I have been doing a lot of running lately. More than usual because I am training for a St. Patrick's Day half marathon. My long run days are now 8-10 mile runs and, for that distance, I sometimes need a little energy boost in the middle. I have used gel packets (like this) in the past but I get burned out on those really quickly and I'm ready for something new.

For the past few long runs I have been carrying a little ziploc bag of dates in my SPIbelt (yes, I am a hippie freak), but I really wanted to try a new combination of flavors. I am a HUGE fan of lemon desserts and coconut too. Because they are mostly dates and cashews, these balls are similar to Larabars but the flavor is even better! They are so, so good!


Did you know…? Dates contain glucose which makes them a great food for quick energy. Read more here.


Lemon Coconut Energy Balls
Makes about 7 1-inch balls

1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup coconut flakes (the big crunchy ones work great!)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A small pinch of salt

Variation: Use lime zest instead of lemon for Key Lime Coconut Energy Balls!

Making popcorn that doesn't come from the microwave is not supposed to be hard. The other day I put a little coconut oil in my stovetop popper and started to make popcorn like I always do. The oil, instead of just getting hot and popping the corn, started smoking like crazy and burned the corn kernels to a crisp. I do not know why. Maybe my coconut oil (a brand I don't normally buy) had more coconut meat in it than usual? I don't know.

After melting a hole through the garbage bag in my kitchen, I ran around the house turning on fans and opening doors and windows to get the smoke out. The house filled up with burnt popcorn smoke and, subsequently, mosquitoes that came in through the open doors. This is not how making popcorn usually goes!

In my desperation to avoid a second smoke bomb, I Googled "pop regular popcorn in the microwave" and learned how ridiculously easy it is to do! No more cleaning the popcorn popper, no more using oil to pop the corn, no more kitchen smoke bombs. No more kids running around the house yelling, "mosquitoooo!!!" PERFECT!

By now we all know that store-bought microwave popcorn is toxic. You know that, right? Even Oprah knows. Please don't eat that stuff! We also know that air-popped is the way to go to avoid excess fat and calories.

Without the oil, popcorn is actually a decent snack that contains 7g of fiber and 4g protein per 120 calorie serving.

Microwave Air-Popped Popcorn
Start with organic popcorn (to avoid GMO, genetically modified, corn) and follow these simple steps for yummy, air-popped popcorn from the microwave!

1. Pour 1/4-1/3 cup organic popcorn kernels into a brown paper lunch sack.

2. Fold down the top of the bag a few times and crease it with your fingernail or the back of a knife.

3. Place in the microwave and press the popcorn button (or cook on high for about 1 1/2 minutes). The bag will puff up, just like microwave popcorn bags do, and the corn will pop. When the popping slows to a couple of seconds between pops, turn off the microwave.

4. Remove the bag and pour the popcorn into a bowl (be careful, it is hot). Top with nutritional yeast, salt, chipotle chile powder, cinnamon and sugar- whatever you like! Enjoy!

I read an article a little while back that claimed that there are two kinds of people: those that thrive on variety and crave novelty, and those that prefer the predictability and comfort of the same routine day after day. While I tend to get bored very easily, I do stick to routines for the more practical parts of life. Like grocery shopping, for example! I know which stores have the items on my list and even where the items are located inside those stores. That saves me time which, with my grocery-store-hating little people in tow, is precious.

When I was asked to create a healthy breakfast recipe for Save Mart Supermarkets, I had to try something new.

I had never been to Save Mart before this week and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the customer service was great and I was able to find all of the ingredients that I needed for the breakfast oatmeal bars that I had dreamed up for this challenge!

For my breakfast recipe, I wanted to create something that could be a grab-and-go breakfast for busy families and something that was easy to make with simple, familiar ingredients. For everyone that says that healthy food is weird or hard to make or contains ingredients that are impossible to find, this is for you! These bars are super healthy, vegan, and gluten free. In spite of all that, though, they are moist and yummy and made from easy-to-find, simple ingredients which can be purchased in any mainstream grocery store (including Save Mart!).

Breakfast Oatmeal Bars
Makes 9 vegan, gluten-free bars

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup non-dairy milk (almond, soy, rice, coconut, etc.)
1 large extra-ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons nut butter (almond, peanut, etc.)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt (soy, almond, coconut, etc.)
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

The colors of fall are appearing all over the place where I live. I absolutely love running at sunrise this time of year! The light is golden and it shines through the leaves of red, gold, orange, and brown that line the streets of my neighborhood.


Simple beauty first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day!







I love the green heart in the middle of this leaf!


To help us get into the fall spirit, the kids and I took a trip to Apple Hill a couple of weeks ago.


We had some treats (apple turnover and apple strudel):


Visited some farm animals...


...including a "plaid" chicken (in the words of my five year old)...


...walked a hay maze...


...and came home with a box of apples, pears, squash, cider, and mulling spices:


I bought three kinds of apples: Gala (for eating), Fuji (for applesauce), and Granny Smith (for pie or crisp).


I used the Fuji apples for this applesauce and they were perfect. I don't usually eat a lot of applesauce but my kids do (one of their favorite breakfasts is oatmeal with applesauce and raisins). This sauce is so good, though, that I added some to my morning oats too.

It tastes just like apple pie- yum!


Easy Crockpot Applesauce
Makes about 32oz.

About 10 sweet apples (Gala or Fuji work well), cored chopped (you don't need to peel them)
~1/4 to 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice (or more water)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

The weather here has been looking more like January than June. In the spirit of comfort food, I came up with this crockpot version of a vegan polenta lasagna. It is healthy and delicious and I think that trying this recipe with different veggies would be good too. This recipe was inspired by Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

1. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Slowly add polenta. Add margarine and stir continuously until very thick.
2. Pour polenta onto prepared baking sheet and spread evenly to about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside to cool.
3. When cooled, cut into rectangles.

1. Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and saute until mushrooms start to get juicy. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the kale and cook until kale is bright green and starting to soften. Add cheese sauce and cook until it has thickened a bit and is no longer runny. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
2. Cover the bottom of the crockpot with a layer of marinara sauce. Cover marinara sauce with a single layer of polenta slices (homemade or pre-made). Top with a layer of the kale mixture. Repeat layers: marinara sauce, polenta, kale; finishing with a layer of polenta then marinara.
3. Cover and cook on high heat for about 3-4 hours. Uncover and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth.

Amaranth is commonly referred to as a grain, but it is actually a tiny seed with big benefits. It is a great source of calcium, iron, protein, magnesium, zinc, and amino acids. Just 1/4 cup (uncooked) amaranth contains 7 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and 21% of the RDA for iron.

Amaranth can be cooked as a hot cereal, ground into (or purchased as) flour for gluten-free baking, or even popped like popcorn!

I love popped amaranth tossed with salads, over hot cereal, added to baked goods, or in homemade granola bars.

Popping amaranth has a bit of a learning curve. It took me several tries before I found a method that works for me. It may take some experimentation for you as well but, to get you started, here is my method*: