Oh, dear me.

Before I got started on today’s main event – eating – I went on a traditional Thanksgiving morning run with my friends Amy and Stacy. We covered roughly 9 hilly miles in 84 minutes, a little faster than a turkey trots ;) It was a beautiful morning – the golf course was a blanket of white, the sky brilliant blue, and the normal busy streets still and peaceful in solitude. It took some time to warm up though, as it was a frigid 33* at 7:30am – brrr.

Afterwards, I made a pit stop at the grocery store for a few last-minute items. Then it was time for a special holiday breakfast.

Spiced Apple Buttermilk Pancakes

Today’s recipe was inspired by Ellie.

• 3/4 c. whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 pinch ea. of ground ginger & nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 c. low-fat milk
• 2 tsp. honey

In a large bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, milk and honey. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast 1/4 c. each of walnuts, sunflower seeds & pepitas – set aside. Using the same skillet, sauté 1 Granny Smith apple in ~1T of butter. Cook until softened. Cook pancakes in a large, buttered skillet over medium-high heat [you may add apples here or save them for a topping]. Flip when bubbles form; continue cooking 2-3 more minutes, until golden. Top ‘cakes with toasted nuts and seeds and a drizzle of real maple syrup.

This recipe is a keeper – the cakes were light and airy [from the buttermilk], the apples added the perfect sweetness, and the best part of all… the nutty topping, of course!

It’s pie-baking time…

Hillary

* * *

Do you have any Thanksgiving morning traditions? 

What are you thankful for today?

I think it’s rather funny that after reading all of your cooking “whoops” [which were hilarious, by the way], I sort of had one of my own. The rainy weekend was ideal baking weather, and I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a while, so on Saturday I turned on my oven and pulled out my spatula and yellow polka-dotted bowl. Oh yeah… but how was I to make quick bread without a loaf pan!? I know… how does one not have a loaf pan? It is a definite kitchen staple. I was determined to have this bread made, so I made the trek to TJ Maxx in the wet weather.

There I found a ceramic [no nonstick for me] loaf pan in the back of the bottom pots ‘n’ pans shelf… and it was pumpkin orange to boot! I’ll take it :)

Autumn Apple Flax Bread

• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 3 T ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. canola oil
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
• 1/4 c. unsweetened soy milk
• 1 1/2 c. apples [~2 medium], diced
• 1/2 c. pecans, toasted + chopped

• raw sugar

In medium bowl, combine flour, flax, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine.
In another bowl, combine oil and sugar. Add the egg + yolk and mix thoroughly. Then add the milk + vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, a little at a time, just until combined.
Fold in apples + pecans.
Scrape batter into a greased loaf pan [batter will be quite thick] and spread evenly.
Sprinkle top with raw sugar.
Bake @ 325* for approximately 50 minutes, ‘til a ‘cake’ taster inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool before serving with a hot, spicy chai latte.

I have been enjoying my moist loaf of apple flax bread, as it’s very nice to slice up in the morning for breakfasts on the run. Unfortunately, it isn’t the best baked good that I’ve created in my kitchen. If I made it again, here’s what I would do differently:

1. Use all-purpose flour [100% whole wheat was very “wheaty”]

2. Ditch the eggs + turn the ground flax into flax eggs [1 T flax + 3 T water = 1 flax egg]

3. Grate the apples, rather than chop

*I added the 1/4 c. soy milk because the batter was very stiff. I think grating the apples would create a moister batter, eliminating the need for this.

Do you have a favorite quick bread recipe that I should make in my new loaf pan?

* * *

Alright, already! The winner of the 1 free case of Chobani is…

Alyssa – please e.mail me your mailing address, so you can have a case of pomegranate Greek yogurt sent to your doorstep A.S.A.P. 

Running.

Well, that’s about it for tonight folks. If you’re interested, you can check out my latest running post, updated Training + Racing page… and my original running story.

Off to get some rest for another Running Tuesday. Have a great week!

Hill

Hello Monday, Hello You!

