Tahoe Training Camp II

More good eating to do some quality acclimating in Tahoe with the team!

After enjoying a TJ's Raspberry Blueberry Oat Bran GF Muffin and a Max Houtzager leftover Oatmeal Muffin with Almond Butter gone Cinnamon/Sea Salt (sprinkled), I decided to hit up a mid morning protein leftover scramble.

• 3 Hard Boiled Egg Whites
• Leftover Veggie Sauté
• Avocado
• Sea Salt, TJ's Everyday Seasoning, Lemon Pepper

The veggies are sweet, tender and pair perfectly with the creamy avocado and egg whites yet still have some kick from their original spice plus the additional seasoning! Like a fancy egg white scramble or omelet only thrown together in 1 minute!

 Such a delicious post race dinner of baked polenta, cooked veggies and more baked chicken.

• Polenta cut into rounds baked w/ Olive Oil and Dried Basil
• Broccoli, Cauliflower, Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Squash, Onion Saute
• Chile Powder, S&P, Garlic Powder, Olive Oil
• Rainbow Chard Sauté
• Chicken Breast with Marinated Artichoke Hearts, S&P, Basil, Garlic Powder, Chile Powder
• TJ's Tahini Sauce

Polenta is so good and so easy when you buy it ready to heat and serve. I really need to get on doing some pesto and/or sun dried tomato versions soon! All of the components to this dinner were delicious, even mixed together, and especially with a bit of TJ's Tahini sauce.

I enjoyed some of the best leftovers after we (1st place in my category!) did the Peavine Challenge XC Race in Reno. It was hot and long and the juicy sweet potato, hummus, kale sauté, salad, and herb baked chicken hit the spot perfectly. I had about a whole 1.5 sweet potatoes... Next up a 4th of July BBQ and more tasty Sweet Potato Eats!

The fastest flavor out there: With Team Specialized! Red Meat Included.

After Oregon came a trip with Team Specialized (only the fastest guys in North America, Max Plaxton and Todd Wells no big deal...).

It's pretty cool when you can say Pro XCT Leader Max Plaxton made you dinner.  If that's not flavor to go fast I don't know what is. He won the pro race the next day and I got third in the juniors and third overall expert (meaning $100!).

Simple clean cooking when resources are limited (rental house) and putting a ton of energy into cooking doesn't fit the bill with trying to focus on racing, but this was delicious anyways. Chicken Breast BBQ'd with Olive Oil, S & P, a Summer Salad of Romaine Lettuce/Mixed Greens, Mushrooms, Red Pepper, Avocado, and Strawberries dressed with basic but dialed Olive Oil, Lemon, S&P, and Mustard. And a baked Sweet Potato. I am definitely down with berries and mushrooms in summer salads now!

More Bungalow-To Go Munch Granola for Breakfast. Had to go with the water-protein powder combo for my binding agent, and since I didn't use a lot I went for a ton of berries which was quite delicious. More crunchy and fruity than usual and I didn't mind at all. Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, and Banana for the win pre race (well, at least the 3rd)!

 The second night some friends from Minnesota BBQ'd Venison.  I'm introducing a slight shift to my diet after some knew knowledge. I'll eat red meat occasionally in moderation ONLY if it is free range grass fed etc.  I am digging an idea that was brought to my attention that the reason things like red meat, dairy, and egg yolks have unhealthy aspects is because of our unnatural farming techniques.  My basic healthy ways still apply to most conventional eating, but when there is all natural food available, things change. The main thing to take away is you are what you eat BUT also you are what IT eats.  Aka corn, pesticides, and medical injections as opposed to all natural grass. thank you Specialized Marketing Manager Sean Estes!

This meal fit that bill perfectly. Sean's friend Rich shot and gutted this deer himself. We had meat from the ass (literally labeled 'Big Ass' in a freezer bag) in a loin and some leg turned into Brats.  I had a little bit (moderation still key) and it was pretty good, yet i'm still not a massive fan of the red meat taste.  We all cooked a bit that night so had some more of a similar Summer Salad, a delicious Mexican Black Bean Salad which i'm definitely going to be making more of, Pico De Gallo, BBQ'd Aspargus, and Baked Sweet Potatoes.  The Cilantro-Onion-Lemon-Lime-Tomato combo for the black bean salad and Pico is bomb.

I'm starting this book to explore in detail this new idea to bring to healthy eating (Sean recommended).

