Corbin and Carson at Grandma Gerry’s & Papa Clarky’s Pumpkin Patch!
Pumpkin is one of, if not, the most common fall flavors that everyone enjoys. Several types of desserts have pumpkin added to them to increase taste or appearance. The pumpkins are ready around here so check out the farmer’s market, local store, or pumpkin patch to get a few for decorations and to enjoy these tasty and healthy recipes with! Here are a few healthy pumpkin recipes to enjoy this fall season without feeling guilty about eating bad:
Healthy Pumpkin Pie •1 can pumpkin puree •1 can full-fat coconut milk •¼ cup rolled oats •2 tbsp ground flax •1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar •pinch of stevia or 2 tbsp of brown sugar •2 tsp cinnamon •1 tsp pumpkin pie spice •½ tsp salt •1 tbsp pure vanilla extract Directions: Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe: Preheat oven to 400F. Blend all ingredients together until smooth, then pour into a prepared pie crust (such as the recipe below) in a 10-inch round pan. Bake 27 minutes (it will still be underdone after this time, which is okay!), let it cool, then refrigerate at least 5 hours uncovered for the pie to thicken and “set.”
Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread •1/3 cup melted coconut oil •½ cup honey •2 eggs •1 cup pumpkin puree •1 tsp. vanilla extract •½ tsp salt •½ tsp cinnamon •½ tsp. ginger •¼ tsp. nutmeg •¼ teaspoon allspice •1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour •1/3 to ½ cup rinsed millet (optional •1 tsp. baking soda •¼ cup hot water Directions: 1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. 2.In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and beat well. 3.Stir in pumpkin purée and vanilla, then the salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Stir in flour, just until combined. If you’re adding millet, stir that in as well. 4.Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then mix briefly into batter until it is evenly distributed. Spread batter into the greased loaf pan. 5.Sprinkle with cinnamon, and swirl with the tip of a table knife for a pretty marbled effect. Sprinkle a big pinch of turbinado sugar on top for a light, sweet crunch. 6.Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Be sure to check that the bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the top. It should come out clean. If the top of the bread jiggles when you pull it out of the oven, it’s NOT done! Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cookies •2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour •1 tsp. baking powder •1 tsp. baking soda •2 tsp. cinnamon •¾ tsp. nutmeg •¾ tsp. ground cloves •½ tsp. salt •½ cup butter, softened •1 ½ sugar •1 cup canned pumpkin puree •1 egg •1 tsp. vanilla extract •powdered sugar (optional) Directions: 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt). 2.In another medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Use a cookie dough scoop or two spoons to drop one tablespoon of dough onto a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly. 3.Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle the baked cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar and transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.
Jennifer West, a friend in our Watertown Area Running Club, ran her first marathon yesterday in Brookings. It was really pretty good weather for this, but humid. Many of us from the run club came to Brookings to both cheer her on, and run with her. Sarah, Megan, Leeann, and I ran the marathon relay so we could help push Jenn from start to finish. The joy on her face made everything all worthwhile afterwards. Until you have done one, you have no idea how much it takes to get ready for one of these, and then also the day of. It is a grueling test of both physical and mental stamina. Let me show you how the morning played out.
For those of us who went, even if we did not run, were there cheering for her, and helping her get ready. All of us helped with her preparation the months leading up to this day to help her keep up with her long runs. Many others of us who ran with her in preparation, could not all be there in Brookings. But, WARC–Watertown Area Running Club–sticks together, and offer help in anyway we can.
We are just yacking prior to getting ready for the start. Jenn and the rest of the McElroy’s came down and were cheering from start to finish! Jenn was driving everywhere along the course! Their two girls, Kate and Grace, were whooping it up good, shaking the cowbells, and screaming “good job Jenn!”
Jenn was all smiles before getting ready to enter the start area. Everybody had to wear a mask as they entered, and the runners all had to start with the mask until things spaced out with the runners. They had capped the field of entries significantly this year due to COVID.
Megan started out the first leg with her, 4 miles to the first exchange site. She picked up another section of the marathon later on as well. It was a little chilly to start with, but did not take long to warm up.
Then Sarah took over at mile 4, and ran with her until mile 12. She had the longest segment with her. I have to laugh at this one, as Megan kind of high fived her for the exchange, and Sarah turns around, and Jenn is going, and “sprints” to catch up to her. “Wait for me!”
Leeann took over at mile 12 to mile 17, and then Megan came back in until mile 20. They were on a steady pace, but mile 20 is when the marathon really starts getting tough…not only physically, but mentally.
I then ran with her from mile 20 to the finish, another 6.2 miles, to complete 26.2 miles. Here we are coming down the final 100 meters and she is picking it up to the finish line! They called out her name over the loud speaker, and announced this was her first marathon! Nothing can describe that feeling when you cross the finish line. Joy…exhaustion…relief! Her time was 4 hours and 25 minutes!
