You’re Off to Great Places + Growing Naturals Giveaway

October 3, 2013 By Laura

I’m addicted to the powder.

Not that powder. Where are your minds?! Shame!

Protein powder, bro. I have high standards:

NOT grainy or chalky
Not full of sugar or loaded with a billion carbs
Must actually taste like the flavor on the label
Ingredient lists need to be recognizable and short
Must contain at least 20g of protein

I have tried them all. Today, I am SO excited that my #1 favorite protein powder of all time, Growing Naturals, has agreed to join in the Blogiversary week celebration. They meet my high standards and then some… they are even soy-free and vegan!

The chocolate rice powder really does impart a chocolate taste. It’s perfect in my Mocha Beet Frapp. The vanilla was just the right amount of flavor to make my Plantain Ginger Bread taste like a warm treat.

I’m getting wordy. It’s Kat’s turn to blog today. Just click here for more on why they rock. Or, for proof, know that ~~beg~~ seek them out to sponsor me at Blend and do giveaways… I want everyone to try it! 😉

Sooooo… here’s the schwag one of you will WIN (giveaway entry at the bottom – US only, along with winners for Monday and Tuesday’s giveaways!):

Speaking of protein… my girl Kat is going to need plenty to fuel the race she’s running this weekend. Check her out and wish her luck below!!!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

You’re off to great places!

(by: Kat)

I’m leaving for my 100 mile race in Pennsylvania today. Yes, 100 miles, 32 hour time limit. I’m trying not to try to figure out how fast I have to run each mile to finish in under 30 hours, under 28 hours, etc. I really just want to finish. (Editor’s note: You are officially my hero.)

I’m scared, and I even emailed the race director to see if I could defer my entry ‘til next year. He said no, so I’m going. Eeeeeeek!

This has brought up serious insecurity. Why do my friends believe I can do this more than I believe in myself? My new mantra on my runs has inspired some confidence in me. I’ve been telling myself, “I am strong, I am injury-free, and I can do this!”

It really does help me re-frame and know my body is capable and my mind is yearning for the … what? (Editor’s note: This is so true. I do it in lifting. It’s amazing what positive self-talk can do to your physical abilities… and you know I’m not the touch-y feel-y type.) Maybe a break-through, maybe a break-down. Sometimes we need a little of both.

I plan on taking good care of myself, and Wednesday night was all about packing carefully, and preparing my food/necessities. With 100 miles on foot, you have to think: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and more calories. (Editor’s note: Meal time is my favorite!)

I also have to think about injury prevention, which means lights, batteries, keeping myself warm. I have to honor the body that allows me to even attempt this kind of challenge. I am so grateful to have a healthy body that allows me to push myself physically to achieve something mentally.

I also need to mention that waiting for my bar results has been a terrible waiting period, and I keep getting asked about the date for results which makes me a little batty. It’s October 28^th. Results October 28^th. (Editor’s note: We are going to celebrate hard core! I know you OWNED it!)

Right now, I’m wound up tight, and so are my finances. I’m so grateful for everything I have right now, including my Cold Life Organics deliveries, which save me money and allow me to experiment.

A few experiments lately include this parsnip-cauliflower puree and stuffed red bell peppers. They are both so easy I didn’t initially think of them as a blog post. But they are unique, delicious recipes that helped me to think outside the box.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Parsnip-Cauliflower Puree

3 large parsnips, cut roughly into ¼ inch pieces
½ head cauliflower, cut roughly into ¼ inch pieces
½ Vidalia onion, diced
4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
Salt, to taste
1-2 T coconut oil
3 T butter
¼ C coconut milk

Saute onion, garlic, cauliflower, and parsnips in the coconut oil until it is generally soft-ish. You should easily be able to pierce the parsnips with a fork.

Add saute to a food processor and puree. Add coconut milk, butter, and salt to taste.

The parsnips give the cauliflower puree a floral taste that isn’t overwhelming. It’s a fun substitute for mashed potatoes that will leave your guests wondering. It’s gluten free, and can be made vegan by substituting the butter for your favorite butter substitute. It’s also lower carb and lower calorie, if you’re going for that! I served it with a little salad and chicken.

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

1/4 lb ground anti-biotic free chicken
1/4 C rice, uncooked.
2 red bell peppers
1 C marinara sauce
1/4 yellow onion
1 T coconut oil
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 green bell pepper
1/8 C nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut the tops off of bell peppers, and clean out seeds. Boil water and cook the bell peppers in the water for about 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Saute green pepper, onion, and garlic in the coconut oil, add the chicken and continue to saute until just cooked, but not dried out.

