High 5 for Friday

December 2, 2011 By Laura

Hold on to the ones who really care
In the end they’ll be the only ones there
When you get old and start losing your hair
Can you tell me who will still care?
Can you tell me who will still care?

Can you guess the song? Maybe the ~~super-complex~~ chorus will help…

Mmm bop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, ba duba dop
Ba du

If you said Hanson’s Mmm Bop, you are correct! The prize? Hanson Beer.

That’s right. According to Eater and other sources, the cute little teenage boys are reportedly going to be releasing their very own IPA beer – cleverly named Mmmm Hop – to be released in 2012. Can this be for real?

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This is just one of the many items I’ve been meaning to share on the blog this week. Thanksgiving threw me off so today is a “catch up” day.

#1

I’ve been meaning to give a shout out to Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen. This rockstar lady received an job offer she couldn’t refuse… but it had her moving half way across the country on short notice. What is a foodie to do with the stockpiles of goodies in her pantry?

Share!

I was one of the lucky recipients of Sarah’s Random Snacks of Kindness (pictured above). Those arbol chilis in my Pumpkin Tempeh Chili? Those are thanks to Sarah.

She also included my favorite – Biscoff Spread! In sample sizes, which make my travelin’ heart happy. The Hatch Chili Salsa also made me smile. Spicy food is my BFF. there was a lot more to it, but those are the items that I’ve consumed first. Thanks for moving, Sarah!

#2

My best friend’s baby is the cutest thing in the world. I’m not just saying that… truth be told I’m not a huge baby person (insert horrified gasps here).

Jackson is an exception. He also has good taste – we shared a Whiskey Sour and edamame (I’m KIDDING… he can’t chew yet) at Top Flr, one of my “go-to” restaurants in Atlanta.

#3

The Warhol exhibit at Atlanta’s High Museum was great (albeit small).

They are running a show called “Picasso to Warhol” right now, so he had to share billing with several artists. I’d love to go see a full exhibit one day!

#4

You all seems rpetty amazing by the bacon weave on the mac ‘n cheese at my “Bargiving“… I can’t believe I didn’t share bacon dish #2.

Pig Candy. (Some call it candied bacon… I think pig candy is more fun.) You coat bacon with brown sugar (and perhaps a sprinkle of cayenne) and cook it on a baking sheet in the oven until crisp. It’s pretty amazing stuff.

Now that I’m back on the healthy-eating train, we won’t mention how much I appreciated it or how well it pairs with a crisp ale.

#5

Last Sunday I was lucky enough to see Kristian Bush (of Sugarland fame) play at my favorite local venue, Eddie’s Attic.

Long ago he had a band called Billy Pilgrim – this show brought back the days of seeing him (or Jennifer) play teeny venues with my elbows on the stage. Ah, memories.

This night he played “in the round” with his brother, Brandon (on the right), and singer/songwriter/storyteller Ellis Paul (on the left). Perfect end to the weekend.

Does that mean that he didn’t attend Jennifer Nettles’ secret wedding last weekend?!

***

You can thank me later for Mmm Bop being stuck in your head all day. 😉

Will you try the Hanson beer?

Did you ever follow a band/musician before they made it “big?”

Pumpkin Tempeh Chili

December 1, 2011 By Laura

I am a wuss.

There is a reason I live in the South – cold weather and I are not friends. I showed up to run the Thanksgiving Half Marathon wearing fleece-lined running pants, a long sleeve shirt, a jacket (with thumb holes!), a fleece scarf, fleece gloves… and a body warmer attached to the inside of my jacket. I couldn’t feel my toes until mile 4.

Suffice it to say that my soup cravings are now out of control. Kind of like my pumpkin obsession.

The logical conclusion is to make soup with pumpkin. Wait. It’s too cold for a simple soup. I need a bone-warming chili. Pumpkin chili! (No, I haven’t actually tuned orange. Yet.)

This was my first time ever making chili, so the recipe evolved as I went. I thought the black and white photo would ~~hide the fact that is was dark and I have poor kitchen lighting~~ make me look classic like Julia Childs.

This chili is vegan – using tempeh rather than ground meat. Even if you are accustomed to tempeh, I strongly advise you to steam or boil it before you use it in chili. It removes the bitterness, allowing the other flavors to shine.

