Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

Thursday Things 09.17.15

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Thursday Things 09.17.15

Last week I talked about some apple recipes and then read this blog post about scones, making me crave some sort of apple/biscuit concoction. I ended up making these apple pie biscuits and was not at all upset about it:

I wasn’t upset about these things either.

Happy, happy Thursday!

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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My roommate and I have found ourselves in a little situation: we have a stockpile of ripe bananas in our freezer.

Do bananas ripen much quicker in a kitchen that is approximately 7 degrees too warm? Or do they ripen much quicker in Denver than in Minneapolis? Or are we just buying bananas that are already too close to ripening?

I guess it doesn’t matter. A stockpile of ripe bananas = An abundance of banana bread.

It’s actually a pretty good situation to be in and neither of us were complaining about eating this brown butter chocolate chip banana bread.

brown butter chocolate chip banana bread

Last week I came home from a particularly promising interview and didn’t want the good vibes to go to waste, so I dug into the ripe banana stockpile and whipped up some banana bread <— good decisions.

And decided to use brown butter and chocolate chips <— the best decisions.

brown butter chocolate chip banana bread

I turned on some tunes, browned butter, mashed bananas, mixed the wet with the dry, threw in a handful of chocolate chips, and just kept the good vibes going. Soon the delicious aroma of banana bread was filling the house.

This is the beauty of banana bread. It is so easy to make and smells like a dream.

brown butter chocolate chip banana bread

Plus, can we just all agree that fresh banana bread is one of the greatest things to eat ever?

I ate some, saved some for Katie, and brought the rest into Blackbird for my co-workers. That’s how I make friends… along with my charmingly awkward personality.

60% of the time it works every time.

brown butter chocolate chip banana bread

If you don’t have a stockpile of ripe bananas in your freezer, start building! Then bake this up, make some friends, and spread the good vibes.

PS – Basic Banana Bread, Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Bread, Brown Butter Bourbon Blondies, and Brown Butter Pumpkin Bars

brown butter chocolate chip banana bread

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
 
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Few things are better than freshly baked banana bread, but add some brown butter and chocolate chips in the mix and you know you're going to have a great day.
Serves: 12 slices
Ingredients
  • 9 tablespoons butter, unsalted
  • 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
  2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Continue to whisk until brown specks appear at the bottom, it will froth and foam a bit. Watch closely and be careful not to burn. It should be a light brown color and have a nutty aroma. Pour butter into a medium bowl, whisk in an ice cube, and let cool for a few minutes.
  3. Add the mashed bananas, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and milk. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
  4. Add the flour and baking soda and stir a few times until just combined. Lumps are ok!
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips, saving some for the top of the loaf.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips.
  7. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
  8. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack.
  9. Slice and serve the bread warm with your favorite spread. It will keep well for a few days wrapped in plastic wrap or in the freezer for a few months.
Notes
You can use any type of milk (dairy, almond, soy, etc) and yogurt works too.

If you are baking this in altitude, make the following adjustments: add an additional tablespoon of milk and flour and take just a little bit out of the teaspoon of baking soda and ½ cup of brown sugar. Also, increase the oven temperature to 365 degrees and reduce baking time to 45-50 minutes.

I said good vibes a lot in this post. No, I’m not high, but maybe it is the altitude?

brown butter choc chip banana bread5

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Thursday Things 09.10.15

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Thursday Things 09.10.15

It’s been a full month since I’ve moved to Denver and each week brings on something new -> challenges, interviews, job opportunities, friends, activities, etc. I love it. I’m still trying to figure out what I want my life to look like here, but I think I’m getting closer to nailing it down. It’s really exciting.

Just like these things:

And guess what?! I got a job as a server/host at Blackbird Public House and am glad to start having money come back into my bank account again. Blackbird is a cute little restaurant just down the road from where I live. I started on Saturday and so far it’s been fun! Come check us out if you live in the Denver neighborhood!

