Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Key Lime Pie Smoothie

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To be honest, I’m not a big Key Lime Pie fan.

When Allie requested a smoothie version, I cringed a bit.  She was the inspiration for the Oatmeal Cookie Dough Shake, which is one of the most popular I’ve made… so I trusted her idea and set my mind to filling her request.

Cool down after a workout with this healthy Key Lime Pie Protein Shake!

My problem with key lime pies in the past is that the balance of tart and sweet is not right.  Have you ever taken a huge bite of a too-green-to-be-real pie and nearly spit it out because it’s too sour, or so sweet that your teeth hurt?  One bad experience can ruin you.

My dad would order a slice anywhere we went, and after one such achingly sweet bite I decided I would forever stick to my usual chocolate dessert orders.  Tragic, I tell you.

Cool down after a workout with this healthy Key Lime Pie Protein Shake!

I guarantee that this smoothie won’t end in such a tragedy.  The lime is balanced with the natural sweetness of banana and a bit of stevia.  Hints of vanilla and almond give it more depth  of flavor, also helping to balance the lime.  The key lime green color is all-natural from spinach, rather than the neon glow of food coloring.  One of my favorite features is the creaminess.  The banana gives it a great texture, and – if you use the Guar Gum – it will further enhance the decadent smoothness.

Of course everyone’s favorite part of pie is the crust.  Rather than the usual buttery calorie bomb, I rimmed my glass in a mix of crushed cereal and sugar-free maple syrup.  Crunchy goodness with each sip!

Cool down after a workout with this healthy Key Lime Pie Protein Shake!

Whipped cream topping is standard on many pies.  A drinkable version shouldn’t lack that finishing touch!  For this shake, I made a quick cream from coconut flour and vanilla almond milk.

The fluff floated atop my pie-drink and you better believe I hoarded that deliciousness until the last drop was gone.

Cool down after a workout with this healthy Key Lime Pie Protein Shake!

Cool down after a workout with this healthy, vegan Key Lime Pie Protein Shake!

Key Lime Pie Protein Shake

  • 1 C spinach
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Growing Naturals)
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 4-5 T fresh lime juice (or 1/4 small lime if you have a Vitamix)
  • 1 T ground flax
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 tsp Guar Gum (optional)
  • 7-8 drops liquid stevia (or other sweetener)
  • Ice, to taste

For “Crust”

  • 2 T cereal crumbs
  • Sugar-fee maple syrup
For “Cream” Topping
  • 1 tsp coconut flour
  • 2 tsp water
  • 1 drop liquid stevia

Combine all smoothie ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

For the “crust,” lightly coat the rim of your glass with maple syrup and dunk in cereal crumbs – it’s just like rimming a margarita glass with salt.

For the “cream,” mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Adjust liquid as needed.

Carefully pour your smoothie into the rimmed glass and top with cream.

Enjoy!

***

I leave you with my favorite pie quote from Jack Handy: “When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick, but if it’s not, mmmmmmmm, boy.”

What is your favorite pie?

If you had a choice, what kind of food-related heaven would you choose?

Stripper Heels + WIAW

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I got 99 problems but a bench ain’t one.

Yep.  That’s on my workout play list.

Last week I talked in this post about focus at the gym, and how purposeful lifting increases results.  I attribute that to many of the gains I’ve been able to make since beginning figure competition training.  I’ve also talked a lot about diet and eating to fuel workouts.  I’m doing a little better with my increased meal requirements.  It’s still not easy… but seeing that it works is encouraging.

So now it’s time for the other part of training to begin.

Posing in stripper heels.

If you ever want to feel totally awkward and like Bambi on new legs, try to balance in plastic heels while keeping your feet together, butt out, and shoulders “big.”

After last night – my very first posing practice – I learned that I have a LOT to learn.

This is the last summer edition of What I Ate Wednesday.  While I’ll be strutting my stuff in a bikini and stripper heels in the coming months, looking out my window at the rainy weather I know fall is in the air.

 

 

Check out my pescatarian protein-filled day below, then click here to visit Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s end of summer eats!

Meal 1:

I’ve been changing up my typical mix of aminos and 2T of apple cider vinegar but adding 1 tsp of glutamine and a couple drops of orange stevia.    I’m loving the hint of orange!  This combo has really replaced my coffee to aid in digestion and provide energy in the morning.

