Totally Bananas!

What do you do when all your bananas have gone black? Make banana bread, of course!

Let's just say I had lots of black bananas so I decided to try two different recipes from a couple blogs I follow. This isn't just any banana bread either, it's gluten- and grain-free too!

One of my favorite blogs is Against All Grain because there are lots of different recipes for people with specific allergies (dairy, egg, gluten, grain...), not to mention she just came out with a beautiful cookbook entitled Against All Grain by Danielle Walker. 

As I perused the website looking for anything with banana in the title, I came across a recipe for Banana Muffins With Chocolate Chip Streusel Topping - this was one to try. Luckily, since I live a mostly Paleo lifestyle (and if I want to eat Paleo, I pretty much have to cook/bake for myself or educate my husband), I already had most ingredients on hand. 

*If you don't have most ingredients on hand, you can either go to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or another store like these where you should be able to find everything, or do what I did and order from Amazon. I like Bob's Red Mill products. Also, it was cheaper and since I'm addicted to Amazon and have one of their cards, I get points to Amazon, so win-win!

The recipe was very easy to follow and very simple to put together. I measured out all of the ingredients first and got the oven preheated. I also mixed what I could as the recipe stated that once the vinegar is mixed with the baking soda, the rising process begins so you don't want it to sit out of the oven for too long after. Once everything was measured, I creamed the oil and sugar, added the eggs (one at a time), added the vinegar, the dry ingredients, and then the bananas. I used my Kitchenaid mixer the whole time even though the recipe says to fold in the bananas. To be honest, I kind of forgot the recipe said to fold in the bananas until after it was all said and done, but it worked out anyway. I quickly scooped the batter into paper cup liners using a large ice cream scoop. I did not put chocolate chips into the muffin mix. I felt like it would be too much for me as I've never liked bananas with chocolate.

I sprinkled the streusel on top and popped the cupcake pan into the oven for 20 minutes!

For the streusel, I didn't use a food processor since I don't own one. I have a Vitamix, but didn't want to clean it, so I just roughly chopped the pecans and chocolate, then mixed the cinnamon and honey into the mixture with my hands. It's a little messy but easier to wash. I did want to try the streusel as it sounded like a fun and yummy twist!

I let the muffins cool once done and tasted...

They are moist, fluffy, sweet but not too sweet, and not too heavy on the banana flavor which I preferred. I think the chocolate chips inside would have been too much for me, but that's the great thing about recipes - you can do what you like! This is definitely a must-save recipe!!! I'll be taking a few to work to give to my friends and see what they think (they don't follow Paleo so I'm curious if they'd love it or not). 

Now, on to the second one (which is actually the first one I made). I found the blog, PaleOMG, from a recommendation made on another blog. This was my first time making a recipe from here (actually 2). For the Banana Bread 3-Ways (Nut Free) recipe, I needed Coconut butter/cream. I didn't even know what that was! I thought I was in a bind, but low and behold, there was a recipe at this blog for it (Thank Goodness!) 

All you pretty much do is blend flaked or shredded coconut until it makes a creamy paste (think almond or peanut butter). I used my Vitamix and it worked wonderfully. All I had was shredded coconut too and had no issues. 

Once made, I put everything together in my Vitamix and spooned it into my 9" round non-stick pan. I went for more of a cake than a loaf. In 40 minutes it was done. I could have baked it a little less, maybe 30-35 minutes, but it was still very moist. I also did not use the toppings. This bread is very dense 

and pretty much highlights the banana. It's good, but you can't eat too much (at least I couldn't). 

Between the two, I prefer the muffins with the streusel. They are lighter, fluffier, and more subtle in flavor. Plus, the topping is a fun, tasty twist on the good 'ole banana bread recipes. 

I was able to use most of my bananas, but I still have a few more...maybe I'll try one more recipe...

**UPDATE: A friend at work tried a muffin and LOVED it! She asked me if I could bring her a couple more...success!!! Also, the next morning, I had a piece of my banana bread again and it grew on me a little more. It's not that I dislike it, I think it just has to do with the dense texture. I think I'm going to try it again at some point and see if I can fluff it up a little. 

Run, Run As Fast As You Can

Somehow, my dear friend, Elizabeth, talked me into running a half marathon with her in January. Did I mention I've never run before in my life?

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I even paid a large sum for this self-torture. My friend got me good! But in all seriousness, it sounded challenging and I was looking for a challenge. I definitely am telling the truth when I say I had never run before in my life. I could barely even walk/jog, as I call it, for 1 minute, let alone 13.1 miles. But since I am one of those types of people that sets their mind to the task and is always prepared, I quickly went looking for a training regimen.

Luckily, the half marathon I am running is the Disneyland Tinkerbell Half Marathon...and now you see why I signed up. Who doesn't love Disneyland? And Tinkerbell? And a cute medal? And running with wings and a tutu? Since it is organized by a very, very, very large company, wouldn't you know that they have a training schedule made by a former Olympic runner. Thank goodness!!! Saved me from having to motivate myself to run that far on my own.

It starts out slowly, having you run two 30-minute runs and then a 3-mile jog at the end of the week. Every end-of-the-week run slowly increases in length, so that by the time of the race you can run 14 miles (even though the race itself is 13.1 miles). It looks and sounds daunting, until you buck up and get yourself out there.

I already had my running shoes and they are ABSOLUTELY fabulous! I am so in love with them!

(Asics Gel Noosa)

I also had a few outfits since I already go to the gym and do yoga, so all I really needed was a really good, no, GREAT playlist and motivation. If there's one thing I cannot do without, it's music. I get into my head too much as it is, so just running at nothing for even just 5 minutes would give me ample time to talk myself out of the task. 

With my music in hand and my handy dandy app, Runtastic, to record my distance, time, and speed, I hit the pavement running, pun intended. 

I've been training since mid-September, so it's been about a month, month and a half, and things are going just peachy, and I mean it! While it was a little tough in the beginning, I've managed to run 7 miles (at this point in the schedule) without walking. Who knew? Can't say that I didn't know I was capable, but I wasn't absolutely positive it was possible for me.

A few things I've learned already...

1. You definitely need a training program. Whether it is provided by the race you are running or one you find on-line, through a training group, or a friend, you need a plan and a solid one at that. I feel that, especially for beginners, this plan I'm using can be used for any half marathon race, or really, any race 13.1 miles or less. It is very doable and very to-the-point. Plus, I'll trust a former Olympian runner any day of the week. Tinkerbell Half Marathon Training Program

2. Nutrition is key. In order for your body to work right (and this pretty much pertains to every day, not just when you are training for a race or something else physical), you NEED to eat the right foods. I capitalize NEED because it is absolutely necessary to give your body the right fuel to perform to its utmost capacity. I realized that when I was running, I would start to get tired halfway through. I usually run one 30-minute run in the morning and I was not eating breakfast. I know, shake your finger at me, but I was afraid that if I didn't get out there right way, I would NEVER get out there. However true for me it was, it wasn't smart. The other runs would be in the afternoon, after work of course, when EVERYONE wants to run. NOT! Plus, living in The Valley, it has an average temperature of 95 degrees around 5pm. Ugh. I was even more tired for these runs. Luckily, the Disneyland race website also provides nutritional tips, which I decided I needed to take a look at. In the end, I decided that for me, a piece of Ezekiel bread, almond butter, and a banana would give me enough fuel to complete my runs without feeling that energy deficiency. Tinkerbell Half Marathon Nutrition Program

3. Music is a necessity. A good playlist can get you going in the beginning, push you through the middle, and keep you going at the end when you just want to stop and rest. It doesn't really matter what type of music it is, as long as it motivates you and keeps you enjoying your run and focusing on completing your goal, not how hot it is outside, how your legs feel like they are going to fall off, how thirsty you are, how much farther you have to go, or how impossible the distance may seem. Obviously, motivation is going to be different for everyone. A friend of mine loves to listen to books on tape - especially Hunger Games. She says the intensity of the story fuels her energy. I get the intensity of the story, but I would find a shady spot somewhere along the way and sit to listen to the end. Others like to jog with a buddy and chat, or gossip, along the way. Again, very interesting, but not interesting enough to get me through miles and miles and miles of the same terrain. But whatever floats your boat, or more aptly, moves your feet. 

4. Check in with your body AND motivate yourself mentally. During my jogs, I realized that the negative and/or lazy voice in my head was telling me that I was in pain, that my body couldn't take any more, couldn't go any further, that it was true that I wasn't a runner, like I'd told myself for over 15 years. Well, what I said to myself was SUCK IT UP AND GET OVER IT! I checked in with my body multiple times during my jogs and realized that that "pain" that I felt, which was just mild discomfort of doing an activity that my body is not used to, was then same at the very beginning of the jog, as it was in the middle of my jog, as it was at the very end of my jog. Then I would tell myself that I was okay, that it hadn't been any different in the beginning as it was in the moment, and that I didn't have that much farther to go. I'd give myself incentives as in "you can have some water once the song is over," "you can walk once the song is over," or "you can walk and have water once the song is over." Then I would push it to the next song, and then the next song, until I was done with my run. It actually works if you MAKE yourself listen to yourself.

5. Keep it steady. Although you may feel really enthused and motivated at the beginning, it is important to slightly hold yourself back a little to keep a steady pace. In my opinion, only if you are going to be running a long distance, it is more beneficial to keep a steady pace through the whole race versus going fast in the beginning just to tire yourself out for the hardest part of the whole race, the middle to the end. The end is where you really need to tap into that energy and use it to push yourself, especially if you've been running for 10 miles and you've got 3 left. It may not sound like a lot after you've completed so much, but that will most likely be the longest 3 miles of one's life, or I can pretty much guarantee it will be the longest 3 miles of mine! 

For now, that's pretty much what I've learned. Oh! And I've learned that I can run 7 miles without stopping...pretty impressive if I do say so myself. This week, it's going to be 8 miles...

I've also learned that I am a runner. I can pretty much do what I set my mind to do. Some tasks or activities may take a little extra work, extra time, or extra help to figure out, but inevitably, with persistence, I can get through it. So, if you have wanted to do something that you have already told yourself you couldn't do, kick that negative thought right out of your mind and get to it! Only you are standing in your own way, so GET OUT OF THE WAY and get moving!

Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Anaheim, CA

-It is sold out for 2014, but take a look at the website, the races, and the training programs to see if it is right for you! It never hurts to be prepared...