The holidays are over. We have moved into our new house and are mostly settled. A formal complaint was filed yesterday over the lack of home cooked meals and several informal complaints have also been filed over the lack of regular posts in recent weeks as well. It would appear that I am officially out of excuses for not cooking or blogging per usual. Your break is over lady, time to get back to work.

As life inches it’s way back toward “normal”, I got up early to enjoy some quiet time while the gang slept. I skipped running with the group today because these group runs are pretty expensive in the way of time. We are always gone for an hour and while I enjoy hour long runs on cold, icy dark streets as much as you do – I needed time today to dig out all the winter gear and extra layers for our homeschooly adventure in the woods this morning. Fortunately, a journey into the woods completely qualifies as exercise in my mind and I therefore felt justified giving my running sneakers the morning off while I instead made breakfast and packed snacks for today’s outing.

This sample of Bob’s Red Mill Museli was part of the swag from the race on New Years Day. Today seemed like as good a day as any to try it out.

I made it with yogurt today “like the Swiss do” (that’s what it said on the package) but I used 2% Fage instead of regular yogurt. Like the Greek do, I suppose?

The ingredients list oats, wheat, rye, barley, almonds, dates, flaxseed and walnuts. I didn’t see any flax seeds to speak of so I added a few shakes of my own. (Ground flax also of Bob’s Red Mill fame.)

Mixed with Greek yogurt and almond milk to soak for a few hours this morning. Topped with sliced banana and recently restocked almond butter. I think I ran out of almond butter two weeks ago? Almond butter, I have missed you. It’s been too long. TOO. LONG.

Post breakfast, enough snacks to feed a small army were assembled.

Well, really it’s all about keeping the troops from getting too cranky in the cold, the littlest general is the one I’m mainly concerned about.

Snacks packed, winter gear dug out – it’s time to roll peeps! Duty calls.

• Terribly Tired Tooth Fairy
• Run for Breakfast
• No Run, No Guilt

One of the nicest perks of our new house would be the regular running group that came built right in to our neighborhood. They run Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings and as luck would have it, today is Monday!

I found out about the group from a friend who lives in this neighborhood. He’s been running with them for a while and invited me to join them on a Saturday morning run back in October. I accepted the invite and by the end of the run I was already contemplating what it might take to get our closing date bumped up to that very afternoon.

I emailed my neighborly friend last night to confirm the days and times were still the same and that they were still meeting over the holiday week. When I got the thumbs up that running this morning would be a go, I got my running stuff all set out and ready. The group meets at 6 AM and while I am no stranger to getting up in the 5 o’clock hour – getting OUT before the clock strikes 6 is a whole new ball game.

Yesterday’s journey through my neighborhood streets, to the campus of a large university, through the cemetery and back over the river to make my way home again was great. It was sunny, not too cold and almost all the snow was gone. But when I peeled myself out of bed at 5:40 this morning, I found 6 inches of the white stuff on the ground. The street in front of my house was not plowed and there was one set of tire tracks through the road that showed me just how deep the snow was.

Ankle deep. And it’s still snowing.

So now what? Are they still going to run this morning in this crazy mess? If I was at at the old house, today would definitely be a treadmill day. Do I change out of my toasty purple socks and sexy sweat pants and get in to cold running tights and an adorable pink hat that I knit myself only to find that I’m the only fool that came out this morning? If that were the case, the next step would be to turn around and go home because I’m not running alone in the dark through city streets. Even though the roads are well lit, I don’t know the area well enough to head off by myself when the sky is still black. Well, orange-ish yellowy is more accurate than black really. We’re in the city now after all.

But I digress.

OK, fine. It’s worth the risk. I suited up and off I went, into the orange-ish yellowy snow filled sky, down a tire carved path on the otherwise empty and silent street to make the trek to the meeting location two blocks over. Sure enough, I was greeted by three smiling faces and we were joined by three more folks shortly there after.

