Cheat So Hard

Some of you may remember two months back when I announced that I was going to go down the Paleo path to help myself eat cleaner, reduce stress and improve my overall health.

I flood your Instagram feeds with my #hashtag #Paleo #omgSOyummy meals because Paleo is my main squeeze and I can see us in a long healthy relationship together.

As a promoter of a healthy lifestyle through food and running I feel that I owe you a sincere confession for all of the cheating I've been doing lately (on Paleo, sweetheart!)

It all started to fall off the wagon when I was in Toronto for the second time and had a piece of pizza here, a few tortilla chips there, maybe even some delicious croutons on a salad.  Beer and wine added into the mix and I forgot the reasons I'd started Paleo. Through travelling back and forth I was able to use that as an excuse for not being strict with a schedule, a meal plan and even my food prep has been non-existent.

I still do an amazing job at avoiding latte's, yogurt, cheese, bread and some of my bigger past offenders, but there's been a few 'occasions' where the amazing food groups you see below have been devoured, craved and even begged for.

#OmnomNom

- Fiery Doritos Locos Taco | Taco Bell

- Endless Shrimp | Red Lobster

- Steak and Endless Shrimp | Outback Steakhouse

- Reese's Blizzard | Dairy Queen

- Grape Licorice | All the places

I act like Dan is the instigator but I'm pretty sure even the golden retrievers would be witness to Monday night when Dan was looking in the produce drawer asking what I wanted for dinner and only a quick "TCBLL" was blurted from my mouth. Like I was ashamed to be saying it out loud but knowing that it was going to feel so right.

That fateful night Dan didn't hesitate to jump in the car and get almost every food group on the menu so that I could 'sample'. As always, he picked up the slack when I was too full and my eyes out-ordered my stomach.

Our meal included but was not limited to:

• Mexican Pizza (1)


• Fiery Doritos Locos Tacos (3)


• Cheesy Gordita Crunch (2)


• Smothered Burrito (1)


• Volcano Nachos (1)


• Fiesta Beef Taco Salad (1)

None of that was paleo, by the way.

So all I'm asking is for someone to help me be more like this adorable baby koala please and not be so bad at life? K Thanks!

Paleo Plan to Lose Stress

Before we talk about stress and how I'm dealing with it, let's give a huge Happy Birthday, gurrrl to Babbling Brookelyn!

Last year I got you a West Elm cutting board, and this year Ryan Gosling? Yeah I know I've stepped up my game.

Anyway back to this little thing called 'stress'.

I'm always so careful about what I wear, what impression I'm making and how other people perceive me, but lately I've forgotten to take an inventory of how I feel.

Simply put, I've neglected to admit to myself for the past few months that I'm stressed out.

Stress damages relationships, puts personal goals on hold and takes a serious toll on health. Stress negatively impacts eating habits and often leaves me feeling like I have no control.

Now that I've disclosed my stress and am facing it head on, I'm actively seeking ways to suppress the way I'm feeling and handle it efficiently rather than stress even more over it. I've got the exercise part down, even though I have 46 miles remaining to run in the next 6 days so the next place for me to research is the foods I'm consuming. 

I began this path by googling (scientific research, I know) foods that reduce stress. Interestingly, most everything that came back all fell into a very distinct category and followed after a 'trend diet' I've heard and seen a lot about lately. 

Vegetables

|| Spinach | Carrots | Asparagus ||

Fruits

|| Citrus fruits | Avocados | Berries ||

Meats

|| Salmon | Turkey | Grass Fed Beef ||

Nuts & Seeds

|| Almonds | Walnuts | Sunflower seeds ||

Immediately I was sold on going the route of clean and natural with the Paleo diet, so get outta my cart, cereal!

via

Sorry I'm not sorry if you follow me on instagram and you've seen the beautiful foods I've been nomming for two weeks. 

Do I feel like it's worked? Heck yes I do! Reaching for fruits and vegetables when I'm hungry wakes me up and doesn't give me the crash that sugary crap does.

In fact, it's been more difficult to teach Dan what Paleo is than it has been to follow the rules. Just the past week he brought me home a latte, prepared a salmon burger with pepperjack cheese, reminded me that I didn't use my rice from our take-out stir fry, set out yogurt and granola bars for my lunch, asked if I wanted pizza for dinner, asked if i wanted a bowl of dry cereal... (ALL AMAZINGLY NICE THINGS). If you're like him and don't exactly know the rules, you'll probably learn a thing or two from Cats showing us how to do Paleo.

