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.

Most Important Meal of the Day + Fun News

The most important meal of the day is breakfast, of course! I love breakfast food.

Breakfast #1: Oatmeal with banana, coconut, and almond butter. I think that coconut is one of my new favorite foods….

 

Breakfast #2: Some free multi-grain Nature’s Pride bread (thanks Foodbuzz!) with a pesto goat cheese spread and scrambled eggs.

 

Breakfast #3: I found this apple at a farmer’s market near my parent’s house. I forgot what it was called, but it is a cross between a granny smith and a golden delicious. It has the crunchy texture of a granny smith and sweetness of a golden delicious. I sprinkled cinnamon on it, drizzled some honey, and served with a spoonful of almond butter. I actually had this as a snack, but it could be a light breakfast.

What is your favorite kind of apple?? Mine was granny smith until I tried this one, whatever it was called….

 

Serve any of these with a big cup of hot tea. Currently, my favorite is Tazo Green Ginger:

“A dazzling blend with sweet, spicy ginger and a touch of pear.”  Yes, please!

And now for the fun news……

GUESS WHERE I AM GOING TOMORROW?!!

Yes, I am going to Istanbul, Turkey!! I have a friend over there working as an au pair, so I am going to visit. Expect lots of pictures of lentils and bulgur when I get back! See ya next week!

A Healthy Perspective

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who commented on my last post. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to publicly admit my recent dietary slip-ups, but it felt good to write everything down to rationally examine my lifestyle rather than to just quietly be angry at myself for gaining weight and not eating how I should. I know how to eat healthy, but there are things preventing me from actually doing it, including stress…

Step one to a healthier lifestyle is to de-stress! There is a yoga studio I sometimes go to in Athens always makes me feel peaceful and helps me think clearly. Recently, my favorite yoga teacher, who founded the studio, moved out of state. There is kind of a neat story behind the studio — the studio is completely non-profit and run by amazing and dedicated volunteers, and to pay rent for the space, the teacher that founded it has been happily living in a trailer the past few years. There was an article written about him in a local newspaper, and I wanted to share a few quotes that I found inspiring:

On living in a trailer:

 My advice to people who want to live with 100 percent freedom is to drastically downsize. Too much of the time we make giant compromises all because we think we need a couch with a sofa and television, a refrigerator and a bathroom… But in reality, all you need is a yoga mat and your health. You can join the YMCA and turn Daily Groceries into your kitchen, Ciné into your living room. Your quality of life will go WAY up and you’ll be able to contribute to others in spirited ways.

(Daily Groceries is the local co-op that has local produce and organic food. Cine is the independent film theater in Athens.)

His life goals:

1. To be a one-person circus in which I ride my unicycle as an everyday means of transport,

2. To live to be extremely old while in amazing health,

3. To eat 80-100 percent raw foods (with an emphasis on local, organic vegetables),

4. To have tons of spare time and therefore be free to play around with children or anyone else who isn’t busy at the moment,

5. To shed all judgment (of other people) and thereby radiate a halo of acceptance in a 30 foot radius.

I think that he is absolutely right about how we tend to think that we need way more material things than we actually do. I’m not saying that we should all go live in trailers, but we should remember that a good quality of life comes from doing what you want rather than having what you want. 

Also, I am in love with his goals and feel that they are adaptable to everyone. Here are my interpretations of his life goals, and how I think we can all incorporate them into our daily lives.

1. If riding a unicycle makes you happy, then ride a unicycle. If not, do whatever else makes you happy even it it goes against societal norms and expectations.

2. Eat in a way that is good for your health and the environment. You don’t have to eat raw, but I would encourage everyone to support local farmers whenever possible and eat an abundance of vegetables. 

3. Enjoy the simple pleasures in life– play with children, pets, friends, etc; take long walks; meditate or pray; read often.

4. Live with a genuine love and acceptance for all people. 

Athens is losing a very interesting and unique guy. I will miss his yoga class. I will also miss seeing him riding his unicycle around Athens! If you want to read the rest of the article about him, click here.

I thought it was a very happy and inspiring article. Reading things like that help me put my life into perspective. Everyone has stopped reading by this point because I am being super cheesy, but if you are still here, check out some of my recent healthier eats:

Healthy veggie-full meal of the day:

A bowl full of roasted sweet potato, bell pepper, and broccoli tossed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary. I also added some organic chicken sausage made with apples and chardonnay. It was very fall-ish and delicious.

Hope you all had a relaxing and healthy weekend!!

What do you do to de-stress?