So Easy a Caveman Can Do It - But I Can't

Over the last few months, I've realized that I've kind of plateaued in my attempt to get rid of some of that "stubborn belly fat" that all those commercials for wonder supplements and crazy workout DVDs love to talk about.  It's not stubborn.  It's an unwelcome guest, and I'm kind of tired of it having way overstayed its welcome.  

So I've been looking at how I can step it up.  Not just so I can more easily slip into a pair of pants, but also so that I know I'm healthier.

For a long while, I've really reduced my meat consumption.  I really really really don't care for chicken. When I was pregnant with HRH, it was a huge aversion to me, so much that when I tried to buy some of those pre-cooked strips for the Husband at the store one day, my knees buckled and I thought I was going to pass out.  Ever since, I can only handle it if it's REALLY well made, and I have to REALLY want it.  I also have tried to cut down on red meat, especially because of the many links between red meat consumption and a greater risk of colon cancer (among others).  

And I like most vegetarian protein sources.  I love beans.  I really like tofu.  Quinoa is great.  Tempeh - meh (see what I did there?); that's really the one thing that I've had that I didn't really care for.

But nothing seemed to be working.

I decided, then, to take a week and try a modified paleo plan.  I say modified because I did use a "paleo for runners" approved foods list, which includes more starchy veggies like sweet potatoes and squash.  Apparently a non-runners paleo diet doesn't allow for them.

Basically, the paleo diet is, from what I understand, supposed to mimic the ingredients that our very ancient, probably much hairier forefathers would have eaten.  Of course, this means no processed foods, but it also nixes all grains, dairy, and sugars (although some sites allowed maple syrup and honey because those were natural sugars, and I can totally imagine an early Homo sapiens risking life and limb for a handful of honey like he were some Ice Age Winnie the Pooh).  Probably the most restrictive aspect for me, though was that it didn't allow for legumes or beans.  Even though I love me some rice and white breads, rarely a week goes by that I don't have beans with at least two meals.  But I was determined to try this to rev up my body's vacationing fat burning abilities.

I created a meal plan for the week and headed to the grocery store.

First of all, holy sticker shock, Batman!  I haven't actually bought meat that wasn't turkey necks for Zooey or bacon in a really long time, apparently, because when I picked up a small package of ground beef, I thought I was going to have to take a second mortgage out on the house.  Yikes.

I admit that on top of my mandate that I would still be enjoying my morning coffee with half-and-half and cinnamon sugar, I did "cheat" during one meal.  One of my friends and I had lunch, and I had a beer.  Beer, as you know, is made from grains - gluten-y grains - so it's waaaaaaaay up on the Verboten Items List.  But I also don't want to be that person who puts the kibosh on every restaurant suggestion because it doesn't work for my super restrictive diet plan.  "Oh, no, that place doesn't work for me.  I can't eat anything that casts a shadow past 1:00 in the afternoon on Tuesdays."  

Interestingly enough, that evening, I felt TERRIBLE.  Like you might right before you get sick.  Achy, tired, tempting fate by trying to NOT get a headache.  Just...blah.  And then I got cranky because I didn't feel well, so it wasn't the most pleasant evening.

I can't say with absolute certainty that this was all caused by the grains.  But it was interesting nonetheless.  

At the end of the week, I knew that this plan isn't for me.  That isn't to say it's a terrible idea.  I really like certain aspects of it.  But I think that it's more of a diet than a lifestyle for me at this point in my life, and restrictive diets never work.

What I DO think I can take out of this experience is that I don't necessarily need to embrace the red meat again, but I can bid a fond farewell to grains more easily than I thought.  And that's where I think I can improve my eating habits.  While I'll be welcoming beans back to my diet very soon (hello, Cuban dinner plans), I'm not sure that I'll be so quick to nab a loaf of bread to go along with them.  I'd love to experiment with gluten-free grains and work to reduce the amount of corn-based products I consume.  While I didn't weigh myself at all this week, I do feel less full around the middle, even though I've felt like I've eaten a lot more than I usually did.

One big success is that I was able to stick to my meal plan.  I made it a lot more simple and relied a great deal more on leftovers for lunch and dinner repeats, and I think that's where I've gone off the rails before.  I'm hoping to be more consistent with that as well.

Where have you been successful in modifying your food lifestyle to make healthy changes?  What are you willing to "give up"?  What are non-negotiables for you?

Favorite Food Friday - Black Rice Summer Salad

It might not officially be summer, according to the calendar, but once we hit 100° here in Phoenix, it's summer.  Period.

Summer means many things to many people: lemonade, picnics, maybe vacation.  A few of the things it means for us is "Ugh, what can I make that doesn't involve the oven?" and "I guess I can make something on the stove if it doesn't take too long."  

Of course, with The Husband working late some nights, summer also means for me "What is fast and easy and not that messy but that I don't have to heat up the house to make?"

Enter summer salads.

