So far, so good:

Boston training so far:  easy runs 4 days per week, speed work 2 days per week, usually Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I feel like such a wimp on Fridays but by that time, mind and body feel pretty wimpy.

This week was tough because I found out the cold weather is moving in for the weekend. I ran 7 miles on Wednesday and toyed with the idea of getting the 20 miler in on Thursday. It didn’t happen. I hit the 9 mile point during Thursdays run and knew 11 more just wasn’t going to happen. Plus I was running MP on the treadmill for 6 of those miles which might have been the reason for my fizzling out. I must confess, one other reason (maybe even the main reason) is that my only running fuel was 3/4 scoop of Hammer’s Sustained Energy drink.  I forgot to defrost a 26.2 mini loaf.

PLUS, I should have taken a gel at about 6 miles. Shame on me.

I’m trying to get my mind wrapped around 20 miles for Saturday. If it’s too cold, I’m on the treadmill dreadmill for most of those miles.

My goal is to get one or two weeks of at least 70 total running miles. If my hamstring holds up, that will happen. If it gets worse, I’ll cut back. Since I started doing some of the PT exercises this week, the aches and pings have been reduced.  

Do you have any events coming up?  How’s the training going?

Apple Cider Pudding Cake

I wasn’t going to post this recipe.  The cake resulted in more of a bread pudding texture and, even though I enjoyed it, I wasn’t too sure anyone else would. WRONG!  I left the apple cider cake on the counter after taking photos.  When I came back into the kitchen, Ted proclaimed “I had some of that apple – thing.  It’s REALLY GOOD!”  I told him it was suppose to be a cake and both of us agreed it was more of a cross between a cake and pudding, much like a set custard.

Initially, I thought maybe a little longer in the oven but it was set and I didn’t want the result to be a dried up or cracked cake.  The chance I took by not cooking it longer resulted in a “no crumbs left behind” winner!

I’ve posted my recipe and an alternative recipe I was going to try at a later date, simply called Cider Cake.   Take your pick but be sure to let me know the results if you make either one.

Joanne’s Apple Cider Pudding Cake – Makes 16 squares in one 9 x13 pan *Best eaten within 2 days. Keep in the fridge and reheat slightly before serving.

• 4 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 12 oz apple cider – reserve 2 TBS for glaze(optional)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 6 1/2  oz brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick baking spray.

Prepare the apples then pour all but 2 TBS of the apple cider over the apples and set aside.  Keep the 2 TBS of cider for making a glaze if you want to glaze the finished pudding cake.

Cream the cheese with the cinnamon and sugar.

Add the eggs.

Stir in the flour and baking powder and finally, stir in the apples and cider. 

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50- 55 minutes. The top may only get a light brown.

If you like, serve hot with ice cream OR…wait until the cake cools and mix the glaze by stirring the 2 TBS apple cider into the 1 cup of confectioners sugar (or more if you want  a thicker glaze).

Drizzle glaze over the top and enjoy.

Alternative recipe:  Cider Cake

• 8 oz Mixed dried fruit soaked in 4 TBS apple cider over night
• 6 oz butter, softened
• 1 tsp apple pie spice
• 6 oz brown sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 “ square pan.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. 

Beat the eggs then add the dried fruit and cider to the eggs. 

Stir in the sugar and butter mix with the fruit and eggs.

Blend the flour, spice and baking powder then stir just until incorporated into the sugar – butter mix. 

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55- 65 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Share a recipe you’ve made that you were unsure if anyone would like but turned out to be a success.

Those Francois Payard Chocolate caramels were wonderful!  However, one can only eat so many and I do mean ONE since Ted doesn’t eat caramel.  I can’t leave the chewy, sweet, creamy confection alone so I have to try to hide it from myself.

Luckily, I came across a recipe in Martha Stewart Living Magazine for Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Salted Caramels.  Perfect! I had all the ingredients.  This is my version of the recipe for Coconut Thumbprints with CHOCOLATE caramels.

