Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Japanese-ish Hummus

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It’s New Hair Thursday! 🙂

I love my stylist even more than I love chocolate cake (translation: love her a lot).

Karen worked in my old neighborhood salon, but moved to North Georgia.  I now drive an hour to go see her at her own salon called Lava Hair Studio.  Check our her new ad:

Karen and I have been together since I was 15.  It was only fitting that I go see her right before my high school reunion this weekend.  I cannot believe it has been 10 years!

Always have to have some red in it. Somethings never change.

Today was especially good because I feel SO much more human.  Thank you all so much for the get-well wishes!

I busted out a easy run during lunch to sweat out the rest of my sick germs.

Stats:

  • Distance – 3.5 miles
  • Time – 28:55 mins
  • Pace – 8.16 mins

 

Delicious food made things brighter as well.  I wish today’s eats could have been featured on WIAW!

Brussel sprout porn

Sweet Potato Praline Cheesecake @ Apres Diem

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When I saw this recipe for Caesar Hummus at Healthy Exposures I was intrigued.  Then I saw Jess continue to mention how good/addicting it was… I knew I had to try it for myself.

Jess is right. This may be the best hummus ever.  Seriously – I don’t use extremes often.

Once I began tasting and mixing, I determined that this had a decidedly Asian taste to it.  So I went with that and added soy sauce and Japanese red pepper blend called Shichimi Togarashi.

This farmer’s market-find is a blend of: red pepper, sesame seed, orange peel, Japanese pepper, seaweed, and rapeseeed (<– I have NO idea what that is and I’m too scared to google it).

I added 1/4 – 1/2 tsp of this and then sprinkled it on top of the final product.  Heat is my BFF, so be sure to adjust to your preference!

You know those sauces they bring out at Japanese restaurants?  I’m going to start bringing this instead.

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Japanese-ish Hummus

  • 1 C garbanzo beans
  • 1 T tahini
  • 1 T capers + brine
  • 1/2 tsp herbed dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Juice of 1/2 a medium lemon
  • Liberal drizzles of soy sauce
  • Shichimi Togarashi (or red pepper flakes/cayenne/paprika), to taste
  • Olive oil and/or water

If using dried chickpeas: soak chickpeas overnight (or 12 hours) at room temp (water should just over top of chickpeas).  Rinse and place in a large pot with 3-4 garlic cloves and salted water.  Water should cover chickpeas.  Bring to a boil and them simmer for 50-60 mins.  You may need to add water to keep peas covered.  When desired tenderness is reached, remove from heat and allow to cool in cooking water.  Drain and rinse before using.

Add chickpeas, tahini, capers, mustard, garlic, and lemon juice.  Pulse until beginning to come together.  Taste and add soy sauce and spice to taste, processing again to combine.  With processor running, drizzle in olive oil and/or water (I used ~2 tsp oilve oil and ~1/8 C water).  Continue processing until smooth.

Makes 3/4 cup.

***

I can’t stop eating this hummus.  Is it too abnormal to eat an entire cup of it in one sitting..?

Have you been to your high school reunion?  How was it?

Spinach-Walnut Pesto + WIAW

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It’s cherry season!

Cherries are one of my favorite grab-and-go snacks, as well as a favorite dessert addition.

Apparently they have a ton of health benefits too!

  • High in anti-oxidants
  • Act as anti-inflammatories
  • May help fight cancer
  • Loaded with minerals (potassium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese)

It’s also WIAW!  This is one of my favorite “events” (Jenn @ Peas & Crayons is a genius for thinking this up) because I love getting inspiration from what others are creating/eating, and I love finding new blogs to read in all my spare time.

You know when you’re sick, have no appetite, and nothing sounds good?  This lead to a day full of eclectic snacks and small meals.

Why did my immune system miss the memo that it’s 90 flippin’ degrees outside?!

Breakfast

Sick –> comfort food –> oatmeal.

Sweet berries + salty cottage cheese = oatmeal deliciousness

Cherry oatmeal!  I made this the old-fashioned way on the stove top.  In my comfort oats:

  • Almond milk
  • Cottage cheese
  • Cherries
  • Blueberries
  • Cinnamon

Lunch

Salad on the road:

  • Spinach
  • Orange sections
  • Edamame (which sunk to the bottom)
  • Liquid aminos

To dress this salad, I used the orange juice and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.

