Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Pinning Away Post-Competition

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First I have compete.

But I just realized I get to go grocery shopping.

I can’t hide my excitement for being able to go to the store and buy whatever I want.  Thinking in terms of protein + vegetable + carb for each meal goes out the window.  Not measuring everything that goes in my mouth.  Not caring that Sriracha has 100mg of salt.

Post-competition I get 4 days of unrestricted eating.  It’s the stuff of dreams.  And it will NOT involve chicken, tuna, or even swordfish.

It’s not even about the “junk” food.  I really do prefer to eat clean.  What I miss is being able to nothing think about it.  If I want a piece of toast slathered in real peanut butter, I’m going to EAT it.  If I want a runny egg, it’s going to get in mah belly.  Don’t worry – there will also be wine and chocolate cake.

In all my excitement, I’ve been perusing my pinned recipes and plotting my indulgent eats.

Here are my Top 5:

 1. Homemade Pop-Tarts 

Click image for source

Mama Pea has never steered me wrong before, and her Healthier Pop-Tarts have been on my radar for way too long.  Who needs that processed crap?!  I’m thinking a s’more flavor… or pumpkin pie.

2. Sweet and Salty Milkshake

Click image for source

I love and hate Kristina all at once.  This sweet-toothed genius have been posting non-stop fabulousness ever since my diet got super-strict.  While I’ve drooled over everything, her Salted Caramel Baileys Milkshake is #1 on my list to try.

3. Cheesy Winter Souffle

Click for source

This Pumpkin and Feta Souffle caught my eye a few days ago.  The winter squashes are not quite as appealing to me right now (they’ve been one of my 3 carb choices), but I’ll make an exception since this have feta cheese and heavy cream.  Rich and salty… mmmm…

4. Cheesy Fruity Bacon

Click image for source.

Bacon will indeed return!  These Peach, Bacon, and Gouda Sliders on Pretzel bread will make a tasty cold-weather lunch.  Peaches may be hard to find… but I think this would be just as good with apples or pears.

5. Pancakes

Click for source

These will be coming straight from the pancake queen herself, Heather @ Kiss My Broccoli.  She is coming to ATL for a visit next weekend!  I promised a weekend of ATL-syle indulgence… but she has to make pancakes Saturday morning.  I don’t care what flavor she chooses (pictured are her Tiramisu Protein Pancakes).  I just want her ‘cakes.

***

 I’m on my way out of town today to compete.  AHHHHH!

What is your favorite indulgence?

What would you take to snack on immediately following a competition?

The Good, the Bad, and the Strange

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Obviously these aren’t always mutually exclusive in my world.

Consultants will advise you to “sandwich” bad news.

If you have to deliver bad news or feedback, one theory is to begin with a positive, followed with the negative, then end on a positive.  A positive sandwich.  I’m not your traditional consultant – I prefer to get the bad out of the way immediately.

This bad in this post isn’t news (at least I HOPE it’s not new to anyone).  I saw this on Instagram, and I think you’ll agree this spotting method is never good: 

And now for the #strange but good. 🙂

Despite Because of my insane diet, I’ve managed a good deal of #strangebutgood recently.

 ________________________________________________________________________________

1. Airplane Protein Muesli Pudding

2 days after the trip I chronicled in yesterday’s Healthy Traveling Food post, I had to do it again.  This time I had a very early flight and brought breakfast on the plane.  A (recycled) container of muesli, protein powder, strawberries, and walnuts.

Before boarding, I asked the coffee shop for a larger glass so I could mix it up without spilling on the plane.  Once seated, I asked the flight attendant for some water to make it a pudding-like consistency.

Not too shabby… but I’m fairly certain the person next to me though I was insane. 

2. Chicken ‘n Pears

This was from before most of the fruit was cut from my diet, but I had to share because it was a very #strangebutgood breakfast!

I cubed some pre-cooked chicken and sautéed it was a diced pear in a quick sauce of low-fat coconut milk (NOT as good and the real thing), cardamom, and ground flax.  I had my doubts about this one, but it was pretty good… it would have been even better for dinner over some parsnip rice.

3. My New Brinner

This kind of goes with #2 above.  Brinner normally is breakfast for dinner.  Lately I’ve been eating dinner for breakfast.  At least that’s what it feel like when I’m eating chicken at 8am.

