Strange But Good Midnight Snack

February 22, 2013 By Laura

There’s some “rule” about not eating after 7p.

I call bullshit on that rule…

I don’t buy into that. You’re body uses sleep time to recover. What helps the body recover? Nourishment! Why would you go to bed hungry?

Plus, then you wake up hangry. I don’t need any added grump-factors early in the morning! Thus, I always have a midnight snack.

This just looks like an innocent chocolate Greek yogurt bowl… a little cereal, cocoa powder sauce, cacao nibs… cayenne… but that’s not strange ~~for me~~.

Then this happened:

Attack of the killer carrot!

You guys know I love carrots. A lot. What could be better than carrot cake? A Chocolate Carrot Cake Protein Bowl! So, I grated a carrot and tossed it into the mix. Then mixed thoroughly.

All swirled together, each bite had creamy chocolate, a ribbon of rich cocoa sauce, sweet carrot, light crunches from the crispy cereal, and a satisfying bite from the cacao nibs. Sensory overload, in a strange but good way.

Yes, I’ve used the same spoon all week. Don’t judge.

Obviously I hated it.

Chocolate Carrot Cake Bowl

3/4 C Greek yogurt
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)
1 carrot, grated

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

Top as desired. My toppings included: brown rice crispy cereal, cacao nibs, and a cocoa powder sauce (1T cocoa powder, 1T almond milk, 3-4 drops liquid Stevia).

Devour. Sleep like a baby.

I want to see YOUR strange but good food!

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. 🙂

***

This week has seemed longer than most… I’m really looking forward to the weekend and some Oscar-watching!

Do you believe in a late night snack?

Will you watch the Oscars? Is anyone making some Oscar-themed snacks? I’m putting my strange but good thinking cap on…

Doing New Things and Freaking Out Co-Workers

February 21, 2013 By Laura

Blogging can change your life.

Ok, maybe that’s dramatic… but it can change your state of mind!

I was feeling pretty down about having to postpone my next competition. All of your comments lifted me up yesterday. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s funny how “strangers” can make you feel ~~warm and fuzzy~~ supported and put you in a more positive place.

Not that I really think of you as strangers… we Tweet, email, Instagram, Facebook… some of my best friends are people I’ve never met in person!

Speaking of strange… it’s Kat’s day to post! We haven’t gotten to hang as much lately, yet she’s still managed to write a post that hit home for me. And included a green smoothie, which you know I love. ♥

Here’s Kat…

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LIFE is hitting me right now. I think I just realized that I’m going to be an attorney later this year! (Editor’s note: YAYYYYYY Kat!)

I’ll be studying for the bar this summer. I can’t imagine the focus that will take! I’m used to doing 100 things (I currently hold 3 jobs and go to school) and keeping up with yoga and running and all the other fun workouts and friend time I fit in! OH BOY!

Wanna know a secret? I’m scared. I’m afraid of whatever job I end up with, I’m afraid of failing, and I’m afraid I won’t come up on top. I’m afraid of fitting in, and I’m afraid of standing out. Let’s face it – I’m weird… if you hadn’t noticed. (Editor’s note: I think that’s why we get along so well. 🙂 )

My strategy? Continue to be myself and just keep breathing! I just need to keep being myself, embracing my life, and things will fall into place. (Read: I will conquer the world.)

I’m working on my business plan actively and figuring out how I will be a successful attorney even if I don’t land a job at a firm – I am capable of business generation. However, I’m also considering the big firm world, something I never thought I would do! Cheers to trying new things! *Raises Glass!*

However, I’m also considering the Big Firm world, something I never thought I would do!

Cheers to trying new things! *Raises Glass!* And I will pretend like I fit in. 🙂 Who knows – I might?????

It’s okay to be WEIRD (like I always say), so I’m going to share a couple of other WEIRD secrets today. Something many of you will be surprised to hear… you may not even believe me. (Editor’s note: I’m ashamed to admit that this made me think of Honey Boo Boo… “Nothing wrong with being gay. Everybody’s a little gay!”)

Whoever has been reading my blog posts knows by now that my metaphor for life is what will make you happy in the long run… and a lot of little things add up to a lot of happiness! Why not do a couple of little things that will just ease stress and help you live a happier, longer, healthier life?

Here goes nothing… the secret…. You should know: I hate the grocery store. (I know, shocking –but it’s true). It is my least favorite chore on the face of the planet, and for a while there, I refused to go! That’s right, refused. Rule number 1. Stop doing things you don’t want to do.

