Introducing Riley on the Run

Hello everyone!

For those of you who have been reading Midwestern Nomad for awhile, you know that, over the past years, it has primarily documented my life as I've moved around the country. Over the last several months, that has changed a bit. I've gotten more into fitness and running, and I've discovered a love of writing about that and experimenting with running photos. I've dabbled in some healthier eating and have started sharing some recipes from that. All things considered, I've been taking a step away from documenting my life in the big picture and moving towards documenting my health-related journey.

So, I've decided to transition those topics over to a new blog. If you're interested in continuing to hear about my runs, read my latest recipes and hear my thoughts on health/beauty/fitness topics, check out Riley on the Run.

I'll still be writing here, but you'll see more of the things I used to post — essays about my experiences while traveling, photo updates on life outside of running, random musings. There will be some cross-posting, of course :)

So thanks for reading, and please check out Riley on the Run!

Spaghetti Squash Mac & Cheese

When I got home tonight, I was pretty tired...and, unfortunately, fatigue usually leads me to make poor decisions in the food department. I opened the refrigerator and immediately honed in on the large bag of shredded cheddar cheese that I bought at the grocery store recently. There was absolutely nothing special about this stuff — just your standard shredded cheese — but I immediately started craving something cheesy for dinner. When my eyes moved just slightly to the spaghetti squash that I knew I needed to use in the next day or two, I had an idea. Why not make macaroni and cheese with spaghetti squash?

I've never made spaghetti squash before tonight. I've watched many a friend make it, but never really paid close enough attention to replicate it myself. So, after some quick Googling, I had my squash in the microwave and was on my way!

Spaghetti Squash Mac & Cheese

Adapted from POPSugar

1 small spaghetti squash

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or regular milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup asiago and parmesan blend

Salt and pepper

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds inside. Place the squash down with the skin facing outward in a microwave-safe baking dish. Add about 1 inch of water to the dish. Microwave the squash on high for 8-12 minutes. When poked by a fork, the squash should be tender. Cool for 10-20 minutes.

While the squash cools, melt butter in a saucepan. When melted, add flour and mix together. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and whisk in cheeses until melted.  Add salt and pepper as desired for taste. Set aside.

Using a fork, scrape out the insides of the spaghetti squash into a bowl. Once finished, pour the cheese sauce over the squash and mix together.

If desired, sprinkle additional cheese over top. Enjoy!

Visually, it isn't necessarily the most appealing of meals. However, it's a great, lower calorie substitute when those mac and cheese cravings hit. A few things to note: the texture will not be what you would expect from a pasta dish. Spaghetti squash has a bit more of a crunch to it than pasta will. Also, if you opt for almond milk over regular milk (like I did), the sauce won't be quite as creamy. But that's the sacrifice we make for healthy alternatives :)

A Dose of San Diego Sunshine

Greetings from San Diego!

One of my good friends from when I used to live down here is having a baby very, very soon, so I decided to make a trip down south for her baby shower. Crystal is also along for the ride (she and I met when we both lived down here). Today, we took advantage of the hot, sunny weather and went from a run along one of my old favorite routes, a 5k loop from Little Italy down to the Embarcadero and back.

Tank: Under Armour [similar]

Sports bra: Lululemon [similar]

Pants: GapFit [similar]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

Since I'm used to running in San Francisco's permanent spring/fall weather, the heat took its toll today! It was not a very fast run for me, and I was sweating quite a bit by the end. Fortunately, this tank top is vented in the back, so it was a great choice for a warm day. I think shorts would've been a better option for the bottom half of my outfit, though. 

Crystal and me mid-run at Seaport Village

Here's hoping that the rest of the weekend has equally beautiful weather!

Let's Skip the Super Bowl and Go Running

Let me admit something to you all — despite being a girl who loves sports, the prospect of watching the Super Bowl this year was not appealing at all. I'm far from being a fan of either team involved. In fact, I dislike both. So, instead of watching, I took advantage of the fact that everyone else was inside by their TVs (and that it was yet another beautiful day) to go on a nice run and run some errands!

Shirt: C9 [exact]

Pants: American Eagle [similar]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

I received this shirt as a gift for Christmas but haven't tested it out yet. It was great! I loved that it was a bit longer than most of my running T-shirts. It's also fitted, but not skintight. All around, it was a good one! It appears that these shirts are on clearance at the moment, so I may have to snag a few more. Target was one of the places I went during my Super Bowl errands, but I didn't spot any there.

Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend!