A Taste of Atlanta

October 8, 2012 By Laura

Bloggers make the best house guests.

This weekend my girl Allie @ Forgotten Beast came to Atlanta for a visit and to train with my trainer, Steve, at House of Payne. Allie is also training for a figure competition. She definitely lives up to her blog name – girl is a BEAST!

Steve made us strike a pose for a post-training mug shot:

We trained, we had posing practice… and then we ate our way through Atlanta.

Allie eats a plant-based diet, so I knew I had to take her to one of my favorite vegan places in town, Dough Bakery. We split the “egg and bacon” biscuit above along with some vegan soft-serve before walking around one of Atlanta’s funkier neighborhoods (Little 5 Points).

For dinner we hit up Cakes & Ale where we split basically half of the menu ~~and took pictures of it~~. All tasty, but our favorite was the brie, and marinated greens with walnut croutons. Our second favorite was the absolutely fabulous staff (Hi William!). We rounded out the night with a craft beer from Brick Store Pub. Allie is a fan of the craft, and this place has a beer menu that reads like fine dining restaurant’s wine list.

We stayed up too late chatting and eating the remainder of my S’more Bars. It was awesome. ~~And I begged her to move to ATL.~~

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The next day we continued to eat our way through Atlanta. It was the day of my cooking demo at Taste of Atlanta!

I was terrified, but SO glad to have Allie there for moral support. My friend Kathleen also came; it means so much to have friends there when you jump so far outside your comfort zone. You guys were also so great with the encouraging comments and tweets this weekend!

There wasn’t a huge crowd, but there were spectators that weren’t my friends. I thought when they said they’d provide 2 burners that it would be little stop top… notssomuch. It was a Bunsen burner. Between that and the wind, the Butternut Squash-Apple Soup took what felt like forever to make. Just browning the garlic took 10 mins.

The view from the stage during set up

Overall, it did go well. The burner eventually warmed up (thank you to the amazing volunteers who helped get it going), and I was able to prove that this is a soup you could make on a campsite. 🙂

I did have an amateur fail: I was so flustered by the end that I forgot to add the turmeric. Thank god Sweetwater Growers’ infused olive oil and fresh herbs were so flavorful the soup still tasted good.

Thank you to Scott and Sweetwater Growers for asking me to demo my recipe using their Red Pepper-infused olive oil.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Workout Recap

Last week I mentioned we added 100 pull ups (assisted ) to my daily routine. I did them most days… travel and long workouts threw me off a little. My goal this week is to buy a pull up bar so it’s easier for me to get them done each and every day.

But that’s not as exciting as posing pics, right? Yes, I asked permission before plastering Allie’s ass on the internet.

Workout Recap (10/1 – 10/7):

Monday – Shoulders/Glutes, Calf raises, 100 pull-ups, 1 mile walk
Tuesday – Chest/Bis, 100 pull ups, 2 mile walk
Wednesday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk
Thursday – Back/Tris, 100 pull-ups
Friday – Rest, 100 PUs, 1.5 mile walk
Saturday – Legs (with Trainer), 2 mile walk
Sunday – Rest, 2 mile walk

***

I’m 4 weeks out from my competition… the diet is getting crazier. More on that and a new fitness feature tomorrow!

When was the last time you had to go outside your comfort zone?

Have you ever met your “online” friends in real life?

Markets, Foodies, and Fitness

October 1, 2012 By Laura

Atlanta is a great place to be if you love food.

I love all of the restaurants, markets, a food events. There is a Green Market across the street from my building every Saturday morning. It’s where I pick up my farm-fresh eggs, tomatoes, and various other locally grown produce.

The market also features a weekly chef’s demo. This week was Chef Daniel Chance from Campagnolo, an Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. He made a tasty basil risotto with green bean from the market and a seared lamb with rosemary. I was paying close attention as my next demo is in less than a week!

Atlanta also is a great spot to be a blogger. We have a ton of bloggers in the metro area, as we all make an effort to get together on a regular basis. This weekend was hard for people, but we managed to get a group of 5 together to meet in the park for a potluck picnic.

Clockwise, left to right: Alayna‘s Edamame-Avocado Hummus (to be included in her soon-to-be-released cookbook), Lee‘s Texas Caviar, Stacy‘s Oatmeal Cookies, and my S’more Bars. Heather brought coconut covered dates, but I failed to get a pic.

