It seems as though I forgot What’s The Deal Wednesday yesterday. Or perhaps I did it on purpose just to leave Amanda’s gorgeous pictures at the forefront of my blog a little longer.

Just so we can look at it a little longer.

I only wish I had that kind [...]]]> Hey Hey!

It seems as though I forgot What’s The Deal Wednesday yesterday. Or perhaps I did it on purpose just to leave Amanda’s gorgeous pictures at the forefront of my blog a little longer.

Just so we can look at it a little longer.

I only wish I had that kind of photography to share with you on the blog all the time! Speaking of good photography. I found Andrew Scrivani’s New York Times article on “How to Take Photo’s of Food” through Ramshackle Glam the other day.

I always want to take beautiful photos of food, because they’re so nice to look at! I would love an SLR camera, but for now I think I’m just going to have to follow Andrew’s suggestions:

1. Shoot in natural light whenever possible.

2. Fill your frame with the food.

3. Set up your plate with the same care you might apply to dressing yourself for a night out — classic, coordinated and elegant.

4. For bright and sunny days, where there is direct light, use a white card or paper, placing the food between the light source and the card, which will allow the light to bounce off the card, ultimately softening the level of brightness.

5. When shooting in low light, move the food to the brightest part of the room.

I think these are wonderful tips for us food bloggies out there! And I definitely plan to incorporate them into my food photography.

One of my favorite photos I’ve taken was of the carrots at Carroll Gardens Greenmarket in Brooklyn. I think all the elements were there – natural light, frame filled with food and  beautifully arranged!

Updates:

• Physical Therapy is going very well. We’ve actually pinpointed exactly where I injured myself (right where my IT band connects to my hip). I’ve been following Brynn’s instructions to foam roll both my hip and IT band before and after working out. Using heat and cold therapy and stretching techniques. I am feeling significantly less pain in my hip when I walk, which is great news! And today we are starting on strength training exercises!

• I haven’t yet perfected my homemade hummus. Mostly because I was using canned chickpeas before, which are fine. But I think to make it REALLY something special, I should use dried and cook them myself. However… I have yet to do that. It just seems daunting for some reason! I always use canned beans and I’m scared I’ll mess up the dried ones! Do you use canned, or do you cook your beans yourself? Do they really taste that much better?
  
• And obviously, I’m still fully stocked up on those Ataulfo’s! Just waiting for them to ripen! YUM!
  

Do you like your food photos to look a certain way, or do you just snap and don’t mind what comes out?

We started the celebration on Saturday night with some bowling at Brooklyn Bowl!

Bowling on a Saturday night, with friends, beers and an awesome band… what’s better than that!

I was “Sox” because I wasn’t wearing socks and had to purchase bowling alley socks for my bowling shoes. Ew.  

Beers + Bowling [...]]]> ***HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BF!!!***

We started the celebration on Saturday night with some bowling at Brooklyn Bowl!

Bowling on a Saturday night, with friends, beers and an awesome band… what’s better than that!

I was “Sox” because I wasn’t wearing socks and had to purchase bowling alley socks for my bowling shoes. Ew.  

Beers + Bowling = Good times

Don’t you love bowling shoes

“Fras” was a pro.

I was not

Nika got a striiike!
 

I lost
    

But still had FUN!
 

We continued the celebration last night, when I made a steak dinner for BF. No pictures were taken as steak is not the most photogenic of foods I followed this recipe from The Pioneer Women. According to the BF it turned out great!

BF has to work today/tonight, but hopefully he’ll be home in time for presents and birthday cake!

GO MANGO!

Since the appearance of my beloved Ataulfo mangos in stores lets jut say I have been slightly OBSESSED with them.

Want to get the most out of your mango?

Start with a lovely ripe Ataulfo or regular mango
 
Wash it and then cut off the ends

Thinly slice off the skin
 
Until it looks like this:

Cut into large chunks around the pit 

Cut into cubes
 
And enjoy!
 

What do you want for your birthday this year?

A day full of travelling can be pretty stressful and it is very easy for it to become an unhealthy situation. Travelling can be a breeding ground for lack of sleep, dehydration, lack of movement, stress and bad food choices.

I try my best [...]]]> I am pre-posting this as I am currently en route to Winnipeg!

A day full of travelling can be pretty stressful and it is very easy for it to become an unhealthy situation. Travelling can be a breeding ground for lack of sleep, dehydration, lack of movement, stress and bad food choices.

I try my best to stay healthy when I travel, so here are some tips I have to share with you (and please enjoy the flashback photos of when JH and I travelled to Toronto ):

1. Get Enough Sleep

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but I am a very nervous flyer. The night before a flight I usually find it difficult to fall asleep. And I like morning flights, so I usually have to wake up early. I find that exercise in the afternoon (not later), having a hot shower/bath, doing some gentle yoga and reading all help me calm my nerves and fall asleep.

