Crispy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Squares

It's been awhile since I've shared more than dinner recipes that we're eating round these parts.  So I hope you enjoy my latest creation. 

Crispy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Squares
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter, I've used almond butter as well)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats (uncooked)
• 3/4 cup  dried cranberries or raisins
• 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows (totally optional; they up the 'fun' factor for the kids, though)

Directions:
LINE an 8-inch square pan with foil, extending over opposite ends of pan (or lightly coat with cooking spray).
PLACE peanut butter, honey in large microwave-safe bowl.
HEAT on high power for 2 minutes until bubbly and heated through. Remove bowl from microwave.
ADD vanilla; stir until mixture is smooth.
ADD cereal, flax, oats and craisins or raisins. Gently stir without crushing cereal and fold in the mini marshmallowsPRESS warm mixture very firmly into prepared pan.
COOL at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes. LIFT out of pan if using foil; cut into bars.
STORE bars in plastic wrap or tightly covered container, at room temperature or in refrigerator.

Makes 16 bars.

It's adapted from I recipe I came across in a magazine ad for Sun Maid raisins awhile back. I've substituted ground flax for the sugar it called for (with all the honey, there was no need for it and I always throw flax into baked goods), added a small amount of  marshmallows for fun, and substituted puffed brown rice cereal - even Kellogs Rice Krispies makes brown rice cereal now.  I've been enjoying them for breakfast lately and they're another good pre-race treat along with a banana, of course.  Plus, it's an easy and fun recipe for kids.




This picture is from some different recipe making, but you get the general idea.  FYI, the recipe we were making on that day is FANTASTIC: box of devils food cake mix + 14oz can of pumpkin puree, cook as directed (we made muffins).  That's it.  You can also add some mini chocolate chips to make it even more decadent.  via Pinterest

One word Wednesday

Swimmin'

Bootcamp Revealed

For more than three years now, I've been attending a bootcamp class at The Y (it's officially The Y now - no longer YMCA, fyi).  This class, hands down, got me enthusiastic about fitness in a way I haven't been since my competitive swimming days.  I can thank bootcamp for getting rid of the 'baby weight' and beyond not just once, but twice.  The time always flies while we're working out and our fearless leader Jodi is constantly changing things up. 

Cutie Patootie Jodi with the ball; btw, not sure how old she is, but she's got a daughter graduating High School - I'd better look that good when baby girl is 17...

Lately she's been adding a lot of tabata style workouts and it's been KILLING me.  You'd think that a class would get a little stale after three years, but there are very few workouts where I don't feel challenged.  I can't be alone in my opinion; when I started going, there were always at least 60 folks in the class on both days it's offered.  More and more people started going and it began to get too crowded - like pushing 80+ people crowded.  Although, the devotees like myself are partly to blame as I have converted many a friend to the ways of bootcamp.  So they doubled Jodi's schedule and she now teaches back to back classes (one at 8:45am and then again at 10am) twice a week.  These days each class has roughly 40-50 people, and can still creep into the 60s on a busy day.  So, yeah, it's a big deal.  I'll be talking to women that don't go to The Y and they'll say, "Oh, I've HEARD about that bootcamp class!"  Then, "What do you guys DO?"  For all the people that have asked me, including my husband.  I tried taking some pics with my crappy camera phone in a poorly lit gym to give you an idea! 

The day I came up with this brilliant plan of documenting bootcamp was a perfect example of a 'typical' class.  Typical being the framework of 30 minutes of warmup/cardio, followed by 8 'stations' of 2 minutes each.


Warmup/Cardio was on the track above the gym.  5 minutes of moderate running followed by sprint intervals:

• 1 min sprint followed by 50 squats with a 1 min recovery jog
• 1:30 min sprint followed by 40 lunges with a 1 min recovery jog
• 2 min sprint followed by 30 'crossfit style' situps (arms extended, hit palms on the floor at the top of the movement) with a 1 min recovery jog
• 1:30 min sprint followed by 20 pushups with a 1 min recovery jog
• 1 min sprint followed by 10 burpees with a 2 min recovery jog

Here are pics of the stations we did (again, try not to squint too hard at my non-iphone quality camera phone):

1st station: progressive step jumps followed by running the ladder - repeat for 2 min

2nd station: 10 lunges on the step holding the weighted bars and 10 rows with weighted bars - alternate for 2 min

3rd station: run up and down two flights of stairs for 2 min

4th station: 10 squats on the bosu and 10 deadlifts - alternate for 2 min

5th station: tricep dips around the bosu - 8 dips, do one quarter turn 8 dips and repeat until you return to starting position then turn the opposite direction around the bosu for 2 min

6th station: partner up and run the length of the gym with two bands, switch and repeat for 2 min (these are KILLER and my least favorite station)

7th station: 21's with a bicep curl - 7 full range of motion, 7 midpoint to top range of motion, 7 midpoint to bottom range of motion repeat for 2 min

8th station: toe touch abs with ball between feet alternate with butt lifts with ball between the knees for 2 min


We also did some extra core work between some of the stations (planks, crunches, etc).  So there you go, the great bootcamp mystery has been revealed.  Can't wait to see what she has in store for us next time - perhaps I'll share some more fun workouts this summer.  We go outside when it's nice out and those classes are extra fun, getting fresh air and vitamin D!

