Bose Headphone Giveaway + WIAW

May 8, 2013 By Laura

Nothing says I love you like presents.

Or cash. That’s what I always ask Santa for.

I don’t have a present for everyone but I do have a fun giveaway! Remember these Bose SIE2i headphones I fell in love with? They are incredible… pricey, but worth every cent. My top 3 highlights:

Sizing options: I have little ears and these buds fit like a glove without popping out or sliding about
Cord length: Short enough, but comes with an extension if you need it
Sound quality: It’s insane – I have a song on my workout playlist that starts with the singer counting off (“1… 2… 3…”). It was so clear in my ears that I thought the dude next to me was counting. LOL!

I know not everyone can spend their disposable income on headphones. Soooo… I asked the Reebok team if we could partner to do a giveaway!

Check out the Rafflecoptor at the bottom of this post to enter! Giveaway closes Sunday night!

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My WIAW meals will be a little more normal this week. Post-competition, I no longer need to try to turn asparagus into dessert. I even had a solid breakfast, lunch and dinner! The 7 meals will return, but this week is time for a BREAK!

Check out my semi-normal eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see what delicious spring foods everyone else is enjoying!

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Strange But Good Turkey Breakfast Sausage

May 3, 2013 By Laura

Sausage doesn’t have to mean “bad.”

Neither does bacon, but that’s another post.

This sausage is 100% competition approved and 100% delicious. I actually like it better than “normal” sausage because it isn’t all processed and loaded with salt. And this strange spin still tastes good.

What I love about this dish is that it takes a fairly bland meat – ground turkey – and makes it full-flavored. It has all the spice of sausage, depth from the liquid smoke, and adds some extra with the fresh herbs. Note: You could always use dried herbs if you don’t have fresh on-hand.

I enjoyed this with a side of cinnamon oatmeal and a #strangebutgood salad – tomato, pear, raspberries, cilantro, and TVP Smoked Bacon Bits.

If you don’t eat meat, I’m thinking this would be a great place to use a bean-based patty!

Turkey Breakfast Sausage

1/2 lb ground turkey
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fenugreek
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 T fresh sage, finely cut
1 T fresh rosemary, finely cut
1/2 tsp maple extract
10-12 drops liquid smoke
5-6 drops lemon liquid stevia
Red pepper flakes, to taste

Mix all ingredients together with your hands and form small patties.

Warm a pan over medium-high heat on the stove top. Spray with PAM (olive oil or coconut oil work too) and place patties into pan.

Saute patties until just cooked through, about 3 mins on each side (this will vary depending on thickness of your patties).

Makes 3-4 servings.

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. 🙂

***

As of the time of publication, I am just 6 servings of asparagus away from my competition. Woo hooooo!!!

Do you like meat at breakfast? It’s grown on me!

Are you doing anything strange or exciting this weekend?

Facing Fears and Microwave Huevos Rancheros

May 2, 2013 By Laura

2. More. Days.

I am one workout, a car ride and a spray tan away from the stage.

I’m convinced that part of the last week’s misery prep is to make you so tired and sick of prep is to make you so uncomfortable that nerves are the least of your worries.

Yesterday I ran sprints, worked, did shoulder and glutes, practiced posing, and ate a lot of asparagus. Today I need to run sprints, work, work my chest and bis, practice posing, go to the chiro, get a mani/pedi, and eat still more asparagus.

And I can’t forget to pack my post-competition treats:

Barney Butter, Bacon-Caramel Chocolate, and thick Fig Balsamic. The balsamic won’t come with me, but I’ll be enjoying that when I get home. It will NOT be used on asparagus.

I would also like to eat the recipe Kat is sharing today. So without further delay, I will let her take it over… with another how-did-she-read-my-mind post.

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Facing Fears and Microwave Huevos Rancheros

My theme this week will hopefully resonate with many of you. I feel like we come across people and situations on a daily basis that would be easier to avoid and run from than to face head on.

Lately, I find the people I admire the most are people who live authentically – the people who are not afraid to be themselves, and do or say whatever comes to mind when it comes to mind. The people who speak their mind, regardless of what others might think. the people who take risks even when they doubt themselves. This fear takes away the “Happy.”

All doubt, shame, and other negative emotions stem from fear of some kind – maybe a fear of failure or judgment. Take a second to think about what your fears are, and what you might be able to do to face them. Live fearlessly! (This is one of the reasons I seriously admire Laura – I’m sure she is afraid when she gets on stage to pose but she’s about to do it… she’s fierce and fearless. I’m not even sure that is a fear I could face. She is a badass.) (Editor’s note: YOU are a bad ass. But thank you.)