If you’re going to have to eat chicken at breakfast, I recommend my Cinnamon-Flax Chicken.  It almost make it like breakfast.  The roasted grapefruit on the side was fabulous, and I coated my no-sodium Ezekial toast with fantastically creamy new peanut flour combo.

Peanut Flour Spread

  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 2 T Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp butter vanilla extract (yes, this combo does exist – I found it at Home Goods)
  • 2-3 drops liquid Stevia

4. Chocolate Red Cabbage Ice Cream

The consensus last night on Instagram is that this is strange.  I can’t take credit for this strange idea though!  The Vitamix demo guy always makes a red cabbage “ice cream” when he’s at Whole Foods.  His doesn’t have protein (I think he just adds apple juice), so I’ve been making my own post-workout Chocolate Red Cabbage Ice Cream.

Once you get over the color, it’s really quite good.  You can’t taste the cabbage, and it adds a lot of volume so you feel like you’re eating a gigantic bowl of ice cream.

Chocolate Red Cabbage Ice Cream

  • 90g red cabbage (~1 C)
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp Guar Gum (optional, but adds creaminess)
  • 7-8 drops liquid stevia
  • Ice + water, to taste

Place everything in your high-speed blender and mix until creamy.

Notes:

  • If your protein powder isn’t very chocolate-y, try adding some coca powder or chocolate extract
  • You could do this in a smaller blender, but you need to be sure you cabbage is cut into small piece before blending. 

5. Lee’s Cauliflower Tuna Hummus

Lee @ In My Tummy was holding me to my idea to start a #strangebutgood link up… but I’ve been so busy with work travel and training that I haven’t been able to organize it.  Being the awesome blogger she is, she agreed to share her #strangebutgood creation anyway! 

Starting with a recipe for Cauliflower Couscous as the base, Lee funk-ed it up by adding tuna and hummus.  Brilliant!!!  From Lee: “It was surprisingly good!”

Totally trying this.

***

 I really am going to do the link up.  My competition is November 3rd and I hope to get myself together after that. #thebestlaidplans

Have you had any #strangebutgood items lately?

How do you prefer to give/receive bad news/feedback?

Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken + WIAW

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You don’t realize how much you love something until it’s gone.

I only endorse this statement as it relates to food. 😉

This week’s diet change s to seriously cut sugar to help my abs come in. *crossing fingers*  This means I go from 3 servings of fruit a day to 1 serving of berries (they are low in sugar) at Meal 1.

Next week I cut fats, which will suck.  I’m cherishing my nuts (#thatswhatshesaid) and salmon while I can this week!

In other news, I finally bought and hung my pull up bar!

  I did 100 pull ups UNASSISTED yesterday.  Don’t be too impressed – I did 10 sets of 10 and it took a while. 😉

I didn’t do so well at making my eats Halloween-themed for  What I Ate Wednesday.  It’s getting harder to do anything super-creative, but I did my best!   Check out my “special” low sugar, low sodium, high protein, super-clean eats below (it makes me tired just listing all that), and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how normal people ate in spirit of Halloween this week!

Meal 1:

I’m repetitive.  Yes, I had my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). Followed by TVP Protein “Oatmeal.” 

Today’s was a vegan version (no egg whites).  To get a little more protein, I used Greek yogurt to make it Strawberries ‘n Cream.  All I did was mash up strawberries with the yogurt, stevia, ginger, and vanilla.  Simple and delicious! 

Meal 2:

I made Cinnamon-Flax Chicken!  Does this count as #strangebutgood?  If you don’t eat meat, I would bet money that this would be delish with tofu.  Recipe at the bottom of this post.

It was good, but the sides were even better.  Kale chips coated in a sugar-free simple syrup and apple pie spice.  Simple syrup sounds fancier that it was.  I mixed together some sugar-free maple syrup and water so it was thin enough to coat my kale, then added apple pie spice.  I also tossed in some zucchini, which was also tasty!

Meal 3:

Once again… the steak of the sea makes an appearance in my kitchen!  Every Sunday I make a big batch of protein, and Swordfish is my #1 favorite.  It is such a rich fish that it tastes buttered.. but it’s not!  This was grilled with Herbs de Provence, garlic, paprika, and lime juice.

