Running Archives -

My KIND of Giveaway!

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 2, 2015
Post category:Giveaway / Misc. / Sweet Treats / Workouts
Post comments:41 Comments

So here’s what happened…I wrote up this post on Friday to link up with Katie’s Friday Favorites but neglected to post it. I realize it’s now Monday but you know what? I’m still going to post because there is a serious treat at the end of the post!

My “Monday” Favs:

1. My family. My family is ALWAYS on my favorite list because they are incredible day in and day out.

2. My first postpartum outdoor run. On Thursday, I bundled up and hit the pavement for a 2.25 mile run! I was kind of nervous about it because I hadn’t run for over a year and I was afraid I would be disappointed with how out of shape I am, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it went! Moose was my motivator through it all. Plus, the frigid wind got me running faster too—it got me home faster! To think that this run was about 30 degrees warmer than this one…

Polar Dash 2013

I have some toughening up to do!

3. Supportive moms.

4. Caribou Coffee. K, so really this may be a least favorite to my wallet, but a favorite to my tummy and to-do list. So delicious. I’ve actually informally vowed to myself not to buy any signature ($5) drinks from any coffee shops for the whole month of February.

5. The KIND Snacks company for sending me these delicious bars! They are the perfect on-the-go snack.

They sent me:

Kind Fruit and Nut bars: whole nut and fruit bars
Kind Plus bars: whole nut and fruit bars plus a nutritional boost
Kind Nuts and Spices: made with whole nuts flavored with delicious spices
Kind Healthy Grain bars: granola bars made with five super grains: Gluten Free Oats, Millet, Quinoa, Amaranth and Buckwheat

Talk about spoiling me, right?!

What I love about these products is that I can pronounce all of the ingredients and they are absolutely delicious and healthy.

And you know what else I love about them?! They are offering all of you 15% off and free shipping on a case of KIND using the code KINDNUTRITION! You have the entire month of February to use it (limit one per customer)!! Don’t miss out on this!

And if that weren’t enough, they are also going to give away a prize pack of 10 BARS to one of my Beautifully Nutty readers!

Enter to win by :

1. Like Beautifully Nutty on Facebook

and/or

2. Tweet “I want to win @KINDSnacks from @NuttyMelanie! http://www.beautifullynutty.com/kind-giveaway/”

Do both for two chances to win! Just make sure you comment on this post telling me what you did!

You have until Thursday, February 5th to enter. On Friday I will randomly select one winner!

Have fun, be KIND!

Disclaimer: I received free products from KIND but all opinions expressed on the products are 100% my own!

The Food!

Post author:Melanie
Post published:November 29, 2013
Post category:Breakfast / Dinners / holidays / Sweet Treats / Workouts
Post comments:5 Comments

Thanksgiving was a huge success. I had so much fun with family and friends. I don’t think I stopped smiling all day.

I started the day off with my first 5k run in goodness knows how long!!! This particular 5k is my all-time favorite and I get excited for it every year. It has probably been 4-5 months since I’ve run a 5k but I ran the whole thing alongside a great friend and it felt fabulous.

My body is aching a bit today but I am okay with that! I am ready to start running again! I am extremely motivated to get back in shape after the rollercoaster past four months or so.

I hadn’t planned on running so my pre-race fuel wasn’t exactly the most nutritious, but it sure was tasty. We started the day off with cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven! My mom would always make these for us on holidays so making these in the morning definitely brought back a lot of memories.

Not much needs to be said about the food on Thanksgiving except for OMG. My all-time favorite meal of all times.

To appetize….Kevi brought crackers with cream cheese, olives, and bacon. These little babies are wayyyyy too good. I stopped myself at three but it was a struggle to keep my paws off of them.

The glorious 20# turkey…

Dressing/Stuffing…

Sweet potatoes…

Green bean casserole (I brought this one), recipe courtesy of Alton Brown with a few changes made by moi.

I forgot a photo of the mashed potatoes—one of my favorite parts of the whole meal!

My glowing plate. Oh wait, it was me that was glowing, not the plate.

My homemade desserts: Pumpkin pie and caramel apple pecan pie!!!

I finished the holiday feeling perfectly satisfied—not so stuffed I could hardly walk, but enough to satisfy my favorite meal food quota.

