Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs

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This is the fall of orange.

 

My least favorite color to wear, but one of the most delicious.

Unbelievably, my palms aren’t orange.  My whole body will be orange in 3 weeks.  It’s almost competition time!  Food wise, I can’t get enough pumpkin, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, and carrots (many of you understand my addiction).  I eat one of those at almost every meal!  Including breakfast.

The orange pumpkin pie filling mix above was added to eggs.  I mixed together pumpkin puree with spices… and then decided it was missing something.  It tasted too traditional.*

Peanut butter flour!!!

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs

*If you’re into traditional, you can leave the PB out.

Since PB & Peggs is taken, I thought calling it pie was appropriate.  It tasted like pie.  Breakfast pie.

It also earned me some fun looks when I walked into my gym eating it Saturday morning (please note the environmentally friendly mug).  Marvelous, no?

Recipe at the bottom of this post.

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Which brings me to more marvelous – I am working on getting my personal training certification!  Even better, I am doing it though Lee Haney’s IAFS program.  I got to spend 8 hours at the gym learning from him on Saturday.

In case you don’t know Lee Haney, he’s an 8x Mr. Olympia.  This man is legit.  I love his real approach and emphasis on fueling with natural, whole foods.

Lee Haney and me

 

In case the scramble wasn’t enough pumpkin for you, check out the Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pancakes my #strangebutgood partner in crime, Heather, posted this weekend.

I made them Sunday morning.  My modifications: reduced oats and peanut flour to 2T each, increased egg whites to 1/4 C, and used cottage cheese instead of yogurt.  For syrup, I mixed sugar-free syrup, pumpkin, and cinnamon.

This weekend of pumpkin was beyond marvelous.

MMIM

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Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs with Pear

  • 1/4 C pumpkin puree
  • 1 T peanut flour (or peanut butter)
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 4-5 drops liquid stevia
  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 1/2 large Asian pear, diced

 

In a small bowl, combine first 7 ingredients.

Scramble the eggs until almost done.  Stir in the pumpkin mix and pear, cooking ~1 min to warm through.

Transfer to plate and tops as desired (I used additional pear and almonds).  Enjoy! 

***

I feel like I went 100 miles an hour all weekend, but in a good way.  It’s fun to look up and realize you’re exactly where you want to be.

Are you orange-obsessed?  What’s is your favorite orange food?

What was marvelous about your weekend?

 

Strange But Good: Beefy Oatmeal with Blackberry Salsa

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Where’s the Beef?

 

It’s a legit breakfast food.

This sounds strange… but it isn’t SO odd.  Many people have eaten savory oats.  Oats are just another carb.  We make lots of savory carb-y things.  Why not add beef?  And while we’re at it, eat it for breakfast!  This is what happens when you’re out of eggs.

Side note: This recipe could VERY easily be made vegan by using TVP in place of the beef.

Beefy Oats

 

The salsa is the most awesome, lazy recipe ever.  Mash up blackberries and stir in jarred salsa (extra hot).  Done.*

*That’s not totally true.  I added a drop of lemon stevia because my berries sucked and weren’t sweet at all.

 

So hear me out.  Yummy beef.  Chewy oats laced with rich flavors of cumin and smoky paprika.  A little sweet ‘n spicy to top it off.  That sounds more good than strange!

Aftermath

Warning: It will look like you slayed something when you stir it up to eat.

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Beefy Oatmeal with Blackberry Salsa

Beefy Oatmeal with Blackberry Salsa

  • 1/2 oatmeal, cooked
  • 3 oz lean ground beef, cooked
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of smoked paprika
  • 1/4 C blackberries (or other berries)
  • 2 T salsa

 

Cook oatmeal, stirring in precooked ground beef* and spices just before done.

Meanwhile, mash up berries in a small bowl and stir in salsa.

Pour oats into a bowl and top with salsa.  Be amazed.

*My beef was pre-cooked with a Mexican spice blend.  If yours is plain, you may want to add more spices on this recipe.

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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.

Sprint 2 the Table

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


***

I’m posting a cookie recipe next week… my co-worker who isn’t a healthy food person said “these are actually good!”  I’m calling it a win. 

Have you had savory oats?  Do you like them?  Do you think I’m nuts?

