Horror Films = Fast Running? & Banana Bread!

Happy Friday!!!!

<Insert Friday Song of Choice>

Source

(the song we all love to hate)

(please ignore the subtitles; they mean nothing about me, I swear)

First full week of 2013 down, and only 51 more to go! (And no, I'm not that smart, I had to look that up; but I'm flattered if you thought I was :))

1st semester classes are nearly over; now all that's left to do is STUDY STUDY STUDY for finals and pray I don't bomb.

The only interesting part of my week was hearing about that girl who got her tongue stuck in a metal water bottle.

poor kid. 

I ALWAYS carry my handy dandy and trusty water bottle with me, so I was especially curious to hear about that. I tried to stick my tongue in my bottle, but it wouldn't stay. Very discouraging, I'll tell you.

Just for you, I restrained myself from putting up a picture of my tongue in there. Just use your imagination. (Second thought, don't..too gross)

On a much less-disgusting note, Thursday was a good day solely because of the run I had in the morning. 8 miles at an average of 8:20 min/mile (give or take 10 seconds) all in the comfyness of my basement and Supernatural. Ever seen that show?

(they deserve to have a large photo, trust me)

I just started watching the series in the morning on TNT because it's on everyday from 9-12, which is usually when I run these days. The network runs through the whole seriess, and they're just showing season 1 now, so I'm watching/ recording all the episodes.

OHMYGOSH does it get your heart racing! (And no, not just cuz of their looks, they don't hurt, either;)) 

This show is SO IDEAL FOR RUNNING because I'm constantly on edge and for some crazy reason run faster while I'm watching. For example, when the guys are chasing or being chased by a demon, ghost, murderer, etc., I START TO RUN FASTER.

WHAT THE HECK?!

This is a new thing for me and I'm probably-most-likely going to obsess over this for the next week or so. Maybe I should start watching horror films while I run?

But, as I mentioned in my previous post, my runs have been pretty spectacular, in part, to this lovely thing of carbs:

This is what I call Banana Berry Coconut Jam Grape Bread. Too long? O.K., how about Banana BCG Bread?  Whatever the name, I still like it. Now, I made this recipe two ways; one with berries, oat flour, bran flour and coconut flour(yes, I'm still loving coconut), and the other way with no berries and just oat & coconut flour. I decided I liked the version with berries and less oats, but you can substitute whatever you want!
 

Behold, I give you:

Banana B.C.J.G. Bread

Dough

2 cups oat flour 

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup milk (I used vanilla soy milk)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup sweetnener

3 large and VERY RIPE bananas, mashed

1/4 cup dried fruit and/or chopped nuts (I used craisins and pecans)

Filling

1 cup grapes

1/4 cup sweetener of choice (I used maple syrup)

1/4 cup flour of choice or corn starch (coconut flour works well)

4 tbs. jam (I used strawberry jam)

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the dough:

-To make oat flour, process 2 cups oats in food processor until ground into flour.

- In a medium bowl, combine oat flour with coconut flour, milk, salt, vanilla, sweetener, mashed bananas, and mix-ins. Mix well.

For the filling:

-Wash grapes and place into food processor. Blend until foamy liquid forms. Add in sweetener of choice and flour and process again.

-Take a normal loaf pan and press half of the dough mixture into the bottom and press down firmly. 

-Pour grape puree filling on top of dough. Drop jam on top of filling and swirl with a knife. -Take remaining dough and spread on top of filling (it will be clumpy; that's okay!

 NOTE: I added blackberries to the top of the bread right before it went into the oven; I DEFINITELY recommend doing this!!

 Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

 Let cool (if you REALLY feel the need, which I didn't and ended up suffering from a burnt tongue for the rest of the night. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED). 

But, really, it was worth it :)

1-3-13

It's 1-3-13 today!

This won't happen again until next January on 1-4-14. Weird, huh? It feels as if the New Year went by really fast and suddenly we're all back at January again. NO!!! I really am not a fan of January. Or February for that matter. And March. Also April. And yes, even May. Basically January- May I don't like. (My apologies to all those who have birthdays, anniversary, etc. during these months. To each her/his own, I suppose). Maybe because during these months it's mostly cold, wet, rainy, dreary, so the natural thing to do is stay inside, watch movies and trash t.v., eat, and also maybe because there's (for some of us), school involved. The countdown after winter break begins and it feels NEVER ENDING until the last day of school arrives. You get back from break and start counting down until Spring Break, then St. Patricks Day (because everyone knows OF COURSE you're supposed to play hookie from work or schools and watch the parade. Wait. St. Patty's is on a Sunday this year......never mind) and FINALLY Memorial Day (yes, it counts, that one day means a lot to some of us).

 But going back to the cold weather; there's just no WARMTH. Your skin gets all pale and dry (unless you're one of THOSE people who carries cream around with them everywhere they go..I'M LOOKING AT YOU MOM), and then when the sun finally emerges and the temperature rises high enough that you don't need to wear 6 layers and extra fuzzy socks, you have to tan in your back yard (because you're so pale it's embarrassing) until your skin looks not so vampire like THEN you can go out with the normal people.

I don't really know where I'm going this ramble.

Any-who, speaking of  New Years Day (I wasn't, was I? Oh well), my family and I celebrated with the traditional Vasilopita (similar to this recipe, but we omit the almonds).

t's a sweet bread made for Easter and New Years. During Easter we braid the dough and put a dyed red egg in the center. For New Years we put in a foil wrapped coin and cut pieces for everyone. Who ever ends up with the coin is supposed to have  good luck for the rest of the year. 

(I've gotten the coin a few years ago and just managed to pass Biology. That in its self is pure luck right there).

Well, THIS year when we cut the bread, the coin JUST SO HAPPENED to be smack dab in the middle between my piece and my brothers. Hmph. Personally, speaking from a completely unbiased and non-prejudiced point of view, I'd say the coin was 70 % embedded in my piece and 30 % in my brothers'. But no one did and now we're sharing it. 

Although, really, I think I need the luck more considering my pale skin that needs help tanning and walking in heels. <--(-that needs MAJOR luck, as in it will take a miracle.)

:)

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