A Rainy Day Calls for Eating Brownie Batter...right?

I can't be alone in hating rainy days, can I? Something about the gray, dark sky just tends to make my mood plummet into the deep, dark depths of despair (yes, I like alliteration!). The good thing about rainy days, however, is the comfort you can get by just trying to ward off the blues. You know... that perfect "read a book, bake some cookies, batten down the hatches and snuggle up with a blanket watching Disney movies" feeling. Why don't we do that on every other day?

Well, in any case, we don't, so at least rainy days give us a reason to really rest and take care of ourselves. Even if we can't shake the blues. (Seriously, I think I really might have weather-dependent moods. Any one else like that?) 

What's an awesome mood-booster? CHOCOLATE! 

It's true... at least for me. There is some science behind it also, but even if there wasn't.... I think I could support this claim on experience alone. And what makes chocolate even better. Oh, I don't know... maybe eating it in the form of

FUDGY PUMPKIN BROWNIE BATTER 

This picture just doesn't do the creation justice!

1/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup water/milk or combo of the two
3 T. Egg Whites
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1-2 T. Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder
Pinch Cinnamon
Sweetener, to taste
(or leave out for DEEP INTENSE COCOA Flavor. It won't be sweet... but...)

1. Cook oats on stove top by boiling water/milk, then adding oats and reducing heat to medium. Stir occasionally until majority of liquid is absorbed.
2. Add egg whites and STIR CONSTANTLY while adding. I can't emphasize this enough... otherwise you will end up with some scrambled egg whites in your brownie batter, and that's just not very tasty. After the eggs are incorporated into the oats, continue cooking until even more liquid is absorbed.
3. Stir in cocoa powder and sugar/sweetener as desired. The cinnamon should help bring out the flavor a bit, especially with the addition of pumpkin
4. Stir in the pumpkin, and allow to fully heat. The pumpkin is the real 'secret' ingredient here, making this oatmeal EXTREMELY fudgy and brownie-batter textured. You CAN still taste it, which I like because I love pumpkin, but just be aware if you don't like it. You could sub banana for a milder flavor, I would expect.
5. Serve in a nice little bowl and ENJOY!

Nutrition wise, this is a pretty thick, filling recipe with plenty of protein and some good antioxidants from the cocoa. The oatmeal provides the fiber, and the pumpkin gives you a  little serving of veggies as well! The entire recipe (which can easily be doubled!) is only 130 calories and yields about 8 grams of protein! YUM!

Banana Bread Pudding and a Long Run

Let's cut to the chase... since once again, I SHOULD be doing homework and am instead writing a blogpost, because the things I made this morning was really, really good.

It was pudding...or maybe more like soft serve ice cream....or a super thick smoothie (you decide!) but it had the taste of banana bread. Really. I kid you not. EXACTLY like it... and then that added cold, frozen dreamy creaminess that 'banana soft-serve' has, for those of you who have just blended up frozen bananas know.

I STRONGLY recommend this. I think it may be my favorite thing I've made thus far! Sweet, refreshing, fruity, and really... banana bready :)

BANANA BREAD FROZEN PUDDING

1 frozen banana

1/3 cup almond milk

1/8 cup rolled oats, ground in food processer to powder

Dash Cinnamon

Dash Nutmeg

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

Coconut Flakes

Chocolate Chips

Chopped Almonds

Peanut Butter

Caramel Sauce

1. Put everything into your blender and blend on high until you get a creamy, soft-serve ice cream/pudding consistency.
2. Top with whatever your little heart desires. I went with coconut flakes (overcoming my fear of saturated fats!) and some cocoa roasted almonds, which were awesome because a little bit of chocolate got in there in the almond bites but I also got the plain-banana bread taste in others, which I LOVED. ENJOY!

Here she is! All topped up!

Okay, so I ate the toppings first :)

 At practice today we got the pleasure of getting in a long run. I love long runs, because you can really let loose and get the acid out of your muscles but still get in a bit of a workout. I find that my mind really clears up and I start to get in touch with my body more and more as the run goes on. Plus, you can talk with your teammates! We played a little game in which we speculated where all the people we knew would be in 10 years. It's funny, but according to us, it seems that we will all be doctors or physical therapists or physchologists. That tells you a bit about the kind of girls on our team, haha....fun-loving but also loving. And smart. I love my team. They are always there for me. Plus, when I shared the embarrassing fact that yes, I started a blog, no one laughed. They were very interested in learning how to make a smoothie taste like banana bread, I'll say that!

Question of the Day: Where do you see YOURSELF in 10 years?

Why Everyone Should Love Speedwork

I'm anticipating another Uber-busy week coming up. School will take off as normal, I assume, and I'm going to have to drag myself out of bed and get moving each morning in order to make it to the bus stop and through 3 hours of classes before the next real break for lunch. So of course, I need to be extra prepared with a filling breakfast that can carry me through!

Before I share my (hopefully) delicious new recipe, let's talk about speed work. Duh duh duh.... I know. If you're strictly a distance runner like me, the very phrase brings chills to your spine. To be honest, despite the title of this post, I don't love speedwork. I actually kind of loathe it...but just a little less than I did before.

You see, I had to face a grueling set of speed drills this morning at 8:00 AM, which is either a really good thing or a really bad thing depending on how you spin in. If you want to look at it negatively...it was 8 in the morning on Labor Day and I would really have preferred to be snuggled down in my warm bed, head buried deep in my yummy-scented pillow. If you want to put a positive spin on it, though... the fact that it was 8 meant that my mind hadn't completely woken up to figure out what the heck I was doing to it yet, so I got in maybe 200 meters before I had a mental breakdown. Hey. That's 200 meters more than last time, so I'm happy.

But the long and short of it is: speedwork DOES help you. It can't be denied (I've looked for a way. No go) The reason speedwork helps improve performance is it literally 'creates' a different energy-usage pathway in our muscles so we can burn through glycogen more efficiently. That means increased metabolism, people!

In more detail, our body only has so much accessible glucose at any given time, and this gets quickly used up in short sprints through Anaerobic Respiration. However, longer, sustained workouts activate Aerobic Respiration, in which the body has to use available oxygen for conversions. The more we build our Anaerobic pathway, the more we can prolong the time that the body starts Aerobic Respiration, and the more we can burn through any excesses of glycogen (essentially, sugar). So it helps our body out! Yea speedwork! (I'm not cheering, either, don't worry. I still do not love it, and probably never will.)

But let's get on to something I do love. Like food. Like maybe... FROYO!! Or even better...

CHOCOLATE BANANA PROTEIN FROYO

Okay... with some chopped espresso beans too :)

1 ripe banana, mashed

8 oz Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt (could use vanilla or honey, also)

1-2 T. Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

1 Packet Sweetener (optional)

2 T. Chopped Coffee Beans (optional)

Banana

Banana and Yogurt

Everything!

AND FREEZE!

1. Combine all ingredients and stir well. Place in freezer for at least 1 hour. Take out and thaw for a few minutes, stirring up or putting in blender to obtain soft-serve consistency. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information for ENTIRE RECIPE: 250 calories, 1.5 g fat, 24g protein, 33g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber

Finally Friday: and Some Healthy Chocolate Bread!

It's been a long week. The first week of school often is, of course, but this one seemed especially lengthy. Maybe it's because it's Junior year and I'm starting a whole bunch of new classes and receiving a tornado of new information that I have to keep straight. Maybe it's the difficult XC workouts we've been starting the season out with (they've been pretty monotonous, and I certainly feel the burn. I've also been told by my coach not to put our workouts on the internet for fear that other teams will get them...so I can't actually tell you WHAT we did. Just that it was hard and tiring). Maybe it's the sad fact that I haven't had time to update my blog as much as I really would like to. Or maybe it's a combination of all those things. (I think my vote's on the last one!)

Today is going to be a time to catch up on all the blog posts. It was also a night to spend in the kitchen, experimenting with this and that and whipping up more delicious recipes...or at least I hope they're delicious. It's been hard to try out new concoctions, because I'm paranoid that my recipes are going to fall flat, literally and metaphorically.

The first one tonight didn't.