Today was the start of Week 2, Semester 7… 14 weeks + 3 semesters to go — not like I’m counting or anything ; )

I had a full day of classes today, but in between my physiology lecture and lab, I was able to sneak in an appointment with an advisor to double check on my degree progress. Being an organized, Type A student pays off… basically, the advisor confirmed – in less than three minutes – that I am on track to graduate in Spring  of2012 – I can finally see the finish line at the end of my undergraduate journey!

This is huge for me… I started college in 2007 burnt out from striving to be at the top for all of my college prep years. I knew I wanted a college education, but had little drive/motivation and no idea what I wanted to study/do with the rest of my life [heck, I was 18 years young!]. Long story short, I chose to attend Sonoma State University, not paying much attention to the majors they offered; I remained an ‘undeclared major’ for two years. I checked off GE requirements left and right, amongst a few too many useless P.E. and dance classes. At the end of my fourth semester, I was still undeclared, though not undecided. I had done a little research, and found that another California State University offered my dream major: Food & Nutrition Communication. Though, I had developed lasting friendships and thrived with the support from my nearby family, I ‘checked out’ of SSU and headed east. This decision took some guts, but I knew I wasn’t going to find something like what Chico State offered just anywhere. CSU Chico was actually one of the schools I applied to as a senior in high school, but declined their acceptance for another reason.

So, here I am today… somehow starting my fourth year of college. It hasn’t always been easy – I’ve had my fair share of road blocks – but I’ve learned one thing about myself: perseverance. When the going gets tough, I just keep going. Though I will not earn my degree in four years, I don’t believe the extra year it took me to ‘figure out my life’, and change locations/schools in the process, will have any detrimental effects of my healthy future.

Gosh, I could blab for six more hours [can you say gym adrenaline!?], but you wouldn’t want me to do that. So… just a few things:

Life from now until mid-December looks a little like this:

Human Physiology + lab

The purpose of this class is to provide students with sufficient knowledge of human physiology in the hope that each person will wish to become an informed and aware health care consumer or provider. This does not merely include knowledge of vocabulary, but more importantly, it requires an intellectual facility with physiological principles such as negative feedback, synaptic transmission and active transport.

Human Nutrition

Physiological and chemical roles of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and water in the functioning of the body. Factors affecting the digestion of foods, use of nutrients, and the body’s need for nutrients.

Science of Food + lab

A study of the physical, chemical, and microbiological aspects of foods; the function of and changes in components during preparation and processing of foods.

Intro to Foodservice Administration

Study of management tools and practices ranging from conceptual to applied as they relate to all aspects of the field of nutrition and food sciences.

There will be a lot of school snacks, such as:

raw veggies.

fuji + cheddar cheese.

dried apricots + dark chocolate almonds.

PURE bars are yumm-y!

And there will be even more trips to the WREC for some mind ease:

• 2 mi. indoor track run [mile #1 @ 8:20]
• 60-minute WRECPump!! <3

Crazy week ahead of me, but I have an epic weekend to look forward to…

Peace, Love + Healthiness,

Hillary

Thank you for all of the encouraging comments about my desire for direction in my life and with my blog. I thought about what ya’ll had to say; since blogging is still a young hobby in my life, I feel like all I can do at the moment is keep putting one foot post in front of the other. Good things come with persistence, practice, and patience…

So… what have I been eating lately?

Steel Cut Oats

Apple Raisin Walnut Honey

Banana Brown Sugar Coconut Pecan

Do you see why I loveee mornings so so much? I go to bed dreaming about diving into another bowl of creamy, chewy, healthy steel cut oats… so maybe it’s a tad weird, but that’s how foodies roll, right?

Sweet Potatoes

The other night when I realized I had all four of the ingredients to make Caitlin’s Sweet Tater + Black Beans Balls, I got super excited. They were ridiculously easy to prepare, and ridiculously delicious to eat.

Sweet Tater + Black Bean Balls

• 1/2 sweet potato, mashed
• 1/2 c. black beans, rinsed + drained
• 3 T organic medium-heat salsa
• ground flax

To cook the potato, pierce with a fork and then microwave for appox. 6 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350*. Combine the mashed potato, black beans, and salsa in a small bowl. Roll into balls [should make between 6-8]. Spread the flax onto a flat surface and roll each ball in the seeds, to coat. Place on a greased baking sheet + let cook for about 20-30 minutes, depending on size. Enjoy with sour cream or Greek yogurt – yum!