Some great places on the internet that have me headed in the right direction:

The Beginner's Guide to Paleo

15 Mouthwatering No Bread Sandwiches

NomNomPaleo

A Day of Simple Paleo Meals

Thank you for your support as I try to use the way I treat my body to reduce the stress I subject it to.

Ready for the weekend?

FRANKIE SAYS RELAX

Breakfast!!!

Okay team, you were going to see a million slight exaggeration kitten photos today, but something so important came up that I had to stop the presses!

What happened?  This Happened 

I love Thug Kitchen and I love breakfast. If you're not familiar with Thug Kitchen, please get familiar - otherwise I don't know if we can be friends.

So this breakfast thing - how about a show of hands for how many of you eat breakfast every morning? 

Whoo! Go you! You're probably reaping all of the rewards that I do!

• Increased energy


• Less mid-day snacking


• Less calories consumed by latte's, mocha's or whatever energy drinks the kids are drinking these days.

Oh, wait - I see you back there, reader. Don't hide, I'm not going to get mad at you for skipping breakfast.

I know you really want to and I know you're just too busy in the morning, or you have lunch plans later - but you probably suffer from low energy throughout the day, you probably are starving when 11am comes around and any calories you do take in during the morning are probably from coffee drinks that pack more dairy than caffeine.

Studies show (here) that breakfast is the healthiest meal that people eat for the entire day, and as time goes on our choices toward health decline at a steady rate. In fact, the average dinner is up to 16% less healthy than breakfast! What the ?@#$ happens to our brains?

That flashy infographic also shows the proof that if you eat breakfast and you'll crave less and actually eat less on a daily basis.

Simple Tips to get you on the breakfast train and even to revive your current bland routine. 

• Pack protein into your breakfast (Eggs, meat, peanut butter, protein shake)


• Make sure it's fiber rich to keep your system moving


• Prepare what you can the night before to make your breakfast a no-brainer


• Wash it down with at least 16-32 ounces of water, maybe on your commute into work!


• Mix it up, literally and figuratively. Include variety and blend up a shake like Thug Kitchen suggests

Sunday for breakfast Dan had a bowl of non-children's cereal (which is huge news) and I topped a perfect banana with a tablespoon of organic crunchy peanut butter and honey drizzle. #omnomnom!

If this hasn't made you hungry enough, please head over to a few of the recipes I've drooled over my keyboard for:

Almond Butter and Bananas - From Carrot Bowl

Breakfast Tacos - From Love and Olive Oil

DIY Fiber Filled Cereal - From The Skinny Confidential

10 Healthy Breakfast Ideas - From The Lean Green Bean

Breakfast tastes wonderful, but success that tastes like strawberries is even sweeter!

Weekend Prep Returns

Even though I've been quiet about my weekend food prep it's still been going on.

For you new faces around here, I recommend that you check out the archives:

Take the Time: Meal Prep and Weekend Food Prep will give you an idea of what usually goes on in my home on the weekends.

Lately however, food prep begins with a sweet and gentle, "Dan, can you please please please grill some chicken and salmon burgers? I bought lettuce yesterday."

From there, he jumps out of his seat if there's no sports on TV and heats up our extra convenient grill. He's finished in under 45 minutes, has protein ready for the week and all I have to do is chop the lettuce, squirt the sriracha and make sure the avocados are ripe enough for bliss at work the next day.

Okay, so I know that arrangement sounds unfair and I'm working on it, but this weekend since he wasn't home I had to take meal prep back to my top standards and make a mini-production out of it. It was especially fun this weekend because I didn't even have to go grocery shopping!

1. Egg 'pancakes':

Nothing involving pancakes goes into cooking up these eggs, just the shape the finished product ends up being after a quick 90 seconds in the pan. At work I can pop these into the microwave, add spices or 1/2 of an avocado and voila - protein made easy.

2. Tempeh, Lentils, Avocado, Sriracha Salad

Here's where I get to use the other half of the morning avocado and also get to watch all my co-workers turn their heads to see what the amazing smell is that's coming from my area.

Tempeh is a protein powerhouse so it's no wonder that I love to include it in my meals wherever I can. What you see below is 4 servings worth of the good stuff, and I can pre-portion it into my convenient tupperware for the whole week - each day's ration alongside 1/2 cup of wonderful Trader Joe's Lentils.

I pop the lentil / tempeh / sriracha mix into the microwave for 35 seconds and have a clean and filling meal ready to be instagrammed and devoured.

3. Sweet Potato + Quinoa Stir Fry

This one's for dinner every night this week.

