Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Zombies are Coming + WIAW

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Zombies have taken over the South.

Well, the idea of zombies has.  Seriously – zombies are “cool” now.  Clearly I am not cool because I don’t get it.  They taped an episode of some zombie TV show outside of my office a few months ago, people are all about zombie movies… and today I saw this while driving:

If they are coming, at least I was behind a Zombie Apocalypse Response Vehicle.

Time for something I DO understand: What I Ate Wednesday.  How about a zombie themed WIAW next, Jenn?

Check out my eats below; then click here to hop on to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see what everyone else ate Wednesday!

Breakfast:

I had an appointment with a trainer later in the afternoon, so this morning I skipped over my traditional protein smoothie in favor of the last Pumpkin Zucchini Muffin in my freezer.

I topped it with a peanut icing (peanut flour, almond milk, and cinnamon), and enjoyed it with Banana Cream Pie yogurt… which I stirred more peanut flour and cinnamon into.  Nom.

Lunch:

Total salad porn.  It tasted just as decadent as it looks.

In my salad:

  • Spinach
  • Cabbage
  • Alfalfa sprouts
  • Tomato
  • Sprouted adzuki beans
  • Cashew pieces
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Local, farm-fresh runny egg

Dinner:

After the first Italian Baked Broccoli Slaw win, I had to try it again.

This one was similar, but I used a few different veggies.  I think I like this even better!  The red onion was the perfect addition.  Other additions:

  • 1/2 package broccoli slaw
  • Portobello mushroom
  • Alfalfa sprouts
  • Zucchini
  • Radishes
  • Red onion
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Herbs de Provence
  • 1 C roasted garlic marinara sauce
 I just realized how weird that combo sounds… but really, what isn’t good when slathered in marinara sauce?

Snacks:

It was a snack-y day.  This may not look like much, but check out my lunch and dinner.  You better believe I snacked on all those veggies while I was chopping them for each meal.

Clockwise from the top left: Sweet Potato Pie Protein Shake (in a bowl with a cherry on top), watermelon (the first perfect one of the season!), Fitmixer Berry BCAA Powder mixed in water, carrot sticks, and a new late-night muffin creation (recipe to come).

***

Needless to say, I just got carried away stocked up at the Farmer’s Market.  You would think I had a family of 5 with all the veggies in my fridge.

Are zombies “in” where you live?  Do you get it?

What is the best thing you ate this Wednesday?

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Ice Cream

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I’ve been keeping secrets.

A few weeks ago you were all asking what this ice cream creation was:

It still needed some tweaking… and to avoid scaring people off I re-dressed it.  It’s not easy being green.

This was the end result:

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Ice Cream.

Sweet potatoes have long been abused.  For years they been drowned with brown sugar and marshmallows at your grandmother’s Thanksgiving table.  These tasty ‘taters don’t need to be hidden by all that sugar-laden stuff!

It’s time they were liberated.  In fact, sweet potatoes don’t even need to be served hot to be delicious.  It’s 80 degrees outside!  Let’s celebrate with ice cream.  And peanut butter.

Beware: it will soften in the sun while you take pics

This sweet, nutty creation was especially good with the cinnamon and ginger additions.  Just enough to add a hint of flavor, these spices brought out the sweetness of the potato and highlighted the peanut element.

Topped with a little more cinnamon and enjoyed in the sunshine, this was the perfect afternoon treat.

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Sweet Potato-Peanut Butter Ice Cream

  • 1 medium garnet sweet potato, baked
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
  • 1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 in piece of ginger
  • 2 T peanut flour (can sub peanut or other nut butter)
  • 8 drops stevia
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of guar gum (or other thickener)
  • 2 C ice

Place all ingredients in Vitamix.  Turn on machine and increase speed to #10; then to high. Use the tamper as needed to press the mixture into the blades while processing. In ~45 seconds, four mounds will form in the mixture.  Stop blending and serve immediately.

Note: Do not over-mix or your ice cream will melt. If your ice cream is more of a milkshake, firm it up by adding more ice cubes.

You may also use an ice cream maker; prepare according to maker instructions.

