Chocolate Protein Power Bites

As much as I did not enjoy getting very little sleep Saturday night - with getting home quite late after a stellar Robert Randolph and the Family Band (if you don't know him, check him out) concert and daylight savings time taking effect - I sure do love the fact that it's still light out well after 6:00pm now. After work runs up the canyon are calling me!

Speaking of running... I am not ashamed to say that I am very happy with how things are going right now and I hope I didn't just jinx myself by saying that. This week I had planned to dial back on my mileage a little bit for an easy week, but I ended up with my highest mileage week so far this year. After weeks of cold, snow, and ice, the sun came out and the mercury rose this weekend. Saturday morning I got in 8.5 sunny miles around Denver followed by a Sunday run of 4.25 miles, part of which was a solid tempo run featuring some very speedy miles. My legs are a bit tired but my spirits are high. 

This week will be an easy week - even with several beautiful days in the forecast!

I'm a big fan of Picky Bars, recently receiving my first Picky Club shipment. They're delicious, easy to grab-and-go, easy to digest, and vegan. But I wanted to try my hand at making something similar, but different. 

And so became these Chocolate Protein Power Bites.

Given my intense - and probably slightly unhealthy - love of chocolate, it had to be a main ingredient in these protein bites.

Chocolate Protein Power Bites Ingredients (makes 12 bites): 

• 1.5 cups Dates - pitted and cut in quarters 
• 1 tbs + 1 tsp Almond Butter 
• 2 tsp Sunflower Seeds
• 1 tsp Chia Seeds
• 1 tsp Hemp Hearts 
• 1 tbs Vega Protein & Greens Chocolate Protein Powder
• 2 tbs Almond Milk
• 1 tbs Dark (or Vegan) Chocolate Chips 
• 1/4 cup Shredded Coconut (or more as needed)

It's a pretty easy process to make this goodness a reality. Put the first seven ingredients in a food processor and mix on low till you have a sticky, well-combined mixture and all the chunky date segments disappear. You'll likely need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.

Once it's ready, transfer the mixture into a bowl and fold in the chocolate chips. Divide up the mixture using a tablespoon - these bites are slightly less than, to a full tablespoon. I suggest dividing up all the bites before the next step as the mixture is very sticky.

Roll each bite in the shredded coconut and shape as you go - you can tell they're handmade by the various shapes and sizes - then put them in the fridge till you're ready to enjoy. This batch made 12 Chocolate Protein Power Bites. 

While I don't have the calorie counts for these, I can say that they are both delicious - don't just take my word for it, try them! - and packed with healthy ingredients. The chocolate is an added bonus.

What is your favorite healthy 'treat'? * If you're a runner, how do you decide how many miles to run each day/week? Do you incorporate planned easy weeks?

Tofu Chili for Everyone

For the past six months or so Woody and I have been following a mostly vegan diet. Spurred on by our continuing quest to live healthy and long lives, we've decided that cutting out most animal proteins from our diet is a step we feel comfortable doing as part of our efforts. I haven't talked about it much - if at all - because it's still new for us and we're figuring it out. Beyond this, I'm not planning to turn this into a vegan blog or try and convince everyone to make the switch like we are. While I generally hope that people will work to eat healthy diets (most of the time), what works for each of us is different, and likely changes quite a few times over the course of our lives.

How can I live without cheese?

It's true, giving up cheese and Greek yogurt were, by far the hardest things I've had to cut from my (almost daily) routine, but after a while it just wasn't a big deal anymore. To be perfectly frank, when I say we're following a mostly vegan diet that's because we have made a few exceptions and know that when we eat out a few things might have butter, or a little bit of egg (and we did indulge in burgers at Delmonico's when we were in NYC last fall). But generally we're pretty conscious of what we're eating and don't include meat, dairy or eggs when cooking at home.

With all that said, we've been experimenting with different foods lately to get the nutrition we need. With the cold and snowy weekend we've had, a big pot of chili sounded perfect for Sunday dinner. As Woody said when he finished his last bite, it's nearly the perfect meal - pretty cheap, really easy, and healthy (how I make it, anyway). To change it up a little I decided to add some tofu to the mix. 