Eaten with pre-roasted calabaza squash with sage and onion, portobello slices, and parsnip “rice” with celery leaves. I would eat this competition diet or not!

Meal 4:

I had to attend a conference, so into a cooler went a salmon salad.  This week’s salmon was baked with lemon juice, mint, and sage.  I chopped it up and tossed it with chopped celery, beet, and zucchini. 

Meal 5:

It was legs day, so I had a date with my trainer to do my hack squats (blech), followed by posing practice.

I took a liquid dinner to go. This shake is a combo of my Sweet Potato Pie and Carrot Cake shakes.  Sweet potato, carrot, tofu, protein powder, spices… and some celery for good measure.  Oh, and I hand mixed in some oats.  The Vitamix will blend anything.  Literally. 

Meal 6:

Is it weird to crave brussels at 9:30pm? That’s what I wanted, so that’s what I had.  Roasted in a sauce of nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cumin, paprika, garlic, and a little coconut extract.  The coconut was the perfect pair with my (low-fat) coconut-curry marinated grilled chicken.  Fun-flavored protein, ftw. 

Meal 7:

Dessert!  No more fruit at night… I’ve missed my cherries on top, but this didn’t disappoint despite the fact that it looks like a giant poop.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Bread Pudding

  • 1/2 slice no-sodium Ezekial bread, ripped into tiny pieces
  • 1/2 C no-salt cottage cheese, 
  • 1T peanut flour
  • 1T cocoa powder
  • 2T pumpkin puree 
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cocoa extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Stevia

I added some water to mix it, then microwaved it for a few seconds.  Warm chocolate-pumpkin bread pudding.  It looks odd… but I assure you it tasted incredible.  New protein dessert staple.

Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken

  • 1 chicken breast
  • 2 tsp ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

 Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees (I used convection).

Rise your chicken, and place on a hard surface to pound with meat tenderizer.

Mix together flax, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Coat chicken with the mixture.  It should be wet enough from rinsing for the coating to stick without using an egg.

Place in oven for 8 mins, then flip to bake for an additional 6-8  mins.  If using convection, simply bake ~10 mins.  The chicken is done when it is white all the way through.

Note for my plant-based friends: This would rock with tofu too!

Serves 1, easily doubled (I made 4).

***

The protein count for the day: 170.9g.  The sodium count: 574.9mg.  And my new one to watch – sugar – was 28.6g.

I also want to thank everyone for your encouraging words on Monday’s post.  It’s a little scary, but all of your support means the world.  I did feel much calmer after your comments and tweets! XOXO

Do you pay attention to the sugars in your diet?

Have you had any delicious Halloween treats yet?  Let me live vicariously through you!

Stay Calm + WIAW

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Try to stay calm.

There may  be a bacon shortage.  The LA Times reports that drought conditions caused a reduction in corn and soybean crops, which means less feed for swine… which means less bacon.  Stock your freezers now.

Despite my frequent posting about bacon, I really am not a fanatic.  Yes, I do enjoy the occasional Maple-Bacon Pancake Cookie.  And I think Bacon Toothpaste is funny.

HOWEVER… I bought a mere 2 slices at the farmer’s market to add just a little extra flava-flav to my food this week.  And, I worked bacon into a meal today.

It’s a really stressful week.  Today I craved comfort food, and having developed the habit of reaching for healthy comforts helped me keep it clean… and sticking with September’s What I Ate Wednesday theme: “Fall Into Good Habits.”

Check out my healthy comfort foods below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else maintained healthy habits this Wednesday.

Meal 1:

Like every morning, I arose and had my morning cocktail: a mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine and Fitmixer Aminos.  Then I almost panicked when I realized I’m almost out of my Aminos.

After a quick 2 mile walk, I enjoyed a Stuft Mama-inspired sandwich:

P28 Bread panini-pressed in the George Foreman with cinnamon and flax-scrambled egg whites, sugar-free strawberry jam, a little Daiya pepper jack.  With a side of golden kiwi.

Meal 2:

This is truly random.  Certainly a Strange But Good candidate.  Pre-baked lemon-dill salmon… mixed with ricotta cheese, a little cinnamon, and blackberries.

Strangely delicious leg-day fuel. 

Meal 3:

I spent my lunch break in the gym blowing off some steam busting out some leg work.  When I got back home all I could think about was a giant green smoothie bowl.

