Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Frozen Kale Cucumber Mango Margarita

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We had an adventure before even leaving ATL.

At 9p last night our Argentina trip was no more.  We boarded the plane only to be deplaned 10 mins later.  Apparently there was a lot of cargo on boarded and the plane was over weight.  All non-rev passengers were removed.  But we were going somewhere, dammit.  The next flight out was a 10:30p to Santiago, Chile.  A quick sprint through the airport later (with luggage, which was an adventure in itself) and we were on our way to Chile.  So… we’re in Santiago right now. 🙂

After all that we needed a drink.  The plane served wine, but tequila would have been good too.  Ashley from Freckles & Spice has put together the healthiest drink recipe possible to share with you guys.  I met Ashley at the Blend Retreat and we hit it off immediately.  She has so much energy and a passion for trying fun foods.  She brought roasted fava beans from NYC to share with everyone at Blend!  (Which reminds me, I want to recreate those…)  Check out Ashley’s awesome tequila-kale concoction here, and then go say hi over on her blog!

Hi Sprint 2 the Table readers! I am Ashley from Freckles & Spice.

I began writing my blog to share my journey of a fifty-pound weight loss and to help me find my way as mid-twenty something living in the greatest city on Earth, New York. I write about all aspects of healthy living with the goal to find happiness and balance in my life.

I cannot tell you how honored I am that Laura asked me to do a post for her today. Spring 2 the Table is one of those blogs that I check every morning, so I could not turn down the opportunity! I also knew I was going to have to do something a little special. I fully believe that the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is enjoying everything in moderation and finding a balance that works for you.

Laura and I both share a love of Mexican, green smoothies, and enjoying a drink with friends every now and then.  I came up with this recipe for a frozen green juice margarita. It is the perfect blend of health and indulgence.

Frozen Kale Cucumber Mango Margarita

  • ½ cup kale and cucumber juice (4-5ish kale leaves and ½ cucumber)
  • ½ frozen mango
  • 3-4 oz tequila
  • juice of one lime
  • 3 ice cubes
  • salt for rim of glass

Directions:

  1. I used extra green juice from early in the day. (I don’t have a juicer so I blend the green juice ingredients and then strain the pulp with either a nutmilk bag, cheese cloth, or any fine strainer.
  2. Blend all ingredients except in your blender.
  3. Pour in salted glass and enjoy!

This drink is best served poolside, but it was so nice and refreshing it can be enjoyed anywhere. It definitely brought the feeling of summer to my NYC apartment for Memorial Day weekend.

A life well lived is one with balance. This frozen indulgence allows you to have your drink and feel good too!

Cheers!

Ashley

***

This may trump a glass of red wine as the healthiest drink.

P.S. Thank you for the Buzz yesterday!  My Sweet Potato Leek soup made the Food Buzz Top 9!

Have you ever combined veggies with cocktails?

Do you like South American wines?

Summer Grilling + Cocktails, Southern Style

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Today is day 1 in South America.

We are going to be landing in Buenos Aries (BA) and heading straight to Uruguay.  It’s a quick flight from the BA airport, so we opted to do that straight away – jet lag be damned!  More on the reason we chose Uruguay tomorrow…

Today’s guest post if from my good friend and fellow blogger (my Blend!) Heather @ Better With Veggies.  If you don’t know her, you are missing out.  Not only is she a rockstar endurance athlete, but she also does it all on a vegan diet.  The dishes she creates would give any carnivore gourmet a run for their money!  Also, she addicted to kale. 🙂

Hi Sprint 2 The Table readers!!

I’m Heather, a 30-something food & fitness enthusiast living an active life fueled by a plant-based diet. I’m a Digital Strategy Director by day, runner and multisport athlete by night. My husband (Kirk) and I also coach running, triathlon and duathlon to athletes of all levels. And when I’m not doing either, I enjoy writing about my adventures on Better With Veggies!

While Laura is off enjoying her exotic vacation in Argentina, I’m honored to be sharing a few new recipes with you today! In Atlanta, we’re firmly in grilling season — although we have been known to grill year-round at our house. Inspired by the popular bourbon & brown sugar glazed entrees, this plant-based version is bursting with flavors and perfect for summer grilling!

Let’s start with the drink. As with most cocktails in our house, Kirk created this one to match what I was cooking. I had bought a bag of peaches early in the week and it was time to eat them before they turned to mush. Fresh peach juice is a great way to put that sweet flavor to very good use! A little southern twist on the traditional Manhattan cocktail, this is one drink I know we’ll be enjoyed again this summer.

