Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Lure Me Into the Weekend

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Like I ever need any luring into the weekend…

 

However, I was excited for the events of this past weekend.  I’ve recapped the best parts below, including purple basil, watermelon salad, my BFF’s baby’s 1st birthday (remember when he was born?), and dinner at the latest #ATL seafood hot spot.

 

First I want to take a moment to express my condolences to the people of Aurora, CO.  It is beyond me how anyone could do such an evil thing.  Furthermore, I don’t understand why it’s legal to buy those guns.  I know some people consider shooting to be a hobby, but we as a society have proven to ourselves over and over that assault rifles bring nothing but harm.

On to brighter things…

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1. Purple Basil

I found this delicious herb at my local Saturday farmer’s market:

 

 

Purple Basil is not quite as sweet as the green variety, and a bit heartier. Much closer to a romaine lettuce leaf in texture.  I loved it on a P28 Protein Bagel with some Greek yogurt and an heirloom tomato (also from the market).  served with a side of these Indian Roasted Chickpeas – an old recipe, but one I return to often!

 

 

 

2. Baby Jackson Turned 1

My nest friend’s little boy, Jackson, had his 1st birthday this weekend.  I’m sure he won’t remember any of it, but we have a fantastic time celebrating with him!  Doesn’t he look just like his daddy (pic below)?

 

 

We had a some tasty eats compliments of the baby’s grandmother.  I brought a new take on this cotija-watermelon salad that I made for his mamma’s baby shower a little over a year ago.

This new twist contained:

  • Watermelon
  • Cucumber
  • Blueberries
  • Jalapeno
  • Feta cheese
  • Mint
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Light drizzle of olive oil
  • Pepper

 

 

Of course there was cake.  Ever the gentleman, Jackson wasn’t about to face-plant into that baby cake like his Aunt Laura would have.

 

 

3. Dinner at Lure

My friend Keith and I headed to the latest restaurant concept by Fifth Group (an Atlanta restaurant group), Lure.  This group is one of the best in Atlanta, due largely in part to their staff.  The serve and attention to detail is always top-notch, and Lure upholds that tradition.

 

We began the meal with a couple of small plates:

The seared scallop crudo with sugar snap peas and horseradish was a huge win.  I can’t recall ever having a more fresh piece of seafood.  The slightly sweet, crisp snap peas was the perfect light pairing with the scallop, and the dollops of horseradish gave a nice kick to the dish.  This was my favorite dish of the night – love at first bite.

 

The next dish was a plate of French Horn mushrooms with baba ghannouj, chickpeas, and a parsley salad.  I loved the mushrooms, and the bright lemon juice the dressed the parsley.  I found the baba ghannouj to be a bit salty (I’m sensitive to salt, so you may think it’s perfect).

 

For round two, we ordered one more small plate and a main.  We were absorbed in conversation, so we didn’t notice our second dishes were taking a while to come out.  That didn’t stop a manager from coming out to apologize and off us free soup!  I didn’t get a pic of the Tom Yum Shrimp Bisque, but we very much appreciated the gesture.

Our entrees did arrive, and they were beautiful:

The small plate we chose was grilled octopus & pork lettuce wraps with basil, cilantro, red onion, rice noodles, and spicy Vietnamese sauce.  I loved the heat in the sauce.  The octopus was good, not too chewy… but I barely remember the pork.

 

My main was a sautéed black grouper served atop silver queen corn, curry, yogurt sauce, and a spicy lime pickle.  I was surprised at how well the strong flavors worked with the flaky fish.  It was perfectly executed.  The spice from the curry was excellent with the sweetness of the worn and the slightly sour citrus of the lime pickle.  It didn’t top the scallops, but it was close!

 

We were comfortably full… but it was my cheat day… how could I pass up dessert?  After polling everyone via Instagram, I selected the guava and coconut bread pudding.

This deliciousness was served with a creme anglaise and toasted hazelnuts.  We loved the bread – a brioche from the famed H&F Bread Co.  The toasted hazelnuts we like the icing on this cake.  Ever the texture lover, I enjoyed their nutty crunch with the chewy toasted coconut that coated the soft bread pudding.  It was also the perfect size and sweet-level.  Just enough to hit the spot without regrets.

 

Overall, this 5-day old restaurant impressed me.  As I said, the service was perfect.  The food was solid as well; it has a distinct “Fifth-Group” feel.  In comparison to The Optimist (the other new Atlanta seafood restaurant I wrote up last week), it is different.  The Optimist is more “farm-to-table” seafood; it uses few ingredients and allows the main ingredient to speak for itself.  Lure focuses more on spices and offers many dishes with of an “ethic” twist.  Both good in their own way.

