An indulgent weekend after an 18-miler!

Not sure what the weather is where you are today, but the weather here in Delaware is absolutely beautiful! I hope it’s the same for you.

As promised, I wanted to do a quick recap of my 18 mile training run that I took on Thursday afternoon.

After work, I headed out to one of my favorite local running spots. There is a huge hill but once you get to the top, there’s a 1.1 mile loop that’s absolutely beautiful and a nice, flat place to run. I did a few laps before running back down to my car at mile 9 to grab my gels and some water.

Although I was pretty tempted to run back up and finish my run up there, I knew I needed to get in some hill work, so I ran through some new neighborhoods that were pretty much all hills. My splits definitely showed it (I went from averaging 8:08 in the first half of my run to about 9:00 after), but I felt pretty good and much more confident about running Pittsburgh with all of its hills in just a few weeks!

It was almost 7 p.m. until I finished up (so glad it stays daylight later!), so I took a quick shower, forced myself to eat, and then pretty much didn’t move all night, haha.

As per usual, I was starving all day yesterday. I planned on sleeping in until 7 or so since I was taking a rest day, but woke up at 6:30 and immediately wanted breakfast. That hungry feeling pretty much lasted all day long…

After I got home from work and posted my recipe for a Chicken & Bean Crockpot Chili, I got ready and headed out for a mini-date night with Andy! We had a gift card for TGI Friday’s leftover from our wedding and headed there for a Friday night meal. We’ve had a busy week so it was great to catch up over dinner.

Unfortunately, the lighting was really bad so I don’t have any photos, but I ordered the Sedona Black Bean Burger with avocado and sweet potato fries on the side. It was amazing and worth every bite!

After dinner, we had the chance to go to my friend Courtney’s and meet the sweetest new addition to their family! (Remember her baby shower a few weeks ago?) Their little lovebug was absolutely adorable, and I was so glad we were able to hang out with them.

This morning, I woke up nice and early to get a few miles in before meeting my running group. The weather was amazing, and I got in about 6.5 miles before heading to my friend Julie’s for this delicious brunch …

Yes, we had Texas-shaped waffles! Julie’s from Texas and I was excited to try out her creation 🙂 She cooked them with chopped pecans instead and I topped mine with strawberries, a few more pecans, and some maple syrup with my honey peanut butter on the side. So good!

Now, I’m planning out some menus for the rest of the week and am hoping to get to the grocery store before getting ready and heading to church for the weekend. So excited to experience our first Easter at my church’s new campus!

 

 

What’s been fueling my workouts all week

Happy Friday!

I don’t typically post twice in one day, but I have lots to share with you over the coming days! First up, I want to share this recipe for Chicken and Bean Crockpot “Chili” — a super easy and delicious crockpot recipe that I’ve been enjoying all week. (I call it “chili” because I’m not quite sure what else to call it, but trust me — you eat this thing with a fork, not a spoon!)

I threw this in the crockpot on Monday morning and was ready to enjoy it for dinner that evening. One of my favorite things about this meal is it’s versatility! I served it over quinoa one day, brown rice another, quinoa/lentil chips another, and a sweet potato another. It never got boring because I was always adding a different texture/flavor to accompany it.

 

Chicken & Bean Crockpot “Chili”
Serves 8-10
Adapted from Skinny Taste

• One red onion, chopped
• 1 16-oz. can black beans (drained)
• 1 16-oz. can kidney beans (drained)
• 10 oz. package frozen corn
• 2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes (I used one regular diced tomatoes; another one of garlic roasted)
• 1 small can of green chilies (Or just purchased diced tomatoes with the chilies if you prefer)
• 1/4 c. chili powder
• 2 Tbsp. cumin
• Optional seasonings: Siriacha, Pepper, Paprika, Salt
• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used frozen)
• Cilantro for topping (optional)

1. Spray your slow cooker with some non-stick spray. Combine onions, beans, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, and seasonings. Place chicken on top and cover.
2. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken, shred, and return to slow cooker and mix well.
4. Serve over your choice of quinoa, brown rice, steamed sweet potato, or tortilla cheese, top with fresh cilantro (and cheese if desired), and enjoy!

