Strange But Good: Butternut, Collard & Tomato Wrap (BCT)

June 7, 2013 By Laura

Get excited. The mystery breakfast is about to be revealed.

You were holding your breath, I know… 😉

I loved seeing all of the guesses on Instagram and in Wednesday’s post comments. They gave me a ton of ideas for new iterations! It wasn’t quinoa, TVP, chickpeas, or tofu… however, you can easily make it vegan with any of those subs.

This creation was two days in the imagining process. It started as a BLT in a collard wrap and by the time I actually got into the kitchen it had become a Butternut, Collard & Tomato Wrap. Thinking of my Sweet Potato Pan-lette from my very first #strangebugood post, it further evolved into an egg-laced scramble.

Mashed butternut squash creates quite the voluminous scramble when combined with egg! That subtly sweet squash with a few fun spices provides you with a fluffy flavor explosion, all ~~neatly~~ wrapped in a giant, raw collard leaf.

The nutritional yeast adds the “cheese” factor, while the tomato adds to the Indi-Mex (that my new food style – Indian and Mexican fusion) flavor profile. Now that we all know that sesame seeds, garlic, and basil are detoxifying, I was sure not to leave those out of the mix.

I couldn’t help myself – I added some turkey to the scramble for even more protein. Like I said above, any of the guesses would make excellent subs to keep this dish meat-less.

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Butternut, Collard & Tomato Wrap (BCT)

1/2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 C butternut squash, mashed
1 egg white
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of cinnamon
Juice of 1/4 lime
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 C basil, chopped

Optional: turkey or other protein
Raw collard greens

In a pan, lightly toast sesame seeds until golden. Set aside.

Meanwhile, mash butternut squash in a bowl. Add egg while and scramble together. Add garlic, nutritional yeast, and spices, stirring to combine.

Place mixture in a coated or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Scramble as you would an egg, cooking until mixture begins to fluff (this indicated the egg white is cooked).

Add lime juice, tomato, basil, and any desired proteins. Cook 2-3 mins more, until warmed through.

Remove from heat and scoop butternut mixture into collards. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?

The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends!

Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

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

Loading InLinkz …

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I know my site has had some issues loading, and I apologize for that! It will come up eventually… I’m working to get it sorted out ASAP. Technical stuff isn’t my specialty. #strangebutnotgood

Do you ever go to bed thinking about a breakfast idea? It’s my version of counting sheep.

Have you ever had squash or sweet potato for breakfast?

Getting Schooled at the Food & Wine Festival

June 6, 2013 By Laura

Food & Wine is about more than stuffing your face.

Though you know from my last post on the topic that I stuffed it well.

My favorite feature of Atlanta’s Food & Wine Festival is the focus on education. Each day of the festival begins with classes led by well-known Southern chefs and libation experts. You get to choose 3 per day from a long list. Proof that life is full of tough choices.

My friend Rich and Me

My strategy was to choose classes that were diverse. The amount of time I spent creating my schedule is embarrassing, but in the end it paid off!

Without rambling on (hopefully), I want to share some photos and takeaways from a few of those classes.

This Little Piggy Got Spicy

This class was taught by Chef Asha Gomez, a lady I admire and respect (she inspired me to try curry leaves!). She owns Cardamom Hill, one of the best Indian restaurants in Atlanta. She focuses on cuisine from her home-region of Kerala. It’s much different that the spicy curry dishes many associate with Indian food!

I especially love Asha’s mentality when it comes to trying new things:

I will never walk away from a fruit, vegetable, or spice that I am not familiar with. I will always pick it up and try it.

Pork Vindaloo

While some of her dishes may seem like fusion, she prefers to call it evolution. Her fried chicken recipe is one her mother made back in India!
Curry powder is a Western thing; in India curry simply means that something is braised with a sauce
Classic Indian spices are black pepper, cardamom, and ginger; cumin and red chili pepper were introduced later by foreign merchants
There is no naan in Kerala – gluten is not produced there so their main carb is rice
The smaller the pepper, the spicier it is (I can’t believe I never realized this, but SO true)
To learn the nuances of a spice, blanch a vegetable it in it

Fresh Start

Chef Nathan Lyon taught this clean eating course. You may be familiar with his series on Discovery Health, A Lyon in the Kitchen, or from his appearance on The Next Food Network Star.

