Strange But Good: Moving Food

February 20, 2015 By Laura

It’s getting a little odd.

Next week should be really interesting.

I refuse to buy more food until I go. There’s enough in my freezer to feed ~~a small African village~~ me for months. Not to mention all the going away dinners and lunches. No way do I need to go shopping. But look out, Whole Foods San Diego.

As such, there are no real recipes. There are concoctions, favorites from local spots, and dinners with my family (you know that always gets strange). Because when your house looks like this, everything is a little strange… but oh, so good.

…

A Morning Cocktail + Fitmark Giveaway

February 12, 2014 By Laura

Atlantarctica.

No, that’s not a Ben & Jerry’s flavor.

My city is shut down over the winter weather. After the disaster 2 weeks ago, government leaders and business are taking no chances. We shut down yesterday… when nothing happened but rain.

Today promises to be more entertaining, but with nothing to report as of the time of this post… we’ll get right to the food and the giveaway.

This WIAW was unexpected work from home day. I love these days because it means I have time to put together meals and eat off of real plates! It’s the small things…

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

Kentucky Muscle Weekend

November 11, 2013 By Laura

Body building has no finish line.

This is both inspiring and frustrating.

You work every day – like all goals in life – to be better than you were the day before. This past weekend’s competition, Kentucky Muscle, was the biggest one I’ve ever done. I didn’t place in the Top 5 (I came in 6th)… and while I knew I probably wouldn’t it was still a little disappointing.

Not going to lie… the “trophy” was a sword, and that just made me want to place more. Who doesn’t want a sword to display at home?!

What I am proud of is how I’ve progressed since my last show. This time around I had made gains and, more importantly, I felt better than I ever had before. This morning of the show I felt centered, confident, and ready to get one stage with my best package yet.

On stage, I wasn’t as uncomfortable as I’d been in the past. My posing still isn’t the best, but it’s better. I am confident enough to walk out with a smile, know I’m not going to fall over in my stripper heels, and look directly at each and every judge while I move through each pose (that part is maybe the hardest!).

Back stage was also fun. I met some new friends and had time to hang out with my House of Payne teammates. It’s a crowded space, but everyone made the best of it; I’m continually amazed by how kind other competitors are. I bummed rice cakes (which I’d forgotten) and goofed off with the girls in my class as we lined up to get on stage. I almost had them convinced to enter the stage doing the “walk like an egyptian” dance. 😉

You may recognize my partner-in-crime, Lisa, from my last show and birthday trip to Napa. Hannah, the blonde in the picture below, won overall Physique!

The best part is always the meal afterwards. We didn’t finish until almost midnight, but that didn’t stop our group from heading to a local late-night pizza spot. See the pizza on the top right below? I ate the entire thing. With a Kentucky bourbon barrel beer. And a peanut butter Oreo (which are fantastic, btw).

My trainer and I stopped at a local brunch sport, Toast, on the way out of town for one final indulgence before I got back on the wagon foe next weekend’s show. We split some #yolkporn served on toasted brioche with harissa hot sauce and bacon, and a fantastically decadent bread pudding pancake served with a blend of warm rum raisin syrup and Irish crème sauce. Sugar coma heaven.

Last, but certainly not least, I was especially excited to see Brittany! She lives nearby and came to hang out between after pre-judging and for the night show. Seeing one of my favorite Blends made the waiting game so much easier. She is hilarious and kept my trainer and I laughing the entire time.

Thank you, Brittany!!! I can’t tell you how much seeing a familiar face helps!

I’ll do a longer recap after next week’s Colorado show. I spent the few hours after I got home grocery shopping and meal prepping to make it through a crazy week of work, workouts, and travel. Lisa and I are headed to compete with the lovely Heather in her bikini debut at the end of the week!

I hope you all have a marvelous start to the week!

***

That’s the short and sweet recap… I’m about to fall asleep. Thank you all so much for the tweets, texts, comments on last week’s posts (I swear I’ll catch up one day), Facebook, and Instagram. It meant the world!

Do you view your goals as a progression, or is there a finish line?

What would be your “treat” food of choice after something like this? Heather just texted me with an amazing food idea for next weekend… woo hoo!

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

September 19, 2013 By Laura

My name is Laura. I hoard booze.

Really.

Many of you were surprised that I could keep this pumpkin beer in my fridge – untouched – for 2 months. That’s actually easy for me. It’s mine. It’s not going anywhere. It won’t spoil. It will be there for me in 2 months (after my next figure competitions).