If you haven’t tried this yet, I highly recommend doing so.  Liquid Aminos are NON-GMO soybeans and purified water.  The taste is similar to soy sauce, though its much more mild and less salty.  Added bonus: it comes in a spray bottle!

Snacks

Brazil Nuts

Think Thin Chocolate Toffee Bar

with…

New PB! Sunland Almond and Roasted Valencia

I added sriracha

Dinner

My spaghetti squash with it’s leeks and lovely Spinach-Walnut Pesto looked like this when I started:

Then I attacked it!  Mmmmm…

I  love spaghetti squash to begin with, but adding a bright, lemon-y, flavorful pesto made it amazing.  I also tossed it with some sautéed leeks.  Topped off with freshly ground pepper to set it all off.

Never tried spaghetti squash?  It’s mild flavor and spaghetti-like texture means you can use it in place of pasta in virtually anything. Click here for a “how to.”

Perfect welcome for Summer on the solstice. 🙂

Spinach-Walnut Pesto

  • 2 C fresh spinach
  • 1/4 C fresh basil
  • 1/4 C walnuts
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 jalapeno, seeds removed
  • Juice from 1/2 a small lemon
  • S+P, to taste

Toss all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until mixed.  You may need to stop and scrape down the sides occasionally.

Makes 9-10 tablespoons.

***

Master sommelier Andrea Robinson says the perfect solstice pairing is a glass of champagne.  Had I felt better, I would have indulged!

Did you do anything to celebrate the solstice?

What are your favorite comfort foods with you don’t feel well?

Ode to Lemons

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Did you know…

Lemons are really good for you?  A single lemon satisfies your daily intake of Vitamin C (strong bones, people!).  They also are a good anti-inflammatory.

 

The taste of water isn’t my favorite.  I keep a lemon in my fridge at all times and squeeze slices into my water.  Adding lemon encourages me to drink more by masking the flavor of Atlanta’s finest tap water.  I drink A LOT of water.

 

Other Lemon Uses:

Use the juice to make a simple dressing for salads.  A french green bean salad was delicious with this Lemon-Tahini Dressing.

Sauté them for to serves with pasta or chicken.  Check out this pasta dish I made with Meyer Lemons and asparagus (yes, you can eat the whole thing).

Bring out flavors in dips or sauces with lemon.  I used both lemon juice and zest to highlight the roasted red pepper and spices in this Muhammara (Red Pepper and Walnut Dip).

Lemon can add an extra dimension to desserts.  This weekend’s Rosemary-Lemon Shortbread Cookies would have been missing something without the citrusy zest.

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Why the lemon plug?  It’s HOT outside.

I did a 4 mile run this morning and by the time I was done it had almost hit 90 degrees outside.

This is run #3 since I pulled my achilles.  Post-run I was chugging lemon water to rehydrate and reap the benefits of the anti-inflammatory.

My Achilles was ok.  I could feel the strain, but it wasn’t painful enough to slow me down.  Flat land is hard to find in Atlanta, but I managed to more or less keep away from hills to avoid stressing it too much.

 

Stats:

  • Distance – 4 miles
  • Time – 32:23
  • Pace – 8:06

***

Thank you to everyone for the warm comments about my dad on Father’s Day.  You all definitely brightened my weekend. 🙂

How do you stay strong during/after working out in the heat?

Do you have a “secret” for adding a little something special to dishes?

Rosemary-Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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Father’s Day Weekend.

What to do…

Cookies are in order.  Girls without their daddies most certainly deserve treats.  Definitely a few glasses of wine (which will no doubt be blamed for any tears).  Not to worry, I’ll strive for balance.

My dad would have LOVED to see this

There will be time spent simply remembering my dad and try to concentrate on the fact that I was lucky to have such a great man as a father for 25 years of my life (cliche… but look at all the jerks out there!).

My dad loved to laugh.  He was so smart – loved learning more than anyone I’ve ever known.  Enjoyed good wine, food, football, and hanging out with his “girls” (Mom, me, and my 2 sisters).

To those of you whose fathers are still with you, give them an extra hug today.  Or at least don’t forget to call!  Maybe buy a present or two.  Ties, socks, chocolate-covered cherries (those were my dad’s favorite).

To those who are in the unfortunate situation of being without a father on Father’s Day weekend, my thoughts are with you.  I can’t say it gets easier… but it doesn’t get worse.  That’s something, right?

Treat yourself to cookies. The kind your dad would have liked, or the kind that are most comforting to you.  Maybe they are just fun to make.  Light, buttery, summery cookies like these Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies:

Some people are intimidated by baking.

One of the secrets to doing it well is measuring flour properly.  It can make the difference between fluffy, delectable treats and dense failures.  “Real” bakers will argue that the only way to measure is by weight.  However, more often than not, I use a simple measuring cup.  I’m a lazy baker.

To me, the important thing to do is to fluff the flour.  When it sits in your pantry, it settles.  This compacting can result in the addition of 25% more flour than the recipe calls for.

Solution: Take a fork and fluff it up before diving in with your measuring cup (please tell me you’re using a dry ingredient cup already).  Then use a knife to sweep off the excess flour.  Do NOT shake, tap, or compact the flour down.

Once you have the shortbread base, this is an easy recipe to take in many directions.  You could change it up with some basil or thyme!

Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Keywords: bake dessert Rosemary Lemon cookie spring

Ingredients (20 cookies)

  • 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 C white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 T chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 3/4 C salted butter, softened
  • 1 T light agave nectar
  • 1/2 C confectioners (powdered) sugar

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking powder, rosemary, and lemon zest.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer (I used a hand-held), mix together butter, agave, and confectioners sugar at a low speed. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until dough produces small butter lumps.

Using your hands, make a ball with the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. (Lightly flour your hand to make this easier!) Knead dough until it just comes together (5-6 times). Roll into a log (like the cut and bake cookie dough)and cover in parchment paper. Refrigerate 1-2 hours, until hardened.

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Remove from fridge and cut into small (~1/2 in thick) disks, arranging on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden brown, ~20 mins.

Powered by Recipage

***

Happy Father’s Day!

What is your favorite way to celebrate life well-lived?

Butternut Rosemary Hummus

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CONGRATULATIONS to everyone yesterday who shared their accomplishments!  I am sooooo proud for you!  Don’t stop – keep sharing your victories with friends/family/bloggers unless you’s a public figure and it involves questionable pictures.

 

Let’s talk about Maturity.

We all grow up and are expected to achieve a certain level of maturity/self-monitoring.  I tried – really – to be the bigger person and only laugh at the “Weiner” scandal in the privacy of my own home.

I mean, how can you not chuckle at the newscasters trying their damnedest to read the “Weiner-gate” stories off the teleprompter with a straight face?!*

 

You’ll have to excuse me.  In honor of Gay Pride month and my love of irony – I couldn’t pass this up this one.

*Disclaimer: Weiner’s actions are NOT a joke.  He hurt is (pregnant!) wife and is an embarrassment to Congress.  He should be ashamed of himself.

 

Speaking of maturity… 2 days in a row I have gotten out of bed and doubled the mileage I promised myself I’d run!

Stats:

  • Distance – 4 miles
  • Time – 32:48
  • Pace – 8:12

 

I’m a morning runnin’ machine. 🙂

 

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It’s time for the reveal of the mystery glob!  A couple of you guessed the main ingredient – expert foodies!

***cheesy drumroll***

 

Butternut Rosemary Hummus

 

Is hummus without beans still a hummus?  It has tahini.  It has a hummus-like texture.  It involves lemon and a little olive oil.  No beans about it.

Would a hummus by any other name smell taste as sweet?

 

Who cares? This is good.  And it’s mine, so I’m deeming it worthy of the title of hummus.

 

Butternut hummus has a creamy hummus texture, but a lighter feel.  (Read: You could eat the entire container in one sitting.) The nutty tahini taste compliments the squash and rosemary well.  Red pepper flakes and lemon give it a satisfyingly spicy tang.

My recipe calls for roasted garlic.  You could use regular garlic (I’d reduce to 2-3 cloves if using fresh), but I loved the added depth the roasted garlic gave this dip.

Many people avoid roasting garlic due to the time it takes, but I’ve found a great way around that: roast several heads at a time and FREEZE them whole!  They retain all of their flavor and are a great, unexpected flavor-enahncer to have on hand!  (Great tutorial on roasting garlic can be found here.)

