Where's the Beach?

Lately I've been cooking with quinoa quite a bit. What I like about it, other than the fact that it's a complete protein source, is that it cooks up fast. It's also super versatile and can be used in many different ways, such as a base for a veggie burger. I try to keep veggie burgers in the freezer for a quick meal. I'll admit that I used to buy them out of convenience. But they can be quite pricey. Plus, if you make your own, you can control the ingredients and choose whatever flavor combos you fancy most. Did I mention it's a lot cheaper too? Since I make veggie burgers often, I try to get creative with ingredients and flavor profiles. I had an eggplant on hand that needed to be used quickly, so for this veggie burger recipe, I decided to go with more of a Mediterranean flair. While I used chickpeas, you could use another bean of your choice, but I like the texture of chickpeas for veggie burgers. Other beans can often be too soft I find. But, it's abso...

Sunday, we decided to walk over to one of the local farmers' markets a few blocks over from our house. We actually have several farmers' markets around town. I'll admit that we don't frequent them as often as we used to though. But this past Sunday, the Bernice Gardens Farmers' Market was having a tomato festival, so we decided to stop by and check it out. It's not a large space. Most definitely local vendors, but a unique little variety none the less. We quickly spotted some Purple Cherokee Heirloom Tomatoes that we snagged up. I should back up and admit that I'm not really a tomato fan. What? Why go to a tomato festival you ask? While I don't just love and crave tomatoes, I have found that I can enjoy a really goooood tomato. I like the smaller tomatoes, almost always cooked, but that's progress (trust me). Last year, I randomly bought some Purple Cherokee Heirloom Tomato plants and discovered that, while larger, I still really enjoyed the f...

Big confession: I don't like avocados. I think it's more of a texture thing than just the flavor. I've tried over the years, I really have. If I can hide them away smashed into other flavors, then I may be able to eat a small sliver. But, I know that they're really healthy with healthy fats, vitamins, potassium and amino acids. Research has shown that eating avocados can reduce risks of several types of cancers, lower your cholesterol and are good for heart health.  Jason loves avocados and has been using them often lately. I decided I'd give them another shot in the form of a dressing or sauce. Avocados, in my mind, go with salsas. Ok, not that I eat them with salsas myself. But, this was my train of thought.  I had several tomatoes on hand that needed to be used, some frozen corn and canned beans. I often make a black bean and corn salsa/salad during the summer so I just ran with that general concept for flavors and textures and came up with a Summer Sa...

Disclaimer: I was given this product for free to sample and review. There was no monetary compensation and all opinions are my own as they always will be.  Peanut Butter. Matcha. Chia. OH MY! If you're like me, you're always on the lookout for new protein bar or bite recipes that aren't crazy complicated to make. Who has time for complicated? Pretty sure no one raised their hands. But, I'm also looking for protein bars or bites that have healthy ingredients providing full, balanced nutrition. Basically looking for the biggest bang for my buck so to speak. Oh, and if you're like me, you love peanut butter! MyProtein offered to let me try one of their products. Unfortunately, they were out of their vegan protein powder, however, they had peanut butter! So, I quickly took them up on the offer to let me try it out. But, I didn't want to just do a review on peanut butter alone. I mean, it is peanut butter right? At least theirs is. It's straight up gro...

If you follow me on Instagram , you might notice that I have been posting protein waffle pictures on the weekends. It's kind of funny because up until about a month ago, I had never actually made waffles. The only reason we have a waffle iron is because I bought it for Jason several years ago because he was always talking about wanting to make waffles for breakfast. I'm actually not a big breakfast foods kind of person. I never wanted toast and eggs, pancakes or waffles. Bacon and sausage never appealed to me, especially not now as a vegetarian. The only time I really wanted waffles was when my dad took my sister and I to this diner as children. It was called Mrs. T's. The waffles were as big as the plate, and my sister and I could easily inhale 2 waffles! Of course every crevice had to be perfectly filled with the correct blend of melty butter and oozing syrup. Maybe it was seeing so many waffles on Instagram or recipes on Pinterest, but I suddenly decided I wanted s...