Going out… that’s another story. That lamb-stuffed squash blossom is seasonal! The beers on tap rotate! I might not remember to come back to try the bacon Manhattan! (Ok, ok… it’s unlikely I’ll for forget bacon). You get my point.

As such, this is (part) of my collection:

I don’t store my beer in the wine fridge. It was posing for the pic.

Many of you commented and tweeted about YOUR favorite pumpkin beers that I should try. Thank you for the suggestions! I would like to officially announce that I am open to donations. 😉

Enough about my sobriety. You know what goes well with beer? PIZZA! Kat has an awesome Sweet Potato Pizza Crust to share today!

I’m not-so-secretly hoping she’ll make me one to drink with my pumpkin beer in a couple of months…

Mix it up: Night Running and Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

This weekend, I (Kat) mixed it up by visiting a place I used to live, Savannah, GA. I had a great time with friends, and sat at a booth with/for the Stonewall Bar Association at Pride. I also got to visit with great old friends! It was super fun. Now I’m trying to mix it up at home and outdoors.

I have been trying to mix it up by running with more friends (which is more difficult than you think). I get turned down all the time, and people don’t invite me on group runs very often (Editor’s note: My invite must have gotten lost in the mail…). So I decided to inquire about this lack of running buddies.

I find that the friends who know what kind of distances I run are afraid to run with me because they think I’m fast. WRONG. I am not actually that fast, but I can run super far, for a super long time (Editor’s note: Lies. You are fast. But you are a patient partner.). That being said, I enjoy running at an 8:15-9:15min/mile pace in the city, and depending on the trails and the distance, 10:30-13min/mile. So, run with me! Let’s mix it up! 🙂

I have also found that running in the city on pavement, especially flat surfaces, really hurts my body. My knees and feet ache terribly if I run on pavement more than 7 or so miles. So, I stick to the trails as much as possible, and throw in a bit of yoga for strength and flexibility (Editor’s note: You should come lift with me!).

While for many people, trail running is a great way to mix it up, because that’s my usual form of running, I’m taking extra measures to mix it up! This Sunday at 7:30p.m., I am going night trail running with some friends. It’s huge rush that heightens your senses, and it actually makes me run faster. Check out this fun article on trail running at night. If you want to join me, let me know, and I’ll forward you information on the run. I wish I could go during the full moon, tomorrow night!

Speaking of mixing it up, my friend Julie from Savannah told me about a Sweet Potato Pizza she tried to make when I mentioned Laura’s Cauliflower Pizza. When I got home, I had to try this! I didn’t love any of the recipes I found online, so I tried my own! (Editor’s note: Story of my life.. also prepping this post made me come home and pull one of my cauliflower crusts out of the freezer for a pizza dinner!)

I wanted to capture a picture of it picked up once I realized how great it was, but I was near the end of the slice… excuse my excess Sriracha (I put that sh** on everything). ← Don’t we all? 😉

This pizza, like the Cauliflower pizza, can be picked up like a piece of pizza (Editor’s note: It’s not pizza unless you can hold it in your hands!).

It’s a little chewy and a little crispy. It has a bit of sweetness, and a bit of heartiness. Really, a GREAT gluten-free pizza crust option!

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

½ C sweet potato (mashed)
1 egg (I bet this would be great with Chia, too)
¼ C almond flour
¼ C buckwheat
1 T flax meal
Pinch of Salt
½ tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375.

Beat the egg, add the sweet potato, and then mix in everything else. It should form a sticky dough.

Spread the dough onto a piece of parchment paper (about ¼ inch thick) and bake for 18 mins. The middle should be firm when it’s done (you should be able to pick it up).

Load with veggies/toppings of choice. Bake for another ~7 minutes to heat. Devour.

Also, if you like that bad-ass pizza cutter, check out Pequea Valley Forge. They have AWESOME kitchen utensils, etc. I found this on my trip to the beach in August, and it’s my new favorite thing (which results in eating way more pizza).

My pizza has sautéed peppers and onions, Daiya mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and spinach. Delish!

xo,

Kat

***

I told Kat yesterday that I was going to require taste tests from now on. Quality control, right?!

How are you mixing up your running/lifting/workout routine to get an extra rush?

Did you try Laura’s Cauliflower Crust? Do you think the sweet potato or cauliflower does/would work better? I wonder if we could combine them…

Braving the Marvelous

September 9, 2013 By Laura

Flattered.

Does anyone else think of flatulence when they say that word?

