What do you call a cross between a granola bar and a cookie?

I'm not really sure what you call it, but I think I baked it. When I made this recipe, I first thought "They shall be called Granookies!" My second thought was "This is how I'm going to make my millions!" One quick google search later and all my hopes were dashed. Somebody granookied me to it. Oh well, they are yummy and worth a share anyway. The recipe below is vegan and gluten free but you could easily substitute if you have no dietary restrictions. The nice thing about making a vegan recipe is that it keeps really well and there are no worries when eating the batter!

The process:

"Hi, I'm Flaxseed"

All the dry guys ready for the party

Cinnamon oat meadows with peanut butter mountains and an agave river :)

Lined up like little soldiers

Meg's Granola Cookie Bar Thingies - Vegan and Gluten Free!

1 3/4 C of Dry Oats (gluten free)

3/4 C Gluten Free Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill most of the time)

1/2 C Vegan and Gluten Free Semisweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 C Sliced Almonds

1 T Cinnamon

1 T Vanilla

1/2 C Salted Peanut Butter

1/2 C Blue Agave Sweetener

2 T Flaxmeal

6 T Warm Water

Total Time: <30 min including bake time!

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Mix flaxmeal in warm water and set aside to gel (this makes the equivalent of 2 eggs)

3. Mix dry ingredients: oats, flour, chocolate chips, almonds and cinnamon together

4. Add wet ingredients: vanilla, peanut butter, sweetener and flaxmeal/water and mix well

5. Spread onto 9x9 cookie sheet

6. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

And, since I like to know that I'm not putting crapola in my body...

Makes: 14 servings

Nutrition Information per Serving:

Calories - 220

Fat - 9.9 g

Sugar - 13.4 g

Fiber - 3.6 g

Protein - 6.5 g

In running life news, I ran the Trolley Run yesterday. I'll post a complete running update later this week, but I completed my goal of running 4mi in under 40 with no hip pain. I feel really good; so, now it's time to get down to business!

As always, I hope you are having a stellar week!

-M

Give me an F!

This past Friday had me doing a little cheer. There may have been some arms and legs flailing about, but don't worry no one got their eye poked out. Normally, I think the letter 'F' gets a bad rap unless, of course, it stands for the "Fever"... you know the "Spartan Fever". Or when it stands for Food Trucks and First Fridays!

In Kansas City, this all goes down in the Crossroads District the first Friday of every month (thank you Captain Obvious). If you live in the area and haven't been, you should get it on your calendar pronto! With all that cheering, I worked up an appetite. Lucky for me the food trucks now have a permanent parking lot at 21st and Wyandotte.

Where the magic happens...

So many trucks so little time!

Scott doesn't quite get my obsession since there isn't usually a whole lot I can eat (thank you Celiac Disease), but it's more about the atmosphere and the people watching! I had chicken tacos and Scott went with the meatball sliders - delish.

'Cluck Yeah' slider and Chicken Taco

Cute boy - I think I'll take him home.

Mid-eats

After stuffing our faces, we spent the evening walking around watching street performers and catching...

If you do venture down to the Crossroads and you like pottery, check out Archival Designs. It is one of my favorite spots.

'Mugshot' at Archival Designs

Kemper at the Crossroads always has unique exhibits. This is from Eric Fertman's 'Here's Your Hat, What's Your Hurry' and will be at the gallery through July.

 

Kemper at the Crossroads

18th and Wyandotte is fun anytime with a cafe and a few shops. Usually, you can find street dancers here on a First Friday. They are awesome!

18th and Wyandotte

I really like the one below and found it in the old Arts Incubator space. I think it is now the Todd Weiner Gallery (unfortunate last name).

Buy me this. It's only $2500.

Street band - not sure what's up with the masks?!

My ride home...gas is so expensive these days. I wonder if I can get one with a cup holder...

If you haven't been, there is so much more to see! So, pick a nice Friday night and head on down for food and fun. Oh, and remember, respect people's personal space! (SNL Spartans)

-M

In Bloom

 "Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" - Robin Williams

And by party, I'm sure Mr. Williams meant the "Garden" variety ;-). One my favorite ways to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon is digging in the dirt. With the weather being unseasonably warm, Scott and I have spent the last couple of weekends doing just that!

