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Strange But Good

December 14, 2012 By Laura

Do people ever look at you oddly when you pull out your lunch?

 

I consider it a personal failure if this doesn’t occur daily.

You know the “look.”  They cock their head, raise their eye brows, and slightly wrinkle their nose.  You know what’s coming next… “What is that?”

Welcome to the world of Strange But Good. 

sprint2table-strangebutgood-GREEN-2

 

A lot of things healthy living bloggers/readers eat wouldn’t be considered strange inside this community; however, your co-workers, friends, and families probably give you the “look” when you top your oatmeal as if it were a bowl of fro-yo, for instance. Those things count as Strange But Good!  If it’s a combo that this community would think is strange, even better!  Not a requirement though.

Here are my creations this week that certainly earned me a couple of stares:

Exhibit 1

It’s a cross between a sweet potato pie, a pancake, and an omelette!  This was a creamy, cake-y, breakfast from heaven.  I loved the pie flavors and silky texture in this omelette-like pancake.

You know that sweet potatoes are best topped with peanut butter, so I created a maple-peanut butter sauce to use as my syrup.

SP Eggs

Sweet Potato Pan-lette

  • 1/2 C mashed sweet potato
  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 heaping tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 4-5 drops vanilla liquid stevia (optional)

 

For the sauce:

  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 1 tsp ground flax
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract
  • 2-3 drops vanilla liquid stevia

 

Combine all pancake ingredients into a medium bowl and stir until smooth.  Pour into a prepared (I used PAM) skillet and cook as you would a pancakes (~2-3 mins on each side).

Note: I made this as one huge pancake, but I’d advise you to turn it into 2.  It required some serious acrobatics and two spatulas to flip.

Meanwhile, stir together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Plate your pie-cakes, top with peanut butter syrup, and enjoy!

 
Exhibit 2

The idea of a spicy tuna salad may not be so strange.  We all like a spicy tuna roll.  But what about spicy tuna with peanut flour?  It’s a Pad Thai take on a lunch-lady staple!

You could mix in any veggies here, but I really liked the sweetness of the red pepper with the sriracha heat, and the nutty flavor from the zucchini was particularly good with the peanut sauce.

Pad Thi-na Salad

Pad Thai-na Salad

  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 2 tsp sriracha
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • Juice of 1/3 fresh lime
  • 2 T almond milk (or other liquid)
  • 1 can tuna, drained
  • Cilantro
  • Zucchini
  • Red pepper
  • Pepper, to taste

 

In a small bowl, combine the peanut flour, sriracha, cumin, lime, and milk.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add your canned tuna and break up with a fork.  Pour peanut sauce over the tuna and stir until combined.  Add remaining ingredients.

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Want to Join?

All you need to do to join this link up is create a concoction that is Strange But Good, post it with the Strange But Good logo, and link up to your recipe.  (See below for code.)  On the Strange But Good post each week, you’ll see a link to add your own recipe and picture at the bottom of the page.  I’d prefer you use a new strange but good dish, but if you realllly have a good previous one you can add it.

Not a blogger?  You can play too!  Send me an email with a picture of your food and a brief description by noon on Thursday and I’ll include it in Friday’s post (too late this week, obv… but next week it’s on!).

 

Sprint 2 the Table

 

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instragrams of your creations. 🙂



Filed Under: Recipes, Strange But Good Tagged With: breakfast, lunch, peanut flour, seafood, strange but good, sweet potato, tuna

How to Run 50 Miles Through the Woods + Nutrition

December 13, 2012 By Laura

Strange is good.

Sometimes… I’ve had some questionable encounters…

Tomorrow’s Strange But Good link up will certainly be good!  I hope you guys will all come check it out and link up a dish you’ve had lately that may seem strange, but it quite good.  In case you missed it, click here for details/rules.

sprint2table-strangebutgood-GREEN-2

 

In the meantime, Kat is back today with her bi-weekly guest spot.  This post is all about something I think is strange: running 50 miles.  LOL!  Clearly, a good thing. I totally admire her, and all of you endurance athletes out there!

