Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Happy Singles Awareness Day

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I like being married to the gym single.

monopoly cats

I couldn’t even handle having a cat in my life.

What I can handle is eating red food.  I’ve been traveling too much to make anything special, but if I make it to the grocery store today I may eat something red.

In the meantime, I did manage to round-up my favorites… and separate them into courses.  This is what happens when you blog on an airplane.

Then I couldn’t help myself – I made a new sugar-free, high protein microwave cake when I got home from the airport.  It was late, the pics are dark… but this is what happens when you are without chocolate cake and Nuttzo for days.  Cravings must be satisfied!  Recipe at the end.

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Breakfast

Raspberry Baked Oatmeal (To-Go!)

Raspberry Baked Oatmeal (To-Go!)

♥

Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal

Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal

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Roasted Beet and Orange Smoothie

Roasted Beet and Orange Smoothie

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Mains

Crabby Smoked Gazpacho

Crabby Smoked Gazpacho

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Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

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Veggie Sushi with Beet Wasabi Sauce

Veggie Sushi with Beet Wasabi Sauce

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Dessert

Beet Protein Frozen Custard

Beet Protein Frozen Custard

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Strawberry Smoky Almond Tart

Strawberry Smoky Almond Tart

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This last dessert is the one I made upon arriving home last night.  I had a fierce peanut butter and chocolate craving, and this sugar-less treat fit the bill.  And did I mention it has 30g of protein???

If you stop the microwave while it still looks a tad jiggly on top, you’ll have a gooey, molten cake.  Which is exactly when I did, and highly recommend.  Then I topped it with a healthy serving of Nuttzo (which I am obsessed with), and a festive strawberry heart.

PB Chocolate Cake

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Microwave Cake

  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 1 scoop (2T) chocolate protein powder
  • 1 T cocoa powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1 T pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 C egg whites
  • 1/4 unsweetened almond milk (or water)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 drops chocolate liquid stevia (I used NuNaturals)

 

Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl.  Add wet to dry and stir to combine.  

Transfer to a small, greased bowl (I used coconut oil).  Microwave until just done, ~ 45-60 secs.  

Transfer to a plate, top as desired, and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritionals: 180 calories, 4g fat, 150.8mg sodium, 11.2g carbohydrates, 4.8g fiber, 1.5g sugar, 31.5g protein

I received this jar of NuttZo free of charge through participation in a FitFluential campaign. I was not otherwise compensated; all opinions on the product are my own (I already ate the stuff religiously). Check out NuttZo on Twitter and/or Facebook!

***

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I think this is the perfect night to curl up with a glass of red wine, some popcorn, and dark chocolate while watching Grey’s.

Do you have big Valentine’s plans?

What is your favorite Valentine-themed food?  I dig those Reese’s hearts… the shapes have more PB!

 

What I Ate in Ohio

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Road food can be scary.

 

Opossum, McDonald’s, gas station dinners…

If you do frequent gas stations for dinner on the road, you might be excited by this news… Lay’s is testing some new flavors: Chicken & Waffles, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Sriracha.

Lay's Chicken & Waffles

Apparently you’ll be able to find all 3 flavors in the next week or so.  Lay’s is then offering customers a chance to vote for their favorite in May.  The flavor with the most votes stays, the other 2 are voted off the island discontinued.

I don’t even need to taste them.  I vote for Sriracha.  It could be Strange But Good… or it could be nasty.

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I assure you, I avoided Lay’s on my business trip.  Remember last WIAW when I was packing all my food to-go?  This week we left earlier, so you get to see all that food in action.  I’ve been whipping out my prepared meals (and iPhone camera) with pride!  Ohio doesn’t know what to think of me.

Check out this post for a super-detailed explanation and tips for traveling with healthy foods!

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Check out my 7 meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how others dined this week!

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Meal 1:

My hotel stay hasn’t stopped me from my morning cocktail.  I have had to change the mix a bit – liquids are the one thing I can’t pack with me, so rather than using apple cider vinegar in the mix I asked the hotel to give me a lemon to add.  I juiced half the lemon to mix with my water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos in a recycled Fiji bottle.

One gripe: the hotel actually CHARGED me for the lemon.  Thank you, Cambria Suites.

