Getting frisco-y

Place the top cookie and you've got yourself a Frisco.

What a difference a week can make! I'm halfway through my 2x/wk x 3 weeks of ART. I've had another PT evaluation. And, perhaps most news-worthy, I'm attempting another return to running number. Comeback number three. The new additions to my rehab include low-dye arch taping (below), ultrasound, and a tweak to my calf stretch to avoid compensatory eversion and keep my posterior tibialis happy.

I also have a better understanding of why my foot and ankle share the hurts. And have resolved to wear a shoe or tape (no bare feet) at all times until my foot pain is a distant memory.

I'm not getting my hopes up too high and I'm not going to be pushing the limits, but I am feeling good about this.

Wrinkles. What happens when you tape your own foot.

As expected, with the potential for running comes an increased loathing of cross training. So, Saturday I headed to Velocity Cycle Studio in Powell for a great 60-min spin class.The studio is in the back of a personal training gym and has about 8 bikes.  The class was great! Exactly what I needed to break up the monotony. The teacher warned us that interval training was on the menu. I wasn't intimidated. After one-song warm-up, the intervals set in. About halfway through song number two, my heart rate was high and I was thinking, "I am SO out of shape." But much to my surprise, without too much coaxing, almost naturally, my thoughts turned into "Wow, I haven't worked this hard in a while." My heart rate has stayed in the 150-160 range for most of this cross training quarter. It is no wonder why I felt uncomfortable when my HR was pushed near its maximum. I haven't training like this, via running or cross training in over three months! As I said, the class was great, but really the highlight of Saturday was this quick and subconscious change in mindset. Tayler has told me all along, "your foot is pissy for a reason." Maybe cross training will teach me something after all.

Enough mushy mush stuff. The real reason you visit this blog isn't to hear of my petty foot drama. It is for the food. Am I right? Today I set out to make another version of gluten free deep dish pizza and some carrot cake cupcakes to celebrate a belated birthday with... myself. I ended up with an extra flax egg. Not a bad problem to have. So I ended up making some peanut butter cookies. They reminded me of the peanut butter cookies at Pasquale's Italian Restaurant, specifically of the delicious cookie they use to make a Frisco. What is a Frisco, you ask? It is a Reese's Cup/Peanut Butter Blossom combo on steroids. More specifically, it is creamy peanut butter and melted  chocolate (that has solidified) smashed between TWO peanut butter cookies and drizzled with more  melted chocolate. It is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. And it will cost you about half the amount of dessert at any other restaurant. Needless to say, I have missed Pasquale's and their Frisco since going dairy/egg/gluten free. I have been meaning to recreate it, but hadn't made a peanut butter cookie worthy of the name. Until today.

Gluten free, vegan peanut butter cookie:

1/2 c oats
1/4 c coconut flour
1/2 c coconut sugar
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t baking soda
1/4 t vanilla
1/4 c non-dairy milk

1/4 c add ins, if desired- chocolate chips, raisins, peanuts, etc

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients. The peanut butter can be hard to blend in, so you may want to plan on being patient or just use a hand mixer. Scoop onto cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Cool completely.

Delicious vegan, gluten free peanut butter cookie

To make the Frisco-
1-2 T creamy peanut butter per person. I love Trader Joe's creamy.
melted chocolate (did you know Trader Joe's chocolate chips are vegan?) OR homemade vegan, loaded chocolate (recipe below)

Homemade vegan loaded chocolate:
Coconut oil
Chocolate greens powder (Barleans, Amazing Grass GreenSuperfood, etc)

Melt coconut oil and mix in chocolate greens powder. Put it in the fridge to harden 10-15 minutes. Melt ever so slightly again, if needed. You want the chocolate to be slippery enough to get out of the bowl but it can still be in hunks.

Melty and delicious vegan chocolate sauce.

To assemble to Frisco (first in words, then in pictures)

1. Turn your cookies upside down
2. Spread chocolate on the bottom of one cookie.
3. Spread peanut butter on top.
4. Add more chocolate on top of the peanut butter
5. Top with another cookie

Voila! Best dessert ever. And save the rest of that chocolate sauce for your Strawberry Chocolate Chip Milkshake. You'll be glad you did!