Accepting Fall & A Giveaway Winner

First up, the winner of my Oloves Giveaway thanks to Random.org is commenter #2: Lauren G.! Send me an e-mail with your shipping information and the olives will be on their way!

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My favorite season is summer, and I have no problem admitting that each year as fall creeps up, I get a little sad. Sure, fall means apple picking, cider, cooler (but not cold) weather, pretty foliage, etc., but it means we’re that much closer to winter, which I dread. It probably doesn’t help that I’m not into the whole pumpkin obsession either (except for pumpkin beers) since I don’t really love the flavor. Despite my love affair with summer, I don’t loathe fall – I appreciate all the things that come with it, especially when it comes to food and fashion.

Even though peach season is almost over, it’s perfect weather for apples here in New Jersey. So my fresh box the last few weeks has included peaches and apples, resulting in an overflowing crisper drawer full of the two fruits. My sister is a baking fiend, and any time she’s home, she’s in the kitchen just throwing together desserts on a whim. While she was still home during the summer she made a phenomenal peach and blueberry crumble, so I decided to try an recreate it with peaches and apples.

I love cooking, but baking still intimidates me. Some people (like my sister) just have a knack for baking and can throw things together easily; that definitely isn’t how I roll. I’m extremely comfortable in the kitchen cooking savory dishes, but for whatever reason, baking requires a different level of confidence I just don’t have, so I rely heavily on recipes when it comes to baking. But this past Sunday, I went a bit out of my comfort zone and threw together this simple peach and apple crumble, that is perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!

Peach & Apple Crumble
– serves 4 –

Ingredients:
2 apples, seeds removed and sliced (I used Gala, but you can use your favorite type)
2 peaches, pitted and sliced (I used white peaches, but same applies here – any kind will work)
2 Tbsp butter, cut into little pats (8 squares)
2 tsp flour
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
For Crumble:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp butter, cut into little pats

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the apple and peach slices, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and pats of butter.
3. Spray a a cake pan with cooking spray, and add in the fruit mixture.
4. In the same bowl you had the fruit, add the remaining flour, sugar, butter, and oats. Use a fork to mix everything together, slightly mashing the butter in the process. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the fruit.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown.

Wine For Everyone

Disclaimer: The product and promotional item were provided by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly for this review.

I’m not usually a big wine drinker, and typically take “whatever white you have” when out and craving a glass, but I’d like to think my palate has been expanding over the years. So, it seemed only logical to jump at the offer to sample some of Barefoot Wine’s new “refresh” line of wines. I’ve had Barefoot Wine before and have always enjoyed it, so I was confident the new line wouldn’t disappoint. I actually received the e-mail asking if I was interested while I was wine tasting in Sonoma during my San Francisco trip (I promise a recap on that deliciousness is coming soon)!

There are four different wines in the new refresh line, and we were able to select two of the four to sample. I decided to give the “Crisp White” and “Perfectly Pink” blends a try as I gravitate towards white and blush wines. It’s not that I don’t like red wine, but they stain my mouth, lips, and teeth within minutes of drinking, so I tend to avoid them. The wines in the new line are each described as “a flavorful, light-bodied, and refreshing wine specifically created for the ever-increasing number of wine occasions that extend beyond the traditional dinner table.” Since I don’t drink wine frequently, I realize I’m not someone that can easily pick up a winemaker’s tasting notes. I always read the tasting notes for wine, coffee, beer, etc., but rarely take a sip and think, “wow, I can really taste that citrus and cinnamon” or whatever the notes may be. Even though I don’t have a sensitive palate, I still enjoy drinking wine!

I decided to start with the Perfectly Pink, and sampled it on just an ordinary weeknight while cooking dinner. I first noticed the color, and then the bubbles. It definitely screams “girly wine” but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing (for me, at least). It tasted just how I expected a Chenin Blanc and Moscato blend to taste; light, crisp, fruity, and sweet. It was a little too sweet for me (7.5% residual sugar), but I think it’s perfect for celebratory sips! I saved the Crisp White for a sushi dinner with friends at the end of the week, and between the three of us, there wasn’t a drop left. It paired really well with my veggie rolls, and added a nice sweet element to the saltier dinner (only 3.3% residual sugar). It’s a perfect wine for people that aren’t big wine drinkers (like some of my friends); one even referred to it as a “less wine-tasting wine” (we’re sommeliers, can’t you tell?). While it’s a Riesling blended with Chenin Blanc, it reminded me of a lighter, slightly tarter Moscato, which I loved.

All of the Barefoot Refresh Wine varieties are extremely affordable (only $8 for a 750-ml bottle), and based on the two I was able to sample, I am definitely going to pick up some more next time I’m at the store.

Are you a wine drinker? What’s your favorite type?

A Day in the Life & An Oloves Olives Giveaway!

When I saw that Angela and Jill were doing a “Day in the Life” post round-up, I wanted to get in on the fun. While my daily life is far from exciting or intense, I think it’s always fun to learn about other people’s professions and what they do on a daily basis (outside of blogging, twittering, etc.)! So, without further ado, here is a day in the life of a running foodie who happens to also be a technical writer at a software development company to pay the bills (and support my running & food obsession)! If you’re only here for the giveaway info, skip to the bottom of this post to find out more!

7:08am – alarm goes off, and I snooze for 9 minutes. Eventually when the snooze alarm goes off, I roll over and check the all important things on my phone: E-mail, Twitter, Instagram, and TimeHop. Then I get ready (which is very low maintenance).

7:40am – pack lunch and divvy up coffee. This almost always involves me second guessing the amount of food I pack. And if I ever think I haven’t packed enough, I’m usually right.

7:50am – out the door to work. This is give or take, depending on how slow I’m moving. One of our neighbors (a little boy) likes to “race” us… so if he happens to be out there getting in his car to go to school, I pretend to hurry as quickly as I can to my car to “try and beat him.”

8:15-8:25am – after dealing with the wonderful NJ traffic, I arrive at work.

8:30 – 9:15 am – turn on my computer, get situated, and try to figure out what’s on deck for the day. This also usually involves catching up on blogs, and eating cereal (I keep a box of cereal at my desk, but bring a container of milk)… unless it’s Friday which means BAGELS!

9:15am – 12:00pm – working on various projects, including updating user guides, creating and sending technical advisories to our partner and clients based on updates to the software or any issues that may have happened (or are currently happening), work on system release notes, and do other writing related tasks, while also helping support when they need it (I used to be in support).

12:00pm – LUNCH TIME! The most magical hour of the day. I usually eat in the office kitchen, or outside if it’s nice enough (I rarely go out).

1:00 – 5:30pm – more of the same, with an afternoon break for blog reading and catching up on news. Snacks are always involved during the second half of the day – crackers, yogurt, fruit, chocolate… I’m always starving by 2:30pm, and then again as soon as I get home. Sometimes I order some of my favorite Indian snacks online. This site, a trusted grand sweets usa suggests, is the best for Indian snacks. You can look them up too, for your daily snack fix.

6:05 – 6:15pm – depending on traffic, I arrive home to two kitties anxiously awaiting dinner. I’m almost always guaranteed to see one peering out of a front window as I pull up, only to run away as I make my way to the front door.

6:15pm – 7:30/7:45pm – after I feed the cats, grab myself a snack, and change, it’s out the door for a run (anywhere from 3 to 8 miles, hence the time).

7:45pm – dinner and relaxing. This involves me cooking (usually still wet with sweat from my run), snacking, and watching the news and other TV favorites. I have a dining room table, but I eat 99.9% of my meals on the couch in front of the TV. I know it isn’t ideal, but it’s really the only “mindless” time I have for the day – so I enjoy it!

9:30pm – I take a shower and get things ready for the next day (making things for lunch, deciding what I’m going to wear, etc.).

10:30pm – 11:30pm – I try to get into bed by 10:30pm at the latest every night. I don’t always fall asleep right away (I usually spend anywhere from 30-45 minutes reading), but I’m almost always asleep by 11:30pm, giving me about 7.5 hours before I do it all over again!

