The Cookie Dough Deceiver

If you try one recipe on here, try this one: Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

I've made it a couple times, it takes a bit of practice to get your consistencies just right but it is worth it. Who would have thought that hummus could taste this delicious ? (and I like hummus!)

Try this, it's a great snacking alternative to the real deal, similar taste, none of the guilt.

Chia for breakfast, not a pet

Just a quick share, I've made this recipe several times now and am loving it! Lots of room to experiment (I added frozen blueberries to the initial mix and let sit overnight, delish...). If you can get pomegranates, do. They add a great texture to an already interesting dish.

Recipe: Make Ahead Chia Yogurt Oatmeal    

The Year of 500 miles

2014 is the year of 500 miles for me. I've decided to get to that point where I look forward to running and have started the year off with 13 miles in week one. It's been a mix of outdoor, pre-blizzard, running and racking up miles on my wonderful sister's treadmill while catching up on TrueBlood. I'm only in a week but this is the most consistent running I've done in quite a while. I forced myself to take a rest day (I know myself and don't want to burn out in the first bit) and I found that I missed going for a run. I like that development.

I plan on keeping to a schedule of running 3-4x  week on top of playing hockey 2x a week. I am currently training to run a tandem relay of the Vineyard 20 Miler with my college roommate who is a veteran of this and other impressive races. The race is run in 6 weeks or so and my portion (10 miles) will be my longest distance to date, my previous long race is a 15k (9.3 miles) that the same roommate talked me into a couple years ago. This race should be different because I am actually putting in the time and training beforehand. I'd like to think that  if I do the first leg and am feeling good I may stretch it out and do 13.2 just to prove to myself I can. That will be a game time decision though. Following that, in May I'm taking part, as a member of the Amity Island Running Club, in my first Reach the Beach Relay, 200 miles in 24 hrs ( we're  a 6 person team that will be matched with another 6 person team to log the 2oo miles).

I am hoping that this blog will help me document my training and help keep me on task, as I do tend to start strong and then justify excuses to not work out and or write. I hope to keep track of not only my running but my culinary adventures over the next year. My home was damaged a year ago when a pipe burst and flooded it but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The home, which was my grandparents, has been updated and brought up to code. While it has taken almost a year to do all the necessary work, it has been well worth it. The hope is to be moved in the last week of January. From then my cooking will take off, I've got lots of recipes to try and am excited to have more than 7 sq ft of counter space in which to work and counters that are above standard height (I'm amazon tall).

If there end up being readers of this blog, so be it. I'll be happy if it's simply a place for me to post race and training results and recipes for my enjoyment but if others find it interesting, welcome.