Usual Foods + Pizza + Fruit in the House

 

Let’s see, let’s see…what have I been eating. Um, a whole lot of the same foods as usual. I mean really, does anyone truly vary their diet that often? Sometimes I feel the need for something different but overall, I gravitate towards the same rotation of foods on a regular basis. Actually, I bought some Trader Joe’s avocado tzatziki dip? Is that what it’s called? I don’t think I would buy it again but it was good in terms of being something different from what I usually buy at Trader Joe’s.  

I had this chopped vegetable salad at Fanatico recently. It doesn’t look as picturesque as usual, and it even appears small in the picture. It was not small and was as delicious as ever. It’s worth noting that I devoured the bread basket with olive oil during this particular dinner. Not sure why but I just needed the bread on a really large-scale on this day.

I’ve flopped around between the salads I order at The Cheesecake Factory lately but went back to my tried and true order of the Barbecue Ranch Salad. (Always ordered without the chicken, because I eat an almost exclusive vegetarian diet aside from the rare time I eat sushi).

Pizza is still at the top of my list for dinner. In fact, last week I had pizza for dinner three nights in a row. One night was the whole wheat margarita pizza from Mario’s.

Two nights in a row was the whole wheat vegetable slice from Monte. One night I brought it home after food shopping and the second night, my son drove us to Monte on the way to his SAT Tutor session. We will not discuss his driving or my lack of ability to have the proper level of patience and balanced emotions to handle being the passenger in the car while my son is driving on a regular basis.

Instead, we can chat about my slice of pizza. Although, I don’t have much to say about the whole wheat veggie pizza because I’ve written about it so many times already. It’s a good choice, and satisfying, giving you a nice serving of vegetables. It’s not my favorite though, the Mario’s whole wheat margarita slice is at the top of my list.

The spring-like weather inspired my desire to have a big bowl of fruit in the house. We call this my overpriced fruit bowl.

Hey, if you aren’t going to cut up the fruit yourself (which I am not), what do you expect to pay?  Cut up fruit is just not cheap but it’s the price you pay when you want the work done for you. And that’s what I want, at least right now. I just cannot do not want to be lugging melons through the store, to the car, to the house, to then cut up. Can’t Won’t do it. Not in the mood.

But at least we have fruit in the house. 🙂

 

Recents Eats + Favorite Pickles + Ralph’s Ices

It’s Wednesday already (is the week going fast or slow for you?) which means we are talking about food today!

Let’s start with some salads.

At Chopt, I ordered my usual but skipped the brussels sprouts and opted for string beans instead.  You know how the brussels sprouts can be hard on my digestion. I just wasn’t in the mood to feel uncomfortable.

This greek salad, which I take out from Greek Cove with a side of hummus and pita bread makes me happy.

I went back to the vegan cobb salad at The Cheesecake Factory. It’s really so very good that I don’t even miss the onion strings from the barbecue ranch salad which is funny since in this post from last year, I said how off balance my life would be if I ever switched my standard Cheesecake Factory order.

Usual Panera salad order for lunch while working yesterday. Seasonal greens with avocado and hummus.

So. I’ve become exceptionally lazy as of late in terms of my willingness to cut up fresh fruit and vegetables. I find myself buying the pre-cut fruit for the most part, and randomly the other day, I grabbed the pre-cut peppers and onions too.

I’m not too disappointed in myself though for two reasons:

1 – I’ve put in my time cutting up melons over the years and deserve a break.

2 – I don’t eat as much fruit as I used to at one time so a giant watermelon really isn’t necessary. My son and I share the cut up pineapple and melon just fine. It lasts us long enough that I am not even scrambling to buy more until the next time I go to the store.

Have you tried these Organic Kosher Hot & Spicy Dill Pickle Chips from Trader Joe’s yet? You should, they are delicious! My son and I love them.

And I can’t conclude this post today without announcing my first Ralph’s Ices of the season. I had a craving for the rainbow cookie ices so that’s what I ordered, even though my standard order for like 20 years is the snickers fudge.

Are you good about cutting up fresh fruit every week? Which type of fruit do you like to have in the house this time of year?

Favorite Ralph’s Ices (or any type of ices) flavor?

Favorite type of pickles?

week in review #8

Linking up today with Meg’s Week in Review!