Chocolate Almond Protein Bread

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup egg whites

1 oz. cocoa roast almonds

1/3 cup almond milk

1 scoop vanilla (or chocolate) protein powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. almond extract

1 T. Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

1/4 cup Sugar in the Raw or Agave

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Grind almonds to powder, then keep grinding to a bit of a wet paste in a food processor.
3. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
4. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
5. Cut into slices and remove from pan. Can be frozen and kept well that way! ENJOY!

*A little note here. This ENTIRE loaf of bread has only 735 calories. I cut mine into 8 slices, which came out nice and THICK, and each one has only about 95 calories! And it tastes AWESOME. I'm not kidding. Especially warm....and a little bit gooey....ahhhh

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What's your favorite thing to cook, or at least type of cooking? Mine is probably sauting and stir frying, because it's so involved, but it would have to be followed closely by baking, as you might be able to tell!

Happy Banana Day! (Celebrate with a Smoothie!)

Did you know that today, August 27, is National Banana Day? Don't worry, I only discovered this recently, too. But bananas deserve some recognition, don't you agree? I mean, their versatility is praiseworthy! Banana 'Ice Cream'! A base for pudding! A link in vegan baking! An essential piece in the Elvis sandwich! A boat for every kind of sweet deliciousness!

Yeah. I love bananas.

Plus, as if it couldn't get any better, my XC team calls ourselves the bananas (although the high school mascot is the viking. Don't worry... no one could cheer 'MASH THOSE BANANASSS!' at our football games. Our football team needs no help...) We sing a little song before every meet which goes like this:

I AM A 'B'.

I AM A 'B-A.'

I AM A 'B-A-N-A-N-A' YES I AM.

I HAVE A 'B-A-N-A-N-A' IN MY 'M-O-U-T-H' AND I WILL 'E-A-T' A 'B-A-N-A-N-A' Every Day!

It's a little silly, but I love it. No race is complete without the banana song, even if the challenging teams stare at us and try to spell out in their head to figure out what we're babbling about (we sing it pretty fast).

So...Bananas. Gotta love 'em.

I tried to make something with bananas today as a celebration, but the only thing I really made was not all that creative or original. It DID taste exceptional, however (imho), so I guess I'll share :) 

MY GO-TO SMOOTHIE (Chocolate Banana!)

1 Frozen Banana, Split in Half for easier blending

1/3-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 Scoop Chocolate Designer Whey Protein Powder

Do you really need instructions for this? Throw everything in the blender and have at it! Vary your milk content to get either a thicker or thinner smoothie, based on your taste. ENJOY! I like to eat mine with a spoon, because I just don't really like drinking smoothies...

Question of the day (please leave a comment!): Did you do anything to appreciate bananas and their awesomeness today? Even if not, what interesting things do you use bananas for? 

Much Deserved Decadence

Ahhh! Putting up your feet, soaking in a hot tub, getting a nice massage in those amazingly comfortable beds under the heated blankets...that's bliss. Sadly, I haven't done ANY of those things lately. Bummer.

I firmly believe in the power of stress-reduction. For those of you who haven't read my page about my food philosophy, what you need to know about me and stress is: we're best buds. As in...frenemies. Stress is constantly on my back about something or another, but I wouldn't exactly say I like it, that's for sure! I think we all spend WAYY too much time rushing around, trying to do everything at once and attempting to make 30 hours out of a 24 hour day. Things like that are the reason that people get so anxious and tight. Let's face it. We've all had one of those days where we're tired, irritable, and everything gets under our skin. I think taking a break is the best way to head those off before they come!

And what do I do when I need to relax (if I have no access to a lovely massage, that is!) ???
What's MY go-to food?

Can you guess?
CHOCOLATE! Especially with some peanut butter and gooey marshmallows!

Like I said, it's okay to indulge sometimes. For the most part, I do eat wholesomely, but part of eating healthy is actually having some 'fun' food. Bodies need the fat for insulation and your brain is actually made almost exclusively of fat! Plus, it's good emotionally. If you overdo the health food thing... well, it gets unhealthfully obsessive. And I know first hand about that.