By the time you read this, it’ll probably be Friday. So, HAPPY FRIDAY. xojd

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A Quick Post Run In The Park Circuit Workout + Stretching

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I’m doing something I haven’t done in a ridiculously longgggg time: posting a workout.

A Quick Post Run In The Park Circuit Workout

With my move to Denver, my fitness routine has been (and still is) all thrown off. Reason #1 = the altitude. Reason #2 = my broken wrist.

First of all, the altitude is real. I thought the adjustment to being a mile above sea level would maybe take a week or two (three, tops!) and then I’d be back to my normal pace and my normal distances. I was wrong. I ran Grandma’s Marathon a short 2.5 months ago, but now I get excited when I can run 3 miles without feeling like death. I did get up to 6 miles on Monday, which I was way excited about. #smallwins

It is slow and steady progress. I’m trying to stay motivated and positive.

Of course, breaking my wrist after living here for a whole 2 days didn’t help the situation either. I took a weeklong break from running (partly because the doctor told me not to run and partly because I was traumatized by Denver’s dangerous sidewalks) and haven’t done much strength training or cross training since. Without the ability to do downward dogs, pushups, and essentially any exercise that requires me to flex and/or put weight on my wrists, I am pretty limited.

Luckily, limited isn’t hopeless. I am slowly starting to get back into the groove of things. I haven’t found a gym yet, so I’ve been doing a lot of at-home and in-the-park bodyweight workouts. These are great.

One of my go-to workouts right now is to go for a run around Washington Park, then end near a picnic table to do some strength training and stretching. At first I felt a little silly doing squats in the park by myself, but I got over it. I don’t know about you, but every time I see other people doing yoga and workouts in the park all I think is, “Man, that person is awesome. I need to do that too.” So I am.

Plus, I am much more apt to do it right after my run outside in the breezy air, rather than waiting until I get back home to my hot, non air-conditioned, garden level duplex.

Are you with me?

The next time you go out for a little jog, whether it be 1 mile or 10 miles, try to tack on this little strength training and stretching routine at the end. I really, really don’t think you’d regret it.

A Quick Post Run In The Park Circuit Workout

Exercise Cues:

  • Elevated Push Ups – Begin in an elevated push-up (plank) position with your hands on a bench and your toes on the ground behind you. Keeping your body in a straight line with your core engaged, slowly lower your body while bending your elbows to a 90-degree angle. Push your body back up to starting position.
  • Squats – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart, toes pointing forward. Squat down by bending your knees and flexing your hips, keeping your back straight and your knees behind your toes. Lower until you reach a 90-degree angle. Engage your glutes and rise back up to starting position.
  • Bench Dips – Sit on a bench with your legs straight out in front of you, your heels on the ground, and your hands gripping the edge of the bench on each side of your body. Straighten your arms and lift your body off the bench (starting position). Lower yourself in front of the bench until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle. Raise yourself back up to starting position.
  • Elevated Plank Hip Dips – Begin in an elevated forearm plank position with your forearms on a bench and your toes on the ground behind you. Keeping your core engaged and your thighs pressed tight together, twist your torso to the right so that your right hip dips towards the ground. Raise back to plank position, then twist your torso to the left. This is one rep.
  • Standing Lateral Leg Lifts – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart. Raise your right leg out to the side as high as your can go without sacrificing your posture, keeping your toes and knee facing forward. Make sure that your core is engaged and your left leg is straight and strong. Complete all reps on your right leg, then switch to your left.

Stretch Cues:

  • Standing Quad Stretch – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart. Reach behind you to grab your right ankle and pull it up until you feel a stretch in your front thigh and hip flexor. Make sure your back is straight and your core engaged. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
  • Standing Hamstring Stretch – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart. Step your right foot forward and rest your heel on the ground with your toes pointing up. With your hands on your hips, lean into the stretch by hinging at the waist and slightly bending your left leg. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides. Sometimes you can feel this down to your calves as well.
  • Standing Figure-4 Glute Stretch – Stand with feel hip-width distance apart. Place your right ankle over your left knee and bend down to a squatting position. Use a bench or tree for balance. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
  • Standing Chest Stretch – Stand with feet hip-width distance apart. Lace your fingers together behind your back. Making sure to stand straight and engage your core, raise your arms up behind you focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together and opening your chest. Hold for 30 seconds.

