Right to Ride (plus healthy vegan brownie recipe)

O, Dinky Bridge! O, Iron Grate! O, Blue Slide!

You trails, thine mud is plush, and roots ripe with traction.

Ye olde mountain bike season is again upon us! Bask in yea glory of semi-dry trails. Bow down in thanks of the trail gods who build berms and fill ruts. And yea, kiss the tire treads of they who rode all winter when the trails were soft and vulnerable, for they knew not of their own power to corrode. Let us give thanks to the sun, brief in the sky as it may be, whose vitamin D reminds us that yes, we do prefer to be alive (though for the past six months may have lost sight of that mission). Let us not take for granted this day of beauty, let this not be our day of rest, for rest will come soon enough—tomorrow (or later today) when it rains, or post-ride at D's for veggie dogs topped with avocado and Sriracha slaw, and washed down with a pint of 1919 Root Beer.

No time for typing, today we ride.

Tonight, however, we make brownies (because: it is raining).

This recipe is adapted from Vega's Easy Vega One Protein Brownies. I changed things around based on what I had lying (laying? I was a writing major, not an English major) around the house, and also to make them a bit more affordable and to my nutrition needs.

Semi-Easy Protein Brownies

vegan, gluten free, about as healthy as brownies can be

• 3 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 6 pitted dates, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup almond flour

1. Preheat oven to 350º F
2. Soak flax meal and dates in water in a medium sized bowl; let sit for half hour
3. Meanwhile, some prepping! Chop zucchini in food processor until finely chopped. Also, grease 9x9 pan with coconut oil.
4. Add each ingredient, one at a time, to flax mixture, folding until just mixed. If zucchini has left a bit of water at the bottom of food processor, add it if batter feels excessively dry.
5. Pour batter into pan and bake for 25 minutes. These babies are MOIST! So if you like cupcakes to be a bit on the cakier side, bake for an extra five minutes or so.
6. Let sit, cool, and firm for a good 15 minutes before cutting. 

Out like a lamb

First things first...

I knew March was going to be a difficult month for me to keep up with the posts. So I'm *kind of* sorry I haven't been updating very much. Does it feel better if I pass the buck and say I tried to get a few other people on board to write blog posts for me, and they never followed through? No? Hmm... How about if I regale you with tales of adventure in teaching adult writing classes, doing P90X at 2 a.m., and getting to see some of my favorite bands for free because I've been writing about them. I figured that one would win since I wrote it in a list of threes and usually that can make anything sound good. Oh well. I will say that I am letting go of some of my work obligations (and taking on some others, ssshhh) so I should have more writing time available to write to you fine folks here.

There have been some recipes I want to share, and also those REVIEWS. GLORIOUS REVIEWS of headphones, motorcycle pants, gluten free flour, a flashlight, and more (I think). I want to make videos, though, so I need a friend. Once I find one, I'll be Good To Go. Any day now...

P90X is going....fine. But I'm also back at kickboxing and will be doing a challenge with them, having to attend 3 times per week, which will greatly supplement my P90X workout by switching it up, keeping it fun, and adding to the cardio days which don't feel very cardio-heavy for me, based on my needs. So I'll be a force to be reckoned with by May, just in time to turn 33.

In the meantime, here's some pancakes I made this morning. They are gluten free, vegan, and super simple.

Gluten Free Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

Dry Ingredients

• 1 C. All Purpose gluten free flour (I prefer Mama's Almond Flour)
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ceylon cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Mix dry ingredients first, until well blended, then add the wet ingredients one at a time:

Wet Ingredients

• 1/4 C. applesauce (alternative: 1 Tbs. ground flax meal + 3 Tbs. water. Let sit for about 5 minutes before use)
• 3/4 C. milk substitute (I prefer Almond Breeze unsweetened coconut almond milk*)
• 1/4 C. thawed frozen blueberries

Once wet ingredients are added, fold mixture until just mixed, breaking up knots of flour with purpose. Melt about 2 tsp. coconut oil on a skillet, then pour about 1/4 C. batter on pan. Let sit until edges look dry and bubbles form in the center. Flip and let cook a few minutes. I topped mine off with blueberry compote. These are the last of the batch, so they're a bit thin of blueberry swirl. I ate through the first few so fast before I realized what was happening.

