My Hot Pink Sunglasses

Hello!  It's Sunday morning and I've just brewed a nice strong cup of coffee - well my Keurig Single Cup Brewer did all the work.   Thank you, magical Keurig.

 

 I was just doing a little reading of this book in bed.  I'm a big fan of the TV show, The Mindy Project, as I find it to be funny and happy - and those are two great things when it comes to TV in my opinion.  My all-time favorite TV show is Friends.  Anyways, this book (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling) is really enjoyable.  I'm just in the beginning, but it makes you think about the awkwardness of high school and other defining moments.  Someone actually tweeted that they were laughing while reading this book and that convinced me to make the purchase.  Let me know if you've read it! :)

 

 

Moving on...look at the grip on my new dog walking sneaks!  I'll have much more to say about these in an upcoming post.  The are fantastically bright and comfortable minimalists that I can't wait to share about =)  My husband is the star at picking out sneakers for me and I have him to thank (thank you hubby!)  Ok, below is a sneak peek at how cool they are!!!

 

 

Let's chat about three FANTASTIC summer items:

 

Sunglasses - Homemade Iced Tea - Ice cream

 

My husband and I bought crazy bright sunglasses for $5 at the Farmer's Market yesterday.  I literally haven't owed a pair of sunglasses in like 5 years so this is exciting stuff.  He got white and yellow while I went for pink and purple; clearly I bought them because they are bright and happy looking.  I know they might not be crazy stylish, but I love them anyways.  My husband also got some new hats.  Oh and I also bought a new cutting board and tennis balls for Lincoln...That's what is so fantastic about the Farmer's Market.

 

I was so happy with the sunglasses that I actually went running with them yesterday afternoon.  Two things I never do - run in the afternoon in the sun and wear sunglasses.  Wearing the hot pink sunglasses was awesome because I passed lots of people who then got to decide if they loved or hated them, but by then I was long gone.  Also, I kind of felt hidden behind them sort of terminator style.  Lastly, who knew that it actually would cool me down to have sunglasses on while running in the heat!

 

I learned I am not an afternoon runner though.  I was supposed to run 6 miles, but 4 was all I could do.  I would have needed another bottle of water to continue - oh well!

 

 

Today with it being Father's Day, we're going to spend the day with my Dad!  The new superman movie is in the plans and getting my dad some new sneaks as his gift. 

 

I hope you're having a nice weekend and enjoy the rest of your day!

 

What is your favorite summer food?  Are you a sunglasses type of person?

 

 



The Little Things

Happy Friday to you!

Life really is about the little things.  We all have little things that make us happy.  Here are a few of those things from my week =)

This week we have been doing a lot of sitting out on the our back deck each night, or in our garage on the rainy nights, with the dogs just relaxing.  We watch the rain from the garage and Lincoln has no fear running into the rain to get is ball countless times.  Jax much prefers chilling at our feet.  Spending time like this with my family is so nice and I've really enjoyed doing this each night.

I love looking at our greens!  I'm worried the rain has been too intense for them in the last 24 hours because it's just been so much, but I hope they come out strong.  I just think they are so fantastic to look at.

 

My husband made this awesome salad dressing this week which is crazy simply, but it tastes SO SO good.  He mixed regular Italian dressing, vegenaise, and vegan parmesan cheese together for a creamy wonderful dressing to go on our salads along side burgers.  I know it's not the healthiest dressing, but it's fantastic and delicious.

Late night bowls of cereal.  For some reason, cereal after 8pm just tastes glorious.  It's been my go to snack lately.  We accidentally bought the plain almond milk rather than vanilla and it's surprising really good.  Don't know what I was thinking that I needed the vanilla flavor all this time. 

 

I love bagels.  I go through phases with bagels.  I'll eat a few and then not have another bagel for months.  This week I've had two bagels topped with melted peanut butter and I'm now remembering why I love them so much.  Work provided them and I'm so thankful.