Here is Greg, and his girlfriend Laura. He also ran the marathon, not his first, but his best one, beating his last time by over 15 minutes. He came in at 3 hours 17 minutes. And also in this picture is Owen McElroy, and his girls, Kate and Grace, who win the award for loudest cheerleaders!!!
Post race picture with Jenn and her husband Randy, who followed her in the vehicle throughout the race. The person running the marathon puts in a lot of work, and time, but the spouse does a lot of extra things as well to help keep everything else going at home while you are training. It is very time consuming. You cannot train for a marathon without a very supportive spouse. So we have all happily told Randy we will do the same for him when he runs a marathon! (We don’t have to worry too much on this one, but…never say never!)
Jill made some signs for the day. This one says it all. We are WARC strong. Jenn accomplished her goal of completing a marathon, but the group/team was there through the training, and the race. That is what we do! It may not always work out that many of us can be there for the actual day, but we sure try our best to help out along the way. Most of us have all done one, and we know the commitment it takes to do this, and we are more than willing to help. Come join us sometime. You don’t have to run a marathon to be a part of it. You just need to like to run. The rest is up to you! Keep moving everybody!
Physical activity can occur all day long, not only during specified workouts. Now that we’re back to school, students who sit for school most days may find these ideas helpful to get their blood flowing between classes. Working professionals and those who find themselves sitting much of the day may also greatly benefit from these ideas. The following are simple, sometimes fun ideas to add physical activity to your day:
Always take the stairs.
Park in the back of a parking lot and walk to the building.
Schedule meetings to be “walking meetings”.
et a timer for 5 minutes every hour and take a break from sitting to move in a way you enjoy.
Cook dinner. Cooking is an active process that usually involves standing and moving.
Do household chores like laundry, tidying-up, dusting, or vacuuming, all active chores.
Stand while working on a computer. Use an exercise ball as an office chair.
Take active breaks during commercial breaks, like jumping jacks or dancing.
Stretch while watching your favorite show.
Add a few blocks or minutes to a walk. Take your family for an evening bike ride or walk. Enjoy our beautiful trail!
Turn on a good song and dance around the house.
Do squats or knee raises while brushing your teeth or waiting for the microwave.
Keep light weights and use them in one hand while on a phone call.
Sarah and I went on a short vacation a week ago out in the Hills, staying in a secluded cabin in Hill City. The entrance to this cabin was the Mickelson Trail. We were on it every day, multiple times a day. Hardly anybody else around. We went biking, hiking, walking, and running each day. We saw all kinds of wildlife out there, like this one with a deer greeting us on the trail! We saw turkeys, and some coyotes too. The view is breathtaking, and if you have never been on the Mickelson Trail, you have to try it, as there is well over 100 miles of converted railroad line made into the Trail.
We went hiking while we were out there. The plan was to go up Harney Peak, now Black Elk Peak, but just our luck, it was under maintenance beginning the day we got out there, until the day we left! So we did some other hiking trails around Sylvan Lake since we were already out there.
The scenery around Sylvan Lake is incredible! It was a great substitute for what we originally were planning on doing.
We hauled our bikes out there and rode 30 miles at a time several days while we were out there. The one day we went past Crazy Horse as well. The hills are quite the challenge out there. Either direction we took off from, we were starting off uphill. 7 miles one way, over 9 miles the other way. Coming back was great going down them, but boy did you work going up!
We had to take a minute for a breather working uphill!
Going down you just hung on!
Lots of different scenery to look at, and experience with this converted railroad line. We stopped many times, mostly to take pictures!
The view of our cabin from the Mickelson Trail. The social distancing, and overall quiet break was absolutely perfect to forget about everything else going back on in the world. The sunrises/sunsets out in the Hills are totally amazing as well.
Remember, we all need a break at times. But, by staying active, there is so much more to do and see, and create adventures with…and make memories! Social distancing is not such a bad thing when you have things like this to do, and see. Make time to take time! Enjoy life! Take it all in, and be safe! Keep moving everybody!
Packing a lunch can be harder than it sounds. Most people want something that is easy, healthy, and fulfilling that will give them energy for the day.
Here are some steps to take to pack a lunch based on MyPlate. You might find it is easiest to go through these steps once for the whole week or nightly. they can be used for yourself, another adult, or a child. Consider what types of food sound good. The importance of enjoying food can be underestimated. In order to get nourishment from food, we need to eat it…and enjoying food makes us more likely to eat it! Considering what sounds satisfying to you will help with the next steps.
Choose a lean protein. Ex: chicken breast, sliced turkey, taco meat with lean ground beef, fish, beans/legumes, etc.
Choose a whole grain. MyPlate recommendations are to make “half your grains whole” (or more). Ex: brown rice, whole wheat bread (for a sandwich) or roll (as a side), whole grain tortilla, quinoa, whole grain crackers, etc.