How did I get food in my house, you ask? Great question. I paid a grocery shopper!! That’s right, she went grocery shopping for me, paid, and brought them back to my house, and I would write her a check, which included her fee.

Now, before you judge me, this is an excellent strategy. Think about it – you are prohibited from randomly getting something NOT on your list that seems tempting while at the store (thus, saving money). It saves you time because you don’t have to mull over decisions like… “Which salsa – the Publix Organic or Newman’s? One is on sale, but I think I like the other one better…” You save precious time and gas (which makes the money worth it!).

Dove told me to share this tip with you!

I think this is the greatest tip of all time. And then you get to tell foodie friends like Laura about your secret and they give you a seriously hard time – which is just funny! (Editor’s note: True… I LOVE grocery shopping… but I will pay to have someone clean my condo!)

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The trying new things part of this is that I started doing my own grocery shopping at the beginning of the New Year!! Look at some of the fun things you remember to get when you shop!

Green Amazing Smoothie

2 Tbsp Chia
Some Banana-Based Green Juice (Some might be ¼ cup)
Some water (maybe 4 tbsp or so)
One scoop of Protein Powder
One scoop of Green Vibrance
¼ – ½ Cup pumpkin (canned OR fresh if you’re not lazy like me!)
Cinnamon, Salt, and Maple to taste

Mix it up and refrigerate for a few hours.

BOOM! ENJOY THAT SHIT!

The best part – you can’t go wrong on any measurement. The other best part – you are FULL forever. Yes, forever. (I’m lying) One more best part – people will look at you weird when you get a green mustache, or when they see the concoction.

The other new but not-so-new part of this – it’s fun to eat weird, dark, dark green pudding-ish food at the office to freak out your co-workers! 😉

Know what else freaks your co-workers out? Telling them how crazy you are. I think they all have mini heart attacks when they hear I’m about to run the Georgia Death Race – 60 miles is definitely nuts, but totally me. Check out the award we get at the end:

Old railroad bed nails!!!

One more secret. I never learned how to cook for one person. NEVER. That’s right. But I recently have been attempting this. See my beautiful salmon with brussels, onions, and mushrooms? BAM dinner for one. And it was delicious and perfectly cooked. GO ME!

This trying new things thing is going pretty well for me this year!

***

Don’t you guys see why I love this girl? I wish I could bottler her energy sand sell it.

What new things have you tried this year to get outside your safety box?

What weird things do you eat at work that turn your co-workers heads, and make them say, “uhhhhh – what IS that??” Everything. It’s allll Strange But Good.

My Figure Delay + WIAW

February 20, 2013 By Laura

Knowing when to hold off is important.

But I really hate it.

Yesterday I did a leg session with my trainer (I am walking like a granny today). I was going to do my next figure competition in March, just 4 weeks from now. We talked about my progress and decided to delay .

This is why:

My upper body has filled out a lot. Shoulders are wider, back more developed… he actually said my upper body is competition-ready now. BUT do you see my butt? It’s not catching up. ~~Why, oh why doesn’t chocolate cake go straight to my butt and legs?~~

So we made the call to hold off until May to give me more time to grow so that I can present better in a couple more months. We’ll be going super heavy, making some TBD diet changes, and focusing more on my rear. The diets changes I had made (mostly more fat) have been good, but the gains haven’t been quite to the point we need.

I’m disappointed. My bum bums me out… but I know my trainer is right. 🙁

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In happier news, I finally have a WIAW post where I got to eat at home! I don’t really mind being on the road, but not eating out of a baggie is a welcome change.

Check out my 7 home-cooked meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how others dined this week!

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Meal 1:

I’m still loving my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos).

30 mins later I made my new favorite breakfast: toasted Ezekial English muffin with some warmed no-salt deli turkey, nutritional yeast sauce, and a runny egg. I ate it with a side of sweet lime. Sweet lime = Strange But Good.

Savory Nooch Sauce

1 T nutritional yeast
Apple cider vinegar
Cumin
Cayenne
Liquid smoke
Pinch of xanthan gum (to thicken)

Meal 2:

I really love having salmon with fruit for meal 2. Today I ate it with my sweet lime, raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), basil, and a little cayenne. Sweet lime really is amazing – like a mild orange.

Meal 3:

Lunch was post-workout, so it was a Carrot Cake Whey creation. This is one of my go-tos. I love carrots.

