I can be really lame.
Saturday night I put the French station on Pandora and curled up in my PJs to finish my book for tonight’s book club, The Sharper the Knife, The Less You Cry. It’s my turn to host this week and I terrified everyone with promises of cleansing food. A flurry of emails volunteering meat, desserts, and wine followed. Whatever – I think my food is good! 😉
Anyhow… Saturday while reading I snacked on lavar and kombucha… and it was one of the most glorious nights ever. Cheers to fermented tea, PJs, and being lame.
Here’s what I thought of the book:
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World’s Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a fun, easy read. The book is well-written; it isn’t going to be a classic, but if you love food you’ll enjoy it. It is an eye-opener for anyone who’s dreamed of going to Le Cordon Bleu. I don’t know that I could stomach some of the butchering they were required to do! The best part is that she includes recipes for some of her favorite dishes.
That pretty much sums up my weekend. I worked out with 2 friends on Saturday morning (2 separate workouts – I was gassed!). The second work out was followed up with this Butternut-Cherry Bomb protein shake… I made one for my “normal” eating workout buddy too and she loved it despite its color!!! It kind of made my day.
Other than that it was an anti-social, errand-running weekend. Perfectly punctuated with fries. Surprise, I got a little too excited over dinner.
These baked Sesame Root Veggie Fries were better than the real thing to me! Disclaimer: I don’t actually like white potatoes.
The seasoning I came up with is one I’ll be repeating in other dishes – the sweet coconut oil combined with the nutty sesame seeds, a little cayenne heat, and a touch of cinnamon made my taste buds jump for joy. It was like some Thai-fry-fusion gloriousness.
Served with a side of dijon-spiked lentils.
I loved the parsnips. They were the most french fry-like of the mix, and their milder taste lets the seasoning shine.
The beets didn’t wow me. They weren’t bad, but their flavor overpowered the rub.
You know it’s good when the decision about which piece to save for the last bite is a tough one. The sweet potato ended up being the last bite – that added sweetness from the potato made it seem almost like dessert.
Recipe at bottom of post.
This week was killer for weights. I’m still “meh” on the cardio… I attempted to run again on Friday and had to give it up after 1.25 miles due to the pain. Saturday I was able to tag along with a friend to a spin class. It was awesome! Such a different workout for me. A different workout that meant I was so sore Sunday I didn’t do my final BodyRock fit test. That’s going to happen over a lunch workout today – I can’t wait to see the progress, and to start the February challenge!
I also checked out a new workout in this month’s Food & Wine. This is a routine I could get into. Who’s with me? 🙂
Workout Recap (2/13 – 2/19)
- Monday – This Body Rock Day 1 Wk 4, Bike (intervals), 100 push-ups
- Tuesday – This Body Rock Day 2 Wk 4, Tris/Chest, 100 push-ups
- Wednesday – This Body Rock Day 3 Wk 4, Shoulders, Abs, 100 push-ups
- Thursday – This Body Rock Day 4 Wk 4, 100 push-ups
- Friday – 1.25 mile run, Biceps/Back, Abs
- Saturday – Spin class, CrossFit-style workout, 6 min plank rotation
- Sunday – 60 mins bike-elliptical-treadmill (intervals), 100 push-ups
Sesame Root Veggie Fries
Inspired by YumUniverse
- 1 medium beet
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 parsnip
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 – 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp liquid coconut oil
- S+P, to taste
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place sesame seeds, cayenne, and cinnamon into a small food processor (I use my Magic Bullet) and blend until seeds are broken into tiny pieces (~20 secs).
Slice veggies into thin slices and spread evenly across a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour melted coconut oil over the veggies, sprinkle seed mixture over it, and toss until evenly combined.
Bake for 30-45 mins, tossing once halfway through.
Enjoy!
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Sunday I was honored to make the FoodBuzz Top 9 for my Butternut Thyme Hummus. Thanks for the Buzz, friends! 🙂
What was the highlight of your weekend?
Is anyone else in a book club? What is the last book you read?
