Today’s Happy Note: Spending time with my wonderful cousin before she moves to San Francisco.
Today felt both really busy and really lazy, at the same time. Do you ever have days like that? Sort of an odd feeling, I guess, but also kind of pleasant, because I wind up feeling both energized and relaxed. I spent the morning making (and consuming) awesome pancakes, the afternoon teaching a band of very sweet high schoolers, late afternoon with my cousin and her husband and then LSAT studying (mostly the dreaded logic games), and the evening working out. I squeezed some grocery store shopping and tv watching in there and that was my day!
I like to procrastinate my schoolwork until Sundays. 🙂
Let’s start with the pancakes!

I made these up on the spot and they turned out splendiferous. They were soft on the inside (that “ohmygoshthisissopillowy soft” not that “thisissosoftitmustberaw soft”) but crisp on the outside. Thick, with plenty of volume. And made with totally wholesome ingredients, and not a lot of added sugar at all. Basically, these are love, in protein pancake form (I am only calling them “protein pancakes” because the “base” is mostly protein-y and not carby — they are not some weird health food or anything, I promise!)
I was stupid and didn’t measure things out precisely or write the measurements down but this is roughly what it was:
1/4 C peanut flour (yes, I know this is a blog “fad” but it is an awesome fad that I actually like)
2 Tbsp oats
1 scoop vanilla hemp/whey protein powder (half serving)
1/2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp flax meal
1 whole egg
1/4 C pumpkin
Water (as needed) to thin out
Earth Balance or butter, to coat the pan with
Combine all dry ingredients, then add in wet ingredients until pancake-consistency is achieved (I know, I am really scientific). Heat the butter in the pan (you don’t need more than a teaspoon, at most) and when it starts to pop, dollop on your batter. I made three generous ‘cakes.
Top with more butter, real maple syrup, and fruit or nuts of choice. I used sesame almonds!

Don’t let this up close picture fool you. These pancakes are generous. Also, far more nuts than that were involved. 🙂
This morning meal made my day. Bonus: it kept me full for five hours of teaching bleary-eyed high school seniors. I needed a meal with some serious stamina and this was it! I have not made a “real” weekend breakfast in a long time. I forgot how much fun it is. It’s nice not to have oats or yogurt or a smoothie for once! Mmmmm. Now I just need some bacon and we’ll be all set…
I got home from my afternoon shenanigans around 6:00. I was technically supposed to run 8-10 miles, since I had skipped out on yesterday’s run, and tomorrow’s run isn’t going to be very long (10-12 miles). But I just was not feeling it. I don’t think it was a matter of laziness, either. It was a matter of “I need to have some oatmeal with nut butter and lie on my bed and read blogs and snuggle up in my fleece blanket right now“, in all actuality. And so that’s exactly what I did.
I find it sort of odd that oats with nut butter and melted dark chocolate and maple syrup are my comfort food. But hey, there are worse things. These are all whole foods. Delicious whole foods.
What’s your idea of comfort food?

BUT after a few hours of winding down, which my brain/body needed, I felt ready for a workout. Normally, I am an all-or-nothing girl and I either feel like I have to “waste” my day by eating poorly and not working out or have a hardcore workout and eating perfectly. Silly, right? By this point, I genuinely wanted to run, but was feeling anxious about it, because of said all-or-nothing mindset. I felt like, “how can I go run now if I have been lazy all evening? Aren’t the two mutually exclusive???” Um, no. Duh, Caronae.
I ended up having a lovely workout! I lifted (arms and abs) for about 30 minutes then ran a slow, easy five miles, which was exactly what my body needed. Sometimes I just need my brain to shut-up so that I can listen to my body. 🙂
All in all, a lovely Saturday.
And I’m looking forward to making tomorrow a lovely Sunday. And then having a lovely week.
Thanks for your support yesterday about my “busyness” — for lack of a better word. I truly don’t think I could do it without you all as friends. 🙂
On the schedule for Run Write Therapy Life this week:
~Long run (tomorrow)/Long run eats
~Easy college student dinners
~Mental/Physical Health Intersections
~A fun announcement about the site
Should be a fun week! Stay tuned, friends. Goodnight for now!