Fit for Life

Pinterest to Table

2012-01-26T17:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, I did it! Inspired by Meghann @ Meals and Miles, I went beyond the stretches of my pinterest boards and brought a recently-pinned recipe to life.

It was a complete success.

{Mushroom Barley Soup!}

In all fairness, it's a soup recipe, and I modified it slightly to suit our tastes. But I'm counting it as a Pinterest Win. {as a side note, have you seen this site for pinterest fails? It's brand new, but I think will be amusing to follow.}

Here's the pin I tried to recreate. I think it was also the very first thing I ever pinned (original recipe is featured on Shape.com).

{before I added the tomato paste, my soup creation looks very similar to the one on Pinterest!}

A few differences:

1) I added some tomato paste. I was in a tomato paste kinda mood.
2) I chopped the mushrooms into tiny pieces.
3) I added chickpeas. And potatoes.

Okay...maybe this recipe is pretty different. But! I've never used mushrooms in soup before, and we'll give Pinterest the credit for that inspiration.

I'm glad I tried one of my pinned recipes! It makes me want to try more.

This is also the first time I used barley in a soup recipe! It makes a great addition, but be aware - it's not gluten-free. I received a reader request to post some gluten-free recipes {in the works, fearless reader!}, so be on the lookout for that recipe round-up!

Are you all over Pinterest? It's a great place to store crafty ideas, recipe ideas, and motivational quotes.
The challenge lies in getting off Pinterest to create some of the ideas you've pinned!

As a blogger, Pinterest also provides me great inspiration for food photography.

On to the next recipe! Any recommendations for what I should try next? Share your recipe pins!!

Running, Running, Ran?

2012-01-25T11:39:00.000-05:00

After a stellar year of running in 2011 (4 5k races, and a even one win!), I haven't found my running mojo yet in 2012.

Some days I think I'll want to run, and will even lace up my sneakers or bring my running gear with me to work (perk of working on a college campus - free gym access!), but I haven't 'felt it' yet.

With teaching 5 Zumba classes per week, starting a new yoga practice, going to power half hour, and strength training, I'm obviously keeping active. {stay tuned for an upcoming post on finding fitness balance!} But I miss running.

I love running -- the way it makes me feel, the great accomplishment of pushing myself just one more mile, or increasing my speed.

So, what's a girl to do? Sign up for a race, obviously!

I'm beyond excited for this race, for multiple reasons

1) It's going to encourage me to get my run on

2) It's a destination race -- in Arlington, VA

3) Shane is going to run it with me!!!!

This will be Shane's first race ever. He's an avid runner, running several times per week, and even long distances just because 'he feels like it.' He hasn't signed up for a race before because he thinks he'll get addicted. ha! He will. But at least this way we can run together.

"Love the Run You're With" is a special race, too, because it takes place the weekend before Valentine's Day. Talk about making super special {and active!} Valentine's Day plans with your Love!

Can't wait to lace up those running sneakers and prep for this 5k.

Check out my past race posts:

Turkey Trot 5k

Birthday 5k

Reunion 5k

and the BIG one - Chestertown half marathon

Are you a runner? What's your motivation? Share away!

Return of the Green Monster

2012-01-20T16:37:00.000-05:00

Smoothies are usually my go-to snack/meal-on-the-go/breakfast of choice in the summer. There's nothing like a cool, soothing smoothie packed with veggies or fruit on a warm summer day.

Lately, I've been drinking smoothies every day -- in the middle of winter! My smoothie of choice has been a classic Green Monster smoothie - banana, 1.5 c. milk and 2 c. of densely-packed spinach (some varieties include using yogurt and ice, too). I was first introduced to the concept of a Green Monster smoothie from Angela @ Oh She Glows.

Shane has insisted on adding a protein powder kick to my morning Green Monsters, too. He's convinced me that I'm not eating enough protein with my intense workout schedule. {The past six weeks have been hectic with my workout plan, since I've added regular 2-hour dance rehearsals and since I've decided that 2012 is the year of practicing yoga -- on top of teaching Zumba and strength training. Whew!} The extra kick has done wonders for my energy and performance.

I love Green Monster smoothies so much that we decided to grow our own spinach in the backyard homestead last year! We grew a TON of spinach at home last year. Because it matures quickly (and since we've learned the concept of successive planting), we never ran out all spring and summer!

Thanks to our CSA membership, we have also been able to purchase a fresh supply of spinach throughout the winter. Ideally, we'll create a winter/cold box so we can continue to grow spinach year-round. Spinach is a hardy plant!

My thinking-ahead summer-saving strategy has also rewarded me with a freezer full of frozen berries! I'm thinking these need to become berry breakfast smoothies asap.

I shudder to remember the many, many days I left for school or work without eating breakfast. For the longest time, I didn't realize that breakfast was essential to an energetic, productive, healthy day.

Now, I make it a priority to have breakfast each day. These smoothies are great for breakfast, because they're packed with nutrients and protein, and they take 5 minutes to make.

Five minute breakfast? Now there are no excuses for skipping!

What's your favorite smoothie? I'd love to try something new!!

Silence

2012-01-18T16:50:00.009-05:00

I've had this idea stuck in my head for the past couple of months. With the scheduled blackouts all over the internet, I thought it would be appropriate to post today.

Though I'm not a fan of television in general (we own a television at the little house on Pine, but we don't have even a basic cable hook-up. We do, however, have the computer hooked up to the television, so we can screen select shows and movies.), I do enjoy some shows, especially if they challenge the way I think.

Like Doctor Who. Doctor Who challenges the way I view the world. After watching the most recent season (season 6), I experienced my biggest revelation yet.

The most recent season centers on one group of creatures called The Silence.

Meet The Silence. {Good luck sleeping tonight.}

(source)

When anyone encounters The Silence, they experience complete terror, disbelief, and shock. Then, they look away and all of those feelings dissipate. In fact, after looking away, they don't remember seeing The Silence at all. It's as if The Silence doesn't exist (yet it does). The Silence is always there, regardless of whether the people around remember seeing it. When people encounter The Silence, they are left with an impression, regardless of whether they remember what caused it.

This is where I had my revelation: The Silence is Mother Culture.

A term I learned from reading Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, Mother Culture describes the origin for our way of life, or the set of rules we've developed and agreed to live by. All current cultures (though arguably, there are only two cultures: civilized and native) or ways of life have stemmed from Mother Culture.

When confronted face-to-face with The Silence/Mother Culture, I can't believe some of the things I see, that I do, just because "that's the way it's always been done." There's no need to question it.

But what if there is? This blog emerged as a result of me questioning food origins. I wanted to know where my food was coming from, who prepared it, the animals and plants that produced it. One question led to another, and another, and all of a sudden, I'd completely revolutionized the way I thought about food.

There are some who challenge Mother Culture. Like the most recent "Occupy ____" protesters, there is truth to their messages, but the media/government/corporations are designed to dismiss these voices, since they appear to challenge "business as usual."

These challenges remind us that Mother Culture (or The Silence) is still there, lurking. We follow it, let ourselves be guided by it everyday without even thinking about it. We simply forget.

When I started reading more about PIPA and SOPA, I discovered that once again, the corporations are doing what they can to silence opinions and basic understood freedoms of speech. Mother Culture can't have us acknowledge that she exists. She needs her followers, because that's what allows corporations to make their money and rule the world (or so they think).

Well, Mother Culture, I'm here to challenge you. I work to live everyday in a state of heightened awareness, learning more about the status quo, why we have it, and ways that I can push through it to achieve balance.

That's what I'm really after: balance. And if I have to fight to remember the silence, I'm ready.

KISS Me, Monday

2012-01-16T16:31:00.001-05:00

Hi, Monday. Are we still friends? I can't remember how you treated me last week. Let's just pretend it was o.k. and say we're on a provisional friendship for now.

You know how we can make it better? KISS. No, no, I don't want to be your girlfriend, I'm more interested in Keeping It Simple, Silly.

Monday dinners don't have to be painful. You can even cook at home! Let me introduce (or re-introduce!) one of my go-to weeknight dinners:

Chickpea Stew

a.k.a. the delicious combination of winter vegetables, chickpeas, and spinach.

a.k.a. from cutting board to plate in 30 minutes.

Dice some veggies. I always mix it up. This time, I had a couple of sweet potatoes, half an onion, and some carrots left from a local farm visit.

Sauté in butter until almost soft. This is the longest part (15ish minutes).

Then, I added a tbsp. of flour to coat the veggies,

some spices (cumin, Tony Chachere's, and coriander) -- be liberal here,

and 2 tbsp. of tomato paste to bring it all together.

For fun, at the last minute, I added some freshly steamed spinach. The concoction needed a little green!

While dinner is stewing (ha!), here's my book club's book this month:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;MmMos&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Most of us in the book club have read it (allll the way back in high school), but since the theme of our big school event is The Great Gatsby, we decided it would be fun to brush up, and get inspiration for our costumes! I'm excited to re-read this book. What are you reading now?

Dinner is served!

I challenge you to eat at least 3 homemade meals this week! Your wallet (and your waistline!) will thank you.

What do you like to cook during the week?

Healthy Living - Getting Started

2012-01-11T14:50:00.002-05:00

With the arrival of the New Year, both gyms where I teach Zumba have been packed! I love seeing the new faces working out, resolving to live a healthier life in 2012.

Just a few short years ago, I was one of those hipster January gym joiners, eager to make my start into the world of healthy living.

{too cool for school. Obvi.}

(P.S. - have you seen my before and after photos?)

Three years later, I'm active on a daily basis, and each day is a new chance to build on my fitness skills. It's an exciting place!

After a few years of learning myself (and believe me, there are always new things to learn!), I've compiled a few tips for getting started with your fitness and health goals:

1) Create a realistic workout schedule. If it aims too high, it becomes too easy to opt out. Start slow, knowing you can always increase. Consult a friend who works out regularly, or work with a trainer at your gym to discuss options. Remember that everyone has different goals, different body-types, etc., so your fitness routine might be different than a friend's routine!

Fitness classes are a great way to start! If you aren't a member of a gym, try at-home workout DVDs/tapes or browse iTunes for free class downloads!

2) Go one day at a time. Have a workout schedule created, maybe even written down, but look only one day at a time. Think "today I'm going to be fit" or "today, I'm going to make healthy choices." One leads to another, leads to another, etc.