Something I have noticed since being on a training diet is that I get on food-kicks more often.  Right now it’s pancakes!  This morning I did a repeat of last week’s PrOATein Pancakes.

This week I spiced it up a bit by doubling the cinnamon and adding 1/4 tsp of ground ginger.

Served with a broiled grapefruit – recipe here.

Meal 2:

Remember the apple cupcake from last week?  I made that frosting again, but this week I enjoyed it out of a martini glass with pumpkin seeds and golden kiwi.

The golden kiwi was a farmer’s market find.  It’s like a sweeter regular kiwi.  I love them!

 Side note: late in the day I knocked this glass off the counter and shattered it.  See how graceful I am?

Meal 3:

This is one of my favorite seafood creations to-date.  I marinated tilapia in tequila, lime and some other stuff before cooking it on a grill pan.

I continue to suffer from over-stuffing.  My “taco” was more of a flat bread.  Whatever… it was still good.  My toppings: black bean dip, spinach, red onion, cucumber, red pepper, jalapeno, and cilantro.

Meal 4:

This gazpacho was made using some late season tomatoes and my über expensive crab meat.  It’s what I ate pre-workout the night I hit my bicep PR, so I thought I’d try it again!

Meal 5:

One of the best modifications my trainer has made to my diet is meal switching.  If it is time for a carb meal, but I’m about to workout out I swap it for a non-carb meal.

Normally right now I’d be eating 2 veggies, a carb, and a protein; however, I had leg day with my trainer.  What I did instead is have a veggie and a protein and saved the carb for Meal 6.

This is what eating just to get my protein in on the whey to the gym looks like:

GNC whey protein mixed with Greek yogurt and cinnamon.  With a side of cauliflower.  It was an interesting combo, to say the least. 

Meal 6:

Post-workout I happily slurped on my Carrot Cake Batter Protein Shake on the way home.  I added spinach and celery to get my second serving of veggies.  You can’t taste either one at all!  I also blended in some rolled oats and topped it with cinnamon Kashi to get my carbs.

Meal 7:

This week I have been really FULL.  I think I’m making such an effort to increase meal sized during the day that I get to meal 7 and am over the limit.  There’s nothing like 2.5 hours at the gym to cure that!  After posing practice and a brutal leg day, I was more than happy to squeeze in one more meal.

This is Lauren’s recipe for Vegan Bread Pudding, slightly modified.  Instead of the pumpkin I used a mashed up peach, added 1 T almond milk, and used the end piece of my P28 High Protein Bread rather than Ezekial bread (I’ll be ordering more of that!).  I also left out the walnuts, as I don’t eats fats in Meal 7.

So.  Good.

***

I still need to get a little more in my day, but I’m well on my way with the 176.6g of protein from today’s eats!

Have you ever had broiled grapefruit?

Any one out there with experience walking in stripper heels?  I’m going to need help.  🙂

Low-Fat Peanut Almond Butter

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I’m terrible at making nut butter.  

Does that get me kicked out of the blog world?  The only one I’ve ever successfully made was a Spiced Almond Butter.

Until today.  I found a workaround.

One my training diet, I can’t have a ton of fats.  However, I do get to have a handful of almonds or seeds each day.  I’m forever searching for a way to maximize the nutty deliciousness.  What can I say – I’m a volume eater.

With this low-fat peanut almond butter, I can have a heaping 2 tablespoons of the good stuff.  I’ve been taking full advantage – smearing it on toast, stirring it into Greek yogurt, dipping apple slices in it… name your favorite way to eat peanut butter and this is a worthy sub!

For a protein-filled breakfast, I slathered it on a piece of P28 high protein bread and topped it with fresh peaches.

The true test was when I craved it on a cheat day.  On a day when anything goes, I still slathered a piece of toasted bread with this butter and happily snacked away.  Of course, that “bread” was a slice of chocolate pound cake. 😉

Recipe at the bottom, after a quick, unrelated review…

You may have seen Energy Bits reviews floating around the blogs lately.  At 64% protein, I REALLY wanted these to live up to the hype.