This particular beauty was inspired by Kat, who, for several days this past month, was texting us about her "regular" lunch of strawberry, mango, and avocado salad.  My mouth was watering, and I knew that would be a perfect starting point.  When I realized that I still had some delicious black rice in the pantry, I had a winning combination.

This salad is ridiculously simple, and it's easy to change up the ingredients as you have them.  And unless you want to add a sprinkling of feta (which I have twice in the five times I've made it), this healthy recipe is vegan as well as gluten-free.

Black Rice Summer Salad

• 1/2 cup black rice (you could probably sub any long grain rice if you can't get the black rice)
• 1 ripe mango (or a ripe peach/nectarine - also amazing)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 green onions (or a shallot or red onion)
• red wine vinegar
• olive oil
• salt
• cracked black pepper

Cook the rice according to package directions.  If you need to, drain out any remaining water before tossing with the onions, chopped fairly fine, and the oil and vinegar (to taste - I only used about 2 Tbsp of each).

Cut up the avocado and mango into bite sized pieces and toss in with the rice.  The rice should still be a little warm, which will make the avocado get a little melty.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately or chill for later - this recipe serves one as a meal or two as a side.  It's delicious any way you try it.

Holy Crepe Week, Batman! Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Crepes (Plus a Bonus!)

Well.  If you've been following the #CrepeWeek hashtag on Twitter, you'll know that it's been a whirlwind week round these parts.  We've got 12 bloggers, 4 cookbook giveaways, and one can't-miss crepe recipe.  Winning-er than winning, if I do say so myself.
If you haven't been in the reindeer games, let me bring you up to speed:
America's Test Kitchen has kindly worked with us this week as we all played with their fabulous, can't-possibly-screw-up-it's-that-easy crepe recipe (Don't believe me? Click the link to watch the video - you'll be sold.  And while you're there, I encourage you to sign up - ATK has amazing, time-tested recipes that you will want to use again and again).  All of us used this recipe as our base while filling the crepes with all sorts of amazingly drool-worthy recipes.  ATK has also provided four of their cookbooks as fabulous (Seriously - they are FABulous!  You want all of them!) giveaway items.
But more on the cookbooks in a minute.  First, the crepe recipes.
We paired a savory and sweet crepe each day, providing you with a litany of possible meal combinations.  It's up to you to determine which one you have to have today, and which one can wait until later today:

• Comfortably Domestic and Wanna Be a Country Cleaver kicked things off on Monday with, respectively, Tuscan crepes and Grand Marnier berry crepes.
• Tuesday, we were served up some southwestern crepes with cilantro pesto by Tenaciously Yours, as well as Inside NanaBread's Head's lemon cream crepe cakes for two.
• On Wednesday, pork belly and wild mushroom crepes by Climbing Grier Mountain and blueberry ginger crepes à la mode (because why would you NOT want ice cream?) from Munching in the Mitten were on the menu.

(Are you dying yet?  Because I am.)

• Bakeaholic Mama brought us "The Vermonter," a beast of a crepe with Vermont cheddar, Vermont ham, apples, and sage, and The Hill Country Cook made an amazing blackberry orange crepe with cream cheese and mascarpone filling on Thursday.
• Friday nearly finished off the week with The GromMom's prosciutto and asparagus crepe with a (screaming this part) MANGO CREAM SAUCE (plus a bonus - don't miss it!) and La Petite Pancake's strawberry crepes au lait.

Yes.  Our dinner parties would be EPIC.  It's pretty much a given that we need to all get together somewhere with a huge kitchen and basically throw down.  And then hibernate for 6 weeks while we recover from said food fest.

And don't forget to enter to win any or all (you want all) of these amazing books from America's Test Kitchen:

• Baking Illustrated (offered over at Comfortably Domestic)
• Cook's Illustrated (offered over at Wanna Be a Country Cleaver)
• Weeknight Faves (offered over at Climbing Grier Mountain)
• ATK Family Baking (offered over at The Hill Country Cook)

And that brings us to today.  I've paired up with our newbie, Ann at From My Sweetheart, and boy, oh boy, do we have some goodies for you.  Seriously.  I can't even begin to tell you about Anne's red velvet crepes with sweet mascarpone cream.
I screamed a little bit lot while typing that.  And maybe peed a little.  I'm pretty excited.  OK, a lot excited.  Actually, I had to be stopped from buying a plane ticket to go to her place for dessert.
This is clearly one of those Run-Don't-Walk-Eat-Dessert-First situations.  I mean, I like my crepes a whole lot, but we're talking red velvet here.  That's a completely different level.

Once you've snarfed those babies down, I've got a twist on one of my favorites.
When The Husband was finishing up his master's, he had a fellowship with the city of Washington, DC.  While I stayed in Michigan that last year, he was down there in a postage stamp sized apartment.  I love DC for all that it has to offer, especially the food.
Mere blocks from the apartment was L'Enfant's, a Belgian crepe bar.  We went there fairly regularly when I would come to visit, and the roasted red pepper and goat cheese was always a go-to when I wasn't sure what I wanted.  For my version, I beefed it up with a bit of mushroom.
And for heaven's sake, don't forget the Hoegaarden!

Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, and Herbed Goat Cheese Crepes
(serves 2)

• 2 organic red peppers, washed, cut in half, and seeded
• 2 Tbsp coconut milk (or organic whole milk)
• Oregano (preferrably fresh), to taste)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 pound mushrooms, any variety, chopped
• 1/2 onion, any variety (I prefer red onion here), chopped
• 5 oz herbed goat cheese (or plain goat cheese that you have mixed with your favorite herbs)
• Cooking oil (your choice)

Put your sweetie to work making those amazing ATK crepes.  The Husband is Official Crepe-Maker (hehe - crepe-maker!) in our house, so I took the opportunity to share a snap of him.

On a hot grill or under the broiler (or actually on a stovetop burner), roast the peppers, turning to ensure that the skin gets evenly charred. Remove and immediately place into a plastic zip-top bag; allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.  Remove peppers from the bag and peel off/discard the skins.
(Sorry I don't have a pic of this - my hands were covered in red pepper skin, and TH was chasing HRH around the house to keep her away from the kitchen)
Place 1 1/2 pepper along with the coconut milk, oregano, salt, pepper, and lime juice into a food processor and blend until  smooth.  Set aside, but keep warm (not hot).
Chop the remaining 1/2 pepper
In a large saute pan, heat 2 Tbsp of your favorite cooking oil (this recipe works well with canola, olive, and coconut oils) over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, onions, and the remainder of the red pepper and saute until the mushrooms and soft and the onions are translucent.

Add mushroom mixture to a bowl where the goat cheese is already waiting and mix. thoroughly.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

To assemble crepes:
Spoon 2-3 Tbsp of the filling into each crepe and roll up.  Drizzle red pepper sauce over crepes just before serving.

For an added kick of pepper, you can add cayenne or hot sauce to the red pepper sauce and put inside the crepe with the filling as well as on top.  Which is what we did.  Because we go big.

Note - these crepes are not a looker - it's my experience that anything that is mixed with a soft cheese or  various gravies usually look blobby.  But don't you fret.  These babies might not be that photogenic, but they don't disappoint on the trip to Flavor Town.

Of course, in the Philistine house, we can't just have one kind of crepe.  Whenever we have crepes for dinner, we have to have them for dessert, too.  I'll be honest - that there were leftover crepes for my breakfast the next morning was a complete anomaly, one that I took measures to ensure would not repeat itself at lunchtime.

So here's a special bonus crepe recipe, just for you!

Pineapple Mango Crepes with Coconut Cream and Macadamia Nut Drizzle
(serves 2)

For the crepes:

• 1 large red mango (or two yellow mangoes), roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple (or chunk pineapple, chopped to be a bit smaller), drained
• 2 Tbsp pineapple juice
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca flour

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and bring just to a boil.  Simmer 10 minutes and then remove from heat.  Allow to cool slightly, but the filling should remain warm.

For the coconut cream:

• 1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat only, please!)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca flour
• 1/3 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup toasted coconut or dried coconut flakes
• In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk, syrup, and cornstarch just to a boil and reduce to simmer.  Simmer until the mixture has reduced and thickened; set aside so it stays warm.

To assemble crepes:
Add 3 Tbsp filling to each crepe and roll up.  Drizzle the top with the coconut cream, and then top with macadamia nuts and coconut.  Try to breathe between bites.

We are huge fans of tropical fruit in our house, and we especially liked this recipe because it was fruit sweet but not overly sweet.  By adding just a touch of sweetener to the coconut cream, we balanced out the acidic sweetness of the pineapple with the creaminess of the drizzle.
And then we licked the plates clean.

I hope that you enjoyed Crepe Week as much as we all did.  A huge thanks to America's Test Kitchen for helping us throw this party - the crepe recipe is amazing and easily adaptable, as you've seen, to both sweet and savory crepes that are perfect for any meal of the day!

***Disclaimer: all opinions expressed in this post are my own.  I was not remunerated by ATK for it in any way, but I just really like the show, the books, and the website, and I think you will, too!

