We’ve Got A Winner!

Hey! Sorry for the long, drawn-out wait to reveal the winner of the free Oikos swag. Just so you know, the results were in at 12:00pm per the giveaway guidelines; I was just a bit preoccupied doing other oh-so-important things that I didn’t get around to making the official report until now.

So…is it you?

 

 

 

Congrats, Runner Forever! Your 5 free coupons + blue tote will be shipped to you shortly! Thanks to all who participated. I think giveaways are a lot of fun, and am more than happy to host them on my blog. That is, if there are others who would like to sponsor them ; )

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Anyway, I had a pretty uneventful SUNday. The sun came out as promised, and as a result, the pools were hopping with happy students, teens, and children alike. It’s interesting how the weather can turn from low 80’s to rain in a day or two…but that’s the plan.

I need to do something about my alarm clock pronto because it hasn’t been doing it’s job all week! Luckily I didn’t have a hot date at 8:00am this morning because I would’ve stood them up. When I awoke from my slumber a few minutes shy of the 9 o’clock hour, I made oats. I know…no ‘extravagant’ weekend breakfasts. You can never go wrong with oatmeal though. I’m sure many of you are just as crazy about it as I am. After all, it is the breakfast of blogging champions [a.k.a. Jenna, Kath, and Tina].

 

1 cup water

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 banana – cooked

1/2 T ground flax

cinnamon

topped with…

1/2 T brown sugar

1/2 T unsweetened coconut

1 T pecans

If you pay really close attention, you might have noticed I’ve reduced my oat measure from 2/3 cup to 1/2 cup. I don’t know why, but I’ve been all about the low and slow, creamy oats lately. I wanted to make another bowl of this sweet heaven – no, Hillary, no.

I’m not oblivious to the fact that the number of breakfast photos heavily outweighs the photos of any other eats, including: my lunches, snacks, afternoon coffee and chocolate attacks, and Iron Chef dinners. What can I say, breakfast is my favorite and gets an unfair amount of attention.

What’s your favorite meal and WHY? I like breakfast the best because 1) it marks the beginning of another healthy day full of delicious eats, 2) I love love love baked goods such as scones and muffins and other traditional breakfast items such as pancakes, waffles & French Toast, and 3) it fuels my body with energy to make the most out of my days!

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Sunday Sweat Session:

• 15 minutes arms & legs
• 1 hr. sprinty spin class
• 1 mi. indoor track run
• abs & stretch

Then there was a fiber-FULL dinner & fro yo with my roomie. Yes, that sums it up.

Night!

Morning Food

Mornin’!

Boy, oh boy… I think a quiet Sunday morning accompanied by an extra scrumptious breakfast is deserving of a spot on my Top 10 Favorite Things list…if there was such a thing ; ) The fact that one of my roommate’s guests was asleep on our couch wasn’t going to stop me from getting into the kitchen to make waffles at 9:00am. I made a variation of Sinless Saturday Sunday Waffles:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 T ground flax

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups 1% milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 mashed banana

1 egg

…topped with a dollop of 0% Greek, coconut, toasted pecans & real maple syrup.

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In other news, I made enough bread to end world hunger in my Elementary Foods lab Thursday. I got a few puzzled looks from passengers as I rode the bus home with a backpack full of Honey Whole Wheat Bread, perspiring the scent of sweet yeast.

Speaking of Elementary Foods…I have my second exam in that class tomorrow. I feel like all I ever talk about is test, after test, after test – story of my life. Monday is going to be a killer day:

10:00am: Organic Chemistry

11:00am: CA Cultural Landscapes

[Lunch + Study]

2:00pm: Exam

4:00pm: Food Safety & Sanitation

7:00pm: Required lecture about safety I must attend before registering for classes – ugh.

Doesn’t look like there’s going to much time for exercise, so I better get in some moves today. Just 4 days remaining of my Move It in March CHALLENGE!

