Healthiest Crackers Ever Made

November 8, 2010 By Laura

Baby Sis and I went for a rockstar run. We braved the cold (and the dark) and conquered 7 MILES!

The best part: when we got home, we both said we could have gone longer. I never thought I’d be saying this… but I didn’t mean to start running more than 2-3 miles at a time. It just happened.

Note to self: File under “Things that I never thought I’d say.”

Stats:

Distance – 7 miles
Time – 60:00 mins
Avg Pace – 8:57 mins

I think we are going to be just fine for our Thanksgiving 10K Gobble Jog. 🙂

Disclaimer: We made a pit stop at Old Navy about half way though for 10 mins for a quick peek. Girls will be girls…

Prior to the run, I did my Whittle My Middle with Mom. She held a very impressive 90 second plank!

Following the run, Baby Sis and I completed the Yoga for Runners DVD, which really helped keep the soreness to a minimum today for both of us.

The narration is a tad cheesy, but its effective!

For some reason I have a hard time making myself take time to stretch after a workout, but I am always glad when I do. I need to get better about doing it!

On to the big cracker win!

Unbelievably, I figured out how to make cleanse-approved crackers. These are probably the healthiest crackers ever created. AND they are packed with flavor!

Mixing the fillings

At first there were 2

Then there was 1

Asian-Spiced Flax Crackers

1 C flax meal (mine were roughly ground)
1/4 C chia seed
1 carrot
1 kale leaf
1/4 C cilantro
1/4 C mint
1/2 jalapeño (seeded)
1/8 large yellow onion
2 T tamari miso
2 T lime juice (freshly squeezed)
1 T cumin
1 T coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 150 degrees.

Combine flax meal and chia seeds in a medium bowl. Place remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the puree to the seed mixture and stir until combined evenly.

Line a baking sheet with Silpat (non-stick aluminum foil works too!). Spread mixture about 1/8 in thick onto sheet.

Place in oven and bake for 2 hours, until firm enough to flip. Flip the cracker and bake 2 hours more. Turn off the oven and leave crackers in to dehydrate overnight.

Break into pieces and they are ready to eat!

Notes: You may crack the oven door if crackers are too moist. Ideally you would use a dehydrator for this, so feel free if you have one!

***

The fail part: I tried for a sweet flax cracker but adding coconut butter, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. The butter made it too moist (ewww…) and we had to turn it into a topping for the grilled pineapple.

The final day in San Fran

November 7, 2010 By Laura

We didn’t want to leave, but if you have to end a trip this was the way to do it.

Laura arranged for us to have massages at her spa. I got the hot stone massage and Mallory got wrapped in eucalyptus leaves. The ladies lounge had a misting room, hot tub, sauna, and steam room. Naturally, we spent and additional hour lounging after our massages. If you are in the Bay Area, I highly recommend checking out Burke Williams. Ask for Taylor or Tuesday!

After a light lunch at one of the cafes in the Ferry Building (and some dessert sampling), we walked around Pier 39. Check out the sock store. Before we knew it, it was time to get back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

Proud side note: I Whittled My Middle before we left!!!

The Sumos enjoyed the Trolley

Did I mention the Giants were in the World Series?!

Classic San Fran – Giants, Trolley… and a German flag?!

Dinner was something totally different – raw food at Cafe Gratitude.

Everything on the menu was raw and vegan (except for 3-4 items… but they were still vegan!).

I am grateful

You order an item like our appetizer – nachos. But the nachos are called “I Am Honoring.”

And they consist of flax chips with sunflower seed “refried beans” over mixed greens with guacamole, salsa, & cashew nacho cheese.

I am Honoring

Then, when they bring them out, the server places the dish in front of you saying “You are honoring.”

Side note: raw refried beans are wayyyy better than the real thing.

My favorite was the lasagna Laura ordered: layered zucchini, cashew mozzarella, olive tapenade and pesto topped with marinara, cashew ricotta and Brazil nut Parmesan.

