Apple Chia pancakes

We had 4 amazing, strong ladies in town this weekend (from Jax) so there was a lot of riding this weekend....but I will save that for another post because pancakes are on my mind right now (and in my tummy). 

To summarize our weekend: 9000+ feet of climbing, 8+ hours of riding and 135+ miles of riding in just two days! Wow, thank you body!!

As you can imagine, there was a lot of attention on sport nutrition, hydration and eating over the past 72 hours in order for our bodies to tolerate (survive) and adapt to the weekend training load. 

After our workout on Saturday (73 mile bike for the group and for Karel, Jen Vogel and me, a 4 mile run), we all cleaned up, cooled off and started our refueling with recovery drinks. It's always fun to talk about training when it is over but the body deserves to refuel as soon as possible to ensure a healthy body for the next day of training. 

To ensure that my friends (and Karel and me) would be well fueled after our Sunday ride, I decided to make pancakes on Saturday (late) afternoon so that they would be ready for consumption when we were ready to eat post workout on Sunday. 

What a genius idea!! 

There's nothing better than having a home cooked meal ready for you but let me tell ya, it's even BETTER after a 5 hour workout! 

I hope you enjoy my delicious apple chia pancake recipe, made from scratch and prepared with Trimarni love.
(I also made plain pancakes, some basic ingredients but omit the apple and chia seeds)

Apple Chia pancakes

(makes 10-12 pancakes)

1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (you can use Gluten-free flour)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter (melt after measuring)
1 apple (washed and chopped)

1. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chia seeds. 

2. In small bowl, whisk together egg, milk and vanilla. Preheat your skillet (I used two large skillets on separate burners to speed up the cooking process). 

3. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir in butter (should be melted before adding). Add a little water if needed.
4. Stir in chopped apple. 

5. Spoon ~1/4 batter into skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes and flip, cook 1-2 more minutes.

Topping ideas: 
Yogurt
Maple Syrup
Jam
Nut butter
Hazelnut spread
Coconut (shredded)
Granola
Dried Fruit

I am a firm believer that we should always eat with a purpose. For myself, I love eating for fuel and for health. But I always find pleasure in eating whether it's a salad or something a bit more indulging (and everything in between). 

Pancakes have a special place in my heart because my dad loved pancakes, straight from Aunt Jemima's box. 

My dad took this picture (above) of his pancakes a month after he was diagnosed with stage IV cancer which ended up taking his life 10 months later. He sent me the following text. 

Food, meal time and my kitchen are all positives in my life. 

I never find myself not smiling when it comes to the food that I choose to put into my body. 

Food makes me happy, it fuels my lifestyle and it keeps me well.
My dad always had such a great sense of humor in life and he was always so good at making me smile and laugh. 

I sure do love pancakes but now I have an even better reason to always smile when I eat them. 

Thanks Dad. 

Endurance swim fueled by Pear-Chia Granola

Wow...where did the time go?
Once again, I find myself nearing the end of another Ironman journey with a tremendous amount of gratitude for my body and overall health. 

I have remained injury free for 15 continuous months which is a HUGE deal for me. From 2007-2013, I have been plagued with muscular-related hip and back issues which sadly, have put a halt on my running training for 4-12 weeks at a time. 

Additionally, the last time I experienced a sickness was in the summer of 2007. That's 7 years of no flu, cold, GI issues, infection, etc. I am so incredibly grateful for my immune system for staying so strong throughout my life, especially when I choose to train for and race in 140.6 mile triathlon events!!

So here I am again, giving a BIG thanks to my body. 

38 days until Ironman Wisconsin. My 9th Ironman!!! 

Here's a great swim workout (that I gave myself this morning) to build your swim endurance. 

Remember, fatigue affects breathing and form and a tired swimmer does not benefit from a workout like an efficient swimmer. Form over speed/distance - always. 

ENDURANCE BUILDING SWIM SET

Warm-up (and part of the first main set): 

500 swim - stretch it out

100 kick EZ (mix up the stroke)

400 swim - stretch it out but increase effort just a tad from the 500

100 kick EZ (mix up the stroke)

300 swim - effort should be 80% or half IM effort

100 kick EZ (same)

200 swim - effort should be 90% or Olympic effort

100 kick EZ (same)

100 swim - best effort

100 kick EZ (same)

(you can shorten the kick to 50 and you can also start with 400 swim if you would like to remove 750 yards from the warm-up to save energy/time)

Active recovery:
400 pull w/ buoy and paddles - stretch it out, focus on your catch and hand exit in the water

Main set #2: 

3 x 100's - 90% effort w/ 10 sec rest

50 EZ swim + 30 sec rest (Or just rest 90 sec)

2 x 100s - 90% effort w/ 10 sec rest

50 EZ (same)

1 x 100's - 90% effort w/ 10 sec rest

50 EZ (Same)

2 x 100's - 90% effort w/ 10 sec rest

50 EZ (Same)

3 x 100's - 90% effort w/ 10 sec rest

200 pull w/ paddles only - active recovery

100 cool down 

4000 yards

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Can you smell that? Don't you just love the kitchen aroma of warm granola cooking in the oven? 

Here's my latest granola creation filled with sunflower seeds, chia seeds, maple syrup and pears. Got a sweet tooth? Now you can satisfy your sweet teeth, fuel your workouts (or combine in cold milk for a great recovery "drink") and feel great with this heart-healthy creation. Enjoy!

Pear-Chia Granola

2 cups oats
1/4 cup coconut (unsweetened, shredded)
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/8 cup sunflower seeds (raw, unsalted)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup 100% Pure Maple Syrup
1 soft pear (chopped  - I recommend Anjou pear for a sweeter pear)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine coconut, chia seeds, sunflower seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss with clean hands.
2. Add 1 cup oats and mix with a fork until combined.
3. Add 1/2 cup oats and mix.
4. Add the last 1/2 cup oats and mix. 

5. Add chopped pear and toss. 

6. Spray a medium size cookie sheet with non stick spray and pour granola on tray and spread around with your hands.
(if you want a clumpy granola, add only 1 cup oats)
7. Cook granola for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown and firm.
(Smell test - when you smell your granola, you only need to cook for a few minutes more. Check on your granola. When it looks like it is getting golden brown, remove it immediately. One minute too long can burn it - I know from experience :( 

8. Let granola cook before placing in baggies/Tupperware and store in refrigerator for up to 4 days (if it lasts that long).
YUM!

Apple cinnamon, peanut butter granola - it's soooooo good!!!

I hope you enjoy my latest yummy Trimarni creation!!

Perfect on cottage cheese, topping yogurt, in milk or by the handful. 

Don't forget to yum!

Apple cinnamon, peanut butter granola

2 cups oats

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp nut butter

2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tbsp chia sheeds

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup almonds (chopped)

1 large apple (chopped - Gala)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Rub a little olive oil on a large baking sheet to lightly cover the sheet until shiny

3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. 

4. Mix with clean hands (this is the fun sticky part!)

5. Pour yummy contents on to baking sheet and spread all around dish.

6. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove sheet and toss granola. 

7. Bake for additional 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. 

8. Keep refrigerated in air-tight container for up to 3 days (if it lasts that long). 

This will not be a super clumpy granola but it is absolutely delicious, especially after it sits in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Feel free to use your creativity with additional ingredients or substitutions. 

Nutrition facts: 

Per 1/2 cup

Servings: 8 x 1/2 cup servings (or 4 cups total)

169 calories

5g fat

27g carbohydrates

11g sugar

4g fiber

4g protein

49g sodium