Carrot Cake Whey

1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1 carrot, grated
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 C greek yogurt
1/4 C raw oatmeal
Enough water to mix

Then I decided I deserved a little treat – kombucha! I drank it in the car with the moon roof open. I’m loving being home where it’s 60 degrees and sunny by lunch! I re-set my HRM post-workout to catch the leg day after-burn. 125 cals in the hour following my workout!

Meal 4:

After talking to my trainer, we are going to be looking at keeping the fats high. This way I can shovel in more calories without being too stuffed to want to eat (which is what happened when we tried to drastically increase carbs). This is the fun part! I made bison burgers… cooked with bacon.

The bottle in the background is Robbie’s sugar-free, low-sodium BBQ sauce I found at Whole Foods. I’d made my own before my first competition, but when I saw this I had to try it. I like mine better, but this wasn’t bad!

Eaten with cucumber slices and some unpictured hummus

Meal 5-7:

That’s not a typo – this was like 3 meals in one. I had dinner at Lure with local bloggers and friends, Beth and Amy. I love these girls – we laughed through the entire meal.

When we sat down we were gifted with a giant punch bowl from the owner. It was some sort of apple cider and rum concoction, and it was absolutely fabulous. ~~We must be getting old, because we actually couldn’t finish it all.~~

For my app I ordered brussels. It’s actually a side item, but it sounded so good. Roasted brussels with grapes, pumpkin seeds, and lemon aioli. I loved the flavor together, but the aioli was so rich that I only finished half (it was a HUGE serving!). There was some (unpictured) sesame bread involved too.

Dinner was a delicious grilled Arctic Char fillet coated in berbere spice served with young carrots and farro verde. I almost licked my plate… but saved a little room for dessert. A chocolate and peanut butter mousse cake. It was so good I forgot to take a pic until we’d eaten all but 2 bites of the slice. Bad blogger.

***

The protein count for the day: 150.1g. I think… you never know with restaurant meals. Either way, I sufficiently refueled after a brutal leg day.

Have you ever had to take a step back to perform even better in the long run?

Do you enjoy traditionally savory foods with a pop of sweet from fruit? It’s a favorite Strange But Good in my kitchen!

Work It Out Away From Home

February 19, 2013 By Laura

Everyone likes a routine.

I love change, but not when it interferes with my workout.

In my job I have to travel a good amount. Airports, hotels, and packing ridiculous amount of food don’t really bother me. What DOES get under my skin is trying to fit a good workout in, and having to do it in a hotel gym.

After long days in conference rooms and meal times being thrown off, it’s sometimes hard to motive to leave the hotel room for a workout. Then there’s the problem of having to figure out how to work it out in a small hotel gym ~~next to some stinky dude practicing karate kicks~~.

I’ve learned to be flexibly inflexible. I’m NOT flexible in that I refuse to skip my workout. Being sedentary all day is all the more reason TO workout. The flexibility comes in with my routine. I have to change-up my planned workout and adapt to the situation.

Many of my workouts require squat racks, simpler machines, and barbells. The gym on my last couple of trips had only free weights, a bench, and a stability ball.

I managed to adapt 2 shoulder/glute days, 1 chest/bicep day, and 1 back/tricep day. The back and tricep workout was the hardest for me to create, but it also was my favorite! I get a lot of questions about my workouts, so I wanted to share this one with you today. Simple to do with minimal equipment!

For each exercise, do 3 sets of 10-12 reps. If you are lifting heavy, do 4 sets of 6-10 reps. Click the links below for a written explanation of each move.

If you need an added challenge, consider incorporating active recovery between each set. Tina wrote a great post on active recovery options here. My favorite are jumping jacks!

Back

One Arm Rows

Dumbbell Clean and Press

Prone Reverse Flys

(can be done on a ball or a flat bench)

Bent Over Two Arm Rows

(I did these as fulls and partials)

Standing Dumbbell Upright Rows

Triceps

Single Arm Nose Busters

Two Arm Overhead Extension

Bench Dips…

superset with Diamond Push-ups

One Arm Kickbacks

***As usual, here’s the disclaimer: I’m not a professional. Use common sense and don’t actually bust your nose doing Nose Busters. And if you do mess up your pretty face, don’t sue me. Please.**

***

No equipment? Try one of my Top 5 Favorite Tabata-Style Workouts!

