Link Love #80

Just like that our quiet couple of weeks without company is about to end. My college roommate and her husband are getting in late Wednesday night and staying with us for a week! They’ve never been out to San Francisco before so they’re definitely in for a treat. Do you remember how crazy we went when my parents came out last year? Yea.. there will be plenty of eating, drinking, and hiking! Get ready for some more delicious pictures 😉

Health

The Naked Truth: When Is Our Body Finally Good Enough? – Lifting Revolution

The Naked Truth: When Is Our Body Finally Good Enough? – Lifting Revolution
Why it is okay to gain a few happiness lbs – Darwinian Fail
So you want to study nutrition? Dietitian, Nutritionist, or Nutritional Therapist? – Gluten Free Rosie
Eat to Beat the Common Cold? Part One: Review of Vitamin C – Food & Nonsense
Using the stages of change model to adopt new fitness and nutrition habits – FitKnitChick

Fitness

Rock Your Body Workout – Fit Foodie Finds & Ambitious Kitchen

Rock Your Body Workout – Fit Foodie Finds & Ambitious Kitchen
Why Kettlebell Swings Aren’t a Good Exercise for Cardio – Trainer Paige
Don’t Skip a Beat: How To Train Using Heart Rate Monitoring – FitFluential
3 Creative Core Moves that Work Balance and Strength – Cotter Crunch
Stay on Track Workout – Coconuts & Kettlebells

Food

Green Goddess Hummus – Cookie + Kate

Green Goddess Hummus – Cookie + Kate
Microwave Peanut Protein Pancakes with Chocolate Chips {Gluten/Grain Free, Super Simple, Low Fat + Low Calorie} – Food Faith Fitness
Bahn Mi Spring Rolls – Minimalist Baker
Healthy Bananas Foster Donuts – The Almond Eater
Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Morning Buns with Blueberry Passionfruit Glaze – Half Baked Harvest
Almond Butter Fudgy Chocolate Eggs – Peachy Palate

Food for Thought

What’s one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Link Love #41

I’m seriously a lightweight when it comes to waking up crazy early now. I guess I’m not really expected to have a ton of energy waking up at 4am when I couldn’t fall asleep till midnight, but I passed the heck out after work yesterday! It took everything I had to make myself lunch when I got home and keep my eyes open long enough for a conference call but once I hung up, it was lights out. Or really, zonked out on the couch. At least the 5am shifts are only once a month.

I’ve got some blog reading to catch up on from yesterday, but in case you missed some great posts from last week, I’m here to help!

Health

The Art of Food Tracking (Part 1) – Workout Nirvana

The Art of Food Tracking (Part 1) – Workout Nirvana
5 Reasons Athletes Should Eat Fish and Mediterranean Baked Cod – Cotter Crunch
192 Sugar Sources and Alternate Names – Sarah Kay Hoffman
This Just In: Husbands Don’t See Cellulite – Lifting Revolution
3 Ways to Find Motivation to Accomplish Your Goals – Trainer Paige

Fitness

4 Advantages of Dumbbell Exercises and Why You Should Use Them (And 3 Disadvantages) – Nia Shanks

4 Advantages of Dumbbell Exercises and Why You Should Use Them (And 3 Disadvantages) – Nia Shanks
Chocolate NuttZo GIVEAWAY + NEW Workout – She Rocks Fitness
Boot Camp Summer Sweat – Hungry Mother Runner
20 Minute Vacation Resistance Band Workout – Mommy Run Fast [This one is coming with me at the end of the month!]
Extreme Core Workout – PFITblog

Food

Classic Chunky Fig Newtons – Peachy Palate

Classic Chunky Fig Newtons – Peachy Palate
Grilled Peach Barbecue Sauce with Grilled Polenta – Edible Perspective
Bourbon Poached Peach Black Manhattan – One Martini
Lemon Pepper Brussels Sprouts – The Almond Eater
Kombucha Moscow Mules – Cookie + Kate

Food for Thought

What’s one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Fat and Happy

You know that feeling of being wonderfully full after a delicious meal? That’s what Nathan and I call fat and happy and it was our motto back in the day. Now, I wouldn’t say that we spent our whole weekend that way, but we definitely finished it of that way! There were lots of smiles.

I celebrated the weekend [both days] with pancakes.

Morganne’s coconut protein pancakes are fabulous and I’ve been enjoying the day after day, sometimes with figs, sometimes with banana. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Nathan and I celebrated Saturday with a little bar hopping.

Hers: Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break | His: Malka Blonde

We started out at The Trappist Provisions—the fanciest of the bars—continued to The Gradute, and finally, Barclays. We stopped at the Ramen Shop for dinner afterward. I wasn’t feeling ramen at all so I went for the salmon salad appetizer with an egg.

It was beautiful! But next time I need at least 5 of them to fill me up and about 10x less salt. Oh well, live and learn.

Sunday was spent strolling through neighborhoods of Berkeley and Oakland. We stopped at Elmwood Cafe for lunch; I’d been wanted to try it since Gina wrote about it and it did not dissapoint!

Here, take my picture. But please don’t wait till I’m ready.

People call this the latte soup. It was huge!

I got the smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese, cucumber, pickled onion, and lemon pepper on Acme levain bread. It was so good. I’ve really been feeling smoked salmon lately and this was nice and light. Which saved room for a shared strawberry and sour cherry turnover and..

.. homemade peanut butter crunch ice cream in a homemade chocolate-lined waffle cone from Ici. It was every bit as delicious as it sounds. Nathan told me I was smiling too hard, but really.. do you see what I’m holding?!

As we walked around town, we stopped in other patisseries, meat and cheese shops, and grocery stores, tasting our way through. There are so many restaurants and ice cream shops we found [including a liquid nitrogen ice cream shop!} and have a lot more tasting to do. But for now, I don’t think we can thinking about more food! Ok, that’s a lie. Give us an hour..

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday – Herbed turkey burgers with Nathan’s homemade onion jam, roasted tomatoes, and arugula on cauliflower rolls
Monday – Lentil ratatouille
Tuesday – Moroccan-spiced chicken with roasted cauliflower and farro salad
Wednesday – Leftovers
Thursday – Winging it!
Friday – Out!
Saturday – Leftovers

Food for Thought

What fun stuff did you do over the weekend?
What’s on your menu this week?

Link Love #33

I’m really excited for tonight. I fully plan on eating a nice, big spoonful of peanut butter, granola, and lots of rice with dinner! I know I haven’t kept Passover 100% but I’ve at least tried. I think I’m just now to the point of wanting things because I can’t have them.. like pizza. I can go a looong time without pizza, but I do like to at least have a bite when Nathan orders it. Well, now I just want a whole pie! And chocolate chip cookies. And lots and lots of peanut butter haha!

Continuing on the Jewish note, last night Nathan turned on a movie called When Jews Were Funny. It’s ridiculous and pretty darn funny.. though I’m wondering if it’s as funny if you’re not Jewish. Oy vey!

Ha! Onto a little love.. can you tell I’m ready for some bread and peanut butter? 😉

Health

Regaining Your Common Sense: Why Doing LESS Leads to a Leaner Physique – JillFit

Regaining Your Common Sense: Why Doing LESS Leads to a Leaner Physique – JillFit
Maintaining Gut Healthy and Gluten-Free Living – Cotter Crunch
Guest RD: Fueling for Sports – Fresh Food Perspectives via Kath Eats Real Food
14 Habits of People With a Healthy Relationship to Food – HuffPost Healthy Living
When Elimination Diets Backfire – U.S.News Health & Wellness

Fitness

10 Minute Hard’core’ Abs Workout – CandyFit via Burnbrae Farms

10 Minute Hard’core’ Abs Workout – CandyFit via Burnbrae Farms
15 High-Intensity Workouts You Can Do Just About Anywhere – Carrots ‘N’ Cake
8 Kettlebell Exercises to Tone and Tighten Your Thighs – Lifting Revolution
Transitioning From the Treadmill to the Track – Wildly Fit
What is Glycogen Depletion Training? – NYC Running Mama

Food

Brown Sugar Blueberry Banana Bread with Blueberry Butter – Averie Cooks

Brown Sugar Blueberry Banana Bread with Blueberry Butter – Averie Cooks
Carrot Cake Loaf – Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
Kale and Wild Rice Bowls with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette – Iowa Girl Eats
5 Ingredient Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cups – Edible Perspective
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey Sesame Glaze – Cookie + Kate

