Veggie Rice

Yes, I know no post yesterday?? Let’s just say Monday was super busy and I ended up sleeping through my alarm on Tuesday…oops! I did wake up 10 minutes before my standard yoga class started and I made it there just as the class was moving into their first downward dog… SUCCESS! I think the sleeping in had a lot to do with a few days of some intense yoga for me. On Monday I went to my usual 6am class and then Katie talked me into going with her to a 6:30 class after work at a different studio. Last night when I arrived home from work, even though I was sore and exhausted I really wanted to play around in the kitchen before I took to the couch for the rest of the evening. I didn’t mention this on Monday’s post because it’s become my standard weekend lunch spot if I’m here in Charlotte and many of you have seen the same dish posted on the blog over and over again.   Yes you know what I’m talking about… Luna’s Living Kitchen. I’m telling you I am head over heels in love with this place and Saturday was no different. I ordered my favorite Gaia’s Treasure and devoured every bite. My favorite part of this dish is the veggie rice. It is a mix of cauliflower, walnuts, garlic and celery root left to marinate in ginger dressing. It is amazing! One thing which was new to my lunch was this Fruit Tart. O yes and it was all raw… nom nom nom. The crust was made of brazil nuts, dates and cashews. The inside crème was a combination of coconut butter, cashews, vanilla and a few other ingredients I couldn’t remember…oops! The tart was topped with plum slices and figs! Isn’t it pretty?? It tasted just as good as it looks if not better. Even though I was full from lunch, there is always room for a new dessert Now back to the veggie rice… sometimes desserts just get me so sidetracked! Over the weekend I picked up the biggest head of cauliflower at the grocery store I could find just so I could make my own veggie rice at home. It is so easy and it’s a great way to add some protein and healthy fats to your diet. Of course it’s an easy way to get some more added veggies too! Veggie Rice 1 c. chopped cauliflower ½ c. walnuts 1/2 clove garlic Place all ingredients in a food processor and combine! The end result will look a little something like this…   I multiplied this recipe by 3 to make a large batch! When they are raw like this they taste kind of bland, but once you dress them up in a marinade… delish!! I dressed this batch up with soy sauce and when I combined the ingredients above I added 1/2 c. carrots!   I wish I had thought to buy some peas to add to it too as they kind of taste like fried rice! It’s delicious and I’ve been enjoying it all week as one of the toppings to my salad. After I make my salad I’ve been topping ½ c. – 1c. of this “fried” veggie rice and it really adds some great texture and protein!! Yes, I promise it’s under there! Stay tuned for more variations coming soon… this just may be my next new KICK! Happy Hump Day!! Have you discovered a food or recipe recently that you just can’t get enough of? Please share!!

 

 

It’s Football Season!!

I know I know, where have I been!! This past week has just been a tad stressful and hectic with trying to catch up… so much information to learn. No more excuses though… blogging is now going to resume back to normal

Luckily, I did have quite the little break over the weekend and the best part…

Gamecock Football is BACK!!

I love football season – It’s a great chance to catch up with everyone from college and it’s always so much fun tailgating!!

This game was especially special because it was held right here in Charlotte, where we played against ECU.

(aren’t you just loving the white look in our eyes…we look possessed or something)

I had a few friends come in town to stay with me for the game, so on Friday once they arrived we all went to Nikko’s, an awesome sushi restaurant with great atmosphere for dinner. I ordered the cucumber roll which was “Crab, Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp & Shiso wrapped in thinly wrapped in cucumber and topped with Ponzu Sauce.”

This roll was amazing and so refreshing!

Saturday morning, us girls woke up bright and early to get ready for Game Day!

Lee made a special request for a Luna’s Living Kitchen breakfast, so Lee, Waller and I made our way over.

Lee and Waller both ordered The Biblical Breakfast… “Artesian & Local Bread served with Organic Peanut, Almond and Coconut Butter with Fig Preserve, Banana and Fresh Seasonal Fruit.” It was gorgeous and the coconut butter topping was by far the fav between the three of us!

I ordered the Bombin’ Buckwheat Blaster… “the perfect combination of buckwheat, dates, apple, coconut, and nutmeg.”

I loved loved loved mine… it was phenomenal! The perfect combination of sweetness from the dates and it was topped with bananas, strawberries and figs. Delish!

I seriously need to go back there for breakfast asap. With full bellies we made our way back to my place to get ready for Game Day!!

The game didn’t start until 7, but the lot we were tailgating at opened at 12, so we piled in the car and finally made our way there around 1:30.

