What I Ate Wednesday #106: The Unpictured

We’ve all read it before—things are not always what they appear to be. So many times we read blog posts or see pictures on instagram and get a peek into someone’s daily life; what their workouts look like, what their meals look like. It can be pretty easy to fall into the dreaded comparison trap. What we don’t always remember when reading these posts is that you don’t necessarily see every little piece.

[Pre-Workout]

I’m loving my Skoop superfood blueberry bites and will absolutely be making more when these run out.
Not Pictured: A carrot cake energy bite. I like a little variety in my morning bites!

[Breakfast]

My nut butters are running pretty low and I have a little packet of coconut butter that I’ve been saving. I forgot how delicious it is! Not to mention, nice to add a different flavor in there.
Not Pictured: A second cup of coffee. Stevia and coconut almond milk are my favorite mix-ins.

[Lunch]

A quick throw-together break room lunch—mixed greens, shredded carrots, cucumber, tomato, red pepper, and avocado with orange rosemary dressing.
Not Pictured: The protein—a crispy quinoa burger on the side—had to keep it that way so I could warm it up! Also, a dark chocolate covered pretzel. Sweet and salty after lunch is necessary.

[Afternoon Snack]

I was starved by the time I got home so I whipped up a pumpkin protein mug cake, topped with some Old Fashioned Crunchy.
Not Pictured: The pumpkin ravioli, chocolate coconut almond, and coffee samples from Trader Joe’s. Is it possible to go into that store and not pick up the samples?! Oh, and the chocolate coconut almonds are ridiculously delicious. I also snacked on a couple grapes and some of Monday night’s dinner. What? Girl’s gotta eat!

[Dinner]

Martha Stewart did me right! Nathan’s plate was much prettier than mine because he had his tandoori-style turkey burgers in a pita, as suggested.
Not Pictured: An extra potato wedge and ketchup. I usually tend to snack a bit while I’m cooking dinner, but I think my extra snacks did the trick!

[Evening Snack]

This one pretty much sums it up. Apples and peanut butter are just the best.

It’s a good thing you’re not just going by my instagram, huh? You might have thought I only had oatmeal and a turkey burger salad yesterday 😉

Food for Thought

Do you ever fall into a comparison trap, whether it’s with workouts, physique, food, or anything else?

Scenes from the Weekend {10/13}

Hi friends, happy Monday! What a weekend it was.. ours was pretty fantastic, aside from a couple Orioles losses. We kicked it off with Friday night pizza, beer, and baseball.

At Sliver, every happy hour drink comes with a sliver of pizza and Friday’s had fresh corn, chile pasilla, mozzarella, feta, lime, and garlic olive oil. It was so good!

Saturday was filled with a little work, lots more baseball, and a dinner date with gelato.

He was so excited that he grabbed the cone and ran! What’s not to be excited about mascarpone balsamic gelato with dark chocolate chunks in a fresh cinnamon waffle cone?

Yesterday was pretty awesome; we’d been talking about going for a serious hike for a while but hadn’t made it yet. We woke up early and drove out to Mt. Tamalpais for a 6-miler with spectacular views of the whole bay area.

The start of the hike.

It seemed like no matter which path we chose, it ended up being the more difficult; steep inclines that seemed to never end, lots of steps, and huge rocks. It was absolutely the most difficult hike we’ve ever done. That said, we had amazing views the entire way up and it was so, very worth it.

Over 2500 ft up!

So worth the sore legs!

Living on the edge 😉

This is normal..

WE MADE IT!

Well deserved brews with a view!

We were totally pooped after our early morning and sweat-breaking hike, but the soreness and drained feeling is one of the best knowing that it’s from such a great experience. We’ll definitely be heading back to Mt. Tam in the future.

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday – Rosemary lamb sausages, roasted kabocha, and asparagus
Monday – Basil lime chicken with mushrooms and green beans
Tuesday – Leftovers
Wednesday – Tandoori-style chicken burgers with potato wedges and side salad
Thursday – Leftovers
Friday – Out!
Saturday – Out!

Food for Thought

What’s the best place you’ve been on a hike?
What’s on your menu this week?

A Weekend of Celebrations and Bread Wars

Well I had quite the exciting start to my weekend. You may have seen on Instagram already, but if not, you should really know that I’m now certified to kick your butt.

