Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

October 4, 2011 By Laura

Just another day in paradise… errr… Italy. Specifically, Siena! We’ve been so excited to see this area. (More) Great food, medieval history, and Gothic architecture.

I was lucky enough to discover Ari’s blog, ThE DiVa DiSh, a few months back and have looked forward to reading every day. She has the MOST beautiful little girl I’ve ever seen (and I’m not just saying that), complete with a ton of spunk. Ari is an innovator – whether it’s doing her own “design on a dime” or creating a healthy meal that looks like a fat kid’s heaven, I can always count on her for inspiration and a good recipe.

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Hey Guys!

My name is Ari and I blog over at ThE DiVa DiSh!

I am so excited that I have the opportunity to guest post for Laura today! I am super jealous of her trip adventures right, and secretly wished she would have taken me in her luggage so I could join her….

Maybe next time. (Editor’s note – for sure!) 🙂 As for now, I’m excited to share a little bit about me and my amazing family.

I’m a wifey and a mama, and there is nothing I love more. My husband is a cross between a woman who loves shoes and a man who loves sports… And my daughter is beautiful, dramatic, and full of energy. I try best to raise my family living a healthy lifestyle, and we feel that our bodies are temples, and we should treat them that way. We try to eat an abundance of plant based, whole, and natural foods as much as possible.

Even though we go through a Costco size spinach package in two days, I can assure you the same goes for chocolate. We know how to live and be happy, as well as love and respect the bodies we have been given.

One of my favorite kitchen tools is my blender. I had to do many “I ain’t gonna talk about” things so I could convince my hubby to get me the blender of my dreams. I use that thing at least twice a day.

That being said, one of my favorite things to make is a milkshake! It’s hard enough when we crave foods we love, and we try and tell ourselves we can’t have them. This only makes it harder, and in the end we are more likely to give in to those “butt” shakes, as I like to call them. Well my friends, I can assure you that there will be no more worrying. No more telling yourself, your kids, or even your hubby NO!

Healthy, natural, whole, yummy milkshakes!

S’mores Milkshake

Carrot Cake Milkshake

Coconut Vanilla Chai Milkshake

And lastly, how about a seasonal one?

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

Ingredients:

1 c. coconut or soymilk

1 banana

½ c. pumpkin puree

1 carrot finely shredded

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp. molasses

1 TB. 100% pure maple syrup

1 TB. vanilla

Directions:

Blend all together until creamy! Sip and enjoy!

There you have it! Now go get your milkshake on! (you never know, it might bring some boys to the yard…)

Did I really just end with that?

(Editor’s note – Yes. I could teach you, but I’d have to charge.)

Thanks again Laura for giving me this opportunity! Have a great and safe trip!

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I’m going to make one of these with gelato… mmmmm…

What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

Do you they to “healthify” your favorite shake flavors?

North Indian Menu Vocab

October 3, 2011 By Laura

Ciao! Today we were going to be in Cinque Terre, a mountainous area along the Italian Riviera… which I hear is stunning… but we were cramming SO much in that we decided to skip it. Next time! In stead we are on the overnight train to Siena.

We made lots of friends in Alba and the surrounding areas, many of which are from other countries – Japan, Mexico, America, Denmark, and Sweden (to name a few). It makes me want to quit my job and move to Italia too! I could work in a kitchen making creations like pumpkin soup with parmesan gelato. (Yes, it was as amazing as it sounds).

Today’s post is by Parita @ My Inner Shakti. Funny enough, we went to MBA school together (Go Jackets!)… but I didn’t know she was a blogger! Parita’s blog is a bright spot in my daily reading – she is one of the most positive people I know.

Another tidbit: she’s recently engaged! Visit her blog to read all about it and see the cool outfit you get to wear in Indian wedding ceremonies.

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Hi, Sprint 2 the Table readers!

My name is Parita, and I blog over at myinnershakti. I’m honored to have the opportunity to guest blog for Laura as she wines and dines in Italy! Who am I kidding… I’m honored and very jealous!

