Cherry-Sweet Potato Greek Yogurt + NuNaturals Giveaway

September 30, 2013 By Laura

Happy Birthday to meeeeeee!

Shameless ~~over~~ celebration of birthdays is a family tradition.

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of Sprint 2 the Table. Rather than wax poetic, I figured I’d just give you guys presents. Everyone ok with that?

This week there will be a giveaway EVERY DAY! These are NOT sponsored – I reached out to my favorite brands to ask if they’d be willing to share some love with you in honor of the big #3. I’m excited to start it out with my go-to sweetener.

I try to avoid added sugars (within reason – don’t come between me and my chocolate cake), but I have a MAJOR sweet tooth. One of my strategies for taming a sweet tooth is to use Stevia, which come from the Stevia leaf.

NuNaturals has offered to take place in the blogiversary celebration by offering to FOUR of you (1) one bottle of each of the Lemon, Peppermint , Vanilla, and the NEW Cherry Vanilla Stevia Liquids. Even better? This is open to anyone WORLDWIDE.

They sent me a little present too – I got to try the new Cherry Vanilla flavor! I went straight to me favorite meal of the day to test it out. Dessert!

Nearly every night I have a midnight snack in the form of a Greek yogurt or no-salt cottage cheese creation (yes, I eat after 7pm *gasp*). I don’t care for casein powder, so this is the perfect alternative for me. To sweeten these creations, I prefer to use liquid Stevia because I find it blends better.

This bowl of Cherry-Sweet Potato Greek Yogurt is the perfect blend of rich cherry-vanilla from the Stevia and creamy, sweet sweet ‘tater. The texture is silky-smooth, and I love adding cherries, raw oats, and cacao nibs to the top for a little texture contrast. And chocolate. Always chocolate… mmmm…

Oh, right… the giveaway!!!! Enter here and keep reading for the recipe! ↓
a Rafflecopter giveaway

In case you don’t win, NuNaturals is also offering s discount on all orders placed online (www.nunaturals.com). Just enter discount code BLG1213 to receive 15% off of your order through December 31, 2013. There’s also free shipping on in the US on all orders over $35.

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Cherry-Sweet Potato Greek Yogurt

1/2 baked sweet potato, peeled and mashed
1/2 C Greek yogurt
1 T coconut flour (optional… but not really ;))
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of cloves
5-6 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Cherry-Vanilla Stevia
1 T unsweetened almond milk (or other liquid)
Optional toppings: cocoa powder sauce (cocoa powder + liquid + stevia), cherries, cacao nibs, oats

Combine everything in a small bowl and mix until smooth. You may need to add more liquid to achieve desired consistency.

Top with your favorites and enjoy!

Note: You can make this ahead and/or even freeze it to make a fro-yo! This also makes for a bangin’ protein shake combo.

***

I have to say again how EXCITED I am for this week. Tomorrow’s is awesome… and it comes with a workout. Overall this week is pretty marvelous. 😉

Have you tried Stevia yet? What’s your favorite way to use it?

Which do you prefer – sweet potato or pumpkin puree? Others?

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl + WIAW

September 18, 2013 By Laura

When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Not until I started competing did I realize how true this saying is.

My food prep is saving me this week, once again. Starting a new job where I’m in the office every day (I used to work from home a lot) has forced me to be more structured and has tested me mentally.

Planning workouts and meals has become SO important. Otherwise I’d never get out the door. Preparation and constantly reminding myself of my goals and why I do this crazy thing is a necessity.

I feel more like I’m going it alone during this competition prep. I’m adjusting my workouts to meet my needs/limitations post surgery, and I have more fat to cut than I did in the past.

It’s new and it’s scary. It’s also going to be awesome when I prove to myself that I can get out of my own way to reach a goal.

This is WIAW is a little glimpse into how I use my prep to stay in line, despite a new routine and later workouts. It’ not easy. But it’s not impossible. ~~I think.~~

Read on for my San Francisco treats, and then check out Jenn’s blog. for some more “normal” days of food.

