Strange But Cheesey

February 7, 2014 By Laura

What do you call cheese that isn’t yours?

Nach-yo cheese!

Today’s post isn’t about nacho cheese. It’s about cream cheese. However, if you know me you know that I love that joke. Any excuse to share. 🙂

We do have cheese today! Greek yogurt cream cheese. I buy mine from a local company called Atlanta Farm Fresh, but I’ve started seeing it from larger brands.

I’m not a big cream cheese fan, but I love the texture and the taste of the yogurt-based version. It’s less thick and rich – normally not a positive to me, but it always bothered me that cream cheese sort of sticks to your mouth.

I’ve been on a role using it for sweet and savory breakfasts, and for dessert. It may have resulted in some strange spreads, but they were good! Below are a few ways I’ve used it this week.

PrOATein Pancakes with Maple-Cinnamon Cream Cheese

PrOATein Pancake
2 T cream cheese
2 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp butter extract (optional, but not really)

Prepare pancakes according to instructions. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Plate pancakes and slather with creamy, maple deliciousness.

In the Atlanta, we don’t have a lot of lox and it’s hard to find a good bagel. This is my Southern version of a New York classic breakfast.

Southern Breakfast Salmon

1 tortilla, toasted and sliced
Salmon
2 T cream cheese
1 T finely chopped parsley
Red pepper flakes, to taste

Slice and toast tortilla and remove pre-baked salmon (mine was done with lemon and dill) from the fridge.

Mix together cream cheese, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Spread onto tortilla slices. Top with salmon and more red pepper flakes, if desired.

Zucchini Batter with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Protein Spread

Zucchini Batter Protein Bowl
1 T cream cheese
1 T vanilla protein powder
1/4 tsp butterscotch extract
Water, to thin
Optional cherry on top

Prepare zucchini bread batter and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add water (or milk) slowly to reach desired consistency.

Spread atop the batter and top as desired.

I could have stopped there with the cherry a chocolate drizzle. But why?

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. 🙂

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It’s Friday and I have no plans for the weekend other than then gym tomorrow. I am elated.

Do you like cream cheese? Have you tried the Greek yogurt version?

What is your favorite dessert bowl topping? I’m all about the popcorn crunch!

Strange But Good: Peanut Butter Cake in a Squash

January 31, 2014 By Laura

Cake can be an acceptable breakfast.

It’s cooked in a squash, so it’s practically a vegetable dish.

Microwaves are the greatest invention since sliced bread. Or sliced squash?

The idea of a freshly baked breakfast was particularly appealing in Atlanta’s ice/snow disaster. I was eyeing Kierston’s bites, but was having a hunger problem. It takes too long to pre-heat the oven and wait for something to bake!

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Strange But Good Recipe Trials

January 24, 2014 By Laura

The fact that I’ve been drinking juice for 3 days is strange.

Not interesting though.

In lieu of a recipe this week, I want to highlight some strangeness others have braved. Some of them weren’t from the link up… but “normal” people think most of my food is strange so I’m counting it.

Robin shared her version of my Grilled Protein PB&J on Instagram. What’s so strange? The secret’s in the peanut butter…

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Eating All My Food + WIAW

January 22, 2014 By Laura

My fridge is (almost) empty.

I’m in panic mode.

This was my fridge after dinner last night:

The yogurt and kombucha are gone now too.

Why so void of food? Well, it’s now filled with juices. I’m doing a cleanse. The awesome people at Skinny Limits reached out to me to try their 3 day cleanse… normally I’d balk at the idea, but after an indulgent holiday season and a year (or more) of packing in protein, I decided to give my body a rest.

For the next 3 days, 6 times a day, these are my meals:

There will be a full review coming, but if you’d like to follow along in real-time check out my Instagram.

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This WIAW I made sure to thoroughly enjoy my last day of solids til Saturday. I relished every last morsel.

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…

Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cake + WIAW

January 15, 2014 By Laura

It’s rare that I repeat a meal.

Except dessert.

Variety is one of the keys to staying on track. I know this is different for everyone, but if I don’t stay entertained by what I’m eating it’s not pretty. Which is why I’m shocked by this story about a woman eating nothing but Starbucks for a YEAR.

The 40-year-old woman, Beautiful Existence, is a mother of two. Yes, that’s her legal name. She still cooked for her kids, but – even on holidays – only ate Starbucks food.

She said she spent $500-$600 a month on meals, and ended up saving money and losing weight. Her first non-Starbucks meal? Fish and chips from Seattle restaurant chain.

I would’ve done a lot better than that after year of bagels!

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This WIAW I did not eat at Starbucks. I did repeat a meal, and for that I am ashamed. Kidding, kidding.

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…

Coconut Curried Chicken + WIAW

January 8, 2014 By Laura

No one likes a complainer.

Especially me.

I’m making an exception. It’s COLD. This arctic tundra has got to go. I live in the South. I should never see this:

Ice in my shower is something else I should never have to see. I left my faucet dripping just like the newsman said because we hit a record low of 6 degrees in Atlanta. When I woke up, I was rewarded with an ice-lined tub.

Try motivating to shower for work when faced with this:

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This WIAW I am FINALLY back on track. I had the biggest meal prep in weeks on Sunday and felt ready to get back to the “real” world of having a routine.Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…

Top 13 in 2013

January 1, 2014 By Laura

You guys like dessert.

I guess that’s why we get along?

Happy New Year!!!

As I looked back at the top posts of 2013, I knew there would be a lot of sweeter dishes. But whoa. Of the top 13 2013 posts, 6 were sweet recipes. What I didn’t realize was that the Work It Out posts are popular too! I’ll do a better job to writing more of those in 2014 – I’ve been pushing it at the gym, but slacking on the writing.

Thank you to everyone for all of the visits, comments, and many, many laughs in 2013. I’ve loved getting to know so many awesome people this year, and look forward to continuing these relationships for years to come.

Enough much! Here’s the lucky (top) 13 to start out ’14…

Top 13 in 2013…

Read More »

Merry Monday

December 30, 2013 By Laura

Christmas ends so quickly!

So does the dessert.

I took a nice, long blog break last week to enjoy the time with my family. It was great to take some rest… but I was excited to come back and share, and to read everyone else’s recaps! Is anyone else still full? 😉

Our Christmas Eve was a little different this year – we went out to dinner! That was fun, but the best part was our tradition of sharing dessert and drinks at home with some family friends. I make something different every year. This year was chocolate-hazelnut martinis and an amazing Sweet & Salty Chocolate Guinness Pie topped with marshmallow meringue.

I followed this recipe, with a few adjustments. I halved everything to make just 1 pie. Instead of graham crackers I mixed pretzels with ginger snaps in the crust. I also made a simpler meringue. Rather than doing it over heat, beat the egg whites into a fluff and slowly added sugar to keep it light. Then, I melted the marshmallows in the microwave before adding them in. I skipped the Guinness reduction and in favor of bourbon extract.

That meringue was insanely good… I must say this is one of the best desserts to date!

Christmas morning was a sure sign we are all grown up – after a late night, we slept until 9am and no one touched a present until almost 10:30! This is unheard of in my family.

It gave me time to take some pictures of my favorite ornaments. The one on the bottom right was my great grandmother’s!

Christmas ornaments

French press coffee in hand and fire built, we dug into the bounty. Even Honey (the dog) waited patiently for her turn to explore her stocking.

Mom out did herself, as always. We are lucky girls! I got a ton of clothes, a pizza stone, new towels (my only request – another sure sign of being an adult!), some cool glass bottles, make-up, chocolates… and bacon duct tape. Wouldn’t it be awesome if it was scratch ‘n sniff tape?!

Presents

Brunch is the big-deal meal in my family. So is taking pictures of everything we eat.

Mom staged a shot of the sparkling wine and ambrosia:

One of our most-loved traditions is the champagne brunch. I brought a bottle of sparkling from my Napa trip – a Schramsberg Brut Rosé.

It went well with our smorgasbord. We had ambrosia, Italian sausage and cabbage saute, local bacon, toast, scrambled eggs, mâché (greens), and mushrooms (so good sautéed in bacon remnants and fresh rosemary).

Christmas champagne brunch

Then we lounged. We Skyped my other sister in Portland. I napped. I never nap… bacon and sparkling are to blame! 😉

But we aren’t total ~~lushes~~ couch potatoes. A few hours later we took Honey for a 3 mile walk by the river. It’s pretty close to where my dad is buried, so we made a pit stop to say hi. Honey jumped right up on the bench there to say hi. It was really sweet. And really cold… we hauled it back home for hot tea and to begin dinner.

Honey

Dinner was another tradition – my friend Ben and his partner came over. Ben makes the best chocolate-coated toffee I have ever had, and every year he comes over for a meal and to deliver a bag of ~~crack~~ toffee. We snacked on a cheese plate, enjoyed some wine, and prepared dinner.

Mom helped me to roast my first whole chicken. It turned out really well! We ate that with a spaghetti squash and bacon creation and a salad. And more wine. (Read: we slept in again.)

Christmas Dinner

This marvelous Christmas deserves a link up over at Katie’s MIMM!

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I’m prepping for a NYE pairing dinner I’m co-hosting… and then I must admit I’m excited to get back on the clean eating train.

What is the big holiday meal in your family?

What was the best gift Santa brought you this year?