The BEST No Bakes + Sweet Tooth Confessions

Oh hi again. So I improvised a no-bake recipe based on the ingredients in my house, and I came out with something pretty incredible. Had to share. I’m calling these Peanut Butter, Coconut and Nutella No Bakes. Yesssss please.

 Yields about 15 medium-sized no-bakes.

1/4 cup granola (or rolled oats)
2/3 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1.5 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Trader Joe’s)
1/4 cup Nutella
2/3 cup ground coconut

Let chill in the fridge for at least one hour. Scoop or roll into balls, then place them on parchment paper.

I’m pretty familiar with the structure of no-bake recipes, so I can’t take all the credit. But I created from what I knew. The ratio of nut butters to coconut seriously knocked these out of the park. Or maybe it was the homemade granola that I used. I don’t know, but these were definitely the greatest no bakes I’ve ever eaten. Making again!

Speaking of sweets, I’ve had quite the sweet tooth lately. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been more conscious of my sugar intake, but I notice that I consume something sweet every day. It’s not a bad thing, though. But I did just have a few cavities filled sooo… ha. I usually consume sweets at breakfast or for dessert, though. Or you know, both.

But I digress. Here are a couple other sweet eats I’ve been enjoying lately. Finally had a chance to try out Peanut Butter Fingers’ Green Protein Pancakes!

They were the bomb dot com. I added some vanilla protein powder to the recipe, too. Don’t let the hue fool you. These are amazing.

I’m addicted to overnight oats now, guys. And once again, late on the hype. But it’s OK. I can’t wait to make them for mornings before work! Great to prep the night before.

Overnight oats with flax seed, chia seeds, almond butter, pecans, banana and blueberry.

This has been one of my go-to breakfasts lately. A green smoothie (with whatever I have in the house — usually spinach, banana, apple, celery and spirulina) paired with almond butter & banana toast. No complaints.

Angela and I went to this bar/restaurant yesterday called OTB Bicycle Club in Pittsburgh. They put local peanut butter on your burger, if you’re into that sort of thing. I totally was. You know how sometimes you discover something so great that you’re like… OK, everyone ever needs to know about this and enjoy it too. Well, this was one of those things. EVERYONE NEEDS TO TRY THIS.

I’ll admit I was skeptical, but hot damn. That bacon on there doesn’t hurt, either.

 What’s in your favorite no-bakes?! When do you usually consume your sweets for the day?

Liebster Awards + Random Musings

Good afternoon! I don’t know about you, but northeastern weather has been awful this past week. Lots of cold and rain. I visited a suburb of Cleveland a few days ago and it stormed and flooded endlessly. Pittsburgh wasn’t much different. I thought it was spring? Hope you’re having better luck!

What else has been going on lately…That you should know:

1.) I made Pecan Butter from Scratch. It was FABULOUS. Probably doing this for every nut now. Pretty easy, too, just takes some patience. I used this C + K post for directions.

2.) I’ve started my bib wall! Ok, so when I move it will be transferred. But I like the idea of it. These are the only races I’ve ever run: 3 5Ks and 2 half marathons. I need that 10K in there for balance!

3.) I’m newly addicted to Mad Men and just recently binge watched the entire series. OK, so it took me about 4 months to crank out all the episodes. But now I’m on Season 7 and can’t wait to see what 1969 holds for Don Draper. Ooooo I can’t wait.

All right. Moving on to the super important stuff.

I’m finally getting to post my response from a Liebster Award for which I was nominated. Chrissy at Pink Polish and Running Shoes so generously chose me and is such a sweetheart. Please check out her baking, fitness and blogging adventures. Thanks girl!

For those of you who aren’t aware of this award for newbie bloggers, here’s some info:

The Liebster Award is an online award by bloggers for bloggers. It helps to generate attention for new and upcoming bloggers, generally those with 200 followers or less.

The Liebster Award Rules

1.) You must link back to the person who nominated you

2.) You must answer the 10 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee before you

3.) You must pick 10 bloggers to be nominated for the award (with a small following)

4.) You must create 10 questions for your nominees

5.) You must go to their blogs and notify the nominees

Here are some questions I answered from Chrissy so ya’ll know a bit more about me. Interrviewww time.

Me, pretending to be as cool as my fedora in NYC last summer.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Mmm, you can’t go wrong with anything peanut butter and chocolate. Or coffee-flavored. I usually stick to one of those or a combo.

What would you consider your guilty pleasure?

Probably most of the EDM music I run and work out to. I wouldn’t normally jam to Tiesto, Hardwell or Dada Life when I’m hanging out designing… my music taste can be pretty calm (i.e. Daughter, Snow Patrol and the xx). I also hate the stigma that comes with liking electronic music. Like… I’m not a crazy clubber or anything, but I can still enjoy it during a run, right?