Spirulina has been gaining popularity lately.  These bits are made from 100% organic spirulina algae.  It’s super high in protein, low in calories, and will supposedly “boost your athletic performance, supercharge your run or crank up your endurance while working or working out.“

Sounds almost too good to be true, right?

Well…. it was for me.  I didn’t notice the slightest difference.

Ideally you are supposed to chew them.  I tried one and nearly gagged, so I opted to swallow the rest.  I waited a good 45 mins to let it hit my system before working out, but no dice.  Maybe they’d work if you took them more consistently?

I received these at no charge through the Fitfluential Ambassador  program.  This is my honest opinion.  I wanted to like them… but I can’t see spending $115 on this product.  Thank you to the Energy Bits crew for allowing me to sample the product!

Low-Fat Peanut Almond Butter

  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 3 T peanut flour
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 6 drops vanilla liquid stevia
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Mix nut flours and almond milk until combined.  You may adjust liquids to desired consistency.  If too thin, place the mix in the fridge to thicken. Add sweetener and cinnamon, if desired.

Makes ~8T.

Approximate Nutritionals (per tablespoon): 32 calories, 2.2g fat, 5.6g sodium, 1.6g carbohydrates, 0.8g fiber, 0.3g sugar, 2.3g protein

***

Today my dad would have turned 57.  It’s hard to believe he’s been gone 4 years… but he is forever my inspiration.  Happy Birthday, Daddy.

“Death ends a life, not a relationship.” – Mitch Albom

Are you a successful nut butter maker? (Sarah, you can’t answer, #nuttybutter )

What is your favorite nut butter pairing?

Tales from the Gym + Caffeinated Giveaway

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There’s one in every crowd.

You  know the one.  The dude that you keep catching staring at you in the gym.  You know it’s just a matter of time before he comes over to chat.  Monday was that day.

First, you have to picture this guy.  Mid-30s, frat boy hair cut, tattoos up on arm… fairly big guy with a little beer belly.   He sauntered up to me while I was adding weight to the seated row machine.

He opened his mouth to reveal one of the most Southern accents I’ve heard in Atlanta.

Frat Man: “I believe that’s more than you weigh.”

Me: “Not quite, but close.”

Frat Man: “I’ve been watching you.  You’re strong.”

Me: “Thank you.”

We went our separate ways, but I notice he’s still glancing over at me.  Later I was doing my calf raises and he asked if he could work in.  I obliged, but before he started, he had to add more commentary.

Frat Man: “I’m sorry I keep staring at you.  I can’t help it – you look just like Tinkerbell.”

Me: “Well… thanks!  I love Tinker.”

Frat Man: “I mean it.  Straight from the TV… how much do you weigh?”

Me: “I’m not really sure.”

Frat Man: “Well, you look good.”

Me: “Thanks.  Have a great workout.”

All of this went down in the least creepy way possible (trust me – I know creepy).  Well, aside from the fact that he said he’s been watching me.  LOL!

Slightly less funny, but still amusing.  This was on the television at the gym yesterday morning:

Daria.

I kind of wanted to stop and watch.

But I mentioned a giveaway, right?

This is one of the more exciting giveaways I’ve done, IMHO.  Reason being is that I LOVE this product.  Often I see giveaways for products that aren’t so great.  Of course, everyone has different tastes… but I do make it a point to try samples before agreeing to a giveaway.  There have been products I’ve turned down – I feel like it reflects badly on me if you are sent something that isn’t that great!

That’s not the case with this giveaway (or with the P28 Bread – I am in LOVE).

Chike contacted me about their coffee protein powder a few weeks ago.  I was hesitant – often I find coffee-flavored stuff to be too fake.  I like the real thing.  The rep assured me the caffeine content was the same as a 2 espresso shots, and it was low sugar/low sodium I knew I had to give it a shot.  Enter: a new addiction.

Who needs Starbucks when you can have a homemade protein mocha frapp with a fraction of the sugar?  If you were to order a Grande (16 oz) Mocha Frappucchino Light at Starbucks, you’d be drinking 130 calories, 28g carbs, 26g sugar, and 4g of protein.  You might as well just swallow 2 tablespoons of sugar.

With 20g of whey protein, 23 vitamins & minerals, and just 2g sugar, this powder makes for a perfect pre-workout shake.  Sunday I was feeling really sluggish after eating too many salty truffle fries on cheat day (I woke up feeling hung over!), but I downed this before meeting my trainer and had a great leg workout.

In my re-creation of the frappuccino, you’ll only have the 2g of sugar from the Chike protein powder and an additional 6-7g from half of a banana.  This is a mocha (any excuse for chocolate in the morning), but you could change up the flavors to recreate your favorite.

Check out this Pumpkin Frapp I did last fall, for example.

You guys know I can’t make a smoothie without adding spinach, so this delicious beverage has a slightly green-ish tint.  The banana added natural sweetness and lent a creamy texture to the drink.

I can never stress enough – use good cocoa!!!  Your drink will be 10x better and 1T of the good stuff won’t break the bank. 🙂

Recipe at bottom.

I’ll get off my sugar-soap box now and tell you how you can get your own Chike High Protein Coffee.

3 winners will be randomly chosen to receive 5 packets of the coffee, and a Chike Blender bottle.  You can never have enough blender bottles.

Receive up to 4 entries:

  1. Follow me on Twitter or Subscribe to the Sprint 2 the Table RSS feed or email
  2. Tweet: You could say something like: I’ve entered to win a blender bottle and sample pack from @iLikeChike with @sprint2thetable http://wp.me/p16jDn-1rZ  #giveaway
  3. Be Social: Twitter Follow Chike, Pinterest Follow Me and/or Pin Something of Mine, Instagram Follow Me
  4. Comment: What is your go-to caffeinated beverage?

Please leave a *separate comment* for each entry!

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST Thursday night,  August 23rd.  The winner will be announced here on Friday, August 24th!

Open to US Residents only.  If you’d like to try these bars but didn’t win, you can order your own on the Chike website.

Mocha Protein Frappuccino

  • 1 serving Chike High Protein Coffee (or 1 scoop protein powder + 1 tsp instant coffee)
  • 1 C spinach (optional)
  • 1/2 medium banana
  • 1 T cocoa powder
  • 7-8 drops liquid Stevia
  • 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1.8 tsp Guar Gum (optional, acts as a thickener)
  • Ice, to taste

Place all ingredients in blander and mix until smooth.

Top with your favorite add-ins – I used raw oats here – and enjoy!

***

Yesterday we lost one of the most brilliantly funny comedians to walk this earth.  RIP to Phyllis Diller.  I’ll leave you with her wisdom: “Best way to get rid of kitchen odors: Eat out.”

What is your funniest gym interaction?

Are you concerned with sugar intake? 

Lemon Cardamom Granola

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I’m a schwag whore.

 

 

Race expo bags, conference loot, free t-shirts, retreat goodies… you name it, I get excited.  You can imagine my eyes popped out of my head when I saw the gigantic bag ‘o schwag we were gifted at the Blend Retreat.  Lots of bars, cereal, Fitmixer Aminos, protein drinks, and even granola.

One of my favorite items was a lemon-blueberry granola by Nature’s Indulgence.  It’s loooong gone, but I still think about it.

 

 

When I saw this guest post on Lauren’s blog, I was excited to be able to combine those flavors once again.

I had to take liberties with the recipe, as my training diet doesn’t allow for the sugar.  You know what?  I don’t even miss it in this recipe!  A mashed banana helped to sweeten and bind the granola, and it lended a subtle fruit flavor since dried fruits are a no-no (pure sugar, people!).

 

 

Another twist I put on the original was to add a bit of cardamom.  You have to be careful with it – a little goes a long way – but a small amount added to sweet-ish recipes can elevate it to something uniquely delicious.

 

 

One of the things I liked the most about the Nature’s Indulgence version was the inclusion of millet.  It added a cool crunch to the texture.  I didn’t have any millet, but the chia seeds in my version to achieve a similar effect.

It is really fantastic sprinkled over a bowl of Greek yogurt with fresh plum and cinnamon.

 

Recipe at bottom.

______________________________________________________________________________________

First a little round up from the blog world!  I sometimes worry that much of the stuff I make is too weird for anyone to actually try.  More often that not I end a description with “Its really is good, I swear!”

Because of this, I get unnaturally excited when you guys share your own iterations of recipes I’ve posted.  Here are a few recent shares from around the blog/Instagram world… they’re good, I swear!!!

