My journey to overall health and wellness... Thanks for coming along!

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Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Saturday, June 25, 2011

HERE GOES NOTHING...

My exploration in Live Blogging:

1. Jovial Foods
Bringing back ancient wheat...
Product:
einkhorn pasta
- higher nutrition value than whole wheat
- as much protein as an egg
- vegan
brown rice pasta
- gluten free

Holds sauce very nicely
Keeps well

Also make einhorn & brown rice cookies

Products are available at Whole Foods nationwide
Didn't get to taste the pasta today, but I'll definitely let you know when I do!

2. Rudis Gluten Free Bakery
Product:
Gluten Free Mutigrain Bread
Tested over 100 recipes
bread launched last June
Organic
few ingredients
nothing artificial
no preservatives
mullet seed
cornmeal
sunflower seed

Available nationally at Whole Foods and other large chain supermarkets
IN THE FROZEN SECTION since it has no preservatives

I tried the bread and it is fantastic, and for those of you who have a Gluten Intolerance it would be a great bread alternative!

3. Pop Chips
Product:
Air Popped Potato chips
Popped like popcorn
No oil
More chips per serving
Single serve bag is only 100 calories!
Based in San Fransisco
Gluten Free
School Certified

I've seen these before but never had them... Holy Yum! They will defintiely be a staple in my house. Especially since I just won a months supply out of the blue!

4. Recharge
Product:
All Natural sports beverage powdered stick
liquid drinks have been around for years
Sweetened with Truvia
only 10 calories
8 Pack for 3.99
Available in Supermarkets
lemon
grape
tropical
orange
Post or During Workout drink

I tried the orange flavor... It is good, but I am not that big on sports drinks. I don't like to dress up my water too much. If you do like sports drinks however, this would definitely be something to check out.

5. Detour
Product:
Whey Protein Bar
High Protein
Low Sugar
Supports Lean Body & muscle mass
170 Calories
Available nationwide

I tried a cookie dough flavor... I admit that in the beginning it actually did taste like cookie dough... it did have that protein bar after taste though. I don' t really think that is escapable though, so I say they did as good of job as they could to create a tasty whey protein bar.

6. Small Planet Foods
Product:
LARA Bars
2-9 ingredients
gluten free
soy free
dairy free
kosher
vegan

I love LARA BARS! If you haven't tried them you are definitely missing out! Try the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip...

Also represent Muehr Glenn & Cascadian Farms

7. Casa Noble
Skinny Margarita
Distillery in Jalisco Mexico
Sustainable and organic
age Agaves at least 3 years longer than other companies
aged Tequila in French Oak Barrels which makes the tequila more flavourful
3 ingredients
fresh squeezed lime
Casa Noble Tequila
Agave Nectar
$48/bottle
Available nationwide

Of course I loved this! I am a sucker for a great Margarita, and this is just that! Plus we got to sample some straight tequila afterwards and it's definitely worthy of sipping.

If you want links to the companies see the previous post. Like I said this is live people...
Thanks for being good sports!

LIVE BLOGGING...


As you all know I am here in Boulder, Colorado at the Fitness & Health Bloggers Conference. I promise there will be many recap posts to come, but first... Live Blogging. What is Live Blogging you ask?

According to the conference website:

"Live Blogging is sort of a round-robin, speed-dating style event in which eight or nine companies will each have five minutes to present one food or drink product to a table of bloggers. Bloggers will taste the product, ask questions, and blog, Tweet, or Facebook about the product live on the spot. Organizers will blow a whistle and then the food and drink companies rotate to the next table."

Here are the companies that will be presenting at FHBC11:

1 One Natural Experience
2 Popchips
3 Jovial Foods
4 Recharge
5 Detour Bar
6 Rudi’s Gluten Free Bakery
7 Casa Noble Skinny Margarita
8 Small Planet Foods

I just want to give a little disclaimer saying: I HAVE NEVER DONE THIS! Normally it takes me 1-2 hours to write a post, so this should be an interesting experiment and challenge. We'll see how it goes...

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH...

COLORADO!

The Fitness & Health Bloggers conference is days away and I arrived in Colorado last night. I have to say there is something to amazing and comforting about flying into Denver the the Mountains in the background... It's a view I never get tired of.


