Archive for July, 2012

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July 30, 2012

Conquer the Mountain!

I completely underestimated my race this weekend in Vermont. When my dad asked me if I had been training for it, I replied, “I can do a 5K in my sleep.” Uhh, well karma can be a “you-know-what” because the Okemo Mountain Challenge was no cake walk. Let’s just say my goal of running the entire thing was completely disregarded half of a mile into the climb to the summit. At times, speed walking with long strides proved to be more efficient than a slow-paced jog. At least that’s what I kept telling myself…

 

Sweat dripped off my nose as I concentrated on the placement of each step, careful to not twist an ankle on the rocky terrain. I kept imagining myself slipping in the grass and somersaulting backward down the narrow, steep trail. My brain kept questioning my abilities, telling me to quit. My legs felt (and still do!) like jello. Whoever named this event was right. It was a challenge.

 Although it was tough, I’m really proud to say I finished in 44:53 minutes, earning third place in my division. After Mandy, Brian and I made it to the top, we waited to cheer on our crazy 10-miler, Adam, to make his way back down (he had to climb a little higher before making his descend to the base).

 

I am still in awe…like who does this? Maybe next year…

My favorite part of the race was obviously taking the chairlift down. Although it was cool, overcast and cloudy (could we have asked for better running conditions?), the sun came out just in time for our scenic ride. The view was breathtaking. Tips up!

 

After the three of us hydrated and made friends with other racers, some whom ironically live in our neighboring Connecticut towns, Adam finished strong. He certainly earned that bbq meal card! And then some. Rain and small thunderstorms came our way the rest of the afternoon, putting a damper on our plans however I think we were all a little relieved to have an afternoon/evening on the couch with the Olympics, a movie and lots of snacks. Sounds like a vacation to me!

So just another race to check off my bucket list. I hope that by next year I’ll forget how challenging it truly was and be up to conquer the mountain again. Maybe go the full ten? We’ll see. In other news, my running pals and I aren’t finished with our summer races just yet. The Guilford Sea Leg Shuffle is this Sunday. See ya there?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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July 26, 2012

Apricot Almond “LARABAR”

I always have healthy snacks on me, whether it is a Ziplock full of veggie sticks or a bar of some sort. Protein/fruit and nut bars are quick, easy and help sustain me until my next meal. The one downside? They can be incredibly pricy for someone on a tight budget, especially if you tend to enjoy/purchase the most expensive ones on the market like I do. That’s why I decided to tackle a homemade version of a LARABAR earlier this summer. I love what this brand stands for, pure, simple and whole foods “as nature intended” with a nine ingredient max, however many of them are a bit too sweet for my taste bud’s liking. So I did what any cheap, recent grad would do. I bought nuts and dried fruits in bulk and experimented. Insert apricots, almonds, dates and a dash of vanilla extract. Oh, and of course cinnamon.

Ingredients
(Adapted from DAMY Health)
Makes roughly 6 bars
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dates
1 cup almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash (or two) of cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt

Roughly chop your dried fruits and place into a food processor. Pulse until the fruit becomes a chunky paste before adding in your nuts. Pulse again until it reaches your desired texture. Either roll the mixture into little balls for an on-the-go pop of power (like my Mocha Coffee Protein Balls) or form into bars on parchment paper. Regardless of shape, refrigerate before digging in so they retain their form. Place in plastic wrap or Ziplock baggie for a purse-approved, healthy snack.

Next time, I will probably also incorporate some chia, hemp hearts and ground flax because, let’s face it, I sprinkle them on everything. I cannot wait to play around with other dried fruits, nuts and spices. Simple, tasty and, most importantly, affordable. What a great pre-workout energy boost or afternoon snack! I dipped one in a vanilla greek yogurt as dessert. Yeah, I said it and believe me, it was good. I highly encourage you to play around, substitute ingredients and create your own winning combination! Side note: check out DAMY Health. Amy Layne’s blog is amazing with bomb-tastic, innovative recipes and health advice. I am so glad I found her site through Pinterest.
Are you a fruit and nut bar addict? What ingredients would you incorporate?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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July 25, 2012

Bloob Overload

After filling up my bucket yesterday with bloobs, as I like to call them, I snacked and weaved my way back through the bushes of berries to find my sister. While I watched her intensely (but delicately) pluck the fruit one by one from the branches in an athletic, crouched position, she voiced the exact thought that had been ringing in my head, “There’s something therapeutic about this.”

It was a hot. We were both dripping sweat—yes, literally. But it was a mindless activity in the sunshine with birds singing around us, kids competing for “who can fill their buckets first” and I mean, come on, think about the benefits we walked away with: $21 worth of nutritious berries! The gorgeous Bishop’s Orchards is a hop, skip and a jump away from where I live, yet one of those local places I seem to always forget exists. So quaint and lovely. I’m itching for apples to be in season and also need to get my hands on some of their wine. Like how good does a glass of Apple Raspberry Blush sound right about now? Or Honey Peach Melba?

So now the question is, what the hell do we do with all these berries? I hope to answer that this afternoon. I’m thinking muffins or maybe some kind of bar. This weekend I’ll be participating in the 2nd Annual Okemo Mountain Challenge (just the 5k this time around!) with my crew from the Branford Road Race so I’d love some kind of treat to bring along for our outdoorsy trip. Be on the lookout for the recipe!

After returning home with our large quantities of berries and stuffed (borderline upset) bellies, I talked my crafty little sister into helping me make a cute running top for my race. Thanks to Pinterest and this awesome tutorial, Kru got right to work with a pair of scissors and turned my old, drab Hanes V-Neck into the sporty knotted tank pictured below. The girl is talented.

What is your favorite (and healthy!) blueberry recipe?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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July 21, 2012

Oh, Hi.

One month from now, at around this time, I will probably be doing the same thing—polishing off a plate of clean eats and snuggling on the couch with Mike while catching up on the newest episode of Suits. One thing will be quite different, however. I will have just gotten home from my first day of work. That’s right! In just 30 short days, I will be saying farewell to my lazy poolside days, drastic tan lines and mindless summer reads to re-welcome the Big Apple into my life.

 

I cannot wait to embrace the many unknowns that lie in my immediate future but know that I need to be enjoying every last second of this time off, being a feather in the wind, before taking my first step into the real world. That’s why I honestly just opened my computer for the first time in over a week. Oops? Is it really late July already? I feel like I just blogged about 4th of July. Weeks have been flying by like days, yet I have little to show for. But I like it like that. I’ve enjoyed waking up “late” (9 a.m. in my opinion), having nothing on my to do list but hitting the gym and spending as much time outside as possible. Can you blame me? So to quickly catch you up to speed here’s all that’s been going on with me, between my healthy meals and sweatastic workouts.

 

 In between puppy/housesitting last week, we had family visiting from Baltimore, my uncle’s memorial service and I celebrated an amazing five year anniversary with Mike. Throw in lots of yoga, a new workout plan courtesy of oneresult.com (which I was introduced to thanks to my abs-olutely fit friend, Ali!), Friday farmer’s market trips and a boatload of seafood. Let’s just say that the puppy situation, alone, was no easy feat. I’m happy to announce that I am no longer in a rush to get a dog, although having a cute 11-month-old boxer as a running buddy was fun. I’ll spare you from the other mushy gushy details but will say that I’m glad the sad stuff is over and am blessed that my relationship with my high school love is still going strong. I also want to mention that my breakfasts have been super charged lately (I’ve been diggin’ it, literally and figuratively!) thanks to sweet potato, almond butter, hemp hearts topped and two fried eggs. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

Posted in Life Happenings, Random | 1 Comment »

July 6, 2012

Summer Quinoa Salad with Jicama and Black Eyed Peas

Happy belated 4th of July! I had all intentions of posting this last night, however Mike and I decided to go see Ted instead. Oops! If it’s any consolation, the movie was hilarious. Anyway, I hope you stuffed yourself with borderline too much grilled cuisine, sported lots of red, white and blue and, of course, enjoyed some good fireworks to celebrate our great country’s birthday. I certainly did, with the exception that I wore pink instead of red (I can honestly day I do not own a single article of clothing that is red…not a fan) and my town firework show was nothing to write home about. Regardless, it was still a relaxing cheat day for me—the annual parade took priority over gym time—and I lent a hand with some of the tasty, healthy cuisine at my family party. Shrimp kabobs, guacamole and a summer quinoa salad to name a few. 

