Pre-Thanksgiving Thanks

 “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” 
William Arthur Ward

Things I am thankful for:

1. My family. They are all really nice. Seriously…no one is mean at all, no one causes lots of drama, and no one drives me crazy. Maybe we are a little boring, but I couldn’t have asked for a more loving and supportive family.

sibs

parents

2. My health. I’m young, healthy, and full of energy. I have an awesome immune system, and I hardly ever get sick. My body isn’t perfect, but it’s strong and lets me run everyday .

3. Good food. Chocolate, avocados, tomatoes, almond butter, squash, spinach, cheese…and lots more. And wine. I am very thankful for wine, too.

4. Hulu. If you haven’t been to this website, GO! I don’t watch TV, but I have watched full seasons of shows on hulu. I finished Arrested Development a while ago, and I currently just finished the third season of Lost. What. An. Amazing. Show. Anyone else fans of Lost??

If I had to choose someone on the island to hook up with, it would definitely be Sayid.

Sawyer would be my 2nd choice.

I think both these guys would win a fight against Edward Cullen (sorry Twilight fans!!).

How did I start off talking about loving my family and end up talking about my fictional character crushes on Lost? Oh well…Let’s assume this list going in decreasing order (family > health > food > hott TV characters). 

What are you thankful for?

Or most importantly, who is your favorite character on Lost? 

Just kidding, but seriously, I want to know….who is your current fictional character crush?? (Please, please don’t name a Twilight character!!!)

Vegan for a day??

10 AM: I started off well. I made some oatmeal with 1/3 cup oats, 2/3 cups water, and one banana then topped it with a microwaved granny smith apple with dark brown sugar and cinnamon.

Didn’t miss the milk at all!

11AM: I went to work. The special at lunch today was fried zucchini topped with tomato sauce. They made some for all the servers to try. I immediately dug in without thinking….yummm…..swallow…..wait…..they probably used egg to batter those zucchinis. Oh well, it’s just one bite, right?

Questions to full-time vegans: Do you constantly have to ask people how things are prepared before you eat them? Are you concerned about every trace of animal products in foods, or do you not worry about very small amounts of egg or butter that might be in a food? Do you find it easier to just avoid eating things you don’t prepare yourself?

3 PM: Got home from work. Food I had at home: bag of spinach, tahini, canned salmon, chicken tortilla soup, flax seed, oats, milk, eggs, chocolate.  Time to go grocery shopping. After I watch an episode of Lost on hulu.

4PM: *Ring* Ring* (Or rather my current ringtone: “It was 100 degrees as we sat beneath a willow tree…” Anyone know the band??). 

Girl from work: “Hey, Tyler!! How’s it going?”

Me: “Pretty good…”

Girl: “Do you want to work for me tonight? I, uh, have a headache….”

Now, I don’t believe for a second that this girl was too sick to go into work. But I live in a college town and Thursday is the first official night of the weekend and a GREAT night for servers to be working. I have no idea why she wanted to give me her shift, but of course I took it! And made the $100 + that she didn’t. 

I think you can predict what happened next…no time to grocery shop, so I made a salad with canned salmon, spinach, and tahini…..then tried the dinner specials at work (shrimp diabalo and chicken with herbed goat cheese…. Oh. My. Gosh. I love eating.) and ate chocolate when I got home.

So my attempt at veganism was pretty pathetic. I would have done better if I had planned ahead, but I didn’t know that I was going work a double shift. I plan on trying again on a day when I have more free time sometime before Thanksgiving (hopefully!). I know that I can do it, and I want to prove to myself that I can… even if I don’t do it on the right day. 

The good news: now I can stalk everyone’s blogs that actually succeeded today and copy their vegan meals for my own vegan day!

So tell me, what is your favorite vegan meal to cook?

A little book review and other random thoughts and eats…

Quote of the day (as told to me on g-mail chat): “You are the Keanu Reeves of typing.” I’m a TERRIBLE speller and typer…put the two together and I’m almost incoherent on the internet. I hope I do a little better blogging than g-mail chatting….

