don't you bake in your running shorts?

i have a confession, y'all.

yes, i know that's a common theme here at Clarity in Creation.... i'm ok with that.

honesty is the best policy, right? i think so.

this morning, i got dressed for my workout, all ready to go.

let's go tarheels!

represent.

... which was wonderful, until i got the burning desire to use up the zucchinis from mom's garden.

literally, they're storming our house.

we are overrun by zucchinis, and it's only getting worse by the day!

anyone need any veggies!?! please!?!??!

well, until then, i will eat them faithfully.

i will saute them, i will roast them, and i will bake with them.

chocolate zucchini bread, two ways

adapted from here

as you can see, i made two batches.

one batch as is, but used a muffin pan, and a healthier batch for my mom's breakfast, baked in a loaf pan.

for the healthier version, i used 1/2 the sugar, and substituted whole wheat.

much to my chagrin, mom didn't want chocolate chips, either. strange.

because i'm late for a lunch date, visualize:

the verdict?

both were really good!

i ate one of the muffins and was sugar buzzin' for hours, and not shockingly, i preferred the whole wheat kind.

just so you know, when i make "treats," they are usually for my boyfriend or my 16-year-old brother. both of them are pretty hardcore athletes, and a little natural sugar won't kill them. for some reason, they aren't quite as interested in "that healthy stuff" as i am... go figure :)

also, on the rare occasion i eat dessert, i don't feel the need to try to make it healthy... it's dessert for crying out loud! no shame.

(not that i have a problem with healthy desserts - i just don't feel guilty if i eat a "naughty" one, capishe?)

do you grow your own veggies?

and what the heck do you do with all your zucchini!?!?!?

-rebekah

my week in pictures.

not a lot of words for today... just some long overdue pictures and recipes!

maybe this will give you guys a little peek into my day :)

the beautiful kelli sent me some goodies a while back, and deserves a hella shoutout! this girl is wicked creative... she made me maple cinnamon almond/peanut butter!!! enough said.

and i might add - the nut butter is almost totally gone...

and fig basalmic vinegar! gasp. thank you kelli!

i think i'm gonna go make dressing right, actually.

zee knees, post-run.

my rule? if you run for more than 30 mins, please ice, just in case!

and my foam roller... i love you.

don't know how to use it? now you can!

a random breakfast...

and a recipe!

this is some of the best gluten-free bread i've ever made. it's protein packed and super-nutritious, which can be rare in GF products.

the process:

the result:

seriously guys, make this bread! it's so dense and satisfying.

i'd choose it over whole wheat bread anyday... and that's sayin' something.

this runner knows her carbs.

next up? quinoa breakfast brownies.

the gluten-free goddess is probably the blog i'd credit to my success at GF baking.

she is a genius, and knows EVERYTHING.

i made these bars for my little sister (a celiac) to grab on her way out the door before 5:45AM swim practice - yes, seriously.

obviously, she deserves good grub.

i am to deliver.

the verdict? and i quote... "OMG THESE TASTE LIKE NAUGHTY COOKIES!"

victory is mine.

one of my favorite new snacks, jess-style.

melted cheddar + crofter's = bliss.

i seriously cannot say enough good things about crofter's.

organic, tangy, and not sweet? i like.

oats in a jar. at 5AM. on film. epic.

soft-fried egg + spinach + sauteed mustrooms + homemade guac.

i eat this quite a lot. no shame.

props to alton.

and iced tea, because i'm a good southern girl, y'all.

flowers from mom's garden... she's so talented!

everything is gorgeous, and she gardens organically - no sprays or pesticides.

i am so blessed to be able to pick chemical-free flowers and veggies from my back yard... thank you Lord!

last but not least, the recipe from last night's dinner.

really, really, good, and mostly healthy, creamy penne pesto pasta

(didn't photograph, but it looked like this!)

