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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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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…

8.15 breakfast2

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…

8.15 breakfast3

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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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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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…

8.13 breakfast1

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.

8.13 breakfast2

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.

8.13 lunch1

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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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.

8.12 breakfast2

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).

8.12 breakfast

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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I Am So Over Bagels…

August 11, 2009 by

Hey all! Hope your morning is going well so far. My 4-mile run was awesome today – my foggy head from yesterday is all clear today, thank goodness. 

After my run, I recharged with a protein-packed breakfast…

8.11 breakfast1

About a cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal topped with two very plump and ripe strawberries. So yum! 

8.11 breakfast3

When I arrived at work, I walked into the staff lounge/kitchen and saw a huge assortment of jumbo-size bagels. There must have been about 50 bagels and 7-8 tubs of flavored cream cheese. About 10 years ago, I would have jumped on those bagels without a second thought. I used to love bagels and ate them a ton in college and graduate school. They were so filling and cheap, which is necessity for a graduate student’s budget. I ate them so much that I became bageled-out after graduation. And, in recent years, I’ve realized that bagels just don’t sit well in my stomach anymore. They are so full of carbs/starch (not to mention meaningless calories) that they leave me feeling super full and nearly bloated after I eat them. So now when I see these massive, and I mean massive – they are as big or bigger than a CD, I just walk away knowing that I’ll be better off. 

Today, I have a very important afternoon meeting and a business dinner at a local winery (cool!). I’m pretty sure I will not be taking pictures of my dinner this evening. How weird would that look to my business guests if I was snapping pics of my entree? 

Well, I’m off to prepare for my meeting. Wish me luck!

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Running in a Fog…

August 10, 2009 by

Good morning! It’s a busy, busy day and a busy, busy week for me. I’m really hoping to take the afternoon off on Thursday so that I can either lay by the pool or go see Julie & Julia, a movie chronicling the life of a food blogger who experimented with Julia Child’s recipes for a whole year, calling it the Julie/Julia Project. It looks so cute! So I guess I have to be extra focused from Mon-Wed this week, in order to leave early on Thursday!

I had a great 4-mile run this morning! I was sweating like crazy though because the heat and humidity were extremely high. I also seemed to be running in my own bit of hazy fog. I seriously was zoning out the whole time I was running. I guess I’m still trying to recuperate from my jam-packed weekend.

It was slim pickins for breakfast. I did find a blueberry yogurt (regular, not Greek) in the far back of the fridge that was still good to eat.

8.10 breakfast1

So I had the yogurt mixed with a few walnuts and some Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal. It tasted sooo good! Especially because I had barely eaten anything from about 2 PM on yesterday.

8.10 breakfast 2

Just look at all of that creamy, crunchy goodness? After eating the yogurt, I did remember why I prefer Greek yogurt over regular. There’s nothing wrong with the taste of regular yogurt, but the Greek version is so much thicker and creamier. I’m sure I’ll be making a Trader Joe’s run very soon to stock up on my Greek favorites. 

Have to sign off for now. Have a great day everyone!

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A Family and Food-Focused Weekend

August 9, 2009 by

Hey all! Sorry I’m posting so late. I’m just now winding down from a full weekend of family and food-focused activities. To recap, we had dinner with my sis on Friday night, a family portrait and birthday bbq on Saturday, and today we had a family breakfast and huge family picnic at a park. Do you think that’s enough family and food for one weekend? Also, why is it that whenever I get around family, everything seems to center around food? I’m not even Italian! Does anyone else ever have that issue?

Anyway, my day began with a 5-mile run which felt GREAT, especially after all of the food I’ve been eating. Then it was on to another family breakfast at the Ritz Carlton. The food was, once again, fabulous and the service was top-notch. I decided that I wanted to take my breakfast in courses today. So, I started with a 4 tablespoons of strawberry yogurt with a few fresh berries and about 2 tbsp granola.

8.9 yogurt

Next, I tried something I’ve never eaten before….

8.9 muesli

A very small bowl of Muesli! I know it probably looks like yogurt, but it’s actually a cereal-based dish that’s very popular in Europe. It has a base of uncooked rolled oats (soaked in water or milk overnight) mixed with dried fruit and nuts. Mine had dried currants and figs (I think) and a mix of cashews, walnuts, and almonds. Once I got past the “cold oatmeal” taste, it was actually quite good. I think I’ll try whipping up my own version at home.

Next was a small plate of some other hot and cold breakfast items….

8.9 breakfast

I had one small slice of havarti cheese, sauteed peppers and a few potatoes, with one slice of bacon. It was just enough of the “hot” breakfast to keep me satisfied. 

I also had a very small portion of a blueberry muffin.8.9 muffin2

I seriously only had 2 bites of this because it was very dry and had a very strong “cake batter” taste, like it had too much flour.

Finally, I had my own pot of English Breakfast tea -Yeah! This time, I had Taylors of Harrogate tea and it was just lovely. 8.9 tea

Although that was the end to my very hearty but balanced breakfast, I did have a sip of some hot chocolate that someone else from my table ordered. Although the hot chocolate just tasted average, the presentation was so cool. Take a look…8.9 hot chocolate

It was brought out with little marshmallows and a silver spoon dipped in dark and white chocolate.

