What I'm Eating

I don't often share too much about what I eat.  Usually, I just talk about fun things I've cooked or baked, but here's a little more of the day-to-day eats.  I'm really trying to be more healthy and eat less processed food. 

My motto: Listen to your body and don't deprive yourself.

Here's a compilation of my recent eats, drinks, and treats:

From Left-->Right

1.  Salad: baby spinach, cottage cheese, grapes, clementines, and sliced almonds

2.  Green Plant Juice:  My recent find at Trader Joes. So good! High in sugar though, but lots of fruits and veggies.

3.  Egg cooked into an avocado.

4.  Breakfast Protein Smoothie: Aria protein powder, milk, half banana, peanut butter, and spinach.

5.  Whole wheat pasta with sauce and side of asparagus

6.  Aria protein powder: a new-to-me "women's" protein powder.  80 cals, 3 g. carb

7.  Peanut butter-banana-honey toast (with a side of coffee)

8.  Oatmeal with peanut butter, bananas, and cinnamon

9.  Roasted Brussels Sprouts and heirloom tomatoes. New Obsessions.

10.  Zico Coconut Water.  I enjoy the "Natural" flavor, but the Chocolate coconut water is amazing after a good workout

11.  Salad: baby spinach, chopped veggies, and avocado

12.  Salad:  Broccoli slaw, ramen, sesame seeds, almonds, vinagerette

13. Green tea (in my fav. mug)

14.  Breakfast for dinner: eggs (doused in hot sauce), potatoes, toast

What are some of your go-to foods/snacks/drinks?  As you can tell, bananas and peanut butter are my breakfast staples.

My Key to the Long Run: Kitchen Union and Tap

Sunday I ran my longest run to date for my half marathon training: 8 miles!!!  Woo hoo!  And guess what? I actually maintained a 10:06 min/mile pace.  Not too shabby considering the training plan I'm using says my long runs can be anywhere from 10:10-11:10 min/mile.

The key to my success?:  Having plans to go to BRUNCH afterwards!

I kid you not, for the first two or three miles (and then again on the last mile) I could not stop thinking about what delicious food would be consumed in the next few hours.  Eggs, waffles, potatoes, fruit...I thought about it all.  I also rejoiced in the fact that a few beers would be drank as well because Sundays, football, and beer are a winning combination.

The Brunch Locale: Kitchen Union and Tap

1108 South Coast Highway 101  

Encinitas, CA 92024

http://www.localunion101.com/

A few months ago Shaun, two of our friends, and I went to Kitchen Union and Tap for dinner during San Diego's Beer Week for a Tap the Cask event.  Dinner was great and their menu was full of fresh, unique, and creative entrees.  They also have an extensive, rotating craft beer menu, yum!  I just love the overall mood of the restaurant which is like a modern tavern.  The restaurant fixtures are a mix a wood and metal, and it has a really inviting atmosphere.  The food can best be described as New American.

Less than a week following the aforementioned dinner, my inbox notified me of a Livingsocial deal for brunch at, you guessed it, Kitchen Union and Tap.  The deal:  $12 for $25 worth of brunch food and drinks.  Weekend brunch is served from 9am-3pm.

We arrived around 12:30pm and the place was full of late brunchers, lunchers, drinkers, and football watchers.  We were told it would be a 40 minute wait to be seated, but if a table opened up in the 'open seating'/bar area we were able to take it.  

I ordered a mimosa ($5) while we stood around the bar area watching some football.  After about 25 minutes a table opened up, so we took it.  I oogled over the menu, but ultimately settled on Waffles served with fresh seasonal berries, whipped butter, maple syrup ($9), a side of breakfast potatoes ($4), and a cranberry mimosa ($5).  After much debate, Shaun chose the breakfast flatbread with housemade bacon and sausage, eggs, and cheese ($12).  These were some tough decisions, because there whole menu looked sounded pretty damn good.  We both agreed that our meals were delicious and I would without a doubt stop by again.

 

The rest of the day was beer + football at home.  Overall, a great Sunday.  I'm already thinking of where to brunch next Sunday...gotta have something to think about on those long runs!

Jelly Doughnut Muffins

As a present for Christmas last year I received the book 1 Mix, 100 Muffins and although it's been sitting on my shelf, I haven't pulled it out and made any delicious muffins.  Until now.  See, my problem is I've always been a cupcake kind of girl.  I know, I know... muffins and cupcakes are two completely different things; but really, take away the frosting from a cupcake and you sorta have yourself a muffin.   Well I'm sure glad I finally flipped through the book and made something.  Muffins can be all sorts of things! Savory, Fruity, Dessert-y, Healthy!  Okay, well these Jelly Doughnut Muffins probably aren't the healthiest but I think they're healthier than plain ole jelly doughnuts and they're delicious as well!

Jelly Doughtnut Muffins
(Makes 12)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
*6 tbsp vegetable oil (recipe calls for sunflower oil (didn't have any) or butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp jelly (I made 6 with strawberry and 6 with orange marmalade)

Topping:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400F and grease muffin pan (or line with paper liners).
• Mix together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar.
• In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract.
• Mix liquid ingredients into dry until combined
• Using ~1/2 of the batter, pour into muffin pan
• Add ~1 teaspoon of jelly to the center of each muffin batter and then cover with other half of the remaining batter.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown
• To prepare the topping, melt the butter in a bowl and put sugar in a dish.  When muffins are finished, let cool.  Dip the top of each muffin into the melted butter and then roll into sugar.
• ENJOY! 

Serve warm and eat for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

Ready to eat!

My feeling on these muffins is that while they were mighty tasty, next time I'd add more jelly.  Or maybe I'll just add some on top.  The jelly sinks to the bottom a bit, so maybe put the muffins in the oven for < 5 minutes before adding jelly and then top the muffins and bake for the remaining time?  I actually am looking forward to trying out more unique muffin types: spinach and nutmeg muffins anyone? How about coffee and cream?

What are your feelings about muffins? Love 'em, Hate 'em? Favorite kind?