Good morning!
Thank you so much for your enthusiastic response to my Size Healthy Contest!!! Keep those amazing entries coming in. I can’t wait to do a big recap post of all the pictures. If you post about it on your blog and send me the link, I will link back to your website. :)
I was up at 5:30am this morning. I don’t know what has happened, but I am starting to find it easier (note: EASIER, not easy!) to get up very early. I think my body is finally adjusting to my new Early Rising Challenge. I get so much work done in the early morning, it has been really great for me. A big motivation for me has been some delicious things to eat in the morning. I am a girl motivated by my stomach! ;) You know the saying, ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’? Well, I say, ‘The way to a girl’s heart is through her stomach!’ Hrmph!
I finally got my Bone Marrow confirmation letter in the mail after two months. I thought they had lost my swab kit for a while there. [You can read all about my decision and inspiration to become a Bone Marrow Donor in this post.]
I am really excited to know that I officially qualified for the Bone Marrow Network. I am nervous, but at the same time I am really hopeful that I will be able to help someone someday.
Speaking of which, I am going to donate blood today or tomorrow. This will be my second time donating blood. I have been ramping up my iron intake with iron rich foods all week.
I had a killer Green Monster this morning in preparation!
That baby was GREEN!
Iron, Iron, Baby Green Monster
Ingredients:
- 5-6 cups organic baby spinach, steamed
- 1 cup hemp milk
- 1 scoop Manitoba Harvest Hemp Protein powder
- 1 scoot Amazing Grass wheatgrass powder
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 T chia seeds
- 6 large ice cubes
I also took it with a Vitamin C to increase the iron absorption.
Then I had a great RACE on Landy. Yesterday was a beautiful rest day from exercise so I was ready to run today.
Landy is what I call my treadmill, formerly known as the ‘running beast’ ;)
8km Race:
- Miles 1-2: 6.6 mph, incline 2%
- Water station: 30 seconds
- Miles 3-4: 6.6 mph, incline 2%
- Water station: 1 minute
- Mile 4- 4.97: 7.0-8.0 mph, incline 2%
Total time for the 8km race: 44 minutes and 56 seconds, not including 1.5 minutes for water stations ;)
It was a very, very tough run. I felt amazing afterwards.
PS- I MIGHT have a little surprise up my sleeve this weekend…
My post-race celebration snack was my motivation…
I made these cookies last night after seeing them on fat Free Vegan Kitchen. They are truly ‘keepers’!
Banana Apricot Spelt Oatmeal Cookies
I adapted the recipe from Susan V’s Banana Maple Oatmeal Cookies. (Yes, I am fully aware that I have a huge addiction with her recipes!) For the original recipe and nutritional info, see her post.
Ingredients:
- 1 Flax ‘egg’ (1 teaspoon ground chia seeds or 2 tsp. ground flaxseed + 2 tablespoons water OR 1 egg)
- 1 cup regular oats
- 1 cup whole grain spelt flour (or other flours will work too)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped dried organic apricots or raisins
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 banana, mashed, leave chunky
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
- Cacao nibs (I added a few tablespoons to dry mixture)
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375F. Mix flax or chia egg in a small bowl and set aside. Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Mix wet ingredients in a small to medium sized bowl and then add flax or chia egg. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients. Stir well and shape cookies onto a pan. Makes 18 very small cookies or about 8 large cookies. I made mine large :mrgreen: Cook for 10-12 minutes.
Are you a COOKIE MONSTA? I am!
Nanners. One of the world’s most fabulous foods. Can you believe that Eric hates bananas?!
I didn’t mash my banana too much, so it left big chunks of banana in the cookie. It was BLISS.
I had my post-race cookie slathered in heated up Artisana coconut butter. It really is like frosting, Kath!
I was sent this Green Pan to review and I tested it out with the cookies last night.
Facts about the Green Pan:
What did I think of the Green Pan?
- It worked great. The pan was excellent quality and I had no problems with it at all. I didn’t use any non-stick spray on the pan and the cookies came off easily with a spatula. The cookies all cooked evenly which was nice because I have had problems before with certain pans not cooking evenly- mainly that cookies on the edge burn. They all cooked perfectly this time. You can see the wide variety of Green Pan Products here. For info on where to buy them, see here.
Updates:
- See my first juice recipe over on Foodthinkers: Spiced Apple Pie.
- I have a short blurb in Fitness Magazine’s March 2010 issue. I was interviewed for an article on over-training and I talked about the Superwoman Syndrome. I am going to contact the masthead to see if I am allowed to upload the article on OSG! It is a great article and I think it would be beneficial to so many women.
