Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

ACL Tear + WIAW

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It doesn’t happen often, but yesterday I almost cried.

It took me 2 months to get into the ortho Dr., but I finally made it.  After an hour-long wait (grrrr…), I was called back to the exam room.  The Doc was great (he’s a talker, which explains the wait).  He does a lot of work on the Atlanta Braves, among other sports teams.  Unfortunately that resume didn’t lessen my injury.

The Dr. actually said I was pushing my body to the extreme… and that made me feel proud.  Isn’t there a quote about taking up too much room if you’re not living on the edge? 😉

It turn out that the pain is my left knee is due to a torn ACL.  I always thought that when you tear an ACL you couldn’t even walk!  Apparently there are varying degrees of tears.

Next step is to go for an MRI to confirm the extent of the damage – he’s betting I have some lateral meniscus repair work that needs to be done too.  I can’t even get in for that consult until late June (hazards of choosing a popular Dr.), which puts me having surgery around August.  4-6 months after that I’ll be back in fighting shape.  That’s 2013.  Ugh.

Nonetheless, I’m pretty depressed.  I was hoping it was just a strained something.  At least I have What I Ate Wednesday to make me smile. (Jenn, can I get  a hug??) 

Check out my eats below; then click here to hope on over to our host – Jenn @ Peas and Crayons – to see what everyone else ate Wednesday (or – more than likely – Tuesday).

Breakfast:

I was told that plyo probably isn’t be best thing for me to be doing with a torn ACL (that explains all the knee pain after…).  Good thing I got in one last P90X Plyometrics workout pre-doctor visit this morning!

I re-fueled with a Laura-style Frapp: loaded with protein and spinach!  Yes, it looks weird.  But it was good.

Green Protein Frapp

  • 1 C chilled coffee
  • One scoop vanilla protein powder
  • Giant handful spinach
  • 1.2 large banana
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp guar gum (to thicken)
  • Ice

Lunch:

Salad.  In a box.  It seems simple, but eating right out of the container make me happy.  If only I could get a salad into an almost-empty PB jar.

In my box:

  • Mixed greens
  • Asparagus
  • Cauliflower
  • Cucumber
  • Tempeh croutons (lemon-pepper tempeh, sautéed in a pan and cooled)
  • Hummus dressing (1 T spinach hummus + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar)

Dinner:

I’ve been eating almost totally vegan since the Food & Wine Festival gut-buster.  The availability of local farm-fresh eggs at this weekend’s farmer’s market in the park was too much to pass up.

Dinner was an egg scramble with hatch chili salsa, sautéed kale, Daiya pepper jack cheese, red pepper flakes served over a sprouted grain tortilla.

Snacks:

There were many, but I was too depressed and too busy at work to take pics: lots of cashews, kombucha, dried sea weed, Think Thin bar… and some other depression-snacks stuff I can’t remember.

***

Have you ever had knee surgery?

If you are vegan/vegetarian, what food do you “miss” the most?  If you’re NOT , which food most keeps you from trying (if any)?

Vegan Food Is Not Healthy

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This according to Jason Kessler, contributing writer to Bon Appetite.

 

In a recent article he brings up the point that people often eat vegan (or vegetarian) because they assume it’s healthier.  While veggies are good, I do agree with Kessler that vegan does NOT equal healthy.  You can find junk food to fit any diet!  I’ve had many a super-sugary (and tasty) vegan chocolate cake!

Society falls into this belief trap so often.  Somehow “vegan” or “organic” or “all-natural” became synonymous with “healthy.”

 

Oreos are vegan. They are not healthy (but they are tasty).

 

The truth is that fried is fried and sugar is sugar, whether it’s vegan or not.  And the sodium?  Look at it the next time you pick up that vegan frozen meal at Whole Foods.  It’s just as bad as the rest of the freezer section.

 

This Vegan Fried Ruben won the Best Taste at Texas State Veggie Fair in 2010

 

We all indulge, no matter what our diet.  Yes, a plant-based diet can be more healthy.  But so can a carnivore’s fare.  The key is moderation.

My bottom line:

 

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Now for a fun vegan story.

I was in Chicago on business last week and was pleased to find an unusual offering on the breakfast menu at the Hyatt in Schaumburg:

 

 

The room service menu included a VEGAN tofu and veggie breakfast hash!

You guys know I’m not 100% vegan, but I do strive for a plant-based diet.  Of course I had to order this!  I was pleased to find that is was light and fresh, and served with a side of hot salsa.  It was a great way to start the day before an 8 hour presentation.

 

 

Thank you, Hyatt for offering a delicious vegan breakfast option!

***

Don’t forget to enter to win 1 of 2 BENGAY Zero Degrees prize bags: http://wp.me/p16jDn-1hS

Does it bother you that “vegan,” “organic,” etc. is so often thought of as being automatically healthy?

Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a hotel or restaurant offering dishes for specific diets?  This Hyatt also offered gluten-free options!

 

Five is for Friday

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It’s been a crazy, crazy week. 

Here are 5 things I’ve been meaning to share with you, but just ran outta time…

1. Blend Retreat Recap Round-Up

The hardworking organizers have collected all of our recaps (click here for mine) on the Blend Retreat in Boulder, CO!  Check them all out by clicking here.  There are some great ladies in this group  you might just discover a new favorite blog. 🙂

2. Protein Peanut Butter Sauce

I’ve been using peanut flour to slather my baked (errr… frozen….) goods lately.  It’s also good by the spoonful.  Not that I would know.

Protein Peanut Butter Sauce

  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/4 C almond milk
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract (or syrup, to your liking)
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional, I just love cinnamon)
  • 1-2 drops liquid Stevia
  • Shake of salt
Mix it together and pour it over the treat of your choice!

3. Coconut Noodles

One more Food & Wine Festival mention then I swear I’ll shut up.

Saturday I attended a session with Bryan Voltaggio (remember Bryan and his brother, Micheal, from Top Chef?).  they have a restaurant in Maryland called Volt.  If I’m ever in the ‘hood, I will be sure to stop by this place.  Dude made a funked-up version of strawberry short-cake.  He MICROWAVED the cake (I thought only bloggers did that?!).  Then he made a granola with strawberry puree and a mini ice cream-coconut doughnut with dry ice… but the coolest part…

He made noodles from coconut and agar agar using syringe and a piece of piping!  Check out the noodle-pushing-through-a-syringe shot in the top right pic below.

It’s things like this that warrant the glowing praise our fest received from Josh Ozersky of TIME and Every Day with Rachel Ray:

“There are a lot of food festivals these days. There is a very classy one in Aspen; there is a rocking one in South Beach… having just got back from Atlanta, I am ready to say that there is only one indispensable event, and that is it. The reason is obvious: the south is the new capital of gastronomy in America.”

4. I have an addiction.  

I wasn’t home long enough to warrant a full grocery store trip (I’m actually writing this from the Sky Club right now), but I HAD to stop to buy this mid-week: 

 

Green smoothies are my crack.  And that’s not whack.

5. Stand up and WALK!

Lastly, this is the article I will use to convince my boss I need a walking desk.

Source: Treatment Online

Gretchen Reynolds, the New York Times Phys Ed columnist recently published a book, The First 20 Minutes, about the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

The previously recommend 30 minutes of exercise per day may not be enough to ward off the dangers of sitting on your arse at a desk all day.

Reynolds says “Sitting for long periods of time… tends to cause changes physiologically within your muscles.  You stop breaking up fat in your bloodstream, you start getting accumulations of fat.”

She suggests that you make it a goal to stand for two minutes every 20 minutes that you’re chained to a desk.  Studies have shown that merely standing can have an impact on how your body responds physiologically, even decreasing your chances of getting diabetes!

