Stuffed

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Put work aside; it’s time for lunch!

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These twice-baked potatoes are stuffed with lentils, corn salsa (from Trader Joe’s), and a little Earth Balance.  Topped with melty cheddar cheese.  To make ‘em, I baked the potatoes for an hour at 400, let them cool off, scooped out the insides, and mixed the insides with the lentils, salsa, and butter.  Cheese on top and back in the oven for another 10. 

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SO good.  I wish I had made a larger batch.

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In other news… I got clearance from my doctor to begin post-partum exercise.  I’m excited and SO thankful that I healed well.  I don’t know what to do first!  Should I run (um, or try to…)?!  Should I swim?!  Should I go to a spin class?!  Too… many… options.  Someone stop me from signing up for an October triathlon!

 

FAQ Monday

 

What’s your favorite race ever and why?  This one is hard!  I have different favorites for different reasons.  Probably my most memorable race was the Wildman Olympic Triathlon back in March 2010; this was the last time I had a panic attack during a triathlon and the first time I overcame my fear!  The prettiest race that I ever did was Lake Logan Olympic Triathlon; I hope to this race again next year.  However, the most fun that I’ve ever had during a race is the Croom’s Fools Run 15 Mile Trail Race.  The race takes place in the middle-of-nowhere Florida in an isolated state park. The participants are always very friendly, the aid stations are stocked with candy (yum), the terrain is challenging and the scenery interesting, and it’s a very low-pressure race.

A panic attack AND a bike crash!

What were your back-up baby boy names? We were torn between Jack, Oliver, and Henry.  Right away, we knew Henry wasn’t a Jack and eliminated that name choice.  But we couldn’t settle on Henry.  Our friend Jude sent us a joking Facebook message and suggested we name the baby Jude – we seriously considered it for about two hours! 

 

What is something quirky about you that only your really close friends know? I really love indoor roofs.  You know when you go to a restaurant and they have a thatched roof over the bar?  That’s an indoor roof.  I look for them everywhere I go; whenever I spot one I get so excited.  I have no idea why I find indoor roofs so funny, but I do.

 

Your turn!  What’s your favorite race and why?  What kids’ names do you love?  And gimme one quirky fact about you (any other indoor roof aficionados?)!

{ 67 comments }

 

  • Caitlin @ This Bride's Joyride July 9, 2012, 12:39 pm

    Those potatoes sound easy and super delicious!

    My favorite boy’s name is Abel (my fiance said no way though, boo, but we agreed upon Hayden if we end up having a boy one day) and my favorite girl’s name is Lily. I always wanted to be named Lily after seeing Peter Pan!

  • sandra July 9, 2012, 12:40 pm

    My favorite race was the Steamtown Marathon. Pre-race emails were hilarious and the crowd support was amazing. There was a beautiful rails to trail section and an epic hill at the end which made me feel like a champ to climb and crest over. The view of the finish line was so exhilarating. I might be biased because it was my first marathon, but it fit my personality perfectly. Much love for Steamtown!

  • Lindsey July 9, 2012, 12:43 pm

    I would say the Disneyland Half Marathon we ran last Sept was by far my favorite. I cannot wait to do another Disney race!
    I already have a couple girls and boys names picked out, we have since before we were married! My nephew’s name is Jude!
    I am OCD when it comes to folding and putting away towels, they are all to be folded a certain way and put away according to color.

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) July 9, 2012, 12:44 pm

    My favourite boys’ names are Michael and William. A fact about me is that I am obsessed with world maps and globes. I would love to have a marble coffee table that is a world map on top.

  • Beks July 9, 2012, 12:44 pm

    I’ve never actually run a race before, but my first one is the Komen 5K in October. For baby names, I like Gemma and Alice. Haven’t decided on boy names yet, but James is a HUGE family name for us (three uncles alone), so if I chose that one, I’d have to find a non-Jim nickname. And a quirky fact is that I know the Darcy Family tree from “Pride and Prejudice.” It’s actually pretty sad when you think about it.

  • Courtney July 9, 2012, 12:45 pm

    Hmmm… I love the names Kara, Brielle, Brianne, Evan, and Brendan. And I really like whales. They’re super cute! 😀

  • Megan@ The Running Doc July 9, 2012, 12:46 pm

    Something quirky about me is that I dislike all condiments; no ketchup, no mustard, no mayo. I think it’s a liquidy thing because I also don’t really like some sauces (I never eat tomato sauce but I can handle some others in small amounts). I guess, I just have really weird eating habits. 🙂

    I like names that are slightly unique but not totally crazy. My boyfriend’s name is August and I think it’s so cool. Chances are you’ll never meet someone else with the same name but it’s not so weird that you assume his parents must have been on something when they named him, ha.