Side note: Lure’s wine list is much better, another signature of this restaurant group.

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I didn’t just eat my way through the entire weekend!  I stuck to my workout plan and was very good about getting in my 7 meals after admitted last Wednesday to not being excited about eating anything.  This week’s workouts were pretty exciting to me – I’m starting to notice bigger gains in my arms.  I was able to do preacher curls with an EZ curl bar that I couldn’t think about curling a month ago!

The real boost happened Saturday at the farmer’s market.  I was walking around, eating free samples (it was cheat day!), and one of the women working looked at me and said “flex.”  I said “excuse me?” and she repeated herself.  I thought she was kidding, but she was serious!  I blushed hard… but obliged.  LOL!  It made my day.  Thank you, free sample lady. 🙂

 

 

Workout Recap (7/16- 7/23):

  • Monday – Back/Triceps, calf raises
  • Tuesday – Shoulders/Glutes, 2 mile walk
  • Wednesday – Chest/Biceps, calf raises, 1 mile walk
  • Thursday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk
  • Friday – Back/Triceps, calf raises, 100 push-ups, 2 mile walk
  • Saturday – Shoulders/Glutes, 3 mile walk
  • Sunday – *rest day* … easy 3 mile walk

***

I also cooked a lot this weekend.  I cannot wait to share some new recipes this week, including one reader request! 🙂

What was the best part of your weekend?

What new item have you tried recently?  Have you ever had purple basil?

 

Comments

  1. Sounds like you had a fantastic week and weekend my friend 😀
    Lots of cooking, eating, exercising and celebrating 🙂
    Jackson is adorable!!!
    A wonderful post!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  2. Wow talk about a delicious weekend indeed! I’ve tried purple potatoes before but am yet to taste purple cauliflower & basil…they sure look pretty though! Your arms are looking great- am loving the vein popping out of your bicep :)! I don’t know if it’s all in my head but I find that the more I lift weights, the quicker I see strength gains…in the sense that initially it took me ages to move up in dumbbell weights, but now I am moving up a lot quicker (despite training the same number of days a week)!

    • I love purple cauliflower! And orange cauliflower.

      That is so true – once you break that first plateau your gains come much more quickly… until the next plateau. 😉

  3. Damn girl, your upper body is ripped! I am loving your journey! Very inspiring. I am looking to change up my routine with heavier lifting and reading your posts have really given me the push to move beyond my comfort zone. Now I just need to figure out the best meal plan. I eat fish and eggs, but can’t digest milk and have a strong distaste towards meats.

    • Thank you so much!!

      Heavier lifting is definitely a fun challenge. If you eat fish and eggs, you shouldn’t have a tough time getting the protein. I have cut back dairy significantly because it causes my skin to break out. Just be sure to get a good protein powder to supplement!

    • I started eating it about a year ago when I tried the swordfish at Cakes & Ale… they say your taste buds change every 7 years and I think that’s held true for me!

  5. whoa that seared scallop dish looks to die for, it looks so fresh! You look so strong in your picture. I am totally inspired by your hard work in and out of the gym.

    • I’d check local farmer’s market since it’s in season right now. I haven’t seen it in my typical grocery store.

  7. I can’t believe Jackson is 1! I remember the post a year ago 😀

    Looks like you had a great weekend!

  8. Killer arms! SO great when you can finally see/feel hard work paying off! And wow, you go to the best-looking restaurants–I feel like you should put together a guide on fine dining in ATL 🙂

    • I think we should get together with your tomato salad and my watermelon salad. 🙂

  10. Dang you are doing such an incredible job on the training! I love your dedication! Watching you transform is awesome! Thank you for sharing this journey!

    The events that occurred in Aurora were unbelievably awful. It hit our group pretty hard being that Tony and many of our friends work for DC comics. I can’t even begin to understand the thinking behind such an event. I don’t disagree with people owning guns, but I do think there needs to be more of a psychological test or something to evaluate people before they can purchase guns. The downside to that is that if they wanted them…they would find a way. Legal or not. Ugh, it is just so sad…

    • Thanks, arena. 🙂 I’ve appreciated your nutrition advice/tips!

      A psych exam would be a great idea. Another point is there needs to be a limit on how much ammo you can buy. they limit Sudafed, why not bullets???

