Some days my eats are awesome meals & snacks that I put an artistic flair into. Other days, the food I eat is not quite as exciting. It may be because I was just too busy to spend time or energy getting creative, or perhaps I just wasn't in the mood to be. Today is a good example of a pretty boring yet healthy day of eats: My breakfast was a bowl of Kashi Go Lean cereal with sliced banana + almond milk: For lunch I reheated some leftover veggie chili. I crunched up some multigrain crackers with sea salt from Crunchmasters on top. It was a little snack bag I got in my KLUTCHclub box shipment. The verdict? Light, yummy, and the mini bag was the perfect amount for adding some crunchiness to my soup. Late in the afternoon, I took Harley for a hike. After experiencing ... [Read More]
Archives for May 2013
Just Call Me Robert Mondavi
Hi friends! Today's topic: wine. Why? Because my hubby and I recently picked up a fun new hobby... winemaking!! That's right, besides drinking wine, I'm now making it as well. I've certainly spent some time at wineries, from getting married at one in New Jersey... ...to visiting an underground winery in Missouri.... ...from many day trips to the little California wine region of Temecula.... ...to touring Sicilian wineries with a native restauranteur as our guide... ...from picking grapes at a tiny awesome winery, to stomping grapes at a festival in Julian, CA... ....to making our way up the California coast and visiting Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Napa, and Sonoma area wineries... ...and now living in the Bay Area within a few miles of some ... [Read More]
Healthy Recipes Ideas to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo: Easy Black Bean Quesadillas + Vegetarian Chili
Happy Friday! You may or may not have realized that Cinco de Mayo is coming up this weekend on Sunday. While Mexican food can drum up thoughts of greasy nachos doused in cheese & sour cream and sugary margaritas, you can still celebrate the holiday with healthier fare. Here are a few recipe ideas to try out if you feel like being festive this May 5th: Spicy Tomato Cilantro Salsa This simple recipe is a great way to put a homemade touch on the (typically jarred) salsa that you usually find at gatherings. Whip up in 5 minutes flat and serve with multigrain tortilla chips. Black Bean Quesadillas To healthify a simple cheese quesadilla recipe, I pack veggies into the mix. If you're looking to keep the calorie and fat content low for your Cinco de Mayo ... [Read More]
The Sore Triceps Workout
A few days ago, I wanted to do some strength training before cycling at the gym. I tend to do weight exercises in the aerobics room because I like my space to bounce around, but a class was starting in the room in less than half an hour. I came up with a workout routine that focuses on triceps + chest to get my muscles fatigued in a jiffy -- and it certainly did just that. My triceps were sore for 2 days afterwards! Explanations of the above exercises: (Standing bent over) triceps extension Tricep bench dips Skull crushers aka head bangers Closed grip dumbbell press Happy exercising! ... [Read More]
Perfecting Pasta Caprese
Last Christmas, my hubby gave me a book of classic Italian recipes as a stocking stuffer. In it there are some quintessential meat-free Italian recipes included. I started flipping through it yesterday after having dreams that he and I were on a vacation in Italy (I think that's a sign that we should really go there soon!), and a recipe for pasta caprese caught my eye. I've made caprese in many forms and fashions -- as the classic salad, a chopped heirloom salad, a panini, risotto dish, and yes, as a pasta meal. I love the simplicity of it: some good olive oil, tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, salt, pepper, and sometimes balsamic vinegar. It never fails as a great combo, especially in warm weather. But this book had a tip noted in there that I've never done before: freezing the ... [Read More]