*Carton milk substitute isn't the most healthy, in all honesty. Some people prefer using coconut milk from the can because it doesn't have all the additives that coconut "drink" has, and then add water to desired consistency. If you live near coconuts, you can make your own. When my ultra vegan years coincided with my ultra poor days and my ultra bad at math days, I made my own almond milk using cheese cloth, a blender, and some raw almonds. I'll post that another time, but I'm sure you can see where that one's going.

The day I went outside for the sake of breathing (banana pancakes recipe)

It's been hard to get back into the groove of Pittsburgh living since my return at the beginning of the month. The over-stimulation of high speed internet, the constant noise and frustration of city life and a home under the highway, the smells and struggles of living in a working-poor neighborhood where the street never gets plowed because it will just pull up more chunks of concrete and cobblestone, the lack of structure, the demand for structure. Plus, my office chair just isn't as comfortable as the one in my old studio at the Vermont Studio Center (poor me, I know). There have been so many positive changes that have happened not only since this past summer, but in the two weeks since I've been home, but it can be difficult to keep that all in perspective, to prioritize time affectively, and to stay focused on the real goals in life.

Today, however, the sun was out. Those who live in the Southwest may not take their sunshine for granted, but I sometimes feel that those in New England do. It may be more grey there in the winter than in the summer, but it's a beautiful part of the world, and the sun is out more often than not, that cold blue winter sky that reminds you you're on Earth, that feels so warm in contrast to the frosty snap of wind on your nose. The sun is a brief relieve that we in Pittsburgh so rarely get. Today, however, was cold enough to bring out the sun, and I was sure to make the most of it.

E. and I went for a cross-country ski adventure in Frick Park, taking advantage of the small amount of snow we received the past two days. I would never tell my poor Bostonian friends and family (except here, publicly, where I can't be assaulted), but I am a bit jealous of all their snow. The grass is always whiter, I know, and I really do feel bad that they are trapped with inoperable public transit and limitless snowbanks that make driving perilous. That said, I will probably never get to use my snowshoes in the Pittsburgh area, and the inch of snow we have here now practically peeled off the grass with my skis like lint from a sweater with masking tape. On the hiking trails was a bit easier, since a lot of the snow was packed down. I had picked up my skis, boots, and poles last year at REI's winter garage sale for about $45 total, after I dislocated my shoulder and needed something active to do besides boxing or cycling. They were pretty much new, so they are a lot faster than E.'s old skis he bought off Craigslist. I found myself slowing down a lot (or attempting to) so that I wouldn't run him over, or being a bit intimidated by the changing elevation that's unavoidable in this area. Harder than that was going up, sliding back if my ski remained on the ground for a second longer than necessary as I waddled uphill. I only fell once, as I attempted to slow down and ran over a stick.

 

But just skiing wasn't enough on a day as refreshing as this. I came home and my poor dog was so lonesome, knowing we had spent a few hours outside without him. He hates the cold, but when the sun is out, everything looks so warm, and the heat from the sun's reflection off the snow comes through the window and I know he thinks it's finally nice out again. So I bundled him in a fleece and we headed into Schenley Park, the woods behind my house. It was such a beautiful day, and we ran and slid through our private trail we'd dug, up to the top of the hill. His paws were cold and he insisted on walking on the sidewalk once we reached the top. Within moments, he was stalling and holding up his paws in pain, the salt having burned wounds into his cold pads. I brushed them off and eventually coerced him to walk with me in the snow, and we went further back into the woods, where the trails were padded with snow and we could run freely (on our leash, of course— we're both prone to running away). It was nice to be out of the house and enjoying the outdoors. I think it's something that's been especially bothersome for me as I sink back into Pittsburgh life. I ran the stairs last night, and have been going to kickboxing, but it's not quite the same as a few hours outside in the fresh air and the tranquility of trees. I've found myself no longer dreaming of Santa Fe every night, but often dreaming of Johnson, VT as well. These are sweet reliefs from the sadder dreams, but when I wake up, I'm filled with a longing I can't shake, for a landscape that brought me such quietude I can't seem to muster in my own environment here.

No blog post is truly complete without a recipe, of course, so here's one which is almost exactly like the one from Vega's site. The only changes is I use All-In-One and they use protein powder, and they use coconut oil and I use Earth Balance. Also, I'm heavy on the cinnamon because it's delicious and really good for you. Among other things, it helps break down sugars and combat inflammation. 

Vegan Banana Boost Pancakes

• 1 large banana, mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk of choice (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
• 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like Mama's almond flour mix)
• 1 serving Vega One Nutritional Shake Vanilla Chai
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp Earth Balance (or oil of choice)

Mix together mashed banana, vanilla, and milk in small bowl and set aside. In large bowl, mix flour, shake mix, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add banana mixture slowly, and mix until just blended. Add more milk as needed. I added about 1/8 cup milk at the beginning of making pancakes, and as the batter sat as I made the first round, the batter thickened and I added some water. Heat pan on medium heat, add oil to pan, and cook those babies up, flipping once the glorious pancake bubbles appear.

These cakes are sweet enough on their own, from the banana and the stevia in the shake mix, but your topping of choice would only sweeten the deal even more. This recipe fed me well for two mornings.

Miso Soup for the Soul

I've been sick for the past week, which has manifested in strange ways: my bad back, a splitting headache that lasted for days, runny nose (and other gross expulsions), light-headedness. You know, cold stuff. I've been spending a lot of time at home in bed, actively fighting my innate urge to push through my illness. Every winter, especially since moving to Pittsburgh, I've gotten sick. Each year, I push through my illness and ride my bike in the cold rain or snow, run the Schenley trails, and try to convince my body to stop being so wimpy. Now that I'm self-employed, I have the luxury of creating my own schedule (except for my multiple looming deadlines). I'm trying to use that to my advantage to give my body the time and space needed to relax. It's hard, but luckily since I work from home I can multitask and rest in bed with Cupcake Wars while still doing some light editing.

But, a girl's still gotta eat. I was thinking a lot today about bone broth, because I'm considering having guest bloggers contribute a post once a week, at least for a month, to offer a different perspective or set of knowledge than what's usually presented here. Paleo diets are fairly meat-centric, even though our human predecessors ate much less meat, and I was considering what sort of content I would want a potential paleo contributor to offer. That's yet to be disclosed, kind readers, but in the meantime it also got me thinking about chicken soup, since I'm sick, which was tied in with the bone broth for obvious reasons. But I don't eat chicken! What's a gal to do?

Luckily, I happen to be married to an industrial individual who does not have a head cold. In a matter of minutes, we had miso soup with dried seaweed, spiraled carrots, and sweet potato starch noodles, topped with Sriracha — aka rooster sauce, or "cock sauce" if you are 20 years old — to bring the heat that will hopefully help sweat out this evil being living in my sinuses. Here's some proof:

This soup hit the spot for a cool Pittsburgh evening when I needed something nourishing and satisfying. In case you are wondering about bone broth, however, I did find this nice recipe, which uses burdock root (the bone of vegetables) instead of animal bones. So if a paleo blogger does grace us with some insight and posts a bone broth meal plan or consideration, here's a helpful alternative. 

On Calorie Counters and self policing

As I focus more on nutrition, I try to not get too absorbed in calorie counting. For some people, it's a great method for keeping tabs on how much food one eats and where one stands as far as input/output of energy. For me, I find myself checking in on how much I've burned versus how much I've consumed, which has a lot to do with the apps I've used in the past, and when I see that I'm at a severe deficit, I binge on pizza at 1 a.m. But that isn't all there is to nutrition (in fact, it isn't healthy at all). I'm sure many of you have heard "not all calories are created equal," but how does that transfer into your daily eating habits?

I find that using things like calorie trackers are very similar to using a GPS. If you have no idea where you are or how to get where you want to be, and have no idea how to read maps or the time to focus on learning about best routes, then it's a good tool to get you where you need to be. However, both tools are limited. A GPS doesn't always have the most up-to-date routes, especially in Western Pennsylvania where the roads are constantly under construction and closed off. Even features like Quickest Route, Shortest Route, or No Tolls don't always deliver, and we often end up taking a longer or at least less pleasant route than a local may instruct us to follow, or that we may find on our own by looking at some maps. Further, the more we rely on GPS, the less inclined we are to listen to our own navigational instincts or to pay attention to our surroundings. We are less likely to learn about the roads, routes, and nearby attractions if we stare at the digital screen in front of us, telling us exactly where to go and sternly alerting us when we veer even the slightest off track.

The same goes for calorie counters. If you are at a loss as to how to manage your nutritional information; if you haven't yet learned the skills to know when you are full, hungry, or thirsty; if you don't yet understand how to intuitively know the quality of the food you're eating, then calorie counters are great. I like to use them intermittently to check in on how I'm doing, if I'm about on track with where I ought to be. But when I focus too much on the calorie counters, I start to become more obsessed with this abstract number rather than the actual purpose of monitoring my intake.

Since I can't currently do too much besides some gentle yoga, nutrition is more important right now than I necessarily expected it to be, so I'm thankful for the 90/10 group to motivate me to pay attention rather than fall into a delicious canyon of pizza and beer. Since I'm vegetarian (I did eat fish in Vermont — sorry fishies, as well as ate more dairy than I'm used to — sorry cows), I found this round-up of vegan proteins to be very helpful. A lot of this information is stuff I learned as a teenager, but it's always good to have the reminder that there's more to life than peanut butter and toast, as delicious as it is, or rice and beans, as cheap as it is. The list, published by Greatist, is available here, But I'll let you know what my top 3 favorites are:

• chia seeds
• quinoa
• peanut butter sandwich

Today I had chia seeds and flax seeds on top of my unsweetened greek yogurt, which I then drizzled with a bit of local honey from my neighbor Bee Boy, who is resisting a web presence so he doesn't overwhelm his hives due to an increased demand for the sweet stuff. For lunch was sprouted flourless bread with peanut butter, and for dinner I'll probably make some sort of quinoa dish. These are all vegetarian, and all complete proteins.

When you're well-nourished, eating food you like, and don't feel like you have to police yourself, it's a lot easier to maintain healthy eating habits.

In related news, I spent my time in Vermont eating my fair share of gluten and soy, and didn't have any major sensitivity outbreaks until I returned to Boston and then to Pittsburgh, where I broke out in hives both times. This leads me to believe that my sensitivities are largely stress-related, that stress brings in inflammation, hives, and other discomforts. The gluten and soy are Alka-seltzer tablets to my glass of stress water. Together, they fizz into an eruption.

So the goal, after that interesting experiment founded by my own weakness for fresh baked bread and brownies, is not to completely regulate my food, but to avoid the food that puts me at risk for discomfort, but also avoid stressful situations and mindsets, not letting myself get caught up in unnecessary drama. Instead, I'll try to alleviate situations before they manifest, to deal with things head-on before they become stressful.

First Day at Vermont Studio Center

I'm in Vermont, at the Vermont Studio Center. I'll be here all month. All. Month. M. O. N. T. H.

And it's beautiful. I have a room to myself, and a studio office to myself, both rooms with views into the white, serene storm of creativity. Also, the storm of snow, which is also white. And the frozen river, white, and the houses also, and the sky. The Red Mill, where the lounge and cafeteria are located, is a bright barn red. Both the water that flows under the ice and the quickly plowed road are a coal black in contrast to the white of our reality.