    • Rachel July 9, 2012, 1:25 pm

      August is a family name on my dad’s side of the family! It is my great-grandpa’s, my grandpa’s, my dad’s, and my eldest brother’s middle name. My brother really likes having such a unique middle name. I love it as a first name too!

    • Amanda July 9, 2012, 2:47 pm

      August is a family name in my family too! I love the name!

  • Laura @ She Eats Well July 9, 2012, 1:03 pm

    My favorite race, thus far, was one I recently did in San Francisco. It was a small 1/2 marathon, only 400 people or so, and it went throughout the Marina, Presidio and to Baker Beach overlooking the coast and Golden Gate Bridge. It was so beautiful (hilly!) and they had fun giveaways at the end!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat July 9, 2012, 1:11 pm

    Hheheh the roof thing gave me a laugh! I totally know what you mean. I’m surprised you didn’t go all beach-themed in Henry’s nursery with a roof over the cot? 😉 just kidding! My favourite kids names are Jamie (for a boy or girl), Ben for a boy, and Hannah for a girl. We had 2 little next door neighbours when I was living in the Middle East with those names, and I love both of them (oh, and I think it’s very cool that Hannah is spelled the same forward and back.. makes things easy on the kid!)

  • Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed July 9, 2012, 1:12 pm

    I ran the Race for the Cure 5k years ago and it was such a great race! So huge and so inspiring!!!

  • Alex Elisabeth July 9, 2012, 1:14 pm

    favorite race: army ten miler when i lived in DC. lots of crowd support, interesting stuff to look at, and a really nice swag bag.

    (shameless plug: run it with these guys: http://www.nogreatersacrifice.org/endurance)

    baby names: i am the youngest of 20 or so cousins who now all have kids, and i swear, they’ve taken every trendy baby name since about 1996. so over the trendy names. i like catherine for a girl (and i liked it before princess shinylocks!), but no idea for a boy. thankfully will not be worrying about that for a few years!

    quirk: i look at the way people hold pens and i am super impressed by those who do it “right.” i hold a pen like a small child scrawling with a crayon, so maybe it’s envy 🙂

  • Laura July 9, 2012, 1:15 pm

    Yay! So awesome you can exercise again! Go on a run!!!

  • Alex @ Brain, Body, Because July 9, 2012, 1:23 pm

    I bet you’re gonna swim 🙂

    Quirky fact: I can’t wait until I retire because I really want to get silly knuckle tattoos. Right now I’m settled on “BARK” and “MEOW.”

  • Ali July 9, 2012, 1:25 pm

    Quirky fact: I firmly believe that nothing goes better with a nice glass of white wine than…gummy worms. Don’t knock it till you try it!

  • Kara July 9, 2012, 1:26 pm

    You’re seriously considering spin class 4 weeks after giving birth? Is your undercarriage made of steel or are you experiencing some kind of sleep deprivation induced insanity?

    • Jessica July 9, 2012, 2:22 pm

      I hate to say it, but I thought the same thing when I read that! I had a relatively easy birth (a vaginal delivery, no interventions, and only pushed for 45 minutes), and I didn’t start biking to work again until 4 months, and it was still pretty rough for the first week or so. At 4 weeks postpartum, I was still weaning myself off of the inflatable donut I had to sit on! I was super proud of myself when I started back to the gym at 6 weeks, doing some very light weights and some time on the elliptical. I wouldn’t rush into anything really strenuous or high impact like running or spinning.

      • Caitlin July 9, 2012, 2:25 pm

        Doc said running or cycling would be totally fine for me. Everyone heals differently. Sucks you were on a donut for four weeks!!! You poor thing. Poor vagina 🙁

        • Jessica July 9, 2012, 2:50 pm

          Wow, it sounds like you had a freakishly easy recovery! Most of my friends from prenatal yoga had similar recovery experiences to mine. Good luck with the running and spinning!

          • Crystal July 10, 2012, 12:01 am

            I was back at cycling classes 3-4 pp too. I had crazy easy labors and recoveries though.

