GWG

Friday Food Fact: Dang!...some food is HARD to make

2010-04-08T21:49:00.005-05:00

I've been lucky enough to have a group of Austin chefs include me in an event they call "Meaty Monday Madness!" On the first Monday of the month, one chef picks a type of meat--anything from brisket to hearts--and everyone makes a dish with that main ingredient. Some of the creations are amazing. This month, rabbit. I decided to go all-out by making Braised Rabbit Ravioli with a Creamy Reduction Sauce. Oh yeah, the pasta was home made, too. Between weights, dry-land training and swim practice, IT TOOK ME TWO DAYS!
Fact: Making rabbit raviolis all from scratch is hard work.

Fact: When making a reduction sauce do not season it as the salty flavor will only magnify as it reduces. I learned this the hard way...a mistake you only make once.

Fact: Before placing raviolis on wax paper or on any surface they will sit on for extended periods of time make sure to flour both sides so they won't stick. I had a big problem as I didn't do this and they stuck like a leach. The remedy is to put them in the freezer and as they freeze you will be able to peel them apart much easier.

Fact: Making homemade raviolis definitely impresses the ladies. Holla!

Fact: They were delicious! Chef David Bull who has battled on the show "Iron Chef America" even loved them:)

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: How to Help End Hunger...

2010-04-06T12:35:00.002-05:00

I love to eat and get super-excited about it. (Wait until you see my rabbit ravioli post.) It’s important to remember that many people don’t have an abundance of food. This tweet caught my eye:

FoodBank4NYC
10:44am, Apr 06 from API
RT @CTFoodBank On #CharityTuesdayask yourself: RT @USCIrini have you volunteered @ a #foodbank?#thebiggestloser #poundforpound #endhunger

You can support feeding the hungry no matter where you live. When you do, tweet about it using one of the hash tags above.

Friday Food Fact: Rabbit Anyone?

2010-04-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

Rabbit anyone? Easter is right around the corner and my guess is that y'all are preparing to cook up some wild rabbits...no? Well since this is the season for bunnies I though it would be appropriate to feature them on the Friday Food Fact. Let me first apologize if any of you are offended and/or grossed out about the thought of eating a rabbit. To lighten the spirits you should know rabbit has been regarded as a fertility symbol and has long been included in Easter menus. So for those of you looking to reproduce yourselves, definitely go out and get a rabbit for the Easter table;) Rabbit has been domesticated and included on the table in France for centuries.

If by chance you're not planning on cooking rabbit for Easter have no worries, I'll cook one in honor of you. You might recall that I attend a potluck here in Austin called Meaty Monday Madness. The host is my friend Zack who is the chef and owner of the wine bar and restaurant 'Mulberry' in Austin. The first Monday of each month Zack invites a bunch of his friends, which many happen to be local chefs, to his house for a grand eating festival. This month's featured item is, of course, rabbit. There will definitely be a future post on the Meaty Monday Madness extravaganza!

So is rabbit healthy for us? The answer is yes and no.

The Facts:

A great source of protein which helps our muscles grow and stay strong.
High in Iron which promotes red blood cell growth and health.
Packed with Vitamin B-6 and B-12 which helps in the building and stability of red blood cells as well as helps keep our immune system strong.
Good source of magnesium which helps keep our bones strong, regulate blood sugar and supports our immune system.
Be careful rabbit is high in cholesterol.

Much like most things we eat there are positives and negatives in it's nutritient content, rabbit is no exception. If you'll be cooking rabbit this Easter I hope it turns out great! If rabbit is not your cup of tea then I respect that too. Enjoy!

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: School Lunches

2010-03-30T12:46:00.003-05:00

School lunches are undoubtedly the topic of much discussion. You may have heard Michelle Obama has started a campaign to change school lunches. Jamie Oliver is hosting a TV show called "Food Revolution" in order to illustrate the difficulties in the school lunch programs, as well as see if he can help a largely obese community. As I am very involved in nutrition and eating healthy this is really exciting for me to see such big efforts being made.

Jamie Oliver has an online petition that anyone can sign in order to show the President how much America cares. A recent tweet by queen food blogger Jaden Hair caught my eye. Click on her link and go sign the petition!

@SteamyKitchen "Have 30 secs? Pls sign @jamieoliver's petition-I stand strong for better nutrition & healthy kids http://ow.ly/1sFhn (plsRT)"

Friday Food Fact: Red Meat

2010-03-26T11:26:00.004-05:00

Are you a fan of red meat? Are some cuts better for you than others? Find out as I give you all the info in my "Athletic Foodie Tip of the Week"

Please disregard the misspelling in the video...I have no control over that:/

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Governor Perry's Appointment

2010-03-23T12:48:00.006-05:00

Never did I think I'd post one of my own tweets as the "Tuesday Tweet of the Week". I like to think of myself as a very humble and down to earth guy who is not one to toot his own horn. Last night I was thinking about what to feature for today's tweet. As I searched through tweets I'd seen in the previous week I couldn't stop thinking about the one tweet I've received the most response from. So I did it. I went there. I decided I had to blog my own tweet. So here it is people. Don't judge me;)

"Hot off the wire...@GovernorPerry appoints @G_WeberGale to his council on physical fitness and sport! http://ow.ly/1pkSn"

As many of you know I'm super passionate about food, cooking, and nutrition. This passion has led me to found AthleticFoodie, which is a company dedicated to helping people live a better life through better nutrition. Recently Texas Governor, Rick Perry, has appointed me to his council of physical fitness and sport. I am super pumped about this. I can't wait to help make a difference and promote, exercise, nutrition, and overall health. It is a great honor to have been appointed to this position and I look forward to working very hard to help in any way I can!

Finally I think I'm actually starting to make a difference and get somewhere with all of this:)

Friday Food Fact: White Rice vs. Brown Rice

2010-03-19T00:01:00.000-05:00

How does white rice differ from brown rice? A friend asked me this the other day and I couldn't give the exact answer. Immediately I knew this had to be the Friday Food Fact. So I did some research and here's the skinny.

First, after the rice is harvested it goes through a huller/husker to remove the outside grain husk. After this process is complete you're left with brown rice. From brown rice the grain becomes further processed by the removal of the germ and inner husk (bran). After the removal of the germ and bran the only thing left is what's called the endosperm. Finally the grain is then polished using either glucose or talc. What's left is white rice.

In the processing of the grain many nutrients are lost including Vitamin E, Thiamin, Ribofavlin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Potassium, and Iron to name a few. In addition white rice has been totally robbed of it's dietary fiber containing about 1/4 of what brown rice contains. Often you will see white rice that has been 'fortified' or 'enriched which means they have synthetically added back some of the original nutrients into the white rice. Crazy huh?

The same process and loss of nutrients is largely true with white vs 100% whole wheat baked goods such as breads, bagels, English muffins etc.

Here's an idea. Let's get back to eating the 'whole' foods nature intended us to eat. There's no question we'd be better off for it.

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: McDonalds and Health?

2010-03-16T10:22:00.005-05:00

Do you want to eat like an Olympian? Well according to a McDonald's commercial which aired constantly during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics now you can...by eating their food. You may remember the commercial stating, "Now you don't have to be an Olympic athlete to eat like one." Wait, really? Is McDonald's 'sweet chili sauce' really the fuel Olympians eat for performance? Although I wish there weren't two sides to this story, sadly I must confess there are.

In my experience eating in the dining hall at the Beijing Olympics, I've seen first hand that many athletes do in fact eat McDonalds. Some even eat it right before their events...I even know a couple personally (including ones who won medals). So it's evident McDonalds does have truth in their statement. I shall bear all truth, too, 'after' my Olympic events were over I too delved into some McDonalds. It was a rare treat however.

On the other hand most Olympic athletes do not eat at McDonalds during their competition schedule. In fact many athletes turn their nose up at the thought of it. While training to compete at high levels of sport can and sometimes does include infrequent fast food and junk, generally it does not.

Social responsibility. The 'appropriate' phrase which came to mind when I saw McDonald's Olympic commercial. Is it socially responsible to link healthy Olympic athletes to unhealthy, yet tasty food...and imply that by eating it you too can be like an Olympian? Obesity in America continues to break historic records. Companies like McDonalds continue to try and align themselves with health through special meal programs, and commercials like the one discussed here. In this case, McDonalds should be ashamed. Do they not realize the negative effect they're having on society? Just like some of you, there were some other thoughts that went through my mind when I saw their commercial...explicit ones!

The following tweet reignited my thoughts about the McDonald's Olympic commercial, which brings us to the Tuesday Tweet of the Week. The tweeter is a guy named Rich Roll who is an UltraMan. Rich is as fit as they come. Check out his website to learn more about the crazy races he undertakes.

@RichRoll "Weight Watchers deal with McDonalds!?! This enrages me. Just another way McD is co-opting American health. MUST READ http://bit.ly/agjd35"

What are your thoughts? Please let us know!

Training Our Lungs with Underwater Bikes

2010-03-15T11:53:00.005-05:00

I'm basically holding up over 250lbs there...no big deal baby!
Just cruisin'

Poppin' a wheelie. Holla!
Just another sweet trick in my arsenal...

Stretchin' out for max points

Friday Food Fact: Some Food Life Facts

2010-03-12T00:01:00.001-06:00

For a few minutes let's just imagine humans could live on air. What if the feeling of hunger is simply to force us to get together and communicate with other people? I don't obviously mean this in a literal sense but what if this were true.

2010, the birth of the "Friday Food Fact" here on the Food and Water blog. 2010, my first experience in attending foodie/chef potlucks here in Austin. How could I have only found out about these this recently? A potluck...what a genius idea! Great food, unique drinks, new and interesting company...brilliant. What's even better is that you're not solely relied upon to create everything. My mind tells me the more potlucks the better. We'll see if my midsection agrees.

Fact: I've met more new and exciting people in a few short months attending food-enthusiast potlucks and food events than I have in the previous couple years in Austin.

Thoughts: The more I get involved and intertwined in the food and cooking world the more I realize how food can bring people from all walks of life into one conversation. People from all over the world from different socioeconomic backgrounds, different races, different ethnicities etc. can all discuss food. Of course they can all technically discuss anything but food is something everyone has at least some knowledge about. For instance, what foods did you eat growing up, what's the family traditional cuisine, were there certain crops or staples used in what you ate/eat, how do spices vary among cultures???...the list goes on. Not to mention, everyone attending is totally into the fact that we're about to eat some really legit food baby. The environment is set for a great time as well as the perfect place to meet like-minded people.

Fact: Before cooking in Italy and New York I was always very apprehensive about cooking for others. My expectations were always very high which always led me to think my food was never good enough.

Thoughts: Working in a kitchen in Umbria, Italy for over a month this past summer and doing a "stage" working at restaurant Daniel in NYC gave me a huge boost of knowledge, skill, and confidence. They also gave me the "kitchen cred" to spend time in other kitchens. My expectations are still high (they always will be) but now I'm getting closer and closer to meeting them. Just like anything the more you do the better you become. No longer do I shy away from having others over for food. Cooking for potlucks has made me even more fearless. (Check out the stuffed striped bass above from Wednesday's event.) At a potluck I attended last month I was the only non-chef to prepare an entree. I made Bison heart. Not only was this an odd thing to make but I had no idea what I was really doing. The final product was delicious and got rave reviews from other chefs. Let's keep this going. I love getting more and more confidence in the kitchen...such a pleasure.

So Happy! Clearwater Tomorrow

2010-03-11T12:06:00.003-06:00

A weekend of fast swimming followed by a week of hard training. Boom. Getting back into the swing of things fast. I am on a mission to get more fit. I want my core to become freakishly strong. The weight room is where I'll be. Iron is what I want. Power is what I want. Blazing swimming is what I expect. I'm so reinvigorated and excited for this summer season. Fast swimming is in store.

Geeezzz and I'm soooo happy too. Why am I happy? I can't put a finger on exactly why I'm so happy. One thing for sure was some fast swimming last weekend. Training is going well this week. My relationship with both of my coaches is strong (so important to me). I'm cooking my little butt off. Being in the kitchen always makes me feel good and relaxed. My food career is coming along nicely with a couple cooking gigs planned in the next month. My social life is what I want it to be! Yikes...all is great with the world:)

Tomorrow I'm traveling with my friend and training partner Matt Lowe to Clearwater, Florida to train with the big man, Randy Reese. I love going down and training with Randy. He's such a trip... First off he has the most dry and hilarious sense of humor of anyone I've ever been around. The man tells you exactly what he wants from you, exactly what he thinks of you, exactly what you need to do to get where you want to go... He's exactly my kind of guy...no BS! Matt and I will be there for a little over two weeks and expect to get our butts whooped everyday. I can't wait.

Check back tomorrow for the Friday Food Fact. I hope y'all are doing great. Do what you love...all the rest will work itself out:)

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Addie Broyles Gives SXSW Eats

2010-03-09T13:48:00.001-06:00

At every turn my food knowledge, writing and experience are seemingly becoming greater and greater. There is no doubt I'm completely in love with food and cooking. Heck, I want to make a career out of it. Rather, I am going to make a career out of it. One of several great occurances so far this year has been my intro to the world of foodies and other bloggers in the Austin area. The scene here is really well represented with enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and humble people. So far I've done several things with different 'food' groups and every one has been great.

This weekend is the start of a big festival called South by Southwest. Characterizing this event is difficult. It spans many days, includes music, food, movies, tech seminars and more. Sadly, I won't be around to experience any of the food festivities as I'm leaving Friday morning to go train in Florida for a couple weeks. I'll depend on others to keep me up to speed.

One of the true leaders of the Austin foodie world is named Addie Broyles. She is a well respected food writer for the Austin American Statesman, a food blogger, and no doubt a twitterer. One of her recent tweets really caught my eye. My initial emotion was excitement, followed by a bit of sadness in that I'll be unable to attend. This tweet however is a great one for all of you who will be in town for SXSW and/or are interested in the general food scene here in Austin. Make sure to also check out Addie's blog and twitter feeds.

@relishaustin: "SXSW Eats: Parties where food is the headliner http://bit.ly/bVOxQw"

Dang I wish I could go to some of those!

Old school?? You bet, as tribute to Matt Biondi

2010-03-07T15:06:00.004-06:00

When Aaron Piersol laid down the gauntlet, I had to give it a try. How about instituting a "Man Law"...? Check out this article in The Austin American Statesman gives the rest of the story.

Friday Food Fact: Vitamin B12

2010-03-05T19:26:00.005-06:00

Vitamin B12

You might have heard about this essential vitamin in health class, at your nutritionist, from your doctor, a coach, or maybe even in one of the famous Roger Clemens testimonials. What's certain is that B12 is an essential vitamin humans need to sustain a healthy life.

Effects of B12:

Supports the production of red blood cells which helps prevent anemia.
Helps our cells metabolize proteins, carbohydrates as well as fats.
The Mayo Clinic states it, "helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells and is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells."

Best sources of B12 include Sardines, Venison, Shrimp, Scallops, Salmon, Beef, Lamb, Cod, milk and eggs. The book 'The World's Healthiest Foods' by George Mateljan says, "Vegans must pay attention to their intake of vitamin B12 since this vitamin occurs primarily in animal foods..." In order for vegans to ensure they are getting an adequate amount of B12 you may want to consult a doctor and/or nutritionist to see if a B12 supplement is suitable for you.

An interesting fact...George Mateljan also states, "vitamin B12 cannot be made by animals or plants, but only by microorganisms, like bacteria. When plant foods are fermented with the use of B12-producing bacteria, they end up containing B12."

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Slow Cooking Seafood

2010-03-02T20:09:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago I read a really interesting article @JasonFalls tweeted which talks about how Twitter is more of who 'you' follow than who follows you. After reading this I sat and thought about the concept for a bit. What a great point. What I did was started to go through people I already follow and find other interesting people they follow. I know this is probably already what most of you do but I'm just a bit slow to catch onto the practical application of Twitter. I now use twitter as a means to learn from others. Ain't no thang;)

Soon thereafter I began following @amandahesser who is a Food columnist at the New York Times, an author, and was a founder of Plodt.com and food52.com. One of her tweets really caught my eye...

"My method for perfectly cooked seafood that even the most distracted cook couldn't bungle http://bit.ly/9Xodrc"

If you like seafood you'd better click the link!

Eating Like an Olympian...An Inside Look at the Olympic Village Dining Hall

2010-02-28T09:53:00.003-06:00

Below is a story I wrote for The Austin American Statesman

As the athletes of the 21st Winter Olympiad prepare for the sporting moments of their lives, one thing's for sure: They all need to eat. After winning two gold medals in the Beijing Olympics for swimming, I know firsthand what the athletes of Team USA are about to experience as they fuel their bodies to win gold in Vancouver.
Over the years, I'd heard stories of the mounds of food, huge seating areas, desserts in droves and strangely, McDonald's. So when I approached the dining hall of the Olympic village in Beijing for the first time, my heart began to pound harder and faster in anticipation. It was if I were witnessing the parting of the Red Sea when the hall's sliding doors opened. Eyes wide, I was in awe of the rainbow of color and commotion. One foot in front of the
other, I walked into this massive structure that seemed as big as two football fields.
Surrounding me were all the colors of the rainbow. At the Olympics, each country's perfectly tuned athletes are draped in clothes that feature the colors and insignias of their homeland. Forget deciphering where you were based solely on the language. There were too many to have any idea what you were listening to.
Fellow University of Texas swimmer and three-time Olympian Ian Crocker told me that when you first arrive in the Olympic village, you'll walk around completely on a high for the first couple days. He was right \u2026 at least on an emotional level.
But my purpose in Beijing jolted me back to reality like I'd been grabbed by an internal force with the power of Goliath. It told me, "Hey, buddy, you're here to take care of business, and you can't afford to expend this much emotional energy on the simple act of eating." Through my nose I inhaled a deep breath of surprisingly clean Beijing air, and as the carbon dioxide left my mouth, so did the excitement. Now my mind-set was right: I came to Beijing to win gold medals \u2026 no time for people-watching.
I began my search for the food my body required for maximum performance. The difficulty was where to begin. I turned on cruise control and began to peruse the massive dining hall. Cruise control? Think again. This was no open highway, but rather a New York City street during rush-hour traffic, much like the athletes in Vancouver will face in their own dining halls.
In Beijing, as athletes walked into the dining hall, there were two huge salad bars with various types of greens, beans, veggies, pasta salads, pickled veggies, nuts, cottage cheese, fruits, cereals, granolas, yogurts and more. In the same area was a large bakery pumping out muffins, scones, croissants, pretzels, five-grain breads and bagels. At the end of the salad bar and opposite the bakery was the dessert area, with a huge spread of cookies, cakes, parfaits, bread pudding and candy bars. Throughout the games, I stayed strong and didn't touch a dessert until my events were over. Trust me when I say I was not the norm.
The more substantive food was along the back wall. People waited in line at each food station, elbow-to-elbow with all sorts of famous athletes, from gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson to Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki.
The aromas and flavors were all-encompassing. In keeping with the Olympic spirit, there was food from all around the world, including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Asia, America and Italy (including a huge pizza bar) and a sushi bar. One section was dedicated solely to different preparations of duck (probably 15 to 20 per day). Depending on your desires and appetites, you could enjoy anything from baked salmon or chicken to curried lamb, blackened sea bass, chicken Parmesan, quinoa and black bean salad, mac and cheese, filet mignon, wild rice, sweet potato casserole and so much more.
After filling my tray for my first meal at the Olympics, I found a seat among fellow Team USA athletes. Generally, athletes from the same country sit together, but this isn't always true.
As I ate, I looked to my right. Lo and behold, who sat down literally five feet from me? Nothing short of the greatest tennis player in the world, Roger Federer. What a surreal experience. Not only was I taking in the Olympic experience for the first time on the first day, but I ended up sitting next to one of the greatest athletes of all time. Incredible. The real beauty was that for the most part, people left him alone.
Every diet's different
So what do the top athletes eat? Who decides the menu? Do they serve everything a world-class athlete needs?
Many athletes have strict diets both in and out of competition, but a surprising number gorge themselves on McDonald's and desserts. Some determine their diets based on calorie counts, protein content, carbohydrate levels and vitamins and minerals. Incredibly, each food item — from lasagna to raw broccoli — was individually labeled with nutrition content.
Each athlete's diet is different for several reasons, including the nature of the sport as well as the body type. Calorie counts and consumption vary widely.
The Beijing Olympics were the epitome of efficiency. The single dining hall streamed hot and nutritious food to more than 16,000 village residents 24 hours a day inside the hall, which could accommodate 5,000 people at any one time. With an estimated 5,500 athletes competing, the winter Olympics are somewhat smaller than the summer Olympics. Just like in Beijing, athletes train and compete at different times, so the Vancouver Olympians will be served around the clock as well, but in two dining halls — one in Vancouver and one in Whistler.
In Vancouver just as it did in Beijing, an international food service company manages the dining hall. The menus are sent to the head dietitian and nutritionist at the U.S. Olympic Committee, then circulated to 14 other dietitians and nutritionists around the world.
Among the differences between the Beijing Olympics and the Vancouver Olympics — besides the cold weather, of course — are some of the higher altitudes. The menus were adapted to help the athletes deal with the environment.
Susie Parker-Simmons, a sports nutritionist at the U.S. Olympic Committee, said that feeding athletes at altitude presents special concerns.
First, there is the need for more calories as the body works harder to adapt. At altitude, men will burn more carbohydrates and women more fat, she said. Among the foods provided to counter that are nutritional oils, nuts, seeds and fish.
Parker-Simmons said that at high altitudes, athletes will also need foods rich in iron as their bodies try to build more red blood cells, which the body manufactures in greater numbers to help carry oxygen to muscles. Iron helps promote the building of these red blood cells.
Fed for success, the competitors of the 21st Winter Olympiad are ready to show the world what they and their countries are made of. The athletes know one thing for sure: All the proper nutrition is being provided for them. The moment of truth awaits. The only question now is whether they have what it takes to bring home gold.
Breakfast of champions
The swimming schedule in Beijing was organized so the finals would be played on live TV to the American viewing audience. This meant the swimmers would be doing something completely new: swimming finals in the morning.
This presented a bit of a different routine for the athletes. Breakfast turned into the meal that would not only help fuel us for the day but also gas up our bodies to win gold.
As an Olympic athlete, it's very important to stay true to your diet, your routine, and listen to your body. The Games are a time to mimic the same eating habits that got us to this level by eating similar foods, at similar times, before competition and monitoring how full we are. It's not a time for experimentation.
The morning of my first Olympic race - the dramatic 400-meter freestyle relay in which the U.S. beat the French and won gold - I stuck to my routine.
After waking up and swimming for a bit in the village pool, I headed to the dining hall. The breakfast and/or pre-race meal for me always contains high carbohydrates, some protein and some fruits.
My breakfast of champions was oatmeal with a banana, some almonds, dried cherries and cranberries, prunes, yogurt, orange juice and dried cereal with low-fat milk.
Part of eating is for comfort. I eat oatmeal a lot, and the warm flavors and textures make me feel at ease. On top of the nutritional benefit, it's important to eat things that help us stay grounded and relaxed.
On my walk from the dining hall to our dorm, I passed Michael Phelps and his coach, who were headed to breakfast. Michael said to me, "Did you hear what the French guys said in the paper this morning?" I said, "I don't even want to hear it. It doesn't matter. We're going to go to the pool and take care of business, and that's all that matters."
Take care of business is exactly what we did. Go, U.S.A.!
- Garrett Weber-Gale
GWG's Freestyle Granola
Granola is a passion of mine - it's a sweet, crunchy, satisfying breakfast and the perfect healthy portable snack. I've tried just about every brand in the supermarket. Once I realized how easy it is to make granola at home, I experimented until I came up with just the right blend of fruit, nuts, seeds and grain. You might want to double this recipe because a) it's addictive and b) you should be nice and share with your friends (or teammates).
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
4 cups old-fashioned oats
4 oz. raw almonds, whole
4 oz. pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder (gives the granola a great crunch)
2 Tbsp. flax seeds
4 oz. dried apricots, chopped
4 oz. dried cranberries
Place the oven racks on the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees.
In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar and oil. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the brown sugar is dissolved. Stir in the vanilla.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, pepitas, wheat flour, dry milk powder and flax seeds. Pour the warm syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to combine well.
Divide the moistened oats evenly on two baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir with a metal spatula and rotate the sheets to opposite racks to ensure even baking. Bake another 20 minutes, then stir and switch pans again. Bake until the mixture has a fragrant, toasty aroma, about another 15 minutes. Cool the granola in the pan, breaking up any large clumps with a spatula. When the mixture is completely cool, mix in the dried apricots and cranberries and store in an airtight container.
- Garrett Weber-Gale
Garrett's Smoothie
1 banana (rich in potassium)
1 cup frozen mango (25 percent of daily Vitamin A)
1 cup frozen peaches (200 percent of daily Vitamin C)
1 cup frozen cherries (25 percent of your daily Vitamin A and 10 percent of daily iron)
2 Tbsp. milled flax seed (high in dietary fiber, omega-3s and folate)
11/2 cups orange juice (high in Vitamin C)
Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. For a more liquid consistency, you can add more orange juice or even some milk. Do not add sugar or mix in ice cream.

Friday Food Fact: Tofu...Don't be Fooled, It's Good

2010-02-26T00:01:00.002-06:00

Food: Tofu (derived from soybeans)

History: First a little background on soybeans... Soybeans are originally from China and have been cultivated there for over 3,000 years. Soybeans made their debut into the USA in the early 1800s as ballast aboard a ship. US farmers began to popularly farm them starting in the 1940s. Tofu was first discovered about 2,000 years ago. It is sometimes referred to as the "cheese of Asia" because it is made in a similar fashion to cheese (coagulating soymilk). Tofu has little inherent taste which is why cooking with it can be so simple, it will pick up basically any flavor it's cooked with.

Nutritional Benefit: Tofu is an excellent source of Tryptophan which is an essential amino acid our bodies need to maintain health. Manganese also has high concentration in tofu which helps your body maintain healthy and strong bones, helps synthesize fatty acids and cholesterol, and helps maintain a normal blood sugar level. Four ounces of tofu contains 33% of our daily needs of Iron. Iron is an essential nutrient our bodies need to maintain the production of red blood cells which carry oxygen.

Ways to Cook: Tofu is one of the most underrated foods with a terrible rep. But why? It's delicious! It has the ability to take on any flavor that it is dressed with. Some Top Chefs even fry it in pork fat to give it that meaty taste. But to all you vegetarian friends out there, have no fear, it doesn't take fat to make it taste good. One of my brilliant friends sent me this recipe that she claims is delicious, especially when served with steamed spinach and squash (yup, the squash made it in there). In the recipe that follows my friend used 2 tbs of Garam Masala instead of the paprika, cumin and coriander. The Garam Masala adds a bit of heat and is complemented with the drizzle of honey.

When asking around how others prepare their tofu, baking seemed to be a preferred method--cut into slabs or cubes, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and fresh cracked pepper, and heat at 350 until browned on both sides.

You can buy tofu in three basic types:

Soft tofu: nutritional substitute for milk in smoothies; eggs in a scrambler
Firm tofu: cubed and sauteed/baked, found in a lot of Asian dishes
Extra-firm: sliced and used as a meat substitute (ex: Lettuce and Tomato sandwich)

Spice-Crusted Tofu

Get to Vancouver...For FREE!!!

2010-02-25T13:14:00.003-06:00

Go to the AT&T site!

Help AT&T Support Team USA by downloading never-before-released songs, from top recording artists like Mariah Carey and 3DD

You can also download ring tones and answer tones for these exclusive songs

Proceeds from all downloads go directly to support Team USA

Text USA to 2257 or go to att.net/TeamUSA for more information

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Social Media and Honey

2010-02-23T10:14:00.007-06:00

A few interesting tweets...

@JasonFalls...Ways to move your Facebook fans to action. Nice stuff from @marismith on @smexaminer today - http://cot.ag/avgs0B

Jason is a social media expert and speaker. His blog helps readers learn about the crazy world of social media and the internet.

@NutritionExpert...Did you know? To make 2.2 lbs of honey, bees have to visit 4 million flowers, travelling a distance equal to 4 times around the earth!

Mitzi Dulan is a nutrition expert and co-author of 'The All-Pro Diet'. Check out her website.

Friday Food Fact: Dried Fruit vs. Fresh Fruit

2010-02-19T00:01:00.001-06:00

For the Holidays my parents got me a food dehydrator. Since then I've dehydrated apples, nectarines, tomatoes, bananas, strawberries and cantaloupe. I've really enjoyed trying new things and seeing how they turn out. However, I was unsure of the nutritional differences in the dried fruits vs fresh fruits so I decided I'd do some research.

Today I had a visit with my nutritionist. I'm a very inquisitive person and always go in to see him with a list of questions. Definitely one of my questions today was about the differences between dried fruit and fresh fruit. Is there a difference in nutritional content? How does the nutritional content change? Are there more calories and/or sugar in one versus the other?

My nutritionist and I discussed some things and after leaving I went to go do some more research. Here's what I learned.

Dehydrating shrinks down the fruit causing some nutrients as well as the calories and sugar content to concentrate.
Certain nutrients such as Vitamin C can be diminished in the drying process if too high of heat is used.
Many dried fruits are higher in fiber than their fresh counterparts.
Research has shown that drying blueberries actually increases its antioxidants.
Drying with high heat can reduce the effectiveness of the protein in the food. The protein in the food is still there but it is harder for your body to digest and absorb it.
Due to having a higher sugar content dried fruits can be easily satisfy a sweet tooth.
Dried fruits are a great source of quick energy...plus they're easy to take with you.

Some useful blurbs I found in the New York Times about the nutritional content in certain dried fruits...written by C. CLAIBORNE RAY

"for apricots, a cup of fresh halves is 86 percent water, with 74 calories, and a cup of dried fruit is 76 percent water, with 212 calories. Fresh apricots have 3.1 grams of fiber versus 6.5 for dried; 0.6 milligrams of iron versus 2.35 milligrams; 15.5 milligrams of vitamin C versus 0.8 milligrams; and 149 retinol activity equivalents of vitamin A versus 160."

"A cup of fresh Thompson seedless grapes is 80 percent water, with 104 calories, and a cup of raisins is 15 percent water, with 434 calories. The grapes have 1.4 grams of fiber, versus 5.4 grams for the raisins; 0.54 milligrams of iron versus 2.73 milligrams; 288 milligrams of potassium versus 1,086 milligrams; and 16.3 milligrams of vitamin C versus 3.3 milligrams."

I'll be drying the heck out of fruits in the coming weeks. The important thing I'm going to remember is to ration the amount I intake. Dried fruits should be a supplement to the fresh fruits. I won't need too much to satisfy my needs. In the past I've always taken dried fruits with me to competitions. Dried cranberries and prunes were the two I had with me in Beijing. If you're going to buy them in the store always make sure there is NO sugar added.

Happy Healthy Eating My Friends.

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Apolo Ohno

2010-02-16T10:03:00.007-06:00

The Olympic movement is so unbelievably inspiring to me. Watching the athletes of the XXI Olympiad compete in Vancouver is such a treat. I'm literally addicted to it! My pride to be an American and watch our fellow Americans battle for the Stars and Stripes is out of this world. The Olympic movement's beauty is the purity in it's efforts and in the competitions it holds.

@_Katie_ brought the following tweet to my attention and I think it summarizes the Olympic movement's ideology and existence more perfectly than anything else I've seen.

@ApoloOhno tweeted, "Live this....everyday. http://tweetphoto.com/11534108"

2010-02-15T09:00:00.001-06:00

Go to the AT&T site!

Help AT&T Support Team USA by downloading never-before-released songs, from top recording artists like Mariah Carey and 3DD

You can also download ring tones and answer tones for these exclusive songs

Proceeds from all downloads go directly to support Team USA

Text USA to 2257 or go to att.net/TeamUSA for more information

Sweeps to Win a Free Trip to Vancouver!

2010-02-13T13:16:00.008-06:00

Help AT&T Support Team USA by downloading never-before-released Ring Tones and Answer Tones, from top recording artists like Mariah Carey, 3 Doors Down and Rascal Flatts. Proceeds from downloads support Team USA. To purchase, go to http://soundtrack.att.net/
Trip Details:
Winner leaves to Vancouver on 2-20 and returns on 2-24. 5 day 4 nights in 4 Star accommodations, tickets to 5 Olympic Events, airfare and tax incentive.

Text USA to 2257 or go to att.net/TeamUSA for more information

Friday Food Fact: Travel Meet Eating Tips

2010-02-12T13:22:00.003-06:00

Traveling to swim meets (and even on business and/or for pleasure) can easily throw our general dietary regimen out of whack. The comforts of our own homes are lost. No longer do we have the refrigerator stocked with all our essentials, a pantry where we can find healthy snacks, nor do we even have the option to cook our own meals. The reality that our eating habits at times of travel are going to be a bit different is not necessarily a problem. What's important is that we have a plan for how we are going to manage the situation.

For those of you who know me, you'll know that I'm not much of a planner. Logistics and thinking ahead on travel is not always my strong-suit. However, I generally do a pretty good job of bringing along some of my essentials that I know help contribute to my healthy diet. Here is a list of some ideas I try and do during travel:

If you're really on your game you might want to scope out a few places to eat before you arrive. Find some healthy spots. Ask around or even tweet a question to followers about where to go.
Hydration is a big issue when traveling. Sometimes we don't even realize how dehydrated we become during travel until it's too late. If you're on your way to a competition then you'd better be thinking about hydrating throughout the trip. I like to pack something called ElectroMix and mix it into my water to help keep my body full of electrolytes.
Packing snacks is easy and will make your life a lot easier. Some of the things I bring are dried fruits (apples, mangos, strawberries, cranberries, prunes, cantaloupe, and blueberries), nuts (walnuts and almonds), and energy bars (Cliff Bars and Powerbars).
My workouts always include a sport's drink during exercise and a post-workout drink after exercise. Be sure to pack enough of these with you so you don't run out. I always try and pack more than I need in case something happens...one time a Black Bear snuck into my room and was eating my recovery powder right out of the bottle...we got into a fight...naturally I won.

Most meets include dining out at restaurants. The ultimate is to have meals prepared for you which are in keeping of what you ate in training. At the Olympic Trials in 2008 and the World Championship Trials in 2009 my parents prepared meals and brought them to the meet for me. What a lucky guy I am! If you are going to dine out it's important to have some things in mind:

Go for things that look the least processed. If I have the choice of a whole baked sweet potato or sweet potato casserole I'll always chose the whole food. No need to mess with nature.
Ask for your veggies steamed without salt. Most places will heavily salt them as they saute them in oil.
Always ask for whole grain and whole wheat breads.
Do your best to stay away from the desserts...if you're competing you surely don't need them.
Keep the sodas and heavy sugar drinks out of your hands. Drinks high in sugar will spike our energy levels suddenly but will then drop dramatically and put us in a valley. At meets it is important to keep our energy on a level playing field. We want our adrenaline to pump us up, not sugar.

Trust me when I say it's hard to do all of these correct. We're are all humans and sometimes we make mistakes and need cheats. The important thing is to be mindful of the good habits to have during travel and put them into action whenever and wherever we can. Keep up the good work.

AT&T TEAM USA Trip Give-Away

2010-02-12T12:37:00.008-06:00

Help AT&T Support Team USA by downloading never-before-released Ring Tones and Answer Tones, from top recording artists like Mariah Carey, 3 Doors Down and Rascal Flatts. Proceeds from downloads support Team USA. To purchase, go to www.att.net/TeamUSA.
Trip Details:
Winner leaves to Vancouver on 2-20 and returns on 2-24. 5 day 4 nights in 4 Star accommodations, tickets to 5 Olympic Events, airfare and tax incentive.

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Tasty Tweets

2010-02-09T00:01:00.002-06:00

Twitter is undoubtedly a pretty sweet way for all of us to stay connected and also follow some of our favorite personalities. Today's Tuesday Tweet is not actually a specific tweet. Rather it is an article referencing a few of my favorites to follow in the food world. The only difficult part in following some of these chefs, foodies, and down-right food junkies is that they post some pretty delectable photos...and they make me wish I was there.

One thing I've found really great in following some of these people is that I often find inspiration in what they're doing. Generally I've come to the point in my cooking that I don't use recipes. I like to look at what's around me and create something from whatever is in my environment. Sometimes it's difficult to do this however. Viewing pictures of @Emeril, @BFlay, and @RuthReichl's food and/or reading what they think really helps me think outside the box. Follow some of these fellow food friends and see what comes to your mind.

Tasty Tweets

Friday Food Fact: Brussels Sprouts

2010-02-05T00:01:00.002-06:00

I know sometimes this food comes with bad wrap, especially with kids, but give it a go...I really love these things and eat them often. You gotta always try something at least once:)

Food: Brussels Sprouts

History: These little greens that look like small cabbages originated in Europe and were named for the capital city of Belgium. Brussels sprouts were first introduced to England and France in the 19th century and were later brought to North America when the French settled in Louisiana.

Nutritional Benefit: Although Brussels sprouts are small they are packed with nutrients. They are high in vitamin C, A and E which are great anti-oxidants and also provide anti-inflammatory protection. They are very dense in vitamin K and folate. Vitamin K helps the body absorb calcium and promotes bone health in addition to help in the prevention of hardening arteries. Folate helps in the production of red blood cells and also helps prevent anemia.

Ways to Cook: First you want to make sure you wash them. Many times there is dirt on the outside that we don't want. After washing them I generally discard the outer layer that has bruised or torn leaves. From here you can do one of two things.

1) Cut the bottom off perpendicular to the sprout. 2) Cut an upside down V in the sprout and remove the hard stem.

If I'm going to steam them I use the first method. If I bake them I cut an upside down V. My favorite way to prepare them is to cut them in half after cutting the stem out in a V. Then I put them flat side up in a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, grind some fresh black pepper, sprinkle on some garlic powder and thinly sliced red onions and then bake at 375 until lightly browned. If you like you could sprinkle a little bit of sea salt over the top but due to my high blood pressure, and my feeling that you simply don't need to for great taste, I don't.

Tuesday Tweet of the Week: Good advice on eating well from other foodies

2010-02-02T12:16:00.004-06:00

One of the really fun things about Twitter is that it brings people and information to you that you might not otherwise see. To help share some of what I see, I plan to start showcasing a tweet every Tuesday in my new "Tuesday Tweet" feature. For the first one, I saw some foodies tweeting about Michael Pollan in reference, I think, to his new book, Food Rules: An Eater's Manual. Dang, I need to get going and read that thing! Then I would know for sure which book it came from.

RT @erinelberson RT @j ennsutherland: Oooh, good one! RT@fourchickens: Michael Pollan: "If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't."

Check back next week for my Tuesday Tweet. Or stop in Friday for my Friday Food Fact. Meanwhile if you see a food and nutrition tweet or a story or blog that's cool, send it my way. I might just feature yours. Remember, you can follow me on Twitter at @G_WeberGale.

Mixing Business with Extreme Pleasure

2010-01-31T16:00:00.005-06:00

(My frozen mustache)

Finally I'm sitting back at my desk in my own house in Austin, TX. January 8th I left Austin to go train in Clearwater, FL with Randy Reese. We arrived to amazingly cold weather along with a very warm welcome by the man himself, Randy. In my mind, Randy is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches in the world. Last January was my first trip to train with Randy and the experience with Randy’s was so great that I had to go back for more. He gave me a lot more. Over the course of the three weeks I was down there with him he royally whooped my butt in the pool. He had one main goal, to make me cry, he failed miserably. However he definitely made me feel like I'd been put in a grinder.

One of the big inspirations of going to FL was to give my mind some new scenery. Training day in and day out in the same facility can get old sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love Texas, the Texas swimming program, my coaches and my life in Austin but the truth is sometimes I need a refresher. From the moment I got down to FL I was racing new people, swimming new sets, driving new roads and having new conversations. The intent worked, I was very happy getting a change of pace.

After my training trip in FL I traveled to Colorado Springs. USA Swimming is based there and they asked me to come up in order to sit in front of a panel and answer questions. Travel to beautiful Colorado Springs and answer questions? Sure I'll do it...what an easy and honoring task! My stay was wonderful in CO. There was an option to stay at the Olympic Training Center or in a hotel but luckily I have some great friends there that I stayed with. We had a wonderful time catching up and also went to a delightful dinner.

While up in Colorado I was asked to talk to a swim team in the area. I happily accepted. One of the things I truly enjoy and am deeply honored to do is talk to kids. It's truly incredible and no doubt I'm very fortunate to have people take my words as meaningful. The kids are always happy to learn and never cease to entertain...we even got an eight year old girl to sing Jingle Bells!
The trip finished off with an unforgettable highlight...snowboarding in Breckenridge. The plan was to mix business with some extreme pleasure. Success! It had been since 1997 that I'd snowboarded on a mountain in Colorado. Eight of us trekked out to Breck to enjoy the sunny skies, loose powdery snow and great company. The morning of the trip I woke up naturally at 5am. Many many many mornings I've arisen at 5am and never once that I can remember was I this happy to be awake. On the car ride to Breck I could barely contain myself. The other people in the car were like, "Dude we're not even there yet." No matter, I was pumped. The day ended up being perfect. One of my huge dreams is to one day have a place out at a ski resort in Colorado! What a magnificent trip. However, it feels great to finally be home. (Our crew at the top of Imperial Bowl)

Friday Food Fact: What is a Calorie?

2010-01-29T00:01:00.025-06:00

You’re a world class athlete so how many calories do you eat a day? Have you heard how many calories Michael Phelps eats per day? Isn’t it all about calories calories calories? Yeah yeah we’ve all heard the jibber jabber about calories but who really knows what a calorie is? Do you know what a calorie is? For a long time I had no idea. You’d think that with how often the word calorie is used in our society that everyone would know the exact origin and definition, but many people simply don’t. Herein lies the beauty of the Friday Food Fact. I’m here to help y’all out (that is if you don’t already know the answer).

So here’s the skinny:

In the simplest view a calorie is a unit of energy and was first defined by professor Nicholas Clement in 1824. The term began to enter French and English dictionaries around the time of 1840s. There are two basic definitions of calories. First is the Kilogram calorie that is the amount of energy it takes to raise the water temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. Second there is the gram calorie that is the amount of energy it takes to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius. In terms of food and nutrition, the Kilogram calorie is used and is simply referred to as Calorie. Gram calories were commonly used in chemistry and physics.

How does this relate to us? Whenever we eat something we are receiving some type of calorie from it. The calories can either be packed with nutrients such as if we eat a sweet potato, or they could be empty calories such as drinking a soda. Empty calories provide us with no other nutritional benefit and should be limited in our diets. As our body digests food we convert the substance we ate into usable energy. As I’m sure you can already assume, the more we use our muscles and exercise, the more calories we burn. The US Department of Health and Human Services states that in order to lose a pound of weight we need to burn or cut back 3,500 calories. Conversely eat 3,500 calories extra and you gain a pound.

We’ve all heard about counting calories. Personally I’ve always found this to be both a pain in the butt as well as pretty impractical. It’s very difficult to constantly monitor and keep track of exactly how much we eat. I believe that when you eat healthy you don’t have to worry quite as much about the quantity of calories you’re consuming. When it comes to the amount, I always go by what my body tells me to do. We all know what it feels like to be full. I simply don’t let myself get to that point. I eat until I feel good and am about 80% full and then stop. You can always come back later and have a little more if you need it. Don’t overeat, don’t be filled to the brim. Try not to get to the point when you feel like you’re going to explode. That's just gross!

If you want to count calories and that works for you I totally encourage you to do so. In reality the best way to do things is to find eating habits that are comfortable to you and help you achieve your goals. Remember, you can live a better life through better nutrition.

Talent? Is There Such a Thing? Ducasse Doesn't Think So

2010-01-25T12:13:00.003-06:00

Afraid of getting in the kitchen? Think you don't have any talent in the world of burners, ovens and sharp utensils? World renowned chef, Alain Ducasse says he doesn't really believe in talent. Looks like you're in luck...

Click the following link to read the insightful words of one of the world's greatest culinary minds. My guess is that you'll get some encouragement too!

"Alain Ducasse Doesn't Believe in Talent"

Friday Food Fact: Buffalo aka Bison

2010-01-22T00:01:00.011-06:00

Food: Buffalo aka Bison

History: American Bison is also commonly known as American Buffalo. The term buffalo dates back to 1635 while the term bison is a bit more current as it was first recorded in 1774. The American buffalo is only a distant cousin of the true buffaloes which are the Asian Water Buffalo and the African Buffalo. These large creatures can weigh upwards of 2,000 pounds. Plains Indians originally hunted the American buffalo for literally every part of their body and captured them by either driving them into a corral or over a cliff.

Nutritional Benefit: Bison is about the most lean meat you can find. The fat content of bison is lower than skinless chicken breasts, salmon, beef, pork and ostrich. In addition to the fat content being lower, so is its level of cholesterol. Looking to build some muscle? Bison is loaded with protein. In addition it is a great source of both vitamin B12 and iron, which will help our body's build oxygen-carrying red blood cells while also keeping them strong.

Ways to Cook: In my kitchen I try to have bison as often as I can when I'm having some type of meat...and why wouldn't I considering the data you've just read??? Bison is a great substitute for beef and can be used somewhat interchangeably in most recipes. However there are some things you should know first. Cook the meat 'low and slow'. Buffalo has a lower fat content so the meat is much less insulated in it's cooking process and will cook much faster. Try using lower temperatures and be VERY careful not to overcook it. If you plan on using the same cooking temperature and time as you would for beef you will have a tough piece of meat...it might as well be a buffalo chip aka buffalo dung aka buffalo poop aka buffalo droppings. Make sure not to let the meat dry out by letting it sit in the air for too long before cooking as this will also make the cook time faster and give you a less than desirable finished product. I love using ground buffalo for tacos and in tomato sauces. If I'm craving a steak or something of that nature I like to marinate a bison steak in some olive oil, pepper, garlic and rosemary...grill that baby up and you are well on your way to a great meal:)

Click here to watch me cook up a delicious Bison NY Strip Steak on 'Wisconsin Foodie'!!!

Training in Clearwater

2010-01-18T09:54:00.004-06:00

Training and spending time here in Florida with Randy Reese has been wonderful. I got off to a great start doing a lot of pulley-work in the water. Pulleys are when you swim against resistance with a rope attached to your waist. This is very difficult work and puts a lot of strain on your body. Seeing as how I was not used to doing so much training with pulleys I hurt my triceps after a few days. I got really excited and inspired by everything Randy was having us do and I probably went a bit overboard. The past week I've been kicking mostly and rehabbing my triceps. It frustrates me to no end having to deal with injuries. I was raised to be a worker by my family and by the coaches I've trained with. I am a worker. When I am unable to train to the utmost capacity I deem necessary, I become very dissatisfied. The past week has been a bit of a struggle but my triceps are getting much much better now. I'm confident this next week of training is going to be much more satisfying. Check back again during the week for more updates.

Friday Food Fact: Quinoa

2010-01-15T11:20:00.010-06:00

Food: Quinoa

History: Quinoa originated from the Andean region of South America. In this area it has been a cultivated and eaten food for 6,000 years. The Incas thought the crop was sacred and referred to it as chisaya mama, aka the mother of all grains. However, Quinoa is actually the seed of the Chenopodium plant.

Nutritional Benefit: This small seed is packed with protein and is great for vegans and vegetarians. Quinoa has high values of dietary fiber which is good for our digestive system and is also high in magnesium and iron. For those of you who have problems with gluten...you're in luck because Quinoa is gluten-free.

Ways to Cook: On the outside of Quinoa is an invisible coating called a sapopin. This coating is bitter in taste and by soaking it in water you will remove it. Most store bought Quinoa will have this coating removed already so all you need to do is rinse the Quinoa in a strainer. A soapy looking residue will come off when rinsed. Just as Quinoa makes a great substitute for rice or couscous, you will cook it much the same way. I use two parts water to one part Quinoa. Add all of it in a pot and bring to a boil. Once you get a boil going, cover the pot and simmer it for about 10-15 minutes so excess water is taken out. You will know the Quinoa is done when it turns a bit of a translucent color and the germ of the seed forms a ring around the outside.

One thing I do to really boost the flavor when cooking it is to cook using a stock such as vegetable or chicken. When cooking is finished you can sprinkle your favorite spices over the top or simply add it to something else on the menu. I love adding Quinoa to salads and bean dishes. My friend Matt Lowe likes mixing Quinoa with salsa, corn, and black beans...give it a try! Below are a couple videos of people cooking with Quinoa.

My Next Read...'Food Rules'

2010-01-11T10:45:00.002-06:00

For the past year I've completely dedicated my reading list to food books. Before then I'd read books on food as well but I decided to completely immerse myself in them last year and learn as much as I possibly could. A great writer my Dad turned me on to is Michael Pollan. He's been a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine, an executive editor for Harper's Magazine as well as having written books including 'In Defense of Food' and 'The Omnivore's Dilemma'. Pollan has recently released a new book which I plan on putting on my reading list called 'Food Rules: An Eater's Manual'. Check out this New York Times article about him and his new book...