Wait. A group of happy, smiling people wearing sneakers and face masks at 6 AM on a cold and snowy Monday morning? Really? Is this a drug run?

I don’t know what it is about running with a group of people, especially considering I barely know anyone besides my friend – but this morning’s cold, wet, orange, snowy and blowy run that was filled with conversation and laughs made today’s run just as good as any sunny and dry Monday morning solo run through my suburban streets or a random treadmill run at an old decrepit gym.

I kept coming back to the fact that if I hadn’t had plans to meet with this group today, I never would have run this morning. I’ve no longer got a gym membership to speak of, so without these plans I surely would have been home this morning wondering what I could do to avoid unpacking or putting away more stuff. There’s no doubt that making plans with a work out buddy can be a powerful tool to keep you on track and motivated and will get your butt out the door when you would otherwise eschew your pink hat in lieu of sweat pants with a large hole in the crotch. (I told you they were sexy.)

Our run took about 45 minutes and when all was said and done I was gone about an hour. Given our somewhat leisurely pace through the ankle deep snow I’m guessing we went about 4 and a half or 5 miles this morning.

My post run breakfast would be an old favorite, fruit cereal.

1 diced banana and 1 diced gala apple tossed and coated in ground flax seed and unsweetened cocoa powder, topped with sliced almonds and chocolate unsweetened almond milk. Who needs grains when there’s fruit to eat?

I enjoyed my fruit cereal while Maxine and her toys enjoyed our generously sized forced air ducts and the big blast of hot air from it this morning.

Looks like I’m not the only one who has found some fun perks that came with our new house.

• Scary Spoon
• A Day of Calorie Counting
• When the Garmin Strikes Midnight

We were almost forced to write a strongly worded email to the Tooth Fairy this morning. Apparently the Tooth Fairy slept like a rock last night and did not wake up in the middle of the night like she expected to. Fortunately, the toothless child in question decided to use the bathroom before she remembered about the visit from the Winged Dental Nymph and our crisis was averted.

We’ve got an outdoor homeschool adventure on tap first this morning which will suffice for a workout today. I spent my usual workout time prepping food and packing lunches.

Pineapple is SO cheap right now I need to start buying them every time we hit the produce section. For $2.99 a pop it’s totally worth the time and mess involved in cutting them up.

Can you spot the bean pot in the background? That would be dried black beans soaking to be used for dinner tonight. While emptying cupboards in preparation for the move I’ve discovered an abundance of dried beans. Hello, my name is Alison and I am a bean hoarder. It’s time to stop worrying about famine and start feasting on these beans. The fewer bags of beans we have to move the less complaining there will be from the men folk hauling boxes. I’m thinking black bean soup is on the dinner menu for tonight unless something more spectacular sounding comes to mind before then.

I need to keep our packed meal light today given I’ll be carrying our lunch (and our toddler) on my back through the woods. For the kiddos I made tortilla and cheese roll ups, pickles, raisins and raw cashews. For myself, sliced red pepper and some baby carrots, an orange plus a small dish of walnuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds and dried apples.

Yesterday’s breakfast cookie made with hemp seeds held me over for SO long I had to pinch my stomach to make sure it was still working 4 hours later! Now I understand the appeal to adding protein powder to oats. I’m not really a fan of protein powder but protein packed hemp seeds? That I will do.

Knowing we’ll be out all morning and on our feet until lunch time, on top of the fact that I’ve got to keep lunch on the lighter side today, I wanted another protein packed breakfast that will hopefully perform like it did yesterday.

Instead of breakfast cookie form this morning, I went overnight oats style.

1/3 c rolled oats, 1/2 smashed banana, 1 Tbsp almond butter, 1/4 c hemp seeds, 1/4 ground flax seed, 1/4 c chocolate almond milk and 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder. Soaked overnight in the fridge and topped with banana slices this morning.

See those cute little hemp seeds in there?

