A Refreshing Drink

I love water. I probably drink between 12-16 cups of water a day. Even so, sometimes on a really hot day, just plain water doesn't cut it. We're in our first streak of hot days for the season, and I wanted a little pick-me-up to have after a hot run.

In the morning I boiled a pot of water and poured it into my largest vase. I added several green tea bags and let it sit in the fridge all day when I was at work. The cold green tea is the base of this refreshing drink - the rest is quite easy!

Get a cup.

Add ice.

Add chilled fruit (frozen fruit would also be delicious). I used mango and strawberries.

Pour in green tea.

I also added some lemonade to my drink - it was about 2/3 green tea and 1/3 lemonade. This was really delicious.

Trader Joe's low calorie lemonade is my favorite (it also comes in pink!).

This would also be really good with seltzer, a splash of pomegranate juice, or even some vodka (but not after a long hot run). And after you're done drinking, you have a nice fruit salad to eat.

This is also a much better alternative to the McDonald's strawberry lemonade, which I haven't tried, but expect it to be a bad sugar headache in the making.

Source

Speaking of refreshing...I bought a huge bag of these enormous grapes at the store the other day.

I've always avoided the big "globe" grapes, because they have seeds in them. Gross. That is, until a colleague at work told me that those seeds contain lots of antioxidants. So I tried one. They were very good! The seed just adds a little crunch, and is much less bothersome than I'd expected. Another good thing about these is that they seem to retain their firmness a lot better than your typical red or green grapes. Out of my entire bag I didn't have to throw away any soft grapes - all were crunchy! Cold grapes are a great snack for hot and humid days.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Any fun plans for the holiday?

Pat and I are going down to the cape for our belated anniversary celebration! Lots of beach time, ice cream, and a fancy dinner out in my horizon!

Panko and Parmesan Crusted Tofu

The past few days have been gloriously hot. Some may say sticky, sweaty and humid, but I have been loving every second of it. Last night I ended my salad streak and cooked dinner. It was so hot that I really should not have turned the oven on, but I had tofu in the fridge that was begging to be eaten. While the tofu baked in the oven and the artichokes steamed on the stove, Pat and I went for a walk to escape the heat, and then Pat installed the first air conditioner of the season. I usually try to hold off as long as possible (since once they're in Pat cranks them every night) but last night it was unavoidable.

I sliced the block of tofu into nine pieces and pressed them in between several layers of paper towels, then covered in a cutting board and cast iron pan. After about an hour of being pressed (to get the extra moisture out) I got to work.

Turn the oven to 375 degrees, then prepare bowls of egg white and panko crumbs with Parmesan cheese (please freshly grate your cheese for this - it makes a huge difference).

Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil (if you're lazy like I am and want to minimize dishes). Take each piece of tofu, first submerging it in the egg white, and then dredging it through the panko/parm mixture (pat it in to make sure the pieces are fully covered). Repeat with all pieces of tofu.

Then cook for about 30-45 minutes, until the tofu is golden brown. I didn't even flip the tofu because we went out for a walk - it turns out that it didn't need it, so don't bother!

I forgot to take a picture before cooking, but this is about 10 minutes in.

The kitchen will smell amazing as this cooks, and then your finished product will look something like this:

It will smell so good and look so good that even tofu critics will praise you (although Pat didn't go so far as to eat it, he kept saying how great it smelled and how he wished he liked tofu so he could eat it. Ha.).

Top with your favorite marinara sauce and more shredded cheese, and you have a delicious dinner!

After I took this out of the oven I realized that it would have been even better if I'd added the sauce and extra cheese for the last 5 minutes of bake time to heat it up and get the cheese really melty. If you make this, you should do that!

Panko and Parmesan Crusted Tofu

Serves about 3

Ingredients

• 1 block firm or extra-firm tofu
• approx 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• approx 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or Romano would be great, too)
• 1 egg white
• marinara sauce and extra cheese for topping

Directions

1. Slice tofu block into 9 pieces of equal thickness. Layer several paper towels on the counter, arrange tofu pieces in a single layer, and then layer several more paper towels on top. Cover with heavy objects (such as a cutting board and cast iron skillet, or cook books) and let press for at least 45 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Measure panko and parm into a small bowl. Toss to combine.
4. Set up another small bowl with your egg white.
5. Submerge tofu in egg white until covered, then dredge through the panko/parm mixture (patting crumbs in to ensure that tofu is completely covered). Repeat with all tofu and place on a cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown. Add marinara sauce and additional shredded cheese and baked for a few more minutes, until hot and melty.