I am so thankful for this meal, for my friends, for my family, and for hope and faith.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving to those who celebrated and a great Thursday to those who didn’t! Happy FRIDAY!

Another Jog

Post author:Melanie
Post published:September 4, 2013
Post category:Health / Workouts
Post comments:10 Comments

That’s right…I got out for another jog yesterday. I can’t help myself lately! The cooler weather just screams “go for a run!”

The temperature was in the low 70’s, with the sun coming and going, and there was just a slight breeze. Moose and I suited up and journeyed out. I had planned on about 4 miles alternating between jogging and walking, and that is exactly what I accomplished.

Moose was practically begging me to run faster but I kept a very slow, easy pace and listened hard to any cues my body was telling me to slow down. My knee was aching a bit so I listened, and slowed down.

I must remind you, I don’t plan on running any races any time soon nor will I be running fast any time soon. I will only be ~~running~~ jogging at a very slow pace for a while and I am 100% okay with this.

Although my body is so close to being fully healed, I still feel I am in limbo land and could easily be knocked off the rocker if I do anything too crazy too soon. It’s not worth the risk.

I feel so delicate these days…

Awwwwwww….

Although I am feeling great, I know better than to push myself too hard at this point.

I am not huffing and puffing on any of these runs. The slow pace has been so peaceful. The only exception to the slow running is when I run by the rumored coyote hole, in which case I book it!

I think part of the reason I am enjoying these runs so much is because they are stress- free. I have no race to train for or deadline to build up my mileage. I have no expectation regarding how far I plan to run, how fast, and no one is judging me if I decide to walk. I don’t even judging myself when I walk and this is what surprises me most. I am truly enjoying myself and it is fabulous. This is what running should be.

It doesn’t matter how fast, how slow, how far, it just matters that you go. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, swim. Dance, get your yoga on, stretch, do some push-ups, hold a plank. Your body and mind will thank you.

Move your body, and move it for those who can’t.

Inspired by Runners

Post author:Melanie
Post published:June 25, 2013
Post category:Family / Friends / Travel
Post comments:7 Comments

I’m a little belated on this weekend recap but I needed yesterday to unwind and stepped away from the computer and the phone for a good majority of the day, so I’m bringing it to you today.

My weekend was spent up in Duluth, MN for the Grandma’s Marathon and Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon. I went to be a cheerleader for a bunch of my friends running in the half, and my brother Kevin, who was running his first ever marathon.

My mom and dad were also up there to help cheer everyone on, so Dana and I met up with them once we arrived in Duluth. We grabbed lunch, walked around Duluth, and took in the beauty of the city.

Aren’t my mom and dad the cutest?

It was extremely foggy the whole time we were there and the air was cool and humid. It’s always unbelievable to me that there can be that drastic of a weather difference just 2 1/2 hours north of where I live. It was a 30°F difference!

We walked by the finish line of the race and that really set-off my excitement for race day. Even though I wasn’t running in the race the next day, I felt like I was.

I slept terribly the night before the race. It was a combination of being in a new place (it always takes me a day to adjust), the excitement of the weekend and the race, and me feeling like I was going to be running in the race.

On race day, the runners all headed out very early to get to their start points, and the rest of us spectators geared up with our warm layers, rain coats, and umbrellas. The weather was in the 50’s, super foggy, misty, and some very light rain spattered in here and there. If I were a runner, I would have been extremely happy with this weather.

Dana and I were little mad mice throughout the day. We watched our friends running in the half-marathon run by at mile seven, and then drove closer to the finish line, parked, and ran our little legs off to the finish line to watch them finish.

Way to go Nate!

Adam!

And Matt!

And Brendan, Jasen, Jessie, Annie and Casey and of course all of you other amazing runners out there too! I was so proud of each and every runner and am really itching to get out there next year and run the half.

After we watched our friends finish the half, we made our way over to mile 17 of the full marathon that Kevin was running. Grandma’s had this neat system set up so that you could get text updates of certain runners so that you knew when the reached different mile markers. This helped us gage when we needed to get over to mile 19 to see Kev go by. Since the weather wasn’t super peachy, it was nice to have this luxury so we didn’t have to be out in the rain all day.

