Chocolate + Running = Happiness

Today I'm excited to talk about my two of my favorite things-chocolate and running!

 I have a huge sweet tooth and always save room for dessert. Besides chocolate cake, chocolate chips, or hot chocolate, I love some high quality dark chocolate. However most nights I'm fending for myself in the kitchen for a sweet snack after dinner.  I sometimes get fancy and make cookies or mug cakes but usually it's some greek yogurt, chocolately protein bar, or anything involving nut butters! Last week I made a batch of these little almond butter chocolate bites and they were so delicious! It was the perfect bite (or two or three) when I was craving something sweet. I made mine in a silicone heart-shaped ice cube tray I snagged from Target last year near Valentine's Day, but any sort of tray or molds would work!

Nutty Chocolate Bites

• 1/4 cup cacao powder (cocoa powder works fine too!)
• 5-6 tablespoons unrefined liquid coconut oil
• liquid stevia drops to taste (or whatever your favorite sweetener is to taste but a liquid combines best)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite nut butter
• Silicone ice cube tray (muffin pans or any type of mold works)

First make sure your coconut oil is liquid-I usually microwave mine in a bowl for about 20 seconds. Combine coconut oil with the liquid sweetener or sweetener of choice. Stir in your cocoa or cacao powder and keep stirring until it's all combined.  Spoon a little bit of the chocolate, enough to cover the bottom of the mold, into each silicone ice cube mold greased with a little bit of coconut oil for easy removal. For this tray that was about a teaspoon. If you don't have an ice cube try you can use muffin cups or any molds you have. Pop the tray into the freezer for about five minutes, until the chocolate has hardened. Remove the tray and add a half a teaspoon or however much you'd like of your favorite nut butter and cover with the remaining chocolate mixture.  Freeze until solid, about 10-20 minutes. Once the bites are hardened, just pop one out anytime you need a sweet treat! 

Nutty Chocolate Bites ready to eat!

Some colored sprinkles, chopped nuts, or dried berries would all be great additions!

Since I'm clearly a huge chocoholic, I was interested in running one of the races in the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k racing series. You get to run a race and at the post-race party, you can enjoy hot chocolate and a chocolate fondue snack bowl.  Um, sign me up! The official race charity partner is the Ronald McDonald House, which provides housing options for parents and children facing serious medical problems, which should make you feel even more warm and fuzzy inside. 

You can imagine how excited I was when I found out I was chosen to be an ambassador for the Hot Chocolate Races in Philadelphia! Everybody I've talked to involved with the race has been super nice, and I was even sent some awesome race goodies including a shirt, headband, and key chain. 

If you weren't convinced by the chocolate (which I find hard to believe), then let me show you the race swag you get, which is not your typical race medal! All finishers get a his or hers fleece, wicking pullover. Sounds like the perfect thing to wear when enjoying a mug of hot chocolate, if you ask me! There's also a bunch of photos of the yummy chocolate snacks and all the fun runners had at previous races on the race's facebook page so check it out!

I'll be running the Philadelphia Hot Chocolate 15k on April 6th, 2014, and I'd love for you to join me! You can use code "BREATHEMUG" when registering for ANY LOCATION of the Hot Chocolate 15k/5K and receive a free travel mug at packet pickup. Check out all the locations here! 

It's also your lucky day because I am giving away a FREE race registration (to any location) today on the blog! 
Just fill out the rafflecopter below-giveaway ends Wednesday November 13 at 11:59 AM. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was provided free Hot Chocolate race gear and free race registration along with prizes for referrals in compensation for this blog post. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own. 

What is your favorite chocolate treat?

New Look and Opinions on the Flu Shot

Hello, did you check out my November goals I posted yesterday? I'm happy to say day one of the abs and booty challenge I posted was a successful, but I can tell it's those pushups that are going to give me some trouble. Arms on FIRE. 

If you are stopping by you may see I have a new look! I'm in the process of debating about going self-hosted or switching to wordpress or both, which take a lot of time and money.  I wanted to figure that out before I updated my blog's look but really didn't like my old template and decided to just switch. Carpe Diem! I'm rocking a fresh, clean look that I love while I get things figured out and eventually update the blog in a bigger way. Stay tuned. 

As a member of the I'm Fit Possible community today I weighed in on our hot topic of the month-flu shots! Visit the blog to find out my opinion on flu shots and if I think they are worth it (spoiler alert-I fully endorse them!).

Also get ready for tomorrow because I have an awesome giveaway themed around my two loves running and chocolate. Here's a hint: 

Are you digging the new layout? Did you get a flu shot this year? 

November Goals

So I didn't get a chance to post my usual marvelous highlights from my weekend. Boo.  It involved running and doing some yoga with Sarah, NY Marathon brunch get together with my running buddies to track our friend, sleeping in, and grocery shopping.  My legs were really tight, but I managed to get a couple 6 mile runs in at around an 8:45 pace.  I am still in awe of the fact that it's November, and I need to do some holiday planning already. Where does the time go?!?! I seem to plan to do many things and rarely get around to most of them. 

I've started back up again making  lists for everything, which is my favorite way to stay organized. I've been neglecting my planner recently and need to start writing reminders about everything down before I forget all the little events , due dates, and projects on my plate. I have a bunch of to-do lists and managed to check a few things off this weekend, which is such a satisfying feeling.  I have a mid-term today but after that it's back to be super productive. 

Here are some of my November goals: 

1. Be happy and positive.

2. Drink more water (have fallen off the wagon on this post-marathon!)

3. Make a plan and stick to it-use time wisely!

4. Put away the phone and pick up a book. 

5. Try one new recipe a week. 

6. Attend one yoga class a week. 

 As part of my new plan to stay productive, I've decided to participate in two challenges for the month of November.  

Like I had mentioned in my last post, I'm taking part in the  "30 Days of Little Things Challenge"  from Savvy Eats  blog.  It's been great to meditate on my day and how I'm feeling and pick one thing I'm grateful for.  It's a personal challenge to find positivity in all aspects of my life. One day I was grateful for my legs that allow me to run. Yesterday I was grateful for caramel flavored coffee, which was getting me through the day. Download the printable and join the November challenge with me!

LOVE these blissnotes from BexLife!

I'm also going to try to do this challenge from the Clean Eating Mama. Today would be Day 1 for me (oops!). I usually am awful at sticking to daily challenges, but I'm really going to try. I really have wanted to strengthen my core and work on my planks for a while, and I like that this challenge breaks the planks up into sets!

It seems like a lot but if I can break it up between morning and night or throughout the day I think it would be awesome to finish! Join me by grabbing the exercise chart here and help keep me accountable!

Since I'm feeling super go-getter and positive today, if this story doesn't make you smile-you aren't human. I loved rooting for my runner friend Liz in the New York Marathon and seeing the winners, fans, and all the runners on TV and then there are stories like that one. It is amazing. 

I love marathons and runners-we are an awesome community of people. 

Are you going to join in the challenges with me? What are your goals for November?

Friday Favorites 11/1/2013

So how is it already become November? I was just getting used to the beginning of Fall not the end! I don't think I'm ready for Thanksgiving, Christmas, cold weather, and snow. I'll gladly enjoy the hot cocoa, presents, and cookies though :)
Since I was sick last week and missed posting my favorites of the week, I had plenty of favorites to share with you  today!

Five Friday Favorites

#1-Pumpkin Harvest and Harvest Blend Teas

These two teas are rocking my socks right now. The pumpkin one actually tastes like pumpkin pie-so delicious. I also can't get enough of the Trader Joe's Harvest Blend Tea. I've been drinking a mug of it at night before bed because it's caffeine free and tastes like spiced apple cider. Yum!

#2 Fit2Flex's Puma Plyometric Power Workout

I always love reading the Fit2Flex blog and pinned this  bodyweight workout a couple days ago. Honestly I'm feeling pretty sore today so I might do this after workout and then have a nice stretching and foamrolling session followed by a glass of wine. Fridays for the win. 

#3-"30 Days of Little Things Challenge"

Download the printable here!

