Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Recipe Pack Rat

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My name is Laura and I am a recipe addict.

If you ever want to keep me occupied for hours, drop me in the middle of the cookbook section of a bookstore.  Or give me a list of food blogs.  Or a stack of Food & Wine magazines.

While I do cook a lot, this has resulted in my having an excess of recipes.  I can’t make one item before I find 5 more I want to try my hand at!

I have 292 recipes bookmarked.  This is only those online.  That I’ve remembered to save to Delicious.

Intervention time.

Can I get on Oprah for this?  (Did you see Oprah discovered she has a sister?  That must have been the best day of her sister’s life… being Oprah’s sister would be better than winning the lottery!)

For the next 6 months, I will make one recipe from my Delicious bookmarks per week.

Originally, I was going to start with the first bookmarked page and work from there.  Makes sense.  Start at the beginning.

The issue is that I started saving in April, so I would be making springtime recipes when it is below freezing outside.  86 that idea.

Does it really matter where I start?

Start from the most recent.

Here are the first 3:

1. Avocado Creamcheese Cookies

Source: Anncoo Journal

2. Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Source: Priya's Kitchen

3. Nutty Spicy Tofu

I’m declaring tomorrow Avocado Cookie Tuesday!!!!

Tonight, it’s derby-time!

***

Do you have a recipe problem habit?  How do you keep track/keep up?

Side note: While I was looking through old bookmarks and writing this, I found no less than 10 new recipes to try.  Oops.

Souper Saturday

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Getting out of bed is the hardest part of going to Saturday morning practice.

I got out of bed at 7am.  I don’t get up that early for work.

At 8am this morning we began a 3 hour derby practice.  SO glad I woke up.

A couple of amazing guest skaters – Rice Rocket and Varla Vendetta – were in town to lead a workshop.  I’m not gonna lie – I was derby crushing. We learned some new drills and were able to do a quick scrimmage with our teams.

Then – because I am extra crazy – I came home and ran 3 miles.  In 26 minutes!!!  This is pretty fast for me.  It is freezing outside and I think my body was just trying to get warm. 🙂

I love a souper-motivated Saturday.  I also love Souper Jenny.  Jenny makes creative, tasty soups fresh daily, along with salads and a couple of sandwiches.   I have been known to:

  1. Drive 30 miles from my old office to eat there for lunch
  2. Save her daily email menus to remember a particularly interesting flavor combo
  3. Completely change my plans to eat dinner there on Thursdays for Grilled Cheese Night

All this to say that I finally attempted my own soup.

(I did make the Butternut Squash Apple, but I’d read like 40 recipes first.  This one I just went into the kitchen and threw stuff together. 🙂  )

It isn’t half bad.  In fact, it is pretty damn good!

Perfect for lunch after a frigid run.

White Bean, Butternut Squash, and Kale Soup

  • EVOO
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 jalapenos, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 C (1 can) vegetable broth
  • 3 C chopped tomatoes (I used Pomi)
  • 1 C (1 can) cannellini beans
  • 3 celery stalks
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1/2 medium butternut squash
  • 4 C kale
  • 3 stalks fresh rosemary (~3 T)
  • 1 T fresh lime juice
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp red pepper
  • 1 tsp roasted cinnamon
  • S & P to taste

Chop all veggies into bite-sized pieces.  In a large pot, heat EVOO over medium heat.  Add the onion and jalapeños.  Saute 6-7 mins until onions are translucent and soft.  Add in garlic and cook for another 1-2 mins.

Add in sweet potato, butternut squash, and celery.  Stir to combine with the saute mixture and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock, chopped tomatoes, and spices.  Bring to a boil.  Add beans and kale to the soup.  Stir to combine, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover pot with the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Salt & pepper to taste.  If you like a thinner soup, add water or more stock and adjust spices.

Makes 5 servings (1 cup each).

My creation has approximately: 250 calories, 6 g fat, 42 g carbohydrates, 12.5 g fiber, and 10 g protein.  It is also rich in Vitamins A and C.

***

My favorite thing about soup?  It is souper (I know I know… I’ll stop) filling and can easily be made nutrient-rich and low-cal.

