By Ashley Moyna
AmesEats Flavors writer

Show your mom some love this Mother’s Day by making her a special brunch. These recipes are simple to make and won’t require you to wake up at the crack of dawn to get everything ready. Cooking a meal is a great way to thank your mother for everything she has done for you in your life, but beware: your dad might have high expectations for his gift for Father’s Day.

Peanut Butter-Banana French Toast
Substitute strawberries or apples into this French toast recipe for a quick change of pace. You can also top the French toast with chocolate syrup if you are craving a sweeter dish.

Ingredients
4 slices Texas toast
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 banana, sliced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spread two tablespoons peanut butter on two slices of toast. Top with banana slices. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar. Top with remaining toast. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and vanilla. Dip toast in egg mixture, coating both sides. In nonstick pan, cook toast for 2-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Festive Scrambler
Get your daily veggie servings early in the day with this colorful dish. The eggs are loaded with high-quality protein that will keep you full long into the day.

Ingredients
4 eggs
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a nonstick skillet sauté bell pepper and onion until tender. Remove from skillet and set aside. Beat eggs with milk, paprika, salt and pepper. Pour into the skillet; cook and stir until eggs are nearly set. Add vegetable mixture and tomato; cook and stir until eggs are set. 

Fruit Smoothie Delight
This cool and creamy concoction provides a high dose of antioxidants and a good source of protein. The drink’s sweetness provides a nice end to a satisfying meal.

Ingredients
1/2 cup milk
1/2 banana, sliced
1/3 cup strawberry Greek yogurt
1/3 cup frozen blueberries
4 ice cubes

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and process for 30-45 seconds or until smooth. Serve immediately. 

By Lauren Grant
AmesEats Flavors writer

May Day baskets for the foodie in you life require much more attention than combining popcorn and candy.  Here are a few ideas of creative baskets you can put together for the food-lover in your life.

For the Griller
Cedar Planks
Spiral Skewers
ISU Sportula
Meat Rubs
Specialty BBQ sauce
Beef Jerky
Iowa Brewed Beer

For the Health Nut
Sweet Potato Chips
Chocolate Covered Gogi Berries
Homemade Trail Mix
Natural Nut Butters
Glass Water Bottle
Specialty Roasted Coffee Beans
Flavored Perrier Water

Gadget Lover
Trio Peeler
Apron
Woozie (wine glass koozie)
King Ice Cube Trays
Zoku Popsickle Maker
Herb Mill
Micro plane Zester
Top Chips Chip Maker
Garlic Press

Photo by Claire Powell

By Lindsay MacNab
AmesEats Flavors writer

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates Mexican heritage, traditions and culture in both the United States and Mexico. While traditional Mexican food is delicious, it may not contain the healthiest ingredients. Instead of sticking with customary dishes and appetizers, check out these Cinco de Mayo recipes with a healthy twist.

Broccomole

3 cups chopped broccoli
4 ounces fat-free cream cheese (goat cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt would also work)
2 tablespoons green onions
1 jalapeno, chopped, seeds removed
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

In a medium-size pot, bring water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce heat and add the broccoli. Cook the broccoli until very soft (overcooked). Drain the broccoli and place in a food processor/blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until the mixture is a smooth consistency. Serve warm with tortilla chips or crackers.

Blueberry Salsa

2 cups fresh blueberries, chopped
1 cup whole, fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
¼ red bell pepper, chopped
1 fresh lime, juiced
Salt to taste

In a bowl, combine the blueberries, jalapeno pepper, red onion, bell pepper, lime juice and salt. Mix the ingredients until well-blended and serve cold.

Mexican Black Bean Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Cauliflower Pizza Crust:
½ large cauliflower head
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, yolk removed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and coat a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Wash the cauliflower head and cut it in half. Once cut, continue to cut the cauliflower into quarters. Using a grater, grate the cauliflower until there is approximately 2 cups. Place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 6-8 minutes until thoroughly softened. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally to release the steam. Add the egg white, mozzarella cheese, oregano and garlic powder; mix well. Pour the mixture onto the cookie sheet, flatten and shape into a circle. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pizza Toppings:
1 15-ounce can black beans
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese
½ cup red & green bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup green onion
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons salsa
1-2 medium avocados, sliced

Spread the salsa on top of the cauliflower crust. Sprinkle on the cheese. Top the pizza with black beans, peppers, green onions and fresh cilantro. Arrange the avocado slices on top of the ingredients. Turn on the oven broiler and broil for approximately 5 minutes or until the cheese melts and turns golden brown.

