Author: Maria Runs

Peanut chocolate crispy squares

I have made these before, and they are lovely. The recipe is from Angela, and I urge you to try it.

On Sunday I walked up to the shops (well, Aldi) and bought the few extras that I needed (rice crispies and coconut).

I normally use Nature’s Path puffed rice as it is a lot more natural, but these are not exactly a healthy treat so I wasn’t that worried! The original recipe calls for unsalted peanuts, but I decided that salted peanuts would go well in the mixture as it is very sweet (peanut butter, brown rice syrup and chocolate all melted together, plus cocoa powder, a little almond milk and vanilla).

They are then topped with a peanut butter “fudge” (basically peanut butter, melted chocolate and a little coconut oil).  I used a packet of Dr Oetker chocolate chips, and had some left so I sprinkled them on top with the coconut.

Seriously they are so tasty. I took them to a meet up on Tuesday and I think they went down well, although one of my friends is an amazing baker and she had also made chocolate peanut butter bars- we need to co-ordinate our baking a bit more!

On Monday I had a fab day. First thing I went out on a run- the weather was gorgeous.

Photo: Lovely morning for a run

I could not resist going on the fields.

Photo: Bluebells in the woods this morning

The bluebells were looking so pretty in the sunshine, and I heard two cuckoos!

I did 5.5 miles, followed by a shower and a breakfast of fresh fruit, muesli and a few puffins (might cave in and order some from i-herb although not sure if ordering cereal from across the pond is a bit extreme).

Then I was off to pick up my Mum on the way to the station. She had managed to wrangle some hospitality tickets for the play-off final (our family are Watford fans)- my Dad and brother were going with some of their friends. We went to a super posh buffet style restaurant (the waiters were all dressed like first class air hostesses and I have never had a table checked on so many times).

Photo: View from the ark restaurant at Wembley- a sea of yellow!

Our table had a lovely view and all we could see was a sea of yellow shirts streaming past. And of course the lovely sunshine. I had a lovely mixture of salads to start with, a goats cheese and caramelised onion tart for the main, and then a mini carrot cake and mini chocolate pecan pie, plus some fruit salad for dessert. We even had the option of half time and full time drinks, but we didn’t go for those in the end.

We were given a programme each, and a team sheet (it felt very strange indeed, not like we were about to watch a football match, more like we were off to the theatre).

Flames! When the players first came out! The noise was immense in the stadium, although it wasn’t a great match. It ended up feeling really awkward as in the hospitality bit you aren’t segregated (no football shirts are allowed) but we were with the Palace fans (well there was one row of 4 Watford fans a little in front) so it felt really strange. Shame that Watford lost, but we still had a good time. Also you can see in the picture how empty the middle tier is- I think a lot of people stayed in the bars and didn’t watch any of the match.

Also turned out we were sat next to Jay from the Inbetweeners (although I am not a fan of that show)- he was a Palace fan- we only realised when other people started asking him for photos.

Then the worst bit- heading back home. It always seems to take ages getting back out of London again.

It is such a shame the weather has taken a turn though. Yesterday morning I braved the allotment (the grass was actually 3 ft high in places, dandelions everywhere)- I ended up chopping loads of stuff down and pulling up a lot of weeds, and then ended up getting to my friends house late because I didn’t realise the time. My back was pretty sore, so instead of a run last night we went on a walk after dinner.

Right, that is a long enough post for now!

Running and rocking

So, where did I leave off last time? On Tuesday my legs were feeling better, so I went for a 3.1 mile run after work (I chose a new route which I thought would be about 3 miles, so I was very pleased when it ended up being a 5k)-I thought I was going slow, but I actually wasn’t that slow, and it helped my legs big time.

On Wednesday I went for the Sweatshop run, and found out we were doing the route through the fields. I didn’t want to go too hard as it is off road so generally tougher, and then a girl came along who hasn’t been since about November, so we ended up chatting for most of the run (she did so well seeing as she has done no running since then- we averaged 9.45 minute miles and didn’t stop to walk at all). I felt like I could have pushed harder, and I know she wouldn’t have minded me going ahead of her, but it was nice to have a social run for a change.