What is your favorite soup creation?

My Top 5

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I have an announcement: My skinny pants are too big.

 

OMGOMGOMGOMG.

When I started this blog, I had a gained a pretty significant amount of weight.  I had been out of grad school for a year, and had gotten accustomed to sitting at a desk all day and still eating anything I wanted.  My body revolted.

Basically, my fat pants became my skinny pants.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC0Nsba1fWQ&feature=related

***Disclaimer: I love my job – I just love this video. And I don’t like sitting all day.***

 

Last week my trainer made me get on a scale for the first time in a couple of months. Post-grad school sitting-on-my-butt weight is officially GONE!!!

Fat pants, be damned!!!

I still sit at a desk all day, but I adjusted my eating habits and made exercise a part of my daily routine.  Just like brushing my teeth.

How did I do it?

There were many, many habits I changed, new behaviors I learned, and – last but not least – an amazing amount of self-control.  I could write pages, but here are my Top 5 Factors (after the jump).

… 

Read More »

Calories on Your Menu

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There has been a recent push to include the calorie count on menu items at chain restaurants.  New York City chains have been doing this for quite some time, but I haven’t seen a lot of it in Georgia.  At a recent visit to IHOP was the first time I’d encountered it (thus ruining an already mediocre experience).

Did I really want to know that my Harvest ‘N Nuts pancakes were 1020 calories before adding syrup?!

Honestly, it is really rare that I eat at chain restaurants.  I love food and I generally find that local restaurants have more interesting items made with fresher ingredients.  I know there are exceptions to this – hello, Seasons 52 – but as a general rule, my belly supports the local economy.

All of this to say that I was ambushed surprised by calories on my Longhorn menu last night.

I was in a small town without many other options for food, so to the chain we went.  As far as chains go, Longhorn isn’t terrible.  What is terrible: trying to order food at Longhorn when you know how caloric it is.  They even listed the calories in desserts (Caramel Apple Goldrush = 1640 calories) and specialty drinks (Pomegranate Margarita = 440 calories).

30+ minutes later, we finally settled on dinner items.  My Sierra Chicken was one of the lowest calorie items on the list (410 calories). It wasn’t terrible… except that I think the Dead Sea has less salt content than my dinner did.

Given the impact calories staring at us in the face had on my dinner companion and me, I asked the waitress she has noticed a difference in the way people order since the menu addition.  She said it did a little on dinner items, but dessert sales were the most hard-hit.

On one hand I think its great to know what you are eating (the calorie counts for the salads were SCARY). On the other, do I really want to know?!

What if my local, independently-owned restaurants began doing this?  It would certainly put a damper on my experience.

Another problem is that calorie counts aren’t all that matter.  My chicken, for example.  410 calories isn’t terrible, but the sodium content must have been out of this world.  What about fat?  Or carbs?  How about the redeeming qualities like protein and vitamins?

The impact could have a really cool effect – will restaurants began offering healthier options or adjusting current items to improve calorie content?  Or here’s a novel idea – how about offering single-serving portions?

As a country we could obviously benefit from better food options, or at least hard-to-ignore information about what we’re about to eat.

At least Georgia isn’t the worst…

***

What do you think?  Do you know to know or is ignorance bliss?  Would this impact they way you order?


Slurp Your Sweet Potato

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Despite being up until 3am working, I woke up (late) this morning ready to MOVE.

Breakfast was a coffee, an apple, and a jalapeno-cheddar scone (recipe to come… it still needs a little work).  To fuel my energy, I read some neglected fitness magazines.

What resulted was an amazing workout:

  1. 5 min elliptical warm-up
  2. Wide grip lat pull-downs – 3 sets of 12
  3. Bent over dumbbell row – 3 sets of 15
  4. Seated cable row – 3 sets of 12
  5. 30 second planks as an active rest between sets in #2-4 (total 10)
  6. Dumbbell pullover – 3 sets of 12
  7. Row to raise – 2 sets of 12
  8. Push-ups- 3 sets of 15 – superset with…
  9. Standing dumbbell curl – 3 sets of 12
  10. Alternating dumbbell curl – 5 sets of 12
  11. Hammer curl – 4 sets of 15 (or to exhaustion)
  12. 1 min sprint intervals on the treadmill between each set in #10-11 (total 8  )

Then I took the stairs back up to my condo.  Whew!