Chili is really all about throwing a bunch of ingredients into a pot and letting in simmer for hours. As far as I'm concerned, it's even better the next day. The basics: lots of onion, garlic, and peppers...

Throw these into a pot with tomatoes (I opt for a mix of no salt added diced tomatoes & fire roasted diced), with a combination of black and kidney beans.

Using firm tofu, I drained then pressed it for about an hour to get a good amount of the liquid out. Then I rubbed in a bit of black pepper and chili season on both sides and baked at 400 degrees for just over an hour - flipping half way through. 

Cut into cubes I added it into the pot, added more chili seasoning and a little bit of ketchup and simmered for several hours.

So, all that was:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Bell Peppers (any color will do but a mix is best)
• Diced Tomatoes (no salt added & fire roasted)
• Beans - Kidney and Black
• Firm Tofu
• Black Pepper
• Chili Seasoning
• Ketchup

I don't list quantities because it really depends on how big a pot your using and how many people you want to serve. I often make one pot then add a little more veggies for the second night if it seems like it could use a little bulking up.

The tofu really just added another texture to the chili. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't have much of a flavor, so it won't overpower the other ingredients, but it does add a lot of protein without many calories. Next time I think I'll try preparing the tofu like a scramble - which should replicate the texture of ground beef. 

When Neil Patrick Harris was just about to take the stage for his Oscars monologue (really, he's the perfect host), I dished up the chili and topped it off with a bit of avocado, because let's face it, everything is better with avocado!

Did you have a favorite Oscar dress or moment? How much snow did you get this weekend? If you make tofu dishes, what's your favorite?

HOLIDAY WELLNESS GUIDE: Drink Up The Holidays!

Over the weekend we finally jumped feet first into the holidays. Woody and I put Christmas lights on our house in (60 degree weather) and while they're very simple this year it's quite exciting as this is the first time we've had a house together to decorate! Until now all of my holiday decorations (for all holidays combined) have fit neatly into one box. It's been fun to browse Pinterest to find fun little DIY projects and inspiration for our mantle.

December can be packed with many fun-filled nights. Big dinners with friends and family, cocktail parties, office parties, gift wrapping holiday movie watching marathons…. And with these full-filled nights come festive foods and festive drinks! Those for both celebrating and for recovering.

I don’t drink alcohol very often (I’d rather save those calories for dark chocolate), but occasionally during a night out I’ll indulge in a glass or two of Prosecco. Not only do the bubbles instantly bring a bit glamour and a celebratory feel to any occasion, but at around 110 calories per 5oz pour, the sparkling wine is lower in calories and alcohol by volume than most other adult beverages.

It’s incredibly easy to add a bit of festive flair to a glass of Prosecco for a gathering you’re hosting at your home - no matter how big or small!

Into a champagne glass, pour half an ounce (or about a tablespoon) of pomegranate juice, drop 6 - 10 pomegranate seeds then pour in the Prosecco and enjoy! Not only is this drink incredibly easy to create and beautifully festive, but also a nice alternative for those of us who appreciate a tiny bit of good nutrition even when we celebrate!


And then there’s the next morning. You wake up feeling a bit groggy and maybe a little unsure of exactly how many shrimp cocktails or pumpkin tarts you nibbled on. And as your crawl out of bed you realize you might have had one more glass of Pomegranate Prosecco Spritzer than you thought. It can happen to anyone. The good news is that hazy feeling doesn’t have to last all day! You just have to commit to the day ahead and set out on the right foot!
Let me introduce you to the delicious, nutrition-packed, easy to make and easy to drink, Reset Green Smoothie.


Woody and I have drastically reduced the amount of animal protein we eat over the past few months and this was actually my first attempt at making a smoothie free of Greek yogurt. He’s made quite a few that have been very tasty, so I knew it would work well. The trick I need to master still is the amount of each ingredient to use! The Reset Green Smoothie is loaded with good-for-you ingredients, each one bringing multiple positive attributes to your glass. You may be wondering about the avocado, but trust me, it adds a little creaminess to the mix and none of the flavors of this smoothie will stand out above the rest. In other words, a perfect combo.


