Split Peas Mush and Tofu

Today I went to the library with my mom and sisters. It was fun, for some reason I kinda wanted to scare someone. Perhaps it was because we watched 

Like a true Mexican, I didn't get creeped out

I did kind of wanted to scare someone though. So I picked an easy target....sorry mommy!

It looks like I am being all innocent and taking pictures and reading on the floor of the library....yes, there is nothing wrong with sitting down on the carpet to read.....

You know, just random stuff. Who would have though I would of popped my head through the book shelves to scare my mom with a big "booo"

and I made this mess for diner

It was surprisingly really good OR I was just super hungry. lol

And tofu

Poor tofu, no one gets excited for it. 

Ingredients for my split pea mess:

1 cup dry split peas 

1 handful of cilantro

1 cup of chopped mushrooms

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup of chopped onion

1/2 tsp of paprika 

salt to tasting

1 tbs of smart balance butter

Directions: cook the spit peas according to package 

After you have everything chopped, stir fry the onions in butter then gradually add the rest of the ingredients except for the peas. 

Once everything is "mushy" add the peas and let them simmer in their juices for about 10 minutes

Workouts week of 9-23-13

Monday	6.19 miles 9:13 pace Jillian Michaels Level 1, abs workout Total Body Toning Low Impact Cardio Workout (Fitness Blender on youtube)
Tuesday	6.38 miles 9:11 pace Jillian Michaels Level 1, abs workout Total Body Toning Low Impact Cardio Workout (Fitness Blender on youtube)
Wednesday	6.5 miles 9:18 pace Jillian Michaels Level 1, abs workout Total Body Toning Low Impact Cardio Workout (Fitness Blender on youtube)
Thursday	3.70 miles at 8:15 pace Jillian Michaels Level 1, abs workout Total Body Toning Low Impact Cardio Workout (Fitness Blender on youtube) Insanity Cardio Power and Resistance DVD
Friday	6.30 miles at a 9:36 Insanity Cardio Power and Resistance DVD Jillian Michaels Level 1, abs workout
Saturday	13.14 miles at a 9:15 pace
Sunday	Rest

Saturday Movie day

Who knew a movie about food falling from the sky could be sooo captivating? But I admit, I am a sucker for kid's movies. I sometimes enjoy them more than movies geared towards people my own age. In case you don't know what movie I went to see today it happens to be this one..

Of course we loaded up my messenger bag with goodies. God knows I am too cheap and picky to get anything at the movie theater's concession stands. The smell of butter alone drives me crazy.

Trail mix, fruit, and lollipops to entertain our movie hunger

Look! Arn't they the cutest thing ever. Berry was my fav character as well!

This got me thinking, if food fell from the sky, would I actually dare eat it? I mean its free food right? But with LA having as much smog and pollution coming from factories and cars I highly doubt it. Then I am soo picky with my food that I doubt anything would be made to my liking. However, if there was soy ice cream and peanut butter sandwiches falling from the sky, I think I might have a totally different perspective.

Btw, I also happened to run 13 miles at a 9:15 pace!! Heck yea! I was so excited because that was a new pace and distance PR (after the LA marathon of course). And surprisingly I wasn't as tired as I thought.
One thing I don't understand about other people and long runs is that they claim to not be hungry that day. I think I am the complete opposite because I feel like a starving child in a third world country and eat eat eat! I also continue to eat eat and eat some more the next day. The only difference about the day after is that I do ZERO activity (sure some walking here and there) but its nothing strenuous   .

I don't drink any recovery/protein drinks. I try to stick to whole foods as much as possible. But at home we had some of this Mexican version of Nesquick. It has lots of vitamins and minerals essential for the body, just take a look....

So in a way it is a type of recover drink. I like that it contains 70% of the RDA of Iron as that is very important for people who are Vegan. 

Does anyone else take their shoes off and stand on the tile floor?

My mom hates that I do that and insist that I will get sick one day. 

Dinner was an assortment of food

This plate times 2! AND I ate THREE yes THREE sweet potatoes! 

That has got to be my record. And of course the inevitable ice cream and some Oreos. Hey, I happened to run a half marathon, need to celebrate. 

Mango Quinoa Salad

Today I went to the market with my mom and something strange happened. There was a guy (like 40-50 years of age) and he kept staring at me! I turned around trying to act as if nothing happened but it didn't work. I guess he got impatient and decided to go to a different line so he left and gave me the "stink eye"

After so, when we finished paying for our items, we started walking out. He was finished as well, was about to cross my path and the look he gave me felt awful! I felt as if his eyes were going to come out of their sockets as if he was trying to see into my soul or idk. Something demonic. It left me un-nerved. And no! Its not because I am reading Mortal Instruments that I have a new fantasy of seeing a demon. No way Jose. Back to the story, I felt a tad bit iffy the rest of the day. 

Has anything like this ever happened to you? Some people can literally kill you with their look.. ...

I had a bunch of quinoa in my cabinet that I decided I had to do something with them before they went bad. So I decided to make a salad since it was super hot outside. But I didn't want a savory salad. I do have a sweet tooth don't ya know? 

