• Finally back into the (inspired) fitspo routine. Had my first really good workout today post-workcation! Mile run warmup, hour of Zumba, then legs. Oh yes!
• Added garlic and probiotics to my daily supplements (which besides these includes a women’s daily, omega 3, glucosamine, L-glutamine, calcium, and B12.)
• Ordered kombucha SCOBI. My house is about to become a fermented tea micro brewery.

Not making enough progress on the career-side of my life the past week, but I blame the fact that I’ve been dealing with taxes. Next week’s goals will be to solidify some times to meet with the artists I want to work with and get a few more stable gigs. Onward!

Raw Motherfuckin’ Carrot Cake

It’s vegan, it’s gluten free, there’s no refined sugar, and it tastes good as all fuck

I hope that title got your attention because I am that passionate about this recipe. I finally broke down and got a food processor just to make this, and I was not disappointed.

Be warned: loooots of nuts mean it’s a bit pricey and high in calories. I spent probably $35 on enough ingredients to make two batches, and each serving (about 1/10 of a cake) is 400 calories of awesome nutrients.

You can make one 4” cake with three layers as pictured above, or about 10 cupcakes which was what I wanted since I wanted to bring them while traveling this weekend. Choice is yours!

Cake:

• 1 1/4 cups pecans
• 1 3/4 cups dried shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2  inch chunk fresh ginger 
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp raw coconut nectar or honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated organic carrots
• 1/3 cup golden raisins

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashew pieces (preferably soaked overnight)
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1/3 cup agave nectar or honey
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and seeds of a vanilla bean 
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (warmed to liquid)

For the cake, process the peacans until they’re crumbled, then throw in everything else except the raisins until it’s a paste. Mix those in after.

For the frosting, soak the peacans over night, then process those first. Once they’re pastey, add everything else and blend until frosting consistency. You might want to experiment with the coconut water to get a consistency that you like.

HOW FREAKIN EASY IS THAT?

• 1/2 scoop chocolate whey in almond milk
• small slice fresh-made gluten free banana bread (finally figured out what to do with all those overripe bananas!)
• 2 pieces tempeh bacon

Somehow, food and fitness have become my central motivators—not weight loss. It went from “I’m trying to lose weight so i’m eating less and going to the gym,” to “I’m going to the gym and eating amazingly so I’ll end up losing weight.”

Fitspo is perfect.

Easy, Clean, Vegan Tempeh Bacon!

As promised this morning, vegan tempeh bacon recipe! But first, I want to call your attention to two things:

1. Look at the difference in ingredients lists between this simple recipe and Morningstar’s Soy Bacon. Which do you think is better for your body, hmm?
2. Morningstar’s isn’t even vegan. Milk and eggs? Goddamn ya’ll.

At any rate, here’s the recipe:

• Mix all the ingredients (besides the tempeh) in a well-sealed plastic bag.
• Cut the tempeh block into long, thick strips then let is soak for as long as possible in the bag. You can make this on the weekend, then grab pieces as you go all week long! How awesome is that?
• Heat up a pan about medium-way with some olive oil, then throw the tempeh on! Turn after about 2 minutes. You can also broil it for a crispy, oil-free option—just remember to keep an eye on it and turn once brown!
• Drain on paper towels

And to everyone who’s like “why do vegans need bacon?”:

West African Peanut Sauce Veggie Challenge

Peanut butter and veggies. What more could a fitblr ask for? And to boot: gluten free, vegan, and no refined sugar!

Here’s the deal: we’re going to break out of your you normal, boring eating routine, okay? Below is a recipe to an amazing peanut curry sauce. It’s easy to make, unique, cheap, and taste delicious on everything.

So:

1. Make the sauce.
2. Put it on 3 different vegetables you haven’t eaten in a while.
3. Throw it on top of some brown rice or quinoa!

I put it on cauliflower, carrots, and eggplant.

Other awesome options include: bell peppers, kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, squash, zucchini, asparagus, leeks, parsnips, pumpkin, sweet potato, peas, string beans, mushrooms, edamame, celery, or whatever else is hiding in your pantry.

All vegetables have different benefits. Why are stuck eating the same five things??

Here’s the recipe:

• Take your veggies and bake them at about 350*F. You’ll want to do this for at least half an hour, until you can poke through ‘em with a fork. Some olive oil on top might help.
• Saute a finely chopped onion and some finely chopped garlic in peanut oil until the onion is transparent.
• Add about 3/4 cup of tomato sauce (or really, even a few mashed up tomotos.)
• Once that’s all cooked together, add about 1/3 cup peanut butter. If you’re using the unsalted type, you can throw in a splash of ammino acids or soy sauce.
• Mix in a tiny bit of water until you get a good consistency, like a thick sauce. You may also need to add some more at the end, as the peanut butter has a tend to get really thick really fast.
• Add in 2tsp nutmeg, 2tsp ginger, and 2Tbsp curry powder.
• Cook for another few minutes, adding water if it gets too thick.

Throw it over vegetables and brown rice or quinoa, and enjoy!!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken or Eggplant

Not paleo, not gluten free, only vegan if you don’t count honey… but so clean and good!

But this is a good recipe if you’re like me and looove eggplant, but are getting sick of throwing red sauce on it. It’s so good you can eat it alone! And, even though I’m a veggie, I figured I’d throw chicken in as an alternative for all ya’ll meat eaters.

Here’s what ya need:

• Bunch o’ chicken or eggplant
• Binder - Equal parts olive oil, honey, quality dijon mustard
• Breading - 2 parts pistachio : 1 part bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to *375F if chicken or 450 *F if you’re doing eggplant. 
2. If you’re done eggplant, remember to sweat it! [Instructions here.]
3. Mix the binder together and put it to the side. Fork works fine.
4. If you’re me and buy pistachios in shells, you’re going to have to get them out of there! Bummer, I know.
5. Grind up the pistachios. If you have a food processor, do that. If not, you can use a plate and jar like a mortar and pestle. Just get ‘em nuts ground up good!
6. Mix the pistachios with the breadcrumbs
7. Throw the chicken/eggplant in the sauce, then in the breading.
8. Throw them bad boys in the oven for 15min one way, then 10 the other way. (If you’re cooking chicken, check on it and adjust cooking time depending on whatever.)

Raw Vegan Banana Split Bon Bons!

Raw, vegan, gluten free, low sodium, paleo, no refined sugar.

Only three easy ingredients! No ice cream maker needed!

Alternatively Titled: Impress Your Friends with Your Diet!

These are super easy. You’ll have to set them for a few hours, but there’s almost zero hands on time.

• Cut a few bananas into coins. Put them in your freezer for 2hrs.
• Mince some strawberries and grate some vegan or raw chocolate. Throw them in the fridge while you wait on the bananas.
• After the bananas are frozen through, remove them and throw them in a blender or food processor so they get nice and pastey, like ice cream! Then you just mix in the strawberries and chocolate.
• Form balls with a melon baller or a spoon, throw them in the freezer for a bit longer to harden.

Yesterday, after previously lamenting to my boss about those red velvet cupcakes and my need to learn raw “baking”, he arranged to have a raw vegan chocolate pie made for the staff as a treat.

Today, I planned all my meals ahead so I could take a 2hr lunch and hit the gym duing the most dead time of day. I had a protein spinach salad for lunch, now I’m back snacking on a banana and a protein shake.

I have no complaints about life right now.

Race day on Saturday!!!

Clean “Morningstar” Maple Breakfast Sausage Patties

Gluten free, low sodium, vegan, and clean as hell!

Two thoughts about being a vegetarian: one, I don’t like when things are like “vegan ‘beef’ meatballs.” The whole point is that I don’t want to eat meat, dummies. Two, I really like breakfast veggie junk food, but stopped eating it because the ingredients list freaked me out.

So instead of buying imitation-meat, an instead of making my own, I decided to make imitation-imitation meat.

I UNDERSTAND THAT IS A WEIRD INTRODUCTION TO A RECIPE, BUT I PROMISE THIS IS REALLY GOOD. It’s really hearty, has a great texture, and is AMAZING with tofu scramble or eggs, depending on your preference. Just trust me on this.

Friends don’t let friends eat beef or MSG, okay?

• 1c dried brown lentils
• 2c water
• 16oz white mushrooms, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup veggie broth
• 1.5 T red wine
• 1 t liquid aminos
• 1c oats
• maple syrup to drizzle

This is pretty easy, but it takes a bit to cook!

1. Preheat your over for 350* F
2. Cook lentils in the water for 10min covered. Ignore what the directions on the bag say—you don’t want them fully done yet.
3. Cut up the mushrooms and garlic with a food processor if you have one, a slap chop if you’re broke like me, or a knife if you really need to.
4. After the lentils have been boiled for the 10min, add everything else in *except* the maple syrup and boil for another few min until it’s cooked together and most of the extra water has boiled away.
5. Spoon into a muffin pan and pack it at the bottom (lightly) so they’re sausage shaped
6. Cook for about 40 min. Takes forever, right?
7. Watch some Netflix. Just don’t get into a new Fandom or anything or you’ll forget about the oven. Just watch an episode of something short and funny like It’s Always Sunny or Arrested Development.
8. Pull the stuff out when it’s golden brown and let it cool. Watch another episode, since they don’t pop out right until they’re cooled a bit.
9. Drizzle some maple syrup to taste!

Just weighted in at 180! 70 pounds lost!

I cried in the bathroom of my gym I got so overwhelmed.

Going to wait to get it on the scale a second time before I make it official (my body fluctuates so I could be back up to 182 or so tomorrow) but right now I’m fucking pumped.

Eat your heart out thinspo. I’m going out to have my cheat meal for my roommate’s birthday. Nachos!!!!!!

Better Pasta Inspiration

One of my best friends made it his New Year’s Goal to tone up and I’m determined to help him. Right now he eats mostly easy-to-make foods like pasta and stir fry, so he’s asked for inspiration on how to make these foods better tasting and better for him.

Every week I’m going to send him a new list of food inspiration! It helps his diet, my brain, and hopefully some of you too!

