Eyebrows + Cookie Recipe!

I’ve got a great healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe for you, but need to get to business before pleasure.

My wedding tasks today included:

• work on vows
• get eyebrows waxed

Boys, I know the second sounds silly, but you have no idea how much better I feel now that my brows are under control.

I had a 515 appointment at Brows on 15th in Denver.

I am ashamed to admit that I haven’t had my eye brows done since I was in Chicago, so when my make up artist saw me a few weeks ago she basically made me an appointment for week of.

My appointment was about 15 minutes late due to the person before me being very late, but otherwise my experience at Brow was great!  Kat, the woman who worked on my bushes, and I had a really interesting conversation about marriage and her advice for me.

Oh, and I did get a start on my vows.  I’m starting to feel MUCH better about the whole idea of us writing our own vows…

Dinner

I didn’t get home until after 6, and Zach was still busy himself, but he had at least gone to get what we need for dinner tonight.

On the Menu: lamb shank, corn on the cob, and homemade fruit salad.

Zach had crusted the lamb with herbs, toasted bread and butter.  The corn was grilled as is.  And the fruit salad included blueberries, raspberries and melon.

YUM!

And now, to the good stuff. What I’ve kept you all waiting for.

The cookie recipe from yesterday 🙂

Small(ish) Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields 12 smallish cookies

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
• 1/4 cup All Purpose flour
• large pinch of baking soda
• large pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of applesauce
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar (plus 1 tablespoon added to taste at end)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup of chocolate chips
• Splash of milk

Directions

• Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and spraying/buttering your cookie sheet
• Sift the flours, salt, and baking soda together in a mixing bowl
• Mix the sugars and applesauce together well in a large mixing bowl.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, adding the dry in stages
• Add the egg white to the mixture
• Add the chocolate chips to the mixture
• I added a tablespoon of sugar and splash of milk at the end based on taste and teture.
• Using a spoon or small ice cream scoop, place dough on cookie sheet with 1-2 inches between each cookie.
• Bake for 9-12 minute
• Enjoy!

Review:  I have decided that I THINK it’s the applesauce (in place of butter) that keeps cookies from being crunchy and thin like some chocolate chip cookies.  With applesauce, cookies always come out a bit more like cake.  These cookies were still a bit cake like, but not as much as my other healthy cookies.  I approve of this healthy version, and I think Zach does as well!

OK — snuggle time with the family.  Well that and cookies 🙂

Final New York Review: Favorites

Unfortunately, our wonderful weekend in New York did have to come to an end Sunday morning/afternoon.

I started Sunday very similar to how I started Saturday, with a quick run around Hudson.

This run included 5 hill repeats on the largest hill I found in Hudson (and there were LOTS), with sets of squats, lunges or planks thrown in between each one.  I totaled about 3.2 miles with the hills.

I was actually really surprised by my pace this run.  I think that can be attributed to being down from the elevation of Denver and the mountains.  My splits were right around 9 minutes WHILE doing hills, with my final mile well under 9.

Running around Hudson really was one of my favorite ways to see the town, which leads me into the point of this post:

Hudson, New  York Favorites. 

Favorite Activity to See the Town:  Running, obviously.   Hudson is in the hills of Hudson Valley, so it isn’t an easy town to run, but it’s beautiful.  Running down Warren St., the main street in downtown, made me feel like I was in the classic east coast and really showcased that element of the town.

Favorite Food Spot: American Glory

The southern, Louisiana charm of this east coast spot was what really made American Glory a stand out for me.  The staff was so kind, flexible, and hard working, even for our very large group.  We were given the entire upstairs area, including a large TV to watch the Notre Dame football game on AND a pool table.  The bar included a great beer list, as well as spirts and wine. For food, we split the salad with brisket and cornbread, which admittedly may not have been the most logical BBQ option, but it hit the spot!

Favorite City Gem:  The Hudson B & B

I honestly cannot speak highly enough about our experience at the Hudson b and b.

The location itself is a large, old and beautiful home at the corner of Union and 2nd, just a block away from downtown.

Carolyn, the owner, is a beautiful, sweet women who is as charming as they come.  She greeted us late Friday night with a huge smile, and graciously made sure we had everything we could ever possibly need.

Our room was beautiful, clean and crisp.  Each room had an air conditioning unit (IMPORTANT), large closet, and nice clean bathroom.

I should have taken pictures before we messed it up, but trust me, it was beautiful.  Here are some pictures of other rooms and the home itself.

Each morning we had a made to order breakfast, including fresh fruit while our delicious meals were made.

Yes — I LOVE PB toast! Judge me!

Zach’s more appropriate french toast.

Honestly, one of my favorite parts about the B and B was getting to sit and chat with Carolyn, the owner, over breakfast.  She has lived an amazing life and had so many great stories to tell.

Please, if you are ever staying in the area, you must check out the Hudson B and B.  I promise you will get the trust east coast, Hudson Valley experience.

Favorite Element of the town:  The Architecture.

Hudson is an old town, and you feel that driving through.  The buildings and streets are FULL of east coast character and you can just imagine the stories that this city could tell.

After breakfast and a nice chat Sunday, Zach, myself and friends hit the road back to Newark Airport and eventually to our hometowns.  I genuinely LOVED Hudson and am so glad I was able to spend a great weekend in the small town :).

Question of the Afternoon:  What was your latest travel location?

4 Miles and 4 Days!

Good Morning and happy Monday Tuesday all!

Zach and I spent the evening relaxing and soaking up the last bit of quiet before the AMAZING storm of the wedding begins.

We watched Mud, a movie starring Matthew McConnaughey about two young boys who find a homeless man, Mud,  (McConnaughey) living in an abandoned boat in a tree on an island near their home.  The story follows the boys getting to know and trying to help Mud and his story, which includes a lot of tumultuous love and murder.

Our movie night included a couple of the delicious cookies that I will be posting about later today

 

Yum!

I woke up this morning really wanting to stay curled up in bed and continue vacation, but did talk myself into the gym by about 630 this morning for a quick and easy run.

Workout of the Day: 4.21 mile recovery run

• Steady run at 6.1-6.5 pace
• 1 minute at 8.0-8.1 every 5 minutes
• Run until 4.0 miles, then walk at 3.7 pace and 8% incline until 40 minutes for 4.21 miles

 

My legs REALLY loosened up during the first 10 minutes of my run, but my stomach did not.

Unfortunately, while delicious, I don’t think the cookies were good pre-run fuel.

Oh well…you know that won’t stop me from eating them :).

And now. . . I just want to leave you with one thing

.

4 days! My 4 day list includes:

• write vows…yeah nothing like waiting until last minute on THAT one.
• finish details with our cake
• get rehearsal dinner dress
• wax eyebrows
• get nails done
• Be In LOOOOOOOOVE! 🙂

Question of the Day:  Anything else I need to include on my last minute list of things to do?