5K Comeback + Fiesta Night

June 23, 2014 By Laura

I used to be fast.

I also used to run a lot.

It’s funny how must faster you get when you get when you run a race. I’ve been running a little bit. Slowly. On a whim I decided to run a 5K Saturday morning. It turns out I hadn’t been pushing myself as hard as I thought I had been on my jogs.

I lined up for the 5K not expecting much out of myself. It was already pretty hot and incredibly humid at 8am when the race started, but once I took off I felt like running a little faster. Half way through I realized I was pacing pretty well… so I went for it. 25:52 went it, to be exact. I finished 3rd in my age group (which is now 30+ – when did that happen?!) and 14th out of the women! Kind of a nice surprise… and now I feel like running more 5Ks.

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France: What I Ate (and Drank) in Burgundy

May 21, 2014 By Laura

Eating and drinking wine are my 2 favorite activities.

Well, the 2 that are most appropriate to blog about.

I took a whirlwind trip to France during my travels last week. The purpose was (obviously) wine. Burgundy is one of France’s most notable wine districts. It’s home to red and white Burgundy wines – better known to many as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Specifically, I was in Côte d’Or.

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A Day in Basel, Switzerland + WIAW

May 14, 2014 By Laura

When in Rome…

Or Basel. Whatever.

On my first full day in Basel, Lucie took me on adventures fit for a blogger! But first we began in a predictable way… taking pictures of yogurt bowls before breakfast!

My bowl was goat’s milk yogurt (which Lucie bought special for me!) with cinnamon, Growing Naturals Vanilla Rice Protein, oats, strawberries, cacao nibs, and more of Lucie’s bread. We took our beautiful bowls outside of a photo shoot in natural light. Priorities!

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Marvelous New Beginnings

May 5, 2014 By Laura

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

Anyone remember that song?

This weekend my family celebrated endings and beginnings. My baby sister, Madison, graduated from college! She’s the youngest, and the last to finish school. Mom is celebrate not having that tuition bill – hahaha!

My cousin came along, and my other sister flew in from Portland to surprise Madi. We loaded up the family and drove to Auburn, AL to celebrate the end of Madi’s college career. Naturally, this started with a toast. ~~Or 20~~.

We dined in style at Auburn’s nicest restaurant, Acre. I have been wanting to try it ever since sampling a collard wrapped sweet potato tamale the chef made at Atlanta’s Food & Wine Festival 2 years ago! Seriously – here’s the post.

We ordered all the foods. This is just a fraction of it! The butter bean gnocchi was the coolest thing… but the dessert won the night. We ordered the dessert board (bottom right below) with a sampling of everything… followed by seconds of the sweet potato bread pudding and the goat’s cheese-filled doughnut holes. I get my love of food and wine honestly!

Let’s not talk about how we *almost* missed the graduation ceremony the next morning…

Once we safely made it to the ceremony, we toured the arena ~~patiently~~ waiting for Madi get her diploma. Turns out the Tigers like to hate on my Yellow Jackets!

Hooray!

Back in Atlanta Saturday afternoon, I squeezed in a beautiful 5K run by the Chattahoochee River before heading to my mom’s for a grill out. Those delicious eats must have done some good because it was my fastest in recent memory. It could have also been the fear of what mom was going to say when she found out I went running instead of coming straight home for dinner as instructed..

The warm sunshine and home cooked food were the perfect way to celebrate a new chapter for everyone. Change is in the air! It’s an exciting time… the unknown can be a bit nerve-wracking, but life goes on and the future will be marvelous!

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I’m spending the day wrapping up things here so I can board the place to go visit Lucie in Switzerland tomorrow!!!

Do endings/new beginnings ever rattle you a little?

What did you do to celebrate your graduation? I ate really good food. Obv.

5 Things I Love

February 10, 2014 By Laura

Last week was a long one.

Understatement of the year.

This past weekend I made sure to savour every blissful moment. I took an extra moment to appreciate new product finds, watch my sister’s music video on repeat, and enjoy dinner at a special restaurant for no particular occasion.

In this month of love, I wanted to share a few apples of my eye with you guys! ♥

1. Jojoba Oil

It is saving my skin from winter. My skin is dry in this crazy weather, yet it is also oily in spots and prone to breakouts. Slathering it with oil was a terrifying thought… but I trusted my sister’s advice and gave it a shot. Lo and behold, it works!

I now use Jojoba oil as a nightly moisturizer, along with a bit of tea tree oil on any acne spots. Both can be found at Whole Foods or most natural food stores.

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A Relaxing Weekend

November 25, 2013 By Laura

This weekend was relaxing.

My version of relaxing… which is active relaxed.

This was the first weekend in a long time where I didn’t HAVE to do anything productive. I still did lots of things, but it was nice to not have a set agenda.