Ok, now onto food blogging, finally! Its been a while. My days have been crazy, my eating has been sporadic, my camera has not been charged, but now I’m back!

I have been reading a very interesting book called Eat to Live. His main emphasis is the nutrient to calorie ratio in foods…so the more nutrients per calorie in a food, the more you should eat of it.

I’ve sort of been experimenting with trying to do a version of his specific dietary recommendations:

1. Eat unlimited raw veggies. He recommends aiming for a whole pound every day!!! Raw veggies have the most nutrients per calories.
2. Non-starchy cooked veggies are also unlimited.
3. Eat at least 4 servings of fresh fruit. (I like this one! I love fruit, but for some reason feel like I shouldn’t eat more than a couple servings. Permission to eat unlimited fruit = happy.) BUT no dried fruit and no fruit juice…too much sugar.
4. Eat one cup of beans or legumes per day. He especially recommends bean soup since he thinks you eat it slower b/c its hot….I don’t know if that’s true for me, but black bean or lentil soup every day?! Sure! Does hummus count, too? I’m gonna say YES
5. Eat up to one serving of whole grains or starchy veggies (ie oatmeal, sweet potatoes, winter squash, corn…). OK, don’t freak out yet, b/c this recommendation was actually just for the first 6 weeks if you really need to lose weight. Otherwise, you can eat more, but not unlimited. These foods aren’t bad, but they just don’t have as many nutrients per calorie as non-starchy veggies and fresh fruits. However, I don’t really crave much more than a serving after I stuff myself with fruits and veggies.
6. No refined grains. Obviously.
7. Only one ounce raw nuts and seeds per day. Also, only 2 oz. avocado. What?!!!
8. No salt. I’m not too concerned about this….I think if you don’t eat too many processed foods, then you don’t have to worry about sodium.
9. No animal products. Whoa, wait this is a vegan diet?! This is where I’ve been “cheating” the most. He does say that you can eat some non-fat dairy, egg whites, lean meats, and fish if you want, but he clearly favors a vegan diet. 

I’m not sure if it is fair for me to give a real review of the book yet since I haven’t finished it, but here is a pre-mature pros and cons list:

Why this diet sucks: Although I agree that there are many benefits to a plant based diet, I’m not convinced that animal products are that bad for you… especially locally farmed eggs, grass fed meat, wild caught fish, etc. The diet is also pretty low in fat….more avocado and almond butter, please!!!

Why this diet is awesome: I love huge salads and eating lots of fruit. Also, the author doesn’t seem to discriminate against more calorically dense fruits like some people… Therefore, the other day, I made some banana soft serve “ice cream” with four frozen bananas!! Amazing. It was like eating a whole pint of ice cream (which I might be known to do sometimes…), except it was healthy. Also, I’ve finally stopped gaining the post-grad pounds even though I cheat. Jeans are expensive…I need to fit in mine!

No, I have not been eating any B&J lately...but eating 4 blended frozen bananas is as exciting as eating this pint, and you feel better afterwards!

My take home message: Eat as many fruits and veggies as possible. The end. (I like simplifications…)

Here is what I ate the day I got closest to Eat to Live recommendations (this was Monday, sorry no pics…):

• 2 cups fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
• 1 banana
• half a bag of baby carrots
• spinach salad with half a bag of spinach, 1/2 cup sauteed baby portabella mushrooms, handful of sauteed asparagus, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette (Just mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey mustard. You will never buy salad dressing again.)
• 2 cups roasted broccoli
• 1 cup lentil soup
• about 4 oz baked chicken breast (I really wanted more protein! My lentil soup only had 8 grams...)
• handful of Ghirardelli chocolate chips (Must. Have. Chocolate. Every. Day.)

Oh wait! I do have a couple pics:

Mmmm….vegetables!

