Getting Big is Marvelous

August 26, 2013 By Laura

This weekend was especially marvelous.

Not that all weekends aren’t good.

After several weeks in a row of go-go-go, it was nice to be in town and left to my own devices. One might say it was absolutely marvelous.

Click the image for Katie’s Marvelous Monday link up!

Saturday I had brunch with some friends from grad school. We had a great time catching up and resolved (again) not to go some long without a reunion.

On my way home, I stopped at The Fresh Market and picked up a few treats. Apparently I was feeling ginger?

Then I hit the gym. Hard. I am finally feeling comfortable lifting again, and seeing some good progress. A guy I don’t know, but had seen around for a year or so know agreed… he stopped to tell me I was making some good progress and looked a lot bigger than I did a year ago. ~~I almost hugged him.~~

Just a couple of years ago I would have killed someone for telling me I look big. On Saturday I was flattered and thrilled. So much so that I had a photo shoot in the locker room… paying no mind to the lady changing and giving me the “WTF?!” look. #sorryimnotsorry

When I got home, I had a package. The timing couldn’t have been better. It was a delivery of my favorite protein powder from Growing Naturals!

I immediately busted out the vanilla and made a smoothie with spinach and raw sweet potato. It was good, but I want to perfect before sharing.

That night I went to see an artist I used to listen to in college – Melissa Ferrick. The group of friends was totally random; they all responded to my plea for a concert buddy via Facebook. Crowd sourcing concert buddies. 🙂

The venus is a listening room where there are tables and a full menu. I brought my own food in. It was really good! And I saved some carbs to have a Guinness. The best part about bringing your own healthy food to a show? Coming home to a healthy dessert in an almost empty Greek yogurt container! This was my favorite Carrot Cake Protein Batter, topped with granola and cocoa powder sauce.

Sunday I got up and made my Fluffy Cauliflower Protein Pancakes and a broiled grapefruit. Is it just me or are pancakes are the perfect way to start the day?

I semi-homemade my own syrup. It was 1 tsp sugar-free syrup, 1 tsp peanut flour, cinnamon, and a little water to thin. I’ll be doing that again!

There was a little snafu. I left to run errands and forgot to turn off the stove. The black beans I was cooking for the week turned to a char. Oops.

No matter! I had a date with some new friends to run sprints up Stone Mountain! Even more fun was getting to introduce them to my favorite market, where I bought some things to make the dish below.

I will share later. Bwhahaha…

***

In other marvelous news, it was actually sunny and warm in Atlanta most of the weekend. A nice change after our monsoon season.

What do you do with a “do what you want,” agenda-free weekend?

What was the last thing you burned? After burning those beans, my condo smelled like a giant fart. 🙁

Strange But Good: Jicama & Tofu Nachos

August 23, 2013 By Laura

Mexican-inspired breakfasts are some of my favorites. Jicama & Tofu Nachos are my morning take on the giant plates of nachos I love for dinner!

This Mexican-ish deliciousness happened for breakfast, but I think it makes a good brinner dish too. When is breakfast not appropriate?!

I don’t make guarantees often, but I promise that if you try this, you will be in love. It seems like a lot of steps, but they happen simultaneously so it’s not too time consuming.

If you haven’t had jicama before, here’s what you need to know:

Pronounced HIK-ka-ma
Root vegetable, sometimes called a Mexican turnip
Tough brown skin should be peeled before eating or cooking
Inside is white, wet and crunchy… like if a potato and an apple had a baby
Flavor is slightly sweet, a little nutty
Low in calories
High in Vitamin C and fiber… but not just any fiber! It’s fiber infused with oligofructose inulin, which has zero calories and doesn’t metabolize in the body
Inulin enhances absorption of calcium from other foods and is a prebiotic (read: promotes “good” bacteria growth)

Jicama is good raw in salads like my Edamame and Jicama Salad, but it’s also great roasted. I cut it into “chips” and roasted it in the oven for use as the nachos in this recipe.

It was awesome topped with tomatoes and creamy avocado… and tofu! If you haven’t baked tofu before, now is the time to try it. It poofs up like marshmallows! In a good way.

Even more fabulous was the runny egg on top. That #yolkporn dripped down into the crevices of my nacho creation, making each bite worthy of a giddy grin.

My only complaint was the not-so-happy ending – I was really sad when the last bite had been taken.

[Tweet “Jicama & Tofu Nachos are a healthy, breakfast spin on nacho plates!”]

Jicama & Tofu Nachos

1 small jicama, peeled and sliced thinly
6 oz tofu, cubed
1 tsp Mexican spice blend (use your favorite)
1/2 medium tomato
1/4 avocado
Egg (optional)
Garnish ideas: lime, red pepper flakes, pepper

Place the thinly sliced jicama on half of a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Season cubed tofu with your favorite Mexican spices and place on the other half of the baking sheet.

Cook both under broil for 10 mins, flipping half way through. Make sure you watch the jicama closely so as not to burn it.

While that is roasting, cut your tomato and avocado into cubes. Set aside.

When the chips and tofu are done, remove from the oven. Arrange chips in nacho-form on the baking sheet. Top with tofu, tomato, and avocado. Place the pan back in the oven under the broiler for ~5 mins, until warmed through.

Meanwhile, cook egg to desired level of doneness on the stove top.

Remove chips from over and verrrry carefully slide off onto a plate. Top with the egg (if using) and garnish as desired.

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.

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

***

Today my dad would have been 58 years old. I still feel the hole in my heart… but the Mitch Albom quote holds true: “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” I feel his presence, love, and support every day. His lessons live on through the lives he touched. Happy Birthday, Old Man.

How do you like your eggs? Green with ham? 😉

Have you ever had jicama? Do you prefer it raw of cooked?

Fluffy Cauliflower Protein Pancakes

August 16, 2013 By Laura

Cauliflower is surprisingly versatile.

Or maybe I’m surprisingly strange?

Either way, these are good. Cauliflower may seem like a strange thing to make pancakes with, but it’s one of those veggies (like spinach) that doesn’t have a strong taste.

I had to do a few trials, but persistence paid off. My first trials were without the oats, but it does need that addition to thicken properly.

What results in a super-fluffy pancake hiding a little extra veggie punch that NO ONE will ever guess is in there. I added a quick blackberry syrup and decorated with some toasted sunflower seeds, which added a nice crunch to every bite.

A couple of tips:

Cut the cauliflower into small pieces to so that they will blend smoothly
Make sure to grease the pan well to make flipping easier
Don’t touch the pancakes until they are ready to flip. If you mess with them, it will take away from the fluff factor.

Fluffy Cauliflower Protein Pancakes

For the Pancakes:

2 T oatmeal
100g (~2/3 C) cauliflower
1/4 C egg whites
1 T (1/2 scoop) vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter extract (optional)
5-6 drops liquid stevia

For the Blackberry Syrup:

1/4 C blackberries, mashed
1 tsp sugar-free syrup

In a blender (I used a Magic Bullet), pulse the oats into a flour. Place in mixing bowl.

Place cauliflower in the blender cup with egg whites and mix until smooth.

Add oats back in, along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until combined.

Cook in a well-greased skillet (I used PAM).

Meanwhile, mix together syrup ingredients in a small bowl. Place in the microwave for ~10 seconds to warm and “melt” the berries.

Plate the ‘cakes and drizzle with syrup. I also added sunflower seeds as a crunchy garnish.

Serves 1.

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

***

This week has certainly been strange… it’s so cool in Atlanta it feels like October! Normally this would be awesome, but I’m crossing my finger for a little warmth because I’m supposed to try paddle boarding for the first time this weekend!

What is your favorite way to sneak in extra veggies?

Do you like to make pancake breakfasts? Or are you an oat/egg/yogurt/other person?

Strange But Good: Peach Sweet Potato Scramble

August 9, 2013 By Laura

The Peach State isn’t actually the largest peach producer in the US.*

Not that it stops me from eating copious amounts while they’re in season.

You may remember my love of PB & Jeggs. Or Aggs. Or (vegan) Ceggs. Or Zeggs. I could go on forever, but all this is to say that I was actually thinking of my PB & Peggs when I came up with the combo.

Now that I type this, I realize I should have added peanut flour too! Tomorrow is another day…

One of the slightly strange adds was sweet potato. I cubed it and sautéed it quickly before making the scramble. It was so easy! Adding the peaches at the end was just enough to warm and caramelize the natural sugars a bit. Then there was the basil, which was a nice, herb-y accent to give the dish a bit more “pop.”

And bacon… because everything is better with bacon. Really, the savory-salty bacon sprinkles made every bite fun. Sounds strange, but trust me. It was good.

*In case you were wondering, California is the largest peach producer in the U.S. South Carolina is the largest in the East.

Peach Sweet Potato Scramble

Coconut (or other) oil to grease pan
1/2 C diced sweet potato
1/2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
Shake of cayenne (optional)
1 Peach, chopped
Basil
Bacon, crumbled (optional)

In a lightly oiled skillet, sautee sweet potato until tender. Set aside.

Scramble together egg whites, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne with a spoash of water (the water helps them “fluff”).

Transfer to a lightly oiled skillet and cook over medium heat until half way done (~1-2 mins). Add sweet potato, peaches, and basil. Mix and cook through.

Plate your scramble and top with additional basil and bacon sprinkles, if desired.

Note: Feta or goat cheese would also be good here to add a pop of saltiness.

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.

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

***

And now I have to brag. I get to have dinner at Sarena‘s house tonight. Her food makes me drool.

Is there anything bacon (or vegan bacon bits) isn’t good with? It’s like peanut butter!

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Bake Sale for Kids + WIAW

August 7, 2013 By Laura

Bake sales are the best.

Homemade baked goods are the most “worth it” treat.

Amanda @ Run to the Finish has teamed up with Women’s Health and will be running and fundraising for the FEED Project, which seeks to feed hungry US kids. Their RUN 10 FEED 10 program is really cool – you run a 10K and 10 children in your community are fed with the proceeds. (Amanda has a discount code you may use here.)

But you don’t HAVE to run! You can opt to just eat. 🙂 Amanda is hosting an online blogger bake sale where 100% of the donations will towards feeding these kids.

Bidding began yesterday (I’m behind – sorry!), and bids will be accepted until August 7th 9AM EST. Winners will be contacted and asked to donate the specific amount via CrowdRise.

Hurry over and bid on your auction deliciousness here. There are tons be homemade items from bloggers (and products from several sponsors) available for bidding. A batch of my vegan, no-sugar added Chewy Granola Cookies are up for grabs… you might even get a little something extra. 😉

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These WIAW meals were half eaten at work and half on the road. I didn’t do the most elaborate job of planning, as I am enjoying my final week of “freedom” before I start competition prep in earnest!

Read on for my traveling food, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s delicious days.

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Breakfast:

My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) happened, as usual. I swear this is the biggest addiction in my life.

I had an early morning meeting, so I made sure my breakfast was ready to grab a go. Overnight oats in a cottage cheese container! Almost as good as a PB jar…

This raspberry and maple-laced concoction was really good! And easy to eat from my lap on the way to work.

Raspberry-Maple Overnight Oats

1/4 C cottage cheese
1/4 C oatmeal
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 C almond milk

Mid-Morning Snack:

Like I mentioned last week, I have been into the Trader Joe’s Balsamic Chicken. It’s one of the few packaged things I buy, but when I’m traveling a lot this is a great (low sodium) item to keep on hand.

Eaten with veggies I pre-roasted on Sunday with some marinara sauce and nutritional yeast.

Lunch:

I was running out of my office to get my stuff ready for the airport (and squeeze in a workout… shhhh!), so this almost didn’t even get pictured. A mix of no salt deli turkey, celery, hummus, and cayenne.

It was so quick I called it the lazy girl’s turkey salad. 😉

Afternoon Snack:

I have become obsessed with post-workout Chocolate + Beet Protein Smoothie Bowls. I used this recipe again, but added spinach and topped it with muesli and kabocha squash.

