… and you thought I wasn’t going to post today. Studying metabolic pathways or blogging? Hmmm… tough decision.

First things first. The random winner of my blogiversary giveaway is:

Comment #50: Sami!

Please e.mail me your mailing address, so I can mail your freshly-made granola & decadent dark chocolate.

Next up: pumpkin recipes!

After a 40-minute run around my neighborhood this morning, I came home and made a special Saturday breakfast that I had dreamt up last night while in the shower. You never know when an idea will strike!

Fall “French Toast” Sandwich

This is about as far away from traditional French toast as one can get.

What you’ll need:

• 1 TJ’s British Style Multigrain English Muffin
• 1/2 ripe banana
• 2T maple almond butter
• 2T pumpkin
• cinnamon
• 1/2 c. soy milk – I used unsweetened.
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk [may use flax “eggs” to make the recipe vegan]
• real maple syrup for drizzling

I didn’t realize I only had about 1-2 tsp. of maple syrup left. Not to worry…

To make:

In a shallow dish, mix soy milk, eggs & cinnamon [recipe makes more than enough liquid for one sandwich]. Spread almond butter on one half of the English muffin, and pumpkin on the other. Place banana slices in between the two layers. Then place the sandwich in the egg batter, flipping to coat both sides. Lastly, cook over medium heat, about 3-5 minutes each side until crispy and golden brown. Drizzle with real maple syrup. 

Turns out the fork wasn’t necessary. I picked it up and ate it like a sandwich, hence the recipe name.

YUM!

To warm me up from my chilly run, a hot cup of drip coffee just like my dad makes. I am father’s daughter after all.

And now for recipe #2.

In honor of Cookie Friday yesterday, I made cookies of course! I didn’t realize how similar this recipe is to the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I made almost exactly 1 year ago. However, these are easily 6x better – practice makes progress :)

Pumpkin Pecan White Chocolate Chip Cookies

What you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour + 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 c. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 c. light brown sugar
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 flax “egg” [1T flax + 3T water]
• 1 [15 oz.] can pumpkin
• 1 c. white chocolate chips
• 3/4 c. pecans, toasted + chopped

To make:

In large bowl mix dry ingredients [items 1-4]. In another large bowl, combine butter and sugars. Add vanilla and “egg” – mix thoroughly. Stir in pumpkin. Then add the dry mixture. Fold in chips & nuts. Scoop 2T of batter onto a greased baking sheet. Bake @ 375* for 12-15 minutes, until edges start to turn golden.

Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies to share with your favorite friends.

“These cookies are the death of me”, exclaims the dear roommate as she pries into the bag first thing this morning.

* * *

Alright, I guess it’s time to tackle those metabolic pathways. This will be the death of me. Hope you have a great rest of your weekend. Let me know if you give either of these recipes a try.

Take it easy, foodie friends.

HP

P.S. Did you notice the nutty new page up top!?

… we all need a little sugar ‘n’ spice in our life sometimes. If you need a good excuse to make these semi-sinful bars, I’ve got one: our bodies can’t function without glucose. OR you could make them just because it’s fall, which means baking sweet treats with pumpkin is always acceptable!

Brunette Blondies

• 3/4 c. canned pumpkin
• 1/2 c. canola oil
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. soy milk
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla
• 3/4 c. whole wheat + 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt
• dash of nutmeg, ~1/4 tsp.
• double dash of cinnamon, ~1 tsp.
• 1/3 c. pecans, toasted + chopped
• 2/3 c. dark chocolate chips [not optional]

In a medium bowl, mix together the wet ingredients [pumpkin, oil, sugars, soy milk, vanilla]. In a separate, larger bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, salt and spices. Pour wet ingredients into the dry, combine – mixing minimally. Fold in nuts and chips. Then plop into a greased 8×8 pan and bake @ 375* for ~20 minutes [timing will vary by the type of pan]. Let cool completely before cutting into squares. These need not be served with anything else but a napkin. Enjoy!

These vegan blondies brunettes are dense [little leavening], extremely moist [oil, pumpkin + soy], and quite rich [nuts + semisweet chocolate]… all my favorite qualities in a dessert.

Thanks for sharing this incredible recipe, Allie! Oh, and please don’t let the last bit of unused pumpkin in the can go to waste. That’s a crime, you know.

