Product: WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies – $4.99+
Lemon. Lemon.
Luscious lemon.
There is something go refreshing and amazing about foods that have that lemon tang to it. Citrus has always been one of my first loves…especially lemon. Lemonade, lemon chiffon, lemon meringue, lemon zest, lemon…lemon…lemon! Give me all the lemon.
Luckily, my friends know of this lemon love…and often share it.
That goes double for my friend Jenn, who kindly stocked me up with a package of WOW Baking Company’s Lemon Burst Cookies.
I mean…what is not to love about that? LEMON. BURST. COOKIES.
I was thrilled to have these in my pantry…and after working through some other items…pulled these out one evening for a delicious palate cleanser after dinner. Dessert doesn’t have to be big…but it should always be enjoyed. I love a small touch of sweetness after a meal. My desserts at home are often just a couple bites of something, but I never deny myself that little treat.
That being said…I pulled open this little sack of cookie goodness and discovered a bag full of amazing soft, two to three bite cookies. I checked the label for the serving size…which says…2 ounces. That turned out to be around 4-5 of the little mini cookies. So…I dished up a measured serving (yes…I weighed them each time!) for my roommate and one for me. I delivered the cookies to her and she dug in. She might love lemon even more than I do…so she was happily nomming away at her batch of cookies when I finally settled in with my dessert.
One bite confirmed what her appreciative chewing noises were telling me. These…WERE AWESOME!! The texture was somewhere in between a butter cookie and a cake. Seriously. They were so soft and light…I loved it. No annoying crunching. Flavor-wise, it was like eating a bit of sugar cookie dough that was kicked up with a hint of lemon flavor. Just enough to sweeten and not overpower. It was so refreshing. Each bite was a treat, most definitely.
WOW Baking Company is very dedicated to producing soft, chewy, delicious tatsting baked goods that are wheat-free and gluten-free. According to their Website, all products are produced in small batches with premium, all-natural ingredients. You won’t ever find hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, artificial flavors or wheat and gluten in any of the products they produce. Their products are non-GMO, which is always nice. WOW Baking Company produces all their products in a dedicated and certified gluten-free facility.
So, let’s discuss the ingredients in WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies, shall we? These cookies are made from a gluten-free flour blend (brown rice, sweet rice, tapioca), cane sugar, butter, eggs, corn starch, potato starch, vanilla, cream of tartar, pure lemon oil, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and citric acid. That’s it. And what you get is a product you’d be hard pressed to guess was gluten-free if you didn’t know. Trust me.
Nutritionally speaking, a serving of WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies is, as I mentioned before, 2 ounces, or around 4-5 cookies. This serving will dish you up 260 calories and 12 grams of fat. These cookies also have 50 mg cholesterol, 220 mg sodium, and 14 grams of sugar. The Lemon Burst Cookies also have 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein in each serving. So…they are a treat for sure. Don’t over indulge…but do enjoy.
I fell in love with the WOW Baking Company Lemon Burst Cookies at first bite. Chewy, soft, light, and delicious. The right amount of lemon flavor. The right balance of everything else. Real ingredients means really delicious treats. This…is a favorite for sure!
Me sprinting to the finish line at the Geist Half Marathon – Fishers, Indiana
Race: Geist Half Marathon
Place: Fishers, Indiana
Date: May 17, 2014
Time:1:38:52
NEW. HALF. MARATHON. PR.
F*CK YEAH!
Okay…so it was a PR by 8 seconds, but that’s still a PR. And given the fact that I wasn’t pushing or truly giving my all on this race and course since I’m racing again next weekend…well…this was a surprise. A very happy, welcome, great surprise. Especially since this course was quite hilly. Hilly enough that my calf muscles protested every single one of them.
Note to self…hill work is a must!!
But, once again, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning of this journey…
Friday. I did a short shake-out run that morning…1 mile…in the pouring rain…because…it rained on me after I headed out on the run and at that point…I was out and wet. I then…stupidly…went to my spin class. I did not put on my heavy heavy when we were told to take it to heavy…so, that counted for something, yes? After that…a long day at the office…and finally got let loose a little early…just past 3:30 to start on the journey up to Fishers, IN…north of Indianapolis.
The car ride took forever! Seriously. First…storms. Dark clouds…rain…apparently Indianapolis had hail. The area the race was happening on Saturday morning was getting marble size hail. Because when I race…I bring the storms. Every…freakin’…time! Anyway…the weather put us a little behind…but so did the traffic! GOD…the traffic! Apparently people panic when it rains up there because we saw so many accidents. Some were roll-overs. Some were just one-car things. Some two-car things. All of them…pissing me off because it was keeping me from picking up my packet and getting to food and my friend Julia…who was meeting up with us for dinner.
UGH! But, we made it to St. Vincent Fishers Hospital. The packet pickup was being held in the visitor’s waiting area near the food court. I posed for a picture by the banner outside and then headed in. This race never has much of an expo…so this was going to be a quick stop. I think we were there for a grand total of 5 minutes. Just long enough for me to walk up to a table, get my bib and long sleeve tech shirt, check my timing chip, pick up a poster (that has my name on it!), and leave. The rain cleared up for a moment, but it was definitely chilly out. I already knew from checking the weather that race morning was getting an unseasonably cold 39°F temperature. Usually this race has killer heat…so this was different.
So…it was off to dinner. Julia was already at the restaurant with a table…and we were 10 minutes away. Except 10 minutes took 30 minutes because of traffic issues and accidents on I-69. We learned…never take I-69. HAHA!! Thanks for the tip, Julia! But…we arrived at Rockstone Pizzeria and Pub in Fishers and found Julia at the table in the bar. As we settled in, a table in the back stood up and I spotted Laura, Tammy, and Mike from my running group!! YAY!! We talked for a moment…and they headed out. It was now 7 p.m…a full hour after I would normally have wanted to eat…but that’s life for you. We placed our orders, all getting the Vava Veggie Pizza (mine was gluten-free…hers was not). The pizza was good. Cathy and I split mine because I really wanted some gelato for dessert…but in the end, as it was now past 8 p.m…decided against it. I was bummed. But…race was important. We talked some more with Julia, but around 8:30 p.m…we headed out. I needed to pick up a banana for race morning and get to the hotel to get stuff ready. And I was hoping to be in bed by 9 p.m. that night, but with all the delays…I hit the bed around 10:30 p.m. And then slept like hell.
My first alarm went off and I got up to shut it off and do my first morning ritual on race day. Then, back to bed for an hour. The second alarm went off and I was up to get changed, put on some sunscreen, and get my stretching in. At 5:30 a.m., I woke up Cathy and finished up with doing my traditional race hair and eating some gluten-free cereal for breakfast. I took in some water, took my vitamins, and then got pinned up and ready to run. We left the hotel room…and went back for the bananas…then left again and headed out to the high school where we chose to park the car.
Chris and me at the start line of the Geist Half Marathon – Fishers, Indiana
On the way, I was messaging back and forth with my friend Chris from a running group I belong to. He and his girlfriend, Becca, were running Geist on a last-minute decision. Awesome. We were planning on meeting up. He said he’d look for my “race hair” (HAHA!) and I told him that I was dressed as Wonder Woman…so he said he’d look for a superhero. Chris is truly this awesome.