Breakfast:

You may have seen me post on Instagram that I’m changing up my morning cocktail. I decided to try out new aminos in my draaaank. Why? I still love the taste of the old one, but their customer service is so bad (read: non-existent) I can no longer use the product. Their ingredient list wasn’t the *most* clean anyway.

This new one came highly recommended by my local nutrition store. It is pretty good. Doesn’t mix quite as well, but I like the mild taste and it still provides good energy!

I went on a bulgur kick a while ago with this Blueberry-Green Tea Bulgur… then forgot about it. It made a comeback in this week’s food prep!

I mixed this delicious raspberry blend up to grab as a ran out the door to an early morning meeting. It tasted like raspberry cream.

Raspberry Overnight Bulgur

1/4 C bulgur (raw)
1/2 C Greek yogurt
Water or almond milk, to mix (I think this was about 1/2 C… you can always add more in the AM)
1/4 C raspberries
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
6-7 drops orange liquid stevia (or other sweetener)

Mix everything together in a small bowl or jar and store in the fridge overnight.

Remove from fridge in the morning, add liquid if necessary, and enjoy!

Mid-Morning Snack:

This was Turbot with a random (salt-free!) Indian spice blend I found at the Asian market and a side of my tabbouleh with hummus.

I had just finished re-heating my fish in the break-room when two ladies walked in. One commented: “It smells like dead fish in here.” #sorryimnotsorry

You may find it weird to eat fish before noon and/or at work. I find it #strangebutgood.

Lunch:

Turkey on a bed of spinach with my new lentil hummus, Ezekial bread, and raw zucchini sticks. This was going to be a sandwich before I realized I had more stuffing than bread. Typical…

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

This is like a treat meal to me. If tuna is the chicken of the sea and swordfish is the steak of the sea… sea bass must be like the pork belly of the sea. Without the fat (or the pig). It’s absolutely decadent!

The salad with it was broccoli slaw and radish mixed with a quick sauce: nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cumin, turmeric, and smoked paprika. And I ate it off of a Zoo Pals plate. 😉

Dinner:

Dinner has become snack-like on my new work/workout schedule. I now have to workout right after work, so dinner actually is at 9pm and looks like dessert most days.

This is my chocolate-beet smoothie (it’s become a serious addiction), extra spinach blended in. I left out the coffee since it was late, and topped it with pre-roasted kabocha and granola.

Dessert:

A dessert-like dinner doesn’t stop me from doing it again! Since declaring this pumpkin pie protein bowl The Most Amazing Bowl of Deliciousness Ever, I’ve had it 3 nights in a row. After the first night I began freezing it for an hour or so.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bowl

1/2 C Greek yogurt
1/2 C pumpkin purée
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/4 tsp butter extract (vanilla or almond would be good too)
Optional topping: cocoa sauce (cocoa powder, stevia, and almond milk), peanut butter, pumpkin seeds… etc.

Place ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

Freeze for ~1 hour for a frozen custard, or enjoy right away for a more batter-like snack.

***

It’s oddly motivating to be really sore post-workout today. I guess it’s like feeling the reward of hard work?! #strangebutgood

Do you have any tips for staying focused and getting out of your own way? Help. Me.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve brought to work to eat?

Strange But Good: Berry Corny Salad

June 21, 2013 By Laura

I don’t particularly like corn.

I really am a terrible Southerner.

On a cob it’s too messy, off the cob it gets all mushy when cooked. When Kat brought corn over to add to our dinner Monday night I realized something – I just don’t like it cooked. She cut the kernels off the cob and topped our salads with it… uncooked. Duh.

Raw corn has a pure, crunchy sweetness to it. That fantastic flavor was lost for me in all the cooked renditions I’d tried before! How strange to me! But oh man, it was good.

