Foodie Friday: Mid-Week Mystery Dinner

 

Published courtesy of JulieCat in the Kitchen’s blog

Tonight is one of those nights where things just happen to figure themselves out in the kitchen.  I bought groceries today, but I bought them in mind for a dinner I’m planning tomorrow.  So…what do we do tonight?  Cereal again sounded pretty sad (hey, cooking doesn’t always happen around here!).  I did what I usually do in this tiny kitchen of mine, I started throwing things together in hopes of a  “winner”.  I think it came pretty close to that tonight; hope you agree!

So, this is what I call a Greek-inspired hamburger helper.  I know, I’m really setting the bar high here with this description, but it’s the first thing that came to me.  Nothing fancy, but it’s tasty and super quick!  Here’s how it goes:

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Foodie Friday: The Lazy Runner Edition

Hello and happy day to you!

Today’s edition of “Foodie Friday” is going to be a little bit different.

Don’t freak out.

Instead of sharing a recipe that I like, I have a few quick and easy meal suggestions for you.

This post was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my best friends a few weeks ago.

She was complaining commenting on how she never has time to cook dinner because she is so busy working,

taking care of her family,

cleaning the house,

and of course,

working out.

And I, being the absolute laziest meal-prepper on the planet…

gave her a few suggestions that I use to make my meal prep Monday as short and sweet as possible.

I thought it would be a great idea to share those tips with you…

So here we goooooo!

Foodie Friday: Chicken Sausage, Roasted Veggie & Harvest Blend Bowl

Hello and Happy Day to You!

I have a yummy carb-fueled, healthy dish for you today.

It can be custom made according to your preferences… WHAAAAAT!!!!!???!!!!!!!

It’s pretty simple actually, but is absolutely delicious.

I made it over the 4th of July weekend and forgot to share it… so here you go!

Ingredients

• Chicken Sausage (I used al fresco Sweet & Spicy BBQ Chicken Sausage)
• A bag of your favorite grain (I used TJ’s Harvest Grain Blend)
• Your favorite veggies (I used red, orange & yellow bell peppers and zucchini)
• 1 onion
• 1 or 2 avocados
• Your favorite cheese (I used TJs Fat Free Feta)

Foodie Friday: Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes with Coconut Crust

Published courtesy of JulieCat in the Kitchen’s blog

Today’s Foodie Friday iiiiiiiiiiiissssssssss…..

Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes with a Coconut Crust and Avocado Mayo!!

Yes, it really was as good as it sounds.

Here’s what you need to get started…

Foodie Friday: Roasted Veggie & Quinoa Salad

Hello and Happy Foodie Friday to you!

After taking a few days off of running and getting some much needed rest, I am ready to rock the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half this weekend.

But! Not before sharing with you a delicious meal that I made last night.

It is no secret that I have a slight obsession with quinoa.

It is the perfect blend of carbs and protein.

And it is so good for you!

So, without further adieu!

I give you… Roasted Veggie & Quinoa Salad!

Foodie Friday: Let’s Carbload with Roasted Red Pepper Pasta!!!

Hello!

Happy Day to you!

I have an extremely delicious Foodie Friday recipe for you today…

Doesn’t it look good?

How I Fuel for Long Runs and Races

Hello!

Happy day to you.

Now that I am officially neck deep into marathon training for the San Francisco Marathon…

I thought it would be a good idea to talk about my fueling tactics for long runs and races.

Before we get into it, I must mention that this is what works for me.

It is important for you to experiment on your own to find what works best for you, your body, and your training.

The information I am providing is just a suggestion- I am by no means a nutrition expert.

Okay, I am climbing down from my soap box now…

Let’s get to it!

The Day Before

First off, I make sure to drink lots and lots of water.

Hydration is SUPER important.

If I have a race the next day, I have a higher carb meal at lunch.

Foodie Friday: Butternut Squash-Crust Pizza with Fontina and Sage

Happy Friday everyone!!

I hope you are doing well today!

I am happy to report that today’s edition of Foodie Friday is a new personal favorite of mine!

Heck yes.

Although the picture doesn’t look as appetizing as I would like, it is freaking delicious.

Mashed butternut squash forms the base of this pizza crust.

It’s much healthier than regular pizza dough and adds a nice, sweet flavor to this slightly spicy pie.

Did someone say more veggies?

Ingredients:

Foodie Friday: Quinoa Oatmeal

Published courtesy of JulieCat in the Kitchen’s blog:

Well, I think oatmeal is fascinating!  It’s a blank canvas and that’s what make it so wonderful.  So, I decide to add a few little twists to this simple breakfast food, but as my usual goes…nothing fancy, just good.

