Change is a good thing.
And it’s inevitable (except from vending machines), so you might as well embrace it.
I’ve been changing up my workouts post-competition, doing things like kickboxing, “real” boxing, and spinning. Yesterday I got back in the weight room for a chest and bicep day. I wrote my own workout, as I haven’t gotten my new plan from my trainer yet. That felt surprisingly intimidating, but I kicked my own arse!
The best part? Even after not lifting as often as I was, I hit 3 PRs!!! Change can be a booster, friends.
After that routine, I was in serious need of recovery. I (like the day before) weren’t for an old favorite: my (vegan) Carrot Cake Batter Shake. I did change it up a bit – this time I used my Growing Naturals Vanilla Rice Protein. I swear this stuff is amazing. I actually forgot to add Stevia until the end, but when I tasted it I realized I didn’t need it. The Growing Naturals has added just the right amount of sweetness – enough to be batter-ish, but not so much that it was nauseating after a hard (and HOT) workout.
Also, check out Laura’s smoothie round up for 34 other fun ideas!
This weekend I am SO excited to get to share Growing Naturals with some of my best blogger-friends at the Blend Retreat in Park City, Utah! Growing Naturals is sponsoring my trip and has sent samples of both their rice and pea protein powders, and their new rice drink!
What I love about these is that they:
- Taste good (most important, right?)
- Blends well (none of the chalky ick-factor)
- Are super-clean (vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, and sprouted, and enzymatically processed)
- Have 24g of protein per serving
- Have very little sodium and sugar
- Offer a 96% correlation to whey protein’s amino acid profile… but without the dairy so there is NO bloat
I wish I could share them with everyone!!! You should all come to Blend! 🙂 If you won’t be there, be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram for the live tequila shots with Lindsay weekend action.
Speaking of… I also with the fabulous Kat could come to Blend (I did ask), but she is GRADUATING FROM LAW SCHOOL this weekend!!!
Read on for her fabulously fearless post, and a great vegan recipe. And be sure to tell her congrats in the comments!! 🙂
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Embrace Your Inner Child with TVP Sloppy Joes
(By Kat)
2012, was a year of healing, mending, and replanting my seeds on so many levels. I began trail running (and became addicted). I was healing from injuries and a number of other personal obstacles. I was healing from life. I learned to accept things, I learned to become centered, and this whole year really has already followed the change.
I started my year with a yoga class, and I am truly living my philosophy.
It’s easy to walk the walk, but to be authentic and fearless is often another story.
Do the rest of you have that same internal dialogue that I have? I’m ready for change… no I’m not… yes I am… no I’m not. Then you realize you just have to let yourself be fearless. In an effort to really keep this in the forefront of my mind… and to really remember daily to embrace my commitment to living fearlessly, I got a new tattoo! Like?! (Editor’s note: I LOVE!!!)
In the spirit of embodying fearlessness (and letting my inner adult-child out a little more)… some trail runs have lately taken me on… well, adventures! Saturday, I went on a run called “Janice’s Wheel of Misfortune,” where halfway through the 8.5-ish run, you meet Janice, spin her wheel and are dealt a “misfortune.”
These took place on some of my favorite trails. (Laura, you’ve totally been here, on a different route! – Editor’s note: YES! That was a great run and I want to do it again!)
Some of my favorite trails – The Tributary
Such an awesome idea! The two guys smiling in the picture below together… yeah, they had to run/walk/struggle to get through 4.5 miles with their ankles tied together. (No, they didn’t know each other before the run).
The girl I’m laughing at in the picture had to eat something. While she started off with a 6-count of Chocolate-Covered Krispy Kremes, she ended up with anchovies wrapped around capers (her other options included an entire can of spam, an entire bag of powdered doughnuts, or two cans of Vienna sausage… yeah….).
Others had to carry life-sized stuffed animals, drink warm beer, take a time out, do trivia, drink buttermilk, among other fun misfortunes. I know it’s not fair that I spun and had to do trail math trivia. (Editor’s note: Warm beer?! Whattt?!)
I would do this trail running event again any day! I embraced my inner fearlessness and my inner adult child.
Embracing a fearless spirit also makes me feel way more comfortable in my own skin… it’s going pretty well! 🙂
Speaking of comfort… I’ve got a great comfort food recipe for the gluten-free vegan that will help you to embrace your inner child! (Editor’s note: Seriously? Where am I when you’re making all this deliciousness?!)