My blog is really about a hodgepodge of things that are important to me – exercise, food, travel, my fiancé, my family and friends…simply put, life! One day, I’ll blog about a newfound recipe and the next day I’ll write about my upcoming wedding. I love to keep my readers guessing!

Laura’s blog has become a daily must read for me. And not just because we went to the same business school, but because it leaves me drooling, laughing, or some combination of the two. Every. Single. Time. If you’re an avid reader as well, the one thing you definitely know about Laura is that she’s a foodie – through and through. AND she loves her Indian food! So, when I read her email about guest posting, I knew exactly what I wanted to share with her readers – North Indian Menu Vocab!

Source

Dining at an Indian restaurant can be daunting… even for Indians, so I’m going to do my best to walk you through some of the more common words you’ll find on most any menu. After reading this post, you’ll be ready to take on any North Indian restaurant. 😉

Let’s get started…

Ingredients:

Murg/Murgh – Chicken

Aloo – Potato

Mutter – Peas

Palak – Spinach

Chole/Channa – Chickpeas

Malai – Cream

Ghee – Clarified butter

Paneer – Curd cheese (absolutely delicious)

Masala – A spice mix that can range from mild to extremely spicy

Garam masala – A popular spice blend that includes black and white peppercorn, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and a bunch of other things.

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Breads:

Naan – Soft, thick Indian bread

Chapati/Roti – Thin, tortilla like bread usually made with wheat flour

Bhatura – Large, soft, puffy deep fried bread usually eaten with Channa Masala (chickpeas in a spicy masala sauce). The smaller version is called a puri.

Appetizers:

Pakoras – Vegetables (cauliflower, onion, potato, chilies) coated in a thick batter and deep fried until golden brown.

Tikka – Tikka means chunks. For example, chicken tikka is chunks of chicken marinated in a yogurt sauce and cooked in the tandoor. Paneer tikka is one of my all-time favorite dishes. (Editor’s note – this is my fav too!!!)

Papad – A crunchy and spicy Indian tortilla generally eaten as an appetizer or alongside the main dish.

Tikkis – Cutlets made from mashed up vegetables. My favorite way to eat tikkis is in a chickpea stew.

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Sauces:

Kadai – A yogurt based curry that includes onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper.

Korma – A creamy yogurt based sauce made with cream, nuts, and coconut milk.

Saag – Leafy greens cooked in masalas.

Makhani – A sauce where tomatoes are the stars of the show and butter and cream are the sidekicks.

Malai – A cream based sauce also made with onions, garlic, ginger, and garam masala.

Jalfrezi – A sauce made by frying all the ingredients and using little cream to thicken everything up.

Vindaloo – A spicy sauce made with lots of red chilies, cinnamon, cumin, and vinegar. (Editor’s note – I love this stuff!)

My favorite dishes:

Paneer Makhani – Cheese cooked in a tomato, butter, and cream sauce.

Navratna Korma – Big patties made with nuts, cheese, and an assortment of veggies cooked in a korma cream sauce

Palak Paneer – A mildly flavored dish made with a spinach sauce and cheese.

Well, there you have it – Parita’s very own guide to North Indian restaurants and cooking! Even though this list isn’t all-inclusive, I really hope that it helps you the next time you’re trying to decipher an Indian menu.

Thank you so much for reading and thank you, Laura, for allowing me to take over your space for a bit! If you want to learn more about me and my crazy antics, feel free to stop on by at myinnershakti!

***

Indian food is my favorite (shhhh… don’t tell the Italians).

Do you ever go to Indian restaurants?

Is there a certain part of your town where the “ethnic” restaurants cluster? In Atlanta it’s Dectaur for Indian (try Bhojanic!) and Buford Highway for Asian and Mexican.

A Few of My Favorite Things

October 1, 2011 By Laura

Morning everyone! Today we are still in the Piedmont region. Have you ever seen a pomegranate tree before? This is right outside our Bed & Breakfast. Oddly, they appear to use them more to decor than for eating.

Lee from In My Tummy is today’s guest-poster. She’s another Atlanta blogger, and one of the first blogs I started reading. The Atlanta crew is pretty good about meeting up, and Lee is always game for running a race!

If you haven’t already, check out her blog. She tells some hilarious stories and her journey into photography has been awesome to watch!

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Hey Sprint 2 the Table Readers. My name is Lee and I blog at inmytummy.com. Like Laura, I live Atlanta and have had the pleasure of meeting her about five or six times. We’ve run two races together and are participating in a marathon relay in October. So, with running in mind, I thought I’d give you a list of my favorite running gear.

I wasn’t always a runner.I started 6 years ago when I randomly decided to train for a half-marathon with my father. Fast forward to 2011 where I’m currently training for my 9th half. In the past six years, I’ve definitely found certain things that I cannot imagine running without and I thought I’d share them with you.

First up, we have the RoadID shoe pouch. Not only does this have the phone numbers of my husband, mom and dad in case something should happen to me while I’m running, but it also has a handy-dandy pouch that is great for carrying keys, money or even a credit card. A lot of people ask me if this gets in the way and the answer is no. I can tie my shoes just fine with it and I actually never take it off until I get new shoes.

Next we have the Spibelt. This is great if you want to carry something that won’t fit in the shoe pouch, like a phone. I don’t always run with my phone, but when I’m running alone, especially if I’m not near my house, I do. The Spibelt looks small but it can fit a phone (I have an iphone) just fine. It’s great because it doesn’t bounce or ride up. I’ve usually forget that I’m even wearing it. (I tend to wear it under my shirt since fanny packs aren’t exactly in fashion right now. I guess that could change though.)

You have to drink water when you run long distances and I prefer to drink mine out of myNathan Hand-held water bottle. It can be a bit awkward to run with a water bottle but this one is really comfortable and has an adjustable strap that you can tighten. It also has a pocket. Apparently, I really like to store things when I run. I’ve heard that running with a water bottle in just one hand makes you run off-kilter, but it doesn’t seem to bother me. At least not right now..

If I’m running more than 7 miles, I will fuel halfway during the run. 7 miles is just sort of an arbitrary number that I picked once, but it seems to work. Gu is my fuel of choice. I really only eat the chocolate one. It tastes like cake frosting. Honest. I’ve tried some of the fruit flavors before and hated them. Chocolate Outrage is where it’s at. What I like best about Gu is that you don’t have to chew it. I tend to choke when I’m trying to eat some sort of chew while I run. It’s not pretty.

And my final tool is how I figure out my runs. I know that a lot of people use mapmyrun.com which is great, but I actually use gmap-pedometer.com. It’s pretty bare-bones, letting you plot your routes using google maps, but I like the simplicity and it works for me.

So those are some of my favorite things. Come visit me at inmytummy.com!

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Lee is a much smarter runner than I am – I defintiely needed these tips!

What are some of your running “must-haves?”

What’s your favorite long run fuel? I usually bring a date… as in the fruit…

Reformed Cardio Junkie

September 30, 2011 By Laura

Today I am in Alba in the Piedmont region. This region produces my second and third favorite wines – Barbaresco and Nebbiolo. Oh, and did I mention it’s truffle season here?!

Claire is so sweet to say she gets recipe inspiration from me… I get so much from HER! She has a knack for coming up with dishes that are healthy while still feeling/tasting decadent. Check out her Plum Apple Crisp, for instance. I can’t wait to make it!

She is also recently got married and was a stunning bride! 🙂

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Hello Sprint 2 the Table readers!

My name is Claire and I blog over at Live and Love to Eat. I’m a full time dietitian, but you might not know that with how much I love to bake and dine at different restaurants! Laura’s blog is my go-to site for good recipes and workout motivation – who wouldn’t want her biceps? I’m honored to be guest posting while she is enjoying herself overseas.