 

 

Tried a new flavor of ice cream last night.  It was amazing.  Really enough said.  It's a must have!

 

And lastly, look how nicely my pups were eating dinner together.  That's the first time I've seen that happen!

 

 

  

So those are a few little things from my week.  Tell me something about yours!  This weekend will hopefully be full of sun and Sunday filled with Father's Day celebrating. 

 

What are you up to this weekend?

Rain, Rain... Go Away...

 Good morning! 

Doesn't Jax look so comfortable?  Isn't that just the best way to spend a rainy day?  It is raining again - and coming down like crazy.  I really hope the veggies survive all this rain.  Thank goodness we got happy bright glorious wonderful sunshine yesterday...

I think I'll be needing some more of those pumpkin chocolate chip muffins!

Now I actually really like rainy days, but having two dogs with muddy paws every time they come in the house (while very cute) can be quite messy.  My husband and I trade on and off who's on towel duty to clean the pups up.  Good thing they are so cute! 


Things are quiet here today.  I got in a nice 4 mile run yesterday and hoping for 5-6 tomorrow and the same over the weekend.  Time for a strong cup of coffee! 

Lastly, I was thinking I need some good books to read this summer.  Any suggestions?  Let me know!

Hope you have a wonderful Thursday =)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Anytime

Hello hello!

Last Saturday felt like an autumn day...and then so did Monday and Tuesday.  The air was crisp and the sky was gray.  In other words, I was craving something fall-like for food.  I normally reserve anything pumpkin flavor to September through November, but I saw a can of pumpkin sitting in the cupboard and I got the craving.

 

These muffins are great.  They are dense and delicious.  They do not rise much so keep that in mind when you fill your muffin holders.

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy milk or almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips (and I threw in a little extra!) 

I'm pretty bad at the whole mixing the wet ingredients separate from the dry.  Essentially, in the order above I mixed all the ingredients - except the chocolate chips which I added last - with a fork until combined.  Filled each muffin holder 3/4 full and put in the oven for 18 minutes.  My new oven seems to cook things faster so you may need to leave them in for 20 minutes depending on that oven of yours.

 

Enjoy!  My husband absolutely loves these muffins and even more when I put a vegan cream cheese frosting on top - which I skipped over the weekend because I was lacking the ingredients. 

What's your favorite dessert to eat out of season?

Dogs, Walks, and a Long Run...

Hello there :)

 

Welcome Lincoln!  He is my hubby's family dog and is now going to live with us!  Jax and Lincoln have known each other as long as my hubby and I have so we're hoping it's not a huge adjustment.  They aren't like BFF's, but they absolute tolerate each other and there is no hostility.  Neither pup likes to spend time alone so we're hoping that their having each other for company will make them both very happy each day.

 

 

We walked them like crazy today.  Lincoln definitely has a solid 30 pounds on Jax so I need to get used to walking both pups.  Our goal of today was to tire them out and I think we succeeded after 2+ hours of walking!  I'm certainly beat.

 

To start out my day I got running...10 miles accomplished - woo!

 



 

Oddly I started out faster on this run, but I slowed myself down throughout the whole run (not that I wanted to run too much fast with the heat).  I really wanted this run to be about the miles and just being out there running for a longer period of time rather than pace.  It definitely wasn't a hard run, but it was one of the hottest runs I've done because I didn't start running until close to 10am.  Pre-run I had a glass of water and a banana with lots of peanut butter on top.  During the run I drank a lot of water and took in one gel at mile 3.  It felt really great to conquer 10 miles.  And wonderful Jax greeted me as I sprinted into the driveway =)

 

 

 

So today went like so - run 10 miles - walk to dogs a few miles - eat fantastic veggie burger with side garden salad - walk the dogs a few more - errands - bike ride with hubby - vegan ice cream cones - and then finally I got in a shower (no judgment!) and now it's time for some serious sleep!

 

Hope you had a great weekend and got some sun!  What was your favorite thing from your weekend?

