Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

Thursday Thanks 11.27.14

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Thursday Thanks 11.27.14

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope you are feeling thankful today. Thankful for the people in your life. Thankful for the things that you have and for the things that you can do. Thankful for the awesome things. Thankful for the challenges. I hope that you are thankful for everything.

I was originally planning on writing a list of things that I’m thankful for – a list of Thursday Thanks instead of my typical Thursday Things. However, I soon realized that the list would be far too long and maybe a little bit sappy and that no one would probably actually read it soooo… I stopped.

I’ll just tell you that I am thankful for everything. Every single thing. It’s good for me to step back and reflect on how ridiculously wonderful this life is. Not everything is easy and great, but it definitely could be a lot worse. #blessed (<— that one’s for you, Bre.)

I hope you spend the day with family, friends, and loved ones. I hope you eat a lot sweet potatoes and pie, turkey too. I also hope you fit in some exercise. Cover all those bases.

I am thankful for you for reading this blog. You’re great and I really appreciate it. I’d give you a hug right now if I was standing next to you.

xxxooo happy thankful Thursday – jd

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Thursday Things 11.20.14

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thursday things 11.20.14

THE PHILLY MARATHON IS ON SUNDAY!!!

I’m not sure if those are caps and exclamation points of excitement or fear. Since I haven’t really been running much (thank you, hip flexor) I’m all like “Running? A marathon? Oh yeah, I’m doing that. On Sunday. Wait… 26.2 miles?! Lord, help me.” As I type this I have nervous waves pulsing through my body.

In the last month I have run approximately 20 miles total split across 5 runs. On Sunday I will attempt 26.2 miles at once. Uuummmm… pray for me, please.

HOWEVER, there are some bright spots:

  1. My knee and hip feel significantly better than they did one month ago.
  2. I’ll be traveling with 9 others from my run club. We made awesome marathon shirts after having a Rocky movie night. Their company/encouragement/inspiration will make the whole marathon weekend experience amazing and so worth it.
  3. Post-marathon Philly cheesesteaks.

Until we talk again (which probably won’t be until post-marathon), here are some fun things to check out and drool over:

PS – I’m going to go see A Christmas Carol tonight with one of my faves. I’ve always, always, always wanted to go and tonight that dream will come true.

<3jd

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Superset Tabata Workout

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As the days are getting shorter and the holiday festivities begin to pick up it is nice to have arsenal of quick workouts for those days you just don’t have time to spend hours in the gym.

Superset Tabata This superset Tabata will take you 20 minutes to complete, plus some time for warm up and cool down. It is a no-equipment-needed-do-anywhere-workout that hits your triceps, abs, chest, and legs. Also, your heart, because there are quite a few cardio bursts involved.

  • You’re at your in-laws for Thanksgiving? You can do this in the guest room.
  • You’re travelling for work and staying at a hotel? This can be done in the hotel room.
  • You just don’t feel like going to the gym because it’s 4 degrees and snowing? No problem-o. This can be done in your living room.

Convenient, amiright?

Let’s be clear, just because this workout is convenient, it does not mean that it is easy. No sir, it is intense. Push yourself, get your heart pumping, and work to earn that sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie!

Now let’s talk about what a superset Tabata actually is.

  1. SUPERSET. A superset is when exercises are performed back-to-back with little to no rest in between, rather than performing all the reps and sets of a single exercise before moving to the next.
  2. TABATA. Tabata is a type of high intensity interval training (HIIT) where an exercise is performed at high intensity for 20 seconds and followed by 10 seconds of rest. This pattern is completed for 8 rounds, a total of 4 minutes.
  3. SUPERSET TABATA. A superset Tabata is when two exercises are performed within one Tabata in an alternating fashion. Each exercise is performed 4 times within the 8 rounds.

Here is the superset Tabata I have for you today. Superset Tabata

Within each Tabata there is a mix of strength and cardio. During these exercises I want you to work. Get your knees high, squat low, hold in your core, kick your butt. You’ll get an intense full-body workout in a quick 20 minutes, but please don’t forget to give yourself a couple of extra minutes to warm up and cool down too.

There you have it. Add this to your collection of quick and convenient workouts. Don’t have one yet? Go ahead and start one! Remember, you will never regret a workout (especially during the calorific holiday season). Even though it is quick, it is still totally worth it.

Fun fact: Tabata is named after Izumi Tabata, which is why it is always capitalized. If you like Tabatas check out this 4th of July one too!