Has anyone else been working on the rump after last week’s post?

Do you workout while you’re traveling? Running is a great way to see a city… when it’s not snowing.

Butternut Banana Protein Shake

February 18, 2013 By Laura

There is something in the water.

Ok, there are probably lots of things in our water… I don’t think about it.

This weekend I must have been drinking the ‘roid water because I was hitting PRs all over the gym. I don’t feel any different in terms of ability, but for some reason the weights were lighter these past few days.

My Saturday PRs were: (unassisted) dumbbell chest press, include bench press with a twist, and pullovers. Then on Sunday I PR’d on the read delt machine. I’d been stuck at the same weight forever… but I turned up the music and told the thing is was going to move ~~Cee Lo-style~~.

The only thing I’ve changed is to make sure that immediately following a workout I have whey protein with a complex carb. That works for me because my favorite post-workout snack is a protein shake.

I had not been making many – it’s too cold – BUT Heather gave me a good reason to being them back into my life with her Meatless Monday A-Z ingredient: Xanthan Gum!

Xanthan gum is a thickening agent and it prevent separation. These qualities make it a perfect smoothie/shake addition! If you read the ingredient list for most ice creams and milkshakes, you’ll find Xanthan gum, as it gives these desserts a fabulous creamy texture.

Bananas are often used to make shakes thicker in the healthy-living community. I used it in my Oatmeal Cookie Shake! Never one to settle for “normal,” I began using alternatives like butternut squash or sweet potatoes to thicken my protein-laced creations. What I never thought to do until this weekend was use BOTH.

Sweet banana and butternut make for one fabulous combination. It’s almost like a cold pie filling! I loved it with the almond extract – it makes everything taste like cookies to me.

This shake is especially good to have post workout – you get your 20g of protein from the powder, carbs from the banana and butternut, potassium for muscle recovery from the banana, and anti-inflammatory benefits from ginger and cinnamon.

A little bit of Xanthan goes a long way here with the already-creamy banana and butternut combo. What results is a treat so fantastically thick you’ll need to eat it with a spoon.

If you’re so inclined – and I am ALWAYS inclined – you can toss in some spinach for an extra serving of greens. You can’t taste it. Don’t be scared.

Yes, I put this back in the blender after taking pics the “normal” colored shake.

Butternut Banana Shake

1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/3 C butternut squash, pre-cooked
1/2 banana
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2-1/4 in piece fresh ginger
1/8 tsp Xanthan gum
6-7 drops liquid Stevia (optional)
Spinach (optional)
Ice + water, to taste

Place everything in a high-speed blender (I used my Vitamix) and blend until smooth.

Transfer to a glass and enjoy!

***

I know some one will ask… that spoon is from this Etsy shop. ~~Good luck. I spent an ungodly amount of money on spoons.~~

Can you name a food that starts with an X? I think I can name 2… I have NO idea what Heather’s going to do for the next few rounds!

Have you ever used thickeners for before?

Strange But Good Spinach Dip

February 15, 2013 By Laura

Green food has my heart.

Next year I may revolt and turn Valentine’s Day into an ode green food.

Dip is always good in my book. Well, almost. I’m sure there have been nasty dips made. One of my favorite dips – Spinach – is beautifully green. The problem with most spinach dips is that they are loaded with cheese/fat/salt/other stuff I can’t have. And where’s the protein?!

I went back to my vegetarian days for the solution. Tofu and nutritional yeast. I swear there is nothing these two ingredients can’t do.

Blending the two together with my favorite spices created a creamy, cheesy base for my spinach dip. Cinnamon and nutmeg may seem like strange additions, but they are really good with greens! They complemented the smoked paprika to give this dip a fabulous depth.

Of course I then I un-veganized the recipe. Twice.

For lunch I made a crust from 2T Kamut flour, 1T coconut flour, 1T apple cider vinegar, and just enough water to make it pancake batter consistency. Then I cooked it a pan like a pancake before topping it with my Spinach Tofu Dip, zucchini, and balsamic chicken and placing it under the broiler to brown.

Then for Meal 6 I mixed my dip with shredded chicken in a ramekin and baked it for 10 mins to make a creamy spinach-chicken treat. The dip alone would be awesome wamred in the oven and eaten with crusty bread.

