Everyday Lunch: Quinoa Salad with Broccoli

Last week when I posted this salad that I take to lunch each week, lots of you responded saying you wanted to see more lunch ideas on Espresso and Cream. Sometimes my lunches are just a random assortment of whatever is left in the fridge, but other times I take a few extra minutes to prep something more reminiscent of a meal.

One of my favorite strategies for lunchtime success is to prepare a large batch of whole grains at the beginning of the week to go in lunches in the days to come. Quinoa, brown rice and whole wheat pasta are my personal favorites because they're so easy.

What do you eat?

When I was home in Idaho a couple weeks ago, my dad asked me (earnestly, not in a sarcastic manner), "What do you eat?" You see, my dad's a very healthy eater, but the world of vegetarianism is an uncharted world to him. After returning home, his question stuck with me. What do I eat? Normal things, of course! It was so familiar to me, that I hardly knew how to answer the question.

So to answer the question, I made a habit of snapping a few photos before I sat down to breakfast, lunch or dinner. Dad, and everyone else reading, here is what I eat...

{Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and sugar-free jam with coffee, of course}

Tracking Food and Protein Consumption

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Nutmeg got a haircut last Friday, so we took a few beauty shots. She was also complaining about not being on the blog much lately, so before I get to talking about food tracking, here are a few snapshots.

Lately, I've been getting quite a few Tweets and e-mails about protein and nutrition, much of which is directly related to being a vegetarian. Many people wonder if you can get enough protein day-to-day without consuming meat, and the answer is, yes! I've done a few protein posts in the past (found here and here), but I thought that today I would show you a handy little tool that I've been using over the past couple of months that has transformed the way I track food intake. 

No Fat Talk Tuesday: Tara's Story

Last month when I was in NYC for work, I had the opportunity to meet Tara of Chip Chip Hooray in person.  I had 'talked' with Tara for the longest time via Twitter and through comments on our blogs. Now that we've actually met, I feel a little less crazy calling her a friend. In the short time I've spent with her, I can tell you this: Tara is absolutely beautiful, inside and out and radiates confidence and joy. I hope you are as touched by her story as I was. - Madison

Like a lot of the women who’ve told their stories here, I can remember the first time I decided that I needed to lose weight. I was thirteen, and when I stood sideways and looked in the mirror, all I could see was the—to me, unacceptable—curve of my stomach. For more than a decade since then, thoughts of weight and food intake and need for exercise have alternately consumed and exhausted me.

While I have never been diagnosed with an eating disorder, I know that the way I viewed and obsessed over food could for a long time have been labeled “disordered eating.” I counted calories, panicked if spontaneous changes of plans pulled me away from my preplanned meal or normal exercise routine, and, on top of everything, still felt hungry more often than not. Going to the gym was a punishment to me—I loved food (if you read my blog, you know I still do), but every cookie I ate had a price in the form of more minutes logged on the treadmill, more laps spun on the bike.

Pink Ombre Cake

First things first. The winner of the Keep It Sweet Desserts giveaway is....

Congrats, Ashley! Please e-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) and I'll get you in touch with Lauren to claim your prize!

Moving right along...

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple weeks ago, a co-worker of mine (Hi, Janet!) brought in an assortment of cookies. Usually, I try to avoid the baked goods at work, since it seems like there is always something you could munch on, but for some reason those cookies were calling my name. I couldn't resist.

I ate one. Oohed and aahhed my way through the entire thing. Then took another cookie home to share with Joe. Oh course, he was equally impressed, which meant I needed to get the recipe from Janet.

Keep It Sweet Desserts Giveaway

Last fall when I was in NYC for The Rachael Ray Show, I had the pleasure of finally getting to meet my blog friend, Lauren, in real life. Lauren and I had been commenting on one another's blogs and talking via Twitter for almost a year, and I was trilled to find out she is just as sweet and wonderful in person as she is on the web. Don't you love it when that happens?

I knew Lauren loved to bake, so when she told me that she was quitting her job in finance to open up Keep It Sweet Desserts, an online bakery and catering company, I can't say I was surprised. In fact, I was trilled for Lauren and her big step! But, as someone who loves to bake myself, I wasn't sure about the notion of purchasing baked goods online; couldn't I just make something myself and save the money?

Lauren offered to send me a mixed dozen of some of her desserts to coincide with the launch of Keep It Sweet Desserts to taste and review. I was a little nervous, reviewing desserts by someone I know and adore.

Well, the package arrived last week, and here's the deal: Lauren's desserts blew me away. Honestly, they are some of the best cookies and bars I've ever had. I can't tell you how trilled I am to share them with you, and offer one of you the chance to win some yourself (keep reading). Here's a look at what I tasted...