8 oz. whole wheat penne

1/2 box frozen spinach, thawed and liquids squeezed out

3 or 4 tbsp pesto (i used homemade!)

handful sundried tomatoes, packed in oil

8 oz. sour cream (i had leftover from a cookout, but this would be an ideal place to substitute greek yogurt!)

handful or two of grated parmesan, fresh if you can manage

few big pinches of black pepper, to taste

pinch of salt, to taste

optional: 1/2 lb grilled chicken, cut into strips

here we go:

DISCLAIMER: when i cook, i don't really measure. sorry type-A girls :)

started by cooking the man's chicken in a skillet with a tiny dab of olive oil. i just seasoned them up with salt and pepper and cut them into skinny strips. start with your heat up high to get a good sear on them, then turn it down to low to cook through. when they were almost done, i tented some aluminum foil over them to finish cooking through and keep them warm while the pasta cooked.

i boiled the pasta to al dente, drained, and returned to the pasta pot. i first stirred in my pesto, spinach, and tomatoes, coating all the noodles. once that was well-mixed, i stirred in my sour cream and parmesan cheese. things started lookin' pretty sexy in there, so i tasted it, seasoned it up with my S + P, and served my boyfriend who had patiently been hovering for an hour or so :)

i served it with crusty whole wheat bread and sauteed basalmic asparagus. if you and your dinner date are both omnivores, you should stir in the chicken after adding the sour cream and cheese.

i also brought him a batch of chocolate chip cookies to celebrate his track season ending (he coaches high school). i used this recipe from Allrecipes, but it wasn't my favorite. the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies from Dorie's book are still the best i've ever made.... if you love to bake, you need this book!

now your turn - do you guys have to measure to cook?

i don't even measure when i bake... terrible, i know!

-rebekah

school, celebration, and sweets.

hey guys - i'm so impressed with your running experiences! you guys are amazing and have it together way more than i do. so never give up!

earlier in the week, i got my acceptance letter as a transfer into VCU's public health education program! i blogged about when i applied, but never filled you guys in on anything concrete.

i'll be there for sure in august... and i feel so blessed after all this to be able to go back :)

i might just graduate before i'm 50!

my lovely boy is taking me to celebrate at one of richmond's best eats, edo's squid.

ok, don't freak out - they do serve squid, but they also make the best italian food in virginia! incredible soup, fresh fish, and pasta like you wouldn't believe, and i don't even like pasta. i'm sure these lovely two have been... they can back me up!

so naturally, what did i do to celebrate?

made candy, of course!

sweet, salty, frito candy...? well, we had an abandoned bag of fritos in our pantry (my 16-year-old brother apparently moved on. the horror.), and it was begging me to bake with it. strange? it didn't seem so at the time, no. so bake i did!

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhmyword. it's like saltine toffee candy ON CRACK! i'm not normally a sweets person, but a few bites of this and i was in heaven (or sugar high. same difference?). i just didn't add the peanuts on top just because i didn't have them... next time!

please head on over to the amazing anna's blog at cookie madness if you're interested in the recipe (which is where the picture is from, too, because i was too lazy). this woman is a goddess, y'all. i want to make everything she's posted!

and i'm still buzzin'.
this is what happens when you turn an avid sugar-avoider loose in the kitchen with good news, i guess... chocolate chip cookies, coconut brownies, banana cookies, brownie cookies, lemon curd trifle, birthday cake... i cannot be trusted! i just love to bake for other people when i'm excited.

anything new with y'all? let's celebrate :)
- rebekah

a few recipes to share.

hey all! happy little friday :)
this morning i was thrilled to see a post from my girl hedda, nominating me with the beautiful blogger award!

well, let's see here... what are seven little-known facts about me?

1. although i'm not a big sweets person, i go crazy for deep, dark chocolate brownies. the chewiness gets me every time! gahhh i want some now. but if you even think about putting nuts in my brownies, i'll punch you in the face!

2. if i could live at the beach, i would up and move right.this.second. i am a beach girl for sure! nothing beats the breeze at the beach - it's pure, unadultured bliss. hammock, anyone?

3. i've traveled quite a bit, and plan to do much, much more. i've been to almost all 50 states, canada, mexico, and the virgin islands... i've seen the grand canyon and niagra falls, and i consider myself extremely lucky! on my dream list? australia, new zealand, and italy.