It tasted even better because my chicken was FREE! Whole ~~Paycheck~~ Foods took much longer than promised to get the Naked (read: no salt) rotisserie chicken out of the oven. I waited SO long to get it that they comped my whole chicken! They may be pricey, but Whole Foods has the BEST customer service. Amazing Valentine’s Day present. 🙂

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Cheesy Spinach Tofu Dip

9 oz firm tofu
3 cloves garlic
2 T nutritional yeast
2 T apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 C frozen spinach, thawed

Place all ingredients except the spinach in a high-speed blender and mix until smooth.

Squeeze excess moisture out of spinach, then add to blender.

Pulse until just combined; there should still be large pieces of spinach.

Makes 1 3/4 C.

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I want to see YOUR strange but good food!

The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above.

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

***

Single’s Awareness Day isn’t so bad. I visited to my two loves: the gym and Whole Foods. Good workout + free chicken = happy blogger.

When was the last time you experienced excellent customer service?

Did you do anything strange for Valentine’s Day? Keep it clean, ya’ll… 😉

Happy Singles Awareness Day

February 14, 2013 By Laura

I like being ~~married to the gym~~ single.

I couldn’t even handle having a cat in my life.

What I can handle is eating red food. I’ve been traveling too much to make anything special, but if I make it to the grocery store today I may eat something red.

In the meantime, I did manage to round-up my favorites… and separate them into courses. ~~This is what happens when you blog on an airplane.~~

Then I couldn’t help myself – I made a new sugar-free, high protein microwave cake when I got home from the airport. It was late, the pics are dark… but this is what happens when you are without chocolate cake and Nuttzo for days. Cravings must be satisfied! Recipe at the end.

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Breakfast

Raspberry Baked Oatmeal (To-Go!)

♥

Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal

♥

Roasted Beet and Orange Smoothie

♥

Mains

Crabby Smoked Gazpacho

♥

Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

♥

Veggie Sushi with Beet Wasabi Sauce

♥

Dessert

Beet Protein Frozen Custard

♥

Strawberry Smoky Almond Tart

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This last dessert is the one I made upon arriving home last night. I had a fierce peanut butter and chocolate craving, and this sugar-less treat fit the bill. And did I mention it has 30g of protein???

If you stop the microwave while it still looks a tad jiggly on top, you’ll have a gooey, molten cake. Which is exactly when I did, and highly recommend. Then I topped it with a healthy serving of Nuttzo (which I am obsessed with), and a festive strawberry heart.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Microwave Cake

2 T peanut flour
1 scoop (2T) chocolate protein powder
1 T cocoa powder
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 T pumpkin puree
1/4 C egg whites
1/4 unsweetened almond milk (or water)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
8 drops chocolate liquid stevia (I used NuNaturals)

Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet to dry and stir to combine.

Transfer to a small, greased bowl (I used coconut oil). Microwave until just done, ~ 45-60 secs.

Transfer to a plate, top as desired, and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritionals: 180 calories, 4g fat, 150.8mg sodium, 11.2g carbohydrates, 4.8g fiber, 1.5g sugar, 31.5g protein

I received this jar of NuttZo free of charge through participation in a FitFluential campaign. I was not otherwise compensated; all opinions on the product are my own (I already ate the stuff religiously). Check out NuttZo on Twitter and/or Facebook!

***

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I think this is the perfect night to curl up with a glass of red wine, some popcorn, and dark chocolate while watching Grey’s.

Do you have big Valentine’s plans?

What is your favorite Valentine-themed food? I dig those Reese’s hearts… the shapes have more PB!

What I Ate in Ohio

February 13, 2013 By Laura

Road food can be scary.

Opossum, McDonald’s, gas station dinners…

If you do frequent gas stations for dinner on the road, you might be excited by this news… Lay’s is testing some new flavors: Chicken & Waffles, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Sriracha.

Apparently you’ll be able to find all 3 flavors in the next week or so. Lay’s is then offering customers a chance to vote for their favorite in May. The flavor with the most votes stays, the other 2 are ~~voted off the island~~ discontinued.

I don’t even need to taste them. I vote for Sriracha. It could be Strange But Good… ~~or it could be nasty.~~

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I assure you, I avoided Lay’s on my business trip. Remember last WIAW when I was packing all my food to-go? This week we left earlier, so you get to see all that food in action. I’ve been whipping out my prepared meals (and iPhone camera) with pride! ~~Ohio doesn’t know what to think of me.~~

Check out this post for a super-detailed explanation and tips for traveling with healthy foods!

Check out my 7 meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how others dined this week!

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