Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Coca Cola’s Super Bowl + WIAW

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Sometimes I am oblivious.

Ok, a lot of the time…

I’m not one to get too riled up over political issues.  At least not in the “the world is going to hell in a handbasket!” way.  I DO get fired up over discrimination and stupid political moves.  When Coca-Cola’s Super Bowl ad aired, it didn’t cross my mind that it was controversial.  I actually tweeted that it was too long and boring.  My attention span only wants short, funny ads, dammit!

coca cola super bowl ad 2014

So why were people fired up?  They thought it was offensive that “America the Beautiful” was sung in different languages, featured many cultures, and *gasp* included a gay couple.

Really?!  Last I checked the English language didn’t originate in America.  Next year they should air the song being sung in a Native American language with all dark-skinned people.

I’m proud of my hometown’s company for embracing our melting pot country.  Even if it was a boring commercial.

 

 

This WIAW was decidedly uncontroversial.  Someone at work even told me my fish smelled good.  And she was sincere!

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

Breakfast:

The usual apple cider morning cocktail was followed by a new-to-me oatmeal.  I got Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Oatmeal as part of a deal when I ordered more Nuttzo a couple of weeks ago.  I will definitely be buying more! I use it to make cinnamon-vanilla egg white oats and topped it with blueberries and Nuttzo.

purely elizabeth oatmeal

Mid-Morning Snack:

This week I prepped a big batch of Chili Nutty Tofu.  I followed my original recipe, except I used sriracha and made a peanut flour sauce rather than the Valencia PB.  It was awesome with an Asian-inspired Napa cabbage, mushroom, and red bell pepper stir-fry (also a part of Sunday’s food prep).

Chili Nutty Tofu

Lunch:

Rotisserie chicken, carrots, and celery dressed with homemade BBQ sauce.  My “dessert” was a Korean sweet potato topped with cinnamon.  Pretty food tastes better, no?

BBQ chicken

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Cod with a side of asparagus, zucchini, and parsley mixed with my wasabi-blue cheese dressing.

Cod and asparagus salad

 

Dinner:

Trout has become a new staple thanks to SizzleFish.  I broiled it for 7 mins with pepper and lemon juice.  Meanwhile, I sautéed Napa cabbage and mushrooms in the juice from a jar of kimchi.  Quick and easy!

Sizzlefish trout

 

Of course, I needed something sweet, so I made a pre-dessert dessert of my favorite cocoa-roasted kabocha topped with peanut flour sauce (I get my peanut flour on iHerb – use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order) and cacao nibs.

It was so good that I didn’t remember a pic until I was almost done.  #sorryimnotsorry

Kabocha and peanut sauce

Dessert:

I stopped on my way home from work for a little treat.  The Cookies & Cream Quest bar.  I can’t believe I had the restraint to wait until almost midnight to eat this.

Mine was broiled for about a minute with the intent of using it to scoop up a Zucchini Batter Protein bowl.  The bowl was forgotten based on the favor of the bar.  Best.  Flavor.  Yet.

best Quest bar ever

(Don’t worry – I still finished the zucchini bowl.)

***

I am going back for a case of those bars.

Did you have any reaction to Coke’s Super Bowl ad?

Are you a Quest bar fan?  What’s your favorite flavor?

Strange But Good: Peanut Butter Cake in a Squash

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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!

PB Cake in a squash… 

Read More »

Eating All My Food + WIAW

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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:

Skinny Limits

 

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.

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

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Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cake + WIAW

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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.

Beatiful-Existence-Starbucks-For-One-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.

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

Read More »

Apple Peanut Butter Soufflé

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Soufflé is really a fluffy egg dish.

Winter makes me want fluffy things.

A soufflé is a “light, fluffy baked dish made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients.”

If you can fluff an egg in the oven, why not in the microwave?  It sounds strange… but it’s good!  And quick.

Apple PB Souffle

Since my competition, I have quick eating chicken first thing, but I have yet to stop running late and shoveling down eating breakfast in the car.  A microwave breakfast is just the thing to make on the fly and go.

What better combo than peanut butter, apple, and egg?  Protein and sweet, carb-y fruit to begin the day right.  I love berries, but I missed heartier fruit during prep!

Apple PB Souffe

I scooped this out into a to-go cup after taking pics.

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Apple Peaunt Butter Souffle

Apple Peanut Butter Soufflé

  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp no-salt baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract (or vanilla)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 2 T peanut flour*
  • 1 small apple, chopped

In a small (cereal) bowl, beat eggs, baking powder, and extract.

In another small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, tossing with apple pieces to coat.  Add apple mixture to the egg, stirring to combine.  Microwave for 1-1.5 mins.

Remove and top as desired (I used more apple and freshly grated nutmeg).

*Note: You can also use coconut flour or a combo of the two here – just as delicious but a more cake-like texture.

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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.

Sprint 2 the Table

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

Reminder: next week there will not be a #strangebutgood link up.  Being around family should be enough strange, and hopefully it’s a good time for all! 😉  

What is your favorite quick breakfast?

Do you have a favorite breakfast fruit?  I like apples at breakfast and cherries for dessert.

Sexy Food + WIAW

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Food is sexy.

Food porn is a real thing.

But what about food costumes?  Forget the “traditional” sexy cat.  This article brought to light a new concept: sexy food Halloween costumes.

sexy sriracha costume

With costumes like this, sriracha has no need to invest in advertising!

Then we have bacon.  Whats sexier than a salty piece of meat?

sexy bacon costume

 Sure, they’re good for a laugh… but would you really wear one of these costumes?  I guess a lot of people would.  If they didn’t make money, no one would sell them!

GiGi clearly thinks salad qualifies as sexy. (← hilarious video!)

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This WIAW I am 10 days from my next figure competition!  My food may not be sexy in the traditional sense of the word, but it tasted pretty good! 🙂

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

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Breakfast:

As usual, I started the day I with my Aminos and ACV morning cocktail.  I swear it’s more energizing than coffee.

My breakfast was a new effort to have a quick hot meal in the morning.  I normally make my oats the old-fashioned way in a pot, but I decided to try a (partial) overnight protein-right creation.  Overnight oats, microwaved in the morning with egg whites.  

It worked really well!  Even better was the almost-empty Nuttzo jar I transferred it to.  Easy to eat in the car and even more decadently delicious when I reached the hot, creamy, nutty butter at the bottom.  Food porn at its best!

Peanut Coffee Overnight Oats

Peanut-Coffee Oats in a Jar

  • 1/4 C rolled oats
  • 1/2 C coffee (I used peanut butter mocha flavor)
  • 1 T peanut flour*
  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Stevia or other sweetener, to taste
  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • Almost-empty nut butter jar (optional, but highly recommended)

In a small bowl mix oatmeal and spices.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, add egg whites and microwave to cook.  I cooked mine in 3 30 second intervals, removing to stir each time so eggs blended in rather than scrambled

Pour into a jar, if using, and top as desired.  I used strawberries.

 *Peanut flour from iHerb. Use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!

Mid-Morning Snack:

I have a serious addiction to my Chocolate Beet Protein Shake.  Perfect post workout cool down, topped with rice cakes.

Protein shakes are great to make in advance and freeze to take to-go during the week.  I pop it in the microwave on defrost of about a minute and a half and it’s the perfect spoon-eating consistency.

chocolate beet protein shake

Lunch:

I’ve been craving red meat lately, so I bought super lean ground beef and mixed it with pico de gallo to make burgers.

Eaten atop an arugula and cucumber salad with a side of cassava (yuca) chips.  ZooPals ears make for the perfect sexy chip holders. 

burger and yuca chips

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I tried another new fish from the farmer’s market this week: perch.  It’s pretty commonly found (I think), but I’ve never chosen it before.  I love its richness, but perch is a small fish so there were quite a few teeny bones.  At least I didn’t have to floss…

The veggies were a pre-roasted mix of carrots, purple sweet potato, asparagus, zucchini, and garlic.  Eating the rainbow is sexy, no?

perch and veggies

Dinner:

Dinner was a quick saute of white asparagus, turban squash, sugar peas, and sage in lemon juice, coconut oil, and paprika, along with baked chicken (made during Sunday food prep) and some unpictured almonds.

chicken and veggies

Dessert:

No more diary before my competition means no more Greek yogurt bowl desserts.  And no more peanut butter (goodbye, Nuttzo).

This isn’t going to stop me from having dessert though!  I made a Banana-Peanut Butter Mugcake using peanut flour and banana.  I topped it with cocoa powder sauce.  What’s sexier than a peanut butter, banana, and chocolate ménage à trois?