8.9 hot chocolate1

Way cool – makes me wish I had ordered it!

After our amazing breakfast, we headed out to pick up a few more picnic things. We arrived at the picnic around 12:30 PM and visited with all of our “lost lost” relatives, which was so fun! I was still full from breakfast so I only picked at some of the food that was there – had a little potato salad, a small scoop of cheesy potatoes, and a scoop of my cousin’s ramen noodle salad (my portions were not even enough to take a decent picture). All of it was very tasty, but it would have been even better if I was actually hungry. It was also about 95 degrees outside which didn’t help my appetite.

Now we’re heading home and I am sooo tired. After this weekend’s eating fest, it will be so nice to get back into my regular eating pattern and eating home-cooked meals!

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A "Ritzy" Breakfast

August 8, 2009 by

Afternoon everyone! I’ve had a whirlwind morning so far. Between breakfast, a family photo, visiting, and lunch, I’m wiped out. But, I always find time for blogging!

Prior to our family photo at 9 AM, we had a little breakfast. It was a semi-snazzy affair at the Ritz Carlton with the family. I just love the buffet breakfast at the RC. They offer the right amount of choices, many of which are healthy, like yogurt, fruit, muesli, and egg white omelettes.

8.8 breakfast

Wanting to go the lighter route, I chose to have a little fruit, one piece of bacon, and a few breakfast potatoes. I also had one of my favorites…

8.8 yogurt

Yogurt with fresh fruit and granola. I started with some strawberry yogurt and then layered a little granola with a few raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. So heavenly! I also had a huge pot of Tea Forte English Breakfast tea all to myself – it was so relaxing!

8.8 teapot

Next on the agenda for today was the family photo. Between my mother and father, brothers and sisters, spouses, and grandchildren, there were 17 people in the photo. It was a little crazy but somehow we managed to be done in about 30 minutes. 

After visiting with the family for a little while, we decided to head to a kid-friendly place for lunch – Red Robin. The sandwich/hamburger chain is great for kids because they have so many things for kids to look at, it’s rather noisy, so it’s ok if the kids are not quiet, and they give away balloons.

8.8 lunch2

As you can see, my lunch was not as healthy as breakfast. I split a plain chicken sandwich with my sister-in-law and had a few fries on the side. My father also bought the whole table a tower of onion rings…8.8 onion rings

I had one and it was very tasty. Sorry the picture was out of focus. I only had time to take one and this is what I got.

Now, we’re resting a little before heading to the birthday/anniversary party tonight. It’s a BBQ and I know it’s going to be a blast. I’ll fill you in the details later.

Enjoy your evening everyone!

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A Good Start, But Then…

August 7, 2009 by

I had a good start to the day with a brisk 4-mile run, followed by a hearty and healthy breakfast. But it was all downhill from there!

After my run, my awesome husband made me a yummy omelette for breakfast:

8.7 breakfast

The omelette was made with 1 egg and 1 egg white, with a little cheddar cheese, mushrooms, broccoli, and pieces of all-natural (nitrate-free) bacon. It was so tasty and such a change from what I usually eat in the morning.

He also made me my favorite morning tea…

8.7 tea

Tazo Awake tea! He’s so thoughtful.

The rest of our day was spent running errands, visiting family, and getting ready for the big day tomorrow. There will actually be three events taking place tomorrow – a huge family portrait at a studio, a lunch with the family, and a birthday party for my nephew/anniversary party for my parents. Whew, that’s a lot to do in one day!

I actually started feeling a little sick in the car, so I munched on an emergency snack:

8.7 crackers

That’s right, goldfish crackers. I seriously do NOT eat these crackers on a regular basis – maybe twice a year. But today, I am so glad they were in the car.

Our errands took us all over the place so we weren’t near our house around lunchtime. So, we headed to Chili’s:

8.7 lunch

I had a bowl of potato soup and it was very tasty. I do prefer Corner Bakery’s baked potato soup over all others, but Chili’s has a nice recipe as well.

After more running around, we dropped into Panera very quickly to pick up an ice tea (for my hubby) and 2 giant cookies -1 double chocolate and a new kind – toffee. 8.7 snack

Here’s what’s left of my cookie after about 2 minutes! I told you it was going downhill…

We headed over to my sister’s house late in the day to discuss plans for tomorrow. She was nice enough to order pizza and salad for us, knowing how tired we were from running around all day.

8.7dinner2

I had one piece of pepperoni pizza, a little antipasto salad, a roll, and a piece of cheesy bread (not pictured). I was pretty full after that, but couldn’t resist a little moose-tracks ice cream, because I very rarely eat that flavor.

8.7 dessert

I honestly only had one small scoop, and that was enough for me.

So, as you can see, today was a complete eating fest for me. Although I try to make healthy choices when I’m out and about, sometimes my hunger and my stomach take over and get the better of me.

I plan to eat lighter tomorrow, without a doubt. Now, I’m off to bed to, hopefully, get a good night’s sleep before the big day!

Night all!

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