It was a super busy yet productive week! Let’s take a look in recap form…

Blog Highlights:

I shared a new run by time tempo workout on Tuesday. Click here if you missed it, it’s a really good running workout.

I finally tried Pure Barre Platform on Friday which I reviewed in yesterday’s post. I love Pure Barre but don’t think I will be back for Platform.

I have been eating out more than normal lately but Laura is really keeping me accountable in kitchen with our recipe challenge! I love that we pick a new recipe to try each week and especially love that it is leaving me with leftovers that I freeze for later use.

Last week was falafel, this week may involve vegetarian Buddha style bowls which are perfect for lunch, dinner and preparing in advance. Yum!

Running:

I registered for the NYCRUNS Falling Leaves Half Marathon. November 12th, here I come! Actually, it’s more like here WE come because my cousins will be running it with me making this half marathon extra fun.

I suddenly felt as though my Energy Boosts were on their last leg and after a quick calculation, I realized that my current pair was exactly three months old with almost 400 miles on them! I love how I can always feel when my running shoes are finished basically right on schedule.

New shoes were a must so I picked them up yesterday at Runner’s Edge. I can’t wait to run in them!

Motherhood:

I had my son’s room painted on Friday (the blue-gray color is so nice!) and the carpet is coming tomorrow. I can’t wait for him to see his room all finished!

I spent several hours over the last week refreshing my son’s camp’s online photo albums to see all of the fun he is having. Camp is such a gift that we give our kids. I didn’t realize this obviously when I was the kid going to camp but I am grateful now that I had my camp years and hope one day my son understands how fortunate he was to spend his summers at camp.

I easily wrote him seven letters by mail and a bunch by email. I received two letters by mail which has made retrieving my mail from my mailbox more interesting than ever. Usually I avoid my mailbox for an embarrassing long time because, well, I hate the mail.

Work Stuff:

I sort of recapped the red carpet event we had for work last week but it’s worth mentioning again since it was so much fun. The desserts are still on my mind!

I had my highlights touched up the day before the event plus a blow out which served as another trial for how I will wear my hair for the Bar Mitzvah. I am still unsure exactly what I will do with my hair but we are getting there.

Bar Mitzvah Planning:

I met with the favors vendor to get started on figuring out what I need. I have to wait for the final RSVP’s to come in before placing my order but still, we made major progress in this department.

I worked on a few DIY things for the party. I am not the DIY type but there were a few ideas that I had which I knew I could complete myself that wouldn’t look DIY.

I worked crazy hard on the photo montage. With my dad’s help, we sorted through thousands of photos (in addition to the thousands I have already weeded through over the last several months). I didn’t finish but hope to complete it this week.

That face though.

I have my meetings starting this week into next week with the caterer, the entertainment, photographer and décor so things are really coming together!

I have received some comments asking about Bar Mitzvahs; what the planning process entails and what the affairs are like. I think the best resource for explaining all of this well is the Mitzvah Market website. I started utilizing Mitzvah Market as a resource years ago when I began working in Bar Mitzvahs/event planning and now as a Mitzvah Mom, I really look to the site for planning inspiration.

Food & Fun:

I dined out way more than I ate at home over the last several days but I am not complaining. I love going out to eat and will never pass up the opportunity to enjoy my favorite salad.

I was seriously all caked out after the work event last week that Linda’s Fudge cake was barely appealing to me yet somebody I used to know insisted a slice be brought to our table. I didn’t even want my own slice of cake but we share well so it’s fine.

I spent Saturday at my aunt’s summer house in Atlantic Beach with my cousins. Summer weekends have always meant going to my aunt’s house at the beach. It’s nice to know that although we all keep getting older, the tradition never changes, it just involves more kids.

We sat by the pool a little too long before walking down to the beach because it got cloudy once we were there before starting to rain.

I ate a lot of fruit this weekend too.

Not included in the above fruit platter is the YELLOW WATERMELON that I sampled over the weekend. Have you tried yellow watermelon? I don’t love it. The color confuses me, the texture is the same as regular watermelon but it’s not as sweet.

I gotta go now to test out my new Boosts! This will totally throw off my running shoe rotation but how I can let a new pair of running shoes just sit in the box?!

[bctt tweet=”week in review! #running #ontheblog #weekend #barmitzvah #weekinreview #purebarre #beach” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Don’t forget to check out what everyone else did this week!

