Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Pumpkin Pie TVP “Oatmeal” + WIAW

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Just when you you’re getting used to a “special” diet…

…you have to go on a business trip.

I actually like travelling for work.  Airports and hotels don’t phase me one bit.  Unless I’m 17 days from a figure competition and have a diet more strict than I ever thought possible.  Between the protein, super-clean eating, and max of 500 mg of sodium per day the trip I’m taking today has been a lesson in food prep.

#sorryimnotsorry

I’m hoping to put all this together for a fun post… but that requires me remembering to take pics tomorrow!  In the meantime, my friend Kat is going to write guest post for me tomorrow!  She’s awesome – a rockstar endurance athlete, avid foodie, and law student.  I think she unlocked the secret to adding hours to a day.

Kat is going to be doing a bi-weekly feature, so please drop by and say hi to her tomorrow when she introduces herself!

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We’re still rolling with this month’s Halloween-themed  What I Ate Wednesday.  I did alright for breakfast and meal 7…. I’m not sure if the rest ties in, but it was delicious and seasonal!

Check out my “special” low sodium, high protein, super-clean eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how festive everyone else got this week!

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Meal 1:

After my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos), I downed a grapefruit while I waited for some deliciousness to cook (not that the grapefruit wasn’t delicious… but it can’t compare).

TVP Protein “Oatmeal” has become a low-sodium staple, but I’ve had this particular version 2 days in a row so far.  It’s vegan, gluten-free, protein-filled, and involves pumpkin.  What’s not to love?

The fall spiced TVP “oats” with a creamy protein pumpkin pie mixture swirled in… I can’t even describe.  It’s the most decadent deliciouness!  Full recipe is at the bottom. 

Meal 2:

As much as I’ve been making salmon and fruit mixes lately, I don’t know if I can still call them #strangebutgood.  Strange or not, this was a good mix!

In my not-so-strange but good mix: curried salmon, pepitas, blackberries, and arugula.

Meal 3:

It’s the steak of the sea again!  Swordfish has become a weekly staple for me.  This one I grilled with onion, Herbs de Provence, pepper, and lemon juice.  Eaten with sautéed asparagus and shiitakes, and 1/2 a sweet potato.  On a hippo plate ’cause I was a hungry, hungry hippo yesterday.

Meal 4:

So I braved raw chicken again.  Last night I grilled a bunch to bring for lunch this week.  As much as I hate touching it, I do like the taste when it’s cooked to perfection (read: not dried out).

I always prepare it 1 or 2 different ways.  That way I don’t have  a pound of chicken that all tastes the same.  This piece had onion powder, pepper, oregano, cayenne, and lemon juice.  Eaten with cucumber and carrots. dipped in a quick sauce made of nutritional yeast, paprika, and cumin.  Yes, I recycled the plate.

Meal 5:

Apparently Tuesday night is pizza night.  I’ve become addicted to making a “crust” out of Kamut flour (no sodium, relatively high protein).  I make it just like socca crust, adding whatever flavors I’m in the mood for.  Lat night I added garlic, rosemary, and paprika.

My Indian-ish Pizza:

  • Curried chicken
  • Mint ricotta spread 
  • Red onion
  • Fennel
  • Zucchini
  • Arugula

The ricotta mixture  of the week was simply fat-free ricotta with fresh mint, paprika, and a little water to thin.  Like last week, I sautéed the veggies before topping the pizza and sticking it under broil for a few mins.  That mint in the ricotta was awesome with the curry chicken!

Meal 6:

For once I wasn’t in to mood for something sweet yet!  Probably because I was up prepping food for a business trip.  (Holy mother of planning – travel on a “special” diet is interesting.  More to come on this strategic extravaganza.)

I made one of my favorite simple salads.  Arugula with asparagus tossed with lemon juice and freshly ground pepper.  The protein on top is swordfish (the same pre-grilled batch from lunch).  Three cheers for food prep.

Meal 7:

Guess who’s still under her sodium for the day.  THIS girl.  Woo hoo!  Make that day 2 of successful sodium control.  My reward was a Butternut Squash Pudding.