I stumbled upon Julie's blog Savvy Eats this week and have been loving all the posts! I am going to take part in her "30 Days of Little Things Challenge" where she created a printable for you to fill out one think you are thankful for each day of November. I made a list like this a few years ago and it was a great way to stay positive and have a few moments of mindfulness at the beginning or end of each day.  

#4-Candy Corn Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

It doesn't matter that Halloween is over, you can still enjoy all the leftover candy or bags of candy corn you get for 75% off :) I was so excited when I pinned this recipe for candy corn peanut butter protein cookies. I mean, they're healthy because they are loaded with protein, right? They look super easy to make, and I may just have to make them this weekend!

#5 J.Crew Jeweled Donegal sweater

I hate the cold, but I do love sweaters. I love this sweater in gray from J.Crew that looks cozy but can also be dressed up because of the jeweled clusters around the collar.  I've seen some similar styles but cheaper at Forever 21, Old Navy, and Loft,too!

Do you have lots of leftover Halloween candy? Any big weekend plans?

Happy Halloween 2013-Time to Dress up

 Happy Halloween everyone! I personally love Halloween and love dressing up in costumes. I always try to spend a bunch of time thinking of an idea and not resort to buying a packaged costume. The second best part of Halloween is the candy of course. I'll have to find some friends who have trick or treaters and steal a few Reeses cups and Milkyway bars. When I was younger I always loved stashing all my Reeses from trick-or-treating in the freezer and having them for months after Halloween! I would still trick-or-treat if it was acceptable for someone in their mid-twenties to... I guess I'll just have to wait until I can tag along with somebody's kid as a decoy :) Here's a little look at some of my past costumes!

As I showed you earlier this week, I'll be dressed up again as R2D2 tonight. It's a shame I don't have more occasions to wear my costume to!

Last year Scott was Rick from The Walking Dead, and I was a zombie nurse. It was really fun to go all out with the makeup. The year before we were Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat. That was one of my favorite costumes to date!

Here are some other costumes from the previous years.  

Clockwise from top left: Harry Potter & Hermoine; Rocky Horror Picture Show; Sookie Stackhouse from True Blood; Me as Alice in Wonderland with my pals Dorothy and the Orbit gum girl. 

The past two nights, Scott and I have been working on our pumpkins. It's the first time I've actually used patterns and stencils and not just tried to freehand something. I always carve a pumpkin every year the week of halloween-it's a tradition! We've got a couple more to put finishing touches on because we bought too many pumpkins but here is a sneak peak: 

GO EAGLES, of course, and my Boo pumpkin

I didn't get the time to make as many Halloween treats as I wanted to but I saw this recipe online and made these little "bones"  for dessert the other night. They are a super simple and festive recipe, and all you need is marshmallows, pretzel sticks, and white chocolate chips. Attaching the marshmallows onto the pretzels did take a little more time than I expected, but I was really pleased that they turned out looking like they were supposed to! Props to my Scott for taking the lead on this little project!

After work I'm going to go for a quick run and and do my 5 Minute Abs workout and then it's some dinner, putting my costume on, and opening a pumpkin beer! 

Are you dressing up for Halloween? Do you have any fun plans for tonight? 

Tips on How to Get Better Faster

Like I mentioned yesterday, I spent most of the end of last week and all weekend being sick. My sinus issues and general malaise are still lingering into this week,unfortunately. Since it is that time of the year, and getting sick can disrupt your social life, work, fitness regime, and any training plans you may be following-it's best to try to get well as soon as possible if sickness cannot be avoided. Here are some the ways I try to speed up the healing process:

1. Accept the situation: It doesn't matter what is going on in my life, if I try to fight through the sickness, eventually it will win.  I feel much better taking a day off from work to sleep and rest than go into work and end up not being very productive anyways.  Also I know this is debatable, but I think that unless it's something you know you'll feel better if you get just get your sweat on, just take a rest day. I'd rather rest up and be able to the gym strong later then have a few days of crappy workouts that don't leave me feeling much better. 

2. Stock up and drink up: I take a mixture of herbal and pharmaceutical supplements. I believe in taking extra Vitamin C (something like Emergen-C) and echinacea tablets, along with my multi-vitamin and probiotics.  After a few days of feeling crappy, I'm going to take some generic Mucinex and cold or sinus medication too because it helps. It's really hard for me to remember to drink water which is important for getting better. I like to drink lots of green tea with lemon.  

3. Get steamy: Something that really helps me at night is having a humidifier next to the bed.  I find that especially with the heat on in the winter, the air gets super dry and dries out the mucous membranes in the nose and throat which usually help keep things moving along. My little portable humidifier keeps the air moist by creating steam which helps when I've got some nasal or respiratory distress at bedtime.  I got this little elephant humidifier (yes, it's made for a child) at Target because it's cute. Standing in the steamy bathroom after a shower feels amazing for a congested nose too!

4. Comfort food: Sometimes it's hard to eat when you're sick because you aren't as hungry as usual, but your body needs fuel to boost your immune system!  I believe in the healing power of chicken noodle soup.  Anything that is yummy and warms you up from the inside out, or is whatever your mom made for you when you sick when you were younger. Another awesome comfort food I made this weekend was these little chicken pot pies. I saw a bunch of recipes and kind of just did my own thing.  I used this biscuit recipe, which I halved, to put on top of the pies before I baked them, and it turned out great! You could use any biscuit recipe, frozen biscuit, or even puff pastry as a topping. You can add or substitute for any vegetables you have on hand. I filled 4 small ramekins with a little leftover filling.  These came out so yummy and were even boyfriend-approved!

Lighter Chicken Pot Pies (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

1/4 yellow onion diced

2 stalks celery, diced

10 oz bag of frozen vegetable medley (corn, carrots, peas)

1/2 cup of mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup of sweet potato, cubed

1 Tbsp of fresh thyme (dried would work fine)

1/2 lb chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces (you can add more or less)

2 Tbsp of ghee (coconut oil, EVOO, or any other fat would work fine!)

1 1/2 cups of chicken stock

2 Tbsp of arrowroot (cornstarch can also be used)

salt & pepper

Directions: 

Cook frozen vegetable medley on the stovetop as directed (or microwave).  Add onion, celery, mushrooms, and sweet potato to a pot with the ghee or fat of choice on medium heat.  Stir until vegetables are cooked through and begin to soften, about 10 minutes.  Next add the chicken stock to the pot and simmer, covered for about 5 minutes.  In a small bowl, mix arrowroot with approx. 3 tablespoons of water with a fork until all the lumps are gone, this will be the thickener. Add chicken breast pieces and arrowroot mixture into pot, reduce heat and stir.  Remove from heat when mixture is a thickness to your liking for the pot pie filling.  Fill  4 greased ramekins with the vegetable and chicken filling.  Top with a biscuit or cut-out circle of puff pastry and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Let cool and then eat!

What are your favorite comfort foods? Any tips on how to get better quickly? 

MIMM #15

I hope you are having a marvelous Monday! My plan to get back into a routine came to a screeching halt last week. I had a good beginning of the week but soon knew I was coming down with something because my sinuses and throat were bothering me on Wednesday so I rested from working out and wasn't very productive.  Thursday I didn't feel well but stuck it out and went to work and then happy hour, because duh, I wasn't feel well :)  Friday I woke up and felt really awful and was losing my voice so most of Friday was spent in bed.  Saturday my voice turned into a sexy smoker voice, and I managed to take it easy during the day and put the final touches on my Halloween costume which I wore to a party for a little bit. 

Now after 5 days of not working out and focusing on rest and getting healthy, I'm finally starting to feel more like myself again. It's felt like a big long break post-marathon, and I'm ready to slowly get back to it! There wasn't many marvelous highlights from the weekend since most of it was spent sleeping, blowing my nose, and drinking tea by the pot, but here are a few. 

Marvelous is getting some meal-planning and food prep done for the week.

Marvelous is having an americano with a couple pumps of pumpkin syrup. Yum. 

Marvelous is the heat was finally turned on in my building. YAY!

Marvelous is crafting some arm sleeves and a helmet to complete my cute little R2D2 Halloween costume.