"I'll take one of everything please and thanks!"

Potential!

This will be our third season using the square foot gardening method. We use the mix listed here  and we loosely follow the other rules (you know 'cause we like to live on the wild side). What could be better than a garden that requires no weeding?! If you've been thinking about giving gardening a try, this is a good way to start.

One day maybe we will have space for a bigger garden, but this works great for the two of us. Our strawberry plants are full of blooms right now. I'm hoping I can keep the squirrels away!

Some other spring loves...

• Fresh salads

 

•  Murray's Ice Cream and Cookies 

• Trolley Run

• GOTR Run

• Weekend hikes

My sweet little turd nugget...

• First Friday's

• Outdoor concert venues

Grinders

I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting...

What are some of your favorite springtime activities?

It's Wednesday folks and we are over halfway to the weekend! Sweet.

-M  

Rocky Mountain High

Recent reports about the wildfires near Denver got me reminiscing about our recent visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. A beautiful place and one of my favorites. A few pictures from our weekend...

"First 48" pose or "Scott needs to work on his jazz hands" pose

Sending prayers for family, friends, and strangers dealing with the fires.

-M

My Running Journey...

The first race I ever ran was a marathon. How does one get the 'bright' idea to run a marathon without ever running a race before? Well, I guess there could be plenty of reasons. For me, it was my divorce.  That was over four years ago and, what seems like, a lifetime away. At the time, I felt like my whole world had fallen apart. All those plans just crumbling, leaving me holding the pieces trying to figure out what to do next. In those moments, it felt like I could either completely self-destruct or try to turn a bad situation into something positive. About that same time, a good friend talked to me about running with Team in Training (TNT).  The more I thought and researched TNT, it felt like the right decision. Raise money for a great organization, meet new people and, oh yeah, run. I'm not going to say that during that time there weren't moments of self-destruction, but one can't get too wild and crazy with a 16 mile training run looming over them.

Those of you who know me know that I am not athletic by any stretch of the imagination. The closest I got to sports in high school was one uncoordinated year of tennis.  Thank God running doesn't involve any fancy equipment or I'd be screwed. Team in Training was a great experience overall. In just 4 short months, I went from a couple miles here and there to 26.2 freakin' miles. It took me almost 6 hours, but I did it! In hindsight, I should have stuck with the half marathon as I started to unravel around miles 16-18. I chalk it up to inexperience. Will I ever run the 26.2 distance again? Yes, but I have some work to do before then. :)


That was early 2009 and since then I have run:
Half:
Olathe 1/2 Marathon
Flying Pig 1/2 Marathon - PR 2.07. 34
Indianapolis 1/2 Marathon
Rock the Parkway 1/2 Marathon

15 K:
Cerner

10K:
Hospital Hill
Catalina

4mi and 5K:
Trolley Run
Girls on the Run 5K x3
Some others I can't remember...

Admittedly, my training for these events was mediocre at best. I've operated under the complete not compete assumption. I complete the training runs but don't usually time myself. I'm a true runner's nightmare. Last fall after completing a race with minimal training, I began having trouble with my left hip. A couple doctors and one very talented chiropractor later, I'm back walk-running smaller distances.


As we say in our house, "You better check yourself before you wreck yourself....girl."

The injury forced me to stop and evaluate my running over the last couple of years. I missed being able to lace up and hit the pavement once I no longer had that option. Now that I'm starting to get back to it, I feel like I need to take a step back, return to completing smaller distances, and work on my conditioning. Tempo runs, easy runs, and interval training, ready or not, here I come (first step is figuring out what all of that means)! It's probably going to be a bumpy ride (knowing me this is almost a definite), but I think it's important if I want to be a runner that lasts. More importantly, I need to not lose sight of the reasons I love to run. 

In a recent issue of Runner's World, there is an article about running with the Amish. In his article Bart Yasso quotes one of the runners:
"I love the serenity of running alone as well as the fellowship of running with a group," one of the runners wrote to me in an e-mail. "I realize that every step, every breath, and every PR is a gift from God." 

This is how I felt when I ran for TNT and it's how I feel now that I'm coming back from injury, but somewhere in between I lost sight of it. I hope future writings about my running will help keep me honest. Lucky you. 

