protein shake in a bowl

I know we talk a lot about protein shakes around here, but I'll be honest—if it's not wine, I don't love drinking my calories.  Drinking just doesn't say, "Wow, that was a great meal." like something that requires cutlery might.

Lucky for me, I found out that the addition of some gums transforms an ordinary protein shake into one that rivals one of my favorite foods of all time...frozen yogurt.  Frozen yogurt and I go way back; in fact, I'm pretty sure I lived on the stuff my final year of college.  A bowl full of the chunkiest frozen yogurt I could find, topped with Golden Grahams cereal, got me through many exams and morning shifts as a Starbucks barista.

Fast forward a couple years and I'm still a frozen dessert diehard, but I've cleaned up my act.  Dairy has been swapped for almond milk, Golden Grahams for organic, unsweetened shredded coconut and chocolate for unsweetened cocoa and mocha cappucino protein powder.  *Almost* the same?  As someone who had thought it'd be forever before I'd have anything close to fro-yo, the answer's a resounding "YES."

The gums and ice beef up a single-serving shake into a generous and filling bowl of creamy, almost-frozen yogurt. I happily have this for lunch, dinner or both.  Flavor combos are seemingly limitless, and it's a good excuse to buy all other kinds of mix-ins (can you say cacao nibs?!!?!).

Protein Shake in a Bowl
adapted from HEAB

1 cup Almond Breeze, unsweetened vanilla
1 heaping scoop protein (I used mocha cappucino flavor)
1.5 T unsweetened cocoa
10 drops vanilla stevia
1/2 tsp guar gum
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
ice

Blend everything but the ice.  Once mixture is smooth, blend ice in batches until it's thick like ice cream.  Stir or top with mix-ins.  Note: More ice is not necessarily better. If you add too much, you lose the flavor of the protein, so just add enough to get the consistency you want.

junk dinner?

After a long work week, I took my pilates trainer's suggestion and hit the gym for some swimming. I am pushing it when I claim to be a runner, so I have no shame in admitting that I am in no way a swimmer. In my gym membership's 5 year lifespan, I have hit the pool twice. I consider this a victory.

I was famished by the time I got home! Scanning my fridge, I thought I would follow the tone of my day's lunch and throw everything I had in my skillet. I know it isn't trendy to be "matchy matchy" but bare with me. Hmmm...that left me with some odds and ends and the bounty of goodness from the week's Costco trip. Baby spinach, fresh basil (left over from my white pizza), cherry tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, fat free feta, crushed red pepper, shallots and cremini mushrooms.

I chopped what need to be chopped, threw everything but the basil and spinach to saute with the marinated sun dried tomatoes. When good and toasty, I threw in the greens until they were ready to go and then topped with the feta.

As it was Friday night, I felt it only considerate to invite over my good friend, Jacob's Creek! ;-)

inspired junk salad

I am forever inspired by the junk salads detailed on The Runner's Kitchen . I decided that I had a fully stocked fridge and I should give it a go.

Let me first begin with a couple of apologies-

1. I have a new Blackberry Curve and am all giddy to be able to take photos and instantly email....I know I am so 2007. I am, however, not the steadiest hand while hungry....howdy, blurred salad photo.

2. I know this isn't the most attractive looking salad, but let's blame that on the beet hummus. I made it the other day with some roasted beets, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. Warning: wear gloves while making, but you will be happy you did!

Okay, so back to my "junk salad"- bed of baby spinach, grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced fresh japs, salad peppers, baby bella mushrooms, petite carrots, fat free feta, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper (can you tell I like it hot?), chia seeds and.....my beet hummus! Delish and tastes even better with addition of strange glances from co-workers! :-P

I can't wait for my lunch today- same basic construction, sans hummus. Additions? Blue cheese, leftover sauted kale, and some Texas Caviar as my "dressing".