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Butternut Rosemary Hummus

  • 1/2 butternut squash, cubed (~2 C)
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 5 cloves roasted garlic
  • juice from 1/2 large lemon
  • 2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1.5 T tahini
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • S+P, to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Scrape out the seeds from squash and peel.  Cut the squash into 1 in cubes.  Put the cubes on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle red pepper flakes, and mix to coat evenly.

Roast the squash in the oven for ~40 minutes or until tender, tossing once half way through.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once cooled, transfer squash to a food processor until beginning to smooth.  Add the roasted garlic, rosemary, cumin, lemon juice, and tahini.  Mix in processor until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, and more red pepper flakes to taste.

Makes 8 servings of 2 T each.

Approximate nutrition: 48 calories, 2.4g fat, 6.8g carbs, 1.1g sugar, 1g protein

***

I can’t believe it’s already Thursday!  A week flying by is such a special gift unlike a political sext.

Have you made a “hummus” out of something unexpected?  What was it?

 

WIAW Pride

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Happy WIAW! (What I Ate Wednesday)

There seem to be a lot of posts lately where people are talking about their accomplishments.  I think that’s awesome!

 

The part that makes me sad is that many of these posts are pre-faced with something along the lines of:

“I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging…”

Or:

“Not to sound full of myself…”

 

Why do we have such a hard time sharing our “wins?” Charlie Sheen certainly didn’t and he isn’t even a winner.


Maybe it’s a female thing.  Not to stereotype, but I have never heard a dude apologize or hesitate before talking about a success.

Women tend to be raised to support and nurture.  Society tells us we are “caretakers.”  This doesn’t have to mean we need to keep it to ourselves when we’ve accomplished something!  We are allowed to be proud of ourselves and receive support and kudos from others.  Personally, I love sharing in your successes and cheering you on!

 

Share a personal success one person today.  I dare you.

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Today I am proud of myself for 3 reasons:

  1. I got out of bed and ran twice as far as I promised myself I had to
  2. I remembered to take pics of everything I ate for WIAW!  (Yes, I take my pics on Tuesday… I’m told that’s ok. 🙂 )
  3. I made some serious deliciousness with the other half of my butternut squash

 

Here’s the story of my 3 prideful moments on what I’m now creatively dubbing Terrific Tuesday:


1. Run

Promising low mileage is one way I coax myself out of bed for morning runs.  I don’t really enjoy going right from the bed to the street (that’s what she said), but on work days I don’t have time to chill first.  So I make myself promises:

“If you get up, you only have to run a 5K. It will be easy.  Get up!”

 

I had some verrry filling Mexican last night, so I didn’t need a snack other than to take my B-12 (awesome AM energy booster) before taking off.  Apparently this was just what the Dr. ordered for me today.

 

Stats:

  • Distance – 6 miles
  • Time – 49:22
  • Pace – 8:20

 

I think that’s my fastest time yet at this distance!  Admittedly my leg was shaking on the brake pedal while driving to work, but in a good “I pushed myself” way.

 

2. WIAW

 

Typically I realize half way through my food-eating for the day that I’ve forgotten to take pics of everything I ate.  Not the case today!

 

Breakfast:

My name is Laura and I am chia pudding-obsessed.

Blackberry Almond Chia Pudding

A few days ago I made Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding.  I’ve also done Banana Cashew Chia Pudding.  Today was Blackberry Almond Chia Pudding.

My favorite so far is still the Peach, but this was not bad.  I added a bit of butter extract which make it more pie-like.  Not bad at all, my friends.

Because everything tastes better in a martini glass

 

Blackberry Almond Chia Pudding

  • 1/2 C blackberries, cut in half
  • 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 T almond butter
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, mushing blackberries slightly in the process.  Store in refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, stir and enjoy!

 

Lunch:

Eaten at my desk, but it was so good I didn’t care.

Roasted Butternut Red Pepper Lentils

Leftover Roasted Butternut Red Pepper Lentils… which may have been even better than they were on day one.  The flavors had a chance to meld, I topped it with the last bits of fresh mozzarella… and I was one happy camper luncher.

Snack #1:

Celery and a freebie PB packet

 

Snack #2:

Peanut Butter Creme-filled Chocolate Newman-O's

Yesterday I got these in the mail from Mary @ Bites and Bliss.  I won a recent giveaway she hosted… talk about bites OF bliss.  What could be better than FREE Chocolate + PB cookies!?

