There’s no way that 3 years ago I would be sitting here,
typing this post- just 1 day away from racing in my first 15k race.

That Stephanie would have called this Stephanie
“nuts”.

But here I am, with just under 2
months worth of training, ready to tackle this distance, and place
a 15k medal in my collection. I’m VERY excited about this race.
After all, the Gasparilla Distance Classic was my first real
attempt at competitive 5ks. And when I say “competitive”, I’m most
definitely talking about the competition with myself: replacing my
old self with a new and improved self. Gasparilla holds dear to my
heart. I was over 300lbs when I participated in that first 5k, and
I’ll never forget the feeling that my best friend Kristin and I
felt when we crossed the finish line. I was hooked, and I wanted to
do more. Our official finish time, 49:37.

3 months later, I completed
my second 5k race: PanCan’s Purplestride, shaving 2 minutes off my
Gasparilla time.

And then, the cycle continued. More Gasparilla,
2nd triathlon, more Purplestride, and turkey trotting with my
guy.

So what I thought was going to be a nice little lunch and a 5k walk with my pal Lindsey turned into a commitment to do a 15k race.

You see, we were sitting there at Pane Rustica, enjoying bliss in the form of a acorn squash stuffed with chicken salad when before I knew it, we were both on our phones, credit cards in hand, registering for a 15k race just a month and a half away.

Well, here I sit, a WEEK away from the big day, feeling like I can actually DO this.

The man and I have been training religiously: walking around the new neighborhood, parks, trails and anywhere else we can plant our feet at. And tonight? We decided to spend our 8th month anniversary completing our longest training yet: 10k (6 miles). Although it seemed like a huge task initially, we (aside from some sore feet) felt awesome as we finished that last mile.

I can’t wait to cross that finish line next Saturday and collect my 3rd Gasparilla medal (my first 15k one!).

Stay tuned for a race recap!

PS- The guy is doing the 5k! SO proud of him!

Life has changed over the past year.
Some for the good. Some for the bad.

Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in March of 2011, and it’s been quite the adventure to say the least. She’s been a trooper enduring chemo, a double mastectomy and a bout of radiation. She’s on the home stretch and kicking cancer’s ass all along the way.

I trained off and on throughout the summer. I probably should have been on my bike more than I’m willing to admit, but I hit the pool almost everyday, working on my stroke, my breathing and my speed. It was a good summer for swim training!

Unfortunately, I was still stuck with “the lead sled”, as my boyfriend endearingly referred to it as (my Wal-mart special Schwinn). Hey, I mean it DID take me through my first triathlon season without fail (or a flat), and has been, all in all, a “good” bike. I knew I needed something lighter, faster and more reliable, but I just wasn’t in the right financial state to pick up something worthwhile. I figured I would ride it one more time for Tarpon 2011, then officially retire it as I scrimp and save for something new (used). Unfortunately, Tarpon was canceled, and I wasn’t able to compete. Fortunately, the next event happened to change that Tarpon cloud.

I was more than surprised, floored, ecstatic, elated, on the verge of fainting when my awesome boy(man)friend (boyfriend is SO 7th grade) surprised me with a bike. He told me we had to pick something “up”. Little did I know he had a surprise in store- a Trek!

Faster. Lighter. Smoother. I just cannot dig up enough adjectives to describe the difference I feel after just one ride on this baby. With 24 speeds, I’m going to fly.

The good news? Tarpon was rescheduled for October 8th, and I shaved off 8 minutes from last year’s time and I attribute it completely to my new wheels!

Here’s the race recap:
I was partially ready for the race, but excited to have my first double digit race number (#48), ever.

How was the swim? Although the air was chilly, the water wasn’t too bad. It was early October, so it was comfortable. I had a great start (the water was DEEP!). I knew it was going to be a hard race because although I was doing it with the Tri Monsters, I had no one at my level racing by my side like last year. I was all on my own, and I had to overcome that mental barrier pretty quickly. I as rounded the first buoy, I realized how deep the water was when I felt my timing chip come off of my leg. When I reached down to grab it, I couldn’t reach the bottom and didn’t want to waste any more time or effort on an impossible search, so off I went. Although I wasn’t the last out of the water, I was definitely towards the bottom, but I had completed one of the most horrifying tasks: I finished the swim all alone.