Serves 2.

***

I must have been strange kid because I didn’t even like the marshmallow-topped casserole stuff back in the day.

Do you like all of that ‘mallowed up casserole of your youth?

What is your favorite flavor or ice cream?

A Cure + WIAW

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The mystery has been solved.

I think.

Since mid-January I haven’t been able to run due to a strange knee pain.  After seeing a PT and seeing no improvement, I paid a visit to my old chiropractor.  This is the guy that fixed my right knee a couple of years ago.  Why did I wait so long to see him for my left knee?

The theory is that I have Patellofemoral Syndrome.  In English, I have Runner’s Knee.  Damaged cartilage under my knee cap (patella) from years of abuse.  I didn’t realize your knee cap wasn’t supposed to crunch when you push down on it…

 

 

The plan is for me to see the Doc regularly and do some daily “homework.”  I have one exercise to strengthen my inner quad, a quad stretch, a way to push on my knee cap to break up scar tissue, and then I end with 10 mins of ice.  In one week I try running again and see what happens.

 

Speaking of afflictions… in Georgia we have had record pollen counts.  Thank god I don’t have allergies.  A stuffy nose would certainly affect my taste, which would make Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday less fun!  Who wants to eat when they can’t taste?

The green theme continues… and is especially appropriate since I ate lunch outside and fell victim to the yellow-green pollen film.

 

 

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Breakfast:

I pre-gamed my workout with this Raspberry Barked Oatmeal To-Go.  Delicious from the freezer and zapped in the micro for 30 seconds.

 

 

My post workout protein smoothie was a lovely red and green.  Translation: brown. 

 

It was this Beet-Citrus creation from Valentine’s Day; however, I added more spinach this time.  Hence the brown.


Lunch:

Like any good American, I love Mexican.

Today’s lunch featured a couple of tacos made from collard greens.

 

In my tacos:

  • Pinto bean dip
  • Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Burger
  • Carrots
  • Avocado
  • Tomato
  • Salsa verde
  • Cumin
  • Nutritional Yeast

 

Best new lunch idea in recent memory.  These are going into regular rotation!

 

 

Snacks:

It was a carb-y snack day.  Mostly brought to you by Trader Joe’s: Rice and Bean Chips, Sweet Potato Chip Rounds, Popcorn, and a Cherry-Dark Chocolate KIND bar.

 

 

Un-pictured: kombucha and mixed nuts.

 

Dinner:

A  night out with mama at a new -to-us place called Three Sheets.  Cute name, right?

Hummus, falafel, veggies, and lamb for mom.  Of course, there was a bottle of wine involved. 🙂

***

I wish I could type what I’m thinking right now… la-la-la-la-la….

Weekly vote-begging time! I was honored with a nomination as a “Best Healthy Eating Blog” for the 2012 Fitterati Blog Awards on FitnessMagazine.com.  I know I’m never going to reach the 1000+vote mark, but I’d be flattered if you felt inclined to click here and vote for me. 🙂

Are you getting dumped on by pollen too?

What is your favorite Trader Joe’s treat?

 

Building Blocks

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The human body is pretty incredible.

25 days ago (pre-cleanse) I was nowhere near the abs I wanted.  My diet was not terrible, but could use improvement.  I was lifting weights, but had hit a plateau with my upper body and all but neglecting legs.  It was time to take the next step in building a better me.

The pictures below are my progress:

The top pic is upper body.  I’ve managed to up my weight on many exercises, not the least of which is lat raises.  Those has always been a weak point for me.

The bottom left ab pic was taken at week 2 of the cleanse and the right was taken yesterday (11 days later… I promise I washed this outfit in that time).  I wish I’d had a before!  I’ve ALWAYS wanted 6-pack abs and I’m so close right now it hurts.

This is thanks to 25 days of pushing harder and building a solid foundation with a clean, plant-based diet.  It can be done!

Believe in yourself and anything is possible.

I also have to make a confession – I almost didn’t post the ab pic.  In fact, yesterday I posted it on Instagram and purposefully didn’t like it to Twitter.  I was scared to share my progress with a larger audience!

