I Finally Ran Outside!

...and other exciting* things.

*Note - what I find exciting may not fit everyone's definition of exciting. I think the small things count though...

I am quite excited because I was finally able to do a long run outside this weekend. Its been over a month (maybe even 6 weeks!?) since I ran outside, partly due to the low temperatures, but mostly due to the vast amounts of snow and ice covering the roads and sidewalks. All of the treadmill running had started to take a toll, though - instead of giving me energy, relieving stress, and making me happy, I'd started to dread my runs, and as I ran I'd always be looking to the end when I could finally stop. But this weekend it was warm enough and I decided that I needed to brave the icy roads. But first let's start with dinner on Friday night.

Pat and I had plans to go out on Friday night. I was really looking forward to it because its been a while since we've had a "date night" out just the two of us. I picked a great place to have dinner and another place to go for dessert and planned to surprise him...

We went to Surf for dinner. This is a fresh seafood restaurant in Nashua that we've been wanting to try for a while. As usual, I looked at the menu earlier in the day and had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to order, though I think I would have been happy with anything. The menu is very creative and full of things I wanted to try.

The pictures of dinner are pretty dark - I think Pat was very a little embarrassed that I was taking pictures of my food in such a nice restaurant, so I had to be as inconspicuous as possible.

We started with two appetizers. The first was the Fried Tomato and Crispy Bacon Salad (served over greens with creamy cracked pepper Parmesan dressing). They separated our salads onto two plates for us, so this was mine.

We also got the Pan Sauteed Sea Scallops which were served with pancetta bacon, roasted red peppers, white wine, olives, cream and butter on grilled ciabatta.

Both of these dishes were so good! The salad was amazing - the creamy cracked pepper Parmesan dressing was perfect with the bacon and fried tomatoes. I'm normally not much of a dressing person, but this was certainly worth having. The scallops were delicious and so fresh, and the topping was great. I decided to eat mine without the ciabatta, I thought it distracted from the other flavors.

For my entree I ordered the Sesame Seared Tuna, which was served over wasabi mashed potatoes with tempura carrots, maple soy drizzle and scallion oil.

Everything about this dish was perfect! The tuna was amazing, the wasabi mashed potatoes were delicious on their own, but especially when combined with the tuna, and the carrot tempura was light and irresistible. This was probably one of the best meals I've ever had, and now I'm dying to recreate it at home (well at least the tuna and potatoes, probably not the tempura).

Pat ordered the Chili-Lime Glazed Swordfish, which was served with warm noodles in peanut sauce and Korean cucumber salad. Normally Pat isn't a fan of peanut sauce, but this was a light and delicate sauce that complimented the chili and lime flavors of the swordfish perfectly.

We were both really happy with our meals, and had leftovers to bring home. The dessert menu was presented to us (and looked delicious), but we had plans to go across the street to an Italian place for cappuccinos and cannolis, so we declined. We had a great time at Surf - the food and service were wonderful, and the decor of the restaurant was beautiful and very relaxing - large paintings of waves and fish covered the walls. There was also a man playing the piano in the corner throughout dinner, which was very nice. I tried to be sneaky and took a picture of him from outside after we left, but I'm pretty sure he still saw me.

We ran across the street for dessert, only to find that the Italian restaurant closes at 9:30 on Fridays. So early!! So then we proceeded to the next logical place...McDonald's. Is that what you would have guessed? It was funny to end such a nice meal at the drive-thru, but McDonald's does have some good soft serve, which I promptly loaded with gummy bears and Reese's pieces.

I'd say I did a pretty good job of carbo-loading for my Saturday morning run!

Okay, now back to the excitement of running outside! So I'd decided that I really couldn't do another long run on the treadmill. It was a warmer day than what we've had lately (26 degrees when I left for my run) and the roads were the clearest I'd seen in a while. I piled on a pair of Under Armour spandex pants, two long-sleeved technical shirts, a Polartek vest, my new North Face running jacket, a hat and gloves and I was off. 

