Sweet Corn (Protein) Shake

June 28, 2013 By Laura

Since discovering my love of corn, there is only one thing to do.

Besides simply “eat it.”

Turn it into a smoothie. Duh. You have to trust me on this one. Corn seems strange, I know. but it’s good. I mean… have I lead you astray before?! ~~Don’t answer that.~~

Raw corn is super sweet. Actually most raw veggies are sweeter to me raw than cooked. This makes them perfect candidates for smoothies – Carrot Cake and Zucchini Bread smoothies happen weekly in my house – and you KNOW I add spinach to everything.

The avocado adds creaminess to the smoothie. You could also use banana (I was out). I never finish a whole avocado before it goes bad, so I eather bake with it or cut the leftovers into slices and store it inthe freezer for smoothies.

Lemon may seen weird, but that zestiness can actually bring out sweet flavors. I added just a twist here!

Ginger also gives this drink it a teeny zing… you could leave it out, but remember it (and lemon) is a great detoxifier!!!

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Sweet Corn (Protein) Shake

1/4 C raw corn
2 T avocado
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ginger
6-7 drops vanilla liquid stevia (or sweetneer of choice)
1/2 cup almond milk (or other liquid)
Ice, to taste
Optional: squeeze of lemon, xanthan and/or guar gum (to thicken)

Put everything in the blender and mix until smooth.

Slurp away!

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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.

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

***

#StrangeButGood turens 30 this week!!! And I turn 30 in 2 weeks. ~~Scary.~~

“Age is just a number. It’s totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine.” ~Joan Collins

Do you drink more smoothies in the summer? I can’t get enough!

What are your favorite veggies to eat raw? Do you ever use them to make them sweet treats?

Red Velvet Chia Cheesecake + WIAW

June 26, 2013 By Laura

Summer is here in earnest.

Convenient since I’m not supposed to get hot.

I am a sun baby, so not being able to be outside playing makes me sad. The follow-up with the surgeon is July 1st… I have a leg day scheduled with my trainer that night. If the Dr. doesn’t clear me to do it, I may cry. Restlessness is in FULL force. I do take walks, but have to be careful to keep them to the early morning or late evening when it’s (supposedly) cooler.

On my walks I have learned it’s impossible to “act natural” while taking pics of yourself along a busy street.

A few (more) fun post-augmentation updates:

Shaving your armpits is really, really hard when the girls are in the way. Hopefully this will get easier as they drop… there was a forest growing there until yesterday morning. Gross, I know.
I can now drive a car comfortably – at first I knew that if I had to make a fast maneuver I was a goner. I was very, very careful.
A lady at the mall looked right at the twins. Their first stare. Awwww!
Getting dressed is interesting. At time its frustrating because don’t look right while I’m still “settling,” but this weekend I was really excited to be able to wear 3 tops I (stupidly) bought and never wore because I lacked the chest to keep the tops from sliding down and showing my bra.
Insomnia has returned. I had it bad in my younger days, but once I started working out that changed. I guess I wore myself out! Now that I’m “resting” I’m just NOT sleepy. Also, I can no longer sleep on my stomach which makes it harder to fall asleep.

This WIAW marks my first day back in the office post-surgery. I actually was working last Monday, but there was NO was I could get dressed and be in an office all day. Thankfully, being a consultant means it’s really easy to do your job from anywhere – including the couch.

Read on for my post-surgery eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s snack-y ideas.

Breakfast:

My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) remains a staple. I’ve taken to adding a shake of cayenne too. Because I’m hard-core.

I took my walk in the early morning coolness. Walking should be relaxing, but really all I could think about was breakfast. Inspired by Kammie’s guest post last week, I decided to turn Red Velvet Cake into a breakfast item. In the form of a cheesecake bowl.

I found beet powder at Whole Foods which gave this its red tint. If you can’t find that, you can use beet puree or simply omit it (Red Velvet cake is just cocoa cake with red food coloring anyway).

This high-protein, low carb, sugar-free bowl of cheesy cake is guaranteed to put a smile on your face to start the day. I’ve had it 2 days in a row. I used cottage cheese to cream it up, but Greek yogurt would work too. Make it vegan by using almond or coconut yogurt!

Mid-Morning Snack:

I love my seafood and fruit combos. This was salmon baked with lemon juice and fresh rosemary, then mixed with blueberries and red pepper flakes. Sweet with a little heat and hint of citrus.

Lunch:

Meal prep Sundays make it possible to bring food that my coworkers openly stare at. I was asked to explain what everything on my plate was, and then was told I bring “elaborate” foods. I was flattered.

