Watch your back, Big Daddy
Today was damn near perfect. No wait… it was. Period. I started my morning with a Glo Bar, leftover banana soft serve and decaf coffee and then quickly bolted out the door for yoga. I had wanted to do Tanner’s “Pimp My Pose” posture seminar in the afternoon, but I much prefer to sweat my ass off first thing in the morning. [Charlotte trip #1]
Good thing I did because when I got back Stew and I ran back to Charlotte together for Trader Joe’s and Yoforia. This was only my third time in a Trader Joe’s and Stew’s first. We are not fans. I know it pretends to be a health food store, but flip that box over and check the ingredients. All kinds of nonsense in there. All kinds. Not much organic produce either. [Charlotte trip #2]
Yoforia, however, we love.
Yoforia (to the tune of NOTORIOUS)
But let’s be serious, this isn’t healthy either. They post the nutrition facts per ounce so they look really impressive. 25 calories per ounce?? Sweet! Yeah, too bad I’ve never gotten fewer than 12 ounces (= 300 calories AND 5g sugar per = 60g sugar!). I’m not saying that’s stopping me. I’m just saying we need to all stop kidding ourselves here.
Bring it on
We made a grocery stop at Earth Fare and then came home for a major baking adventure: vegan gluten-free carrot cupcakes with “cream cheese” frosting.
BAM success.
They are awesommme. I’ll do a dedicated recipe post for it once I figure out what I did. Because wouldn’t you know it, I once again just threw a bunch of stuff together and didn’t write it down.
I took my baked goods to Michelle’s house for a little going away partay for Kath and Emily. It sucks they’re leaving just as I’m arriving, but I’m glad I got to meet them and that I’ve tapped into this incredible network of people. [Charlotte trip #3]
Charlotte bloggers (Caitlin's photo)
Meet Kath, Michelle, Emily, Diana, Jen, Caitlin and Kelly. (Don’t miss Caitlin on the freaking TODAY SHOW on August 5 at 10am! She’ll be discussing her book Operation Beautiful, which you should buy.)
Eating with food bloggers is the best because they EAT. I had a feast of an incredible black bean burger (watch yo back, Big Daddy!), corn, black bean salsa and grilled veggies.
Feast
Lovely
Michelle doesn’t have an official recipe for her burgers but they are GOOD. For dessert I had:
Diana's sweet spinach muffins
Carrot cupcake
You can find Diana’s muffins here.
Carrot cupcake time
The cupcakes were ugly but delicious. The AC in my car is broken aaaaaagain so they got a little melty because it’s only, like, A MILLION DEGREES HERE.
Thanks so much to Michelle for hosting a great party! I drove all the way home and was at my exit when she tweeted to let me know I forgot my camera. F! Only a blogger would go all.the.damn.way.back.
That’s right. [Charlotte trip #4] I turned around and drove all the way back to get it. Then I met my brother and his friends at a bar and now here I am at 1am trying to recap it all. Who am I?
Trader Joe’s has never claimed to be a health food store, it is a grocery store that offers plenty of healthy options with NO artificial ingredients in anything they carry.
What a fun, yummy blogger party! I’m going to try out the recipe for those spinach muffins.
I haven’t posted the recipe yet!
I’m hoping to try the recipe out again today with some modifications. Hopefully this time it will be perfect! 
Great recap! I love the yoforia too…at least they offer lots of healthy toppings there unlike most…ahem…ice cream places. lol
Loved your cupcakes! Thanks for bringing them!
I had a great time last night hanging out with you and everybody! I really like TJ’s but for me it’s kind of like all grocery stores. I stay on the outside and pretty much avoid the middle, except for beans, PB, and AB. They don’t have tons of organic produce, but they have the staples like apples, berries, and greens that I buy every week and they’re so much cheaper than the Teeter. I basically have staples I pick up there and when I want to buy more processed things, I hit up Earth Fare where the ingredient list is usually better.
I loved your cupcakes! The icing was amazing!
i hear you. i think i’m just spoiled by (or forced to enjoy due to lack of options?) earth fare because it’s all this town has. slim pickins…
I am not a TJ’s fan either. I much prefer Whole Foods! But of course we don’t have those here in Charlotte. Your cupcakes were awesome!
Those cupcakes look amazing! I am so jealous that I had to miss out on all of the blogger fun this weekend.
And you new dress looks really cute!
[...] The other night I got to try Diana’s Green Monster Muffins and they were fantastic so as soon as she posted the recipe, it was go time in my kitchen. [...]