Sweet potato, Quinoa, Jalapeno peppers, black beans, grilled chicken and a dash of love make this the perfect 'comfort meal' after the long days of work I've been experiencing. 

The recipe is here and you'll find the peeled thin potato slices to be the perfect texture and just the right size for cooking without extra time or effort.

Have you ever done your food prep on the weekends? What are your favorite easy fixes for a whole week of quality meals?

Mother's Weekend

In case you missed it, last week's Throwback Thursday was all about my wonderful mother.

Today, we're going to talk about Mother's Day weekend and the wonderful time that Dan and I spent with the family.

First of all, I think something that captures my mom's loving personality is an update she posted to Facebook on mother's day:

She truly feels that her greatest accomplishment has been motherhood - which makes me all the more excited about how she will embrace being a grandmother.

NOT a hint - sorry friends, you're welcome Dan

Back to Mom's special day!

Sunday morning I set out for a nine mile run while Dan called his mom and thanked her for everything she's done as a mother. I got back home and he was mid-call with his dad, and I couldn't even recognize his voice. He was so far into sports-mode that I thought there was a Sportscenter announcer sitting in our media room. Boy's got another calling.

After cleaning up a little, we drove 20 minutes away with latte's for all of us in hand. We arrived to crazy puppy town and got the girls all hyped up before taking them on a boardwalk park walk while learning that Tiger Woods won yet again - Go Tiger!

These girls walked so well through the park and had nothing but smiles on their sweet little mugs. It's evident how much mom and dad both love these little girls - they are the luckiest puppies around!

We made it back from the walk and a gourmet meal was cooked up in no time! Our favorite mix of grilled chicken and sweet potato fries can make any meal whole - but even better and not pictured were the accompanying lettuce, salsa, greek yogurt and sisters snoozing at our feet.



The evening turned risky when we pulled out the crude card game (that I absolutely love): Cards Against Humanity

This past week the game with two expansion sets arrived on mom and dad's doorstep from brother Matt - and Dan and I were the lucky ones to test the waters with the parents.

I knew they'd warm up to the game after a while, but didn't realize that my dad would be responsible for some of the most hilarious, raunchy and blush-worthy combinations of cards I'd ever witnessed. After I saw some of the hands mom and dad were playing, Dan and I loosened up and actually played the same way we would have if we were surrounded by a group of peers. It was bliss.

Laughing until we cried, snorting, avoiding eye-contact; all indicators of a great time with the parents. Can't wait until Matt comes home and gets to join in on the fun!

What a wonderful day with mom, dad, the sisters and the comfort of home.

Week 18: Cohabitation

I'm so happy that Dan and I headed to the coast last weekend because we really haven't seen much of each other this week. We've both been so busy that when we do see each other it's dinner time, it's get-ready time or it's 'dont-bother-me-i'm-blogging-time'. Rough life

Before we get started with the week - check out the Bad Lip Reading for The AMC's The Walking Dead

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR4lLJu_-wE?feature=player_embedded&w=640&h=360]

...Dan says that's me at 2:45

Back at it -

House chores have fallen by the wayside and just yesterday we sorted week old mail into three important piles. The yours, mine, and 'how do we stop getting this...' piles are still sitting on the dining room table, but at least they've been sorted. Third time was a charm on loading / running the dishwasher as well. Soap was in, racks were loaded, but somehow there was no urgency in actually running the thing. Lastly, you know it's bad when you decide to just buy more athletic wear to stretch out the frequency of laundry loads rather than just find the time. Love the new sports bras though!

Enough about what we're doing wrong! How about what we've done right this week! Food related, obvi

1. Avocado + Sriracha Toast at the Coast

2. Costco trip turned into a belated Happy Birthday cake

3. Cinco de Mayo guacamole prep - yum! 

4. Post dinner-date with Brad and Brooke led us to ice cream

Dan wanted to make sure that I shared some of the cuteness from this weekend. Bella is an excellent snuggle-bug and my handsome Daniel was happy to take a nap on a hot day. Daniel is a favorite among the two golden sisters, they find it hard to leave his side when he's around.

Can you even believe that he and I have lived together for 18 weeks? I can't - it feels like much longer than that and I am so thrilled to call this house a home.

Enjoy your weekend and hug/call/cherish your mother!

Grill Time

A heat wave has hit Portland this past week and is honestly the warmest streak I can remember ever coming through our city this early in the Spring.

With arrival of the beautiful weather also comes a constant need for sunglasses, increased time spent outside in the evenings and naturally the inclination to invite some friends over and fire up your grill.

