July 08, 2015

BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD

July 08, 2015/ Laura Liira

I've been getting my meal planning on like donkey kong this week. #BOOYAH

On most weeks, I'm not so organized...aka "Smoothie for dinner love?" But as I told you on Monday, we got a homestay student on Sunday and we need to feed her! I'm good eating peanut butter toast for dinner, but I don't think that will fly with the homestay program :p

So as I was meal planning I came across this recipe for a black bean quinoa salad and YOU GUYS...it was delish! With orange zest and jalapenos, this salad is basically a party in your mouth.

BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD

Makes a very large salad

Ingredients:

-2 cups quinoa (cooked to your liking)
   -3 large oranges cut into bite size segments
   -2 red peppers, diced
   -2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
   -1/2 cup red onion, diced
   -1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1 can corn kernels
   -3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

For the dressing:

-1/2 cup olive oil
   -1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
   -1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
   -orange zest from 2 oranges
   -2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
   2. In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, orange segments, peppers, onion, beans, corn and cilantro.
   3. Pour dressing over and give it a good mix.
   4. Enjoy!!

Happy Wednesday!

xo,

s.s.♥︎.

April 20, 2015

DELICIOUS POST WORKOUT SMOOTHIE

April 20, 2015/ Laura Liira

One of my favourite things about long distance running is- the post run meal….yes. I'm Italian and I was raised to be OBSESSED with food. I can't help it, it's in my blood.

In some past fitness posts (here, here + here) I've shared with you some tips that help me keep fuelled in those long runs…but…I've been holding out on you. There's one more strategy that really gets me going in my final kms... ENVISIONING MY POST RUN MEAL.

When I'm tired and sweaty and cranky with two km to go, I just start picturing what I will be devouring as soon as I'm done my run and BOOM! all of a sudden, I have way more energy to complete the run! It works every time....every time.

But I've been realizing you just can't down anything when you finish a run. You need to put some protein back in your body! But guys...for years I've had a love hate relationship with protein powder. I know it's good for me but every one I tasted has been all ewh. ewh. ewh.

Until I got my hands on Bodylab's Decadent Chocolate Fudge protein powder. YOU GUYS. This stuff is goooood. And it's not like other protein powders that are designed to bulk you up. In Bodylab's protein powders are a bunch of awesome ingredients that help fuel lean tissue, rev metabolism and do lots of other great things! Bodylab was created by women and for women and JLo runs the show..HELLO! Sign me right up to get a booty like JLo's.

Because of the length of my run, I added a couple things to this smoothie, but the powder is good enough to have with just water!

POST WORKOUT SMOOTHIE

ingredients:

1 banana
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
3 cups almond milk
1 scoop body lab decadent chocolate fudge protein powder
5 ice cubes

instructions:

blend all ingredients in blender. pour into two cups and enjoy!

And I have some GOOD NEWS! The good peeps at Bodylab are giving you a discount code to receive 25% off your order AND free shipping! Just use the code ssheart25 at checkout. #booyah.

(Bodylab kindly sent me their products to try out but all opinions expressed are my own.)

Happy post run future smoothie eating!

xo,

s.s.♥︎.

April 13, 2015

RICH + DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

April 13, 2015/ Laura Liira

You guys....

I made you the BEST chocolate layer cake. It's rich and delicious and dare I say the word that everyone hates...mmmmm......nope, nope..I'm just going to say it is not dry....not dry whatsoever.

It was my first time baking a triple layer cake...oh wait, actually second time...Courtney and I don't talk about our first failed attempt...but here's a photo to prove it...

Let's just say we weren't prepared...it did taste great though...

But moving on to chocolate cake....

I brought my A-game when baking this baby. I went out and bought three round cake pans and made sure I had all of the ingredients ready to go (that is VITAL for baking!!)

And I was sooo happy with the results. I served this at our Easter Dinner and everyone looooved it. I served some leftovers to friends four days later and it was still mmm....not dry and delicious.