Meatless Monday on Training Tuesday

First and foremost, I must say that I am thankful for the crazy monsoon weather that we've been having in Arizona this year.  While it makes for some seriously muggy, sweat-laden morning runs, the temperatures have been kept to within reasonable parameters.  By Arizona standards.
My morning runs with Zooey, which begin with a 4:30 AM alarm - followed immediately by a 4:30:30 coonhound alarm, just in case - have been hovering in the low 80s.  Not my most favorite temperature to run in, but it beats anything hotter.  So while the rains have drowned all by my mint (I think) and peppers (which are thriving), I'm more than happy for them to continue so that we can keep things tolerable.
Today marked my first Official training run to prepare me for my second half marathon, which will be in November.  I have, of course, been running and cross training throughout the summer, but it's been Unofficial, which means I haven't felt that bad about veering off of The Plan for various reasons.  Starting today, though, my heart rate monitor was strapped back on, and instead of just running a "basic" run, I set a time goal (in this case, a mere 30 minutes).
I love the time-based goals.  My training plan is pretty much the half marathon training plan set out in Marathoning for Mortals, by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield, which I used to prepare for London's Run, and having the weekday runs be time-based is something that I came to almost rely on - it was the promise that I'd be done "soon."  Really, the only alteration I made was to add a few more weeks of training in and switch around the running and cross training weekdays.  Using time instead of distance really helps me focus on my heart rate, stride,and foot strike instead of "how much farther?"
Of course, this morning I had trouble remembering how to start my heart rate monitor, a delay that Zooey found unacceptable.
The Official training run didn't feel much different than Sunday's last Not Official training run (except we were faster this morning; I was tired Sunday), but it's nice to know that I'll be back on The Plan.  When on The Plan, I'm much stricter with myself and have the discipline not to skip/put off days, so I anticipate a solid performance for my second 13.1.

In Mrs. Obama Arms news, I'm still struggling with my Hundred Pushups Challenge.  After falling off the wagon for about a week and a half, I reset myself back to Week 3, Day 1, in which I did 48 pushups.  They were a little difficult, but that's to be expected.
My frustration lies in the fact that while Weeks 1, 2, and 3 felt like they were gradually moving me toward more and more pushups, Week 4 felt out of control.  I am not one to make excuses (most of the time), but I can't help but wonder if a woman's upper body strength limitations - I really don't like that word there, but I'm not sure what else to say - were taken into consideration with this program/app.  That's not to say as a woman I CAN'T do this, but I think some resetting and careful cross training will need to be taken into account; I might have to do Week 4 three times in a row before I think I'm ready for Week 5.
What I need to do is remind myself that this is OK.  I'm still working toward a great goal, and as of last night, I have completed 843 pushups since beginning the Challenge.  That probably brings my lifetime total to about 900, so I can't complain.
I mean, I CAN complain, but there's not really anything tangible for me to stand on there.
Besides, if it were easy, it wouldn't be called the Hundred Pushups Challenge.  It would be called the Hundred Pushups Easy Thing.

One more thing - I've started the Plank a Day Challenge as well.  This one is fairly simple to follow.  Each day, I do a plank for as long as I can.  That's it.  The goal, of course, is to be able to plank longer and longer, improving my core muscles.  I'm not gonna lie - I'm really tired of crunch/pushup workouts, so I'm game to try this.
My inaugural plank wasn't bad:

Now it's time to up the game and see where this can take me.  The good news is that, unlike my Hundred Pushups Challenge, I don't have a set time that I have to hit each day.  I just need to challenge myself at my level.  And, apparently, watch out for the Plank Police.

So how am I fueling myself?  Lots of plant-based proteins.  I'm not one to say "never" to anything, but I don't foresee myself our our family going 100% vegan, and I think that may not be the best route for me.  But I am doing my best to cut down on animal products when I can.
I've moved from half-and-half to coconut milk in my coffee.  While both have saturated fats in them (that's the " really bad juju" when it comes to reading the fats label), I've been reading up on the stuff, and studies are suggesting that the saturated fats in plants, such as coconuts, have less of a detriment on one's body than those found in animal products like butter or cream.  That being said, I am careful to have only 3 spoonsful in each cup, and I generally have two cups of coffee each day.  That's my "splurge" each morning.
And while I moved on to agave nectar for a while, I'm a little concerned about the process by which the "nectar" is made, so I'm trying out coconut sugar, which is gotten by a process similar to how maple syrup is obtained.  It's still got calories - my coffee is my morning splurge, remember? - but the coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic scale than white sugar, so there are no spikes in the blood sugar.

I still can't believe I've come this far, considering it wasn't long ago that I had to have a splash of coffee with my CoffeeMate.

I'm also having fun with vegetarian and vegan versions of my favorite dishes, like korma.
Last week, the okra in our CSA bag gave me a craving for Indian food that would have impressed even the most pregnant of women.  I thought about it morning, noon, and night, and I kept thinking about ordering take-out or suggesting that we go out.
The problem - HRH.  I'm perfectly happy to "force" her to eat certain foods, but I'm not going to take her to a restaurant that serves fare that far outside her comfort zone (we're still working on quesadillas, people).  I want to be allowed out in public with her again.
But if I were to make it at home, I could serve her similar ingredients like brown rice and carrots, and I could still get my korma fix.
Now, I love love love love (freaking) LOVE lamb korma; it's my go-to item when we go out to an Indian restaurant.  But unlike Aunt Voula, I understand that lamb doesn't fit into my plant-based focus, so I opted to make a vegetarian korma with tofu and fresh veggies, including that okra.  I just needed a recipe.