Between the oats, hemp seeds, flax and almond butter I’ve got to believe this breakfast will do it’s thing! Here’s hoping this breakfast won’t disappoint like the Tooth Fairy almost did!

• A Day of Calorie Counting
• Stay at Home
• Shakey Fists

Today felt like an overnight oats kind of morning. Except I didn’t make overnight oats last night. Good thing “Overnight Oats” is just a trick of a name and it could more accurately be called “Just a Few Hours Oats”.

Into a bowl at 6 AM: 1/2 a mashed banana, 1/2 c of rolled oats, 1 Tbsp of almond butter, 1 Tbsp ground flax, a tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/2 c of chocolate almond milk.

And a single chocolate chip because I’m rowdy like that.

I knocked the chocolate chips out of the cupboard when I was reaching for the cocoa powder and got the bright idea that it would be fun to discover a chocolate chip in the middle of breakfast.

Don’t ask me, it was 6 o’clock in the morning. I can’t tell you what Alison of Breakfast Past was thinking.

But oh no, the fun didn’t stop with my breakfast. I let a single chocolate chip frolic among the raisins of Zak’s Just a Few Hours oats.

The Man got a heaping 1/2 c of rolled oats, a tbsp or so of agave nectar, ground flax seed, cinnamon, raisins and 1 chocolate chip.

“Where’s Waldo”, chocolate chip style.

OK! Breakfast underway, it’s now time to move on to the exercise portion of the day. (And apparently the rhyming portion of the day too.) We got a few inches of snow last night and the roads are totally filled with snow and ice. Running outside in the dark and snow? No dice.

But do I really want to change into running gear and leave the warmth of my home to just to schlep myself out into this cold and dark morning to be a rat on the wheel for a half hour?

Wouldn’t it be nice to stay home in a quiet, dark living room cozily lit by the lights on the tree and do yoga in my pajamas instead?

Mmmm, holiday lights pajama yoga. That sounds so nice.

I eventually decided to brave the cold and make my way to the gym. Considering I didn’t get good and sweaty yesterday I reasoned I should tie my sneakers on today. I knew I wouldn’t come home wishing I hadn’t gone.

So off I schlepped, into the darkness and snow and cold to pound out 5 miles in 40 minutes on the treadmill with my buddies Jason DeRulo and Chris Brown. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t be calling Chris Brown my buddy. But if that’s the worst thing I say today then I guess I’m going to let it slide.

My Just a Few Hours Oats were ready and waiting for Alison of Breakfast Present with open (stick) arms!

Topped with the other half of the banana.

Just as I predicted, my oats had softened up perfectly by about 9 AM. You can’t fool me, overnight oats! I found my chocolate chip toward the end of my bowl. Unfortunately I have to admit that this was not nearly as exciting nor fun as I had predicted it would be at 6 AM. Maybe Alison of Breakfast Future will come up with something a little more exciting for next time.

• Chocolate Smoothies Built for Two
• When the Garmin Strikes Midnight
• Scary Spoon

We take December 1st very seriously ’round these parts.

When I closed my eyes and laid my head on my pillow last night the grass was green! It was also November, so it must have been the flip of the December switch that did the trick.

I had a date with the pool this morning, and for a moment I entertained thoughts of how fun it would be to run in the snow today instead.

But then I cuffed myself upside the head and reminded my overly ambitious snow running self I’ve got all. winter. to run in the snow. Let’s not rush things.

So instead of standing up the pool for our hot date, I was off to swim laps for 40 minutes. Today was my usual 6 sets of 100 yards freestyle, 100 yards backstroke, 50 yards kick board topped off with 25 yards freestyle, 25 yards back for 6 sets for a cool down.

A cold snowy morning deserves a nice warm breakfast, I do declare!

Banana bread oatmeal it is.

1/2 C water
1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
1/2 sliced banana
2 Tbsp raisins
Dash of cinnamon

Into the pot and brought to a boil.