Here’s Kat…


As I finished up my finals week and went into finishing my papers, I thought a lot about my study breaks and writing for fun. I realized that these past couple of weeks have been a lot about pacing myself and doing just what I need to keep going and do my best from start to finish.  These past couple of weeks have really reminded me what it takes to run 50 miles.

Everything I say in this post will be a metaphor for life.  There is probably definitely a way to apply every principle from a 50 mile race into life because a 50 mile race IS living.  You feel every possible human emotion, even ones that you didn’t know existed or that you can’t describe, you meet a ton of people along the way who help you in some way, and you learn both your limits and how strong you can be.

LoseSelfToFindSelf

I’ve only done it once, but it was awesome.  September 22, this year, I ran the Georgia Jewel, the 50-mile option.  When you wake up way before daylight to run through the woods, and will encounter obstacles you can’t even anticipate, there are a ton of feelings.  You don’t know when the ups and downs (oh, and the hills), the obstacles yet to come will be or how long it will take you, so the only thing you can really feel is excitement, nervousness, and anticipation, both good and bad.  You don’t know what kind of people you will meet, or whether you will spend a lot of time out there alone or with others, so all you can do is just… GO. (apply to life)

I mostly knew I was determined to have a great time and enjoy the ride, so I took a lot of pictures…  (Editor’s note: clearly Kat was meant to be a blogger.)

FromTheJewel

It was BEAUTIFUL!

At the start of the race, you clearly need to be fueled, but not too full.  It’s best to take it easy, but make sure you get a good placement so you don’t get lost in the back.  I’ll talk about the nutrition and what I ate toward the end of the post… it’s vital to surviving this kind of race.  Be fueled, but don’t overdo it.

So we started.  It was DARK for the first few hours.  You can’t see all the rocks, or even your feet, so all you can really do is be careful, and follow single-file on the single-track trail.  I spent a great deal of this time listening to the voice of the person in front of me, getting to know them, and just kept going.  I had to remind myself not to go too fast, even though excitement told me otherwise.  I was so excited at the beginning.  I was laughing, talking, and definitely had a pep in my step.  Then at mile 10, we took in a little nutrition, and kept on going!  This is the first time where you can really pass or fall back, make a move, hang back, get your bearings, and back onto the trails.

FromTheJewel-2

The next 7 miles for me were great… I met someone who I felt like I could really open up to and be real with, talk to about raw, real experiences and the depths of who I am.  He was someone I could expose myself to, knowing I may or may not ever see him again.  I mostly passed other people during this part of the race, while getting real with myself about how I was feeling, and what I thought my limits might be, even though I wasn’t really sure since it was early on (insert metaphor for life).

ToThoseWhoKeepRunning

After a quick change of socks at mile 17, I kept going.  I hit mile 18 – the farthest I had ever run before – and I kept going.  AMAZING. Around mile 19, I hooked up with someone else who made me feel really good about myself, and we stuck together through the toughest hill of the race up to mile 25.  We hiked up to the half way point together, laughing and talking, and when we got there, we felt AMAZING.  This was followed by a very disappointing first couple of steps down.  We made it to the highest elevation point of the race and I all of the sudden was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish (insert life metaphor) because my knee got in my way.

I had to make a conscious and deliberate decision to push my limits, and I kept going, on my own.  Along the next 5 miles, to avoid thinking about my own pain, I spent my time encouraging every other runner/hiker/human I saw.  I just kept cheering with a smile on my face, hoping I wouldn’t be able to think about my own pain (this is SUCH a me thing to do).  I spent the next several miles running by myself, and running into people who were really starting to struggle, but I kept it up.

At mile 32, another rest stop, I was greeted by some amazing SAG people.  They helped me to sit for a minute, and asked me what I wanted.  I had just been going and going, trying to feel nothing, unsure of myself, and I had no idea.  I got it together, and put in my iPod for the first time, and there was nothing to do but try to finish!  This is when it got REALLY hard.

