There’s a first for everything right? Well, today I got to sit in First Class for the first time in my entire life. My dad and I were beyond excited (it was borderline embarrassing how giddy we were). We’re a rather frugal family so we always opt for the cheapest travel options. Thus, the First Class experience was completely foreign to me—SO awesome yet so shocking at the same time. I can have my seat back for take off? I can sit in my seat with my legs pretzel-style? Last but not least, multi-course meals?!

What a treat. Thanks, United!

It was a first for Peter too! And he definitely took full advantage of his ticket .

(P.S. we have no idea how we got on the upgrade list. We were too afraid to ask!)

***

More on my flight in a little bit.

I woke up at 7 AM to squeeze in a quick workout. I learned (the hard way) from my trip to San Fran that I really don’t feel good if I skip workouts while traveling/flying. I was actually a bit surprised by how crappy I felt taking just 6 days off from exercise. Hormones and too much food/sugar didn’t help!

I did 40 min. on the elliptical and then 10 min. on the treadmill at 3.8 mph / 5% incline.

I finished packing right in the nick of time! You’d think with the traveling I’ve done recently, I’d have this down pat but nope.

For breakfast, I made Pumpkin Protein Oat Bran

I can’t remember the last time I had oat bran. I like that it takes less time to cook than rolled oats and this morning, bfast had to be quick!

I added some Vega powder for protein along with pumpkin, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Topped with pepitas and coconut.

Sadly, we were out of egg whites and/or almond milk so the bowl didn’t turn out as creamy as I like it.

Photographed next to Peter’s new baby plant.

I finished off the can o’ pumpkin straight up!

***

On the way to the airport, I snacked on a banana and a small bite of a nutty seedy bar I made last night. As you know, I have no such thing as a bar stash so I had to make some at the last minute. Recipe to come!

And then I was handed the golden ticket, which granted me access to the Red Carpet Club.

Sweet!

I started with hot tea, carrots, celery, crackers, and a small butter cookie.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t allergic to the raw carrots and celery. Either it was my lucky day or they were magical crudites!

I also had some Chex Mix and a few yogurt covered raisins.

Then it was time to board the plane and streeeeeeeetch out my legs. I am mildly claustrophobic so this felt glorious.

I soon learned that you can do anything in First Class. Instead of flight attendants pestering you to buckle up, you get served drinks and nuts.

I opted for seltzer water. I think Peter drank enough red wine for both of us combined!

Soon enough, it was time for lunch! Served on a table cloth, mind you.

Tortilla soup (not bad!)

Chicken salad w/ tomatoes, black beans, corn, and cheddar cheese. Not gourmet but still real food–no complaints here.

Plus a side of these crunchy bread sticks.

Dessert? Don’t mind if I do! A warm chocolate chip cookie. I ate 1/2 and gave the rest to the bottomless pit sitting next to me.

I won’t lie, I’m already counting down the years (err decades) before I can fly First Class again. I have a feeling that won’t happen until I turn 90. Oh and I’m pretty sure we have been assigned to the very last row on our return flight.

Ya win some, ya lose some .

Bird’s eye view of Virginia.

***

We just checked into our resort. OH DEAR ME OH MY!!! Photos to come, I promise!

Tell me: Have you ever flown First Class?!

Today has been all about planning, packing and baking for the 2nd annual Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco, CA! I’m flying out tomorrow morning and I get back super early on Tuesday (red eye flight). Who’s going?! Let me know!

To say I’m excited would be a serious understatement.

However, I am a last minute planner and packer so the day has been (and will continue to be) a bit c-c-c-crazy. I went on a run this morning to calm my nerves. I know it helped a lot, but I’m still frantic!!

Let’s all say sayonara to perfect running weather….bye…au revoir…adios.

At least now my shin sleeves will keep me warm and not make me HOT.

“HOT” not “HOTT.” I forgot to wear them once last week and got significantly more smiles and cat calls. Actually, I get none when I wear them! I guess shin sleeves not only protect my shins but keep kidnappers away!