      • Kara July 9, 2012, 2:36 pm

        I had the donut thing for a long time because my kid’s massive head snapped my tail bone. Yay childbirth!

        I didn’t run until 6 weeks post partum, like a normal person. 🙂

        • Caitlin July 9, 2012, 2:55 pm

          Your baby broke your tailbone?!?!? Wtf.

          • Kara July 9, 2012, 3:07 pm

            Yeah, it’s a thing. Who knew having a baby with a head in the 97% percentile could cause damage? Haha

  • Jen Clark July 9, 2012, 1:28 pm

    So I haven’t participated in this race but I love it because it is a great vacation for me 🙂 Our group of friends get together in South Carolina to do the Annual Mud Run. It is running and an obstacle course that involves mud at some point. They love it and I love the vacation house 🙂

    When my husband and I have kids we already have our boy’s name picked out: Caleb James. We don’t have a definate girl’s name picked but I am loving: Anna Grace.

  • Kelly July 9, 2012, 1:36 pm

    There is a cat at the local vet (a stray) that I am in love with and I seriously named him Oliver from the get-go. No, he is not mine and unfortunately, I don’t have the space or money to bring him home, but I always do the “I would name him/her….” and this little guy just looked like an Oliver!! I also like Harlow and Harper for girls’ human baby names. Boy names are a little harder for me – but I do like the name Finn for a boy – short for Finley. Talk about teasing, though, huh? I think Henry Kristien is a wonderful name…and fits the English/red hair theme you have going on. 😉

  • Rachel Starr July 9, 2012, 1:40 pm

    I really love the names we picked for out kids. We actually had a pretty easy time deciding on them too! We wanted something unique, but not weird & something NOT super popular. Our son is Tyson (5mo) & our daughter is Penelope (3yrs). But as I saw this morning Kourtney Kardashian named her new baby girl Penelope too! So maybe it’s more popular than I thought! Or it will be soon…

    • Lisa July 9, 2012, 2:46 pm

      My 1 year old is Tyson and his cousin is Penelope “Penny”

  • Amy July 9, 2012, 1:42 pm

    Haha, that’s funny about the indoor roofs! I was just out to eat the other night and there was a row boat hung upside down over the bar and I told my boyfriend I want that over a basement bar someday, it just looks soo cool!

  • Amber K July 9, 2012, 1:44 pm

    I LOVE the name Henry, but I really want my first boy to be named after my grandfather – John. Plus I really want to carry on my family’s tradition of having boys with the initials JR so John Raymond (Raymond being my other grandfather) it is!

  • Annette@FitnessPerks July 9, 2012, 1:48 pm

    Wow, that is a great idea for a quick potato meal. Love it!

    My sister named her little baby Henry (back in OCT), so it’s fun for me that you named your boy that too. Both are super cute!

  • Emily July 9, 2012, 1:52 pm

    Hi Caitlin,
    I’ve been following your blog for a few months now (and absolutely love it) but never posted before. First off – congrats on the baby!!! Second, I wanted to let I have the exact same top three favorite boys names. Crazy. And third, have you ever read the novel The Time Traveler’s Wife (one of my favorite books, muuuch better than the film)? It’s a love story between two characters – Clare and Henry. I thought of the book immediately when you wrote that Clare would have been your girls name!

    Emily

  • Kimberly July 9, 2012, 2:00 pm

    I think the name Oliver is super cute! My friend named her baby Oliver because she’s bilingual and Oliver is pronounced the same way in Spanish and English, which I thought was neat. 🙂

  • Heather July 9, 2012, 2:05 pm

    Thank you for this lunch idea! I didn’t have the foresight to bake my potato an hour ago, but I threw it in the microwave for 5 minutes, topped it with lentils, salsa, and cheese, popped it back in the microwave for another minute…YUM. It kind of tasted like a chili topped potato. Definitely a treat!

    Happy Monday.

  • April July 9, 2012, 2:08 pm

    Ah, my 8-month old is named Jack and i have loved the name ever since i was little. But, there are SO many Jack and Jackson’s right now, oh well. The other boy names i love are Morgan (yes, for a boy) and Cameron.
    Henry is SO stinkin’ cute!!!!

  • Cassie @ Back to Her Roots July 9, 2012, 2:11 pm

    (1) I absolutely LOVE that corn salsa from TJs. Yum!

    (2) I so would love to name a future son Jack, but our last name is Johnston and Jack Johnston is just a wee bit too close to a very famous musical artist for my tastes.