So my days are far from exciting, but I guess they’re pretty busy… especially on the days that involve errands, doctor’s appointments, meetings, and other fun grown-up things. But there is one common theme every single day: snacking. I love snacks almost as much as I love a good meal, and I find that they can really elevate my mood if they’re particularly good. So when the folks at Oloves reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in trying some of their olives and then giving some away to a lucky reader, I enthusiastically accepted.

I love olives, especially the olive bar at the grocery store. But, at anywhere from $6 – $8 a pound, I rarely buy them because I always find myself getting carried away. Oloves sent me a few packages of olives to try; Mediterranean, Lemon, and Hot Chili, along with some hummus, bruschetta, and tapenade dip. I immediately tore into the hot chili pack because I’m obsessed with spicy food. I wasn’t really sure what to expect – would they be actual olives? Freeze dried? I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were real olives in a little bit of brine. I assumed since the entire package is only 50 calories that there wouldn’t be much in the bag, but there was a solid amount of olives… definitely enough for a snack!

Verdict? They’re really good! They taste like fresh olives you’d pick up at an olive bar, but they’re in a convenient package and portioned to the right amount for a quick snack. The bottom line is they’re something I would absolutely spend my own money on, and plan to in the future. This is an easy way for me to get my olive fix without feeling guilty for spending a lot of money at the olive bar. Horray for Oloves!

So,want to win your own pack of Oloves Olives? Time for the Giveaway Details! All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me:
What’s your favorite work day snack?
*Contest will stay open until Sunday 10/22!

Disclaimer: Oloves sent me the package of olives and dips to try at no cost to me. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Disneyland: The FOOD!

It would be remiss if I didn’t mention the food aspect of Disneyland. I mean, this did start off as a food blog, didn’t it?

Admittedly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to Disneyland dining. With the introduction of the Disney Dining Plan a few years ago, my return to yearly Disney trips has always included them. When I used to go with my family, there wasn’t a dining plan option. So, we did a variety of quick service and table service meals, while trying not to spend too much money (we would even go to the grocery store and get already cooked chicken and sides for dinner at least one night). The dining plans now really allow you to enjoy all that Disney has to offer when it comes to dining. It’s pretty awesome to know you have X number of meals available to you, to use however you please. At least, that’s the case for Disney World. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure how the Disneyland dining plans work, aside from the fact that they’re different than WDW’s options, and are not worth it (according to multiple people).

That being said, we opted out of a dining plan option while in Disneyland, and just did our own thing. Having never been to Disneyland, I really didn’t know where to start when it came to dining; what restaurants were the best? Who had vegetarian friendly food? Where would we get the most bang for our buck? I did as much research as I could, and decided to book two meals ahead of time: dinner on Saturday night post-10k and pre-half marathon, and breakfast on Sunday morning after the half. I figured those were the two most important meals of the weekend, and I didn’t want to run into any issues by not having reservations.

When we arrived on Friday, we weren’t sure what to have for dinner, after devouring some delicious mini cupcakes at the cupcake meet-up. But as we were walking through Downtown Disney, we spotted Tortilla Jo’s, and knew we had to eat there. When faced with the option to eat Mexican and Southwestern food, we will almost always choose it. There was a bit of a wait, but we were eating so early (we had been up since 2am EDT) we didn’t mind the wait. Once seated, I had no problem enjoying a skinny margarita and guacamole, followed by a delicious veggie burrito. By the time dinner was over we were stuffed to the gills and ready for bed… no dessert necessary.

After the race on Saturday morning, by the time we showered and were in the parks and finally hungry, it was around 11am. We headed to Paradise Pier in California Adventure and got ourselves a giant sourdough bread bowl filled with soup. Only after we ordered and started eating did I realize we were enjoying a San Francisco favorite, a city we’d be visiting in just a few days… go figure! The bread was the perfect post-race treat, and the broccoli and cheddar soup that came in it was awesome – just the right amount of cheese and cream to broccoli ratio. Since we had a later meal (we’ll call it brunch?), I opted for ice cream as an early afternoon treat once in Disneyland. I certainly was not a poster child for proper pre and post race fueling on this trip, but hey, you have to live a little.

