Alert, alert, alert! It’s official – Trader Joe’s is coming to my town!!!!!!
I am SO pumped for never-ending supplies of almond butter, peanut butter filled pretzels and so.much.more! Opening day is TBD, but it supposed to happen sometime this year. Whee!!!!
In other great news, I had the best run I’ve had in…years?…after work today! I’ve said before that I don’t consider myself a “natural” runner. I’ve been running regularly for 5 years now, and my miles logged on the trail are still semi-difficult no matter how far or fast I go.
Today though, was different. I think this might have been the closest I’ve ever come to feeling like a “natural” runner, and it was amazing! I felt light on my feet and quick as a whip. I even passed a guy who looked younger than me (this may sound awful, but I secretly love running faster than guys – sorry fellas!)
I attribute my success to three conditions that culminated in a perfect running situation:
- I was well hydrated. I drank ample amounts of water today and wasn’t thirsty at all during my run.
- There was a terrific, cold breeze. The temperature is very hot right now, but we’ve got rain coming in tonight which is lending a swift, cold breeze that kept me cool.
- There were tons of other runners out. I usually can’t run with a partner (I do love to walk, take a class or lift weights with friends) but running AMONG other runners really keeps me motivated to keep going!
If only I could recreate these conditions every time I headed out the door! What are the conditions that set YOU up for a great workout? Do you like to workout alone or with others?
In dinner news, I had a fantastic light supper of Teriyaki Fried Rice!
Teriyaki Fried Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup un-cooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon wok oil (or sesame or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
Corn from 3 corn on the cobs
2 green onions
1/2 cup chopped steak (or chicken or pork)
2 whisked eggs
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
Red pepper flakes
Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
My kitchen towel wasn’t long enough to cook my rice homey style, so I jury-rigged one up! Thank you bamboo skewer. 
2. Meanwhile, warm the wok oil in a large skillet until hot. Cook garlic until golden brown.
3. Add fresh corn and green onions, and cook until corn is tender, ~3-4 minutes. Add steak and warm through.
4. Push corn mixture to the sides of the pan, and add your whisked eggs into the middle. Stir until soft set.
5. Add Teriyaki sauce and cooked rice into the skillet, and stir until well combined.
6. Top with red pepper flakes and FEAST!
Yum, yum, YUM!!! Just like my run, all these ingredients seemed to just come together and WORK!
Unlike my normal fried rice recipe - this had a bit of a sweet note to it from the Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette I used. It’s very much like a teriyaki sauce, and you get the same taste effect. The corn added some natural sweetness too. TDF!
The red pepper sprinkled on top was perfect to cut through the sweetness, and the juicy, salty flank steak that I used was just divine. We had cooked one up this weekend and happened to have a little bit left over in the fridge to use!
That’s the great thing about fried rice – you can basically throw ANYTHING you want in there! It is the hotter, more Asian version of the kitchen sink salad, if you will
Tonight I have some housekeeping to take care of. There’s checks to write, laundry to fold, dishes to clean – you know…super exciting adult stuff. 
Have a good night!
~~~~~
What’s your favorite store?
I’m literally obsessed with Whole Foods. I could walk around there for hours! Otherwise, I think my fave might be World Market or Patina- a super cute boutique in Minneapolis!
My favorite store has to be Whole Foods – no question!!! And, I am so excited about TJ’s coming to WDM! I live in Ames, and will most certainly be making trips regularly!
Your dinner looks a lot like what we had last night. No meat in ours though. I forgot to defrost some.
My favorite store … well there’s a toss up. Superstore http://pc.ca or American Eagle.
As much as I try I just keep going back. I love going to the store and not having to try something on because I know what size I am there and it seems to be the only store I shop at that is a constant. Depsite the prices. Grr @ 30.00 CDN for a tanktop
haha, congrats!! im making a trip to TJ’s tomorrow myself!
i do love whole foods though. especially that newer HUGE one in chicago (you went to it last time, i remember the pics). yes that is my playground!
Favorite store, of any kind?
