Nutrition Nut on the Run

a pancake celebration.

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I don’t do Easter, but I do do big ol’ Sunday morning breakfasts. Last weekend it was quick cinnamon quinoa ‘cakes. Last Easter it was stacked strawberry lemon flapjacks. Today it’s peanut butter banana pancakes. I am head over heals for any and all things including cinnamon, nut butter, and banana. I eat them (multiple times) daily, so they were bound to end up on the griddle together some weekend.

Puffy PB Banana Pancakes

  • 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
  • 2T brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/4 c. 1% milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 c. peanut butter
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining four ingredients. Add banana mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Plop batter onto a hot, buttered griddle. Sneak in a few dark chocolate chips if you do that sort of thing. Let cook ~3 minutes until bubbles appear, flip — cook until puffy and golden. I served mine simply with real maple syrup, alongside a cup of bold coffee.

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I may not celebrate this religious holiday, but I do celebrate life by nourishing my body with healthy, wholesome, delicious food every single day.

Enjoy today, however you make of it!

Toodles,

Hillary

Already Stuffed

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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.

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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

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Do you have any Thanksgiving morning traditions? 

What are you thankful for today?

Eating Away The Day

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I just looked at the clock and realized that Saturday is already half over! Time slips away when you’re a busy gal like me.

I ‘slept in’ until 8:40am this morning – not too early, not too late. I considered gearing up for a run right away, but when I realized I didn’t have to worry about scorching temps the rest of the day, I decided to have a relaxing morning doing things around my apartment.

Breakfast was first.

I made myself grainy [my word a for hearty/nutty batter] pancakes. I used the nutritious mix I found earlier this month at the local co-op for jiffy meal prep.

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Local Peaches, Raspberries, Pecans, unsweetened Coconut, Real Maple.

You could say I enjoyed my breakfast : )

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I also sipped on Giada Espresso Roast iced coffee with 1% milk.

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Caffeinated, I vacuumed and finished 4 loads of laundry. Ahhh, clean sheets are my favorite.

I checked the forecast once more, and it read: 65*F | 45% humidity. I jumped for joy, and then immediately slipped into shorts and a tee. I was going running outside!

I’m really not a fan of running around the area where I live, but I tried to ignore the stoplights and commercial development and appreciate the cool, cloudy air. I haven’t run outside in nearly 2 weeks, since my memorable morning at the Healthy Living Summit. I ran swiftly for 32 short minutes. Gosh, I gotta get on my long runs!

Keeping up with my indulgent Saturday eats, I made healthified nachos for lunch.

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Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Chips, Sharp White Cheddar, Black Beans, Avocado, Fresh Salsa.

 

I rarely ever photograph my sweet treats, so today I made a point to capture my after-lunch dessert.

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Ok, so these almonds aren’t the cheapest Trader Joe’s item at $6.99, but they last me a while; life’s too short not to enjoy your simple pleasures.

I’ve been neglecting my green tea stash for quite some time, but this afternoon I was in the mood for a refreshing glass of green.

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I have a lot of reading and writing starring me in the face. My student duties are calling… I hope ya’ll are enjoying your weekend.

Hill

06.19.89

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That’s the date I write on every single form, every single application. I write this ‘number’ a lot. It never changes. It’s 12 (13?) days past the day the doctor told my parents I would arrive, but alas… it’s the day I was born. After overstaying my welcome, I plopped into this world exactly 21 years ago today at a healthy 8 pounds 5 ounces.

Baby

My grandma holding her first granddaughter, Hillary Ann.

I have lived two full decades. I have twenty years of life experience. I appreciate every day I’ve had, and look forward to each that lies ahead. Some years have been more plump with adventure, laughter, and joy. Some years, there were bigger obstacles to climb and getting through another day seemed more of a challenge. Yet, I think it is only appropriate – on your birthday – to rejoice the positives of your life, the unique individual that you are, and who you’ve grown to be. 

“Be happy for this moment for this moment is your life.” – Omar Khayyam

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Today I woke up at the early hour of 6:19am to join my favorite running gals on a 7-mile run. You’ve heard me say a time or two, I’m not a fan of sleeping in; I wasn’t about to waste my precious time in bed on my once in a lifetime 21st birthday. Up and at ’em!

  • 7-mile run around the golf course @ 7:00am. 66 minutes later… done.
  • blueberry birthday pancakes. done.

In honor of my birthday twin [HAPPY 30th, TINA!], I made her recipe for Really Good Pancakes.

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3 pancakes x 7 blueberries each = 21!

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I smothered my pancakes in organic berries, agave, 0% plain Greek, and a dusting of lemon zest.

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Delicious or Deceiving

Unfortunately, my b.day breakfast ‘cakes were not really good. In fact, I would say they were actually pretty awful – flavorless & rubbery. What went wrong? Oh well : ) I’ve still had a lovely start to my day and… I spy blue sky!

