Is coffee really that bad for you? It’s gotten a bad wrap but, like many things, it’s really not terrible. In moderation, coffee even has several health benefits!
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I’m a Big Dill + WIAW
I’m a big dill.
In my head.
Really though. I posted the pic below on Instagram heading into leg day on Monday, but there’s a reason other than humor. Legs days with my trainer always kick my butt. He’s brutal… in a good way though. One of the reasons I love training with him is that he pushes me to do more than I even imagine to be possible.
When I walk into a session with him, I psych myself UP. So much of lifting is mental. If you tell yourself you can and approach the weights with confidence, you’ll be amazed by what you can do. That’s also a good example of how I #MoveHappy. 😉
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This WIAW I was STARVING from leg day. I wanted a little bit of everything, so that’s what I had!
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…
Mocha Plantain Protein Bread with JAVAPRO
Some days I need a caffeine IV.
The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of JAVAPRO.
I’m actually not a huge coffee drinker. It takes too long for me to drink! By the time I’m half way through the cup, it’s cold. That’s not to say I couldn’t use the caffeine. I’m not a morning person, and the flourescent lights in my office don’t help matters.
What I do love are protein powder creations. Since I can’t bring myself to drink enough regular coffee, I was thrilled with Nature’s Best offered me a bag of their new Mocha JAVAPRO whey protein powder. It never even crossed my mind to drink it. I was excited to bake with it!
Side note: I’ve never actually had a traditional protein drink just mixed with water.
This is protein powder is unique because it includes real coffee! Finally, a way to get my caffeine fix without struggling to finish a hot cup ‘o joe. I immediately used the JAVAPRO protein powder in my traditional untraditional way. It may seem strange… but it’s good!
Mocha plantain bread! With peanut sauce… is there anything peanut butter isn’t good with?
I’d made a Gingerbread Protein Bread in the past, and I used that recipe as the base for this mocha java version. The mocha flavor was perfect for this chocolate lover, and I really enjoyed the shot of energy the cake-like bread gave me. Plus, who doesn’t want an excuse to eat cake for breakfast?
One serving of the protein powder packs 20 grams of protein and 80 mg of caffeine; perfect for pre-workout muscle fuel for endurance and energy! For more information, check out their Facebook Page.
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Mocha Plantain Protein Bread
- 1 medium plantain, fully ripe*
- 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
- 1 serving mocha java protein powder (31 g)
Preheat oven to 350.
In a small blender (I used a Magic Bullet) blend all ingredients except the protein powder.
Add protein powder and blend again until just combined.
Pour into a prepared pan (I used 8-in round) and bake for 15 mins.
Makes 2 servings.
*A plantain is fully ripe when the skin has turned almost black; it will be aromatic and sweet.
Approximate nutritionals (for 1 serving): 161 calories, 1.2 g fat, 124.9 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrates, 1.9 g fiber, 9.4 g sugar, 17.4 g protein
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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
***
I’m gearing up for a weekend of fun… two of my most #strangebutgood blends, Heather and Sarah, are in town!!! Follow our shenanigans on Instagram!
Are you a coffee person?
Have you ever made a plain protein shake (protein + water)?
Mocha Mint Protein Muffins + Giveaway
M is for Monday.
I swear I didn’t plan this.
This weekend had an M theme, which happens to work really well for Katie’s Marvelous Monday link up. See what I did there? 😉
1. Meringues
My company is a cloud-based technology. Rather than handing out boring collateral like pens at the executive meeting, I ordered cloud-like meringue cookies! Dyed blue and stuffed in pumpkins for Halloween.
Thanks to Henri’s Bakery for doing a great job on this custom order – I’ve been going there since I was a kid!
NO, I didn’t eat one… 2 weeks to go!
2. Muscles
Speaking of 2 weeks to go, I had my second to last posting practice with my trainer before my competitions! I have never loved posing, but I’m learning to look forward these Saturday sessions – I get to spend the day posing and training with some of the most inspiring competitors around.
This Saturday’s session made me more excited than ever for these next competitions, and for the next year where I’m 100% committed to hardcore BUILDING. I love lifting.
