Then hubby and I are going to watch The Proposal and I may read another Marathon story in my book (I’ll find a real good inspiring one to set the tone!). Oh and I will be tweeting tonight of course!

Cook the pastaaccording to the instructions; this will typically be around 9-12 minutes. Normally I salt the living daylights out of my pasta water. Salty water = seasoned pasta. BUT, I do use pasta water for the sauce so it’s best if you lightly salt the pasta water for this dish. Return the cooked and drained pasta to the pot with the reserved pasta water and add squash mixture. You may have heard of the phrase “keep it simple, stupid” when it comes to training—well, the same can be true for fueling. This simple pomodoro uses items you likely have on hand, requires little skill, and outshines your standard spaghetti and tomato sauce. Nutritionally, the canned tomatoes are the star. This is the one canned vegetable that is actually better than the fresh, as cooking enhances the lycopene, a compound that reduces oxidative stress from exercise and helps retain bone health. IngredientsSome people should limit sodium, but runners are generally not those people. The average runner can lose between 500 and 1500 milligrams of sodium per hour of running. Sodium plays a role in healthy nerve functioning, muscle contractions, and maintaining fluid balance so you stay hydrated. This electrolyte also allows for nutrient absorption and reduces strain on the cardiovascular system, so it’s important to have enough. An easy way to boost dietary sodium content is by consuming broth. Notes: While the beauty of this dish is in its simplicity, don’t be afraid to take some creative freedom. Try a ginger miso broth, unique tortellini filling, or add chopped frozen vegetables to the pot. Sauté the mushrooms in the coconut oil over medium-low heat until softened, roughly 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on the baking sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes until the squash is soft. After 5 or so minutes (the onion will tell you) add the chopped garlic, stir and continue to cook until the onions are ready (10 minutes).

Add garlic and onion, stirring frequently for roughly 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add the herbs and tomato. Dessert was energy dense organic cranberries and non-dairy dark chocolate chips. This combo was fab! Once squash is cooked, scoop 1 cup of the squash flesh and transfer to a blender with the roasted garlic, water, cashews, 2 tablespoons olive oil, nutritional yeast, vinegar, and nutmeg. Add the guanciale (guan chal leh) – pig jowels / cheeks or pancetta (pan chet tah) – salt cured pork belly cubes and cook for 7-10 minutes, frequently stirring until the little cubes are crisp. Yes, you can use bacon as well. But try and get guanciale. It’s glorious. Fatty and smoky!

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Then add the canned tomatoes and chili flakes and stir well. This is a spicy dish. IF you have sensitive spice eaters in the family – skip this step and just add the chili flakes to your own bowl. Thaw those tomatoes that you froze from your garden this year, juice and ALL. Just add cook time if you are using frozen.