3) Observe eating habits. Just observe. Don't try to change anything until you understand when you eat, what you eat, how much you eat. Write it down. Keep a journal or keep it on your phone for easy access. Also note how you feel after eating, and after working out.

Once you've observed for a week or two, start thinking about ways to improve it. Can you eat earlier? Maybe eat 5 small meals instead of 3 large meals? What foods make you feel awesome before/after working out? The goal is to fuel your workouts/give you energy for what you need throughout the day.

4) Find a buddy. It's so much easier to attend fitness classes or get yourself to the gym with a friend. When I first started, I wanted to do it by myself, but then I plateaued and had an easy way to just say no to going to the gym (no accountability). Working with a friend who had a higher fitness level than me forced me to challenge myself and work harder!

5) Give yourself a deadline/goal. Want to run a 5k? A 10k? Want to make it through an entire yoga/spinning/Zumba class without stopping? Whatever it is, define it, and keep your eyes on the prize.

6) Don't give up. Keep going! If you don't see results in the first couple of weeks, don't panic. It takes time. Try a couple classes a week, then a couple more...work on building up your workout stamina.

7) Make time to stretch! Stretching is just as important as working out. Think about it -- you've just spent time warming up those muscles, moving them around a bit, and you want to condition them to grow into nice, happy shapes. I use yoga-inspired stretches in most of my Zumba classes.

I hope this gets you started on your own health and fitness path! I'd love to hear your goals for health in 2012, and if you have any tips to share for getting started with fitness. Comment below, share away!!!

S.M.O.G. Pie

2012-01-10T17:02:00.001-05:00

Over Christmas, we were introduced to the wonders and delights of S.M.O.G. pie. Sounds dangerous, but it's oh-so-delicious.

SMOG = Steak, Mushrooms, Onions, Gruyere

Based on a creation from Dangerously Delicious Pies (I've never been, but understand that the restaurant lives up to the name!), I present the little house on Pine's version of S.M.O.G. pie:

There are a few important keys to making this (easy) recipe GREAT:

1) homemade crust. Just do it!

2) good quality steak. Worth it!

3) lots of cheese. Think you have enough? Always add more.

I used local grass-fed skirt steak from Crow Farm. Any cut of steak will work.

Cooking (and cutting!) skirt steak is a different process. Check out my easy how-to for cooking skirt steak!

Gather the ingredients:

(note: I also used milk to fill up the pie)

Chop the cooked steak, raw onions, and raw mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.

Grate the cheese (remember, more cheese is better!)

Fill up the pie shell

This part is easy. Just load everything in!

I added some milk to fill in the gaps. You could also use cream. Based on my first test run, I used too much liquid, so something heavier would be best!

Add a pie shell cover and cut a small vent. "X" marks the spot!

Get fancy with your pie crust. Optional, but fun!

45 minutes-1 hour later, you have the most delectable, easy-to-make lunch/dinner/snack pie. mmmm

Try it at home!! I can't wait to make this again. If you come up with great tweaks, let me know! I'm curious to hear how it goes for you at home. Next time, I think I'll make it in a deep-dish pie pan. Definitely worth the deep-dish.

Fit for Life's S.M.O.G. Pie

Prep Time: (if making the crust): 1 hour 20 minutes

(if using pre-made crust) 20 minutes

Bake Time: 45 minutes-1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes - 2 hours 20 minutes

You will need:

1 pie shell (pre-made, or if you'd like to make your own, refer to this blog entry!)

1 large white onion, diced

1-2 lbs. steak, cooked in any way you'd like, your choice of cut, cut into small pieces

2-3 handfuls of button mushrooms, chopped (you could really use any type of mushroom)

1 c. or more Gruyere cheese, grated

1/2 c. milk or cream

pinch of salt and pepper

1. Press pie crust into pie dish. Make sure you have enough left to fully cover the top (after you've added the ingredients).

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Add cooked, chopped steak, chopped mushrooms, diced onions, milk or cream, and the shredded cheese to the pie dish. Sprinkle desired pepper and salt.

4. Cover top with additional pie crust, cut a small vent in the center. (X shape or a simple O will work!)

5. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check the crust after 40 or so minutes...you're looking for a nice golden-brown color.

Enjoy!

Dance with the Stars

2012-01-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, January 21 I (along with 17 others) will be dancing as part of the Horizons' Fourth Annual Dance with the Stars!

A fundraiser event, Dance with the Stars raises money for Horizons, a summer enrichment program that provides academics, cultural enrichment, and swim lessons to local kids, free of charge. It's a wonderful opportunity for the students and their families.

I'm putting my dancing shoes on and teaching a local "star" how to dance the jive! My partner, Kirk Helfenbein of Fellows, Helfenbein & Newman, claims not to be a dancer, but I'm set to prove him wrong!

In fact, take 90 seconds to check out our promo video -- see some early shots of our dance!

We're so excited to dance for a cause, and would love to see the room packed with supporters of Horizons.

If you're interested in attending the event (register soon - it's expected to sell out!), here's a link with reservation information: http://www.radcliffecreekschool.org/dwts/reservations.html

If you are unable to be with us the night of the show (stay tuned for a video of the performance!), here's a link to submit a donation under "Team Kirk": http://www.radcliffecreekschool.org/dwts/vote_05.html

*note - you can also send a check with any dollar amount if you don't want to give online. Pay to:
Horizons at Radcliffe Creek School
201 Talbot Blvd
Chestertown MD 21620

Back to dancing!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

2012-01-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

HUGE blog announcement: we're under construction! Stay tuned for a new, refreshed layout, more photos, more pages, bigger/better sidebar graphics, the inclusion of Recipage for all recipes (easily searchable + printable!), and a new comment stream.

Whew! So many exciting new developments.

TARDIS Oatmeal

2012-01-03T12:08:00.000-05:00

The first day back to work from break was made a little easier thanks to this lovely fancy oatmeal concoction!

TARDIS fancy oatmeal

Dubbed TARDIS oatmeal because of the blue M&Ms. Duh.

TARDIS stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. At the breakfast table, TARDIS stands for basic rolled oats topped with cinnamon, slivered almonds, a dash of raw milk, coconut flakes, and a handful of blue M&Ms.

During a recent adventure to The Fresh Market in Annapolis, I stumbled across a neatly packaged container of dark blue M&Ms. {There is a TARDIS in this picture, in case you're not a Who fan and have no clue what I'm talking about!}

Clearly, I had to get them. My first thought was to fill the TARDIS cookie jar we received for Christmas with them, but then I found these blue twizzlers. They fit perfectly in the container!

So, the M&Ms were bumped to the oatmeal instead. And pretty mason jars.

Speaking of pretty mason jars, have you joined Pinterest? I'm creating an entire board of mason jar-related things.

Like this...my homemade applesauce --

So pretty in a jar. Can't wait until the dead of winter to start enjoying my lovely applesauce!

Breakfast was made even fancier with this pretty china, given to us by dear friends who are moving out of state.

Though usually consumed with coffee, breakfast was instead accompanied by tea!

{a.k.a. Shane's special Christmas gift! A tea set!}

During the colder months, Shane and I like to have a cup of tea after dinner/later in the evening. Though we've mostly relied on pre-bagged teas, Shane expressed an interest in exploring loose leaf tea. So, I put together a little kit for him for Christmas, complete with a new tea kettle (ceramic with a bamboo handle!), two different variteties of loose leaf tea, and several nifty infusers. He was thrilled!

I also promised a trip to Teavana in the near future to check out different blends! Do you have a favorite loose leaf tea type/brand/place? We're excited to explore!

New Year

2012-01-01T02:05:00.017-05:00

Aside from the yearly Birthday Ball event at our school/work, Shane and I rarely have the occasion to get all dolled up for the evening!

When a friend of ours wanted to host a "top hats and tiaras" NYE party, I jumped at the opportunity!

In fact, I had a pretty little silk dress in my closet that was waiting for such an invitation.

{isn't Shane so adorable in his tux?}

Getting the party started.

pretty pearl earrings

+ pretty pumps and a sparkly wrap

If I ever disappear for 20+ minutes at your party, I'm probably chillin' with your cat. True story.

Our lovely hostess prepared so much yummy food!

Seriously. She went all out.

One more? Those quesadillas in the front were sooo good!

What can I say? We're just so classy. {see? white gloves. Not just for cleaning.}

Happy 2012!!!!

2011 in Review, Part II

2011-12-31T14:38:00.001-05:00

More updates from 2011! Did you catch Part I?

{July-December}

July

Zumba Convention {with so many wonderful Maryland and Delaware instructors!! We had quite the pack.} a boat birthday party. peach salsa. lessons from Dirty Dancing. zucchini overload. trip to Chicago. New job title.

August

Healthy Living Summit. a lovely potluck picnic. a very V visit. a Maryland earthquake. my first casserole. a hurricane. my first local crab {and crab cakes}. post-hurricane garden. an island adventure.

September

NOLA. seeing where Shane was born. beignets and cafe au lait. the speedy mile. Zumba Fitness performance at a fashion show. lots of work travel. yummy fall foods. carrot overload.

October

first trip to Denver. purple potatoes. a taco night twist. pumpkin overload. Amy and the Doctor {Halloween}. even more work travel. the fanciest French toast. another 5k race.

November

two Thanksgiving dinners. one with Shane's family. one traveling Thanksgiving dinner {9 people, 4 houses!}. more on strength training. deep thoughts to share. knit-and-bake day with a dear friend. almost pizza. broccoli hummus. another 5k race.

December

the perfect homemade hot chocolate. raspberry chocolate cupcakes. decorating for the holidays. a special trip to Longwood Gardens. personalized Christmas cookies. foods I no longer eat. so much dancing.

2011 in Review, Part I

2011-12-31T12:47:00.001-05:00

A student of history, I think it's important to understand and accept where I've been before moving forward. This blog has helped me catalog all of my wonderful adventures, and my attempts toward the ultimate dream of living in complete harmony with my surroundings.

As I reflect on the past year, I see a few of themes emerge:
1) more skills built
2) a deeper appreciation for food, which equals life
3) more adventures outside my community, which ultimately lead me to appreciate my town/community more
4) more dancing, which is my happiest state
5) more movement toward a state of being

While I'm always one to question whether I've been productive enough, or if there was something more I could have done, I have to say I'm happy with 2011. Maybe I could have learned more, read more, had more adventures, giggled more, danced more...but in the end, it's been a solid year.

A recap of Fit for Life adventures in 2011... {January-June}

January

more meat (after two meatless years). learning more about homemaking. several dinner parties. learning to knit. chocolate pudding. Zumba demos. sharing a daily adventure {walking to work}. burger night.

February

special cupcakes. two new Zumba classes. a special 30-minute tidy tip. Trying new fitness classes. A deep love of Nourishing Traditions. my first knit scarf. a fancy dressed-up affair. so much hummus.

March

so many pushups. the start of my 6-week coffee-free adventure. learning how to make homemade chicken stock. a new-found love of homemade quiche. a sad good-bye. crazy garden planning. adventures in seed starting. twice. our version of Date Night. a farm adventure. my first public "blog talk."

April

the start of the garden. sheep shearing. a hiking cliff adventure. Zumba videos. a surprising blog favorite: eggless meatballs. learning more about wild foods. Polyface Farm. garden comes to life.

May

Taste of the Town event. lots of raw milk. commitment. first harvest of the year. my first 5k race {I won first place!} Philly adventures. Food Freedom rally in D.C. 5k #2 on my birthday. strawberries.

June

raspberries everywhere. so much in bloom. kohlrabi. a beach adventure with my sister. backyard dinner parties. smoothies in a bowl. so much beauty. building a fence.

Stay tuned for Part II!

Homemade Hot Chocolate

2011-12-28T15:04:00.000-05:00

Did you have a nice Christmas? I did! We spent some time with Shane's family in Harford County.
It was nice, relaxed, and all about the little kids, which takes pressure off the "big kids." I'll do a recap in a bit, but first, I wanted to share another little treat with you!

Homemade Hot Chocolate with Cream

No cocoa powder here, it's all finely chopped 100% cacao in this cup!

With a chill in the air and dark nights that begin at 4:00, I'm reaching for warmer, soothing drinks.

Hot chocolate is also the perfect companion to slippers, a good book, and a cat. True story.

Speaking of stories, have you read The Hunger Games yet? Do it now. It's the perfect hot chocolate book! I'm almost finished with the third book.

In fact, I'm not sure why I put the book down in the first place. Oh, to share this recipe with you! Right. Back on track...

Ingredient line-up

milk, honey, vanilla, 8 oz. chocolate (really any kind would work...but I wanted to try with 100%), and a bit of salt

mmm chocolate

Instead of melting it, we chopped all the chocolate into tiny, tiny pieces.

{I say "we" but Shane was the master behind this task.}

Start with milk,

Once the milk is warmed (not boiling!), add the chopped chocolate bits,

{the finer the pieces are, the better they mesh with the milk. Or at least that's what I tell myself.}

And then my favorite part...whisk away until it's all melted. Then add the rest of the ingredients and continue to whisk.

For fun, I made some whipped cream to go with the hot chocolate...just whole, raw cream beat with a hand blender until soft peaks form. It's really very simple to do.

ooo whipped cream!

And there you have it! Homemade hot chocolate. Much tastier and 10,000 times better than the prepackaged stuff.

In fact, I think once you've made the real stuff, you'll never go back to powder.

Don't believe me? Give it a try at home!

Fit for Life's Homemade Hot Chocolate

You will need:
8 oz. chocolate (in bar form, preferably dark)
3 1/2 c. milk (preferably whole -- if you use skim, add 1/4 c. of heavy cream)
1 tbsp. honey OR sugar (I think honey tastes better with chocolate!)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Chop the chocolate into tiny pieces. Set aside.
2. In the meantime, heat milk and cream to a low simmer (do not boil!).
3. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until fully melted.
4. Add honey, vanilla, and salt, and cook for 4-5 minutes, whisking constantly.
5. Optional -- add a dollop of whipped cream!

Enjoy!

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-22T15:08:00.001-05:00

Well, I've done it! I've only baked one batch of Christmas cookies this year {not counting the cookies I helped make for the cookie decorating party!}. Since I normally go crazy for cookie baking around the holidays, this is a huge accomplishment.

This year, I made one batch of extra-special cookies

Inspired by the cookie decorating party, I decided to make personalized large cutout cookies {decorated with homemade glacé icing} for each of my coworkers!

While I made the cookies, I listened to holiday tunes for the first time all season.

We decorated the house early this year, but other than that and some pretty awesome present-hiding {putting together a sweet gift for Shane}, the holidays really haven't hit us at the little house on Pine.

{don't tell...I kind of like it that way.}

I'm already planning next year's holiday adventure...another year to "skip" Christmas!

But that's next year...for now, back to these cookies.

(btw - all of these cookie cutters are from my dear friend Amie! Without her, these wouldn't be possible.)

Just like cupcakes, decorating cookies is a form of art for me.

I can get so lost in just one design.

These took a few hours to create...one brush stroke at a time!

Each cookie has its own personality.

I prefer baking cookies or cupcakes for people much more than buying them a gift. While the cookie may go uneaten, it's a symbolic gesture of sharing a creation with another person. Most store-bought gifts can't do that.

I even packaged them individually, and added a small homemade tag on each cookie!

"Happy Holidays" means a lot more when a cookie is involved {true story}.

That's it! Just one batch of cookies at the little house on Pine this year. Well, maybe two...there are still a couple of days left before Christmas!

Cookie Decorating Party

2011-12-19T15:53:00.002-05:00

This weekend, we were invited to a Cookie Decorating Party!

I don't know if we've met, but I'm the ultimate cookie monster. I love 'em: baking them, decorating them, eating them, all of it! Cookies are the one thing I could probably not live without. And milk. And lucky me, they go together!

The idea behind this party was that the host would provide the shaped sugar cookies, everyone brings different toppings, and we'd spend the evening together decorating!

Fun toppings: everything from sugar sprinkles to little pearls, chocolate chips, coconut, and more! Guests were very creative in their cookie decorating supplies.

Our lovely hosts

One of these lovely people blogs at ...and a little wine.... {I'll let you guess who!} Check it out!

My first cookie: coconut-monkey snowman. heh.

There was also a twist: four prizes (and the bragging rights to those prizes) were up for grabs. This heightened the cookie decorating strategic plans.

The categories

I kept up with my monkey people strategy, but opted not to submit them for prizes. I just wanted to eat them (true story).

I did help Shane with his entry! The Blue Man Group! haha.

Shane also made this delicious-looking double decker cookie, filled with butter cream icing and chocolate chips. Enough sugar for a lifetime!

There was some serious cookie decorating going on here. I love parties like this, because they're casual, everyone gets to participate, there's tons of amazing creative energy flowing through the room, and And cookies were present. All-around win!

The finished pieces, ready to be judged.

Everyone had the chance to vote for one winner per prize. Look at the fabulous creations people made!

This party offered the perfect blend of holiday cheer. Not too much, not too little. I like how the party celebrated creativity, cookies, and community!

A celebration like this makes me want to save my sweet bites for something special. This holiday season, I'm determined to eat sweets in moderation, which can always be a challenge! Instead of eating every sweet thing in sight, I'm pledging to only eat special treats. Cookies decorated at a party with friends? Special treats. Store-bought cookies/cake/brownies at an office party? Not special treats. I'm liking my method so far!

Thank you again to our fabulous hosts!!

Do you have any fun celebrations planned this week in anticipation of the holidays?

5 Foods I've Stopped Eating

2011-12-16T15:19:00.001-05:00

As a fitness instructor, I get questions all the time about the food I eat. When I put my body through physical workouts like running, Zumba, and strength training, it's important to eat that will help my body rebuild, nourish me, and also give me strength to power through the day and/or the next workout.

{Running Ninja!}

I'm also inspired by one of our recent FitBlog Chats, and by this article (which has been floating around twitter for the past couple of weeks) that gives 7 Foods that Should Never Cross Your Lips.

While there isn't a magic "eat this, not that" solution, I thought it might be helpful for me to share some of the foods I've stopped eating when I started moving toward a healthier lifestyle! {Please note that my opinions are opinions and what works best for me might not work best for everyone.}

1. Soda. Any and all kinds.
I grew up in a heavy soda-drinking family. {Excuse me, "pop" as we called it in PGH;) } We had soda with lunch, soda with snack, and soda with dinner. It was just a thing.

Needing to help rehydrate my body after daily workouts, I knew soda had to go. At first, I tried to convince myself that I wanted the soda for the caffeine. But, let's face it--soda is sugar water. Or, high-fructose corn syrup water. There's nothing in it that's remotely good for the body.

The good news? Once I eliminated it completely, I stopped having cravings for it. It just kept getting easier to stop drinking it.

2. Pasta.
Most of my meals through college involved some kind of pasta. This was especially bad during junior year, when a suite mate and I would have a "second dinner" of pasta around 10:00 p.m., to fuel our late-night paper-writing habit.

Why no pasta? It's filling. Too filling. I don't like the way it makes me feel after I eat it. The same goes with pizza (though I haven't found a way to kick the pizza habit yet...). Have you noticed my lack of pasta recipes lately? I do eat rice, and prefer rice with meals instead of pasta.

3. Hamburger buns.
The point of eating a hamburger is to enjoy the meat. Bread is very filling (see pasta above). I don't want to waste my bites on bread that's twice the size of my burger. Instead, I enjoy my burgers by themselves with a bit of cheese, or served over a bed of greens. In fact, at one of my favorite local restaurants, all of the wait staff normally greet me with "usual burger over greens today?" {side note: I love small town livin'.}

Give it a shot! Try a hamburger on a bed of greens. Super delish.

4. Salad dressing.
Not really a food, but since it goes with food, I think it counts!

Unless it's in the form of a vinaigrette, I don't top my salads with dressing. This is coming from someone who used to pour large amounts of ranch/thousand island/super creamy salad dressings on my salads. Sometimes, I forgot there was salad underneath it!

Part of moving away from salad dressing has come from the use of local greens - greens that have taste and crisp to them, that haven't been packaged and shipped across the country. Salad greens are supposed to taste great on their own. And they do, I promise.

5. Fast food. Even the salads. I avoid them entirely.
This might seem like a no-brainer, but for someone who has a heavy volume of travel time, I know it can be hard to find healthy options for someone on-the-go, without a kitchen or a fridge. But it can be done. It just requires planning.

While I've stopped eating a number of different "foods," I don't believe in creating a restrictive diet. I believe in eating good, complex foods that help my body function and grow stronger. The items listed above reflect the kinds of food that can cause harm to my body.

Now that I've listed a few foods that I won't eat, I'd like to provide a list of foods that I do eat, foods that fuel me and my daily life! Stay tuned.

Visiting Longwood Gardens

2011-12-13T11:39:00.002-05:00

To kick off our holiday celebration a little early, Shane and I met up with our dear friends Amie and Bill at Longwood Gardens!

{pretty holiday decorations}

If you've never been to Longwood Gardens, it's a large estate filled with layers of various garden exhibits. Each season brings something different. For the holidays, the indoor and outdoor displays center the Christmas holiday, with large decorated pine trees, millions of colorful twinkle lights, gingerbread and candies displays, and fountains that change pressure and direction to holiday music.

A few of the displays stay constant, like the indoor fruit trees!

Shane and I were immediately drawn to this part of the tour. We're growing two trees indoors at the little house on Pine: orange and lime. This is encouraging to see! We're plotting growing more after this display...

I loved the herb wreath. A neat idea!

There was a huge gingerbread man display this year, too. These were all baked and coated to preserve!

Of course, we found the children's play area and had some fun with the bee exhibit ;)

Shane wants to keep bees. Maybe next year?!

We spent the entire afternoon walking around the outdoor gardens, admiring the splendor of the season. I loved the lake and the fountain gardens.

After all the outdoor walking (though there's plenty to do indoors, too!), we stopped for some hot chocolate and cookies!

After seeing all the lights (great outdoor light exhibit at Longwoods for Christmas!), we went to Half Moon Restaurant and Saloon for dinner.

A great choice! They have lots of local food options and even some wild game. Bill tried the wild boar, and Shane tried a bison burger. Yum!

Check out more photos of our garden adventures here!

Visiting Longwood Gardens made me daydreamy for our own home garden. I've received some seed catalogs in the mail, and anxiously await spring planting! We're trying to expand the garden each year, to lessen the open grass space (and drastically reduce mowing time). This year, plans include a deck and a pergola patio. Can't wait to get started!!

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-12-08T16:31:00.000-05:00

My love affair with cupcakes began as a small child, when I owned the entire line of cupcake dolls. (if the link doesn't work, please google them. You'll thank me.)

They smell like vanilla. Or, maybe that was just me. Did you have these growing up, too?

Anyway, since adults don't play with dolls (in public), I've channeled my love of cupcakes into these:

raspberry chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Better than cupcake dolls? Jury's still out.

If you decide to make chocolate cupcakes, do me one favor: make the batter from scratch. Chocolate cake mixes don't do a cupcake justice. Vanilla boxed mixes are okay, but chocolate cupcake batter mix should start with cocoa powder, or if you're super industrious, chopped from from 60-100% dark chocolate bars.

I chose cocoa powder for these. {full recipe listed here @ Joy of Baking}

I decided to make mini cupcakes. Mini morsels with big bursts of flavor!

{also, I haven't used this cupcake pan since I made my spinach bacon bites}

All mixed up! I love the way chocolate flows out of the mixing bowl. Makes me think of Chocolat every. single. time.

I followed Joy of Baking's chocolate cupcake recipe to a T, except...

I added a small (1/2 tsp. size) morsel of raspberry preserves in the center (add some chocolate cupcake batter, add the bit of preserves, add more chocolate cupcake batter).

Best decision ever.

On the fly, I developed the perfect accompanying frosting. Grab raspberry jam, preserves, fruit spread, whatever, some cream cheese (8 oz.), some confectioner's sugar and melted butter...

And you'll have the perfect combination of a sweet-but-not-too-sweet frosting.

I think of baked cupcakes in the same way that an artist views a blank canvas: so much potential exists here.

So, even though it's not pen-to-paper or brush-to-canvas, it's my own little form of art.

See the bits of raspberry in the icing? Better than sprinkles.

I enjoy decorating cakes and cupcakes. Did I tell you that I used to work in a bakery? Nothing too fancy, just simple cakes, breads, the occasional cupcake or King cake. A fun after-school job!

After making countless cakes and cupcakes, I've developed a weird relationship to them - I love making and decorating them, but eating them is another story. I'd rather eat a cookie.

Perhaps it's because they're my works of art? I bet van Gogh didn't eat his paintings.

But I encourage you to try...and eat...them! They're delicious. The raspberry filling adds a lovely extra punch, and the frosting is superb!

Fit for Life's Cream Cheese Frosting
You will need:
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar, sifted
4-6 tbsp. butter, melted

No complicated steps necessary. Just mix together in a bowl and use to decorate your cupcakes!

Decking the Halls

2011-12-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like the holidays at the little house on Pine!

Supporting the spirit and community excitement of the holidays, Shane and I decorate the house each year.

One of our awesome traditions includes putting together the tree and ornaments while rocking out to this holiday tune, on repeat:

Nothing like the musical genius and snarky nature of Billy Joel to get you excited about decorating!

Meet my absolute favorite tree ornament:

Shane's sister brought this back from New Orleans one year, and without hesitation, we added it to the tree. Voodoo Christmas!

We have a plastic tree. Real trees rock, too! This works better for me.

All of the ornaments on the tree are from within the last five years - since Shane and I started celebrating Christmas together. Regardless of how we spend the holiday (remember the year we skipped Christmas?), we always put up the tree.

Fun table decorations! #readyforaparty

A quick, festive decoration tip: grab a glass (or plastic) jug, add some bright, sparkly bows, tie a ribbon around the neck, and you've created a great custom home decoration!

Garland goes pretty much everywhere. So do bows, especially green ones.

Check out the new album on the Fit for Life Facebook page to see even more of our holiday decor photos!

Why December Rocks

2011-12-01T09:12:00.000-05:00

Hello lovelies! I'm so excited for today. It's December! Happy December.

December is the icing on the cake of this sweet, sweet year. 2011 has been a year to remember (stay tuned for the full recap, per tradition, on New Year's Eve)!

Check out the fabulousness that December is bringing this year:
- Meeting my Dance with the Stars partner (the show is in January) and practicing our dance!

- Holiday First Friday in town this week (Chestertown turns into Stars Hollow...take a look at last year's Holiday First Friday!)

- Cookie Walk this weekend (I don't think this one needs explanation).

- First book club meeting for my new all-ladies book club! We're reading this:

- Holiday parties galore...I think we have 4 lined up. 4!

- My first holiday trip to Longwood Gardens with my absolute favorite lady in the whole wide world!

- Homemade hot chocolate by the barrel-full. (Stay tuned for my homemade recipe!)

- Making my return to the Knit and Kvetch club (working on a scarf now...check out my first project!)

- Spending the holiday season with my two favorite fellas

Though I'm not a big fan of holiday gift-giving, I have a special "gift" in the works for Shane. Don't tell him, k?

Bring on December!!

Turkey Cranberry Sandwich

2011-11-29T17:08:00.000-05:00

After two fabulous Turkey Day celebrations (here and here), we had more than our fair share of leftovers.

What do to with all those yummy leftovers??

Place them all on a sandwich, of course.

Starting with a base of locally-baked Country French bread, I added some spicy mustard to compliment the turkey (not a fan of mayonnaise).

mmm turkey. Both of our turkeys were raised locally this year!

Add some cheese (mild cheddar raw milk cheese pictured here)

pile the turkey high!

And a healthy portion of cranberry apple raisin stuffing (though regular cranberry sauce would work well, too!)

Some spinach for color and texture, and for the added greens...

And viola! A fabulous little leftover sandwich.

Even better, I placed our sandwiches in the panini cast iron pan!

warm and griddled turkey sandwich

Delish!

How are you using your leftovers?

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T22:39:00.000-05:00

For my second Thanksgiving dinner adventure (remember the first this year?), we journeyed around the Bay (while serenaded by a certain kitten) to spend the holiday with Shane's family.

To kick things off, I ran a Turkey Trot 5K in the morning! Check out the full recap here.

After all that runnin', I was ready for a fabulous feast!

Shane and I brought this fella with us, as our dinner guest. Guess he didn't know he'd be the main event?

Before dinner, Shane and his dad played some serious chess.

I gave myself the very important task of entertaining the kittens {aka taking tons of photos of them}. Tough job, but someone has to do it ;)

(And setting the table.)

We enjoyed a delicious spread. All of the classic favorites -- stuffing, green bean casserole,

deviled eggs, homemade giblet gravy,

peas and cranberry sauce (both homemade and from the can),

Waldorf salad,

and rolls.

So much delcious food! I only filled up one plate, knowing I'd want seconds in a few hours ;) Isn't that how it works on Thanksgiving? Eat early, save room for "second dinner" later?

We spent the rest of the evening watching movies and playing games. Perfect.

{trivial pursuit! One of my favorites!}

Though it normally takes the main stage (and with good reason), food isn't the only thing worth celebrating this time of year. With the warm, harvest-producing months behind us, it's great time for reflection, and for celebrating another year of living.

I'm thankful for having the courage to make each day an adventure, a day worth living. It's easy to get caught up in menial daily tasks, forgetting about the beauty of living. This year, I've made great strides in taking a step back, considering a moment's value before pursuing the outcome. Even more, I've learned that it isn't always possible (or enjoyable) to control the outcome. I've breathed deeper this year, learned to listen, not just speak, and channeled energy into enjoying the moment.

Armed with these new talents, a deeper understanding of a mother culture and my place in it, and the encouraging words of familiar voices {Derrick Jensen, Joseph Campbell, Shannon Hayes to name a few}, I get excited thinking about the coming year. I'm already thankful for it.

Turkey Trot 5K

2011-11-25T22:02:00.001-05:00

To kick off one of the greatest food celebration holidays, I participated in a Turkey Trot 5K race! This was 5K #4 for this year. On a roll!

This is my serious running face. ha!

Shane's sister worked the event. Yay for a mini cheering section!

It was a beautiful day for a race. Cold, but sunny. We arrived way too early, so Shane and I hopped around the parking lot, trying to keep warm.

