Link Love #32

Have you entered my Bob’s Red Mill giveaway yet?

Well, I’m happy to report that last night was fun! I’m so glad I was able to find a seder to go to and this was definitely a family that reminded me of my own. The random breaks for song, a Rabbi rap, lots of laughter, and an extremely full belly. Other than being home with my own family, I couldn’t have asked for more and I’m so thankful to have found such a welcoming group of people. There were quite a few empty wine bottles at the end of the night too 😉

Health

“Stressing Over Stress is What Makes Stress So Stressful” – Cotter Crunch

“Stressing Over Stress is What Makes Stress So Stressful” – Cotter Crunch
Don’t compare you to…YOU. – Carla Birnberg
Is Being Really Lean Really Worth It? – Molly Galbraith
Looking “Fit” Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Being Healthy – Jen Comas Keck
Ask a Yogini: Why Practice Yoga Inversions? – Love Life Surf

Fitness

The Extra Dirty Thirty Full Body Workout – Lifting Revolution

The Extra Dirty Thirty Full Body Workout – Lifting Revolution
Challenge Yourself at the Gym – Slim Sanity
Greatist Workout of the Day: Furious 10 – Greatist
How to Complete a Chin Up: 9 Tips to Pull Yourself Over the Bar – Your Trainer Paige
Post Workout Nutrition: What Do We Need and Why? – The Little Honey Bee

Food

Torched Salmon in Green Juice Sauce – Lady and Pups

Torched Salmon in Green Juice Sauce – Lady and Pups
Red Wine Fig Jam – Food Babbles
Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs – Eating Bird Food
Coconut Banana Oats Bowl with Crunchy Black Sesame Quinoa Cereal + Mango – Half Baked Harvest
Gruyere and Asparagus Potato Noodle Casserole – Inspiralized

Food for Thought

Have you ever spent a holiday with a family you’d never met before?
What was one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Link Love #23

Have you entered my Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway yet?

Wow, I don’t even know where yesterday went! I’m so glad we finally got a break from the constant rain. I was able to take a walk to Berkeley Bowl in the middle of the day and it was much warmer than I expected. Good and bad when you layer up like I do.. definitely blasted the fan when I got home haha. I also came home to a wonderful package thanks to Kaila and NuNaturals. Can’t wait to try these out!

Health

Warning: 7 “Healthy” Habits that are Stressing Your Metabolism – Living the Nourished Life

Warning: 7 “Healthy” Habits that are Stressing Your Metabolism – Living the Nourished Life
Confession of a Food Addict – Wellness Today
Renewing Your Training with Recovery – Workout Nirvana
Food Shaming and Comparison – The Real Life RD
The Bloat Cure – Dr. Oz

Fitness

30 Minute Body Pumping Workout – CandyFit via Burnbrae Farms

30 Minute Body Pumping Workout – CandyFit via Burnbrae Farms
Sprinting Vs Running: What You Need To Know – Lifting Revolution
Total Body Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
20-Minute HIIT Workout – Pumps & Iron
Fabulously Fit Friday Treadmill Workout – Treats With a Twist

Food

15 Easy, Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas – Minimalist Baker

15 Easy, Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas – Minimalist Baker
Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa, and Kale Salad – Eat Yourself Skinny
Butternut Squash and Spelt Salad with Goat Cheese and Toasted Almonds – The Lemon Bowl
Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Butter – “Baby Delight Butter”– The Smart Kitchen via Delights & Delectables
Grain Free Chocolate Coconut Chia Bread – Cotter Crunch

Food for Thought

What was one of your favorite posts from last week?

Pin Ups

It’s time again for another Pin It Party hosted by the wonderful Lean Green Bean, herself! I love these posts because not only do I get to share some of my more recent favorite recipes, but I get to see so many other awesome pinnable posts from other bloggers in the link up. Don’t forget to make your way over there to check it out!

You can also see my first 2 Pin It Party posts here:
Pin It Party #1
Pin It Party #2

Breakfast

One of my favorite breakfasts. How can you say no to oats,
nut butter, and a perfectly runny yolk?

Entree

Another yolk! In case you’re feeling a little breakfasty for dinner.

Sweets & Treats

Mini snickerdoodle biscotti are great for any occasion! Maybe this should be under breakfast too 😉

This would be a great snack for the Superbowl. It’s nice a light and not too sweet.

Some dark chocolate fudge with a glass of red wine? Match made in heaven!