Banana Peanut Butter Mugcake

Banana Peanut Butter Mugcake

  • 2 T peanut flour (or peanut butter)
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
  • 1/2 small banana, mashed (~50g)
  • 1 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 3 T egg whites
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • ~4-5 drops NuNaturals vanilla liquid stevia
  • Optional: cocoa powder sauce

Place dry ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.  Add banana and wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

Transfer to a large, greased (I use PAM) coffee mug and microwave for ~1 min.

Tip the cake out onto a plate and top as desired.  My cake was topped with cocoa powder sauce (cocoa + cinnamon + stevia + water), cacao nibs, and unsweetened coconut flakes.

Makes 1 cake.

***

Don’t forget to enter the ThinkThin protein bar giveaway – contest ends at midnight!

What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Do you prep breakfast in advance?  What is your favorite?

Strange But Good: Thai Peanut Salmon

By

Fish is a diet staple for me.

Oddly, I refused to eat seafood until 2 years ago.

When you eat as much seafood as I do, it’s bound to get a little strange.  I’ve had some fails, but often it pretty good!

Today’s recipe involves salmon and peanut butter, as I further attempt to prove that peanut butter is good on anything.

Thai Peanut Salmon

This isn’t so far out there.  Many of you have had Pad Thai before.  That’s just noodles and shrimp (or chicken/tofu) in a peanut sauce.  This is a similar concept, but baked.  I used my Thai Peanut Sauce as the topping.  I think it work really well here with the rich, slightly sweet salmon.

I topped mine with fresh basil and ate it with raw asparagus and BBQ Cauliflower Bites.  This would also be fantastic on a salad or on pastas.  Maybe with red bell pepper and carrots?  

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Thai Peanut Salmon

Thai Peanut Salmon

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place salmon, skin side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet (you can use a non-stick sheet, but the foil makes for an easier clean up).

Prepare peanut sauce and spread evenly across salmon.

Bake until salmon is just cooked through, 10-12 minutes.  This may vary based on the thickness of the filet.

Plate and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings.

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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.

Sprint 2 the Table

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂


***

Sarah, don’t comment.  I know you think this is normal.  You embody strange.  But good. 😛

Can anyone name something peanut butter (or nut butter of your choosing) is not good on?

Have your taste buds changed a lot over the years?  Do you like seafood?

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs

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This is the fall of orange.

 

My least favorite color to wear, but one of the most delicious.

Unbelievably, my palms aren’t orange.  My whole body will be orange in 3 weeks.  It’s almost competition time!  Food wise, I can’t get enough pumpkin, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, and carrots (many of you understand my addiction).  I eat one of those at almost every meal!  Including breakfast.

The orange pumpkin pie filling mix above was added to eggs.  I mixed together pumpkin puree with spices… and then decided it was missing something.  It tasted too traditional.*

Peanut butter flour!!!

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs

*If you’re into traditional, you can leave the PB out.

Since PB & Peggs is taken, I thought calling it pie was appropriate.  It tasted like pie.  Breakfast pie.

It also earned me some fun looks when I walked into my gym eating it Saturday morning (please note the environmentally friendly mug).  Marvelous, no?

Recipe at the bottom of this post.

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Which brings me to more marvelous – I am working on getting my personal training certification!  Even better, I am doing it though Lee Haney’s IAFS program.  I got to spend 8 hours at the gym learning from him on Saturday.

In case you don’t know Lee Haney, he’s an 8x Mr. Olympia.  This man is legit.  I love his real approach and emphasis on fueling with natural, whole foods.

Lee Haney and me

 

In case the scramble wasn’t enough pumpkin for you, check out the Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pancakes my #strangebutgood partner in crime, Heather, posted this weekend.

I made them Sunday morning.  My modifications: reduced oats and peanut flour to 2T each, increased egg whites to 1/4 C, and used cottage cheese instead of yogurt.  For syrup, I mixed sugar-free syrup, pumpkin, and cinnamon.

This weekend of pumpkin was beyond marvelous.

MMIM

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Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs with Pear

  • 1/4 C pumpkin puree
  • 1 T peanut flour (or peanut butter)
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 4-5 drops liquid stevia
  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 1/2 large Asian pear, diced

 

In a small bowl, combine first 7 ingredients.

Scramble the eggs until almost done.  Stir in the pumpkin mix and pear, cooking ~1 min to warm through.

Transfer to plate and tops as desired (I used additional pear and almonds).  Enjoy! 

***

I feel like I went 100 miles an hour all weekend, but in a good way.  It’s fun to look up and realize you’re exactly where you want to be.

Are you orange-obsessed?  What’s is your favorite orange food?

What was marvelous about your weekend?

 

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