'tis the season...

December 09, 2009Andrea

...for giving! Still looking for the perfect gift for a family member or friend? In addition to some of my favorite things in the Bella Eats Store powered by Amazon, I wanted to share some of my favorite hand-crafted and vintage finds on Etsy. If you haven't shopped on Etsy before, beware. This little site is incredibly addicting. Buying handmade and vintage pieces from individual artists is very, very satisfying.

Aprons from Joy the Baker

How completely adorable are these aprons?!? Just about as cute as Joy herself. Who wouldn't want a little bit of Joy, and her mom, in their kitchen?

$27.00. Joy the Baker on Etsy

Tea Towels from Skinny LaMinx

I've coveted tea towels from Skinny laMinx for what seems like years. Her original drawings, screen printed in bold colors on hopsack, would brighten any kitchen.

$12.00. Skinny laMinx on Etsy

Table Linens from Elizabeth Bentz

I love these abstract illustrations screen printed on 100% linen. I think the "collander" design is my favorite.

prices range from $18.00 - $68.00. Elizabeth Bentz on Etsy

Coasters from FilzFelt

I have an unhealthy obsession with all things felt, and these coasters are no exception. They come in a slew of fun colors, in round and square shapes.

set of 4 for $14.00. FilzFelt on Etsy

Pottery from Whitney Smith

I love these simple cake and cupcake stands with a touch of whimsey, and the lotus bowls...*swoon*.

lotus bowls $325.00, cupcake stand $38.00. Whitney Smith Pottery on Etsy

Custom Napkin Rings from Rae Dunn

When I think of napkin rings, I think of fancy, fussy parties. This more casual, personal option is much more suited to our home.

set of 2 $24.00, set of 8 $96.00. Rae Dunn on Etsy

Letterpress Recipe Cards from Dingbat Press

I like to think that even though we live in a digital age of electronic recipe files and iPhone apps for cooks, that I would still sit down and write out my favorite recipes on cards for a friend. I think that these adorable letterpress designs would help to motivate me.

set of 10 for $15.00. Dingbat Press on Etsy

Photography from Honey and Jam

Hannah's photography is stunning. If you aren't following her blog, you should be.

$18.00 for 8x12 print. Honey and Jam on Etsy

Vintage Finds on Etsy

There are so many fantastic vintage pieces to be found on Etsy. I've included some images and links to my favorites available right now, but chances are they will all be gone soon and replaced by other great finds.

1. Cathrineholm enamel nesting bowls from 2BoredBunnies, $155.00 2. Dansk enamel teakettle from LagomProvisions, $26.00 3. Lotus (tulip) bowls from CrankHeartPony, $16.50 4. Vintage loaf pan from susantique, $15.00 5. Three-tiered cake/cookie/candy stand from PourToujours, $30.00 6. Vera Neumann placemats and napkins from IndulgeYourShelf, $24.00

categories product review
tags etsy, gifts for foodies

summery tostada and a giveaway

August 04, 2009Andrea

Its August 4th. Can you believe it? If the summer season were a train, loaded down with multi-colored heirloom tomatoes, plump red bell peppers and blackberries the size of my thumb, I’d be the overwhelmed woman running after it, trying desperately to catch up while grasping wildly at any produce falling off the back. That’s how I feel when I go to the farmer’s market, visit our garden or just take a peek at the bella eats drafts folder. tostada merge 2

I’m feeling very behind, watching a pile of seasonal recipes I want to share grow taller and taller and realizing that I’ve been spending a lot of time in the kitchen and behind the camera but not enough at my computer. There are simply too many wonderful foods in season right now and not enough time in the day to cook all of the recipes I’m itching to try, let alone write about them. tostada merge 1

I was so overwhelmed last weekend that instead of sitting down to write in order to relieve some of the pressure, I simply closed the lid of my MacBook Pro, poured a lovely glass of vino verde and started baking. It did help, my de-stress baking (or maybe it was the effervescent white wine?), and made me realize that more important than giving you long, wordy posts is sharing with you the quick, simple and healthy meals we've been having at our house. tostada4

That is what summer is all about, right? Wonderful, fresh, delicious produce cooked simply and paired with other whole, healthy (hopefully local!) ingredients? If you're on board with that thinking then I have a nice little recipe to share with you. This one was a collaboration between Brian and I, thought up shortly after visiting our farmer's market and coming home with a basket full of local produce and even some locally made chevre. We happened to have a bottle of Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade in the pantry (for the recipe contest I am participating in) and decided that the tangy, smokey, pleasantly spicy sauce would pair nicely with roasted peppers, sweet corn and creamy goat cheese. Toss it all on top of a toasted whole wheat pita and you've got yourself a delicious, fast and filling summer meal. tostada6

Now, as much as I appreciate Saucy Mama asking me to participate in their contest and as much as I really, really, love each of the products I've tried, the purpose of this blog is not product advertisement. So, while I do recommend the Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade, I know that you can make this recipe with other sauces as well. Look for something tangy with a nice spice that hits you at the sides or back of your mouth, not right at the tip of your tongue. And, two lucky readers will actually get to try out the Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade! Just leave me a comment telling me about your favorite summer produce by Sunday, August 9th Monday, August 10th at 6pm EST. I'll announce the winners at the beginning of next week. I'll be hosting one more giveaway, courtesy of Saucy Mama, during the month of August so stay tuned... Summery Chicken Tostadas serves 4 for a light dinner Ingredients:

3 medium-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade, to marinate chicken in and also to drizzle on top of tostadas
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 poblano pepper, seeds removed and sliced into strips
1 medium onion, sliced into strips
2 ears of fresh corn, corn removed from husk
2 tbsp olive oil
salt + pepper
4 oz chevre (goat cheese), crumbled
4 whole wheat pitas (8"), brushed with olive oil and toasted in oven

Method:

First, turn your oven on to 350*. Coat chicken breasts with marinade and let sit in small glass dish for 10 minutes.
As the oven preheats and the chicken marinates, chop up your veggies and toss in a 9x13 glass dish. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place in oven and set timer to 30 minutes.
When oven timer has 20 minutes remaining, pour excess marinade out of chicken dish. Bake chicken for remaining 20 minutes at 350*.
Pull chicken from oven and bump oven temperature up to 400*. Stir veggies and let roast for an additional 5 minutes, while chicken cools slightly. Place pitas directly on rack to toast, turning halfway through 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, shred chicken with a fork. Pull pitas and veggies from oven. Place one pita on each plate and top with shredded chicken, roasted veggies and crumbles of chevre. Drizzle Lime Chipotle Marinade over top of tostada, to taste.

categories dinner, healthified favorites, meat, product review, recipes
tags chicken, corn, goat cheese, healthy living links, peppers, pitas, tostadas

bella terra: the last of the greens

July 24, 2009Andrea

I’ve mentioned before that I am a big fan of leafy greens. Big, big fan. A taste for greens kind of comes with the territory when you grow up in the south, along with a decent addiction to fried okra and sweet tea. But unlike those two childhood favorites, greens can be an incredibly healthy addition to your diet - full of fiber, vitamins A, C and K, folate, iron and calcium - as long as you leave out the bacon that is standard in most southern dishes. And when you eat greens as often as Brian and I do you really should leave out the bacon. Or run a few extra miles a day which, lets be honest, could be worth it. greens 8

We planted kale our first year with the garden but had very little luck with it. We were late getting the seeds in the ground that spring and wound up having very hot weather very early in the season so the poor little shoots never really had a chance. The next year we tried collard greens, having heard that they were a bit heartier than kale. Wow. Heartier was right. We had more collards than Brian and I plus the handful of friends that also like greens could handle. They were enjoyed immensely through most of the summer, but at the end of the season Brian not-so-subtly hinted that he’d had enough collards to last him for quite some time, and could we maybe try kale again next year? greens 2

We chose lacinato kale this spring, also known as black or dinosaur kale, because we love its deep earthy flavor and feel that it is a tad less bitter than other kale varieties. The seeds went into the ground in mid-march, and because we’ve had a relatively cool and wet summer we've been enjoying a steady harvest of fresh garden kale for the last two months. The weather is getting warmer now though, and the greens are fading fast. I’m suddenly feeling the pressure to increase our intake before they all wilt away and we have to wait for the cooler fall air for our next crop. greens merge 1

Luckily, this increase in consumption corresponded with a couple of key events that led to the creation of a new favorite salad. The first was an email I received a few weeks ago asking if I would like to participate in a Barhyte Foods recipe contest featuring their line of condiments - Saucy Mama. The second was my discovery that young, raw lacinato kale leaves make for quite the tasty salad. Accompanied by sweet roasted vegetables, tangy goat cheese and a delightful raspberry vinaigrette, the slight bitterness of the greens (which is typically tempered by blanching) was balanced perfectly. And because kale is more firm than lettuce it holds its own quite well even after being coated with the dressing, adding a nice crunch to a bite filled with soft beets and creamy cheese. Add some toasted walnuts to the top and you have a lovely dinner salad in front of you. You won’t even miss the bacon. greens 9

It is best to use young kale leaves, just 4 to 6 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. They will be more tender, and less bitter, than their older siblings. I also tossed in some beet greens, which have a wonderful spicy bite to them and are best if used within one day of being pulled from the ground. For the dressing I used Saucy Mama’s Raspberry Vinaigrette. In full disclosure, Barhyte Foods has sent me samples of their most popular condiments to develop recipes for a contest they are holding. Also, to be completely honest, I must tell you that this dressing is delicious. Really, really delicious. Summer Greens Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Raspberry Vinaigrette serves 4 for a light dinner Ingredients:

about 1 pound of fresh greens - rinsed, dried, removed from stems and chopped (I used lacinato kale and beet greens) - should equal about 6 cups
3 medium-size beets - washed, peeled and chopped to 1" dice
2 medium-size carrots - washed, peeled and chopped to 1" dice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt + pepper
4 tbsp raspberry vinaigrette, plus more if needed for you tastes (I used Saucy Mama Raspberry Vinaigrette...delicious!)
2 oz fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Method:

Preheat oven to 350*. Place chopped beets and carrots into medium-size glass baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir to coat. Roast vegetables for 30-40 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
Wash and dry greens as best you can. Remove leaves from stems and chop to bite-size pieces. Place in large bowl and toss with raspberry vinaigrette to coat well.
Remove vegetables from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. While they cool, toast your walnuts.
Place a heap of greens in the center of your plate. Top with roasted vegetables, crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts.

categories dinner, garden, lunch, product review, salad, vegetable
tags beets, carrots, goat cheese, greens, kale

a taste of summer...and a giveaway!

March 05, 2009Andrea

On Sunday we were invited to a pot luck dinner. Now, I don't have a whole lot of experience with pot luck dinners by name, but I do have experience with "bring a side dish to share" barbecues and croquet parties, which in my mind are synonymous with the idea of a pot luck. The memories of these parties evoke thoughts of white dresses, sunshine and bare feet running across soft grass while chasing after brightly-colored balls, one hand grasping a mallet, the other a cold beer. In one word...summer. So when I was laying in bed Sunday morning and asked my hubb what we should prepare to bring to the pot luck that night, and he said "how 'bout your olive potato salad", it made perfect sense. Of course, potato salad would be divine at the "pot luck" dinners of my mind. tater-1

Unfortunately, the pictures in my head wavered when I opened the blinds that same morning and discovered a light dusting of snow covering the ground. It didn't take long for those warm, summer thoughts to be completely shattered when I checked the forecast and read about the 3"-5" of snow that were expected to fall on us over the next 24 hours. This was all a big surprise to me, since I ran in shorts in 60* weather just 2 days prior. Snowball fights and sledding, although enjoyable, were not part of my plan. tater-2

After debating other options for a few minutes I decided to forge ahead with my summer-time favorite, regardless of the weather. This winter has claimed many of my on-the-road runs, most outdoor dining possibilities in Charlottesville and occasionally the feeling in my fingers and toes... I wasn’t about to let it have my premature potato salad too. Plus, potatoes are in season. Its not my salad’s fault that I associate it with warm-weather fun and games. tater-3

I found this recipe years ago and have made it many times, for most events where we are asked to bring a dish to share. This potato salad is not only easy and delicious, it is also a much healthier take on the classic mayonnaise-dripping versions of my childhood. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for about 5 days. My hubb is always happy to pack leftovers in his lunches no matter what time of year it is. He says it goes best with a turkey + pepper jack sandwich. tater-7

Ripe Olive Potato Salad originally from here Ingredients:

3 lbs red potatoes, scrubbed and diced (I leave the skin on)
1-2/3 cup sliced black olives
3 ribs celery, chopped
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1-1/2 tsp white vinegar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tsp mustard
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp garlic salt

Method:

Boil potatoes in a large soup pot until tender, but not falling apart. Drain and allow to cool.
Add olives, celery and scallions to potatoes and gently mix.
Whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt, dill and pepper. Pour over potatoes and gently mix to coat.
Whisk together yogurt, honey, mustard and garlic salt. Pour over potato mixture and stir gently but thoroughly. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

On the job front: My meeting went really well yesterday! I am very excited to tell you that I accepted a position with my hubb’s firm and will be starting on Monday. It is a huge relief to know that I will be transitioning out of one job and directly into another without any period of unemployment. I am amazed that the timing worked out so beautifully and feel extremely fortunate. Thank you all, again, for your continued support and lovely notes. Its been a loooooong week but I really think that everything has worked out for the best and am grateful to all parties involved for the graceful handling of the whole situation. It could have been much scarier had things not been handled so well. In blog news: You may have noticed that I’m trying something a little different this week, a few less posts that concentrate on specific recipes rather than my normal food diary format. There are many reasons for this, time and boredom being a couple of them. There was a day this week, Sunday I think, when I just could not bear the thought of telling you that I had my standard oats for breakfast and a salad for lunch. And there are only so many ways for me to photograph a sweet potato with edamame and corn on top. I just wasn’t enjoying writing my posts as much and didn’t like the pressure I was feeling to get a post out every single day, regardless of whether or not I had anything interesting to say. Sometimes, my days are boring and so are my eats, and I put ridiculous pressure on myself to try and make them interesting, which is where the time factor comes in. So this week has been a test, to see if I like this new format and if it aligns with the direction that I think I want to take the blog. I’m still working things out, but expect a decision, and a longer-winded post, sometime this weekend. Until then, thanks for reading. I appreciate each and every one of you. GIVEAWAY! I know you all saw the numerous bottles of Country Bob’s All-Purpose Sauce popping up in blogland a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately I received my Country Bob’s in the middle of a big deadline week at work, so didn’t get a chance to really rave about how wonderful this sauce is and how much I enjoyed it on baked chicken and as a dipping sauce for ‘taters and veggies. Its REALLY good, and I can’t wait to fire up the grill (maybe this weekend?!?) and try it out on some pork tenderloin. The kind folks over at CB’s have offered to give TWO of my readers TWO bottles of the All-Purpose Sauce. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post for one chance to win. If you mention the giveaway on your blog and link back to this post you will have a second chance to win. Do all that by midnight tomorrow (Friday) and I will announce the winners sometime on Saturday. Good luck!

categories healthified favorites, product review
tags country bob's, giveaway, olives, potato salad, potatoes, yogurt

florida, family, friends, fun!

February 23, 2009Andrea

Aaahhh....I had such a FABULOUS weekend! It was perfect. I was able to see so many people that I love, including cousins that I hadn't seen in 10+ years! I helped my best friend to pick out her BEAUTIFUL wedding dress after staying up way too late the night before with her sharing a bottle of wine and catching up. I shopped 'till I dropped with my Momma and found some great new workout clothes and fantastic deals at the outlets. I talked about photography with my daddy and picked up some new tips for the blog (along with a new lens for my birthday coming up!!!). All-in-all it was a lovely, busy, emotionally fulfilling weekend in Florida...and the weather was perfect too! :) A few foodie highlights from the weekend (or, the only food pictures I managed to take...). A cappuccino made by my daddy... 090222-b1

Along with waffles made by my daddy... 090222-b2

Served with fresh Florida berries... 090222-b3

Vietnamese Pho with my Momma... 090222-l1

I LOVE Pho. Love it. We have no Pho in Charlottesville, a fact that I have never understood. We have such fabulous restaurants and so much ethnic diversity in those restaurants that I just can't understand why Pho has been overlooked. Its so fresh, healthy and fabulous...I was in heaven. A few other restaurant highlights: For lunch on Friday, before my Momma and I shopped like crazy (we needed fuel!!!) we stopped at Sweet Tomatoes. I loaded up with a big salad, a bowl of golden yam soup (delicious!!!) and a bowl of frozen yogurt. So tasty...I wish we had them in Virginia! I had a great meal at Milliken's Reef in Cape Canaveral with my best friend and her fiance, where I tried conch for the first time and decided I'm not a huge fan. Its just a little too chewy for me. I also had lobster bisque, which was fabulous, and a lemon drop martini...! For all you Orlando bloggers and readers out there, we had breakfast before dress shopping on Saturday at a restaurant called First Watch. Apparently there are several of them around the city. They had a great healthy section on the menu, and I chose the Tri-Athlete Omelet which was fabulous. Egg whites with lots of veggies inside, no cheese, fresh fruit and an english muffin on the side. I highly recommend this restaurant to all of you Central Floridians. We had Moe's after dress shopping, always a delicious option! I miss Moe's so much, we don't have one near us. :( Look at the great loot I got while shopping with my momma! shopping-1

LOTS of new workout clothes...I'm pretty excited about them. I found a brand of yoga clothes at TJ Maxx that I hadn't heard of before, Kyodan. Ladies...this is some seriously comfortable, flattering and CUTE yoga gear! I'm not typically the matchy-matchy workout gear girl, but I think that this stuff is subtle enough to not be obnoxious. I'm really excited to try some of it out tonight at my class! I also picked up a couple of my favorite Champion sports bras and a cute new pair of running shorts. Exciting! Alrighty, I'll be back with a regular post tonight. I've missed you guys!!!

categories breakfast, lunch, product review
tags family, friends, kyodan, pho, shopping, yoga

on running, and my first 5k

February 15, 2009Andrea

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

er...day after V-Day! I started this post yesterday but didn't have a chance to finish it, so bear with me if some of my wording is off... :) My hubb and I started the morning right with the Amnesty International Valentine's Day Couples 5K...so fun!!! What a beautiful morning for a race! race-2

There were probably 200-300 people there, all in their bright-colored cool-weather gear. The temperature was 25* when we left the house, and it probably climbed to 30* by the time the race started. My hubb and I stayed together for the first mile, then I urged him to go forward without me once I heard our 1-mile split...9:14!!! That is fast for me, and I felt like I was going to burn myself out too quickly if I tried to keep up with him. He pushed ahead and I slowed down just slightly...my second mile split was 18:42! The first two miles were on a hilly road, and the last mile was on a very hilly trail through the woods that slowed me down quite a bit. We even had to climb over a fallen tree! So my final time was 30:20...which I am THRILLED with! I really wanted to beat a 10 min./mile average and would have loved to beat 30 minutes, but I wasn't expecting the trail and that totally threw my time off. If the entire 3.1 miles had been like the first 2 miles I think I would have finished around 28 minutes... My hubb did really well too for his first race, finishing just ahead of me. I can't wait for our next race together! race-1

So...I have been thinking about running a lot lately. You all know that I had a foot injury a few weeks ago that slowed my training down quite a bit, in fact it completely halted my training for about a week and sent me from a 5.5-mile long run back down to 3-miles because of foot pain at any greater distance. It was frustrating. Its still frustrating, because even after last weekend's 4.5-mile push my foot was really sore. You all know how much I wanted to finish the Charlottesville 10-Miler this year after injury kept me from it last year, and you've been an incredible support system, helping me to get through ridiculous cold weather runs and injury and being a great source of advice and encouragement. I have been dreading writing this post ever since last weekend's run, because that run was my test. The test to see how my foot would feel at a distance greater than 3.5 miles. The test to see how my endurance held up during my training hiatus. The test to see if it was possible for me to push forward and complete the training for the 10-miler, which is now a mere 7 weeks away. And...my foot failed the test. I hope that I don't get any negative feedback for the statement I am about to write, for my greatest sadness in this whole experience is my fear that I am going to disappoint you all. I've decided to stop training for the 2009 Charlottesville 10-Miler. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who think that going from 4-5 miles to 10 miles in 7 weeks is totally a possibility, and it probably is, for some people. But I've learned that my body doesn't handle accelerated training and big increases in running distance very well. I injure myself, and no race is worth me injuring myself any further than I already have. And, I realized in the last few days that the last sentence in the above paragraph was what was keeping me in the training program, not my intense desire to run the race by my even greater desire to not disappoint you all. When I went back and read my running story yesterday, these are some of the statements that leapt from my computer screen...

I never liked running, it was hard, I told myself I wasn’t made for it. But secretly when I would see a runner out on the road lost in their own world or a pair of runners chatting away as they jogged I would think “I wish that I loved to run.” I’d hear friends talk about how they “just NEED to run, my day’s not complete without it” and I’d think “why I can’t I have that passion for something so good for me?” ...in an effort to find the inner runner in ME, I’ve signed up for the training program again this year. To be clear, I am participating in the program to find my motivation, my inner runner and hopefully a few more running buddies. I will be perfectly happy to get back up to 4-5 miles and stay there if I feel like my body can’t handle any more distance. I am determined to listen to my body and slow down if I start to feel injuries coming on.

I remembered that I started this training program so that I could get back into running. So that I could learn to love to run, whether with a running buddy or on my own. Through this experience I've learned that I really enjoy running 3-4 miles, and anything past that gets boring and tedious for me. I've learned that 5K's are a lot of fun, and I get a big thrill out of pushing myself to go faster, but not necessarily longer. I've learned that I look forward to a 3-4 mile run with my hubb or a friend, but when I get to 5-6 miles I dread it. I've learned that my body may not be capable of safely running long distances...and I'm ok with that. So, in my eyes, this training program was a complete success. I've decided to stick with shorter distances. To run for my health and my enjoyment and to challenge myself by increasing speed rather than distance. There are plenty of 5K's out there, the C'ville Women's 4-Miler, even some 8K's and 10K's that may be possible. I may even try a mini-triathlon sometime. And maybe eventually I'll try long distances again, if after running consistently for awhile my desire to challenge myself in that way returns. But I won't be disappointed with myself if I never get to that point, and I hope that you all won't be disappointed either. Whew! Thanks for sticking with me, if you've gotten this far! I really needed to get it all out there, and I'll be updating my running page soon to reflect the latest events in my story.

Now, on to food!

My apologies for not posting the last couple of days. I know you all understand since I have been on a big big big deadline. Unfortunately, my deadline was pushed from Friday to Monday. Typically I would be thrilled to have 2 extra days to work on a project, but not when those two days are my weekend! Argh. Most of my meals were packed up in the morning and eaten at the office, so they are pretty standard. Breakfast Thursday: toasted ezekiel muffin, 1/2 with 1 tbsp TJ's natural PB and 1/2 with 1 tbsp sour cherry preserves. And some red grapes. [415 cal] 090212-b11

Lunch Thursday: big ol' salad with spinach, baby blends, red bell pepper, broccoli, cucumber, hearts of palm, black olives, roasted garlic hummus and some TJ's fat free balsamic vinaigrette. [207 cal] 090212-l11

Snacks Thursday: an apple (saved my pear for a snackie dessert bowl once home) and a Clif White Chocolate Macadamia Nut bar, 1/2 before my run and 1/2 after. I am IN LOVE with the WCMN bar...even more so than the iced gingerbread. Which is a good thing because the WCMN bar isn't seasonal! [321 cal] 090212-s11

Exercise Thursday: 3-1/2 mile run with my friend Kelly...it was fabulous and got me totally pumped up for my 5K. [-360 cal] I actually made dinner in the morning and packed it up to take to the office with me, knowing it would be a late night. Dinner Thursday: baked chicken breast with Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce, 1 cup steamed broccoli and 3/4 cup Near East Whole Grain Blends, roasted garlic flavor. [406 cal] 090212-d11

And I know you all have seen this fabulous sauce popping up all over the blog world... I received two bottles of Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce last week and was excited to try it on my chicken. Let me tell you, it is some good stuff. Its kind of a cross between bbq and worschestshire sauce, with a smokey tang that truly would be good on most anything I can imagine. 090212-d21

I"ll be hosting a give-away so that a couple of my lovely readers can try out their own bottles of Country Bob's, but I need to clarify a couple of things with the company first. Stay tuned! Dessert Thursday: snackie dessert bowl with 1 sliced pear, 2 heaping tbsp Fage 0% yogurt, 1 tsp honey. No picture, I was too tired. [149 cal] Daily Totals: Thursday

Calories Consumed: 1498
Calories Expelled: 360
Net Calories: 1138

Breakfast Friday: toasted ezekiel muffin with 1-1/2 tbsp TJ's natural PB and a sliced banana [423 cal] 090213-b11

Lunch Friday: 1/2 a leftover chicken breast, thawed black-eyed peas and ham from New Years Day on a bed of spinach, and some red grapes. [360 cal] 090213-l11

Snacks Friday: a mandarin orange, I decided against my apple because it just didn't sound good. Weird. However, when my boss brought in red wine, cheese and crackers for our Friday afternoon festivities, that sounded good. It had been a long week, and it wasn't close to being over. I had a small glass of wine and about 2oz of swiss cheese, with 4 table water crackers. [402 cal] 090213-s11

I wanted to load up on carbs for our race the next morning, so dinner Friday was a kitchen sink pasta. Saturday is grocery day, so I had some veggies that I wanted to use up. Basically anything and everything I could find went in. Dinner Friday: kitchen sink pasta and lots of water [548 cal] 090213-d1

This yummy bowl contained:

1 cup brown rice pasta
365 brand marinara sauce
onion
garlic
bell peppers
broccoli
chickpeas
shitake mushrooms
fresh basil
crushed red pepper
2 tbsp part-skim mozzerella

It really hit the spot. Sometimes a big bowl of pasta is exactly what you need after a long week. 090213-d31

Daily Totals: Friday

Calories Consumed: 1733
Calories Expelled: none
Net Calories: 1733 (yikes! luckily wine/cheese friday is only one day/week!)

I don't have many pictures for Saturday... Breakfast Saturday: 1/2 Clif Iced Gingerbread bar pre-race, 1/2 banana and 1/2 bagel post-race [330 cal] Lunch Saturday: 3/4 cup Fage 0%, 1 sliced banana, a drizzle of honey and 1/4 cup TJ's pumpkin spice granola...it was exactly what I wanted. [331 cal] 090214-l1

Snacks Saturday: 1 pear and 4 table water crackers while at the office, a ZBar after grocery shopping [311 cal] My hubb and I had a lovely Valentine's Day evening. We started off at an engagement party for some good friends. I have a picture of Liz and I, but sadly none of me with my hubb! Such a shame because he looked so handsome all dressed up... lize-engagement

After the party we went to dinner at L'Etoile, a French restaurant in town that I have been dying to try for quite some time. They serve food prepared using a lot of locally-produced products, which I am a big proponent of. Again, no pictures! So sad because it was really a wonderful evening. We started with wine (I had chardonnay) and an amuse-bouche from the chef, a bite-size morsel of cornichon, prosciutto and roquefort sprinkled with fresh chives. It was perfect. Then I moved on to the lobster bisque, which was hands-down my favorite part of the meal, even better than dessert. I just don't get enough lobster in my life... My hubb had the duck confit, which I also tried a bite of and loved. I'm not usually a fan of duck because it is so oily, but this dish was divine. After our appetizers we were brought the winter salad, which consisted of arugula, apples, walnuts and local cheese with a champagne vinaigrette. I am a huge fan of arugula, I loved the combination of its spicy bite with the sweet apples and vinaigrette. For my entree' I picked the rockfish in brown butter sauce with fingerling potatoes and hericot verts. The fish was cooked perfectly, but the flavor wasn't anything outstanding. And my potatoes were undercooked, still a little crunchy and lacking in flavor. For dessert we decided on the tasting for two, which consisted of chocolate cake with peanut butter ganache, kettle corn revisited...a sweet/salty combination of cake and ice cream which was truly wonderful, a "french toast" brioche bread pudding with maple syrup and brown sugar, and an undercooked creme brulee'. It was a lovely evening in a beautiful atmosphere with delicious food and the love of my life. And now, I must return to the office. :( I am going to take a break mid-day to go to yoga, and hopefully we'll be having dinner with a friend tonight. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!!!

categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review
tags country bob's, ezekiel, race, running

farewell to my table...

February 02, 2009Andrea

My hubb and I have been fans of 1950's danish modern furniture for awhile now...it kinda comes with the architecture degree. We've been searching for a modern, round, wood, vintage dining table for quite some time and finally found one on eBay...just in time for our birthdays next month. It arrived today and we couldn't wait to put it together after work tonight. Its beautiful, exactly what we wanted, but I'm feeling a little sad right now. Our new addition means that we have dismantled our old dining table...the beloved table that has served as the backdrop for my photos since day one of this blog. I'll get over it, soon I'm sure, because our new table really does look so much better in our space. And the new backdrop is lovely - warm and rich - just different from my old table. Let me know what you think (breakfast, lunch and snack photos were taken on the old table, dinner photos on the new). I hope you like it. Breakfast: banana, wheatberry, date + almond butter oatmeal [320 calories] 090202-b12

This yummy bowl contained:

1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 cup water, pinch of salt
1 tsp real maple syrup
1 small banana, mashed (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp wheatberries
1/2 medjool date, chopped
1 tsp almond butter

I tried Maranatha Almond Butter for the first time! It is SO good. But SO expensive! My hubb did the grocery shopping this week, and bought me a small jar because the big, normal sized jar was $19!!!! Holy moly. I'm actually glad that he got me the small jar though because that means I can keep trying new flavors of nut butters when I run out! There are so many great options out there that I haven't tried yet. Speaking of, Heather and Mark over at HangryPants have an almond butter give-away! Check out their blog for details... 090202-b2

Morning Snack: 3 dried apricots and 3 walnut halves (leftover from my road food snack this weekend). My breakfast only hung with me for about 3 hours, I was really glad that I had these in my bag. [104 calories] Lunch: salad! Oh how I missed thee... And a pink lady apple. [358 calories] 090202-l1

2 cups spinach
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup cucumber
1/2 cup brussels sprouts
1/4 cup wheatberries
4 tbsp roasted garlic hummus

This combo was REALLY yummy. I love putting hummus on a salad in place of dressing, and the brussels sprouts were so tasty! 090202-s1

Afternoon Snack: 5 dried apricots and 3 walnut halves. Again, a light lunch today, so I was glad I had these. [137 calories] Dinner: two tiny slivers of carmelized onion, blue cheese + bacon pizza ( I didn't eat the crust...just not a fan of the dough!), a spinach salad and a glass of cabernet. It was a salad kind of day! The cabernet isn't very good, I really doubt I'll finish it but I've counted its calories just in case. If I decide to ditch it I've already got a snackie dessert bowl forming in my head... :) [570 calories] 090202-d1

My salad consisted of:

1-1/2 cups spinach
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/4 carrot
1/2 cup cucumber
1/4 cup wheatberries
1 tbsp light ranch dressing

I'm really kicking myself for not getting out of bed this morning for a run. The weather was lovely, its getting light earlier, but I got to bed so late last night that I just couldn't get up. And now? Rain. And later tonight? Snow. I'm really starting to dislike Virginia in the winter. How we could go from a high of 62* yesterday, high of 59* today, and snow by midnight tonight is beyond me!!! Argh. Oh well, I am planning on going to yoga tomorrow night at my favorite studio with my favorite instructor...nothing beats 90 minutes of yoga. Nothing. And rain and snow can't stop me! :) I hope you all have a great night!

categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review
tags almond butter, oats, salad

standard fuel

January 27, 2009Andrea

So today was a day full of easy favorites for me. These meals/snacks show up on my blog pretty consistently because I love them all so much and they are so quick to prepare. Honestly, if you asked me what my favorite easy + healthy breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner were these are probably the answers you would get. Kind of a quick post tonight...goes with the theme of my quick eats! :) Breakfast: my standard banana, PB, flax and fig oats...yum. (this b-fast is tied with my ezekiel muffin, PB and fruit combo, which is my go-to if I'm running late and need to take b-fast with me). 090127-b11

This oat bowl contained the usual:

1 cup water, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 tsp vanilla
1 small mashed banana
sprinkle of cinnamon
1 tsp ground flax seeds
1 dried fig
1 tbsp natural peanut butter

Lunch: baked sweet potato with 1/4 cup edamame and 1/4 cup corn...such a good combo and SO filling. 090127-l2

Snack: 1/2 cup plain Fage 0% and 5 strawberries...the yogurt helps pick me up and keep me going through the rest of the afternoon, and makes me think I'm eating dessert. :) 090127-s1

Snackie Treats: I had a serious sweet tooth today! I ran to the CVS across the street for some Dove dark chocolate hearts and ate 3 throughout the day. I also had a date while fixing dinner. 090127-s2

Dinner: tofu veggie stir fry on jasmine rice...a quick, easy vegetarian favorite! We try to add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, but forgot again tonight as usual. We never remember until we've finished the meal! 090127-d6

This was a collaborative effort between my hubb and I tonight. He took care of the veggies, I took care of the rice, wheatberries and tofu. Our delectable meal contained:

12oz pan-glazed tofu
1 red bell pepper
3 celery ribs
1 broccoli floret
2 carrots
1 onion
jasmine rice
wheatberries
soy sauce
trader joe's soyaki sauce
sesame seeds

First I pan-glazed the tofu with my usual method. 090127-d1

This glaze consisted of (measurements are estimates...):

1/2 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes

The tofu turns out just crispy on the outside, firmly silky on the inside. We LOVE it this way, and haven't been able to stray in years. 090127-d4

My hubb sauteed the veggies in a bit of olive oil and soysauce, then added the Trader Joe's soyaki sauce and tofu once the veggies were tender. This sauce is really great. We usually buy Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce from Soy Vay, but I picked this up last time I was at TJ's and it is almost as good, for much less $$$! 090127-d3

My bowl contained 1/2 cup jasmine rice, 1/2 cup wheatberries (boiled tonight to keep for the week) and about 1-1/2 cups of veggies + tofu. Yum! 090127-d51

Dessert: a Quaker True Delights toasted coconut banana macadamia nut granola bar, split with my hubb. YUM!!!!!! These bars are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. When I opened the package I almost passed out from the unbelievably good scent that met my nose. And the flavor was perfect...not artificial tasting at all. I could eat one for dessert every night, and they are only 140 calories! 090127-s3

Exercise: YOGA!!!! Mmmmmmmm. We've been having an ice storm for most of the day so the sidewalks were far to treacherous for a run this evening. I didn't even want to go back out to the yoga studio and drive on the slick roads. So, instead, I popped my favorite Power Yoga dvd into my computer and stretched out my unused muscles for 55 minutes. It felt SO good, but made me realize how much my week off from exercise has affected my strength, flexibility and endurance! Good news though, my foot felt GREAT! I'm READY for a run, as soon as the weather cooperates! :) Question, What's your favorite yoga pose? Least favorite? I think my favorites are pigeon and twisted triangle, my least favorite is currently twisted prayer lunge (I think that's what its called...). G'night!

categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review
tags fage, granola bar, oats, quaker, sweet potato, tofu, veggie stir fry

swiss chard, i think i love you

January 26, 2009Andrea

I am a BIG fan of leafy greens. Collards, kale, mustard greens...you name it, I probably like it. Except for swiss chard. I've never been convinced of swiss chard. Now to be fair, I haven't given it many chances. I made a chard gratin many years ago with the stems and it turned out mushy and bland. I sauteed the leaves and they were a little bitter. And then I gave up because I already had a long-term relationship with collard greens and didn't really feel the need to rock the boat. 090126-d4

Last week I decided that maybe it was time to give chard another chance, in the name of trying new things and expanding my veggie-loving horizons. I bought 2 bunches and planned to try preparing them using this recipe. And then I got busy, and the chard went bad. So on Saturday I bought another two bunches and made sure to plan a meal with them at the beginning of the week so that there wouldn't be a repeat of last week's waste. 090126-d3

We had a couple of ingredients in the fridge leftover from this weekend, bacon and heavy cream, two items I don't get to cook with very often in my quest to eat healthfully. So, in the name of not wanting to waste more ingredients in my fridge, this recipe was born. Swiss Chard + Bacon Linguine with Butternut Squash Cream Sauce makes 4 servings Ingredients:

1 pound swiss chard, preferably rainbow or red-stem
1/4 pound bacon
1 small onion, chopped
8oz butternut squash puree'
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 pound whole wheat linguine
salt + pepper

Method:

Wash chard and separate leaves from stems. Course chop both, separately.
Boil linguine for 10-12 minutes, until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Fry bacon in large, nonstick skillet. Set aside on paper towels.
Saute' onion in nonstick skillet for 2 minutes, until translucent. Add chard stems and saute' for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 cup of water to pan along with chard leaves. Cover with a cookie sheet and allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes until stems are tender. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Whisk squash and cream together over medium high heat. Bring just to a boil then lower heat to simmer, whisking constantly. As sauce thickens add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Pile noodles on plate. Drizzle with a bit of sauce. Add chard mixture and crumble bacon on top. Drizzle additional sauce across the chard.

This was really delicious. Swiss chard and I are now good friends, and I think we have quite the future ahead of us... What vegetable have you tried in the past but written off because of an unpleasant first experience? 090126-d6

Ahh routine. I LOVED spending so much time with friends this weekend and having an excuse to eat several meals out and drink lots of wine, but my body is thanking me for getting back on track. I was starting to feel a little blah what with all the unhealthy eats, vino and lack of exercise due to a sore foot, so today was definitely a welcome change. Granted, my dinner included a small amount of bacon and cream, but at least it was whole and homemade. :) I started the morning off inspired by the custard oats I've seen pop up on both Sarah's and Heather's blogs. These two ladies are really fabulous, and their blogs are daily reads of mine. Check them out if you haven't yet! Breakfast: custard oats topped with cinnamon, flax seeds, dried figs and a PB spoon. 090126-b1

To make the custard oats I combined 1/2 cup soymilk, 1/2 cup water, 2 egg whites and 1 tsp vanilla in a small pot on the stovetop. I set the heat way too high and walked away from the stove, resulting in a very smelly mess of boiled over milk and eggs. Thank goodness for glass cooktops! Yuck. I didn't want to give up, so I quickly jumped back on Heather's blog to read that I was supposed to keep the heat on medium and whisk the ingredients constantly until they thicken a bit. MUCH better. At this point I added 1/2 cup of rolled oats and kept the heat on medium, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes. After the oats had thickened quite a bit more, but were still a little runny, I removed the pot from the heat and covered it to allow for additional thickening while cooling. I topped my bowl with:

a sprinkle of cinnamon
1 tsp flax seeds
1 dried fig
1 tbsp natural peanut butter

The verdict? Well, the oats were certainly very creamy, but I think I prefer the texture of my standard oats much better. The banana doesn't cream-ify the oats quite as much, and lends such a wonderful sweetness to the whole bowl. With the egg whites I kept thinking I could taste them, and worried about whether or not they were actually cooked. Eggs freak me out a little. Don't judge. :) I'm glad that I tried them though, thanks ladies! Lunch: the other 1/2 of my Amy's Curried Lentil Soup and a big salad. Look familiar? It was SO welcome. 090126-l1

This beauty contained:

spinach
red bell pepper
cucumber
hearts of palm
garbonzo beans
a tangelo
poppyseed dressing

YUM! I finally remembered to take a picture of the dressing bottle for you too. Its SO tasty, but definitely not low-cal. Does anybody know of a good low-cal creamy poppyseed dressing? I'd love to know about it! I'm addicted to poppyseed dressing on top of fruit on top of salad. The bottle says that its good drizzled on fresh peaches...hmmmm. 090126-l2

Snack: a peanut butter cookie larabar. After witnessing several of my fellow bloggers ignore the salmonella scare and refuse to waste their favorite bars, I decided to do the same. Its my favorite flavor, and I can't find them ANYWHERE (or at least can't remember where I found this one) so I decided to risk it. Probably stupid, huh? It was tasty though! :) 090126-s1

Ok, this post has been really long. I'll quickly tell you that I didn't get a run in tonight because I had to work late, but my foot is feeling much better! There is still slight pain, so its probably best that I gave it another day before pounding the pavement. I do have plans for some yoga tomorrow morning though, and I can't wait! Oh, and I almost forgot! Look what was waiting for me when I got home tonight...Quaker True Delights bars from Foodbuzz!!! 090126-d2

I've been dying to try these new bars from Quaker since seeing them on Jenna's and Kath's blogs last fall, so of course I said YES when Foodbuzz asked if I wanted to try them! Thanks Foodbuzz!!! The hubb and I split the dark raspberry almond flavor for dessert and it was SO good. I think I'm in love with a new granola bar...move over Kashi! :) Ok, now its bed time. G'night!

categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review, recipes
tags bacon, butternut squash, cream, larabar, oats, pasta, quaker, salad, swiss chard

a little queasy

January 09, 2009Andrea

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great end to your week. I'm still not feeling so great. Its a good thing I piddled around with this post while at work today, otherwise you'd probably just see a series of photos with no explanation! I came home from work and laid down for an hour, which helped, but I'm looking forward to going to bed shortly. I'm sorry my eats have been a little blah these last couple of days... For breakfast this morning the hubb and I met our good friend Amy for our Friday morning tradition at Blue Grass Grill. I've raved about this Charlottesville spot before, and I'll rave again. They have the most amazing breakfast options, and this morning's was my favorite. Sadly, I have no pictures, so I'll try to describe with the best of my foodie lingo. Breakfast: Imagine this...a bed of perfectly roasted potato hashbrowns topped with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, feta and mozzarella cheeses. Stick the whole dish in the oven and broil until the cheese is perfectly melted, bubbly and browned in a couple of spots. Oh. my. goodness. I ate the whole thing. I also ate 1/2 of the perfect honey wheat biscuit that comes as a side, with blackberry preserves. It was definitely an indulgent breakfast. There were healthier options, like the veggie egg white omelet without cheese that I had last time we were there, but I just could not say no to this skillet. Luckily, lunch was nice and healthy. Remember this spaghetti squash from last night? I thought about using him in our Mexican Dip, but was vetoed by the hubb. So instead, 1/2 the squash went into a pyrex container with a mish mash of other eats to make my lunch today. 090108-d11

Lunch: Roasted spaghetti squash, steamed broccoli and leftover lentil salad (the last of it!). 090109-l11

Even though I had a big breakfast this morning, when the clock struck 12:30 my body was ready to eat. This is a big pyrex container, 8" x 6" x 2". That's 1/2 a spaghetti squash, 1 cup of lentil salad and 1 broccoli floret. Apparently I wasn't as hungry as I thought because I only ate about 1/2 the contents. I thought about having the rest as an afternoon snack (or second lunch) but just wasn't feeling it. My tum's been a bit iffy today, perhaps all of the cheese last night and this morning? You'd think I'd learn...but I love my cheese too much. Afternoon Snack: Cashew Cookie Larabar. 090106-s21

This was my first experience with the cashew cookie flavor. The taste was great, but it was drier than other Larabar flavors I've tried...more crumbly. Has anybody else tried this bar? Was mine a textural dud? The peanut butter cookie flavor I had last week was SO much better, much softer and more cookie-like. For dinner I was planning on making Tofu Veggie Masala, but the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was cook. When I woke up from my nap, my hubb had ordered the perfect dinner to help my sore throat and queasy tummy...Egg Drop Soup. Dinner: Egg Drop Soup with some crunchy noodles and an Egg Roll. It wasn't my egg drop soup, but it still hit the spot. :) 090109-d1

I'm feeling better than I was earlier, but I'm going to head to bed so that I can get a good night's sleep before my 5 MILE RUN tomorrow!!! I can't believe that tomorrow morning I will be at the halfway point in my 10-miler training!!! WooHoo!!!

categories Uncategorized, breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review

figs. also, some kale.

January 06, 2009Andrea

I was a little slow this morning, both mentally and physically. The snooze button on my alarm was pressed for a full 45 minutes before I finally crawled out of bed. I knew the weather was supposed to be cold and dreary today so I'll blame my lack of motivation on that. When I puttered out to the kitchen to work on prepping today's eats I had nary a clue as to what I would fix. As I shuffled things around on the top shelf of my fridge, I accidentally knocked a small container of Fage to the floor. After picking it up and discovering the crack that had formed in the bottom of the container, I realized that breakfast was solved. Breakfast: one 6oz cup of 0% Fage, 1/2 a pink lady apple, 1/4 cup of homemade granola from my lovely friend Beth and a drizzle of cranberry ketchup. 090106-b1

Perfect combination. I truly loved this breakfast. Have I mentioned that the CK is good on EVERYTHING? I know you're probably sick of reading about it, but I've got just over one jar left to finish up before it goes bad so I'll happily continue to experiment over the next week. In fact, this morning I made my hubb a brie, apple, spinach and cranberry ketchup sandwich on honey wheat bread. He LOVED it, as did I when he brought over a bite for me to taste. After solving my breakfast and the hubb's lunch, I was at a bit of a loss thinking about what I wanted for lunch. I thought about more meatball soup, but decided I should give it a rest and add some variety back into my meals and my blog. There are a couple of sweet potatoes on the counter that I thought about baking, but didn't have time. Same with the spaghetti squash. I finally settled on a bag of dried french lentils in the pantry that I've been meaning to make a salad with for quite some time. It seemed that I had enough time to quickly simmer them soft, but I wasn't altogether sure since it had been awhile since I'd made them. I brought 1 cup of french lentils to a boil in 2 cups of chicken broth, reduced the heat and simmered for 40 minutes, 10 minutes longer than I had anticipated which resulted in a very rushed salad prep. They are still slightly crunchy, which I like. I'm not a big fan of lentils when they turn to mush. 090106-l1

Tossed with chopped bell pepper, cucumber, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and creole mustard, this simple salad turned out pretty well. I'll be experimenting more though because I've had many better lentil salads at restaurants around town. Lunch: Lentil Salad with 1/2 a whole wheat pita and a pear. I meant to sprinkle some crumbled feta on top of the salad, but in my rush I forgot. Maybe tomorrow. 090106-l2

For snacks I brought: 2 clementines and an Iced Gingerbread Clif Bar, I only ate one of the clems. 090106-s1

This was my first experience with any of the holiday-flavored Clif Bars. I know, I'm way behind. I wasn't sure what to expect as I've read many mixed reviews about them, so I was very pleasantly surprised when I nibbled on the bar a bit before lunch. It was quite tasty! I saved the rest for an afternoon snack and enjoyed it immensely. Looks like I'm in for a hunt around town before they are all gone for another year. Now if I could only remember where I found them... I also had two more dark chocolate covered potato chips. Yes, I said potato chips. I don't know why they don't show the dark chocolate option on the website, but I definitely prefer dark to milk chocolate these days. I wish the chocolate was a little thinner so you could taste a bit more of the salted potato chip, but they are delicious all the same. During my lunch break I perused the last couple of days of the NY Times Dining + Wine section on the web. I came across this recipe and couldn't stop thinking about it. I'll blame it on the rain again. So, I hopped in the car with my hubb for a couple of late-lunchtime errands and purchased 4 chicken thighs, some dried figs, honey and lemons. Also, some kale. I've been craving greens since I couldn't find them for our New Years Day lucky dinner. Dinner: Broiled Chicken with Honey Fig Sauce, sautéed kale and roasted garlic rice. 090106-d4

I discovered a new love for dried figs. 090106-d5

They are perfectly sweet and soft, and the seeds provide a wonderfully satisfying crunch. Love. 090106-d9

The chicken is broiled in the oven until the outside is delicately crispy and the inside still moist. The figs are simmered with honey, white wine and spices until a thick glaze forms, then drizzled over the chicken. Paired with one of my longtime favorites, sautéed kale, this meal was a sure winner. 090106-d2

We sautéed the kale in olive oil with some garlic, salt and pepper until the leaves wilted slightly and turned bright green. 090106-d6

Before serving, we squeezed a bit of lemon juice across the kale. Perfect. 090106-d8

The hubb and I were pretty happy with the results. If we make the chicken recipe again we will make a few changes...

Use ground coriander instead of whole, and cut amount accordingly
Omit lemon juice from fig glaze
Lessen honey, perhaps substitute a bit more wine? :)

At any rate, I'm a very happy girl after eating this simple gourmet meal. Especially since we paired it with one of my new favorite wines, a local white that we used in the glaze as well. 090106-d7

And now, its bedtime after another long post. I hope you've all had a pleasant day, and that tomorrow brings better weather for those of us that have been plagued with rain and cold for the last 24 hours. Good night! :)

categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review
tags Clif, chicken, cranberry "ketchup", fage, figs, granola, honey, kale, lentils

kashi coupon winners!

January 05, 2009Andrea

Good evening! I have a couple of winners of the Kashi TLC Cereal Bars contest! My hubb picked two random numbers for me between 1 and 22 (the number of comments on the post). The lucky numbers are 6 and 13, making Carolinebee and Becca A. the winners!!! Congrats ladies! Email me your addresses and I'll get the coupons in the mail to you ASAP. So how did everybody adjust to the first day back to work? It was a pretty long day for me, mentally and in reality. I get to work at 8:30 am and today didn't get out until 7:15pm without leaving the office for lunch or errands. I hate being stuck inside for almost 11 hours!!! To be honest, the last hour was spent reading blogs as I was just waiting for my hubb to finish up in his office so that we could ride home together. But still, it was a long day. We did manage to go out for a run once we got home and changed, which I'm very happy about. The weather is supposed to turn nasty here for the next couple of days with lots of rain and ice, so the chances of getting out for a road run tomorrow or Wednesday are pretty slim. We just did 2-1/2 miles tonight, but I picked up my pace to keep up with my hubb so got a good workout in. He probably slowed down a little for me too...shhh. :) My eats today were tasty, but probably a bit boring for you... Breakfast: A bowl of oats! Mornings that include oats are my favorites...unless they include pancakes. :) 090105-b1

This delicious bowl contained:

1/2 cup Irish oats, 1 cup water, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla, sprinkle of cinnamon
1 very ripe mashed banana
1 tsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp almond butter

Breakfast was earlier than normal because I had a dentist appointment before work, so I knew that I needed something hardy to hold me over 'till my normal lunch time. This bowl of oats almost did the trick, keeping me satisfied for 4 hours. I had a small handful of mixed nuts to hold me over the last hour. Lunch: Leftover Mexican Meatball Soup and roasted veggies. 090105-l1

I thawed out a loaf of Pumpkin Cranberry Bread that I made last month to take to our friends this weekend in appreciation of them having us over for dinner, but forgot it in our rush out the door. So, instead, I sliced it up and brought some in for my co-workers. 090105-s1

Snacks: One slice of Pumpkin Cranberry Bread with 1 tbsp almond butter and two clementines. 090105-s2

And I may have had a couple of dark chocolate covered potato chips...but I don't have any pictures to prove it. :) I just love coming home to leftovers! I know you all are probably getting tired of seeing this soup on the blog, but I am definitely not getting tired of eating it. Its just so delicious! And it was especially helpful tonight to have dinner ready to go for us with minimal prep since we didn't get home from our run and stretch until about 8:30. Dinner: Another bowl of Mexican Meatball Soup and a lovely salad. 090105-d2

My salad consisted of:

spinach
broccoli
red bell pepper
celery
1-1/2 clementines
cranberry ketchup [this stuff is great on everything!!! email me if you want the recipe]

And for dessert: three Nairns Stem Ginger Wheat-Free Biscuits. I LOVE these cookies/biscuits. I'm pretty sad that my Whole Foods stopped stocking them on the shelves, but I dug around in my pantry and found one last little package. 2 cookies have just 80 calories, they are perfectly crunchy and have just enough gingery flavor. The Roughcut Oatcakes are really tasty too... 090105-d4

Alrighty, shower and bed time for this little lady. After my long run Saturday, intense yoga yesterday and speedy run tonight, this foodie's body is t.i.r.e.d. Have a great night and day tomorrow!

categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review
tags kashi, nairns, oats, pumpkin cranberry bread, salad, soup

rainy day = comfort food

December 11, 2008Andrea

What a dreary day we've had. I tried to stay inside as much as possible but had to run a couple of errands at lunch time...yuck. I did come home to a fabulous surprise in my mailbox though...my BSI Prize Trail Mix from Melissa!!! 081211-trail-mix

Melissa had the great idea of giving the winner of BSI: Sweet Potatoes a custom-made trail mix...she sent me a list of mixin's to choose from and this is what I decided on:

PB-filled pretzels
chocolate-covered pretzels
almonds
cashews
caramel bits
yogurt-covered raisins
dried cranberries
chocolate-covered banana chips
dried raspberries
raisins

It is soooooooooo good! Thanks Melissa!!! :) I had a big handful as soon as I opened the box!!! I had high hopes for another wonderful run this evening but just didn't feel like going out in the nasty weather. So instead I pulled out my favorite power yoga dvd...not the same as going to class but I went with it. 50 minutes later I was a bendy, stretchy, happy girl...I do love my yoga. :) Backtrack a little to my day's eats...another post full of comfort food. What is it about winter-time and the need for warm, filling meals...do all of you lucky Floridians with your 80* winters have the same cravings? I am so-in-love with the TJ's Pumpkin Spice Granola...I was craving it as soon as I got up this morning and thought it was a perfect opportunity to test out the new Siggi's yogurt that Whole Foods gave me as a consolation prize for eliminating my Oikos from their shelves. Breakfast: One 6oz container of Siggi's Icelandic Skyr, plain, with 1/2 cup TJ's Pumpkin Spice Granola and one sliced banana. 081211-b1

I must say...I am VERY impressed with the Siggi's. It is very thick but oh so creamy...Julz was right when she commented on my post awhile back that Skyr is like Greek yogurt on steroids! I LOVED it...too bad it is WAY out of my price range. $2.69 for 6oz?!?!?!? I don't think so. Morning Snack: 3 ginger snaps while knitting...is there anything better on a rainy, cold day?!? I went home around noon to let the pups out and realized that my lunch was actually at work (I didn't anticipate being able to leave the office today). So, I decided to actually take my full lunch hour and just hang out on the couch for 30 minutes and work on a Christmas present...I was happy and so were the pups. :) 081211-s2

Lunch: Leftover Chicken Veggie Soup and a handful of Kashi crackers (I actually took these photos this morning before going to work...poured the soup out of its gladware into the nice bowl, then back into the gladware after the picture. Yes, I'm becoming that obsessed with my food photography...). 081211-l1

Afternoon Snack: Another glorious pear. 081211-s1

Dinner: Homemade Veggie Pizza! Woohoo! We loaded a TJ's whole wheat pizza crust with:

TJ's pizza sauce
fresh spinach
onion
yellow bell pepper
broccoli
black olives
1/3 cup part-skim mozzarella on my 1/2, LOTS of cheese on the hubb's 1/2

Mmmmmm...yum. The crust needed a little longer in the oven, we typically bake it for 5-7 minutes before topping it but the TJ's instructions didn't say to do that so we stuck it in the oven raw with toppings. It was still a little doughy, but yummy all the same. :) I had another piece 1/2 the size of the piece above...which would mean about 3 of 8 slices of a 12" pizza. Dessert: A small cup of eggnog with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top...my holiday guilty pleasure! 081211-d5

I hope you all have a glorious night and Happy Friday!!!

categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review
tags granola, pizza, skyr, soup, trail mix

trader joe's request!!

December 07, 2008Andrea

I hope everybody is having a fabulous Sunday!!! I've been having fun in my kitchen whipping up a few of the BSI entries submitted to me this week! Don't forget to send me your recipe by 8pm tonight, and even if I didn't get a chance to actually make it you are of course still in the running to win!!! Before I forget, last night I had a little snack while watching Sex + The City reruns... 081206-s1

An unsweetened apple sauce cup with Annie's Honey Bunny Grahams on top. Not pictured are the two additional handfuls of bunnies I had after this...I had such a sweet tooth yesterday!!! Breakfast: Bowl of cereal, boring I know but it was just what I wanted. I combined 1/2 cup Kashi H2H, 1/2 cup Nature's Path Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch, 1 cup Silk plain soymilk and 1 sliced banana. 081207-b12

Workout: Vinyasa Yoga at Studio 206. Mmmmmmmm. :) Lunch: Leftover Healthified Enchi-rito and a HUGE pear...yum! 081207-l1

I'll be back later to post the BSI:GINGER results!!! (probably after 10pm est...) IMPORTANT ::: Trader Joe's Request On Tuesday I have to drive to Raleigh for a project meeting. Because we don't have Trader Joe's in Charlottesville, I am planning on stopping at TJ's in either Raleigh or Richmond on the way home. This will be my FIRST TJ'S EXPERIENCE EVER!!! I would love some advice from all of you lucky readers who get to shop at TJ's weekly...What should I get?!? I want to try out some of your favorite TJ's items, so please tell me the items you buy at TJ's that you can't live without! Thank you!!! :)

categories breakfast, lunch, product review
tags cereal, trader joe's, yoga

training + groceries + egg drop soup

December 06, 2008Andrea

Hello my fellow bloggies! Have you all had a good Saturday? Mine started out gloriously...the hubb and I slept in 'till 10:30!!! I cannot even remember the last time we slept that late! My alarm went off at 7:30 to meet the training group for a run, but when I rolled over to check the temperature and saw that it was only 16* outside I rolled right back over and fell back to sleep! We did get up and go for a run once it reached a balmy 25* at 11am. Brrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!! Today was supposed to be 2.5 miles and I mapped out a nice, although hilly, run for us around campus and some surrounding shopping areas. When we first started I felt really choppy, like I couldn't get into the groove. Things finally evened out and felt good after about 1/3 mile and stayed that way until about 1-1/2 miles, but then I got two horrible cramps, one under my ribs and one behind my hip bone. Wierd, huh? I had to stop to walk it off and decided to just walk the rest of the way back, so I only got about 1-3/4 miles in. I was so bummed. Especially after having such good runs this week. I know sometimes you just have "off" days that can't be predicted or explained. I remember even when I was having great 8-mile long runs I would have an "easy" 3-mile run a couple days later that I could barely finish. What do you other runners do out there when you get a cramp mid-run? Breakfast: I had 1/2 a banana about 30 minutes before my run, then had two Kashi Go Lean blueberry waffles afterwards. One was topped with 1 tbsp almond butter and the other with 1 tbsp apple butter, both with sliced pink lady apple. 081206-b1

Lunch: Well, breakfast was kinda lunch since I slept so late, so my schedule was off all day. I did make the horrible mistake of going grocery shopping while hungry, which resulted in several snacks that you will see shortly. I had the worst Whole Foods shopping experience today. I'm still bummed out about it. I've mentioned that we have a tiny store that doesn't carry a great selection of bars etc, but they are building a new store so I've just been hanging in there 'till its finished. Over the couple of years that the hubb and I have been shopping at this Whole Foods they've taken away several products that I love dearly to make room for new or different products. Some examples of products I love that I can no longer get at my store are:

Clif Nectar Cherry Pomegranate flavor
Clif Nectar Cranberry Apricot flavor
Newman's Own Salt + Pepper Pretzels
Nairn gluten-free Ginger Crackers
Nairn gluten-free Oat Crackers

And there are countless other things that other Whole Foods stores carry that mine does not. Especially infuriating are the items that have coupons in the Whole Deal catalogs they pass out that I can't even get at my store. So today, I had made a list that of course included Stoneyfield Oikos yogurt on it, but when I got to the yogurt aisle there was NO OIKOS!!! I thought they must be out, until I noticed that the product's spot on the shelf was filled with something new and that there was no longer a tag for the OIKOS!!! Incredulous, I asked the first WF employee I could find "what happened to the Oikos?!?!?!?!?!?" and he said "Oh, we started carrying this other product instead". WHAT?!?!?!?! I know I gave him the same look that my hubb gave me when I told him I had messed with his No-Bakes. WHY would they stop carrying OIKOS?!?!?!?! Its only the BEST YOGURT EVER!!! I was seriously depressed for the rest of the trip. It didn't help that my next item on the list was wonton wraps, which live on the dairy aisle just down from the Oikos. When I got to their usual spot on the shelf there were none to be had. I asked the same employee about wonton wraps and he said "yeah, I think that was another product that got bumped". Ridiculous. Not a wonton wrap to be seen in the entire store. So, our grocery shopping trip today included three separate stores, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter (for oikos and wonton wraps) and Rebecca's Natural Foods (for dried pears, which are nearly impossible to find!!!). Here's the loot: groceries-1

Yeah, this was a pricey trip. Mainly because I had to stock up on some baking ingredients for the holidays and some specialty ingredients for BSI recipes I wanted to try out. I don't have the energy to list all of the items so pictures will have to speak for themselves... And I do have to give the nice employees at my Whole Foods credit. When I went to Customer Service to fill out a form to get my Oikos back (yes, I did that), they offered to let me take a container of the new product that had replaced it to sample for free. I thought that was mighty nice of them... groceries-4

I am intrigued...has anybody ever heard of "icelandic style skyr" before? This product had some amazing flavors, but I wanted to get the plain so I could do a true comparison to the Oikos I'm used to. However, the Siggi's is a whopping $2.69 per 6 oz container, so even if I love it I won't be buying it. I had a hard enough time paying $1.99 for Oikos, so $2.69 is out of the question! Oh, and this is what happens when you go to the grocery store(s) hungry: groceries-5

You buy ginger snaps from Whole Foods, apple chips from Harris Teeter and molasses clove cookies from Rebecca's. All were amazing and satisfied the hubb's and my hunger in the car on the way home... Dinner: I can only talk about part of the meal because the other part was a finalist in the BSI:Ginger contest this week. I'm trying out several of the recipes being submitted so get them in ASAP so that I can try as many as possible! :) Tonight I made the best Egg Drop Soup ever. I found this recipe so long ago that I can't even remember where I got it. But trust me, it is SO GOOD. If you like egg drop soup then you MUST try this recipe... Egg Drop Soup serves 2 Ingredients:

4 cups chicken or veggie broth, divided
3 quarter-size chunks of fresh ginger or 1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp chopped fresh scallions
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Steps:

Reserve 3/4 cup of the broth, and pour the rest into a medium-size saucepan. Stir in the salt, ginger and scallions and bring to a rolling boil.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and the cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk together using a fork. Drizzle the egg a little at a time from the fork into the boiling broth mixture. Egg should cook immediately.
Once the eggs have been dropped, stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually into the soup is the desired consistency.
If fresh ginger was used, remove the chunks before serving.

It is so easy, so fast and soooooo yummy! I'll have more pictures tomorrow night showing my whole dinner. I also had a glass of vino. 081206-d1

Ok, its time for bed. Don't forget to get your BSI recipe in!!!

categories breakfast, dinner, product review
tags BSI, egg, kashi, soup, wine

iateapie!!!

December 01, 2008Andrea

Good morning (err...afternoon?!?) all!!! I have an exciting announcement to make...Tanya over at iateapie.net has featured me on her site to share my Healthy Foodie Favorite Products of 2008! I am so very excited and flattered that Tanya contacted me, and have discovered that her site is a fabulous resource of product reviews. You all should hop over there to check out her reviews of all low fat, low carb, reduced sugar, whole grain, natural, organic or high protein products that she can get her hands on! Thank you Tanya!!! :) So, last night I caved to my craving for eggnog. It is definitely my holiday must-have treat, but luckily, after a glass (or 3 or 6) during the first week of December I am GOOD for the rest of the year. Eggnog is one of those things that I can only handle a very small amount of, thankfully since it is certainly not light in the calorie/fat area...!

Breakfast: Bowl of oats...yay! So much more filling and satisfying than yesterday's (non-breakfast) cookie. This standard bowl featured

1 cup prepared rolled oats
1 mashed banana
1 tbsp almond butter
sprinkling of pom seeds

I enjoyed my long weekend immensely, but I am excited to be back into my regular routine and healthy eats. Lunch: I've felt like my lunches have been lacking in the protein department lately, so I decided to mash up some chickpeas this morning with a little extra virgin OO, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

I spread about 1/4 of the mashed chickpeas into a whole wheat pita, and filled it up with leftover roasted veggies. On the side, the last of the roasted veggies and mashed sweet potatoes. I just finished lunch, and am really full after just 1/2 the pita and all of the extra veggies/sweet potatoes. We'll see if I'm hungry for the other 1/2 a bit later...