Inspired by the sweet, I decided to create a spring salad using corn and my latest berry-obsession: blueberries. The two treats were a natural fit! I also added cucumbers for a refreshing crunch.

Spinach was my base, but arugula would also be good here. Shallot was my last add. The mild onion provided a slight edge to the sweeter flavors without overpowering.

To dress the salad, I wanted to keep it light but thought a creamy dressing would be a nice contrast to my crunchy veggies. I used Greek yogurt as the base for a lemon and rosemary-laced creation.

It was berry good.

Berry Corny Salad

Spinach
Raw corn kernels
Blueberries
Cucumber
Shallot
2 T Greek yogurt
1 T lemon juice
~1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
Pinch of garlic powder
Black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Mix together veggies and berries in a salad bowl.

In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, lemon, rosemary, and spices.

Dress salad and enjoy!

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?

The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends!

Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

I cannot get enough raw food lately! It’s such a relief after winter to begin eating fresh, local veggies again.

Have you ever eaten raw corn?

What are your favorite salad toppings?

Post-Surgery Surprises + WIAW

June 19, 2013 By Laura

I’m baaaack!

You missed me, right?!

Just over a week after surgery, I’m feeling more “normal” (in my own, #strangebutgood way) and the swelling is starting to go down. They say some people freak out at first, but – thanks to many of you and some good friends – I had a good idea of what to expect post-surgery.

That’s not to say there weren’t some surprises…

5 Post-Surgery Surprises

1. All modesty will go out the window. You will not care that you are naked in the shower at your mom’s house and she is (gently) scrubbing the surgeon’s pen marks off of your chest.

Proof that mamma doesn’t mind – she gifted me with a little boobie prize. 🙂

2. Using a knife is impossible. I can cut most* things now, but at first I couldn’t apply enough pressure to cut a pear.

*I still cannot cut the kabocha squash taunting me on the counter

3. Surgery and/or anesthesia does a number on your digestive system. My muscles were so tight it took an effort to pee. And let’s not even talk about the issues with going #2.

4. Not being able to stretch your arms is torture, particularly after being propped up on a couch for days.

5. The boobs will not be a normal shape. I knew this and didn’t really freak out (thanks in part to the pain meds). They have to settle. No matter who warns you of this, it’s still bizarre the first time you see them.

This snack-themed WIAW is dedicated to post-surgery eats. Another observation to add would be my appetite. I have NEVER experienced a loss of interest in food. When I’m happy, I eat. When I’m depressed, I eat. When I’m bored, I eat. When I have surgery… I don’t care to eat. Instead, I snacked.

Read on for my post-surgery eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s snack-y ideas.

Morning Snacks:

This was eaten just because I had to take my medicine. Bribe me with pain pills the day after surgery and I’ll find something to eat! I mixed almond milk with half a scoop of vanilla protein powder and cinnamon, added multi-grain Cheerios, and topped with sliced peach.

Greek yogurt did taste good to me. I finished off a container of Fage mixed with cinnamon and vanilla liquid stevia. Topped with delicious spring blueberries and cereal crumbles.

When you are stir crazy and just can’t get excited for breakfast, a good alternative is to walk to your local coffee shop (relax Mom, it was only 2 blocks) for an Americano and some ~~light-hearted~~ Wall Street Journal reading.

Later in the Day Snacks:

Greens are good for you. I tried to get my fill of the fresh stuff, and add protein where I could!

This salad was baby kale topped with no-salt deli turkey and nutritional yeast. Side of heirloom tomato and basil, shredded butternut squash salad (thank you, Whole Paycheck), and blackberries.

More salad with kale, turkey, butternut, and tomato. This time I added avocado and pineapple (good for inflammation!).

I also sprinkled lemon juice, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin on top for flavor.

That thing about not wanting food? I take that back. I always want #yolkporn.

On my first day home I grabbed a Tempeh Mole Muffin from the freezer and topped it with a delicious local egg. Eaten with a side if cucumber slices.

