10.31.2012

One Word Wednesday - Tradition (my favorite Lewis Black stand-up)


I love all Lewis Black, but this bit on candy corn is a yearly tradition.  Happy Halloween!

10.30.2012

Snohomish River Run 10K Race Recap

My feelings towards this race can only be described as bi-polar.  There were things I loved (about the race and my own performance) and things that left me disappointed...

I woke up to my husband accidentally smacking me in the face on Saturday morning, as I was blissfully sleeping through my 6AM alarm.  He was aiming for my shoulder, but it was too freaking dark to see anything.  My least favorite thing about this time of year is waking in the dark.  Blargh.  I was not psyched to roll out of bed into the pitch black and pouring rain.  But I pulled myself together, had a small banana and pumpkin muffin breakfast and got a call from Natty (my Oiselle teammate) who was supposed to come over and drive from my house to the race.  She was turned around and still VERY far from my house, so we decided that it would be faster for her to drive to the nearest race shuttle location and then I'd drive her back to her car afterwards.  I, thankfully, picked up my packet ahead of time and bought a parking pass close to the start. 

Once I arrived and parked (no one checked my 'pass' that I paid $10 for, btw), I had plenty of time to do a little warmup mile and wait for Natty.  And wait... AND wait...  Apparently, the high school designated as a shuttle pickup was having an event and race participants were directed to a parking lot a few blocks away.  This seems like something that should have been cleared up with the high school ahead of time.  I offered to pick up her packet and have it ready as she got off the bus, and was given a VERY hard time by the people working packet pickup.  Um, no, I didn't have her ID - we weren't anticipating the buses to be late!  After pleading my case, and being the stubborn girl I am, the woman gave me the packet and said "that's it, that's the last one we're handing out - pickup is closed."  Wow.  Luckily, they brought the packets back out when the late bus came in; but not the best attitude for a fun run - it ain't Boston, people! 

Post race with Natty

Once the bus did arrive I put her chip on her shoe while she pinned on her bib so that she'd have a chance to at least get to the port a potty, if not warm up.  And that was another inaugural race snafu - not enough bathrooms and looong lines.  But they delayed the start of the race by 15 minutes, which seems to happen in most races, so everyone was mostly good to go.  I also saw a number of friendly faces before the start: Jen and Rachelle, as well as Alma out on the course.

Pic blatantly stolen from Hiker Mom's speedy recap post
Less than ten minutes after the half marathon start, we were off for the 10K.  The course was basically two out and backs put together; the first out about 1.5 miles and back on a rural road with farmland, etc. around.  I'm sure it would be pretty on a nicer day; but on this day, it all just felt flat, dreary and boring.  By two miles in, it started messing with my head and I was feeling ready to be done.  As evidenced by my splits:


By the fourth mile we were on a trail along the Snohomish River and it was much more to my liking/less boring/prettier, but also less space to pass people.  I got caught behind a number of runners along this stretch and then ended up mirroring their pace because I just didn't have it in me to sprint past.  I'm kinda mad at myself that I didn't.  At least I was able to kick it back up to an 8:30ish pace for the finish and was SO glad to be done.  Final time: 54:24.

Yes, I met my goal time, which was to beat my 'pseudo' 10K time from last year: a 55:43 for running a 9.3K (it was a 10K race but a mistake was made in the course).  I certainly beat that time and very nearly met my other goal of knocking about a minute off my average pace from a year ago, going from a 9:40 to an 8:50 pace.  But, I know I'm capable of so much more.  Looking at my last race, where I ran 4 miles in 32:09, I could have tacked on two TEN MINUTE miles for a 52:xx 10K time!  Argh.  Damn injuries.  I have done very little speed work over the the last two months since that 4 miler, so as not to aggravate my testy hamstring - and it showed.  Just because it's less than half the distance doesn't mean it deserves less respect or training. In fact, I'll go so far as to declare the 10K my least favorite distance - no question.  It's one thing to push your hardest for a 5K when you can be DONE in 20-30 minutes.  It's a whole other can of worms to be pushing pretty hard for twice that time/distance.  Maybe one day I'll find a balance between the comfortably difficult rhythm of 13.1 and gut busting work of 3.1, but it's not high on my list right now.

