Marvelous Smoothie Crack: Mocha Beet Frappuccino

August 12, 2013 By Laura

Crack is whack.

Thank you, Whitney Houston for that insightful quote.

After a long hiatus, I am jumping back into Heather‘s Meatless Monday link up!

I would never expose you to something whack, so this post isn’t actually about crack. It is a super-energizing smoothie though!

This week’s MMAZ link up is about making someone else’s recipe. Unfortunately, I am unable to follow recipes (or directions). Rather, I took inspiration from someone’s recipe.

Sarah created this vegan Mocha Chip Mousse last week. I loved how she used tofu to create a protein-rich healthy-ish dessert. It made me remember my favorite Carrot Cake Batter Shake, where I used tofu to get a milk shake consistency. Why hadn’t I done it with chocolate?! And coffee… this was a frapp waiting to happen! There may have been some strangeness too… I’ve been loving chocolate-beet smoothies lately and I carried that idea over to make this a Mocha Beet Frappuccino. 🙂

Recipe for this crack-like creation at the bottom…

First I have to share some marvelous!!! I had the pleasure of dining with one of my favorite ladies: Sarena! She invited me over for dinner with her family. I’d never met her crew before, but felt like I already knew them thanks to social media. Tony (her husband) said he felt like Instragram was coming to life. 🙂

If you’ve never tried any of Sarena’s gluten-free baked goods before, let me assure you this stuff is the jam. She made a loaf of gluten-free bread that was better than most of the “real” bread I’ve had.

We started with a salad, then for dinner enjoyed succotash, grilled pork, and homemade bread. And more bread. I wish I’d gotten a pic of the Pavlova Sarena made for dessert too. It was fantastic!

Also marvelous was a sunny Sunday run up Stone Mountain. Remember those booty building incline sprints? I’m back at it. 🙂

While we’re talking about booty, I finally picked up a pair of the Nike Pro booty shorts I see everyone on Instagram wearing. They are actually amazing – comfy and breathable.

I shamelessly wore them all day long. Including to 2 grocery stores.

Killer bicep/tricep workout, followed up with more crack.

Check out what else is marvelous in blog land this week in Katie’s link up!

Mocha Beet Frappuccino

1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 serving (1.5 oz) tofu
1/4 C roasted beet (or 1 tsp beet powder)
1 T instant coffee granules
1/2 T cocoa powder
1/4 inch piece fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
5-6 drops vanilla liquid stevia
Pinch of xanthan and guar gums (optional)
Ice and water (adjust according to thickness preference)

Toss it all in the blender and mix until smooth.

Inhale. Bounce off the walls.

***

Why don’t I ever remember that it’s a bad idea to run up mountains the day before leg day?! Doh.

Do you run around in your gym clothes all day?

Do you even gluten-free products even though you don’t have an allergy? I like trying all the foods!

What’s Driving My Marvelous (Monday)

April 29, 2013 By Laura

No one likes regrets.

Especially when it involves wearing a bikini on stage in front of a lot of people.

My favorite uncle likes to say:

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, oh what a merry Christmas we’d all have.

My goal is to go into Saturday’s figure competition without thinking “if only I had…” or “but I should have…” No regrets. That’s what’s driving me right now, even though I’m tired, busy, and really hate running sprints.

That’s not entirely true… I have a lot of fantastic friends whose encouragement also drives me. After this post where I admitted to be being busy and more than a little overwhelmed, Jody reminded me that what I’m doing is not easy and I need to give my body time to recover. So I took my first bath in years.

Then, after a particularly hard-to-motivate-for run (I’m doing sprints daily now), Heather took the time to encourage me. She is the queen of training and balancing a busy life (and running), so I especially appreciate her props.

Note: I’m kidding about the fat and happy. I chose this and I AM happy. These last couple of weeks just get hard.

Something else that can drive a workout is new stuff. So often we think of treating ourselves with food, but new clothing or “toys” can do it too!

This weekend I took myself shopping and got new eye cream, eyeshadow primer, 2 new tops, a bra (so badly needed), and my first EVER top from Lulumon. I didn’t get a pic, but it’s this one.

I also brought my own marvelous lunch to the mall: a crumbled Indian-spiced bison burger, sweet potato cubes, broccoli slaw, and red pepper. I held it up proudly for a pic infront of Victoria’s Secret. ~~Bison and Boobs.~~

As much fun as spending money on yourself can be, free stuff is even more awesome. Thanks to Fitfluential and Reebok, I had the opportunity to try out these Bose SIE2i headphones (as always – my opinions is my OWN).

Let me just say these ROCK. I didn’t even know what I was missing out on until getting these high quality ear buds… it was like surround sound in my ears!

Bonus: They aren’t PINK

How do Reebok and Bose go together? They partnered to release first ever Bose in-ear headphones specifically engineered for exercise. Their features are designed with workouts in mind. Click here for a video with more detail on the technology.