Stir in marinara and nutritional yeast.

Stuff peppers with the mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes.

I put cheese on top of one, and not on top of the other. Both were delicious. They’re gluten free and can easily been made vegan by eliminating/substituting the chicken for TVP. These were so easy and tasty, and they brought back childhood memories for my dinner partner. We love nostalgic food. We both also added additional nutritional yeast as a condiment while we ate.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check back at the NuNaturals and Muesli Fusion giveaways for the winners!

***

Good luck KAT!!!! P.S. You guys come back tomorrow. It’s a giveaway I put together myself of my favorite most-used items. 🙂

What easy recipes/meals do you forget to share because they are just so easy?

What challenges are scary to you lately, and how do you keep yourself going?

Hard Core + Muesli Fusion Giveaway

October 1, 2013 By Laura

I’m sure my washboard abs are in there somewhere.

Too bad I can’t just go to the fridge for that 6-pack…

I’m in the homestretch for my next figure competition. My abs have 5 weeks to make their appearance. They are always, always fashionably late. Today’s Work It Out is a quick overview of my new ab strategy (it’s working!!!).

Let me bring by giving you my top ab secret: abs are made in the kitchen. There is no way around this. You’re diet must be on point unless you are one of those naturally blessed people ~~who I want to kill~~. I was not blessed. I have a short torso. When I gain, it’s always in my stomach first. Why can’t it go to my ~~boobs~~ quads?!

__________________________________________________________________________________

We’ll come back to the kitchen in a bit. First, let’s talk exercise.

I lack the patience to do a ton of dedicated core work back-to-back. I also lack the patience to rest between sets (except on leg day when I’m begging to rest). My solution is to combine them!

Every other day I work core moves into my upper body workouts. Rather than stand around between each set, I drop to the ground and do 25 ab reps. My arms rest while I do core, and my core rests while I do arms! Yes, you do use each as a secondary muscle, but it’s not so much that you’re sacrificing quality.

If I do 6 exercises, 4 sets each, I’ve done 600 core exercises by the end!

While I plan you workout, I select 4 core moves to perform. After weight set 1, I do core exercise 1. After weight set 2, I do core exercise 2, and so on. Here’s a “how to” for the group of 4 that I’ve been loving lately:

Body Rocks (thanks to Heather for this idea)

In and Outs

Stability Ball Sit-Ups

Figure Eights

Note: Don’t do this every day. Your abs need time to rest and recover just like any other body part!

__________________________________________________________________________________

Back to the kitchen. There are several foods that are particularly guilty of being junk food in healthy clothing. Flavored yogurts (sugar bombs), deli meat (infested with preservatives and sodium), and granola (again with the sugar) are big ones.

For today’s “Favorite Things Anniversary Week Giveaway,” I want to share my favorite granola with you. I was first introduced to Muesli Fusion at Blend last spring. Always the skeptic, the first thing I did was read the label. Lo and behold, it’s not a junk food in disguise! Bonus: they have gluten-fee option!

I love using it to top my post-workout protein smoothie bowls. It gives my the carbs I need to refuel and adds some texture to my smoothie.

Athlete’s Fuel is my favorite – it has 7 grams of protein and only 3 grams of sugar per serving!

Want to try it for yourself? Muesli Fusion is offering a $50 gift code to one of you.* With that much money, you can try a few flavors!

*Again, this is not a sponsored giveaway. I reached out to my favorite brands and ~~begged~~ asked nicely for a giveaway opportunity so you can try them out too.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***

Don’t forget – there’s still time to enter the NuNaturals giveaway! And, speaking of birthdays, happy birthday to Lisa!!!

What is your favorite granola flavor?

Do you have the patience to do dedicated core work? Which moves are your favorite?

Flipping Out + Designer Whey Winner

September 26, 2013 By Laura

Flipping out isn’t always a bad thing.

Let’s be real though – usually it isn’t pretty.

When I saw strongWOMAN Tara post about tire flipping, I immediately texted my trainer and asked if we could incorporate that into our session that night. I have no idea why I do these things to myself.

I didn’t realize how heavy tires were! I did the first two lengths of the gym with a 225 lb tire. Just when I was patting myself on the back, he decided we needed to up the weight. The next 2 lengths were done with a 265 lb tire. That’s when the real ~~hell~~ fun began.

This is the last bit:

For some reason he refused to bring me a beer after that… then made me do more legs! How rude!