I Am Fabulous

Mallory’s was good too – a sushi bowl consisting of quinoa tossed w/kale, avocado, cucumber, nori, scallions & herbs in sesame-ginger sauce.

She said she couldn’t believe how much it tasted like sushi.

I couldn’t believe she ordered something called “I Am Accepting.”

I Am Accepting

Since I can never get enough Mexican, I ordered the enchilada – a live vegetable tortilla with sprouted seed filling, topped with spicy salsa verde & cashew sour cream. It was served with cilantro coleslaw and quinoa.

It was good. Better after they brought out the hot sauce.

I really just wanted to say “I Am Elated”

Then there was dessert. Why stop the gluttony on the last day?

I didn’t get a picture of mine, but I can declare that I AM SUPER. At least when it comes to the dark chocolate nugget I ate.

Mallory was Devoted in the form of a coconut cream pie.

I Am Devoted… to dessert 🙂

Laura was the winner (IMHO) with a scoops of vanilla and chocolate nut-milk ice cream. I was praising her choices.

Verdict: I wish we had something like this in Atlanta. I will always prefer “real” cream pie, but this is a great alternative. The lasagna is crave-worthy and I am happy anytime I can get a good quinoa dish.

Something cool happened while we were in the restaurant…

The GIANTS won the World Series!!!

The city erupted – it was really neat to be there and watch everyone (literally) go nuts.

Go Giants!

I would tell you what we did next… but I’d have to kill you.

We went to one of those super-secret unmarked bars. We knocked on the door and have to give a password to get in!

It was well worth the effort – I had the best cocktail of my life. The Citizen Cane.

And just like that, the awesomeness was over. 🙁

Back at the ranch… the cleanse update…

Day 3 was better. My headache was gone, but I was still feeling pretty low-energy.

Despite this, I completed P90X Biceps and Back – with the Ab Ripper X at the end. Then I promptly fell asleep for 45 mins.

If you haven’t tried it, I recommend the DVDs. I’ve never followed the program exactly (would LOVE to hear if anyone has!), but they are some great workouts when you aren’t motivated to pull together your own.

We were starving before dinner, so I made baked kale chips as an appetizer. They have been written about ad nauseam in the blog world – for a good “how to” check out Smitten Kitchen’s play-by-play.

Washed, dried, and coated with EVOO, salt, and red pepper flakes

These didn’t last long around Baby Sis and Mamma

On to the main event… I tried my first spaghetti squash! I couldn’t get over how much like real spaghetti this was! The consistency of the squash was such that I almost didn’t miss the noodles.

We prepared an awesome tomato sauce to go with it. (Kale chips are delish dipped in tomato sauce, btw.)

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

1 Spaghetti squash
2-3 T EVOO
1/2 C Yellow onion
2 Garlic cloves
750g (~24 oz) Tomato puree
1/4 C Parsley
1 tsp Oregano
Red pepper flakes, sea salt, and pepper to taste
3-4 Basil leaves

Cut the squash in half (can soften in microwave first). Remove the seeds. Place in a glass baking dish, cut side down, in about 1 in of water. Microwave for 7-8 minutes, or until shell is tender when pierced with a fork. (Yes, we were lazy hungry… you can also do this in the oven at 350 for about 45 mins. I thought the microwave worked fantastically.)

Remove the flesh with a fork. Place in serving bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, warm olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute until softened and beginning to brown(about 4 mins). Add tomato puree and adjust heat until sauce comes to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the parsley, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm over very low heat.

Top with sauce, fresh basil, and chopped onions.

Other potential adds: Parmesan, capers, olives, rosemary, peppers, carrots, wine.

I would also have used chunky (not puree) tomatoes (San Marzanos are my fav), but Baby Sis doesn’t like the big pieces.

Now for the most exciting news… We found a cleanse-approved dessert!!!

No one said it had to be pretty…

Pineapple-Raisin Crisp

1 Pineapple
1/4 C Raisins
2 tsp Coconut butter
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

Core pineapple and cut into 1 in rings. Toss with pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and cayenne.

