Coffee Talk #3: a chance to catch up on the little things in life. š June 2018.
Good morning! Sometimes I don’t know whether to say āgood morningā, āgood afternoonā, or āgood night,ā so I tend to match my greeting to wherever you are. š Time for another chatāgrab a cup of coffee and a tin of cookies and let’s catch up. I love GRWM videos on YouTubeāanyone else into those? I canāt wait to share what Iāve been doing and hear about you.
Living in Bostonā¦ If you saw my recent blog post about chocolate chocolate chip coconut vegan ice cream, you already know: Erik and I have been living in Boston for a full year. It feels both like yesterday and like ages ago that we moved here. Iāve been visiting Boston since my Mount Holyoke days when my sister Jenny was at Harvard, so Iāve known Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston for over a decade. Erik, on the other hand, had never left California until we metāso Iāll take partial credit for changing his life. For the better, I promise. š
Weāve lived in Boston before and have also moved between San Diego, Maine, and the Bay Area together. For a while we considered Portland, Oregon, but decided to be closer to family instead. Itās been the right choice: people are friendly and relaxed, thereās always something to do, and we can walk almost everywhere. Best of all, my mom, sister and nephews are nearbyāthat was the main reason for the move and itās been a wonderful bonus.
Fitbit challengeā¦ Since we walk so much, Erik and I recently marked our one-year Fitbit anniversary. Do you use a fitness tracker? Erik has an Alta HR and I have a Flex 2, though Iām thinking of upgrading for a heart rate monitor. There are lots of new styles nowāeven ringsāand I wonder how well those hold up to frequent handwashing. Genius or madness?
About two months ago we committed to 10,000 steps per day. Working from home makes it tricky to accumulate steps just moving between rooms, so I put together a simple schedule with step milestones: 2,500 steps before breakfast (around 7am), 5,000 by a mid-morning snack (10am), and 7,500 by mid-afternoon (2pm). We do quick burstsājogging in place, running around the kitchen, or squats in the living roomāwhatever it takes to hit the numbers. By the time we walk to the gym (about 2,000 steps away) weāre nearly done with our goal, so gym time feels like the cherry on top. Itās fun and energizing, if a little exhausting. How do you stay active?
Running along the Charles Riverā¦ Now that the weather is improving, Iām excited to lace up and run along the Charles. Itās a beautiful route and one of the reasons I love living here. I took the photo above during a run last year.
Current Popular Recipesā¦ Lately youāve been into no-bake and frozen treats (plus a few cookies). Here are the current favorites on Beaming Baker:
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Coconut Chocolate Chip Vegan Ice Cream
- No Churn Chocolate Chocolate Chip Coconut Vegan Ice Cream
- 4 Ingredient No Bake Coconut Macaroons
- NEW + rising #1: Vegan Gluten Free Blueberry Crisp
- NEW + rising #2: 4 Ingredient Banana Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream
- NEW + rising #3: Chocolate Peanut Butter Homemade Frosty
Current Classics Recipesā¦ Some favorites from the recipe vault:
- Gluten Free Banana Oat Muffins
- 3 Ingredient Homemade Crunch Bars
- 5 Ingredient Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut Homemade KIND Bars
- One Bowl Vegan Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread ā this is honestly one of the few recipes that makes me turn the oven on even in hot weather.
New Recipesā¦ Iām working on pumpkin recipes and snacks for back-to-school season (early, I know, but I plan ahead). A couple questions for you:
ā Pumpkin Brownies: Would you like them? Should they be bright orange or have a pumpkin swirl? I worry a swirl might complicate the recipeāmore steps and technique. Also, how strong should the pumpkin spice flavor be: none, medium, or bold?
ā Pumpkin Coffee Cake: Iām thinking about a slightly dense coffee cake with a sweet, crunchy nut topping but less sugar than the classic cinnamon-sugar crumble. Would you prefer the traditional sugary topping or a lighter, still-satisfying crunch?
Sneak Peekā¦ Hereās a preview of an upcoming recipeāany guesses?
Itās been lovely catching up. If you missed earlier Coffee Talks, take a look at the past posts titled Catching Up 1, Catching Up 2, April, and May. I enjoyed reading your updates last month and Iām eager to hear whatās new with you.
Sending you all my love, xo Demeter ā¤
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