My parents drove me up yesterday, a final time alone with them before I secluded myself in a small artist colony and they immersed themselves in the world of babysitting. Today was uncommonly warm for January, and the snow stuck to the ground but fell in heaps from the rooftops into the Gihon river, which rushes by my window as I write this. Ducks dare the current, jumping in for moments at a time, just before the waterfall, before bouncing back onto the banks or a large chunk of ice in the center of the river.

The wind is picking up now, and tomorrow will be cold, and the foreseeable days after that. It's blowing so hard it sounds like the building might just pick up and fly away. In Pittsh (nor can I afford to). Anyway, it's so beautiful here, and I was given enough fleece-lined tights that I'm compelled to spend as much non-writing time as possible exploring the woods with my snowshoes, once more snow comes to replace whatever melted, or hiking through with my high boots.

The food is divine and, for the most part, locally sourced. I did eat the fresh baked bread, to my stomach's distaste, but refrained from the strawberry shortcake. We'll see what tomorrow brings as I finally start to realign myself with my dietary needs.

The wind is blowing so hard it sounds like the building might just pick up and fly away. In Pittsburgh, we have wind, but the noise's power is usually minimized out by the sound of traffic and machines and people. Though at night, sometimes, I've awoken to the strong gusts that rattle me awake. I sit up and see everything inside, so still and loved, despite the chaos of outside the house. I hug E. and Major Tom and fall back to bed. Last night I woke to the strong winds that blew straight through my window with such force I could feel them like cold breath against my cheek. But in my studio I have a thermostat and a stack of books, and in both rooms I have a comfy chair by the window like I've always dreamed.

We'll see what dreams tonight brings.

Here We Come A Waffle-ing!

A friend of mine came by today to help me with some computer issues, with some programs that stopped working....last year. Since I have a few projects on my wings I needed to finally take those programs to task and get some help. Adam to the rescue! Just like Ina Garten, I rose beautifully to the occasion, making vegan (except for the honey) gluten free waffles. Adam is neither vegan nor gluten free. We do have a history of waffles, though, dating back to 2009 or so, when I told him a story about my grandmother's waffle iron that was stolen from me, and he got a bunch of our friends to pitch in for a replacement. Making him waffles brings to memory every previous waffle breakfast we've shared, and the friendship that's covers us like sweet syrup (awwh!). Also, my neighbor is a bee keeper and someone else gave us some honey they didn't want, so we are in major abundance here at the Hornet's Nest (what E. and I call our home). If you are apolitical about honey or local honey, I implore you (yeah I went there) to find a local bee keeper in your area to support. Raw local honey is great for fighting seasonal/outdoor allergies because they contain a small amount of the pollens that make us sneezy and glassy-eyed, working like a natural vaccine.  It also helps with digestive issues, is good as a topical salve, and is full of vitamins and nutrients. Like, jam packed. Plus, bees are in a pretty rough state, which you probably figured out from Dr. Who, due to all the pesticides and genetically engineered foods.

ANYWAY, I found this recipe online at Minimalist Baker, because I can never keep my recipes straight, and I think they came out wonderfully for being so basic. Just 7 (or so) ingredients, with a great texture. I will say that some of the edges cooked better than others, and the coconut oil started to firm again immediately upon pouring into the milk mixture, so add it last and stir right away, then combine wet and dry ingredients immediately. I would also cut the oil a bit next time, because these were a bit greasy. Of course, coconut oil has a number of health benefits and tastes great, so I'm not complaining, but it's an easy edit on the recipe. I'll do 3 tablespoons next time, as opposed to 1/4 cup. Below is my edited recipe. Also, I thawed some frozen berries and included them as well. 

• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (to make buttermilk) (white vinegar works as well, but Braggs apple cider vinegar has more health benefits)
• 3 Tbs coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup honey (if you are vegan, any liquid sweetener will do)
• heaping 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cups almond flour blend
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch sea salt
• 1/2 cup berries (if frozen, thaw first)

Mix milk and vinegar together in small bowl and let sit. Meanwhile, mix together dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Melt coconut oil. Add honey or other liquid sweetener to milk, then coconut oil, whisking while adding. Quickly mix into dry ingredients until it's all wet. Gently stir in berries. Let sit for a moment while waffle iron heats up, then cook per iron's instructions.

I was planning on running the stairs tonight, but my knee suddenly gave out on me. Not really sure what's going on with it, but it's unlike any sensation I've had before. It felt like the cartilage or a tendon, though who can really tell that sort of thing I suppose. I did a yoga ab workout DVD, and topped it with some ab exercises I found in a Huffington Post article. Of course, these are pretty rudimentary if you've done HIIT workouts or have gone through a training regimen in the past few years, but seeing them all at once was a refreshing break away from the go-to exercises that sometimes upset my back. I'll probably put in another set of reps before I go to bed. Or I might just eat another spoonful of peanut butter and honey and call it a night.

Here's a SUPER SIMPLE juice recipe, for good measure. Just in case you're not satisfied with waffles and peanut-butter-and-honey spoonfuls. Also, did you know you can now purchase bags of "juicing greens" with spinach and baby kale? The bag has a picture of a blender on it, so you may be confused at the store. But they do juice well.

• Greens (baby kale and spinach is what I used)
• 2 apples
• 3 carrots
• (I wanted to add ginger but didn't have any, but theoretically it would have been awesome)

Juice carrots, then greens, then apples. Serves 2, so invite a friend over (I didn't give any to Adam, he already went home).

**As an aside, I'm not ashamed to say I'm watching the second Christmas movie of the day. First was Scrooged, and now Ernest Saves Christmas. If you haven't seen Ernest Saves Christmas since you were eight, I highly, highly suggest doing yourself the great favor of spending a rainy day relaxing with this lighthearted romp.

Roadside Attractions (to be or not to be)

I drove to Washington, D.C., yesterday for the Women & Biking Social Event, sponsored by Rose Physical Therapy and headlined by Molly Hurford and Peter Glassford. I'll get to the event (which was awesome) in a moment, but a big problem so many people have with road trips is maintaining nutrition. I both passed and failed at this, in the way life is a series of grey areas, and maybe talking it out will help us all learn together what can be done differently. Truth be told, I did know what I was doing wrong as I was doing it - the lesson is in listening to that voice that say, "you can just walk away now and no one will know you were here."

So I left the house around 7:30 and the drive was beautiful. Before I left, I uploaded some new music onto my phone, made a bunch of coffee, concocted a quick shake, and threw a few sports bars in my bag, knowing nutrition would be an issue for the long day of driving and seminars.

The good news is that I didn't need to stop at Starbucks or pick up some crappy and chemical breakfast food on the go. I also stopped halfway through to grab some fresh air, relax my eyes (and bladder), and do some quick calisthenics. Sitting in a car for that long - sitting anywhere, especially at a slant - really upsets my tailbone and getting up and moving can relieve some of that pressure from my spine and make my muscles relax. I'm starting to figure out that when my tailbone hurts, especially now that I'm also coordinating with an injured shoulder, and the weather is colder, it affect other parts of my body, including the middle of my back. When the muscles in the middle of my back are tightened, they pull at my spine and make the stenosis painful, and it's easy for my to feel the debilitating pinched nerve I so fear. I should have done more, stopped more often, but I was nervous about potential traffic in DC and didn't want to try my good luck. I stretched out some muscles and got the blood flowing on the side of the highway, and that's at least a good start.

A couple moves I like to do that aren't too distracting to other travelers: cross-legged jumping jacks (with or without arms, depending on how my shoulder is feeling), one-legged squats, and jump lunges. These can all be done next to the car without having to touch the ground, which can be covered in broken glass or other unpleasantries, and don't attract too much attention. On longer trips, I've also carried a kettle bell.