***

I’m excited for sleeping in, a hike date, and 2 softball games this weekend!

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Do you have a sedentary job?  How do you combat the effects?

Italian Baked Broccoli Slaw

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Procrastination is a vice.

 

Unfortunately, it’s a vice that I possess.  I procrastinate at work (I am the queen of working until 2am), with cleaning (my BFF finally told me I had to clean my shower because “that’s disgusting”), and with certain type of shopping (I’ve gone through every moisturizer sample in the house – it’s time to hit up Sephora).

 

 

If you look at my recipes marked “to try,” you know I procrastinate at that too.  I get distracted by other ideas, go out to eat too much, or just straight-up give in to $10 Whole Foods hot bar cravings.

This vice is the only excuse I have for not trying Kristin’s Broccoli Slaw.  I’m ashamed it took so long ’cause this easy dish was AWESOME.

 

I hate to dub it a recipe since I literally just cleaned out my veggie drawer into a Pyrex.  In the break down below I barely include measurements.  Adjust everything to your liking!

My version was loaded with flavorful items like roasted artichokes, capers, and lemon-pepper tempeh.  I topped it off with a garlic marinara sauce, extra basil, and red pepper flakes.  Talk about a meal… I am calling it 2 servings, but I could have sat there and demolished the whole thing.

 

 

There are a million possibilities for variations.  Kristin makes a BBQ version.  Next up for me will be a Mexican riff.

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Italian Baked Broccoli Slaw

  • 1/2 package broccoli slaw
  • 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
  • Sliced mushrooms (I used a mix of cremini and shiitake)
  • Lemon-Pepper Tempeh
  • Roasted artichokes
  • Capers
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Basil
  • 1 C marinara sauce

 

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Toss everything into a 8×8 pyrex dish and top with sauce.

Bake for 20-25 mins.

Serves 2.

***

After all the Food & Wine festivities, meals like this vegan dish and a lot of green smoothies have been in my life this week!

What have you been procrastinating on lately?

Have you tried broccoli slaw before? (You can find it at any major grocery store!)

 

Blender-Free Blend WIAW

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A Blend weekend (ironically) meant I actually ate nothing blended.

 

You don’t realize how addicted you are to morning green smoothies until you don’t have it.  Starting your day with carbs vs. greens feels different… not that I didn’t enjoy the spread we were treated to.  It was an epically fabulous departure from my norm. 🙂

 

The only thing that could have made last weekend better was if my girl Jenn @ Peas and Crayons had been able to come.  My What I Ate Wednesday this week is all about What I Ate at Blend.  Dedicated to Jenn, since we missed her so.

 

Check out my eats below; then click here to see what everyone else enjoyed for WIAW.

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Breakfast:

No smoothies, but it was fruit-filled!  We had mangoes, blueberries, strawberries, and the best pineapple I’ve had this season.  All of that plus some almond butter made for a killer oatmeal bowl.

 

 

I couldn’t decide what to have, so I went back for round 2.  Those muffins you see were homemade by the Xagave crew – the carrot muffin (let’s be honest – it was a cupcake) was out-of-this-world.

There was also a lot of tasty fuel provided by Green Mountain Coffee.  I really loved the Double Black Diamond blend!

 

 

Lunch:

Local joint Mountain Sun was our lunch destination on Saturday.  We showed up with a huge group that was ravenous from a 4 mile hike.  Most restaurant staff would have run screaming from the building, but these guys were so cool.  Lauren and I knew we were in love with this spot when the bartender said she LOVED giving people beer tastes.  *swoon*

 

 

After finally selecting a beer (a pale ale called “Kind“), we sat down to order.  Just when I thought the place couldn’t get better we found out that they have a hummus of the day (rosemary – it was delish) AND the server actually encouraged us to make modifications.  Ashley and I split the special Cinco de Mayo burger and subbed the meat patty for the veggie.