Leave a comment if you have any questions!

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Peanut Butter Stuffed Jalapeños

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I’m going to spice things up a bit. It’s Saturday, why not get a little crazy? And what’s crazier than jalapeños?

NOTE: Lots of things are crazier than jalapeños. However, this does not stop me from telling you about these amazing peanut butter stuffed jalapeños. peanut butter stuff jalapeños I went to Butcher and the Boar for dinner a couple of weeks ago. This place is soooo good. If you live near Minneapolis, please go. Make reservations right now. They have an awesome floor made of pennies, a huge selection of good meats and sausages, and a lot of bourbon. Check.It.Out.

Besides bourbon and meat and pennies, they also have these amazing stuffed jalapeños. Initially one would think they are stuffed with cream cheese, which is, you know, cool and all. But noooo. No, these are stuffed with a peanut butter cream cheese mixture. PEANUT BUTTER. Then they are baked and sprinkled with feta and golden raisins.

Delicious. They are unlike anything I have ever tried before.

Peanut butter in jalapeños – weird, right? It works. Those people at Butcher and the Boar know what they are doing.

Anyways, I had to recreate them.

I wish I could say that my version was as delicious as the real thing, but I cannot. I am not a master chef and posses very little skill in the kitchen. I just like to experiment, cook, and eat. However, I will say that these are still pretty delicious.

Not only are they delicious, they are also easy to make. peanut butter stuff jalapeños We take our jalapeños, cut them in half, and then scrape out the seeds. Next we make the filling by mixing together cream cheese and peanut butter with a little bit of lime juice. The filling is stuffed into the jalapeño halves and placed in the oven for 25 minutes.

peanut butter stuff jalapeños Now it’s time to place them on a serving tray, sprinkle them with feta cheese and golden raisins, and then add a drizzle of honey.

peanut butter stuff jalapeños If you think about it, these are kind of like a fancier, less healthy, spicier version of ants on a log. The jalapeño replaces the celery (both green). The peanut butter is still there, but cream cheese is added to it. Raisins are placed on top, but are golden and, therefore, more sophisticated.

Do you see it or am I crazy?

Again, it’s Saturday.

peanut butter stuff jalapeños I think these stuffed jalapeños would be a great little appetizer to serve at a gathering of friends, like Friendsgiving for example. You can prep the jalapeños ahead of time and place them in the oven right before your guests arrive.

You can also wrap them in bacon, because I think that would be awesome and no one would yell at you for doing this. Unless all your friends are vegetarian. Then that’s just completely rude on your part. But then you can eat all the bacon peanut butter jalapeños yourself. So, do what you want.

You can also make them and eat them for dinner with cauliflower mashed potatoes.

But who does that?

No one.

Ok, me. I did last night.

Peanut Butter Stuffed Jalapeños
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
These are not your typical stuffed jalapeños. The classic cream cheese filling is elevated with the addition of peanut butter and lime juice. They are then baked and topped with feta cheese, golden raisins, and honey. A quick and easy appetizer to pull together for guests!
Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
  • 4oz cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 6 jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeded
  • Garnishes: feta cheese, golden raisins, honey
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil.
  2. In small bowl, mix cream cheese, peanut butter, and lime juice.
  3. Place the jalapeño halves on the cookie sheet and fill with the peanut butter mixture.
  4. Bake 25 minutes.
  5. Place jalapeños on a serving platter, sprinkle with feta cheese and golden raisins, and drizzle with honey. These are best served warm.

peanut butter stuff jalapeños

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Thursday Things 11.13.14

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thursday things 11.13.14

It is cooolllldddddd here, 20 degrees cold. AND it snowed. Not a light-dusting-melt-right-away snow, but rather a lots-of-inches-stick-to-the-ground snow. I’m not going to lie, I kind of like it. (Don’t hate me!)

When the weather gets like this I crave a few things: Christmas movies, hot tea, and knitting (also accepted: red wine). I know, it’s way to early for Christmas movies, but Lifetime and Hallmark are already airing them on the weekends and I just cannot resist. Cheesy Christmas movies are my absolute fave. Sometimes, they can get to the point of extreme cheesy where it’s almost uncomfortable to watch. But still. Everyone overcomes obstacles and falls in love and believes in Santa Claus. That’s a good world to live in.

Knitting is to Christmas movies like peanut butter is to jelly, so I just had to bust out the needles and yarn. I met up with a friend on Saturday to teach her how to knit. She was a quick learner and is rocking her way through a scarf! I was able to finish a hat. Then I decided to make a headband too, because I had extra yarn (never throw away those scraps!) and the Christmas movies were still rolling.