Makes about 40 cookies

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 12 oz. coconut
• 40 Chocolate Caramels from my recipe with Chocolate with Francois FOUND HERE

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar until creamy.   Beat in vanilla.

Gradually add the flour and salt, just beating enough to combine.

Roll dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.

Dip each ball into the beaten egg then roll in coconut.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheets and put a thumbprint in the middle of each cookie.

Bake at 350 for 19 – 20 minutes.

Place a small caramel in the depression of each cookie immediately after removing from oven (while still hot).  Allow to cool and enjoy.

Chewy, rich and delish!

Hello Dentist! Here I come…. again

What’s the most creative way you’ve used leftover sweets or other treats in a new recipe?

Sometimes you do everything right. You put your heart and soul into weeks/months of training but then, for reasons beyond your control, the big day doesn’t go as planned.  All we can do is try our best.  Put as much time and effort into achieving our goals as life will allow.

A quote from Deena Kastor’s 2007 recap of her Boston Marathon experience.

I was well prepared and optimistic for this race. I was more fit for this race than when I ran a personal best and won the London Marathon last spring. This combination of facts is what is still baffling me mentally. Great preparation gave me my worst finishing time. I will always respect the marathon for the punishment and pride it continues to offer. This fitness, I know, will carry on to my next training phase.

I love the last sentence of that paragraph “This fitness, I know will carry on to my next training phase.”  All was not wasted.  No matter how our event goes, we still reap the health benefits and will move forward in hopes to reaching for our dreams the next time.    Love it! 

Walnut Squares

I came across a recipe from years ago.  I remembered it as a really tasty, sugary treat, back in the days when I ate A LOT of sugary treats. The more sugar the better at that time.  I’m surprised I still have my teeth…. many a filling, but at least they’re my own.

The first version is the original recipe. The second version is the one I baked today.  I reduced the sugar slightly and replaced the flour with Brown Rice Flakes and the butter with a very, VERY…did I say VERY? ripe banana.

Walnut Squares – The Original Recipe.  Use a 8 x 8 square pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

The base:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 TBS confectioners sugar

Mix all the above together. Press into a non stick square pan and bake while you prepare the topping (about 10 minutes).

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 TBS all purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Mix all the above together really well and pour on top of baked base.  Put back into the oven for another 25 – 30 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly and cut into squares.  When completely cooled, and this is optional, mix confectioners sugar with almond flavoring plus water to desired consistency and drizzle over the squares.

This next  recipe is my no butter, reduced sugar version.  Somewhat healthier, but certainly gluten free, right?

The base:

• 1 cup Brown Rice Flakes *or you can try quick cooking oats but it won’t be gluten free.
• 1 mashed very VERY ripe banana.
• 2 TBS icing sugar.

Mix all the above together. Press into a non stick square pan and bake while you prepare the topping (about 10 minutes).

Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 TBS Brown Rice Flakes *or use the quick cooking oats
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Mix all the above together really well and pour on top of baked base. Put back into the oven for another 25 – 30 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly and cut into squares. When completely cooled, and this is optional, mix confectioner’s sugar with almond flavoring plus water to desired consistency and drizzle over the squares.

The result due to the reduced fat version:  A more delicate square but really good. It was still sweet and very satisfying.

Do you have a favorite recipe from years ago?  Do you religiously keep it the same or do you “tweak” it once in a while?

I ALMOST missed peanut butter day!  It was today, January 24th.  Unbelievable because I’m such a fan.  I mean, just look at the stash:

How’d that Almond Butter get in there?!  Oh I know.  That’s SHANE’S favorite nut butter.