3. Mom
This weekend was my mom’s birthday. She’s turning 29, once again. 😉
I was really excited to have her over for brunch. She opened presents and I made her my jicama nachos with shrimp, pico, yellow tomato, and #yolkporn. She save this #strangebutgood creation two thumbs up, which means the world since she is the one I have to thank for my love of food and creating in the kitchen.
4. Muffins
Not just any muffins. I accidentally made Mocha Mint Protein Muffins.
These were going to be a version of my coffee pancakes. I accidentally added too much egg, so I decided to bake them instead. This is what a Thin Mint would taste like as a muffin. Talk about an awesome mistake!
I used Dunkin Donuts’ seasonal Mocha Mint coffee, but you could use any flavor and add extracts. I added peppermint extract because the DD coffee isn’t actually very mint-y.
Mocha Mint Muffins
- 2 T oats
- 1 T coconut flour
- 1 T (10g) chocolate protein powder
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp no-salt baking powder
- 1/4 C egg whites
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee (I used mocha mint)
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 6-8 drops vanilla liquid stevia
- Optional: chocolate chips, cocoa powder, nuts
In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Pour into prepared muffin tins and bake ~25 mins.
Makes 2 muffins (or 3 squares in my slightly smaller silicone mold).
Note: I learned that this recipe can be doubled when I made more to have for breakfast this coming week.
This mistake was even sweeter because it gave me a recipe to link up to Heather’s MMAZ. She told me seeds could count as nuts.
5. Munchies
It’s Halloween. You have candy coming out the you-know-what.
Just in case you want to give your blood sugar a break, I have a giveaway for one of my favorite bars. One of you will win a whole box of thinkThin High Protein Bars.
Normally a “thin” bar wouldn’t appeal to me; however, my dad actually got me into these. When he was getting chemo, all he wanted where the chocolate fudge bars. Random craving, right?
I came to love them. The 20g protein is perfect for a quick fix post-workout or on the run. It keeps you full, gives you a pop of energy, and has 0g of sugar. They’re also gluten-free!
My favorites right now are the Cookies ‘n Cream and the Chocolate Toffee Nut, but you can choose your own!
***
I am literally back-to-back in meetings all week. Between that and gym time, blogging may be sporadic. Does anyone else think of Clueless when they use the word sporadic?
What is your favorite protein-filled snack to-go?
What was the last happy kitchen accident you had?
Marvelous Smoothie Crack: Mocha Beet Frappuccino
Crack is whack.
Thank you, Whitney Houston for that insightful quote.
After a long hiatus, I am jumping back into Heather‘s Meatless Monday link up!
I would never expose you to something whack, so this post isn’t actually about crack. It is a super-energizing smoothie though!
This week’s MMAZ link up is about making someone else’s recipe. Unfortunately, I am unable to follow recipes (or directions). Rather, I took inspiration from someone’s recipe.
Sarah created this vegan Mocha Chip Mousse last week. I loved how she used tofu to create a protein-rich healthy-ish dessert. It made me remember my favorite Carrot Cake Batter Shake, where I used tofu to get a milk shake consistency. Why hadn’t I done it with chocolate?! And coffee… this was a frapp waiting to happen! There may have been some strangeness too… I’ve been loving chocolate-beet smoothies lately and I carried that idea over to make this a Mocha Beet Frappuccino. 🙂
Recipe for this crack-like creation at the bottom…
First I have to share some marvelous!!! I had the pleasure of dining with one of my favorite ladies: Sarena! She invited me over for dinner with her family. I’d never met her crew before, but felt like I already knew them thanks to social media. Tony (her husband) said he felt like Instragram was coming to life. 🙂
If you’ve never tried any of Sarena’s gluten-free baked goods before, let me assure you this stuff is the jam. She made a loaf of gluten-free bread that was better than most of the “real” bread I’ve had.
We started with a salad, then for dinner enjoyed succotash, grilled pork, and homemade bread. And more bread. I wish I’d gotten a pic of the Pavlova Sarena made for dessert too. It was fantastic!
Also marvelous was a sunny Sunday run up Stone Mountain. Remember those booty building incline sprints? I’m back at it. 🙂
While we’re talking about booty, I finally picked up a pair of the Nike Pro booty shorts I see everyone on Instagram wearing. They are actually amazing – comfy and breathable.
I shamelessly wore them all day long. Including to 2 grocery stores.
Killer bicep/tricep workout, followed up with more crack.
Check out what else is marvelous in blog land this week in Katie’s link up!
Mocha Beet Frappuccino
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1/2 serving (1.5 oz) tofu
- 1/4 C roasted beet (or 1 tsp beet powder)
- 1 T instant coffee granules
- 1/2 T cocoa powder
- 1/4 inch piece fresh ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
- 5-6 drops vanilla liquid stevia
- Pinch of xanthan and guar gums (optional)
- Ice and water (adjust according to thickness preference)
Toss it all in the blender and mix until smooth.
Inhale. Bounce off the walls.
***
Why don’t I ever remember that it’s a bad idea to run up mountains the day before leg day?! Doh.
Do you run around in your gym clothes all day?
Do you even gluten-free products even though you don’t have an allergy? I like trying all the foods!
Strange But Good: Bacon, Eggs, and Coffee (Pancakes)
I’m not a huge coffee drinker.
Morning energy is key though.
Since having my morning cocktail everyday, I’ve simply not craved coffee. Combine that with my mental block for some reason I think coffee takes far too much effort to make (yet I will spend time making breakfasts like this… no logic, I know), and I rarely make coffee.
Anyway, I decided to make coffee on Monday morning (I was still dragging from the post-Blend excitement!). when I do prepare coffee, I always make extra to have during the week. With my leftover coffee, I make things like Tiramisu parfaits and pancakes!
This pancake creation hit all the high points when it come to breakfast: it is possible to have your bacon, eggs, and coffee all in one bite!
It may be a little strange. It definitely is a lot good! We all know how I like my waffles at Waffle House. That may not be the healthiest way to eat breakfast, but this creation is one you can feel good about.
Fluffy, protein-rich cakes made silky with coconut flour. These were laced with mocha coffee goodness and filled with blueberries that burst in your mouth. Their syrup is a delicious egg yolk that pops with flavorful bite of bacon sprinkles. Breakfast porn at its best!
Coffee Pancakes
- 2 T raw oatmeal
- 1 T coconut flour
- 1/2 scoop (10g) protein powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp no-salt baking powder
- 2 T egg whites
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee (I used a mocha flavor)
- 1/4 tsp maple extract
- 6-8 drops vanilla liquid stevia
- Optional: blueberries, runny egg, bacon sprinkles
In a small bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Heat pan over med-high, spoon batter onto pan, and cook until done (~3-4 mins each side). Add blueberries half way through, if using.
While your pancakes are cooking, prepare your toppings. I amped up the #strangebutgood with a runny egg and bacon “sprinkles.” The egg rocks because the yolk becomes your pancake syrup!
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week?
The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends!
Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
***
I am look forward to an amazing long, relaxing weekend with friends... and my new CAT!!! Lucy is picture shy as she acclimates, but stay tuned...
What are you looking forward to this long weekend?
What's your favorite way to enjoy yolk porn? 😉
The Long Run + Peppermint Mocha
Perspective is important this time of year.
Today’s guest post from Kat is all about the Long Run. I love that she chose this topic at the beginning of the holiday insanity. Sometimes it’s all too easy to get caught up in the rush and forget to enjoy the moment.
I’ll be keeping this in mind over the next few crazy busy days! I’m off on a work trip before heading out of town for Thanksgiving. If you saw the disarray my kitchen is in (food prep and office Thanksgiving party baking). And let’s just pretend the rest of my condo doesn’t look like a tornado of clothes and suitcases…
Here’s Kat!!!
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Firstly, I have to say that after the rash of comments from my last post, I was surprised, happy, and blushing! Seriously! I love that people want to read what I have to say. Thanks for the extra cheek work-out! No wonder so many of you are hooked on blogging. It’s a feel-good mechanism! (Editor’s note: agreed! All you guys ROCK!)
Because the past two weeks have been SO crazy, I have had to focus on the long run. I baby-sat a very time-consuming young puppy, Maggie. She had to be crated and couldn’t be left alone for more than about 5 hours. This is typically not conducive to my schedule, but sometimes you have to make things work!
It was time to focus on what would help me succeed in the long run (both metaphorically and actual running). Three things I have kept in the front of my mind in the past two weeks were to relax, be present, and set no expectations about results. I know I will get it all done, I just have to believe in myself.