Scrape that aluminum can clean!

• Pepita Pecan Pumpkin Muffins
• Perfect Pumpkin Waffles
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chippers
• Pumpkin OIA[mason]J
• Smashed Squash Smoothie – say that 10x fast!

* * *

There will never ever… EVER be another 10.10.10. Off to seize this special Sunday!

Hillary

The second day of October kept the good vibes of yesterday alive. The blue October skies say it all.

I enjoyed sleeping in this morning and getting woken up by my MOM :) Because we both wanted to get outside and enjoy the lovely fall day, we decided to leave the waffle iron for tomorrow; instead, I made a cool, creamy concoction in my new blender for breakfast in a jiffy.

Saturday Special: proudly sponsored by Pumpkin.

• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 c. almond milk
• 1/2 c. organic pumpkin
• 2 T flax
• 1 T agave – I’d suggest using less
• pinch of cinnamon

Top each with 1/4 tsp. coconut + 1 T toasted pecans.

Serves 2.

Neither my mom nor I finished our serving, as the smoothie was surprisingly rich. However, the not-so-sweet Pepita Pecan Pumpkin Muffin balanced out the meal quite nicely.

We did our best not to let the morning get away from us, so we scurried on downtown to the market and filled our basket to the brim with produce.

We admired the Sweet Cottage iced teas and local almonds

… but saved our appetites for a light lunch at Tea Bar & Fusion Cafe.

We shared a ginger tofu wrap accompanied by a whole wheat tortilla, brown rice, avo, fresh veggies, and miso dressing… plus a side of sea salted edamame. Fresh – yes!

Oh, and of course tea was to be had: ginger peach [unsweetened] – mmmm!

Our food-filled day continued on as we made our way to Trader Joe’s. Again, we loaded our cart with a lot of healthful eats – some staples, as well as a few new finds.

It was a hair past 5 o’clock by the time we unloaded at home, which meant a refreshing spirit was to be had before the cooking got under way. There was a solo Blue Moon beer that had been hiding out in the back of the fridge for far too long – like May! – so, I pop off the top and stuck a fork orange in it!   

Dinner was scrumptious, as it always turns out to be when I dine with my mom.

• Mixed Greens, HumCo Tomato, Peppers, Scallions and a French vinaigrette
• Whole Wheat Pasta tossed with Olive Oil, Garlic, Arugula, Green Beans, Lavender Chevre, Toasted Walnuts & Fresh Pepper

Coffee ice cream was the ultimate way to cap the tasty day.

I’m tired, sticky, and a bit stressed about the schoolwork that’s to be done. There’s a lot of excitement coming to NN on the Run in the near future though, so stay tuned!

Hillary

I’m sort of embarrassed by the photographs you are about to see – the quality, not the content. I have no shame in the contents of my tasty breakfast and lunch… no shame at all.

FOOD.

Today was a winning Waffle Wednesday. I created this ‘recipe’ in my head before getting into bed last night. It made rolling out of bed @ 6:00am so much easier.

Nutty Pumpkin Wafflewich

• 2 Van’s multigrain light toaster waffles
• smear of TJ’s flax almond butter on each waffle
• 2-3 T organic pumpkin mixed with agave & cinnamon
• 1/2 ripe banana, sliced

Loved all the different components to this wafflewich. What would you add?

Lunch was almost an exact duplicate of yesterday. Why mess with a good thing?

• 1/2 sprouted wheat tortilla
• smear of homemade pesto – all gone!
• 1 Dr. Praeger’s Cali Burger – love the crispy edges
• fresh romaine & red onion

… with a side of lemon H20 in a mason for hydration.

RUNNING WEDNESDAY WORKOUT.

Now that there is NO more WRECPump the rest of the semester [tear], I have to reschedule my Monday/Wednesday exercise regimen. My body was sending me some signals last night after two days of fast running, so I promised I would treat it with a 75-minute yoga class tonight. For some reason, it’s always hard to get myself to go to yoga classes [especially if they cost $$$]. I don’t get the same cravings for yoga as I do for cardio; however, throughout the day today, I imagined myself at the gym doing yoga… not circling the indoor track again and again. Set your mind to something, and you can do it! It’s all mental, all mental. The class was challenging and fun [hello handstands!]. Almost every time I leave a class, I wonder why I don’t make myself practice it more often. I get such a different feeling from yoga than I do from running… but it is a wonderful feel, a feeling of zen. It’s a good possibility yoga may become the new BodyPump :)

Are you a yoga-goer? How often do you practice? Do you have a favorite type of yoga?

