New Books+ Ordering from ThriftBooks.com

Who doesn't love new books? What about new-to-you books in great condition for a fraction of the price? It doesn't get much better than that, does it?!

     I have a list of a ton of books and cook books that I would, one day, like to own. The other day I was searching around to find the best price on a few of the cook books I wanted to order. I was disappointed when the price on the books I wanted was much higher than I expected! Then I found a post on Tumblr about a website that sells thrift books, in great condition, for a much lower price! I immediately went to the site and was amazed at what I found!

This wonderful website is called Thrift Books . It offers a huge selection of books in every genre at a discounted price. When you go to order a book, it will give you a few price options, depending on the condition of the book. The better condition the book is in, the higher the price, but not by too much!

I ordered two books: Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli, and Veganomicon by Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero. Both are vegan cookbooks, full of wonderful and easy to make recipes! For both books, I paid a litter over eighteen dollars, and the books were in great condition!  Just to put that in perspective, the larger book, Veganomicon, is around twenty-eight dollars new!

    The two books arrived separately, Chloe's Kitchen getting here first! It only took about a week or so for them to arrive, perfect for someone who finds it hard to wait! I was so excited, and I couldn't wait to try out a recipe!
     We had company coming that day, so I decided to make something from the dessert section of Chloe's Kitchen. I used the recipe for the Chocolate-Chip Brownie Bites, but made them into brownie squares instead of bites! Then I topped them with a peppermint/dairy-free chocolate frosting! They were so rich and delicious, I couldn't believe something that good could be vegan!
Our company and my family loved the brownies, and no one knew they were vegan at all! It just goes to show that vegans can cook, eat, and serve delicious and indulgent food!

 

The other book I ordered was Veganomicon. It is full of amazing recipes as well as cooking tips, information, and the how/what/whys of vegan cooking! It is a huge, hard-back book in great condition! I haven't tried a recipe out of it yet, but I can't wait! I know I will have a hard time choosing a recipe to try!

I am very happy with my purchases from Thrift Books! Both books are in great condition, and arrived sooner than expected! The website is easy to use, and has a huge selection of books! No matter what you are looking for, I bet you can find it there!

I hope you find this post helpful! I love sharing things like this with others, in the hopes that it helps at least someone out! Please share this post with someone who loves to read, and my blog with your friends and family to spread the love of a healthy lifestyle!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

I usually post every Friday, but since this Friday is Christmas, I am posting a day early! :)

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
H. Banana

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

  I love sweet potatoes in just about everything! They are also really good for you, and are a great fall time vegetable. However, during this time of year, sweet potatoes get stuffed into dishes with butter, cream, butter, tons of sugar, more butter, marshmallows, and other, not-so-healthy ingredients. It really is sad because they almost cover up the taste of the sweet potato, in all its glory, and you are left with a sugary, buttery over load.

       But this recipe for sweet potato casserole is not only vegan, meaning no butter, cream, or other animal products, but also is low in sugars, which allows the beautiful sweet potato to shine! After all, its called Sweet Potato Casserole, so shouldn't you be able to taste the actual sweet potato?

This healthier, vegan, but still delicious recipe is so good, you won't even be able to tell there isn't a bucket load of sugar, butter, or cream in it! So let's make it already! :)

Ingredients:
5-6 medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
3 TBS Coconut Oil
4-5 TBS Maple Syrup ( add more or less depending on how sweet you like it!)
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt
Splash of Vanilla Extract

Topping:
5 TBS Coconut Oil, melted
4 TBS Maple Syrup
Pinch of Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 cup Oats
Handful of chopped Pecans
Sprinkling of Brown Sugar( Optional)

Start by peeling and chopping your sweet potatoes. Add them to a pot of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes, or until soft.

 

Once they are cooked, drain off the water and return the potatoes to the pot. Use a fork, potato masher, or electric mixer to mash the potatoes into a smooth puree.

Add in the coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla and give it a good mix. Taste and adjust if needed.

Lightly grease a pan with coconut oil, and then spread the potato mash evenly in the pan.

 

 

Then, make the topping! Add the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg to a bowl and give it a whisk. Them stir in the almond flour, oats, and chopped nuts. Give it a really good mix and then layer it on top of the sweet potato mix. Make sure to get an even layer.