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did! Now go ahead and start pinning 🙂

Food for Thought

Are you a big pinner?

Five Things Friday

It’s been a week since we moved in and I’m happy to say that we’re really getting settled now. It feels so good to sleep in our bed, eat at a dining room table instead of the coffee table, and play in the kitchen again!

1. Speaking of playing in the kitchen, I broke out my brand new spiralizer and Vitamix this week. Holy cow I’m in love! I’ve spiralized zucchini and sweet potato so far and can’t wait to play with more. I also may never buy nut butter ever again. In 2 days I made toasted pecan butter and coconut cashew butter. Seriously. Fresh nut butter in 5 minutes? Amazing.
   

   Couldn’t decide between the 2 nut butters.. why not both?!

2. I’ve also started going back to my Pinterest boards for recipe inspiration. The honey sriracha chicken turned out great and I full intend on making this Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Fried Plantain and Coconut Fried Quinoa with Macadamia Nuts soon!
   

   Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Fried Plantain and Coconut Fried Quinoa with Macadamia Nuts
   – Half Baked Harvest

3. Speaking of Pinterest, I’m loving all of the easy storage and decoration ideas I’ve found! Did you know lentils aren’t just for eating? 😉
   

   Crafty and delicious!

4. Last week, I won one of the Love Grown Foods 14 Days of Giveaways packages. I was far too excited to dig in before taking a picture, but this stuff is awesome! I’ve had it once before but I forgot how good it is. Perfect on top of my oats!
   

   There’s coconut in there too!

5. I’m looking into getting a personal training certification. I plan on pursuing NASM since I’ve read so much about it and it seems like that is the most universally accepted certification. Thoughts? Tips? Think I’m nuts? 😉

This whole “new life” thing is pretty exciting and pretty scary. But I think I’m doing alright. That said, if anyone would like to solve all of my life’s mysteries and tell me what I should do with my life, I’m all ears! Haha happy Friday!!

Food for Thought

What is your favorite type of nut butter?
Have you gotten a personal training certification?

Link Love #19

It’s the first Link Love of the new year! And there have been some good ones to share 🙂

Health

New Year New Word New Workout – Cotter Crunch

New Year, New Word, New Workout – Cotter Crunch
10 “New Ways” To Think of Fitness, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Strength In 2014 – Lifting Revolution
What If Every Day Were New Years Day? – Tina Reale
10 Nutrients Scientifically Proven to Make You Feel Awesome – Greatist
50 bite-sized resolutions for better health – NutritionElla

Fitness

A Sweaty Post Holiday Workout – Blonde Ponytail

A Sweaty Post Holiday Workout – Blonde Ponytail
8 Exercises to Help You Say Sayonara to Saddlebags – FitSugar
5 Things to Consider When Starting a New Training Program – Breaking Muscle
Row, Row, Row Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
Sexy Dancer Arms Workout – Livewell 360

Food

Meyer Lemon Roasted Carrot Strings with Lemon Garlic Sauce – Running to the Kitchen

Meyer Lemon Roasted Carrot Strings with Lemon Garlic Sauce – Running to the Kitchen
Detox Quinoa Salad – Kiss My Broccoli
Spicy Sweet Potato Egg Skillet – Peachy Palate
Miso Mushroom Zucchini “Ramen” Noodles – Inspiralized
Crunchy Quinoa Granola – Iowa Girl Eats

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite post so far this year? 😉

Link Love #18: My Top 5

Happy New Years Eve!! Wow, I can’t believe the year is over.. it seems like it just began. It’s time to wrap this baby up and look forward to creating new goals [and achieving them!], new experiences, and new memories. I usually use my link love posts to share some of my favorite posts from the blogosphere, but in the spirit of wrapping up this year, I thought I’d share my top 5 most popular posts and my top 5 favorites from this past year.

Most Popular

5. What I Ate Wednesday #4 – 5 Day Slim Down Edition!

That’s a tasty pineapple protein pancake!

I most certainly have some Tone It Up ladies to thank for this being up there in numbers! People seriously want to know about that slim down. It’s no joke.. you need to be really dedicated and if you are, it really works!

4. Spaghetti Squash Kugel

Definitely making this again soon!

Between Passover and all of the Paleo and low carb diets, it’s no wonder this recipe was a hit! And have you ever had kugel? YUM! Give me my kitchen!

3. Recipe Remix: Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes

Ooh baby! I almost forgot about these.

