As of this morning, the BOY completed his final exam and he is now officially a 2L.  He walked in the door carrying these gorgeous flowers, which was so thoughtful!

Although the BOY didn’t graduate (we have a few more years to go), there is definitely reason to celebrate.  And reasons to celebrate require S’mores!

These No Bake Chocolate S’mores Bars are easy to make and everyone loves them!  They are perfect for a spring BBQ or graduation party.

There are a few different ways to make these bars, but my favorite thing about this recipe is that there is TONS of chocolate!

So much chocolate that it’s hard to see the grahams and extra mallows.  But trust me, they are in there and you will taste them!

I made these bars for the course this weekend and they were a big hit!

Served with one of my all time favorites…chocolate covered raisins!  When in class all weekend, a girl definitely needs some chocolate!

Craving S’mores this spring? You know that I am!

You will love these S’mores Whoopie Pies and S’mores Bars!

No Bake Chocolate S’mores Bars (aka Indoor S’mores)

Ingredients

8 cups Golden Grahams® cereal

5 cups miniature marshmallows

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup light corn syrup

5 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup miniature marshmallows, if desired

1/2 cup chocolate chips, highly recommended

Directions

-Stove-Top Directions: Into large bowl, measure cereal. Butter 13×9-inch pan. In 3-quart saucepan, heat 5 cups marshmallows, the chocolate chips, corn syrup and butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

-Pour over cereal; quickly toss until completely coated. Stir in 1 cup marshmallows and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

-Press mixture evenly in pan, using buttered back of spoon (or hands sprayed with cooking spray). Let stand uncovered at least 1 hour, or refrigerate if you prefer a firmer bar. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days.

Last week, I made an appointment to have acupuncture done on my back after today’s soft tissue work.  Because my back has been feeling so wonderful, we focused most of today’s Body Work session on my legs.  It is a well known fact that I have some wicked tight IT bands (mostly on that left side), and I had to take some deeeep breaths to work through some of the more tender spots.  Surprisingly, I also discovered this afternoon that my left adductors (the muscles that run on the inside of your leg) are extremely tight and restricted as well.  We spent some time working through the left leg using rolfing techniques, and I figured I was in the clear until he touched my right adductors and I seriously jumped and screamed.  They are just as tight as the left!  We didn’t have enough time to fully ‘dig’ into the right side, but it gives me something to look forward to for next week.  I have always believed that facially I am tight (something I decided in grad school when I tested positive for all of the fascia tests), but I didn’t recognize how tight.  I am confident that fixing some of my lower extremity muscle imbalances created from years of activity and injury will ultimately help alleviate and prevent future low back pain, which is why today’s session ‘Hurt So Good’!

Source

I have always been interested in and intrigued by acupuncture.  I know people who swear by it for everything from IBS to migraines to fertility, and I love the idea of a holistic Eastern approach to healing.  Since it was my first acupuncture experience and Cherlyn, the acupuncturist, wasn’t sure about bruising (I take an Aspirin daily), she did a simple set up on my back to promote muscle relaxation and pain relief.  She felt along my vertebrae and used that for the pin location.  She also placed two pins on my legs to promote overall relaxation.  She set up some heat over my back and I just relaxed into the surface.  Of course, I asked her to take pictures because I was super curious and I wanted to share them on the blog.

Placing the needles was painless, even easier than a finger prick blood test.  For the most part, I couldn’t feel that they were even there unless I moved slightly or shifted.  There was one along the lower left side of my back (near the injury) that pinched for a minute and Cherlyn said that was because my muscles were tighter in that area.

I faded out and almost fell asleep. With the heat on my back and the wave machine, I felt incredibly relaxed, which was a great feeling after spending my weekend taking notes and practicing labs in the class.  On the way home, my back felt loose although my legs were a little sore from the intense facial work.  The rest of the night has been pain free and I am interested to see how I feel throughout the week.  During my intake, we talked a little about my allergies and history of stomach issues, which can also be improved with acupuncture.  Cherlyn made some diet recommendations and stressed that cutting out gluten would greatly improve both my allergies and stomach.  I have another appointment next week and I’m sure I will appreciate the relaxation after we start attacking the tightness in my right hip and thigh.

