Is Maple Syrup Sweeter Than Honey?

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Coco

I am wary of most food fads and didn’t pay much attention to the Canada Maple Syrup representatives at Fitbloggin, but as I was sorting out all my swag, their brochure caught my attention.


At first I laughed at this statement:

Before your workout, maple syrup gives you the energy burst needed to power through your exercise regimen.

I mean, it’s sugar! But then I saw this nutrition information chart:

Now, I know I’m never going to consume a 1/4 cup “serving” of maple syrup (I just don’t like that much sweetness), but the chart provides an interesting comparison to my other go-to liquid sweetener, honey. I was surprised to see that maple syrup has more of some nutrients than honey, and fewer grams of sugars.

(Pure Maple Syrup in our Fitbloggin swag bag)

I do like a drizzle of maple syrup on my banana oatmeal pancakes, and I did put some Grade B maple syrup on my oatmeal at Fitbloggin (the darker grade syrup has more antioxidants and a stronger flavor) and it was delicious. Now, I may try it on other things instead of honey–like peanut butter toast. The Pure Canada Maple website has more interesting recipes, including a “sports drink” recipe (based on orange juice) and a smoothie recipe.

Do you like maple syrup? What do you think I should try it on?

Have you tried agave nectar?

Posted in Food | Tagged , | 16 Comments

No Rest Day At Fitbloggin (Army Ten Miler Training)

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Coco

This was one of those weeks when training for the Army Ten Miler took a back seat to other priorities. I started the week off strong, got derailed by a headache that wouldn’t go away, and then got my ass kicked at Fitbloggin.

Monday (Treadmill Speed Intervals: 3.05 mi, 30 min)
I hit the snooze button one too many times and only had about half an hour for my workout. After walking my dog (1 mile), I made the most out of time with speed intervals on the treadmill.

Tuesday (Weight Routine)
Elliptical: 10 min warm-up
Weights: I did my full strength routine—my elbow is finally healed enough to do side planks.

Wednesday (Dog Walk: 2 miles)
My head was throbbing, so I took my dog for a long walk instead of doing a more intense workout.

Thursday (Treadmill Incline Intervals)
I sabotaged my workout plans with the snooze button again. I decided to get to work early so I could leave work on time and squeeze in a workout at the hotel gym before Fitbloggin. Although traffic to Baltimore was horrible, I got there with just enough time to squeeze in 45 minutes on the hotel treadmill and take a quick shower before the Fitbloggin welcome session.

Friday (Fitbloggin Day 1)
Yoga: I started the day with yoga at 6:00 am. It was a great, one hour-ish class.
CrossFit: I was so excited to try CrossFit! The CrossFit class was mostly information (what it CrossFit) and instruction (how and why to do deep squats), but six minutes of squats, sit-ups and burpees felt like plenty!
Cathe Friedrich: When I saw the Fitbloggin’ schedule, I could not believe that Cathe Friedrich was really going to be there. She led us through a kick-ass workout and was nice enough to post for pictures afterwards.

Saturday (Fitbloggin Day 2)
Run: A few people training for races met up at o’dark-thirty for a run around the Inner Harbor.  We covered about 7 miles.


JumpSport: Trampoline was one of my favorite summer camp activities, so I was eager to try the Fit Trampoline workout. Little did I know it would be my first tabata-style workout. We did different moves for 20 seconds at a time, alternating between the trampoline and the floor. It was fun and left me dripping with sweat and wondering why I had bothered to shower after my run.

(I love the Reebok shoes in our swag bag!)

Zumba: Mrs. Fatass led us in a special birthday edition of her Zumba class. I am so uncoordinated with dance moves, but I had a lot of fun.

After all that, I really need a massage. Or at least a long session with a foam roller. But Fitbloggin isn’t done kicking my ass yet–the final event is a 5K tomorrow!

Posted in Fitness, Training Log | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

My Men Eat This Quiche

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Coco

This easy healthy quiche recipe is one of my favorite tried-and-true meals. We usually have it for dinner one night, and then I enjoy the leftovers for breakfast or lunch. 

Easy Quiche Recipe

This recipe is easy, healthy, delicious, and satisfying. It’s also versatile, and can be prepared with a variety of fillings depending on your tastes, your mood, or what’s in your refrigerator. (I made this one with chopped baby spinach and diced onion.) It makes four full servings or six servings if paired with a side dish or salad.

Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Tagged , | 9 Comments

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday (The Problem With Peaches)

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Coco

(The peaches I bought on Sunday didn’t make it to Wednedsday)

Posted in Food, Venting | Tagged | 8 Comments

I Sold My (Grocery Store) Soul For One Dollar

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Coco

I usually am so good about ignoring “sale” prices on junk food. I basically stopped clipping coupons because I realized that I was mostly using them to buy processed foods that I don’t really want to be eating anyway. When the grocery store aisles are crowded with sale displays for chips and cookies, I usually shake my head and squeeze by, but last week I succumbed to crap that was on sale for $1–$1!

The first item I blame on my husband. When I asked him if there’s anything in particular he wanted me to fix for dinner, he asked for this by name.

Manwich

The second one I blame on the combination of (i) a sale on Laura’ Lean ground beef and (ii) being desperate for recipe ideas besides taco salad and Manwiches.

 Hamburger Helper

For the third one, I have no one to blame but myself.

Hello Panda Cookies

Were there supposed to be two servings in that box?

Are you tempted by sale prices on junk food?

Do you clip coupons?

Posted in Food | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments