Sweet n’ Spicy Snack Mix

Posted in Food, Recipes, WIAW by chicken nugget girl

Let’s be honest, the reason I made this recipe is because I had all of the ingredients (except the Rice Chex) in the pantry. So you might, too!

This sweet n’ spicy snack mix is a perf semi-healthy snack to munch on. And since it’s homemade, it could pass as a fancy nut mix to set out before a dinner party, but is also chill enough to eat with the bf while watching a hockey game.

I’m lovin’ the the flavorful crunch and the fact that it’s a little healthier than store-bought chex mix.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup cashews
1 1/2 tbsp butter
3 cups tiny unsalted pretzels
1 cup Rice Chex
2 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine pecans and cashews on a jelly-roll pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir in baked nuts with the butter in a medium bowl. Add syrup, pretzels, and cereal and stir.

In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, 1 teaspoon thyme, cinnamon, red pepper, and salt.

Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over nuts/pretzels. Toss gently to coat well.

Spread in a single layer on jelly-roll pan.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Cool completely before serving.

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I ate Wednesday!

4Mar2013

Slow and Steady

Posted in Run, Running Gear by chicken nugget girl

My back is officially 100% better! I took an extra day of rest last week, and even though I felt guilty then, I’m glad I did. I don’t even want to have to think about an injury for the next two weeks leading up to the half.

However, my whole fam seems to have given each other the same set of sniffles, so I have been kind of under the weather all weekend.

I decided to give my long run a go anyway, which turned out well!

I didn’t even think about feeling sickly during the run because I was a little focused on the entirety of my body being quite confused at running a new distance.

Thanks for putting up with my strange desires to run longer distances, body.

I tried GU Chomps for the first time and loved them! They taste a heck of a whole lot better than GU gel and seemed to give me a bit more energy than the sports jelly beans.

I’m pretty sure I’ve found my race fuel! However, before the race I must figure out how to successfully breathe through my nose while I literally chomp on each of these like a freakin’ cow. They’re a little chewy.

Slow and steady ~~wins~~ finishes the race! (That’s what I keep telling myself….)

Before I knew it, I entered new trail territory and stumbled on a pleasant surprise.

Just another day of runnin’ in the nation’s capital.

P.S. It’s Tuna’s birthday today! If you wish him a happy birthday, I’ll make sure to let him know. 😉

How was your long run this weekend?

1Mar2013

Friday’s Five

Posted in Friday's Five, Products, Read, Run, Running Gear by chicken nugget girl

One of my favorite blogs, Carrie Bradshaw Lied, does a Friday feature called “Friday’s Five,” that shows pretty/funny/inspiring things from the past week or the week ahead.

I look forward to her hip Friday posts so much that I’m going to start doing my own Friday’s Five! #copycat

1. Inspiration for Saturday’s long run.

(source)

2. Finding the “lost” BIC Bands in the pocket of your workout jacket.

3. This hilarious gif of Jack Nicholson being just as creepy as usual.

(source)

4. Bubble baths and starting a new book club read.

The bubble bath did help my back a little bit! I took an extra rest day yesterday in hopes it would magically heal my teensy muscle strain.

(source)

5. It is finally March…

Which means 17 days until the Shamrock Half. The countdown has officially begun.

(source)

What are your Friday’s Five?

28Feb2013

A Visit from Vicki

Posted in Food, Restaurants, Run, Yoga by chicken nugget girl

I’m finally getting around to recapping last weekend and it’s already almost time for another! Whoops. (But TGIAF [thank gawd it’s almost Friday]).

This past weekend was full of fun activities thanks to a visit from my friend Vicki who came up from Charlottesville!

Since it was raining on Saturday morning, we decided do some yoga before our long run. I am so lucky that I actually still have friends when I constantly make them take awkward photos of me.

I was excited to run with Vic because she is a super runner (she’s done two Tough Mudders and two marathons – cray) and I knew she would push the pace a little bit.

