Rainy days and Sundays

They don't always necessarily have to get you down, but this weekend I've been laying low. Back from sunny Florida into the deluge of rain and bay area wind, sports playoffs and the inevitable return to work, I've definitely decided to hunker down, batten down the hatches if you will.

I've also tried to listen to my body and mind and just make an effort to relax. The weeks gearing up to a trip are always stressful, especially for me. The pressures I put upon myself to look good, feel good and prepare for anything means it's a whirlwind before we leave, during & after. Travel itself exhausts me, and with only a day or two of "real" vacation on short trips, the return home means one thing: burnout.

I worked out a lot prior to our trip, running 4x that week, one run totaling 11 miles. That last mile really hurt. I had a weights class that Friday and made sure to put all the finishing touches on as any woman would: manicure, pedicure, hair cut, self-tanning, waxing etc, you name it. What, you don't do all that before a trip? ;-)

The rainy weekend is welcome. I ran 6 miles in the rain on Friday and pushed myself a bit too hard after not having ran for 5 days. My right ankle is a bit swollen with a mysterious "muscle dent" -- it's the only way I can describe it. I hope it's nothing terrible but it seems to be lingering.

I've been lying awake at night over thinking my impending surgery, the timeline of things, the possible closure of my company (hello, that means NO Cobra insurance continuation) and other side effects of putting my body through an operation. Thank you, internet, for making it IMPOSSIBLE for me to not have anxiety. Little sleep = lethargy. I've given myself permission to just do nothing this weekend. Cook, clean, nap, repeat.

One thing I haven't made in ages is clam chowder. Coming from New England, it's a comfort

food of mine in the winter, not just a Friday lunch special. I figured it was high time I made some. I like my chowder thick, full of veggies and with a kick. I opted to try to make this batch a bit lower calorie than the usual recipe with low sodium substitutes. I kept the half & half in, but I could easily use lowfat milk and get the same delicious flavor.

Rainy Day Clam Chowder

Ingredients

2 turkey bacon strips, diced

2 tbs butter

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup diced carrots (sometimes I use a handful of shredded)

1 can of mushrooms chopped, or 1/2 cup fresh baby bellas chopped

1 cup cubed red potatoes

1 can (6-1/2 ounces each) minced clams, undrained

1 can whole baby clams (save some of the juice)

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1-2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 tsb of hot sauce (I like Siracha)

1-1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half (or 2% low fat milk)

Salt, pepper to taste but you don't need much salt due to the bacon and broth - watch your sodium!

Directions

In a large nonstick saucepan or Dutch oven, cook butter, bacon and onion over medium heat until onions are tender. Add the celery, mushrooms and carrots and sauté a few minutes more. Add the potatoes, clams (with juice), broth, hot sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. You may want to taste and add more clam juice to your desired taste.

In a small bowl, combine flour and half-and-half until smooth; stir into pot. If you're using milk, you may want to add some more flour (or a cornstarch slurry) to reach desired texture. I like a thick chowder personally. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 5 minutes on low heat or until thickened. This makes about 4 decent sized servings.