In the long run, stressing will NOT help you succeed. Besides adjusting my schedule for the bundle of joy that is Maggie, I also had to go to Arizona for my cousin’s wedding. That same weekend, I also had to write a 15 page paper, coordinate with a partner to draft a buy-out agreement, and do business tax problems. (This is in addition to my usual and regular workload. UGH!). Initially, this all felts extremely unmanageable, but ….dun dun dun… it all got done and I did not stress. I found an hour here and 20 minutes there to fit it all in.
However, I almost had a fit when the flight attendant on my flight to Phoenix told me I was not allowed to use the blue tooth keyboard on my iPad!!!!!! That almost added some stress to the weekend, but I seriously made it work! The three things kept me sane. Relax, be present, and set no expectations about results.
In the long run, you will remember the special moments with your family if you are really able to allow yourself to just be with them. At my cousin’s wedding in Arizona, I was a bridesmaid, met my cousin’s baby, my god-daughter (luckiest girl in the world!!).
What is the point of pushing yourself if you cannot relax and be present, and enjoy the moments you get with friends and family. Stress happens, but keeping perspective on things that are truly important can really help. I hardly ever get to see my family, so with a little effort to shove my work into the back of my mind, I was able to really be there and enjoy moments with my family, and the new additions to my family through the marriage.
In the long run, not planning your run might just make you happier. I also squeezed in some GREAT runs. On Saturday, I ran the wrong way. Not that there is a wrong way to run, but I didn’t realize that if I ran the other way, I could run all the way to the mountains and unsuccessfully look for a trail to run. Sunday, I did this, and was my longest run since my ultra, and it left my IT band screaming a little (thank god for my foam roller!), but the beauty, scenery, and peace of mind it gave me were priceless! It really helped to go out, relax, and not set any expectation about pace, distance, or how I might feel afterwards.
On my run in phoenix—someone is a lucky girl (me!)
In the long run, the little things add up to a LOT of happiness. That being said, enough about craziness. Today I actually want to share something I’ve been DYING to write about since it’s inception, and I think it’s perfect timing with the holidays around the corner.
Coffee is one of my favorite things in the entire world. Honestly, I can turn anyone into an addict if they have my coffee. It’s the way I make it… OMG. Coffee is a production at my house. I recently started doing my own version of a peppermint mocha (but with fewer calories than Starbucks or your local coffee shop).
Please try this – you will not regret it – and do you like my very first edited/stitched picture? – *becoming a blogger*
It might look like I dropped some illegal (now legal in Colorado and Washington) substances in with my coffee grounds, but it’s not… it’s dried peppermint leaves from Penzy’s Spices (a favorite). I bet you can do this in a regular coffee maker, or a French press, but I use what I refer to as a “drip drip”. I have no idea what it is actually called.
I make it with two scoops of coffee grounds, a half-ish or more scoop of the peppermint leaves, then just pour on the hot water to brew. IN THE CUP: I add a pinch of sea salt, a scoop of dark chocolate cocoa powder, and splenda/stevia/sugar to taste. It’s the most peppermint-y delicious cup of coffee you will ever have, and this little thing will add up to a LOT of happiness!!! I Promise. 🙂 (Editor’s Note: Kat… do you deliver?)
In other good news, Maggie was actually a foster dog, and she got adopted today!!! Yay! See the picture of her with her new mom:
Tooooo adorable
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I’m continually blown away by Kat and her productivity. I’m working on a recipe to bottle her energy!
What helps you in the long run?
What little happiness-es help you get through stressful days?
Tales from the Gym + Caffeinated Giveaway
There’s one in every crowd.
You know the one. The dude that you keep catching staring at you in the gym. You know it’s just a matter of time before he comes over to chat. Monday was that day.
First, you have to picture this guy. Mid-30s, frat boy hair cut, tattoos up on arm… fairly big guy with a little beer belly. He sauntered up to me while I was adding weight to the seated row machine.
He opened his mouth to reveal one of the most Southern accents I’ve heard in Atlanta.
Frat Man: “I believe that’s more than you weigh.”
Me: “Not quite, but close.”
Frat Man: “I’ve been watching you. You’re strong.”
Me: “Thank you.”
We went our separate ways, but I notice he’s still glancing over at me. Later I was doing my calf raises and he asked if he could work in. I obliged, but before he started, he had to add more commentary.