I passed! That damn NASM CPT test was a beast and I’m so glad to have that weight off my shoulders. It was really helpful to use Julie and Gina‘s study guides along with what I got from NASM to prep. If you’re interested in getting any NASM certification, you can receive a 10% discount by getting in touch with Michael Golembewski mentioning my name or blog when signing up. Just give him a call at 602-383-1263 or email him at Michael.Golembewski@nasm.org and don’t forget to mention Barr & Table!

Clearly, passing the test called for celebrations. First stop was a bar in Berkeley for a couple drinks and to watch our Orioles. They’ve been playing the A’s so we’ve been able to actually watch our guys out here! [Not that it’s been much to watch..]

Then we went for celebratory sushi!

Got a free California hand roll for checking in on yelp. And it was possibly the best California roll I’ve ever had.

I also got a chirashi “bowl” .. typically served in a bowl, but you can’t beat the freshness regardless of how it’s served! Not to mention it’s gorgeous. I also loved this restaurant because Nathan—my non-seafood eater—could get something other than teriyaki chicken.

This pork belly soba dish was so flavorful and delicious!

Saturday we continued the celebrations with brunch and farmers’ marketing.

Pastrami benedict. I don’t think there’s much else to say here. I don’t know the last time I’ve had such a perfectly poached egg.

And we got peaches for days! I’m not even a peach-eater but these were so amazing, we filled up.

Yesterday, we had a fun day at a sourdough starter class. I’ve not had much success making bread at home so I’m hoping these starters work out better for me. I can’t wait to get started!

We were told that to have a successful starter, it needs to have a name. We actually both chose Bertha [we’ve been together too long] but I let Nathan have it. Let the bread wars begin!

I think Nathan’s camera work could use a little help, yes? 😉 He also wouldn’t stop chewing to smile. I promise he was happier than he looks. Ha! And with all of my celebrations, it’s about time to get back to a nice meal plan. Holy moly!

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday – Turkey caprese meatball salad
Monday – Honey ginger chicken and veggie stir fry
Tuesday – Leftovers
Wednesday – Quinoa crusted chicken strips with BBQ honey mustard and asparagus fries
Thursday – Ginger chicken with peaches and onions + roasted broccoli and rice
Friday – Out!
Saturday – Leftovers

Food for Thought

What fun things did you do over the weekend?
Have you ever made bread at home?

It’s Baseball Season!

BASEBALL!!!!! I’m not at all excited though. I so wish I was going to the Orioles opening day game today against Boston. I’ll definitely be missing my O’s this year but I’m hoping to make it to a good amount of A’s and Giants games. And I’m pretty sure we’re going to spend the weekend at the A’s stadium when they’re playing the Orioles. Cannot wait!

I will miss having one of my favorite baseball partners with me this year!

Go orange or go home!

This past weekend was kind of bizarre. I finally caught up on all of my missed sleep [naps were involved.. and quite possibly alcohol-induced] so I’m actually feeling like a real person again. We did have a nice theme going throughout the weekend though.

Beer.

Beer.

Beer.

Yep. We enjoyed our beer this weekend. I had some pretty notable brews too; Tahoe Mountain Brewing Auld Bitch Barleywine, The Rare Barrel Shadows of Their Eyes & Sourtooth Tiger, and Dieu Du Ciel Herbe a Detourne [the Grande Noirceur was awesome too!]

Yesterday morning we went to breakfast. Usually when we go out I’ll opt for eggs benedict because I don’t make that at home but the Cuban breakfast caught my eye.

Black beans, braised kale, eggs, brown rice, shrimp, plantains, & tomatillo salsa.

It was the bomb diggity. Went there. Completely different from anything I’d ever normally order but it totally hit the spot. And the plantains were like dessert! I always forget how much I love plantains. They might pop up again in the kitchen soon..

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday – Wing it!
Monday – Basil lime chicken with Green Goddess Cauli Rice
Tuesday – Emeril’s Caribbean Chicken and crispy brussels sprouts with creamy dipping sauce [going to change the spices to go with the chicken]
Wednesday – Leftovers
Thursday – Chili chicken and basil stir fry
Friday – Out!
Saturday – Leftovers

I’m starting to get much better about planning out how much we actually need and not planning a recipe for every single night since we do end up with so many leftovers. Practice makes perfect, right? If you’re looking for meal plan help, shoot me an email.

