Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Bars with Yogurt and Almond Milk

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Bars

with bananas, almond milk, yogurt, chocolate, and chopped almonds.

My sweet tooth has been out of control lately.  

I want dessert every night.  

And I have even been seriously craving lunch dessert (is that a thing?).  I needed to come up with some healthier summer sweet tooth options.  So the Peanut Butter Banana Bars were born.  These are made with low fat yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, PB2 powder (less calories than peanut butter) and bananas for sweetness. Bananas, chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favorite combos, and adding on some almonds give this bar the perfect crunch.

If you want to wow your guests with a healthy(ish) summer dessert, or just want to hoard these in your freezer for yourself, read on.  (These are soooo easy so if you are thinking that looks like a lot of work, you are wrong my lazy friend).

Denver, Colorado

 What is more fun than to combine a little bit of a National Park with a Capital City. 

Well, that is exactly what we did on this trip.  After leaving the National Parks and Boulder, we kept heading south.  The drive from Boulder to Denver is only about 35 minutes. This is extremely convenient when you are trying to see as much of Colorado as you can in one weekend.

Driving into Denver, Colorado 

Driving into Denver, we were greeted with blue skies for a few hours.  Blue skies and sky scrapers was the name of the game when entering the city of Denver.

  The city was much bigger, cleaner, and prettier than I thought.  Whenever I hear "city"  I always picture New York.  Over populated insanely dirty, full of rude busy people trying to get somewhere fast (sorry New Yorkers, it just isn't my scene).  

I think this is why I knew I would like Salt Lake City.  It is none of that.  Denver wins the award too.   I was pleasantly surprised when I parked the car and walked around this beautiful city.  

Rocky Mountain National Park and Boulder, Colorado

Lets Talk Road Trips!!!!
Salt Lake City to Colorado

Friday evening after work, we headed to Laramie, Wyoming.  This was about 5.5 hours from Salt Lake City and got us a head start on our way to Rocky Mountain National Park.  The drive was targeted to be about 7.5 hours and stopping in Wyoming was the perfect solution to a late start on Friday, and a budget friendly place to spend the night and break up the drive.  After breakfast, we packed up and made the two hours drive to Rocky Mountain National Park. 

Leaving Wyoming, heading south to Colorado

As usual, the drive promised to be as beautiful as the destination.  The drive into Rocky Mountain National Park from Wyoming was gorgeous (and rainy). We drove down 287 and across 34.  Road trips are all about the scenic routes, right?

Route 34, Estes Park, Colorado 

Dry Gulch -- Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Salt Lake City Utah

I am SO excited to share my Colorado trip with you all.  I mean, the trip was kind of a bust because of the weather, but we made the best of it and took a lot of pictures from my car. 

While I finish off Colorado posts, I wanted to talk about last weeks Trail Run/Hike/Mountain bike spot that was simply breathtaking.  Did I mention it was also 5 minutes from downtown, right above the University?

Dry Gulch is a section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST).  "The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is a series of trails along the slope of the Wasatch Mountains where the old shoreline of Lake Bonneville met the hills. Sections of trail are found from Ogden to Payson. The northern Salt Lake City section extends from City Creek Canyon to Emigration Canyon."-- UtahMountainBiking.com

Rosecliff Mansion, Newport, Rhode Island

Visiting Rosecliff Mansion

Another day, another Newport Mansion. 

Wish I could say that every day. 

There is something so lovely about the history and stories behind these mansions.  They are like real life fairy tails right in your back yard(ish).  These beautiful European Mansions on a Rhode Island coastline.  While The Breakers is the most famous of the Newport Mansions, the others are beautiful, grand, and very unique. 

Rosecliff Mansion

Let's talk about Rosecliff.  

The Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island

Welcome to the latest installment of Katie Wanders.  

Today, Katie Wanders to The Breakers, one of the mansions in Newport, Rhode Island.  

Lawn and Ocean Views from The Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island 

While I was home for a few weeks between the semester, my wandering soul took me to everywhere oceans and coastal.  While I had been to Newport a few times for road races or a winter event, I had never toured the famous mansions of Newport. 

Scuba Diving Fort Wetherill - Jamestown, Rhode Island

Welcome to another segment of Katie Wanders... to Jamestown, Rhode Island.  