Heat coconut butter in ridged grill pan over medium heat on stove top. Add pineapple rings and grill for ~4 mins on each side (until grill marks form and the pineapple becomes fragrant). Add raisins just before pineapple is done.

Top with granola or flax/chia seeds for extra crunch! My topping as a roasted mizture of flax seeds, chia seeds, cacao nibs, cinnamon, and coconut oil (remnants of a partial fail I’ll disclose tomorrow).

Verdict: I would eat this again, cleanse or no. Grilled pineapple is satisfyingly sweet and the bit of heat from the cayenne is enough to keep it interesting. 🙂

My Future Hometown

November 5, 2010 By Laura

Our first full day in California was spent in Napa. I could write pages on this place. I could move to this place.

Here’s the impressive part – I woke up and did 30 mins on the hotel elliptical and Whittled My Middle. (Can’t remember the exact numbers to post!)

Before hitting the road, we have to have breakfast!

Best. Coffee. Ever.

Laura took us to a place in her neighborhood called Philz Coffee. The walk there included instructions to “watch out for puke on the sidewalk.” Admittedly, I was skeptical.

A 10 minute walk later and I was drinking the best coffee I have ever had and enjoying an unbelievably amazing VEGAN scone.

Trust the local!

Apple Pecan Vegan Scone

Then we were off to Napa!

First stop: Mumm

Favorite Taste: Sparkling Pinot Noir or Brut Rose

Notes: Great way to begin the day – all sparkling wines, helpful staff (they even gave us extra vintages to compare!), and a stunning view.

Cheers!

Second stop: Groth

Favorite Taste: 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Notes: The wines were very good. I even bought a Chardonnay (I typically don’t care for them). The presentation could have been better, but definitely still worthy of a stop.

Yep – It’s pink.

Pit stop: Brix for lunch

Favorite Taste: Crusty bread and butter sprinkled with pink salt

Notes: Brave the 45 min wait at Mustard’s instead. We actually sent back a $21 burger… and they brought it back in worse shape.

Basic, but good!

Third stop: Cakebread

Favorite Taste: 2007 Syrah

Notes: The wines were decent and the view was great… but not our favorite experience. It is the only one I would have skipped.

The view from Cakebread

Fourth stop: Sullivan

Favorite Taste: 2005 Coeur de Vigne

Notes: By far the best winery in every regard. The tasting was personal (we met the vineyard owner!), the tasting room manager was knowledgeable and so nice. And the wines… perfect.

I want to live HERE.

We even met the owner’s son. He is in charge of the wine making… and gave us a sip of this juice:

Good even before fermentation!

After such a great experience, we decided it was the perfect winery to end on. And we were hungry.

Pit Stop #2: Rutherford Grill

Best Taste: Green Chili Cake Cornbread

Notes: Thanks to Fred, the tasting manager at Sullivan, we ordered the chili cornbread. You should too.

This could have been served as cake. Seriously.

After a hunt for gas (no stations for 10 miles!), we got lucky with dinner. Table for 3 at Redd.

I could talk forever about how the fine gentleman cocktail waiter served our drinks and said – and I quote:

“Allow me to bid you cheers, ladies.”

Or how the pork belly was heaven-sent.

Glazed pork belly, apple puree, burdock, and soy caramel

Or how the sweet and sour glazed butternut squash in the fall salad paired perfectly with the Roquefort cheese and apples.

Fall Salad

Or the dessert. Oh, the dessert. The cherry on top of a meal so incredible that it moved us to tears.

Peanut butter milk chocolate gianduja, peanut honeycomb parfait

But I wouldn’t want to make anyone jealous. 🙂

Back in the real world…

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The 21 day challenge.

Mom and I are doing the Standard Process Cleanse (lord, do I need it after the Cali gluttonous foodie experience).

For the first 10 days, you are only allowed veggies and fruit. More raw than not. Preferably organic.

And shakes with their special protein powder.

At day 11 we can add certain fish and chicken.

Obviously, we needed to raid the DeKalb Farmer’s Market to start off right!

