Pumpkin Monster?

As promised I had my pumpkin waffles again this morning, this time drizzled with honey. SO good. 

They are not crisp, they are actually really soft. My dad says he doesn’t like them that way, but I LOVE them that way! I made up batter yesterday using 1 cup of the mix, butter, an egg, and water. I used that batter again today and still have some leftover! This breakfast has officially made it feel like fall. I think I might have a new addiction. Do you see what’s in the background? This little guy…

This morning I made my first Green Monster. I admit, I was nervous. So I made a small one. I shouldn’t have been, it was SO good and I believe it really did give me great energy for the day! It was easy…

• 1/2 cup Almond Milk
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 ice cube

I blended all of it together (blending the ice in after everything else) and it was really yummy. I couldn’t taste the spinach at all! So as you can tell I had a very successful breakfast!

I am doing well making my lunch for work. I did a chicken salad today with a vitamin water. I would love some new ideas though! What are some of your favorite lunches to pack? I have to be creative because we don’t have a way to heat anything up!

One more: Are any of you Green Monster fans? If so, what’s your favorite recipe?

Run, Don’t Walk

Oh my goodness, if you live near a Trader Joe’s you HAVE to try their Pumpkin Waffle and Pancake mix! I’m serious. Run, don’t walk to your nearest TJ’s and pick some up! I know I am new to this, but I might just have to do a giveaway soon because I am so excited about this pumpkin mix.

This morning around 5:45 I set out for an 8 mile run, and ended up doing 8.5 miles. It felt really good! I enjoy running in the dark for some reason, it makes time pass quickly! I came home and made a delicious spinach, cheddar, and egg white scramble with one of these incredible pumpkin waffles on the side. It’s simple to prepare (eggs+water+butter), but not too simple (is it weird to anyone else that you need to add anything but water to some mixes?). In my hurry, I didn’t take any pictures. I know that’s terrible. When I read blogs, the pictures are my favorite part! 

I plan on making these again tomorrow and I promise to take pictures! 

What is your bedtime routine, or something that helps you get sleepy? I love to listen to instrumental soundtracks (like Finding Neverland)!

Still Here

I am alive, and well. I didn’t mean to disappear, I just got overwhelmed with life and not being used to blogging, I just didn’t get to it. Here I am though, and still figuring out my niche!

 Today, I had a surprise day off from work and I planned to rest (I had an insane week, driving all over southern california and catching up with a lot of friends)! I ended up doing so much:

• 1800 yard swim
• TJ’s shopping trip (they FINALLY have Pumpkin Butter out here in the land of heat and no Fall)
• 3.5 mile run
• Baking (Pumpkin Wheat Rolls)
• Yoga and Yogurt with my Mom

It was all great! My mom and I have started a tradition of going to yoga on Monday nights and getting frozen yogurt afterward. I really like this class. It’s a power yoga and just feels so good. Tonight especially was fantastic. The pumpkin wheat rolls I made were pretty good! It was my first attempt at anything needing yeast. They turned out well. They don’t taste anything  like pumpkin, but had a pretty orange color! And they are great with TJ’s pumpkin butter. 

Pumpkin Wheat Rolls

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups wheat flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and stir in sugar, salt, 1/2 cup butter, pumpkin and eggs. Add 3 cups of the flour and beat well. Stir in enough additional flour to make dough easy to handle. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, covered, and allow to double in size.
2. Punch down, and divide into 4 parts, rolling each into a 12-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Roll up each wedge beginning at wide edge. Or roll into 8 balls (this is how I like them). Place on greased sheet and allow to rise. Brush buttermilk (or melted butter) on each roll. 
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15-20 minutes.

*Pictures tomorrow hopefully!

