Flourless chocolate torte and mostly wheat bread

I'm going to keep things short today. I have a pile of work in front of me, since I took the weekend off for my birthday. I turned 28 yesterday. I had an awesome brunch with friends, followed by a trip to the museum, and a nap (I never take naps!). All-in-all a great, low-key weekend.

My husband surprised me with his flourless chocolate torte. He first made this for me years ago and it's kind of his signature dessert now. Eggs. Chocolate. Butter. A sprinkle of pistachios. That's it.

We baked bread for this week's Food Matters Project. Check out the full recipes for homemade baguettes and whole wheat bread hosted by Melissa. See what others made here.

I decided to make the whole wheat loaf on Saturday. I mixed up the dough, put it in the windowsill, and ran errands. It was fairly warm here, so my dough was ready in less time. I subbed one cup of whole wheat flour for half a cup of oat flour and half a cup of brown rice flour. I added a teaspoon of dried oregano to the dough and covered the top with sesame and flaxseeds.

We thought the bread turned out pretty good. I'm glad I mixed in some lighter flours, so it wasn't as dense as some wheat breads can be. We ate it with a smear of arugula pesto and goat cheese, these roasted carrots, herbed omelets, and braised chard for dinner on Saturday. Hope you all had a great weekend.

Energy snacks

I've always been a morning person. I enjoy getting up early, and having time to myself before I start the day. I can tell a big difference when I do. Running first thing in the morning, before breakfast or coffee, is my favorite routine. I always hated running in the cold, until I trained for a half-marathon last year. Now I prefer it to running in the sweltering summer heat. There's something about running half-asleep in the cold that I find invigorating. I think part of it is wearing proper running tights. I could live in them (and often do on the weekends).

As the weather is becoming colder, I've started to increase my distance again. With that comes an increase in appetite. I decided to make homemade energy snacks, instead of buying larabars at the store. These snacks are so easy to make (if you have a food processor) and are to eat on-the-go. I thought Josh would be skeptical, but he loves them. I've already made several batches the past few weeks. What do you munch on pre- or post-workout?

Feel free to add substitute your favorite dried fruit (dates, cherries, cranberries) here. Another variation I tried was with more apricots and coconut butter. These snacks are loaded with heart-healthy fats, omega 3s, fiber and protein to keep you satisfied.

Energy snacks
2 cups almonds
4 dried apricots, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
1.5 tsp cocoa
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp flax, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
Shredded unsweetened coconut

Soak the almonds in clean, filtered water for at least 4 hours.* Pour out water and rinse almonds. Put almonds into a food processor with the remaining ingredients (except the coconut) and blend. If it's too dry, add a little melted coconut oil or more honey. You should be able to roll into 1 inch balls easily with your hands. Roll through the shredded coconut and enjoy pre- or post-workout.

*I think this step is key. Not only does it help your body digest the almonds easier, but it give the snacks a better texture.