Salads

After the sweatiest 1-hour spin class tonight + 1/2-mile jog, I came home stoked for sweet taters: round 2. I’ve made renditions of this salad quite a few times before, substituting the potatoes for squash, and either way, it’s quite the taste bud pleaser.

To make: Peel 1 large sweet tater + chop into bite-sized pieces. Place in a small bowl, drizzle with real maple syrup, ground flax, cinnamon + coarse sea salt. Mix to coat. Spray baking sheet with chlorofluorocarbon free canola [or olive] oil and bake in a preheated 350* for appox. 30 minutes. Then place your hot taters atop a hefty portion of organic spinach, creamy avocado, chevre, and red onion. Finish it off with a drizzle of olive oil + balsamic and fresh black pepper.

* * *

So… what have I been doing lately? Well, let’s see… soakin’ up the sun + sweating a ton!

I may be a California girl, but that does not mean I’m necessarily a summer/sun lovin’ girl. Perhaps a shock to some, but my body was raised in a climate that rarely exceeds 60* F, where rain is the norm most of the year, blue sky is received with a celebration, and you wear your winter coat to the windy beach.

circa 2007

That’s to say, I don’t know what to do with myself when I wake up in the morning to an apartment that’s a whopping 82*! So far I’ve figured out to stock my fridge with a huge pitcher of ice-cold green tea… and forget about doing laundry; there’s no way I’m putting on any real clothes – swim suit + shorts is all I need.

Hope your week is off to a spectacular start!

With much appreciation,

The Nutrition Nut

Humboldt County Readers: If ya’ll would like anything from the beloved Trader Joe’s, let me know by tomorrow night. I’d be happy to pick up your favorite product for you : )

& apple

…just one of those food couples that are meant to be together.

Wow, Wednesday’s already come and gone. It’s all downhill to Spring Break from here!

Being the foodie that I am, I decided last night what I wanted to have for breakfast today…which was a waffle sandwich in honor of Waffle Wednesday! My taste buds were woken up on the right side of the bed today – holy yum!

2 Van’s Multigrain Waffles [Toasted] + PB&Co Bee’s Knees, 1/2 banana & Honey

…plus a jam jar of 1% milk

I packed a sampling of snacks for my long day at school – it was the perfect variety.

Apricot & Almond Element Bar

Dried Apricots + Dark Chocolate Almonds [6 each]

Carrot & Cucumber

1/2 Apple + Sharp White Cheddar

It was absolutely gorgeous weather today, so between my two sets of classes I took a stroll in the sunshine to Starbucks to redeem my free beverage coupon.

I nibbled on my Element Bar while sipping on my decaf – extra foam – latte. I know I tell ya every time, but these bars always dominate my hunger! I got through the rest of the day – no problem.

I then wandered around my lovely campus, capturing any slight signs of Spring.

Move It In March

Today’s trip to The Resort included…

3.25-mile treadmill run:

• 5 minutes @ 6.2mph
• 5 minutes @ 6.4mph [2.0 incline]
• 10 minutes @ 6.8mph [1.0 incline]
• 5 minutes @ 6.4mph [2.0 incline]
• 5 minutes @ 6.2mph

1.5-mile indoor track run [7:14/6:12 negative split]

5.25-mile ride [15-minute spin]

Almost forgot…I finally did some strength training today too, including: lunges, squats, side dips and bicep curls.

***

I want to give a shoutout to all the RDs today in honor of National Registered Dietitian’s Day! Your hard work is appreciated.

Hope you had a wonderful Wednesday. Talk soon!

Hillary

I felt like Plain Jane in the rain today. Darn rain…I’m ready for Spring already. At least I have my bright bowls to help cheer things up a bit.

Yellow Bowl Take 1

1 cup water, 2/3 cup rolled oats, 1/2 banana (cooked Kath style), 1 T ground flax, 1 T walnuts, 1/3 cup almond milk & cinnamon

Clean

Can you see my reflection?

Yellow Bowl Take 2

Low-Fat Cottage Cheese, 1/4 Avocado, Cucumber, Tomato & Fresh Pepper…for the 100th time.

