Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

A Day of Food at 4 Days Out

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Change is often slow.

 

The bane of my impatient existence.

Change does come to those who stay the course.  When I started training for competitions I had some muscle tone, but was underweight and had literally run my ass off.  I posted about my journey here so I won’t rehash.  What I will say (again) is that there is NOTHING you can’t accomplish with hard work and the unwavering belief that you can do anything you want to if you want to badly enough.

Yes, I’m still small for Figure; I know I have a long way to go.  This weekend’s show is the most competitive one I’ve ever done and I know I won’t place.  That doesn’t lessen my excitement to have the experience, and to be around so many inspiring competitors.  AND – regardless of the outcome – I’m pretty damn proud of this progress in about a year and a half.

Progress pic 2013

Competing isn’t easy.  Some days I don’t want to get up and do cardio or eat healthy food or hear snarky comments from people… but it is worth it.  The good days and the personal satisfaction outweigh the bad.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: find something you’re passionate about and go do it to the fullest extent.  It could be running, lifting, painting, writing code… whatever!  You will be more fulfilled and SO MUCH happier – it has made all the difference for me.

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Enough inspirational mush!  This WIAW I am 4 days from my 3rd figure competition!  Bring on the lean protein, complex carbs, and yes… the asparagus. 

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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.

Breakfast was pancakes.  Not as good as my usual.  These were just oat flour, an egg white, baking powder, and cinnamon.  BUT… I got to have pancakes!  The sauce was the best part.  I mashed up raspberries, added a dash of maple extract, and microwaved them for ~10 secs to create a syrup.  I’d eat that outside of competition prep!

With a side of Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken.

oat cakes and raspberry sauce

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

Leftover Parrot Fish with asparagus and sugar peas.  Nom.

The fish looked prettier on Instagram 2 nights ago.  For those that were curious on Monday, the fish was tasty but nothing out of the ordinary. It was a mild white fish, on the meaty side and slightly buttery.

parrot fish

 

Lunch:

I froze last week’s leftover lean beef burgers for lunches this week.  It was just as good warmed up and eaten with sweet potato rounds, asparagus, and red peppers.

Some have asked why I eat the majority of my asparagus raw.  The reason is VERY important: I like it better raw.  It has a sweet crunchiness.

burger

 

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I gave in to a cliché and went back to an old recipe this week… Tequila Lime Tilapia.  Tilapia is “the” source of protein for many in the bodybuilding community.  Variety is a better choice for me; if I had to eat the same thing every meal I’d never make it.  Tilapia is fine in moderation though!  Especially with tequila.

The fish and calabaza squash were cooked during my Sunday meal prep.  I reheated them ate at it with a quick raw salad of yellow cherry tomatoes and white asparagus tossed in a mix of nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, and a homemade Mexican spice blend.

Tequila-Lime Tilapia

 

Dinner:

Dinner was a roasted veggie fest – part of this week’s food prep was a giant pan of white and green asparagus, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, green onion, and fresh herbs in Meyer lemon juice.  I also tossed pieces of the actual lemon in the pan too.  It’s completely edible and not too sour after a good roast.

Eaten with my favorite protein: Sea Bass.

sea bass and roasted veggies

 

Dessert:

No more diary and no more protein powder in my diet… it’s Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken and carrots for dessert.  Admittedly, this is NOT my favorite part about competing.

chicken dessert

***

“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” ~Diane Ackerman

What are you passionate about?

Do you prefer veggies raw or cooked?  I generally like ’em raw… though I do love a good char roast.

 

Weekend Warrior

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Who said weekends are for rest?

 

Thought let’s be honest – I appreciated the extra hour.

Weekend warrior-ing has been my M.O. in the past, but in recent years my warrior-style has changed.  These days it’s all about productivity.  Rest is a good thing… and I did rest from job-related activities.  The work I did was fun to me!

I spent fun time in the kitchen making 72 of my Sweet Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins to take to a men’s shelter for a chili dinner.  It was fun to do – I love baking for others!

Sweet Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

 

Saturday my cousin (the one I did the adventure race with) treated me to a pre-game sideline tour of the Georgia Tech field and seats to the Homecoming game.  We are all huge Tech fans in my family; I grew up going to games with my dad.  It was a big treat to watch the team warm up on the field.

Those guys are HUGE!

GT Homecoming 2013

Can you tell we’re related?

 

We were gone all evening, so I had to smuggle in food in my purse.  Turkey roll-ups, anyone?