______________________________________________________________________________________

Just in case you didn’t come here to watch my huff and puff, I’ll go ahead and do as promised. Remember this giveaway?

The winner for the Designer Whey 1 year supply of protein is…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations!!! For those of you who’d still like a sweet protein deal, check out Jody’s site for a discount code on you next order of Designer Whey!

You better believe I had a healthy serving of Designer Whey after tire day!

***

I knew my butt would be sore, but my forearms are also STIFF after that flippin’ tire.

Have you ever flipped a tire? Would you willingly do so?

Do you yell or grunt when you’re lifting something especially heavy? I can’t help it!

Fun with Supplements: SD Pharmaceuticals

September 24, 2013 By Laura

Supplements are a “mystery” to a lot of people.

Supplements are NOT steroids.

I’ve dedicated a post to the supplements I take in the past, but wanted to do a quick update today. Warning: this Work It Out is largely educational/exploration. If that bores you, check out this past post on The Gun Show. Biceps are my favorite thing to work out. 🙂

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of SD Pharmaceuticals.

In my previous supplements post I shared my reasons for taking the following. I still take each of these daily* (though I took a break while I was recovering from surgery since I wasn’t using my body in a way that needed them).

*Note: I’ve since switched Amino brands.

You guys know by know that I don’t shy away from experimenting with my diet and routines. When I was given the opportunity to try out some supplements from SD Pharmaceuticals, I was intrigued.

Some of the language used to describe the benefits gave me pause because I’m not on a weight loss mission. However, they have done some fantastic in-depth research and use the highest quality plant-based ingredients. The research on added benefits of these supplements to bodybuilders made me decide to give it a go.

Here’s what I was sent:

Dendrobium 600 – Derived from orchids; used in Chinese medicine as a tonic and strengthener; may increase congition, and promotes the health of the stomach, kidney, and lungs
Diindolylmethane – In the genus of plants that includes broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kale; supports healthy estrogen metabolism and hormonal balance
Garcinia Cambogia – Comes from a pumpkin-shaped fruit (yay pumpkin!); supports healthy serotonin levels and help reduce appetite; may impact enzymes related to fat metabolism
Green Coffee Bean – Green coffee beans (recently made famous by Dr. Oz) are coffee beans that have not yet been roasted, thus having higher chlorogenic acid levels; that component is thought to be responsible for inhibiting fat accumulation and assisting weight loss, as well as providing healthy antioxidants
Raspberry Ketone – From red raspberries (obv); antioxidant, may reduce fat absorption, increase calorie expenditure, and enhance fat breakdown

Supplements CAN be confusing. What to take, when to take it, how to combined it… that’s why I love that the company provides a downloadable stacking guide. ~~I need to be hand-held sometimes.~~

So does it work?

I don’t think I’ve been on them long enough to have major strength gains. I haven’t noticed a weight loss or a reduction in appetite. Again, that’s not my goal. I am extremely active and don’t have weight to lose, so I think my body overrides that effect. (Others have noticed bigger changes in terms of weight loss; check out this review.)

I HAVE noticed a general mood lift, which I attribute to the Dendrobium and Garcinia. I have more energy, but not in a caffeinated-I have-the-shakes-and-need-to-do-all-the-things way. I also didn’t have any trouble falling asleep after beginning these. Energy + sleep = awesome.

***

There is NO magic pill. These things may assist you in reaching goals, but the only sure-fire way to get/stay fit is to eat right and exercise.

Do you take vitamins/supplements?

Would you be curious to try any of these?

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl + WIAW

September 18, 2013 By Laura

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.

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.~~

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!

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

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

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…

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. 😉

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.

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

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

September 16, 2013 By Laura

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:

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.

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.

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!

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. 🙂

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.

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.

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.~~

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.

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

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?

What I Ate in San Francisco (from home)

September 11, 2013 By Laura

Leave it to me to go to a food city and bring my own.

Not my first choice.

A HUGE part of the commitment to compete is a commitment to your diet. It’s not easy. It’s not always fun. HOWEVER… abs are made in the kitchen.

This trip to has been especially hard for me because it’s my first with my new job… and I have a really fun team to hang out with. So far I’ve been good, even working out twice in 12 hours due to scheduling.

