Charleston Chow

Last weekend, I drove down to Charleston, SC, where I met up with my parents for what turned out to be a very rejuvenating mini vacation. 

We saw the sights...

Pineapple fountain on a waterfront park (pineapple=symbol of hospitality)

 One of the McMansions we saw on a mule-drawn carriage tour of the town

A vigilant feline

Spring has sprung on Magnolia Plantation

A walk on the Cooper River Bridge

Typical cobblestone street in town

Either they were nuzzling, or the one on the right has fleas

We filled up on the local chow...

My first-ever creme brulee - at Blossom

Lunch at High Cotton...

Black-eyed pea hummus

 

Grilled salmon salad

My mom's fish cakes & zucchini fries

Fro-yo at FreshBerry: FreshBerry tart with mango, strawberries, and shredded coconut

Huevos rancheros for breakfast at the Hominy Grill - this may have been my favorite meal of the trip (note to self: recreate at home)

I tried some of my mom's shrimp and grits - a classic of their low-country fare - and was impressed.  Sounds weird, looks mushy, tastes great!

Although we did indulge in some decadent eats this weekend, we also spent most of both days logging some serious miles by walking around Charleston and exploring the extensive gardens and swamps at Magnolia Plantation.  My dad and I also hit up the mini-gym at our hotel for some higher intensity exercise.

That stationary bike'll get your heart pumping!

All of the food was delectable and it was so nice to get to spend some QT with the parents.  We really packed a lot in over the weekend but I still felt refreshed and ready to start my week.

Raw 'n' Run

This past week, I've had a renewed zest for healthy food and fitness.  It all started when I picked up a copy of Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet.  The author outlines a diet centered around raw, plant-based foods.  The overall goal of the diet is to maintain a 20/80 ratio of acidic to alkaline foods.  She explains that an alkaline system is ideal for optimal health and disease prevention (she treated her cancer with this lifestyle).  I'm only a few chapters in, but so far it's making a lot of sense.  Her diet is a bit too extreme for me - she suggests a raw, vegan diet - but she has some very useful ideas nonetheless.

I've been majorly upping the greens this week, which means plenty of my favorite Green Monster smoothies, salads, and other concoctions.

The obligatory Naked Green Machine

Impressive numbers, huh?

Green smoothie from Berrybrook Farm.  Basically like a fresh version of the Green Machine.

And to prove I sometimes eat/drink while not behind the wheel...

Tilapia, lightly breaded and baked, with whole wheat couscous and steamed asparagus

In other news, I finally went to Inside Out Sports last week to have a running expert help me find the best type of shoes for my shin splint issues.  I spent about 30 minutes trying on different shoes and running on the treadmill in the store, and finally left with a pair of Asics and a long mental list of tips.

New kicks

I've never tried Asics before, so hopefully they will be my key to pain-free running.  So far, so good.

Crunch Time

While waiting in line at Starbucks today, I was drawn to this jackpot clearance item:

A fancy box of Tazo tea... 6 teabags each of Zen, Awake, Passion, and Vanilla Rooibos.

It was time to get down to business.

At the moment, as you can see, I'm trying out Passion.  The disclaimer on the package reads, "True passion is intoxicating and invigorating, soothing and sensuous, mysterious and magical.  We just thought you should know what you're in for."  Clever.  It did not disappoint.

Apart from impulse purchases, the other item on today's agenda was homemade granola.  I roughly based my creation on a recipe from Whole Living for Granola Base.

3 cups oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
4 tbsp coconut
2 eggwhites
3/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey (plus a little extra - halving the recipe was tricky)
1/6 cup olive oil
3/4 cup dried cranberries


Preheat oven to 350.  Mix the oats, flaxseed, walnuts, and coconut in a mixing bowl.  Whisk the eggwhites and salt in another bowl until foamy, then add in the honey and olive oil.  Stir the eggwhite mixture into the oat mixture until the dry ingredients are uniformly moistened.

Spread in a lightly greased baking pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes.  After 10 and 15 minutes, stir the granola so it bakes evenly.  Remove when golden-brown.

I also let it sit in the warm oven (turned off) for a few extra minutes so it could dry out (I was eager).

When cool, stir in the cranberries.

I enjoyed a small cup of the granola as my dessert, and thought it tasted not unlike store-bought granola.  I thought the olive oil would ruin the taste but it didn't at all.  I'm pretty excited about this because there's usually some flavor in store-bought granola that I dislike (too often, it's the cinnamon and particular/too many nuts), but now I can customize it for myself.   

Almond milk action

Sweet & Spicy

It's happening.

