The Weekend of Baking and Running

Surprise, surprise! My weekend was full of two of my favorite hobbies. Hanging out in my kitchen and pounding the pavement are definitely high up on the list of things I love to do. You all know this. Judging by the amount of food I made this weekend, you’d think I was feeding an army. Judging by the amount of miles I ran this weekend, you’d think I was training for something.

Oh, wait. I am.

In the past 72 hours, I’ve made Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper Crisps:

Carrot Cake Energy Balls:

Crispy Tofu in a Honey Basil Dressing:

And, drum roll, please…two Sriracha Cheddar Loaves:

Here’s the mini one:

It pairs extremely well with a bottle of Malbec and my best friend:

As much as I didn’t want to leave my oven’s side, I received some motivation to put my sneakers on. Sunday morning, my grandpa sent me this:

And Danielle (who completed her first half marathon on Saturday!!), sent me this:

So back to training it was, with a 5 miler on Friday:

And an 11-mile run on Sunday.

That was the farthest Amanda and I have ever run and it felt pretty darn good. Especially the inappropriate stretching outside of her apartment, haha.

We are so ready for our race in 2 weeks!

Now if this post doesn’t epitomize hungry meets healthy, then I don’t know what does!

Questions for you:

• Which of the aforementioned recipes would you like to see most? I’ll post it tomorrow!
• Half marathoners: While training, what was the farthest you ran the week before your race? Some people stop at 10, some people continue…talk to me.

What I’m Loving Wednesday

1. Doesn’t the chilly weather just make you want to turn on your oven? This is my favorite roasted vegetable combo: sliced carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets with rosemary and salt & pepper. Simple, delicious, and full of antioxidants for your pretty face.

2. I get really excited when any of Christina Perri’s songs come on the radio because I see my name on the screen. Dork.

3. Danielle works for Red Bull and got a shipment of the new Red Bull Editions on Monday. She literally jogged to our apartment’s office to pick up the package, then jogged to my building so we could try them. (Yes, we both get very excited about little things. This is why we are friends.)

The new flavors are: cranberry, lime, and blueberry.

To celebrate, I pulled out wine glasses. Why not? I liked the cranberry best, then blueberry, then lime. We really liked the cranberry and blueberry mixed.The Editions will be available in select bars/clubs next week but fully launch on March 4, 2013. Get excited!

4. Best license plate ever.

5. My grandma introduced me to my new favorite tea, Yogi Bedtime. It’s so good!

I also love the little messages tied to the tea bag. What’s your favorite Yogi flavor? I want to try more!

6. I need these. Need. Thanks for pointing them out, Nick!

7. Over the long weekend, Boding and I picked out a Christmas tree. We got a petite one, about 5’2”…just my size.

Why we decided to take my car and not Boding’s truck is beyond me. It made for a funny picture though.

Last night I decorated it with two kinds of ornaments: neons and Chick-fil-A cows. Surprised? I didn’t think so.

Have you tried any of the Red Bull Editions yet?

What’s your favorite tea?

Have you put up holiday decorations?

Highlights From My Weekend

To say this weekend was low key would be an understatement. But don’t you worry, I had plenty of fun.

Friday: I picked up my little brother after school so we could hang out for the weekend. He’s 16 and all he does is EAT. I’m jealous of how much he can get away with eating!

I ate my delicious leftovers from Mi Xao, a new Vietnamese restaurant in Mt. Pleasant. Eric and I went on Thursday night and it was everything I hoped it would be. I ask for a combination of two types of pho. My bowl had shrimp, rice noodles, ginger broth, bean sprouts, basil, lime, jalapeno slices, cilantro, onion, and scallions.

Eric had the wonton pho. We also had the spring rolls, pot stickers, and a can of coconut juice. Okay, I had the coconut juice. I wish you had seen Eric’s face when he tried it. He was not a fan. I happily drank it.

I’m fond of any restaurant that keeps a gigantic bottle of Sriracha on the table. Please look at my broth in the above picture. Now look at this picture, after I had clearly added a ton of the magical sauce. I left with teary eyes and a watery nose.

Saturday: I woke up and made my new favorite breakfast: a pretzel Flatout wrap + scrambled eggs (1 egg, 2 whites) + avocado + Sriracha.

I signed Amanda and myself up for the Charleston 1/2 Marathon. Eeehh, it’s real!

I browsed Hobby Lobby for some craft ideas and ended up finding a birthday present for Rachel…and a majorly sassy glue gun.

I went for an easy 4-mile run around I’On then proceeded to get LOST in the DARK for 30 minutes. I couldn’t find my car and had to map myself with my phone. Typical!

The little brother and I made dinner, watched movies, and ate too much candy and frozen yogurt. Later I suffered from some serious FOMO when I received this text from Danielle:

Sunday: I made crackers. Yes, crackers. I’ve made these twice now and feel the recipe is ready for the blog! Stay tuned. If you’re my friend on instagram, you already know that they contain rosemary, raisins, and walnuts. It’s a fantastic combo, trust me.

Amanda and I started Week 3 of our 1/2 marathon training.

I love having a workout schedule mapped out for the next 10 weeks. I’ll share it with you soon! Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

What were the highlights of your weekend?

What was the best thing you ate?

Pumpkin & Black Bean Chili (Vegan!), New Running Playlist

And just like that, the temperature dropped. I realize it’s snowing in some places, but holy crap this crisp weather came out of nowhere. It is 45* as I type this. 45 degrees!!! That’s just rude.