Thank you, Interwebz.

So, last Monday night (maybe Tuesday - I don't remember), I tried a recipe from Vegetarian Times.
It was good.
But it wasn't the korma I was thinking of - that creamy, spicy, sauce that you can literally sop up with a biscuit bit of naan.
So the craving?  Still there.
My poor husband - it was like I was pregnant all over again, but I didn't have a pregnant belly that he could rub like it was a freaking genie lamp.
So I searched and found one that would be better - perfect, even - one that used not only coconut milk and tomato but a cashew cream to give it a silky, creamy texture.  Thank YOU, Post Punk Kitchen, for delivering!
Of course, I didn't follow the recipe exactly (you know I have a hard time following directions) - I made my own garam masala earlier this year, since I am sensitive to ginger, anise, and turmeric.  So I played around with everything to get something that would still be savory, although I think I still needed to amp the spice and garlic when we have our next go round.
End result - this recipe was a lot of work (I'm sparing you pictures of the aftermath in the kitchen since this post is already so dang long), but it was totally worth it, especially when paired with some homemade naan that was already on the right track (it's hard to duplicate the flavor and texture when your kitchen is lacking a tandoori oven).

As far as naan goes, it was good, but The Husband and I discussed how we can improve it so we didn't use so much oil in the process.  We determined that some terra cotta planter bottoms (the flat parts that hold the water in) on the grill will probably be the closest we can get, so next time you see me at the hardware store, it's probably because I'm thinking about dinner.
I've gotten my korma fix, but we still have a jar full of the leftover korma sauce, so I'm thinking of making a korma pizza later this week.  I can toss some roasted veggies on top of it and call it a meal - the perfect training food.

Do you need to be on a training plan to be disciplined?
What is your favorite way to strengthen your core?
What food cravings have you had recently; did you indulge?

Favorite Food Friday

When I was pregnant with HRH, I wanted pizza.  All.  The.  Time.  My poor husband, who loves pizza himself, got so weary of it that when I wanted pasta he almost celebrated the chance to not eat pizza.
I continue to love pizza (it's weird that HRH doesn't like pizza; you'd think it was like mother's milk to her... especially since I suspect my milk actually tasted like pizza), and although I could probably eat it more than once a week if I were given free reign, I don't.
Sometimes we go out, but more than not of late, when I want pizza, I just make it myself (insert sound clip of small child yelling, "I DO IT MYSELF!").
This also helps make sure that I win the Deep Dish vs. Thin Crust debate (The Husband is pro-Chicago-style; I am a fan of New York pizza).
I have played around with various crust recipes but have found my best success with the crust in the Peas and Thank You cookbook; it's light and bakes up nice and crispy.  This week I subbed a small bit of whole wheat flour for the whole wheat pastry flour to get a little bit denser, chewier texture.
When I make pizza, it's basically Whatever Possible Toppings Are On Hand flavor.  I feel like I've come a long way in my belief of What is Allowed as a Pizza Topping; when I was small, it was only pepperoni, black olives, and, when done appropriately, sausage, white onions, and cashews.  The first time I saw artichoke hearts on pizza, I was mortified.  Now I find them delectable and will regularly order them when eating out.
This week, my toppings included yellow summer squash, apples, arugula, and caramelized onions that came right from our CSA share as well as sun-dried tomatoes and part-skim mozzarella cheese.  I don't generally use sauce - red sauce has never been my favorite, and while I really do love white garlic sauces, I don't need the calories that my favorite ones add (the approximate number is a bazillion).  So I just brush the crust with olive oil.  I did plan to add some minced garlic, but I forgot, as I did with the Kalamata olives
The one thing that I think ALL pizza crust recipes need to include is this:

Before shaping the crust, sprinkle an ample amount of cornmeal onto your shaping surface.  Right before you put your pizza in the oven, sprinkle your pizza stone with cornmeal as well.  This will help prevent the crust from sticking to anything.

See?  Ample.

I mean, I guess if you were going to shape your crust on a pizza pan, this wouldn't be a big deal, but since we have a pizza stone that we use in the oven and on the grill, it's a Necessary Step.

I can't guarantee that all my pizza creations are as veggie-fied as the one I made this week, but hey, when I make it myself, it's bound to be a healthier version of one of my favorite splurges.

Pre-cheese

If there is anything tastier than baked cheese, I want to meet it.

Pizza is the exception to my "no seconds" rule.
Every rule has to have exceptions.

What is a food you could eat at least once weekly for the rest of your life?
What is your favorite pizza topping combination?
Red sauce, white sauce, or no sauce?