So now you have my two recommendations for holiday season liquid treats! Although you don’t have to limit them to the the colder months - I know I will be enjoying both all year round!
What are your favorite festive beverages? * What is your must have smoothie ingredient?

HOLIDAY WELLNESS GUIDE: Roasted Winter Veggies

The holidays are a fantastic, yet stressful time of year. Every November to-do lists start to grow faster than items are checked off; there are parties to attend, gifts to buy, cards to write, trips to take, the temperature drop and snow starts to fall. And that’s on top of every day life! It’s hard to keep up. This year my goal is to help you through the next 6 weeks so you can enjoy the season and start the new year feeling ready to take on anything!

As part of The Early Morning Run Holiday Guide, you’ll find healthy recipes, workout tips, DIY projects and more. All to help your holiday season shine!

First up is this Roasted Winter Veggie dish. The best thing about about this dish is that it’s great for many occasions – you can make as much or as little as you need and it’s great as a side dish or main. The recipe below worked well as dinner for the two of us on a cold winter night. It can be made the night before and packed into a work bag for lunch, or make a big batch and take to a friend’s holiday potluck dinner. Full of vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy vibes, this simple recipe will quickly become a favorite!

The sweet potato provides some, well, sweetness, while the cannellini beans add a little bit of bulk without being bulky. My husband, who is not a fan of Brussels sprouts or cauliflower was a fan of this dish – he went back for seconds!

How are you feeling about the holidays? * What are you looking forward to this season?

Food & Bike Racing

Last weekend the state of Colorado was enamored with bike racing. The USA Pro Challenge to be exact. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s basically the US’s version of the Tour de France. Known as America’s Race, it’s a multi-day road bike race that brings together professional riders from all over the world. Going through Colorado, the race takes riders to incredible heights – 12,000 feet to be exact! The seventh and last stage of the race took place in Denver on Sunday and consisted of 8 laps of a circuit through downtown. Being so close to the action, we had to check it out!

So, they practically flew by and were a blur. With all the great riders who were there, a Coloradoan took home first place! Tejay van Garderen of the BMC Racing team won the Pro Challenge.

Afterwards we headed over to REI – big sale going on – and checked out bikes and helmets. One of my goals is to start riding a bike again (it’s been nearly two decades since I’ve been on one) but the first step is getting a helmet so I can test out my skills on a Denver B-Cycle (like Citi Bikes in NYC) before we invest in a bike. So, we had some fun…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’ll have to check back to see what we chose!

Aside from watching professional riders fly by and trying on helmets, I did a little cooking. Here are my favorites from the weekend:

Potato smashers

This tasty side dish was so incredibly easy I am making these again soon. We had this as a side dish with dinner but I think it would be a great alternative for breakfast potatoes as well! I also want to try it with a mixture of red & purple potatoes.

Steps:

1. Scrub and boil red potatoes
2. Let cool & pre-heat oven to 375’
3. Spray foil-lined cookie sheet with olive oil spray
4. Place potatoes on cookie sheet and flatten with the bottom of a cup (glass is best, potatoes won’t stick to it) or back of a large spoon or pie server
5. In a small prep cup combine grape seed oil (or olive oil) with fresh ground pepper and chipotle – stir to combine
6. Using a silicone brush, spread mixture on each smashed potato and bake in oven for 45 minutes or until satisfyingly crunchy yet soft

Eggplant Stackers

So, I need to perfect this one a bit more but it turned out well enough I didn’t want to wait to share it. Again, really simple and a great alternative for a veggie side dish. The one thing I’d do differently would be to cut thinner slices of eggplant and use a little less mozzarella.

Steps:

1. Slice eggplant – two slices per serving – and grill on each side till nearly cooked
2. Top one slice of eggplant with a smear of pesto, tomato slice, bit of mozzarella (it melts easily so you don’t need too much!), a bit of wilted fresh spinach then second slice of eggplant
3. Continue to grill for a minute then flip and grill on the other side for another minute – until warmed through
4. Remove from grill and drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving

I love that we have a balcony now so we can grill! Just wish it was self-cleaning!

What’s your favorite thing to grill? * How are you planning to spend the holiday weekend? * Are you more excited for college football or pro football?