"almost" chilaquiles

Like most Texas exes, I miss Mexican food the most (ok, and I think about this Bosnian restuaurant a lot too, but I don't know where to begin to cook Bosnian food).  While browsing Homesick Texan has always been inspiring, cooking for one, typically without sugar and carbohydrates or much fat, is basically a Mexican Food Buzz Kill.  That is, until I realized I could make "almost" chilaquiles.

Because the thing is, when I think about Mexican food, it's not really so much about the chips, tortillas, sopes, tostadas...those are each just a Hot Sauce (that's salsa for you non-Texans) Delivery Device (HSDD), like cupcakes for frosting.  My "almost" chilaquiles fit the HSDD requirement quite nicely. Chilaquiles are a kitchen sink kind of dish—start with a base of softened leftover corn tortillas and throw just about anything on top; shredded chicken, beans and eggs are common culprits.

My spin?  A base of chicken breast cooked and shredded in the crockpot with pico de gallo (hot sauce #uno), topped with salsa verde (#dos), jalapeños, an over-easy egg + 1 egg white, a dousing of tapatìo (hot sauce #tres) and crumbled queso fresco. HSDD Mexican food heaven on a plate. Olè!

cauliflower works double time

The red wine soaked evenings I've succumbed to lately (I've managed to squeeze some daylight hours in, as well) have led to a handful of things, namely...

• excessive movie rentals
• phone usage only my unlimited minute plan could be proud of
• sharing my bed with a larger-than-life pile of (clean) laundry
• making plates of food and not remembering, days later when I want to write about it, exactly what it was or how I made it

...sorry.

But you forgive me, right? Because I was drinking and anything you do or say when you're drinking doesn't count?  Great, thank you.  Won't happen again.  :P

Then again, maybe it should, because a buzzed girl with a limited kitchen is forced to get creative with mealtime.

Take the above, for instance.  I threw a pile of veggies into some ground turkey breast for what essentially turned out to be a "veggie burger with turkey," and despite its rough appearance, a delicious one at that.  If I remember right, sundried tomatoes, crimini mushrooms, roasted red pepper, shallot and fresh baby spinach were involved. A head of cauliflower was harmed in the making of that mash. The creaminess!  Can you see it?  Here's a scary close-up:

I boiled a chopped head of cauliflower and some whole garlic cloves in chicken broth until tender, drained, then pulsed in a blender with a couple spoonfuls of 0% Fage greek yogurt, 5T nooch (nutritional yeast) and salt and pepper until it reached a state of cheesy-without-cheese whipped oblivion.

Next wine'd out day, I wanted something different, so I blended the mash with a smidge of guar gum and generous helping of tahini sauce and cooked into pancakes.

Admittedly, the idea was better than the execution because they just *barely* stuck together (no, I didn't want to use flour), but the flavor made up for it and they made a nice foundation for a generous plate of fresh spinach sauteed with ground turkey breast, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomato, roasted red pepper, criminis, onion, garlic, shallot, a dusting of parmesan...etc (can you tell what my staples are, yet?).

There you have it....texsea drunk food!

quest for hydration? welcome my desk.

Kelly posted about needing to drink more, but if a typical snapshot of my desk (*ahem* just the left side, mind you) is any indication, I could probably stand to drink less, at least a little.

It's not that I'm messy, but I just have to sip on something all day long, and is it so bad that there's a heavy beverage rotation at the desk of this Ms. Word?  I'll argue no, though it's raised some eyebrows from coworkers.  At least it's not paper!

Now let's move on before you zoom in and notice the 8 messages on my phone...

I love to snack!

I love to munch all day and if I have my choice between fruit and something crunchy, fruit always loses. I was so excited this weekend to come across Yogavive Popped Apple Chips while doing a browse of Whole Foods. I bought the Caramel Apple Flavor and they are DELICIOUS. They satisfied my snack craving and are only 35 calories per serving (that means I can eat the entire bag guilt-free). They are available in 1 or 5 apple bags, but I recommend the larger....they are just THAT good!

What are your favorite snacks? I am always looking for new recommendations!