Let’s talk breakfast!

1. What’s your favorite breakfast?
2. Do you have savory or sweet a.m. taste buds?
3. Coffee? Tea? Juice?
4. Little meal? Big meal?

Shower me with visions of sugar plums pancakes and pastries dancing in my head…

Hillary

Last Days At The Lodge

Monday = a new day, a new week, a new to-do list…and a holiday for some today! I jumped on our treadmill first thing for a 40-minute walking workout. After two long runs this weekend, my legs asked if they could go easy today.

• 10 minutes @ 3.6 (incline: 10.0)
• 10 minutes @ 3.8 (incline: 10.0)
• 10 minutes @ 4.0 (incline: 0)
• 10 minutes @ 4.2 (incline: 0)

While on the dreadmill, all I could think about was the Blogger Banana Bread I made yesterday, so of course I toasted up a piece for brex.

I got the recipe from Kath, but gave it my own twist with a few substitutions. I had to resist a 2nd piece – it was that good!

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A week from today I will be sitting through a full day of classes – bah. I still have to figure out what is the best timing to leave town during this storm. Until then, I plan to enjoy my last days at the lodge (I heart Amos Lee).

Merry Monday,

~ Hillary

Eat. Live. Run.

Mornin’ to ya!

Today began with a frosty 75-minute r.u.n. with the lovely ladies. I’ve really enjoyed the longer runs this week around my quaint town. I’ll miss my running crew when I head back to school tomorrow : (

I was a bit stumped about what I wanted to whip up for breakfast this morning. I wasn’t about to have another bowl of bran, but I wasn’t in the mood for something heavy either. (I think I’ve indulged enough this week!) Then I remembered Kath’s easy recipe for an oatmeal pancake.

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 mashed banana
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• cinnamon

topped with: other half of banana, pecans & real maple syrup

I’ll just say that I will definitely be making this again (maybe with quick oats next time). Without flour and just egg whites, it is super light (unlike your typical “cakey” pancake).

Going to go make the most out my last day at home. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…

~ Hillary

Redwood Roots

Let’s just say today could not have been a more perfect Sunday at home with my family. After breakfast I headed out to Redwood Roots Farm with my aunt and stomped around through the muddy crops, filling our bucket with whatever vegetables our hearts desired. With more lettuces and leafy greens than a turtle could dream of, we said goodbye to the farm cats and meandered down the street to an indie craft fair, bustling with Humboldt hippies.

I met up with my mom, and after a little grocery shopping, we came home and I made a latte with Pumpkin Spice soy milk, a seasonal Silk flavor. Thick foam and cinnamon on top…yum yum.

I picked some apples from the tree outside with the nifty fruit picker and then got to work in the kitchen making Butternut Harvest Loaves (see recipe page). The loaves are bursting with homemade butternut squash puree, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and pecans. I am so anxious to toast a piece in the morning.

Hmmm…I wonder what’s for dinner? More squash of course! My mom made a gorgeous savory galette with roasted butternut squash, chard, shallots, garlic and sage, and a sprinkling of fresh parmesan. My dad made a very colorful salad to go alongside. There were magnificent aromas coming from the oven all afternoon.

Morning run with friends, veggie harvesting, craft fair, apple picking, bread baking, dinner with the parents…I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend the day.

Night,

~ Hillary

Living Local

Good morning! I hope you are enjoying your Sunday thus far. I met up with my running posse at 8:00am for a leisurely 5-mile run around The Marsh. It was a great way to start the day, catching up with the ladies as the sun melted away the fog and made the dew drops glisten like diamonds.

Today’s breakfast was a yogurt bowl…

• 6 oz. The Greek Gods plain nonfat yogurt
• 1/4 cup mystery granola from the pantry
• 1 T pecans
• 1/2 banana (the other half was eaten for pre-run fuel)
• drizzle of real maple syrup

Lots of local activites are in the plans today. I’ll report back later…

~ Hillary