Spirulina Cherry TVP Oats

June 13, 2014 By Laura

Green is so easily considered strange.

So this recipe feels like a cop-out.

These green oats are legit strange though! It’s not the green you’re expecting, and it’s not really even oats. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know I have a thing for TVP oatmeal. TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein) is like chicken. Or tofu. It tastes like whatever flavor you apply to it. A sweet bowl of TVP oats isn’t hard to make good!

Now for the green part. It’s spirulina. Heather repped Nutrex Hawaii at the Blend Retreat this year and generously shared a few samples with me. To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what I’d do with it. I knew it’s healthy. Spirulina is a microalgae that grows naturally in healthy bodies of water. It’s good for energy, immunity, cellular health, and cardiovascular, eye and brain health. It’s also high in protein and Vitamins A, K1, K2, and B12.

Did I mention it’s super-green? It begs for #strangebutgood applications. You want a bite, I swear…

Also found at Blend was a shiny new bottle of Cherry-Vanilla NuNaturals Liquid Stevia. I’d had it before and loved it, so I was excited for the refill. Of course, I mixed in my Growing Naturals vanilla rice protein (don’t forget about the freebie code!). Gotta keep fueling the muscle growth!

Protein powder adds stay-power AND a fantastic creaminess to your morning bowl of deliciousness.

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Spirulina Cherry TVP Oats

1/3 C TVP
1/4 C oats
1/2 C water + 1/4 C
15 grams vanilla protein powder (I used 1/2 scoop of Growing Naturals)
1/4 C cherries, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp butter extract (optional – you can also use vanilla or almond)
4-5 drops Cherry Vanilla Liquid Stevia (or preferred sweetener)

Add the TVP, oats, and 1/2 C water to a small pot, stir, and bring to a boil (you can also microwave it like oats).

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 10 mins, until mix softens and thickens.

Stir in protein, cherries, extract, and stevia. Add more water as needed (~1/4 C). Allow to cook for 2-3 more mins. The mixture should be silky smooth.

Scoop into bowl and add your favorite toppings.

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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

If you’re not a blogger, you can still share your recipes on Instagram with the #strangebutgood hashtag.

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

An InLinkz Link-up

***

I’m back from my NYC adventures (check out Instagram if you’re curious) and SO ready to get back in the kitchen! More recipe are sure to come! 🙂

Have you ever had spirulina?

What is your favorite oats mix-in?

Utah Dining with Blends

June 11, 2014 By Laura

REDRUM.

Please tell me you get the reference…

This is the hotel I’m staying at in NYC:

I have no cleaver intro other than to inform you that it’s taking a lot of self-control not to run down the hall yelling “Heeeeeere’s Johnny!”

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Since I am traveling this week for the second week in a row, I am sharing a few Blend meals with you rather than the random assortment of schwag bag goodies (thank you BLEND sponsors!!!) and conference food I actually ate this week.

Check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s more reasonable delicious creations!

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Heather and I arrived in Utah pretty late on Thursday and went directly to dinner. We did not pass go.

She took me to a plane she’d dined on a recent trip called Silver. It was incredibly good – by far the best meal of the weekend! I started with the Bartender’s Roulette, a drink where you simply tell the bartender what your booze preference is and he makes something up. This was their take on a Manhattan. It involved something cinnamon-y, which made me far too happy.

We started with a couple of apps: a venison carpaccio with housemade granola, parmesan, and micro-greens, followed by the baby octopus with pimenton spices, potatoes, lardo, and fennel. I used my newly found low alcohol/sweet + savory drink trick and ordered the Riesling to accompany the rest of the meal. It was fantastic with the spicy octopus and our main dish, a bone-in pork chop cooked sous vide and then seared. It was served with a kraut with lardon and apples over a schmear of beer jam. Thank god we split a main – the pork was huge, but so incredible it would have been a sin not to finish it.

The next morning I was glad we’d had such a hearty meal because by the time we finished the workout I was famished and ready for breakfast. We did a plyo-style workout courtesy of the Onnit crew, followed by ab work and the afore mentioned planking contest.

Eggs, chicken sausage, tofu scramble, and – the best part – a Quest Chocolate Fudge Cookie Cup. Holy mother of yum. I absconded with an extra for a post-hike snack. #sorryimnotsorry

After breakfast we were off for a hike! It was really neat to be able to take a ski lift up the mountain to our starting point. I’ve never been on a gondola without snow before! The ride was stunning, second only to the incredible views during the hike.

