Bake Sale for Haiti

The Chic Life is hosting an online bake sale for Haiti - all proceeds go to the Red Cross Relief Fund for Haiti.


I went back and forth a bit on what to donate, but finally decided on:

- Milk Chocolate Walnut Fudge (1 pound) - donated by my mom, from her Etsy shop

- Margarita bars - made by me, recipe to come when I make them for the sale!  They're like lemon bars, but made with margarita mix - super yummy!

The sale will be held on January 27 - see The Chic Life for details!

Treadmill Time!

Most people, even committed runners, dislike the treadmill.  It's tedious, for sure, and the fact that you're running to nowhere is less than motivating.  When it comes to running on the treadmill, though, I take a different tack: I really enjoy it.  Maybe it's the fact that I'm a total nerd, and I really like being able to see my distance, pace, and calories burned.  Maybe it's the ability to control my pace precisely, since as a beginner I still have a hard time sticking to a pace outdoors.  Maybe it's the ability to stay out of the rain and watch TV while I run.  Whatever it is, the treadmill and I are good buddies.

I hit up the treadmill today for my first Couch to 5K Week 4 run.

The plan:

Walk 3 min warmup

Run 3 min (5.0mph)

Walk 90 sec (3.3)

Run 5 min

Walk 2.5 min

Run 3 min (1% incline)

Walk 90 sec (1% incline)

Run 5 min (no incline)

Walk 2.5 min cooldown

The stats:

Distance: 1.92 miles

Time: 27:00

Pace: 14:03/mi

It felt great - I wanted to keep going forever!  I stuck to the plan, though, since I know that overtraining at the beginning is how a lot of new runners get injured.  I finished up my workout with strength training for legs from the Fitnessista - which totally made my legs feel like jelly!

The boredom of the treadmill hasn't quite set in yet - I'm still rocking out to my favorite songs, trying not to pay too much attention to how long I'm running.  The TV helped today - watching the Vikings play helped me totally forget what I was doing and just enjoy moving.  Music, TV, and magazines definitely help with treadmill boredom!  Pretty soon, though, I'll be tackling longer runs and will either have to hit the streets or find new ways to keep myself busy (hill intervals, anyone?)

I'm off to finish watching the Vikings, and try out my new foam roller - hopefully it won't hurt too much and will loosen up my aching legs!

Update: Go Vikings!!  Awesome game :)

Carrot-Covered Muffins!

One of my favorite bloggers, Chocolate-Covered Katie, is hosting a Vita-Mix giveaway!  To qualify for extra entries for the giveaway, you have to make a recipe from her archive - which isn't too difficult, since she has so many delicious ones!

I flipped through her recipes and found one that sounded especially delicious - 24-Carrot Cake Muffins.  This one was especially good since I'm leaving for vacation in less than a week and I had half a bag of carrots left in the fridge.  The recipe can be found on her blog - I only made a few substitutions, since as a non-vegan I don't have egg substitute or non-dairy milk.  I would have liked to stay true to the vegan-ness of the recipe, but I just didn't have time to go pick up the ingredients.

The results - they were not only gorgeous, they were delicious!  Sweet and very cake-like, and you could never tell that they're made with all whole-wheat flour, applesauce, and carrots.  They're much more nutritious than they taste :)

I made a dozen of these and froze them, so I'm looking forward to having these around for quite a while!

I'm Back! Plus an announcement

After quite an extended break, I'm back!  Life just got the best of me over the holidays - with my projects in lab, TAing, Christmas presents and visiting family, there simply wasn't time for anything extra.  I have a sneaking suspension that life will get crazy again....but for now, I'm going to try to keep up and we'll see how it goes :)

With that, the announcement:
I'm running a half marathon!

Finally, I got up the nerve to do what I've been wanting to do for a while.  Last year, I played around with the idea of running the Broad Street Run (10M) or a half, but I didn't feel comfortable enough with running to do it.  After all, I'd just started running seriously in February of that year, and I ran my first 5K in April - I didn't know if I could do longer distances.

Since I started running last year, I've run or walked 210 miles, and I have gotten much stronger at running.  I've gotten faster, too - my average running speed used to be about 12:45/mi, and now 11:45 is a comfortable pace, and 11:15-11:30 is ok on good days.  I know I'm still not fast - but I probably won't ever be running 7-minute miles.  I hope to shave a little more time off my average pace - maybe down to 11:00/mi by half-marathon time.  I know my pace will probably be a little slower for the race - that type of distance usually calls for running a little slower - but if my shorter training runs have me running 11:00/mi by the end, I'll be happy!