With the tempeh and black beans, this is one helluva a fiber-rich, protein-filled meal!

Bad lighting combined with brown food = picture of the year.

I like strong flavors in chili, and the slight sweetness combined with heat. When creating my chili, I wanted to really feel the heat and the warmth from the cumin and cinnamon. Cinnamon may seem like an odd choice, but try it out! It gives savory dishes a fantastic depth and brings out the subtle fruitiness of the tomato.

Cinnamon also works well with pumpkin. I had about 1/2 a cup of the canned stuff leftover from my Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding, and into the pot it went! I loved the creamy texture it added… next time I may try using even more!

Cocoa also went into the post. It was almost an afterthought… I tasted the cumin with the black beans and thought a mole twist would be just the thing to make the dish pop.

Top it all off with avocado and – if you really love fire – Sriracha.

Guaranteed to warm you right down to the toes!

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Pumpkin Tempeh Chili

1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 package (8 oz) tempeh
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 dried arbol chili peppers, re-hydrated and minced
2 tsp cocoa powder
1.5 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 T apple cider vinegar
1.5 C (1 can) black beans, rinsed and drained
1.5 C diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
1/2 C pumpkin puree*
1 C vegetable stock
1 tsp Xylitol (or sweetener of choice, if needed)
S+P, to taste
Optional toppings: avocado, sriracha, sour cream, cilantro

Steam tempeh 10-15 mins to remove bitterness.

Meanwhile, saute veggies over med-high in large pot (~10 mins). Add garlic at the end to avoid burning. Next add in spices, stir to combine, and saute another 1-2 mins. Stir in apple cider vinegar to deglaze.

Add tempeh, beans, tomatoes, and pumpkin. Stir to combine. Cover and allow to simmer for ~20 mins, stirring occasionally.

Remove cover and stir. Taste and adjust flavors. This is where I added Xylitol. Allow to simmer 15-20 mins more until liquid is reduced and flavors have melded.

Makes 4 servings (4 cups).

Note: If pumpkin ~~in chili creeps you out~~ isn’t available, try using a winter squash or sweet potato puree. You could also omit.

Approximate nutrition: 320 calories, 9.5g fat, 36.2g carbohydrates, 13.6g fiber, 5.9g sugar, 17.1g protein.

***

I want to try white bean next. Possibly orange white bean with pumpkin…

Are you a white or black bean chili person?

Do you make large pots of food to eat throughout the week? What is your staple?

Chili Time + WIAW

November 30, 2011 By Laura

Three days ago it was 70 degrees.

Yesterday morning I braved the airport amidst snow flurries. Ok, ok, it was more like slightly freezing drizzle. I hope this doesn’t mean we have a crazy, ice-filled winter!

Today I’m lucky because not only is it my favorite What I Ate Wednesday:

It’s also Spicie’s Foodie‘s November Your Best Recipe reveal! Click here to check out my Red Wine Cake Balls and everyone else’s best dish of the month on her blog.

On to the eats!

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Pre-Flight Breakfast:

I love to make muffins, but never am able to eat a dozen alone while they are fresh. My solution is the freezer. You can always bet I have 3-4 muffins varieties just 30 seconds away from being breakfast-ready. Perfect for those of us who aren’t morning people.

My pre-flight rush breakfast involved these Pumpkin-Zucchini Muffins (low sugar!) and my recently concocted Cinnamon Cacao Nut Butter.

Scarfed down in the car to fuel a morning jaunt through Concourse A. 🙂

The beverage portion of my breakfast happened in the airport – my traditional Starbucks coffee treat and some water. Flying dries me out!

Lunch:

Having landed wayyyy before our meeting was to begin, my boss and I stopped in a Starbucks (this time I had an unpictured Orange Blossom tea) to get some work done… followed by a surprisingly delicious lunch near our destination.

Bocci is a new Italian spot in Clayton, MO (a suburb of St. Louis). Their northern Italian-style soups hit the spot after walking through some serious cold St. Louis wind!

I ordered the Aquacotta – a tomato soup with mushrooms, onions, basil… and a poached egg! Italian egg drop soup?! I broke the egg and the yolk ran out, adding a wonderful creaminess to the brothy tomato. With copious amounts of Bocci’s crack foccacia-like bread sticks dipped in olive oil, balsamic, and parm.

Moment of Boss Appreciation: You’ll notice I got a pic. My boss didn’t even flinch when I whipped out the camera to go paparazzi on my food. My job satisfaction went through the roof today.

Dinner:

I made my first chili! It is a vegan tempeh chili… with 2 “secret” ingredients. I could have made it hotter, but that’s nothing a little Sriracha didn’t fix!

Short on time so the recipe will come tomorrow!

Snacks:

We landed right at dinner time, but I wanted to get a workout in. I downed a Sweet Tango Apple to tide me over until chili-time. Sarah introduced me to this variety – if you ever see one grab it immediately! Of course I had my pretzels on the plane too.

I also had a late-night protein shake for dessert:

Strawberry-Banana Shake

1 C spinach
1/2 banana
1 Strawberry EAS
1 tsp ground flax
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Ice

***

Check out Peas and Crayons to see how everyone else celebrated Hump Day on Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.

Did you get any snow?

What is the best thing you’ve eaten post-Turkey Day? (P.S. Quit eating leftovers! 6 day post-meal that meal is growing bacteria!)

Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding

November 29, 2011 By Laura

One Thanksgiving meal isn’t enough.

It only comes once a year – why limit yourself to just one wonderful meal on that day? Especially if you’ve just run 13.1 miles.

Friendsgiving part 2 occurred at one of may favorite local haunts – Diesel. It’s more of a bar, but does serve up some tasty food. Except on Thanksgiving. This holiday they were serving drinks and the feast was a potluck. BYOF.

Potluck Thanksgiving in a bar = BEST idea ever.

We had 21 feet of food (yes, measurements were taken). 3 turkeys (the spicy dry rub was wonderful), a duck, soups, stuffings, collards, mac ‘n cheeses, desserts… if you could imagine it, someone had brought it to share.

Those Tostidos didn’t get opened

Incredibly, most of the food was homemade and quite good. Better than average, in fact. I went back for ~~seconds~~ thirds.

The most fun to look at dish of the night:

Mac ‘n Cheese with a Bacon weave

Despite being totally stuffed, dessert remained my weak spot.

Let’s pretend I didn’t sample all of this

My contribution was pretty tasty, if I do say so myself. In fact, I made it twice over Thanksgiving. Both times to an enthusiastic reception.

As soon as I laid eyes on chocolate chip Panettone I knew it was going into bread pudding. Pumpkin bread is better with chocolate chips… why not pumpkin in chocolate chip Panettone pudding? In the bar-potluck spirit, I added some booze – dark rum was made for sweets, IMHO.

Pre-bake photo opp

Half-baked

The pumpkin made this pudding especially creamy and the dark rum brought out the sweetness of the Panettone. Because it is a sweet bread, you don’t have to add a ton of sugar to this recipe – just 1/2 a cup in total.

I’ll even go out on a limb and say this is one of the best dishes I’ve ever made. I don’t say that about just anything!

My dish on display at Bargiving:

It’s all I can do not to make it again right now…

Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Keywords: bake dessert Panettone pumpkin rum Christmas Thanksgiving fall winter

Ingredients (16 servings)

1 chocolate chip Panettone, cut to ~2 in cubes (~7 cups)
1 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C milk
1/2 stick salted butter (melted)
3 eggs
1 1/4 C pumpkin puree
3 T dark rum
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cubed bread in 9 x 12 pyrex.

In large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add sugars and cinnamon and stir until combined. Pour evenly over bread and toss to ensure cubes are all covered.

Place in oven and bake for 40-50 mins, until pudding is set and top is beginning to brown. Allow to cool ~10 mins before serving.

Notes: You can use other types of breads, though you will want to increase the amount sugar (Panettone is a sweet bread). If you don’t like rum, you can cut back or omit it entirely.

***

Coming back to work this week was a terrible shock after 4 days off!

Are you still eating leftovers?

What is your favorite variety of bread pudding?

Grateful Thanksgiving

November 28, 2011 By Laura

Grateful as in Grateful Dead.

I had a post-race “Friendsgiving” at one of my favorite local restaurants – Rosebud. How is that related to the Dead? Rosebud is named for one of Jerry Garcia’s guitars, the one he played in his last show in July of 1995.

A celebratory glass of sparkling with our (now empty) app plates

Ron Eyester, the chef and owner, put together one incredible (and HUGE) Thanksgiving feast.

