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Introducing the New Running With Cake!

August 16, 2009 by

As I’m sure you can tell, Running With Cake has a new look! My husband worked all day on setting up the new theme, graphics, colors, etc. and it looks fabulous. I do plan on adding a couple new features in the next week or so, including a few pics of me. Stay tuned for more health, fitness, and fun with RWC. In the meantime, let me know what you think of the new look.

Even though my husband was locked up on the basement for most of the day (don’t worry, we have a walk-out basement, so there is natural light) working on my new theme, he managed to help me make an awesome dinner.

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Chicken soup? Yes, chicken soup even tastes great in the summer, especially when you’ve been sick. But, the biggest reason we decided to make this homemade specialty is the weather. Being from the Midwest, we know that the weather can change on a dime. But, I was so surprised today, when it went from 85 to 65 degrees in about 2 hours. Because of this drastic change, and the fact that we still had the central air on in the house, we were both freezing. Chicken soup sounded like a perfect meal to warm us up.

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My husband’s chicken soup includes all sorts of healthy goodies, not to mention it’s a very low-calorie dish.

Scott’s Chicken Noodle Soup

  • 2 chicken breast halves, thawed
  • 4-5 carrots, chopped in large chunks
  • 3-4 celery stalks, chopped in large chunks
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 9-10 cups chicken broth/stock
  • 2-3 tbsp dried parsley
  • 3 cups wide no-yolk noodles, cooked and drained

Add all ingredients (except the noodles) into a large stock pot or soup pot. Bring to a boil over the stove burner, then let simmer on medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Carefully remove the cooked chicken from the soup and either shred or chop it. Return the chicken to the soup pot. Add cooked noodles. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Just as I mentioned in the recipe above, this soup is great alone or when paired with crusty bread for dipping. Tonight, we had our soup with a 1/2 loaf of multi-grain bread with oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.

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I also add a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese to my soup. It’s just a habit after working at an Italian catering hall for 4 years in high school. It gives the soup a whole different flavor!

Well, after warming up a bit with our soup, my husband had to run out to get gas for one of the cars. It just so happens that one of our favorite ice cream parlors is right by the Costco gas station. So, not only did he get gas, but he came home with ice cream for both of us…

8.16 dessert

Scott had a huge chocolate malt, but I ended up with a mere kid’s scoop of chocolate peanut butter ice cream – hmmm, that’s doesn’t seem very fair to me. No, I’m just kidding of course. The ice cream was an awesome treat and a great way to end our day, and our weekend.

Now, I have to get ready for bed. Monday morning seems to be hitting me extra hard these days. Have a great night everyone!

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New Look for Running With Cake!

August 16, 2009 by

RWC To Get New Theme!

I am so happy to be feeling better and to have my appetite back. But, I am even more thrilled to report that Running With Cake will be getting a new theme!! Yeah! I’m so excited. My husband, the technology guru (seriously, he had a story written about him in the newspaper that called him this), is going to be giving RWC a more updated and fresh look. I’m not sure when it will be finished, but look for it in the very near future.

As I mentioned above, I think I’ve finally kicked this flu bug that I’ve had for the last 3 days. So, when I woke up this morning, I decided to do my normal Sunday morning run. I started my run around 9:30 AM, which is nearly 3 hours after I usually start my run during the week. By that time of the morning, it was nearly 80 degrees outside. That was a big mistake. To add to my heat challenge, I felt like I had absolutely no energy – like I was running with a headwind, uphill, for the full 4 miles. I even had to walk about a minute to catch my breath. Some people would say that I should have skipped running today, until I was feeling 100% again. I rarely skip my run, even if I’m not feeling well. I have to be seriously ill – we’re talking swine flu, to have me not run. I don’t recommend this hard core running attitude for everyone. In most cases, it really is good to take a day off from running or other exercise when you’re really NOT feeling well. Maybe I should following this advice next time.

Anyway, by the time I pulled my sweaty self onto the doorstep, I was pretty exhausted and starving. So, for breakfast, I made a huge Greek yogurt parfait…

8.16 breakfast

I started with one container of Oikos nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt, and mixed in a whole nectarine, about a 1/2 cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, and a dollop of all-natural creamy peanut butter. I thought it would be a good combination because it was mix of all of my favorite things – yogurt, fruit, peanut butter, and crunchiness. Well, nectarines and peanut butter do not make the best flavor combination – lesson learned. It was still edible though.