I know I have good running friends out there...any training tips? Such as how do I get my butt out of bed to run at 5:30am with the time change - Ugh.

Now that I have managed to reference Ice Cube AND the Amish in the same post - my work here is done. 

-M

Let's Twist Again...

Whenever I see a recipe that calls for yeast I usually run like hell.  The stress of pouring that little packet in warm water and waiting makes me crazy. I'm terrible at waiting. Is the water too cold? Is the water too hot?? Is it foaming up yet?? Did I just kill all those little boogers??!! Gah! Basically, it takes pretty tasty looking pictures to convince me to risk it. Enter Alton Brown's recipe for Soft Pretzels and a little of this....

Ms. Liquid Encouragement says, "You got this girrlll!" <finger snap>

I find that everything gets better with a good glass of wine (or mediocre $10 wine from TJ's). So, with that, the Ms. and I got our BAKE ON.

Sometimes you just gotta punch dough in the face...

I followed Alton's recipe but substituted with gluten free flour (Bob's Red Mill), Earth Balance (instead of butter), and Olive Oil (instead of egg). I imagine they would be great made with whole wheat flour as well. If you've never seen Alton Brown on TV before, he's a little mad scientist meets chef.  Just the kind of kookiness I find endearing.

I thoroughly enjoyed dropping these babies in boiling, baking soda water before popping them in the oven. Fifteen minutes later I had these...

The Ms. and I do good work.

Whether paired with a yummy dip or just eaten plain, these were delicious!

On a more serious note, it's been a crazy couple of weeks. Scott's mom has been through a couple surgeries and my uncle passed away Tuesday night. If you pray, meditate or send out the good juju daily, would you add our families to your list? It would be much appreciated. I hope you all get in some good family and friend time this weekend...maybe even some extra X's and O's. 
-M

Easy Peasy...Sometimes Cheesy

Ohm...nom...nom...nom...nom.

True Story - my mom made me breakfast and packed my lunch until I graduated high school. I offered to pack my own, but each time she would shake her head and tell me it was easier to just pack them all at once. I don't know that I truly appreciated it back then. There were days when I subbed that hand packed lunch for the baked potato topped with cheese from the cafeteria. That's cheese from a can in case you're wondering (gag). All these years later, I now realize how lucky I am to have a mom that was able to stay home and make sure I got to school with a good lunch. Although, with all that special treatment, it is a wonder I ever made it in the real world ;).

Nowadays, I pack my lunch for work. My office doesn't have a cafeteria and I try to only eat out on occasion. I am always looking for new, easy, nutritious ideas to cook for the work week. Lately, I have been making 'mixes' on Sunday nights that I can use for lunch during the week. This has worked really well since I don't want to spend a bunch of time in the mornings preparing my lunch.

I have been using quinoa as a base lately. Fun fact: Quinoa is not a true grain (even though it looks like one), and is most closely related to leafy greens like spinach. It is a good source of amino acids (protein), magnesium, and folate. In addition to the quinoa, I mix up some type of protein and vegetables. This week I used steamed lentils, tomatoes, spinach, peppers, and onion. The 'mix' possibilities are really endless.

I made eight servings for just under 10 dollars. That averages out to around $1.25 per serving. How does the nutrition stack up? Well, I am glad you asked :)

Serving = 1c. cooked Quinoa + 1/2 c. Mix (lentils, tomatoes, peppers, onion, spinach)
Calories:  280
Fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 50g
Fiber: 9g
Sodium: 195mg
Protein: 13g

I also like to top mine with plain greek yogurt or a little cheese (extra fat and protein). Add a small salad and/or a piece of fruit on the side and you have an easy, cheap, nutritious, delicious lunch! One that would even make your mom proud.

-M

***Note that serving size will depend on an individual's nutritional needs. The serving I chose was to be used as a frame of reference. Thanks!***

Wedspiration

A few wedding inspiration pictures for your oogling pleasure. I can neither confirm nor deny whether I am incorporating these into my own wedding. For that, you'll just have to wait until after the main event. ;-)

 

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Hope your week has started with a BANG!
-M

Be Mine

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." -Charles M. Schultz

I've been crafty this weekend - I know - scary. It doesn't happen that often and I have learned to embrace it when it does. Most times it just turns into a hot mess, but sometimes it works out.