 

 

The East Coast crew was still adjusting to the time zone, so we ran next door to the The Cup for double espressos.  They came with the cutest mini biscottis!

 

Snacks:

Beer counts as a snack, right?

Lauren and her hubby hipped us to a great local brewery called Avery.  This place was awesome – 21 beers on tap, $1 for a 4 oz taste, and a delicious menu.  We came, we toured, we tasted.

 

 

See the bottom left pic?  Those are sweet potato tater tots.  And that dip?  Super-star Heather had them blend hummus and avocado together and then topped it with hot sauce to make us an amazing dip.

Dinner:

We stopped in at Rio Grande to get our obligatory Mexican fill.  Honestly, I wasn’t even hungry at this point… but Cinco de Mayo isn’t complete without fajitas!  And margaritas.

It may be a chain, but I was impressed – the vegetarian fajitas came with an incredibly tasty grilled Portobello mushroom and grilled zucchini.

 

 

Aaaaaand… maybe some tequila shots.  Disguises have been added to protect the identity of the not-so-innocent.

Gotta celebrate new tattoos.  No, I didn’t get another… I won’t let the cat out of the bag as to who did.  It looks good though. 🙂

***

I miss you, my Cinco de Blenders!!!  (P.S. I can’t remember who took these group shots… please claim them and I’ll give credit!!!  Sorry…) 

Did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Do you eat greens in the morning?  Would it throw you off to switch it up to carbs? 

 

Mexican Cauliflower “Rice” Bowl + Giveaway Winner

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Rice has never been appealing to me.

It’s always been sort of boring to me.  Like a waste of plate space.  I’d rather have more veggies or a big piece of crusty bread.  I even order my burrito bowl from Willy’s without rice.

When I started seeing cauliflower rice recipes floating around Pinterest, I had to check it out for myself.  Finally, was way to re-create rice-based meals without having to waste space on actual rice.  Other benefits: it doesn’t take an hour to cook, it’s loaded with fiber, and one cup is only 28 calories!

I’d like to say that Cinco de Mayo was the inspiration for making this bowl Mexican… but really it’s just because I eat something Mexican-ish nearly every day.

This is the simplest recipe – you simply put the cauliflower in a blender or food processor and pulse until it resembles rice.  I added some red pepper to mine to make it more flavorful and festive-looking.

Topped with carrots, black beans, avocado, pineapple, and cilantro and then smothered in a spicy salsa verde, this bowl looked like a fiesta!  It made for a filling lunch that didn’t weigh me down and make me yearn for a siesta.

I really loved how the cauliflower really did resemble rice, and the way it took on the other flavors in my Mexican bowl.  If I hadn’t made it myself, I would have had no idea I was eating cauliflower!

Before we get to the recipe… I guess you want to know if you won the Nature Box giveaway. 🙂

The lucky winner is….

Carrie @ Fueled by Plants

Email me your address and I’ll get it to Nature Box in time for the May box delivery!

Mexican Cauliflower “Rice” Bowl

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1/2 red pepper
  • 1/2 C black beans
  • 1/2 C pineapple, cubed
  • 1/4 C red onion
  • 1/2 avocado, cubed
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • Cilantro
  • Salsa
  • Cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, S+P, to taste

Cut cauliflower and red pepper into pieces and place in a food processor or blender.  Pulse the pieces until they are the size and consistency of rice.

Transfer the “rice” to a medium bowl.  Top with remaining ingredients.  Sprinkle with cumin, a pinch of cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and S&P, to taste.

Enjoy!

***

I procrastinated packing last night… so I better get to it before my afternoon flight.  I can’t believe the Blend weekend is FINALLY here!!!

How will you be celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

Are you a fan of rice?  Have you ever made a rice alternative?

Cilantro Hummus Salsa

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I have ants in my pants.