What is your favorite oatmeal add-in?  Don’t say nut butter.  We all know that’s good. 😉

 

PB & Pear Eggs + WIAW

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Technology gets me excited.

 

Clearly I need to get out more.

Being a figure competitor means my food scale is my most-used kitchen tool.  I need to weigh my proteins to make sure I have enough, and I can more easily get accurate serving sizes for other items.  Even if you don’t eat like a crazy person, scales are a HUGE help in baking.  I no longer use measuring cups!

countertop and prep pad

 

I read about this Countertop + Prep Pad with glee.  This device can determine the exact nutritional content of whatever you’re making and track your eating habits.  Beyond the traditional accurate weighing of ingredients, it has a BlueTooth connection and an app which displays your data.  You place food on the scales, indicate what it is, and the app shows the nutritional data (with macros, micros, and ingredients).  It even tracks goals for you!

It’s available to pre-order now for $149.95 (delivery in November).  I’m soooooo tempted…

(I randomly ran across this… they didn’t pay me or anything.  It’s just cool.)

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This is WIAW I am back to “normal.”  I food prepped well this week, and was able to keep on track through back to back meetings.  It’s a fun busy though. 🙂

WIAWbutton

Read on for my 4 weeks out eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog. for some more “normal” days of food.

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Breakfast:

Ever the creature of habit, a had my Aminos and ACV morning cocktail.  Sam posted she’s been starting her day with ACV for a year… made me realize I’m at about 2 years.  Whoa.

My meal was a win.  Normally I go to bed thinking about breakfast, but last night I didn’t have an clear vision.  It came in the morning though!  Pear.  Cardamom.  Eggs.  Peanut sauce.  Totally normal.

PB & Pear Eggs to go

Cardamom is one of those “a little goes a long way” spices, but just a pinch can make a dish something spectacular.  Especially when that dish involves pear.

I plated this for a pic before pouring it into a solo cup to-go.  See bottom of post for the prettier pic and full recipe. 

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

Crab salad with arugula, cherry tomatoes, hummus, and pepper.  I love crab.  I really love crab that is 20% off.

Crab, arugula, tomato, and hummus salad

 

Lunch:

Dijon Baked Chicken (so glad I made a TON of froze it), roasted bok choy, and yuca fries with salsa.  I am newly obsessed with yucca fries.

Yuca (also known as Cassava) is a thick, starchy tuber.  It’s sort of like a potato, but a little sweeter and drier.  It’s also really hard to slice… but, like kabocha, it’s worth the effort.  I sliced mine into fries and roasted it on 425 til it was crispy (maybe 25 mins?).

Yuca fries

For a funny story about my lunch here.

 

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I make a lot of food… which means sometimes I forget about recipes.  This week I remembered one I really loved: BBQ Cauliflower Bites.  Yesterday I ate it at work with asparagus and a veggie burger with beer mustard.  Happy girl, I was.

BBQ Cauliflower and veggie burger

 

Dinner:

Dinner was a pleasant surprise.  I was SO SORE after leg day that I decided to take a rest day and detoured to Whole Paycheck Foods on the way home for some fresh fish.  I ended up with flounder, a fish I’d never prepared at home before.

I baked my flounder for 10 mins at 425 with fresh lemon, pepper, and lemon-thyme a co-worker brought me from her garden (thanks Allison!).  Eaten with half a roasted yellow acorn squash and broccoli slaw over a bed of arugula.

Lemon flounder and acorn squash

Dessert:

It’s finally feeling like fall in Atlanta, so a warm dessert was in order.  I Made my 150 Calorie Microwave Chocolate Cake (using pumpkin puree instead of applesauce) and topped it with berries and pumpkin fluff.

Chocolate Pumpkin Mug Cake

Pumpkin fluff is amazing.  It’s just equal parts pumpkin puree, Tru Whip (cleaner cool whip from WF), cinnamon, and butter extract.  Just do it.

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PB & Peaggs

PB & Peaggs

  • 2/3 C egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of cardamom

For the Sauce

  • 1 T peanut flour (or nut butter)
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3-4 drops liquid Stevia
  • 1 small pear, chopped

 

Scramble together then first 4 ingredients.  Cook over medium heat until almost done.  Meanwhile, mix together peanut sauce.

