Down 2 Earth Trail Run Recap

Congratulations to MASH Up Conditioning winner Kalynn Carter! 

I tried trail running and I loved it! This race was runner's serendipity. I was supposed to run six miles March 8th and didn't manage to wake up Saturday morning to run (running alone is hard!). Sunday night, before dinner, I logged onto Facebook and saw that Run South Florida had posted a listing of the weekend's races. One of the races was for Down 2 Earth Trail Run. The distances were 5K, 10K, and half marathon. I sent my friend a text message asking if she would run the 10K with me and she responded with "yes!" I signed up that night while Alex was bathing the girls and went to sleep very nervous about the trails. I had run trails before during the obstacle course races, but for some reason, just running the trails scared me.

I don't know why I was scared because I had the best time on the run. It was disorienting and exhilarating at the same time. I was so focused on the path directly in front of me and keeping an eye out for markers that the miles flew by. Nature took care of the intervals and I found myself running most of the 6.2 miles. This race challenged me and pushed my limits. I wondered out loud at least ten times whether we were lost, slipped twice, and fell twice. The best part of the run really was sharing it with my friend and having her love it so much that she said she couldn't wait to run the trails again. Coming from someone who used to always say she didn't like the outdoors, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this race. I guess this just shows me that I love running so much I can do it anywhere and still love it.

What I liked:

• Even though we did two loops, it didn't feel that way because nothing on the trails was recognizable the second time around. 
• Sufficient signage. 
• We unleashed our inner Katniss Everdeen. 
• Trails felt great on my knees. 
• Race director was hilarious and personable. You can tell he loves organizing these races. 
• Small race. 
• Oleta National Park: beautiful trails. 
• The company. 
• Sufficient water on the course. 
• No need for an interval timer. 

What I didn't like:

• I love race medals and this race gave us beads instead. 

Next Race Recap is March 16th's Shamrock Run 4-miler. My next two races are in Chicago and I'm praying it's not snowing or too cold!

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Recipe Revisited: Beer Cheese Dip

Don't forget about the MASH UP Conditioning Giveaway!

I am in the middle of studying for my graduate school comprehensive exam. I started this journey of going back to school to become a marriage and family therapist back in 2010 and it's hard to believe that I am two months shy of graduation. The only thing standing in my way is taking and passing this exam. I'm working on cases, timing myself, and studying intensely with one of school friends (future colleague!). I am ready for this test to be done with so that I can give my brain a rest for a little bit. I am already thinking of going to Disney to celebrate passing this exam (I will pass it. I will pass it. I will pass it.).

Because it has been too quiet on here, I am sharing a recipe that also dates back to 2010. I remember when I first made this Beer Cheese Dip and how much I loved the recipe. This has become my go-to appetizer recipe and I make it whenever we have people over. I love the simplicity of ingredients and how quickly it comes together. The last time I made it, I made half of the recipe and that was enough for eight people to snack on before the real meal.

Beer Cheese Dip
Source: Jodi Zyvith on Allrecipes.com 

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 (8 ounce) packages shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup beer
1 (1 pound) loaf round bread

Place cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, garlic powder and beer in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend until smooth.

Remove and reserve top of round bread. Hollow out the loaf, reserving removed bread pieces.

Spoon cream cheese mixture into the hollowed loaf. Replace bread top between servings. Use the reserved removed bread pieces for dipping.

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Review and Giveaway: MASH Up Conditioning

Stacy Redwine and Jamie Zacharias are the ladies behind MASH Up Conditioning, a workout that is 15-minutes long and broken up into a five-minute mind/body set, a five-minute agility and strength set, and a five-minute high intensity interval set. The DVD that I tried was their Tempo DVD and this DVD has seven different 15-minute workouts and comes with an eating guide and  workout calendar for different fitness goals (starter conditioning, fit conditioning, athletic conditioning, and performance conditioning).

Being a mom of two, student, intern, and manager of my household, what I really liked about MASH Up Conditioning was that each routine was 15-minutes long. I love T25 because the workouts are 25-minutes long, but even so, on some days a 25-minute workout is not possible (the biggest culprit is having no motivation). With these 15-minute workouts, I feel I don't have an excuse to not be active. Also, because the workouts are broken into five-minute segments the workouts feel short. Basically, MASH Up Conditioning makes working out accessible to all kinds of schedules.

Another thing that I like is that MASH Up Conditioning includes an awesome strength set. Weight training is something that I want to include more in my workout regiment, but I have always had trouble with figuring out how to include it because I don't know how to work out using weights. These sets make me feel like I will actually be able to have the strong, sculpted arms I have always wanted.    

Lastly, I really liked that the workouts cover all fitness levels and, for each move, you are given multiple options and modifications. Not only do you have three levels (regular, intermediate, and advanced), but you are also given the modifications if you are pregnant. This, in my opinion, really sets MASH UP Conditioning apart from other workout routines because you are given the whole spectrum of movement instead of having to buy specific pregnancy workouts. I remember being pregnant and feeling at a loss over how to workout and not wanting to spend money on pregnancy-geared workouts that wouldn't follow me post-partum or as I got stronger.  

The first time I tried the Tempo DVD my plan was to only do one 15-minute workout. I liked the workout so much that I ended up doing two more workouts and now I find myself feeling more motivated to fit in 15-minute workouts throughout the day. 

I'm spreading the workout cheer by hosting a giveaway for a MASH Up Conditioning DVD. The giveaway is open through March 12th and is open to US residents. To enter you must leave a comment telling me what your fitness goal is for 2014, like MASH Up Conditioning on Facebook, and follow their Twitter page. Winner will be selected using Rafflecopter and will be notified by March 13, 2014. To enter:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Giveaway Winner & Consolation Cookies

A solid two days late posting the winner. Yikes! I used to be a punctual person, but lately, I am always late. Late to school. Late for internship. Late to dinner. Late to blog. Late. Late. Late. To be fair, I have a lot going on. The 31st is my fundraising deadline and to help me reach my goal, I decided to plan another Cupcake Camp Miami event. Except, instead of giving myself three months to plan the event, I only gave myself one. So I've been busy and my priorities have been a little scrambled. I am so looking forward to stuffing my face with cupcakes this weekend!

According to good old random.org, the winner of the giveaway is Jessie Emeric!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway. Winner, make sure to email me at confessionsofacityeater@gmail.com so I can get that entry code to you.

For all my non-winners out there I bring you some chocolate chip cookies. I love trying different variations of chocolate chip cookies and couldn't resist this recipe that used sea salt. The finished cookie was a hit with Alex as it was crispy and chewy. I was just happy to have "regular" chocolate chip cookies in the house!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Savory Sweet Life 
Yields 48 Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2¾ cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. baking powder
2¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated. Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed.

Using a medium cookie scoop, drop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. There should be 2 inches of space between drops. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Remove from over and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool before serving.

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Anniversary Celebration with a Spartan Race Giveaway!

This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of my first obstacle course race. I don't think I will ever forget the jitters I felt right before that race. I don't think I will ever forget how much I doubted myself. And I will definitely never forget the pep talk I got from my friend that convinced me I could do the race. I hope you all have a friend out there who helps you get past the speed bumps and road blocks in your mind. Looking back, I laugh at my apprehension. My friend told me there would be people on the course who would help me with the obstacles and he told me that the worst thing that could happen would be burpees.

I was so nervous the day of that race. I had Alex and the girls waiting for me to finish so I knew I had to finish. I started running because of the girls after all, so they needed to see me smiling as I crossed that finish line. The very first thing I did was make friends with two other girls and ask them if I could join them during the race. Just like my friend said they would, they said yes and getting to run with them helped me overcome the obstacle of running. After finishing that race I felt so empowered and like a complete badass. I completed six obstacle course races last year. For some that may not seem like a lot, but considering I also ran six half marathons, I'm impressed with myself. A year ago, right before that race, I wouldn't have thought I'd be as in love with these types of races as I am today.

To celebrate my one-year anniversary I am going back to where the romance began: Superhero Scramble. This time, however, I'm bringing along two of my own friends and I hope to meet someone like the person I was last year. If you see The Powerpuff Girls in the 11:30am wave make sure to say "Hi!"

The celebration isn't just for me though. You get to celebrate too by entering a giveaway for a free race entry to any open heat in any 2014 Spartan Race in the US. It doesn't get any better than that and, if you haven't heard of Spartan Race, you need to watch this:

Spartan Race is on my bucket list of races (except I'm crazy and would want to do a Spartan Beast) so I'm really happy to be able to host this giveaway. For my Florida people and those looking for a different kind of Spartan challenge, the next Spartan Race is the Tampa Special Ops Spartan Sprint on February 15th. The race will have all that you want out of an obstacle course race with running, mud, and crazy obstacles, but with the added touch of Special Ops Forces. If you're curious and want a killer workout there's even a Spartan Workout with Johny Hendricks this Saturday, January 11th in Tampa. 

Here are the giveaway rules:

• Go to the Spartan Race website. 
• Come back and tell me why you'd want to race Spartan and which race you would do (make sure to leave your email address). 
• For an added entry, like my Facebook page and come back and tell me you liked the page.
• Giveaway is only applicable to 2014 US races. 
• Giveaway ends January 20th, 2014 at 5pm eastern time. 
• Winner will be announced by 10:00pm eastern using random.org. 

