My first resolution of the New Year is to run a Half Marathon. It is a big goal. Huge. Scary almost! My cousin asked me at a Christmas party over the holidays if I would be interested in running one with her in April. At that point I was overwhelmed with the idea. It sounded really good- but could I do it? The idea of running it has been one of the main things floating around in my head lately. I have been looking at training plans, how to run outside in cold weather, you name it. And then I emailed her back and said that I am planning on training and running it with her.

It is a very big goal. I feel as though I need something such as this to get my ass of the couch and get moving. 5k’s are fun, but why not go for something bigger?

If all goes well, I will be running in the More Women’s Half Marathon in Central Park on April 15th. I have about 2 weeks before my real “training” will begin, but have already started to increase my mileage (aka start running again)

I will be eating more like this

and running miles (hopefully) faster than this

Wish me luck!

if you have any tips or advice for me, PLEASE let me know.

you can always track my progress on Daily Mile.

Long long ago I made a Pinterest account and one of the very first treats that I pinned was this recipe. I have always loved the idea of combining sweet and salty, so when I found these I knew they would be amazing! After being busy for so long, It felt great to finally make a batch of these!  I actually made a double batch after realizing that I had put twice the amount of baking soda that a single batch called for in my batter. Oh well- having tons of these cookies won’t last very long! The process was easy enough- your basic cookie dough with the addition of pretzels & peanut butter chips!

These would be great for a cookie swap or holiday party! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chips Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips & Pretzel Bites

Recipe via Sugar Cooking

Whatcha Need:

• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1/4 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces

How to do it:

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and preztels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and roll into balls. Leave about 2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. If you prefer crispier cookies increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing.