FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Archives for December 2011

Christmas Party Recovery

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Last night was the first company Christmas party I had attended since 2008. The construction industry was full of doom and gloom and I just didn’t have it in me to get all dolled up just to chat about recent and upcoming layoffs.  Kinda killed the Christmas spirit, ya know?

This year was different.  The doom was replaced by hope and chatter of layoffs was replaced by chatter of new babies.  The setup was tasteful, the food was tasty and the cocktails…  Well, the cocktails went down a little too easy.

We even kept the celebration going by heading to Fly Bar afterward!

But continuing the party made for a super sluggish Saturday morning.  Green tea, Earth Balance noodles, and nap.  No bueno.

I woke up from the nap feeling like a new person and craving my favorite breakfast: egg and avocado on a sprouted wheat english muffin.  I changed it up by sprinkling with crushed red pepper.  Yum!

Now off to meet Lex, who just moved back from Texas!!

A Quick Review

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When I was at Whole Foods earlier this week, I stocked up on a couple emergency frozen meals.  Ordinarily, I buy the same Amy’s Organic Mexican meals every time.  But during this stroll down the frozen aisle, I noticed a heavily discounted new brand and decided to give it a shot.  I’m glad I did!

While microwaving, I made the connection between Candle Cafe Vegan and Candle 79.  I was so pumped because it brought back memories of when my friend Cesa and I dined at Candle 79 when I visited her in NYC in 2009.  The frozen meal was obviously no match to the amazeballs Candle 79 experience, but it was a nice change-up from my ordinary.  The macaroni & cheese and tofu spinach ravioli were out of stock, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for them during my next trip to the market.

On a side note, I finished Week 6, Day 3 of the Personal Running Trainer app! I’m still amazed at how well this program has enabled me to go from only being able to run a few minutes at a time to running for almost 30 minutes straight!

Even though 11 of the 40 minutes were a brisk walk (5 minute warm-up and 5 minute cool-down), I still have a lot of work to do in the speed department.   I’m hoping that yoga and barre fitness classes will help me build muscle and, in turn, make me a fast(er) runner.

Do you have any tips for increasing your running speed?

Spicy Salty Sweet Potato

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My first salty/sweet obsession happened when I lived in Dallas and had my first taste of World Market’s sea salt dark chocolate.  I’d treat myself to two squares every night after a run on Katy Trail or a class at YogaSport.  It was ritualistic and I kept my pantry stocked.  Of my final errands before moving back to Tampa was buying the remaining stock at multiple World Markets before hitting the road.  Crazytown.  It all melted.  I was devastated.

Not too long after discovering salty/sweet, spicy/sweet earned a place in my tummy heart. While Sarah was still living in LA, we headed over to The Hungry Cat for cocktails and the Sweet & Vicious caught our attention.  Super light, faintly sweet melon, a jalapeno kick, and vodka.  I still dream about that cocktail like a long lost love.

I could have prepared a typical Earth Balance, dash of salt, sweet potato tonight, but…  I knew I could do better.  I saw marshmallows in the fridge and salty/sweet came to mind and then spicy/sweet tried to take over until they all came together for spicy/salty/sweet!

FoodFash Spicy Salty Sweet Potato

1 medium sized sweet potato, cooked

1 tablespoon Earth Balance (or butter)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

small handful of mini marshmallows

Scoop out all of the insides of a fully cooked sweet potato and put them into a small bowl.  Add butter, crushed red pepper, and salt to the sweet potato and mix well.  Stuff the sweet potato insides back into the potato skin.  Top with mini marshmallows and broil until marshmallows are the desired toasty-ness. Keep an eye on the marshmallows because there’s a fine line between perfect burned and gross burned!

Off The Dairy Wagon, In Pictures

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Breakfast: Greek Yogurt

Lunch:  Leftover Homemade Pizza X 2

Pre Work-Out Snack: Breaded Mushrooms

Work-Out: Barre Fitness Class

Dinner: Noodles with Sauteed Mushrooms and Spinach

Dessert: Marshmallows

Although I haven’t completely fallen off the dairy wagon, I definitely have one foot on the ground.  It’s really tough being a dairy-free foodie, especially if you don’t have the time or the talent to cook like Tal Ronnen.  And while there were only a few times this year where I REALLY missed Greek yogurt and fancy cheeses, times have changed.  I miss it all: goat, bleu, feta.  You name it, I want it.

A mostly dairy-free 2011 has prepared me for a new relationship with dairy, one of which I’ve never had before, one of moderation.  And for that, I am thankful.