 

That killer workout called for a gigantic protein shake.

You’re probably going to think this is weird… BUT just trust me.

Sweet Potato Smoothie

  • 1/4 large sweet potato, cooked (mine was left over from this)
  • 1 hand full of spinach
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • Ice + water/milk to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.  Slurp away!

***

Time to head out the door for the derby sleepover – so excited to hang out with the team off-skates!

Does anyone else have adult sleepovers?!

It’s like high school but now you don’t have to sneak in the alcohol.

Spice Up Your Dessert

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I don’t want to run.

At all.  

This frigid, icy weather has taken a toll on my workout motivation.  Yet I did.

Want to know the secret steps to success when you’re held captive by the weather?

  1. Make a plan – mine was a incline interval run
  2. Write it on a piece of paper
  3. Get dressed in workout gear (it helps you commit to going!)
  4. Get on the “dreadmill” WITH the written plan in front of you
  5. Promise yourself that if you go 10 mins and still feel terrible, you can stop
  6. Promise yourself a giant spaghetti squash dinner and a glass of wine
  7. Wait for about the 8 min mark
  8. Motivation/resolve sets in. At this point you realize you will go the full time and survive.

I have no idea how I got through that one, but I did.

Then I ate this:

Thank god for the cleanse and my discovery of Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti.

My derby teammates, the Sake Tuyas, are having a sleepover this weekend.  Everyone is bring a dish and the theme is Mexican.  Because I am crazy, as I was laying in bed last night I was contemplating the possibilities (doesn’t everyone lull their self to sleep thinking about food?).  Then it hit me.

When I made these Black Bean Brownies, I thought I had hit the jackpot.  But… no. There’s something better out there.

Black beans are in (I think) every taco at Moe’s (clearly an authentic Mexican specimen).

This alone qualifies them for the potluck.  But why stop there?

Amp it up and add some spicy-goodness!  The addition of cinnamon and spice and everything nice adds a depth of flavor that is not to be missed.

Protein-rich, fudgy brownie with ~150 calories per serving (less than the original since I reduced the sugar and egg). Does it get any better?

Mexican Black Bean Fudgy Brownies

  • 3/4 C cocoa powder
  • 1/2 C salted butter, melted
  • 1/2 C applesauce (unsweetened)
  • 15 oz canned black beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 C walnuts (chopped)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 T instant coffee
  • 1 1/4 tsp roasted ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 3/4 tsp cayenne powder
  • Shake of kosher salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 C light agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325° F.  Prepare an 11 x 7 in pyrex dish by lining with parchment paper or lightly oiling with Baker’s Joy/Pam/butter/etc.

In large bowl, mix together melted butter, applesauce, and  cocoa powder until combined.

Place the beans, 1/2 C of walnuts, vanilla extract, and 3-4 spoonfuls of the cocoa mixture into a food processor.  Blend until smooth (~ 1 min).  It will be very thick.  Set aside.

Add to the cocoa mixture the remaining 1/2 C walnuts, instant coffee, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne, and salt and mix well.  Add bean mixture to cocoa mixture, manually stirring until well blended.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with a mixer until light and creamy (~ 1-2 min).  Add agave nectar and beat well.  Fold the egg mixture (reserving 1/8 C to drizzle over top if desired) into the bean and cocoa mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into prepared pan.

Bake for ~45 mins, until the brownies are set.  Cool completely in the pan before cutting. You may need to refrigerate first – these are extremely soft.

Optional: Sprinkle top with a mixture of cinnamon, chili powder, and powdered sugar.

***

Now to do a quick core workout before bed.  If I can just get started…

What are your secrets to motivation for a bad-weather workout?

Snowmygawd!

By

We’ve moved on from the snow to ice.  This city is shut down.  Even derby practice has been canceled all week!  In case you were wondering, ice is significantly less fun than snow.