Summer Squash Salad

When you salt food, do it from high up; this allows the salt to be distributed more evenly
Sea salt is better than table salt (duh), and you can use less of it
You don’t need to spend a ton of money on a variety of knives, rather have a couple of favorites and keep them sharp
His focus on eating seasonally was best demonstrated with a delicious gazpacho-esque smoothie combo (that I forgot to take a pic of): watermelon, tomatoes, jalapeno, parsley, mint, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, red wine vinegar, and freshly squeezed lemon juice

Beer & Doughnuts

Beer Director Greg Elbert and Pastry Chef Tiffany MacIsaac (read: doughnut genius) from Birch & Barley and GBD Chicken & Donuts in Washington DC blew my mind with this session. Who knew beer would be so tasty for breakfast?!

Beers sampled:

Gose – old German beer style from Leipzig, unfiltered wheat beer, crispness and low hop, hints of coriander
Allagash Curieux – this is Allagash’s Tripel Ale in Jim Beam bourbon barrels, amber color, soft and flavorful, yeast and vanilla upfront with hints of tasty bourbon at the end (this was my favorite)
Avery Anniversary Twenty – new release (we were the frist in GA to try it), copper color, super hoppy IPA, citrus sweetness, surprisingly not bitter

Doughnuts sampled:

Passion Fruit glazed, churro-style
Classic yeast doughnut with a chocolate pudding filling, topped with chocolate glaze, maldon salt, and Cocoa Krispies
Sour cream doughnut with a grapefruit and campari glaze

Like wine, the best pairing is the one that tastes good to you
What tastes good to me is the Allagash Curieux with the chocolate yeast doughnut or the grapefruit glazed
When pairing food and drink, “make sure the impact matches” (this is why we typically don’t drink a light white wine with a T-bone steak)

Aged to Delicious Bourbon and Cheese

Led by Tim Gaddis of Atlanta’s Star Provisions and Seth Thompson of The Bourbon Review magazine, this session was a boozy treat. At least it was after noon at this point. To be honest I think all cheeses go with bourbon… I was an easy sell.

The Bourbons:

Blanton’s Single Barrel – amber color, lots of citrus on the nose, nice caramel and clove taste
Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey – reddish gold color, more oak and leather in taste, some vanilla
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked – dark copper color, tons of butterscotch up front, deepens to a warm and woody finish (easily my #1)
Four Roses Small Batch – amber color, lighter with more caramel and fruit on the finish

There isn’t much in terms of education notes to share here – you really have to experiment at home!

The cheeses were all scrumptious – we sampled Sweet Grass Dairy’s Green Hill Cow’s Milk, Ossau Inaty Sheep’s Milk, Rogue Blue, and Gouda. I’d had all but one before (I love cheese, what can I say?).

The one I hadn’t tried was actually my favorite! It was a Aged 5 Year Gouda. It wasn’t smoked – it was a deliciously sweet butterscotch/caramel flavor that sung when paired with the Woodford.

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One other note: don’t be afraid to go to events by yourself! I went solo on Saturday and met two awesome friends who I hung out with into the evening.

Were any of the lessons/takeaways new or surprising to you?

What is the most valuable food or drink-related lesson you’ve learned?

International Blogger Fro-Yo + WIAW

June 5, 2013 By Laura

Blogger meet ups are always fun.

Yes, always. It’s a rule.

Meet ups with bloggers from the other side of the world ROCK.

Last night I had the honor of eating dinner with Hannah of Wayfaring Chocolate. She is in town from Australia (via Canada). I remember the day I added her to my Reader (RIP). I’d read a review of a chocolate bar she’d written and fell in love with the way she turned a chocolate description into poetry. If you haven’t ever read her blog, I don’t recommend doing so while hungry.

Me and Hannah

Hannah was staying with Alayna (who also has quite the way with words… and Japanese food!) and her husband. I’m so grateful to her for coordinating this meet up. And impressed with how amazing she looks while carrying a small human inside her. Only 6 weeks to go!!!

Read on for our dinner adventure…

Hannah, Alanya, and Me

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My WIAW meals should be re-title “meals of desperation.” There has been so much going to that I still haven’t done a big trip to the market since Blend! This means I was eating the last of everything in my fridge. By snack time I was 100% out of veggies and had convinced myself to ditch kickboxing for a grocery run.