Then I remembered this post by Lindsay where she showed off her incredible abdominals.  She posted her post-baby ab pic to celebrate hard work, to motivate, and because she was PROUD.  And she should take pride in her hard work paying off!

Change is hard!  It’s overwhelming to begin cleaning up your diet.

In the spirit of building, here’s how I built a healthy lunchtime wrap.  At least it was supposed to be a wrap… I got a little carried away with the fillings. 🙂

Step 1:

Prep veggies and slather a tortilla with spread.  I used my Raw Sweet Potato Hummus.

Step 2:

Layer your veggies on the tortilla.

My Fillings:

  • Kale
  • Broccoli and mustard sprouts
  • Beets (raw)
  • Asparagus (raw)
  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Lentils  – ***These are key to making your wrap filling.  Lentils are prepared for the week every Sunday so I can quickly add bulk and protein to veggie dishes.***

Step 3:

Attempt to wrap the monstrosity up!  I had to eat the carrots in the side to make way for the lentils.

Step 4:

Devour.

***

Tomorrow I am trying out CrossFit for the first time!  I love a new workout. 🙂

Have you ever tried CrossFit?  Do you have any tips to share?

Celebrate Friday with some self-love – What accomplishment are you proud of?

Raw Sweet Potato Hummus + WIAW

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Can eating too much orange food really tint your skin?

I think I may be in danger.  

Between the carrots and sweet potatoes I’ve been eating today, I’m going to look like a Jersey Girl.  GTL!

For real – it’s called Carotenosis.

 

Luckily Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday doesn’t go green until March.  Orange fits perfectly with the February vegetable theme.

 

Breakfast:

This morning I met my boss for breakfast a “famous” local breakfast spot, The Flying Biscuit.  While boss-man is used to my picture-taking, my stomach wasn’t used to waiting so late to eat.  Totally forgot to take a picture.

No matter.  My tofu scramble wasn’t that great.  I would have rather had my homemade Indian-Inspired Tofu Scramble:

Lunch:

My Foodie Penpal, Laura, has created a monster.  I made another round of Bibimbap using the ingredients she sent me in this month’s package.

It’s an addiction.  That crunchy rice and  spicy sauce ain’t whack.

Click here to check out the recipe I posted yesterday.  The only change today was that I served it with cucumber rather than carrots.

Snacks:

First us was my first juice creation in the Vitamix.  It was all veggie and all delish!  This was a post workout snack, so I added my Sun Warrior protein powder.  I was worried that would make it a weird consistency, but it was quite pleasant!

In my juice:

  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp maca
  • 1 C spinach
  • Handful of wheat grass
  • 1/4 C parsley
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 in piece of ginger
  • 3-4 drops stevia
  • 2 in piece of cinnamon (I tossed a real stick in and it WORKED!)
  • 1/2 C water

Snack #2 was a recipe I’ve had marked from Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen.  Can you guess what this deliciousness is?

RAW Sweet Potato Hummus.  It was insanely good, and an embarrassing amount was consumed… much of it straight from the blender.  I made a few modifications (recipe at the end of this post).

The only difference in using a raw sweet potato is that it isn’t quite as sweet as it would be if it had cooked and caramelized a bit.  To me, this makes it a perfect hummus candidate.

The liquid smoke added a neat dimension with the nutty-sweet tahini, and the spices were just enough to give it a kick on the end.  Even cooler was the addition of Meyer lemon and miso.  These added some sweetness, along with a little tang and saltiness!

Of course, I also had my daily Kombucha!  Served from my growler of Buchi Fire from Whole Foods.

Dinner:

The orange didn’t stop at snack time.  Even post-cleanse I have been craving an increasing amount of raw food.  For dinner I ate the rainbow in the form of this giant salad.

In my salad:

  • Spinach
  • Broccoli and radish sprouts
  • Shredded red cabbage
  • Cucumber
  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Tomato
  • Onions
  • Sweet Potato Hummus Dressing (1 T hummus + 1 T apple cider vinegar + 2 drops stevia)
  • Angela @ Oh She Glows’ Endurance Crackers

Angela’s Endurance Crackers have been on my list to try for a long time as well.  I needed something to go with all that hummus, so today seemed the perfect day to try them out!  My only modification was to use 2 tsp of the Ras al Hanout spice blend made for my Babaganoush Soup rather than her onion-salt-herb blend.

If you haven’t tried this recipe, I highly recommend it.  I’d love to try a sweet-cinnamon version in the future!

Dessert:

Cinnamon-Vanilla Ice Cream.  The Vitamix was me on a wintertime ice cream bender.  I was working late and felt yet another treat bowl was in order.  Thank god it can be made healthy!  This purple bowl inefficiently hides a “secret” ingredient.

The ice cream blend is really easy – unsweetened vanilla almond milk, vanilla, stevia, cinnamon, and ice… and the secret ingredient.  Purple Cabbage.

I know you think I’ve lost it, but I swear on my shoe collection that not a trace of cabbage taste could be detected.

 

Sweet Potato Hummus

Modified from this recipe from Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen

  • 1 medium sweet potato (raw and unpeeled)
  • 2 T tahini
  • 4-5 drops liquid smoke
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 Meyer lemon
  • 1 T water
  • 1 tsp yellow miso
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 T fresh thyme

Toss everything in food processor or blender and until smooth.

Note: If using Vitamix, toss the whole lemon in; otherwise, only use the juice of the lemon.

Make 1.5 cups.

***

Spicie Foodie’s “Your Best Recipe” for the month of Feburary is up today!  Hop over to her site to check out my Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes and everyone else’s awesome contributions!

Do you ever intentionally try to eat more raw food?

Do you watch Jersey Shore?  I’m amazed at how passionate people are about it!

Cleanse Recap + A New Addition

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There is a new addition in my family.

 

Hang with me and you’ll see what the addition is and why I went for it…

Friday night we had another cleanse buddies dinner.  My friend Kathleen decided to begin the cleanse on Friday, so Mallory and I had a great time re-hashing our experiences with her.  (Click here for the “rules” and post #1.)

 

My first experience doing this cleanse was in November of 2010.  It was HARD.  My eating habits were not clean – I ate too many burgers, drank too much booze, and had a sugar addiction.  Needless to say, the first few days were a shock to my body.  I was tried, cold, and grouchy.  And constipated.

1 week before the 2010 cleanse

 

This time around I didn’t have as difficult a time.  My eating habits had remained fairly clean since that first cleanse; however, I noticed some old habits beginning to creep in and wanted to give my body a little reminder of how good clean feels.

 

Some observations:

  • Caffeine wasn’t as hard as I thought to give up.  My friend, Mallory, who also cleansed noted that after day 4 she actually had MORE energy without her previous 5-6 caffeinated beverages a day habit.
  • My overall energy level was excellent.  I slept better and the circles under my eyes lightened.
  • Digestively speaking… I’ve always struggled with “regularity.”  That was all better by day 3 of the cleanse.
  • At the risk of TMI, I must warn you to beware of gas – all of those greens are potent.  It’s healthy, but others around you may not appreciate that. 😉
  • My daily exercise didn’t change, and there wasn’t any difference with the amount of effort I was able to exert.  In fact, I increased my weight toward then end of week 2.  Popeye was on to something!
  • Creatively this cleanse has been a win.  Tighter food parameters force you to think outside of the box, which has resulted in some of the best meals I’ve had in a while.
  • Weight loss was NOT my goal.  I maintained my weight throughout the cleanse.  Again, my eating habits didn’t drastically change and I made an effort to have an extra protein shake or chia pudding every day.  My cleanse buddy’s eating habits changed pretty drastically… she lost 10 lbs!!!  Congrats, my bestie!
  • Hunger was never a problem.  People were always asking “aren’t you starving?”  Nope.  You would be shocked how filling veggies can be.  I actually was forcing myself to eat more some days!  I also planned ahead (see tips below) to make sure I was never caught without a food option.

 

 

The most common question I’ve been asked is surrounding how time-consuming making all of this food is.  The short answer is that yes, it takes more time.

The longer answer is that it isn’t that hard if you PLAN.  I have a full-time job and am perpetually running late – I’m not someone who has hours to spend on cooking during the week.  My cleanse-buddy has a full-time job, a 7 month old baby, and a husband that travels all week.  If we can eat clean, you can too!

 

 

Here are some ways to make clean eating easier, whether you are cleansing or simply trying to eat better.

Preparation tips:

  • Bookmark/pin/note recipes you like and write down your weekly menu.  This way when you go to make your grocery list and/or prepare meals, you can do so quickly and not worry about scrounging through the fridge to see what you could throw together.
  • Reserve time to prepare food.  On Sunday nights I make a big pot of soup, roast veggies (squash, beets, eggplant, etc), pre-cook wild rice and/or lentils, and pre-cut veggies.
  • Always keep snacks on hand.  If you are anything like me, when you don’t have anything to eat you go into “panic” mode and have the urge to grab whatever is nearby.  Don’t let that happen!  Keep veggie sticks, fresh fruit, and other healthy snack items on hand so you never have to worry.
  • Don’t be afraid to get creative.  Creative doesn’t mean difficult (these roasted tomatoes looked impressive, but were incredibly easy), but it does mean you won’t get bored with your food and abandon clean eating.  There’s no need to eat a salad every meal.
  • Prepare extra food.  Leftovers make great work-bag lunches and are easy to grab when you end up getting home later than you intended.
  • Get a good blender.  Smoothies are fast and easy, especially in the morning as you’re rushing to get ready for work.  They are also an easy way to get extra protein by adding a scoop of a good (low-sugar) protein powder, and an extra serving of veggies add a cup of spinach (the only evidence is the color).  I love my Magic Bullet because it makes the drink right in the cup… I also love my new toy.

 

A HUGE bonus to the cleanse was cost savings.  My pre-cleanse spending habits cost me about $300 more each week than I spent on the cleanse.  That means I’ve saved $900 in 3 weeks.

My bad influence friend Kathleen suggested that I take that some of that money and use it on something to help me maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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Aaaaaand that brings me to the new addition.

 

I got a VITAMIX!!! I’ve had it for 2 days and it has already changed my life.  They are pricy…. but I think it’s going to be worth every penny.

Saturday night I celebrated with Sweet Potato Ice Cream.

Vitamix > Magic Bullet

 

Sunday morning I celebrated with a thick Carrot-Mango-Ginger Smoothie.  I’ve never had such a smooth, delicious breakfast.  I’ll be adding ginger to everything I can now; it added a great zing without overshadowing the sweetness from the carrot and the mango.

Check out the recipe at the bottom of this post.  I’m dying of happiness.

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This week was a little ADD in terms of workouts.  I didn’t have a clear focus of what I wanted to do and have (once again) been slacking on cardio.  I find it really hard to do without being able to run!

I DID do my final BodyRock fit test.  Extreme soreness had me waiting a couple of days, and clearly I didn’t stick to the 30 days exactly.  Each move is done for 50 seconds, with a 10 second rest in between.  I didn’t really except to see much more progress… but I did make a little more!  Funny thing is that I’m getting worse at burpees.  I blame the push-ups leading in to them.

 

There were a couple of fun new workouts this week.  Atlanta Fitness Diva gym contacted me asking if I’d like to try a workout.  Of course I would!  That took place Thursday and kicked my butt.  Literally.  We focused on glutes and I am STILL sore.  They are a but pricey to join, but I really enjoyed the small-group circuits we did.

 

The other new addition was the GAINfitness app.  Cait @ Beyond Bananas posted about it last week.  This app will let you tell it time, equipment available, and what you want to focus on and then put together a workout for you.  All you do it hit “start” and it walks you through with a timer for rest periods!  Check out  Cait’s post for a more thorough explanation.

 

Workout Recap (2/20 – 2/26)

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Carrot-Mango-Ginger Smoothie

  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1/4 large mango
  • 1-in piece of fresh ginger
  • 1/2 C unsweetened coconut milk (or other liquid)
  • 1 tsp maca (optional)
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 capful vanilla extract
  • 6-7 drops liquid stevia
  • Ice, to taste (I used a LOT)

 

Place everything in blender and mix to combine.