I am absolutely flattered when people try out the #strangebutgood recipes I subject you all to. It’s high time I share some of the evidence and creative edits!

Jicama Tofu Nachos

This may be one of my favorite recent creations. I was really excited to see it popping up on Instagram! This version is by Hannah:

Meghan @ The Lyon’s Share braved these nachos and made it her own with mushrooms and a vegan cheese sauce.

Fluffy Cauliflower Pancakes

Meghan truly is a brave soul because she made my Fluffy Cauliflower Pancake recipe last week too! And she made it ~~even more strange~~ green by adding spinach and doubling the cauliflower!

(Cheese-less) Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Continuing with the cauliflower theme, Tiffany @ Love, Sweat, & Beers (minus the beers for now, baby mamma) made my Cauliflower Crust Pizza!

Since she’s eating for two, she even had room left for dessert. Clever thinking. 😉

Chick-Less Nuggets

Arman @ The Big Man’s World is a #strangebutgood enthusiast, so I was thrilled when he made my Chick-less Nuggets. He compared these TVP-based vegan nuggets to falafel, which makes total sense since I also used chickpea flour to make them.

Even better is the fast that he ate them with roasted cauliflower and brussels, two of my favorite things (rain drops on roses aside).

150 Calorie Chocolate Mug Cake

My girl Heather @ Better With Veggies is training for her first bikini competition on a pescatarian/dairy-free diet. She’s rocking it out and I was super flattered when she tried my 150 Calorie Chocolate Mug Cake.

She had the brilliant idea to mix the ingredients in advance so all she could take it to work and “cook” it in the microwave there.

Peanut-Coconut Flour Pancakes

Inspiration goes both ways! Arman made my nuggets, but my Saturday pancakes were inspired by the peanut butter-coconut recipe he entered in the #strangebutgood linkup on Friday’s blog.

The I made it more strange but adding roasted jicama and strawberries with a Mexican chocolate twist – I tossed them in cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne pre-roast. So good!

Flattery, not to be confused with flatulence, is marvelous.

Check out Katie’s link up for more blog-land marvels!

***

I mentioned Friday that I have a new job. In order to give myself time to ramp up in my new role, I’m going to be posting a little less frequently. I don’t know what that schedule will look like yet. Just know if I miss a day (probably tomorrow) I’m not dead. If you notice. 😉

What blogger recipe have you tried lately and loved?

Is there anything making your Monday particularly marvelous? I’m in San Fran, which doesn’t suck.

Peanut Flour Love + WIAW

August 28, 2013 By Laura

What’s more exciting than packages?

Chocolate cake.

I came home last night to a delivery from iHerb. After a massage and a trip to Whole Foods, it was the icing on the ~~chocolate~~ cake.

Use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!

Many of these are new to me – toffee stevia, Walden Farms caramel, and the peanut butter protein powder. I have been out of tahini and coconut flour for a while, so I’m excited to use those again. I bet I can use it all together!

Do you think I got enough peanut flour? I love that stuff. It’s better than the other stuff (ahem… PB2) because it’s just the de-fatted nuts. No added sodium or sugar.

What should you do with your peanut flour? Allow me to help…

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Rum Butter Kabocha Bowl

Sweet Potato Scramble with Spiced Maple-Peanut Sauce

Sweet Potato Pan-lette

French Elvis Toast

There’s a lot more where that came from… check out my Recipage. I may or may not have an addiction…

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This WIAW was a good one. I was much more prepared this week to stick to my plan. I’m using more quinoa to help me hit my carbs. This time I made extra to keep in the freezer for quick access next week too.

Read on for my food, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s tasty eats.

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Breakfast:

Of course I had my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) to start my day out right.

Then it was on to the #yolkporn. I made Toad in a Hole with my P28 bread and local eggs. I ate it with a side of kiwi and cottage cheese mixed with cinnamon.

Mid-Morning Snack:

This was my post-workout refuel. I made a Chocolate-Beet Protein Smoothie with extra spinach. Topped with my custom granola and blueberries.

Side note: It drives me insane when people call them “bloobs.” Is that silly? #sorryimnotsorry

Lunch:

Cod that I baked in marinara sauce and mushrooms with a side of quinoa mixed with hummus, white bell pepper, and broccoli slaw.

It was pungent, so I also had one of the office soft mints. 😉

Afternoon Snack:

Sandwiches aren’t a staple in my life, but I’m really liking them lately! This was turkey made at the local farmer’s market on Ezekial bread with local greens and hummus.