Add the peanut sauce and pear, stirring to combine.  Cook just long enough to warm through. 

Devour.

***

Let’s revisit my leg day.  I am so sore.  So very sore.  GROW LEGS!

Do you use a food scale?  Would you buy this hard-core one?

Have you tried anything new lately that you’re loving? I’m a flounder fan now!

 

Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

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There are certain smells that make me stop in my tracks.

 

Pleasant smells… the other kind make me RUN.

I spend a good deal of time in the airport.  The Atlanta airport, like many others in the US, has a Cinnabon.  I can walk away from the waffle cone smell at Ben & Jerry, the pizza from Sabrro, the Chick-fil-a chicken biscuits… but the smell of that cinnamon laced sugar bomb makes me pause.

Rather than having a 730 calorie bomb, I decided to make my own.  And one-up them by adding peanut butter and apples.

Making Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

 

It takes a couple of steps, but they are steps you’ll be glad you took as soon as you bit into this gooey-chewy cinnamon-laced roll.  Plus, you can make a few to reheat for a quick breakfast throughout the week!

The pic above starts out with the uncooked, apple lined rolls in a ramekin.  Then I baked the egg and cinnamon soaked bread into a hot roll oozing with baked apple deliciousness.  After dumping neatly turning it on to a plate, I topped with peanut sauce.

PB Apple Cinnamon Roll

 

A note on the bread and peanut sauce: I used P28 High Protein Bread to make this a super-high protein treat.  You could use any bread, but know that P28 slices are huge so you may need an additional slice if you use a smaller bread.  For the sauce, I used my beloved peanut flour.  You could easily sub in peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter), or use a vanilla protein powder in the same proportions to make a glaze.

This would be good without the apples too… but it’s fall.  Be festive!  It adds a fresh sweetness to the decadent roll.  And that’s pretty marvelous.

MMIM

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Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

For the Roll

  • 1/4 C egg whites (or flax egg)
  • 2 tsp sugar-free syrup
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract
  • 1 slice P28 High Protein Bread*
  • 1/4 apple, sliced very thin (plus more, to top)

 

For the Glaze

  • 1 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  •  1 T peanut flour (or peanut butter)*
  • 1 tsp sugar-free syrup
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract

 

Instructions for the Roll

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, beat together eggs, syrup, cinnamon, and extract.

Slice the bread into 3 long strips, gently flattening and stretching out.  Soak strips in the egg mixture, as if you were making french toast.  

Line strips with the thin apple slice, roll up like a cinnamon roll, and place in a prepared ramekin.

Bake for 10 mins (until lightly browned).  Allow to cool slightly.  Turn ramekin over onto you plate to remove the roll.  You may need to loosen the edge first.

 

Instructions for the Glaze:

Mixing together milk, peanut flour (or butter), syrup, cinnamon, and extract.  

Slather across your cinnamon rolls.

 

Take a bite.  Have a moment of silence.  Continue to inhale the roll.

Approximate nutritionals: 223 calories, 4.6g fat, 328g sodium, 22.5g carbohydrates, 4.1g fiber, 8.2g sugar, 24.8g protein

 

*Notes:

  • You can use any type of bread.  P28 bread slices are huge – if you use another brand, you may need to use 1/5-2 slices
  • Vanilla protein powder can be used in place of the peanut flour for a more “traditional” glaze. I like using Growing Naturals.

***

Thank you all SO MUCH for the kind comments and participation in blogiversary week!  Check back at the Growing Naturals and Favorite Things posts for the last 2 winners!  I’ll have a discount code from the Growing Natural folks tomorrow! 

Is there a “treat” you always have when you travel?  I’m a sucker for Coke Zero and pretzels on the plane.

Have you ever re-created a favorite restaurant meal in a healthier way?  What was it?  Feel free to link up – sharing is caring!

 

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl + WIAW

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When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Not until I started competing did I realize how true this saying is.

My food prep is saving me this week, once again.  Starting a new job where I’m in the office every day (I used to work from home a lot) has forced me to be more structured and has tested me mentally.