 

Allie ordered her very own peanut flour and tried my favorite sauce combo: peanut four, almond milk, and sriracha:

 

 

Heather rocked out a vegan version of my Tiramisu Protein Parfait using a coconut whipped cream that looks absolutely scrumptious:

 

 

Ashley made this Protein Breakfast Tart that I adapted from Tessa… coincidentally, I made it again yesterday morning. 🙂

 

 

Lauren made my PB & Jeggs with a grilled PB&J after I told her of my childhood love.  I wonder if anyone will try this lightened up version posted yesterday. 

 

 

Last but far from least, Meg made my take on a Cauliflower Pizza Crust.  It turned out beautifully, and I love her runny egg on top!

***Since the original post, I’ve remade and improved upon the crust.  Based on feedback from others I realized the measurements needed to be more precise and detailed instructions.  Look for that update on Monday!***

 

Thank you to everyone who has tried a recipe and/or given feedback!  I love learning from you all. 🙂

____________________________________________________________________________________


Lemon Cardamom Granola

  • 1 C rolled oats
  • 1/2 large banana, mashed
  • Zest & juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1T coconut oil
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 10 drops NuNaturals Lemon Liquid Stevia
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract

 

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl until well-combined.

Spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 mins.  Stir the granola and bake another 10 mins, until golden brown.  

Allow the granola to cool completely before transferring it to an air-tight container.

Note: If you don’t have Stevia, you can sub in 1-2T of your favorite liquid sweet treat (maple syrup, agave, etc.).

Makes 4 servings (1/4 C each).

Approximate nutritionals: 117 calories, 6g fat, 16.4g carbs, 2.3g fiber, 2g sugar, 3g protein

***

I’m attending y first show this weekend!  I can’t wait to see the figure competitors… it’s hard to believe that’s going to be me in a few months! 🙂

What is your favorite granola combo or recent blogger recipe?

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

 

Maple Zucchini Bread Batter + WIAW

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I’m full.

No, not full of shit.

Full of food.  Protein.  Complex carbs.  Veggies.  This is a result of my my nutrition plan changes.  I mentioned Monday that they were coming.  And come they did. I was secretly hoping I’d just get another cheat day. No dice.

The veggies and carbs have increased slightly… and then there’s the protein.  It has doubled, and is now required to be from a “real” source (fish, egg, or soy) at a minimum of 3 meals.  I’m not there yet, so don’t call me out on this first WIAW.  It’s going to take me a little time to ramp up.  I’m fast learning that figure competitions are not for the faint of heart.  😉

In summation, this is the bulking edition of What I Ate Wednesday.  Tuesday morning was spent at a panel event where I knew I wouldn’t be able to get the foods I need.  It was fun to brainstorm some portable meals that could be prepped the night before!

I did keep it seasonal, thanks to a recent rampage of the Farmer’s Market.  Check it all out below, then click here to visit Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s summer eats!

Meal 1:

As usual, I began my day with Fitmixer Aminos mixed with ~2T of apple cider vinegar and water.  I won’t bore you with another pic,  but trust me when I say this stuff is the bomb.  Especially when you have to wake up for a 7am conference.  I wish I was making that up.

This week I managed to NOT have PB & Jeggs for once.  This week I planned ahead and – knowing I’d need the caffeine for my early morning – made Overnight Mocha Protein Oats.  Who needs Starbucks when you have this tastiness?

Mocha Protein Oats:

  • 1/3 C rolled oats
  • 1/2 C water (or liquid of choice)
  • 1/4 C coffee (chilled)
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 1/4 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1-2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 5-6 drops liquid stevia 
Place the oats and liquids in a medium bowl and microwave ~3 mins (some liquid should remain).

Mix in remaining ingredients and place in fridge overnight.  In the morning, stir, top with your favorite fruit, and enjoy!  

Note: If you prefer your oats warm, you can also pop these in the mirco again in the morning.

Meal 2:

Greek yogurt is a protein-rich staple in my diet.  Right now I’m hooked on seasonally appropriate strawberry Greek yogurt.

The fruit flavors in the grocery store have a ton of added sugar, but you don’t have to buy those!  I make my own using fresh berries and a touch of Stevia.

To make, simply mash up 1/4-1/2 C of your favorite fruit and mix it into a serving of yogurt.  I added a bit of Stevia and cinnamon as well.  Topped with  pumpkin seeds and eaten with a side of black tea.

This bowl was prepped the night before and frozen.  By the time I was ready to eat Meal 2 (at the afore mentioned meeting) it had thawed to an awesome fro-yo consistency.

Meal 3:

This lunch on the go was better than I could have found at a salad bar chain!  Once again, I prepped everything the night before.  The salmon, Ezekial bread, and edamame were stored in the freezer over night so they were just thawed in time for lunch.

Yes, those are individually packaged Dora the Explorer edamame packets.  I swear I tried to find the regular package   They were out.

In the tupperware I packed my veggies and arugula, and had a dressing ready in the mini container.

The dressing was a quick mix of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, lime juice, and cumin.

Beat that, Doc Greens! 😉

Meal 4:

I made it back home for afternoon snack and heated up a few of the Chick-less Nuggets I posed yesterday.  They are just as good on day 2!

The dip with this was awesome.  I picked up a jar of Marmite and couldn’t wait to use it!  It is a strong flavor, so I mixed 1/4 tsp with 1 T of peanut flour, 2 drops of liquid smoke, and 1.5 T of water.  I’m forever indebted to Heather for introducing me to this stuff!

Meal 5:

Other bloggers are a HUGE source of inspiration to me.  JL posted these tempeh patties 3 weeks ago and my only regret is that I took so long to make them!

I followed her method but increased the nooch to a full tablespoon and added fresh lime juice and thyme.  OMG.  Next time I’m tripling the recipe and freezing some for later.

Served with spinach socca (basic method here; this time I blended in 1 C spinach), sweet potato, raw asparagus, red pepper, onion, and a chipotle pepper pureed with a pinch of cloves, cinnamon, and teeny bit of water.

Meal 6:

I got called out on Instagram for eating Carrot Cake Batter every day week.  It’s addicting!!!

In an effort to be less boring, I decided on a different kind of batter.  I must have had Kristina’s french toast on the brain…. because this is what I came up with:

Maple-Zucchini Bread Batter.  Words cannot even describe.  Sweet with a little depth from maple extract and spice notes from cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of cloves.

Carrot cake whaaat?

Recipe at bottom.

Meal 7:

I went simple.  Apple.  Casein pudding.  Uncle Sam’s Cereal.  Cinnamon.  Classic.

Maple Zucchini Bread Batter

  • 1/2 medium zucchini, grated
  • 1 T vanilla protein powder
  • 1/3 C no salt added cottage cheese
  • 2 T unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • pinch cloves
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract
  • 7-8 drops vanilla liquid stevia 

Grate zucchini into a bowl and set aside.

In blender, combine remaining ingredients and blend until nearly smooth.  

Add blended mix to the zucchini and stir to combine.

Enjoy!

***

Are you keeping track?  I managed 171.9g of protein – pescatarian-style this week.

Have you ever had to pump up your meals to gain muscle/weight?

Do you think I’m nuts on the zucchini batter piece?  I swear it’s good!

Chick-less Nuggets + Sweet ‘n Spicy Mustard Sauce

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Nuggets of gold, I tell you.

Vegan Chicken Nuggets

Who needs Chick-fil-a?!  These tasty vegan treats all the flavor and finger food deliciousness of the fast food treat, but without the MSG, high fructose corn syrup, ammonium sulfate, yellow 5, blue 1, etc.  (I only wish I were kidding about that ingredient list.)

Maybe they missed the memo:

Isn’t this awesome? I ordered this tee from Callie @ Rawxy. Her cookies are good too, IMHO. 😉

Growing up I thought my mom was so mean because we were rarely allowed to stop for fast food.  I wanted a toy with dinner!  Looking back I am grateful – to this day I have never eaten a fast food hamburger!

However, I did enjoy the occasional chicken nugget from a certain Southern chain.  Today I wouldn’t dream of buying them, especially when there are clean alternatives like these:

Vegan Chicken Nuggets

My chick-less nuggets are TVP-based and are vegetarian/vegan.

After a quick pulse in the blender, mix in some chickpea flour and an egg (a flax egg works here) to bind them.  This creates a nugget-like texture that… well… tastes like chicken.