I mixed no-salt cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and mashed butternut squash with cinnamon, nutmeg, maple extract, and vanilla stevia.  Topped with melted cherries.  #strangebutgood

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Pumpkin Pie TVP “Oatmeal”

  • 1 serving TVP Protein “Oatmeal” (without the egg whites)
  • 2 T pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (1T)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 5-6 drops liquid stevia
  • 1.5 T water (or other liquid)

Cook TVP oatmeal as instructed here.

Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients in a small bowl to make your pumpkin pie “filling.”

Once TVP is cooked, transfer to a bowl and swirl in the pumpkin filling.  Top as desired (I used cinnamon and cacao nibs).

Serves 1.

***

The protein count for the day: 166.1g.  The all-important sodium count: 535.7mg (a little over, but I get some allowance for naturally occurring sodium in veggies).

Quick shameless plug: in case you missed it, check out yesterday’s post for another way to vary your workout.  It’s the 2nd in my “Work It Out” series!

Has anyone started tracking or cutting back on sodium since last week?  Is it harder than you expected?

What is your favorite food to pack for the road?

Curried Apple Tuna Salad

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Did you see Friday’s Strange But Good?

The mystery stranger was a Curried Apple Tuna Salad.  You guys know I’m a fan of the sweet and savory.  This recipe is a perfect storm!

The tuna salad my mom made for lunch after church on Sunday’s always included apple.  I stopped eating seafood for years, but I always enjoyed the crispness of chopped apple in salads.  When I was looking for a new way to jazz-up my tuna salad, it was an obvious addition.

Mom also added a boat-load of mayo to our tuna (Hellman’s not Duke’s).  Mayo is certainly NOT on my diet these days.  No big deal – I haven’t liked the stuff for years.  But I do need something to add moisture to my tuna, and to make the flavor less like… errrr… canned tuna.

 

 

The sauce I came up with is a rich tahini curry.  Tahini’s sweet sesame flavor is perfect with a little nuttiness from nutritional yeast.  Both are natural pairs with the warm, almost ginger-like curry powder.

Turmeric is a big component of yellow curry powder.  I’ve always loved the flavor, but it is also a great source of antioxidants.  Just a teaspoon of curry powder has as many antioxidants as ½ cup of red grapes!

Arugula is one of my favorite greens.  In fact, it may be my absolute favorite.  Its peppery taste is perfect with curry, and the sweet apple balanced those stronger flavors.

This is an awesome tuna salad for those who don’t particularly like tuna salad.

Recipe at bottom.

Workout Recap

This week we moved up to doing 15 reps of each exercise.  You wouldn’t think 3-5 more reps would make a big difference, but I assure you it DOES!  Between that and the 100 pull-ups, I stayed sore all week.  It hurts so good.

Saturday I picked out my suit (if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen the fabric), and this week I need to go find costume jewelry and get some super-dark make up for my soon-to-be orange skin.  The sodium cut and the pull-ups are working.  I’m really starting to see a difference in my body.  It’s pretty cool… though I have a lot to work on in the next 19 days.  Time is flying!  

Workout Recap (10/8 – 10/14):

  • Monday – Chest/Bis, 100 pull-ups, Calf raises, 2 mile incline walk
  • Tuesday – Shoulders/Glutes, 1.5 mile incline walk
  • Wednesday – Back/Tris, 100 pull-ups, Calf raises, 1.75 mile incline walk
  • Thursday – Shoulders/Glutes, 100 pull-ups, 2 mile walk 
  • Friday – Chest/Bis, 100 pull-ups, Calf raises, 1 mile walk
  • Saturday – Legs (with trainer)
  • Sunday – Back/Tris, 100 pull-ups, Calf raises, 2 mile walk

Curried Apple Tuna Salad

  • 2 oz canned Albacore tuna*
  • 1/2 apple, diced
  • 1/2 C arugula
  • 1 T nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp tahini
  • 1/4 tsp curry powder
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Combine the tuna, apple, and arugula in a bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients with enough water to form a sauce.  Pour sauce over the tuna mixture and stir to combine.

*Note: Tempeh would work well here to make this vegan.

Makes 1 serving, easily doubled.

***

I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.

Do you like tuna salad?

Was there a dish your family had on certain days of the week?

Strange But (Mostly) Good

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Strange is good, but not always.

 

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

 

I don’t know if I can get on board with this.  Maybe the Cinnamon & Sugar.  Pumpkin Pie Spice is really pushing it.  Certainly NOT the White Chocolate & Peppermint.

