building communities one bite at a time

can't wait to pick up our share from the community food co-op this saturday. it's not necessarily local nor organic, but it does build community through food. good, cheap food.

here is a little sneak-peak as to what we will be getting this month:


and if that wasn't enough food excitement, our first CSA goods are coming next monday! I can't wait to pick up those local (and organic!) delights!

from the farm to my tummy, it can't get any better than that.

who said donuts don't belong in endurance racing?

sad you missed
the doughnut run '08?

here's your chance
for the ride of a lifetime:

the tour de donut.

ride. eat. repeat.

the details, a la the website: {you know, just in case you actually want to participate}

confessions spelled out on a double word and triple letter score

scrabble sunday

anna 263 | peter 256
temp: 81.5

giving it a tri

the summer solstice.
the longest day of the year.
a day you should be out there,
trying something new + a little scary.

six years ago I braved the daylight
with my first marathon
in the land of endless light
(and consequently endless dark)
anchorage, alaska.

it seems fitting that I begin
another chapter of the journey
again on this day -- where
possibilities are as endless
as the day is long.

{click HERE for the full cache valley tri race report}

father/man's day

my dad is a pretty cool guy. he loves to travel; especially to places that don't exist, like north dakota. I think he's rad. happy father's day, dad!


andrew peter is a pretty cool guy too. he doesn't believe in father's day--well, for him anyway since he's not a dad and I'm not even with child--so I just wanted to tell him happy man's day. or maybe husband's day. because he is a very good man. and husband. and one day he will be a good father. {once he gets over his fear of babies and promises he won't teach our children how to make various explosives}

post script:

the batchelorette is kind of a stupid television show. but I think I am completely hooked. and she should totally pick jason. because that is who I would pick. and they probably look the cutest together. (and all the other guys are kind of retarded) the end.

{post post script: I just watched an episode that we had recorded for some reason. it aired a week ago. I missed this week's episode because I didn't know I loved it. I hope, hope hope jason is still on the show. I must find out! oh good, he made the cut.}

{post post post script: I can't believe this is what I've reduced myself too on a friday night when my husband is gone. maybe I need some bon bons now too.}

just start writing

I haven't done a finding friday in a while. maybe what I really need to find is myself. this is going to be a stream of conscious post. just whatever is in my head. we'll see what comes out, I guess.

my husband is out on a boys trip to a friend's cabin. I'm home alone, totally livin' it up. yeah, if sitting on my couch blogging counts. I was almost going to go to a movie by myself, but nothing good was at the dollar and that's all I really want to spend on a movie by myself. and let's be honest, I'll probably be asleep by ten o'clock anyway.

I went lap swimming tonight. even after I stuffed my face full of pizza only hours before. I must be dedicated. or crazy. probably just mostly stupid. why did I shove my face full of pizza? because I'm a social eater. and I can't be left out of a party. all my work peeps go out to the pie after our friday meeting is over. it's totally fun bonding with them outside of the work environment. so I can't just not go. and if I do go, I can't just not eat. I'll have to figure something out, though if I want to keep swimming friday masters.

but maybe I don't want to keep swimming friday masters. maybe after my triathlon next week, I'll cut it back to two swim workouts a week. I mean, friday should be hot date night, right? not be at the pool until 8 o'clock at night night.

speaking of my triathlon, it's in a week. who knows if I'm actually ready. I feel like I never run or bike. I mean, I know I do. but I feel like I don't. if that makes any sense. I'm doing the olympic distance, which is the longer of the two courses. I'm just jumping right into this sport and not looking back. it should be a fun trip. we'll see if I don't self destruct during the race next saturday.

so this was the first week of camp. besides the incident, it all went rather smoothly. and this incident I speak of was actually quite major. and very scary. it involves a swimming pool, a six year-old girl, my counselor rescuing said camper from the bottom of the pool and starting cpr, and a life guard who fled the scene. it makes me proud to know that my staff are well trained and qualified. it makes me horrified that the lifeguards at this pool don't even know the EAP. yeah, that would be the Emergency Action Plan. you know, what to do in case someone actually needs to be rescued. because otherwise what are you being trained and paid for? to get a nice tan?

it's 9:21pm and I'm already starting to get a little sleepy.

did you guys realize it's friday the 13th? that's slightly scary.

okay, it's 9:26pm and I'm going to fall asleep if I don't get up and do something. sorry this post wasn't overly exciting. I wish it could be deep and meaningful, but it's obvious I'm just way too tired for those types of thoughts.

peace out.

the best twice baked potato recipe ever

01. take advantage of your neighbors coals while they are barbecuing out on the lawn.
these neighbors will inevitably have crappy coals and your potatoes won't cook.

02. place tinfoil wrapped and partially (very partially) cooked potatoes in fridge.

03. wait approximately three days.

04. go up the canyon and prepare your cooking space.
if your area has open fire regulations, coals work fantastically.