Lots of these

None of these!

So, the blog will focus on clean, vegan eating for the next 10 days. Followed by clean, vegan-except-for-chicken eating for the remaining 11.

First lesson: if you can’t add any sweetener, don’t put cranberries in a shake. *pucker*

She’s gone country… wine country, that is

October 28, 2010 By Laura

First off, Happy Birthday to my awesome mom!!!

(It was yesterday, but who’s counting?)

My baby sis drove in from college to surprise her (Mamma cried) and we took her to dinner at Miller Union. Of course, I forgot to bring my camera to capture one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. BUT, if you are in Atlanta go eat there. Immediately. If not sooner.

My Recommendations: Miller Thyme cocktail, a glass of the Frederic Mabileau St. Nicolas de Bourgeil Loire France 2008, creamy grit fritters, skillet NY Strip, any of the veggies, and the warm plum crisp. And don’t bother sticking to a “diet” – dig into the bread they bring out. It’s worth it.

After dinner, Baby Sis came home with me for a sleepover and to try a 6am boot camp. I was shocked we woke up in time.

Between the humidity and crazy workout involving lots of stairs, we worked up an appetite! I made the Grilled French Banana Sandwich from last week and served it with apple sliced on the side.

Guess where I’m going tomorrow!?

It was just a good the second time around! Next time I’m doing it with Chocolate Almond Butter.

Baby sis was also my guinea pig. I tried out a version of the Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Peas and Thank You.

It was soooo good I started drinking this and ALMOST forgot to take a pic!

Pumpkin Spiced Latte

4 c strongly brewed coffee (I used 4 c water to 6 T coffee)
1 1/2 c skim milk
5 T canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Brew coffee. Meanwhile, heat milk, pumpkin, and spices until hot (about 2 mins) on the stove… or in the microwave (I can be lazy in the morning). Pour mixture into blender and blend on high until frothy.

Pour frothy milk mixture into 2 large cups (I had some leftover), and add coffee. Mix lightly and serve.

AND I did my Whittle My Middle moves. The stats:

Front plank: 90 secs
Side plank: 60 secs each side
Torso twists: 50 reps
Plank ups: 16 reps
Boat pose: 25 reps
Bicycle: 2 sets of 30 reps
Side plank w/ twists: 12 reps each side

I’m all out of order though! Rewind to Monday.

I started my week here:

Serenbe Inn

This was my cabin:

Magnolia Cabin

Serenbe (“Be Serene”… get it?!) is this awesome 1000 acre sustainable community just 45 mins outside of Atlanta. My team at work had a short retreat there – it felt days away from the city. We had meetings, ate some awesome farm-to-table food at The Farmhouse (our chicken at dinner came from a farm 30 mins away!), and I went on a 4 mile trail run. Two thumbs up.

I also learned about their Southern Chef Series. They bring in popular chefs (Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch fame is coming in January!) and for a small fee you get to cook dinner with them, stay over night, and make breakfast together in the morning. That’s my kind of retreat!

After all the fattening delicious Southern cooking, I was craving some oats. Do you ever put chocolate chips in your pumpkin bread/muffins/pancakes?

In honor of the gorgeous fall leaves, I decided to add some orange to my chocolate overnight oats.

Chocolate-Pumpkin Oats

Chocolate-Pumpkin Overnight Oats

1/4 c oatmeal
1/2 c milk
1/2 scoop Juice Plus powder
Generous shakes of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg

Toppings:

Pumpkin puree
Pecans

There has been some nasty weather in Atlanta and this was the perfect breakfast on a rainy fall morning!

Fast forward again.

I’m ending my week here:

San Francisco, here I come!

And here:

Watch out, Napa!

My BFF and I are going to San Francisco and Napa to visit an old friend for Halloween.

