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Home » Fitness » Running

February 16, 2015 (Updated February 6, 2023)

Valentine’s Weekend Adventures

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

31 comments
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Hi friends! I know some of you might have today off, so if you are still enjoying your weekend, stay warm in this cold weather! As for me, it’s back to work, although I am taking a long lunch to meet a friend for a workout. 🙂

Matt and I had a nice weekend. Friday was really low key – we busted out some Sweet Potato Lentil Chili from the freezer, made some Bumble Bee SuperFresh Tilapia (so good) to have atop salad, and called it a night. We need to get better about eating leftovers in the freezer – it’s kind of overflowing at this point!

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On Saturday morning, I made us Matt’s Maple Cinnamon Lattes in bed. 🙂 Then, Matt headed off to grad school class all day, and I met up with these beautiful girls for a run! (Don’t worry, I also ate some toast with PB and banana to fuel up first!)

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Yay. 🙂 There’s nothing like a run with two good friends to start the day. It was cold and gray but there were tons of people out in groups – I think everyone is getting ready for the Rock ‘n’ Roll DC marathon/half, just like us!

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The girls and I had 8 miles on the docket, and decided to get them in on the Capital Crescent Trail. We met up in Georgetown at the start of the trail and ran north!

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Once we hit 4 miles, just before the tunnel, we stopped to quickly stretch and have a little snack.

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Kathleen brought these cool coffee energy bars from Whole Foods, and I contributed some dried dart cherries to the mix. Yum! The bars reminded me of a recipe that I included in the Nutrition for Runners program, but the use of ground coffee is genius… might have to try that next time.

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Then we ran back! I like out and backs because they are so nice mentally. Nothing to think about, and running 4 then turning around sounds so easy compared to running 8 miles, right?

It was over in a flash. Too soon, actually! We all had the best time chatting away.

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We have 10 miles planned for next weekend, followed by a fun brunch, hopefully with our man friends. Looking forward to it already. 🙂

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I pounded an Organic Valley Organic Fuel in the car on my way home (reminder that I’m trying these out as part of a sponsored campaign with Organic Valley, but we’ll keep buying them when our samples run out because they are awesome). I love that you don’t have to refrigerate these (not that it matters right now, though, since my car was probably colder than our fridge…) so it’s easy to bring them with you for after workouts. I was pretty hungry when we finished so I was glad I had it with me – plus, it’s best to get some protein/carbs into you within about 30 minutes of a workout, when your muscles are most receptive to repairing/rebuilding. Wait any longer, and not only will you not recover as well, but you’ll also probably get a bit hangry, which no one likes.

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It held me over until I got home, stretched/foam rolled, showered, etc! When I was all cleaned up, I made myself a nice brunch.

A piece of Ezekiel toast with melted Cabot sharp cheddar, two sunny side up eggs, and some sautéed garlicky kale. The kale was on its last legs and needed to be used, and I love the greens + toast/runny eggs combo. Yum!

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I was still kind of hungry when I finished, and I wanted to make us some snacks for the week, so I whipped up a variation of my Tart Cherry Pie Snack Balls. We’re very sadly just about out of dried tart cherries (I know, serious fail), so I used golden raisins instead, but kept the rest of the ingredients the same. It was actually quite delicious! Great flavor combo.

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I did some work/stuff around the house, then headed to the 1 year old birthday party of a friend’s daughter, then met back up with Matt, post-class – it was time for our Valentine’s date! (Dear Red Wine: Thank you for making my face awkwardly bright red. Love, Anne)

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My skirt (it’s this one – $22.99 ftw) was a fun recent pick up from Target. Cute, right? Necklace is an old fave from Stitch Fix.

For the past few years, Matt has cooked us a big feast at home on Valentine’s Day, but since he had class all day this year, we decided to go out instead. We decided to treat ourselves to Restaurant Nora, a wonderfully cozy, upscale restaurant in the Dupont Circle area that also happens to be certified organic, with a focus on fresh, healthy fair. Awesome!

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We ordered ourselves a bottle of Pinot Noir and cozied up, watching the snow fall outside.

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As for dinner itself, it was outrageously priced due to a price-fixe 5 course Valentine’s menu, but the food was delicious, and it was a nice treat since we rarely go out to dinner just the two of us.

My favorite of the night was actually the starters! The lobster bisque soup was amazing, as was the salmon tartare. My lamb entrée was just so so – it was good, but I’ve had way better lamb chops elsewhere, and again for the price, I thought the sides that came with it could have been more interesting/creative. For dessert, I had the poached pear with bleu cheese – fun salty/sweet combo.

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It was a great night with my favorite guy. 🙂

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As for the rest of the weekend, my friend Ashley was in town visiting so we met up for coffee at an my old fave, Java Shack in Courthouse, followed by a nice yoga class at Edge Yoga. It felt soooo good to stretch after my track workout Thursday, Urban Athletic Club Friday, and the 8 miler on Saturday. I was quite stiff!

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Then, Matt and I had our friends Steph and Alex over for brunch at our place! Steph and I have been friends since we went to camp together when we were 12. Always fun to see her. 🙂

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Chef Matt was in charge of brunch and we were all quite impressed! Delish and well timed, with everything finishing at the same time. His dad (who you guys remember puts together the most epic family feasts during the holidays) would be proud. 😉

homemade brunch

On the menu: peppery bacon, a veggie and egg scramble, and pan seared seasoned sweet potatoes. Plus some toast with whipped honey and almond butter, and orange juice! Sooo good. Thanks for the great meal, Matt! We always joke that it’s funny I’m the one with the food blog, since he likes cooking way more than I do. I was in charge of dishes. 😉

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The rest of yesterday was spent relaxing and doing some work. Which, speaking of, I’d better get to, especially since I want to take a long lunch!

Have a great day everyone!

What’s your favorite brunch? Mine involves eggs – I’d always rather go savory than sweet!