4. i've been in two near-death car accidents, and i know without a doubt that it is God's plan for me to live. my purpose is obviously not complete, although i've tried pretty hard to mess it up!

5. i swam competitively most of my life, and since i can't swim now due to a shoulder injury, i'm taking up my next vice - running. it's slowly growing on me.

6. i took spanish for 7 years in grade school. now, i use it to order burritos. score.

7. since this IS a food blog, my favorite foods? avocados, brazil nuts, caramel truffles, garlic, honey mustard, soft pretzels... ok, i just like to eat.

girl, you are too sweet! and now you guys know more about me than you signed up for!

.........................................................

ok, how about some food?

since i'm a healthy blogger who avoids sugar and all, what better recipe to post first than dorie greenspan's best chocolate chip cookies?

i actually own dorie's book baking: from my home to yours, which is where i got the recipe.

but kait from kait's plate has it posted online, if you get the baking bug :)

up next?

my mom absolutely loves horseradish, so i had been planning for a few days to make some hummus with it. seeing how i have kitchen ADD, i also got inspired to roast a head of garlic. 

... you thinkin' what i thought?

roasted garlic horseradish hummus

adapted from a combination of these two recipes and my brain

1 can sodium-free chickpeas, rinsed

1 spoonful tahini

2 spoonfuls horseradish

1 head roasted garlic

1 quick pour olive oil

1 huuuuuuuuge pinch freshly ground pepper (FRESH is key!)

juice from 1 small lime

1 spoon cumin

1 sprinkle red pepper flakes

1 tiny pinch salt

instructions? blend in food processor. feel proud because you "cooked."

and how about the best salad dressing i've ever had?

um, yeah. i know it's swamp green.

go with me here.

basil-orange vinaigrette 
adapted from sticky gooey creamy chewy
1 scallion, green and white parts
1 sprinkle red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh basil (from our herb garden!)
3 tablespoons natural orange juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 pinch salt
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch sugar
1 quick pour olive oil

instructions? blend in blender, and feel good about "cooking..." again!

........................................................
questions for ya:
1. random fact about yourself you'd care to share with the class?
2. are you an exact recipe follower or an "eyeball it" cook?

p.s. - up tomorrow?
i'm attempting to recreate the energy bar jess so wonderfully sent me (i die!), as well as make some homemade larabars so i don't go broke! foooooooooooooood.
- r

coconut brownies, anyone?

guess what i finally got around to opening?

the tropical traditions coconut cream concentrate i won in miss stephanie's giveaway like two months ago!

i'm so on top of things.

so, what is it?

coconut cream is simply ground coconut meat. period.

just like how peanuts are ground up to make peanut butter, coconut meat is ground up to make coconut cream.

it's 70% fat, so it's similar to coconut butter, except coconut cream has all the fiber of whole coconuts... score!

ok, so what do you do with it?

the website recommends using it to make homemade coconut milk (my wallet rejoices!), as a spread on toast, a soup base, or blended into smoothies.

well, what did i do with it?

funny you should ask...

cocoa coconut brownies

adapted from the tropical traditions recipe blog

1 cup coconut cream concentrate

3 room temperature eggs

1/3 c maple syrup or brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

splash vanilla extract

1/3 c cocoa powder (my favorite ingredient ever!)

and 1/3 c each add-in: nuts, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, dried cherries, etc.

mix all ingredients until just combined.

bake in a greased 9x9 at 325* for 18-20 mins.

um... aren't they gorgeous?

i couldn't help but drool.

these. are. so. good. these. are. so. good. these. are. so. good.

hey sexy!

i wish i had planned to be this awesome, but i also realized after i made these they are flour and gluten-free.

score. my little sister can now join me in snacking my face off.

and promise you won't laugh?

here's... um... dinner:

ohhhhhhhhhh mmmmmyyyyyy.

because really,

what's better than yogurt, fresh strawberries, chocolate, and coconut?

thanks again stephanie!

p.s. - check out the tropical traditions website.

they're a really cool company with an awesome story behind them. and hello coconut peanut butter!!!

- r