PEANUT BUTTER SMORES BROWNIE BOTTOM PIE

1 prepared graham cracker crust

1 (7.4 oz ...or so...makes 6) pack instant chocolate muffin mix + 1/2 cup milk

Extra Drizzle of Milk

3 T. PB, melted

About 2 servings chocolate goldfish grahams

10-12 jumbo marshmallows, flattened

10-12 big chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to whatever it says on chocolate muffin package. Combine muffin mix with milk and pour into graham cracker crust. Bake for15-20 minutes, until done but still gooey.
2. IMMEDIATELY, poke a few holes in brownie portion and drizzle a little bit of milk over pie. Place goldfish on top and drizzle on the peanut butter. (first picture)
3. Turn oven to BROIL. Place flattened marshmallows over pie, pressing 1 chocolate chip into each. Broil about 1 minute to toast up the marshmallows, remove, and let everything cool (or enjoy warm for a delicious little treat!). ENJOY!

Question of the day: What's your comfort food?

The Sweeter Side of Sunday Mornings: Mocha Fudge Brownie Baked Oatmeal

Well, I'm awake before 11:00. Miracles do happen once in a while... I used to be such an early riser, but I think the fact that I've started staying up until 2:00 AM playing around on the computer (AKA figuring out all the amazing features of a blog) has been taking it's toll on me. In any case, I awoke this morning to the smell of creamy chocolate wafting through the house, seeping into every nook and cranny- including under my shut bedroom door and straight up to my nose buried in my soft, fuzzy pillow.

So began this morning's dilemma: chocolate or sleep? Tough one. Really. I must have laid around for about 15 minutes trying to decide.Pros of chocolate: Well, do I really even have to describe them to you? Deliciousness, Awesomeness, Comfort, Happiness... Pros of sleep: Warm, snuggly bed, Energy, Rest, Better Mood (but then again, the antioxidants in cocoa help with that, too)...

I chose chocolate. Eventually.

Reluctantly, I pulled myself out from those warm, enticing blankets and took a much-needed shower while blasting some Beyonce. Feeling more awake, I came downstairs to see the lovely, scrumptious meal awaiting me... and it was all gone. Gobbled up. Finished. Finito. I guess that's what happens when you have two siblings with high metabolisms.

But, hey, I'm good at improvising. Despite a bit of disappointment at missing out on Dad's brownie batter pancakes, I decided to let it go. It must have been meant to be. Why? So I could create THIS:

A little Ramekin of Heaven

I call it: Mocha Fudge Brownie Baked Oatmeal. And by golly, if that's not enough for you, guess what else? It's HEALTHY. Like I said. Small miracles. Oh, and one MORE thing, just because you're clearly not salivating enough yet:

Pouring on the Cinnamon Vanilla Drizzle!

I served it topped with an amazing little gooey sauce that seeped into every cocoa-y, oat-y, fudgy little bite. And the picture just says it all. My sauce of choice? Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Sauce. For that extra health boost to get you on your feet in the morning.

So am I still upset about the pancakes? Not in the least. What am I upset about? That I only made two of these little guys. :(  Please, don't hesitate to cry. It's a very sad little story, I know.

After Sauce Has Soaked in.... Ohhh I'm getting the chills!

MOCHA FUDGE BROWNIE BAKED OATMEAL

(To make two individual oatmeal cups)

1 Cup Rolled Oats

2 Tablespoons 100% Dark Cocoa Powder

 (it's worth getting high quality stuff. Trust me.)

1-4 Packets Equal Sweetener 

(Depending on your sweet tooth level. I used one, but I really like the bitter cocoa taste)

2 Packets Instant Coffee, any flavor

(I used Hazelnut NesCafe)

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Almond Milk (or any milk of choice)

(For an even fudgier taste, use more milk. Or add 1 mashed banana)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

CINNAMON VANILLA PROTEIN DRIZZLE

1/2 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Mix

1/4 - 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1-2 Tablespoons Water or Milk 

(More will make drizzle a bit thinner so it soaks up into more of oatmeal. Less will leave it thicker and make flavor more intense. You pick. I used 2 Tablespoons water)

*Note, to make more of a flooded oatmeal, just double this recipe*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two (4oz) ramekins by lightly spraying with vegetable oil, or flouring. 

