Chicken Stout Stew with Mushrooms

When you start running higher mileage, nutrition becomes really important. In addition to feeling hungry all of the time, running a lot can make you tired, and getting a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats is important for performance and recovery. Last week I bumped up my mileage quite a bit, and this week…

Autumn Chopped Salad

When the weather starts to cool down, I crave warm, hearty dishes more than light salads, but a salad with seasonal flavors can still be very satisfying. This chopped salad combines sweet pears with creamy blue cheese and crunchy walnuts for a light fall lunch or dinner. Ingredients Salad: 4 cups mixed baby greens 1…

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake (for recovery)

This has been a great weekend! We’ve had perfect fall weather, cool but still sunny, and there is lots to do in Leipzig right now. The last weekend of each month is a huge antique market south of the city, and my husband and I always enjoy walking around and looking at the (unusual) things…

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

With cool weather on the way, fall fruits and veggies are replacing summer produce in my cooking line up. Cooking seasonally keeps things interesting and helps to keep the grocery bills in check, but I always, always miss summer berries. I made a huge batch of this blueberry bbq sauce to freeze for late autumn…

Its Pumpkin Season- Embrace it!

A couple of weeks ago I was greeted by a huge display of squashes in the supermarket! Pumpkins and squash aren’t as ubiquitous in Leipzig as at home, but it still feels like autumn when they show up in stores. My favorite variety here are bright orange hokkaiko pumpkins. They are a little dry to…

Blueberry Fig Breakfast Bowls

Its nice to have a go-to ‘fancy’ breakfast for mornings when you have some extra time at home, but don’t want to put the effort into creating something new. Roasted fruit with Greek yogurt fits the bill. You could use any kind of fruit here (see my roasted peach breakfast bowls). I try to stick…

Yoga For Runners

I have never been much of a yoga fan, but from time to time I’ve enjoyed power yoga or ashtanga yoga classes. That said, more intense kinds of yoga don’t seem to complement my running very well. They leave me too tired to get in the quality miles and speedwork that I enjoy. Runners World…

Pumpkin Hazelnut Butter

Now that its officially fall, I have no qualms over putting pumpkin in everything. A significant portion of my daily calories typically come from nut butters (Have you tried this one? It really speaks to the Vermonter in me…), so this recipe seemed like an appropriate way to sneak a little extra pumpkin into my…

Early Morning Run in Florence

Steep climbs are worth it for these pretty tree-lined streets and views over the city.

Oatmeal Stout Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Maybe all of these beer recipes are getting a little redundant, but these cookies are amazing. You don’t taste the oatmeal stout in these, but it adds a really nice flavor, and complements the generous dash of vanilla. Chocolate chip cookies are my all time favorite dessert, and it’s usually best not to tinker with…