All of the food was wonderful, but even better was the chance to catch up with everyone. We sat in the park and talked for a few hours – I didn’t notice it had gotten so late until my stomach began to growl again!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Foodie friends aren’t always local! One of my favorite online blogger events is the Foodie PenPal program. I love getting to try new things from across the country!

This month my “pal” was Sharlene @ S olar Cooking. She was so sweet to put together a box of goodies I could eat on my training diet. Admittedly, I was leery of the turkey jerky at first. after a few people on Instagram encouraged me, I sucked it up and tried it. It was really good! Added bonus: it’s surprisingly low in sodium (for a jerky).

Don’t you want to get in to the action?

To sign up for a Foodie PenPals in September, click here to fill out the form on that lovely Lindsay’s site. It’s that easy! You don’t have to be a blogger, and the spending limit is just $15. The only requirement is that you be a US or Canadian resident.

Join in by October 4th as pairings will be emailed on October 5th!

______________________________________________________________________________________

Workout Recap

This week was hard for me. I have been feeling under the weather and wasn’t able to lift as heavy as I would have liked some days. Working until 2 am almost every night could have been the culprit too…

We also added 100 pull ups (assisted – for now) to my repertoire. Those are no joke. I didn’t get them in every day due to feeling sick-y and being pressed for time, but I’m starting out on Monday full-force! Bicep day always makes me feel a little better, so here’s a pic from my favorite day:

I also had my first posing practice in a competition bikini. I felt neekid. There are pics… but I lack the kahunas to post them. Less than 5 weeks out from competition… AHHHHH!

Workout Recap (9/24 – 9/30):

Monday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises, 60 pull-ups, 2 mile walk
Tuesday – Legs, 100 pull ups, 2 mile walk
Wednesday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 1 mile walk
Thursday – Shoulders/Butt, 2 mile walk
Friday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
Saturday – Legs (with Trainer), 2 mile walk
Sunday – Back/Tris

***

Closing in on competition will mean changes to the diet are coming. I’ll miss you, S’mores Bars…

How do you push through workouts when you’re not feeling 100%?

What would you send a foodie penpal to represent your hometown?

Microwave Protein Cookie + WIAW

September 19, 2012 By Laura

Lifting weights will not make you bulky.

It drives me NUTS when I hear women say they don’t want to lift because they are scared they’ll get bulky or look “manly.” Women don’t have the hormone levels men do, so it’s just not possible to gain like a dude. It takes a TON of work to significantly grow muscle. I should know.

It is especially important for women to have a strength training program.

A few of the benefits include:

Body Fat Reduction – As you increase lean muscle, so does resting metabolism. This means that you burn more calories all day long. Studies have shown that for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35-50 more calories each day. That’s as much as 18,250 calories in a year!
Decreased Risk of Osteoporosis and Heart Disease – Women are at an especially high risk of suffering from this disease. Weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density, and – combined with adequate calcium – can be one of the best defenses against osteoporosis. Cardio is important in heart health; however, lifting can help to lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, increase “good” (HDL) cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.
Improved Athletic Performance – Research continually proves that strength training improves athletic ability. It enables you to increase endurance, improve technique, and decrease the risk of injury.
Improved Mood and Fights Depression – A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did! Strength training often helps women feel more confident and capable, both important factors in fighting depression.
Physical Strength – This may sound obvious, but strength training is important for daily activities – chores, chasing after kids, carrying groceries… basic, daily tasks will be much easier. And how nice is it to be able to open ajar unassisted?

Strength training isn’t the only factor though. I’m trying my best to gain as much as possible before my November competition. Just as important as lifting is diet. Healthy fats, complex carbs, and a lot of protein are key to gaining mass. As much as I’m taking in, I’m still not She-ra…. but I am making gains!

A few people have asked for progress pics. I wish I’d done a better job to tracking and taking pics from the same angles, but here’s the best bicep progress pic I have:

Still a ~~really~~ long way to go, but I think there are some changes!

Speaking of strength training (nice transition, right?), this fall’s What I Ate Wednesday theme: “Fall Into Good Habits.”

Check out my healthy fall fuel below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get ideas from others’ fall eats!

Meal 1:

I probably bore you all with my morning cocktail, but this day started out like every other day with a mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine and Aminos (I’ve switched since this pic to ON brand and LOVE it) … with some kombucha and water. This week I had a lavender-rosemary homebrew to mix in. Good for the digestion, skin, and overall energy!