Combine all ingredients. Stir well until oats are completely coated. Mixture will still be somewhat stiff, unless you are using more milk. I can't personally vouch for the consistency then, but it should be a bit runnier. Equally divide mixture between the two ramekins and pop into heated oven for 13-15 minutes. 

Stir together all components of cinnamon vanilla protein drizzle, if desired. Pour over your oatmeal while still hot and allow to sit for about 1 minute to soak up and become soft.

Pick up your fork that you've been dying to use and start shoveling into mouth eating. ENJOY! I also ate some strawberry greek yogurt, so in just one meal I had over half of my protein needs, about half my calcium needs, 40g of whole grains and ALL UNDER 400 Calories!

And it's all gone :(

Healthy Information 
(Without Protein Drizzle): Calories:190, Fat: 4g, Fiber: 10g, Protein: 7g, Calcium: 10% DV
(With Protein Drizzle): Calories: 240, Fat: 5 g, Fiber: 12 g, Protein: 14 g, Calcium: 25% DV

A New Adventure and Chocolate Espresso Energy Balls

Well, here I am world. Starting a blog. That's true insanity right there.
But then again, I'm a pretty insane person. Or at least my friends seem to think so. Supposedly, only insane people enjoy 5 mile runs. I guess that makes me a certifiable nutcase.
So here's a list of the top 10 things I absolutely love and couldn't live without (not including those cheesy ones like air/family/religion. Those are obvious and tell you nothing about me):

1. Running
2. Books (The Hunger Games, anyone? The movie finally came out yesterday and I am psyched!)
3. My iPod- complete with Taylor Swift, Casting Crowns, and One Direction. I'm such a typical teenage girl.
4. CHOCOLATE. 'Nuff said
5. A good sharp pencil. Nothing makes me angrier than really inky pens, lost erasers, or those little stubby pencils that lots of kids write with. But a rant on that later....
6. My Blender!
7. Oats/Oatmeal. Something about it just warms your heart.
8. Coffee. I'm an addict. 
9. The Big Bang Theory. That TV show just about makes my life.
10. Crossword Puzzles. Really, any puzzles for that matter. I'm not the hugest sudoku fan, which is blasphemy to about 1/2 the world, but to me it takes no real knowledge. Skill, certainly, and logic. And maybe there's also that tiny piece about me not being great at them...

So there's my life in a nutshell. Question of the day (leave in a post at the bottom, please) : What 10 things could you not live without?

Alright, alright, now you're saying, "Okay, just get on with it. Where's the recipe, Sarah? I like food. I thought this was a FOOD blog!"

You're right.

Time for the nom noms.

Seeing as how this is my first blog post EVER, I'll start with something kind of simple. AKA, something that I can't mess up and totally screw up my future blogging career (I get ahead of myself really easily, can you tell?) Drum roll please.......

Yummy, huh?

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO ENERGY BALLS (Vegan/Raw)

Ingredients

1/3 Cup Almond Paste (You can make your own, as I did, by letting almond butter sit around for a while and draining all excess oil. Repeat process several times until it is very thick and a little dry)

1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder (I used Designer Whey)

1/3 Cup Flax Seeds

About 1/3-1/2 Cup Coffee Beans (Whatever Roast You Prefer)

1 Cup Rolled Oats

2/3 Cup Almond Milk or Nondairy Milk of choice

2 packets Equal or Sugar-free Sweetener

Directions

Grind Flax Seeds with coffee beans in coffee grinder or food processor. (Do not worry if flax does not grind to a powder- my grinder really was only effective for the coffee beans, but it worked out fine because the whole flax seeds gave the balls a nice crunch.) Combine all ingredients except oats. Add oats in and stir until coated evenly and completely. You may wish to add or subtract some of the milk, depending on how much you need. Mixture should be just a little past 'barely wet', still somewhat sticky. Form into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Freeze 1-2 hours. Ready to eat then, or to be saved for later in fridge (NOT freezer... they get too hard. Or you can just unthaw them if you do want to keep them in the freezer...)

*Makes about 20 balls*

Healthy Information:

Per Ball (1/20 recipe): Calories: 65, Fat: 4g (Healthy fats, full of Omega 3s from flax seed), Carbohydrates: 7g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 2g