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoy it! Happy running 🙂

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Thursday Things 09.03.15

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Thursday Things 09.02.15

So. Now that my wrist is in a brace rather than a cast and Katie (my roomie) is on the brink of a full mono recovery, we are really starting to take advantage of Denver living (on the cheap). Since last week we’ve gone to Boulder, did a little downtown bar hopping, won the lottery tickets to see Book of Mormon (front row for $25 and omg, so funny!), and went to a Rockies game ($4 Rockpile tickets). In between all of the activities, I’ve been applying to jobs, going for runs around Wash Park trying to acclimate to the altitude, and meeting new friends. Most of these things are fun. Guess which isn’t.

BUT, all of these things are great:

Welp, happy Thursday! I’m going to get back to my funemployment…

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Peach Almond Butter Shortbread Bars

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I know it’s September, but it’s still summer and it’s still hot. We should still be eating peaches every single day for every single meal: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, dessert.

Are we on the same page with this? I hope so, because I have a dessert for you. These beauts are peach almond butter shortbread bars.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

Let’s dissect.

On the bottom is buttery shortbread acting as a strong base to hold the other delicious layers. It’s a simple crust made of butter, powdered sugar, flour, just a little bit of vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt.

Next is a layer of almond butter. This acts as a shield to protect the shortbread from getting soggy from the peaches. Not to mention, almond butter is amazing on approximately everything. I made my own by pulverizing almonds with a little bit of sea salt and maple syrup in my food processor, but you could totally use store-bought almond butter here.

Finally, we pile on peaches that have been roasted with maple syrup and brandy. They are juicy and delicious and perfect in every way; the real stars of this recipe. The brandy is totally optional, but really why would you skip it?

peach almond butter shortbread bars

And hey, let’s just add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on there as well. It’s summer and we should live a little before settling into fall.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

I kept these bars in the fridge and the shortbread crust stayed strong and crispy for days (3 to be exact). There was no sogginess in sight, which is excellent, because I’m sure we can all agree that soggy crust is the worst. The mix of the shortbread with the creamy almond butter and the juicy peaches is a textural experience for your mouth. Your taste buds won’t be sad about it.

They tasted good cold and they tasted good heated up. They tasted good morning, afternoon, and night. I can say this all with confidence, because I did all the research.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

So go run to the grocery store and buy all the peaches and enjoy every single last minute of summer.

Oh and while you’re at it, a few more peach recipes: browned butter ginger peach blondies, bourbon peach crisp, and fruit & coconut water ice pops.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

Peach Almond Butter Shortbread Bars
 
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Serves: 9 bars
Ingredients
  • 3 medium ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
  • 4 tablespoons maple syrup (separated)
  • 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup dry roasted almonds
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8x8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the bars can easily be lifted out of the pan.
  2. Place the sliced peaches on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and one of brandy (optional), then sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  3. In the large bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the flour. Mix until incorporated. Then press dough into the prepared pan.
  4. Place both the shortbread and the peaches in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The rim of the shortbread should be lightly browned.
  5. While the peaches and shortbread are baking, add the almonds, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and the sea salt to a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Be patient as this can take up to 10-15 minutes depending on the strength of your processor. You can also use store bought almond butter.
  6. Allow the shortbread and peaches to cool slightly, then spread a layer of almond butter on the shortbread. You’ll want to make sure everything is covered. Then add the peaches.
  7. Cut, serve, and enjoy! I added a dollop of sweetened whipped cream to mine, because yum.

peach almond butter shortbread bars

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