 

 

This topping would be great for apple crisps, peach cobblers, or even muffins!

 

 

 

Heat your oven to 350 F. Bake your casserole for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges start to brown and your house is filled with the smell of fall! Serve right away to your family and friends, or eat it all by yourself! No judging here! :)

The brown sugar on top is totally optional,  but I think it gives a really nice crunch. I used maybe a tablespoon, if even that much, and it really makes a difference! You could even use something like coconut sugar!

 

Mhhhmmmmmmmmm. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed making and eating this recipe! So delicious, comforting, perfectly sweet, and healthy! What more could you want?

 

 

I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did! Its a great fall time meal, and even a perfect dish to add to your Christmas table!

 

Please share this post and my blog with your family and friends to share all things healthy living!

You can follow the blog to stay up to date on all the post! Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett, Google, and Email!

 

New post every Friday!

 

Keep Healthy and Safe!

H. Banana

Easy Holiday Truffles

      Its December, and the holidays are upon us! I love the holiday season for many reasons! I love the holiday spirit, I love with cold days when all I want to do is sit by the fire with a good book, I love the decorations, and of course I love all the festive food! :)

     Unfortunately, holiday food isn't known for being overly healthy! And while part of it being the holidays is indulging a little bit, its nice to have some healthier treats to keep everything in balance! I love super simple and easy to make recipes, and that's just what these Holiday Truffles are! They are delicious, rich, easily customizable, super easy to make, and also a bit more on the healthier side! I also think they make great gifts to give to anyone who loves chocolate, and isn't that every one? Another perk about these amazing holiday truffles is that, if you use semi-sweet choc. chips or darker, they are vegan! What more do you need to know? You have to make them, now!

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
7-8 TBS Almond Milk
Flavoring of choice: I used some Young Living Peppermint oil, Cinnamon, and espresso powder for mine!
Coating of choice: I used candy canes, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.

See how simple this recipe is already? Most people are busy during the holidays and don't have time to make treats for parties, guest, or to give as gifts! These are a perfect solution!

Add your choc. chips and milk to a bowl and stir well.

Heat in the microwave for 30 sec. then stir. If it needs more time, heat for 20 sec. stir, and if it needs even more, just do 10 sec. burst(stirring in between each time) until it is nice and smooth!

Then add in your flavoring. If you are using an extract or liquid flavoring, less is more! Just add a tiny bit at a time. If you are using the espresso powder, rub it together in your palm to get rid of any big chunks.

Taste it to make sure it taste amazing! :)

Then pop it in the fridge to chill for around 30 minutes, or until it is firm to the touch. While it is chilling out, you can prepare your coatings!
I crushed my candy canes and put them in a bowl, mixed some cinnamon and cocoa powder together in another bowl, and just added cocoa powder to a third bowl!

 

If you use the candy canes, make sure you crush them pretty finely!

When the truffle mix is firm, take it out of the fridge. Use a spoon to scoop out desired amount, and roll it between your hands to form a ball shape. Then coat it in your coating! I am warning you, it is a messy job!

Place them on some parchment paper in a container for easy storage! I like to write the flavor of the truffles on the paper so I can keep them separate!

 

I rolled the cinnamon flavored ones in a mix of cinnamon and cocoa powder.

The peppermint ones I did a mix of the candy canes and just cocoa powder. I rolled the coffee ones in just plain cocoa powder as well!

 

These are one of my new favorite holiday treats! My favorite flavor that I made was the coffee, but I also loved the peppermint ones! The cinnamon ones remind me of Mexican hot chocolate! There are endless flavor combos out there to try, so get creative! I think some orange juice instead of the milk would be really yummy in the summer or fall!

 

 

Make sure you make plenty so you can share with your family and friends, or give away as gifts! I do recommend hiding a few if you want any for yourself! :)

Please share this post and my blog with your family and friends to spread some holiday cheer, and some healthy lifestyle vibes to everyone!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, and on Tumblr @ justrunningforfood. Make sure you follow the blog to stay up to date on every new post!

New Post every Friday!!


Happy Holidays!
H. Banana

Washington D.C - 5 Days, 7 People, 1 Amazing Trip!

Over the week of Thanksgiving, my family and I went to Washington D.C and spent 5 days there. We had a great time, seeing the sights, eating great food, and celebrating the holiday! The trip flew  by so fast, its almost unreal!