Doesn’t everyone eat spinach shirataki noodles topped with ground turkey, broccoli slaw, and a sauce of nutritional yeast, spices, and apple cider vinegar? No?

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I ordered these Keto Slim bars from iHerb.com after reading the good reviews they received. I’m pretty pleased! the sodium is a bit high (200mg), but the sugar is low (2g) and it contains 21g of protein!

It does have sugar alcohols. I don’t watch that too closely (it’s pretty rare I eat processed foods), but if you have problems with them you won’t want this bar. It also has fun stuff like almonds, spirulina, kelp, and beets greens!

Note: iHerb is also where I get my peanut flour and a lot of fun extracts/vitamins/random other things. Use my discount code – USO924 – for $5-10 off your order!

Dinner:

It was a long day at work. I struggle with one co-worker in particular and it was a major source of stress today. ~~I wanted a drink.~~ To sooth my nerves, I made pizza and took a twilight walk.

The pizza crust was my cheese-less cauliflower recipe. For a sauce I mixed together beer mustard, nutritional yeast, cayenne, and liquid smoke.

To top it, I sautéed onion and garlic, and wilted some arugula briefly at the end. I put than on the crust with crab and my sauce. Back in the oven to warm before adding cilantro and a drizzle of fig balsamic glaze to finish it.

Gluten free cheeseless cauliflower pizza crust

You can pick it up and eat it by the slice!

It looks like a lot of effort, but I had dinner on the table in under 30 mins. AND I made a second crust to keep in the freezer. Who needs store-bought frozen pizza?!

Dessert:

Still wanting to treat my nerves, I broke out my Quest bar stash! I cut half a Chocolate Brownie bar into squares and baked it on a piece of parchment paper at 350 for 12 mins. I added a schmear of peanut butter to each bite before adding them to part 2 of my dessert.

Part 2 was a bowl of cinnamon–raspberry cottage cheese. I mixed no salt cottage cheese, cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla Stevia, and mashed raspberries together in a bowl. Then I microwaved it for ~15 seconds to warm it a bit.

Yes, I’m on a cottage cheese bender.

Red Velvet Chia Cheesecake

1/2 C no salt cottage cheese
1/4 C almond milk
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 T chia seeds
1 T cocoa powder
1 tsp beet powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
8-10 drops vanilla stevia

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Cover and place in the fridge overnight (or at least an hour).

In the morning, remove from fridge and stir again. If too thick, you may add more milk.

Enjoy!

***

Don’t forget! Click here to enter the giveaway for a FRS Healthy Energy trial kit. Winner announced tomorrow. 🙂

Do you have to wear yourself out in order to go to sleep?

What is your favorite protein bar? Did you try Kammie’s Red Velvet Bars from last week?

Homemade Red Velvet Protein Bars

June 20, 2013 By Laura

Cake is my favorite.

It’s my Achilles heel. And wine.

I can pass on candies all day long. I don’t like process packaged “treats.” I’m not crazy for chocolates (though those are tasty). Baked goods – homemade cakes and cookies – get me every time.

My favorite cake is Carrot Cake – which is why I had to make a healthy protein microwave version. I did the same for my beloved Chocolate Cake. That chocolate cake was the last meal I ate before the pre-surgery fast:

With melted cherries, peanut butter, and cacao nibs

The last on my list of cake “favorites” to re-create would be red velvet. Kammie must have been in my head, because her guest post today does just that!

I’m really excited Kammie volunterred to post. Every time I read her blog I am inspired. I don’t know how she comes up with post after post of healthy food porn! Read on for Kammie’s latest tasty, protein-rich cake creation.

Homemade Red Velvet Protein Bars

Hey Everyone! I am so glad to be here posting for the lovely Laura! I’ve been following Laura’s blog ever since I started my own so this is a huge honor. Thank you, Laura! Hope you are feeling better!

Let me introduce myself – my name is Kammie and I am the blogger behind Sensual Appeal. I have gone through many ups and downs in my life and finally I have adapted the Intuitive Eating approach in the last couple of months. It has allowed me to finally begin accepting myself for who I am and learning to trust and love my body. I gave up on dieting in March and I haven’t looked back since. My blog and life mantra ever since has been that everything in life should be: Delicious, Mindful, and Happy!

If you do know me as a blogger, you know I’ve always had a slight infatuation with using protein powder in my recipes. I had a phase where I used protein powder ALL the darn time.

I don’t use it as much anymore but it does find its way into my meals here and there. For example, my guilt-free Pumpkin Carob Chip Donuts, Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Shake, Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie Pancakes, or my favorite Double Chocolate Microwave Mug Cake!

If you are confused by all of the varieties of protein powders that are out there – check out this handy guide I created Protein Powders 101: Which is the best Protein Powder for you?

Anyway, I knew right away that a protein-rich recipe would be perfect for Laura and Laura’s readers! So a protein-rich recipe it is!

I realized I haven’t ever actually made protein bars but I do eat them frequently. So I bring you this easy, no-bake, VEGAN and full of protein snack.

The reason why this is red (and called Red Velvet) is because I used Cocoa Cardio instead of cocoa powder – it’s basically cocoa powder with dehydrated beet juice for extra nutrients. You can use regular cocoa powder to make this a regular chocolate protein bar instead. I am not affiliated with Cocoa Cardio, btw. It’s just a cool product I found recently.

Homemade Red Velvet Protein Bars, ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy!

Homemade Red Velvet Protein Bars

¼ C vanilla protein powder
2 T + 2 T coconut flour, separated
2 T almond flour
2 T Cocoa Cardio* (or cocoa powder)
½ C almond milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¼ C dark chocolate chips

Add the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add almond milk by 1/4 cupful and mix. Add the rest of the milk and vanilla in the bowl and mix still. If the batter is still too liquid-y add the other Tbsp of coconut flour. The batter is supposed to be thick enough to mold into shapes.

Take a little bit of the thick batter and shape into balls. Once you’ve formed them into balls, press and mold them into the shape of bars and put on parchment paper. Put the bars in the fridge for a couple of minutes to harden.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or on the stove and once it’s melted dip the bars into the chocolate to coat.

Scoop the rest of the melted chocolate onto the bars with a spoon. Put in the fridge for at least an hour.

Remove from fridge and enjoy!

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

So what do you think? Easy enough?

If you enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to check out my blog for more recipes, healthy living musings and other posts over at Sensual Appeal Blog. Show me some love by liking my Facebook page and subscribing to my YouTube channel!

xo, Kammie

***

I read this post when Kammie sent it and almost begged her to deliver.

Do you like candies or baked goods better? What can’t you turn down?

What is your favorite health-ified treat?

Post-Surgery Surprises + WIAW

June 19, 2013 By Laura

I’m baaaack!

You missed me, right?!

Just over a week after surgery, I’m feeling more “normal” (in my own, #strangebutgood way) and the swelling is starting to go down. They say some people freak out at first, but – thanks to many of you and some good friends – I had a good idea of what to expect post-surgery.

That’s not to say there weren’t some surprises…

5 Post-Surgery Surprises

1. All modesty will go out the window. You will not care that you are naked in the shower at your mom’s house and she is (gently) scrubbing the surgeon’s pen marks off of your chest.

Proof that mamma doesn’t mind – she gifted me with a little boobie prize. 🙂

2. Using a knife is impossible. I can cut most* things now, but at first I couldn’t apply enough pressure to cut a pear.

*I still cannot cut the kabocha squash taunting me on the counter

3. Surgery and/or anesthesia does a number on your digestive system. My muscles were so tight it took an effort to pee. And let’s not even talk about the issues with going #2.

4. Not being able to stretch your arms is torture, particularly after being propped up on a couch for days.

5. The boobs will not be a normal shape. I knew this and didn’t really freak out (thanks in part to the pain meds). They have to settle. No matter who warns you of this, it’s still bizarre the first time you see them.

This snack-themed WIAW is dedicated to post-surgery eats. Another observation to add would be my appetite. I have NEVER experienced a loss of interest in food. When I’m happy, I eat. When I’m depressed, I eat. When I’m bored, I eat. When I have surgery… I don’t care to eat. Instead, I snacked.

Read on for my post-surgery eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s snack-y ideas.

Morning Snacks:

This was eaten just because I had to take my medicine. Bribe me with pain pills the day after surgery and I’ll find something to eat! I mixed almond milk with half a scoop of vanilla protein powder and cinnamon, added multi-grain Cheerios, and topped with sliced peach.

Greek yogurt did taste good to me. I finished off a container of Fage mixed with cinnamon and vanilla liquid stevia. Topped with delicious spring blueberries and cereal crumbles.

When you are stir crazy and just can’t get excited for breakfast, a good alternative is to walk to your local coffee shop (relax Mom, it was only 2 blocks) for an Americano and some ~~light-hearted~~ Wall Street Journal reading.