Have you tried yellow watermelon? What did you think?

Best thing you ate over the weekend?

Are you due for a new pair of running shoes?

 

 

Friday Favorites

 

Thank you all for your comments, social media shares and emails regarding yesterday’s post.

I am so glad that my blunt way of going about such a personal and important topic was so well received. It seems as though many of us have dealt with amenorrhea at one point or another to varying degrees and the truth is, as runners and fitness enthusiasts, it’s always a slippery slope of making sure we are at balance with our energy in vs. energy out.

As a female runner, what I eat matters a whole lot, not just because I really like food but because running means I must eat more in order to keep up with myself, especially when my mileage goes up. We should probably talk more about this in greater detail but not today because today is Friday and my brain is fried.

Instead, let’s look at my favorites from the week and I will work on some follow-up amenorrhea posts when I can think straight!

1. The Fresh Market!

Is it wrong to tell you that The Fresh Market is my new favorite grocery store simply based on their multitude of FREE fresh fruit samples?

I must admit I stop in a few times a week for an afternoon snack. I can’t help myself. Cherries, peaches, cantaloupe and pineapple always on display!

I sometimes feel bad about this but hey, it doesn’t say limit one piece per person per day or even per week. And sometimes I even buy some fruit to take home with me so it’s all okay, right?

2. My favorite hair product at the moment:

When I had my hair cut and highlighted back in June, my stylist told me to try this Saphira Rejuvenating Styling Cream in order to protect my hair from the highlights and blow drying. This product helps restore the proteins and keeps the ends of the hair nice and smooth, eliminating that breakage/frizz appearance. Um, it really works!

I just use a small amount when my hair is wet, before I blow dry. If I am not blow drying that day, I still put some in when my hair is wet and it dries real nice and smooth (but I have really straight hair so I can’t say for sure how it would work for your hair if you let your hair air dry).

3. English Muffins With Peanut Butter:

The other day I told you that I went a day without oatmeal and I think it’s quite possible that I may skip it on a more regular basis at breakfast time in favor of this English muffin+ peanut butter + blueberries combination. It just hits the spot in the right way when I first wake up.

I mean, I always knew this, I lived on English muffins with peanut butter for breakfast for seven years straight but then somehow got hooked on oatmeal. I am hoping to find some sort of breakfast balance between my two favorites.

By the way, I think I prefer english muffins to toast, especially before I run. Toast with peanut butter doesn’t satisfy me the same way that an english muffin does, anyone else with thoughts on this?

4. My Dessert Of The Month For July arrived on Wednesday!

Remember that I told you one of my birthday gifts last month was enrollment in the dessert of the month club?

July’s delivery arrived and while I don’t love this month’s dessert, it is still so super exciting to anticipate the arrival. Such a great gift!

I don’t know, cinnamon walnut just isn’t my thing. It isn’t bad per say, it’s just not chocolate and dessert to me is chocolate. They should have made it a crumb topped cinnamon walnut cake, that I could have learned to enjoy.

5. This Guy…

I like him. And not just because he enrolled me in the Dessert Of The Month Club.

We have fun together and tonight will be no exception, especially since our fun is centered around a town that has Kilwin’s, Torta Fina Bake Shoppe and Cold Stone Creamery all on one street.

If you are wondering how I will pick between all three dessert spots, I haven’t a clue. I have been thinking about it all week and may need something from each place. 

I am loving those sunglasses you see me wearing -> if you missed my two posts about my experience at Pearle Vision, click here and here. Both posts have $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaways!

[bctt tweet=”Friday Favorites! #HappyFriday #TheFreshMarket #DessertoftheMonthClub #favorites #PearleVision #Sunglasses”]

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Toast or english muffin?

Who is running long this weekend? How many miles are you planning?

If dessert was being delivered to your door, what would you want the most?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking Out Loud – May 28, 2015

Did you know that yesterday was National Sunscreen Day? It’s a great time to take a look at your sunscreen products to ensure you are using the best possible for your skin.

I put together a really informative sunscreen post last year that is worth sharing again because the information still holds and the products I recommended are still the same ones that I am using for myself and my son.

Click here or the above image for the facts about sunscreen post.

Did you know that so many of the sunblocking products available on store shelves are actually harmful? Yeah. They contain lots of ingredients that some studies suggest are actually worse for you than the actual sun.

