Pumped-Up Summer Yogurt

Well I wrote this post earlier so a few things have changed……..Like the Madison Marathon has been cancelled so now we’re doing the Med City Marathon! I’m doing the full and Elysia is still doing the half so we’ll let you know how it goes! We did the half last year and enjoyed it and are looking forward to running together again. Unfortunately we won’t get to go to the Green Owl Cafe (which I talk about further down) but we’ll get there next time we go to Madison!

Guess what’s coming up in two days! The Madison Marathon! Yep. It’s time again for another 26.2 for me and 13.1 for Elysia. This is marathon 4 for me and I’m as apprehensive as ever going into it because I’ve lately been having some knee issues so I’m pretty nervous that it will take me out of the race early-on. I’m going to use Rock Tape to increase circulation to the area to helpfully provide relief and get me through! I’ve also been icing and biking, trying to give it a little extra help. It’s actually the back of my knee that hurts so I’m not entirely sure what it is from so if any of you know, tell me! Because of this, I have no time goal going into the marathon; my only goal is to finish, unless that means injuring myself further.

I’ve heard good things about the Madison Marathon and Elysia and I will be sure to report back our thoughts on the race itself and on how we each did, just like we did with Omaha and Mankato. Have any of you or anyone you know run Madison?

While there, we hope to check out the Green Owl Café as well, because it’s an all-vegetarian restaurant and you know we like to eat! Unfortunately they’ll only be open until 2 that day, but hopefully we can make it. Does anyone else have any suggestions of places that we can go while there? We’ve been there several times but have yet to really try anything.

With the marathon coming up, I’ve been trying to hydrate like crazy and eat things that will prepare my body for the endurance that it will need on Sunday. Other than drinking a lot of fluid, you can also hydrate by eating foods with a higher water ratio. Because of this, and because it’s delicious, I bought a watermelon the other day at a local co-op to snack on. Not only does watermelon provide hydration, it also contains lycopene (the popular carotenoid famous in tomatoes), aka cancer-fighting antioxidant properties. It’s great for fighting inflammation too!

While watermelon is delicious on its own, I decided to amp up the flavor of my morning yogurt with this treat. Combing the yogurt with tofu, watermelon and protein powder gave me a great start to my day, along with the addition of chia seeds. For this recipe I used Vanilla Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Protein Powder as I’ve found that I enjoy it the most out of powders I’ve tried.

Powered-Up Summer Yogurt
[Serves 1]

• 154 grams Watermelon (a little over 1 cup)
• 3 oz./one serving Mori-Nu Silken Lite Tofu
• ½ cup Unsweetened Plain Soy Yogurt (or your favorite alternative)
• 1.5 Tbsp. Chia Seeds
• ½ tsp. Vanilla Powder, Paste or extract
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• Splash of orange juice or lemon juice (or to taste/optional)
• ½ banana, frozen (optional)
• ½ scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
• Stevia, to taste (I didn’t use much but it depends on how sweet your watermelon is)

– Combine ingredients up to the banana (not including it) in a food processor and blend until smooth (the chia seeds did not blend but it created a tapioca-like effect). Let sit for a couple of hours or overnight for a thicker texture. I left mine in my food processor and put it in the fridge overnight.

– Right before you eat it, blend in the banana and protein powder and add sweetener, if desired.

– Stir in more chopped banana or some Ezekiel Flax Cereal for added texture and taste!

Do you have any Spring marathons or events planned?

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!! Wow it is such a perfect day to celebrate the awesome women who are known by the unifying name of, “mom.”  I think I speak for just about all of us when I say our moms deserve so much more then a day of dedication.  Such hard working and caring individuals should be celebrated every day for all they do.

Charissa and I couldn’t possibly ask for a better mother.  This amazing woman puts all of her heart and soul into each one of her children like it was her only job.  A perfect example of how caring she actually is -> when we were babies she never once bought formula or pre-made baby food; before the baby bullet was even invented she would puree fresh food for us every meal.  I always talk about how important child nutrition is and she truly set us up for the healthy lifestyle we live today.

Like most girls, growing up we were not always the easiest two to deal with, hehe :), but like the super woman she is she busted through our mood swings and temper tantrums that we would throw on an all too regular basis.  Though there will always be those days where you want to rip each others hair out, there really is no bond that could even relate to that of a mother and her child.  So today I really hope that everyone is taking the time to fully thank their mothers for the often less then perfect hand they may have to deal with on those, ehem, rare… occasions.  I sure am.

Thank you mom for always being there for us, helping us through the stress and the difficult times and sharing in the many laughs along the way.  You have effected us in a way that we will never be able to fully express and for that we are ever grateful.   The last few years I have really gotten the opportunity to get closer to you and I am beyond excited to see what the future has in store for us!

Unfortunately Charissa and I were not able to be home for Mother’s Day due to work obligations but we did get to spend Friday night and Saturday with her! Friday our brother and his girlfriend joined us for a wine tasting at a fairly new winery in our area for a wine tasting.  While all were delicious, of course, we really enjoyed a new sparkling moscato that they saved for last.  After we got our drink on at Four Daughters Vineyard, we went home for a delicious homemade Chinese meal and some of our dad’s homemade port, yum!!

Saturday we made our parents Cinnamon French Toast and had a lazy day of laying out in the sun and gardening with the parents.  The night definitely would not have been complete without a boatload of grilled vegetables and our Baked Portabella Mushrooms!

For other dinner ideas to cook for mom tonight check out our Main Event page! And remember, it’s mother’s day for many of those animals out there as well, so be respectful and don’t eat their kids! 🙂

Before I sign out and lay in the sun here’s a fun Mother’s Day fact for you!

A mother giraffe often gives birth while standing, so the newborn’s first experience outside the womb is a 6-foot drop! Ha!

Thank you again to all of the mothers out there, we really do appreciate all that you do!