Shane has come to ALL of my races. He's the greatest support! Maybe one day I'll get him to run with me ;)

Off we go!

Fun fact: this is the first race that I've run outside Chestertown. All of my previous races, including the half marathon, have followed a similar route.

This race was challenging for me, because it was unchartered territory. Also, the race had TONS of inclines -- crazy for a girl who normally runs on flat roads!

Other than the unexpected inclines, I ran pretty solid, keeping a 9:30 pace (estimated).

I was so happy to see the finish line. The last bit of the race was a trail run {my first trail run!}, and up major inclines. I still had the stamina to sprint toward the finish! I credit Zumba and lunges for the leg strength to race up hills.

I finished in 28:30. Not my fastest time, but I felt great afterwards! Plus, I challenged myself with a new location, different incline levels, and a trail run.

The only issue I had with the race was the finish line. The entrance was so small, and many of the runners ended at the same time, so there was a bit of a bottleneck. I'm positive that recorded times will be off, since many of us had to walk across the chip readers.

All smiles after a brief cooldown series of stretches!

Post-race, I pulled a small meal together, in preparation for the Thanksgiving dinner on the horizon.

croissant with butter

and a tall glass of raw milk

All together {with a peppermint mocha latte - refuel for champions, obviously}

Another fantastic 5K race in the books! This race has convinced me to check out non-Chestertown races. But I think some hill work is in order before I do so ;)

Cranberry Apple Raisin Stuffing

2011-11-22T23:36:00.001-05:00

A simple, yet sweet and satisfying Thanksgiving stuffing recipe!

I highly recommend saving some for breakfast the next morning ;)

Some simple ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry:

plus raisins (I used golden raisins), 3 cored and diced Granny Smith apples, a 1 lb. loaf of bread, cubed and dried, and cranberry sauce.

Have you ever tried to make your own cranberry sauce? It's very simple. Boil a cup of water and a cup of sugar (I use honey instead of sugar). Add a bag of fresh or frozen cranberries. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. The cranberries will make a lovely popping sound and your house will smell amazing.

Of course, you can always use the canned variety, but there's something magical about making your own.

Mix together bread cubes, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Add the raisins.

Then add the (cooled) cranberry sauce.

Mix together and spread into a greased casserole dish.

Bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Easy, delish, and perfect to pair with turkey.

Try it at home!

Fit for Life's Cranberry Apple Raisin Thanksgiving stuffing
Prep time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Serves: 12

You will need:

1 12-oz. bag of cranberries
1 c. water
1 c. sugar (or 1/2 c. honey)
-->>OR 1 can of cranberry sauce

3 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced (leave on peels)
2 handfuls of raisins (golden raisins add a different color)
1 lb. bread cubes (Italian works best)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" casserole dish. If making your own cranberry sauce, go to step 2. If using canned cranberry sauce, skip to step 4.
2. Boil 1 c. water and either sugar or honey in a small sauce pan. Add cranberries.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low/simmer for 10 minutes, or until all cranberries "pop." Remove from heat and allow to cool to mix into the rest of the ingredients.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine bread cubes, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, apple cubes, and raisins.
5. Add cooled cranberry sauce and mix well.
6. Pour all contents into greased casserole dish. Bake for one hour, uncovered.

Thanksgiving Dinner Party | Prep

2011-11-22T23:18:00.003-05:00

I love food celebrations. So much that I recently participated in a progressive Thanksgiving dinner party!

{Stop #3 on our route -- the little house on Pine!}

Here's how we did it: we had 9 participants and 4 houses full of food choices to cover. Each person (or household) contributed a different course for dinner. House #1 covered drinks, #2 covered salad, #3 covered the main course (with side dishes from other participants) and #4 covered dessert and coffee.

I volunteered us for the main course, stop #3. This meant I had to make the turkey.

This was my second time cooking a turkey! I called one of our local farms, Cedar Run, requested a turkey that could feed 9 with plenty of leftovers, and found myself responsible for a 17 pound turkey to roast.

I got close and personal with this turkey.

For starters, I rubbed orange slices all over the inside. I love combining citrus flavors with poultry.

Then I assembled the ingredients for stuffing the turkey.

Note: not actual stuffing -- I'm not a fan of cooking the stuffing inside the turkey. I prepare separate turkey dressing, cooked outside the turkey, in a casserole dish.

Instead of filling the turkey with bread stuffing, I add a variety of vegetables and herbs to help enhance the flavor of the turkey. I used what I had on hand: raw milk butter, carrots and leeks from our CSA, and parsley.

All chopped and ready to stuff!

Once filled, I rubbed some melted raw milk butter and rosemary along the outside of the turkey.

Then I tried something unconventional: I placed the turkey breast-side down straight onto the {cleaned} oven rack. I usually place it in a roasting pan, like this one.

Placing the turkey breast-side down allows more juice and flavor to collect into the breast meat. I placed my lined roasting pan directly underneath the oven rack to catch the drippings.

After getting the turkey situated, I had 4-5 hours to take care of the stuffing, setting the table, and generally prepping the house for new guests.

For the stuffing (err...dressing), I made a Cranberry Apple Raisin Stuffing dish.

Check out my recipe and prep photos here.

Table setting -- I had to accommodate 9 people around our built-for-six table. Lots of table cuddling!

Since I knew all the food would be the real display on the table, I kept it simple, with clear, glass plates, green and purple napkins, and a centerpiece made from a small cluster of magnolia leaves (from our tree!) and dried lavendar from the Farmer's Market.

{with pieces of dried lavender tucked into every napkin!}

I also created a separate space for drinks, in case food still needed to be prepped before sitting down for dinner.

Some photos of the finished turkey!

And my dinner plate at our house:

That was our piece of the dinner party! Want to see more pictures from the entire evening? Check it out!

Almost Pizza

2011-11-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

In the mood for pizza, I rummaged around the kitchen to see if I had anything that closely resembled pizza-making ingredients.

I came up with cheese (two kinds - ricotta and colby), broccoli, spinach, and half of a locally-baked baguette. Getting somewhere!

With five simple ingredients, I created something that almost resembles white pizza:

spinach, broccoli, and cheese baked on a piece of baguette

Um, yum!!! I'm a huge fan of white pizza. I prefer it over red sauce pizza any day.

This meal was so easy to make. I sliced the baguette, spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese (as a base),

added some chopped spinach leaves,

some chopped broccoli,

And a thin slice of raw milk colby cheese.

Baked for ~10 minutes at 350, my taste buds wouldn't have the slightest idea this wasn't real pizza.

The re-baked baguette had a lovely crunch to it, the cheese melted beautifully onto the spinach and broccoli bits, and the ricotta baked right into the bread! Total win.

Beware of pretty kitten eyes nearby!

I love a quick, simple recipe like this. What recipe tricks do you have up your sleeve?

On My Mind

2011-11-15T12:23:00.001-05:00

Though my nights and days are filled with endless activity (counseling, teaching Zumba, running, lifting, cooking, baking, etc.), my mind never stops, and is generally three steps ahead of me.

Usually, I ponder an idea for several weeks and then share it with you. Today, I thought I'd share what's on my mind right now. I don't have answers to many of these questions yet; I'm in the process of thinking about them, sharing the ideas with those around me, and eventually the pen will hit the paper.

1) Fresh vegetables in the winter
I've taken time this year to freeze and store some of the produce yielded from the spring and summer, but fresh veggies are another issue. As in years past, I'll likely purchase fresh greens from the grocery store. I'd love to avoid this as much as possible in the future. We're looking into building a root cellar and a cold case. And a bigger garden.

2) Learning more about fish
After watching The End of the Line, I realized I don't know anything about fish. Living near one of the largest estuaries, I think it's time to learn. I had my first local crab this summer, but haven't even started thinking about fishing myself.

3) Cooking for Thanksgiving
Trivial, but I can't get homemade cranberry sauce off my mind. I'm cooking up a fabulous recipe in my head for it! I hope my thoughts finalize by Saturday, when we have a "practice" Thanksgiving dinner with friends.

4) Derrick Jensen
I feel like I know him. He's a tremendous writer. He thinks a lot. He talks to a lot of people about important subjects like salmon, civilization, human relationships, learning, education, and taking action to name a few. I'm reading his books in order of printing now (started with Listening to the Land, on to A Language Older than Words). It's a great way to get to know someone, learning and growing with the digestion of their thoughts, from mind to paper.

5) Dancing
I'm listed as a pro dancer for an upcoming local "Dance with the Stars" fundraiser! I can't wait to meet my partner. I'm excited and nervous for choosing a dance, and even more so for practicing and performing it. #adventures

6) Homemaking
Beyond the traditional connotations of the word, I'm very interested in homemaking life. Since I haven't yet learned a way to beat economics, I'm spending my time now building skills and working on transitioning from being a consumer to being a producer to just being. This book has been a tremendous help.

7) Holiday baking
I'm determined not to bake as many cookies this year. This thought was devastating at first, but I'm pondering and researching various alternatives so we don't over-indulge this year.

Broccoli Hummus

2011-11-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

You heard me right.

Hummus. And broccoli. Together. A blind date gone horribly right.

How did I let this happen?? I had some extra broccoli left over from a CSA pick-up, and wanted to use it before it went...limp?

So I did what I normally do with broccoli (other than eat it raw): tossed it with some olive oil and pepper {and two whole cloves of garlic}, placed it on a baking sheet and roasted it in the oven for 15 minutes.

Raw is my favorite, but roasted broccoli is a very, very close second.

This is when things got a little crazy. I happened to have some chickpeas, and just happened to also have some pretzel chips that looked lonely.

Suddenly, making hummus was the right thing to do.

tahini, lemon juice, and a little bit of salt.

The lemon juice kind of looks like cheese here. Sort of neat!

Dug out the immersion blender (okay...it was on the counter top...I think I use this thing every other day.) and mixed the tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic, and broccoli. Pretty...

Drain the boiled chickpeas, and set aside some of the cooking water. #besthummustrick

As you mix it, if the hummus is a little dry, simply add some of the chickpea cooking water to help liven it up a bit!

Add the chickpeas and some of the cooking water...

And you'll have made the yummiest. hummus dip. ever.

I may or may not have eaten some of this with just a spoon. Or my finger.