If you are interested in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, I recommend surfing through Cherlyn’s website!

What are you experiences with acupuncture and Eastern medicine? 

I’m really interested so please share stories and links!

Tina’s OMG. Pancakes!

I have been eyeing these guys on Carrots ‘N’ Cake all week, and I picked up a few extra bananas and the the one ingredient that I didn’t have last night at Trader Joe’s.

This morning, I pulled out my hard working food processer and threw in all of the ingredients with a few minor adjustments.  I left my almond butter at my parent’s last week, so I used peanut butter instead and I added in 1/4 cup of ground flax.

I have a history of being a bad pancake flipper, so I carefully measured out small pancakes, spaced nicely in the pan.

And waited patiently before trying to flip!

I was shocked when these pancakes flipped over so easily and even impressed myself with how pretty they looked.

I don’t think I have ever made pancakes pretty enough to stack before!!!

I topped my pancakes with this new Trader Joe’s find…

And a drizzle of agave before digging my fork right in.

These pancakes remind me of Paleo Pancakes (but these guys photograph much better).  They are really light, fluffy, and super filling.  I love the flavor combination of peanut butter and banana!  It is much more exciting than your typical buttermilk variety.  I ate half of my pancakes this morning and saved the other half for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Can you guess whether or not I liked them????

Happy Monday!

Tina’s OMG. Pancakes!

From Carrots ‘N’ Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 bananas
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup almond meal/flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Mash bananas.  Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend well. (You could always mix by hand; it’ll just take some elbow grease to get the batter really smooth.)  Pour batter onto a pre-heated, coated-in-non-stick-cooking-spray skillet or fry pan. Cook and flip.  Top with almond butter, fruit, agave, or whipped cream!

Here are a few of my favorite things about my mom…

She is always up for a walk or an adventure!

She listens well.

She gets up early to braid my hair before a race and is always waiting for me at the finish line.

Except when she is impressing me and inspiring others by finishing races herself.

She makes me breakfast when I sleep over (and scratches my back when she wakes me up).

She loves a good party!

And knows how to have a good time!

At age 60, she rode her bike 400 miles across Iowa and let me finish the journey with her.

She has moved me to Memphis and back (TWICE!!!).

She is beautiful inside and out.

She is a strong, caring and considerate friend.

And the most wonderful mother a girl can have!

Wishing my mom and all of the other incredible mother’s out there a wonderful day today and every day!

Happy Mother’s Day!

What is your favorite thing about your mom?

How did you celebrate her day?

Since I was in class and the BOY has his last final tomorrow, we are hosting a post Mother’s Day brunch next weekend to celebrate with our families!

So I had some leftover zucchini from this tasty bread, and I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.

Add CHOCOLATE!!!

And MORE CHOCOLATE!

To make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread.

I haven’t made this bread in a little while and I forgot how unbelievable it is!

It has the right amount of chocolate flavor and the zucchini makes it moist and delicious!

And with extra chocolate chips scattered throughout the bread, this breakfast tastes more like dessert!

It will be your new favorite zucchini recipe!

PS This bread freezes well!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

From Cooking Light July 2004

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 cup applesauce

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Stir in applesauce.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until moist. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Looking for more zucchini recipes this spring:

Zucchini Pineapple Quick Bread

Moroccan Couscous with Saffron

Oil-Free Zucchini Walnut Raisin Loaf

Zucchini Bread Pancakes for One

Zucchini, Sweet Potato, and Raisin Muffins

Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato Tian

Sweet Cream Cheese Filled Zucchini Bread

Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Zucchini Pasta

What is your favorite zucchini recipe (other than this one that is)?