30 mins later I noshed on a random concoction:

A Morningstar veggie sausage scrambled with egg whites and topped with cilantro, 1/2 a grapefruit, and a slice of Ezekial bread with sugar-free strawberry jam. Not super creative, but it was the jam on this rainy morning.

Meal 2:

If it’s going to rain, at least my food can be bright!

There’s no shame in microwave baking! Especially when it is an iced Sunbutter cookie.

This cookie is incredibly easy. I was going to bake it, but that seemed too time-consuming. 35 secs in the microwave for this baby! I blended together cottage cheese, stevia, and apple pie spice as the icing and arranged golden kiwi slices on top.

Recipe at the bottom.

Meal 3:

Monday night’s dinner was a healthy version of Crab Eggs Benedict. I remade it for WIAW because it was so delicious. I’d probably be eating it again right now if I wasn’t out of my local farm fresh eggs.

However, I’m a tease. The recipe will be shared tomorrow… sorry, but I felt it deserved its own post. 🙂

Meal 4:

Tilapia again… but I did prepare it differently! I’m working on a project making my own (salt-free) spice blends. This was cooked in a grill pan with my Mexican blend and fresh lime juice. On the side was roasted broccoli slaw and brussels, topped with more of my blend, rice vinegar, and nutritional yeast.

Meal 5:

I’m trying not to Instagram everything before I post it on WIAW… but I couldn’t help myself last night.

This pizza combo knocked my socks off. I toasted a low-carb tortilla as the crust, then slathered it with a sweet potato mashed with lemon juice, cumin, and chili powder. Meanwhile, I sautéed asparagus and chopped fennel in a splash of garlic-infused olive oil. That saute, arugula, and pre-cooked salmon topped my pizza.

I put the whole thing in the oven on broil for a few mins, finish with freshly ground pepper, thick balsamic, and cilantro… and viola!

Total foodgasm. ♫ The neighbors complain about the noises above… ♫

Meal 6:

An old favorite… with a new twist. Remember my Carrot Cake Protein Batter? I made it chocolate.

This Chocolate Carrot Cake Protein Batter was basically the same recipe, but I added 1 T cocoa powder and use almond extract instead of vanilla.

Side note: Did you know that 1 T of cocoa powder has 1g of protein?

Meal 7:

In the interest of honesty… this happened:

I get an extra cheat each day in effort to gain weight… ~~although this may not be what my trainer had in mind…~~

It was delicious though! Terrapin is a Georgia brewery, and their Pumpkinfest beer is fantastic. It combines two styles – pumpkin beer and Oktoberfest – to create a spiced pumpkin beer that isn’t overly sweet.

Never fear! I got my protein in too:

A maple-casein version of my 150 Calorie Microwave Protein Cake topped with fresh figs.

Nutty Microwave Protein Cookie

2 T peanut flour
1 T water
1 T Sunbutter
2 T egg whites
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
5-6 drops liquid stevia

Mix ingredients in a small bowl.

Coat small, microwave-safe plate with cooking spray. Spread dough on plate and microwave 30-40 secs.

Serves 1.

***

Protein count for the day: 191.3g from fall clean eats!

Do you do any strength training? Why or why not?

What foods have you been loving the most this fall?

Fig and Edamame Salad with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette

September 17, 2012 By Laura

I have a few confessions:

I abuse the 5 second rule… yet I’m not a religious floor-cleaner.
I ate a giant piece of flour-less chocolate cake this weekend. It was sprinkled with flaky sea salt and drizzled with olive oil. And it was worth every sugar-y calorie.
Sometimes rather than washing the sheets I just wash the pillowcases.
It’s not unusual for me to “fluff” the laundry no less than 3 times.
My least favorite part of blogging is taking and editing pictures. Can’t I just Instagram everything?!
I spaced out and missed last week’s Meatless Mondays from A-Z challenge. Sorry Heather.

Last week’s theme was edamame, which I LOVE. I did link up a tasty old recipe – Edamame Jicima Salad – I still felt like I owed Heather a little something extra this week… so I went for the 1-2 punch with the ingredient themes.

You might remember when I did this with the Overachieving Cauliflower Crust Pizza. I used all 3 of the first ingredients – artichokes, beets, and capers.

For my recipe this week, I made a gain salad of Kamut berries (see this post for more info on Kamut), edamame and figs. Never one to eat a mild dish, I spiced this up with my favorite flavors: cilantro and sriracha.

I know there are a few of you who aren’t fans of cilantro. Basil or parsley would also work well here!

