My Run, My route!

Started off today with a morning run. I think I need to start learning that every run will be different, and just because running at the same pace today as I did yesterday feels infinitely harder today, it doesn't mean I'm any less of a runner....it just means today's run was different than yesterdays....

It was especially hard to get out the door today since I didn't sleep that well last night, and I debated not going, but I am so happy that I did!
Anyways, here are today's splits:

 I'm still pretty happy with them, although I'd like to get lower into the 8:00s rather than hovering at the 8 & 9 minute border. Also the last "split" is just my garmin being awesome, I only ran 8.7 miles so there shouldn't be a 10th split. I also don't know which column I should assume is my actual pace, "moving time", or "time?"
If anyone out there knows, please let me know! Do you have a garmin or similar running watch? And if so which value to you assume is your actual pace?

I was yawning....and too lazy to
take a second picture ;)

Today's Route:
I actually really love the route I ran today. I just run along some major streets by my home, essentially creating a large, square-ish loop that starts and ends at my house
......okay, I'll be honest, it usually ends at the Whole Foods 2 blocks from my house. What?!? I love me some Whole Foods....what can I say?

Anyways, I run along a couple of boring streets, but two really exciting ones as well. I run along Tujunga avenue, and I get to run by my FAVORITE cafe: Aroma Coffee & Tea! My friends and I would spend hours upon hours here every other day back in highschool.....and they have a kick ass Tofu Rice Bowl! I also ran by this new popsicle place called Suck It...made a mental note to stop by when I'm not pouring sweat and smelling like a trashcan! Then I run on Ventura Blvd. which is a long, busy and interesting street. I love watching people who are walking around, and glancing into shop windows as I run by. There is a lululemon that I always run by, and I'm not gonna lie, I feel super-cool for the few seconds that I breeze on by Lulu IN my Lulu Shorts ;)

Today, the excitement of running this particular route is pretty much the only thing that got me out the door, do you have a running route that is your favorite or special way of motivating yourself when you're not quite feeling like running/exercising?


Also, check back later today because there will either be a restaurant review or a raw, vegan chocolate cheesecake recipe post.....it all depends on what I do with my day ;)

To Beet or not to Beet....that is the question!

I found myself perusing the aisles of my neighborhood Whole Foods today, which for your information is not a rare occurrence at all. In fact, my best friend and I have this joke, where everytime I ask her "Guess where I ammmmm....." she automatically replies "Oh gosh, Whole Foods," and this conversation occurs via telephone at least once every 2 days.

Anyways, I found myself holding: A bag of beet chips, and tub of hummus. I love these two foods but I DON'T love spending more money than I should. What I mean is that I am perfectly capable of making hummus and beet chips on my own, for much less money, so I thought why not!

So, for a fraction of the price I purchased a can of Eden Organic's Garbanzo Beans 

**Health Tip: BPA Free Cans**

BPA stands for Bisphenol A, and is a known carcinogen that is in the lining of most canned product. Eden Organics is the only brand I know of that uses BPA FREE can lining, so I always opt for Eden when given the option. 

I also purchased a couple of beets to make my own beet chips.

Beet Chips: 

(more pictures at end of post)

Ingredients & special tools:

- 2 large, raw beets

- mandolin/vegetable slicer

- good knife

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 375

2) Peel skin off of raw beets with a knife

3) Set your mandolin to 1/8 inch thick setting, and slice up them beets! (Be careful, I often get carried away when using my mandolin and end up slicing my finger.....so unless you want to be my bandaged fingers twin, be careful)

4) Line some baking sheets with parchment paper and lay out beets in one layer on the sheets. 

5) Sprinkle with salt and place in the oven. Bake for 23-30 minutes or until slightly browned. Keep on eye on them, they progress from perfectly cooked to burnt in a matter of minutes!

6) Remove chips to cooling rack and let cool.

Garlicky Hummus

Ingredients & special tools:

- can of garbanzo beans

- 2-3 large cloves of garlic

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin

- juice of one medium lemon

- 1 tbs tahini (optional)

- immersion blender (food processor also works, but I just chose to use my immersion blender)

Directions:

1) Dump liquid from can of beans, then empty beans into immersion blender safe container.

2) Peel 2-3 cloves of garlic and add to beans.

3) Add in all other ingredients & blend until smooth. It is a good idea to stop blending every once in awhile, and mix the hummus with a spoon to make sure that there are no lingering garlic chunks.

Beets, halfway through being peeled.

All sliced up and ready to go!

 Beet chips and hummus...about to be eaten.

These chips and hummus were easy to make, and tasted as good, if not better than the store bough version. Moral of the story, home made is always better.......as long as you're willing to suck it up and put in the effort to make it work ;)

Run & Recover

Today was supposed to be a long run day, instead I woke up an hour too late and could only run for 4 miles before I was literally dripping in sweat and had to take the rest of my workout indoors. Lesson learned.

