Perfect Protein Bars.

I thought I would post about a few of my favorite types of protein bars.  Since my schedule is hectic and I am usually on the go, I always have some type of protein bar in my bag or in my desk drawer at school. 

My first choice is the Luna Protein bar.  It comes in a variety of flavors that are yummy for the tummy, but it is also nutritious for the body.

Both the Chocolate Peanut Butter and the Cookie Dough Luna Protein Bars are my favorite flavors with each having 12 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per bar.  They are high in calcium, vitamin D, iron and folic acid.  Plus, they are gluten free!  The caloric range is between 170 and 190 calories per serving and each has between 6 and 8 grams of fat per bar.  

The other type I eat on a daily basis is the thinkThin protein bar.  I tend to lean towards the creamy chocolate peanut butter version, but these bars also come in a variety of flavors.  This high protein snack is a little larger in size compared to the Luna Bar, and it has 230 calories per serving and 8 grams of fat.  Containing 20 grams of protein and 0 grams sugar, it is gluten free as well.  Kim Kardashian has been “spotted” eating thinkThin bars as a part of her high protein diet according to the link below. 

http://thinkproducts.com/hot-off-the-press-kim-kardashian-loves-thinkthin/

I love the bar concept because it is a quick and easy way to get an energy boost anytime, anywhere.  Both of these bars are available at my local Wegman's in the organic/sports bar isle. 

What are your favorite bar types and flavors?  Do you find one to be more nutritious than the others? I would love to hear your feedback!

Have a great Wednesday!!

Tracy

I’ll See Giada in my Future.

Happy Tuesday!

Well…I got the tickets to go and see my favorite celebrity chef Giada deLaurentiis at the end of March.  As I said the other day, she will be in my area to promote her new book, “Weeknights with Giada” and thanks to my Dad, I received two of the 350 vouchers that make me eligible to meet her.
   

I know I must sound like a silly teenager who is slated to meet Justin Beiber, but I am really psyched to meet Giada since a lot of my creative inspiration in the kitchen comes from her.  My dad got two vouchers, one for me and one for my mom.  I think secretly she is super-excited too! 

As for running, it was beautiful in Bethlehem last night so I juggled some family obligations around and I was able to get in an easy 3 miles.  Due to time constraints as well as my legs being a little tired after Sunday’s lactate threshold session on the canal tow path, I decided to take it easy on myself and run my standard 3 mile loop.  

Tonight I am meeting with Coach Jesse and Bobby T. (another Moravian alum and longtime family friend) at Roosevelt’s 21 to choose the menu and finalize details for our first-ever Moravian Cross-Country and Track & Field alumni event in April.  I'll fill you in later....

On the Oiselle front – I received my welcome package in the mail yesterday.  Here’s a peak at the racing singlet and the short sleeved shirt they sent me.

The look and the feel of the items were fantastic and I can't wait to try them out.  

Make it a great Tuesday!

Tracy

Extraordinary Edible Cookie Dough.

Good morning and Happy Monday!

I'm about to head off to Wegman's to wait in line for a voucher to go and see Giada next month, but before I do, I want to tell you about edible cookie dough.

I recently heard about this concept from my friend Beth, who makes something similar for all of her kids’ sporting events and bake sales.  She says that it is a hit with not only the children, but parents too.  Really...who doesn’t love cookie dough?  

So yesterday I decided to make this surprise for my Sunday dinner dessert and it definitely got my family's attention.   There are no eggs, and as I read on one of the sites…"The only danger is overindulging."

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 ¼  cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

½  teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons milk

1 ½ cup chocolate chips

 

Blend together room temperature butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.   

Add flour and salt and mix just until combined.   

Add milk and blend until combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.

It’s as simple as that…no baking required!  

Makes 6 - 8 servings, depending on serving size.

Warning: A little bit goes a long way!  This is a very rich and decadent snack.

So the next time you are asked to bake for a function or bring a dessert to a party…try something just a little different…but definitely delicious!  

Well, I must be on my way...wish me luck!  


Enjoy!


Tracy

Palazzo Pant = Perfect.

Happy Sunday!!

As the spring fashion trends come rolling into stores near you, there is one hot item that I am lusting over…

…the palazzo pant!

This super comfy, very flattering, wide legged beauty of a pant can come in a vast variety of colors, patterns, and fabrics.  

So to try out this trend, I recently purchased an adorable grey and black micro-striped pair that is made of a jersey-knit material with a thick waistband similar to that of a yoga pant.  I wore them all day Friday to work, plus all night to the wrestling meet.  To my surprise, I received quite a few compliments, plus I literally felt like I was wearing PJ bottoms.  I’d say that’s a WIN-WIN combination!  

According to some sources, this pant is similar to the maxi-skirt that made its way into the fashion world over the last few seasons.  But overall, I am pleased with this new addition to my wardrobe and will wear them with comfortable pride throughout the spring.

