An Old-Fashioned Christmas // Review

Christmas is coming. I’ve even started decorating early this year. I usually wait until after Thanksgiving, but I’m just in the spirit. Maybe it has something to do with reviewing Ellen Stimson’s new book titled An Old-Fashioned Christmas. The setting is Vermont, the snow is plentiful, and there’s certainly no shortage of amazing food in this book.

Take a look:

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for giving me a copy of this book to review. I enthusiastically said YES because I have a special connection with Vermont and Christmas. Now, I’m from Pennsylvania . . . but almost every year I can remember from my childhood, my parents would pack us up the morning after Christmas. We’d drive a good five to six hours to Vermont on snowy back roads stopping at rogue antique shops along the way. Each time we’d get out of the car, my fingers and toes would freeze.

We’d snake our way through Bennington, Rutland, Killington, and Woodstock, staying a night or two. Then we’d advance to Burlington and usually make it to our final destination in Stowe at the base of Mount Mansfield. The memories I have of Christmas are unreal. Cross-country skiing through a mountain village as the snow spits down all around. Horse-drawn carriage rides with hot cocoa and wool blankets. Countless cozy fires and ice sculptures lining the walkways at the Inn at Essex.

(Stowe, VT)



I mean, seriously. Vermont IS the definition Christmas. So, this book speaks to me on many levels. It’s full of those hearty and wholesome recipes you just want to splurge on for the holidays. In fact, everything in this book exudes warmth and coziness. The minute I opened the cover, I started hearing holiday tunes in my head.

And bells!


Throughout the text, Ellen shares bits and pieces from her own holiday home. We even get descriptions and memories tied to different ornaments and some treats to give our four-legged friends. There’s also a wealth of human food to feast your eyes on.

I already have a few of the recipes on my to-make list, including:

• Aunt Loraine’s Brady Bunch Cheese Ball
• Cheddar Chive Biscuits
• Mock Cheese Soufflé
• Pea Garlic Mascarpone Galette 
• Salted Caramel Turtles 
• Spicy Hot Cocoa

So, if you’re looking for a way to get into the spirit, consider picking up a copy of An Old-Fashioned Christmas. I think it would even make a great gift (I’m probably getting a copy to give to my parents because I know they’ll appreciate it). I don’t know. There’s just something about getting a physical cookbook for Christmas that is like a tradition every year. This one has been on shelves since November 2nd, but the best price I can find is on Amazon.com.

Ellen Stimson is the author of best-selling memoir Mud Season. She’s a self-proclaimed bread-and-butter home cook who lives and writes from her farmhouse in rural Vermont. 

// GIVEAWAY

Now is your chance to take a peek! I am giving away a copy of An Old-Fashioned Christmas to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment with your favorite holiday dish and some way to contact you. Entries from the U.S. and Canada only, please.

I’ll announce the winner in two weeks. (And, yes, I will soon announce the winner of the Barefoot Books giveaway -- sorry for the delay!)

You can check out the whole schedule to see more great reviews on this book.

Also visit Ellen on Facebook and Twitter.

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3-Day Reset // Review

Sugar. 

I've definitely shared my ups and downs with what I consider to be some addiction there. Even though I know WHAT to eat and WHY I should be eating it, sometimes it's still hard to break that cycle. Pooja Mottl's The 3-Day Reset is certainly an easy to follow guide to help all of us with our individual vices, and the information is like starting from square one.


Above all, I like the tone of the book. It isn't clinical. It isn't mean. It's, instead, like a friend guiding you and reminding you of some important stuff you've decided to, well, forget. I so conveniently forget the nutrition DOs and DON'Ts when they all of a sudden don't apply to my cravings, but Mottl puts them in black and white.

Here's an excerpt from the section I followed:

"Sugar goes down like water, and we’re consuming it with reckless abandon. Accord- ing to the USDA, the average American eats about twenty-two teaspoons of sugar, or about 13 percent of our total calories, each and every day. Okay, let’s think about this for a second: That’s like opening up your kitchen silverware drawer, grabbing a teaspoon, jamming it into your sugar bowl, and sticking it straight inside your mouth twenty-two times a day."


So, yes. I did the sugar reset and was actually quite pleased with my ability to stick to it. I would say that some of the ingredients in the recipes inside the book (for example, some delicious salads!) are a bit expensive and beyond my normal Aldi budget . . . but I made fitting substitutions to make them work for me.