Cathy and I parked and started the mile walk from the parking lot to the starting line. I kept looking in the groups of runners walking that way for Chris…but never spotted him. At 7 a.m., I broke out my second breakfast…my pre-race banana…and that was when he found me. HUGS ALL AROUND! And photos. We talked for a few minutes and then he and Becca headed back further in the corral line-up. The announcement was made that the start of the race was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, which turned out to be a woman who was running the half marathon and on her way to the start, running in a crosswalk…when she was struck by one of the buses that was acting as a shuttle that morning. It happened at 6 a.m….and the race course hadn’t been cleared yet.
But, once the go-ahead was given, opening ceremonies began. The national anthem was sung beautifully and really set the tone of the race. I shed my hoodie and passed it off to Cathy, who went to find a spot on the other side of the start line…and I shivered for a little while and made new friends, as I always do. Everyone was so nice!
And…a moment later…we were off to the races!! Instead of a staggered start time for the half marathon and the 5K, this year, the Geist races began at the same time…on different sides of the road. I headed out, crossing the start mat and getting into a groove. I saw Cathy, waiving my sign and cheering me on, so I flashed a peace sign…and carried on. The first mile had a lot of people…but not too bad since I was up near the front. This was the first trip across the bridge…and I had two children running the half (boys!) who were trash talking their 5K friends. Acting all tough. And then I hear, “I have a cramp.” Followed by “Let’s not talk as much…” And then I moved past that disaster waiting to happen. Mile 1…and I feel a tap…and turn to find Tammy!! TAMMY!! Tammy is awesome…fresh off a fast (and Boston Qualifying) marathon in Fargo the weekend before. She ran with me for a mile before she said she was dropping off the pace because she said she wasn’t going to race this one. Crazy girl still came in 3rd in her division…and not long after I finished either. Drop off the pace, my booty! I want to be Tammy when I grow up!
So, I was out on the course now on my own, runners beside me, runners in front of me, and runners behind me. I was taking it all in. We were now in a small neighborhood and people, despite the cold air, came out to cheer at the end of their driveways. As I rounded the corner, I got my first WONDER WOMAN shout out…and then the woman started doing the Batman music. That made me giggle. I knew this part of the course. It was the 5K course all the other times I ran this race (I did the 5K twice before…but not the half marathon. Nice change!). So, as we headed across the reservoir, I got a shout out from the photographer. Also was told I had the best running outfit ever. HA!
So…the race turned out to be a challenging one. This was a brand new course for the Geist Half Marathon, making the 5K and the half marathon an out and back instead of a point-to-point as it had been in the past. NICE! But, with this new course came some new challenges. Those are called hills. And those hills are what I need to really work on this coming summer. And not just talk about it…do it.
The first part of the race had some minor climbs…but after I hit the halfway point, that’s where the challenging hills really came into play. I took in some fuel, even though I didn’t think I needed it (trying to get back into good habits!), at the halfway mark and continued on. My legs were really fighting the hills. They slowed me down because my calf muscles wanted to protest every climb. But…I had a goal…and that was to try to keep as even a pace as possible on this run…even with all the hills.
TONS more shout outs for my Wonder Woman outfit happened along the way, and I soaked up the atmosphere, the beautiful surroundings, and just the feel of the race. My hands were so cold that it was hard for me to hang onto the water bottles from my fuel belt, but…again…trying to get back into good habits…I made sure to hydrate throughout. Even if it took some effort to get the bottles back into my fuel belt. My hands don’t work well when they are cold. In fact…they don’t work at all. And I didn’t think to pack gloves…because…it’s May…
Mile 10 came into view and I was still feeling good. The legs were still feeling strong. And I knew I was a 5K away from my finish. I was happy with the way I was feeling…challenged for one thing…but not tired. I came into a turn at Mile 11 and was sent up a hill in through another neighborhood. That hill slowed me down a little, but I powered up it, feeling it in my calf muscles. But as I crested it and hit a flat road, the legs adjusted and I kept on. Mile 12….another trek over the reservoir. I had been hearing tales of the “hill at the end” and wasn’t sure what to expect.
It was…KILLER! I thought Chicago was evil for putting a hill at Mile 26 of the marathon. This was the half marathon equivelent. Not only do you climb this hill…you then round a corner and the finish line is right ahead. So, with legs screaming at me…I got up the incline and took the turn…and there it was…the finish.
With no clock. I had no idea what my time was. Not at all. Yes…I know I was wearing a watch…but I never glance at it. If I pay attention to my pace, I struggle. When I am a zen runner…I do better. That’s just how it works for me. I saw Cathy screaming at me and I put on my barely-there kick to get across that finish line. I passed the photographers (who were all shouting WONDER WOMAN!) and paused my Garmin. Since there was no race clock, I glanced down…and saw 1:38:and change!
Cathy came over to the rail and I said, “Um…I PR’d.” She didn’t seem surprised at all. This was the second time in as many weeks to PR in a race. And both times, I wasn’t trying. I wasn’t setting out to PR. I was just running. I do better when I “just run” for enjoyment and all. Seriously. It’s when I start to put pressure on myself that things go to hell. I should really focus on the joy of the run more often than the competitive part.
So…I headed into the recovery area. There was a power outage at the results tent, so it wasn’t going to be set up. We meandered about for a moment, and as we turned around, I saw Laura, who had just finished up. We talked about the run…and the evil hills…and took a picture together. Then, she and Mike went to walk around and Cathy and I went to do the same. We were waiting on result times so I could get an official time. But it was taking awhile. So…I got a post-race massage! And it was awesome. My massage therapist was a really nice guy who thought I had a fantastic time for the half marathon. He asked about my upcoming races…and I told him about them and he said that if I wanted a traveling personal massage therapist…he’d love for me to hire him. HA! After my massage, I hopped down and went to find Cathy again before we wandered off for a little more. I did notice that the jeweler in the recovery area was doing medal engraving for $9,95…so we thought we’d do that when they opened. Why not?
Me striking a pose with my finisher’s medal after a fantastic race at the Geist Half Marathon – Fishers, Indiana
Results finally posted after many times of scanning my bib. It showed my official time and I was THRILLED! A new PR!! The jewelry store opened early and we went in to see about getting my medal done. They asked for my results, and I said the results tent was down and no slips were printed. This was aggravating…so he went to pull the results up online. It took some time to find the page, but he did…and found me. The race was still running, so my overall status would stand, but the number of finishers was still unknown at this time. He said that he could at least engrave my name and finishing time…and he’d do it for free. AWESOME! He said to give him 15 minutes, so we went to walk around a little bit more and stretch out the legs. We picked up my medal and took the hike back to the car…then…drove back to the hotel so I could take a nice hot shower. We left the hotel and went to my required stop for lunch…Cheeseburger in Paradise…because I can get a gluten-free veggie burger on a gluten-free bun…with gluten-free fries. I devoured the entire plate. HA!