Today’s Workout: 4 mile run + 4 miles on elliptical

After my workout I had a Vega Recovery Protein drink + a banana. So here is the post where I talk about workout recovery. First of all, let me preface this by saying that I am not an expert and everyone is unique, so what works for one person may not work for another.

For me the key to workout recovery is nutrition+stretch+compression.

Nutrition: Mainly, it is really important to get equal amounts of protein and carbs in immediately after a workout. I have tried many protein powders (some barf-worthy…..and others less barf-worthy), and this Vega recovery protein is by far the best one I have come across. It taste great just mixed with water or soymilk, and also tastes great in a smoothie. There are 25 grams of protein in one 120 calorie serving. I used to feel fatigued/tired after my harder workouts for a couple of days until I switched to this protein powder. Carbs are pretty easy, I always go for a banana with my protein drink. On days where I have had a super intense workout I make sure to get enough protein throughout the rest of the day as well…..it’s still counts if it’s in the form of soy icecream, right?

(LOVE this brand of vegan icecream)

Stretch: This is pretty self-explanatory, but it really makes a difference. I definitely feel more sore/tired after workouts when I don’t stretch than when I do. I’m not saying I’m about to go do the splits or anything, but usually for running I focus on stretching my calves, quads, and hamstring. It is important to note that stretches are really most effective when held for a minimum of 30 seconds. I like to hold mine for 45, because I’m just a cool kid like that.

Compression: I am a big fan of compression gear, especially compression socks. I am obsessed with pro compression socks, they are awesome and in my experience they really do aid recovery. I definitely have noticed that I am less sore and better recovered after races and runs when I have worn my compression socks than when I haven’t. In my experience compression socks have also helped with swelling/pain from Achilles Tendonitis and other random ankle aches. One important rule when buying compression socks is to make sure to get them in super bright and annoying colors. Oh wait. That’s just something I do, nevermind ;)

Hot Pink Socks: Super attractive Compression gear

Product Review: Amy's Organic Soups- Black Bean Vegetable

First of all, let me just say that I am generally a big fan of Amy's Organics food products. I always try to make my own meals and snacks from scratch, but when I am pressed for time, they are a great option.

Today I was going to meet up with a friend for coffee but hadn't had dinner yet. I was grocery shopping anyways and was craving something light, but mexican-ish. I had been eyeing this black bean soup for awhile and though it would be the perfect opportunity to try it out.

I grabbed a container of Whole Food's ready made salsa so that I could throw it on top of the soup and make it feel a bit more fresh and summery. I know it looks kinda questionable, but that is merely because of my lame/awesome photography skills and terrible lighting; the salsa was great....trust.

Now, now, I know soup is a kinda weird food to have during the summer, but my game plan was to warm up the soup very slightly, so that it was a little warmer than room temp, dump a bunch of fresh salsa over it, and chow.......maybe with some tortilla chips to help me out?

Yes, it was crazy delicious.

So here is my "official" review. 

Flavor/texture:  This soup was flavored perfectly, and had a really hearty amount of whole black beans and black bean puree. It was NOT watery at all, it was more like a latin-flavored black bean chili than a soup. The salsa on top added the perfect bit of "freshness" to the soup, and the chips added a great crunch.

Nutrition: At a total of 280 calories per can, only 30 of which are from fat, I think this soup pack a nutrition punch. Each can has 12-14 grams of protein, and a million grams of delicious flavor!! (no sillies, flavor is not actually measured in grams.....that's just my own way of emphasizing its deliciousness)

Quality: I compared this soup to the the other black bean soups available, and as far as ingredient quality this one was by far the best. The other soups had things like sugar cane juice (aka added sugar), powders, and flavor "extracts," not to mention many were not organic. Amy's only uses whole food ingredients and they are all organic.....WIN! 

The End :)

Celebrating National Running Day with (Vegan) Jalapeno-"Cheese" Pretzels

How perfect that the day I start my blog just so happens to be National Running Day! Like a true winner, I had no idea about this day until TODAY, so I actually had a long and fast-ish (for me) run of 8.6 miles in 1 hour 16 minutes yesterday, and therefor had scheduled today as an off day……..that was until I found out that it was National Running Day. I went for quick & hot 2.5 mile run around my neighborhood and it was great. Honestly I think I’ve decided that any amount of running, even 1 mile, makes me feel infinitely better for the whole day than if I were cross-train or just take the day of. There is just nothing that makes me feel as good as running!

Next I did some weights in our gym at home. My brother, who is actually quite strong and in shape has been “training” me on how to build my upper body strength….something I know I need to do, but am sooo lazy about doing. This is our little home gym, it’s small but it definitely serves the purpose. 

I did indeed have a Vega Recovery Protein Drink after my workout, I always make a point of drinking a protein smoothie after an intense run or a strength training session, since the first hour after exercise is when your body is trying to do the most repairing/building of muscle…..more on my workout recovery techniques to come, that is definitely a topic that deserves it’s own post ;)

Anywhoooo, I decided to celebrate this glorious day by testing out a recipe for vegan jalapeno-“cheese” soft pretzels I’ve come up with; I made it based on a variation we learned in Food Science Lab this past semester. This one was mainly for my brother actually, because he loves jalapeno-cheddar pretzels so I wanted to see if I could make a vegan version.

Making Vegan Jalapeno-Cheese Soft Pretzels:

1) Get yo Ingreedz & Pre-heat your oven to the lowest temperature possible. We will turn off the oven later and store the rising dough in here so that the yeast are nice and cozy :)

2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 package Active Dry Yeast

2 tsp Oil (I use olive but vegetable works too)

4 cups All Purpose White flour

1 tsp Salt

2 tbs Baking Soda

1 Jar Jalapeno Slices

1 Package Daiya Vegan Cheese

2) Rehydrate yeast for 10 minutes. It should be frothy when complete

Beginning of 10 minutes:

After 10 minutes:

3) Add the rest of the water, the oil, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Then add flour, a little bit at a time until the dough is just dry enough to handle, but may still be sticky.

 

**Science Side Note:** Gluten 101

Gluten is a protein in wheat flour that is formed when two proteins in wheat flour: glutenin and gliadin come together with water. It is elastic and strong, and gives wheat products much of their characteristic chewiness. Gluten contributes to and helps to enforce the structure of baked wheat products and provides a chewy texture. It is a key component of baked goods where air from yeast is being incorporated because gluten helps to provide structure to the air cells that "trap" the air and set during baking. So while gluten may be a source of gastrointestinal woes for some, it is a pretty awesome and unique protein, especially when it comes to baking.

4) Lightly flour a work surface and begin to knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until firm. Kneading the dough just means stretching/pulling it out a little, then folding it back in on itself, turning it 45 degrees, and then doing the same pulling/folding motion; this allows for good gluten development.....yayyyy

You will know you're done kneading if you press your finger into the dough and the dough holds the shape as such:

5) Lightly oil a large bowl, and dump your dough into it. Flip the dough over so that it is oiled and does not stick.

6) Next turn off your oven, cover your bowl with a damp towel/cloth and store in the heated oven. The yeast love a warm, moist environment, and this will make them feel all warm and fuzzy inside......and ready to make some Carbon Dioxide! Let the dough rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.

7) Take your dough out and PUNCH IT DOWN. That sounds mean, but it's good for the dough; you are releasing some of the air to keep the gluten strands from over stretching!

Before punch down:

After punch down:

8) Lightly flour a work surface and divide the dough into eight even pieces.

9) Start heating a large, heavy pot filled with water until it is boiling. This takes awhile to come to a boil which is why we do it before we start shaping the pretzels. 

10) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

11) Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll each piece of dough out into a thin rope, and then fold/mold this rope into a pretzel shape.....or any other shape your heart desires. Let the pretzels rise for 15 more minutes before moving on. 

**Fun Fact**

 This step is called "proofing." In traditional bread making, this step is when the bread dough is allowed to rise in the pan that it is going to be baked in.

Yes, I got uber creative with my pretzel shape

**Technique Tip**

Make sure that any part of your "rope" that you are sticking to/attaching to another part of the rope is very well pressed/stuck together. For my pretzel, this would be the point at which the twisted portion meets the bottom of the curved portion; I had to really press them together and make sure they were stuck. This will prevent these meeting points from separating when we boil the pretzels. 

12) Add the baking soda to the boiling water. 

**Science Side Note**: Alkaline Awesomeness

The baking soda creates an alkaline environment for the pretzels, and increases the pH of the water in contact with the pretzel surface. This is what gives pretzels their distinctive "pretzel-esque" taste and that browned exterior.

13a) Add 1 or two pretzels to the boiling water, flipping them over after 30-40 seconds, and removing to a cooling rack once they are significantly puffed up. (Step 13a & 13b) occur somewhat simultaneously, so read ahead)

13b) Press in the jalapeno slices onto the surface of the just removed, still hot pretzels. Make sure to press them in as much as possible or else they will slide off. It is important to do this immediately after boiling the pretzels. The best way to go about this is to boil 2 pretzels, add jalapenos to them, and then move on to the next set of pretzels.

 14) Cover all the pretzels with a generous portion of Daiya Vegan Cheese and pop them in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until they are golden brown. (If you choose to make this recipe without the jalapenos, bake the pretzels for 25-30 minutes since the jalapenos are not providing extra moisture to the pretzel surface)

15) Once the pretzels look an appealing golden-brown remove from the oven.

(I made a plain one for my dad since he’s not a fan of feeling like there’s a bonfire in his mouth a.k.a. jalapenos)

16) Be a cool kid like me and burn your tongue trying to eat a pretzel straight out of the oven……or let them cool for a few minutes and serve to family and friends.

Drumroll Please: My brother LOVED the pretzels....so in my eyes this recipe is a success!

And as always......celebrate any good recipe with a big bowl of mangos! No seriously.....

Until next time, Adios!