic
1/8 c. Magnolia Cream Cheese
1 tsp. EVOO
French bread slices
Magnolia Quickmelt Cheese slices

Cooking Instructions

How-To-French Onion Soup

For the Soup:
1. Saute the chopped onions with butter and olive oil
2. Keep stirring on low heat until the onions caramelize (turns brown)
3. Heat the prepared vegetable stock
4. Add caramelized onions and simmer in low heat

How-To-Sexy Pate

For the Sexy Pate:
1. Combine Purefoods Sexy Chix chicken chunks, roasted garlic cloves, cream cheese, EVOO in mixer/food processor
2. Puree until smooth
3. Spread on french bread slices
4. Add cheese slices
5. Toast bread spread in oven
6. Top bread on onion soup and broil in oven to burn the cheese topping

There you go, my little secret is out! I like using Purefoods Sexy Chix because it's so familiar, yet so versatile. As they (don't) say, chicken is like tuna of the earth. haha. Please don't quote me on that!

Seriously though, these canned chicken chunks are so convenient. They're just the right size for everyday use, so you just use up what you need. On days when I feel like experimenting, the classic Guiltless Broth (Guiltless! Yasss!) is my personal pick. I get to play around and make mine really garlicky, just the way I like it! There are so many different flavors pa (like Hainanese, Adobo, Arrabiata), so there's really something for everybody every day! As in, they're really masarap, masustansya, at kayang-kaya pa sa budget and waistline! ;)

How about you? How would you put a twist to a favorite?