Dinner:

Easy salad with a couple more of my little kid hidden veggie Chicken Bites.

Simple Salad with Chicken Bites

Snack #3:

Chocolate-Banana Green Creatine Protein Shake w/ Fiber

AND…

3. Serious Deliciousness

Newman's Own Spelt Pretzels and...

 

What exactly is that yellow-orange glob of tasty with my spelt pretzels?  Check back tomorrow… *insert evil laugh here*

***

Happy WIAW/Hump Day!

Share your win with me!  What have you done lately to make yourself proud?


Never Enough Weekend

By

Boat days are good days.

However, After a drink sun-filled day at the lake, I needed a good trail run.

I decided to head to Stone Mountain Park for the morning.  Stone Mountain is a gigantic granite dome in Georgia.  The granite extends underground 9 miles.  Its “claim to fame” isn’t the amount of rock.  It has the largest bas-relief in the world. The carving depicts three famed Confederates: Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis.  If you hear banjos, run.

Anyhow… it is also very steep.

With grave markers carved into it.

And lots of sweaty people.

There’s a skyride if you’re a wuss hiking isn’t your thing.

Granite kind of looks like moon rock.

Going down is easier than coming up.

 Admittedly, the second time up the mountain, I wasn’t so much running anymore.  5.5 miles in an hour and 10 mins.  I’ll take it!

Thank you, QT for the recovery drink.

 Followed by an exhausted thumbs up for myself.

 Both served to tide me over until lunch while I made my Dekalb Farmer’s Market treat trip.  This place is really an amusement park for foodies.

I got all of this loot for $35!!!

Lots of good eats to come this week!

The day was rounded out with a delicious dinner and a #winning night of darts.

Sorry, Casey

We won’t talk about the pool games I lost.

 The next day I needed an apple (apples help with beer billiards night recovery).  1/2 for breakfast with a muffin.  What about the other half, you ask..?

Today was a back/bicep day.  Post-workout I needed my 20g of protein, so I made something that looks questionable, but actually tasted like chocolate-y pudding.  The protein powder made it more thick (i.e. pudding-like) than applesauce-like. It’s not much of a recipe, but I’m writing it out here (mostly so I don’t forget… does anyone else do this?!). 🙂

Chocolate Apple Pudding

  • 1/2 apple
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 1/8 C vanilla unsweetened coconut milk (a la So Delicious)

Put it in a blender, give it a whir, and enjoy!

***

Now I am suffering from the long weekend blues.  Not to mention I am SORE. 🙂  Did it have to end!?

What was your favorite part of the long weekend?  

Do you get a little sad going back to reality after a long weekend?

Peach Caprese Salad

By

Good Morning, fellow long weekend-ers!!!

It’s another short post, as I am continuing to enjoy the long weekend.  And I have the sunburn to prove it.  Terrible, I know.

Thank you everyone for the positive feedback to my new Fitness page!  I’m excited about continuing to grow/improve it.

As for my mystery lunch… it was a (Georgia) Peach Caprese!

Peaches are in season now and I’ve had great luck finding perfect ones at local farmer’s markets.  Try subbing them for tomatoes in other dishes too – they are delicious in sandwiches (with parm and prosciutto), salads (with blue cheese  and arugula), or even in salsa (with cilantro, onion, and mango)!

Check out my guest post @ The Athlete’s Plate for a riveting write up.  Thanks again to Matt for asking me to be his guest!

Peach Caprese Salad

  • 1 medium ball of Mozzarella di Bufala
  • 1 large peach 1/4 cup fresh basil
  • 1 tsp high-quality olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Slice mozzarella into 1/4 inch rounds. Peel peaches and slice those into similar sized rounds. Chiffonade (chiffonade = stack basil in a small pile and roll into a cigar-like shape then slice into ribbons) the basil using a sharp knife (a clean cut helps prevent the leaves from darkening).

Layer the mozzarella and peach slices on a plate and sprinkle the basil over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.

Note: You can also drizzle them with a balsamic reduction, which is what I did here.

***

I’m off to run up a mountain before hitting up some festivals.  Good times.

Do you keep up with workouts over holidays or call it a total vaca?

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