Add 1/2 C rolled oats, cook for about 8 minutes on low. Remove from heat, covered for 5 minutes.

Topped with the other half of the banana and a couple tablespoons of hand crushed walnuts.

Cold Oat Mountain!

Immediately upon waking this morning, as Ava rubbed the sleep from her eyes said:

“Ummm Mommy? Did you notice there’s snow on the ground? Is today winter?”

Before I even had a chance to explain she was off down the stairs to throw on her coat (over her pajamas), jumped into her rain boots (no socks), put on the first pair of gloves she could find (mine) and out she went.

She has already made a snowman.

And had snow for breakfast.

She assured me though, “Don’t worry, I checked – it’s not yellow. Or colorful at all.”

Shew. You can’t say I haven’t taught her anything.

–

In other homeschooling news, check out this great article from yesterday’s New York Times outdoor Kindergarten and Waldorf schools that Elisa’s left in a comment this morning! This is exactly what we want for our little gals here.

• Terribly Tired Tooth Fairy
• Run for Breakfast
• No Run, No Guilt

First the first time in my entire life, I got up early on the day after Thanksgiving to hit up a Black Friday sale. An email from the running store I shop at had some offers that were just too good to pass up.

Well what do you know, I just so happen to be in the market for new running sneakers. Sale sneaks? A group run? Free food? I’ll be there!

The store was packed at 7:30 when I got there and after a half hour trying on sale shoes and elbowing my way through the crowd to the sales line, I got through checkout just in time to leave with the running pack at 8:00.

I convinced my running friend Shawn to come out and run too, and it was right about this moment that he yelled from across the parking lot “Stop taking pictures and let’s GO!” OK, OK I’m coming!

We did 5 hilly miles through the neighborhood streets around the store and were back in 40 minutes to hit up the free food stash.

I let Shawn have my share of waffles and sausages and I snagged a banana.

To be enjoyed with the PB&J Larabar I’d brought along with me knowing I was going pass on the waffle breakfast offer. Damn straight I’m taking my $.20 banana though – thanks.

Eaten while sportin’ my new 40% off New Balance sneaks after their maiden voyage.

Sale shoes, free food and 5 miler? Black Friday isn’t so scary – piece of cake! fruit!

• When the Garmin Strikes Midnight
• Turn It Up
• Stay at Home

Given it’s Thanksgiving week, almost all of our normal homeschool-away-from-home activities have been canceled for the holiday. I wanted something warm for breakfast this morning but the idea of hot oatmeal just wasn’t doing it for me. Since we didn’t have to be anywhere this morning, I decided to spend some time on a more time-intensive breakfast.

Who wants French Toast for breakfast today?

*crickets chirping*

Why am I the only one raising my hand? French Toast is good YO! Well you and I know that, but my pint sized gang has never been interested in French Toast. Insanity you say? That’s what I say!

When it comes to trying new foods – my kids can be pretty reluctant. I’m done trying to force them eat their vegetables. I do encourage them to take small no-thank-you helpings, but it helped me relax to learn that kids sometimes have to try something 20 times before the readily eat it. I just plod along and do my thing, leading by example and hope that one day they’ll be begging me to make them beet burgers.

For French Toast this morning I scrambled one egg with a 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk and a dash of cinnamon. I’ve only been eating Ezekiel bread these days and have hesitated to use it for French Toast fearing it would be too stiff to use for French Toast. Thank goodness Shari showed me the light and I was more than ready to give it a go this morning!

I soaked two slices of Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel in my egg mixture for about 4 – 5 minutes, until each slice was good and drenched.

Into a pre-heated pan coated lightly with coconut oil for grilling, to be cooked on each side for about 5 minutes or so.

It was at this point that Ava commented that something smelled really good. Damn straight it smells good! *ahem* I mean, yes – honey! French toast is definitely good!

