real-feel temp: 28. really?!

i thought 30° runs were out for the season, but apparently not. i was actually a bit excited about this! after a SOLID 8 hours of sleep, and this pre-run snack (which tasted like an almond macaroon mmm)...

1/2 almond trail mix honest foods bar

... i headed out for the wintry air. and my run was great!

i gave barney butter another try for breakfast (used up my 2nd-- and last-- free packet):

ezekiel cinnamon-raisin english muffin with barney butter packet (1T), 1/2 banana, plus 1/2 cup cottage cheese and strawberries, and milky coffee to cover up the coffee i don't like

first off, this proved to me that i normally use much more than 1 T of almond butter on my english muffins (i don't measure!), since the packet was a wimpy amount for both halves. and secondly, this confirmed that MARANATHA wins over BARNEY BUTTER! i'm comparing these two because the ingredients are similar (at least to the maranatha no-stir almond butter that i buy)-- both add a small amount of cane sugar/palm oil-- but the maranatha just seems less... processed, and more like how almond butter should taste. to me, anyway. i also like the pure and unadulterated 365 almond butter, but those are just different, not comparable.

i also tried a new cottage cheese for breakfast. if i'm at whole foods, i buy organic valley lowfat cottage cheese (i also like the breakstones individual containers for work, but i have to go to the reg supermarket for those). last time i was at WF though, the sell-by-date for the lowfat was 4/10... so i peeked at the regular... and the sell-by-date was 4/21. quickly glancing at the nutrition info (i know, i shouldn't have even done this), i realized that the difference wasn't all that great. insignificant even, for someone with low cholesterol, low blood pressure, etc. and you know what? i loved this cottage cheese and will continue to buy it, over the lowfat version.

i was inspired by 1/2 of a hard-boiled egg left in my fridge while making lunch...

salmon-egg salad with cucumber, fresh corn (mmm love raw corn in salads), light mayo, greek yogurt, s & p, to eat on a toasted rudi's whole wheat bun, plus baby carrots

the egg will be very subtle, since this made 2 servings, but hey, waste not, want not

i have a therapy appt. today at 1:30, which means leaving work (i usually see my therapist in the mornings, so it doesn't interrupt the work day)... and so i will probably head on home afterwards rather than add on commute time to my already shortened day. i packed a clifz bar as an emergency snack if i end up heading back to the office, but unless an unexpected meeting is scheduled for the afternoon, i don't see that happening.