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Appetites and Adventures

Chocolate-Avocado Pudding

By

This week has my nerves a bit frayed.  

I’m in a funk.

I can’t shake this tired feeling.  My banana muffins turned out salty.  Stevie is turning into a terrorist.  My photos aren’t loading properly on Flickr.

*Whine*

Tonight I got through half an hour of P90X Yoga and hit the stop button.  Bah.

Funk = Comfort food.

So tonight I met a friend for some authentic tonkotsu ramen at Yakatori.  It was sheer deliciousness.

Creamy, rich, pork-y broth.  Fresh noodles.  Crispy cabbage bites.  Not too salty.

The service is friendly, the decor is simple, they don’t have forks, and most patrons are not native English-speakers.  Awesome.

This isn’t microwave ramen – you will wait for your food.  Totally worth it.  They bring out crisp, sesame-coated green beans for you to snack on.  If you’re in Atlanta (and you eat pork), it’s a must-try.  Warning: they only serve the ramen at dinner.

Continuing the comfort food, I made chocolate pudding.  With avocado.

If you don’t spill 1/2 the container of coconut butter (try cleaning that off the floor… epic FAIL), this literally takes just 2 mins to prepare.

You can’t taste the avocado – it only adds some good fat and creaminess.  I swear.  Crosses don’t count.

Mine – of course – included chili powder and cinnamon for a little Mexi-flare.  You can leave out one or both of these, but I strongly urge you to at least try the cinnamon.

Did I mention it has 16g of protein?!

Chocolate-Coconut Pudding

  • 1/2 avocado
  • 2 T cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
  • 2 T unsweetened coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
  • 1 T almond butter
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • 1/2 T coconut oil
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 packet Stevia
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional… I like all my food spicy!)

Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

Devour.

***

Don’t cut your tongue licking the blades (that’s right… I deserve a Darwin Award.)

What is your favorite comfort food? 

Does it change seasonally?

Full Week

By

It’s Wednesday morning and already this week I:

1. Tried two new products

 

Close-to-locally made Kombucha

 

Buchi. Made in Asheville, N.C., purchased at Whole Paycheck Foods in ATL on Ponce.

It was good!  Very authentic (read: vinegar-y), but if you’re already used to the taste of Kombucha you’ll probably like it.

Added bonus: it comes in a beer bottle. 😉


Awesome taste. Awesome nutrients.

 

Omega-Rich Hummus with Walnuts & Flax.  Kudos to you, Whole Foods.  Has any one else seen this?  I’ve never noticed it before.

I don’t eat seafood, so I’ll take all the non-fishy omegas I can get.

Warning: it is purple-ish.  Not sure why.

 

2. Made (and eaten the h-e-double hockey sticks out of) granola

 

I love the hint of citrus in these

 

Callie @ Rawxy posted these Citrus-Spiked Granola Bars a couple of months ago.

I bookmarked them and FINALLY got around to making them.  Don’t make my mistake.  Make these now.

Delicious, filling, and only 4g of sugar!

My modifications:

  • Omitted the hemp seeds (didn’t have any)
  • Added zest of an additional (small) orange
  • Reduced dates to 2
  • Reduced Stevia to 1 packet

They were still sweet without the extra data/Stevia, but I do prefer my granola more nutty than sweet.

 

3. Flew to DC and back

While in DC, I ate at Big Buns.

 

No, I didn't buy a t-shirt.

 

It was surprisingly good.  Sadly, I forgot a pic.

I had the grilled chicken (which was perfectly cooked) over field greens with grilled pineapple, sprouts, roasted red pepper, and sweet chili vinaigrette.

The big surprise was the room upgrade:

 

Penthouse suite!

 

View from the bedroom

 

Don’t worry – I refrained from taking a pic of the phone in the bathroom. 🙂

Thank you, Westin!

 

4. Hosted a Roundtable Discussion with my boss.  No pics, but it went well.  Aside from the jokers that didn’t show up.

 

5. Hit the Gym

 

I have been working out... but this is hilarious.

 

The gym was my second stop (after my house) upon landing in ATL tonight.  Biceps and back + 100 stability ball crunches.

 

6. Cleaned the floor

Stevie didn’t successfully use the potty while I was away.  Dammit.

 

7. Made a tasty dinner

This actually means I tried another new (to me) product – Quorn Turk’y Burger

 

Less than impressive pic, but it hit the spot

 

Hunger took over and I thawed the burger in the microwave.  It still wasn’t bad, but I’d like to try it again in a grill pan or oven.

 

I threw together a quick salad:

  • Baby spinach
  • 1/2 avocado
  • Raw asparagus (julienned)
  • Lemon juice
  • S+P
  • Greek-style yogurt, plain 2% (yep – more Atlanta Farm Fresh)
  • Garlic chili paste
  • Fresh ginger

I tossed the asparagus with a little lemon juice, salt, and pepper, adding it to a bed of spinach.  That was topped with sliced avocado.  On a whim, I mixed the yogurt with the chili paste and ginger (YUM – will do that again!), and drizzled it over the salad.

 

Check back tomorrow to see what I did with the other half of that avocado!

Hint: it involves dessert.

***

After this weekend and Monday/Tuesday, I feel like it should be Friday again! 🙂

Do you find you cram in more activities during the warmer months?

 

Favorite Friday

By

Friday tends to be a round-up day for me.  Why fight it?

 

This week there was a lot of good.  I may complain at times about being overwhelmingly busy, but being busy also makes me feel accomplished.  This was for-sure one of those weeks.

Next week is shaping up to be the same.  (Any DC restaurant recommendations are appreciated!)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Here’s my Top 5 on Friday:

1. Fried Twinkies

That’s right.  Thursday night I gave in and enjoyed fried twinkies.  Because they aren’t unhealthy enough without the fryer involved.

They have NO redeeming qualities… but they are DAMN good.

PSA: Twinkies don’t go to your boobs

 

 

2. Socca Success

I may have woken up still smiling about yesterday’s Socca win.  It has opened up a whole new world of possibility!

You can put anything in socca, top it with anything, eat it with anything… I love a blank canvas.

3. Kitty Potty-Training

That’s right.  I am potty-training my cat.  On the potty.  Thank you, Citi Kitty.

She’s doing really well!  And I’m ecstatic about not having to clean a litter box anymore.

4. Repeats

Ok, it was only one repeat.  The Qu-egg-sadilla.

I need to start repeating more – no shame in reruns!

5. Avocado Smoothie

Speaking of reruns… I’ve made this smoothie a LOT recently.

Avocado in a smoothie makes it super creamy and adds a punch of good fat to your workout recovery drink.

It’s Stevie’s favorite too

Creamy Avocado Smoothie

  • 1/4 large avocado*
  • 1/2 banana*
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 C frozen kale
  • Ice + water to taste

Put it in a blender and enjoy!

*Ever wonder what to do with the other half of an avocado or banana?  Freeze it!  Both fruits don’t keep well after opening, but they DO keep well if you freeze them.  Freezing makes it perfect for a cool smoothie.

***

I’m looking forward to Farmer’s Markets opening back up this weekend.  And the Braves opening at home.

Do you shop at a local market during the warmer months?  

What’s your favorite local-food find?

 

Pre-Wedding Oatmeal

By

This is going to be a quickie – I’m about to hit the road with my preg-o BFF. (I’m bringing lots of roadtrip snacks for the fetus baby!)

We leave in 2 hours.  I haven’t packed or even showered.  But the snacks are ready.  Typical. 🙂

First though – my Braves WON yesterday!!!  This is going to be a great season.


Back to the roadtrip.  It’s wedding weekend for Christina!

Check out her wedding location:

This girl is getting hitched in fairy-tale land!

 

I’ll be taking tons of pics to share – from the location to the dresses to the food (did I mention the bride’s degree in PASTRIES?!), this wedding is going to be off the chain.  Fo’ shizzle.

 

Why does Snoop Dog carry an umbrella?