Check out my (mostly) clean eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see what delicious spring foods everyone else is enjoying!

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Breakfast:

I’m kicking myself that I wrote that whole post yesterday on detoxing and didn’t mention my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). This little drink will start your day out in a (ahem) cleansing manner.

Breakfast was a #strangebutgood creation. Can anyone guess what it is? I asked on Instagram yesterday and the only ingredient guessed correctly was the collard green wrap. Hints: It doesn’t involve quinoa, chickpeas, or TVP (though all would be good adds).

Recipe will be posted in Friday’s #strangebutgood link up! 🙂

Snack 1:

Crab salad with blueberries, basil, black pepper, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Seafood and fruit are the best combo!

Lunch:

A super-satisfying “deconstructed” salad. This was spinach, collards, parsley, butternut squash, shredded raw beets, red bell pepper, and red onions. I ate the rainbow!

Snack 2:

These Terra veggie chips happened while on mute during a conference call. They are super crunchy, but delicious. The best part? Only 50mg of sodium!

Dinner:

This was my Hannah meal! We went to one of my favorites, Metro Fresh. I had the sautéed mussels, scallops, and salmon in tomato broth with grilled garlic bread. Yes, it was as good as it sounds!

Dessert:

Like good bloggers, we made our way across the street to Yoforia for some frozen yogurt. Can you guess which one is mine? 😉

Hint: Mine involved banana pudding and chocolate flavors.

I’m sad we didn’t have more time, but Hannah is jetting off again tomorrow. Did I mention this girl is living the dream traveling around the US and Canada?! #colormejealous

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Did you notice how many of my detox foods were included?! Until the fro-yo, that is. LOL!

Do you try to eat the rainbow?

What is your favorite frozen yogurt flavor?

Work it Out: 15 Detox Foods

June 4, 2013 By Laura

Working out detox-style is sometimes necessary.

I don’t regret my gluttony but my body is rejecting pig meat after this.

I’m not a fan of diets, as you know from my No Shit Diet. What I’m talking about here is NOT a diet. It’s being gentle with myself after putting my body through… well… one delicious weekend. You see, I was feeling a big tired, run down, and downright sluggish after 3 days of throwing my normal way of eating out the window. It was fun and I am thrilled I got to try all of the foods that I did, but I was excited by the thought of getting back to reality this week!

Today’s Work It Out is in the kitchen, with a detox spin.

Many detox “diets” eliminate dairy, meat, sugars, caffeine, beans, grains… the list goes on and on. Never a fan of cutting out foods, I decided to focus on what I needed to ADD to my diet to boost energy and help my body get back on track after last weekend’s Food & Wine Festival.

I consulted with my favorite resource – Google. There are a million sites claiming to know the foods you should eat or special juices to drink. I’m sure they are all fine, but I settled on the list of foods below for two reasons: they are seasonally appropriate and they all sounded appealing as I was making my list for the farmer’s market.

Here are some of the foods I’m making sure to add to my diet this week to reset:

Detox Foods

Basil – It turns out that my favorite herb has anti-bacterial properties, and is full of antioxidants which protect the liver.
Beets – Beets are full of magnesium, iron, zinc and calcium, and help by making sure that toxins actually flush all the way out of your body. They are also a great source of betacyanin, which has cancer-fighting properties.
Blueberries – The berries I’ve had this season are some of the most flavorful in recent memory. A handful of blueberries are a low-calorie way to curb a sweet tooth, while providing you with fiber and vitamin C. They are consistently ranked at the top when it comes to antioxidant capacity!
Cabbage – This beautiful cruciferous helps your liver and aids in… errr… going to the bathroom (if you know what I mean). Going #2 expels toxins, leaving you feeling fresh.
Cinnamon – I use cinnamon like most of America uses salt. It goes on everything in my house because I like everything to taste like cookies. In addition to making everything taste better, it revs your metabolism and is full of iron, calcium and manganese. Manganese is great for helping your body process fatty acids and keep blood sugar levels stable.
Cucumber – Cucumbers are 95% water, help flush out toxins and alkalize the body. I love to snack on slices with a little rice vinegar ans freshly ground pepper.
Garlic – It keeps vampires away, but did you know it also boosts up the immune system as well as helps out the liver? It also helps to add flavor to all you other toxin-eliminating veggies!
Ginger – Like cinnamon, ginger spikes metabolism and flushes out waste. It’s also a tummy soother and may help keep your appetite in check. I like to add fresh ginger to smoothies (like this Cherry-Ginger), or just toss a piece in hot water with lemon and a cinnamon stick ~~and Irish whiskey~~.
Goji berries – These chewy teats boost vitamin C and beta-carotene intake. This is important because vitamin C help remove waste from your body, and beta-carotene improves liver performance.
Hemp Seeds – These chewy, nutty nutritional bombs are an excellent source of omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, are an easily digestible protein, are anti-inflammatories, and aid in elimination. Try sprinkling them on salads, yogurt, or smoothie bowls!
Lemon – You probably all know that lemon flushes toxins from your body. See the Ginger note for a great drink, or just squeeze a bunch in water first thing get your digestive system ready for the day.
Onions – Onions have sulfur-containing amino acids, which efficiently detox the liver. the are best eaten raw to get the most of their health benefits, so I’ve been tossing them on salads!
Parsley – It’s not just a plate garnish! Parsley is rich in beta-carotene and vitamins A, C, and K which protect your kidneys and bladder.
Sesame Seeds – This one shocked me! Did you know sesame seeds help protect your liver from alcohol and other toxins?
Spinach – Popeye was on to something. Spinach (and other greens) is high in fiber and contains high amounts of vitamins A, C,E, iron, beta carotene and calcium. These are all essential nutrients that aid in the body’s natural detoxification process.

Bonus: Don’t underestimate the importance of water! It is important for organ health, and for flushing toxins out of your body. Especially in these sweaty, exercise-filled summer months it’s important to stay hydrated.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen a lot of the salad creations I’ve been eating. I’m still adding protein (duh), but I’ve been focusing on getting these veggies and seeds in too!

This Ultimate Detox Salad couldn’t be healthier if it tried. It also tastes good. I’d have eaten it at the Food & Wine Festival! 😉

Ultimate Detox Salad

Spinach
Parsley, chopped
Basil, chopped
Red onion, diced
Cucumber, diced
Raw beet, shredded
Sesame seeds
Shredded cabbage
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Juice from 1/2 lemon

Combine first 6 ingredients in salad bowl.

Toast sesame seeds in a non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring occassionally. Add remaining ingredients and saute until tender.

Add cabbage sautee to salad bowl and enjoy!

Note: This is more of a “guideline” recipe. Salads make it easy to add or remove ingredients, and exact measurements really aren’t necessary.

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I’m actually feeling more normal today. I’m SO thankful that exercise and a (mostly) healthy diet has left my body fairly resiliant.

Do you ever feel sluggish after eating heavy?

What are your favorite detoxifying/refreshing foods?

A Food & Wine Weekend

June 3, 2013 By Laura

3 days of all the food and drinks imaginable.

It’s like how I envision heaven, except in heaven you never get too full.

This weekend was my favorite event in Atlanta: The Food & Wine Festival. Many of you have probably heard of the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. This event was modeled after that. It’s in its 3rd year, and this was my 3rd year attending. It just keeps getting better!

Kat, my friend and bi-weekly guest blogger, came with me to the first day:

I can’t even being to recap everything from the weekend, but today I wanted to share some of the eats (and drinks) with you. You will be shocked at the volume… but one thing you learn is NOT to clean your plate. Take a bite and toss it. It sounds wasteful, and I had a really hard time (read: failed) doing it in my first year… but if you ate everything you’d explode. Those starving children in Africa aren’t going to benefit from you finishing every dish. I was stuffed from the millions of bites!

The kickoff was on Thursday night at JCT Kitchen in Atlanta. It was set up like a tailgate party where you went from table to table sampling foods and drink created by chefs and mixologists around the Southeast. It was aptly named Pig Out.

