Reflections: Internet Friends

A few weeks ago I attended a conference for work (put on by my company). Being a software development company and trying to stay on-trend with social media, the event had a hashtag and participants were encouraged to Tweet and Instagram throughout the week using the conference hashtag. Being the good employee that I am, at one point I Instagrammed a picture of cupcakes that were served during one of the session breaks. Later than evening while talking with a few partners, one stopped, looked at me and said; “You posted a picture of cupcakes earlier, right? And you’re a swimmer turned runner? Sorry, this sounds creepy.” I couldn’t help but laugh, and it actually didn’t creep me out. I mean, I put it out on the Internet, didn’t I?

At one point during the conversation (where he went on to say how he doesn’t like things like Facebook to post his own stuff, but likes reading about others… okay), I told him how I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some really great people through the Internet. And it got me thinking… I’ve been really lucky! I remember not too long ago talking to “strangers” on the Internet was dangerous. AOL chat rooms? Better hide the screen when your parents walk by! Meeting someone from the Internet? Forget about it! Yet now in my late twenties (when did that happen?) I’ve been fortunate enough to forge some really special bonds and create real friendships… thanks to the good ‘ole Internets.

I have a few great examples of how fortunate I’ve been with people I’ve met online and how those online relationships have become true friendships. One of my very first Internet-turned-real-life friends was Krissy. We connected over a love for running and Disney, and when we finally met IN Disney (of course) in 2012, it felt like we had been friends forever. She’s always so positive and enthusiastic, and runs full marathons like it ain’t no thang.

Runnin' with Krissy & Ashley at the Nike Women's Half in 2013! — Runnin’ with Krissy & Ashley at the Nike Women’s Half in 2013!

Another great example of this was yesterday. Ashley, who I first connected with on Twitter based on our love of running and New Jersey, quickly became a close friend. We hang out (which usually involves food), run together, complain to each other about work on g-chat, and yesterday I had the pleasure of attending her wedding! If you had asked me just a few years ago if I’d be attending the wedding of someone I met on the Internet, I would have looked at you funny. But I did and it was wonderful (of course)! And Dori, who I also connected with via Twitter because we were both running Richmond last year… now lives two doors down from me! And she introduced me to two other awesome ladies who love to run, eat, drink, and snark (some of my favorite things!). Talk about fate.

And there’s my favorite diner date, Hollie, who I can text any time with random thoughts and will likely reply that she was thinking the same thing. Her name isn’t FueledByLOLZ for nothing – she always knows how to make me laugh, and can provide invaluable running advice whenever I need it.

Just hangin' out in the subway — Just hangin’ out in the subway

I’d be remiss not to mention all of the wonderful women I’ve met through the Oiselle Team, and while I can’t name them all, I’m thankful for the bond I’ve formed with so many great women across the country. Not to mention my birthday twin Allie!

Even though the Internet has been around for quite some time and social media isn’t anything new, it still blows my mind that you can have these connections with complete strangers, who turn out to be some of your very best friends. I can go from sharing a few 140 character interactions with someone to talking on g-chat (cough, Leticia, cough), to texting and hanging out, to attending their wedding! Maybe this is a sappy post because I’m coming down from a love-fest high of weddings three weekends in a row and I’m just so thankful to have a close friend living mere steps away, but this whole social media thing has connected me with so many great people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. The Internet is a funny place… and I’m grateful for it.

Tell me…
What’s your favorite way to connect with people online? (mine is obviously Twitter!)

Friday Favorites

Welcome to another installation of my Friday Favorites! I realized as I was thinking about this post that I’ve done a bunch, and the titles of each blog post are all the same. Whoops! But this post is no different from any of those other posts – it’s a whole bunch of random things I’m currently loving.

Bodum Bistro Coffee Maker

This coffee maker is awesome. You may be wondering why I bought a new coffee maker when the one I had was fine. Well, this bad boy was on sale, and after reading a few reviews, I knew I had to have it. I mean, just look at it!

I’m no coffee connoisseur, but I’m an avid coffee drinker and appreciate a good cup. I have a French Press and love to take the time to use it on the weekends, and I also love getting pour-over coffee when I’m out. This coffee maker gives me a similarly flavored cup of coffee, and all I have to do is grind some coffee beans, fill it up with some water, and press a button. And another bonus is the carafe that the maker comes with; it’s insulated so you can take it from the kitchen to the table so you don’t have to keep getting up during your lazy weekend breakfast (and it isn’t glass, so you don’t have to worry about breaking it, like I’ve done before).