If you can't wait until the 20th and want to register right now, use this LINK for 15% off any Spartan Race. 

This giveaway is brought to you by the good people over at Spartan Race. All the opinions are my own. Happy running and racing everyone!

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Holiday Giveaway: Sew Sweet Peanut Boutique

Do you remember this adorable romper Elina wore for one of her portrait sessions?

It was made by my very talented and sweet friend Jamie of Sew Sweet Peanut Boutique. In the spirit of the holidays and because I think we all need a little dose of happiness, I will be giving away an item from Jamie's shop (up to $35). Jamie is great to work with and she has fabrics in every color and design you could possibly want. This is just a sample from her shop:

The giveaway will end the 25th at 8pm eastern time and a winner will be chosen using random.org. Here are the rules for the giveaway:

1. Visit Sew Sweet Peanut Boutique and leave a comment letting me know what you would like from the shop. 
2. One entry per person.
3. US entrants only.
4. Ends 8pm eastern time on Tuesday, December 25th, 2012. 
5. Winner will be announced that very night. 
6. The winner must contact me at confessionsofacityeater@gmail.com to coordinate the order.

Good luck everyone!

Shutterfly Giveaway Winners

I'm sorry this is coming late in the day but it's been a busy few days around here. There's a lot to post but I wanted to make sure to announce the winners of the Shutterfly giveaway. Here are the three lucky winners of 25 free Shutterfly cards selected using Random.org:

Make sure to check your email and good luck getting your cards together!

Holiday Cards & Shutterfly GIVEAWAY!

Hello November 7, 2011. When did November get here? Where did the year go? I know there are still two months left of the year, but I feel like they are going to fly right by us, which is why I am starting to think about our holiday cards now. Or rather, I am stressing out about our holiday cards because I need to organize a photo session with a husband/daddy who won’t have another day off until the middle of December. This year, we have a toddler who may or may not smile and who definitely will not let us put the Santa hat on her. This year we also have a pregnant mommy who is finding it increasingly difficult to feel pretty. If we manage to get a good picture of us I will be impressed (and relieved)!

Last year was easy because it featured pictures of Cati. This is still, hands-down, my favorite holiday card and my favorite photo session from Cati’s first year of life. I love the smiles and rolls and how cooperative she was. Looking back, I think it was great that I had the pictures I needed to fit into the card I liked the best from Shutterfly's selection.

From Shutterfly

To help us out this year again is Shutterfly with their great holiday card selection. Even better though is the fact that Shutterfly wants to be a part of your holiday celebrations too! Shutterfly is offering 25 cards to three lucky readers of my blog! 

1. Leave a comment with your email address or a way to contact you on this post by Friday, November 11, 2011. 
2. The winners will be chosen at random and announced on Saturday, November 12, 2011

If you need help with card selection, here are a few of my favorites. Note: My favorites only include one picture per card because I am anticipating only having one good family picture. 

 Wonderful Time card.

 Classic Wreath Frame card.

 Whimsical Wishing Tree card.

 Watercolor Ornament card.

 

Red Revamped card.

 Vintage Joyeux Noel card. Tie for second choice.

 Classic Plaid Wishes card. Tie for second choice.

 Retro Merry Wishes card. This one is my top choice!

For more on Shutterfly's holiday selection, you can check out their Christmas cards, greeting cards, holiday gifts, holiday cards, photo books, and Christmas photo cards.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway and good luck!

Giveaway Winners!

I'm barely getting through today. I won't even go into the day I've had because it's not worth it. Instead, we'll focus on the positive and the lucky winners behind my 1000th Post Giveaway. The winners were selected using Random.org. Congrats!

 Please make sure to email me your addresses so I can get the books out to you as soon as possible! Email is confessionsofacityeater@gmail.com.

1000th Post Giveaway!

When I started this blog three years ago I didn't think I'd (a) make it this far and (b) post this much. I think this happens to all bloggers; you start a blog without any real direction, you just go with the flow and then, all of sudden, the blog has taken a life of its own. So here we are three years later celebrating the 1000th post. I have blogged about so many different things but everything has, in one way or another, been related to food. Here's your chance to get your hands on one of the following:

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids by Jill O'Connor

The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine

Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats by Bakerella

Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked With Spirits, Wine, and Beer by Krystina Castella & Terry Lee Stone

Here are the rules:
*To enter answer the following question: Which book would you want and why?
*One entry per person with an extra entry if you're a fan on Facebook. 
*US entrants only.
*Ends 5pm on Monday, March 7, 2011. Winners announced by Tuesday, March 8, 2011.

Even Cati is excited about this giveaway!