The salad was a Quinoa Tabbouleh. The recipe will come tomorrow!

This is when the day got awesome. I left work to get a massage… where I realized exactly how badly I need to get them regularly. My back was a knot forest.

Kombucha is good for muscle recovery, so naturally I headed to Whole ~~Paycheck~~ Foods to get a one on tap. And a few other things I didn’t really need.

Shamelessly staged a photo shoot in the parking lot.

Dinner:

Ripped Recipes shared my Cheese-less Cauliflower Crust recipe on Instagram last night… which sparked a craving. Pizza time!

I topped mine with marinara, broccoli slaw, baked tofu, and a slice of Daiya Provolone. I eat cheese, but I actually love Daiya. I do not; however, think it tastes like real cheese.

I am finally getting smart about making this pizza – I make a few crusts at a time to keep in the freezer for quick week night dinners. MUCH better than pizza from the freezer section!

Side note: I recently discovered and really like Ripped Recipes as a resource for creative, protein-rich ideas. Have you guys ever heard of them?

Dessert:

I really, really love carrots. Hence – once again – my Carrot Cake Protein Batter. I added some of the protein powder from my iHerb box and used a tiny bit of the Walden Farms caramel. Both were a little fake. The custom granola crack and the figs were good!

***

The peanut flour farmers should really pay me. Or I should at least get a break on my state taxes (it’s made here in GA).

Have you ever ordered from iHerb? What are some of your go-tos?

What are some of your favorite carbs? Oatmeal? Quinoa? Others?

Easy Meal Ideas + Bar Recovery

August 8, 2013 By Laura

Stress does funny things to people.

Or it makes you find odd things funny…

I’ve been traveling this week and with the possibility of more travel looming and a bunch of personal stuff on the horizon, the stress level is high.

So I looked for the humor. Turns out, all I needed to do was look down… and then coin my new favorite hashtag: #meetingfeet.

You know you’re in Florida when an exec rocks the sock-less loafer look.

Those would be beer mugs on this business leader’s socks.

Speaking of stress, my friend Kat is stress-free after the Bar Exam!!! I am so proud of her – I can’t even imagine having the discipline to get through all that.

Today she’s sharing her relaxation strategy and a couple of quick-yet-awesome recipes. I cannot WAIT to try her Thai Coconut Hummus! But I’ll let her tell you about it…

Easy Meal Ideas + Bar Recovery

Thank god the bar is over!!!! It was not fun, and I hope I never have to take it again. Unfortunately, bar results don’t come in until October 28 or so. Yeah, that seems like a LONG time. But, “patience is a virtue,” and I guess it gives us some time to get over the trauma of a two-day, four-session, exhausting marathon of a test. (Editor’s note: It is downright cruel for them to leave you hanging so long!)

One text I got in the middle of the first day was, “You’re 25 miles into the ultramarathon,” and that’s how it felt… taking it a few steps at a time, leaving whatever happened in the first parts of the test behind to focus on success in the future.

After the Ultramarathon (the Bar Exam), it was time to start letting go of the built-up stress, tension, and the parts of me that really aren’t so pretty when I feel so overwhelmed.

Two days after the exam, I took off to the beach for a long weekend! It was wonderful to get away, and not study! I got to read for fun on the beach, meditate, collect seashells and just let go anything weighing me down. (Editor’s note: Most deserved trip ever.)

Reading on the beach at sunset. Heaven!

It was also fun! We found a dog beach, where our newest rescue, Scout, was able to go swimming and play with all the other dogs!

I had never seen anything like it. There were probably over 50 dogs that I saw, all playing, swimming, rolling in sand, and enjoying the day.

By the end of our first day at the beach, I may have had 1^st or 2^nd degree burns on my butt and back. No, this is not a joke. (Editor’s note: Ummm… why did the sun see your arse?!) My back-side has not had a lucky summer…. between poison ivy and now not being able to sit due to a sun ~~bum~~ burn! But I was still so happy to get away.

In my bar recovery regimen, I also need to give a shout out to the cuddle bugs, the animals in my life. They are the most wonderful beings who help ground me, and who love me unconditionally, and I do not know how I could have survived the bar without them! Scarlett and Echo are my kitties (Echo turned 5 on Saturday). And then Gracie the golden, Murphy, and Scout the lab.

I love them!

Before I took the bar, I had no time for any fancy meals or kitchen projects, so I kept it super simple. Here are two super easy, fun recipes that allow you to enjoy delicious food, when time is not on your side.