New Balance 1400s

I’ve wanted a pair of lighter sneakers for awhile; a pair that I can run workouts and shorter races in, and as I get stronger, longer races. A lot of my friends wear New Balance 1400’s or 1600’s, so I figured I’d give them a try. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that a big draw to these particular sneakers were the colors. I’ve always been obsessed with bright and bold colors, and New Balance has been delivering on that front with their running sneakers for quite a few years. I tried them on before ordering them, and am happy to report that in addition to the sweet colors, they fit great and are perfect fast(er) running sneakers for me.

It was tough to figure out what color scheme I wanted, but eventually I settled on the glow in the dark 1400’s! They’re perfect because I can wear them when I have to run after work, and if you throw them under the light for a few minutes before you head out the door, they actually glow. I like the idea of having a little extra visibility (in addition to my reflective vest, and knuckle lights), and these provide that. Plus, they have just the right amount of cushion while still letting me feel the ground; and they’re super light weight. I’m looking forward to working them into my shoe rotation on a more steady basis… I’d love to be able to use them as my racing shoe for my PR half marathon attempt!

Oiselle Spring Funnel Neck

I knew as soon as I saw this top that I had to have it. The gray color with a pop of fresh green on the sleeves and the ever-so-slight turtleneck were just what I needed to help get me through the last few months of winter.

A Polar Vortex Selfie, brought to you by the funnel neck, a long puffer, and serious snow boots… with a creepin’ cat

Unfortunately it’s still too cold for me to wear it while running, but I’ve been loving it as a layering piece for everyday wear in the meantime. The beauty of a lot of Oiselle‘s clothing is that while it’s made for running, you can easily get away with wearing it out in public without having that “oh, you just worked out” look. Plus, since my office is casual (they let us wear shorts in the summer), tops like this are perfect for work… especially because it’s always cold in my office and the thumb-holes help keep me warm!

Reading for fun

This might sound silly, but when I was in college I couldn’t wait to “not have to study and do homework” so I could read books that I wanted to read for fun. As an English major I did plenty of reading, but it was almost always assigned reading; I think I had maybe one class that incorporated some outside reading. So when I first graduated I did just that – I tore through quite a few books and was loving it. But as the years passed and I got busier with that little thing called being an adult (and the introduction of running and marathon training), reading for fun fell by the wayside. I recently changed that, and have been loving it so far!

During the Holidays I read Everything Is Perfect When You’re A Liar by Kelly Oxford, and often found myself giggling while reading. It’s absolutely hilarious and a fun, lighthearted read. On my trip to Brussels I read Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell and devoured it in a matter of hours. It’s technically a young adult novel, but I think people of all ages will absolutely love it. It takes you back to high school and reminds you of those gut-wrenching feelings you had for that boy or girl that caught your eye. I’ve also been slowly going through Jay Dicharry’s Anatomy for Runners, but it’s a science heavy book so I’ve been taking it piece by piece and isn’t really a “fun” read so much as an “I need this so I can figure out how to stop getting injured so much while running” read. I also just downloaded The Fault In Our Stars by John Green at the recommendation of many (though those recommendations have also come with a sadness warning). I’m hoping 2014 is the year of Danielle being well read!

Supporting Others & Causes

While this doesn’t necessarily fit with the whole “material things I love right now” theme of the post, I wanted to take a minute to point out two special runners that have gone from Twitter and blog friends, to teammates, to real life buds. I am so inspired by both of these ladies on a daily basis – from their amazing positive attitudes, to their insane and speedy mileage, to the support and FUN they bring to the running and blogging community. Currently, they’re both fundraising for separate, but equally important causes, and I wanted to highlight them in hopes that you will think about making a donation to help them reach their goals!

Hollie – Fueled by LOLZ
Hollie is currently fundraising for Ophelia’s Place, a center that provides information about eating disorder prevention, intervention, treatment, and education. She’s running the Lake Effect Half Marathon in Upstate New York at the end of February (I’m cold just thinking about it) and hopes to raise $2,000 for the cause. I hope you’ll take a moment to think about donating!

She also posts amazing memes everyday... I mean, how could you note vote for THIS? — She also posts amazing memes everyday… I mean, how could you note vote for THIS?