I used to be a cardio junkie, but I want to share my story about how I learned to love changing up my work out routine.

I was never a “runner” – at least not the type of runner who loved the treadmill, lived for a good 10-mile jog, or looked forward to lacing up their sneakers. I started running on the treadmill during college purely for the calorie burn – I knew I was eating too much unhealthy food as part of my new life style, and wanted to avoid that “freshman 15.” I never struggled with my weight but knew I could be a few pounds lighter and running in my dorm’s gym seemed to be the easiest way to burn calories.

Once I started running a few times a week, I noticed that it also helped to manage my stress. I finally experienced the “runners high” that I’d heard my more fit friends talk about, even though I never did more than 2 miles at a time. When I would come home for the summer I didn’t run very often, and later found that the elliptical was an “easier” workout, so I did that the majority of the time my junior year. I took a one credit personal fitness class that taught me a basic strength training routine using the Nautilus equipment, and I fell into a workout rut that didn’t challenge me very much.

By the time I was a senior, I was dating a guy who was really in to running – he started it for stress relief as well, but got addicted really quickly. We signed up for the Pittsburgh Great Race – a fantastic 5/10K combination course. My first 5K was a great experience – I loved the atmosphere, the adrenaline, and the challenge of beating a time that you set in your head (again, not impressive enough to share) – and it made me want to do more races. I started training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, but got a stress fracture from upping my distance too quickly and fell off the running wagon again.

During graduate school and my dietetic internship, I joined a local gym for the first time since I was no longer living on campus. I fell in love with spin classes, which easily took the place of running as my favorite calorie burning option. As time passed, my younger brother also started to run regularly – and long distances – so I signed us up for a 5K the day before his birthday in April. The race was on a chilly morning, and I don’t think I spent enough time warming up – and I got injured (after getting my 5K PR – the back of the photo with the gloves on).

Long story short, I tore my perioneal tendon (graphic photos, sorry), had to wear a boot for 3 months, and my physical therapist told me that any distance running in the future would cause a flare up of tendonitis or possible re-injury. I was months away from my wedding and petrified that I wouldn’t be able to exercise at all – which I needed to maintain my weight to feel comfortable in my wedding dress and to manage the incredible stress that planning a wedding can bring.

I owned Jillian Michaels’ 30 day Shred, which I used for quick strength training and toning at home, but wasn’t even able to do that in the walking boot. For weeks, all I could do was upper body and ab exercises – on demand workouts and exercisetv.tv became great resources! After the boot came off I was still in a lot of pain, and started looking in to other options. Spin class was too painful (lots of pressure on the ankle joint) and running was out of the question. I’d read other blogs where people raved over Bikram / Hot Yoga, so I tried hot yoga and really loved it (even though I was nervous to try it at first). I also experimented with Pilates with kettle bells, as well as at home strength training with hand weights.

I had a strapless wedding dress, so I really concentrated on toning my arms – and loved the way I looked and felt! It’s great to know that I have a healthier body composition (in terms of muscle to fat ratio) even if the weight on the scale doesn’t change much. I love feeling powerful and strong, and even appreciate the soreness of a great workout the next day. And I felt beautiful in my wedding dress.

I’m still nowhere close to Laura’s figure ( 😉 ) and not able to run (I tried to make it a block while walking my dog and it was too painful right off the bat), but the injury was a blessing in disguise – I now enjoy strength training several times a week, have tried many new work outs, classes, and DVDs, and feel like my fitness routine is much more well rounded as a whole. I’m not running marathons or triathlons, but I can appreciate working out for more than the calorie burn, and feel healthier overall.

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As much as I love a good run, weights are my favorite!

Do you make an effort to balance cardio with strength training?

What move have you found to deliver the best results?

Falafel on a Waffle

September 29, 2011 By Laura

Today is a Piedmonte region day! I’m excited to have a free(ish) day to wander around and explore (read: shopping). This region is arguably one of the prettiest… and you know I’m on a truffle hunt.