Running: Jesse and I met this morning for our weekly hard workout and we did some repeat miles at my "sort of" anticipated 5k pace.   We decided to hit the tow path along the canal since it is nice and flat and the surface is soft and cinder-like, which served as a nice break from the roads. 

Here's what we did: 

1 1/4 mile warm-up
  

1 - 6:18 mile – 1:45 rest

2 - 6:17 mile – 1:45 rest

3 - 6:15 mile – 1:45 rest

Then we decided to break up the last mile to finish at a faster pace:

800 - 3:04 – 1:00 rest

400 - 1:25  – 1:00 rest

400 - 1:24

1 1/4 mile cool down

The first 3 1/2 miles of tempo were at 19:33 pace for a 5k and my goal is to run sub-19:00 in the near future.  After all of that, plus grocery shopping and laundry...I am exhausted!

So, what do you think of the palazzo pant trend?  Would you add them to your spring ensemble?  

Have a restful day!

Tracy

Hospitality Happiness.

Yesterday after work I headed over to the local high school to help my husband at a wrestling tournament.  My role is to provide hospitality services for the workers and officials of the event, as well as to assist with other clerical duties as needed.  Here we are all set-up and ready to go...

Nice donuts. Ha!

We always order the food from a local Italian restaurant called Sorella’s.  Joe and the gang at Sorella’s do a marvelous job and we always receive raving reviews from the eaters. 

We delved into a tray of chicken parm...

...a tray of penne vodka...

...along with a salad topped with balsamic vinaigrette and the ever popular garlic knots.

Everything was outstanding!

For a sweet surprise, I bought a large bag of Hershey kisses and set them out in little bowls.  

This morning I stopped at my local Dunkin Donuts and picked up a few dozen donuts for the workers along with a medium decaf, cream and sugar for me.  The coffee was already perking by the time I got there (thanks to my husband's assistant) and for some reason, donuts and coffee make these people very happy!

In between donuts and lunch I had time for a quick five miles.  We have been having some very heavy winds here in Bethlehem so the first half of the run was like running through a wind tunnel, but the return was calm, cool, and collected.

Lunch snuck up rather quickly and thanks to Sorella’s again, I set out a variety of pizzas, stromboli, and calzones.  

For the second time in two days, I received positive feedback from all who ate.  A food spread like this makes the long hours people spend in a high school gym special, and I’m glad to be a part of it.  

What's up for the rest of the night?  Not sure.  I am contemplating dinner and a movie with the kids, or a quiet night at home with take-out and a Red Box special.  

As of now, tomorrow's running workout with Jesse will consist of 4 x 1 mile repeats along the canal tow path.  More on that later...


Have a great day!

Tracy

Easy Pasta Pull-Together.

Good morning!  TGIF!

Want a quick and easy meal that is equally tasty and satisfying?  When I am at a loss for what to make for dinner, I sometimes resort to this meal. 

All it takes are a few ingredients:

Whole wheat pasta

Tomato

Fresh basil

Fresh mozzarella

Extra virgin olive oil

Garlic

And a ladle of pasta water,

Done.

First, boil and salt the water for the pasta.  Cook the pasta according to the al dente directions on the box, plus add a clove of minced garlic right into the water for flavor. 
 

While the pasta is cooking, chop up the tomato, fresh basil leaves, and fresh mozzarella. 

Before draining the pasta, reserve a ladle or two of pasta water. 

Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the chopped ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper and a tad of olive oil.  Use a little of the pasta water if needed.  Top with parmesan cheese and tada…a delicious meal!  

Serve with a side salad and you are good to go!

As you can see, this technically wasn’t a detailed recipe, but it was a guideline for a meal.  You can adapt the proportions according to the number of people that are eating at your dinner table that night.  

Enjoy! 

Tracy

Giada is coming to town.

Holy smokes, I’m excited!  Recently I found out that my celebrity food idol ~ Giada de Laurentiis ~ is coming to the Allentown Wegmans (grocery store) for a book signing.  

Her new cookbook “Weeknights with Giada” is being released on March 27^th and she will be here to autograph copies on the 29^th.  Therefore, the Lehigh Valley is one of her first stops on the book tour.   

 

Bottom line - I REALLY want to meet her, so here’s the plan… The vouchers will be available this coming Monday at 9am at the store.  Since that is obviously school time, I will be sending my retired father, coffee in hand, to pick up the voucher for me.  With a little bit of bribing, plus a bottle of wine, he said he would do it.  Granted…he hasn’t a clue who Giada even is!

I will let you know the verdict on Monday…keep your fingers (and toes) crossed!  

On the running front -- Last night after school I did the longest run (distance-wise) since I started training again…9 miles.  For me, it’s very hard to get into “long run motivation mode” after a day in the classroom, but it was unseasonably warm outside (61 degrees when I left my house at 4:00 pm) and it felt good.   

It's always a pleasant surprise when I end up running faster than I set out to do, covering nine in 1:08.  I finished up the final mile in 7:08.

After stretching and walking a bit, I came inside and poured myself a nice glass of chocolate milk prior to hitting the shower.  