Good morning, Friday.

Good morning, Friday.  And good morning to you!

 

 

So the thing about buying a house in the winter, as I'm discovering, is it's an absolute surprise what will pop up in the garden.  This peony is the discovery of this week.  Now it's been raining basically since yesterday morning and it looks like it's going to continue all today... hopefully it's not too much rain on all the flowers and veggies.

 

 

This week was a lot of cooking in the kitchen and using the appliances my kitchen has to offer.  Before my hubby and I got married, we owned like a spatula.  At my bridal shower and then our wedding, we were given such wonderful and 100% useful kitchen gifts.  It's a pretty awesome feeling to need a wok and actually own one.  Do you know what I mean?

 

The wok and pan were used daily along with the rice maker, Mr. Coffee Latte machine or Keurig.  It's been a good week in the kitchen.

 

 

 

I almost follow my dinner plans for this week, but last night I wasn't really craving a veggie burger.  It was cold and rainy and I wanted something comforting and piping hot - enter a baked sweet potato and short grain brown rice mixed with spinach cooked with lots of garlic and a splash of shoyu. 

 

And then some no bake cookies.  If you haven't tried this recipe, I highly recommend it! 

  

 

These no bake cookies paired fantastically with my morning cup of coffee as well.

 

 

My weekend plans are much quieter than last weekend.  We want to see the new Iron Man movie and a large grocery shopping trip is needed.  Also, a little house cleaning is in order.  And of course good food and relaxation.  Let's hope the rain clears because I've got a 10 mile run on the schedule as well!

 

Did you have a rainy end of the week?  What are you up to this weekend?

  



What's for dinner?

What are we having for dinner tonight?

My husband and I ask each other this question every day.  For some reason, even though it's only breakfast time, I like to know what I'll be eating for dinner.  This isn't something new.  I used to ask my mom what was for dinner as I left for school back 15 years ago too.  This is really strictly a work week thing now though.  Friday through Sunday is much more casual and go-with-the-flow.  But generally Monday through Thursday, dinner is planned.

Here's the plan (or already gone by) dinners for this week:

Monday - Sesame tofu (fried), brown rice, baked sweet potatoes, kale/collard sautéed side

Tuesday - Breaded eggplant baked and topped with marinara sauce, side of organic whole-wheat pasta with more sauce and sprinkling of vegan parmesean cheese, side garden greens salad (from our garden!)

Wednesday - Quesadillas with black beans and daiya (hubby has chicken in his), salsa and vegenaise on the side for dipping

 

Thursday - I'm trying to determine what's left in the house... Right now I'm thinking veggie burger for me (maybe grilled piece of chicken for hubby) with sweet potato fries and a side garden salad

Friday - Probably going out.

That's what dinner looks like around here.  Other meals that show up frequently include pizza, tacos, tofu/veggie stir-fry...Click here to see all my dinner posts if you need an idea for dinner tonight!

 

What's a dinner you have each week?  Do you like to plan dinner in advance?

Quick Run and Beautiful Greens

Good Morning!

 

Here's how I began my morning...5:46am I was on the road...

 

 

It was 45 degrees out and sunny when I started running which made for fantastic running weather.  It was not an easy run and I really felt like I was working hard the whole time.  I'm happy with my time though.  I'm trying to do my shorter runs during the week faster and the long runs slower.  I've read to do my long runs about a minute and half slower than my 15k time.  For me that would put me around a 9:30 pace which seems very comfortable for long runs.

 

Now onto the GREENS!  Don't they look fantastic?

 

 

They make me happy just looking at them so I had to take a bunch of pictures.  Last night we had our first home grown side of kale and collards with dinner.  It was a really big moment because I've never eaten anything that I personally have grown.  My husband really has the green thumb though.  He tends to the greens much more than I do, but I'm learning.

 

Time for me to make a cup of coffee and get on the road to work!  I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday =)

 

How are your veggies growing?  What are your running plans this week?

