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a walk in the woods

Andrea

I hope that each and every one of you had as lovely of a weekend as I had. Some friends were in town, which meant great company, lots of restaurant-eating and much vino. I got to catch up with two of my best girls from grad school and participated in a wedding food tasting with one of them who is getting married here in C'ville in May.  So fun!  Other highlights included a walk in the woods, an afternoon nap, a trip to the running shop and the viewing of Slumdog Millionaire with my hubb, which I highly recommend seeing if you haven't yet.  All-in-all, a very satisfying weekend. That being said...I was a bad healthy food blogger. Not only with my dining-out choices but also with documentation. The food I ate at home (breakfast) was unremarkable, and the remarkable food I ate out is undocumented.  I thought that I would offer you a lovely baked bread instead of a food journal recapping my weekend, but failed miserably at adapting a recipe out of Baking With Agave Nectar.  Not the book's fault, I'm sure, I just messed with the recipe a bit too much.  I can't help myself!  So, note to me, when trying to bake with new ingredients like silken tofu (its called for in nearly 1/2 the recipes in the book) perhaps I should follow the recipe exactly until I get the hang of it... So instead of a lovely baked good, I give you a few pictures from our walk in the woods.  So sunny, so serene, so left me wishing for spring... 090125-woods-31 090125-woods-1 090125-woods-4 And I'll be back in the kitchen tomorrow...I do hope you'll check in.  As my pantry door shows, I've got plans for the week!  Hopefully the rest of the menu will be a bit more successful than the first item.  :)  G'night! 090125-menu PS:  LRM is a trip we're taking with friends in April.  The fig blondies and marshmallows have already been requested after they saw them on the blog, so I'm keeping a running tab to make sure nothing is forgotten!  :) PSS:  My foot is feeling better so I'm going to try a run tomorrow evening.  I'll give a full report, don't worry!  Thank you all SO MUCH for your continued support and advice...you are amazing!!!
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categories Uncategorized

broccoli rabe, squash + tofu pasta

Andrea

I finally got to cook dinner last night!  Its been such a busy week and it just hasn't worked out for me to make anything substantial in the kitchen.  Sadly, my lack of cooking this week meant the sacrifice of two bunches of swiss chard...I had to toss their poor, limp, lifeless bodies into the trash last night. That will teach me...I hate to waste! Luckily when I opened the produce drawer I discovered that the broccoli rabe we picked up last weekend at Whole Foods had survived my brief hiatus.  I've had broccoli rabe several times in restaurants, but I've never actually made it myself.  After doing a little research, I discovered that even though it is part of the broccoli family, and has a few similarities in appearance to broccoli, you actually treat it like leafy greens when cooking it.   090122-d1 I was originally thinking that I would just cook up the broccoli rabe on its own and have it on the side of some glazed pan-fried tofu and a grain of some sort.  That sounded a little boring until I remembered this article I had seen in the NY Times last week.  I used it as a starting point for my pasta dish, but made plenty of changes and additions to be able to call it my own. 090122-d3 The recipe has several steps, but its really not as complicated as it may look on paper.  The squash goes in the oven first, and while it roasts you pan-glaze the tofu.  Once the tofu is ready, the broccoli rabe is parboiled, and the squash is removed from the oven.  The onion and squash are added back to the pan that the tofu was just glazed in, with a little bit more olive oil.  Its joined by the drained broccoli rabe and garlic, and then by the already glazed tofu.  Meanwhile, your pasta is boiling and once drained, it gets tossed in the pan as well.  Easy peasy.  :)  I do think it took about 45 minutes of prep time. 090122-d5 090122-d6 Broccoli Rabe, Squash + Tofu Pasta [makes 4 servings] Ingredients:
  • 1 small butternut squash (about 1lb), peeled, seeded and cubed
  • pan-glazed tofu, recipe follows
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 large bunch broccoli rabe (about 1lb)
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3/4 lb brown rice pasta, preferably fusilli
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • salt + pepper
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 400*.  Place cubed butternut squash in small baking dish.  Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt + pepper to taste.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, until squash is just starting to get tender.
  2. Meanwhile, pan-glaze the tofu (recipe below).
  3. While tofu is cooking, rinse broccoli rabe (BR) very well.  Cut off tough ends of stems, about the last 2”, and discard.  Chop remaining BR into 1/2” pieces.
  4. Check on your roasting squash, and remove from oven if starting to get tender.
  5. Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Add the BR and boil for about 4 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop BR out of hot water and into a bowl of very cold water.  Reserve boiling water for the pasta.
  6. While the BR is resting in the cold water, reheat saute’ pan used for tofu and add 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Add the onion and squash, saute’ for 5 minutes until tender.  Add garlic.  
  7. Drain and squeeze water from BR.  Add to saute’ pan along with the glazed tofu.  Toss all together for about 1 minute.  Remove from heat but keep warm.
  8. Bring water back to a boil to prepare pasta.  Boil pasta until al dente, about 9 minutes.  Drain and toss with sauteed ingredients.
  9. Serve immediately, with parmesan sprinkled on top.
for the tofu:
  • 12oz extra firm tofu, cut into roughly 1” x 1.5” x .5” pieces
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • pinch of salt
pan-glazing method:
  1. Cut the tofu into roughly 1” x 1-1/2” x 1/2” pieces.  Lay cut pieces across a few stacked paper towels.  Lay a few more layers of paper towels on top of tofu and press water out gently with the palms of your hands.  Repeat twice more.
  2. Heat olive oil in nonstick pan on medium.  Add tofu pieces and let saute’ for 6-7 minutes, until golden brown on one side.  DO NOT disturb the tofu before turning it over.  Simply lay it in the pan and leave it alone until you check it for color after 6 minutes.  When golden, flip tofu to other side.  Let saute’ an additional 5 minutes on second side, without disturbing it.
  3. While tofu cooks, mix together all ingredients for the glaze.  
  4. Check second side of tofu for color.  When golden, pour glaze into pan, stirring tofu to fully coat it.  Allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes until glaze thickens and most of the liquid is gone.
  5. Remove tofu and pan from heat.  Place tofu on a plate and set aside.  Reserve the pan and any remnants of glaze for use in a few minutes.
090122-d7 I really enjoyed this dish.  The flavors all went so well together.  And most of all, I enjoyed being in the kitchen again!  :) A quick recap of my other eats yesterday... Breakfast:  toasted Ezekiel cinnamon raisin muffin with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter and a sliced banana. 090122-b1 Lunch:  1 cup of Amy's Curried Lentil Soup and another lovely salad.   090122-l1 The soup was really good, but way more calories than I normally look for in a soup.  There are 230 cal/1 cup serving, and I typically look for that many calories total in the can. 090122-l2 This salad contained:
  • spinach
  • cucumber
  • red bell pepper
  • hearts of palm
  • garbonzo beans
  • dried cranberries
  • poppyseed dressing
    I meant to take a picture of the poppyseed dressing bottle, but I forgot.  :(  I'll try to do that for you this weekend.  I think it is Brianna's brand, the same brand whose honey mustard dressing has a picture of an avocado on the front...   Snacks:  a perfect tangelo at work and a handful of granola when I got home. Whew!  Ok, I'm glad to be caught up now.  I've got a really busy weekend ahead of me so posting will probably be a little sporatic.  In fact, I know I won't be posting tonight because I already promised my hubb that he would have my full attention getting our house ready for guests this weekend.  Apparently blogging takes up a lot of my evening time...!  :) And, THANK YOU ALL for your great comments about my foot injury!  I am definitely thinking that it is plantar fasciitis, and am so angry with myself for getting off of my training last week and then pushing too hard last weekend to finish my long run.  :(  I've gotten great advice from you guys, from the 'net, and from a marathon-running friend of mine that has either seen or had every running injury in the book, so I'm hoping to recover soon.  Its still really painful today, even after resting yesterday. I'm going to see how it feels tomorrow but if its still really sore I made hold off on doing my long run. I'm also going to go talk to my coach at the running shop and see if he has any advice for me and make sure that my shoes are still doing for me what they are supposed to be doing.  And I've got a list of stretches to do, Advil to take and an icing routine in the evenings.  Wish me luck!!!
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    categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
    tags broccoli rabe, ezekiel. amy's soup, pasta, squash, tofu

    injury advice?

    Andrea

    Good evening!  How was everybody's day?  I was in total detox mode after the last two days filled with cookies and fried chicken!  I woke up knowing that I wanted needed to eat completely healthfully to get back on track.  I even managed to resist the temptation of pizza when my hubb went out to get his lunch.  :) The day was started off right with my favorite muffins and a cup of hot tea. Breakfast:  toasted ezekiel cinnamon raisin muffin with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter and apple slices. 090121-b12 Morning Snack:  oikos - blueberry flavor, leftover from the snack I never ate on Monday. Lunch:  a big ol' salad.   090121-l2 This delight contained:
    • spinach
    • celery
    • cucumber
    • broccoli
    • red bell pepper
    • hearts of palm
    • strawberries
    • garbonzo beans
    • poppyseed dressing
    090121-l1 Afternoon Snack:  a perfect tangelo and a Clif Nectar Cacao, dark chocolate raspberry flavor.  I enjoyed the bar before my evening run and the tangelo after. 090121-s2 090121-s Exercise:  a 3-1/2 mile run with my dear friend Kelly.  This was a much more enjoyable run than last night's because (1) I had company to chit chat with and (2) we went at 5pm and still had daylight!!!  Yay for longer days!!!  :)  Thank you all for your supportive comments on last night's post, you have no idea how much it helps to know that I have a whole community of people cheering me on!  I really think that I could learn to love running in the right conditions. A little daylight, a slightly warmer temperature and good company make all the difference!!!  :) However, I need a little injury help/advice.  I'm starting to feel my tendonitis flare up again.  I'm embarrassed to show you what my feet look like in the winter time, but I wanted to show all you runners out there where it hurts and see if you have any advice for me.   090121-foot Have any of you had pain there before?  It hurts the most when I've been sitting for awhile, and get up to walk.  Almost like its seized up and can't stretch back out.  It started bothering me on Monday, I'm sure taking last week off then going for a long run Saturday and an intense yoga class on Sunday flared it up.  I took Monday off running, but went again last night.  My foot hurt all day, but I really wanted to get my run in tonight.  I know, naughty.  I am committed to taking tomorrow and Friday off though, in preparation for my long run on Saturday.  So my question is, do I ice it or heat it?  I'm going to do my own research tonight on the 'net, but I was hoping some of you might have some personal, tried and true advice for me. Back to food... Tonight the hubb and I were called for emergency babysitting duty for friends.  The change of plans has thrown our evening and my super healthy tofu and swiss chard dinner off track, as I only had time for a quick carry-out decision.  I chose Chipotle because it had been awhile, and I felt that I could make a relatively healthy and quick choice. Dinner:  Chipotle burrito bowl with rice, black beans, grilled chicken, tomato salsa, lettuce and guacamole.  I also had a couple of chips.  :) 090121-d1 We're still with the kiddos...the 2-year old is fast asleep and my hubb is giving the baby a bottle after he woke up fussing.  Too cute.  Looks like it will be an all-nighter for us, although I'll probably leave at some point to go back to our house and take care of our pups.  In the meantime, I'm watching Lost and knitting a baby sweater for a friend.  :) G'night!
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    categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
    tags ezekiel, injury, running, salad

    a difficult task

    Andrea

    "Our challenges may be new.  The instruments with which we meet them may be new.  But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old.  These things are true.  They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.  What is demanded then is a return to these truths.  What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

    - President Barack Obama, Inaugural Speech, 01.20.2009

    What an inspiring day for Americans and for the world.  I am so in awe of our new President and so excited by the hope that was palpable in the air today.  The above quote was my favorite segment of President Obama's beautiful speech.  It really got me thinking about hard work, courage, difficult tasks and giving our all to achieve them.  It made me think of this amazing community that I am part of, and the goals we set for ourselves and tackle each and every day.  Not only have I witnessed fellow bloggers pursue and achieve personal health and fitness goals, I've seen them take those personal goals and turn them into quests to contribute to the greater good.  From HangryPants' December Food Drive to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, to Kath's Thanksgiving Challenge to benefit Heifer International,  to Meghann's recent commitment to raise $3900 for Team in Training.  We can all make a difference in the world in our own small ways, by taking on our own difficult tasks and giving our all to achieve them.   The character of this blogging community is strong and good, and I am so proud to be a part of it.

    My own personal fitness goal has been proving itself to be very difficult for me lately.  I haven't learned to love running yet, or at least I haven't learned to love running in the extreme cold we've been experiencing.  But I keep getting out on the road, and I keep logging my miles.  I admit, a good part of the reason I am still training is because I started this blog, told you all that I would run this race, and now I feel committed.  Thank you for keeping me accountable.  If it wasn't for you I probably would have quit last week, when the cold did keep me inside and forced me to take a week off from training.  But I got back out there on Saturday, and I got back out there tonight.  It was cold, I was close to miserable, but I logged 3-1/4 miles because I was thinking about President Obama's speech, about the difficult task that was going to be so satisfying to my spirit when I cross the finish line of the 10-Miler on April 4th.  And I was thinking about you all, and how supportive you've been, and how happy you'll be for me when I report about finishing my race.  And I also thought about the great comments I've received from many of you, telling me that you feel the same way that I do about running, and that reading my story has inspired you to train for a race.  Those comments humble me and make me realize that maybe I'm contributing a little something to the greater good as well.  So I'll keep running, keep training, and will complete this difficult task.  And hopefully, somewhere along the way, I'll learn to love running as well.

    Thanks for reading my ramblings!  :)  On to food...

    Breakfast:  apple + dried cherry oats.  I decided to switch it up a bit, add a little variety to my breakfast and my blog.  But I have to say, I missed my mashed banana and my nut butter...  I also ate the rest of the apple that didn't fit in my bowl. 090120-b1 This bowl contained:
    • 1 cup water, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 tsp vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon
    • 2 heaping tbsp of unsweetened applesauce
    • 1/4 cup of dried cherries
    • 1 tsp ground flax seeds
    • 1/4 of an apple, chopped
    • 1 tbsp slivered almonds
    Its been awhile since I've posted specific directions for my morning oats and I had a couple of inquiries about it yesterday, so here's a bit more of an explanation. I use old-fashioned rolled oats, and cook them on the stovetop.  They only take about 10 minutes total, so I put them on while I'm making coffee and lunch, then sit down to eat them while downloading pictures to my computer.
    1. Bring 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt to a boil on the stovetop.
    2. Add 1/2 cup of rolled oats and stir.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    3. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, turn off heat but leave oats on burner.  This is when I typically add my mashed banana (highly recommended...it makes the texture perfectly creamy and sweetens without adding any sugar).  I also add a 1/4 tsp of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
    4. Once the banana, cinnamon and vanilla are mixed in I remove the oats from the heat, pour into my bowl and add the toppings.
    I've never tried making them ahead of time, but I think that would work better with steel cut oats.  Anybody have any thoughts / suggestions on making oatmeal in a larger batch for the whole week? 090120-b2 The hubb and I joined some friends and co-workers for lunch today to watch inauguration festivities.  There was a huge pan of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and baked beans, and it was all oh. so. good.  I was a bad healthy foodie at lunchtime.  :) Lunch:  two fried chicken drumsticks, some delectable baked beans and mashed potatoes.  And, of course, there were cookies.  I split one with my hubb.  :) 090120-l1 Dinner:  a large [much needed] salad and some Amy's Veggie Lentil soup.  After my frigid run, I just wanted something warm, satisfying and low-effort.  :) 090120-d1 And another 1/2 a cookie... 090120-d2 And now I think I'm off to a hot bath with my book.  I may finally finish it!  Its been wonderful, but my book list is a mile long and I'm ready to move on to the next read.  Good night!
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    categories breakfast, dinner
    tags oatmeal, oats, running

    there will be cookies

    Andrea

    I didn't have a food blog in the summer of 2008, so I feel like I missed out on the David Leite's  Chocolate Chip Cookie fun that I've read about in the archives of a few of my favorite blogs, like Orangette and The Kitchen Sink.  Now, I love a good chocolate chip cookie.  Who doesn't?  But I've seen plenty of recipes out there claiming to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever, so I was skeptical that this one would be any different from all the rest.  I was intrigued, however, by the large amount of chocolate in the recipe...1-1/4 pounds for only 18 cookies!  That, my friends, is a lot of chocolate.  Also, the recipe called for the sprinkling of sea salt on the tops of the cookies just before baking...hmmm.  I am a big fan of sea salt caramels, so this seemed like a touch that would agree with me nicely. 090119-cookie-1 Typically I would take a recipe like this and try to healthify it, using natural sweeteners and substitutes for the refined sugar, oil and white flours.  But it had been awhile since I'd made a full-fat, high-cal decadent cookie, and this seemed just the recipe to indulge on.  And it helped to know that I would be sharing the 18 resulting cookies with 12 friends and co-workers tomorrow during the inauguration ceremony.  I followed David Leite's instructions almost completely, but did have to make two substitutions.  The first was to use ghirardelli chocolate bars chopped into 1/2" pieces instead of chocolate disks.  The second was to replace the cake flour.  I scoured the shelves on the baking aisle at Whole Foods and found no such flour.  I decided to substitute the whole wheat pastry flour I had at home and hope for the best. 090119-cookie-2 A warning:  the dough requires 24 hours of refrigeration before baking.  I made the dough last night and of course sampled it, which made me all the more excited to come home from work tonight to bake the cookies.  Its kind of nice, the phasing of the recipe.  You get all of the mess out of the way the first night and are left with the simple pleasure of balling dough and pulling perfectly golden cookies from the oven the second night. 090119-cookie-3 090119-cookie-4 These cookies are worth the 24-hour wait and the extensive blogger hype.  Totally worth it.  They are perfectly crisp around their golden edges, soft and chewy in their centers.  The sea salt adds an unexpected depth that heightens the flavor of the chocolate while at the same time reducing its richness...a quality that makes it even easier to finish the entire 5" mammoth cookie all at once.  In case you missed the link above, here is the recipe and the article it accompanied. So tomorrow, as we welcome our new president and toast the changes to come with a group of friends, there will be cookies.   I can't think of a better way to celebrate. 090119-cookie-5 Here's a recap of my other eats for the day, although who wants to read about them now that I've introduced cookies to the mix?!?  Especially when its a day full of repeats...  Breakfast:  the standard oat bowl.  I know, I know.  But I love it and its very filling and that's good enough for me. 090119-b11
    • 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, pinch of salt, dribble of vanilla, sprinkle of cinnamon
    • 1 mashed ripe banana
    • 1 tsp ground flax seeds
    • 1 dried fig, chopped
    • 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
    Lunch:  leftover veggie soup, 3 Back To Nature Multigrain Flax flatbreads, 2 tbsp hummus. 090119-l11 Snacks:  my Oikos is back!!!!!  1 blueberry Oikos and a tangelo.  Sadly, I didn't actually eat the Oikos 'cause I just wasn't hungry enough.  The tangelo was excellent though. 090119-s11 Dinner:  leftover veggie soup with some bulgur added to it and a hearty oat biscuit.  So good, and this is the last of it.  :) 090119-d1 090119-d2 Dessert:  a cookie.  Of course.  :) And I'm off.  Have a great Tuesday, everybody!  Happy Inauguration!!!
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    categories baking, breakfast, dinner, lunch
    tags chocolate, cookies, oats, soup

    the way food should taste

    Andrea

    Last night the hubb and I indulged ourselves with a decadent dinner at a local French tapas restaurant, Zinc.  We'd never been before, but heard from a friend that their food was delicious and we should really try it out.  We weren't disappointed.  We ordered 4 small dishes to share, along with 2 desserts (we were at a French restaurant...who can resist?!?).  The first to come out was a roasted beet salad.  Beautiful roasted beets tossed with gorgonzola and red onion in a tasty French vinaegrette over baby mesclun greens.  Delicious for sure, but easy enough to replicate at home.  Second up was the Endive Gratin, perfectly ripe endives smothered in a bechamel sauce and baked.  Good in concept, not remarkable in reality.  Third, Grouper with a Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc...oh.my.goodness.  Thats all I have to say about that.  And forth, Croque Madame.  At this point in the meal I almost melted under the table.  Yum.  For dessert, a Lavender Crème Brûlée and a Poached Pear filled with Mascarpone and smothered with Chocolate Sauce. Does anybody else hear angel's singing?!?  Both desserts were delicious, and I was excited to try the crème brûlée because I've been thinking about incorporating lavender into some of my baked goods.  It was lovely and subtle...just like lavender.  :)   Our personal favorite was absolutely the Croque Madame.  While thoroughly enjoying his cheesey, eggy, hammy, doughy dish, the hubb looked at me and said "why don't we cook like this at home more often?".  To which I replied "because its not very good for you, all the cheese, cream etc."  to which he nodded and said "yes but, its the way food should taste!".  :)   I woke up this morning still on a high from our decadent meal and feeling inspired to make crêpes for breakfast.   090118-b1 I received this little crêpe pan, along with a crêpe-making lesson, from my stepfather for Christmas many years ago.  Surprisingly, it hadn't been used in a few years and I decided that this was the morning to take it out of retirement. 090118-b2 Crêpes are really quite easy to make and can be filled with either savory or sweet combinations.  We chose sweet this morning.  I'm inspired now to make one of my dinner crêpe recipes soon though...  I used this Alton Brown recipe for the batter. Breakfast: 2 french crêpes filled with PB & Co Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter and beautiful sliced strawberries. 090118-b4 090118-b5 After my lovely french breakfast I went to my favorite Vinyasa Yoga class at Studio 206.  Class was fabulous as usual, and I left feeling all gushy and dreamy.  :) Lunch:  the last of the leftover roasted squash + potatoes on bulgur, along with 3 Back to Nature Multigrain Flax flatbread crackers. 090118-l1 The Back To Nature crackers are REALLY tasty...this was my first time trying them and I'll be buying them again. For dinner tonight we went over to our friend Amy's house where she had whipped up a fabulous pot roast.  We brought some homemade veggie soup (similar to this post) that my hubb made along with some hearty oat biscuits that I made.  At the end of the evening we traded leftovers so that we'll all have some variety instead of eating the same thing for days.  It worked out quite well! Dinner:  1 small bowl of pot roast, 1 small bowl of veggie soup, 2 hearty oat biscuits. 090118-d3 I used Erica's recipe for the hearty oat biscuits, but made a few modifications. Hearty Oat Biscuits Ingredients:
    • 2 cups of rolled oats
    • 2 cups of white whole wheat flour
    • 4 tsp baking powder
    • I'll add 1/2 tsp salt next time too
    • 4 tbsp honey
    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 2 cups soymilk
    Method:
    1. Preheat oven to 450*.
    2. Grind oats in food processor.  Add the flour and baking powder and pulse for 10 seconds.
    3. In separate bowl, dissolve the honey in the vegetable oil.  Add the milk and whisk to combine.
    4. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.
    5. Drop biscuits on a greased cookie sheet.  You should get 8-10 palm-sized biscuits.
    6. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
    090118-d2 090118-d1 This recipe is really great and so fast to whip up.  Like I mentioned above, next time I will add a bit of salt.  I also think that adding rosemary or chives would be really tasty, and maybe a bit of sharp cheese.   Alrighty, I'm exhausted and have to work tomorrow.  :(  So sad.  I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
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    categories baking, breakfast, dinner, lunch
    tags biscuits, bread, crepes, french, oatmeal

    baby, its COLD outside!

    Andrea

    Whew!  I have a bit of catch-up to do!  :)  I wish I could say that my lack of post last night was the result of a rowdy night out on the town, but sadly I just fell asleep while watching a movie with my hubb.  I'm feeling old.  :)  Is anybody else totally beat by Friday night?  I'm happy to go out Saturday or even Sunday nights, but Fridays?  Pop a movie in the dvd player and give me a bowl of popcorn and I am a happy girl.  I am thrilled to say that I got a whopping 12 hours of sleep last night!!!  We had the alarm set for 7am to meet the training group for a long run, but when I checked the temperature at that early hour and realized how cold it still was I made a snap decision to go for a later run (with much encouragement from my hubb!).   When we finally rolled out of bed around 10am, I fixed myself a light pre-run breakfast.  I'm going to be experimenting with some of your wonderful suggestions after last weekend's run so that I will be ready with my best fuel for the 10-miler race on April 4th. Breakfast:  1/2 sliced banana and a piece of whole wheat toast with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter and a drizzle of honey. 090117-b1 My hubb and I ran 5 (ridiculously hilly) miles today!!!  I tell you what, I really paid for not running all week.  It was tough!!!  But I finished, and that's all that matters!  My hubb was so sweet and stayed with me the whole way, slowing down to wait for me on several occasions.  There is no way that I would have finished if he hadn't been just ahead of me encouraging me to keep going.  For the first 2 miles I was miserable.  I had layered myself with Under Armor Cold Gear, a fleece vest, windbreaker, gloves, ear warmers and SmartWool socks, but I was still frozen.  My toes and lips were numb and my lungs burned from the 18* (felt like 7*) air.  The whole time I was thinking "why am I doing this?  i don't like to run!  this is crazy!".  But after 2 miles I got in the groove and realized I had to keep going because I would just get colder if I stopped to walk.  I finally warmed up, my toes gained feeling again, but my lips stayed frozen.  When we finally finished I couldn't talk right, it felt like I'd been numbed for a dental procedure or something.  Quite funny.  :)  I don't think I could have chosen a hillier route...what was I thinking?  But, it makes me even prouder to have finished because not only did we increase our distance from last week but we added a ton of hills in as well.  We rock!  :) My breakfast fuel held me over really well.  No tummy growling this week.  But when we got back I was ready for lunch. Lunch:  leftover roasted potatoes + squash (recipe below...SO good) on top of leftover bulgur and fresh spinach.  Also, a side of 1/2 cup Fage 0% and strawberries, which my hubb helped me finish. 090117-l1 090117-l2 This combo was SO tasty.  The spinach wilted a bit when I microwaved the bowl to heat up the squash and 'taters, making it more flavorful and the perfect consistency with the rest of the dish. 090117-l3 So a quick recap of yesterday is in order.  I'll try to keep it brief, but definitely hold out for the simple Roasted Squash + Potatoes at the bottom because it is a winner! Breakfast:  same as thursday, a toasted Ezekiel Cinn Raisin Muffin with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, cranberry ketchup and apple slices.  Such a good, filling breakfast.  My second favorite, the first being oats.  :) 090116-d3 Lunch:  leftover stuffed acorn squash filling with roasted garlic hummus and fresh spinach wrapped up in a 8" whole wheat tortilla.  A side of extra hummus, 1/2 a red bell pepper and a carrot finished it off. 090116-l1 Snack:  My office had our weekly wine and cheese "yay its friday!" celebration, so I had more cheese, crackers, and wine than I probably should have.  :) It was "use up stuff in the fridge before we shop tomorrow" night, and it turned out SO well!  We had leftover baked chicken breast, an acorn squash, some red potatoes that were growing eyes, and a lot of fresh produce to use up.  I knew I wanted to make something with the squash and potatoes, and dreamed up this simple combo while at work. Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash + Potatoes Ingredients:
    • one small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1" cubes
    • 6-8 small red potatoes, bad spots peeled but remainder of skin left on, diced into 1" cubes
    • 1/2 an onion, diced into 1" pieces
    • 3 tbsp butter (yes, butter.  the hubb convinced me and i'm so glad he did) cut into 3 pieces
    • salt + pepper to taste
    • one sprig of fresh rosemary
    • 1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces
    Combine everything but the walnuts in a baking dish, with the rosemary buried in the center.  Roast on 375* for 45 minutes.  Put walnuts on a cookie sheet, place in oven on rack underneath roasting veggies, turn oven temperature up to 400* and continue to roast for an additional 10 minutes.  You may want to toss the walnuts at the 5 minute mark, just watch them so that they don't burn.  Remove rosemary and serve immediately, with walnuts sprinkled on the top. 090116-d1 090116-d2 I can't tell you enough how good this was!  Please, please, please try it!  :) The rest of dinner consisted of a HUGE salad and 1/2 a chicken breast seasoned with Chef Paul's Poultry Magic. 090116-d4 The salad contained:
    • fresh spinach
    • broccoli
    • red bell pepper
    • hearts of palm
    • celery
    • strawberries
    • blood orange pieces
    • creamy poppyseed dressing
    YUM!!! 090116-d5 Its no wonder I passed out shortly after consuming this feast... Allison asked me yesterday to explain the difference between a blood orange and a regular orange.  Here goes! 090116-d6 The blood orange is one of my favorite winter fruits.  I look forward to it every winter similarly to how I look forward to currants at the end of fall and peaches in the summer.  It bas beautiful crimson flesh and a distinctive taste that is somewhere between an orange and a grapefruit.  It is tart, leaves a dry feeling on your tongue like the grapefruit but has a sweet finish like an orange.  You see them most often made into dressings, gelato/sorbet and drinks.  If you haven't tried one, go for it!!!  They are just coming into season so should be hitting your grocery stores any week now. And now I'm off for some grocery shopping with my hubb.  I hope you all are having a fabulous Saturday!
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    categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, recipes
    tags blood orange, butternut squash, ezekiel, fage, potatoes, running, salad

    stuffed acorn squash

    Andrea

    I'm feeling a little uninspired verbally tonight so I'll keep this short and sweet.  First of all, thanks for all of the kind words regarding my lack of running this week!  You guys are great for understanding, but I do fully intend on getting back in the groove by Saturday.  I'm shooting for some sort of action tomorrow morning, even though it is supposed to be the coldest of our mornings this winter so far.  I was inspired by Meghann's workout bargain this morning, and am going to try and be similarly motivated tomorrow when my alarm goes off.  I'm not promising anything outside though, weather.com forecasts that the real feel temperature tomorrow at 6am will be -2*.  Yes, that's a negative in front of that 2*.  Brrrrrrrr.  :) Today's eats... Breakfast:  toasted ezekiel muffin with natural peanut butter, sliced apple and cranberry ketchup. 090115-b11 Lunch:  out with a friend at Bizou!  Definitely my favorite C'ville downtown lunch spot.  No pictures, but I assure you that I had a fabulous housemade peppery pasta with butternut squash purée and garlicky sautéed spinach.  It was soooooo good, and something I will definitely be trying to replicate soon. Snack:  blood orange with 1/2 cup Fage 0%.  I may have also had a fig almond brownie...  :)  090115-s11 Dinner:  stuffed acorn squash and steamed broccoli.  This was such a good dinner, and so warming on such a cold night!  :) 090115-d1 090115-d4 090115-d3 Stuffed Acorn Squash Ingredients:
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 celery ribs, chopped
    • 1 carrot, chopped
    • 1/2 onion, chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
    • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
    • splash of dry red or white wine
    • 1 cup cooked bulgur
    • fresh parsley
    • 1 cooked chicken breast (I seasoned with Chef Paul's Poultry Magic), shredded
    • 2 cups fresh spinach
    • 2 small acorn squash
    • 1 tbsp butter
    • salt + pepper
    Method:
    1. Cut 1 inch off of top of each acorn squash.  Reserve top.  If needed, cut a bit off of bottom of squash to flatten so that they will sit up in pan in oven. Scoop out seeds and strings.  Put 1/2 tbsp butter into each acorn squash and set aside.
    2. Preheat oven to 400*.
    3. Heat oil in large saucepan.  Sauté celery, carrot, onion, garlic and bell pepper for 5-7 minutes until tender.
    4. Deglaze pan with red wine.  Add bulgur, shredded chicken, fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste.   Allow to eat through an additional 2-3 minutes. Add spinach at last minute and allow to wilt.  Remove from heat.
    5. Scoop filling into squash.  You'll probably have quite a bit left over, depending on the size of your squash.  I think it will make a lovely wrap tomorrow! 
    6. Place tops back on squash, put squash in baking pan and bake at 400* for 1 hour.
    YUM!!!!!! Dessert:  I snacked on some Annie's Cinnamon Bunnies and one square of a TJ's 72% cocoa bar while watching Private Practice.  Yay! Alrighty, its bed time.  My electric blanket is calling my name loud and clear!!!  Here's a fun question...What's the temperature where you are?
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    categories breakfast, dinner
    tags acorn squash, ezekiel, stuffed

    staying warm

    Andrea

    I have a confession to make...I haven’t run since my 5-mile accomplishment on Saturday.  :(  The problem with living in Virginia in the Winter is that its cold.  Really cold.  I know I’m a wimp to complain about 20* weather when so many of you live in places FAR colder but you have to understand that I grew up in Florida...this whole temperature getting below 50* in the Winter is still fairly new to me.  Each day this week I have planned on running, and each day I have chickened out.  Maybe its because the window in my office is so drafty that I have to wear my wool coat and scarf all day, and even then my poor little fingers are still icicles.  Or maybe its because when I get home all I want to do is create a meal that will be so satisfying and hearty that I will be warmed from the inside out after consuming it, like last night’s Ravioli Lasagna and Brussels Sprout Spaghetti. 090114-d13 This idea came from Tina at Carrots & Cake, and originally from Real Simple magazine (I couldn't find a recipe link).  Lasagna noodles and ricotta are replaced with prepared ravioli pasta...I chose 365 Brand frozen 5 Cheese Ravioli. 090114-d32 The raviolis are layered with pasta sauce (also 365 Brand), frozen spinach (thawed, excess water squeezed out) and part-skim mozzarella.  There are so many variations that could be played with.  I was thinking about an amazing portobello ravioli that a local pasta shop creates and how good that would be layered with additional mushrooms, olives and capers...yum! 090114-d41 Were I to create the lasagna for a dinner party again I would probably use fresh ravioli in lieu of the frozen.  This would make the cost of the dish significantly higher, which is why I would reserve it for special occasions only.  The frozen raviolis were good, just chewier than fresh would have been.  Even with frozen raviolis this dish is more expensive than a classic lasagna with noodles would be, but its a fun take on a classic favorite that I will surely make again. Basic Ravioli Lasagna (I encourage you to try different variations...next time I will add more veggies) Ingredients:
    • (3) 8oz packages of fresh or frozen ravioli
    • (1) jar of pasta sauce
    • (1) 10oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess liquid)
    • 1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
    Method:
    1. Ladle 1/2 cup of sauce into bottom of 9x9 glass baking dish.
    2. Layer one package of ravioli on top of sauce.
    3. Top with 1/2 of spinach and 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
    4. Ladle 1/3 of remaining sauce over mozzarella.
    5. Repeat steps 2-4.
    6. Layer last package of ravioli on top of sauce.
    7. Ladle remaining 1/3 of sauce over ravioli and top with last 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
    8. Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes, until lasagna is bubbly and top layer of cheese is just starting to brown.
    090114-d51 While the lasagna was baking I worked on a new brussels sprouts recipe.  Our go-to method for cooking brussels has been to roast them, and I'm getting a little tired of it.  We have them weekly, so I wanted to play around with different methods of preparing them.  A friend of mine told me about a recipe he and his wife cook often, where you slice the brussels into 1/8" pieces, essentially turning them into a slaw-like consistency.  You then sauté them in butter, toss them with linguine and serve.  I was intrigued, so we tried it. Brussels Sprout Spaghetti Ingredients:
    • lots of brussels...we probably had 20 medium-sized
    • 1 shallot, minced
    • 1 tbsp butter
    • whole wheat pasta (I used spaghetti, but will use angel hair next time)
    • juice from 1/2 a lemon
    • parmesan cheese, shaved
    Method:
    1. Boil the pasta until soft.
    2. Meanwhile, saute' the brussels and shallot in 1/2 the butter until fragrant and beginning to brown.
    3. Drain the pasta and add to the brussels pan.  Add the last 1/2 of butter and toss all together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    4. Serve with shaved parmesan on top.
    090114-d61 This dish was delicious, although I will definitely reduce the amount of pasta used next time, and will probably substitute angel hair for the spaghetti noodles.  The shaved parmesan really makes the dish, and I think it would be divine with bacon or pancetta added in. 090114-d72 090224-d81 The evening was delicious, warm and satisfying.  But if I'm going to keep making dishes like this, I have to get over my fear of the cold and get back on the road for some runs!  Here's hoping the weather warms soon...
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    categories breakfast, dinner, recipes
    tags brussels sprouts, ezekiel muffin, fage, lasagna, ravioli

    birthday blondies

    Andrea

    Friday is my dear friend Beth's birthday.  Beth and I met the summer before I started graduate school when she was an intern at the architecture firm I had been working for.  We became fast friends because we shared many interests:  design, food, running, yoga.  We swapped recipes and design ideas for two years before she moved to Philadelphia to take a job with a fabulous firm.  I miss her.  She was the person who first introduced me to brussels sprouts and kale, both of which I now can't live without. She also introduced me to figs.  I owe her many thanks for bringing dried figs into my life. These fig almond blondies are for Beth.  Happy birthday dear friend. brownies-1 brownies-2 090114-blondies-1 This recipe comes from VeggieGirl.  I said last night that Jen @ Running With Food can cook...well, VeggieGirl can bake!!!  This is the second blondie recipe I've tried of hers, and it is definitely a winner in my household.  I will be holding both her Fig Almond Blondie and her Pear Pistachio Ginger Blondie recipes near and dear for a long time. Fig Almond Blondies adapted slightly from VeggieGirl's Fig Almond Blondie recipe makes 16 blondies Ingredients:
    • 6oz plain Greek yogurt
    • 1/4 cup applesauce
    • 1 cup turbinado sugar
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 tsp blackstrap molasses
    • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (next time I will try whole wheat pastry flour)
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1 cup sliced almonds
    • 10 dried Turkish figs, chopped
    • soymilk, as needed
    Method:
    1. Preheat oven to 350* and spray 8x8 cooking pan with oil
    2. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, applesauce, sugar, vanilla and molasses together.
    3. In the same bowl, add the flour, baking soda, almonds and figs.  As the mixture combines it will thicken, add a splash of soymilk as needed to help mix.  Don't add too much!!!
    4. Spread batter into greased 8x8 pan and smooth the top.
    5. Bake for 32-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    6. Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before cutting.
    090114-s21 A quick recap of today's eats so far... Breakfast:  Oats!  I'm so in love with my normal combo, I just can't get enough!  This morning I stepped it up an extra notch by adding dried figs.  Yum!  The fig seeds added perfect little bits of crunch. 090114-b1 Lunch:  Leftovers!  I know I promised another wrap, but when I opened the fridge this morning and saw a perfect lunch-sized portion of leftover pot pie and collard greens, I couldn't resist. 090114-l1 Snack:  1/2 cup Fage 0% and 5 lovely strawberries.  I have to say, I'm really loving the Fage.  Its making me miss my Oikos less and less each day... 090114-s1 Tonight the hubb and I are going over to our friend Amy's house for dinner, which is why I'm posting a bit early.  I'm making a quick lasagna recipe that I'm really excited to try and can't wait to share the results with you tomorrow! Be sure to check out Oh She Glows for a fabulous Honest Foods Giveaway! Have a great night!  :)
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    categories Uncategorized, baking, breakfast, lunch
    tags almonds, blondies, fage, figs, oats

    food on the table

    Andrea

    Oh, I'm glad today is over.  Things are slooooooowwwww in landscape design world right now.  It seems that with a faltering economy there aren't a whole lot of people who want to throw money at creating beautiful outdoor spaces.  I guess they are more worried about keeping food on the table, etc.  And because things are slow in the office, that's what I spend significant amounts of my day thinking about too, food on the table.  Not that I'm worried about my job security, although I probably should be, I just like to think about food.  On my table.  And what fun new recipe I'm going to try that will get said food onto said table. But before I jump to the dinner recipe I thought about all day and then crafted when I got home, lets start with breakfast. Breakfast:  Oats!  And Vanilla Honey Chamomile Tea.  This was a typical bowl of oats that I l.o.v.e. I'm in a bit of a rut with my oats, but I don't mind at all.  :)
    • 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, pinch of salt, splash of vanilla and sprinkling of cinnamon
    • 1 small mashed banana
    • 1 tsp ground flax seeds
    • 1 spoonful of natural peanut butter (I used up all of my almond butter!  But must thin out other condiments before replacing...)
    090113-b1 Lunch:  Veggie Wrap with
    • 2 tbsp roasted garlic hummus
    • 1/2 cup of roasted spaghetti squash
    • red bell pepper
    • baby spinach
    090113-l1 This combo was FABULOUS!  I will definitely be repeating tomorrow...sorry in advance!  I also had a navel orange (the one whose zest graced my bread last night) with 1/2 cup of Fage 0%. 090113-l2 Snacks:  C'mon...did you expect any different?  How could I resist this bread?!?  I nibbled on 2 slices throughout the day.  I think this is my favorite bread that I've made so far on the blog. Fav-or-ite. 090113-s2 Last week I saw this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie with Cornmeal Crust on Running With Food.  I love Jen's blog because not only is her photography gorgeous and her writing entertaining...the girl can cook!  Her recipes are the kind of down-home, simple comfort food that we crave regularly in our household. After freezing for most of the day at my drafty desk in a slightly boring job (these days anyway), comfort food was exactly what I needed. Dinner:  Chicken Pot Pie with Cornmeal Crust [recipe here] with a side of Collard Greens, and a glass of cabernet. 090113-d2 090113-d1 The pot pie recipe is deliciously easy and I followed it nearly to a tee.  One step that Jen forgot to mention is when to cook the chicken.  I chopped it up and tossed it in the saucepan with the veggies to sauté for 5-7 minutes before adding the Cream of Mushroom soup mixture.  I also added fresh parsley to the filling.  After the filling simmered for about 10 minutes, I added one tablespoon of cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water) to help the mixture to thicken up a bit. 090113-d3 I dropped dollops of cornmeal batter across the top of the filling to make "biscuits", and baked the dish for 20 minutes at 425*. 090113-d5 090113-d7 While the pot pie was baking, I quickly prepared the collard greens by removing the stems and rinsing the leaves.  I then sautéed some garlic in olive oil in a big soup pan. Once the garlic was fragrant, I added the damp collards to the pot and covered it.  I let the collards steam for 5-7 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. 090113-d4 090113-d8 Dinner was EXCELLENT!!!  This pot pie recipe is definitely a keeper.  I was hoping to be able to try Jen's stuffed acorn squash recipe with the leftover pot pie, but there isn't much left!!!  My hubb REALLY liked it.  :) I hope you've all had a great day and evening!  I was able to do a little baking tonight for a friend's birthday, which I will share with you tomorrow.  Not my own recipe, but VeggieGirl's Fig Blondies!  They are sure to be a hit, the last VeggieGirl recipe I tried was amazing.  Goodnight!
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    categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
    tags bread, chicken pot pie, collard greens, cornmeal, oats, wrap

    a sweet potato kind of day

    Andrea

    You're going to say it isn't possible...but it is.  I found another use for the cranberry ketchup.  :)  Today at work I was fretting a bit about the fact that the batch of cranberry ketchup (CK) I made last month is nearing its 4-week birthday.  Now I don't know for sure that it will go bad on its 28th day in existence, but that was the rough estimate I was given when I asked sweet Erin of Care to Eat for the recipe, and I didn't want to take any chances of wasting a single drop.  I was also thinking about baking because, well, I think about baking a lot.  The two thoughts eventually converged and I began to think about ways I could incorporate the CK into a baked good other than simply smearing it across the top (which is an excellent way to use it, don't get me wrong).   090112-bread-6 I've loved the different swirl breads I've seen pop up over the holidays, but have never attempted one myself.  I thought about banana bread with a cranberry swirl...yummy for sure, but I had no overly ripe bananas on my counter.  Cinnamon bread with a cranberry swirl?  I couldn't find or come up with a plain cinnamon bread recipe to modify.  Sweet potato bread with a cranberry swirl?  Now we're talking, I just happened to have a baked sweet potato sitting on the top shelf of my fridge.  But wait...Sweet Potato Apple Bread with a Cranberry Swirl?  Ding Ding Ding! 090112-bread-11 090112-bread-2 I started with the recipe I came up with for BSI: SWEET POTATO a couple of months ago.  This batter is a bit thicker than typical bread or cake batters, so I wasn't really sure how to incorporate the cranberry swirl in.  The hubb helped me wing it...we just cut 6 slots in the top of the bread batter in the short direction of the pan, then pulled a knife across the long direction.  As you can see, it looked like a big mess.  At this point I wasn't sure what I was going to get after it spent 50 minutes in the oven.  I'm still a very novice baker and am definitely learning by doing, or actually learning by taking plenty of chances that often result in big messes. 090112-bread-3 I was pleasantly surprised when I peaked in the oven after 45 minutes and all seemed well.  And the smell...oh. my. goodness.  It took me right back to the holidays.  I gave the bread an additional 5 minutes to set up then pulled it, placing it on a rack in the pan to cool for 10 minutes.  It fell a bit after sitting, I'm sure the cranberry goo contracted as it cooled and lost air bubbles, causing the bread to cave in a bit.  I was absolutely terrified to flip the pan and release the loaf. 090112-bread-4 Another pleasant surprise...it released perfectly. 090112-bread-5 After letting the loaf cool on the rack without its pan for 40 minutes, I couldn't resist slicing it to see how successful our swirling method had been. 090112-bread-7 I wouldn't call it a swirl, per se, but the CK added a lovely touch to the sweet potato apple bread, both visually and orally.  I will DEFINITELY be making this recipe every year, along with the cranberry ketchup.  :) 090112-bread-8 Sweet Potato Apple Bread with a Cranberry Swirl Ingredients:
    • 1 medium baked sweet potato, mashed (about 1-1/2 cups) 
    • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp apple sauce
    • zest from 1 orange
    • 1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (pink lady, granny smith, etc.) 
    • 1-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
    • 1/2 cup of cranberry ketchup* or other cranberry preserves
    Method:
    1. Preheat oven to 350*.  In a small bowl, mash the potato and add the brown sugar, applesauce, orange zest and egg.  Mix well.
    2. Add the chopped apple to the wet mixture.
    3. In a larger bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
    4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently fold together.
    5. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.  Smooth top of batter, than cut 1/2-inch deep slits in batter across short direction of pan.  Pour cranberry ketchup of preserves into slits, then drag a knife across long direction of pan to pull preserves through batter.  Do not overwork.
    6. Bake for 50-55 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
    *  If you would like the recipe for cranberry ketchup, please send me an email.  The recipe is directly from a cookbook and I am not comfortable with publishing it on the blog.  Thanks!  Oh!  The hubb and I did have dinner tonight too.  And it was a lovely dinner, it just got overshadowed by dessert as so many great meals do (in my world anyway). Dinner:  Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Veggies.  It doesn't need much of an explanation, the pictures speak for themselves.  Although I do want to say that the tenderloins are from our favorite local pig farmer, Babes In The Wood.  So so so good. 090112-d1 090112-d2 090112-d3 I hope you all had a fabulous Monday!
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    categories baking, dinner
    tags apple, bread, cranberry, roasted pork, roasted veggies, sweet potato

    i owe you...

    Andrea

    ...a post.  But instead of telling you about my sunday eats (which were unhealthy, eaten in the car, in ikea or out of a dominoes box) I decided to break up today's food journal posts.  Since I missed out on all of my baking plans this weekend (a trip to Ikea and the resulting piles of boxes, plastic wrap, tiny allen wrenches and discarded old furniture will do that to you...) I'm hoping to play a little catch-up tonight and tomorrow night.  Which means lots of pictures of baked goods are coming.  Yum.   Thank you all for the sweet congratulatory comments on Saturday's post!!!  I am so lucky to be part of such a supportive network of people, it really means a lot to me that you all are cheering me on.  :) Breakfast:  toasted Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Muffin with 1 tbsp almond butter, sliced apple and 1 tbsp cranberry ketchup. 090112-b1 I'll give you a preview of what I'll be eating for lunch and my snack today.  I pack my food in the morning and take all of my photos before work, which is why I always have the same background in my shots.  I like the consistency, and it allows me to avoid awkward questions from my boss and co-worker.  They just don't need to know about the blog.  Not yet anyway. Lunch:  baked sweet potato with 1/2 cup of corn and 1/4 cup of edamame...and a good sprinkle of sea salt. 090112-l1 Snack:  1/2 cup of Fage 0% and 4 beautiful strawberries. 090112-s1 Last week I read this article by Mark Bittman of The New York Times about what common pantry items to ditch in 2009.  I found it very interesting and thought you all might as well.  He suggests replacing pre-packaged, preservative-full items with their natural counterparts...sounds right up our foodie alleys, doesn't it?   A couple of examples: OUT:  packaged bread crumbs or croutons IN:  make your own by chopping up bread and placing in a low-heat oven until brown and crispy.  Mark claims they will keep for a long time! OUT:  aerosol oil IN:  good olive oil in a hand-pumped sprayer OUT:  old spices - they're only good for one year!!!  (looks like I have some cleaning-out to do...!) IN:  fresh spices - if you take a whiff of your spice jar and get dust or a musty smell instead, toss it! OUT:  canned beans IN:  dried beans.  Cook up a pound over the weekend to use all week long.  They taste better, are more economical and take up less space in your pantry. There are so many other great suggestions...check out the article! I hope you all have a fabulous day, I'll be back tonight.  :)
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    categories Uncategorized, breakfast, lunch
    tags edamame, ezekiel, fage, new york times, sweet potato

    5 MILES!!!

    Andrea

    That's right bloggies, this morning the hubb and I joined the training group for a 5 MILE RUN!!!  We're halfway to reaching our goal of running the Charlottesville 10-Miler on April 4th.  I can't believe that in the last 12 weeks we've gone from 0 miles to 5 miles...WOOHOO!!! We started off with a slow 1/2 mile warm-up jog on the track, then did 4-1/2 miles on relatively flat Charlottesville roads.  There were gradual ups and downs the whole way, and two steep hills, one at the beginning and one at the end.  They were nothing compared to the actual race which has MANY steep hills...in fact, the Charlottesville 10-Miler is known as one of the hilliest, most challenging races in the country!  Yikes. I began the run with a sweet foursome of ladies while my hubb joined a faster group of guys.  The ladies were pacing a bit slower than I typically do, about 11 minutes.  I pulled ahead after the first 1-1/2 miles and finished the last 3-1/2 miles at my typical 10-minute pace.  I felt great for most of the run, with just a little bit of knee soreness.  But I never felt like I needed to quit.  Never.  All-in-all it was a great run, and left me totally pumped to continue my training for the next 12 weeks until the 10-miler on April 4th!!! We received Phase 2 of our training program today so I will get it posted in the next couple of days on my training program page. Before my run I ate 1/2 a banana. This is my typical fuel before a long run, but I know I'm going to need more now that I'm at the 5-mile mark.  How do you other runners out there fuel before a long run??? 090110-b1 After my run I was famished!!!  My tummy was growling at me for the last mile.  I knew I had to eat as soon as I got home... Breakfast:  1 cup of Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch with 1/2 banana and 1 cup of soy milk. 090110-b2 The hubb and I had a great day running some errands and meeting friends for lunch.  I won't bore you with details, but the day included mattress testing and lunch at a Brazilian Churrascaria, Ipanema Grill. If you've never been to a churrascaria before...GO!!!  Its sooooo fun.  The big chain one is Texas de Brazil, which we've also been to (in Orlando).  I mainly ate off of the salad bar, which is huge and AMAZING, but I also had a small piece of bacon-wrapped chicken and a small sausage. Lunch was so big and filling that we completely skipped dinner! And, on the way home from Richmond (about an hour drive) the hubb and I talked about rearranging our house.  And when we got home, we proceeded to COMPLETELY tear it apart.  We like immediate results...  :)  So, tomorrow we'll be going to Ikea to pick up a few things and try to put our newly organized and arranged house back together.  So fun!!!  Here's a shot of our poor architecture books displaced in our dining room... 090110-books And this isn't even close to all of the books we own... So, my big plans for grocery shopping and baking today were postponed until tomorrow, hopefully.  :) I hope you all are having a fabulous weekend...I'll be back tomorrow!
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    categories breakfast, lunch
    tags churrascaria, running

    a little queasy

    Andrea

    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!!!
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    categories Uncategorized, breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review

    running low...

    Andrea

    Good evening!  Thank you all for the sweet comments today!  I am feeling much better after a good night's sleep.  I'm very happy that tomorrow is Friday and I'll be able to take it easy this weekend and catch up on some shut-eye.  This whole 5-day workweek thing is killing me!   :) Along with the end of the week comes the end of our grocery supply.  This end of the week is especially difficult because we actually grocery shopped last Wednesday, but instead of shopping for 1-1/2 weeks we did our normal week's worth of groceries so now...we're running quite low.  :) I dug some Ezekiel bread out of the freezer to make some toast for breakfast.  I have no idea how long it had been there, but apparently it was too long.  The toast was packed up to take to work with me this morning because I was running a little late, 1 piece smeared with almond butter the other with cranberry ketchup.  090108-b2 When I bit in, I was hit with an intense freezer-burn flavor and had a really tough time chewing the old bread.  Into the trash it went, and off I was to a cafe' down the street for some oatmeal.  What a waste of almond butter and cran ketchup (if you want the recipe shoot me an email, its straight from a cookbook so I can't post it). Breakfast:  a cup of oatmeal with cinnamon, brown sugar, golden raisins and chopped apple. Morning Snack:  a grapefruit that was supposed to be part of breakfast, but my oatmeal was pretty filling. 090108-b1 Leftovers for lunch make me pretty happy, especially when the leftovers are Thai!!!  Thank you all for the great suggestions of places to find good Thai recipes.  I have a feeling you'll be seeing some experimentation on the blog.  I'm especially excited about Ellen's suggestion to check out Chez Pim for a great Pad Thai tutorial.  Thank you Ellen!!! Lunch:  tofu scallion soup with bean sprouts and extra rice noodles, spring rolls with spicy pineapple sauce.  Delish. 090108-l1 090108-l2 Mid-Afternoon Snack: 1/4 cup of mixed nuts and dried fruit (cherries and figs, my favorites!!!).  My hubb also brought me a few fries from his lunch, 'cause he knows what I like.  :) 090108-s1 The hubb and I went for a run after work tonight...2-3/4 miles.  I kept up with my love as best I could which resulted in a speedier than normal run for me.  There were also hills.  I've discovered that you can't go further than 2 miles in Charlottesville without hitting a decent hill.  When we got home I stretched for a long time, I even did a few Vinyasa flows.  My hips have been really tight (maybe because of all the hills?!?) so I spent extra time with poses that would help to release some tension.  Hmmmmmmm....I feel so much better!  :) For dinner tonight I wanted to make some kind of cheesy, veggie-ful casserole thing.  I wasn't sure where it was going, but I thought that this spaghetti squash might be a good start. 090108-d1 The hubb disagreed (don't worry, I'll try it eventually) so the squash was delegated to fill my belly at lunch tomorrow.  I love getting the next day's lunch packed the night before, it makes my mornings so much easier!  I'll save the picture of my packed lunch for tomorrow's post though...  :) Instead, we went with our classic mexican dip night.  This is now a once-a-month favorite of ours, and typically corresponds with new episodes of Grey's Anatomy.  We used to eat it at least once-a-week...I think we've come very far.  I even went so far as to dip raw veggies into the cheesy goodness rather than tortilla chips...yay me! Dinner:  mexican dip with one whole carrot and 1/2 a cucumber.  I caved in and had a few blue corn tortilla chips too, but not NEARLY as many as I would have had if I hadn't chopped up some veggies. 090108-d2 This dip included:
    • spanish rice
    • one can of diced tomatoes
    • one can of black beans, mashed and mixed with taco seasoning
    • salsa
    • corn
    • orange bell pepper
    • cheddar / monterrey jack shredded cheese
    It was TASTY!!!  What's your favorite t.v. / movie night dinner? TGIF!  Anybody have any big weekend plans?  I'm planning on experimenting with some baking recipes, and my new mixer!!!  WooHoo!  :)
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    categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
    tags dip, mexican, running, thai

    sleepy girl

    Andrea

    Hello lovelies!  Tonight's post will be a short one, I'm not feelin' so hot.  Actually, I'm really tired, and a hot bath is loudly calling my name...  :)  The hubb and I haven't been sleeping well lately, we are in desperate need of a new mattress.  That, coupled with my very hilly 3-1/2 mile run this afternoon has left me sleepy and ready for some down time! Breakfast:  A repeat of Monday...oats!  With some vanilla, cinnamon, one small, ripe, mashed banana, ground flax seeds and a spoonful of almond butter. 090107-b1 Lunch:  More lentil salad, this time layered with spinach on the bottom and feta on the top...tasty!  On the side, 1/2 a whole wheat pita and a large pear. 090107-l1 Snacks:  Clems and Stoneyfield Yogurt.  I only ate one clem, after my run.   090107-s1 Dinner:  Take-out Thai!!!!  Yay!  My fave.  I picked the tofu scallion soup with bean sprouts, and ordered some rice noodles on the side to throw on top.  The broth was absolutely amazing!  I really need to start cooking Thai food... 090107-d1 I also had a small pile of the hubb's tofu pad thai and a few veggie spring rolls dipped in their amazing spicy pineapple sauce. 090107-d2 Does anybody have a good resource for Thai recipes?  I'm looking for a book, or website, or chef I should watch out for... Before rushing off to the bath I must write about my run.  I'm so excited to be past the 3-mile mark and getting in 30+ minute running workouts multiple times a week!  While at dinner with our friends last weekend, Kelly and I chatted about starting to run together again occasionally.  She was my first running partner in Charlottesville, we trained for the 2006 Women's 4-Miler together.  We're both designers (she's actually a registered architect) and our offices are right next door to each other downtown.  We decided to pick at least one night a week (Wednesdays!) to leave work a little early and get in a good 3+ mile run together before darkness falls.  Tonight Kelly picked our 3-1/2 mile route and it was HILLY!  So great though, I feel like we got a great workout in, along with fabulous conversation. And now I'm off to the bathtub to sooth my tired body.  Goodnight!  :)
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    categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
    tags lentils, oats, running, thai

    figs. also, some kale.

    Andrea

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

    kashi coupon winners!

    Andrea

    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]
    090105-d3 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!
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    categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, product review
    tags kashi, nairns, oats, pumpkin cranberry bread, salad, soup

    mexican meatball soup + kashi coupons!

    Andrea

    I've had such a wonderful, relaxing weekend!  It was just what I needed after a week of traveling and holidays.  I hope that you all feel refreshed and ready to get back to work / school! We had a fantastic time with our friends last night.  Dinner was amazing, roasted chicken breast with onions, garlic and carrots, a side of steamed broccoli and savory grits.  All accompanied by two glasses of cabernet and finished with a medley of cheesecakes that we all sampled.  I was so disappointed that in my rush to get out of our house yesterday I forgot to grab my camera, so I have no evidence of our fabulous eats.  After dinner we just hung out and chatted for a few hours, but had a little break in the middle to play Rockband!!!  So so so fun!  :)  I'm REALLY disappointed that I don't have pictures of that! I was awakened early this morning by one of our pups, and after dealing with her was unable to get back to sleep.  So I got up and made myself a pre-breakfast snack (the hubb had big plans for an egg breakfast and I didn't want to ruin it for him). Snack:  1 cornmeal muffin spread with cranberry "ketchup", 1 clementine and a cup of green tea. 090104-b3 After being up for a couple of hours it became clear that the hubb still wasn't ready to roll out of bed so I decided to go ahead and have breakfast without him. Breakfast:  A 6oz cup of 0% Fage topped with 1/4 cup TJ's pumpkin spice granola and a sliced banana. 090104-b2 Ahhhhhh...Greek Yogurt, how I missed thee.  I still prefer Oikos because it is organic, but until they work out their manufacturing problem and get it back on my Whole Food's shelves the Fage will suit me just fine.  Plus...its cheaper!  :) Sadly, my hubb emerged from the bedroom just after I finished my breakfast.  I snagged a cup of coffee and a piece of his bacon while sitting with him through his meal. 090104-b1 At lunchtime I went to my favorite 75-minute Vinyasa Yoga class at Studio 206.  It had been three weeks since I'd been and it felt great to be back.  Man oh man, Hilary kicked my bootie!  It was a wonderful, intense class that had me drenched by the end.  I was worried that I would be too sore from my run yesterday but the yoga really helped to loosen me up.  I love the combination of running and yoga and what it does for me both mentally and physically. My hubb picked me up at 2pm and I was ravenous so I helped him finish the french fries he'd picked up while running errands.  Once home I made myself a quick, late lunch before heading out into the yard to plant some bulbs. Lunch:  1/2 an almond butter and sour cherry preserves sandwich on whole wheat bread and a sliced pear. 090104-l1 I planted 150 spring bulbs in hard Virginia clay for 2+ hours this afternoon.  I really hope that they come up, they should have gone in the ground a month ago but I just never got around to planting them. The bulbs I planted two years ago are already peaking up above the mulch, so we'll see what happens with my newbies.  The yard work was another workout in itself...2+ hours digging in hard Virginia clay will leave you t.i.r.e.d. Snack:  I was starving again when I came in just before dark (its been such a snack-filled day!) so I grabbed this Kashi Cereal Bar sample I got in the mail the other day. 090104-s1 I've seen these on the my grocery store's shelves but they are kinda pricey so I haven't picked any up yet. It was pretty good...reminded me of a Fig Newton or Nutrigrain bar.  The blackberry filling was quite tasty, and the texture of the bar was nice and soft. 090104-s2 090104-s3 It only contains 110 calories, but just 2g of protein so I know it wouldn't stick with me long for breakfast.  But as an afternoon snack I think it could be very satisfying.   Along with the sample I received a stack of coupons that I'm supposed to share with friends... Would anybody like a couple of Kashi Cereal Bar $2.00 off coupons?  I can send two coupons to two separate people. Leave me a comment if you're interested by 8pm tomorrrow (Monday) and I'll have my magic number generator (a.k.a. my hubb) pick a random number.  I'll announce the winners on tomorrow night's post. For dinner tonight the hubb and I made Mexican Meatball Soup.  I first saw this recipe on Kristin's blog, The Kitchen Sink.  If you haven't checked out her blog yet you really should.  She makes beautiful meals and baked goods and has absolutely gorgeous photography. 090104-d7 The recipe is originally from Bon Appetit.  Kristin made a few changes, and I made a few more.  This soup is delicious and hearty.  The hubb and I enjoyed it VERY much.  There is just one change that I will make the next time this meal meets our table and I've indicated it below.  Warning:  This soup requires a LARGE pot.  I started it in my standard soup pot and had to transfer everything to a large stock pot when the meatballs went in to prevent it from overflowing.   Mexican Meatball Soup inspired by The Kitchen Sink, originally from Bon Appetit Ingredients:
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil 
    • 1-1/2 medium onions, chopped, divided
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
    • 2 small bay leaves 
    • 2 quarts beef broth 
    • 1 quart chicken broth 
    • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice 
    • 1/2 cup chunky tomato salsa (medium-hot) [next time we will omit the salsa and instead spice the soup up with some ancho chili powder, to taste]
    • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
    • 1 pound lean ground beef 
    • 1 pound ground turkey
    • 8 tablespoons yellow cornmeal 
    • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk 
    • 1 large egg 
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt 
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
    • 1/2 cup long-grain brown rice
    Method:
    1. Start the brown rice on the stovetop.  Follow directions on package and let cook for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
    2. Heat oil on medium heat in LARGE pot.  Add one of the chopped onions, 2 garlic cloves and bay leaves; sauté 5 minutes.
    3. Add broths, tomatoes with juices, salsa [or ancho chili powder] and 1/4 cup cilantro; bring to boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. 
    4. Meanwhile, combine ground beef, ground sausage, cornmeal, buttermilk, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, then remaining 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 cup cilantro in medium bowl. Mix well.
    5. Shape meat mixture by generous tablespoonfuls into 1 to 1-1/4 inch balls. 
    6. Add rice and meatballs to soup and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and meatballs are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    broth simmering broth simmering meatballs forming meatballs forming 090104-d2 We used more meat than the original recipe called for so we of course had a few extra meatballs.  The hubb took care of these by pan-frying them in a little olive oil. 090104-d4 Dinner:  A bowl of Mexican Meatball Soup with 7 meatballs, a side of roasted veggies (carrot, brussels and broccoli), two additional pan-fried meatballs and a cornmeal muffin. 090104-d5 The soup is soooooooo filling.  I am still completely stuffed and oh so happy.  :) 090104-d6 Whew!  That was a long post.  I was planning to bake tonight but don't know if I have it in me.  The bathtub and a book may be calling my name instead... Have a great night!  :)
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    categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, soup
    tags coupons, fage, granola, kashi, meatball, soup, yoga