Apple Computer Inc. (via thefameofhealth)

-Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins-

 

Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c granulated sugar
1/3 c canola oil
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c non dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease your muffin tins.

• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda.

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar and the oil. Then add the mashed banana and chocolate chips. Stir in the water and vanilla until incorporated. Add flour mixture, a little at a time and stir until just incorporated.

• Fill all 12 muffin cups evenly and bake about 30 minutes, until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of one or two comes out cleanly.

Here is a site that has a nice, big timer so you won’t lose track of time or stop too soon. It is a Tabata timer, but can be used for lots of other workouts too! Just change the time or rounds you want to do. I like how you can customize this baby to whatever you are doing. The timer also counts down and turns red and green when you stop or begin. I might be going a little overboard describing this timer, but I am just excited I finally found something like this! Enjoy!

thefameofhealth:

This quote is brilliant!

“As we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same, as we are liberated from our own fear. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

I’m working on letting my light shine brighter.

noquit:

Getting on the right track is an awesome first step. But you need to keep pushing yourself by doing more. Then discovering your limits and blowing past them to make new ones.

 So true and well said!

-Soup Du Jour_Vegan Style-

by Crystalin

Aside from vegan tomato basil, this hearty vegetable soup is one of my all time favs. Spring, winter, summer, I’ll take it any time of the year. I’ve had several variations of this dinning out but never found the perfect broth to veggie ratio. So, in my attempts to create this soup I’ve so deliciously imagined up, I decided to stray from any recipe, add my favorite veggies, and make it my own.

Recipe: I sauteed onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. I added the veggie broth and brought it to a boil. Once it was boiling, I added broccoli and potatoes. Brought that to a boil and then let it simmer. In the mean time I was roasting cherry tomatoes in the oven. Right before serving, I added the  roasted tomatoes, basil, oregano, and rosemary.

It turned out absolutely fantastic; healthy, hearty, fresh, and perfect for this time of the year!

Also, check out Crystalin’s Vegan blog with great recipes!

givemehealthy:

by ilovedust

the running alphabet.

i want a shirt that says “just run”. somebody make one for me. thanks.

I want a purple shirt with this on it. Or green, I would take green too. :)

C.S. Lewis (via kari-shma)

(Source: kari-shma, via quote-book)

I used to hate these mini cabbage devils when I was a child (I would have to slather them with ketchup), but these days I don’t mind them. Brussel Sprouts are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and surprisingly have a decent amount of protein in them. Here are some ideas on how to cook these not so devilish mini cabbages….

1. Add Intervals. 
This is my #1 tip for beating treadmill boredom. I tend to tell people that I have exercise A.D.D. because I can’t do any one thing for long before I get really distracted. To me, simply being on the treadmill is boring. Why add to it by running (or walking) at the same pace or incline the entire time? Intervals are by far the BEST way to pass the time on any cardio machine. Rather than 30 minutes of running (or walking) at one continuous pace, you can break up your run into six 5-minute intervals, for example. It really helps the time fly by and gives you something to focus on. Now if you’re not sure what to do, don’t worry. Interval training is not rocket science. All it means is that you work harder, then you work easier by changing up your speed and/or incline. Here are some examples of how I incorporate intervals on the treadmill to pass the time. Note that you may need to adjust the speeds here to suit your fitness level, as these are just examples to give you ideas. 

Interval Example #1

• Run at 7 mph for 1 minute.
• Run at 7.5 mph for 1 minute.
• Run at 8 mph for 1 minute.
• Sprint at 9 mph for 30 seconds.
• Recover at 6 mph for 2 minutes.
• Repeat until you reached your workout goal (30 minutes, 3 miles, etc.)

Interval Example #2

• Run or walk at a moderate pace for 2 minutes.
• Run or walk at a challenging pace for 1 minute.
• Run or walk at an easy pace for 1 minutes.
• Repeat until you reached your workout goal (minutes or miles).

The types of intervals you can do are really endless. Shake things up and change it each time you hit the treadmill. For more ideas, check out these Interval Workouts for Walkers and Interval Workouts for Runners. 

2. Race someone. 
I discovered this by accident. One of my good friends is a trainer at my gym, and when I hopped on the treadmill—all set to do my own interval workout—he jumped on the treadmill next to me a couple minutes later and said he was going to race me. “First one to a mile wins!” I know it seems silly, but it really motivated me to push myself and to have fun with my run. That first mile was over in the blink of an eye! Bring a buddy along to try this out. If you’re working out alone, visualize yourself in a race. Or if you’re in a crowded gym, peek at the console of the person next to you and race him or her (they don’t need to know!). 

3. Watch yourself…Or Don’t. 
This tip might not work for everyone, but it does work for me. Although some research shows that watching yourself in a mirror while working out can sap your motivation, I think it depends on the person. I don’t exactly LOVE looking at myself in the mirror, but when I chose a treadmill positioned across the room but facing a mirrored wall, I found that watching myself run made me feel motivated. I’d glance up and check out my form. Seeing myself run made me feel strong and fit, and that inspired me to keep going. But if you’re the opposite, choose a treadmill without a mirror view to stay motivated. 

4. Cover the console. 
There is nothing motivating about seeing the clock slowly tick away when you’re on the treadmill. So I do my best to cover up the clock (or look away from it) as much as possible. It’s almost like a game I play with myself to see how long I can resist looking at it. A watched pot never boils, and a watched treadmill clock never ticks. You’re better off looking at something else if you’re trying to prevent boredom! 

5. Challenge yourself. 
It’s true that running and walking on a treadmill is not as challenging as doing the same exercise outside. (Learn the many reasons why here.) But the treadmill has other perks: like showing you exactly how hard you’re working. I take advantage of these truths when on the treadmill. I push myself to run faster than I normally would outside (and I can see exactly how fast I’m going!), which proves to be a fun challenge. The other perk of challenging yourself to work harder is that you can get in a great workout in a lot less time, which means less time on the treadmill! So next time, push it on those speed intervals. Try a few sprints. See how long you can maintain a quicker clip. It will all help you pass the minutes and get more accomplished in less time. 

6. Break it up. 
If you had 100 pounds to lose, you wouldn’t wait until you lose all 100 pounds before celebrating would you? No! You’d probably break it up into smaller milestones, and celebrate each one. I do the same thing when I have to hit the treadmill. Instead of dreading a 30-minute treadmill run, which just seems FOREVER long for me to run in one place, I’ll break it up into 5-minute increments. Each one I accomplish gets a mini “WooHoo!” and makes me feel like I’m closer to my ultimate goal. 

Chocolate Crunch Dessert Granola

Yield: ~6 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 & 1/4 cup regular oats
• 1/2 cup peanuts (or whatever nuts you prefer)
• 1/2-3/4 tsp kosher salt, to taste (I used 3/4 tsp)
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp brown rice syrup (this gives the clumpy factor)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 & 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick mat.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (oats, salt, peanuts). In another smaller bowl, stir together the oil, brown rice syrup, and peanut butter. Heat in microwave for about 45 seconds. Stir well and stir in vanilla.

3. Add wet to dry and stir very well until oats are coated. Spread on baking sheet and bake at 325F for 25 minutes, flipping once half way through (it will be very sticky, not to worry!). Allow to cool on baking sheet for about 30 minutes before transferring into a container. I store mine in the fridge to keep the chocolate firm. Makes 6 cups.

Note: You can probably substitute other liquid sweeteners for BRS and other light-tasting oils for coconut oil. The Brown Rice Syrup makes it quite clumpy though, so I prefer to use that sweetener in granola!

Source: OhSheGlows