That being said, Hollie is also campaigning this month for an all expense paid trip to Napa to run the Zooma Half Marathon, and she’d love to have your vote. You’re supposed to vote for a blogger that embodies the Zooma mission – inspiring women to lead healthy, happy, and active lives. It seems pretty clear to me based on Hollie’s dedication to being a healthy runner – and in the process is fundraising for eating disorder awareness – that she does in fact embody the Zooma mission. Not to mention she’s hilarious and a lover of New Jersey diners, and my Oiselle teammate. So let’s help get her to Napa (you can vote once a day until the end of February)!

Krissy – Shiawaselife
Krissy was one of my first Twitter/blog friends turned real life friends, and I’m so thankful that she’s also an Oiselle teammate who is equally (and possibly even MORE) obsessed with Disney as I am. I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with her in Disney World, Disneyland, and running the Nike Half in D.C. last April with her and Ashley.

Runnin' with KMurph & Bun in DC... having SO MUCH FUN — Runnin’ with KMurph & Bun in DC… having SO MUCH FUN

I wish I could get across on paper (or in this case, computer screen) how awesome I think Krissy is, but I don’t think there are words that can adequately describe just how enthusiastic, positive, and supportive she is. So naturally when I found out she was going to be running the Run Donna 26.2 at the end of February as her redemption race in hopes of a (well deserved) BQ and would be fundraising in the process, I knew I had to donate… and I hope you’ll consider donating as well.

And with that, all I can say is happy Superbowl weekend!

Tell me…
What are you loving this week?

Chips for dinner

There are times when it’s okay to throw the rules out the window. Allowing yourself to let go of the idea that chips are not a suitable dinner is a prime example of that type of time. This is now the second time I’ve used chips in a dish aside from regular nachos, and the result has been pretty delicious.

While sifting through the pile of cookbooks I received for Christmas trying to meal plan, I remembered a tiny book I hadn’t yet given much attention – Eat Tweet, by @cookbook (aka Maureen Evans). The title alone is accurate for my own life… I eat and tweet (among other, less important things). I’m not going to lie that it’s a little difficult here and there to decipher the abbreviated language within some of the reicpes. But, the recipes are all pretty straight forward considering they’re 140 characters or less. I like the idea of a dish that can fit into a tweet.

This is by no means healthy, and I don’t even know how I got away with serving it as “dinner.” It’s definitely moreso a party snack to be eaten sparingly. However, my fiancé and I totally ate this for dinner, alongside a giant salad. And let me tell you, it was delicious. I’m thinking I should start cooking with chips more often…

I went ahead and decoded the recipe for you, to make it easeir to read… I figured a 140 character abbreviated recipe has it’s place on Twitter, but not neccessarily my blog. I can’t wait to decode more of these.

Frito Pie via Eat Tweet
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of chili, any variety you like (I used Amy’s black bean)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cups Fritos (I used the lightly salted version, as I find their regular is super salty)
2 cups of shredded cheese
*shredded lettuce, sour cream, and salsa for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In greased pie dish, layer 2 cups of Fritos, followed by 1/2 cup diced onion, 1 cup of cheese, and the 2 1/2 cups of chili.
3. Layer remaining cup of fritos, followed by remaining onions and cheese.
4. Bake for 15 minutes until chips and cheese are golden brown.

Tea Time and a Giveaway!

When I was contacted to try some of Celestial Seasoning’s new Antioxidant Max Green Teas, I jumped at the offer! I’m a huge coffee fan, but I’m partial to tea as well. My fiancé and I will oftentimes have tea with our dessert (a cupcake, a cookie, etc.). We have tins upon tins of loose teas, and quite a few tea packets as well. [Scroll down for entry rules]

The package I received came with four full boxes of yummy tea; Blackberry Pomegranate Green Tea, Sleepytime Green Lemon Jasmine, Blood Orange Starfruit, and Dragon Fruit Melon. They all sounded so exotic and fruity, I didn’t know which one to try first! In addition to their delicious flavors, they boast that each serving contains 20% of the daily recommended intake for Vitamin C! I don’t know about you, but in these super cold dreary months, I could certainly use some extra Vitamin C to keep the sniffles away. They are also calorie (the Sleepy time does have some calories) and gluten free, as well as Kosher certified.

Once I opened the package, I was intrigued by the actual tea packets that also included the best sencha brands. They aren’t individually wrapped, rather they come in one big pouch, and are sans strings and tags. According to the information sheet that came with the teas, this allows them to save more than 3.5 pounds of waste each year! And, of course, the packaging is made of 100% recycled materials.

