Voting is now open!

The lentil contest has come to and end, and now it's time for you to help me out. As per instruction, the rules are to pick my favorite recipe out of what I created. This recipe is submitted as my entry to the contest, which will be voted upon by my kind and generous readers.

I chose my Gluten Free Raspberry Cake. This gourmet chocolate cake is made with a lentil puree that gives the cake a moist and fudgy texture, but cannot be tasted. I created this recipe very early on in the lentil challenge and knew it would be a hit. Don't be hesitant to try it out!

To vote, leave a comment on this post. You can vote once per day from June 1st to June 6th, after which votes will be counted and the winner chosen. If you don't have a Blogger account, please vote anonymously. Every vote helps me out! If you like She Runs, She Eats on Facebook, I'll post daily reminders.

There's something in it for you, too. If you remember, last year voters were able to sign up for a free lentil sample. That continues this time around, only you need to email peasnlentils@edelman.com to request your sample, including your name and address in the message. The first 500 voters will receive a sample.

I hope the selection of recipes I've created leaves you with a new take on lentils. It was a challenge modifying the recipes to be gluten free, though I made some headway in the end. I have a few more lentil ideas I'm wanting to test out, so stay tuned for those as well.

Thank you again for your help, and thanks to the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, Le Creuset, and Chicago Metallic for giving me another opportunity to participate. Come back tomorrow to vote!

Giveaway Winners

Hello, and happy almost weekend! Two giveaways were running this week, and today I pick the winners.

For the first giveaway, which was for the Le Creuset Farm Fresh Steamer Pot, the winner is...

mmalavec, 23 May, 2011 22:01

I love, love lentils! and my favorite is definitely the cake!

---

The winner of the Chicago Metallic Winged Baking Sheet & Cupcake Liners is...

Sharon, 26 May, 2011 09:52

Tweeted http://twitter.com/rusthawk/status/73748373009727489

Congrats, and thanks to everyone who entered! I'll be contacting you for your shipping info.

Stay tuned. Next week I decide which recipe to use as my final post, which you guys will vote for to hopefully help me win! The first 500 voters receive a free sample of lentils. I'll let you know more about that then, too.

Have a good weekend!

Nutrition Now

I found Nutrition Now located next door to where I got my haircut. I hadn't heard of it before, and didn't know they had a menu. The salon had coupons for free smoothies, so I thought I'd check it out.

Nutrition Now has many different varieties of smoothies, ranging from "fun flavors" like thin mint, butterfinger, and more unique fruity combinations. These aren't just regular smoothies, though. Each smoothie contains 24 grams of protein and a blend of vitamins and minerals, so they don't just taste good, but they're also good for you.

I chose the cherry almond for today's flavor. I watched as Desie, the smoothie server for the day, prepared my smoothie using frozen cherries, protein powder, milk, and more. They don't skimp, and the smoothie has the same texture as a milkshake. It's filling, but not heavy. It's been a few hours since I drank it and I'm still not very hungry. Desie said they use their smoothies to help their customers lose weight and maintain weight loss, and having tried one, I can see how it would help.

I also received a complimentary iced tea and a shot of aloe juice. You may not know that you can drink the juice of aloe, but you can. It was smooth, light, and had a tropical essence. Taking aloe juice internally is said to help your system in a variety of ways, such as helping alleviating digestive problems, and much more. Conclusive studies are still out as to whether aloe actually works, but it's an option to try if you're faced with the choice of taking medication or seeing if a natural alternative might be a solution*. Read up on it for more info. (*Of course, if your condition is serious, take your meds.)

The tea, which I believe was a concentrated powder, offers a steady stream of energy without the spike and crash of many sugar-filled caffeinated beverages. It had a really nice flavor. It was very refreshing on a muggy day.

I enjoyed spending a few minutes talking to Desie as he prepared my drinks. We talked a little about running, nutrition, and the benefits of the products I was trying. He also told me about his weight loss, which is always a cool thing to hear about. I've never personally struggled with weight loss, but I know how hard many people work to become healthy, and it's nice to hear a success story!

Nutrition Now also offers metabolic testing and weight loss/maintenance plans. I wasn't there to try those out, but you can inquire about them if they interests you.

I enjoyed my visit, and it's worth the stop to try a smoothie out at Nutrition Now.

235 West University Drive
Mishawaka, IN 46545-1104
(574) 277-2611