{But it also went well with those pretzel chips!}

Try it at home!

Fit for Life's Roasted Broccoli Hummus
Total cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

You will need:
1 tsp. olive oil
2-3 small heads of broccoli (I'm sure one large head would be fine, too)
pinch of pepper
2 whole garlic cloves1 15-oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/4 c. tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 c. of lemon juice
a pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 400. Chop broccoli, toss it (and garlic) with olive oil and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until parts are slightly browned.
2. In the meantime, rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place in a pot and cover with water (cover the top of the chickpea line and then some). Bring to a boil.
3. Once the chickpeas have boiled, remove from heat, drain. *Set aside at least 1/2 c. of cooking water to use later*
4. Place broccoli, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and salt in a blender, or food processor, or in a pot to use an immersion blender; blend until smooth.
5. Add the chickpeas to the mix, blend together.
6. Determine dryness; add chickpea cooking water as needed (I usually end up adding up to 1/2 c.)

Enjoy!!!

Baking with Friends

2011-11-12T15:28:00.002-05:00

One of my dearest friends came to visit the little house on Pine! She lives a couple of hours away, so we don't get to see each other as frequently as we did in college.

We both share passions for baking, so we decided to plan a little baking adventure for our most recent visit!

baking + knitting + coffee + conversation

Since it's close to Thanksgiving, we teamed up to make pumpkin rolls!

Pumpkin rolls are one of my favorite desserts, but they're labor-intensive! It's so nice to have another baker in the kitchen.

We made a lovely pumpkin-y mess!

I love the color of the batter. Isn't it the most delightful orange-y color?

Baking pumpkin roll is a multi-step process, so in between we enjoyed pumpkin-flavored coffee and catching up!

Making it snow!

powdered sugar snow mounds

The finished product! We made two, so she could take one back to her family to enjoy, too!

Such a great afternoon! I enjoy spending a long afternoon baking, enjoying the moments, catching up with a good friend.

I love preparing food, and it's amplified when I can share that passion with someone else. One day, I hope to have a kitchen large enough to share with the community. My ideal living environment would include many individuals sharing one, large kitchen area; cooking together, sharing recipes, learning techniques together.

It's the environment I found when we visited the Hostel in the Forest in Georgia. There were lots of tree house bedrooms everywhere, and everyone shared a living area and kitchen.

Even better, the kitchen would be surrounded by a homegrown garden and fruit forest, so we could nurture the growth of the ingredients before preparing them to nourish our bodies. A full culinary experience! One day... :)

Why I Strength Train

2011-11-10T15:56:00.000-05:00

This summer, I got into a great strength training routine, 2-3 times a week. I loved every moment of it. Strength training makes me feel...strong.

With fall travel (my position requires travel 6-8 weeks out of the year), I've been remiss in keeping up with the routine each week. Now that I'm off the road...

I'm back on weights. #addicted

Though I never created a strict plan to follow, many of my strength training routines look something like this:

warm-up run
3 sets, 8 reps each
lateral raises (10-15lbs.)
forward raises (10-15 lbs.)
overhead tricep extensions (15-20 lbs)
standing ab side bends (12.5 lb)
hammer curls (10 lb)
shoulder press (12.5 lb)
single arm row (12.5 lb)
upright rows (20 lb)
bicep curls (10 lb)
dumbbell lunges (10-15 lbs.) forward and bac
3 sets, 10 reps: kettlebell swings (26lb)

It looks like a lot, but this routine would take maybe 35-40 minutes, including the warm-up run.

I wouldn't necessarily follow this routine each time. If one area was sore, I would omit it from the schedule that day.

I started with 7.5 lb. weights and gradually worked my way up to 15 or 20 pound dumbbells. I'm a strong believer that women can tackle larger weights without fear of bulky muscle gain. I followed this routine for 10 weeks and didn't bulk up! Instead, I lost inches and saw more tone, especially in my shoulders and arms. In a 2.5-month period, I lost

weight: 8 lbs.
arm inches: 3
waist inches: 3.5
hip inches: 2.5
upper thigh inches: 2

This was from a combination of strength training, teaching Zumba, and moderate running.

One of my favorite lines to use when advertising Zumba classes is "Spice up the Routine!" Changing your fitness routine is so important: it helps you continue to challenge your body physically, keeps you interested, and is just plain fun.

Fun fact: I was a "500 club" lifter in high school! I lifted weights (in place of gym class) for two years before meeting that goal. We had to bench press, power clean, incline lift, and---my favorite---squat lift. After my second year with the program, I exceeded lifting 500 pounds between these four lifts. Squat was my best - 220 pounds!

Strength training makes me feel powerful. I love cranking up the music (Zumba beats, of course), and getting into the rythym of lifting steady, controlled sets.

My absolute favorite? Kettlebell swings. Invigorating, strong, kettlebell swings. Nothing like them!

I'm so excited to get back into my lifting routine. I enjoy challenging my fitness regimen, and am even more excited to learn new lifts and explore new weight increases with the dumbbells.

Fall Vegetable Casserole

2011-11-09T14:19:00.001-05:00

Casseroles are among my favorite dishes to make. They're relatively easy (lots of chopping veggies), last a long time (3-4 days for a family of 2!), can be prepped in advance and reheated as needed, and use up little bits of leftover veggies.

Using items from a recent CSA share pick-up, I combined broccoli, sweet potatoes, red peppers, onions, brown rice, and local chicken to make a fabulous fall casserole!

I usually toss the vegetables into the baking dish as they are, but this time I added a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and some ginger to the sweet potatoes.

A very good decision, indeed!

After chopping the vegetables, place the rice, 2 c. chicken broth, and all the veggies in the baking dish together. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Cooking a casserole makes me feel so much more productive; not only do I have this wonderful, healthy dish prepared, I'm also able to multitask during the bake time to get other things done around the house. I can't leave the house while it's cooking, but I don't have to be chained to the stove/oven, either. It's win-win for me!

It gave me some extra time to snuggle with Codybear. His new favorite trick is burrowing under all the blankets. Adorable.

I may or may not have placed blankets on every couch/chair/kitten-approved surface in the house just for him.

Back to the casserole. After the first 45 minutes, I uncover it, and place it back in for an additional 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the broth is mostly absorbed.

The real gem in a casserole is the sauce. Very simple -- I add 3 tbsp. of flour, 1.5 c of milk, and lots of shredded cheese to my casserole sauce (recipe below). The sauce takes little time to prepare (other than shredding the cheese -- we buy blocks of raw milk cheese every other week).

All you need is a steady hand and a handy whisk! ;)

The sauce and chicken (fully cooked) go into the baking dish, mixed up, and heated for another 15 or so minutes. Then it's ready to serve! Best eaten while hot.

We brought this casserole to a friend's house for dinner. I somehow didn't end up taking a final photo of the casserole! It ended up looking a lot like the summer veggie casserole.

I prefer the fall vegetable taste to the summer casserole blend! Maybe because it's colder outside and my palate is interested in fall and winter vegetables. Or it could be the ginger on the sweet potatoes.

All I can say for sure is I'm a huge fan of this fall casserole! We may have to make this again very, very soon.

Fit for Life's Fall Casserole
Baking time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2.5 hours

You will need:
chopped vegetables:
- I used 1 medium onion, 2 small red peppers, 2 sweet potatoes, 2 small heads of broccoli.
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. rice (I used brown rice), uncooked
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
optional seasoning for vegetables

for the sauce
1.5 c. milk
3 tbsp. flour
two large handfuls of the shredded cheese of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, heat chicken broth to an almost-boil.
2. In a casserole dish, add rice and heated chicken broth. Add vegetables and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes.
3. In the meantime, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook fully on the stove top. Set aside.
4. Remove casserole dish from oven, remove aluminum foil, and place back into the oven for 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and chicken broth fully absorbed.
5. Start the sauce. Whisk together flour and milk over medium heat until small bubbles form. Add shredded cheese and continue to whisk until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Add the chicken and sauce to the casserole dish (after the liquid from the broth has been absorbed) and sprinkle additional shredded cheese on top, if desired. Place in oven for 8-10 more minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy!

V Likes to Party

2011-11-07T23:40:00.001-05:00

{but only on the 5th of November}

Shane and I have awesome traditions. One of my favorites is our absolute need to watch V for Vendetta every year on November 5.

If you've not yet seen the film (and I highly encourage doing so!), check out the basic premise here or here. Even people who have not seen the film associate it with Guy Fawkes, the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, anarchism, totalitarianism, and the power of the individual. Intrigued yet?

This is the famous Guy Fawkes mask, worn by V, who plays victim and villain in the story.

{Cody makes such a great model!}

I really do love my cat. Promise.

A couple of friends came to watch it with us!

They brought fudge, and thought V could use some chocolate nourishment. Clearly.

Cody was most amused.

At the little house on Pine, it isn't a proper film showing if you don't have treats to share!

homemade pumpkin roll, fudge, and raw milk

And of course, the traditional eggy-in-a-basket inspired by the movie!

local bread, real butter, farm fresh eggs. mmm.

I find it fascinating to re-watch a favorite film with buried levels of meaning several times. Each time, I pick up something new. This time, I caught something at the end that I've never seen before. I won't give it away ;)

I ran into V recently in Baltimore. Photographic proof:

I found him to be quite a cheery bloke. I imagine questioning the dominant culture and gaining a clearer understanding of how the world actually works would do that to you. Or maybe it was the pumpkin roll.

The Myth about Red Meat

2011-11-02T16:00:00.002-04:00

Do you have a quick and easy go-to meal? The kind that you can put together in your sleep, you've done it so often?

For me, that meal is tacos! Or soup. But we'll go with tacos ;) We used to have a weekly taco night, and now it's either every other week or at least once a month.

Aside from mixing it up with pork sausage recently, our taco nights are pretty straightforward:

{corn taco shell, local, grass-fed beef with added seasonings, raw milk cheese, lettuce, and either avocados or black olives. Sometimes a bit of sour cream}

Simple, easy, and on the table in 15-20 minutes. Perfect! An entire pound of ground beef makes about 6 tacos, so we even have some leftover for lunch the next day.

This time, I decided to mix it up a bit!

tacos-in-a-bowl or taco salad!

Most of the bowl is filled with mixed greens (from Colchester Farm!). I added the same toppings to the bowl (beef, broken pieces of 1/2 a corn shell, avocado, some sour cream, and raw milk cheese).

I love this combination! I get some extra greens, and there's a satisfying grouping of textures in the salad. With added seasoned ground beef and a bit of sour cream, there's no need for extra salad dressing, too!

One question I get often is whether red meat is bad for you. We're led to believe so by popular health columns and magazines. It's fatty, right? And it loads you with cholesterol, they say.

The truth? Red meat isn't bad!

When "red meat" is mentioned, I tend think of a giant steak. Packing on 10+ oz. of steak every day is definitely not a good idea. But incorporating grass-fed beef (which can have the same amount of fat as a boneless, skinless piece of chicken) into your diet can actually help!

If you want to talk specifics, grass-fed beef contains healthy fats, or omega-3 fatty acids. Beef is also a great source of protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins. As a vegetarian, I had to take supplements of iron, zinc, and B vitamins because I wasn't able to get enough of them from plants and grains. {It seems silly to me now, as I type this -- why was I depriving myself of natural sources of these essential nutrients?}

Before I go into another rant about the benefits of local, grass-fed beef, I can tell you this: my blood pressure and cholesterol levels are lower now than they were when I was a vegetarian! My diet consists of fewer grains, more greens, and way more meat now. Riddle me that?

Read about more benefits at the Weston Price site!

So, what's the final word in the myth of red meat? If you're going to eat it, your best bet is to find a local source of grass-fed beef. It might be pricier at first, but the quality of what you're eating is so much better. It's more bang for your buck. Look for deals, too! Sometimes, if you commit to purchasing a larger amount (or a "share"), you can find cost-effective benefits. It's worth asking the question!

Not sure how to get grass-fed beef near you? Check out these sources to start:

Eat Well Guide
Sustainable Table

Who-lloween Adventure

2011-10-31T13:01:00.000-04:00

This year for Halloween, Shane and I decided to go all out, dress up, and even attend a show that our friends were playing in Fells Point (the band Brooks Long and the Mad Dog No Good)!

Crazy, I know. This coming from the duo who usually gets to bed by 10 on Halloween. We're even handing out candy to trick-or-treaters this year. omgee.

We definitely wanted to go all-out with dressing up. Whatever to wear?

At the little house on Pine, we love Doctor Who.

In its sixth season (reborn from a long-standing series that began in 1963), Doctor Who is a British science fiction show. But it's totally real. We thought it would be fun to dress up as the current Doctor and his companion Amelia Pond.

Bow ties are cool, and I think red is my new color!

You see the resemblance, right?

More than just dressing up or going out, we had a full adventure in Fells Point! The Doctor goes on series of adventures through time and space, so it's only fitting that we did, too. ;)

Here's a sneak peek! For more photos, view our photo gallery!

Yay for Halloween Adventures!!

5 Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

2011-10-29T11:03:00.000-04:00

Last week, we were invited to a fun pumpkin carving party! I haven't carved a pumpkin in YEARS, so this was an especially fun treat!

(someone later roasted these pumpkin seeds...mmm!)

Messy.

My finished pumpkin (it's a boat. Duh)!

Shane would make a kitten face!

All of the finished masterpieces!

There were some serious pumpkin carvers at the party!

I love pumpkins!! I thought I'd share my love of the pumpkin taste with you, in 5 of my favorite recipes. 'Tis the season!

Cinnamon pumpkin scones

Pumpkin Bread

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Kefir Smoothie

Pork Sausage Tacos

2011-10-24T13:59:00.000-04:00

What a beautiful mistake.

I'd meant to pull ground beef (local from Crow Farm!) out of the freezer for our bi-weekly (sometimes monthly) taco night. Instead, I absentmindedly pulled fresh pork sausage (also from Crow Farm). In my defense, the packages are identical. Identical. Anyone could've made the mistake.

It was sort of epic -- I had an 80s moment in my kitchen as I discovered the package did not contain beef. Puzzled, I shouted "where's the beef?!?" heh.

In case you're wondering, pork sausage makes awesome taco meat. Awesome. I'm so glad I kept calm and carried on with the taco night!

Introducing beef-free pork sausage tacos!

Layered with spinach, black olives, and avocado chunks. Cheese would also be an excellent addition.

This pork sausage from Crow Farm was top quality. It would be yummy on its own, without the cover of a taco. (#twss?)

Since it was for tacos, I added the following spices to the sausage as it cooked:

No specific instructions for amounts. Eyeball it! It's always a good idea to include more chili powder. That's my only rule for tacos.

Cookin' the sausage. (until no longer pink!)

So. Yum.

Time to layer the tacos!! Spinach first

Then the meat...

Add some olives...

And avocado! (cheese on the very top sometimes, too...we just didn't have any this week!)

That's how the little house on Pine does taco night!

I loved switching up the regular beef tacos to something new and different. Total accident this time, but maybe next time will be on purpose. What should I do next? Bean tacos? Chicken tacos? The possibilities are endless!!

Potato and Leek Soup

2011-10-21T12:17:00.000-04:00

I must have potatoes on my mind. Or, more likely, I must participate in a community share that offers an abundance of potatoes!

This week's share

I also have leeks on my mind!

Leeks are a totally understated vegetable. They look like celery, act like onions, and play really well with other vegetables.

This makes leeks a perfect candidate for my latest souptastic creation:

Potato and leek soup!

It's creamy, but contains no cream. It takes very little time to prepare. It tastes good warm and cold.

#soupFTW

Grab three leek stalks. Just three!

Cut the roots and the leafy parts, so you just have the stalks.

Prepare by cutting lengthwise first -- the leeks will start to fall apart beautifully! Then chop chop in smaller pieces.

Add to a pot with 2 tbsp of butter and 2 pounds of potatoes (pictured above...I used four medium-sized white potatoes). Let the mixture sweat until the potatoes are just about soft. Don't let the leeks burn!

Add 2 c. chicken broth and 2 c. water plus a variety of spices (full recipe below!). Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Then, my favorite part.

Grab your immersion blender (or you can place half the soup mixture in a blender to blend), and blend about half the mixture, leaving plenty of potato chunks.

This helps make the soup creamy without adding cream or milk.

But no worries - still plenty of yummy chunks of potatoes!

I like it best when warm, right from the stove.

But I won't tell if you eat it cold, standing in front of the refrigerator with a spoon. Because who would do that? ;)

Fit for Life's Potato and Leek Soup
Makes 5 cups

You will need:

3 leeks, remove roots and leafy parts and chop into small pieces
2 tbsp. butter
2 pounds of potatoes (skins on!), washed and chopped
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. water
spices:
1 tsp. chives
1 tsp. parsley
sprinkle of pepper and salt*
*instead of salt, I used Tony Chachere's seasoning.
optional: corn

1. In a medium-sized pot, combine the chopped leeks, potatoes, and the butter. Cover. "Sweat" (cook in butter over medium heat) the veggies in butter until potatoes are almost soft, about 20-25 minutes.
2. Add water, broth, and spices (and optional corn) to the mix. Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Keep covered.
3. Remove from heat. If using a blender, transfer half of the soup mixture to the blender, blend, and return to the pot to serve. If using an immersion blender, blend about half the mixture in the pot, leaving plenty of potato chunks.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Purple Potatoes

2011-10-18T22:01:00.001-04:00

Three years ago, I never would have eaten a purple potato.

Don't get me wrong, purple is my favorite color! And I like potatoes.

The thing is -- I'd not yet been exposed to the beauty of the purple potato.

Look at it!

Isn't it gorgeous?

My meat-and-potato meals background consisted of white and yellow potatoes, always in the 5# Idaho potato bag from the grocery store. I think I secretly knew that potatoes came from the ground, but I'd always purchased them from a brightly-lit grocery store, wrapped in plastic. Why wouldn't I? We always lived in a suburban neighborhood, we always drove to the store for food, and we always purchased white or yellow potatoes.

Now, I mostly get my potatoes from local growers, always loose and covered in dirt. I prefer it this way; I like cleaning the dirt off the potatoes before cooking them, imagining all of the organisms in the soil that helped nurture the potato growth. Once I consume the potatoes, those organisms will nurture my growth, too. It reminds me that I'm connected to the earth, and as odd as it may seem, connected to potatoes, too.

My favorite way to eat potatoes: covered in an herb or spices and roasted. mmm.

Fun fact: there are hundreds of potato varieties grown in different colors, shapes, and sizes. It's crazy to think that my exposure has been to two or three varieties when so many more exist!

Now that my life includes these purple gems, food possibilities are endless! Blue pumpkins, green tomatoes, and purple carrots--sure! Sign me up. I'm ready to experiment!

Purple potatoes taste just like white potatoes.

Another fact: potatoes are part of the nightshade family (think tomatoes and eggplant). Nightshade plants contain alkaloids, which are naturally occurring chemical compounds that can sometimes have pharmacological effects. Some examples...caffeine, nicotine, and morphine are alkaloids.

While nightshade plants contain traces of alkaloids, cooking them lowers the alkaloid content, making these plants easier for animals to digest.

A tip: if your potatoes have a slightly green shade underneath the skin, the alkaloid content is high. It's probably best not to eat it. (read: don't eat raw green potatoes).

{err...here, have a carrot.}

I like my alkaloids with roasted carrots and rosemary chicken breast pieces!

While nightshade plants contain alkaloids, you'd have to eat a whole lot of potatoes (or eggplant or tomatoes) to get the effects.

I fancy the idea of growing potatoes in the garden. Maybe next year. I've tried my hand at growing eggplant and tomatoes (both super producers!) and think potatoes would be a swell addition.

Until then...keep calm and carry on with the purple potato eatin'!

A Mile High and Thirsty

2011-10-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

Hello from Denver, CO!

(source)

I'm in the "Mile High" city for two days for work travel. It's my first time here! Immediately, I was enchanted by the breathtaking view:

(source)

Mountains!!! {A little different from Maryland's (flat) Eastern Shore.} The weather is perfect - a cool and comfy 65 degrees. The air is crisp, the people are beyond friendly, and the work, while exhausting, has been rewarding. A productive trip! I get to see all areas of Metro Denver, from inner city to Boulder, Aurora, Louisville, Fort Collins, and more. In addition to my normal counseling duties, I'm meeting up with a variety of alumni who share my alma mater. Knowing there's a familiar community here makes me feel even more at home.

