The recipe was actually Weight Watchers Hot Fudge Pudding Cake, but I felt it deserved a better title.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cups hot strong coffee <—– Super cool secret ingredient!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine milk, egg, oil and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Make a well in center of the dry ingredients and gradually pour in the milk mixture, stirring until combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
3. Dissolve brown sugar in coffee; spoon over batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes; serve hot or warm.

Note: Don’t freak out when you put it in the oven and it just looks like brownie batter drowned in coffeee. It will bake beautifully!

My lunch was simple, but a big fave. Some brown rice & beans + vegetables + avocado. Super colorful, right? I ended up picking out the tomatoes. They just tasted weird. Kevin had basically the same thing except with cheese and tortillas because he’s a manly man.

What a hottie! My favorite part of lunch today was that I didn’t TELL Kevin that I made him dessert. I just waited for him to finish his last bite and asked,”So are you full?” I think Kevin caught on to my games because he furtively looked around before replying,”Noooo..” I had the cake hiding in the oven. I love being a little wifey and surprising him with dessert. I know, I know. I can’t believe what a little homemaker I’ve become either!

I really hate taking rest days. I haven’t missed a single day of running a 5k or more since we moved to Denver. However, lately the two-a-days have been getting to me, and I’ve been waking up just super sore with no will to live. So today I tried reading some articles online to psych myself up for a rest day. Now the reason I hate taking rest days is simple. Once I am off the wagon, I am OFF the wagon. Meaning the day AFTER a rest day is just torture for me and it takes every bit of my amazing self-discipline to get myself to the gym.

Here’s what I found:

A day off every seven to 14 days restocks glycogen stores, builds strength, and reduces fatigue. Without recovery, adaptation may occur short-term, but ultimately it will fail. And since most injuries come from overuse, a day of cross-training, rest, or easy miles can prevent three-or four-week forced breaks caused by, say, ITB syndrome.

That said, I can appreciate how some find it hard to let the running shoes sit. On his rest day, German Silva, who won the 1994 and ’95 NYC Marathons, ran an easy three miles, keeping his heart rate below 60 percent of max. These jogs may not boost VO2 max, but they loosen up the muscles to fend off sluggishness.

So is a little running on a rest day okay for mere mortals? It can be. As long as you keep the volume and intensity very light, you can still get the recovery benefits. (The same goes for cross-training on a rest day: Keep it relaxed.)

(via Runners World)

This news made me sooooo happy. I ran the slowest I’ve ever run in MY life. 4.2 miles while watching Say Yes to the Dress. I was plodding. I felt like an ox, but it was better than sitting on the couch! I also did 20 minutes on the elliptical because the gym is like a quarter mile away from my front door and I like to waste the walk there. But I kept the intensity super low. I had to skip all my favorite songs so I wouldn’t push it! Haha. My secret weapon was to wear PANTS. I figured any workout I could do in annoying boot cut sweats isn’t going to kill me!

Do you like to take rest days? No.

What’s your favorite afternoon snack?  100-calorie kettle corn. Although it’s annoying because it’s really hard to eat while blogging!

P.S. We’re going over to have dinners with the mentors of the Young Marrieds group at our new church! I’m so excited! Also there are going to be some missionaries from Chile joining us y yo voy a hablar un poco de Español. And maybe translate a little! Ayiyiyi! The pressure is on!