The Runner's Kitchen

 Some runs (like last weekend’s 14-miler) are awesome and others….not so much. Last night I headed out the door for a post-work run and felt crappy for most of the 4.5 miles.  Maybe it was my frustrating day at work, maybe I was just tired.  I guess I can’t really be sure,  but at least the bad runs help you appreciate the good ones even more. I got 8+ hours of sleep last night, so here’s hoping today is a better day!

When I returned from my run, I crafted a giant salad. There’s nothing like fresh veggies and whole foods to chase away the winter blahs.

I chopped up some organic hearts of romaine, added leftover roasted beets, great northern beans, dried cherries, chopped walnuts, a big scoop of cottage cheese, and lots of hot sauce. Sounds weird, I know. But it was delicious! I love the combo of cottage cheese and hot sauce – the creamy and fiery flavors compliment each other perfectly.

And then I put on my baking apron! I’ve been itching to try the black bean brownie recipe created by Christine (NoMeatAthlete’s resident baker), but I used what I had on hand and made some modifications.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (use a good quality brand such as Ghiradelli)
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 2 Tbs chocolate chips
• 1/2 can white beans (or any kind that you have on hand), rinsed and filled with new water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 8″ x 8″ baking pan
• Whisk together all of the dry ingredients
• Puree the beans and the water they are canned in
• Add pureed beans, vanilla, and additional water to dry mixture
• Mix thoroughly and then pour into baking pan
• Bake for 22-25 minutes, rotating pan half-way through cooking time
• Keep an eye on the brownies – you don’t want the edges to overcook!
• Allow brownies to cool completely and then cut into 9 squares

These brownies are incredibly moist and the serving size is BIG! I hate it when a “serving” of something is puny. These big, fudgy, moist brownies will satisfy your chocolate craving while providing a good dose of fiber and protein.

I know that using pureed beans instead of butter, eggs, or oil is a little unconventional, but I promise these are yummy. When Alma found out that the brownies were made with beans she was skeptical, but after taste-testing she was very impressed. Try this recipe, you’ll like it!

Nutritional stats per serving (based on 9 servings): 215 calories, 5.5 grams of fat, 5.5 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber.

Do you ever bake with “unconventional” ingredients?

Before you go – check out my latest True/Slant article: Lose weight, gain speed?

I’m still feeling a bit under the weather, so I’m taking it easy this week. Tuesday’s breakfast included lots of nutrient-packed foods: yogurt (probiotics!), an orange (vitamin C!), and a slice of Eli Zabar’s health bread (flax seeds!) topped with peanut butter and raspberry preserves.

My stomach started to grumble mid-morning, so I sipped on a cappuccino and a few (big!) handfuls of peanuts.

I brought my lunch from home and while it tasted delicious, it looked a bit ghetto. My large spinach container was about 1/4 full, so I used that as my salad bowl (enter strange looks from co-workers here). To the spinach, I added chopped red cabbage, cubed swiss cheese, homemade croutons, and a bit of leftover savory asparagus and mushroom bread pudding. The yellow tuperware contained my homemade salad dressing. To make the dressing, I whisked together 1 Tbs flaxseed oil, 1 Tbs dijon mustard, 2 Tbs garlic rice vinegar, and dash of salt. Yum!

My mid-afternoon snack was a cup of green tea and an Amazing Greens bar. I like that this energy bar is full of whole food ingredients (dates! nuts! greens!), but it tasted a little too sweet for me.

After work I headed to the gym to attend a pilates class with Darien. I definitely would NOT go to pilates classes solo. I just don’t like them! However, I know I need to build up my core strength, so a workout buddy makes the 45 minutes bearable

I was wayyy hungry when I finished with the gym (some day I will get home before 8pm…), so I fixed a super quick dinner: healthy nachos!

I cut a whole wheat tortilla into wedges, misted them with cooking spray, and then baked at 350 F until crispy. Then I topped the tortilla chips with black beans, swiss cheese, a wedge of laughing cow, and salsa and popped the plate back into the oven until the cheese melted.

And then I started on a special baking project! I’m a pretty busy girl, so I rely on Clif bars and luna bars a lot for quick energy. I like the way they taste, but I’m not so thrilled about the long ingredient list (lots of soy derivatives). I decided to get creative in the kitchen and make my own energy bar!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs (I use Eggland’s Best organic)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Crazy Richard’s creamy peanut butter)
• 1 Tbs canola oil
• dash of salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees, lightly coat an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with cooking spray
• Mix all ingredients together until combined
• Press batter into the baking pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown
• Cool and cut into 9 squares

Nutritional information (per serving): 230 calories, 10 grams of fat, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and plenty of vitamins and iron from the oats, eggs, and peanut butter!

For dessert, I topped one of my oatmeal-chocolate chip bars with a little greek yogurt and peanut butter.

Note: The Krema Company sent me a sample pack of 4 of their peanut butters. I’ve already devoured one of the crunchy varieties and the smooth variety worked well in this recipe. I love that the only ingredient is PEANUTS. Thanks Krema/Crazy Richard’s!

In the News:

Check out the latest on Running Shorts – Imprisoned by a Garmin?

My favorite article of the week – 50 steps to simple happiness. I particularly like #’s 6, 16, 37, and 50!

Question: What’s your favorite brand/style of peanut butter? My go-to is Whole Foods 365 Organic Crunchy. Perfecto!

Yikes, this is a busy time of year. I’m really feeling the effects of less sleep – goal for tonight: 7 hours or more!

Wednesday started off with a cup of coffee and a freezing cold enjoyable 8 mile run with Alma. Note to self: if my hands start to go numb, shaking them vigorously brings back feeling. Good to know, even though it makes me look like a crazy person.

Moving on to breakfast: I heart winter citrus fruits. Especially grapefruit & orange!

And a hearty slice of Eli Zabar’s bread topped with pb & j.

Plus a little more (decaf) coffee:

Day was hectic, so lunch was eaten at my desk. But at least it was a fabulous salad!

• romaine, mixed greens, shredded carrots, mushrooms, onions
• roasted brussels sprouts, sample of roasted parsnip
• chickpeas & kidney beans (~1/3 cup)
• sprinkle of feta cheese, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, whole grain croutons
• balsamic vinaigrette
• Yum!

Afternoon snackeroos were a few strawberries/piece of pound cake dipped in chocolate sauce.

and an oikos greek yogurt for protein!

I finally got out of the office a little after 7pm and made my way uptown. Fun evening plans: Laundry! Hah. I actually really, really dislike doing laundry. I try to put it off as long as possible….

Once I made the initial trek to the laundromat, I dug into a special treat. Awhile back, Kath’s blog was offering up a very special deal: $25 gift certificate for anything at her Open Sky store. I jumped on the bandwagon and snapped up 2 jars of organic nutzo for myself. This stuff is amazingly crunchy! In addition to peanuts, it also contains: sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, and flax seeds. Holy, legume.

I really only wanted to have nut butter for dinner, but in attempts to make it a little more balanced I made a snacking plate: sliced apple, carrot sticks, and triscuits. With lots of nutzo!

I ended my night very sweetly – with a few of the homemade oreos I made on Tuesday! Homemade oreos? Can it be true? YES. Apparently, I don’t have enough on my plate, so I’ve started re-creating the products of huge corporations. Twinkie, you’re next….

Just kidding.

Anyway, I based these cookies on a recipe by Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery (must.go.there.soon). My recipe came out of a book called Baking from the Heart, but the Boston Globe published a similar homemade oreos recipe this summer.

Mix the melted chocolate, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla with the dry ingredients. Use quality chocolate and cocoa powder – you’ll taste the difference in these cookies.

The trickiest part of the process: shaping the cookie dough into logs, chilling it (preferably overnight), and slicing it into thin disks.

The cookie wafers baked up nice and crispy!

And then I made the filling and shaped that into a log. You don’t even want to know how much butter and confectioner’s sugar I used. The oreo filling was sliced and sandwiched between two chocolate cookies.

Ta-da! This recipe made a lot of cookies – approximately 50 – so I’m going to be nice and share them with my co-workers and friends. However, I might stash away a few for myself. I have a feeling they won’t last long!

New articles from Running Shorts:

The Atkins Diet for runners? Matt explores low-carb running.

And I recently reviewed John L. Parker’s cult classic, Once A Runner. FYI – It’s no longer out of print!

Question: What “commercial” food product would you like to try re-creating at home? My oreos aren’t exactly healthy, but at least I can pronounce every ingredient in them

After my fun run and veggie-packed dinner, I got the urge to bake. The timing was good because earlier in the day, I received a package from Pillsbury asking me to participate in their “Love the Pie” campaign. Fall is apple season and personally I think apples taste best in PIE! Usually I make my own pie crusts from scratch, but on a busy worknight, using prepared crust was a great time saver. I was happy to see that the Pillsbury pie crust contained 0 trans fats and it was deliciously flaky! I always have trouble getting the consistency of my crusts to come out right (especially when I try to experiment with whole wheat flour…).

I began the pie process by peeling and slicing apples while watching gossip girl (I used 2 granny smith apples and 4 macoun apples).

And then I followed the directions for Pillsbury’s Caramel Apple Streusel Pie (with just a few modifications!).

Ingredients:

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, mix apples and lemon juice. In small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar, the tapioca, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to apples; stir gently. Let stand 15 minutes. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Pour apple mixture into pastry-lined pie plate.

2) In small bowl, mix oats, flour and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Cut second crust into wedges; arrange wedges in an alternate pattern across the mixture.

3) Bake 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat caramels and milk over low heat until caramels are melted. Stir until smooth; add pecans. Drizzle over pie. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 2 hours.

Note: Cover the edges of the crust with foil after the first 20 minutes of baking, so the edges don’t burn. And keep an eye on your pie – all oven temperatures vary.

Yum! This pie was packed with delicious things – apples, cinnamon, oats, caramel, pecan. Delish! I won’t pretend it’s healthy, but I did cut out a little bit of butter and sugar (from the original recipe) and an apple is a fruit!

And you better believe I had a slice of warm caramel apple streusel pie after all of the dishes were done. I was very skeptical of the pre-made pie crust, but I have to admit it was very good (perfectly flaky). And the caramel-pecan topping was a nice addition to the cinnamon-y apples. I can’t wait to have another slice tonight!

And now for the free stuff!! Do you like my red “love the pie” t-shirt? Well, I have 4 of them to giveaway! Four readers will get their own “Love the Pie” t-shirt, a Pillsbury pie recipe card, and some extra special goodies from me!

To enter the contest, leave a comment telling me what your favorite pie is and how you could bake it a little bit healthier. I’ll choose the winners at 5pm on Friday, November 20th.

My Friday just ended up getting better and better – a project deadline was extended, so I was able to leave the office on time, yay! And you know what that means? 6 o’clock hot yoga class with Katie. I’ve been looking forward to a class all week and this session did not disappoint! I was dripping in sweat by the end and I think I scurred a few people on the subway. I was the girl attired in sweaty running shorts + bright red winter coat + cowboy boots. I didn’t quite look homeless, but I certainly didn’t look sane. Ah well, it’s the price I pay for stretched out muscles and core strength…

When I got home, I scrounged around in the kitchen and made a dinner of pantry staples: 2 slices of whole wheat toast topped with peanut butter, a smidge of homemade apple butter, and apple slices. Plus more apple slices and pb on the side. Can you believe all of that apple is from just ONE piece of fruit? I had a jonagold the size of my head and it was very delicious. I love apple season!

After I ate dinner and showered I was feeling mighty ambitious, so I decided to bake something yummy. I looked at a few cookbooks for inspiration, but in the end I decided to make up my own recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Brownies. The combo of salty and sweet is really addictive and I am in a bit of a sugar coma from all of the batter sampling and crumb nibbling. So worth it though!

My Kitchenaid stand mixer was the BEST birthday present ever. Thanks mom!

I love things that are mini-sized. Especially if they contain chocolate and peanut butter.

Brownies warm from the oven:

Brownies with mini peanut butter cups

Ingredients

• 3/4 bag bittersweet chocolate chips (I used ghiradelli brand)
• 12 Tbs unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• (most of a) container of Trader Joe’s mini peanut butter cups

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease a 9″x13″ baking pan
• Melt butter and chocolate chips in a pan over low heat
• Using a mixer, cream together eggs and sugar
• Combine chocolate mixture with egg/sugar mixture, add in vanilla and applesauce
• Slowly mix in flour and salt
• Stir in peanut butter cups
• Pour batter into baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean
• Makes about 20 servings. Enjoy!

I’m sure by now it’s no surprise that I LOVE all things pumpkin, so prepare yourself for a few more recipes

When my friend Hannah visited last week she brought me a tupperware full of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that I promptly devoured. Once they were gone, I knew I had to re-create them.

Even though I love to bake, I’m not the biggest fan of measuring/following directions (um, yes – I realize this is usually essential for baking). I went with my instincts last night and the result was healthy and delicious (tooting my own horn, just a bit)!! I based the recipe loosely on these pumpkin cookies, but my final version was modified quite a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash of ginger and nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1.5 cups light brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs (preferably organic)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3.5 oz Lindt white chocolate bar, chopped into small pieces
• small handful of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees and grease a large baking sheet
• Whisk together flour, spices, and baking soda in a medium bowl
• Beat together the sugar and butter until creamy
• Mix in applesauce, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla
• Slowly incorporate flour mixture just until combined
• Stir in the pecans and white chocolate and dark chocolate chips
• Drop heaping Tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top

These cookies have a very light, fluffy textures (almost like little pumpkin breads!) and the white chocolate is a surprisingly good compliment to the pumpkin. To assist in her post-marathon recovery, Alma sampled 6 cookies and declared them “delicious!”.

And now….for my next trick, homemade pumpkin puree! Inspired by Christine, I set out to make good use of a small pumpkin that had been serving as a living room decoration. I bought this lil’ guy over a month ago and it was still perfectly edible. Yay, winter gourds!

Instructions:

1) Wash the pumpkin, cut a hole in the top, and scoop out the seeds/innards. Then cut the pumpkin in half and then into medium sized chunks (leave the skin on).

2) Put the pumpkin chunks in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the bowl from the microwave (be careful! bowl will be hot), stir, cover with new plastic wrap, and microwave for 10 more minutes.

3) After pumpkin is finished cooking, allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Then remove the pumpkin rind – I used a spoon to scoop the flesh into a separate bowl. I was doing this around 11:45pm on a Saturday night…real cool, I know.

4) Mash the pumpkin and store in a tupperware or small bowl until ready to use! I have plans to make some pumpkin risotto with my homemade puree.

This pumpkin was probably one of the best dollars that I ever spent. The gourd served as a decoration for over a month, yielded nearly 2 cups of pumpkin puree, and I plan to season and roast the seeds.

Hooray for pumpkin!

What’s your favorite way to enjoy pumpkin? In a pie? In a latte from Starbucks? As a jack o’ lantern?

One of my favorite newsletters comes from an online foodie directory called Food411. Their most recent edition was all about apples! Check out some of this great apple-y info from Food411:

Apple FYI:

• Fall is here and so are the apples! Apples are in season from late summer to early winter. Many varieties are available year round because they have been in cold storage or imported.
• There are about 2,500 known varieties of apples grown in the US. The top states that grow apples are, WA, NY, MI, CA, PA, & VA. Washington state produces more apples than any other state in the U.S..
• On average in U.S., we eat about 19 pounds of fresh apples a year — which amounts to only one apple per week. Of course eating one fresh apple is always good for you, but to get the full nutritional benefits you should eat at least one fresh apple every day.
• Apples are wonderful for hydration. They are made up of approximately 83% water. The average small apple has only 60 calories. Approximately, 15% of an apple consists of carbohydrates from sugar and fiber. It is important to remember that this is natural, unprocessed sugar that will not cause the blood sugar spikes as refined white sugar can.
• Fiber is perhaps the most important nutrient that apples provide. A small apple contains approximately 3 to 5 grams of fiber. However, most of the fiber is located in the frui! t’s skin. So, peeling an apple will remove most of this important nutrient. Remember, fiber fills you up, along with an apple’s high water content – making the apple a filling, healthy snack.
• Many recent studies show apples may provide a “whole-body” health benefit. Lower blood cholesterol, improved bowel function, reduced risk of stroke, prostate cancer, type II diabetes and asthma and a potential decreased risk of cancer and heart disease. In addition to fiber, apples are loaded with antioxidants that are associated with lowering bad cholesterol levels. Apples also contain flavonoids and phytochemicals that may help protect organs like the lungs and colon. They are also a good source of boron, which is associated with improved bone density and a stronger heart. Apples also protect the heart by their high folic acid content.
• Nutritionally, whole apples are a much better choice than apple juice. Whole apples are richer in fiber and the process of juicing seem to reduce the nutrient concentrations found in the whole fruit
• Dentists also promote eating apples as a method of preventing tooth decay. Apples have nutrients known as tannins that can protect against plaque and gum disease. Also, eating a water-rich, solid fruit can help clean away bacteria from teeth. Chewing an apple helps stimulate the production of saliva. Saliva kills bacteria and helps prevent tooth decay.

