‘Twas a Terrific Tuesday

Morning Goodness...ohhh yeah!

Well, today was simply put a terrific Tuesday. As I recline here on my bed, wishing I was sleepier than I am with an early-morning alarm facing me, I feel content and happy with the day. And how could it not be a good day when I started with the above for my breakfast?! 😉 Actually, from wake-up to out-the-door I had a bit of banana, almond butter, and homemade granola bar…had a great workout with a new client, went for a gorgeous run on 22X towards the mountains and then back towards the car into the sun, and then came home and cooked these babies up. Talk about a power-packed meal! Check out my Recipe of the Month section in May on the “Fun Food” page and you too can make these great pancakes.

After my run and breakfast I made some good, strong espresso roast coffee (thanks, Karen!) and enjoyed some reading, being encouraged by Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 24…great words, timely then and now, that set a good tone to my day. As much as bodily health is important, I’m reminded to take care of my whole self, heart and mind included.

At this point in my morning, rather than plunge into my studying for my upcoming Nutrition & Wellness Specialist exam, I browsed online at a couple of food/fitness blogs that I’ve been enjoying and learning a lot from. I was inspired to…oddly enough…go for another run! The weather was perfect for running – crisp, clean, not too chilly but not too comfortable. So out I went again! This one, although I was a bit stiff as I set out, was relaxing and enjoyable, and I took time to notice the birds as I ran in the valley next to the river just down the ridge from our house. Beautiful, grateful to move and be alive.

I was about ready for lunch when I returned, so I whipped up this weird but tasty combo of kidney beans, half a sweet potato, some homemade hummus, chicken, and BBQ sauce on a little bun. Good for refueling!

...tastes better than it looks! 😉

Then the studying set in! Then the house cleaning, then the prep for small group. Every Tuesday night a RAD bunch of people come over and we eat together, talk about life, pray for each other, and sometimes go play on the playground together. 😉 I felt oddly inspired (really, I’m not sure where all these urges to cook are coming from lately! I’ve always been more of a “maker” than a “baker” or “chef”) and experimented with some corn bread:

No buns for burgers? Corn bread will do!

…got the table ready:

Table set...not pictured: the bulgar burgers, the condiments, the delicious Greek salad (thanks, Nicole!), the wine (nice, Jon!), and the giant cookie-cake (thanks Jacque!).

…and made the bulgar burgers! This recipe came from here, the recent issue of Runner’s World magazine. Although mine turned out crumbly, I think they were a hit (at least, everyone enjoyed them and some had seconds)! It was fun to eat a meat and grain burger and I’ll definitely keep trying them and learning to cook them better (and maybe clean out our oven? Looking a little grungy…).

The bulgar burgers: grains (bulgar) + meat (beef) in a tasty, less-saturated-fat-high-protein combo!

Some “healthy” cookies were in order…also crumbly (perhaps that’s what happens sans oil and eggs as even following directions doesn’t always work for me!) but tasty (I had more than a few too many of these). 😉

Healthy Nut Cookies (not sure if anyone realized there was almond/sunflower/pumpkin seed meal in these!): crumbly but delish.

It was a great day! I was so encouraged by our small group and am constantly thankful for their lives, their kindness, their fun ways, the different personalities, and the common desires we share to hold each other up, keep one another accountable, and live life with Jesus alongside of each other. What a great night and a gnarly group of people.

Well, I’m off to Vancouver to join my husband who has been out on the coast since last Saturday for a Young Adult Cancer Canada retreat. Looking forward to meeting new people, going deep, and praying for the time out there as it will undoubtedly be a difficult but rewarding weekend as people share their stories and let their walls come down…it’s so much more than discussing cancer. New friendships and old ones await with lots of learning and growth to come. Grateful for life, happy to be here.

Thanks for reading, all! Live well and be well,

My post-run(s) stretch 😉

-Bonnie