Nov.12-keepaway

By mile 41, I really thought I would not finish.  I was 10 hours into this race, and my knee was killing me.  Then a stranger came along.  This stranger for whatever reason, believed I wasn’t done, and basically convinced me to come with him.  The last ten miles are pretty hard to believe.  I can only tell you, I saw one really angry man (a friend of mine), another man I barely knew cry, another man throw up, and another man so distraught because his kids might not see him finish because he wasn’t sure he could.  I didn’t feel so hot myself, and we were all in it together.  It was RAW.  At mile 48.5, I sat down in the middle of the trail.  Yep, sat.  I still didn’t think I could do it. People started to pass me.  (insert and remind yourself of the life metaphor again)

RunWithHeart

Although the 12 hours of trails had gotten me down, something inside me realized I was stronger than I thought I was.  I reminded myself of the light inside me and began to skip.  Skipping was way less painful than running, AND it put a smile on my face.  After over 12.5 hours, I skipped across the finish line with a smile on my face, and received my award.  ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.  Now I know, and was able to prove it to myself.

I carry this race into my daily life, and have signed up for an even more intense challenge to learn even more about myself.  The Georgia Death Race.  60 miles & 30,000 feet of elevation change.  It will likely take me longer and beat me down more than the Jewel, but hopefully only to make me even stronger.

IfYourDreamsDon'tScareYou

Now, probably the more informative, and less life-changing portion (or maybe it is) — the Nutrition.

For 12 hours, you have to think that you’re eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus some for all the calories you burn.  No, I personally don’t break it down to a science because of my go-with-the-flow-ness… BUT I fuel as I go.

Throughout the day, I ate the following:

  • Breakfast: Shake w/ Juice, Greek Yogurt, and Protein Power + small cup of coffee
  • Mile 7ish: small 90 calorie Lara Bar
  • Mile 10: 3 M&Ms, a handful of chips, and about 4 oz of electrolyte replacement drink
  • Mile 17: a couple of small potatoes dipped in salt, a few M&Ms, and about 1/2 of a fuji apple (about 4 oz of electrolyte replacement)
  • Mile 21.5: GU gel
  • Mile 25: a couple of small potatoes dipped in salt, one apple slice.
  • Mile 32: a full Lara bar and a couple of apple slices, some electrolyte replacement
  • Mile 37ish: forced myself to have about a half of a GU
  • Mile 41: some coconut water and a couple potato chips (I was SICK of food by now)
  • Mile 45: some ginger chews (I was nauseated)
  • WATER CONSUMPTION: approximately 20oz every 7 miles… slow and steady flow of water throughout the day. I just kept one hand-held water bottle.

Like I said, it was NOT scientific, but it felt perfect for my body giving me sugars, carbs, salt, and electrolytes, as protein is not easily digestible and used for fuel.  (Editor’s note: the ginger chew idea is brilliant!)  I ended the day with some simple grilled chicken with nothing on it, and a soy café au lait (Editor’s note: why am I not surprised you had a coffee?).  It’s all I had in me to drink/eat.

Do Epic Shit

Sorry this post was so long, but running 50 miles is long!  Cheers to 50-mile life races!!

Work hard, and it pays off.  Enough said.  (Editor’s note: True story.)

***

I’m convinced there’s nothing Kat can’t do… and I’m REALLY excited to be one of her SAGs for the Death Race!

What challenges have changed your life?

What is your favorite metaphor for life?

Filed Under: Fitness, Guest Post, Running Tagged With: Kat, race, running, workout

Orange Cardamom TVP “Oats” + WIAW

December 12, 2012 By Laura

105 lbs doesn’t seem like a ton.

Until it’s on your lap while you’re doing dips…

Normally I do legs (my least favorite) with my trainer, but last night I had a back and tri day.  It was a great reminder that – even though my upper body is more developed – I still need a “check up” every so often.  With a little help I can move SO much more weight.  I couldn’t have stacked those weights on my lap by myself… and there is no way in hell I would have turned that last set into a drop set.

I’m feeling much better with my diet after last week’s adjustments, and it’s paying off.  My trainer noticed growth.   (He also told me I make sex-like noises while doing hack squats.  Weird that hacking with 200 lbs elicits the same sort of sound…).  A couple of other people have commented recently too (on the gains, not the noises).  Never in my life did I think people telling me I look bigger would be a compliment! 🙂

It is a little disconcerting to have lost my abs, but I know they’ll be back and looking better than ever after bulking season.  I need to print that reminder out and tape it to my mirror.


