Link Love #24

Well I’ve been running around like a nut job trying to get everything together for when my parents get here. Tomorrow. Seriously, we’ve been talking about it for what feels like forever and now it’s finally here! I couldn’t be more excited! Clearly the best way to share my excitement is to share some wonderful posts from the past week. Enjoy 🙂

Health

Why This Registered Dietitian Eats More Fat – fANNEtastic Food via Kath Eats

Why This Registered Dietitian Eats More Fat – fANNEtastic food via KathEats
Nutrition Q&A: Protein and Plant-Based Diets – Oh My Veggies
What’s Wrong With The Modern Diet – Business Insider
Mindful Living – Carla Birnberg via Eleven by Venus
5 Reasons to Workout in the Morning – Happy Fit Mama

Fitness

3 Cross Training Workouts & Allowing Mental Breaks – Cotter Crunch

3 Cross Training Workouts & Allowing Mental Breaks – Cotter Crunch
HIIT Bootcamp Inspired Tread & Shred Workout | Bodyweight Total Body – Sarah Fit
My Sweaty Valentine Workouts – Running Hutch [Awesome partner workouts for more than just Valentines Day!]
450-Rep Workout (All Pinterest Exercises!) – Pumps & Iron
Racing Heart HIIT – Just Call Me Janks

Food

Coconut Apricot Truffles with Himalayan Sea Salt – Fit Foodie Finds

Coconut Apricot Truffles with Himalayan Sea Salt – Fit Foodie Finds
Asian Salmon Burgers with Miso Dressing – The Curvy Carrot
Homemade Harissa (Spicy Red Pepper Sauce) – Half Baked Harvest
Market Mediterranean Pizza – Tartine and Apron Strings
Breakfast Friday | Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins for Two – Edible Perspective

Food for Thought

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

Link Love #22

Ooooh my gravy. Well I have to say, I’m definitely feeling better than I was over the weekend, but a workout plus 4 loads of laundry yesterday and I was knocked on my butt the rest of the day! One day at a time and lots of sleep, I should be back to myself soon 🙂 In the meantime, lots of love!

Health

Do you need to do cardio if you’re lifting heavy? | question from a reader – FitKnitChick

Do you need to do cardio if you’re lifting heavy? | question from a reader – FitKnitChick
4 Ways To Stop Eating A Million Calories Every Night – JillFit
The Makings of the Best Diet Ever – Truth 2 Being Fit
What a Dietitian Eats – HuffPost Lifestyle
Paleo Diet Pros and Cons – Kath Eats

Fitness

Get Bootylicious: Best Glute Exercises For Women (And Why) – Lifting Revolution

Get Bootylicious: Best Glute Exercises For Women (And Why) – Lifting Revolution
A core workout for runners – Crazy Running Girl
Burpees or Bust Challenge and Roundup #FFBurpee – Cotter Crunch
Winter Interval Treadmill Workout – Sarah Fit
Stability Ball Workout – Fitnessista

Food

Bourbon Caramel Almond Butter Cups – Minimalist Baker

Bourbon Caramel Almond Butter Cups – Minimalist Baker
Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with Almond Butter Filling – Running on Real Food
Lentil Sloppy Portobello Joe – Peachy Palate
Honey Porter Glazed Chicken Skewers – The Beeroness
Healthier Magic Cookie Bars – Eating Bird Food

Food for Thought

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

Sundays in the Kitchen

Somehow, even after a 4-day weekend, Monday still seems to come too soon. So to drown my pre-work week sorrows, I decided to spend the day in the kitchen cooking and baking up a storm!

I had a special request (weeks ago.. oops!) for chocolate chip cookies, so I started there. Last month, Brown Eyed Baker had a chocolate chip cookie throwdown featuring 4 recipes, one of which was our favorite from Alton Brown. Showing Nathan was a mistake.. he immediately wanted to have a throwdown of our own. Rather than having our throwdown, we decided to try the winning recipe; The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

How can you resist chocolate chip cookies like that?! We certainly couldn’t and the verdict is in; we may just have a new favorite chocolate chip cookie!

To combat the indulgent cookies, I got my healthy cook on and prepped some delicious meals for the week. A new recipe from the Tone It Up girls, Carrot & Pumpkin Soup, will be making many appearances this week during lunch along with Jamie Eason’s Turkey Meatloaf Muffins via Sarah Fit. We also have some honey wheat rolls, bulgogi beef prepped for tonight’s dinner, and my latest creation;  Blueberry Ricotta Muffins. I was so happy with the way they came out. They’re super moist and are perfect to have with a little jam.. or in my case, peanut butter. Because everything is better with peanut butter!

Blueberry Ricotta Muffins

Serves 12
Adapted from The Lean Green Bean

Ingredients
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk [I use Almond Breeze]
1/2 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin puree [Not pumpkin pie mix! I use Libby’s]
1 egg
1/4 cup demerara or brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Optional Toppings
Jelly or jam
Any nut butter
Earth Balance Coconut Butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients from coconut oil through vanilla extract. Slowly mix in your flour and baking powder until that is just mixed through. Don’t over mix! Gently fold in the blueberries so they are equally distributed.

Grease a muffin tin and scoop into tins in 12 equal parts. Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Let cool, top with your favorite topping *cough peanut butter cough* and enjoy!

Nutritional Stats
Per muffin

124 Calories  /  4g Fat  /  20g Carbs  /  3g Fiber  /  10g Sugar  /  4g Protein

Food for Thought

Do you prep your meals for the week on Sunday?

Foodie Friday: A Sarah Fit Breakfast

Something very strange has happened in my house this week. We’ve gone out for dinner almost every night! And suddenly I realized I didn’t have an awesome recipe to share for my Foodie Friday post.

I turned to my trusty friend, Pinterest, for an awesome breakfast idea (since I’m also out of all of my breakfast staples) and came across this bad boy. Breakfast quinoa? Carrot cake? Done.

It was a great decision. Such a fast prep and so tasty, I’m glad I have extra shredded carrots and quinoa ready for breakfast tomorrow too! I even went ahead and figured out the nutritional info so hopefully you’ll feel even more inclined to make this right away! And then head on over to SarahFit.com and thank Sarah for her delicious creation 🙂

Nutritional Stats
Per serving

280 Calories  /  8g Fat  /  46g Carbs  /  6g Fiber  /  11g Sugar  /  8g Protein

Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Jennifer Shaw on winning a case of tortilla popchips! Please email me at Brittany@BarrAndTable.com with your address so I can forward it over to the wonderful people at popchips!

Jennifer Shaw says : September 28, 2012 at 2:14 pm
I love pop chips! I can’t wait to try tortilla, looks yummy!

And finally, a huge thanks to popchips for being an incredible FitBloggin’ sponsor and a great company to work with for this giveaway!

*Winner has until 11:59pm EST on Sunday, 10/7/12, to respond. If I don’t hear back from you, I will be choosing a new winner.