Wondering which are the worst sunscreens on the market? Click here. And then go clean out your cabinet of the stuff.

In other news…

Lots of fruit in the house. My son requested strawberries and grapes.

And I am still all about watermelon.

The best supermarket thing to happen to me this week was finding fresh blueberries at an acceptable price.

I am currently trying to ration them to myself but we both know that isn’t really working.

And the best peanut butter thing to happen to me this week?

I won the Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway on instagram! Do you see my oats in a jar in their photo?! I won, I won!

Can’t wait to see my prize 🙂

Talk to me about cold brew coffee. Do you make it? Buy it? Drink it?

I read this post the other day all about the benefits of the cold brew coffee and I am intrigued.

I had one of my favorite salads yesterday for lunch and no, I wasn’t at The Cheesecake Factory for a change.

I went a majority of my life without eating beets. I hated them by sight which translated into hating their taste until one day I decided I should like them so I did.

I am due for a dessert trip to The Cheesecake Factory by the way. Especially since my birthday (June 5th) is next Friday!

I haven’t planned out which cakes and desserts I want just yet but the Factory Mud Pie is usually on my birthday list.

Factory Mud Pie from one of last year’s birthday dinners. Yum!

I have a few birthday desserts in mind but none of them involve me baking a darn thing.

I will bake your birthday cake and my dad’s chocolate fudge cookie dough birthday layer cake but I will not slave away in the kitchen on my special day.

I prefer to treat myself or be treated to something sweet without lifting a finger 🙂

A girl deserves a break every now and again, you know?

Be sure to check out what everyone else is thinking about today!

[bctt tweet=”Thinking Out Loud May 28, 2015 #sunscreen #peanutbutter #birthday @runwithspoons @peanutbutterco #thinkingoutloud “]

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Which sunscreen do you use? Are you remembering to wear it while you run?!

If I was baking your birthday cake, what would you request?

Cold Brew Coffee? Should I be drinking it?

 

 

 

 

recent eats

 

When I think about my blog posts for the week, I always equate Wednesday with food.

I don’t have a full day of eats for you today so I won’t be participating in the What I Ate Wednesday fun but I do have a whole bunch of meals I want to share with you so let’s take a look at what I have been eating recently…

So technically I didn’t eat this plate of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread french toast but I made it so many times last week for my son for breakfast that I want you to see it, okay?!

While the french toast is cooking in the skillet, I add in sliced bananas. They get a little warm and gooey but not too gooey because they don’t cook for that long.

Maoz changed their salad bowls to some sort of rectangular container.

I can’t decide if this square bowl/plate thing benefited me or them in terms of how much I was given but in my opinion, I can never get enough. Of course I asked for several helpings of the roasted broccoli but does it look like several? I didn’t think so.

Did you hear Panera is removing artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners (like 150 ingredients) from their meals? While that’s all fine and terrific, they took it a little too far because they removed my favorite power hummus bowl from their menu which really wasn’t a nice thing to do to me.

While yes they will special make the power hummus bowl, sometimes I don’t feel like being TOO difficult which means I go back to ordering the barbeque chicken salad…without the chicken plus avocado.

And I am not sure why this salad doesn’t automatically include avocado?

I am still on a smoothie kick for lunch…

But I also can’t get enough english muffins with peanut butter as my midday meal. And fruit, lots of fruit.

I am trying to be careful with the pineapple consumption (too much irritates my mouth) but lately I seem to handle it just fine!

I remembered to use chopsticks the other night to eat my stir fry in place of a fork.

And I even remembered that I want to share how I roast frozen vegetables this week so I am working on putting together the post! Let’s hope for Friday…

As if my Mother’s Day desserts weren’t enough, look at what I enjoyed last night…

Rainbow cookies were always my favorite but gosh how I love a really fudgy chocolate layer cake.

Makes me smile 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Recent Eats! #Maoz #Panera #chocolatecake #recenteats”]

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Do you have a standard order at Panera?

Which fruits are currently in your kitchen?

Did you have dessert last night? What was it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WIAW – Rest Day From Running And Vegetables

The rain is currently coming down pretty heavy outside my window. Wet and dreary weather would have worked perfectly for me had I planned on a rest day for today.

Keyword phrase here:  Had I planned.

I can’t plan rest days. I can consider a certain day of the week where I may want a rest day to occur but more often than not, I go by how I feel.