In other news:

 

• I ran 10 miles on Sunday! It was my first long run (over 6, I consider “long”) since I don’t even remember. My legs still hate me today, but hopefully they will be better in time for the Atlanta Thanksgiving Half Marathon NEXT WEEK! Ah! This is the 6th time I’ve done this race, and the least I have trained.
• I went to yoga for the first time in months yesterday (b/c my legs refused to run…). We did side planks, and my abs feel nice and sore
• Today is my baby brother’s birthday!! He is 15. Holy crap!
  

  the oldest pic I could find digitally....Me (on left): age 16. Hunter (middle): age 9

  

  and a more recent pic. he is now taller than me, and can pick me up!! crazy b/c i used to throw him around all the time

• Have you all heard about the Blogger Vegan for a Day? Its tomorrow the 19th and I’m in! Even though I don’t have any interest in becoming vegan, I have lots of respect for those who are vegan, and I am willing to try it for a day! This could be interesting…

So sorry for disappearing and then randomly coming back and writing a super lengthy post. I’m a sketchy and unpredictable blogger. Thanks for reading (if you are still here)!

Also, back to the quote of the day, while writing this post I spent about a minute yelling “HOW DO YOU FREAKING SPELL VINAIGRETTE?!?!” at WordPress who told me I was misspelling it with the red underline, but had no suggestions. Finally I typed something like “vinagariette” into Google who knew what I meant. “Did you mean vinaigrette?” Yes, Google. Thanks.

 

 

Arrgggh and Yum!

Veggie Girl guessed right, we were pirates:

Pirates wore purple corsets, right?

There were sword fights with each other:

And anyone else who would play along:

plunger vs. sword

And then there was brunch at Macrina Bakery:

Baked eggs with mushrooms, tomato sauce, and lots of ROSEMARY! Served with roasted potatoes and a mixed green salad. There were also cappuccinos and an apple/cranberry/pecan pastry involved in the morning feast. The pastry was devoured by 3 hungry girls before cameras were thought of.

I think if I had to pick a favorite meal, it would be brunch. Its like breakfast except bigger! And its totally acceptable to have dessert after brunch (cheesecake anyone?) if you aren’t completely stuffed. Any other brunch fans??

Halloween Weekend in Seattle

Over the weekend I went to go visit my best friend Danielle who is now living in Seattle.

I. Love. Seattle. I decided I was going to live there when I went with my family at age 17. I was mesmerized by the gigantic trees, mountains, clean lakes, good coffee, fresh seafood, lack of humidity, etc. Seattle is awesome. Now my best friend lives there, so I guess that’s the next best thing to actually living there because I get to visit!!

The first morning I was there, we ran 5 miles around Lake Washington, which was gorgeous! Danielle is training for the Thanksgiving half marathon in Seattle, and I am training for the one in Atlanta.

After our run, we made breakfast:

Magic Bullet smoothie (pre-blended) with cottage cheese, spinach, flax, frozen strawberries and raspberries, milk, and agave. The mix of ingredient was 100% her idea as she has been reading food blogs and getting crazy ideas . I was skeptical about the cottage cheese in a smoothie at first, but it was awesome. Also, I really want a Magic Bullet!!

The finished smoothie in a bowl with cranberry pecan granola. Yum!

After breakfast, we went on a hike up Mount Si.

me at the top!!

Danielle is excited at the top, too

The trail was a little over 2 miles to the top of the mountain (we did the “little Mt. Si”). We celebrated at the top by sharing some homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies:

There will be a part 2 that includes more good food and some Halloween shenanigans. Any guesses on what my costume was?? Hint: I got in a few sword fights that night

Also, what is your favorite city?

 

Camping + Meat and Potatoes my way

This past Saturday, I went with some of my favorite people up to Amicalola Falls to camp out and enjoy fall in North Georgia.

It could not have been a more gorgeous setting.

the top of the falls

view of surrounding mountains

 

the bottom of the falls

our cute little campsite

roasting chicken sausages

Some people bring hot dogs camping, I bring organic apple chicken sausages. After roasting, we put them in whole wheat buns with honey dijon mustard. Yum.

