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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

So long....farewell....


Well, it's just about that time.  I leave for vaca tomorrow.  Can't believe it's here.  Given all the things still remaining on my "to-do" list, i'll be stressed right until the last minute.


But as I mentioned previously, this trip is coming at the perfect time.  I've been extremely frazzled with my personal life, family life, and work life, so i'm fried!  I hope to get away, clear my mind, relax, and maybe find my zen.  Ha!


But really, I hope to come back refreshed and ready to take on the world.


No email or phone for the next 9 days, so i'll catch ya on the flip side and will definitely have photos to share.


xoxo

Monday, May 17, 2010

Sugar does not do a body good!



Good morning!  Happy Monday!  Yeah, I know, kind of an oxymoron.  But fake it. :)

I've been MIA for a while, but with reason.  Unfortunately my grandfather passed away last Wednesday.  Since then it's been an organized chaos of the funeral, family time (we're Jewish so we have "shiva"), and lots of back and forth from CT.  But anyway...

It's been a long time since my family has hosted a shiva.  Basically it is an open house for all your friends/family to come visit.  It's a very nice practice but there is one problem.  Everyone brings food!  Everyone.  And most people tend to bring baked goods.  Holy cow!

We know I love a good baked good, but at this point they've pretty much become toxic to my system.  The first night it was novel, the second night was still somewhat interesting, but by yesterday, when people walked in carrying food I wanted to tell them to take it somewhere else.

I've sampled just about every sweet that people brought in and last night felt pretty sick to my stomach.

Remember on the Cosby show when Vanessa drinks too much and gets very sick, then Bill has them all play the same drinking game but with iced tea (which vanessa thinks is alcohol)?  Well, it's kind of like I hit rock bottom and honestly think now might be a good time to FINALLY give up on the sugar. 

So aside from that, I'm off to Costa Rica in two days.  I'm looking forward to it, but I'm honestly not excited.  I will be, just not yet.  I have a bunch of things to do and there's still all the family stuff going on.  I think once I sit down on the plane I will sigh the loudest sigh ever, and then i'll be excited.

Hope you all have a nice Monday! xoxo

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Operation Milk - FAILED


So I failed my milk challenge.  What was that you ask?  My goal of completing the entire half gallon of skim milk that I purchased at the end of April.  Failed.  But, I came close!  And were it not for an unexpected trip to FL for four days (family emergency), I probably would have succeeded.  Oh well. 

Overall it was a positive experience and I learned that while I'd never drink milk, there are plenty of ways to make it more interesting.  I also learned that my protein powder tastes AMAZING when it's made with milk as opposed to water.

Next up, I really want to try almond milk.  Any experiences with that one?

Thursday, May 6, 2010

TRX Time



I noticed that I've been doing quite a lot of food related posts and wanted to try to get back to the "fit" element of Fit Talker.

The TRX is something i've been wanting to try for months now.  Right now it's offered predominantly as a SGT (small-group training) class, but my schedule and my budget didn't want to cooperate so I haven't been able to give it a try.

If you're not familiar with the TRX it's suspension training that leverages your body weight.  From what I've heard, it's a workout like none other.

Check out this video to get an idea.



A friend of mine just bought her own and told me she'd walk me through it.  I have to say, I'm really excited!

I've been wanting to mix up my routine a bit and I think this might be just what I'm looking for. 

Do you TRX?

I ♥ Sweet Potatoes
















Yay for sweet potatoes!

I make sweet potatoes on average about once a week.  Nutritionally speaking, here's how they stack up.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin A (+262% of the daily value).  They are also a very good source of Vitamin C (28.4%) and manganese (26%).  In addition, they are also a good source of copper (13%), dietary fiber (12.6%), Vitamin B6 (12.5%), potassium (8.7%), and iron (8.1%).

I typically cook them in the same manner, slightly varing the seasonings depending on my mood.

For the potatoes above, I used four medium sized potatoes, sprayed my pan with cooking spray, arranged the sweet potatoes and then drizzled a small amount of olive oil over them.  I then sprinkled cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and a little salt over them.  I then baked them at 350 for about 40 minutes, stirring them half way.  They should start to brown a bit.

In the past i've seasoned them with brown sugar, red pepper flakes, honey, or black pepper, depending on what i'm craving.  I try to keep the olive oil under 1 tbs though.

Give them a try, you won't regret it!


Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Face Lift


Yes, I did it again.  Another face lift for the blog.  I wasn't loving the old layout so figured I'd give yet another template a try.

Does anyone know how to create my own layout in HTML?  I'd love to have a nice looking blog but have no clue of how to get started.

Happy Tuesday!  May the 4th be with you! 

Monday, May 3, 2010

Yummy Pasta Salad Recipe



Happy gray Monday.  Since the weekend was absolutley gorgeous I guess I can't really complain.  Had a nice weekend, celebrated my sister's bday Saturday evening in NYC then spent Sunday with my parents.  We had a nice BBQ for dinner last night and I made the pasta salad below.  My parents had made it once before and I thought it would great for the warmer weather, so this time I made it.

I'm going to write up the recipe in it's original form, although I made some modifications (some intentional, one unintentional).  It was so delicious that we ate the ENTIRE thing.  I can't wait to make it again.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients
1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4 inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1 inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1 inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1 inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 lb orzo pasta or rice-shaped pasta
For the dressing
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
To assemble
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis, toasted (pine nuts)
3/4 lb good feta, 1/2 inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne


Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan.
Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.
Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender.
Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables.
Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil.
Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.


My modifications....
I forgot the garlic (which is ok with me bc I can't really eat garlic).  We subbed two red peppers instead of one red and one yellow.  I also added a small zucchini.
I did not use the scallions, feta, or basil.  I did add toasted pine nuts which was a nice addition.
To bring the temperature down a bit I stuck the bowl in the fridge for a bit before serving.
I definitely recommend making this recipe, delish!!!  Enjoy your Monday.