It's Apple Pie Time...

Just when you thought you were free from the bondage of summer's cool ice creamy treats, you get hit with Autumnal deliciousness.  It starts with cinnamon and pumpkin scented candles, and air fresheners arriving in the stores, followed by candy corn and pallet loads of "fun size" candy bars for Halloween, and then WHAM! apples are coming out of your ears and really, what else can you do besides make pies?

Personally, I was left with a half bushel or so of apples from Jacques Orchards after the Hemlock Sawdust Days Dash 5k on Sunday.  An added benefit of being race coordinator?  Scoring all the leftover goodies from the food tables when all is said and done. What am I to do with all these apples though?

PIE!  Well...first I made an apple crisp to take over to the in-law's family luncheon on Sunday afternoon...but I'm sensing serious pie opportunity later this week.  Unfortunately, pie doesn't really fit on the spectrum of "health foods"--or does it?

Despite the fanciful nature of pie and its prominent placement on the Thanksgiving table each year, it is really a simple dish--flour, sugar, butter, fruit, spices, and maybe a bit of water.  While the ingredients are au naturel, the ratio of sugar and butter to fruit and spices is likely way off in Grandma's famous apple pie (with melted Wisconsin cheddar?) leading to a calorie-laden sweet treat, best reserved for the holidays.

However, as I've continually said--you have to eat things while they're in season.  This is when apples are at their best in Michigan, so holiday be damned, it's time for pie!  But in the interest of health, how could be lighten it up a bit?

Some thoughts--which I will experiment with later this week and let you know the results of next time:

1. Ditch the pie and make a "crisp" instead.  Health benefits? Elimination of the "double-crust calories," though you will still have that crumbly topping to healthify.  The addition of oatmeal and/or nuts, could mean added protein and fiber though.

2. Open top pie!  Why not make an apple-pie, pumpkin-pie style?  Instead of covering up those beautiful Michigan apples with a crust or a crumble, arrange them decoratively and serve open-top.  This eliminates any extra calories from a top crust or crumble.

3. Play around with the sugar content.  Still seeking a traditional apple pie?  Why not play around with the amount of sugar you add to sweeten the apples? At their peak, they probably don't need as much sugar as you would add, say in January.  Likewise, if you choose a sweeter variety of apple, you can downgrade the amount of refined sugars you need to add.  You might even try brown sugar instead of white--which has a richer taste and sweetness, pairs well with apples and cinnamon, and will require less of to do the same job.


4. Try out the new lineup of non-sugar sweeteners.  When I'm eating fruit, and it needs a little boost of sweetness, I like to add Stevia, which lends a sweet, yet natural taste, as it is made from a plant.  I recently purchased some packets of Nectresse as well, which is made from monk fruit.  It seems to have a similar natural sweet-quality to Stevia.  These products don't taste like sugar--and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.  However, when you work toward eliminating sugar from your diet, you won't notice its replacement by these products as much.  To start, you might try to replace half the sugar with a non-sugar, calorie-free sweetener and see how you like it.

5.  Get radical.  I wonder what would happen if I made an apple crumb pie (or an apple crisp!), but used vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt in place of most of the butter in the crumble? Hmn, it would still provide the same quality of "moistness" as the oil, some sweetness too, so the sugar could be cut down, but questions remain about how it would hold up in the oven.  To be continued...

6. Try pie deconstructed.  Play around with the "concept" of pie.  It's cooked fruit.  It's a crunchy crust.  It's also possibly a la mode with ice cream...and maybe whipped cream on top too.  Why not cook up some apples in a pan with a bit of water, sweetener, and cinnamon?  Layer in a glass with crumbled low-calorie crunchy cookies, like vanilla wafers, and sugar-free, fat free, instant vanilla pudding and/or Cool Whip Lite?  It'll taste like pie, be a convenient single-serving, and eliminate a lot of the work and calories found in the traditional version.  It's the un-pie.