In the winter I'd probably have this tofu with a steaming bowl of pasta, but since it was so hot last night and I didn't want a really heavy meal, I had a steamed artichoke instead (steamed artichokes are the perfect accompaniment to any meal!).

 

This tofu was delicious - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It had the texture of being fried, but was baked (panko breadcrumbs help this because they're much crunchier than regular breadcrumbs). The baked cheese was delicious on the tofu - Pat said he wished I made him a chicken version of this meal! I will definitely make this again - it was so easy and requires very little work/ingredients.

Salad Fever

Guess what? The sun finally came out! After over a week of non-stop rain and temps in the 40s, its finally starting to act a little like spring. When its cold and rainy all I crave is hot meals (usually covered in some kind of cheese)...and when its hot I constantly want salads. After a hot and humid run last night the only thing I wanted was a big salad.

Organic baby spinach, orange wedges, red bell peppers, boiled beets (hot, I don't really care for them cold), goat cheese, and toasted walnuts, drizzled with some balsamic vinaigrette. Toasting walnuts is easy, just bake them for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees - it really brings out the flavor a lot more.

With my salad I had some tofu. And some popcorn. Yes, I'm random.

I woke up to another warm day today, and after running and going to the gym I wanted another salad. I had salad for breakfast a few weeks ago, and I really enjoyed it. I guess I didn't stick with it because it takes a lot longer to prepare a salad in the morning than a quick bowl of oatmeal or a smoothie. Since I work from home on Wednesdays, I had time to make myself a big breakfast salad. 

Organic baby spinach, red bell peppers, and avocado. I squeezed some fresh lemon on top, sprinkled with cayenne pepper for a kick, and topped with some scrambled egg whites. I had a bowl of mango on the side and a glass of skim milk for extra protein.

Some of my friends have told me its weird that I like salad for breakfast. I would have said the same thing, too. Give it a try and then let me know if you still think its weird! It is very satisfying to fill up on something other than carbs (and this is coming from the carb queen) and it gives me more energy throughout the day.

Its been one week since I started my 30 day challenge (to run at least one mile per day). Here's how I've done so far:

Day 1 - 3 mile run; Bikram yoga class

Day 2 - 3 mile run; Bikram yoga class

Day 3 - 2.25 mile run

Day 4 - 3 mile run

Day 5 - 1 mile run

Day 6 - 1 mile run

Day 7 - 5 mile run; abs and legs strength training

Day 8 (today) - 2.6 mile run, back and bis strength training

As you can see, a few of those days I only ran the minimum 1 mile. Those were super busy days that I normally would not have done anything. My excuse would always be that I didn't have time, or that doing something as short as just one mile wouldn't make any difference. Since following this challenge, I've found a way to squeeze in a mile even in my busiest days, whether waking up a little early to get it done or quickly doing it when I got home late at night. Those mornings that I forced myself out of bed at 5am to fit in a quick mile were some of the best mornings - I love working out early in the day because it gives me such a boost of energy. If I didn't have to leave before 6am for work, I'd definitely do all of my work outs in the morning. 

I printed out a free calendar template I found online and have been marking down my mileage. Its a good way to keep track of what I've done and motivate myself to keep going. Even better is that I've heard from a few of my friends who are doing the challenge, too! I'm glad that other people are participating, and I think talking to each other about it helps keep us on track. If you can't run the miles, choose something else. My friend Chrissy has several injuries left over from college basketball, so running can be uncomfortable for her, but she's decided to do the challenge by biking and other forms of cross training! 

In terms of my other challenge, the 100 push ups challenge, that was a little bit later in getting off the ground. I actually just started it this morning. I did the initial test to see how many push ups I could do (to see where my training should begin) and I did 12. Not on my knees, either! I contemplated first doing this challenge with knee push ups and then doing it with standard push ups, but decided to try the real deal. I'm sure I'll be regretting this in a few days.

Anyone else want to join us in the 30 day challenge?

What are your favorite foods of summer?

Mine are salads and tons of fresh fruit. Oh and ice cream, that's pretty important, too!