I still had half of the egg and milk mix left, so I offered to make her some. I explained to her that it was sweet and you pour maple syrup on top like you do with pancakes. She cautiously consented with my signed affidavit that if she didn’t like it, she could have something else. It’s a deal.

The kids don’t like Ezekiel (yet!) so for Ava’s I version used regular wheat bread that I use to make their sandwiches.

I got Ava’s bread soaking and in the mean time I got back to working on my masterpiece. One slice of Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel French Toast, topped with a layer of sliced bananas.

The second piece of toast, more bananas and then the finishing touch – 2 Tbsp of real maple syrup.

I didn’t use to be a real maple syrup kind of gal – it was too expensive and seemed unnecessary. We didn’t use it that often so what’s the big deal?

But then I came to realize – real maple syrup is expensive for a reason! You’re supposed to be frugal with it! It’s not only expensive in terms of cost, but also in terms of calories. A quarter of a cup contains 210 calories! That’s way more than any of us need and if it’s cheap you’re much more likely to recklessly drench your pancakes with it. Sure, the fake stuff didn’t cost a lot of money, but what about what it’s doing to your waistline? I’m grateful that it’s more expensive because I’m careful to use only a little bit and a small bottle lasts us a very long time. I figure if they’re going to eat sugar, let’s eat the real stuff and leave the high fructose corn fun on the shelf.

With an 1/8 of cup of syrup, the total calories for this breakfast was about 380 calories.

Now for the kid test. She was a little reluctant.

A little nervous.

But after watching Mama scarf hers down and listening to me say This is so good with my mouth full about 12 times – she tried it.

I give this breakfast a big thumbs up too.

Where was Maxine? Slept straight through breakfast. Don’t ask me how she managed to stay sleeping with a house full of amazing french toast smells. Hers is in the fridge ready and waiting for her try and most likely stick her nose up at. In that case it will be ready and waiting for the human compost to come home from work tonight and take care of it.

—

In a Healthy Blogging front – are you using StumbleUpon yet? Get on it!

• Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
• Glitter
• Whensday?

For my work out this morning I planned to hit the machines at the gym. I was surprised to find that the temperature was only in the mid 40’s, so at the last minute I decided to warm up by jogging the mile to the gym instead of driving.

Exactly 8 minutes and 19 seconds later I was at the gym to hit the elliptical for 20 minutes and then spent 15 very sweaty minutes on the stair climber. Why do you get so incredibly sweaty on that machine? Tell me! Someone tell me why!

A very easy run home for my cool down. When I tallied it all up I realized my work out was nearly an hour! It’s amazing how fast that times goes when my travel time to the gym is part of the workout itself.

Home for my very favorite breakfast of late:

Two slices cinnamon Ezekiel toast with 1 Tbsp of almond butter split between each slice and 1/2 of a very large banana sliced on top.

I’ve really been enjoying this Holiday Chai tea from Stash in the mornings lately too. Sweetened with a teaspoon of agave nectar.

I think Stash knows their tea bags are going to be photographed because that just looks a little too perfect to me. I mean come on. This was practically begging to be included in this mornings breakfast photo shoot.

There is not a doughnut, cheese danish or breakfast pastry in the entire world that tastes better than this combo.

I remember as a kid thinking that peanut butter and banana sandwiches sounded like the grossest sandwich combo ever. I had no idea how anyone could eat that.

Kids are so stupid.

Speaking of kids and their intelligence, I’m rewarding us for our busy day yesterday with a very laid back homeschooling kind day today. This quiet Tuesday before a holiday has been allocated for some reading, writing and readying ourselves for Thanksgiving. Turkey hand tracings anyone? It’s time.

• Scary Spoon
• Chocolate Smoothies Built for Two
• A Day of Calorie Counting

Given that yesterday was our Stay At Home day, I decided to take the girls car seats out of the car to wash the covers. Upon removing the Britax Beasts, I discovered they were harboring a small community of broken crayons, cheerios and Kashi granola bar crumb fugitives.