Preparation is key. This trip I packed up some old staples. These are items that “save” me:

Homemade fro-yo: I take single serving containers of plain Greek yogurt, add my on mix-ins, and re-cover them to freeze. Freezing the yogurt makes it easier to get through security (it’s a solid) and it acts as an ice pack for your other foods. And it’s tasty. This week I had peanut flour-strawberry and vanilla-mango.
Packaged foods: these are a great to have on had. I pack up single-serving protein powders, bars, stevia, tuna, and rice cakes.
Oatmeal: Usually I plan to get this from room service, but I wanted to try something new. I pre-measured out my oats and adding in ginger and cinnamon. All I need to do is add water/protein powder/hotel fruit to make oatmeal in my room!
Jerky: I don’t often eat jerky, but Perky Jerky offered to send me sample of their (preservative-free) product. I really like the turkey version only has 110 mg of sodium! Score.

Of course I brought more… see below… 😉

________________________________________________________________________________________

I’ve done detailed travel posts before, so this is WIAW travel food-edition going to be more of an overview. I did manage some new (strange?) travel eats this time around.

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

________________________________________________________________________________________

On the Plane:

Overnight oats in a jar make getting up early just a little easier. These were packed with fig, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla protein powder.

Yes, they made it through security.

Round 2 on the plane was the baked chicken from my food prep (recipe coming tomorrow), carrots, and airplane pretzels.

The fro-yo kept it nice and cold!

Hotel Breakfast:

This has become an art. The Westin St. Francis has been fabulous with my crazy food requests. They brought up apple cider vinegar so I could have my morning cocktail!!! I downed that along with half a muffin (brought from home) to fuel a morning workout. Check out the view I woke up to!

Then the full meal was delivered: plain oats with a side of berries, cinnamon, and coffee. I mixed in my own protein powder, and added coffee to thin it out. Perfection!

Other Mini-Meals:

You can actually find acceptable food to eat in cities like SF. I got to enjoy a kale-barley salad with chickpeas and shrimp for lunch on our first day here:

This was the peanut flour and strawberry fro-yo creation I brought from home. Can you tell how fantastically frozen it was?!

I ended up having to do my workout at midnight east coast time… this was just the treat I needed after. I spent half the workout thinking about it.

This next snack happened at the conference. People seemed a little surprised when they discovered I brought the egg from home. I can’t imagine why…

It turns out hard-boiled egg travels really well! Tomato Brownies travel well too. I took it straight from my freezer from home, and by day two it had thawed and tasted delicious! I didn’t reveal the secret ingredient to my co-workers. ~~They’d have been too jealous.~~ 😉

Of course, there have been other eats. When we go to restaurants I order veggies with a plain grilled protein or I bust out my “emergency” tuna. It’s really no too hard too eat out (temptation side).

***

If anyone wants to send random tweets of support and keep me honest… that wouldn’t suck. 😉

Do you struggle with diet? It’s the hardest part about competing for me!

Do you like hard-boiled eggs? This was my first time making them for myself!

A 50 K, a 50 mile, and Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

September 5, 2013 By Laura

Wise, insightful posts are so inspiring.

I so admire people who can write them.

Kat wrote one such post today in her bi-weekly guest spot below. I am forever grateful to her for bringing a ~~mature~~ different voice to this blog.

It make me feel less guilty for sharing ~~crap~~ interesting tidbits like this:

Hello Kitty beer. It’s a real thing in China. Apparently it comes in lime and peach flavors… and there are 4 more coming. Like banana. *gag*

Rather than making about a million inappropriate jokes, I going to stop and let Kat take over. Her Vegan Eggplant Parm recipe certainly tastes better than Hello Kitty fruity beer.

________________________________________________________________________________________

A 50 K, a 50 mile, and Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

The rest of my West Coast Trip ROCKED! I finished 3rd in my age group at the Mount Tam 50K, and it was such a beautiful race! However, I wore the wrong shoes, and my feet ACHED! I wore the Saucony Kinvara trail shoes (which I love, but only for about 15-18 miles or so). I got new shoes as soon as I got home (to wear in my 50 miler last Sunday).

Mount Tam 50k

Then I went zip lining through the redwoods! I highly recommend this! (Editor’s note: I’ll pass on the 50K but sign me up for this!!!)

I learned so much about the trees and how adaptive they are. They really are super cool, and the zip lining is a blast, too.

After 10 days, getting back to “normal,” has been a slow process, at best, but I’m so happy to be home with all of my babies – the three kitties and the three puppies! (Editor’s note: I always feel that way too – even after the most amazing of trips.)