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 red bell pepper
1 large tomato
1/2 of a jicama
1 can of black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 loosely packed cup of basil
Juice of one lemon
Drizzle of olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegarCayenne pepper, black pepper and sea salt to taste

I love making different renditions of a light, cold quinoa dish for summer parties (remember my grad party?). It’s a versatile side that pairs wonderfully with burgers, grilled veggies and the like, but also tastes great on top of a bed of greens as leftovers. After snagging a jicama the other day at Whole Foods, I wanted to let the sweet crispness shine and think this salad allowed just that. Start by cooking the quinoa, following the directions on the box. Typically you bring two cups of water to a boil, add in the cup of quinoa, reduce the heat and cover until the water is fully absorbed. While that is cooking, get started on chopping the tomato, bell pepper, jicama and basil. Combine in a large bowl. Open a can of black eyed peas, thoroughly rinse and drain before adding them to the veggies. Once the quinoa is done and cooled, add that to the mix.

Now for the dressing. Squeeze the juice from one lemon (add a little zest, too, while you’re at it), drizzle a little olive oil, alongside the red wine vinegar, over the salad. Mix thoroughly. Season with salt, cayenne and cracked black pepper. Cover and chill before serving. Clean, light and refreshing, yet filling. Perfect for a hot summer day! This may be my new go-to beach food.
What was your favorite 4th of July dish? 

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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July 3, 2012

Cauliflower-Crusted White Pizza

Long before I made the decision to go gluten-free, I came across a cauliflower pizza crust recipe. I was intrigued, loving the idea of a thin, crispy crust without the carbs or guilt and I, of course, pinned it right away for future reference. Earlier this summer, I finally got around to tackling the recipe with my foodie/fitness side-kick, Amanda, and let me tell you, it was out of this world. We made it dairy-free with a “white sauce” (a variation seen here) out of cannellini beans, roasted tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs. Then, to amp up the veggie content/overall “wow” factor, we topped it with sweet caramelized onions and thinly sliced eggplant.

Crust Ingredients
(Inspired by Eat. Drink. Smile.)
2 cups cooked, riced cauliflower
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Crushed red pepper and a pinch of salt

To start, shred roughly half a large head of cauliflower by cutting the florets into large chunks and pulsing in a food processor. Don’t over pulse or it will end up pureed! Transfer the riced cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl and pop it in the microwave for 8 minutes or so. While that’s cooking, spray a large cookie sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 450°F. We used a Silpat, one of my new favorite kitchen accessories, so there was no grease necessary or mess to clean up! If you’re a roasting fiend like me, you need one!

Allow the cauliflower meal to cool before combining with the egg and spices. If you feel inclined, you may add your favorite shredded cheese but because of my sensitivity, we skipped out on the dairy. Once the mixture is ready, spread it evenly on your pan into your desired shape. Lightly spray the crust before baking so it will get crispy and place in the oven for about 15 minutes.

When the crust is golden brown, remove it from the oven and get creative with your toppings! Our roasted eggplant disks with caramelized onions and bean paste was two thumbs up but I would love to experiment next time. And there will be a next time, trust me. What about a Mexican twist with a homemade, chunky salsa, corn, black beans, roasted hot peppers and ground turkey? Or how does a wilted arugula salad-topped pizza sound with a balsamic reduction? I’m curious if I could easily make a gluten-free pie crust out of this concept. Mmm…this will not be the last time you see a cauliflower-crusted pizza recipe up here. Return the pizza to the oven under a broiler for 5 minutes (or less if you’re not cheese). Time to dig in. No need to keep track of how many slices you eat here! PS: This recipe could easily be used to make pizza popper appetizers! How cute and bikini-conscious of a host are you?
Have you ever made cauliflower crust? Thoughts?

Sprinkled with Love,
Lauren

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