Mega Ashland: Grilla Bites, Standing Stone Brewery, Bungalow-To Go Munch

I love Ashland. As a healthy living foodie this comes naturally with all the available alternative and green markets (Market of Choice=Whole Foods times 4), coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants. Then add in the first taste of summer with some of the most epic trails, and a massive race around it all with a huge industry gathering and there's nothing better.

We ate two nights in a row at the Standing Stone Brewery. No this wouldn't be cheap bar food. First night I had the Tempeh Stir Fry!

Organic Tempeh, Cashews, Bok Choy, Napa Cabbage, Mung Bean Sprouts and Seasonal Veggies in a Pan Asian Black Bean Sauce over Lundberg Organic Rice

Tons of good stir fry vegetables and delicious tempeh and brown rice, all cooked perfectly and accompanied by as much or as little of a sweet Asian Ginger-Chile like sauce that has just a hint of spice. And crunchy cashews!

Chicken Marsala:
Free Range Natural Chicken Breast in Mushroom Marsala with Polenta
The next night I went with the chicken over polenta with mushrooms and some of the same vegetables. I love the texture of polenta. It was meant to be made with butter but the request for olive oil substitute was perfect! The vegetables did work a little bit better in an asian stir fry setting however.

I'm finding that my go to breakfast that's fast and easy for travel is Bungalow munch granola!
With both/or (based on availability):

• Almond milk or water
• Whey or plant fusion protein powder
• Dried / fresh blueberries

It's tasty, nutritionally balanced, and goes down easy. You can't go wrong!

Last but not least, my favorite spot in Ashland from last year: Grilla Bites!

At first my developed taste from then to now let me down eyeing the menu as nothing stood out to my new ways and standards...

They have many delicious sandwiches but I wasn't stoked on eating wheat and not so sure about rice bread as a gluten free bread. It sounded kind of lame.

Little did I know! Toasted it holds together nicely and tastes awesome. I even bought a loaf from the Market of Choice and have been enjoying it already.

I got the 'BLT' which has Soy Bacon which I've never had before. It fooled me and tasted good, and I don't even really like bacon. The guacamole, veggies, and turkey all went so well together and the hummus they include is AMAZING. Garlic and herbs for days and not too creamy.  I took the cheese out.

My other epic new discovery was Annie's Goddess Dressing! I asked for no Mayo and was confused why there was still a creamy delicious sauce.  Turns out it's a Tahini, Oil, and Lemon based salad dressing that TJ's offers as well! I've already bought and used it frequently.

Then there's the salad bar! First glance looks like a basic DIY salad bar but once you get into it there's so many surprises:

• Banana chips
• All kinds of beans
• Sprouts
• All kinds of seeds/nuts
• Dried fruit

 Then you get to the end and it get's better! Some mixed salad dressings, basic Olive oil and vinegars, but the stand outs are nutritional yeast, herb mixes, sesame seeds, and Braggs Liquid Aminos! No where else...
I pretty much hit up a bit of everything and it worked out great.  I also bought a Jungle Juice, dialed as well (Beet Ginger Apple Carrot). Can't wait for next year!

Race/Travel Eats and My Best Oatmeal Ever

A little race and travel action this weekend, but nothing too extreme so I'm including today's yummy breakfast! I can never sleep well the night after a race for various reasons, one of which is extreme hunger waking me up early.  At first I was bummed this wouldn't let me sleep in until 7 for school, but it gave me the time to eat hot oatmeal for breakfast (vs. overnight) which is especially epic for reasons you'll see below! I ended up so thankful. Plus an afternoon nap won't hurt.

Check out the Creamy White Drizzling! 

Coconut Tart Bread Pudding Oatmeal

I was looking forward to trying my new Artisana Coconut Butter on something warm, but wasn't prepared for this awesome experience. I now look forward to eating hot breakfasts with it melting over the top so much.  I enjoyed the flaky almost mushy topping before quite a bit, but when it is warm and melted it mixes in way more and turns into a creamy delicious frosting, also kind of sweet somehow. Words can't do it justice.

• 2.5T Sprouted Quinoa, 2/3c Coconut Milk, 1/2c Oats, 1/3 cup water
• 1/2T Chia 1/2T Sunflower
• 1 Date, 2 pieces Dried Mango (add just before done)
• 10g Plant Fusion Vanilla Protein (1T?)
• Blueberries, Strawberries
• 1T Coconut Butter

  #1 If you want your breakfast to become a delicious dessert, that's how it's done.  Combine with another epic discovery of having a sliced Date actually somewhat cooked in! It reminds me so much of bread pudding for some reason.  I think these two phenomenons on top of some tarty tang from dried mango and more delicious coconut milk and chia seeds cooked in and bam!  Favorite oatmeal yet.

