It's official, my favorite summertime food obsessions are back in full swing for the season. Over the weekend, I made a strawberry watermelon smoothie not once, but twice. The first time, I made one to quench my thirst while lounging around in my pool for the first time since we moved in a month ago. It was awesome! The second time, my hubby and I had just gotten back from a hike, and a watermelon smoothie sounded like the perfect way to rehydrate. I predict that this smoothie will be back many, many times the next couple of months. Also on the topic of fruit obsessions, I just love pineapple and snacked on it all weekend as well... And then there's my somewhat recent summer food obsession: corn. I never really liked it growing up, and always felt like I could take it or leave it. ... [Read More]
healthy recipes
White Bean Bruschetta
It's no secret that I adore farmers markets. The colorful fruits, veggies and flowers. The fresh food being cooked for the many hungry bellies. The local bakers, producers, growers, and artists all hanging by their stands offering samples and eager to talk to patrons. Everyone there seems happy to taste, happy to pay a bit more for the high quality foods being offered, happy to just be there. I love the vibe of farmers markets. Nothing screams weekend morning more than walking around at a nearby market, getting excited at the heirloom tomatoes and juicy nectarines as only a real food lover like me does. The last time I lived in SoCal, I used to go to the Little Italy farmers market all the time, and it's amazing there, but it's a bit of a hike from where I live now. So a few ... [Read More]
Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan & Cherry Tomatoes
Hi there! Whew, Monday came so quick. The weekend just whizzed by for me! A lot of time over my weekend was spent doing house stuff, including buying a pool vacuum - it took us a few weeks to get the pool in order but now we're all good! - and looking for patio furniture that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I also spent Sunday evening on the beach with this little maniac cutie.... ...and had my first tennis workout in quite awhile! My hubby is making fun of me because I'm so sore today since I hadn't played in awhile. I always get sore when I do an unusual workout, and my forearm, hand, obliques, and back are certainly achy today! I'd like to play tennis more often now that we live down the street from some pretty decent courts. I'm in no way a great tennis player, but I find it to be a ... [Read More]
Cherry Almond Smoothie
In the minds of many Americans, Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer, even though summer doesn't technically start for around another month. It feels like summer to me because last weekend marked the first sunburn of the year for my light skin (with very odd tan lines might I add - I think I have streaks of lines on my arm where my headphone cord was hanging down!) despite putting on suntan lotion multiple times. Meanwhile my hubby got nicely bronzed, because sometimes life just isn't fair my friends. When I think of summer, I think of things like the beach, sangria, backyard BBQs, and sundresses - my favorite attire ever. Of course there's the summery food that comes to mind, which includes lots of seasonal fruit, corn on the cob, bright salads, and of course, refreshing ... [Read More]
Kale Salad with Strawberries, Goat Cheese & Almonds
"Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life." The 10 days that I've spent in Jersey have been extremely tough for my family and me. My grandma passed away last Friday. To be honest, at the moment I don't feel like writing about my heart aching. I'd rather talk about cute babies, my wonderful family, and a yummy kale salad, so that is what I'm sharing with you today. On a positive note, going through this has reminded me what an amazing family I have. I am so grateful and lucky to have my wonderful family and to be close with them. Given the reason I flew to the east coast, I spent a lot of time at the hospital and hanging out with family members, and the quality time I got to spend with them was ... [Read More]
Mint Chocolate Chip Date Balls
Hey friends, how's it going? Greetings from the east coast -- my parents' house in Jersey to be exact. Things around here are pretty up and down. As I talked about in my last post, I flew here because my sweet little grandma is really sick. When I'm not at the hospital or working, I've been trying to do things that soothe my soul a bit and help me keep it together. This includes fitting in an at-home workout this morning, going for a long walk with my brother's girlfriend and their newborn baby yesterday, and having brunch with a close girlfriend today. Yesterday after being at the hospital, I wanted to try to take my mind off of my grandma for a bit, so I decided to spend time in the kitchen whipping up some snacks and dinner for my family. My mom got a food processor last year that she ... [Read More]