Weekly eats!

Hi there!

So, sometimes I get questions about what I eat or how I can even eat as much as I do!

Well, for starters, my muscles are HUNGRY! And, once I get back to running, I’m might even need to ADD a little. I’ll be RUNGRY. *tee hee*

It’s weird – some of the people I work with at my day job have these huge misconceptions about my diet. Some think I’m vegan (make vegan muffins ONCE for a colleague who actually IS vegan and suddenly, they’re glaring at me when I’m heating up chicken or meat sauce or whatever in the kitchen), others think I’m only organic (which is not too far off base but I’m not quite there yet), and some think I never eat sweets or junk food. Um, hello, have you even MET me?

Anyway, I decided it might be a good idea to do a weekly eats post for a couple of reasons: one – to give you an idea of what I really eat outside of all those healthy recipes I like to create and/or share; two – to show you that I actually do eat what I’ve prepped on Sundays; and three– to kinda keep track of what I’m doing so maybe I can figure out what’s been bugging my tummy lately.

It’s not an allergy, I’m fairly certain. There’s just something with my diet that, well, makes my tummy a little disagreeable at times. Or mostly every day. I will spare you the gory details. You’re welcome. J Back when I was running, I attributed it to the dreaded “runner’s tummy.” But, um, yeah, haven’t been doing that running thing for like 9 weeks now so you think that would have righted itself. It hasn’t. *sigh*

Additionally, I don’t have a gall bladder so I have to be really careful about the fat I consume – both good and bad. I could literally eat nut butters all day long but that’s not really a good thing for me to do. No matter how much I want to. Makes my tummy angry in a whole different way. Ugh. So, I have to be smart and not eat too much nut butter and avocado on the same day. Where’s the fun in that? Gah! Separately, in my own private journal, I’m keeping track of how my tummy reacts to the foods I’ve eaten. Again, you’re welcome.  🙂

Breakfasts:

Monday – 2 egg white omelet with mozzarella cheese, 2 Al Fresco maple apple chicken sausages, 1 sliced tomato (from the Farmer’s Market!), 2 pieces bakery Brioche toast with grass-fed butter and low-sugar grape jam and orange juice

Tuesday – oatmeal with cinnamon, honey, chia seeds, almond butter, banana and blueberries & orange juice

Wednesday – 2 egg white omelet with mozzarella cheese, 2 maple apple chicken sausages, 1 sliced tomato, 2 pieces bakery Brioche toast with avocado mash (sorta) and orange juice

Thursday – same as Tuesday – oatmeal with cinnamon, honey, chia seeds, almond butter, banana and blueberries & orange juice

Friday – see Tuesday and Thursday. Nope, not boring at all.

Morning snacks:

Monday – Banana oatmeal bread, pecan butter, strawberries

Tuesday – Chobani nonfat plain Greek yogurt with ¾ cup Kashi Toasted Berry Crumble and strawberries

Wednesday – Banana oatmeal bread, almond butter, banana

Thursday – Chobani nonfat plain Greek yogurt with ¼ cup Love Crunch granola. Totally BUMMED that I forgot my strawberries!!

Friday – Chobani peach Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup Love Crunch granola, and blueberries. I don’t normally do flavored yogurt because of the extra added sugar but something made me want to try it. It wasn’t bad. I still prefer the plain.

Lunches:

Monday – roast chicken, roasted sweet potato, ½ avocado, 2 mini cucumbers

Tuesday – Ginormous salad with roast chicken, ½ cup black beans, mini bell peppers, sliced cucumber, and feta cheese.

Wednesday – roasted sweet potato topped with roast chicken and ½ cup black beans, red bell pepper, and sliced cucumbers and a Clementine for dessert

Thursday – sandwich – roast chicken on Bakery Brioche bread slathered with hummus and topped with mozzarella cheese, field greens, farmer’s market tomato and cucumber, some baby bell peppers, Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil kettle cooked chips, and a clementine for dessert. 🙂

Friday – sandwich – pretty much the same as yesterday except the bread is homemade whole wheat (thank you bread machine!), red bell pepper strips, blue corn tortilla chips and Wholly Guacamole.

PM snacks:

Monday – Laughing Cow cheese, pretzel chips, seedless red grapes

Tuesday – Bacon jerky and 2 Clementines

Wednesday – Bacon jerky and red seedless grapes

Thursday – Carob Chip Perfect Bar – HOLY. YUM!

Friday – my office closed early so I went to the 4pm CrossFit class. Snack is in the next category.

Pre-CrossFit eats

Monday – Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar

Tuesday – GoMacro Protein Paradise cashew caramel bar

Wednesday – GoMacro Protein Purity sunflower butter + chocolate bar

Thursday – no CrossFit today so no pre-CrossFit eats

Friday – Think Thin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar

Dinners:

Monday – Gilbert’s Beef & Blue Sausage, leftover roasted acorn squash & Asian pear

Tuesday – a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal with some blueberries. #dontjudgeme

Wednesday – 2 slices Pizza Hut ham and pineapple pizza (hey, it was waiting for me when I got home!), a piece of pumpkin pie, and a bourbon. Yes, a bourbon.

Thursday – 2 taco boats: Ortega Fiesta Flats taco shells, black beans, farmer’s market ground beef with taco seasoning, cheddar cheese, field greens, fresh farmer’s market tomato, and sliced avocado. Green beans on the side. Om nom nom!

Friday – Gilbert’s “The Froman” beef frank with spicy mustard and sweet relish and Maple Bacon kettle chips

The weekend kinda got away from me what with our social life and food prep and all so I didn’t document anything. Next week, I promise!!

Although, I’m definitely not as strict and focused on the weekends.

Talk to me: Do you tend to eat the same things every day? What do you like to eat after a workout?

– jennifer

I miss CrossFit. I’m a little bored. So I baked Multigrain English muffins.

Hello!

Happy Thursday!

source

So, I just have to say – I absolutely and totally miss CrossFit.

I miss it BAD.

My friends are doing a week of Hero WODs at my old box and I’m insanely jealous.

I read a lot of blogs about CrossFit and I see a lot of CrossFit posts on Instagram and I want to go do some cleans and snatches and deadlifts.

There’s a box not far from my new house but I haven’t gone yet.

I have not yet found employment and …

1. I don’t feel comfortable paying the money without my earning it first.

2. What if I find a job with hours that conflict with the WOD schedule at that box? I don’t want to go and make friends and then leave them. I’ve done that. It’s not fun.

3. I haven’t gone to the free Saturday classes because I don’t want to be the nonpaying slug that shows up every Saturday for a free workout. Plus, I’ll start jonesing for more anyway.

Sigh. It’s a never-ending cycle of awful.

At least I have running. Which I love!

But, there’s just something about pushing those weights around and challenging myself and appreciating what my body can do.

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Basically, I’m a little bored.

Okay, more than a little sometimes.

So, I’ve been finding things to do to keep me from being bored.

Like baking!

Yesterday, I woke up to the sound of rain.  Okay, I didn’t actually HEAR the rain but I did hear cars driving on wet road. And it was all gray and nasty out. Blech.

So, I went totally crazy and baked a loaf of whole wheat bread and then I tried my hand at making English muffins from scratch.

You know what?

They were actually easier than I expected!

I looked up a variety of recipes and finally settled on a Martha Stewart recipe for Multigrain English Muffins.

I mean, it’s Martha Stewart! And, the whole “multigrain” business was what I wanted anyway. 🙂

I, of course, had to test one after they were done. I split it, toasted it up, and topped with it butter and grape jelly.

What? You don’t do the same?

O. M. G.

These were well above my taste expectations!

I mean, it was my first time – how was I going know what they tasted like?

They have an amazing savory/nutty flavor to them – pretty sure that’s from the flax and chia seeds – that contrasted the sweet jelly beautifully!

Sorry, I ate it too quickly to get a picture. What? Don’t judge me.

I knew right then that I was going to get up early today and make my sailor breakfast before he went off to work.

Hey, what can I say? I’m a pretty good wife. 🙂

So, I picked up some Canadian bacon (you know, the maple kind) at the store and made my plans.

Hahaha! Never gets old.

So, his breakfast this morning was Canadian bacon, scrambled egg with some Mexican blend cheese on a toasted homemade English muffin.

Ta-da!

Then, off he went and I headed out for a run.

Okay, so Tuesday, I ran in tights, a long sleeve shirt, hat and gloves. Today? T-shirt and shorts.

Seriously, Mother Nature, make up your mind!

Then, post run, I whipped myself up a little sandwich, too!

Except, I used egg white (I don’t do yolks. Blech!) and a veggie sausage pattie (yep, the maple kind!).

Om. Nom. Nom.

Definitely making these muffins again!