Planning workouts and meals has become SO important.  Otherwise I’d never get out the door.  Preparation and constantly reminding myself of my goals and why I do this crazy thing is a necessity.

you are intense

I feel more like I’m going it alone during this competition prep.  I’m adjusting my workouts to meet my needs/limitations post surgery, and I have more fat to cut than I did in the past.

It’s new and it’s scary.  It’s also going to be awesome when I prove to myself that I can get out of my own way to reach a goal.

This is WIAW is a little glimpse into how I use my prep to stay in line, despite a new routine and later workouts.  It’ not easy.  But it’s not impossible.  I think.

WIAWbutton

Read on for my San Francisco treats, and then check out Jenn’s blog. for some more “normal” days of food.

Breakfast:

You may have seen me post on Instagram that I’m changing up my morning cocktail.  I decided to try out new aminos in my draaaank.  Why?  I still love the taste of the old one, but their customer service is so bad (read: non-existent) I can no longer use the product. Their ingredient list wasn’t the *most* clean anyway.

This new one came highly recommended by my local nutrition store.  It is pretty good.  Doesn’t mix quite as well, but I like the mild taste and it still provides good energy!

morning aminos cocktail

I went on a bulgur kick a while ago with this Blueberry-Green Tea Bulgur… then forgot about it.  It made a comeback in this week’s food prep!

I mixed this delicious raspberry blend up to grab as a ran out the door to an early morning meeting.  It tasted like raspberry cream.

Raspberry Overnight Bulgur

Raspberry Overnight Bulgur

  • 1/4 C bulgur (raw)
  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt
  • Water or almond milk, to mix (I think this was about 1/2 C… you can always add more in the AM)
  • 1/4 C raspberries
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 6-7 drops orange liquid stevia (or other sweetener)

Mix everything together in a small bowl or jar and store in the fridge overnight.

Remove from fridge in the morning, add liquid if necessary, and enjoy!

Mid-Morning Snack:

This was Turbot with a random (salt-free!) Indian spice blend I found at the Asian market and a side of my tabbouleh with hummus.

I had just finished re-heating my fish in the break-room when two ladies walked in. One commented: “It smells like dead fish in here.” #sorryimnotsorry

turbot and tabbouleh

You may find it weird to eat fish before noon and/or at work.  I find it #strangebutgood. 

Lunch:

Turkey on a bed of spinach with my new lentil hummus, Ezekial bread, and raw zucchini sticks.  This was going to be a sandwich before I realized I had more stuffing than bread.  Typical…

turkey salad and hummus

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

This is like a treat meal to me.  If tuna is the chicken of the sea and swordfish is the steak of the sea… sea bass must be like the pork belly of the sea.  Without the fat (or the pig).  It’s absolutely decadent!

The salad with it was broccoli slaw and radish mixed with a quick sauce: nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cumin, turmeric, and smoked paprika.  And I ate it off of a Zoo Pals plate. 😉

sea bass and broccoli slaw

Dinner:

Dinner has become snack-like on my new work/workout schedule.  I now have to workout right after work, so dinner actually is at 9pm and looks like dessert most days.

This is my chocolate-beet smoothie (it’s become a serious addiction), extra spinach blended in.  I left out the coffee since it was late, and topped it with pre-roasted kabocha and granola.

Chocolate-Beet Protein Smoothie

Dessert:

A dessert-like dinner doesn’t stop me from doing it again!  Since declaring this pumpkin pie protein bowl The Most Amazing Bowl of Deliciousness Ever, I’ve had it 3 nights in a row.  After the first night I began freezing it for an hour or so.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 C pumpkin purée
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract (vanilla or almond would be good too)
  • Optional topping: cocoa sauce (cocoa powder, stevia, and almond milk), peanut butter, pumpkin seeds… etc.

 Place ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

Freeze for ~1 hour for a frozen custard, or enjoy right away for a more batter-like snack.

***

It’s oddly motivating to be really sore post-workout today.  I guess it’s like feeling the reward of hard work?!  #strangebutgood

Do you have any tips for staying focused and getting out of your own way?  Help.  Me.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve brought to work to eat?

Sunshine and Pumpkin Pan-lettes

By

It’s a sunshine-y day!!!