Marvelous is take-out pizza and the Walking Dead on Sundays. 

Marvelous is iHerb deliveries including some peanut flour, toffee-flavored stevia, and a coconut Chia Bar!

Use code CGN986 to save $10 off your order from iHerb.com which carries vitamins, supplements, health food, and Quest bars! 

Marvelous is finally feeling better and being able to breathe through my nose!

Marvelous is that Halloween is this week with lots of treats and fun.

Oh and before I forget, here are the winners of my Delta Labs sample pack! Congrats, ladies, I can't wait to see how you like the Hair, Skin, and Nails supplement. 

If you didn't win, you can still use my code "BREATHEBLOG" to get $5 off any order at Delta Labs! 

UPDATE: Almost forgot, congratulations to everyone who rocked the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend! I saw a lot of awesome times and race recaps :)

Did you do anything fun this weekend? Do you partake in any Halloween-themed activities? 

5 Minute Abs and Delta Labs Giveaway

As I was waiting for my coffee to brew this morning I decided to get some ab work in. I was feeling under the weather and slept in this morning plus I thought that my poor neglected core could use any five minutes it could get! 

Click here if you are unsure how to do russian twists, bicycle crunches, or v-ups! 

Let me know if you try it-you can even repeat it a few times if you have some more time or your coffee takes longer to brew than mine! I know my abs were burning at the end (and hopefully not because they are so weak!). 

Also today I'm excited to talk more about being an ambassador for Delta Labs and offer a little giveaway! Like I have mentioned before, Delta Labs is a company committed to providing all-natural  health and wellness formulas with women in mind, which is why I was interested in partnering with the company. Besides that, the people behind the products and company are super nice. Look at all this awesome swag they sent me!

I like taking vitamins and supplements because having a little extra boost to what I eat and covering all my bases is okay in my book.  Since I like to try to be moderately environmentally conscious, I love Delta Labs' eco-friendly mission through the Zero Carbon Footprint Program.  Every order you receive from Delta Labs comes with a pre-paid postage sticker with their return address on it so that when you are finished with the bottle you can just drop it in the mail. Besides feeling good about helping out the planet, you also will receive $5.00 off your next Delta Labs order, how awesome is that? 

I am skeptical all of all the supplements and nutrition products that people advertise out there but I can assure you, this is not some ordinary supplement line. The products are all natural and affordable, and there is a 30-day money back guarantee-no questions asked. I also love how they keep researching ways to improve their products and recently just re-launched a new and improved formula of their Green Tea + supplement! 

The first  Delta Labs product I'm trying out is the Acai +  super antioxidant supplement. As I sit here with a sore throat right now, trying something to boost my immune system and give me an energy boost sounds like a good idea. I've been taking the supplement for a little over 2 weeks now and notice that I have felt more energized but will report back later with more opinions!

Also remember that with my code "BREATHEBLOG" at checkout you can save $5 on your Delta Labs order! 

Disclosure: Delta Labs provided me with some of their products. Although I am a brand ambassador, I received no monetary or other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

You are also really lucky because Delta Labs is providing me with 3 Hair, Skin and Nails sample packs as a giveaway. Giveaway ends October 28 at midnight EST. You can easily enter through the rafflecopter below!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MIMM #14- Love yourself

Hello, hope you are having a marvelous Monday! 

Now that the marathon and all that training is over I'm trying to get into a new routine. I want to schedule time to do things that I actually need to do-cleaning, school homework, those grad school applications that have barely been touched. Having it written down in my planner helps me tackle tasks and avoid procrastination. 

Besides penciling in time in my week for those chores, I've decided to add in some "me" time. It's silly, but I always find myself setting on my computer or phone at midnight wondering where the day went. Last night I finally finished a book I had been in the middle of for a while, two days before it's due back at the library (after being renewed the maximum three times!).  

Also one of my lovely new friends I made marathon training was getting married on Saturday so I took that as a chance to pamper myself. It was nice to actually getting all dressed up for once in a while. Also it's been a while since I've felt super pretty-lately all I can see in the mirror is bloating, weight I gained training, and all of my least favorite physical qualities. 