Chick-less Nuggets! These meat-free nuggest easy to make and high in protein thanks to TVP.

You can make the bites any flavor you’d like, but I went for the classic blend of paprika, red pepper, onion, and garlic.  Lay off the red pepper and these would be ideal for kid meals!  Sorry, toy not included.

Dunked in a healthy, quick sweet ‘n spicy mustard sauce, you’d almost swear these were from a drive-thru… a thought you’ll quickly push aside because these clean bites are better.

Vegan TVP Chick-less Nuggets

Chick-less Nuggets

  • 1 C water
  • 1 no-meat chicken bullion cube
  • 1 C Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP)
  • 2 T chickpea flour
  • 1 egg (flax egg or the “real” thing)
  • 1 tsp spice blend (I used a mix of paprika, red pepper, onion, garlic)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, or 475 convection.

Heat water in medium bowl and stir in bouillon until dissolved.  Add TVP, stir, and allow to stand for 5 mins.

Pulse soaked TVP in food processor; you want larger pieces broken up, but not a puree.  Add egg and flour and mix well.  Season with your favorite spice blend.

Form “nuggets” with the TVP mix (heaping 2T per nugget).  Drop balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place in oven and bake for 10 mins, until golden.  Flip nuggets and bake for an additional 5 mins.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 10 nuggets.

Note: Use a flax egg to make vegan.

Approx Nutritionals (per nugget): 47 calories, 0.8g fat, 20.7g sodium, 3.7g carbohydrates, 1.7g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 5.8g protein

 

Sweet and Spicy Mustard Sauce

  • 1 T nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 2 T water
  • 2 drops lemon liquid stevia (or sweetener or choice)
  • Tabasco sauce, to taste

Mix together and dip away!

***

I added a mini “about” section to my side bar with a pic, but am unsure about it… too much?

Do/did you ever like fast food?

What is your favorite dipping sauce?

Banana Creme Brownie Parfait + WIAW

By

Bad smells piss me off.

You know when you’re in the gym and someone has offensively bad body odor?  That makes me insane.

I think I was that girl.  With garlic, not BO.  During leg day on Monday with my trainer, he asked what I had eaten that day.  I sheepishly had to admit to have excessive garlic.  He could smell it on my skin!  Is that weird?  I’ve never noticed that… have you?

On the flip side, there was a guy in the weight room yesterday morning that smelled really good.  I was going to thank him, but I thought maybe that would be creepy.

Speaking of training… no changes in my nutrition plan to report this week.  Yet.  

While I’ve been obviously gaining muscle, I haven’t actually gained weight.I think we’re increasing carbs a bit, and adding some addition little more fat.  I’m excited about the increase in fats – I’ve been craving avocados!  I also get to start doing some sprints.  Apparently sprinters have nice bums… I have no bum.  That asset is an important one in figure competitions.  😉

Lolo may not have earned a medal, but I will admit her body is bootylicious.

I’m going to assume you didn’t come here to talk about BO and butts… let’s move on to the What I Ate Wednesday  goodies.

Check out my summertime appropriate eats below, then click here to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s summer eats!

Meal 1:

This is an old pic; I now use Optimum Nutrition Orange Amino Energy mixed with ~2T of apple cider vinegar and water.  Enjoy this first thing, about 30 mins prior to meal one for its benefits related to energy, digestion, and skin.  I don’t even drink coffee anymore thanks to this.

I added another treat to my digestive system this week too: Good Belly.

These kind people sent me coupon to try out their probiotic shots.  I was pleased to see that there is a no-sugar-added option!  The taste was good – fairly neutral actually.  Probiotics are known to help keep your body’s bacteria in balance, and help the digestive system.  Nothing yet to report on the digestive end (get it?  end?  tee hee!), but I am a believer in the benefits of probiotics.

Isn’t the smiley face cute?

As I mentioned last week, I’m doing some meal-order-swapping around my workouts.  Since I went to the gym early, I swapped meals 1 and 2, meaning I need a fruit and a protein first thing and my post-workout meal would include my carb.

I’m on a PB & Feggs (fruit + eggs) bender.  Remember these PB & Jeggs?  Or these PB & Aggs?  This week it’s PB & Peggs!

