February 25, 2015

RNR Philly News & WIAW Favorite Foods Lately

Disclaimer: I was given a complimentary 3 pack of  Great Low Carb Bread products for review. As a Rock 'n' Blogger, I received a complimentary Tour Pass 3-Pack. I did not, and will not, receive any financial compensation as a Rock 'n' Blogger. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Before I start talking about food on this WIAW, I wanted to give everyone a heads up about a big race. After scheduling issues due to the Pope's visit this Fall, the Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon will be held on October 31,2015. It's the day before the New York City Marathon which is difficult for many people. It should be back to it's usual time in September next year. 

It was my first half marathon ever back in 2012 so it holds a special place in my heart, and I can't wait to return to run it this year.



Registration opens tomorrow and the first 1000 registrants will only pay $55!  

Remember, you can save $15 all year on Rock and Roll half and full marathons with my code RUNWITHLAUREN. 


I thought I'd talk about some of my favorite foods I've been eating lately.Besides the staples of nut butter, bananas, and something green everyday of course.  I love food and cooking but always seem to get into trends with what I'm eating. 

My Five Favorite Foods Lately

1. Chicken Thighs

Once you go dark meat you never go back

I've been meaning to rant about this for a while. The facts are there and dark meat and chicken thighs have gotten a bad rap. A 3.5 ounce chicken thigh has 209 calories and 11g of delicious fat, while the same amount of chicken breast has 165 calories and 3.6 g of fat. Fat is fuel and is delicious. If you really care about calories, you can remove the thigh skin too. The dark meat is SO MUCH more flavorful  and moist than chicken breasts-my boyfriend doesn't want to buy anything else anymore! Seriously boneless, skinless chicken breasts are so blah after you've been eating chicken thighs. Come to the dark side!

  I usually keep it simple and just cover the thighs with salt, pepper, olive oil, and some herbs and roast in the oven at 375F for 30 minutes. Delicious!

chicken-thighs-roasted

2. Peanut Butter and Jelly

This is one of my favorite food's always, not just lately. Any kind of nut butter and any type of jelly will do the trick for me. One of my favorite combos lately is Justin's vanilla almond butter and strawberry jam-it's amazeballs.

 I got the chance to review some products from the Great Low Carb Bread Company. Their cinnamon bagel with peanut butter and jelly makes for an awesome breakfast on the go. I've been totally craving bagels lately so this hits the spot. Their bagel isn't gluten-free, but it has 2 g of net carbs and 14g of protein. The only problem is I already ate the whole pack of bagels! 


great-low-carb-bread-cinnamon-bagel-peanut-butter-jelly1

3. Stews

Cold weather has me craving warm, comfort foods. I have been loving stews and chilis I can make in the crockpot and have ready for me after work. I made my simple Turkey Pumpkin Chili again last week. I also made a delicious stew to use up some leftover beef. For the beef stew I loosely followed this recipe, with some substitutions based on what I had on hand. 

beef-stew1

4. Chicken Nuggets

Okay so these were an impulse buy at the supermarket last week. Chicken nuggets totally bring me back to my childhood. I love how easy these frozen gluten-free Applegate nuggets are to make. They are already fully cooked so you can just heat them up on the stovetop or in the microwave.  It's been a great option for me as a quick dinner, especially when paired with sweet potato fries!

Applegate-glutenfree-chicken-nuggets1

5. Fried Brussel Sprouts

I am loving the trend of brussel sprouts everywhere in restaurants. If I see brussel sprouts, especially fried on the menu, I always order them.  They are the most delicious thing ever.  If you only had steamed or yuck-frozen brussel sprouts, please don't write them off. 

 My boyfriend had the amazing idea to fry up some brussel sprouts a few weeks ago and now it's all I want.  He made some more this past weekend, and I literally ate 3/4 of the batch. He just tosses them in oil, sea salt, and pepper and fries them in a little bit of oil in our cast iron pan on the stovetop.  A drizzle of balsalmic vinegar before eating these is the perfect touch.

 If you don't like brussel sprouts, you will like them fried-trust me

fried-brussel-sprouts1


What have been your favorite foods or meals lately? Any great recipes I should try out? 

6 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh I thought I was the only one who loves chicken thighs! They are so good and flavorful. I typically cut off most of the skin and sprinkle some seasoning and olive oil on them and bake just like you do. SO GOOD!!!!

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  2. So bummed about Philly, I was hoping that would be my third race but it's the weekend after Marine Corp Marathon as well and I don't do consecutive races like that after a marathon, my body doesn't like it. Back to the drawing board. I have been afraid of chicken thighs but I see them popping up everywhere, guess I need to try them! And as for the brussel sprouts, I can't get enough!! I fry them all the time and they are amazing!

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  3. i'm a brussels sprouts junkie! any way i can get them i will eat them. yum yum.

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  4. Those bagels look great! Can't wait to hear about RnR Brooklyn

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