So, the official results of the Geist Half Marathon was that I finished in 1:38:52, setting a new half marathon PR for myself. Thrilled! I was 87/1506 finishers overall. That’s amazing! I was 14/703 women to cross the finish line. And I was 4/??? (the race results don’t have the divisions for female up…just division female) in my age division. If they ever get that posted, I’ll put in the number. FOURTH! That’s fantastic, I think. I was beyond proud of these results. I mean…it was hilly and cold (two of my least favorite things!), and I was focused more on keeping an even pace (THAT…was a success) than my finish time. And BAM…magic! Even better…my distance was actually 13.24…which means I PR’d running past the half marathon mileage. I need to take corners tighter! So happy!
I am starting to feel so much more confident and better about my running after these last two weekends of running. I’m coming back…and coming back strong.
I definitely would love to run this race again! I love running Geist. Third year back…first time doing the half. BOOM!
As many of you, my dear readers, know by now…one of my most favorite things in life…and truly my drug of choice…is peanut butter.
Yes.
Peanut butter.
I can’t get enough of the stuff. I eat it by the jarful. When I’m stressed out…it’s what I turn to for comfort. After I workout, it’s what I grab to get some protein. I eat it on sandwiches, in cookies, and…best of all…right off a spoon straight from the jar. Yes…if we all have that one food that is our kryptonite…for me…it’s peanut butter.
I do try to keep it as natural as possible. I don’t mind having to stir my peanut butter or store it upside down. Nope. It doesn’t matter to me at all. Because peanut butter is one of those perfect foods that balances my love of sweet and salty…all at once.
Well, while in Birmingham, Alabama, I discovered little sample packets (and the jars) of nut butters from Wild Friends Foods. The cute, winking squirrel on the label was what caught my eye first. Then…the unique and different flavors. I originally snagged my (still) favorite so far…the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter. But the next chance I had at Organic Harvest in Birmingham, I snatched up a few more…and one of them was the Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter. Let me say that again…
Chocolate. Coconut. Peanut Butter.
Is that not heaven in nut butter form? Of course it is. These packets only sat in my pantry for a very short time. Very short. Because I was without vegan cream cheese the other day and wanted to finish off the gluten-free bagels that were sitting in my freezer. So, I chose both of the chocolate varieties I had in the pantry (the previous reviewed Chocolate Sesame Seed Almond Butter was the other) and kneaded the packets so that when the bagels were done toasting in the oven, I could split each flavor between the four halves for my roommate and I to try.
Out of the oven came the bagels and two halves got the Chocolate Sesame Seed Almond Butter schmeared on them. The other two halves…got the Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter treatment. I served up one half of each for each of us and settled in for breakfast. I tried the Chocolate Sesame Seed Almond Butter first…and loved it. But when I took a bite of the Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter…I knew which one I preferred. Seriously. I had recently fallen in love with a brand of almond butter that mixed in coconut pulp. I mean…it’s crack. But this…this went beyond crack. This was amazing. The sweetness of the chocolate blended well with the texture of peanut butter…but that little tang of coconut is what made this. Amazing. I said it before…I’ll say it again…who needs Nutella when this exists? I’d eat an entire jar of this without stopping if I could. Probably best I had this in the sample packet only!! It’s really good. In fact, I was waiting on my roommate to comment that she didn’t like it as much as the Sesame Seed version…but she surprised me, saying she preferred the Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter variety. WOW! That’s definitely saying something as she adamantly declares her dislike of coconut often. WINNING!
Ingredients in the Wild Friends Foods Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter are simple and clean. This particular nut butter of chocolate and coconut goodness contains peanuts, coconut, organic agave, chocolate liquor, and sea salt. Yes. That’s it. No unnecessary oils or preservatives. No strange additives or white sugar. Simple ingredients that offer big flavor. Wild Friends Foods Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter is all-natural, non-GMO, non-dairy, kosher, and this particular flavor contains no gluten ingredients. It is also cholesterol free!
Nutritionally speaking, a serving of Wild Friends Foods Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter is 2 tablespoons. In this serving, you will be consuming 190 calories and 15 grams of fat. Don’t panic over the fat content. That comes from the nuts and the coconut. A serving also has 35 mg sodium and 5 grams of sugar. Only 5 grams of sugar in something that is chocolate. Yes. You read that right. This serving will also dish you up 2 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. You will feel full…and that is only a good thing. You don’t want to overindulge…which I tend to do when it comes to nut butters.
Three distinctly different flavors of Wild Friends Foods nut butters have been sampled. All of them have been enjoyed for various reasons. It is so nice to have a brand that puts so much pride in the flavors they create and the product itself. You can tell from the first bite how much love goes into the production of these nut butters. And…if you like something a little sweet and nutty…the Wild Friends Foods Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter is a fantastic choice. Keep this in your pantry for always!
Wild Friends Foods Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter (on a gluten-free bagel)
Remember that Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter that I raved about not too long ago?
No? If not…refresh your memory here. If you do…welcome to me sampling some more flavors from Wild Friends Foods. Because the delicious awesomesauciness of the Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter was enough to drive me to try some more options. And while I was in Birmingham, Alabama a couple weeks ago, I picked up some more sample packets of the Wild Friends Foods line of peanut and almond butters. I only hoped they would live up to the one that really blew me away.
So…I came home with three flavors…and had some gluten-free bagels in the freezer.
See where I am going with this?
So, one morning, I toasted up these bagels…and realized I used up all my vegan cream cheese.
Never fear. Never. Because where cream cheese fails…nut butter comes through.
My roommate and I sampled two different flavors that morning, as these are the small sample packs. But…in this blog I am focusing on the Wild Friends Foods Chocolate Sunflower Seed Almond Butter.
Yes…
Chocolate. Sunflower Seed. Almond Butter.
Three epically delicious things in life all combined in one plastic jar with a cute winking squirrel on it. How could this be bad?
In truth…it can’t!! And…it wasn’t.
The Wild Friends Foods Chocolate Sunflower Seed Almond Butter is crazy good. It isn’t too sweet, so they’ve managed to strike a nice balance between the amount of chocolate and the salty-savory flavor of the nuts. It was creamy and amazing. And who doesn’t like something chocolate for breakfast, right? This was really good on my gluten-free bagel. I was noshing it happily and enjoying the blend of flavors. Almond butter is the most prevalent, but it leads off with that sweetness of the chocolate. And the sunflower seeds…nice touch that adds great texture. It is like nothing you have ever had before…but you will totally want it again.
Delicious!
Let’s talk basic and simple ingredients, okay? That’s easy to do…because Wild Friends Foods only uses real ingredients in their nut butters. The Chocolate Sesame Seed Almond Butter contains almonds, organic agave, unsweetened dark chocolate, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, and sea salt. That’s it. Basic. Simple. CLEAN! Wild Friends Foods uses only all-natural ingredients, no white sugar, it’s non-GMO, non-dairy, vegan, and kosher. Also, this product has no gluten ingredients. YAY!
Nutritionally speaking, a serving of Wild Friends Foods Chocolate Sesame Seed Almond Butter is 2 tablespoons. This serving will provide you with 180 calories and 15 grams of fat…all of which are is the healthy fats you get from nuts. YAY! This product is cholesterol free and contains only 40 mg of sodium. Nice. Additionally, you will be consuming 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. Trust me…it’s filling. Especially on a bagel.
LOVE…is nut butters from Wild Friends Foods…and why choose between a sweet or a salty spread when you can have the best of both worlds? Yeah…now you don’t have to. Forget Nutella. Eat something so much better for you!
Wild Friends Foods Chocolate Sunflower Seed Almond Butter (on a gluten-free bagel)
Me crossing the finish line of the Throo The Zoo 5K – Louisville, Kentucky
Race: Throo The Zoo 5K
Place: Louisville Zoo, Louisville, Kentucky
Date: May 10, 2014
Time:23:45
Less than 12 hours after arriving back at home from the Pro.Active For Life 5K in Frankfort, Kentucky, I was awake, dressed in running clothes once again, and heading out the door to run another 5K. Hi…I might be addicted to racing…again! HAHA!!
My legs were feeling a little tired, but good when I woke up early that morning so I could get in my physical therapy leg stretches prior to the race. I also brewed up a cup of coffee because…I gotta have my coffee. It’s required. Anyway, I stretched and enjoyed a leisurely morning…listening to the sound of the rain outside.
Wait…
Rain.
Dammit.
Ugh.
But…after eating some cereal and finishing the race prep stuff, there was a lull in the precipitation. I threw on a rain jacket though and Cathy and I headed back out to hop in the car and make our way to the Louisville Zoo…for another one of the races I seem to have a habit of running…the Throo The Zoo 5K.
The drive over was uneventful and rather easy. And, for once, we weren’t stuck in the long line of cars streaming into the zoo. Nope. Not this time. Cathy went some back way into the Louisville Zoo…and that worked like a charm. We were into the zoo and parked without any problems. As we got out of the car to find packet pickup…the rain kicked in again. We donned our hoods on our rain jackets and made our way toward the zoo entrance, where packet pickup was happening at some tables that were under cover.
Packet pickup was a breeze. I got my race bib and some safety pins at one table and then was sent over to another table to get my t-shirt. The shirt this year was light blue with a white tiger on it. LOVE! Cathy and I then walked back toward the car to toss the t-shirt in there and get me pinned up. Now, normally I would have just sat in the car for a little while and waited on the rain, which was now falling harder to pass…but this, apparently, wasn’t even crossing Cathy’s mind. She pinned me up and was up and walking toward where the start of the race was going to be. There were some tents set up…for Whole Foods (who were dishing up yogurt, berry & granola parfaits), and McDonalds (they had apple slices) and a table with bananas…and the Fleet Feet tent…which was PACKED with people. Cathy and I ducked under a tree…which wasn’t keeping us dry. And that’s when the lightning started. I made some comment about not being under trees during lightning and she got all miffy at me for the comment and…then Fleet Feet’s tent cleared out momentarily…so we ducked under that.
I spotted Laura and Mike from my local running group, as they took cover under the Whole Foods tent. The starting line was still being inflated, but the lightning was very active. Finally, as people started to line up at the start…the announcement came that the race would be delayed for 30 minutes. If there was still lightning, they would make the call on whether the race would be cancelled and rescheduled. After all, the zoo had to open and all at some point.
So, Cathy and I moved over to the Whole Foods tent to talk with Laura and Mike while we waited the official word from the organizers. I always like hanging out with these two. They are so much fun. Anyway…the lightning did stop soon after the race was delayed…and with the rain lightening up, Mike and Laura decided to try to get a light run in prior to the race. So, they headed out.
The announcement came that the race was going ahead, so I got out from under the tent and stepped into the rain. I kept my rain jacket on until about 5 minutes before the official start…maybe closer to 2 minutes…I won’t lie. Finally, I shed it, stepped away from my roomie and got into the starting line. I wasn’t up front, but I wasn’t too far behind it either. I knew my legs were shot from not only spin class on Friday, but also my hard race through Frankfort (with my new 5K PR!), Kentucky the night before. This wasn’t going to be a speedy 5K, but I was going to get these legs moving the best I could. We were all awaiting the horn to send us on our way…in the rain…and through the zoo.
That came soon after…and we were off.
Now, in the two previous years I have run the Throo The Zoo 5K, the course has been mostly through the surrounding streets and neighborhoods, with the last bit going into the zoo, and up Gorilla Hill, before sending us out of the zoo and around to the finish. So, usually it was maybe about the last mile and a half or something. But this year…they changed the course again and MOST of the race was actually done…inside the zoo. This made me so stupidly and incredibly happy.
The start of the race was damp, but we went out fast. I eased up immediately, knowing that my legs were already feeling the night before. But, I pressed on, because I was going to still take this as a challenge. This was not a course to PR on, because there would be narrow areas where only a few people could be across…and some steep inclines to deal with as well. This wasn’t a PR attempt for me, so I was okay with that. The first part of the race happened on the neighborhood roads, for less than half a mile. Then we made a left turn to enter through the back part of the zoo. Mike was standing on the corner cheering as I ran past. That was awesome. Into the zoo I went…where I encountered something akin to mud running. The path was a complete mess…mud everywhere. I was sad that I wore my new compression sleeves because I could feel the mud being kicked up on them already. Ah well…part of being a runner, I suppose. At least I wore my old Newton’s and not my new ones for my shoes that morning.
The next half mile was spent in the zoo itself. I could see quite a few animals as I ran past, which only made me smile. At Mile 1, we left the zoo to wind our way through a couple of the parking lots, past a water station, and then just after Mile 1.5…go back into the zoo for the next mile and a half. This was fun! I loved the variety of animals and the people I was running near or around. One thing that did peeve me off, however, was this dad who was running with his little girl. She was struggling and he turned around and told her that if she wanted to PR, she had to move it! She said her shoe was untied…so she stopped to tie it. I thought he was going to blow a gasket. But I ran past them and didn’t hear from them again. Who knows how that turned out.
After making a few climbs, and some downhills too, I wound my way out of the zoo, hitting Mile 3. The finish line was just ahead, so I put on the afterburners as much as I could, moving as quickly as I could to get across the line. I managed…with a much slower time that last year, indeed. By about a minute and a half. Back to back races are tough, man!
Me…all muddy and damp after the Throo The Zoo 5K – Louisville, Kentucky
Cathy came over to congratulate me and I went to snag some water from the recovery area. I had a raffle ticket to deposit at the white tent, but Cathy told me to grab water while she dropped it in. I did just that and went to find her afterwards. She wasn’t sure if I placed or not in my age group, so we decided to hang around for a little while. This turned out to be a long, long while…actually. But at least at this point it had stopped raining.
As the race was finishing up, someone did come over to the tent to remind runners to get their raffle tickets into the drawing as that would start soon. I was now getting hungry, so I snagged some apples from the McDonalds table and Cathy got a parfait to at least keep the hunger at bay before we could go get gluten-free crepes at The Flea Off Market from our favorite food truck, Sweet ‘N Savory. They called over everyone in costume for the costume contest and then began some raffle drawings.