Tying into running!

I recently read The Summit Seeker, by Vanessa Runs. While her fears and struggles are absolutely different from my own, she is true to herself and faces her fears on a regular basis.

She quit her job and sold all of her belongings and got in an RV with her boyfriend to run. Yes, just to run Ultras and run wherever they wish. She does not take more than she needs, she gives back, she explores, and she lives authentically and fearlessly. I love her.

I also have friends who are inspiring me to be more fearless (Editor’s Note: I think this is so important in life – it’s why I try to surround myself with friend’s like Kat). Fear comes in all forms so being fearless comes in all forms. Without going into further detail, I want to thank my friends Martha and Krista for inspiring me to be more fearless. The two of them are incredibly true to themselves and help me on my journey in life, and in running.

Spending time with them running or at a concert or just at dinner, I feel connected and true to myself. Martha has taught me more about loyalty than any friend I have to date, which helps me to feel secure in my friendship with her.

Facing fears alone is possible, but with friends on your side, everything is a bit more rose-colored and you get some different perspectives. I hope everyone is as lucky as I am.

Fearless friends at the impromptu Jimmy Buffet Concert AND got free tix

Lately, my main fear has been injuries. RUNNING injuries. Many of you are familiar with this running stigma and have dealt with it, maybe over and over. I have finally discovered the root of one of my running injuries, and am able to manage it. It is helping me to run stronger and more fearlessly. When I run fearless, I live life the same way. Try it!

So, my injury! In case you were curious. I was having some foot issues. Yes, just inflammation that would come and go and I could NOT pin point where it came from. It turns out that the IT Band Syndrome many of us have can lead to tightness in the calf. That leads to problems with the Peroneous longus (see image) and brevis tendons, which in turn cause that inflammation in the foot I just told you about. It’s crazy HOW connected the body is. (Editor’s Note: training has taught me this BIG time!)

Solution? My chiropractor, Nate, is a god and he really helps me out with this. (Please check him out if you are in the Atlanta area). But other than that, I ice the foot and roll the IT band once a day. The pain is gone and I am back to fearlessness! I love finding solutions to problems that are so hard to overcome!

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And, thinking about solutions, how about breakfast or midnight snack solutions that we want to take us only 3 minutes to prep, start to finish!?!?

Huevos Rancheros with a perfect runny egg! (Editor’s Note: I cannot WAIT to have a runny egg… maybe that’s where some of my balsamic will go!) Topped with salsa of your choice! Not only is the egg perfect and running, but the tortillas are also perfectly cooked.

Feel free to add avocados and other seasonings! This is just a basic needs recipe that allows for flexibility.

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Microwave Huevos Rancheros (minus the beans)

2 corn tortillas
1 organic, cage free egg
¼ avocado, sliced
2 T salsa
1 oz gouda (or cheddar cheese), cut into small pieces
Sprinkle of salt

Place one corn tortilla and in a small, microwave-safe bowl (about the size of the tortilla).

Crack the eggs directly into it, so the tortilla cradles it. Next, take your cheese and put it directly on top of the raw egg, and the avocado directly on the cheese.

Lastly, place the other corn tortilla on top and microwave for 1.5-1.75 minutes.

Enjoy!

***

I already requested Waffle House Sunday morning. Chocolate chip waffle topped with a runny egg. Don’t judge. #strangebutgood

What running injuries are you afraid of? What other injuries? (Editor’s Note: Falling off my plastic heels on stage)

What fears are you facing? And how is that going? (See above comment)

Strange But Good Vegan Bacon Bits

April 26, 2013 By Laura

Bacon is good.

And a huge part of why I didn’t make it as a vegetarian.

Long ago Heather hipped me to the fact that Bacon Bits are vegan… but I have never cared for them. They taste like what I imagine dog food to be.

When Kat posted a recipe for vegan TVP Bacon Bits, I couldn’t WAIT to try my own recipe. Since I can’t have bacon this close to my competition (too much fat and sodium), this was the perfect time to make my own bits! I took Kat’s idea to use nutritional yeast and cumin, but I cut the sodium, sugar, and the oil. That does NOT mean I cut the taste though!

These smokey, spicy little bites are crunchy and packed with flavor. For the longest time I had only regular paprika in my cabinet… let me be the first to admit that was WRONG. Smoked paprika is the way to go. It makes a massive difference; I was shocked at the amount of smoke it lends to dishes.