Snack: My trusty Pink Lady apple. And maybe a piece of maple banana corn bread too... I brought about 1/2 the loaf into the office for my co-workers and it has been a BIG HIT so far, so we'll see if there is any left for me this afternoon...

I hope you all have a fabulous afternoon!

categories Uncategorized, breakfast, dinner, product review
tags oats, veggies

training week #5 + groceries

November 29, 2008Andrea

Happy Saturday! I hope that everybody is enjoying their post-Thanksgiving weekend with family, friends, relaxation etc. Brian and I started the morning right with a run with the 10-Miler training group. We ran 2 full miles on the track (boring!!!) but it went really well and felt great. This morning was especially important for me because I was trying out a loaner pair of shoes that my running coach gave me out of his shop to see if they would help to correct the foot pain I've been experiencing. Verdict is....success!!! I ran the full 2 miles pain-free. YAY!!!! He says that I have a very unusual foot and that this is their least-selling shoe because it combines the soft, cushioned sole with added support for pronation. They are still Brooks, which I've been running in off and on for about 9 months, just a different style. I love them so far...aren't they pretty?!?!? Not that that is the point...

Breakfast: I had 1/2 a banana before my run, then came home for a bowl of oats. This yummy bowl contained

1 cup prepared rolled oats
1 apple sprinkled with 1 tsp turbinado sugar and a dash of cinnamon
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp ground flax seeds
sprinkling of pom seeds

I spent some time catching up on blogs this morning, then made our grocery list for the week. I took a thorough inventory of the fridge, pantry and freezer and was able to keep the trip pretty light. But first, we stopped at the running shop so I could buy my shoes. I also picked up a wind/rain breaker from the sale rack and a pair of gloves. Anything to keep me motivated to run through the winter...

Its not really day-glow pink...more of a bright raspberry. I figure I won't be missed when running on the road! Brian also got a new pair of shoes, and since we spent so much money (eek!!!) I got a free t-shirt (yeah!).

After that spending spree we stopped at Hot Cakes for lunch. They have an awesome selection of salads, sandwiches, soups, quiches, lasagnas etc. I selected the Salad Sampler which had

Spicy Lentil Salad (sooooooooooo good, has me craving lentils now)
Tomato/Onion/Feta Salad
Roasted Cauliflower w/ Dried Cherries and Capers (such an unusual combo but really tasty!)

I skipped the piece of bread that came with it.

Next was Whole Foods. I was shooting for $50, but was thrown off after my amazing lentil salad from lunch (I just had to buy bulk lentils to try and replicate it), a sale on Amy's soups (who can resist?) and a persimmon! So the total wound up at $63, which is still good for us considering we typically spend at least twice that (scary...I know). I paid for detergent and dish soap separately to help us to get an idea of our actual food cost for December. We're trying to cut our grocery shopping in 1/2... Here's our loot:

brown rice pasta
corn meal
walnuts (BSI!!!)
dried lentils
bars!!! (we're taking full advantage of the coupons in the Whole Deal and stocking up every week)
canned beans
enchilada sauce
Amy's Soups (in hearty bean flavors for added protein for me)
organic Stonyfield French Vanilla yogurt (no Oikos for me this week...)
eggs

bell peppers
carrots
spinach
potatoes
bananas
sweet potatoes
persimmon

I also picked up these flavors of Clif Nectar bars yesterday when we were shopping at our local sporting goods store...they don't carry these at our Whole Foods so I had to get a few.

After getting home, unloading and photographing groceries I was ready for a snack. I decided to try out the infamous PB-filled medjool date for the first time.

FANTASTIC!!! Now I know what you all have been raving about!!! I also had a couple of tortilla chips with some salsa that Brian was munching on... Now we are going to spend the evening decorating our Christmas tree while I bake up a few treats in the kitchen!!! I should have a BSI post tonight or tomorrow morning, and I'm going to try another of Sweet + Natural's recipes! Woohoo!!!

categories breakfast, lunch, product review
tags Clif, gear, oats, running

cookstr.com

November 25, 2008Andrea

Hello again Bloggies!!! My dear hubby emailed me this link this morning, which gives a great review of the new Cookstr.com website. Cookster.com is an evolutionary cooking and recipe database created by Will Schwalbe and Katie Workman. The recipes all come from fabulous chefs and cookbook authors, most of them never published online before! The site features a "chef/author of the day" and a "recipe of the day", along with a powerful search engine that sorts through thousands of recipes to find exactly what you are looking for using a variety of search methods. It is a beautiful site with gorgeous photography...definitely inspirational!!! And, who can argue with this?

Our Food Values

We believe that real food is for everyone, and that good home cooking is within everyone’s reach. We are attracted to quality recipes that rely on wholesome food. And we believe that people can make a difference simply by being responsible and resourceful consumers. Oh man, this could be a distraction....

categories product review

freezing friday

November 21, 2008Andrea

Well, so much for the beautiful weather. I think it has snowed 3 separate times since my post this morning! Just flurries, nothing stuck. And the wind is whipping so hard that its coming through cracks around my office windows. My hands are completely frozen and I have the heat set at 76*! :( Brian and I braved the cold to walk down the pedestrian mall for a lunch date. Lunch: We went to one of my favorite restaurants in downtown C'ville, Bizou. Here is what Food & Wine had to say about my little favorite in May 2004: "This downtown diner gets packed at lunchtime with University of Virginia faculty. The retro interior features red-leather booths and vintage movie posters. There's roasted chicken and grilled rib eye, but Bizou's specialty is its succulent homemade meat loaf with chipotle ketchup (119 W. Main St.; 434-977-1818)." Their gourmet down-home cooking is to-die-for, especially on blustery days like today. They have my favorite summer meal, a golden beet salad with fresh chevre and their house-made honey mustard dressing. It is SO good. I was surprised that it was still on the menu today, but I was craving something warm and filling so I got their veggie burrito instead. I'm sorry about the picture quality, I only had my iphone and the restaurant is pretty dark inside.

No cheese or sour cream inside, just wonderful sauteed greens and veggies. I found lots of spinach, brussels sprout leaves, onions, carrots, corn and diced tomato inside. And I asked for the creme fraiche on the side...normally they drizzle it all over the top. The burrito is so good though that I think I only drizzled the spicy, creamy sauce on two bites.

I finished everything on my plate. Yum. For an afternoon snack I have a Clif Nectar bar, but we typically have wine and cheese in my office on Friday afternoons so I may hold off on snacking on the bar until I know if we're doing that today.

Have a great afternoon!

categories lunch, product review, retaurants
tags Clif, veggie

baby. got. back.

November 20, 2008Andrea

I attended my first spin class tonight....oh. my. goodness. It was one of the best workouts I've had! The instructor (my friend) is amazing, the workout was fabulous, the music was perfect. I mean, this was my first spin class, but tell me who wouldn't love a class that ended with rolling hills to the sound of "Baby Got Back"?!? Perfect. Backtrack: My eating schedule was all off today. I think its because I got up early for my doctor appointment and wound up eating about 60-90 minutes earlier than normal. Or maybe the breakfast cookie didn't fill me up enough...guess I'll just have to test another of those beauties out to see! I snacked on my banana around 10:30, but was still starving so ate my pita at 11:45. 1/2 of the pita was soggy so I wound up just eating the filling out of that half. The tuna salad and broccoli slaw went perfectly together...

I was meeting Christine for a walk at 12:30 and didn't want to fill up too much, so I saved my apple and Oikos for after our exercise. If I haven't mentioned it before, pink lady apple slices dipped in plain Oikos is divine. :)

Christine and I walked 3 hilly miles in about 50 minutes. I enjoyed having chatty girlfriend time even more than getting out for exercise during lunch...it was a perfect break in my day. For a snack about 1 hour before spin I ate a chocolate chip Z Bar.

My spin class was right after work, and when I got home Brian had dinner nearly ready! Yummy fresh veggie stir fry on jasmine rice. It was the perfect light meal for after my workout, and so beautiful!

He used:

broccoli
red bell pepper
carrots
mushrooms
onion
celery
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp spicy szechuan sauce
scallions and sesame seeds on top

I ate about 1/3 of it, on top of 3/4 cup white jasmine rice. Paired with a small glass of wine.

And for dessert a Kozy Shack rice pudding cup with frozen blueberries on top.

It was a great day. I love big activity days because I'm not as concerned with what I consume, and I've learned to still portion things appropriately and not go overboard. It is a very satisfying feeling. :) I'm still looking for some good upper body workout dvd's...anybody have any suggestions? I'd like something to combine with my running, yoga and occasional spin class... Have a great night!

categories dinner, product review
tags oikos, rice pudding, spin, stir fry, wine

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December 09, 2009Andrea

Aprons from Joy the Baker

Tea Towels from Skinny LaMinx

Table Linens from Elizabeth Bentz

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Pottery from Whitney Smith

Custom Napkin Rings from Rae Dunn

Letterpress Recipe Cards from Dingbat Press

Photography from Honey and Jam

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