The race finish was really quite nice, space blankets were handed out and I think this is my favorite race medal to date. 



I haven't run any of the marquee type races, so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I like the simple and sturdy design.  They had some tents with heat lamps for us to huddle under from the rain and there was lots of the usual post race fare (bananas, bread, Luna Bar samples), as well as chips and salsa and HOT SOUP.  This was perfection.  Given the feedback on the race Facebook page, blogs, etc., I think/hope this trend might gain some traction for winter races.   

SOUP!  Natty also won the half marathon (first woman) in 1:24:59. Fast girl!


  At the end, the race organizers were very helpful and friendly, asking how things went and seemed genuinely interested in how we felt about everything.  They chatted with us about Oiselle and even gave Natty a mug when she asked if she could have one in addition to her other awards and they obliged, totally making up for any negativity I experienced at the beginning.  So, yeah, bi-polar feelings about the race: happy with a PR, disappointed with my time/happy with everything at the finsh/post-race touches, disappointed with the pre-race shuttles and organization. 

OH, I also have to add that I had my first experience with a complete stranger coming over to tell me that she loved my blog - not a teammate, twitter peep or family member!  Really!  So I have to give a shout out and thanks to Jessica for the huge ego boost :)  On to the next race, which will be.... The Mustache Dache!  I decided to go for a Schwaggle on this race, even though it's the weekend before the Seattle Half Marathon because it seems the entire Seattle running community is participating, it's another Saturday race (yay), looks super fun (food trucks! a mechanical bull! photo booth! beer garden!) and doesn't start until 10AM, ahhh.  Plus, they had representatives at the Snohomish race handing out mustaches, so I'm all set.  See you there?




10.29.2012

This Week's Eats

It was a very pumpkin filled weekend around these parts: pumpkin muffins, pumpkin carving, pumpkin coffee and even pumpkin pancakes on Sunday.  I used my banana pancake recipe, substituting pumpkin for mashed bananas and adding pumpkin pie spices - sooooo good.  I also succumbed to these:

Great in hot chocolate, coffee or on sweet potato bars.

Another fun fall thing I've discovered is that steeping my cinnamon hibiscus tea bags in apple juice tastes like fresh apple cider and is perfect with a splash of honey and lemon.  Speaking of fall food tidbits, this soup went over quite well last week, with a few additions: a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, about a half cup of ditalini pasta and my favorite secret ingredient: a rind of Parmesan cheese.  We always buy the fresh stuff from Whole Foods (once you do, you can never go back) and grind it in our Cuisinart.  We keep a Ziplock bag of the rinds in the freezer to pop into soups while they simmer.  Sooooo good. 



PS - hoping to have my Snohomish River Run recap done by tomorrow; finish time was 54:24 and I had mixed feelings about my 10K "PR"  More later...

10.26.2012

Friday Things

How cool is Twitter?  To wit:


Just by throwing the book info out there, I got a tweet from Peggy Orenstein (the author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter) today!  The collaboration between Oiselle and Every Mother Counts started with a tweet; you just never know.

On the subject matter in those tweets, I am not totally anti-princess.  I'm certainly not banning all things princess in her life and I think that 'all things in moderation' applies to many aspects of our lives, not just food!  We call my daughter 'princess' on occasion, she's seen Tangled and Tinkerbell, but has just not shown an interest - YET.  So yeah, we're all set for the Halloween festivities to commence 'round these parts..



She was a wee bit pissed off that she didn't have a Bumblebee suit, but I couldn't find one in her size and figured she'd be cool with her yellow sweater.  Because, in her world, everything that's yellow is BUMBLEBEE!  Yellow truck? MOMMY!  BUMBLEBEE!  Yellow Volkswagen?  BUMBLEBEE!  I figured wrong on the sweater.  At least you can't tell she's wailing and pouting behind that mask...

Tomorrow I'll be running my first 10K since last year and I vaguely remembered there was some mix up with the course and timing of that race.  My official time was 55:43, which would mean an 8:58 minute mile.  Pretty sure I wasn't running at that pace last year, I re-checked the online race results:




Hmmm, a 9:40 pace...  So that would mean the course was actually 9.3K.  Argh!  Soooo technically, I've never run a 10K, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna do my best to get a PR anyway!  If I beat a 9:40 pace, can I call it a PR?  I'm thinking not, and I'll be gunning for at least a 55:42.   