Multigrain English Muffins
makes 15 (although, I only got 9. whatevs.)

1/2 cup warm water (115 degrees) (NOTE: too hot and you’ll kill the yeast so invest in a candy thermometer if you don’t have one!
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, plus more for serving (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ **
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons whole flaxseed
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1/4 cup coarse cornmeal

**I didn’t have wheat germ so I added 1 tablespoon chia seeds.

1. Combine warm water, honey, yeast, and butter in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy.

2. Combine flours, oats, wheat germ, salt, and flaxseed, and caraway seeds if desired, in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk, and mix with your hands until flours are almost fully incorporated. Turn out mixture onto a clean surface, and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. (Be patient – you will think it’s never going to get smooth but it does. I promise!)

3. Lightly coat a large mixing bowl with cooking spray, and place dough in bowl. Cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead for about 1 1/2 minutes, and roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Roll and cut scraps once. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and dust with cornmeal. Place rounds on sheet, cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until puffy, about 20 minutes. (I let mine go for about 30 minutes.)

5. Heat a large griddle or 12-inch skillet over low heat (I set my electric griddle to about 275). Working in batches, place rounds 1 1/2 inches apart. Cook until golden brown and dry, about 7 minutes per side. Let cool for 30 minutes; split with a fork. Toast, and serve with butter and preserves if desired. Muffins can be stored, wrapped in plastic, for 2 days, or refrigerated (up to 1 week) or frozen (up to 2 weeks).

6. Enjoy!

Question: Christmas cookies – do you love to bake them or buy them?

– jennifer

Sunday morning treats – Cinnamon Pecan buns

Hello!

Happy weekend!!

Holy cow, has it been a crazy week!

We’re full on in move prep – the movers show up to start packing in a week!

EEEP!

I can’t believe it’s that soon!

I don’t feel ready.

I know I’m not ready.

My last day at work was Friday – but, now, the real work begins.

We have a week to “de-junk.”

Seriously, we need to learn how not to “junk” to begin with!

The home-buying process is moving along quite nicely and hopefully, we’ll only be “homeless” for a few days.

*fingers crossed*

100 day burpee challenge – day 13!

Have you been keeping up?  I didn’t get my 12 done yesterday.  So, that means I have yesterday’s AND today’s to do.  Um, that’s 25 burpees.  *sigh*

Missing a day SUCKS!

So, I decided today was a cinnamon roll kind of day.

What?  You don’t agree?  Well, you’re missing out. 🙂

I found a recipe for Cinnamon Pecan buns that are absolutely amazing!

These don’t have the traditional icing but, you know what, they don’t need it.

The combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans makes a delicious topping and the icing would be too much.

The bonus about these buns?

They are made without any butter or oil in the dough!

The secret ingredient?

Cottage cheese!

I know!  I didn’t believe it either!  But, it really works – trust me!

AND, these are made without yeast so you can actually make them in less than an hour. 🙂

So, what are you waiting for?

Cinnamon Pecan Buns
makes about 15 buns

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest (optional)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the bottom and side of a 10-inch springform pan with half of the melted butter.

2. In a food processor, combine the pecans with the brown sugar, cinnamon and kosher salt; pulse until the nuts are almost finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and sprinkle a scant 3/4 cup over the bottom of the prepared pan. Wipe out the food processor.

3. Add the cottage cheese, buttermilk, egg yolk, granulated sugar, vanilla and orange zest to the processor and puree until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine the 2 1/4 cups of flour with the baking powder, baking soda and fine salt; whisk to mix. Add the flour mixture to the processor and pulse just until the dough comes together; it will be quite soft and sticky.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it into a smooth ball. *NOTE* They weren’t kidding when they said the dough will be sticky. It is VERY STICKY!!! Make sure you keep the flour handy – you’re going to need it!
Roll out the dough to an 11-by-16-inch rectangle, flouring the work surface as necessary. Brush the dough with the remaining melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Sprinkle on the remaining pecan-sugar mixture.

5. Working from a long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder and cut it into 1-inch slices. Arrange the slices cut side up in the prepared pan. Bake the buns in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes, until lightly browned on top and slightly firm to the touch. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

6. Run a knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the buns. Remove the springform ring. Invert the buns onto a plate and carefully remove the bottom of the pan. If any of the pecan mixture sticks to the pan, simply scrape it onto the buns. Serve warm.

Recipe from Food and Wine

Question: What’s your favorite weekend morning treat?

– jennifer