Photo by Claire Powell

By Caitlyn Diimig
AmesEats Flavors writer

Broccoli is a great source of vitamin C and  K. In just 1 cup the raw veggie you get 135 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C and 116 percent of your daily intake of vitamin K. It’s also a good source of folate with 14 percent of your recommended daily intake.

Don’t feel guilty about dipping your broccoli into ranch dressing. Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning it won’t get absorbed unless it’s consumed with fat. Eating your veggies raw may mean you’re not getting all the nutrients you could be. Other fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D and E. Don’t overdue it on the ranch dressing, however – one serving of ranch dressing is 2 tablespoons.

Photo courtesy: churl/Foter.com

By Caitlyn Diimig
AmesEats Flavors writer

Racing season is among us. There were 1.85 million half marathon finishers in 2012, making the half-marathon the most popular race distance, according to Running USA.

There are many nutrition myths regarding how to properly fuel a half marathon, but can these myths derail a personal best?

Myth #1: Carbo-load for a great race

“I don’t ever push carbo-loading,” says Meagan Burham, registered dietitian for the Iowa State Athletic Program.

Burnham recommends eating a well-balanced diet and eating enough carbs throughout your training all along instead of consuming tons the night before.

“Sixty percent of your calories for the day should be carbohydrates,” Burnham says. “Coupling it with lean protein is also important. You have to get the protein to support muscle growth.”

Burnham will be running the Drake Relays HyVee Road Race half marathon on Sunday, April 28. Burnham doesn’t know exactly what her pre-race meal will be, but knows it will contain a lean protein and pasta.

Dani Stack, a senior in dietetics and member of the Iowa State Track and Field distance team agrees that carbo-loading isn’t necessary for half marathons. Her pre-race meals generally consist of loads of veggies, a protein and some sort of grain.

“Personally, I believe in eating healthy all year round,” Stack says. “This will provide you with the most optimal training, which creates for better racing circumstances.”

Stack won the 2012 Mankato half marathon in a time of 1:17:26. When she’s on the road and can’t cook for herself, she fuels up with a Chipotle Burrito Bowl the night before her races.

Luke Demmel, senior in construction engineering doesn’t necessarily think what he eats the night before a race as much effect on him. Demmel’s half marathon personal record is 1:09:04 at the Sturgis Falls race in 2011. The night before he ended up eating a big bowl of pasta, but he doesn’t think it was the pasta that got him to his PR.

“I just know I need fuel, I don’t really care if it’s noodles,” Demmel says.

Demmel has eaten everything from noodles to deli sandwiches to even consuming a round of beer and  Zombie Burger the night before a race.

“It’s important to eat healthy all year round. Just eating something the night before the race, doesn’t make sense to me,” Demmel says. “Your body is used to the nutrients it gets so I wouldn’t mix things up too much.”

Myth #2: Drink as much water as possible to avoid dehydration

Strenuous races such as a half marathon do require hydration, however over-hydration can lead to hyponatremia, which can be fatal.

“It can happen in runners, but it’s an extreme scenerio. For most healthy people that’s not something we worry about,” Burnham says.”You’d have to make it a job to push that much water.”

Hyponatremia is drinking too much water, which dilutes the sodium in body fluids too much causing an imbalance.

Sports drinks can help prevent hyponatremia and other electrolyte imbalances.

“Take a shot of gatorade when you feel like you need a little boost and be consistent with water, taking a cup maybe every other station,” Burnham says.

Burnham recommends drinking sports drinks if working out for longer than 60 minutes.

Demmel says he rarely takes a cup of water from water stations during half marathons, unless it’s a hot day.

“Sometimes in half marathons I’ll take a sip, but usually I just dump it on my head to cool down,” Demmel says. “I can finish a half without being thirsty, depending on the weather.”

The most important thing regarding hydration is to just be consistent.

“What I advise is to keep a water bottle with you all day every day and hydrate consistently so there’s not a need to have a big push for fluids just before the race,” Burnham says.

Stack says she drinks a lot of water in general and doesn’t drink water during a half marathon unless it’s a very hot temperature.

“You don’t want to drink tons of water right before your race, because you will feel water logged and have that swishing sound in your stomach, and maybe even get side aches due to excess water in your stomach,” Stack says.