Food for Thought

What is one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Link Love #10

It’s that time again! 🙂

Health

How to: Learn to Love Yourself in 10 Steps – ElectraFi

How to: Learn to Love Yourself in 10 Steps – ElectraFi
Low Calorie Diets Can Be Dangerous – Slim Sanity
What I Need: The Problem With “Balance” – Fighting for Wellness
Feel Good Friday & Why is so hard to compliment Women? – Cotter Crunch
Tips for taking criticism without falling apart. – MizFit

Fitness

Max It Out Muscular Endurance Circuit – Fitnessista

Max It Out Muscular Endurance Workout – Fitnessista
Legs Like Jello Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
Workout Finishers: Kettlebell Complex – Trainer Paige
The 5-Minute Workout Even the Busiest of Girls Can Make Time For – FitSugar
Super Sweaty 60 Minute Complete Body Circuit – Treble in the Kitchen

Food

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie – Peachy Palate

The Pie I Want to Be Buried With… – Peachy Palate
Epic Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries, Beer Caramelized Onions + Gruyere – Half Baked Harvest
Roasted Butternut Squash Zucchini Pasta with Kale, Apricots and Wheatberries – Inspiralized
Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce over Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Rice – COOKIE + Kate
15-Minute Mini Apple Pies – Dashing Dish

Food for Thought

What is your favorite post from the past week?

Have you made any new recipes that you’ve recently found?

Foodie Friday: Tropical Mango Salsa & Cinco de Mayo Recipe Roundup

Cinco de Mayo is this Sunday! And in the interest of continuing on the fun pinning spree from yesterday, I thought I’d share some of my top Cinco pins along with a new recipe.

Tropical Mango Salsa

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
– 4 champagne mangoes
– 1 red bell pepper
– 1/2 red onion
– 1 jalapeno pepper; with or without ribs depending on how spicy you like it!
– 2 cloves garlic
– 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
– Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Dice the mangoes, bell pepper, and onion into 1/2″ pieces and finely mince the jalapeno and garlic. Add the white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper and stir gently.

You can eat this right away or let it sit for about 15 minutes to let the flavors combine. I love easy recipes 🙂

More Recipes for Your Pinning Pleasure!

Summer Salsa

5-Minute Chunky Guacamole

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Sweet Potato Burrito Smothered with Avocado Salsa Verde

Mexican Stuffed Pepper

Grilled Fish Tacos

Mexican Adobo Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Tequila Lime Flank Steak Fajita Salad with Chile Lime Vinaigrette

Alfajores – Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Margarita Cupcakes

Talenti Frozen Sangria

Food for Thought

What are your Cinco de Mayo plans?

Foodie Friday: Superbowl Recipe Roundup & a Winner!

Are you ready for Superbowl Sunday?! You may not be as psyched as I am, but I guess that’s because my Ravens are playing!

Even before I knew they would be playing, I already started planning what I could make for the big game. Shocking, right? I knew I wanted to have some healthy options available and because the game is at 6:30pm, I also knew I didn’t just want snacky foods. So I started making a list..

Dips/Snacks

Beet / Walnut Dip [Healthy. Happy. Life.]
Clearly this one is happening. I mean, it’s pretty close to purple so that was a given. Not to mention, it sounds fantastic!

Spicy Sriracha White Bean Dip [White on Rice Couple]
I love this dip; it’s like a spicy hummus! I made it for a New Years Eve party and it was devoured.

Lemony Baked Feta Artichoke Dip [A Bubbly Life]
This looks like a fun twist on a regular spinach artichoke dip.

Cauliflower Bread Sticks [Mama Grubbs Grub]
At this point, many of you have seen the cauliflower pizza crust recipes going around. This is essentially the same idea, but just cut up into dippers. Perfect for a healthier option than a typical cheesy bread.

Proteins

Buffalo Chicken Rolls [Can You Stay for Dinner?]
A great option if you’re looking to do something outside of the normal wings n things.

Reuben Rolls
One of my must-makes from my Pinterest obsession. This might just be the weekend for them!

Butternut Squash & Chipotle Chili [Cookie + kate]
This is another definite. I’ve made this chili a few times before and absolutely love it. And you can’t go wrong with football and chili!

Peanut Butter & Co. Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Debbie, the lucky winner of the Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway!

Debbie says :
oh gosh. i have a serious peanut butter addiction and i actually haven’t tried this brand!
the dark chocolate dreams sounds AMAZING!!

Please email me at Brittany@BarrAndTable.com with your shipping address by Sunday, February 3rd at 11:59 PM EST to claim your prize!

Food for Thought

Are you making any special recipes this weekend for the big game?