Hello, hello! I hope you’ve been having a rockin’ Monday! Mine has been busy, busy, busy. After a totally relaxing weekend, Monday was quite a shock to the system!
Following a week of rain, today’s weather was gorgeous! The high was about 59 degrees, which couldn’t be more perfect for a run, as I prefer moderate running temperatures.
In South Carolina, the weather quickly turns too hot and humid for a run. I guess my body is extremely efficient (?) because I warm up almost instantaneously after I begin exercising, and any temperature over 78 degrees is absolutely miserable for my body to work out in.
One of my pet peeves is when gym thermostats are set at 72 degrees. Research shows that 55 degrees is the temperature where running performance is optimal. Shouldn’t the thermostat be set at least somewhere in the 60’s? A gym should be cool when you walk in, not sweltering and sticky!
Of course, that’s just my opinion. I know others enjoy exercising in the heat but my body is just not up for it. I do not foresee a Badwater Ultramarathon anywhere in my future!
Click here for an interesting article about running and temperature.
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So, yesterday, my mom and I baked up a delicious muffin recipe. I think these might just be the best muffins ever created. My mom and dad agreed!
Apricot-Coconut Bran Muffins
(makes 12 muffins)
Ingredients:
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1 1/2 cups wheat bran
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1 1/4 cups nonfat buttermilk
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1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (could use all purpose)
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1/3 cup natural turbinado sugar (could use refined cane sugar)
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2 eggs
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1 cup chopped, dried apricots
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1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
Directions:
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Combine the wheat bran and buttermilk. (Simply wet bran with milk. Don’t over mix.) Set aside for 10 minutes.
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Combine and stir flour, baking soda, and sugar. Add bran mixture and eggs. Stir just until ingredients are moistened. Fold in apricots and coconut.
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Grease muffin tins. (I use coconut oil.) Equally distribute batter into 12 moulds. Bake at 350 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes.
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Remove muffin tin from the oven. Let muffins sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Tasty, moist, and nutritious.
Give these a try!
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Goodnight all!
I’m on the last Glee DVD, and I’m liking it more lately. How fun does their mattress commercial look??
If only I could sing. I’d totally be in Shuester’s glee club!
Don’t forget to enter my Zevia giveaway or Ask Me Anything!
Question: what’s your ideal workout weather/temperature?
I like running in the 50s. I often wonder if gyms are so warm just because of the sheer number of sweaty people inside.
I’m sure that has to do with it. It must cost a fortune to cool a gym. However, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt THE HEAT on at the various gyms I’ve belonged to. I’ve seen the thermostat set to 72 in the winter! Crazy.
I hate it when the gym is too warm! I think it might also have to do with the employees being cold….
Those muffins look so yummy!!! I love bran muffins, especially when there’s coconut in them
I love when I can run in longsleeves and shorts, which makes me wonder why I am living in Phoenix…
wowowowowow those muffins!! and i would kill to be in sheuster’s glee club too lol
Wow that’s quite a hot gym ;s my idea is probably aroun 10 degrees (in the US that’s like…actually, about 55 I think!) 78 seems WAY too hot!!
Those muffins look amaze, I might make them tomorrow
From a muffin fan, I can say that those apricot-coconut muffins were terrific! The sad part was that I only got to eat ONE!
I’m so jealous about your weather! We haven’t seen sunshine in weeks (ok, slight exaggeration, but still!)
I love a good track workout…I love to run stairs and run sprints cause I’m crazy like that!
OMG. You make THE best muffin or baking flavors ever. Looks so moist and delish. Thanks for the recipe. I like being outdoors in the 60s but when there is minimal wind. I’m a baby when it comes to the cold.
Oh those muffins look amazing!!!
I like it to be probably mid-upper 60s when I workout. I get cold too easily and I like to sweat
Do you know when Glee comes back on TV? I’m so ready for it to!!!
I totally agree with you. I despise running in the summer unless it’s the early morning hours or early evening. Otherwise it’s too darn hot! I don’t know how the Florida runners do it. Give me the cold any day!
Those muffins look delish! I used to have a plate like that too
I love to practice yoga on my deck when it is about 80*. So perfect.
That’s interesting about workout temperature. I guess I never really think about it. At the gym where I workout, it’s either REALLY HOT or REALLY COLD (it’s my apartment gym). I try to just go with the flow and not worry too much about it. When I workout outdoors, however, I like crisp fall or spring weather (around 50-60 degrees). Those are the temps that motivate me the most!
These muffins sound fabulous. The inclusion of the apricots is such a great idea. They are in season now too, so they are cheaper. yeah!
The muffins sound delish.. I am a big fan of apricot.
hmm workout temp.. that’s a tough one.. not too cold and not too warm.. I don’t like to start freezing and I don’t like to start already sweating.. I can’t put a number to it as I change my mind about the actual ° every day.
Those muffins look great! I also hate when the gym is too hot. Everyone starts to smell all nasty haha.
70 and sunny! Perfect temp!
I am totally making those muffins…SOON! They seriously do look like the best muffins ever!
Those muffins look delish! I HATE when the gym is hot. I refuse to work out!
warm gym is bad!!! how can you motivate?
glad you had such a great weekend with family and glad it is tuesday as i read your post
muffins look delicious…..
HOLY WOW…those muffins looks great! I am going to make them this weekend for sure!! Thanks!
Those muffins look great! I looove apricot.
I agree with you about the gym temperatures. my gym is really cold in the winter and HOT in the summer…seems like it should be the opposite, really!
OMG, I’m SO with you on the gym temperature thing! It absolutely pisses me off when they have it at 72 degrees. When you workout, it brings your body temp up 20 degrees higher than it really is, so that means we’re working out in 90 degrees temperatures??
[...] It wasn’t even 80 degrees outside! I’m such a weenie when it comes to exercising in the heat. [...]
[...] I’m a muffin lover, and these might be the best I’ve ever had. They are almost as tasty as my favorite Apricot-Coconut Bran Muffins! [...]
[...] the Charleston temps are forecasted to rise above 80 degrees on Saturday. Definitely not my ideal exercise weather. [...]