Man, I sure have missed chewy granola bars since starting the gluten-free diet.  They weren’t something I ate regularly before starting the gluten-free diet, but you know how it goes, when someone tells you that you can have something, you want it even more!  I found Nature’s Path Dark Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars a few weeks back and then the Trail Mixer version the next trip to the health food store.  These bars are just what I have been looking for!

These bars are easily tossed in my purse or gym bag and hold up well to being sat on, squished, etc. 

Ingredients:

Granola* (gluten free rolled oats*, evaporated cane juice*, sunflower oil*, rolled amaranth*, rolled quinoa*), tapioca syrup*, brown rice flour*, brown rice syrup*, sweetened dried cranberries* (cranberries*, evaporated cane juice*, sunflower oil*), invert cane syrup*, roasted almonds*, roasted peanuts*, dried coconut*, flax seeds*, pumpkin seeds* (pumpkin seed kernels*, salt), acacia gum*, sunflower oil*, sea salt, cinnamon*, molasses*.

*Organic. Contains peanuts and tree nuts. Produced in a facility that uses soy and dairy.

I quickly fell in love with these granola bars!  The texture compared to that I remember in my pre-gluten-free granola bars is spot on!  Each bar has 140 calories, 4 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber and is certified gluten-free.  The new Trail Mixer bars are a wonderful addition to the Nature’s Path growing gluten-free product line.  Check out the store locator to see where to find the gluten-free products near you.

Do you have a favorite gluten-free granola bar?  Have you tried the Nature’s Path Gluten-Free Granola Bars?

Saturday, May 4, 2013 marked the third time I have run the Cap City Half Marathon and the 13th Half Marathon I have run over the past 4 years.  This year the Cap City course was a little different than it was in years past.  This change was made before the Boston Bombings, though there were added security measures all around.

Saturday morning started bright and early at the MIT meet-up at the new Hilton in downtown Columbus.  What a gorgeous hotel!  I think it would be pretty cool to stay the night before a race in this hotel and be right there for race day!

Melissa and Lisa preparing for the big race!  I paused to take the above photo in between bites of Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews.  Man, those things are yummy!

Here we are, ready to run, in our MS – Miles for Mylein shirts and tutus!

We packed up our bags and headed to the lobby to walk to the starting line at 7:15 AM.  Check out the amazing group of MIT runners who participated in this race:

(source)

Can you find me in that picture?  Nope?  Me either.  LOL!

As we lined up with 14,000 of our closest friends, we observed a moment of silence for those affected by the horrible bombings in Boston.  It was eerie…all of those people and you could hear a pin drop.

The temperature was decent, in the 50s, but the wind was making it feel a heck of a lot colder.  I was sorry that I didn’t bring a trash bag to wear until the race started. I did fashion my tutu into a cape by pulling it up to my shoulders.  Here is a picture where you can see something is not like the others…

Before we knew it, we were off! Once we were about a mile into the race, I was plenty warm.  My goal for this race was to keep my heart rate in zone 2 as much as I could and have my average heart rate in the same zone.  I adjusted the screens on my Garmin 610 to show only my current heart rate and heart rate zone so that I wouldn’t be tempted to ditch my plan.  As each mile passed, the average pace came up.  I was tempted a few times to pick up the pace, but reminded myself of my goal.  It is so hard for me not to be competitive with myself and just run.  It is especially hard when people are passing on all sides in a crowded, energy-filled race.

As the race went on, the wind picked up.  There were several hills on the course, though I don’t typically think of Columbus as a hilly place.  Funny how different an area seems when you run it as opposed to driving it.  The elevation chart says it all…

The wind was so strong at one point (7-8 miles in), that my visor blew off of my head and I had to turn around and go get it!

I really enjoyed this race – running through parts of town that have been redone and taking the time to really look around.  I didn’t run with music, so I was able to hear everything – the chatter around me, the footsteps of thousands and last, but certainly not least, the cheers from all of the friends and family that came out to support their runners!

