Blog: Feature Stories

Yield: 18 muffins, standard size

Chef Rhonda Stewart from Johnson & Wales University made these muffins on WBTV a few weeks back. She was gracious enough to share the recipe with us here. Check out the video below, then have at it! Note: This recipe can be made with or without eggs. Use one medium banana per egg as a replacement.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized ripe bananas (OR 2 eggs)
• 2 medium-sized ripe bananas
• ½ cup (4 oz) vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup (2.75 oz) buttermilk (or dairy-free milk + 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice or vinegar)
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1-2/3 cups (12 oz) Granulated sugar
• 2-2/3 cups (11 oz.) All-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (1.5 oz.) Cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. Baking soda
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 1 cup (7 oz.) Chocolate chips (can be vegan)

Method of Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mash the bananas. When using eggs, whisk the eggs into the mashed bananas. Stir in oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar. Mix until well blended.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add these mixed dry ingredients to the banana mixture, stirring until just combined.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Prepare two 12-count muffin pans with pan spray. Divide batter into 18 muffin cups.
• Bake muffins until they spring back when touched, or a toothpick comes out clean which is usually about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:  

This recipe is so versatile!

• If you want the traditional “banana bread” shape, then you can just bake the batter in a loaf pan.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake it for a longer amount of time (at least 30 minutes).
• Vegan version: replace eggs with bananas (1 egg = 1 banana) and replace buttermilk with a non-dairy milk and 1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice.
• Don’t like chocolate? Increase flour to 3 cups and omit cocoa powder.
• REALLY don’t like chocolate?  Replace the chocolate chips with your favorite nut like walnuts or pecans.
• What if your bananas are ripe but you don’t have time for making muffins now?  Just peel and freeze your ripe bananas until you are ready to bake.  Let them thaw for an hour, or pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before mashing.

We shared our take on how to find runners and running routes when you’re headed out of town. But there’s more than one way to cook an egg. Our Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors have done their fair share of traveling – and running – and piled on with more of their experiences to help you catch a run while you’re traveling.

Sandy Johnson

Strava global heatmaps are my go-to for finding popular run routes when I’m out of town! I also take advantage of public routes (personal or official race) found on other apps like RunGo and MapMyRun too.

Mike Cooke

Find run clubs on Instagram by seeing what local running shoe stores are there and what groups they follow.

Josh Rhodes

Whenever I’m out of town, my Coros watch lets me use the Coros app and build my own running route and my watch gps directs me as I run! Great for exploring new terrain and not getting lost

Chad Champion

Before heading out of town – I research all the local running clubs/group runs and try to join them. Great way to meet new friends. They normally run on the best routes. As another option I simply google the best running routes in that city. Lots of great greenways/trails to take advantage of.

Meg Taylor

I get up early to run. It’s a great way to explore a new city, and if you’re traveling with people that don’t run, you don’t interfere with any of the plans for the day.

Philip Sanford

Search for run clubs on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and the RRCA site. If they aren’t any or if the group runs are at times that don’t fit my travel schedule, I look over Google Maps to find a good route near where I am staying.

Sean Pedernales

Garmin routes are always great, but I prefer just exploring the city and getting lost a bit. A bit of a gamble but always fun!

Did we miss something? Share your top tips for finding great runs on the go. Email ed@runcharlotte.com

Let’s face it. Not every vacation can revolve around your running. That’s heresy to some, but the reality for most of us. Come vacation time, there’s family, theme parks, the beach or the mountains, sightseeing and selfies, or any number of “distractions” to force us off our training schedule. But with a little planning, you can find the time and the place to get your run on. You’ll be glad you did. And odds are pretty good your travel companions will be, too.

Area Race Calendars

Before you confirm the OOO auto-response, keep the laptop fired-up for just a few more minutes to search the area race calendars for an event in or near your destination. Odds are good that if your travel plans span at least one weekend, you can find a race or event to run. And, if you’re traveling with late sleepers, you’ll probably be back before the rest of your crew even wakes.

Crowdsourcing

Yes, social media can be more than a source for doom scrolling, recipes, and graduation pictures. Put it out to the universe and ask for recommendations on races, routes, and run clubs in the place you’ll be visiting. Everyone’s got an opinion on stuff, and you know what they say about that. If you’re the cautious type, keep your travel plans and itinerary to yourself.

Local Running Shops

No one knows the local running scene like the folks who work in and around it on the daily. Local specialty running shops know the gear, of course, and they’re in step with the runners, clubs, and events in their respective hometowns. Google up the running shops in the place you’ll be visiting and give them a call. Too many options? Start with your hometown shop. They’ll probably have a recommendation for an in-the-know shop in your destination.

Hotel or Resort Front Desk

Depending on the local running scene, some hotels and resorts have maps with running routes from or near your location. It’s rare to find a hotel that doesn’t book exclusively online, so save this ask for check-in when you actually might get to speak to a person IRL.

Heat Maps

Want to know where the locals really go? Check the Strava, Garmin, or other providers’ heat maps to see the most popular routes in the area. Well, at least the most-traveled among the folks who also use those services to track their runs… Regardless, they’re generally a pretty good gauge of where runners log the most miles. Most of these platforms have a free version that will get you access at some level. Want something free? Check out popular routes submitted to USA Track and Field at http://legacy.usatf.org/routes/index.asp

Got more suggestions on how to find time and places to run this summer? Let us know! Email ed@runcharlotte.com

Yield: 4 servings

Salad Ingredients:

• 6 cups kale (preferably baby kale)
• ¼ cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
• ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing Ingredients:

• ½ cup olive oil blend
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & pepper to taste

Method of Preparation:

• Prepare kale. Wash, if needed, and dry with salad spinner or vegetable towel.
• Remove any tough stems from the kale. On a cutting board with a large knife, shred the kale into very thin slices. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add enough dressing to the prepared kale to thoroughly coat. Toss to mix well.
• Add cranberries and pumpkin seeds, mixing well.
• Lastly, crumble in the goat cheese. Mix just enough to combine.
• Serve.

Notes:  

• Olive oil blend is preferred. Sometimes the EVOO can overpower the other ingredients in this dressing.
• Make extra dressing. Refrigerate for your next salad! Keep for at least a week.
• If goat cheese is not your favorite, you can substitute feta cheese, parmesan, or Manchego.
• If you want to make this vegan, omit the cheese (or use a dairy-free substitute), and swap maple syrup for the honey.