Later in the Day Snacks:

Greens are good for you. I tried to get my fill of the fresh stuff, and add protein where I could!

This salad was baby kale topped with no-salt deli turkey and nutritional yeast. Side of heirloom tomato and basil, shredded butternut squash salad (thank you, Whole Paycheck), and blackberries.

More salad with kale, turkey, butternut, and tomato. This time I added avocado and pineapple (good for inflammation!).

I also sprinkled lemon juice, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin on top for flavor.

That thing about not wanting food? I take that back. I always want #yolkporn.

On my first day home I grabbed a Tempeh Mole Muffin from the freezer and topped it with a delicious local egg. Eaten with a side if cucumber slices.

The nice people The Good Bean at sent me some roasted chickpeas to try out. I sampled them all… most were a bit salty (I prefer to make my own roasted chickpeas), but I really liked the cinnamon flavor! They also sent a few of their fruit and no-nut bars, of which I loved the chocolate (surprise, surprise).

Actual Meals:

I was really proud of myself on Sunday night – I cooked dinner for Mom and me all by myself! I started rattling off my meal idea to Mom and her reaction was “Have you ever made that before?” I said no… but doesn’t it sound GOOD? #strangebutgood

What resulted was a sort of fried rice. Except I used spaghetti squash instead of the rice, and topped the whole thing with sea bass (that wasn’t exactly cooked by me… it was leftovers). I started by sautéing some pre-cut veggies – red pepper, leeks, asparagus, and zucchini. Then I added the spaghetti squash, and then the eggs. Mix it together, plate, and top with sea bass! Easy. 🙂

The other “real” meal I ate was on my first night home. Kat (who blogs here every other Thursday), came over and made me a delicious meal! She made perfect shrimp and served it over a fresh salad of mache lettuce, avocado, raw corn, and cherry tomatoes.

It was all great, but The real star was her baked goat cheese balls (balls!). She simply formed a ball of soft goat cheese, rolled it in a mix of hazelnut flour and curry spice, and baked it. I don’t know if she’ll post her exact recipe next week (Kat???), but I’m going to have her write it out for me at least!

We also enjoyed it with a shared bottle of rosè. My first wine in over a week. Sweet nectar of the gods.

A Treat:

Mom surprised me with fro-yo! Chocolate and strawberry topped with coconut shreds… we added the blueberries and cacao nibs at home. Holla at ~~being cheap~~ saving money!

***

I seriously considered posting a pic that shows how swollen and high the twins were… everything was covered… but that mayyyy be too far even for me. More appropriate pics will come when things calm down. 😉

Have you ever lost interest in food?

Do you ever bring your fro-yo home to add toppings yourself? I thought this was a brilliant move by my mom!

Rocky Road Berry Coconut Bites

June 17, 2013 By Laura

It’s no secret that I like balls.

“Girls have got balls. They’re just a little higher up that’s all.” ~Joan Jett

I’ve made several balls in the past. Vegan “Meat” Balls, Champagne Cake Balls, Biscoff Dough Balls… ball jokes… ~~I’m a 12-year-old boy at heart.~~

But the BEST balls ever are made by my kindred-blogger spirit, Lindsay. She is more mature than I am, so she gracefully calls them Bites.

Heather, Me, and Lindsay

In case you haven’t figured it out, today’s guest post is from this lovely lady… and she’s sharing her ~~balls~~ bites with all of you!!!

Thank you, Lindsay, for sharing your Rocky Road ~~Balls~~ Healthy Bites and making everyone’s Monday more Marvelous! Read on for the recipe, and check out Katie’s link up to see what else is marvelous on this Monday!

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Hi there friends. My name is Lindsay Cotter and I blog over at Cotter Crunch.

I’m a pro triathlete’s wife, nutrition manager/fitness consultant, kombucha lover & wanna-be wino who has a joyous passion for GLUTEN FREE cooking!

It’s funny, this is my blog title and sub-title and yes, it really does describe my life. No lie. I also make a lot of Strange but Good Cotter Creations, which is why Laura and I get along so well. Plus she is my brother from another mother. Am I right Laura? (Editor’s note: Ummm… YES!)

OK OK, enough of my rambling intro. Let’s get this post started, shall we?

So, the main reason I blog is support my husband. We’ve created this dream together. A dream to pursue HIS professional triathlon career and I get to play wing man woman, or is it wing wife? Either way, I’m by his side.

I’d say my best support comes through food and fueling. I’m good at feeding that man, or so I like to think. 🙂

In an effort to help James (aka the hubs) fuel properly for pre and post workout, I started making him healthy bites. What are Healthy Bites? Glad you asked.

Healthy Bites are my take on functional gluten-free bite sized “ball” snacks. Each bite is made with natural, gluten-free, and mostly organic ingredients.

What started off as a little healthy snack option for me and my husband has now turned into my own little business.

I am passionate about it and want to share these bites with others…kids, athletes, on the go mom’s, food allergy folks, and more!

My mission is to make gluten-free and process free food that actually tastes really good.

Sheesh, do I sound like an infomercial or what? Haha. (Editor’s note: But they really are that good!!!)

Anyway, today I wanted to share with you one of my STRANGE but GOOD Healthy Bites recipes. It might not be strange to some of you, but it is a rather ODD mix of ingredients.

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Rocky Road Berry Coconut Bites

1 heaping cup of Vegan Marshmallows (I use the ones at Whole Foods chicago Vegan Foods Brand)
2 tbsp. 100% cocoa
2 heaping tbsp peanut flour (can also use coconut flour, ground up peanuts, etc.)
1 serving Berry Protein (Vega Smoothie blend is good here)
2 tbsp. Food for Life Vegan Chocolate chip Minis (Can also use carob chips or 100% dark chocolate chips)
1-2 tbsp. unsweetened coconut (shredded)
3-4 tbsp. of preferred nut butter
¼ cup honey
2-4 tbsp crushed nuts (optional)
Optional: cocoa or coconut extract

Grind up your marshmallows in a blender or food processor first. If you have large chocolate chips, go ahead and blend them up with the marshmallows as well. If you are using minis, there is no need, just mix in. Make sure you grind up the rest of your dry ingredients as well.

Transfer into a large bowl and add in nut butter, flours, protein, coconut, and agave. Mix well, and then roll into balls/bites.

Makes around 10-12 bites.

I then like to roll each of them in some extra coconut and/or cocoa. Freeze right away then store in fridge or freezer to maintain freshness. Store for up to 6 weeks. YUM!!

Well folks, that’s all I got for now. I hope you get to make these. If so, please let me know how they turn out.

You can see more recipes in my BOOK of BITES eBook, which is on the side bar of my site. Or if just feel like spending $, cause let’s face it, we all like to at times, feel free to order some yourself from me. I ship!

Pretty BALLER, eh? (pun intended)

Cheers,

***

If I felt better I’d make inapporpriate jokes about my “procedure” and balls.

If you could have any flavor Healthy Bite, what would it be? Lindsay custom made me Reese’s balls!

What is making your Monday marvelous?

Hotel Food + WIAW

June 12, 2013 By Laura

This community blows me away.

That tickles my ta-tas.

All joking aside, I am so, so appreciative of everyone who stopped by and left supportive comments about yesterday’s announcement. I was fully expecting to get slammed by at least a few people, but I didn’t get the first negative comment! It is a personal choice and everyone seemed to acknowledge it.

My mom was surprised I posted about it, but I’m not going to act like I magically grew boobs overnight (wouldn’t it be cool if there was a boob fairy?) and randomly decided to take a break from working out. Keeping it real, y’all.

On top of all that, no one asked awkward questions! I guess you guys are more polite than I am. 😀

What I did love were comment from those of you who’ve had it done. I am really nervous about the recovery and you made me feel a LOT better.

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This day of WIAW is actually a day and a half-ish. I was traveling for work, and due to storms on the East coast I ended up spending 8.5 hours in the Atlanta airport. Preparation saved me.

Check out my travel eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see what everyone else is enjoying!

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Airport Snack 1:

I knew I’d need to eat one meal in the airport, so I’d come prepared with a crab salad. This was just crab, red bell pepper, raw zucchini, nutritional yeast, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, and black pepper.

The best part is the utensil I found at a fast food place to eat it with: a spork!!!

Airport Dinner:

Having to eat this meal in the airport was a surprise. Delta delayed my flight over and over before they finally cancelled it. In total, I spent 8.5 hours in the Atlanta airport. I (finally) made it out, but on another airline.

I always travel with emergency tuna packets and random spices in my bag. The little Ms. Dash was obtained from a cafeteria on a previous work trip. The salad was purchased from Quizno’s in the airport.

Hotel Surprise:

That night when I (finally) arrived in the hotel I had a surprise waiting for me:

Hotel Zasa‘s turn-down service includes a rice krispy treat!!! It was delish, but I managed to stop at half and eat an apple taken from their gym.