Oh… I guess I should mention I did run 1 mile around the indoor track afterwards. Sorry, I just can’t help myself!

* * *

We’re over the hump! I must minimize my to-do list before Friday because I have a special guest visiting for the weekend :)

See ya!

Hillary

Hi.

I probably should be doing something other than writing up this post at the moment, say working on school work or rinsing off my sweaty skin from my time at the gym, but no… I feel the need to write.

I was having a pretty decent Monday: it started with a couple pepita pecan pumpkin muffins and iced drip coffee, a cute outfit, and clear blue skies. All four classes went swimmingly, and my backpack was stuffed with healthful autumn-inspired snackage:

• 2 crunchy carrots + flax almond butter
• plain 0% Greek + 2-3 T pumpkin & drizzle of agave
• … topped with 1/3 c. Nature’s Path Flax Plus Pumpkin Granola
• 1 banana

I like my carotenoids [a.k.a. orange pigment]!

Seeing as I am at school beginning before 9:00am, I am always more than ready to get home when 4:00pm rolls around. Unfortunately, I must wait for the 4:20pm bus, and when the bus doesn’t end up departing until 4:50pm, I become very peeved. It doesn’t help, either, standing outside all that time in the hot hot sunshine, hungry and parched.

Eventually, I made it home just in time to slip on some workout gear and head back to campus to The Resort. After my unplanned rest day yesterday, I was eager for to fit in a run before my bi-weekly BodyPump class.

• 1 mi. indoor track run @ 8:10
• 20-minute treadmill run – 1.0 incline

5 min. each @ 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5mph

Glistening from my 8-minute miles, I headed over to the studio where BodyPump is every Monday and Wednesday night to find an empty room with no instructor in sight. I looked at the schedule posted on the door… nope, NO WRECPump. I had heard a rumor the class may get cancelled, but I had my fingers crossed it wasn’t true. My roommate and I just stood there in the middle of the gym for a few minutes like sad sad puppy dogs. I double-checked with the group fitness coordinator passing by that what I had read was in fact true. It was… so not the news I wanted to begin my week with =[

Well, I wasn’t just gonna stand there enjoying the eye candy, while turning into plump pumpkin myself. I picked up a 15lb. barbell and started to do a bit of pumpin’ on my own. Then I ran 1.5 more mad miles.

• 0.5 mile @ 3:55
• 0.25 mile walk
• 0.5 mile @ 3:40
• 0.25 mile walk
• 0.5 mile @ 4:10

It wasn’t my anticipated happy Monday evening exercise regimen, but it was movement. I can be thankful for that.

Here’s to a rejuvenating Running Tuesday!

Hillary

* * *

1. Are you a BodyPump lover?

2. What’s your favorite orange fruit or vegetable?

The weather forecast did not fail in truth. It may be the end of September/the first week of fall, but it is indeed in the 90’s outside.

I traded in baking for poolside studying yesterday, but today I was determined to celebrate the start of autumn by making a favorite fall food… whether or not that meant having the AC and oven on simultaneously.

Starbucks’ slices of pumpkin bread tantalize my taste buds every time I order a latte, as it’s available year round. I am not a fan of the company’s treat case for the most part, but I discovered some time ago that their “simple” pumpkin loaf with crunchy pepita topping goes rather nicely with a creamy soy latte.

There’s always a negative with a positive: sugar as the #1 ingredient, enriched flour, food starch – why?

Almost 400 calories including 60g of carbs and 38g of sugar in one innocent slice… and that doesn’t include my 200 calorie beverage. Calorie-dense snacks such as this are playing a huge role in our obesity epidemic, so I learn in school.

I didn’t even glance at the thick slices of mysteriously moist pumpkin bread starring at me through the case as I ordered my iced soy latte at Starbucks this morning. Instead, I carried on home and pried open my first can of organic pumpkin for the year.