Friday night I had an impromptu dinner with my mom at local Italian restaurant Double Zero. We had a great time catching up and eating. I hadn’t seen her since my competition!

My favorite dish was the grilled octopus with pancetta hash, asparagus puree, and citrus vinaigrette, but the lamb farro was a close second. It was a smoke and braise lamb shoulder with apricots, figs, fresh ricotta, and a poached egg. Next to all that the beet salad was underwhelming.

This next morning I woke up ravenous, so I threw together some quick pancakes. I am not the Pancake Queen, so I was surprised when they turned out to be quite good!

I posted this Almond-Chocolate Pancake recipe here. The topping was the icing on the (pan)cake. I used Lorann Oils Irish Cream flavor in it!

Then it was off to the gym for a glute workout with some of my teammates. I normally workout solo and forgot how much fun it is to have a gym morning with friends!

After the workout we stood around talking about food (of course), and my friend Rachael revealed she hadn’t been to Whole Foods before! I suggested a post-workout trip and off we went. 2 hours later, we were full of samples and hot bar boxes and Rachael learned why we lovingly call it “Whole Paycheck.” She Instagrammed her finds – have you ever tried any of these items? Black bean pasta and no-salt mustard are awesome!

Saturday night I had a friend date with Kat. I’ve been looking forward to catching up with her for weeks! We talked and laughed for hours. You know those friends who just “get” you? That’s Kat.

We ate at the bar at Kimball House. Their cocktail program is incredible! Their take on a Manhattan used cola bitters – coolest thing ever! The food was ok… I’d go back for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap.

Their take on a Manhattan with cola bitters, sautéed mushroom salad, and beef tartar

I took an “artsy” shot! Sort of:

Sunday was a beautiful day in Atlanta. It was sunny and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! I decided to go for a run and enjoy the weather… as soon as I stepped outside I realized that – despite the sun – it was in the 30s. About a mile into it I thawed out and enjoyed myself.

I love the trees with the red leaves. They look like they’re on fire!

When I returned I had a lot to do in the kitchen. All fun creations! It was kombucha-brewing day. I have been brewing my own for over a year now. It’s really easy, especially if you have a starter kit (you need a “mother” called a scoby). Mine was from Brooklyn Kombucha, but you could also beg a friend who brews for a scoby.

This week’s flavors are cranberry-ginger-lemon and blackberry-lemon-mint.

I also did some baking for the Sunday evening end of season party at my training gym, House of Payne. I’ll share my #strangebugood brownie recipe next week.

This is what happens when a bunch of competitors get together for a post-season party. It’s ok… we’re bulking…

There were plenty of green veggies, clean sweet potato casseroles, and protein. That pic just wasn’t as much fun.

I am so thankful to have found Steve and his gym. This group of competitors is top-notch. Everyone is kind and always willing to lend a hand. They are funny, genuine people who I am proud to be associated with.

Linking up to Katie’s MIMM again – I’d say this “relaxing” weekend was pretty marvelous!

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I’m 100% enjoying food freedom again. Bulking season is my favorite.

When was the last time you had an agenda-free weekend?

Have you been to Whole Foods? Do you remember your first time?

Bake Sale for Kids + WIAW

August 7, 2013 By Laura

Bake sales are the best.

Homemade baked goods are the most “worth it” treat.

Amanda @ Run to the Finish has teamed up with Women’s Health and will be running and fundraising for the FEED Project, which seeks to feed hungry US kids. Their RUN 10 FEED 10 program is really cool – you run a 10K and 10 children in your community are fed with the proceeds. (Amanda has a discount code you may use here.)

But you don’t HAVE to run! You can opt to just eat. Amanda is hosting an online blogger bake sale where 100% of the donations will towards feeding these kids.

Bidding began yesterday (I’m behind – sorry!), and bids will be accepted until August 7th 9AM EST. Winners will be contacted and asked to donate the specific amount via CrowdRise.

Hurry over and bid on your auction deliciousness here. There are tons be homemade items from bloggers (and products from several sponsors) available for bidding. A batch of my vegan, no-sugar added Chewy Granola Cookies are up for grabs… you might even get a little something extra.

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These WIAW meals were half eaten at work and half on the road. I didn’t do the most elaborate job of planning, as I am enjoying my final week of “freedom” before I start competition prep in earnest!

Read on for my traveling food, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s delicious days.

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Breakfast:

My morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos) happened, as usual. I swear this is the biggest addiction in my life.

I had an early morning meeting, so I made sure my breakfast was ready to grab a go. Overnight oats in a cottage cheese container! Almost as good as a PB jar…

This raspberry and maple-laced concoction was really good! And easy to eat from my lap on the way to work.

