What a weekend!!!! After hearing the news that my good friend’s Dad passed away, I felt my work week ending with a very heavy heart on Friday. But I am blessed with some pretty darn amazing coworkers, and welcomed their invite to go for a drink after work. You’d never guess what an hour and a half, and a Bloody Mary will do for the mood. Trust me on this one.
Saturday I was able to meet up for a long run with my super cool ultra runner friends. I love the fact that I can just run, chat and have fun with no worry about time or pace. I set out to do 6-8 miles, but muscle memory kicked in and I felt like I could run forever. We were running at a nice and easy 11:30-12 mm pace, so I ran 10 miles to round it out. MORE winning in regards to my daily mantra, and I left a lot out there on the trails.
They even convinced me to drink the Kool aid, or orange soda in this case. It was SOOOO good after years of NOT drinking soda, and extra refreshing after 10 miles of running.
After paying my respects at my friend’s Dad’s wake today, I decided to dive in to Sunday Supper. The pork roast is one I’ve done many times, simply season with a good BBQ rub, sear on all sides and slow roast at 225 degrees until the internal temp is 152 degrees. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10-12 minutes.
Risotto with mushrooms and peas
8-10 cups of unsalted chicken stock heated on low on the stove top
1 package of risotto
2 large shallots, diced
8 Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup diced chives-green parts only-set aside
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup Grana Padono cheese
1 cup of frozen peas
Truffle oil-to dress right before serving
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
You will need two pans for this, one with a deeper edge. In a non-stick fry pan sauté the mushrooms until caramelized. While you are doing this, heat the deeper pan to medium high heat, and add in the diced shallots. Sauté for 2-3 minutes and add in your rice. Gently stir, until the rice becomes slightly translucent. Next, slowly start ladling in the chicken stock, two ladles at a time. Stir until absorbed, and repeat the process. Cook for about 30 minutes until the rice is al dente. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to your taste. Lastly, add in the butter, caramelized mushrooms, frozen peas and cheese. Stir well, and dress with chives and Truffle oil before serving.
I try to limit my starch and carbs, but once a week I allow myself a treat. THIS my friends was a huge hit, and had my husband drooling!

While the weekend had some dark moments, I will say that I learned a lot about myself this weekend. I learned I need to cherish life even more than I thought I did, and I need to take time for things that make ME happy, too. So I held on a little tighter when hugging my family and friends, and did so many of my favorite things this weekend to celebrate life.
How was your weekend? Run any training runs or races? Did you try any new recipes?
Have a great week, everyone!
❤
Michelle
wow – I feel your energy and power to create great challenge …way to go!
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You are the best! Thanks so much!!
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Sorry to hear of your friend’s Dad passing. Glad you were able to get out for an awesome run, Kool Aid and all!
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Thanks so much, Anna!
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Bloody Mary’s always make things better. Or is it the vodka? Sorry your weekend started and ended pretty heavy, but it looks as though you had some happy moments in between! 🙂 ❤
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Maybe both? :-). thanks hon. I truly appreciate the kind thoughts.
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I love risotto!! That looks so good!!!
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Thank you!!
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Running friends are the best! Mine often help restore sanity in my life.
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Me too!! After nearly all of my long runs during marathon training in spring being solo, I needed this!!
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Pretty great weekend (minus the loss of your friend’s dad, of course) for you…having running buddies who run your pace makes all the difference! I can run so much longer with friends…this morning I went out for a ‘Weird NJ Bike Ride’ – 42 miles of beautiful southern New Jersey country roads spotted with historical sights..so enjoyable!! So, looks like we both had good weekends! (and today’s my birthday, so yea for me!!) 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Awh yay!! Happy birthday!!!
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Thanks Michelle!! Have a great week 🙂 xoxo
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You too love!
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Glad you were able to have some quality “me” time :).
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Thanks so much. It sure was overdue.
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Ohhh, I love risotto! That sounds amazing! I don’t drink soda and I never would have thought of it, but a cold orange soda does sound like it would be awesome after a long run!
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I don’t drink it either but it was so good. Lol!!
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So sorry about your friend’s dad. A dear friend of mine lost her sis last week and it’s such a wake up call. Like is precious. Go you for having the endurance to rock 10 miles. That is awesome!
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I’m so sorry about your friend. Life truly is precious.
Thanks! My miles were slow, but it felt great.
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Love everything about this post – the 10 miler with your friends, the booze, and the food! Yet another recipe of yours that I will be pinning and cooking. Can you pleaaassseee write a cookbook already?!?! I would totally buy it (and hope that you would autograph it for me)!!
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Awh thanks hon!!! That was the whole point of making the recipe page on my blog, so I could start cataloging and collecting my recipes so one day I’d have enough for a book!!! It’ll happen someday!! 🙂
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I hope it does! You are an awesome cook!!!
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Awh, thanks so very much.
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Hey Michelle you recently followed “danposwriting.wordpress.com” again – I’ve moved the blog to pagetopixels.co.uk that’s why you were no longer subscribed to danposwriting 🙂 It would be great if you could check out pagetopixels :)!
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Oh I wondered what happened! Thanks!
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Please link the new blog! Thank you!
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http://www.pagetopixels.co.uk 🙂 You should be a follower on there already as I moved all my subscribers over 🙂
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Awesome, thanks!!! I see it now!
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Yum, that Bloody Mary looks delicious! Glad to hear you had such a fun 10 miler! 🙂
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Thanks, Pete!! Normally a Bloody Mary is my AFTER race drink…not night before drink but hey…you only live once, right?!
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Yum for everything except mushrooms–blech!
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HEHE, I think people either love ’em, or hate ’em. You could totally leave them out.
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Any weekend is better with risotto. This sounds delicious! 🙂 (Although I might have to nix the mushrooms!)
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LOL you are the second person to say that!! I know many don’t like mushrooms! You could totally omit the mushrooms and it would still be a super tasty dish!
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I’m so sorry about your friend’s dad! I can only imagine what they (and you) must be going through.
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Thanks so much. Prayers for peace and strength are appreciated for their family! ❤
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I rarely have risotto because of the butter (also, not a huge rice person) but I do appreciate the flavors and the craft of a well done one! Thinking of you and your friend. We lost some good people this weekend.
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I only have it a couple times a year myself, because I know it really isn’t healthy at all. Thank you for your thoughts. ❤
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