The figs may sound a little odd to add to this combo (another Strange But Good candidate?), but their sweetness worked well to tame the sriracha heat. The slight sweetness of the edamame also had a cooling effect. I am a texture feign, so I especially adored the chewy Kamut berries with the crisp edamame and soft figs.

I wanted to keep it vegan for Heather, but another great add here would be some Greek yogurt. Kamut berries are high in protein. The yogurt would give you even more protein, and also add a luscious creaminess.

Aren’t figs gorgeous?

[Tweet “Figs and Sriracha come together for a sweet heat in this whole grain salad!”]

Workout Recap

It has been quite the workout week! Monday’s leg day with my trainer left me damn near paralyzed. My second-day-soreness on Wednesday left me gripping the handicap rail in the bathroom.

BUT… it’s paying off. This exciting news this week came on Saturday (leg day #2). I got the green light from my trainer. I AM competing in November!!!!!!

No, I won’t be to the point we want yet. I’ll probably be the leanest person there (read: too lean), but I’m going to work even harder to grow between now and then ~~(and maybe have another piece of chocolate cake)~~. BAM.

Workout Recap (9/10 – 9/16):

Monday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk
Tuesday – Rest, 2 mile walk
Wednesday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 3 mile walk
Thursday – Shoulders/Butt, 2 mile walk
Friday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises
Saturday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk, 50 push-ups
Sunday – Rest-ish… 2.8 mile sprints

Fig and Edamame Kamut Berries with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 10 mins

Keywords: entree salad low-sugar nut-free soy-free vegan vegetarian fig kamut lime cilantro Asian

Ingredients (2 servings, easily doubled)

1 T cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 large lime
1/2 tsp avocado oil
1/2 tsp chili garlic sriracha
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 C cooked Kamut berries (or other whole grain)
1/4 C edamame
3 fresh mission figs, chopped

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together cilantro, lime juice, oil, sriracha, and cumin to make the vinaigrette.

Place berries in medium bowl and toss with vinaigrette.

Stir in edamame and figs.

***

Time for important decisions… like what color should my suit be. Blue? Green? Aqua?

What is your confession today?

Is your next-day or second-day soreness worse?

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm…

September 14, 2012 By Laura

Strange, but good.

That’s going to be my new tagline.

Training for a figure competition means my diet is a little odd. It may make you go hmmmm.

I need certain combos of food and certain times. Rather than view these parameters and restrictions, I try to turn them into opportunities to create.

I love trying new flavors. Adding sweetness to things that are traditionally savory and vice versa. Using spices that are not-so-common to give the ordinary a little something extra. Sometimes it doesn’t work… but when it does it WORKS.

Today I want to share a few that I’ve tried recently, and a couple of “proof” shots from others:

1. Recovery Sweet Potatoes

This was born of a craving. It was early in the morning and post-workout. I wanted something breakfast-sweet, but also had a craving for sweet potato. Then there was the matter of getting my protein to feed muscles growth and aid recovery. This vanilla-cinnamon concoction fit the bill!

Recovery Sweet Potatoes

1 small sweet potato, pre-cooked and cubed
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cardamom
2 T raw rolled oats

Place sweet potato cubes in a bowl.

In a small bowl, mix protein powder and spices.

Pour sauce over sweet potatoes and top with oats. Devour.

2. Tequila Lime Tilapia and Kiwi

For meal 2 I get a fruit, a protein, and a tablespoon of seeds. It was close to noon before I was able to eat, so I wanted something more savory as my protein. With this leftover Tequila-Lime Tilapia, I made a sort of fruit salad by adding golden kiwi and peptias (pumpkin seeds).

3. Salmon and Peach Salad

This pre-workout meal was eaten in the car on the way to the gym (hence the blurry-in-a-hurry pic). Again, it was a late Meal 2, so I needed my fruit and protein. I had some leftover grilled salmon in the fridge that needed to be eaten. Salmon is slightly sweet to begin with, so I paired my leftover it with a late-season peach. I mixed in a little Greek yogurt (maybe 2-3 T?) to add moisture. With the slight smoky-char flavor from the grilled fish, the sweet peaches were absolutely fantastic.

For those of you who are short on time, this is an easy, fun meal that can be thrown together 5 mins before walking out the door and eaten on the go!

4. Greek Chocolate-Orange Protein Yogurt

Chocolate and orange probably isn’t a strange combination to many of you. I haven’t been a big fan of the combo in the past. I like my chocolate served with a side of chocolate! Keeping an open mind (and in need of a quick meal 2), I eyed the half eaten orange in my fridge.