So, onto the flavor! I decided to have a cup of the Sleepytime Green Lemon Jasmine, while my fiancé sampled the Blackberry Pomegranate Green (he’s obsessed with pomegranates). As soon as I put my fiancé’s tea bag in his warm water, I could instantly smell the fruit, and it smelled good! They each only take 2 minutes to steep, which was surprising to us, as all of our loose teas take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. Even though that seemed like a short amount of time, it was plenty of time for the tea bags to transfer the flavor into our water. We both drink our tea without any adders, so it was a great way to really get a taste of the flavors. The Sleepytime was the perfect end of the day tea (since it is caffeine free) – the lemon and jasmine were comforting, and the green tea added a nice refreshing quality. My fiancé’s was fruity! When I took a sip I felt like I should have been laying on a tropical island, not in 10 degree weather. The smell and the actual flavor were right on par, and it wasn’t too much – it was just right. I can’t wait to try the other two flavors.

So, now the question is, do you want some of this yummy tea for yourself?! The winner will receive exactly what I got – four awesome teas (20 tea packets in each), of Celestial Seasoning’s Blood Orange Star Fruit Green Tea, Dragon Fruit Melon Green Tea, Blackberry Pomegranate Green Tea, and Sleepytime Green Lemon Jasmine Tea. There are a few ways to enter, and each of the ways will give you an extra entry:

Leave a comment here (it can be anything, but something tea related would be nice!)
Follow me on Twitter (then come back here and tell me you did)

I’ll choose the winner by Thursday 1/27 at 9pm EST using Random.org.

Butter Me Up

Last week, a friend of ours stopped over with a wonderful little jar of homemade pumpkin butter. After reading all over the Internets about everyone making pumpkin, apple, and other kinds of butters, I was psyched to give this one a try. While I don’t have the recipe, I’m planning on making my own special version later this week, so stay tuned for that.

I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with the contents of the jar all week. Over the weekend, I slathered some on top of a Wegmans cinnamon bun because I didn’t feel like using the cream cheese frosting. It was really good! Yesterday, Runner’s Trials tweeted about having peanut butter and pumpkin butter, and a light bulb went off – hello sandwich time!

So today for breakfast, I feasted on this bad boy – some chunky peanut butter and pumpkin butter on toast. Oh heck yes; it was delicious!

I’m totally ready to conquer the day now 🙂

Blogiversary!

I totally missed the one year anniversary of my blog! I’m so embarrassed! Here I was thinking the anniversary was some time in October, but oh I was wrong – my first official post was on August 27th, 2009!

I’ve always been in love with writing; when I was younger I used to play with different programs that would let you make mock news papers. I kept journal after journal, and you could always find me writing notes to friends. I’m still the ring leader when it comes to group e-mails, and you can ask my fiancé – I’m a big proponent of hand written notes. I’m a word nerd and proud of it. I may not always follow the proper MLA or APA writing styles, but I do try my best to write fluidly and in a way that anyone reading would enjoy.

I don’t think I have a huge following, but that’s okay. I’m writing because I love it. Sure, it’d be a great job either full time or on the side to rake in some extra moolah, but that’s not the point. I’m here to share with you my love for cooking and eating through writing! So what’s gone on this past year? I don’t even know where to begin.

Since starting the blog I created a Twitter account that was used pretty sparingly at first, as I already had a personal account as well. Since then, though, after finding so many great reads when it came to cooking, eating, blogging, and running (and some virtual friends, too!), I’ve almost completely abandoned my personal Twitter and stuck to good ‘ole FoodosaurusRex. I’ve also had the opportunity for three giveaways (one is going on right now – so go enter!). I’ve become a runner and completed my first half marathon and am training for two more. I took a trip to Chicago and fell in love with the city. I started school again this past Spring. And most importantly, on an amazing trip to Disney World, I got engaged!

There has been a lot of deliciousness consumed in the past year, and a lot of miles run. I have no intention of slowing down any time soon, so keep reading! And thanks for everyone that does read – it’s nice to see my blog stats and know that there are people out there reading what I’ve got to say, even if it is just about food (nomz).

My first attempt at overnight oats

There are a few things that the blogs I read and people I follow on Twitter seem to always be talking about. Aside from running and food in general, specific to healthy living and eating, there is always talk about green monsters, overnight oats, breakfast cookies, and general health foods that have been made yummy, even for the most skeptical.