Get ready for lots of talk about Rhode Island this week.  I am sort of in love with the whole state (fine, I am absolutely smitten!).  Right on the Atlantic and full of New England charm with a great Marine Science focus through the University of Rhode Island, and lots of opportunities to go diving.  Did I mention fresh seafood like lobster, littlenecks and oysters?

NAME CHANGE! and Motivational Monday Weekly Recap-- 18 miles

Well, you might have noticed things look JUST a little different here.  You typed in RunningARagnar.com and somehow got sent to a site called Katie Wanders. 

Well, I am so happy you made it.  For the past few years I have toyed with the idea of changing the name of the blog.  I mean, lets be honest, I haven't run a Ragnar relay in a very long time and I have no intentions of starting any time soon.  The name worked when I started the blog, but lately it's shifted more into a blog about my adventures, traveling, running and food.  So KatieWanders.com was born.

Don't worry.  Same sorta stuff, with a different name.

 Let's start with my normal Monday weekly recap. 

Monday:  18 miles 

Wednesday  6 mile trail run

Friday:  3 miles 

Stonington Point, Stonington, Connecticut

During my trip home to Connecticut, I made it a point to stop at some of my favorite little Coastal New England towns (and dive spots).  Of course, I didn't get to see them all, but I did get to stop at 3 of my favorites.  So lets start by talking about Stonington Point. 

There are always a few places we leave a little piece of our heart behind. Okay, I hate to sound nostalgic or like I am writing a bad romance novel, but you know what I mean. 

Maybe for you its the cabin from family summer trips. Or maybe it's your favorite beach, favorite coffee shop, or street in your hometown. For me, I have to say this little spot is a reminder of sand, sunshine, diving, New England, great friends, and home. 

New England is really an area like no other. Living in Utah, I have such a hard time trying to describe Coastal Connecticut to my land locked friends. So let me give it a try. 

"Stonington Point offers panoramic views of Fisher’s Island Sound and is adjacent to duBois Beach and the Stonington Old Lighthouse Museum which offers six rooms full of Stonington historical displays and terrific views of the Sound from the lighthouse tower". From this point, you can see three states: Connecticut, Watch Hill, RI and Fishers Island, NY.

Bistro 222 Salt Lake City, Utah

We are getting back on track after spending almost two weeks home.  I have SO much to tell you regarding my trip home, but lets go back to our regularly scheduled Foodie Wednesday.

Spring is all about being outside.  And why not combine two of my favorite hobbies, being outside and well.. eating?  This spring I am all about picnics, eating on the deck, and finding all possible outdoor dining options.  So, let us start with Bistro 222. 

Bistro 222 caught my attention for two reasons.  A.  A large outdoor eating area right out on the sidewalk smack downtown.  B.  2 entrees for the price of one for a few weeks in May.  

No brainer.  Lets go!

Bistro 222

  222 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 

Motivational Monday weekly recap 5/4 to 5/10

I am back on the blog-o-sphere.  Today is my last day of a lovely break back in my hometown of Old Lyme, Connecticut.  When I had 2 weeks off between classes, and flights were cheap, I decided to jet home to see my friends, my family, the horses, and sink my toes in the sand.  

When I am away or on vacation, I don't like to blog.  I really like to relax, and enjoy every second with family and friends.  But, alas I am back and lets get back to talking about running. 

Last weekend was my "down week" between my long runs.  After running 13 miles and 16 miles, I took a weekend down to 8 or 10.  Well, the weekend got away from me so I settled with 6 on Monday. Tuesday I ran another 4 miles and Friday, a nice 5 miles from the office to my parents house.  

Monday: 6 miles 

Tuesday: 4 miles 

Friday: 5 miles 

Garden Stroll SLC

Downtown Garden Stroll

"Five artist-designed temporary public parks have "popped-up" on Main Street from South Temple to 200 South. The Downtown Garden Stroll opened Saturday, April 4 with the unveiling of the pocket parks. This month long event will feature diverse floral arrangements, each with a unique experience, to welcome the spring months to downtown.

From Temple Square to 200 South, planters, storefronts and mini-parks burst with the colors of spring. The goal of the Downtown Garden Stroll is to build upon one of the premier urban gardens in the west, at Temple Square." (DowntownSLC)