How to level up this recipe: 

• I think chopped peppers would be a great addition to this recipe and an easy way to pump up your veggie count.
• Serve over a bed of romaine lettuce (as I did with my quinoa and brown rice).

How to level down this recipe:

• For added flavor, top with shredded cheese and/or sour cream (or plain greek yogurt if you can)!
• If sweet potatoes aren’t your thing, you could easily serve this over baked russet potatoes as well.

And the best part was my friend Leslie introduced me to this Freakin’ Fresh Salsa to top it with, and oh. my. goodness. This stuff is seriously amazing…

 

The company is actually based right here in Delaware and sells their product at a few local stores including Whole Foods. This stuff is seriously…freakin’ fresh. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) Look at how thick this stuff is…

Andddd…it’s made with all natural ingredients (tomatoes, onions, lime juice, cilantro…nothing you can’t pronounce), and absolutely delicious. If you’re in the Delaware area, be sure to check out where they sell it and pick some up for yourself!

Please note: I was not compensated for this post in any way…I just loved this stuff and wanted to share! 

I’ll be back later this weekend with a review of my 18 mile training run I did yesterday, my first product review of NuGo Nutrition bars, and more! Enjoy your Easter weekend, everyone!

 

Fit Friday Finds: 3.29.13

It’s been a few weeks since I did an installment of Fit Friday Finds, but after discovering this fun running tool online, I knew I had to do one for this week!

With Taz Running, you can choose your distance and your goal time, and it immediately spits out what your splits have to be to hit your goal time. However, unlike other online running tools, you can actually choose your exact race so the tool takes elevation into account (which is huge for me running in hilly Pittsburgh!).

I started by choosing my location and distance…

I hit “go” and then chose my race…

Next, I hit “settings” at the top…

…and then put in my goal time (4:00) and adjusted my expected pace on hills (10 is the average; I put 12 since I haven’t trained on hills as much as I’d like).

I scrolled down, hit “save,” and bam…

Out came my paces (which sound quite manageable, thank goodness!).

There are many different races to choose from, and I love that the app adjusts for elevation. You can even order a tattoo with your splits to put on your arm on race day. Pretty sweet!

And, on a completely unrelated note, here was another fun thing I found this week…I am a Gilmore Girls fan through and through and just loved this article from BuzzFeed!

“27 Amazing Things We Might Get in a Gilmore Girls Movie” 

Any other Rory & Loralei fans out there? What’s your goal for your next big race?

Simple ways to love yourself everyday: Guest Post on My Food n Fitness Diaries

Hello, Level’ers!

I’m checking in mid-day quickly because I’m excited to share my guest post, which went live on My Food n Fitness Diaries today! I love reading about Miss Ashley’s healthy eats and workouts and am so honored to be sharing my thoughts in her part of the blogosphere today.

Head over to to her blog to check out my post on “Simple Ways to Love Yourself Everyday,” from treating yourself daily to getting in a kick butt 20-minute workout!

WIAW featuring healthy minestrone soup!

It may be “springtime” but with a snowstorm on Monday, it’s still soup time around here! That’s why this WIAW features this yummy healthy minestrone soup perfect for our March weather.

New to the What I Ate Wednesday party? See what it’s all about over at Peas & Crayons!

This week’s WIAW came from last Wednesday…luckily I was able to get in a good amount of greens before my deliciously indulgent (and pretty green-free) weekend in Pittsburgh! (Did you miss my Pittsburgh recap? You can check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 here!)

I started off the morning with a delicious banana egg pancake topped with TJ’s almond butter + maple agave syrup and sprinkled with flax seed and coconut.

For my morning snack, I enjoyed a small honeycrisp apple. (My favorite! They were selling 5 lb. bags at BJ’s for $10 — score!)

For lunch, I enjoyed a leftover bowl of my minestrone soup with a side of (unpictured) carrots and celery. I made it in the crockpot (too easy!) and even froze some leftovers for later.