I love my sweet breakfasts and anyway I can sneak a little veggie in there makes it that much more perfect.

2. Foodie Friday: Peanut Butter Wonderful Powerballs

Everything is better with peanut butter!

My first attempt at protein bites and they were a delicious success! I definitely recommend this recipe.

1. Minty Irish Powerballs

The perfect mix of chocolatey, nutty, and minty!

How do you make a protein bite better? Use your homemade nut butter 😉

My Top 5 Recipe Posts

Eggy Quinoa Stuffed Squash
Coconut Flour Pancake Variations
Homemade Cashew Butter
Buddha’s Feast
Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Tofu Burgers

My Top 5 Life Posts

Hitched
Dealing With Doubt
I’m grateful for…
The “S” Word
Baltimore Bucket List and Big News!

My Top 5 What I Ate Wednesday Posts

#44: Wine in Italy
Quick Honeymoon Update
#45: The Wedding Food
#59: Ten Years Gone
#64: The First Weekend

Food for Thought

Do you have an all-time favorite post from this past year?
Any big plans for NYE?

Link Love #16

It’s official. We have a place to live!! Yesterday I found an apartment in Emeryville and we move in just a couple weeks. Hooray to finally settling in! I’m so excited to have a real kitchen that I can stock up and get cooking again 🙂 I’m also excited to have a new area to explore and learn. It’s such a nice little area and I know we’re really going to enjoy living there. It’s about time I get back to some normal blogging though, huh? 😉

Health

Your Foodemy: How To Accept Your Petunia (AKA Inner Fat Girl) – Lifting Revolution

Your Foodemy: How To Accept Your Petunia (AKA Inner Fat Girl) – Lifting Revolution
Fighting Holiday Frazzle with E.A.T.S. – MizFit
TOTW Tuesday: It’s Not the Fat – The Gypsy Dietitian
Health Benefits of Holiday Spices PLUS a Naughty & Nice #GF Cookie Recipe to Gift! – Cotter Crunch

Probiotic Foods vs. Prebiotic Foods – Sarah Kay Hoffman

Fitness

Collection of Boot Camp Workouts – Peanut Butter Fingers

Collection of Boot Camp Workouts – Peanut Butter Fingers
My Favorite Cardio Exercise: Plate Pushes – Trainer Paige
5-3-2 Full Body Workout – 9-to-Fit
Back Attack – Slim Sanity
50 Circuit Workouts – The Lean Green Bean

Food

Sesame Crusted Tuna & Avocado with Spicy Sesame Zucchini Noodles – Inspiralized

Sesame Crusted Tuna & Avocado with Spicy Sesame Zucchini Noodles – Inspiralized
Loaded Peanut Butter Chocolate Covered Potato Chip Fudge – Half Baked Harvest
Pumpkin Gingerbread Snack Bars – Oh She Glows
Brussels Sprouts with Quinoa and Dried Cranberries – With Style & Grace
6-ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies – Ambitious Kitchen

Food for Thought

Send some links my way! What have I missed over the past couple of weeks that I’ve been MIA?

Link Love #14

Congrats to the giveaway winner, Lauren! Please email me at Brittany@BarrAndTable.com with your mailing address to claim your prize!

Now it’s time for some more link love.. the internet is a wonderful place, yes? 🙂

Health

4 Reasons Your Gluten-Free Diet is Keeping You Miserable – Sarah Kay Hoffman

4 Reasons Your Gluten-Free Diet is Keeping You Miserable – Sarah Kay Hoffman
I Need Five Wake Up Calls Daily – Olive to Run
One Thing at a Time – Wellness Today
I Got Six-Pack Abs in Six Weeks. Here’s How I Feel One Year Later. – Derek Flanzraich via Greatist
10 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Results in the Gym – FitKnitChick

Fitness

Work It Out: 15 Minutes Is All It Takes – Sprint 2 the Table

Work It Out: 15 Minutes Is All It Takes – Sprint 2 the Table
Swing It WOD – Blonde Ponytail
5 Workouts to Help Increase Speed – Tina Reale
Slow Ascent Workout: Negatives In November – Lifting Revolution

Food

Creamy Eggplant & Caramelized Onion Dip – Minimalist Baker

Creamy Eggplant & Caramelized Onion Dip – Minimalist Baker
Toasted Brazil & Coconut Butter – The Smart Kitchen
Brussels Sprout & Sunchoke Salad – Love & Lemons
Quinoa, Kale, and Bacon Stuffed Butternut Squash – Rachel Cooks
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lentil Blondies – Ambitious Kitchen

Food for Thought

What was your favorite post from the past week?