Frat Man: “I’m sorry I keep staring at you. I can’t help it – you look just like Tinkerbell.”
Me: “Well… thanks! I love Tinker.”
Frat Man: “I mean it. Straight from the TV… how much do you weigh?”
Me: “I’m not really sure.”
Frat Man: “Well, you look good.”
Me: “Thanks. Have a great workout.”
All of this went down in the least creepy way possible (trust me – I know creepy). Well, aside from the fact that he said he’s been watching me. LOL!
Slightly less funny, but still amusing. This was on the television at the gym yesterday morning:
Daria.
I kind of wanted to stop and watch.
But I mentioned a giveaway, right?
This is one of the more exciting giveaways I’ve done, IMHO. Reason being is that I LOVE this product. Often I see giveaways for products that aren’t so great. Of course, everyone has different tastes… but I do make it a point to try samples before agreeing to a giveaway. There have been products I’ve turned down – I feel like it reflects badly on me if you are sent something that isn’t that great!
That’s not the case with this giveaway (or with the P28 Bread – I am in LOVE).
Chike contacted me about their coffee protein powder a few weeks ago. I was hesitant – often I find coffee-flavored stuff to be too fake. I like the real thing. The rep assured me the caffeine content was the same as a 2 espresso shots, and it was low sugar/low sodium I knew I had to give it a shot. Enter: a new addiction.
Who needs Starbucks when you can have a homemade protein mocha frapp with a fraction of the sugar? If you were to order a Grande (16 oz) Mocha Frappucchino Light at Starbucks, you’d be drinking 130 calories, 28g carbs, 26g sugar, and 4g of protein. You might as well just swallow 2 tablespoons of sugar.
With 20g of whey protein, 23 vitamins & minerals, and just 2g sugar, this powder makes for a perfect pre-workout shake. Sunday I was feeling really sluggish after eating too many salty truffle fries on cheat day (I woke up feeling hung over!), but I downed this before meeting my trainer and had a great leg workout.
In my re-creation of the frappuccino, you’ll only have the 2g of sugar from the Chike protein powder and an additional 6-7g from half of a banana. This is a mocha (any excuse for chocolate in the morning), but you could change up the flavors to recreate your favorite.
Check out this Pumpkin Frapp I did last fall, for example.
You guys know I can’t make a smoothie without adding spinach, so this delicious beverage has a slightly green-ish tint. The banana added natural sweetness and lent a creamy texture to the drink.
I can never stress enough – use good cocoa!!! Your drink will be 10x better and 1T of the good stuff won’t break the bank. 🙂
Recipe at bottom.
I’ll get off my sugar-soap box now and tell you how you can get your own Chike High Protein Coffee.
3 winners will be randomly chosen to receive 5 packets of the coffee, and a Chike Blender bottle. You can never have enough blender bottles.
Receive up to 4 entries:
- Follow me on Twitter or Subscribe to the Sprint 2 the Table RSS feed or email
- Tweet: You could say something like: I’ve entered to win a blender bottle and sample pack from @iLikeChike with @sprint2thetable http://wp.me/p16jDn-1rZ #giveaway
- Be Social: Twitter Follow Chike, Pinterest Follow Me and/or Pin Something of Mine, Instagram Follow Me
- Comment: What is your go-to caffeinated beverage?
Please leave a *separate comment* for each entry!
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST Thursday night, August 23rd. The winner will be announced here on Friday, August 24th!
Open to US Residents only. If you’d like to try these bars but didn’t win, you can order your own on the Chike website.
Mocha Protein Frappuccino
- 1 serving Chike High Protein Coffee (or 1 scoop protein powder + 1 tsp instant coffee)
- 1 C spinach (optional)
- 1/2 medium banana
- 1 T cocoa powder
- 7-8 drops liquid Stevia
- 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1.8 tsp Guar Gum (optional, acts as a thickener)
- Ice, to taste
Place all ingredients in blander and mix until smooth.
Top with your favorite add-ins – I used raw oats here – and enjoy!
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Yesterday we lost one of the most brilliantly funny comedians to walk this earth. RIP to Phyllis Diller. I’ll leave you with her wisdom: “Best way to get rid of kitchen odors: Eat out.”
What is your funniest gym interaction?
Are you concerned with sugar intake?
