Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Flipping the Switch

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Being plugged-in and “on” for extended periods of time can be exhausting to mere mortals.

I have already worked 40 hours this week and I still have lots to do.  I don’t mind it – it makes the time fly.  The only problem is that I’m out of things to say.

So today I’m working from home.  In Excel.  Without human connection (save one call this morning).

 

There have been lots of pics/activities/awesomeness that I haven’t gotten a chance to share, so I thought today I’d do a picture-intense post.

Warning: this post is 1) super late and 2) wordless (save a few captions).

 

@ La Pietra Cucina

@ Iberian Pig

 

Michelle Malone @ Eddie's Attic

 

Michelle's after-the-show show

 

New rug... do you like it? I'm not sold.

 

I rode in an Aston Martin DB7 Vantage

 

Sweetgrass Dairy goat cheese stuffed piquillo peppers @ Holy Taco

 

 

Greek yogurt, bananas, Fiber One, cinnamon, and chia seeds

The End.

***

Do you ever just run out of words?

What to you do to re-charge?

 

Rosebud

By

Guess where I am?

 

Don’t be jealous.  11 hours of the day I was shivering in a conference room. It was a good meeting though… and the beach was a great backdrop for dinner!

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Have you guys heard about the bake sale going being hosted by Steph @ Bite by Bite?  Steph is a member of Team in Training and is raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart.  My dad passed away from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia 3 years ago this summer.  Please go check out the bake sale when it opens on Friday!

My contribution is a cookie that my dad enjoyed: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt. 

Recipe to come as I make them and can photog this weekend!  The basics include: dark chocolate, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, almonds, and fleur de sel glittered across the top.

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Growing up my mom used to say I had “rosebud” lips.  I guess that means they were not very wide, yet plump?!

 

I wish I could say I that I remembered this cute story when I made Mother’s Day reservations at a restaurant called Rosebud.   I did not.

Rosebud (1397 N. Highland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306, 404-347-9747) is headed by talented chef and owner, Ron Eyester (@theangrychef).  He gets extra cool-points for naming it after named after Jerry Garcia’s guitar.


Beginning with a light cocktail is the secret to Sunday brunch success.  I ordered the Crispy Cucumber – fresh cucumber juice, fresh squeezed lemon, and champagne.  It was perfect – sparkling, light, and not sweet.

Just as I suspected, the cucumber was a refreshing compliment to the bubbly.

It’s the Sunday version of a green smoothie

 

We started with mini Sweet Corn Muffins (sadly, not pictured). They were served with fresh strawberry preserves.  Honestly, I’m not a big cornbread fan, but these straight-out-of the-oven muffins were irresistible with the preserves.  Rather than taking over the taste, the sweetness in the moist minis was more of an accent.

 

Next up was a Fried Green Tomato app.  These tomatoes were breaded in Ritz crackers and fried to crispy perfection.  (Don’t you hate when they are a greasy, soggy mess?  NOT the case  here!)

The tomato deliciousness was topped with fresh mozzarella, radishes, and leeks.  All served over truffled honey mustard.  That’s right, I said truffled.

My only issue was with the mozzarella – I prefer mine to be creamier than the thicker version served here.

My entree selection was a Wild Mushroom Scramble, topped with chopped romaine and Cypress Grove Midnight Moon goat’s milk cheese.  It was as good as it looks – fluffy scrambled eggs, properly seasoned to let the earthy mushroom and nutty aged chevre to shine.  Nom Nom.

Mom seemed pretty satisfied with her Wild Georgia Shrimp and Grits, served with andoullie sausage, sweet onion, San Marzano tomatoes, and local grits.  These grits are ridiculously good.

 

The dessert special was a chocolate pretzel ice cream with some form of rice crispy treat.  We didn’t order dessert and I still regret it 3 days later.  Learn from my mistake.

 

In conclusion, if you are in Atlanta on a Saturday or Sunday, you should check out brunch @ Rosebud.  Or you could enjoy have brunch for dinner at Rosebud on Friday or Monday.  ‘Cause 2 day weekends are never enough.

***

Do you eat breakfast for dinner?

I could eat breakfast for every meal.

 

A Schizophrenic Foodie

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A schizophrenic foodie.

 

I go from eating pork belly one day to vegan lavender-chocolate chip scones the next.

 

Get in mah belly!

Cream who?

 

Does anyone else do this craziness?

 

I can’t help my schizophrenia.  I love, love, love good, gourmet food.  That 7-course tasting menu at Woodfire Grill was a whole new level of fantastic.

Kevin Gillespie, I don’t care if some people say it’s just Top Chef hype.  You can cook a damn good meal.

 

By the same token, I fully appreciate a creative, vegan baked good.  And I shamelessly pre-gamed lunch with that scone.  They were still making the walnut pesto for my sandwich… and I was STARVING after a long-ish run.

 

Stats:

  • Distance: 6 miles
  • Time: 52:01
  • Pace: 8:67

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Dulce Vegan (1994 Hosea L. Williams Dr. NE Atlanta, GA 30317) opened in the Kirkwood neighborhood 2 weeks ago.  It is a vegan bakery that also serves a daily sandwich – on vegan bread, of course.

I got to speak to one of the owners (and maker of the scone deliciousness) while I waited.  Don’t you love when people are so clearly excited about what they do?

 

From the traffic during my 45 min visit, it looks like people aren’t phased at all by the fact that the store is vegan.

A good cupcake is a good cupcake, right?!

Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free chocolate cupcakes

After my pre-lunch scone, I enjoyed my sandwich: fresh walnut-pesto, balsamic tofu, spinach, and tomato.  And mayo.  All vegan.

The bread was fantastic – I love the satisfying crunch to the crust.  The firmly pressed tofu was also good – the balsamic went really well with the pesto.

My only complaint was the volume of the condiments.  The pesto – while good – was very flavorful.  The amount on the sandwich was a bit overwhelming.  They could have left off the mayo altogether – it didn’t add anything.

 

Don’t skip the scone.  Nom nom.  Nom.  And I officially have a crush on said scone-baker.

Topping off such a day is hard… but I managed to put a koozie to good use.  With a kombucha on my building’s roof.  *big dork*

***

I’m usually eat a vegetarian diet… but I do love the occasional meat-filled indulgence at restaurants.  I’m a scared-of-commitment veg.

Are you schizo with your eating or do you follow a strict vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian/other diet?

 

Guacamole Shake

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Wayyyy back in February my jaw was freshly broken and I was sad.

I couldn’t run, lift, skate… CHEW.  Every time I moved my mouth, I could feel bones moving.  It was creepy.

Looking back at my posts, I’m kind of proud of myself.  On February 8th, I posted my goal race schedule.  I wanted to do the Tough Mudder (4 weeks post-break!) and 3 5Ks by April 16th.

I tore up that 14.1 mile Tough Mudder March 12, then placed 2nd in my age group and set a PR 2 weeks later in the Miles for Smiles 5K.

Then I ran the Sweetwater 420 5K on April 16th… after walking 4 miles to the start line.

 

The next week I placed 2nd in my age group again and set another PR in the Beat the Street for Little Feet 5K!  24:13 was the official time. 🙂

I can’t believe that less than 4 months after the break, I have run the hardest race of my life (Tough Mudder) and shaved 3-4 mins off of my 5K time.  How cool is that?!

Say what you will, but simply writing down goals has power.  Even if you forget you did it until 4 months later.

I just realized I don’t have another 5K planned… maybe Memorial Day weekend?  Anyone know of a good one?  My May schedule has filled up FAST.

After making that Mexican Oatmeal yesterday in honor of Cinco de Mayo, I decided every meal should involve spice.

And tequila.

Kidding!!!

Lunch really was that scramble though.

A Me-Egg-ican Scramble:

  • Mexican Smartground (leftover from WIAW)
  • Egg whites
  • Shallots
  • Jalapenos
  • Kale
  • Pineapple
  • Salsa
  • Cumin, salt, and pepper

The pineapple was actually good in it!  Think pineapple salsa.

Post-run snack was a protein shake.

Served in a pint glass and in the lovely shade of green.  Like a margarita.

Topped with a crumbled Citrus-Spiked Granola Bar. (It freezes beautifully, btw.)