In my bowl:

  • Vanilla protein powder
  • Chocolate unsweetened almond milk
  • TONS of spinach
  • Cinnamon
  • Liquid stevia
  • Crumbled Zucchini Protein Muffin to top (recipe for that coming soon!)

Meal 4:

Did I mention work is really, really, really stressful this week.  It called for my protein-comfort snack: PB Cottage Cheese and celery (a riff on my childhood “ants on a log”).

I mix 1/2 C no-salt added cottage cheese with 2T of peanut flour, cinnamon, stevia, and butterscotch extract.  Then I dip my celery.  There may have also been a side of dark chocolate… shhhhh… 

Meal 5:

Clearly I can never get enough pizza.  This week’s pizza meal’s base was my beloved cauliflower crust.

Toppings:

  • Swordfish
  • Bacon (just a little bit…)
  • Avocado
  • Truffle oil
  • Radishes
  • Asparagus
  • Brussels

My crust “dough” felt a little too wet, so I added a little nutritional yeast.  It worked well to soak up a little moisture, and it was really good!

Meal 6:

Still working (it was a late night).  So stressed I had no appetite.  Late nights in college always meant Waffle House… so I made a healthier version of my old order – egg whites with red onion, jalapeno, and spinach.

Meal 7:

Comfort food is the name of the game for this post.  More smoothie bowls!  Meal 7 was a Pumpkin-Chocolate Vitamix ice-cream-like concoction.

In my Fall Smoothie Bowl:

  • Pumpkin puree
  • Chocolate protein powder
  • Cocoa powder
  • Unsweetened chocolate almond milk
  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Stevia
  • Ice
  • Apple slices on top

***

Does my posting most of this on Instagram ruin the suspense?  Oh!  And the protein count for the day: 195.8g from fall clean eats!

What are you favorite healthy comfort foods?

Do you have a fall chill yet?  It’s still pretty warm here (yay!).

Smoothie Demo + Cherry-Ginger Smoothie

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I admit it.  I enjoy being the center of attention.

I’m the oldest child.  I can’t help myself.

Surprisingly public speaking does NOT appeal to me.  It’s not the standing in front of people part that gets me.  It’s the opportunity to look like an idiot while standing in front of people.

Last weekend I did a “things you can make in a blender” demo for my gym.  Speaking AND making food in front of people.  Lots of room for error.  I was nervous.

My trainer’s daughter was nice enough to take some action shots.  I *think* this pic is the carrot cake batter smoothie.

I’m relieved to report it went well!  Nothing exploded or tasted bad.  It wasn’t a large crowd, but people liked my food!  For my demo I made 3 smoothies and a lemon-rosemary bean dip.  You guys have seen 2 of the smoothies before:

Carrot Cake Batter Shake (click for recipe)

Oatmeal Cookie Dough Shake (click for recipe)

The new smoothie was the crowd favorite.  It is also my submission to Heather’s ginger-themed  Meatless Mondays from A-Z challenge this week.

I wanted to create a recovery smoothie for gym-goers that would help muscles bounce back fast after an intense workout.  (My gym is called “House of Payne” for good reason.)

The recovery drink I concocted is a Cherry-Ginger Smoothie. Cherries have been found to have unique anti-inflammatory properties; they may aid muscle recovery, reduce oxidative stress in athletes, and are good for pain relief.

Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties, and is a powerful natural pain-killer. It has long been used to settle stomachs and relieves migraines. And ladies, it can be used for menstrual cramp relief. Wine works too… but you didn’t hear that here.

Of course you need a protein powder in this smoothie. Taking in 20g of protein within 30 mins of a workout is the key for muscle repair and building. To learn more on this topic, click here.

Aside from making a great recovery smoothie, the cherry-ginger combo tastes delicious too.  Sweet, dark cherries compliment the spice of the ginger.  I love how the flavors balance each other.  In this recipe I used my favorite Growing Naturals Vanilla Rice Protein Powder. However, you can shake things up by using chocolate for a Cherry Bomb twist.

Recipe at bottom.

Workout Recap

I realized I’m always complaining about leg day in these recaps.  This week I’m praising leg day.  I have always complained about my “chicken legs.”  Even when I was 30 lbs heavier than I am now, I had chicken legs.

