Happy Sunday folks! I have been all about the food lately, but I'm still getting my running in to balance out my hearty appetite. ;) My Garmin is back to cooperating with me, so this post will count as my #runforsteem entry for the week. Check out the latest post from host @jumowa to join in: https://steemit.com/runforsteem/@jumowa/25th-runforsteem-week-concluded-and-26th-runforsteem-week-may-18th-may-25th

I'm always happy to get my runs in where I can. The weather over the past week has been a little unpredictable, so I have been jumping on the treadmill here and there for some speed work. I do find when I am not training for longer distances I am not quite as motivated to get outside in less desirable weather since I know I don't HAVE to get the miles in. However, I am planning on doing a few 5k races over the summer like usual, so I need to start getting acclimated to the Atlanta heat and humidity.

That was the goal of my run yesterday morning. I had gotten up to whip together these delicious pancakes with the last of our fresh-picked strawberries, scooted over to the farmers market, then had about 30 minutes to get a quick run in before my personal training client came in. I am definitely a morning person, so it always feels good to be to be productive first thing!

I am trying to get back into the farmers market habit to take advantage of all of the fresh produce of the season. Hopefully I can also make the run a habit right after, as well, to make sure I get in some outdoor activity. In the summer I have to get those runs in early, or they definitely aren't going to happen. ;)

The run may have been nothing special, but these pancakes turned out fantastic! For some reason I don't make pancakes often even though they are really not that difficult to put together. I think there is still part of me that remembers eating them way too much when I was training for my first half marathon when I actually ended up gaining a few pounds leading up to the race. That was before I went plant-based, though, so more than likely those pancakes were nowhere near as healthy as the ones I make now. :)

This recipe is loaded up with fresh fruit and rolled oats, with the only minimal sweetener coming in the form of some blackstrap molasses and a bit of maple syrup in the sauce. Using fresh berries and a really ripe banana made sure I had no need for refined sugar. I still have plenty of strawberries frozen, so I will definitely be making these again soon!

Vegan Strawberry Banana Blender Pancakes

Makes about 10 pancakes

1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
1 really ripe banana
3/4 cup fresh strawberries (or thaw if frozen)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut flour (can also sub additional oats or an extra tablespoon of flax)
2 tablespoons ground flax seed

Place your milk, banana, strawberries, cinnamon and molasses in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and pulse together until incorporated together and the batter is the thickness of your liking. I like mine hearty, so I left my batter a little chunky.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Use a little bit of coconut oil if needed to prevent sticking. Spoon out 1/4 cup portions of your batter into the pan, leaving a bit of room between each cake, and cook for about 3 minutes or until the bottom is nicely browned. Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining portions of your batter.

Serve with warm strawberry sauce over top!

Strawberry Sauce

1 heaping cup chopped strawberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2-3 tablespoons of water

Place the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Put just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. The strawberries will release some liquid as they cook, so you don't want your sauce to be too runny. Simmer on low for 10 minutes, or until the berries are broken down and the liquid has reduced to your liking.

I loved the strawberries totally blended up into the batter! It was a great way to get strawberry flavor throughout. Definitely some delicious and healthy runner fuel! :)

Happy running (and eating)!

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