Atlantarctica no more!
Working from home was nice, but the cold was no bueno.
This week we are finally thawing out down South (sorry about your luck, in the Northeast). While I hope it’s here to stay, I find myself craving a getaway. To some place thing warm.
Now that they aren’t shut down, California’s Huy Fong Foods factory (a.k.a. where Sriracha is made) is giving tours of the factory! It’s purportedly to educate people about “how our Sriracha is made and how delicious it smells” after near-by residents complained that the spicy Sriracha production caused “unpleasant odors and burning eyes.” Wusses.
Source: http://theoatmeal.com/
Who’s up for a field trip???
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This WIAW I’m back in the office and on the wagon with meal prep. I brought back a few favorites, and learned to cook something new!
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!
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Breakfast:
The usual apple cider morning cocktail was followed by one of my favorites: overnight oats in an almost-empty nut butter jar.
I usually make this with Greek yogurt, but I used a new find from Whole Foods. Elli Quark is thick and creamy, and even higher in protein per serving!
Banana-Almond Butter Overnight Oats (in a jar)
- 1 almost-empty almond butter jar
- 1 serving Elli Quark (or Greek yogurt)
- 1/2 diced banana
- 1/4 C oatmeal (I used Purely Elizabeth)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Stevia and almond milk (or other liquid), to taste
Mix it all together and place it in the fridge overnight. Remove from fridge in the morning, stir, and add additional liquid if necessary. You can also warm it in the microwave if you’re using a glass jar.
Mid-Morning Snack:
I’m loving KIND bars as a pre-workout snack. I had a Peanut Butter & Strawberry one before a lunchtime back and tri workout.
Lunch:
Sea Bass roasted with lemon, garlic, and rosemary with a spinach and beet salad drizzled in mustard. I saved the cinnamon-topped sweet potato for “dessert.”
Afternoon Snack:
Chicken, roasted eggplant, BBQ Cauliflower Bites, and my last Dora frozen edamame. I’m really sad the store quit carrying these little packets. 🙁
Dinner:
Soy bean pasta (Whole Foods find!), vodka marinara sauce, spinach, scallops, annnnd… bacon.
This was a partial-leftover dish. I made the scallops on Sunday. It was my first time (successfully) making scallops, but it was really easy!
I sautéed minced garlic and shallots in olive oil, then added the scallops and fresh lemon juice to sear (~2-3 mins each side) before dumping in the marinara sauce and letting that simmer another 4-5 mins.
Pre-dessert was a (unpictured) Purely Twins’ Protein Thin Mint. These are amazing. I made the 1/2 cocoa, 1/2 carob version, and I swear they taste just like the real-deal.
Dessert:
Carrot Cake Batter made with cottage cheese and a scoop of coconut flour. I warmed it a bit before topping it, which was a good call.
Decorated it with popcorn, cocoa powder sauce, and my favorite peanut flour sauce (I get my peanut flour on iHerb – use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order).
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After writing this, I realized I ate gluten-free all day… completely on accident!
What new recipes or foods are you liking lately?
Do you like overnight oats? What’s your go-to recipe?
WELL YOU JUST SOLD ME – You’re pretty good at that! I saw the Purely Twin recipe for their protein thin mints and I was quite INTRIGUED! I even went to the store and LOOKED at the ingredients needed for the recipe. LOL – That’s a big step for me 😉
BUT YOU have pushed me over the edge! It’s on! Lets SKYPE and make them together? LMFAO!
Skye Thin Mint making? I’m down!!! Did you get the fancy stuff or just the cocoa?
Nothing fancy, just unsweetened cocoa!! Now I need to place myself in the kitchen and MAKE THEM! ha ha! Lets do this skype date! 😉
SAVE THE Sriracha!
LOVE kindbars as an afternoon snack… had one today,
Ohhhh… what if they made a sriracha Kind bar?
Haha gluten free can be so delicious, I don’t know why people do not understand that 😛
Delicious looking meals, especially that pasta!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
So true! Nearly anything can be delicious if it’s done right. 😉
DUDE. PLEASE.
Can you save the sriracha trip for August and let’s have a date there. For real. FOR REAL.
That would be so perfect… and I have a feeling would end in some sort of sriracha-eating contest.
While I haven’t tried any new foods lately, I’ve been bringing back some old favorites, like sweet potato starch noodles. The look like glass noodles, and are light, but very filling, and so good. Those are used to make Korean japchae.
Fun fact: my husband used to eat so much Sriracha, but since we always have spicy home-made kimchi in our fridge now, he uses that to spice up his food instead.
I’ve had those!!! They’re like kelp noodles. MY farmer’s market has them in a billion varieties. Love kimchi too!
Haha I love that Dora promotes shelled edamame. Such a winner! I’ve been dabbling in lots of new foods lately – cacao nibs were (shockingly) new to me and are going in everything. And I mean eeeeverything.
Aren’t they awesome? I top everything with nibs… or just grab a handful when I need a chocolate fix. 😉
I’m always excited for an almost empty jar of nut butter! Overnight oats for the win!
Adding a few new recipes to my menu! Thanks for ideas that keep my menus interesting and yummy!
Thank you! I’d love any feedback. 🙂
the child LOVES the overnight oats—always kitchensinkOATS too 🙂
whatever we’ve got and let it mellow over-night.
so delicious. i keep saying I will try overnight oats, still on my to do list. I am thinking of making a batch thursday night when I have some time. i don’t have the nut butter but I do have everything else.
i’m doing my glutenfree corny cotter dance right now!
I never really think to make overnight oats with an almost-empty nut butter jar…I usually just do regular oats in a jar 😉 And I haven’t really had any new foods lately…but I think I’m going to pick up spaghetti squash this weekend to experiment with, which i’ve only had once or twice.