Friday Food Fact: Lentils

2010-01-08T00:01:00.001-06:00

I've had a request for Lentils...so here they are.

Food: Lentils
History: Part of the legume family. Humans have been cultivating lentils since ancient times. They originated in central Asia. Ancient Rome used to import entire shiploads of lentils from Egypt. Lentils have been part of staple diets for centuries.
Nutritional Benefit: Great source of vegetable protein. Like many other legumes, lentils are high in dietary fiber and folate, which makes them heart healthy.
Best Ways to Cook: Lentils do not need to be soaked like beans as they will soften in about 30 minutes of boiling water. Adding acidic substances such as lemon juice or tomatoes will greatly increase the cooking time so if the recipe calls for acidic items add them at the end or after the cooking process. If you are boiling the lentils in water you want a three to one ratio of water to lentils.

I'm honestly not a very avid Lentil cooker so I can't specifically tell you any way that I've had unbelievable success in cooking them. Remember that this is an ongoing learning process for me too:) I've included some links to a few lentil recipes that I think look good and plan on trying myself.

Egyptian Lentil Stew
Indian Dhal
Lentil Salad with Tomato and Dill

'Stumbled' on the 20 Most Incredible Edibles

2010-01-06T12:03:00.002-06:00

If you ever wonder what foods are the down right healthiest to eat then you're in luck. Recently I've been perusing a website called www.stumbleupon.com. I've made my settings so the site pulls up information regarding sports and food...two of my favorite topics. While 'stumbling' this morning I came across a helpful little article.

The 20 Most Incredible Edibles...check it out and you will be well on your way to advancing your healthfood knowledge

Meaty Monday Madness & TipsyTexan

2010-01-05T09:57:00.003-06:00

Meaty Monday Madness surely was a Meaty Monday Madness. Several weeks back I met a guy named Zack who is an owner and chef of a restaurant here in Austin. As I do with most people, we got to talking and soon thereafter the conversation lead to food and cooking. Sometimes I wish there was a secret camera watching me so I could go back and watch how ridiculously excited I get by simply talking to people about food, among other things. Zack had some great stories about his days being a chef and I had a few of my own from stages I had done in New York and Italy (I felt like one of the gang...it was sweeeet). When I was about to leave he pulled out a card from his wallet and invited me to a dinner he has the first Monday of every month called Meaty Monday Madness. Essentially it is a huge meeting of chefs, and their friends, at Zack's house that involves different types of home-smoked meats and tons of chef prepared side dishes. He didn't need to ask me twice...I was going!
On the menu last night was a smoked rib-roast, ham, and turkey. There was fresh black eyed peas, corn pudding, mac & cheese, bread and cheeses, homemade cookies, butternut squash soup etc. Also at the party was a guy I know named David who owns a business here in Austin called TipsyTexan. He bartended the event with a classic holiday drink from the 1800's called a Tom & Jerry as well as other drinks one of which included hand squeezed grapefruit juice from a friend's farm in Louisiana. Zack and David definitely know what they're doing. I had an incredible time and got to meet a bunch of great new people, chefs included (I asked them many food questions haha). Wow was the food and drink tasty too...Yum

Home Cookin' for a Hungry Crowd

2010-01-04T12:55:00.005-06:00

Last night I made a huge family dinner for the entire sophomore class of the University of Texas swim team. Imagine having 12 hungry swimmers over to your house for dinner...you're going to need a LOT of food. The menu was four homemade trays of lasagna and six loafs of garlic bread. The lasagna included hot Italian sausage, onion, Riccotta cheese, Mozzerrella cheese, eggplant, roasted peppers and of course tomato sauce...it was a delicious meal. Just a little tid bit, I made all of the noodles in the lasagna myself! BAM:) Oh yeah and the garlic on the bread was freshly roasted and schmeared on by hand when it was still warm and gooey, undoubtedly the best way to do it. Needless to say we had plenty of food and the guys totally loved it. Too bad y'all are not a member of the freshman class because I'm having them over for dinner on Wednesday night.

Friday Food Fact: Sweet Potatoes

2010-01-01T20:48:00.006-06:00

In comes the new year and along with it a new addition to the 'Food & Water' blog, the 'Friday Food Fact'. As many of y'all know one of my big goals is to help people live a better life through better nutrition. In order for us to become healthier and eat better we must first know what foods are good for us to eat and how they will help us. I'm always searching for new and interesting information about food and nutrition so if you come across something helpful please post it on the blog so we can all learn together. Remember to check back every Friday for a new 'Friday Food Fact'.

I couldn't think of a food more fitting to start with than a Sweet Potato. I absolutely love these things and eat them like crazy. You might also be interested to know that Usain Bold, the fastest man in the World and Olympic Champion, credits his speed to the Jamaican Sweet Potato...eat up baby!Food: Sweet Potato
History: Researchers have found Sweet Potato relics in Peruvian caves dating back as far as 10,000 years but the Sweet Potato wasn't introduced to Europe until 1492 when Christopher Columbus brought it back from the New World.
Nutritional Benefit: High in vitamin C, vitamin A, and provide powerful antioxidants. Sweet Potatoes contain about twice the dietary fiber of the ordinary Russet potato.
Ways to Cook: I personally love to simply bake them whole in the oven and eat them plain. Dang they are good. The longer they bake the sweeter they seem to become. Steaming is supposed to keep the maximum nutrients in the food while it cooks but I never think it tastes as good that way. Another great preparation is to chop the potato into cubes, place it in the oven with some chopped Rosemary, wait for the pieces to become tender....BAM now that's a good side dish! It's also easy and works great to interchange Sweet Potatoes for regular baking potatoes in many recipes.

I'd love to hear what y'all think of my new addition of the 'Friday Food Fact'. Also please share any recipes or thoughts you may have on each particular Food Fact. Remember, eating healthy is not hard and tastes great...you just have to make the choice to do it.

Back in the Thick of Training and Happy About it

2009-12-30T20:33:00.003-06:00

Back in Austin and back into the thick of training. My first day back I went a double. Today we swam for three hours. All and all workouts are going great. After having gone to the Duel in the Pool and resting a bit for that I feel somewhat refreshed and reinvigorated to train. As I get older I realize more and more that breaks are necessary. During college I would get three weeks a year and that was it. Looking back at that I wonder how I forged ahead with such little time out of the pool??? As Kris Kubik puts it, "Professional athletes and especially as they get older are like rubber bands, you can pull and stretch them hard and for a good while but eventually you need to let them loose so they don't get too stretched out." I can't think of a better analogy.

A little practice breakdown... Yesterday I was really happy with the afternoon workout. The main set was a 12 minute swim then we had a few minute break and went an eight minute swim. The goal was to go as far as you could in those time limits. Kris said to me that for the 12 minutes I should be around 1100...I thought he meant that 1100 would be the max I should go. I swam and stopped at the 1100 at 10:59. This was a great time for me and there's no doubt in my mind if I had understood him right I could've gone 1200 in 12:00. On the eight minute swim I went a 750...by that point I was getting pretty tired. We swam around for a while and then did the same set kick. I went 925 yards on the 12 minute kick and 625 yards on the eight minute kick. Leaving the pool yesterday I felt a great sense of satisfaction. There's no substitute for good quality work that gives me the confidence in my training that helps me continue to move forward!

Holiday Cheer...Life Cheer?

2009-12-27T10:18:00.003-06:00

Holiday Cheer. What exactly is Holiday Cheer? Recently I saw 'A Christmas Carol' on IMAX and 'A Christmas Carol' as a play. Many times since I was young (wait a minute...I still am young) I've seen this story but this time I took something else away. First off, I love the Holiday season because everyone is generally so much more happy and thankful at this time of year. My guess is that some y'all feel this too. Why is this just at the Holidays? Holiday Cheer...why not Life Cheer? The story of Scrooge made me think and wonder about this. Why not Life Cheer? What do you think?

Winter Snow...Crazy Biker Dude

2009-12-21T10:11:00.002-06:00

I arrived back safely to the US last night to a winter wonderland at my house. Snow is everywhere and I plan to go skiing tomorrow or Wednesday. The trip to Manchester was great. Once again an honor to represent the USA and travel to a new place. This week I'll be taking it easy and relaxing with my family. The plan is to get back into training soon...weight-room later today and maybe swim tomorrow. That's all I have for now but check out this video below...this guy is literally unreal!

Duel in the Pool Update

2009-12-18T16:45:00.003-06:00

After a long day of travel (for me, 25 hours) Team USA, tired and somewhat weary, finally made it to the hotel in Manchester. Literally 15 minutes post arrival to the hotel we had once again left on our way to swim. Many of you may be thinking that is a crazy thing to do after so much travel. In some respects it seems that way, but it is important to get our muscles working again to loosen up after sitting for so long. Now I was not looking forward to jumping in the cold water, I never am, what I was looking forward to was letting my body slowly cruise out all the kinks and tightness. Much like many swimmers, being in the pool is very calming to me. There was no question in my mind that as much as I didn’t want to get in the water, I would feel tenfold better after I was done swimming.

Coaches will once again have different philosophies on what they think you should do after travel. There probably is no solid right or wrong answer. What I know from a lot of personal experience is that it is best to take it slow for a while and go probably a bit further than I think I need to. When I dive into the pool after any amount of travel I have one goal in mind, “swim until I feel good.” Certainly ‘good’ is a relative term in this sense. Likely I won’t feel quite as good as I will the day of the race or even the day after travel, but I need to make sure I leave that pool feeling refreshed. For instance, yesterday I got in and swam for about 25 minutes. Probably 7-10 of those minutes were kick, 5-8 were drill and the rest was easy swimming. At the end I did a build 25 free and a build 25 back. The build is up to a percent that feels like I am still gripping the water but not forcing it. I think it’s important to try and always maintain as good of a grip on the water as possible…we don’t want to miss out on any water we could be grabbing.

Finishing the swim was, of course, a nice hot shower. Many times on National team trips we wait until everyone or at least a large group is finished to leave the venue. Last night we were going to wait for everyone to finish before leaving so this gave me a great opportunity to do some much needed stretching. We had dinner directly upon arrival back to the hotel. Let’s just say dinner wasn’t the best meal I’ve had on a national team trip…as I’d heard England is not known for its food. My night finished with a massage.

At about 10:30pm we hit the lights to go to sleep. I was dead tired and was confident I’d have no problem sleeping. I crashed hard. If I had to take a guess I’d say I was probably sleeping within a couple minutes. My mind and body were in one of the deepest sleeps I’d had in a while, but suddenly, I arose. I was wide-awake. My fear was realized. It was 3am…and that was the start of my new day.

Thank you www.SwimNetwork.com for also letting me post this blog to my website as well!

Manchester & Representing the 'Stars & Stripes'

2009-12-12T16:50:00.004-06:00

Once again I'm gearing up for another big trip. It feels like I just got back to Texas and now I'm leaving again. Tuesday will be the start of a two week journey that will first take me to Manchester, England where I will compete at the Duel in the Pool. The trip to England will be short and sweet, all of about five days, at which point I will head back to Wisconsin to spend the Holidays with my family. From what I hear Manchester might be as cold as Wisconsin. It's times like these, when I'm packing lots of warm clothes, that I remember again how lucky I am to live in such a delightful climate.

Duel in the Pool has traditionally always been a duel meet between USA and Australia. This year is a bit different. Originally it was supposed to be 18 men and 18 women from the USA against and all-star team of 18 men and 18 women from England, France and Russia. For some reason that I am unaware of France and Russia have dropped out and Germany and Italy have come aboard in their place. To be honest I really have no idea who I'll be racing over there. The truth is that it doesn't really matter anyways. My goal is simple, swim fast, have fun, and represent the 'Stars and Stripes' to the best of my abilities.

I've come to realize that wearing the 'Stars and Stripes' is much more than swimming fast and placing well at a sporting event. It involves and is intertwined in everything we do. Whether we're in the airport, locker-room, behind the starting blocks, or out to dinner, we are looked at as ambassadors of our nation and that is something we take very seriously. I know America is a very strong nation, and I am proud to be an American. Undoubtedly we have had our struggles and our mistakes. However, my trust lies within the systems we have in place, and what's more, the American people. Team USA's job is to show the world that our people live with class, respect and character. We do this by exhibiting these qualities every way we can. From my experience I think the USA swimming team does this with great success...and we will continue to do so. Thank you for all of your support. We greatly appreciate it.

AthleticFoodie Nuts

2009-12-08T14:11:00.002-06:00

See how a handful of nuts can help your health!

Time to Grind Off that Rust

2009-12-04T15:22:00.008-06:00

Wow...It's time to get back to racing. I haven't been on the blocks since July at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. For those of you who have not been around 'racing' sports that's a pretty long time to be out of the racing world. This is not necessarily a bad thing but simply the training path I took in order to focus more on hitting the weights and water workouts really hard. However, it showed yesterday in the 50 free and today in the 200 free that my racing skills are a bit dull. The strange thing is that I felt good in the warm-up for both events. This once again proves that it doesn't matter how we feel. As you may have already guessed I'm super tired from all the training I've been doing lately. This past Saturday I lifted weights for two hours and am definitely still seeing the effects of that. In short, I've been training like a mad man. Speed is not going to be there for me right now. Although it is very frustrating to swim slow and get beat by many people, I must remain poised and believe I'm doing the right thing in my training.

Kris Kubik, our famed assistant coach at Texas put it to me like this last night, "As long as you are doing the best you can do, then you are doing the best you can do! Sounds like you are!!!" This rings true. As always I'm giving every race my all. I must remain focused on learning from everything I'm doing and continue to have faith.

AthleticFoodie Sweet Potatoes

2009-11-29T13:26:00.002-06:00

The newest edition to the AthleticFoodie series of healthy living segments!

Gearing Up for the Big Meals

2009-11-25T18:50:00.003-06:00

Q: "hey Garrett. I know you're probably busy and you probably can't post anything before tomorrow (Thanksgiving) but do you have any tips as to how we can prepare healthier meals and eat healthier this Thanksgiving and Christmas season? Thanks so much!"

A: So here's the deal. Some people get crazed about the Holiday season thinking about what they're going to eat. Some people just say, "screw it I'm going to eat whatever I want and I'll get back in shape for my New Year's resolution." From my experience in watching people work out after the holidays...they rarely get back in the gym and work off the pounds they put on.

Check out these tips:

First, remember the word 'moderation'! Sometimes I think our society has lost sight of it. One or two cookies, not ten.

Second, eat big ON the holidays, NOT every day in between them. Think about that, depending upon what you celebrate that gives you two or three days to let it rip.

Third (holidays or not) save your indulgences for the unbelievably good stuff. Don't pig out on junk food or at every average meal.

Finally, do what I do when you're sitting down for that festive Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas feast...go for it! It's only one meal.

Golden Goggles

2009-11-24T10:20:00.002-06:00

A night to recognize the athletes, coaches and staff members of the USA Swimming National Team....what a good idea! Golden Goggles has been accomplishing this task for the past six years with great success. USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation have created a wonderful night where everyone comes together to celebrate the year's accomplishments. It was once again a true honor for me to be invited and as always I had a great time.

The night began with a reception of appetizers, drinks and socializing. There is a 'Gold' carpet area where media takes pictures and does interviews with the athletes and guests. Once everyone makes it into the ballroom all the athletes and coaches get announced as they walk out on stage in pairs of two. Dan Hicks (one of the Olympic swimming announcers) conducted the evening and gave a small speech. Dinner begins. Each table is hosted by an athlete or coach. Most tables consist of fans, donors, or big USA Swimming supporters. I love being able to talk with everyone and share the wonderful experiences of the National team with them. After dinner a hip-hop dance group performed prior to the eight awards being given out.

The highlight of my night came when Eddie Reese won the 'Coach of the Year' award. For those of you who don't know...Eddie has been my coach since the fall of 2003. He has taught me more about myself and about swimming than any other coach ever could have. Although we've had our ups and downs I truly love Ed and know he can (and has) take me wherever I want to go in the sport of swimming. The truth about Eddie Reese is this...he's the most successful coach in the world because first and foremost he cares about his athletes as people first and understands the importance of guiding us to be successful and confident individuals in life before swimming. Watching Ed walk up on stage and accept the award I was incredibly proud. He deserves that award more than anyone and was, in typical Eddie fashion, as gracious in accepting it than anyone ever could be.

I'm one lucky dude...Eddie Reese, Kris Kubik, Golden Goggles...and now home for Thanksgiving...what could be better!