It was a hot, hot day. Everyone was sweating so much by the time 6:30 rolled around. Surprisingly I didn’t care too much… I’m sure it had something to do with my excitement seeing everyone and the few drinks I consumed probably didn’t hurt either

The Gamecocks didn’t have the best start, but they quickly turned it around winning 56 – 37 .

GO COCKS!

After the game we all went out to celebrate our win.

Lee and Waller left on Sunday and hours later I was still wishing the weekend had lasted a little longer. Can you tell I miss college just a tad??

At least the next home game isn’t too far away, so another reunion is just around the corner. Sunday night Matt and I had to chance to hang out before he headed back to Raleigh on Monday.

Getting back into the working groove yesterday took a fantastic morning yoga sesh and a large cup of coffee, but once I got back into it was all smooth sailing the rest of the day!

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday weekend and are getting back into the working groove! Hope you have a fantastic Hump day!

 

First Day!

Ah, I can’t believe today is my first day at my new job!

Even though I know everything will be fine, I can’t help but be a bit nervous this morning. I think whenever walking into a new situation most people’s nerves are running high. Not knowing exactly what to expect and meeting tons of new people can always be a bit overwhelming, but I know after my first day I will feel so much better. I just can’t wait to get into the groove and really get into my new position.

This morning I woke up bright and early for a fantastic 6am yoga class. The class this morning really helped curb my nerves and take a step back.

Luckily, I packed my lunches yesterday, so all I have to do this morning is get ready, eat breakfast and head out.

I ended up taking this weekend pretty easy and instead completed a list of to-do’s I needed to get done.

 

I went to yoga on Saturday and Sunday to work towards my 35 classes. My yoga studio, YogaOne, has had a summer challenge going on called Feel the Love. If you make 35 classes you get $35 in “Yogabucks”, a T-shirt and there is going to be a little yoga party for everyone to celebrate. I am at 34 classes after my class this morning, so once I complete tomorrow’s class I will make it! yay!!!

After class on Saturday Katie and I went to Luna’s Living Kitchen for lunch. After going to Cafe Gratitude in San Fran last week, raw food has seriously been on my mind. I ordered the Lunasagna and it was completely satisfying! Layers of Sun-dried tomato sauce, mushrooms, zucchini noodles, and a cashew/basil “cheese”… delish!!

Katie chose the Nasturtium Heaven. This was a “medley of salsa verde, sunflower “refried beans,” veggie rice and local greens.” Nom nom nom…

I love eating here because I always feel so healthy and great afterwards! If only there was one uptown near my new office.

I also went by the farmers market, cleaned and got my nails done! Much much needed. Katie and I tried out shellac which is supposed to be a new type of polish that is sturdy and doesn’t chip. This type of polish is supposed to last about 2 weeks. So we’ll see if it’s true!!

Yesterday, I also prepared a few salads and stir-frys to take for lunch this week. I put them all in the fridge so it would be easy to grab and go this week. Simple and fast is just what I need while I adjust to my new work schedule.

I also cut up and prepped tons of veggies, so when I get home all I have to do it throw them in the oven or steam them. It makes things so much easier when you prep and plan ahead. Then, after a long day when all I want is something fast and easy half the work is already done. It really keeps me away from frozen meals and fast food knowing there is something healthy waiting for me at home.

This morning for breakfast, I made myself a veggie scramble filled with peppers, tomatoes, greens, and cilantro. I love the extra zing from the cilantro. I don’t have to be there as early as I probably will need to be going forward, so I took the extra time this morning to make myself a breakfast full of eggs and veggies. Fantastic protein to push me through the morning

I’m off to work… hope you all have a fantastic Monday!!

 

Queen Quinoa

I can’t believe today is already Thursday! This week has seriously gone by so fast… I think it’s because there have been some exciting things going on here and we’re going to San Francisco next week so I am thrilled!

Yesterday morning I had a meeting which went very well and then headed uptown to meet one of friends, Katie, for lunch! Katie recently started a new job, so I haven’t been able to see her as much as I used to. I decided to the perfect way to finally catch up was if I went to meet her. This week, she has also started coming to 6 AM yoga with me and she is addicted. I’m telling you those classes can carry you throughout your whole day!

I was thinking about driving up to uptown, but in all honesty did I want to pay $20 a hour for parking or walk a long distance in the heat and pay less? I opted to take the Lynx instead which is the light rail system in Charlotte. I have never taken the light rail before, but once I figured out where to park it was pretty easy. $3.50 for a roundtrip… way better than paying $20!!

