Red Kuri Squash and Pumpkin Soup

Posted on October 15, 2012 by admin

In the most recent issue of the FITDIVER^® newsletter I shared a winter squash recipe for Spaghetti Squash. Here is another winter squash recipe for you.

This beautiful Red Kuri Squash makes a nice soup turreen for my pumpkin and red kuri squash soup.

1 small white pumpkin
1 small orange pumpkin
1 medium to large Red Kuri Squash
8 ounces of vegetable juice (like V8) and 1 cup of water OR 2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Cut each squash in half and remove seeds. Lay squash halves flat side down in 1/2 inch of water on an oven sheet or microwave safe cooking tray. Bake at 425 degrees in the oven for about 30 minutes. Only takes 15 minutes on high in the microwave. Clean squash from the skin with a spoon and discard the skin. Place the squash in a blender, add 8 to 12 ounces of vegetable juice and 1 cup of water OR 2 cups of vegetable broth. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each of black pepper, salt, nutmeg and allspice. Blend until soup consistency. This is a savory soup and is very good cold or hot, but not in between.

Scuba Fitness: Labor Day is a great time for a lagoon outdoor workout

Posted on August 31, 2012 by admin

Scuba Fitness

Exercise is NOT recommended 24 hours before or after scuba diving making it challenging for divers to both dive and exercise during traditional two-day weekends. The three-day Labor Day weekend however affords divers an opportunity to dive several times and still enjoy a scuba fitness workout. Long weekends also provide opportunities for extended exercise sessions, family fitness and fitness as part of outdoor recreation.

While scuba diving itself is not a workout, activities on or near the water that may be interesting to divers include stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, kayaking, cycling, beach walking and hiking.

Many of our local lagoons are undiscovered playgrounds for the entire family. The Aqua Hedionda Lagoon in the City of Carlsbad, the location of the North Coast YMCA Aquatic Park, even allows swimming and boating. All vessels require day or annual use permits, so plan in advance. The Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation is hosting its 7th Annual Lagoon Clean Up in October. The clean up offers participants a two-hour kayak tour of the area. Buena Vista Lagoon is a favorite of fisherman. All the lagoons offer amazing opportunities for bird watchers and naturalists.

Once of the best forms of outdoor exercise for scuba divers is walking on the beach. South Carlsbad State Beach offers a 3.9 mile stretch of beach with moderate terrain for most ages and abilities. Depending on the diver’s fitness level, the sand and surf, set a pace of between 12 and 20-minutes per mile. Check the tides before heading out. Low tides for Labor Day are extremely low in the early morning and evening. Early-to-mid morning and mid-to-late afternoon appear to be the best times for walking this weekend.

Remember to use sun protection, wear comfortable clothes and athletic shoes, and bring a small snack and water. Enjoy the long weekend.

Super Heros and Super Sports – What’s Yours?

Posted on July 27, 2012 by admin

This morning as I anticipate the official opening of the Olympic games, I am thinking about my Super Sport. If I was able to create a new sport and use super human powers within the game, what would it be?

Living near San Diego, and greatly exposed to Comic Con finishing just before the Olympic games, it seems my imagination is haywire. Or is it?

This past week I enjoyed an in-depth conversation with my adult son about super heros. The conversation, primarily about Batman, began with the fact that he is the only hero that is fully human, a vigilanty really, but all for GOOD. Batman became the caped crusader against crime because of the murder of his parents.The discussion was prompted by a news piece with Dr. Langley about his book, Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight. The conversation was fascinating and imaginative. My son thinks Christian Bale makes the best Batman. Yet, he agreed with me that Adam West is in a class by himself; “he created the character”.

When I was a little girl, I tied a beach towel around my shoulders and pretended I was Batman. I’d run around singing “na-na-na-na-na-na-na, Batman!” My version of the television theme song. My younger sister’s name is Robin so I was always Batman. Of course, that meant she got to say the cool words like, “Holy Smokes Batman”.

But Batman was not my first superhero. Mighty Mouse and Popeye took center stage in my early years and later Wonder Woman left her impression.

It wasn’t until I reached my mid thirties that I discovered my affinity for these super heros was a part of my DNA. While I tried out for every sport in school, once past the softball and volleyball teams of junior high school, I wasn’t competitive. It seems I was not meant to discover my super sport until later in life. Girls were not allowed in the weight room where I attended school.

When I finally discoverd the gym, little did I know I would discover my true strengths and the inner most depths of my being. There really are no words to describe being able to perform something that comes purely and naturally from one’s physical and mental abilities operating at maximum for one goal – lift the weight, kick the ball, swim, run, jump . . . .

So with today’s opening of the Olympic games, my adrenaline pumps with the athletes. I am very excited! So excited, that I am thinking about Super Heros and Super Sports. Let the games begin!

Gretchen M. Ashton, bench pressing 218 pounds in 2003.

Gretchen Ashton benchpressing 218 pounds