05. make an "oven" using the grate and a rather large rock.
trust me, it will have the same effect. maybe.

06. play scrabble.
this is the key ingredient. you can even let your husband beat you for good measure.

07. use your potatoes as a base for steaming the brocoli.
the log cabin effect will increase the deliciousness of all foods.

08. sprinkle fixin's to taste.
toppings include: shredded cheese, broccoli, sour cream, salt 'n peppa (but not the late eighties rap duo)

09. enjoy the charred, crusty outer goodness of the two times baked potato.
at least the insides were soft and yummy!

10. next time just make sure you have proper coals in the first place.

sunday scrabble

peter 279 | anna 194

twilight series announcement

no, not the dumb books. the free concert series! the line-up has just been announced. can't wait for broken social scene {august 21} and yonder mountain string band {july 31}. also heard the roots and andrew bird are fabulous. really, you can't beat free, live music. can you? no, I thought not.

the twilight concert series
thursday evenings | seven o'clock | july 10 - august 28
galivan center | downtown salt lake city | free admission

beans are not a fruit

the black bean salad.

here is peter's famed black bean salad. it is full of fresh goodness. not only is it fabulous as a salad, but the leftovers are a perfect veggie burrito filling. or as a "dip" with corn chips. very versatile, this salad is. and very sought after. so go and make it today! you won't be disappointed.


red onion, chopped
tomato, chopped
cucumber, chopped
bell pepper, chopped
black beans. {you really should try soaking + cooking them yourself. not only is it easy (just think set it and forget it) but they taste so. much. better. than the canned variety. trust me.}
cotija cheese, crumbled
salt to taste
and a squeeze of lime if desired

stir together the chopped vegg before adding the beans and remaining ingredients. {peter says this is the key} then mix it all up and enjoy!

ingredient amounts have been left out as I feel they are personal preference. use as much or as little of whatever you want. experiment. give your food some self expression. if you feel you must have an exact idea of how much to put in, please contact me and I will be happy to give you a general idea. thank you, and happy eating.

DIY arm warmers

I started out with a little something like this:
an under armour long sleeved running top that was just way to snug for comfort. {good thing I had happened upon it for free. and even better that I found a use for it.}

with a snip at the shoulder seams and a quick little hem, I had myself a pair of my very own arm warmers. perfect for those days when your ride starts out a little chilly, but eventually warms up. just slip these babies on or off as needed. they are easily stowed in the back of your jersey.



what am I going to do with the rest of the shirt? make fold over mitts for cold weather running days of course! nothing goes to waste around here!

roadtrip eats

while traveling pete and I try our best to avoid eating out. not only is it a healthier option, it's also easier on the wallet. with a little planning, it's pretty easy + tasty.

cut up raw vegg is a great snack and compliment to any on-the-go meal. we had: carrot sticks, snow peas, green bell pepper. . . you could add anything you and your roadtrip buddies like.

and don't forget the fresh fruit: bananas, strawberries, apples

my dad needs his protein in the morning (though we ended up taking full advantage of the hotel breakfasts) so packing things like baby bell cheeses, hard boiled eggs, and yogurt (with granola mix-ins, of course!) are a pretty easy fix.

and don't leave home with out that peanut butter. PB+J sandwhiches, PB apple slices, PB toast (especially good marathon morning), PB bananas. it's a win win win.

and if you're feeling your inner domestic goddess, try this fantastic lunch-time snack: homemade wheat crackers + chedder cheese slices + turkey-roni. it equals a DIY lunchable that any grownup would love! (at least I love them)

for dinners it's best to have some sort of camping stove. we love our jetboil around here. it's quick and easy to cook up some rice, pasta, cheesy broccoli, beans. . . you name it. we were eating like kings on the cheap. (and if you don't have the luxury of the hotel breakfast, you can poor boiling water directly into the instant oatmeal package. just a little tip)

we only ate out twice, and those were race necessities: grazie's italian restaurant for the carbo-loading extravaganza and burger time for the post race refueling (nothing beats burgers + fries after a marathon)

oh, and btw, it also helps if you have a big cooler + a small car-fridge. if you do not have a car-fridge, the cooler will work just as well. you just won't feel as cool when you're pulling out your mini dr peppers.

to play along with us from the comfort of your couch

please check out the detailed account of the trip so far at:

{interstate 50}

post script:  even though I am blogging live from north dakota even as we speak, I am still not convinced of its existence.  I can't rule out government conspiracy just quite yet. . .   

only the open road

big occasions and races which have
been eagerly anticipated almost to the point of dread,
are where great deeds can be accomplished

--jack lovelock, 1936 olympic 1500m gold medalist

an update of sorts

sometimes life is just way too busy to blog.

it's a shame, though, because then we miss the small moments.

and the big moments.

in honor of this coming weekend's big moment,
let's take a look back at some recent slightly smaller moments in the life of anna jo:

my friend scotty trained for a marathon on a treadmill because running on the road hurt him too much; he ran the salt lake city marathon in 3:36 and looked good doing it. he is my hero and another one of my success stories.