Sweaty shin sleeves = pepper spray?

I ran 6 miles in 60 minutes. I felt a twinge of pain in my left shin near the end (uh oh). I made sure to stretch my legs nice ‘n’ good. Hopefully it’s nothing major.

The gloves make it look like I live in the arctic tundra. It sure felt like it going from underneath my down comforter to 40 degree chill!

I ended at the gym where I did a quick 25 min. full body strength training routine since I will be without weights for 5 days. Strength training is tres important.

Pre workout: I munched on some Shredded Oats cereal and a medjool date.

Post workout:

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Plus a bowl of Greek yogurt and pumpkin oatmeal swirl!

• 1 cup cinnamon spiked Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• cereal and raspberries

Operation eat-up-the-pumpkin-berries-and-yogurt!

I love the juxtaposition of hot, nutty oats/chia + cold, silky smooth yogurt.

Then I had to get some ingredients to bake for my festival Foodie Exchange gift. We are all supposed to bring something to exchange with another attendee. I’m baking AllieBars and another surprise item.

***

I think I photographed dinner with the very LAST drop of sunshine. Hmm I win this time, Sun .

I hereby present you the most random salad of ALL time. Are you ready?

While out, I picked up some artichoke hearts, caprese salad, a balsamic onion and olive tapenade from the Mediterranean/olive bar.

Supplemented with a carrot and 1/2 a veggie burger with ketchup.

Cinnaraisin Ezekiel Bread on the side.

So random, I know.

I wake up pretty late to begin with, so on the days that I run, all my meals get pushed back a few hours. Although this was eaten at dinner time, it was more like my lunch. I’m most likely gonna be eating another meal later on tonight.

…looks like I’m ready for California time already .

10 am East Coast time = 7 am Cali time. Heck yes! I’m going to be an early riser for 5 days.

***

I still have about 5,000 things to do in the next 10 hours, including sleep!!

To Do:

• Find a suitcase (uhh yeah…)

• Figure out all my outfits

• Laundry

• Find all my electronics + cords

• Charge everything

• Upload all my photos, burn on DVD, and delete from memory card

• BAKE!!

• PACK!!!!

It’s me against the clock. Ready, set, go!

***

Tell me: Some packing tips!! Running in the cold tips!!

Thanks

I’m SO late tonight! It’s been a rather loooong day.

Dork moment: As I laid in bed last night, I thought to myself: what was I thinking buying a tub of Greek yogurt and a tray of raspberries from Costco when I’m flying to San Francisco on Thursday? And opening a can of pumpkin?! Uh oh. The word “waste” flashed in neon yellow right before my eyes. Then I shook my head and reassured myself it was no big deal. I’m the dairy queen, I can surely finish 1 liter of yogurt in 3 days. Have some faith in yourself, Al!

Did I just call myself ‘Al’? Yep.

Breakfast involved ALL 3 of those foods. Pumpkin eggy oatmeal w/ chia seeds + cinnamon spiked Greek yogurt and raspberries.

Plus coffee

The leaf bowl was appropriate as it really felt like Fall (err WINTER) this morning. Check out that frost.

I got up on the early side this morning to attend one of my best friend’s father’s funeral followed by a reception. I left my camera at home out of respect for everyone there.

I had some pasta salad, a big pickle (not awkward at all) and a white chocolate macadamia cookie. I got to chat with several of my friends from elementary/middle/high school, many of whom I haven’t seen in a couple years.

***

Then I drove back to our old house to vote! I munched on a pack of Halloween pretzels on the way.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I headed to our old house to use the gym. We still own the house so I’m still allowed to use the gym . I did an easy 60 min. on the elliptical.

***

I ventured to the Whole Foods Hot Bar for dinner. ‘Twas glorious.

I got a medley of grains and veggies:

• Tofu
• Asian slaw
• Black quinoa salad
• Kale and wheatberry salad
• Israeli cous cous
• Peas, carrots, red peppers
• Spring mix + spinach

These photos were taken with my point + shoot camera….do you notice the difference?

