Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Chocolate Sweet Potato Shake

By

Happy last day of the month!

This was a month of spectacular eats, so choosing a recipe to submit to Spicie Foodie’s Your Best Recipe was difficult!  She rounded up a ton of great, international recipes – check out her site for the line up!

Ultimately I went with the Tempeh Crab-Free Cakes.  They were so cool to make.

I’m crab-free!

Vegan-izing food is fun… even if you’re not vegan…

Other items I wanted to choose (click the pics for the recipes):

Chickpeas + Spiced Tomato Sauce

Egg-fin

Zucchini-Banana Muffins

Olive Basil Cookies

Mango-Cucumber Lentil Salad

Then there was the following tasty creation….

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I’ve made sweet potato shakes before.  They were good.  Delicious, in fact.

Like every other red-blooded female out there, chocolate is one of my favorite things to nosh on.

How is it that I never thought to combine the two tasty treats?!

Check out my new black border in the background!

Until now. *Insert evil cackle*

For this shake I used half of a Rich Dark Chocolate EAS drink.

I love these for a few reasons:

  • Taste = good
  • 17g protein
  • 0g sugar
  • 110 calories

That makes a perfect post-workout snack for me.  I also like the Strawberry flavor, but only in shakes.

I threw out the coffee flavor after trying it.  Not my cup of coffee tea.

Chocolate Sweet Potato Shake

  • 1/4 large sweet potato (pre-baked)
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 dark chocolate EAS drink
  • 1/2 C kale*
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • shake of salt
  • ice + water, to taste

Throw it all in a blender and blend until well-mixed.  Add straw and try to go drink it so fast you get an ice cream headache.

*Only 1/2 a cup because it was the Whole Food frozen variety.  Fresh is less condensed, so you’ll want to add more.  If green creeps you out, leave it out altogether!

***

My boss just called.  We’re meeting at a bar to watch the Brave’s opener.  Have I mentioned I love my job?!

Anyone else excited for baseball season?!

Roasted Red Pepper-Asparagus Mini Quiches

By

It is an unwritten rule in the South that you cannot have a bridal shower without the following items:

  • Mimosas
  • Pimento cheese
  • Chips and dips
  • Quiche

We covered all the required bases

 

Wait!  Where’s proof of the mimosas?!  Hold up…

How cute is Christina showing off her ring?!

The pimento was my new favorite, American Gra-frutti.  Mayo and gluten-free.

SO much better than the typical mayo-soaked version at your family picnic.

This chips and dip were also well-represented.

Tostidos sent me a coupon via She Speaks to try one of their new Artisan Recipe flavors.  I selected the Roasted Garlic and Black Bean.

We served them with homemade hummus and fresh veggies.

The ingredient list is pretty clean for the Artisan chips- they are 100% natural and contain real black beans.

However, I found them to be a bit salty.  Weird, as the package says there’s only 90mg sodium. I bet they are good with pico and guac.

Then there was quiche.  Mini quiche.


I love these for parties – you can customize them with virtually any veggie or  cheese (I’ve even made them with bacon).

 

AND they are super easy to make ahead and re-heat.

Of course, they are also a finger food.  Finger foods will get you bonus points on the Southern unwritten rules test.

Reminiscent of the awesome breakfast eggfins, no?

Mini Quiche recipe after the jump…

… 

Read More »

It’s Bananas

By

The perfect end to an out-of-control b-a-n-a-n-a-s week is a new ‘do.

My hair is now blonde-ish.

I love Karen, Stylist Extraordinaire

I’ve been going to Karen since I was 15.  She moved 5-ish years ago to open her own salon – Lava Hair Studio – almost 60 miles outside of Atlanta… and I drive all the way out there to see her.

If I moved out of state, I’d probably fly back to see her.

Crappy in-the-car-rushing-to-meet-friends cell phone pic, but…

  • It’s no longer red-brown (therefore NOT clashing with my bridesmaid dress for upcoming wedding)
  • It’s no longer bushy (why does my hair grow SO fast?!)
  • I can style it in 5 mins flat.

FTW

Active.com recently posted an article called 5 Reasons to Work Out in the Morning.

In light of my recent morning work out success, I got really excited to read this and decided to share my own Top 5.  (There may be some overlap… they were spot on!)

My Top 5 Reasons to Work Out in the Morning

  1. It’s done – there’s no backing out because you’re too tired after work/would rather go to happy hour
  2. One shower – they listed this too and I couldn’t agree more.  2-3 showers/day es no bueno
  3. No crowds – the gym in my building is usually empty in the morning, so there’s no wait, I can control the TV, and no one is in the small-ish gym stinking it up
  4. Temperature control – in the winter months, it warms me up for the day and in the summer months it’s not unbearably hot
  5. Alertness – yes, it’s hard to actually wake up enough to get going, but once you do it’s almost better than coffee for my wakefulness

Speaking of being awake… I’m eating my pre-work out banana breakfast appetizer and hitting the pavement for a quickie run before resuming wedding shower prep!

It’s going to be 80 degrees and sunny today!  If I leave the balcony door open, I wonder if Stevie will try to jump off…

Note to self: train kitten NOT to go on kamikaze missions.

I love grilled bananas – they caramelize and create a delicious banana syrup.

Plate them and immediately top with cocoa powder your favorite nut butter, letting the hot bananas turn the butter slightly melty.  Mmmmm…

Caramelized Banana Bites

  • 1 banana
  • 1 T nut butter
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder

Heat pan to med-high on stove top.  Cut banana into 1 inch slices and place in pan.  Grill ~2-3 mins, or until just turning brown.  Flip and grill 1-2 mins longer until other side is browned.  Plate, sprinkle with cocoa powder, and top each slice with your favorite nut butter.

Try not to lick and left over syrup/cocoa mixture off the plate if others are watching.

***

Make me feel more sane.

Do you drive a ridiculous distance to you stylist/restaurant/market/etc?

Thyme for Carrots

By

In Atlanta it is easy to forget you are still in the South…

… along with that comes some old school beliefs.

My least favorite is the law that dictates one cannot purchase alcohol on Sundays.  The Sabbath.

Source: JOEFF DAVIS/CL FILE

Clarification: you are allowed to drink in restaurants/bars.  Just don’t try to purchase it from a store to drink in the safety of your own home.

This craziness was all set up to change this year!  Lawmakers proposed a bill that would allow cities and counties in Georgia to decide individually whether or not to allow alcohol sales in stores on Sunday Funday.

Democracy? *Insert look of horror here*

Sadly, as of today it isn’t looking so good for People for the Ethical Treatment of Alcoholics (PETA). Republican lawmakers are scared of what voting in favor of Sunday sales will do to their political future, and the bill looks to be on its last legs.

So… I can buy a lotto ticket (i.e. gamble) on Sunday, but buying a 6-pack is just too much hedonism for the state to handle.

Georgia lawmaker fail.

_____________________________________________________________________

All this talk about booze makes me want a snack! 🙂

I have been CRAVING carrots.  They are one of the hardest things to puree enough in raw-form to eat.

Gena @ Choosing Raw to the rescue!  I saw her recipe for Dilly Carrot Avocado Spread and knew it had to be mine.

I made a couple of adjustments based on what I had, but the base is still carrot + avocado.  Brilliant.


This would be an awesome party dish – I can imagine crispy, salty tortilla chips with it… or spread on naan with spinach, tomatoes, and grilled tempeh… mmmmm…

Thyme Carrot Avocado Spread

  • 2 carrots
  • 1 avocado
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3-4 springs of thyme
  • 1/4 c yellow onion
  • crushed red pepper flakes to taste
  • S + P to taste

Using the grater attachment for your processor, grate the carrots.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Serve with fresh veggie slices, your favorite chips, or – if you don’t chew – it is really good on its own.

***

Is everyone thawing out from this snowy weather?

It is going to be 70 degrees in Atlanta this weekend!  There is a patio calling my name. 🙂


Raw Raspberry Applesauce

By

Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil was full of you-know-what.

I woke up this morning to this:

Pretty.  But COLD.

The other downside (for school kids) is that the snow didn’t stick enough to cancel school.  Boo hiss!

News flash: For the first time, I was glad snow didn’t leave the city crippled.  I’m getting old. 😉

Most people love apple pies, baked apples, applesauce, etc.  I do not. I do love apples, but once they are cooked the flavor changes and they just don’t seem “right” anymore.

Not being able to chew, apples are definitely off-limits.

Or so I thought.

I owe Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit a HUGE thank you.  She shared her recipe for Raw Raspberry Applesauce with me yesterday!

Of course, I had to make it immediately… if not sooner. 😉

It’s perfect.  You could eat it for breakfast or snack or dessert.  In a box, with a fox…

In fact, I’m going to eat it with some greek yogurt later today.

Want a bite?

It is amazing how much this has the consistency of applesauce, yet retains the crisp, fresh apple taste.

It’s saucy, and it’s just my type. (Please read the previous sentence to the beat of the Beastie Boys’ “Crafty.”)

Raw Raspberry Applesauce

  • 1 medium apple (use a sweet variety, like Gala)
  • 1/4 C raspberries
  • 1/4 C water
  • 1/4 packet Stevia (add more as needed)
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ginger
  • Juice from 1/4 of fresh lime
  • Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Notes:

You may have to scrape down/stir a few times in between blends.  Don’t add too much liquid or you will have apple soup instead.  Which is fine, but would be disappointing if you wanted the sauce.

Depending on the sweetness of your apple or berry, you will need to adjust Stevia amounts.  You can use honey or agave instead.

You could use any berry here, or none at all!  I’d love to try it with blueberries.

Inspiration

By

Yesterday was a GORGEOUS day!  It was nice to have a reprieve from the cold and ice even if it is grey and raining today.  I ran around the park before dinner and it was almost too crowded to run.  People-watching FTW.

Speaking of watching…

My friend Courtney shared a link to Food Gawker in the comments section yesterday.

I’ve long been a fan of the site, but it was a great reminder to visit another awesome sight: Food Porn Daily.

If you can look here without getting excited… kudos to you my friend. Don’t judge me. 🙂

It is from these sites, restaurant menus, and other blogs that I get the most  inspiration.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a dish in one of these resources and run to the store for ingredients to make my own version.

Source: citynoise.com

Yesterday was one of those “buy all of these items you’ve been wishing you had on hand” days.  We have a massive Farmer’s Market in Atlanta that has fantastic prices on veggies, spices, and wine.  This place is epic.  It is such a zoo so impressive that they have a strict “no cameras” policy.

It is easy to get carried away in there… and I’m proof.  I live alone.  There is NO reason I should leave there with more than $50 in groceries.  Yesterday I almost hit $100.

In my defense, I was out of a lot of the basics.

And apparently I’ve been reading a lot of Indian recipes lately.

Garam Masala, curry, tumeric, cinnamon, coconut, ginger, tahini, chickpeas, chickpea flour (99 cents for a large container!)… it is going to be a fun week for cooking!

This is also going to work perfectly with my Recipe Pack Rat goals (does anyone else think “Rat Pack” when reading that?) – I have 5 Indian recipes saved and I already vowed to make Spicy Roasted Chickpeas.

I also would LOVE to try may hand at dessert hummus (how did I not think of this?!) by Evan at The Wannabe Chef.

Sunday morning I may have to try a Michelada. Thank you for a non-tomato hangover cure alternative, Tami @ Running with Tweezers.

Also purchased: a few squash varieties, wonton wrappers, pumpkin puree, San Marzano tomatos, too many oranges, bananas, jalapenos, poblanos, avocados, garlic, onion, kale, spelt flour, yeast, lentils, soba noodles, almonds, hazelnuts, dates, and roasted red peppers.

***

Suggestions for how to use all of this are welcome. 🙂

My Top 5

By

I have an announcement: My skinny pants are too big.

 

OMGOMGOMGOMG.

When I started this blog, I had a gained a pretty significant amount of weight.  I had been out of grad school for a year, and had gotten accustomed to sitting at a desk all day and still eating anything I wanted.  My body revolted.

Basically, my fat pants became my skinny pants.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC0Nsba1fWQ&feature=related

***Disclaimer: I love my job – I just love this video. And I don’t like sitting all day.***

 

Last week my trainer made me get on a scale for the first time in a couple of months. Post-grad school sitting-on-my-butt weight is officially GONE!!!

Fat pants, be damned!!!

I still sit at a desk all day, but I adjusted my eating habits and made exercise a part of my daily routine.  Just like brushing my teeth.

How did I do it?

There were many, many habits I changed, new behaviors I learned, and – last but not least – an amazing amount of self-control.  I could write pages, but here are my Top 5 Factors (after the jump).

… 

Read More »

Green Beans and Chocolate

By

Now that we are home the cooking can resume!