Pro Tip: Hotel gyms almost always have a fruit bowl. Perfect place to grab a free snack.

Pre-Workout:

Normally I eat before liftingin the morning, but I’d gotten in and had my snack so late I wasn’t starving. I DID have my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). It turns out that you can get through security with a small container of apple cider vinegar.

Totally patted myself on the back for this one.

Despite the late night I was motivated to go after seeing it the night before. There were chandeliers in the workout room!!! I’m also motivated by the fast that today is my last workout before surgery. I’m trying to enjoy it while I can!

Side note: The women in the background was with my client. We hadn’t met in person before, so I didn’t realize it until the meeting started a few hours later.

Breakfast:

Our meeting began early in the morning, so breakfast was supplied in part by the hotel. I got berries, eggs with some onions and red pepper, and a strip of bacon. The eggs weren’t good (hotel eggs never are), so I mainly ate bacon and fruit. And my own little #strangebutgood creation: chocolate protein powder mixed with coffee. Mocha protein pudding!

Mid-Morning Snack:

We had a working snack time. The hotel brough in mixed nuts and fruit. These nut mixes are salty and have those totally unhealthy little crackers in them. I enjoyed every bite.

I stole the mint garnish for the pic. #sorryimnotsorry

Lunch:

More hotel meeting food. I took the meat out of some dried out tortillas and ate it with the pico and guac. Only ate a few bits of the dry rice. Have I mentioned I dislike meeting-food?

Afternoon Snacks:

I would normally have eaten the tuna here, but Friday’s delay threw me off. I did have this mini Recharge bar leftover from Blend schwag bags. It was pretty good!

There were also the obligatory pretzels on the (delayed) fight while I worked away. I got over the Biscoff addiction, but can never say no to pretzels.

Dinner:

I was desperation hungry by the time I finally got home. I did have some veggies on hand, so I thawed a veggie burger and used collard greens to make a “taco.” The stuff on top was parsnip rice mixed with diced cucumber, basil, nutritional yeast, cayenne, cumin, turmeric, and pepper.

Dessert:

Since I’m having surgery on Thursday, I can’t eat after midnight Wednesday. And my surgery isn’t until 1p!!! Obviously, I am already worried about being hungry. Despite a late dinner, I had a double size Carrot Cake Protein Batter… after eating a lot of unpictured Muesli Fusion (also from Blend) straight out the bag. Bam.

It topped with with cacao nibs and peanut flour fluff (I do random peanut flour mixes – this one was with almond milk, flax, cinnamon, and chocolate stevia).

***

While I’m recovering I have a few guest posts lined up… I know people sometimes ~~ignore~~ skim those, but as I got through them I’m really hoping you will take a sec to read. They are awesome! I even have a guest #strangebutgood for Friday. 🙂

Have you ever used a spork?

Honesty. Always the best policy? I sometimes wish I had a 5 second delay on my mouth…

Strange But Good: Microwave Protein Zucchini Bread

May 31, 2013 By Laura

I have an unintentional pattern of behavior.

Let’s be honest… I have several patterns: wake up, eat, workout, eat more, sleep.

This particular pattern is a recipe development pattern. I make something with carrot. Then I make it with zucchini. What can I say? I play favorites!

Even though I’d made the carrot version, I thought zucchini could qualify for #strangebugood. Mostly because my Southern family would stare, mouths open, at the thought of making a healthy zucchini bread. If that wasn’t enough, the sight of it cooking in the microwave would send them over the edge.

It does work, and it solves a common problem when microwave baking – the problem of dry mug cakes. With the added moisture from the zucchini, your cake will be almost juicy. In a good way.

For the protein, I wanted to use something super-clean that added a good vanilla flavor. Clean protein powders have become increasingly important to me after reading (and being shocked by) the ingredient list of a popular powder that shall remain nameless. That’s why I REALLY happy to have found Growing Naturals. You can read more about them here.

This small company sponsored part of my Blend trip, and I was able to share some with a few of the ladies there. However, there wasn’t enough for EVERYONE and what about those that couldn’t go? Growing Naturals is generously offering a discount code – “SPRINT30” – for 30% off your first purchase any product through until July 31!

I think these guys were excited about clean protein at Blend too!

Microwave Protein Zucchini Bread

Based on my Microwave Protein Carrot Cake recipe.

1/2 C grated zucchini (90g)
1 scoop Growing Naturals Rice Vanilla Protein Powder (or 31g scoop of your preferred)
1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 egg white
1 T applesauce (no sugar added, can also use pumpkin puree)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp butter extract (optional)
~8-9 drops NuNaturals lemon liquid stevia
“Icing” (see below)

Grate zucchini, squeeze out excess moisture, and set aside.