Dinner reservations on Saturday were at 6pm, which gave us enough time to enjoy the parks before dinner so we could head back to the hotel afterwards for an early bedtime. I had heard wonderful things about the Monte Cristo sandwich served in New Orleans Square, so I knew we had to go. After reading a few reviews and tips, I decided to make a reservation at Cafe Orleans, rather than Blue Bayou (it was noted as slightly cheaper, but pretty much the same). We enjoyed some Parmesan garlic fries to start, and by the time our Monte Cristo’s came out, I was already on my way to being full. As you can see in the picture below, it’s A LOT of (fried) food. I wound up only eating one piece, and brought the rest back to the hotel (we had a fridge and microwave!). It was delicious, but heavy. There were a bunch of tip son FourSquare saying it was big enough to share, and we should have listened. Oh well, next time!

Sunday’s breakfast was planned at Carnation Cafe, another noted favorite by many of the blogs and articles I read while researching. Apparently their head chef has worked in Disneyland for 55+ years! I hadn’t really looked at the menu before (which is rare for me) but I was pleased to see Huevos Rancheros – they are one of my favorite breakfasts! The eggs were perfectly poached and I’m always thrilled to see things like black beans, avocados, and cilantro on my plate. We weren’t rushed at all, and it was nice to sit back and relax after the half marathon.

huevos — Pretty much all of my favorite things.

Being the bad blogger that I am, there were also a lot of other delicious things we had on our trip that I just didn’t take a picture of. Like an awesome jalapeno stuffed pretzel with a Torpedo IPA at Bayside Brews and an epic java explosion sundae from Ghirardelli, both in California Adventure.

Our final meal wasn’t actually in Disneyland, but rather at Buca di Beppo, about a mile down the road with my cousin and his family. My cousin has lived in California all his life (after my Aunt packed up and moved there when she was 18 – my mom always jokes that she moved across the country with garbage bags full of her stuff), and we don’t get to see each other that often because of the distance. Since he only lives about an hour outside of Disneyland, we made sure to meet up with the whole gang (he has three kids, all under the age of 5!). It was a great way to cap off our Disneyland trip.

Since we spent the next 3 1/2 days in San Francisco, you better believe the eating did not stop there! I can’t wait to share that part of the trip with you as well… I fell completely in love with that city.

Fashion Friday: #BirdMachine

On Wednesday, I took an evening trip into the city to attend Oiselle’s New York Fashion Week after party. That’s right – a running apparel company was showing at Fashion Week!

When I was younger, if someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, they would get one of two answers: a fashion designer, or a lawyer. While my interest and passion for law never really flourished past the sixth grade (unless you consider following the law as interest in it), I’ve always been into fashion. I had intentions of applying to FIT when it came time to decide on colleges, but after a less than positive impression from a “college night” at my high school junior year, I decided it wasn’t really the place for me. So here I am now, with an English degree (and teaching certification), not really sure what I want to do and where I want to go. But that’s a post for another time! Naturally I was drawn to Oiselle as a running apparel company because they do more than “just make running clothes” – they support the running community and make the kind of running clothes I want to wear, whether I’m running or not.

Since I live in New Jersey, I was thrilled to hear some of the Oiselle ladies would be in the tri-state area, especially since it meant possibly getting to soak up some of the NYFW awesomeness. While I wasn’t able to attend the actual fashion show (it was closed to “industry” only, which I clearly am not), they did have an after party that I was able to attend, along with some of my favorite NJ/NYC/CT/PA based running blog buddies. After seeing some sneak peek pictures from the show, I couldn’t wait to get to the party and celebrate. Swim wear? Bright & bold colors? Short shorts? Amazing stuff!

I met up with Ashley to grab dinner once I got into the city, and we walked over to the party in Chelsea together. It’s so funny walking into a room full of people you know through the Internet – because you want to go up to them and strike up a conversation like you’re old friends, yet you’ve never actually met in person! As I was introducing myself as “Danielle,” I realized I needed to include my Twitter handle in order for people to put the two together, and a bunch of us joked that we should have worn name tags with our handles on them. It was so great to meet the brains & operations behind Oiselle, along with a bunch of fellow Oiselle Teammates and other people I interact with daily that I felt like I already knew! Unfortunately I had to leave to catch my train before I had a chance to get all fan-girl with Lauren Fleshman (should have brought my resume so she’d hire me as Jude the dude’s nanny…) but I did get to say hi to Kate Grace!