We began with an appetizer consisting of Pimento Cheese, Trail Mix, Smoked Trout Pate, Housemade Pickled Vegetables, and crackers dusted with something spicy (cayenne?). The Pimento Cheese was our favorite, with the trail mix in a close second (I love those wasabi things). The Trout Pate was the only miss of the meal.

Next up was the main event. The way the special menus worked you could choose Sage, Apple & Honey Roasted Turkey or Housemade Berkshire Ham with Mexican Coke Glaze. Then you chose 3 sides from a list of 12. There were 3 of us at lunch, which meant we could try all but 3 sides. And so we did.

I chose the turkey with Brioche & Herb Stuffing (yes it was as good as it sounds), Cider & Maple Braised Brussels, and Red Wine & Balsamic Braised Mushrooms. It was all wonderful. The stuffing bordered on being bread pudding – a good thing in my book! Turkey has never been my cup o’ tea, but Ron’s turkey was nearing perfection. Not the least bit dried out and perfectly flavored. I loved the sage!

Carla’s also chose the turkey and brussels, but ordered the Buttermilk Whipped Potatoes and Baby Carrots with Fennel, Citrus, and Cardamom. The carrots were one of my favorite sides; they were left fairly crisp and the hints of fennel and citrus made for a fun flavor.

Corinne chose the ham. It was good, but I’m glad I didn’t get it. A little too sweet as a main for my taste, but if you like honey-baked ham you would love it. Her sides included the Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Ginger & Sweet Chili, Green Beans with Fresh Garlic and Sea Salt, and Mexican Coke Braised Local Greens with Smoked Ham Bone. I don’t even know how to choose a favorite. Maybe the beans?! I really appreciated how they kitchen left the veggies with some bite rather than cooking them to the point of soggy (all too often the case).

Since all of this clearly wasn’t enough food, Ron sent us a plate of the 3 sides we didn’t order (he really is the nicest angry chef in ATL). Our last 3 tastes: Mac n’ Cheese, Duck Fat & Thyme Fingerling Potatoes, and Truffled Cream Corn. The mac and cheese was done with Tillamook Cheddar and couldn’t have been more delicious. We all agreed the corn was also pretty amazing – and none of us are big on creamed corn!

Everyone had a favorite potato – I don’t know if he did it on purpose, but Ron offered the 3 major potato “types” so there was something for everyone. I was all about the whipped sweet potatoes.

My favorite course is always last – dessert! Chocolate Tart, Bread Pudding with Dried Cherries, Salted Browned Butter Cookies, and Apple Cake with Cardamom Cream. I love chocolate… but those cookies are my favorite. I’m convinced he puts crack in them.

A “Friendsgiving” lunch at Rosebud was the perfect race recovery meal. But I had to get home to make the treat you saw in Friday’s post to bring to a Thanksgiving potluck dinner (big revel tomorrow… suspense, I know). Because one gluttonous holiday meal is never enough. 😉

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Speaking of gluttony… it’s Monday recap time.

Last week brought 2 big accomplishments – the Thanksgiving Half Marathon and I did my 100 push-ups EVERY DAY. That’s 700 push-ups last week!!! 3 accomplishments if you count the fact that I took TWO rest days.

Looking ahead, I’m ready cut back on the running for a while. My focus will be more on weights and kickboxing – just in time for the arrival of more winter-like weather (I can’t stand to run in the cold).

Workout Recap (11/21-11/27)

Monday – 30 mins stationary bike intervals, Biceps/Back, 100 push-ups
Tuesday – 2 mile run, 2 mile walk, 100 push-ups
Wednesday – Tris/Chest, Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
Thursday – Half Marathon, 100 push-ups
Friday – 100 push-ups
Saturday – 2 mile walk, 100 push-ups
Sunday – Kickboxing, 100 push-ups

***

I promise some healthier foods are coming… after tomorrow dessert post!

Have you ever eaten your Thanksgiving meal at a restaurant?

Do your workouts change in the winter months?

Running for My Supper

November 25, 2011 By Laura

Literally.

I spent a good 9-10 miles of my 13.1 thinking about lunch. My inner fat kid knows no bounds. Plus it entertained me while I ~~struggled~~ ran.