We anxiously awaited his arrival, and screamed and cheered as he came by!

He was looking great and feeling pretty good. He said his stamina was fine, but his legs were starting to get tired. Go figure, he just ran 19 miles right? He gave the legs a little stretch while we gave our motivational words of wisdom. At this point he only had 7.2 miles to go. I say “only” as if it were just a short little run around the neighborhood. I can’t remember the last time I ran 7.2 miles. I guess it was probably last summer.

This photo looks like a advertisement for Nike does it not? Love it!

Anyway…after some stretching and hugs, he went back on his way towards the finish line. My mom, dad, Dana, and I did our drive and park and get to the finish bit again.

We weaseled our way into a fence spot and again anxiously awaited Kevin’s arrival. My brother Scott and his girlfriend Nicole came in to town to watch him finish too, and got there just in the nick of time. It was so great to see them!

We spotted Kev in his black pants and black top coming down the finish lane. We screamed and cheered to let him know we were there and got his attention. This time not all smiles like at mile 19, but he still managed to give us a smirk as he conjured up every last bit of energy he had to cross that finish line.

My emotions took over me. My heart was probably pounding so hard and beating so fast at the excitement of seeing him run towards the finish line. I can only imagine what 26.2 miles feels like. He finished his first marathon in excellent time and is already talking about doing another one. I am the proudest baby sister.

All of this spectating really inspired me to want to take on another half-marathon myself. My first one (and only one) was last summer and it was really rough, so I’d like to prove to myself that I can do it again and I’d like to be able to enjoy it a little more next time. I know my body needs its rest at this point in my life so it won’t be any time soon, but someday, I will be running another half and it’s going to be great.

Congratulations to all of the runners that ran in the Grandma’s Marathon and Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon this past weekend. I am proud of all of you and can’t wait to join you soon!

The New Hairdo

Post author:Melanie
Post published:June 4, 2013
Post category:Beauty/Fashion / Breakfast / Friends / Gluten-Free / Restaurants / Sweet Treats / Workouts
Post comments:14 Comments

First of all, I don’t think I ever knew that hairdo was actually a word spelled out just like that. I always thought it was two words, but the dictionary tells me it’s one. Huh, well I learned something today!

I realize it’s Tuesday and a weekend photo recap would have been more appropriate yesterday, but I was really needing to write about running yesterday, and I decided this post could wait. Plus, I wouldn’t have been able to show you my new hairdo yesterday, so it all worked out how it was supposed to.

I actually went out for another run after posting yesterday. It wasn’t as great as my Saturday run, but it still felt good to get out. I definitely notice myself breathing a little heavier than usual, but that will go away shortly.

I’m going to keep it short and sweet for you all today. Here is a recap of my weekend in a nutshell…

Party time on Saturday! I ate way too many treats and my body paid for it the next day. There was about 5x the amount of food in this photo at the party. Lots of nummies. Such a fun time and the weather held up for a few hours before the clouds opened up into a downpour!

Chilaquile brunch on Sunday at Uptown Cafeteria with Dana, Ted, and Annie. Great food, amazing company.

Monday breakfast: the yogurt bowl is back. Greek yogurt with banana, strawberries, and honey. Simple and delicious.

And the big wow moment from yesterday was chopping off a good five inches of my hair.

I still have bittersweet feelings towards my new do. I wasn’t really planning on cutting that much off, but I did pretty much give the stylist the go-ahead to do it. I am just shocked at how much she actually took off. I haven’t had my hair this short in a few years at least. I know it will be perfect for summer and I just need to get used to it still. It’ll grow on me…haha, no pun intended. It does feel good to have it all cleaned up!

That’s all I have for you all today. I hope you have a fantastic Tuesday. Find something to smile about today.

Getting Back Into Running

Post author:Melanie
Post published:June 3, 2013
Post category:Workouts
Post comments:13 Comments

A year ago yesterday, I ran my first half-marathon. I ran it despite battling a colitis flare, and it was a struggle, and it was not an enjoyable run for me, but I finished it and was so incredibly proud.

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a whole year. It’s also hard to believe that I went from running 13.1 miles a year ago, and today my current mileage is fairly non-existent. This is mainly due to the Insanity program taking over my daily workouts, and I’m starting to get bothered by that.