I didn’t win. Anything.
That pretty much sums it up. Finally…it was time for some awards. YAY!
They gave away the overall female, male, master, and grandmaster awards…and then…passed it off for the costume contest. At this point, I was starving and really ready to go get some food. But, we cheered those in costume to help decide the winners. The Incredible Kermit…FTW!! And the awards then came back…and I didn’t place in my division either. So…we decided to go get some food…finally!
Except…The Flea Off Market was postponed…so instead…we went to Annie May’s Sweet Café for breakfast sandwiches and some take-n-bake cinnamon rolls and take-n-bake mac & cheese. We ate our sammies…and then headed out to do some grocery shopping and some regular shopping…while killing time. We were meeting up with my good friend, and running buddy, Kelsie, at The Comfy Cow for ice cream at 2 p.m.
Anyway…the experience and the thrill of this run was what made it. The weather didn’t even dampen my spirits too much in the end. I actually found the challenge of back-to-back 5Ks difficult…but one I was really ready to just test myself on. Since the ankle injury, I haven’t been pushing my pace or myself much on my runs. This was a way to test my will to actually push myself…at least a little.
So, the official results of the Throo The Zoo 5K is that I finished the race in 23:45. I was okay with this time. Much slower than last year, but I ran hard just over 12 hours before this one…so…yeah…this was good for me. I was 55/1252 finishers overall. I was the 14/765 female finishers. And I was 5/130 people in my age division! I’ll take that!
It’s good to be back to running races again…of varying length. The 5K distance is not my strongest race because I’m not a sprinter. But…these back-to-back 5Ks were a great challenge and a good exercise for me. I can’t wait to run Throo The Zoo again next year. Preferably without the rain.
Me crossing the finish line of the Pro.Active For Life 5K – Frankfort, Kentucky
Race: Pro.Active For Life 5K
Place: Downtown Frankfort, Frankfort, Kentucky
Date: May 09, 2014
Time:22:01
SO CLOSE!!
I was so close to hitting my sub-22 minute 5K goal on this race. It’s a bit of a letdown to be that close to my goal and to fall short. By two…freakin’…seconds.
However, I don’t feel that this is a disappointment at all. In fact, I still count this as a victory. Not only did I clock a new 5K PR by 26 seconds…but I did this…on my recovering ankle. Yes…the very ankle that has been plaguing me since February. The very same ankle I rehabbed…and that has mentally left me feeling nervous and, yes, scared, to really push on the roads. I don’t want to damage it again. I don’t want to push too much too fast and end up back to square one on the recovery. I can’t afford another round of physical therapy…that’s for damn sure!
Anyway…that being said, I went into the Pro.Active For Life 5K (the second leg of the Frankfort Trifecta) with only one thing in mind…and it wasn’t defending my title. Nope. Not one bit. It was to just…have fun. That had been my goal all along. After not even placing in my age division during the Good Shepherd Run For The Gold 3K (the first race in the Trifecta), I didn’t even consider defending my title I won last year. Nope. And it still isn’t even a glimmer in my eye for the next race in June. The entire goal this time…was to enjoy the run. To have fun. To…maybe test myself a little.
But first, I had to get through the workday. And in order to make sure that I could leave on time to drive to Frankfort and deal with any traffic…I wore my running skirt to work. I will probably never do this again, because I got teased unmercifully over it. And…while I am a good sport about things…this really bothered me. Probably because it was my place of business. None of my bosses had a problem with it. But, some of my co-workers made some comments that just…bothered me. So…yeah…I’ll just stop what I’m doing even if I don’t have the time to do so, and change like I normally do. So much for trying to streamline the process, right? It was also supposed to storm. Like…right at race time. I watched the weather all day, because, as we know…if I run in Frankfort, Kentucky…it will either rain before, during, or after I do so. I was so not looking forward to running in the rain…and this meant I had to wear my old shoes for rainy conditions…MEH! But…it was time to stop watching the weather and pack up to get on the road.
Cathy and I actually left a couple of minutes early and we hit the road. About half an hour later…she was ready for her peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I had packed for our dinner. I wanted to wait a bit longer, but was told we would make our usual Kroger stop for snacks as we got into Frankfort. This is also where I go and use a real bathroom instead of a port-a-potty! There is a method to this madness. HAHA! So, I gave in and removed the sammie from the cooler, along with the last of our paleo cookies and our water bottles. And we commenced the noshing.
The food died a messy death. I think I was hungrier than I thought I was. And, soon, we were pulling into the parking lot of Kroger. I went to throw away the baggies that held our sandwiches and go to use the restroom while Cathy went to grab snacks for us (Doritos for her…a banana for me!). We were back on our way to the race in no time. And, for some reason beyond even her knowledge, Cathy turned the wrong way. So, we had to pull over and wait for a break in the traffic to turn around and head the right way to the parking garage where we normally park for Frankfort races. We parked in the same spot we always park in before stashing some of our stuff in the trunk and heading up to the street level to get to packet pickup.
It was a short walk, and I stepped inside to a madhouse. It was packed and busy and buzzing. YAY! Energy! It took a few minutes, but I finally worked my way up to the table and gave them my name. I was asked if I was doing the Trifecta, and I said I was…so the volunteer helping me when to find my bag. While I waited, I snagged four safety pins. The man returned with my bag with my tech shirt (I paid for an upgrade!) and my bib and a few goodies and informational handouts tucked inside. I thanked him and removed myself from the building, heading outside to meet up with Cathy and get pinned up for the start of the race. I ate my banana and we moved to stand on the lawn of the old Capitol building so I could do some stretching. I promised my physical therapists I would be good about stretching…and Cathy has been holding me to it.
I even did some strides. Nothing hard and fast. Nothing all-out. Just an easy jog down and up the road. I did this for a few paces…until the cars were becoming bothersome (the roads weren’t completely closed yet) and went to stand on the sidewalk opposite the Capitol to do a few more stretches and await the official line-up portion of the race. This came to be moments later, and Cathy gave me a hug and told me to have fun before going to find a place to stand to spectate. I moved to the starting lineup, staying rather close to the front, wanting to avoid the children that would, inevitably, crowd the front of the start line. I love this race, but that is the most difficult part of this race. Some of the kids can hold their own…but some are just trying to be up front…and that can be dangerous. And, wouldn’t you know it? I blinked and suddenly was in a sea of children, one with a dog on a rope, lining up near the front. They weren’t the contenders you would expect at the front…I could tell from the conversation. The, “My goal is just to keep up with the dog,” comment was a dead giveaway. But, this is their race too…and everyone signs that waver.
Debbie Brown got on the microphone and began to give some instructions. Unfortunately, the running crowd wasn’t quieting down…so I heard none of this. She did get us ready to run though, faking us out with an “On your mark…” And then making us stretch. HAHA!! EVIL! But soon, she gave the word…and the starting gun went off!