Once I remembered I had a body warmer in my jacket which was making me want to pass out, the first 4-ish miles flew by. Somewhere between 4 and 6 I had to stop to tighten my laces and lost my 1:45 pace group (not too devastating – 1:45 was a bit ambitions).

Stopping apparently caused me to miss the 5 mile marker, so I was pleasantly surprised by mile 6. Things were still ok until about mile 8. My legs were cramping and I had to stop for 30 seconds and stretch. After that it got hard – not a shock since I really only trained for up to 8.

Seeing my Aunt Teresa somewhere near mile 9 was a huge pick-me-up (thanks Teresa!), and I got another push around 10 when the 1:50 pace group caught me. I knew I didn’t want to finish far behind them so I ignored my screaming legs and cranked out the last 3 to finish with them.

HUGE thanks to the Atlanta Track Club for organizing the event and providing pace teams

Official time: 1:49:52. PR! I looked back at my 2009 Half time – it was 2:17:12! HUGE improvement in 2 years!

My younger cousin Molly also ran and finished seconds ahead of me. Congrats to Molly!!

My mom and sisters were there at the finish line with lots of hugs. It was really great to have a support group after a hard-fought race.

More to come about the fantastic Turkey Day eats (see little taste below), but for now I’m off to the grocery store. It shouldn’t be crowded… everyone is stuffed and at Wal-Mart… right?

***

I’m participating in this month’s YBR with Spicie Foodie. Click here if you’d like to join up too!

How did your races go?

Did anyone brave the Black Friday crowds?

Gobbling Up 13.1

November 24, 2011 By Laura

If I don’t like turkey, what exactly am I earning?

Wine is more like it!

By the time you are reading this, I will (hopefully) be done with Atlanta’s Thanksgiving Half Marathon. I am starting in the first group at 7:30am and – if I manage to stay with my pace team – I will be done by 9:15am.

Forget turkey; I’m earning Waffle House!

Rather than wax poetic about the millions of things I’m thankful for (really, I am), I thought I’d offer you something a bit different.

3 Tips for Thanksgiving:

1. Don’t sit in you great aunt’s chair. Trust your instincts (and your nose). That can’t be clean.

Source: happyplace.com

2. Watch out for the beans. You don’t want to be mistaken for that chair, do you?

3. Don’t make yourself miserable.

Bite #367 of that pie will not taste any different than bite #1. You’ll be trying to get rid of those leftovers for days anyway.

Click here for a few tips on keeping the gluttony under control… and an idea for using some of that leftover pumpkin puree. 😉

In conclusion…

***

Happy Thanksgiving!!

How did all the runners do?

What is/was the BEST dish of the day?

Rockstar Riff On Spaghetti + WIAW

November 23, 2011 By Laura

My sister is a rockstar.

Which is the goose and which is the fox?

Alli played a local venue on Monday night with her boyfriend, Noah. It was an open mic contest (well-known for launching John Mayer’s career). They didn’t win but I think they were one of the best. There is just SO much talent in Atlanta.

Alli and Noah’s band is called Goose & Fox. Check them out on YouTube! Shameless plug of one of my favorite songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-gxzyUd51U

Given that we have a huge food-focused holiday one day away, it seems funny to be posting a tame WIAW… but at least it involves balls!

Check out Peas and Crayons to see how everyone else pre-gamed Thanksgiving on Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.

Pre-Breakfast:

I made a late-night post-concert trip to Kroger for melting chocolate so I could coat more Red Wine Cake Balls! They looked so pretty and smelled so good… they were calling my name! So I may have pre-gamed breakfast with balls…

Don’t judge me.

The winner so far has been these Red Wine Balls, but the Sparkling have received a ton of votes. It comes down to preference. Do you prefer your… desserts… sweet and white or dark and rich?

Pass the dark and rich over here.

Breakfast:

In preparation for the Thanksgiving Half, I’m loading up the carbs and protein. This morning’s oatmeal with egg whites hit the spot.

Check out that nut butter good-ness!

In my Oats:

1/2 C oatmeal
1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
1/4 C water
Shake of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg white
1/4 C blueberries
Scoop of Cinnamon Cacao Nut Butter

Prepare oatmeal according to package instructions. When almost done, quickly whip in the egg white. Add blueberries. Transfer to bowl and top with nut butter – I used Cinnamon Cacao Nut Butter I made yesterday.

Delicious and super filling thanks to the protein and “good” fat.