This weekend I saw some pics of myself in posing practice.  There was a lot I wasn’t happy with size-wise, but for the first time I realized my legs didn’t look terrible.  Also this week I PR’d on my dreaded hack squats.  And I lived to tell the story. 🙂  Hard work pays off. 

Workout Recap (9/17 – 9/23):

  • Monday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
  • Tuesday – Shoulders/Butt, 1.5 mile walk
  • Wednesday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
  • Thursday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk
  • Friday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
  • Saturday – Shoulders/Butt, 2 mile walk, 50 push-ups
  • Sunday – Rest-ish… 3 mile sprints

Cherry Ginger Protein Smoothie

Cherry-Ginger Smoothie

  • 1/2 C cherries (fresh or frozen) 
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Growing Naturals Rice Protein)
  • 1 in piece of fresh ginger, grated
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Guar Gum (optional)
  • 1/4-1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • Ice, to taste
  • 1 C spinach (optional)

Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

Serves 1.

Notes:

  • You can adjust the milk and ice to suit your preference.  I like my smoothies super thick, so I use more ice and less milk.
  • Guar Gum is optional, but I recommend investing in some.  It’s often used as a binder and volume-enhancer in ice creams and shakes, making them more creamy and thick.
  • I include a giant handful of spinach in nearly all of my protein smoothies.  I swear you can’t taste it.  This is a great way to sneak in another serving of greens and add a little more iron to your diet to promote muscle health and energy metabolism.  Warning: Spinach will turn your pretty red smoothie a funky green color!

***

My second posing practice taught me I need more practice… more with the actual posing and general confidence than with the heels (surprise, surprise).

How do you recover after an especially hard workout?

Do you like public speaking?

Sorry I’m Not Sorry

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I’m exhausted.

 

After a killer leg day (more on that Monday), I’m too pooped to poop.  Good thing since I’m so sore I can’t lower myself to the toilet.

So today is a random post.  I hope you don’t mind. #sorryimnotsorry <— new favorite has tag.

 

1. Inspiration

I find this especially appropriate after the afore-mentioned leg day.  It’s contains some language (as my mother would say), but I think it’s appropriately used. #sorryimnotsorry

 

 

2. Things I Should Care About More At The Gym

I really loved this post from Sarah.  Flashing people accidentally?  I’m probably guilty.  #sorryimnotsorry

The Someecard pic she included was especially awesome… because I’m a klutz and have the shin bruises and oven scars to prove it.

 

 

3. Smoothie Demo

I’m doing my first “food” demo this weekend!  My trainer and his wife asked me to do a smoothie demo at their gym to show people how quick and easy it is to get a good protein punch.

There will be 4 blender recipes, including my Carrot Cake Protein Shake… and a new smoothies that I’ll post on Monday.  Confession: I’m nervous. #sorryimnotsorry

 

 

4. Jamaican Tofu Chowder with Collards

This vegan chowder recipe from Janet has been on my Soup Pinterest board for ever and I really want to try it now that it’s getting cooler.

Or Allie could just make it since she has too many collards and bring me some when she visits in a couple of weeks. *Yes, I’m that lazy right now. #sorryimnotsorry

 

 

5. Pumpkin S’Mores Cake

Does this really need an introduction?  I’m making this Pumpkin S’Mores Cake from Stephanie after my competition.  It could trump last winter’s Sweet Potato and Toasted Marshmallow Cake.

And I might eat the whole thing. #sorryimnotsorry

 ***

One more (did I take it too far?).  I’m ravenous today.  Leg day is an appetite booster.  #sorryimnotsorry

What is your #sorryimnotsorry today?

What’s your favorite recently pinned/bookmarked recipe or inspiration?

 

Taming a Sweet Tooth + WIAW

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Cooler weather is a trigger.

For my sweet tooth.  Sure, it exists year-round, but something about the fall and winter seasons makes me yearn for decadent baked goods.

Is it just that sweets are more prevalent?  Spring and summer offer delicious naturally sweet fruits, maybe it ‘s the pies and candies that come with certain winter holidays that are to blame.  We can always blame advertisers:

Some of you may have seem my tweet about Candy Corn Oreos last week.  Is this really necessary?  *I must admit I’m biased, as I don’t even like candy corn.

