Okay, so last night I tried the “mock’ mashed potato recipe and I’m happy to say that it was a great success!

After boiling the cauliflower for 7 minutes, I threw it in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. I didn’t have fresh garlic so I used garlic powder and I drizzled a little EVOO to get it moving.

Finished product:

Disclaimer: Do NOT eat this before an event, going out or going to the gym. Cauliflower is a cruciferous veggie and they cause gas and bloating. Not pretty. Nonetheless, a very delicious alternative to mashed potatoes!

While the cauliflower was boiling I decided to grab my yellow squash and make “squash chips” before they spoiled.

Sliced up squash drizzled with EVOO, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano and paprika!

Dinner is served!

I am incapable of skipping dessert, so this was immediately following:

After dinner, I forcefully went to the gym thanks to some motivational text messages that reminded me of the two bites of Portillo’s chocolate cake I ate after lunch. (I really need to just throw that out).

I promised I’d show you my snazzy new running sneaks, so here they are:

And here is my new nike thermal hoodie that I bought for $35 from $65 (thank-you-very-much!) I loved that it has a cut-out for your pony tail – perfect for running outside! (Please ignore my dorky pose, just pay attention to the pony tail feature)

You may have noticed that I have gone a little picture happy with my new Photoshop app, but that’s because it’s so much fun!

Anyway, today is Thirsty Thursday so bust out that H20 and get crankin! (I was craving Dunkin Donuts – easy cream, no sugar of course!)

Workout plan today: Run 2 miles plus strength.

A little motivation:

I don’t really know anyone that’s not a fan of potatoes – in any form. I heard about “mock” mashed potatoes a few years back, but never took the time to try them, so I figured this is a perfect opportunity to share my experience and hopefully get you to try them too!

Basically, in order to create this dish, you replace potato with cauliflower. Sounds like an odd substitute, but I can totally see how this can be delicious. The plus side is the texture/color is similar and it’s much more figure-friendly.

I did some research and decided on this recipe from Foodnetwork.com: (I suggest you watch the video too).

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon straight chicken base or bullion (may substitute 1/2 teaspoon salt)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

• Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.
• Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.
• In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until almost smooth.
• Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.
• Hint: Try roasting the garlic and adding a little fresh rosemary for a whole new taste.

I’m going to make this tonight, take pictures and let you know if this was a success. I urge you to try it too and tell me what you think! On the fashion front, I’m really excited about my new purchases (black leather riding boots and a cable knit sweater) there are more, but if I list them all my mother might kill me. So, I’ll stick to these two… for now

Yup, this was taken at work in our conference room.

Leather Riding Boots: Enzo Angiolini $100 from $200

I don’t think I love anything more than a good bargain. It really is a problem. I just can’t seem to justify spending full price on items when I know they will be almost half-off in a few months! There are always a few exceptions to the rule though… for instance, going to Paris and buying a vintage Chanel handbag from a cute little boutique hidden in a secret cobblestone pathway perhaps. Hey, a girl can dream…