Raspberry-Maple Overnight Oats

1/4 C cottage cheese
1/4 C oatmeal
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 C almond milk

Mid-Morning Snack:

Like I mentioned last week, I have been into the Trader Joe’s Balsamic Chicken. It’s one of the few packaged things I buy, but when I’m traveling a lot this is a great (low sodium) item to keep on hand.

Eaten with veggies I pre-roasted on Sunday with some marinara sauce and nutritional yeast.

Lunch:

I was running out of my office to get my stuff ready for the airport (and squeeze in a workout… shhhh!), so this almost didn’t even get pictured. A mix of no salt deli turkey, celery, hummus, and cayenne.

It was so quick I called it the lazy girl’s turkey salad.

Afternoon Snack:

I have become obsessed with post-workout Chocolate + Beet Protein Smoothie Bowls. I used this recipe again, but added spinach and topped it with muesli and kabocha squash.

No exaggeration, I could eat this every meal.

Dinner:

Dinner was eaten in Florida. I hopped a plane, ate some unpictured pretzels, and went right to dinner with my co-worker. We hit up Columbia, a famous Cuban spot and Florida’s oldest restaurant. It was delicious!

We started with giant warm, crusty loaves of Cuban bread and the 1905 Salad. The bread was amazing… the salad… I’d say it’s basically a Chef’s salad with no egg and a ton of dressing. I also enjoyed a margarita – one of the best I’ve ever had!

Terrible pics… it was dark!

My main was massive. The server highly recommended the Camarones Rellenos “Jesse Gonzalez.”

I thought shrimp would be light-ish… I learned that it’s not when it’s stuffed with lump crab and a generous helping of butter. Did I mention it was served with rice, beans, and roasted veggies? And that my co-worker ordered sides of yucca and fried plantains?

Call me happy and roll me home.

Dessert:

You know I’m full when I can’t even imagine eating dessert. ~~Hell froze over.~~

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Tomorrow I fly back home and Thursday I drive to South Carolina. Despite the craziness all I can think about is 1) When do I get to go to the farmer’s market to get “my” food and 2) How am I going to fit a workout in Thursday and Friday?

Have you checked out the bake sale? What item is catching your eye?

Does the combo of beets and chocolate sound #strangebutgood to you? I thought it was normal until I told my co-worker about it…

Back to Reality + WIAW

July 24, 2013 By Laura

A smart blogger would have posted a “What I Ate on Vacation” today.

I got too excited and posted my favorites on Monday.

There are a few things I didn’t yet share from Napa (besides the wine – that post is coming!).

The thing that earned me the strangest look from Lisa was probably my extreme excitement over seeing GT’s Classic in the CalMart (not to be confused with Wal-Mart). The Classic is the version GT’s was forced to quit selling at many major markets due to the alcohol content. This is silly. Kombucha is fermented tea… but there’s not even enough booze for a buzz! I chose the Gingerberry and didn’t get drunk in the least.

This next item DID pack a punch. A Maple Bacon Manhattan from JoLe. It was bacon-infused rye, Carpano Antica, and maple syrup… with a side of candied bacon.

I was only going to have a taste… but holy yum.

Lunch somehow was missed in my Monday food post. Our driver in Napa recommended that we try a new concept called R+D Kitchen. It’s owned by Hillstone, which makes it a chain (I’m morally opposed to eating at chains)… but we bit the bullet and tried it out. So very glad we did!

As with Houston’s, the food and service were top-notch. We shared toasts to start – one with hummus and one with goat cheese and figs. The hummus was very good – heavy on the tahini, which is ideal in my book!

For my meal I ordered a omelette with spinach and goat cheese. It may look funny, but the omelette was fantastic. It was done french-style. It’s difficult to find a good one, but they executed it flawlessly!

It also came with roasted tomatoes and a side salad. Those tomatoes made the meal!

I know this is getting long… but one more!!! Remember the “scenic” walk to dinner I took my friends on? I think this view at Sol Bar was worth it:

Most of the meal was too dark to take pics of and we were in such a night place I felt wrong using a flash (*gasp* I do have some shame). The entire meal was mind-blowingly delcious, and our server couldn’t have been more fabulous.

I did get one decent shot of my birthday dessert. Chocolate Decadence with Ortiz Farms raspberries, soft cream, and cocoa nib dentelle. Words cannot describe. It’s the last (30th) birthday cake I’ll have, I swear.

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This day of WIAW eats was fun for me! Monday morning I woke up to find that my fridge and freezer were not working. After a brief panic, I managed to get a handyman out and have the thing fixed for less than $150. It was also the perfect excuse to clean out my food stash and restock! Restocking is the best – the farmer’s market didn’t know what hit it! I was SO excited that I got home and did my food prep right then. Snapper, cod, gazpacho, roasted kabocha, and bison burgers. At 9pm.

Read on for my fresh fridge eats, and then check out Jenn’s link up for everyone else’s delicious days.

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