Peanut Butter and Jelly with Banana - MUFFINS

Who doesn't love a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? (Aside from those of you with peanut allergies, and for that I'm truly sorry). Eating a PB&J brings me back to childhood, and to this day PB&Js are still one of my favorite sandwiches. So simple, but so perfect. In my opinion, they're best when eaten with a tall glass of milk, or if you're lucky, chocolate milk. I also really enjoy sliced bananas in my sandwich (this is great eaten room temperature, and also really delicious when grilled). 

When I came across this recipe for peanut butter and jelly muffins I knew I had to make them. Any excuse to have PB&J for breakfast is fine by me! I added banana slices to half of the muffins, which proved to be quite delicious.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flours, sugars, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and stir with a whisk. 

Make a well in the center.

Combine milk, peanut butter, egg whites, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl.

Pour wet mixture into flour mixture and stir until just moist.

Spray muffin cups and spoon batter into cups. Fill each cup half full with batter. 

Spoon 1 teaspoon of jelly into each cup. If desired, add banana slices on top of jelly. 

Spoon remaining batter on top to cover jelly (and bananas). 

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in the center. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

PB&J with Banana Muffins

Recipe from Cooking Light

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups skim milk
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup egg whites (about 2 egg whites)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup strawberry jelly
• 1 medium banana, sliced
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine flours, sugars, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and stir with a whisk. Make a well in the center. Combine milk, peanut butter, egg whites, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour wet mixture into flour mixture and stir until just moist.
3. Spray muffin cups and spoon batter into cups. Fill each cup half full with batter. Spoon 1 teaspoon of jelly into each cup. If desired, add banana slices on top of jelly. Spoon remaining batter on top to cover jelly (and bananas).
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in the center. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

I really liked these! I think they taste better warm (not hot or the jelly will burn your tongue) than cold - microwaving for 10 seconds got them to the perfect temperature. I really liked the muffins with banana in them - the cooked banana gives it a creamy texture and a banana bread quality, while still having the peanut butter and jelly flavors. I think next time I make these I would increase the peanut butter by a couple tablespoons (the taste was faint and I'd like it a little bit stronger) and I think I'd actually reduce the amount of whole wheat flour to 1/2 cup and increase the all purpose flour to 1 1/4 cups. Normally I'm all for using wheat flour, but these tasted a little bit too wheaty - I think the wheat flour made the batter a little bit dry and overshadowed the peanut butter taste a bit. Otherwise, these were great! I've been grabbing them for a quick breakfast along with some milk and fresh fruit.

What is your favorite sandwich? What comfort food did you have as a child that you still enjoy now?

I Love Surprises!

There's nothing like the feeling you get when you've pulled off a good surprise. Seeing a look of shock and excitement in someone's face is incredible, and makes any amount of planning completely worthwhile. Pulling off such a surprise doesn't happen often...but it did this weekend!!

Friday was Kathryn's birthday. You remember Kathryn, she lives in Virginia with her husband and is one of my very, very best friends. Kathryn and I met on the first day of high school. We grew up in neighboring towns that shared a regional high school, and on that first day of school we were both late to class and lost - and it turned out we were both trying to find Miss Karban's math class. So that's when our friendship began, first by passing notes in class and the hallways, then we graduated to daily phone calls when we were separated in college, and now we're pretty much always in touch by BBMing on our Blackberries.

Kathryn missed Steph's bridal shower and bachelorette party last weekend because she was unable to fly up. I missed Kathryn a lot and wanted to see her, and it just so happened that her birthday weekend was the only weekend I could get away. So it was meant to be! Her husband Chad and I planned the surprise and promised each other that we wouldn't tell anyone (except for Pat, because I'm pretty sure he'd notice when I was missing for the weekend). We knew that the more people who knew, the less of a chance that our surprise would work. My flight landed at 1:40 on Saturday afternoon, and as Kathryn got her hair done, Chad picked me up at the airport, we got her cake, and drove over to meet her. The plan was that Kathryn and Chad were going to meet for an ice cream when her hair was done. Chad waited in front of the ice cream place and I waited inside, with my back to the door. I stood at the back of the line, but a little bit to the side. Chad lead the way, walking in front of me, and when Kathryn walked in front of me I said "excuse me, I was in line" in my rudest voice. The look on her face was perfect - she went from alarmed (at my rudeness) to a little bit confused to so surprised and happy. We pulled it off! 

The scene of the surprise

The rest of the weekend was so much fun, after getting ice cream (it was actually Sweet Frog - a frozen yogurt place with tons of yogurts and toppings) Kathryn and I went off to King's Mill for pedicures, which Chad had booked for us (so thoughtful). 

