Healthy PB&J French Toast

April 11, 2013 By Laura

PB&J isn’t just for kids.

Confession: I ate that or a bologna sandwich for lunch every single day from K-5th grade.

To this day PB&J is one of my favorite sandwiches. One might even say It’s my jam. I pass on bologna though.

My mom used to make grilled PB&J. She buttered the bread, and the peanut butter would get all runny and hot… it was pure awesomeness. Something about a mamma-made sandwich just taste better, right?

Mom also used to make this incredible french toast on homemade sourdough bread. She’d make it in the morning and bring it up to my bathroom as I was getting ready for school (yes, I realize how ~~spoiled~~ lucky I was!). ~~I’ll never know how i wasn’t obese.~~

This recipe combines two of my favorite things, transforming a couple of less-than-healthy childhood treats a guilt-free breakfast.

Lightening up this combo-treat doesn’t mean it’s less delicious. The PB&J part takes a little creativity, but it can be done! I replaced jam with a homemade version by mashing and then heating fresh raspberries. The peanut butter is a low-fat, high-protein peanut flour creation, and – even better – the bread is high protein too!

The French toast part was easier to lighten up – all you really need to make it are egg whites. You could eat it open-faced with the PB&J as your only topping. Or you could go all the way and add syrup. For me, French toast requires (sugar-free) syrup. Go big or go home.

Note: I realize a lot of sugar-free syrups have scary stuff in them. I recommend trying to find one sweetened with Stevia or Xylitol (check your health food store!) if sugar-free is important to you.

This may look like a lot of ingredients, but it comes together quickly. I get my toast ready and place it in the pan to cook while I mix up the PB&J. I had this done in 10 mins, max.

If you haven’t tried peanut flour yet… I cannot recommend it enough. Peanut flour is simply defatted peanuts in powder-form. Super high in protein and they don’t add the sugar and sodium that PB2 has. It can be ordered online through iHerb.com. Use discount code USO924 for up to $10.00 off any order!

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PB&J French Toast

For the Toast:

1 large or 2 small slices of bread
1/4 C egg whites
1/8 C water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp butter extract
5-6 drops liquid Stevia (or other sweetener)

For the Jelly:

1/4 C raspberries
1/8 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
2 drops lemon liquid stevia (optional)

For the Peanut Butter:

2 T peanut flour
2 T liquid
1 tsp ground flax
1/4 tsp almond extract
2-3 drops vanilla liquid stevia

For the Toast:

In a wide bowl, beat together egg whites, water, cinnamon, extracts, and sweetener.

Over medium-low heat, heat pan coated with a thin layer of oil or PAM.

Place the bread into the bowl, letting it soak up egg mixture for a few seconds, then carefully turn to coat the other side.

Transfer bread slices to pan, heating slowly until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side.

For the Jelly:

In a small bowl, mash berries until only small pieces remain. Add sweetener and gum (if using), and mix together.

Microwave until warm, ~10 seconds.

For the Peanut Butter:

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients.

Plate the toast and top with your PB&J. Add syrup, if desired. Devour.

***

Apparently I’ve been on a French toast bender. The Hummus French Toast and now this. I guess mybody knew it wouldn’t be having this again until after the competition! There will be NO asparagus toast.

What did you eat for lunch in elementary school? Do you still eat it today?

Have you even had homemade bread? It’s divine.

Mango-Coconut TVP Oatmeal + WIAW

April 10, 2013 By Laura

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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Meal 1:

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.

Meal 2:

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.

Meal 3:

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.

Meal 4:

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).

Meal 5:

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.

Meal 6:

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).

Meal 7:

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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Mango-Coconut TVP Oatmeal

1/3 C Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
3/4 C water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/4 tsp butter extract
Stevia (or other sweetener), to taste
1/4 C egg whites
1/8 tsp no-sodium baking powder
1/2 mango
Unsweetened coconut, toasted

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.

***

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?

Work It Out: Limited Legs

April 9, 2013 By Laura

Today is leg day.

Let’s pretend I don’t dread this day each week.

Misery loves company, so today’s Work It Out is a leg day too. You’re welcome.

This is actually kind of a fun routine. I call it limited because you only need 2 machines, and it’s a good one to do if you’re suffering from foot/ankle problems (I do these when my plantar fasciitis acts up). You CAN have a challenging leg workout without ever touching your feet to the floor.

Another reason I like it is that is incorporates many of the previous techniques I’ve written about to shake up your routine. Click the title of each for the post with a full description/benefits of the technique.

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The only equipment you need to do these is a leg extension machine and a leg curl machine.

Do 3 sets of each move, 10 reps per set (unless otherwise indicated). When you select your starting weight, remember that most of these are using techniques that make the move more challenging. If you can, increase your weight with each set

Leg Extensions

1. Traditional Leg Extensions (regular reps)

2. 24s (8 reps from bottom to half way point, 8 starting half way to full extension, and 8 full)

3. Fulls and Partials (10 full, followed by 10 partial reps – 1st and 3rd sets bottom half, 2nd and 4th top half)

4. Drop Sets (10 reps with a medium heavy weight, 10 with 10 lbs less, then 10 more with 10 lbs less = 1 set)

Lying Leg Curls

1. Traditional Lying Leg Curls (regular reps)

2. Super 8’s (8 reps + hold for 8 count, 3 times = 1 set)

3. 1 1/2’s (1 full + 1 half = 1 rep, 1st and 3rd set halfs on the bottom half, 2nd and 4th on the top)

4. Super Slow (6 count going up, 6 count going down)

Caution: It is easy to “over train” with these modifications. They challenge your muscles to work much harder than usual, so these moves are not recommended as a long-term regimen.

***

You guys cracked me up with the gym confessions/pet peeves last week. I’m going to be doing more posts like that!

What’s you most-hated leg move? Hack squats.

So we end on a positive… what’s your favorite leg move? Heavy squats!

Spring is Marvelous

April 8, 2013 By Laura

Something about Spring makes life better.

Until the pollen hits.

Last week I was in a bit of a funk. It was rainy and cold, I was tired… but spring arrived just in time for the weekend! I want to carry over this weekend weather high into the week, and Katie’s Marvelous in My Monday link up is my favorite way to focus on the good and start the week out right!

Almost everything involved the outdoors – something I’d forgotten how much I love!

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There’s only one right way to start the weekend – pancakes! I made Heather’s Peanut Butter Cookie pancakes and topped them with a fresh strawberry sauce. My only change to her recipe was to omit the rice flour and reduced the liquid to 1/3 C. They were perfect!

With the spring berries on top, it was like PB&J cookies for breakfast.

Those pancakes fueled the best workout I’d had in DAYS. This week in the gym I had just not been feeling it. I’d be half way through a workout coaxing myself with post-workout foods if I finished.

Not only did I have a great shoulder/glute day in the weight room, but I was feeling so good I decided to run some sprints before heading home. Those sprints are great for the glutes and I could feel it the next day!

After than calorie torch, I made myself a massive Carrot Cake Smoothie… I needed some cool-down fuel because I then met Carol and her puppy for a 6 mile walk in the park!

I don’t know how we walked so long – I was already tired. We just started talking and the time FLEW by!

We parted ways and I headed home for a (much-needed) shower before meeting a friend for dinner.

I don’t know about you, but my #1 favorite thing about spring is patios. Sitting outside with my flip-flops on, a teensy sunburn, and a margarita makes me happy. Simple pleasures.

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Sunday I woke up early (read: before 9am on a weekend) to play softball. We won both games! Our team is undefeated in a men’s league. Hahaha!

I didn’t have time to make Sunday morning bacon… but my favorite meat-treat still managed to make a cameo.

Sunday is also my grocery store and meal prep day. I hauled my sweaty, dusty self (#sorryimnotsorry) to the farmer’s market and Whole Foods for the weekly stock up. No real diet changes yet, but the competition is coming up fast and next week it will be lock down time.

Despite having bags of groceries from 2 stores, I made it up to my condo in one trip. I saw this on Pinterest, which perfectly captures the moment. Please tell me I’m not the only person who is this stubborn:

I also bought myself flowers. Flowers go a long way in brightening up my week, especially when I work from home. It’s nice to look over and see their natural brightness after staring at a computer screen for hours!