We saw a lot of monuments and memorials, went to several museums, and ate at a of really delicious restaurants! There were a few things we learned, that we wished we had know before hand! I want to share with you the highlights of our trip to D.C and a few of the tips we picked up along the way!

Day 1
In order to catch our flight, we had to leave the house at 3:30 am! After 2 flights we landed in Ronald Reagan airport and rode the Metro to our hotel! Our hotel was in Foggy Bottom, which turned out to be a perfect location! It was called The River Inn and we couldn't have chosen a better hotel! Great service, great amount of space and beds, and it even had a little kitchen, which came in really handy!

The first restaurant we ate at was called Roti and it had awesome Mediterranean food! I got the falafel rice plate, and it was to die for! The hummus was also delicious!

After we ate, we walked to a Whole Foods store and picked up a few things to have for breakfast in our hotel! There was a store not to far from our hotel, and we were told there was  Trader Joes too, but we didn't stop there.

That night we walked to see the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and the WW II Memorial. It wasn't a long walk at all from our hotel, and we arrived just as it was getting dark. In my opinion, the monuments are even more impressive at night!

Lincoln Memorial

 

View of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial.

 

 

 

World War II Memorial.

 

From there we walked to a restaurant called GCDC which is a grilled cheese place! I ordered the Tomato Soup with a Kick, which just happens to be dairy free and vegan! My family order sandwiches, and the said they were delicious! Also, we had great service there!

Day 2

 

We walked by the White House, but there was security all over the place and we weren't able to get very close. From there we went to the American History Museum, which is a Smithsonian. All of the Smithsonian museums are free, which is great! My favorite thing at this museum was the Julia Child exhibit.

 

 

We ate lunch at the Stars and Stripes Café in the museum. It was good, but a little pricy!

We walked to the Natural History Museum next and went through that. We all really liked this museum, especially my little brother!

 

 

 

For supper that night we ate at Teaism which is a tea shop and restaurant. I got the lentil curry soup and it was amazing! We also tried a few of their iced teas- Lavender, Green, and Mint- and they were delicious too!

 

 

On our way back to the hotel we stopped at Whole Foods for treats! I got there vegan choc chip cookie and it was really good! I guess you can't go wrong with Whole Foods!

 

Day 3

 

We walked to a coffee shop called Bourbon Coffee. They have really good coffee and apple cider! I also love the fact that they are passionate keeping their coffee natural from crop to coffee!

 

 

From there we walked to the National Geographic Museum.

This museum is not free, but I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see some amazing photos, and a great Indiana Jones exhibit! I loved this museum because of all the stunning photos!

We ate lunch at a BBQ restaurant called Hill Country Barbecue Market.  Again, great service here too! I ordered the Market Salad, and my family ordered some BBQ. They assured me it was delicious!

After lunch we walked to the National Archives and saw documents like the Declaration of Independence, First Amendment, Bill of Rights, and so on. It was a really cool experience!

 

 

Then we went to the Ford's Theater and saw the place were Mr. Lincoln was shot. Then we went across the street to the boarding house where he died. The museum personal were really nice and informative! We grabbed coffee at Peet's Coffee and Tea. Again, really great coffee!

 

From there we rode the Metro to the Kennedy Center and listened to a live band give a free concert! It was really good music and fun to listen to them!  We went to the top of the Kennedy Center and saw the view after the music was over! It was really beautiful!

 

 

From there we walked to Georgetown. There was an ice skating rink set up there and some holiday decorations!

 

 

For supper that night we ate at a pizza place called Pizzeria Paradiso and had some of the best pizza ever! I order a veggies pizza with no cheese, and we got a few other pizzas as well! Amazing food and service! I don't know what it is about the people in D.C but most of them are super friendly!

 

 

Day 4- Thanksgiving

We rode the metro to the Smithsonian Castle, which is just a information center, but a really pretty building. It reminded me of our trip to Europe a few years ago!

 

 

From there we went to the Air and Space Museum. My older brother, who is a pilot, really enjoyed it! The rest of us did too, but it is a lot of information!

 

 

For a lunch/snack we walked to the Native American Museum and ate at their café. It was authentic Native American food, but again a little pricy. But the museums are free, so if you look at it that way, the café prices aren't too bad.