Admittedly I was a “bad” blogger and took zero pictures. I was too caught up in meeting everyone and chatting, that I forgot for a moment my phone had any purpose other than to tell me the time! But trust me when I say that the party was awesome, and somehow made me fall even more in love with a company than I thought possible.

So tell me…
Have you ever attended (any) Fashion Week events?
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Running Update: Marathoning

For those of you that have been following along, you know I was struggling with some weird undiagnosed pain in my right ankle & foot for most of July and August. Early signs of marathon training in June pointed to a successful training cycle, and the chances of me crushing my current PR were high. But, after two months of inconsistent training, I knew it wasn’t logical to think I would be able to successfully (and easily) complete marathon training by the November 16th race date for the Richmond Marathon. So in what seems to be like an unfortunately common theme among a lot of my runner friends right now, I had to pass on the 2013 Richmond Marathon.

The good news, though, is that my ankle and foot are 90-95% better, depending on the day, and the run. I was able to run in Disneyland with no problems! Since I already paid for a hotel room, I decided to drop down to the half since they provide the option for only $10. So at least I’ll still get to run part of America’s friendliest marathon!

This leaves me with a new problem, though… finding an early winter marathon! My initial thoughts are to run the Rehoboth Beach Marathon on December 7th, since it isn’t too far away from me and doesn’t have to be a big weekend away. But that only gives me an extra three weeks of training, putting me at about a 12 week cycle. Any other races would obviously be in different locations (South, West, etc.) because the weather in January and February around here is not exactly marathon friendly. Thankfully I’ve been able to bounce these ideas off of my coach, Steph, so I’m confident we’ll be able to come up with the best solution soon.

In the meantime I’m just going to keep my fingers crossed that all of these annoying pains are gone for good. I’ve been trying to be as diligent as possible with cross-training and ankle, foot, and leg strengthening exercises, while also working on my core and upper body. I’ve always known how important it is to condition your whole body and how great cross-training is, but I’m realizing it more now than ever. I just have to remind myself when I’m feeling lazy or unmotivated that these few minutes here and there can mean the difference between running pain free, or being sidelined.

So tell me…
Do you have any good cross-training or exercises you do for your feet, ankles, and/or legs I should be trying?
Know of any great December, January, or February marathons I should consider?

Disneyland: Dumbo Double Dare

Another Disney race is in the books! A week and a half ago now (whoops) I headed to the west coast to run the Disneyland half marathon and complete the Dumbo Double Dare with a 10k as well. This was my first time in Disneyland, and it was tons of fun.

I know a lot of people have a hard time understanding why someone would pay so much money to run a race that is generally not competitive, where a lot of people dress up and there are storybook characters on the course. And I get it – it definitely isn’t for everyone. But as someone that spent pretty much every family vacation in Disney World and loving it, when I became a runner it seemed only logical to do a Disney race. It combines two of my favorite things, and it’s a great way (for me) to really enjoy both of them at the same time. But after four Run Disney weekends, I’m ready to take a little break to enjoy other races across the country. But back to the races!

We arrived in Los Angeles on Friday and took a shuttle bus to our hotel in Anaheim. This was the first time I wasn’t staying on Disney property, but the hotel was literally across the street from the parks, and significantly cheaper. When I’m in Disney World I always stay on property (I think it adds to the experience), but it isn’t necessary in Disneyland. We headed to the expo to pick up our bibs, and then went to Krissy’s geniusly organized Cupcake Meet-up! I enjoyed some mini cupcakes and got to hang with one of my favorite running pals (Krissy, duh). It was an early night of course, and the 4am wake up call came quickly.

The beauty of racing in Disneyland is that you can walk to the start – unlike in Disney World where you have to take a bus, and then walk 20 minutes to the corrals. Before I knew it we were off, running our first Disneyland race!

The 10k was tons of fun – it went through both Disneyland and California Adventure Parks and ended in Downtown Disney. Since we were in corral A, as we were heading to the finish we stopped to take a picture with Tweedles Dee & Dum since they were all alone. It was my first mid-race character picture! The race ended (55 and change, nice and easy) and my ankle felt FINE!