Top as desired (I sprinkled some flax and cinnamon), and enjoy!

***

Sunday I was honored to make the FoodBuzz Top 9 for my Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes.  Thank you for the Buzz, and welcome new friends! 🙂

Also, it’s time for the February edition of Spicie Foodie’s Your Best Recipe.  Click the badge for more info on joining, and be sure to check back when recipes are posted on March 1st!

Do you have a Vitamix?  Please share recipes! 🙂

Do you have any tips for eating well?

 

Provençal Tomato Spread + WIAW

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Is it just me…

or are more people are going plant-based?

I started reading restaurant menus (because that’s what I do for fun) to see who has veg-friendly offerings and it has really impressed me that most restaurants offer some sort of vegetarian/vegan dish that is more than pasta drowning in oily stir-fried vegetables.

It warms my plant-based, cleansing heart.

Jenn has also warmed my heart by hosting this month’s What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW) in the theme of  vegetable.

Breakfast:

I post a lot of smoothies… most of them are really good despite their color.  In case you ever questioned my honesty/sanity/taste-buds, I must admit to you that this smoothie was not great.

Blueberries do not go with avocado.  The.  End.

On happier note, I did get confirmation that my Valentine’s Roasted Beet and Orange Smoothie was indeed good.  Check out this pic from reader Ashley, who tweeted: “The verdict is in… yummy!”

Thanks to Ashley for the feedback a lovely pic!

Lunch:

Monday night’s french-themed book club left me with some leftovers (thank god because I woke up LATE).

See that pretty stuffed tomato?  I promise to share the recipe with you tomorrow.  It was really friggin’ good… and deserving of it’s very own post. 🙂

I ate that atop a leftover eggplant-seitan stir-fry and some lentils.

Snacks:

Kombucha!  Whole Foods was out of my favorite Buchi Fire, but they were having a sale on GT’s.  I was sad to see this bottom of this bottle.

Snack time was a bag full of veggies with a simple, herb-y Provençal dip left over from the par-tay.  I loved the colors in this dish, and the briny saltiness from the capers and sun-dried tomatoes were perfect paired with crisp veggies for dipping.  (Recipe at the bottom of this post)

How cute is the reusable baggie?  My mom got it for me… it’s from Snack Taxi, but I think she got it at The Container Store.  I’m going green left and right!

Dinner:

I felt like I needed more raw food in my life after a heavier lunch, so dinner was a colorful salad.  A massive, colorful salad.  This was not served on a tiny salad plate:

In my ensalada:

  • Arugula
  • Broccoli and radish sprouts
  • Shredded brussels (raw)
  • Grapefruit
  • Beets
  • French green beans
  • Cucumber
  • Red onion
  • Tempeh croutons 
  • Lemon-thyme vinaigrette
  • Sprinkle of cardamom, salt, and pepper

If you haven’t eaten beets with grapefruit before, you should do so immediately.  I’m not talking those sour grapefruits – get the vibrant pink sweet ‘fruits that are in season right now.  #Nom 

Dessert:

This Sweet Potato Pie Chia Pudding I posted earlier this month made an appearance.  I added a pinch of cardamom to the mix last night, which was fabulous.  However…

I didn’t take a picture because I was too pissed at myself for doing this:

Another one bites the dust…

At least I’d just had a relaxing Hour of Happiness after work so the string of words that came outta my mouth weren’t as bad as they could have been. 😉

Diffusion de Tomate Provençal (Provençal Tomato Spread)

Modified from this recipe by Kathleen Flynn

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped
  • 15 Nicoise olives (or Kalamata), chopped
  • 2 tsp capers, chopped
  • 2 T rosemary
  • 1/2 -1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 C fresh basil, chiffonade (cut into thin strips)

Warm olive oil over medium heat in a small pan.  Add bell pepper and onions, and sauté until soft.  Add garlic and cook a minute more until fragrant.  Add chopped tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and vinegar and cook over low heat for another 7-8 mins.  Remove from heat.