Here is what I liked:

They are sweat proof – there was NO sliding about in my ears even when I was sprinting
They didn’t give me a headache. In the past I’ve had some ill-fitting buds that were so uncomfortable I had a headache by the end of my workout. These still felt great 2 hours later!
The buds come with 3 sizes (small, medium, and large), and the small actually fit me
The shorter cable doesn’t get in the way of movement while lifting, but there is an extension cord for when you need length (I used it so I could place my iPhone on the treadmill while running sprints)
There is a remote in the cord that allows you to easily change songs and adjust volume (you can also take calls, but who doesn’t that during a workout?!)

It also came with a stretchy armband to holds your iPhone, but I didn’t use it. I am looking forward to using it when I do some running this summer – it even has a separate pocket for keys! For lifting, I can’t stand having something strapped to my arm. My pythons need ROOM. LOL!

The downside? At $149.98, they are pricey. Here’s how I look at it: I spend 1-2 hours everyday working out. It’s worth every cent if it makes that experience more enjoyable and comfortable. That means a better workout for me, so I consider it another investment in my fitness.

Lastly, the ultimate driver: Progress. It’s not big. But I do believe that is a booty:

Do these Bose headphones make my butt look big? 😉

It may not look like much, but it’s a BIG improvement after a lot of work. I dislike sprints, but I really hate having a pancake butt or a saggy ass. So sprints it is! I can do anything for 5 (more) days.

And all of this is what’s making my Monday Marvelous. Thank you for another week starting out right, Katie!

***

One more bit of awesome – 2 separate friends sent me their progress shots this weekend. I was flattered that they trusted me enough to share those proud (scantily clad) moments!

Do you make a conscious effort to live life with no regrets?

Are good headphones important to you? What is your fitness “splurge” item? Lulumon? 😉

Spring is Marvelous

April 8, 2013 By Laura

Something about Spring makes life better.

Until the pollen hits.

Last week I was in a bit of a funk. It was rainy and cold, I was tired… but spring arrived just in time for the weekend! I want to carry over this weekend weather high into the week, and Katie’s Marvelous in My Monday link up is my favorite way to focus on the good and start the week out right!

Almost everything involved the outdoors – something I’d forgotten how much I love!

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There’s only one right way to start the weekend – pancakes! I made Heather’s Peanut Butter Cookie pancakes and topped them with a fresh strawberry sauce. My only change to her recipe was to omit the rice flour and reduced the liquid to 1/3 C. They were perfect!

With the spring berries on top, it was like PB&J cookies for breakfast.

Those pancakes fueled the best workout I’d had in DAYS. This week in the gym I had just not been feeling it. I’d be half way through a workout coaxing myself with post-workout foods if I finished.

Not only did I have a great shoulder/glute day in the weight room, but I was feeling so good I decided to run some sprints before heading home. Those sprints are great for the glutes and I could feel it the next day!

After than calorie torch, I made myself a massive Carrot Cake Smoothie… I needed some cool-down fuel because I then met Carol and her puppy for a 6 mile walk in the park!

I don’t know how we walked so long – I was already tired. We just started talking and the time FLEW by!

We parted ways and I headed home for a (much-needed) shower before meeting a friend for dinner.

I don’t know about you, but my #1 favorite thing about spring is patios. Sitting outside with my flip-flops on, a teensy sunburn, and a margarita makes me happy. Simple pleasures.

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Sunday I woke up early (read: before 9am on a weekend) to play softball. We won both games! Our team is undefeated in a men’s league. Hahaha! 🙂

I didn’t have time to make Sunday morning bacon… but my favorite meat-treat still managed to make a cameo.

Sunday is also my grocery store and meal prep day. I hauled my sweaty, dusty self (#sorryimnotsorry) to the farmer’s market and Whole Foods for the weekly stock up. No real diet changes yet, but the competition is coming up fast and next week it will be lock down time.

Despite having bags of groceries from 2 stores, I made it up to my condo in one trip. I saw this on Pinterest, which perfectly captures the moment. Please tell me I’m not the only person who is this stubborn:

I also bought myself flowers. Flowers go a long way in brightening up my week, especially when I work from home. It’s nice to look over and see their natural brightness after staring at a computer screen for hours!

Besides, if I waited for someone else to do it I’d be waiting a looong time. 😉

Another favorite of mine in the warm weather is watermelon. After a long 2 days in the sun, I was happy to have a refreshing watermelon salad… and finally, my Sunday bacon.

Sweet, salty, and a little earthiness from the beets. It’s the perfect spring salad! #strangebutgood

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Watermelon, Beet, & Bacon Salad

1 C watermelon, diced
1/4 C beets, roasted and diced
2 strips crispy bacon
Cilantro, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

***

My teensy sunburn got worse on Sunday. I forgot that with spring comes the need for sunscreen. #fail

Do you ever buy yourself flowers?

What is your favorite part about spring?

Marvelous Smoothie Crack: Mocha Beet Frappuccino

Mocha Beet Frappuccino

What’s Driving My Marvelous (Monday)

Spring is Marvelous

Watermelon, Beet, & Bacon Salad

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