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By Liz, December 18, 2009 12:28 pm

Finals week is over! I took my last final yesterday at noon, and now I do not have any homework, or tests, or reading, or studying or paper writing. It feels pretty amazing, I have to admit.

So, on the food front…I’ve been trying to make new recipes and use new foods to expand my eats. I get stuck in food ruts a lot, and make the same few dishes all the time. So, after my positive venture into making a curry, I made  a few new dishes this week.

I did make curry again last Sunday. It’s just so gosh darn fast, easy and delicious to make. I used chick peas this time, which worked great with the sauce. I also had edamame and a Kona brew.

Monday night I decided to try out one of Matt’s recent recipes…Sweet Potato Gnocchi. I began my new cooking excursion with a glass of my favorite wine ever….Bianchi Pinot Grigio. Quick sidenote: I’d been saving the bottle for a special occasion for about a month, and I figured cooking a fun new recipe with a glass of wine was special enough.

So, I have never made homemade pasta before, so this recipe seemed pretty daunting. But, it actually wasn’t that bad. The gnocchi didn’t turn out super pretty or professional looking, but they tasted great and that’s what matters.

I made a quick tomato sauce to go with it: 2 cans tomato sauce, spinach, cannellini beans, broccoli, garlic, basil, thyme, s & p. Topped with some parm of course .

Great recipe Matt! I loved this gnocchi and will for sure be making this again!

I made an apple crisp on Monday also. I was supposed to make it last week for Jacob’s birthday, but that never happened. So tonight was the night, and it turned out utterly delectable. Monday night’s dinner was soooo great and tasted pretty gourmet if I do say so myself.

Random comment…This was the view for a few moments outside my work on Monday. Beeea-utiful That is one of the only nice things about rain…rainbows.

The next new meal on the block was a breakfast creation. I was not craving my usually sweetish carbs in the morning and wanted something more savory. So, I toasted a slice of ezekiel with a smidgen on cheddar cheese, fried an egg in butter and topped all that with 1/4 of a smashed avocado and salsa. This was a light, yet filling and delicious breakfast. I will for sure be adding this to my usual breakfast rotation.Wednesday night I made a tribute to Hanukkah dinner….latkes. For anyone who doesn’t know what latkes are, they are potato pancakes.

Latkes are super easy to make. I didn’t use a recipe and kinda winged it, but here’s what I did.

Holiday Latkes

• 5 small russet potatoes
• 1 large zucchini (or a few baby ones)
• 1/2 a yellow onion
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper
• unsweetened applesauce (for dipping)

Directions: Wash potatoes and zucchini. Grate the potato and zucchini and place in a large bowl. Finely chop onion and add to bowl of potatoes. Stir in eggs, flour and seasoning until well combined. To cook the mixture, heat a pan with about a 1/2 inch of oil in the bottom. Use a medium to medium high heat. I used a 1/4c. measuring cup to portion the pancakes into the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side and serve with applesauce. (Recipe by Liz @ Thereforeieat.com)

We turned dinner into a breakfast-for-dinner of sorts and made scrambled eggs with spinach and sausage. I had the last of my Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale with dinner, too. Latkes aren’t exactly the healthiest meal in the world, but they sure are delicious.

Last night night I tried something else I have never made before…stuffed bell peppers.

These were so good!! And, I just have to share the recipe with you.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 1c. cooked quinoa
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 small can sliced olives
• 2 eggs
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• basil
• thyme
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 chopped onion
• bread crumbs (I used panko)
• about 1/4c. cheddar cheese
• 2 bell peppers (any color you want)

Directions:

1. Prepare the peppers: Cut the tops off. Chop and reserve the tops for the filling. De-seed and then steam the peppers for about 10 minutes.
2. Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. In a large pan, saute the onion, reserved pepper tops and kidney beans in a little olive oil over med-high heat.
4. Once onions and pepper are tender, add in the quinoa, tomatoes, eggs, olives, spices and garlic. Stir for about 5 minutes.
5. Combine bread crumbs and cheese.
6. Spoon the filling mixture into the peppers until the peppers are full. Top with the breadcrumb cheese mixture.
7. Place the peppers in a small pan (I used a bread loaf pan) bake the peppers for 25 minutes. Enjoy! (recipe by Liz @ Thereforeieat.com; adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

Jacob and I both loved this dish. With our first bites we both looked at each other and had that “Wow” look on our faces. So, ya, you guys should really try this!

Finally, I tried a recipe I have been dying to make for a while, but just havn’t had all the ingredients to make it.

Averie’s chocolate chip balls! Boy oh boy are these amazing!!! I may have single handily almost finished a whole plate of these. You rock Averie, and I’m for sure going to be making your other balls, too.

There is just one final new food I have tried this week, and it was my breakfast this morning.Those may look like regular pancakes, but they are actually Almond Banana Pancakes made with 4 simple ingredients: banana, almond butter, egg and cinnamon. I found the recipe at Mark’s Daily Apple. I actually think I liked them better than regular pancakes. I put 3 twists on the pancakes. First, the cinnamon was my idea. Next, I used a little agave instead of maple for the topping and finally, I cooked them in the pan with coconut oil instead of butter. YUM!! Try these out, you won’t be disappointed.

So, on my final note, I want to share with you the absolutely adorable Christmas tree Jacob bought this week.I couldn’t get the lighting right, but this was the best pic I got. Those are our roommate’s stockings in the background. They also used a few of their ornaments, too. The tree is just sooo cute!

Tonight I’m doing Bikram with Jacob.  I think we’re gonna make a stop into New Frontiers for some green juice afterwards, too. I can’t wait!

Adios!

Comments (8)

By Liz, December 4, 2009 12:33 pm

Hey y’all! How’s life?? In Liz world, I am sooo happy it’s Friday. School has really been ka-razy lately! Let’s see, Monday night was full of essay writing, Tuesday was more essay writing and school, Wednesday was spent writing a speech all darn day and Thursday was school all day and into the night aaannnd working on a group project after school. I got home at 9, ate and passed out. But now, I just have a weekend full of work and homework. Wait, did I say I was happy it was Friday?? Scratch that! I’m just happy I’m one week closer to the end of the semester.

Anyways, even with the hectic schedule this week, I still found time to exercise and make yummy food. You know…the things that keep me sane!

First off, I received a bunch of comments for the recipe of the super amazing, fluffy biscuits I made on Monday….well look no further:

Diner-Style Whole Wheat Biscuits

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• dash of salt
• 5 tbsp butter, cut into piece and very cold
• 1 cup fat free milk

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Stir in the milk until dough is moist. Flour a dry surface, place dough on surface and knead with floured hands a few times (for a minute or two). Add more flour to dough while kneading if necessary. You don’t want the dough to be sticky, but smooth and supple. Once done kneading, roll the dough out with a rolling pin. Roll dough to about 3/4″ thick, so you want it pretty thick so they get all fluffy and big. Use a biscuit cutter, or anything circular to cut the shapes and place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Makes about 8-10 biscuits. (Recipe from Liz @ Thereforeieat.com, adapted from Joy of Cooking)

I hope you guys like the recipe! Biscuits are one of mine and Jacob’s favorite breakfast foods. His birthday is on Sunday, so I’m pretty sure I will be making these for him again very soon.

Okay, next on my agenda is another recipe! I was adventurous on Tuesday night and tried out a new kind of food…homemade Thai curry! I get stuck in a rut making the same dishes over and over…mexican this, italian that, chili, stews, salads. I don’t venture far from these types of dishes, so it was very exciting to make an ethnic dish I had never tried. I actually came up with this idea on my own and with a little advice from the lady at the Asian Market near my work.

Turkey and Veggie Green Curry

• 2 tbsp. green curry paste
• small pat of butter
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 regular sized bad of frozen stir fry veggies
• leftover turkey or any cooked meat, tofu, etc.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large pan. Stir in the paste with the butter until smooth. Add 1/2 the can of coconut milk to the pan and completely incorporate it in with the curry. Add in the whole bag of veggies and the rest of the coconut milk. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add in the meat, simmer some more until veggies are completely cooked. Serve with brown rice, whole wheat couscous or noodles. (Recipe by Liz @ Thereforeieat.com)

This meal was delish! It was also another great way to use up leftover turkey.  Just a word of warning…this dish is pretty darn spicy, so if you’re not very tolerant of spice, I’d cut the curry down to 1 tbsp. Also, coconut milk is very rich (ie. lots of fat) so go light on the portion size. Jacob was only able to eat about 1/2 of what is shown above. This dish was suuuuper easy, yummy and fun!

Next up, I feel I have finally worn my Vibram Five Finger around enough, and done a good amount of running in them, that I can do a full fledged review….

Vibram Five Fingers Review

A few weeks ago, I decided to purchase the Vibram Five Finger shoes. A couple girls on my Cross Country team have them and I had read about them on Marks Daily Apple and other sites a while back. I was very curious the first time I heard about these shoes, or “unshoes.” The idea of running barefoot, or as close to barefoot at possible, is very intriguing. The idea behind these shoes is that running in modern running shoes is actually hurting our natural biomechanics. Modern running running shoes have built up heels that force us to heel strike, which is unnatural and the posting in the arches disables our feet’s natural strengthening systems, which weakens our feet and more. This all seems to make sense. However, I work at a running shoe store, and sell people shoes with posting and built up heels and whatnot. This puts me in a quandary. I think running shoes do have their place…heavier runners, beginning runners, people recovering from injuries, or people with severe biomechanical problems may not be suited for these shoes…but they might receive some benefit from them, even if it’s just walking around in them. I don’t see myself tossing out my running shoes in the near future either, but we’ll see how I adjust to the Vibrams in the long term. Who knows, I may eventually never wear anything but Vibrams. We shall see.

I bought my Vibrams for two reasons: 1) I really don’t like wearing shoes and 2) I wanted to see if running barefoot really is all it’s cracked up to be. And, after wearing these shoes for about 3 weeks now, I have to say that it’s great to wear these all the time. They’re even better than flip-flops! And yes, I think barefoot running is the real deal.

Here is my experiences with the Vibrams. The first few days, I just simply wore them around to school, doing errands, to work…just everyday kinda stuff. Then, I wore them to warm up and cooldown at practice. Running in the Vibrams is really amazing. I feel so free, so natural and just darn amazing running in these. It really is a whole new experience. They didn’t take much getting used to, for me at least. I naturally land mid-foot, so I didn’t have to adjust from heel striking to mid-foot striking. And, dare I say, that running seems funner in these?!

Okay, so I totally love these, but there were some downsides.

• My feet are a little sore after running on a hard surface or spending all day in them. However, I think this may subside after getting used to them more
• I have gotten blisters. I got two blood blisters on both my big toes. They hurt real bad the day they formed, but the pain subsided after that. Also, I only got the blisters on the days I ran 4 or 5 miles in them…so maybe that was a factor. However, as a runner, I’m kinda used to the occasional blister so this didn’t bug me too bad
• 

• The shoes rubbed my foot raw in one spot. I actually didn’t know this happened until after I took the shoes off. This kinda sucks, because I think I will have to put a bandage on this spot from now on.
• The last down side to these is the price. They are 90 bucks with tax, which is pretty darn expensive to pay on top of regular running shoes. I didn’t mind spending the money, but some people might.

I have come to the conclusion, that you do not have to break these shoes in…you have to break your feet into the shoes. Pretty much, you have to get some blisters and stuff to get calluses and toughen up your feet to break your feet into the shoes. So, if you’re big on keeping your feet pretty, these may not be the shoes for you. Even with the cons of the Vibrams, I still love my unshoes. They are pretty darn comfy. You really feel like you are barefoot. They are machine washable, so they are easy to clean. And, the biggest reason for loving them, is the fact I feel so good running in them. They do take some getting used to, and you really shouldn’t go out and bust out 6 miles in em without adjusting to them….but all in all…these rock!

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So I hope ya’ll found my review interesting! Like I said, I really like my Vibrams, I highly recommend them.

I will leave y’all with a picture of my yummy Chunky Strawberry that I had had this morning. I switched it up and served it in a mug instead of a glass. Gotta keep things interesting!