• Look into different types of pasta types. They vary in calories but more importantly nutrition. You can read more about them, but look for sprouted pasta, quinoa, whole grain, or if you don’t have much other option whole wheat. Better yet, opt or raw veggie noodles (link below).
• Ditch Parmesan for nutritional yeast. Less salt, packed with protein! And it has an awesome texture with a cheesey, nutty taste.
• Raw vegan Asian noodle bowl recipe
• Raw vegan “alfredo” sauce recipe (plus raw veggie pasta inspiration!)
• Easy homemade pesto
• Paleo Gluten Free Lasagna (I would suggest doing real cheese, but replacing noodles with zuchinni is a great idea. It’ll taste just as good and you can use premade sauce to save time.)
• Literally the easiest way to make an awesome pasta sauce recipe: get a can or jar of no-salt added marinara. (No other weird ingredients, either.) In a pot fry up onions, tomatoes, mushroom, peppers, garlic… it seriously doesn’t matter. Carrots, spinach—whatever you have laying around. Throw in the sauce and BAM.  Clean, satisfying, and a ton of fruits and veggies.

Mostly Raw Asian Noodle Bowl

Let me explain to you why this recipe is awesome: easy, cheap, gluten free, vegan, low sodium, 90% veggies, peanut butter, low calorie, mostly raw, super impressive for friends who think healthy = boring.

So 24hrs later and I’m still trying to use my new peeler for anything I can. This thing is amazing. Here’s another recipe I modified to work with raw veggie noodles!

Of course, it also works without them :) But more calories, less nutrition, and less fun!

Noodles:

• Carrot, zuchinni, and squash [raw noodles]
• Bean sprouts (basically noodles as it is)
• Some rice or bean noodles
• Green onions, chopped into bits, as a topping
• Raw tofu cut into small squares, and pat dry

Peanut Ginger Dressing

• 1.5 Tbsp raw peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp ammino acids (like soy sauce, but straight protein)
• 1 Tbsp seseame oil
• 1/2 tsp raw ginger
• a bit of water (to make it less thick - use judgement)

Throw the rice noodles onto some water to boil. They’ll probably be like 20% of your entire bowl?

While that’s happening, cut the tofu, pat dry, and leave it on some dry paper towel to dry out a bit more. Grate all veggies into noodles and put them to the side. Chop the green onions and put them to the side. Easy. Done.

For the dressing, literally just mix everything together until you have a consistency that’s a little runnier than sour cream.

Put some noodles in the bowl, put everything else on top, mix together to warm it all the way through.

Easy! Done!

Product Review and a Raw Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe!

I literally just got this thing in the mail after a week of waiting. I instantly went to the fridge to make a bowl of pasta to review. I am so fucking in love.

It’s called the Julienne Peeler by Zyliss, and it’s magical.

So basically you get this magic piece of equiptment, and it looks like a normal peeler, only with teeth. The first blade peels a layer off the veggie like a normal peeler, and the second slices it up into tiny noodles.

That’s right. For $14 including shipping, you get a little tool that turns vegetables into spaghetti.

DO I NEED TO REPEAT MYSELF.

It works like a charm, but be warned you need to find long vegetables if you want proper noodles. It works great with zucchini, squash, and carrots so far, although the raw eggplant was sort of weird tasting, so I’m going to experiment with cooking it later.

It also takes about 30 seconds, needs minimal cleaning (unlike bigger kitchen tools), and is perfect if you’re lazy and like pasta like me.

Here’s what I just ate and nearly cried over:

Two Minute Raw Vegan Alfredo Pasta

• Order your peeler on Amazon and wait a week. Spend the entire week tracking the package and getting really excited. (Or was that just me?) So really, it’s like a one week and two minute recipe.
• In the bowl you’re going to eat out of, mix together 1-2Tbsp nutritional yeast and a bit of water. (I cheated and used sugar free Almond milk, which is not technically “raw,” but still.) You want the consistency a little waterier than cream.
• Take half an avocado and plop it in, then mash everything together until it’s consistent.
• Cut up a single garlic clove really finely, then throw that in. You can also add some dried basil, fresh black pepper, and a squirt of lemon juice.
• That’s the sauce! Easy and satisfying. If you want more protein, grind up some almonds and throw it in. It will make the sauce thicker, so add a bit more water to balance it out.
• Take your peeler and make some zucchini and squash “noodles”. This will take you about a minute. Couldn’t be easier.
• Stir it around.
• Eat.
• Cry.
• Write me a note so we can be friends and exchange tips.

3 Ingredient Sweet Potato Burger

I’m not kidding. And they taste phenomenaul at about 160kcal a patty.

• Cut up 3 large sweet potatoes, then boil them until soft.
• While that’s cooking, mash up 4 cans of white beans with a fork, potato masher, or food processor.
• Once the potatoes are cooked, add them together with 2Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes and mash it all together.
• Form into patties, throw in the oven at 425* F until the edges start to crisp.

So fucking easy. Thank me later.

I just want the Internet to know why scientists are so cool.

Because my roommate busted out effing safety goggles when we were cooking today.

After 12 diced onions, not a tear was spilt.