What is your biggest blogging challenge?

I found it hard to stay on top of the new trends, honestly. I always feel like I’m behind, I mean I just started cooking with coconut oil this year. And keeping up with other bloggers is tough. I’m not trying to be huge, I like blogging for me and document what’s happening at this point in my life. But I do find it time-consuming to constantly read, contemplate and comment on other bloggers’ posts. Not sure how I can do that with a full-time job!

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Definitely running 2 half marathons. The fact that I completed both of them in well under 2 hours was great, especially for a new long-distance runner!

Do you prefer cardio or strength training?

I prefer running and power yoga, but I also love a good strength sesh. It’s probably 70/30 for my routine.

What is your favorite go-to healthy snack?

A power-packed and sweet green smoothie makes me so happy. My go-to is kale, banana, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, chocolate protein powder, a dash of almond butter and spirulina!

Why did you start blogging?

I’ve been blogging for about 3 years now, but I’ve moved from blog to blog. Live Run Coffee is only about 3 months old!

What is your favorite TV show?

Right now, I’m on a Mad Men kick. Finally caught up to season 7! Can’t wait to see what’s in store for all the characters. I’m warming up to Sally as of late.

What is your dream job?

It’s always changing! Right now, all I’ll say is that I dream of working for a company with an established brand that I truly believe in. I also dream of working with people who are as ambitious and passionate about publishing as I am. That’s all I want.

What is your favorite quote and why?

“We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.” This is only one of my favorites, but I love the idea of perception and distortion. Experiences shape us, and hearing other people talk about what they’ve seen and learned really interests me. I like getting to know new people and hear their stories!

This is one particular story that I love to tell: I visited the Woodstock site last August and it was incredible. I pretended I was one in 400,000 in this shot. How amazing would it have been to be a part of that history?

My nominees:

1.) Megan @ A Slice of Avocado

2.) Soleful Runner

3.) Kenzie @ Strong Like My Coffee

4.) Ashley @ Musings and Oats

5.) Lish @ Jump Eat Run

Congratulations, ladies! If you’re not a small or new blog, I’m sorry about that. I’m still jumping into this community.

My 10 Questions:

You’re alone on a desert island for a year and can only drink 1 thing besides water. Go.

Car-a-mel or Carmal?

What is one fitness goal you’d like to complete within the next 6 months?

What are a few of your blogging strengths?

Do you consider yourself motivated?

Name your favorite dessert to bake.

What’s your favorite magazine or publication?

Name one fruit or vegetable that absolutely repulses you.

What city (domestic or internationally) would you like to visit next?

Do you think that the idea of healthy living makes some people panic?

Yay! Can’t wait to read the responses.

Do you watch Mad Men? Have you made anything interesting from scratch lately? What are you doing this coming week?

Athens (Ohio) Half Marathon Recap

TGIF. But really though. Today is the last day I will ever have college classes. The end of an era! But it’s not about that. I need to talk about my latest race a few weeks back because it went really well!

I PRed! I went around 1:45:00 for this race, beating my previous time of 1:49:56. I’m definitely proud of myself because I did struggle toward mile 9 and 10. There weren’t any hills on this course though — it was completely flat. Regardless of cutting down my winter runs, I’m proud of how well I did.

  

What was really cool about this race was that I got a text message when I hit the halfway point. It was perfect since I was listening to music on my iPhone (Does that mean I’m not a real runner? Maybe.). I also came in 6th in my age group; this wasn’t a huge feat since there were only 588 participants (I placed 71st… top 12 percent, what up!). It was definitely a small race in a small town (my college town) and few students participated since there was a big fest the day before. Many runners traveled from Columbus, Cincinnati or Cleveland, and I’m sure many of them felt they could PR on the flat course. Oh, Ohio. I will miss your flat trails, that’s for sure.

Angela met me around 7:30 that morning… thankfully I had some support that early! This is no easy concept for college students, and to be awake that early on a Sunday, no less. I was super grateful.

The course went 6.5 miles down our town’s bike path and then turned around. Nothing too exciting, but it was neat because this is the trail I endlessly trained on last year for the Pittsburgh Half and this year too. Familiarity was good to me!

Finished with a painful 1.5 laps around the track, though. It reminded me of the 800 meter run in high school. Ouch. But it was all worth it and I’m so proud of myself for cranking through another round of training. Maybe I’ll run a half in DC this summer when I’m there! I am salty about missing the Nike Women’s Half Series this weekend, but let’s not talk about it. I want to cherish this race in my college town.

