Friday Friday Friday!

Good Morning all! Today should be a great day, aside from a dentist appointment I have this morning. Apparently I need to do more yoga, because I think I have TMJ, I have an incredible pain in my jaw whenever I open my mouth. Hopefully I will get it figured out today. The rest of me is also pretty sore, my kickboxing class was a blast last night, there was more energy in the room and I felt much better than last week. I had a bowl of Raisin Bran an hour before class and that seemed to give me plenty of power without making me feel full. That will probably be my go to snack before that class from now on. Since I  have a longer run tomorrow (7 miles) I will probably take it easy today, yoga or strength training. More to come!

Breakfast was a few spoonfuls of fresh pomegranate seeds and a pumpkin pie smoothie. Delicious! I got the recipe from my very favorite blog, "Carrots N Cake."

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup frozen canned pumpkin (I used it at room temp, and it was yummy!)
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
• 1.25 cups soy milk (I used 2% cows milk)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Sip and enjoy!

Blackberry Crepes

Good Morning! I feel elated, proud and shocked. My grandmother and aunts will never believe me. I should have called all my friends and had a camera documenting this moment.

I made blackberry crepes. From scratch. And they were fluffy, soft, fresh delicious.

I woke up early to surprise my husband and to see if my baking streak could hold up for some crepes. One of my favorite blogs, "Confessions of a Young Woman" had the recipe on her profile, and I couldn't help but think about the blackberries sitting in my fridge and the fact that I somehow had all the ingredients waiting. It must have been meant for me to try! The original recipe called for strawberries, but I figured I needed to use what I had. It was so simple! I put the blackberries, sugar, fresh lemon juice and vanilla extract in a pot to boil, and then let it simmer into a thick syrup which, when cooled, was a fresh, tangy jam. The crepes were simply eggs, flour, milk, water, salt and butter. I suppose this sounds quite simple to a person who has been cooking for awhile, but this was quite exciting for me. I have never made pancakes without the instant mix (Just add Water!), and have for sure never made crepes. Jason was raving. I loved the homemade jam with the lemon juice. I added a little extra for a refreshing bite. The recipe also for the seeds to be strained out of the jam, but I liked the authentic touch. What a great way to start a morning!

Today is going to be pretty laid back. I am working until five on a nonprofit capacity building grant project here at home in my warm, comfy office, with free coffee and hot tea! Lunch was again very colorful. I had some of my leftover ginger carrots along with a sweet potato with cinnamon, pepper and olive oil, and half an avocado. For dessert I am planning on having a pomegranate and a square of some delicious dark dark chocolate (72%). The darker the better for chocolate in my opinion! The wind has died down some and I may have to get out and walk around the neighborhood while the sun is still shining. Enjoy the afternoon everyone!

A dinner date with my favorite veggies

I must say I impressed myself with dinner tonight. After reading through Tina's blog "Carrots N'Cake," I saw a yummy looking recipe for Coconut-Ginger Carrots. The ginger sounded like a wonderfully sweet option for dinner, so I ran to the store to pick up the rest of the ingredients, including fresh shredded coconut. I also grabbed a pound of asparagus to steam on the side. The result was a delicious array of colorful, rich and refreshing veggies. The asparagus was perfectly steamed and only needed a bit of olive oil to give it a perfect, warm finish. The carrots were soft but crisp, and the fresh lemon juice gave it a refreshing pop that didn't fill me up. The recipe called for just lemon juice, but I included the bits of the lemon flesh from the juicer in the pan, and grated some zest to mix in with the coconut for a finish. To finish, I had a few glasses of Pinot Noir and Italian coffee, along with a slice of Cranberry Apple Crisp my husband made yesterday. Again, I with I had a picture. I am going to work harder to take some photos of the meals I am most proud of. But instead, I am putting in a picture of me with the asparagus scones I made a few weeks ago to prove that I am indeed learning to cook and bake:

I am going to include the recipe for the Coconut-Ginger Carrots in the "Food" section of my blog. Please check it out and try it! More to come tomorrow. I am in for a world-altering turbo kickboxing class...wish me luck!

Beers and pasta=great run to make up for it!

Hello!! Today is so windy I had to do my 2 mile run indoors at the gym. I didn't mind, however, because I was able to keep track of my speed. I also have the sorest thighs on earth from my workout yesterday, so conquering Omaha's hills would not have happened! I also did ten minutes of abs using a variety of plank moves. It burned, but I kept up until failure...yoga is going to feel good tonight!