It felt so good to be running outside, in the fresh air, and actually moving (instead of running continuously on a belt in the gym). I started out on the sidewalks (since the roads are narrower with all of the snow) but had to move to the roads after about a mile. Most of the sidewalks looked like this, and I wasn't in the mood to fall on my face:

GU right now, and candy does a great job of delivering sugar to your body quickly).

I finished the 13.1 slowly - this is probably one of my slowest training runs, but that didn't bother me at all. I was just so happy to have run outside and feel good while doing it. 

When I got home I drank a large glass of chocolate milk and opened a package that arrived from my mom. Valentine's candy! 

Thanks, Mom!

After a few pieces of toffee, I spent some quality time with my foam roller. Foam rolling is very good for you, both before and after a hard workout (I usually only do it after, if you're doing it before - be sure to warm up first). Foam rolling helps aid in muscle recovery by breaking down lactic acid build up in muscles, and also helps prevent future injury. IT band (the muscle that runs along your outer thigh from your hip to your knee) issues are common among runners, and this has certain helped me with my issues in the past.

Then I made myself a nice big salad which included a few handfuls of baby spinach, 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange, 1/2 cucumber, and 1 large carrot.

I also had leftovers from the night before (seared tuna can be reheated by spraying a pan with cooking spray and cooking on high heat for a couple minutes on each side).

(I know my presentation isn't nearly as nice as it was at Surf, but it still tasted amazing!).

So are you all thoroughly excited by my long run outside, my dinner at Surf, my huge salad and my Valentine's candy? If not, there's one more thing that might interest some of you.

That's right, pumpkin taffy! Pat's mom bought it for me and gave it to me on Sunday. I'd never heard of such a taffy! Since I love all things pumpkin, Anne thought of me when she saw this and picked it up. It is so delicious - they really got the pumpkin pie flavor exactly right! I'll have to get details about where this is made and sold.

Oh and I almost forgot...a new oatmeal creation! I made my usual oatmeal, and added a small spoonful each of peanut butter and strawberry jelly. Stir well and enjoy! I can tell that this is going to be a new favorite - the oatmeal makes the peanut butter taste extra creamy, and it is very filling!

I hope you all had wonderful, exciting, weekends!

Groundhog Day

I think we're all familiar with the legend of Groundhog Day - on February 2nd, the groundhog comes out of his hole after months of hibernation to look for his shadow. If he sees his shadow, it signifies six more weeks of bad weather, and he returns to his hole. If he doesn't see his shadow it is a sign of spring and he stays above ground.

Source

I'm working from home, and just saw the live announcement that the groundhog did NOT see his shadow and that it will be an early spring. All I can say is, it better.

Does anyone else feel like we're living in the movie Groundhog Day?

Source

It seems like we keep getting hit by the same storm, over and over. The weather reports on the news could have just been replayed in a constant loop for the past 6 weeks because they keep saying the same thing. Don't drive if you don't have to. Consider leaving late for work. School closings across the state. Its going to be another bad one.

For those of us who have to drive, our commutes have been doubled and tripled in the past few weeks. These are some scenes from my commute last night and the neighborhood this morning that I've seen far too many times:

I've tried not to complain about the storms, snow, ice, awful commutes, endless shoveling, and freezing temperatures. But please make it stop! An early spring would be amazing!

On a happier note, I am very glad to work from home on Wednesdays, and did not have to brave the storm this morning. I've had endless mugs of tea to stay warm as I hear the pellets of hail hitting the windows and the continuous groan of plows going up and down the street. For breakfast I had Overnight Oats for the first time. I have oatmeal almost every morning, but had never tried these! They were very good, and I look forward to trying different variations.