My Kitchen Workout (have you joined?) is keeping me motivated an (mostly) on track during this month of indulgences.  Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday theme this month is also a great accountability check!

Below is a day of a figure competitor’s bulking-season eats.  Check it out, and then be sure to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons and see what everyone else is eating during the most delicious time of year.


Meal 1:

I started my day with the only thing I like to repeat: my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos), and my 2 mile incline walk.

Then it was time for a breakfast I started dreaming up on Sunday.  This is a new version of my TVP oatmeal, and it may be my favorite one yet!

Indian Spiced TVP Oats

Orange Cardamom TVP “Oatmeal”

  • 1 C water
  • 1/3 C TVP
  • 2 T oats
  • 1 tsp ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp coconut extract
  • 4-5 drops lemon liquid stevia (or sweetener of choice)
  • 3 T egg whites
  • 1/2 orange, sectioned
  • Unsweetened coconut flakes, to top
Prepare according to these instructions from the original recipe.  Top with orange sections and coconut. Demolish.

Meal 2:

Last week I rocked a chili-lime crab salad with mango for lunch.  This week I was ready for more… but needed to make it strangers for this Friday’s link up.  Being strange pays off, friends.  This one was a hit!  The sweet citrus from the orange was perfect against the tangy lime and heat of the cayenne.

Curried Chili-Orange Crab Salad

  • 3 oz crab
  • 1/2 large orange, sectioned
  • 1/2 C edamame
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Juice from 1/4 fresh lime
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp curry powder
  • Cayenne pepper, to taste
  • Cilantro

Meal 3:

I had to get a new plate to take to work.  My zoo animal paper plates ran out.  Booooo!

On my pretty blue plats is: Chili Nutty Baked Tofu, celery sticks, a P28 protein bagel, and the last of my favorite hummus.  I get this Roots hummus at Whole Foods.  It’s from Asheville, but I’m not sure if you can get it outside of the Southeast.  If you can, the spinach is worth a try!

Meal 4:

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my new swordfish creation Monday night.  I finally tried making it a different way – I chipped it into cubes, coated it in lime juice, avocado oil, and my Mexican spice blend before cooking it under broil for ~10 mins.  It worked like a charm!

I brought the leftovers to work to be enjoyed over a kale salad massaged with coconut vinegar, fresh orange juice, and nutritional yeast.  Topped with baby bellas and red pepper.  My complex carb was a very tasty Garnet sweet potato.

And I wonder why my co-workers think I’m weird….

Meal 5:

Leftovers from yesterday… a creation that I made for this Friday’s Strange But Good link up.  Are you guys planning to participate?!  I’m so excited to see what everyone comes up with!!

Don’t know what I’m talking about?  Click here for the explanation.

Meal 6:

My trainer’s gym is pretty far away (30-45 mins… or an hour during rush hour…), so I always take a recovery shake to enjoy on the ride home.  After a killer workout, I enjoyed a favorite: Carrot Cake Batter Shake.

Don’t you love when your clean-eating #kitchenworkout meals taste dirrrrty?  I added some kale (clearly not enough since it’s still orange-ish), and stirred in muesli for a chewy happy ending.

Meal 7:

I’m on a serious bender with my 150 Calorie Chocolate Microwave Protein Cake.  Tonight I topped it with a healthy scoop of Arctic Zero Cookies ‘n Cream ice cream and a drizzle of peanut flour sauce. Cherries on top.  Fo’ shizzle.

***

The protein count for the day: 177.2g.  I can almost feel the growth.  Bwhahaha!

It’s been a week… time for another shameless plugs!  I’d love it if you’d click here and “Like” my new Facebook page. 🙂

Do you have a workout partner or trainer that you “check in” with when you need to push harder?

What is the tastiest “clean” food you’ve eaten this week?  Work it out in the kitchen!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Fitness, Recipes, Strange But Good, Weights Tagged With: breakfast, dessert, dinner, Kitchen Workout, lunch, protein, smoothies, snacks, WIAW, workout

Work It Out at the Gun Show

December 11, 2012 By Laura

Did you get your tickets?