The nice people The Good Bean at sent me some roasted chickpeas to try out. I sampled them all… most were a bit salty (I prefer to make my own roasted chickpeas), but I really liked the cinnamon flavor! They also sent a few of their fruit and no-nut bars, of which I loved the chocolate (surprise, surprise).

Actual Meals:

I was really proud of myself on Sunday night – I cooked dinner for Mom and me all by myself! I started rattling off my meal idea to Mom and her reaction was “Have you ever made that before?” I said no… but doesn’t it sound GOOD? #strangebutgood

What resulted was a sort of fried rice. Except I used spaghetti squash instead of the rice, and topped the whole thing with sea bass (that wasn’t exactly cooked by me… it was leftovers). I started by sautéing some pre-cut veggies – red pepper, leeks, asparagus, and zucchini. Then I added the spaghetti squash, and then the eggs. Mix it together, plate, and top with sea bass! Easy. 🙂

The other “real” meal I ate was on my first night home. Kat (who blogs here every other Thursday), came over and made me a delicious meal! She made perfect shrimp and served it over a fresh salad of mache lettuce, avocado, raw corn, and cherry tomatoes.

It was all great, but The real star was her baked goat cheese balls (balls!). She simply formed a ball of soft goat cheese, rolled it in a mix of hazelnut flour and curry spice, and baked it. I don’t know if she’ll post her exact recipe next week (Kat???), but I’m going to have her write it out for me at least!

We also enjoyed it with a shared bottle of rosè. My first wine in over a week. Sweet nectar of the gods.

A Treat:

Mom surprised me with fro-yo! Chocolate and strawberry topped with coconut shreds… we added the blueberries and cacao nibs at home. Holla at ~~being cheap~~ saving money!

***

I seriously considered posting a pic that shows how swollen and high the twins were… everything was covered… but that mayyyy be too far even for me. More appropriate pics will come when things calm down. 😉

Have you ever lost interest in food?

Do you ever bring your fro-yo home to add toppings yourself? I thought this was a brilliant move by my mom!

What’s Beautiful?

May 15, 2013 By Laura

Beautiful comes in all forms.

Much like diet, it’s personal!

There’s no right or wrong definition. When I heard about Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful competition aimed at getting women to set epic goals and prove themselves, I was really excited. You goal, your definition of what beauty is, is totally customized!

I immediately signed up, and I hope you will too! All you need to do is click here and enter some basic info, including what fitness goal you WILL accomplish. You can customize the top pic (like your Facebook header), join teams, and follow/encourage others!

To me, beautiful is embodied by spirits unwilling to settle for less than they are. Strong woman are beautiful to me, so of course that’s what my goal involves. 🙂

Check out my goal and challenges thus far here:

The competition is 100% personalized for you. There are mini-challenges you can participate in along the way, but you can choose those that apply to you.

You don’t have to do the challenges… but you might want to because there are prizes along the way (read: Under Armour schwag bags) and one BIG reward at the end: a trip to Costa Rica to attend a four-day yoga and surf retreat, complete with massages, spa treatments and healthy, locally sourced meals prepared by personal chefs!!!

Once you create your profile, I’d love it if you’d join my team: Team Fabulously Fit! There are four of us FitFluential Ambassadors headed it up. We have some diverse goals, but the underlying theme is healthy and fitness. We are super excited to cheer for you and motivate each other!

Our team includes: Lindsay @ Itz Linz, Melissa @ Treats With A Twist, Lindsay @ Cotter Crunch, and me!

The competition will be using the hashtags #whatsbeautiful and #iwill. Follow along both hashtags on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to stay motivated and dedicated to achieving YOUR goal!

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Don’t worry – we’re still going to talk about food today! My WIAW meals were right in line with the No Shit Diet principles. Including a little dinner indulgence. 🙂

Check out my eats and treats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see what delicious foods everyone else is enjoying!

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