Simple School Snack

Apple & Almond Butter…as if you couldn’t tell.

Dinner

Toasted English Muffin, Veggie Burger, 1/4 Mashed Avocado & Greens served on a plain white paper towel.

***

Between Simple School Snack and Dinner, I played around at The Resort:

• RUN – 1.5 miles
• WALK – 0.5 miles
• ZUMBA – 1 hour
• 3 x 20 stability ball crunches

***

Your Questions Answered

Shelley asked:

1) What is your favorite part of college? What do you want to do after college?

I love college for a lot of reasons. I have attended two different universities and they have each given me two totally different, yet wonderful experiences. I loved living on campus my first two years of college and the lasting friendships that I made with my roommates. I also enjoy the independence that I’ve gained while living away from home. I do not know exactly what I want to do after college (in terms of a specific job), but I am 98% positive I want it to incorporate food & writing. I’d also love to travel around Europe after graduation.

2) How do you feel about going out on weekends & drinking?

3) When did you become interested in health?

Thank you all for your questions. I will be answering more of your questions soon, but I need to take care of this tired body and achy head…

Night,

~ Hillary

It’s almost that time again…time for my 2 hours of trash TV for the week. You can give me all the crap you want about watching The Bachelor, but it’s one of my guilty pleasures. Before ogling over the stud of a bachelor for the rest of the night, let me inform you about today’s eats.

Lunch = leftovers…a slice of savory pie + 1/2 an apple.

Snacks =

1. handful of bittersweet chocolate chips + 12 oz. non fat latte
2. 1/2 cup o% Oikos, 1/2 banana & granola

Dinner = sushi…oh, how I’ll miss you Tempura Roll.

I finally remembered to order my roll with brown rice tonight – nice ‘n’ nutty.

[Insert Chocolove - 65% cocoa- dark chocolate here.]

Ok, that’s it. The show has started and I want to give it my full attention : )

What are your guilty pleasures – TV, food…?

~ Hillary

Today consisted of going from one meal to the next…story of my life, right? I met my mom at Renata’s Creperie on her lunch break. I had no room in my belly for a crepe, since I had practically eaten breakfast moments ago, but I found a little room for salad (my mom had the same).

What a fun plate!

- mixed greens, onion, carrot, feta & sunflower seeds + a dijon vinaigrette –

I snacked on 3/4 of this apple with cinnamon (holy yum!) before meeting my girlfriends for coffee.

Next it was to Cafe Brio to hang with my friend Hannah one final time before she flew South to go home. I had a lovely soy latte and chocolate walnut brownie bite – isn’t it cute?

Not long after that (we met at 4:00pm), I was thinking about what to make for dinner. The girls were talking about making homemade pizza for dinner, so I decided to copy their idea.

This doesn’t deserve any thrill of excitement.

• Alvarado Street Bakery California Style Pizza Bread with local basil pesto, tomato, red onion, ricotta & parm
• lettuce, tomato, avocado, cucumber with olive oil & seasoned rice vinegar + fresh pepper

Already thinking about tomorrow’s eats. I tell ya, food is on my mind 24/7. I have to decide on a dessert recipe for another get-together manana. Got it…gingerbread!

Until tomorrow,

Your FOODIE on the Run

I’m convinced it’s Saturday. Everything tells me so…

1) My mom made a huge breakfast this morning before my brother had to catch his flight home to Montana. See ya in May, bro! My mom’s best meal is breakfast by far.

(Veggie Frittata – Potato, Zucchini, Tomato, Scallions & Cheese)

Morning Glory Muffins – Apple, Carrot, Pecans & Coconut

Tropical Papaya & Kiwi with Lime

Thanks, Mom!

2) I’m still in my PJs @ 2:30pm.

3) I haven’t showered or exercised!

4) I’ve done nothing notably productive.

5) Colbie Caillat & Amos Lee are keeping me company on this dreary, wet day.

Hoping to squeeze in another 40 on the treadmill and then get ready for my “date night” with Court!

***

Don’t miss out:

My 1st GIVEAWAY!

My 10 GOALS for 2010

See you next year decade!

~ Hillary

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