Alba’s white truffle is considered the best in the world and they are in season now. The winter black truffles from this region are supposedly incredible as well. (But really… what truffles aren’t good?!)

Not to be left out of the excitement, Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen has written an awesome guest post for today. This girl is the most creative blogger out there. She is the queen for turning the ordinary into extra-ordinary. She’s a huge inspiration for me (her yogurt creations inspired my own Sweet Potato Greek Yogurt), and makes me laugh with her morning-post musings.

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Howdy, y’all! My name is Sarah (aka Miss Smart) and I blog over in The Smart Kitchen… where sometimes I’m smart, and sometimes I’m just stumbling upon greatness.*
*In the case of the photo below…a pretzel and Nutella milkshake! 😉

I’m extremely honored to be guest posting for Miss Laura today, while she’s eating and drinking (and celebrating and…singing? dancing? kayaking? what else does one do in Italy?) her way through Italy.

But, truth be told, guest posting can be uber-stressful.*

*Yes, I use the phrase “uber.” I also say “dude” in real life.

You hope that when you “arrive” you’ll be greeted like Belle at the mansion, and all the other bloggers (who may or may not be transformed into kitchen gadgets and housewares) will dance and sing and welcome you with open arms. But to do that, you’ve got to compose the epitome of post perfection…something to hook potentially new readers and blog friends* immediately and make them actually click over towards your blog home.
*I do not use the phrase “blends.”

But that’s futile. You’ll like me or you won’t.
So here’s a picture of me eating a hamburger.
It was good.

Just like the rest of this post will be.
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Over on my blog [slash] in my “real life” I’m working on tackling a number of cooking and eating ‘feats’ as part of my Culinary Bucket List. One of those was to “start with dried beans” in a recipe. But after successfully making (and baking) a relatively ‘traditional’ [sans frying in oil, of course] falafel, I couldn’t get an idea out of my head: Why stop with just falafel, when you could have falafel…

..on a WAFFLE!?

This recipe pretty much encapsulates me as a blogger: a mindset focused on “playing with my food” and a tendency towards the seemingly bizarre that somehow just…works. The fact that I was fixated on making a dish simply because it rhymed…well that just shows how I constantly feel like a small child trapped in a 27-year-old’s body.

Also, I am obsessed with my food processor.

Although I could have just eaten my Baked Falafel on the not-to-sweet waffles I had purchased, I just had to be difficult (as usual) and reinvent the wheel. If there are chickpea fritters for afternoon and evening…why not bean balls for breakfast?

2 cups of chickpeas, soaked overnight* + 1/2 cup mashed banana + spices + honey

*Alton Brown says for falafel you must used soaked, uncooked garbanzos. I’m not going to tell him if you cheat.

Process until smooth…scraping the sides once or twice as necessary.

Once the dough starts to stick, you’re ready! It will be pretty wet and goopy.

Set up a Henry Ford-inspired assembly line with a small bowl of flour in between your processor and your sheet pan.*
*Or your cutting board…if you are embarrassed by the state of your sheet pans and don’t particularly want to photograph them.

Roll the Banana Falafel in the flour, just to get a light coating to hold them together.

Bake on a coated baking sheet for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. The tops won’t brown too much…

…but their bottoms will brown quite nicely.*

*Anyone else just get an image of the Coppertone sunscreen bottle with the baby and her bum?…No? (Editor’s note: yes… wasn’t that Jodi Foster’s bum?!)

What’s Falafel on a Waffle without syrup, though?

Or in this case….Ta-honey Sauce?

Also known as “another time I made up something based on a quirky name,” Ta-honey Sauce is a mix without exact proportion of roasted tahini, honey, and yogurt and/or almond milk, warmed up a smidge in the microwave.

Let’s just say…this is a breakfast worth eating.