Soybean pasta? Interesting find! I need to try your creative popcorn dessert!
It’s really good! They make a black bean version too!
I love the Kind bars, I travel with them all the time. Great pre-workout snacks for sure. I dig the vanilla almond one, NOMS 🙂
That one is awesome too! Have you have the pecan-chocolate? That’s another favorite.
I’ll join you for the tour as long as a wine tour follows! And PB/Strawberry Kind bar??? I’ve not seen that. Soybean pasta? Where did you find that one? I’ve seen mentions of mung bean pasta and checked it out on Amazon.
Of couse – wine must follow! 😉
I got it a Whole Foods, but I think you can order it on iHerb. It’s a little chewier than pasta, but I realy like it!
Everything in here sounds pretty damn good Laura! I use overnight oats a lot, pretty similar to yours actually. I add greek yogurt, banana, almonds, and sometimes cranberries. I usually sprinkle some cinnamon and nutmeg in there too! Yum!
I have been loving the damn trader joes cookie butter….. but my jar is one spoonful away from being gone, so at least I wont be able to have any more!
Yes! I put cinnamon in everything. I’m a little touch and go with nutmeg; a little goes a looooong way for me. Ginger though – I could eat that all day long.
Love the protein thin mints! I made them last fourth of July to enjoy with grilled watermelon cocktails while watching fireworks 🙂
Grilled watermelon cocktails?! I’ve grilled it but never thought to put ’em in a drink. Brilliant!
I keep seeing the news on Siracha since it is about an hour from me.. 🙂
I love that Once Again nut nut butter! Got it on sale at Sprouts one time – it really did taste different than others in a good way!
OK, going to search out your Elli Quark find!
You’re so lucky you’re close! Do a tour for me! 😉
Nice to see you eating chocolate again! Yum!
Girlllll… I always eat chocolate. It’s like a food group. 😉
Am I a total weirdo that I much prefer Frank’s Hot Sauce to Sriracha?
Yes. 😉
i’m down for the field trip to the sriracha factory! 😀
it’s funny, the other day i put some chia pudding (rather than oats) into an “almost empty jar” of nuttzo and thought to myself “but is it actually almost empty?” because there were probably at least 2 “servings” in there…
and then i grabbed a spoon and said “yea, OF COURSE it’s almost empty” and proceeded to devour it 🙂
We should have a whole blogger conference there! 😉
I call dibs for the first name on your list! Siracha is apart of the essential food groups. I made this executive decision about….5 minutes ago! I feel the need to tell you, when I first heard of the temporary shut down I drove to the store and stocked up on 3 jumbo bottles.
I don’t take missing my vitamins lightly 😉
I was sad about the little dora packets too, have you tried Sprouts? I think I spotted them at Fry’s too!
I love that you stocked up! Hahaha!
Does Sprouts do the individual packages? I’m know it’s wasteful… but so convenient!
Haha that siracha respirator is hilarious! Do they make them for almond butter as well? I could use one.
Love OOO. I haven’t had them in a while but you’re making me miss them now!
MEEEEE. I AM THE ONE who will go on the Sriracha Tour with you!!
ME!
That would bring me great joy. 😉
I’m on SUCH an avocado kick right now. i think because I have a pretty high-fat schedule (yum!) right now and I feel like I never had avocado last time around. Addicted and loving it!
I just had some on my breakfast nachos! it’s so good with runny eggs… mmmm…
I could go for some of that dinner. Yum! And am I not a true blogger for disliking overnight oats? Just can’t do it…
Nah – I know a few people that don’t like them. Have you tried them re-heated? I like that in the winter.
I mean, really, what’s the point of vegetables without cartoon characters emblazoned on plastic around them?
My thoughts exactly. I demand Bugs Bunny on my carrots!
Drool! Overnight oats and BBQ cauliflower bites are on my must try list. Thanks, girl! -xo-
Kindbars are so tasty…I had my first one at the Colour Run I did back in the summer!
Your fish always looks so delicious.
I’ve never had overnight oats either. Between that and my unnatural fear of tofu, I just might be the strangest blogger yet. I’ll have to mock this in print one day.
I’m sorry your Dora packets are no more. At least you’ll aways have Kind bars. And pasta because pasta is always wonderful.
One day I’m going to force feed you tofu.
I’d need lots of booze first. 🙂
My go to recipe/food is oatmeal with nutbutter and dark choc chips – speaking of nutbutter, I gotta get my hands on that once again A/B you have!
It’s really good! I think I got it at Whole Foods.
Kind bars <3. I just got into Siracha…better late than never?
Ya, you know how i feel about the sriracha place now, as i drive by it on the freeway. seriously gasping for air. eyes burning. it’ll knock ya over. I should go on a tour for you. but send me a face mask, please. need to invent scratch n sniff of sriracha plant. 😉
Maybe it could be bottled and used to deter criminals. Like if you break into a store it releases sriracha fumes?
They carry the Elli quark at my WF now also, I will have to give it a try on my stomach. I had cottage cheese and was fine though! Lactose who? This of course means I can finally try all your cottage cheese recipes without having to sub Greek yogurt!
Heather was saying the same thing about lactose – she can go Greek yogurt and cottage cheese if it’s just 1x a day. I think when they strain it a lot of the lactose some out. Same for hard cheeses.
OK, when I first discovered Siracha, it was when they were supposedly “shutting down”. Well as you can imagine I loved it and couldn’t believe I had only discovered it for it to be gone from my life forever.- Enter panic mode- I bought like ten bottles! I’m down for a field trip, I’ll even pack the lunches!
10 bottles?! You better like spicy food! 😉
ermergerd yes. tours of the factory would be fun. PS Love Once Again. They’re the only brand that makes a sunbutter I can choke down. Sunflower seed butter is gross.