Celebratory Race Feast?

    I usually don't feel like eating much after a delicious 600 calorie Big Sur Bar, so combined with a 6 hour car ride and trying to get home before midnight I came up with this creation, which I was totally fine with! I combined some leftover supplies we had with some veggies from a Mexican market off the freeway (I really just wanted a convenient T-Joe's Salad but there was nothing). Pretty weird but so tasty and got the job done.  Some Brown Rice Cakes, Avocado, Olives, and Hard Boiled Egg Whites combined with some purchased Carrots, Cabbage, and chopped / bagged Cactus! The cactus was bitter but almost sweet at the same time. A solid purchase for sure.  Basically partial cracker sandwiches and partial delicious cabbage leaf wraps with some Carrot-Cactus Guac!

    As I've been exploring what my stomach can tolerate/feels like after a race, this time I continued to change things up.  Instead of choosing a real lunch vs. super treat after my Gu-Brew Recovery Drink, I went with both! I was craving real food but didn't feel like missing out on some epic sweets, so I went with some delicious Spinach/Spring Mix Vinaigrette Salad combined with a Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad supplied by the high school team parents!  I ended up not eating the pasta since I could get plenty of carbs from my massive and satisfying Date-Coconut-Pecan party Big Sur Bar, and it wasn't brown rice or whole wheat pasta.  My meal ended up being a clean tasty combo and I got all my desired nutrition with some dialed and easily digestible food!

Bungalow Race Munch!

Bungalow Munch is officially a Whole Athlete-Specialized Team Sponsor! Nothing like the conveniency of bringing the most high quality, organic, munchy granola to the races! A bit of Protein Powder is pretty easy and convenient as well, and really actually goes quite well with granola as it thickens nut milk up nicely, making it more like a creamy yogurt (which is of course perfect for granola)!  

• 1/2c Bungalow Munch Granola
• 3/4c Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 1.75T Plant Fusion Vanilla Protein
• Strawberries/Blueberries

I wouldn't mind having this before every race! A creamy fruity toasty vanilla bowl! The Coconut Milk-Bungalow-Vanilla Plant Protein would go great with banana as well.

No mega pre race dinner, I unfortunately had to eat crappy bar food (chicken house salad where the chicken tasted like microwaved ham/airport food), but no matter when I can make my back up dessert fuel. Keeping gluten, wheat, and dairy free! Organic Plain Brown Rice Cakes with Naturally More Almond Butter, Sea Salt, and a Sliced Date. It's a delicious dessert combo that also has great nutrition! A must try combo.

Back into Baking! Buckwheat. And another Race!

I luckily got to do plenty of baking in the past few days, the cooking that started my passion so many years ago! It really is therapeutic. and fun to mess with different combinations and creations. like chemistry but 100x better. and tastier. I also raced!

I will master the buckwheat bake. I made 3 so far, one on Sunday morning and two on Sunday night to eat today and yesterday at school.  They are truly awesome, so many customizable themes and so many convenient options to your liking.

Buckwheat Bake 3.0

I am using egg whites for these on the go buckwheat bakes instead of chia eggs because I need to up the protein content as I mostly sit at school. This one was Mixed Berry with some Stevia to sweeten and the Pumpkin option instead of Banana. Plenty of crunchy Pumpkin seeds for even more protein and healthy fat (the most protein packed seed)! 

• Buckwheat Bake Recipe
• 5 Drops Stevia
• 1/2c Blueberries/Raspberries + additional fresh Raspberries

I like the pumpkin instead of mashed banana because the flavor is subtle and contributes less sugar/carbs (good for school, not for pre-ride).  The berries and stevia made it totally sweet enough to be yummy topping free!

The Inside: Delicious Tart Cooked Berries!

Besides the normals, this is worth including to mention the grain combo. Just enough protein for a not hungry-Max from lots of greens, quinoa, and tahini.

Clean and Tasty

  I mixed a 1:1 ratio of Quinoa and Wheat Berries in my rice cooker and it made a fluffy, nutty, almost corny mix! Way better and more nutrient dense than either one on their own. Also settling into a dialed standard Tahini Sauce mix!