I like to keep a pitcher in my fridge, especially in the summer time. 

I buy the Rishi at Whole Foods and it is on the expensive side.  So I was thrilled when I got a lesson in iced tea making with loose leaf tea during my recent trip to Geneva. 

The first thing that I needed was a tea sack.  These bags are easy to use, clean, and then use again, and because they are reusable they are cost efficient.

Just follow the these 8 steps and a pitcher of cool, refreshing iced tea will be chilling in your fridge just in time for Mother’s Day brunch.

1. Fill your bag with about 2 ounces of tea leaves

2.  Tie your bag tight (but not too tight that you won’t be able to undo it) and place your bag in a pitcher

3. Fill your pitcher about halfway with boiling water.

4. Let steep for at least 10 minutes.

5. Fill the rest of your pitcher with cold water.

6. Place your pitcher in the refrigerator (overnight is best) leaving the tea bag inside.

7. Serve over ice.

8. Rinse out your bag (turn it inside out) and return to step 1!

Enjoy!!!

My favorite places to buy loose leaf tea:

Argo Tea

Rishi Tea (can also be found at Whole Foods)

The Coffee Drop Shop

Do you like iced tea?  Any favorite recipes to share before Mother’s Day?

Why do I get so excited for large fresh zucchini?  Well, I like them on the grill and they are super tasty in soup, but my favorite thing to do with zucchini is to bake with them!

One of my favorite summer time breads is this Zucchini Pineapple Bread that I discovered a few years ago in Cooking Light Magazine.

Of course it was the first zucchini bread I made this season!  I know I shared it with you last summer, but it is SOO AMAZING that I had to bake (and share) it again.

This recipe makes two loaves.  I gave one to a friend and froze the other.  One little piece of bread broke away while I was sliding it out of the pan.  I would have been sad about it except that I scooped it right  into my mouth for a taste!

If you are starting to see zucchini popping up at the farmer’s market or you are beginning to get them in your CSA, save this recipe!

Just an FYI if you find the really big zucchini…shredded zucchini can be refrigerated for a day or two OR frozen to pull out for future baked goods.  The rest of my zucchini went into the fridge for my next baking project (coming soon!!!)

Zucchini Pineapple Quick Bread

From Cooking Light June 2008

Makes 2 loaves of bread

Ingredients

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 1/2 medium zucchini)

2/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup egg substitute

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 (8-ounce) cans crushed pineapple in juice, drained

Baking spray with flour

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and next 3 ingredients (through ground cinnamon) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

3. Beat eggs with a mixer at medium speed until foamy. Add sugar, zucchini, oil, egg substitute, and vanilla, beating until well blended. Add zucchini mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in pineapple. Spoon batter into 2 (9 x 5–inch) loaf pans coated with baking spray. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

This recipe freezes well!

It is slightly addicting!

Did they have you pre-heating your oven? 

Here is another fantastic cookie option that is super fun to make and allows plenty of room for creativity.

I used a recipe from this book for inspiration…

I have never even heard of Cookie Brittle before, but I loved the idea.  Instead of toffee, I decided on dried cranberries, white chocolate, and walnuts.  What a fantastic combination!  But you can be creative here…the possibilities are endless!

Here is my smooth, yet sticky dough…

Stir in your chips, nuts, fruits, chocolate, etc.

Then press your dough out onto parchment paper in the shape of a rectangle.  Your hands work just fine for this, plus then you can lick of the tasty dough that sticks to your fingers!

Bake your cookie brittle until the edges start to brown.  You want this to be a crispy and crunchy cookie so that it breaks up well.

Breaking up your cookie is the fun party.  Don’t use a utensil, just use your hands!

The best part is that you don’t have to be perfect, just break everything into big chunks of delicious cookie.  Feel free to sample all of the tiny pieces that break off along the way!

Cookie brittle is my new favorite food!  Give it a try and you will totally agree!

It also makes a great gift, and I will be adding to the 2012 Holiday Baking Bonanza.