Quinoa Oatmeal with Berries and Chia Seed

– 1 Cup Steel Cut Oats

– 1/2 Cup Quinoa: rinsed

– 3 tb. Chia Seed

– 3 1/2 to 4 Cups Water

Foodie Friday: Scallop & Spinach Salad

Published courtesy of JulieCat in the Kitchen’s blog:

I love cooking dishes that incorporate “special” ingredients, and most of all, I love recipes that are quick and easy (who doesn’t?).   This salad was so good, and it was ready in just a matter of minutes!  You have to try this one.

Foodie Friday: Sweet Potato & Egg Breakfast Hash

This blog posting day is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

I love cooking up delicious food, taking pictures of it and then sharing it with you all.

As runners, we know the food is fuel.

And, as they say…

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

And this meal is officially the greatest breakfast on the planet.

No joke man.

Complete with complex carbs, protein and the healthy fats that we need to power through our day.

 

Foodie Friday: Cauliflower Lentil Yellow Curry

It’s that time again!!

Woo Whoo!

I freaking love Fridays!

And today, I am excited to share with you my recipe for Cauliflower Lentil Yellow Curry.

I have been eating it all week and it is fantastic!!

As you have probably noticed, the majority of the recipes that I share with you are SUPER easy and don’t require much time.

I am lazy and hate spending a bunch of time cooking dinner.

So, for those of you out there who need quick meals, you are welcome!

 

Foodie Friday: Awesome Steak & Mushroom Pasta

Published courtesy of JulieCat in the Kitchen’s blog:

Monday was a long day this week, and I was seriously contemplating the option of ordering take-out after work (super greasy Chinese seemed like the perfect ending to a busy day).  However, a sudden burst of creativity and the need to unwind in front of the stove (cooking relaxes me, I know I’m weird) made me think otherwise.  I made this within a half hour and it was sooooo worth the extra effort:

Steak & Mushroom Pasta

Foodie Friday: The Oatmeal Edition

HOLLA!

Fridays!!!!

I love love love them.

I am going to “try” to start something new on Fridays and as you can tell from the title of this blog post, that new thing is Foodie Friday!

I don’t know if I can do it on a weekly basis, but I am sure going to try.

So “every” Friday, we are going to talk about something food related.

Runners LOVE food, so I know you are going to love it!

Vacations Were Made for Running: Part 2

Hellllllllo!

I am leaving in a little bit for my vacation in Santa Barbara with my friends from college.

I am so freakin’ excited.

Surprisingly, I have lots of running on the calendar!

But, unlike my last vacation, I am actually going to do it.

If you have never been to Santa Barbara, you are missing out.

It is absolutely gorgeous.

THAT!

Hello Goodbye.

Did ya miss me?

I bet you did.

Pardon my absence, but last week was rough.

A close family member passed away unexpectedly on Monday, so I was out of town for the week.

Seriously.

But, I am back now!

I ran the Rock n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon last Sunday…

(stay tuned for the Race Review and Recap on Thursday)

What to eat before a race, during, and after a race

If you have read my recent post “Tips for New Runners” you learned about the importance of hydrating and fueling up. Today I will expand a little on these two topics to shed some light on this important topic.

Before you begin the fueling process there are a few things to consider. You should alter your plan based upon the race distance. There is no need to “carb load” for a 5k, or even a 10k actually. We all have a storage of glycogen in our bodies and it usually will last for about about 90 minutes… so if you are running for anytime period less than that,  overloading your system is unnecessary.

Does this mean that you shouldn’t have a higher carb breakfast? Absolutely not. Go for it! But, don’t over do it. So, in summary, tailor these guidelines to YOUR race distance.

With that, I give you some great suggestions for what to eat before, during, and after a race.

Runger.

I’m hungry.

Like all the time.

About an hour or so after a long run, I want to eat like this…

I don’t obviously, but sometimes I want to.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Muffin Recipe

Newsflash…

I am not the best cook.

Seriously.

But sometimes, I get a wild hair and I make something…

and

it ROCKS!

In this case, I had an itch for chocolate

I’m Preventing Future Running Injuries!

Well… HELLO!

Happy Tuesday!

Hope things are well with you on this lovely day.

My shin is feeling better- which means that I am mentally feeling better.

Obviously…

My emotions are tied directly to whether or not I can run in the near future.

Obviously.

As I mentioned yesterday, not running is making me a little loco.

This is not a joke people.