Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Spinach Squash Soup and WIAW

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Thanks for all the well-wishes about my Achilles!

 

I’m taking it easy. *le sigh*

It still hurts, but the pain isn’t as sharp anymore.  Well, it wasn’t so bad until I tried for a new max set of push-ups (are you doing yours?!).  And then I did this tricep workout (minus the sprints).  I suppose those activities use the Achilles for stability purposes… lame.

 

Back to resting… and entertaining myself by making soup!  I could hardly wait for WIAW to share it. 🙂

Happy #21 to WIAW!

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Breakfast

I  had to do a repeat!  It’s rare, but the oh-so-good Zucchini Oatmeal lured me in 2x in as many days. 🙂

I was a little sad when the bowl ended

 

 

Lunch

Did you know one sweet potato packs more fiber than a serving of oatmeal?!

 

Brussels, sweet potato with my homemade spiced almond butter, and coconut curry tempeh.

I <3 pretty food

 

Aren’t those brussels pretty like flowers?!  #bigdork

There was also going to be a pile of kale chips… but I burned the you-know-what out of them.  Whoops.

 

Snacks

Avocado Protein Shake with chocolate protein powder (don’t knock it til you try it!)

That’s my chocolate cookie sinking in the middle

The last bit of the orange blob deliciousness – i.e. Butternut Rosemary Hummus:

Still just as good – eaten with spelt pretzels, cherry tomatoes, and celery

Dinner

Have you ever heard of a Delicata Squash?  I had not until a recent trip to the farmer’s market.

 

Further research revealed that it is an heirloom squash.  It is, indeed, delicate.  Small-ish and probably less and 1/2 a pound in weight.  I’d compare it to a butternut squash, as it is on the sweeter side of the squash family.

Like other winter squash, it contains a ton of Vitamin A, carotenoids, and can act as an anti-inflammatory.

I read that you can eat the skin (it’s much more thin that that of a butternut), but I opted to peel mine since it was being used for a soup.

Did you think I’d repeat the entire day?  *Gasp*

 

I made a Spinach Squash Soup!  It was filled with all sorts of vitamins, a little heat, and some fantastic flavors like…

Roasted garlic. The other day I posted about roasted garlic and the secret to always having it on-hand (I roast several heads at once and freeze it).  Today was a perfect example of that idea paying off.  Regular garlic would certainly work here (though I’d cut back to 2-3 cloves), but the depth roasted garlic adds was a perfect accent in this soup.

Served with more socca.  I’m an addict.

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Spinach Squash Soup

(Inspired by this recipe from 101 Cookbooks)

  • 1 T habanero-infused extra virgin olive oil (I use Sweetwater Growers’ version)
  • 4 cloves roasted garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1 Delicata squash (~1.5 C), cut into 1 in cubes
  • 1 medium zucchini (~ 1C), roughly chopped
  • 1 C chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2.5 C fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
  • Juice of 1/3 lemon
  • S+P, to taste

 

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil.  Add the garlic and onions and saute 1-2 mins, just until soft.  Add in both squash, stock, and water.  Stir to combine, also adding salt, cumin, and coriander.  Bring to a simmer and cook ~15 mins until squash are soft.

Stir in the spinach, allowing it to just begin to wilt.  Stir in the fresh lemon juice.  Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender until smooth.  Taste, adjusting seasonings as desired.  Ladle into bowls, top as desired (I used tomatoes, pepper, and nutritional yeast), and serve.

Note:  If you don’t have habanero olive oil, don’t skip the heat – this soup would definitely be too bland without it.  Add a couple of diced jalapenos (or pepper of your choosing) when you toss in the onion and garlic.

Makes 2.5 cups.  (I wish I’d doubled it to make 5!)

***

What are you eating for WIAW?

Are you a good “patient” when it comes to resting after an injury?

 

Balsamic Asparagus Pizza

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Have you guys been watching Extreme Makover Weight Loss Edition on ABC?

 

I’m shamelessly addicted.  Watching these people lose massive amounts of weight in a year… I can’t imagine how hard it must be – at 400 lbs – to get started and get it done.

Last night’s contestant, Dana, lost 203 lbs in a year with a torn ACL.  Interestingly, he was already trying to lose by taking water aerobics.  Chris Powell (the trainer) told him that weight-less exercise wasn’t going to cut it and started him on a program that used his body weight to work out.

 

Timely encouragement/reminder that there others dealing with things much bigger than I am.  Why?  Because I think have jacked up (technical term) my Achilles tendon.