Peachtree St. (the main drag through Atlanta) is literally a sheet of ice.  No joke – this dude was ice skating down the street.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iudRPyX4934

This is 2 blocks from my condo.

Being trapped has done a lot for productivity – I have gotten 2 big deliverables done for work, changed my sheets, hand washed dishes (I always put off doing hand wash-only dishes), worked out everyday, done laundry, and some other random “to do” items.

I did get out on Monday night for some fun.  Atlanta was in par-tay mode! 🙂

Picture taken by random guy on the street:

Told you I'm a red-head!

Last night I made some rockin’ roasted sweet potatoes.  I couldn’t take a picture, but my sister requested that directions be posted.  Here you go, Alli:

Lavender Roasted Sweet Potatoes

  • 1 Giant Sweet potato
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp Dried lavender blossoms
  • 1/2 tsp Dried rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 T EVOO

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Chop well-rinsed (I don’t peel mine) sweet potato into 1/2 in cubes and spread out on foil-lined baking sheet.  Toss with herbs, salt, and EVOO.

Roast in oven for ~40 mins, tossing once at 25 min mark.  Remove and enjoy!

***

I read an interesting article from my Active.com daily email.    It discusses training for a race vs. weight loss.

Many people begin running for weight loss.  One of the common stories I see is that of people signing up for a 5K as motivation to begin running and drop a few lbs.  I don’t think this article is necessarily referring to those people – this seems more related to longer races or more competitive racers – but it is an interesting read and can provide some perspective.

Major take-aways:

  1. Your body needs more calories when you’re seriously training.  This is not the time to cutting to under 1,500/day .
  2. Strength training shouldn’t be a focus while training.  Muscle burns fat, but lifting seriously can exhaust you and add more muscle than is ideal for a race.
  3. Endurance require some carbs.  Losing weight does not.  Eat more protein if you are trying to lose.  Sub in some carb-cals for the protein when you are in training.
  4. Many of the fitness magazines are highlighting the awesome weight-loss results you see from cardio intervals.  True story.  Just don’t make these the bulk of your workout if you are trying to run a marathon – they aren’t a substitute for a long run.
  5. “Fasting” workouts are when you workout first thing without any food on your stomach.  In theory, they burn straight fat rather than burning off carbs first.  I’m not a fan of these in general (it can also mean muscle breakdown as you body struggles to fuel the workout), but you especially don’t want to do this for longer/endurance runs.

***

What are your thoughts?  Can you focus on weight loss and training?  Anyone a fan of the fasting workout?

Speaking of… I’m off to the gym!  Gotta do what you can to warm up. 🙂

Snow Day

By

Snow days are much more fun when you don’t have to work.  This is the downside of technology.

No matter – I did get to go sledding in the park last night at 1 am!

Check out my crazy-dark-red hair!

In the daylight this afternoon, I went for a walk/run around my neighborhood.

3.5 verrrry careful miles took 50 mins!

I did have to stop for some people-watching.  Lots of sledding (pool toys are the most popular sleds this year), snowboarding, and even spectating from the comfort of a couch.  Yep – someone hauled a couch out to the park so they could watch the action with all the comforts of home.

Source: AJC.com

The neighborhood bar is open (and packed).  A group was playing hockey in an icy parking lot.  People who decided to drive and just spinning their wheels in place.  Peachtree Street is a solid sheet of ice.

Source: AJC.com

I did my P90X – Ab Ripper X before lunch when I got home.

Apparently snow makes me eat random things.  Lunch was a corn tortilla with hummus, sautéed asparagus, red pepper, onion, and garlic with sides of cucumber, carrots, and yellow raspberries.  Followed by a Think Thin bar (6g of protein, 0g sugar, and reasonably tasty!).

This one is my fav - love the crunchy pieces of toffee!

Needles to say, I’m looking forward to a football-game-watching-worthy dinner.  I never thought I’d say this, but I’ll do it for Baby Sis…

Go Tigers!!! 🙂

I’m trying (holy snow-induced ADD, Batman) to get my work done so I can go play, too!

I’m going to stop procrastinating now.

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