I climbed onto the shore and jogged to T1, feeling better than I thought. I got my breathing under control, threw on my helmet, shoes, took a swig of water and jumped on my awesome new Trek. The ride out onto the causeway was NUTS! The wind was blowing and it was quite the task just to get the first 2 miles out of the way. Once I was able to turn a corner and get away from the headwinds, I was rolling. The 10 miles were effortless. Brian was waiting for me as I passed the truck, rooting me on like the amazing boyfriend he is. I felt SO good turning the corner and coming back into T2- again, not the last bike back!

I mounted my bike, removed my helmet, threw on some shorts and off I went for the last leg of the race- the 5k. I felt amazing. My pace was great, the wind was cool and the cheers from the sidelines were there- just like last year. I wasn’t the last one off the course, and I’ll never forget the feeling when I crossed the finish line and met my team and my guy right there waiting to give me the much appreciated support I need to keep going with this endeavour.

Once I did the math (clock time-wave start time) I was able to calculate an 8 minute reduction from last year’s time. I couldn’t feel more proud of myself, and more motivated to kick it up another notch next season.

Deb’s husband Gene took a video of the whole experience. Check it out and join us for the 2012 season! (that’s me in the black and purple!) 🙂

Early on in our relationship I learned about my sweetie’s love of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I remember him mentioning it during of our all night long phone conversations and baked up a batch for our first trip together over the summer. I knew he loved them (or me) because he ate them all.

So a month or two later, I made another batch. And they were gone as well. So I knew he was a true fan of all things oatmeal raisin. Needless to say, throughout the past 6 months, I’ve made more than a few dozen.

When he gave me permission to start introducing veggies into his diet by “tricking his tastebuds” and hiding the goodness, I knew one of the first recipes I would try to alter would be THE cookie.

Here is the recipe: You won’t BELIEVE what’s hiding inside!
1 cup ICBINB baking sticks, softened (or butter)
1 cup white sugar (or sub Splenda, 3/4 cup)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose white flour (or one cup white, one cup wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups quick cooking oats
2 tablespoons brocolli puree (just place 1 brocoli crown in the food processor with 1/2 cup water, then measure the amount needed).

Directions:
Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and brocoli puree. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the wet mixture. Mix in oats.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown, but still soft on the top. Cool and enjoy!

My verdict: At first bite I couldn’t even tell the broccoli was in there.
His verdict: He ate 5, without a blink.

So it’s no secret I’ve found someone fabulous. He’s kind,
smart, cute, funny, loving.

What more could
a girl ask for?

Well, this foodie can find
just one, and only one thing wrong with this dreamy man: his
tastebuds. That’s right. His tastebuds. The man is THE pickiest
eater on the planet. Well, maybe not THE pickiest. I think my mom
Judy still has that title. But he’s a close second.

Of course I’ve completely looked passed this
“quirk” and have still fallen in love head over heels, but, as many
of you know, I love a challenge. Especially when it involves food.

After much research, I have decided to add
a little spin to my cute little blog and not only trick all of
your tastebuds (my devoted readers) with low
fat, sugar free recipes that make you feel like your’e eating the
real thing, but his too! I mean one
cannot go through life without eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
It’s just impossible! At some point or another one must succomb and
admit to the delicousness of a fresh peach, crunchy sweet carrots
and (my fav) velvety sweet potatoes. So I plan on creating recipes
that (at first) hide the goodness, so he’ll never know they’re even
inside, then ease him into small bites here and there until (evil
laugh) he falls in love with brocoli, asparagus, and
tangerines!

Impossible? Well, I’ve already
tricked him once today, and he ate 5 of them! (stay tuned for that
recipe), so I think it CAN be done. Not every recipe will be a
success, but I’m hoping to have more hits than misses.

If YOU have any ideas on how you hide the goodness
into your family’s favorite dishes, please feel free to share! I’ll
post them on FakedGoods and give you the credit.