Weekend Updates & My June Running Plan

Hello!

Yesterday was my best friend's bridal shower so of course I have to show you the fantastic salad I got - strawberries, glazed walnuts, and field greens with an awesome role. 

 

And some bridal pictures as well because it was so beautiful, pink, and classy!

 

 

And then there was that grilled vegetable dinner at my Dad's retirement celebration!  Can you tell I had a good food day?

 

 

Now it's time for my June Running Plan!  In case you missed May, I'm breaking down my Marathon Training Plan (click her to see the full plan!) by month because I think it's much easier to manage that way and then I'm only looking at my goal of 4 weeks rather than until September.

 

This week marks 16 weeks until my marathon.  That's a pretty typical training period for a marathon.  I view my May Training as a warm-up for the real deal.

 

If you're planning a Marathon in September or during the fall season, now is the PERFECT time to join me in my training!  I would say my plan is not necessarily for beginners.  I've been running for a solid 4 years and used that as my base when designing this plan.

I think 26.2 miles is an intimidating distance, but I've made it through one marathon (painfully so) and I really want to do another and run the whole thing!

So here's my plan (click it to see it bigger - I'm not trying to make you squint).  As always, I'll keep you up-to-date as I run the actual miles.  Notice that I've added the Daily Mile widget over there on the right side of my page and a mile counter.  I started the count when training began on May 7th.  Now you can really see how I'm doing!

Are you training for any races right now?  How's your weekend?

Let me know if you decide to train!

Bring The Happy

It's the weekend!  Almost.  But a 4-day work week...oh so nice =)  It's been a good work week, a good running week, and it's really HOT out!

I couldn't sleep Thursday night for no reason at all (maybe that free Starbucks frap I had earlier?) so I was just up on my computer researching possible future vacations because what fun that is at 1:30 in the morning!  Jax didn't even get out of bed to keep me company.  I'm normally sleeping by 10 o'clock, but I was bouncing around checking out Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Seattle (want to go back!).  My point is that even thought I got plenty of sleep last night, I'm feeling a bit tired from Thursday nights late nighter.  But it's Friday!  On to my post...

 

Ok, so you got to live a little each day right?

 

Here's a few of my indulgences this week...

 

 

The strawberries have been amazing.  My husband and I finished a whole container last night.  No guilt, just happiness.  Have you had any yet?!

 

It was 85 degrees last night which prompted me to get mocha almond ice cream after my veggie sushi meal.  Talk about happy Thursday dinner.

 

Free Starbucks happened on Wednesday during my lunch hour - thank you Starbucks!  And black bean/ cheddar (all vegan!) quesadillas with a side of hot salsa and vegenaise made Wednesday night dinner filling and fantastic.

 

That homemade iced coffee was during my gardening spree last weekend...heavenly.

  

 

This week had some intense rain storms, but also a lot of sunshine.  As you can tell I'm quite pale so I lay the sunscreen on thick, but I certainly enjoyed lots of sun (and now I have horrible racer back tan lines).  I went on a nice 3.3 mile run yesterday.  Ran the first part with Jax and finished the last half on my own.  Happy-sweaty-feeling hardcore-way to start my day. 

 

Don't grapes just taste amazing when you're parched?   I got those from the Farmer's Market last weekend - first of the season!

 

All these little things bring happiness to each day.  Got to surround yourself with the people and things that make you happy - my philosophy!

 

 

This weekend is my best friend's bridal shower and I'm the MOH.   Can't wait!!!  I've known her since I was 3 years old and I'm so excited to see her and have some bridal shower fun! The picture above is from my shower last year; we are sporting some fun headgear.  It was a tea party!

 

  My dad retired this week (congrats dad!) so we are celebrating that on Saturday night, and Sunday is my nephew's birthday - he's turning 3!  That's what I'll be up to!

 

I hope you have a weekend filled with happy.  What's a happy indulgence from your week?