My Husband’s Favorite Banana Bread

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Coco

A Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

Bananas are a staple in our house, but we don’t always eat them all before they get overripe. When one or two bananas are past their prime, I peel, slice and freeze them for use in smoothies or “banana soft serve,” but when I’ve got three or more past their prime, I make banana bread. Over the years I’ve developed a healthy banana bread recipe that my husband really likes–he just needs to learn that the “serving size” is not one mini-loaf!

My Husband's Favorite Banana Bread

So, what makes this a healthy banana bread recipe? It uses unsweetened applesauce instead of butter or oil, and half of the flour is whole wheat flour. Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

Shaking Things Up

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Coco

By now you’ve all heard of the 5.8 (or 5.9?) earthquake that hit central Virginia yesterday, sending shock waves up the east coast. I know you Californians are mocking us, but it was my first earthquake experience and I found it quite disconcerting!

I was working at my desk when it hit. At first we all thought the vibration was due to heavy equipment from nearby construction, but as the building kept shaking we headed for the stairwell. It stopped by the time we got there, so we stopped and asked each other what was going on.  (No thanks to my colleagues from California who said it didn’t feel like an earthquake!) We went back to our offices only to be evacuated a few minutes later.

Once I got outside, I was able to reach my son and my mom via text message and confirmed that they were fine. A few minutes later my husband emailed me that he and my Dad’s wife were fine. Phew!

I had a follow-up podiatrist appointment, so as soon as we were allowed back in the building I walked down into the parking garage, got in my car, and fought the early rush hour traffic to get home.

My son made it home first, and said that cabinet doors were open and some things had fallen over. Here’s what my bathroom looked like:

My husband inspected the house as best as he could, and didn’t detect any damage. We did lose a few picture frames that crashed off the wall, but nothing that can’t be fixed, except for this little car.

(That’s its rear windshield up near the top right corner)

I’m sad to hear that the Washington National Cathedral didn’t fare so well (there was damage to three of the four pinnacles), especially after my recent vacation–visiting so many much older churches in Germany has renewed my appreciation for historic architectural landmarks.

Have you ever experienced an earthquake?

If you felt yesterday’s quake, how far away were you from the epicenter?

Posted in Fitness | 12 Comments

Travel Tip: Checking Luggage

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Coco

Most of my business trips are only for a few days, so I usually can squeeze enough gym clothes (always the first thing to go in!) and work outfits into a carry-on suitcase. That saves me time and money–both of which are in short supply these days! When we travel as a family, though, we usually check bags, especially if my 20 year-old clothes horse daughter is with us. On our recent vacation, I learned an important lesson about checking bags:

When you check in as a family, make sure that the agent tags each person’s bag with their own ticket.

That way, when your 20 year-old daughter decides–after checking in, going through security, and buying some magazines for the flight–that the prospect of spending the next 8 days on a boat with her parents is simply unbearable, and announces–through very convincing tears–that she just can’t go, it will be easy for the baggage crew to locate and unload the correct suitcase.

Otherwise, when all you can do is present four claim tickets to the gate agent and explain that hers is the smaller blue bag–not the nearly identical but slightly larger bag from a matched set that your husband used–and give them permission to open the bag and verify that it is full of “girl things”–you will be at the mercy of a non-English speaking baggage handler receiving the information second-hand through a walkie-talkie, and will have to say a prayer and keep your fingers crossed that they unload the correct bag.

(Which they did. Thank you KLM for your very calm, professional response to our very emotional situation.)

*This post crosses the line I usually draw against writing about my kids, but this story just had to be told, especially since I am (almost) “laughing about this later.” If you know my daughter, you are hereby sworn to secrecy and not permitted to breathe a word about this in her presence!

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Grocery Shopping Made Easy (Giveaway)

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Coco

Whenever a friend gets a new iPhone and asks what apps they should get, I always suggest the Tap Grocer grocery list app by Purkee. It is completely customizable and so easy to use–I really love it!

To make your list, you use the “Inventory” screen:

If you need something you’ve bought before, you just tap on the icon so it reads “Out.” If you need to add something new to your list, you tap on the “+” and it brings up a screen where you can enter the item name and “Section” category. There also are options to specify the size or number of an item.

You can create whatever Sections you need and–so cool!–rearrange them so they match the layout of your grocery store. I always start in the produce aisle and then encounter the meat section at the back of the store, so my Sections are organized like this:

When you are at the grocery store, you use the “Shopping List” screen:

As you add items to your cart, you “cross them off your list” by tapping on them. When you are almost done, you can clear the screen of finished items, so you can easily see what is left to find.

Another cool feature: when you cross off an item on the Shopping List, its status in the Inventory screen automatically changes from “Out” to “Stocked.” That way your Inventory list is reset for your next trip.

You even can email your shopping list–which I’ve done a few times when my daughter was willing to go to the store before I got home from work.

One thing I really like about this app is that you don’t have to re-write your grocery list every week. The Inventory screen keeps a list of everything you usually buy, and you can quickly go down the list and tap on what you need. The Inventory list is also a good reminder of the things we like to have on hand–I might not think about buying the cereal my son eats, but when I see it on the list I remember to check to see if we need a new box yet.

The current price for this app is $2.99. I don’t have many apps that I’ve paid more than 99 cents for, but this is one of them that is more than worth it.

**Tap Grocer App Giveaway**

The generous people at Purkee have given me several coupon codes to offer to my readers in a giveaway, but they expire soon (August 29, 2011). So, if you have an iPhone now and are ready, willing and able to download an app , here’s how you can enter:

  1. Leave a comment and let me know what you always forget to buy when you go grocery shopping.
  2. Send this Tweet and leave a comment saying that you did:

Check out the TapGrocerApp giveaway @Got2Run4Me http://wp.me/p131gw-EU 

One comment per entry, up to two entries per person.

I will select one winner a day from entries received by midnight east coast time on each of August 22-August 26. Make sure your comment includes an email address where I can reach you!

**FTC Notice** I paid for my own Tap Grocer app. After I drafted this post I reached out to Purkee, and they provided coupon codes with no influence over the content of this review. The review here reflects my own personal opinion of this product.

Posted in Food, Life, Product Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Silent Sunday

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Coco

(Another great sign in Breisach, Germany)

Posted in My Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment