Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Weird Holiday Flavors + WIAW

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40% of the items in a grocery store are new each year.

I’d rather have an actual Oreo Blizzard

According to what Michael Pollen found in his research.  I doubted this until I realized that new flavors and formulas count.  Think about all the variations done on Oreos – peanut butter, mint, 100 calorie packets… it’s endless.

An article on So Good Blog called out food-makers for going too far on the holiday variations.  Specifically cited is Chocolate Eggnog (agreed – but I don’t like nog) and Pumpkin Cream Cheese (he’s crazy… pumpkin was practically born on a bagel).

On my list is peppermint-flavored items.  I like peppermints, but please don’t add the flavor to perfectly good food.  Like coffee.

 

Enough about bad foods.  It’s What I Ate Wednesday!

 

Pre-Workout Breakfast:

When I workout first thing in the morning I usually don’t eat anything more than a nibble of peanut butter or a date.  That is unless I wake up STARVING!  After the killer workout yesterday I must have been burning food like a mad man woman in my sleep!

I heated a Van’s Organic Blueberry Waffle in the oven and topped it with banana, cinnamon, and sugar-free syrup.

Perfect for my needs… I did a solid hour with some heavy weights.

Post-workout snack:

Since the pre-workout was only a waffle, I was ready for more after I finished in the gym.  My post-workout 20g of protein (must-have to build muscle!) came in the form of a (green) sweet potato protein shake.

Sweet Potato Protein Shake

  • 3 T sweet potato puree
  • 1 C spinach
  • 3/4 C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (a la So Delicious)
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 2 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 1 tsp maca
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of guar gum (to thicken)
  • Shake of salt
  • Ice + water, to taste

*Normally I add Stevia or banana to sweeten my shakes, but the So Delicious and the sweet potato provided enough sweetness on their own!

Lunch:

If you read my post yesterday you may have seen a lovely salad.  So lovely that I had a repeat for lunch today.

 

Those carrot patties are really incredible (hot or cold) and I love having my Basil Walnut Pesto creation (also on yesterday’s post) in the salad mix.  The sweet bursts from the pomegranate seeds make for a fun salad.  (Read: Trying to avoid staining the shirt I wore to work.)

Dinner:

This barley-based “risotto” was even better than I expected!

This recipe will come tomorrow, along with a special feature –

I scored an interview with Chef Cindi Avilia, who works in recipe development for Lightlife!

Snacks:

I had a little biscuit-baking fail… and snacked on my misery while deciding that yes, they really were un-servable (is that a word?).

There was also a citrus Kombucha involved.  I love Kombucha.

Old pic… same drink, sans jerky

I made 100 Sparkling Cake Balls (cake balls made with sparkling wine, in case you missed it) for orders received (so exciting – people are BUYING my food!)… which called for a little pairing experiment. 😉

***

Head over to Peas and Crayons to celebrated the Humpty-Hump on Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.

Have you seen any crazy holiday flavors?  Which ones do you like or dislike?

What’s your best holiday baking fail?

Pumpkin Protein Bars

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Get “pumped” up.

Maybe not quiiiiite as pumped as Hans, Franz, and Arnold.

 

Weights are my winter my focus though.  When you are lifting weights, you need to take in enough protein to build muscle and achieve that toned look.  (Click here for more on Building Muscle/Protein Intake) 

Getting enough protein is sometimes hard to do on a diet that is plant-based.  No worries.  I baked my way to getting protein… and it even involves pumpkin!  Bonus: they are low sugar.

 

 

These pumpkin bars are easy to make – just one bowl and you’re done.  They are extremely moist (thank you, pumpkin).  If you like a more “cake-like” bar, just add more flour.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that the bars freeze really well.  Unbelievably, I think they got even better post-freeze with a quick 20 seconds in the microwave.

 

 

I cut mine up in to pretty small squares.  I did the nutritionals for one square, but I eat 2 at a time.  That’s 5g of protein for 100 calories and <3g of sugar.  Perfect for a little pre-workout fuel.