Does that remind anybody else of Bobby's World.....The mom?

Ahh the good times!

I digress....So I chopped up a whole mango, topped it off with some corn, cilantro, onion, celery, red bell pepper, sesame seeds, chopped almonds.....

Mixed it up. Yum can you smell the colors? Yes, I realize that sounds so weird but it smells so good and colorful. 

Then topped it off with plain quinoa!

Just a bit more

Mix mix mix

Ready to eat. Along side a veggie wrap and sweet potato it makes a SWEET meal!

Close up. I have no idea why it looks blue, perhaps because we ate outside!

Ingredients:

1/2 tomato (chopped)

1 mango (peeled and chopped)

1/4 cup of onion (chopped)

1/2 cup of corn

1/2 red bell pepper(chopped)

1 handful of cilantro (chopped)

2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

2 tablespoons of chopped almonds 

1/4 cup of *dry quinoa (cooked in about 1/2 cup water OR 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa 

salt, pepper, paprika to taste

some lime to top it off

NOTE: best when served cold. I ate the leftovers the next day and the flavors were enhanced. 

Barley Apple Oatmeal

When I think of porridge I normally think of oatmeal. However, the other day I made barley salad and decided to pour the last of the coconut milk that was remaining in the carton. I added a chopped apple and a dash of cinnamon and cooked it in the microwave for about 2 minutes. 

It was perfect! The apple's sweet juices covered the apple so that it naturally sweetened the porridge. The coconut milk gave it a tropical feel and it was perfect after a morning run!

Yum yum

Do you think that's enough cinnamon?

3 ingredients: 

1 cup of cooked barley

1/2 apple chopped

1 cup of coconut water-vanilla flavored

cinnamon (optional)

Leftover Quinoa Sweet potato bars

Have you ever cooked so much of a type of grain and had so much leftover, you didn't want to eat? Well, enter the beauty of a granola bar. You can pretty much throw anything in there and it will practically always taste good.

I was in luck, we had leftover quinoa and sweet potatoes. Therefore I decided to make quinoa sweet potato bars!

The first step was to soak my dates in a tiny bit of water just so that could re-hydrate. They were sooo dry it would have broken my food processor. 

I also like to soak my chia seeds because I am weird. But you don't have to. 

Blend the dates....

Leftover potato

Leftover potato and banana puree 

Enter a random mix of dry goods: cereal, quinoa, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, flax seed meal, wheat germ, sunflower seeds.....I think that IT!

wait, how can I forget the cinnamon 

mix mix mix 

Then I realized I forgot the oats! So quickly mix those in. Silly me

These are the best!

Tip, freeze for 1-2 hours and then cut in pieces and bake for a crispy texture 

Bake 

done! 

Wow, that sounded like a painful process, but I assure you they were delicious and full of all types of super-food

Ingredients: 

1.5 cups of oats

1 banana

9 medjoul dates

1 sweet potato (baked)

1/2 cup of agave

1/4 cup of chia seeds

1/3 cup of almond butter

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds 

(I was also going to add cashews but my sister picked up the honey sesame kind....uh no!

I think she purposely did it so she can eat for a snack anyway when we were at the store and I told her to grab a cashew)

1/4 cup of flaxmeal

1/2 cup of wheat germ

1/4 cup of each: blueberries (died) and cranberries (dried)

1.5 cups of cereal (I used rice cereal)

1 cup cooked quinoa 

Basically you can follow the above procedure. Mix all the wet and dry ingredients. Common sense. 

Bake for about 30 minutes. 

What I ate Tuesday!

I am sad to admit that I tend to be a little.....lot....boring and eat the same things on a routine basis. I rarely buy any take out and tend to keep the same staples in the fridge. I eat a lot and I am happy I get to eat a lot due to exercising. Sometimes I feel like the only reason I actually exercise is so that I can eat more.

Do any of your guys ever feel that way?

I mean, I love to exercise but if I could eat all I want whenever I want, then I would eat all day long and probably not exercise. 

I also love running and try to tailor my food toward running. I eat more carbs than anyone I know. But surprisingly, I don't really eat pasta. Just lots of fruit, root vegetables, lots of oats and bread. 

Oats mixed with chia, cocoa powder, Mexican Chocolate powder, cocoa powder, soymilk, and strawberries. 

A spoonful of my oats!

Snack: Yes a snack! A whole apple, Pb, celery and a homemade granola bar. 

Dinner: half a block of tofu, veggie burrito, left over mango quinoa salad and leftover barley salad. 

homemade granola bars. You know whats the secret to making them the perfect texture? Freezing them, then cutting and baking them. 

Qunioa mango salad

Veggie Burger wrap and a sweet potato 

chocolate sauce 

Baked spaghetti squash with chili beans 

Barley with cinnamon apples 

Barley salad

toasted split pea pizza thins 

Microwave corn cake

Tofu

Oreos

Barley sushi 

Pumpkin oatmeal

Oatmeal with chia and coconut milk