I might have gotten off my butt for all of 20 minutes per day since the NYC Marathon.
And those few minutes were only because I needed to make food for myself, let’s be real.
I was SITTING on the dining room table to take this picture of my Chipotle Ranch Chicken Salad, no doubt.
Yes, I know WIAW was just yesterday, but food and sitting have taken up a fair chunk of my days this week, so I had to give you at least one picture. But let’s move on – there’s more than just food on my brain today.
It’s time to get in there and Think Out Loud!
Thought 1 – I heart cashew butter in a big way.
Fine, I might be just a touch partial right now since I’m literally licking it off a spoon as I’m typing (difficult, but worth it), but I still think cashew butter is underrated. My undying love for this creamy nut butter is apparent if you look through my recipes – Vanilla Maple Nut Fudge, Chocolate Chip Blondies, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake are good examples of why cashew butter needs more love! I think I might be due for another cashew butter recipe…soon.
The fact is, that when I have full jars of almond butter, cashew butter, and sunflower seed butter all sitting in my kitchen, (and I mean what healthy food blogger does not have these three available and ready for business) if we’re talking about eating it straight from the jar, I’m dipping in cashew. Every. Single. Time.
Gee, I’m super blog-trendy today what with my natural nut butter and single word sentences for emphasis. Three days off of running and this is what happens. And no, I have no idea how that’s connected, but, this is MY thinking out loud, isn’t it? And somehow these things are connected.
Thought 2 – Speaking of running, old traditions do not die.
What tradition am I referring to? I joke about it but it really does happen every time – within about 5 days of finishing a marathon, I sign up for another (shorter) race.
I just can’t help myself. It’s funny, because I don’t actually plan to sign up for another race, but it happens every time anyway.
This one is of my favorites, and I’m not sure if it’s because it’s smack in the middle of the coldest part of winter, or because it’s the cheapest NYRR half marathon, but I just cannot resist signing up. It was also my first ever half marathon, so it has a special place in my heart. Very cold, very special. There also happens to be a regular indoor bathroom near the start – okay, I’m sold! Are you?
Aside from that race, I’m thinking about another 10 miler earlier in January to run with Adam. Every time I run a marathon, he wants to get back into running for himself, so, it’s the perfect time to convince him to sign up for a “race date” with me. He’s also the type of person who can not run at all for 2 months, then run for a couple of weeks and suddenly be good for 10 miles. I’ll never understand it, but, whatever works!
Thought 3 – The kids have 2 days off from school and we have not one single plan.
Oops! Marathon distraction means I forgot the kids are off from school today and tomorrow for NJ teachers convention. Fun, sort of. Less rushing and more yelling and cleaning, for me.
I’m thinking of taking them to Target and Whole Foods for lunch, since at this point that is a super big outing for us. That, and then I will have each of them make a list of recipe ideas for the blog. That is not a joke – it’s creative writing guys!
Besides, when I leave them to their own devices even for 30 minutes, I get this:
“Zombie models” – and the picture does not do the amount of makeup on their faces any justice. I haven’t even looked upstairs yet to see the damage done to the walls and floors. I’m not rushing up there, either.
Well, that brings me to the end of my thoughts – it’s time to make dinner and as I’ve said before, my brain shuts down once 5pm rolls around. Turkey burgers or pork chops? Rice or potatoes? There’s never a consensus so I’m not sure why I ask! I’m calling turkey burgers and potatoes, it’s not like we WON’T be having the other choice tomorrow night…
What is with the urge to sign up for a race so soon after a marathon?
Are you with me on cashew butter?
Are “zombie models” a thing or did my kids make that up?
okay so you signed up which means I am signing up! I was thinking to wait to watch the weather trends but okay, fine you talked me into it lol. With how warm it is right now, I am praying that we have a relatively mild winter.
Yup, was going to text you to sign up! I feel like it might start selling out sooner since the NYC half is tough to get into, and this one is really reasonably priced.
I couldn’t agree more about cashew butter! It absolutely underrated and in fact, I think it bakes better than most nut butters.
Agree, it’s great to bake with and has become my go-to 🙂
Cashew butter melts my heart. I’d say it was my fave nut butter, but I don’t want to make Nutella jealous.:)
Ooh nutella – haven’t had that since college! I need to try a paleo version I think.
Cashew butter and sunflower seed butter are at the top of my list as well! I am so guilty of signing up for my next race right after my last or signing up for 6 in one sitting… which is very scary for my bank account!
Maybe it’s like ripping a bandaid off! I agree seeing the cost is scary.
cashew butter is the bomb.com! I love it but its so darn expensive!
I love that it’s cheaper than almond butter though! I get Nature’s Promise at Stop & Shop and I think it’s only $7.
can i come on this outing? i love target and whole foods. glad you are resting. bum it up!
I can’t go to one without the other, plus there’s a Home Goods in the same shopping center, oy!
Cashew butter is one of my absolute favorites. . I can’t resist food. Ever. If it is in front of me, I will eat it. Also corgi puppies (but I won’t eat them, I just want one really badly). Once again, I love your kids. They are freaking hilarious.
Haha thanks, they are even more hysterical in person believe it or not 😉
I love all nut butters. I don’t discriminate. Emily is so cute with her missing front teeth! Oh in my post-marathon depression last year after my first marathon one I signed up for the NYC lottery. Turns out it was a good thing 🙂
That was definitely a good decision! I think if I didn’t sign up for a race right after a race, I wouldn’t sign up at all!