And I was off. Kind of. Because those I was pushed and elbowed by the woman standing next to me, hard enough that her arm shut off my Garmin watch. I had to restart it. And all those kids that had lined up near the front…I saw a little girl go down in the fray…and Cathy said another kid, a boy, was also pushed down. Dangerous…see. I know it’s exciting, but I hate seeing kids get hurt at the start of a race because they lined up in the front, where the competitive runners are trying to position themselves.
That being said…I moved onward, heading down the street and making the left turn on the course to start on the path toward the Capitol. My legs felt heavy and tired. I guess going to spinning on Friday morning probably wasn’t the wisest thing I had done on a race day. I pressed on though, and felt that I was moving at a good clip regardless. I made another turn and was heading up the street toward the incline that would take us over the bridge and toward the Capitol where we would make our turn to come back toward the finish line. About halfway up the street, just before the water stop, I hit my first mile. My watched beeped a moment later, and apparently I went out hard…hitting that first mile in 6:54. Whew. But, the rest of my race was certainly more conservative. I passed up the water and made my way up the small incline to dash around the annex area and come back around. There was a nice downhill awaiting the runners there, and I slightly pulled up so as not to strain my quads. I passed up the water again and carried myself through to Mile 2. Just over a mile to go. I pressed on, passing some people and being passed by others. The legs were screaming at me, but I kept going. I headed back over the bridge and, this time, down the steep incline to make my way down the street to make the final two turns before the finish line would come into view. It was when the street leveled out that my legs really began to feel fatigued. I was determined though. I might have slowed down, but I was still moving forward.
I made the final turn and headed up the ramp that would carry us to the main street where the finish line was waiting. I couldn’t make out the clock at the moment, but I was pushing as much as I dared. I just wanted to get to that finish. As I got closer…I saw…21:57…21:58…I tried to kick it into gear, and I crossed the finish line at a point I couldn’t tell if I hit sub-22 or not. I had to wait for official results. But I was worn out, tired, thirsty, but feeling rather awesome at that point. Cathy came rushing over…declaring…”You were third female!” I was shocked by that too, as I wasn’t aiming to win, place, or show in this race. I just wanted to run it…and do the best I could. I guess I had more gas in the tank than I thought.
I moved through the finish area, being handed a bottle of water and then went to just walk around as we awaited results. I didn’t care where I placed…I wanted to see if I hit that sub-22. It was going to be SO close. Cathy and I decided to walk to the other side of the square and cheer on runners as they came down the street before making their final turns to the finish. That was fun. I love cheering people on…I know it lifts me up while on the run, so I wanted to lift them up. We moved on to go cheer at the finish line…just walking back and forth. As I was heading back to the finish line, I was stopped by a nice lady with a stroller who asked how I did. I told her that I did well…I beat last year’s time if nothing else. She said she knew I had been worried about it with my ankle and was glad to hear it. YAY!! BLOG READER!!
Me with my bronze medal and bag of goodies for being the 3rd Overall Female at the Pro.Active For Life 5K – Frankfort, Kentucky
Soon after, results were starting to get put up, so we meandered over there. Cathy moved up ahead of me and looked at the results before I had the chance to do so myself. She said…”You finished in 22:01!” “SO CLOSE!” was my response. I was just 2 seconds away from a sub-22 minute 5K. SO close!! Finishing in the top three females was an added bonus and not something I was even shooting for. I love an added confidence booster.
So, this meant we needed to hang around for the awards…which was fine…just not something we actually had planned for. A much later return home now…but I wasn’t going to complain. I was feeling so much better about my running now. And, after a moment, I went to chat up the winner of the 5K, not Kendall…she came in second this year…a nice woman who is a teacher in Frankfort…Robin Lawhorn. Why randomly go chat her up? Why not? Well…one reason was she was wearing Newton’s. Just like me. We have great taste in shoes and since I know how hard it is to find Newton’s in this area…well…I had to talk to her. Turns out she picked hers up at a triathlon store in Lexington. Going to have to look that up next time I head to Lexington, for sure!
Cathy and I went to walk around the old Capitol building a little bit to pass the time before the awards. But we soon just went down toward the street to watch the last of the walkers come in and to dance with the music that was being played. After a little while, Debbie grabbed the microphone and asked if any children wanted to help pass out the medals. She was consumed by a bunch of volunteers. So…it was medal time. And they started with the overall males and then moved to the overall females. And as I came in third…I was called up first…and handed the wrong medal…and a very nice gift bag. My picture was taken I then went to track down someone to give the gold medal back to and exchange it for the bronze. I finally got that cleared up, and after some photos with Kendal and Robin…I got my stuff together to head home.
I normally would have stayed for more awards…but…I had another race on Saturday morning in Louisville. So I needed to get home…and storms were apparently coming. And, true to form, it stormed on us pretty bad on the drive back to Louisville. Never fails. If I keep running in Frankfort, they will never have a drought.
That being said, the official results of the Pro.Active For Life 5K are that I finished in 22:01, setting a new PR for myself. I know I can hit that sub-22 goal this year…I’m just really going to have to work hard for it. I intend to do just that though…for sure. I was 28/843 finishers overall. I was 3/509 female finishers. And, would have been 1/70 in my age division. But, as I came in 3rd Female Overall…no age division award for me. I’m okay with that, because I totally exceeded all expectations of myself. I don’t know where that came from, but I’m so glad that somewhere inside…my body remembered what it felt like to fly.
Another year of running the Pro.Active For Life 5K behind me and I’m already looking forward to next year’s race. I swear, there is something so near and dear to me about this race. It’s a challenging, but fun course…and I was able to run it better this year than I did last year. I hope to continue to come back to Frankfort for not only this race, but the Trifecta, year in and year out. As it stands, I’m feeling a little better about pushing myself a little harder. I’m still tentative…my mind not quite overcoming the natural fear of getting hurt again or doing further damage. But…this race proves that I’m getting there. And I’ll only continue to get there…as long as I run smart and run with all my heart.
Product: Maplegrove Gluten Free Foods Pastato Mac & Cheeze – $3.49+
So, I went on an excursion to Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati, Ohio, while my friend Indy was in town. Why? Because when you are a foodie, you have to go to Jungle Jim’s. And…Indy is honestly a foodie! I mean…if I was asked which of my friends is the most epicurean…Indy would be my answer. She and her husband, Evan, both love food and trying different things.
One other thing that I love about my visits to Jungle Jim’s…is that they have one of the most extensive gluten-free sections. Seriously. I am in heaven. And while I always do get to treat myself to items at Jungle Jim’s…the problem is keeping it within a budget. So, I normally look for items that I can’t find anywhere else. So, as I was perusing the gluten-free aisles, trying to make good decisions when these colorful boxes with animals on them caught my attention.
Hmmm…never saw those before.
At closer glance, I realized it was a line of macaroni and cheese boxed meals by a company called Maplegrove Gluten Free Foods, Inc. Never heard of them before. Even more intriguing…some of the pasta was made from brown rice flour, some from white rice flour…but the ones that really got my attention…potato.
Yes. Potato pasta! After trying to decide if I wanted yellow or white cheese (I consulted the roomie and she voted for the Kraft yellow cheese), a box of the potato pasta mac and cheese found its way into the cart…and the shopping continued in the mecca that is Jungle Jim’s.
