Cooking up a storm

The rainy weather today has forced me inside. Too wet and cold to run, I am grateful that I got 7 miles under my belt yesterday as it looks like there is more rain in the forecast later this week.  Greg and I also managed to squeeze in a short hike this weekend (when the weather was still warm and fair) to count as our November hiking date.  We returned to the Thompson Creek trail and found a path called the Sycamore Trail that headed into the foothills, it seems this path links up to Johnson’s Pasture, which perhaps we will explore during our December hike. If you continue a few hundred yards beyond the junction, you will find your hike cut short, so next time we'll take the steep path up the hillside when we have more time and see what we find.

Glad to have had an active Saturday, which ended with an awesome 90 proof show (Greg’s band) at the local pub, we were glad to have an excuse to spend a lazy day indoors today. As the skies darkened and the clouds burst, I fired up the oven and set to preparing a plethora of tasty treats.

I started by trying out a recipe for brunch.  I’ve been craving pancakes but I still feel lighter and more energized when I stay gluten-free.  So I tried this recipe for Paleo Pancakes which I found on Pinterest.  I tried to follow the link, but it was no more.  So I can’t give credit to the author of this recipe but it is very simple.

1 ripe banana (mashed)

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp cinnamon

Stir all of the ingredients together with a fork.  Heat a skillet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. (I used the coconut oil version from Trader Joe’s.)  This mixture made about 4 pancakes, they were not easy to flip but even as messy torn discs they were delicious.  I served them with fresh blueberries and raspberries from the Farmer’s Market and a little real maple syrup. 

As the wet weather persisted throughout the day, I took the opportunity to prepare many delicious dishes for the busy week that lies ahead.  I baked my usual cereal to serve as our breakfast for the upcoming week.  I also created some gluten-free mini cheesecakes of the salted caramel variety to delight us for dessert. While the oven was hot, I roasted some beets for an autumn salad to take for our lunches, along with the leftovers of the cauliflower cheddar soup I cooked up for supper.  

I think I was inspired to prepare all of this food for several reasons.  First of all, we had watched The Hobbit earlier in the week and as the rain poured down this afternoon, we cued up The Fellowship of the Rings.  I am always delighted by the hobbit tradition not only to consume second breakfast but several other meals throughout the day; elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, supper and dinner.  Even after consuming plentiful meals at two Thanksgivings, I find that with all the yoga and running I am doing, that I often go to bed and wake up rather hungry.  Knowing that I’ve got a yoga teacher training to gear up for next weekend, I figured I would embrace my inter Hobbit and stock the larder.

In fact I’ve been so wrapped up in this Hobbit ideology of multiple meals today, as I was typing this blog entry tonight, my husband went so far as to call me, Bilbo Bloggins.  As a Tolkien fan,  I can’t think of a better nickname. 

Indulgences

One of the joys of being a teacher is enjoying a well deserved vacation.  I feel so lucky to have the entire week of Thanksgiving off and I decided after mailing off my report cards that I was really going to indulge during my fall break.  Many of us plan on indulging on Thanksgiving and that usually refers to eating heaps of delicious food.  While enjoying food unique to this season certainly is part of my plan for the week, I have other indulgences in mind that I hope will bring balance.  I plan to indulge in a long run on a weekday, when I would usually be too busy to run more than five miles. I will delight in being able to run when it is light out, instead of having to sneak in my run during the predawn hours before work.  I am aiming to take a yoga class during the hours I would normally be working at least once this week.  I'm going to treat myself to some extra sleep each morning. Instead of making my usual gluten-free oat bran cereal, I'm treating myself to these delicious and mostly nutritious pumpkin bars for breakfast this week.

Bars:

2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree 
1/4 cup honey, warmed

½ cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 t cinnamon, ¾ t ginger, ½ tsp allspice, ¼ tsp ground cloves, a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Frosting:
1/2 cup coconut oil, softened
4 tsp  maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

 Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Combine the eggs, pumpkin puree, honey, sugar,  coconut oil, and vanilla and mix using a  hand mixer).

In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, corn starch, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder.  Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time until combined.

Pour the mixture into a square 8×8″ pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center is set. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract together until light & fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use and soften before spreading on the bars.

I am thankful for having this time off to indulge myself and the people I love.

Brief Escape

Even in the midst of overwhelming demands from work, report cards coming due at the end of the week, when it seems I am glued to the keyboard of my laptop and not for the reasons that I want to be; I did manage to escape briefly this weekend and go on a 7 mile run.  I know that sounds crazy, my break from school work was physical work.  3 gut wrenching miles uphill; slow and steady.  2 miles flying, zooming, soaring down the tree-lined trail; quick and easy.  2 more miles dragging, struggling, pushing; difficult but necessary.  As challenging as it can be, running is freeing.  It is time away from work, from responsibilities, from stress.   The meditative focus on the breath, form, and effort is a release from the mental chatter of daily life.  When I am at my busiest it would be easy to skip my run, because I just don't have the time.  But when I am at my busiest is when I need running the most.  It might mean getting up at 5:15 on a school day or going to bed early on a Friday night but creatively finding this time for me is never something I've regretted.  Sure there are sore muscles, stomach aches, side aches and all of the other obstacles you can imagine, but there are also beautiful views, hard-won victories, and feelings of utter elation.

I haven't seen too many signs of fall here in Claremont, California yet.  Sure the weather is growing cooler and November is creeping to a close but the physical evidence of the season has been lacking.
On my long run this Saturday,  I saw this solitary tree that said, "Hello, autumn!"  I'm sure you can see why this was the highlight of my weekend.

Chasing Rainbows

A rainy All Hallow’s Eve gave way to a dreary Dia de los Muertos.  I love running when it is overcast, so I was jogging toward my favorite trail by seven am on Saturday.  The air was cool and the ground was moist.  Grey clouds shrouded the foothill but nothing could dampen my spirits, as I saw my first rainbow since Maui.  Just before I reached the trail, about 2.5 miles into my run, it began to sprinkle.  I didn’t even consider cutting my run short because I had already been reminded that running in the rain means the chance of seeing a rainbow.  Now double arches were visible in the distance.  The next 5 miles were pretty wet, a steady rain fell, but my speedy movement kept me warm if not dry.  When I arrived at my door step, having run 5 miles in the rain, I realized just how slick I was.  As I stepped out of my soggy shoes to let them dry on the porch, the door opened and a friendly arm offered me a warm towel.  My husband had been thinking of me as the rain fell and was ready and waiting when I returned.  After a hot shower, I dressed warmly to have coffee on the couch with my cat.  It was perfect start to my Saturday. 

Here are some photos of our weekend.

Friday night at Greg’s Halloween gig at Dale Bros. Booery

The beautiful rainbows I saw on my Saturday morning run.

The caramel pear cheesecake I baked on Sunday afternoon.