I am very fortunate to have grill-master Dan by my side who loves to put grill lines on anything and everything - but sometimes we can fall into a rut of doing the same thing over and over - like grilled chicken, burgers, veggies in tin-foil, etc.

This summer we are planning to step up our grill game and I wanted to share some recipes from Pinterest and other blogs that I'm dying to try out.

My hope is that you can find something you'd like to try too - and maybe share some of your own or your favorite recipes with me!

1. Pineapple Mango Tropical Chicken Skewers

2. Grilled Focaccia Bread

3. Jerk Chicken & Grilled Pineapple Salsa

4. Grilled Zucchini

Sorry, I know - I'm drooling too.

Happy grilling!

Throwback Thursday: ¡Olé!

We made it to Thursday - ¡Olé!

Today has me thinking about how close we are to a holiday that is very near and dear to my heart: Cinco de Mayo

What's not to love about celebratory margaritas, chips, salsa, guacamole and other traditional cuisine not Taco Bell, Dan!.

I know that whenever I don't want to put dinner on the table the first restaurants that come to mind serve chips by the basket, keep the salsa coming and have eclectic flare and mariachi bands. Seriously - my salsa to chip ratio is 2:1, I have plenty of tomato stains to prove it.

Lately around the house we've been mashing avocados, chopping onions and chilling that guac like we've never tasted something so decadent! I'm looking forward to maybe putting together my first shot at making Sangria this weekend. Who knows, maybe I'll share!

Sorry for the shorty post - today is going to be one of the busier days of the whole month with quite a lot of pressure on the little girl below's shoulders.

Today's Throwback Thursday is brought to you by a little girl who has always been chasing the sun with a smile on her face, sombrero and all.

¡Olé!

April Summary

Whoa - reality check, it's still technically April? I think we've got some confusion around here, the weather has been gorgeous in Portland and that's not normally until June July if we're lucky.

Really though, with the change of seasons, my work focus being on the month of May and all that has gone on in my world it's difficult to face that tomorrow is the 1st of May. No complaints, just level setting with my mind because so much has happened this month.

April to me meant change, maturity and responsibility at work. It brought overwhelming success and pride that I'll never forget. It propelled me into overshooting my running goal of 100 miles by 16 miles - which is unheard of during such a busy month. 

I'm looking back to my April's Eight Great Goals and I seriously missed the mark on 6 of 8. I didn't think reasonably what craziness the month would bring and sadly there were a few things that were out of my control and even out of my scope of importance. Where we did have amazing success was with limiting latte intake - I am looking forward to keeping that in mind in the months that follow.

Even though I'm managing through falling under the line, we still had a great month and plenty of wonderful memories to show for it!

Yummy Eats

So much amazing food was enjoyed this month from date nights to weekend food prep:

Torta-Landia

Sweet Potato + Quinoa Stir Fry

Saburo's

Work Related

I realize that I talked a lot about work this month, and really because I spend most of my day living and breathing my work with so many positive things to show for it.

I've promised Dan and everyone in my life that the craziness will be over starting once the fourth quarter is over - which means another month!

Still there were some good posts that came out of the craziness and want a collection of them here:

Under the Bridge

How High?

Desk Love

Keep Running

Running Love

I got after so many miles this month and it really impacted my happiness.

I knew that running was more than just about meeting my goal when I was lacing up after 8pm at night, or logging ten milers even after hitting my goal. The weather has been so warm I've even been breaking a sweat early on in the run, and there's no better feeling.

Running for Days

30 Mile Weekend

Countdown: Tough Mudder

My Handsome Daniel

The one person who got the least of me this month was my wonderful boyfriend. We stopped carpooling due to my schedule, we only went on two runs together, he had a golf tournament that I didn't make it to and he did nothing but try to fix the world and make things easier on my life. He's my everything and I'm so thankful he's in love with me.

Week 14 Cohabitation

Week 15 Cohabitation

SE Saturday Nights

I don't know what it is about Saturday nights but lately it's been Dan and I's favorite night to unwind, grab some good walking shoes and hit the neighborhood for an adventure and some drinks.

Something about flowers blooming, people out for a stroll and the crisp night air becoming tolerable have allowed us to step out of our normal routine and into a playful mindset. It also gives us Dan an excuse for reflective swoosh photos.

The trek in mind's ultimate destination was Saburo's Sushi House that I've shared here once before. The last time we made a visit it was before Dan moved in, so this time wasn't so much about the tour - it was knowing that we were locals and had every right to sign our names on the list with 30 other hungry hopefuls in front of us. That's right, there was a literal mob outside of the front door and everyone was there to stay.