I’ve never been a “good” runner. You know, those people who can get out there any time of day at any point in their lives, and run hard, far, and fast, and feel great. I am not one of those people. I am one of those people who really has to push through every run, who’s tummy needs to be in the right state before a run, who mentally loses focus, who doesn’t run fast, and like most runners, has “good” runs and “bad” runs and worries too much about the bad run days. But one thing I know for sure, is that after every single run, I feel great. Even if it was a terrible run, I am so happy I ran.

I started running back in 2009 to prepare for my first full 5k run, and I will never forget my first bouts of runs. I clearly remember running around my neighborhood for 10 minutes and being thrilled that I ran for 10 whole minutes. I knew I had a long way to go, but friends kept encouraging me to continue adding on time and distance to each run, to not give up, that it will build up over time, and that I will see the progress. And I did. Each time out I added a little more distance and time onto the runs, until eventually I was running for 30 minutes and was ready for my first 5k. I completed my first 5k in 30 plus minutes, and will never forget that first runner’s high. I have been hooked on running and races since then.

A while back, someone asked me if I was a runner. I said ha ha, no I can run but I’m not good at it, so no I’m not a runner. Their response was, “You run, so you’re a runner! It doesn’t matter how fast you go or how many half-marathons or marathons you’ve run. You’re a runner because you get out there and run.” Since then I’ve called myself a runner. Running to the kitchen from the couch doesn’t count btw. 😉

After nearly no running happening over this past month, I finally got back out there on Saturday morning. I was nervous to run for the fear of all of the running progress that I had lost. It was just in late April that I ran a 10k, but having been out of the running scene for over a month now, I was anxious about it.

Everything was in my favor: the weather was cool, the sun was out, my tummy settled, no body aches, all was good. I set out hoping for two miles and ended up running 3.25 because I was feeling so GREAT. Sure I may have been huffing and puffing a little more than I used to, but I still felt great and I was so happy.

Running gives me confidence, it encourages me to soak in the beauty of nature, it enables my mind to wander freely, it relieves stress, and I need more of it in my life again.

As for the Insanity workouts, I am not quite sure yet how I want to continue with those. I have completed month one, but there is still a whole other month to go. I love the changes I saw and felt in my body from the Insanity workouts. I would really like to continue with the workouts but I think I will be completing them on my own schedule now, versus the regimented six days a week program. I know this isn’t ideal but it is what will work for me. It was easy to complete the workouts when it was snowy and cold outside, but now that it is starting to warm up (finally) I really want my workouts to be outside whenever possible. Our summers are way too short around here, and I really want to soak in every second of the beautiful days that I can.

Plus I really miss running.

I am planning on registering for a race sometime in the near future, and will keep you posted on what I decide. It’s time for me to start building up my stamina and seeing my running capabilities again. It is so good for my well-being and I want more of it in my life! Who knows, maybe a half-marathon is in my future again?

I’m so happy that I finally laced up the ol’ running shoes, set my nerves aside and got out there. I’m so lucky that I have the ability to run. I run for those who can’t.

Now, get out there and run!

Scenes from My Fun Weekend

Post author:Melanie
Post published:May 13, 2013
Post category:holidays / Lunch / Workouts
Post comments:5 Comments

I had such an insanely amazing weekend full of so much fun. Here’s a quick little recap for all ya’ll!

On Friday I got to see two of my fav girlies, Kate and Jules, who were both in town for a little while!

(Photo Circa Summer 2012)

Friday night was date night at Piccolo with my honey. In case you missed it, you can read all about our fancy experience here!

Saturday I had lunch with my mom and dad, grandpa, and my great aunt and uncle who were in town!

Saturday afternoon we went to the Twins game. The Twins won and we got neat hats!

On Sunday, my mom and I completed our 6th Race for the Cure at Mall of America!

Afterwards I had the family over to celebrate Mother’s Day and my grandpa’s birthday. I made pulled taco chicken and set out all of the fixin’s for Nacho Bar: chips, salsa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, jalepenos, guacamole, sour cream. So delicious!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderful mamas out there by the way!

By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, I was spent. We ran one errand but besides that I spent the majority of the evening on the couch and then called it an early night.