  • Vikki July 9, 2012, 2:14 pm

    1. I have no favorite races, but I like them nice and flat. (Something that I’m determined to get over.)

    2. I like to pick names from my family tree. Current favorites: Lydia, Cecilia, Hannah, Finklea, Montague, Wade. (not that I have any plans to have children)

    3. I have sung a duet with a grammy nominated artist despite having only a passable voice.

  • Sam @ Better With Sprinkles July 9, 2012, 2:21 pm

    Jack would have been cute – but Henry is definitely the most suiting for him.

    I’m obsessed with Irish/Gaelic names! I bought a book of Celtic names a few months ago and I browse through it all the time.
    My girl favourites: Aiofe (ee-fa), Siobhan (She-vawne), Sheenagh (sheena) and Saoirse (seer-sha).
    Boys: Declan, Liam, and Cillian (kil-e-un).

  • Susanna July 9, 2012, 2:21 pm

    1. favorite race: wildflower tri in Lake San Antonio – a big camping party with a star-studded triathlon for some extra fun!
    2. I love the name Elliott for a girl and Jack for a boy
    3. I hate running and cycling socks that cover the ankles! Ankles must be free. Also, I wear sandals in the winter and will not switch to close-toe shoes until my feet start turning blue during my morning commute.

  • Sara July 9, 2012, 2:41 pm

    My favorite race to date is The Run Like a Mother 5k. It was my slowest race, but it was my nine-year-old son’s first race by himself. He did the one-mile before my 5k and I could not have been more proud than I was the moment he crossed the starting line. Except when he crossed the finish line, and later when he joined me as I crossed.

    I love Dakota (my son’s name), Bella, Joshua and Caleb.

    When my anxiety is high, I blow raspberries.

  • Ali July 9, 2012, 3:12 pm

    We named our son Jack!!!- he’s 8 weeks now. It was between that and Henry LOL!!!

  • Susan July 9, 2012, 3:15 pm

    Caitlin– those potatoes look so yummy! This is a silly question, but I’m going to ask it– how did you cook the lentils before mixing them with the potatoes? Thank you!

  • Sue July 9, 2012, 3:27 pm

    I just discovered your blog recently and I’ve never commented, but I want to say that I LOVE your Wildman Tri video! That was totally inspiring.

  • Lauren July 9, 2012, 3:32 pm

    Although I’ve always known what the name would be were we to have a girl we had no idea for a boy. He ended up being born on Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you) so we actually considered Jedi as a name. But we were pretty set on Hunter. I also really liked Jarvis,Lennon & Reilly.

    My fave race is the Paso Robles half Marathon. Beautiful and there’s wine!

  • Joy July 9, 2012, 3:32 pm

    I love the names Amelia and Ruby for a girl and Logan for a boy.

    My quirky fact is that I love barns. Don’t know why but when I see one, whether it’s dilapidated and falling down or brand new, my heart swells.

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats July 9, 2012, 3:55 pm

    I’ve never actually had a twice baked potato (that I recall) but it looks so good! And I love the name Harrison. Unfortunately that’s my older brother’s name and I think his ego would expand even more so than it already has if I named a child after him… haha

  • Lauren T July 9, 2012, 4:00 pm

    I don’t know why, but it’s so much easier to come up with girl names I like. For girls I like Chloe and Kailyn. For boys I guess I like Liam, Hunter, and Chase. Unfortunately my man doesn’t ever like any of the boys names I come up with. Good thing we have a few years to think about it haha!
    Henry was an excellent choice for your little guy!

  • Lexi @ You, Me, & A World to See July 9, 2012, 4:09 pm

    Mmm I always forget how easy and delicious baked potatoes are ! Corn salsa is such a lifesaver 🙂

  • HTPDad July 9, 2012, 4:21 pm

    Swim! Call me!

  • Kelli July 9, 2012, 4:28 pm

    Ok, the name thing is really crazy! My baby boy is due in about 6 weeks & the names we have seriously considered are: Jack, Oliver, & Henry.
    My little sister is due 3 weeks after me, & they have decided to name their son Jude! Seriously, I had to read that 2X before I believed that great minds think SO MUCH alike. 🙂

  • Abby July 9, 2012, 4:36 pm

    Favorite race. 10k at 10,000 ft in Vail, most challenging, thought my lungs were going to pop out! Beautiful view

    Boy names…Mickey Gordon, Jahan

    Quirky…when getting a newspaper from a stack of them, our local free paper every Thursday, I grab one from the middle, never the top one, don’t know why!!

