Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Top 13 in 2013

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You guys like dessert.

I guess that’s why we get along?

Happy New Year!!!

As I looked back at the top posts of 2013, I knew there would be a lot of sweeter dishes.  But whoa.  Of the top 13 2013 posts, 6 were sweet recipes.  What I didn’t realize was that the Work It Out posts are popular too!  I’ll do a better job to writing more of those in 2014 – I’ve been pushing it at the gym, but slacking on the writing.

Thank you to everyone for all of the visits, comments, and many, many laughs in 2013.  I’ve loved getting to know so many awesome people this year, and look forward to continuing these relationships for years to come.

Enough much!  Here’s the lucky (top) 13 to start out ’14…

Top 13 in 2013… 

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Black-Eyed Pea & Roasted Garlic Hummus

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Black-eyed peas supposedly bring luck on New Year’s.

Don’t we all want to get lucky?

This year I could use a little extra luck, so I made sure to concoct a black-eyed pea dish to share with friends at our New Year’s Eve pairing dinner.  I used traditional hummus ingredients, but replaced chickpeas with canned black-eyed peas.  What resulted was a fantastic, black-eyed pea hummus.

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

… 

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Apple Peanut Butter Soufflé

By

Soufflé is really a fluffy egg dish.

Winter makes me want fluffy things.

A soufflé is a “light, fluffy baked dish made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients.”

If you can fluff an egg in the oven, why not in the microwave?  It sounds strange… but it’s good!  And quick.

Apple PB Souffle

Since my competition, I have quick eating chicken first thing, but I have yet to stop running late and shoveling down eating breakfast in the car.  A microwave breakfast is just the thing to make on the fly and go.

What better combo than peanut butter, apple, and egg?  Protein and sweet, carb-y fruit to begin the day right.  I love berries, but I missed heartier fruit during prep!

Apple PB Souffe

I scooped this out into a to-go cup after taking pics.

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Apple Peaunt Butter Souffle

Apple Peanut Butter Soufflé

  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp no-salt baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract (or vanilla)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 2 T peanut flour*
  • 1 small apple, chopped

In a small (cereal) bowl, beat eggs, baking powder, and extract.

In another small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, tossing with apple pieces to coat.  Add apple mixture to the egg, stirring to combine.  Microwave for 1-1.5 mins.

Remove and top as desired (I used more apple and freshly grated nutmeg).

*Note: You can also use coconut flour or a combo of the two here – just as delicious but a more cake-like texture.

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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.

Sprint 2 the Table

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

Reminder: next week there will not be a #strangebutgood link up.  Being around family should be enough strange, and hopefully it’s a good time for all! 😉  

What is your favorite quick breakfast?

Do you have a favorite breakfast fruit?  I like apples at breakfast and cherries for dessert.

Cauliflower “Meat” Balls

By

I can be strange.

If this you news to you… welcome to the party.

As such, my friends are pretty unique too.  Today Kat is bringing her A game with some #strangebutgood balls.  Today I am grateful for friend like her.  Friends that just get it, friends that are there even though you’ve barely spoken for a few weeks.

super busy

By that same token, I also appreciate you guys coming back and reading even thought I’m behind on replies and blog reading.  I swear I’ll catch up one day!  Perhaps with an explanation of my job and WHY things are so insane right now.

Without  further adieu… here’s Kat.  With balls. 😉

Cauliflower “Meat” Balls

By: Kat

I’ve been a lawyer now for 3 weeks!  And now I have to start really generating business.  At first this seemed really scary, but now I’m ready to just jump in head-first.  I want to help entrepreneurs and small businesses get off to the right start in protecting their intellectual property and getting a good, solid business set-up.

This is the life I have dreamed of.  (Editor’s note: this makes me so very happy for you – livin’ the dream!)

your mission

I would ideally like to work with people in the creative, holistic, food, and fitness industries, protecting their trademarks and copyrights, and helping with creative and strategic business plans.  Let me know if you ever need a lawyer, you creatives!  (Editor’s note: Shamless plug.  I like it.)

In the meantime, since I’m still not quite full-time, I’ve been experimenting like crazy.  I thought this would be a squash-y blog post, but I have a new favorite recipe I would like to share instead (squashing my own squash idea… hehe so nerdy!).  Cauliflower meatballs.  Random brainchild, since I’d never made any kind of meatball before.

if you must pick between 2 evils

These meatballs are incredible!  They are hearty, flavorful and as “meaty” as cauliflower can get.  They would go with any kind of sauce, from a Tomato and Pesto Mayo (which I used), to a rich marinara.  They are also gluten-free.

cauliflower meatballs

Cauliflower Meatballs Over Squashes

  • ½ head of cauliflower, diced finely
  • ½ medium white onion, diced finely
  • 6-7 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1 egg
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 T coconut oil
  • ¼ C Parmesan cheese
  • ¾  C breadcrumbs (I used Glutino’s GF)
  • Herbs of your choice
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

 Preheat the oven to 375.  Sauteè the onions and garlic over medium/medium high heat with salt first for a bit (about 3-4 minutes) to get them soft, then add the cauliflower.  Sauteè for another 10 minutes, until they are almost cooked.

Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle in the herbs and cumin (I used about 3T parsley, but you can also use fresh basil/oregano/any herb), stirring to combine.  Then mix in the bread crumbs, egg, and oils.  It should resemble a meatball-like mixture now. 

Mold into 1 ½ in balls.  Place on parchment paper.  Bake ~40 minutes, or until brown on top.  You can then submerge in sauce or serve as-is with dipping sauce.

cauliflower meatballs process

You can also elect to blend the cauliflower/onion/garlic in a food processor if you want them to have a smoother, more chicken-nugget-type texture.

Personally, I really liked the “meatiness” of having little bits of cauliflower comprising my delish balls.  (Editor’s note:  That’s what she said.)

cauliflower meatballs and squash

At least if I’m nervous about starting my own business/law firm, I know there are others out there equally scared to go against the mold, do something different, be an entrepreneur.  I also know that I can come home and be as creative as I want without judgment.  (Editor’s note: This is why I love you and I cannot wait until we have our reunion date Saturday!!!)

***

Quick note about #StrangeButGood: It’s ON tomorrow, but next week I’m taking a Thurs-Fri Turkey Day break.  Save your Strangess for Friday, December 6th!

Who has been scared to start their own business?  Me!!!

Have you ever made cauliflower meatballs, or something equally odd?  Does my cauliflower pizza crust count?  How about the pancakes?

A Day of Food at 4 Days Out

By

Change is often slow.

 

The bane of my impatient existence.

Change does come to those who stay the course.  When I started training for competitions I had some muscle tone, but was underweight and had literally run my ass off.  I posted about my journey here so I won’t rehash.  What I will say (again) is that there is NOTHING you can’t accomplish with hard work and the unwavering belief that you can do anything you want to if you want to badly enough.

Yes, I’m still small for Figure; I know I have a long way to go.  This weekend’s show is the most competitive one I’ve ever done and I know I won’t place.  That doesn’t lessen my excitement to have the experience, and to be around so many inspiring competitors.  AND – regardless of the outcome – I’m pretty damn proud of this progress in about a year and a half.

Progress pic 2013

Competing isn’t easy.  Some days I don’t want to get up and do cardio or eat healthy food or hear snarky comments from people… but it is worth it.  The good days and the personal satisfaction outweigh the bad.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: find something you’re passionate about and go do it to the fullest extent.  It could be running, lifting, painting, writing code… whatever!  You will be more fulfilled and SO MUCH happier – it has made all the difference for me.

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Enough inspirational mush!  This WIAW I am 4 days from my 3rd figure competition!  Bring on the lean protein, complex carbs, and yes… the asparagus. 

WIAWbutton

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else delicious creations!

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Breakfast:

As usual, I started the day I with my Aminos and ACV morning cocktail.  I swear it’s more energizing than coffee.

Breakfast was pancakes.  Not as good as my usual.  These were just oat flour, an egg white, baking powder, and cinnamon.  BUT… I got to have pancakes!  The sauce was the best part.  I mashed up raspberries, added a dash of maple extract, and microwaved them for ~10 secs to create a syrup.  I’d eat that outside of competition prep!

With a side of Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken.

oat cakes and raspberry sauce

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

Leftover Parrot Fish with asparagus and sugar peas.  Nom.

The fish looked prettier on Instagram 2 nights ago.  For those that were curious on Monday, the fish was tasty but nothing out of the ordinary. It was a mild white fish, on the meaty side and slightly buttery.

parrot fish

 

Lunch:

I froze last week’s leftover lean beef burgers for lunches this week.  It was just as good warmed up and eaten with sweet potato rounds, asparagus, and red peppers.

Some have asked why I eat the majority of my asparagus raw.  The reason is VERY important: I like it better raw.  It has a sweet crunchiness.

burger

 

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

I gave in to a cliché and went back to an old recipe this week… Tequila Lime Tilapia.  Tilapia is “the” source of protein for many in the bodybuilding community.  Variety is a better choice for me; if I had to eat the same thing every meal I’d never make it.  Tilapia is fine in moderation though!  Especially with tequila.

The fish and calabaza squash were cooked during my Sunday meal prep.  I reheated them ate at it with a quick raw salad of yellow cherry tomatoes and white asparagus tossed in a mix of nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, and a homemade Mexican spice blend.