When it was time to eat sugar again, I followed these guidelines


Try to eat whole, unrefined sources of sweetness, in moderation, about 80% of the time. The best sources for healthy sweetness are:

• Whole, ripe, fresh fruits 

• Dried fruits and vegetables such as dates, pineapple, and tomatoes 

• Raw, unpasteurized honey 100% maple syrup 

• Whole dried cane sugar or coconut palm sugar granulated crystals

And I'm pleased to report that my sugar cravings even after this short stint has been dramatically lessened. I can't credit the book entirely. I had already decided it was time to make some major changes to my routine. Still, I like having this resource to refer back to again when I feel myself wavering. I may try the Salt Reset next. I know I need sodium, but I seem to be sprinkling it on everything lately!

If all of this interests you, be sure to check out The 3-Day Reset -- as well as the rest of the TLC Book Tour. And if you'd like to connect with Pooja, you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

* I was given a copy of this book for review purposes. I have not been compensated in any other way. My opinions are my own.

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The 3-Day Reset // Pooja Mottl + Giveaway

When I started my most recent quest to eat better, I was surprised to find an email in my inbox asking if I'd like to review a new book by healthy living expert Pooja Mottl. The 3-Day Reset is a wonderful tool meant to help you "Restore Your Cravings For Healthy Foods in Three Easy, Empowering Days."

And with a quick glance so far (a full review is forthcoming), if you're in the same spot with craving those healthier eating habits -- this book might also interest you.

Check out the book trailer:


Resets include: sugar, wheat, salt, chocolate, yogurt, chicken, beverages, breakfast, salad, and takeout. The book is packed with delicious recipes and nutritional information to support why you should eat whole foods like quinoa instead of processed, frozen, or packaged foods.

Really, it's full of useful reminders for those of us who know what to eat, but sometimes need a little urging in the right direction. Or for those who are totally new to eating this way.

Take, for example, this helpful sugars chart. Sugar is in . . . well . . . everything!


I love how Pooja's goal is to help readers "enjoy eating the way Mother Nature intended." As much as I try my best to eat whole foods, I do find it easy to slip -- which is why a reset is such a common theme on this blog. So, I'm excited to make my way through this new book and wanted to let you guys know about it.

By framing the experience in just three short days, I feel like it's all very doable.

I'll report back soon!

// GIVEAWAY

Oh, and you can WIN a signed copy of The 3-Day Reset! Simply leave a comment below with the words "RESET ME!" Also tell me a bit about your vice (sugar, salt, carbs, etc.). 

• This giveaway is open to USA/Canada only.
• I'll need an email address or some other way to contact you if you win!
• I'll choose the winner on Tuesday, May 13th.

For more stops on this book tour, check out this page. And if you'd like to connect with Pooja, you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

* I was given a copy of this book for review purposes. I have not been compensated in any other way. My opinions are my own.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Ready, Set, Weekend!

Happy Friday. I thought it'd be fun to share a variety of things I've been meaning to sneak into posts, but just haven't yet. There isn't much of a theme here. So, let's get to it!

#1: Grace wrote to us because she enjoys our Food for Runners series. She sent along the link to an awesome cookbook called Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients.

Grace writes: "Power Foods starts out with info about 30-40 of the most nutrition-packed foods out there and explains why each are good for you and how to best to prepare and store them. Next, it's got tons of recipes containing all (and pretty much exclusively) these super foods."

"It's not aimed at eating light or weight loss, but at how to feed your body what it needs to keep it strong and healthy. Right up your alley. The recipes are great too. I want to make every one of them! And the majority are vegetarian. The photos are excellent to boot. I highly recommend it."

You can buy Power Foods on Amazon.com for $16.

#2: Christina writes: "I just started running this summer and really enjoy it . . . I recently came across this way of running called 'Chi running' and was wondering what you thought about it. Have you tried it, and, if so, is it worth venturing into?"

What is Chi running? Check this out . . .



I'm sharing this topic because I, myself, don't know much about it. Stephen, on the other hand, read ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running and watched several videos like the one above. He now swears by the method, which he says has "helped [him] use the downward pull of gravity to [his] advantage."

#3: Kim writes: "At a race I did recently, the results had a column for something called 'Age Grading' . . . I hadn't seen that before. What do you know about this number? Does it matter much?"