Oooh, Heaven is a Place on Earth

Lovely little bundles of sunshine

Today was one of those just wonderful days.  Not like a "OMG I WON AN OSCAR" type wonderful - wonderful in its simplicity.  I'm not sure what transpired to bring such a fantastic set of waking hours after such a rough semester, but I am still reveling in it before I head to the Land of Nod.
First things first - HRH let me sleep in this morning.  All the way to 7:30.  Granted, she did wake me up screaming bloody murder at some point in the middle of the night, and when I raced in there to see if she was OK, she was in the throes of some night terror, hollering "I just want my grass to grow!"  Not sure what transpired to upset her about bare patches in the lawn, but I'm just glad that she was able to calm herself and return to a regular, peaceful sleep so that I was able to do the same.
After getting up, we made big plans.  In order to get a peaceful shower, I started her favorite, Beauty and the Beast.  Once I was clean, we slathered on sunscreen, got dressed, and got in the car.
First stop - Bergie's to pick up our CSA veggies.  And a lavender lemonade for me.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.......
Makes 92° feel like a mere 85°.

Which ended up being for both of us.  Mmmmm.... I love lavender lemonade.  So much in fact that I want both a lemon tree and large lavender plant just so that I can indulge whenever the heck I want.
Once veggie-fied and quenched, we headed across the street to the Gilbert Farmer's Market, where I picked out a few purple and orange cherry tomatoes while HRH made friends with a gorgeous Rhodesian Ridgeback (who was only too happy to offer her a few kisses in return for her affection).  His owner and I discussed how much we love the market, especially for tomatoes.  His comment - "I hate buying them at the grocery store.  They're dry and taste like cardboard."  Amen, brother!
We also picked up a few peaches and some gorgeous squash blossoms.
Now, I've only had squash blossoms stuffed with cheese and deep fried.  Delicious; I can't lie.  But really, not the best option out there.  Surely there had to be another, healthier option.
Thank you, Tasty Kitchen, for not disappointing with your avocado salad stuffed squash blossoms!  You had me at avocado, and then I read that there was no frying involved.  The freshness stays in tact!
Ironically, another Gilbert Farmer's Market afficionado, Inspired RD, found the exact link I did and prepped them for lunch today and has already posted about how lovely the recipe is.
In other words, when you get your hands on some squash blossoms, make this recipe.  You will not be disappointed.
Since The Husband is out of town visiting his parents and baby brother (text: "Cracken rum and cream soda is amazing!" - glad you boys are having fun at the lake), I texted my girlfriend Danielle and asked her to come for dinner, which she gladly did, bearing wine (I love her) and a gift for HRH (HRH loves her, too).  Danielle follows a gluten-free diet, so I wanted to make sure that I didn't have anything that would have gluten in it but would feature those amazing tomatoes and the summer squash that I received in the CSA share for the week.
Basically a no-brainer: tostadas.
Before I prepped dinner, though, HRH and I had to test drive the new kiddie pool that I had promised her for ages.  Once re-slathered with sunblock, we spent about two hours splashing about, jumping into and out of the pool, and spraying Zooey down with the hose.  There is something magical about the combination of a preschooler and a basic plastic pool.  I think I had more fun in that 5-foot diameter pool today than I have in those pools that allow me a floating chaise with a drink holder.

"Splash, Momma!"

I think that Devil Dog probably drank about 8 gallons of water throughout the day, but at least she is sleeping hard after a day with no walk.  I can happily say the same about HRH, except sub nap where I wrote walk earlier.  I love it when I can have fun with both my girls at the same time.

So, about those tostadas....
I picked up some sprouted corn tortillas and toasted them before piling them with black beans and cheese.  This was placed under the broiler until the cheese melted.  Then I piled those tortillas high with some avocado creme (avocado and Greek yogurt with just a touch of salt, whipped in the food processor until smooth and creamy), lettuce, tomato pico de gallo (see below), and the rest of the avocado.
Hey, since this was a vegetarian meal, the least we could do is load up on the good fats in the avocado, right?

Can you see the goodness that is the colors of the rainbow,
in veggie form?????

I have to tell you.... there is nothing better in the heat of summer than fresh vegetables all over the plate.  All of the veggies were picked fresh this week and traveled mere miles to get to my plate.  The freshness came across on the plate; while I added some salt to the pico de gallo, there was no need for salt or other flavorings, since the freshness of the veggies gave us sweet and savory, which matched the different textures - crunchy, chewy, and more - so perfectly.
Just as a note, after I cleaned the squash blossoms, I left on the stems to serve as a "handle."  They were easier, in my opinion, to pick up and eat in one bite that way.
After a lovely dinner, my girl - who was SO tired after such a big day - and I talked with The Husband via video chat before a final snuggle.  She was asleep in two minutes.

So, to review... here is the list of veggies that were on our plate this evening but were still growing last weekend:

• Orange cherry tomatoes
• Purple cherry tomatoes
• Yellow summer squash
• Squash blossoms
• Onion blossoms
• White onions
• Basil
• Mint (from my own plant)
• Red leaf lettuce

And in case you wanted to throw together a chunky pico de gallo that was more than tomatoes, onion, and cilantro....