 

Yes, I’m that predictable…

As I collected my things from the security scanner at the airport last Friday, I got a fun compliment from the TSA agent.  I was wearing a sleeveless dress and before I could put my cardigan back on the agent commented on  my guns.  I crack myself up.

In honor of that TSA man, today’s Work It Out is all about the gun show.  Anyone can have defined arms!  Biceps are especially fun to work because they are really responsive to training.  You just have to be consistent and use the proper form to ensure you are reaping all of the benefits from the time you spend in the gym.

 

 

Today’s gun show workout is demonstrated by Abdul, a trainer at my gym, House of Payne.  Abdul is a heavyweight competitor; his bicep is bigger than my thigh.  He was also my roommate at the competition I did in November, where he took first place in his class!  Side note: he likes hack squats, which makes him insane.

 

Today he’s walking us through 3 bicep moves, taking extra care to explain proper form.

  1. Preacher Curls – Many people complain that these hurt their elbows and wrists; I follow the form Abdul explains and no longer have an issue.  These are great for isolating the bicep muscle, as well as developing adjacent ligaments and tendons.
  2. Lying Bicep Curls – This is one you don’t see many people doing, but it is very effective as it forces you to use your arms since your back muscles can do none of the lifting when you are flat on the floor.
  3. Incline Dumbbell Curls – Performing curls on an incline bench helps you to achieve a greater range of motion, stretching out the long head of the biceps.  Why do you care?  Because the long head gives your arms better shape when viewed from the side and it forms the biceps peak that pops when you to flex.

 

Check out the video below for a video explanation of each move:

 

 

I do 4 sets of these at 10-12 reps.  These are just 3 moves, but they are some of the most effective ones you can do.  I credit these with helping me hit a new PR Sunday!

Typically I do biceps in combination with a chest workout.  Find what works best for you!  Some of you runners may want to do biceps alone after logging those miles.

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How is everyone doing with the Kitchen Workout?  This time of year it’s all too easy to get carried away, but I have been trying to keep top-of-mind how much better I feel when I fuel my body properly.  These are guidelines that work for me.  Sit down and think about what makes sense for your lifestyle and your goals to come up with a list of your own!

Have you joined the Kitchen Workout?

 

Last week I did really well, despite some travel.  Weekends continue to be my downfall.  saturday night I could have done a little better than I did… but the next day I hit a new bicep curl PR.  Maybe my body just needed those extra carbs!

As always, feel free to post/pin/tweet the #KitchenWorkout graphic and show your clean eating pride!  Check out this post for tips and recipes!

***

Yesterday I talked about some things I want to do to make the blog more interactive…  that goes for the #workitout too!  My trainer has offered to take requests for videos!  So…

What types of workouts would you like to see more of, or get explanations for?

What is your favorite “vanity” muscle?  I’m all about the gun show.  In case you couldn’t tell. 😉

 

Filed Under: Fitness, Weights Tagged With: Kitchen Workout, work it out

Pushing Forward

December 10, 2012 By Laura

Time is scarce.

I’m sure that was a newsflash to everyone…

Lately I’ve been struggling with wanting to move forward in several areas of my life, but lacking the time it takes to make the necessary changes.

In the gym I’ve been rushing through workouts because I’m so busy at work.  I’m still putting in the effort, but my rest time suffers.  Last night I took the time to more thoughtfully move through my workout and take the rest I need between sets.  Lo and behold, it paid off!  I hit a new bicep curl PR for the first time in weeks.

I really wanted to tell all of the guys in the weight room, but I managed to bottle my 8-year-old-on-Christmas-morning excitement.  I did tell my concierge and he noted that I look bigger. 🙂


The next thing I’d like to do more with is developing recipes.  My Recipage still needs to be completed, and I have a few new recipes I need to share with you guys from 2-3 weeks ago.  I’ve been too lazy to edit pics.  Is that terrible or what?!

I want to get back to posting more food.  I’m still cooking a lot, but lately I’ve been rushing around too much and not bothering to measure/take “good” pics of anything I’m eating.

Tonight is a great example.  I was in a rush and made my cauliflower pizza crust again.  This time I used different spices that worked really well… but I didn’t write it down.  I also didn’t take a pic… which I really needed to do so I could join Heather’s Meatless Monday A-Z link up.

She might kick me out for this one, but I DID use this week’s ingredient – quinoa – to make a vegan version of my Cauliflower Pizza.  The binders in the crust were a flax egg and quinoa flakes.  Check out the original recipe here.

Recycled pic… but this crust is sturdy enough to eat by the slice!


Finally, I’ve been wanting to make forward progress on is this blog.  My goal is to make it more interactive.  I love all of your comments, tweets, and emails, and I wanted to find ways to be able to get to know you better and make sure I’m posting things you’re interested in.  Step one was the Facebook page I created last week.  (Pretty please “like” me!)  Step two is what I want to share today.

For weeks I’ve been threatening to start a “Strange But Good” link up.  Now that I have a snazzy new logo, I have no excuse not to get it together and brave the Linky thing.  This Friday will mark the first ever Strange But Good Link Up!  

 

 

Here’s the deal.  A lot of things healthy living bloggers/readers eat wouldn’t be considered strange inside this community; however, your co-workers, friends, and families probably give the strange looks when you load up your sweet potato with almond butter, for instance.  Those things count as Strange But Good!

You get bonus points if it’s a combo that this community would think is strange.  This could be something like my Vegan PB & Zeggs, or this Chocolate Protein Red Cabbage Ice Cream many of you thought was bizarre:

Want to play?

All you need to do is come up with a concoction this week that is Strange But Good.  Just add the Strange But Good logo to your post and link up to your recipe.  (Copy the code below.)  On the Strange But Good post each week, you’ll see a link to add your own recipe and picture at the bottom of the page.

Sprint 2 the Table

 

Not a blogger?  I still want to see your strangeness!  Send me an email with a picture of you food and a brief description by noon on Thursday and I’ll include it in Friday’s post.

It would be fabulous if everyone would use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instragrams of your creations. 🙂

***

I’m SO excited about this link up!!!  I’ve been thinking of how strange a concoction I can come up with to share.  Bwhahaha!

Do you struggle with finding time to make forward progress?  How do you do it?

 Is there anything specific you’d like to see more or less of on the blog?  

Filed Under: Fitness, Recipes, Strange But Good, Weights Tagged With: MMAZ, pizza, strange but good, vegan, workout

It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere + Giveaway Winner

December 6, 2012 By Laura

I’ve decided to start spiking my morning coffee.

 

In my dreams…

This morning I’m on the earliest flight to Dallas…. and tonight I’m flying back on the last flight home.  Shoot me now.  But you didn’t come here to listen to me complain, did you?

Instead of having happy hour, let’s talk about happy things… because every massage week deserves a happy ending.

 

5 Happy Friday Thoughts

 

1. Calee designed my bangin’ new logo (you may have seen it here on my #WorkItOut feature).  I cannot wait to begin rolling it out all over the place! 

 

2. Kristina @ Spa Bettie tried out my TVP “Oatmeal” and loved it!  It kind of made me feel like a rockstar since she is so brilliant in the kitchen.  Check out her Chocolate Mint creation:

 

3. Playing with my food makes me happy.  P28 Protein Bagel with peanut flour spread and a bacon face.  Apple slice hair.

Yes, I’m 29, I live alone, and I amuse myself by making faces in my breakfast. #reachingnewlows

 

4. Last night I met up with Lee and Tina for sushi at Sushi House Hayakawa on Buford Highway (Atlanta’s ethnic food haven).  It was all tasty, but my favorite was the spicy tuna roll pictured on the left.

Side note: everyone with Tina luck on her Half this weekend!

 

5. And the big announcement… I finally got my new car!!!  It’s my first “space gray” car, but my 3rd BMW.

What can I say… I’m brand loyal. 

________________________________________________________________________________________

One additional piece of happiness for someone… the winner of the OpenSky giveaway has been selected!!!

Congratulations to…

 

Melissa!

Send me your name and email, and I’ll get that over to the Open Sky crew ASAP.

