WRD

Latest of lates - my bad!

Marathon Training Week 6
Miles Ran: 20
Long Run: 10 miles
Cross-training: Still struggling.

Pros: Actually stuck to the training for the most part this week!
Cons: Been having some ups and downs with food. Still trying to find the right balance of energy providing foods for my runs.

Tunes: It expired, sadly - so now I'm trying out Shiver until I can check It out again.
Talkies: Added in Dexter, Walking Dead, and American Horror Story: Asylum. Seriously, I should write down all of the shows I watch and some point and really take stock of how I spend my free time...

Favorite Recipe: For Week 5 in the Paleo Plan I'm going to have to go with Maple-Walnut Chicken with Roasted Acorn Squash! I did not realize how incredibly delicious acorn squash was. We only just discovered the joys of spaghetti squash this year and now to see what a variety of different squash is out there is just astounding to me, haha. Do yourself a favor and try out a few in your recipes. You will not regret it. Seriously, this didn't even really need the additional honey and coconut oil. I only put in a touch of each because it was already tasting so yum.

Maple-Walnut Chicken
Makes dinner for two adults, with leftovers for lunch. Approximate cooking time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients
4 (4-6 oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs fresh thyme
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1) Combine olive oil, thyme, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
2) Rub chicken with seasoning and let stand.
3) In a 12” nonstick skillet, toast walnuts over medium-low heat 4-6 min. or until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly. Note: walnuts may burn quickly if left unattended.
4) Transfer walnuts to dish, and turn heat up to medium under the hot skillet.
5) Add chicken to same skillet. Cook 12 minutes or until done, turning frequently.
6) Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
7) Add vinegar to the chicken drippings in the hot skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
8) Add maple syrup and water, and simmer 6-7 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in walnuts and serve on top of chicken.

Roasted Acorn Squash
Makes 4 servings. Approximate cooking time: 75 minutes.

Ingredients
1 acorn squash, cut in half length-wise 
1/2 tsp sea salt (optional)
1 Tbs coconut oil 
1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
1 Tbs raw honey

Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 400°.
2) Place squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish.
3) Add 1/4” of water to the baking sheet or dish.
4) Bake for 60 minutes, or until peel is soft to the touch.
5) Remove from oven and carefully turn over. Remove squash from peel and add coconut oil, honey, and sea salt (optional).
6) Top with toasted walnuts to serve.