Guacamole Shake

  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/4 frozen avocado
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/2 frozen kale
  • 1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • Squeeze of fresh lime
  • water + ice, to taste

Put  it in a blender, blend until smooth, and enjoy the thick, creamy deliciousness.

Then there was dinner.  Grilled cheese night at Souper Jenny!

Jenny usually only opens for lunch and serves up soups, salads, and a couple of cold sandwiches.  Her menu changes daily, so everything is fresh and creative.

Thursday nights she stays open late and features 2 grilled cheese selections.  Tonight was a Cinco de Mayo special: Ham, Avocado and Mango with Monterey Jack on a Jalapeño Cheddar bun.

Grilled panini-style, this was a crispy, gooey Cinco de Mayo win.

So was the fro-yo I chased it with. 🙂

***

Happy Friday!!!

Do you write down your goals?

If so, do you notice a difference in achievement when you physically write them?

I’ll Have a Pint

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…of KOMBUCHA!

 

My crazy schedule has left me lacking in the grocery department.  Thank god for frozen kale – otheriwse I’d be eating normal-colored non-green smoothies! 🙂

I’ve been without my beloved Kombucha since last Thursday.  After pushing it with a looong (for me) run Sunday (and the travel, which always messes with my… ahem… digestion), I needed a stiff Kombucha to help my body chill out.

On my way to pick up my boss from the airport this morning, I remembered Lee telling my they have Buchi on tap at Whole Paycheck Foods.  It was screaming my name.

Fire is my flavor of choice

My bosses know of my food-love and let me pick the dinner spots when we’re all in town.  Tonight I chose Empire State South.  A (very worthy) repeat for me, but new to them.  Check out my brunch review here.

Tonight was another stand-out meal:

House Charcuterie – my fav was the Deviled Rabbit

Wild Ramps with warm mortadella, english peas, lemon

Blurry Strawberry Gazpacho with pickled shrimp

 

***Insert pretend picture of my entree: Riverview Pork Loin served with pickled WG tango celery, kale and spring onions***

Dessert barely survived long enough for a picture:

Fried Strawberry Pie with picked strawberry and buttermilk ice cream

This Strawberry Fried Pie was one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time.  The dough was more beignet-like than greasy fried pie.  A crunchy sugar coating on the outside was perfectly balanced by the tang of the buttermilk ice cream and pickled strawberries.  I’ll be dreaming about this for days.

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Last night I cam across an article about the ideal percentage of carbs and protein for athletes in the Phidippidies (my favorite local running store) newsletter by Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD.

Carb Tips:

  • Ingest 2.3-3.2 g of carbs per pound of body weight for 1 hour/day of moderate cardio exercise
  • During longer runs (1 – 2.5 hours), aim to take in 30 – 60 grams of carbs/hour (120 – 240 calories)
  • It takes the body 24-36 hours to replenish depleted glycogen stores post-exercise (assuming no running in that time)
  • For runners that struggle running with food on their stomach (me!), swishing a sports drink around in your mouth pre-run “This sends a message to the brain that energy is forthcoming and you’ll feel more energetic. Swishing can enhance performance by 2% to 3% if you are exercising on empty.”

 

Protein Tips:

  • In order to best develop muscle, athletes do need more than the 0.4g protein per 1 lb of body weight.  Aim for 0.5 – 0.8 g protein per pound (if you’re trying for bulk you’ll need more… this is geared to runners!)
  • Eat 20 g of protein within 30 mins of weight/resistance work to maximize benefits. Don’t stop there though – “the highest rate of protein synthesis is 3 to 5 hours post-exercise”
  • They don’t necessarily recommend buying a whey protein supplement.  Like any nutrient, it is best consumed in the course of a balanced diet… HOWEVER, many of us who eat a more plant-based diet may need a supplement.  I’m holding fast to my morning post-workout protein shakes!

Read the full article here.

***

Do you pay attention of the carbs/protein you take in?

I recommend tracking your protein intake for at least a day.  I was shocked to see I need about 20g more!


CSAs and Honky Tonks

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This weekend I went to Nashville for the first time.  One of my friends from grad school, Julia, moved there after we graduated.  Another friend from school, Katherine, and I jumped in the car and went for a fun-filled visit.

We arrived late Friday night and STARVING.  Julia had pizza ready to go on the grill.  It was my first time eating homemade grilled pizza and I loved every bite!