Place dry ingredients in bowl and stir to combine. Stir in wet ingredients. Mix in grated zucchini.

Transfer to a greased (I use PAM) cereal bowl and microwave for 2-2.5 mins (mine took 2:15). Tip the cake out onto a plate and top as desired.

My cake was topped with a cheese cake icing made by combining Greek yogurt with cinnamon, ginger, cake batter drops, and stevia.

Makes 1 cake.

Approximate Nutritionals (will vary based on protein powder used): 154 calories, 2.1g fat, 183.7mg sodium, 13.4g carbohydrates, 0.7g fiber, 6g sugar, 24.5g protein.

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?

Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

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

***

This weekend is Atlanta’s Food & Wine Festival. I’m so exctied I can barely stand myself!

What are your unintentional (or intentional) patterns?

Have you tried mug cakes? What’s your favorite recipe?

Georgia Running Trail Review + Pancake Fuel

May 30, 2013 By Laura

Starting out on the right foot is important.

Yet so often I forget…

Kat’s post today is all about trail running, I thought I’d share a quick pancake recipe (sorry if you saw this on Instagram already). She talks about hiking fuel at the end of this post, but my recipe would be good for pre-hike fuel!

These cakes have a great mix of carbs and protein to start you off feeling the right amount of full! I really loved how moist they were (yes, I used the word moist) thanks to the cottage cheese. Leaving some larger pieces of the oats gives it a fabulous chew, especially if you use a mix of grains (mine is oats and millet).

Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes

(Inspired by Morganne)

1/4 c oats
1/3 c egg whites
1/4 c cottage cheese
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp butter extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
Stevia or other sweetener, to taste

Place all ingredients in a lender (I used the small Magic Bullet container) and briefly mix, allowing some larger pieces of oats to remain. Cooked in a pan over medium heat, flipping half way through.

Top as desired. I used raspberries, strawberries, and peanut butter syrup. My syrup mix consisted of sugar-free syrup, peanut flour, caramel extract, and a little water. I didn’t measure… but just guess and adjust as you go.

I’ve babbled enough! Here’s Kat!!!

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Mega Trail Heaven – Trail Reviews!

Since I last wrote, yes, Law School Graduation happened! It was a crazy day, and yes, it’s true, family drama cannot be kept at bay. I did have friends and family visit from all over, and it ended up being completely AWESOME. I am especially grateful to my friends who came from out-of-state, and even from locations 8 hours away.

And afterwards, we went out on the town. Dancing with Mom and Grammy was awesome!

After the fancy cocktail party, we went to a local club to dance the night away. Grammy I think won us all over, and my friends dancing with Grammy was also not too shabby… the pics below are not even the highlights but I don’t want to really embarrass anyone. 😉 (Editor’s note: Yes, let’s not ruin any political careers…)

And, in honor of celebrating graduation and my little break before bar review, I am having a little fun! (Editor’s note: WELL deserved!)

First, I got a new bike! She is a Scott Plasma tri bike, and she rides like a Porsche! I took her out on Friday for our first ride together! (Editor’s note: What’s her name?!)

Second, I am trail running like crazy! I have hit over 5 different trails in the last week for some long, much needed and deserved runs. Here is an overview of some of the trails and my personal “Trail Review.”

1. Sope Creek trails

Sope Creek is located just outside the Atlanta perimeter (285). A short drive for local Atlanta folk, and they are GORGEOUS. These trails are easy to navigate with maps at every turn. There are not many hills, and most of them are also suitable for mountain biking! There are also some cool old paper mill ruins.

(Editor’s note: I grew up RIGHT there and went to Sope Creek Elementary!)

2. Yeti Trails

Saturday, I went over to the Tributary and got a good run in on the Yeti Trails, which are located near Sweetwater State Park. (Editor’s note: I love these trails!)

These trails are pretty mild with some incline and decline, but no mountains, that’s for sure. They’re well-shaded and provide scenic views of water crossings and the river. You can also throw in some steeper hills at the power lines and gas lines, if you desire! (All before I went car shopping! You will get to see my new car next time!)

Yeti Trails

3. Hiker Hostel

Then I headed up to the mountains and stayed at Hiker Hostel, a cute little hostel that allows dogs! So we could bring pups up to hike AND I could run some trails.