I was searching for a treat to take to my coworkers for Valentine's Day next week, and I ran across this Salted Caramel recipe. Ooey, gooey, sweet and salty - Yes Please! I had most of the ingredients already but I did have to make a stop at Sur La Table for a candy thermometer. I made toffee over Christmas using a meat thermometer. Yes, I know they aren't the same, but I thought I could wing it by judging how far the dial passed 0 (like I told you before - hot mess). This time I thought I would at least start out with the right tools, and I can always use an excuse to shop at Sur La Table.

Good idea to gather up all the ingredients before you get started.

Somebody give me a spoon ;)

All ready for wrapping!

I also practiced my garland making skills. I want to make garland for our wedding this summer, and thought Valentine's Day might be a good excuse to practice and hang it on the wall. Who doesn't LOVE paper hearts?!

OK, enough about crafts and Valentine's Day. Anyone see Safe House this weekend? Scott and I saw it and it is SO GOOD! How can you go wrong with Denzel - ever?

-M

It's Gettin' Hot in Here...

It seems yoga has been getting a bad rap lately (see here), and I feel the need to put in my two-cents. I have been practicing yoga on and off for several years now. In the last year, I have come to practice regularly several forms including Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Bikram. I love each and every one of them for different reasons. 

(source)

As the temperatures continue to get cooler in the Midwest, I have gravitated more towards Bikram or Hot Yoga. The cold temps have made it much easier to talk myself into spending 90 minutes in 105 degrees. The first Bikram class I took, I remember thinking “So, this must be what hell feels like” after about the first 5 minutes. Somehow, I made it through the entire class and, after several more, began to fall in love.

For those of you not familiar with Bikram, it is a sequence of 26 postures that work systematically through the body. The series consists of doing each pose twice. The first set, you work to reach your edge (the point at which you think you can go no further). The second set, you begin at the edge and hold for a shorter period of time. One of the things I love most about Bikram or Hot Yoga, is how the sequence of poses counteract one another. For instance, you spend time in Camel pose (Ustrasana), a kneeling backbend of sorts, and then follow it with Rabbit pose (Sasangasana), a kneeling forward fold of sorts.  

For me personally, yoga provides both mental and physical benefits, and I have never used it as my only source of exercise. However, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others as a compliment to their weekly routine. Just like any exercise, there is always risk for injury, but there are ways to mitigate those risks as well. Below are my top 5 items to consider if you are thinking of incorporating yoga into your life.

1. Go to a studio
If you are just getting started and doing a more meditative practice, then a studio may not be necessary, but a good class experience is important to ensure you have proper alignment in poses.

2. Try different studios to find the one that best fits your style and needs

Do not feel bad about shopping around to find a studio and a teacher that is right for you.  I attended a class once where the teacher played Tibetan Vibration Bowls on our stomachs. I attended another class that included lots of chanting. For some of you, this may be right up your alley and that is awesome. For me, I prefer quieter periods of meditation. Rest assured, there is an option out there for everyone. Oh, and be open - the Tibetan Bowls were pretty cool. ;)

 
3. Be wary of the teacher that is using the class as his or her own time to workout or the teacher that pushes you further into a pose without your permission.
This may be more of a pet peeve of mine, but I feel like good teachers make sure you are getting the most out of the class.  The best teachers I have had are able to balance showing you the pose in the series to keep the class flowing and making sure everyone has proper positioning. In addition, a gentle push to deepen a pose is often welcomed. However, I know of people who have been injured when they weren't prepared for the teacher assist. 

4 . Realize that yoga is an evolving journey 
I will have an awesome class one day and struggle the next. It is in the difficult classes that I learn the most about my body and myself. Learn to accept the good with the bad...such is life.
 
5. Yoga is more than just the physical workout
Let's be honest, when else do I get 90 minutes to myself! Yoga is wonderful in that it quiets your mind and allows you to focus on one intention.  Best activity for mental health in my opinion. :)
   
Overall, have fun, listen to your body, and respect your limits! Yoga is never about competition with others. It wasn't created to be a sport. No one is staring at your bum or laughing at the fact that you spent the last five minutes in child's pose. To me, it has always been about each individual's personal journey.  My personal journey. 