Now that I’m back, I made another delicious fall meal. This time using an oven.

After I put my plate together, I realized I had a pretty traditional American meat and potatoes type meal. But instead of buttery mashed potatoes, I had a baked sweet potato. And instead of meatloaf (eww) or steak, I had pork tenderloin basted in honey dijon mustard served on top of arugula. I also made some roasted cauliflower with olive oil, salt, and pepper. So I guess this is my gourmet-ish (I try my best) version of meat and potatoes

[Tip for non-cauliflower eaters: I know, I know... it's kind of weird and doesn't taste like much when its raw or steamed. You must try it roasted in the oven!! (400 degrees for about 20 minutes). Olive oil and pepper are key and add lemon zest if you have fresh lemons!!!]

The best bites of the meal include a little piece of pork + arugula + sweet potato. Killer flavor combo!!! Pork goes really well with arugula and the sweet potato is a great complement to both. 

Also, I just signed up for Pile on the Miles 2009! Since I am training for the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving, I will definitely be upping my mileage in November anyway. Now not only do I have the race to motivate me, but now there is a competition. Watch out other bloggers! It’s on

 

 

1000 Awesome Things

I recently stumbled across a blog called 1000 Awesome Things. Each post is dedicated to something that the blogger thinks makes life awesome. He started at 1000 and is counting down until one. Its a very fun and uplifting blog. Here are some of my favorites:

• #996 Living with someone who doesn’t mind killing spiders
• #995 Building a stack of pancakes that look just like the front of the box
• #885 Paying for something in exact change
• #874 The Five Second Rule
• #870 Getting the milk to cereal ratio just right
• #654 Peeling of that thin plastic film off of new electronics

And here are some things that I think are awesome that haven’t been listed yet:

Eating the ice cream that sticks to the top of the carton when you first open it. For some reason, it is more fun to eat than the ice cream in the container…its fresh, soft, and AWESOME!

The moment after you finish a good run. The accomplishment of finishing your run + the endorphin rush that makes you happy to be sweaty and smelly = AWESOME!

Letting your feet sink into the wet sand at the beach. Because you are on vacation and you have nothing better to do. Plus it feels cool. AWESOME!

When avocados are on sale for a dollar each.  Avocados are one of my favorite foods, but they are cost more than most fruits and veggies. $1.69 each?! I ain’t made of money, honey. Saving that 69 cents per avocado each feels AWESOME!

A new comment e-mail in your inbox. Someone reads my blog! AWESOME!

What do you think is awesome??

Getting Ready for Fall

I’m still sort of in denial that summer is over and cold weather is coming. I usually love fall weather, but when the temperature suddenly drops from 70s to the 40s AND it rains…..I am not happy. Plus, October is usually an extension of summer in Georgia. Its not supposed to get cold yet!

Despite the fact that there was FROST on my car this morning, it ended up being a beautiful day. I went running in the afternoon when it was sunny and the temperature reached the high 50s and then went to Earthfare to get some groceries. When I spotted some fresh apple and cherry stuffed chicken breasts (made with free-range chickens from local farms), I knew that is what I was having for dinner.

The chicken breast was filled with dried apples and cherries and cinnamon and lightly covered in bread crumbs. I baked it in the oven with some asparagus, then threw everything over some baby spinach.

After I took the picture, I drizzled some balsamic vinegar over everything. Delish.

It wouldn’t be fall if I didn’t make something with pumpkin in it! After dinner I decided to make some pumpkin muffins.

THIS IS WHY I LIKE FALL

 

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins with Pepitas (adapted from this recipe by chef in you )

• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• lots of cinnamon and all spice (I don’t like measuring)
• pinch of salt 
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• handful of pepitas (aka hulled pumpkin seeds)

The correct method to make these would be to sift together all the dry ingredients, then mix together the wet ingredients, then add dry to wet and stir. I kinda just put everything in a bowl and mixed. I’m lazy and I don’t like doing extra dishes. They turned out fine. Just be careful not to over mix if you try my method. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes (or until you can stick a knife in the center of a muffin and have it come out clean). Makes 6 muffins.