Apple Tips & Tricks:

• Choose organically grown apples whenever possible to avoid peeling the skin. Eat apples unpeeled. Two-thirds of the fiber and most antioxidants are found in the peel.
• Buy apples that are bruise-free and firm to the touch. Bruised apples can decay quickly. “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch”!
• Unbruised apples, handled and stored well, have a storage life of 90 days, and often more!
• Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
• Apples are sometimes called “nature’s toothbrush,” They help clean the teeth and massage the gums.
• Apples float because 25 percent of an apple’s volume is air.
• Apples ripen six to 10 times faster at room temperature than if they are refrigerated. For optimal storage, apples should be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. (Storing them in a plastic bag prevents the ripening of other produce items nearby.)
• It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
• To aid in the prevention of browning peeled apples, place in a mixture of 50/50 water and lemon juice
• Add diced apples to fruit or green salads.
• Make a quick apple salsa for use over chicken or pork. Diced apples, chopped pepper, onions and lime juice – salt/pepper to taste.
• Sliced apples and peanut butter make a perfect snack.
• Sliced apples (either alone or with other fruits) and cheese make an ideal dessert
• Use Honeycrisp, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Gala, Newtown Pippin and Granny Smith apples for pies and other desserts.
• Use Newton Pippin and Granny Smith varieties, which are more tart, in savory dishes.
• Jonathans are good for making applesauce because they are tart, yet sweet.

Some of my favorite apple recipes:

Megan’s Maple Apple Crisp

Apple-Basil-Chicken Salad

Marathon Runner’s Apple Cake

Caramel-Apple Butter-Oat Bars

Take this Apple personality Test: What does your fav variety say about you?

First things, first – I wrote a guest post today for Angharad’s  Eating for England blog. You know you want to see more photos of those half-pound cookies I like. Mmm. And if that isn’t enough to sway you, the recipes that our English lady friend whips up are always amazing – check out her posh mac ‘n cheese dish. Swoon.

True to my word, I decided to tie on my baking apron last night. I had a big bag of Farmer’s Market apples that were just calling my name.

Megan’s Maple-Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

• 6 large apples, sliced thinly
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbs butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• another 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

• Toss the apples with maple syrup and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and place in a lightly greased 8×8″ baking dish
• Mix together the ww flour, oats, brown sugar, and second 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Using the tines of two forks (or just use your fingers) cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly
• Top the apples with the crumbly mixture and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 F
• Note: My oven is super hot, so you might need to bake your apple crisp for a little longer.
• Enjoy!

This recipe is so healthy (whole wheat flour, oats, apples!) that you could eat it for breakfast. Actually, today I did just that.

But first, I started off with some coffee to-go, a few dried plums, and a still-dark commute to the gym. I do not like waking up before the sun.

I hit up a 7:15am spinning class (the music was only half as good as Tuesday) and then finished with a speedy 3 mile run (finished the last 400m or so around 7:00/mile pace). Pheww.

Busy morning at work, breakfast was eaten in parts.

Breakfast #1: Chobani peach greek yogurt

Actually, yesterday I received a whole CASE of these little babies. Including the elusive pineapple flavor. Hooray! It’s (almost) better than Christmas. Do you want some of your own FREE greek yogurt? There might be a give-a-way waiting for you at the end of this post….

Breakfast #2:

Apple crisp with (another) dollop of greek yogurt

Lunch was the LAST of the coconut cauliflower curry. This was delicious, but cooking for one person means eating leftovers for days on end. Yeesh.

I’m sure I’ll need a lot of mini peanut butter cups a healthy snack between now and the fun pizza dinner that I have planned….stay tuned!

I just found this great new recipe site called FunnySpoon. Bonus: the site offers coupons on featured ingredients. Two of my fav recipes: Halloweenies and 1-2-3 cookie bars.

Live in NYC? Check out the upcoming Boho Bodega where you can purchase “green” products at wallet-friendly discounts. All proceeds from the store will benefit the non-profit New York Council on the Environment.

Pumpkin, Fennel, and Grapes – Check out this Autumn shopping list for more seasonal favorites!

And now…..a fun give-a-way!! I eat greek yogurt almost every day (love all the extra protein) and Chobani has graciously offered to send a reader some samples of their very own.

Here’s what you have to do:

1) Go to the Chobani website and take a look around.

2) Leave a comment telling me what new flavor of Chobani yogurt you’d like to see.

3) Get an extra chance at winning by linking to my give-a-way on your own blog and leaving a second comment telling me that you did so.

You have until noon on Friday, October 16th to enter. I’ll choose the most creative/yummy flavor then! Note: Must be a U.S. resident to win.

Ok. Ready? Set? Go!!

Highlights of my Saturday so far:

1) Having a conversation about track & field with the homeless guy who hangs out on my block.

