Blog Archives
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! :)
Breaking Out the Commuter Mug
Guess who’s psyched for her first real summer job? This girl! (and at 20 years old, it’s about dang time!) I’m turning into a grown up. Almost. Unless that means giving up my N’Sync t-shirt and using words like “nifty“…
Last week was full of relaxing, shopping, manicures, movies and lunch dates. A far cry from this week: in a matter of 24 hours I was interviewed, hired, and began training for an office position at my mom’s work!
Commuter mug full of coffee is an absolute must for the half-hour commute. I have my own cubicle, e-mail address, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the break room freshly stocked with a coffee & tea station. Afternoon caffeine fix….check!
This new schedule makes it a little tricky to get in my daily runs and strength workouts and I hope to get a blog in about workouts in a time crunch and packing healthy balanced lunches. I’ll be re-joining the ‘5:00am Club’ at the gym like I did in high school. Double days will require an additional workout in the evenings. Bring it! Sleep is for Sundays ;)
60 Calorie Mint Mocha Frappe
Overcast mornings are my favorite. I woke up to grey clouds and a sleeping dog by my side. Perfect setting to log into my long-ignored Hulu account and catch up on the last couple month’s worth of Revenge! (Anyone else hooked on the show? Seriously, how are there new twists every single episode!?)
Since it’s summer and the afternoons are too warm for a steaming latte, a frozen coffee drink sounds like the next best thing. I love experiments in the blender! I’ve had many failed attempts at a homemade healthified frappuccino, but this one turned out amazing: light, frothy, with a hint of mint and under 100 calories.
You know a carton of ice cream is too good to be true with the label boasts “150 calories per pint.” The Arctic Zero “ice cream replacement” is not exactly delicious by itself…it tastes like chocolate water. Then again, what do you expect from a fat-free, dairy-free, water-based frozen dessert? But I was sure in a blender with a few other ingredients it could be useful!
Into the blender goes:
- 1/2 cup Mint Chocolate Cookie Arctic Zero (37 calories)
- Handful of ice
- Splash of non-fat milk
- 1 cup coffee, chilled
- Optional: additional cocoa powder/mint extract
Caffeine jolt and afternoon refresher without the fat, calories and sugar. This and a magazine were the perfect pair for an afternoon outside! And it made a perfectly acceptable treat during my “detox week” of healthy eating.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have two more episodes of Revenge. My mind is already blown, I cannot even imagine what the cliff hanger could be.