As I was without this week to give me fresh produce to play around with, I’ve been making items out of my pantry and fridge and freezer. Well…after making spaghetti last night, I needed to figure out something for dinner tonight. I started naming off some items that we had and immediately Cathy wanted mac and cheese. So, I pulled down the Maplegrove Gluten Free Foods Pastato Mac & Cheeze box and had it ready for when we got home from work.
After a long day, I’m kind of glad she was so set on a boxed meal. As much as I hate cooking from boxes these days, sometimes it is a necessary evil. And the best part is…these noodles cook up fast. No 15 minute boiling periods. Just fill up a pan with about 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Pour in the pasta and let it cook for, wait for it, 3.5 minutes. Yep…that’s all. Three and a half minutes (and it won’t feel like a lifetime…Better Than Ezra fans…do you hear me? HA!). Seriously, it was done cooking before I even had the almond milk and vegan butter out. HA! Love it. I drained it (no rinsing!) then put it back into the warm pan, added the butter and milk and then the packet of cheese powder. I stirred it all together until it was combined and…BAM! Dinner was ready. I split it between the two of us and we settled in to eat, while watching Food Network. It’s what we do!
I’m going to be honest…it was actually really good. The potato pasta cooked up quickly and to perfection. It wasn’t gummy and it didn’t fall apart either. In fact, it held together perfectly and got to the right tenderness to satisfy any pasta lover. So easy. Each noodle was coated with the cheese “sauce” that is made up in the pan and incorporated with the drained noodles. I think my only complaint here is that it wasn’t cheesy enough for me. I mean…it had flavor…but I am so used to making homemade gluten-free mac and cheese with a sharp cheddar flavor or something with bite…that this…just didn’t hit the wow on the cheese flavor. It was there, just not as much as I usually like. Other than that, what a great and fast meal. It had great texture and good flavor (just not enough of it!) and it was quite filling too. I’d buy this again and have it on hand for a quick meal in a heartbeat!
So, let’s discuss the ingredients in Maplegrove Gluten Free Foods Pastato Mac & Cheeze. Incorporated in this box of processed easy goodness you will find…potato flour, rice flour, quinoa flour, ground flax, psyllium husks, organic whey, organic cheddar cheese powder, organic corn starch, and salt. There are some other vitamins and minerals too…but they are too tedious to list out. HA! This pasta is processed in a dedicated gluten-free facility and the company does not use any ingredients that contain gluten, so cross contamination is not an issue. My only complaint was that with the misspelling of the word “cheese” I thought this was dairy-free. But…it wasn’t. And with me being lactose intolerant…this isn’t necessary a good thing. Minor detail.
Nutritionally speaking, the Gluten Free Pastato Mac & Cheeze isn’t too bad. A serving size is 2 ounces…and it is a 5 ounce box. Split between Cathy and I, we each had 1.25 servings. But, if sticking to the serving size…you will be consuming 169 calories and 1 gram of fat. This serving will provide you with 3 mg cholesterol, 152 mg sodium, and only 2 grams of sugar. That’s fantastic for a boxed pasta. You will also have 6 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein. Yes…you will feel full! Trust me.
If you need a quick meal that is easy to prepare, good to eat, and actually very nutritionally sound…I encourage you to seek out and consume Maplegrove Gluten Free Foods Pastato Mac & Cheeze. Potato pasta forever, my friends!! Seriously…you will love it. And if it isn’t cheesy enough for you…toss in some nutritional yeast or (if you aren’t lactose intolerant…some stronger cheese) until it suits you.
Thank you, Maplegrove Gluten Free Foods…for this fantastic little gift from the potato pasta gods! My life has been changed!
Maplegrove Gluten Free Foods Pastato Mac & Cheeze (prepared)
Way back when my gluten-free journey started, I finally stopped cheating on my oatmeal (because I got tired of feeling like crap after lunch) and made the leap to gluten-free oats. One of the first brands readily available in my area (and also more cost efficient than others) was the gluten-free oatmeal by Glutenfreeda. And…sadly enough, the oatmeal didn’t wow me or really make me want to be friends with it. In fact, I found it rather bland, if I recall correctly.
But…sometimes you have to learn not to hold something against a brand itself. And, after a quick trip to Birmingham, Alabama, and a dash through the Publix near the Mellow Mushroom I was meeting my parents at for gluten-free pizza that night…I discovered a delicious sounding granola on the gluten-free shelves. The issue I had was…it was Glutenfreeda.
Do I risk it? I mean…it was Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Cranberry Cashew Honey Granola. Um…nothing wrong with any of that. In fact…it sounds oh…so right! So, with a little debating, I finally snatched it off the shelf and committed myself to the purchase.
And…a month later…and me back in Louisville, Kentucky…I broke it out of the pantry for some breakfast parfaits (made with Greek yogurt and caramelized pears). Oh, to be sure, I was beyond nervous. It was the only granola in the pantry at the time, so it was either amazing…or not. And with no replacement, either way my roomie and I were eating it.
*sigh* *deep breath*
Breakfast Parfait…assemble!
Of course, I had to test the granola on its own before tossing it with the rest of the parfait components. I poured a bit in my palm, getting the oats, the dried cranberries, and the cashews. I tossed it back and…it was really good. I mean…REALLY good. It’s actually that perfect mix of sweet and salty. I mean…perfect. It has the flavor from the roasted cashews and the sweetness from the dried cranberries. The honey ties it all together. And the gluten-free oats are toasted to perfection and absolutely amazing. It all just comes together…and as much as I thought I was going to dislike this granola…I love it.
Naturally, because I have yet to find it around here. HA!
So…let’s talk ingredients, shall we? You’ll love these. Glutenfreeda’s Gluten-Free Cranberry Cashew Honey Granola is simply made from gluten-free oats, cashews, dried cranberries, brown sugar, canola oil, honey, flax seeds, vanilla.
That’s it. Okay…so the canola oil and brown sugar might throw you off…especially the canola oil, but in the grand scheme of things…not too shabby! Not at all.
Nutritionally speaking, Glutenfreeda isn’t dishing up a whole lot of empty, sugar-laden calories either. Each box of granola contains 4 individual packages. The kicker is, there are 10 servings per box. So do not eat an entire package in one sitting. You’ll be doing 2.5 servings if you do that. And one serving, 1/4 cup of the granola, will give you 120 calories and 4 grams of fat. This granola is cholesterol-free and sodium-free. A serving also provides you with 6 grams of sugar (not bad), 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.
Honestly, I was skeptical, but as it turns out…I was pleasantly surprised to actually like this granola. Not just like…love. I could indulge in this at breakfast every day…if I could find it in my area. Great flavor profile. Crunchy, tasty granola. Great job, Glutenfreeda!
Granola never tasted this good! Roasted cashews and plump dried cranberries are the cornerstones to our Cranberry Cashew Honey granola. This wholesome cereal is the perfect way to start your day, carry you through the day or even end your day, as a late night snack. Our Cranberry Cashew Honey Granola is made with certified gluten-free oats and is a great way to get fiber back into your diet, deliciously.
