Feed the Machine

They say that life is all about balance, and this post demonstrates the balance (or lack thereof) that I find in food.

This past Saturday morning I raced the Peachtree International Triathlon (race details to follow in a separate post).  My stomach always behaves oddly after hard workouts/races and I have a hard time tolerating much in the way of real food for several hours.  However, by the evening I'm ready to eat everything in sight!  So Saturday night I was watching TV and was hit with major hunger.  I wanted ice cream, and I wanted it right then.  There was some sort of fruit flavored frozen yogurt in the freezer, but I wanted the rich, creamy, full-fat stuff.  I had been talking to one of my teammates earlier that day and he mentioned his love for Ben and Jerry's.  And so with that in mind, I jumped in the car at 9pm and went straight to Publix and bought these beauties!

I proceeded to have two bowls of ice cream because I had to sample both flavors.  Let me tell you, it was fabulous, and I savored each and every bite.  Whoever says ice cream is bad for you is crazy!  I wonder how long I can use my post-race hunger and calorie deficit as an excuse to indulge after each meal?

In an effort to find some balance, I got creative in the kitchen on Sunday.  Nothing like some veggie goodness to round out the weekend.  The farmer's market was stocked with an awesome selection of produce, so I had all sorts of good stuff at my fingertips.  After much thought and planning (all this extra time on my hands results in me spending hours on otherwise simple tasks - like creating dinner recipes), I had a plan.

Citrus and Beet Salad over Garden Greens and Dinosaur Kale

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls

All you carnivores out there are probably thinking that meal is pathetic and lacking in any sustenance to fulfill your protein craving bellies, but I have to argue that it was delicious and filling.  Here are a few pictures of my hard work and end-result.

Roasting the beets - golden and red

Sliced and cooled.  Lesson learned - gloves are required when handling beets.
Unless of course, you're looking to stain your hands a lovely merlot red.

Onion and garlic sauteing for the soup.

Time to eat!

And while we're on the topic of food, let me just make mention of my latest discover.  Starbuck's Green Tea Frappucino.  Oh so perfect on a hot summer day!  Let's just say it's a good thing the "half-price Frappucino" promotion has come to a close.  $2 seemed like a good bargain for a special treat, but $4+ is just ridiculous!