AthleticFoodie Oatmeal Cookies

2009-11-18T10:14:00.002-06:00

This is one of my AthleticFoodie segments which airs on the TV show Wisconsin Foodie, Sundays at 10:30am on CBS 58. Please let me know what you think!

Some Good Leg Work

2009-11-17T12:55:00.003-06:00

Finally my body is beginning to reach the fitness level I've been looking for. Training the past month and a half has been pretty tough. Working hard in the weight-room and pool gives my mind and body a large load to deal with. At times it can be difficult to gauge where my fitness and strength are at because I am broken down. However, here and there I have little glimmers that show me I'm going in the right direction. One of them came yesterday in the weight-room.

We have some machines in the weight-room called CoreMax. This is revolutionary technology which allows us to explode through a weight upwards but not have to carry the full weight back down with us...if that makes sense. Yesterday was my day for legs...I did the CoreMax squats. This exercise allows me to push up from the bottom of the squat to the top and actually jump in the air with the weight but not worry about it coming down and crashing into me. I went heavy yesterday doing five sets of three reps. My last three reps were with 525 pounds on my shoulders. I'd done this weight at one point last season. Yesterday my velocity was not as high (the machine measures the velocity at which you push the weight up) as it had been last year...but I am getting there. Afterwards my legs actually felt great. I was really happy with what I had done and encouraged in moving forward. After practice and on my bike ride home...my legs definitely did not feel as good...

Patience...It's a Virtue!

2009-11-12T08:54:00.003-06:00

Patience...while it IS a virtue...I've found it to be something that can at times be hard to find. With a society so based around instant gratification and 'the next best thing' it's easy to sometimes get dragged into this ideology as well. In general I certainly don't fall into that group, however, I do have my moments. My moments generally arise at times like at yesterday's practice. Long story short...I've been working my tail off in the weight-room and the pool for over a month. I'm getting more fit all the time but still haven't reached the level I'm looking for. Yesterday we did a set based on sheer speed. If speed was gold and I was a miner...my mine had been all used up. I was dead. What an unsatisfying practice.

Frustrated with my level of fitness I thought to myself, "I'm sick of waiting...I want it NOW." Eddie could tell I was having a hard time. After practice we talked and he reminded me that it takes time and grit. He said, "you're as good or better than anyone at that game...that's what you do...you grit it out." Suddenly a brisk breeze bellowed into my sails. At that moment I took a deep breath in and my body literally (literally) felt like it had just inhaled something magical...I had...it was the words of the one and only Eddie Reese. No one in the world could have had that affect on me other than Ed. He also said, "you gave it all you could and that's all you have right now. We'll string a whole good week of training together soon. We just need to stay at it." He's right. The season is young. I just need to be patient and take it one step at a time. Looking back at it now...my practice actually wasn't that bad. The truth is that I'm a perfectionist and my expectations and desire sometimes gets the best of me. I'm glad I have people around me that can help me keep my goggles clear and see what's really going on. Patience...it's a virtue!

Food Inc. "Do you know where your food comes from?"

2009-11-09T21:48:00.002-06:00

How many times have we all said, "Oh I totally want to see that movie when it comes out" or "I can't wait to see that in theaters." This was true when I first saw the previews for the movie "Food Inc". As you can probably already guess...one thing lead to another, I traveled in Italy for a month and a half, was all over the US, and finally got back to Texas...without ever seeing Food Inc. Somehow this movie got brought up today in the weight-room and I was once again urged to watch. So I went and picked up a copy at the local video store. What I witnessed was truly amazing. Nothing was too graphic but rather painted a unique picture of the food we now call 'food' and where it comes from. If I had to take a bet...and I'm not a betting man...you will probably be quite surprised where much of your food comes from too, much like I was. Go rent Food Inc. Seriously

Speaking Recap

2009-11-02T21:05:00.003-06:00

Practice really does make perfect. Saturday I spoke to a TON of people in Milwaukee at the 150 year anniversary of the Greater Milwaukee YMCA. Although I'm definitely not perfect at public speaking I'm getting better at it every time I speak. I love doing things and watching my progress as I keep working and get more and more experience at it. I find it exciting to see how every crowd is different, how my diction varies, and the rush I get from becoming enthusiastic and animated throughout the talk. The audience's response was great on Saturday night and gives me immense confidence moving forward!

Speaking like Crazy

2009-10-29T10:44:00.003-05:00

One of the things I've found truly rewarding in the past year or so is getting the opportunity to speak to large groups of people. What do I talk about? Anything really, but mostly my story involving my battle with high blood pressure, swimming, and starting a business in the food world...and cooking of course. I've spoken to swim teams, USA Today, Rotary Clubs, Synagogues, schools, businesses and more.

I always tell people there are life lessons I truly don't believe I would've learned without swimming. I share those lessons as well as many of the most important quotes I've been exposed to over time. One of those quotes, as many of them are, is from my coach Eddie Reese..., "hard work and sacrifice always pay off if we're patient." I believe this to be utterly and completely true.

My schedule with speaking has been pretty crazy. I spoke to a journalism class on Tuesday. I'm speaking at a large conference tonight in Austin on behalf of disability awareness month. Finally I'm traveling to Milwaukee tomorrow where I'll be the keynote speaker to 1000 people at a black tie event on Saturday night. Lot's of fun! Gotta go practice my speech one more time...oh and find out what time I'm speaking tonight too...

Bread & Women

2009-10-25T20:39:00.004-05:00

Baking Bread & Women.

Two very complex things of which, in large part, man is still trying to figure out. The variations are endless. You think you might be on the right track...but you're not. You think this might be the one...but you mess it up. You think, for some odd and insane reason, you think...that you are beginning to understand...oh but how wrong you are! Even after listening to all the experts and following all the directions somehow, SOMEHOW, you still can't get the final product you're looking for.

Bread & Women.

The outside has no bearing on what lies within. Don't judge it...there's no way to tell the texture, flavor, warmth or any variation therein by looking. Gentleman (and some ladies), for that
there's only one way...get your hands dirty...experience. You may experience the hardest, most rough crust on the outside, but on the inside...no sir...it's all soft. Some have that hard crust and stay hard to the core, while others are soft all the way through. Am I talking about bread or women??? Who knows? What I do know for sure is that an outstanding bread, and especially a good woman can be completely out of this world. You all know what I'm talking about...that warm and wonderful feeling you get inside when you find one. It can change your world buddy.

While I can say that in large part, women, as most men could say, are still a bit of an anomaly to me. However I've recently acquired a book which has made the complex task of creating 'good' homemade bread quite easy. The book is called "My Bread" by Jim Lahey. It describes his revolutionary new technique which involves simply mixing the ingredients together and letting them sit in a bowl to do their magic for 12-18 hours. Then the product is finished off in the oven in a cast-iron pot. The yield is something truly wonderful.

Maybe this guy should figure out women next...my guess is he'd win the Nobel Peace Prize for that one;)

"The Morning Swim Show"

2009-10-21T09:51:00.001-05:00

Check out this interview of me on the Swimming World "Morning Swim Show"...

Feeling Something Incredible...I'm Floored!

2009-10-20T08:48:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what has changed or if there is a new fire within me but my love for swimming seems to be back! The past couple weeks have been wonderful. After having a bit of a disappointing summer I wasn't sure how I'd feel about getting back into hard training. I began to work out at home when I was back in Wisconsin and didn't have a very easy time. Training by myself in Wisconsin was both difficult and boring...to say the least I was less than enthused. However, the minute I got back to Texas and dove into the pool at the Texas Swim Center that all changed in a big way.

Yesterday I had one of the best practices I can remember having in a long time. I brutally demolished my legs in the weight-room so by the time I got to the pool I was already a bit fatigued. As I expected...we did a hard kick set to start things of. Good thing my legs were warmed up:) What happened next I'm still smiling about. We did a set that was perfect for me and is a sprinter's dream...Fast swimming with some rest and easy swimming in between.

The set. A 150 swim on 2:15. A 50 fast on 1:00. A 100 swim on 1:45. Two 50's fast on 1:00. A 200 kick on 3:45. That is one round...you do four rounds to complete the set. As we went along I got faster and faster. Towards the end of the set I felt something in my freestyle I never have before. There was a link between my core and my arm strokes that either I'd never felt to this degree or my mind had never yet recognized... Sure I always engaged my core strength with my swimming and used it to my advantage...but this was different. This was serious power. If this link was a twig before, it has now grown into a full blown log. Hello Paul Bunyan. The first time I got to the wall after doing it I gasped in excitement. When I get excited like this look out...I will talk and talk and talk and smile and laugh and joke and be crazy until a long enough time has gone by for me to actually calm down and think about it. I couldn't have been more floored!

Swimming is going great. My plan is to make this last as looooooong as possible!

Arrival to Lone Star

2009-10-15T10:44:00.005-05:00

Home sweet home. I'm settling back into my "normal" routine down here in Texas and I couldn't be happier to be back. I'd been gone from Austin for over three months...it was time to return to this thing called reality. It's been quite a whirlwind since arriving in the Lone Star State...I lost my house key, my car was dead, my bike tires were flat, I had no food to eat, tons of stuff to unpack and organize (still in the process of doing this), many people to reconnect with, get back in the weight-room and pool, oh and cook some too.

Yesterday I was telling someone how part of me wishes I was still in Italy. Elaborating upon how much I loved traveling, learning and experience everything there. My friend wisely remarked that getting back into the grind is what makes those times like in Italy so special. Travels like that are few and far between...that's why they are so thrilling. I think he's right. It was time for me to get back into serious training, and normal life. So far I'm absolutely loving it. After training in Wisconsin by myself it is so refreshing to be around the TEAM again, Eddie and Kris too. I no longer have only myself to push me but 35 other guys who are all supporting each other and busting their butts too. Yesterday was my first full two hour swim practice. My lifts in the weight-room have been good and the swimming is getting better everyday. There really is no better feeling in the world than BEING IN SHAPE... I'm not there yet but I'm working hard to reach the level of fitness Eddie, Kris and I are looking for. All it takes is some time and a lot of hard work. I'm used to it....let's do this!

Stage at Daniel Part 2

2009-10-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

My final day at Daniel I was given a whole duck, head and feet included. Greggory, the sous chef I was working with told me to prepare it any way I wanted. At this point I didn't realize what his intentions were. I figured he'd eventually help me get it ready. I was wrong. His intention, which I found out later from another sous chef, was for me to prepare the duck for a family meal after the dinner service. He wanted me to have ownership and prepare something on my own for the rest of the cooks.

(My Masterpiece)

I went to work having no idea what I was going to do. I stood in the refrigerators for what seemed like forever, searching for ideas. I ended up making an orange glaze. Oh, and I was not going healthy on this meal... In a pot I combined fresh-squeezed orange juice, orange zest, ginger, lemongrass, cinnamon, cloves, duck fat, and butter. I reduced this down to make a sauce. Then I made a syrup of vinegar and sugar, and reduced that down (I had a little help coming up with the syrup idea...). I then added the reduced orange glaze to the syrup and reduced that down further. The purpose of the syrup sauce was to cut some of the sweetness of the orange glaze. I buttered and seasoned the duck, browned it on all sides and put it in the oven.

(Me and Executive Chef Jean Francois)

Let me clarify that I didn't do all of this alone. I had some guidance in cooking the duck...it was my first time cooking a whole duck like this. Along with the bird, I prepared mini-carrots and zucchini. Finally, to top the veggies I created a sauce from duck jus and the orange glaze. Up to the main kitchen I went, holding a huge silver platter with my masterpiece. As I entered the kitchen I had a huge smile on my face and was laughing inside. I was so excited I probably would've jumped in the air or something if I hadn't been carrying the tray. My mind raced wondering what the chefs would think. Talk about a tough crowd...there's no way you can fool these guys (nor would I want to)... My creation was in front of some of the most talented and well qualified chefs/food experts in the world...LITERALLY!!! If my sauce had a hint too much cinnamon, lemongrass, cloves, salt, pepper, butter...whatever, they would know it, and tell me. I wanted the critique but holy cow this could be intense! They liked it. My dish was a success. Two critiques...the Executive Chef Jean Francois thought my orange glaze was a little too sweet. Second, the legs on the bird were not fully cooked. I learned this is common with duck. It is near impossible to cook a duck to perfection when it is whole because the breasts will finish before the legs. Generally fine restaurants will cook the duck until the breasts are done. Take the duck out, carve the breasts off, and take off the legs. Then finish the legs in the oven and bring them out to the table a few minutes later. Just one more thing I learned! I was on cloud nine when they genuinely liked my dish:)

(Me and Corporate Chef Fabrizzio Salerni)

As I'm sure you can already tell, my time spent at Daniel was superb. The days were long...12-13 hour shifts. The first day I didn't sit down at all...the second and third day I sat down once. We even ate lunch and dinner standing up. By the end of my shifts my knees hurt and my ankles were swollen from standing so much. Regardless of the fatigue, I adored being in the kitchen. It was a true honor and privilege for me to be around such great talent. However, what I love most about many of the people at Daniel is their passion for their food and their craft. Nothing is more refreshing and pure to me than people who are truly in love with what they do and what they create. I left Daniel thinking, "I hope my long-term career is as passionate and fulfilling as the chefs at Daniel seem to experience on a day-to-day basis." Solely due to the fact that this seed is already planted in my brain...makes me confident it will! (Getting ready to carve)

Stage at Daniel Part 1

2009-10-07T13:01:00.004-05:00

Last summer in Beijing I was lucky enough to meet famous chef Daniel Boulud. Shortly there after I dined at his newly opened restaurant in Beijing and then at 'Daniel' in NYC. Throughout the year I built a relationship with Daniel through email and through visiting his restaurant. We even had some joking words about the rivalry between the French and American relay teams! It has been a true honor to know Daniel. When I was given the opportunity to work in his restaurant 'Daniel' for a few days I was out of my mind excited...

The first thought that came to my mind was, "I hope they realize I'm not a cook and don't give me something that is out of my league (basically most of what they do at 'Daniel' is out of my league haha)." As the Stage (what they call short learning experiences in kitchens) approached I became more and more crazed with anticipation and excitement but also a bit nervous. I really had no idea what to expect but I knew my genuine interest for what they do and my tenacity towards food and cooking would make up for my lack of experience.

My shift started at 12 noon. I showed up at 11:45 and on the first day I was given a uniform, short tour, introduced to the chefs, and immediately started working. My first task was to make perfect cubes of Chorizo sausage which would be used as garnish on a plated dish. Let's just say my cubes were not all perfect. I felt bad and apologized for my inconsistency but they all assured me it was OK and that I was doing great. What a relief! I moved from task to task...chopping, slicing, helping make sauces and reductions, peeling, retrieving items from the unbelievably stocked refrigerators and freezers, skinning and/or breaking down wild hare, duck and grouse, as well as many other random tasks that came up.

The inventory they have is out of this world. Walking into the refrigerators and/or freezers you'll come across varying things from Iberico ham ($250/lb), truffles, foie gras, whole pigs heads, a plethora of fresh herbs, the most delicious straight-from-the-utter unpasteurized milk, wild game birds, miniature vegetables of every kind, caviar, wild berries etc. I could barely believe my eyes. My first thought was, "I wish I could stay here and work for free for a year to see how they use all of this stuff!" Truly remarkable.

One thing was a constant...my questions. I am an extremely inquisitive person and have genuine interest for almost anything and everything. As I worked and bounced around from one job to another I asked question after question. I was literally in awe of their knowledge, of their highly refined sense of smell and taste, and of their grace in the movements they make in the kitchen.

Dinner service starts at 5:30pm. As the service nears you can sense it without even looking at the clock. People come upstairs to the main kitchen from down in the large prep kitchen below. Everyone's movements are faster. There is a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. Everyone becomes more focused on their job. The first order comes in. The chef reads it out over a microphone. Immediately everyone springs into action but with a poise and confidence which can only come from truly knowing what you're doing. What happens next still boggles my mind. Everyone does their job and completes it so that everything is finished at basically the exact same time. Let me remind you that these plates are very complex and often have 15 different ingredients on them...crazy!!! During the dinner service I mostly observed what was going on, helped someone when they needed it, and tried to stay out of the way. Even observing what they were doing provided me with a ton of knew insight into the preparation of food.

Check back soon for part two of my experience at Daniel!

Cyclone in NYC

2009-10-05T19:02:00.004-05:00

Holy exhausted! The past days in New York have been wild. I've traveled the streets, worked 13 hour shifts at restaurant Daniel, gone out with the chefs after work, spent quality time with my sister, swam, lifted weights, and gorged myself in cuisine most can only dream of. I feel like I've been living in a cyclone of excitement, passion, and learning, and can't tell you how much I've loved being here.

Working at Daniel was nuts. I've never spent more time on my feet in my entire life...three 13 hour days in a row...on my feet literally the entire time working in the kitchen. I chopped, sliced, helped make sauces, reductions, paté, broke down wild hare, grouse, and duck... My tongue was aroused by veal head, foie gras, wild hare, Iberico ham, Sole, figs, chocolates, ice creams, sorbets, rare cheeses and much more...I will explain in greater detail in my next blog. I was surrounded by some of the greatest culinary minds in the world. I loved it. I loved every second of it. My heart felt a sense of honor and privilege that these highly acclaimed, expert chefs even let me get a glimpse of their kitchen and daily life. Essentially I was in heaven.

Now I am going out with my sister to DBGB...Daniel's newest restaurant in NYC. Check back soon for a more in-depth update!

Twitter Updates from NYC

2009-10-03T11:50:00.005-05:00

In case you don't follow Garrett on Twitter. He's been working out in the morning and then heading for the kitchen at Daniel.

At left, a photo his sister snapped early this morning. Garrett dead to the world.

Tweet from Saturday morning: "Went to sleep at 5 (w/ swollen & aching ankles & knees), woke up at 9. Swam. Going to Daniel again for next 14hrs. Tough work but love it:)"

Tweet from Friday night: "Working in restaurant Daniel in NYC... Daniel and I just served Lance Armstrong his chicken dish!!! Crazy experience haha."

Garrett will come up for air and post soon!

--Garrett's dad, Mark

New York: Train for Swimming: Train for Cooking

2009-10-02T09:09:00.000-05:00

From Garrett's facebook page: Check out where I'll be working 12 hour shifts the next three days!!! http://danielnyc.com/daniel.html

He's also training in the morning before reporting for work at noon. I am sure he will update when he has time to breathe.

--Garrett's dad, Mark

It's a Wrap

2009-09-28T21:09:00.004-05:00

Taping of the "AthleticFoodie" segments for Wisconsin Foodie TV is officially finished. It took a total of about four days to capture 13 segments which range from one minute to a minute and a half. I'm sure it sounds crazy to you how much time it took to shoot such short segments...trust me I was surprised too. Throughout this experience I learned the following:

1. In production expect things to take much longer than you originally planned.
2. You can always do one more take.
3. Don't rush nor put a time limit on creativity...you want it to look good!
4. Working as an spokesman is much harder than I thought.

I'm really excited and satisfied with the work we did and can't wait to see everything after the edits are all done! Look for my segments on the TV show Wisconsin Foodie, which will air on CBS 58, Sunday mornings at 10:30am starting October 11.

"Morning Blend" TV Cooking Demo

2009-09-25T19:42:00.007-05:00

Who: Me
What: Live cooking demo on "The Morning Blend"
Where: Milwaukee
When: 09/25/09
Today I officially did my first LIVE cooking d emo for a morning show that plays in Wisconsin. I was really excited for the opportunity to cook something in 'real' time! I've done several cooking demonstrations which were taped and edited but nothing thus far that was live. Yesterday I prepared the dish a couple times to work on the timing and make sure I knew exactly what I was doing. I'd be making a classic Italian dish of garden tomato and herb sauce. Some of you might be thinking, "wow that sounds a bit simple and/or boring to do on TV." However, I picked this recipe precisely because of its simplicity. Many times I've seen people cook something on a short demo that was way too complicated for the viewing public to make. Plus, the freshness of the recipe is incredibly tasty. The demo went great and I had a ton of fun. Doing live TV was a lot easier too...just go with the flow and have fun:) Hopefully there will be more of these to come...

Check out my cooking demo here!!!

From Pools to Pans--Great Article

2009-09-23T08:08:00.007-05:00

Garrett is on a train heading back from Chicago after a quick visit with friends. So until he updates, here's a link to a really great feature article about him in this morning's Milwaukee JournalSentinel.

Today he'll be in the kitchen at Milwaukee's Lake Park Bistro for lunch, off to practice with the college team at UWM and then in the kitchen at Bacchus for the dinner service. So much cooking to do...so little time. Long day. Thanks so much to Adam Siegel and John Wise from the Bartolotta Restaurant Group.

Garrett's dad--Mark

PS. This just in, pre-service lunch with the kitchen staff at Lake Park Bistro.

Give Me Some Insight...Please

2009-09-21T20:28:00.003-05:00

Last summer in Beijing I was fortunate enough to meet Daniel Boulud. Daniel is one of the most famous French chefs in the world. He has restaurants in Beijing, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Palm Beach and five restaurants in NYC. I've kept in touch with him throughout the year. Now I've organized to spend time working, learning and observing in his NYC flagship restaurant, Daniel, in the beginning of October. This past January restaurant Daniel was awarded the New York Times highest honor of four stars!

Why am I telling you this? I want some advice from you guys! I will be purchasing some new knives before I go to Daniel and am not really sure yet what brand I want to buy??? Global, Shun etc.??? What have you had the best experience with? I'd appreciate your insight. Thanks

13 Segments of "AthleticFoodie"

2009-09-18T10:05:00.004-05:00

The "AthleticFoodie" segments I shot, which will air on the TV show "Wisconsin Foodie" this fall, were a mix of topics. Some of my favorite segments included tips on how to choose healthy items in the grocery store. Although choosing healthy can be simple...my tips included some precise info as to why you should make certain choices. In the shot shown above I am describing the health benefits of sweet potatoes such as the high levels of fiber, Vitamin A & C. You might also be interested to know that they have more than 100% greater nutritional value than that of a standard potato. So go out and get that YAM!!!

Shooting 13 segments for TV was tiring and a lot of fun but the real satisfaction for me comes in knowing I am helping people learn more about living a better life through better nutrition. The older I get and the more experience I have, the stronger my desire is to really help people and make a difference any way I can. My passion grows all the time for food and nutrition and my energies, when not training, lie in building my business in the food world. My goal is to produce products, cookbooks, TV segments and the like to help people become more knowledgeable about nutrition and help them live a healthier life! My journey is well on it's way

Quick Update Post Taping

2009-09-15T21:28:00.004-05:00

The past two days have been spent standing in front of cameras. The content has been cooking demonstrations and talking about living a healthy lifestyle through better nutrition. The first day I was literally on my feet for about eight hours, with only about 40 minutes break for lunch. By the end of the first day my voice was fading and my knees were killing me. In addition I busted my butt both mornings in the weight-room, running and swimming. I just wanted to give y'all a quick update on what's been going on. Soon I will receive pictures from the taping and will post a more detailed blog.

Shooting Begins for Wisconsin Foodie

2009-09-13T20:19:00.006-05:00

Today was filled with preparation and brainstorming. Tomorrow and Tuesday I will be filming 13 segments of the AthleticFoodie minute which will air on the regional show "Wisconsin Foodie". My segments will have great tips on how to shop for the right foods, how to live a healthy lifestyle, easy recipe ideas, cooking demos etc. If you don't live near by stay tuned...you'll be able to check it out online!

Here are the two episodes I was featured on last season...
"Feature: Garrett Weber-Gale"
"Recipe: NY Bison Strip Steak"

How to Turn Disappointment into Positive Outlook

2009-09-09T20:38:00.006-05:00

For the first time in my life I am a bit...hmmm I'm not really sure of the right word to use here...maybe apprehensive, maybe uneasy, maybe a little timid to start an entire new season of swimming. Why you may ask? It's simple, because the previous season was a very difficult one for me, one that ended with great disappointment and in the end, some self-doubt.

I know I worked hard this past year and prepared better than I ever had before. My coaches knew I worked really hard this past season and had a lot of confidence in me. I was so confident in the fact that I was going to go faster than the previous summer and was looking forward to doing better at the International stage than I did in Beijing. Throughout my entire life I've always been a very confident person and truly believe I could and can accomplish anything I set out to do. This is great, except for the rare times I haven't done as well as I worked for and planned on and I feel crushed with defeat.

I felt crushed with defeat after this summer. Two third place finishes at Nationals was not what I had planned. However, I am not a quitter and will not accept bad endings like this. Here are the steps I am already going through to turn myself around.
1. Be sad about it for a little bit. Do whatever needs to be done in order to try and get over that feeling of initial disappointment i.e. go on a vacation, cry, talk to friends, write about it to get it out of your mind etc.
2. Objectively look at what may have gone wrong whether they are big things and/or little things. Figure out how you may be able to fix them for the future.
3. Look for the bright shimmers of light. Even when it feels like everything is wrong there are ALWAYS positives. Find them. Some bright lights for me this summer were my parents being there for a bit after Worlds, eating good food, experiencing a new culture, meeting new people etc.
4. Keep your feet moving. Although we may not want to keep at it, although we may want to give up, although our face seems like it is shoved down into a pile of poop, we must go on. In my eyes there is really no choice. I always remind myself, "Garrett, you can do absolutely anything you decide to set your mind to." I truly believe this...you should too. If you don't believe it just take a look at all the Tycoons and successful people in America who came from absolutely nothing, who were down in the dumps, who got fired from their jobs and said, "Screw you guys, I will rise up again and show you how strong my will and desire really is!"
5. Try to surround yourself with others who can support you and help you make your dreams possible. None of us can do it alone. We need motivation, coaching, nurturing, love and so much more from so many people in order to get where we want to go. Try sharing your dreams and aspirations with others...I've found people really gravitate towards it and want to help you:)

I'm working hard to go through these steps...It's not always easy...not always easy at all. The truth is that I know what I want...I want to be successful and have a better swim season next year. In order for me to do this I must go through these steps.

Fresh From Italy...Via Wisconsin

2009-09-07T20:22:00.003-05:00

The first morning I was back home in Wisconsin I woke up, after 26 hours of long travel from Italy, and I had an urge to make fresh pasta. What was it that prompted me to do this? Was I just nostalgic about not being in Italy anymore? Did I want to impress my parents with my new found skills? Was I simply craving the beautiful cuisine of Italia? Whatever it was I was on a mission. My mouth watered for some delicious fare on my first morning back in the cool and misty air of my native state.

I slowly moved around the kitchen, still lagging a bit from the travel the day before. My dad has a beautiful garden out back and I picked some fresh tomatoes, sage, basil and rosemary. I diced the tomatoes and made the herbs into a refreshing sauce using some home-squeezed olive oil my friend gave me from her farm in Sicily. Within thirty minutes we were sitting in delight at our morning meal.Pasta can be a difficult little bugger to master. I haven't mastered my recipe yet and have worked to improve it. If you have any tips or recipes you've used that 'really' work please let me know!!! Thanks

Casa Vissani

2009-09-01T15:51:00.012-05:00

Many of my experiences in Italy were made possible by my good friend, and as he calls himself, my Italian manager...Giusseppe Bombara. Giusseppe has made my trip to Italy a dream come true. To name a few things, he took me to his home in Sicily, organized my trip to Norcia to visit the Prosciutto makers, took me to many dinners with famous chefs, wine-makers and friends, organized horseback riding, set me up to make pizzas at one of my favorite restaurants (the chef and owner is his friend) and essentially gave me a glimpse of what it is really like to live like an Italian. Without Bombara, my trip would have been nothing compared to what it has really been.Gianfranco Vissani is regarded as one of the most if not the most famous chef in Italy. Now this would be an honor to be of this stature anywhere in the world, but to have such a reputation in the country that is maybe more known for its cuisine than anywhere in the world is truly incredible. I'd already had really good food in Italy but I was looking to spring to an even higher level. I wanted Casa Vissani...the platform where Vissani showcases his sensory tantalizing fare in the most serene and luxurious atmosphere imaginable.

(Different flavored butters and salts from all over the world)

Throughout my stay here I have found it very difficult to show my thanks to Giusseppe because he won't accept anything nor let me pay for anything. I tell him all the time what a difference he has made for me, how good of a friend he is and that I appreciate everything. I told him without debate I was taking him to Casa Vissani to show my thanks...no argument...and we were getting everything!!!

I was totally excited about this night. I love good food, good service and more than anything, being around people who are in love and passionate about what they do...if you are in love with what you do...get in my life...I gravitate to passion/s...I have so many of them:)
As we approached the door a woman opened it and to my great surprise Gianfranco was waiting at the door for us. Hold up, the most famous chef in Italy is at the door of his restaurant waiting to see and talk with me?...SWEET! Gianfranco speaks only a little English but we had a nice time conversing. He took us to our table and pulled my chair out for me...I think this is a real rarity as everyone in the entire restaurant looked at me in complete awe and shock haha.
We were getting everything...the full tasting menu, the wine pairings, of course the cheeses and all the desserts our little hearts could desire. I absolutely love not having to worry or think about what comes to me. Although I love eating good food I hate ordering food. My dream is to always have food that I'll enjoy simply placed in front of me without the hassle of searching through the entire menu haha:) At Casa Vissani I was in luck!
Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect from fine-dining in Italy. At this level each chef really has their own personality and style that comes out through their cuisine. I wondered how complex things would be, how things would be presented to us, would there be traditional classics elevated to a new level...who knows? I am by no means a food expert nor a chef but I have had some darn good food in my young little life. I think I have a pretty decent idea what things should taste like, what the consistencies should be feel like, and maybe to a little lesser degree, what smells should arise from different products. The food at Vissani, just as I'd expected, was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious...touching all my senses.

(Chianina beef which is very famous in Italy)

(The very extensive and impressive cheese cart. When they opened the drawers to create our cheese plates the aroma of old, smelly, perfectly ripened cheese poured out and traveled deep into my senses...ahh it was so amazing. One of the cheeses we had only supplies Casa Vissani with one form every four years because the cheese is so rare and high quality, mmmm)

Throughout the meal Vissani came by several times to ask us how the food was. At the conclusion of your meal you can either be served dessert at your table or be taken to what is essentially a living room with beautiful decor, couches and chairs. We decided to eat dessert in more comfort, in the other room. However, before we left a waiter approached us with a bottle of wine and said, in Italian, "this bottle of wine is a gift from the table over there to congratulate you for all of your success." I thought to myself, "what the heck? How do these people know who I am?" The bottle turned out to be a 1983 vintage of Sauternes from Chateau Luduiraut...I know very little about wine but Giusseppe who is the wine business, and other wine experts we talked to later, said this wine and this vintage is probably the most famous dessert wine in the world. What? Are you kidding me?! I was amazed. We tasted the wine and I promptly went over to thank the very gracious people. It turns out one of the women at the table recognized me (from the Olympics & World Champs) and confirmed with her waiter that I was who she thought I was. Weird?
Before retiring to the dessert room Vissani took us into the kitchen to meet and take pictures with the chefs. I loved it, I don't think these people understood what an honor it was for me to meet them and see how they work. What a beautiful kitchen too!
The desserts were delicious and very comforting. The Sauternes was literally the most vibrant and mouth dazzling wine I've ever experienced. Thank you to the very generous and kind people who bought it for us!!
Before leaving we toured their very extensive and large wine cellar which is filled with many of the most famous wines of the world. Luca, Gianfranco's son presented me with one of Gianfranco's most famous books and personalized it for me (unfortunately Gianfranco was gone by this time). We were the last to leave the restaurant...1:20am. Ha.
A very successful night. I was definitely sprung to the higher level my palate was longing for.

Il Feudo

2009-09-01T09:57:00.012-05:00

At first thought of writing this blog I initially had intentions of posting a quick synopsis of the time since my last update. However, I quickly realized that wouldn’t be fair. The experiences I’ve had here in Italy are all so unique and special to me that I must share them all with you separately. In addition, and probably more importantly, I think it is essential that I give due credit and praise to all the kind, open armed and loving Italians to whom I truly owe the success of this trip.There is a small town near to where I stay called Montoro. My good friend, Giusseppe, who also happens to be my Italian manager (he nicknamed himself this because he sets absolutely everything up for me), lives in this town. There is one restaurant and it is absolutely outstanding (without question one of my top three in all of Italy)…Il Feudo. Since chomping down into the perfectly prepared paper thing crust of my first Pizza at Il Feudo I knew I needed to spend time with the chef and learn how he does it.
This operation is exactly what you’d imagine when thinking about a restaurant located in a small village in the countryside of Italy. It is owned and run by one family. Marco is the chef, his wife Nicoletta runs the front of the house, his mother is his assistant chef, his father is the accountant and cashier, and their friends help out when needed. Before and after every meal service everyone gathers in a little courtyard outside the restaurant to talk and laugh. Although I have no idea what they’re saying, that doesn’t stop any of them from talking to me like I speak Italian haha…seriously. The relaxed and family atmosphere is so unbelievably refreshing and I love literally every minute I spend with these people. Ahhh I’m so thankful to have met them and been taken in by them in such a loving and big way.
At the start of work Marco and I made all the dough for the pizza. We rolled and prepped it all into small dough balls and placed them in a drawer to rise until use. As the others prepared miscellaneous things for service, they did as I thought they’d do…stuffed my face full of food. Vera (Marco’s mother), and her friend (who helps out in the kitchen sometimes) were out of control. No kidding, every time I turned around it seemed like they were holding something in their hands for me to eat. If I stayed with these people for an extended period of time I’d have to exercise more self-discipline and say 'no' occasionally…I didn’t exercise any then…I ate absolutely anything and everything put in front of me and loved every morsel of it.
My interest and enthusiasm for everything I’m doing here is out-of-this-world-fantastic and at times a bit overwhelming. Some of you who have read this blog before or who actually know me understand that I can be an extremely excitable person. I can’t tell you how many times since I’ve been in Italy that I have ‘literally’ gone into a corner, a bathroom, a side street, or wherever I can find that is private and seriously screamed out loud or silently while jumping up and down punching the air. It is impossible to contain myself sometimes. I feel like a high voltage wave of happiness and love is running through my entire soul and I have no idea what to do with it…so unreal!!!
I made a bunch of pizzas throughout the night and helped with other menu items as well. Marco gave me a note pad to write on and take notes with (which I've been doing throughout my entire trip and in every kitchen I visit). I didn't want the night to end. This was one of my favorite nights in Italy. At the conclusion of the dinner service the entire staff (aka the family) and some of their friends gathered outside for dinner. We ate on their beautiful balcony which overlooks the rural countryside. I made the pizzas of course:) There was other food as well but I was so engulfed in my own happiness from making such a delectable pie that my taste buds would not let me deviate from the paper thin crust pizzas I had created, MMMMMMM.
Check back soon...these blogs are going to come quickly so I can catch y'all up on the good stuff!
Just another night in Paradise;)

Off the grid for a few days

2009-08-29T11:11:00.002-05:00

Garrett is traveling to Sienna and Montignoso Massa and then to a few more places in Tuscany with friends. He'll be back online early next week.

Adventure of Unknown but with Some Guidelines

2009-08-27T02:36:00.002-05:00

Sometimes everyone just needs a break. We all get to that point where we can go no more...and if we do it's likely we won't be productive nor successful. After World Champs this year I was finished. My mind and body wanted nothing to do with swimming nor even anyone associated with it (I realize that may sound harsh but I always tell it like it is).

So off I went, on an adventure of the unknown. There were a few things I did know however...a few things I would make sure to do and stay true to.
1. Fun. I had had enough of seriousness, enough of focusing, I was determined to kick back and try not to care about anything serious for a while. Enjoyment and relaxation were a must!
2. Learn about food and cooking in every way possible and figure out ways in which my new-found knowledge can help me improve my diet and preparation of healthy food.
3. Engross myself in the Italian lifestyle and culture. Essentially try to live like an Italian...
4. Maintain a decent level of fitness and not gain ANY weight.

With great satisfaction and assertion I can say that all of these have been accomplished. I feel much better about things than I did after World Champs. Weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm really happy here...I even feel at home:) My brain power in the kitchen has grown exponentially and my excitement to get back in the kitchen at home and work on some new things has reached new levels. Living like an Italian has been a true wonder and delight. I've made a lot of great friends here, have several Italian families who say they've adopted me and several Italian mothers who call me their Italian Momma haha. Fitness, Pshhh that was easy. I do push-ups and dips throughout the day. When the feeling strikes me I go for a moderately long run, and even get in the water to swim a few times a week. I am eating a lot but it's less frequent than when I am training. My weight is exactly the same, and if I do say so myself...my physique still looks pretty darn good;)

Smells Abound and Love was All Around

2009-08-24T16:37:00.011-05:00

Sniff Sniff... I'd venture to say that smell is often the most overlooked sense. Those of you who don't use your shnoz piece to its fullest are missing out like a sail with no wind. A deep inhale through the sometimes booger plagued cavities of our nostrils can often make the grass seem greener, food look and taste more succulent and delicious, the ocean seem more tranquil and appealing, and even love seem more passionate and earth-shattering (trust me, I've experienced these). So go ahead...take that deep breath...you're likely to find some new and brilliant treasures!
When I stepped out of the car in a small parking lot outside 'Prosciuttificio "Valle Oblita"' This factory is set just outside Norcia, which is a very famous town for Prosciutto, and is set atop a huge hill which overlooks a beautiful valley. I immediately knew I was about to enter into a world my nose had never experienced. Waiting to greet me were two guys, Tony and Paolo, who looked as excited about Prosciutto as I would've been when I was five and my Mom turned her back with the cookies sitting on the table...you get the point. After a warm greeting and a small conversation, through the translator and friends who was traveling with me, we cruised into a building that was exuding smells that had never entered my nose before.I knew I was in for a treat. I'd always wondered what the real deal with Prosciutto was. Today was the day for me to get the skinny on the fatty/salt cured pig legs (eat this in small amounts...definitely not good for high blood pressure). First we entered into a cold room that was filled with recently cut pig legs which were salted and laying on large racks. Tadaaaaaaa the white jacket was presented....now I felt like I was really getting down to business (all official and everything)! The first step of the process is to run the legs through a machine which both sprays salt on it as well as presses it to squeeze most of the blood out from between the flesh and skin...sounds tasty right? Next these legs get hung on racks which will be moved into an enormous refrigerated room. I am not kidding when I say there are thousands upon thousands of Prosciutto's hanging everywhere.There are three steps in the curing process which go from cold, to cool, to fresh air (in it's entirety it takes about 14 months). Have you ever walked down a hallway and continually taken a deep breath in until you walk into a room which has a different aroma? Maybe the temperature changed or the humidity level was different too. Now you can somewhat picture my experience walking from one room to another. The smells in here are strong. However, I think the beauty in scent comes from the subtleties. You know what I'm talking about...like when you cook bacon and you can tell when it's done cooking by the sharper scent it exudes...or when a slight rain or storm is approaching and you can smell a hint of dust or dirt in the cool summer air which has been kicked up by a slight breeze. As I perused through each room the scent subtly changed. As the temperature rose and the meats were older, the scent became more soft and almost sweet. What a sniffing wonderland.

(here I'm covering the flesh with a pork fat mixture which will help preserve the meat)

Everywhere I turned there was more and more and even more Prosciutto. It was absolutely absurd. In total this plant cures and sells 800,000 kilos of Prosciutto per year. (This small pick is inserted into the Prosciutto...then smelled in order to tell it's ripeness)

Directly following my trip to "Valle Oblita" I went with my lovely hosts (if you're reading this...thank you so much for an incredible day!) to their mother's house. Rita was her name...and lovin' was her game. Rita was without question the most charming and delightful woman I have spent time with in Italy. She didn't speak a word of English but her demeanor and body language said it all...you could tell her intentions:) When I entered her house she gave me the biggest kisses on my cheeks and neck...we're talking legit kisses here people...it was nutz haha. The lunch she prepared was absolutely to die for. Her homemade tomato sauce was without question the best I've had in Italy and maybe the most delicious I've ever had. Paired with this was unbelievably succulent and flavorful beef. There was also Prosciutto, salad, bread, watermelon, cantalope and gelato...mmmmmm.The second time I walked in her kitchen I noticed, to my utter surprise, that she had a leg of Prosciutto just sitting there on a stand waiting to be cut. I pointed to it with a suprised and excited expression and without hesitation she cut me off a few perfectly thin slices...you can tell she's done this before. Wow. Long story short...she ended up giving me the whole Prosciutto leg when I left. I told her (through my translator), "I have nowhere to keep it and I can't possibly eat it all myself..." She wouldn't take no for an answer, saying, "you keep it with you until you leave and enjoy it whenever you want...It's my gift to you." So I walked out with a 20 pound Prosciutto wrapped in celaphane...ridiculous. (Rita showing me some love after giving me the Prosciutto...so cute)

Just another day in Paradise:) Seriously.

Sicily Part 2...Can Life Get Any Better? :)

2009-08-22T07:40:00.013-05:00

Sicily was packed full of swimming, fishing, eating, sleeping, dancing and listening (only three people around me spoke any English, so much of the time I was listening to Italian haha).(The one squid I actually caught!!)

The first night we were in Sicily Giusseppe, his Dad and I went squid fishing about seven miles offshore. The weather was beautiful with a slight warm breeze and one-foot waves. We were fishing in about 1,000 meters of water. The process involves dropping a thin cable down about 600 meters. This main cable has a has a light attached at the end that is also wrapped in beef. Slowly this gets brought to the surface and as it does the squid follow the blinking light. Each of us has a thin cable which we held in our hands and reeled in. Our cable had a big hook on the end with some beef and a light as well. We would drop our lines about 100 meters and slowly reel them in jigging them around on the way up. Long story short, Giusseppe (the Sicilian fishing champion four years in a row) caught 15, his dad caught six and I caught one at the very end of the night. I was a bit annoyed. What was I doing wrong? I was doing exactly what they told me to do... After a while Giusseppe made me switch lines with him so he could prove to me that nothing was wrong with my line. Within five minutes he caught a squid...Argh:( It was a great time either way.(Little stinker...when I was cleaning this one it's huge eyeball popped black juice all over my shorts haha)

(Within two hours of catching the squid it was on our plate...doesn't get much more fresh than that...mmmm it was sooo good too)

The days were spent cruising to different beaches and coves on the coast of Sicily and the Islands which are about 13 miles off its coast. The islands were truly remarkable. This was definitely the clearest most blue water I have ever been in and I was relishing every minute of it. There was one point when we were cruising from one island to another that I said to myself, "It's official, I will be having a sick boat on the Mediterranean absolutely asap!" As some of you know one of my dreams is to have a boat and cruise around the world...the Med. will surely be one of my first stops!(Delicious Occhiata)

Cliff jumping was a very common activity and I jumped everywhere that looked feasible. I always checked to make sure it was deep enough before climbing the rock faces and plunging into the perfect water...but Wow was it fun! Nothing was too high (probably seven or eight meters at the most) but I had a blast.

Keeping it Rolling but Staying True to My Goal

2009-08-20T17:23:00.013-05:00

Keep the gravy train going baby! This past evening was another one for the books. I went to dinner with Giusseppe (my Italian manager as he calls himself haha) and the most famous chef in Norway, Gino Valente. Gino is originally from Italy but has lived in Norway for the past 50 0r so years. We dined at his restaurant in a wonderfully quaint and small town of Vasanello. Gino spends his time between Norway and Italy but cooks with famous chefs all over the world. He has produced 15 cookbooks and 2550 cooking episodes for TV.During the dinner we enjoyed fine Champagne, wines, seafood, pastas, focaccias and dessert. Sometimes I wonder if all these people I meet think there is something wrong with me due to the fact that I am sooo happy and excited about everything. Truthfully I feel as though I am living in a dream world most of the time over here...I think I am.(The stairway down to the wine cellar where we started the evening with Champagne and Parmesan...this area was carved out of the stone over 1200 years ago)

We talked extensively about my business ideas and about how I can continue to pursue a career in food and helping people live a healthier and happier lifestyle through better nutrition. Gino was really taken by my ideas and thought my future in the food world is very promising. He confirmed my belief (I was very happy about this) that you can make and eat wonderful food without much salt at all!

Now let's bring it back a second and pull everything together. Some of you might be thinking that some of the food I'm eating and cooking over here is not very healthy...in some respects you are right. There is a lot more oil, cheese, fat, and in some respects salt than I would normally cook with or think is, to some degree, healthy. However, the point of this trip is for me to learn and be exposed to different methods of cooking and every kind of food I can come into contact with. I am learning cooking techniques and information about food that I will carry with me the rest of my life and that will help me help all of you live a healthier and happier life through better nutrition.

I guess you could say I am on a mission in pursuit of a goal out there on the horizon. And trust me, I feel very fortunate to be able to enjoy myself along the way.

What a Night

2009-08-19T16:26:00.006-05:00

(tasting the brilliant chocolate sauce I made...from my face you can guess how it tasted:)

(making tiny little Gorgonzola cheesecakes)

Ahhh I can barely contain myself right now! My legs are moving a 1,000 miles a minute underneath the table and I feel like I could throw this desk through the wall I'm so amped up. Tonight was so amazing. The kitchen was crazy. Everything is turned up to an extremely intense level...orders come in...I run around doing random tasks...the heat is turned up from the stoves, ovens, pasta boilers and from the excitement level too. Time flies, worries or outside life thoughts are completely out the window. I am completely and utterly engrossed in the task at hand which might be preparing zucchini flowers for a risotto, plating pasta with black truffles, grabbing things from one of the seven frigos (refrigerators), working the grill or even doing some dish drying when necessary haha.(carefully pounding out rack of lamb that was cooked with Parmesan, egg, milk and bread crumbs...oh and we also had pasta with wild rabbit and roasted veggies for lunch haha)

My general thinking about being a chef/owner of a restaurant was that it probably isn't for me. Not because I am afraid of the amount of work (I have zero apprehensions about workload...I'm used to it and have no problems sacrificing and putting in absurd effort) but because essentially if you are in the restaurant business you make your money when all of your family and friends are out enjoying themselves and having fun. However, this experience has somewhat altered my thinking and made me realize some things.

(I was in charge of making dinner for the staff...beef tenderloin with sage and Prosciutto! They loved it...Molot Bouno)

1. I definitely want to (and will) spend a ton more time in kitchens whether it is in Italy, France, Singapore, New York, Milwaukee, Austin or LA.
2. I have a ton more to learn about food and cooking.
3. The satisfaction that I get from making something delicious for others is unbelievable.
4. I've honestly never felt as fulfilled after a long day of work as I do after I finish in the kitchen...and yes it is very tiring.

(Pom Brioche dough)

I just had to give y'all a quick little update about the exciting world I'm living in. Oh...and one more thing...today they began harvesting the white grapes at Castello Delle Regine. Early tomorrow morning I will be going out and learning about the grapes and harvesting process. I'm sure I will be given some scissors and a sack too! Snip:)

Sicily Part 1

2009-08-18T08:21:00.009-05:00

(view of Messina as we arrive on the ferry.)

The air was thick with humidity and musky smells. Jolting left and right and finally to a slow creaking stop. I breathed a sigh of relief. "We are finally here," I thought. The long train ride from Rome to a little town in Sicily was complete. My mind had three thoughts scurrying within, in this order. One, eat. Two, shower. Three, get me on or in the sea as soon as possible. For those of you who don't know me, I can be a bit of a tyrant when I'm hungry. My patience is zero and I can at times be a bit "awnry" as my family would say...so don't mess with me then;)(swordfish that was caught that morning...don't usually wear compressions socks haha, travel.)

I'm not quite sure if Giuseppe could tell I was famished and knew he needed to get me something to eat, or if food was on the top of his mind, too. Either way, we traveled directly to an ocean-front spot right near his house and enjoyed the local delight, Granita. It is some reduction of fresh strawberries which are covered in fresh whipped cream. Yum!

(Granita)

Growing up on Lake Michigan, I have always had a huge love of the water. Sailing, fishing and swimming were some of my biggest summer interests from an early age. Any time I get around water my face turns to a perma-smile, and I can't help but be super excited and happy!

After dropping our things off at Giuseppe's parent's house, which was a small but extremely quaint seaside condo, we headed to the beach. Within an hour of arrival the wind was screaming in my face as we skimmed over the top of the water in Giuseppe's boat. I was delighted at the beauty of Sicily, the extremely warm and clear water and the relaxed and carefree lifestyle we were living. I realized then that life really doesn't get much better than this...
This trip gave me the opportunity to truly live like a Sicilian. There were zero Americans in this town. The only languages I heard were Italian an Sicilian. I was an island unto myself. The food was outstanding. The first afternoon I got a delicious taste for what the rest of the trip would be like. Friends and family all gathered at Giusseppe's house for meals. The first lunch we had Ocheata fish (which his sister caught the day before), some really small fish that were pan fried and eaten with the skin on, a tomato salad, fresh bread, squid pasta (which his dad caught the night before), and fresh fruit from their garden. Outstanding:)

More from Sicily coming soon:)

Quick update from Garrett in Sicily

2009-08-16T15:28:00.003-05:00

Garrett says his long weekend with Giuseppe and his family is going great. Their house is on the Mediterranean with a runabout moored out front.

They've gone squid fishing at night and have been eating whatever fish the family catches. He said they stopped their boat in 1,000 feet of water and jumped over the side for a swim...just to say they did it.