After seeing lots of posts about overnight oats, I decided to give them a try. You can really make them however you want – the base ingredients are rolled oats, some type of milk, a bonding agent (say yogurt for example) and then whatever flavors you’d like. Since Wednesday was the first full official day of fall and having stocked up on cans of Libby’s Pure Pumpkin, I decided to make pumpkin overnight oats. After seeing the general recipe from the likes of Healthy Tipping Point, Oh She Glows, Kath Eats, and others, I got crackin’.

My favorite part about making this is that it literally takes you two minutes, and then you can just throw it in the fridge till morning. Then, when it’s all thick and creamy, you can either eat it cold, or pop it in the microwave for a minute or two! While it doesn’t look the most appetizing, it is in fact delicious. I have some nectarines lying around, I’m thinking about throwing them in next. This is definitely going to be a fall and winter breakfast staple for me!

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

Ingredients:
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup pure pumpkin
1 tsp all spice
2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in bowl, cover with plastic wrap or foil, allow to sit in fridge overnight
Enjoy hot or cold!

Feel the burn

I admittedly have pretty sensitive skin, and as I’ve gotten older, my eyes have joined in the sensitive club as well. I like to thank the countless hours that both my skin and eyes spent submerged in heavily chlorinated water as contributing factors, but genetics are playing the lead role (thanks mom!). So “feeling the burn” when it comes to my eyes or skin is definitely not welcomed, where as a hard arm or leg burning workout would be.

My knack for getting my eyes to burn seems to follow me in my two recent passions – food and running. Everyone experiences some eye irritation when they cut onions, right? Well, for whatever reason mine has gotten progressively worse, and I use onion in almost everything I make. A few weeks ago while making my Summery Tomato Salad and Black Bean & Corn Salads for our BBQ, I couldn’t take the burn from both the yellow and red onions. So, in order to continue with the recipe, I had what I like to think of as a genius idea. I remembered seeing a post on Foodie Wannabe’s blog about onion goggles, so I made my own.

By make my own, I really mean I stopped chopping, ran to my closet, and whipped out a pair of swimming goggles (thanks Speedo!). As I ran back to the kitchen and started chopping with my blue tinted goggles on, my fiancé started hysterically laughing. I was far from embarrassed, since I could finally keep my eyes open and continue chopping. I’ve since employed this new tactic every time I have to chop more than just a few slices of onion, since trying to cut something with your eyes closed can’t end well.

So to tackle my other eye pain problem, I’ve turned to a cooler version of a sweatband. For whatever reason, when I run the sweat pours into my eyes and burns big time. Since it’s been so incredibly hot this entire summer, I’ve worn tank tops instead of t-shirts on most of my runs, leaving little room for me to wipe my eyes. While racking my brain after a particularly painful run last Sunday afternoon, I noticed a fellow runner/foodie’s tweet about Bondi bands, which are essentially headbands, that seemingly wick away sweat. I immediately placed an order with The Wannabe Athlete, because they’re for an awesome cause. As someone who has lost loved ones to cancer, but also watched others fight and win their battle, I am always more than happy to help any way I can. So, by purchasing a Bondi Band that will hopefully shield my eyes at least a little from sweat, I’ve helped a wonderful woman pay for some of her radiation treatments. I couldn’t have found a better way to keep the sweat out of my eyes!

So, my fellow food and running fiends (combined or separate), do you experience eye burning when chopping onions, or when running? If so, how do you get around it, or avoid it all together?

A review, a recipe, and a giveaway!

A few weeks ago I was offered some bags of TERRA Chips to review then come up with a recipe using one of their types of chips for their Fire Up Flavor program. Plus, I’m able to give one of my lucky readers a Terra Chip prize pack! Scroll down to the bottom of this post (below the recipe) for contest rules and how to enter!

The shipment came with four full sized bags of their chips – original, blue potato, exotic harvest, and Mexican style. I decided to offer up the original styled TERRA Chips at the Wedding BBQ we had last weekend, and everyone devoured them. I brought the blue potato chips to work, and everyone was shocked there was a such thing as blue potatoes! Those were also well received. I kept the exotic harvest for myself, and have been slowly working on them. They are interesting with carrot, squash, and blue potato. Definitely make me feel better about indulging in some chips!

From there I knew I had to come up with a recipe. As soon as I had opened the shipment, I decided to make something Mexican using the “A La Mexican” chips, just on principle that both my fiancé and I devour anything remotely close to a Mexican dish. So, after thinking about it for a few days, I came up with a Mexican styled lasagna!