Whatever the case may be, I have found a few ways to keep my sweet tooth at bay.  Even when I have a kitchen full of Maple-Bacon Pancake Cookies. 

5 Tips to Tame a Sweet Tooth

  • Walk it out.  When I was baking all those treats I found myself unable to stop “taste testing,” so I took a 10 min walk.  Unbelievably, it worked!
  • Freshen your breath.  Get the taste out of your mouth – have a mint, gum, or just go brush your teeth.  You won’t want to mar the minty freshness with more food.
  • Drink water.  Are you really hungry, or just have the munchies?  Chug a glass of water and see!  The body can’t distinguish between thirst and hunger, and ad after a 16 oz glass of water, you’ll probably feel too full to eat that break room cookie.
  • Try an alternative.  If you really are hungry and your body wants something sweet, try a piece of fruit or a “treat” sweetened with a natural sugar-alternative like Stevia or Xylitol.  I like to keep my Granola Cookies (ahem… only 74 cals and 3g sugar) or Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (100 cals and 2g sugar) on hand in the freezer for a dessert-emergency.
  • Stop and think.  The first bite of that treat is going to taste the exact same as the last bite.  So… do you really need more than one bite?

Another way to keep the fall dessert binges away is to checkout the collections of posts for this fall’s  What I Ate Wednesday theme: “Fall Into Good Habits.”

Check out may healthy fall eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get ideas from others’ healthy fall choices!

Meal 1:

My usual, morning Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine and BCAA cocktail was a little different this morning.  At Jenn’s urging, I tried it mixed with kombucha in place of some of the water.  I used my ginger-cinnamon homebrew and it was fantastic!  Jenn also just posted a great testimonial about how great this is for your skin.  It is a great energy boost too – it’s replaced coffee in my life. 

In keeping with the fall theme, I went pumpkin for breakfast.  Meg made a fabulous pumpkin Fall Scramble inspired by my PB & Jeggs.  I’ve had it pinned to try for weeks and today it finally happened.  Why did I wait so long?! 

I reduced the amount of pumpkin to 1/4 C (personal preference), and added a few extra spices because I just can’t help myself.  In addition to cinnamon, I added pinches of fresh nutmeg and allspice, plus a little vanilla extract.

It was like eating pie for breakfast.  I kid you not.

Meal 2:

Plums have never been my favorite fruit.  I like them, but they weren’t a craving.  Lately I can’t get enough!  Today’s Mid-morning snack was cottage cheese mixed directly in the almost-empty container with a little protein powder, cinnamon, fresh plum, and a scoop of Sunbutter.

Meal 3:

Scallops are a great seafood protein source, but I’d never attempted to make my own.  Inspired by Heather, I finally took the plunge.  My first batch was a little overcooked.  This second try was MUCH better.  I used this recipe from Rufus for Orange-Lime Scallops (sans sauce), and added some cilantro, shallot, and jalapeno to the marinade. 

Served a top a tortilla with arugula, nutritional yeast sauce (nooch + water + cayenne + cumin), and cauliflower.  And 1/3 piece of left over bacon.

The plate? It was a koala. These plates = greatest breakroom find ever. 

Meal 4:

Yes, I’m in a grilled tilapia rut.  However, I did change-up the marinade a little.  This one is basil, peach schnapps, jalapeno, and cardamom.  It was delish with a side of carrot sticks as my mid-afternoon snack.

Meal 5:

Did you guys check out Instagram last night?  The cauliflower crust pizza made another appearance.  Topped with Uncle Dude’s Ridiculous Marinara, tempeh, arugula, asparagus, red pepper, shallot, a teensy bit of avocado, nutritional yeast, and a drizzle of balsamic.

This beast was ~350 calories and packed 25 of protein! 

Meal 6:

I was feeling something custard-like for Meal 6.  Since this meal is a veggie and a protein, my ice cream had to be creative!  Pink is creative, no?

Beet Frozen Custard.  Sounds weird… tastes good.  This is a theme in my life.

I added 1/2 a scoop of casein for the protein (and the recovery – my poor legs are SORE), and amped up the flavor with my favorite spices: fresh ginger and cinnamon.  A little Stevia and I had a delicious pink bowl of creamy frozen “custard.”

Recipe at bottom.

