TriFoodieMD: Finding the Light

Is anyone else bummed about the end of daylight savings time? The combination of the start of my two month trauma rotation and the end of daylight savings time means that last week I left for work in the pitch dark and arrived home long after the sun had disappeared.

Does this picture strike you as crazy? 4:24am marks my arrival to work.
'Tis the glamorous life of a doctor.

When I leave work at night I find myself searching for the motivation to workout. Hitting the trainer for some bike intervals typically isn't too tough, but dragging myself to the pool for 3000 meters is near impossible in the freezing temps and darkness. Last week I was successful in breaking a sweat four out of five nights - I consider that a huge accomplishment.

The reality is that I would prefer to follow the example of Bailey -
shower, comfy pajamas, sofa, blanket, and sleep.
Dogs have the best life!

Before the work week got started, I made a crock pot meal that would make for several night's of reheatable dinners. Scarlet runner beans and farmer's market greens stole the show in this "stew". After simmering the beans and garlic cloves in vegetable broth for four hours, I added the chopped greens, a wild rice blend, and a pinch of spices. Two hours later dinner was served.

Check out the size of the scarlet runner beans!

The weather here in Charlotte was absolutely PERFECT this weekend! After spending four hours taking the OITE Saturday morning, I enjoyed a 7 mile run through Myers Park. Then, I might have possibly passed out in a sunny spot on my back deck for a long nap. Love it!

Saturday night I whipped up dinner from a mix of freezer, refrigerator, and pantry ingredients. Balsamic reduced sweet onions with veggie dogs, sweet potato wedges, and zucchini. And, of course, no plate of sweet potato wedges would be complete without a giant blob of ketchup. For the sake of appearances, I snapped a picture before creating condiment heaven.

And what wild and crazy fun did I partake in? You guessed it - dinner in front of the TV, preparing a presentation on knee dislocations, and crashing early.

Pancake Sunday featured a couple pumpkin pancakes from my freezer stash that I toasted and topped with a thick spread of almond butter, cranberry pumpkin reduction, and trail mix. For the reduction I cooked a cup of fresh cranberries in a saute pan with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Once they softened, I added a half-cup of pumpkin, a few tablespoons of maple syrup, and a teaspoon of cinnamon. The mixture simmered for a few minutes and then was ready to serve. Yum!

After conquering a long to-do list (which included my least favorite chore - ironing), a bike workout, and an afternoon nap in the sunshine (got to make up for my vitamin D deficit), my last Sunday activity was baking. Wonderful smells spread through the house as Ginger Pear Muffins baked in the oven. I found inspiration from this Daily Garnish recipe, and made several substitutions for a muffin version. If you're interested in recreating my rendition, here are the changes to the original recipe.

1. Instead of 1 cup AP flour, I used 1/2 cup AP flour and 1/2 cup almond flour

2. Add 1/2 cup oats

3. I used only 1/4 cup sugar and omitted the brown sugar

4. 1/3 cup pumpkin in place of applesauce.

5. 3 tbsp coconut oil to replace the canola oil

6. Add 1/4 cup almond milk.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.