Myth #3: Eating during a race causes cramping

“For someone who is running for two hours you’re going to go through your stores and you’re certainly going to need to replenish. That’s where the gatorade and the sports drinks can really help, because they’re quick absorbing carbohydrates,” Burnham says.

Burnham also likes to eat energy gels and sports beans. “You don’t want to show up to the race and be trying these for the first time,” Burham says. “It can send your system into a bit of a tail spin.”

Quick-absorbing carbohydrates can cause gastrointestinal issues if a person’s body is not used to them.

Demmel hasn’t used gels during half-marathon distances, but he will use them during marathons or ultramarathons.

“Never in a marathon have I had food or gel issues,” Demmel says.

Burnham prefers to use gels during her half-marathon races.

“After 60 minutes I will eat food in any race,” Burnham says. “But a lot of people have different approaches to how and when.”

Stack says her training has taught her body to go a long time without needing refueling.

“I don’t eat or drink anything during my half marathon. In training we do workouts and runs that are just as long, if not longer than a half marathon so I don’t really need to eat anything during the race,” Stack says.

Every person’s body is different and will have unique needs and react differently to foods. Burnham recommends to be consistent and try everything during training first.

“Trust your training,” Burnham says. “But food and nutrition plays the most importance day-to-day and in recovery from training. That ultimately is what will set you up for a great race.”

Photo by Lauren Grant

By Lindsay MacNab
AmesEats Flavors writer

Whether you are working up a sweat during an intense workout or sitting idly during a boring lecture, water is a refreshing way to stay hydrated. Water is essential for a variety of vital functions such as removing waste and toxins, joint lubrication, blood pressure control and regulating other natural body functions.

Instead of drinking juice, pop or other sweetened beverages or flavoring your water with liquid water enhancers such as Mio, try flavoring your water the natural way. Using a variety of herbs, fruits, cucumbers and other ingredients, you can create flavored water that is delicious and invigorating.

Here are some great ideas for naturally-flavored water:

• Citrus fruits: Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, clementines and other citrus fruits provide a revitalizing flavor to water. Choose citrus fruits during their peak growing season (the cooler months) in order to obtain maximum flavor.
• Fresh herbs: Mint, rosemary, parsley, lemongrass, lavender, basil and a variety of other herbs provide a distinct flavor that blends perfectly with fruit juices.
• Fresh/frozen fruit: Choose fresh fruits when “in season” and frozen fruits during the “off-season.” Fruits such as strawberries, honeydew, raspberries, pineapple, blackberries, watermelon, blueberries and peaches are all great choices to add to water.
• Sliced cucumbers: They are one of the only vegetables that will add a flavor to water that isn’t overly earthy!
• Pomegranate seeds: These antioxidant-rich seeds provide a hint of sweetness and vibrant color to your water
• Ginger: Steep ginger slices in hot water and pour over ice cubes to cool

For maximum flavor mix and match different combinations:

• Raspberries/strawberries with lime and mint leaves
• Citrus fruits (orange, lemon & lime) with cucumber slices
• Watermelon paired with rosemary
• Blackberry and sage
• Pineapple with mint

Photo by Lauren Grant

By Ashley Moyna
AmesEats Flavors writer

When training for a big race it is important to eat a well-balanced diet for the duration of your training regimen. Consuming a nutritious meal the night before your race is also important.

Lessen your pre-race jitters by enjoying this easy yet satisfying meal. It’s chock full of fiber-filled whole grain pasta, nutrient-dense veggies, and muscle-repairing protein. This recipe is also quick to prepare and cleanup, leaving you plenty of time to relax in preparation for your race.

Pesto Pasta in Pepper Boat

Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked whole-grain pasta
1/2 cup diced chicken
1 medium sweet red pepper
1/4 cup frozen broccoli-cauliflower blend, thawed and chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup jarred pesto sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Rinse and dry peppers, then cut tops off pepper and remove seeds; replace top. Place in microwave-safe bowl; and 1 tablespoon of water and microwave for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, mix together cooked chicken, vegetables, cheese and pesto. Add cooked pasta to chicken mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Spoon mixture into pepper. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.

