Today was a run day.  I was excited for it and ready for another 4.5 miles. <——- who is this lady that says these things??? 

First, I needed to fuel up.  I tried another smoothie, this time with some protein to see if it affected me any different. 

In the blender…

• 1/2 cup canned pineapple
• 1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 3 ice cubes

It tasted great!  I think the key was this organic canned pineapple…

It seriously was the best canned pineapple I have ever tasted.  So sweet and fresh tasting!  I found this in the natural foods section of my local Giant supermarket.  I really like that many of my regular grocery stores are carrying more and more organic foods. 

On to the run.  It was a little rough at first.  The Pineapple Protein Smoothie sat like a rock in my stomach for some reason.  But, I pushed through and finished out at 4.66 miles in 1 hour and 3 minutes.  My plan is to increase my mileage every two weeks by a half to one mile.  Then, beginning in August, it will be hard core half marathon training!

***

For lunch, I made a flavorful sandwich with Applegate Farms Herbed Turkey Breast, asiago cheese and lettuce on a Thomas’ Bagel Thin…

paired with carrots and a Gala…

and some press cuz I missed it this morning…

I got hungry later in the afternoon, so I dug into Kashi TLC Country Cheddar Crackers…

Potential for disaster here.  These are a lot like Cheez-its.  You guys know how I feel about those.  They do bad things to me.  And my hips.

But, I was the model of self-control.  I doled out my portion and scarfed gingerly nibbled on each one, savoring every bite. I’m really trying this week!!

After my nibbles, I got to prepping dinner.  The plan was Grilled Salmon with Raita (okay, I’m officially obsessed), grilled zucchini and homemade naan bread.

Have you ever made your own naan bread?  It’s easier than you may think!  The dough is a breeze and very easy to roll out.  Each bread can be cooked in a skillet, but I love to put them on the grill.  They take on a great flavor that way. 

I usually make naan with regular white bread flour, but this time I tweaked my recipe by using half white whole wheat and instead of an egg, I used a “flax egg” for fun…

Whole Wheat Naan Bread

• 1 pkg. yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp. milk
• 1 beaten egg (or 1 “flax egg” )
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour

Combine yeast and water;  let stand 10 minutes.  In a large bowl, add sugar, milk, egg, salt and flour.  Mix in proofed yeast.  Knead for 6-8 minutes. (Can be done in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook).  Let rise 1 hour.

Punch down dough.  Divide dough  and roll into 12 balls.  Place on tray, cover and let rise for 30 minutes…

Preheat grill.  At grill side, roll each ball into a thin circle…

Place dough on oiled grill …

and cook about 4 minutes.  You’ll see them start to puff up a little…

Turn over and cook another 4 minutes…

I like to brush the tops with garlic-infused olive oil for more flavor…

It’s very hard to not eat all of these before the rest of the dinner is ready…

The salmon and zucchini went on the grill, then we were finally ready to dig in…

except for little daughter…who had to have a hot dog. :\

Salmon and raita = <3

I’m obsessed.

Have a great day, everyone!

What food are you currently obsessed with?

I’ve been playing around with eating and not eating before a run for a long time now.  Nothing seems to be giving me a consistent result as far as endurance and energy is concerned.  Normally, I stick with not eating.  When I eat, it weighs me down and makes me feel weaker.  Lately, I’ve been struggling either way. 

Today, I decided to try out a smoothie instead of eating solid food.  In the blender went…

• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1/2 banana
• 1 piece frozen mango
• 1/4 cup raw oats

It was a tasty mix and just enough to get me going

I am trying to increase my mileage little by little before starting the “serious” half marathon training this August.  My plan today was 4.5 miles.  I started off pretty strong and my energy level stayed fairly even until mile 4.  I was getting a bit tired at that point, but just slowed down and took a walk break.  I finished up at 4.68 miles   I think the smoothie did a great job holding me over.  I’ll definitely try that again!

I came home for a mid-morning perk up – press and string…

Later, I had a lunch date with friends at Panera Bread.  Everything is so good there, it’s hard to choose.  Inevitably, I end up getting the same thing – Black Bean Soup and a half Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich…

It was yum! 

The munchies set in at the usual afternoon time, so I whipped up a healthy and filling snack.  I’ve been wanting to make baked oatmeal for grab-n-go breakfasts, but I thought they would make a great snack, too.

I decided to bump up the nutrition even more with the addition of ground flax seed, also known as flax meal or milled flax seed…

  What’s cool about ground flax is that you can use it in baked goods as a substitute for eggs much like the chia seeds.  Remember my Chia experiments?!  The method is similar, also.  To make a “flax egg”, mix 1 tbsp. of ground flax with 3 tbsp. water and let sit until it thickens, about 1 –2 minutes.  Instant egg!  It works great!

Let’s get to the recipe… 

Orange Date Baked Oatmeal Bars

• 2 flax eggs (*see instructions below)
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates (about 10-12 large dates)
• zest of small orange (about 1 tsp.)
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla

For flax eggs:  In a small dish, mix 2 tbsp. ground flax seed …

with 6 tbsp. water and set aside for 2 minutes until thickened…

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl…

Add wet ingredients and stir until fully combined…

Spray a 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray (I line my pan with foil and spray).  Pour mixture into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes…

Let cool completely.  Cut into 6 bars. 

Dig in…

If you’re not a traditional oatmeal fan, like me, try these!  They have a great texture and the orange flavor goes very well with the natural sweetness of the dates.

Nutritional facts per bar (calculated using www.calorieking.com):  197 calories, 2.7 grams fat, 201 mg. sodium, 40 grams carbohydrates, 18.4 grams sugar, 4.9 grams fiber and 5 grams protein.
3 POINTS per bar

****

Dinner was simple, thanks to Gram!  She brought by a crabcake for me, so I heated it up with some leftover spinach…

The husband and daughters were happy with breakfast for dinner!  They don’t know what they’re missing

Have a great day, everyone!

Have you tried flax ?  How have you used it?