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Columbia Gorge Fires – What Can You Do?

The fires blazing throughout Oregon got personal this week with the Eagle Creek blaze. Communities in Hood River County Oregon, and Skamania Washington were evacuated, and thick smoke and ash blanketed Portland. While heartbreaking to watch, I am hopeful that soon the winds will change, the rains will come (possibly tonight?) and firefighters will be able to contain this blaze before more damage is done.

So what can you do? First, stay inside. This is not the time to exercise outdoors.

  • If you do want to get in a workout how bout a swim? Here is a list of Portland Parks and Rec’s indoor pools (my favorites are Southwest and Mt. Scott).
  • Join us for a class! The studio is air conditioned and we have room for you tonight in Pilates, Thursday night Energy Flow, and Saturday morning Pilates.
  • Do a strength session at your office. Here’s a travel workout video I shot for a client who wanted standing exercises that could be done with minimal equipment.

Looking to help? Donate to these groups:

Friends of the Columbia Gorge helps with search and rescue. Red Cross is housing displaced residents. Once the fires die out Trailkeepers Of Oregon will need help rebuilding trails.

Andalusian Gazpacho

Anybody else suffering from an abundance of tomatoes and cukes? Last weekend I was headed to a potluck so I whipped up this chilled summer soup. While there are lots of variations on this soup, this time I made the Andalusian version, and processed the veggies into a pureed “drink”, like a spicy smoothie.

tomatp gazpacho soup recipe

While this recipe is simple, there is quite a bit of prep (if you are interested in making sure all the cucumber and tomato seeds have been removed). I chopped all my veggies in batches, mixed everything together and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours.

 

Andalusian Gazpacho

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups tomatoes, chopped and de-seeded (about 5-6 medium tomatoes)
  • 2 cucumbers, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped
  • 3/4 cup red pepper, chopped
  • 3/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 small jalapeno
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. Gather all of the above ingredients plus a food processor or vitamix, a large bowl, a cutting board, and a sharp knife.

2. Place garlic in the food processor. Slice and seed the jalapeno (wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly after as these babies can burn!) and add to the food processor. Add a few spoonfuls of water (reserve the rest) and process this mixture until finely diced.

3. Now roughly chop the rest of your veggies so they will fit into the food processor, and working in batches process them so they are finely chopped but not liquefied, adding them to the bowl as you go.

4. One all the veggies have been added to the bowl add the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, Worcestershire, cumin and salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add more water if you would like a more soupy consistency. Chill for at least two hours and serve with a garnish of lime, or a slice of crusty bread.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see you medical professional for specific dietary advice. 

 

September Challenge 2017

Fluid’s 2017 Challenge begins on Monday September 11th. I hope you can join us!

  • Who: You! And your Fluid family
  • What: Month long self care program, with simple assignments you can do in less than ten minutes per day.
  • When: September 11th – October 8th
  • Where: Anywhere! Meet with me for your initial one on one in person, over the phone or via skype. The remainder of the challenge is conducted via email.
  • Why: Learn easy stress reduction techniques, and establish a self care routine so you head into winter and feeling your best!

The details:

Meet with me via skype or in person prior to September 8th to go over your goals, and craft your personalized movement, nutrition, and mindfulness plan. You receive weekly emails from me reminding you of that week’s goals. You are welcome to send feedback about how you did that week, and let me know how I can help you be successful. Mark your calendar for your brunch/ wrap party Saturday October 14th. Payment is due by September 8th. $75 covers your phone call, skype, or in person meeting with me, your weekly emails, and wrap party.

Contact me to sign up or with questions (503) 705-4762

 

Tomato Mozzarella Salad

With Portland’s record breaking heat how are you staying cool? I’m avoiding turning on the stove. I was looking for a light salad for this month’s recipe and found these delicious tomatoes, and fresh basil at the Moreland Farmer’s Market. I mixed them with a little buffalo mozzarella, and a simple dressing of balsamic and olive oil. Try this and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad Recipe

Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium tomatoes (or 12 bite sized tomatoes) sliced
  • ½ lb fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced into bite sized pieces
  • ¼ cup basil leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In your favorite serving dish, layer tomato slices, cheese slices, and basil.
  2. In a small jar combine oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Shake jar to combine dressing.
  3. Sprinkle dressing over tomato and cheese slices, and serve.