Cranberry White Chocolate Walnut Cookie Brittle

Recipe adapted from Toffee Cookie Brittle in Big Fat Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) walnuts, broken into large pieces

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

-In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

-In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown and granulated sugars and vanilla extract until smooth, about 30 seconds. Using a large spoon, slowly add the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. The dough should appear to be smooth. Stir in the chocolate, cranberries, and walnuts. (You may need to use your hands if the dough is thick.)

-Spoon the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch of empty space on all sides. Use the palms of your hands to pat the dough into an even layer about 1/2 inch thick and 13 by 9 inches. The dough should be patted out slightly thinner at the edges.

-Bake the brittle until it turns golden and the edges turn light brown, about 19 minutes. The brittle may be fairly soft when warm but will crisp as it cools. Let the brittle cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

-Using a large metal spatula to guide it, slide the large cookie onto a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t worry if the cookie breaks; it will be broken into irregular pieces, anyway. Break the cooled cookie into 2- to 3-inch pieces. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Looking for more crunchy cookies, try these Spicy Oatmeal Cookies.

After 2 hours at the yoga studio today getting some massage work and adjustments, I feel incredible!  My back is looser than it has been in weeks, and I can bend down without getting stuck.  Plus, my neck was so stiff after the half marathon yesterday, the adjustments were needed!  I returned home with just enough time to get dinner cooking.

Yes, I had that many pots and pans going at one time.  The BOY requested a meatloaf, which I won’t eat, so I was on my own for dinner.  I have been wanting to make this curry again with sweet potatoes ever since I made it the first time and couldn’t stop dipping my potato in the sauce.  I followed the original recipe fairly closely.  For a vegetarian version, I  chose green pepper, sweet potato, and chickpeas.  I wasn’t sure how quickly the sweet potato would cook, so I cut it into very small cubes.

The sweet potato cooked easily, and this dinner came together quickly. 

It tasted just as good as I hoped thought that it would, considering I wasn’t following an exact recipe.

I love the combination of sweet potato and red curry!  And there is more than enough for leftovers this week.

Interested in dessert?

Here is the first of this weekend’s crunchy cookie posts.

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Adapted from Cooking Light’s Chicken Curry

Makes 3-4 servings

2 tsp olive oil

1 large sweet potato, chopped into small dices

1 large green pepper, sliced thinly

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp red curry paste (I used the Thai kitchen brand)

1/2 tsp raw sugar

1 14-ounce can light coconut milk

-Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sweet potato to pan; cook 6 minutes or until slightly softened.

-Add bell pepper and chickpeas to pan; stirring occasionally for another 4 minutes.

-Remove vegetable mixture from pan.

-Combine juice, soy sauce, curry paste, and sugar in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add juice mixture and coconut milk to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 12 minutes or until slightly thick.

-Return vegetables to pan; cook 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Simmer on low for ~10 minutes covered until sweet potato is soft and cooked through.  Serve over rice.

Last night, the BOY politely asked what time I would be getting up this morning, adding that he would like to sleep in a little before his afternoon final if he could.  I understand where he is coming from since most morning’s I am up at 6AM, hours before his alarm clock, and although I try to be quiet, it isn’t easy.  I told him that I was not planning on setting an alarm, and we both slept in a little later than I had expected.  Although after yesterday’s race, I was tired and my body needed a good nine hours of solid sleep.  I had some thoughts about going to yoga this morning, but instead decided that my feet were in desperate need of a pedicure.  Since the salon doesn’t open until 10ish, I treated myself to a sit down breakfast of French Toast with fresh bread from Great Harvest.

I love the weekends (and my Mondays) when I have time to make a tasty breakfast and sit down to enjoy it with a cup of tea.  The BOY was up this morning and we were discussing this summer’s trip to Door County.  I really hope we can book our hotel this week!