Disclaimer: I am NOT a certified trainer or yoga instructor. The above are just my personal observations and opinions from my experience. 


Hope you all are having a great week!
-M



Have you tried yoga? Are there any other items you would add to my list?

Confessions

Confession - I spent the entire morning in my pajamas. I did muster up enough strength to brush my teeth and fix myself some hot chai tea, but other than that I spent hours babysitting my couch. It was wonderful. The last couple of weeks have been filled with company, wedding planning, and concerts on top of my normal schedule. All fun times but I think it finally caught up with me a bit. 

I spent my couch time watching Superhumans on the history channel. Yes, I watched 3 or 4 uninterrupted hours of it. Amazing. Has anyone watched this show? How did I not know about it?!  I've always had this silly notion that I have some undiscovered talent. Ridiculous I know... or is it? Hmm. I think this is the reason I love to try new things. From parachuting out of planes to taking my turn at the pottery wheel (I still have PTSD from this experience, but that is a story for another day), I am always up for trying something new.

Superhumans takes this concept to a whole new level by finding people with unbelievable capabilities. I'm beginning to think I've been aiming too small. The fastest human calculator, the strongest man in the world, a man who can withstand electricity, a guy who can scale walls like monkeys...the list goes on. They even had a guy that harnesses his energy to make people pass out without even touching them! I tried this on Chewy and thought I had failed at first. However less than 5 minutes later, I found her like this....

Delayed reaction or just a coincidence - I'll let you be the judge. 

Around noon, I decided it was time to get up and make something of myself. The afternoon has been spent doing fun things like grocery shopping, cleaning and laundry (I die of excitement). The evening, however, has picked up with epic pizza making at our house. Scott's "Man Meat" pizza and my "G-free Veggie Explosion" look delicious.  My secret ingredient is almonds. Slivered almonds on pizza - try it. It will change your life... or maybe just the way you order pizza.

Have a stupendous rest of your Saturday. I'm off to stuff my face (per usual) and watch Missouri beat Kansas (fingers crossed). 

-M 

Behold the Power of the Goat...

Today, Scott and I went on a little field trip. Are you ready to get a little wild and crazy? How about a little "Indigo Wild" and crazy? 

If you spend any time roaming the aisles of Whole Foods or HyVee (anyone else like to spend hours in the grocery store? No, just me...oh), you may have come across Zum products. I have made several Zum purchases in my days, but I only recently realized that the Zum factory is right here in Kansas City (Thanks Ma)! Well once I figured that out, Scott and I jumped in the car (zum, zum) and headed right on over. 

The Indigo Wild factory is located in the Crossroads District. They have been at this location for 3 years, but have been making Zum for 16. They ship products all across the country and even internationally. 

You can schedule time to take a tour of the factory which is pet and fun friendly. Tours are Thursdays, which doesn't work out so well for us 9-5ers, but I am thinking this may warrant getting a group of my girls together and taking a half day off of work. By the time we left, I was ready to apply for a part time job. 

Even though we couldn't take a tour today, there was plenty to see and buy. The factory has a little shop with sale bins (score!) and smells oh-so-good! I mean who couldn't get behind a company with this mantra:

"Before Indigo Wild touches your body, it touches these bodies. No worries, we're not showering with your soap singing "I'm Too Sexy" before we ship it off to you. We're talking handcrafted, handmade, hand-mixed, hands-on…which is all pretty dang handsome.
So take a spin with our handy work. It's mixed and mashed with 100% pure essential oils, shea butter, meadowfoam seed oil, soy wax, goat's milk, botanical extracts and other jujulicious ingredients. It all helps to carry on some karma and magnify the mojo. Then it's flashed by the butt of a gnome, danced over by a shaman, kissed by a fairy and blessed by a goat." (source)

You can read more about Indigo Wild and Zum here .

It is feeling a little more like winter today in KC. Scott and I have been making our way through a big pot of "Midsummer Corn Chowder with Basil, Tomato, and Fennel." I have only made a handful of the recipes in Veganomicon  so far, but they have all been delicious.

  Enjoy your weekend peeps!
-M