Kathryn got I Think In Pink and I got Cajun Shrimp

After our pedis, Kathryn and I picked up filet mignon and giant potatoes at the store. Once back at her house, we had a champagne toast and munched on cheese and crackers and hummus while Chad grilled the steaks, potatoes, and corn on the cob. 

Kat and Chad

Kat and Aggie

Me and Kat, with Chad in background.

Wearing our matching shorts. Yes, its still cool to match.

After dinner we presented Kathryn with her cake, and after several attempts at singing Happy Birthday (interrupted by many bursts of laughter) she was finally able to blow out her candles. 

Birthday Girl wine glass

Cold Stone cake - vanilla cake, cake batter ice cream with sprinkles, layer of fresh strawberries, and thick top layer of chocolate.

On Sunday we took Aggie for a walk along the paths by their house, which have routes mapped out and go all the way to Richmond! Kathryn made us breakfast and then we went to the outlets for some shopping. We ate lunch outside at a great little restaurant (the name oh which I've forgotten) and then went back for a second helping of Sweet Frog. If only we had a Sweet Frog in Nashua! That place is addictive. 

Yum. I could eat this every day.

It was sad to leave after such a short visit, but we managed to pack in lots of fun stuff and had a wonderful time. I'll see Kathryn in July for Steph's wedding, and we're already planning the next weekend we can get together. 

Happy Birthday Kathryn! Miss you already!

Do you love or hate surprises? What's the best surprise you've ever pulled off?

Surprising Kathryn was the best I've ever done!

Challenging Myself

“Nonrunners cannot see how they can afford the time to run every day. But runners cannot imagine getting through a single day without it.”
-Kevin Nelson, The Runner's Book of Daily Inspiration

That was the Runner's World quote of the day yesterday, and you know what struck me? I'm a runner, but lately I have not made the time to run consistently. My last half marathon was on May 1st, and it seems like I've barely run since then. I love races, and one of the (many) reasons is that they give me motivation to train and try to improve. I'm a little bit ashamed to say that I need that extra push of an upcoming race to get my butt out the door. When I don't have a training plan, I get a little lazy. Its about time I changed that! The other day I came across a 30 day challenge on Victoria's blog and decided that I'm going to do it, too. The challenge is to run at least 1 mile every day for 30 days. I think this is a pretty reasonable goal, because even on my busiest days I should be able to fit in one mile. That's less than ten minutes! I'm not going to accept any excuses from myself. I started the challenge yesterday, May 18th. I ran 3 miles before lunch and then went to an afternoon Bikram class. Does anyone else want to join me in this challenge?

I figure that since I'm doing one challenge, I may as well do another. I've been meaning to start the 100 push ups challenge for quite a while now, but haven't gotten around to it. I was waiting to start it with Pat, but we haven't quite gotten our acts together, so I'll begin it myself. He'll be jealous when he sees how ripped my arms are in a couple weeks!

Do you like setting goals? I find that I'm a lot more productive when there's something tangible I'm trying to achieve.

Lemonade Was A Poor Choice

After a hiatus of several weeks, I decided it was time to get back to Bikram. I am done with my half marathons for the spring, so I can now try to find a way to balance yoga and running. On Monday I made sure to hydrate a little more than usual during work (which meant about 12 cups of water and just as many trips to the bathroom) and I went home to change before class. As I filled my giant water bottle with ice cubes, I was struck by a brilliant idiotic idea. Instead of just plain water, I decided that it would be more refreshing if I mixed half lemonade and half water in my water bottle. What is more refreshing on a hot day (or in a hot studio) than a tall glass of iced lemonade? I filled the bottle with my mixture, then decided I should get a little extra hydration in before class...so I chugged half of the water bottle (probably the equivalent of 2 cups) and then refilled it.

I got to the yoga studio a little bit early to set up my mat and relax before class started. I was excited to run into Gina, and she set up her mat next to mine. As class started I didn't feel so great - I felt the sudden pains of heartburn, followed by immediate nausea and dizziness. I tried to concentrate on the poses and ignore how I was feeling, but it was no use. In the middle of one of the poses I was so sure that I was about to lose my lunch lemonade that I grabbed my mat and towel and made a run for it. Since it was in the middle of a pose and the class was packed, I was literally bobbing and weaving through everyone's outstretched legs in midair. Had I been witnessing this myself I surely would have lost my composure and burst out laughing. Instead, I bolted for the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face until the nausea subsided. How embarrassing.

I knew that if I didn't go back to Bikram right away then I never would. I'd make excuses and never try again, for fear of another embarrassing episode. So on Tuesday I packed my yoga stuff in the morning so that I could go straight there from work. Again I hydrated all day to prepare for the 90 minutes in 105 degrees. In the beginning of class I felt a little uneasy again - a few waves of queasiness hit me, but I just kept taking deep breaths and worked through them. The class seemed longer and harder than usual, but when it was over I felt really amazing. 

I got home a little bit after 6pm, ate some frozen mango (an amazing post-Bikram snack) and showered. Then Pat surprised me by getting home at 7! He was supposed to have a late meeting, but had rescheduled it and came home instead! All we wanted to do was relax, so instead of cooking we ordered a pizza and watched No Strings Attached.

The pizza was phenomenal. We got a veggie pizza (no olives on Pat's side) and I topped mine with some fresh avocado.

I've had this several times, but last night it tasted especially good, maybe because I'd worked really hard in yoga. After a really busy weekend and two hectic days at work, I needed a relaxing evening to spend time with Pat. After the movie (which I really liked - I love Natalie Portman) we went to bed early! Do I sound old if I say that pizza, a movie and early to sleep is a perfect night? Oh yeah...we also paused the movie for a quick trip out for ice cream. It was the perfect night.

Have you had any bad experiences with food/drink before working out?

What's your perfect night?

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

Does anyone else out there still have leftover Easter candy? I know its absolutely shocking that I do, since I eat candy like its my job, but I do have a stash of leftover peanut butter eggs.

It would be a travesty to let these go to waste! So I decided to use them in brownies, after all, there is no better combination than peanut butter and chocolate.

For those of you who also have leftover candy, or who like incorporating candy into desserts, I've brainstormed some ideas for using it up:

1. Peeps S'Mores
2. Jelly Bean Cookies
3. Ice cream sundaes - chop candy bars and toss them into a bowl with ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream.
4. Frappes (a.k.a. milkshakes for all of you non-New Englanders) - chop up candy and blend with your favorite ice cream flavor and milk.
5. Cookies or Brownies - add your favorite candy bars to chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, or brownies. I think Butterfinger, Snickers, or Baby Ruth would be especially good options for this.

I made peanut butter fudge brownies.

First I had to kill the peanut butter eggs...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-sized microwave bowl, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine.

I ran out of stick butter, so I used 1 stick of unsalted butter and the rest was Light Healthy Balance spread.

Return the mixture to the microwave briefly (until hot, not bubbling) - it will be come shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the butter and sugar a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which gives your brownies a shiny top crust. Transfer butter and sugar to a mixing bowl.

Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla.

Add the eggs, beating until smooth.

Add the flour, beating until well combined.

Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

I used half regular chocolate chips and half mini chocolate chips.

Add the peanut butter cups and gently fold into the batter.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and transfer batter into dish. Bake the brownies for 28-32 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out dry (there may be a few crumbs clinging to it).

Remove dish from oven, and after 5 minutes loosen the edges with a butter knife (helps prevent the brownies from sinking in the center as they cool).

Cool completely before cutting.

These brownies are moist, very chocolaty, and the chunks of peanut butter in them just add to the decadence. These are the perfect companion for a tall glass of cold milk. If you want to get really crazy, I bet an ice cream sundae with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter sauce, hot fudge and whipped cream would be out of this world.

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour's Best Fudge Brownies Ever recipe

Makes 24 brownies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 heaping cup chopped peanut butter cups

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium-sized microwave bowl, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the microwave briefly (until hot, not bubbling) - it will be come shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the butter and sugar a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which gives your brownies a shiny top crust. Transfer butter and sugar to a mixing bowl.
3. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. 
4. Add the eggs, beating until smooth.
5. Add the flour, beating until well combined.
6. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
7. Add the peanut butter cups and gently fold into the batter.
8. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and transfer batter into dish. Bake the brownies for 28-32 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out dry (there may be a few crumbs clinging to it).
9. Remove dish from oven, and after 5 minutes loosen the edges with a butter knife (helps prevent the brownies from sinking in the center as they cool).
10. Cool completely before cutting. 

What do you do with leftover candy or other sweets?