I picked up a few items afterwards. The Whole Deal has some fabulous coupons. If you shop at Whole Foods, you definitely need to pick up a copy and flip through it.

The Shredded Oats and Siggi’s were actually on sale to begin with so I got the cereal for $1.50 and yogurt for 75 cents….a STEAL!!

I swear, sometimes I think I should write a food THRIFT blog.

The Shredded Oats Vanilla Almond tastes like a mix between Cinnamon Puffins and Quaker Oatmeal Squares. I think it goes without saying that I’m a HUGE fan!

I had several handfuls on the drive home. FYI opening a box of cereal on a 30 min. drive is uhh rather dangerous.

I also spotted this Pumpkin Spice Arctic Zero. I saw the phrase pumpkin spice and was immediately intrigued. There was no way I could put this back after I picked it up.

It’s not really ice cream nor is it frozen yogurt…I’m not sure what to call it!

I ate about 2/3 of the pint.

It tasted more like frozen yogurt than ice cream. I’m happy to report it was much easier on my stomach than regular ice cream. I also love that the whole pint has 16g of protein and 8g of fiber.

I ended the night with some Greek yogurt, raspberries and a several handfuls of cereal. Cereeaaaaaal!

***

Alright time to go figure out San Fran logistics! I haven’t started packing whatsoever. Oopsies.

Tell me: What are your strategies for saving money at the grocery store?

Before blogging…

I didn’t pack my clonky camera in my gym bag just incase I came across some pretty fall foliage on the walk over.

(looks like somebody is ready for Christmas)

I didn’t whip out my camera to take photos of pumpkins that did not belong to me….or any pumpkins for that matter.

Don’t you just wanna give them each a big bear hug? Maybe that’s just me.

Before blogging…

I didn’t need a PRE-post-workout snack because there was no such thing as a 15 min. delay due to food styling and photography.

pumpkin pie smoothie

I didn’t get excited about seeing 280% DV of Vitamin A in 1/2 cup of pumpkin.

I didn’t then get concerned about vitamin A poisoning. Just kidding…not really.

I didn’t scan fields of grass for the perfect leaf to use as a garnish for my bowl.

FYI: Pineapple and grapefruit are my favorite fruits to pair with Greek yogurt.

Garnished with chocolate covered (and uncovered) pretzels and candy corn

Before blogging…

I didn’t jump out of bed to make chocolate covered candy corn and pretzels because it was finally light outside.

Chocolate Covered Candy Corn and Pretzels

Directions: Microwave dark chocolate for 2 min. to melt.

Steal Halloween pretzels from the stash set aside for the neighborhood kids.

(It’s okay, I plan to supplement the stash with real candy. We are not going to be the LAME house in the neighborhood!!)

Although let’s be honest, Bats and Jacks are pretty cool, too.

Dip candy corn and pretzels in chocolate and let dry on aluminum foil. Place in the fridge to speed up drying time.

Let the sugah coma ensue.

Before blogging…

I didn’t purchase squash just because I thought they were “pretty.”

I didn’t look at the clock at 6 PM and get anxious about trying to “beat” the sunset.

Bring it, Sun!

I bought this Carnival Squash from TJ’s. The sticker said it was a cross between Sweet Dumpling and Green Table Queen Squash.

That means nothing to me.

I cut the squash in half, scooped out the innards, and microwaved the halves for 5-6 minutes. I would have roasted ‘em in the toaster oven for however long but the sun was setting!!

I didn’t give much thought to the stuffing. It just needed to be FAST!

• 1.5 slices of Cinnaraisin Ezekiel Bread, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 small apple, chopped
• 1/4 cup veggie stock
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• Salt and Pepper

Doesn’t the bread look like sausage?

I stuffed both halves of the squash and put them in the toaster oven for ~10 min. at 350* F.

Topped with herbed goat cheese <–crucial!

Spring mix with mini peppers on the side. I’m trying really hard to finish off these Costco tubs!

