Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

PB & Pear Eggs + WIAW

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Technology gets me excited.

 

Clearly I need to get out more.

Being a figure competitor means my food scale is my most-used kitchen tool.  I need to weigh my proteins to make sure I have enough, and I can more easily get accurate serving sizes for other items.  Even if you don’t eat like a crazy person, scales are a HUGE help in baking.  I no longer use measuring cups!

countertop and prep pad

 

I read about this Countertop + Prep Pad with glee.  This device can determine the exact nutritional content of whatever you’re making and track your eating habits.  Beyond the traditional accurate weighing of ingredients, it has a BlueTooth connection and an app which displays your data.  You place food on the scales, indicate what it is, and the app shows the nutritional data (with macros, micros, and ingredients).  It even tracks goals for you!

It’s available to pre-order now for $149.95 (delivery in November).  I’m soooooo tempted…

(I randomly ran across this… they didn’t pay me or anything.  It’s just cool.)

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This is WIAW I am back to “normal.”  I food prepped well this week, and was able to keep on track through back to back meetings.  It’s a fun busy though. 🙂

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Read on for my 4 weeks out eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog. for some more “normal” days of food.

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Breakfast:

Ever the creature of habit, a had my Aminos and ACV morning cocktail.  Sam posted she’s been starting her day with ACV for a year… made me realize I’m at about 2 years.  Whoa.

My meal was a win.  Normally I go to bed thinking about breakfast, but last night I didn’t have an clear vision.  It came in the morning though!  Pear.  Cardamom.  Eggs.  Peanut sauce.  Totally normal.

PB & Pear Eggs to go

Cardamom is one of those “a little goes a long way” spices, but just a pinch can make a dish something spectacular.  Especially when that dish involves pear.

I plated this for a pic before pouring it into a solo cup to-go.  See bottom of post for the prettier pic and full recipe. 

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

Crab salad with arugula, cherry tomatoes, hummus, and pepper.  I love crab.  I really love crab that is 20% off.

Crab, arugula, tomato, and hummus salad

 

Lunch:

Dijon Baked Chicken (so glad I made a TON of froze it), roasted bok choy, and yuca fries with salsa.  I am newly obsessed with yucca fries.

Yuca (also known as Cassava) is a thick, starchy tuber.  It’s sort of like a potato, but a little sweeter and drier.  It’s also really hard to slice… but, like kabocha, it’s worth the effort.  I sliced mine into fries and roasted it on 425 til it was crispy (maybe 25 mins?).

Yuca fries

For a funny story about my lunch here.

 

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I make a lot of food… which means sometimes I forget about recipes.  This week I remembered one I really loved: BBQ Cauliflower Bites.  Yesterday I ate it at work with asparagus and a veggie burger with beer mustard.  Happy girl, I was.

BBQ Cauliflower and veggie burger

 

Dinner:

Dinner was a pleasant surprise.  I was SO SORE after leg day that I decided to take a rest day and detoured to Whole Paycheck Foods on the way home for some fresh fish.  I ended up with flounder, a fish I’d never prepared at home before.

I baked my flounder for 10 mins at 425 with fresh lemon, pepper, and lemon-thyme a co-worker brought me from her garden (thanks Allison!).  Eaten with half a roasted yellow acorn squash and broccoli slaw over a bed of arugula.

Lemon flounder and acorn squash

Dessert:

It’s finally feeling like fall in Atlanta, so a warm dessert was in order.  I Made my 150 Calorie Microwave Chocolate Cake (using pumpkin puree instead of applesauce) and topped it with berries and pumpkin fluff.

Chocolate Pumpkin Mug Cake

Pumpkin fluff is amazing.  It’s just equal parts pumpkin puree, Tru Whip (cleaner cool whip from WF), cinnamon, and butter extract.  Just do it.

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PB & Peaggs

PB & Peaggs

  • 2/3 C egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of cardamom

For the Sauce

  • 1 T peanut flour (or nut butter)
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3-4 drops liquid Stevia
  • 1 small pear, chopped

 

Scramble together then first 4 ingredients.  Cook over medium heat until almost done.  Meanwhile, mix together peanut sauce.

Add the peanut sauce and pear, stirring to combine.  Cook just long enough to warm through. 

Devour.

***

Let’s revisit my leg day.  I am so sore.  So very sore.  GROW LEGS!

Do you use a food scale?  Would you buy this hard-core one?

Have you tried anything new lately that you’re loving? I’m a flounder fan now!

 

Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

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There are certain smells that make me stop in my tracks.

 

Pleasant smells… the other kind make me RUN.

I spend a good deal of time in the airport.  The Atlanta airport, like many others in the US, has a Cinnabon.  I can walk away from the waffle cone smell at Ben & Jerry, the pizza from Sabrro, the Chick-fil-a chicken biscuits… but the smell of that cinnamon laced sugar bomb makes me pause.

Rather than having a 730 calorie bomb, I decided to make my own.  And one-up them by adding peanut butter and apples.

Making Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

 

It takes a couple of steps, but they are steps you’ll be glad you took as soon as you bit into this gooey-chewy cinnamon-laced roll.  Plus, you can make a few to reheat for a quick breakfast throughout the week!

The pic above starts out with the uncooked, apple lined rolls in a ramekin.  Then I baked the egg and cinnamon soaked bread into a hot roll oozing with baked apple deliciousness.  After dumping neatly turning it on to a plate, I topped with peanut sauce.

PB Apple Cinnamon Roll

 

A note on the bread and peanut sauce: I used P28 High Protein Bread to make this a super-high protein treat.  You could use any bread, but know that P28 slices are huge so you may need an additional slice if you use a smaller bread.  For the sauce, I used my beloved peanut flour.  You could easily sub in peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter), or use a vanilla protein powder in the same proportions to make a glaze.

This would be good without the apples too… but it’s fall.  Be festive!  It adds a fresh sweetness to the decadent roll.  And that’s pretty marvelous.

MMIM

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Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

Peanut Butter Apple Cinnamon Roll

For the Roll

  • 1/4 C egg whites (or flax egg)
  • 2 tsp sugar-free syrup
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract
  • 1 slice P28 High Protein Bread*
  • 1/4 apple, sliced very thin (plus more, to top)

 

For the Glaze

  • 1 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  •  1 T peanut flour (or peanut butter)*
  • 1 tsp sugar-free syrup
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract

 

Instructions for the Roll

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, beat together eggs, syrup, cinnamon, and extract.

Slice the bread into 3 long strips, gently flattening and stretching out.  Soak strips in the egg mixture, as if you were making french toast.  

Line strips with the thin apple slice, roll up like a cinnamon roll, and place in a prepared ramekin.

Bake for 10 mins (until lightly browned).  Allow to cool slightly.  Turn ramekin over onto you plate to remove the roll.  You may need to loosen the edge first.

 

Instructions for the Glaze:

Mixing together milk, peanut flour (or butter), syrup, cinnamon, and extract.  

Slather across your cinnamon rolls.

 

Take a bite.  Have a moment of silence.  Continue to inhale the roll.

Approximate nutritionals: 223 calories, 4.6g fat, 328g sodium, 22.5g carbohydrates, 4.1g fiber, 8.2g sugar, 24.8g protein

 

*Notes:

  • You can use any type of bread.  P28 bread slices are huge – if you use another brand, you may need to use 1/5-2 slices
  • Vanilla protein powder can be used in place of the peanut flour for a more “traditional” glaze. I like using Growing Naturals.

***

Thank you all SO MUCH for the kind comments and participation in blogiversary week!  Check back at the Growing Naturals and Favorite Things posts for the last 2 winners!  I’ll have a discount code from the Growing Natural folks tomorrow! 

Is there a “treat” you always have when you travel?  I’m a sucker for Coke Zero and pretzels on the plane.

Have you ever re-created a favorite restaurant meal in a healthier way?  What was it?  Feel free to link up – sharing is caring!

 

Hard Core + Muesli Fusion Giveaway

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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!!!).

sprint2table-workitout

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?!

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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.

Hard Core Workout

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:

Hard Core

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!

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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!

muesli fusion

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!

growing naturals green smoothie

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?

Satisfying Creamy Asian Kale Salad + WIAW

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There are no short cuts.

That doesn’t seems to stop people from trying .

Satisfries?  Really Burger King?  According to this article, the fast food chain has developed a lower fat french fry.*  One serving is 190 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 210 milligrams of sodium.

*Yes, they are really called Satisfries

satisfries

Apparently Satisfries taste like regular fries – they are made with the same oil as the full-fat version.  The trick is that Burger King uses an oil-repelling agent in the better that lowers the fat content.

This is kitchen wizardry, not a nutritious french fry.  I can’t stand when companies do this because it’s misleading to consumers.  Yes,ultimately it’s up to the individual to do their research… but they DON’T.  They see these products come out and think eating fries for lunch every day is a good choice (with a burger and a diet coke).

Right or wrong, the timing couldn’t be better.  The U.S Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is requiring restaurant chains to post calorie counts on their menus next year.  I wonder how many more menus items like these will be popping up?

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This is WIAW was crazy.  I was in back to back meetings and pretty much only left my office long enough to pee and run to the fridge for more food.  Thank god for food prep.  I’m sure people think I’m nuts.

WIAWbutton

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

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Breakfast:

I’m still going with my new Aminos in my morning cocktail.  I am liking it!  It’s not a sweet, but I think that’s nice on my taste buds early in the AM.

The food part… well, let’s just say I won’t be leaving the house without tasting my breakfast first ever again.  This was going to be a genius idea – mixing ingredients for an oatmeal mugcake the night before so all I had to do was nuke it in the morning.  2 mistakes: I tried a totally new recipe and I microwaved it WAY too long.

mugcake fail

At least the Cats mug made me smile.

Mid-Morning Snack:

Porgy with celery sticks and my lentil hummus.  Porgy was a new fish to me.  I really liked it – it’s heartier, more similar to chicken than a flaky fish.

Bonus: Progy is fun to say. porgy fish

Lunch:

This was salmon sashimi with lavar, Ezekial bread, and a massaged kale salad.

The dressing (massage lotion?) was my take on Heather’s Creamy Chickpea Salad.  If you’ve never use tofu in dressing before, you MUST try it.  I can’t believe how creamy and delicious this was!

Creamy Asian Kale Salad

Creamy Asian Kale Salad

  • 1 bunch of kale
  • ~10 shiitake mushrooms, diced
  • 1/2 C chopped asparagus
  • 3 ounces firm tofu
  • Fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 tsp dulse (seaweed flakes)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste

Toss together kale, mushrooms, and asparagus.

Blend together dressing ingredients, and massage into kale mix.  

Can eat immediately, but best if allowed to marinate overnight so that veggies soften and flavors infuse..

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Pork Belly of the sea! Sea bass is my favorite fish.  Hands down.  I ate it in my office with roasted cauliflower and sweet potato (topped with the cinnamon I keep in my desk).

sea bass

Dinner:

Dinner continues to be more snack-like on my new schedule.  I snacked on some (unpictured) granola before hustling to the gym.  When I came home after 9p, all I wanted was my chocolate-beet smoothie.

I was out of beet powder (my Whole Foods quit carrying it!!!), so I tossed in a raw beet!  The Vitamix blended it like a champ.  Topped with more granola, then inhaled.

chocolate beet smoothie bowl

Then I needed round two.  Double roasted kabocha and peanut flour sauce.

I could eat this every meal.

roasted kabocha and peanut sauce

Dessert:

I’m so sad about this… I made my Carrot Cake Batter Protein Bowl using French Vanilla Designer Whey.  Was planning to top it with a Banana Nut Quest Bar.  And I did.  But not before I burned it.  I ate it any way, obv.  Note to self: Don’t put your Quest bars under the broiler and walk away.

Topped with cocoa powder-coconut flour sauce and Nuttzo.  Because that makes everything better.

burned quest

***

Don’t forget to enter the Designer Whey giveaway for a 1 year supply worth $500.  Contest ends tonight at 11:59p!

Satisfries.  Do you buy it?  Would you buy it?

Do you keep a stash of spices in your desk or purse?

Strange But Good: Plantain Ginger Protein Bread

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Blog trends are fun.

And often strange to the rest of the world.

When I say the Purely Twins’ Plantain Bread I couldn’t wait to whip up a protein-laced version of my own.

It may not quite count as strange at this point, as it’s caught on like a wild-fire.  BUT I’m going to say it qualifies for Strange But Good because my co-workers would definitely think it’s weird look on with curiosity.

Plantain Gingerbread

Naked bread.

Since I an unable to make anything that isn’t protein-laced (I’m beginning to think it’s an addiction), I tool the liberty of pumping up the plantain bread concept.  It was easy enough to do with a little protein powder.

The part when I took a little more creative license was the flavor.  These cooler mornings have made me crave a fall treat – gingerbread!  Why not combine two of my favorite breads?  Banana Plantain Gingerbread!

Plantain Gingerbread and Quark Icing

All dressed up

The icing on this breakfast treat was a mixture of quark with a little stevia, cinnamon, and vanilla.  It tasted like cinnamon roll frosting.  Seriously.

Round 1 was eaten with blueberries (not bloobs… that is the worst blogger trend).  Round two was topped with smashed raspberries… and eaten in the car.  Yes, this bread is hearty enough to pick up and eat while driving inching along in traffic at a complete standstill in a jam.

Plantain Gingerbread on the road

Have plantain bread, will travel.

[Tweet “This #glutenfree plantain bread has a whopping 20g of protein!”]

Plantain Ginger Protein Bread

Plantain Ginger Protein Bread

  • 1 medium plantain, fully ripe*
  • 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp Golden Lakanto (or brown sugar/other sweetener)
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Growing Naturals Rice Protein)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a small blender (I used a Magic Bullet) blend all ingredients except the protein powder.

Add protein powder and blend again until just combined.

Pour into a prepared pan (I used 8-in round) and bake for 15 mins.

Makes 2 servings.

*A plantain is fully ripe when the skin has turned almost black; it will be aromatic and sweet.

Approximate nutritionals (for 1 serving): 198 calories, 0.3 g fat, 123.6 mg sodium, 32.5 g carbohydrates, 2.6 g fiber, 13.9 g sugar, 19.8 g protein

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.

Sprint 2 the Table

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


***

I LOVE my new job… but lawd I am so happy its Friday. 

Have you tried any of the plantain recipes floating around?

Do you eat breakfast on the way to work?  I wish Atlanta had better public transportation!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl + WIAW

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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.

you are intense

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.

WIAWbutton

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!

morning aminos cocktail

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

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

turbot and tabbouleh

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…

turkey salad and hummus

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. 😉

sea bass and broccoli slaw

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.

Chocolate-Beet Protein Smoothie

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

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

By

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:

Fresh Market finds

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.

Don't get sidetracked

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.

Bring your own wedding food

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!

Whole Foods finds

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. 🙂

sunshine

 

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.

little me

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.

Yolk porn pizza

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.

Alba Italy truffle festival

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.

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

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)

By

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.

any one can workout for an hour...

 

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:

Travel foods

  • 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.

WIAWbutton

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.

overnight oats on a plane

 

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!

chicken on a plane

 

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!

semi-homemade hotel breakfast

 

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:

shrimp salad

 

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.

homemade fro-yo

 

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. 😉

tomato brownie and egg

 

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!

 

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