And repeating.*

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Falafel on a Waffle

(Banana Falafel with Ta-honey Sauce)

2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight (from approximately 2/3 cup dried)
1/2 cup mashed banana (1 small)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. honey
1/4 cup flour
Waffles
Berries
Ta-honey Sauce (method follows)

1. Combine all ingredients (except flour) in food processor. Process until mixture holds together when squished.
2. Put flour into a small bowl.
3. Roll falafel ‘dough’ into balls—it will be very wet—and coat in flour to help maintain shape.
4. Bake falafel on a baking sheet prepared with cooking spray for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Serve falafel on waffles, topped with berries and Ta-honey Sauce.

To prepare Ta-honey Sauce: Whisk together approximately 2 Tbsp. tahini, 1 Tbsp. honey, 2 Tbsp. yogurt, and 2 Tbsp. milk to taste, heating in the microwave if necessary. Pour over falafel on waffles!

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Isn’t this lady a creative genius? I wish I could think of things like breakfast falafel.

What’s the craziest combo you’ve ever tried?

Do you like to shake up your breakfast or are you a creature of habit?

Getting Started with Strength Training

September 28, 2011 By Laura

Good Morning! Today I am in the Friuli region of Italy – near the Austrian and Solvenian border. It’s most famous for its white wines, such as Pinot Grigio.

Tina from Faith Fitness Fun is my second guest blogger. Tina is very special to me… she was the first person (other than family/friends) to comment on my blog! I was so excited I think I squealed.

Tina’s blog is one of my favorites because she is one of the genuine bloggers out there. Whether she’s sharing a dish or product or the rockstar way she shed baby weight (seriously – this woman could run circles around me), you can believe she’s showing her true self.

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Hello there, Sprint 2 The Table readers! My name is Tina and I’m the gal typing up all sorts of randomness – from super personal topics (binge eating struggles) to silly stories (stuffing my bra) – over at the blog Faith Fitness Fun.

Eight years ago I fell in love with fitness – strength training playing a vital role in that love. Eight years ago I picked up my first weight and immediately felt empowered. I started to see changes in my body that amazed me. I increased my physical capabilities. I could turn to weights as an outlet when dealing with my past struggles of depression and binge eating.

Eight years ago I started strength training and I haven’t stopped since. Instead, I have competed in a fitness competition and frequented the gym floor even while 9 months pregnant. Despite a newfound passion for running, I remain determined in my strength workouts as I make progress in my Body After Baby goals. Now, I hope you’ll join me as I share my personal journey into strength training, including ways you can get started too. Thanks for reading!

I Found A Comfortable Place to Get Acquainted with Weights
Although I feel comfortable now at my gym, I used to not have such confidence. In fact, I likely would have never started with strength training if not for beginning in the comfort of my own home. Thanks to the old FitTV programs, I had the chance to try out a few workouts such as The Firm and Cathe Friedrich. Cathe’s workouts quickly became my favorites and I began building a library of her workout DVDs. Side note: You can imagine my excitement to meet her at Fitbloggin’ after years of training “with” her.

Over the course of a year, I learned various weight training moves from her workouts and built up a base in my strength training. Eventually, when I joined a gym, I continued to get more comfortable with strength workouts by attending group classes, such as Body Pump.Group classes and workout DVDs can be a great starting point to gain confidence with weights at your own pace. I also highly suggest utilizing the free introductory personal training offer at most gyms to receive a quick run through on the use of equipment and workout safety.

I Did Some Research
When I get into something, I go full out! The more I learned about weight training, the more I wanted to keep learning. It started with figuring out moves in my DVDs, then grew to subscribing to Oxygen magazine, ordering the e-book Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle, and pouring myself into resources such as The New Rules of Lifting For Women. I began feeling excited to branch out from the group classes and try some of the ideas in these resources for my own.

Following a pre-set program, like you can find in The New Rules of Lifting For Women, provided a great way to break in to doing my own thing at the gym. From there I continued to research and learn ways to set up my own strength training plans, turning to things like the Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises for ideas.

I Started Basic
So many varieties of exercises exist. Before breaking out the Bosu balls, sliding discs, and other fitness tools – I stuck with the basics. Pretty much every body part is trained with a few standard motions. For back exercises, there are rows and pulling motions. For chest exercises, there are pressing motions and fly motions. For biceps, curls. For shoulders, raises. You get the idea. I learned the standard moves for each body part and perfected those before mixing up my workouts and adding a new challenge.

I also began using machines for most exercises until I learned the movement. It helped guide my motion as I gained strength. Then, I progressed to barbells and dumbbells. I would also always start light and slowly add more weight once I knew I could handle each move safely. I didn’t want to end up with an injury!

I Began Adding More Variety and Gained Ideas From Others
Finally, after taking gradual steps into strength training, I hoped to continue making progress and push my training to higher levels. I wanted more challenges and started implementing new training techniques. I will search out new things to try – like TRX bands and kettle bells. Now, I look to others for inspiration and have a solid enough foundation in strength moves that I feel capable implementing them in my training.

In short, strength training provides so many benefits. Don’t let fear hold you back from reaping those rewards. It takes time, but we all have to start somewhere. Find a way to go for it. Then keep learning and you will only get stronger.

I promise you can do it! Feel free to stop by my blog for workout ideas or just another virtual fitness friend.

Martha: My Meatball Muse

September 27, 2011 By Laura

Still in Friuli today! Being up in the Italian Alps is a dream come true. I only wish I had more time to go hiking! At least we rented vespas… 🙂

This guest post isn’t from a blogger! It’s by my good friend Jessica. We met in undergrad at UGA and have remained friends ever since. She’s an avid foodie (no wonder we get along so well) and is one of the smartest people I know. She’s also the kind of person that will get out of bed on her “rest” day to run with you because you need motivation. Love. her.

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Hi Sprint 2 the Table! I’m Jessica.

While most of my friends went to school with Kraft Singles sandwiches and fruit rolls ups, I lived out my adolescence as “that girl with the weird food.” Growing up in a household that shopped at natural markets and used things like hominy, kale, sprouts, and organics way before they were chic, I grew up longing for only one thing… a Kraft Singles sandwich.

Upon greater introspection and a few years of trial and error eating, I discovered a veracious appetite (pun intended) for culinary knowledge and exploration. I frequent the Buford Hwy corridor, known for its exotic eateries and finds as much pleasure eating in a dive as she does dining at a Michelin star restaurant. After being diagnosed with a gluten allergy in 2009, I was determined to find a way to create great allergy-free eats and has been known to “test” recipes on unsuspecting friends to see if they can tell they are gluten/dairy/egg/etc-free.

In her spare time, I’m a leader for the Galloway run/walk program, loves wine and viniculture (Editor’s note: and can appropriately use words like viniculture 🙂 ), and can be found at almost every outdoor festival in Atlanta.

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As the seasons change and the weather becomes crisp, I find myself wanting to curl up with a blanket, a good (preferably heartfelt) movie, and all types of comfort food. On a recent vacation to Denver, Colorado I found myself watching Martha Stewart’s show on the best meatballs in New York. I was trans-fixed! Enduring a long, hot summer had left me wanting for something rich and indulgent.

Here’s the rub… I live in what I lovingly refer to as an allergy household. We cover the gamut from gluten to eggs to dairy and we aim for Paleo eating when at all possible. So, how does one make a delish meatball sans all that makes it delish (breadcrumbs, eggy-ness, and grated cheese)? Certainly not by following all of the “best” recipes from New York, but certainly I could derive from these recipes the key ingredients that constitute a classic meatball.

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“Things I Find Intrinsically Critical to the Success of a Meatball”

– By Jessica Wals

One: You must start with good meat. (Editor’s note: that’s what she said!) All who know me know that I am very particular when it comes to buying and using “good” meat. I always look to use grass-fed, organic, hormone-free (I have enough of these on my own) products. For this recipe I chose a mix of ground grass-fed sirloin and ground Eden Farms pork, both from Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market.