This Week's Eats

First off, Happy Memorial Day!  I hope everyone is having an enjoyable day, or long weekend if you're so fortunate.  I am thankful for the men and women who serve and have served our country; freedom doesn't come for free.  My dad was a Marine, and I only say 'was'/use past tense because he died when I was young.  More detail on that another day...  I certainly think of him on this day and how he'd always say, "Once a Marine, always a Marine!"  He would never use the past tense. :)

I was very thankful for my 'free' day of a long run while my husband took the kids to a park.  Although I think I ate a fistful of cottonwood while I was out there.  Man, it looks like it's snowing 'round these parts.  Anyhoo...

Our stockpile of freezer meals is getting a bit out of control, so I've got a number of encores on this week's menu:

• Monday - Pizza, as usual
• Tuesday - Pioneer Woman's Farfalle with Zucchini (pushed this back a week because we got lazy and went out for dinner last week)
• Wednesday - Greek Turkey Meatball salad (mmmm, unfreezing those meatballs for this awesome salad)
• Thursday - Pioneer Woman's 'Fancy' Mac and Cheese (made double last go 'round and just popping it out of the freezer) with roasted broccoli
• Friday - salad, rice and grilled chicken with a fave marinade: chopped scallions, equal parts honey and olive oil with a few good dashes of hot sauce and paprika; it also makes for a good dipping sauce
• Saturday - Korean BBQ Short Ribs and mashed potatoes (we LOVED this recipe and saved 1/2 the ribs in the freezer to grill 'em up again)
• Sunday - spicy avocado chicken enchiladas (this week's pinterest experiment)

Friday Things

Ahhh, perfect summer Friday.  Kids and I sleep a bit later on Fridays ('til 7:30! whee!) because there's no preschool and we all go to the Y.  Since it's been gorgeous out pretty much every weekend for nearly two months, we also try to get to the park on Fridays for some vitamin D.  Today was awesome because we had the place to ourselves and I was smart enough to bring baby girl a ride on toy:

They did this over and over for nearly a half hour while I ate my sushi, checked Twitter and drank my iced caramel macchiato.  So nice they were able to play and entertain each other.  Usually we run into friends and it's fun because I can catch up with my mom buddies, but it's rather chaotic with the kids.  Today, I rather enjoyed the solitude.

I also wore my Rogas for a little hill workout and tried to get some color on my neon white legs while at the park.  This is HUGE.  Before taking the shorts plunge with the Rogas, the only type of shorts I'd leave the house wearing start with the word 'Bermuda' and even then, that's pushing the envelope.  Here, I even took a PICTURE!

Love these things. They DO NOT ride up in the crotch area and are super flattering on the backside. My phone doesn't take great pics, but here's the general idea.

I am willing to take a picture of my backside in these things people!  Once Upon a Lime does a great job of explaining the greatness - with better photos and VIOLET Rogas. 

And for my last Friday random tidbit; there's been a bit of chatter about our ages on Twitter over the last couple of days and I suppose I'm totally revealing my age (well, in just over two years) when I say that I cannot wait to see 'This Is Forty.'  Enjoy the trailer below and your long holiday weekend!

What's a Co-Op Preschool?

So, I have to do a bit of self-indulgent blogging here and give my precious baby girl some face time.  Yesterday was her last day of Toddler Group:

Her little certificate reads:

"For all your hard work and play in our Toddler Group. For creative arts, easel painting, puzzles, building with blocks, playing with cars, animals, dinosaurs, dolls and more. For dressing up, play-doh fun, singing songs, dancing and just being you! Congratulations and Way to go!"

 I can't believe how much she's grown since we started class back in September. 


September 2011



May 2012

Last Day Fun

I feel so lucky that we have so many great cooperative parent education opportunities where we live.  With both of my children, I've participated in some co-op schooling.  What's a co-op?  To get technical: a non-profit parent education cooperative program sponsored our local community college where we have in-class parent education sessions. So, technically, I am a student at the college and receive college credit for our weekly classes.  The Toddler Group is partnered with Lake Washington Technical Institute and when we do preschool, it will be in conjunction with Shoreline Community College. While half of the parents supervise the toddlers’ activities, the other half form a group with the teacher to discuss an age-appropriate topic (i.e. understanding children’s development, family communication, discipline techniques, etc.) The teacher functions as an educator, a resource person and an advisor.  We also have monthly speakers on everything from discipline to keeping your marriage intact after baby. 

These co-ops have given me such a wonderful opportunity to become directly involved in the education of my kids and to be involved in my own education as a parent, helping me to understand my kids behavior and development.  Well, at least understand them a bit better.  I don't think I'll ever have them 100% figured out...  It's also a great opportunity to commiserate with other parents; I've made some of my closest friends through co-ops, sharing all those hard times, and good times.  I think it's ESSENTIAL to have other parents to lean on in the early years with children.  If you have these types of preschools in your area, I highly recommend checking them out!

One word Wednesday

Sustenance