New Classes = new life, more carbs

WOWZA! Is it really Thursday? ARE YOU SURE?



We're so close to Friday, but yet, so far. 
People today kept saying to me, 
"Gosh, I can't believe tomorrows Friday! It feels like we're so close to the weekend! Wow that went fast!"
Um, no. 
Not for me.


This week has gone by soooooooooooooooooooo slowwwwlllyy (like molasses) that it's hard to believe it is a 4 day week. Definitely feels like, ooo a 10 day week? Yeah.

Tuesday was the start of a new semester, which means new classes, new teachers, and more homework.
 YIKES!

 I thought finals week was rough (was it really only last week?! WHAT?!). Day 3 of classes and we've already been assigned chapter(s) <---(that would be more than one) of reading, tests to study for, POP QUIZZES (oh how I loathe you) and the promise of more to come.
How kind.

This was me on Tuesday. Minus the whole forgetting what I ate part. 

HOW CAN YOU FORGET WHAT YOU ATE?!

I've been seriously longing for the days of elementary school where my biggest concern of the day was whether or not I'd get to be star student. You know, the special teacher's pet child for a whole that consisted of special treatment and special snacks and nap time? Nap time.
Sigh.
 I miss you.

So this week has been spent getting used to new classes and my new schedule of morning classes.
Ugh.
There's a reason I didn't have classes in the morning first semester;)
Anyway, I've had to switch my work outs to afternoons instead of mornings, which honestly hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be because of three things, I suspect:

1. I'm actually AWAKE, not just 'sleepy and going through the motions'
2. I have more ENERGY, which makes sense I suppose; my stomach usually can't handle any food if I run right when I wake up in the morning, and little food if I cross train and strength train in the morning, MEANING: I didn't have the energy food gives me, resulting in a lackluster work out. Every day. So this leads me to:
3. I now eat two meals and a snack before I work out. Now I get to eat and digest THEN work out, which is SO much better than just waking up and working out. I give props to all of you who have no choice but to work out first thing in the morning because of your schedules. Major props.
   

Moving on, I HAVE made time to bake and eat this week. Of course I have.
 I experimented with a new version of my family's recipe for Halva:

Halva is a greek dessert made out of cream of wheat, water,sugar, butter and cinnamon. My mother and I started to experiment with different substitutes for the original 5 ingredients a while back and now use somewhat healthier ingredients. For the most part.

:) 

This is a good pre-work out snack or breakfast with some greek yogurt and fresh fruit.

 It is definitely one of those gut sticking foods that stay with you for hours and hours. And I do mean hours.

  I had several pieces after dinner one night (carbo loading at its finest) and ran right when I woke up the next morning feel great! Recipe to come soon!

Speaking of carbo loading..

I've been experimenting in the kitchen with some granola recipes. I made this almond-maple granola the other night, but it's still a work in progress..

granola, peanut butter sauce, strawberry jam, vanilla protein ice cream = YUM

However, that hasn't stopped me from eating the trial run batches :)

more granola with OIKOS TOASTED COCONUT VANILLA GREEK YOGURT

On strength training days I've been having this new concoction I like to call Vanilla  Cake Batter Protein Ice Cream.
It may look plain and boring, but HOLY SMACKRAL is that good. Like, mouth watering good. To me, it tastes sort of like cake batter. But that's just me. There's hints of coconut (of course), vanilla, maple, and a slight hint of banana. Ever so slightly. It all blends together to make a creation like nothing I've ever tasted.
Except maybe cake batter :)

Vanilla Cake Batter Protein Ice Cream

2 cups vanilla soy milk

1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients in a freezable container. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours.

1/2 chopped frozen banana

1 pkg sugar free vanilla pudding mix

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/4 cup + 2 tbs. coconut flour

-After freezing milk mixture, thaw slightly in microwave for 45 seconds.

- Place mixture in food processor and blend along with banana.

 -Add in remaining ingredients, one at a time, until chopped banana is broken down and remaining ingredients are blended thoroughly and mixture is thick, similar to soft serve.

-Move to a bowl and EAT!!

