So today I finished my 3rd 1/2 marathon in a month and my 8th 1/2 marathon overall. Let me just start by saying yes, I hurt!!! However, today was an awesome run!! I ran Santa to the Sea in Oxnard and it was logistically easy, a great flat course, cool weather, fun people and an all round great experience! Sure our bus driver did get lost and we got an added tour of Camarilo and Hwy 101 on the start but it must have been a good luck run. Thank you to all those people who were directing traffic...especially those of you whom I work with...because I was bound and determined not to walk a step due to you all. Thank you to Staci (my partner in crime), Evelyn (my guilt trip buddy even though I didn't see you), Eduardo (3 miles of motivation), Andrew (passing me at mile 2) and Denise ( we finally saw each other at a run). I loved every minute of today, however I am loving laying on the couch right now even more. And yes I have a chiropractor appointment tomorrow morning.

Tonight I was craving comfort food. It was cold today and even after a hot shower and nap I still had a hard time staying warm. Oh that's probably from exerting every ounce of energy first thing this morning. So I decided to make some warm comfort food to help me on the path to recovery. So I made Beer Braised Chicken: ww.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/beer-braised-chicken-recipe/index.html



This recipe takes a 1/4 lb of bacon, yes I am still stuck on the bacon kick. Cut the bacon into 1/2" pieces and cook until crisp. Take the bacon out and drain on a paper towel. Take the boneless, skinless chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper and then dredge in flour. I use to kind of have an aversion to chicken thighs but over time I have found that this is a great cut of chicken especially in the crock pot. It is low in fat and becomes tender pretty quickly. Cook the chicken in the bacon fat and 1T olive oil for approximately 8 minutes. Take the chicken and add the beer, mustard, thyme, water, potatoes and pearl onions. The recipe did call for frozen pearl onions which I couldn't find so I used fresh and they worked just as well in my opinion.

Overall, this recipe had a lot of flavor, was warm and comforting. The chicken was extremely tender and shredded easily with a fork and the potatoes/onions were hearty and added a heartiness to the meal. The sauce had a great tang due to the mustard and a nutty flavor due to the beer. If anyone is looking for a one pot comfort food this is definitely a great recipe to try.