Fo’ drizzle.

 

Laugh.  You know you want to.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The bridesmaid dresses are strapless… so you know I went to the gym this morning for one last workout to pump up my arms/shoulders.

My workout clearly exhausted Stevie, who had to sleep while holding my hand.  Gimme back my caffeine, kitten!

How cute is that?!

 

For me, that workout called for a protein-filled breakfast.

 

Chocolate-banana-butterscotch-banana-filled oats, to be specific.

I like protein powder.  I like oatmeal.  The combo never sounded great though…

In need of the protein and not feelin’ a shake, I went for the hot oat-protein blend.  It was surprisingly good!

I’m confident this is how Arnold eats his oatmeal.

Actually… this is supposedly an actual pic of Arnold’s oats:

 

Cheese.

 

I’m fascinated and creeped out at the same time.

My oats are slightly less cheerful, but very good nonetheless.


Pumped up oatmeal

Pumped Up Oatmeal

  • 1/2 C oats
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 C water
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/2 tsp butterscotch extract
  • shake of salt
  • 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 1 tsp maca
  • Scoop of PB

Combine first 6 ingredients in pot and cook according to you oatmeal packaging instructions, stirring and mashing banana as you go.  Just before done (~30 secs to go), stir in the maca and protein powder.

Pour into bowl and top with your choice of deliciousness.  Mine was TJ’s Roasted Valencia PB.

***

Have you ever put protein powder in something unexpected?  Was it good?

Hasta la vista, Baby!


Shower Me in Berries

By

The bridal shower was a success!

L to R: Erica, Angie, Me, Christina (Bride-to-be), Mallory (Mommy-to-be)

(We took the same pic at my housewarming 1.5 years ago.  Standing in the same order, of course.  Can’t believe how time flies!)

As long as you count good food, 8 bottles of champagne killed, and a lot of great loot for the bride a success. 🙂

Erica, one of the other bridesmaids (and also one of my BFFs) arrived early to help with the set up/plating/etc.  We were actually ready before guests arrived!

You know we’re close when she didn’t smack me after I told her that her anal-retentiveness is part of her charm.

The spread included:

  • Mimosas
  • Chicken salad croissants
  • Cucumber sandwiches (it is the South)
  • Hummus + veggies + chips
  • American Gra–frutti pimento cheese
  • Mimosas
  • Roaring 40’s blue cheese
  • Olive-basil cookies
  • Roasted red pepper-asparagus-goat cheese mini-quiches
  • Spinach salad with orange vinaigrette and pancetta
  • Mimosas
  • Mixed berries + cannoli cream + toasted almonds
  • Carrot cake
  • Mimosas

Did I mention there were mimosas?

By the end of the shower, most of the food was gone and Christina had some awesome gifts (I have Pottery Barn-envy).

The lucky bridesmaids got a surprise, too!

I still had work to do before Monday, but all that anticipation/energy/Georgia Half-Marathon-envy had me craving a run.

The Stats:

Distance: 6 miles

Time: 49:10

Pace: 8.18

Needless to say, Stevie and I were exhausted by the end of the night.

In debating what to share first, I landed on the Berries + Cannoli Cream in honor of all of the berry-inspired recipes posted this weekend.  It seems that everyone is ready for springtime goods!  I guess you can’t eat winter squash ALL the year…

I made this for Angie’s bridal shower.  It was so good that I wanted to do it again for Christina.  Another friend brought the berries and I made the cream.  Because there’s no “I” in “team.”

Spring Berries & Cannoli Cream

Mine is based on Giada’s recipe, but I simplify the fruit and booze up the cream with orange liqueur.  This cannoli cream is light and fluffy – the perfect compliment to the berries.  For a richer, more dessert-like treat, you could use frangelico or Irish cream and/or sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Spring Berries & Cannoli Cream

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 20 mins

Keywords: blender appetizer brunch dessert gluten-free vegetarian ricotta cheese berries Italian spring

Ingredients (10 servings)

  • 1/3 C part-skim ricotta cheese (high-quality!)
  • 2 T + 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 T orange liqueur
  • 3 T powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 C fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered
  • 2 C fresh raspberries
  • 2 C blackberries
  • 2 T fresh mint, shredded
  • 3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

Combine ricotta and 2 T of cream in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat remaining 1/3 C of cream, powdered sugar, orange liqueur, and cinnamon in a large bowl until semi-firm peaks form.