I almost forgot! This weekend I played in my first football game of the season! At school I played on an intramural team and they let alumni play, and we were playing our big rivals so I had to make the 90 mile drive up there for the game! (I drove up the night before and hung out with my best friend.) Well we lost and honestly didn’t play very well, but it was fun to be out there again! I am so sore though! It’s amazing the different muscles that football uses. I play defensive linebacker and offensive line. My strategy is that I look small and un-intimidating, but I can hold my own. I just love it so much, even when I get crazy injuries like this one:

 

I got an elbow and a fingernail to the eye. You can’t tell too well here, but I had a real good shiner and my face was sliced open. The EMT at school sent me to urgent care because it wouldn’t stop bleeding. All for the love of the game! That was my first one, and I was hooked. It’s good to be playing again! And Sunday I had some yummy Thai food after the game. 

Well congrats on finishing your Monday! I hope you all have a great week!

Just Lovely

Well, hump day is coming to a close. The store was SO slow today, but I met some really lovely people. After work I headed over to the pool and did a nice and mostly easy 1500 yards. Afterwards, all I wanted to do was eat frozen yogurt and watch last night’s Biggest Loser. So I did just that! It was lovely. Golden Spoon needs to get their fall flavors in though, I am getting impatient.

Speaking of yogurt though, did you know that probiotics are not just good for your digestive system, but your immune system as well? Pretty great, right? Especially if you like frozen yogurt with probiotics! 

Here’s the packed lunch I ate today:

So we have a turkey sandwich on an Onion “Alternative Bagel” (110 Calories and 7 grams of fiber)! I used half of a laughing cow on one side and onion mustard on the other, stuck some romaine in there and grilled in on my George. Even when it’s cold after being in my lunch bag, a grilled sandwich is just better. Then I had some carrots and Jalepeno Hummus. I added a Joe-Joe from TJ’s after I took this picture!

Dinner I didn’t take a picture of, but I had TJ’s Chili Lime Chicken Burger (grilled on my George, I love that thing) with my dad’s baked beans and a side of grilled veggies. SO good! 

I hope you all had a great hump day! As I like to say, Goodnight Neverland!

Urban Rescue

I just need to tell you how Urban Rescue’s EP helps me start my day. I have been running to their album during my morning runs (had a great 4 miles this morning!), and it’s been so refreshing. The song “This Is The Day” reminds me to rejoice in this day and it reminds me why I am here! I highly recommend you checking them out. Their tempos aren’t always great for a run pace, but I just remind myself to do double time!

I was so tempted to have my waffle combo again this morning, but I decided to go for the Oat Bran again. This time with blueberries and a drizzle of honey, topped with Kashi Go Lean Crunch (Honey Almond Flax). 

It got a little messy around the bowl, but that’s how it’s supposed to be, right?! I had a french press of my Rwanda Butare Bourbon from Lone Pine Coffee Roasters again. It’s SO good. This is the website’s description of it: A luxurious cup of coffee. The flavor is tight-knit, intense with great structure thanks to the 40 year-old heirloom Bourbon trees and excellent processing at origin. Cupping notes: floral, tangerine, silky, and caramelized sugar. I highly recommend it.

I read this Spark People article yesterday and thought some of you runners might find it interesting: How to Run with Proper Form and Technique

I am off to pack my lunch for work! What is your favorite thing to pack in a lunch? It’s been since high school that I had to do this and I need some ideas!

Have a lovely day!

Welcome Autumn?

Well it is the first day of Fall, but it sure does not feel like it! It’s VERY warm outside! I am jealous of all of your Fall food posts lately, it’s too hot here to start that! In fact, when I went to TJ’s to get Pumpkin Butter today, they told me “it’s not the season for it yet.” Southern California has it’s blessings and it’s curses!

Well, my breakfast was so good yesterday that I decided to make it again!

• 1 Kashi Go Lean whole grain waffle
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon PB
• 1/2 sliced banana
• A drizzle of honey!
• And of course a mug of delicious french press thanks to Lone Pine Coffee Roasters

I was suckered in again. Today at Target they had Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s Kisses. They are weird…

I expected chocolate and there isn’t any. I don’t recommend them. Well I am off to the gym for my bike ride and strength training! I will tell you how it goes!

Homemade Mochi = A Success!