2) Finally killing the mosquito who’s been feasting on me all week.

I started the morning with a quick trip to DD for a latte lite (ahhh, newest obsession!) and some breakfast: TJ’s honey greek yogurt, grapes, and Kashi warm cinnamon Heart-2-Heart. I had quite a few handfuls of cereal straight out of the box after I finished my initial bowl.

After I finished my breakfast, I started to prepare the dough for some delicious Pumpkin Swirl Bread. I based this recipe on MeganNerdRun’s version, but made a few alterations.

Ingredients:

Dough

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• dash of ginger & nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling

• 2 Tbs butter, melted
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, ww flour, oats, brown sugar, spices, salt, sugar, and yeast.
• Stir in the warm water and pumpkin until moistened. Add egg, mix until smooth.
• Stir in the remaining 1 cup flour until the dough is firm.
• Put dough in stand mixer and knead using dough hook for about 5 minutes. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover with dishcloth, and let rise for 1 hour.
• Spray the counter lightly with cooking spray and roll out the dough to a 18″ x 9″ rectangle.
• Spread the melted butter on the dough and then sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar.
• Roll up the dough jelly-roll style, starting with the short side. Pinch ends to seal.
• Place seam side down in loaf pan, cover and let rise for 90 minutes.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

During the 90 minute second rising, I headed out for a long run. I didn’t feel awesome, but the weather was ideal (sunny, breezy, and 60 degrees). My legs are STILL feeling the effects of last Saturday and my right knee/hamstring were a bother, but I was feeling great mentally by the end of my 10 mile run (finished in 1:30:10, about 9:01/mile). I think I’m going to take it easy for the next few weeks – lots of sleep, lots of cross-training, and lower running mileage. Hopefully that will put some pep back into my legs!

When I got home, propped my legs up against the wall while I waited for the oven to pre-heat. I’ve found that this trick really helps with circulation/muscle recovery.

And then I popped the bread in the oven. 30 minutes later…

I was very pleased with the consistency of this loaf – the middle was perfectly light and doughy with a nice crust on the outside.

Mmm….a thick slice of pumpkin swirl bread with peanut butter!

After finishing up the bread, I was ready for some more post-run food!

A big bowl of brown rice, pinto beans, roasted butternut squash, and a wedge of laughing cow cheese.

Now I’m watching a few Mad Men episodes and preparing for a fun dinner in Williamsburg.

Hope your Saturday is going well!

Ever since I bid on a batch of kitchen sink cookies during the Healthy Living Summit’s bake sale, I’ve been thinking about creating my own batch of oatmeal-m&m-peanut butter-chocolate goodness. I based my recipe on Michelle’s Montana Whoppers recipe (omg, don’t they look delicious?), but made a few alterations.

First I had to assemble the ingredients:

• 2/3 cup salted butter
• 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cups granulate sugar
• 1 cup chunky peanut butter
• 3 eggs (organic if possible), beaten
• 5 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 natural peanut butter chips (I used Sunspire brand)
• 6 ounces of M&Ms (mini size or any variety)

Instructions:

• Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Once butter has melted, pour it in a very large bowl.
• With a large wooden spoon, mix in the brown sugar, granulate sugar, and peanut butter.
• When the temperature of the butter-sugar-pb mixture is warm and no longer super hot, add in the eggs. If you add the eggs when the butter is still hot, you will get scrambled eggs. That would be bad!
• Next stir in the baking soda, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and M&Ms.
• Add in the oatmeal, one cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
• Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for 2 hours – don’t skip this step! Time is needed for the oats to absorb the butter/peanut butter.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or coat with cooking spray.
• Drop heaping spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon.
• Bake for 6-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. These cookies have a tendancy to burn, so keep an eye on them!
• Cook the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Mmmm….So good! And since they contain oatmeal, peanut butter, and dark chocolate, they must be a little healthy. Right?

Are you a Kombucha lover? Whole Foods Bowery now serves it on tap! With all the probiotics and antioxodant this drink has, it might just be my new obsession!

Remember my sweaty soul cycle experience? Well, they just opened up a new studio on the Upper East Side and are offering FREE classes this weekend. People, jump on this. My class cost $32!

Feel a cold coming on? Or just love all things Autumn? Check out this yummy and healthy pumpkin soup recipe. It’s nutritious enough that you can indulge in some homemade apple pie for dessert

Today is the first day of Autumn!! What’s your favorite part of the season? I love going for long runs under crisp blue skies and eating all sorts of apple and pumpkin goodies