My 20-year-old self is making fun of me for sneaking in heath food rather than whiskey. 😉

 

Saturday and Sunday both included workouts.  I love when you get to the week before competition – it’s added motivation knowing it’s your last workout for each muscle group.  This time next week I’ll be done with my 3rd figure competition and less than a week out from my 4th in Denver with Heather!

The Breakfast Club got me through my cardio – I even stayed an extra 5 mins to hear the closing monologue.  Then I had to take of pic of the Famous Amos bag on the locker room floor… I resisted the urge to check and see if there were any cookies left and went for a photo shoot instead.

You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions…

 

Sunday Funday concluded with a trip to my favorite international farmers market!  It’s always a crowded on a weekend afternoon, but I put on my ninja socks and kicked it.

Of course I bought plenty of lean protein and asparagus for my final week of prep, but I also scored with super cheap pomegranate!  I refrained from the avocado drink mix, but had to get a pic as proof that my favorite #strangebutgood protein shake add isn’t THAT weird.

Other highlights included the kabocha squash Thai curry they were sampling… let’s pretend I didn’t take a bite... and a new-to-me fish. The Parrot Fish was too pretty not to try!  I had them fillet it for me before taking it home.  Can’t wait to make dinner with it tonight!

Buford Highway finds

 

Sunday night I realized I hadn’t sat down all day long.  I get it honest – my mom is the same way.  Some might prefer a more laid back weekend, but I am not happy unless my hair is on fire.  It’s pretty marvelous.

MMIM

***

There are, of course, exceptions.  I’m going to have a full, restful weekend to recover from back-to-back shows.  Anyone want to come over for chocolate cake and red wine? 😉

Have you ever heard of Parrot Fish?  Any preparation suggestions?

Do you prefer a super-active weekend or a restful one?  What are your to-dos on your days off?

 

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?

Mocha Mint Protein Muffins + Giveaway

By

M is for Monday.

I swear I didn’t plan this.

This weekend had an M theme, which happens to work really well for Katie’s Marvelous Monday link up.  See what I did there? 😉

1. Meringues

My company is a cloud-based technology. Rather than handing out boring collateral like pens at the executive meeting, I ordered cloud-like meringue cookies!  Dyed blue and stuffed in pumpkins for Halloween.

Essential Pumpkin

Thanks to Henri’s Bakery for doing a great job on this custom order – I’ve been going there since I was a kid!

NO, I didn’t eat one… 2 weeks to go!

2. Muscles

Speaking of 2 weeks to go, I had my second to last posting practice with my trainer before my competitions!  I have never loved posing, but I’m learning to look forward these Saturday sessions – I get to spend the day posing and training with some of the most inspiring competitors around.

This Saturday’s session made me more excited than ever for these next competitions, and for the next year where I’m 100% committed to hardcore BUILDING.  I love lifting.

3. Mom

This weekend was my mom’s birthday.  She’s turning 29, once again. 😉

I was really excited to have her over for brunch.  She opened presents  and I made her my jicama nachos with shrimp, pico, yellow tomato, and #yolkporn.  She save this #strangebutgood creation two thumbs up, which means the world since she is the one I have to thank for my love of food and creating in the kitchen.

Mom

4. Muffins

Not just any muffins.  I accidentally made Mocha Mint Protein Muffins.

These were going to be a version of my coffee pancakes.  I accidentally added too much egg, so I decided to bake them instead. This is what a Thin Mint would taste like as a muffin.  Talk about an awesome mistake!

I used Dunkin Donuts’ seasonal Mocha Mint coffee, but you could use any flavor and add extracts.  I added peppermint extract because the DD coffee isn’t actually very mint-y.

Mocha Mint Protein Muffins

Mocha Mint Muffins

  • 2 T oats
  • 1 T coconut flour
  • 1 T (10g) chocolate protein powder
  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp no-salt baking powder
  • 1/4 C egg whites
  • 1/4 cup brewed coffee (I used mocha mint)
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
  • 6-8 drops vanilla liquid stevia
  • Optional: chocolate chips, cocoa powder, nuts

In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir to combine.

Pour into prepared muffin tins and bake ~25 mins.

Makes 2 muffins (or 3 squares in my slightly smaller silicone mold).

Note: I learned that this recipe can be doubled when I made more to have for breakfast this coming week.

This mistake was even sweeter because it gave me a recipe to link up to Heather’s MMAZ.  She told me seeds could count as nuts.

BWV-Round2-October1

5. Munchies

It’s Halloween.  You have candy coming out the you-know-what.