Clockwise from top left: Tito’s vodka with , bonal, aperol, lemon, cucumber, tonic from Paper Plane in Atlanta; Southern BLT Slider with pimento cheese and bacon jam from The Hungry Peach in Atlanta; Pork ribs with moonshine BBQ and peach slaw and a deviled egg from JCT Kitchen (this was my favorite… and I don’t even like ribs!); Cupcake heaven: coconut with marshmallow icing, strawberry, and red velvet by Sugaree’s in Mississippi; Shrimp with rhubarb and summer pea sauce

Clockwise from top left: tailgate scene; Four Roses bourbon with marsaca cherry paste, lemon, and orange blossom from The Crunkleton in Chapel Hill, NC; Blood sausage queso fundido with corn tortillas from Underbelly in Houston, TX (blood sausage is not my favorite… but I tried a bite); Grilled andoullie, cheese grits, and sauce piquante from Restaurant Iris in Memphis, TN (the piquante was amazing); Cherry Old Smokey moonshine cocktail (I loved the ‘staches); Country sausage with Southern kraut and beer mustard from Local Three in Atlanta (mustard WIN).

Friday and Saturday started out with workouts. A good sweat to begin the day is a must during this weekend! I got in a great weight session and ran some stairs in the park on Saturday. They sky looked threatening, but it cleared up by the time I walked to the event!

We had classes each morning, then it was on to the tasting tents! More on the classes later – I learned a LOT! For now, the gluttony.

I wish I could remember each restaurant, but it’s hard to juggle food, wine, cameras, and taking notes. #bloggerfail

Things to note:

Strawberry moonshine is delicious. And dangerous – it tastes like candy.
The bottom left pic is a piece of pork belly… with a Pop Rocks crust. Literally an explosion in your mouth. ~~That’s what she said.~~
The bottom middle is the Pine Street Market table, which was my overall favorite each day.
The bottom right was a collard-wrapped sweet potato tamale from Acre, a restaurant set to open this fall in Auburn, AL. It was really, really good.

Things to note:

The BBQ taco in the top middle was from Fox Bros. BBQ and was enough to convince me I actually do like some BBQ.
The salad on the bottom left was incredible – it was topped with blueberry-lemon-thyme jam from Sallie’s Greatest.
Honeysuckle Gelato continues to be good. Their honey-fig is my favorite!
Frozen Pints is beer ice cream. I SWEAR I had this idea to do this when I was 16.

Things to note:

The salmon in the top middle is crave-worthy. I’m considering a trip to Louisville, KY to get more from Proof on Main.
Mole Negro Chocolate (bottom right) from French Broad Chocolates in Asheville, NC was impressive – at first I thought it was plain… and then a full 5 second into the bite the kicker came – a delicious wave of chili and spice.

Things to note:

The Lazy Goat in Greenville, SC made the dish on the bottom left. It was a Moroccan braised lamb shank with cucumber yogurt and a plantain chip. It stands out in my mind because I loved the warm sauce and rich lamb again the fresh, cool yogurt.
I wish I could remember where the dish in the bottom middle came from. It was a cucumber wasabi sorbet with shrimp and mango sauce. Light and delicious.

Annnnd… salads are also marvelous. Sunday I sold my pass – I was stuffed! Instead, I played 3 softball games (we are 8-1 for the season!) and spent $50 on veggies alone at the farmer’s market. There will be a lot of this happening this week:

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Stick a fork in me, I am DONE.

Have you been to a food festival? Are any of the restaurants I mentioned in your hometown?

What was the most marvelous part of your weekend?

Strange But Good: Microwave Protein Zucchini Bread

May 31, 2013 By Laura

I have an unintentional pattern of behavior.

Let’s be honest… I have several patterns: wake up, eat, workout, eat more, sleep.

This particular pattern is a recipe development pattern. I make something with carrot. Then I make it with zucchini. What can I say? I play favorites!

Even though I’d made the carrot version, I thought zucchini could qualify for #strangebugood. Mostly because my Southern family would stare, mouths open, at the thought of making a healthy zucchini bread. If that wasn’t enough, the sight of it cooking in the microwave would send them over the edge.

It does work, and it solves a common problem when microwave baking – the problem of dry mug cakes. With the added moisture from the zucchini, your cake will be almost juicy. In a good way.

For the protein, I wanted to use something super-clean that added a good vanilla flavor. Clean protein powders have become increasingly important to me after reading (and being shocked by) the ingredient list of a popular powder that shall remain nameless. That’s why I REALLY happy to have found Growing Naturals. You can read more about them here.

This small company sponsored part of my Blend trip, and I was able to share some with a few of the ladies there. However, there wasn’t enough for EVERYONE and what about those that couldn’t go? Growing Naturals is generously offering a discount code – “SPRINT30” – for 30% off your first purchase any product through until July 31!

I think these guys were excited about clean protein at Blend too!