Have a Happy Friday! See ya’ll later!

Comments (3)

By Liz, October 16, 2009 9:12 pm

Hey guys! Hope everyone’s Friday night is going well.

So, my first primal day has gone well. Here’s the eats.

I had some leftover beef stew. Jacob made this stew yesterday for when I got home from my long day at school. The great thing about stews is that they are always better the next day! For dessert I had a pear.

Today was a rest day for me…so no exercise or xc practice after work. My legs always love rest days! I actually haven’t mentioned much about my workouts this week. But I’ve actually done a lot. Sunday was long run. Monday was a hill workout. Tuesday was a 5-miler. Wednesday was a spin class and Thursday was a 4-miler and weight lifting. I gotta say, by today I really needed the rest.

With my extra time, I did a little cleaning when I got home from work. I broke for a snack right after mopping the kitchen floor and hallway.

That bowl contains about 1 cup of plain whole milk yogurt, 1 tbsp. ground flax, a few chopped walnuts and 4 chopped dates.

A few hours later I snacked on this.

Down the hatch! I swear that celery stalk was over a foot long. I also went back for another small spoonful of peanut butter. I just couldn’t help myself.

A glass of wine was had before dinner.

I needed to wine down for the evening.

Dinner was a simple salad.

Jacob roasted a whole chicken yesterday so we could use chicken throughout the week in lunches and dinners. I used some of the chicken, probably 2 ounces, to top my bed of greens. I also topped my salad with radishes, carrot, cauliflower, tomato, a little freshly grated parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce) and a drizzle of goddess dressing (2 tbsp).

I had 2 squares of dark chocolate for dessert with a small splash of wine to finish off my meal.

The chocolate was my sensible vice of the day.

Truthfully, I didn’t feel deprived of anything all day. Granted, this was my first day eliminating grains. We’ll see how I feel about it tomorrow! I really didn’t change much of what I ate either…just the usual stuff, sans grains.

I have a race bright and early tomorrow morning. Well, my coach actually said that I’m running it more as a workout than a race…but it’s still a race. Gotta get my rest! Oh, also it’s my Mom’s birthday tomorrow, so we’ll be spending some quality mother-daughter time together. Can’t wait!

Goodnight.

Comments (2)

By Liz, October 16, 2009 12:04 pm

Good Morning/Afternoon folks! Well, as you all know, it is Friday. It has been a long week my friends! I feel like I’ve been studying and working on projects non stop. Well, today I need not worry about any of that. Sweet!

So, if you guys read my title for this post, you will see that I’m going “primal”. What does that mean? Well, for the past year I’ve been reading Mark’s Daily Apple. Actually, this was the first blog I ever stumbled upon in the blogoshpere. I actually never knew that blogs existed or what they were before MDA. For people who don’t know what MDA is all about read here, and here. And, to quickly summarize, the Primal Blueprint is all about eating and living life similar to how our ancestors ate and moved.

I have been fascinated by the idea that how we are eating today is only a small blip on the radar of how we ate for thousands of years prior to the agricultural revolution. Here is an excerpt from The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan that mirrors Mark Sisson’s viewpoints:

“Taking the long view of human nutrition, we evolved to eat the sort of food available to hunter-gatherers, most of whose genes we’ve inherited and whose bodies we still (more or less) inhabit. Humans have had less than ten thousand years-an evolutionary blink-to accustom our bodies to agricultural food, and as far as our bodies are concerned, industrial agricultural food-a diet based largely on a small handful or staple grains, like corn-is still a biological novelty.”

I can’t help but agree and think that this makes sense. Grains and sugar are by-products of industrial agriculture. We as humans did not eat such carbohydrate rich foods until they starting being processed. Looking at our society today, many of the preventable diseases afflicting our western nation are related to high carb and high sugar diets (as well as high fat).  On the counterpoint, there are many cultures in other countries that subsist mainly off grains and do not have the health problems of Americans. The people of Kenya are an example, who eat ugali on a daily basis. Also, the people of Japan eat white rice, yet are some of the healthiest people in the world. Maybe it has something to do with how their culture evolved as compared to the people of North America. It could also have to do with the fact that both Kenyans and the Japanese do not over-eat the way that westerners do. The reasons for the high rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer in America cannot be blamed on just one thing. However, the idea that we are not made to digest grains and sugar is a compelling one. For example, there are numerous people who are gluten intolerant. I’ve never heard of broccoli intolerance or steak intolerance. Two of the most common food intolerances, lactose and gluten, are directly related to carbohydrates.