20100808_174423_E — Before going in the oven...

I decided to put everything in a pie dish, but I think a regular 8 x 11 inch square dish would work well also. Still having the Jamaican hot peppers from when I bought them two weeks ago, instead of using a jalapeno I decided to throw one in, which added a nice amount of heat. I was a bit nervous that the chips themselves would get super soggy with the combination of the sauteed vegetables, salsa, and cheese piled on, but it actually wasn’t soggy at all. They really just tasted like tortillas. Overall I’m happy with the final product! Since we have left-overs, I’m really looking forward to having it for lunch and braging about my creation when everyone can smell it re-heating in the microwave. Yum!

TERRA Chips Mexican Lasagna
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
1 bag of TERRA “A La Mexican” chips
1 cup of black beans
1 cup of pinto beans
1 cup of chunky salsa
1/2 medium red pepper, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cups of shredded Mexican-blend cheese
*your favorite hot pepper, amount to your liking
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray baking dish (8×11 or pie dish) with cooking spray
3. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium heat, add chopped yellow onion, red pepper, and hot pepper. Add taco seasoning and mix well. Sautée until onions are transparent
4. Combine beans and salsa in a medium bowl. Add onion and pepper sautée mix
5. Line bottom of baking dish with a thin layer of chips, top with half of the bean/salsa mixture from bowl, and one cup of cheese. Add another layer of chips followed by the rest of the bean/salsa mixture, top with rest of cheese. Crumble remaining chips on top
6. Place in oven and cook for 10-12 minutes. Let cool, slice, and serve!

As I mentioned earlier, one of you lucky readers will be outfitted with a sweet prize pack from TERRA chips! What is included in this prize pack, you may ask? The prize will be valued at $25 and includes four bags of TERRA Chips, TERRA coupons, a martini glass inspired serving bowl and printed Summer Entertaining Guide! Aside from the giveaway here, they’re also offering first and second place prizes over at their website for the program as well. But let’s be honest, you have a much better shot of winning right here on Foodosaurus!

That being said, here’s what you need to do to enter: Tell me your favorite type of TERRA chip, and how you yourself would use it in a recipe (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, side dish, etc.)! Get creative – I’m looking for more than “I’d dip it in some French onion dip.” You can leave a comment here on this post, and I’ll choose a winner between today, Monday 8/9 and Friday 8/13 (oh boy, Friday the 13th) at 10pm EDT.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, where you can get updates on giveaways, recipes, as well as all the foodie (and running) happenings! @Foodosaurusrex

Homemade tortilla salad

Mexican flavors are one of my favorites – the beans, sauteed veggies, spice, and of course massive amounts of cheese put it at the top of my list. While I’m always ready for a burrito (breakfast, lunch, or dinner), sometimes you need to switch it up. Enter the baked tortilla bowl!

While I love Mexican food, I also almost equally love fried food, which we all know can be dangerous. So, despite the veggie costume, most tortilla shell salads are definitely not good for you, as the tortilla is more often than not deep fried. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious, but it will sky rocket your healthy salad a few hundred calories! A splurge here and there is okay, but I decided to go the baked route Monday night.

Being able to make this at home without any fancy equipment is awesome. All you need is an oven, Pyrex dish, cooking spray, and a tortilla! Once you spray the inside of the dish, you can just lay the tortilla inside, trying to have it form to the bowl. While the oven pre-heats (425 degrees) you can actually put a glass or plastic cup inside the bowl to help press the tortilla against it. From there, all you need to do is bake the badboy for 10-12 minutes (depending on how crispy you’d like it), and let it cool!

Aside from some lettuce, I filled my tortilla bowl with leftover black bean and corn salad from this past weekend’s BBQ, some salsa, cheese, and pickled jalapenos. YUM! It reminded me of a fellow blogger’s “B.A.S” – big ass salad, because it was just the right size to be filling and had some fun fixin’s! Speaking of fellow blogger… the creator of the B.A.S is actually doing a really awesome giveaway on her blog today! As a fellow runner, she knows the feeling of tight legs all too well, and is actually doing the giveway out of the kidness of her own heart (and pocket)! I really could have used a pair of those socks after Monday night’s run, too. A solid 6 miles at a just over 8 minute/mile pace was definitely the fastest run I’ve done so far – I think I’m finally becoming a runner! So I of course have entered, and you should too! So head over to Eat, Drink, Run, and follow her on Twitter. While you’re there, you can follow me too!