The squash was reminiscent of spaghetti squash. It was really quite bland. I had to add gobs of ketchup after the photo shoot.

Kabocha and butternut squash are much more tasty, for sure.

The sun won tonight.

Don’t worry, I’ll be back for a rematch!

Before blogging….

I didn’t consider rearranging my sleeping schedule in preparation for my rematch with the sun.

Dessert Part I: Papaya

Dessert Part II: A fabulous mix of sugar and more sugar . It deserves to be shot in the sunlight though!

***

Tell me: If you are a blogger, what’s one thing you do now that you didn’t do prior to blogging? If you are NOT a blogger, just be grateful the sunset doesn’t give you anxiety .

I’ve got BIG shoes to fill at Peter’s Kitchen now. Chef Peter has a long commute to and from work now, which means I’m going to be taking on dinner responsibilities a fews days a week. I’ve already prepared a couple simple meals for the family that I still need to share with you.

First up? Sweet Potato and Apple Veggie STOUP. I impressed my parents with this one…and even myself!

This stoup was improvised from start to finish…from the ingredients to the spices. My main goal in making this stoup (as Rachel Ray calls stew-like soups) was to use up the on-it’s-last-leg produce in the fridge. You know my mantra….no food goes to waste!

Remember the bajillion apples my mom got from her coworker? After almost a month of chomping on apples, we still had ~10 of those left. Some of them were rotten and had to go to the compost bin!

Sad stuff.

Ready to make some stoup?

Roughly peel and chop 4 medium sized apples.

Chop up the rest of the veggies and garlic and cook them in water and chicken stock until tender.

Cuttin’ it close!

This was last week so it was still ‘good.’ Although, in Peter’s Kitchen, expiration dates are taken very loosely!

Add the sweet potato.

I used a can of organic sweet potato puree. You could use pumpkin or butternut squash…fresh or canned.

Blend the veggies with an immersion blender until the soup is a smooth liquid consistency. Alternatively, you could blend it all up in a high-speed blender. An immersion blender just makes it so you don’t have to transfer the veggies back and forth.

You’ll need just 3 spices: salt, pepper, and curry powder. Easy enough, right? Of course, you can use whatever spices you want!

The curry powder works really well with the sweet potato though…just sayin’.

Near the end, throw in some quick-cook pearled barley and rotisserie chicken breast.

To make this stoup vegetarian/vegan, simply omit the chicken and use veggie stock in place of chicken stock.

Sweet Potato and Apple Veggie STOUP

(AKA Save-The-On-It’s-Last-Leg-Produce-From-The-Garbage Stoup)

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes or 1-15 oz. can sweet potato/butternut squash/pumpkin puree
• 4 medium apples
• 1/3 cup onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 med. carrots, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cups quick cook pearled barley
• 1 tsp curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot, cook the chopped vegetables and garlic in chicken (or veggie) broth and water on medium heat for ~10-15 min. until tender. Using an immersion blender, blend vegetables until smooth. If using a blender, transfer vegetables to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add spices and stir. Add barley and cook covered for ~20 min. or until ready to serve. Stir in chicken prior to serving.

The curry powder brought this stoup to a whole new level. It complemented the sweetness of the apples and sweet potato perfectly. The addition of barley provided a nice chunk and chew element. Not only was it great for texture, it was very filling. Must. Make. Again.

I think my parents were skeptical at first but they Mmmmed all the way through their bowls .

I usually say I’m not a big soup person, but I think that’s starting to change. I have a feeling this is going to be a winter full of soup…or STOUP!

Tell me: What’s your FAVORITE type of soup/stew/stoup?

Mine is Italian Wedding Soup!

Unintentionally, I was pretty ‘unplugged’ last week. Between my trip to NYC and my adventures in dog sitting, I didn’t spend nearly as much time as I normally do in front of the computer screen. While I have a lot to catch up on now, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the time away. It was nice to disconnect, get out and explore, reflect on life, and read a book from cover to cover!