Just in case you want to give your blood sugar a break, I have a giveaway for one of my favorite bars.  One of you will win a whole box of thinkThin High Protein Bars.

thinkThin

Normally a “thin” bar wouldn’t appeal to me; however, my dad actually got me into these.  When he was getting chemo, all he wanted where the chocolate fudge bars.  Random craving, right?

I came to love them.  The 20g protein is perfect for a quick fix post-workout or on the run.  It keeps you full, gives you a pop of energy, and has 0g of sugar.  They’re also gluten-free!

My favorites right now are the Cookies ‘n Cream and the Chocolate Toffee Nut, but you can choose your own!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***

I am literally back-to-back in meetings all week.  Between that and gym time, blogging may be sporadic.  Does anyone else think of Clueless when they use the word sporadic? 

What is your favorite protein-filled snack to-go?

What was the last happy kitchen accident you had?

Red Velvet Protein Mugcake + WIAW

By

Here comes the rooster.

Bonus points if you can name that song..

sriracha

Many of us have fallen in love with the spicy sauce, but did you know it has an interesting back story?  Yesterday I came across this article explaining  the history of “the world’s coolest hot sauce.”

It’s inventor and CEO, David Tran, came to the US from Vietnam in 1980 homeless.  Unable to find a hot sauce to satisfy him in the States, he simply made his own with hybrid red jalapeño peppers, vinegar, sugar, salt, and garlic.  He only hoped to make a sauce worthy of a traditional Vietnamese pho.  He just discovered that sushi chefs have been using it for years to make spicy rolls!  His use of a specific fresh chili is what sets him apart – and manufacturing is dictated by their 10 week, 100 million pound harvest.

Even more mind-blowing is that he has never hired a single salesman, spent any money on advertising, or used social media.  “It’s all been word of mouth,” Tran says.  As a marketing professional, this blows my mind!

I don’t know where my brain was last week when I said 3 weeks.  THIS WIAW I am 3 weeks from my next competition!  Just a couple of diet tweaks so far, and we added 15 mins of HIIT cardio.  Anticipation of asparagus is high…

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

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 warm and comforting one on a chilly, rainy morning.  Pumpkin pie-esque oatmeal, with a serious protein punch.  I really like adding eggs and TVP for texture as well as protein; it makes this into a custard-like bowl of oatmeal.

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Oatmeal

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Oatmeal

  • 1/4 C TVP
  • 1/4 C rolled oats
  • 1/2 C water
  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 1/4 c pumpkin purée
  • 1.2 tsp cinnamon,
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • Stevia or other sweetener, to taste

In a small pot prepare oatmeal and TVP as normal.  

When just done, add remaining  ingredients, stirring rapidly to incorporate eggs before they scramble.

Pour into a bowl (or coffee mug) and enjoy!

Mid-Morning Snack:

Leftovers from this Sheepshead fish I prepared over the weekend, along with some roasted veggies.  And a few unpictured rice cakes.

Sheepshead fish

Lunch:

Cod, hummus, red pepper slices, cucumber, and sweet potato doused in cinnamon.  Standard fare for Gantt chart reviewing.

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I love that I can get salmon sashimi from the massive international market here.  It’s fresh and it’s cheap.  Often I eat it plain, but I saw Jenn’s cucumber rolls and had to give it a go.

I only had 4 survivors (I need more practice), but they are so much fun to eat!  I rolled them up with red peppers and asparagus, and dipped it all (including that sweet potato) in wasabi.

salmon cucumber rolls

As delicious as it was, the best part was that my pancake-on-stick-eating coworker said it was so “pretty” that he wanted one.  I handed it over and he loved it!  Our food comparisons have become a running office joke… I love these guys.

Dinner:

Dinner was a super-quick saute of bok choy, green onions, sugar peas, and garlic in lime juice, coconut oil, and an Indian spice blend.  It turned out so well that the rest was just details – chicken (made during Sunday food prep) and injera (Ethiopian teff bread).

Dessert:

I’ve been on a giant Greek yogurt bowl kick lately.  That has to stop.  3 weeks out from my competition my trainer sad no more.  The idea is to eliminate foods that could bloat.  Dairy is one of them.  No worries.  I’ll just have Red Velvet Cake.

The deliciousness below is basically my 150 Calorie Chocolate Protein Cake, but I used Cocoa Cardio* instead of cocoa powder.  Topped with popcorn, cacao nibs, and Nuttzo.

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

Red Velvet Protein Mugcake

Red Velvet Protein Mugcake

  • 22g chocolate protein powder (I used 2/3 scoop Growing Naturals)
  • 1 scoop (7.5 g) Cocoa Cardio*
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
  • 3 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 egg white (or flax egg)
  • 2 T pumpkin puree (can also use applesauce)
  • ~8 drops NuNaturals orange pure liquid stevia
  • Optional toppings: popcorn, cacao nibs, nut butter

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

Transfer to a large, greased (I use coconut oil) coffee mug and microwave for 1:30 mins.

