Red Velvet Protein Balls [Recipe]

November 28, 2014 By Laura

Thanksgiving is over.

Officially… we’re still celebrating!

I am of the belief that you cannot begin with the Christmas festivities until Thanksgiving has passed. And – for the love of god – don’t even think about Christmas before Halloween!

Now that we’re officially past Thanksgiving, I bring you Christmas Balls. I’m not trying to discriminate and leave out Hanukkah… but I couldn’t get through a blog post about blue balls. So these strangely good (for you) balls are red. Red Velvet, in fact.

I made these with my favorite flower-sender in mind. Side note: the flower sender is hereby known as Vegas, as that is where the flowers originate.

Vegas loves red velvet cake. Since I’m in Arizona with Vegas this Thanksgiving holiday (how’s that for confusing?) and these days my favorite activity is making Vegas smile, I bring you post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas balls.

Not just any balls though! These red velvet-y delights are protein-packed and get their red tint from… beets! How’s that for strange?

In conclusion, Vegas and I wish you a pre-Merry Christmas (and Hanukkah) from Arizona the day after Thanksgiving.

Now, bust out your healthy balls and celebrate the most wonderful time of the year!

Guess who’s is who’s…

Red Velvet Protein Balls

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Growing Naturals Rice)
1 T coconut flour
1 scoop Cocoa Cardio*
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp honey
1/2 T coconut oil
4 Drops Capella Flavor Drops, Cake Batter (or 1/4 tsp vanilla)
1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Combine wet ingredients. Mix in wet, adjusting milk as needed.

Roll into roughly 4 balls. Put in freezer for ~~your own safety~~ storage.

Note: I order my Cocoa Cardio on iHerb (use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!). If you don’t have beet powder, you can use tsp beet powder and 1 T cocoa powder. You can also use pureed beets here, but you’ll probably need to cut the milk in half (I haven’t tried it).

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 can’t write about balls without giving Lindsay a shout out. Thanks for inspiring me daily, my baller brother!

Do you ban and Christmas (or Hanukah) celebrations until after Turkey Day?

What is your favorite ball flavor?

Ahnu Hiking Boots + WIAW

November 26, 2014 By Laura

The only reason I like winter is the fact that I get to wear boots.

And snow, but we don’t get much of that in Georgia.

But, it does get cold! When I wanted to get outdoors during our first cold snap, I was really happy to have my Sugar Bowl boots from Ahnu! Unbelievably, my feet stayed toasty – that never happens. In fact, I have Raynaud’s Disease; usually my toes and fingers are so cold they turn white and go numb! While my fingers did turn white, my feet were actually warm!

I was also pleased with the look. Black and blue are my favorite colors. The laces in the front are stylin’, but not at the expense of function. These boots have side zips so you don’t need to spend 20 minutes tugging them on and readjusting them. I’ll be taking these to Lake Tahoe in a few weeks!

…

Cryofreeze: My Real-Life Frozen + WIAW

November 5, 2014 By Laura

Who’s singing the Frozen song?

I refuse to see that movie.

you’d think I’d rather see a movie than actually be frozen. But no. I got frozen. My friend, Tori, heard me complaining about all my injuries (shit falls apart when you get older, y’all!), and offered to hook me up with a trial for Icebox Cryotherapy. Basically, they freeze you with gasified liquid nitrogen. It looked like I was standing in a cylinder of dry ice – but it’s not as dangerous.

In Tori’s words: “You know how when you bang your thumb, blood rushes to it and it gets really hot because your body is trying to fix it? Basically same body response when you do cryo. Your body thinks you’re freezing to death, so it sends signals all over and sees what’s ‘broken’ or hurt and focuses on it.” Sounds great, right?! It really is great for recovery; in fact, many professional athletes have been using if for years!

Recovery aside, Cryotherapy has multiple other benefits:

Increased circulation
Reduction in pain & inflammation
Assists in a quicker surgical recovery
Aids in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis
Boost immune system
Decreased fatigue
Tighter skin (cellulite, say what?!)
Increased libido (woot!)
Weight loss assistance

So was it that bad? It was 3 minutes at negative 130 degrees Celsius (-266 Fahrenheit). It wasn’t a cake walk… but honestly, I didn’t ever think I’d never make it out alive. I had gloves and booties on (I have Raynaud’s, which the owner made sure she looked out for). The parts that hurt the worst were my legs (which are sore and injured) and my nipples (apparently common), but I recovered right after. Your core temp doesn’t actually change, so you don’t freeze to death.

After wards, my body felt SO relaxed, I slept like a little baby that night, and hit a couple PRs in the gym the next day. I’d like to do it a few more times for my injuries, but it definitely helped with the general soreness and recovery! If you’re in Atlanta or have a facility in your city, I definitely recommend it!

…

Strange But Good Halloween Recipes

October 31, 2014 By Laura

If there’s ever a time to let your freak-flag fly*, it’s Halloween.

*Assuming you ever bother to hide it.

This Halloween I’m letting my flag fly in full-on Rocky Horror fashion. Complete with a costume I cannot believe I’m actually going to leave the house in.

In lieu of a new recipe this week, I thought it appropriate to round up some of my favorite not-so-normal recipes. ~~Translation: I got busy and haven’t taken pics of anything I’ve made. Or made much, for that matter.~~

1. Roasted Pumpkin

Pumpkin itself isn’t all that strange, but I’m willing to bet most of you have never roasted your own. They’re delicious – 100x better than the canned stuff. I don’t do it all the time… because patience… but you owe it to yourself to do it at least once this fall.

…

Halloween Wednesday

October 29, 2014 By Laura

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.

It’s the only holiday not masquerading as a religious or national holiday.

There’s something in the air this time of year. It’s exciting – they weather is nice, people are energetic (it’s a massive relief from the Southern summer heat and humidity)… and who doesn’t like to pretend to be someone else?

The “yard art” along the Beltline is even dressed up for Halloween!

The family dog, Honey, is also festive. My little sister brought her by my office for a visit yesterday. My socks matched her candy corn handkerchief.

Can you believe she’s 13?! Cutest Corgi-Golden “puppy” ever.

…

Big Gay Ice Cream WIAW

October 22, 2014 By Laura

There’s not much better than ice cream on a sunny, fall afternoon.

Or after a brutal workout.

It’s been a week of treat ‘yo self. But how often does the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck head down South from NYC? I enjoyed a cone on Monday and a cup on Tuesday.

Monday night I stopped to pick up a Salty Pimp after a ~~bitch of a~~ challenging workout with my trainer. He only looks sweet and innocent.

…

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. 😉

…

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Oreo Blondies (Recipe)

October 6, 2014 By Laura

These Peanut Butter Pumpkin Oreo Blondies are dangerous. Laced with everything that’s good and delicious about fall, you’ll never be able to eat just one.

…

« Previous Page
1
…
6
7
8
9
10
…
41
Next Page »