When you work for yourself, as I do, sometimes a weekend isn’t work-free – and that’s ok! But it’s also a blessing to have a day that you completely checkout and unplug…Saturday was one of those days 🙂

I started things off with one of my favorite yoga classes – if you’re in DC and want to experience ashtanga on crack, you have to check out Jonathan’s Rocket class at Kali on Saturdays. He supercharges the hour and a half sweat-fest with a fantastic mix of pop, top 40, and hits of the 90’s (hello, Backstreet Boys and classic JT!) – this is all about the moving, and less about the meditating, though Jonathan always has a few thoughtful gems to share.  This time, my friend and fellow RD Anne of FannetasticFood joined for the fun, and even fueled by our pre-class latte, we were dripping with sweat and worked to the max!  Afterward, we hit my deck for a homemade brunch (recipes below!) and when Anne asked Jonathan “what’s acro?” he decided to show her instead of answer:

Nothing like a little spontaneous airplaning after a full meal!  Check out Anne’s perspective of the day with more pics on her blog here!

After some more relaxing, I finally got to see an Oscar-nominated movie that’s out on RedBox: American Hustle.  I liked it – fantastic performances, great costumes, killer soundtrack – but wasn’t so enthralled that I wished I’d paid $14 to see it in theaters!

And now, the recipes: as always, a combination of protein and fiber, some sort of fruit/veg, and the right portion sizes are my keys to menu planning!  What are your brunch go-to recipes for hosting?

Chickpea crust quiche with basil and goat cheese

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 c roasted chickpeas (I used 2Armadillo’s rosemary!)
• 1/4 c cornstarch
• 1/2 c oat flour
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 3/4 c cold water

Quiche filling:

• 8 eggs
• 1 c milk
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 4 oz goat cheese
• 6 large basil leaves
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (I used a mandolin)
• dash salt & pepper

Directions:
In a food processor, pulverize chickpeas.  Set aside.  Combine oat flour and cornstarch, cut in butter with a pastry cutter or dough setting on food processor.  Add chickpeas back in, and drizzle in water as you mix until a dough ball forms.  Spread mixture into a 9″ round pan and press down until even.  Layer zucchini evenly over crust. Combine eggs, milk, garlic in a blender, then pour over zucchini.  Add goat cheese in dollops and put basil leaves on top, patting down into egg mixture.  Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until firm and golden brown on top. Serves 6.

GF Raspberry Scones

Ingredients:

• 1 c almond flour
• 1 c oat flour
• 1/2 c cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 c cooked quinoa
• 1 egg
• 1 banana
• 1/4 c coconut oil
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/2 tsp almond (or vanilla) extract
• 2 c berries
• 1/4 c raw sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions:
Stir first 4 ingredients (dry) together in a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, banana, oil, milk, extract and salt and use a hand mixer to blend.  Stir in quinoa with a spatula.  Add the flour and fold with a spatula until blended.  Fold in berries.  Drop with a spoon onto a non-stick baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 350F for 20 minutes* or until browned.  Makes 6 scones.

*I used frozen berries, and baking time was more like 30-35 minutes