We’re having friends over for the hockey game tonight- can’t wait! :)
Enjoy your Thursday!!!
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I really like the idea of approaching every run like a race. A girl’s gotta keep herself motivated!
Ever since I found the fat free vegan site I am a fan also. Her baked stuff looked so good, and it’s always super health which I like even more.
i love anything banana, esp banana laffy taffys!
OMG banana laffy taffys are the BOMB! No one else I know likes them which means MORE FOR ME! Woot woot!
Bananas truly are amazing. I’d have such a hard time living without them!
those cookies look amazing – especially with the “frosting”!!! i’m definitely saving the recipe!
and how can you hate bananas?! i love them so much… i could not live without them!
congrats on the bone marrow too! i really think it’s great that you did that, along with giving blood. it always feels good knowing that maybe, because of you, someone’s life could be saved.
Those cookies look BANGIN’. I love cookies with lots of chunks ;)
Lurve frosting!!!
Thanks for the review on the green pan. I love finding new green products.
Isn’t coconut butter the best? Luv it!
I think I’m going to have to try that green monster drink, does it taste grainy?
Grainy…not really ‘grainy’
more like thick…also don’t use kale to start off with unless you have a super duper vitamix or blendtec because it will be chewy. Start with spinach for a smooth green monster! :)
That is one GREEN green monster!!!
I have heard that giving bone marrow is extremely painful – have you heard this? I hope it is not, for you sake!!
I have heard that it varies for the person. I am willing to go through pain if it mans saving a life. I think that would be the best feeling in the world.
Congrats on becoming part of the registry…it makes me smile when people sign up. My husband has had leukemia for 3 years and its so good to know if he goes for bone marrow transplant – there is good folks like you who could donate him marrow (all the more reason to be healthy!!)
Regarding your chances of people called on for marrow – it really depends on your HLA type – if you have a rare genetic makeup or are in a minority group – you may be chosen quickly..I have been on the list for over 3 years and nothing! I have considered becoming a living kidney donor..or partial liver donor…once my kids are a bit older I think.
Jolene – you are put under for the procedure…please remember the person who you are donating to had many procedures like regular bone marrow biopsies , constant blood donation, crazy meds & multiple side effects from mouth sores to massive weight loss. Its such a blessing to receive donor marrow – and the reward for saving someone’s life is an amazing blessing you the donor.
I was so confused when I read you had a great RACE on Landy. Not used to seeing my last name in people’s blogs! Before I read the next line, I was trying to figure out what that meant, if it was a reference to 24 or some joke I should have gotten. I am obviously tired since I thought about it for a couple minutes before reading on!
PS. I thought 24 was amazing. What did you think? How does Jack do it???
Jack is not human. There I said it. :)
I had to look away during the torture!
He really isn’t. So did I! But then I almost missed his move with his bare feet because I had my eyes covered, so I had to rewind the tivo and actually watch that part :)
Oh these cookies look delicious! Another recipe on my to-do list, I have to take some time off my job to cook and bake if I want to go through the whole list ;-)
Regarding bananas, it’s funny because I also used to hate them. Couldn’t stand them. But then last year I don’t know what happened, I had a bite of dried banana and found out that well finally bananas were not bad at all. Since then I have one like everyday :-D
Those cookies look delicious!
I’m sorry but the type A person in me has to ask…why did you stop your run when you did. why not run til 5 miles or til 45 min? You were so close to even numbers!
hahahah ;) Because 4.97 mi = 8km :)
OMG Angela, food DEF motivates me to get up early! The first thought I have (after I say my prayers – I say them in the morning b/c I fall asleep during them if I say them at night) is ‘Coffee & oatmeal – YUM!’ :)
Oh, and those cookies look bomb! Inspired me to make my own version w/fruit I need to use up (seriously, I just added “Banana-Blueberry Cookies” to my To Do List)!
Congrats on your Bone Marrow Donation confirmation! I just wanted to say that I think it is so wonderful that someone like you–who KNOWS how to be the healthiest she can be and takes such amazing care of her body–is able and willing to contribute to the lives and health of others. It’s great Angela :)
I hated bananas for years, and now I eat one almost every day! I think the key is to eat it at perfect ripeness…if it gets a little over-ripe, its too banana-y for me. Those cookies look awesome!
I just had to say that I have been a “blog stalker” for a while now and was inspired to try a “green monster”. I put 2 cups of raw spinach, 1 frozen banana, 1 Tbsp. chia seeds, and 1 cup almond milk (and some ice). LOVED it! It will be a staple in my diet now. Thanks for your blog!