Sorry, I don’t think they sell the puppy on your wish list… 😉

 

For everyone else, here’s a little something for you to join OpenSky and receive $20 and Free Shipping!

***

Everyone go tell my girl Heather Happy 28th Birthday!!!

What is your happy ending this week?

Do you play with your food?

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Giveaway, Products, Restaurants Tagged With: BMW, Buford Highway, logo, Open Sky, seafood, sushi, TVP

Sweet Potato Mexican Pie

December 6, 2012 By Laura

Some like it hot.

My food as a child

I like it really hot.

Spicy often means a craving Mexican food.  Most people think of Mexican as being unhealthy, but it’s actually one of the easiest cuisines to lighten up.  Latin cooking is derives flavors from spices and herbs more so than fats.  A little cumin, peppers, and cilantro can go a long way!

Ideas for ordering at Mexican restaurants

  • Tell your server not to bring chips so the temptation isn’t even on the table
  • Chicken or veggie fajitas, soft tacos, grilled shrimp or chicken, and ceviche are usually safe bets
  • Ask them to go light on the oil and salt
  • Choose soft tacos over chips, hard tacos, or rice; also request corn tortillas if available
  • Use salsa rather than cheese or sour cream to add flavor
  • Order black or pinto beans rather than refried
  • If you must have a margarita (and you know I must), order it with fresh lime juice instead of the sugar-y, processed sour mix

In keeping with my Kitchen Workout guidelines, I decided to satisfy my Mexican craving at home rather than go out to eat.

Spicy tomato sauce and sweet potatoes will forever be a favorite combination.  Those flavors were in my head all day as I thought about how I would attack dinner.

Adding spices is a quick and easy way to make a meal something special   One of my “secrets” to a good tomato sauce is adding a bit of cinnamon.  It lifts the flavors and gives the illusion of a hunt of sweetness.

While this ingredient list may look long, it comes together very quickly.  Make substitutions based on your preferences and what you have on hand.  Just be sure to add small amounts at a time and taste as you go!

This dish makes 6 servings.  I ate 4 over the course of the week and froze the remaining two to take to work.  They have been perfect as homemade frozen lunches.

To make this vegetarian/vegan, use tempeh or TVP in place of the ground chicken.


 

Sweet Potato Mexican Pie

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • 2 T dried cilantro
  • 1 T garlic powder
  •  1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1 C chopped red pepper
  • 2/3 C chopped baby bellas
  • 2 C diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 2 C spinach leaves
  • 1 large sweet potato

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown the chicken in a pot with onion, jalapeño, and spices.

When chicken is cooked, add peppers, mushrooms, tomato sauce, and water.  Let simmer for 10 mins.

While that mixture is simmering, peel and thinly slice the sweet potato.

Grease a 9×9 baking pan with olive oil.  Layer a quarter of the meat sauce, followed by a layer of sweet potato slices, zucchini slices, and then spinach.  Repeat until you’re out of ingredients, making sure to leave enough sauce to top the dish.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 mins.  Remove the foil and bake for another 15 mins.

Let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

***

Writing this made me want a margarita.  Doh.

Do you have any secrets for eating healthy at restaurants?

Do you like food with a little heat?  I find I want it even more in the winter months.

Filed Under: Recipes, Restaurants Tagged With: clean eating, dinner, gluten-free, Kitchen Workout, Mexican, protein, sweet potato

Chili-Lime Crab Salad + WIAW

December 5, 2012 By Laura

I’m full of it.

 

I also love a dual meaning..

No, today I am full of protein and carbs.  Last week I talked about my new, carb-heavy plan in effort to gain.  I also get a daily “cheat” vs. the one cheat day I was getting before.  At first I thought this was awesome, but I now realize that one full day of cheats was better.  It gave my brain a break from measuring out fat-carbs-protein 7x a day.