Yesterday was a cross training day, so I did pyramid squats of 135 pounds. Pyramid workouts are fantastic for building strength with many reps and in little time. This workout took me less than half an hour. You start with 1 rep, then do 2, then 3, and so on up until 8. Then you work down, 8 reps, 7 reps, 6 reps, etc. It may sound easy but it is brutal, especially since this was my first time using this much weight! I also do the pyramid workout with dead lifts and bench press.

Last night was great, I wish I would have had my camera to take some photos of the amazing food and beer I had at Dario's. Penne pomodoro (pasta with fresh mozzarella, basil and tomatoes) with an extra side of sauteed veggies tossed in. There were zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and fresh cheese. It was hot, delicious heaven! I also had a draft Stella. Tuesday night is half price draft beer night at Dario's, and considering our Belgian collection is incredible, it is a pretty great deal. After my dinner, I had a Trois Pistoles, a dark draft with a foamy head and a nutty, earthy taste. It was a delicious after dinner beer, and even better that I got to share happy hour with my co-workers. Throw in some of our delicious and hand cut pomme frites, and it was a pretty fantastic night of gastronomic delights!

Stella Artois

Trois Pistoles

(photos from Google Images)

Perfect Running Weather

Today is beautiful out here in Omaha! It is overcast but still in the lower 70s and there is a great wind, perfect for cooling off and for resistance up hills. Today was a 3 mile scenic run through my neighborhood, up to UNO, through Memorial Park and back. 3 miles sounds easy enough, but the hills in Omaha are enough to knock you out...I hope I am building up some stamina as I attempt to tackle these things! I made it around in back in about 25 minutes, upping my speeds just slightly in an attempt to move me to racing pace. I think I am going to register for the Papillion Half Marathon next spring! And it is on my 27th birthday! It will be my first birthday in two years taking place in the United States, so a half marathon sounds like a perfect way to celebrate!

Jason and I got to spend some quality time together today. He has been exhausted over the last few days working nights. It is difficult to spend time together when we are both fully conscious. For brunch we made great BLT's with fresh tomato and avocado, plus olive oil mayo and peppered bacon. We also had a side of low-fat cottage cheese and water. It was a great lunch and good fuel for my hilly run. Tonight is hopefully a date with Jean and some yoga! More to come!

Banana and Nutella Honey Wheat Pitas...

...are all I can think about right now. After a great party at my dad's house (and after a restless night, due to some drunk friends and rowdy kids), I had a quick breakfast with my in-laws before heading off to work at Dario's. I was quite tired and not in the best of moods (my apologies to my coworkers) but I soon felt better after an amazing brunch at 1 with Jean. A crepe filled with scrambled eggs, parisian ham, gruyere cheese and asparagus....holy delicious. I also had a side of fresh made home fries. I wish I had a photo to share with you! This meal gave me plenty of fuel for some thrift shopping. What a great Sunday!
After coffee with Jean and Jason, I ran to the store to pick up some Nutella and croissants. Then I saw the amazingly cheaper Kroeger brand Hazelnut Spread. I know what you are thinking, how can ANYTHING be a replacement for Nutella? I'm telling you, I can't tell a difference...and only at a $2 for a container! I bought some bananas and honey wheat pitas instead of croissants for a healthier alternative. I grilled the pitas for a bit in the toaster, and put half a banana in each pita with a generous helping of hazelnut spread. The result? An amazing melt in your mouth snack...I am resisting the urge to go back for another!

6 Miles! Only 20 More to Go!

These were the words of encouragement from my father-in-law after a finished a great six mile run today. So my enthusiasm was cut a bit short, but I am still pretty proud of myself! It was a great run, no tummy problems, no side stitches. I am convinced it was the apple and peanut butter wrap I made this morning that gave me plenty of energy! This will probably be my long distance run breakfast for awhile. The tortilla was whole wheat so it filled me up nicely.
The run took me a little while (a little over an hour), but since it was only my second time running the distance, no hard feelings!

I came home and refueled with a great lunch! Stir-fryed veggies with tuna and brown rice. I sauteed some veggies in olive oil and added the tuna and brown rice after about 10 minutes. I also added yellow onion and garlic. I also made a peanut sauce with warm water, peanut butter, flour and brown sugar. It was pretty much to taste with all the ingredients and it was great with the dish. I also had to refuel with two of my peanut butter cookies...thank God I am getting rid of these things when I take them down to my Dad's party this evening. He turned 50 last Saturday but the party is tonight. I am disappointed because my husband can't make it (work) but it should be a good time. More later!