• Grilled B-Sprouts (Mustard Seed, Olive Oil, S & P)
• Steamed Broccoli
• 1/3c Quinoa, 1/3c Farro, 2c water
• 1/2 Baked Sweet Potato
• Hummus and My Tahini Sauce (Tahini, Ginger Juice, Lemon, Cider Vinegar)

My second try involved a cocoa/carob-banana theme!

 Buckwheat Bake On the Go 2.0 

  The banana option and included fresh raspberries, which brought an occasional touch of tart! Raspberries get so much more tasty when cooked. The bake had tons of chocolate/carob/banana flavors working together and the carob chips made delicious melted morsels scattered throughout. One healthy chocolate muffin wanna-be for sure! This was the perfect amount of food to hold me over until lunch! (8am to 12pm)

• This Buckwheat Buckwheat Bake Recipe
• 1t unsweetened Cocoa Powder (didn't have carob)
• Egg White instead of Flax Egg
• 2t Carob Chips
• 2T chopped Almonds/Pumpkin Seeds instead of Walnuts
• Some Raspberries

Sweet enough from the Carob Chips/Berries to not need any topping. 

My first was a tasty nutty blueberry muffin! Not as protein heavy and definitely more sugar but that is perfect for pre-ride.

Basic Blueberry Buckwheat Bake 1.0

For attempt #1 I used coconut milk instead of almond milk, the chia seed egg option, and blueberry as the central focus. It was a bit mushy so I think almond milk works better.  I topped with my favorite blueberry jam and some agave nectar because it wasn't sweet enough, so for the future bakes (like above) won't have toppings on the go I will bake in additional goodies/sweetness. Who doesn't love biting into some tender cooked blueberries that explode with sweetness and flavor?

• This Blueberry Buckwheat Bake
• Chia Egg Option
• 2T Almonds/Pumpkin Seeds/Sunflower Seeds (not walnuts)
• Coconut Milk

Eating bread gluten and wheat free! When I saw this recipe and recently invested in buckwheat I had to give it a go.

Tasty With Toppings

 Before Topping

 I haven't been eating any bread for a while since i've been enjoying a wheat/gluten free spell, and this REALLY hit the spot. It tastes almost liqorice-y from the delicious black pepper combo and is moist, nutty, and not crumbly. I followed the recipe except with amaranth flour instead of millet flour. I had the same meal for lunch at school except with Wasabi Dijon Mustard and Hummus and it was just as good.

• 1 Serving of Buckwheat Millet Amaranth Bread
• 1/2 Block of Tempeh in the Toaster
• Gai Lan Broccoli steamed with Sesame/Sesame Oil
• Cucumber, Tomato, Green Onion, Avocado
• Lemon/Tahini, Hummus, Nutritional Yeast, S & P

Nutritional yeast combined with Hummus or Tahini and Avo is officially awesome as an almost salty-cheezy sauce and I love it. 

 Post Race Delight

Enjoyed some Futomaki Sushi leftovers (Sushi Ran) as a treat when I got home from the race. Accompanied by some leftover vegetables, brown rice, and tahini. Totally splurging...

 Recovery Muscle Brownie Treat

Lenny and Larry treats don't let me down after a super hard effort! 20g of Protein for the win.

 Pre Race O'Oats

Same pre-race overnight oats, added vanilla, Bing Cherries, Raspberries, Cocoa Powder, and more Almonds instead of Almond Butter.

Pre Race Dinner Out?

I went to Lydia's Kitchen for pre-race dinner, and got this French-Mex Buckwheat Crepe Wrap and House Salad. A moist soft buckwheat crepe around avocado, black beans, salsa, greens all topped with a cashew sunflower seed chile sauce! The first time Mexican food will taste light.  It wasn't filling enough so I ate some more at home, and the race was low key and mainly for training so I didn't make a special dinner. I went super fast feeling great so it definitely still worked! It's comforting to know that a variety of things won't fail me.

New Clean Eating = Super Fast! Mango Blueberry Coconut Superbowl, New Granola Review, New Race Food

I got a new White Iphone 4! It's so fast and sleek and I love it. Finally my pictures will now be near D-SLR quality. I was out of town and racing this weekend, here is the report from the race!

In a bowl

 I got home pretty late and had little in the fridge so decided to give Cafe Gratitude in San Rafael another shot by getting a take out bowl. And I'm glad I did. It hit the spot perfectly.