Add vegetables and/or fruits. MyPlate recommends half your plate be vegetables and fruits, so don’t shy away from adding more. Fiber in fruits and vegetables help keep you full. If you have leftovers, they can be a great afternoon snack. Ex: steamed broccoli and carrots, roasted cauliflower and sweet potato, raw celery, chopped vegetable salad, tomato soup, whole apple or banana, sliced peaches, grapes, a small 100% fruit juice, etc.
Add dairy. Protein and fat in dairy help keep you full while contributing vitamins and minerals. Ex: sprinkle your meal with cheese, pack a yogurt cup, drink a milk, etc.
Add an exciting flavor booster. Adding a sauce or dressing (such as vinaigrette) can help pull a meal together. Packing a couple pieces of dark chocolate can also the meal more enticing. Bottom line, this is the step to make sure your lunch is enjoyable.
Ask yourself these questions when you are finished and make adjustments if any of the answers are “no”. Will this be enough food to keep me full? Will these foods contribute positively to my energy level? Do I have proper storage and reheating methods for these foods? Does this lunch seem like something I want to eat? Enjoy your lunch with confidence in what you packed!
What a weekend! WARC–Watertown Area Running Club–got together Saturday morning to run the Fargo Half Marathon and Marathon virtually, since the in person event was cancelled due to COVID. We had several in our group who were running their first marathon. Here I am congratulating Jason for finishing his first 26.2 mile run! It was a great day for the weather to help out with this as well. The weather was only the tip of the iceberg. Our run club helped in so many ways to make it a day to remember for these first time marathoners. Let me show you how.
Here Owen, Jason, and Mark are getting ready to start at 5AM. Sally was starting on her own. Owen was running with Jason from start to finish to help get him through! Jill had dropped them off at Hobby Lobby to start, and then met up with the rest of us at City Park, and then headed to Jackson Park where a bunch of us were waiting to start the Half Marathon. After all was said and done, the plan was for everybody to get to City Park to finish.
It goes without saying for those who have done a marathon before, you know what it takes to finish. You also know how much work you have to put into to get ready. If everything goes as planned, you hopefully have a great marathon day. Many things can change that. Weather. Fatigue. Injury. Mark was dealing with this, but made the attempt anyway. This, to me, takes even more guts. It may not always go as planned, but it truly is those challenges in life that makes life meaningful.
Multiple people helped along the course around the lake setting up water/aid stations. Jill’s brother Dan, Tom, Missy, Jill, and here is the station set up by Cassandra and her kids, and they helped set up at several spots. It is because of this that the rest of us could keep going, and not have to haul water/energy drinks etc, to get through. Words cannot express how much this helps out, and was greatly appreciated by all of us!
When a bunch of us got done running the Half Marathon, we took off on our bikes to go ride and encourage Jason and Owen to the finish line for the last 3 miles. We cheered, hauled water, and helped push them in. That is what WARC does. That is what friends do…
Sally finished, with Jill riding along side her for about the last mile. She was determined to run this on her own. It was a time for her to think, and focus on her goal. She did great. Her husband Mark had to stop at mile 19, and had to quit running at 15, walking those last 4. His knee was bugging him too much to keep going. This was his second marathon, so he at least knew what it was like to do one. The frustrating part was doing all this work, to come to the final moment and be hurt. Like I said earlier, it takes a lot of guts to run a marathon, and even more to keep attempting when you are hurt. Kudos to you Mark for trying! You still ran more than the rest of us running the Half Marathon. There will be other days to do again, I have no doubt!
Here is a picture of those of us who did the Half Marathon:
And one of all of us who ran, with the finish line ribbon provided by Jill! (And a special shout out to Jill for helping with the organization of this day/event!)
A Half Marathon, and especially a Full Marathon, can humble you very quickly. How much determination do you have? Will your body tolerate it all? More so yet, will your mind allow you to tolerate it? Many factors are involved with completing one of these, but believe me, it is always easier when you have your friends there to support you!
The day may have been significant in that several in our run group finished their first marathon, but that is not what made the day. Working together, supporting each other, running with each other, listening to each other…just being there for each other, is what it is all about. That is what makes memories. We all have good days, and bad days when it comes to running, and you don’t know how everything is going to line up for that particular day. But the support from that day, and all of the training runs together leading up to this, are what make it special. Erika and Paula could not make it this day, but there were there in spirit, and following along, and cheering from afar. Next up, Jenn will be doing the Brookings marathon, her first, and several of the rest of us are on a team, running along side here the whole way to help get her in. Time for the finish is not what is important. It is the time spent together that is important!
WARC—Watertown Area Running Club—this is what we are about. Join us sometime. If you like to run, you will fit in. Your time for how fast you can run is not important. Be WARC Strong! Keep moving everybody!