No exaggeration, I could eat this every meal.

Dinner:

Dinner was eaten in Florida. I hopped a plane, ate some unpictured pretzels, and went right to dinner with my co-worker. We hit up Columbia, a famous Cuban spot and Florida’s oldest restaurant. It was delicious!

We started with giant warm, crusty loaves of Cuban bread and the 1905 Salad. The bread was amazing… the salad… I’d say it’s basically a Chef’s salad with no egg and a ton of dressing. I also enjoyed a margarita – one of the best I’ve ever had!

Terrible pics… it was dark!

My main was massive. The server highly recommended the Camarones Rellenos “Jesse Gonzalez.”

I thought shrimp would be light-ish… I learned that it’s not when it’s stuffed with lump crab and a generous helping of butter. Did I mention it was served with rice, beans, and roasted veggies? And that my co-worker ordered sides of yucca and fried plantains?

Call me happy and roll me home.

Dessert:

You know I’m full when I can’t even imagine eating dessert. ~~Hell froze over.~~

***

Tomorrow I fly back home and Thursday I drive to South Carolina. Despite the craziness all I can think about is 1) When do I get to go to the farmer’s market to get “my” food and 2) How am I going to fit a workout in Thursday and Friday?

Have you checked out the bake sale? What item is catching your eye?

Does the combo of beets and chocolate sound #strangebutgood to you? I thought it was normal until I told my co-worker about it…

Strange But Good: Orange Cardamom TVP Overnight Oats

July 12, 2013 By Laura

The strange breakfasts have continued.

This week was necessity.

Without air conditioning, I became and overnight oat junkie. Hot food made me nauseous. “Regular” overnight oats seem too boring… and I was getting sick of oatmeal… so I brought back an old favorite. TVP!

I also got to try a strange new nut milk (no, I couldn’t type that with a straight face): Almond-Cashew-Hazelnut Milk.

It received mixed reviews when I posted the pic on Instagram, but I really liked it! Almond milk is still my favorite, but this milk from Dream Blends is a good way to change it up. I’ve tried coconut, hemp, rice, soy, and sunflower milks, not of which I like as well.

Back to the “oats.”

This concoction was a TVP overnight bowl. Cardamom and orange is one of the best flavor combos… in fact, I remembered after I made this dish that I’d actually done a similar hot version here.

Be careful with the cardamom – a little goes a long way – but a pinch adds an sweet-ish spiciness to dishes. Perfect with the citrus and the meaty, rich coconut. #thatswhatshesaid

I also used some cacao nibs to top it… because what’s not better with chocolate?!

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Orange Cardamom TVP Overnight Oats

1/4 C TVP
1/2 scoop (1T) vanilla protein powder
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/2-3/4 C milk or water
1/2 orange, sectioned
1/2 tsp coconut extract
Stevia, to taste
Optional toppings: coconut shreds, cacao nibs, more orange

In a small bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients, stirring to combine. Fold in orange sections.

Cover and place in fridge overnight. Remove from fridge in the morning, stir, and add additional liquid if needed.

Top as desired and enjoy!

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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?

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. 🙂

***

A/C Update: it's FIXEDDDDDDD!!! Thank the sweet baby Jesus. Best birthday present ever.

Have you tried TVP oats yet?

What is your favorite way to make oatmeal?

Starting Out Strange But Good

July 5, 2013 By Laura

Don’t you hate feeling repetitive?

Don’t you hate feeling repetitive?

Yes, I do amuse myself… hahaha! 🙂 Seriously though. I’ve done quite a few #strangebutgood breakfast posts. It’s just so easy to be strange in the morning! Maybe I dream about it since I typically fall asleep thinking about breakfast?

I have a few (more) atypical breakfast ideas for you today… but they could double as dinners or even a dessert!

1. Griddled Crab Mexican Pizza

This was inspired by my Griddled Chicken and Grapefruit Pizza. I told you I’m being repetitive. #sorryimnotsorry

I’ve been eating more savory breakfasts lately. My sweet tooth is legendary, and I find if I don’t start the day off with a sweet meal it helps keep it in check. ~~At least until lunch.~~

I prepared this just like in this post, except my toppings were crab, kale, salsa, and avocado.