It hurts.  Sharp pain walking down stairs. *wine* *whine*

I’m not sure what happened.  I felt fine running Saturday’s ACS 5K race, and then as I was walking down the stairs to my car a few hours later I noticed it was sore… and it has gotten progressively worse since.  Playing ball Sunday probably didn’t help.

 

In hopes of catching it at the beginning I visited the chiropractor on my way home from work tonight.  It didn’t help. I was instructed to take it easy, ice it, and massage the area.  My calf even aches.  Bollocks.

 

Maybe if I take the week off of running (and walking down stair cases) it will be better by the weekend?!

Tonight’s workout was an easy 45 mins of shoulders and P90X Ab Ripper X.  I hate being limited.

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Good thing dinner was not limited.  It was quite tasty!

 

Yesterday I was craving pizza something fierce.  The opportunity to sate that craving didn’t present itself, so tonight was declared Monday Socca-Pizza Night!

It was late when I got home to eat… pics are going to leave something (i.e. light) to be desired.

My Pizza:

  • Socca base (I used herbs de provence this time)
  • Morels
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • Balsamic asparagus


 

The real stand-out here was that balsamic asparagus.  It is the easiest thing you’ll ever make; however, the balsamic reduction coating it will give it a decadent taste.  I ate the extra pieces standing up over the stove.

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Balsamic Asparagus

  • 1/2 bunch asparagus, hard bottom snapped off
  • 1 tsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 C yellow onion, diced
  • Juice from 1 lemon wedge
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat medium skillet over medium heat.  Add in asparagus, onion, and balsamic vinegar, tossing to combine.  Allow to sauté for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally.  

When the asparagus just beings to soften, remove from heat and top with lemon juice and pepper.

Serves 2.

***

Have you ever injured your Achilles?

Have you been forced to slow down for an injury?

Any advice is much appreciated!!

 

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Bean Burgers

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In Atlanta we have weekly events called “Screen on the Green.”

 

They put up a giant screen in the city’s largest park and project classic films.  Everyone comes out early with their Frisbees, dinner, and bottles of wine.  It’s a lot of fun!

Last night’s movie was Imitation of Life.  My beverage of choice was a beer from one of my breweries – Hitachino.  I noticed on of their beers on a menu at The Porter and had to try it, as I’d never seen a Japanese white ale!  They make a fantastic ginger ale as well – unlike many gingers, it isn’t too sweet for my taste.

Last night I tried the Red Rice brew for the first time.  I really liked it!  It is a light, crisp red beer with a bread-y taste and a refreshing hint of strawberries.  YUM.

It was fun hanging out with my friend and celebrating (almost) making it through another work week.  Too bad we can’t do this every night!

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Wayyyy back in the day (translation: college), I used to eat burgers weekly.  I also ordered the bacon-blue cheese version.  With fries and a side of ranch.  It’s been a while since I’ve eaten that much red meat in one sitting.  I’ve nearly cut the stuff out of my diet completely.  Way before cutting out the red meat, I did stop the blue-cheese-bacon-bomb burgers.

Fast-forward to the healthier life and I’ve learned to love homemade bean burgers.  One of my favorite parts about a good burger has always been melty cheese and a salty-spicy bacon taste.  I’ve come to realize that my lifestyle change doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy those flavors!

 

Top 3 Tips for Bean Burger Enjoyment:

  • Use high-quality blue cheese – the flavor is more pronounced, so you don’t need such a massive amount
  • Add paprika for a spicy-smoky taste that satisfies almost like bacon
  • Add other fun flavors to make the bean burger more “fun” – make them spicy, herb-y, Mediterranean-inspired, Italian… beans actually allow added flavors to shine more so than beef does.

My blue cheese of choice?  Montchevre Chevre in Blue.  It was suggested to me by Matt, who has never led me astray in the cheese department!  Roaring 40’s Blue would also be great, or a cheese from another family.  I’m thinking a sun-dried tomato herbed goat cheese…

 

As far as the fries and ranch… I think I grew out of that (ranch now sounds soooo unappealing to me).  I enjoyed my burger with my Butternut Rosemary Hummus and celery.  And a side of work.

Then, after a tricep/chest workout, I went back for Round 2 with a fried egg on top.  Gotta get that protein!

 

Tomorrow I’m going with a side of sweet potato chips to compliment my leftover burger.

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Blue Cheese-Stuffed Black Bean Burgers

  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 C walnuts
  • 1/4 C whole wheat flour
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 C cilantro
  • 1/2 C red pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 C onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • S+P, to taste
  • 1 oz blue cheese

Preheat over to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Pulse black beans, vinegar, walnuts, flour, cilantro, and garlic together in food processor until beginning to stick together. Add red pepper, onion, paprika, salt, and pepper and lightly pulse until just mixed (can also mix by hand).

Form 4 patties, leaving ~1/3 of the mixture behind.  Place patties on prepared baking sheet.  Top the burgers with blue cheese, keeping the cheese closer-ish to their centers.  Add remaining bean mix to the top so that the cheese is covered and press lightly to mold together.

Bake 10-12 mins on one side.  Using a spatula, flip and bake an additional 5-6 mins.

Makes 4 burgers.

***

A few hours to go before fun, sunshine-filled weekend!!!

***Updated to urge you to check out Act Fast Chef and the Friday Edition love she gave me!***

Do you like bean burgers?  

Do you prefer to make your own or order out?


Butternut Rosemary Hummus

By

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone yesterday who shared their accomplishments!  I am sooooo proud for you!  Don’t stop – keep sharing your victories with friends/family/bloggers unless you’s a public figure and it involves questionable pictures.

 

Let’s talk about Maturity.

We all grow up and are expected to achieve a certain level of maturity/self-monitoring.  I tried – really – to be the bigger person and only laugh at the “Weiner” scandal in the privacy of my own home.

I mean, how can you not chuckle at the newscasters trying their damnedest to read the “Weiner-gate” stories off the teleprompter with a straight face?!*

 

You’ll have to excuse me.  In honor of Gay Pride month and my love of irony – I couldn’t pass this up this one.

*Disclaimer: Weiner’s actions are NOT a joke.  He hurt is (pregnant!) wife and is an embarrassment to Congress.  He should be ashamed of himself.

 

Speaking of maturity… 2 days in a row I have gotten out of bed and doubled the mileage I promised myself I’d run!

Stats:

  • Distance – 4 miles
  • Time – 32:48
  • Pace – 8:12

 

I’m a morning runnin’ machine. 🙂

 

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It’s time for the reveal of the mystery glob!  A couple of you guessed the main ingredient – expert foodies!

***cheesy drumroll***

 

Butternut Rosemary Hummus

 

Is hummus without beans still a hummus?  It has tahini.  It has a hummus-like texture.  It involves lemon and a little olive oil.  No beans about it.

Would a hummus by any other name smell taste as sweet?

 

Who cares? This is good.  And it’s mine, so I’m deeming it worthy of the title of hummus.

 

Butternut hummus has a creamy hummus texture, but a lighter feel.  (Read: You could eat the entire container in one sitting.) The nutty tahini taste compliments the squash and rosemary well.  Red pepper flakes and lemon give it a satisfyingly spicy tang.

My recipe calls for roasted garlic.  You could use regular garlic (I’d reduce to 2-3 cloves if using fresh), but I loved the added depth the roasted garlic gave this dip.

Many people avoid roasting garlic due to the time it takes, but I’ve found a great way around that: roast several heads at a time and FREEZE them whole!  They retain all of their flavor and are a great, unexpected flavor-enahncer to have on hand!  (Great tutorial on roasting garlic can be found here.)

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Butternut Rosemary Hummus

  • 1/2 butternut squash, cubed (~2 C)
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 5 cloves roasted garlic
  • juice from 1/2 large lemon
  • 2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1.5 T tahini
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • S+P, to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Scrape out the seeds from squash and peel.  Cut the squash into 1 in cubes.  Put the cubes on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle red pepper flakes, and mix to coat evenly.

Roast the squash in the oven for ~40 minutes or until tender, tossing once half way through.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once cooled, transfer squash to a food processor until beginning to smooth.  Add the roasted garlic, rosemary, cumin, lemon juice, and tahini.  Mix in processor until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, and more red pepper flakes to taste.

Makes 8 servings of 2 T each.

Approximate nutrition: 48 calories, 2.4g fat, 6.8g carbs, 1.1g sugar, 1g protein

***

I can’t believe it’s already Thursday!  A week flying by is such a special gift unlike a political sext.

Have you made a “hummus” out of something unexpected?  What was it?

 

WIAW Pride

By

Happy WIAW! (What I Ate Wednesday)

There seem to be a lot of posts lately where people are talking about their accomplishments.  I think that’s awesome!