It's time to start pushing all of that negativity out-or at least start to try.  I wouldn't say the nasty things I say to myself to other people. 

I wore a dress to the wedding that I have in my closet that was comfortable and flattering. I suck at a lot of girl skills like doing my hair so I went to get my hair blown out at Haute Blow Dry Bar. It was all the best parts of a haircut i.e. the wash and styling.  I highly recommend a blow dry bar for a big event or if you just want a good hair day. They are apparently really popular in Los Angeles and New York, and I could see why-the salon was packed with ladies getting their hair done for weddings and parties on a Saturday afternoon. I wish I could get my hair to look that fabulous every day.  

Of course getting dolled up deserved a selfie!

Aftewards I decided to pop into Sephora to see if I could take advantage of their express makeup services and get my eye makeup done.  They have complimentary services for one part of your makeup done right in store, as a way to persuade you to buy some makeup. Usually on a Saturday afternoon their makeup artists are swamped, but I was across the street and thought it was worth a shot. I ended up sitting right down and having a super nice and helpful makeup artists give me a bold smoky eye and also help me pick out a new foundation to use.

 I'm super self-conscious about my acne-prone and oily skin, after years of awful cystic acne in college so finding something that can make my skin look matte and even is a big self-esteem boost. 

My everyday makeup is pretty much only some foundation/BB cream, powder, and mascara during the week so this was a nice reminder to have fun and get a little glam . I loved the bold smoky eye I got to rock and was sad I had to wash it all off at the end of the night. It's amazing how much some better a little hair and makeup made me feel. The wedding ended up being intimate and lovely-I even managed to catch the bouquet. Believe me, it means nothing :)

 Here are some of the ways I had a marvelous weekend. Try it sometime. 

Marvelous is spending a lot of your time smiling.

Marvelous is feeling pretty.

Marvelous is weekend cuddling, especially as it starts to get chilly outside!

Marvelous is celebrating love.

Marvelous are mini cupcakes. You can tell yourself that 6 of them is actually only like having 1 regular sized cupcake. 

Marvelous is going out and having lots of fun (and drinks!) with new people. 

Marvelous is Sundays spent in sweatpants on the couch. 

Marvelous is homemade banana bread. 

Here's some marvelous Monday motivation if you are feeling less than awesome about yourself lately: 

Have you treated yourself to some pampering recently? Did you have a fun weekend?

Five Friday Faves-Pinterest Finds

Hello all, I'm still feeling a bit scatterbrained and trying to get my life together post-marathon. I'm sure the one too many beers I had last night at a post-marathon training group get-together isn't helping my foggy brain.  For my Five Friday Favorites, I've got 5 things I've pinned on Pinterest that I need in my life ASAP. Click on each image to take you to the pin!  Here's to a good weekend-I'm looking forward to sunshine, attending a wedding, and sleeping in! 

Also please follow me on Pinterest here! I'm always pinning LOTS of recipes, things I want to buy, pretty clothes, and workouts!

Five Friday Favorites-Pinterest Finds!

#1

Today I saw these limited edition Nike Pro leggings and was lusting over the fun pattern. At $130 (seriously?!), I can't splurge on these right now (or the foreseeable future) but perhaps I can add these to my Christmas wish list!

#2

Giant pandas are my favorite animal, but red pandas are pretty cute as well. This video of a red panda freaking out over a pumpkin is adorable. Enjoy!

#3

I just found the Hummusapien website and am in love with pretty much every recipe. These look like a delicious way to use up some of those zucchini I still have sitting in my vegetable drawer!

#4

I think I'm going to print out this  "Morning Yoga Sequence" and hang it in my bedroom as a reminder to wake up and stretch well each morning.  It could be a great way to incorporate more yoga into my life!

#5

How adorable are these dachshund loafers from C.Wonder! I love these little dogs and their short legs. I could see myself wearing these everyday because loafers are so comfortable. I love that the dog is continued over both shoes!

Is there anything you've found on Pinterest lately that you are loving? Any big weekend plans?