Breakfast + Brunch
- anne
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31 comments
  • Kirtley @ The Gist of Fit
    February 16, 2015 · 10:06AM:
    Fuhun weekend!! Looks like Valentin'es kicked trash---super cute Matt made dinner, love that! And dang those were some good eats! I love that you're so good at running withe friends--something I need to do to get myself running more! Have a crazy good day!
    Reply
  • Erin @ Her Heartland Soul
    February 16, 2015 · 10:32AM:
    What a fun Valentine's Day I'm glad you guys enjoyed it!
    Reply
  • Shel@PeachyPalate
    February 16, 2015 · 10:33AM:
    Well done Matt! Can I have a lend of him?! Though that said I love your egg and kale brunch combo! :)
    Reply
  • Annie February 16, 2015 · 10:42AM:
    I've always wondered how you make your pan-seared sweet potatoes? I tend to do them in the oven or microwave but I'd love to have them a bit crisper without using the oven!
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 16, 2015 · 2:59PM:
      They don't really come out crispy at all, but they are tasty! Matt just coated them in some oil, a little salt and pepper, and I think some rosemary and garlic powder?
      Reply
      • Annie February 16, 2015 · 3:22PM:
        Thanks :) Will try that next time :D
        Reply
  • Laura
    February 16, 2015 · 10:54AM:
    It all depends how I feel, sometimes I want something like french toast (has to be real maple syrup though!) or other times I want eggs and bacon! I hate when meals like your v-day meal turn our just meh when you're spending a lot of money. I think a lot of restaurants try to take advantage on those days as they know people want to go out. We went to this great french restaturant, Rue Cler, in Durham for dinner on v-day and it was amazing! They have a $30 3 course menu that always has amazing options but they also have items you can order separately. I don't think we've ever had a bad meal there! I had: pea shot salad with fried eggplant and mozzarella, a pork belly plus lentil and orange zest dish, and a short rib dish with a root vegetable medley. YUM.
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 16, 2015 · 2:59PM:
      Sounds delish! Our meal was amazing except for the pork chops, really - which were, like I said, still good, just not phenomenal, which is what I'd expect for the price tag. ;)
      Reply
  • Jojo @ Run Fast Eat Lots
    February 16, 2015 · 11:06AM:
    Glad you had a lovely weekend! I also like eggy/savory things for brunch. Like eggs benny or heuvo rancheros
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 16, 2015 · 2:58PM:
      Mmm yes. Love both of those things!
      Reply
  • Erin @ Erin's Inside Job
    February 16, 2015 · 1:40PM:
    Everything looks delicious! For brunch I am always torn btw eggs and pancakes/waffles. Some days I will get eggs and other days I will get pancakes covered in syrup and butter. It just depends on how sick I want to feel afterwards :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 16, 2015 · 2:57PM:
      I always want like 2 bites of pancakes/french toast/sweet stuff, but then I'm over it and want eggs/protein!
      Reply
  • Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment
    February 16, 2015 · 3:03PM:
    Sounds like a lovely Valentine's Day celebration! That restaurant looks amazing.
    Reply
  • Nicole
    February 16, 2015 · 3:14PM:
    Hi! I'm in the DC area for work for a few days. Do you have a favorite class in the metro center or logan area?
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 16, 2015 · 4:38PM:
      Hmmm I don't think I've done any classes around metro center... for logan circle, Flow Yoga studio is great!
      Reply
    • Anne
      February 16, 2015 · 4:38PM:
      Also, you can see all my local faves on my FAQ page: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/faq/
      Reply
  • charlene February 16, 2015 · 5:03PM:
    Hi Anne...that lovely red wine redness may be due to a sensitivity to tannins and sulphites found in wine (more so in red). I had to stop drinking wine altogether :( because I just felt (and looked) better avoiding wine....even organic ones. Don't mean to rain on your parade, just passing on knowledge like someone did to me, for which I am very grateful!
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 16, 2015 · 6:11PM:
      Well, I have rosacea, so basically anything makes my face splotchy and red, ha. Including wine, chocolate, exercise, extreme heat, extreme cold... etc etc. Lame! Thanks for sharing that info, though! Sorry to hear you had to give up the wine. :(
      Reply
  • Heather @ Dietitian on the Run
    February 16, 2015 · 5:06PM:
    I never think to go eat at Nora even though I walk/run/bike-share by it ALL THE TIME (or, did... ;) ). Glad you guys checked it out and give it a thumbs-up! Seems like one of the more unique restaurants in the Dupont area. Good to know!
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 16, 2015 · 6:11PM:
      Yeah! Def only for special occasions, since it's so $$, but worth it since it's so cute - and to support their organic mission!
      Reply
  • Alisha @ Real Girl Running
    February 16, 2015 · 5:16PM:
    I'm eggs for brunch all the way. Combined with some avocado, I'm in brunch heaven!
    Reply
  • Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
    February 16, 2015 · 6:51PM:
    Nice dinners out mean so much more when it doesn't happen very often. That peppery bacon sounds delicious.
    Reply
  • Roadrunner February 17, 2015 · 12:03AM:
    Very nice weekend!
    Reply
  • Eva February 17, 2015 · 7:07AM:
    i absolutely j'ADORE your orange juice pitcher!!! holy crap where is that from??
    Reply
    • Eva February 17, 2015 · 7:07AM:
      actually i just googled "glass pitcher with hole in middle" and have found it... :)
      Reply
    • Anne
      February 17, 2015 · 7:59AM:
      It was a wedding gift -- I think Crate and Barrel?
      Reply
  • Emily
    February 17, 2015 · 9:50AM:
    My favorite brunch would have to be a mix of savory and sweet. I love waffles or pancakes with the toppings and some scrambled eggs.
    Reply
  • sally @ sweat out the small stuff
    February 17, 2015 · 11:59AM:
    For brunch I almost always go savory. Omelettes with smoked salmon and cream cheese. And mixed greens and potatoes of some sort. I do love pancakes but I tend to not want sweet stuff for brunch.
    Reply
  • Cindy February 18, 2015 · 10:01AM:
    I so adore your blog. I always learn something. The recipes are some of my favs. Was wondering about the caffeine bars from Whole foods...... Have the name of this product? They look good and I want them. Or---- have a recipe?
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 18, 2015 · 11:25AM:
      Thank you for reading! :) I just emailed Kathleen about the bars - I'll let you know when I hear back from her!
      Reply
    • Anne
      February 19, 2015 · 11:58AM:
      Okay, she got back to me! Apparently they were the Navitas Naturals coffee cacao snack bites: http://navitasnaturals.com/product/577/Snack-Coffee-Cacao.html
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

When I’m not writing or cooking for fannetastic food, you can find me running, coaching nutrition clients, or on an adventure with my family. Feel free to reach out - I'd love to hear from you!

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