Microwave Protein Zucchini Bread

Based on my Microwave Protein Carrot Cake recipe.

1/2 C grated zucchini (90g)
1 scoop Growing Naturals Rice Vanilla Protein Powder (or 31g scoop of your preferred)
1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 egg white
1 T applesauce (no sugar added, can also use pumpkin puree)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp butter extract (optional)
~8-9 drops NuNaturals lemon liquid stevia
“Icing” (see below)

Grate zucchini, squeeze out excess moisture, and set aside.

Place dry ingredients in bowl and stir to combine. Stir in wet ingredients. Mix in grated zucchini.

Transfer to a greased (I use PAM) cereal bowl and microwave for 2-2.5 mins (mine took 2:15). Tip the cake out onto a plate and top as desired.

My cake was topped with a cheese cake icing made by combining Greek yogurt with cinnamon, ginger, cake batter drops, and stevia.

Makes 1 cake.

Approximate Nutritionals (will vary based on protein powder used): 154 calories, 2.1g fat, 183.7mg sodium, 13.4g carbohydrates, 0.7g fiber, 6g sugar, 24.5g protein.

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?

Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

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

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This weekend is Atlanta’s Food & Wine Festival. I’m so exctied I can barely stand myself!

What are your unintentional (or intentional) patterns?

Have you tried mug cakes? What’s your favorite recipe?

Georgia Running Trail Review + Pancake Fuel

May 30, 2013 By Laura

Starting out on the right foot is important.

Yet so often I forget…

Kat’s post today is all about trail running, I thought I’d share a quick pancake recipe (sorry if you saw this on Instagram already). She talks about hiking fuel at the end of this post, but my recipe would be good for pre-hike fuel!

These cakes have a great mix of carbs and protein to start you off feeling the right amount of full! I really loved how moist they were (yes, I used the word moist) thanks to the cottage cheese. Leaving some larger pieces of the oats gives it a fabulous chew, especially if you use a mix of grains (mine is oats and millet).

Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes

(Inspired by Morganne)

1/4 c oats
1/3 c egg whites
1/4 c cottage cheese
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp butter extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
Stevia or other sweetener, to taste

Place all ingredients in a lender (I used the small Magic Bullet container) and briefly mix, allowing some larger pieces of oats to remain. Cooked in a pan over medium heat, flipping half way through.

Top as desired. I used raspberries, strawberries, and peanut butter syrup. My syrup mix consisted of sugar-free syrup, peanut flour, caramel extract, and a little water. I didn’t measure… but just guess and adjust as you go.

I’ve babbled enough! Here’s Kat!!!

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Mega Trail Heaven – Trail Reviews!

Since I last wrote, yes, Law School Graduation happened! It was a crazy day, and yes, it’s true, family drama cannot be kept at bay. I did have friends and family visit from all over, and it ended up being completely AWESOME. I am especially grateful to my friends who came from out-of-state, and even from locations 8 hours away.

And afterwards, we went out on the town. Dancing with Mom and Grammy was awesome!

After the fancy cocktail party, we went to a local club to dance the night away. Grammy I think won us all over, and my friends dancing with Grammy was also not too shabby… the pics below are not even the highlights but I don’t want to really embarrass anyone. 😉 (Editor’s note: Yes, let’s not ruin any political careers…)

And, in honor of celebrating graduation and my little break before bar review, I am having a little fun! (Editor’s note: WELL deserved!)

First, I got a new bike! She is a Scott Plasma tri bike, and she rides like a Porsche! I took her out on Friday for our first ride together! (Editor’s note: What’s her name?!)

Second, I am trail running like crazy! I have hit over 5 different trails in the last week for some long, much needed and deserved runs. Here is an overview of some of the trails and my personal “Trail Review.”

1. Sope Creek trails

Sope Creek is located just outside the Atlanta perimeter (285). A short drive for local Atlanta folk, and they are GORGEOUS. These trails are easy to navigate with maps at every turn. There are not many hills, and most of them are also suitable for mountain biking! There are also some cool old paper mill ruins.

(Editor’s note: I grew up RIGHT there and went to Sope Creek Elementary!)

2. Yeti Trails

Saturday, I went over to the Tributary and got a good run in on the Yeti Trails, which are located near Sweetwater State Park. (Editor’s note: I love these trails!)