Dollar Tree or 99 Cent Stores… oh my goodness… I could literally walk around forever. I will never not be amazing by what I can pick up for $1!
Super jealous!!! THe closest TJ’s to me is about an hour away. Although, I think if it would be any closer one of two things would occur…I would be working there or I would be there every single day that everyone would just assume I worked there.
Gosh I love that place!
I have definitely lost track of 2 hours in Whole Foods and Target!
Congrats about the TJ’s AND the run. Sounds like it was a good one!
If we didn’t have a TJ’s around here and I got that news, I think it would make my MONTH! That is super, super exciting girl!
DM is getting a TJs?! Sweet!! Now I need to decide if the cost of a full tank of gas is worth the special trip…but I could totally make that drive in 2 hours!
I’m with Brynn on the Target thing…I go in for a few little things and come out an hour later & $100 poorer…
I am way jealous! Trader Joes is not a fan of Texas sadly since there are none here, which isn’t too bad since my family in California is nice enough to send me care packages every once in a while!
Trader Joes is hands down my favorite store. Beside that, Central Market is the next best. I call it my “happy place” haha I love walking around seeing people cook and grabbing samples.. it’s amazing. I used to be a Whole Foods junkie until I discovered the beauty of Central Market! Another one of my faves is Urban Outfitters. From clothes to home decor, you never know what fun things you will find there.
I’m SO jealous that you are getting a Trader Joes- I can only imagine your excitement!
I keep emailing them asking them to bring one close by where I live!
Love your fried rice- looks delish!
I LOVE Whole Foods — but am pumped to hear TJ’s is making it’s way to Central IA as that will become our home next Spring!
There is a true ‘earthy’ smell to Whole Foods that amazes me — general grocery stores have NO scent of food which is truly sad. I guess that’s what happens when the large majority of foods are boxed/packaged/processed.
I’m excited for TJs! Hopefully Whole Foods will follow closely behind!
My favorite store is probably crate and barrel.
You will single handedly keep TJ’s in business
I love Target. I go there far to often and walk out with far to many things. And it doesn’t help that mine has a Starbucks in it and I love to get the coffee and just walk around.
Seriously? Now if they would just open up a TJ in Iowa City!! I think I will request more work meetings in Des Moines just so I can swing through TJs! That is awesome, you are lucky lucky.
I LOVE your blog! Tonight I made your apricot glazed turkey burgers stuffed with goat cheese. No words for those babies. My husband and I could not get over how delicious they were. Keep up with the great recipes and blogging : )
I am not a natural runner either – I stil find runs tough quite often. Good weather, other runners, and a happy, hydrated, fueled body makes my runs easier though. If any of the above or out of wack, I struggle. I am so jealous of the TJs coming to your town! We love a lot of the same products – I just opened up my soy ginger vinegarette, its one of my fav salad dressings.
Yay, that’s super exciting TJ’s is coming to town : ) I didn’t grow up near a TJ’s, but since I’ve gone away to college, I couldn’t imagine living w/o it ; )
Hey my fellow midwesterner
I second Whole Foods, but also have serious online shopping issues (Anthropologie sales, VS, Urban Outfitters…) I can’t wait until the day I don’t have to drive all the way to Omaha for Whole Foods, though it’s fun because We make a date out of it and have a glass of wine while we shop. THANKS for the Chipotle Burrito Bowls. AMAZING! I made them for supper and will be blogging about them tonight. 
I almost feel guilty saying there are plenty of TJ’s around me in MA (I even used to live within walking distance to one!) but I don’t go there that frequently! However, when I do, I enjoy it. My favorite stores are Sephora and any boutiquey-type stationary store. I heart great cards!
A Trader Joe’s in DM??? Woohoo!!! That’s exciting!
I could spend hours in Hy-Vee (I love to grocery shop there, it’s ridiculous), Target, and Whole Foods!!!
Awesome! Love TJs! I also love the pb filled pretzels you mentioned and I may or may not have two bags in my cupboard right now! haha
Perfect running conditions: good music, cool breeze, perfect weather, properly fueled with food and water and no soreness
I actually prefer running alone but I do love running with others in races!
Oh. My. Gosh. I am so, totally, completely jealous that you get a TJ! I think I may have to make a monthly journey from Nebraska to stock up!
it was such a perfect night to run in des moines!!! perfect for National Running Day! So excited about TJ’s, its about time!
mmm I’m totally making that fried rice tonight! I’m so excited that you’re getting a TJ’s! It really is the best. I got some dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds there today…yum. And hands down, cost plus world market is my favorite store. I go when I’m stressed out and just wander. I really wish they had a wedding registry since I want everything in the store!
That news just made my night. Thanks girl! I hadn’t seen the Register article yet (don’t worry, now I have!). Now I can quit driving my sister nuts, making her go with me to TJ’s everytime I visit her in Minneapolis! Woo-hoo!
It’s definitely top of my list for favorite stores – I practically lived there during college (in Santa Barbara, CA). I’m also a Target girl, though. I’m with the other ladies on going in for a “few” things and walking out with WAY too much.
Lucky girl! I wish we would get a TJ’s around here. In the meantime, I, too, am satisfied with Whole Foods:)
My forever favorite will always be Target. Nowhere else can I loose myself in quite the same way amoung reasonably priced goodies. Especially a good Super Target with a Starbucks! However, I used to live in Minneapolis right by the Uptown Patina and I LOVE that store! Their purses are a personal favorite – I’ve gotten compliments from Connecticut to California!
Congrats on the run!! I love it when a run goes well, it’s the best feeling
My favourite store…Waitrose,because there is no TJ’s in England and I haven’t been to a Whole Foods
Btw – could you please add that rhubarb apple oatmeal bake thing to your recipe list,t hat you did the other day? I’m dying to try it!!
I like to work out with others- walk, go to the gym, etc… but run by myself! The temp has to be perfect and I have to be perfectly feuled for the perfect run!
LOVE the looks of that “fried” rice, yum!
And Whole Foods is my top store, obviously. Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters come at a close second, Lululemon as my third
xo
K
[...] Comments « Alert, Alert, Alert! [...]
I totally agree with running condition #3! I do so much better when there are other people around me running too, but I don’t like to set out with a running partner.
One store I will always love is Target…I can wonder around forever and be entertained, but the downside is I can never seem to escape without spending money!
Yeah, TJ’s in your area, FINALLY!!!
Didn’t I say that Flax Seed AB was good? Oh yeah. Don’t forget to p/u some nutty bits and powerberries too! http://fuckyeahtraderjoes.tumblr.com/post/450403336/trader-joes-nutty-bits
Oh and their guacamole hummus (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4014596&id=28157704048) and cilantro jalapeno hummus is TDF!
Your din-din looks great. I would’ve doused it w/ some sriracha b/c I like spicy like that. =P
How did you find out about TJ’s? That is the best news I’ve had all week! Can’t wait for opening day. That fried rice looks delish.
How did you find out about Trader Joes’s going to DesMoines? I keep hearing that TJ is coming to Kansas City “by the end of the year”, but don’t have any real confirmation. Just wondering if you have a source of info…
^^ There was an article in the Des Moines Register about TJ’s coming to West Des Moines.
I’m so excited for fresh corn!! (I just re-read that, I sound so Iowa today.)
I’m not a runner AT ALL but that’s awesome that you had a good run yesterday! Don’t feel bad about gloating a little
. Oh, and don’t take this the wrong way BUT especially since you’re a little shorter you SHOULD feel awesome about passing those guys!
I cannot wait to try that teriyaki rice…it looks delicious. I have never ever been a runner either but have been training for the Dam to Dam in Des Moines this weekend. Here’s hoping all goes well!
YAY T.J’S in Iowa- CONGRATS!
And I LOVE all grocery stores, oh and Target. I get REALLY distracted and have wasted many hours in those stores.
[...] running to music makes me go slower than my natural pace, and we can’t have that. How would I pass by men that way? [...]
[...] centered around veggies, tofu, eggs, squash, grains, pasta and other delicious things always leave me feeling super healthy after I’m done [...]