Evening all!
Have you checked out my wishes post first of all- you never know some readers might get lucky!
Today was the Willow 10k- I kept calling it the Hatfield House one, as it is around the grounds.
We ended up parking in the wrong car park (as the written directions said to go there, and the map was of a different entrance) so had a bit of a walk to get to the start. I was hoping to run it all, and I was hoping for 66 mins, as I think that is the pace I am capable of at the moment. The run was lovely- gently undulating, through fields and on tracks- some lovely shaded parts (I wore a long sleeved top as it was so cold yesterday, and I was rather hot!). There were a couple of very steep hills- one at 5K where I really wanted to give up. There were very enthusiastic marshalls, which is always so fantastic as they give up their time to help out at these races. I didn’t take my mp3 player so it was just me and the sights, so I really felt I took it in more- although I was rather alarmed at my heavy breathing going up the steep hill! The final part was a killer too- you came out of the woods and into a strong headwind, up a hill and on long grass- the finish line in sight but 1k away! I wanted to stop and walk then (I felt a little sick and had real jelly legs), and the thought did pop into my head “if I am finding 10k hard, how am I going to manage 10 miles in 3 weeks time” but I pushed it away and tried for a strong finish. Even got to shake Bob Wilson’s hand (he set up the charity)- lucky him as I was sweaty haha!
This is me once I got home with my medal! I do love a good medal 🙂 Andy’s parents surprised us by coming down to see us (as it was almost a loop which you repeated I saw them just at the 5K mark) and so after we finished running we wandered around the lovely shops at Hatfield House before heading home.
The all important goody bag- including a £5 sweatshop voucher, kitkat and mikly way (no banana though), and a little Mr Benn pin.
I got a pirate one and Andy got a cowboy one! Pretty cool mementos I think.
Anyway, I was pleased because I ran all the way, and I think I came in at around 66 mins- the clock time said 67 but I was near the back and had to walk a bit before I went over the start line (the chip times are not available yet). So not my best 10k time, but not my worst either.
Onto the baking! I have been making some bribes for my colleagues- I often bake during the year for work anyway, so once a year asking for sponsorship I think it is ok.
Thanks Jess for the guess- but it was white chocolate (not cheese)- first up;
Pb and white chocolate blondies- these are always super popular at work 🙂
Using my new Lakeland baking trays!
I am so pleased at how they turned out! I keep saying to Andy I think they look like they could be on a market stall. He thinks this is me insulting my baking, but I mean on a nice farmers market stall or something. Like at the start of Rachel Allen’s Bake show. Do you know what I mean?
I also made some dark chocolate brownies- again these are always popular.
Yummy 🙂
I also made white chocolate fudge. Then I put them all into individual bags with a tie saying “in exchange for this blondie/brownie/fudge please sponsor Maria“- with the website and stuff. Fingers crossed it helps me raise some more. Fudge bags;
My table is covered in the little bags!
Blondie bags:
And brownie bags;
And one of each;
I think they look so pretty anyway! It was a lot of work to make them all, and bag them up and decorate them etc, but it is for a good cause and I am hoping people will see that.
Remember, if you sponsor me (see here for details) you can win some pretty awesome prizes, plus some of my baking too. 🙂
Anyone else racing this weekend? Hope you got on OK.
Oh and for fun, here is the first pic I took of myself;
I think I am looking a bit suspiciously at the camera! OK I have taken worse but it did make me laugh!
Night 🙂
How exciting! I won a prize on the lovely 
After dinner me and Andy tried a booja booja truffle each. These were rum sultana ones-and I don’t like alchohol or drink, but I do add stuff like that to a Christmas cake -and these smelled like a Christmas cake. Or maybe just like rum- anyway they were super strong! But booja booja always make such amazing chocolate- the rest are safely in the fridge for another day. Thanks so much Rachel I am looking forward to trying every single item in the box 🙂
Warm butternut and goats cheese salad. This was spinach zapped in the microwave for half a min, topped with roasted butternut, herby goats cheese, caramelised onions, and quinoa cooked with beetroot, tomato, pepper, courgette. Yum.
Lemon slices (from Hummingbird)- I made some for my Nan 🙂
Yay my new bowl! With chocolate alpro and chocolate granola.
Alpro with coconut extract, and chocolate granola. More yumminess.
I did a blog swap with 
I had the mint brownie bite straight away and it was delicious! Thanks 
I also got my 
Some lovely looking almond desserts from Ecomil- I cannot wait to try these, perhaps in my new bowls?
How cute are they???? I got them from Paperchase when I was getting some birthday cards, so not actually in the post, but I just love them!
Oh yeah, and a commiserations magazine. This was actually for Andy, who, when his marathon training was going well, decided to sign up for the London ballot (and he didn’t tell me until after the deadline! Not that I would have applied, but anyway)- after Stockholm he was hoping to have not got in, so he was very relieved to get this in the post!
Post run snack- Chocolate Cherry Almond Luna bar courtesy of Errign- delicious 🙂
I made some carrot and raisin cakes to go with the peanut butter cookies I made yesterday.
Before the cream cheese frosting- I am getting a little obsessed with the mini loaf cases!
Oh, and one final photo- I ordered some bits from Lakeland- including piping bags and nozzles (so I no longer have to just dollop the icing on!), muslin cloth squares (for my almond milk hopefully) and these cool trays that are already divided up. I am terrible at cutting things evenly and so I am looking forward to making brownies, flapjacks, bars etc that are all perfectly the same size.
Some pumpkin whoopie pies! I was so excited to make these 🙂 Although I did not have any marshmallow fluff to add to the filling, so I made it without and the filling was super runny!
They were a hit with Andy and at work- gently spiced and really tasty. 🙂 Ones to make again for sure.
Also it is National Cupcake week this week. I am not sure if it is an excuse for the Food network to show more of Cupcake wars than usual, but I was emailed a few recipes from 
This one is nectarine, 25g oats, 100g soya yoghurt and 100ml soya milk and a lot of cinnamon, all left to mingle overnight. Yum.
And the same but with 80g frozen cherries instead of the nectarine, and sprinkled with coconut in the morning.
I had my sweet potato and kidney bean burgers again and they were yummy (with some rocket and some quinoa cooked with tomatoes, beetroot, spinach and courgette).
I opened my Starbucks chai and had a cup. Yum.
I had my hair cut again (and in fact nearly forgot- I noticed it on the calendar when I went to add the shopping delivery time!). I feel I leave the hairdresser with a normal amount of hair!
And I made something fun in the microwave. Guesses? Answer at the end!
I had a rubbish run today. I think I am in fact under the weather. My tum felt a little weird before I left, so I waited around a little longer. My whole run was such hard work, I stopped a few times to re-tie my hair and I really appreciated the walking. I was not that much slower than before- it was a while since I had run that route, but it just felt so bad. And all day I have had a sort of tummy ache, so not sure if I ate something bad yesterday, but I think on reflection I should have not gone out this morning as it made me feel worse.
I am almost out of Rude Health Multigrain thins (but no need to worry- see the good points above!).