Temperature Teasers and 2011 staples :)

Hey guys! Is this wacky weather or what?! It was 74F 2 days ago...now it's snowing! Man...craziness!
Anyhow...my posts lately haven't really been "daily eats"...I was wondering what you guys thought of my new format? Yay or nay? I usually don't take pics of all my stuff...just usually when I have an awesome recipe or an exceptionally nice-looking bowl of oats ;) Getting to the point though...What do you think of my new blogging-type? Do you like my informative posts? 
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So...while I was checking blogs the other day, I ran across not one, but TWO blogs saying how amazing Target's new Peanut, Almond Cashew butter is...and as most of you could have already guessed, I HAD to get my hands on some of this baby.

No pic, but if you've read many blogs lately, you've already seen this one popping up all over the place :)


Skating is going great :) I've gotten most all of my jumps back since I fell....still tweaking things and improving as I go, but my coach said it doesn't look like I've been off for that long! :D "sigh of relief"!

So...with this BEAUTIFUL (or has-been beautiful) weather I started running daily again...during the cold months I usually only do it 2-3 times a week and get my exercise in other forms (strength, treadmill, workout video, elliptical, stat. bike, etc.) but alas, with warm weather comes my hankering for more runs. I AM ADDICTED TO RUNNING AGAIN! With my knee injury, I obviously couldn't do much except ab + upper body...but now that my knee is good-o again, I have been a running machine! :D And...wait for it...I am  signing up for my first race since my injury! It's a 4-miler at the beginning of March! I am SO excited!
Today I hit up a nearby trail to do a 5-miler with one of my good friends. We had such a blast! The weather was PERFECT and we were the only people out :)



Now for a few foods that will grant you peak performance and make your belly (and your taste buds!!) super happy :D

Most everyone in this day in age would agree with me when I said that it's not always budget-friendly to eat healthy. I mean, fresh fruits and veg, when in season, can be a steal, but other times, you have to be at the right place at the right time, and keep up with sales, etc...who has time for that?! A few things to always have on hand, no matter the season, that won't lighten your wallet to much...

Frozen veggies: To be completely honest, it is pretty hard to go wrong with frozen veg. They are cheap, quick to prepare when time is short, most often come in bulk sizes, and are 99% of the time packages without any added ingredients. Can you beat that?! I am a huge believer in the power of frozen things--I guess that's my inner skater coming out ;)

Canned Beans: These are pretty great too. Amazing nutritional value (high in protein, good source of carbs, loads of fiber, etc.) and also generally low-in cost. My favs? Lentil, kidney, pinto, and garbanzo. Yummy :)

Raisins: As most everything I post is, raisins are a phenomenal oatmeal topper. They also provide great nutrition...especially when ingested during activity. Raisins pack just enough carbs and natural sugar to be the perfect mid-workout (or mid-day, even!) pick-me-up. And they come in generous packages (or in single serving and mini-sizes) to last a while.

I have a pretty exciting dinner planned for tonight. :) I'll post the recipe soon. Hope everyone has a great rest of the week!
Stay happy and healthy.
:D
I read a quote today that I want to share with you all. "You cannot solve a problem with the same mind set that you had when the problem started." -Albert Einstein
Such a simple statement, yet so powerful and thought-provoking!