Quest for hydration

Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't have a problem drinking. Drinking cocktails, that is. Staying hydrated is a completely different story. As a self-proclaimed runner, and as the heat and humidity in Houston are rapidly rising, I can already tell that I am doing a poor job of drinking enough water. Waking up to leg and toe cramps is not fun and I know it has everything to do with my laziness in drinking throughout the day. Ashley has been talking up her Sobe Lifewater , so today I went on a shopping spree for all things liquid. I purchased a case of Topo Chico (my absolute favorite mineral water), and added to my collection of coconut water as well. I often will drink coconut water on the day before a long run because it packs a hefty wallop of potassium (once again, to alleviate cramps).

As for the Sobe Lifewater, I am giving their fun flavors a try- Black and Blue Berry, Chermoya Punch, Fuji Apple Pear (Ash's fav) and Yumberry Pomegrante. I also found some low calorie Sobe Raspberry Lemonade, Fuji Apple Cranberry and Honey Green Tea.

Kroger was also running a special on Vitamin Water Zero, so I picked up some Rise, 50-50, XXX and Squeezed.

I could just drink water, right? I know.... I am a constant work in progress. Baby steps!

doughnuts and broccoli hummus

My office is ill-situated outside a long counter that routinely houses all the junk food people bring to share.  Intended for paper cutting and stapling, it's instead typically a diet sinker.  Not only can I see its contents from sitting at my desk, but I have to walk past it to get to the restroom, get a water refill or pick up a copy--essentially, anything I do that's not at my desk.

I used to be really bad about being one of those people who cuts off "a bite," which would inevitably turn into an entire doughnut (or whatever) in the timespan of a whole day, because of course I'd need "a bite" at just about every walk-by.  That habit's long gone, but some days I miss it more than others, and yesterday was one of those days. I don't even really care about doughnuts, but Top Pot was looking mighty fine and there were four full boxes sitting out.  On top of that, two different coworkers separately brought a box into my office offering me a diet FAIL, and one coworker even went so far as to put a full box on my desk while whispering sweet doughnut talk (or that's how it sounded to me, anyway!).

Good thing I was stuffed with broccoli hummus.  (How's that for a 180?)

I'm not eating raw, but I am in love with the Choosing Raw site.  Unlike a lot of raw sites, her recipes aren't laden with pounds of cashews and nut butters, which are delicious, but just not something I'm indulging in at the moment.  She has so many creative, and new-to-me ways to eat vegetables. Convenient, because vegetables are my current focus and learning about raw food is interesting. For a good example of why I like her site, check out this post on How to Build a Meal Sized Salad.  I can't wait to try out the raw cauliflower rice!

I have really been missing hummus, so when I spied something in that meal sized salad post called broccoli hummus, the sun shined, birds sang and the seas parted. The idea of making a "hummus" without starchy garbanzos was groundbreaking to me!  I made it the next day. 

I followed CR's recipe pretty closely, except I used:

tahini sauce instead of raw/plain tahini.  It's all I could find at Trader Joe's. It's mostly tahini, with the addition of spices and lemon juice.  I realized this after I already added the spices and juice of one lemon called for in the recipe, but it turned out just fine and not over-seasoned at all.

broccolini instead of broccoli. Confession: I hate broccoli. Always have, always will; however, I'm in such a desperate state of needing hummus (umm, wow), I chose to forgo my disdain for broccoli for this experiment.

chia seed gel.  I couldn't get my mix thick enough, and I didn't want to overdo it on the broccolini, thought the zucchini might add too much water and the tahini too much fat (I was already going light on it), so what's a texsea girl to do but add chia gel!  It thickened up perfectly and didn't alter the taste (though of course tahini would have been awesome).