Hey, we’re supposed to start the week on a positive.  #cheese

This weekend was beautiful and sunny in Atlanta.  I spent Saturday morning working out, then did some shopping. I purchased fresh eggs from the farmers market before heading to Fresh Market for some goodies:

Fresh Market finds

I really love the wraps and the lentil hummus!  Hatch chilies aren’t new to me, but I was thrilled that they were grilling them fresh outside the store to sell.  Score!  They went really well with the shrimp I bought (pre-cooked and tails removed – I can’t stomach doing those myself just yet).

Then I got dressed to watch two of my favorite people get married.

Admittedly, I was a little anxious about the reception.  Open bar, lots of tasty reception food… and cake.  I mustered all my motivation and commitment.

Don't get sidetracked

I knew I wouldn’t last without my own treats, so I came prepared.

Bring your own food to a wedding?!  Why not?  I made a quick turkey salad with my hatch chilies, parsley, and tomato.  That was tossed in a sauce of nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cumin, and smoked paprika.  I also brought some green bean chips, a chocolate calcium disk, and kombucha.  The kombucha was awesome to have so I felt like I had a “drink.”

Confession: I took a teeny cake sample.  It was worth it.  So there.

Bring your own wedding food

Isn’t the bride gorgeous?!

Sunday there was more marvelous with a great workout followed by a trip to Whole Paycheck Foods.  On bike.

It was supposed to help with self-control… but really it translated to weighted cardio on the ride home.  It’s 6.5 miles round trip!  The need for kabocha is not to be denied!

Whole Foods finds

See that beer in the middle?  It’s a pumpkin beer.  I’m afraid it will all be gone by the time I can drink it after my competition, so I asked the beer man (Max) to recommend the very best.

I purchased a single and it will remain in my fridge until mid-November.  Wish me luck.

 

I’ve been tagged by a few people for the Sunshine Award.  Thank you!!!

The last one I saw was from Janetha… based on the first question alone, I knew I had to answer. 🙂

sunshine

 

1. Do you believe in aliens?  Why or why not.

I don’t know… I’ll say yes.  Because who are we to think we’re all that’s out there?!

2. If you could do ANYTHING in the world and have that be your career and your skills, paycheck, or anything else was not an object… what would you do?

I’d travel.  That my one day get boring, but being able to explore and experience the world without the chains of time or monetary needs is my idea of heaven.

Like that time I ended up in Chile by accident and found myself on board a US Navy ship… 

3. What is your earliest childhood memory?

That’s tough… I don’t remember?  Maybe dancing around the living room to old records at Christmas time with my dad.

little me

4. What’s for dinner tonight?

How about last night?  That’s what I have a picture of.  😉  It was one of my new wraps spread with salsa and topped with shrimp, broccoli slaw, and a little local #yolkporn.

Yolk porn pizza

5. What was the most fabulous vacation you have ever been on in your entire life?

Italy.  2 weeks traveling to small towns on a self-guided food and wine extravaganza.  I almost didn’t come home.

Often I wonder why I did.

Alba Italy truffle festival

At the tartufo festival in Alba, Italy

6. If you HAD to give up one of your senses (touch, taste, sight, hearing, or smell) which would it be?

NOT taste or smell!  Maybe hearing?  It seems like that’s the easiest one to accommodate for, especially if you’re able to hear prior.

I’d rather not hear half the shit that comes out of people’s mouths anyway… 😉

7. Would you rather always be super freezing cold or ridiculously overheating hot? (and no, you can’t have a warm blanket or AC to combat the issue!)

Bring on the heat!  I hate being cold.  I have Raynaud’s Disease and it’s uncomfortable and creepy when my fingers go white-purple.

8. Why did you start blogging?

My mom told me to.  Seriously.  I was reading a lot of blog and getting inspired to make all of this #strangebutgood stuff and my mom said “you should start a blog!”  So I did!

This is not at all strange for us.

This is not at all strange for us.

9. What was the last compliment you received and what was the last one you paid to someone?

Yesterday I Instagrammed a sneaky selfie from the gym and my girl Meg sent me the sweetest text that made my night:

“Wow girl you’re looking phenomenal.  Be proud of yourself.”

That Pumpkin Pie Smoothie recipe is on the Instagram post. 😉

*Please don’t be offended, Zumba people.  I just thought it was funny.  I tried it at Blend and it was HARD for this white girl.* 

I’m struggling through this prep and someone noticing progress that’s hard for me to see in myself feels really, really good.

I paid it forward by telling a girl in the elevator that the homemade (paleo!) fudge she was bringing up looked amazing.  Then I tried to steal one.

10. What is your most favorite thing to eat?

I hate this question (sorry Janetha!).  I love different foods for different reasons, and it depends on the mood!

Right now I’m digging the Pumpkin Pan-lette (remember when I did it with sweet potato?) I made Saturday morning.  There’s no flour in it – the base is just pumpkin and egg whites.  Like a pumpkin omelette, but cooked like a pancake.  Pan-lette. Get it?

Whatever you call it, it is a fluffy cake of fall deliciousness.  I topped with a peanut flour sauce, which we all know I’m addicted to.

 

Pumpkin Pan-lette

Pumpkin Pan-lette

  • 1/2 C pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 1/2 tsp butter extract (or vanilla)
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 4-5 drops vanilla liquid stevia (optional)

For the sauce:

  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 1 T Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-3 drops vanilla liquid stevia
  • Almond milk or water, to thin

Combine all pancake ingredients into a medium bowl and stir until smooth.  Pour into a prepared (I used PAM) skillet and cook as you would a pancakes (~2-3 mins on each side).

Note: I made this as one huge pancake, but I’d advise you to turn it into 2.  It required some serious acrobatics and two spatulas to flip.

Meanwhile, stir together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Plate your pie-cakes, top with peanut butter syrup, and enjoy!

***

 Don’t forget to check out all the other marvelous in the world over at Katie’s link up!

The Sunshine rules say you have to come up with 10 questions and tag 10 people.  Everyone and their brother has already done this… so I tag YOU!!!  Choose one of the questions above and answer it below.  Sharing is caring.

Would/have you ever brought your own food to a wedding?

PB & J Topped French Toast + WIAW

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My favorite porn is #yolkporn.

 

I can only imagine the search terms I’m going to get from this…

When I saw this video on Lifehack yesterday I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys.  It’s (allegedly) a fool-proof way to cook a sunny side up egg.

In case you need the definition a perfect sunny side up egg should have the whites just cooked through, but the bright yellow yolky deliciousness should remain runny.  Like a silky syrup for your toast or oats or salad or jicama nachos… anything!

Warning: this video will make you crave butter.  And egg, obv.

The guy’s name is Mr. Breakfast.  He must be an expert.

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In other news, I failed and didn’t have a runny egg on WIAW.  I did win at food prep though!  After a few weeks of being less than planned, I was happy to have my meals ready for me today!WIAWbutton

Read on for my prepared food, and then check out Jenn’s blog.  I don’t know if she’s doing the link up though… because she had her bagel baby!!!!!!!

♥ Congratulations and welcome to baby Mia! ♥

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Breakfast:

Of course I had my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) to start my day out right.

I was feeling like something decadent for breakfast in honor of the short work week.  That only means one thing: french toast.  My protein-filled toast tasted like a treat with the peanut flour sauce and strawberries.

Note: I order peanut flour from iHerb – use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order.

PB & J Topped French Toast

PB & J Topped French Toast

  • 1/4 C egg whites
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 4-5 drops liquid Stevia
  • 1 large slice of bread (I used p28 High Protein)
  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 1 tsp sugar-free syrup
  • 1/8 tsp butter extract
  • Almond milk (adjust to desired consistency)
  • Strawberries and granola (to top)

 

Beat together first 5 ingredients in a shallow bowl.  Soak bread slice in the mix, flipping once to coat.

Cook in greased pan over med-high heat until browned.

Meanwhile, mix together peanut flour, syrup, butter extract, and almond milk.  I used 2 T almond milk; add it slowly and adjust to your desired consistency.

Plate toast and top with syrup, berries, and granola.

 

Lunch:

Things got busy and I missed my mid-morning snack so I had an early-ish lunch.  I packed up the chicken, tabbouleh, and celery sticks from my food prep, and added to that some hummus and a piece of Ezekial bread.

Chicken and tabbouleh

 

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

No need to eat boring food just because you’re sitting in an office.  This snack was incredible: salmon sashimi, lavar, edamame, and kabocha.