Gluten-Free Tortilla Pizza

1 Rudi’s Gluten-Free tortilla, thawed
Handful of spinach
Tomato paste, spread thinly
Olive oil, lightly drizzled over the spinach, before the cheese
¼ sautéed onion, sliced
3 baby bella mushrooms, sautéed and sliced
1 oz honey goats cheese, crumbled
1-2 oz drunken goats cheese, sliced
Any other toppings of your choice

Preheat oven to 425.

Top pizza and bake ~15 minutes, or until your cheese begins to brown a little.

Devour.

This is a meal I had several times while studying through dinner.

Thai Coconut Hummus

½ C plain hummus
3 T coconut cream
Thai Curry Almond Seasoning (found at Whole Foods)

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and eat!

I’ve been snacking on this with raw beets, carrots, chips, gluten-free tortillas, and anything under the sun! It’s light and flavorful. A new staple.

And now that I’m done, it’s time for more adventures!

I have a few trail runs in California in the coming weeks, and some adventures to wrangle (Editor’s note: What adventures?! I want to wrangle…) before I really get serious about working full-time! 🙂

***

No, I didn’t crawl under the table for the sock shots. I just casually held my phone down. 😉

How do you recoup after a long stretch of go-go-go?

What’s your favorite quickie meal when you’re too busy for a big-deal meal?

Strawberry Fields Forever

June 10, 2013 By Laura

Let me take you down…

Random fact: I listened to The Beatles religiously high school.

I’ve been religiously adding berries to everything lately. You’ve seen these if you follow me on Instagram, but here’s round up of some marvelous strawberry creations last week.

You may have noticed that I love to add fruit to seafood. Most of the time it’s in the form of a salmon creation
(Like salmon and peaches. Try it.) Last week I was on a crab bender, and so this salad was born:

Crab and Strawberry Salad

Crab meat
Strawberries, sliced
Basil
Balsamic
Lime juice
Pepper
Paprika

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Strawberries are also good for breakfast! Friday morning I treated myself with a breakfast pizza. Normally this would involve yolk porn, but I was out.

Instead, I made a creamy spread by blending my cottage cheese, and used bacon and strawberries as toppings. The kicker was the fig balsamic glaze I’ve been adding to everything.

Strawberry Breakfast Pizza

Flatbread or pizza crust (I used P28)
1/4 C no-salt cottage cheese
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp almond extract
3-4 drops liquid stevia
Strawberries
Bacon, pre-cooked and broken into “sprinkles”
Optional toppings: hemp seeds, cacao nibs, balsamic

Top pizza and place in oven under broil for a few mins.

Sprinkle with hemp seeds, cacao nibs, balsamic… or other toppings of choice!

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Lastly, we must have strawberries on dessert! My #1 favorite “healthy” dessert is my 150 Calorie Chocolate Cake. Who knew 2 minutes in the microwave could produce such a perfectly moist individual cake?! I followed my original recipe, but used mashed sweet potato in place of the apple sauce. I think I’ll be doing that from now on – it was fabulous!

For the strawberry topping, I simply mashed up some fresh berries in a bowl, added a tiny bit of balsamic, and microwaved it to warm. The heat juices the berries even more, making for a delicious fruit syrup.

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One more thing… I’m now a strawberry blonde! I went lighter for the summer. Yes, my hair color is seasonal. Holla at Karen and Lava Hair Studio.

How’s that for a berry Marvelous Monday? Check out all of the Monday Marvels at Katie’s linkup!

***

I have a little announcement tomorrow… I’m a little nervous about it, but I’m all about being real. Suspense.

What is your favorite way to use strawberries (other than plain)?

Do you change your hair or something about your “look” seasonally?

Strange But Good: Moving Food

A Morning Cocktail + Fitmark Giveaway

Kentucky Muscle Weekend

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

Mix it up: Night Running and Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

Braving the Marvelous

Jicama Tofu Nachos

Fluffy Cauliflower Pancakes

(Cheese-less) Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Chick-Less Nuggets

150 Calorie Chocolate Mug Cake

Peanut-Coconut Flour Pancakes

Peanut Flour Love + WIAW

Breakfast:

Mid-Morning Snack:

Lunch:

Afternoon Snack:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Easy Meal Ideas + Bar Recovery

Easy Meal Ideas + Bar Recovery

Gluten-Free Tortilla Pizza

Thai Coconut Hummus

Strawberry Fields Forever

Crab and Strawberry Salad

Strawberry Breakfast Pizza

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