I came across the age grading thing in the same way, Kim. I had never heard of it before, but then I saw a number in the results of a race one day. Basically, age grading is a way of judging everyone -- regardless of age -- on the same scale based on their performance versus exact time. There's more information about specifics on the Compuscore site.

The scale is as follows:

100%= Approximate World Record Level
Over 90%= World Class
Over 80%= National Class
Over 70%= Regional Class
Over 60%= Local Class

To calculate your age grade for a recent race, just check out this nifty Runners World Calculator.

Do you know anything about Chi Running or Age Grading? We'd love to hear your thoughts and help answer these questions. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.


And read all about our Tornado Thursday today on Writing Chapter Three. What a wild afternoon it was.

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Cookie Dough Crumblers and Giveaway

* * * Giveaway Now Closed * * *

Congrats to Jen (California Meets New Jersey) who writes: "Well if I made it past putting it together and not eating the whole bowl...I like to make my own ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookies!"


You all know about my struggles with sugar. Things are looking up, which I'll write about another day, but I must say that Lindsay (Love and Olive Oil) is responsible for a sort of relapse.

A brand new collection of her recipes came out on June 5th in a book called The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook (Quirk Books). It's absolutely teeming with dessert ideas that feature -- you guessed it -- cookie dough.


To celebrate, Quirk Books has asked several food bloggers across the web to go crazy with her concept and create their own masterpieces. With cookie dough. Please. You had me at hello.

Thing is, I eat cookie dough so frequently, I could really only think to share my extremely basic (and quite embarrassing) guilty pleasure. This is my favorite way to eat it.


Obviously that wouldn't earn me any points. So, I went back to the drawing board. Cookie dough cheesecake? It's been done. Cookie dough tirimisu -- also done! Surely there's got to be SOMEthing unique and new!

What about COOKIE DOUGH BABY FOOD?!


OK. No babies were harmed in the execution of that joke. It was purely photographic. The babe ate carrots last night.


Anyway, I decided to keep it basic . . . with a twist. These cookie dough crumblers are bite-sized, salty, crunchy, chewy, and topped with chocolate-peanut butter.


COOKIE DOUGH CRUMBLERS

What you'll need for the cookie dough:

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance or butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons light coconut milk (or other milk/substitute)
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

For the pretzel base:

• Pretzels, enough to make at least 3/4 to 1 cup when processed
• 2 to 4 tablespoons melted Earth Balance or butter

For the chocolate:

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance

Method . . .

1. Cream together the Earth Balance, brown sugar, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and coconut milk. Beat until light and fluffy. Then add in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips. Mix until combined. Set aside.
2. Lightly butter the cups of a mini muffin tin and set aside.
3. In a food processor, pulse your pretzels until they are into little bits. Then add in the melted Earth Balance. More EB means less crumble. Though, I used 2 tablespoons and think mine are almost too crumbly. It's up to you!
4. Press equal amounts of pretzel mixture into the cups of your tin. Make sure you have a little left over for sprinkling at the end, though you will have a bit that comes off when you pop them out of the tins.
5. Then press equal amounts of cookie dough into each tin. You may have some left over. Eat it promptly. (Well, that's what I did. You can also store it in the fridge for the week.)
6. I covered my tin and placed it in the freezer for an hour to chill. Then I gently popped each bite out using my fingers and placed on some tin foil. I would have used wax paper, but I was out.
7. Then melt the chocolate, peanut butter, and Earth Balance together. I did it in the microwave, but stove works, too. Spoon this mixture over each bite and then sprinkle with excess pretzel. Let chill in the refrigerator for several hours. Or eat right away for a gooey experience.

Don't mind if I do!


And the book again is The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook by Lindsay Landis. I've had my copy for maybe a month and it's already well worn.


GIVEAWAY: If you'd like to win a copy of the book, just leave a comment below -- by midnight EST by Thursday, June 21, with some way to contact you -- with how you'd use the cookie dough. Winner will be announced Friday morning.

And to check out scenes from Stephen's first father's day, visit Writing Chapter Three. We'll be back with more weekend happenings later in the day.

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Newly Illustrated FOOD RULES -- Book Review

I'm a bit late to the game with reading Food Rules: An Eater's Manual, Michael Pollan's simple book about eating, well, simply. It's a quick read, providing a succinct, consistent message that eating -- food, in general, really -- doesn't have to be complicated. This latest edition of the book is especially neat.

Why? It's beautifully illustrated by the talented Maria Kalman.