It was one of those weekends where you look back and can’t believe how much fun you packed into such a short amount of time. I loved every second of it.

I’m going to leave it short and sweet for you all today. I have taken a four-day hiatus from Insanity and it’s time to get back in gear!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?! Were you able to relax?

Finally a Warm Run

Post author:Melanie
Post published:April 29, 2013
Post category:Health / Home Life / Moose / Sweet Treats / Workouts
Post comments:8 Comments

What an enjoyable weekend. The weather was incredible, I was able to relax, hang out with family, friends, and run a 10k with Dana!

I can’t believe I neglected to take one photo of the actual race site at Minnehaha Park because it is a very beautiful area, but I didn’t. We raced up the streets parallel to the river, crossed the river, came back down the other side, and then crossed the river again. I am always happy when the route is an actual large loop versus multiple laps.

If you are local and are interested in a really nice 10K loop, check out the race course here: Minnehaha Get in Gear 10k Race Course

On Friday we headed over to Minnehaha to pick up our race bibs and scope out the giveaway goodies. We were about to head out and then our eyes caught sight of this:

That is 25 lbs of pure salted nut roll heaven right there. They were cutting up sample bars and I just had to sample one myself and OMG. This was the best Salted Nut Roll I have ever eaten, and I’ve eaten my fair share. It was so soft and there was so much NOUGAT :smile:. I savored every last bite of that magical bar.

Moving on to race day.

Dana and I gave ourselves plenty of time to get over to the race site but unfortunately the shuttle buses to get runners from the parking area to the race site were not super efficient and by the time we got to the race site, checked our bags (this took a while too) and got into the bathroom lines, we had about 15 minutes until start time.

The bathroom lines were reeeeaaaallly long. I started to get my little anxiety spurts that I get just prior to races and was nervous that we wouldn’t be at the start line when the race began. I knew it didn’t really matter if I was or wasn’t there when it actually began because we had time chips in our race bibs, but I just like to be where I’m supposed to be at any given time.

They made the five-minute until go time announcement and we were still in line, with about eight people still in front of us. Then the two-minute announcement was made and we were still four people back. The National Anthem was sung and there was 26 seconds of silence to honor Boston and everyone involved in the tragedy. The race began and we were still in line.

We finally got our turn for the glamorous porto-potty’s and then made a mad dash to the starting line while “washing” our hands with antibacterial goop. By the time we got to the start, there were still TONS of people who hadn’t yet crossed the start line. So basically all of that anxiety and rushing to get to the start line really wasn’t necessary.

That was how our race began.

The course was really great and spectators were lined all along the streets almost the entire way. At about one mile in I was struck with side aches on both sides. I used the breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth technique to try to get rid of those bad boys but I wasn’t having much luck. It wasn’t until about mile 5 that they started to go away. Needless to say this wasn’t my best or most enjoyable run, however I am always proud to say that I finished it and I didn’t stop to walk even once.

I finished in 1:01:26 which was about one minute slower than my January 1st 10K race. I was a little disappointed because I had wanted to break the one hour mark, but I didn’t get too hung up on it. I just ran 6.2 miles and I was going to be proud of it!

It was SO nice to run in warm weather and not have to be bundled up from head to toe. The sun felt heavenly.

By the time we got home I was exhausted and hungry. I made myself some food and then joined Moose out on the deck to get some rays and relax.

Goodness he’s a big boy.

I gave my camera a rest for the remainder of the weekend but will tell you I had such an incredible weekend. The highlight was spending time with family and friends and enjoying the sunny warm weather.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

A Weekend Full of Great Company

Post author:Melanie
Post published:April 8, 2013
Post category:Blog / Dinners / Family / Friends / Moose / Sweet Treats / Workouts
Post comments:12 Comments

Well, hello hello! It’s Monday and it’s gloomy BUT I am going to stay positive for all of us and say it is going to be a GREAT day.

I “disconnected” myself yesterday from the phone and blog. I say that in “quotations” because I still had my phone on me at all times and browsed Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc., but I gave the photo snapping a rest for the most part. By the way are you following me on:

Twitter @NuttyMelanie
Instagram at BeautifullyNutty
Facebook at http://facebook.com/beautifullynutty

I would love if you did!

Anyway, I do have some catching up to do from Saturday! It was a super fun day!

Saturday Morning

The rain held off and Dana, Moose, and I were able to hit the pavement for our Saturday run. We mapped out five miles around the neighborhood and they were five hilly miles. We live in a very hilly neighborhood which is both a blessing and a curse at the same time. It’s great for training but sometimes you just want an easy flat run, and we can’t get that around here.

Moose’s paws held up just fine this time around. Last week they got a little scraped up and were bleeding. He is toughening up quickly again now that spring is here. Yay!

Saturday Afternoon

In the afternoon I headed out to Minneapolis to meet up with a handful of other Minnesota bloggers for our first ever MN blogger meet up. Katie from Running4Cupcakes and Becky from Olives’n’Wine (remember that awesome cupcake guest post she wrote for me in March?!) organized this get together and I am SO happy they did.

Here was our crew:

From left to right:

Katie from Running4cupcakes

Diana from DianaPantz

Beth from The Awkward Dancer

Melanie from Beautifully Nutty (me, duh)

Becky from Olives ‘n’ Wine

Kendra from Kenny Gump

We met at Sebastian Joe’s (the one off of Franklin) which I must say has some spectacular sorbet. As you know I adore ice cream but I had plans to go out to dinner that evening so I didn’t want to risk an upset stomach, which is why I stuck with the dairy-free sorbet. Any other day, you know I would choose ice cream, let’s be real.

I went with the Strawberry-Basil Sorbet and it did not fail. It was incredible; so fresh, with huge hunks of strawberries, and a hint of basil. It was very refreshing.

Your mouth watered didn’t it?

I surprisingly wasn’t too nervous to meet up with these girls. In the blog world you kind of feel like you know each other from reading each other’s blogs and commenting back and forth.

We all said it was kind of weird at first only because we already “knew” the little tidbits about each other that most people would use to start-up conversation, so our conversations hedged a little further right away.

We chatted about our lives, blogging, social media, etc. We all got along very well and the hour and a half we were there seriously flew by so fast. The conversation was great! We are planning another meet up in the next month or two so if there are any other MN bloggers out there who are interested in meeting up, throw an email my way! We are hoping to make the next meet-up a bit more active—like a walk around the lakes or something.

Such a great group of ladies! I’m so happy I had the chance to meet you all! Thanks again Katie and Becky for organizing this, you rockstars.

Saturday Evening

In the evening we had a dinner date with my parents and Dana’s parents. We met at Axel’s Bonfire which is a cozy and warm restaurant that specializes in wood fire cooking.

I ordered the Barbacoa Tacos which had seasoned beef with pineapple relish and chipotle cream. I asked if they could prepare them in lettuce cups instead of flour tortillas and they said of course. Never hesitate to ask for modifications to your meal. Remember you are paying for it, you may as well get it how you want it and 9 times out of 10 they will be able to make the modification for you.

Check out these beauts! I had to pick off some of the peppers on there because they were making my mouth feel like fire, but this dish was very tasty.

It came with beans and rice so I ended up scooping the beans onto my taco as well as the pico de gallo on top of the rice.

Besides the food being great, the company was even better. I adore my families and always enjoy spending time with them!

Talk about a fun day, right?

Sunday

Sunday was our usual gig; breakfast, paper, coupons, hanging out with the pup, grocery shopping, lunch.

In the afternoon we headed over to my mom and dad’s house because my brother Scotty and his girlfriend Nicole were in town!

We spent the afternoon and evening hanging out, eating a totally nummy dinner (rotisserie pork loin, brussels sprouts, broccoli, salad, and potatoes), and catching up on life. I was so happy to be with my family again! Ahhh I just love them so much.

We made it home just in time before the sun went down to take Moose for a little stroll around the neighborhood. We watched the Academy of Country Music Awards when we got home and then called it a night. This weekend FLEW by. What the heck?! Haha, it always does though.

Okey dokey, I am off to take on the day. Make it a great one and be thankful for the day. Catch up with you soon!

xoxo

Chicken Stir-Fry with Coconut Aminos

Post author:Melanie
Post published:April 5, 2013
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / Health / Lunch / Moose / Workouts
Post comments:5 Comments

It’s Friday! Oh yea, baby! Before we get too excited about this glorious day of the week, let’s take a quick look at Thursday, shall we?