 

Tomorrow I am going to aim for a 5 -6 mile progression run.  For the rest of the week?  My plan is to take off on Friday, an easy 5 on Saturday, and then a mile repeat/tempo workout with Jesse on Sunday. 

Have a great Thursday!

Tracy

Dear Cold, Please Go Away.

Ugh!  There is nothing worse than being sick with a cold.  I don’t know about you, but this feeling of stuffiness and congestion drives...me...nuts.

Since winter is cold intrusion time, PLUS I work with twenty-six fourth graders on a daily basis, I can almost count on having at least one stuffy nose per season.  When this happens, there are a few things that I swear by to ward off the cold symptom woes. 

I thought this picture was cute since it reminded me of my little guy…

First, it’s important to stay hydrated when a cold has moved in.  To help this process, I have a stash of tea in my desk at work.  My latest fav?  Mighty Leaf.  My friend Jolene gave me a box of these organic, assorted, whole leaf tea bags back in January and they are absolutely divine.  My favorite is Green Tea Tropical which is a blend of green tea (obvi), cornflower and marigold petals, and pineapple bits.  It smells so good when brewing that even my male coworkers comment.  Since my first sip, I've been hooked.   

In addition to tea, I continue to take my multivitamins.  Plus, I drink one small glass of 100% OJ in the morning to give me the extra vitamin C my body needs. 

Colds are a bummer, but they are not debilitating.  The ever-popular question in my mind whenever I have a cold is...“Can I run?” 

Below is the rule of thumb that I tend to live by: 

If my cold is in body parts above the neck such as clogged nasal passages, sneezing, runny nose, etc...then I run.

If my cold has symptoms below the neck such as body aching, bronchitis, etc...then I  think twice about stepping outside and possibly will call my doctor. 

For more information, there was a very helpful article from Runner’s World at:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-286--9082-0,00.html

But the most important rule of all is to listen to your body.  Here's to staying healthy!

On a different subject...

Monday at physical therapy my trainer re-reminded me of a way to ice down injuries.  I say “re-remind” because I used to do this back in high school and college.  All you do is fill paper cups ¾ of the way with water, drop in a popsicle stick, and freeze.   

Walla…once frozen you have your very own ice on a stick.  Why do this?  You can rub the frozen ice directly on the inflamed area rather than sitting for 15 - 20 minutes with a bag of frozen peas.  

Here's my stash!

Genius, I must say! 

On another completely different subject...

The healthy granola from Monday’s post has been a huge hit among recent taste-testers.  My colleagues at school, Willsey’s dog trainer (where he goes to become a role model amongst dogs), along with my husband all agree that this granola is tasty stuff.  If you try the recipe, I would love to hear your feedback!

It’s Wednesday everybody…smile!  We’re half way to the weekend! 

Tracy

I Run For Oiselle!

Good morning!

As I said in yesterday’s post, I have a special announcement to make and as you can probably guess from the title of this post, yes…I now run for Oiselle! 

Oiselle is a women’s running clothing line based out of Seattle, Washington.  Not only are their products designed specifically for a woman’s body, but the company itself was founded under the principle that running is more than a sport…it’s a life philosophy.  

What really attracted me to this company was their vision, and the inspiration and motivation they promote to women of all ability levels.  Oiselle believes that all women are strong and healthy, both on and off the track, roads or trails.  Their philosophy is very similar to mine and thus…it is a perfect match for me. 

I LOVE this collection of words.  
This logo was designed for an Oiselle t-shirt.

By running for Oiselle, I am what’s called an Ambassador.  As an Ambassador, and as a member of the racing team, I have certain opportunities. 

First and foremost, I would represent Oiselle while racing by wearing the provided Oiselle singlet and shorts. 

I could have the opportunity to be a guest blogger on Oiselle.com, which I think would be totally cool!  Plus, I could be called upon to talk about Oiselle products and my running experiences at local running store events or running expos.  

In addition, I have joined my friend Lauretta (pictured here before our run this past Saturday) to represent the state of PA on the Oiselle team. 

I'm excited to be associated with this group of talented and special women!


So take a look for yourself!  For more information on Oiselle go to:

www.oiselle.com

Finally, on a delicious note, today is Faschnaut Day.  This Pennsylvania Dutch tradition serves the purpose of using up all of the lard, shortening, and fat in the house prior to the start of the fasting associated with Lent.  Other terms for this day include Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, but whatever you call it – this day always falls the day before Ash Wednesday.

Faschnauts are similar to donuts, but they have no holes.  They can come in a variety of flavors such as glazed, powdered, frosted, and cinnamon sugar.  No matter the flavor you choose, it will always be a winner.  Plus, having a faschnaut on Fat Tuesday is said to bring good luck.  So I say…bring on the fried dough because I need all the luck I can get!  This is the one day a year that I allow myself to indulge in this yummy, fried treat.  

Do you celebrate Faschnaut Day? 

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Tracy