Redneck Manhattan

by Kirk Blackmon

Keywords: beverage

Ingredients (Serves 2)

  • 40ml fresh squeezed peach juice
  • 80ml bourbon
  • dash of angostura bitters

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in shaker 2/3 full of crushed ice. Shake well and strain into 2 cordial glasses or 1 martini glass.

Powered by Recipage

While you’re sipping the cocktail, you’ll have plenty of time to prep & assemble dinner. Lots of grilling going on in this dish, just using the oven to roast garlic for that delicious sweet flavor to come out. Steaming the tempeh is a trick I learned from Laura (I think), that really helps the tempeh absorb even more of the delicious marinade and remove the bitterness that some people taste from tempeh. As with most marinades, the longer you let it soak, the deeper the flavor – but 15 minutes is enough if you’re pressed for time.

Grilled Peach-Drunk Tempeh

by Heather Blackmon

Keywords: grill bake entree vegan vegetarian tempeh summer

Ingredients (Serves 4)

  • 8 ounces tempeh
  • 1/4 cup rum or bourbon
  • 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 sweet onion
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 peaches
  • 1 head garlic
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cups arugula

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat Grill to 450 degrees.

Steam tempeh for 15 minutes. Cut into at least 8 slices and place in a shallow dish. Slice mushrooms and add to dish.

Mix together rum (or bourbon) and desired brown sugar. Add mixture to tempeh & mushrooms, cover & shake well to coat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Remove outer casing from garlic and chop top off with a sharp knife (just enough that tops of the cloves are exposed). Place entire head onto a piece of aluminum foil and fold into pouch with no openings. Place on cookie sheet and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Vertically slice 1/2 onion and pile onto a piece of aluminum foil. Add balsamic & 1 tablespoon olive oil and fold foil into pouch, with a small opening on top for steam to escape. Grill for 20 minutes.

Place mixture on aluminum foil and fold into pouch. Grill for 15 minutes.

Slice peaches in half and discard the pits. Place cut side up on grill for 5 minutes, flip and grill for additional 5 minutes. Set aside.

Divide arugula among 4 plates. Top with tempeh mixture, then onions. Add peaches & roasted garlic to the top or sides of plate.

Serve both the cocktail and entrée together for a fantastic combination of flavors. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy these recipes – and that you’ll check out other recipes on Better With Veggies.

***

I’m dedicating today finding the perfect Uruguayan drink to pair with this in honor of Heather. 🙂

Who wants to crash Heather’s house for dinner with me?

Do you like grilled fruit?  I love peaches and watermelon on the grill.

Purposeful Running

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Today I have a guest spot!

 

 

I was flattered to have been asked by Laura @ Mommy, Run Fast! to write a post for her series, Purposeful Running.  Click here to check it out Laura’s site and my post on why I run.*

*Disregard the fact that I haven’t been able to run much due to my knee… in the words of Ah-nold: I’ll be back!

 

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Blend was amazing!  More to come this week!  For now, a workout recap:

 

Workout Recap (4/30 – 5/6):

    • Monday – This Pinned workout, Bis/Back w/ plyo, 2.3 mile run/walk
    • Tuesday – This Pinned workout, P90X Cardio, 100 push-ups
    • Wednesday – Shoulders w/ plyo, 2 mi run/walk, 100 push-ups
    • Thursday – This Quad + Core tabata workout, 2.5 mi run, Legs/Core
    • Friday – This Pinned workout, 3 mi walk/run, upper body weights
    • Saturday – Blend Boot Camp and Hike
    • Sunday –  Blend Boot Camp

***

 I need a weekend after my weekend!

What was the best part of your weekend?

If you are a runner, why do you run?

 

Do You Chia? [ChiaSeed Recipes]

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We all had chia pets growing up.

The adult thing to do with EAT the chia.  The seeds, not the pet… actually, I wonder if you could eat the pet…

Today I am guest posting on my friend Heather’s blog – Better with Veggies.  This vegan-rockstar endurance athlete is tearing up the slopes on a snowboarding adventure!

Click here for a little chia education and some tasty (and easy!) recipes like…

Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding

Blueberry Pear Overnight Oat Chia Pudding

Sweet Potato Chia Pudding Pie

Chocolate Breakfast Pudding

***

I’m going to be sweating it to keep up with blog this week… work is out of control!  Sorry if I am slow to comment.