FitMixer ACV Morning Cocktail

 

I’ve been rocking my Caffeinated Protein Oatmeal.  The hotel has been giving me cinnamon to add, which I love.  I also grab a side of fruit – today was pineapple and honeydew.

Caffinated Protein Oatmeal

This morning’s oats consisted of :

  • Oatmeal (pre-made at the continental breakfast bar)
  • Vanilla protein powder
  • Cinnamon
  • Coffee
  • Bacon (just a little crumbled on top. 🙂 )

 

Meal 2:

I am loving my no-salt turkey deli meat.  It’s a great option to pack up and take anywhere.  It’s also not too heavy, making it a tasty snack at 10:30am.  Enjoyed with pumpkin seeds and an apple.  There was also a lot of coffee and water involved.

 

Meal 3:

Lunch was two parts.  Our client was having a Fat Tuesday lunch and invited us to join the potluck.  I took small bites of the best stuff… including a littttttle bit crock pot lava cake (OMG it was fabulous).  Added to my plate was a turkey burger I brought from home.

 

Then I hit the cafeteria salad bar:

 

Meal 4:

I have really been loving the Balsamic Grilled Chicken from Trader Joe’s.  It only has 65g of sodium and it isn’t dry in the least.  I cut it into strips for easy-eating in conference rooms.  Eaten with carrot sticks, also pre-cut and brought from home.

 

There was a mid-afternoon sweet tooth satisfier: Extra’s Lemon Square dessert gum.  I’m so glad I finally found this flavor.  It’s 2nd only to the Apple Pie!

Extra Lemon Squares dessert gum

Meal 5:

My co-worker and I hit the gym before dinner last night.  This was a treat because we’ve been going after… not ideal to lift on a full tummy.

The downside was that we were starving by the time we finished and settled for dinner in the hotel.  We both ordered the salmon over green chili grits and a side of steamed spinach and mushrooms.  It wasn’t bad… but quite salty!

Hotel salmon

 

Meal 6:

I was actually hungry but not for this.  I miss eggs.  The powdered eggs on the breakfast bar don’t cut it.  Whatever.  I ate a turkey burger and pretended it was topped with a runny egg.  The zucchini and cauliflower with it were really good.  Cauliflower is a new road-snack for me.  It holds up well!

Here’s what to do when you don’t have a plate: cut up the burger and microwave it in a hotel glass.  Then stack your veggies on top so you can get it all in one picture. 

 

Meal 7:

Another yogurt creation!  I looked forward to My Strawberry-Cinnamon Fro-Yo all day.

This was a single serving plain Greek yogurt and mixed with mashed strawberries, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla extract, and a couple of stevia drops.  Then I froze it at home to take with me, and then turned the hotel fridge to the max to keep it pretty frozen here.  Two days later, this was the perfect texture – half-frozen like fro-yo!

Strawberry Cinnamon Fro Yo

***

The protein count for the day: 163.1g.  One more day and I’m hoooooome!

Which Lay’s flavor would you try?  Any?

Have you tried the Dessert gum yet?  I resisted at first, but have declared it Strange But Good.

 

Strange But Good Travels

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My food get stares at home.

 

And comments.

On the road, people really think I’m odd.  I suppose it isn’t exactly normal to travel with 21+ servings of protein.  Whatever.  Today’s Strange But Good eats may not be strange in the comfort of your own home, but on a business trip in snowy Ohio they weren’t exactly mainstream.

 

My breakfasts were semi-homemade hotel hot bar creations.  The best combo was this high-protein coffee oatmeal:

Coffee Protein Oatmeal

Coffee Protein Oatmeal

  • Oatmeal (pre-made from the breakfast bar)
  • 1 serving vanilla protein powder
  • Cinnamon (from hotel kitchen – they usually have it if you ask)
  • Coffee
  • Peanut butter

 

Mix oatmeal, protein powder, and cinnamon with just enough coffee to combine.  This oatmeal was quite dry, so it took about 3/4 cup.  Top with peanut butter and enjoy!

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My mid-morning snack was not to shabby either!  I packed no-salt deli turkey and almonds, and grabbed an apple from the hotel.  Not strange, but maybe a bit odd to pull out of your bag in a conference room.

 

Everyone wanted to go out for lunch, so we caravaned to Outback Steakhouse.  I suppose I could have found something on the menu, but it would have been filled with salt.  Knowing we’d go out for dinner and I’d get more than my fill of salt later, I ordered a salad and topped it with my BYO protein  – balsamic marinated chicken.  You better believe I swiped a slice of their warm bread.  It’s the only thing I like at Outback, and oh boy is it good.

Again, not a strange meal, but bringing your own food into a restaurant will earn you some stares.

BYO Protein Salad at Outback

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I am REALLY proud of myself for getting to the gym both nights at the hotel.  I had great workouts, and my co-workers even joined me for a bit.  Of course, I crammed in my protein back in the room.

Dessert protein (i.e. Meal 7) is the most important meal of the day, right? 😉  This is one of my favorites on the road.  I buy individual servings of Greek yogurt (I used Oikos here), mix it with fruit and other flavors, and cover with foil to freeze.  When it comes time to eat, it’s thawed into fro-yo!

This was an Asian Pear-Cardamom Frozen Yogurt.

 

Asian Pear Fro-yo

Asian Pear-Cardamom Frozen Yogurt

  • 1 serving plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 Asian pear
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • Stevia or other sweetener, to taste

 

Pulse pear in a blender or food processor until only a few small chunks remain.

Stir together yogurt, pear, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, and sweetener.

Cover container and place in freezer.  Remove and let soften to frozen yogurt consistency.  You can freeze just 1 hour if eating immediately.  Or, if you don’t have time to thaw, microwave ~30 seconds.

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Time for some legit strange but good food from YOU!

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'm praying we get off the ground this afternoon before the snow storm hits!  Then I get to do it all over again next week...

Have you ever brought your own food to a restaurant?

What is your strange but good this week?  Do share!

 

Healthy Travel Food + WIAW

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I am traveling for work this week.

Ohio

In the cold.  So very, very cold…

Finding healthy food option is one thing if I’m headed to a bigger city, but when I head to smaller towns I know I have to PLAN.  With less than 2 months until my next competition, I’m not “wasting” cheat days on crappy travel food.  I mean, did you see this post?  Why would I eat fast food when I can save it for dinners like that?

The night before I go, I pack up vitamins and supplements.  And then I pray that I don’t get arrested for traveling with white powder (it’s just BCAAs and glutamine!).

Traveling with supplements

I also gather my protein powders, gum, my own salt-free spice blend, “emergency” bars and tuna.  Most of these items are “back up” in case I get stuck somewhere.

Healthy travel snacks

Last, I portion out proteins and veggies.  This trip I am taking chicken burgers, lamb, no salt deli turkey meat, balsamic grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, snow peas, and Greek yogurt (see Meal 7 pic below – mixed with fruit and frozen for safe travel).

Protein and veggies to go

Check out this post for a super-detailed explanation and tips for traveling with healthy foods!  And yes, I made it through security with ALL of this, no questions asked.

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This WIAW my task was to eat everything left in my fridge.  I not-so-secretly love these days because they lead to come fun concoctions!

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Check out my 7 meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how others dined this week!

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Meal 1:

As usual, I enjoyed my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos).

Upon hearing on GMA that it was National Pancake Day, I consulted the Pancake Queen’s blog for an appropriate breakfast.  I settled on her Ginger-Pear Pancakes.

Ginger-Pear Pancakes

These were heavenly!  I followed the recipe, with a few additions:

  • Added 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • Added 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Used ground ginger
  • My pear was an Asian Pear
  • Made syrup by mixing sugar-free syrup, almond milk, and cinnamon

Meal 2:

This week I had the find of a lifetime at Trader Joe’s.  NO SALT canned salmon that is boneless and skinless!!  Now I can make my Lemon-Thyme Zucchini Salmon Cakes without the nauseating task of de-boning and skinning the can.  *shudder*

That’s not what I made today though.  Today was a blood-salmon salad!  It’s not a gross as it sounds… it’s a blood ORANGE salad.  Hee hee.

Salmon and Blood Orange Salad

Blood Salmon Salad

  • 1 can no salt salmon
  • 1 blood orange, sectioned
  • 1/4 C chopped fennel
  • 2 T plain Greek yogurt
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Meal 3:

Lunch was a two-part affair.  Part 1 was mahi mahi and a roast of brussels, fennel, and eggplant tossed in coconut vinegar and herbes de provence.

Mahi Mahi and roasted veggies

Part 2 was “dessert.”  Sweet potato topped with cottage cheese and tons of cinnamon.

Let’s pretend I didn’t add more cinnamon post-pic… 

Sweet Potato with cottage cheese and cinnamon

Meal 4:

I roasted a leg of lamb before work yesterday.  I’m told that’s not normal.  Either way, it was delicious!  And it was a great mid-afternoon meal with spinach, cabbage, and nutritional yeast!  Does anyone else top their meat with vegan cheese-like substances? 😉

Lamb salad

Meal 5:

This was my last meal before making a mad dash to the airport.  I had 1/2 a serving of chili left, a little deli turkey, avocado, and smokey blue cheese.  Down the hatch and sprinting… 2 the airport.

Chili

Meal 6:

Airplane meal!  I knew I’d have to eat this cold, and a salad seemed more appealing than a burger… so I crumbled a chicken burger and mixed it with Greek yogurt, carrots, and zucchini.  Chicken Burger Salad!  People were appalled fascinated.  Better than peanuts, no? 

Chicken Burger Salad

Meal 7:

This is one of my yogurt creations.  I took a single serving plain Greek yogurt container and mixed it with blood orange, cinnamon, and a couple of stevia drops.  Then I froze it overnight to take with me.  This serves two purposes: it keeps it cold enough for travel and acts as and extra ice pack for my cooler.

Being on the road doesn’t mean I can’t have a clean dessert… with a little treat on top.  A crumbled Quest peanut butter cup!

Blood Orange Greek Yogurt

***

The protein count for the day: 171.4g.

Have you had any interesting run-ins with airport security?

Do you pack healthy food for the road?  What are your favorites?  This week’s Strange But Good link up is going to be fun with all my packed eats! 😉

Plump My Ride + WIAW

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Cars are getting bigger.

 

MTV, can you Plump My Ride?

Seriously though… people are getting too FAT for their cars.  It’s not just the car seats.  Buttons – like the one to roll down your window – have to be made bigger to accommodate “bigger” fingers.  This article reports that video back-up screens were added because “necks are too thick for drivers to turn around and look.”

 

dv1554011

 

It’s a safety issue too – most car safety features like airbag and seatbelts are designed to protect a person of average size (163 lbs).  AND a recent study says that 800,000 car accidents a year in the US are caused by drivers with obesity-related sleep apnea.

I never, ever considered this issue before.  Mind = blown.  Time to put down the keys and walk a little more?

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This WIAW I managed to stay away from Waffle House.  My trainer changed up my diet and I’m enjoying more healthy fats while keeping a good amount of carbs.  I’m still ramping up, but so far I feel fantastic.  2 months until competition time – ahhh!

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Check out my 7 meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how others dined this week!

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Meal 1:

As usual, I enjoyed my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos).  30 mins later I ate a pancake topped with a mix of peanut flour, sugar-free syrup, and cinnamon along with fresh blackberries.

No recipe for the pancake…  I testing and it wasn’t my fav.  The topping rocked though!

Pancake

 

 

Meal 2:

As I took this pic, my co-worker was literally standing over my shoulder quizzing me about my food.  You mean it’s NOT normal to bring salmon sashimi for snack at work?

Salmon Sashimi and mango

 

This was fantastic.  I love the rich salmon with the sweet mangoes and the crunchy roasted seaweed.  I made a wasabi dip by mixing wasabi paste into a paleo hummus gifted to me by a friend.

 

 

Meal 3:

Lunch was a mix of leftovers and new.  Last week I made extras of the dal I had for dinner, so the last serving made an appearance.  I ate it with swordfish (it’s been wayyyy too long since I’ve had this!) and fresh broccoli.

Random fact: I only like broccoli raw.

 

 

Meal 4:

A little before Meal 4 I had a Good Belly – I’ve never used these consistently before, so I’m experimenting with these to see what effect probiotics have one me (if any).  I also have been rocking the water today – 120 ounces down!

Observations so far: I like that they offer a no-sugar added “Straight Shot” that tastes good, love that it smiles at me… and I went #2 twice today.  That never happens.  TMI, I know…

Good Belly Straight Shot

 

Back to the food.  I had a new discovery – no salt deli meat!  Whole Foods has no salt added turkey.  It made my day.  And my turkey salad.

Greek Turkey Salad

Greek Turkey Salad

  • No-salt added deli turkey, torn into small bits
  • Celery
  • Greek yogurt
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Lemon juice
  • Rosemary
  • Red pepper flakes

 

I didn’t measure… just poured and mixed until the consistency was like chicken salad..

 

 

Meal 5:

I need to ban myself from making pizza on WIAW nights… but yeah, I made my (cheese-less) cauliflower pizza crust again.  It’s just so easy and good!

 

Cauliflower Crust Pizza - no cheese

My toppings:

  • Balsamic chicken
  • Korean watercress
  • Onion
  • Basil
  • Cloth-aged cheddar
  • Balsamic nutritional yeast sauce (Nooch + balsamic + red pepper flakes)

 

 

Meal 6:

Post-gym good carbs and whey: a mix of mashed butternut squash, whey protein powder, and cinnamon.  I realize this looks like poo… it tastes better than it appears.

 Whey and butternut

 

 

Meal 7:

Remember last week’s Blueberry Cheesecake Fluff?  I am obsessed.  So I made another version, this one with bananas and peanut flour.  I’m still smiling.  I could live on this peanut butter-y goodness.  Topped with cocoa syrup, FTW.

Banana Peanut Butter Cheese Cake Fluff

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Banana Peanut Butter Cheesecake Fluff

Banana Peanut Butter Cheesecake Fluff

  • 1/2 C cottage cheese
  • 1/4 C mashed banana
  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract
  • 1/4 tsp butterscotch extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of cardamom
  • 6-7 drops liquid stevia
  • Water or milk
  • 1/2 C brown rice crispies

 

Place everything except the cereal in a blender with enough liquid to blend.  Blend until mostly smooth.

Pour over a cereal.  Top as desired – I made a chocolate sauce with cocoa powder, almond milk, and stevia.

Devour.

Note: if you don’t have butter and butterscotch extracts, simply sub vanilla and/or almond extract.

***

The protein count for the day: 179.3g.

What do you think about this obese driver issue?  Had you heard about it before?

Do people at your office stare at your food?  Yes?  You should join the Strange But Good link up this Friday! 😉

 

Strange But Good Blends + Cocoa-Cayenne Sweet Potato Oatmeal

By

I’m slow sometimes.

Ok, a lot of times… especially in the morning.

Last year was the first time I’d ever heard the term “Blend.”  Now I have some amazing blends.  These people continually inspire me, push my thinking, and are some of the best friends I’ve ever had.

My Blend, Kat,  writes a bi-weekly a guest post on this blog.  Yesterday she included a recipe for Cocoa-Cinnamon-Cayenne Roasted Sweet Potatoes.  I wanted them for breakfast… so I blended her recipe with a breakfast many of you have daily – oatmeal – to start my day with a strange but good treat!

CCC Sweet Potato Oatmeal

If you are  volume eater (and I am), you’ll especially love this.  The sweet potato and the egg whites fluff this up so it’s like a giant bowl of sweet potato custard!  The cocoa is more a secondary flavor – I didn’t want to be straight up eating dessert – but you could add more if you want.

Don’t be afraid of the cayenne.  Start with a little and go from there.  The hint of heat on the end of eat bite is a fun surprise to the palate!

Sweet Potato CCC Oatmeal

Cocoa-Cayenne Sweet Potato Oatmeal

  • 1/4 C oatmeal
  • 1/4 C mashed sweet potato
  • 2 tsp cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne (adjust to your liking)
  • 1/2 tsp maple extract
  • 1/2 C egg whites (optional)
  • Optional toppings: ground flax, cacao nibs, and blueberries

Cook oatmeal as usual.

Meanwhile, mix together sweet potato, cocoa, cinnamon, and maple extract (you could also use vanilla) in a small bowl.  You may need to add water to keep it moist.

When oats are just down, stir in sweet potato mixture until well-combined.  If using, add egg whites.  Stir constantly to ensure that eggs are well-incorporated and don’t become scrambled.

Transfer to bowl, add toppings, and enjoy!

One of my best blends, Heather, made a Strange But Good recipe that was linked up here a couple of weeks ago!  Our other best blend,  Heather 2, created this scrumptious Lip Smackin’ Vegan Mac, which Heather 1 used to top her burrito stuffings.  Strange but awesome!

vegan mac n cheese

I cannot WAIT to try this recipe!

Speaking of Blends… registration opens for the Blend Retreat opens SUNDAY!  Doesn’t someone want to sponsor me?

Blend 2013

 

Check out the site.  Register.  Trust me.  This was the BEST retreat I’ve ever been on .  Lindsay, Janetha, and Katie did a fantastic job getting sponsors, organizing activities, and leaving enough down time for us to all get to know each other.

It’s also where I fell in love with Heather!

Heather and Me

Alright, my strange but good blends… show me your weird food!

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. 🙂



***

Thank you all sooooo much for all of the kind words about the adventure race.  This weekend… I’m resting. 🙂

What is your favorite way to prepare sweet potatoes?

Are you going to Blend???

Blueberry Cheesecake Fluff + WIAW

By

I must confess something.

 

Don’t worry, this isn’t another TMI post.

I haven’t had a perfect Junk-Free January.  Being sick and doing some crazy endurance work has derailed me.  However, I did lay off the booze and I really don’t regret the times I ate deliciousness like this:

Waffle House chocolate chip waffle

 

I listened to my body and my body wanted calories.  Trashy calories.  Post-stomach flu and post-crazy racing I’d lost a couple of LBs.  They have been found. 🙂

This could also have something to do with a killer Chest and Bicep workout with my trainer on Monday.  We did supersets,  alternating between chest and bis, to get done in an hour.  I benched pressed about 8 lbs more than my body weight and then preacher curled a little more than half my body weight.  And now I can’t lift a glass of water.

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I’m back on track for this WIAW.  Still hungry ALL the time, but I’m keeping it clean and fueling my body with good stuff.  It’s crazy how your body still demands replenishment days after a big event!

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Check out my 7 meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how others dined this week!

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Meal 1:

After my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos), I broiled a grapefruit according to this method with coconut butter, cinnamon, and cardamom.  That was “dessert” after I demolished an herbs de provence egg white omelette.

Broiled grapfruit and eggs

 

 

Meal 2:

A rare thing happened – I went to the gym in the morning.  Never fear – hell didn’t freeze over.  I’m still not a morning person – this trip wasn’t exactly early.  It was a killer leg day though!

I packed a protein-rich treat to refuel in the car before an appointment:

Leg day and refuel

 

This was delicious chocolate pudding made with 1/2 C Greek yogurt, 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder, almond milk, and cinnamon.

The topping was a crumbled Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal, straight from my freezer.  I’m so obsessed with these.

 

 

Meal 3:

Lunch was an old favorite: Salmon Pizza with Sweet Potato “Sauce.”  I used tortilla crust and topped it with spinach, artichokes, and onions.

Sweet Potato Salmon Pizza

 

 

Meal 4:

I developed an addiction to Whole Foods’ Naked (read: no salt) roasted chicken.  Not a cheap habit, but worth my sanity as I hate touching raw chicken.  Every Sunday I buy one and pull off all the white meat to eat throughout the week.  Today I ate it chicken salad-style, but with a hummus mix rather than mayo.

Hummus Chicken Salad

Hummus Chicken Salad

  • Shredded chicken
  • Broccoli slaw
  • Red peppers, chopped
  • Hummus
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Cumin and red pepper flakes, to taste

 

I didn’t measure, but the hummus and ACV is about a 1:1 ratio.

 

 

Meal 5:

I could hardly wait for dinner.  I’ve been eyeing Kristina’s Cholar Dal recipe for a couple of weeks and this frigid day seemed the be the perfect time to try it out.

It was AMAZING!  I licked my plate clean.  I ate it alongside some pan-seared tempeh and roasted brussels, broccoli, and mushrooms.

Cholar Dal, tempeh, and roasted veggies

There is something in my head that will not allow me to simply follow a recipe.  Here are my modifications:

  • Added 1/2 red pepper
  • Used 1/4 C tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes
  • Added 1/4 tsp fenugreek and 1/2 tsp coriander
  • Increased cayenne to 3/4 tsp
  • Didn’t use the salt, butter, and dried chilis

 

 

Meal 6:

Please don’t get bored with me.  I love carrots.  And peanut butter.  And eggs.  PB & Ceggs.  Again.

PB & Ceggs

 

 

Meal 7:

Casein is good to have at night for muscle recovery.  unfortunately, I can’t stand the texture.  No matter – I really like having dairy before bed.  Maybe a carry over from a youth filled with nighttime ice cream bowls?

This creation is going to be in heavy rotation.  I’m scraping the bottom of the bowl and trying to convince myself that I don’t need another as I type this.  It’s like blueberry cheesecake with hot brownie on top.

Clean Blueberry Cheesecake

Need I say more?

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Blueberry Cheesecake Fluff

Blueberry Cheesecake Fluff

  • 1/2 C cottage cheese
  • 1/4 C blueberries
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract
  • 1/4 tsp coconut extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of cardamom
  • 6-7 drops liquid stevia
  • Water or milk
  • 1 rice cake

 

Place everything except the rice cake in a blender with enough liquid to blend.  Blend until mostly smooth.

Pour over a rice cake.  Tops as desired – I warmed a Cookies ‘n Cream Think Thin bar in the microwave and crumbled it on top with more fresh berries and cinnamon.

Devour.

Note: if you don’t have butter and coconut extracts, simply sub vanilla and/or almond extract.

***

The protein count for the day: 183.2g.  Nailed that one!

Don’t forget to join the Strange But Good link up this Friday!!! 🙂

What trashy calories does your body crave?  When do you give in?

What is your most recent fitness accomplishment/milestone?

 

Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal

By

I am not a morning person.

That’s an understatement.

After hitting snooze too many a few times, I’m forced to race through my morning routine. I squeeze in a quick workout, shower, try to make my face look presentable for work, and inhale breakfast. This means I NEVER have time for something a decadent as baked oatmeal.

Then light bulb went off. Pre-Baked Oatmeal.  I made this Raspberry version last spring, but wanted to create one for the winter months.

Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal

Sweet Potatoes are one of the seasonal items I most look forward to. The sweet potato helps to bind these bakes together, and provides a creamy texture that is excellent against the chewy rolled oats.

Aside from the pie-like taste they add, sweet potatoes also pack a ton of nutrients. They are rich in Vitamins B6, C, D, and are good sources of iron and magnesium.

Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal

When you freeze them, all you have to do is pull one or two out and pop it in the microwave to defrost.  45 seconds later you can be shoveling delicately eating your oatmeal on the run.

Yes, this baked oatmeal recipe was created to be made in advance to freeze… however, I dare you not to eat one hot out of the oven.  I “iced” mine with a mixture of Greek yogurt, cinnamon, and a couple of drops of liquid Stevia.

Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal with Icing

Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal

Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal

  • 1 ½ C canned or mashed sweet potato
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp almond extract
  • ¼ tsp maple extract
  • 3 C rolled oats
  • 1 T cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 20 drops liquid stevia
  • ¾ C Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners, or grease with cooking spray.

Mix together sweet potato, egg, milk, and extracts. Stir in oats, spices, baking powder, and sweetener. Mix in milk and stir until combined.

Pour batter evenly into tins.  Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Enjoy a few fresh, and allow the remaining to cool completely before placing in a freezer bag for storage. For a quick breakfast, remove muffin from the freezer and microwave ~30 seconds (until warmed through).

Makes 12 muffins.

Notes:

  • Use a flax egg (1T ground flax + 3T water) to make the recipe vegan
  • Use Gluten-Free Oatmeal to make these gluten-free
  • Can sub ¼ C sugar for the Stevia
  • Using Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla rather than skim milk saves you 42 calories in this recipe

Laura Hall Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal Nutrition

Be sure to check out Silk Pure Almond website and Facebook page to see more delicious, creative recipes!

This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Silk and FitFluential, LLC. All opinions are my own. Learn more about Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened on Facebook andTwitter.

***

Thank you all SO much for all of your support during the past weekend’s race.  It was SO much fun, and we didn’t come in last. 🙂  I’m working on a recap!

Are you a morning person?

What is your favorite “quick” breakfast?

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