Rise & Shine!

I CANNOT believe I've already let almost a week sqeak by without updating! I've not been a very good blogger and I'm very sorry! I'll work on that:)

However, I always know it's going to be a good day when I start my day off with a run.:) This is a long known fact about me, however I've let it slip for awhile now ever since I started letting myself heal from my plantar fasciitis. Then, last week before my 8AM shift on the line, I decided I'd go for a little run at 5 in the morning. It was AMAZING the difference it made in my mood! I highly recommend getting your workout done in the morning:) It may be a bit of a drag getting out of bed, but I felt like myself again once I got going and throughout the day. It's become a fairly known fact that they have done studies on how excercising at different points in the day can affect your mood and when you workout the best. Morning always won! For about 8 hours after your workout, your body produces "happy" chemicals that put you in a better mood and therefore = better day!:) It's also a lot easier for me to do this when I don't eat a lot before my early morning workout. I feel like my tummy is still waking up and you just feel bogged down and heavy when you have a big meal before a workout (in my opinion).

Yesterday, I got two new health/cookbooks! I'm really excited about them! One of them is called Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman which came recommended to me by my sister who is also just about to start reading it. I'm on about page 5 so I'll let you know some good info and my opinion once I get a little deeper into the read. The other is the Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson I mentioned last week and flipping through, there are some recipes I thought I'd share.:)

Since it's morning and all...

Espresso Banana Muffins

2 cups white whole-wheat flower  (I'd probably go with unbleached whole-wheat)
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1 1/4 cups chopped toasted walnuts (or untoasted is fine too)
1 Tbsp fine espresso powder
6 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup natural cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)

1. Heat oven to 375F, position the racks low in the oven, and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, 3/4 cup of the walnuts and the espresso powder in a bowl and whisk to combine.

3. In a separate large bowl or a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla, yogurt, and mashed bananas, then briefly and gently mix in the dry ingredients, overmixing will result in tough muffins.

4. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin (an ice-cream scoop works well), top with the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, and make until golden, about 25 minutes. Fill the cups two-thirds full for regular muffins or to the bring for a big-topped version. Cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cook completely.

Makes 12 muffins

I'll add a couple more for Dairyless Chocolate Mouse and White Sangria and a Lentil Soup as well as a good substitute for heavy cream in those recipes us lactose-free eaters just can't eat! These will probably be the only recipes I show since I don't want to re-publish her book for free;) But I highly recommend going and buying or flipping through it!!

I've also been reading the latest Real Simple that my Mom gets in the mail and I've decided when I get back to Lubbock I'm painting my room. I've already painted giant pink, silver and yellow flowers in my bathroom with acrylic paint but it made sense to me when I read that bright color helps you wake up in the morning. I could really see how that is true! So, to help me with my routine and maybe even running early more often, my walls are going to get a fresh coat of paint! Even if it means having to paint them back in a few months to a year:) Color = happy:)

Time to get ready for work, have a great day and I'll be sure to post more later!:)

"Ultimately the best runners are the ones who work very hard but who have a little bit of a lazy streak in them." - Benji Darden, Coach

"The secret of health for the mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." -Buddha