The Huffington Post agrees with my assessment.  They compared the Cinnamon & Sugar to Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  They couldn’t take more than a bit of the White Chocolate & Peppermint, calling it a “horrible abomination to humanity.”  These interesting chip flavors are set to debut in November.

 

Who am I to judge?  Some of you may think items on this Friday’s “Strange But Good” list are just as revolting.

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1. Banana-Cottage Cheese Toast.  With Bacon.

I mixed up some no-salt cottage cheese, 1/2 a mashed banana, cinnamon, peanut flour, and just enough almond milk to keep it from being dry.  Then I slathered it on top of a toasted piece of P28 High Protein Bread… and topped it with a teeny bit of crumbled bacon.

Sweet, salty, creamy, and crunchy.  This breakfast was everything I could want.  Clearly this was before the great sodium cut.

Side note: one of my favorite ATL chefs, Kevin Gillespie, now has an online show.  Check out “The Bacon Show.”

 

2. Dilly Salmon and Raspberry Salad

After the blood orange and curried salmon salad success I posted on Wednesday, I decided to keep going with the salmon combos.  This salmon was pre-coked in dill and lemon, them I shredded it and mixed it with raspberries, fresh basil, and crushed Marcona almonds.  Ah-mazing.

That bite from the raspberries was perfect with the salmon and the crunch factor from the almond sent me over the edge.  A healthy fat win.

 

3. Vegan Softserve with Sriracha

While Allie was in town last weekend, we hit up Dough Bakery, one of my favorite vegan spots in Atlanta.  They offer vegan softserve cups, cones, or shakes. I opted for the cone with sprinkles… and then I eyed the Sriracha left over from our biscuits.

Sweet and spicy… I wanted it to be better than it was.  It needed another component.  Maybe if it had been a sriracha chocolate sauce?  Strange… still mostly good.

 

They also had zombie cupcakes.  I refrained, but I had to share this picture of Halloween strange But Good-ness: 

 

4. Semi-Homemade Hotel Breakfast

PSA: The Homewood Suites in Ft. Worth, TX doesn’t serve oatmeal everyday.  They alternate them with grits (welcome to the South).

Luckily I had a BYOP (bring your own protein) back up plan.  I’m surprised the TSA didn’t take my bag with all the goodies I packed.

Into my bowl went:

  • 1/2 a mashed banana
  • Mini-box of Cheerios
  • 1 serving protein powder (pre-mixed with flax before I left)
  • Sugar-free syrup (first time I’ve seen that on a b’fast bar!)
  • Peanut butter

 

It wasn’t half bad!  I wish there was cinnamon, but the stuff they had was pre-mixed with sugar.  Remember to mash the banana first if you’re working with one bowl.  It gets messy if you try mashing with the cereal in the bowl (not that I would know…).

My awesome boss didn’t even blink an eye. 🙂

 

5. Vegan PB & Zeggs*

I know I posted this with the recipe on Wednesday, but I have to give it another shout out.  Since the loss of egg whites, I needed a new way to enjoy my PB& Jeggs creations.

Scrambled tofu is a great, low sodium alternative to eggs!  I am so in love with my Peanut Butter and Carrot scramble (PB& Ceggs)… naturally I had to try it with zucchini too.  New favorite Meal 6 is PB & Zeggs.

My only changes were to use grated zucchini in place of carrot and used almond extract in place of the maple.  Topped with extra cinnamon because I’m an addict it’s good for you.

*I suppose I should name this PB & Zofu… but that just doesn’t sound as good!

 

Bonus Round:

This is a bonus because I’m not telling you what it is until Monday!  Let’s just say it was delicious.  Any guesses?  2 hints: it was for Meal 2 on Thursday…. and it contained 20g of protein. 🙂

***

I’m thinking of hosting a bi-weekly (weekly?) “Strange But Good” round-up.  Would anyone be interested in participating?

Would you try those funky Pringles flavors?

What’s the strangest thing you’ve eaten this week?

 

Attack of the Killer Sodium + WIAW

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Sodium is in everything.

Except peanut flour, thank god.

With less than 4 weeks to go until my figure competition, my diet has gotten more strict.  The latest adjustment it sodium.  I’m only allowed 500 mg a day.  No more bacon, sorry.