2. Stay Hydrated

Because of the lack of humidity in the cabin, flying can cause dehydration. It’s a good idea to bring a (plane safe amount) of hand cream or face cream to keep your skin moisturized on the plane.  If you are a nervous flyer like I am, you may be tempted to have an alcoholic drink or two during the flight, which is not a great idea. Drinking alcohol when flying can actually cause or worsen dehydration. What you should be drinking is water and lots of it! This will keep you hydrated and help out with my next tip…

3. Move!

Since you are not moving a lot on an airplane and there is not a lot of space, there is the risk of leg cramps and even blood clots.  It may be annoying but try and get up a move around as much as you can, and are allowed to. A great way to make sure you are moving is to keep drinking water; you’ll kill two birds with one stone by staying hydrated and encouraging movement by having to get up to use the bathroom!

You can also try out some in-flight exercises.

4. Don’t Stress

Travelling can be stressful. Limit the stress by getting everything ready the night before! Make sure you’ll all packed and have all your flight information. Also, make sure your carry-on has only the allowed items, make your arrangements for getting to the airport and make/pack any snacks that you are planning to bring with you.

5. Don’t Eat Crap

Speaking of snacks, travelling gives us an opportunity to eat junk food that we normally would not. Don’t do it! If you only have a short flight, have a meal or snack beforehand and bring a small snack like nuts or a larabar with you so you’re not tempted to eat candy. If you are travelling all day, like I am today, you have a couple options. You can choose to pack all the food you will be having that day, including snacks and a meal, or you can pack a snack or two and choose wisely when you are at the airport or on the plane. I like to pack nuts, a banana or a larabar with me. Since I have to take 2 flights to get home, I usually have a few hours to wait in an airport before my second flight. Sometimes Ill pack a lunch like a salad, wrap or sandwich and some fruit, and sometimes I will check out the airport online to see if they list their restaurants and find a healthy place to eat. I am flying through Chicago today and they have a list of all the places to eat there.

I find that it’s really important for me to stay healthy when travelling because the combination of stress, lack of movement and bad food can really mess you up and that is no fun at all!

That’s all for today, I’ll see you from Winnipeg with some fun recipes for Passover!

Bon Voyage!

Are you a “healthy” traveller?

But…it’s not the mini eggs I’m talking about

Strawberries and eggs are 2 foods I haven’t had in a long time, that [...]]]> Hmm…doesn’t sound like the best combination now does it? Unless of course it’s strawberries and chocolate Easter eggs! Oh man, I used to LIVE for those mini eggs!

But…it’s not the mini eggs I’m talking about

Strawberries and eggs are 2 foods I haven’t had in a long time, that I had TODAY! I try to limit my egg/dairy intake, but was CRAVING eggs today. And I saw the Strawbs at Whole Foods (when am I NOT at Whole Foods!) and noticed they were actually reasonably priced. Woo Hoo! Strawberry season is (almost) here!

Strawberry season is actually from April to September, I believe. So we’re definitely close!

[If you want to know what other yummy food items are starting to SPRING up in season now, check out this link.]

Anyway, like I said, I was CRAVING eggs this AM! My favorite way to eat eggs is to poach them (and it’s one of the healthiest ways too!). I had mine on an Ezekiel English muffin (so yum!) topped with some Cholula hot sauce.  

Don’t know how to poach an egg?

Simple:

• Bring 2-3 inches of water to boil in a medium pot
• Crack your egg(s) into a separate small bowl
• Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer (you don’t want to add in the eggs to rapidly boiling water, or they’ll break!)
• Gently slide the eggs into the water
• 2 minutes = runny yolk, 3 minutes = medium yolk, 4 minutes = firm yolk
• Scoop the eggs out with one of these types of spoons:

• Place the egg over a paper towel to remove excess moisture (I usually leave it in the spoon and hold it on the paper towel so it doesn’t stick to it)
• Once most of the moisture is removed… ENJOY!

One of my favorite ways to enjoy poached eggs used to be Eggs Benedict (without the meat).

The traditional Eggs Benedict sauce, Hollandaise sauce, is not very healthy. It’s made with lots of egg yolks and butter. But I feel like a yummy alternative could be made with some Earth balance, lemon juice and plain yogurt (and perhaps some nutritional yeast or tumeric for color). Maybe I’ll give it whirl one of these days!

And as a snack later in the day I had a mug full of sliced organic Strawbs, which were surprisingly sweet!

Also, I have some fun Fitness info for all of you New Yorkers:

The 17^th annual SELF Magazine Workout in the Park is taking place Saturday, May 8^th at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 P.M. Tickets went on sale this Monday, March 15^th, and they usually sell out fast!

Tickets are available at www.SELFworkoutinthepark.com, they are $20 in advance, and include a year subscription to SELF (a $10 value).  The proceeds benefit Cancer and Careers, Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 

It sounds like it will be a lot of fun, so be sure to check out www.SELFworkoutinthepark.com for more info!

Do you like eggs? What is your favorite way to eat eggs?

That question always reminds me of the movie Runaway Bride. Julia Roberts’ character would always just have what her current fiancé was having, without ever making her own decision. Finally, she actually sits down and tries a bunch of different types of eggs and realizes that she likes Eggs Benedict and doesn’t like all the other kinds!

Inspired by all those lovely bloggers who attended the Pom Harvest Tour; I decided to purchase some pomegranates at the store the other day!

Pomegranates are IN SEASON now and are FULL of antioxidants. Not to mention those seeds (arils) inside of the pomegranate taste delicious!

So how do you get to [...]]]>

Inspired by all those lovely bloggers who attended the Pom Harvest Tour; I decided to purchase some pomegranates at the store the other day!

Pomegranates are IN SEASON now and are FULL of antioxidants. Not to mention those seeds (arils) inside of the pomegranate taste delicious!

So how do you get to those seeds? I didn’t really know for sure. But this is what I did:

You’ll need 1 lovely pomegranate and 1 knife

I sliced the pomegranate in half

*Be careful what you’re wearing because that sweet ruby red juice gets EVERYWHERE and STAINS!

I then cut a little bit through each half but then used my hands to open it up the rest of the way. Now it was in quarters.

I worked over a bowl filled with water to pick out the arils from each quarter. I read that it makes things easier when you do this because the arils fall to the bottom and the white membrane floats to the top, so they can be easily separated.

SEE!:

Then you can skim off the white membrane and try and get any strays and then you are left with beautiful, juicy arils!

I scooped them out, picked away the stray membrane, dried them off and put them in a glass container to keep in the fridge to snack on and to put in salads and oats.  

Except… then I ate half of them

And then when the bf came home… we ate the rest.

At least I have another one!

MMMMM I love Pomegranates!

Dinner

The bf wanted to take me for a quick bite at one of his favorite restaurants Lovely Day which just reopened because of a fire last year.

We showed up and it was completed packed! It’s a tiny, casual Thai place, but it was apparently the hottest spot in the city. Not only was there a 1.5 hour wait for 2 people, but I could have sworn I saw an Olsen twin sitting in there (Mary-Kate, I believe )!

Hopefully it will calm down and I’ll be able to get a taste.

Today includes more studying, an OUTSIDE RUN, and then GLEE!  I’m such a “Gleek”.

Have a great humpday!

Updated to Add: Apparently Glee isn’t back on until next week when the World Series is over. Not cool, World Series, not cool.

_________________________________________________

IN THE NEWS

Flesh of Your Flesh 

Should you eat meat? A MUST READ article in The New Yorker.

Major Ground Beef Recall In New England

I think that washing and storing lettuce is something everyone should know how to do. Although it seems like a pretty simple task, for a long time I never knew the “proper” way to prepare lettuce.

So what did I do? I bought pre-packaged, pre-washed mesclun greens. [...]]]>
[Source]

I think that washing and storing lettuce is something everyone should know how to do.
Although it seems like a pretty simple task, for a long time I never knew the “proper” way to prepare lettuce.

So what did I do? I bought pre-packaged, pre-washed mesclun greens. In a pinch, they’re passable and convenient. But in most cases I find that they’re not always fresh, don’t keep for very long and can be expensive! Also, sometimes I just don’t trust that “pre-washed” label, so I wash it anyway!
And if you’re going through the trouble of washing, “pre-washed” lettuce, you might as well get the fresh, unpackaged lettuce in the first place!

What You’ll Need:
Lettuce
Sink
Salad spinner
Paper towel
Large Ziploc bag

Directions:
1. Grab your favourite type of lettuce. – It should look fresh, no brown spots or wilting.
2. Fill up your (clean) sink with cold water.
3. At this point you can choose to tear up your lettuce or leave it whole, it’s up to you.
4. Give your lettuce a bath! Soak the lettuce leaves in the cold water and let any dirt that is on them sink to the bottom. Then give them a good rinse.
5. Get out that spinner! Spin the leaves to get out as much moisture as possible.

Don’t have a salad spinner? Try this tip from Martha Stewart Living.

6. Spread out the spun greens on a single layer of paper towel. Then roll them up.
7. Place rolled up greens into a large Ziploc bag, and seal, getting as much air out as possible.
8. Place in the fridge – These green should keep for a week!

Green Tip: If you want to be more environmentally conscious try using recycled paper towel and try these eco-friendly Ziploc bags.

Hopefully that helped if you were curious about prepping lettuce!

I definitely still get lazy sometimes and buy those pre-packaged mixes. And it’s especially tempting as I don’t have a salad spinner at the moment. But once I get one, it’s fresh leaves all the way!

Have a great Thursday!