Rainbow Pico de Gallo

• 1 cup mixed color cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters (I used orange and purple)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow summer squash, cut into mini matches
• 1 onion blossom
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp mint, cut into thin ribbons
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cumin

Toss all ingredients gently in a bowl; let sit at least 30 minutes for flavors to mingle.  Serve over tostadas or use to dunk sturdy chips.

What is the best combination of fresh vegetables that you have had?  
What is one veggie dish that screams "summer" to you?
What was the last "perfect" day that you reveled in?

Monday Meal Planning - Spring Has Sprung!

OK, so today's Tuesday.  I know that.  Let's just say yesterday was busy; it was the first day of a new term, and I had to finish a baby blanket so that it was ready for today.
Anyway, after the craze of the Weekend of Meat (post coming soon once I recover), this week is filled with meatless meals that will hopefully not take too long to make.

• Monday - grilled cheese and chickpea-wheat berry soup that I adapted from Herbivoracious.  While last week was in the 80s, Sunday and Monday were rainy and chilly.  It was warmer in Chicago than here in the Phoenix metro area, so a toasty grilled cheese with Guinness mustard, arugula, and tomato (The Husband's also had pastrami) with a nice warm soup was just the thing to make me feel a little cozier.
• Tuesday - hummus with quinoa tabbouleh and pita - not really exciting at all, but I'll be adding the mizuna we got in our CSA share this week to the hummus to add some more green goodness and filling fiber to the meal.  Plus, we could both eat hummus with a spoon, so I know we'll eat "well" this evening.
• Wednesday - radish and pea salad with pasta - I found a few recipes online, but I realized AFTER I went to the store that we don't have enough peas or any edamame, so I'll have to figure out what I want to do here.  We have plenty of lettuce, but I had something a little different in mind.  And as for pasta, I came across a Dr. Weil pasta puttanesca recipe that I am in love with, and it's easy to throw together - we usually have everything that we need for it.  Holden also likes the fact that he gets the leftover tuna.
• Thursday - Peas and Thank You Hugh Jass salad with sandwiches - we still have plenty of pastrami and corned beef as well as brown soda bread (although the potatoes and cabbage were devoured on Saturday), so we'll need to get through that somehow.  I think I can manage some by Thursday.  Oh, and by the way, I forgot how easy AND delicious brown soda bread is to make, so it may be making several appearances in the Philistine house.
• Friday - TBD - honestly, since it's the first week of that new term, I may just want popcorn for dinner.  Or a pastrami sandwich.

Anything exciting on your menu this week?  What's your favorite "cozy" food for when the weather turns chilly?

Stumbling Block

Tomorrow is the Big Day of Meat in the Philistine house.  The Husband has been smoking one of the briskets all day today, so we'll have pastrami by morning (it's taking its own sweet time to come to temperature).  The other brisket is still snoozing in the crisper, waiting for its low, slow bath in the roaster tomorrow morning.
As we come closer to tomorrow's dinner, I find myself struggling with the meal.  In my efforts to eat less meat, this is certainly a complete 180 from my normal objectives.  Yes, it will taste good.  Yes, we will have a good time with the friends who come over to share the meal with us.
But the more I work to have a healthy lifestyle, one that works to prevent colon cancer, (and other cancers, too) gives energy, and keeps our hearts healthy, I'm also looking at how my diet affects the planet and how it affects animals.
I can look at my consumption of animal-based food products from a variety of perspectives: the amount of water it takes to feed a herd, how much corn is raised to feed just cattle (which shouldn't be eating corn in the first place), the reprehensible conditions at slaughterhouses, the way chickens are kept inside cages (their beaks and claws having been removed), how pesticides and antibiotics are being pumped into animals and onto crops to make them bigger and more marketable... it makes me shudder.
What is getting harder and harder for me to ignore is the welfare of the animals I am consuming.  How do I know if the beef that I purchased was allowed to roam free in acres of grasslands or shunted into holding pens?  How do I know that the cage-free eggs in my fridge means that the hens were allowed to see the sky and breathe in fresh air instead of just being piled on top of one another in a filthy barn-like structure?  How do I know that the milk I'm giving my daughter came from a cow who was allowed to also nurse its calf instead of having it shipped off to a veal pen?

The truth is that right now, I don't.
I don't know, and that bothers me.

