Last night, my mini marathon training group hit the pavement to complete 5 miles.

Last week, temps were in the teens, so when we heard that the weather was about 30 degrees outside we were honestly expecting a heat wave.  It’s easy to forget how cold 30 degrees really is…especially with wind!

Well, the run was cold, but we managed to push through and finish with an 8:18 overall pace…not too shabby for my 8:30 pace group!

Despite the cold, the sidewalks were very clear compared to last time we did a route similar to this.

It also stayed light for us during the entire run!  Having the sun still shining makes a HUGE difference 🙂  Thank goodness for daylight savings time this weekend.

Home sweet home…

In addition to having a great run, there were a couple of other things making me happy last night.  We had a TON of leftover bananas at mini marathon training, so we were able to take a big bunch home!  Yay for bananas 🙂

And I had a lovely package waiting for me when I got home…my first jar of Nuttzo!

Nuttzo is an organic nut and seed butter made from brazil nuts, hazel nuts, chia seed, flax seed, cashews, almonds, and pumpkin seeds.  I have seen this stuff ALL OVER the blog world for what seems like years (Sprint 2 the Table, Cotter Crunch) and I finally had to cave in and try the darn nut butter.

I opted for the creamy peanut free version, and boy is that stuff good!! I just tried a little out of the jar, and now I am anxious to actually put it on and in stuff 🙂

Speaking of cooking and trying new things…this weekend I cooked steak for the second time EVER in my life in honor of Brian completing (and passing!) his clinical boards.

I have never been a red meat fan, so it’s just not something I purchase or prepare…EVER, but Brian had mentioned a couple of times that he could really use a meal of meat and potatoes.  I also never make plain why (cauliflower free) mashed potatoes…so that is exactly what I made him and he loved it!

My mom and sister LOVE steak, so of course I knew they would have the perfect recipe for me.  This recipe is SO simply, SO fast, and pretty much fool proof.  It makes a medium rare steak, so if you want something a little more done you will need to adjust the cooking times.  I hope you ENJOY!

The Easiest Way to Cook a Steak

Prepares steak Medium Rare

1. Preheat a pan to medium high heat on a burner on the stove.
2. Preheat a baking sheet or broiling pan in the oven with the broiler on high.
3. Season your steak (I simply used salt, pepper, and garlic)
4. Sear your steak in the pan, 15 seconds on each side.
5. Remove your steak from the pan and move it to the broiler.
6. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.
7. Serve and enjoy!!

That’s it!  Could it be any simpler?  I think not 🙂

Question of the Morning:

• Have you ever cooked a meal for a loved one with something you don’t eat?
• If you are a steak eater/lover, what is your favorite way to prepare steak?