Lindsay (AKA The Lean Green Bean ) is hosting another Pin it Party. Here’s what you do: Round up 5 blog posts you’ve written that you would like to see on  Pinterest . Make sure there is a nice, pinable image or photo included in each post. Write a short post featuring the posts you chose - Put 5 nice images & links to the posts all in one place, along with a short description of each post. On first Thursday of each month, publish your post, then visit The  Lindsay’s Lean Green Bean  and add your post to the linkup! The linkup is open for about a week! 1. Vacation Workout - Full-Body Resistance Band & Cardio Workout Typically when I'm on vacation, I don't have access to weights. Resistance bands are fantastic for travel and allowing you to get in a good resistance workout even when you don't have dumbbells, barbells or machines. Plus, sometimes it's just fun to mix it up with something new. 2. Don't Apologize for Living This post is ...

Do you ever make dishes that sound like they're meant for one season, but actually can be good in another season? Last week I did just that. I had a butternut squash that needed to be used, but I really wasn't sure how I wanted to use it. I also had some red quinoa stashed in the freezer, so I started to think about ways to incorporate the quinoa with the squash. I decided that a salad sounded good. I know that it's spring, but it sure isn't feeling much like spring around here. So the comforting flavors of fall actually sounded appealing. I love the sweetness of butternut squash pared with the tartness of dried cranberries. But I also really like some spice to my food. I ended up trying out a new marinade/dressing for tofu using maple syrup, something I almost never use unless a specific recipe calls for it. But maple syrup, butternut squash and cranberries sounded more like a desert. This is where the chipotle peppers come into play. The smoky heat helps offset ...

Do you try to eat the so-called super foods regularly? Do you think they're over-hyped or hold true to their nutritional claims? Sometimes I do think certain food trends end up overly hyped, but probably with cause. I don't think anyone will argue that lentils or kale are bad for us. Well, actually, if you have blood clotting issues, then excessive amounts of kale could be an issue because it is high in vitamin K, a natural coagulant. But, that aside, super foods are nutrient-dense foods. They are often cleansing as well as offering healthy doses of minerals and nutrients our bodies need. For example, lentils are a fantastic source of iron, folate, thiamin, and manganese. Quinoa is also a great source for manganese as well as magnesium and even protein. So, why not combine some of these ingredients for a nutritionally dense salad? I had on hand some cooked lentils so I thought I would try pairing those with a massaged kale salad. I wanted to "beef" up the protei...

Look at me go, back again with another Tasty Tuesday recipe. I love making homemade veggie burgers to freeze and have on hand for an easy mid-week dinner. While I love bean burgers, sometimes they can be hard to get the texture right. I also like to try to "beef" up the protein whenever possible. Enter: Tempeh. Tempeh is high in protein and fiber, contains vitamins and minerals, is a mild anti-inflammatory, and works as a great binder as well. Also, fermented foods have been found to have many health benefits So, the last time I made up a batch of veggie burgers, I went with a combo of chickpeas and tempeh. I also decided to add in a few additional ingredients, like mustard, that I don't normally use. But, whole grain mustards are so full of flavor, I thought it might be a great addition, and it was. Chickpea Tempeh Burgers Ingredients: 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 package tempeh 2 carrots, peeled, large chop Whole grain mustard, to taste To taste: s...

You're probably shocked to see a Tasty Tuesday post. I admit that it's been a while. I do have one other recipe that I need to re-make and share, hopefully sooner than later. It's getting close to time to hit up the grocery store. What's funny is that I've noticed I tend to get more creative when I have fewer ingredients. We're getting low mostly on the fresh veggies. I knew I had a few things that needed to be used, like an opened can of pumpkin puree. I decided to attempt creativity with a Pumpkin Alfredo sauce to go with spaghetti squash and some homemade ciabatta I had on hand. I didn't have any coconut milk, but knew that almond milk would work perfectly. Since I was out of vegetable stock, I decided to infuse additional flavor with white wine. Pumpkin Alfredo Ingredients: 1 large can pumpkin puree 1/8 cup minced red onion (emphasizing minced) 1 tbsp minced garlic 1 cup (approximate, may need to add more) unsweetened almond milk or lite c...

It's been a while since I've shared any new recipes here. Actually, it's been a while since I've made anything new. Sometimes it's just easier to stick with the tried and true. But, I finally ordered in some TVP ( texturized vegetable protein ) and was wanting to try to use it in a new way. I used to make TVP burgers ages ago binding them with egg. But they always seemed to crumble apart. I believe it was Kristina at Spabettie who did this - blended the TVP. Of course, when I saw the mention of blending the TVP it was one of those knocks own forehead with palm moments. And of course that makes much more sense. How did I never think of that one? Vegan TVP Veggie Burgers Ingredients: 2 cups TVP 2 cups water 1-2 carrots, diced 1/4 cup red onion, diced 3 tbsp minced garlic To taste: salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, liquid smoke 3 oz tomato paste 2/3 cup rolled oats, ground into oat flour 2/3 cup rolled oats, whole 2 tbsp g...

Gym Day The weather today made it really really hard to hit the gym and not the road for a run. Another gorgeous day, and warmer than yesterday too. Can't wait to be able to run for fun again and not based on a plan.  Anyway, today I hit the gym for my usual elliptical and weights session. Today was shoulders, chest, triceps and abs. I went with the trisets done in 3 sets of 8 reps again like I did on Monday. I started with a 15 minute warm up on the elliptical. TS#1 Chest flye Chest press Decline pushups Staggered chest press -8 TS#2 Standing dumbbell shoulder press Lateral raise Front raise Front raise open to side back to front - 8 TS#3 Double-arm overhead triceps extension Lying dumbbell triceps extension Double-arm kickbacks Triceps dips - 16 I did a variety of ab exercises like hanging leg raises, some weighted exercises, and some stability ball work before finishing off with another 10 minutes on the elliptical. Hump Day Dinner Back to what was...

Legs, My Aching Legs I must say that last night after sitting down to eat dinner, I wasn't sure my legs were ever going to function normally again after this sequence of workouts: 12-mile run (Sat), legs (Sun), 8-mile with intervals (Mon). Let's just say we need a new thing of tiger balm now. Of course, the reason I did the run on Monday rather than today was because I was supposed to have jury duty. I didn't have a clue what the day would bring so I was prepared to make it a rest day if needed. I called the number last night as directed and listened to the names being rattled off, not once, but twice through because my name was never called. At the end of the message it just said that if they didn't say your name, you didn't have to report until further notice. Seriously???? Oh well, at least I got the run done right?  This morning, oddly enough, my legs weren't nearly as bad off as I had expected. I can walk normally and even hover over the toilet at work...

Running Unfortunately I didn't have the day off like many people. If you did have the day off, no bragging please! I had originally though that I was going to just hit the gym for a bit of elliptical time and weights. I ended up opting for tomorrow's run instead because I have jury duty tomorrow and don't know what the day will hold for me. I am trying to get back on track with my half marathon training plan this week since I pretty much tossed it out the window last week. The run called for 3 miles, 2 x(2:00, 3:00, 4:00) athletic intervals, 2 miles. It was super windy again and drizzly out. When I left work, it looked like it was going to start raining again, so I took the run to the treadmill. Of course, the sun ended up coming out...but it was still windy. Anyway, after the intervals, I was already at 6.7 miles. There was just no way I could pull out another 2 miles, but I did round it out to a solid 8 miles. I got home and pulled out my yoga mat (per the norm) an...

Weights & Elliptical on Wednesday  Today I had thought about running 3-4 miles of tomorrow's planned run making tomorrow's run with intervals shorter. But, my legs were against that idea. So, I decided to hit the gym after work (despite the fact that it was way to nice out to be inside). I wanted to get back done, and had thought I might do chest as well to be done with weights for the week. In the end, I just did back and abs. I started with 20 minutes on the elliptical to warm up before hitting the weights. I really only planned on 10, but someone was using the barbell I needed. This is yet another tweaked version of my last back workout from Cathe's STS rotation. It was done at 4 sets of 8 reps at my 1RM. Pullovers Single-arm rows Underhand barbell rows (I omitted the single-arm horizontal rows) Assisted pullups - 2x6 (I tried to go as light as I could with the assist) I also did some ab work before finishing up with about 5 minutes more on the elliptic...

Hodge Podge Cardio Well, it was back to the grind today. Monday really came way too fast. Guess that's what happens when you're having just a fun weekend. Jason got up at 5 am to go swim, but there was no way I was getting out of that comfy bed to workout. So I waited and did my cardio later. I wish I could have run today, but it was far too hot to run during lunch. At 10 am the heat index was already at 90 with 67% humidity and a dew point of 72 (which means humid and muggy). I am not one to complain about warm weather mind you, but the humidity can really zap you. Anyway, I was less than enthusiastic about having to do my cardio indoors. I really didn't want to do a step workout. So I did a hodge podge workout that included the warm up and 3 cardio intervals from Cathe's Shock Cardio - Cardio Core Circuit then the 3 combos and drills from MMA Kickboxing . It was just shy of 50 minutes and a nice mix. I also did abs and stretched after work. Perfect Hot Summer Meal ...

Two on Tuesday This morning Jason and I managed to get up around 5:45 am to get our run in. It was a very pleasant run actually. It was about 61 degrees, low humidity, light breeze, and clear skies as the sun started to come up. We did about 3.5 miles at a fairly good clip, but not pushing it too hard - it was early and all. It was definitely a nicer way to start the day rather than slamming head long into it grumbling all the while. It turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous today. I wish I could have gone for a second run just to be outside. Instead, I did 30 minutes of Kick, Punch and Crunch at lunch (to wake myself up more than anything). I won't lie, it was VERY difficult forcing myself to go back to the office. My lounge chair was just taunting me. Thai Tuesday We bought some sugar snap peas the other day that needed to be used. I had thought about a stir-fry using the rest of the Basic Seitan that I made. But Jason had stir fry for lunch. Oh, and we had some open coconut...

Resting on Hump Day I don't know what is up with me this week. I am feeling totally drained. I've been getting in my workouts, but they are getting more difficult as the days go by. Today should have been weights - 3 sets of 15 reps supersetted and going up in weight. In all honesty, the thought of doing weights today made me want to run away. Only my legs were too tired for that. While I have lowered the intensity levels of my indoor workouts (doing easier step or kickboxing rather than HIIT, Plyo, and Intervals) I have increased my running a great deal over the past 2 weeks. I think the increased mileage and speed coupled with additional leg work is finally catching up with me. Or that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I did start feeling that itch to lift upper body towards the afternoon though. But in reality, I knew I was truly fatigued and the workout would have suffered. And yes, I had to remind myself of that truth over and over. I also kept thinking about th...

Unmotivated on Monday I had the hardest time peeling myself out of bed this morning. Jason got up to go swim at 5 am and there was just no way I was getting up. I fell back to sleep almost immediately in fact. I feel like I'm getting a cold or allergy crud so maybe that's the reason for the sluggishness. Today was supposed to be Upper + Plyo. The upper body exercises were done as supersets of 4 sets of 8 reps. SS#1 Chest - Flat bench flyes (supposed to have been incline but I goofed) Back - Dumbbell pullover SS#2 Shoulder - Arnold press Shoulder - Lateral raises SS#3 Biceps - Incline curls Triceps - Overhead extension SS#4 Split squats (added this in lieu of plyo, see reason below) Donkey kicks (with 8# DB) Early on in the day, I knew that I wasn't feeling just super energized. I wanted to go ahead and get the weights done before I somehow actually talked myself out of them entirely. Yes, I was seriously feeling that unmotivated. I sort of made a deal with myself, do ...

2 on Tuesday This morning was painful, but I managed to get up and get in my workout. I didn't sleep well at all. I'm blaming everything on the time change. Anyway, I chose to do an easier step workout as Jason and I were planning a lunchtime run to take advantage of the nicer weather. I chose Low Impact Circuit - Cardio Only Premix. Again, one of the best things about the majority of Cathe's DVDs are the many premix options offered. This one is pretty low-intensity (though I do use 2 risers) and lasts just over 40 minutes. It was the ideal workout when a 5:30 am workout wasn't something I was overly excited about. The weather, I thought, was supposed to be 64 and sunny. However, it was more like 56 and cloudy when we went for our lunch run. Let's just say that the weather sets the stage for how my run went. I was really looking forward to it. The last few runs have been great. Today, however, was not one of those fun runs for me. I felt like I was just all out of...