Now with all these wintery activities I feel like Christmas should be in two weeks, not Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving (and Black Friday) though, so I’m glad it hasn’t passed by yet.

Anyways, enough holiday talk. Grab a cup of tea and check out these things:

  • Ever since I heard this song play during savasana at a yoga sculpt class (the 10:30am Sunday at Yoga Sol!) a few weeks ago I became obsessed. I kept forgetting to ask the instructor what the song was and couldn’t find it (who knew it’d be called Mother & Father?!), but then it popped up on a Songza playlist yesterday. Woo.
  • So many delicious brussels sprouts recipes this week: yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, and YUM!!
  • These diy flannel fringe scarves look both cute and cozy. I want ten. You can never have enough scarves, right? I’ll take a break from knitting to make (at least) one.
  • Keep an eye out for these kitchen things the next time you are at a flea market. I went to an antique store a few weeks ago and found a small cast iron skillet for $5 – a steal!
  • Loved this article about mentoring relationships.

PS- Did you make a wish on 11/11 at 11:11?! I did. But I won’t tell you what I wished for….

xoxojd

 

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Brown Butter Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Are you sick of pumpkin yet? I really, really hope not, because you need to make these pumpkin bars. They are so so so so so so so so sooooooo good.

brown butter pumpkin bars Trust me.

Brown butter. Cream Cheese. Toasted Walnuts. PUMPKIN. Gaaahhhhh. You just can’t go wrong here.

My mom makes these pumpkin bars every year. They are amazing as is, but let’s just face it, brown butter makes everything better sooooo… I re-created them with brown butter. Then I threw in brown sugar and walnuts too for the heck of it. Hey, why not?! We’re gettin’ cray in the kitchen.

Speaking of cray, don’t freak out, there are five sticks of butter in this recipe. I know, I know, that’s a lot of butter; however, this recipe makes A LOT of bars, so it kind of evens out. Plus, they are just too good to not eat. YOLO. Run an extra few miles this week.

Butter is back anyways, right? It’s ok.

brown butter pumpkin bars The bars itself are not too sweet and have the perfect amount of pumpkiny-spice flavor. They are soft, moist (sorry if you hate that word), and cakey with just a little bit of crunch from the walnuts.

Then there is the frosting. Ooohhhh, this frosting! Cream cheese frosting is always incredible, but with the addition of brown butter… incredible to the max. I kid you not.

brown butter pumpkin bars Make these. Eat five. Save six more for yourself. Then bring the remaining to work/bake sale/Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving/wherever people accept baked goods. Since the recipe makes so many bars no one will even know that you hoarded some for yourself.

brown butter pumpkin bars You should have them for dessert after eating this soup. Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere.

Make sure to add in a few workouts (like this, this, or this) to sweat out some of that brown butter. Life is a balance.  brown butter pumpkin bars

Brown Butter Pumpkin Bars with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
 
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These pumpkin bars are so good. They are super soft and have tons of flavor from the brown butter in both the bar and the cream cheese frosting. This recipe makes a lot of bars, so you'll be able to keep some for yourself and share with friends.
Ingredients
For the bars:
  • 2 cups walnuts
  • 1¼ cups butter (2 ½ sticks)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup white sugar
  • 29-ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon all spice
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
For the frosting:
  • 1¼ cups butter (2 ½ sticks)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2-4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Grease an 11x17-inch jelly roll pan.
  2. To toast the nuts: spread walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Stir them around occasionally (every 5 minutes or so) to ensure they are not burning. Once toasted, chop roughly and set aside.
  3. To brown the butter: melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk the melted butter 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. Save one cup for the bars and one cup for the frosting.
  4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
  5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1 cup of brown butter, the eggs, sugars, and pumpkin. Mix on medium until lights and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  6. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the walnuts.
  7. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 27-30 minutes. Let the bars cool completely.
  8. To make the frosting: cream together the cream cheese and butter, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until desired consistency is reached.
  9. When the bars have cooled completely, spread the frosting evenly over the bars. Cut into squares and serve! Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
You can substitute all the spices with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.

Slightly adapted from allrecipes.com.

PS- I took a break from knitting and watching Christmas movies on Hallmark to write this. Is that bad? I might be getting too far ahead of myself.

brown butter pumpkin bars PPS- no, I’m not 80-years old. Knitting is cool.

 

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