I was sent some lovely tea this week from the folks at Tea India. At the moment they are running a facebook campaign where they are giving away free tea.

Thursday was body pump- I had not been for 2 weeks so I found it pretty tough, During the jumps bit of the lunges track (you have to stand with your legs either side of a step, jump up and then land in a squat) I could not even keep up with the music by the end!

I made the batter for my post-run pancakes the night before- spelt flour, peanut flour, egg replacer, baking powder. I had them with coconut peanut butter, mango and coconut. Plus a cup of chai.

On Friday I had a rest day, and went to see my Nan after work. Then on Saturday we were up early for a run. Andy was coming with me, and I was worried I would slow him down as he has been running longer at the weekends while I was getting ready for the 10K last weekend. But it actually turned out really well- we averaged about 10 minute miles overall, and I did 8.7 miles in 1 hour 26 mins. Plus I looked back on the Garmin stats and my average time for a slightly shorter loop was around 90 minutes, so I am still doing OK for speed over longer distances. I felt pretty good- we went out before breakfast as I feel I run better then, and after about 6 miles I started to feel a bit hungry, but I still felt as if I could have carried on and run further. Although I did feel very tired later on.

I made us some chai banana milkshakes – one frozen banana, almond milk, some ice and a little chai syrup- so refreshing.

I did some housework and bits, but then spent some time chilling out in front of the TV, as we were then off to the Emirates stadium to see Muse!

Photo: Bonkers support "band"!

Dizzee Rascal was the support – I would not have put them together! We just enjoyed being outside as the weather was lovely. We could have stood on the pitch but we found some empty seats which had a better view (I can never usually see at gigs), plus we were both tired from our morning run!

Photo: I learnt 3 things tonight- Muse love fire, they hate bankers, and they have not seen Zoolander

Muse were amazing, as usual. Way back in 2000 I went to Reading festival, and Oasis (who I quite like) were headlining, but Muse were headlining in the tent, and I went to the Muse show, and it was just amazing (although back then I was right in the mosh pit! Now now!). We have seen them a few times since, and each time they are fab because they rock up their music, whereas some bands live their music is just like it is on the CD, only louder. They also utilised the open air aspect- those fire balls kept on going off. Some of it was a bit weird- there was one bit where a female actor (I think she was meant to be a banker?) came on to the stage and a petrol pump was raised up onto the stage, and she sprayed herself with petrol. Now, if I ever see that all that comes to mind is the bit in Zoolander where the models all do that and then die (also I end up with “Wake me up before you go (go?)” in my head, so I can only assume that no-one who planned the show had ever seen that film? Gave me a laugh anyway! It was a fantastic show anyway.

Today we have been taking it easy- I walked up to the shops in the afternoon, and did a bit of baking (more on that another day though), and spent time at both our parents’ houses. Tomorrow I am off to Wembley with my Mum, to cheer on the Golden Boys in the playoff final. I want to fit in a run before I go. I am feeling OK about the half marathon now (it is 2 weeks away)- I think I want to do a few 6 mile runs as my medium distance runs, and next weekend I want to do 10 miles minimum, and maybe a little more if I feel OK. I am sure I will manage the distance, but I don’t think I will break my Brighton time as it is a hilly course, and might well be a hot day. But I want to enjoy it and I feel that with some longer runs under my belt I will be able to do that.

Any Bank Holiday Monday plans? Any other Zoolander fans?

Afternoon tea blogger carnival

Sounds like my perfect afternoon out, right? If only it was a real event! In fact, Whittard are holding a virtual blogger event, where you can submit a post about afternoon tea (all the info is here) in the hope of winning some tea.

I love tea. I also love baking. I also love going to a tearoom for a tea and cake. I think it is just so civilised and relaxing. I sometimes get tempted by the full on tea (e.g. with the sandwiches) but my favourite part is the scone/cake, and of course the tea, so I usually just have that.