I signed up for the "13.1 Marathon" race series half marathon in Boston, on June 27.  There are a few reasons for this choice.  First and foremost, the race benefits the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, a cause which is close to my heart since my friend, Megan, and her mother both struggle with Crohn's Disease.  I would like to raise some money for the cause, and I can't think of a better way to keep me motivated to stick to my training.  Second, the race has a limit of 6,000 entries, which is small - the Boston Marathon, by contrast, has around 20,000.  It's meant to be a good race for first-timers, and advertises itself as walker-friendly - the course closes 3 1/2 hours after the race starts, which is a minimum 16:00/mile time, or a brisk walk.  If I try to run the whole thing, but need to walk sometimes, I should have no trouble keeping that pace.

That said, this training will certainly not be easy.  The longest distance I've done a training run is 5 miles, last May, and that one tired me out a LOT.  I've struggled with plantar fasciitis, I have asthma, and I tend to get headaches when I run a long distance out in the sun.  I don't know for sure that I can run 13.1 miles without stopping - but I'm certainly going to try!

My main goals for this half are:
- Finish!
- Get faster during training - from 11:45/mi to 11:00/mi, at least
- Minimize the amount of time I need to walk during training runs and the race
- Lose some weight and get stronger during training (no specific goal, since I don't know how the training will affect my body!)

I've taken measurements as a starting point, and I'll be comparing back to those measurements every month or so to see how things are going fitness-wise.  I'm not sharing them now, but I promise to share them later - it's so much easier to share those things when you can do it from a "look how much healthier I am now!" perspective.

So far, the plan is to follow the "Couch to 5K" workout, something that's worked for me in the past, for the first few weeks.  I started with week 3 last week - running 90 seconds, walking 90 seconds, running 3 minutes, walking 3 minutes.  I'm hoping that by starting off slow, I'll build up my ability to run constantly without walking, before working on speed.  The next few weeks will be walk/run, and then I'll (hopefully!) be running for 20-30 minutes straight.  Once I get to that point, I'm going to start serious training - I plan to follow the Runner's World training plan.  They have a nifty little tool that lets you input a past 5K time, a goal distance, and a time frame, and it spits out a plan for you.  I actually set up the training plan using Broad Street as a goal - if I'm coming along in the first few weeks of that plan, I'll sign up for the race.  If I can get in shape in time for Broad Street, it's just a matter of maintenance for the half!

With that, I'm off - I've got a vacation coming up next weekend, and it's time to get everything in order so that I can maintain my sanity during the week!

National Bundt Day

Today is National Bundt Cake Day!  To celebrate, I thought I'd share one I made a while back, for my boyfriend's birthday last summer.

Bundt cakes are by far my favorite.  It could be because I grew up in the Midwest, and they're the standard cake made by Midwestern women.  It could also be because I like things to look pretty, but not be too complicated.  With their fluted edges and interesting shape, Bundt pans make everything look decorative - but they're still just simple pans, no filling or springforms necessary.  Bundt cakes are also just MADE for cake-takers, don't you think?

For this cake, I used the Betty Crocker recipe for Silver White Cake (direct from the cookbook - you can find it here), and mixed 3 tbsp cocoa and 1/8 tsp baking soda into part of the batter to make a marble cake.  I think marble cakes are terrific - they look fancy and don't require much extra work. 

For the frosting, I used the Betty Crocker recipe for Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (found here) - BEST FROSTING EVER!  I just added in crushed chocolate to both the cake and the frosting - I've used either mini chocolate chips, or a crushed chocolate bar, both with great results.

In the pan, before baking:

After baking - you can barely tell it's a marble cake from this angle!

After frosting - doesn't it look kinda vintage?

There you have it!  Happy National Bundt Day :)

Veggie Shepherd's Pie

I rarely make meat dishes, since I live alone and they require so much time (and money!).  I also try to limit my meat consumption in general, since it's the eco-friendly (and animal-friendly) thing to do.  Sometimes, though, I'm in the mood for comfort food - and a lot of comfort food is meat-based.  What's a girl to do when she craves something warm and hearty, but there's no meat in the freezer?