Meanwhile, my Gruber Farm CSA still thinks it’s Summer. I’m not upset about it; I’ll hang onto Summer as long as I can.

Week 7’s box:

• apples
• corn
• tomatoes
• black eyed peas
• the cutest pumpkin ever
• yellow squash
• broccoli

I was so excited to see that adorable pumpkin as I hadn’t bought one this year. It may be too late to carve it, but I can surely make pumpkin puree for more pumpkin bread. I bet it’ll be a million times better than the canned stuff.

Just checked the weather. It’s still 45*. I’m still cold. I bet you are too, so I made us some chili.

Pumpkin & Black Bean Chili

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 ears of corn, kernels removed
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin puree
• 2-3 tbsp. Sriracha, depending on your heat preference
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• Optional toppings: crumbled pita chips, avocado

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the tomatoes, corn, black beans, pumpkin, Sriracha, and spices. Stir until evenly combined. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Serve warm with toppings. Makes 5 servings.

This chili is very different from anything I’ve had. In fact, it’s better. It’s both sweet and spicy and you can adjust the seasonings to your liking. You should also note that when you first mix all the ingredients in the pot, it will seem very thick. I promise that after simmering, the juices will come out and it will be just right. You can trust me…and Sarah:

She made my day with that tweet!

In other news, I’m still running longer distances, with 5 miles being my new minimum. Amanda and I always run together, but right now her doctor says she has a sprained ligament. : ( Will you please pray for her? I hate that she’s hurting and want her healed a.s.a.p.!

Now have a looksee at my current running playlist:

What’s your favorite cold weather food?

How do you like your chili?

What’s your favorite song at the moment?

The Friday Five 10.26.12

1. What I’m Eating: Every candy in sight? No, seriously. I can’t stop eating plain M&Ms. At the Blackbaud health fair one of the vendors handed out these pill containers full of them. How funny is this? I like opening up a container, throwing them all back at once, and watching people’s reactions. Not pills, just candy!

I’m also dying for these to come out. I cannot wait!!!

2. What I’m Pinning: I want to darken my hair. I always say this, I know.

3. Recipes I’m Bookmarking: Sriracha-Sesame Turkey Meatballs.

4. What I’m Listening to: Grade 8 by Edward Sheehan. 

Enter video caption here

5. GIFs I’m Loving:

EVERY OCTOBER

THE WEEK BEFORE AND AFTER HALLOWEEN

Happy Halloweekend!!

Spicy Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry (#Sriracha)

Eeeeeh, I got so many good things in my CSA box this week. I was overjoyed by all the GREEN! In my opinion, green veggies are the best for you. Eat ‘em up for high doses of Vitamins A, C, and K and also iron and calcium.

In this week’s box:

• kale
• box choy
• watermelon
• cucumber
• onion
• green pepper
• sweet potatoes
• tomatoes
• green beans
• eggplant

Let’s talk about tofu for a minute or two. (I rhymed!) I’ve had it several times the past month and each time I have it, I’m less creeped out by it. In fact, I think I’m finally a fan. That said, I decided to pick up a slab at Trader Joe’s over the weekend. It was only a couple dollars, so worst case scenario, I’d lose about what I would’ve spent on a Diet Lemonade at Chick-fil-A. Great rationalization, no?

The first time I tried to make it was a disaster. I sliced it way too thin and had the heat up too high (so says Miss Courtney). I did want it crispy, but not this crispy.

YIKES. Is that not scary? Ok, calm down. The tofu came out better the second time around when I made…

Spicy Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz.) package firm tofu
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch thin rounds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 pound bok choy, sliced
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha
• 1/4 cup water

Preparation:

1. Pat dry the tofu with paper towels, and cut 1/2 inch thick pieces.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry the tofu until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan, then add the pepper and eggplant. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, then the garlic and  ginger. After about 30 seconds, add the bok choy and stir-fry for about 1 minute until slightly wilted. Add the water. Cook, stirring, until the water evaporates.
4. Stir in the tofu, soy sauce and Sriracha. Stir-fry for a few additional minutes until everything is seasoned. Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Serves 4.

I ate this as is, but to make a bigger meal, I suggest serving this over steamed rice. Embrace your inner Asian and get your stir fry on!

Oh, and clearly I squirted Sriracha all over it. Wouldn’t you?

What’s your favorite GREEN vegetable?

On a scale of 1 to burn, baby, burn, how much do you love Sriracha? Favorite thing to put it on?

The Friday Five 9.28.12

1. What I’m Reading: After waiting what seemed like forever, the library finally emailed me about this book I had on hold. It was worth the wait. Expect a recipe or two soon.

2. What I’m Buying:  This girl refuses to overload her closet with greys, blacks, and neutrals for winter. Bring on the color! This week I bought some obnoxiously bright jeans from Gap,

and a pair of saucy red corduroys from ON. They’re $19 right now. Pennies. Okay, dollars. But still! Get some.

I also bought this pretty bracelet from Piperlime.

3. Recipes I’m Bookmarking:  Beet Salad. Thanks Danielle!

Butternut Beet Soup.

4. What I’m Listening To: Two Hearts by Keegan DeWitt.

5. GIFs I’m Loving: Boding made me GIFs!

FLIRTING WITH A GUY AFTER 1 DRINK:

FLIRTING WITH A GUY AFTER 6 DRINKS:

I hope you all have a wonderful, blessed weekend!