Here's the latest song that I added to my playlist for tomorrow - happy weekend!

Sanctuary by Gareth Emery (featuring Lucy Saunders)




You Are My Diamond by Tiesto - featuring Kianna (10/19/12)
Numb by Usher (10/12/12)
We Are by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone (10/5/12)
Chorus by Erasure (9/28/12)
Cinema by Benny Benassi (9/21/12)
Take a Walk - Passion Pit (9/14/12)
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (9/7/12)
Space Invaders - Mark Norman (8/31/12)
Beautiful People - Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi (8/23/12)
Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes (8/23/12)
The Veldt - Cover Pop tribute to Deadmau5 & Chris James (8/23/12)
Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher (8/23/12)
Good Time - Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen (8/17/12)
Addiction - Medina (8/3/12)
We Run the Night - Havana Brown feat. Pitbull (7/27/12)
The Night Out - Martin Solveig (7/20/12)
Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells (7/13/12)
Sun is Up - Two Times (7/06/12)
Steam Machine - Daft Punk (6/29/12)
Arguru - Deadmau5 (6/22/12)
Now or Never - Outasight (6/15/12)
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns Remix (6/08/12)
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous remixed by Tiesto (5/18/12)
Call me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (4/6/12) 



10.24.2012

One Word Wednesday - TRUTH






Embedded image permalink

10.23.2012

Colton's Army Virtual 5K

Just a matter of weeks after my son was born, I took him to the pediatrician because of his projectile spit up (lovely image, eh?) and general colic-y behavior. As a first time mom in the first month or two of his life, I called the doc a lot.  After being handed a prescription for baby Zantac, we were referred to Seattle Children's for an ultrasound, just to rule out anything that might be going on in his intestines.  When the doc at Children's came in with the results, he said that his digestive system was fine, but that they found something else...  Aaaaand I just about fainted, literally.  He had an inflamed kidney and we had to go through a bunch of tests to make sure that all of THOSE pipes were working just fine (and they ended up being just fine).  But, it involved watching my barely two month old baby being strapped down and given a catheter, or smooshed on a papoose board for x-rays after being given an IV with contrast dye.  Holding your teeny baby while he's given an IV is no picnic. 

He was this big...
 

All the nurses there are so wonderful and always have tissues on hand for the mommies, because they know most times it's harder on us.  In the end, all of his tests were fine and they concluded that it was something he'd most likely grow out of.  So we went for regular ultrasounds over the course of about two years - until everything cleared up, and that was that. 

Suffice it to say, I spent a lot of time at Seattle Children's early on in my son's life and it was a constant torture to worry about not just my own child, but the dozens of children that were at the hospital for far greater concerns.  Seeing kids go through serious illness is like getting a punch in the gut. Even more so once you become a parent: you immediately picture your own child in any horrible circumstance that befalls another child, whether it's something you see on the news, at Children's or happening to someone right in front of your eyes - as is the case for friends of Colton.

Hiker mom over at Living the Fit Life is hosting a virtual 5K to raise funds for her friend's son Colton who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in 2009.  After going into remission, his cancer has struck back and treatments are experimental (aka EXPENSIVE).  Participating in this virtual race to help a child is a no brainer, and I also have some major angst toward cancer in general. 

So, the first 3.1 miles of my run today were dedicated to Colton and his family; hopefully they'll forgive me for not racing it too hard, as I'm still taking it easy on my hamstring!

 
 
 


To make a donation or learn more about Colton's Army, please head on over to Living the Fit Life.


10.22.2012

This Week's Eats


Our weekend was rather uneventful: just the way I like 'em!  This bit from Old School is quite the joke around here.


Although, now that we have kids, we've moved on from home improvement stores to Target and Costco on our uneventful/'nice little Saturday' weekends.  This is what a trip to just get some beer and trash bags looks like.

 
Always about $200 later...


10.19.2012

Friday Things

I recently came across this Huffington Post article entitled 'I am a Runner' and, in light of my post about goals earlier this week, I had to share.  I especially love the tidbit from Asics:

"We know that enough will never be enough--we embrace it. We find great satisfaction in never being satisfied. We’ll always need to go faster, become stronger, and get better, no matter how fast, how strong, or how good we get. ASICS. Stop At Never."