  12. Looks like you’ve had some delicious eats! 🙂 Probably one of the best parts about mine and Brit’s weekend was the wedding that we worked at the golf course (our summer job). The best man was a Calvin Klein model (hellooo beautiful!) and there was entire table of gorgeous young men whom the groom informed me were “his drunk single friends” – they were hilarious, super friendly (/flirty) and it was a lot of fun! I also went to the beach with one of my best friends who I haven’t seen in a while (brit was working) to watch her boyfriends volley ball game.

    Purple basil – THAT’S SO COOL!:D I didn’t even know that existed, but I will definitely be looking for it, basil is one of my favourite herbs!:)

  14. Love the arms – looking good!! That mushroom dish at Lure looks awesome, I love mushrooms. We had a great weekend, but I think the best part was a quick trip up to Longmont to hang out with Lauren, Greg, & Kim and sample beers at two different breweries. Very Colorado, right?! 🙂

  16. You’re so buff!! Can’t wait to see the new recipes you’ve concocted. I love Fifth Group. I actually went to La Tavola last night for my birthday… did you know if you sign up for their loyalty card, you get $20 off your first visit during your birthday month?

  19. Look at those guns! That’s awesome that she asked you to flex. 🙂 Congrats on getting stronger, you are definitely looking stronger, too! You’re so inspiring.

  20. Whoa! Sexy mama!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!! I’m sure you’re sick of me telling you how inspirational you are, but I just can’t resist!! I’ve never even heard of purple basil, but anything with that beautiful hue must be good!
    There are just soo many amazing restaurants in ATL! I’m glad you had such an awesome dining experience! That bread pudding looks epic! It’s hands down my fav dessert, but I’ve never had one with coconut! Drool…

    • Min, you are too kind. 🙂

      ATL has really grown up in the restaurant space recently. You’l have to come back for a visit!

  21. So great to hear that muscle progress, Laura! It’s so neat to hear compliments from other people like that. 🙂 Your hard work is paying off! Glad you had such a great weekend – looked fun in every respect and that restaurant seems incredible!

  24. I have purple basil in my garden/pots!!!!! 😀

    Gosh you are looking great girl! WOW! Your training AND eating is definitely working! You’ve never looked better! I am so proud of you, lovie!!!!!! <3 so so so so proud! Seriously! I don't think you understand how MUCH of an inspiration you are to me!

    Your eats look amazing. My mouth seriously started to salivate as I looked at those scallops! They are like my FAVOURITE! All of the flavours paired with them sounded phenomenal!

    Ahhhhh you look fabulous!

    Hoep you are liking your tea??

    Looking forward to your recipes, love!

    I love you Laura!

    • Really?! I love that… AND I want to try your cinnamon basil!!!

      YOU inspire me every day… and so does that tea, which is fabulous. I drank it down and forgot a pic though! I’m going to send you one in my fav mug. 🙂

  25. You are looking phenomenal!
    It’s definitely great to hear positive comments on how your training is progressing!
    The eats sound delicious as well, and glad you got in a much needed rest day.

  28. Nice! I love it when I get compliments from complete strangers! You’re guns are for sure growing missy…that self pic is awesome!

    The restaurant sounds incredible and I’m sure that scallop dish would have me swooning too. And your main looks amazing! I’ve never tried lime pickle but I’m totally drooling over that corn, curry, yogurt puddle it’s sitting in! I’m also really sensitive to salt and I hate it when dips and spreads taste over salted to me but to every one else they’re fine. Guess we’ll just see who develops heart disease first! 😉

    Funny you should ask…I’m sure you already saw it on IG, but I tried escargot for the first time on Saturday and LOVED it! The garlic butter sauce it was swimming in took it even further in the “holy crap this is amazing” category! 😉

    • Thanks! It did feel really good. 🙂

      I missed the escargot! Off to find that pic now! I don’t know if I could stomach it…. but I’d try!

  29. You look frikken AHMAZING!!! All your hard work is def paying off love!!! Also, I remember you posting about Jackson being born and it reeeally doesn’t seem like a year ago?! So scary how fast time flies!! As always your eats look ridonkulous! I WILL visit you one day and we WILL eat our way through each and every worthy restaurant in Atlanta! Ha! With lots of training mixed in as well obvs! 😉

    • Thanks, Hayley! 🙂

      Time does fly. just think… YOU could have had a kind in that time. LOL!

      I’d absolutely die if you can and visited me. ATL wouldn’t know what hit it. BOOM. 😀

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