Yesterday needed to be my rest day. I ran a whole bunch last week and even though I wasn’t sore or stiff or anything like that, I knew my muscles needed a break and couldn’t wait for a rainy day.

Had I chosen to run yesterday simply because the weather was more suitable, those miles would have been complete junk on tired, useless legs.

Instead, I feel refreshed and ready to run this morning even if it means running on the treadmill because the rain seems to be too heavy even for a rainy runner like me.

You know you took a rest day when you wake up eager and itching to run on a treadmill.

I do not adjust what I eat to cater to rest days. I still eat an early breakfast and then another two hours later, as if I had run in between.

Sometimes I am not as hungry and sometimes I am just as hungry as if I ran six miles in between meals.

I don’t see the point in skimping on meals just because you didn’t run because if you are hungry, you need to eat, and, your body still needs fuel for recovery and strength for the next run.

Anyway, food lately….. Lots of pots of oatmeal have been cooking on my stove since I have been eating bowls for breakfast…and lunch.

Loaded up with berries…sometimes served warm…sometimes served cold…sometimes mixed with greek yogurt…. and the other day, oatmeal swimming in lots of skim milk because I had a random and crazy strong craving for milk.

Do I even need to tell you there is peanut butter mixed in? I should really count how many times I open up the jars of peanut butter in a day, would be an interesting statistic.

I bought a can of pumpkin the other day because I missed it and also because I wanted to try Arman’s Three-Minute Grain-Free English Muffin.

 

I really love adding pumpkin to oatmeal but right now it’s all about using the pumpkin to make Arman’s recipe. 

I didn’t slice it but next time I will. I think I will be making a lot of these muffins because I love short ingredient lists and easy preparations.

I am going to try making them with chia seeds in place of the egg whites next.

I realize there is a salad along with the muffin in the above photo but I have laying low on the vegetables for the most part this week.

My stomach needs a rest day from vegetables sometimes just like my legs do from running.

It’s not that I haven’t been eating some vegetables; I still probably consuming more than most of America, I am just being a bit more selective in my choices and keeping the portion sizes to a minimum.

Roasted asparagus (and roasted plum tomatoes above) tend to be easier on the tummy than broccoli so I have been pairing it with lots of sweet potato wedges and my favorite chick pea and avocado mash.

My son isn’t really a vegetable eater at all but he does accept lettuce, especially when I offer it with tacos.

I am the master of throwing together fresh, healthy and homemade tacos in a flash.  Shredded chicken which I cook and shred myself, mashed chick peas (because I had a can open and didn’t want to open the black beans), corn, taco seasoning, tomato paste and a drop of tomato sauce.

I will share a more in-depth recipe for the tacos soon but please take note at how I mash chick peas into his tacos and he is pretty clueless. I need to mash some more things on into the mix like I used to do to get him to eat more vegetables.

With the right seasonings and texture, I can even get him to eat vegetarian tacos.

I may take some time off from major vegetable consumption but never a hiatus from fruit.

I love fruit. However, sometimes I think its sole purpose is to keep me from just eating peanut butter and chocolate straight from the jar and bag.

While little compares to chocolate fudge cake, brownies, cookies and sundaes, fruit with peanut butter and chocolate will always hit the sweet spot.

.

I will never grow tired or bored of this combination. Ever.

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today!

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Do you plan your rest days?

Do you sometimes need a break from vegetables?

Favorite oatmeal mix-in’s lately?

Anyone else still drink dairy milk?

My New Favorite Fruit Infusion Water

I cannot begin to tell you how much I thoroughly enjoy reading all of your comments on yesterday’s post discussing all things cake.

Some people have zero interest in the delicacies that interest others. I am not one of those people.

I love reading which cakes, frostings and varieties you prefer and learning more about your favorite birthday memories.

I have also come to realize that I haven’t made cupcakes in ice cream cones in way too long and need to add that to my summer bucket list which I never wrote.

Moving on from cake for the moment, let’s talk beverages.

I never liked soda.

When I say I never liked soda, I mean, I must have been offered a sip when I was like three years old and decided right then and there I didn’t care for the bubbles (or the fizz as I called it) and never tried it again.

I may not have made the best of eating choices when I was younger but aside from my daily Tropicana orange juice, I was all about water.

Did you know that the male body is 60% water and the female body is 50% water? And did you know that muscles hold more water than fat cells?

I never paid attention to how many glasses of water you were supposed to drink in a day. I didn’t need to since I drank my weight in water anyway but also because I am stubborn and I don’t like being told I have to do something.

Isn’t it better to want to do something?

I know I have talked about the importance of hydration and will focus more on it again soon rather than bombard you today with all of the facts.

All I will say today is how important it is to stay hydrated, especially if you are running or working out in the heat.

They say sometimes we confuse hunger with thirst. I always laughed at that but it is so totally true.

I have been drinking more water lately in place of cups of coffee and definitely find less of a need for a random snack or even a piece of gum.

Being hydrated keeps you all sorts of balanced and happy. And also keeps your lips from getting dry and chapped.

Sometimes you don’t even realize how dry you are until you drink more and feel like moisture has been instantly infused into your skin, hair, lips and complexion.

Wrinkles on your face that aren’t usually there? Skin is dehydrated.

Now, I understand that some people find water bland and boring and unchuggable.

If you prefer the taste of juice, sports drinks or somehow soda but know you need more water in your diet, may I suggest my new favorite kitchen item.

I love adding lemons and limes to my water and so does my son.

He is a kid so of course he loves juice but since he is happy to drink lemon water, I decided it was time to get one of these pitchers to bring some fruity excitement to our cups for the summer beyond the basic squeeze of a lemon.

I bought this Fruit Infusion pitcher which I found at Bed Bath And Beyond. All you do is fill up the center tube with fresh fruit, add your water to the pitcher and voila – fruit infused water.

The fruit stays in place and keeps from getting soggy. It takes a few hours to experience the full flavor but even right away, it is rather enjoyable.

Do you like this week’s birthday party napkins? Is it just me or do pretty napkins instantly put a smile on your face too?

My son and I are obsessed with our water. He loves tasting it at different times to see how infused the water has become and enjoys creating different fruit combinations for our next round.

I actually can’t get over how flavored the water really is. I read some reviews that claimed it takes on flavor but not to expect much. I totally disagree.

And, if my son agrees with me on the taste, you know it has to be good.

So here’s the thing – the info that came with the pitcher claims you can keep refilling the Fruit Infusion pitcher with water while using the same fruit for seven to ten days.

I disagree.

Our experience has been that after 24 hours, the flavor becomes milder and weaker.

Granted, we drink a ton of water in our house so we kept refilling it several times over the course of 24 hours but even so, I think it is best to expect to swap out your fruit after a day and replace it with a new combination.

What I can’t get over is how the fruit stays fresh and firm enough to still eat when you are done using it in your pitcher.

After 24 hours, I took the berries out of the pitcher  and they were still totally delicious with some oatmeal.  I waited longer than the 24 hours just to see on a different day what would happen to the strawberries and I was correct – the strawberries had lost almost all flavor and were getting soggy.

Fruit isn’t cheap; I don’t want to start needing a berry supply for both water and my plate.

Right now our pitcher is filled with strawberries and lemons. We love this combo but intend to try something new in a few days.

Tip: If filling your pitcher insert with lemons, cut off the skin. The skin will make the water too sour and you also don’t want the pesticides and whatever else lurks on the skin in your water.

I found this website which offers a ton of fruit infusion recipes for making your water.

It is such an easy process to flavor your own water which sure beats the sugared fruit juices, preservatives in sports drinks and may even help you to curb your soda habit (sorry, can’t relate).

Not to mention, you are getting the nutrients and antioxidants from the fruits without even thinking about it.

The only downside to all of this water fun is that you will need to use the bathroom more frequently.

Trader Joe’s is so smart to place a wall of soaps and moisturizers for you to sample while using their facilities.

I guess I am not the only one to need a bathroom while food shopping.

*****

Are you a soda drinker?

Do you have a fruit infuser?

Favorite fruit infusing recipe?

Cucumber water – love it or hate it?

 

WIAW – PB2 And Other Running Favorite Foods

 

I love that it is Wednesday already!

After yesterday’s post, I really want to start touching upon the factors which played a major role in helping me become the runner I am today.

One important place to start is food. Eating certain foods (especially at certain times) can make a world of difference in how your body responds to exercise.

It is only fitting that the first food we discuss is peanut butter since it takes up the most space in my pantry and accounts for a majority of the calories in my daily diet.

