It’s pretty hot and humid right now in San Diego.
Feels like my Atlanta hometown!
We’ve had hot soup since Vegas has had a cold, but in the middle of the day there’s no way I could stomach it. I thought of making tomato gazpacho, but I had half a watermelon in the fridge that needed to be used. My gazpacho took a strange (but REALLY good) twist and went tropical.
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I ran down the street in my underwear this weekend.
It was Christmas underwear…. which makes it totally acceptable…
Atlanta holds a Santa Speedo Run every year. I’ve always been curious and had friends who’ve run… but this year curiosity killed the cat. I paid money to run down Peachtree Street in my undies. Thankfully, it was a pretty warm day and the “race” was only 1.5 miles. And it was for charity! It was a fun way to stay active and donate to a good cause on the holidays!
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I eat a lot of protein.
It’s my thing.
For my goals, I need to eat all the protein. It’s muscle fuel while I’m trying to build. It’s also hard on the body to digest that much protein continuously (it’s been months and months of packing it in). When Skinny Limits reached out and offered a 3-day juice cleanse for review I decided it was the perfect time to… well, be cleansed.
…
There are no short cuts.
That doesn’t seems to stop people from trying .
Satisfries? Really Burger King? According to this article, the fast food chain has developed a lower fat french fry.* One serving is 190 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 210 milligrams of sodium.
*Yes, they are really called Satisfries
Apparently Satisfries taste like regular fries – they are made with the same oil as the full-fat version. The trick is that Burger King uses an oil-repelling agent in the better that lowers the fat content.
This is kitchen wizardry, not a nutritious french fry. I can’t stand when companies do this because it’s misleading to consumers. Yes,ultimately it’s up to the individual to do their research… but they DON’T. They see these products come out and think eating fries for lunch every day is a good choice (with a burger and a diet coke).
Right or wrong, the timing couldn’t be better. The U.S Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is requiring restaurant chains to post calorie counts on their menus next year. I wonder how many more menus items like these will be popping up?
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This is WIAW was crazy. I was in back to back meetings and pretty much only left my office long enough to pee and run to the fridge for more food. Thank god for food prep. I’m sure people think I’m nuts.
Read on for my San Francisco treats, and then check out Jenn’s blog. for some more “normal” days of food.
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I’m still going with my new Aminos in my morning cocktail. I am liking it! It’s not a sweet, but I think that’s nice on my taste buds early in the AM.
The food part… well, let’s just say I won’t be leaving the house without tasting my breakfast first ever again. This was going to be a genius idea – mixing ingredients for an oatmeal mugcake the night before so all I had to do was nuke it in the morning. 2 mistakes: I tried a totally new recipe and I microwaved it WAY too long.
At least the Cats mug made me smile.
Porgy with celery sticks and my lentil hummus. Porgy was a new fish to me. I really liked it – it’s heartier, more similar to chicken than a flaky fish.
Bonus: Progy is fun to say. 
This was salmon sashimi with lavar, Ezekial bread, and a massaged kale salad.
The dressing (massage lotion?) was my take on Heather’s Creamy Chickpea Salad. If you’ve never use tofu in dressing before, you MUST try it. I can’t believe how creamy and delicious this was!
Toss together kale, mushrooms, and asparagus.
Blend together dressing ingredients, and massage into kale mix.
Can eat immediately, but best if allowed to marinate overnight so that veggies soften and flavors infuse..
Pork Belly of the sea! Sea bass is my favorite fish. Hands down. I ate it in my office with roasted cauliflower and sweet potato (topped with the cinnamon I keep in my desk).
Dinner continues to be more snack-like on my new schedule. I snacked on some (unpictured) granola before hustling to the gym. When I came home after 9p, all I wanted was my chocolate-beet smoothie.
I was out of beet powder (my Whole Foods quit carrying it!!!), so I tossed in a raw beet! The Vitamix blended it like a champ. Topped with more granola, then inhaled.
Then I needed round two. Double roasted kabocha and peanut flour sauce.
I could eat this every meal.