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Vegan TVP Sloppy Joes
- 1 C TVP
- 1 C boiling water
- 1 16 oz can tomato paste
- 1 16 oz can garlic tomato sauce
- ½ C honey
- 2 T Tamari (or soy if you’re not GF)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 3-ish T seasoning/dried herbs (mine had some rosemary, basil, thyme, paprika, garlic, onion, and parsley)
- Garlic powder, to taste (I don’t know… maybe about 1.5 tablespoons??)
- ½ large white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- MAYBE extra ½ cup of water at the end (depending upon the TVP)
First add the boiling water to the TVP and let it sit. Then, sauté the onion & Garlic in some oil (and butter if you like), on medium/medium-low heat (~7-10 minutes, let them get pretty translucent).
Then I like to add the TVP to the pan where you are doing the sautéing and add ALL the dry seasonings. Sauté until the TVP looks like it’s drying out a bit, and is completely coated in all the beautiful seasonings (this is how you give the TVP a more “meaty” taste), which should take about 7-10 minutes.
Next, add your tomato paste, tomato sauce, honey and tamari (and I needed an extra ½ cup of water). Simmer for ~15-20 minutes. Then you can adjust the seasonings to taste as you like!
At the end, you know, serve the way you remember loving your Sloppy Joes!
I used Udi’s Gluten Free Buns, toasted, and served with Sea Salt Kettle Chips and roasted brussels sprouts.
I also topped them with the most delicious vegan, soy-free, gluten-free cheese I have ever had, Daiya .
If you haven’t tried their products yet, I highly recommend them, in fact, for these sloppy joes, I liked them better than regular cheese.
This cheese melted like regular cheddar, but seemed lighter and was a bit milder than regular cheddar cheese. A must try!
(Editor’s note: I second this – this is amazing cheeze, especially their pepper jack!!)
You’re welcome – I omitted a photo with my face covered in Sloppy Joe.
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Again, and HUGE congrats to Kat on completing your law education!!! Kat – I’m so sorry to miss your graduation celebration, but I’ll be thinking of you all weekend! You are truly an inspiration.
What have you done to embrace your inner child? To be fearless?
What was your childhood comfort food?
Congratulaions Kat! So exciting! I love Daiya too, it is so deliciously cheesy. And Laura, have fun at Blend. Wish I were going!
I wish you were too!!!
Congrats Kat!! Super exciting! And can’t wait to meet you this weekend Laura! I’m so looking forward to it!
GOOGLING Growing Naturals RIGHT NOW!!! I saw dairy, soy, vegan……. I AM IN… Ha Ha! I wonder i Coconut sugar will have an affect on my stomach….. Blah!
Well whatever, that’s friggin’ AWESOME that you were sponsored by them to go – ONLY ANOTHER REASON why you’re framazing! lol
Thanks!! They really are awesome – and there’s only like 1g of sugar. 🙂
This is weird but I crave Power Crunch protein bars because they remind me of a diet bar called Figurines that my mom at as a kid. She would give them to me too because she thought they were completely nutritious. I thought they tasted like candy. 🙂
That’s too funny! I’m the same way with the cookie dough South Beach bars.
The sloppy joes sound delicious, Kat! I need to try them. Big congrats on graduation….that’s Quite an accomplishment. Best of luck to you!
childhood comfort food? cereal? does that count?? haha
YES! I was craving honey nut cheerios hard core the other day.
gahh! i can’t wait to try this at blend! and see you! and now i want sloppy joes. Is it odd that the vegan ones taste better to me?
I’m on a plane! Wooooo hoooo!
GN might be a new brand I need to try….soy-free is my game. I so wish I was going to BLEND to meet you & so many other awesome bloggy bloggers! 🙂 Have fun!
Yes! They are my #1 vegan powder. The chocolate is the BEST. I wish you were coming too!!!
Ooohhhh, I really must try the rice protein, looking up the details right now! I’m eating ridiculously clean right now so it may be the only protein powder I can eat this weekend 🙂 I keep thinking that I need to pack my own but maybe I shouldn’t…. can’t wait to meet you!
Mmmm, I’m a huge fan of sloppy joes. The hubby doesn’t like them, so I rarely make them – but daaaaaang they’re good!
congrats on the PR’s!!!
can’t believe Blend is here!!! eeekk!
so excited
AGH! Can’t wait to hang out this weekend! Thanks for the smoothie shout out, too. And that sloppy jo recipe? Want!!
Of course! Loved that round up. See you soon!!!