The sun was about to set behind them, but I promise you they are there!

I have been moving at a million miles an hour these days... I even gave up my day off for a few weeks- NOT A GOOD IDEA! Needless to say I need some down time. Thankfully I took an extra couple of days here to hang with my family and relax in the Mountain air. It's only been 18 hours and I am already so chilled out and refreshed. There are days when I wonder how I could have left Colorado for New York, but whenever I seriously have thoughts about leaving the Big Apple, my chest gets tight. So, for now I will relish in the fact that I have family and roots in the most beautiful state in the country- in my humble opinion anyway- and can visit any time I want!

After i arrived my folks and I enjoyed an amazing dinner at "new" restaurant in the Denver Tech Center called Chinook Tavern.


The restaurant has actually been around for a while but closed and has now reopened in a new location & new menu. As you may recall... my dad is a bit of a rock star, so the minute we walked in we were greeted by one of the owners & general manager Clemens, professing his gratitude for all the help my dad gave them in getting the restaurant open (which was just the day before). It was pretty cool!

Chinook Tavern is a family run establishment- which I am always a sucker for- run by two brothers, Clemens Georg & Markus Georg (who is the Executive Chef) and designed by their architect father Manfred. Originally from Germany, the family has called Colorado home for many years. They are very in tune with Colorado cuisine and esthetic, but keep to their European roots.
If you live or are are visiting Denver you MUST go to this restaurant! I never had the pleasure of dining at the old Cherry Creek location, but I feel super lucky to have gotten in to this one before the major buzz hits and it's impossible to get a table. It's the perfect combo of atmosphere and amazing food. Obviously we should talk food first:

The menu had me at Mache Salad...


As you can see I was so excited to dig in to it that I forgot to snap a pic until I had devoured almost all of it. It had watermelon radishes, pickled red onions, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese fritters. Have you ever had a watermelon radish?? They are awesome. Not sure where one finds them, but when I do I will let you know.

For my entree I had Colorado Rack of Lamb. Just like if you are in Maine you get the lobster or Maryland you get the crab, when you are in Colorado you get the meat- lamb, beef, bison. This particular dish did my homeland proud!


The lamb was marinated in mint and then topped with grilled cipollini onions and a rosemary merlot sauce.

On the side were grit cakes and tomato gremalade. Perfection!

My mom enjoyed the beef tenderloin.


And Dad had the house signature dish Jaeger Schnitzel.


Both were fantastic!

For dessert we all shared a Creme Brulee. No pic of that... between my mom and I that sugar was cracked in 2.5 seconds. :)

Now on to atmosphere:

The restaurant is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!



A fondu room!


Perhaps my favorite thing is in addition to the actual bar, there is a giant community table in the center and other larger tables all around.


Clemens told me that he considers every table in the lounge a community table. He loves sitting at the bar because everyone coexists together, and often times you find yourself having interesting conversations with those around you. His idea is "Why only have that feeling sitting belly up to the bar? Why can't tables be the same?" I for one love the ideas of community tables, but then again I would always rather sit at the bar than a table. Maybe that comes from having worked behind one for 6 years. Jay and I love interacting with meeting new and interesting people while we are out.

Also, there is going to be a European style coffee bar open in the mornings just off of the bar. I am bummed I won't be able to sample that before I go... it opens the day after I leave.


It's no secret that I love restaurants, and living in NYC I get to eat at some of the best of the best. I would certainly put Chinook Tavern on that list!

Day 1 in Colorado was very special and I can't wait to see what the rest of this trip holds. Planning lots of family time, hiking, learning, networking, writing and basking in the mountain sun (wearing SPF of course!)

*In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that because my dad is such a rockstar we were treated to dinner on the house... which BTW was completely unexpected! For the record, that in no way influenced my opinions & I would have written the same blog post either way. The dinner was to say thank you to my dad, I just happened to be lucky enough to have been dining with him...

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

LEAN BODY LOVES...


BBQ!

If you follow me on Twitter or like me on Facebook, you know that Jay & I attended the Big Apple BBQ Block Party in NYC last weekend, and I thought it would be a great way to bring back "LEAN BODY LOVES"- my favorite series!