Recipe at the bottom!

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My ankle has been jacked up (yep, that’s the technical term) since the Thanksgiving Half Marathon so I’ve been loyal to my commitment not to run. 🙂  Of course, since I can’t run I really WANT to go for a run.  *sigh*

I did try something new this week – spinning!  I did it once before in high school and my butt was so sore after I swore I’d never do it again.  10-ish years later, the pain is butt a memory (haha) and I got back in the saddle.  It was so much fun!  The hour flew by – we had sing-a-longs, did “hill” intervals, sprinted it out, and did something called jumps.  I can’t wait to do it again!

 

Workout Recap (11/28-12/4)

  • Monday – 30 mins stationary bike intervals, Biceps/Back, 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – My Favorite Intervals, Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups 
  • Wednesday – Tris/Chest/Abs with trainer, 100 push-ups
  • Thursday – 100 Workout, Kickboxing 
  • Friday – Shoulders, Bike intervals, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – Spinning, 100 push-ups
  • Sunday – Elliptical intervals (1 hour!), Glutes, 100 push-ups

 ______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Pumpkin Protein Bars

Adapted from this Jamie Eason LiveFit Recipe.

  • 1/4 C xylitol
  • 1/4 C NuNaturals Baking Fiber Blend
  • 1 – 4 oz. jar baby food prunes
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 2 C pumpkin puree (or 1 can)
  • 1 C quick cooking oatmeal
  • 1/2 C chickpea flour
  • 1/4 C coconut flour
  • 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
  • ½ cup almond milk

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare large Pyrex (9 x 13).

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.  Spread evenly in pyrex and bake for 20-25 mins.

Makes 26 squares.

Note: You could use apple sauce or date paces in place of the prunes.

Approximate nutrition per square: 50 calories, 0.7g fat, 9.6g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 2.5g protein

***

I have a case of the Mondays.

Do you spin?

What is your favorite thing to eat before and after a good workout?

 

Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding

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One Thanksgiving meal isn’t enough.

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

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

Potluck Thanksgiving in a bar = BEST idea ever.

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

Those Tostidos didn’t get opened

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

The most fun to look at dish of the night:

Mac ‘n Cheese with a Bacon weave

Despite being totally stuffed, dessert remained my weak spot.

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

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

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

Pre-bake photo opp

Half-baked

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

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

My dish on display at Bargiving:

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

Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Rum Bread Pudding

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Keywords: bake dessert Panettone pumpkin rum Christmas Thanksgiving fall winter

Ingredients (16 servings)

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

Instructions

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

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

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

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

Powered by Recipage

***

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

Are you still eating leftovers?

What is your favorite variety of bread pudding?

Rockstar Riff On Spaghetti + WIAW

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My sister is a rockstar.

Which is the goose and which is the fox?

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

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

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

 

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

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

Pre-Breakfast:

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

Don’t judge me.

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

Pass the dark and rich over here.

Breakfast:

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

Check out that nut butter good-ness!

In my Oats:

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

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

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

Lunch:

Just before lunch, I jogged to the Thanksgiving Half Expo to get my number.  Only 1 more day – eek!  I signed up with the 1:45 pace team.  In hindsight, that may be a little ambitious.  Guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

On the way back I passed Evos, a small chain that claims to make a healthier burger.

Their fries are air baked, burgers are made with naturally raised beef, milkshakes use organic milk and sugar – they even offer fruit shakes!

I settled on a Veggie Garden Burger.  The vegetarian patty was pretty good (they also offer a vegan variety) – plenty of veggie and bean chunks in it (a must IMHO).

I really enjoyed the avocado spread, but the BEST part was the ketchup.  They make their own flavors – Original, Cayenne,  Mesquite, and Garlic.  The garlic was pretty fantastic. 🙂

The problem was the bun – it was one of those sticky, chewy grocery store buns with the sesame seeds on top.  Change the bun and I’ll come back, Evos.