He'll be online in a couple days to share photos and stories.

"Write down those recipes," I told him.

Garrett's dad--Mark

Off to Sicily

2009-08-13T10:39:00.003-05:00

In a few hours I will be on a train to Sicily. My friend Giusseppi who works at the winery is from Sicily. His parents have a house right on the water with a boat out front. I cannot wait to get there. Everyone says it is beautiful. What's more is that Giusseppi was the Sicilian fishing champion four years in a row and we will be fishing all the time. He tells me we will also be fishing for squid in the night...(I have no idea what to expect from that???) When we're not fishing we will be water skiing, wakeboarding, eating and who knows what else. Two girls--just family friends--are coming down with us and his sister and her friends are meeting us there. This weekend is going to be amazing! I'll report on this when I return:) Ciao

Working hard among WONDERFUL people

2009-08-12T10:20:00.015-05:00

The past few days here have been phenomenal. Cooking here has been very eye-opening and fun...but also hard work. I am learning so much. In addition I have been going out every night with my friend Giuseppe and his friends. Giuseppe is 28 and is the marketing director at the winery. Part of his job is to sell his wine to restaurants in the surrounding area. He seemingly does an incredible job because everywhere we go people love him and are genuinely excited to see him walk in the door. We have been going to three or four different places each night. Most of them are all over in tons of different small towns in the region of Umbria.

Above is a restaurant we went to in the tiny town of Chia. We walked in the door at about 11:30 pm (normally past my bed time!). They were basically closed with only a couple people left finishing their meals. However, they sat us down and brought us a feast. The people in the picture above are the family who owns and runs the restaurant. The mother on the right is the chef, the son makes the pasta and is the waiter, and the daughter does the books and is the hostess. This is typical of how these restaurants operate.

Wherever we go people always ask Giuseppe who I am. When he tells them I am an Americano they ask in an alarming tone what on earth I am doing here in these small towns going to places and acting like a local. When Giuseppe tells them I am a member of Team USA, they cannot believe it and get really excited. They end up bringing us more food and wine than we know what to do with. (Moderation is key here...make the right choices!)

I get taken in the kitchen everywhere and they pull out special items for us like their personal stashes of homemade prosciutto, rare wines and even specially prepared desserts which are not on the menu. What's even crazier is that most times these restaurant owners won't even let us pay for anything. They treat us like kings...I'll try to remember the feeling at 5:20 on a cold morning this winter when I know Eddie is going to pound me at practice!
Here I am holding a delicious home made fetuccini pasta with wild boar that they hunted themselves. Italians sure know how to eat.

Picking fresh sage in the garden for the dish below which is a thin slice of Chianina beef fillet, sage, and prosciutto... in that order (the sage is on top in the picture so you could tell it was part of the dish...when it gets cooked it is in the center). Molto Buono;)

Working a pizza dough...the pizza here is spectacular. I really need to perfect my techniques so I can attempt to make something half as good when I get home.

Kitchen life in Italy: We prep lunch, we serve, we nap. We prep dinner, we serve, we sleep. We prep lunch, we serve, we...

2009-08-10T11:46:00.007-05:00

Here I am with the owners (Livia and Paolo) of this magnificent estate. They are absolutely wonderful people. They have made me feel like their family and Livia kisses me on the cheek and neck like I am her son haha!

This is the dinner we, the staff, had before the dinner service...nothing much...just stuffed pork with mushrooms, sausage and black truffle...freshly sliced proscuitto...mixed salad...Chianina beef tortellinis with a tomato herb sauce.
Chicken breasts stuffed with Prosciutto and mushrooms wrapped in pig fat. Yum!

Castello Delle Regine

2009-08-08T10:48:00.014-05:00

On the afternoon of August 7th I arrived at Castello Delle Regine. This place is about 1,000 acres where they grow their own grapes (make wine) and olives (make olive oil) and raise their own Chianina beef. There are also farmhouses where guests can stay and a restaurant where guests can eat, where private parties are held and locals can come dine. The people here are unbelievably nice and have made me feel like I am part of their family, literally. I will be staying here for the next few weeks learning about food, cooking, wine, olive oil and everything and anything I can soak up.
Some of the grape vines...they are everywhere.
Casale Patata...one of the farmhouses where guests can stay. All of them are very beautiful. If you want, you can buy fresh ingredients on the property and cook your own meals in each farmhouse.

The storage facility for the wine.
Last night there was a birthday party which included the best Sommeliers in all of Italy. The man crouching down in the white shirt in the front is the most famous Sommelier in all of Italy, Alessandro Scorsowe. In this picture we are at a wine tasting...It's not everyday you get to drink some of the best wine around with some of the most knowledgeable and famous wine experts in the world! I was basically laughing and smiling the entire time because what I'm doing here is so much fun and exciting...and because sometimes I can't get over the stuff I get myself into haha...
Here is a view of the party which took place by one of the three pools outside the restaurant.

Garrett's cooking adventure begins in Italy

2009-08-08T10:25:00.004-05:00

"I was cutting tomatoes into little cubes until my back was just aching," Garrett told his sister on the phone last night.

He's spending a couple weeks in the kitchen at a Castello delle Regine in Umbria. Friends from the Bartollota Restaurant Group here in Milwaukee made the connection. Garrett's task? Learn as much as he can about cooking, restaurants, Italian food, the production of olive oil and wine. It's a rare and privileged opportunity.

Wireless is proving to be a little bit of a challenge out in the Italian countryside, but he hopes to start posting his own updates soon. Meanwhile, Twitter seems to work on and off, so you might try to follow him there: www.twitter.com/G_WeberGale.

Just a few minutes ago, I got another update by phone:

"They had me make an incredible herb sauce this morning--basil, marjoram, lots of other things, mixed with olive oil and put through a grinder. The chef said, 'Go, get you notebook. Write down these recipes.' "

More updates soon--Mark, Garrett's dad.

Birthday dinner at a neighborhood spot where everybody knows your name (Well, not ours.)

2009-08-07T08:05:00.002-05:00

It's a good sign when you're the only English speakers in a little Italian restaurant, when the owner's parents come in to dine, when everyone seems to know everyone, when the owner's yellow lab roams the dining room, when the prosciutto is cut by hand from a cured leg sitting on a table by the door, when the buffalo mozzarella is bobbing in a giant bowl on a table. (No, some of this would not pass muster in the U.S.)

We had a memorable dinner our last night in Rome. It was good after an exhausting day in the Mediterranean--"Dad, let's swim out to see what's on the other side of that point. Dad, let's swim out to the white buoy and back. Dad, let's play paddle ball in the water. Dad, let's walk out to see if those guys are catching anything on the jetty."

More from Garrett when he gets set up in the countryside--Mark

Living and Learning...Sometimes the Hard Way

2009-07-31T15:45:00.004-05:00

A chef I befriended last year in Singapore once wrote me a short and direct email after a disappointing swim I had in Beijing...he said, “the greatest test of courage in the world is to bear defeat without losing heart.” My heart was temporarily lost but has been recovered. I felt a bit defeated and lost partly due my nature of being very hard on myself at times and often expecting the world. This past swim season has been very difficult on my mind and body. I felt pressure from within my core to perform and out-do what I did last summer. My goal for the year was to do what I did last summer, but better. How did I prepare you ask? I worked my tail off spending many extra hours in the weight room and further refining my technique…I also sacrificed many things including going out with friends at times, desserts, going home to see my family, traveling and getting a break from the grind of training, and even some personal relationships which I deeply regret.

This summer was not, at first glance, what I had worked for, dreamt of, nor wanted. I never wanted to get third in the 50 and 100 freestyles at Trials. I never wanted to swim only the preliminary of the 400 free relay at World Championships (however this was the right coaching choice…I didn’t swim fast enough in the preliminary to deserve a spot on the finals relay). I never wanted to stress over the suit issue within myself, with my coaches and with others. I never wanted to push a good friend away in order to make myself better for swimming (which in actuality made it worse). The point is that it doesn’t always matter what we want or how hard we work to fulfill a dream. Life, as I’ve found out the hard way at times, doesn’t always follow a direct path. We must be pliable. What matters is how we handle situations we encounter that differ from what we expected…and how we frame the obstacles that try to alter our paths to success.

For much of my life I have tended to see mostly black and white, and no, I do not mean in a literal sense. Something was either going to help my swimming or not, make me happy or it was not, make me better or it was not. The first glance of this summer was not the beauty I had imagined it would be. The vibrant shades of the spectrum were non-existent. What was existent was something I rarely see, shades of gray. Sometimes it takes the unexpected, the disappointing, and even the negative cold edge of life for me to see what is truly the right way. This summer was a cold and sharp edge for me.

When I finished my race in Rome I immediately thought this summer, and in part, the past year, had been a waste. Nothing I did this summer was better than last summer. Part of me thought that was it. I wanted to give up on swimming. For a brief period I thought I was going to. What was all the hard work and sacrifice for if my year didn’t end in the success I had desired?

My mother always raised me to have confidence and truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Although it can feel like a bullet in the butt sometimes…I still believe this to be true. This summer of unexpected occurrences allowed me to see things I hadn’t before. Here is a small list of things I learned this summer that I will take through the rest of my life.

1. I need more tests/meets/reality checks along the way which will help me indicate where I am and what I need to do in order to get where I want to go (this goes for most things…not just swimming).
2. Trying to be better and do more things right will not work if I’m not happy doing it.
3. Work towards letting go of things I cannot control.
4. Don’t mistake swimming for being something bigger than it actually is. Swimming is swimming. Swimming is something I do, that has brought great joy and learning to my life, but it in no means defines who I am as a person.
5. Swimming is not more important than good personal relationships. Swimming will last for a little while…good personal relationships can and will likely keep me strong through the good and bad times, long after swimming is gone. Cherish those who really matter.

I'm not sure what the future holds. What I do know is that I am bouncing back from this stronger and smarter than I have ever been. There is so much I have already learned. Plus, I have already begun doing push-ups throughout the day...I will be up to 300 per day by the beginning of next week!

Some Good Eatin'

2009-07-29T00:41:00.005-05:00

Our waiter with the cuts of meat we can choose from
Assortment of meats and cheeses...figs are grown out back!
MMMMMMMM!!!!
Davis, Dan and me at La Valley
Part of the outside seating at the beautiful restaurant we went to in the countryside!
Our outdoor training pool in Riccione

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2009-07-19T04:37:00.010-05:00

About to leave LA.
Our Jet once we landed in Italy
Just a peek at some of the snacks they had waiting for us
Chillin' before we took off
Cullen and Bob Bowman
Dara watching a movie
The incredible omelet Fred made for me! mmmm sooo good:)
The pilots doing their thing...they got us there safe

ESPYS

2009-07-17T05:04:00.013-05:00

My trip to LA for the ESPYS was phenomenal. My sister Hillary met me out there for the awards. We both had an incredible time together. The entire trip was filled with excitement from start to finish. First we arrived in LA and checked into our hotel that was filled with all different sports stars and personalities. It seemed like everywhere we went we ran into people we were used to seeing on TV. One thing that is really apparent when you meet these people is that they are all very pleasant to talk to...they're real people too. I think sometimes society makes movie stars or sports stars seem like fictional characters who have super powers when in actuality they're just people like you and me. For example, I had a chance to talk with Pittsburg Steeler's quarterback Ben Roethlisburger for a bit after the ESPYS and he told me he still gets goosebumps every time he watches our relay (and he's won two Superbowls). Another guy I was really excited to meet was Donald Driver (wide receiver on the Green Bay Packers). I've been a Packer fan as long as I can remember and Donald Driver has always been one of my favorites. He has a wonderful reputation as being a great guy and through talking to him I can say this is totally true.One really spectacular and somewhat unexpected perk was the free stuff they gave us. I'm not talking about t-shirts, hats, and water-bottles. I'm talking about watches, designer sunglasses, cameras, ihome systems, PS3's, free trips, HD video projectors, BOSE speakers etc. They told us the total worth of the gifts we received was over $25,000! Can you believe that? I still barely can.
Once we got to the ESPYS we were taken to the 'red carpet' where they announced each star as they walked out of a door onto the 'red carpet'. The crowd claps and cheers and then you proceed to talk to other guests and take pictures. The only pictures I really got were from the 'red carpet' because once you got inside cameras were not allowed:( Some of the people I met were Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Aaron Rodgers, Jeremy Piven, Kent Desormeaux, Kevin Durant, Samuel L. Jackson etc.As the show started I was getting really excited and a bit nervous as to whether or not we would win the award for "Best Moment". Either way I felt really lucky to be there and was having an incredible time! When the moment of truth came I was getting really excited. When they showed the replay of our 400 Free Relay a tear almost came to my eye. I rarely ever watch that race unless I show it at an appearance or something so when I do see it the drama and excitement brings a lot of emotion back me. When they called out the "US Olympic Relay" I turned to my sister and gave her the biggest hug! Michael, Cullen and I went on stage and accepted the award. Jason was patched in on the video screen from Israel on a live webcast...it was really sweet. After the award we were taken to do some interviews and take pictures. Now I understand why most people wear sunglasses when they get that many pictures taken of them...I could barely see because of all the flashes haha:PDay's like this really make me realize even more than usual how lucky I am and what an incredible life I have. I seriously think to myself sometimes and ask myself, "what else could I possibly want?" I'm very fortunate!
Thanks to all of you who have supported me and helped me fulfill my dreams...for without y'all none of this would have ever been possible.

Flyin' High at 41,000 feet

2009-07-16T09:17:00.005-05:00

Currently I'm sitting on a private jet with Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps, Cullen Jones and Dara Torres. We're at 41,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Last night at the ESPYS was incredible! I met so many amazing people...the likes of Mike Tyson, Jeremy Piven, Donald Driver, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Kent Desormeaux, Evander Holyfield etc. Leterally it was out of control. I will post a longer blog in the next few days when I get some more time...also with lots of pictures.

Dara is now talking on the phone, Michael is playing online poker across from me. I was just up talking to the pilots as they explained all the instruments to me and where we are. We have a personal steward who just brought me freshly made oatmeal with all the toppings. Oh and I had a chicken salad sandwich when I woke up that was outstanding!!! Now he's making me an egg-white omelet with spinach, feta cheese, ham and some other veggies.

We flew from LA to Minneapolis in order refuel. We all slept for about the first six hours of the flight...now we're just living it up baby!!!!

Win at ESPYS

2009-07-16T07:42:00.008-05:00

Garrett and the relay team won an ESPY last night--pretty sweet stuff. It will be televised Sunday night. They hopped on a plane immediately to catch up with Team USA in Rome. More later.

You can read his string of tweets on Twitter to get a sense of it: http://twitter.com/G_WeberGale

LA Update

2009-07-15T08:36:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to make a really quick update. I'm about to head off to practice here in LA. Swimming will be short and sweet but get some good sprints in. The day is pretty filled with ESPYS engagements and is going to be really a ton of fun. My sister got here last night and I'm so thrilled she could be here to experience all of this with me. Some of the day's events that I know of currently are, a special breakfast for all the guests, a gifting session where we get (supposedly) super cool stuff, pre-ESPY get together/party at the hotel, red carpet at the event, The ESPYS, not sure if we are going to go to any type of after party because they have a private jet waiting for us after the awards to take us straight to Italy. It's going to be an incredible day!!! I am so fortunate...and excited:)

Update from Garrett's dad

2009-07-15T08:10:00.003-05:00

At Nationals last week, Garrett punched his ticket to Rome in the 4 X 100 relay. That's pretty great in my book, but he wanted to do better in individuals--third in the 100 and 50. He was disappointed and never really felt his stroke kicked in the way he wanted. They tried a few different things this year in training. I try to remind him the tweaks made over the past nine months will pay off in the long run. Patience, my son.

Tonight he and the relay team are at the ESPY awards in L.A. Then off to Rome. I am sure he will update as things settle in once they get to Italy.

Got to Indy Safely

2009-07-07T19:49:00.004-05:00

Hi y'all! Sorry for the lack of posts. I got to Indy safely. I've been feeling pretty good in warm-ups and shaved today. I swim the 200 free tomorrow morning. I'm really looking forward to getting the meet started:) I'll try to update if/when I can. I honestly don't really feel like writing or doing much of anything during meets. Your best bet is to follow my Twitter. Thanks for all the support!

News 8 Austin Story

2009-07-04T17:59:00.001-05:00

You may like to check out this news story done on me this past week.

Click Here

Ugh I'm so stir crazy it's ridiculous...someone please come entertain me...