 

The part that makes me sad is that many of these posts are pre-faced with something along the lines of:

“I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging…”

Or:

“Not to sound full of myself…”

 

Why do we have such a hard time sharing our “wins?” Charlie Sheen certainly didn’t and he isn’t even a winner.


Maybe it’s a female thing.  Not to stereotype, but I have never heard a dude apologize or hesitate before talking about a success.

Women tend to be raised to support and nurture.  Society tells us we are “caretakers.”  This doesn’t have to mean we need to keep it to ourselves when we’ve accomplished something!  We are allowed to be proud of ourselves and receive support and kudos from others.  Personally, I love sharing in your successes and cheering you on!

 

Share a personal success one person today.  I dare you.

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Today I am proud of myself for 3 reasons:

  1. I got out of bed and ran twice as far as I promised myself I had to
  2. I remembered to take pics of everything I ate for WIAW!  (Yes, I take my pics on Tuesday… I’m told that’s ok. 🙂 )
  3. I made some serious deliciousness with the other half of my butternut squash

 

Here’s the story of my 3 prideful moments on what I’m now creatively dubbing Terrific Tuesday:


1. Run

Promising low mileage is one way I coax myself out of bed for morning runs.  I don’t really enjoy going right from the bed to the street (that’s what she said), but on work days I don’t have time to chill first.  So I make myself promises:

“If you get up, you only have to run a 5K. It will be easy.  Get up!”

 

I had some verrry filling Mexican last night, so I didn’t need a snack other than to take my B-12 (awesome AM energy booster) before taking off.  Apparently this was just what the Dr. ordered for me today.

 

Stats:

  • Distance – 6 miles
  • Time – 49:22
  • Pace – 8:20

 

I think that’s my fastest time yet at this distance!  Admittedly my leg was shaking on the brake pedal while driving to work, but in a good “I pushed myself” way.

 

2. WIAW

 

Typically I realize half way through my food-eating for the day that I’ve forgotten to take pics of everything I ate.  Not the case today!

 

Breakfast:

My name is Laura and I am chia pudding-obsessed.

Blackberry Almond Chia Pudding

A few days ago I made Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding.  I’ve also done Banana Cashew Chia Pudding.  Today was Blackberry Almond Chia Pudding.

My favorite so far is still the Peach, but this was not bad.  I added a bit of butter extract which make it more pie-like.  Not bad at all, my friends.

Because everything tastes better in a martini glass

 

Blackberry Almond Chia Pudding

  • 1/2 C blackberries, cut in half
  • 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 T almond butter
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, mushing blackberries slightly in the process.  Store in refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, stir and enjoy!

 

Lunch:

Eaten at my desk, but it was so good I didn’t care.

Roasted Butternut Red Pepper Lentils

Leftover Roasted Butternut Red Pepper Lentils… which may have been even better than they were on day one.  The flavors had a chance to meld, I topped it with the last bits of fresh mozzarella… and I was one happy camper luncher.

Snack #1:

Celery and a freebie PB packet

 

Snack #2:

Peanut Butter Creme-filled Chocolate Newman-O's

Yesterday I got these in the mail from Mary @ Bites and Bliss.  I won a recent giveaway she hosted… talk about bites OF bliss.  What could be better than FREE Chocolate + PB cookies!?

Dinner:

Easy salad with a couple more of my little kid hidden veggie Chicken Bites.

Simple Salad with Chicken Bites

Snack #3:

Chocolate-Banana Green Creatine Protein Shake w/ Fiber

AND…

3. Serious Deliciousness

Newman's Own Spelt Pretzels and...

 

What exactly is that yellow-orange glob of tasty with my spelt pretzels?  Check back tomorrow… *insert evil laugh here*

***

Happy WIAW/Hump Day!

Share your win with me!  What have you done lately to make yourself proud?


Roasted Butternut and Red Pepper Lentils

By

This work-week began on Sunday with a quick-trip to DC for a meeting.

 

Upside: I am already home!

Downside: this morning’s breakfast was luke-warm hotel oatmeal.

Buuuutttt… for the first time EVER room service brought me the PB I requested!!  Thank you, Marriott.  🙂

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When I head out of town, I take note of all of the items I don’t want to let go bad.  Then I try to use them all.  It’s my own Top Chef Challenge.  Bring it, Gail Simmons!

I needed to devour some rosemary, cilantro, red pepper, butternut squash, and bok choy.  A little random, but that’s never stopped me before!  Necessity is the mother of invention.

 

Enter: a rockstar lentil dish.