What's the Big Apple BBQ Block Party you ask?? Only the greatest weekend ever, or to quote the official BBQ website:

"The weekend-long event occurs every June and brings together the country’s top pitmasters who cook up their award-winning food for over a 100,000 barbecue enthusiasts. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Madison Square Park, the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party attracts people from near and far to sustain and celebrate America’s authentic culinary and musical traditions."

Like I said, the greatest weekend ever. We've been over the fact that I love food centered outings & this is the mother of them all!


**DISCLAIMER** If you are a vegetarian, you will not like this event. It is very meat centered and there aren't really any veggie options. One place served turkey (which I know is also technically meat), but to be honest it didn't hold a candle to the pulled pork.

Ok, now that THAT's been said. BRING ON THE MEAT!

This was our second year attending the block party. Last year I was given Fast Passes by my amazing friend Kira so we could skip all of the lines! You pay $125 and get $100 to spend any way you wish (meat- $8/plate, beer- $6, or dessert- $4). Each pass comes with a guest pass so 2 people can get into the special line on the backside of the tents & you can share the money. Let me tell you... it's worth it! I went 2 years ago without one and didn't end up getting ANY food, because the lines were crazy. Obviously we sprung for them again this year. Once you go FAST you never go back...


The best part was we bought them with a little money from this years tax return. BBQ on Uncle Sam!

It did rain on us this year, but a little rain never hurt anyone.


It separated the true BBQ lovers from the sissies (in other words, cleared out the crowds).


Here's a list of the places where we got plates:

The Salt Lick BBQ- Driftwood, TX: Really great sausage & briskit, and actually the only place I managed to snap a pic of our plate before we devoured it.


Rack & Soul- New York, NY: Finger-lickin' good baby back ribs & fantastic baked beans.


Black Jack BBQ- Charleston, SC: Pulled pork with a really interesting sweet BBQ sauce that almost had a licorice flavor.

Martin's BBQ Joint- Nashville, TN: Tennessee whole hog sandwich with the coleslaw inside with the pork... seemed a little crazy at first, but I really liked it.

Pappy's Ribs- St. Louis, MO: Hands down the BEST ribs of the day!


Ed Mitchell- Raleigh, NC: I absolutely LOVE North Carolina pulled pork with their vinegary sauce! Apparently so does everyone, because this place had the longest line all day. It was definitely worth the wait though. YU-UM!!


That's Ed Mitchell himself in the overalls behind all the smoke:


It should be said that we were there ALL day so we did not eat all of this food in one sitting and we shared one plate from each of the places we went. We ate at a couple places, took a beer break, then went back. After all, what's BBQ without beer??





It was a great day and I am already counting down the days until next year! If you are too, make sure to check the site around March/April to get your FAST PASSES, they do sell out!


Here are a few more pics just for fun!




These guys with their T-shirts killed me!


Clearly they haven't met the right girl...


I'm glad Jay was into keeping it co-ed!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

F IS FOR...

-Fun-
Jay and I had an amazing memorial day weekend! We originally planned to go to the jersey shore for the weekend, buy plans changed and we ended up staying here & taking advantage of the Big Apple & it's surroundings.

-Food-
Anyone who knows me knows that I love food. And I love food centered experiences. So you can imagine how excited I was to head to Smorgasburg on Saturday!
It's an all food version of the Brooklyn Flea. I must say it was slightly over whelming, only because I wanted to try everything! After a couple laps, we finally settled on Asia Dog. Jay & I each had 2 (for the record they are small).

We both ordered the Wangding with a chicken dog:
Then I had a Sidney with chicken too: And he had the Mash with beef: I liked the dogs. The Sidney was my favorite. I liked the thai flavors. For dessert we had Peoples Pops homemade popsicles. We both got Rhubarb Ginger. Yum! We almost went for the giant doughnuts from DOUGH, but we both decided that popsicles were the better choice on the 80 degree afternoon.
I'm glad we went to check out Smorgasburg, but I think going to the actual Brooklyn Flea is a better pay off. I mean the only thing ether than good food is shopping & good food together!

On Sunday evening we took advantage of our amazing backyard & grill and had some friends over. On the menu:
Chicken Drumsticks Lamb Lollipops Corn on the cob Asparagus Potato salad Chips w/ roasted tomatillo salsa I only managed to snap one pic because I was too busy eating...


I assure it was all fabulous. Jay is a great grill master!