We spent Saturday walking around the parks an enjoying all of Disneyland. After a morning in California Adventure, we stopped by the Grand Californian Hotel for a Twitter meet-up put on by @pavementrunner, @katsnf, and @seesharprun. It was great to catch up with old running friends and finally meet new ones in person! We finished the day in Disneyland with an epic Monte Cristo for dinner (more on the food later), and I was in bed and asleep by 8:30pm (old lady status) ready for my 3am wake up!

Sunday morning was easy during the Dumbo Double Dare compared to Goofy Challenge’s Sunday. I had no problem getting up, had plenty of energy, and was ready to run more! While we were waiting in our corral for the start, we ran into Krissy again! Fate, I tell you. After watching a couple get engaged, seeing Sean Astin and Joey Fatone be interviewed, and general pre-race Run Disney fun, it was time for 13.1. My plan was to try and run a 2 hour half marathon. I really haven’t run consistently in the last two months, and I had no idea what to expect from my ankle. So we started off easy, and each wound up taking a bathroom break in the first 2 miles (too much Nuun, apparently). We kept a pretty steady sub-9 pace for the first 10 miles (minus the bathroom break), and enjoyed the parks again. Even though the second half of the race was just through streets of Anaheim, it was much more entertaining than Disney service roads.

DL_10k — This is a picture of me running on Saturday. Pretend it’s Sunday – it looked the same.

Once we made it to the Angel’s stadium (which was so loud with spectators), I decided to see if I could do what has now become “running the Disney way”… A serious negative split and push in the last few miles. We’ve managed to do this on the second day of each challenge weekend since we started, and in a sick way I look forward to it. We slowly picked up each of the final miles, with the last one clocking in a 7:40 average. We crossed in 1:57, which I was more than happy with considering the easy pace, bathroom breaks, and lack of consistent training I’ve had recently. And as I crossed the finish line and got my medals, I ran into Krissy (who ran the 10k the day before and another half the day after!) and Emily (who just BQ’d!), some of my Oiselle teammates!

After breakfast in Disneyland and a picture with Dumbo himself, I was ready to fully enjoy the parks for the last day and a half. Unfortunately, my left foot started to hurt around the arch and inner ankle bone by late Sunday, and by Monday I was struggling to walk (yes, that’s the opposite foot that has been giving me trouble). It was very similar to the pain I had last January during marathon weekend. I have a feeling I was overcompensating for potential ankle pain, and my feet were just exhausted from 19.3 miles of running and walking through all the parks (I wore my sneakers with orthotics every single day) in such a short period of time. It certainly wasn’t the way I wanted to end the trip, but I was happy my ankle pain was pretty much non-existent!

Before I knew it we were heading back to the airport, but instead of heading home, we were on our way to San Francisco (recap of that awesome city to come)!

Meatless Monday: White Bean Basil Burgers

One of the things I miss most about no longer eating meat is a good hamburger. I can easily turn down a steak, chicken (even wings!), and seafood. But I won’t try to pretend that I don’t miss a juicy hamburger (well, 99.9% of the time it’s a cheeseburger) from time to time. There was even an period when I was in middle school that my go-to order when out to eat was some type of burger and fries. It wasn’t because I was picky eater – it was simply because I loved them that much! So now that I’m a vegetarian, I think it’s natural that I find myself making some type of veggie burger frequently.

In the past my go-to base for a veggie burger has been black beans… partially because I love black beans, and partially because they seem to be the default for most restaurant and packaged veggie burgers. As I’ve delved more and more into a vegetarian diet and cooking in general, I’ve come to realize that you can really transform almost anything if you’re willing to take a little time and get creative.

These particular burgers came about due to a craving for both falafel and a veggie burger. I knew I had white beans at home (but no chickpeas), so my first instinct was to try and make a generic falafel based on white beans instead of chickpeas. While trying to remember what else I had laying around at home, I remembered the fresh basil from the previous week’s fresh box that was definitely on its last legs. That’s when I realized I could use the white beans and basil together, and satisfy my veggie burger craving; enter the White Bean Basil Burgers!