Gently fold the ricotta into the whipped cream. Refrigerate at least 30 mins to allow cream to set and firm up. (Can be prepared the night before.)

Toss the fruit and mint in a medium bowl to combine. Serve with cream and toasted almonds on side for a party-buffer. Alternately, spoon the fruit into dessert bowls, top with cream, and sprinkle with almonds.

Powered by Recipage

***

Work is interfering with blogging really busy right now!  Recipe for my favorite party item coming tomorrow… it’s reallllly good though.

What’s your favorite springtime dish?  

Have you already switched your menus at home?

Getting Ready to Shower

By

Bridal Shower, that is. 🙂

The other bridesmaid throwing this party would kill me if she knew I was blogging right now.  Shower begins in 3 hours!

It’s been crazy trying to get everything ready.  I thought I’d do a brief, 10 step pictorial of how to get ready to host a shower.

10 Steps to Shower-Ready

 

Step 1: Get your hair did

 

Step 2: Pre-bake mini-quiches

 

Step 3: Hide your clutter

 

4. Go for a run.

Distance: 4 miles

Time: 33:16

Pace: 8:29

 

 

Step 5: Share cannoli cream with a (very happy) kitten

 

Step 6: Buy new dress (apparently jeans are a no-no)

 

Step 7: Break for dinner at Empire State South

 

Step 8: Bake cookies. Do not eat them all.

 

Step 9: Make quick microwave oats for breakfast. Add blackberries.

 

Step 10: Don’t forget to clean the toilet!!!

***

Who ran the Georgia Marathon today?  How was it?

Congratulations to all the finishers!


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?

Leggo My Egg… ffin

By

This past weekend I had a derby promo photo shoot.  

I missed the original date due to my Jay Leno-esque swelling.

Fact: I do not like having my picture taken for anything outside of a quick snapshot.  It makes me self-conscious.

(c) 2011, Tim Moxley

There were cool.  My team’s theme is “We Mean Business.”

(c) 2011, Tim Moxley

Thank you, Tim Moxley, for doing an incredible job and making me laugh a little through the terror. 🙂

(c) 2011, Tim Moxley

Let’s talk about what I didn’t burn…

Eggs.  Muffins.  The staples of breakfast.  It’s only natural that they become one.

Machessmo did a great job re-creating the Egg McMuffin.  But I need something even more simple with my tardy record.

This literally took 5 mins to throw together.  They can be prepared in advance in the oven as instructed below… or the lazy way.  Zap it in the micro for 15 secs and I have a hot, grab-and-go breakfast for the week (well, this and a Greek yogurt).

You can add different spices and veggies to shake it up:

  • Feta cheese and onion
  • Bacon (fake or real) and cheddar
  • Soysauge and brie
  • Capers and cream cheese
  • Herbs (NOT those herbs)

The sky is the limit! Take that, sugar-filled/fake-looking egg fast food options.

Eggfin

  • 3 eggs
  • 3 egg whites (1/2 cup if you buy them in a carton)
  • 1 C spinach, rough chopped
  • 1/4 C cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 C red pepper, diced
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1.5 oz herbed goat cheese
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk
  • S+P, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 4 ramekins with olive oil.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs.  Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.  Distribute evenly among the 4 ramekins (or 4 spaces in a large muffin tin).

Place in oven and cook for 20 mins.  Finish on broil for 1-2 mins to solidify tops (if necessary).

Be sure to guard your eggfin

***

Tonight I’m having friends over for a vegetarian dinner.  I cannot wait to share these creations tomorrow!

What is your favorite hot, non-oatmeal week-day breakfast?

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