Awesome – congrats Kat on graduating. It’s been a while since I’ve made vegan sloppy joes – I usually make with crumbled tempeh. Those look fantastic
Congrats to Kat!! My favorite childhood comfort food was mashed potatoes. I asked my parents to make them all the time!! Funny thing is, that I don’t like potatoes very much any more. And while I didn’t enjoy sweet potatoes as a kid, now I love them!
I don’t like them either! Love sweet potatoes though. 🙂
Laura – have fun at the Blend Retreat! I keep reading about it!!!! Peas & rice – my tummy kinda does not like, 😉 but sounds delish!
Kat – congrats!!! Loved your thoughts & that inner child quote!!!!
oh my gosh that race/fun run sounds painful but freaking awesome. I can’t imagine running with beer or donuts in my stomach. I like rice protein powder for the same reason, no nasty stomach side effects for me
Dude. You would puke for sure after warm beer. LOL!
Sloppy Joe’s just remind me of that scene in Billy Madison where the lunch lady says she made them extra sloppy! Since these are vegetarian, I can actually give them a shot! Thanks for sharing!
Kat: I love that quote from Bowie (huge bowie fan) and also those sloppy joes look fantastic!
These sloppy joes sound awesome!! Have you ever tried making vegan sloppy joes with lentils? They are amaaazing!
First of all, Laura, I cannot WAIT to see you! [Trying the Growing Naturals will just be a bonus. ;)] As for the recipe, Kat, I am just learning how to really experiment with TVP, and this looks delicious. After using it for a cocoa mole-style ‘sludge’ I thought it would also be delicious as sloppy joes. Great minds think alike?
I am so excited to meet you! and everyone! Don’t run away from me when I chase you down to hug you! LOL
Haha! I’m gonna jump you first!!!
Love that you’re trying such a variety of workouts… you’ve engaged what I call the Multi-Sport Mind! This morning, my son and I played a game: I was a bear and he was a rabbit – the bear agreed not to eat the rabbit in exchange for hugs. And tonight we’re having Sloppy Joes!
I’ve always loved a variety – if I’m not stimulated I won’t do the work!! 🙂
I’ve always been slightly weird. I’ve always maintained that about myself 🙂
It’s part of your charm. 😉
Fearless = coordinating a multi-state move in the span of a couple months and throwing a do it yourself house remodel in the middle of it. Fearless or plain stupid – one of the two 😉
Your arms look amazing! My next fitness plan is to build more muscle and eating copious amounts of vegan sloppy joes! Sloppy Joes were one of my favorite meals as a kid.
Whoa. You are my new hero. Also, I want to come help you. LOL!
Carrot Cake and sloppy joes…now you are talking bizness! 😉
To this day, my mom makes me her homemade chili when I go home to visit. It has always been my comfort food…with Carrot Cake being the only dessert I can not resist! When I go out, I don’t look at the desert menu unless I am prepared to have my treat meal.
I usually ask the waiter, “Whats on the desert menu, besides carrot cake” lol 🙂
Have fun at the Blend..
btw…nice gun show!
My grandmother made carrot cake that was SO delicious… I refuse to eat any other carrot cake. I should send you slice. 😉
Haha I think these sloppy joes and I out to get to know each other 😛
They look delish!
Congrats on graduation that is such a fabulous accomplishment!!!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hey!! I noticed you were in the Atlanta area! My fiance and I will be moving back to Atlanta (i’m originally from Atl, missed it for the past 3 years!) to the Ansley Park area…
Is the gym you go to lift friendly!? Our crossfit gym in Oxford, MS is so much cheaper than most of the gyms in Atlanta and I’m looking to find a happy medium where I can do some power/oly lifting without being frowned at.
Anyways, I’d love to stay in touch regardless! Love having like-minded, fit friends!
So excited, I’ll be back in Atlanta at the end of July.
Hey! That’s awesome! I’m near Ansley myself. I LOVE my gym and it’s super-cheap. Feel free to shoot me an email if you are looking for sepcifics. Would love to meet you!
sent you an email! At work, so please ignore any grammar or other typos haha
girls got some guns!
and fearless tat?! reminds me of a little song i know.. 😛 love it.
muah
Aww, i know I’m a bit late to the party on this one but CONGRATULATIONS Kat!!! Love the tattoo, love the sloppy joes, and omg, that trail run sounds awesome!!
Now I’m sitting here trying to remember what it was that I did as a child where time passed by so quickly…that DIDN’T involve my obsession with Sega and Sonic the Hedgehog…I’m pretty sure that’s NOT what you were thinking by posting that quote! 😉 I think I need to go outside and twirl in circles until I remember! Lol