With that in mind, I am going to skip the sandwich part and go right to the scone and cake because these are the most important elements of afternoon tea!

You can have either part 1+2, part 1+3, or, if you are very hungry, 1+2+3. Just follow the steps for a lovely relaxing afternoon.

Part 1=Tea

First up, you need a teapot. Or at least a tea infuser, because honestly the best tea is loose leaf tea. Go for whatever tea you like. I love Earl Grey as I think it is delicate but also the tea counteracts some of the sweetness in the cake/scone. But peppermint is good too, especially if you fancy something caffeine free.

Warm the teapot with a little water, add the leaves to the infuser, and then fill it up and leave to brew. Of course, choose your nicest (biggest?) cups for the occasion.

Part 2 = Scones

Don’t worry, they were not all for me!

I think the violet icing on these lavender and lemon scones just makes it look so feminine – perfect for afternoon tea. They can just go on a plate, but what is the point of a cake stand if you never use it?

Part 3 = Cake

This is lemon drizzle cake, which again goes perfectly with the Earl Grey tea. Optional flower decorations (edible) but they make it even prettier.

Again, it was tea for two!

What tea/ cake combination would you choose for afternoon tea?

Recycling my clothes

Hey everyone

I hope you are all doing well. my legs have been quite sore today (after that run  yesterday) but in strange places. My hips have felt tight whereas usually it’s my hamstrings. Who knows why. But I did get to go to the waffle house after work as it is my students last week (and she is a fan too)- I had a lovely waffle with pecans and butterscotch sauce- delicious (and will surely help with recovery).

I have been loving this snack this past week! I was inspired by Claire to try some cocoa/cacao nibs (are they the same thing?)- this was vanilla soya yoghurt, cocoa nibs and some trail mix. So tasty! I thought the cocoa nibs would be bitter, but they add a lovely crunch and a sort of cocoa flavour too.   Now I am sad because I used the last of the yoghurt yesterday and have nothing else to add sprinkles too.

Well anyway, I mentioned before that one of my jobs for the weekend was to sort out the clothes that I don’t wear any more. I normally leave them out in one of those charity bags, but I have not been sent one of them recently. And someone mentioned (Lara possibly?) that she used a clothes recycling company, where they pay you for each item, or a certain amount per kilogram.

So that was me on Sunday evening- pairing up old boots and shoes, and folding up all my old jumpers and things. The link above pays per item, so if you had designer things it would be worth entering each one. I went for a pay per kg website in the end, as I don’t buy expensive clothes to begin with really.

I am not quite finished. I need to go through my jeans- I have so many pairs and really only wear a few on rotation. Last year after I came out of hospital I had to buy a bigger pair (partly because I had put on a little weight after being pretty sedentary for months, and also because my scars were right around my waist) but they are a little too big now and not very flattering either. I have some others that don’t fit that well but I like to keep a spare pair for gardening in, plus some are better with boots and some are better with trainers. That will be a mammoth trying on session I think.

I have some jumpers in a box in the wardrobe- I put them in there to see if I will ever need to wear them. Then, if I don’t then after a few months I know they can be recycled.

So now instead of a pile of clothes in the corner of the living room, we have a big filled with clothes, waiting for me to finish sorting them out so it can be collected. Ah well, I did get closer to the end of the job now! I love that feeling when I have had a big sort out, so that is my incentive at the moment.

Do you love a good sort out? Cocoa/ cacao nibs? Is there a difference? 

 

Wheathampstead 10K done!

Hey peeps!

Thanks for all the well wishes from yesterday.  I was ready this morning to aim high and push for a sub 60 min 10k. My fastest time (from 2010, and on an easier course) was 1.01.28, so I wanted to beat that. I went to the lucozade website and copied down the split times I needed per mile (9.29 per mile basically) and then I wrote down the km splits too as it suddenly occured to me that there would be km markers and not mile markers. They ended up being 5.54 per km, but seeing as I never pay attention to km times it was just for me to check at each marker.

The course starts off on a small country lane (I lined up at the back of the 55-60 mins time section, along with my brother who was also running), and then right after you cross the start mat you go along an old railway line (basically a muddy and stony path), a very steep uphill section, and then through a lot of fields, some woods, and finally back along some of the first section, across some playing fields to the finish. It has always been seen as a tough course, and they had changed the route this year to make it a little easier. There were supposedly no bottle necks (there used to be a style, and a few cow gates, steep downhill steps and a few other countryside things), but there was one where you had to go through a narrow gap in a hedge row to get onto some fields.

I kept checking my watch, and I kept the little bit of paper in my hand so I could check it at each km marker. For the first few kms, I was ahead by about a minute, but then I lost that time as I had to queue to get through the gap in the hedge (I met one of the Sweatshop runners there, and she said she had seen my brother a bit further back too). After that there was a long uphill section through some fields and I found that very tough indeed- the sun came out and it suddenly got very hot (I only had on a t-shirt and capris, but no visor or anything)- there was no shade and the mud was hard and rutted which seemed to make it tougher still. I was still doing OK for the times, although I am not sure that the markers were in the exact right places (which I am not complaining about, but the 5k marker for example was before I got to 3 miles on my watch- even allowing for a bit of weaving they are probably out by a bit)- I think I had around 30 seconds of leeway. I gave the water station a miss at around 7 kms as by that point I decided I would just wait until the end. There were some very narrow sections across fields and I could feel myself being very put off by the people overtaking as they were breathing very hard and sounded so close! I tried to move over when I could, but at some points the path was barely wide enough for one person to run across. At one point we ran across a field (of wheat perhaps?) and I found that off putting as the leaves kept brushing on my legs and I was convinced I was going to tread on one long leaf with one leg, and then trip over it with the other foot. Anyway, one thing I find hard at races is controlling the adrenaline. When we got to the 8km marker there were a few more people out, and I get that surge, which then leaves my legs feeling a bit wobbly. I am not sure how to deal with that really. There was a very steep downhill section (very stony too!!) and I did try to speed up, as I think my then I was cutting it fine, but I think I was being a bit cautious still.

Finally we reached the path near the fields, ran over a little bridge and then I could see the end! Just the edge of the playing fields to go. I think I had a minute to go on my watch and didn’t think I could make it, but I pushed as hard as I could!

Photo: Wheato 10K !

I stopped my watch as I crossed the chip mats, and I was amazed to see I had made it in one hour (and about 30 seconds I think it says- very blurry pic!). I walked around for a bit, put on my medal and had some water, and waited for my brother as I knew he was a bit behind me.

There is the finish line! Excuse my finger in the way- I didn’t notice that when I took it! I really like the race as they have a 2k kids race earlier on, and a few stalls on the field and a bouncy castle too!  A nice family morning out.

The medal has the race name and year engraved on the back. My Mum picked us up (Andy had dropped us off) and dropped me off at home as the parking can be very busy there.

Yes, I am awful at taking my own photo, but Andy has gone to the football today (otherwise he would have run the race too) so no-one around to do it for me. My face was all salty- I have not had that feeling in a while. I think it is actually quite warm out there, despite the cloudy weather.

I had some mango coconut water (my fave), a cereal bar and a little chocolate (we brought this back from Nice last May- I had forgotten all about it!) before a shower, and then had some lovely sourdough toast and an apple.

I checked the official results- 1 hour and 34 seconds! I will take that! It is a pb for me, and as Rose pointed out to me on facebook, it was an off road course so it was tougher than the same distance on roads. The last time I did that course was back in 2010 where I finished in 1.03.55, and my most recent 10K was the one in Nottingham in 2011 (1.01.33- that was on a gentler course too), so I am really pleased to beat all those times and get myself a new 10k pb!

I need to pop to the shops now, and then I have some work to do but at least I can do that sat down! Happy Sunday folks! 🙂