We had a lunch scheduled, and I had timed my shake and half bar so I'd get hungry right at 1, so that I wouldn't be snacking on unhealthy bits or too ravenous at lunch. This kind or worked out, as I was hungry right around 1 p.m., but lunch was significantly (from my stomach's perception of time) delayed, and I started to get hangry. Luckily, I still had the other half of the bar left in my bag and no heads rolled, nor were tears shed - a legit victory. 

As a group, we went to Shake Shack, another sponsor of the event, but they didn't have anything that was both vegetarian AND gluten free, so I got french fries. Having a whole day in the car, being stagnant, fries wasn't the best option, but I was in a bit of a bind, as everyone else was already eating. So that was the first misstep. I will say, though, that those fries were damn good and definitely filled me up, despite the small portion. I suppose an immediate injection of ~1000 calories will do that to a body.

Fortunately, Rose PT had an incredible spread of food, including a warm bean dip, hummus, tortilla chips, and fresh vegetables. This was a great switch and a healthy provider of aminos, fats, salt, carbs, and more. The second misstep was that they also had candy spread around the room. I took a couple modest handfuls of jelly beans and kept my distance from the rest. Then the pumpkin custard was brought out. By the time I needed to hit the road for the long drive back to the 'Burgh, Claire, the owner of the center, had filled a cup of caffeinated tea and another of jelly beans and chocolate covered espresso beans. That's when I knew I had officially failed the "healthy travels" portion of the blog post I was previously excited to write. On the drive home, I was slightly disappointed with myself for the snacking, and mainly driven to get home and not freeze my butt off. The temperature had dropped to 23 degrees, according to a man at the Somerset rest stop who just announced that to the air as if his divine watcher had asked. When I come up with a series of exercises that can be done inside without causing total embarrassment, or even in the car, I will certainly let you all know.

Can't win 'em all: oatmeal edition

I don't think this story is exactly what that xoJane column is looking for, but: it happened to me. I subscribe to Vega's various e-newsletters, one of which has recipes for different vegan power meals, usually breakfasts. A lot of them are just interesting takes on a smoothie, many of which I already "sort of" do, but last week was a recipe for slow cooker pumpkin oatmeal, and it turned out that I had all the ingredients already in house. Since it didn't quite work out as intended, I won't post the recipe, but you can certainly see it here if you'd like to give it a shot.

I'm thinking now that maybe there was a typo. I certainly should have used my common sense in thinking to modify the 1:4 ratio of oats to water. But I was making them at 1 a.m., as I am oft to do, and wasn't really at my prime. As you may have seen from the photo, these oats look INCREDIBLE. They are in adorable cups, and topped with walnuts, and the lighting is beautiful.

The night I made them, I had an awkward dream that amounted to sitting at my friends' house, who'd just broken up, staring at them as they sat on opposite sides of their couch, and watched the sun set between them out the window. Very long, dull, awkward dream segment. But when I woke up, I immediately remembered the breakfast waiting for me -- put your kitchen to work while you sleep! The Vega post cajoled -- though I was a little confused by the specific lack of warm pumpkiny smell coming from down stairs.

I won't post pictures, because they would make you want to just drive to McDonald's and purchase the least food-like substance available, so safe. The edges of the crock pot were burnt, and there was scummy looking brown water capped with what could have been a kombucha mother, had science failed me. The burnt edges were surprising, considering there was so much water still in the pot. The bottom was also burnt, and there was an oat paste about an inch thick.

I didn't even know what to do with it, it was such a mess. So I did what comes most naturally to me, I let it sit on the counter all day and occasionally looked at it and frowned, and maybe gave it a stir or two. Then a miracle occurred: It became food again. Just like Jesus rising from the dead and exiting the cave, so too were my oats. They were pretty bland for how much flavoring I put in, and a little gooey, but they had absorbed the water and looked edible!