These trails are pretty mild with some incline and decline, but no mountains, that’s for sure. They’re well-shaded and provide scenic views of water crossings and the river. You can also throw in some steeper hills at the power lines and gas lines, if you desire! (All before I went car shopping! You will get to see my new car next time!)

Yeti Trails

3. Hiker Hostel

Then I headed up to the mountains and stayed at Hiker Hostel, a cute little hostel that allows dogs! So we could bring pups up to hike AND I could run some trails.

Hiker Hostel is great because it’s family owned by a husband and wife who are super friendly, and they have their own bees for honey, and their own chickens! Such an adorable home. If you are ever in North Georgia, it’s a great place to stay! They also have a fully equipped kitchen downstairs so you can make your own dinner.

They have chickens to provide eggs for your breakfast!

They also sell their coffee by the pound, and with a message!

4. Vogel State Park

This cute get-away allowed us to first go up to Vogel State Park where we hiked the Bear Hair Trail with the dogs, and I got to go for a run on the Georgia Death Race course.

The hike on Bear Hair was awesome – lots of beautiful plants, including “flaming azaelias,” a local wild flower, and plenty of water crossings. There were enough hills to make it a difficult hike, but a fun couple of hours with the pups.

Vogel State Park

Then, I hit the Appalachian Trail… a bit easier to run here than on Bear Hair, and not QUITE as much scenery. The trails are pretty rocky, with some water crossings. I had never seen these trails during the day!!! I also had a cathartic moment where I revisited the location where I sprained my ankle.

5. Woody Gap

Monday morning I went for a run at Woody Gap, a section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) between Vogel and Amicalola Falls State Park. These trails are comparable to the AT by Vogel but has better scenic overlooks and is a bit rockier.

They are a difficult run, but worth the beauty. I also ran into a bunch of hikers, surprised to see a runner out there! (Editor’s note: further proof you’re a bad ass.)

Woody Gap

6. Amicalola Falls

Then we went to Amicalola Falls on Monday afternoon for some more hiking. While you can also get on the Appalachian Trail for running from here, we stuck to the park area, which was over-crowded due to the holiday weekend.

The park definitely had a more peaceful feel to it with all of the water (Editor’s note: the falls are gorgeous!), and the hiking was actually pretty difficult. I was pooped after just a few short miles. The dogs were ready to go too!

Amicalola Falls

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Overall, it was one of the best Memorial Day weekends I have ever had!! 5 sets of trails AND a bike ride in 5 days – BLISS! This was all followed by an adjustment on Monday night with Nate, who also adjusted the dogs! (Editor’s note: Whaaaat?!)

With all of this activity all over the trails, it’s important to care for your body! The trails do it for the mind and soul – they make me happy… but how about fueling this type of outdoor activity?

My favorite trail foods are usually foods that provide the right amount of sugars and carbs to keep me going, with just enough protein (Editor’s note: Yay, protein!) to fill me up!

Like Laura’s What I Ate Wednesday, I’m going to give you a “What I Ate on the Trails”:

First, I always fuel on Lara Bars, especially the Cashew Cookie. I also enjoy the Peanut Butter Cookie. They have none of the crap that many other bars have. They are simple ingredients of nuts and dates, unless you get fancier versions, but still few ingredients are added.
Typical trail food also includes potato chips and gummy bears! (Editor’s note: These hot summer months are the time when I’d be with you on the salt!!!)
I also enjoy the following raw veggies as fuel on the trails – these items don’t squish in your pack, and they take a bit longer to digest, so you get a constant supply of the sugar and carbs you need to keep going:

Apples
Sweet Potatoes
Sliced Beets
Packets of Honey (you can make these at home)
The puppies enjoyed some beets while hiking

However, even more than eating just right, it is very important to hydrate! Sunday, I drank over a gallon of water between breakfast and dinner, and I was still thirsty! It’s getting hotter, and this is my plug about being smart with hydration (and it doesn’t hurt to throw in some electrolytes like coconut water) so you can go all day and not feel bad!

I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and are enjoying the warm summer weather!

***

Just when I think I’m active… I read Kat’s post. 😉

What are your favorite outdoor sports? Any favorite trails?

Do you like to run or hike with your dogs?

Meet Luci-furrrr + WIAW

May 29, 2013 By Laura

Lucifer isn’t always scary.

