The Pottery Show w/ Better Pic, the Arnolds, & Pattycake Bakery

I've disappeared a little bit. And when I do reappear, it's usually to talk about The Conscious Cook, I know. I've been kind of on a recipe making/cooking hiatus for a couple reasons: 1) Andrew is competing in the Arnold Classic, or the Arnold Sports Festival, on Saturday, thus he is cutting weight. Which means he's not eating. Which means I'm out a job. And 2) I've embarked on yet another hobby, pottery. Which takes away a few of my nights each week, and has really helped business at Tip Top [[not that they need it, but it's near the studio- kinda - and take out is easier than cooking at 9 at night]]. So for that, I apologize.

Last Friday my pottery studio, Clayspace, had a gallery showing for all the classes [[including little ole beginners potter's wheel - my class]]. It was fun. A lot of people came out, and I brought a vegan cheesecake to share [[since it was a pot luck, too]]. I don't really have any pictures of the night. I brought my camera and everything, but so many people wound up coming and sometimes you're just having too much fun to take pictures. Here are some pictures of my pottery that I took:























































































Like I said, it was beginners potter's wheel, so a lot of this stuff is pretty conventional. I experimented with the colors a little bit, so that's why some of them are the color of poop. This time around I'm taking a slab class. Ideally I'll be making more interesting pieces. We'll see!

Anyway, the classes are super fun, and the instructors are really helpful. If anyone is interested in taking one, go look at their website and contact Tami Knight. [[PS she's vegetarian!]]

As far as The Arnold Sports Festival goes, Andrew in competing in Sanshou on Saturday. No head contact, but kicking, punching below the neck, and some throws are involved. I'm pretty excited for him. Since he's been cutting weight his food has consisted of Amy's lunches [[which are conveniently under 300 calories]] and clif bar dinners. He's pretty manorexic lately [[read: man anorexic]]. I'm trying not to gorge myself too much in front of him. Although I did make some awesome "Oysters Rockafeller" from [[duh]] The Conscious Cook last night. I forced him to try one. I ate the rest pretty much. I'll post about those later. The night before that I had a big ass bowl of brussels sprouts covered in earth balance and cayenne pepper. Which should explain to you my lack of posting. Generally lack luster dinners or things from a cookbook.

An adorable little Amy's pizza! Cheeseless and so freaking tasty.

Something I do want to share, however, is this hilarious entry into Cupcake Wars. Columbus' very own Pattycake Bakery was asked to submit a video to be a part of Cupcake Wars on food network. What I discovered from watching their video is that they have an evil twin next door. Check it out:

Luna Bar's New Recipe

When I went to the store the other day and saw that my beloved white chocolate macadamia luna bar had not only new packaging but a new recipe -- I was concerned. I eat this bar, in this flavor, every morning for breakfast. I was worried it may suck.

The new recipe seems even better. It's much softer than the original bar, which sometimes got a little hard. If you haven't tried this flavor, or any line of clif bar [[clif, luna, mojo, lumbar]], I highly recommend it. They give amazing sustained energy for working out, and they don't taste like a chalky energy bar. It's a regiment staple.

Why Clif Bar?

As I've mentioned under my first regiment post, Andrew is training to break the world record for sleep deprivation [[11+ days]]. And I'm working hard to get him healthy, removing white flours, refined sugars, sweets in general, empty calories, and ALL stimulants such as coffee, tea, beer, and hard liquor. As you may have noticed, I've tried to make our favorites healthier-- pancakes and pizza are most memorable for me -- by switching to 100% whole wheat and other things.

One thing we've incorporated in our diet daily is the clif bar [[or luna bar for me]]. They're packed with nutrients -- practically like eating a mutli-vitamin, including the infamous B12 that vegans need and a significant source of 23 other vitamin and minerals. They're low glycemic, making them a great, steady release of energy. Ideally we eat them before a run, but I enjoy them for breakfast for that boost of energy. And the added benefit? They're mostly organic ingredients, which is another thing we aim for. Our favorite flavor is the white chocolate macadamia nut-- but carrot cake, oatmeal raisin, and cookies 'n cream are great, too.

Our diet really isn't that hardcore. We just eat our whole grains, some protein, and plenty of vegetables. We work out often and hard, and we make sure to eat little meals throughout the day-- including clif bars.