I did what any disgusting human who really didn't want to throw about about $5 worth of oats, pumpkin, and spices would do, I heated some up in the microwave, poured some Vega  all-in-one powder on it, and topped it with a ton of almond milk, some roasted flax seeds, and some chia seeds.

And, I'm not gonna lie. It was pretty decent. I won't make this recipe again, at least not without some serious modification (though I'll post the modified recipe if it works out better).

I finished a marathon!!!

Okay, it was a poetry marathon, but give me some credit! It took years of training, lots of support from my friends and family, and a lot of digging deep into myself to find the ability to keep going when I was tired and sore and psychologically drained.

Now that it's over, I've taken a shower and a very long nap, I'm starting to recover. Today I drank some apple cider vinegar with water and maple/agave syrup (it's better than it sounds, trust me). I also made some incredible granola. I posted the recipe earlier, so I won't clog your feed with it again, but this time I cut down on the sugars and made the apple juice fresh, and added more of it. Apple juice is a lot thicker when it's straight from the juicer, so I used it to supplement some of the maple/agave (it's also a lot cheaper). For the add-ins, I used chia and flaw seeds, cashew bits, dried cranberries, and banana chips. Here's a photo:

As a public service announcement, since it did HAIL today (ugh), I will let you fine people know that So Delicious brand Coconut Nog is now available in stores, and it is divine. So go ahead, turn up that oven to 300, and let your house warm up just a few degrees while you slog some nog and wait for your warm granola to be oven fresh.

Roasted Squash Soup with garlic and green chile

It's been a while since I wrote about food or the quest for health, mainly because this whole month I've been inundated with posters as my boss has been working on a movie set, and I've also been writing a poem a day (which is, surprise, increasingly difficult). But last week I picked up a squash at the grocery store, a few days ago it made its way into the oven (with my help) along with a head of garlic and a bit of olive oil, and and finally tonight it turned into soup.

This soup, though, gosh. It's just so good. Something amazing happens when a butternut squash is roasted, it's like a savory candy, and.....well, here. I'll just post the "recipe" as I just whipped it up and didn't measure anything.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
1 head garlic
~1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 C. vegetarian soup stock
1/2 C. Bueno brand Autumn Roast green chile, "hot" (or to taste)

~1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
~1 tsp. paprika
~1 tsp. cumin
~1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut squash length-wise and remove seeds. Place both sides flesh down on baking sheet. Peel excess layer of paper from garlic head and place on baking sheet. Spray squash and garlic with enough oil to lightly cover. If you don't have a sprayer, you should get one but in the meantime, just drizzle the oil and massage it into the veggies. Roast for about 40 minutes, checking periodically. Skin on the squash should just start to ripple, and you should be able to pierce it easily with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle (or, if you're me, leave on the counter for a couple days, put in the refrigerator, and eventually get cracking on this next step). Scoop flesh from squash and peel garlic cloves and put both in blender or food processor. Add stock and green chile and blend, adding more stock as necessary for desired thickness, and more chile for more heat.

Transfer blend to large pot and put on low heat. Add spices to taste and bring to simmer, stirring frequently, for about 15-20 minutes.

This recipe is low fat, fairly low calorie, low sodium, gluten free, and vegan. It's also rich in vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins A and C, and complex B vitamins. This time of year, our immune systems are being pushed to their limits as we try to enjoy the last long rays of sunlight and warm, dry days, but there's a lot of impurities and germs being spread around, and it's easy to get sick. It's also a time when a lot of folks, myself included, are busy and don't put nutrition first, and that's a quick way to break down and allow for sickness to set in. Good food builds a solid foundation going into the cold winter months. This recipe should keep well, either frozen in small batches to take to work, or for a good 4-5 days in the refrigerator. (This is a guess. Please use good judgment and don't get sick. I'm not a food scientist and my ability to eat "iffy" foods is unparalleled).