Each box contains 4 convenient travel pouches. Just slide one in your purse, briefcase or backpack for a nutritious ‘anytime’ snack.’
Granola never tasted this good! Roasted cashews and plump dried cranberries are the cornerstones to our Cranberry Cashew Honey granola. This wholesome cereal is the perfect way to start your day, carry you through the day or even end your day, as a late night snack. Our Cranberry Cashew Honey Granola is made with certified gluten-free oats and is a great way to get fiber back into your diet, deliciously.
Each box contains 4 convenient travel pouches. Just slide one in your purse, briefcase or backpack for a nutritious ‘anytime’ snack.’
Granola never tasted this good! Roasted cashews and plump dried cranberries are the cornerstones to our Cranberry Cashew Honey granola. This wholesome cereal is the perfect way to start your day, carry you through the day or even end your day, as a late night snack. Our Cranberry Cashew Honey Granola is made with certified gluten-free oats and is a great way to get fiber back into your diet, deliciously.
Each box contains 4 convenient travel pouches. Just slide one in your purse, briefcase or backpack for a nutritious ‘anytime’ snack.’
Lundberg Family Farms Organic Roasted Red Pepper Brown Rice Pasta and Sauce Mix
Product: Lundberg Family Farms Organic Roasted Red Pepper Brown Rice Pasta and Sauce Mix – $5.99+
Lundberg Family Farms…is, quite honestly, one of my most trusted brands for gluten-free goodness. I love the brown rice cakes. I love the gluten-free risottos, the gluten-free rice blends…even their brown rice pasta. So, a little while ago, I heard about their latest addition to their gluten-free food line-up. Brown rice pasta and sauce mixes.
I saw an ad in one of the gluten-free magazines I subscribe to and immediately went on the hunt. Sadly, at the time (and maybe still), nowhere in my area carried these delightful little boxes of pasta and sauce goodness. I was beyond disappointed.
Leave it to Columbus, Ohio. My friend Jenn took me to a natural food store there, called The Raisin Rack. It was there that I found, on one of the numerous shelves of gluten-free products, these boxes of brown rice with their own cooking sauce from Lundberg Farms. See this happy face? Yeah, I made sure I grabbed one of them. Not to get ahead of myself, but I should have grabbed one of each flavor.
As it was, I selected the Lundberg Family Farms Organic Roasted Red Pepper Brown Rice Pasta and Sauce Mix. Why? Because roasted red pepper is awesome! I’m on a roasted red pepper kick as it is…so…yeah…it was the winner. I took this home and waited for the right opportunity to cook it up. It came the night before a big trip to Colorado. With all the produce used up, I needed something fast and efficient for dinner. I went to the pantry and perused for a moment before snatching this box from the shelf and giving it a chance to wow me with an easy meal.
Lundberg Family Farms made this meal from organic rotini pasta and a flavorful sauce that is cooked up with water and the mix included in the box. When it cooks up, the spiralized brown rice pasta cooks in the water and as it sits, each noodle is blanketed in a rich and creamy sauce, all blended with amazing herbs, spices and vegetables. And yes…it actually does work out like that.
Settling in for dinner was as easy as making it. I handed a bowl of the pasta to my roomie and then settled in with mine. She dug in and actually seemed quite happy with it. I wasn’t sure how she’d like it. The sauce wasn’t a thick sauce, but it wasn’t watered down either. I just know that she likes…sauce. And she actually did like this sauce, because it does coat every noodle quite beautifully.
And the flavor is really good. I was concerned that the noodles might be bland, but they weren’t. They cooked up to a perfect al dente and then soaked in that sauce as it sat off the heat for a few minutes. All of that brought this fantastic flavor…of roasted red pepper and garlic and onion…with the right amount of seasoning from herbs and spices. It was creamy without the unhealthy cream. It was full of flavor with simple, basic ingredients. In other words…it was amazing and fantastic and delicious.
Lundberg Family Farms Organic Roasted Red Pepper Pasta and Sauce Mix is made up from organic brown rice pasta, organic dried garlic, organic dried red bell peppers, organic corn starch, organic dried onion, sea salt, organic dried cane syrup, organic brown rice flour, organic mushroom extract, organic spices (parsley and pepper), organic rice concentrate, organic olive oil, and organic sesame oil. It is gluten-free and cholesterol-free. It is also kosher and vegan. Love that.
Nutritionally speaking, the Lundberg Family Farms Organic Roasted Red Pepper Pasta and Sauce Mix serves up 2 servings per box. One serving of this pasta will dish up 220 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. You will also be consuming 440 mg sodium and 3 grams of sugar. Not too bad for something in a box, right? In addition, you’ll be taking in 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. So, this will definitely make you feel full.
If you need a quick meal that can be made in one pot, making clean-up a synch, and also providing big flavor and great taste…I highly recommend Lundberg Family Farms Organic Roasted Red Pepper Pasta and Sauce Mix. It is so easy to make, cooks to perfection, and tastes great. If you can find these boxes of pasta goodness…do give them a try.
Enjoy!!
Lundberg Family Farms Organic Roasted Red Pepper Brown Rice Pasta and Sauce Mix (cooked)
Potatoes are naturally gluten-free. Yep. They are. And that, my dearest friends, is one of the reasons I eat so damn much of them. Honestly. But, sometimes I get tired of the stuffed baked potato or the baked fries or the mashed up varieties. Sometimes I want something different. Sometimes all it takes is a little adjustment to the flavor and you have a winning recipe.
Thanks to my indulgence in all things Food Network, I recently caught an episode of The Barefoot Contessa where she literally took potatoes and turned the volume way up! And all it took…was some mustard.
It’s true. Now, my roomie doesn’t even like mustard…but she absolutely LOVED these. I think she was glad to have a serving left over. I made them while our friend Greg was in town for Sunday breakfast…and they were a huge hit. The added onion that roasts with these is a nice touch. However, I think next time I roast these up, I’ll put them on the bottom rack as some of the onions got a wee tad…dark.
But…this was a recipe worth making for sure. Going to have to do it again. I always have potatoes on hand!
2-1/2 pounds small red potatoes (or small Yukon Gold potatoes)
2 yellow onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 425°F.Cut the potatoes in halves or quarters, depending on their size, and place them on a sheet pan.
Remove the ends of the onions, peel them, and cut them in half. Slice them crosswise in 1/4-inch-thick slices to make half-rounds.Toss the onions and potatoes together on the sheet pan.Add the olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper and toss them together.
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are lightly browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Toss the potatoes from time to time with a metal spatula so they brown evenly.
Serve hot sprinkled with chopped parsley and a little extra salt.
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As is usual for me, I didn’t sprinkle with the extra salt at the end…I figured it had plenty on there already. And with the mustard…it was certainly seasoned to perfection. These were a huge hit and it makes plenty. I actually used russet potatoes, since that’s what came in my CSA bin and it worked out perfectly. Delicious recipe. Honestly…if you want a new spin on potatoes…you’ll love this.
The Celiathlete 