I told you about my foot pain (outside ball of right foot) that came on during my last long run.  I hemmed and hawed over what to do.  I love my Newton performance shoes.  They took me through my first marathon and I was planning on partnering with them at Boston.   The Boston course is hard and taxing on the legs and feet.  I don’t dare risk having that pain strike during the middle of my run.  So I went over to see the folks at The Sneaker Store.  They gave me their complete undivided attention.  They took me through five different shoes before finding the one that I thought I’d be happy with.  The result: Nike Lunar Fly.  I bought the “Fly” even though I was a bit skeptical because it didn’t give me the propulsion forward that I like in most of my shoes.

I tried them out Saturday morning for a 6 3/4 mile run.  They were great.   The cushioning with the light weight should work out fine for 26.2 miles.  I’m just a little bummed because during my run which was around the Switchbacks of Valley View Golf Course, I ran into some ice and had to get onto the wet grass.  My NEW shoes don’t look so NEW anymore. 

MARATHON COOKIES:   Low, Low Fat and Rich in Healthy Carbohydrates.  It’s the ULTIMATE in a runner’s delight.

I came up with this cookie because I was thinking sweet, not fatty, chocolaty, yet healthy.  I’ve listed a few alternative substitutes to make it easier for you to make with ingredients in your panty.

Makes 5 dozen 2” round cookies

• 2 cups all purpose flour (use whole wheat if you prefer)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Carob powder (use cocoa powder if you prefer)
• 1 slightly over ripe banana, mashed (you can also use apple sauce, about 6 oz)
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup Low Fat Buttermilk
• 1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
• 1 cup Dark Chocolate chips (I actually used 1/2 cup Unsweetened Carob chips PLUS 1/2 cup Mini Chocolate chips. But I prefer the Dark Chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 325 F. *Alternate cooking temp. & time offered below

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and carob/cocoa powder.

In a smaller bowl, mash the banana (if you haven’t already), and cream it with the sugar and vanilla.  Add the buttermilk to combine thoroughly. 

Mix the banana – buttermilk mixture into the flour and stir until combined.  NOW… add the oats, give it a quick stir and add the chocolate chips.

Line 4 cookie sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with non-stick baking spray. 

Drop by 3/4 TBS onto sheets about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.  Bake for 20 minutes.

*Alternative cooking temp. & time:  Bake at 350 F for a 10 – 12 minutes. This may produce a slightly softer cookie.

I love this cookie. It’s a little crisp on the outside with a hint of chewy on the inside.  The fact that it has banana and oats, no fat makes me think I could eat these for fueling my run!  Healthy and delicious.  Another cookie winner!  *Cookie is at its crispiest the day of baking.

Have you tried carob powder or chips?  Can you notice a big difference?  I can detect the difference.  To me, carob seems to have a hint of coffee flavor with the cocoa taste. I like it.

Friday used to be my day off. No matter what happened earlier in the week. No matter how many workouts I missed during the week, Friday was a mandatory day off.  That fell by the wayside since marathon training.  My schedule has to be flexible in order to get in some distance runs as well as weight workouts.  Today, Friday, I ran.

Shane has yet to say “[woof] ..I’ll train for a marathon with you  Jo… [woof]!” (not sure if “woof” would translate like that. I’m not fluent in dog).  In fact, I’ve never asked if he likes running.  Since Shane was a puppy, he has been walking with me then, when old enough, running. It’s part of his morning ritual. Consequently, Friday was a running day for him as well.  We set out at 4:30 am. 

It was a good run.  The weather was cooler than it has been in a long time.  When we got home, Ted was just leaving to go on his bike ride.  I was thinking about going out again for another 2 to 3 miles but thought I’d get more in tomorrow when I had a bit more time.  So total Friday miles = 8.11.  One more day and if all goes well, I’ll run my most weekly miles yet.  That really depends on whether or not the wining and dining get the better of me. TGIF!

COOKIES!

There is something that makes me feel a little less like I’ve cheated when I eat a cookie that doesn’t have flour, nor added fat, nor granulated sugar. 

Of course it has to taste good and this little devil of a cookie has everything I love included in the ingredients.  It couldn’t fail.

A little difficult forming the nest but worth it in the end

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup Suzanne’s Rice Mellow Creme *Marshmallow cream substitute (vegetarian)

Ricemellow Creme is the first all-natural vegan
marshmallow creme. Made from natural flavors,
soy protein, natural vegetable gums, and sweetened
with Suzanne’s Specialties own brown rice
syrup. Use it to make desserts like rice crispy
treats, s’mores, or a healthy Ricemellow-Nutter’
sandwich. Ricemellow Creme contains no refined
sugars, no preservatives, and no artificial colors or
flavors. It is also fat-free, cholesterol free, gluten
free, and contains no GMOs.

• 2 TBS honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups Quick cooking or old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line baking sheets with non-stick foil or parchment paper.

In a large bowl add all the ingredients and mix up really well. *That’s the easy part.

Roll up about 1 1/2 TBS of dough in your hand *It helps to wet your hands to prevent sticking.

Make a dent in the middle, keeping the dough cupped in your hand to hold the “nest” form.

Set onto the baking sheet. After you have finished making all the nests,  choose your favorite jelly

and add 1/2 a tsp to the indent made in each nest.

Bake for 15 – 18 minutes.

They will crumble…

But that simply gives you an excuse to eat up the crumbs…

Is it just me or do the crumbs taste better than eating the whole cookie?

No, guess not. The whole cookie is just too good to resist.

It’s a CAKE DAY TOMORROW! WaHOOEY!  I’m testing the waters and constructing a style cake that I have never done before. 

Fingers crossed it makes the hour long trip to the party.  The celebration:   A wonderful lady is turning 40.  Hint: One of Bonnie’s friends.  She went to Vegas to celebrate.  Wonder if she’ll make it back for cake????

It is my belief that we all have a personal definition of “healthy”.  Maybe that’s good since no one diet works for everyone.  We are wonderfully unique human beings all made up of different cells, different genes, different personalities and manners of thought.  So why shouldn’t our definitions of healthy be unique?

This question came about because I picked up a delicious cookie called “Nana’s”.  If you have never heard of this product, it is a 3.5 oz cookie that is available in a variety of flavors.  The two I picked up were the Double Chocolate Cookie and the Peanut Butter Cookie.  A note from “Nana” can be found on the back that promotes nutrition and taste in her product.  There are no refined sugars, no dairy, no hydrogenated oils, no cholesterol, no eggs, no trans fat, no GMO’s, no cane or beet products.

The product is fruit juice sweetened with all natural ingredients.  Here is the list:

The ingredients look good. Now what about the nutrition facts?

Is this a healthy cookie in your opinion?

By my definition, this is a cheat day treat.  This cookie is too high in calories and sugar carbohydrates without the benefit of protein.  If one should read all the promotional information touting the all natural, no trans fat, no this – no that and neglect to read that this ONE cookie actually serves TWO, then a quick 420 calories and 180 calories from fat is ingested.  That’s a critical trade off for a meal of steamed fresh vegetables, 3 oz of fresh fish, and 1/4 cup of wild rice.  The cookie most likely won’t stay with you as long either. 

The cookie tastes wonderful and if you are aware of the serving size, then enjoy Nana’s soft, moist, tasty treat over that bakery mega muffin you might be eye balling.  But don’t make this a substitute for a healthier meal option should one be available.

Nana’s is a major contributor for Generation Rescue and prevention of Autism.  The company promotes awareness of Celiac Disease.  To learn more go to HealthyCrowd and find out more.