I'm a Brooks Adrenaline gal these days; but I do love the sentiment behind their brand.


I also feel compelled to share our nightly pre-betime ritual around these parts and it involves a sheep from across the pond named Shaun:


This is just one of MANY episodes that we stream on Netflix and it's SO fun to watch.  Normally I want to poke my eye out with all of the mind numbing 'we must always be educating our kids' programming on tv these days.  Yes, we watch a few of the educational shows (a Super Why here and there, or an Umizoomi); but there isn't much that truly makes everyone smile and laugh and ENJOY.  I feel like television is meant to be a bit of a reward, not a teaching tool.  So we love us some Shaun the Sheep: highly recommend.

OK, if you read this post before 4pm today, DO THIS:


I must admit that my answer to this question is Run Fat Boy, Run - another great import from across the pond. 


I love Simon Pegg and anything he does.  See also: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul (SO funny), and his performance in Star Trek to get you started.

OK, on to song o' the week; I heard this on my Pandora today and thought about not adding it because I FOR SURE already had some Tiesto on my playlist...  Apparently not!  Tiesto does amazing stuff and was one of my favorite live shows many, many years ago at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.  And we caught one last show back in 2004, the year we moved to Seattle.  Good times.  Happy weekend!  Hope it's as exciting as a live Tiesto show or a trip to Home Depot - same/same.


You Are My Diamond by Tiesto (featuring Kianna)

Numb by Usher (10/12/12)
We Are by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone (10/5/12)
Chorus by Erasure (9/28/12)
Cinema by Benny Benassi (9/21/12)
Take a Walk - Passion Pit (9/14/12)
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (9/7/12)
Space Invaders - Mark Norman (8/31/12)
Beautiful People - Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi (8/23/12)
Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes (8/23/12)
The Veldt - Cover Pop tribute to Deadmau5 & Chris James (8/23/12)
Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher (8/23/12)
Good Time - Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen (8/17/12)
Addiction - Medina (8/3/12)
We Run the Night - Havana Brown feat. Pitbull (7/27/12)
The Night Out - Martin Solveig (7/20/12)
Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells (7/13/12)
Sun is Up - Two Times (7/06/12)
Steam Machine - Daft Punk (6/29/12)
Arguru - Deadmau5 (6/22/12)
Now or Never - Outasight (6/15/12)
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns Remix (6/08/12)
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous remixed by Tiesto (5/18/12)
Call me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (4/6/12) 


10.18.2012

One Word Thursday: RUN (yeah, missed this Wednesday..)


Embedded image permalink

10.16.2012

When setting goals, it helps to remember your accomplishments...


I hardly ever take a long time thinking things over; I'm a VERY decisive person.  To give you an idea: I tried on maybe five wedding dresses before finding 'the one' in one appointment, at one salon.  I (along with my very similar husband) took no time at all deciding on what apartments to rent, what house to buy, or to get married, for that matter!  For the most part, I know what I want (and usually want it ASAP; but that's another story...) 


Funny Somewhat Topical Ecard: ''Fuck it'' My final thought before making most decisions~.
This attitude helps, too.

For some reason, however, thinking about whether to stick with my goal of a sub 2 hour half marathon is a decision that has been PLAGUING me.

After the See Jane Run half in July, my left leg just felt all out of whack, but I got back to feeling normal by August.  In early September, after the Labor Day 4 Miler, I must've tweaked something because I felt like I had a constant cramp in my upper hamstring.  I finally made an appointment for some physical therapy.  Doing my PT exercises and taking a couple of breaks over the last few weeks have me feeling almost back to normal.  But enough to run a goal half...?

After taking time off to heal, and travel to Chicago, I've only done ONE long run since early September - and that was 'only' eight miles, over a week ago.  It was not a pretty run.  So I decided to bag the half and switch to the 10K.  Then, two days later, I had a really great six mile run with four surprisingly speedy tempo miles.  And of course I thought, oh, I should totally just go for it and stick with my goal!  I was bound and determined to get ten miles in this weekend, as a last long run before the race.  THEN I got a nasty cold and could barely breathe.  ARGH, I couldn't make myself run those ten miles.  Hrm, maybe I should just run it for fun?  But, I have a hard time holding back and if there's a 10K why not just run THAT for fun?  I'm driving myself crazy!  Who is this person with all these conflicting thoughts??  So, I did what any normal type-A crazy person does to get themselves on track: I made a list! Here's a list of 'pros' for each option.