Spring is in the air and I could not be more prepared for it.  I was even thinking about doing some "spring cleaning"  this weekend, but the relentless rainfall (another sign of spring!) put a damper on that plan. 

I owe my idea for tonight's dinner to a recipe tip from my mom.  It's very simple: bake a sweet potato and top it with seasoned black beans (I used the pre-seasoned variety), salsa, and sour cream.

This meal hit the spot and was very spicy, due to the salsa I picked up from Trader Joe's earlier today.  

I'm a salsa enthusiast and am always looking for new foods to enjoy it on.  Needless to say, I foresee a repeat of this meal in the next few days. 

Recent Eats

I just returned today from a 3-day weekend.  It was incredibly relaxing - in fact, so relaxing that I failed to get to the grocery store to stock up on real food.  For better or for worse, here are some of my latest (and some noticeably store-bought) eats:

Plain yogurt + high fiber cereal + fruit + a drizzle of honey = addicting snack

Since I recently caught spring fever, I guess I decided it was officially time for iced coffee drinks.  I can't get enough of these fraps - mocha as well as my all-time favorite, java chip.

Thai tea.  I tried this drink over the weekend at House of Asian in Forest City and it was delicious.  On a base level, it tasted like sweet tea with cream, but there must have been some other spices in it that gave it that X-factor. 

I bought this meal replacement bar at a local coffee shop.  They're made in Boone (see parrfoods.com) so I thought I'd support some "local" business.  I tried my mocha white chocolate cherry variety this morning and boy was it filling.  They're much softer than other bars of their kind, and this one tasted a little spicy, too. 

I enjoyed it with a mug of Trader Joe's mango black tea.  As you can see, this was an on-the-go type of breakfast. 

Healthi-fry

I'm back!  This week, it seems as though I've been more focused on getting to the gym after work and I've been putting the blog on the back burner.  I am happy to report, however, that my creativity in the kitchen has been going strong because I'm trying to cut down on grocery spending.  Example: Today's lunch included an almond butter and pear sandwich on a wheat sandwich thin, coupled with a container of plain yogurt topped with frozen blueberries, honey, and Fiber One cereal. 

Tonight, I tried to tackle the ever-popular task of making a "healthy" version of a comfort food.  On the menu: grilled cheese and French fries.

The Fries

Last week, I bought a butternut squash without a plan for what to do with it.  Having recently read about other bloggers using various vegetables to make fries, I attempted the same with my squash (after a quick google search of "butternut squash fries recipe" to verify that yes, someone had actually had success with it before). 

The Victim

First, preheat the oven to 425.  Peel a portion of the squash, then cut it into fry-like pieces.  Arranged them on a baking sheet, spray them with cooking spray, and sprinkle some salt and chili powder over them. 

After baking for about 25 minutes, I took them out because they'd started to burn. 

Now, they weren't crunchy for the most part.  I think I may need to cut larger fries so that they can get crispy without burning.  However, they tasted so good dipped in ketchup that I'd almost believe they were French fries (except for that slightly sweet flavor...).  I think the seasoning, as well, helped them masquerade as potatoes.   

The Grilled Cheese

Heat a skillet over medium heat on the stove.  Spread butter on two slices of bread (I used Ezekiel Sprouted 100% Whole Grain) and place the bread, butter side down, in the skillet.  Thinly slice about a quarter of a Granny Smith apple and arrange the slices on one of the pieces of bread.  Layer sliced cheddar cheese over the apple slices, and close the sandwich.  Allow it to cook on each side until the bread gets toasty and the cheese melts. 

No complaints here.  My only problem was that I only had a small piece of cheese left in the fridge so it wasn't quite as gooey as I'd like!  The tart apple added an interesting dynamic to the taste, while upping the nutritional value of the meal.

Sweet Eats & Reads

Happy Valentine's Weekend!  My weekend kicked off with a surprise in my mailbox yesterday - chocolate! 

Every year, my dad makes sure each of his "girls" gets a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day, even though we have spread out across different states over the years.  I love all chocolate, but I always try to guess which one is coconut, my all-time favorite.  It's reliably covered in dark chocolate, but sometimes it's in a circular shape and sometimes in log form.  Well, it took about 4 or 5 tries to find the jackpot this year.

This morning, per my recent inability to sleep in on weekends, I got up before 8 for a run/walk around the neighborhood.  The cheery sunshine outside was deceiving - it was below freezing. 

I came home and whipped up another green monster smoothie.  My almond butter jar was nearly empty, so I used natural peanut butter instead.  It was almost just as tasty.  Now it's time for a relaxing Saturday morning with my other surprise from yesterday - the March issue of Whole Living! 

Life Is Good