I’m so sad about this… I made my Carrot Cake Batter Protein Bowl using French Vanilla Designer Whey. Was planning to top it with a Banana Nut Quest Bar. And I did. But not before I burned it. I ate it any way, obv. Note to self: Don’t put your Quest bars under the broiler and walk away.
Topped with cocoa powder-coconut flour sauce and Nuttzo. Because that makes everything better.
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Don’t forget to enter the Designer Whey giveaway for a 1 year supply worth $500. Contest ends tonight at 11:59p!
Satisfries. Do you buy it? Would you buy it?
Do you keep a stash of spices in your desk or purse?
What’s more exciting than packages?
Chocolate cake.
I came home last night to a delivery from iHerb. After a massage and a trip to Whole Foods, it was the icing on the chocolate cake.
Use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!
Many of these are new to me – toffee stevia, Walden Farms caramel, and the peanut butter protein powder. I have been out of tahini and coconut flour for a while, so I’m excited to use those again. I bet I can use it all together!
Do you think I got enough peanut flour? I love that stuff. It’s better than the other stuff (ahem… PB2) because it’s just the de-fatted nuts. No added sodium or sugar.
What should you do with your peanut flour? Allow me to help…
Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Sweet Potato Scramble with Spiced Maple-Peanut Sauce
There’s a lot more where that came from… check out my Recipage. I may or may not have an addiction…
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This WIAW was a good one. I was much more prepared this week to stick to my plan. I’m using more quinoa to help me hit my carbs. This time I made extra to keep in the freezer for quick access next week too.
Read on for my food, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s tasty eats.
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Of course I had my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) to start my day out right.
Then it was on to the #yolkporn. I made Toad in a Hole with my P28 bread and local eggs. I ate it with a side of kiwi and cottage cheese mixed with cinnamon.
This was my post-workout refuel. I made a Chocolate-Beet Protein Smoothie with extra spinach. Topped with my custom granola and blueberries.
Side note: It drives me insane when people call them “bloobs.” Is that silly? #sorryimnotsorry
Cod that I baked in marinara sauce and mushrooms with a side of quinoa mixed with hummus, white bell pepper, and broccoli slaw.
It was pungent, so I also had one of the office soft mints. 😉
Sandwiches aren’t a staple in my life, but I’m really liking them lately! This was turkey made at the local farmer’s market on Ezekial bread with local greens and hummus.
The salad was a Quinoa Tabbouleh. The recipe will come tomorrow!
This is when the day got awesome. I left work to get a massage… where I realized exactly how badly I need to get them regularly. My back was a knot forest.
Kombucha is good for muscle recovery, so naturally I headed to Whole Paycheck Foods to get a one on tap. And a few other things I didn’t really need.
Shamelessly staged a photo shoot in the parking lot.
Ripped Recipes shared my Cheese-less Cauliflower Crust recipe on Instagram last night… which sparked a craving. Pizza time!
I topped mine with marinara, broccoli slaw, baked tofu, and a slice of Daiya Provolone. I eat cheese, but I actually love Daiya. I do not; however, think it tastes like real cheese.
I am finally getting smart about making this pizza – I make a few crusts at a time to keep in the freezer for quick week night dinners. MUCH better than pizza from the freezer section!
Side note: I recently discovered and really like Ripped Recipes as a resource for creative, protein-rich ideas. Have you guys ever heard of them?
I really, really love carrots. Hence – once again – my Carrot Cake Protein Batter. I added some of the protein powder from my iHerb box and used a tiny bit of the Walden Farms caramel. Both were a little fake. The custom granola crack and the figs were good!
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The peanut flour farmers should really pay me. Or I should at least get a break on my state taxes (it’s made here in GA).
Have you ever ordered from iHerb? What are some of your go-tos?
What are some of your favorite carbs? Oatmeal? Quinoa? Others?
Bake sales are the best.
Homemade baked goods are the most “worth it” treat.