I met Katie at her building where we picked up coffee and went to chat in Founder’s Hall. After awhile, Katie asked if I wanted to go pick up some fro yo. Me say “no” to fro yo… I don’t think so! We quickly made our way to a fantastic fro yo spot to snag a cup before Katie had to head back to work. I picked an orange sorbet and peach yogurt. Then topped it with sprinkles and this treat satisfied my sweet tooth perfectly!

Before dinner I attempted to go on another walk/run and I must say I’m pretty proud of myself since I’m just getting back into it… 3 miles completed! I felt fabulous and when I arrived home I was extremely ravenous. I recently bought some Quinoa pasta that I have been dying to try out, so I brought a pot of water to boil and threw the pasta in.

I was looking for something really fast and this was a pretty good choice since the pasta was done in about 8 minutes! I drizzled it with olive oil, salt, pepper, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Nom nom nom!

So what exactly is Quinoa you ask? Well Quinoa is an ancient grain from South America. Quinoa is very high in protein and is even considered “a complete protein as it contains all nine amino acids.” A serving contains 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. This grain is also a great source of “folate, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and phosphorous.” (source)

(source)

Quinoa has a slight nutty taste to it and can take on so many different flavors, so it is a suitable addition to any meal. I love adding sautéed veggies such as peppers and onion and some herbs… fabulous! My mouth is starting to water just thinking about it!  Quinoa is also gluten-free so individuals with celiac or a gluten intolerance can enjoy this delectable grain with no problem!

I often use this as a side dish for dinner or if I have run out of oatmeal, Quinoa works perfectly… add some cinnamon and milk! Delish!

Do you like Quinoa? What is your favorite way to enjoy this grain?

 

See ya July

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a glorious weekend!

I can’t believe it’s already August… this summer has seriously flown by! First, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite posts from July…

My new go-to Peach and Blueberry Frozen Yogurt <– delectable!

Cilantro Turkey Burgers <– a healthier twist on your standard burger

Summertime Party necessity <– everyone loves fruit in the summer, but this fruit bowl is sure to be a show-stopper at your next get together

Trip to Michigan and my cousin got Married!!

Exciting opportunity with A Healthier Charlotte.com

July was such a great month and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for August!!

This weekend was spent relaxing at home as I’ll be going on trips the next 2 weekends, so this is just what I needed.

(source)

Friday night I met up with Mel and Brooks for dinner at Cantina 1511. I love the atmosphere here and their food always tastes so fresh! We all started with a few drinks to toast Mel’s new job and then moved on to placing our orders. I went for the Tacos Gobernador which were “sautéed shrimp, red onion, cilantro, garlic, Serrano pepper and tomato stuffed in flour tortillas.” They were huge and I could only finish two out of the three, but they were perfect! The shrimp was seasoned and grilled… I ended up snagging the shrimp out of the third taco! Sadly, I was in full social mode and taking pictures of my food before I devoured my dish did not even enter my mind. (eek!)

Saturday was spent lounging around for the most part. Later in the afternoon, I decided I needed to do something a bit productive so I hopped in my car and went to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. This market is huge compared to all the others. There is just table after table piled high with so many fresh, local produce. I love it!

I picked up an assortment of veggies… corn, eggplant, potatoes, and asparagus. On the way back I swung by Earthfare to pick up some fish. Since it was later in the afternoon and I wouldn’t have much time to marinate anything I chose the Cilantro Lime Trout. It looked fantastic and I knew it would compliment the veggies well.

When I arrived home, I quickly got to work preparing all vegetables and threw everything on the grill.

The Cilantro Lime Trout was awesome… flaky and extremely flavorful!

I chose to grill some asparagus, corn, and sliced onions. I don’t know what it is about the grill, but grilling vegetables makes them taste so much better than just steaming or roasting them.

First, I drizzled some olive oil and butter onto the corn. Then wrapped them in aluminum foil and placed them on the grill for 15-20 minutes!

For the asparagus, I drizzled them in olive oil. Sprinkled some salt and pepper and then squeezed lemon on them! While grilling, I laid a few slices of lemon on top as well. I love the taste of crunchy asparagus with the lemony flavor!

For me, the star of it all was the onions… I’m not quite sure what it is but grilled onions are delectable!

I’m so happy I finally used the grill at my place. I think I’ll need to use it more often as Saturday’s dinner was extremely simple and turned out fantastic!!

What were you up to this weekend?? Did you grill anything fabulous?

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