Some news (nothing life changing, don’t get excited)…
- I am officially obsessed with The Rachel Zoe Project. How have I never watched this show before last night? It has been constantly playing on On Demand since I found it. I love Rachel, I love her husband and I love her “gaggle of gays.” (I’m just quoting her assistant Brad. Don’t judge!)
- I am also obsessed with quinoa.
- Tonight I rocked my tempo run.
- I’m sitting on an ice pack because my stupid upper left hamstring is ultra sore. I’m pretty upset. I do NOT need this right now.
Today’s highlights…
Lunch was a quinoa creation. I just cannot get enough quinoa lately.
In the bowl: spinach, quinoa, roasted eggplant and squash, cherry tomatoes, avocado and Greek yogurt.
Let’s talk about quinoa. Did you know that it’s not a grain? It’s actually a seed and a relative of spinach and chard. It’s packed with nutrients and especially rich in magnesium and iron. One of the biggest highlights of quinoa for me is that it’s a complete protein. That means that it contains all nine of the essential amino acids – it’s a great source of protein for vegetarians and people who don’t eat a lot of meat. Quinoa is very versatile – if you haven’t tried it yet, please do very soon! Let me know if you have any questions about it!
*Research from WHFoods.
My afternoon snack was noteworthy.
The new Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabar.
I seriously felt like I was eating a candy bar. Yum! It was the perfect fuel for my tempo run.
I had a seven mile temp run on the schedule for today. The goal was 5 miles at an 8:40 pace and two miles warm up/cool down. I hit the road with a vengeance and knocked out five in 42:06 averaging an 8:27 pace. After I hit five miles I slowed down to a nice 9:30 pace for the remainder of the run.
I contemplated going to a yoga class after my run but with the state of my hamstring, even I was able to accept that it was a bad idea. Instead, I came home and feasted.
First, I cleaned some purple beans that I got at the farmer’s market Saturday.
I just boiled these in a pot of salted water. They turn green when they cook! I heated up leftover meatballs from Monday night’s dinner and served them over parppadelle and toasted a piece of Great Harvest Dakota.
This was a great dinner!
Next up, leftover hummingbird cake, more ice, a book and bed.
I am so glad to hear that the new chocolate chip cookie dough larabar is good (I’ve been possibly a little bit too excited about it)! I can’t wait to try it…if I can only find it!! (I will be checking at Whole Foods!
Jessie – it is seriously like eating a candy bar! I hope you find it soon. I found it at a local healthy foods market but haven’t seen it in more mainstream stores (because I think they’re selling out so fast!).
What’s your preferred method of cooking quinoa? I’ve never made it but have been hearing more about it lately!
My basic recipe is to cook one part quinoa to two parts liquid. I like to saute a little bit of diced onion in olive oil and then add in the quinoa and water. Cover and let cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. It will be fluffy and dry (kind of like couscous) when it’s ready. I love mixing different things in – chickpeas, spinach, tomatoes, feta, black beans. You can get creative with it!
Cool, thanks! 🙂
I love that new Lara bar. Definitely tasted like a candy bar.
I looooove quinoa! I want to try it for breakfast sometime, but I haven’t found the right recipe.
Hope you feel better! 🙂
I haven’t tried breakfast quinoa yet either but I need to soon! Will post about it when I do. Let me know if you find a good recipe!
Quinoa is my favorite! I’m definitely putting it on the menu for next week.
I can’t ever find it at the grocery store? Maybe Food Lion doesn’t carry it?
Probably not. Pretty sure Harris Teeter does but it’s expensive there. I buy it in bulk at Earth Fare.
Figures 🙁 I’ll try Harris Teeter. It will be easier for me to get there than Earth Fare unfort. Thanks!