Amanda @ Run to the Finish has teamed up with Women’s Health and will be running and fundraising for the FEED Project, which seeks to feed hungry US kids. Their RUN 10 FEED 10 program is really cool – you run a 10K and 10 children in your community are fed with the proceeds. (Amanda has a discount code you may use here.)
But you don’t HAVE to run! You can opt to just eat. 🙂 Amanda is hosting an online blogger bake sale where 100% of the donations will towards feeding these kids.
Bidding began yesterday (I’m behind – sorry!), and bids will be accepted until August 7th 9AM EST. Winners will be contacted and asked to donate the specific amount via CrowdRise.
Hurry over and bid on your auction deliciousness here. There are tons be homemade items from bloggers (and products from several sponsors) available for bidding. A batch of my vegan, no-sugar added Chewy Granola Cookies are up for grabs… you might even get a little something extra. 😉
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These WIAW meals were half eaten at work and half on the road. I didn’t do the most elaborate job of planning, as I am enjoying my final week of “freedom” before I start competition prep in earnest!
Read on for my traveling food, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s delicious days.
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My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) happened, as usual. I swear this is the biggest addiction in my life.
I had an early morning meeting, so I made sure my breakfast was ready to grab a go. Overnight oats in a cottage cheese container! Almost as good as a PB jar…
This raspberry and maple-laced concoction was really good! And easy to eat from my lap on the way to work.
Like I mentioned last week, I have been into the Trader Joe’s Balsamic Chicken. It’s one of the few packaged things I buy, but when I’m traveling a lot this is a great (low sodium) item to keep on hand.
Eaten with veggies I pre-roasted on Sunday with some marinara sauce and nutritional yeast.
I was running out of my office to get my stuff ready for the airport (and squeeze in a workout… shhhh!), so this almost didn’t even get pictured. A mix of no salt deli turkey, celery, hummus, and cayenne.
It was so quick I called it the lazy girl’s turkey salad. 😉
I have become obsessed with post-workout Chocolate + Beet Protein Smoothie Bowls. I used this recipe again, but added spinach and topped it with muesli and kabocha squash.
No exaggeration, I could eat this every meal.
Dinner was eaten in Florida. I hopped a plane, ate some unpictured pretzels, and went right to dinner with my co-worker. We hit up Columbia, a famous Cuban spot and Florida’s oldest restaurant. It was delicious!
We started with giant warm, crusty loaves of Cuban bread and the 1905 Salad. The bread was amazing… the salad… I’d say it’s basically a Chef’s salad with no egg and a ton of dressing. I also enjoyed a margarita – one of the best I’ve ever had!
Terrible pics… it was dark!
My main was massive. The server highly recommended the Camarones Rellenos “Jesse Gonzalez.”
I thought shrimp would be light-ish… I learned that it’s not when it’s stuffed with lump crab and a generous helping of butter. Did I mention it was served with rice, beans, and roasted veggies? And that my co-worker ordered sides of yucca and fried plantains?
Call me happy and roll me home.
You know I’m full when I can’t even imagine eating dessert. Hell froze over.
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Tomorrow I fly back home and Thursday I drive to South Carolina. Despite the craziness all I can think about is 1) When do I get to go to the farmer’s market to get “my” food and 2) How am I going to fit a workout in Thursday and Friday?
Have you checked out the bake sale? What item is catching your eye?
Does the combo of beets and chocolate sound #strangebutgood to you? I thought it was normal until I told my co-worker about it…
Merry Marvelous!
Are you ever so cheerful you annoy yourself?
It’s false cheer. Sort of. I’m not in a bad mood… but does anyone really look forward to a Monday like they do a Saturday? Yet another reason to love Katie’s Marvelous Monday link up. 🙂
First up in the world of marvelous is this #vitamixporn. That’s a legit hash tag, no?
This deliciousness is a Chocolate-Beet protein smoothie. It was so thick and creamy I ate it with a spoon… like I do with just about every smoothie. It’s the only way to go after a hot, sweaty romp in the gym. 😉
You can make this in a regular blender, it just might not be quite as ice cream-like. I posted the recipe here on Facebook.
