5 Things I Love

February 10, 2014 By Laura

Last week was a long one.

Understatement of the year.

This past weekend I made sure to savour every blissful moment. I took an extra moment to appreciate new product finds, watch my sister’s music video on repeat, and enjoy dinner at a special restaurant for no particular occasion.

In this month of love, I wanted to share a few apples of my eye with you guys! ♥

1. Jojoba Oil

It is saving my skin from winter. My skin is dry in this crazy weather, yet it is also oily in spots and prone to breakouts. Slathering it with oil was a terrifying thought… but I trusted my sister’s advice and gave it a shot. Lo and behold, it works!

I now use Jojoba oil as a nightly moisturizer, along with a bit of tea tree oil on any acne spots. Both can be found at Whole Foods or most natural food stores.

…

Food Hangovers and Slutty Cake

December 18, 2013 By Laura

Atlanta is a food mecca.

It really has become like a mini San Francisco!

This is the food portion of Sarah’s weekend visit… my favorite part! There’s nothing more fun than watching a friend enjoy a meal. Don’t get me wrong – I love to eat it too, but sharing something you love so much with a good friend makes the experience that much better.

So does the fact that Sarah created an image for the extravaganza:

Friday began with a dinner with Sarah and Heather at Cardamom Hill, my favorite Indian spot. The food is inspired by Chef Asha Gomez’s native cuisine from Kerala, but bring in a Southern influence.

We ordered a few starters: Bhajia (sweet potato and onion fritters served with tamarind sauce), Egg Appam (rice & coconut crepe with a poached egg and chili grilled shrimp), and green beans in a spicy garlic-onion masala.

Then we moved on to dinner. First was an Indian take on the classic Shrimp and Grits: spicy Kerala-curried shrimp over grits with leeks, ginger and roasted peppers. The second dish was a red snapper fillet seasoned with a masala paste over a roasted in a banana leaf. It is topped with a coconut milk curry and served with basmati rice and cardamom-scented sweet potatoes.

It’s all as good as it sounds. One thing I love about Asha is that she doesn’t tame her spices to cater to an “American” palette. Each dish had the perfect level of heat – enough to feel it, but not so much that it over took the flavor of the dish.

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Saturday morning we were slightly suffering from food hangovers, so I served Sarah my special morning “cocktail.” I swear it has magical powers. This, plus some eggs and fruit, fueled one helluva glute day!

After glute camp, protein shakes, the epic grocery trip, coffee, and a trip to Kroger (another grocery store), we – once again – did the stereotypical “blogger” thing for a snack: hummus, veggies, and summer rolls.

Sarah Instagrammed while I took a picture of her taking a picture of our foods. Also note the kabocha on the side. 😉

For dinner, I took her to Decatur. It is one of my favorite parts of Atlanta, and is home to one of the best restaurants in the city, Cakes & Ale.

I’ve,eaten here before, but I swear it gets better every time. This was no exception. In fact, our meal here was one of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory in Atlanta. Thus, it will be known as…

We elected to sit at the bar, which I typically find to be the best seat in the house. A good bartender knows everything about the restaurant – from menu to cocktails – and will often let you sample things.

Evan at Cakes & Ale is a good bartender. He started us off well with a gin drink for Sarah and his take on a Manhattan for me.

This most excellent bartender surprised us with a small gift – Arancini with citrus and fennel pollen! This is one of my favorite dished there. Imagine a cheese stick, but as a rice ball with fun spices. We also ordered the butternut squash “hummus” with naan, pomegranate, cilantro, and za’atar to start. I thought my butternut hummus was good… but the impossibly smooth, whipped quality of this pseudo-hummus stole me heart.

Our mains were a roasted cauliflower and shell beans with turnips, carrots, arugula, feta, and poached egg and a Striped Bass with creamed savoy cabbage, roasted fennel salsa, smoked beets, black trumpet mushrooms. The smoked beets deserve a paragraph of them own. I’ll save you the pontificating and just say that they were go good that upon first bite Sarah and I both paused in stunned silence.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get better, the bartender sold us on dessert. It was a hazelnut Bavarian cake with praline bavarian mousse, vanilla sauce, and topped with a nougatine.

That sounds wonderful, but his personal description is what sealed the deal for me. He called it “slutty cake.”

It was the best kind of slutty. Rich, decadent, cream-filled… silky smooth…

I need a cold shower jut remembering it, so this will conclude What I Ate with Sarah. Check out all the link ups here. And check out Sarah’s recaps here and here.

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Don’t forget click here to enter the giveaway for the Holiday Sampler box from Sizzlefish. Win 1 for you and 1 to gift!

Have you ever had a food hangover? The struggle is real!

What is the best meal you’ve had at a restaurant?

Portland is Delicious

December 9, 2013 By Laura

Portland, it’s a good think you’re tasty.

And sunny. Yes, I said sunny.

A belly full of warm food and a sunny, blue sky is the only way I survived this arctic weekend. My little sister, Alli, moved to Portland a few years ago and I hadn’t had the occasion to visit. Apparently they hit record lows the couple of days I finally decided to pop in. It was so cold my teeth hurt.

This was my view coming in:

The snow did melt, and the sun came out to stay! The first order of business was to eat. Alli collected me from the airport and we went right to Tasty ‘n Sons where we ordered everything #yolkporn we could find….

A Relaxing Weekend

November 25, 2013 By Laura

This weekend was relaxing.

My version of relaxing… which is active relaxed.

This was the first weekend in a long time where I didn’t HAVE to do anything productive. I still did lots of things, but it was nice to not have a set agenda.

Friday night I had an impromptu dinner with my mom at local Italian restaurant Double Zero. We had a great time catching up and eating. I hadn’t seen her since my competition!

My favorite dish was the grilled octopus with pancetta hash, asparagus puree, and citrus vinaigrette, but the lamb farro was a close second. It was a smoke and braise lamb shoulder with apricots, figs, fresh ricotta, and a poached egg. Next to all that the beet salad was underwhelming.

This next morning I woke up ravenous, so I threw together some quick pancakes. I am not the Pancake Queen, so I was surprised when they turned out to be quite good!

I posted this Almond-Chocolate Pancake recipe here. The topping was the icing on the (pan)cake. I used Lorann Oils Irish Cream flavor in it!

Then it was off to the gym for a glute workout with some of my teammates. I normally workout solo and forgot how much fun it is to have a gym morning with friends!

After the workout we stood around talking about food (of course), and my friend Rachael revealed she hadn’t been to Whole Foods before! I suggested a post-workout trip and off we went. 2 hours later, we were full of samples and hot bar boxes and Rachael learned why we lovingly call it “Whole Paycheck.” She Instagrammed her finds – have you ever tried any of these items? Black bean pasta and no-salt mustard are awesome!

Saturday night I had a friend date with Kat. I’ve been looking forward to catching up with her for weeks! We talked and laughed for hours. You know those friends who just “get” you? That’s Kat.

We ate at the bar at Kimball House. Their cocktail program is incredible! Their take on a Manhattan used cola bitters – coolest thing ever! The food was ok… I’d go back for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap.

Their take on a Manhattan with cola bitters, sautéed mushroom salad, and beef tartar

I took an “artsy” shot! Sort of:

Sunday was a beautiful day in Atlanta. It was sunny and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! I decided to go for a run and enjoy the weather… as soon as I stepped outside I realized that – despite the sun – it was in the 30s. About a mile into it I thawed out and enjoyed myself.

I love the trees with the red leaves. They look like they’re on fire!

When I returned I had a lot to do in the kitchen. All fun creations! It was kombucha-brewing day. I have been brewing my own for over a year now. It’s really easy, especially if you have a starter kit (you need a “mother” called a scoby). Mine was from Brooklyn Kombucha, but you could also beg a friend who brews for a scoby.

This week’s flavors are cranberry-ginger-lemon and blackberry-lemon-mint.

I also did some baking for the Sunday evening end of season party at my training gym, House of Payne. I’ll share my #strangebugood brownie recipe next week. 😉

This is what happens when a bunch of competitors get together for a post-season party. It’s ok… we’re bulking…

There were plenty of green veggies, clean sweet potato casseroles, and protein. That pic just wasn’t as much fun.

I am so thankful to have found Steve and his gym. This group of competitors is top-notch. Everyone is kind and always willing to lend a hand. They are funny, genuine people who I am proud to be associated with.

Linking up to Katie’s MIMM again – I’d say this “relaxing” weekend was pretty marvelous!

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I’m 100% enjoying food freedom again. Bulking season is my favorite.

When was the last time you had an agenda-free weekend?

Have you been to Whole Foods? Do you remember your first time?

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.~~

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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…

Marvelous Memorable Meals in Napa

July 22, 2013 By Laura

Food is a significant part of any trip for me.

Sometimes it’s the whole reason for the trip…

This past week’s trip to California was no exception. There was plenty of wine in wine-country, but the food was equally important.

After a looooong day of travel, all Lisa and I could think of when we hit the valley was ~~wine~~ food. We’d already scoped out our dinner destination: Farmstead. Farmstead is a farm (named Long Meadow Ranch) and a restaurant. They have their own vineyards, gardens, and chicken. Quite literally, it is a farm-to-table restaurant.

Our sights were set on a runny farm-fresh egg atop a steak tartar with capers, cornichons, tabasco, and toast. It was fantastic. The meat was also directly from the farm – the freshness of it made all the difference in the world. It’s amazing neither of us licked the plate.

We split a couple of other dishes as well.

The first was a grilled peach salad with speck (a cured meat similar to prosciutto), arugula, and house made ricotta. It was good… but the peach to salty stuff was a bit off (the peaches were in too big of pieces). That purple basil made the dish. Wil be remebering that in the future!

The second was a grilled artichoke with gribiche (like an aioli) and lemon. Simple and yet so good. This preparation always makes me wish I had a grill!

As fabulous as all of that was, the crowning jewel was dessert. My first birthday cake of the trip was a Scharffenberger chocolate cream pie with graham cracker crust. It was so fantastically fresh and delicious!

The crust actually tasted like it may have had some coconut, but we were assured it was just a good, old-fashioned homemade graham crust. We talked about it lovingly for the rest of the trip.

The other food we went on a mission for was a burger from Goose & Gander. From the moment we walked in I knew we couldn’t have made a better choice. The outdoor seating area alone was worth the trip. There were lights strung across the courtyard, quaint iron tables, and tall fence “walls” covered with vines and gorgeous colorful flowers.

First thing’s first though. A craft cocktail. Apparently the mixologist is something of a cocktail rockstar, so we were excited to try some creative concoctions. I went with the “Scarlet Gander.” It was Hanger One Buddha’s Hand Citron Vodka, ginger, shiso, galangal, lemon, and rhubarb. Not like anything I would typically order, but the flavors were so unique I couldn’t pass it up. It did not disappoint – these flavors were strange but good. 😉

We begin the meal with a salad. Our waiter recommended we try the watermelon and Rock Shrimp salad. The melons they used were the traditional pink AND a yellow melon. It made for a gorgeous plating!

It was served roasted peanuts and a Thai chili dressing that he swore would be a 9 on the heat scale. It wasn’t even close to a 9, but the salad was still delicious.

Now for the reason we came: the burger. Multiple people told us that the burger here was the best burger around, and that it shouldn’t be missed. It isn’t the #1 burger I’ve ever eaten, but it’s certainly top 3. I was really glad we decided to split it… it was massive and that much indulgence would be a stomach ache waiting to happen.

The bun (from Model Bakery) was perfection It kind of looks soggy in the pic, but it really wasn’t. It held up to the fantastically juicy grass-fed beef burger, which was topped with bone marrow (meat butter), Gruyere cheese, house smoked bacon, and pickles. Served with a side of duck fat fries (duck fat = crispier fries).

Between the craft cocktails, “famous” burger, and duck fat fries, Goose & Gander reminded me a lot of Atlanta’s Holeman & Finch (highly recommended if you are ever here).

We ate a lot more than this, but memories of these meals in particular (and the amazing company) are making my Monday Marvelous.

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Moral of the story: always ask the locals what they eat. You’ll find the coolest places and the must-try dishes.

Have you ever been to the Napa area?

Are you adamant about researching the must-try restaurants when you travel?

What I Ate On My 30th Birthday

July 17, 2013 By Laura

Birthdays should be drawn out.

I’m celebrating mine for a solid week.

Today I leave for a fabulous birthday trip with two of my best ~~wine-os~~ friend: Lisa and Heather. At 21 we celebrated with cheap shots and beer, at 30 we spend too much money on fine wine and taking mud baths. I choose 30.

The celebration have been on going though! Later in the post are some birthday eats, but I wanted to share my favorite treats first. My actual birth DAY was fabulous – I was totally overwhelmed by the comments on this post and on Instagram. If you get a chance, look back at everyone’s “lessons learned” in the post comments. So much wisdom!

I had a wonderful dinner with my family, including my best friend who is basically my sister. We missed my Portland sister though!

Mallory, me, Mom, and Madison

Mom nailed the gift department – I told her not to buy clothes or anything. There’s not much I need… but I wouldn’t turn down a little Napa spending money. She made that happen in a rockstar way.

Nothing says “I love you” like ~~cash~~ credit!

Just when I thought the night couldn’t get better, I received this gem from Lauren. Lauren’s fur babies, to be more precise.

Does it get any cuter?!

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This WIAW is actually what I ate on my birthday. I had some favorites, and some indulgences. It was exactly as it should be on one’s 30th birthday.

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

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