NOTE: This makes a HUGE serving, so you can always freeze any remaining soft serve you don't eat in the freezer again. Just make sure you thaw it out again when you want to eat it later.

2ND NOTE: This tastes SOOO SOOO SOOO good with my black chocolate brownies. 

Especially topped with my vanilla peanut butter sauce. But I'll tell you about that later.

Alright people, I'm off to try to make sense of what-ever-the-heck I'm supposed to be studying for a test tomorrow!

OH! ONE LAST NOTE!

3RD NOTE:

HAPPY NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER DAY!!

Do me a favor, will ya?

Eat some peanut butter for me.

:)

T F G I F, My brownie obsession

T.F.G.I.F.!!!!!!!!
 (FYI: T.F.G.I.F. = Thank Fudge'n God It's Friday) <--THIS IS A  PG BLOG PEOPLE, PG!

Vacation & MY Homemade Version of Cookie Butter

Hello again!

 I sincerely hope everyone has had a happy holidays the past few days!

 Personally, I've spent the past week thanking the heavens for not ending the world last Friday, celebrating the renewal of the Earth by making (and eating) desserts like my life has depended on it (because, you see, I thought the world was ending at the time so I was preparing myself. Don't judge.), spending copious amounts of time with family, and running my little heart out. 

I have to tell you, Christmas desserts make for wonderful fuel for 9-10 mile runs<---personal distance records, thankyouverymuch.
 Especially  for long runs. Especially with homemade cookie butter. Oh yes. I went there.  You've all heard of cookie butter, right?  (and if you haven't, well then I'm truly sorry for your loss. Truly.)

This past weekend I bought Biscoff cookies( at Big Lots!; they have this foreign food aisle that I've recently discovered and am thoroughly obsessed with. I kid you not.) because, well, THEY'RE BISCOFF COOKIES. If you haven't had these cookies yet, that's okay. I forgive you. Trader Joes has this Speculoos cookie butter spread that is OHMYCOOKIE AMAZING. 
Out of this world.


 Heaven in your mouth. 


Healthy crack. <---er...what?

Right, well, it's just really really gobsmack'n good. I wanted to try to create my own version of it with somewhat healthier ingredients. I used  coconut cookies and BISCOFF cookies (yes, yes, I know. These aren't exactly "healthy", but IT'S CALLED COOKIE BUTTER for a reason, right?) I basically threw some cookies in my food processor (okay, well technically it's my Mom's, but I use it WAY MORE than she does and she'll tell you that it's hers and if she reads this she'll make a point of telling me it's NOT mine and how I use it too much and will probably break it one of these days and then I'll have to buy her a new one.) along with some flavored soy milk, molasses, spices, and some peanut butter / cashew butter.

  Let me just say (type), that this has been my favorite thing to eat for the past week. I slather it on anything and everything sweet.

 (I tried it with savory foods, and, well... let's just not talk it about, okay?)

It doesn't taste EXACTLY like the Trader Joes's version but similar, I'll be honest. BUT, it IS 
very tasty and  and addicting AND slightly healthier because there's no added oil to it. So, really, it could be called a health food.

At least, that's what I tell myself.

Homemade Cookie Butter
inspired by Trader Joes Speculoos Cookie Butter

1/3 pkg. Biscoff Cookies
1 1/2 cup cookies of choice
2 big dashes of ground cloves, nutmeg, & ginger
1 heaping tbs. cinnamon
1 1/2 tbs. molasses
1/2 cup nut butter of choice (I used peanut & cashew butter)
1/2 -3/4 cup vanilla soy milk 

1. Get out your food processor
2. Add in cookies,spices, & molasses; process until fairly smooth
3. Pour in milk and turn on processor. Continue adding milk and consistency is like that of nut butter.
4.Add in nut butter and continue to process until smooth.
5. Taste. If you believe the cookie butter is not tasty enough, add in more of the spices used until taste is satisfactory to YOUR palate. 
6. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!

NOTE: This is absolutely delicious with pretzels, apple slices, bananas, or (my personal favorite) with a spoon.   :P