I also was super excited to run the Yeti Snakebite 50/50 on Sunday, September 1. So many of my friends were there to either run 50K or 50 miles, and it was awesome to see all the friendly faces. Unfortunately, it was a much harder race and hotter day than most anticipated, so tons of people were unable to complete the race (and I was super slow). However, I finished the 50 miler, a little over 12 hours after I started.

Krista gave up her whole day to crew for me. She showed up at every aid station to bring me things I needed and wanted and to help me though. I am humbled and grateful to have people in my life who care about me and are willing to support me in my (crazy) endeavors.

My new Innov8 Trail Roc shoes also ROCKED! I was a little nervous, having only run in them once (for about 6 miles), to wear them in such a long race, but I highly recommend them. They are lightweight, but have a beastly cleat (Editor’s note: Best description ever) on the bottom to help you on the trails, while not hurting your feet for short spurts on pavement.

The Race itself was extremely difficult, and when it rained (POURED) on us, it was slippery and dangerous. EEK! I also got off-trail for a bit, which reminded me to just smile through it and eventually cross the finish line! The volunteers were amazing, and kept us going even when super frustrated.

It helps to step back after a race like that and ask yourself, “Why?” Why do we do this? Why do we intentionally do things that we know will hurt, that will push us to our physical and mental limits?”

I keep coming back to the answer that it shows me that I can push through the most difficult feelings, and survive when I want to quit. Applying this lesson to life, I keep wanting to also show myself I can do it with a smile. (Editor’s note: That, and you’re a little crazy. Which is why we get along. 😉 )

________________________________________________________________________________________

At my house, we recently started getting fruit and vegetable delivery, once a week, from Cold Life Organics. They have several options for boxes, and you can add on to any box, skip a shipment, or change which box you need or want. It’s only $40 for one week for two people! It’s been awesome, and with the variety they bring, it encourages me to try new things and think outside the box. 😉 (Yes, that was a cheesy pun. You’re welcome!)

Last week we got eggplant. I wanted to have friends over, rather than going out and spending more money, so I decided to get creative for my vegan friend, Ann. I ended up doing a play on Eggplant Parmesan, sans the Parmesan… and it was SO GOOD! (Editor’s note: Holla at this friend!!!)

It was super crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, and perfectly delicious. Using the pecan meal with the nutritional yeast gave it the perfect amount of nuttiness that we didn’t get from the real Parmesan, and the garlic gave it an awesome little kick with some sweetness. And I would not do this without the fresh basil! Try this recipe!

________________________________________________________________________________________

Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

1 Medium eggplant
1/2 T org. buckwheat flour
1 T almond meal
2 T pecan meal
1 T dried parsley
1 T nutritional yeast
Big pinch salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 Large fresh basil leaves, chopped
Plenty of coconut oil
16 oz jar of tomato sauce, or homemade tomato sauce (I made my own)

Pre-heat the oven to 425.

Mix your buckwheat, almond and pecan meal, parsley, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and fresh basil in a bowl with a fork. In another bowl, pour some melted coconut oil.

Cut eggplant into ¼ – ½ inch rounds. First dip them in the dry mixture, then into the coconut oil, then back into the dry mixture. Make sure it gets a good coating on there. Repeat with the whole eggplant.

Place on baking sheet lined with foil and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy on top (I had to broil mine an extra 2-3 minutes after).

Let some of the oil drip onto a towel/paper towel and let cool for about 3-5 minutes. Then serve with sauce!

Makes 3-4 servings.

***

I think Kat nailed it this week with a #strangebutgood recipe! And I am adding this to the list of things to beg her to make me…

What do you do for self-improvement? How do your workouts help? It clears my mind and helps me remain more focused on goals!

Do you have organic veggie delivery!? Would you look into it?

You’re Off to Great Places + Growing Naturals Giveaway

You’re off to great places!

Parsnip-Cauliflower Puree

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

Hard Core + Muesli Fusion Giveaway

Flipping Out + Designer Whey Winner

The winner for the Designer Whey 1 year supply of protein is…

Fun with Supplements: SD Pharmaceuticals

Here’s what I was sent:

So does it work?

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl + WIAW

Breakfast:

Raspberry Overnight Bulgur

Mid-Morning Snack:

Lunch:

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

Sunshine and Pumpkin Pan-lettes

Pumpkin Pan-lette

What I Ate in San Francisco (from home)

On the Plane:

Hotel Breakfast:

Other Mini-Meals:

A 50 K, a 50 mile, and Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

A 50 K, a 50 mile, and Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

Follow Me!

Popular Posts

Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!