From Huffington Post:

If you didn’t know, today (January 24th) is National Peanut Butter Day. So we thought we’d take a moment to honor the humble spread, not only for its role in our childhoods and its deliciously rich taste, but also for its nutritional power. Sure, the stuff is yummy, but did you know that peanut butter can also play a role in preventing everything from heart disease to Alzheimer’s? Keep in mind that all-natural peanut butter without added ingredients is the healthy option — many brands include added sugar. And, as with all good things, everything in moderation: a spoonful may be healthy, but a whole jar is certainly not.

For more on Peanut Butter, check out Huffington Post’s History of Peanut Butter or Five Reasons Why Peanut Butter is Healthy.

Banana Blueberry Muffins – A Low Fat Recipe

Don’t be afraid of the “low fat”.  These standard size muffins don’t taste like they have anything to do with good health.  The ingredients includes white whole wheat flour, antioxidant rich fresh blueberries, three whole potassium loaded bananas and the usual muffin base.  They taste best when fresh from the oven.  Just allow to cool about 10 minutes (blueberries will hold the heat!), break open and add just a scant teaspoon of heart healthy spread ….OORRRR…PEANUT BUTTER! 

Makes 12 standard muffins

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 whole eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup 2% milk (or 1% milk would be fine)
• 3 over ripe mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray muffin tins with non stick baking spray.

In a large bowl, blend the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder.  Beat the eggs and milk then add to the flour and mix it for only a few stirs with a spoon.

Add the mashed bananas and blueberries and mix very carefully JUST to combine.

Add batter to the muffin tins filling to the top.

Bake for 20 – 22 minutes or just until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Enjoy this fruit loaded little treat.

What did you eat that was healthy and made your body feel good today?
LOVE FINISH LINE! $10 off $60!

Trying to see the stats on my Garmin was getting more difficult in the dim morning light. 

I’ve gone months refusing to accept that my eyes are changing and reading has become more of a strain.  Finally, I took the plunge and asked the doc about multi-focal lenses.  Now I’m in the transition phase when my cornea may take up to a month to reshape itself back to normal (I was wearing the CRT lenses – night lenses that reshape your eye so you don’t wear contacts during the day). 

This morning’s run was quite the challenge.  Shane was my seeing eye dog as we ran for 8 miles.  I couldn’t see distance very well (but my Garmin was crystal clear!).  It was hard to tell if what I was approaching was a MONSTER or a rock.  My eyes were fixed on Shane to see if his ears went up, fur went up or he showed any sign of impending doom.  

The good news is that I didn’t trip or fall.

The bad news is that I got sick of running blind and decided to finish my scheduled 10 miler on the boring treadmill. 

The bad news is I couldn’t see the TV while running. 

The good news is that I ran those last 2 treadmill miles really fast and got through it quicker.  

Once I put my glasses on, I was semi-ok.  Pet peeve:  I won’t run in corrective lens glasses or sun glasses.  There’s still some adjusting to do but after a visit to the optician today, no one need be afraid that I’m driving a car.  I can see distance again!

Do you workout wearing glasses? 

COOKIES

This is the Apple Crumbles special peanut butter cookie. It’s soft and chewy and the best cookie you’ve ever tasted…well, then again you haven’t tried my special oatmeal raisin cookie. 

Preheat oven to 300 F. This recipe will make approx. 3 to 4 dozen cookies

• 2 cups Flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 sticks butter (1 cup) – room temperature
• 3 whole eggs (slightly beaten)
• 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• Optional items: 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. hazelnut syrup

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients in small bowl. If using cinnamon/ginger, mix into dry ingredients.
2. Blend the 2 sugars together then add the butter and beat until creamy.
3. Add eggs to the sugar mixture and blend.
4. Add the peanut butter and vanilla (and hazelnut syrup if using). Mix until fluffy.
5. Gradually add into the sugar/peanut butter mix, the dry (flour) ingredients. and mix just until well blended.
6. Drop on ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Dip a fork into cold water and make a criss-cross pattern on the cookie while pressing down slightly
8. Bake approximately 25 minutes.

Just FAN-TAS-TIC!