We finally enter France.....
Today the Tour organizers continue their quest to make the first week of the race more interesting than the repetitive hours of flat road riding, marketing breakaways, and a field sprint finish. True, the first 170km is exactly that, but with 30km remaining the riders will encounter three Category 3 climbs (climbs are ranked according to certain guidelines and are rated from most difficult 1 to the least 4.
Read MoreEvery second counts as the team’s race against the clock......
Today’s team time trial is just a short 27.6 km (approx 17 miles) with wide, flat roads (yes there are four “climbs”, but at just 4% grade these guys will barely notice!) so today is all about big engines and solid technique.
Read MoreAnd 3 weeks of suffering begins.....
Today will be a calm day on the bike with a breakaway and an exciting sprint finish as the fastest men position themselves early for the green jersey (a jersey OWNED by Peter Sagan —6 so far—more on each jersey and the races within the race later). And a tiny Sagan tangent here: I think he wants yellow today...perfect stage for him).
Read MoreWhen I married my southern hubby, cornbread became more of a staple and less of a “oh you made cornbread” moment. There are thousands of cornbread recipes out there...many that I have made and love...but, this is the one I was taught to make by my Grammy in her Wagner cast iron skillet (Oh I miss that skillet!!). The best part, her cornbread is straightforward so the perfect base for me to add all sorts of stuff (fruit, cheese, herbs, aromatics, veggies, etc) to fancy it up.
Read MoreThe dictionary defines Authentic as “genuine. Real. True. Worthy. Reliable. Trustworthy.” In our current culture, we should not be surprised that so many are seeking an “authentic life.” We are inundated by the “highlight reel” that is social media.
Read MoreSnake Handler is one of my favorite brews from Birmingham local Good People Brewing Co. I hope you enjoy this amazing brisket! It didn’t last long in the Bevil household…
Read MoreI spend this week the same way every year: gathering my recipes, ordering my turkey and planning my shopping. I love Thanksgiving. Growing up, I knew Thanksgiving officially started when my mother’s large, wooden bowl was stacked to overflowing with torn white bread (to sit out and grow stale, overnight, for stuffing).
Read MoreOk. This is just simple, smashed red potatoes. It will forever be “Pudge” because my husband ordered meatloaf and pudge on our first date (the Flying Biscuit, ATL). He soon regretted that heavy decision as we enjoyed a concert at Chastain Park .
Read MoreMy mom and grammy called this mandel bread, but I always heard mongrel bread which always caused snorts of laughter around the table. Whatever you want to call it, this is a cup of coffee’s and a lazy morning’s best friend. This is a terrific recipe to make with your kids. I still remember shaping the dough and getting flour everywhere! There are many versions of this recipe, but here is the one I grew up with (we didn’t add chocolate chips but an easy add if desired).
Read MoreMy son loves gyros and these lamb meatballs are the best substitute for traditional gyro meat (I don’t have a vertical spit. Who does?).
I smash the meatballs on pita bread that has been spread with hummus and tzatziki sauce. Some mixed greens and even pickled onions if I have them on hand.
Read MoreI make meatloaf quite a bit. Partly because it has a funny family history: My Mom’s first home cooked meal for my Dad was meatloaf and it was inedible, but he smiled and CHEWED (and chewed). He told me he loved her so much she was worth a life of eating poorly (she became a great cook and her meatloaf was fabulous). On my first date with my husband, he ordered a huge dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. He overate and was absolutely miserable. Mostly, I make meatloaf because its a dinner I bring to the table that everyone eats with no complaints. Praise.
Marrying a guy from a farm in north Alabama, I’ve heard a lot of “shelling peas” stories. After 21 years, this Yankee was finely brave enough to take on this storied, deeply rooted food memory!! But not without help from those who have Southern roots as well:
Classic Southern Lady Peas
Read MoreI’ve been thinking a lot about freedom lately as I’ve been working on our program: The Common Sense Transformation. Freedom from restrictive diets. Freedom from obsessing about when to eat, how much to eat or what am I allowed to eat. Freedom from the siren call of the latest lifestyle diet trend. Freedom from the guilt and shame connected to food. Freedom from hating our bodies. Freedom from the circus of our diet culture.
Read MoreIf you are confused about what is good nutrition, what is good to eat, this is for you. If you have tried time and time again to lose the weight and keep it off, this is for you. If you have tried keeping up with the latest “nutrition research” and popular diet advice only to continue to run circles and fall back into your old ways, this is for you. If food, nutrition and body issues dominate your thoughts and influence your actions, this is for you. If you know you need to take a step towards living a healthier lifestyle but feel lost as to how to even begin, this is for you.
Read MoreImagine waking up and not having food rule your thoughts. Imagine not feeling guilty or filled with regret about your food choices. Imagine not white-knuckling your way through a day because today is the day you will start being “good.” Imagine not fearing real food; wondering if a banana has too much sugar or if carbs are making you fat. Imagine trusting that you can eat more than just chicken and salad. Imagine living a life free from dieting.
Read MoreThis is a real text I've gotten from a client: "I'm so frustrated. Paleo, Whole 30, keto..... VEGAN??? I don't know what is good anymore."