Last night I put 1/3 cup oats, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup water, about 1/3 cup pumpkin and a few shakes of pumpkin pie spice in a large mug. I stirred everything together, covered it in saran wrap, and stuck it in the fridge. This morning, I took it out. Considering how freezing it is outside, I microwaved for 30 seconds, just so the oats wouldn't also be freezing (this step will be omitted when the sun decides to grace us with her presence). I then sliced 1/2 a banana in the bowl, put a large scoop of vanilla Greek yogurt on top, and finished with a dusting of flax seeds.

 

This breakfast is a great source of fiber, protein, omega 3s, vitamin a, potassium and calcium. And its delicious!

Good luck and stay warm to everyone who is braving these storms! For those of you who aren't, would you like to have me as an extended house guest until spring arrives? I'll bake for you!

Pumpkin Carrot Cake Muffin Bars?

I love carrot cake. Carrot cake and pumpkin pie are two of my most favorite desserts. Naturally when I see either of these desserts I am unable to restrain myself  its hard to say no. Even though both of these desserts have healthy foods in the names, don't be fooled! I remember one night  a couple years ago I went to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and for dessert I ordered the carrot cake. I thought I was being good by avoiding the dozens of decadent cheesecake options on the menu, but when I got home my roommate informed me otherwise. Her boyfriend was a manager at a Cheesecake Factory - and she told me that the carrot cake is the worst thing you can order on the entire menu! I couldn't believe that it could be worse than the cheesecakes, but I guess there's a reason why that cream cheese frosting crusted in walnuts tasted so good. You're fine, she soothed, I'm sure you didn't eat the whole piece. Cue in guilty face here. I'd devoured it - every last bite (and that was after eating my dinner). So while I haven't gotten carrot cake at The Cheesecake Factory since then, its definitely still one of my favorite desserts.

Yesterday Jenna posted a recipe for Carrot Cake Muffin Bars on her blog. I instantly began to crave carrot cake, and decided that I'd make these, but would healthify the ingredients for a more nutritious and less guilt-laden snack. Please note - I know that "healthify" isn't a real word, but I like it, and am going to use it!

Pumpkin Carrot Cake Muffin Bars

Makes 12 (or 9 if you're hungry!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and oats in a bowl. Set aside.

Cream together the butter pumpkin and sugar.

Add the egg and beat again until smooth.

Slowly stream in the milk while mixing on low (or with hand).

Mix together the dry and wet ingredients with spatula.

Add grated carrots and chopped walnuts and mix until combined.

Spray a 9x9 pan and pour batter in. Add any additional toppings you like, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden.

Voila!

Recipe

I changed Jenna's recipe by swapping out white flour for whole wheat, replacing the butter with canned pumpkin, reducing the amount of walnuts, increasing the amount of carrots, and adding some coconut to the top. 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 1/4 cups grated carrots (2-3 carrots)
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• coconut for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and oats. Set aside.
3. Cream together the pumpkin and brown sugar. Add the egg and beat again until smooth. With mixer on low (or mixing by hand), slowly stream in the milk. 
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add in carrots and walnuts and fold into batter.
5. Spray a 9x9 pan and pour batter into pan. Add any desired toppings (I added coconut flakes to about 1/3 of the pan) and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Coconut topped:

Plain:

My whole apartment smelled amazing as these cooked. Pat even started to think that he might like carrot cake as he smelled these in the oven. They taste like a cross between carrot cake and pumpkin pie - and in my eyes that can never be bad thing.

Depending on the recipe, you can get away with replacing all/some of the oil/butter with unsweetened applesauce, canned pumpkin, or Greek yogurt (those are the swaps I've tried). I chose pumpkin because I love pumpkin and had some in the fridge. I think if you used applesauce instead of pumpkin in these they would probably taste more like straight carrot cake, while this tastes like pumpkin carrot cake. Its good, but I bet the applesauce would be good, too! Depends on what you're in the mood for.

Enjoy!