It made an excellent dressing and was such a nice change of pace from the plain balsamic I've been loyal to the last couple of months.  Today I'm going to eat the hummus as a dip with some raw crackers, romaine lettuce pieces (almost like chips, right? ;-) ) and grape tomatoes.  Yum!  Is it lunch yet??

chocolate fixes

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirisryche/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

It's one of those days where one serving of chocolate is not enough--I need a boatload.  I'm becoming pretty skilled at listening to what my body needs, and the story's no different when it's asking for chocolate and lots of it!  Here's how I matched the chocolate monster today:

3 squares of Simply Lite Dark Chocolate from Trader Joe's.  When I bought it in a chocolate-crazed frenzy today, I didn't realize it had sugar alcohols.  I normally buy Endangered Species Extreme Dark 88% bars at Whole Foods, so I was a bit at a loss confronted with all the Trader Joe-branded bars. That said, this chocolate is pretty good.  I enjoy dark chocolate the most and this bar is only 50%, but it was a nice change of pace to have something sweet and creamy. I'd buy it again.

0% Plain Fage Greek Yogurt with Vanilla Stevia and Cocoa Powder.  This is one of my classics.  The tang of the yogurt with the bitterness of the unsweetened cocoa is just divine to me.  I barely sweeten it with stevia and use a heaping tablespoon of cocoa.  A full bowl of chocolate, cheesecake-tasting goodness for 100 calories and maybe 1g of fat...plus lots of protein. Can't beat it.  This is equally good with ricotta.

Chocolate Yerba Mate Tea. This can be a little hard to find, but my favorite is Guayaki Mate Chocolatte.  I've only been able to find it in the natural foods section at Fred Meyer in Seattle, but I think Kelly found it at several stores in Houston.  I've also tried the more expensive (as in, $15 for a tin of tea!) Republic of Tea Double Dark Chocolate Mate, and it's just not my favorite. It's not naturally sweet and lacks a robust flavor.  Add a teaspoon of cocoa to an ordinary tea, and that's about what this tastes like. I can't bear to throw it out, so I've been drinking it sweetened with xylitol and So Delicious Coconut Creamer, and it's not so bad. Don't waste your money; however, Republic of Tea's Yerba Mate Latte is incredibly delicious, just not chocolate. :)

And yes, I indulged in all three of these things today!  Bye, bye craving.  Any chocolate fixes out there I can put in my arsenal for next time?

sunday dinner out

One of my best friends, Terrell, is also from Texas, so seeing as yesterday was Mother's Day and both of us couldn't be with our families, she invited me over for dinner.  She's so thoughtful!  Normally a dinner invite out would spark nervousness about what would be served, would I want to/could I eat it...but not with Terrell.  She is hands-down one of the healthiest friends I have and a great cook.

Last night's menu?
Salad. She set it out as a build-your-own, sweet!  so I skipped on feta, blue cheese, avocado and carrot even though it all looked delish!  I also opted to dress mine with plain balsamic vinegar instead of dressing/oil.

Roasted cauliflower. I could eat an entire head of cauliflower cooked this way!

Grilled chicken. In Texas, grilled chicken is a staple, but I don't have access to a grill so this is a big deal!  I love it, and it makes me feel like I'm home.

Roasted red pepper, artichoke and almond pesto.  I brought this over since she already had wine, and I didn't want to show up empty-handed.  I pulsed together: 2 whole roasted red bell peppers, 3 artichoke hearts, 1/4c blanched almonds, garlic, shallot.  It turned out edible and was quite good mixed with the salad and roasted cauliflower all together, but I overdid it on the shallot.  Shame!  I'll get better.

I love nights like this because I really believe eating a meal together is such a bonding experience, and since I've been so careful about my intake and almost always eat alone (ok, with my computer), it was so great to get out, have a good time with friends and still stick to my way of eating.

shopping: copco 24oz tumbler

If you've had any kind of beverage at, get this--my folk's, Kelly's, or my grandparent's house, then you've sipped out of a Tervis tumbler. It's a shame they didn't use them 24 years ago, because I'm pretty sure my little brother Travis' name would be just a *little* different. Haha, Tervis Word.