It turns out sodium is everywhere – even in thing that aren’t processed   Egg whites, for instance.  My trainer said I don’t have to cut egg whites until 2 weeks out, but if I eat them my sodium for the day will most certainly be over.  And the super expensive crab in my fridge?  Forget it.

We’ve seen a lot in the media lately about sodium, and how much is added to our foods.  Too much sodium can lead to problems like high blood pressure, heart failure, osteoporosis (this one was news to me), kidney stones, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and hormonal imbalance.  You don’t need to cut to the extent that I am, but The Institute of Medicine recommends limiting sodium intake to less than 2300 mg per day.

When I first started watching my intake, I was shocked to see how much was in items you’d never think to check.  Protein powder is a culprit – I had one egg protein that was about 500 mg!  Other unusual suspects: coffee drinks, bread, cereal, and pretty much every condiment known to man.

You don’t have to have salt (or fats, or sugars…) to add flavor to foods!  Try some making your own blends for use on protein, veggies, and beans…

  • Italian: I make my own sodium-free tomato sauce with garlic, onion, basil, oregano and, parsley
  • Thai: For a spicy peanut sauce, try peanut flour mixed with rice vinegar, lime, sriracha, garlic, and cilantro (similar to what I did here in my: Chili Nutty Tofu)
  • Mexican: This is an easy one – toss in some lime, cumin, cilantro, garlic, and cayenne like I did in this Mexican “Rice” Bowl
  • Mediterranean: This is a staple-combo in my kitchen with its lemon peel, garlic, mint, oregano, dill, and onion
  • Indian: I rubbed a simple mix of lime, garlic, ginger, onion, curry, cumin, coriander, and garam masala on the salmon I used in Meal 2 below

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Another sodium-free item is pumpkin.  Perfect for this month’s Halloween-themed  What I Ate Wednesday.  See if you can guess how much sodium I took in…

Check out my low-sodium, #strangebutgood (that’s scary, right?) eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else is scaring up their food this month!

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Meal 1:

After my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos), I enjoyed a protein mush.  Failing miserably with the sodium intake yesterday, I skipped the eggs for breakfast and went for sodium-free pumpkin.

Pumpkin Protein Mush

  • 2 T oats
  • 1/4 C pumpkin puree
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 T ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp butterscotch extract
  • 5-6 drops stevia
  • Liquid, to mix
  • Topped with banana

Meal 2:

Forget #strangebutgood.  This was strange but amazing.  There are only 4 ingredients if you pre-cook the salmon!

I loved the savory curry against the sweet salmon and the citrus in the blood orange.  Bonus: blood orange is certainly a Halloween-appropriate food.

Curried Salmon and Blood Orange Salad

  • 3 oz curried salmon (pre-cooked with the Indian spices mention in first part of this post)
  • 1 blood orange, sectioned
  • 1 T fresh basil
  • 1 T roasted squash seeds (tossed in coconut oil, cinnamon, and cardamom before roasting)

Meal 3:

If tuna is the chicken of the sea, then swordfish is the steak of the sea.  This is hands-down my favorite seafood.  And it’s fairly low in sodium.  Score.

Served with a Golden Dumpling squash, diced and roasted with thyme, Dora the Explorer edamame, and raw cauliflower.

Know what only has 1.7 mg of sodium?  Sugar-free York Peppermint Patties.

Meal 4:

I am still addicted to this Tequila-Lime Tilapia recipe.  Today I had it with a side of carrots.  Yes, I recycled the lion plate from lunch. 

Meal 5:

Last week I mentioned that I rarely chicken.  Even more rare that eating it… I COOKED it.  Raw chicken is one of the most disgusting things in the world to me.  In my low sodium quest, I pulled out a cooking binder I made years ago and prepared a modified (low sodium, low-fat) version of a marinade I used to love.  It turned out really well!  I still hate raw chicken.

I DO love pizza.  It seemed like everyone on Instagram last night was making pizza, so I jumped off that bridge too.  I was going to make a socca crust, but realized that Kamut flour has less sodium.  I mixed 1/4 C with just enough water to form a batter and cooked it like a pancake in a pan.

On My Pizza:

  • Chicken
  • Ricotta spread 
  • Red onion
  • Fennel
  • Zucchini
  • Arugula

The ricotta mixture was simply fat-free ricotta with fresh herbs, cayenne, and white balsamic.  I sautéed the veggies before topping the pizza and sticking it under broil for a few mins before inhaling the deliciousness.