Switching down to the 10K:
  1. less risk for injury - with my sights set on a marathon and hopefully a relay next year (we hear about our Hood to Coast application early next month), I'm really averse to aggravating anything before I even start my training for future goals
  2. opportunity for another PR  - my last 10K was a year ago at 55:43
  3. can put more effort/focus on Seattle Half next month  - yes, I've got another half just next month! (although based on the hilly course, I'm just shooting for a course PR, not sub 2)
  4. have an opportunity to check out the Snohomish River Run course in the event I DO run the half next year  - it is an inaugural race and who knows what kind of hiccups and such might need to be ironed out..
  5. still get to enjoy the flat and pretty course, fellow runners and a medal (yes, I believe even the 10K folks get a medal!)
Running the half:
  1. have a flat and fast opportunity to meet my gooooaaaal

It's a pretty clear choice and I think that I need to take a chill pill on this arbitrary time limit that many runners set for themselves.  I should probably be content with how far I've come in the last 11 months and focus on my accomplishments over the last year: with another list!
  1. ran my first half marathon (looking forward to celebrating my 13.1 anniversary and giving the Seattle half another go)
  2. ran two more half marathons for a total of three in one year
  3. PR'd by more than ten minutes off the first one in just over four months (2:13:35 to 2:02:54)
  4. PR'd my 5K (25:29)
  5. PR'd my Labor Day 4 miler (32:08) while also running my fastest 5K time in the process (about 24:45)
But, man, those 2 minutes and 55 seconds are just TAUNTING me...  I know I have it in me to accomplish it, but I think I'm gonna put this particular goal on the back burner for now.  I suppose always having that dangling carrot is one of the many great things about running, or fitness, or LIFE.  I hope I'm always chasing at least one big fat carrot.

10.15.2012

This Week's Eats

We have discovered our son's new favorite place on earth: the Family Fun Center in Tukwila.  Thankfully, it was a little perk for my husband's company and we all had the place to ourselves with lunch and tokens provided for us.  Have you ever seen the Adam Sandler movie Just Go With It, where they take the kids to this crazy, slightly nasty pseudo Chuck-e-Cheese place?  We have yet to visit that establishment, but this was pretty much the same deal.  I couldn't help thinking about that movie as my senses were assaulted non-stop with so much chaos, blinking lights and LOUDNESS.  Kinda like Vegas, but for kids.

But, oh, we'll be back again.  It ended up being a really fun time, it wasn't nearly as sticky and gross as I thought it would be (maybe I'll even venture into a Chuck-e-Cheese, now), and the people who worked there were all really friendly and courteous.  A manager even handed over a free stuffed animal to my baby girl when she broke down because we didn't have enough reward tickets to get her the same toy as her brother.  Reinforcing bad behavior?  Oh well, rules were meant to be broken every now and then...

Photo: Free reign at the family fun center in Tukwila


  • Monday - Pizza!
  • Tuesday - Chicken Divan with wild rice (I'd been hearing a lot about  www.Skinnytaste.com and I'm finally trying out a recipe)
  • Wednesday - tortellini soup with sausage and kale.  I'm kinda winging this one based on things I want to use up in the pantry and, loosely, based on this recipe.  Will let you know how it turns out...)
  • Thursday - penne with vodka sauce
  • Friday - chicken fajitas
  • Saturday - top sirloin steaks, baked sweet potatoes and wedge salads with blue cheese dressing
  • Sunday - tequila lime turkey chili I love this Pink Parsley recipe; I've put all sorts of ingredients into chili: beer, chocolate, ketchup... But never soy sauce or honey, and (in addition to the tequila) it just gives this chili an awesome and unique flavor.  LOVE.