The lady at the counter was really patient nice and let me sample an air baked french fry.  I didn’t order my own, but they were pretty good!  They tasted a lot like McDonald’s (which I haven’t had in years… but they remain my favorite)  but only have 170 calories and 5g of fat.  No, it’s not a health food but it is a healthier option when you want to indulge.

Dinner:

One of the most creative bloggers I know, Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen, created this vegan, “adult” version of Spaghetti-O’s.  Sarah is also the queen of repurposing items to create the coolest dishes (airplane bottle of V8 –> tomato-vegetable soup?!).

Eying the last of a carton of Trader Joe’s Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup, I channeled my inner Smart Kitchen and went to work.

See my bastardized modified version at the end of this post.

Snacks:

Lucky (pre-race moment of brilliance?) me scheduled a late-afternoon massage!  It was one of the best I’ve had in a loooong time.

I made a quick pre-massage protein shake to tide me over until dinner.  It was my basic: spinach, protein powder, almond milk, almond extract, and banana (trying to get the potassium in).

This is all that was left when I remembered to take a pic.

A massive Asian Pear and pomegranate made up a great “dessert.”  I cut the pear into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled it with fresh pomegranate seeds, freshly ground cinnamon, and a teensy bit of paprika.

Normally I scoff at the idea of fruit for dessert, but this was shockingly satisfying.

Saucy Soup & Spaghetti

  • 1.5 C TJ’s Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 servings pasta (I used a veggie-laced fettuccine)

Prepare pasta according to the package.

Meanwhile, combine first 6 ingredients in small pot and warm over med-high heat.

When pasta is cooked, drain and pour into 2 bowls.  Top with soup-sauce, garnish to taste with red pepper flakes and fresh black pepper.

Makes 2 servings.

***

Things will probably be slow going in the blog world over the next few days.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday filled family, food, and fun.  Safe travels and successful turkey runs!

What are your holiday plans?  Travel?  Races?

What dish are you most excited about tomorrow?

Friday at 5

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I mean… 5 for Friday.

Someone is ready for the weekend!

 

Here are five things that make me happy this week:

1. Special Delivery From Italy

 

 

The wine I had shipped back from my trip arrived today!  It was all I could do not to stay home and sample them all.

 

 

2. Oatmeal on Chilly Mornings

The weather here has been so weird, but I think the crisp air is here to stay this time.

 

 

In my bowl:

  • Oats
  • Almond milk
  • Cinnamon
  • Cottage cheese
  • Peanut Flour
  • Blueberries

 

3. Holiday Baking

 

 

Sparkling Cake Balls were the winners this week.  Next week, a post on what was in that mystery picture I posted Monday.

Annnnd…. another balla cake ball flavor coming soon…

 

4. Blogger Meet Ups

 

Left to right: Alayna, Me, Kristy, Stacy, Brooke, Carol, Traci, Lee, Tina, Heather, and Heather (and Tracy, not pictured)

 

ATL blogger get togethers are the best… Imma be tired in the morning though!  Special thanks to Tuk Tuk for hosting and Kristy for getting us the hook up.

The food was good, the service was above and beyond!

 

 

…and thanks to the guys at the bar who bought us all shots. 🙂

 

5. Lunchtime Core Class, Followed by Body Pump

 

 

Killa way to jump start the afternoon.  I work SO much more efficiently if I can workout midday.

***

I’m going to Atlanta’s largest museum for a jazz and cocktail event tonight.  Which is exciting, but making this day ever so long.

What has made you happy this week?

Do you work better if you can take a little mid-afternoon break?

 

Liquid Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie + WIAW

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Deck the halls with tubs of frosting.

 

Last Wednesday I mentioned that holiday baking had begun.  If it began then, it has EXPLODED now.  There are 3 different containers of icing in my fridge right now.  It’s a little ridiculous.

P.S. Does any one have tips for freezing icing?  How about making room in the freezer to store said icing?

 

It’s Hump Day!  Time for another installment of Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.  As always, check out Peas and Crayons to see the ever-growing collection of what everyone else dined on.

 

Pre-Breakfast:

This morning began with a 4 mile run.  Normally I don’t run after eating (I get bad cramps), but I woke up starving.  Balls.

 

 

Lisa @ Healthful Sense recently posted a this recipe for Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls and I had 2 left in my freezer.  Perfect pre-run stick-to-your-ribs snack.

I followed her recipe except I left out the Stevia (my banana was sweet enough), added almond extract, and subbed cacao nibs for the chips.

Apparently it worked – 4 miles at an average pace of 7:20.  Fastest time yet!

 

 

Breakfast:

It was a 65 degree muggy morning, so I was hot and sweaty from my run.  Perfect time for a Sweet Potato Pie shake!  (Recipe at the end… yes, its green. 🙂 )

 

Pre-Mix

 

If you haven’t tried almond extract before, I highly recommend it.  It gives smoothies an almost cookie-esque flavor that I crave.

 

Lunch:

I’ve been inspired by a lot of bloggers lately – today I used this this Vegan Pumpkin Mac ‘N Cheeze sauce from Angela @ Oh She Glows to coat my barley.

 

Pumpkin Barley ‘n Cheeze

 

My modifications: halved the recipe, subbed olive oil for butter, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence, and sauteed 1/2 a fresh red bell pepper.

It was fantastic – I loved having the bell pepper to chew on and the addition of red pepper flakes gave it a pleasant heat.

 

 

Dinner:

Last night I worked late and then baked for the office potluck today (just wait until you see what I made – OMG).  Dinner was a hodge podge I cooked.

 

 

Sparkling Squash, roasted tomato, white asparagus (which oddly doesn’t make your pee smell like the green stuff), toast with this Pumpkin Basil Cheese Spread by none other than our WIAW host (Jenn @ Peas and Crayons)… and stuff I was baking…

 

I know, I know… another teaser… I promise it’s all coming soon!

 

The Sweet Dumpling Squash was surprisingly good.  It was a new (to me) variety – I had Prosecco left over from a certain baking endeavor (which may or may not be pictured above).  People cook with wine all the time… why not the bubbly?  In it went!  Add in some red bell pepper, scallions, spices, and vegetable broth and you have a lovely (mashed) Sparkling Squash!

 

Snacks:

I had a new flavor of the Think Thin bar – Cookies and Cream.  Better than the Chocoalte Toffee after the recipe change… still not my fav.

 

Snack #2 was Kombucha and jerky.  Vegan, gluten-free jerky.  Hickory Smoked VEGAN Jerky.

 

Jerky + Kombucha

 

The awesome people at Primal sent me a whole box of flavors to sample and I couldn’t be more happy.  It’s made from soy protein and is 100% vegan.  So far I love the Mesquite Lime and the Hickory the most… Hot and Spicy tomorrow though!

 

One of my favorite thing about Primal’s jerky is that they are just under 100 calories and contain 10g of protein.  That protein is key to a satisfying snack!

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Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

  • 1 C spinach (optional)
  • 1/2 large sweet potato (baked)
  • 1/2 C Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp maca powder
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ginger
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp Guar gum
  • Shake of salt
  • Stevia drops, to taste
  • Water + ice, to taste

 

Place everything in your blender of choice and mix until smooth.  Bottoms up!

Note: It’s a long ingredient list, but the spices are super-easy.  I don’t even measure anymore, so it takes all of 30 seconds to make this smoothie.

***

Thank you to everyone who “Buzzed” my Fig and Feta Shortbread Cookies – check it out: I made the FoodBuzz Top 9 today!!!

Do you like vegan versions of traditional meat products?

 What is the best thing you’ve been inspired by another blogger to make? 

 

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