  • Hillary July 9, 2012, 4:47 pm

    Like a typical girl, I’ve already picked my favorite baby names! I love Jack and Oliver, too, as well as Max. For girls, I love Madeline and Emily. Max and Madeline just happen to be family names, too!

  • Lisa July 9, 2012, 4:56 pm

    I love the name Jack for your little guy but Henry seems fitting too.

    I have a whole list of names, of course. A few favorites: Ethan, Evan or James for boys. Sophia, Julia or Fiona. 😀

  • Carrie July 9, 2012, 5:20 pm

    I baked and froze stuffed potatoes before I had my twins and I was so glad I did! Such a quick, yummy way to build a dinner.

    My girls are named Abigail Frances, Madeleine Grace and Anna Jane. My son is due next month and he will be named Whit Jackson.

  • Tricia July 9, 2012, 5:20 pm

    My husband and I loved the name Nolen for a boy a Reece for a girl.

  • Lea July 9, 2012, 5:22 pm

    I love kids that are named after colors (Blue, Indigo, etc.) they sound pretty hippie and granola, but I love them. Not as bad as my roommate freshman year who was dead set on naming her daughter Sunflower Iris if she ever had one.

    My favorite race was the Race for the Cure 5k, it was so inspiring! I also loved the St. Patty’s Run Green 8k in Raleigh, but I was a month too young to enjoy the free post-race beer =(

  • Soniathe Mexigarian July 9, 2012, 5:26 pm

    Favorite course thus far had to be the Big Sur 9miler. Beautiful coastline, part of a beach trail, and walking down highway 1 into Point Lobos and back again. Though I imagine the maratjoners have an ever awesome view with the rolling hills cliffs 🙂

    Favorite names include: Sage, Cye, Rowen, Olivia, Ophelia, Sakura, Rosa, Elena and Juliet.

  • Janelle July 9, 2012, 5:26 pm

    That’s funny – I babysit for red-headed twins. Their names? Henry and Oliver! 🙂

  • Kendra @ My Full-Thyme Life July 9, 2012, 6:02 pm

    I really liked your Wildman video! The message at the end makes me want get up from sitting behind my desk and go for a walk or something! Do you think my boss would care??? As for baby names… we are waiting to find out if baby #2 is a boy or girl before we really buckle down and start the back and forth. 😉

  • Liz @ Tip Top Shape July 9, 2012, 6:13 pm

    Oh my word, those potatoes look good!!!!

  • Nicole of Raspberry Stethoscope July 9, 2012, 7:13 pm

    I did a 5k mud run recently with my CrossFit box and it was so much fun!!!!

    My second favorite was an all women’s triathlon from Trek on Disney property. That was fun, too:)

  • Danielle @ LMYR July 9, 2012, 8:05 pm

    FYI, “Croom” is neither plural nor possessive. It’s just… Croom, Croom Trails. Not sure why people want to add an ‘s’?

  • Lesley July 9, 2012, 9:30 pm

    Favorite race was the Nashville Rock and Roll Half Marathon – because it was my first race and so memorable. Congrats on your first running workout! Go mommy!!

  • Sarah July 10, 2012, 8:39 am

    I love indoor roofs too! We ate at Sana’a in the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney World and we ate under one in a faux-hut thing and it was cool.

  • Jessi @ doctorate housewife July 10, 2012, 3:24 pm

    One quirky fact, here goes… I think mint & peanut butter makes an awesome flavour combo =p

  • Alett July 10, 2012, 5:01 pm

    catching up on blogs!..
    okay here it goes:

    FAVORITE RACE -> Reach the Beach (New Hampshire) period. It is one of those 24 hour relay races. Our team (Team Dinomite) has been doing this race for over 10 years; this will be my 8th year!

    (most memorable has to go to Goofy Challenge 2010 & my first marathon in May of 2006)

    BABY NAMES -> I have always loved the name Jordan (for a girl or a boy). Since I will only have fur kids I’ll not get to use this name as I tend towards food names for my fur kids 🙂

    QUIRKY FACT -> hmm…so many to pick from. I really dislike touching door handles (germies) especially bathroom door handles, I have a fear of overflowing toilets, not a fan of lima beans nor caraway seeds, a pint of ice cream can easily last 2 months in my freezer, too many quirks and that’s okay 🙂

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