With the perfect combination of basil, red onion, and fresh sliced tomato and mozzarella, these burgers are a great end-0f-summer treat. I didn’t have mine on a bun simply because I didn’t have any, but they would be great on an Italian roll!

White Bean Basil Burgers
– makes 4 burgers –

Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can white beans (cannellini beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion, diced
10 leaves fresh basil, chiffonade (just chopped works too)
1 tsp rosemary
2 tsp oil for cooking
Optional: Sliced tomato & fresh mozzarella cheese to top the burgers

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mash the white bean burgers with a potato masher or a fork.
2. Once the white beans are mashed, add in the rest of the ingredients: bread crumbs, garlic, onion, basil, and rosemary, stirring to make sure everything is combined well. Form into 4 patties.
4. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook on each side for about 6-8 minutes, flipping once.
5. Serve with sliced tomato, mozzarella cheese, and additional fresh basil if desired.

Running and Swimming

I often think about just how similar running and swimming are in terms of sports. At the outset they’re very different; one is on land and the other is in water. As someone who has spent time dedicated to each sport individually, as I delve deeper into “being a runner,” I notice more and more similarities.

For those of you new to the party, before becoming a runner I swam for 10 years. It started innocently enough; we moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey, and for the first time we had easy access to public pools. I spent my summers up until that point cooling off with fire hydrant water. So naturally out of fear for my own safety my mom and dad signed me up for swimming lessons, and I rocked those bad boys. But by the time I was 11, I had outgrown swim lessons and it was either time to join the team, or find a new sport. So with intense hesitation, I joined the local YMCA team. Fast forward 10 years and I found myself graduating from The University of Scranton, having swum and lettered all four years in high school and college, with a few records and championships under my belt. It was natural I picked up running, right?

2007 University of Scranton Women's Team in Puerto Rico... can you spot me?! — 2007 Women’s Team in Puerto Rico… can you spot me?!

Well from the outside, someone may say no, that swimming and running don’t go hand in hand (unless of course it’s swimming as rehab for running). But if you take a quick poll of runners, I think you’ll be shocked to find many of them have spent some quality, non-injury time in the pool. I’m no scientist, psychologist, or researcher, but based on my own experiences and personality, it’s become clear to me over the years why runners and swimmers gravitate towards one another’s sport (or at least that swimmers eventually become runners).

I find myself thinking about this every so often when I’m running, and there are a few things that stand out to me. The most obvious is that swimming and running are both very individual sports, yet they contribute to a common team goal. Sure, when you’re running or swimming a race, you’re the only one in that lane/on the road, and you’re racing against yourself, the clock, and whoever else is in the race with you. There aren’t teammates you’re relying on for the win (there’s little teamwork involved) – it’s just about you. But all of those individual efforts are combined to make up a team. Because of that, I think it’s natural for swimmers to turn into runners (and even vice versa), because they function similarly; even if one is on land and the other is in the water.

And aside from that individual, yet simultaneously team-like environment, we’re all a little crazy. I mean, think about it! Both sports require hours of repetitive monotony. Lap after lap, mile after mile, oftentimes only with your own thoughts. A lot of the time, the only person or thing that determines if you work hard or phone it in, is you. Both sports rely heavily on intrinsic motivation, and I think because of that, people who participate in either sport find that the highs are so high (new PR! race win!) , and the lows can be incredibly low (total bonk. injury). So naturally, I like to do both!

After a week of long course doubles, you go a little mad.

Admittedly, I haven’t been swimming nearly as much as I’d like. I blame this on the fact that there aren’t really any gyms with pools nearby, and those that have them come with a heavy monthly price tag. My parent’s still belong to the municipal pool where I grew up spending most of my summer days, so I try to go whenever I have the chance. I went this past Friday and did laps for the first time in at least 2 years (but I haven’t done a real workout in about 5)! While I was swimming I remembered how much I loved the sport, despite being slow, out of breath, and having my shoulders on fire. Swimming and running really are a great pair, and I really need to add swimming back into my routine. It may mean I’ll have to tone down my online shopping habit, but if it means getting back to a sport I fell in love with at 11 and obsessed over for the next 10 years, I think it’s worth it. Now if only I could get over my fear of biking, and I may have a shot at being a triathlete!