I had a really great day. I actually kept thinking yesterday was Friday. I was super messed up on my days.

I had the day off and I started it off by meeting up my high school friend Ted, for coffee at Caribou. Why on earth have we not gotten together sooner, I don’t know. All I can say is it was so nice to catch up with him. He is such a positive person and I love having positive people in my life! There is no room for negativity in my life.

In the afternoon Dana and I took the pup out for a 3-mile loop around our neighborhood. The weather was absolutely perfect for an outdoor run; about 50°F and sunny. I was even able to wear my capris outside for the first time this year!

Moose is still working on his stamina. He was pretty wiped immediately after the run.

Allergy Update

I seem to have worked whatever food or medication allergy I had out of my system, because I have been feeling back to normal. The only thing I can think of that may have triggered it is the abundant amount of strawberries I had eaten those few days, but I’ve never had a problem with them in the past! Again, another reason I would like to have an intolerance test done.

Lunch

For lunch I threw together a ginormous veggie-packed salad. I loved the volume of this salad. In the mix was mixed spring greens, broccoli, carrots, red pepper, celery, a spritz of olive oil, hummus, and sunflower seeds. Wowza it was GOOD.

There were a few snacks eaten throughout the day to tide me over between meals, all of which went unphotographed.

We made a purchase yesterday to add to our “at-home gym”…..

A PULL-UP BAR!

I wasn’t messing around when I said I am going to conquer at least one unassisted chin-up before May. We put this up in the doorway on our main floor so that I will be more likely to use it often. Like I said previously, I still have a LOOONNNG way to go, but I’ll get there!

Stir-Fry Dinner and Coconut Aminos

Mmm mmm, dinner was tasty last night. Stir-fry has got to be one of the easiest meals to make and it always comes out well.

Last night I pulled out the wok and sautéed up onion, garlic, red bell pepper, broccoli, sugar snap peas and carrots in sesame oil. Once the veggies had cooked through, I added about 1/3 of a cup of bone broth along with 5-6 splashes of coconut aminos (more on that in a sec). I also added a few sprinkles of garlic powder, onion powder, ginger, and salt. I then let the liquids cook out, added some leftover cooked chicken, allowed that to heat through and VOILA!

I served the stir-fry over cooked quinoa (I let the quinoa soak for 24 hours before cooking to help with digestibility) and had myself a deliciously gluten-free and soy-free dinner!

So, about those coconut aminos I mentioned….

Yesterday I stopped in at Whole Foods and oogled over all of the great products. I meandered down the Asian-food aisle and my eyes spied this intriguing sauce:

Coconut Secret’s Raw Coconut Aminos

I had to give it a go after what I read on the label. Here is what I have learned about Coconut Aminos (information taken from their website):

Their product is:

100% Organic
Gluten-free
Soy-free
Dairy-free
Vegan
Contains 17 naturally occurring amino acids which are important for muscle tissue repair and rebuilding, enhance nervous system function, and aid in boosting the immune system
It is made from certified organic raw coconut sap and naturally aged and blended with sun-dried, mineral-rich sea salt
It can be used as a substitute for soy sauce!

Source

The flavor is a bit more bland compared to regular soy sauce, and less salty, but it did add a really nice flavor to this stir-fry dish. For those of you out there who are looking for an alternative to soy-sauce, I would definitely recommend giving this a shot. I will be 100% honest with you though, I still prefer soy sauce.

But it’s still pretty neat, right? What will they think of next?!

I had a fun new treat later in the evening including another Whole Foods find:

These are SO good! And the ingredients are so simple: Organic corn meal, organic evaporated cane juice, organic peanut butter, organic soy oil, sea salt, tocopherols (natural vitamin E), organic tapioca starch. I don’t plan on eating these daily, but they are going to be nice to have around if I want a little treat.

Alright, now that we caught up on Thursday we can officially celebrate Friday. I hope you all have a FANTASTIC day! Keep on smilin’ my friends.

Question of the day: Have you ever used liquid aminos before? What are your thoughts?

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