Healthy Minestrone Vegetable Soup
Recipe adapted from Food Network

• 3 c. reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
• 1 can white cannellini beans, drained
• 10 baby carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 1/2 c. zucchini (I used frozen yellow + green)
• 1 c. onion, chopped
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 t. dried sage
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt (from Tastefully Simple)
• 2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta shells
• 2 cups baby spinach (or equivalent frozen)

1. In crockpot, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, zucchini (if using frozen; if using fresh wait until step 2), onion, and spices. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
2. With 30 minutes left to cook, pour in your cooked pasta and baby spinach. Stir, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Ladle, let cool, and enjoy!

How to level up this recipe:

• You know the drill…add more veggies! 
• There was a bit too much pasta in here for me…I’d recommend you cut it down to 1 1/2 c. if you’re not a big pasta person.

How to level down this recipe:

• Although it wouldn’t be traditional Minestrone, you could easily add in a pound of cooked lean ground beef or turkey. 

For my afternoon snack, I enjoyed a hodgepodge of whatever I needed to use from my fridge before going away. In the mix: 3 oz. Pomegranate Chobani, 1/4 c. low-fat cottage cheese, blueberries, oats, and puffed wheat. Yum.

I had a late meeting and was so hungry by the time I got home! I had an unphotographed piece of TJ’s multigrain rustic wheat bread before enjoying this plate of healthy homemade chicken parmesan with roasted Brussell sprouts and cucumbers on the side.

Since I hadn’t had any oats or peanut butter all day (the horror!), I ended the night with a small bowl of oatmeal. In the mix: 1/3 c. oats, organic skim milk, and natural peanut butter.

There you have it! Stay tuned this week for my first product review — can’t wait to share it with ya!

Food Coma #3: My final day in Pittsburgh

Good morning and happy Tuesday, everyone! This morning, I’m coming at you with the third and final part of my weekend in Pittsburgh with my sister. If you missed it, you can check out Part One here and Part Two here.

After shopping on Saturday night, we got back to Kate’s apartment to figure out our final day in Pittsburgh. I really wanted to go running and get a feel of the city I’m doing my marathon in on May 5th, but we also really wanted to get breakfast and go shopping before I had to leave around 2 p.m. After going through many different scenarios, we figured out that running + breakfast + shopping wasn’t going to happen, so we were going to have to make some choices. I opted to get up at 7 a.m. to do a seven miler on the treadmill in her complex’s gym and then get ready quickly to head to breakfast and shopping.

Skipping a city run to head to breakfast? Best. decision. ever.

We went to a little restaurant called Waffles Incaffeinated in Southside. Luckily, we got there pretty early so we found free street parking + got seated right away.

The service was excellent, and our waitress quickly brought us waters + coffee (thank goodness).

Kate and I decided we wanted to split two entrees so that we could taste both their waffles and their omelets. In addition to their large menu, you could choose to make your own waffles and/or omelets with at least twenty different “stuffing” and “topping” options.

Finally, we decided to do a make-your-own-waffle. The result? A waffle stuffed with almonds and blueberries and topped with peanut butter chiffon. Phenomenal doesn’t even begin to describe it…the peanut butter chiffon was to die for.

We also split a mushroom chevre omelet, which was served with tri-colored fingerling potatoes on the side…

It was also amazing! The eggs were flavorful without feeling greasy or heavy, and the potatoes were delicious — loved the purple ones!

We finished up within 45 minutes and did our best to finish every last bite…

After rolling ourselves out of Waffles Incaffeinated (with to-go coffee cups in our hands thanks to our waitress!), we headed to Ross Park to do some shopping. We forgot to look what time the mall opened, so we were about 30 minutes too early. However, we did a quick stop at Ross where I ended up buying some fun new placements and Kate found a dress.

We eventually got to the mall and spent time browsing at a few stores, including Lululemon where I was somehow able to resist the urge to buy a pair of running crops that fit perfectly. Go me. I did however get some jewelry from Francesca’s to compliment my Easter dress, so I’m looking forward to wearing that this weekend!

We left the mall around 1, made another stop at Target, and then headed back to Kate’s apartment where I quickly packed up my stuff and hit the road.

Luckily, there were no accidents this time so I was back in Delaware by 7 p.m. and spent some time catching up on emails, prepping food for the week, and hanging out with Andy.

Overall, it was an amazing weekend. See you in May, Pittsburgh!

Snow day + Pittsburgh: Part Two

I’m not all for this lawsuit against Puxatawney Phil, but my goodness, was he wrong! So much for spring…we’ve been pelted with snow all day long!

When I woke up this morning around 5:30 to get to the gym, I peeked outside and found no snow, even though they had been calling for overnight snow showers. Typical. I quickly got dressed and headed off to the gym to do a 20-minute speed treadmill workout, followed by 30 minutes of ab circuit work. When I left, I was greeted with almost an inch of snow covering my car and pretty awful driving conditions!

I figured I should go get my work computer and such before the weather got really bad, so I woke up my hubby and begged him to drive me to work. Unfortunately, the snow had started too late for most schools to cancel, so he still had to go into work this morning. He (angrily sleepily) agreed and braved the weather to help me grab my computer, charger, and a few other things I needed from work. Win 🙂

I spent the day working from home (and was super productive!) and am excited to try out a new crockpot meal I threw in for dinner. I’ll be sure to share if it’s a success!

But, first, back to my weekend recap! If you missed my first night in Pittsburgh featuring a trip to the Market District & Burgatory, head to Pittsburgh: Part One.

We had a busy Saturday ahead of us and needed to leave around 10 a.m. for my aunt’s baby shower, so I woke up around 8 a.m. and ate a pre-workout snack before heading to the gym in my sister’s complex.

Brown rice cake with a little bit of PB + sprinkle of mixed granola

I took it easy and did a 30-minute pyramid elliptical workout followed by about 20 minutes of arms. With all my emphasis on running, I’ve definitely been slacking on my strength training, so it was good to get some in. After my workout, I headed back upstairs to shower and whipped up a batch of these hot apple pie pancakes for my sister and me…they are one of my favorites! I topped mine with some natural peanut butter and honey.

After breakfast and getting ready, we finally left Pittsburgh (only a few minutes behind schedule!) to get to my aunt’s baby shower, which was about an hour and 45 minutes away. My parents had driven in, so it was awesome to see them and get to spend time with my whole family!

The theme of their nursery is elephants, and they had the cutest elephant-themed shower. Elephants must be the “thing” this year because every other gift was something elephant-related! 🙂 Check out these cute centerpieces and favors…

After the shower, we headed to my nana’s to have dinner with everyone before heading out. I was so hungry by that point and definitely lacking in my fruit intake for the day, so I immediately had a banana and orange followed by a slice of pizza. (Enter food coma #2 of the weekend.) Around 6:15, Kate and I started our trek back to Pittsburgh.

It was after 8 by the time we got back, so there wasn’t a lot of time for shopping before everything closed. However, we made the most of our hour at the Waterfront Shops! We started with a trip to Famous Footwear and Kate found a pair of shoes, followed by a trip to Express. I found an Easter dress, which I just love! Look how cute…now I just need a belt to match!

Source: Express.com

We also got matching shirts, which was only fitting after every other person asked us if we were twins all day, haha! We ended the night with a (relatively) quick trip to Target, and then headed back to Kate’s to make plans for our final day in the ‘Burgh! Check back tomorrow for my final ventures in the city 🙂

Pittsburgh: Part One

Happy Sunday! I just got back from an awesome weekend with my sister in Pittsburgh, and I can’t wait to share all we ate did with you!

I knew it’d be a pretty long trip (Google Maps said 5 hours and 1 minute), so I wanted to pack some yummy road trip snacks to tide me over on the way there…

Morning snack: Half of a honeycrisp apple

Lunch: Delicious salad (enjoyed while I stopped for gas!) — Romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, celery, onions, pickles, deli turkey + balsamic vinaigrette on the side

Afternoon snacks: Baby carrots + trail mix (almonds, peanuts, cashews, raisins)

I left around 10 and started heading west only to find major delays (traffic was backed up 70+ minutes!). The further I traveled down 95, the more warning signs I saw urging drivers to find alternate routes…the only issue was I didn’t really know what alternate route to take. Luckily, there was a sign directing us through a detour which lead us to…another accident. This whole debacle added about 45 minutes to the trip, but once I got out of Maryland, it was pretty smooth sailing!

The trip went by pretty quickly, thanks to hitting “shuffle” on my iPod and jamming to some high school music circa 2004 as well as a fair amount of the Wicked soundtrack. (I’m convinced I sound like Kristen Chenoweth when I belt out “Popular” in my car… #noshame)

I finally arrived in Pittsburgh around 3:45 and got to see Kate’s apartment! She lives on the 17th floor of her building and look at this view…

After chatting and hanging out for a bit, we got dressed and met up with her boyfriend to head to dinner. Unfortunately, I must have been bad luck because we encountered another accident on the way to dinner, so it was almost 7 p.m. until we got to the restaurant only to find a 45-60 minute wait. Fail.

Fortunately, the restaurant was close to Market District, a large grocery store Kate wanted to take me to. I figured it was a lot like a large Wegman’s, but when we arrived, I was in love.

They grew their own herbs, had rows and rows of bulk spices, oats, pastas, nuts, trail mixes, candies, a bar to make your own stirfry from fresh cut veggies… and you could make your own nut butter. I could barely contain myself.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a good picture, but we made our own cashew butter (my favorite!). The cashew butter was only $7.99/lb., which is one of the better prices I’ve seen. I’m surprised (but pleased) to tell you that some of it actually made its way back to Delaware…

After being in foodie heaven at the Market District, we headed back to Burgatory Bar to wait for dinner. Known for their burgers (obviously) and shakes, Burgatory prides themselves on using local, organic, and all-natural ingredients…and the food shows it! We started off our meal by sharing a salted carmel pretzel milkshake, and it was heavenly. (We split it after this picture!)

For my meal, I chose the “Phat Patti’s Veggie” which was their lentil, cracked wheat, cashews, and cremini mushroom veggie burger topped with gouda, tomato, arugula, and the most amazing avocado wasabi on a whole wheat bun. The sweet potato & russet chips on the side were served warm and absolutely delicious. This was food coma #1 of the weekend…

At the end of the meal, they gave us each fortune cookies…

After our late dinner, we somehow rolled ourselves back to the city for the evening! We spent the night with Kate’s boyfriend and friends watching the NCAA tournament and hanging out. By midnight, we were ready to crash and headed back to her place for the night!

Definitely an awesome weekend…stay tuned for parts 2 & 3 later this week!

One mile closer

As of yesterday morning at 8:30 a.m., I am one mile closer to my marathon!

I won’t lie — I was stressing about when and how I was going to fit in a long run this week. I took today off work and am going to Pittsburgh to see my sister (!!!!) in just a few hours and didn’t want to try and fit in seventeen miles while also hanging out with her. I went through a lot of options — run Thursday afternoon before a 6 p.m. meeting (that wasn’t happening — not enough time), run Friday morning and push back my arrival to Pittsburgh (not ideal), run a few miles Thursday morning and a few more that afternoon (does that even count?) — you get the idea.

Finally, I settled on getting up super early yesterday morning to get it in before work. Hello, 5:15 a.m.

I woke up, got dressed, ate a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and flaxseed, started drinking some water, and left around 5:45. Unfortunately, since it was so dark, I had to do the run on the treadmill (second week in a row!). I was on a treadmill by 5:55 and I was off!

I don’t really have a play-by-play for it…it was pretty similar to last week. I did the first seven miles in 58:13, took a quick break, and immediately started my second round of seven miles, finishing in 58:06. I really started getting hungry during the 10-14 mile range, so after mile 14, I hopped off the treadmill, refilled my water, and took a gel. For the first time, I actually really enjoyed the gel and noticed a difference!

Then, it was back on the treadmill for the last three miles, which I finished in 24:30. Total time –> 2:20:49, 8:26/mile!

One good thing about the ‘mill is that I really try to push my pace, but I do want to make sure I can start doing the rest of my long runs (only three left — 18, 20, and 22!) outside (and on some hills).

After a quick shower, I headed to work where I subsequently couldn’t walk all day, haha. I was so sore! That’s what happens when you rush from a long run right to work, I suppose…

I forced myself to eat all day (I was literally not hungry at all) and definitely a little sleepy. After work, I did something I never do — I took a 40 minute nap! It was glorious. I woke up feeling completely refreshed and whipped up this yummy dinner before heading to my meeting…

Balsamic Turkey Grilled Sandwich 
Serves 1

• 2 slices of whole wheat bread
• 2 slices of deli turkey (I used low-sodium.)
• Red Onion, thinly sliced
• About 10 baby spinach leaves
• 1 slice mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1. Mix together your olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and brush one side of each slice of bread with the mixture.
2. Spray a pan with cooking spray, and place one slice of bread (with olive oil mixture facing down) on the pan.
3. Next, place your turkey, red onion, spinach, and cheese on top. Top with your other slice of bread (olive oil mixture facing up).
4. Cook your sandwich on medium heat, flipping once, until cheese is melted.

This was simple, but so good! I can only imagine it would be better in a panini maker (or the George Foreman, which I was too lazy to get out). The balsamic mixture makes the sandwich slightly tangy, and I loved the taste.

How to level up this recipe:

• Add more veggies! If you are vegetarian, you could easy swap out the turkey for a few slices of tomato.

How to level down this recipe:

• Use white bread instead of wheat. 

Time for Pittsburgh!! I packed all my road trip snacks (it’s about a five hour drive), and am looking forward to seeing this girl so soon!

Have a great weekend!

I’m running a marathon {WIAW Edition}

So yes, ya’ll know by now that I’m running a marathon (in only a month a half! ah!)…What you probably don’t know is how frequently I eat and justify it by “I’m running a marathon.”

It’s become a slight problem. The days after my long run, I am hungry all the time. And I somehow justify that extra handful of chocolate chips or bite of dessert by the fact that I’m in training. It’s what lead me to create (and subsequently eat) these babies…

Chocolate chip cookies. Brownies. Peanut butter.

Honestly, need I say more?

But, before we get there, we’ll back up a bit because it’s time for What I Ate Wednesday, and that certainly lends itself to a proper introduction!

These eats came from last Friday, the day after my 16 miler on the treadmill. Despite being hungry all day long, I got in a lot of greens — win!

Breakfast: Three Hot Apple Pie Pancakes (made with oat flour and organic skim milk), topped with almond butter and maple agave syrup

Snack: Cara Cara Orange

Lunch: Salad (Romaine lettuce, celery, carrots, onion, cucumbers, pickles, almonds, and deli turkey, topped with fat-free balsamic vinaigrette) + homemade sweet potato fries on side

Afternoon snack: 3 oz. pomegranate CHO + 3 oz. plain 0% CHO, topped with puffed wheat

Dinner: Two slices of homemade vegetable pizza + sauteed asparagus

Evening snack: Bowl of wheat squares with organic skim milk

And, then came dessert…

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookie brownies
Serves about 16
Adapted from Baked by Rachel

• 1 box of brownies, prepared (I used Duncan Hines Low Fat) 
• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. raw sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 c. flour (I used occident unbleached white flour)
• 3/4 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.
2. Pour prepared brownie mix into pan and spread evenly.
3. In a large bowl, cream your softened butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla and continue to mix until well blended.
4. In a separate bowl, add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
5. Slowly mix your dry ingredients with your wet. At this point, add your two tablespoons of peanut butter and mix with other ingredients.
6. Fold in your chocolate chips.
7. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough balls and drop evenly on top of prepared brownie mix.
8. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

How to “level up” this recipe

• It’s certainly not the healthiest, so you have lots of options! Consider using half whole wheat flour instead of all white for an easy swap. 
• Use agave syrup in place of the raw sugar.
• Use dark chocolate chips or even cocoa nibs instead of semi-sweet.

How to “level down” this recipe

• For added goodness, make a chocolate ganache to spread over top! Try this easy chocolate ganache recipe.