2. French Toast with #yolkporn Syrup

For some reason I think it’s more acceptable for me to use the word “porn” if I hashtag it. Hmmm…

You may remember this from Wednesday (again with the repetition!), but I wanted to go into more detail. Because it was that good. I wanted french toast and a runny egg… so I just combined the two! That delicious local egg yolk made of a fantastic savory syrup on my toast.

Adding the blueberries on top with a touch of toasted coconut added the slightest sweetness, completing each delectable bite.

I prepared a healthy french toast just like in this PB&J French Toast recipe, using P28 Protein Bread for extra protein. When I cooked my egg, I just added blueberries and the coconut to the other side of the pan to be warming. Looks fancy, but it was quick and easy!

3. Peanut Butter Shirataki “Rice” Pudding

My last repetitive meal was created from Wednesday’s dinner leftovers. I had tried the Skinny Noodle Shirataki “Rice” for the first time. I loved the Israeli couscous-like texture! Perfect for breakfast, no?

One package is 2 servings. Since I’d already prepped the whole package (you MUST rinse and warm to avoid the funky flavor), I used the second half to pre-make breakfast. What resulted was reminiscent a thick, creamy bowl of peanut butter rice pudding. Incredible. I sampled a bite before bed and it was all I could do not to house the whole thing right then and there.

Mine was topped with a fresh Georgia peach, but I think any fruit would be good here. Like banana… mmmm… breakfast tomorrow…

Ingredients:

1 serving Skinny Noodle Shirataki “Rice”
1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other liquid)
1/4 C peanut flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla liquid Stevia, to taste

Mix together all ingredients. Cover and place in the fridge at least one hour, or overnight.

In the morning, remove from fridge and stir. You may need to add additional liquid to thin it out to your preference.

Top as desired and enjoy!

Note: I order my peanut flour from iHerb – I like it better than PB2 because it is less processed and doesn’t have the added sugar and sodium. Use my discount code – USO924 – for $5-10 off your order!

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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?

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. 🙂

***

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!!! We got drenched but made the very best of it.

When was the last time you felt repetitive?

Does a more savory start to the day help curb your sweet tooth?

Red Velvet Chia Cheesecake + WIAW

June 26, 2013 By Laura

Summer is here in earnest.

Convenient since I’m not supposed to get hot.

I am a sun baby, so not being able to be outside playing makes me sad. The follow-up with the surgeon is July 1st… I have a leg day scheduled with my trainer that night. If the Dr. doesn’t clear me to do it, I may cry. Restlessness is in FULL force. I do take walks, but have to be careful to keep them to the early morning or late evening when it’s (supposedly) cooler.

On my walks I have learned it’s impossible to “act natural” while taking pics of yourself along a busy street.

A few (more) fun post-augmentation updates:

Shaving your armpits is really, really hard when the girls are in the way. Hopefully this will get easier as they drop… there was a forest growing there until yesterday morning. Gross, I know.
I can now drive a car comfortably – at first I knew that if I had to make a fast maneuver I was a goner. I was very, very careful.
A lady at the mall looked right at the twins. Their first stare. Awwww!
Getting dressed is interesting. At time its frustrating because don’t look right while I’m still “settling,” but this weekend I was really excited to be able to wear 3 tops I (stupidly) bought and never wore because I lacked the chest to keep the tops from sliding down and showing my bra.
Insomnia has returned. I had it bad in my younger days, but once I started working out that changed. I guess I wore myself out! Now that I’m “resting” I’m just NOT sleepy. Also, I can no longer sleep on my stomach which makes it harder to fall asleep.

This WIAW marks my first day back in the office post-surgery. I actually was working last Monday, but there was NO was I could get dressed and be in an office all day. Thankfully, being a consultant means it’s really easy to do your job from anywhere – including the couch.

Read on for my post-surgery eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s snack-y ideas.