 

After the Arabian Nights-themed Underground Supper Club, I was feelin’ Eastern-inspired.  Spices commonly used in this region are a great compliment to roasted veggies, so I was eyeing that butternut squash.

I was going to saute the red pepper, but those are great roasted too… so in it went with the squash.  The bok choy almost got roasted too, but that seemed a bit risky.

 

I’m not going to lie – this turned out 100x better than I could have ever hoped.  I wasn’t even thinking about using it for the blog until I tasted it.  Then I was all:

“Crap.  Now I have to attempt to photograph brown food again.”

 

Often people are leery of adding mint.  I was too… but DO NOT skip it.  The little bit I used brought out the spices and mint goes really well with cilantro.

 

The toasted cashews were an afterthought, but if you have them on had I’d say don’t skip that either.  The nutty taste with the mint and cilantro… file under: things that make you go mmmm!

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Roasted Butternut Red Pepper Lentils

  • 3 C butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • 1 C red pepper, chopped
  • 2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 T ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt


  • 1 C black or green lentils
  • 2.5 C water


  • 1/2 C yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch bok choy, roughly chopped


  • 1/4 C cilantro, minced
  • 1 T mint, minced
  • 1 T red wine vinegar
  • S+P and EVOO, to taste
  • 1/4 C toasted cashews


For the Butternut-Red Pepper Roast:

Toss squash and red pepper cubes with rosemary, olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and salt. Spread the mixture across a foil-lined baking sheet and roast 15 mins.  Flip pieces and roast for an additional 10-15 mins, until tender.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.


For the Lentils:

Meanwhile, soak lentils for 10 mins in a small bowl, then rinse and drain.  Cook lentils in boiling, well-salted water just until tender but firm, ~20 mins.  Optional: rinse with cold water, then drain and cool.  I prefer to leave mine a tad hard and transfer t a bowl without rinsing.


For the Onions and Bok Choy:

In a shallow pot, saute onions in a bit of olive oil over med-high until translucent (~4-5 mins).  Add garlic and bok choy and saute for an additional 4-5 mins, until bok choy begins to wilt.  Transfer to a plate and let cool.


For the Cashews:

As the butternut mix is cooling, place cashews in the over for 3-4 mins, toss and allow to toast another couple of mins until beginning to brown.  Watch them carefully!

 


Combine lentils, squash mix, bok choy mix, vinegar, and additional olive oil (if needed).  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Garnish with cilantro, mint, and cashews.

Divide among 2-4 plates (would make a filling meal for 2) and enjoy!

 

It looks like a lot of steps, but I promise it goes by quickly because you’re doing them all simultaneously.

***

Traveling early in the week makes me feel like it should be Thursday or Friday already.

Is anyone going to the Healthy Living Summit in August? I’m in the market for a roomie if you’re looking!

Does your spell check recognize “bok choy?” Mine doesn’t.

 

Souper Underground Supper Club

By

Atlanta is BIG on Supper Clubs and special “Chef Series.”

Maybe it’s due to the economy?  

Make the ~$100 meal exclusive (i.e. limited seating) and people believe they are paying for something truly special.  Although it isn’t always perfectly executed (i.e. worth the price tag), my food adventures this week certainly were worth it!

Wednesday night’s dinner with Hugh Acheson was incredible.  Tonight’s dinner was equally good (if not better… shhhh!).

Given I’ve become a professional this week recently, I thought I’d share the ingredients for a exclusive fantastic dinner.

The Pre-Run:

  • Distance – 6.2 miles
  • Time: 52:38
  • Pace: 8:44

The Fabulous Friend:

Me with the lovely Kathleen

The Graceful Host:

The legendary Jennifer Levison of Souper Jenny

The Perfect Setting:

Secret Garden

The Talented Chef:

Jenny with Chef David Sweeny, formerly of Dynamic Dish

The Epic Entertainment:

That’s a belly dancer. With a wine glass on her head.

Do NOT try this at home (at least on a light colored rug)

The belly dancer was too cool.  She was dancing, shaking what her mamma gave her, and doing splits without spilling a drop of that wine on her head.  She’s my new idol.

Good food is also key.  This secret supper club succeeded.

The chef, David Sweeny, owned the now-defunct Dynamic Dish.  Dynamic Dish was a vegetarian restaurant in town.  In my opinion, it was one of the best overall restaurants.  Local, fresh ingredients were carefully prepared for the daily menu.  Why can’t places like this stay in business?!