We walked through the National Art Museum as well, but we didn't get to spend as much time there was we wanted! Then we walked to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and WW II Memorial because my Dad and brother hadn't seen those yet.  There was an amazing sunset, which made for great pictures!

 

 

From there we walked to the Jefferson Memorial. It was a long walk, but along the way are other memorials like the MLK Junior memorial and Roosevelt Memorial. The Jefferson Memorial was pretty impressive, and worth the walk!

 

 

Then we had a long walk back to Georgetown. Mom had made reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at Farmers Fishers Bakers and we still had to wait for our table! The food was amazing though! So delicious, and fresh! They had a set thanksgiving menu, with a few options for the main course. I order the meat 'less' loaf version, and it was amazing! We finished it off with dessert and coffee!

If you are going to D.C during the holidays, make a reservation!

 

 

Day 5

 

We rode the metro to the Pentagon and saw the 9/11 Memorial. It was really impressive! There is a visitor's center at the Pentagon, but you have to make reservations ahead of time. We didn't know this until we got there, so we weren't able to do that.

 

 

Then we rode the metro to Arlington Cemetery. We saw the Kennedy graves and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also saw the changing of the guard, which was very cool! They do it every half hour, so try and plan your trip to be able to see it!  

 

 

 

We ate leftovers at the hotel for a lunch/snack. The kitchen in the hotel really came in handy several times during our trip!

Then we rode the metro to the Capital and discovered that we had to stand in line to get in. Also, they make you thow out any and all water and food! This was a little frustrating, since we had brought snacks with us! After standing in line to get in the Capital, we went on a tour, which was free, around the Capital. It was under construction to refurbish the Capital, but we still got to see a few cool

things!

 

 

 

Each state has two pieces of art in the Capital. We found 1 from Texas and 1 from Tennessee, which was pretty cool!

Then we rode the metro to the White House. We were able to get a little closer this time and get some pictures!

 

 

For supper that night we ate at &Pizza. I could describe it as a Chipotle's, but instead of burritos, its pizza! Delicious pizzas with almost endless toppings and sauces! They also have homemade sodas which were delicious! It was the first time I had had a soda in a long time! We also tried the dessert pizza, which was delicious, but heavy on the ricotta cheese!

 

 

The next day we woke up early again and took a shuttle to the airport! And that was the end of our trip to Washington D.C! We had a blast, and I would totally go back again!

 

A few things we learned- You have to book a tour of the White House 6 months in advance.

 

You have to go through security and bag checks for just about everything!

 

See the Monuments and Memorials at night!

 

You have to stand in line at the Capital for a tour. and you can't have food or drinks with you.

 

The Pentagon's visitor's center requires a reservation.

 

Make dinner reservations on the weekends and holidays!

 

Bring good walking shoes!

 

I hope you enjoyed my post about our trip to Washington D.C! I know I read a lot of blogs about traveling to D.C, so I hope you find this post as helpful as I found those! If you are planning a trip to D.C, I hope you have a good time!

 

Please share this post and  my blog with your friends and families! Spread the love of a healthy lifestyle and some tips for traveling to D.C!

 

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, Twi

 

Running 101

     I used to hate running! It was always a last-resort workout for me, and because of that, I didn't run very often. When we moved over the summer, we didn't have room in our new house to have both the treadmill and the elliptical(which was my go-to), and the treadmill won out. With the elliptical out of the question, I began using the treadmill a lot more. Now, I use it almost everyday, and I am totally in love with running!

Why Should You Start Running?
     Running has so many benefits for your health, body, and mood! The number of benefits is almost countless, so here are just a few of them!
      It is super great for your mental health because your body releases a chemical that makes you feeling happy! Running isn't the only thing that can lift your mood though! Just about any exercise or workout will help to release those feel-happy chemicals!
      Running helps to strengthen your lungs and bronchi, which can help lessens the effects of asthma. Just make sure to take deep breaths while running, not short, choppy ones!
      Your arteries expand and contract while you are running, which helps your arteries stay fit and maintain good blood pressure. Again, most cardio exercises will do this for you!
     Runners often don't suffer from illnesses as much (if any) as those who don't run! Running not only keep you healthy on the outside, but on the inside too!
      Another great thing about running is, its great for weight-loss! You can burn up to 825 calories an hour while running! It also is a great way to target fat and extra weight around your middle.
      Running also builds and strengthens your lower body, tendons, and ligaments. This helps your body become stronger over all, and increases your flexibility.
      When you run, you are putting stress on your bones (Don't worry, that's not bad!) which causes your body to send essential minerals to your bones to strengthen them. Just make sure you aren't stressing your bones out too much too soon! Start off with short, easy runs and then work your way up!
     Running also helps to decrease the effects of diabetes. Its helps to diabetic resistance to insulin, and maintain healthy blood sugar levels!
     Overall, I believe running is a great way to stay fit, active, and healthy inside and out! Also, it makes you feel so good, whether you doo 1 mile or 10!

