Spooky Matcha Green Sludge + WIAW

October 8, 2014 By Laura

Eat your greens!

I can still hear my mother ~~yelling~~ saying this to me at the dinner table.

Growing up, I was the pickiest kid on the planet. If it was green, the only way I’d eat it is if it was raw and covered in so much ranch dressing (specifically, Marie’s ranch) there was no possibility of tasting it.

Fast forward 20 years and I’m voluntarily starting my day with this sludge:

Matcha Green Sludge

1 tsp matcha
1 T gelatin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2-3 T water
5-6 drops liquid stevia

Mix together in a small bowl and a allow to sit 1-2 mins to allow the mix to gel.

It’s a very “green” tasting mix, which is why I add a little stevia… even my altered taste buds need some help. Here’s the “why” behind the ingredients:

Matcha

One cup of matcha green tea has as many antioxidants as 10 cups of regular tea. As if that’s not enough reason to start supplementing with it, it also enhances metabolism, reduces stress, lowers cholesterol, and combats aging and cancer.

One of my favorite benefits is the caffeine. It’s perfect first thing in the morning. It doesn’t cause the shakes though! The relaxing properties of L-theanine in matcha promote concentration, memory, and mood.

Gelatin

This isn’t your cafeteria nastiness. Gelatin is actually flavorless, making it easy to add to just about anything. I began taking it for digestion at the suggestion of Lindsay (see her post here). It 100% works for that! I’m more “regular” than I’ve ever been. It can help to heal the lining of your stomach and digestive tract, and is a detoxifier.

For someone who is active, gelatin is especially beneficial because it contains half of the 18 essential amino acids, which help build muscle. With 6 grams of protein per tablespoon, it’s a great way to add more protein to your diet. It is not a complete protein, but it helps the body fully utilize the complete proteins you eat. It also supports skin, hair and nail growth, and is good for bone strength and joint recovery. Rumor has it that it can help tighten loose skin and improve cellulite.

Cinnamon

Aside from making everything taste better, cinnamon is good for your health! It stabilizes blood sugar levels, making it popular for those with Type 2 Diabetes. Cinnamon might also reduce the effects of high-fat meals by reducing response of triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood but as much as 30%.*

It can also lower your bad cholesterol (LDL), reduce inflammation, and can decrease cancer risk (especially leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells, which my dad had). It can control yeast with it’s antifungal properties. Allegedly, candida cannot live in a cinnamon environment. When added to food, cinnamon acts as a preservative, slowing bacterial growth and food spoilage. Even smelling cinnamon can have positive effects on cognitive function, memory, and headaches!

*This is not a license to raid the nearest Cinnabon… it has been found to be toxic in large doses. And I don’t think even OD-ing on it will fight that sugar rush. 😉

…

PB&J Yogurt Bowl Recipe + WIAW

October 1, 2014 By Laura

Staple foods. We all have them.

Some of us have them literally.

When my boss referred to Amy’s burritos as a staple food… he meant literally. He opened this little gem and found something shiny in it. Normally I like shiny things, but a staple in my burrito? I’ll pass.

He emailed Amy’s and got a scripted response from customer service about an hour later. The person didn’t seem too concerned,but said they send the pics to someone else int he company. Well see… in the mean time, I’m especially grateful I go my food prep!

…

TECHmunch, Wedded Bliss, and an Easy Frittata Recipe

September 29, 2014 By Laura

There’s a nasty rumor that weekends are for resting.

Rest… such a mysterious word…

My version of resting is seeing how many non-work activities I can cram into a couple of days. It turns out that number is pretty high!

The weekend started out strong with the Atlanta TECHmunch Conference. These are held across the US, but this was the first one in ATL. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I heard it was to be held at one of my favorite local breweries I had no choice but to sign up!

Monday Night Brewing hosted ~100 bloggers, and was to kind as to get us tipsy after the day’s learning ended. Before the boozing, we had pumpkin donut holes, snacks from Beyond Meat, and lunch catered by my favorite MetroFresh.

The holes were ok… I’m more of a Krispy Kreme gal. The Beyond Meat was really impressive – those beef crumbles are scarily similar to the real deal. And MetroFresh was amazing as always. Somehow I still managed that red velvet Sprinkles cupcake.

…

A Must Have Box and Garnish & Gather Dinner (WIAW)

September 24, 2014 By Laura

Mail days are the best.

Thanks to e-bills, actual mail is a treat 80% of the time!

The awesome people at PopSugar sent me a Must Have Box to try this month. I was really impressed! The T ilo scarf alone was worth it (retails at $125!). It’s high-quality and incredibly soft. Soft kitty, warm kitty…

Those Ghirardelli sea salt chocolates do not suck either. I love that they are bite-sized… it (moderately) slowed me down as I worked my way through the bag. I’ve already replenished with the dark chocolate variety. #sorryimnotsorry

Working out in the morning was a little more fun with my fancy blue Nicole Miller ear buds. They matched my shoes today. #winning

The fuel made the workout more fun too. A raw Almond Brownie bar from Urban Remedy. It wasn’t too sweet and had a hint of salt to it. Someone at PopSugar knows I love a sweet & salty combo!

They hooked me up with a discount code to share with you guys if you’d like to check it out: SEPT14SELECT will get you $10 off a 3 month subscription (offer expires 9/30/14).

*Disclaimer: POPSUGAR provided me with a complimentary POPSUGAR Must Have box. The opinions I have shared about the box are my own and POPSUGAR did not tell me what to say or how to say it.*

…

Recovery, Workouts, and Sweet Potato Pie Waffles

September 22, 2014 By Laura

Sometimes there’s no shame in staying in bed half the day.

Especially when the last couple of weeks have been chaos!

Last Monday I depicted pre-conference life. This Monday is recovery life. Marvelous recovery. Recovery life started with sleep. Since I couldn’t take pictures of that, we’ll pick up with the wakeful part of the weekend.

Agreed.

…

Pie-Spiced Eggplant French Toast (Waffles)

September 12, 2014 By Laura

It wasn’t me, I swear.

This is weird even for me.

Even I couldn’t have some up with something as strange as eggplant french toast. No, this fabulousness was linked up to an August #strangebutgood by Debbie @ Accidentally Delish. It was shockingly good.

I did make it a little more odd by spicing it pie-style and cooking it in the wafflemaker.* You can also cook it in a skillet like “normal” french toast.

*Note: All things in my house are now cooked in the wafflemaker.

After a good waffling, I topped with with protein syrup and a little cereal for the added crunch. It made for strange (but good) brinner!

Pie-Spiced Eggplant French Toast

1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
1/4 C egg whites
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3-4 drops liquid vanilla Stevia

In a shallow bowl, beat together egg whites, spices, and stevia. Mix together. Place eggplant slices in mixture and soak.

Meanwhile, preheat wafflemaker or pan. Make sure you grease it well!

Place eggplant slices in your cooking vehicle or choice and cook until softened and golden brown. If you’re using a wafflemaker, push down on the lid to help flatten and cook the eggplant.

Plate and top with protein syrup (recipe below).

Protein Syrup

1/4 scoop (~8g) vanilla protein powder (I use Growing Naturals)
1 T syrup (I use a Stevia-sweetened one)
1/8 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk

In a small bowl, mix ingredients together. Pour over waffle. Eat.

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.

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

An InLinkz Link-up

***

I am floored that I couldn’t taste any eggplant “funk.”

What do you like best: waffles, french toast, or pancakes?

Have you ever made a recipe from the #strangebutgood link up?

Channeling Wonder Woman + WIAW

September 10, 2014 By Laura

Wonder Woman is my favorite superhero.

If you know me, this is probably no surprise.

Mind over matter is a very real thing. I find myself being able to “will” myself to do more than I should be able to both in and out of the gym. It’s kind of fun to push yourself to do the (previously) impossible. To me, this is Wonder Woman.

My inner Wonder Woman is especially channeled on leg day. 20 reps with 6 plates on the leg press? No problem. Well, yes a problem… but not one I couldn’t handle. My reward was going to the gym the next day and having a guy say (awkwardly) “Your legs have gotten bigger! I mean… that’s a compliment… you know what I mean…”

Only in the weight room could you say that to a woman and get away with it. HA!

…

Falafel Waffle

September 5, 2014 By Laura

Falafel Waffle Falafel Waffle

You know you want to say it again.

It may seem strange to make a savory waffle, but I assure you that this Falafel Waffle is not awful. To make this falafel-like waffle, I used chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour). You can find it at most grocery stores – I know Bob’s Red Mill makes a version.

I’m still new to waffle-making, but this one came out perfectly fluffy. I was amazed since I straight up forgot that I wanted to use baking powder!

Falafel Waffle …