Category Archives: Breakfast
Strong Like My Coffee Turns One!
There is a little call for celebration…. Strong Like My Coffee had a Blog Birthday. Blog Anniversary? Regardless….Strong Like My Coffee turns 1!
One year ago I launched stronglikemycoffee.com. It all began a few years prior, when I became addicted to reading blogs. Now I’m on the other end of the computer page…This occasion calls for coffee, and some (Low-Fat) berry chocolate chip coffee cake :)
Reading other blogs has always provided me with so much inspiration. I enjoy reading all about other people’s lives….their food, their travel, their exercise, their ideas. Looking at their pictures and making their recipes and trying their workouts. After a while, it starts to feel like we’re friends…..when I don’t actually know them at all. (This is starting to sound stalker-y….it’s not like that, I promise!)
So 365 days ago I joined the club. I figured I had some similarities with bloggers I find so entertaining, I could join their little community and share my thoughts too. At first I began humbly….sharing my page with my friends and family. But then came some strangers. Thanks to (the genius) invention of Pinterest, strangers began stumbling upon and reading my blog. Most popularly, the simple post PACKING FOR DORM LIFE. That’s when I realized that there are plenty of college girls like myself from all over, who enjoy maintaining a healthy lifestyle just as much as I do. (BTW there will be a sequel to that post in the next few days…the new school year is right around the corner!)
I was hesistant at first…I didn’t want to publish too much about me, didn’t want people to see this site as a way to brag or beg for attention. I just want to share what I am truly passionate about with people who feel the same way! Reading other bloggers fitness stories, race recaps, goals or even recipes inspires me :) It reminds me to be thankful for the blessings in my life and appreciate the simple joys that we often overlook. I mainly blog for myself, a way to capture my journey.
But this coffee cake I made to SHARE. And I highly encourage you to make it too, because you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen already and any “indulgence” in moderation is perfectly compatible with a healthy lifestyle :)
The Recipe:
- 1 Cup Non-fat milk
- 6 oz. non-fat vanilla (or any flavor really…) Chobani Greek Yogurt
- 2 heaping Tbs. ground flax seeds
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 1 cup white flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (or 1 additional cup of white flour if you don’t prefer the wheat taste)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 Tbs. cinnamon
- 4 Tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1 1/2 cups raspberries (frozen berries work just fine, just thaw them out/drain beforehand!)
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- Topping: dusting of powdered sugar & additional raspberries.
1. Whisk together milk, yogurt, flax seeds, vanilla and oil.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the dry mixture to the milk mixture; stir in raspberries & chocolate chips.
4. Pour evenly into a greased spring form pam; bake for 55 minutes at 350 degrees or until top is golden brown and the middle passes the toothpick test!
5. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and sharing with a freshly brewed pot of coffee. Cheers!
365 days. 166 blog posts. Even more planned for the future! I’m excited to see what the next year brings, for myself and for stronglikemycoffee.com. There’s my first collegiate cross country season, my first apartment, my first marathon, my 21st birthday/Vegas trip, my next set of surgeries, and at least 365 more cups of coffee. Everything else…we shall just wait & see!
Thanks for reading! :)
Power Breakfast Smoothie
Mornings around here start at 4:30am. Actually about 4:33, when the coffee pot finishes brewing ;) So far the 5am gym workouts have been going great! By the time I arrive at work, I’ve already been awake and active for hours and starving for breakfast! A healthy breakfast does more than quiet a growling tummy: it keeps you alert and focused, kick starts your metabolism and helps you say no to temptations like the break-room donut box. But you’ve heard all that before!
Yesterday’s breakfast-to-go was a homemade smoothie. Throw some fruit in a blender and you can’t go wrong:
On this particular morning I did a strength workout, so protein was important. That came from the yogurt, spinach and flaxseed! Flax seed also contains Omega-3’s (the good fat) and fiber. Spinach adds some iron to mix, and cinnamon helps curb your appetite. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory! Basically, you can rest assured you’re getting a quality breakfast with these goodies in the blender. :)
*This smoothie combo is a favorite of mine from the original post here.
Easter Brunch & Lemony Pasta Salad
I couldn’t have picked a better way to spend my Easter Sunday. After rising extra early for a church service with one of my best friends Kerri, we got to enjoy the radiant sunshine and bright blue sky. It was glorious! Knocked out an 8-miler before noon with plenty of time to get ready for our Girl’s Team Easter Brunch.
We see each other daily at practice, when we are not trying to impress anyone. T-shirts and spandex. Make-up is minimal. Don’t even ask about my hair. Blatantly mismatched outfits have become normal, especially when it’s getting closer to laundry day…We have mastered getting ready for practice in under 15 minutes. Which is why getting dressed up in our Sunday Best was so fun! Dresses and heels obviously warranted some photographic proof that we can, in fact, look girly.
Kerri and I got a ride from our friends Emily and Carissa……when we got in the car, we noticed that we all happened to be sporting denim jackets. Classic.
The brunch was potluck style, and our team can cook! The table looked amazing with homemade goodies from everyone. I knew I wanted to bring something light and springy, so I turned to my faithful Pinterest for some recipe-searching. The result:
Light Lemony Pasta Salad.
- 1 lb. cooked pasta noodles
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- salt and pepper to preference
- 10 oz. non-fat greek yogurt
- 12 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup steamed edamame, shelled
- Cook and drain pasta; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in medium sauce pan, brown garlic for about one minute. Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, chicken broth and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add sauce to pasta; add in arugula, tomatoes, and edamame.
- Stir in greek yogurt; chill overnight.
- Top with fresh lemon slices and serve cold!
Our meal was rounded out with some fresh pineapple, kale chips, chicken salad sandwiches, homemade whole wheat cinnamon rolls and other delicious dishes.
Next on the agenda: dyeing eggs! Guess what? Water and food coloring is not a sufficient substitute for vinegar and egg dye. Plan B: Expo Markers!
Hope you enjoyed you Easter weekend :) Now it’s back to the grind.
