Cleanse Recap + A New Addition

February 27, 2012 By Laura

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)

Monday – Tris/Chest, Abs
Tuesday – This Pinterest workout (3x), This Legs/Glutes/Core routine, Bike Intervals, 100 push-ups
Wednesday – This Pinterest workout, Body Rock Fit Test, Shoulders, Abs
Thursday – Circuit workout out courtesy of Atlanta Fitness Diva (focus on glutes and hams)
Friday – Biceps/Back (super quick – late for work!)
Saturday – GAINfitness app Full Thrust Shred + abs, 100 push-ups
Sunday – This Pinterest workout (2x), 100 push-ups

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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?

Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta

February 24, 2012 By Laura

This has been the LONGEST week.

Maybe because I know I’m 3 days from NUT BUTTER?! That’s really been the biggest hole in my life. That and oatmeal, but going without oats has been a little easier since Atlanta has turned into San Diego with 65-70 degree temps.

Spiced Almond Butter

As I think about what foods will and will not enter back into my life after Sunday, I am thinking more and more about what it means to eat clean on a daily basis. Should I cut out meat completely? Dairy products? Eggs?

After the first Standard Process Cleanse I did in November of 2010, I drastically reduced my intake of red meat and sugar. It has made a HUGE difference in the way that I feel. Red meat and I don’t process well together. Does that mean I won’t help myself to a bite of the tasty burger you ordered? Nooooo… I quite like Sarah‘s concept of being “vegan with benefits.” Maybe we can start a movement, Miss. Smart?

Sugar will remain an item I try to avoid. There are so many great alternatives out there, you don’t really need it!

Candy @ Healthy in Candyland just wrote a great post on sugar and my favorite alternative – Xylitol. Apparently it could have anti-aging properties!

Check out my Chewy Granola Cookies for a great start to using xylitol in baking!

How will I eat on post-cleanse on Monday? I don’t yet know what the right answer is for me. I do know that I will enter into the non-cleanse world by reintroducing one “new” food at a time, and pay close attention to what my body says about it.

Cleanse or no cleanse, I WILL be making many of this week’s French vegan dishes again!

I ran into my friend and his partner in Whole Foods last night, and they shared with me that my Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes were on their menu! Keith (the “chef”) posted this pic later:

The two meat-eaters served vegan stuffed tomatoes with homemade organic Shepherd’s Pie with grass-fed Georgia beef and sweet potatoes, paired with a Vintage 2008 South Australian Shiraz.

Keith’s quote: “Props on the Vegan Goat Cheese girl! To die for!!!”

The next party dish I want to share is this Eggplant Bruschetta – installment #3 in the Vegan French Book Club Dinner Series (don’t you love how I made it so official-sounding?).

It was created a traditional bruschetta in mind, only the eggplant replaces the baguette to create a light, flavorful finger food.

Healthy and full of flavor, it was also the easiest dish.

Remember this Provençal Tomato Spread? I saved some and blended it with extra basil and olive oil to make a creamy sun-dried tomato-olive topping that was reminiscent of SDT pesto. It took less than 5 minutes. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am.

Topped with a little basil for color!

Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta

Olive oil
2 medium eggplants, cut in 1/2 inch slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
Provençal Tomato Spread
1/2 C fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray liberally with olive oil. Place eggplant rounds in a single layer on sheet. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast for 15 to 20 mins. Flip each piece, checking to be sure the undersides have browned and become and a bit puffy. If they’re not, cook a bit longer.

Once flipped, sprinkle them with more pepper and some garlic powder. Place pan back in the oven for ~15 mins, until the undersides brown to match the tops.

Meanwhile, blend 1/2 C of the Provençal Tomato Spread with basil. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add more olive oil (I added 2 tsp), if desired.

When the eggplant is cooked, arrange on a platter. Top each disk with 1-2 tsp of the purred provencal spread and a small bail leaf. Eat immediately.

Serves 8-10 as appetizers.

Note: Some people swear you don’t have to do this, but I always lay my sliced eggplant out, sprinkle generously with salt, and allow to sit for 10-15 mins. This helps remove some of the bitterness and excess moisture. If you do this, wipe off the excess moisture with a paper towel and proceed to bake as instructed.

***

3 days to go on the Standard Process Cleanse – I can’t believe it’s almost over! Like I said above, the idea is to add back one food at a time to see what you may be sensitive to…. I’m thinking nuts are coming back first! ~~That’s what she said.~~

What would you add back first post-cleanse?

Have you ever considered a vegan or vegetarian diet? What pushed you to do it or held you back?

Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

February 23, 2012 By Laura

Playing favorites isn’t fair.

No one ever said life was fair.

Everything I made for my vegan French book club dinner was good (I was kind of shocked)…. but we all have favorites, even if you won’t admit it. This is mine.

These vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes could probably get by on their looks alone. That isn’t why they were my favorite. ~~I’m not that shallow~~.

They were my favorite because of the cheese.

Inspired by this recipe from Alain Coumont, founder of Le Pain Quotidien cafés in France, I decided to take his concept and make it vegan. (Coincidentally, Le Pain Quotidien offers many vegan dishes.)

Everyone has some sort of vegan “cheese” they use in recipes. Often it’s cashew-based. Sometimes with nooch or any array of vegan products. It never really tastes like cheese.

With the exception of this tofu-based cheese. Tofu makes a GREAT sub for creamy cheeses like ricotta and goat cheese. (It made a helluva ricotta in this Eggplant Rollitini.)

This particular vegan version of tofu-cheese is a goat cheese. I swear to you – you would NEVER miss the real thing. The book club didn’t balk at all!

Goat cheese has a tanginess that was captured well with the lemon juice in this tofu creation. The miso lends a salty-sweetness to it, which helps bring out the cheesy side of the nutritional yeast.

Fantastic taste aside, the other plus to this recipe is that it’s easy… yet it looks impressive. There is a decent list of ingredients for the cheese, but you simply toss it all in the food processor. I love a one-bowl recipe!

Just be careful not to cut through the tomatoes when you scoop out the middles!

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Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

12 small-ish tomatoes
1 16 oz. pkg firm tofu, pressed
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1.5 T yellow miso
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1/4 C freshly-squeezed lemon juice (~1.5 lemons)
1/4 C yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano powder
3-4 T finely chopped basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 425.

Slice off the top 1/2 inch of each tomato and reserve the tops. Carefully scoop out the tomato cores and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin sliver off of the bottom of each tomato to help them stand up straight. Arrange the tomatoes in a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

Crumble pressed tofu into the bowl of a food processor. Add remaining ingredients for “cheese,” except the basil. Process until smooth. Add basil and pulse briefly to combine.

Spoon the “cheese” mixture into the tomatoes, filling them just to the brim. Cover with the tomato tops and drizzle lightly with additional olive oil.

Bake the tomatoes for 30-35 minutes, until beginning to brown in spots and the cheese is hot. Let stand for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm. (They’re also good leftover!)

Notes:

I do not have a tofu press. Instead I drained the tofu, cut it in half horizontally, and wrapped it in paper towels. Then I stacked a load of cookbooks on top and let it press for 10-15 mins.
The cheese mixture can be made up to 2 days in advance. In fact, they are better on day 2 once the flavors fully marry. If you do this, do not add basil until just before you bake.

***

Tomorrow is Eggplant Bruschetta! Next week is the Salade Niçoise with Tempeh “Tuna”… then you’ll have a fully vegan-ized French-themed party spread! 🙂

What’s your favorite “veggi-tized” recipe? Or is there one you’d like to see made vegan/vegetarian?

What other dishes would you use a vegan goat cheese for? I’m making another batch this weekend!

Provençal Tomato Spread + WIAW

February 22, 2012 By Laura

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?

Butternut Squash Chia Pudding

February 21, 2012 By Laura

Book Club dinners when you’re on a cleanse are hard.

They’re even harder when you’re hosting and therefore responsible for food. The icing on the cake is that the theme is French (to go with this month’s book selection). Who ever heard of French vegan food?!

~~This may have had me sweating a bit.~~

So I said to myself: Man up. You can do this thing. ~~I think.~~

Predictably, I’m got a late start today so the details will have to come later, but it went really well! Like, 100x better than I expected.

The menu included:

Provençal Spread and Veggies
Salade Niçoise with Tempeh “Tuna”
Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with (vegan!) Goat Cheese
Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta

I warned everyone ahead of time that it would be a clean dinner… and they subsequently brought meats, desserts, and wine. 🙂

~~French wine~~ Dessert was the saddest thing for me to miss. There are so many possibilities for making French desserts that would have been fun to create. There will be many other dessert opportunities in my life though. And bottles of French wine.

In order to feel a little less left out, I created my own dessert to enjoy. And you know what… I can honestly say it was satisfying. ~~(But I did swoon a little over homemade banana pudding.~~)

Chia pudding has long been a breakfast favorite. As of last night, it’s been upgraded to dessert.

No this isn’t chocolate cake. But it is good.

Made like a traditional chia pudding (chia + liquid + congeal in the fridge), the twist here is the sweet squash and a quick blend at the end.

The cocoa-flavored stevia did give it notes of chocolate-y goodness. I also loved the classic pie flavors the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg lent the dish.

A spin mix in the Magic Bullet at the end smoothed out the chia to make this like the pudding you grew up eating, (Thanks to Kasey @ Power Cakes for the idea!)