I have done a lot of research when it comes to the vegetables we consume.  I could easily go to the farm where all our veggies are planted and harvested, and I can taste the freshness.
I love it.
It's not see easy with meat and dairy.
Yes, we have local dairies, local cattle ranches, even a local pig farm, and we've gotten products from all of them.
But some of them are not the most convenient to obtain products, and none of them are the cheapest option.  And to be honest, some of them, which I'm not going to name as I don't think that's right or fair to these local organizations, don't raise their animals in a manner with which I'm 100% comfortable.
In an ideal world, I'd be able to have a few chickens in the backyard for natural pest control (they like scorpions, making them my new favorite animal) and egg supply.  My big concern here is neither our city ordinances for our housing zone nor the cranky old neighbor two doors down but rather Zooey.  I imagine a Of Mice and Men Lenny- mouse type incident should we bring home a couple of chicks, which would be devastating to both HRH and myself.  But I'd still like to move more toward that.
In an ideal world, I'd find a dairy that doesn't ship out its calves just to make the milk.  I know from personal experience that one can produce milk even if the wee one for which it was intended isn't there (I've even read articles about women whose babies just wouldn't take to the breast, so they pumped rather than use formula - side note: these women are amazing).  Of course, I understand, too, that human milk is made for human babies; cow milk is made for baby cows.  But I know, realistically, that dairy will be the hardest for me to give up, so were I to be able to find a dairy like I described, I'd be more comfortable using dairy in smaller portions.
In an ideal world, I'd only eat meat on very few occasions, eating that which was raised in that pastoral manner I envision whenever I think of ranching or farming.  The animals would need to have been fed a diet that is amenable to their digestive system (that means grass-fed and finished beef), and the slaughter needs to be as humane as possible.  I know that true vegans believe that any slaughter isn't humane, and I understand that, but I'm trying to use some sort of scale for myself.
We have a friend who went vegan last year, and we talked about his process back in December.  He told me that when he first began, it was a bit easier to cheat, since he was doing it solely for health reasons.  However, he soon started making his decisions from an ethical basis, which made it impossible for him to cheat.  Makes sense - I have a former boss who doesn't eat turkey because it still looks like it did when it was alive, and other people I know won't eat fish because sometimes it can be purchased "with a face."
I know that in order to obtain higher quality products, I'm going to need to spend a little more money.  But we also have a budget that we need to stick to, and that's tougher to reconcile when it's more than a few cents a pound like it might be for organic potatoes over conventional (for the record, potatoes are on the "dirty dozen" list - a list of 12 produce items that "should" be organic purchases so to avoid higher pesticide residues).  It's a conversation that we are continuing to have so that we can make proper, healthy, informed decisions as a family that work for our diet and pocketbook.
Because I'm kind of short on cash right now; I just spent $100 on brisket.

So... what's my plan for my own dinner plate tomorrow?
I don't know.  I went through enough emotional turmoil this week to feel justified, in a way, to have a piece of meat on the plate, and I'm not sure that cabbage and potatoes with brown bread will satiate me after what I plan to have been a 10K morning.
But will I feel good about eating it?
Will I feel good or satisfied afterward?
And, for goodness sake, what am I going to do with that leftover brisket?

What are your feelings with consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs?  What holds greater weight - the price, local availability, or the entire process of raising the animals?  Do you ever struggle with your food choices?

A Man, A Plan, A Canal

Who has two thumbs, likes terrible puns, and has the love for history rhymes (and palindromes) only an English teacher could?
THIS GIRL!

The Man
Well, duh, it's The Husband.  Because he works four ten-hour days for his work week, there is always the possibility that ten-hour day will stretch into twelve or more, which generally means I use his absence as an excuse to not make anything for dinner except a stolen handful of HRH's Goldfish® crackers.  I justify it by telling myself I don't want to be in the kitchen and leave HRH to her own devices alone for that long.  Thus, I often go to bed less than thrilled with my mealtime decisions for the day.  Anyway, regardless of when The Husband comes home, I need to have something good in my belly, and he deserves the chance to be able to warm up something delicious and healthy.

Taper Madness

At this time next week, I will have finished my first half marathon.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous.  Hopefully I'll be able to keep myself busy in order to make sure I don't spend an evening absolutely freaking out.

In the countdown to the big day, I've decided to avoid meat as much as possible.  I, of course, haven't mentioned that to The Husband yet, and he came home from picking up our vegetables bearing not only said veggies but also some cedar planks and salmon, so I suppose I'll have to choke that down.  Darn.

At the same time, my desire for carbs has taken over my thoughts about food, and most other thoughts as well (which is actually a good thing, since I'm thinking about bread instead of the new running shirt that I decided that I "need" to get before the race).  I gave serious consideration last night to calling Oregano's and ordering eight loaves of garlic bread and a side of their "Bollo Pasta."  To go.  I mean, you don't think I'd eat all that bread in public where people would judge me, do you?  That's an in-the-car-in-a-deserted-parking-lot kind of activity.

Fortunately, I held myself back, and my quest for carb-y goodness led me to have what, at the time, I determined to be absolute genius - tofu-angel hair stir fry in peanut sauce.

OK, that kind of sounds weird, but we don't have any udon or other appropriate noodles.  However, we did have two bok choys in the fridge needing to be used in a fairly timely manner, so there you have it.

While rummaging around the fridge (which totally needs to be reorganized and wiped down, but I'm ignoring that for now), I came across a jar of Thai peanut sauce, and I took it out, thinking that I'd use it for the stir fry sauce.

Then I looked at the ingredient list.