Dan and I signed up, shrugged our shoulders and walked off to do what we do best - Sellwood Pub Tour.

We started at Laurelwood Public House around 8:45 and ordered the a Space Stout for him & a Free Range Red for her. We enjoyed sharing the different flavors back and forth and I still can't call which was my favorite.

Next we went back to check on the list - rookie move. We were still at least 15 people down on the list and noticed that the couple after us was the cut-off point of the list. We were going to be there to shut it down.

So what do you think we did? Went to another bar of course! I love dive bar hopping in Sellwood and tonight didn't disappoint. The Cosmo Lounge was in full effect with karaoke enthusiasts making their way in and signing up for their debut. Dan and I escaped before karaoke night started, but not before my IPA, his Negro Modelo and our four $1 each Orange Jello shots. Well played, babe!

After us lightweights were feeling happy, we snuck in a few fro-yo samples at Nectar before having perfect timing to be seated at Saburo's.

This was the longest I've ever waited, two hours from sign up to sit down, but the memories, goofiness and amazing eats at the end of the road were beyond worth it. We even had a great time with the strangers who shared our same table that were visiting from Montana and had previously lived in Portland through college. Plenty of laughs, single serving friends, single serving of sushi (because Dan swooped up 75% of the plate while I was chatty!) and a great evening with my love.

I can't wait to go back again when blogger buddy Marisa is back in PDX. Nothing like a heaping plate of sushi to bring people closer.

Feel Good Weekend

This weekend was full of good vibes for the house.

Dan and I spent a good portion of Saturday making our home clean and happy. It's been a little while since we had a nice, deep clean - so we treated ourselves to a brand new Swiffer Wet Jet for the occasion.

Toilets were scrubbed, counters were scraped, three loads of laundry, two loads of dishes (mostly my tupperware) and even recycling/garbage duty.

More than just cleaning, we had some fun too!

As a result of cleaning, the pool table in the garage that has been covered with boxes since the move was unveiled, and we had a great time playing a few games with loud jams and competitive glances. The pool cue was an awesome gift from my brother for my birthday two years ago and I haven't given her enough time and attention.

We've been killing it at the burger game lately. This beauty below was a result of the weekend prior's food prep, fresh avocado & the perfect amount of sriracha topping. Dan is the grill master and anything I do never matches up. He's happy that I'm so dependent.

Salmon Burgers

{Costco Salmon Burgers + Thin wheat buns + Mozzarella + Avocado + Sriracha}

Feeling even better, we had a special visit from mom, dad, Bailey and Bella for some landscaping work (more house help). Dan was out golfing in preparation for  his tournament next weekend, but when he came home he was greeted with kisses, wags and puppy dog eyes galore!



What else am I missing... oh yeah - I Ran! duh

Saturday Morning: 5 quick miles with Dan

Sunday Morning: 12 refreshing miles solo - nothing but good tunes and my thoughts.

Since I've been awful this month about my morning runs / Nike Training Club Goals, I've self prescribed myself a few more miles over and beyond my 100 as motivation to get out in this week's forecast of sun and 70 degree weather.

How was your weekend?

Restaurant Review: Torta-Landia

Saturday night Dan and I were couch potatoes. We kept talking about what our 'plans' were for the rest of the evening and couldn't come up with anything better than catching up on our DVR with shows dating back to March. No time for TV

I really didn't want to spend the rest of my night just sitting, but I also only wanted to spend the evening with my guy. I saw an update on Facebook that my parents were headed out to date night and I was convinced that Dan and I needed to have one too!

The last time I was with miracle worker Maggie, she recommended a restaurant that was great for an upbeat vibe, delicious chips + guacamole and a feel good 'hole in the wall' spot off the beaten path. I told her we'd check it out and I wanted to do it before my next appointment at the end of the month.

Torta-Landia is located on SE 60th avenue just off of Foster Road and within 2 miles walking distance of our home. Since we were feeling like bums we weren't going to drive so we bundled up, put on our walking shoes and headed out the door holding hands and soaking in sights of the neighborhood.

We arrived to the restaurant just past 8pm and found a packed house with live music and margaritas everywhere. We had to join in!

