Good morning, beautiful. How are you today? Have a good weekend? I sure hope so! Things were pretty good around here. Catch up, why don’t you?

• The Musical Fruit – yes, I talked about farting this weekend
• I Got My Hair Did – I got a haircut and also the FFF features
• Self-Love Reflection: Fight Cancer With Food – her story gives me chills!
• One Month to Live: Live Passionately – insights from my new book study

Now that you got yourself all caught up, I have even more to share with you from the weekend. I did good on Saturday morning. I achieved a new PDR and then followed it up with a pancake creation that I still have dreams over. First, let’s start with the run.

Nine miles. NINE. MILES! I strangely love long runs and couldn’t wait to go out and tackle the distance. I decided to go with the running path for this week’s run and made the trek out as early as possible. I really appreciate having such a great running path to use for long runs. It motivates me to come across so many other people out caring for their health and I like not having to worry about as many crosswalks and bug attacks. I also like knowing I can easily reach one of these when needed…

Yea. That is a welcome sight for someone who ate too much fiber. But I would have no idea who that could be. Purely hypothetical and we’ll leave it at that. 😉

Despite that quick break in the run, things went incredibly well. Nine miles with an average 9:18 pace ain’t half bad I would say.

What a way to start the weekend!

After taking care of my legs with some stretching and icing, I had to get to work taking care of my stomach. Last week, Gabriela posted about her love for the chocolate and coconut combination. That sparked an urge in me. I needed a chocolate and coconut flavor explosion. I needed these Chocolate Coconut Pancakes. Oh, yes. I did. And I think you need them too.

Chocolate Coconut Pancakes

• 1 1/4 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (or applesauce)
• 1 large egg
• desired amount of shredded coconut

Mix the dry ingredients – flour through salt – together in a large mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center to add the wet ingredients – almond milk through egg. Stir until the mixture forms a well-blended batter. Fold in your desired amount of shredded coconut. I used one large handful.

Spoon batter onto a lightly greased, hot griddle or pan. Cook 2-3 minutes until small bubbles form and edges set. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Plate and garnish with extra cocoa powder, shredded coconut, or powdered sugar. Go mmmmmmm.

These babies make me giddy. Promise to make some? Because I’m out and need more. Like, stat pleaseandthankyou.

• Are you a fan of coconut?
• Best part of your weekend?

Thank the sweet heavens it’s Friday! And thank the sweet heavens it’s a rest day! My body needed a rest day after the brutality I put it though yesterday. No surprise it involved three circuits for a full body workout.

I completed a three mile run before going through this workout and then I about died. Woah! What a tough combination of moves. Adding in a plyometric move here and a tough bodyweight move there really amped things up for me. That workout perfectly rounded out my workout week and getting back on my A-game. And speaking of plyometrics – stay tuned for this afternoon’s post. ;) 

Besides the luxury of allowing my muscles a reprieve before tomorrow’s planned nine mile run, rest days also give me the chance to have a more leisurely morning without having to rush out the door. This allows me the perfect chance to whip up a fun breakfast. When I don’t workout, my appetite feels rather tame. I want a lighter meal. For today, I namely want yogurt and granola…but that doesn’t sound very filling.

Ah, I know! I’ll combine two of my favorite snacks – yogurt + granola / mock apple crumble – into one meal. I will turn these three things…

….into a light, yet filling, and healthy, yet tastes like dessert, breakfast recipe!

Apple Pie a la Mode Yogurt Bowl

• 1 container frozen vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup granola – Love Grown, but of course!
• 1 apple
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp all spice seasoning

Chop the apple into one inch even pieces and place in a microwave safe dish. Sprinkle with the all spice seasoning. Microwave on high for 2 – 3 minutes. Or however else you like to get warm “baked” apples if you’re fancy and don’t believe in microwaves.

Spoon the frozen Greek yogurt into a blender or food processor and add the 1/2 tsp xanthan gum. Blend until it becomes a thick, almost ice-cream like consistency.

Serve both in a dish with the granola. That’s it!

Thank the sweet heavens for delectable (and easy!) breakfasts like this! Excuse me while I eat my dessert breakfast. Have a great Friday!

• What do you like to do on your rest days that you don’t typically?
• What did you have for breakfast today?