All of the reading I’ve done on eliminating grains and sugars from our diets has simply made me think. I’ve looked at both sides of the argument, too. I mean, aren’t grains the largest part of the food pyramid? Aren’t whole grains heart healthy and contain lots of fiber? I’ve heard the advice to never completely cut out a food group, too. I’m also a proponent of eating without deprivation. How can we deprive ourselves of warm french bread, frozen yogurt, pancakes and waffles? On the no-grain side, I’ve thought about how I personally feel when I eat a diet loaded with grains and sugar. I feel my blood sugar go up and down, my energy level crash after partaking in a cup of frozen yogurt, that film on your tongue when you eat sugar. I just don’t feel good when I eat a lot of grains and sugar. This could just be me and have nothing to do with evolution or anything. Let’s just say…I’m curious about this whole primal thing.

So, this all brings me to the point that I am going to try the primal diet for a week. Just one week of no sugar, no grains. I’ve been reading about it and pondering it for enough time now that I think I need finally give it a go.

Now, I know that many many people may and probably do disagree with the whole “no grain” thing. For one, this is NOT a low carb diet. It is a no grain diet. Mark does not say…don’t eat fruit, eat bacon wrapped in cheese for a snack, etc. like the Atkins Diet promotes. Also, the primal blueprint is about much more than just eating. It is a true lifestyle. Mark promotes eating locally and organic. He also promotes grass fed and finished beef. There is much much more involved, too. I encourage you all to just take a look around his site, and other primal supporting sites, too (he has a blogroll).

Here’s what I’m going to do this week to “get primal.”

• eat no grains. This means…no ezekiel bread, no oats (gasp!), no pancakes, etc.
• eat no added sugars. This means…no cookies, no frozen yogurt, etc.
• focus my diet on meat, beans, nut butters, vegetables, fruit, milk and any other non-grain, non-sugar foods in my pantry and fridge
• try to not think about what I’m giving up and more focusing on the new, fun recipes and foods I can try and experiment with

Here’s what I’m not doing:

• I’m still going to exercise the way I normally do. Mark recommends no excessive cardio, like running for extended periods of time. I run, a lot. He says that excess cardio makes your body rely on carbs too much. Well, I just can’t see myself giving up running, and it’s not plausible for this week, as I’m in the middle of the XC season. So, I will be running.
• I’m not going “low-carb.” Mark recommends eating around 100-150g of carbohydrate a day. I’m pretty sure I can’t sustain my daily runs on that amount. However, instead of getting my extra carbohydrate from grains, I will eat more fruit, vegetables and starchy vegetables (like sweet potatoes).
• I am going to eat dairy
• I am going to eat conventionally raised meat. I just simply cannot afford to buy grass fed beef at this time.

So, I’m not following the primal blueprint to a T, but I’m going to do my best with what I have and know. Essentially, I’m more just focusing my diet on whole foods. We’ll see how it goes.

If anyone wants to do this with me feel free! I’d love to have other people experimenting to see how they feel on no-grains, too!

Like usual I’ll be sharing pictures of my food. And at the end of the week (next Friday), I’ll share with you guys how I feel after a week with no grain. I’m going to try really hard to not slip up…but I’m human. I have a feeling I’m going to get some major sugar cravings! Wish me luck!

So, to begin my primal journey, I’ll share with ya’ll my breakfast.I made a two egg omlet stuffed witha small handful of spinach and 1/2 ounce of sharp cheddar cheese.I also had a banana topped with about 2 tbsp. of peanut butter.I’ve gotta say…this was delish! I’m looking forward to making more primal breakfasts!

See ya’ll later and enjoy your Friday!