Enter Veggie Shepherd's Pie.  For me, it was a dish inspired by what was around the house....but it's totally flexible, and can incorporate anything you have in the pantry or freezer.  I had a sweet potato that was a bit past it's prime, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, and a Gardenburger.  You may have a regular old Idaho potato, corn on the cob, and some ground turkey instead - but go without fear, for the recipe will accommodate you!

(excuse the terrible picture - apartment lighting late at night doesn't make for a good shot!)

Veggie Shepherd's Pie

1 sweet potato, peeled & cubed
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp butter or Smart Balance
1/2 cup mixed vegetables
1 Gardenburger (Boca crumbles or ground meat of any sort work)
salt & pepper to taste, plus cayenne or garlic if you'd like

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place peeled, cubed sweet potato into a pot filled with cold water.  Bring water to a boil, and boil until the potato cubes fall off the fork when you pierce them.  Drain, and put potatoes into a mixing bowl with milk and Smart Balance.  Mix with hand mixer on low speed, or with potato masher or fork, until you have mashed sweet potatoes of your desired consistency.  Set aside.

Heat mixed vegetables in microwave as directed on package, and cook Gardenburger in skillet as directed.  Crumble Gardenburger, and mix in vegetables.

Fill two ramekins halfway with mixed vegetable/Gardenburger mixture.  Top with mashed sweet potatoes.

Place ramekins into oven and bake for 20 minutes, until potato starts to brown on top.  Allow to cool a bit, then serve!

My favorite breakfast

Every weekday morning when I get up, the first thing I think about is breakfast.  I know some people skip breakfast and some people just have coffee, but I MUST have food to start the day.  And according to several studies, breakfast is the most important meal....so I think I'm healthier this way :)

I used to mix up my breakfasts every morning, but lately I've been sticking to the same general thing each day.  Oat bran is my go-to meal because it's packed with fiber, protein, and iron (all very important for a woman in her 20s!) - and also because it's low in fat and relatively low in calories.  1/3 cup of Trader Joe's oat bran has 130 calories and 3 g of fat....about even with a bowl of low-sugar cereal with milk.  If I add in extra protein and vitamins by mixing in fruit and peanut butter or almond butter, I've got a meal that's totally balanced, and also incredibly delicious!  One bowl, which with mix-ins is around 280 calories, keeps me full from breakfast (around 7 am) until lunch time (around noon), so I keep myself from snacking all morning long - that way, I save my snack for the 3pm slump :)

To keep my breakfasts a little varied, I change up the mix-ins for my oat bran all the time.  My absolute favorite so far is white peaches and blueberries with almond butter.....but since both of those fruits are out of season now, I'm sticking with apples or pears these days.  Today's bowl was one of my best....pears, pomegranate seeds, and almond butter.  I hope you try this.....you'll love it, I promise!

Oat Bran with Pears, Pomegranate Seeds, and Almond Butter

1/3 cup Trader Joes oat bran
1 cup water
1 pear, cut into bite-size cubes
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds  (I removed all seeds from a pomegranate and stored in the refrigerator)
1 tbsp Trader Joes creamy, unsalted almond butter

On stove top, heat up oat bran and water.  Start with burner on high until the oat bran starts to bubble, then turn down to medium-low and stir frequently until the oat bran reaches your desired consistency.  While oat bran is cooking, core and slice a pear.  Add oat bran, pear, and pomegranate seeds to a bowl, and top with a little bit of almond butter.  Mix, then enjoy!

I leave you with a picture of Mimu, enjoying the sunshine!  Hope your weather is as nice as mine today :)

Back on the wagon...and lasagna rolls!

So I admit, I clearly fell off the wagon on this one.  Life gets REALLY busy in bursts during grad school (as it does for everyone, really), and things just got too hectic.  I'm going to try to update whenever I can, and hopefully anyone who enjoys the blog will just stick with me through the thin patches :)

With colder temps coming upon us here in Philly, I've been craving warm comfort food.  This recipe for Lasagna Rolls, from Giada DeLaurentis, certainly hits the spot.  I used skim milk instead of whole milk, and left out the prosciutto (seriously, what single person has prosciutto lying around the house?).....and the rest of the ingredients are all relatively normal!

(sorry for the kinda lousy pictures....for some reason the shots without the flash weren't working!)

These were warm, cheesy, and actually pretty healthy (spinach + lowfat ricotta and milk = pretty good for you!).  Next time I might add something else.....maybe for fall, a little pumpkin in with the cheese?  Definitely YUM, especially with some extra nutmeg :)

I really liked that with this, you end up with portion-able food.  I ate three....but the others were saved individually in the freezer, so that I can take one out at a time if I want to eat them with something else.  That way, I can enjoy the deliciousness of this dinner food, but in a lunch portion - and if I mix it with a side salad or something, it'll be plenty filling.

The best part is, most of the ingredients are pretty shelf-stable, and can be easily modified.  With the leftover noodles and cheese, I could make a more traditional lasagna......or just break up all the noodles and mix them with sauce and cheese later for a quick dinner.  And the rest of the spinach I can save for another meal, or use in a smoothie a different time!

Best Recipe of the Week

When I am in the midst of a zillion things at once - right now, revising my first first-author paper, and prepping for a committee meeting, AND starting grant-writing class - I am always thankful for a good, simple recipe, and happy to not have to come up with my own ideas for cooking as well as at lab.

This one, Fusilli with Spinach and Asiago Cheese, was actually my effort at using up the end of my cherry tomatoes (which I'd used for a different pasta dish earlier), and also using up some of the large amount of spinach I still have in the freezer. It calls for fresh spinach, but I found that the frozen stuff was just fine - might be better with fresh, but who has time to go to the store in the middle of the week to pick up spinach?

Other substitutions I made were: gemelli instead of fusilli, and the Kraft parmesan/asiago mix out of the green can(!). I know, I know - but it still tasted really good, and while I'd rather not have all the preservatives and excess salt, sometimes when it's crunch time at work you have to do what you can to make dinner fast and easy.

I don't have a picture today, but I promise more yummy recipes soon!

The Absolute Best Substitution

Have you ever looked at a recipe you REALLY wanted to make, only to find out you don't have half the ingredients you need?

Since I live alone (and on a grad student's salary), I find myself in this position all the time. There just isn't enough need, or enough money, to buy everything I could possibly need for cooking and baking. Thus, in the past few years, I have become the queen of substitutions.

Take, for instance, the Starbucks chocolate cinnamon bread recipe, which they gave out on recipe cards last fall. The bread is rich and delicious, but it calls for buttermilk - something which is just not practical to keep around the house when you live alone. If you're as busy as most grad students (or others with crazy jobs) are, there isn't even time to head to the store to pick up a carton of buttermilk - not to mention, shell out the cash for what will inevitably be waaaay more buttermilk than you need.

Enter the mother of all substitutions: plain, nonfat yogurt. While it may seem simple and unassuming, yogurt is incredibly multifaceted. I have used it as sour cream for tacos or nachos, and substituted it for buttermilk in baking recipes - and, if you are a fan of No Pudge Brownies (in my opinion, the ultimate dessert for singles - fat free, very yummy, and you can make them in single servings), you can use yogurt to make these delicious treats, too. I keep yogurt around at all times, since I can use it for so many things - and of course, it's delicious on its own, with some fruit and a little honey, so I can always eat up whatever's left from my baking adventures.

The best part of this substitution is that you definitely get all the rich flavor of buttermilk, without all the fat. In a recipe like the chocolate cinnamon bread, which calls for 5 eggs and 3 sticks of butter, you can use all the nonfat substitutions you can get!

I made the chocolate cinnamon bread last night, and discovered a few more recipe substitutions along the way. Because I cut the recipe in half and didn't want to waste eggs (the half recipe calls for 2 1/2 eggs), I used Egg Beaters to replace the half-egg. Of course, this isn't entirely cost-effective, as eggs are cheaper than Egg Beaters - but since Egg Beaters bring less cholesterol and fat, I felt that it was justified. I also managed to run out of cocoa powder, and found that 1 oz of unsweetened chocolate can substitute for 3 tbsp of cocoa powder (I actually used a dark chocolate square, since it was all I had around!).

The result, even with all the substitutions, was a delicious, indulgent treat to bring to work:

If you decide to try the recipe, I recommend baking for at least 50 minutes, if not more - otherwise, the bread collapses on itself a little, and may be incredibly pudding-like in the center. Believe me, I know from experience!

I hope all is well with everyone - and happy start to the school year, for those of you still in classes!