Not My Mother’s [Pumpkin] Muffins

I used the recipe that my mom made habitually for us growing up as a base for these muffins; though I love those muffins more than anything, I decided to make a hybrid between the traditional muffins and my guilty Starbucks pleasure.

• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. canola oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 c. canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 c. + 2 T whole wheat flour 
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. each cinnamon & nutmeg
• 1/3 c. water
• 1/3 c. chopped & toasted pecans
• chopped pepitas + raw sugar for sprinkling

Mix together sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin. Sift together all dry ingredients [including the pecans], then add a little at a time to the pumpkin mixture, alternating with the water. Mix batter after each addition. Fill paper-lined muffins tins 2/3 full, then sprinkle the top with pepita seeds and raw sugar. Bake @ 350* for 22-24 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Watch out Starbucks, you have some stiff competition.

The muffins were a success, though there was a notable difference in flavor from the pumpkin muffins that are produced in my mother’s oven. These were a bit less sweet [with 1 cup of sugar!?], and her signature chocolate chips were most definitely missed.

I’m still a little unclear what season it is – summer seems to be sticking around here – but I know one thing for sure: it’s pumpkin season!

… so raise your hands in the air!

With another healthy recipe from my sunny California kitchen,

Hillary

Hey Guys! I’m really excited to be able to have time this afternoon to write a post…but even more excited about Spring Break when I will have all the time in the world to blog, blog, blog! Hope you’re ready for some ch-ch-changes around here, because Nutrition Nut on the Run will be getting a face lift!

Until then…let’s talk food.

I made the BIGGEST bowl of oats today! Seriously, folks…it was enormous. The pictures don’t do it justice. It wasn’t on purpose that I made oats for army – I didn’t even wake up hungry, stoked about breakfast, like I usually do – it just happened.

Oatmeal Overload

In the mix:

1 1/4 cup water

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup oat bran

1/4 cup pumpkin

1/2 T ground flax

cinnamon

Top with:

1/2 banana

1 T walnuts

brown sugar & cinnamon

Although my normal ratio of oats to water is 2/3 cup: 1 cup, oat bran expands a lot more than whole oats and pumps up the volume! In the future, I plan to reduce the portions to 1/4 cup.

With a barrel of oatmeal in my stomach I was ready to head to campus and not have to worry about any hunger attacks. When I got home around 1:30pm, the oats still hadn’t thoroughly digested. I know I didn’t need any more food energy [calories], but I ate a light lunch anyway.

Mini GM: 1/2 Frozen Banana + 1/2 cup Almond Milk + 1 Huge Handful of Fresh Spinach

Low-Fat Cottage Cheese + Avocado, Cucumber & Tomato

TJ’s Chocolate Chunk Cookie [times two]

One of my least favorite feelings is that of continuously feeling full. I’m certain my calorie intake was way more than necessary this weekend and am feeling the lasting effects. The late night snacks aren’t helping either. I like going to bed and waking up “comfortably hungry”. I’d ask if you have any advice, but I’m pretty sure the answer is simple: don’t eat as much! Easier said than done, right?

Well, if you’re a reader of Skinny Runner, you know today’s Running Tuesday! I’m hoping a heart-pumping run/spin sesh will sweat out some of my excessive sugary treats [a.k.a. box of TJ's cookies]. Then I am hopping on over to my bi-monthly Nutrition & Food Association meeting.

Are you participating in Running Tuesday today? If so, share!

Later,

~ Hillary

I’ve been sitting here for far too long pondering about something profound to say – some interesting fact to enlighten you with, or topic to spark a conversation – yet, the thoughts aren’t flowing tonight. I’ve got writer’s block. I’m not inclined to write a sequential story of my day because if the idea of that is snore-inducing to me, than it most likely is to you too.

How about a recipe for perfect pumpkin pancakes then? I’ve been needing to use up the 30-oz. can of pumpkin I planned to use for pumpkin yogurt, so today I decided I would test out my roommate’s new waffle maker and make waffles for her + one other =] I easily found a simple recipe online, made a couple of adjustments, and voila…fluffy and moist Belgian pumpkin waffles.

I topped my waffle with 1/2 of a banana, walnuts and real maple syrup…although, a dollop of Greek yogurt and toasted pecans sound like another equally delicious accompaniment.