-Flowers-
Speaking of our amazing back yard... Check out these babies:



Our flowers have literally exploded with beauty this year. Maybe all that rain we've been having was good for something after all!

-Fitness-
Monday Jay & I took a motorcycle trip up to Bear Mountain where we did a 4 mile hike. It's only 50 miles away from our house! The hike we chose was labeled "challenging" & they weren't kidding... This is my OMG I can barely breathe face:

And another priceless expression... check out the nostril flare:


I love hiking because after all your hard work, you are rewarded with a view like this!


And lastly F is for...
-Freedom-

I don't just mean the freedom we enjoyed from a few days off work. I mean the freedom we enjoy every day because of the brave men & woman who fought & continue to fight for it. After all that's what memorial day is really about, right?

Hope you had a Fantastic holiday weekend too!


Friday, May 27, 2011

I ADMIT IT...

I've been a bad blogger.

One of my favorite bloggers, Teri from
A Foodie Stays Fit always says, "When life happens, blogging doesn't." That pretty much sums it up. HOWEVER, I want to be better... so in an effort to beef up my blogging skills I am attending the Fitness & Health Bloggers Conference in Boulder, CO next month!



The best part is, the conference has very generously awarded me a scholarship to attend! I am so grateful to have been chosen & am super excited for this conference for many reasons:

1. It's in my home state of Colorado & I get to spend time with my family.
2. There is an amazing line up of guest speakers & seminar topics.
3. It's a great chance to meet & connect with other fitness bloggers.
4. It will hopefully reignite my passion for this blog and help it reach it's full potential.
5. Did I mention it's in COLORADO?

In an effort to feel like I actually belong at a Bloggers conference, I am going to make an effort to blog as much as I can before June 25th. In my last post (over 30 days ago, YIKES!) I talked about my Keeping it Green 30 Day Challenge. Well, you will be happy to know that I succeeded in that challenge (green drinks every morning!), and I plan to succeed in this next challenge I have set for myself: 30 days of consistent blogging. I am not going to promise a post every day, because that has never been my style.

I will promise 3 posts per week: 1 about Pilates, 1 about food, & 1 fun post.

There it is... I said it and I plan to follow through!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone! See you in a few days...

Monday, April 11, 2011

KEEPIN' IT GREEN...

30 Day Challenge!

Inspired my one of my Pilates & Blogging heroes,
Lisa Johnson, and her 30 Day Challenge, I have decided to do one of my own.

At first I had a hard time deciding what I was going to do... I don't really like the idea of
giving something up. That mentality has never worked for me. It only makes me want said thing even more. So I thought, what's the opposite of giving up?
Adding in!

I had my answer... For the next 30 Days (and hopefully a lot longer) I will make sure to have SOMETHING GREEN with every meal. In truth, I am already pretty good at this for 1, even 2 meals a day. But every meal will be an interesting challenge...

One way I plan to keep this promise to myself is by making Green Drinks in the morning. Greens aren't the easiest things to add to breakfast, but I have found that drinking them is so easy and tasty!!

Here is the Green Drink Recipe I am loving at the moment:


Big bunch of Kale or spinach leaves- I'm not going to tell you how many to put in, because it's up to you. I will say this: Imagine it is on your plate and you are eating it with dinner. How much would you eat as an adequate serving?
Big handful of parsley
- adds some snap!

1 green apple peeled, cored and chopped

Handful red grapes-
Blueberries are another good option
.
1 banana

Juice of 1 lemon

Water
- How much depends on how thick you want the drink. I like mine to be more like Juice so I add quite a bit.
Splash of Soy milk- optional, but I like the texture it gives.

Throw it all in a blender (or use your
emersion blender like me) and viola...Yummy Green goodness- which I promise tastes AMAZING!

*This recipe makes 2, so you can have one now and one later, OR share (Jay is on board and really loving the green drinks).

Eventually I want to start experimenting with other green things/veggies to add in to my drinks, so if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them!


Being as it has never been my style to share everything I eat or drink here on this blog, I am not going to be documenting my every green meal. I will however be keeping you all updated on my progress (I'm thinking once a week) and sharing yummy green recipes I come across.


Also, feel free to share in the green goodness and join me on my Keepin' it Green 30 Day challenge!