What We Drank

2 House Margaritas ($5.50 each)

We almost went with the Corona-rita (Margarita with an upside-down corona) but had already been drinking most of the day while watching the Masters. #Sorrynotsorry

What We Ate

House Made Chips + Side of Guacamole ($3 + $2 Guac)

Carnitas del Diablo Burrito ($8.50)

Slow roasted carnitas sauteed with habaneros & jalapeno peppers, borracho beans, green rice cilantro-lime crema, queso oaxaca, and habanero salsa.

This burrito was big enough that both of us felt satisfied with the food we'd eaten and our bodies were warm walking back in the cool 50 degree evening.

Know Before You Go:

• It really is off the beaten path, hidden behind a used tire lot on Foster Road


• Happy Hour is 3-5pm Tuesday-Friday and 9-close Daily


• They had live music the entire time we were there - it looked like it was set up for the same scene every night


• Even Dan thought the burrito was massive - check the menu before you go and split a dish or two


• Location: 4144 SE 60th Ave, Portland, OR


• Hours: Closed Mondays, open Tuesday-Sunday starting at 11am.

Enjoy!

30 Miles + Many Smiles

Another weekend come and gone, and everything about it was time well spent!

Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and my mister was home all weekend - not working, not playing golf and not sleeping in. Bliss.

{Credit to my neighbors, beautiful flowers!}

More Running for Days

If you remember that last weekend I ran 20 miles you'd call me crazy for the goal I set for myself this weekend.

20 miles in two days was a worthy challenge, so I decided to shoot for 30 from Friday - Sunday to put myself where I need to be for the month.

• Friday 7:20 pm - 7 Miles


• Saturday 8:40 am – 11 Miles


• Sunday 9:20 am – 12 Miles

 Why would I set my goal at 30 miles in three days?

1. It reaffirms that I can do anything I set my mind to.

2. I've been worthless at getting mileage during the week and I see that trend continuing through the end of May.

3. Why not?

Eats

After my Saturday morning run, this is what I had waiting for me on the counter, piping hot:

{Eggs + Avocados + Jalapenos + Mozzarella}

{Poor Man's Mimosa: Light or Wheat beer topped off with Orange Juice}

Dan is becoming quite the contributor to the magic made in the kitchen and I couldn't be happier. The rumors are that he's been known to live off of Mac n' Hot Dogs - which proves that he's had to really step up his game to keep the woman in his life happy. Thanks, dear!

Special Visitor

We had a special visit from Tanna (Happy Birthday week!) and Olive on Saturday and they were happy to meet Dan for the first time. It wasn't the usual girl-chatty catch up sessions Tanna and I are used to, but we are looking forward to some warmer weather where we can get take walks in the park and take adorable photos of miss Olive feeding ducks at the pond.

Onto the Next

Sorry, Tiger Woods - you didn't reclaim the green jacket but I hear you've still got years and years ahead of you before you retire. Next time. We're still happy to have a son named after you.

Is it weird that I was excited to get to my desk this morning? I have a suspicious feeling that this is going to be another quality week for myself and my team.

Sweet Potato + Quinoa Stir Fry

Today I'm sharing a new favorite recipe with you - by request of some facebook followers!

Sunday was a marathon of food prep and I was so thankful to have Dan by my side chopping, stirring, opening, grilling and sampling storing the foods we were making. This was a new one on our list and was born out of some inspiration from the internet over the past month: Brooke / Pinterest. It was also put together due to the fact that we had some vegetables that needed to be used or thrown out and I was having a productive weekend with more energy in store to prep.  

Feast your eyes on the mix that had me wishing for more and waiting in anticipation for today's identical lunch.

Sweet Potato + Quinoa Stir Fry

3 cups quinoa {cooked}

2 cans black beans {drained}

5 sweet potatoes {peeled + chopped}

2 jalapenos

1/2 white onion

2 tbsp olive oil

pepper to sprinkle

Preparation:

• Cook 1 cup of dry quinoa (1 cup seeds + 2 cups water) = 3 cups cooked


• Peel/chop sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces


• Dice onion + jalapenos into small pieces for flavor in every bite


• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees


• Place your chopped sweet potatoes into a baking pan with 2 tbsp olive oil drizzle, bake for 15 minutes


• After 15 minutes - Stir your potatoes and bake for 10 more minutes


• Open 2 cans of black beans, drain


• In a large bowl, mix all ingredients {jalapenos + onion + beans + quinoa + finished sweet potatoes} and sprinkle with pepper


• Sample it, add protein to it, put it in a large container and have this for days!

Co-workers were sniffing and oogling over what I was bringing back from the microwave - you'd have thought these were Laughing Planet leftovers!

What's your favorite way to use sweet potatoes?