I may hoard jars of Crunch Time and Mighty Maple but I have learned that too much peanut butter before a run doesn’t work for me even if it does work real nice for my taste buds.

In fact, I am not on the only one who feels this way. Kaitlin mentioned in a comment last week regarding how unpleasant it can be if she gets too “spoon happy” with her peanut butter before heading out for a run.

I have a solution for this peanut butter problem.

PB2 has been a terrific addition to my peanut butter pantry, most especially at pre-run breakfast time.

PB2 contains very little fat (like one gram I think?) but most of the peanut flavor so you can satisfy your peanut butter craving and enjoy your meal without weighing down your stomach.

Fats take the longest for your body to digest so the last thing you want while you are running is to feel your stomach in digestive mode.

PB2 goes on top of my prerun oatmeal:

Or my favorite at the moment, the three-ingredient pancake:

Sometimes I will add a drop of regular peanut butter but even if I don’t, PB2 is delicious every single time without causing a problem while I am running.

Post-run pancakes can have plenty of Mighty Maple peanut butter though.

I always refuel after my runs, be it a five-mile run or fourteen. Depending upon my appetite, I sometimes go with another pancake or my favorite oatmeal/greek yogurt bowls.

Either way, I ensure to get a balance of protein, complex carbohydrates and fat for proper muscle recovery.

Steel-cut oatmeal, plain greek yogurt, berries, peanut butter and granola.

I probably eat every three hours, snacking, nibbling, mini-mealing or bottomless bowl-ing (ha ha bowl-ing) according to my appetite.

I don’t love hummus but it works as a snack when I feel like it.

I do love Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread though and have been craving it quite often this week with melted mozzarella cheese and tomato.

Ezekiel Bread is awesome because it is made from sprouted grains, no processed ingredients or preservatives and is a great source of complex carbs. The best part may be just how delicious this bread truly is. If you have yet to try it, please add it to your list for this week.

Sometimes I add avocado, sometimes I eat it as a closed sandwich, opened-faced or just one slice depending upon my mood and appetite.

I don’t count calories, I don’t force myself to eat more or less than I feel like eating at any one time and I certainly don’t pay attention to the clock for standard meal times. If I am hungry, I am going to eat and find that it all balances out by the end of the day.

Snacking while I cut fruit is a must.

I rely on pineapple, berries, cantaloupe and watermelon as often as possible (depending upon the season) not just for the purpose of a tasty snack but because fruit is super hydrating and quenches my thirst well beyond water.

Fruit also contains so many important antioxidants and nutrients which play a major role in muscle recovery making us stronger for our next run. Don’t forget that pineapple contains bromelain which is know for it’s powerful anti-inflammatory properties and also aids in digestion.

I get all sorts of angry when I see people shy away from fruit due to sugar content. It is naturally occurring sugar! It is not the same as Keebler cookies! Avoiding fruits means you are missing out on powerful nutrients which do amazing things for our body, skin and appetite.

Don’t neglect your fruit. Just don’t.

Did you know avocado is a fruit? You learn something new here every day.

Roasted vegetable quinoa bowl topped with avocado.

I love avocado and went way too many years of my life thinking I didn’t like it. Please don’t avoid avocado due to the fat content. Avocados give us healthy monounsaturated fats that help to balance our hormones along with Vitamin C, K, B6 and more potassium than a banana.

And yeah, avocados add terrific and satisfying texture and flavor to any meal.

Sweet potatoes and avocado are a glorious combination.

Chick peas,roasted vegetables, sweet potato wedges and avocado cooked in sweet chili and soy sauce.

I probably eat four to five sweet potatoes a week. I always aim to include a sweet potato in my dinner the night before a long run and definitely before races. Baked or diced up, it is one powerful spud loaded with muscle-friendly antioxidants, complex carbs and beta-carotene.

I should probably count how many apples with peanut butter I consume on a regular basis. I mean, some days it is just one but most days I surpass that. Easily.

If you never tried mixing PB2 and regular peanut butter, you should. It makes for a nice spreadable consistency. Adding in chocolate chips creates a cookie dough-like texture and flavor which is simply amazing and a perfect way to cap off an evening.

Looks just like cookie dough, right?

Speaking of cookie dough, I made the infamous cookie dough dip which uses chick peas as the base to bring to a friend’s party the other night.