I used stevia for a hint of sweetness and I added maple extract because… who doesn’t like maple bacon? I also like my bacon peppered, so that went into this mix as well.

In case none of this is strange to you, I created a #strangebutgood breakfast salad using these Smoked TVP Bacon Bits. It’s a simple mix of heirloom tomato, pear, cilantro…. and raspberries. Don’t be scared – tomatoes pair really well with fruit! The coolness of the fruit and the smokey, slightly spicy Bits are a fantastic contrast party in your mouth.

Eaten with cinnamon oatmeal and turkey “sausages” (that recipe is coming next week).

Smoked TVP Bacon Bits

1/4 C Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP)
1/4 C hot water
1 T nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp maple extract
5-6 drops liquid smoke
3-4 drops liquid Stevia

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Stir the TVP into the water and allow to soak. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.

Once TVP has (mostly) absorbed the water, stir in the dry ingredients and add extract, smoke, and sweetener.

Squeeze out excess moisture and spread mixture across a lined baking sheet. This is important – you need to really spread it out so that moisture doesn’t gather.

Place in oven and bake for 20 mins, stirring half way through. When crispy and golden, remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?

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. 🙂

***

This time next week I’ll be with my trainer on the road to my 2nd figure competition to check in and get spray tanned!!!

Do you like bacon bits?

What one thing would you find most difficult to cut out of your diet? Healthy fats are the hardest for me right now!

Cauliflower & Eggplant Curry

April 15, 2013 By Laura

Curry leaves have been a mystery to me.

This only means it’s a #strangebutgood creation WAITING to happen.

This actually isn’t so strange. It’s just outside of my culinary comfort zone (yes, I do have one). I’ve always loved using Indian spiced in my dishes. Ginger is a staple – I once made this Ginger Tempeh Stir-Fry every night for a week.

At restaurants, I love to order the curry; however, I’ve never tried my hand at making my own. Having seen curry leaves at my local farmer’s market, my curiosity finally got the best of me. Curry dinner = ON.

Curry leaves sort of look like bay leaves. This begs several questions: Do you eat them? Are they just for flavor? Do you decorate with them? Can you dry them?

It turns out, you can eat them. And they don’t have to be fried in oil first (a popular preparation in Indian restaurants). I also read that you can freeze them. I’ll have to report on that later.

Back to my dish. It was amazing. I know it’s wrong to brag… but seriously. I wish I had made 3 pots of this stuff. Actually, I kind of did. This is by far my most-tested recipe. ~~How come research wasn’t this much fun in college?~~

I worried about the flavors – there are a lot of spices in this! Too much of this, not enough of that… and finally… juuuuust right! I was amazed. The list is long, but it does come together quickly. Just line up your spices and dump ’em in the pot! The curry leaves add an awesome dimension, but if you can’t find it don’t worry. These spices are enough to stand alone.

I’ve made this several times now, with full-fat coconut milk and with the light stuff. It is still ok with light, but it’s 100x more flavorful with the real deal. You can also use different veggies and protein. I’m a huge cauliflower fan, so that’s been my favorite. The recipe below uses Swordfish, but I like it just as much with Escolar (fish) , chicken, and tempeh.

Like all good meals, this is best enjoyed with a good friend (who gave her stamp of approval) on a patio followed by a walk in the sunshine. Spring has sprung.

These leftovers are what’s making my Monday Marvelous.

That plus a hair cut and a clean house (a.k.a. best money I ever spent). 😉

Cauliflower & Eggplant Curry

1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp fenugreek
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1/4 C red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
10 curry leaves
1/2 C tomato paste
1/2 large eggplant, diced (~1.25 cups)
8 oz Swordfish (or other protein)
1/2 C coconut milk
200 g cauliflower florets (~1 small head)

Place the dry spices in a medium-size pot and toast over medium heat until fragrant, ~2-3 mins or until they start to pop.

Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and ginger. Stir to coat in spices and cook until the onion is soft. Stir in the curry leaves and tomato paste.

Add fish and eggplant to the sauce. Pour in the coconut milk and cook until the eggplant is soft and fish is cooked through (~7-8 mins).

Finally, add in the cauliflower florets. Season and cook for a few more minutes until tender.

Spoon into plates and enjoy!

Makes 2-3 servings.

Note: This could easily be made vegan by eliminating the fish, or using lentils or tempeh instead.

***

Last week is was Indian Bison Burger creations, this week curry… my sister’s in India and it apparently causes me to crave Indian food. LOL!

What recipe have you worked the hardest on to perfect?

Do you like Indian food? Have you ever had curry leaves?

Strange But Good: Indian Spiced Bison Burgers

April 12, 2013 By Laura

My sister is vacationing in India.

She won’t let any of us forget it. I’m not jealous. I don’t need a vaca…

I would say I made the burgers I’m sharing today in her honor… but really I was inspired after seeing Madelyn’s recipe. Before I start, a note: I realize this is a meat-centric post and many of you don’t eat meat… these flavors/ideas would also work well with tempeh, lentils, beans, or soy meat crumbles.

The burgers themselves aren’t so strange (other than the fact that I’m confident there are no bison in India), but I think what I did with them might qualify. I wanted pizza. Bison is sort of like sausage. Bison for breakfast… why not? Sometimes I feel like this in the morning:

He doesn’t look so nice, but I wanted a hit of sweetness (read: fruit) with this creation. I decided mango was a perfectly acceptable topping. It works really well with Indian spices and provided a little cooling effect against all the extra red pepper flakes I added.

A corn tortilla made for a delicious, crispy crust. And it’s fast – there is no way I’m making dough before noon!

Mango Bison Breakfast Pizza

1 corn tortilla
Tomato sauce*
Bison burger
Spinach, steamed
Cherry tomatoes
Mango
Basil

Spread the sauce across your tortilla and add toppings. Place under broil for 5-7 mins, watching closely.

Remove and enjoy!

*The sauce might be the strangest part to some of you. I mixed fire-roasted tomatoes with nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and cinnamon. Yes cinnamon. It’s awesome with tomatoes.

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Or how about crumbling a perfectly good, already cooked bison burger and using it to stuff a kabocha squash? With coconut milk. And curry leaves.

Curry leaves do not taste like curry powder. They are actually a little bitter and have a hint of lime to them. More on that when I post the curry recipe I promised on Instagram Tuesday. 😉

I roasted half a kabocha while I prepped my green stuffings. This was an important ~~distraction~~ step for me because I am normally way to impatient to wait for a squash to roast.

I had to add the coconut and some Indian spices to go with the burger. So glad I did because this won the prize for meal of the week!

Indian Bison Stuffed Squash

1/2 kabocha squash
1/4 in pieces fresh ginger, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1 C broccolini
3 Brussels sprouts
1/2 carrot
8 curry leaves (optional)
1 T coconut milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp garam masala
Red pepper flakes and pepper, to taste
1 bison burger (recipe below)

Place the kabocha in the oven to roast at 400 degrees for about 20 mins, or until tender.

Meanwhile, saute the veggies, adding the coconut milk, ACV, and spices at the end to preserve the moisture.

Crumble the burger and toss with the veggies. Remove squash from over and stuff with your mixture.

Place the stuffed squash back in the over to bake for 10 mins.

Devour.

At the end of the day… I wonder to myself why I make burgers if I’m just going to crumble them. It is a little strange. Then I remember and important lesson: don’t question a good thing.

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Indian Spiced Bison Burgers

1/2 lb ground bison (or sub in your protein of choice)
2 T cilantro, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard

Mix everything together and divide into patties.

Cook in a pan over medium heat for 3-4 mins on each side, or until desired temperature is reached.

Allow to cool slightly so the juices soak in before you dig in.

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Who else has enjoyed making co-workers, friend, 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.

***

I got lazy this week and took all my pics with my iPhone. #sorryimnotsorry

Have you ever eaten bison? Do you like it or ground beef better?

Do you prefer using a smart phone or a "real" camera?

Gettin’ Grounded & TVP Bacon Bits

April 4, 2013 By Laura

I can admit when I’m wrong.

Sometimes. If I’m in the right mood.

Wednesday I ranted about declining service in restaurants. I still stand by my theory, but I have to call out the fact that I had absolutely amazing service at dinner last night.

I met a friend at Metro Fresh, one of my favorite local spots. They serve fresh, clean food. The menu changes daily and the prices are reasonable. It’s my go-to.

After enjoying a fantastic piece of salmon and a leafy green salad, I was craving dark chocolate. I asked if they had squares, but they didn’t. Much to my surprise, one of the employees brought over the most delicious (housemade!) cinnamon roll. For. Free.

When I got home, I wrote an email to the owner bragging on his staff and thanking him for another great experience. Have you ever done this? I try to be as quick to compliment as I am to complain.

This morning when he emailed out the daily menu, he included my note saying it was especially nice to get after a long, busy day. How cool is this?!

Awesome. There is hope. There are still restaurant owners and staff that care about the experience customers have in their establishments.

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It feels so good to be APRIL! I’ve been waiting for this month all year!

It’s my last month of law school, and I am so so so so excited to be almost done! I could not have done this without my friends and family and their constant support. (Editor’s note: SO PROUD of you!!!)

I went to my cousin’s amazing wedding, and got to spend time with my mom and brother and dad. Being with my family reminded me of how important they are because they make me feel so grounded. This is probably because your family are your roots, and even though they might sometimes drive you batty, they are where you come from.

See, I get it from my momma (and I know the quality of this picture SUCKS – but you can see where I get my quirky qualities)

Me and my handsome brother

It was also a blessing to go to my cousin’s wedding and spend time with my extended family. WOW.

It was so cool to see how in love they are and to know how much they’ve been through before they ever got married. Their love is the kind of love I aspire to, and they truly have a fairy tale. (Editor’s note: I flippin’ loved seeing all their wedding pics – cowboy fairy tale!)

SEE?!?!? So stinkin’ cute!

When I came home, I also had a beautiful necklace in the mail – a tree that represents the earth and feeling grounded… this is symbolic for me because I think I realized that this is my theme of the year/month/right now/whatever.

My groundedness is coming from my family, my ability to connect with nature, to be with the earth. I love what I get from the earth and feel incredibly lucky every day.

I also got to connect with Laura over a wonderful dinner at Bacchanalia! I can’t believe she treated me to such an awesome birthday dinner! (Editors’ note: Thank god the company was good! 😉 )

At the dinner, she asked me to share what I have been doing with TVP, so I had to oblige. TVP Bacon Bits!!!

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In my opinion, what gives these a better flavor (and meatier than most) is the combo of the BBQ sauce, cumin, and nutritional yeast. I have never seen a recipe that used this combination, and I don’t know why! It’s amazing.

I put these bits on EVERYTHING! Make your friends jealous. Try it on a salad, on your guacamole (or on half of an avocado), on your baked potato, eat them plain, top your chili. Endless possibilities!

Also, another great reason to try this recipe, besides that it’s super easier and way healthier than bacon, (Editor’s note: mmm… bacon), is that you can taste as you go! You can tell by the flavor of the un-crisped mixture what the final product will taste like, so you can adjust. Need a pinch of salt? Want a little more barbecue flavor? No problem!

Now, what else can we do with these bits? I’m glad you asked. Bacon PANCAKES. That’s right. Add a handful of these bad boys to your pancake mixture. You will NOT regret it.

Pancake batter

I really like Karina’s recipe, but mine do not come out nearly as beautiful. I used her recipe and added a bit of cinnamon and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Once I made the mixture, I ladled some into the pan, and added the TVP Bacon Bits.

I suck at flipping pancakes. They’re never consistent in color but they’re delicious. (Editor’s note: that’s all that matters!)

I like these so much, I eat them plain – no butter, no syrup, etc.

Also, I now get why it’s impossible to take pretty pictures of brown food. Editor’s note: told you so!!!) So, you will have to take my word for it.

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Vegan TVP Bacon Bits

3/4 C TVP
3 T nutritional yeast
3/4 C boiling water
1-1.5 T smokey barbecue sauce (or Laura’s sodium and sugar free recipe)
2.5 T tamari (of soy if you’re not gluten-free)
1/2 T maple agave (maple syrup would also work, or you can eliminate for a sugar-free version – I just like maple bacon flavors)
2 T sunflower oil
1 T cumin
Pinch of cayenne

Preheat the oven to 265 degrees (yes, 265 – that is not a typo. I just couldn’t decide between 250 and 275).

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl together, whisk with a fork. Spread mixture across a baking sheet. Place in oven.

I set my timer for 24 minutes. But they really needed like 31.3 minutes…. until I got really impatient. When they still weren’t crispy, because it takes forever and you have to keep moving them around, you start to get really annoyed. The next step was to heat that bad-boy of and oven up to 425. After that, they were done in 10 more minutes. Crispy and delicious. This was a trial and error… but came out AWESOME!

Editor’s Note: I think the moral of the story might be to make them at a higher temp. 😉

***

I have to admit… I’m a little sad that Kat beat me to this idea. Haha. Really… I’m gong to be making these STAT.

Does your family keep you grounded, even when you feel insane? No comment.

What’s exciting about your April?

Blood Orange Avocado Scones

April 1, 2013 By Laura

Baking is one of my favorite things to do.

Any opportunity to create something #strangebugood!

This marks the start of round 2 of Heather’s MMAZ link up. She changed up the format, making week 1 a creation opportunity and week 2 a time experiment with someone’s recipe from week 1. I love the new twist!!!

Today we start with A. A is for Avocado.

Baking with avocado may seem odd, but no, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke. Don’t be scared – #strangebutgood flavor twists are fun!

Avocados add an incredible texture to baked goods. A little silky, a little rich, it takes this slightly sweet, crumbly scone to a new level. You don’t taste it in the least! Avocados are also a great, healthy option to replace fats in sweets. It makes creating a vegan recipe even easier, as you can use them to replace butter or other animal fats.

My favorite part about these scones is the bright citrus from the blood orange. They are is season right now and not to be missed. Blood oranges are less sweet than a navel, but are more complex. They also have more Iron than a regular orange. An orange amplified, if you will. That said, you could sub in a regular orange and be just fine.

Using a mix of almond meal and chickpea flour, I also made these scones gluten-free! The chickpea flour leaves just a hint of nuttiness, which perfectly compliments the almond meal. These two flours also provide a TON of protein. Each scone has almost 8 grams!

If you don’t have chickpea flour, you could sub in brown rice flour or another gluten-free flour. If you don’t care about the gluten free feature, you can use whole wheat pastry flour; however, you should also leave out the vinegar and xantham if you do so.

I’m also linking these up to Katie’s Marvelous Monday… because how is starting out the week with a homemade scone and coffee not marvelous?

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Blood Orange Avocado Scones

1 C almond meal
1 C chickpea flour
1/3 C tagatose (or other sweetener)
1 tsp no-sodium baking powder
1 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Zest of 1 blood orange
3 T unsweetened almond milk
Juice from 1/2 blood orange
6 T (2 oz) avocado
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp butter vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper dusted with GF or rice flour.

In a medium bowl whisk together dry ingredients and zest.

Place milk, avocado, vinegar, and extract blender or mini food processor. Purée until well-combined. Add purée to flour mixture.

Combine with a spoon and then fold together with your hands to form a ball. Dough will be sticky at first but will come together.

Move dough to cookie sheet and flatten into a 1 inch thick disk. Cut disk into 6 pieces with a sharp knife. Do not separate.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Note: I baked these in a convection oven. I’ve adjusted the instructions for a regular bake, but if the middle doesn’t cook as well, pull the scones apart and bake an additional 3-5 mins.

Approximate nutritionals: 198 calories, 11.8g fat, 14.7mg sodium, 23.1 carbohydrates, 4.4g fiber, 2.9g sugar, 7.7g protein.

***

Quick weekend highlight reel: I took a “Rockstar Yoga” class with 150 people, PR’d standing lunges and front squats with 135lbs, learned how to wear a corset, and got a cat. None of this is an April Fool’s joke.

Have you ever baked with avocado? ~~Do you think I’m nuts?~~

What is on your weekend highlight reel?

Bose Headphone Giveaway + WIAW

…

Read More »

Strange But Good Turkey Breakfast Sausage

Turkey Breakfast Sausage

Facing Fears and Microwave Huevos Rancheros

Microwave Huevos Rancheros (minus the beans)

Strange But Good Vegan Bacon Bits

Smoked TVP Bacon Bits

Cauliflower & Eggplant Curry

Cauliflower & Eggplant Curry

Strange But Good: Indian Spiced Bison Burgers

Mango Bison Breakfast Pizza

Indian Bison Stuffed Squash

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Indian Spiced Bison Burgers

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Gettin’ Grounded & TVP Bacon Bits

Vegan TVP Bacon Bits

Blood Orange Avocado Scones

Blood Orange Avocado Scones

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Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!

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Turkey Breakfast Sausage

Microwave Huevos Rancheros (minus the beans)

Smoked TVP Bacon Bits

Cauliflower & Eggplant Curry

Mango Bison Breakfast Pizza

Indian Bison Stuffed Squash

_____________________________________________________________________________

Indian Spiced Bison Burgers

_____________________________________________________________________________

Vegan TVP Bacon Bits

Blood Orange Avocado Scones

Follow Me!

Popular Posts

Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!

…

Read More »