If you, like me, haven't read the original Food Rules, you'll be interested to learn that this new edition has been expanded with 19 additional rules inspired by readers. Many of them are seemingly common sense. However, as a person who tries her best to eat whole foods as often as possible, even I found myself pausing to ponder a few.

One of my favorites? 45: Eat All the Junk Food You Want as Long as You Cook It Yourself.

We all know I have a sweet tooth. So, reading in black and white that there is room for indulgence in a whole foods, healthy diet is comforting. And here's something fun I did -- I read the entire book while trying to apply each rule to the McRib, McDonald's popular "pork" sandwich that features over 70 ingredients, most of them difficult to pronounce. I would go on, but the sandwich breaks too many of Pollan's rules to list in one blog post.

ABOUT


Michael Pollan is the author of five books: Second Nature, A Place of My Own, The Botany of Desire, which received the Borders Original Voices Award for the best nonfiction work of 2001 and was recognized as a best book of the year by the American Booksellers Association and Amazon, and the national bestsellers, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food.

A longtime contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine, Pollan is also the Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley. His writing on food and agriculture has won numerous awards, including the Reuters/World Conservation Union Global Award in Environmental Journalism, the James Beard Award, and the Genesis Award from the American Humane Association.


Maira Kalman is an illustrator, author, and designer. She is the author of The Principles of Uncertainty and she illustrated the bestselling edition of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. Ms. Kalman’s twelve children’s books include Max Makes a Million, Stay Up Late, Swami on Rye, and What Pete Ate. She also has designed fabric for Isaac Mizrahi, accessories for Kate Spade, sets for the Mark Morris Dance Company, and, with her late husband Tibor Kalman under the M&Co. label, clocks, umbrellas, and other accessories for the Museum of Modern Art. Ms. Kalman’s work is shown at the Julie Saul Gallery in Manhattan.

If you'd like to catch a glimpse of Kalman's gorgeous illustrations for Food Rules, SF Girl By Bay has a beautiful collage of them on her site.


Note: I received a copy of the newly illustrated Food Rules (released in November 2011) from the publisher, Penguin Press, through TLC Book Tours. You can check out the rest of the tour here.

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Review: Keys to Good Cooking

Do you guys and gals remember my preview post about Harold McGee's Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes from a couple months back? Well, the book is out in stores now . . . and I received my review copy from the publisher a few weeks ago. Very cool to receive that package in the mail! I love books about cooking and baking. I've have had the chance to soak in most of it. So, welcome to today's stop on the virtual book tour.

I'm going to start with general impressions. So, I just said I love reading books about culinary stuff. That's true. But I also don't love reading books from cover to cover. It's an attention span thing. I'd rather skip around. What's great about Keys to Good Cooking is that it's more like a dictionary and/or encyclopedia. You can shelve it among your cookbooks and reference it whenever you have questions about a specific process or ingredient.


Or, if you have more time, you can delve into specific topics that interest you and read that chapter in full without worrying if you missed something earlier in the book. You can always just jump around. It's a true reference text -- and something I definitely feel is helpful.

• A section will start with a brief definition of the process: "Poaching and frying are ways of cooking eggs free of their shells but otherwise intact, the yolk surrounded by the white and ready to become its sauce."
• In the case of a specific ingredient, McGee will then provide some examples. Types of ingredients that fit into the category and their similarities/differences: "Fresh cheeses, including cottage cheese, quarg, cream cheese, mozzarella, and ricotta are moist and perishable . . . Aged cheeses, including Brie and Camembert, cheddar, blue, and Parmesan, are salted, less moist, and less perishable."
• Then, McKee delves into certain tips: "To thicken and enrich [soups] with cream, use heavy whipping cream or high-fat creme fraiche, which contain too little milk protein to form noticeable curds even at the boil."
• And also precautions: "To avoid over-browning pastries at the correct thermostat setting, keep the heating elements off as much as possible." Followed by examples of how you can successfully avoid an issue: "Place a baking stone on the oven floor to retain heat and shield the heating element . . . Preheat the oven 25 to 50 degrees F hotter than the baking temperature so that loading the oven will bring it down to the baking temperature . . . Open the oven door as seldom and briefly as possible."
• After that, serving suggestions follow . . . or other information that applies to the topic. Nothing is left to your imagination. There's no guessing.

Along with all these tips, each section also provides key information about shopping for ingredients. Food safety (like we covered in my last post about the book) and storage. There are even entire chapters about the basics to get you started if you clueless about, for example, canning fruits. I know Julie could tell me all about it, but if she's ever busy on a Saturday afternoon and I just get the urge to can, McGee's advice will be helpful:

"Canning cooks and preserves fruit pieces, purees, and juices indefinitely by isolating them completely and heating them hot and long enough to kill all microbes . . . Improperly canned fruits will deteriorate quickly, and can be dangerous. If the heat treatment is insufficient or the handling careless, it can encourage the growth of potentially fatal botulism bacteria."

In other words, instead of looking it up "How to Can" on Google and quickly picking a site that gives me the fastest and easiest instructions . . . I now understand that if the process is botched, I could make myself and others sick. So, I'd likely wait and ask Julie to help me when she has time. However, if I do choose to embark on the adventure myself, the canning guidelines are right there to help me, to make sure the instructions I find will lead to a safe and successful result:

"Follow well-established guidelines carefully. Consult the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving available in print or on the USDA Web site, www.usda.gov, or make sure your recipe includes these steps:

• Prepare the jars and lids in boiling water.
• Heat the fruit preparation or the liquid portion of it to a boil.
• Seal the hot fruit preparation in the hot jars airtight.
• Heat the jars fully immersed in boiling water or in a pressure canner. Timings vary depending on the jar size and kitchen altitude. High-temperature pressure canning is essential for a few low-acid fruits (figs, papayas).
• Check the cooled jars to make sure the lids are bowed in the center and the seal remains airtight."

And that's really what the Keys to Good Cooking is about. I mean, there are a ton of sources of information out there . . . about EVERYTHING. I work in a library, so I know the whole story. Students always want to reference Google for their papers and projects. But not all information on the web is reliable. Some of it is, of course . . . but that's why we have librarians and classes on navigating information. Choosing the best resources. McGee recognizes the countless pages and pages of recipes, the innumerable books upon books about cooking/baking . . . the millions of tips and homegrown rules shared amongst friends.

What McGee provides is a voice of reason. An informed guide. An authority.


I could continue to provide examples from the text. But if you really want to know what the book is like, go check it out at your local book store. Or online. Read what others have written about it, too. And check out my preview post with some great information about the author.

If you're like me and just want the abridged review: McGee's Keys to Good Cooking includes almost every single type of ingredient, cooking and baking process, and other kitchen consideration. The information for each is holistic -- but to-the-point -- from start to finish. It's a great book . . . and a wonderful gift idea for your favorite cook.


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Introducing: Harold McGee's The Keys to Good Cooking

Good morning, everyone! We've hit 500 posts! How cool is that? Anyway, today I'm going to be a big tease. Well, here's the deal: I was asked to participate in an online book tour. I'm incredibly honored, because the book sounds absolutely fabulous. The first round of posts is a brief glimpse into the book. It's by Harold McGee . . . and it's called The Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes.


ABOUT HAROLD:

Harold McGee writes about the science of food and cooking. He’s the author of the award-winning classic On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, and writes a monthly column, “The Curious Cook,” for The New York Times. He has been named food writer of the year by Bon Appétit magazine and to the Time 100, an annual list of the world’s most influential people. He lives in San Francisco. (from the book tour website)

* * *
The table of contents reveals that the book is divided by food types. Anything ranging from fruits, nuts, and eggs to breads, pastries, and chocolate is covered. There's also info on kitchen tools I particularly like. (You may remember our post on Vegetarian Kitchen Essentials and another one about Useless Kitchen Gadgets.)

McGee writes in his introduction that this book is "not a cookbook." Instead, it is meant to help readers with comfort and method. He writes that there's an "abundance" of recipes online and elsewhere . . . and that it's "all too easy to get lost along the way." I surely know what he's referring to. I mean, how many times have you read through one of our recipes (or recipes elsewhere) and found that maybe some small part about HOW TO was missing. Like how LONG to whisk. How MUCH to mix. How SCANT to fill your measuring cup, etc.