Now that I’m back home, I’m already finding myself getting sucked back into the internet. I’m going to make a concerted effort to shut my laptop and buckle down with my job search though, at least during the day. We’ll see how that goes .

***

On Sunday night, I visited my brother at his new apartment in Arlington. He took me to Cafe Assorti, a casual restaurant that serves homemade food from European, Russian and Kazakh cuisines.

I started with the Assorti Seafood Salad. Calamari, carrots, garlic and onions tossed in canola oil.

For my entree, I ordered the Vegetable Assorti. A mix of eggplant, carrots, broccoli, zucchini and squash. The veggies were very flavorful, probably because they were cooked in good ol’ creamy butter.

For some reason I was expecting a more creative and hearty entree i.e. with some delicious sauce or some grains….or atleast heavier on the eggplant! Oh well, my appetite was still a little off from my sickness so I was more than satisfied.

I got my grains in with a part of a sweet pastry that we got to-go. I tried the sesame pastry with a sweet cheese filling (the bottom one).

I also munched on a huge bag of Maple Oatmeal Squares cereal. My brother and I are definitely two of a kind!

We got to catch up on all things life including his new job, my lack of a job, his coworkers, my blog friends…and so on and so forth.

***

The next morning (yesterday), I said goodbye to the dogs and headed home. It took me over 2 hours to get home because I made a few stops along the way to do some food shopping. Typical.

I picked up a Kardea Chai Spice bar from a local health food store to munch in the car. I was actually sent 4 of these bars several months ago and gobbled them up without telling you about them . I liked them a lot, especially the chai spice flavor. I looked online to see if I could buy more but they were a bit on the pricey side.

The texture is really unique. It’s a bit sticky, but not overly so. Although it sort of looks like a Larabar, it tastes completely different–more like a sticky cookie. The chai flavor is spot on!

I hit up the gym later in the day for some ellipticalling and full body strength training. I hadn’t lifted in almost a week and it felt great to engage my muscles. My workout flew by because Friends was on the gym TV.

Afterwards, I dug into a new-to-me product from TJ’s: Chicken-less Pulled Chicken in BBQ sauce.

I’ve been digging vegetarian meat lately, especially the kind in BBQ sauce. It looked and tasted so much like chicken. I’m really not sure if I would be able to tell the difference between this and real chicken in a blind taste test. Seriously.

I enjoyed it with baby spinach, brussels sprouts, and mini peppers.

This meal was sandwiched between carbs. I had an unpictured slice of whole wheat bread while cooking the brussels sprouts and followed it up with a few Newman’s Own Ginger-O’s and dark chocolate squares.

I did some baking this morning so get ready for a fun recipe coming up! Speaking of recipes, I need your vote for my Mushroom Feta Cornbread Muffins. You don’t have to register for anything–just a simple click! Thanks in advance for your support! Click here to vote.

***

Alright, time for this gal to unplug.

Tell me: What is your favorite ethnic cuisine?

It’s nearly 12 midnight and I am just sitting down to blog. Why? I’ve been busy taking care of these two little goobers while their parents are at a wedding! Well, I’ve been exploring the DC area too—so much fun! I started feeling sick yesterday (I must have caught a cold in NYC) so I’ve been doing my best to stay out of the house and take in nutritious foods. Unfortunately, I don’t think getting adequate rest is possible when sharing a bed with these guys.

Last night was the first time I had ever slept in a bed with a non-human animal (make that 2 animals)…not counting the stuffed variety . I think we woke each other up about 10 times throughout the night. Did I mention it’s my first time dog sitting? I’ve definitely learned a lot in the past 24 hours!

Do these pups look familiar?!

After I arrived at Emily and Casey’s house yesterday, I walked the pups and then set out for a leisurely run. I ran 4 miles around Old Town Alexandria to try and sweat out my oncoming sickness. It sometimes helps me to get my blood pumping when I start to feel a little sick. Not to mention, running is always a great way to explore the area.

King Street

The Waterfront

Afterwards, I hit up the nearby Whole Foods for a Siggi’s Pomegranate and Passion Fruit yogurt (I got it for 75 cents with a WFs coupon and sale!). I also picked up a box of Chocolate Almond Biscotti.

I’ve wanted to try this yogurt for what feels like a lifetime. At regular price, it is way too expensive so when I saw they were on sale, I knew it was now or never.

I normally prefer plain yogurt because flavored yogurts are loaded with sugar, but the Siggi’s flavored yogurts aren’t too high in sugar. Plus, they are sweetened with agave nectar.

The yogurt was super thick and creamy.

Irene’s Biscotti was also on sale so i made sure to grab a box. I’ve had the regular and cranberry flavors but I like the Chocolate Almond flavor the most. I ate about 1/3 of the box with my yogurt.

Before I left, I grabbed a Good Morning Muffin from the bakery to eat while shopping around. This muffin was made with carrots, apples, coconut, raisins and walnuts. All my favorites in one big ol’ muffin.

Mmmmmmmmmm….

……mmmmmmmm….

…..mmmmmmmmm.

Must remake!

I’ve been loading up on Emergen-C, Thera Flu, citrus fruit, wheat grass, and a lot of hot tea to try and force this cold away.

I still have ALL of today’s exploring to catch you up on. These dogs wake up at the butt crack of dawn so I got a lot of exploring done today . I’ll probably take it easy tomorrow so be on the look out for a post early afternoon. Unless, this pup starts licking my hand uncontrollably and I can’t type!

Tell me: Do you have pets? Which kind and how many?

No pets for me! I grew up allergic to a lot of furry animals. I desperately wanted bunny rabbits when I was in elementary school, but my parents somehow talked me out of it. I also had 3 hermit crabs but I forgot to feed them and they died. Sad .

Aaaaaand it’s officially moving day! Well, the day our huge ‘n’ heavy furniture gets moved at least. We’ve been moving all the small/medium sized stuff ourselves because hiring movers is so. darn. expensive.

I woke up bright and early to squeeze in a workout. With a boatload of unpacking on today’s agenda, I didn’t know if I would get a chance to workout later. “Bright and early” means 8:45 am.

• 1.5 mile run
• 45 min. elliptical
• 10 squats

Then it was time to shower and make sure the movers didn’t trip over my crepe…I mean crap .

I got a little creative with the leftover crepe batter. I’ll give you the full details tomorrow!

For lunch, I had an Amy’s California Veggie Burger on a piece of whole wheat bread, topped with hummus. Okay, I thought the All-American flavor was pretty good already but they don’t even compare to the California!! I had no idea they tasted so different. My favorite veggie burgers have lotsa grains and crumble a little bit.

These were very grainy (as you can see) and crumbled just a smidge!

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of their ingredients lists.

The All-American has a bunch of extra ingredients such as soy fiber and soy protein isolate. No wonder the Cali tastes so much more real.

***

I also had 2 large carrots (microwaved ‘cuz I’m allergic to raw) with hummus.

Outtakes

It’s a little crazy over here right now so I’ll leave you with the outtakes from yesterday’s Project Food Blog Round 2 post.

Makeshift tripod

Our [old] kitchen didn’t get a lot of natural light so I needed a tripod to photograph my crepe fillings at a slower shutter speed. (With a slower shutter speed, more light can enter the camera. However, it’s also easy to get a blurry photo if your hands move around. A tripod helps to keep the camera steady.)

Except I didn’t have a tripod so I made one…

Eating on the job

I got hungry while making crepes so I accidentally ripped one while flipping . I guess someone had to eat it, huh?

Brittany makes crepes?

I kept seeing the word “Brittany” while researching (okay, Googling) buckwheat crepes and I thought to myself Wow Brittany must be a big time chef or blogger. Turns out, Brittany is a region of France famous for it’s buckwheat crepes. Ha!

At least I know where I’m going next time I travel to France.

Expired brie cheese

As you know, we don’t really eat by expiration dates in this house. A year and 5 months? It’s totally fine. 5 1/2 months? Most definitely fine!