I don’t know about you, but I am a fan of mochi on my frozen yogurt. A friend of mine brought me some homemade mochi this summer and then told me that it was made in a microwave! I decided I needed to try to make some of my own. Well I was browsing Albertson’s today and saw Sweet Rice Flour in the Asian section and decided it was the time!

It’s so simple:

1. 1 Cup Mochiko (Sweet Rice Flour)
2. 1 Cup Water
3. 1/4 Sugar

You mix it well, cover it with plastic wrap and microwave it for 4 minutes. I dusted mine with powdered sugar. It came out pretty well! It definitely doesn’t fit under the healthy eating or cooking category, but it’s fun! There is a much more complicated way to make it, but this way was quick and easy. 

I don’t really know what to do with it now… any ideas?

Mr. Monday

After enjoying myself more than I should have at a baby shower yesterday, I had to back on the training early this morning so that I know I would do it. Sometimes if I don’t wake up and go, I slowly lose motivation throughout the morning/day. So…

Monday 7am: 5 mile run @ 9 min/mile – It felt good. I was remembering while I was running that a year and a half ago the same run I did this morning took me over an hour. Today it took 45 minutes! It felt so good, and somehow I was on fire and feeling good!

Still not doing so well on taking pictures… I promise to get better! I did have some delicious meals today though. My favorite was breakfast – Kashi Go Lean Whole Grain Waffle, 1 tbsp Cinnamon PB, 1/2 sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey. Yum!

My mom and I went to yoga tonight and I was really proud of her. She is 55 and had never been before. It was a great class tonight. I do have a warning, that if you have any trouble at all being serious at times during yoga classes, don’t take a friend or a mom. She definitely farted in the beginning of class and I may have burned more calories trying to keep in my giggles than I did doing yoga!

My goal – To take at least 2 pictures tomorrow!

Food Photos

So I haven’t been very good about taking pictures of my food. To be honest, I feel a bit silly. I did last night though! My parents and I went out to this cute little Hawaiian BBQ nearby and I had a salad with steak, mango ginger vinagarette and berries! You can’t seem them, but there was a side of delicious grilled veggies.

The lighting is weird, but I promise it was really yummy! The berries were good and fresh!

This morning I went for a 3.5 mile run and had oat bran again! I am really liking this oat bran business. I worked today and brought a yummy salad. When I left I made myself a blended frozen yogurt with honeydew, which was good until I got in the pool to do my 1500 yard swim I had scheduled. I felt sick from 500 yards on, but it felt good once I was done!

I splurged and had pizza with the kids I was babysitting tonight. Sausage with mushrooms, yum! Now I am feeling awful though. I am allergic to milk protein and had frozen yogurt and cheese today. Blah. Oh well, I will feel better in the morning!

I almost forgot. Last night was really cool, they had a free concert at my church with some of our really talented jazz artists. It was a great time of fellowship! Afterward I went to a friend’s house and made Nutella cookies. I highly recommend trying that sometime!

What is your favorite mid-afternoon snack?!

Sucker

Well, training started at 7am this morning with a BRICK, which is just a bike followed immediately by a run. It’s purpose is to get your legs used to the transition for race day! I had a 9 mile bike followed by a 1.5 mile run. Nothing too extreme. It felt good, which was surprising since I went on a long run yesterday!

When I came home, I had my first bowl of oat bran. I really liked it! I much prefer the texture over oatmeal!

This is…

• 1/3c oat bran
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon Peanut Butter
• A sprinkle of raisins!

I worked from 10-3 today (at Yogen Fruz, a really yummy and healthy frozen yogurt shop). I was wandering around the food court on my break and had settled on just having the bran muffin and bell peppers that I packed. Well then I was standing by Subway and the nice gentleman asked me what I would like and instead of saying “no, thank you”, I gave him my usual order! So I was stuck with a sandwich that I didn’t mean to buy or eat. And I bought it and ate it. Oh well. Lesson learned: do not stand too close to the Subway counter. You might get suckered in. 

I hope you are all having a blessed day!