Distracted Baking

My sister Laura has been helping me work on some things lately, and has responded to every scatterbrained email, g-chat, and BBM very quickly and with lots of great advice. She's in the middle of her third year of a PhD program at UVA, and is also preparing to be an adjunct professor for this upcoming semester. Needless to say, she's very busy. Despite her ever growing to-do list, she always takes time for her little sister, which is so appreciated! Love you Laura! So I thought I should send her some goodies as thanks. I asked what she wanted for her first installment of baked goods, and she requested something healthy. So cookies are temporarily out. I found this recipe for Baked Apple Oatmeal bread (well, that's what I'm calling it) and saw a lot of potential for great taste and healthful swaps. 

I first wanted to do a test-run (sending a half-baked loaf of inedible bread isn't really the "thank you" I was going for) - and on this test run I found that this recipe is great, but its also important to pay attention when baking! My mind was a few steps ahead of my body on this, so I forgot some things in the batter, had to remove from the oven, re-mix, and then bake. Despite the issues, the bread still came out great, and I'll be making it for Laura in the next day or two.

Baked Apple Oatmeal Bread

(I found the original recipe here, but swapped out the oils and whole milk for healthier alternatives)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare bread topping (chopped walnuts, dark brown sugar and cinnamon):

Chop dried fruit. I used dried apples from Trader Joe's.

Combine wet ingredients. Stir with whisk.

Combine dry ingredients. Stir with whisk.

Measure 1/2 tsp of the dry ingredients and add to chopped fruit. Mix until fruit is coated.

 

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (don't over mix).

Spray your loaf pan with baking spray (or coat with butter and cover with a thin layer of flour).

Add chopped fruit and fold into batter.

Pour batter into loaf pan.

Cover with topping, gently pressing down so it sticks to batter.

 

Put in oven to bake. Then realize that you forgot to add the OATS in the Baked Apple OATmeal Bread! It had only been in the oven for four minutes, so I figured that I could save the bread. I grabbed it out of the oven and did my best to scrape the topping off the bread (the brown sugar had already started to melt).

 

 

Pour the batter back into the large mixing bowl, and add the oats.

Pour batter back into the loaf pan, and spread semi-melted topping over the batter.

Now bake for 60-65 minutes. When top is browned and knife inserted comes out clean, remove from oven. Put loaf pan on cooling rack for five minutes to cool, then remove from pan and continue to cool until it reaches room temperature. 

 

I never wait for things to cool before trying them, but the original creator of this recipe warned against cutting into it before it cooled. Since I already messed up the bread once, I decided to let it cool all the way, lest I do any more damage.

A little while later...

This bread came out really well. It was very moist (from the applesauce and canned pumpkin) and the dried apple pieces baked into delicious bites. Pat tried it (after cutting off the nuts on top) and said that he liked it, but he's not much of a fruit-in-bread person. Kathryn and Steph both tried some and said that they liked it a lot. I am going to make this for Laura, and will also definitely make it in the future (I bet it would freeze well, too).

Recipe

Ingredients
For the Topping:

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the Bread:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 1/4 cups flour (3/4 cups all-purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
• 3/4 cup sugar (I ran out so used 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup granulated Splenda)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves (I didn't have so I used pumpkin pie spice instead)
• 1/2 cup dried apples, chopped
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats

Directions

1. Center a rack in oven and preheat to 350 degrees. 
2. To make topping - in a small bowl, toss together the brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon until well mixed. Set aside.
3. Whisk together eggs, applesauce, pumpkin and milk until well blended. 
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice (or cloves). Remove 1/2 tsp of the dry mix and toss with dried fruit to coat. Set dried fruit aside. 
5. Stir the oats into the bowl of dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir  with a rubber spatula until just moistened (don't over mix). Add the dried fruit to batter and fold in to blend.
6. Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with baking spray (or buttered and lightly floured). Add the topping to the loaf and press lightly with your fingers to make it stick. 
7.