Another Scorcher...

After a fantastic strength workout this morning, I was ready to my day!

Mid-day I headed to Farm Aid to volunteer. It's concert season so there is LOTS to do!



My wonderful cousin, Hilde, made a wonderful spread for us for lunch.
Fresh cukes(from her garden)
celery
grapes
hummus
beets with pistachio butter
'special' cheese(I can't remember the name)



It was a great afternoon!

I then came home and took Luna to the park. She didn't last very long though, she doesn't do well in the heat! It's so hot!!!!!!!


For dinner tonight: salmon(marinated in garlic, honey mustard, and balsamic vinegar) and polenta towers(leftovers!).

I only ate half of my piece of fish, but all of my polenta towers!

A Hot One!

Today was a scorcher! After a great workout on the stationary bike this morning, I was ready to start my day. On the exercise front, I'm looking at getting a spin bike for home. I think it would be a good purchase for the winter. :)


Then, I spent half the day in the hospital and was looking forward to coming home and taking Luna for a walk.

Alas, she slept all afternoon...



Then, when I finally got her outside, the wonderful man next door gave us some of his fresh concord grapes! This is the third year he has given us grapes! This year's are unbelievably delicious, and remind me of my childhood. We always had concord grapes at my house, right Mom!!


After a quick trip to the puppy park, I came home and made a 5-layer dip for dinner: black bean dip, roasted corn and parsley, diced avocados, diced red and yellow tomatoes, and Cabot Seriously Sharp & 50% lightcheddar, and ground 94% lean turkey for Dave to have make tacos.


My plate- a little ground turkey and 5-layer dip. I wasn't very hungry!

A Sunday filled with cooking

This morning, we met my cousin Hilde and her dog Trot at Fresh Pond for an early walk to beat the heat. It totally worked and Luna has been passed out all day.


I tried to make curry egg salad with nonfat greek yogurt, diced red peppers, and curry powder for lunch. I thought it might taste good on cinnamon toast. I don't know what I was thinking. It was pretty awful. But, it's all about the trial and error!



Mid-afternoon I went to the Harvard Book Store and picked up Savor, Mindful Eating, Mindful Life and next month's book club book- The Hunger Games. I'm really excited about both.


Dave and I couldn't decide on what we wanted for our afternoon treat, until I remembered that we had peach ice cream and fresh peaches(thanks Hilde). Milkshake time!

The ingredients(Breyer's peach ice cream and fresh peaches)...


It was a little too thick, so I added about a 1/4 cup of Organic Cow 1% milk


They were delicious and a perfect Sunday afternoon treat!



Our dinner tonight: polenta cakes with mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil, and homemade pesto.



My plate


But, the cooking didn't stop there, oh no! I made fresh peach salsa(diced peaches, fresh yellow and red tomatoes, red onion, fresh lime juice and zest, chili powder, grated garlic, salt and pepper) and baba ganoush(one grilled eggplant with the flesh scooped out, one tablespoon of tahini, one minced clove of garlic, and salt and pepper). Two perfect dips for the week to have for lunch ;)

Tantric and more

Last night I met my friend's Elise, Maryebth, and Marcia at Tantric, a great Indian restaurant downtown.

Some of our meals...


I tried a little of everyone's dishes...


Dave had picked up Kick*ss Cupcakes as a surprise for 'us' girls for dessert!

My mind was bigger than my stomach though and I was glad to have a walk across the Common to our car afterwards ;)


This morning, Dave and I went to the farmer's market in Union Square.

Today's bounty:
4x ears of corn
1x yellow watermelon
1x bunch of basil
3 lbs. of red and yellow tomatoes

= $12

I do love August!


We then did a MAJOR clean up of our utility room and our new guest room. Though, it was a lot of work, it's so nice to have everything nice and organized!



For dinner tonight we made grilled corn, 96% lean burgers, mixed green salad, and roasted red onions and sweet potatoes.

A Thursday to Talk About...

At 6:30 this morning where were you? I was at Be.Yoga in Union Square! My friend Jen helped me back to it this am, and it felt fantastic! I was sweating the entire time, which I loved, and look forward to going back to doing yoga regularly...ok maybe once a week ;)

I then quickly got ready and was at the hospital by about 9:30, and starving by 11:00. So I went up to the cafe, and I noticed these new gluten free morsels, Lucys cookies. Three cookies are 130 calories,and have 2 grams of fiber & protein- not too shabby for cookies. They snap like regular cookies, and taste really delcious! I already looked them up on amazon, and think I'm going to get some this weekend!




Then, I picked up my friend Al, and headed to her new home on the Dorchester/Milton line. She and her beau have a fantastic new home, with a TON of tomatoes, butternut squash, and basil growing in the backyard.

So, I whipped up some tomatoes/mozzarella/basil for her belated 'birthday' dinner!


Our friend Nyssa picked up 1/2 sandwiches and chili for us from City Feed & Supply.


I ordered the half Smoked Turkey(Pesto, mayo, marinated red onion, smoked cheddar cheese, locally made red pepper relish, red leaf lettuce). It was delicious, as always!

And it still rains...

...So, I keep eating soup! I had pho chicken soup(leftovers) for two meals today - breakfast and lunch. I think I've said this before, but I love soup or stews for breakfast when it's cold out. They are so warm and inviting, and best of all wonderfully filling, so they keep me going all morning long.



After walking Luna in the rain TWICE I came home and did a strength circuit for a 1/2 hour.

In today's circuit:
- weighted dbbell crunches
- static lunges
- standing shoulder press with a leg extension on one foot
- biceps curls with dbbells
- monster walks with a band
- biceps curls with a band
- squat row with a band
- side lunges with a dbbell
- pushups on my toes(oh yeah!)
- single leg bridges
- dips and single leg bridges together(new exercises I'm trying on myself before using it with my clients)
- plank
- triceps extension with dbbells


Phew... I think I'm going to be sore tomorrow! So, it's good that I'm having a cardio day tomorrow, because that will help!



For a pre-dinner treat I made fresh guacamole: 1 1/2 avocados, 1/2 red onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup of cilantro, 1/2 tsp of Red Hot, 2x fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper- all thrown in the food processor and served up!


It turned out perfectly!


It was another pizza night at our house. We had roasted tomatoes, garlic and onions with fresh sliced tomatoes and basil toppped with fresh grated romano and part-skim mozzarella on Bob's pizza crust.

The finished product...


My plate, but truthfully I had two more slices. I was hungry after my workout ;)



Side note: my friend Marcia, from school, has a new blog. Check it out- she has great information!

Pho Noodle Soup

I just couldn't stop thinking about pho chicken soup today. I think it was the cold weather and 60 degree weather. So, I decided to make some from scratch. Why buy it, when you can make it yourself. :)

Ingredients:
- 4 1/2 lbs chicken(cut into pieces, breasts removed from bones)
- 2 tbsp. cloves
- 3 inches of fresh ginger
- 1 bunch cilantro stems
- 1 1/2 tbsp. coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. fish sauce
- 4 cups of low sodium chicken stock
- 4 cups of water


All the above ingredients went into the pot, and cooked simmered for about 2 hours. I then, strained the both and added only the shredded chicken back in the pot. The flavor on this broth was breathtaking.

Accompaniments: cilantro, basil, red pepper, lime wedges, rice noodles, and Sriracha hot(rooster)sauce.




My bowl(the first one) with accompaniments, and Dave's ...

Farm Fresh Veggies

I walked to the Union Square farmer's market to pick up fresh veggies for dinner and this week yesterday.

For $24 dollars I purchased:
- 8 ears of corn
- parsley
- mint
- basil
- 1x eggplant
- 2 zucchini
- 1x bunch of beets
- 3 1/2 lbs. of tomatoes



After thoroughly cleaning of our house, I got into the cooking for evening guests, Dave's family.

The Menu:
Summer Red Quinoa Salad
grilled corn
tomatoes mozzarella and basil
grilled chicken(marinated in balsamic vinegar, garlic and parsley)
grilled steak skewers(marinated in the same)
Kick*ss Cupcakes


Tomatoes, mozzarella and basil with a balsamic vinaigrette


Kick*ss Cupcakes


My plate: filled with a delicious summer dinner!



We had plentiful leftover... love it...So this morning, I made poached eggs with leftover tomatoes, mozz and basil. Yum!

Friday =busy day

My to do list today:

- train 4 clients
- drop car off at VW
- purchase and pick up my wedding dress- WOO HOO!
- go shopping for workout clothes with Jamie
- play with baby Joey
- help make baby food
- buy 4x new tires for the car :(


Jamie uses a Beaba Babycook maker to make baby Joey's food.

I helped make his organic peas ;)


Overall, Jamie and I had a great day- doing errands, getting my dress, and just getting down our lists, though the traffic home was awful on 95!

I was trying to rush home for date night. We had decided to go to Elephant Walk, I had a groupon coupon. I was excited to go, since they have an entire section in their menu that is gluten free!


We started with Nataing :ground pork simmered in coconut milk with sliced garlic, peanuts and chili pods; served with crispy rice. It was flavored well, and really got us excited about our meals.


I orded the Salade Cambodgienne: shredded cabbage, carrots and chicken with red bell pepper, onion, roasted crushed peanuts, mint and Asian basil; dressed with tuk trey. It has a really interestingly 'fresh' flavor.


I also got S’gnao Mouan: cambodian chicken soup with chicken breast, lime juice and lemongrass; garnished with scallion and Asian basil. I love asian soups!


Dave ordered the Trey Ang:grilled 8oz deboned trout marinated in lime juice, garlic and jalapeño; served with chayote and green apple salad and a chili and lime tuk trey. He said it was super spicy, but really good.


We will definitely be going back.

Elephant Walk
2067 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-492-6900

a BiRtHdaY & PiZza

After a wonderful morning in the hospital I came home and took Luna for a walk. She met a new puppy friend, Pilot, at the park.

They played very sweetly together...



Then, Luna and I want made a sign for my good college friend, Ali!




Dave came home and we made grilled pizza with baby spinach, pepperoni, and roasted garlic on it.


My plate of pizza on top of salad greens... my favorite combination...

Helpful Sites...

Someone asked me the other day where I find ideas for some of my meals. So, I thought it would be helpful to show a list of some of my favorites books, websites, and magazines that I find ideas or recipes.

Websites:

- Eating Well
- Food Network
- New York Times Dining section
- Gluten Free Goddess blog
- Smitten Kitchen blog

Cookbooks:

- Joy of Cooking(for when you need a need background data)
- Barefoot Contessa, Family Style, Back to Basics & Parties( simple beautiful recipes that are easy to transition to gluten free)
- Any gluten free cookbooks by Carol Lee Fenster

Magazines:

- Eating Well
- Cooks Illustrated
- Cooking Light
- Martha Stewart(yep, she still writes some fantastic recipes, in my opinion)
- ADA Times


Overall, I think it's important to get comfortable in your kitchen, especially if you are living gluten free. Learning how to modify a recipe, by trial and error, is a easy way to learn what works and what doesn't.

For instance, last night I made another batch of gf carrot muffins and didn't have any sugar, so I mixed agave nectar and a little maple syrup instead and they came out BETTER than if I used sugar. Sometimes, it's all about trying something out! Good luck!

a car & a baby

I brought veggie sushi for breakfast to the Minuteman VW this morning.
The Whole Foods in Bedford, made it fresh for me, and it hit the spot even at 9 o'clock in the morning!




The men that work at Minuteman VW are fantastic, especially Stefano, in service, and Chip the mechanic. They do such a nice job on my car, and are so helpful with terms and important dates on my car! I recommend them for anyone who needs repairs in the area, even if you don't have a vw!


I then went out to Natick to see my friend Jamie and her little man, Joey. He is such a power house! He crawls so fast... it must be all the veggies he eats!

Speaking of Joey and veggies...I took this picture at Whole Foods last week. Joey was really excited about the zucchini. :)


The rest of the day was filled with errands with baby Joey and Jamie, and then a trip to my friend Katie's studio, Ward 2 for wedding ideas.

Corn-tastic

My friend Jen reminded me today about Bittman's segment on the Today show on corn. O' how I love fresh corn. In my opinion, fresh corn is one of the best parts of summer, other than vacation :) So, I made a modified version of Bittman's corn chowder, and tried a new cornbread recipe!

Freshly cut MA corn...



I'm having technical difficulties with my photos tonight. ARGH! So please excuse the sideways photos. The meal was corn-tastic, and the sideways pictures don't do it justice!

My gluten free cornbread, made from scratch!



A summer corn chowder and corn bread dinner! Delicious!

a weekend in Colebrook

Dave and I went up to Colebrook, NH this weekend for a trip to his parent's cabin. We had a great time in the woods, even without electricity and running water. :) We cooked on the grill, played in the woods with Luna, and explored all the lakes and ponds near the property.

One of our meals on Saturday evening:
roasted sweet potatoes
roasted chicken
gluten free s'mores- aka a marshmallow in between squares of dark chocolate(because I have not been able to find GOOD gluten free graham crackers)




We had a great time in Colebrook, and can't wait to go back soon.


On our way home today we stopped in Hooksett, to visit with our friends' Chris and Anastasia. We ended up ordering pizza from the The Pizza Man for lunch. I am happy to report that this small pizza place MAKES gluten free pizza. Woo hoo!

My green pepper and sausage pizza.


The Pizza Man makes a fantastic gluten free pizza. I would recommend this place to anyone who is driving through Manchester on the way to Concord or is just driving down to Boston from NH and eats gluten free!