I won a pie eating contest with my youth ed teammates at work. hopefully there will be video coming shortly. let's just say I attacked some apple pie with my face. and then won a "trophy."

I "quit" my job at bcdc. I'm not sure if they know that yet or not... okay, so they've probably figured it out by now. but I didn't really tell anyone, because I didn't know quite who to tell. that's certainly a grey area when your supervisor gets fired and your manager quits all within a week of each other. and you're only there for like two more days. but my discount code still works, so all is well!

I had the complete joy of going to jury duty last week. unfortunately I didn't make the cut. but I did get to sit there all day, waiting endlessly so I guess I still got the full experience. I was kind of interested in seeing how the criminal case played out, though. oh well, maybe in two years I'll get another chance.

the only running I've done over the past three weeks has been in a pool. and this weekend I get to run 26.2 miles through the streets of fargo, north dakota. is anyone else scared for me? well don't be, 'cause I'm gonna rock the socks off this race. uff da!

I cut up about eighteen-thousand carrots today. hurrah for roadtrips!

amiGO Scott!

I got ben folds on my radio right now

I can finally say I've seen ben folds live--unfortunately without his five, no reunion show. {check number eight off the list!} let me recap the ben folds live near misses:

instance number one: my first counting crows concert oh so many years ago. ben folds five was touring with them as the opening act. adam duritz gets sick and the show is rescheduled. by the time adam duritz and the boys make it back to salt lake city, ben and his gang are no longer on the tour. at this time I didn't truly realize what a sad, sad thing that was.

instance number two: ben folds five was playing at the Big Ass Show (which will now be referred to as the BASH, for all you young, sensitive-eyed readers). I was going to Snow College at the time, but just happened to be up in SLC for the weekend because we had a soccer game against SLCC. perfect. I'd play some soccer and then head over to the show, I'd get to see ben folds and all would be happy. too bad that's not how it went down. I was going over to the BASH with my dear friend and teammate, cyndi morris. we had to make a quick stop at her sister's house first. that quick stop didn't end up being so quick. by the time we got to the fairgrounds, ben folds had just ended. I was devastated in my heart. he was really the only band I wanted to see.

instance number three: mr ben folds was playing a free show in some little club downtown. I found out the. day. after.

yeah, so can you see why it became my life's mission to see this man? so many missed opportunities.

I hadn't realized just how long I've loved ben folds. ten years. quite possibly eleven. how has it been that long? each song he played from the ben folds five era just took me back to the day. each album reminds me of such a specific time in my life. it was fun to revisit that. and I loved the sneak peak into his new album. oh yeah, and did I mention he puts on a fun, fun show?

now if only something could be done about tall people. they should not be allowed.

the night started with a little I *heart* sushi and ended with a little I *heart* ben folds. thank you, birds, for sharing in the magic.

overcoming mountains

sometimes life puts obstacles in my path at the most inopportune times. but for every mountain there is a miracle. I just need the patience to see it through to the top. because if there is one thought that I have really taken to heart lately it is this:

you are stronger than you know.

image: thoos
words: robert h. schuller

rockin' the pink!

ali, the first female biggest loser {video clip}

remember my favorite show? the biggest loser? well, I don't know what I'll do with myself on tuesday nights (besides being able to go to bed at a decent hour so I can wake for the early am swimteam) because now it's over.

but don't you see why this is the best television show on these days? it is transforming people! it is inspiring people! {click HERE for all the inspiration. check out mark he looks fantastic too. oh and roger!} seriously, while I was watching the finale last night, I just couldn't help but feel this overwhelming sense of happiness for these people. they've reclaimed their lives. it's truly amazing. and everyone looks. so. good. especially ali. she is my hero.

she and her mother were kicked off on episode 4, I do believe. not because they lost the least amount of weight, but because of game play. as ali left the elimination room she told everyone she was going to be the biggest loser. bold statement from a girl who just got voted off. but with a twist of the game, all eliminated contestants were invited back to the biggest loser campus for one final weigh in. one man and one woman would be invited back to the game. ali and mark won. ali then proceeded to kick everyone's trash in future weigh ins. even the guys. she was a rock star that fought for what she wanted.

she is so inspiring to me! seriously. I wish I could be her best friend. because I think we would be best friends. she has such a determination and drive. I truly believe that she can do anything she puts her mind to. anything. and that means beating out all the big guys on the biggest loser. {remember when kelly and brittany were whining because they felt it was impossible to beat the guys? all the cards were stacked against them? yeah, well ali comes back on the scene and proves it can be done. and she continued to prove it week after week}

she lost almost half her body weight, looks super toned + fit, and can finally reclaim her true athlete self. she is amazing.

I hope to see her on the triathlon scene someday. she'd probably kick my butt.