I didn’t run for a solid week after the race. My body needed the healing (besides a light 3 mile jog the following Wednesday). Yoga and pilates were my friends for sure. I’m ready to jump back in, though!

 How’d you do on your second half marathon (or first?!) How do you recover from your races?

Tofu, A New Weekly Staple

I’ve always steered clear of tofu. I never thought I’d like its spongy, awkward texture, and I sure as hell had no idea how to cook it or season it. I also thought I didn’t have to like it, because I wasn’t a vegetarian.

Enter… 2014. I was wrong. FINALLY, I’ve warmed up to tofu and can start incorporating it into more of my meals, especially on my meatless Mondays. Just wanted to share a quick recipe I put together for a simple stir-fry with roasted tofu. With a little patience, it turned out great.

Um, hi. You’re beautiful.

Simple Tofu Stir-Fry (serves 2)

• 2 cups Brown Rice
• 1 package Extra Firm Tofu
• 1/2 cup Broccoli
• 1/2 sliced Avocado
• 1/2 a Red Pepper
• 1/4 cup raw Pine Nuts
• 3 Tbsp Mild or Strong Curry Powder
• Pinch of sea salt + other seasonings you’d like

1.) Preheat the oven to 450. Hot hot hot.
2.) I cut and prepped the Tofu first using this recipe from Gluten Free Girl (without the sauce). I made cubes out of the tofu, seasoned it with olive oil and stuck it in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing the cubes half-way through.
3.) While that’s happening, cut your veggies. Toss broccoli and red pepper in a medium-sized skillet and season with whatever you’d like — I used onion powder and some pepper. Cover them up.
4.) Meanwhile, I started the brown rice on the stovetop according to the boxed directions.
5.) Take the tofu out. Let it cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. It’s all coming together now.
6.) Combine cooked rice and cooled tofu into the pan with the veggies. Season with the curry powder and stir for about 5 minutes.
7.) Add sliced avocado last to garnish.
8.) Eat both servings. Because I totally did.

What are your stir-fry staples? When was the last time you made it?!

Side Note: Chrissy from Pink Polish and Running Shoes nominated me for a Liebster Award! I’m so pumped! I’ll totally post about that soon. Thanks girl 🙂

Healthy-Living Resolutions for the New Year

Happy 2014 and I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season! Sorry for the brief hiatus—I decided to revamp my blog a bit so that it’s more broad than health and fitness. I hope that’s OK with my followers!

Anyway, diving right in. As many of you know, I’m all about motivation and goal-reaching. Yay, drive! So obviously, I enjoy making New Year’s Resolutions so I can actually stick to them. I wanted to share a few of them incase you decide to add one to your own list.

A glimpse at Kait’s 2014 Healthy Resolutions

1.) Make more green smoothies
Since I got a Nutribullet for Christmas, I’ve been using it almost every day. I never thought I would get into juicing, and I’m still not there (I’d rather eat most foods than drink them)—BUT I love the benefits of drinking smoothies, whether they’re green, full of protein or packed with colorful fruit (or all of the above!). They’re SO yummy! And they’re satisfying. It’s a quick way to get nutrients, especially greens like spinach and kale. I tend to get sick of salads easily, so this is something I strive to do more often so I can get those greens in my diet (I know I’m not eating enough of them). Here’s a great green smoothie recipe I made today—delicious and nutritious. Give it a go in any blender!

1 banana
2 tsp ginger
1.5 cups kale
1/2 cup pineapple
1/4 greek yogurt
4 ice cubes

2.) Unplug more often
I’ve been reading a slew of studies (1, 2, 3) that recommend turning off electronics at least one hour before bed, since it makes it easier for us to fall asleep. Although I’m a night-time TV watcher and mobile scroller, I’m trying to nix the habit because (even if it’s the placebo effect) I do believe I can’t sleep as well because of these technologies. Easier said than done, right? I need tips for this one, but baby steps, I guess. I’d also like to go more days without turning on my computer. That always feels good because who doesn’t need a social media break? I’m not as apt to surf FB on my phone, anyway.

3.) Use more spirulina
A year ago, I had never even heard of this superfood. Spirulina is a green, protein-rich powder and plant source that can make many dishes more nutritious. It’s really freaking good in smoothies and can even be substituted for protein powders. For vegans and vegetarians, it’s ideal; it packs more protein than most meat. Yes, please! My yummy photo above shows 2 peanut butter & banana protein smoothies, one with spirulina and one without. The colors changed, but I could hardly tell a difference! There are more awesome spirulina recipes you can browse here.