Anyway, Kelly mentioned using a Tervis tumbler for her to-go morning smoothies the other day.  And because I lovingly copy everything she does, I went out shopping for one today.  After all, my beer pint glasses don't hold a whole smoothie, so it gets annoying having to gulp a bunch at the beginning just so I can get it all in one glass to leave the kitchen.  And, well, pint glasses don't travel as well, either.  So I went on the hunt at BBB, and their Tervis selection was zilch. Luckily they were pushing this Copco tumbler pretty hard, and I felt like a schmuck buying it since they were sitting out, BBB-style...in the middle of every aisle...but I'm so happy with it!

It has a reusable straw with a little propeller-looking thing at the end of it to give your drink a good mixing on the go.  Fancy!  Love!  And though I'd prefer a cheerier color, let's pretend the brown is perfect because it coordinates with a chocolate protein shake, mkay?  Beyond that slight negative, this thing is awesome.  And only what, $7.99?  Steal.

If you can get the Tervis though, go for it.  You'll make my family proud, and you won't freeze your hand off or get condensation from the cold glass everywhere (their insulation is legendary. something this cheap copco tumbler is lacking.)

Whatever you choose, happy smoothie-toting!

protein pre-funk

I went shopping today at Super Supplements, and by my enthusiasm, you'd think I was at Nordstrom with the $5000 Visa gift card from What Not to Wear in my pocket, but no...supplements really just make me that giddy these days.

I scored some MRM protein for 50% off, Amazing Grass Chocolate Superfood and a bottle of Glucomannan/Konjac root.  I haven't had the chocolate superfood before, but I read about it yesterday at Ohh May.  It immediately caught my attention because I've been feeling like a loser all week since Kelly posted about her green shake.  My fridge is just about never bursting with fresh greens like hers, so the chocolate superfood is my shortcut.  Do other sisters have a rivalry around who can make the greenest shake?  We like the healthy competition around here. :)

The konjac root is also a new supplement for me, so I'll update later with what I think of it.  It's essentially a pill that you take with a big glass of water that combines to create gel in your stomach and make you feel full (I presume, because you are...with konjac root gel, but I'm no scientist.).

And finally to get to this post's namesake, the protein pre-funk.  I'm going out drinking tonight, and since I ate a big and late lunch (chicken breast, roasted asparagus, apple), I wanted something in my stomach but nothing heavy--protein shake it is.

 
Of course I was pumped to try to my new supplement goodies, so here's what I blended:

scoop MRM protein (only 85 cals!)
scoop Amazing Grass Chocolate Superfood
3T chia gel
tsp maca powder
tsp cocoa
5 drops vanilla stevia
1 1/4c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
ice

I'll let ya'll know if my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.  ;-)

TY KU Soju

So it's Friday night and my favorite liquor store is closing in 5 minutes. I happen to run across a bottle of TY KU Soju. I have read quite a bit about this spirit and have been curious to check it out. It was on sale for $5 off, so what the heck? I figure I will give my wine opener a break, and try what is being touted as the "lower calorie version of vodka. Works for me!

The Ty-Chi cocktail sounds like a winner- TY KU Soju, muddled cucumber and club soda. Something tells me that zucchini just won't serve as an able substitute for the cucumber, so tonight I am a "on the rocks" kind of girl.

Cheers!

What am I drinking?

I often get asked this question at work by my grimacing coworkers. When I answer, "oh just a spinach smoothie", the grimace worsens. "Hey, what a better way to get your spinach in", I retort. If you can get past the color, believe me, it's delicious!

How do I make my commute beverage? Easy!

1 scoop of protein powder (Cookies and Cream is my current flavor)

1 tsp of maca powder

3 TBS of chia gel

5 drops or so Vanilla Cream Liquid Stevia

sprinkling of cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

blender full of spinach

Blend until smooth, add some ice and blend again. Pour into my favorite Tervis tumbler and voila! Breakfast!