Yes, you can have your pudding even if you don’t eat your meat.

Butternut Squash Chia Pudding

1/2 butternut squash, roasted
3/4 C unsweetened coconut milk
1 T chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
7-8 drops cocoa stevia
Shake of salt

In a small bowl, mash up butternut squash until it becomes a puree (some small pieces are ok). Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins (or overnight for breakfast). The chia will absorb most of the liquid.

Place mix in a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) and blend until smooth (about 20 seconds). Remove, place in bowl, and enjoy!

Note: This would make a great post-workout snack! Just add a scoop of protein powder and increase the amount of liquid you mix in.

Unfamiliar with the benefits of chia? Click here for my post on why they rock!

***

I cannot wait to share the rest of the meal with you all!

For those with diet restrictions, do you ever feel left out in food-centric social settings? How do you navigate?

Has anyone ever been to France? I’m thinking that may be this year’s big trip…

Sesame Root Veggie Fries

February 20, 2012 By Laura

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 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)

Monday – This Body Rock Day 1 Wk 4, Bike (intervals), 100 push-ups
Tuesday – This Body Rock Day 2 Wk 4, Tris/Chest, 100 push-ups
Wednesday – This Body Rock Day 3 Wk 4, Shoulders, Abs, 100 push-ups
Thursday – This Body Rock Day 4 Wk 4, 100 push-ups
Friday – 1.25 mile run, Biceps/Back, Abs
Saturday – Spin class, CrossFit-style workout, 6 min plank rotation
Sunday – 60 mins bike-elliptical-treadmill (intervals), 100 push-ups

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?

No Beans About It: Butternut Thyme Hummus

February 17, 2012 By Laura

Trivia question.

Winner gets a $25 bar tab. Kidding…

What is the most expensive drink at Starbucks? A $9 Grande Latte with a few fancy add-ins? $15 with some extra espresso shots?

According to this article from Eater, the most expensive drink you can order is $23.60! Lucky for him, the customer had a free drink coupon.

Source: eater.com

This monstrosity was a Trenta (I didn’t even know that was a size) Java Chip Frappuccino with 16 shots of espresso, a shot of soy milk, caramel flavoring, banana puree, strawberry puree, vanilla beans, Matcha powder, protein powder, and a drizzle of caramel and mocha.

It reportedly didn’t even taste good.

One of the hardest parts of being on this cleanse is not having hummus. Like any good blogger, hummus is a staple food for me. It has its own level on my personal food pyramid.

Remember this pic from Wednesday?

As I was roasting squash this weekend, I remembered a hummus I made last summer using butternut squash rather than chickpeas.

This is a new version of that, with thyme being the herb addition rather than rosemary. I don’t know which I like better!

My butternut was one of the sweetest I’ve ever had. Some of that is probably the squash itself, but I also roasted it longer than I usually do. ~~Truth: I kind of forgot it was in the oven.~~

The longer bake time resulted in a sweet glaze on the squash. When I lifted it off to the foil I baked it on, I noticed a caramel had formed on the bottom where the juices spilled over. I promptly ate that up.

Squash caramel aside, you should try this hummus. It’s wonderful with veggies and crackers. Thin it out with some apple cider vinegar and water for a salad dressing. Spread it on a sandwich.

Serve it as an appetizer with crudités and a yeasty sparkling wine (*drool*).

You really can’t go wrong.

Butternut Thyme Hummus

2 C butternut squash, roasted
2 cloves garlic
2 T fresh thyme
1 T tahini
1/4 tsp cayenne
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
S+P, to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Adjust spices, salt, and pepper to your preference.

Makes 1.5 cups.

***

Tonight is another cleanse dinner. We lost one cleanse buddy, but my BFF and I are still going strong! I’m making root veggie fries to go with her homemade tomato soup… it’s our version of french fries and ketchup.

What are you doing this weekend? Any fun adventures planned?

What is your favorite hummus flavor?

Butternut Squash-Cherry Bomb +WIAW

February 15, 2012 By Laura

We’re half way there… whoaaaa, livin’ on a prayer…

Last Wednesday I shared with you all that 2 friends and I began the Standard Process Cleanse. Which means this is another super-clean What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW). And by Wednesday, I mean Tuesday. 🙂

10 days in to the cleanse (half way – woot!), I can honestly say that I haven’t been hungry one time. Veggies are really filling! Admittedly, eating and plant-based diet with no processed foods or breads is more time consuming. The key is to be sure you are prepared.

For instance, on Sunday I roasted beets, butternut squash, and spaghetti squash. Easy fixin’s for smoothies, salads, and “pastas.”

Don’t forget to check out Jenn’s blog to see what everyone else at this Wednesday during this veggie-centric month!

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