When cool, add basil.  Add pepper to taste.

Note: This can be made up to 2 days in advance.  If making in advance, do not add basil until just before serving.  Taste again and adjust spices as they settle.

This is delicious with crackers, veggie sticks, or even atop grilled tofu or chicken.

Serves 8-10 as an appetizer/dip.

***

The floor is still sticky from that spill.  I swear I’ll clean it up before the next dinner at my house tonight.

Can anyone relate.. any recent mishaps?

Do you find that the world is becoming more vegetarian and/or vegan-friendly?

Sesame Root Veggie Fries

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I can be really lame.

Saturday night I put the French station on Pandora and curled up in my PJs to finish my book for tonight’s book club,  The Sharper the Knife, The Less You Cry.  It’s my turn to host this week and I terrified everyone with promises of cleansing food.  A flurry of emails volunteering meat, desserts, and wine followed.  Whatever – I think my food is good!  😉

Anyhow… Saturday while reading I snacked on lavar and kombucha… and it was one of the most glorious nights ever.  Cheers to fermented tea, PJs, and being lame.

Here’s what I thought of the book:

The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking SchoolThe Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World’s Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun, easy read. The book is well-written; it isn’t going to be a classic, but if you love food you’ll enjoy it. It is an eye-opener for anyone who’s dreamed of going to Le Cordon Bleu. I don’t know that I could stomach some of the butchering they were required to do! The best part is that she includes recipes for some of her favorite dishes.

View all my reviews

That pretty much sums up my weekend.  I worked out with 2 friends on Saturday morning (2 separate workouts – I was gassed!).  The second work out was followed up with this Butternut-Cherry Bomb protein shake… I made one for my “normal” eating workout buddy too and she loved it despite its color!!!  It kind of made my day.

Other than that it was an anti-social, errand-running weekend.  Perfectly punctuated with fries.  Surprise, I got a little too excited over dinner.

These baked Sesame Root Veggie Fries were better than the real thing to me!  Disclaimer: I don’t actually like white potatoes.

The seasoning I came up with is one I’ll be repeating in other dishes – the sweet coconut oil combined with the nutty sesame seeds, a little cayenne heat, and a touch of cinnamon made my taste buds jump for joy.  It was like some Thai-fry-fusion gloriousness.

Served with a side of dijon-spiked lentils.

I loved the parsnips.  They were the most french fry-like of the mix, and their milder taste lets the seasoning shine.

The beets didn’t wow me.  They weren’t bad, but their flavor overpowered the rub.

You know it’s good when the decision about which piece to save for the last bite is a tough one.  The sweet potato ended up being the last bite – that added sweetness from the potato made it seem almost like dessert.

Recipe at bottom of post.

This week was killer for weights.  I’m still “meh” on the cardio… I attempted to run again on Friday and had to give it up after 1.25 miles due to the pain.  Saturday I was able to tag along with a friend to a spin class.  It was awesome! Such a different workout for me.  A different workout that meant I was so sore Sunday I didn’t do my final BodyRock fit test.  That’s going to happen over a lunch workout today – I can’t wait to see the progress, and to start the February challenge!

I also checked out a new workout in this month’s Food & Wine.  This is a routine I could get into.  Who’s with me? 🙂

Workout Recap (2/13 – 2/19)

Sesame Root Veggie Fries

Inspired by YumUniverse

  • 1 medium beet
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 parsnip
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2 – 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp liquid coconut oil
  • S+P, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place sesame seeds, cayenne, and cinnamon into a small food processor (I use my Magic Bullet) and blend until seeds are broken into tiny pieces (~20 secs).

Slice veggies into thin slices and spread evenly across a foil-lined baking sheet.  Pour melted coconut oil over the veggies, sprinkle seed mixture over it, and toss until evenly combined.

Bake for 30-45 mins, tossing once halfway through.

Enjoy!

***

Sunday I was honored to make the FoodBuzz Top 9 for my Butternut Thyme Hummus.  Thanks for the Buzz, friends! 🙂

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Is anyone else in a book club?  What is the last book you read?

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