It’s the container on the dessert table with the serving spoon.

I have a two more dessert recipes on my horizon:

Healthy Samoas Girl Scout Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

I love dessert. A majority of my diet may be super clean and nutrient dense but my muscles need a good dose or two of chocolate cake, ice cream and cookies on a regular basis.

Some people find this a contradiction; I call it balance.

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What is your favorite pre-run meal?

Are you a mini-meal person or do you stick to the basic breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Which fruits are in your kitchen right now?

 

 

 

 

What I Ate Wednesday – Fuel My Appetite

 

Lately I have been attempting to write down each run in order to keep better track of my miles. I know I have been running more and want to make sure I am compensating in the fuel department.

Think of your body like a car- the more miles you drive, the more gas you need…The more miles you run, the more fuel you need.

The funny thing is, I don’t need a pen and paper to notify me of the need to eat more, my appetite automatically takes over.

Before discussing recent meals, you should know that I was left with no choice last night but to keep eating apples with peanut butter and chocolate chips until I felt completely satisfied.

I can’t fully explain it since I wasn’t truly hungry as in my-stomach-is-empty-feed-me-now, rather, I had a strong need to eat my favorite combination in multiple form.

I was in no position to argue with the feeling so I went with it and felt so much better afterwards.

Breakfast:

Before my run yesterday, I switched from the two-ingredient pancake pizza back to oatmeal:

Sometimes I heat up the oatmeal (and egg whites added for protein) with the blueberries mixed in and sometimes, like yesterday,  I wait and add the blueberries afterwards.

Of course I mix it all up prior to eating.

You should know the little boy is still going strong on the eggs, Ezekiel raisin toast and fruit combo at breakfast:

I try to give him a mix of whatever fruit I have on hand.  Remember, if you don’t buy it, they can’t eat it.

Special Snack Note:

Steamed asparagus is good company in your bag of carrots.

So I still hate lunch time. I really do. I am always hungry and ready to eat but my cravings, mood and appetite never seem to match up.

Sometimes I still want breakfast. Sometimes I am hungry enough to eat a five-course dinner and sometimes, I can’t figure out a happy medium between the two.

If you are wondering what’s in this bowl, it would be some form of a compromise. A delicious compromise actually. Ever heard of savory oatmeal?

Don’t knock it until you try it. Oats are just another grain like brown rice, amaranth, barley, or even quinoa (which I know is technically a seed but let’s refer to it as a grain for now).

I wanted oatmeal. But I wanted a savory flavor.

Roasted cauliflower, tomato, portobello mushrooms and kale mixed with cooked steel-cut oatmeal topped off with avocado. I do believe I added a lentil/quinoa mix to the bowl as well.

I don’t eat savory oats enough. Every time I randomly make a bowl, I question why I don’t do it more often.

Another thing I don’t make often enough is eggplant.

I go through phases with eggplant and decided to bring it back this week for dinner.

I always see in the prepared foods case at Whole Foods something called “Eggplant steaks” which is a just a fancy term for eggplant parmesan where they slice the eggplant long and thick rather than in little round disks.

I used my quinoa flake breading recipe and loved every bite.

My son used to love eggplant parm when he was little yet now he won’t eat it which is just fine since I can make our favorite Gardein “meat” sauce at the same time.

There is still time to enter the Gardein Coupon giveaway!

I can’t recall the last time I have missed dessert.

The other night I followed this recipe for the original chocolate chip cookie dough bites. You know, the grain-free cookies where you blend chick peas, peanut butter and chocolate chips together.

Watch out – you will want to eat all of them at once.

You will see that the recipe calls for honey – I didn’t have a lot of honey left (actually, I just had no patience attempting to squeeze it out of the bottle) so I used Mighty Maple peanut butter which I think added enough sweetness making the honey not even necessary.

Recipes I want to try:

I pin so many wonderful recipes from my favorite food bloggers each day. I can’t always get to each recipe immediately but I love my pinterest boards since they keep track of all of them for me.

On my list at the moment are these brussels sprouts, this vegan fudge cake  and these black bean fudge drop cookies.

Be sure to check out of the rest of the What I Ate Wednesday fun!

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Do you keep track of your weekly mileage?

Do you notice right away an increase in appetite when you log more miles?

Ever have savory oatmeal?