Meal 6:

I ate meal 5 too late, so I didn’t get to excited about Meal 6.  And I only had 75 mg left for the day.  And I wanted eggs.  I was whiny.

Then something awesome happened.  I remembered tofu.  Scrambled tofu, specifically.  Oh yes… we have VEGAN version of PB & Jeggs.  A carrot cake-inspired PB & Ceggs.

Just as glorious as the “real” thing.  The carrot cake-like spices make this veggie and protein-packed meal a dessert.

Recipe at bottom.

Meal 7:

If you guess I went over my sodium…. you’d be right.  I have to ask my trainer tomorrow, but I’m guessing protein trumps sodium so I went ahead and exceeded 500 mg to get another 20 of protein.

The most sodium-free way I could think of to do this was no salt cottage cheese and peanut flour.  Since I get a carb too I went for some pumpkin in the mix.  Flavorings included cinnamon (it’s sick how much I love the stuff), nutmeg, cardamom, almond extract, vanilla stevia.  Topped with figs.  Nom.

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Vegan PB & Ceggs (Peanut Butter & Carrot “Eggs”)

  • 4 oz tofu, crumbled
  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract (can use vanilla)
  • 5-6 drops liquid stevia
  • 3 T water (or other liquid)

Place crumbled tofu in a greased (I used PAM) pan over medium-high heat.  

“Scramble” tofu until warmed through (~2-3 mins).  Meanwhile, mix together peanut flour, spices, extract, stevia, and water to form your peanut butter sauce (note: you could always use 2 T of your favorite nut butter here).

Add peanut butter and shredded carrot to the eggs.  Scramble together and allow to cooking ~1-2 mins more until hot.

Plate and enjoy!

Serves 1.

***

The protein count for the day: 169.4g.  The all-important sodium count: 576.5mg.

Quick shameless plug: in case you missed it, check out yesterday’s post for a new technique you can use to bust through plateaus in your workout.  It’s the first in a “Work It Out” series I’m doing!

Have you ever tracked your sodium intake?  Did it surprise you?

What is the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

Zucchini Whey Muffins + a Demo

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Call me Little Miss Muffet…

 

 

… though I do NOT like to sit on my tuffet.

I do really dig my curds and whey.  Like these curds:

 

 

Bloggers everywhere get excited when they have an empty peanut butter jar.  Overnight oats are tasty and exciting – I won’t argue that!  I will argue that cottage cheese in an almost empty container is equally good.  The name is more cumbersome…

When I have an almost-empty jar, I swirl up my cottage cheese with mix-ins and take it to go.  Easy mid-morning snack at work!  This container included Sunbutter, cinnamon, a little stevia, nutmeg, and a plum.

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Before I get to the whey, I want to share a little happy-excited-nervous news with you guys… I am doing another cooking demo!

This one is at Taste of Atlanta.  Slightly bigger than my gym…

 

 

I’ll be in the “Family Food Zone” tent with Sweetwater Growers (not to be confused with the brewery).  Sweetwater makes amazing infused olive oils and hydroponic basil.

Apparently it’s official because I’m on the website:

 

The recipe I’ll be sharing is for my (vegan) Butternut Squash-Apple Soup that uses Sweetwater’s red pepper-infused oil.  I started making it nearly 2 years ago (around the time of my blog’s birth!) and it remains my favorite fall soup to this day.

There is a rich sweetness from the butternut squash and the apple but it’s balances out with the rosemary and the bit of heat on the end from the red pepper-infused oil.

 

No Vitamix will be used, but I do get to play with my immersion blender.  And my nerves.  Did I mention I’m nervous?  What if no one comes?  what if lots of people come?  What if there is awkward silence?  AHHHHHH!

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Baking.  Baking calms my nerves. Baking with protein powder calms my nerves AND gives me awesome post-workout treats.

 

 

Baking with zucchini also makes me happy… as evidenced by the fact that this is now my third zucchini muffin recipe.  The previous 5 (all low-cal and free of added sugars):

  1. Banana -Maple Zucchini Muffins
  2. Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
  3. Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
  4. Zucchini Banana Muffins (98 cals)
  5. Zucchini Banana Protein Muffins (92 cals)

 

 

This one is different, I swear!  This recipe is the first one with whey protein, and it is a bit more savory.  More reminiscent of the traditional bread.  I especially love the hint of coconut with a little warm spice from the cinnamon and cardamom.