Success! The run flew by since we were chattin’ away.

The rest of the weekend consisted of multiple restaurant trips where we spent too much moolah and shoveled our faces with delish eats.

On Sunday afternoon we went to Chinatown before Vicki had to catch her train back home.

We went to Matchbox, which we both love. Matchbox has pretty big portions and not-too-painful prices.

Vicki was craving a burger all weekend and was determined to get it.

I got an awesome Bloody Mary. I actually tried a Bloody Mary for the first time with Vicki a few years ago at a brunch in Georgetown.

Vicki got her burger! Aren’t these the coolest onion rings you’ve ever seen? I stole one and devoured it.

New food alert: the onion rings were sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and I liked it! Tuna will be thrilled (I always veto Parmesan on anything).

I ordered the chopped salad. When I ordered, I made sure to ask our server if it came with lettuce. It didn’t specify, so I was confused. I didn’t know if it’s base was made of the diced tomato.

(source)

His response: “Obviously.”

(source)

Oh.

Mmmm. I’m going to have to try to re-create this one at home.

What did you do last weekend? Any plans for this weekend?

Are you a difficult order-er at restaurants? I always am. Sometimes it gets me into trouble with the people I’m with! 🙂

27Feb2013

Maple Pecan Granola

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, Recipes, WIAW by chicken nugget girl

You know I love to complain about how expensive granola is.

Ever since I started eating clean, I have been a granola fiend. Granola makes me super happy – but my wallet? Not so much.

My fam has been telling me for months that I should make my own, but since granola-making seemed like a foreign art to me, I stuck with buying a bag a week from Whole ~~Paycheck~~ Foods for seven bucks a pop.

But I finally gave in last week and forced my brother to send me the recipe for homemade granola that he and his gf use.

I changed it around a teensy bit and love the results! It tastes just as good as the store-bought stuff, but at half the price.

Yay for cost efficient granola!

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup milled flaxseed
1/4 cup prunes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F.

Stir together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add canola oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.

Mix everything up with your hands.

Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and pour back into the mixing bowl. Stir in pecans and flaxseed, then put back in oven for 15 minutes.

Take the baking sheets out of the oven and stir in prunes.

Thanks as always to the newly preggers Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

22Feb2013

This Is Me

Posted in Health, Run by chicken nugget girl

I am not a happy camper right now.

This is me:

(source)

During a run on the treadmill in the middle of the week last week, I felt a sharp twinge on the left side of my back.

It didn’t really bother me any more last week except for a dull ache every now and then.

On Monday, I woke up with a sore-ass back. I don’t think I pulled a muscle and I don’t think it was because of my long run or new shoes, but I doubt my first 10-miler ever was good for it.

(source)

Therefore, I am being a “good girl,” as my friend Vicki put it, and sat on the couch for the past two days instead of going to the gym. It was very hard not be able to fill in my pretty training chart, but I know it’s for the best not to aggravate a baby injury that could be made a lot worse.

The Shamrock Half is only 23 days away and I want to make sure I am 100% for the last few weeks of training.

Whatever – it’s a step back week anyway, so I’m trying to make myself feel more legit that my mileage for this week is going to be zilch.

At least I’ve had time to catch up on my girly shows and stare longingly at my new running shoes.

What do you do when you can’t run – what are some ways you cope/distract yourself? I’m coping by watching ridiculous amounts of trashy TV.

21Feb2013

New Running Gear and 18 mph Wind

Posted in Run, Running Gear by chicken nugget girl

If you follow me on twitter, you’ll know that I went on a running store shopping spree this weekend.

I tried to keep my purchases to a minimum, but it was hard to once I kept spotting more and more running related things that I needed.

My plan was to go to Pacers for some new shoes. I still love my minimalist shoes, but as I get into longer distances, they just weren’t cutting it [for me]. I am continuing to explore the barefoot running trend, but I’m starting to realize that they might be for super serious runners that weigh forty-five pounds.