7.  Make a traditional pie.  Save yourself one piece to relish and dish out the

rest to friends and family via whimsical, homemade, wedge-shaped "pie boxes."  I once saw these in a Martha Stewart magazine...I'm sure you can find the pattern online somewhere.  You basically cut out some weird shape that, once folded and glued, resembles a triangular box, just-sized for pie.  You could even keep it closed with custom grosgrain ribbon and your own monogram hot-wax seal.  Ok..."ain't nobody got time for that"...but luckily Martha, being the entrepreneur that she is, realized the error of her ways and put them online for you, the uncrafty or busy consumer, to purchase: Pie Boxes.  The calorie-savings here are obvious, and you won't hear the remaining pie, in a muffled voice, calling your name at 3am from the cavernous retreat of the refrigerator.

And, as always, balance your treats with exercise.  Just because the temperature has dipped doesn't mean you have to give up your running, bicycling, etc.  Get out there and enjoy the crisp fall air, changing leaves, and scent of bonfires in the air!  Get yourself to a gym and figure out what's been going on in The Bold and the Beautiful since you  last saw it, while running on the elliptical, of course.  Feeling more motivated to eat that pie instead of go run in the cold? We've all been there.  Buy yourself some new cold-weather running gear--you'll want to wear it--and you'll look foolish if you're not actually running while wearing it, so problem solved (unless of course, you like to grocery shop in compression pants.)

The "Fun"damentals of the Race...

Well, as you can tell, I'm still off in my posting schedule, but we'll get there.  Today, I found a few minutes and would like to talk about a topic that's been on my mind for the last week or so...fun runs v.  races.

The other day on Facebook, a string of posts popped up about color runs, mud runs, etc. and what the general consensus was on them, etc.  My runner friend Amber, noted that they were often "overpriced" and "untimed;" therefore, they were not worth doing.  Now,  I do agree with the price element--some of these fun runs are outrageously priced.  If you're interested in having colored powder thrown at you, running through foam, or hoisting yourself over obstacles while being covered in mud, check Groupon for a discount first!  It's your best bet at saving yourself a buck or two--but is it still worth it if the run is not timed?

I say, yes.  Running is not always about the time or beating your PR.  And for

Renee & I, Community Colors 5k

some of us, it's never about the time--it's just about finishing!  This is why these "fun runs" have taken off in recent years--because there are a whole cohort of people out there, who only run for the "fun."  If you've gone to one of these runs you've probably noticed plenty of people who look like they haven't run a day in their lives (don't judge!) or groups of people dressed up in tutus, funny socks, or whimsical headgear.  Sometimes these are dedicated runners just out for a change of pace...and sometimes they are people who thought it sounded like fun--whether they run, walk, or crawl to the end.

Caitlyn and I, Eat Dirt 5k

Here's the thing--as someone who admitted HATED just about any and all forms of exercise until fairly recently, I applaud whoever it was that came up with these wacky fun runs, because it gets people off their couch and outside--getting exercise!  Anything that serves as such a motivator here in overweight, overstressed America deserves a second glance.  

However, fun runs are just that--fun.  Whether you're an all star athlete or a

Lisa & I, Grand Rapids Color Run

stay at home mom with a flair for the unusual, make sure you're having fun and not taking yourself too seriously in these "competitions."  They're not timed because the obstacles often take a while to complete or cause backups on the "course."  Additionally, because you have all types of runners/walkers participating, it's probably impossible to provide a viably timed course.  Do yourself, and everyone else in the run a favor and chill the f* out.  Sign up with a friend, get yourself some knee socks (I've been known to don a pair or tu[tu] myself), and have a good time--even if it means not running your fastest.


Now, what about "the race"?  Here, timing matters...in fact, it matters so much so that one may even debate the merits of the type of timing system used to time the race and the accuracy of the course distance.  It's an amazing feeling when you complete a race and you feel like you've given it your all...maybe even managed a new PR...or run your first 5k, 10k, half, etc.  For those who are more casual runners--don't be deterred by this perceived "intensity" of racing.  For many, the goal is still "to finish."  My goal, frankly, is always just "to finish"--and hopefully have a good time doing it!  Speed is nice...winning age categories is nice...but if I really wanted those things, I'd be out there doing speed work like it was my job--and dude, it's totally not my job, so it'll have to wait until next year (maybe).

Me at the Alma Highland Fest 10k

Plus, no one says you can't get out your superwoman outfit for that regular 5k race!  One thing I've noticed about runners--whether they know you or not, they will cheer you on.  It's really a bizarrely amazing community.  At just about every race I've competed in so far, there are people at the end--who don't know you--that are yelling "finish strong," "great job," "you're almost there," "keep going," etc. etc.  Who the heck are these people?  Fellow run junkies and run groupies--and probably a few random weirdos who just came out to see what the hullabaloo was all about.

So whether you're running for fun or running for speed, enjoy the run.

Gimme a "D," gimme an "I," gimme an "E," gimme a "T!" What's that spell?

Alas, the summer is over.  This morning, I thought I hard the faint cry of joy from parents around the state as their children boarded big yellow buses and trudged into red brick school buildings, adorned in their thoughtfully chosen "first day" outfits, faces scrubbed shiny, hair combed to perfection--full of high hopes and optimism, nervous excitement, dread, and maybe just a dash of fear.  Ah, the first day...

Well my first day was last week, so I'm already over it.  But my friend Laurie had a mournful Facebook post the other night, that caused me to reflect on the meaning of "autumn"--the resounding start of Fall.  

Laurie's post read as follows, "Goodbye thick, wonderful shakes from the Sinclair Grill. Goodbye turtle sundae's from the Whippy Dip. Goodbye Dove bars and Hagen Daze caramel pretzel bars. It was a salacious relationship. Goodbye Doritoes, Cheetos, and all manner of cookies from the training sessions. Goodbye pasta in so many forms. It was a delicious summer, but now to the wonderful veggies and fruits of the season, unadorned and healthy. Sounds like a plan..."

She's right.  Summer is filled with a certain carelessness for nutrition, a high probability of "ice cream for dinner"-type nights, and the ability to put things off until tomorrow.  However, with Fall comes a renewed attentiveness to schedules, duty, and the restricting clothes of careerism.  Along with which comes the often unfortunate reminder of summer gluttony, in the form of a little extra jiggle in your wiggle and a perhaps uncomfortable snugness to your favorite pair of Levis.  

In honor of full disclosure, I will fully admit to falling off (way off) the nutrition bandwagon over the last few weeks.  As summer came crashing to an end, work loads increased, and classes wreaked havoc on the carefree schedule (or lack thereof) of summer, I have found myself eating a whole lot of whatever too, without too much thought as to what, when, or how much.  And while I've felt the repercussions of my actions, not so much in the fit of my clothing, but rather in my insides, I felt "too busy" to get back to the healthy lifestyle I strive to live.

Laurie's post made me think of two important things in relation to the summer nutritional holocaust that is the life of Average America. Foremost, one should enjoy the last hurrahs of summer--one last lick of the delicious soft serve at the Merrill Dairy Bar...One last dip in the pool, despite the chill in the air, and the suspicious crunch of leaves underfoot...One final summer bbq, fresh corn on the cob drenched in butter and salt.  After all, summer is meant to be relished.  

Secondarily, one should never fall back on the "too busy" excuse to live a healthy life.  It was that very excuse that led me to steadily gain weight over the last ten years until I finally came to the realization that, at 30, I was far too young with far too much life left to live to be that out of shape and unhealthy.  Without a doubt, everyone has a half hour a day to dedicate to some form of exercise--people waste that much time and more on Facebook every day.  Life does get in the way of healthy routines--and the best of us fall back to our old ways--I'm not different from anyone else.  Living this life isn't easy, but it's worth it.

So now that the kids are back in school, schedules will start falling into place,

and healthy routines will adjust.  Dust yourself off, get back on the wagon, and start again.  The sooner the better--but enjoy those last few tastes of summer freedom before they give way to Fall's Friday night football games and work weeks filled with meetings.  The Merrill Dairy Bar closes after next weekend--for months and months!--Get a cone and savor the late afternoon warmth of the autumn sun on your shoulders.  The thought may just help get you through a few cold December mornings--as you pull on your compression pants and lace up your running shoes.