How Do You Start Running?
Simple, just do it! The only way to grow to like something, learn how to do something, and even become good at something is so start right away!
      You don't have to own a treadmill or have a gym membership to become a runner. All you need is some good running shoes and a side walk, street, or road. Some great music doesn't hurt either! Just put on your shoes and getting going! Start out with a swift walk, then a jog, and slowly work your way up to a speed you are comfortable with. Then, push yourself! You don't have to run full speed all the way, just burst of high speed is great! Then, nearing the end of your run, start slowing down and bring your heart rate down slowly.
     Also, if running on a road, side walk, or street, make sure you are on the look out for cars, people, and bikes! We don't want anyone getting hurt!
     You don't have to run everyday, or for every workout. Running can be used as your go-to cardio workout, or a warm up for a weight lifting session. You can also swap running out for another type of cardio, to keep your body guessing!

How to be a Healthy Runner
     Wait a minute! I just listed a ton of health benefits of running, so how could you be an unhealthy runner? Well, it is possible. Not taking care of your body, over stressing- over working, and under eating are just a tip of the ice burg of unhealthy running.
     To be a healthy runner, you need to listen to your body. This is true for any type of exercise.  Go by how you feel, not what your goals are. If your goal is to run a marathon, taking those rest days in between training will be the best thing for you. If you are super sore, you don't have a ton of energy, or you just plain don't feel good, then don't run. Your body has many  ways to tell you it isn't in tip-top shape, and the only way to see those signs is to pay attention to your body.
     Over stressing your body is another way to be an unhealthy runner. Running too long or too fast before you are capable of it can cause injury and set you back in your running progress. You can't start off running a marathon everyday, just because other runners do. In the beginning, go for shorter distances and easy paces, even if you think its too easy for you. Every time you run, try to beat your time or speed by just a little bit, and/or go just a bit longer. Working your way up to longer runs and faster speeds is the best way to stay a healthy runner!
     Under eating can be a down fall for anyone trying to become fitter. And, it is easier than you might think to do. Running, as any exercise, increases you metabolism and burns a lot of calories. This causes your body to need more food to stay fuel and energized. Even if you are trying to lose weight, you have to eat more as a runner. Just make sure it is healthy food, and you should still reach your goals!

How Do I Run?
    Like I said earlier, I run quite a bit now. When I first starting running, I would run around 3 to 4 miles each time. I wouldn't run it straight, stopping about mid-run and taking a breather, and worked my way up from there. I slowly increases my distance and speed until I was running 8 to 9 miles a day. Then, just to test myself, I tried running 9 miles straight. I did it, and it wasn't too hard either! I knew that this meant I had built up my stamina and strengthened my body to a point where it could take long distances and fewer(if none at all) breathers. From that point on, I increases my distances, and continued to run for the entire run. Today, for example, I ran 11 miles @ 6.5 miles and hour and a 4-5% incline. I am proud of how far I've come as a runner, and I hope to continue building up my stamina and strength so I can one day(soon!) run a half marathon and even a full marathon!

    I hope this post will encourage you to get out the door and go for a run. You will be a different person after you start adding a run or 3 to your week! Whether you chose to go short, or build your way to longer runs, I am sure you will soon come to love running just as much as I do!

Make sure you keep in mind your own health and capabilities. Everyone is different, so you should adjust your exercise to what you are capable of at a healthy level.

Please share this post with your friends and family. Spread the love of a healthy lifestyle and help others become healthier!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett, and on Tumblr @ justrunningforfood. Please follow the blog to stay up to date on the post, and get a few extra special tips, thoughts, and ideas!

New post every Friday! ps. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H. Banana