In the section of the book that we were offered to review for this first teaser post (because I will be reviewing the book in full on October 26th), there's a chapter on "Vegetables and Fresh Herbs." McGee offers several tips for how to pick the best, freshest produce:

• Fresh vegetables and herbs are alive and breathing and should look like it. The best-quality fresh vegetables are the most recently harvested and most carefully handled.
• Precut vegetables are convenient but more vulnerable to spoilage than intact vegetables and are often wilted. Refresh them in ice-cold water before using.
• Frozen vegetables can equal or better the quality of fresh, especially vegetables that lose flavor and tenderness rapidly after harvest. These include green peas, lima beans, and sweet corn.
• Potatoes are starchy storage tubers. There are many varieties, most of which keep well for weeks at cool room temperature or refrigerated. “New potatoes” are harvested before they’re mature and should be used promptly or refrigerated.

There's also a great section about vegetable/food safety. Specifically:

• You can’t always recognize contaminated vegetables or herbs by their appearance or smell, or by their apparent cleanness, even in prepacked bags.
• Washing can’t eliminate all microbes from vegetables and herbs. The only way to guarantee their safety is to cook them.
• Don’t serve raw vegetables or herbs, including salads, to people who are especially vulnerable to illness.

So, already you can see that this book is jam-packed with some great information. What I like most so far is McGee's writing. It's approachable. Comfortable. Friendly. But don't just take my word for it -- check out the other stops on the tour.

* * *
According to Amazon.com, the book is set to release October 28th. Don't forget to check back with us on October 26th for our review in full! If you'd like to reserve a copy now -- or just learn more about what's in the book's 576 pages -- feel free to go check it out.


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Making the Switch -- Stephen's Perspective

I'm currently reading Born to Run, Christopher McDougall’s exploration of the life and running habits of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyon, who are arguably the world's greatest distance runners. And I find myself questioning one of the fundamental principles I’ve come to believe as a long distance runner: the foot must be well protected and cushioned in order to run efficiently and economically.


As a high school cross-country runner, my weekly mileage rarely topped thirty-five, and my weekly long run never strayed beyond ten. Believing in quality over quantity, my coaches made every mile count. I went through pair after pair of Asics DS Trainer X, a fast, neutral training shoe.


Now I'm a twenty-something marathoner, and I’ve increased my weekly mileage from 35 to 55 and my long run max from 10 to 20. Likewise, I’ve increased the cushioning in my shoe and upgraded to the Asics Gel Nimbus, the "Cadillac" of all cushioning shoes. Pockets of pillow-y gel in the heel and alongside the mid made my feet feel safe, comfortable, and protected.


But I’ve wondered: Is wearing pillows of gel on my feet the only way for my body to train for a marathon? How have the Tarahumara Indians and elite Kenyan runners been able to compete and complete such long distances wearing only the soles on their feet?

I’m not saying I want to complete my next marathon barefoot -- at least not yet. However, I am interested in weaning myself off the plush cushioning I’ve relied on and investigating a more natural approach to running.


Enter the ProGrid Kinvara, Saucony’s lightweight, minimalist shoe to help runners ease into barefoot-style running. I write "ease" because the Kinvara isn’t as drastic of a change as the Nike Free series or the Vibram FiveFingers lineup, which allow the foot to flex its full range of motion.

Instead, the Kinvara strips away the hard plastic and gel found in many running shoes and relies solely on spongy foam. What I like most about it, besides its weight -- a light 7.7 ounces -- is the heel height, which is lower relative to the forefoot than a traditional running shoe. This translates to a more articulated mid-forefoot strike, which is arguably more efficient and natural.


After covering over fifty miles in the Kinvara, I’ve felt a significant change in how my body responds to each stride. A pronounced mid-forefoot strike coupled with minimal cushioning means that the force and weight of each stride is absorbed less in the lower leg muscles and more in the body’s best shock absorber, the arch of the foot.

In other words, for the first two weeks, my feet have felt tender and sore since they have been absorbing the extra weight, and my calves have felt tight because of my foot’s increased flexibility and range of motion. Beginning week three, I find my body adapting well and feeling more refreshed and efficient.


Once I run this pair into the ground, I hope to continue my journey of scaling down and enjoying a minimalistic style of running. Who knows, maybe this time next year I’ll be logging long distances in Vibrams!!! But more realistically, I think I’ll make the switch to Nike Free+ this fall. After all, the body is a delicate tool that responds best by making minor adjustments, not sudden jolts.

And my adventure is only beginning . . .


What is your experience with barefoot running? Or maybe not experience . . . but opinion? Seems like another way of running naked to us -- which also seems to be a good thing. We've been enjoying posts like Ashley's series on the Vibrams. But let us know -- what's your take? Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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