Tequila-Lime Tilapia

 

Dinner:

Dinner was a roasted veggie fest – part of this week’s food prep was a giant pan of white and green asparagus, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, green onion, and fresh herbs in Meyer lemon juice.  I also tossed pieces of the actual lemon in the pan too.  It’s completely edible and not too sour after a good roast.

Eaten with my favorite protein: Sea Bass.

sea bass and roasted veggies

 

Dessert:

No more diary and no more protein powder in my diet… it’s Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken and carrots for dessert.  Admittedly, this is NOT my favorite part about competing.

chicken dessert

***

“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” ~Diane Ackerman

What are you passionate about?

Do you prefer veggies raw or cooked?  I generally like ’em raw… though I do love a good char roast.

 

StrangeBut Good: Curry Sweet Potato Burger

By

Sometimes you just need a good burger.

 

I’m not one to deny myself.

The craving has hit me hard toward the end of this prep.  The beef is easy – most grocers sell some form of “super lean” grass-fed ground beef (my veggie friends could use a bean burger or tempeh here).

curry sweet potato burger

 

The bun is a bit harder to replicate… until I remembered my eggplant chips!  They are delicious alone, but they also make for a perfect burger vehicle.

For my eggplant bun I cut the slices a bit thicker so that they were hearty enough to stand up to a festive fall spread.  Festive in color… perhaps a little nontraditional flavor-wise.  Some might call it strange, but I call it good.

Curry Sweet Potato Burger bite

During my meal prep each week, I bake a few sweet potatoes.  I mashed up part of one with nutritional yeast, curry powder, and smoked paprika to make a pleasantly sweet, Indian-spiced cheesy spread.

Craving = satisfied.

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Curry Sweet Potato Burger

Curry Sweet Potato Burger

  • Burger patty (or protein of your choosing)
  • Eggplant chips
  • 1/4 C sweet potato, mashed
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • Juice of 1/4 lime
  • Smoked paprika, to taste

 

Prepare burger and chips.

Meanwhile, prepare your sweet potato spread by mixing sweet potato, nutritional yeast, spices, and lime in a small bowl.  You may need to add water depending on the moisture content of your sweet potato.

Construct your burger and enjoy!

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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.

Sprint 2 the Table

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂


***

I eat a TON of orange food.  How my palms are glowing in the dark yet it beyond me!

What was the best costume you saw this Halloween? 

Are you a curry fan?  Have you ever used it with sweet potato?

 

Strange But Good: Plantain Ginger Protein Bread

By

Blog trends are fun.

And often strange to the rest of the world.

When I say the Purely Twins’ Plantain Bread I couldn’t wait to whip up a protein-laced version of my own.

It may not quite count as strange at this point, as it’s caught on like a wild-fire.  BUT I’m going to say it qualifies for Strange But Good because my co-workers would definitely think it’s weird look on with curiosity.

Plantain Gingerbread

Naked bread.

Since I an unable to make anything that isn’t protein-laced (I’m beginning to think it’s an addiction), I tool the liberty of pumping up the plantain bread concept.  It was easy enough to do with a little protein powder.

The part when I took a little more creative license was the flavor.  These cooler mornings have made me crave a fall treat – gingerbread!  Why not combine two of my favorite breads?  Banana Plantain Gingerbread!

Plantain Gingerbread and Quark Icing

All dressed up

The icing on this breakfast treat was a mixture of quark with a little stevia, cinnamon, and vanilla.  It tasted like cinnamon roll frosting.  Seriously.

Round 1 was eaten with blueberries (not bloobs… that is the worst blogger trend).  Round two was topped with smashed raspberries… and eaten in the car.  Yes, this bread is hearty enough to pick up and eat while driving inching along in traffic at a complete standstill in a jam.

Plantain Gingerbread on the road

Have plantain bread, will travel.

[Tweet “This #glutenfree plantain bread has a whopping 20g of protein!”]

Plantain Ginger Protein Bread

Plantain Ginger Protein Bread

  • 1 medium plantain, fully ripe*
  • 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp Golden Lakanto (or brown sugar/other sweetener)
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp no sodium baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Growing Naturals Rice Protein)

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): 198 calories, 0.3 g fat, 123.6 mg sodium, 32.5 g carbohydrates, 2.6 g fiber, 13.9 g sugar, 19.8 g protein

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.

Sprint 2 the Table

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂


***

I LOVE my new job… but lawd I am so happy its Friday. 

Have you tried any of the plantain recipes floating around?

Do you eat breakfast on the way to work?  I wish Atlanta had better public transportation!

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

By

My name is Laura.  I hoard booze.

Really.

Many of you were surprised that I could keep this pumpkin beer in my fridge – untouched – for 2 months.  That’s actually easy for me.  It’s mine.  It’s not going anywhere.  It won’t spoil.  It will be there for me in 2 months (after my next figure competitions).

