What's On Your iPod?

What's On Your iPod?

Deanna surprised me with an iPod Shuffle for Mother's Day! I love love love it and have been using it for my shorter runs. It's smaller than a thumb drive:



Anyhoo, just thought I'd share a few songs that get me through my runs.

This is probably my favorite of all favorites - when I don't think I have any gas left in my tank, I crank this one loudly (sorry, eardrums); it always gets me through.

Adrenaline ~ The Roots


Ok. This one is embarrassing. I hesitated disclosing that I even "own" it but this song is #1 for getting up hills. My 'hood is hilly; without this guilty pleasure, I'd probably walk most of them.

I Like to Move It Move It ~ Reel 2 Real


I listen to the following when I'm warming up. This one keeps my pace slow and gives me that important reminder to just breathe (which has been hard to do this summer - stupid humidity!).

Breathe (2 A.M.) ~ Anna Nalick


My iPod wouldn't be complete without CCR. I fell in love with this song when I was a teenager - it was a classic then and still is.

Have You Ever Seen the Rain ~ Creedence Clearwater Revival


This song came out before Amy Winehouse was a hot mess. The beat is catchy and keeps my feet movin'.

F*** Me Pumps ~ Amy Winehouse


Another *facepalm* song but it makes me smile as I remember the late 80's, as cringe-worthy as they were. I listen to this when I'm in the middle of my workout and need a little kick to stay on pace.

Pump up the Jam ~ Technotronic


This racy song puts an extra swing in my step. She Wants Revenge makes great running songs, period.

All Wound Up ~ She Wants Revenge


My favorite part of running is the cool down because it means I can stop soon. These songs are calming but still give me the energy to finish strong.

String Fellow ~ ryknow (click on photo to listen)


I pretend Van is singing about me when I hear this *batting eyes*

Brown Eyed Girl ~ Van Morrison


Hip Hop is dead. They don't make songs like this anymore:

Shook Ones Part II ~ Mobb Deep


More to come... if you have any personal favorites, send them my way. I'm always looking to diversify my iPod portfolio.

Totally dude,
Susan

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Runner's Delight

Runner's Delight

I'm a slacker, what can I say. Been feeling uninspired so I haven't written much lately. Today, however, I'm in high spirits. I ran my favorite point-to-point from Bethesda to Union Station with MCRRC. The sun tried to lay the smack-down on us as we made our way up the Mall but we were relentless and finished strong. I love my city! Here are some stats from our sub-12 miler.

Marathon training is in full-effect. I didn't get into NY this year so I signed up for Marine Corps again. This year's MCM will take place ON Halloween. I'm taking costume suggestions - it will be another amazing 26.2.

Runner's High,

Susan

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Wines You've Never Heard Of Cooking Class

Wines You've Never Heard Of Cooking Class

The final installment of my cooking class spree was "Wines You've Never Heard Of." Chef Jim Davis introduced us to 10 new wines that paired perfectly with three delicious dishes the class prepared.

Lynda, Will, and I made Beef Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce. This recipe called for lots of chunky peanut butter (for the marinade and sauce) so you know I was in heaven.

We paired our dish with a Spanish Tempranillo-Cabernet Sauvingnon blend, an Australian Shiraz, and interestingly enough, a red raspberry wine from Virginia that offered a sweet and complex balance to the tender tangy beef.

While we prepared the satay skewers, our neighboring station kept busy with their assignment: Chicken Supreme with Mushrooms. It turned out fabulous! The sauce was so creamy and buttery (I didn't eat the mushrooms; to me, mushrooms are gross and slimy). We enjoyed Austrian Gruner Vetliner, South African Rosé Brut, and Maryland Chambourcin with this dish. My favorite pairing was with the Rosé - this sparkling wine went very well with the chicken.

The third group was in charge of Shrimp Zarzuela which was fantastic. There's something about shrimp and Gewurztraminer that is simply magical. Ya'll need to try this combination! We also sampled a South African Chenin Blanc and Torrontes from Uruguay. "Yum-yum-yum-yum-yum- - Delicioso!" as Backpack would say (I've clearly watched too much Dora).

For dessert, we paired premium chocolate with a Honey Mead wine from Ohio. Honey Mead is very sweet and I didn't care for it but it sure did photograph nicely:

Here is Chef Davis, pretending to chug a bottle of wine. A man after my own heart.

Chef Davis teaches many cooking classes (not all feature wine) for Montgomery County's recreation department. Sign up here. I guarantee you will have the best time learning, cooking, and especially eating.

Bon Appétit,

Susan

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