week 6 and other things…

It’s hard to believe I’m already in week six of my training schedule….so far, so good!  The only thing that I’ve struggled with over the course of this program is the walking in between the longer runs.  I never thought that I’d ever get to this point, but I’d actually rather keep running than slow it down to a fast walk.  After the walk it’s hard to get going again!  Other than that, I really like the breakdown of this program.

Week 6 Schedule:

Day 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

Day 2:Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

• Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)

Day 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 22 minutes) with no walking

 

In other news, that little “home schooling meltdown” I had last week is now pretty much under control thanks to my mom who saved me with some literature-based materials that she used when she was teaching.   We’ll be reading and studying “Little House in the Big Woods” and my princess Makenna can’t wait!  We’re getting ready to step back in time and make us some homemade butter, a yarn doll, make a family map and family tree.  We’ll be learning words like swagger, bushel, dainty, handkerchief, petticoat and whittle, just to name a few! 

Grammy saved the day…again!  Thanks Mom!! 

 

So naturally I returned the favor by cooking her up some yummy goods!  Thursday I baked her up some gluten free Apple Cinnamon Scones.  And Friday I cooked her up some Spanish Quinoa with Black Beans and Avocado to share with the BUNCO ladies!

Spanish Quinoa with Black Beans and Avocado

Ingredients:

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 large sweet onion

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup salsa (I used homemade, but feel free to use your favorite!)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 Tbsp lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Begin by cooking the quinoa in a medium saucepan on the stovetop.  Add 1 cup dry quinoa to 1 3/4 cups of water and 1 Tbsp coconut oil.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked.

Meanwhile, dice the onions and mince your garlic.  Saute onions in a little olive oil (1 Tbsp) over medium heat until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Once the quinoa has finished cooking, fluff with a fork and add black beans, salsa and onion mixture.  Stir to combine and heat through.

Add lime juice and reduce to low heat.  Stir in tomatoes and avocado.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Love the colors in this dish!

You could add a little heat with some “hot salsa” or “cayenne pepper”, but I kept it mild.  It’s a great dish to have fun with and customize to your family’s liking…add in other veggies, maybe some corn or mushrooms!

All I know is that it is worth making because it is so good, not to mention good for you! 

Then there were Saturday morning pancakes! 

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup (gluten free)

Yields 8 small pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup Pamela’s Baking Mix

1/ 4 cup gluten free rolled oats

2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup water

1 “chia” egg (1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water.  Let soak for 5-7 minutes)

1/2 banana, sliced

Blueberry Syrup:

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together until well combined.  If the batter is too thick you can add a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

For Blueberry Syrup: combine maple syrup and blueberries in a small saucepan and simmer over low-to-medium heat for about 20-25 minutes or until blueberries begin to break down and sauce thickens.  You can add more maple syrup if you’d like a thinner consistency.

Meanwhile, spray a skillet with cooking spray and let warm up over medium heat.  Scoop about a 1/4 cup of batter onto warmed skillet and place about 3-4 slices of banana on top of the batter, pressing down slightly.  Cook pancakes about 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping only once.  Continue until all batter is used.  You’ll have a fun banana surprise on one side!  Top pancakes with warm blueberry syrup!

  Next time I’ll double the recipe because they kept coming back for more!!

Back to grind…putting together more vocabulary and grammar lessons for school!

Blessings,

J’lene