Back in a few days with lots of stories, pictures, and wine! 🙂

http://www.millerunion.com/site/

Cooking in Salt

October 14, 2010 By Laura

First, I have to say that I did deliver on my promise to complete the Whittle My Middle every other day. Yesterday I was a little slow, but got it done. I was so sore from boot camp. Here are the numbers I put up:

Front plank: 60 secs
Side plank: 60 secs each side
Torso twists: 25 reps
Plank ups: 10 reps
Boat pose: 20 reps
Bicycle: 2 sets of 30 reps
Side plank w/ twists: 10 reps each side

Last night I had a really cool meal prepared by a friend. I know its odd to describe a meal as “cool,” but I had never seen this method in action before: Beef in a Salt Crust.

This isn’t the actual beef but I think she made it based on an Alton Brown recipe, so the pic is from his recipe. Basically, you beat egg white until they are frothy, add some herbs (fresh from her garden!), and a TON of kosher salt.

It looks crazy to dump all of that salt on a perfectly good piece of meat! After it bakes for ~20 mins, the salt hardens into a crust. When it’s done, the salt breaks away and you are left with your beef. It was soooo cool to see and the taste was delish. Not too salty!

Boot camp #2 tonight. I may have to break out the running pants for the first time this season – it is finally feeling more like fall outside today!

Intervals, Abs, and Monsters… Oh My!

October 12, 2010 By Laura

I’m a little behind due to all of the weekend’s festivities! I tried a new workout this weekend and LOVED it. Intervals that weren’t boring, killer biceps/back moves, followed by a core routine from Oh She Glows. All topped off with a Green Monster smoothie, inspired by the Green Monster Movement and fueled with protein powder from my Mission: Protein Powder exploration.

The interval workout is based on one from Fitness Magazine. It incorporates the stationary bike, elliptical, and treadmill and take 30 minutes total. Those 30 minutes flew by – I swear. (Note: RPE refers to your “rate of perceived exertion”)

The break down:

Bike

Minutes 0-5 @ level 1-3 (about 3 RPE)
Minutes 5-7 @ level 5-7 (about 7 RPE*)
Minutes 7-8 @ level 6-8 (about 8 RPE*)
Minutes 8-9 @ level 8-9 (about 9 RPE*)
Minutes 9-10 @ level 9-10 (about 10 RPE*)

Elliptical

Minutes 10-11 @ level 3-4 (about 3 RPE)
Minutes 11-13 @ level 7-9 (about 6 RPE*)
Minutes 13-15 @ level 9-12 (about 8 RPE*)
Minutes 15-18 @ level 12+ (about 9 RPE*)
Minutes 18-20 @ level 9-12 (about 8 RPE*)

Treadmill

Minutes 20-24 @ level 3.5-4.2 (about 3 RPE)
Minutes 24-25 @ level 5.2-6.5 (about 7 RPE*)
Minutes 25-27 @ level 4-4.5 (about 3 RPE*)
Minutes 27-29 @ level 7 (about 8 RPE*)
Minutes 29-30 @ level 3 (about 2 RPE*)

Then is was time for 30 mins in the weight room working on back and biceps.

All of this was topped off with the Whittle My Middle 30-Day Challenge #2 completed by Angela at Oh She Glows back in January. My goal is to do this daily for the next month. Results to be posted here. Anyone else in???

My starting points:

Front plank: 90 secs
Side plank: 60 secs each side
Torso twists: 20 reps
Plank ups: 12 reps
Boat pose: 20 reps
Bicycle: 3 sets of 30 reps
Side plank w/ twists: 12 reps each side

How do you follow up a killer workout like that?

…

Mission: Protein Powder

October 10, 2010 By Laura

Yesterday was GA Tech’s homecoming game against Virginia. It was great to see my fellow alum’s at the tailgate. Smoak (on the left) even loaned me his festive bow tie!

Go Jackets!

We won the game and I had a great time catching up with my baby sister. I was a bit worried about the outcome, since we haven’t been looking terribly strong and for some reason they didn’t schedule a high school for us to play. Ye of little faith. Other than a couple of turnovers, we looked great.

Today’s run: my pace was a little slower, but I was still pleased with my time since I was sore from yesterday’s run and all the walking we did (my quad has been pulled since July). I came back and did 15 mins of ab work too (more punishment for Friday night’s beer).