I finished this half marathon in…

My average heart rate for the race was 143, which is the top of zone 2.  I am happy with that!

After completing the race we were funneled through a very slow moving, but secure area to get water, bananas and other non-gluten-free food.  I spotted an open coffee shop and ducked in to grab a large iced coffee to hopefully get ahead of the headache that was soon to come.  After meeting up with some MIT friends, we grabbed our celebratory glass of champagne, and as my friend Lisa said, “You have all of the food groups!”

Gatorade, coffee, water and champagne!

I can’t wait to run this race again next year! So, what’s next?  My legs asked the same question!  A little down time – as a matter of fact I haven’t run since the race!  I know, right?  Who am I?  I may head out in a bit for a short run.  No half marathons  on the schedule until late August, so a little relaxation is a must before the next round of training begins.

Oh, and for the record, I only had a small headache that was quickly relieved with Tylenol after the race.  I focused on hydrating like crazy 2-3 days before the race with VitaCoco coconut water and SmartWater.  I figured it couldn’t hurt, right?

Want to surprise Mom with breakfast in bed this Sunday for Mother’s Day?  Grab a box of Glutino’s Gluten-Free Pantry Muffin Mix and get ready to “WOW!” Mom!

The best thing about this mix is how simple it is.  I chose to add chocolate chips, but there are endless possibilities.  Think of the mix (muffin) as a blank canvas and create your own masterpiece!

INGREDIENTS: WHITE RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, POTATO STARCH, CORN STARCH, BAKING POWDER (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CORN STARCH, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SULFATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, SODIUM BICARBONATE, XANTHAN GUM.

The muffins baked perfectly! 

Look at that chocolate chop…mmm…warm and melty!

These muffins passed the test with both of my kids.  Jon is uber picky when it comes to taste and texture.  He couldn’t get enough of these!  Hannah, not gluten-free, but always willing to share her opinion, fell in love with these muffins.  She is even more picky than Jon, if you can believe that!  She often takes a bite of something, something I expect her to like, and then declares it “eh” and won’t eat the rest.  She didn’t do that with these muffins!  In fact, she was looking for them again yesterday because she like them that much!  Sorry, Hannah, your brother inhaled them!  I was impressed with the moist texture and delicate flavor with just a touch of sweetness. 

Glutino’s Muffin and Scone Mix is non-GMO certified with the Non-GMO Project Verification by the Non-GMO Project.  The mix is dairy-free and can be made with non-dairy milk to keep the muffins that way. To see where to find the mix and other Glutino products close to you, check out the store locator on the Glutino website. 

What is your favorite muffin mix add-in?  Have you tried this Glutino mix?

*This product was sent to me free of charge for review/sampling purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared in this post and on this blog are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything. 

How was your weekend?  Mine started out with the Cap City Half Marathon and orange and white tutus! 

More on Cap City later this week.

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner.  Are you ready?  I can’t believe that I am going to say this, but aside from buying a few cards, I am ready to go!  We are having family over on Saturday for our annual Mother’s Day get together, so much of this week will be spent preparing for that. 

The Plan for the Week

Monday – Leftovers (meeting at the school)

Tuesday – Italian grilled chicken Alfredo, brown rice pasta, roasted broccoli and salad

Wednesday – Burgers on the grill, sweet potato puffs and salad

Thursday – Breakfast for dinner

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Ham, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans/broccoli and carrots, salad <—Sounds a lot like Easter!

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Week in Review

Tyson Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets & Tenders

Food Should Taste Good Kettle Corn Tortilla Chips <—Holy Yum!

Kinnikinnick Launches Soft Bagels

Today is the last day to enter to win 2 bags of Glutino pretzels!

Have a great week! 

What are you getting your mother for Mother’s Day?

