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Independence Day! Skinny Cherry Berry Pie
Did you remember to hang up your American Flag this morning? 4th of July falling on a Thursday means a day off of work…..translation: sleeping in after the sun rises. Waking up to broad daylight and being lazy with a cup of coffee is the ideal way to begin the day celebrating being an American ;)
Cherry and Apple pies are American classics, my inspiration for this quick and easy Independence Day dessert. Skinny Cherry Berry “Pies” made from a frozen cherry berry blend bag with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and cherries. Summertime fruit is like candy!
Sweet, single-serve, and perfectly Red, White & Blue(berry).
These are skinny mini single-serve “pies” that aren’t pies at all but totally pass as dessert because they are warm and cute.
(The star shape of the tortilla is made with the Perfect Tortilla Bowl Maker, and yes that’s totally an “as-seen-on-tv” product. Worth all $9.99!)
The bowl is made out of a whole wheat tortilla (50 calories) lightly sprayed with Pam and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar. It bakes in the bowl for 7 minutes before cooling, while the cherry berry blend warms up in the oven. My favorite part – the warm berry juice! Messssssy.
Serve berries in the cinnamony tortilla bowl and top with whip cream, vanilla greek yogurt, or just plain ole’ ice cream. (We used Cool Whip!)
Easy as pie ;) (where did that expression come from?)
Total: approximately 150 calories. Average slice of apple pie with ice cream, on the other hand? 530 calories. If you plan on hitting up the beach or pool this weekend, you’ll be thankful for the alternative to a heavy apple pie a la mode. Fresh/frozen fruit + whole grains, not only are they bikini-approved but the antioxidants will help protect your skin from damaging elements….but don’t forget your sunscreen!
Time to catch the latest episode of “American Ninja Warrior”…that’s true patriotism right there.
Sunday: Summer Training Summary
Message of the week =be flexible. Running partners cancel, some days your legs are tired, you have to stay late at work, the temperatures are hotter than you accounted for. That’s not to say these are excuses to skipping a workout! Flexibility means if the sun’s too harsh, use the treadmill. If you got to bed late, sleep in and plan a night run. If your legs are sore, cross train in the pool.
As much as we like to plan things out, writing them down on a white board calendar does not necessarily dictate how they will play out. Fortunately I have a weekly mileage goal that keeps me from rolling over and going back to sleep when 4:30am comes and I don’t exactly hop up enthusiastically to get to my treadmill. Cardio before coffee?! Sometimes when I run before the sun is up and it’s totally quiet outside, I feel like I’m still dreaming. Trippy!
Now add in LIFE somewhere in this schedule and it gets a little tricky. Where there’s a will, there’s a way…and I’ve definitely got the will ;)
Yesterday at Sprouts (I LOVE THAT PLACE) I bought chia seeds for the first time. After reading other blogger’s experiments with overnight oats, I’m so intrigued. I plan on making a batch tonight for breakfast tomorrow (which means saving time in the morning which means I can curl my hair. Double win!) Apparently the chia seeds are the necessary ingredient that changes the texture of the oats without cooking them. Magic?
Maybe I’m still in the “runner’s high” from this morning’s long run. But can I just tell you how much I am loving summer training? A friend asked me this morning if I would want to do yoga, and I am always up for new things. But honestly I think hard cardio, as sweaty as it may be, is my therapy. Not that I use the time to think; I’m actually the opposite. I like to turn up the music, lock into my pace and not think. Oh and it helps when your surroundings are pretty to look at ;) 
Last week’s Sunday Summary: June 17th
Clean-Eating Recipe: Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes
There’s a little deli in the same parking lot of my work that offers typical deli food, but also Starbucks brewed coffee. Because the break-room coffee at my work tastes like tar is not to my liking, sometimes I head over for a grande blonde roast. But yesterday, the lady behind the counter was frazzled by the lunch crowd and gave me a grande cup of espresso. I know I boast a preference for “strong” coffee but 12 ounces of espresso is not exactly what I had in mind. 2 very disappointing cups of coffee = a sign that I should think about drinking less? Nope. Coffee is my comfort blanket. Just gotta find a new source ;)
After leaving the office, I was on a mad-dash home. One of my best friends Bre came home from college and we were reuniting in our usual fashion: cooking. Bre and I have been cooking/baking/experimenting in the kitchen with both utterly-delicious and downright-ugly results since high school. On the top of our list: Strawberry Banana Oat Cookies.
Last nights menu: Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes with Blackberry Salsa. These are like a heartier version of a potato pancake, something that sounded totally new and different. They were inspired by Jessica @ How Sweet It Is, though I definitely had to triple the recipe since we had company! I love making new recipes almost as much as I love not getting a cup of espresso for my afternoon pick-me-up.
I am really slow at preparing meals….it took me about an hour and 40 minutes from start to finish because I take chopping herbs all to seriously and am more cautious than necessary about measuring ingredients. I like to take my time! Most people could probably throw this together in half the time, and I promise it’s worth the wait.
Clean-eating is a trending diet/lifestyle that incorporates only natural ingedients/cutting out processed junk. I cannot say I follow a clean-eating diet all the time, but try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains as much as possible though the occasional granola bar/peanut-butter pretzel makes its way into my lunch from time to time/every single day…
Here is the recipe! Makes 16 medium cakes, serves 5 1/2 hungry people.
- Drizzle 1 Tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add cubed sweet potato, onion and pepper. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, until sweet potato is soft. Add garlic in the last minute.
- Remove potato mixture into large mixing bowl, and slightly smash the potatoes. Add the cooked quinoa, fresh chopped herbs, bread crumbs, more salt and pepper if you wish, and lastly the eggs.
- Get your hands dirty and form hamburger-sized patties. Using the same large skillet, heat up a drizzle of olive oil again and place 2-4 patties at a time. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, until you get nice black grill marks. Serve them fresh out of the pan!
I like using fresh herbs; that’s something I don’t do enough. Use the leftover onion and cilantro in this blackberry salsa:
- 1 carton of fresh blackberries, smashed (juicy!)
- 2 Tbs cilantro (more or less depending on your preference)
- Juice of one lime
- 1/4 red onion
- 1 jalapeno (remove seeds & veins)
- Pepper
Mix well, cover and refrigerate. The longer it sits, the juicier it gets…
Admittedly I thought Blackberry Salsa was a little random but went with it. Not bad! I don’t think the cakes needed any sort of sauce, and blackberry salsa would be better suited for blue corn chips but it’s always fun to try something new and it definitely made the plate look pretty.
Check out Jessica’s original post here!
Last tangent: who watches The Voice? I know I’m a little behind, thanks to Tivo, but YAY for Danielle Bradbery! I think America is starting to get the country-bug which is Stinkin’ Awesome. Yeehaw y’all!