10.12.2012

Friday Things

Ahhh fall!  Pumpkin everything, comfort food, the beautiful leaves, perfect running weather, and the COMMON COLD.  Blargh.  As I woke up with post nasal drip killing my throat and my head feeling like it weighs a thousand pounds, I was thinking, "OK just get through the morning routine and maybe call it in on the recumbent bike with a book today..."  And THEN I nearly squealed with glee at the thought, "Maybe I'll just put a movie on for baby girl and take a nap after hitting Starbucks!"  It's such a fundamental part of my day to go to the Y and work out or take baby girl to school, that I just never really think outside that box very often.  And, yes, that's a good thing; but, I am not feeling at all guilty about watching movies with the wee one this morning while big brother is at school.


Also, there is a pug in this picture - can you spot him?
 Oh, and how can I forget one of the BEST things about fall - the return football and The League!  Netflix finally has season three available on the instant queue.  So we've been spending our evenings getting caught up for season four, which started last night and is patiently waiting in our DVR.  If you have Netflix, do yourself a favor and get caught up, too, on one of the funniest tv shows EVER.

Source: http://www.fxnetworks.com/theleague

Bonus points that it's set in Chicago and there are a lot of great Midwestern/Chicago/Chicago 'burbs nuances to the stories. 

Speaking of recommendations (like my lame segues on random Friday?), I also recommend checking this info out (from Oiselle's Facebook page):




Oiselle Running: Chicago is a Marathon Major. As such, it is governed by the IAAF. There are IAAF (and USATF) rules, relating to elite competitors, that restrict logo size and placement on singlets. These restrictions were established via long-standing agreements and financial partnerships between the IAAF, USATF and the leading shoe companies. As such, the IAAF/USATF restricts "logo space" on singlets, so as protect the interest of its financial partners. Problem is, most runners, even elite, cannot achieve sponsorship from leading shoe companies. And without the ability to boldly promote another brand, smaller companies are hesitant. Bottom line: pro athletes and the smaller businesses that want to support them lose. Some more info here: http://www.letsrun.com/2011/logo-1202.php

OK, I'm going back to the mainstream top 40 cheese for today's addition to the playlist because I just plain adore this song and I could watch Usher dance for days:




Numb by Usher

We Are by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone (10/5/12)
Chorus by Erasure (9/28/12)
Cinema by Benny Benassi (9/21/12)
Take a Walk - Passion Pit (9/14/12)
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (9/7/12)
Space Invaders - Mark Norman (8/31/12)
Beautiful People - Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi (8/23/12)
Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes (8/23/12)
The Veldt - Cover Pop tribute to Deadmau5 & Chris James (8/23/12)
Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher (8/23/12)
Good Time - Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen (8/17/12)
Addiction - Medina (8/3/12)
We Run the Night - Havana Brown feat. Pitbull (7/27/12)
The Night Out - Martin Solveig (7/20/12)
Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells (7/13/12)
Sun is Up - Two Times (7/06/12)
Steam Machine - Daft Punk (6/29/12)
Arguru - Deadmau5 (6/22/12)
Now or Never - Outasight (6/15/12)
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns Remix (6/08/12)
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous remixed by Tiesto (5/18/12)
Call me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (4/6/12) 










10.10.2012

One Word Wednesday - Outtakes




Yes, he can do the pledge of allegiance - but this video was funnier. 

10.09.2012

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes

It's been awhile since I did any recipe sharing; I just realized I've talked about making pancakes every weekend, but haven't shared that recipe.  My kids aren't fans of anything being 'in' their food.  For example: raisins = good, oatmeal = good, oatmeal with raisins in it = bad.  Pancakes are no exception.  I'm a huge fan of banana pancakes, so I mashed 'em up into a basic recipe and the kids have no idea.  They love them so much that it's nice and quiet in the house while they're eating and I can actually sit and enjoy my Sunday coffee in relative peace.  I love this weekly ritual.

You can add the walnuts into the batter if you don't have kids/picky kids, or sprinkle them in to your own 'cakes as the first side is working on the griddle - that's what I do for mine, because I still haven't warmed them up to the idea of 'things' in the pancake.  I also double the recipe most weekends and cook up a bunch to freeze so that we can pop them in the microwave for an easy weekday breakfast.  If you're feeling extra fancy, try the vanilla maple glaze over at How Sweet It Is to top them off!




Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes (makes about 10)

  • 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 mashed bananas (about a cup)
  • 1/3 cup walnut pieces

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk milk and egg. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in mashed bananas until just mixed. 

2. Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. (Adjust the temp as you go, if you're cooking a double batch, you might need to turn it down a bit.) Mist with cooking spray (or brush with melted butter) and drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls. Cook until underside is golden (usually when some bubbles start to form on top), 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until browned on other side, about 1 minute longer.

10.08.2012

This Week's Eats

This weekend had to be, hands down, the most fun weekend I've had following Twitter with all of the great marathon stories from Portland, the Twin Cities, San Jose and, of course, Chicago.  I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be a 'one and done' kind of marathoner if I make it through Eugene next spring.  BUT... I can't help but think about going home one day to run the marathon.  Over the weekend, I was SO nostalgic for the days when I'd grab a latte, walk from my apartment over to boys town to hang with the best cheerleaders and watch the early miles where everyone is still feelin' good around mile 6 or so.  The commercials were all over the tv during my visit the weekend prior, and they definitely got me swept up in Chicago marathon fever. 

Speaking of Chicago (when aren't I, you ask?), I didn't really talk much about what I ate while I was in town.  It was hard to really take an eating tour, as my schedule was already packed and planned out for me.  I DID get myself a Vienna beef hot dog from Gold Coast Dogs: not as good as Portillos, but they were still a taste of home.  I ate a lovely dinner at Francesca's: a great Italian staple in Chicagoland.  And, I managed to finally try Xoco.  I tried the mushroom torta with goat cheese, black beans and arugula for a little something different.  It was delish, as was the guac and the bite of chicken torta I stole from my friend.  Hopefully on my next visit, I'll be able to hit up my favorite northside haunts... I will eat Pequods for pizza, Twisted Lizard for mexican and Cafe Ba Ba Reba again one day if it kills me.


*If you're playing along from last week's eats, we pushed this one back because we decided to go out for mexican instead.

10.05.2012

Friday Things

I was about to do my roundup of books I read in September yesterday and came to realize that I only read TWO.  I don't know how this happened...  My only explanation is that both were two of my least favorite of the year and I felt like I was kind of slogging through them.  I'll save my review for Ender's Game for next month, and I'll just link to the best 50 Shades reviews here for my review of the last book: Fifty Shades Freed.  The link above is for the first book, but they're all so funny (even if you never read, or don't ever plan to read, the books) and you can click on the link at the end to read each consecutive review.  They were fun, but I'm glad to be done and movin' on!

So, this happened on my long run today.






I went after getting an annual physical and didn't really think that my shots would be a problem.  Eeeeeek.  It was also a pretty crappy eight miles.   My leg/sciatic nerve pain is still somewhat present, but I wasn't feeling it as much because my quads were killing from yesterday's bootcamp class.  Isn't there something called the 'pain gate'?  That we can only feel one pain at a time?  Or something...?  Maybe I should go and break my finger before my next race...  No?  Plus it probably didn't help that I pretty much took a week off and didn't eat anything but a Z bar until just before my run because I had fast before my appointment...  Blargh.

Oh well, I have these in the oven and my house smells HEAVENLY.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffin Recipe
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins (source: www.cookincanuck.com)
 

And I have a fun new song (OF COURSE) to add to the playlist that popped up on my Pandora, that made my run (and my day) a little brighter.  Enjoy, and happy weekend!



We Are - by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone

Chorus by Erasure (9/28/12)
Cinema by Benny Benassi (9/21/12)
Take a Walk - Passion Pit (9/14/12)
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (9/7/12)
Space Invaders - Mark Norman (8/31/12)
Beautiful People - Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi (8/23/12)
Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes (8/23/12)
The Veldt - Cover Pop tribute to Deadmau5 & Chris James (8/23/12)
Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher (8/23/12)
Good Time - Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen (8/17/12)
Addiction - Medina (8/3/12)
We Run the Night - Havana Brown feat. Pitbull (7/27/12)
The Night Out - Martin Solveig (7/20/12)
Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells (7/13/12)
Sun is Up - Two Times (7/06/12)
Steam Machine - Daft Punk (6/29/12)
Arguru - Deadmau5 (6/22/12)
Now or Never - Outasight (6/15/12)
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns Remix (6/08/12)
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous remixed by Tiesto (5/18/12)
Call me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (4/6/12)