While my waffles digested, I finished up my Statistics assignments for the upcoming week, and then got on my gear for a run in the sun. My race is 1 week from today, so I made a longer run a high priority for the day. With blue, cloudless skies this wasn’t hard cross off my list. I felt a little sluggish for the first 20 minutes or so – perhaps it was Friday’s ice cream and cookies, Saturday’s 10 lb. Chipotle Burrito Bowl, and/or today’s initial meal of simple carbohydrates  - but I kept turning my iPod louder and louder, and finally got in the groove.

I ran for 62-minutes around the south part of town, near my complex. It isn’t the most scenic area, so a solo 62-minute run takes some true self-motivation. Not once did my legs hint at me that they were tired throughout my run. I felt like the Energizer Bunny, as if I could just run…and run…and run. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon sun. I had to get home to cram for my chemistry exam =[ I’m bummed…I even missed the Oscar entertainment tonight. Chemical reactions are clearly miniscule in life compared to which actress struts the best accessories, but life’s events aren’t always on the same schedule.

Hope you had a beautiful weekend wherever you are!

The Nutrition Nut — always running, or on the run.

Hello, how goes it? I got up nice and early this morning and have been crossing things off my to-do list right and left.

First thing first…breakfast! Today’s inspiration came from Miss Caitlin. She is sort of famous for her pumpkin yogurt, and even though it’s no longer “pumpkin season”, she still enjoys her orange yogurt bowls on a regular basis. I love pumpkin, so yesterday while on my grocery quest, I bought a huge 30 oz. can of pumpkin. I was really excited adding another item to my breakfast possibilities list, but was so disappointed when I did not like it [icky texture]. I maybe ate half of what is pictured, and then resorted to a piece of toast. Dang it! Now I’ve got a life-supply of canned pumpkin that I need to figure out what to do with. Ideas?

1/3 cup Pumpkin, 1/3 cup 0%  Plain Greek, 1/3 cup Humboldt Honey Granola + a few raisins & drizzle of agave

Whole Wheat Toast with Real Butter, Cinnamon & Sugar

…sometimes you just need the real deal.

Next on my list: SPIN! I went to my usual 10:00am class at The Resort and left an hour later after a rockin’ ride. I think that makes three hard rides for the week – yippee!

After running a couple errands, I refueled with a Green Monster. Oh, how I missed these. It’s been far too long.

In the mix:

1 banana

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup rolled oats

1 T ground flax

1 cup fresh spinach

Ice

…polished off with of hunk of 73% dark chocolate, of course!

I am hoping the addition of the oats to my smoothie will make it stick to my ribs a little longer than normal, so I can keep moving on down my Saturday “chore” list.

What are ya’ll up to today? Anyone have a kick-butt workout to share?

Peace Out,

~ Hillary

***

Your Questions Answered

What’s your workout schedule like? Do you plan it out or just do whatever you feel like doing that particular day?

My workout schedule is fairly random. It changes depending on whether or not I am at school [where I have a "free" gym], or at home where I do not belong to a gym, but have friends to run with/make me run a million miles =] I currently exercise an average of 5 days per week. I would probably prefer 6, but my school schedule makes that difficult. With the luxurious recreation center on campus [a.k.a. The Resort], I am able to switch up my workouts…as there are numerous types of cardio machines and fun classes, such as Zumba. The majority of my gym workouts usually include some sort of strength training as well. While at home, my workouts consist of running and DanceFit classes [run 3-4 days a week & dance 3 days].

Mornin’!

I’m off to “Saturday School” in a few. I know, school on a Saturday…there’s not much worse than that. My biology professor is holding a 2-hour review session for our final, so I thought I better take advantage.

I made some brain food to help jump-start my thinking cap:

None other than, pumpkin oats:

• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup pumpkin
• brown sugar & cinnamon
• walnuts
• splash of soy milk

One more reason to eat oats: “…oats are ideal for warding off symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is caused mainly by low light levels during the winter months, when serotonin levels get depleted, which lowers mood, energy levels, and appetite. Eating oats (in the form of oatmeal, for example) every day is a great way to stay happy and healthy all winter long” (Naturally Beautiful).

Gotta go. Gotta go. Gotta go right now!

Have yourself a wonderful Saturday,

~ Hillary