Do you use chia seeds?  What’s your favorite way to incorporate them? 

Have you ever walked around with seeds stuck in your teeth?  Why don’t people tell you these things?!

Double Feature

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Remember double features at the movie theater?

 

You could pay for one ticket and see 2 movies.  Some of you just snuck in, I know. 😉

I haven’t seen them do that in so long!  We should start a petition to bring it back in time for Oscar season next year.  This year I spent too much money going to see the nominees.  And I did NOT like Shame.

 

While this post has nothing to do with movies, it does contain some features!

First up, I was THRILLED (and shocked) when Fitness Magazine reached out to me and asked if I’d be willing to do an interview and submit a recipe for a spot in their “Fit Blogger We Love” series.

 

 

Click here for the full interview and to find out what my fitness mantra is.

 

Feature #2 is a guest post.  I’m guesting Kimberly @ Badger Girl Learns to Cook (not to be confused with Honey Badger).

 

 

Click here to check out my reasons for seasonal eating, and for one of my favorite spring recipes: Meyer Lemon Ricotta Penne with Asparagus.

Note to my plant-based peeps: You can use the “cheese” from the recipe in the Fitness Mag feature to make the penne dish vegan.

 

Annnnd a Bonus Feature:

My Raspberry Baked Oatmeal To-Go made the Food Buzz Top 9 today!

 

 

Thank you SO MUCH for the Buzz, and welcome new readers!

***

My mantra right now is “one more day until Friday!”

What was your favorite Oscar-nominated move this year?

Do you have a fitness mantra?  What is it?

 

Kicking and Screaming

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I came back to America.

That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it though!  Have you ever gone somewhere and felt like it’s where you were meant to be?

That was Alba, Italy for me.

Over the next few days I’ll recap the many adventures we had over 14 days.  For now I’ll just say it was the trip of a lifetime.

We were lucky in so many ways – from navigating train stations to getting private tours of wine cellars to making friends with winemakers.

Let’s start at the beginning: overnight AirFrance flight to Verona (via Paris).

We were well-prepared with out neck supports, magazines, iPods, eReaders, etc.  First hint we over-packed: the neck thingys were the only travel items used.

Dinner time!

First wine of the trip

Our airplane feast

Ummmm… let’s just say it’s a little cruel to begin a food and wine trip with such foul food and wine. 😉

Packing snacks was a brilliant idea

The view of the Alps was incredible!

Finally, in the promised land of food and wine.

Most people would take a nap after all that travel.  We aren’t most people.

3 quick showers and a chat with the Bed & Breakfast owner.  Now we’re on our way to the Verona city center for drinks and an appetizer at recommended stop #1:

Antica Bottega del Vino

One of each, please!

I have died and gone to cheese heaven

My first glass of wine was an Amarone Masi.  It was incredible – deep raisin taste, thick, and layered with flavor.

This place proved to be key because we met a new friend – Tim.  Tim was there on business, but his family is from the area.  Lucky us – he offered to meet up and guide us later!

We also learned the historic Bottega opened a location in NYC.  I smell a trip in our future. 🙂

Dinner was at Antico Verona.  It apparently had changed names, so we had a fun walk trying to FIND it (at least we burned off the first drink).

Our reward to locating this place:

Valpolicella Superiore is less expensive Amarone – same grapes, different process.  It is lighter and the raisin taste is less prevalent.  Still delicious – it’s a good “drinking” wine.

Dinner was okay – not the best meal we’d have, but not bad.

Steak, sautéed veggies, pasta with black truffles

Never a dull moment, the old electrical system meant the lights went out in the restaurant periodically.  I wish I spoke Italian because every time they went out, the table next to us would sing a song I couldn’t understand.  It added to the adventure – especially when the lights went out while in the bathroom.

HUGE thanks to the fabulous guest posters who helped me out while I was gone.  In case you missed any, here is a listing:

Advice for those of you going on extend trips abroad: beg for recruit guest bloggers.  I had very good intentions of blogging while away, but Internet and time is far too unpredictable.

Please check out these rockin’ ladies – you may discover your new favorite blog! 🙂

In other news, this weekend was Atlanta Pride.  It is the first year I’ve brought a green beverage to the park.

Butternut Squash-Banana Smoothie

  • 1/2 C butternut squash
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 handful spinach
  •  Ice + milk/water, to taste

As usual, the people watching was rich.

Rawr

I NEED these shoes!

Happy Pride, ATL!

***

I’m shoveling fresh fruits and veggies in my mouth by the handful – they were SO hard to find in Northern Italy.

Did you enjoy the guest posters?  Did you discover anyone new?  

Have you ever traveled somewhere and felt such a strong connection to it you almost stayed? 

Fall Workout Must Haves

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Important announcement: I’m moving to Italy.

Maybe not… but I can dream!  We are on a plane back to the U.S. right now.  It’s been a crazy, amazingly fun trip and I cannot wait to share it with you all!

Source: blog.delta.com

Heather @ Girly Ever After is today’s special guest.  The Atlanta bloggers have really come through for me!  She is a recent addition to our “blogger get-together” crew.  Very cool fact: she is training to be an Esthetician!  I have especially appreciated all of her helpful skin care tips (my “back-acne” = cured!) as I’ve gotten to know her/read her blog.

______________________________________________________________________________

Hey! I’m Heather from Girly Ever After.

When Laura asked me to do a guest post for her while she’s in Italy I was more than excited!  I read her blog daily so I can’t wait to hear all about her trip.  I plan on living vicariously through her while holding down the fort in Atlanta.

The beginning of Fall tends to be slightly awkward when trying to figure out what to wear when you’re thinking of working out.  A lot of people skip the treadmill for great outdoor runs in the crisp Autumn air, but what do you wear with the unpredictable weather?  It’s chilly when you start out but will get warm the longer you run.  It may be a bit windy and overcast is usually a big issue too.

With so many factors to think about I thought I’d give a few of my “Fall workout must haves” to help you transition your workout gear for the season.

 

Wind Jacket
Lightweight jackets with very little lining are perfect for those days that are too chilly for just a t- shirt and keep you warm. A wind jacket is great water protection too for those rainy days. A wind jacket is better than a cotton long sleeve shirt because of the breathable material that will keep you from getting hot during your workout.


Reflective Gear

This is great to have year round in general, but especially in the months where days are getting shorter. Though we haven’t officially hit the time change it seems that Fall brings darker mornings, overcast days, and lots of black workout gear. If you’re like me the majority of your cool weather gear is black or a dark color. Running in the dark with dark clothes is a disaster waiting to happen so it’s best to wear some sort of reflective gear. I know the first thing that comes to mind is a cross guard vest, but that’s not what I’m talking about. There are tons of great and lightweight items you can wear that don’t have to be clothing. Removable arm bands, reflective straps, headlamps, etc. Each one is great for an early morning and even just to be safe during the day.

 

Warm Socks

A lot of times socks are an after thought when they’re actually really important. They can make or break a great workout since they are the only things between you and your shoes. If your socks aren’t comfortable, the right size, or the wrong fabric it can cause distractions and be really uncomfortable which leads to an unproductive run. The best socks to get in the cooler temps are those with synthetic fabrics. These help to wick away moisture keeping your feet warmer. Cotton socks keep your feet cold if they get wet from sweat or rainy weather and can create blistering.

 

All workout attire is, of course, based on preference of the person, but when you’re comfortable it makes for a more enjoyable time.

 

Happy outdoor exercising!

***

 I love that Heather wrote about this – I am NOT an expert. 🙂

Do you have any cooler-weather workout tips to share?

What is your favorite “workout” season?

 

Remembering Your Passion

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I can’t believe we are on our last leg!  Today we are in the Tuscan region and are headed to a wine tour in Montepulciano.  Vino Nobile is this area’s best known wine.  The guide is the same on we had yesterday for a Brunello di Montacino tour.  If the tour is anything like that one, it should be an amazing day.  We ended up “kidnapping” the girlfriend of one of the winemakers and everyone shared a magnum bottle of some amazing vino.  Only in Siena…
You Twlight fans may recognize this town… it was used as the setting for Volterra in New Moon.  (Yes, I had to Google that.)
*
I am lucky to have Carol @ Lucky Zucca as my guest.  Carols is one of the newer (to me) Atlanta bloggers and I have loved getting to know her through our last couple of meet ups and email exchanges.  We ever had the opportunity to run a race together already!  Carol has the best outlook on life of anyone I know.  Just reading her posts will put you in a better mood!
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Hey there, Sprint 2 the Table Readers!  I am too excited to have the chance to guest post for Laura while she is in Italy.  I’m so jealous!  I spent a year living there while I obtained my M.A. degree, and I haven’t had the chance to go back yet (it has been 2 & 1/2 years!).