Grilled pizza with zucchini, squash, and mushrooms

 

Saturday morning we had a special treat – Julia took us to her local CSA for the weekly pick up.

 

Madison Creek Farms was a neat little farm filled with some of the most scrumptious-looking produce I’ve ever seen.  The owner, Peggy Lynn Marchetti, was one cool lady – she is obviously passionate about the clean food she grows AND she farms in dangly earrings.  Rock on.

Peggy also writes a blog!  Check her out @ The Female Farmer.

I'd never seen peas on the plant before!

 

Lettuce so beautiful I wanted to roll in it. And eat it. In that order.

 

I'm ruined - I'll never be satisfied with Publix berries again.

 

My awesome friends - Katherine and Julia

 

Gorgeous flowers - does anyone know what kind it is?

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Local Mexican place, Baja Burrito, came highly recommended.  It was just as good as advertised.  If you go, don’t skip the pineapple salsa!

Chipolte chicken burrito in a bowl

 

We also did some very successful shopping.  I found TWO new dresses!

All that hard work shopping deserved ice cream from a shop called Hot & Cold in Hillsboro Village.  They sell Jeni’s Ice Cream, which is hands down the best ice cream I’ve ever had.

 

After the saint behind the counter patiently allowed me to sample every flavor, I settled on scoops of Bangkok Peanut (peanut butter and toasted coconut with cayenne pepper heat at the end – YUM) and Riesling Poached Pear (literally tasted and had the texture of a pear).

Note: Jeni’s can be found at various places around the U.S.  In Atlanta, you can pick up a pint at Star Provisions.

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All that deliciousness didn’t ruin our appetite for dinner.  Julia took us to one of her favorite places, Margot Cafe & Bar.

The menu changes daily based on what’s fresh, but it is always a French-Italian-style cuisine.  I’m assuming it is always good… ’cause this was incredible.

The host seated us at a table right by the open kitchen.  I was unnaturally excited.

That's Margot!

 

We split appetizers:

 

  • Warm olives with roasted fennel and oranges – the fact that the olives were served warm really set this off
  • Sugar snap peas with mint and ricotta salata – mint sauce with this was genius
  • Crunchy sourdough bread

 

The main was so incredible that I forgot to take a picture of my gorgeously prepared entree – a grilled artichoke stuffed with spinach and parmesan and served over basmati rice.

 

Dessert barely lived long enough to be pictured – a cheesecake with polenta crust and strawberries.

 

We finished up a little after 11p and hit the honky tonks.

Beer flight at Flying Saucer

 

Rockabilly band at Robert's

 

Keeping it classy, livin' the High Life

 

I may be little too old to close down a bar… but damn if it isn’t still fun every once in a while. 😉


 

The Sunday drive home went pretty quickly.  Katherine and I drove together and I had fun quizzing her about her 5 marathons.  She’s almost convinced me to try it.

At the very least she inspired me to come home and bust out this killer run:

  • Distance: 8 miles
  • Time: 1:07:20
  • Pace: 8:40

***

Thanks for a stellar weekend, Julia and Katherine!

How was your weekend?  Did anyone else get shut down a bar? 🙂


Empire State South

By

After complaining about the funk and then reading an inspirational post by Caitlin @ Healthy Tipping Point about Ellen, a very cool 73 year-old marathoner, I cranked out a run.

One of my favorite quotes from the interview: Remember, energy begets energy…and it’s contagious.

 

As per usual… I feel better.

Someone just kick my in the arse out the door next time, please!

 

Stats:

Distance: 4 miles

Time: 33:54

Pace: 8:36

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They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  I agree… but brunch is certainly the most delicious meal of the day.

Especially if you can enjoy it at Empire State South (999 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-541-1105).

I’ve visited for dinner twice.  Although it was before I could chew much of anything (my order was an odd mix of sides), I highly recommended you eat every meal here (I live right down the street… danger!).

L to R: Kimchi Rice Grits, Brussels, Oyster Mushrooms with Bok Choy

 

The Kimchi Rice Grits are addicting.

 

Back to brunch.

I met a group for brunch at ESS last Saturday – this is a pretty food-oriented group and we were not disappointed.

