Finally Moving

Welp, last time I posted, little did I know I was on my way down a steep slope of sickness.

For the past week I've been a feverish, snot producing, nose blowing, never-ending cough machine. Yes, lovely, I know. I tried to stay hydrated and eat as many healthy foods as I could, but with my throat being so painfully raw, all I managed to eat was mostly bananas, soup, and Bocca burgers (i.e., anything that could be easily chewed into mush).

I was doing pretty well until Sunday. I even mustered up enough energy to go for a walk in the park with Jon. It was such a nice day, I couldn't pass it up.

The sunshine was great, however after about 2 hours of being outside, I had to sit and gather myself. We went back in the car and I knew we had to go home. I was so exhausted and feeling just terrible. When we got home, I crawled in bed and slept for 3 hours.

Come Monday, I was not healed. That vicious cold virus led into an ear infection. Currently, I cannot hear too well out of my left ear, my ears are constantly ringing, but I have some antibiotics to help.

Needless to say, I was a lump for the past week. I did not cook, I did not train - I slept, medicated, and watched too much TV. Oh well, you have to deal with the things you cannot control and hope for the best. I hope to get back on the treadmill tomorrow morning before work for a few miles.The half marathon is at the end of this month!!! I have to get back on track with my training and make up for my lost time.

Today is the first day I feel half way back to human (cough is subsiding, sniffles have just about vanished), and what luck, I got to bake today, too! Tomorrow is a co-worker's last day, so we're throwing her a farewell breakfast bash.

I volunteered to make . . .

Carrot Cake Breakfast Bites
You'll need:
1 C gluten free flour
1/2 rolled oats
1/2 unsweetened coconut
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
Dash ground clove
1/2 C chopped walnuts
1 C shredded carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
1/2 C raisins (soaked for about an hour)
1/2 C coconut oil (softened in microwave for about 30 seconds)
1/2 C maple syrup
1 t vanilla extract

To make:
1. Preheat oven to 350' and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl combine flour, oats, coconut, baking powder, salt and spices.
3. Add in walnuts and raisins. Stir.
4. In a small bowl, combine softened coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and carrots. Add mixture to the large bowl of dry ingredients and combine until thoroughly mixed.
5. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on to lined cookie sheet.
6. Bake for about 13 minutes. Let cool before removing from sheet.

The cookies are soft, sweet, and very easy to eat...for breakfast! They have a healthy serving of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber from the carrots. They're a slow-release carbohydrate (from the oats) which provide a steady source of energy, contain omega-3s, protein, and fiber from the walnuts, and have healthy sugars to satisfy a morning sweet tooth. So go ahead and have one or two to get you through your morning.

Vegan French Toast

So, last I left you, the arches of my feet were starting to hurt badly because I was logging in about 20 miles a week and doing it in trail shoes. Silly girl.

I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and got myself a pair of Asics gel-1170 running shoes. They were written up in Runner's World magazine as being one of the best sneakers for marathons and long training runs.

I tried them out last weekend.

Boy, these babies were great! I could definitely feel a major difference in the arch support when I ran. The rubber on the soles are soft and help with the bounce back after striking the treadmill. The top of the toe and sides of the shoe are very breathable and keep my feel cool, but there is still enough padding in the back by the ankle to keep stability and support.

These were,in my opinion, a great buy and I'd recommend them to any runner looking for a new pair of stability running shoes. I've already logged about 15-20 miles in them since last Friday!

In other news. . .

it snowed this week.

It's almost May.

Just when Buffalo thought it was well on it's way to spring, this happened:

"Issued by The National Weather Service Buffalo, NY 3:53 pm EDT, Sun., Apr. 22, 2012 ... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING "

Well great. All the buds have sprouted, the animals are making their new homes for the summer, and now the snow is going to come by for one more visit. Oh, well,make the best of it and cook something warm and comforting, right?

How about vegan french toast....perfect.

Vegan French Toast
You'll need:
3-4 slices of whole wheat bread
1/3 C unsweetened almond milk
1 med. banana (preferably ripe)
3 T canola oil
2 t honey
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t cinnamon
1/16 t nutmeg
1/16 t clove

To make:
1. Mash banana in bowl until smooth
2. Add the almond milk and stir until combined.
3. Add the vanilla, honey, and spices until combined.
4. Soak bread slices individually in mixture for 30 seconds on each side
5. While bread is soaking, heat a small frying pan on the stove at low-medium heat. Once pan is hot, add 1T of the oil and place one piece of saturated bread in the pan.
6. Let bread cook on the one side until you can see the bottom edges are getting golden brown; flip and let brown.
7. Repeat the 1T oil, cook bread sequence until all slices have been used. It is best to cook them one piece at a time because they don't take that long to cook and it's easier to keep an eye on them.