What’s the plan for the rest of my day?

Friends. Oyster Festival [details another time?]. Dinner with ma mere et mon pere. Cake. More friends. Bar hopping? More drinks… and the rest is history.

Don’t Miss The Caboose

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Hey Guys! I hope you had a really wonderful holiday [for those that celebrated]. I wasn’t one of them today. I actually spent Easter all alone studying chemistry, but don’t fear…I was not without good eats! I slept in today by accident…and I mean really slept in – 10:00am! However, it happened to be the perfect time to make myself an Easter a scrumptious Sunday brunch.

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008    Aren’t they purdy?

It’s just a simple pancake recipe, folks. There was nothing tricky about ‘em:

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup 1% milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 T canola oil
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1 T baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

It’s all about the accessories: 0% Greek, organic strawberries, lemon zest and agave-honey syrup – holy yum!

Immediately after eating my stack of flapjacks, I headed back into the kitchen and whipped up another recipe. It’s a twist on my family’s favorite tabouli recipe, but I used quinoa instead of bulgar.

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I didn’t use exact measurements [the plus of cooking vs. baking], but here’s basically what went down:

  1. Cook 1 cup organic quinoa in 2 cups water – simmer covered for ~15 minutes.
  2. Fluff with a fork and let cool. Add 2 T olive oil, juice of 1 lemon and a few cloves of minced garlic.
  3. Pile in 1 can organic, rinsed garbanzo beans, ~1 cup ea. chopped cucumber, tomatoes and fresh parsley. Crumble in ~1/3 cup light feta and sprinkle generously with fresh black pepper.

Quinoa seems to be all the rage in blog world at the moment, so I decided to open up this awesome book of mine and see what I could find out….

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Quinoa

“An ancient grainlike product that has recently been “rediscovered in this country, quinoa is not a true grain, but it looks like one and has similar uses. It is related to leafy vegetables such as Swiss chard and spinach.”

“Quinoa’s key nutritional distinguishing factor is its high level of lysine, an amino acid necessary for the synthesis of protein, making it one of the best sources of plant protein.”

Garbanzo Beans [because I eat a lot of these, too]

“One of nature’s perfect foods, these versatile legumes, with a firm yet creamy texture and a delicate nutlike flavor, are highly nourishing. They are rich in protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, folate, iron, and zinc.”

They are “…no slouches when it comes to iron content, with 1/2 cup providing 30% of your daily iron requirement. The body’s absorption of the form on iron found in garbanzo beans can be enhanced by consuming them with a dietary source of vitamin C.”

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With lunch – a bowl of cold quinoa salad – I had a glass of Tejava. This is such a score at Trader Joe’s -  just $1.19 for an entire liter!

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Naturally after lunch I “needed” something sweet: enter a P.Nut Buttah Treat.

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Don’t Miss the Caboose

After another phone chat with technical support, I am almost to the point of revealing Nutrition Nut on the Run Version 2.0! This will be my LAST post at the current site. Don’t worry, you don’t have to change a thing. You will still find me eatin’ it up @ www.nutritionnutontherun.com.

Here’s to a great week ahead. I’ll fill ya in on what I’m up to when I don’t have to cram for chem!

XO,

Hillary

Pancakes > Pills

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Morning!

To much of my dismay, I’m still in my pajamas, my bed is unmade, and I have done nothing notably productive. I’m not one to sleep in. I like to wake up early and get my day going, especially on the weekends. However, my body felt otherwise this morning. Last night, my roommate and I went to see Dear John. Coincidently, there’s a Ben & Jerry’s right by the theater, so we treated ourselves to a Friday ice cream before the movie. I chose Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz for two reasons: 1) I wanted to stay awake during the 10:00pm showing, and 2) coffee + chocolate is one of my favorite combos! Let’s just say the highly caffeinated scoop gave me an extra 3 hour buzz…resulting in a 3:00am bedtime. I let my body get its rest, but when I woke up I felt horrible – sore & stuffy. I remained in bed for the next 30 minutes until my body told me it was time for breakfast. I knew the perfect medicine for a slow Saturday….banana pancakes (recipe)!

…plus a cup of Echinacea Complete Care Tea

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Back to Ben & Jerry’s. There was no way I was leaving the scoop shop without these:

Ya’ll know I love dark chocolate, and for those of you that really know me, you know I have a thing for all things PEACE. I wrote and gave a speech all about Ben & Jerry’s recently – their friendship, business history, products, etc. – and loved what I found in my research. It is an uh-mazing company. See for yourself.

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Did any of you love this movie as much as I did?

Humongous Saturday to-do list. That’s all for now.

Enjoy your day,

~ Hillary : )

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