Distance: 3.65 miles
Duration: 31:28
Average Pace: 8:57

After all that, I had to get my protein in… which brings us to…

Mission: Protein Powder

I am in the market for a new protein powder. The one I have now is a Juice Plus powder. The flavor is good, but it only has 13g of protein (most powders have 20-25g) AND it contains 12g of sugar (no wonder it is so tasty!).

Yesterday I went to Whole Paycheck (my term of endearment for Whole Foods) and purchased a 1 serving packet of every brand of protein powder they carry. To do a true test I probably should have gotten all the same flavor… but variety is the spice of life.

Protein galore!

First batter up:

Jay Robb - Strawberry

I used this to make this morning’s breakfast – Berry Overnight Oats.

I mixed all the ingredients and placed in the fridge overnight. This morning, the mix had not absorbed as much of the milk as usual… it looked a bit soupy. Maybe this powder isn’t as absorbent?

Either way, it tasted good! I added some blueberries for a topping. These are the biggest blueberries I have ever seen. Nearly the size of a quarter! The strawberry protein powder made the oats taste like strawberry Nestle Quik. This is a very good thing, in my opinion. 🙂

Berry Overnight Oats

1/4 C Oats

1/2 serving Jay Robb Strawberry Whey Protein powder

1/2 C milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Goji berries

Blueberries

Mix the oat and powder in a bowl. Add milk and vanilla and stir until combined. Add small handful of goji berries.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove from fridge and stir. Add blueberries (or topping of your choice).

The Verdict: Pretty good. I loved the strawberry Quik taste (warning: it could be a bit sweet for some people). Half of the packet gave me 12.5g protein, 0g sugar, and 55 cals. My only complaint is how runny my oats were, but that can easily be remedied by not using as much milk. I have the other half of the packet to go and I’m thinking this would make an awesome Green Monster.

Workout Fuel + Almond Cocoa “Laura” Bites

October 6, 2010 By Laura

This may sound bizarre, but I look forward to using hotel gyms.

They provide a good change of pace to a workout routine – the good ones have different machines and the bad ones force creativity. The one I visited this week was one of the good ones.

The Weight Room

I did a 1 mile warm up jog on the treadmill before heading to the weight room for a 50 minute bicep/back workout. All of this was rounded out with a quick core workout:

100 sit-ups on the ball
30 v-ups
60 baby crunches
60 toe touchers
60 second plank
60 second side plank on each side

Thanks to the cardio at the beginning, my heart rate stayed up the entire time and made the workout a bit more intense

Following the advice of the nutritionist I saw, I followed up my workout with a grilled chicken salad. Apparently you need at least 20g of protein within 30mins of completing a workout. Who knew? It is amazing what happens when you add more protein to your diet – in just a couple of weeks of aiming for 80-100g a day I have noticed a change in muscle.

First thing’s last: the fuel. I made my own version of Lara Bars. Lara Bars are date and nut bars that typically include some sort of fruit (creating flavors like “Apple Pie” and “Peanut Butter & Jelly”). They are yummy, but expensive. Half of one works well as a pre-workout pick-me-up. Why not make my own? They give you the ingredients on the package: dates and nuts. I already have basically the same name. Behold, Laura Bites. (Yes, I am that creative corny.)

It is that easy. You can play with the flavors – add some dry fruit, different nut varieties, coconut… anything you have in your pantry. Just be sure not to over-mix the nuts, as it will make the “batter” too greasy. These are approx. 100 calories per serving.

Almond Cocoa Laura Bites

2/3 C Dates
1/4 C Almonds
2 tsp Cocoa
Cinnamon (optional)

Place dates in food processor and blend until chopped.

Add nuts and cocoa and blend until mixed. It will look like a gooey ball – don’t worry.

Using your (clean) hands, form into 4 “bites.” I sprinkled my formed bites with cinnamon.

Cover tightly and store in cool place.

Makes 4 bites.