Besides, if I waited for someone else to do it I’d be waiting a looong time.

Another favorite of mine in the warm weather is watermelon. After a long 2 days in the sun, I was happy to have a refreshing watermelon salad… and finally, my Sunday bacon.

Sweet, salty, and a little earthiness from the beets. It’s the perfect spring salad! #strangebutgood

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Watermelon, Beet, & Bacon Salad

1 C watermelon, diced
1/4 C beets, roasted and diced
2 strips crispy bacon
Cilantro, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

***

My teensy sunburn got worse on Sunday. I forgot that with spring comes the need for sunscreen. #fail

Do you ever buy yourself flowers?

What is your favorite part about spring?

Gettin’ Grounded & TVP Bacon Bits

April 4, 2013 By Laura

I can admit when I’m wrong.

Sometimes. If I’m in the right mood.

Wednesday I ranted about declining service in restaurants. I still stand by my theory, but I have to call out the fact that I had absolutely amazing service at dinner last night.

I met a friend at Metro Fresh, one of my favorite local spots. They serve fresh, clean food. The menu changes daily and the prices are reasonable. It’s my go-to.

After enjoying a fantastic piece of salmon and a leafy green salad, I was craving dark chocolate. I asked if they had squares, but they didn’t. Much to my surprise, one of the employees brought over the most delicious (housemade!) cinnamon roll. For. Free.

When I got home, I wrote an email to the owner bragging on his staff and thanking him for another great experience. Have you ever done this? I try to be as quick to compliment as I am to complain.

This morning when he emailed out the daily menu, he included my note saying it was especially nice to get after a long, busy day. How cool is this?!

Awesome. There is hope. There are still restaurant owners and staff that care about the experience customers have in their establishments.

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It feels so good to be APRIL! I’ve been waiting for this month all year!

It’s my last month of law school, and I am so so so so excited to be almost done! I could not have done this without my friends and family and their constant support. (Editor’s note: SO PROUD of you!!!)

I went to my cousin’s amazing wedding, and got to spend time with my mom and brother and dad. Being with my family reminded me of how important they are because they make me feel so grounded. This is probably because your family are your roots, and even though they might sometimes drive you batty, they are where you come from.

See, I get it from my momma (and I know the quality of this picture SUCKS – but you can see where I get my quirky qualities)

Me and my handsome brother

It was also a blessing to go to my cousin’s wedding and spend time with my extended family. WOW.

It was so cool to see how in love they are and to know how much they’ve been through before they ever got married. Their love is the kind of love I aspire to, and they truly have a fairy tale. (Editor’s note: I flippin’ loved seeing all their wedding pics – cowboy fairy tale!)

SEE?!?!? So stinkin’ cute!

When I came home, I also had a beautiful necklace in the mail – a tree that represents the earth and feeling grounded… this is symbolic for me because I think I realized that this is my theme of the year/month/right now/whatever.

My groundedness is coming from my family, my ability to connect with nature, to be with the earth. I love what I get from the earth and feel incredibly lucky every day.

I also got to connect with Laura over a wonderful dinner at Bacchanalia! I can’t believe she treated me to such an awesome birthday dinner! (Editors’ note: Thank god the company was good! )

At the dinner, she asked me to share what I have been doing with TVP, so I had to oblige. TVP Bacon Bits!!!

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In my opinion, what gives these a better flavor (and meatier than most) is the combo of the BBQ sauce, cumin, and nutritional yeast. I have never seen a recipe that used this combination, and I don’t know why! It’s amazing.

I put these bits on EVERYTHING! Make your friends jealous. Try it on a salad, on your guacamole (or on half of an avocado), on your baked potato, eat them plain, top your chili. Endless possibilities!

Also, another great reason to try this recipe, besides that it’s super easier and way healthier than bacon, (Editor’s note: mmm… bacon), is that you can taste as you go! You can tell by the flavor of the un-crisped mixture what the final product will taste like, so you can adjust. Need a pinch of salt? Want a little more barbecue flavor? No problem!

Now, what else can we do with these bits? I’m glad you asked. Bacon PANCAKES. That’s right. Add a handful of these bad boys to your pancake mixture. You will NOT regret it.