4.) Incorporate more coconut oil into my cooking
I purchased my first jar of this stuff at Trader Joe’s yesterday, and I’m planning on swapping olive oil for it. Coconut oil supposedly increases our resistance to tough bacteria and illnesses, according to Dr. Oz, so I want to give it a go. Why not? I suppose I can use it in a beauty routine if I’m not crazy about the taste or its benefits. This will be more experimental.

5.) Do one new thing every week at school
This is broad, but important for me. It’s my last semester studying in Athens, and I want to cross off a bunch of different restaurants and adventures on my bucket list. My semester seems pretty wide open, so time shouldn’t be an issue. A few things I’d like to do are explore Ash Cave, Bong Hill and eat at Purple Chopstix. Yum! Graduation is so close and so out of reach, but I want to enjoy these last few months. Exploring is healthy and makes me feel so good. I can’t lose that drive for wanderlust—I never want to.

A recent trip I took to Old Man’s Cave in Southeastern Ohio. Beautiful place to hike!

6.) Go meatless one entire day a week
I’ve always been a carnivore. No question. I eat meat, specifically chicken, multiple times per day because of all the protein it gives me as a runner/recreational athlete. It’s a great way to stay lean, sure—but I think I want to stop eating so much animal meat. A friend loaned me Kimberly Synder‘s The Beauty Detox Solution last week and I can’t put it down; this nutritionist, endorsed by Dr. Oz, preaches a permanent diet that maximizes energy, beauty and health. Although I don’t follow her diet (it’s extremely limiting), she recommends eating less or no meat, and this is something I can do. Her reasons have actually made me, a meat lover, reconsider how much chicken I inhale. I won’t go into detail or ruin meat for you, but think about skimming her book. It could be life changing. I want to cut down my intake now!

7.) Work out (more) with friends
Sounds like an app, right? But really—I often work out alone because it helps me manage stress, but when I’m training for my second half marathon in April (the Athens Half Marathon), I want to run/train with a buddy at least once a week. It’s more fun and motivating with friends around, you know? Plus, afterward, we can get fro-yo. Obviously. And after all, I wouldn’t have run my first marathon if it hadn’t been for my friend Erin, who convinced me to start training and run it with her. And we finished!!

What are your healthy-living resolutions?

Home for Lunch: Tuna Salad Sandwiches via Martha Stewart

I made it! I’ve officially moved out of my New York City dorm room and into my house at school in Athens, Ohio. Summer is still in session for one more week, but I’m already thinking about my off-campus-living diet and cooking plan for the year. I’ve decided that I want to try more recipes in general; I always stick to most of the same: fried eggs and steamed veggies. But in May, I picked up Martha’s American Food, a cookbook full of Martha Stewart’s favorite recipes for American food. This semester, I’m exploring it, so this post will probably be one of many from her fabulous hardback. This time, I take on tuna salad sandwiches… definitely an easy recipe I’ll come back to! Try it…

I’ve slightly modified this recipe from Martha’s, but its basis is the same.

Martha’s Tuna Salad Sandwiches (2 servings)

1 can (6 ounces) solid white tuna, packed in water, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (the original recipe calls for grated lemon zest, but I’m a college kid and you probably are too… we aren’t going to do this.)
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 slices of Sara Lee’s Honey Wheat bread

1. In a bowl, mix tuna, mayo, mustard, celery, onion and lemon juice with a fork until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Tuna salad can be refrigerated up to 1 day in an airtight container.

2. Spread tuna salad onto slices of honey bread. Cut the sandwich in half and serve. Wa la!

I definitely don’t eat tuna frequently, but when I get in the mood for it, I’m down for some tuna salad. I especially like this recipe because the lemon juice actually adds a perfect amount of sweetness in the flavor. I made 4 servings of the tuna salad and stored some of it in the fridge, and my roommate and I enjoyed it the next day, too. SO doable and great for lunch, right?!

Simple Lunch Idea: Edamame + Almond Salad

A packed lunch doesn’t always have to be mundane. After working at my 9-5 internship every day this summer, I think I’ve about mastered how to give myself some healthy variety that doesn’t include a PB&J sandwich every day. If you’re on the run, here’s a simple salad idea to try. It’s healthy AND filling. Ready to take it to go?

Kait’s Edamame + Almond Salad

1 cup raw spinach
1/2 cup raw edamame
1/3 cup sliced tomato
1/4 cup almonds
Drizzle of lemon juice (optional)
Toss and season with salt + pepper to taste.

I like this salad idea because it’s high in protein even though the meat is absent. The edamame adds some soy to your diet, and while there’s been controversy about how much we should consume (if any), we can eat it in moderation. Personally, I don’t eat much soy, but when I do I choose edamame and actually prefer it raw. Obviously, make sure you put this bad boy in the fridge after you pack it for lunch!