I Am Whole

 I got this bowl for the seaweed and japanese influence. The Kimchee and Tahini Ginger Dressing were amazing. Not too strong of pickle flavor on the kimchee and the right ginger-bite to creamy ratio on the dressing.  The Teriyaki roasted Almonds added the perfect amount of sweetness. Then add in a bunch more delicious sea vegetables, fluffy quinoa, and kale! It was expensive but worth it.

• Quinoa, Kale, Teriyaki Almonds
• Sea Vegetables, Housemade Kimchee (Japanese Pickled Cabbage), Kombu Seaweed
• Tahini Ginger Dressing

Post Race Lunch

For once I decided to not go with a massive cookie or bar after my recovery drink post race and tried eating real food. I was just kind of in the mood I guess, and it worked out just fine. The Mexican Black Beans, Chicken, and Vegetables looked pretty appetizing too. I went with that, some salad, salsa, hummus, and pita chips (the tortillas were white flour). I digested it all fine but missed out on having some delicious sweets because of it (could have had them but would of felt bad).

New Pre Race Dinner

I can't take credit for this, I was late joining my coach Julia Violich for dinner. She prepared this light and clean meal, a nutritious pasta and salad. There was no salt and pepper (still super tasty) and not too much protein, so I made the exception to eat feta cheese, which is arguably the healthiest cheese, especially if it comes from goats not cows due to easier digestion.  The salad was only dressed with olive oil and the pasta sauce was just olive oil, a bit of tomato paste, and a bit of feta and it all tasted amazing anyway! #1 The benefits of including a bunch of quality ingredients. I went heavy on the Quinoa Salad to try and get the protein and still had a rice cake with almond butter before bed, but felt really good and clean.

• Penne pasta (the only forgotten ingredient so had to suffice with what the closest store had)
• Zucchini, Squash, Mushroom, Red Pepper, Tomato Paste, Olive Oil, Feta
• Spring Mix, Quinoa Salad, Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Olive Oil

I was planning the usual Overnight Oats Race Breakfast, but the only milk available was almond milk, which has minimal protein in it, so I opted to try out the From The Fields Granola that Julia had! I'd been wanting to try out this brand, and this was the perfect opportunity since it has the protein from quinoa flakes that I desired.  Plus I also learned from Julia that soy is a mucous forming food, and am now into a relatively new realm of nutrition for me.  I won't ramble about it forever, the article pretty much explains it. It's especially relevant to me right now because I've been coughing recently and haven't been able to completely clear my throat, which ends up being quite annoying during training/racing.

Cherry Almond Granola

So many clusters of quinoa crunchy love!  It seemed like it wouldn't be sweet or flavorful but it was, and formed clusters around lots of yummy roasted almonds.  The cherries were high quality and full of flavor, making such a clean delicious bowl. I'm stoked to finally try it, and all thanks to not having access to soy milk! It paired perfectly with almond milk and i'm also glad to open a new window of cleaner eating for when I feel like it. I definitely do feel cleaner eating almond milk over soy. The amount of sweetness is perfect (from honey and maple syrup), although occasionally I'd see my self adding in a date (recently learning from the mucous linked article that is the only non-sulphured dried fruit and is therefore less mucous forming). The touch of saltiness is awesome as well. And it's even wheat free and oil free. I can't wait to try the other flavors like Cardamom Rose or Orange Lavender!

• 1c From The Fields Cherry Almond Granola
• Almond Milk, Blueberries

Along with the theme of more clean eating, I only used a tiny bit of soymilk for this seedy-bowl of oatmeal.

Super Seed Mango Blueberry Coconut Bowl

    I wanted a super seed-y epic bowl of oatmeal this morning, and my craving was perfectly satisfied.  All the flax and chia seeds made it taste nutty and almost chocolatey on its own! #3 I love the way they gel up do to their hydrophilic properties. It makes the oatmeal much more voluminous.  All the additional toppings just magnified the crunchy nutty seedy delight! Mango, coconut, and blueberry are awesome together.

• 1/3c oats , 2/3c coconut water, 1-2t flax, 1-2t chia, 3 drops stevia
• 1/4c cooked quinoa
• coconut, dried mango, blueberries, cacao nibs, a bit of soy milk

The quinoa added that much more fluff. A tiny bit of soymilk for a touch of creaminess.

Race Deliciousness, Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal, and Much More

Another solid race! After this cookie bar I didn't feel the need to eat anything super extravagant for dinner and brought all the leftovers from my race prep meal so munched them all down on the car ride home. Convenient and tasty.