A Marvelous Countdown + a Giveaway!

Monday again, huh? Well, the countdown is on; I officially have 15 days of work left. I’m taking the week of Thanksgiving off completely to finish packing, get my life in order, and spend time with my family. I can’t believe we’re moving this month! In the meantime, I’ve been taking time to relax and get some quality time in with some of my favorite people.

Friday night, Nathan had plans after work so I took some much needed me-time. And I also spent it with my friend Jim..

Jim Beam with a little OJ and seltzer water. Making Caitlin proud 😉

I also whipped up a little roasted goodness topped with a fried egg. Because what goes better with OJ than eggs?!

Spinach, roasted brussels, sweet potato, and an egg. Nothing better.

Saturday we had lunch at Duclaw, a local brew pub. They recently revamped their menu and I couldn’t pass up their new Wilted Kale Quinoa Salad with grilled chicken.. even after asking the waitress’s opinion of it. She feels strongly that kale is best used as a garnish and not to be eaten.. cracked me up!

I like to eat garnishes.

Saturday night we went out to World of Beer with my cousin, Nicole, and her boyfriend, Kirk. They recently moved here from Pittsburgh and I’m so sad we haven’t had more time together before Nathan and I head out!

Just the beginning of the shenanigans that night!

This location just opened up a few weeks ago so we had to give it a shot. Word to the wise – stick to the beer and appetizers. The rest of the food is a BIG miss! Not to worry though, the party continued back at our place and we had so much fun [read: the boys went to Royal Farms for fried chicken and western fries at midnight.]

Sunday was for lunch, a little cousin’s birthday party, and baking prep. We went to Seasons 52 for lunch as a treat on our way to the birthday party. Nathan and I had only been there once before and really enjoyed it. Their presentations are beautiful, but I have to admit, I left a little hungry. I am known for making ridiculously huge salads though..

Maui Tuna Crunch Salad – sushi-grade seared tuna, organic greens, pineapple,
toasted almonds, miso vinaigrette

Onto the birthday party.. Nathan really knows how to get down to a 6-year-old’s gymnastics party! 😉

I’m so proud!

After we got home, I had to do some prep work which involved chocolate chip cookies. I referred back to my throwdown experience and made a batch of the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies. I rolled them into mini cookie balls and popped them into the freezer to save for my future baking. However, I should have made a half batch because this ended up making over 100 mini cookie balls!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES FOR DAYS!!

Good thing chocolate chip cookies are easy to get rid of. I think I might have some lucky coworkers next week! 🙂

And now what you’ve been waiting for.. the giveaway! I was contacted by thinkThin [one of my most favorite protein bar companies] about doing a giveaway and since I love these bars so much, I had to share them with all of you! Pretty marvelous, huh? 😉

Click here to enter the giveaway and win some tasty treats!

Food for Thought

Did you do anything fun over the weekend?

Link Love #12

I always start my Link Love posts at the beginning of the week, often time before my current weeks’ post is published. This week, my post filled up so quickly! I love the blogosphere and everything that it has to offer.

Health

Replace Skinny with Healthy – Olive to Run

Replace Skinny with Healthy – Olive to Run
Why Losing Weight Might NOT be the Answer – MusselFIT
“Knowing” Versus “Doing” – JillFit
Don’t Let the “Fat Burning Zone” Deceive You – PFIT blog
How to have a healthy relationship with the scales – Keeping Healthy, Getting Stylish

Fitness

5 Days of Full-Body Workouts – Health

Gonna Make You Sweat: 5 Days of Full-Body Workouts – Health
Yoga Fit ARMS – My Healthy Nest
30 Variations of Lunges – Lifting Revolution
22 Kick-Ass Kettlebell Exercises – Greatist
10 Ways to Become a Faster Runner – FitSugar

Food

Braised Chicken with Noodles & Vegetables – Notions & Notations of a Novice Cook

Making Dakjjim (닭찜) / Braised Chicken with Noodles & Vegetables – Notions & Notations of a Novice Cook
Spiced Chocolate Popcorn – Gimme Some Oven
Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprout, and Bread Stuffing with Apples – Food52
Apple Nut Porridge – Running to the Kitchen
Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs – Naturally Ella

Food for Thought

Do you have a favorite post from the past week?