So this morning instead of running past the car wash like I do day after day, I thought my carseat-less vehicle could use a little quality time with the vacuum before I spent a half hour reinstalling the seats.

But without car seats in the car, I couldn’t take the kids with me. Therefore, morning run time was swapped out to pay for serious suction while Zak was around to stay home with the girls.

I could have been that neighbor who’s running her vacuum outside at 7:30 in the morning, but instead I thought we’d just go Fresh’N Up! Doesn’t that sound lovely?

I mean, come on. Who needs to work out when you can play “Beat the Clock” with the car wash vacuum?

I totally used to be that person who’s car was always clean. But then I had kids. While I still always empty the car of items after each car adventure – regular vacuuming has fallen to the way side.

I did find some friends hiding under the seats though.

And I got a little wash woman pay for my services.

Even some GREEN! You mean to tell me there’s been a dollar bill under my seat all this time?

But then I hit the jackpot!

Time to celebrate! I put my car back together and ran off with my winnings to the little store near the car wash to score some bananas. Thank goodness bananas are cheap, I don’t think my rinky dink corner store is able to make change for a $500 bill.

I returned home with a nice and neat car, and very ready for some fruit cereal.

1 diced banana
2 Tbsp ground flax
1/8 c raisins
1 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

Not only is my car NEAT, my morning activity was N E A T too! NEAT as in Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. NEAT is basically all the ways you burn calories that doesn’t have anything to do with a “real” work out, or the energy you expend to make your heart beat, digest food, sleep and remember to return library books on time.

From taking the stairs, doing housework, raking leaves for some yardio to secretly hauling things out of the house to donate – you burn calories doing all of these sorts of things and it can definitely add up.

Knowing this can actually make a difference in how many calories you burn. A few years ago there was this remarkable study done by Harvard University where researchers studied 84 female housekeepers at seven different hotels for four weeks. About half of the group of women were told that their housekeeping work can be considered exercise, and the other half were told nothing.

Of the women who were told that their day to day work is part of an active lifestyle, the researchers found that

the informed group had lost an average of 2 pounds, lowered their blood pressure by almost 10 percent, and were significantly healthier as measured by body-fat percentage, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio.

The women in the control group had very few changes in body composition in comparison.

So you see, your mindset matters! You can bet your waist-to-hip ratio that I was thinking about how running to and fro between open car doors, flinging car mats around, ducking between seats to dig out pennies, $500 dollar bills and pink ponies was burning calories.

Isn’t that NEAT?

• A Real Rest Day
• When the Garmin Strikes Midnight
• Stay at Home

Today I am taking my title as Stay At Home Mom quite literally and we are not going anywhere today. No. Where.

Well, I did go for a run but that doesn’t count. I didn’t schlep children in and out of the car, carry arm loads of extra clothes, snacks, toys, mail, papers and shoes out the door with me, so really it doesn’t feel like I’ve gone anywhere at all.

On my didn’t-go-anywhere run, my lovely albeit slightly boring digital watch told me I was gone for 36 minutes. My inner GPS says I probably went about 4 and a half miles.

I’ve got a butt load of greens to eat up so a green smoothie was on the menu for this morning.

1 banana
1 1/2 cups of spinach (approx)
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

+ 1 toasted slice of ezekiel cinnamon raisin toast and about a 1/2 tbsp of almond butter.

All this for 340 calories! What a steal!

Can I give a big shout to spinach for being so little in calories but so big in everything else?

Thank you spinach for being mild enough in flavor that I can throw you in a banana smoothie and barely notice you at all. You are so filling and have made my runs so much easier so I introduced you into my life on a regular basis. You truly are a special vegetable. Thank you.

In fact, I love spinach so much I’m going to stay home with it today! All day! Do you hear me spinach? ALL. DAY. Just for you.

• When the Garmin Strikes Midnight
• Scary Spoon
• Manly Time Change