The Blind Date

 Wanted to try something a little bit different from Lenny and Larry after the race (after a recovery drink).  These Big Sur Bars are delicious and I love the taste but one bar packs 600 calories (3 servings) and it's hard impossible to eat one third. Pecans, Coconut, Dates, for days, all on top of a Blondie like cookie bar! I love dates and pecans so much! #1 All real healthy ingredients with solid nutrients although I usually feel a little bad after eating them because of the butter in it I think (on top of the calories, sugar, and fat), but didn't really feel it this time and was able to actually feel full after the race for a few hours. Like almost 3...

 Mixed

 Repeat 'Basic' Overnight Oats! Unmixed

Simple yet Special! No more pumpkin butter but did include 20g of Pomegranate juice (more evident in the mixed up photo). It's so awesome knowing exactly what I need to eat before a race (down to the weight of each ingredient!). I don't have to worry or think about over or under-eating. Just have this an hour after I wake up, a Macro Bar 2 hours before the start (Cherries and Berries all day!), and a Gu 15 minutes before the start (for a race at 1pm and waking up at 8. Dialed. Fluids = this big jar of tea, 1 big bottle of water during warm up, and a little more right when I woke up.

-65g oats, 180g soymilk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves

-25g Pomegranate Juice

-Blueberries, Almond Butter

-Almonds, Dried Cranberries

Repeat Race Prep Dinner: Mediterranean Lemon Garlic Chicken

I did everything the same except was too lazy to make the Tahini dressing so just used the second half of my lemon directly on everything. Brought back avocado, awesome with hummus and the chicken! I also had leeks again cooked with the chicken, which are always delicious.  Definitely now a must for this meal. The corn and wheat flour tortilla i'm not digging so much, it's a little too mexican tasting/not as good or healthy as a quality wheat (not the low carb processed kind) or brown rice tortilla. I definitely ate a lot more than what's shown here too!

-Browned Chicken Breast, Almonds,and Leeks with Lemon, Garlic, Dill Weed, Parsley, Lemon Pepper, 

-Brown Jasmine Rice, Tortilla

-Steamed Broccoli and Rosemary Carrots 

-Cucumber, Tomato, Kalamata Olives

-Woodlands Deli Hummus

-

Turkey Nori Wrap Round 2

Wasn't gonna include this, but some noteworthy additions for Turkey Nori Wrap round #2  I still have no vegetables, and man am I digging having a bunch of dried seaweed as back up!  I had no onion this time so wanted something more to add, going with frozen cranberries to compliment the turkey. Then I tried out one more kind of dried seaweed that you just soak in water to prepare for seaweed salad, and used rice wine vinegar instead of Temari in my dressing. Definitely improvements.
-Diestel Pastrami Turkery and Brown Jasmine Rice
-Frozen Cranberries
-1 Nori Sheet, 1 Kombu Piece and 2 Wakame (boiled)
-Seaweed Salad Seaweed?
-1/4 cup sunflower seeds soaked/ground
-Carrot 1/2 shredded 1/2 sliced
-Lemon, Dill Weed, Rice Wine Vinegar
-Hummus

 Creamy Mexican Hot Chocolate!

As: Choco-Nana

Stokage this morning for sure! I busted out some Cocoa Powder for the first time for some oatmeal. #3 Riding right after breakfast at home = two differences from my experience during the week. I get to eat something more carbish/sugary since I am about to go ride (not sit in a desk), and I can actually prep something.  This wasn't even sugary, but you could easily sweeten with maple syrup or whatever you please.  Tried as creamy choco-banana oatmeal but then opted for Mexican Hot Chocolate Oatmeal for the extra kick and health benefits. Equally tasty either way!  I actually thought a lot about health making this, cocoa is super healthy (not chocolate with a bunch of milk fat and sugar) and gives a bit of caffeine (good during exercise), and then the seeds and spices are very beneficial as well.  Without spices it was like nutella (next time will do hazelnuts for a true nutella experience for sure) with a big emphasis on creamy choco-banana, but then it got a whole bunch of flavor with a kick of spicyness, and only a hint of banana. The creamyness definitely comes from using oat bran w/ the oats and soymilk.

-1/4c Oat Bran 1/4 cup Oats, 1c Water
-1t Vanilla
-1t Cocoa Powder
-2/3 Large Banana
-2t Chia Seeds
-4-5 Pecans
-Soymilk
-Cinnamon, Cayenne Pepper

Flavor Goes Fast for Many!