Going out… that’s another story.  That lamb-stuffed squash blossom is seasonal!  The beers on tap rotate!  I might not remember to come back to try the bacon Manhattan!  (Ok, ok… it’s unlikely I’ll for forget bacon).  You get my point.

As such, this is (part) of my collection:

Wine fridge

I don’t store my beer in the wine fridge. It was posing for the pic.

Many of you commented and tweeted about YOUR favorite pumpkin beers that I should try.  Thank you for the suggestions!  I would like to officially announce that I am open to donations. 😉

Enough about my sobriety.  You know what goes well with beer?  PIZZA!  Kat has an awesome Sweet Potato Pizza Crust to share today!  

I’m not-so-secretly hoping she’ll make me one to drink with my pumpkin beer in a couple of months… 

 

Mix it up: Night Running and Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

This weekend, I (Kat) mixed it up by visiting a place I used to live, Savannah, GA.  I had a great time with friends, and sat at a booth with/for the Stonewall Bar Association at Pride.  I also got to visit with great old friends!  It was super fun. Now I’m trying to mix it up at home and outdoors.

I have been trying to mix it up by running with more friends (which is more difficult than you think).  I get turned down all the time, and people don’t invite me on group runs very often (Editor’s note: My invite must have gotten lost in the mail…).  So I decided to inquire about this lack of running buddies.

I find that the friends who know what kind of distances I run are afraid to run with me because they think I’m fast.  WRONG.  I am not actually that fast, but I can run super far, for a super long time (Editor’s note: Lies.  You are fast.  But you are a patient partner.).  That being said, I enjoy running at an 8:15-9:15min/mile pace in the city, and depending on the trails and the distance, 10:30-13min/mile.  So, run with me!  Let’s mix it up! 🙂

Slow Runners

I have also found that running in the city on pavement, especially flat surfaces, really hurts my body.  My knees and feet ache terribly if I run on pavement more than 7 or so miles.  So, I stick to the trails as much as possible, and throw in a bit of yoga for strength and flexibility (Editor’s note: You should come lift with me!).

While for many people, trail running is a great way to mix it up, because that’s my usual form of running, I’m taking extra measures to mix it up!  This Sunday at 7:30p.m., I am going night trail running with some friends.  It’s huge rush that heightens your senses, and it actually makes me run faster.  Check out this fun article on trail running at night.  If you want to join me, let me know, and I’ll forward you information on the run.  I wish I could go during the full moon, tomorrow night!

Full Moon

Speaking of mixing it up, my friend Julie from Savannah told me about a Sweet Potato Pizza she tried to make when I mentioned Laura’s Cauliflower Pizza.  When I got home, I had to try this!  I didn’t love any of the recipes I found online, so I tried my own!  (Editor’s note: Story of my life.. also prepping this post made me come home and pull one of my cauliflower crusts out of the freezer for a pizza dinner!)

I wanted to capture a picture of it picked up once I realized how great it was, but I was near the end of the slice… excuse my excess Sriracha (I put that sh** on everything). ← Don’t we all? 😉

Sweet Potato Pizza - Pick it up

This pizza, like the Cauliflower pizza, can be picked up like a piece of pizza (Editor’s note: It’s not pizza unless you can hold it in your hands!).

It’s a little chewy and a little crispy.  It has a bit of sweetness, and a bit of heartiness.  Really, a GREAT gluten-free pizza crust option!

 

Sweet Potato Pizza

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

  • ½ C sweet potato (mashed)
  • 1 egg (I bet this would be great with Chia, too)
  • ¼ C almond flour
  • ¼ C buckwheat
  • 1 T flax meal
  • Pinch of Salt
  • ½ tsp baking powder 

Preheat oven to 375.

Beat the egg, add the sweet potato, and then mix in everything else.  It should form a sticky dough.

Spread the dough onto a piece of parchment paper (about ¼ inch thick) and bake for 18 mins.  The middle should be firm when it’s done (you should be able to pick it up).

Load with veggies/toppings of choice.  Bake for another ~7 minutes to heat.  Devour.

Sweet Potato Pizza Steps

Also, if you like that bad-ass pizza cutter, check out Pequea Valley Forge. They have AWESOME kitchen utensils, etc. I found this on my trip to the beach in August, and it’s my new favorite thing (which results in eating way more pizza).

My pizza has sautéed peppers and onions, Daiya mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and spinach.  Delish!

xo,

Kat

***

I told Kat yesterday that I was going to require taste tests from now on.   Quality control, right?!

How are you mixing up your running/lifting/workout routine to get an extra rush?

Did you try Laura’s Cauliflower Crust?  Do you think the sweet potato or cauliflower does/would work better?  I wonder if we could combine them…

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