Outside the Box Challenge: Frontier Girl Test

So far, this year has been all about trying new things and working hard at the things that I feel passionate about.  So when I saw the Outside the Box Challenge, created by Shedding It and Getting It and Nutritionista, I knew this was the perfect challenge for me.

This week's challenge is the Frontier Girl Test, and the goal was to create something from scratch that you would usually just buy pre-made from the store.  I chose to make hot fudge sauce - because let's face it, on a busy week like this week has been, a girl just needs some chocolate.

I found this recipe online, and went with it, with only one modification: I added about half a teaspoon of coconut butter to give a unique flavor.  The sauce was super easy to make, and so much more delicious than regular chocolate sauce.  Yet another food that I'm not sure why I ever bought in the store!  My favorite food to make from scratch is frosting - so I guess this is pretty similar.

Here it is bubbling away on the stove:

And here's the finished product, served over some Starbucks Caramel Macchiato ice cream:

Yum!!  Definitely making this one again.

Quick running update:  I ran a full 3.1 miles (5K) outside without stopping today!  It's the first time I've ever done that - and I honestly didn't think I would be in the shape to pull that off for quite a while still.  What I really love about running is that when you put in the hard work, you see the results pretty fast - easy runs are easier, long runs aren't painful, and I'm getting faster all the time.  This weekend is a 5-miler up at the boyfriend's, and then I have a long run scheduled for next Tuesday - let's hope the 7 miles go as smoothly as the 3 today!