I spent this weekend traveling with my team to Fontana (east of LA) for the second national race of the season, so below is a combo of cooking for the masses / travel.  I got to coordinate and create the meal plan and shopping list for the team beforehand and as you can see, it definitely worked!  Everything was chosen mostly from Trader Joe's based on quality primarily but also keeping close focus on our tight budget. Here's my race report.

Lenny and Larry Double Chocolate Complete Cookie

This cookie takes the 'Complete' mantra and combines it with delicious chocolate-choclatey goodness.  More protein, no fake ingredients, no dairy, and not too milky not too bittersweet.  Just a chewy not crumbly well done cookie! Thoroughly enjoyed after a hard race. Now my routine post race fuel! These cookies are the original reason I was attracted to Lenny and Larry, they seriously are the best cookie you don't have to make yourself!

 Pre Race Dinner #2: Herb Lemon Chicken w/ Almonds, Leeks, and Olives

A variation of the race prep dinner i've been doing this season, changed for whats available and made in a mass quantity.  12 whole breasts of chicken with two leeks, a can of olives, and a bunch of almonds, in two baking dishes in the oven. Perfect flavor. So many delicious herbs complimented by crunchy leeks/almonds and topped with creamy hummus. Some more cooked vegetables to accompany, had to sauté instead of steam though due to the mass quantity. This was pre race dinner everyone racing expert (Juniors + Team Director Dario).

-Sauteed Rosemary Carrots

-Baked Herb Chicken (Dill Weed, T Joe's Every Day Seasoning, Basil), Leeks, Olives, Sliced Roasted Almonds

-Sauteed Broccoli

-Cucumber, Tomato, Hummus

-Brown Jasmine Rice, Wheat Tortilla

Mexi Leftovers

I got these leftovers together faster than ever before since the team was waiting to leave the house. Having my tupperware was crucial, and I just grabbed a bit of everything from our Mexi Dinner. There was a taco vendor at the venue so I even got to add fresh lemon, cilantro, and spicy salsa verde for free! I had no utensils so I ended up having to break a shard off of a plastic cup to scoop with. This was a pretty dialed meal for zero cost and no prep at all. On the last day we had similar lunches except with chicken, hummus, more vegetables, and tortillas as well from the 2nd dinner. They tasted so good! I will never get over the surprise of how tasty leftovers can be.

-Brown Rice, Salsa, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado, Beans, Olives, Ground Turkey

-Cilantro, Lemon, Salsa Verde

 Breakfasts Down: Mass Oatmeal

The team's got experience cooking gargantuan amounts of oatmeal for breakfast. We went with plenty of sweet blueberries and bananas cooked in, and then I went some more delicious toppings.  Clean, simple, and solid. The true breakfast of champions. A little berry jam is the best sweetener! I also normally used raw almonds, but the dry roasted kind is definitely a nice change. Accompanied by the newest issue of Decline. Had the same breakfast on race day, just gobbled down in near darkness since we had to race at 8:00am.

-Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas cooked in

-Soymilk, Cinnamon

-Fresh Blueberries, Roasted Almonds, a bit of Blackberry Jam

Pre Race #1: Burrito Night

 Cooking for the team brought me three good lessons.  We used Brown Jasmine Rice since it cooks faster, and it was totally delicious. #1 It tasted closed to white rice than other brown rices, which I definitely like sometimes, and I also used a little too much water, but it made the rice keep in the fridge so much better (not drying out). We made such a large batch that we were able to use it again for the next two lunches and one dinner. #2 We also used ground turkey, which I've done before but don't usually use at home.  It was really tasty with plenty of Granulated Garlic, Salt and Pepper, just have to make sure to buy the leanest closest to white meat version you can find. A little more interesting and easier to digest than eating more beans for protein (less fiber in turkey). #3 We also used multiple different kinds of beans (so many cans!) and just mixed them all together in a massive pot, and they turned out really good on their own. It's hard to make a bad meal when you just combine all these delicious foods. This dinner was pre race dinner for everyone racing pro (the U23 Squad) on Saturday.

-Sauteed Ground Turkey w/ Garlic, Salt and Pepper

-Sauteed Onion w/ Salt and Pepper

-Brown Jasmine Rice

-Olives

-Refried Black Beans/Pinto Beans

-Amy's Garlic Salsa

-Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado