October 16, 2013 (Updated March 20, 2023)

Sunshine Running & Ingredient Potluck Dinners

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

Vegan
16 comments

You know what I’m really appreciating this week after missing them last week? Two things: sunshine and running.

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Yesterday morning, I met my friend Sarah downtown for an early run. We were both so happy to see the beautiful sun finally came back out to play after such a gloomy and wet stretch here in DC!

Dear sun: please stick around this time. 🙂

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We had fun chatting and running, as per usual. We did a loop through the city, past the White House to say holler to Obama…

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Got this gorgeous misty view of the Washington Monument and reflecting pool from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial:

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And then finished the run up in Dupont area. 6.2 miles – check! I was supposed to do a longer run (9 miles) on Tuesday for marathon training, but I’m still being very cautious about my foot, so I wanted to dial it back. So far, so good. Planning a casual 4 miles tomorrow morning.

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Thanks for the great run, Sarah! 🙂

Another thing I’m loving lately? The fact that my friend Gena and I have revived our ingredient potluck dinner dates.

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We first started doing ingredient potluck dinner dates last fall, as both of us were students and tight on money, and it was a cheap and fun way to have dinner together. Basically, we meet at one of our places and pool together whatever random ingredients we have on hand, then get creative with how to use them!

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Previous ingredient potluck collaborations:

    For this collaboration, we met at my place and decided to do some sort of quinoa salad, topped with the roasted eggplant Gena brought over.

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For some extra protein, we threw in chickpeas I had on hand, and to make a sauce, we got creative. I had a can of open pumpkin in the fridge that needed to be used up, plus some tahini. Hmm… pumpkin tahini? Sure, why not. After some measuring, tasting, and adding a little more of this and that, we came up with this. It was really good!

Pumpkin Tahini Dressing

  • 2 Tbsp. pumpkin
  • 1 Tbsp. tahini
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 3 tsp. lemon juice
  • Salt & pepper to taste

You can also add some garlic powder in there, if you want. Get creative – the measurements don’t have to be exact.

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Yep, I totally used bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemon juice. Don’t judge me. Just keepin’ it real over here. 😉

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Our last addition to the quinoa creation was some string beans I had on hand, for color.

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Unfortunately the dark evening didn’t do my food photography any favors, but it was yummy, I promise. 🙂

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Served with a simple side salad of greens, tomato, peppers, and beets. Yum, yum!

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Have you ever done an ingredient potluck? They’re so fun – and less pressure than a real potluck or straight up hosting a friend at your place for dinner! 😉

- anne

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16 comments
  • I've never done a potluck before but it does sound fun!
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  • Looks like a fun way to make dinner! I've done something similar when I was moving back and forth during college. My friends brought over stuff they couldn't use up, and we'd have a dinner party to finish everything.
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  • Love the idea of an ingredient potluck. A great way to come up with new recipes! I tend to do something similar if we decide to head over to my parents for an impromptu dinner when I have something on hand that I know I will need to use up!
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  • Your blog always makes me want to visit DC! It looks so beautiful! Definitely on my bucket list.
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  • I'm up in Springfield for work and definitely thought how I should head into D.C. since it's so pretty out now! I've never done an ingredient potluck before, but that's a great idea!
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  • Never heard of an ingredient potluck but it sounds really fun! Also love the feeling of missing running when you haven't been, even if it's during marathon training!
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  • The pumpkin tahini mix sounds great...some nutritional yeast would make it even more amazing :) I'm a bottled lemon juice girl...so handy! I always feel like I waste a lemon when I juice it as I never have the patience to give it a full squeeze!
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  • Yum! Dinner looks delicious! And what a great place to go for a run :)
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  • What an awesome idea! I am totally emailing my friends to try and do this. It's like chopped but better because you don't have to compete or use weird ingredients.
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  • AW I have never done one of those...Sounds like fun though! My friends and I are foodie weridos so I am not sure it would work. I don't eat red meat along with another friend, one is gluten free, one cant have cheese, and so on and so on! Anyway I look a Runner for Yoga class at Athleta near me and instead of being your traditional flow yoga she taught us yoga poses for runners and why you should do them and what muscles they help. They talked about if the bottom of your feet hurt and she said poses that are good for that are tree pose and side straddle bend. Anyway she has a website (http://barebonesyoga.com/) and videos this one talks about the feet! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-bV5im60-A) may help! I learned that sit by tucking your toes underneath you and sit on the, and just rub the inside of your feet helps really well too! Okay end ramble! :)
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    • Thank you! :)
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  • Glad the foot is doing well!
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  • I loved reading your past ingredient potluck dinners! I have some friends coming over tomorrow, I think that would be really fun to do! Your recipe sounds super yummy!
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  • So jealous that you get to do your runs around DC and the monuments! I get inspired every time I get a chance to visit from Boston, and I would LOVE for that to be my daily running route!
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