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite sport to watch and/or play?
What’s your favorite breakfast to order when you go out?

A Valentine’s Date

Every year for Valentine’s Day, Nathan and I try to figure out something special that we can do for dinner. Years ago, that entailed dressing up and going out to a nice restaurant. We’ve since learned that everyone and their mom goes out to a nice restaurant for Valentine’s Day making for crowded restaurants and a long wait for food. Sounds extra special, right? 😉

Nowadays you’ll find us scouring the grocery store for a fun protein to play with. Typically Nathan is in charge of preparing the majority of dinner and I handle dessert. One year we had filet mignon in a mushroom green pepper sauce with roasted fingerlings followed by blackberry cobbler and chocolate raspberry truffles. Another year we did a pan-seared whole duck with a cherry glaze, duck-fat pan-fried potatoes, and asparagus.. you get the idea.

As I was brainstorming for this years menu, I thought it would be really fun to experiment with homemade dim sum. Not only is it delicious, but it would be a great activity to do together! So, of course, I ran on over to Pinterest and found a bunch of recipes we can try.. for when we’re feeling brave 🙂

Dim Sum Valentine’s Date

Sweet and Spicy Soy-Glazed Edamame – Shared Appetite

This is a quick and easy recipe and you can munch on these bad boys while you’re making everything else!

Wonton Soup – Martha Stewart

Wonton soup. It’s just a staple.

Mango, Avocado, and Cucumber Spring Rolls – Cupcakes and Kale

A fun twist on a typical app. The mango will give it a slightly sweet flavor and the avocado will make it nice and creamy.

Asian Shrimp Dumplings – Dashing Dish

Dumplings or pot stickers are such an easy thing to do when you have wonton wrappers. Not to mention, I love this low cal option!

Pork, Ginger & Mushroom Shumai – What’s Cookin, Chicago?

A little bit more time consuming than the pot stickers above, but well worth the effort. These steamed dumplings are always full of flavor and this recipe looks to be on point!

Char Siu Bao (Barbecue Pork Steamed Buns) – Mike and Molly’s House

This would be the ultimate. If we’re feeling brave enough, I’d love to make everything from start to finish. The barbecue pork, the yeast dough.. homemade pork buns would take the cake.

Mango Pudding – Eating Well

You can’t skip dessert on Valentine’s Day. This mango pudding would be the perfect way to end the meal.

And, of course, don’t forget to pick up your favorite sake, some Tsingtao and have a wonderful date night! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Food for Thought

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Are you going out to dinner or staying in?

What I Ate Wednesday #27 – A Day of Rest

I’m extending my Just My Imagination giveaway! You now have until Thursday, 12/20 at 11:59 PM EST to enter! Get your entries in 🙂

Who’da thunk running around non-stop for 2 weeks would completely wear you out? It just doesn’t make sense, right?!

Sunday was the first time we actually had a chance to rest and even though we planned on going to the outlets (the week before Christmas, no less) we never made it out of our PJs. I have no idea the last time this happened but there were no complaints! And I’m not sure I even realized that we literally did nothing all day until I went to lock the door before bed and it was still locked from the night before.

I happily laid around on Sunday and made some delicious meals. But before sharing them with you, I have to congratulate Jenn for celebrating her 100th WIAW “birthday!” And thanks for including everyone in your fun parties 🙂

[Breakfast]
I just can’t stop! The Sweet Breakfast Scramble is a habit hard to break.

[Lunch]
Kale & quinoa salad with a baked omelette on top! For whatever reason, I was in an egg kinda mood, so I decided to try and recreate a baked HUMONGOUS omelette I had in Florida. Unfortunately, it was not even close to as fluffy and large as the one I had before, but it was still delicious.. filled to the brim with sauteed broccoli and feta cheese. Yum!

[Dinner]
Another kale salad! This time topped with roasted delicata squash and a lightened up version of chicken cacciatore. I started with a Martha Stewart recipe and added tons of extra red bell pepper, red onion, and a splash of white wine. It was full of flavor and so easy.. definitely recommend trying this recipe!

[Snacks]
Clementines, celery, peanut butter, dried figs, and dried apricots were consumed over the course of the day. I could eat those things all day long!

As this week continues, I find myself hoping for another Sunday in my PJs. Oh how I love the holiday season 😉

Food for Thought

Have you been running around like crazy lately or have you found yourself with time to relax?