Meal 7:

Bringing back an old favorite with a new twist.  I tool my Banana Creme Brownie Parfait, but made it a cherry-flavored treat.  Cherries are supposed to help with soreness and recovery (reducing inflammation and oxidative stress), which I am in desperate need of after Monday’s leg day.  They also are high in melatonin, a hormone that regulates the body’s sleep cycles.

I replaced the banana flavored yogurt cream with cinnamon (also good for pain-relief), and topped it with melted cherries (frozen black cherries microwaved until juicy and tender).  The perfect end to a looooong day.

Beet Protein Frozen Custard

  • 1/3 C beet, roasted
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla casein (or other protein powder)
  • 3 oz tofu
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger
  • 7-8 drops liquid stevia (adjust to desired sweetness)
  • 1/4 unsweetened almond milk (or liquid of choice)
  • Ice, to taste 

Place all ingredients in Vitamix or high-powdered blender and blend until smooth.

Serve immediately, or store in freezer until snack time.

Serves 1.

***

Protein count for the day: 186.2g from fall clean eats!

How do you break an unclean-eating bender?

Candy corn – love it or hate it?

Friday Foodies

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If you are passionate about food, we might be BFFs.

 

 

Unless you take the last bite of dessert.

Why my  “in real life” friends (IRLFs) don’t want to talk about food 24×7 is beyond me!  One of the coolest things about blogging is discovering other people who are just as passionate about food and the creative process as I am.  I  think that’s why the IRLFs friends encouraged me to start a blog…

 

I get some of the best inspiration from bloggers.  For instance, yesterday morning I tried a new version of my Apple PB Socca Pie.  This idea was made even decadent when combined with the Pure 2 Raw twins’ Socca French Toast!

 

 

I followed my breakfast socca recipe, but dipped it in a version of their french toast coating.  My dip was simply 1/4 C egg whites, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and a few drops of  liquid stevia.  Then I topped with a mix of sugar-free syrup and protein power and a fresh nectarine.  So. Good.

 

This Friday I want to talk about some of my best foodies.  These ladies took an idea I had and made it their own.  I can’t wait to try their interpretations!

 

Allie @ Forgotten Beast (who is also training for a figure competition!) took my Cauliflower Crust Pizza and turned it into a Cabbage Crust topped with tomato and a TVP “sausage.”

 

 

Sarah @ Chunky Tales doubled my recipe for Low-Fat Peanut Almond Butter and put it in a jar for safe keeping.  Why didn’t I think of jarring it?!

 

 

Ashley @ Freckles and Spice took my Oatmeal Cookie Dough Smoothie to a new level adding figs and maca.

 

 

Lauren @ Oatmeal After Spinning made my Chick-Less Nuggets and used them as a salad topper.  He meat-eating husband even proclaimed “it tastes like chicken!”

Note: Wednesday I posted about her Vegan Bread Pudding, which I turned high-protein with P28 Bread.  It’s a must try.

 

 

Last, but never least…. my “twin” Meg @ A Dash of Meg wrote the sweetest post yesterday where she mentioned trying my Carrot Cake Protein Batter, Cauliflower Pizza Crust, and PB & Jeggs.  In a genius move she ran with that last idea, turning it into a a fall dish by making a “Pumped Up Egg Scramble.”

Pumpkin and Eggs?!  I would have never thought of that one.  

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Speaking of foodie friends… it’s also time from another Foodie Penpal reveal!

 

This month my “pal” was Rachel @ The Health Revival.  Rachel put together the cutest package full of protein powder, almonds, and a few treats.

 

 

Unfortunately a lot of the proteins had too much sugar for my nutrition plan, but you better believe I saved that fig, fennel, and almond chocolate bar for cheat day!  And my concierge thoroughly enjoyed what I could not. 🙂

 

Don’t you want to get in to the action?

To sign up for a Foodie PenPals in September, click here to fill out the form on that lovely Lindsay’s site.  It’s that easy!  You don’t have to be a blogger, and the spending limit is just $15.  The only requirement is that you be a US or Canadian resident.

Join in by September 4th as pairings will be emailed on September 5th!

***

In honor of Labor Day, I am taking Monday off.  I hope you all have a fantastic long weekend, without any laboring. 🙂

What blogger recipes have you taken and made your own?

Any fun plans for the last long weekend of the summer? I can’t believe it’s almost fall!

 

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