Obsessed- Roasted Cauliflower

Lately I've been nuts for cauliflower. 

Call me crazy, but it really is a perfect food. Low carb, high fiber, low cal kinda perfect.

It goes well with just about anything. You can cook it so many different ways. My love for cauliflower is like Bubba Gump's for shrimp. 

Mashed cauliflower, mashed cauliflower with sour cream and dill, cauliflower soup, steamed cauliflower, roasted cauliflower with salt and olive oil, curried roasted cauliflower... you get the picture.

Here's the skinny on a super simple, super delicious recipe that is sure to impress guests.

Preheat the oven (I go between 400-425 F.)

Get a head of cauliflower (or if you really like it, get two), wash and pat dry, cut it up into bite sized pieces.

Spread it out on a pan, sprinkle olive oil, salt, and pepper on it. (You can also go for other spices. Good options: curry or cumin... or truffle salt.) Bake 10 min, stir, repeat two more times. 

So that's a total of 5 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of roasting and it's nice and golden brown and perfect. Serve immediately. If you wanna get fancy, throw a little Parmesan on top.

YUM!

Recently Discovered: Extra Dessert Delights New Flavors!

Ok, remember how excited I was about Extra's strawberry shortcake flavor? Well, if you don't, you can see here.

So, they have a couple of new flavors! First, Root Beer Float. I love anything root beer, so as soon as I saw that little brown pack of glory, I couldn't resist. Sitting next to it was Rainbow Sherbet. Who doesn't love rainbow sherbet?

In all honesty, I wasn't a fan of the mint chocolate, apple pie, or key lime flavors. They really just triggered me into wanting to eat the real thing. Anyhow, I went into tasting these new flavors with a little apprehension and a whole lotta hope. (Okayyy, it's just gum, but still!)

Root Beer Float came first... Creamy, root beer-y, deliciousness. These flavors don't last a super long time, but they do the trick. I mean, this gum is like eating one of those candy sticks without the guilt of rotting your teeth or causing a sugar crash. Total win!
                                     
Rainbow Sherbet saved me from eating all of the English chocolates I brought home for friends after a recent vacation. (Hey, don't judge! I know a guy who ate all the chocolates he brought home from Switzerland and bought replacements at World Market.) The Rainbow Sherbet flavor was pretty good. Sweet like candy, it was a bit strange to have the taste of sherbet without the cold or the texture. I like it, but I'd rather have the real deal. As a fruity flavored gum, though, it's awesome... kinda like fruit stripe!

All in all, a successful buy.
Will I buy more? Yes. Definitely.
Will I use it to replace dessert on the reg? Let's be real, probably not. But it is a good option to curb cravings and prevent mindless munching.

Taking my own advice: "When you want a cookie, sometimes it's better just to have a real freaking cookie." Or in this case, a cappuccino and sticky toffee cake... I may be wayyyy too happy about it, too.
But, really, indulging in the real deal is way more satisfying and can keep a binge at bay.

Easiest Breakfast Ever!

Ok, so I am super big on breakfast. Being from the south, it's normally filled with pancakes, bacon, grits, or biscuits with various toppings. But what's one to do when they're being healthy? Turkey bacon can get boring, and there are only so many things you can do with oatmeal.

I've been eating egg beaters a lot lately, but having so many dishes can be such a drag. Perfect solution?  Make em in a mug! It's so easy, and there are endless possibilities!
I cut up peppers and onions, spray the mug with nonstick cooking spray, microwave for 30 seconds, then add the egg beaters and seasonings (sometimes some leftover meat or sliced up lunch meat) and microwave for another minute, stir, and add on an extra 30 seconds for good measure. I messed around with other cooking times, but that seems to be about the best combo.

Doing a little research, I came across this blog from Hungry Girl. See? The possibilities really are endless! How did I not hear about this breakfast miracle sooner? Well, now you know, too. Try it and get ready to totally shake up your breakfast routine.

Kale Chips: A Guilt Free Crunch?

The other day, I was waiting for the same old green juice (kale, spinach, cucumber, lemon) and wandered over to the Kale display at Earthbar.

Now, I love those crunchy seaweed snacks you can get for 99 cents, and have heard a ton about kale chips, so thought, why not?

They had all kinds of crazy flavors, including a chocolate option, but you know my stance on treats. (If you're gonna have a treat, have a freaking good treat. Chocolate kale? Kinda sounds gross and not worth the extra fat, cals, and carbs.) I ended up with two bags: Lydia's Organics Kale Krunchies Mega Green and Buffalo Bill's buffalo wing flavored Cowboy Kale Chips.

The verdict? The buffalo wing flavored chips were really gross, but I liked that the bag had a zip top for freshness. Lydia's were pretty okay. The top didn't seal, though, so you might be in for a mess... I went around a curve and green crumbs spilled across my seat. The store also didn't have any options that were just kale, so the foreign flavors may have been what I didn't like about them. And at $8 a bag, totally not worth it.

So, store bought kale chips? Not such a success, but I am totally excited to pick up some kale on my next trip to the farmers market and try making simple chips with a little salt and evoo. They can't be so popular for no reason, right? Any suggestions to make them better?

Twitter

Re-joined the twitter bandwagon this week.

Check me out : Click here for my twitter!

Low Carb Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cookies?

I found the recipe on Pinterest (which is the best time waster, ever, period.)

The original recipe called for equal parts sugar and peanut butter, mixed with a little baking soda and an egg. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Simple and low carb? Seemed like a no-brainer to me.

So I thought, "Splenda will make the cookies even less sinful!"
Then, "flax seed peanut butter will make them downright healthy!"
Well, that's what I get for thinking. I mean, they were alright.

It was my first time baking with Splenda, and I found the aftertaste off-putting. The flax wasn't so bad, but it kind of added a smokey flavor one wouldn't expect in a pb cookie. Maybe choosing one or the other modification would have been a better idea.
Don't get me wrong, they were decent (and pretty much guilt free: major bonus) and they definitely looked like regular peanut butter cookies.

Ultimately, though, if you're going to have a cookie, I think you should just go ahead and have the real deal and enjoy every last bite.

I'm baaaccckk!!!

After a not-so-brief hiatus, I'm happy to be back in the blog-o-sphere. I hope you all have been happy and healthy in the meantime. I'd all but given up on being healthy after some highs, some lows, a few too many cocktails, and a not so small obsession with perfecting my fried chicken recipe.

Personal high: turning my passion for making trash into treasure on HGTV's Flea Market Flip.
Personal low: quitting the gym while eating a bag of Cheetos. Yes, I really did that.

After my mom dropped major lbs by nixing sugar and cutting way back on carbs, I followed suit, and can't be more pleased by the results. People have said taking such drastic measures is crazy, but sometimes that's what a girl's gotta do... as long as you keep it in perspective. Yes, it is totally hard to remember that I didn't drink all those dirty martinis in one day and can't expect to lose their aftermath super fast, but then I remember that I feel amazing, and my energy is through the roof!

So, what have you guys been up to? Any juicy deets on your health trials/ tribulations lately?

Brie with Truffles

I love cheese. The only thing better than cheese? Cheese plates.

I love picking out cheeses, fruits, nuts, honey, jams, chocolates. And it doesn't hurt that wine and cheese go together like... well, wine and cheese.

Going to the market and picking out cheeses is also fun. The farmer's market at the Grove has a great cheese counter, and they're more than happy to give out samples and suggest pairings. But my most recent discovery came from Whole Foods. Brie is delicious. It's arguable that everything is better with truffles. So brie with truffles seemed like a no brainer.

Rouzaire is the company that makes this little wonder. They also have brie with Grand Marnier, cumin, and mustard. Talk about wonderful combos- I can barely wait to try them all!

Check out their site to see all of their cheeses, try some recipes, and learn about this family's tradition. http://www.fromagerierouzaire.com/

I'm obsessed...

With the Bar Method.
What is it?
A workout that uses dance inspired moves and isometrics to give you long, lean muscles. I got into it because some of my girlfriends got so toned and really slimmed down very shortly after starting the program.
During the workout, you're shaking and it takes concentration and body awareness, but you're not jumping around and sweating (which I like to avoid!)
You can go into the studio to work out, but they also have DVDs for everyone that isn't near one. Now there's no excuse!
Check out the Bar Method Here!

This is why I’m “The Model Who Eats”

The other day, I made this delicious breakfast, complete with homemade biscuits. Realizing I was late for my class at the gym, I ate fast, and ran out the door. Well, I usually walk to the gym, but was so late, running seemed to be the only option… with no time to stretch.

The next morning, I woke up and my hamstring hurt. Yep, I pulled something because I ran without stretching… because I was too busy eating to leave on time for the gym.

Malibu Waterfalls

Checked out this beautiful hike with my girlfriend Shea the other day. It’s called Escondido falls, and is up Winding Way in Malibu.

I suggest wearing good hiking shoes, and maybe some pants… especially after I totally fell down a hill! All was okay, though, save a couple scrapes and scratches. But right after I got up, someone fell right behind me, so, yeah, be careful!

A Southern Lunch

Fried green tomato salad at Food Glorious Food in Tallahassee.

My brother graduated from medical school, so I got to go on a culinary trek through the south. This was the crowning moment… and, yes, they even put fried stuff on salads there!

Coffee Chipotle Crusted Filets

The trick to this cast iron skillet cooked steak is to get the pan smoky hot, sear the steak, then finish it off in the oven. I served this with sautéed spinach, twice baked potatoes, and a mixed berry reduction (to cut the bitterness of the coffee.) Yum!

Shrimp Boil

An easy, delicious, and surprisingly cheap meal. Boil the potatoes, corn, shrimp, and seafood boil in one pot, and you’re good to go. At about five bucks a plate, it only feels like a treat.

Crispy chicken and lemony summer pasta

 

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

 

I was invited to a potluck at the last minute, and wanted to whip something up that was relatively easy. This lemon olive oil cake with a lemon-y glaze was a perfect solution. It’s almost like a pound cake- yum!

The best part? The glaze fell to say “Ali.”

My Cameo in J Chris Newberg's New Video

All his stuff is hilarious, so check him out! :-D

You can call me Red

Latest Photoshoot with Red Hair

I AM ATHLETICS!

My buddy Andrew had this fantastic idea- workout gear with motivating words... printed backwards. This way, when you're working out, you look in the mirror for an extra boost. It's like having your own coach or personal trainer right there with you.

Celebs are already loving I AM Athletics. Jaime King and Katy Perry have been spotted wearing it.

The line was quickly scooped up by Equinox gyms, but you can also visit their website to pick up your own gear.

They've got shirts for those than need major motivation-"Pain is Weakness Leaving Your Body" and gear for those with a more zen approach- "I am Love," "I am Peace."

My favorite message? "I am Powerful." 

http://www.iamathletic.com/