Happy eating!
-Steph

When the temperature changes and the days grow shorter, my entire world becomes a little brighter.

I. Love. Fall.

And although there is a special place in my heart for a little holiday called Halloween, it doesn’t compare to the space I’ve made for Thanksgiving; a holiday that is strictly about family and friends, traditions, togetherness, football (totally an ode’ to my sweety) and of course, the star of the show… food.

In a very short amount of time, life has drastically changed.
2011 brought a plethora of unexpected surprises: both challenging and life changing.

So, with that said, I have a LOT to be thankful for.
I’m thankful for my family, for without them, traditions and memories wouldn’t exist.
I’m thankful for my mother’s doctors who have helped her kick cancer’s ass.
I’m thankful for my friends, who have been my silver lining through it all.
I’m thankful for my boyfriend, who has shown me what true love really is.
I’m thankful for my job and the opportunity I have been given to teach what I love.
I’m thankful for my health and my happiness, for I’ve never felt more fulfilled.
I’m thankful that I’ll get to spend another holiday season with those whom I love.
And most important, I’m thankful to have the opportunity to enjoy another 365 days in 2012 making NEW memories and enjoying MORE moments.
I KNOW that the best is yet to come!

Here is my Abuelamom’s recipe for her Thanksgiving dressing. It’s a tradition we’ll never give up. Although she isn’t physically here to dine with us anymore, she’s here with us in this recipe.

12 cups of your favorite cubed/diced stale bread
1 1/2 lbs of ground sausage (I use Jimmy Dean Regular)
4 stalks of celery, diced
1 1/2 large vidalia onions, diced
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 stick of butter
2 cups of craisins or raisins
1 cups of chopped pecans
1 cup of chopped walnuts
8-10 cups of chicken broth or stock
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Saute onions and celery until translucent. Put aside. Brown then crumble the sausage. Do not drain. Mix dry ingredients together and place into a large pan. Add sausage and broth. Mix well, but do not “mush”. Place cold sliced butter all around the top of the stuffing. Bake covered in a 350 degree oven until center is warm. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes if you like the crispy edges like I do!

I’ll be sure to follow up with a picture tomorrow.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and to all a good feast!
-Steph, The Faker Baker

I overheard somone talking about “noodle replacements” in their lasagna recipes one day. I never had really even thought about NOT using noodles in one of THEE most delicious Italian dishes ever to be created. I mean, how is some stupid vegetable going to satisfy me the way those flat curly sultans of semolina do?

Boy, was I wrong. Between the creamy ricotta, meaty flavors from the mushrooms and ground turkey, you really, truly don’t miss those floppy things at ALL!

Experiment with your own veggies! Try eggplant, broccoli or even, dare I say, sweet potatoes? The possibilities are endless. As I am writing this a friend of mine is telling me about a family member who makes a lasagna like this with cabbage! How novel! So get at it kids, and try this. You (and your waistline) will be glad you did!

3-4 Large green zucchinis
3-4 Yellow Squash
1/2 cup sliced baby portabello mushrooms
1 whole sweet vidalia onion, diced
1 jar of tomato sauce (whatever brand you like, just check the label for high fructose corn syrup or sugar)
2 cups part skim mozzarella cheese
1-16oz container of part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 lb ground turkey or chicken
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh chopped Italian parsley
2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
kosher salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. minced garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 375.
Slice all of the squash and zucchini into thin discs (about 1/4 of an inch think) This will take the place of the noodles in the lasagna. Roast the squash and zucchini in the oven with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil at 375 for about 15 minutes (or until tender).

Brown diced onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil. Set aside. Brown ground turkey/chicken. Add onions, garlic and sliced mushrooms to the meat. Combine well and cook until mushrooms are tender. Mix 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese with the container of ricotta cheese, basil, spinach, parsley, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt together. Set aside.
In a casserole dish/pan, ladle tomato sauce and spread along the bottom of the pan.
Begin lasagna by layering (in this order) zucchini and squash, meat mixture, cheese mixture, repeat. I like to make mine at least 2 full layers. Top with tomato sauce.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese and bake uncovered until cheese is melted.

