Well we made it through Election week….barely. Like most American’s, I struggled this week with a roller coaster of emotions. To be perfectly honest, I was a mess because our world is kind of a mess.
I found myself checking my phone throughout the day both Tuesday and Wednesday for updates. By the time I went to bed Wednesday I had such a headache I kind of wanted to cry. Unfortunately Thursday it wasn’t much better and my husband was about ready to take me in to get tested??♀️. I said, “Trust me, it’s not COVID!”
I was actually surprised how much this year’s election affected me personally. It’s very clear to me how divided our country is and no matter if your candidate won or lost, that doesn’t change. There are so many things we can’t control these days (our divided country & politics, the craziness in our world, other peoples actions, etc), but there is also many things we can control like our stress levels, which in turn affects our health.
Like most others, I was way more anxious this week and the best way I know how to relieve stress is by going for a run, outdoors. I ran every day this week and guess what, I felt a little better afterwards. Friday’s are my long run days and also my favorite day and run of the week! For at least two plus hours, I am lost in my thoughts, or listening/learning from others as I listen to podcasts.
Plus I always enjoy my post run brunch after my long run. Lately I have been enjoying a yummy bowl of oats with all my favorite toppings. These pumpkin oats are probably my fave, but because it was almost 80 degrees Friday, I decided to try a new recipe from The Perfect Loaf. I am so glad I did! As much as I love these sourdough pancakes, I believe I have a new fave!
These sourdough pumpkin pancakes are delightfully fluffy and have just enough pumpkin flavor and cinnamon spice. They’re fantastic simply with butter and maple syrup but taken to the next level with a dollop of crème fraîche and fresh fruit
Plus they are super simple to make! Before my run I mixed all the ingredients together except the baking powder, baking soda, and spices. I prefer my pancakes a bit more sour but you can certainly skip this step as noted in the original recipe.
After my run, stretching, and cool down I proceeded with the recipe. As my cast iron skillet was heating, I whisked the egg whites to a soft peak, added the rest of the ingredients to my batter, and folded in the egg whites. Next I added a little coconut ghee to my skillet and started to cook my cakes.
Speaking of running and post run brunch. Anderson Races had their first live race of the year this weekend. Because of COVID it was limited to 250 runners, so I was either going to run or volunteer depending if it was at capacity.
I ended up running and trust me, I could feel the stress of the week! I definitely was not rested both emotionally and physically, since I ran more miles than usual due to RunDestober and the stress of the election.
However, I did have fun. It was fun meeting up with the other ambassadors and of course Mary and Amy are incredibly kind. They put their heart and soul into what they do and the entire Anderson Race Organization did a phenomenal job meeting all the covid requirements.
It definitley looked and felt very different than last year. It was warm verses cold, way less runners of course, everyone wore masks till we started running, and the course was two loops. I did prefer the out and back course last year and I also felt and ran much better. What did remain the same, amazing swag….The biggest medal I’ve ever seen, yummy chocolates, and a pretty pink hoodie!
After our first loop I noticed a mask laying on the trail. As I ran by, I realized it was mine. I ran a little farther, slowed down, turned around to run the opposite direction. That didn’t go so well. I decided I’d grab it running in the correct direction on the next loop….except by that time it was gone??♀️. . Even though it was one of my slower 10K runs, I had fun and that is what counts!
Oh well…..a lost mask was the least of my worries! I am thankful I had the opportunity to run a live race this year! Most likely my only one in 2020? .
After the race Rob took me to The Buttered Tin for brunch. As always, their avocado toast hit the spot!
Thanks for reading my friends. If you make these cakes, let me know if you’re a fan! I love them!
Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes
(adapted from The Perfect Loaf)
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 300g (1 1/4 cup) buttermilk
- 75g pumpkin puree (I used organic canned pumpkin puree)
- 150g (scant 1 cup, stirred down) ripe sourdough starter
- 180g (1 1/2 cups) combination of all-purpose flour (130grams) pastry flour (50 grams)
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (I used freshly grated optional)
- 25g (2 tablespoons) organic coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 63g (1/4 cup or 1/2 stick) melted butter
DIRECTIONS:
- Separate the eggs: whites in a medium-sized bowl and yolks in a large mixing bowl.
- Scramble the yolks in the large mixing bowl and add the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and sourdough starter. Stir or whisk to incorporate.
- Stir in flour and sugar. Let set over night or a few hours like what I did.
- In separate bowl combine cinnamon, fresh nutmeg (optional), salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk to incorporate. Add this mixture to the above when ready to proceed with making your pancakes.
- Stir in the melted butter, and stir until everything is just combined and no dry bits of flour remain.
- Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them into the batter.
- Lightly grease a hot griddle. Drop about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the greased griddle and cook until light brown and bubbles start to appear on top, then flip to cook the other side.
notes
For more pumpkin flavor, add up to 100g of the pumpkin puree. Note that the more puree you add, the looser your batter will be, and you might need to add flour to compensate.
You might need to adjust the amount of buttermilk in the recipe to adjust for your sourdough starter’s hydration and to adjust for your flour. When fully mixed, the batter should be rather loose and will slowly pour off a spoon.
If the batter is very thick, add buttermilk, a few tablespoons at a time, until the batter loosens up.
These freeze incredibly well. Any leftovers can be cooled, stacked in a freezer bag, and frozen. Reheat in a toaster.
Have you run a LIVE race this year?
How have you been affected by the craziness of our world?
What activities help you with stress?
How many miles did you run last month?
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