Tip the cake out onto a plate and top as desired.  My cake was topped with nut butter, cacao nibs, and popcorn.

Makes 1 cake.

 *Cocoa Cardio from iHerb. Use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!  You can also leave it out or use cocoa powder and 1/8 C beet puree to keep it red. 

***

Thank you all of all of the kind comment on yesterday’s post.  It’s sometimes hard for me to tap into the more emotional side – I use humor more often than not. So thank you for being empathetic and kind.

Are you a sriracha fan?  What’s your favorite thing to add it to?

Have you ever attempted a homemade Asian roll?  Oddly, I found the cucumber easier than dealing with rice paper or seaweed.

Here’s to Kids Who Are Different

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Why are we so judge-y?

 

Seems to be a theme lately.

Anytime you go against what people view as “normal” you’re going to get remarks.  I have no problem with that.  I actually welcome them because it opens the door for a conversation.  And I’ve always been a little different.  #strangebutgood

Kids Who Are Different

 

Story number one.  

I ran into a friend this weekend who wouldn’t quit when I explained that I couldn’t join them for burgers and drinks 3 weeks out from a competition.  (Granted, she ad been drinking and we all know that when you’ve been drinking you can’t understand why everyone doesn’t want to join that party.  I’m sure I’ve been guilty of this.)  

She kept on and said something along the lines of “How long are you going to do this?  It can’t be fun.  I’d be miserable.”  Something clicked in me and I told her I choose NOT to go eat burger because I am in a good place.  I am focused and happy.  In fact, I’m happier than I’ve ever been.  She paused and said ‘I can’t argue with that!”  And let it go.

 

Story number two.  

I was in the gym locker room in my office building yesterday and a lady complimented me on my workout.  She called me a beast AND said she liked my hair.   I was totally flattered and thanked her… but then she said something that really struck me.

She said “No homo.”  I asked her to repeat herself and she explained “I’m not gay or anything.”  Okay…

fabulous

I went to Pride this weekend in Atlanta.  I had a blast.  I have no problem with who you want to screw/marry/raise kids with.  If you compliment me, I’m going to be appreciative and feel good about it.  I’m not going to assume you’re trying to get in my pants (although it’s been a while, so if you are trying let me know 😉 ).

I appreciate the compliment, but I’m sad that women feel the need to qualify compliment – giving and receiving.  I’m guilty too!

 

Lately it seems there have been more unnecessary remarks than usual.  Lindsay wrote a great post last week asking why it’s so hard to compliment women.  I replied to her, realizing I am guilty.  It dawned on me that I have an easier time accepting compliments from men than from women too.  My chiro said I had good arm muscle and I said “I know.”  A lady in the elevator complimented my hair and I said “Oh no! I need a cut! It’s bushy.  But thank you so much for being kind!”  WTF?!

My point is… I think there’s a lot of judging lately.  People bitching about the pregnant bodybuilder lifting weights.  The article about a super fit mom I posted last night.  The stories I relayed today.  I believe it comes from insecurity about ourselves.  Lacking confidence.

No matter who you are and what you do, there’s going to be someone with an opinion.  Their opinion doesn’t matter.  Know what matters to YOU, who YOU are, and why you live your passion.  Be confident in those things.

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This is WIAW I am 3 weeks from my next competition!  No big diet changes yet… but next week… well, let’s just say food prep will get easier with limited options.  Hello, stinky asparagus pee.

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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:

Typical start to the day I had my Aminos and ACV morning cocktail.

My breakfast was one that I never wanted to end.  I scrambled egg whites with turkey, pre-roasted kabocha, and blackberries mashed into pico de gallo.  Then I threw it into an almost empty no salt cottage cheese container for my ride to work.

Mexican blackberry scramble

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

I discovered the gym in my office building.  It’s made my life 100x better.  As such, I’ve begun bringing my post workout smoothie to work.  Today I had a Strawberry-Lime-Jalapeno Smoothie.*

*I had a killer workout and was too hungry to bother with a pic.  Pretend this is it.  It all looks the same after I add the spinach.

workout

 

Lunch:

Turbot with cucumber and a delicious new recipe.  I made Janet’s Tamarind Roasted Eggplant and Chickpeas.  Just a few tweaks, but it was absolutely delicious!