I don’t weigh forty-five pounds, so my left arch was not too happy.

But I’ll definitely wear them for shorter workouts, and for races like 5K’s and 10Ks.

I did buy some shoes, but I ended up getting a little sidetracked first. Whoops.

Fuel galore, body glide, and sports laundry detergent.

I won’t elaborate on the body glide – but I am really starting to need it! I haven’t noticed a difference yet, but hopefully I will as I continue to use it.

And thank goodness I stumbled upon this detergent, as my 3 sets of running fashion outfits are growing quite janky. I feared I would have to invest in an entirely new running wardrobe due to people switching from the treadmills next to me because of stank, but I’m crossing my fingers that this will solve that problem.

Thanks for the fuel advice, guys! I took you up on all of your suggestions.

I am particularly excited to try the margarita shot bloks.

And finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…..

The most beautiful, gorgeous shoes I’ve ever seen.

They are Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 and are amazing so far. I’ll do a review on them once I break them in more.

With all of my cool new gear, I was determined to finish my long run on Sunday, despite my slow-ass-self almost freezing to death.

See that 18mph wind? Not my kind of fun.

What shoes do you run in? Do you have a favorite?

20Feb2013

No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites

Posted in Clean Eating, Food, Recipes, WIAW by chicken nugget girl

Though I was totally down for some “dirty eating” on girl’s night last Friday [insert Ben and Jerry’s pint here], my BFF Nancy steered me back in the right direction. 🙂 I’m glad she did, because these no-bake cookie dough balls were just as tasty as any ‘real’ junk food.

Thanks for inspiring this clean eating recipe, Nance! (And for making most of it….)

This recipe was adapted from Averie Cooks.

Ingredients:

2/3 C cashews
1/3 C oats
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C dark chocolate chips

Yields approximately 14 cookie dough balls

Directions:

Pour cashews and oats in to blender and blend into a flour-like consistency.

Add the agave nectar and vanilla extract.

Blend again.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Transfer dough into a medium bowl and roll into balls.

I’m totes bringing a second batch of these babies to book club! Get excited, ladies.

Thanks as always to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wednesday!

18Feb2013

Time to Run

Posted in Run by chicken nugget girl

Life is busy.

Between work, day to day chores, and trying to have somewhat of a social life, there isn’t much time left for running.

When I first signed up for the Shamrock Half Marathon, I thought it would be no big deal to get my butt to the gym three or four (or five!) times a week for my scheduled training runs.

Early on in training, runs were 2-3 miles with long runs being 4-5 miles.

(source)

Half an hour at the gym and I’d be done with the shorter during-the-week runs. I’d be home in time for long hot shower, dinner, vegging on the couch, and all of the above listed life obligations.

Once the long runs started getting longer and longer (for me they’re long!) I started getting confused.

I have to not drink 5 glasses of wine on Friday night so that I can squeeze in my long run on Saturday morning? But…..

(source)

Not only do you have to dedicate the time to actually run, you have sacrifice time prepping, traveling, and recovering.

Instead of going out late night on the weekend, you have to go to bed earlier.

Driving to and from a trail or the gym can take easily take an hour out of your day.

And you have to make sure you have enough time to stretch, foam roll, and ice afterwards.

Not to mention showering after a run and attempting to make yourself presentable as a functioning member of society.

The whole process of running takes a lot of time. A ~~shit~~ ton more time than I initially expected.

For those that have been running for years and have children, or extra challenges – I seriously applaud you.

It may seem like I’m complaining about how running can be inconvenient. Ok, I am. But I’m also trying to remind myself that it’s worth it. It’s worth driving to the gym on a dark night in the winter when I’d rather be at home, snuggling on my couch.

It’s worth it because of the way I feel after a run or a race is better than having that extra glass of wine and hour(s) to sleep in [most of the time]. I definitely think that with running, you get out of it what you put into it.

So I’m going to keep lacin’ up my sneakers for the time being – even if I don’t always feel like it.

15Feb2013