Pancake batter

I really like Karina’s recipe, but mine do not come out nearly as beautiful. I used her recipe and added a bit of cinnamon and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Once I made the mixture, I ladled some into the pan, and added the TVP Bacon Bits.

I suck at flipping pancakes. They’re never consistent in color but they’re delicious. (Editor’s note: that’s all that matters!)

I like these so much, I eat them plain – no butter, no syrup, etc.

Also, I now get why it’s impossible to take pretty pictures of brown food. Editor’s note: told you so!!!) So, you will have to take my word for it.

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Vegan TVP Bacon Bits

3/4 C TVP
3 T nutritional yeast
3/4 C boiling water
1-1.5 T smokey barbecue sauce (or Laura’s sodium and sugar free recipe)
2.5 T tamari (of soy if you’re not gluten-free)
1/2 T maple agave (maple syrup would also work, or you can eliminate for a sugar-free version – I just like maple bacon flavors)
2 T sunflower oil
1 T cumin
Pinch of cayenne

Preheat the oven to 265 degrees (yes, 265 – that is not a typo. I just couldn’t decide between 250 and 275).

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl together, whisk with a fork. Spread mixture across a baking sheet. Place in oven.

I set my timer for 24 minutes. But they really needed like 31.3 minutes…. until I got really impatient. When they still weren’t crispy, because it takes forever and you have to keep moving them around, you start to get really annoyed. The next step was to heat that bad-boy of and oven up to 425. After that, they were done in 10 more minutes. Crispy and delicious. This was a trial and error… but came out AWESOME!

Editor’s Note: I think the moral of the story might be to make them at a higher temp.

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I have to admit… I’m a little sad that Kat beat me to this idea. Haha. Really… I’m gong to be making these STAT.

Does your family keep you grounded, even when you feel insane? No comment.

What’s exciting about your April?

Economic Woes + WIAW

April 3, 2013 By Laura

Today I am going to complain about an improving economy.

Yes, I’m finding a dark cloud despite the fact that my condo value may actually one day recover.

As the economy got worse and worse, I noticed a positive. The service at restaurants was improving! Servers were more polished and professional, and they were able to speak intelligently about the menu.

Recently this pleasant restaurant experience has come to a halt. Read more for an (extreme) example and my theory.

An Example:

Kat (my good friend and frequent guest post-er here) and I went to dinner for her birthday at the nicest restaurant in Atlanta, Bacchanalia. If my meal is going to be over $100, it damn well better be flawless.

The bartender was clueless about the wine program. To his credit, he sent another – presumably more knowledgable – employee over to speak with us. That would have been fine is the second guy had been knowledgable.

Server #2 didn’t know several of the bottles I inquired about, and then I had to correct their menu. They had listed an Amarone as being from Barolo. It’s from Valpolicella. I’ve been there. Amarones are my favorite. At first he tried to tell me I was wrong, but he did come back over to admit the mistake. Don’t challenge me on that one.

We ordered cheese; however, it took at least half an hour (and 2 inquiries) for the cart to be brought out. We were waiting to order after our cheese course, but apparently almost missed dinner service… which the bartender acted like it was OUR fault when we would have been ordering much sooner had our cheese come out in a timely manner (we told him when we first sat down we would be having dinner).

When our food began to came out, we were rushed AND I had to send a dish back (over cooked Halibut). They did replace it with a phenomenal snapper dish, and I was already done.

I realize this is a silly rant where there are starving children in Africa. But really. If I’m at a special occasion dinner and paying that much money… I expect the performance to be superior. I’ve had (much cheaper) meals at chain restaurants with better service.

My Theory:

When the downturn occurred, many educated individuals were not able to find jobs in corporate America, and turned to the service industry for employment. Their advanced capacity/skill levels resulted in a higher level of service. Now that companies are beginning to hire again, the service industry is losing that talent.

My Plea:

Restaurants, know the value of having educated, capable staff! Customers appreciate them, and will likely spend more money as a result of having a server with the knowledge and skills to sell. Consider the ROI when you talk salary and benefits with potential hires!

It’s WIAW time! I’m still trying to keep it green with my protein-filled meals.

Check out my 7 green-ish, protein-filled meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else is green-ing up their food this month!