Two: Garlic and Olive Oil. Can any great Italian food survive without the lovers duo of garlic and olive oil? My answer is a simple and secure, no.

Three: Herbs, herbs, herbs. I have this conspiracy theory that people are afraid of cooking with fresh herbs. The meek, sad looking dried oregano on the grocery store shelf does not inspire me toward hunger nor salivation. For this reason, I am a proponent of chop and drop fresh herbs. For this recipe I used basil, parsley, and oregano.

Four: Simple sauce. Tomato sauces should envelope the meatball like a warm down comforter, but not steal from its glory. One disclaimer, this tomato sauce MUST be made with San Marzano tomatoes or there is no guarantee from me. (Editor’s note: I agree 100%!)

Meatballs:

1lb. Ground Pork
1lb. Ground Sirloin
3 T Chopped Parsley
2 T Chopped Basil
2 T Chopped Oregano
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
2 T Coconut Flour
2 T Olive Oil
Coarse Salt and Black Pepper
2 T Olive Oil for Pan

Combine all ingredients and mix together with hands (believe me; the warmth of your hands makes it taste better). Take an ice cream scoop or spoon to portion out each meatball, roll in your hands, and place to the side. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the meatballs, browning on all sides. Remove meatballs and let rest for 10 minutes (while you make the sauce).

Tomato Sauce:

2 Large Cans San Marzano Tomatoes
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
2 T Chopped Parsley
2 T Chopped Basil
2 T Chopped Oregano
Oil from Meatball Pan
Coarse Salt and Pepper

Using the pan in which you browned the meatballs, sauté the garlic and herbs with salt and pepper. When slightly browned, add tomatoes and stir. Simmer for 15 minutes and let the sauce reduce slightly. Add in the meatballs which have been resting. Continue to simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Serve!

I decided to serve mine over a bed of wilted Swiss Chard which added a nice bite and a bit of crunch. This meal is entirely allergen-free and Paleo appropriate. Feel free to change it up, add your own flare, and make it yours!

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Despite the fact that I am eating all the Italian meatballs I want… I find myself craving these.

Do you have any special diet restrictions?

What are some “special” foods you’ve been able to “fool” your friends with? I got Jess with my Mexican Black Bean Brownies!

Healthy (Meatless) Meal Ideas for Busy People

September 26, 2011 By Laura

Today I am in Valpolicella tasting Amarone – my favorite wine. 🙂

Lisa from Healthful Sense has graciously composed a rockin’ guest post for you all. This is the first in a serious of guest posts from some of my FAVORITE bloggers. Lisa’s blog is fairly new to me. It was love at first visit to her site when I saw her innvoative, tasty-looking recipes. (Epecially the vegan brownies – OMG).

Hopefully you will discover some new bloggers through this guest series!

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Morning! I’m Lisa and I blog over at Healthful Sense!

I’m so excited to be a guest poster on Laura’s blog today! We have alot in common – we love to eat healthy, make crazy food concoctions, and share a love of peanut flour (yeah baby). She definitely has me beat on the exercise though!

One other commonality that we share is that we are extremely busy… she with work and working out… and I with kids (3 rugrats). I still haven’t decided which is more exhausting — working 3 jobs (before I had kids) or being a stay-at-home mom of 3 little ones.

Anyway, since we are both busy people it’s safe to say that we’ve both become “experts” on making quick, healthy meals. So quick & healthy meals are going to be the theme of today’s post.

Quick & Healthy Meal Ideas

1. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is usually put in the snack category but because it’s so rich in protein you can easily make a quick meal out of it.

Here are some fabulous ideas:

Laura’s cinnamon roll oats:

And her Sweet Potato Greek Yogurt:

You have got to try the sweet potato/greek yogurt combo… it is amazing!!

Another fabulous combo is peanut flour/greek yogurt!! It’s packed with protein from both the peanut flour and the greek yogurt. I recently did a post about peanut flour — it’s a great product that you can add to just about anything!