 There is so much to look forward to over the next month-ish!  Tomorrow I leave for the Blend Retreat (I cannot wait  to meet so many of my favorites!!!), next weekend is the Food & Wine Festival in Atlanta, then I’m getting may hair cut/colored at Lava (it’s a big event in my life), then a massage and facial… and THEN I’m headed to Argentina.  Whew!

This weekend is also amateur weekend Cinco de Mayo.  In honor of that shenanigans, I bring you a hummus and a salsa in one.

Don’t be alarmed my it’s green-ish hue.  I didn’t put spinach in it!  This salsa-hummus is packed with cilantro (my apologies to cilantro-sensitive readers), garlic, and a serrano pepper.  A few tablespoons of salsa sets off the Mexican flavors.

How did it take me this long to combine my favorite condiments?

This would be good in just about anything: with chips, used in a layered dip, on tacos, as a schmer on a bagel with avocado slices… in a train, on a plane… 🙂

For WIAW yesterday I used it in a collard green wrap.

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Cilantro Hummus Salsa

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1 T tahini
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 giant handful cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 serrano (or jalapeno) pepper
  • 2 T salsa (I used a hot salsa verde)
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • S+P, to taste

Open the chickpeas and drain about half of the liquid out of the can.  Pour the peas and the remaining juice into a high-speed blender or food processor.  

Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, adjusting spices as necessary.

Yield: 1 cup

***

I could eat Mexican-ish food every day for the rest of my life.

Do you have vacation plans this summer?  Where are you traveling?

What is your favorite condiment?

Cocoa Krispies Protein Pudding + WIAW

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This is what I came home to:

 

 

Apparently my hot water heater went bad while I was at work and leaked all over my floor and down the wall of the unit below mine.  Lovely.

Soooo… I was going to have a recipe for you today, but that will have to wait for tomorrow.

 

Jenn @ Peas and Crayons is making me smile through my check-writing sadness with her What I Ate Wednesday.

 

Check out my eats below; then click here to see what everyone else enjoyed for WIAW.

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Breakfast:

I made a smoothie.  It was green…

The flavor was Strawberry-Basil.  I wouldn’t recommend it.  In fact, I didn’t even take a pic.  Last week’s Banana-Maple-Ginger was much better:

 

 

Lunch:

Clearly I’m addicted to collard green wraps… but this week’s was different!  I used a Mexican-inspired hummus in it!  That hummus is the recipe that was coming today but will instead come tomorrow.  The flood took away my picture-taking light.

 

 

My co-workers and I took out lunch outside.  They appeared skeptical of my “wrap,” but I offered a bite and it was met with a reasonable amount of approval. 🙂

 

Snacks:

I have discovered I like to eat constantly throughout the day.  I snacked it up all afternoon.  Unpictured are some cashews, pineapple, and my daily kombucha.

Pictures below is cottage cheese with nuts, apple, lavar, and some rice cakes.

 

Dinner:

I had a fancier plan, but the flood changed it… however, this lentil salad wasn’t bad for a late dinner in a hurry!

 

 

In the mix was French green lentils, pepper jack Daiya cheese, broccoli sprouts, beets, shallots, celery, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, and S&P.  Translation: I scavenged my fridge.

 

Dessert:

This was seriously the highlight of my day.  The picture doesn’t look like much, but let me assure you… this was hard-core deliciousness.  It tasted like one of my favorite childhood cereals – Cocoa Krispies.

 

Cocoa Krispies Protein Pudding

  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 1 T carob powder
  • 1/4 C cereal
  • 3/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 6-7 drops vanilla stevia
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

 

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl, pressing down slightly to break up cereal a bit.  Place in fridge for 15-20 minutes to allow liquid to soak in.

Remove from fridge, stir, and devour.

***

Thank you all so much for the comments about my tattoo yesterday.  It is a really special piece to me. 🙂

Who do you call when things break at your house?  I had a moment of panic wondering what my next move should be!

What was your favorite childhood cereal? 

***

Don’t forget – click here to enter to win May’s healthy snack box in the NatureBox giveaway!

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