Marvelous item #2 involves one of my favorite movies – Grease! Saturday it was playing it on the big screen at a the Fox Theatre… it was done like a sing-along! The words to every song were scrolled across the bottom of the screen and they handed out little props for people to use throughout the movie.
They had a costume contest before the movie started!
The less-then-marvelous part is that I was supposed to go with my best friend, but at the last minute she got the stomach flu! So I went by myself. It was a little awkward due to the interactive nature, but I sat back and enjoyed the show and the people watching. It was rich – the over 50 crowed came out in full-force dressed like Pink Ladies and T-Birds.
In the end, I was happy. I was in a loner mood for some reason anyway. When I got home there was more marvelous = clean sheets! I put myself to bed with a book and a handmade mason jar candle.
This next item is more hilarious than marvelous. I was in the gym, minding my business, when I came upon a full spread of beauty supplies in the locker room.
The pic doesn’t even show it all. I couldn’t fit in the towel wrap, 2 pairs of shoes, flip-flops, bobby pins, comb… and dirty clothes on the floor. I chuckled… and then I Instagrammed. (She was in the shower… I’m not quite that ballsy.)
Yes, that is a hair weave on the counter.
I had to take a picture.* If I had to bring THAT much crap to shower at the gym, I’d just go home. (I have never showered at a gym, actually.) If I hadn’t been in a hurry, I would have waited to see what she looked like after getting all dolled up.
*Nothing shocks me anymore at my gym – last week there was a girl there carrying a dog around in her purse. In the weightroom. While using the leg extension machine.
Lastly, I have to include food in the weekend marvelousness. This happened before I made it to the market. you can always tell when it’s the end of the week because I’m eating a random hodge podge of protein. There are 3 types of fish on that plate.
The real marvelous part was the salad. I managed to end the week with a lot of veggie goodies left over, and throw together a fresh, raw salad.
If you haven’t had corn raw before, check out this #strangebutgood Berry Corny Salad too. It fabulously sweet and crunchy!
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Mix together veggies and drizzle of vinegar. Finish with fresh black pepper.
Note: You could also add olive oil, nuts, or other herbs!
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It must be the crazy humidity, but I’m craving raw foods lately… which simply means I’m (re)learning you can put just about anything in a blender. 🙂
What is the strangest thing you’ve ever seen in the gym?
Would you go to a show at a theatre by yourself? What is your favorite character from Grease? Mine’s Rizzo!
Indian food is my jam.
As evidenced by the fact I’m apparently unable to post about anything else lately.
Someone mentioned a mango lassi the other day and it has popped up everywhere since then. Long ago I made a Savory Protein Lassi, but this time I (for once) decided to go the traditional route and make a mango version.
At least the idea of it was traditional… I have serious doubts that you’d find a “real” lassi with spinach and protein powder.
Who needs real when you can have a protein version? This shake was a refreshing post-workout refuel treat. With spring temperatures here, I’m loving the return of smoothies. And smoothie bowls.
I add a little more ice to keep it thick. There’s just something about eating them with a spoon that makes a protein smoothie that much more satisfying.
The coconut extract and coriander enhance the sweet mango. Greek yogurt adds a creaminess, but if you don’t do dairy you can leave it out or use tofu or avocado to add to the cream-factor.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with coriander, it’s a subtle flavor that is warm and a bit nutty with a slight hint of citrus. Coriander brightens and deepens flavors, but in a gentle way where most people wouldn’t be able to pick it out.
Don’t be scared – it rarely overpowers or detracts from other ingredients. Rather, it only adds. It’s good in sweet and savory dishes (I also used it in my Cauliflower & Eggplant Curry).
Place everything in a high-speed blender (I used my Vitamix) and blend until smooth(ie).
Enjoy by the spoonful.
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I’m stopping with the Indian for a bit (I think). My sister is coming back to the States and Cinco de Drinko Mayo is coming. I’m feeling like a fiesta!!!
Have you ever used coriander before? It’s great in baked goods too!
Is it warm yet where you are? It’s warmer in ATL… but raining. Obv.