Froberg Vegetable and Fruit Farm

I have been on the lookout for fresh fruits and veggies and when I heard about Froberg Vegetable and Fruit Farm in Alvin, TX, I thought it would be a fun road trip. The store is open 7 days a week and so mom and I decided to check it out early Sunday morning. I wasn't sure what to expect and was surprised to find more of an open air grocery store as opposed to the more traditional farmer's market. Not everything was grown locally on the farm, but I did stock up on homegrown strawberries (you can even pick your own), cabbage, squash and as you can see from the picture- KALE! At 80 cents a pop I loaded up with 2 gigantic bunches. Needless to say, I have been eating plenty of leafy greens this week!

I have recently been introduced to kale (how did I not know about this veggie before??) and have had a great time trying out new recipes. I first decided to try this superfood after reading about Kale Chips from RunnersKitchen. I then stumbled across the concept of "massaged kale" (thanks again Megan) and love to have a batch of Massaged Kale Salad prepared in my fridge. This week, I have been experimenting with sauteing and have fallen in love with kale sauted with shallots, olive oil, tamari, lots of crushed red pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon. What is your favorite kale recipe?

dukan-inspired oat bran pancake

Have you heard of the Dukan Diet?  If not, hold tight--you will.  Seemingly all the rage in France and a few neighboring countries for some time, its first release in English will be to the UK this May 13th.  A Daily Mail article spilled the main components of the plan, essentially: high protein, low-carb, nonfat (think Atkins without butter, oil, bacon).  The one last critical component?  Galette Dukan, plainly known to us as The Dukan Pancake.

Now I'm not following this diet or have plans to, but I do strive to eat high protein, low-ish carb and mostly gluten and dairy-free , so when I saw the phrase must eat oat bran pancake every day in a plan encouraging high protein but low fat, neon flashing lights went off and I've been tinkering with the idea at the stove every morning since.

If you don't care about gluten or consuming low-protein dairy, check out the original recipe straight from the Dukan Diet.  For everyone else, here's my current favorite way to make a high protein, oat bran pancake:

1 serving

1 egg
big spoonful skyr* (I use Siggi's)
2T toasted oat bran
9-12 drops vanilla stevia
small spoonful chia gel**, optional
coconut oil/spray (I use Spectrum brand spray)

Beat ingredients together using a fork.  Coat hot skillet with coconut spray.  Pour mixture onto skillet in 2-3 pancakes (if you omit the chia gel, you might get away with one large pancake).  Flip when the edges start to bubble, just like with ordinary pancakes.  Devour like you've never had pancakes in your life!  Because if you're like me, it's been a long, long time.  This will keep you full all morning, promise!

*Skyr?  Skyr is a strained yogurt, similar to Greek yogurt, but hails from Iceland. It's naturally nonfat and much more tart and sour than what you're probably used to.  I find it has a texture that errs on the side of a fresh ricotta more than a yogurt, so I love the body and sourdough taste it lends to the pancake.  I tried the 0% Fage Greek yogurt for this idea, and though it works as far as I still got a pancake out of it, it wasn't nearly as delicious.  Using the skyr, the pancake has enough flavor and crumb that no topping is needed.  I love these plain, as-is. (One word of caution, skyr is just over $3 a tiny carton! I get three morning's worth of pancakes out of one 6-oz container.)

**Chia gel?  I've started using this lately in just about everything at Kelly's suggestion.  Add 1/3c chia seeds to 2c water, stir a couple times in the first 5 minutes, then ta-da!  Chia gel.  If you add it to pancakes, don't go crazy with it, because I had pancake mush when I added too much--the pancake would never set up properly.

A first time for everything....

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double. ~Toni Morrison

I am so excited to begin this journey with my sister, Ash. Not only is she my sister and best of friends, but she is my sounding board and willing listener to my nonstop chatter of all things foods. She is an inspiration and teacher- she has broadened her palate and in turn, mine.

We are on a constant lookout for new tastes, products, techniques and trends. As she explained, this ubiquitous quest accounts for hours of instant messaging, texting and phone calls.

This will be my first blogging adventure, and I couldn't be more eager! As a girl who has already gone to a farmer's market, nursery to buy herbs, HEB (and Kroger) all before 4 pm, I think I will have plenty to share!