These muffins are also flourless.  Almond and coconut flours replace “regular” flour here to lend a nutty richness to this muffin.

 

Super-moist.  Low-carb, high protein.  These are a great pre-workout snack, or a perfect clean addition to your recovery meal.

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Zucchini Whey Muffins

  • 1 medium zucchini grated finely and moisture squeezed out (~1 C, post squeeze)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 C almond flour/meal
  • 2 T coconut flour
  • 1/4 C vanilla whey protein (I used GNC)
  • 2 T Xylitol
  • 1 T NuNaturals Fiber Baking Blend
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/3 C egg whites
  • 1/2 C unsweetened coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
  • 1/2 tsp coconut extract

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grated my zucchini into a bowl and squeezed out the excess moisture. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients.  Stir to combine.

Add in liquids, and mix until just combined.  Fold in grated zucchini.

Grease a muffin tine with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour the batter into tins. Baked for 15-20 mins.

Makes 9 muffins.

Approximate nutritionals: 95 calories, 4.2g fat, 45.3mg sodium, 9.2g carbs, 2.1g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 7.5g protein

***

The good news is that I’ve been so stressed at work that I haven’t fully felt the nerves of the demo until now. 😉

How do you calm your nerves and/or relax?

What is your favorite fall soup?

 

I Feel Scrambled + WIAW

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I feel scrambled.

It’s our busy season at work and I’ve been traveling, working, and not doing much sleeping.  There are so many things I’ve fallen behind on.  I’m seriously behind on blog reading, returning emails, and blogging topics.

I totally neglected to share an awesome offer from my friend Calee with you all.  She’s offered a 15% discount when you use code “sprint2thediscount” in her Etsy shop.  I first saw her goods at the Blend Retreat last year and fell in love.

A couple of my current favorite designs: 

I’m going to stop feeling sorry and move on to some positive news.  Last week I talked about the threat of a bacon shortage.  Apparently there will be no baconpocalypse.

It wouldn’t be Wednesday if I didn’t blog about bacon, right?

I was almost too grossed out by this pic to post it…

According to a Mother Jones article, the swine shortage will “shave just a pound per capita off of US bacon production in 2013.” that means there are still 45 pounds of bacon per person for the year.  Is that enough for you?

The real scare is fish.  Climate change will sharply reduce the productivity of the oceans, meaning less seafood.  the most affected ares are in the South, so those of us in the US and Europe probably won’t feel the bite.

It’s a new month (can you believe it’s already October?!), which means a new  What I Ate Wednesday theme.  Jenn just got even cooler in my eyes for going PINK this month for Breast Cancer Awareness.  we’ll be sharing out Halloween-themed treats… as if bloggers needs any more reasons to eat pumpkin. 😉

 Check out my sometimes spooky, sometimes pink eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else is getting their Halloween on this month!

Meal 1:

Like every morning, I enjoyed my morning cocktail: a mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos.  I ran out of my favorite and I was forced to use a sample pack.  It’s grape flavored.  Not my favorite… to be fair, I don’t like grape flavored anything.  I was desperate.

After a quick 2 mile walk, I enjoyed a new scrambled egg-creation.  Egg whites, sweet potato, and a spiced maple-peanut sauce.  PB & Speggs?

Served with a side of pear sprinkled with cinnamon.

This combo was the highlight of my day.  Peanut butter and sweet potatoes were made for each other and you guys know I love my PB & Jeggs creations.  The addition of some maple extract and a little nutritional yeast further blurred the sweet-savory line, creating a breakfast I’ll be repeating ad nauseam.

Recipe at bottom.

Meal 2:

Spooky Green Frozen Custard at 11am?  Why not?

Vega was nice enough to send me their Vega One French Vanilla protein powder to sample.  Obviously, I couldn’t just eat it plain… so I made a frozen custard and topped it with a crumbled Endurance Cracker from Angela.

It had a wonderful flavor!  I tried a little plain to test it out first, and I think it would be still be good without the flavor additions.  My only complaint is that I’d like to see another 5g of protein (it only has 15g) and fewer carbs (11g).  I fixed the protein problem by adding tofu, which made this a creamy custard-like frozen treat.

French Chai Pear Frozen Custard

  • 1 serving French Vanilla Vega
  • 3 oz tofu
  • 1 pear
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • Pinch cloves
  • 1/3-1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 5-6 drops liquid Stevia
  • Ice, to taste
  • Guar gum (optional, but will thicken and add creaminess)

Meal 3:

My lunch went pink!  I’ve been all over prepared salmon burgers found at Whole Foods.  They are frozen, but not bad!  This one is the Lemon Dill flavor.  I topped it with my Sweet-Potato Chipotle Spread and served it with a side of chopped red cabbage and asparagus tossed in a lemon-rosemary white bean dip.

Meal 4:

I posted this brown meal on Instagram and a commenter informed me brown food is the most appealing to humans, and that blue is the least.  Weird, huh?

This was certainly appealing post-workout:

Tempeh and cauliflower roasted in a sauce of nutritional yeast, sriracha, and lime juice, along with a fried egg. #yolkporn

Normally I don’t roast veggies mid-day.  It seems like to much trouble to heat up the oven.  Well, my own was already hot from giving the butternut below a thorough roast while I was at the gym…

Meal 5:

I was going to have another cauliflower crust pizza.  After taking too long in Whole Foods I decided to spare you make a quick stir fry.

Rarely do I eat chicken.  Tonight I was running really late and picked some up at Whole Paycheck Foods.  It was pre-grilled.  I knew it would be dry.  I bought it anyway.  It was dry.  Note to self: Don’t shop hangry.

In the Mix:

  • Dry Chicken
  • Eggplant
  • Brussels
  • Asparagus
  • Red Cabbage
  • Red Onion
  • Garlic
  • Marinara
  • Ricotta

Meal 6:

Another late night working.  Another #strangebutgood candidate.

This is sort of like my Mexican Hot Chocolate Protein Ice Cream, except this one adds a cheese cake component.  I know it sounds strange… but I blended in some cottage cheese.  It added just the right amount of cheesecake tang.  It’s also less green in color because I used zucchini as my veggie rather than spinach.  Topped with cinnamon. 

Meal 7:

Have you tried Heather’s Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cake yet?  You should make it ASAP.  I’m on my 4th.

The perfectly moist and delicious microwave cake was incredible.  Again.  This time I subbed 1T ricotta + an additional 1 T almond milk for the pumpkin (another WF #fail – they were out of pumpkin) and topped it with a scoop of Chocolate-Peanut Butter Arctic Zero.

Sweet Potato Scramble with Spiced Maple-Peanut Sauce

  •  1/2 C egg whites
  • 1 tsp flax
  • 1/2 C sweet potato, pre-cooked and lightly mashed
  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1.5 T water (or other liquid)
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract
  • 2 drops liquid stevia
  • Pinch of cloves

Scramble egg whites and flax over medium heat until almost done.  Add in sweet potato and toss to combine.  Cook 1 min more, just until the potato is warm.

In a small bowl mix together remaining ingredients to make the sauce.  Pour over the scramble and enjoy!

Serves 1.

***

The protein count for the day: 164.1g.  A little low… this work/workout schedule craziness is killin’ me, Smalls!

What is the last thing you forgot in the oven?  Anything?

It seems like everyone is stressing lately – are you entering the busy season full-force too?

Super Tuesday

By

You’re unique.

 

Just like everyone else.

It seems like everyone has done a “September Superlative” post!  I’m being a copy cat… but in a unique way because I’m doing it late.  😉

 

1. Most Popular:

Microwave Protein Cookie + WIAW – This nutty, protein-filled 30 second cookie was the most viewed post in September.  I also loved this post because it highlights a few of the many reasons women should lift weights. 

 

 

2. Most Likely to Win a Bar Fight

This Tequila-Lime Tilapia would kick your dinner’s butt.  And it would walk out in a perfectly straight line ’cause the booze (mostly) cooks out.

 

 

3. Most Versatile

What isn’t better layered like a parfait?  I’m awarding my Protein Parfait the Most Versatile because I’ve made it a million ways.  The original was a Tiramisu Protein Parfait, but September’s flavor-of-the-month is a Pumpkin Tiramisu.