Photo by Lauren Grant

By Caitlyn Diimig
AmesEats Flavors writer

Half marathons have become the most popular distance to race, according to Running USA, but how many calories do you burn during the 13.1 mile race? The number of calories you burn will depend entirely on your body weight. The “Calories Burned Calculator” at Runnersworld.com says:

A 150-pound person who runs a half marathon in 2 hours will burn 1,486 calories. If that same person ran the race in 1 hour and 30 minutes they’d burn the same amount of calories. Why? Because  even though the first race isn’t running as fast as the second race, they’re running for a longer period of time so it evens out.

A 200-pound person who runs a half marathon in 2 hours will burn 1,981 calories. A 100-pound person who runs a half marathon in 2 hours will burn 991 calories.

Get your calories back with burritos from places like Chipotle or Panchero’s, which can be over 1000 calories. Eat three slices of a supreme pizza to get around 1200 calories. Or order the Grilled Chicken Wrap from Buffalo Wild Wings to consume 1050 calories.

Photo Courtesy: Krista Shoeman

By Rachel Bratek
AmesEats Flavors writer

Combine 147 pounds of cherries, 37.5 pounds of sugar, twelve-pound bags of flour, and seven 50-pound cases of shortening and you have the recipe for one of Iowa States longest standing VEISHEA traditions.

Cherry pies have been a tradition at Iowa State since the 1920’s, even before VEISHEA started. Since the beginning, the pies have served as a fundraiser for student scholarships in the department of home economics. All proceeds from the cherry pie sales go to the committee members, who typically major in hospitality management and event management, as a scholarship.

“They are a fundraiser for the students. All proceeds go back to them,” says John Kramer, VEISHEA Cherry Pie faculty advisor.

Over 150 volunteers help make the cherry pies a success.

“I heard about it when I first came to Iowa State for a visit. The history of it and how deep rooted it is really drew me in,” says Sara Dickinson, VEISHEA Cherry Pie Senior Chair.

Dickinson says she was amazed by the mass quantity of pies being produced when she first volunteered to help make the pies. Dickinson has worked on the committee since her freshman year at Iowa State.

“It is a great networking opportunity. You are able to make new connections and new friends,” Dickinson says.

“It gets a little crazy, but those are the times when it is so much fun and time just flies,” Dickinson says. “The atmosphere around the pies put these a notch above other cherry pies. The tradition and history make these pies.”

The same recipe has been used for almost 100 years to produce the three-inch pie tarts.

One change is that ice cream is no longer available with the purchase. When producing 14,500 pies, it is not feasible to serve ice cream with every pie. Now a dollop of whipped cream is on every pie to add a little extra zest.

Everyone can enjoy a VEISHEA cherry pie, even those individuals who have a gluten intolerance. The filling is completely gluten free, so committee members accommodate by only putting the filling in a pie tin with a dollop of whipped cream for individuals who cannot have the pie crust.

Cherry pies are for sale for $1.00 at the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom in MacKay Hall on Friday April 19 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday April 20 from 7 a.m. until they sell out. Even though there will be 14,500 pies for sale, they are expected to sell out fast.

Photo Courtesy College of Human Sciences; Iowa State University

By Lindsay MacNab
AmesEats Flavors writer

The midnight pancake feed is just one of many timeless VEISHEA traditions. The pancake feed is held on central campus Friday, April 19th and Saturday, April 20th from midnight to 3 a.m.

“Keep VEISHEA tradition alive by treating yourself to some delicious pancakes Friday and Saturday,” says Connor Writz, a sophomore in software engineering and student worker for the VEISHEA catering committee.

Chris Cakes, a world-famous pancake company located in Pocahontas, Iowa has been in business for 45 years. They provide all of the pancake ingredients as well as cooking and eating utensils and prepare the pancakes for the event

There will also be a pancake breakfast that takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Central Campus on Saturday. Each plate will cost $4 per person and consists of 4 pancakes, 3 sausage links and a glass of orange juice or coffee. This is an “all you can eat” event so come hungry.

Still hungry for more? Here’s what it takes to put on the VEISHEA Pancake Feed:

• 400 pounds of pancake mix
• 400 pounds of sausage
• 75-100 gallons of syrup
• 60 gallons of liquid margarine
• 200 gallons of orange juice
• 500-600 cups of coffee
• 1, 091 plates were sold on Friday night and 929 plates were sold on Saturday night during VEISHEA 2012
• 3,500 people are fed during VEISHEA weekend
• 25 volunteers are required in order to make the event possible

Photo by Claire Powell