After breakfast, it was little housecleaning and a discussion or two about my new blog theme. Then, it was time for lunch. Being gone last weekend really threw us off of our grocery shopping schedule – so our pantry is pretty bare. Thankfully, my husband whipped up a very simple but tasty lunch for us….

8.16 lunch

Trader Joe’s wheat penne pasta with Newman’s Own Organic Marinara. The sauce was a little bland – but that’s marinara for you, so I added a ton of parmesan cheese. Much better.

Now, I really must get to the grocery store or I will be eating cereal for dinner tonight. Have a great afternoon all!


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When you're sick, even pizza doesn't taste good

August 15, 2009 by

Hello All. I’m feeling better this evening, but still have a sore throat. When I have a sore throat or am just plain sick, nothing seems to taste as good as it usually does. Take dinner, for instance. My husband and I went out to our local Italian bistro and ordered a full pizza.

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My 1/3 of the pie (and I mean third, because my husband felt that I would not eat a 1/2 all by myself) included pepperoni, spinach, red peppers, and goat cheese. I’ve written about this pizza before and how much I love it. Well, tonight, it was just ok. In fact, when I think about it now as I type, I will likely not order that pizza for quite a while. It could be because I’m sick – and when you’re sick, even you’re favorite pizza doesn’t taste good. Or it just be that I need to try something different. Could be a bit of both.

After pizza, we tried to walk around for a bit, but I just wasn’t in the mood for mindless wandering. I really wanted to just sit down, or lay down, and relax.We headed home and a little while later, I decided to see how my taste buds would react to a little dessert…

8.15 dessert

Thankfully, my taste buds did not protest at these two little butter cream cookies with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. My in-laws brought these over today, along with the coffee cake. These cookies were seriously like butter – the cookie part just melted in my mouth. 

Now, I’m going to finish a few things on the computer and head to bed – 9:30 PM seems sooo early to go to bed on a Saturday night. Because I was sick yesterday and today, I really didn’t get a whole lot of work done – except for a little laundry. So tomorrow is a work day, or at least a partial work day. I’ve blocked out about three hours for me to review a bunch of work-related things in order to get a jump-start on this week.

Have a great night everyone.

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Second Breakfast

August 15, 2009 by

Well, I’m feeling better today, but still not the greatest. I did not go to yoga because I just didn’t want to push it. Instead, I slept in until about 8 AM, although I didn’t sleep very well the whole night. When I did finally get up, I had more energy than the day before, which was a good sign. I was really hungry for some reason too, so I grabbed breakfast right away…

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I made a mix of cheerios and Kashi Go Lean Crunch with a few strawberries. It was a little rough on my sore throat but I managed. 

Then I had a very nice surprise. My father and mother-in-law came over and brought a chocolate covered coffee cake! So, of course, I had a second breakfast…

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Hmm…so incredibly yummy! I had this slice of cake with a cup of Tazo Awake tea, which my throat desperately needed.

My husband and his father worked on our front porch for most of the morning, and then we all broke for lunch. I ran up to a local and very popular diner for hot dogs and Chicago-style Italian beef.

8.15 lunch

I had an original all-beef hot dog with all the fixings – hot peppers, onions, tomatoes, relish, and a huge pickle. I also had a few crinkle-cut fries on the side. Very good – but again, not as good as it could have been if I wasn’t sick.

Now, I’m soo tired that I’m contemplating a nap. See you all tonight!

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I hate being sick…

August 14, 2009 by

Ok, I’m officially sick. Headache. Body aches. Chills. I was so cold this evening, in fact, that it felt so much better outside on our deck in 85 degree weather than it did in our air conditioned house. I also sat wrapped in a blanket at dinner. Guess I won’t be going to yoga tomorrow – bummer, this will be my second week in a row missing yoga. I hope I don’t fall off the yoga wagon. I also won’t be shopping with my mother-in-law, which I had planned to do. 

Despite being sick, I did manage to eat dinner…

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I had Polish sausage, steamed carrots, and orzo made with chicken broth and chopped grape tomatoes. I had one serving of each and ate it sooo slow. It was all I could do to get the fork to my mouth. 

Now, I’m watching a new episode of Psych – love that show! – and waiting for my Nyquil to kick in. All of a sudden, I’m burning up, what gives? I hate being sick. No time is a good time to be sick, but especially when I have a ton of work to do.

Well, hope your night is better than mine. Bye.