So tell me..
Do you use swimming as cross-training for your running?
How many of you used to swim on a team (summer, high school, YMCA, club, etc.) and now run?

Oh Hello!

Hey friends, remember me?!

I know I haven’t posted in awhile, but that’s because I’ve been busy trying to enjoy the last days of summer (while refusing to believe it’s almost over), and more importantly, because I really haven’t had much to say.

I’ve been in the kitchen cooking up some really great dishes. There have been a few that I’ve come up with on my own and hope to re-create for blog post purposes, but the majority of them have been based on recipes I found online. I’m not one for “photo dump” posts, but I want to share these recipes with you guys, since they were big hits in my house.

With a lot of baking involved, I have to rely on my home oven and a lot of gas so I have to contact my propane dealers often.

Clockwise from the top left:
1. Vegan Oreo Pancakes: Reminded me more of an Almond Joy (it uses shredded coconut) and is awesome. Definitely a “dessert for breakfast” type pancake.
2. Flourless Chickpea Chocolate Chip Blondies: I know, chickpeas in your dessert? It sounds weird, but is absolutely delicious. It’s vegan so you can eat the entire thing raw if you want (and it’s gluten free)! I need to make these again ASAP.
3. Peach & Blueberry Spiced Muffins: I’ve had a surplus of blueberries and peaches from my CSA box, and this was the perfect way to use some. The spices added a nice hint of almost-Fall, with fresh summer fruits.
4. Agave Lime Tofu with Asian Slaw and Chipotle Sweet Potato Mash: First time using The Conscious Cook cookbook I’ve had forever – SO awesome and easy to make.

Aside from cooking and eating, I wish I could say that I’ve been running and crushing marathon training with my ankle issue far behind me. Unfortunately that isn’t the case. I took a full week off per my doctor’s suggestion, and seemed okay when I started back up for that first week. I was a little achy and sore in places, but it wasn’t unbearable. I assumed that I would just have to run through the discomfort, and eventually things would start to feel better. I started the second week after seeing the doctor with a decent 6 mile run, and followed it up the next day with a 4 miler that just didn’t feel good. I woke up the following morning barely able to walk, and extremely frustrated. I saw my podiatrist that afternoon, and he really didn’t have any suggestions for me. He told me to come back in a month, and if the pain was still there, I’d be sent for an MRI. Nothing like a non-answer to make you feel better! I haven’t run since then (it’s been a week), and to be honest, I’m kind of lost. Do I wait until the pain is completely gone from walking (it is now), and try to run again? Do I wait longer before trying to run? I need to find someone with answers, or at least suggestions! I’ve had a few suggestions to go to a chiropractor and get some ART done, so I think that is next on my to-do list. I’m still planning to run (or walk, if I have to) the 10k and half marathon for the Disneyland Dumbo Dare at the end of the month, but I’m undecided if I’ll still run the Richmond Marathon. I may drop down to the half, or defer to next year. I’m so thankful that this particular race at least provides those options!

At least I have this sweet all-sport Picky Bars water bottle to keep me company!

Even though I haven’t been running, I’ve been trying to stay in shape. I also figured if I couldn’t run, it would be the perfect opportunity to try and get myself a 6-pack, and increase my overall strength (LOL on the 6-pack). I’ve been participating in Kat’s August Core Focus, and adding in my own variations (hello Pinterest). I’ve also come up with some decent arm workouts that use only your body weight and 5-10lb. dumbbells. Maybe I’ll share it in a fun little graphic one of these days. I’ve done a few biking sessions at the gym, have done yoga almost every single day, and have a swim planned for tomorrow — first time back in the pool in at least a year… wonder how many yards I can do!

The biggest thing I’ve been doing during this whole “situation” is trying to stay positive, which I think I’ve actually been pretty successful at. In the past, as soon as I felt a twinge of discomfort or had a bad run I would immediately freak out and become a ball of misery. Recently I’ve come to terms with the fact that I may not run a fall marathon, but there are marathons all over the country every single weekend, and my health is more important.

Have you ever dealt with a non-injury, injury (or as I’m calling it, a “situation”)?
Any great non-running cross training things I should try?