I’m not a Bloody Mary fan, but I did sample the Caesar Bloody of someone in my party.  It was made with clam & tomato Juice, worcestershire, olive brine, tabasco, black pepper, lemon. It was GOOD – to the point that I almost ordered one.  Almost.

I drank a delicious cup of Brazilian coffee, made using the pour-over method.  This method renders the freshest cup of coffee you will ever taste. I drank mine black.

 

As a starter we tried the pimento cheese with bacon marmalade.  It was served in a little mason jar with a side of crisp toast.  The chewy, candied bacon was a nice addition to the creamy pimento.  I’m a big fan of the salty-sweet combination to being with.  Add bacon and I’m over-the-moon.

 

Then came the mains.

 

If you’re in the mood for something light, don’t miss the Spring Farm Salad.

 

It consisted of farro, local lettuce, legumes, goat cheese, orange segments, carrots, cucumbers, English peas, and radishes. It was crunchy and full of flavor – more “toppings” than lettuce made it extra satisfying.  It was drizzled with a balsamic reduction and a citrus vinaigrette (I ordered on the side). The vinaigrette was perfectly balanced with the sweet citrus, sea salt, and olive oil.

 

Another dining mate ordered the Pork Confit served over a Jalapeno & Bacon Biscuit with poached eggs, arugula, balsamic onion jam, hollandaise mousseline.

I did a little taste test and can vouch for its deliciousness – the confit was impossibly flavorful and juicy.  Not over salted or greasy, as I have found to be the case around Atlanta lately.  Sadly, he ate it before I got a pic.

 

Then there was the Special. OMG – it was special.

I wish I had written down the description, but from what I recall it was a: Pheasant Empanada with a green chili chow chow, poached egg, local lettuce, orange segments, and a balsamic reduction.  Holy mother of deliciousness.

I’ve never been a big pheasant fan, but this couldn’t have been better.  The empanada was flaky and light – not too greasy (as I find is often the case).

 

And they brought out a little dessert-snack.  Some sort of peanut butter fudgy-toffee.

Just when I thought I couldn’t love them more…

If you’re in Atlanta and in need of brunch this Saturday/Sunday, ESS is worth the trip.

Reservations recommended – especially with the Dogwood Festival this weekend!

***

What is your favorite meal of the day?  Is brunch a weekend must or a special treat?

Happy Friday!!!


Chocolate-Avocado Pudding

By

This week has my nerves a bit frayed.  

I’m in a funk.

I can’t shake this tired feeling.  My banana muffins turned out salty.  Stevie is turning into a terrorist.  My photos aren’t loading properly on Flickr.

*Whine*

Tonight I got through half an hour of P90X Yoga and hit the stop button.  Bah.

Funk = Comfort food.

So tonight I met a friend for some authentic tonkotsu ramen at Yakatori.  It was sheer deliciousness.

Creamy, rich, pork-y broth.  Fresh noodles.  Crispy cabbage bites.  Not too salty.

The service is friendly, the decor is simple, they don’t have forks, and most patrons are not native English-speakers.  Awesome.

This isn’t microwave ramen – you will wait for your food.  Totally worth it.  They bring out crisp, sesame-coated green beans for you to snack on.  If you’re in Atlanta (and you eat pork), it’s a must-try.  Warning: they only serve the ramen at dinner.

Continuing the comfort food, I made chocolate pudding.  With avocado.

If you don’t spill 1/2 the container of coconut butter (try cleaning that off the floor… epic FAIL), this literally takes just 2 mins to prepare.

You can’t taste the avocado – it only adds some good fat and creaminess.  I swear.  Crosses don’t count.

Mine – of course – included chili powder and cinnamon for a little Mexi-flare.  You can leave out one or both of these, but I strongly urge you to at least try the cinnamon.

Did I mention it has 16g of protein?!

Chocolate-Coconut Pudding

  • 1/2 avocado
  • 2 T cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
  • 2 T unsweetened coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
  • 1 T almond butter
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • 1/2 T coconut oil
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 packet Stevia
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional… I like all my food spicy!)

Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

Devour.

***

Don’t cut your tongue licking the blades (that’s right… I deserve a Darwin Award.)

What is your favorite comfort food? 

Does it change seasonally?

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