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The Runner's Headache

August 14, 2009 by

Hey everyone. I’m not having the greatest day today. I went to bed with headache, woke up at 5:30 AM with a headache, and still have one now. I did end up going running though and it was really rough. It almost felt like I was drained/dehydrated, but I don’t think I was. This feeling of having a dull (sometimes throbbing), constant headache, is what I refer to as The Runner’s Headache. This is because it always seems to start after a run and then continue on for days.

After my not so great run, I made a huge bowl of energizing oatmeal.

8.14 breakfast

I started with 1/2 cup rolled oats (not the quick kind) and added 1 cup of skim milk. I popped that in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes then added 2 big strawberries and a dollop of all-natural creamy peanut butter. I think this was the first time I’ve added peanut butter to oatmeal and it was awesome. I am so glad that peanut butter is good for you because I absolutely love the stuff.

After my hearty, fiber- and protein-filled breakfast, I ran a few errands. The whole time, I still could not shake the headache, even though I drank at least 2 water bottles full of water. I thought a little caffeine might help, so I stopped at Starbuck’s for a mocha frap. It tasted great, but still did nothing for my headache.

I headed home and contemplated lunch. I really wasn’t that hungry because I didn’t feel well, but I knew I had to eat something. I pulled out some of the homemade split-pea soup I made a few weeks ago ….

8.14 lunch

My husband questioned whether or not the soup would really taste good after being frozen, but honestly, it tasted like it was just made today!

Now I’m off to take a nap, which I rarely do (only when I’m sick). But, I’m hoping it will do the trick to zap my headache away. See you all at dinner.

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That's what Julia would do…

August 13, 2009 by

Oh my, if you are at all a foodie or even like eating food (who doesn’t?) then I highly suggest you see the movie Julie & Julia. I saw it this afternoon with my husband and it was fabulous. I want to give you my thoughts on the movie, but I’ll get to that in a sec. 

After eating a decent size lunch (although it was mainly grilled veggies) I was still not hungry for dinner after the movie. And I had such a headache by the end of the movie – the second day in a row that I’ve had a headache. So, instead of a big dinner, I had an RWC kid’s meal:

8.13 dinner2

Yes, it’s just what it looks like – peanut butter and jelly. Now, I love high quality, gourmet food, but sometimes, you just need to eat peanut butter and jelly. I made my 1/2 sandwich with one piece of Brownberry Grains & More bread. I love it because it’s super high in fiber – 6 g per slice! On it, I spread about 1 tsp of all-natural raspberry preserves and 2 tbsp of all-natural creamy peanut butter.

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Not very glamourous, but adequate nonetheless. I also had a really juicy nectarine which was just delicious…

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Now, I’m sooo tired, I just want to go to bed. But first, Julie & Julia…

I don’t want to give away too many of the details but the movie chronicles a year in the life of an aspiring writer who cooks and blogs her way through, the now deceased, Julia Child’s book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The movie was quite funny at times and very heartwarming. Meryl Streep was amazing as Julia Child and Amy Adams was just as good playing her distant protege, Julie Powell. The movie really showed you a different side of Julia that most of the public never got to see. And, I absolutely loved all scenes of France – so charming and rustic!

Although I loved the movie, it also made me a little sad. I saw how each women used food/cooking to fill a void in her life, and I could definitely relate. Although I’ve been a health and fitness writer for many years, I’m a novice blogger. Sometimes, I don’t even know if it’s worth writing, because why write when no one is reading anything that I say, except for my dear husband – and like Julie Powell’s mother – he doesn’t count. 

So, if you’re out there and have any words of encouragement, I’d love to hear them. For now, I’ll keep on writing, even if it’s only to fill my own void – after all, that’s what Julia would do.

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Birthday breakfast at the office

August 13, 2009 by

Hello everyone! I had a great start to my morning. Just as I was getting ready to start my run, I ran into my dog-loving neighbor. She was walking a new puppy (she was just puppy sitting) and it was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – my absolute favorite dog! Oh, I just wanted to take him home, but then reality set in. With my husband’s and my schedule, we just can’t fit in a dog right now. 

After an awesome run I quickly got ready for work. I didn’t eat breakfast before I left because we were having a little b-day party for a coworker – breakfast included. Check out the goods…

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We had fresh pastries from a very popular local bakery. I’m only showing photos of the mini donuts because the other pics didn’t turn out. Aside from the donuts, there was also a lemon ring cake and a chocolate chip pecan coffee cake.

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I had a chocolate covered mini cake donut (about 2 1/2 inches) and a small piece of the chocolate coffee cake. I don’t normally eat donuts – I’ve just never been much of a donut fan, but these looked so cute and were just the right size for a taste. I had my pastries with a cup of steaming Tazo Awake – which really hit the spot!