I wanted Greek yogurt, but I try to limit my diary as I find it makes my face break out. Often my solution is to eat just half a serving and combine it with 1/2 a scoop of protein powder to get at least 20g of protein (my minimum at each meal)., which is exactly what I did here.

Greek Chocolate-Orange Protein Yogurt

1/2 c Greek yogurt
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
3-4 drops of chocolate flavoring (I use these Capella drops)
5 drops of orange liquid Stevia.
1/2 segmented orange

Mix together yogurt, protein, chocolate flavor, and Stevia in a small bowl.

Top with orange segements and (optional) sprinkle of cinnamon.

5. PB & Jeggs (and Aggs) Proof

I have a little PB & Jeggs (Aggs/Peggs/etc) addiction. This egg white-peanut flour-fruit combo is a staple in my diet. It’s the perfect high protein fuel, and suitable for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Sounds weird, taste good. But I’m not the only one who thinks so! My friends Eiren and Meg agree:

Meg’s PB & Jeggs (with oats):

Eiren’s PB & Jeggs (isn’t this the coolest graphic?! So sweet of her to make it):

And Eiren’s awesome twist on the PB & Aggs… PB & Aggs in a Jar:

***

In other weird food news, I remain addicted to Carrot Cake Protein Batter. I’m eating it as I draft this post. Pretty sure this will never get old.

Have you tried PB & Jeggs? Just trust me on this one.

What is your favorite strange food combo?

Freaky Friday

September 7, 2012 By Laura

Quick: Name your first pet and the street you grew up on.

That’s your stripper name.

My name is is Twinkle Dickerson… and these are my shoes:

For real – these are my shoes for the figure competition. They arrived yesterday and my doorman wouldn’t let me leave until he saw them. Apparently the thought of me walking in heels like this is entertaining to everyone ~~except me~~. 🙂

______________________________________________________________________________________

In other Freakish-ly Friday news… (this is going to be most random post ever, btw.)

1. Protein Cereal

Who would have thought this existed? When I posted about my wish, you guys suggested I check out Kay’s Naturals. THANK YOU!!!

I’m digging the sample pack I ordered. The puffs were just “meh” but I am really liking the cereals and well as the pretzels so far.

Use discount code kays123 for 20% off your order!

2. My Veins

…look in freakishly pumped right after I lift. Does this happen to other people?!

Side freakish note: she the scar above my tattoo? The oven attacked me.

3. Lauren’s Lemon-Blueberry Pancakes

These are freakishly good. And the recipe can be used to make a protein microwave muffin that is also delish.

4. Current Veggie Roast Obsession

Cinnamon-roasted white veggies and protein dip. I originally did it with just parsnips here, but cauliflower is mighty tasty too, especially when dusted with cinnamon AND cocoa. Sounds freaky, but I swear by it.

5. Hump Day Blog Love

I freaked out when Calee told me she gave me some Hump Day love – in a good way.

I was so honored to be featured by my pixie Blend. If you don’t read her blog, you should. And you should check out her freakishly amazing zippy pouch creations.

***

I fully realize I’ve reverted back to middle school with the use of “freaking out.” Some days you just have to embrace your inner 13 year old.

What is your stripper name?

In the spirit of random: my mom wants to start doing some HIIT. Can anyone suggest some good beginner workouts?

Stripper Heels + WIAW

August 29, 2012 By Laura

I got 99 problems but a bench ain’t one.

Yep. That’s on my workout play list.

Last week I talked in this post about focus at the gym, and how purposeful lifting increases results. I attribute that to many of the gains I’ve been able to make since beginning figure competition training. I’ve also talked a lot about diet and eating to fuel workouts. I’m doing a little better with my increased meal requirements. It’s still not easy… but seeing that it works is encouraging.

So now it’s time for the other part of training to begin.

Posing in stripper heels.

If you ever want to feel totally awkward and like Bambi on new legs, try to balance in plastic heels while keeping your feet together, butt out, and shoulders “big.”

After last night – my very first posing practice – I learned that I have a LOT to learn.

This is the last summer edition of What I Ate Wednesday. While I’ll be strutting my stuff in a bikini and stripper heels in the coming months, looking out my window at the rainy weather I know fall is in the air.

Check out my pescatarian protein-filled day below, then click here to visit Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s end of summer eats!