So, my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., and by 6:04 I was out of bed. This is quite early for me but I knew that in order to completely avoid any traffic, I needed to get an early start.

Getting out of bed this early was made easier by the promise of a delicious breakfast that I had planned out the night before.

I toasted 2 English crumpets…and added a bit of butter to the tops…

Then sliced up a perfectly ripe peach and microwaved a TJ’s Mango Chicken Sausage (these are my favorite!). To wash it all down I had a frosty glass of Mango Iced Tea.  Absolutely delicious!

I was in the car by 6:30 and made great time thanks to my planning ahead. Check out the traffic going towards the city…good thing I am always doing the “reverse commute”

I made it to my “beat the heat” destination in great time (a little before 8:00 a.m.). Where did I decide to go? Well, with lots of fabulous water opportunities nearby it’s hard to pick but I had a bonus waiting for me in Little Compton R.I., my Grandmother! We spoke the night before and I realized that it would be the perfect day to go for a couple reasons:

1.) It’s going to be about 10-20 degrees hotter in the city than in Little C, so while still hot it’s will be a bit cooler and with the beach right there I can get some relief! 

2.) She was free!

3.) I was scheduled to do a 10 mile run and am always looking to change up my route.

Arriving earlier was also beneficial for my run because it was only about 80 at this point. Still hot for 8 a.m. though !!! I made sure to load up my fuel belt with cold H2O before leaving.

Setting out on this run, I felt pretty exhausted. My legs felt like bricks, my feet were sore (I need new running shoes again!) and I was psyching myself out about the heat and the distance I had planned. However, after the first mile which was a 8:56, I had a mental and physical switch. I am not entirely sure what triggered it but I started picking up the pace and it felt great. I think it may have had something to do with the new scenery, good music and the fact that my lungs felt strong. I guess all my marathon training is paying off!

I had planned a big loop but soon realized that I was feeling an “out and back” situation instead and so adjusted mid run. Around mile 2, I encountered a tiny turtle trying to cross the road. I almost stepped on him and was so thankful that I didn’t. I stopped for a second to help him find safety so that he did get squished in the road.  He was too cute not to take a picture of so I quickly squatted down to get his best angle.

After the turtle I just focused on keeping my legs moving as quickly as possible and was so surprised every mile that passed by with minimal effort. I don’t think I have ever run this kind of distance at this kind of speed and it gave me hope for my future goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Here’s how my splits ended up:

Mile 1: 8:56

Mile 2: 8:39

Mile 3: 8:39

Mile 4: 8:33

Mile 5: 8:15 < cruising!!!

Mile 6: 8:43

Mile 7: 8:23

Mile 8: 8:47

Mile 9: 8:35

Mile 10: 8:31

At the halfway point I came to literally the end of the road, Sakonnet Point. I debated running my way out on the rocks to the real end of the road but quickly thought better once I realized my ankle might not make it!

I stopped for a brief minute to drink a sip or two of water and enjoy the view.

Then I set out again to finish this run up. I was so happy when I finally made it home and looked down at my Garmin to see these figures. My goal had been 1:30 for 10 miles and I beat it by 5 whole minutes!!!

Happy/Sweaty Face!

I showered briefly before throwing on my suit and grabbing my gear for the beach. Nana and I took a swim right off when we arrived and then many more! It was soo hot but the water was super refreshing at 69 degrees.

Having checked off one item on my “productivity” list, I started in on another: reading! I am loving this book that I borrowed from my other Grandmother and am trying to finish it before visiting her this coming weekend.

For lunch I had packed up some Hickory Smoked Blue Fish that I bought at the South End Open Market this past Sunday. I threw in some spinach, Grillo’s Pickled Tomato and Relish, a bit of feta, some TJ’s Light Parmesan Ranch dressing, and a few AkMak crackers on the side.

The highlight was a tie between the smoked fish and the Grillo’s Tomato. Just look at all that fresh dill on top!

The fish and the creamy dressing were the perfect compliment to each other as well. Nothing better than eating locally caught fish while staring out at the bright blue ocean. The Grillo’s Relish was hard to beat too, it was dill flavored and so fresh and crunchy; like adding vegetables to the salad with some extra salt. Lucky for me I needed the salt since my run was super hot and quite long.

I also could handle a few extra calories today so I was pleased when my grandmother brought out not 1 but 2 soft and chewy, oatmeal raisin cookies! These totally hit my sweet tooth after all that vinegar and dill. I am definitely a good mix of my parents, my Dad can’t get enough of salty things and my Mom would eat dessert after breakfast if it was socially accepted.

After lunch, more swimming and reading commenced. I also may have managed a few zzzzz’s in there (waking up at 6 and running my little heart out takes it out of me!) I woke up,  broke for a little snack before heading home. This was my second peach of the day, which I am not complaining about at all, just check out the juice factor on this guy!

It was so hard to pack up and go but I knew I had to leave more time to get home since traffic would be piling up by the afternoon. I took an ice cold shower and dressed for work. Then I hopped in my car and on my way out of town decided to check the last thing off my list: an errand. I needed some fresh produce so stopping in at Walker’s Roadside Stand was the perfect solution!

I picked out four ears of corn, four peaches, a box of crackers, a head of lettuce and some of these golden grape tomatoes. How enticing does this display look? It made me want to buy some mozzarella and call it a day.

While snapping this shot, I noticed something in the distance. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be just what I suspected…A Del’s Lemonade sign!

Now, at this point it’s 90 some degrees (still cooler than the city) and I’m working with a 900 calorie deficit for the day. A sweet, frosty, iced lemonade was just what the body ordered.

I did exercise a bit of restraint and ordered the small which ended up being smaller than I wanted but still made my mouth happy! This little guy was probably about 8 ounces. Soooo cool and refreshing….I am talking about the Del’s, not me with my wet hair and shades trying to look cool while taking a self portrait at a stop light.

After a longer ride back (traffic!) I was horrified to see that the temperature had crept from 87 when I left Little Compton to an unbelievable high of 102 in Boston! Gotta love the city!

For dinner I threw together a quick salad using some more Mango Sausage, fresh lettuce, fresh tomatos, the last of my feta, more TJ’s parmesan ranch dressing, raisins, and sliced almonds. On the side I had the tastiest ear of corn I’ve had this summer.  Oh and I threw in a pickle for good measure to my salad. In case you’ve been counting I am up to 3 different Grillo’s Pickle products for the day. Too much sodium? Probably, but I like to think it’s ok because of the amount I sweat during my runs. I really crave it after hard work outs.

Fresh corn is the best.

Now, I am typically a Hood Low-Fat Cottage Cheese kind of girl, and have been this way ever since I got “burned” with a Trader Joe’s variety (who would have thought?!) and was similarly disappointed after trying Organic Valley’s Low Fat offering. With this said, I was in Whole Foods yesterday and decided to give this Organic line a shot. When it comes to milk products, I do believe that organic is better for you and ethically feels better as well.

Horizon’s product was very creamy (probably the 2%, where I am used to 1%) and had small curds which I prefer. While I don’t think it has won my heart, I may go back for more based on the fact that it is produced without any of the “bad” stuff. Along with my fruit and cheese combo, I had two slices of whole grain bread, which I also found at Whole Foods. I toasted it and topped each piece with just a smear of creamy Blue Diamond Almond Butter (I am still working my way through this stash that I won from Elana’s blog last year!).

The bread itself was a sweet treat since it contained Vermont Maple Syrup but still had very good nutritional stats per slice (70 calories, 0 fat, 2 fiber, 3 protein).

All together, this was a great way to start of my morning; fruit, protein and whole grain with lots of different tastes and textures to keep me interested!

After breakfast, I got busy with school work; you might remember I recently began a graduate program at Northeastern in Applied Nutrition. I am really into my classes right now which are Health Promotion and Disease Prevention as well as General Nutrition. For my Health Promotion class I am working with a group to implement a hypothetical program that would target high-school students. The program’s aim is two fold: to increase the students nutrition knowledge base as well swap out unhealthy foods from the “competitive food” selection (ala carte and vending machines) for healthy treats. Obviously this program is working to improve the health of adolescents (ages 12-19) which are right now a very unhealthy population with 16%  labeled as “overweight”. While this program is hypothetical, it’s exactly the type of work I want to do when I graduate from this program so it’s getting me very excited for the future and my career goals.

Lunch was spent in a nearby park in an effort to get some sunshine and get out of the apartment! I loaded up my turtle backpack chair with my massive Nutrition Text Book, water, a towel, and of course food! Here’s the spread:

Again, my goal was to be as balanced as possible. I believe I hit all the bases. Maybe not enough of all of them but what I have learned so far from my readings is that if you fall behind in a particular food group at one meal, you can make up for it later on in the day. I used to think that each meal needed to have each component but as long as you eat whatever it is that same day, your body will be able to use the nutrients properly and benefit. 

So, this lunch contained:

A few green trees! (or Broccoli as it is sometimes called)  

Food that tasted good. (AKA Multigrain FSTG chips)

Essential Amino Acid: Tryptophan! (about 2 ounces of left-over BBQ Turkey Tenderloin)

Fatty Fruit and Sweet Salsa (1/3 of an avocado and Whole Foods Fresh Mango Salsa)

All in all, it was a perfect meal to eat while learning about protein digestion. Is it weird that I like to eat while I read about what’s happening on the inside?

Our Cape adventure began bright and early on Saturday morning. We left Boston by 8:00 a.m.  and we’re lucky not to hit TOO much traffic at that time. Of course the Sagamore Bridge was backed up but other than that it was pretty smooth sailing. Once we arrived in Eastham, we met our group at Nauset Light Beach.

The weather was spectacular!

Perfect for “sacking out” on the beach allll dayyyy lonnnnng…..

Around 4:00 we decided to go check out our rental house. We were all quite impressed with the privacy that this place provided. A long driveway away from the road and no neighbors to hear or see. A real escape.

After unpacking our things, we showered up and hit the back porch for some beer and appetizers. It had been a long day in the sun and I had not taken very good care of my stomach (a banana and half a scone does not qualify as lunch!). I was starving and was so excited to see these Baked Tostitos and Salsa, nevermind the beer!

Ahhhhh….a cold beer after a hot day in the sun. Nothing better. Say what you want about Michelob Ultra not being real beer, but it’s just so darn refreshing! Especially with that added twist of Pomegranate and Raspberry ! Of course, fruity beer isn’t for everyone…Cape Cod Growler anyone?

We ended up hanging out at the place until about 9:00 p.m. when we realized we hadn’t had dinner! Lucky for us there are no shortage of fabulous seafood restaurants in the area and that just happens to be what we were all craving. We cruised the strip and settled on Arnold’s Lobster and Clam Bar. I acted like I needed to peruse the menu when in reality I knew EXACTLY what I was going to be ordering.

Fried food is not normally on the top of my list for health reasons but there’s something about Fried Seafood that just can’t be beat. Fried clams are pretty much one of my favorite things to eat and if I am out at a place known for fried seafood, I am certainly not going to go with a house salad and grilled chicken!

Fried Native Clams doused in Malt Vinegar and eaten with a healthy side of Cole Slaw and Tartar Sauce. F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.

Since I went for the “Roll” instead of the “Basket” I didn’t get any fries which was fine by me since I snagged some off of Darin’s Fish N Chips Platter.

He didn’t mind too much since his buddy (Thanks Anthony!) had just shown up with a round of Sam Summer Ale for the whole table

Cheers!!!

After dinner we hit the beach for a huge bonfire and to watch the moon rise over the ocean. This is one of those things that you just have to enjoy and not be worried about documenting with a camera. I can tell you I enjoyed it and left my camera in the car. Darin and I retired earlier than some since we were exhausted. Somehow I managed to wake up rather early and felt rather good for all the celebrating I had done the night before. I decided since I was in a new place that I would lace up my sneaks and hit the dusty trail.

I had in my mind that I wanted to go about 4-5 miles and that I wanted to get to some body of water. Our house was very close to the Cape Cod Rail Trail so I turned in the direction and set off to see what I could find. Here’s some scenes from along the way:

Getting my bearings.

The Bay Side.

Finally got to the beach!

My idea of heaven…

All alone.

While my run wasn’t the fastest I have ever done, I enjoyed the scenery and took it somewhat easy since it was an extra run in my schedule.

It felt so nice to have a solid run under my belt before breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, it was lovely and consisted of 3 strawberries and a slice of Starbucks Berry Coffee Cake (Reduced Fat) that was part of  HUGE donation to my house on Friday which I ended up packing up and bringing along for the group.

Moist and cakey! Not my typical breakfast but hey that’s what vacations are for, trying out new things!

After everyone was up we called in our lunch order to Sam’s Deli…

…and gathered our gear for the beach.

Calling ahead was a great idea. The place is quite popular and was swamped with people. We got in and out and on to the beach! My new beach chair backpack was perfect since we had a little walk to the beach from where we parked to get on the shuttle to take us to Coast Guard Beach. Darin said I looked like a turtle.

Although, I took that as a compliment

After a quick shuttle ride…

 we arrived at Coast Guard Beach!

It was crowded, and hot but I was happy to be there and ready for lunch. I ended up getting a Mediterranean Wrap from Sam’s which turned out pretty delicious albeit a little soggy. I enjoyed it with some ice cold water and a nice handful of what else, Cape Cod Potato Chips!

A thin lavash roll up with kalamata olives, feta cheese, roasted red peppers, lettuce, tomato and a vinagrette dressing.

The water was the only relief we got this day and at one point we brought our chairs down and sat in the ocean just to keep cool! I can’t imagine what it was like in Boston!

By the end of the day we were all feeling a little out of it. Pete’s get up pretty much sums it up!

We were ready for shade, water, and a good hearty dinner.  Before dinner I had some fresh mango…

and some of the best Guacamole I have ever eaten! Marlies makes a mean guac, I ate a ton of this stuff! I think it’s the cilantro that makes it so good. I never add it to mine because it’s rare that I have it on hand.

Dinner consisted of plenty of grilled meat (steak and sausages)…

and a delicious salad made with fresh mango, avocado, tomato and a miso dressing. It was exactly what I wanted, lots of veggies and some good old fashioned protein!

Alongside this summery meal, I drank an Original Sin cider. This happened to be the Pear variety which I had never tried before and quite liked! It had a very strong pear taste so if your not a fan this would not be a good choice. I love the apple variety of Original Sin and order it whenever I see it out. It’s such a light tasting cider which is hard to find.

And for dessert, Angela brought over a refreshing banana pudding! This guy had all the right stuff; Nilla wafers, banans, pudding, and cool whip!

After our individual portions, most of us went back in for more pudding with Nilla Wafers in hand. We realized that this would make a fun dip instead of serving it like a pie!

After dinner, a rousing game of Pictionary was played (love this game!) and people slowly dropped off one by one. In the morning, Darin and I packed up the car and got on the road for the long, sad trip back to Boston. We stopped for a breakfast wrap before leaving Eastham. Again, I don’t normally eat bacon, egg and cheese anything but this pita wrap was delicious and hit the spot!

I washed it down with a Cranberry Lemonade (bought with the Cranberry Bogs of Cape Cod in mind!)

Now I am back in Boston and it’s 90+ degrees. Luckily I only have 3 short days until I am out of here for another beach escape! Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth Of July Weekend!

I had an experience the other night (and tonight!) with a mini Cuisinart and a frozen peanut butter filled banana.  After doing some thinking I realized it would be just wrong not to dedicate an entire post to this creation. It’s just too good not to share! I am sure that some of you hard core bloggers have tried it yourselves after reading all about ‘how it will change your life’ on Gena’s gorgeous blog, but I knew that for the small number of you who hadn’t heard what it’s all about I needed to put it out there.

So you might be wondering what I am talking about at this point? Well, let me tell you. It’s called Banana Soft Serve and Gena’s absolutely right when she says it WILL change your life. This is quite honestly the best thing I have eaten in a long time. Of course I have been eating some really great meals lately but nothing quite compares to the decadence of this creation. I don’t know if my favorite part is the creamy texture which mimics whole milk ice cream or the fact that I know in my brain I am eating something completely un-processed and totally nutritious! Either way, you’ve got to get this bowl in front of you as soon as possible.

And here’s how to do it:

Step 1:

Buy a bunch of very ripe (but not overly ripe) bananas. The key is you want them to be super ripe for sweetness but still firm enough to keep their shape when you slice them open.

(photo credit)

Step 2:

If you want to go pure then simply freeze the bananas on a baking sheet covered in tin foil (after you peel them). Or if your feeling a little adventurous/you love an excuse to use any type of nut butter, slice each banana the long way and spread the nut butter along one side of the banana. Then sandwich the two halves together. Lay all the bananas out on the cookie sheet and freeze for a good 4 hours. At this point you can put the bananas in a freezer bag to and store them in your freezer until you need a fix! I also decided to get the biggest bananas I could find, more bang for your buck! To get the full effect, a little comparison shot for you:

Step 3:

When the craving strikes for a smooth, cold, creamy, delicious treat run go to the freezer, pull out one of these guys

chunk it up, and throw it in the nearest food processor, blender or magic bullet (*EDIT*I have heard that blenders to work as well, you may be better off getting a Cuisinart, check out this mini one that I have and love!). I have only used my mini Cuisinart but plan on experimenting with my magic bullet. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work though. I hear that the Vita-Mix is the best way to do it…if you are lucky enough to own one! For now my mini Cuisinart is working just fine.

Step 4:

I found that I needed to pulse back and forth between the two modes for a good solid 2 minutes to get it to the best consistency. Don’t stop too soon thinking that it’s as creamy as it will get because you wont get the full effect. Keep it revving until you get something that looks like this:

Step 5:

Eat the entire bowl with the biggest smile on your face.  Seriously, have you ever in your wildest dreams imagined such a treat?! Feel free to top with whatever you want. I’ve tried homemade granola which was fantastic and have plans to do some type of chocolate sauce and strawberries…just think…Banana Split!

The money shot…

Oh, and a word to the wise, try not to cut your tounge on the sharp blades of the cuisinart as you are trying to lick up every last bit of this deliciousness. It happens though…

Since this past Sunday was Father’s Day, what better a way to start of the post than with a picture of my Dad! So glad that I got to spend the day with him and enjoyed some more FAST boat rides! One of these rides took us to Port Clyde where my Mom and I split a Fried Clam plate. Pretty much exactly this!

Since I can’t come to the Island without remembering my Grandfather, I made sure to pay a little visit to his grave site. Around every turn there is something that he built or that he loved which makes it hard to be there without him but also comforting to be there and feel his presence so strongly.

The Island is truly one of my favorite places on earth and breathing the air here soothes my soul. This weekend the air was a perfect mix of the Maine Balsam Fir trees…

…hot, summer-y, sun…

…and a good dose of salty seaweed! The best smell ever!

Something else that smelled delicious AND tasted good was my Mom’s special concoction that she read about in a magazine recently. It’s called Creme d’Mentia and you can read all about it here -  it’s supposed to ward of alzheimers, lower anxiety and lift your spirits! I can say that it certainly did the last two!  

My Mom tells me it was much prettier on the first day but I still found it pretty intriguing looking at all these floating herbs admist the vodka.

We mixed ours with seltzer water (didn’t have tonic), a little sugar, and extra lemon wedges. I had two full glasses and enjoyed every last sip. You could really taste the fresh herbs which made it so delicious. I highly recommend “steeping” up a batch or two!

As sad as it was to leave this glorious place, I had to get back to work today. At least I was lucky enough to have my cousin Meg volunteer to pick me up from South Station! We drove a short distance to Flour Bakery (the Fort Point Location) and enjoyed a hearty lunch outside in the Boston heat. I wasn’t planning on taking pictures (even left my camera in the car) but when I realized how amazing this place was I ran back to the car and grabbed the camera so I could share this fabulous lunch with you all! Just look at the choices for sandwiches. Simple yet intriguing combinations. I had a really hard time making up my mind.

But in the end went for an old favorite: Fresh Mozzarella, Basil Pesto and Tomato on grilled bread. Flour uses Iggy’s Bread which is one of my favorite local brands. I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed but I didn’t know just how delicious this creation could be until I saw it.  I ask you two questions:  What’s not to love? and How could I not take a picture of this?

Simple perfection in my humble opinion. I ate the entire thing which left me pleasantly satisfied. I honestly think I may dream of this tonight…

So without further ado, I bring you the seven deadly sins…

Homemade Blueberry Pop-Tarts

Mmmmhmmmm….they were as delicious as that sounds for any of you that are pop-tart fans from way back! I certainly am but never, ever eat them anymore because of all the awful ingredients (plus they don’t really get me going in the morning like a green monster does!).  I had heard a lot about these and was dying to try them. They were lightly iced and topped with rainbow sprinkles to add a little pop of color.

These were just too good to resist and I *think* I ended up having 3! The inside was filled with blueberry jam (a very fruity jam I might add not very sugary tasting) and while I hear they are unbelievable out of the oven (just like the toaster!) they were delicious room temperature as well.  It just may have been the sprinkles that threw me over the top, I have a serious love for sprinkles.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

I actually had a hand in this one so I couldn’t NOT try it right? My aunt Jane and I made two of these cakes the night before and were both worried about the end result since we had to bring them to the event without sampling. I have to say it couldn’t have come out any better!

The cake base came out perfectly and had a subtle flavor of buttermilk, while the pineapples and cherries on top were carmelized with brown sugar and butter. I added a dollop of homemade whipped cream and enjoyed every bite of this slice (and another!) thoroughly!

Ghiradelli Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

Now, these were from a box but you couldn’t tell at all! They were so moist and flavorful I sampled 2 over the afternoon. Not my typical pick but they were quite appealing being mini and so tasty!

Toblerone Chocolates

Thankfully I had enough sense to realize that I could eat these any day and didn’t have one! I saved room for the homemade goodies. I did think it was a cute addition to the spread since the logo is a mountain and my cousin is taking a year off to hike the Appalachian Trail!

Ina Garten’s Lemon Loaf

I only had a half a slice of this even though I LOVE lemon flavored things. The icing was awesome and the loaf part super moist. If I hadn’t been so full from other goodies, I would have gladly eaten more!

Molasses Cookies

While these were the least decadent of the spread, they are one of my favorite cookies and I had two! My aunt Laurie did an awesome job of making them soft and chewy, just how I like them.

Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizzas

I split one of these and loved the “light” texture of the sugar cookie paired with the creamy  topping, it wasn’t overly sweet.

So if you were counting, I think we can all agree that there was quite a bit too much sugar taken in over the course of the afternoon. The good news is that I rebounded quite well and have been back on track ever since. The lesson learned? Moderation is key! Don’t over do it on anything (even delicious homemade desserts) or you will be sick and pay the price. Luckily I think it all balances out because for the past two days I have not even THOUGHT about sugar!

Just as one of my favorite Dave Matthews Band song says,

“sugar ain’t poison
but sugar will kill you
too much of a good thing
maybe not so sweet”

Sunday morning began with an early (before breakfast!) run. I don’t normally exercise on an empty stomach since I have heard that this can be counter productive. I did manage to get in a half a banana and a little bit of soy nut butter (not pictured) before hitting the pavement. This held me over nicely and made the run enjoyable, not unbearable like it can be when you are really hungry! I think the quality of my run also had something to do with the beautiful scenery and my brand new Mizuno’s! I love the new color and can’t believe that I lasted this long!

I also felt pretty powerful with my new bondi band. Knowing that I have run 26.2 miles successfully powers me through a 7 mile run no problem!

My cousin Meg and I both ran 7 miles (a new PDR for her!) and were loving life when we returned. I managed to run mine in 1:00 exactly which puts me at about a 8:50ish pace which I was pretty proud of.

Needless to say I was ready for breakfast by the time I had stretched out and cooled down a bit. I didn’t want a big one because my appetite is always more suppressed having just run a longer distance. So what better than a big glass of ice water and a tub of Pineapple Chobani topped with my Mom’s homemade granola?

I guess it can only be made better being eaten with a snoopy spoon that brings me right back to my childhood! I always dig this out of the back of the silverware drawer when I am at my Nana’s. It’s kind of tradition.

After breakfast, we all changed and readied ourselves for the beach. Lunches were packed, sunscreen was applied and the car was stuffed full!

The whole crew made it including my Nana who just had a knee replacement last month! I was so impressed with her progress and pleased that she was able to be a part of such a gorgeous beach day, since she is not one to sit at home and loves the beach just as much as I do!

Once we set up shop, it was time for utter relaxation. Nothing better than this in my opinion. I even managed to go swimming (stayed in for about 15 minutes, in the surf!) which makes coming back to a warm towel that much more enjoyable.

Of course lunch was a high point of the day and the highlight of my lunch should have been these Food Should Taste Good chips. You see I received a box, a HUGE box, of all the different varieties last week and have been planning to mention them on the blog ever since. I had yet to try the multi-grain and so decided to incorporate this small bag into my lunch. My Mom and I had agreed to split them but she ate lunch first and kind of forgot to portion her chips out and instead ate all but one and half chips! I can say that the one chip I did eat tasted amazing and I am glad that I have many more bags to go through. This company has it figured out. Real ingredient, awesome flavors and a truthful product name. These are definitely my “go-to” chip. That being said, in all fairness I did bring the chips for my Mom to sample so I guess it’s alright that she enjoyed them.

It’s also completely excusable because she gave me half of her homemade potato salad to bulk up my spinach and chicken salad.

The potato salad was from Cooking Light and was different than other varieties in that it didn’t contain a mayonnaise based dressing. I believe it was simply rice wine vinegar, a little oil and some herbs that made the flavor pop! The potatoes really soaked up the flavors and after reading an article in Women’s Health that highlighted cold potatoes as a “hunger buster” (due to the special kind of starch they contain which resists certain digestive enzymes), I think I will be incorporating a lot more potato salads this summer.

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Added to the mix were some cornichons, you can never go wrong with a pickle!

And as a special treat, the first local strawberries of the season. Oh yea, this is what a strawberry is supposed to taste like!

After a long day in the sun we returned home to get ready for an evening of festivities. I quenched my thirst with some Iced Tea that we had made up earlier in the morning.

I have found a new love for homemade iced tea. It’s so easy, customizable and cheap! Why not?

After showers, croquet was set up and enjoyed by many.

While I normally love a game of croquet, I was busy getting things laid out for the celebration about to ensue. My cousin Charlie is graduating from high school next weekend and we had planned an extra special gathering in his honor. I brought some Fromage Blanc produced by the Foxboro Cheese Co. purchased at the Copley Farmer’s Market. The flavor was lemon honey and while I was nervous that it might be too mild for my family who tends to like bold flavors, everyone raved about it. Success!

I served it with TJ’s water crackers. At 90 cents a box, they’re a pretty good deal and I happen to have a real affinity for simple water crackers.

The other noteworthy purchase of the night was actually bought in the village of Little Compton at Wilbur’s General Store. We went in search of “Diet Tonic Water” because we had a craving for Gin and Tonics but honestly none of us really wanted any artificial sweeteners in our tonic. I was so happy when I found this four pack of “Naturally Light” Indian Tonic Water. The bottle contains 40 calories and has just a lesser amount of fruit sugar added to it. Sounds good to me!

Added to a little shot of gin, a squirt of lemon and lime juice, some ice and you have the perfect summer beverage!

Cool and crisp.

The theme for the night was “cook-out”. Pretty typical Memorial Day fare. However, we added my Mom’s freshly made hamburger buns.

All the fixings including Nana’s famous Coleslaw, baked beans, and my aunt Beth’s corn and black bean salad which had fresh basil added to it. Yum. This salad made me excited for corn on the cob!

And local beef from Bethel! I decided to have a half a burger since I wasn’t starving and wanted to enjoy the other sides. Beans of any variety happen to be one of my favorites.

Just as the sun was setting we brought out the Texas Sheet Cake and sang a Happy Graduation (to the tune of Happy Birthday) song to my cousin. The perfect conclusion to a well executed meal.

This morning we awoke bright early to another gorgeous day. Sadly we all had to go home today but we had one last goal and that was to take a ride in my Dad’s new (to him) boat!

I started out up front where my Mom and Meg are pictured here but soon retreated back with my Dad since I was scared by how fast we were going! I love going fast but I am just not used to such a powerful boat yet. My Dad was quick to say we weren’t even at full power yet…yikes!

To say my Dad was happy would be a complete understatement. He has been waiting his whole life to have an awesome boat and was completely in his element! So happy for him!

We’ve always had older boats (like picture 1960’s style) that were fun when they worked but generally un-reliable. I think this summer we’ll be taking lots of boat trips so get ready for more appearances by “The Black Tern”. 

After taking the boat out and packing up the car, it was sadly time to return to the city. I poured myself a bit of iced tea into the tonic bottle and corked it off for the ride home. While I was sad to see the weekend come to an end, I am so excited for the rest of the summer. I can’t believe tomorrow is June 1st (Happy Birthday Darin!); nice to think we still have it all in front of us!

Yesterday I picked up a bag of these TJ’s Ciabatta Rolls for our dinner. I had one left over and decided to toast it and spread a small amount of Organic Whipped Light Cream Cheese and Homemade Strawberry Jam! Cream Cheese and Jam is one of my all time favorite combos and brings me right back to childhood. The strawberry jam (Thanks Mom!) also made me feel so summery this morning (as if I didn’t feel it enough already with the 90 degree heat!). This breakfast was FILLING but in a good way!

I have been back at the farm for a few weeks now and I was so happy that today we actually got out of here…

And got our hands dirty out here!

I don’t think I could have handled working IN the green house today. Instead I spent the morning working with a wonderful group of volunteers from the University of Maryland.They helped out immensely and we got a really hard job done in no time! We basically created 10 beds for growing Tomatoes. These beds had to be measured, dug, weeded, fertilized, raked, irrigated, and finally covered with plastic. Here’s a bit of the process:

We all made sure to stay really hydrated and took breaks in the shade from time to time.

Again, it was so nice to have such a great “community” feel at the farm today. Even though these individuals were from far away they had the same ideas about the state of our food, issues around hunger and access to good food, and in general a positive work ethic! It was a wonderful morning. Around 12:00 I grabbed this apple from my bag. It tasted a little bit like hot apple pie to me (minus the crust) because it had literally been baking in the sun! Ooops! Still good though.

My run this morning to the farm was trying so I knew that by mid-day running home would be brutal. I started out ambitious and quickly realized that it would be smarter and safer to take the bus!

Thank goodness for Charlie cards!!! I always make sure to have mine on long runs, just in case!

When I arrived home, I took the quickest shower possible (I was covered with dirt from the farm!) and made myself a big lunch! All the components were superstars but I just had to highlight these Dr. Kracker Crackers because I can’t believe how awesome the stats are!

Besides the great ingredients and health components, the taste is incredible. Seriously, they are worth every bit of the $4.39!

With the heat I was craving lots of vegetables and cold food. I think I was also in need of salt because I was totally into this pickle! However, when I am NOT into pickles?

The plate was made up of a pickle, Ful Medammes, Grape Tomatoes, Carrots, Watermelon, Dr. Kracker Cracker, homemade broco-slaw and a few mozzarella pearls. These are by far my favorite types of lunches, all the different tastes and textures keep my mouth so happy!

While I was sitting staring at my beautiful new herbs on my window sill I felt that I just had to add a little bit of fresh mint to my watermelon. I didn’t eat it but just the smell made the whole dish that much more enjoyable.

Tomorrow I am happy to report that Meg C. and I are heading OUT of the city and will be spending the day on the South Shore at the beach!!! I can’t wait. Summer is here!

Lately I have been more mindful with my eating habits. I have been trying to cut out the “bored” snacking and the late night sweet treats that I usually indulge in while at work. So far it has been two weeks and I have to say that I enjoy the “in control” feeling and the fact that my pants are a little looser is just an added bonus! I haven’t really changed what I am eating but more how, when and why I am eating it. I am really listening to my body and fueling it with what it is craving and not eating when I am not actually hungry. Sounds pretty easy but as many of you know it’s easier said than done! With that said, here are some new treats that are making their way into my daily repertoire.

While the Green Monsters aren’t really “new” (I’ve been drinking them for about a 2 months now) they are worth mentioning since they have been a miraculous addition to my diet. Seriously, they keep me full for hours (when paired with some sort of grain and protein on the side) and are exactly what I begin to crave as the weather warms up. I really like the idea of getting a big serving of veggies first thing in the morning and the looks I get from my housemates as I wash out my green blender are just priceless! They’re also just so pretty to look at, maybe that’s just because my favorite color does happen to be green!

If you’re interested, here’s my “go-to” recipe:

• 2 cups or giant handfuls of baby or full leaf spinach (whatever I have on hand)
• 1 large banana (not frozen)
• 8 chunks or so of TJ’s Frozen Mango
• 1 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk (the 40 calorie one)

The result is pure bliss in my opinion. I have also learned that the longer you blend, the better. I used to leave lots of chunks of spinach in there because I was just too inpatient but realized that it’s so much tastier fully blended. Drinking out of a beer glass at 8:00 a.m. never felt so right!

As I said, I almost always pair my G.M. with a bit of toast or something. I recently discovered these Vita Top Muffins that I had been reading about FOREVER and was very pleased with the product. I have a thing for Corn Muffins and while I could make my own healthy version I just never do. I am certainly not going to eat the huge, bakery style ones so I was hopeful that these might fit the bill. They certainly didn’t disappoint. I popped it in the toaster for a minute or two and then spread a thin layer of Peanut Butter on top and a dollop of jam right in the center for added appeal. I am not going to lie, it was kind of like eating a cupcake with peanut butter frosting! Not really, but you get the idea.

While a breakfast cupcake is very enticing, some mornings you just aren’t craving sweet. This morning was one of those mornings. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that yesterday I found a new food and was dying to try it. While at a Farmer’s Market in downtown Boston, I picked up a tub of this Egyptian dip.

Having never heard of it before, I googled Ful Medammes and found that it’s traditionally eaten at breakfast time in Egypt. Here is a list of the ingredients:

And the nutrition facts:

As you can see it has similar components to hummus but instead of chick peas, fava beans are used. The calories and fat are lower than hummus and the fiber and protein higher. To me the taste was quite hummus-y but less creamy and a bit more like Baba Ganoush without the smoky eggplant flavor. I ate mine with half a pita from the same company.

Trust me, this is worth a try and probably could be recreated at home quite easily. However, I do love supporting local businesses so I may just have to go back to the Farmer’s Market next Thursday. It was a nice change of pace from my normal breakfast.

A little savory dipping action…

After my Egyptian breakfast, I set out to Cambridge for a much needed hair appointment.  Since I am not often in Cambridge, I decided to take a walk down memory lane (literally), and walked through my old neighborhood and around my College campus.

I haven’t been back since I graduated four years ago! It was strange to see all the changes but also fun to think about all the awesome memories. As you may expect a lot of my memories are food related so I took some pictures of my favorite places during my college years:

The 1/2 Shell:

Don’t judge a restaurant by it’s exterior! This place has the best Veggie Burger Sub! It comes with homemade pesto and tons of fresh veggies and is served on a crusty baguette. So simple but so good!

Boca Grande:

Many Colorado Chicken Burrito’s were consumed here. I can still remember how the tortilla sticks to the roof of your mouth, loved it!

And of course Cambridge Common:

We kind of discovered this place senior year (when we were all legal) and I have yet to find better sweet potato fries (C.C. serves the round kind)! Also I can’t forget the Brownie Sundae that would normally appear at our table after a few rounds. Oooops!

Oh college. Somehow, I resisted the urge to get a sandwich or burrito and ended my walk in Harvard Square. I was parched by this point and stopped into Tea Luxe to see what Iced Tea they were offering. To my delight they had a coconut one on tap! To be more specific this tea was called Royal Coconut and is described as: “Pouchong tea with fresh Coconut flavor”. I don’t know if I was just really thirsty or if this truly was one of the best Iced Teas I have ever had, I think the later, but in any case this stuff was heaven on earth.

I am such an iced tea lover! I couldn’t even think of putting a sweetener in this one either, it was so subtly sweet yet robust on it’s own!

Surprisingly I wasn’t hungry for lunch today so I didn’t eat anything other than a Kashi Bar (not pictured). And after hot yoga, my appetite was only slightly there. I kept dinner on the light side but made sure to include plenty of healthy ingredients!

Smoked salmon piled high on a slice of Rye toast, a smear of organic light whipped cream cheese, baby spinach and topped off with a dill pickle slice. I have a serious love for smoked salmon and was pleased to find it highlighted in my latest Runner’s World.

“These fish (Wild Alaskan Salmon) are rich in protein, vitamin D, and inflammation-reducing omega-3’s.”

I knew this before, but sometimes it helps to see it in print and recommended to you as a runner!

For a little added nutrition and crunch, I piled some carrots and grape tomatoes that were just a little wrinkly!

So congrats if your still reading! I apologize for the monster post but I just had so much to share today! Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!

We meandered our way along the path to Jamaica Pond where I had a “thoughtful moment”. Not really, I just wanted a picture of me at one of my favorite spots in Boston.

From the pond, we walked down Boylston Street in Jamaica Plain, until we came to the famous Brewery! At this point we were both thirsty and ready for a little shade; it was hot outside!

Luckily, the 12:30 tour was not full and we were able to get right in. We barely had to wait at all!

For those of you who didn’t know, the tour is free but they ask for donations which go to charity organizations. I made sure to stuff a couple bucks in for us both!

As I said we barely had to wait at all but we used the 5 or so minutes to drink some ice water and admire the fancy ticket we received to gain entry.

The tour was led by a fun, outgoing, and energetic woman who was very knowledgable about the beer making process. The first stop was the ingredient room where we got to taste some malted barley (tasted just like Grape Nuts, I loved it!) which is one of four ingredients in all beers.

We also got a little hands on action with the dried hops. We rubbed it around in our hands which let out a very pleasant aroma, almost flowery.

The next stop was the “Brewhouse” which was a good deal smaller than I had imagined. Samuel Adams has larger brewing facilities in Cincinnati and Pennsylvania although, everything goes through this facility for quality assurance.

After our “tour” we got to the main event, the tasting! We were all given a 7 ounce glass to keep and were brought into the “Tasting Room”. Each glass had one of the four steps to tasting beer listed on it. Mine was Step 2 which was about the aroma.

Another step was about the clarity. The trick is that you should be able to wipe off the condensation and see your fingers through the glass. Our tour guide made a point to tell us to return a glass of Sam Adams beer at a bar if you COULDN’T see through it. It should be a deep amber but clear at the same time.

We got to sample 3 kinds of beer (they were decided for us but lucky for me I liked each one!). My favorite was the Cherry Wheat followed by Sam Summer and then the Boston Lager.

After all the drinking, we needed to do some eating! I had done a little research beforehand and found out that Doyle’s Cafe is just a short distance away and if you visit after the Brewery you can get a collectors beer glass for free (with a purchase of another beer of course)!

The promise of free glassware was enough for us, nevermind that it’s “The Best Pub otuside of County Galway!”

The vibe was authentic and very Irish. I had to take a picture of this sign in particular since my middle name is Flynn! Apparently a lot of movies and t.v. shows featuring Boston have been filmed here. We were told Mystic River and The Departed (two of my favorite movies) have scenes in this bar.

So just in case we hadn’t had our fill of Sam Adams beer, we just HAD to get another pour (Cherry Wheat again), I swear we just wanted the “free” glass.

For lunch/dinner we decided to go all out. I think it might have had to do with the amount of sun we had had, or the copious amount of beer we had cosumed, but either way we went for it and ordered Doyle’s Famous Hand Battered Onion rings. Each order is made fresh (these are NOT frozen in a box onion rings) and boy could you really tell. I don’t think I have ever eaten half an order of onion rings before, but this afternoon I came pretty darn close!

I used to HATE onions too. The texture was just too much for me and I would avoid them like the plague. Somehow, a few years ago, I got over this severe aversion and therefore was able to fully enjoy this meal. They weren’t overly greasy and were so lightly battered that you could really taste the onion in all it’s glory something I still can’t believe I enjoyed but I did! Along with the onion rings I ordered the BBQ Turkey Tips which were delicious but the picture came out too awful to share. Trust me they were delicious.

We left Doyles feeling happy and full and while we thought about cabbing it back, we ended up walking the whole way with the exception of one pit stop. When I saw this cute City Feed and Supply I just had to step inside for a quick visit and a much needed bottle of water. I didn’t know this one existed since I have only been to the one on Center Street!