After our little gathering, it was off to a nearly 2-hour meeting for me. It was a super productive meeting – a super productive morning all around. So productive that I decided to take the afternoon off to see Julie & Julia – yeah! I’m so excited to see it. 

But, before heading out for the day, I took the b-day girl out for lunch at a little Italian bistro near where I work.

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I had the veggie sandwich – full of grilled carrots, peppers, and mushrooms in a ciabatta roll. It also came with a small side salad and great-tasting seasoned French fries. Yum!

All right – I’m off to the movies. My husband is actually meeting me there. He said this is my one “girl movie” that he will see with me. Can’t wait!

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Gourmet food on a plastic plate is still gourmet

August 12, 2009 by

Ahh, it’s nice to be home, winding down for the night. I was in joint business meeting today, which I was thrilled to be a part of. I was also thrilled that it ended at 1:30 PM instead of 4:30 PM – Yeah! Thankfully, during these long business meetings my company also springs for lunch and today it was semi-gourmet….

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Wow – get a load of this fancy food! There were so many choices from our lunch buffet that it was hard to decide. I went with bunless broasted chicken sandwich with tomatoes and a small slice of cheddar. Then I added about 2/3 of a plate of roasted veggies – mushrooms, carrots, asparagus, squash, and jicama, with a little roasted red pepper dip on the side.

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It was unbelievable, especially for a working lunch served on a plastic plate. But hey, it’s still gourmet. I didn’t stuff myself at all, but I was pleasingly full after lunch. However, since it was served at 11:15 AM – when I don’t usually eat until around 1 PM – I was a little hungry around 4 PM. Luckily, I snagged a snack from our “business” treats basket…

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A Quaker True Delights granola bar. It’s made with honey roasted cashews and mixed cherries and cranberries. It’s NOT as all-natural as I thought – the packaging is kind of deceiving. But, it was still a nice pick-me-up in the later afternoon.

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On my way home, I did a little summer clothes shopping. I must have been about 2 weeks too late because all of the sale summer clothes were picked over. Bummer, guess I’ll just have to wait until March for the new summer line – he he!

By the time I arrived home, my husband had dinner almost ready. I just love a man who can cook!

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He made mesquite chicken on the grill, homemade parmesan risotto, and green beans. It was ALL so yummy, especially the risotto – it had an awesome flavor. I really wanted to eat more, but I opted to save the leftovers for lunch on Friday (tomorrow I’m headed out for lunch!).

After dinner and cleaning up, we headed out to do a little more shopping. My husband was VERY tempted to stop and get a custard at Culver’s but I talked him out of it. Instead, he made a homemade strawberry shake and I had…

8.12 dessert

A watermelon and vanilla ice cream parfait! I used about 2/3 cup of Breyer’s all-natural vanilla bean ice cream, about a 1/2 cup of watermelon chunks, and 1 tpsp of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Outstanding, once again!

Tomorrow’s a running day so I need to hit the sack. I’m still debating on whether or not to leave work early to take in the new Julie & Julia movie. Any thoughts – is it worth taking a 1/2 vacation day to see it?

Take care everyone and have a great night.

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Bleary-eyed Morning

August 12, 2009 by

Good morning everyone. I don’t know about all of you but I am so tired this morning. Thank goodness Wednesday is my off day for running. I went to bed at 11 PM and woke up at 5 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. I think it’s because I’m stressed about work. This mid-summer/early fall is the busiest season for me. So right now, all I’m thinking about is work and blogging.

Today is no exception. I have a meeting that starts in about 20 minutes and lasts for the ENTIRE day. I’m hoping I can sneak away at lunch for a quick break and upload photos.

Although I was still very full from last night’s business dinner at the winery, I knew I needed to eat something for breakfast. I also needed to choose wisely – I needed something that would keep me going until lunch at 12:30 PM, because there was really no time for a break, or eating, before then.

8.12 Oikos

I decided on an RWC staple, Stoneyfield’s Oikos Greek yogurt, vanilla flavor.

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I wanted to give the  yogurt a little extra punch of nutrition so I added about a 1/2 cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal for more protein and fiber and watermelon chunks for vitamin C (I feel a cold coming on so I’m trying to stock up).

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This tasted awesome, although it was almost a little too filling for me.

Now, I’m heading into my meeting and plan to take a big cup of Tazo Awake tea – so I don’t fall asleep!

Catch you all later!

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