So if you want to impress a bunch of people or just eat A LOT of amazing cake then have a go at baking this one!

RICH + DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

makes 16 servings

Ingredients:

for the cake:

3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz unsweetened chocolate squares, melted and cooled slightly

for the frosting:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup whipping cream
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate squares
2 tsp vanilla
1 pkg (250g) light cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of three 9-inch round cake pans. Cut circles of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pans and place in pans. Lightly grease paper.
Combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
Beat eggs on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer for about three minutes. They should be thickened slightly and are lemon coloured. Add buttermilk, coffee, oil, vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix on low speed until well blended.
Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until batter is smooth. Divide batter evenly among pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove cakes from pans, peel off paper and cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder and whipping cream in a medium pot. Cook slowly over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook for 1 minute then remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in vanilla and then let cool to room temperature.
Beat cream cheese and butter on high in the bowl of an electric mixer. When smooth add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended. Refrigerate frosting for about an hour.
To frost cake, place one cake layer on cake stand. Spread 1 cup frosting over top. Repeat with second layer. Place final layer on top. Ice top and sides of cake with remaining frosting and then decorate cake.
Enjoy!!

March 30, 2015

SALTED SKOR BIT COOKIES

March 30, 2015/ Laura Liira

My Monday morning post is coming a little bit late to ya...sorry about that but MY MAN CAME HOME! Unfortunately he's a bit under the weather but whatevs, I'm just happy he's hooooome! I'm also happy I got to sleep in this morning :)

Now today I baked you some cookies! Welllll, I actually baked these weeks ago, just forgot to post them...whoops! Fun little fact about these cookies...I made them when I was scared ha. I don't know about you but, I'm definitely one who bakes my emotions. Cookies just seem to be the answer when I'm FREEEAAAKKKKKKIIINNNGGG OUT. On this particular night, we had a little date night and were cuddling on the couch watching the movie, Whiplash. Fun right? NOT AT ALL. It was a good movie but GOSH STOP YELLING GUY. CHILLLL OUT. I honestly couldn't stand the yelling, and had to go to the kitchen and bake cookies immediately. Did you watch Whiplash? I'd loooove to know what you thought of it.

So anyways, when I made James try these cookies...he was all like "THESE ARE THE BEST COOKIES EVER!!!" Now he says that very often, but honestly, these guys are sooo yummy and super easy to bake. All you need is a little butter, sugar, skor bits and a good amount of fear.

SALTED SKOR BIT COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 Cups flour
2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground ginger
3/4 cup Unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup Brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Skor Bits
Coarse Sea Salt

Directions:

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & ginger in a bowl.
In an electric mixer, mix butter & sugar. Beat on high until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix.
Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low.
Add in Skor bits and mix with spatula.
Put dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 350 and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop about 1 1/2 tbsp balls onto sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Enjoy!!!

Recipe slightly adapted from Annies Eats.

Happy Monday! I'm off to do my long run....12.9km oh help me LORD!

xo,

s.s.♥︎.

March 16, 2015

THE VERY BEST FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES (AKA SWIG COOKIES)

March 16, 2015/ Laura Liira

Allow me to introduce you to the very best sugar cookie of your LIFE. I'm serious guys. AND I have backers who will support me in this statement....I handed heaps of them out to friends at church and they gobbled them right up and were all like THESE ARE THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES!

Now I did not make this recipe up. I discovered these cookies when I was in Salt Lake City at ALT. I had one bite and was like THESE ARE THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES I'VE EVER HAD. They're thick and not overly hard and have the yummiest icing....mmmmmmmm the magic of butter and sugar. They're famous in Utah so if you're ever round those parts, be sure to stop by Swig Stop to get one!

I got the recipe from Vintage Revivals but I made a couple adjustments...mine needed to be baked for 10 minutes and I used three drops of red food colouring instead of one! They're incredible easy to make and you don't need a ton of ingredients (except A LOT of butter and icing sugar, ha!) so I hope you make them!