I knew it would be good since I liked the others, but I didn’t remember exactly how awesome warm peaches are.  I used the now in season donut peaches to make what might be my favorite Feggs creation to date!

PB & Peggs:

  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 2 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 donut peach, cut into ~1/2 in pieces

See this post for detailed instructions.

Meal 2:

Post-workout I felt like a little treat.  I’ve had Brittany’s Sweet Potato Pancakes bookmarked for a while, and had just mashed some sweet potatoes.  Perfect timing.  I followed her recipe closely.  My sweet potato mash was about 1/2 C.  I used just 1/2 a scoop of protein powder and added 2 tsp of chia seeds.  I only needed 1 T of the milk.  Oh, and I was verrrry generous with the cinnamon.

For my topping, I mixed equal parts Sunbutter and coconut flour with enough water to form a paste.  I also threw on some caramelized bananas, using the same method from my French Elvis Toast.

Meal 3:

This lunch packed some color!  I made Lauren’s Beet Burgers earlier in the week… only I got too creative with the recipe and they won’t hold together.  They did taste fantastic (especially with the extra garlic I added… sorry again to my trainer)!  I used my burger crumbles to top a spinach salad sprinkled with nooch.

My carb and additional protein was a slice of my favorite P28 High Protein Bread with a schemer of artichoke spread sprinkled with red pepper flakes.

Meal 4:

I pride myself in making different meal constantly.  Repeats don’t happen often in my kitchen… until recently.  I’m absolutely obsessed with the Capella Cake Batter Flavor Drops I shared here last week.  This and the Carrot Cake Batter Shake happened at least 2x a week these days.  Good thing carrots are so sweet and flavorful this season!

Meal 5:

I was inspired by Heather’s field trip to the Asian market to make my own tofu Tofu Spring Rolls.  Heather even sent me this handy tutorial on how to roll them.  Seems easy enough…

Apparently I am not as skilled as my broccoli kissing friend because mine didn’t exactly hold together.

I'll keep working on it...

At least the sauce was good.  It was a simple spicy peanut sauce made from peanut flour, water, lime juice, and sriracha.

Served with a side of quinoa that I tossed in a very small amount of miso tamari, rice vinegar, avocado oil, and red pepper flakes.  It was healthy fried rice!

Meal 6:

I happened to see on Pinterest that someone pinned my parsnip fries.  It was a great reminder to make them again!

Of course, I couldn’t do it the same way twice.  And when I ate this it was 9:30pm, which to me = dessert time.

Cinnamon sticks with a protein frosting dipper.  Holy yum.  I simply tossed my parsnips in a teeny bit of coconut oil and a ton of cinnamon before roasting.  The dip was vanilla protein powder, stevia, a splash of vanilla, and water to mix.  I also added a few drops of the Capella Cake Batter Flavor Drops. Easy and OMG good.

Meal 7:

They say that everyone has a twin somewhere.  I don’t know about that, but I certainly have a food twin.  Meg @ A Dash of Meg and I share the same palate.  I’ve made several of her dishes and am always blown away.  She is a HUGE source of inspiration not only for healthy eating, but also for pushing harder in the gym.

It was her recipe for a Chocolate Brownie and Raspberry Parfait that inspired this lovely creation that I downed like a fat kid at recess.

 

This Banana Creme Brownie Parfait rocked my socks off.  A couple of my favorite summertime potluck desserts are banana pudding and brownies.  This killed two cravings with one stone.  As I slowly worked my way through the wine glass (that’s right – I eat wine parfaits), the creme was soaking into the brownies leaving a decadent, spongy, slightly gooey bedtime snack of champions.


Banana Creme Brownie Parfait

For the Brownie:

For the Creme:

  • 1 C plain greek yogurt
  • 1/4 tsp banana extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Bananas

 Mix the brownie ingredients in a small bowl.  Microwave until just done, ~ 1 min.  

Meanwhile, stir together the yogurt ingredients.

To assemble: layer yogurt, brownie pieces, and bananas in a pretty glass (yes, it must be pretty), alternating until you’re out of each.

Enjoy!

***

Are you keeping track?  I managed 158.5g of protein – all vegetarian!

Does body odor make you mad?

What is your favorite way to eat eggs?  Have you tried the PB & Feggs?  Or do you think I’m insane?

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