Note: The longer it sits, the better! All those veggies release quite a bit of water, even after they’ve been roasted. If you let it sit for at least 20 minutes, it’ll be easy to cut and more “lasagna-like!”

I dare you to miss those noodles!

I had someone tell me there’s no way I did a triathlon because I’m not “ripped”.

Even when I showed them my pictures, they said I probably walked the whole thing, or got help because I don’t look like the triathletes they’ve seen. I didn’t know there was a “mold” you had to fit in to swim, bike and run.

I finished my first sprint in 1:53- under 2 hours, after only training 1 summer. Why can’t people just be proud of the things you DO accomplish, instead of knocking you down because they don’t think you could have. This is a person outside of the tri community. If there’s one thing I do know, triathletes are a VERY accepting group. No one made me feel like I shouldn’t have been on the course with them back in Tarpon. And although I didn’t finish first (and second to last, honestly), the hard-core pros were there at the finish line, cheering me on, encouraging me, rooting for me, and treating me with respect- no matter what I looked like. Until humanity learns to accept others based on their character, not their body shape, skin color, sexual orientation or disability, we will continue to do each other a great disservice.

I’m thankful for my tri training group, who showed me that it CAN be done. I’m thankful for Lindsey who showed me that you can set your mind to accomplish anything-no matter what limitations people might put on you. I’m thankful for Meghan who I got to share my first tri race with and who stuck by my side through all the hard training. I’m thankful for my family and friends who came out and cheered me on without a drop of embarassment. I’m thankful to all of the triathletes I follow on Facebook and Twitter, for they are the ones that I look to for tips, encouragement and motivation. And I’m thankful for the people who took pictures of me during the race- so that I can show dumbasses like this guy what this body is capable of!

On another note, tri training for the 2011 season is up and running! The group hit Ft. Desoto a few weekends ago to swim, bike and run. Getting into that FREEZING cold Gulf water was a bitch not easy, but once we got moving, conditions improved. We swam for about 1000yds. I did SO well! No panic attacks, great breathing, form and stamina. Probably one of my better swims, considering I had not been in the water since October.

What I lacked on the bike ride, I made up for in the water. The 10 mile stretch made me nervous, so I opted to do 6 miles on the trail instead. I think I’ll need to build up my nerve again to be able to ride on the road- especially later in the day when traffic is at it’s peak. The wind on the way back was horrific! But I was able to finish the ride, and went onto a nice brisk jalk (jog/walk) to finish out training.

In addition to Ft. Desoto, I have also joined a gym to help with some strength training.

Stay tuned to race updates—– a June race looks like a possibility. Hmm, we’ll see!

Two Sundays after my “episode with dehydration”, I decided to get back into the game with some longer training sessions.

With a perfect weekend upon us, Kristin, Meghan, Jay ( and baby Sean) and I decided to spend a nice little Sunday at Flatwoods park. Us gals had set our sights on 4 miles, while Jay, unknowingly, had ventured out to achieve much, MUCH more.

The weather was on the chilly side when we started, but by the second mile, we had become quite warm. We started off slow- walking the first two miles- then finished stronger with about a 1.50 mile jog. It felt good to end the workout NOT passed out in the back of my car, which once again solidified the fact that I am definitely not ready for anything longer than a 5k.

After our 4 mile jaunt was complete, we had some catchup time talking and chatting while waiting for Jay to meet up with us in the parking lot. When we had started our first mile, Jay had begun to jog (baby in tow), leaving us in the dust. We honestly weren’t sure how far he was going to go, but looking back, we would have never thought he would return with a half marathon under his belt. After a few bouts of worry (on Momma Meghan’s part), and 2 additional miles added to our own workout to see if we could find them, we were reunited with an exhausted daddy-o and a little sleepy unaware boy.

After decompressing from all of these adventures, we headed back to the parking lot, feeling satisfied, accomplished (a bit sore) and extremely hungry, so we wrapped up our day at Panera.

The moral of the story? Wrong turns suck, and will turn a few miles into 13 when faced with the Flatwoods loop. Use maps, or just turn around-or commit to a half marathon!

25 miles on foot down, 475 to go…
~Steph 🙂