Be honest – how many of you are already horrified at this post? 😉

My best friend has a cat that she named Lucifer. Shortened to Lucy to keep it PC. My friend had a baby and both her and the baby are allergic to Lucy, so I offered to take the cat on a trial basis.

Meet Lucy:

I secretly got her because she matches my rug.

She’s a beautiful grey 9-year-old cat who is NOTHING like her namesake. Thank god.

You may judge me, but I am not a big animal person. I am not home a lot and can’t even keep a plant alive, so the thought of having something that needs constant care doesn’t appeal to me. However, this cat is cool. She sleeps all the time and mostly keeps to herself except at night when she jumps in bed to cuddle with me. Perfect animal for me!

My mom thought it was a stuffed animal and I was playing a prank on her!

To recap: I’m turning 30. I got a cat. The cat is my cuddle partner. I’ll soon be a creepy old cat lady.

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Check out my semi-normal eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see what delicious spring foods everyone else is enjoying!

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Breakfast:

Forgetting to bring my Aminos to my mom’s house made me realize just how much I crave my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). This morning we were happily reunited. 🙂

Breakfast was an old favorite: PB & Jeggs. After a pretty indulgent weekend finished off with burgers and homemade strawberry margaritas I wanted something simple! The “jam” this morning was raspberry.

This fueled a great leg day workout. The gym was still not crowded!!! I guess people are still recovering from the weekend?

I took full advantage of the desertion and did a little Instagram photo shoot. ~~#bloggersterotype~~

Post-Workout Re-Fuel:

In the spirit of ~~not having groceries~~ old favorites, I turned an almost-empty container of Greek yogurt into a Carrot Cake Protein Batter.

Lunch:

Desperation was setting in. The last of the no-salt turkey deli meat, the end of a jar of salsa, and frozen edamame.

I 100% thought I had a bag of Pirate’s Booty in my desk drawer. Nope… I forgot I ate it last week. Don’t you hate it when that happens?!

Snack:

This happened not long after lunch since I didn’t have my desk draw snack. I had one piece of salmon left and the end of bag of spinach. I topped with the lemon, red pepper flakes, herbs de provence, and nutritional yeast.

That salmon may had been of a questionable age… if you don’t hear from me tomorrow, call 9-1-1.

Dinner:

This is when I caved. I wanted to go to kickboxing, but the need for food was greater. Instead I went to the chiro and then to Fresh Market.

I was craving a million different things, but settled on a ghetto version of carbonara.

Instead of pasta, I used tofu spinach noodles. My sauce was a mix of Greek yogurt cream cheese, parsley, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Then I mixed in some shredded turkey, topped it with the infamous runny egg, and drizzled with the a thick fig balsamic. #strangebutgood

Any excuse for a runny egg!

#yolkporn

Dessert:

My favorite meal of the day. I froze some Greek yogurt mixed with half a scoop of protein powder, cinnamon, stevia, and butter extract for about 30 minutes. Then I topped it with cubed butternut squash roasted with cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. And a little cocoa powder sauce (cocoa power, almond milk, cinnamon, and stevia), for good measure.

Translation of this meal: cinnamon roll yogurt with sweet butternut bites and dark chocolate sauce.

***

As much as going back to work after a long weekend hurts, remembering it’s a short week is enough to keep me smiling!

Are you an animal person? What was/is your favorite pet?

What is your typical I’m-desperate-for-groceries meal?

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Butternut, Collard & Tomato Wrap (BCT)

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This Little Piggy Got Spicy

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Beer & Doughnuts

Aged to Delicious Bourbon and Cheese

International Blogger Fro-Yo + WIAW

Breakfast:

Snack 1:

Lunch:

Snack 2:

Dinner:

Work it Out: 15 Detox Foods

Detox Foods

Ultimate Detox Salad

A Food & Wine Weekend

Strange But Good: Microwave Protein Zucchini Bread

Microwave Protein Zucchini Bread

Georgia Running Trail Review + Pancake Fuel

Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes

Mega Trail Heaven – Trail Reviews!

1. Sope Creek trails

2. Yeti Trails

3. Hiker Hostel

4. Vogel State Park

5. Woody Gap

6. Amicalola Falls

Meet Luci-furrrr + WIAW

Breakfast:

Post-Workout Re-Fuel:

Lunch:

Snack:

Dinner:

Dessert:

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