Hiker Hostel is great because it’s family owned by a husband and wife who are super friendly, and they have their own bees for honey, and their own chickens! Such an adorable home. If you are ever in North Georgia, it’s a great place to stay! They also have a fully equipped kitchen downstairs so you can make your own dinner.

They have chickens to provide eggs for your breakfast!

They also sell their coffee by the pound, and with a message!

4. Vogel State Park

This cute get-away allowed us to first go up to Vogel State Park where we hiked the Bear Hair Trail with the dogs, and I got to go for a run on the Georgia Death Race course.

The hike on Bear Hair was awesome – lots of beautiful plants, including “flaming azaelias,” a local wild flower, and plenty of water crossings. There were enough hills to make it a difficult hike, but a fun couple of hours with the pups.

Vogel State Park

Then, I hit the Appalachian Trail… a bit easier to run here than on Bear Hair, and not QUITE as much scenery. The trails are pretty rocky, with some water crossings. I had never seen these trails during the day!!! I also had a cathartic moment where I revisited the location where I sprained my ankle.

5. Woody Gap

Monday morning I went for a run at Woody Gap, a section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) between Vogel and Amicalola Falls State Park. These trails are comparable to the AT by Vogel but has better scenic overlooks and is a bit rockier.

They are a difficult run, but worth the beauty. I also ran into a bunch of hikers, surprised to see a runner out there! (Editor’s note: further proof you’re a bad ass.)

Woody Gap

6. Amicalola Falls

Then we went to Amicalola Falls on Monday afternoon for some more hiking. While you can also get on the Appalachian Trail for running from here, we stuck to the park area, which was over-crowded due to the holiday weekend.

The park definitely had a more peaceful feel to it with all of the water (Editor’s note: the falls are gorgeous!), and the hiking was actually pretty difficult. I was pooped after just a few short miles. The dogs were ready to go too!

Amicalola Falls

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Overall, it was one of the best Memorial Day weekends I have ever had!! 5 sets of trails AND a bike ride in 5 days – BLISS! This was all followed by an adjustment on Monday night with Nate, who also adjusted the dogs! (Editor’s note: Whaaaat?!)

With all of this activity all over the trails, it’s important to care for your body! The trails do it for the mind and soul – they make me happy… but how about fueling this type of outdoor activity?

My favorite trail foods are usually foods that provide the right amount of sugars and carbs to keep me going, with just enough protein (Editor’s note: Yay, protein!) to fill me up!

Like Laura’s What I Ate Wednesday, I’m going to give you a “What I Ate on the Trails”:

First, I always fuel on Lara Bars, especially the Cashew Cookie. I also enjoy the Peanut Butter Cookie. They have none of the crap that many other bars have. They are simple ingredients of nuts and dates, unless you get fancier versions, but still few ingredients are added.
Typical trail food also includes potato chips and gummy bears! (Editor’s note: These hot summer months are the time when I’d be with you on the salt!!!)
I also enjoy the following raw veggies as fuel on the trails – these items don’t squish in your pack, and they take a bit longer to digest, so you get a constant supply of the sugar and carbs you need to keep going:

Apples
Sweet Potatoes
Sliced Beets
Packets of Honey (you can make these at home)
The puppies enjoyed some beets while hiking

However, even more than eating just right, it is very important to hydrate! Sunday, I drank over a gallon of water between breakfast and dinner, and I was still thirsty! It’s getting hotter, and this is my plug about being smart with hydration (and it doesn’t hurt to throw in some electrolytes like coconut water) so you can go all day and not feel bad!

I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and are enjoying the warm summer weather!

***

Just when I think I’m active… I read Kat’s post. 😉

What are your favorite outdoor sports? Any favorite trails?

Do you like to run or hike with your dogs?

Sweet Corn (Protein) Shake

A few (more) fun post-augmentation updates:

Breakfast:

Mid-Morning Snack:

Lunch:

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Red Velvet Chia Cheesecake

Homemade Red Velvet Protein Bars

Homemade Red Velvet Protein Bars

5 Post-Surgery Surprises

Morning Snacks:

Later in the Day Snacks:

Actual Meals:

A Treat:

Rocky Road Berry Coconut Bites

Airport Snack 1:

Airport Dinner:

Hotel Surprise:

Pre-Workout:

Breakfast:

Mid-Morning Snack:

Lunch:

Afternoon Snacks:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Microwave Protein Zucchini Bread

Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes

Mega Trail Heaven – Trail Reviews!

1. Sope Creek trails

2. Yeti Trails

3. Hiker Hostel

4. Vogel State Park

5. Woody Gap

6. Amicalola Falls

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