Totally normal work eats, no?

edamame, lavar, and salmon sashimi

 

Late-Afternoon Snack:

My schedule was thrown off and I had to busy out an emergency bar to power through my workout before dinner.

Note: I don’t actually like these.  It was a freebie. 

Detour neapolitan bar

 

Dinner:

I was going to eat the snapper from my food prep… but after I workout all I want is a smoothie bowl.  Eating solid food after a workout just doesn’t appeal to me.

My new staple is this Chocolate Beet variety.  Last night I wolfed it down with oats, fig, and a bar I made as part of meal prep (side note: I want to make some adjustments before I share – sorry!).  Extra spinach.

chocolate-beet protein shake

 

Dessert:

Smoothie bowls are like dessert to me, but that didn’t stop me from having a second dessert.  The post-Labor Day fall mood struck and I made a Sweet Potato Pie Protein Bowl as my midnight snack.  I’ve been adding coconut flour to everything lately – it makes everything deliciously cake-y.

With all the toppings I had to take a bite shot for you to even see the pie!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

  •  1/2 C sweet potato, mashed
  • 1/2 C no-salt cottage cheese
  • 1 T coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • Liquid Stevia, to taste
  • Almond milk (adjust to desired thickness)
  • Optional toppings: popcorn, figs, cacao nibs, breakfast bar crumbles

 

Mix it all together and devour!

Note: you could blend it to smooth… I was too impatient. 😉

***

How awesome that it’s already Wednesday?! 

Do you have a hard time eating solids after a workout?

Do you ever eat something you don’t love just because it’s free?  I don’t know why I’m so compelled…

 

Strange But Good: Cinnamon Toasted Quinoa and PB Eggs

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Start your day out toasted.

I crack myself up.

When I prep food I usually end up double-cooking it.  You get the groundwork done during your Sunday meal prep, but to keep it tasting fresh and crispy I pop it back in the oven before you eat.  Oven, not microwave.

Double-roasted is my favorite way to eat kabocha, and yesterday morning I did that with my quinoa.  Strange to do with stuff you already cooked, but oh-so-good.

Toasted Quinoa ingredients

Can you believe how cheap that giant thing of cinnamon was?! Love my farmer’s market.

This is really a non-recipe.  There are no measurements, only flavors you should adjust to your liking.  3 simple ingredients: my new English toffee liquid stevia from iHerb (you can use any sweetener), cinnamon, and ginger.

Basically, it tasted like cinnamon toast.  Much healthier than the butter-slathered stuff mom made us.  Add to that some bananas brushed with coconut oil and thrown under the broiler with the quinoa and you’ll wonder who put the dessert on your breakfast plate! 

Cinnamon Toasted Quinoa, Caramelized Banana and PB Eggs with Raspberries

The quinoa was prepped on Sunday (after I burned the beans), making it quick and easy to grab from the fridge to make this.  When you toast already-cooked quinoa, it becomes crunchy and granola-like.  The added texture was amazing on top of my PB eggs!

How do you make PB eggs?  I’ve posted them a lot in all my “Jegg” creations (there’s even a
vegan tofu version), but here’s the run down.

Peanut Butter Eggs

  • Mix peanut flour, cinnamon, butter extract, and a teeny bit of liquid stevia with enough water to make it a runny PB consistency
  • Prepare egg whites in a small pot until almost cooked
  • Stir in peanut flour and allow to cook the rest of the way (~30 secs)

PSA: It’s also awesome on top of a protein-rich bowl Chocolate Zucchini Bread Batter (this recipe, but with chocolate protein powder).

Cinnamon Toasted Quinoa with Caramelized Banana and PB Eggs

Cinnamon Toasted Quinoa

  • Quinoa, cooked
  • Liquid stevia (I used toffee)
  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger

Toss together all ingredients and spread evenly on a piece of non-stick foil

Place in over under the broiler until crisp.  Watch closely – it’s easy to burn on broil!

Remove from oven, top your eggs (or yogurt, salad, etc).

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.

Sprint 2 the Table

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

***

There aren’t many (any?) things I say this about, but caramelized bananas could honestly replace dessert.

Quinoa for breakfast: yay or nay? Yay!

Have you ever tried peanut butter eggs?  How about just sweet eggs?

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