1. Skip the pedicures ladies. Seriously, the havoc we reek on our feet cannot be fixed, even by the chop shop.  Sport your caveman toes with pride.
2. If you are a “bottled water” drinker, chuck that habit out the window. It’s expensive, there really isn’t a difference in taste and you may just do your part for the environment.
3. Don’t waste your money on renting movies. There are a lot of free ones on t.v. and let’s face it, you’re so tired from training you can never stay awake for the whole thing anyway.
4. Save using your “good shampoo” for the days you actually blow dry and style your hair….and how often does that actually happen?
5. Even in the high heat of Summer, skip using your central air. Central air is dumb. And no, I don’t have the option.
6. If you have children, there are tons of fun activities you can do with your kids that don’t cost a penny but are a lot of fun! For instance: Run through the neighbors sprinklers (that way you don’t wreck your own lawn or have to waste your own water), hang outside the local pool supply store and make friends with people who have pools in their backyards (it’s helpful to somehow slip into the conversation that your kids don’t pee in the pool even though they do), mismatched tupperware and broken spatulas are great sand toys (not to mention walking onto the beach with a grocery bag full of them help your kids deal with really awkward social situations).
7. If you have to scrounge change from your car more than once a week for your daily Starbucks run, you may want to reconsider your habit. Not to mention it’s embarrassing to walk in and be “that girl” who pays in nickels and dimes and tips in pennies.
8. Drinking alcohol is expensive, hurts your performance and increases the chances you’ll make an ass of yourself. Save your drunken binges for the off-season when you’re more likely to be with family instead of people you care about impressing.
9. Have a potluck dinner, invite a lot of people and get them to arrive at different times so no one is clear on who brought what…especially not clear on the fact that you are the host and you provided nothing. But MAN are you full!
10. Local park trash cans are filled with recyclable goodies. Have your kids go on a ‘treasure hunt’ in the local park (the bonus is that passerby’s often chuck change at them even if they give mom the stink-eye while she sits on the parkbench texting on her blackberry).  What?

My race season has been slightly delayed due to a knee injury and surgery.  I may not be eating as much but I’m still eating well and always coming up with new, easy recipes.  I find my appetite is lacking (which is sad because I train to eat and love to cook) but it’s still important to eat well and stay healthy in times of injury or reprieve.

First up: my guacamole recipe.  Have a BBQ and give this guacamole a shot.  The key is the fresh-squeezed lime juice.  Don’t skimp on it.  Not only does it keep the guacamole from turning brown but it gives it a “bite”.  The cucumbers give it a nice refreshing crunch.

Phaedra's guacamole

• 6 limes juiced (approx ½ cup)
• 5 firm, ripe avocados
• 1 bunch cilantro-finely chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1serrano pepper, seeded and sliced (can use a jalapeno pepper if serrano not available)
  
• 1/2 english cucumber peeled and finely diced (these are the crunchiest and they have no seeds)

Juice limes. Clean and chop cilantro before cutting avocados. Cut avocados length wise and removed pit. Scoop avocado out of skins and put in a large bowl. Add lime juice and ‘chop’ avocado-do not mash. The goal is to have lots of little ‘chunks’ rather than a bowl of mashed avocados. This gives texture to the guacamole. Once avocados are chopped, add salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Lastly, add finely chopped cilantro and cucumber.  You may want to add more kosher salt and garlic powder.  I usually do, but find what your preference is.

Note: when choosing avocados in the grocery store, I pick the ones that are still firm but not rock-hard. They have just a little give to them. You don’t want mushy avocados. I often make this recipe the night before or earlier in the day. With all the lime juice, it keeps for days.

NEXT UP: Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a grain of sorts. I started using it to avoid wheat. Not all of my recipes are wheat free but a lot have the ‘wheat free option’. Quinoa has a nutty texture and is gluten free. This salad is perfect to make in advance and snack on. It also goes great as a side dish with grilled steak or chicken. This is another recipe that a rice cooker works really well for.

• 2 cups dried Quinoa
• 4 cups chicken broth (I get the organic chicken broth that comes in the 32 oz containers-use whole thing)
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup finely chopped greek olives (I buy the pitted ones in a jar)
• 1 cup chopped grape tomatoes (I cut them in 1/8^ths)
• ¾ cup packed fresh basil chopped

Combine quinoa & chicken broth in rice cooker-hit ‘start’ (see how easy that is?). When rice cooker dings add lemon juice and mix well. Take quinoa out of rice cooker and mix in bowl with tomatoes, olives and basil. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Please feel free to add comments or make requests for recipes.  I’ll do my best to oblige.  I’ve got a lot of great BBQ recipes as well.  More to come….