Big news today!  Rudi’s Gluten-Free just announced a super cool Gluten-Free “Happy Camper” Facebook contest.  Check this out:

This May, in celebration of National Celiac Awareness Month,  Rudi’s Gluten-Free fans are encouraged to submit a 200-word essay from their child explaining what attending a gluten-free summer camp would mean to them. Based on the essays, 10 lucky kiddos (ages 8-17) will win a week-long gluten-free camp experience, including travel, courtesy of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery.

Enter here.

*Hurry and get your entry in…the first 250 eligible entries receive a BPA-free Gluten-Free Happy Camper water bottle!

Pretty cool, huh?  Did you attend sleepaway camp as a kid?  I didn’t over the summer, but my 6th grade class went on a 3-day camping adventures to Stokes State Park when we lived in New Jersey.  We went in late fall and stayed in cabins, much like I envisioned summer camp being, but much colder!

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As if that isn’t cool enough, Rudi’s Gluten-Free has generously offered to give one lucky reader a Summer BBQ Picnic package valued at $100!

Awesome, huh?  The package includes the above items, including the picnic basket and grill!  The grill looks perfect for grilling hot dogs and burgers or pizza on Rudi’s Gluten-Free buns or crust.  If burgers, dogs and grilled pizza aren’t your thing, pack your gluten-free sandwiches made on Rudi’s new “Soft & Fluffy” bread in your brand new picnic basket!  Click here for $1.00 off coupon for Rudi’s Gluten-Free products.

All you have to do to enter to win the Summer BBQ Picnic package is follow the directions in the Rafflecopter box below.  Continue reading →

I love arugula!  It is probably my favorite salad green and I could probably sit there and eat it straight from the package. 

When I work through dinner time with clients or have an evening exercise class, I often eat when I get home and look for quick options.  If there aren’t leftovers, I’ll make a large dinner salad complete with protein and lots of yummy add-ins.  This combination is one of my current favorites and it happens to have arugula as its star!

Arugula & Tuna Salad

• 2-3 cups arugula
• 1 single serve package of tuna
• Zucchini, chopped
• Cucumber, chopped
• Radish, chopped
• Grape tomatoes cut in half
• Craisins
• Marzetti Simply Dressed Pomegranate Salad Dressing

1.  Combine all ingredients.

2.  Drizzle dressing over top.

3.  Enjoy!

The only thing missing from this salad was a sprinkle of walnuts.  I didn’t have any on hand, but they would be the perfect finishing touch!  I see a lot more large salads for dinner with summer just around the corner. 

What is your favorite dinner salad combination?

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Don’t forget to enter to win 2 packages of Glutino gluten-free pretzels!

I am a little behind on my posts, as I missed National Pretzel Day last Friday, so I am going to declare today “National Gluten-Free Pretzel Day”.  Tomorrow is May 1st, which also happens to be the beginning of Celiac Awareness month, so launching a giveaway post today seems very fitting.  Are you in?

I love pretzels almost as much as I love chocolate and wine, so when Glutino asked if I would be interested in sharing some gluten-free pretzel love and fun, I jumped at the chance!

Glutino has a variety of pretzels, including:

• Sticks
• Twists
• Sesame Rings
• Chocolate Covered Pretzels
• Yogurt Covered Pretzels

Glutino pretzels are great for snacks, school lunches, picnics or in recipes as breadcrumbs, desserts/treats or a base for a pie crust.  I love to dip the pretzels in spicy brown mustard along with my lunchtime sandwich!  Click here to get a coupon for $.55 off any Glutino product and here to find out where you can find them.

Now for the fun part…the giveaway!  All you have to do to enter is follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter box below.  Good luck! Continue reading →

I don’t know what it is lately, but I have seen this ad for these new flavors of Kettle Brand Potato Chips that are coming out this summer everywhere.

It is like they are calling my name, making sure I don’t forget about them.  I am kind of excited to try these new varieties, especially the Maple Bacon after my sweet potato w/ almond butter, bacon and maple syrup last week.  All varieties are gluten-free, per the FAQ page.

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Meals:

Sunday – Chicken fingers, baked potato, peas and salad

Monday – Beef tacos w/ soft corn tortillas, corn and salad

Tuesday – Hot dogs on Udi’s gluten-free buns, baked French fries and salad

Wednesday – Baked Ziti, sauteed zucchini and salad

Thursday – Take-out (School fundraiser at a local restaurant that isn’t GF friendly.  We go for Hannah and get take-out from Pei Wei for Jon and me.)

Friday –  Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Breakfast for dinner

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Week in Review:

Recipe: Weekday Morning French Toast

Kinnikinnick Launches Soft Bagels

Review: Glutino Duo Cheese Pizza

Review: Udi’s Soft & Chewy Granola Bars

Donato’s Gluten-Free Pizza Now Available in Select Restaurants

Have a great week!

Kim

My last half marathon of the spring season is 6 days from today.  The Cap City Half Marathon will be my 3rd half this spring and 13th half overall.  I have learned a lot about myself and my body over the past 4-5 years of running, but there is always more to learn.  My current quest involves figuring out why I have been getting headaches after my longest runs and races.  After the Xenia Half Marathon I thought it may have had to do with outside temperature and the speed at which I ran the race.  That theory was squashed when it was much cooler last week at the Earth Day Half Marathon and the temperature was 20 degrees cooler.  I still felt like crap for the better part of the day despite all I did to try to prevent that. 

It was mentioned to me that it could be caffeine withdrawal.  Most mornings I have 2 cups of coffee with breakfast.  I don’t have coffee on race day until after my race, as it doesn’t play nice with my GI system when I run.  So I am doing a little experiment.  I began to eliminate caffeine by drinking smaller cups of coffee and then yesterday by drinking 1 regular and 1 half caf.  Today I am completely free of caffeine. I made sure to have an enticing decaf option (Green Mountain Decaf Hazelnut K-Cups) so that I wouldn’t be tempted to cave.  Once my race is over and I get through the day, I can assess if the caffeine withdrawal has been the problem.  Wish me luck!

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A few weeks back I shared that I was a part of the Verizon Health & Fitness Voices program and was just getting to learn all of the cool things my new devices could do.  In addition to having some pretty cool apps that I use while I am running or working out, I ordered some new sport headphones designed by athletes – yurbuds*.

 

The yurbuds truly don’t fall out, even in some pretty strong wind conditions!  I am very impressed with them and wish I could have bought them sooner. They even have the microphone and 1-button track control right on the wire!  

Favorite Fitness Apps

FitBit One – Easy to pull up and review my stats daily right on my Droid Razr HD.

Pandora – Music to keep me going and entertained during my runs and workouts. 

Runtastic – A simple way to track running and/or walking.  Syncs with Facebook when started and my friends can motivate me while I am running!

Even though I have a Garmin that tracks my runs, I like to run according to feel, as opposed to peeking at my watch every minute or so.  By using Runtastic I can accurately track my run and opt to hear updates or not hear updates as I run. 

*Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Health and Fitness Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device, FitBit One, Verizon Gift Card and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the products.

A few weeks back I shared my fascination with a baked sweet potato topped with almond butter.  While I was running with my friend, Melissa, she suggested a way to make that meal even better…bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup!  Duh, why didn’t I think of that?  It wasn’t long before I gave the combo a try.

Yeah, I went there.  I can’t even begin to describe how good this was!  Perfect way to carb load for a race or refuel after a hard workout.  Naturally gluten-free and spectacular!

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Sugar snap peas are one of my favorite vegetables.  I usually cook them in a bit of extra virgin olive oil, but made them in coconut oil the other day and fell in love!  So easy to rinse the sugar snap peas, heat some coconut oil in a saute pan and then gently saute until cooked.  Season with sea salt and dig in!

Serve these babies alongside the sweet potato above for a healthy, gluten-free meal! 

Does the sound of the combination above appeal to you? 

What is your favorite gluten-free baked sweet potato or potato topping?