The result was a soft, spongy, spicy, sweet french toast! I was very pleased with the texture - it was just like the real thing. This recipe is a great healthier alternative to a traditional recipe...and if you don't have any more eggs in the house!

What  is your favorite cold-weather breakfast? Has Spring sprung where you are?

The good, the bad, and the delicious!

This past week has been quite the roller coaster. While my bad days were out numbered by my good days, sometimes the bad days are hard to shake off.

But, when I had good days, they were awesome days.

As I mentioned before, I won a pair of tickets to the Buffalo Wine Festival.

We're going tonight! I'll try to take pictures and I'll let you know how it goes!

Jon and I partook in Buffalo restaurant week for a second night at AcQua. It was a great place. They served 4 courses (although we skipped the first, which was duck), we got a table with a nice view of the lake, and our waiter was also a friend of mine from college! It was a great time.

Jon got the shrimp, scallop, and fettuccine dish

I got the mushroom pastry puff on top of seasoned rice with greens.

Jon surprised me with a beautiful pair of new turquoise earrings

...to replace the pair he bought me while we were in Arkansas at a music festival. I lost one of the the old pair the other night while we were out. I was so sad I could have cried. They held such sentimental value to me. I tried everything to find it - I even called the restaurant we went to to see if they might have found it, but with no luck. I was pretty down about it ... until he pulled these from behind his back.
I'm a lucky girl :)

Aaannnddd I was asked to be co-maid of honor (with another of my BFFs) for my best girlfriend since 3rd grade, Dana!

This is me, Dana (with her little peanut still cooking in her belly), and Michelle

I was truly honored to be asked. I've only been in 2 weddings before - once as a flower girl and once as a bride's maid for my cousin. While these were great times, I am so very excited to be in her wedding and have this position. I don't know the first thing about being a maid of honor, but I know it's a lot of work...I have some research to do!

In the meantime, I better eat a hearty meal before the wine festival tonight . . .

Quick Banana Maple Walnut Oatmeal

You'll need:

1 C water

1/2 C quick oats

1/2 ripe banana, sliced

2 T brown sugar

3 T maple syrup

1 1/2 T chopped walnuts

1/2 t cinnamon

To make:

1. Combine oats, sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts in a microwave-safe bowl.

2. Add water and 2T of the maple syrup. Stir well.

3. Add banana slices and stir.

4. Microwave for about 3 minutes and let cool until settled.

5. Drizzle remaining 1 T of maple syrup on top of oatmeal and enjoy!

This makes 1 really hearty breakfast or 2 modest meals or snacks.

It is not too dense and has a wonderful sweet slightly caramelized banana flavor. The added maple drizzle on top gives this oatmeal a nice comforting flavor.

How do you handle roller coaster-emotion weeks?



Subtly Sweet High Protein 'Milk Shake'

Since I've been trying my best to keep up with training for the Buffalo Half Marathon, I've been experimenting with my diet to help increase energy, build and maintain lean muscle, and most importantly, stay full and satisfied with healthy meals throughout the day.

I've found that with an increase in miles run comes an increase in appetite. After I run, later during day, I get ravenous . . . I want to eat everything I can get my hands on. And, having a sweet tooth, I tend to reach more for the 'naughty snacks'. I never really learned how to fuel my body while training at a pace of at least 15 miles per week, but I think I'm beginning to get a hint of what to do.

I'm learning it's best to eat a good portion of carbohydrates for lunch (anywhere from 12 - 1:30 p.m.) if I plan on running after work (around 6:30 p.m.). On a day where I'm doing a core workout or weight training, I've found it great to snack on some plain Greek yogurt with fruits mixed in (I prefer pineapple and peaches). Although, I've yet to figure out what/if to eat before I run in the morning on weekends. I like to workout on an empty stomach because it saves me from cramps and also, on the weekends, I prefer to workout not too much after I wake up and have a cup of coffee. It gives me the rest of the day to do fun weekend stuff!

One thing I do know is, this new little ditty will be a regular part of my weekend routine after I knock out a good long run. This recipe is not vegan, it's vegetarian . . .and that's alright with me. 

High Protein 'Milk Shake'

You'll need:

1 frozen banana (chopped, then frozen)

1/2 golden delicious apple (chopped, then frozen)

6oz. Plain Greek yogurt

1 hand full of fresh baby spinach

3/4 C plain, unsweetened almond milk

1 T Chia seeds

To make:

1. Place frozen banana and apple into blender; then spinach.

2. Next, add the chia seeds

3. Last, add yogurt and almond milk.

4. Blend on "Crush Ice" setting to work through frozen parts on bottom. Once the blender has grabbed everything and the mixture is mixing through, change to "Liquefy" and let blender mix for about 1 minute. You want to be sure this drink is smooth and mixed well.

This produces a lot of "milk shake", so be sure you have a large glass ready to go (I used a lovely 6'' beer mug my sister gave me for Christmas).
 

This drink is thick and creamy like a milk shake. It is sweet, but not overpoweringly so. It kept me feeling full for about 3.5-4 hours (which is pretty good for a smoothie!)

By using plain Greek yogurt, you're saving yourself a lot of unneeded sugar that's found in the flavored Greek yogurts (plain=7g, flavored=14-16g), and you've got enough natural sugars from the fruits to give it a nice sweet finish.

Do you like yogurts in your smoothies? What do you eat to help you get through your workouts with a high energy level?

Healthy Apple Pie Breakfast Smoothie

When I used the last of the baby spinach and pineapple yesterday morning for my daily green monster, I knew I'd have to get creative for breakfast on Saturday.

There are not too many fresh ingredients left in the house on the weekend as grocery day is usually Sunday, but I had a leftover golden delicious apple in the fruit basket and 2 bananas in the freezer from the other night when we planned to make banana "soft serve", but got too full from dinner and never got to it.

Being a girl with a weakness for sweets and a constant underlying craving for dessert as every meal, I decided to concoct a healthy apple pie breakfast smoothie.

Here's how it went. . .

Healthy Apple Pie Breakfast Smoothie

You'll need:

1 frozen banana (first sliced, then frozen)

1/2 a golden delicious apple (I left skin on for added nutrients), cubed

3 T steel cut oats

1 T vanilla extract

1 T cinnamon

1 T chia seeds

1 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk

To make:

1. Place frozen banana pieces in blender, then apple chunks.

2.  Add the oats, chia seeds, cinnamon

3. Last, add the vanilla and milk

4. Blend using the "liquefy" setting and leave it for a minute to make sure all the ingerdients are fully blended and smooth.

The result is a thick,  cinnamon-y smoothie with slight hints of apple. I think next time i make this, I'll use less cinnamon and double the apple - so maybe 1-2 t cinnamon and one whole apple, cubed.

 

Finally Winter

Well, it's about time!

 Winter finally decided to show up to Buffalo.

I was beginning to worry it might not snow at all this winter, but I was proved wrong this past Thursday-Friday. We got around 3-5 inches of snow in about 12 hours. It was a great scene to wake up to -  I don't think looking out the window to a fresh blanket of snow will ever get old for me.

When the fresh snow sticks to the dark, wet branches, it creates a beautiful contrast. 

It's wonderful to take a walk in the woods when it's snowing because when the air is cold, sound actually travels faster through the air than when it's warm outside. So, when you're walking in the woods during the winter, you can actually hear the snow hitting the ground. It's humbling, almost, to hear such a delicate event.

So, what's better to accompany a snow storm than a warm, hearty breakfast? Here's an easy recipe that will keep you warm, full, and stocked with energy for a day of play in the snow.

Creamy Pumpkin Oatmeal

 (For 1 serving)

You'll need:

1/3 C steel cut oats

1 C unsweetened almond milk

1/2 C pumpkin

2-3 T brown sugar 

1 T chia seeds

1 T cinnamon

1/2 t vanilla extract 

Walnuts (optional) 

To make:

1. In a saucepan, heat oats and milk over medium heat until mixture comes to a low boil.

2. Stir in the chia seeds and the pumpkin.

3. Heat over med-low heat for about 5-6 minutes, stirring almost constantly.

4. Add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla and cook for another 5-6 minutes, stirring almost constantly.

5. When the oatmeal looks thick, it's should be ready. Pour into bowl or mug and sprinkle walnuts and maybe some extra brown sugar on top if you're feeling adventurous.

The result is a thick, creamy, comforting winter breakfast that (like I mentioned) provides plenty of energy for outdoor winter activities.

What do you like to do when it snows? Do you even like when it snows? :)