Anyway, tonight we were lucky enough to enjoy David’s creations once again.  These dishes did include meat – I asked David if he was a vegetarian and found it funny that he is not.  Whatever, boy can cook!

90% of everything served was organic and locally sourced.  As in picked from a Georgia farm the day before this dinner. The meat was also local, sourced from a farm in North Georgia (who knew GA had lamb?!).

Hors d’oeuvres consisted of Borekas and pickled radishes (which I couldn’t stop eating).

Then we made our way to the garden for the cold course:

Cold Course

Clockwise, the plate consisted of:

  • M’Tabbal – puree of grilled eggplant, sesame, yogurt, cucumber, parsley, mint, and olives
  • Sesame Tandoori
  • Warak Ei Nab Zait – Wine leaves filled with Egyptian rice, lamb, beef, fennel, and Lebanese spice (my FAVORITE)
  • Tajan – spicy puree of sweet peppers, preserved lemon, pine nuts, and sesame
  • Heirloom tomatoes

While I could have eaten the cold course all night long, next up was the Hot Course:

Hot Course

  • Kefta Halabieh – grilled skewers of minced local lamb and beef
  • Grilled Summer Squash
  • Kofteuk Tabouleh – fine grain Syrian bulgar, mint, parsley, and turmeric
  • Crem Tum – creamy basil and garlic sauce (I wish I knew more because it was fantastic)
  • Tajan

What would any meal be without dessert?

Dessert

Homemade Baklava with Orange Cardamom Ice Cream and a Chocolate Caramel with Sea Salt.

One VERY important tip:

Look before you sip if you’re dining outside. 🙂

Thank you to Jenny, David, and the Souper Jenny team for an amazing, gourmet food-filled evening.  Not to mention some incredible dining companions.  I am so lucky to live in a town among such passionate, creative people.

If you’re ever in Atlanta don’t miss lunch at Jenny’s restaurant, Souper Jenny.

***

I think I’m developing a supper club addiction.

Would you have finished that glass of wine? (After fishing out the bug, of course.)

Did anyone else nearly melt in the heat this weekend? Not that I’m complaining…

Can You Hear Me Now?

By

Have you guys been following the cell phone news?

 

They may cause brain cancer.

 

Lovely.  As someone who spent the better part of college with a phone glued to her ear, I’m not amused.

 

I turned to NPR (dork).  Apparently the culprit is the radio frequency electromagnetic fields cellphones give off.  They could be carcinogenic.  Could be.

Know what else could be carcinogenic?

  • Coffee
  • Pickled Vegetables
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • Talcum Powder
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy

 

Basically, I’m a goner.

 

Honestly, I don’t like talking the phone anymore.  Can you grow out of that? I use mine primarily to text and email.  And tweet.

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In happier news, I’ve had a great time this week eating green foods!  Despite how it may look from the smorgasbord I posted yesterday…

 

1. Tami’s Green Gazpacho:

 

My modifications included the addition of 2 jalapenos, using a whole cup of  cilantro, and reducing the water by a cup.  I also bypassed the bread and topped it with Greek yogurt (which was amazing!).

Next time I’d reduce the salt a bit, but other than that it was a fantastic summer soup. The perfect cool lunch with insanely hot weather!

 

2. Salad… con mucho color.

 

I had some fresh mozzarella left over from my Peach Caprese Salad, so I used that to make this Spinach–Carrot–Tomato-Caprese-Salad.  With hummus.  And… an embarrassing item.

See the falafel-looking things?  Those are “Chicken Bites.”  They are made by a company called Happy Bites.  They make sneak veggies into their frozen kids snacks… yes, I’m almost 28 and I buy over-priced children’s foods. You can find them at Whole Paycheck Foods… the Veggie Tots are good too.

 

3. Averie’s Avocado Banana Ice Cream.

 

You guys know I love avocados in smoothies – it makes them deliciously creamy.  Why not in ice cream?  I trust Averie.

Did I mention it’s VEGAN ice cream?

I used So Delicious unsweetened vanilla coconut milk, omitted the sugar, added 1/2 a packet of Stevia, and used maybe 1/2 C of ice cubes.  My Magic Bullet blended it like a champ.  Then I threw it in my mini-ice cream maker.  And immediately devoured 1/2 of it.  Before dinner because I’m not a Happy Bite-eating kid.

***

I’m off for a morning run before A) it reaches 90 degrees and B) Souper Jenny’s Underground Supper Club tonight. It’s so underground that I don’t even know where it is or who the chef is yet!

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