What is your favorite fall food?

Fresh Food from the Street: Istanbul Part 2

One great thing about every county I’ve been to outside of America is the abundance of fresh produce! Yeah, we can go to farmer’s markets and special grocery stores in the states, but in other countries, they sell fresh local fruits and veggies on every street!

plums

pomegranates!!

apples

The pomegranates were EVERYWHERE in Istanbul! My friends and I finally bought one the third day I was there:

Can you imagine what it would be like to walk around New York or Boston and be able to buy a fresh pomegranate from a street vendor?

Unfortunately, due to Americanization of the whole freakin world, there are McDonalds and Burger Kings across from these wonderful fresh produce stands. There was even a Starbucks!!! The Turks are famous for their coffee, but there is still a demand for a commercialized coffee brand. *Sigh*

In addition to the produce stands, there were also a lot of other charming food vendors:

corn stand

roasted chestnuts

And my favorite:

stuffed mussels!

Mussels stuffed with rice with secret spices (well, secret to me b/c i don’t speak Turkish and couldn’t ask what they were…) served with fresh lemon. Two for one lira (less than a dollar).

The Turkish boys we were hanging out with told us that they like to hit up the mussel stands after they have been drinking at the bars for some late night munchies. In my college town, we have hot dog stands for that. So drunk American college kids eat hot dogs, and drunk Turks eat stuffed mussels. I found this fascinating. And delicious.

me and my stuffed mussel. yum.

My earrings and scarf are both finds from the Grand Bazaar that I will talk about next. TGIF everybody!

Istanbul!! (Part 1)

 

Hagia Sophia. The view from our hostel.

 

I’m back from Istanbul, and I had a great time! I was a little bit wrong with what I expected their cuisine to be like….I promised lots of pictures of lentils and bulgur, but there isn’t very much of that. Here are the foods that seemed to be staples in Instanbul:

• Meat. Lots and lots of meat. Mainly lamb and beef. There was no pork because it is a Muslim country.
• Yogurt. They put yogurt on EVERYTHING!! I actually really enjoyed this. It’s very popular to severe meals with yogurt mixed with dill. They also have a cucumber and garlic yogurt soup and a yogurt drink that are both very common.
  

  yogurt, cucumber, and garlic soup

• Eggplant. Yummm! I love eggplant. I ate this a lot
• Olives. I hate olives in America. It took 3 days for my friend to convince me that they taste different in Turkey. She was right. They are not so bad. I especially liked their black olive spread that they would serve in olive oil with fresh bread.
• Tomatoes. Tomatoes are still in season in Turkey!!! I got to eat lots of fresh local tomatoes
• Tea. Not really a food, but they drink tea all day long! I really liked this.

The only thing Turkish people do not eat yogurt with is fruit. They also do not eat fruit or yogurt for breakfast. Here is a traditional Turkish breakfast:

Olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, a hard boiled egg, and Turkish cheese. Turkish cheese is delicious!!! It tastes a lot like feta in America, but it has more moisture and is saltier. In Turkey, they simply call it “Turkish white cheese.”

After I got home, I wanted more info on what exactly Turkish cheese is, and this is what I found:

White cheese, commonly known as Feta cheese in the West, is mainly produced in the Marmara Region, is consumed in abundance. It can be produced out of sheep or cow milk, but the production techniques may change according to region. White cheese needs 90 days to mature in salt water. High fat content white cheese is soft and smooth whereas low fat versions are harder. It is an essential part of Turkish breakfast and used in börek.

That makes a lot of sense….it tastes like feta, because it is! Just really fresh, higher fat feta that is matured in salt water. It’s really wonderful.

On to my first Turkish lunch:

 

homemade wraps

shaved chicken with carrots, lettuce, and a couple french fries

 

tomato and cucumber salad + yogurt with dill

 

all together

That’s all for now! Stay tuned for part 2.