Editor's note: I am eating LOTS of this for you all.

Anyways, us being super jealous of Laura unfortunately isn’t going to get us stowed away in her luggage, so moving on.
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My name is Carol and I blog over at Lucky Zucca.  My blog started out as a happiness journal and concentrated on all the things that made me happy each day.  Anything from a delicious breakfast to a good workout to chats with friends to more serious topics like how to overcome bad attitudes can show up over there.  The main theme is simply to be happy and thankful for what we’ve got, even when things seem all wrong.  In my opinion, finding little things to be joyful about is such a better way to live your life than concentrating on the bad.
I hope that anyone that visits my blog is inspired to find those things in their life that make them happy, even when times seem grim.  I’ve grown and matured with my blog, and it actually is what helped me get through a difficult time in my life.  I was struggling with who I was as a person, and through blogging, I reconnected with the things that make me who I am.  I started reading again, began crafting more, started cooking and baking more often, hosting dinner parties for my friends, and exercising more consistently.  Many things I had somehow lost touch with quickly came back to me when I started thinking about what made me happiest.
So, how can you do that?  How can you get back in touch with your passions?  I think the first step is to take a few moments, either at the beginning or the end of each day and think on the things that recently made you happy.  Things you found joy in.  Did you love that walk you took with your friend outside?  Did you enjoy relaxing and reading a new book?  Maybe group sports are your thing, maybe it is a favorite TV show.  Do you find cooking therapeutic or daunting?  Are you really interested in different types of beers?  (Editor’s note: she knows me too well already…)
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Figure out what makes you happy, relaxed, and stress-free, and concentrate on those things.  Look for things you’ve enjoyed for all your life (or, if it’s the beer thing, all of your adult life :D).  Make time for those things and be sure to live in the moment and enjoy them while you’re doing them.
I was struggling with making time for everyone else and not making time for myself.  When I did have time to myself, I abused it by lazing around, watching mindless television I didn’t enjoy, and essentially wasting my life away.  I thought I was fulfilled because of the people that surrounded me, instead I was void because I was ignoring my own passions.  Making time for ourselves is one of the best ways we can invest our time.

Love yourself!

Though I still post about those things that make me the happiest, I also sometimes post about how we can find happiness in our lives.  My blog has become a project of self-actualization, and a journey that I hope you all will join me on!  As I’ve become more self-actualized myself, I’ve realized that sharing how I got from where I was (bored, un-invested, and not passionate about most things) to where I am now (excited again, re-invested, and passionate about many things) could potentially help someone else.  So, I try to share my thought processes, things I do to get over the speed bumps we all encounter, and spread a positive attitude.
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My passions are being outdoors, adventure (hiking, biking, skydiving, bungee jumping, roller coasters, etc.), exercise, cooking and baking, reading, crafts, dinner parties with my friends, travel, animals and pushing myself to succeed.  I’ve connected so well with Laura because she is passionate about many of the same things – namely food, exercise, and pushing herself for success.  I believe if you look at the happiest people in the world, you will find that they respect themselves, respect their bodies, and engage in their passions.  Reading Laura’s blog has reinforced to me the theme that we can do anything we put our minds to.  Her exercise success, cooking successes, and overall positive attitude are inspiring and I admire these things about her the most!
Lucky Zucca is a little different from Sprint2theTable, (mainly that Laura is much better at exercise than I and much more experienced in the kitchen! 😉 – Editor’s note: I think you rock, Carol!) but we embrace the same ideals: a positive outlook and pushing yourself to become successful.  Dedicating your life to your loves and passions.
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Over at Lucky Zucca, I love to do book reviews, crafting how-to’s, share recipes, document great workouts, and talk about fun activities my friends and I engage in.  If any of that interests you, I’d love for you to stop by and leave a comment so we can discuss the things that make you happy!

It's a real party over there!

Thanks for taking the time to read my guest post, and I hope to see you around the blog world soon! And a special thanks to Laura for such an amazing opportunity!
***
I wish Carol would call me every morning for a dose of happiness.
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Your turn – what makes you happy?  
(My answer is far to obvious tight now… cheers!)

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