Today is an adventure.
In more ways than one…
The focus of this particular adventure is a #strangebutgood soup. The recipe for this spicy Butternut Squash-Apple Soup can be found on my beautiful Swiss friend Lucie’s blog. The soup is delicious… but even better when done as a guest post for a bad ass blonde!
It’s sweet. It’s spicy. It’s everything you never knew you always wanted. Just like my date last night. #twss
…
Cake can be an acceptable breakfast.
It’s cooked in a squash, so it’s practically a vegetable dish.
Microwaves are the greatest invention since sliced bread. Or sliced squash?
The idea of a freshly baked breakfast was particularly appealing in Atlanta’s ice/snow disaster. I was eyeing Kierston’s bites, but was having a hunger problem. It takes too long to pre-heat the oven and wait for something to bake!
…
Can there be too much of a good thing?
I’m not sure I could tire of dark chocolate.
How about Nutella? Can you imagine having 5.5 tons of it? Thieves in Bad Hersfeld, Germany have made away with a trailer loaded up with just that much of the hazelnut-chocolate-y crack spread. According to this report, that’s about $20,700 of Nutella.
Seriously. What would you do with all that nutella? What are they going to do with it?! More importantly… will this cause a shortage? 😉
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On to healthier, less-alaming things. It’s WIAW time! This is probably the last day of normal (for me) eats pre-competition. Cheat days are gone and I’m back to being super-strict. How do people do this for 16+ weeks?!
Check out my 7 low-sodium, protein-filled meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how more normal people are eating!
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This morning I woke up SORE. After getting my workout mojo back, I’ve been hitting the gym hard. After my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) I talked myself into an include treadmill walk. I promised myself I’d only go for 20 mins to work out the soreness. Well, once I got started I realized I was feeling MUCH better and did 40 mins!
That’s not to say that I didn’t spend the entire walk thinking about breakfast. I was dreaming up something tropical and full of flavor. Mango-Coconut TVP Oats. I added coconut and butter extracts, then imagined I was on an island.
I can’t remember who suggested it, but adding a little baking powder to the original recipe made these nearly double in size. I’m a volume eater, so I was in heaven. Recipe at the bottom.
This was so awkwardly timed. I had posing practice so I didn’t wan to do that on a full tummy, but I was doing a leg day after which I refuse to do on an empty tummy. So I scarfed this down between the two. I’d recommend a little more time for digestion before 4 sets of 25 ass-to-the-grass barbell squats.
Shredded chicken with raspberries and pepitas. And black pepper. It’s good. Really.
I’ve seen Sarena do this for so long, I finally had to try it. Cinnamon-roasted kabocha squash topped with vanilla protein powder “sauce.” OF course, I had to #strangebutgood-ify mine up by making the protein green. I blended it with spinach and maple extract.
You can’t taste the spinach… I don’t think my trainer believed me. Whatever. It was just the thing to take for a quick protein + carb shot after a killer leg day.
Is it weird to crave chicken? I did. Shredded chicken with green onion and diced cucumber. I tossed it in a quick nutritional yeast dressing (nooch + apple cider vinegar + cumin + red pepper flakes).
I have “tested” this dish more than any recipe I’ve posted on this blog. I think I finally got it right tonight!!! And I took pics. Recipe will come verrrry soon (read: as soon as I can motivate to edit said pics).
It’s an Indian curry. I shared it with a friend, who gave it her stamp of approval. 🙂
I missed my salmon today! Normally I like it with fruit for meal 2, but I definitely couldn’t do seafood right before squats (trust me – that is less-than-pleasent if it burps back up… TMI?). Anyway, I decided to have evening salmon.
Sautéed portabello mushroom, red pepper, nutritional yeast, and salmon (pre-cooked during the Sunday food-prep with lemon and dill).
I was conflicted tonight. I needed more carbs, so it was a good night to try the baked chocolate chip Quest bar I’ve been seeing everywhere. But I also wanted cottage cheese. So I went half and half. Turns out that was brilliant because I still have the other half of that bar to eat – it was AMAZING!
My cottage cheese was mixed with cocoa powder, vanilla, a little stevia, and cinnamon. Topped with strawberries.
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Add TVP, water, cinnamon, extracts, and stevia to a small pot. Stir, and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Cook about 5-6 mins, or until liquid is mostly absorbed.
Reduce heat to medium. Pour in egg whites and baking powder. Allow to cook for 2-3 more mins, stirring frequently so that the egg doesn’t form chunks. The mixture will become voluminous.
Scoop into bowl and add mango and toasted coconut (I toasted mine in a pan with a bit of coconut oil).
Note: For a vegan option, add a flax egg or simply leave the egg out.
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Diet changes come tomorrow. No more cheat days. Reality has set in… I will be walking across a stage in stripper heels and a bikini in a month. Ack!
What would you like to have 5.5 TONS of?
What have you learned not to eat before a workout?
Have you ever seen a Carnival Squash?
PYT, pretty young thing…
I have to admit that I am shallow. I chose this squash knowing nothing about the Carnival variety other than it is one attractive squash. It’s pretty… and who DOESN’T like pretty things? This is one squash you can judge my the cover – it was reminiscent of an Acorn squash, but had the sweetness of a Butternut.
Don’t mind the classy paper towel…
Even better: it can be microwaved and ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. Side note: do I use bold too much? I feel like I overuse bold… but I am bold. Hear me roar.
Indian-inspired dishes are a staple in my kitchen, so I made this Carnival a curried affair. My curry is an extra-hot variety, but you can buy a more mild powder. I, of course, added extra heat with red pepper flaked across the top.
Breaking out of my brown food rut, I used red lentils in this curry. They were fantastic! I always heard the lighter colored (non-black or green) were mushier, but I left them al dente and added them to the mix in the last few minutes to ensure the bite remained.
The other flavors in this dish really made it pop – the sweetness from the cardamom and the richness of the cinnamon compliment the curry. Adding a little basil at the end provides a pleasant surprise with every bite. I really love basil in spicy Asian dishes.
It is also delish topped with these Cardamom Roasted Seeds.
Stab the squash 3-4 times and cook in microwave 8-10 mins, until soft to touch. Cut in half and remove guts/seeds. Separate from skin and dice into ~1/2 in cubes.
Over medium heat in large pot, saute onion in olive oil until turning translucent (3-4 mins). Add minced garlic and saute for additional 2-3 mins, until fragrant.
Stir in curry, cardamom, turmeric, and cinnamon and cook another 1-2 mins. Add broth, cider, and lentils and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and cook for 7-8 mins. Stir in squash, adding water as needed. Allow to cook ~5 mins, then add spinach and basil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until spinach is wilted (~5 mins). Salt and pepper, to taste. Makes 2 servings.
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Now I have the entire MJ catalog stuck in my head… Thrillllller!
What is your favorite squash?
For those of you who are old enough to have caught the reference, what’s your favorite Michael Jackson song?