…and it was.

Note: I am not encouraing the consumption of expired food. Eat at your own risk.

Peter’s diagram

I showed Peter my sketches for the crepe photographs I was planning on shooting. He offered his suggestion in quadrant 4. He said it would look good shaped ‘like a McDonald’s Snack Wrap.’

In order to minimize moving time, we had the movers dump all the furniture in the house. Meaning, it’s time for me to go help my dad move furniture and unpack.

***

Tell me: How many times have you moved in your life?

Not counting to and from school…I think I’ve moved 7 times.

***

Reminder: Voting has begun for Round 2 of Project Food Blog. If you enjoyed my French crepes, please vote for me!

(You get 200 votes because 200 contestants move on to the next round. )

Last night my stomach asked me if it was Thanksgiving because it felt uncomfortably full. I told her (her?) no, it was a false alarm and I just ate too much. There wasn’t even pumpkin pie to use as an excuse! I apologized for ignoring the fullness cues she sent me and continuing to eat through the night. I promised to be a little more careful next time.

(What’s that? You don’t talk to your stomach? ).

Oh well, this morning I put those carbs to good use by going on a run (I also had a lot on my mind that I needed to think through). I was still full when I woke up and I felt energized….or so I thought.

Eating carbs gives me energy for my runs but Carbo-verloading weighs me down! Another testament to the importance of eating well for optimal running. At mile 3 I thought I was done. I was hot, thirsty, tired and my stomach was in knots.

However, my legs weren’t finished just yet and they continued to string me along. Before I knew it, I ran 5 miles (I had a lot on my mind!!). I wanted to go for 6 but I found it hard to breathe by the end. Instead, I walked the last mile while rockin’ out to my iPod.

Just like that.

When you’ve got full blown runner’s high, you don’t care if construction workers think you suck at dancing or if Simon Cowell is lurking in the bushes waiting to tell you that you sound horrendous.

***

After I got back, I stretched and drank an enormous smoothie with protein powder, spinach, frozen berries and almond milk.

And then depleted our entire ice supply by taking another ICE BATH.

Many of you commented that you could never take an ice bath but let me tell you, it helped me a lot last week. I get pain in my right achilles, left hip and both shins. I thought I would be in trouble after my 6 miler on Friday but the ice bath worked it’s magic. I was sore the next day but only sore, not in pain. I also recovered a lot faster than I typically do after longer runs.

Coming from someone who can’t take cold showers even in the summer, it’s really not as bad as it seems. It’s like entering a pool. The bottom half of your body can tolerate the cold okay. It’s when you’re upper body goes under that you get the shivers.

Ya know?

***

Afterwards, I had some No-Bake Baked Oatmeal with Greek yogurt <– carbs and protein for my muscles!

This time I used 1/2 oat flour and it turned out really soft in the middle–very baked oatmeal-ish.

And the rest of my new cereal. Yep, this was all that was left .

With almond milk.

Then I baked some Carrot + Parsnip Fries. I made them using the same method as last week. This time I tossed in 1 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil and it made all the difference. This was 1 carrot and 3 parsnips.

I’d been meaning to make nut butter fries with these parsnips, but sadly this jar of love didn’t last the week.

So ketchup it was!

Alright I’m hungry again and ready for dinner.

Peter? Where’s Peter??

You’ve heard about Peter’s Kitchen before. You’ve seen many of Peter’s creations here on LLE. Now, you can experience the behind the scenes action.

First, a little background information on Peter…

The hypothetical restaurant, “Peter’s Kitchen,” was founded several years ago when Peter’s family jokingly suggested he open a restaurant with that name. Instead of going out to eat, Peter’s family often preferred to stay at home and dine at Peter’s Kitchen. Peter actually has no formal culinary training. Engineering, yes…culinary, no. He learned how to cook at a young age by watching his mother in the kitchen. As the oldest of five siblings, he often had to cook for his family.

Peter loves to eat and he’ll eat just about anything (luckily, he was blessed with a lightning fast metabolism). Thus, he likes to experiment with various foods/ingredients. Although he does not particularly enjoy cooking all that much (so he says), he cooks dinner nearly every single night for his family. Some nights he is in the kitchen for up to an hour and some nights he spends just 20 min. or less. He usually prepares 3-4 dishes every night, depending on how many mouths he has to feed.

Peter is all about cooking quick, simple, and cheap meals. In fact, his daughter suspects/knows that one of the reasons he regularly prepares her favorite seafood is so she doesn’t spend as much money on groceries at Trader Joe’s. While frozen shrimp is more convenient than head-on shrimp, it is inevitably more expensive…even at TJ’s. Peter doesn’t mind cleaning the shrimpies himself in order to save some money.

Now you know where his daughter gets her cheapskate ways. Note: Peter also keeps the shrimp heads in the freezer to throw into a future pot of soup. Now you also know where his daughter gets her inability to throw away food…or anything for that matter.

Additional background information:

Peter’s daughter, Allie, suspects/knows that her father would rather her find a real job than spend hours everyday blogging, as her blog is not popular enough to consider it a ‘real job.’ He thinks/knows that she would make more money working for McDonald’s than Foodbuzz. Much more.

Thus, Peter tries not to show too much excitement about her blog. Of course, he often lets his guard down and when this happens, his daughter can’t help but smile. After all, he was the one who helped her research DSLR cameras and bought her the one she wanted for graduation, further encouraging her blogging hobby.

Before Allie takes his dishes from the kitchen counter to her photography spot, Peter does some last minute arranging of the food to make sure it looks blog-worthy. Sometimes, he adds a twig of parsley or some other garnish to make the dish more pleasing to the eye. His daughter’s hobby has forever changed his approach to food presentation. Now, he is always thinking about what he can do to make his dishes look better for the blog .

It is in these moments when Allie realizes that deep down inside, her dad thinks her blog is pretty cool.

***

Last Wednesday, Peter was just starting to cook dinner as his hungry daughter got back from her workout. As Allie was chugging a glass of water, he told her to check out the gorgeous green hue of the broccoli he bought at the store. He immediately suggested she take a photograph.

His hungry daughter didn’t feel like it because she knew she would have to take the broccoli to the window sill or out on the balcony for good lighting and she was on the verge of gnawing off her arm. However, Peter was adamant about documenting the crown of broccoli and insisted the kitchen lighting was just fine.

Upon reviewing the initial photos, Peter agreed that natural lighting was necessary. Thus, he followed her advice and took it over to the ‘sill.

He even went over to the sink to sprinkle some water droplets to make it look more natural. Oh dear.

Take two.

As Ms. Tyra Banks would say, this was his best shot:

Peter proceeded to explain to his daughter that the shadows were necessary to bring out the texture of the broccoli florets. She nodded in agreement and hurried her father along.

Peter told her not to worry. ‘Give me 10 min. and I’ll have dinner ready.’

First he chopped up the [gorgeous] broccoli and 1/2 a carrot while his daughter washed her bargain tomatoes.

He also took out a can of baby corn, one of her childhood faves.

Next, he sauteed the shrimp (that he cleaned earlier that day) in a pan with a few tablespoons of canola oil.

On the side, he lightly steamed the broccoli in a pot with about 2 cups water until just tender.

Time to stir-fry!

Baby corn, carrots and tomatoes in 1 TBSP canola oil.

+ steamed broccoli and a sprinkle of salt.

Finally, he tossed the veggies with the cooked shrimp.

Peter wanted you all to know that “cooking healthy meals is easy and simple.”

Thanks, Peter.

Peter never uses recipes. Ever. Instead, he improvises with whatever happens to be in the fridge/freezer/pantry.

Note: This was a super simple dish due to Allie’s desire for a quick meal. If there is interest, Peter is open to demonstrating some more complex dishes such as:

Quote of the day:

“Allie, you’re gonna want to take a photo of this dish. It’s special. Tell them it’s made with Peter’s secret sauce.”

~Chef Peter