 

A few friends have made their own versions.  Check out this Chocolate-Peanut Butter version from Sarena:

 

 

4. Most Unique

This is a no-brainer.  #sorryimnotsorry to be Captain Obvious, but most unique is all about the “Strange But Good” posts.   I’m craving peaches, so I’m going to call out the post with the Salmon-Peach Salad:

 

 

But you should check out the follow-up post for more #strangebutgood… like Mexican Hot Chocolate Protein Ice Cream.  If that’s still not enough strange, click on over to Lauren’s blog.  She’s featuring some weird combos today, including my PB & Jeggs!

 

 

5. Most Photogenic

It’s no secret that I abhor taking pics.  It’s a necessary evil for me as a blogger… so when I get one that I really like, I get excited.  This Fig and Edamame Salad with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette was pretty and delicious (fashionable and functional?). 

Honorable Mention

This isn’t a September post, but I have to give it some love… my Mexican Cauliflower “Rice” Bowl was included in Fitness Magazine’s 11 Easy Lunches to Lose Weight!

***

I wasn’t cool in high school, so no superlatives for me.  Even more reason to Bogart an entire blog post giving them to myself.  Bwhahaha!

Did you get a superlative in school?

What would your superlative be for the month of September?  Brag on yo’ self!

 

Markets, Foodies, and Fitness

By

Atlanta is a great place to be if you love food.

 

I love all of the restaurants, markets, a food events.  There is a Green Market across the street from my building every Saturday morning.  It’s where I pick up my farm-fresh eggs, tomatoes, and various other locally grown produce.

The market also features a weekly chef’s demo.  This week was Chef Daniel Chance from Campagnolo, an Italian restaurant in the neighborhood.  He made a tasty basil risotto with green bean from the market and a seared lamb with rosemary.  I was paying close attention as my next demo is in less than a week!

 

Atlanta also is a great spot to be a blogger.  We have a ton of bloggers in the metro area, as we all make an effort to get together on a regular basis.  This weekend was hard for people, but we managed to get a group of 5 together to meet in the park for a potluck picnic.

Clockwise, left to right: Alayna‘s Edamame-Avocado Hummus (to be included in her soon-to-be-released cookbook), Lee‘s Texas Caviar, Stacy‘s Oatmeal Cookies,  and my S’more Bars.  Heather brought coconut covered dates, but I failed to get a pic.

All of the food was wonderful, but even better was the chance to catch up with everyone.  We sat in the park and talked for a few hours – I didn’t notice it had gotten so late until my stomach began to growl again!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Foodie friends aren’t always local!  One of my favorite online blogger events is the Foodie PenPal program.  I love getting to try new things from across the country!

This month my “pal” was Sharlene @ Solar Cooking.  She was so sweet to put together a box of goodies I could eat on my training diet.  Admittedly, I was leery of the turkey jerky at first.  after a few people on Instagram encouraged me, I sucked it up and tried it.  It was really good!  Added bonus: it’s surprisingly low in sodium (for a jerky). 

 

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 October 4th as pairings will be emailed on October 5th!

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Workout Recap

This week was hard for me.  I have been feeling under the weather and wasn’t able to lift as heavy as I would have liked some days.  Working until 2 am almost every night could have been the culprit too…

We also added 100 pull ups (assisted – for now) to my repertoire.  Those are no joke.  I didn’t get them in every day due to feeling sick-y and  being pressed for time, but I’m starting out on Monday full-force!   Bicep day always makes me feel a little better, so here’s a pic from my favorite day:

 

 

I also had my first posing practice in a competition bikini.  I felt neekid.  There are pics… but I lack the kahunas to post them.  Less than 5 weeks out from competition… AHHHHH!

 

Workout Recap (9/24 – 9/30):

  • Monday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises, 60 pull-ups, 2 mile walk
  • Tuesday – Legs, 100 pull ups, 2 mile walk
  • Wednesday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 1 mile walk
  • Thursday – Shoulders/Butt, 2 mile walk
  • Friday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
  • Saturday – Legs (with Trainer), 2 mile walk
  • Sunday – Back/Tris

***

Closing in on competition will mean changes to the diet are coming.  I’ll miss you, S’mores Bars… 

How do you push through workouts when you’re not feeling 100%?
 
What would you send a foodie penpal to represent your hometown?

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