After the hike and a much-needed shower (and post-Quest cupcake seconds), we had another snack time.* I ate all the foods. Kidz Shake had a able of chocolate-banana protein smoothies and amazing date balls that tasted exactly like cookie dough (not kidding – I’m picky about my dough!). There was chocolate from Lily’s Sweets (I’m on a mad hunt for those sugar-free chocolate chips now). Silk brought their “A” game with incredible Cherry-Almond Butter smoothies, and Arctic Zero sampled their new flavors and ice cream bars. You guys HAVE to try the orange – I almost never choose a fruit-flavored dessert but it was fantastic; it tasted like those Flintstone push-ups you eat s a kid! I was in frozen snack heaven.

*Note: If you come to Blend, you will NEVER be hungry.

The food doesn’t end there. We had some down time before our cocktail hour and dinner… which was just enough time to work up an appetite. I didn’t take a TON of pics, but I did manage to get a shot of the best part of the evening meal.

The deliciousness in the middle of the table was a soy-glazed salmon from Sizzlefish. You all know my love to Sizzlefish… I finally got to meet Rob, the founder, which felt like I was meeting a celebrity of sorts because I’ve loved their product for so long!

Speaking of celebrities…

I had a re-enactment of my favorite rockstar picture from last year’s retreat with two of my favorite Blends: Heather and Lindsay.

The next day there was more food, more workouts… and then another dinner out!

We met up with a bunch of blends for a dinner out at Purple Sage. The food was good, but I must say that the company and the wine was the highlight at this dinner: a bottle of Orion Swift’s Abstract with a side of Melissa and Madelyn! (But the duck and the bread pudding did not suck!)

***

I love traveling… but OMG I’m ready to be home.

Where would you take your Blends out to eat in your town?

Any restaurant recs in NYC?!

Blend Your [Growing Naturals] Protein

June 6, 2014 By Laura

My Blends are Strange.

But oh-so-good.

Today I am in Utah for the annual Blend Retreat! I look forward to this retreat all year… and I feel especially lucky because I get to represent Growing Naturals again this year. I wish I could share them with everyone (but scroll on down for a sweet freebie offer). You should all come to Blend next year! If you can’t be there this year, be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram for the live action.

Last year they were a huge hit with the other bloggin’ ladies, but here are a few reasons I personally love them:

Reasons I love Growing Naturals:

Not chalky
Great flavor (not fake-tasting)
Super-clean (vegan, soy-free, and gluten-free!)
Low in sodium, sugar, and carbs
Their staff rocks – they are passionate about their product and committed to health!

Growing Naturals truly is my favorite protein to use. I love to use it in all the things! It’s fantastic raw in smoothies like my favorite Mocha Beet Frapp and Carrot Cake Batter Shake, or baked into Plantain Ginger Bread.

Rather than one of my own #strangebutgood creations this week, I wanted to feature some favorites from my Blends who use Growing Naturals!

My “original” Blend, Sarah, is the first blogger I met in real life. We will miss her this year, but will celebrate her strangeness today with her Strawberry Pineapple Cilantro Smoothie:

Strange creation #2 comes from a Blend who I basically invited myself to visit… having never met her… in Switzerland!

Lucie is one amazing woman. I wish she could make it to Blend, but I guess coming from Europe would be a little pricey. Instead, we should all make her Green Protein Pancakes in her honor! 😉

Last (but certainly not least) is a Blend I will get to see tonight! My brother from another mother, Lindsay!

This lady knows more about fueling with food and gut health than anyone I know. I’m so glad she’s agree to share 3 strange but healthy recipes today!

Grain-Free Superfruit Bread

Orange Dream Machine Smoothie

Mexican Chocolate & Walnut Healthy Balls… errr… Bites

I have made these, only I subbed sunflower seeds for the walnuts. They rocked my balls off.

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If you’re not a blogger, you can still share your recipes on Instagram with the #strangebutgood hashtag.

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

An InLinkz Link-up

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Want to try Growing Naturals for yourself? Sign up to be a Growing Groupie and enter discount code sprint2thetable at checkout for a free bottle of Simply Soapberry (their natural laundry detergent) and a free 1lb container of protein powder. Offer expires 09/06/2014.

What is your favorite protein powder recipe?

What was the last recipe you tried from a Blend? (Blend = Blogger + Friend)

Get High With a Little Help From My Blends

May 23, 2013 By Laura

Park City, Utah’s elevation is at about 6,900 ft.

What did you think I meant?!

I can’t speak for everyone, but after this past weekend’s Blend Retreat, I was high on life. Since so many of you couldn’t make it, I’m going to say something nice about everyone in this post so that you can a) get to know them better too and b) better understand how special this weekend and this group is.

Heather and I left Atlanta bright and early Friday morning, arriving in Salt Lake City where we saw Sarah and Brittany almost immediately. Then our ride, Michelle, picked up us up in a bad ass brand-new Jeep rental and we headed to our host hotel, Hyatt, in Park City.

Heather is from Atlanta, but I felt like I got to know her 100x better. She is one of the most genuine people around, and would probably give you the shirt right off her back if you needed it
Sarah is just as quirky and hilarious as she seems on her blog. It is impossible not to smile in her presence, and to be inspired by her enthusiasm for life!
Brittany is like a warm bite of home. Her sweet Southern charm immediately puts you at ease, and a minute into a conversation with her you feel like family
Michelle is someone I felt instantly would be my friend. She is a smart and a great conversationalist – never running out of interesting things to talk about. Everything your high school math teacher wasn’t (but she actually teaches math!), and I am 100% sure I’ll be stalking her hometown before the next Blend

I won’t bore you with a recap of my food recap, but let’s just say the first evening there was over the top! There was food out the you-know-what, starting with the Justin’s Nut Butter and Attune Foods‘ nut butter and graham cracker snacks. Next year I vote they combine forces with Green Mountain and Silk for a happy hour that involved peanut butter-rimmed mocha martinis.

See that fine-looking butt below? That’s Sarah again. This picture perfectly illustrates how cool it is to be around tons of kindred spirits who are unable to eat or drink anything without first taking a pic.

After an amazing dinner, I crashed HARD. Good thing because the next morning’s boot camp with GPP Fitness kicked me in the rear. Have you ever done a deck of cards workout? I had not… and wow. It wasn’t for the faint of heart!

You start with a deck of card, and each card represents a move. Our 4 exercises were burpees, lunges, sit-ups, and push-ups. The number on each represent the number of reps you should do. Jokers are a 2 minute run, face cards count a 10, Aces = 15, number cards = displayed number (ex: Jack of hearts = 10 sit ups). By the end you have done 200 of each exercise and run for 4 minutes.

GPP workout

The pic at the end is of Lindsay, Heather, Lindsay, and me:

Lindsay is one of the organizers. She lives near me and I am so glad to get to see her more often. You always leave a conversation with her feeling more positive and motivated – like the world is no object for your strength and energy!
Heather is one of my best Blends. I was sad when she and her hubby left Atlanta last year, but we have stayed close. She’s been a big inspiration both in terms of recipe creativity and fitness discipline. She sets a good example for of balance and healthy outlook on life. And she had great taste in beer. 😉
Lindsay is my brother from another mother. I told a group in my room that I have the biggest blogger crush on her (LC – I swear I’m not a creepy stalker). From Healthy Bite brilliance to her boundless energy to her constant sherpa-esqe encouragement… I basically want to be her when I grow up (despite the fact that I think I’m older…).

You can also see from the pic above that Park CIty appears cold and rainy. It was. I am not ashamed to say that I wussed out on the hike. Total fair-weather exerciser. Instead, I opted in to Zoomba.

The gorgeous Annette bravely led the class… and – even pregnant – showed us up BIG time. You may have seen this jewel on Instagram (credits to Heather):

Thankfully most ladies were more skilled… but you can be the judge:

Middle photo credit to Heather again

Heather (on the left) has fast become one of the most special Blend in my life. She is thoughtful, SO creative (#strangebutgood-style), and an absolute riot to be around. Did I mention she’s gorgeous?!
Lindsay (middle, top) is on my #whatsbeautiful Fabulously Fit team, but I hadn’t never met her in person before. She is just as spunky and passionate about the fit life as I’d imagined! She always looks adorable too – this blows me away as I always look like I had no idea what to wear (and I don’t)
Meg (middle, bottom) is a doll. Really. As sweet as she is on her blog, she is even MORE so in real life. I wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home with me… but I am scared she’d kick my butt because the is a ball of muscle
Annette (far right) I cannot say enough about. Even with chile she can run circles around me. I never saw this gorgeous lady without a smile on her face and a kind word to say. I wish we’d had more time to talk 1:1, but I’ll be stalking her on the regular from now on.

There is SO much more to say and many, many more pics to share… but for now I must stop the love-fest. Perhaps a part 2 on Marvelous Monday??? 🙂

***

I left for the airport ad 6am and didn’t get home until 11pm thanks to rain delays. I love my job… but whoa. Someone is working from home today…

Burpees. Love ’em or hate ’em?

Say something nice about a blogger you love!

What I Ate at Blend

May 22, 2013 By Laura

Everyone in a while you meet total strangers who aren’t.

I swear that made sense in my head…

I hope I’m not the only one that feel like they “know” bloggers. So many of the fabulous ladies I met at Blend this past weekend are bloggers I’ve been reading for so long that I felt like they were my “real” friends already!

First, I have to say a huge THANK YOU to Janetha, Lindsay (with credits for the following pic), and Katie for putting together another life-changing weekend!

Heather, Me, and Lindaay

Second, I owe a big thanks to Growing Naturals for sponsoring me at the retreat. These guys are truly a great example of a small business offering good, clean products.

I was so thrilled to share their pea and rice protein powders and their protein drink mixes with my friends. More on their products here.

I know Bonnie was extra-excited to try this after the 9 mile run they did in the chilly Park CIty rain!

My friend Heather already used hers and shared a pic on Instagram:

It was also the start of my first post-workout recovery meal.

The vanilla rice protein was fabulous in my green smoothie (extra spinach!) topped with Muesli Fusion:

Stay tuned – this fall they are coming out with a new addition to their protein/supplement line – yummy greens to throw into shakes!!!

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Rather than a “traditional” WIAW post, today is all about What I Ate at Blend! We were totally spoiled all weekend, and I’m still enjoying all the tasty schwag-bag selections at home. 🙂

Check out my eats with my Blends below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see what delicious foods everyone else is enjoying!

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Friday:

We arrived at the hotel excited and famished from travel. Famished. The schwag gods were smiling though… check out all the goodies we had to munch on: protein from Vega, Zevia, SoyJoys, a Lara Bar, muesli and granola from Bob’s Red Mill, Attune Foods chocolates, Healthy Bites (so in love)…. and more!

After a photo ops, we gabbed, snacked… and headed to event #1: a pre-happy hour with Justin’s Nut Butter! I was careful to sample everything, but stopped for a pic with one of the lovely organizers – Katie!

My top butters were: Maple Peanut and Chocolate Hazelnut. They were even better on Attune Foods graham crackers. All I needed was some apple juice.

The kind folks at Silk must have wanted to make absolutely sure the Blends were happy, so they set up a Happy Hour where we could unwind from travel ~~and begin the photo-taking frenzy~~. Heather was patient enough to take a gorgeous pic of her ginger-Silk drink.

There was also an amazing buffet of black bean cakes, veggie summer rolls, and cute veggie sticks in jars (how did they know bloggers like Mason jars?!). Let’s pretend like I didn’t attack this… the temptation was too tasty and I couldn’t wait until dinner! Plus, we all know it’s bad to drink on an empty tummy. 😉

Dinner itself was off the chain. It was a buffet… but a good buffet. Normally I’m anti due to the rogue dirty hands and food sitting out too long. That didn’t happen here. My Blends were nice and clean, and the hotel staff couldn’t have done a better job and keeping the food refreshed.

There were salad options, quinoa patties, roasted veggies, chicken breasts, and lemon-y fish filets. There was literally something for everyone! And it was all good!

No dinner is complete without dessert! there was Chobani panna cotta, apple pie, and berry tarts.

A few of us decided to split all 3… which I graciously finished off. Starving kinds in Africa, you know.

Thanks to Lindsay for this artful photo.

Saturday:

One would think that after all that I’d still be full… well, GPP Fitness fixed that with a little workout that left me waddling. More on that tomorrow but let me just say 200 burpees (I did refuse to yell “Yay burpees!” after each rep as instructed) is a certain cure for lack of appetite.

The highlight of breakfast for me was getting to try a new granola – Muesli Fusion. They have an “Athlete’s Fuel” mix that rocks my socks off. NO added sugar or sodium, and 7g of protein per serving. It’s like they designed it for me. I poured my unsweetened Silk all over that! There was a ton of fresh fruit (holy pineapple deliciousness), and a fabulously strong brew from Green Mountain coffee.

Then we had another workout! Zoomba. I’ll spare you the pics of this white girl shaking her thang… until tomorrow. 😉 Following that we did what any normal blogger does – we went to Whole Foods. I totally failed at life and didn’t take a pic.

I DID take a pic of the snack break that followed – Onnit provided us with some amazing chocolate-banana hemp protein smoothies and rice cakes with cashew-walnut butter (totally crave-worthy). What’s better than these blogger staples? Getting them handed to you by Miss United States! Whitney is one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met. How cute is she?!

And then there was dinner. Calee, Michelle, Heather, Heather, Heather (that’s not a typo – there were 3 beautiful Heathers) found an amazing restaurant on Main St. in Park City called Riverhorse. The food was incredible.

We started with a great Pinot Noir, chosen by fellow-wine lover Michelle (who I will gush about meeting later) and a beet salad served with micro greens, brie cheese, and a potato crisp with tarragon vinaigrette. Calee and I split the Trio of Wild Game for our entrée. It came with buffalo, venison chop, and elk over broccolini and asparagus with a port wine and huckleberry reduction.

I was nice and full… but when I saw the dessert menus I had to place one more order. Peanut Butter Bread Pudding with caramelized bananas and a chocolate drizzle. Can you blame me? 🙂

Every dish was near perfection. Lucky because our server was terrible. I swear I have the worst luck. She basically ignored us all night, added 20% gratuity (for a party of 6 who was clearly spending money… WTF?!), and when Heather asked about the charge (there was NO warning note on the menu) she snatched the bill out of Heather’s hand and stalked off. We tipped the man refilling our waters in cash on the side and spoke to the manager on the way out.

Like I said, the food was great. That combined with the fantastic company made for a great evening and we laughed about our crazy experience all the way back to the hotel (the cab driver was thoroughly entertained).

Sunday:

Holy breakfast heaven. This was the best breakfast out of any Blend Retreat. They had an omelette station!!! Protein at breakfast?! Color me happy. Thank you for this sponsored deliciousness, Chobani!

I got an egg white omelette with mushrooms, garlic, onions, and spinach. And a Chobani yogurt pancake. And fruit. I wanted ALL the foods! 😉

Be sure to check the #blend2013 hashtag on Twitter and Instagram for more action from the weekend!

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I snacked my way back to ATL with schwag bag goodies, and (obv) hit the Whole Foods hot bar immediatly after getting home. 😉

Soooo… are you all going to come to Blend next year with me?

Have you ever tried any of these fun products? What are you loving right now?

Embrace Your Inner Child

May 16, 2013 By Laura

Change is a good thing.

And it’s inevitable (except from vending machines), so you might as well embrace it.

I’ve been changing up my workouts post-competition, doing things like kickboxing, “real” boxing, and spinning. Yesterday I got back in the weight room for a chest and bicep day. I wrote my own workout, as I haven’t gotten my new plan from my trainer yet. That felt surprisingly intimidating, but I kicked my own arse!

The best part? Even after not lifting as often as I was, I hit 3 PRs!!! Change can be a booster, friends.

After that routine, I was in serious need of recovery. I (like the day before) weren’t for an old favorite: my (vegan) Carrot Cake Batter Shake. I did change it up a bit – this time I used my Growing Naturals Vanilla Rice Protein. I swear this stuff is amazing. I actually forgot to add Stevia until the end, but when I tasted it I realized I didn’t need it. The Growing Naturals has added just the right amount of sweetness – enough to be batter-ish, but not so much that it was nauseating after a hard (and HOT) workout.

Also, check out Laura’s smoothie round up for 34 other fun ideas!

This weekend I am SO excited to get to share Growing Naturals with some of my best blogger-friends at the Blend Retreat in Park City, Utah! Growing Naturals is sponsoring my trip and has sent samples of both their rice and pea protein powders, and their new rice drink!

What I love about these is that they:

Taste good (most important, right?)
Blends well (none of the chalky ick-factor)
Are super-clean (vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, and sprouted, and enzymatically processed)
Have 24g of protein per serving
Have very little sodium and sugar
Offer a 96% correlation to whey protein’s amino acid profile… but without the dairy so there is NO bloat

I wish I could share them with everyone!!! You should all come to Blend! 🙂 If you won’t be there, be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram for the live ~~tequila shots with Lindsay~~ weekend action.

Speaking of… I also with the fabulous Kat could come to Blend (I did ask), but she is GRADUATING FROM LAW SCHOOL this weekend!!!

Read on for her fabulously fearless post, and a great vegan recipe. And be sure to tell her congrats in the comments!! 🙂

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Embrace Your Inner Child with TVP Sloppy Joes

(By Kat)

2012, was a year of healing, mending, and replanting my seeds on so many levels. I began trail running (and became addicted). I was healing from injuries and a number of other personal obstacles. I was healing from life. I learned to accept things, I learned to become centered, and this whole year really has already followed the change.

I started my year with a yoga class, and I am truly living my philosophy.

It’s easy to walk the walk, but to be authentic and fearless is often another story.

Do the rest of you have that same internal dialogue that I have? I’m ready for change… no I’m not… yes I am… no I’m not. Then you realize you just have to let yourself be fearless. In an effort to really keep this in the forefront of my mind… and to really remember daily to embrace my commitment to living fearlessly, I got a new tattoo! Like?! (Editor’s note: I LOVE!!!)

In the spirit of embodying fearlessness (and letting my inner adult-child out a little more)… some trail runs have lately taken me on… well, adventures! Saturday, I went on a run called “Janice’s Wheel of Misfortune,” where halfway through the 8.5-ish run, you meet Janice, spin her wheel and are dealt a “misfortune.”

These took place on some of my favorite trails. (Laura, you’ve totally been here, on a different route! – Editor’s note: YES! That was a great run and I want to do it again!)

Some of my favorite trails – The Tributary

Such an awesome idea! The two guys smiling in the picture below together… yeah, they had to run/walk/struggle to get through 4.5 miles with their ankles tied together. (No, they didn’t know each other before the run).

The girl I’m laughing at in the picture had to eat something. While she started off with a 6-count of Chocolate-Covered Krispy Kremes, she ended up with anchovies wrapped around capers (her other options included an entire can of spam, an entire bag of powdered doughnuts, or two cans of Vienna sausage… yeah….).

Others had to carry life-sized stuffed animals, drink warm beer, take a time out, do trivia, drink buttermilk, among other fun misfortunes. I know it’s not fair that I spun and had to do trail math trivia. (Editor’s note: Warm beer?! Whattt?!)

I would do this trail running event again any day! I embraced my inner fearlessness and my inner adult child.

Embracing a fearless spirit also makes me feel way more comfortable in my own skin… it’s going pretty well! 🙂

Speaking of comfort… I’ve got a great comfort food recipe for the gluten-free vegan that will help you to embrace your inner child! (Editor’s note: Seriously? Where am I when you’re making all this deliciousness?!)

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Vegan TVP Sloppy Joes

1 C TVP
1 C boiling water
1 16 oz can tomato paste
1 16 oz can garlic tomato sauce
½ C honey
2 T Tamari (or soy if you’re not GF)
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne
3-ish T seasoning/dried herbs (mine had some rosemary, basil, thyme, paprika, garlic, onion, and parsley)
Garlic powder, to taste (I don’t know… maybe about 1.5 tablespoons??)
½ large white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
MAYBE extra ½ cup of water at the end (depending upon the TVP)

First add the boiling water to the TVP and let it sit. Then, sauté the onion & Garlic in some oil (and butter if you like), on medium/medium-low heat (~7-10 minutes, let them get pretty translucent).

Then I like to add the TVP to the pan where you are doing the sautéing and add ALL the dry seasonings. Sauté until the TVP looks like it’s drying out a bit, and is completely coated in all the beautiful seasonings (this is how you give the TVP a more “meaty” taste), which should take about 7-10 minutes.

Next, add your tomato paste, tomato sauce, honey and tamari (and I needed an extra ½ cup of water). Simmer for ~15-20 minutes. Then you can adjust the seasonings to taste as you like!

At the end, you know, serve the way you remember loving your Sloppy Joes!

I used Udi’s Gluten Free Buns, toasted, and served with Sea Salt Kettle Chips and roasted brussels sprouts.

I also topped them with the most delicious vegan, soy-free, gluten-free cheese I have ever had, Daiya .

If you haven’t tried their products yet, I highly recommend them, in fact, for these sloppy joes, I liked them better than regular cheese.

This cheese melted like regular cheddar, but seemed lighter and was a bit milder than regular cheddar cheese. A must try!

(Editor’s note: I second this – this is amazing cheeze, especially their pepper jack!!)

You’re welcome – I omitted a photo with my face covered in Sloppy Joe.

***

Again, and HUGE congrats to Kat on completing your law education!!! Kat – I’m so sorry to miss your graduation celebration, but I’ll be thinking of you all weekend! You are truly an inspiration.

What have you done to embrace your inner child? To be fearless?

What was your childhood comfort food?

Banana S’mores Protein Pancakes

November 19, 2012 By Laura

Cover me in syrup.

‘Cause I’m going to roll in Heather’s pancakes.

You know when you meet someone and feel like you’ve known them forever? That’s how I feel about Heather. Maybe that means I’m too comfortable…

Heather and me at Blend 2012 (photo courtesy Heather)

When she came to visit recently, I decided to take advantage of the situation and ask for a favor – a guest blog while I’m skiing with other Heather. Yes, I shamelessly made my guest cook, and then asked for a guest post during a holiday week. Worst hostess ever.

Lucky for all of us she wasn’t offended and agreed to write this post. Banana S’mores Protein Pancakes. Holy mother of deliciousness. Thank you, my friend.

Hey hey Sprint 2 the Table Fans!

Heather here from Kiss My Broccoli subbing in for Laura today while she’s frolicking in the snowy wonderland of Colorado with Heather. Not gonna lie, I’m definitely a little jealous…of the chance to hang with my namesake…NOT of the snow! They can keep that stuff all to themselves! (Editor’s Note: Snow for skiing is acceptable snow! :))

When Laura asked me if I would be willing to write a guest post for her, I agreed without hesitation. I mean, c’mon, I owe her more than a plate of snickerdoodle pancakes for the amazing time she showed Allie and me during our visit to Atlanta last weekend.

Speaking of pancakes…my blog may hint at my love of broccoli, but since I started blogging almost two years ago (wow, where does the time go?), I’ve discovered that I am downright passionate about pancakes. Almost every Sunday, you’ll find a new recipe on my blog with a variety of flavor combinations and ingredients, sometimes even gluten-free or vegan varieties, but my all-time favorite?

PROTEIN PANCAKES!

I’ve been reading Laura’s blog for a while now, and one of the things I love most about her recipes (besides her amazing creativity and use of spices) is the high protein content in all of them. Even if you’re not training for a figure competition, it’s still important to be sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet. Besides building and repairing muscle tissue post workout, including more protein in your meals can help you feel more satisfied throughout the day… thus curbing those “snacky” cravings we sometimes get.

Cottage cheese, peanut flour, edamame, chicken, and fish are some of my favorite sources of protein. While natural sources are the best to look to, I love mixing it up a bit with protein powders as well.

But no need to get boring… I can NEVER understand those people who just throw some powder in a glass of water and call it done… especially when you can whip up a batch of these babies in all of about 20 minutes.

Graham crackers, chocolate, bananas…what’s not to love?

Banana S’mores Protein Pancakes

1/8 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 modified flax egg (1/2 tablespoon ground flax + 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water)
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 graham cracker sheet, crushed and more chocolate chips for garnish (optional)

To make chocolate syrup, combine syrup and cocoa powder, whisk until smooth.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray.
Prepare flax egg and allow to set.
Combine flour, protein powder, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine flax egg, vanilla, and milk.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until all the flour is incorporated.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon batter onto greased skillet (makes 3 small-medium pancakes) and allow to cook for approximately 4-5 minutes per side.
Transfer to a plate, layer with banana slices, and top with chocolate syrup.

The perfect post-workout breakfast… or heck, ANY breakfast… I mean, it IS chocolate, right? 😉

And if you don’t want to add the protein powder, they’re just as tasty… just be sure to cut the liquid down to compensate! (Editor’s Note: What if I don’t have liquid? Kidding!!!)

But whatever you do, don’t skimp on the chocolate! Thanks to everyone for reading! I hope you’ll stop by my blog at Kiss My Broccoli and say hello…Sunday’s may be for pancakes, but I DO make other tasty things as well! 😉
And thank you so much Laura for having me!

***

I think I need to make these for breakfast while we’re in Vail! Like right now. Ski fuel!

Do you use protein powder? What is your favorite brand?

What is your favorite natural source of protein?

Blends, Friends, and Food

November 16, 2012 By Laura

Regular people don’t think about food pairings all day.

This still baffles me.

When you find those friends who understand you, it’s like the skies part and angels descended from heaven on golden beams. Mmmm… angel food cake with caramel…

Last weekend Allie was coming back ATL to train, and Heather decided to come along for the ride. I was MORE than excited to have weekend pancakes straight from the Pancake Queen herself (I swear that’s not the only reason I invited her).

Heather, Me, and Allie (photo courtesy Heather)

We lived it up! After they arrived ~~and I burned homemade pop-tarts in the oven~~, we headed to my favorite underground supper club, Push Start Kitchen. If you are ever anywhere near Atlanta, try to get a seat at Zach and Christina’s table (literally – the dinner’s are in their home). It will be a meal you’ll never forget.

We started with masa sticks and tomato aioli, and a warming beverage of dark rum, lemon, simple syrup, and black tea. Normally I’m not a masa fan. It is often dry and flavorless Of course, Zach is a champion masa-maker. These were perfectly crisp on the outside while remaining moist inside.

The Menu (Photo courtesy Heather)

Then we took seat at the table and were fed like royalty. The first course – bacon-apple fritters – was my favorite. Their richness was perfectly balanced by the pickled apple and licorice-y fennel. I could eat this all-day every day.

Everything was incredible, but I have to take my hat off to Zach’s baking skills. The coffee tres leches was the best I’ve ever had. It even tops the plain tres leches he makes. Served with Evan Williams ice cream, candies macadamias, and chili-laced chocolate sauce… I was a bit weepy when it was gone. I managed to keep it classy. ~~I blame the wine pairings.~~

With eating adventure #1 completed, I went to bed full… but had dreams of breakfast. Pancakes. Even though she was my guest, I asked Heather to make breakfast. How could I not when she makes my tummy rumble every week with her giant stacks?

Heather keeping the ‘cakes warmed in the oven

Snickerdoodle Pancakes. With an array of topping options, from syrups to NuttZo.

Here’s the recipe on Heather’s blog. I’d advise you to make a double batch. They are THAT good.

Having filled up on bacon and steak the night before, the obvious next move was to hit up Atlanta Veg Fest, a vegan festival. We came, we saw, we sampled. Basically, I ate vegan deli meat (Dough Bakery, you rock!), chips, vegan cheese, and an amazing peanut butter ice cream for lunch:

Are you full yet? We walked it out all afternoon in one of my favorite neighborhoods followed by a trip to the legendary giant farmer’s market. By dinnertime I was hungry again! Allie was feeling in a funk so she opted to rest up at my place while Heather and I hung out in at Barcelona Wine Bar.

Clockwise from the top left: Grilled okra in chorizo oil (I found a way to like okra!), Red Snapper and shrimp ceviche, caramelized brussel sprouts (bacon, shallots, and thyme… SO good) and grilled hangar steak with black truffle sauce (perfectly rare), and Idiazabal cheese with grapes and quince jam.

(There was also a complimentary flan involved, thanks to the bartender having a teensy crush on Heather. You can read all about that in her review. 🙂 )

Once again happy and full, we returned to my place where we stayed up too late chatting and ogling desserts on Pinterest. Typical bloggers… LOL!

You’d think we were done eating, but we had one more stop on the way out of town: Dulce Vegan.

It was a momentous occasion: Heather fell in love with Cholula sauce. It was the perfect amount of heat added to their creamy butternut squash soup. I must have the heat to balance the sweet… which is why I developed my Butternut-Apple Soup recipe.

We also split a TLT (tempeh, lettuce, and tomato) sandwich and a fennel-apple slaw. The slaw wasn’t my favorite, but the way they spiced up the tempeh on that sandwich hit the spot.

We were so sad to say good-bye. The whole weekend was a blast. I even learned new tricks! Heather taught me about whisking eggs to make pancakes fluffier, and about the glories of Pic Monkey (which I employed in Monday’s post). I wish we lived closer so we could do this every weekend!

BUT – speaking of every weekend – I’m doing it again this weekend! I’m hopping a plane for Colorado to visit former Georgian Heather and her hubby. They are graciously letting my crash their new place and tag a long for a Turkey Week ski trip. And a 5K. In the cold. How did I get roped into this? 😉

The icing on the cake is that Lauren and her hubby will be there for some of the visit too! It’s going to be a mini Blend reunion! (Lauren, why don’t I have a pic of us?!)

***

Next week I have some amazing guest posts lined up… and there will be a break for Thanksgiving. I hope everyone takes some time to unplug and appreciate the world out from behind the computer screen. 🙂

Do you ever get to hang out with bloggers in “real life?”

Do you have your Thanksgiving menu planned yet? I have no idea what we’ll be eating… but it better be warm after that 5K!

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Banana S’mores Protein Pancakes

Hey hey Sprint 2 the Table Fans!

Banana S’mores Protein Pancakes

Blends, Friends, and Food

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