Snowball Series #5

The last Snowball Series run was in Kirkwood and was very hilly, I had to walk at several places.  I still did pretty well and was 4th in my age group

I finished 3rd overall in the series

The medal made up a snowflake-pretty nice!!!

 

Snowball Series Run #4

Run #4 was at PowerPlex and was 5 miles.  It was so cold, this was the coldest run I have done and I was pretty slow.  Still, I ran the whole way, so this is now the furthest I have run without stopping.  This was my goal for this year, so I am pretty pleased. 

Snowball series Run #3

 

Run #3 was at Creve Coeur park, 7K.  I ran the whole way, which is the furthest I have run without stopping.  It was nice and flat and the weather was pretty good, so my pace was quite good

Snowball Series Run #2

Run 2 of the Snowball Series was my first run since I missed Forest Park on January 1. It was a 3 mile run in Tower Grove park and it was snowing.  It was pretty miserable and I was completely soaked at the end of it (especially my feet).  My legs were pretty sore the next day too, I'm lucky I didn't hurt!!!

Slow pace, but I did it!!!

 

Snowball Series 2022

 I know I hadn't been running in a while, but I hadn't realized that I hadn't logged any runs since 2017.  I started running again a few months ago, with the goal that I'd register for the 2022 Snowball Series. Covid has changed everything, and they did a virtual series last year & the website suggested that they would do the same this year.  So, I signed up for the Frostbite series instead and ran two races last month.  The first Snowball run was this morning in Forest Park.  It was 30 degrees and pouring, I drove over to Forest Park, but decided to leave after there was no way I was going to run when it was raining that hard-anyone outside was absolutely soaked.  It's not worth the risk of getting sick at this point.  Luckily, I can run virtually and still get the medal, so I'll try to catch up later this week.  Such a shame though.

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

 Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½ -inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion coarsely chopped

2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons cumin seeds crushed

3 cloves garlic minced

1 piece 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 jalapeño seeded and chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Instructions PREHEAT the oven to 450°F. LINE a large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Combine the sweet potatoes , onion, and carrots in a large bowl. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil; toss to coat. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and cumin seeds; toss to combine. TRANSFER to the baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown. HEAT the remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeño; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, coconut milk, lemon juice, and coriander; bring to a boil. Carefully add the roasted vegetables. Remove from the heat. USE an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot.

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Bars

 INGREDIENTS

For the apple filling:

1 1/2 pounds apples (4–5 apples), cut into 1/2-inch cubes 

1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

1 tablespoon tapioca starch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

For the crust and topping: 

1 cup cassava flour

1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

1 stick / 8 tablespoons butter, cut into pats

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

3 tablespoons water

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a lightly greased 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment.

Make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the apples, tablespoon of coconut sugar, lemon juice, tablespoon of tapioca starch, teaspoon of cinnamon, and salt. 

Make the crust and top: In the bowl of a food processor set with the chopper blade, pulse the cassava flour, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. 

Add the butter and pulse 10-12 times to cut in the butter, so there are no longer any large chunks. 

Add the oats and the water and pulse a few times more, until the mixture starts to clump together. 

Press half of the oat mixture into the prepared pan, pressing it firmly and evenly. Spread the apple mixture over the crust and top with the remaining oat mixture, pressing it gently onto the apple mixture. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the apples are bubbly throughout, and the top is light golden brown.