Which brings me to one reason I love my trainer: he’s open to changing strategy.  We talked about diet last night (during a brutal leg workout), and made a couple of adjustments:

  1. I don’t have to eat if I’m miserable – 6 meals is ok as long as I’m getting in the protein/calories needed to gain (read: no salad for dinner)
  2. Two 1/2 day cheats per week rather than the daily cheat – there wasn’t a point in the daily cheat when I was too full to even take it

 

Of course after complaining I wasn’t hungry at all and nothing sounded good, he killed my legs and I was ready to eat my arm by the time I got home.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

I’m working hard on fueling my body right via my Kitchen Workout (have you joined?) and my training plan.  Jenn must have read my mind, but my goals fit perfectly with this month’s What I Ate Wednesday theme: healthy holiday recipes.  Below is one day of delicious, healthy eats.

 

Be sure to click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons and see how everyone else is eating healthy during the season of temptation joy.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Meal 1:

Of course I enjoyed my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos), followed by a 2 mile incline walk.  I take a treadmill walk every morning while I’m going through my Reader and commenting on blogs and catching up on the royal baby gossip.

Today was an odd breakfast day.  I didn’t know what I wanted!  I was hot after the brisk walk, so I wasn’t relishing the thought of a warm breakfast.  However, I don’t like to have shakes or yogurt for breakfast (I have no idea when/why this started).  After drinking an ice water, I settled on a favorite: runny egg with a P28 protein bagel.  Cooked in truffle oil and served with a side of blackberries.

 

 

Meal 2:

If you follow my on Instagram, you may notice that I ate the same thing for meal 2 yesterday.  This combo was a winner!  Lindsay put the chili-lime flavor combo in my head Sunday night.  Eyeing my fridge, I decided that sounded like a great flavor for my lump crab meat.

 

Chili-Lime Mango Crab Salad

  • 3 oz crab
  • 1/4 large mango, cubed
  • 1/2 C edamame
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Juice from 1/4 fresh lime
  • Cayenne pepper, to taste
  • Cilantro

 

 

Meal 3:

Nothing sounded good to me this afternoon.  I ate meal 3 (lunch) at 2:30.  Chicken Burgers, seasoned with my Mediterranean spice blend and mixed mushrooms and onions.  It was actually really good.  I’m glad I made 2 so I can have it again when I’m more excited about eating.  I ate it on an Ezekial pita with spinach hummus and cucumber slices sprinkled with pepper and paprika.

 

 

 

Meal 4:

Because I was so annoyed at my lack of appetite, I moved up my appointment with my trainer.  Leg day is a great cure for anti-hunger, right?  I whipped up a Zucchini Bread Protein Shake to have post-workout.  I mixed in oats for my carb.

(Random fact: I’ve always loved raw oatmeal.  I even ate them out of the Quaker container as a kid.)

 

Sorry for the bad terrible  pic.  I drank it in the car on the way home and it gets dark early!  And leg day so thoroughly cured my lack of appetite that I nearly forgot a pic.

 

 

Meal 5:

Dinner was leftovers.  This pic is a left over too… ’cause it was much prettier right out of the pot.  I have no real recipe – this Curried Tomato Chicken and Eggplant bowl was a “throw-together” dinner winner.

It involved curry powder, other Indian spices, ground chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, Thai eggplant, onion, red pepper, and cilantro.  I ate it over shirataki noodles. 

 

 

Meal 6:

I repeated again.  Last week I made my beloved Carrot Cake Batter, using cottage cheese in place of the Greek yogurt.  This week I did it again, but also crumbled a salt-free rice cake into it and topped with a little sugar-free caramel (it’s by Walden Farms… and no, it’s isn’t near as good as the real deal). 

Meal 7:

When I drafted this post earlier in the day, I was ready to announce that I failed again at eating meal 7.  Behold, the power of leg day.  Meal 7 was an old favorite: 150 Calorie Chocolate Microwave Protein Cake.  Lots pf protein with cherries on top.

 

***

The protein count for the day: 167.3g.

My 2 shameless plugs: I’d love it if you’d click here and “Like” my new Facebook page.  Also, don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to Open Sky!

Are you a fan of “cheat” meals?  Would you rather have it all in one day, or spread out over the week?

How are you keeping it (mostly) clean this season?

 

Filed Under: Fitness, Recipes Tagged With: breakfast, Christmas, crab, dessert, dinner, figure competition, lunch, seafood, smoothies, snacks

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