Totally with you on signing up for races right away. Runners are messed up- we train for months and look forward to one race..the whole race we’re cursing ourselves for running and doing this to our body and vow we’ll never run again..then we finish and run to the computer to sign up for another! We’re crazy! Dan doesn’t get why we pay money to torture ourselves and I have to agree…but we get a medal?!
Yes that 100% describes me to a T 🙂 Luckily Adam runs too so the craziness is understood!
Dying at zombie models. All this week the buses have been dropping kids off early at around 12:30, (which I ony notice because my dog goes out like clock work during my son’s nap at 2:30, 3:15, and 4:00 to bark at the buses, normally) all week and couldn’t figure out why since my son isn’t in school yet. I was thinking either a convention or parent teacher conferences, but I guess my first guess was it!
I’m the worst at remembering half days and days off! At least the kids are really good at entertaining themselves at home nowadays, with the exception of a few violent arguments, lol. Overall they play well though!
I signed up for my next race before I even raced my marathon. I like to have something planned before I cross the finish line. I also love cashew butter – so creamy!
True, I WAS glad that Boston was already set! But then I need a couple of races to hold me over, of course. Hopefully they won’t be snowed out and I won’t get sick!
That half marathon looks super fun! 🙂 I don’t quite always sign up for a race right after a marathon. I guess I’m not quite that brave. 😀 I love that you are taking recovery seriously. 🙂
I want to be ready to train for Boston when the time comes, so I need to majorly chill out now! And I love that half, I never pressure myself for time with it so maybe that’s another reason why.
I just signed up for the Lebow too! And I’m jealous of the non tree nut allergic…although being able to eat peanut butter is good enough for me, and I just finished a jar as part of breakfast 🙂
Peanut butter is yummy of course! And that’s awesome that you signed up too – we should plan to meet up since it’s a relatively small race 🙂
Absolutely!
I saw a tonne of glam zombie makeup tutorials on YouTube before Halloween, so your girls are definitely on to something! And I wish I could jump on cashew butter, but I’m mildly allergic to cashews so I have to stick to almonds for the most part. Boo.
They watch kids YouTube so that is probably the inspiration! Everything vampire seems to be back in style now too, tons of vampire girls this Halloween! And almond butter is my second favorite, so yummy 🙂
We are definitely on the same page with signing up for more races right after a race!! I ran a marathon 3 weeks ago, am running one Saturday, and just signed up for a half in December and one in May. I definitely have the race bug right now!
Would you believe I’ve never had cashew butter? What is wrong with me? I do love almond butter and peanut butter, I just may have to try cashew!
Definitely try cashew – it has a great flavor – mild and a bit sweet, and SO creamy! And I say if the race bug bit you should go with it!
What can I not resist? Apparently every now and then boiling over and having to say something about the horrible performance of your site and the abysmal signal to noise ratio. I would put this post – not including comments – at ~95% ads to 5% content. Ugh. Sorry …
Apologies…
And I see that’s Stop n Shop cashew butter too (the best and cheapest!) Haha! Love the stuff!
Zombie models!!! Well when I was younger and my friends and I would have sleepovers, we would do “makeovers” and we looked exactly like that so…. 😉
Yup, I love how it’s so much cheaper than almond butter! Although the “natural” nature’s promise almond butter isn’t crazy expensive. And yes my kids (even son) are really into makeovers of all kinds 🙂
I love NOT being injured after a race and signing up for another! That rarely happens for me after a marathon? So happy for you and glad to see you are excited for the next race. i haven’t run a marathon in a year and a half so all feels good and i’m signed up for two Halfs (halves just sounds weird) – March and April. Woohoo!
The fact that I’m not injured (even a little, lol) is definitely motivating and probably helping keep my spirits up! Even after Philly last year I had mild tendonitis so it’s also been a while for me to finish a marathon with no injuries! I also relate to never knowing how to spell the plural of half 🙂
Omg your girls are HILARIOUS! I totally sign up for races right after a marathon too! I even run the very next day. I should probably take some time off? But… no.
Oh man I’ve never run the next day – that’s intense! I’m not sore anymore so I’m thinking next Monday I’ll be back out 🙂
i haven’t tried cashew butter but i know that i’d love it! i love cashew anything.
an indoor bathroom at the race is enough to make me want to sign up 😀 so i’m totally with you, yay how exciting! love the zombie models, very cute 🙂
Try the cashew butter! Good for variety if nothing else 🙂
Yes, I’m with you on the cashew nut butter, so much so that it is currently the only nut butter in my kitchen! It goes in smoothies, on toast, on sweet potatoes…you name it. It’s all good 🙂 I likewise always feel the urge to sign up for another race immediately after I do one…think it’s probably to give me something else to look forward to!
Yum, all those uses for it sound wonderful!
It’s weird because I think cashews are my favorite nut, and yet I don’t like cashew butter that much. I think it tastes a little bland to me or something? No idea, maybe I’ve tried the wrong brands!
It’s definitely milder but I think that’s one reason I like it, that and the texture is great.
So I have never had cashew butter!! But I do have sunbutter and almond butter in my pantry and I eat almond butter by the spoonfull!
Try it! For variety it’s great, and it might become another favorite!
I love cashew butter but I wish it wasn’t so pricey! I feel like I get can a decent deal on almond butter but not cashew. And I have never heard of zombie models but looks like a great way for them to entertain themselves on a day off:)
Strange because at Stop & Shop it’s the opposite and the cashew is a few dollars cheaper!