Roasted Eggplant and Chickpeas

My modifications:

  • Replaced the coconut oil with 1/2 T of olive oil
  • Added ~ 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Reduced tamarind paste to 1T (the flavor is too strong to me)
  • To save time, I cubed the eggplant before roasting (only took ~15 mins; I prepped the rest of this dish while I was waiting) 
  • Added chickpeas directly to the post without pre-heating or mashing

 

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I have a little yellowtail sashimi (SO good) and a little turbot… so this became a  “I only have bits of things left” meal.  With sweet potato, snow peas, and chipotle hummus.

Does anyone else snack on raw snow peas?  They are so sweet it’s almost like dessert.  Not really – dessert is scared.  But they are really good and make a refreshing end to a meal.

hodge podge meal

 

Dinner:

Dinner was an experiment gone right.  I baked tempeh with my Thai Peanut Sauce. It was delicious with red pepper and kale chips.

baked thai peanut tempeh

Dessert:

Giant bowl of Zucchini Bread Protein Batter made with Greek yogurt as the base.  Topped with balls of Quest.  These balls were made from the new double chocolate chunk bar, rolled up and baked (I still like the cookie dough best). Also topped with blackberries, popcorn, and almonds

Rock out with your carbs out.

rock out with your carbs out

***

“Wearing a mask wears you out. Faking it is fatiguing. The most exhausting activity is pretending to be what you know you aren’t.” ~Rick Warren

Do you struggle with compliments?  Does it differ depending on who is delivering the compliment?

Have you seen more judging lately?  How do you handle pressure from others?

 

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie Eggs

By

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.

 _______________________________________________________________________________________

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

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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?

 

Plantain Zucchini Muffins

By

Who has TIME to post negative comments?

Not that I don’t speak them from time to time…

It takes a real effort to read a post and formulate a less-than-nice comment.  Why would you go to all this trouble?  Why do you care so much?

Anonymous posted this on my blog yesterday:

Anon

Normally I wouldn’t waste the energy to respond… but I’m feeling feisty this week.

  1. I actually do use a lot of “real” dishes.  Often I eat my breakfast from a coffee mug
  2. I’m such an old lady horder responsible citizen of the world that I will use the same paper plate for every meal I eat a work in a day
  3. You don’t have to read my blog.  If you don’t like what I say/do/eat from, don’t read.  I don’t agree with judgmental, funeral-protesting ass holes, so I steer clear of Westboro Baptist Church.
  4. Anon… I’ve always been curious.  Why go to the effort to comment but not even have the kahunas to use your name?

I feel better, Don’t you?  You will after you taste my muffin. 😉

The plantain craze took me a while to get on board with.  I was too busy with kabocha.

Now that I’ve gotten on the train, I’m putting them in all the things.  I love to just caramelize them for eggs, pizza-creations, and salads.  That  Plantain Ginger Protein Bread rocked.  The natural next step was a muffin.

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you this is one of the best muffins I’ve ever made.  And it was easy.  Half of the ingredients are just tossed into a blender!

After blending the plantain and the wet ingredients, pour it into the dry, give it a quick stir, and fold in the zucchini.

The result of this plantain and zucchini combo is a fantastically moist, satisfying sweet muffin.  Depending on the ripeness of your plantain (it should almost be black) and your preferences, you may not even need that extra bit of sweetener!

Plantain Zucchini Muffins

Those of you who know me won’t be surprised that I amped up the protein in these.  I used my favorite Growing Naturals Rice protein.  With that addition, these muffins have more than 6 grams of protein!

The only sugar comes from the plantains, but the fact that these are on the healthy side doesn’t mean they don’t taste like the “real” deal.  Don’t believe me?  Ask my favorite concierge…

Testify!

If you find a Siamese plantain, you can make a double batch!  Have you even seen this before?!  

It has to be good luck or something…

Siamese plantain

Plantain Zucchini Muffin

Plantain Zucchini Muffins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 6 regular-sized muffin tins with Pam/butter/Earth Balance.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In blender (I used the Magic Bullet) bowl, puree plantain until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla, blending again just to combine.

Add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring until just combined.  Fold in grated zucchini.  Pour into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 6 muffins.

Approximate Nutrition Info: 102 calories, 1.2g fat, 18.8g carbohydrates, 20.6g sodium, 1.9g fiber, 4.8g sugar, 6.3g protein

***

I’m pretty excited… this weekend I’m going to take a class to being getting my personal training certification!  I’m baking these muffins for the class. 🙂

Why do you think people leave negative comments anonymously?  Have you ever done it? 

Have you gotten on the plantain train?  Hee hee… that rhymes.

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