Bacon Guacamole Deviled Eggs

Bacon Guacamole Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs never had it so good stuffed with bacon guacamole! I can attest to pretty much eating them all in one setting.

Servings: makes 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, boiled, cooled, peeled, and cut in half
• 1 large avocado, mashed
• 2 tablespoons bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons diced tomato
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (~1/2 lime)
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• chili powder to taste
• pinch chili powder (for garnish)

Directions

1. Scoop the yolks out of the egg halves, mash them, mix with the avocado, bacon, jalapeno, onion, tomato, lime juice and cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place a tablespoon of the mixture back into the holes left by the yolks in the eggs and serve garnished with extra bacon and a pinch of chili powder.

Podium Boy Event Result: Minnesota 2013 Air Pistol Championship Match

Event: Minnesota 2013 Air Pistol Championship Match
Date: Saturday, March 23, 2013
Location: Bill's Gun Shop & Range, Robbinsdale MN
Hotel: Home, sweet home

Podium Boy Personal Results

Goal: Set new personal record for 60 shots (12 targets)
Actual: Series 1 - 139; Series 2 - 145; Series 3 - 131. Total of 415 (6.92 avg score per shot) - New PR
Overall: 3rd in Males 18 & under


This was Podium Boy's first air pistol competition. It was a very exciting event for him. He has watched every season of Top Shot. He has set up his own challenges in the home using all variations of Nerf guns known to mankind to replicate the challenges from the Top Shot show.

He has now begun his foray into Modern Pentathlon. His first MP event will be coming up on May 18 in River Falls, WI. He started to train in earnest earlier this year and is progressing through practices in shooting and fencing, under the watchful eye of his MP coach, Todd McIntyre.

Podium Boy & Coach Todd

The interesting thing about this, was that just two weeks ago Podium Boy received an early birthday gift. A Steyr LP2 competition pistol.

The brilliantly packaged Steyr LP2

He was able to have two practices with the gun. It wasn't until late in the second practice that he actually started to get a feel for this beautiful piece. So, we had no idea what to expect on the day of the competition. We were going to just focus on sighting (front sight to rear sight) and then each shot, not the score.

Podium Boy was very relaxed and went into the competition with a good frame of mind. He was at ease with setting up his station and then finding his Zen place.

Targets are 10 yards away.

The targets are 10-meters away and the black bull of the target is 2 1/4" in diameter. So, a fairly challenging shot. The B-40 targets were used, 5 shots per bull

From one of Podium Boy's recent practice rounds

The competition for adults and juniors (18 & younger) was 60 shot for record, with unlimited sighters before first record shot. Record shot was three series of 20 shots each, 35 minutes per series.

Approved equipment was air pistols of 4.5 mm (177 Cal.) which met the NRA and ISSF rules, ie total weight no more than 3.3lbs, trigger weight 500 grams, and grips which do not circle the hand and meet the other size restrictions. Other than the inspection, pistols were cased until they were brought to the line.

Setting up his station

Looking for a friendly face

Podium Boy warmed up well, and seemed to have the pistol dialed in early. His first target scored a 40 out of 50 possible points and I thought, "wow, if he keeps this up he'll be right in the money." For the first 20, he scored 139 out of 200 possible points, with eleven in the black. It was a solid start. For comparison sake, his best 20 score to date is a 149.

Podium Boy near the end of Rd One

He started out Round Two even better and ended up totaling 145 points. He had 14 out of 20 shots in the black and was steamrolling his way to a new personal best for 60 shots. Then, his first ten shots in Round Three were poor and he seemed to panic a bit. The Steyr is a a heavy gun for a 12-year old boy and the shoulder and arm will fatigue. He's only going to get stronger and more accurate. He ended up Round Three with a 20 shot score of 131, so he had a very nice recovery.

You can see by his hips the arms were getting heavy

So, after it was done and dusted, Podium Boy ended up on the podium at the Minnesota State Championship, with only a MERE two points separating the top three junior males. Wow. One shot could have meant the difference between gold, silver, and bronze. This will certainly cement for him the value that each and every shot has. Very valuable lesson learned. Top three junior boys:

1. Colin Catlin: 136-141-140 for total of 417
2. Ben Heiniger: 122-155-139 for total of 416
3. Graham Maas: 139-145-131 for total of 415

It should be noted that the junior boys were smoked by the top junior girl. Katie Penvose shot 170-165-174  for a total of 509 pts out of a possible 600 with a average score per shot of 8.48.

Podium Boy has only been shooting in earnest for about ten weeks. To put his scores into perspective on a national level, at the 2012 National Junior event, the boys in his age group were all shooting in the 470-490 range for 60. Coach Todd thinks Podium Boy can be shooting in that range in short order. Especially when he becomes even more comfortable with the new pistol.

Next Podium Boy Event:

Apr 7 - Aramis Youth Fencing Challenge at the Minnesota Sword Club. Podium Boy will compete in his first fencing event in the Youth 12 Mixed Epee competition.

Old Men

Old Men by Ogden Nash

People expect old men to die, They do not really mourn old men. Old men are different. People look At them with eyes that wonder when... People watch with unshocked eyes; But the old men know when an old man dies.

Race Result: 2013 Becker Chase a Leprechaun 5K

Event: Becker Chase a Leprechaun 5K
Date: Saturday, March 9, 2013
Location: Becker Community Center, Becker
Hotel: Home, sweet home
Weather: 35F, light winds at 4-6 MPH from SW, rain
Official Results: Typically posted temporarily
Previous Results: 2011 - 19:36 (2nd overall); 2012 - 18:51 (4th overall)

Personal Results

Goal: Sub-20 minutes
Actual: 20:20 (6:32 per mile pace)
Note: Per Garmin, course was long at 3.17 miles which equates to 19:55 true 5K (6:25 per mile pace)
Overall: 8th (100 total); 3rd in 50-59 AG (7 total)

Myself with my 'running daughter', Mary Franke, looking all tough prior to the race

Garmin

Garmin Results


Wanted to be faster, but splits are better than the last race. And the opening 6-flat was pleasing. Still, for a guy used to running 5:55-6 pace for a 5K, I have a ways to go as I get back into shape after the long layoff from the tibial stress fracture.

Splits

The 5 feet of total elevation gain was 'daunting'. The 181 avg HR & 187 max is telling

GoPro Video: 


2013 Becker 5K from Brian Maas on Vimeo.


Mile One (6:00)

Hey, I was just glad to be at this event. My Real Job has severely cut into my training the last two weeks. And recall that left tibial stress fracture from last year? Well, now the right one is feeling similar. Only with the right, massage and compression seems to be helping. It actually felt fine after this race. So, maybe it is muscle tissue and not the tibia. Another week and hopefully it goes away. The fact that I could go out in a 6:00 is the real positive I carry away from the race. The stamina to click off sub 6:10 pace consistently through a 5K will come. I need to remember to stay patient, and slowly build up the miles. I do not want to be out for over 9 months again.

I had the added bonus of running with Mary Franke today. She is the daughter of my son's swim team coach, Tom Franke. Tom has given so much to my son that it is a pure pleasure to reciprocate in turn. You'll recall Mary as the female overall winner from my previous race. She was a integral member of the Wayzata Girls effort to be Minnesota State Champs this past season. They later won Nike Regionals in South Dakota before turning in a fine performance at Nike Nationals where Mary did very well.

Awaiting the gun

I had to listen to her do a little whine prior to this one. Hard workout the day before. Was just going to run and not race this one. Ah-huh. Right. I've heard this all before from the youth I have the privilege to run with. I knew as soon as the race started, she'd be off. And she was, leaping to the front.

As the race had a few early tight turns I had to scramble to get on her shoulder and then attempt to help pace her through Mile One. And then to see her take off just like at Hamel. Plus, I'm not sure the boys liked seeing a female up there showing them up!

The roads were very slushy. We had a big snow storm early in the week. Friday night rain started to move in and the temps were in the mid-30F range. The rain had slowed to a mist when we started the race, and combined with the ongoing melt, the shoes took a beating.

I was really surprised that through the first half mile, Mary and I were cruising along at 5:30 at first, then 5:50 pace. Still, we were both sort of shocked when we hit Mile One at 6-flat.

Mile Two (6:26)

That's when conditioning paid off for Mary, and left me dusted. She went with some of the boys and I just tried to keep my pace comfortable. It was pleasing that I was able to maintain a 6:26 for Mile Two. I'd only had 27 miles total the last 14 days so I thought I had zero chance to be even at this pace.

Mile Three (6:47)

A quick check over my shoulders and we made the last few turns showed I had 300-400 yards on the next person. I had mentally calculated I was sitting in 3rd place in the 50-59 age group, so I just shut it down and put it in cruise mood. There was no sense to try and do anything above and beyond. This was satisfying.


Finish

I finished up, got my post-race hug from Mary and greeted a few other folks. And let's hear it for the Male 50-50 age group! Three in the top eight overall, including the race overall winner Pete Kesler.

Post race. Track starts Monday for Mary. I deem her well ahead of the curve.

Awards/T-Shirt

There is better value than this annual race. $15 gets you a nice T-shirt and medal for top three finish in 10-year increment age groups.

Super Original T-Shirt

Very Large Medal!

Besides being Female Overall Champ, Mary won the 19 & Under AG

Men's 50-59 AG dominated. L-R: Myself (3rd), David Hartz (2nd - 19:46), Pete Kesler (1st & Overall Champ 18:35)

I recommend this race very much. Hope to see you at it next year!

Next Race

March 16 - St. Patrick's Day 5K, Fargo ND. This is doubtful at the moment. Two days removed from the Becker 5K, my right tibia is sore enough to warrant consideration of yet another stress fracture. Rest of racing season TBD.

I've Got Energy Balls

It is SO not what you think. This blog entry is about nutritional balls of energy. Nothing about having balls of endurance, which is a completely different subject for another day.

Whilst at Podium Boy's recent swim meet, one of the parents introduced me to a home concoction which everyone simply gobbled up, especially the swimmers. When I first looked at them, they sort of reminded me of what my dogs leave in the backyard. So, I was very hesitant to try them at first. I mean, have a look.

We call them "River Stones" after our whippet River

We are naming them "River Stones", after our one-year old whipper River Song. Who it seems, has a secret hoard of these somewhere, judging by her energy levels.




December Whippets from Brian Maas on Vimeo.

It is a very simple recipe. Experiment with other flavors such as cinnamon.

River Rocks

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

½ cup ground flax

½ cup mini chocolate chips

½ cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 TBS chia seeds, optional

1 tsp cinnamon, optional 

Mix the wet ingredients together with a spatula. Stir in dry ingredients and chill for at least an hour. Roll into balls and store in the fridge.

 

Try it out and let me know how it went.