He was also interested in what tea I was drinking this morning that smelled so good.  I picked up a few new teas to try from the Coffee Drop Shop on Saturday.  This Chai black is full of aroma and possibly one of the strongest black teas I have tasted.  Coffee drinkers, you will love this.  But, I am NOT sharing any of mine : )

So back to my original question…what do you typically do the day after a long race?  I generally appreciate a day off from exercise.  When I am training, my weekends (and sometimes my work days) are scheduled around my workouts.  It is nice to have a no-alarm day that begins with a big breakfast and some quiet time with a warm cup of tea at my computer.  I have fun things to do, like bake a chocolate chip banana bread based off of this One Bowl Banana Walnut Bread recipe that is so easy it can be in the oven before you sit down for breakfast, and I am looking forward to a pedicure, a trip to Whole Foods, and a yoga appointment to work out some post-race kinks.

I also looked up my ‘official’ race results, writing the time on the back of my bib and adding it to my collection.

I’m a pack rat with my race memorabilia and love to save this stuff.  I’m sure I’ll look back one day (and maybe even show my kids) the active accomplishments of my 20’s and 30’s.

And since I don’t YET have one of these adorable medal hangers…hint hint, I highly recommend the binder clip system for organizing race bibs and medals.

I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t already thinking about my next race, a 10 miler in a few weeks, and which triathlon I will be doing this summer.  Usually by now, I am all signed up for a summer tri (and well on my way to training).  However, some of the dates of the races that I was interested in don’t work with my busy summer and unfortunately I have some other commitments, like work and class, that are taking priority over racing.  Since I haven’t been to the pool and my bike is still hanging upside down in the garage, I don’t think that I will be able to do the triathlon that I had planned to do in 6 weeks.  This seems smart…right?  Plus, with my back and hip out of sorts, I want to make sure that I get the rest and healing that I need before pursuing another challenging race.  I know that cross training, specifically core work, is exactly what I need right now to compliment all of this endurance activity. 

I have my eyes on another triathlon a little later in the summer, and I want to make sure I am setting reasonable goals for this summer’s races that will allow me to enjoy my training and racing without feeling overwhelmed.  Last year was a BIG year for me in terms of racing.  I completed my first Olympic distance triathlon and finished the Chicago marathon in 4 hours.  Naturally, I want to push myself further this year and it is difficult for me to take a step back.  I have a competitive spirit, but I also understand the importance of listening to my body and staying emotionally healthy.  I exercise, train, and race because it is fun and enjoyable and I want to make sure that it stays that way.  Committing to a race that is too big or takes too much time this summer will take away from the excitement I feel during training.  And the summer time is always a blast, especially because I look forward to long bike rides and outdoor swims.  It all comes down to balance and I often feel that when work gets busy, my training gets put on hold.

I am so grateful to my MOM and the BOY who are always there to listen to my thoughts about racing and help me keep things in perspective.  They point out that my life is not where it was last year and that my training will be different too.  They understand (well at least my mom does and the BOY pretends to) my desire to continue to compete and challenge myself.  After this upcoming 10 miler, I have nothing else officially planned except for Bike the Drive, which I always look forward to.  It is a fun and low key way to kick off summer with my family!!!  After that…we will just have to see where this summer’s training takes me.

Some questions for the racers out there…

How do you decide which races to sign up for?  Am I the only one who struggles with balance?

Which race are you most excited for this summer?

Do you save your race stuff?

Official Results from yesterday’s Half Marathon

Final Time: 1:51:20.13

Pace: 8:30

Overall Place: 212/838

Age Division: 12/72 *This made me very happy!

Mile Splits

Mile 2: 16:20 *I missed the first mile marker!

Mile 3: 8:12

Mile 4: 8:20

Mile 5: 8:08

Mile 6: 8:12

Mile 7: 8:24

Mile 8: 8:37

Mile 9: 8:42

Mile 10: 9:07

Mile 11: 9:09

Mile 12: 8:37

Mile 13: 8:39