Mom has been running around the house like a humming bird on crack.  I’m not sure if it is the pain medicine or the fact that she is finally able to walk again.  Well, its still more of a shuffle, but close!

Since Christmas is this week and mom is still recovering, I’m going to hang out at her house until next weekend.  Not to mention the fact that my sisters are in town and her kitchen is better than mine.

I finally got to exercise again and it felt GREAT alright.  Apparently when you don’t exercise for 10 days, getting amped up again is difficult.

My uncle and Baby Sis were her when we arrived on Saturday, so I let them watch Mamma and ran a quick 3 miles.  It really was quick – 26 mins – but it felt like an hour.

Today was a little easier.  P90X Shoulders and Arms, followed by Ab Ripper X.  I love a good core workout.

Other than that, I have been in the kitchen.  Some healthy creations, some borderline, and some down right sinful.

Variety is the spice of life.

The Healthy

I made a French Green Bean Salad using a Lemon- Tahini Dressing inspired by this one by Angela at Oh She Glows.

In summary – YUM.  I loved the crispiness of this salad and the tahini dressing was like hummus with a zing.  Best of all, it was super healthy and easy to make.

French Green Bean Salad

  • ~1 lb French green beans
  • 6 dried Mission figs, quartered
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • S&P (to taste)

Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Remove ends from beans and steam until bright green and still crisp.  Remove from water and place immediately in an ice bath (this will chill them and stop the cooking).  Remove from bath and dry.  Place in bowl and toss lightly with garlic salt, carrots, cucumbers, figs and parsley.

Top with crackers or pita and Lemon-Tahini Dressing.

Serves 3-4

Lemon-Tahini Dressing

  • 4 T tahini
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 3/4 tsp honey
  • 3-4 T water
  • 1 tsp EVOO
  • S&P (to taste)

In a small bowl, combine tahini, honey, lemon juice, EVOO, and S&P.  Thin out with some water (add one tablespoon at a time) and stir until well combined.

The Borderline

It is a bit of a repeat.  But this time I’ve learned a couple of tricks.

Roasted Banana Rum-Raisin Breakfast Bread

Lessons:

  • Check it at 40 mins.  Mom’s oven cooks fast.
  • Don’t skimp on the rum raisin soaking time.  They get super soft and flavorful when you actually let them soak the whole hour.
  • Use the paddle attachment in the mixing bowl.  I forgot until half way through the first time.  This loaf was much fluffier.
  • Don’t sub evaporated milk for coconut milk.  It was an emergency… but the coconut gives it more depth of flavor.

***

And, back by popular demand, PB Sunflower Granola!

Thanks to Ann, I did get it to stick together better.  Press it down hard immediately after taking it out of the oven.  Then don’t touch it again until it is totally cool.

Ready for the sinful?

The Sinful

Fudge.  More specifically, peanut butter fudge.  With walnuts.

I was making something else, had the marshmallow fluff out, and thought “why not?”

The Jett-Puffed recipe has always been my go-to, but I think this one is pretty good.  It is less greasy and sugary (1/2 C less in fact)… You can actually eat an whole square without that sugar over-dose feeling.  Whether that is good or bad, I’ll let you decide.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

by Laura Hall

Cook Time: 25 mins

Keywords: boil dessert Marshmallow Fluff peanut butter chocolate chips Christmas

Ingredients (20 servings)

  • 2 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 stick butter (salted)
  • 2/3 C evaporated milk
  • 5 1/2 oz (~3/4 jar) Marshmallow Fluff
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 12-oz. Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 T peanut butter
  • 1/2 C walnuts

Instructions

Line an 8-in square baking pan with aluminum foil; set aside.

In large saucepan combine the first 5 ingredients. Stir over low heat until blended.

Increase heat to medium and bring to a full-rolling boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes (until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is perfectly smooth).

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and chocolate until chocolate is melted. Add nuts. Barely fold in peanut butter. Pour into lined pan and cool completely before cutting.

Powered by Recipage

***
Do you have that one thing you make every year?  One your friends request

Happy Holiday baking to all!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/5275326845_15813cc850.jpg

Follow Me!

instagram_b facebook_b twitter_bpinterest_b
rss_a email_ayoutube_b googlep_b

Popular Posts

Home | About Me | Privacy Policy | Fitness | Recipes | Training & Nutrition

Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!