Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween with Pumpkin Love

Happy Halloween Friends! What a wonderful autumn it's been, besides unseasonably cold temperatures this week, I've been loving my first fall in the DC area. And honestly, the cold here doesn't phase me because of what I'm used to in Minnesota, it actually feels a bit refreshing (at times).

In typical fall fashion, I'm loving on pumpkin flavored anything. This fall I've fallen in love with Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice Coffee. It's just as delicious as a pumpkin spice latte, but cheaper and fewer calories. Mix it with a little skim milk, and you'll swear it's a latte.


You can get it at any Dunkin store on drip (man, I LOVE living near these now!) or I've found the beans sold in bags at Target stores. Of course it tastes better fresh from Dunkin, but it's still delicious in your home coffee maker, and so much cheaper per serving. Oh, and Dunkin says it's Gluten Free to boot, yay!

I'm also in love with Trader Joe's pumpkin butter, delicious! At 40 calories per tablespoon, it goes pretty far too, as you only need a little bit to add flavor. I've been smothering it on my Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes. I've also been adding a half carton of 0% Greek yogurt to this recipe to add a further protein punch, but be warned, if you do this, add a couple tablespoons of water too so the batter doesn't get too thick.


I also have a goal of making a gluten free version (basically subbing in gluten free graham crackers for the crust) of Eat, Live Run's Pumpkin Cheesecake bites. They look delicious!

I'm also going to try this Martha Stewart Pumpkin Pasta recipe, I think even Ben could like this one!

Although we didn't dress up this year, we dressed up Cooper of course (and by "we," I mean me, because Ben just sits and shakes his head at this).

The Little Devil

Cooper was supposed to be in a costume contest at a local park this weekend, but the weather was so bad (sleet, snow, ice) that I didn't take him. So, now he'll just get to show off his outfit for Trick or Treaters tonight.

This post is part of the "Boo in the Blogosphere" set up by Sellabitmum and Four Plus An Angel. If you're in the spirit and want to show off your (or your kids, or your pet's costumes) hook up your Halloween posts as well!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Would you run a marathon nine months pregnant?

So, to answer the question from the title of this post, let me tell you my answer straight off the bat, no, I would not run a marathon nine months pregnant. Why? Not because I think it's crazy, because I know I physically couldn't do it! I can barely run a marathon in my prime physical form.

Anyway, people are talking about this woman, Amber Miller, who ran/walked the Chicago marathon this past weekend at nine months pregnant, started contracting during the race, and gave birth later that day to a healthy child.

Amber Miller, post race and post baby birth
Here is the Today Show's coverage on it, Matt Lauer ran his flapper during their morning show, and as a man who's never been pregnant, he should have just shut up. No one asks for journalists opinions, just the facts please!

Her doctor said she could run/walk it, to do half and half, and knew her exercise regimine, so I don't know what the big deal is?

What do you think? Was she putting she and her baby's health at risk? Would you ever run a marathon late in pregnancy if you could?

Monday, October 3, 2011

My "Green" Monster Smoothie

A lot of health bloggers show their recipes for protein smoothies, specifically, green monsters, so I thought I'd show mine. It's not very "green" looking, but it gets the job done.

I combine together the following in a blender:
  • 1 cup frozen mixed berries
  • 1 scoop of whey protein
  • 1 Cup of Trop 50 Orange Juice
  • A big handful of spinach (I would say it equals about 1.5-2 cups worth)

Turning it into the following delicious wonder:

Mmmmm!

According to Spark Recipes, the nutrition facts on this bad boy are the following:

Nutrition Facts

1 Serving

Amount Per Serving
Calories230.4
Total Fat1.7 g

Saturated Fat0.5 g

Polyunsaturated Fat0.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat0.0 g
Cholesterol45.0 mg
Sodium125.6 mg
Potassium801.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate37.6 g

Dietary Fiber10.0 g

Sugars21.2 g
Protein19.3 g

So drink up and enjoy!

Now, I need to make this smoothie even better, by buying this blender from Crate and Barrel I've been dreaming about for oh, I don't know...two years!
I saw a demo of it's impeccable speeds at a wedding registry event there before Ben and I were married. I put it on our registry, and we never received it, and I've never been able to justify buying it, even though our blender takes about eight years to get something smooth. Maybe this new apartment is the perfect reason!


Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe that's great for a hearty snack or post workout?