One thing I didn't anticipate: being so thirsty! The extra elevation has quite the effect on my hydration levels. It's tough to keep up! Chugging water has become my second job.

To help, I've been avoiding salty foods and coffee. It kind of reminds me of the time I went coffee free for a week (which ended up turning into 6 weeks coffee-free). With all the extra water, I'm not feeling as sluggish as I did the first time around!

The road is calling my name. Off to explore Boulder!

Pomegranate in Salad

2011-10-06T17:16:00.000-04:00

I recently heard that salad is not dinner. It's "promise that dinner is coming." Or, something like that. Did I mess up the joke?

Clearly, the person who said that never tried one of my salad creations.

This gorgeous mix includes Asian pears, pomegranate seeds, mesclun mix lettuce, pecans, and shredded French breakfast radishes. No dressing needed!

The best part? The pomegranate seeds came from our pomegranate tree in the backyard!

(pictured with mint and tomatoes, also from the garden).

The pomegranate tree is the first that we planted at the little house on Pine. So excited, we named the tree (Charlie, in case you're wondering!), and babied it completely during the first year. We planted the tree in the fall before snowmaggedon hit our area the next spring. I didn't think the pomegranate tree would make it! It did, and is producing fruit now!

Next to the pears we have growing at the little house on Pine (moonglow and keifer varieties), Asian pears are my favorite. Especially these from Orange Cat Farm:

I picked up these beauties at the Farmer's Market! (our market was voted #1 in Maryland!)

It took a lot of restraint not to eat these as I cut them up for the salad.

Food prep tip: when using sliced pears or apples in a recipe, immerse them immediately into a bowl of ice water before adding them to your dish. It helps keep the color and the crunch longer! Pears and apples discolor quickly after cutting. Placing them in icy water does the trick!

See? No discoloring!

With the Asian pears and the pomegranate seeds, I knew the salad would have a sweet taste, so I added some shredded French breakfast radishes to add some spice!

Shredded radishes are much more flavorful in my opinion.

In addition to the salad, I wanted to cook the eggplant I received in my CSA share.

Fun fact: did you know that eggplant (a nightshade) contains traces of nicotine? It's not much, just a trace. I think you'd have to eat 20 pounds or so before it has an effect. That's a lot of eggplant.

We opted not to grow eggplant in the garden this year. It grows wonderfully in Maryland, but I found that even one plant grows more eggplant than either Shane or I could eat. Plus, as a nightshade variety, it leaves the soil in a less-desirable condition than I'd like. We'd already planned to grow tomatoes (also a nightshade), which I think is more than enough. So, no eggplant at the little house on Pine! But we'll continue to pick it up on occasion at the market or with our CSA share.

Baked and breaded eggplant with mozzarella, tomato slices from the garden, and basil from the CSA share! Yum!

Paired together, the baked eggplant and the salad were perfect.

This is my favorite way to eat eggplant.

We also went apple picking recently! Stay tuned to see what happens with 15 pounds of apples!

Granola Covered French Toast

2011-10-02T18:46:00.001-04:00

Breakfast just got better. The crunchy satisfaction of granola meets egg and milk-soaked bread topped in cinnamon and honey.

Is your mouth watering yet?

It all started with this loaf of Sesame Semolina bread from Highfield Bread Oven.

I thought I'd just slice a piece to munch on while making breakfast, but then I saw the sturdiness of the crust and the softness of the loaf and decided it was too good an opportunity to pass--this must be drenched in egg and milk right away and served as French toast!

(Cody definitely agreed)

Simple ingredient list: granola, milk, one egg, 4 slices of bread, and cinnamon.

not just any granola - coconut granola that I picked up from the Farmer's market.

Aside from the cinnamon and the raw milk, everything was picked up at the Farmer's market!

Mix milk, egg, and cinnamon in a bowl. Dip both sides of each piece of bread into the mixture.

Then, cover both sides with the granola. You might have to press the granola a bit at first, but it will stick!

Heat 1 tbsp. butter (optional) in a medium-sized pan, and cook both sides of the bread until the egg is done. You'll notice bits of the egg white on the bread, so you'll know it's done!

I could've eaten these delicious slices straight from the pan, but Shane assured me it would be even better drizzled in local honey.

He was totally right.

You must try this at home! It will kick your normal French toast recipe up a dozen notches. Beware, though--you might never be able to make regular French toast ever again.

But that wouldn't be so bad.

The whole recipe:

Fit for Life's Granola-covered French toast

Serves: 2

Total time: 20 minutes

You will need:

2-4 slices of bread

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c. milk

1 tbsp. cinnamon

enough granola to cover both sides of each slice of bread (your discretion)

optional: honey

optional: 1 tbsp. butter for the pan (to cook)

1. Get everything set-up: grab a small plate for the granola, a bowl for the egg, cinnamon, and milk. Heat up the butter (optional) in a medium-sized pan.

2. In bowl, add egg, milk, and cinnamon. Mix.

3. Dip both sides of each bread slice in the egg/milk/cinnamon mix. Transfer to granola plate and cover both sides of bread slice in granola. Repeat with each piece of bread.

4. Place granola-covered bread slices in pan, cook thoroughly (until you can see the egg turn white on the bread). Drizzle in honey and serve.

Enjoy!

Trip to the Zoo

2011-10-02T13:23:00.001-04:00

During our recent trip to New Orleans, Shane returned to the Audubon Zoo--a place he visited over 20 years ago! In this guest post he shares some insights into the modern model of food production and quality of life. This entry reminds me of the book Ishmael, especially the gorilla!
*****

My early interest in the natural world might be measured in visits to the Audubon Zoo. Each animal wandered through my childlike wonder in neatly arranged cages.

My favorite place, the reptile encounter!

The path around the park reinforced a story: the natural world is separate from the civilized world. The power and privilege of placing animals on exhibit epitomized human progress and technological advancement.

Many of the exhibits also implied a question.

Do well-fed animals born into captivity realize they are captive?

I simmered on that for twenty years, during which time I came to understand an alternate story: the natural world contains the civilized world.

"Why do animals collect animals in cages?" the bear ponders.

"Why are we hunted as pests?" the nutria ponders.

"Where does my food come from?" the baby alligator ponders.

"How do we know what we know? " the raccoon ponders

"How does the zoo reflect the separation of humans from the natural world?" the man ponders.

The alternate story expands the context to change consciousness.

The gorilla gazes into the eyes of human spectators outside his cage.

Aware of his confinement, the gorilla looks at us and appears to wonder whether we're aware of ours.

The gorilla paces in his artificial habitat without the illusion of freedom.

How is humanity caged by the idea of progress? What is the goal of advancement, and what are its costs? Why is our individual access to land, water, and food constricted? How does accelerated consumption of shared resources on a finite planet result in war, poverty, and disease?

What are the signposts of an anthropocentric worldview?

The zoo, like any institution or artifact of civilized progress, can challenge what we think we know about how we are fit for life.

Reconnecting with the natural world!

Project Zumba

2011-09-29T12:55:00.000-04:00

Did I ever tell you about the time I was part of a fashion show? No? Well...

I totally was!

A fellow Zumba instructor friend was asked to supply the entertainment for a fashion show. She called upon her Zumba instructor friends and her Latin dancer friends.

We totally rocked it. The show, which raised funds for Talbot Hospice Foundation, was packed. Owners of local boutiques were invited to show off their fall fashion lines, and "models" (friends and family) were invited to strut their stuff on a runway!

We spent a few weeks rehearsing four solid routines. You might just see one or two of them if you take one of my Zumba classes ;)

Before the show, the make-up/hair room was packed. After much convincing, I gave in and let one of the artists dress up my eyes.

I'm normally not a fan of make-up, but I have to admit - it looked pretty cute. The other ladies looked fabulous!

Of course, this is an "after" shot - don't we all look nice and steamy? haha

It's a lot of work dancing under those hot lights! It was so much fun performing Zumba -- in a class, it's not really performing -- I'm constantly watching my students, making sure everyone keeps a good form and is generally following along (though I highly encourage personal flair with our dances...). Performing dances was new to me and honestly -- I loved it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

As if that wasn't enough Zumba, all of the instructors (plus a few others) got together the very next morning for a Zumbathon event, which raises money for Susan G. Komen.

If you've never attended one, a Zumbathon is a magnified version of a Zumba class. They're typically between 2 and 4 hours, and include a variety of instructors and dance styles. That's my favorite part - teaming up with other instructors, learning new moves and beats.

Zumba instructors are all unique - we all bring a different style and energy to our classes. Prior to getting certified to teach, I'd only ever practiced with one instructor. When I went for my certification, I was introduced to a master and a variety of other instructors. This made me fall in love with Zumba even more -- that everyone can bring their own flair to it, but it's still exercising, moving to the beats, and having fun.

Our Zumbathon crew was awesome.

I loved dancing with you all!

The participants were wonderful - some even took the "party in pink" to new levels. Check out this costume! Watch out, Katy Perry.

This is my favorite picture from the event.

I love jumping photos! I also like how we somehow formed a V while jumping...

Favorite outtake photo -- enlarge to see the silly look on my face!

Performing in the fashion show and leading dances at the Zumbathon event made me realize that I have a wonderful community around me. There's so much talent, energy, mentoring, and love, and I'm so glad to be part of it!

I try to emphasize this in my Zumba fitness classes - it's not just a class, it's a community. Each person might have a different reason for attending (lose weight, try something fun, try something different, increase cardio), but we're all there together--learning together, growing together, being silly together. And that's a magical thing.

Vieux Carré

2011-09-23T23:50:00.000-04:00

The oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, the French Quarter has lots of opportunities for fun adventures! It also makes me feel very French.(baguette, croissant, Gerard Depardieu...see?)

View of the French Quarter from our carriage!

To get our bearings, we took a sweet carriage ride around the Quarter!

Fun fact: carriages are pulled by mules in New Orleans. It is illegal to use horses for carriages. The mules are stronger and can handle the heat and humidity. They're also incredibly smart.

Meet mother-in-law, our carriage handler!

Holding her reigns was this fabulous character "David Carrier." Maybe that is his real name. Born and raised in N'awlins ("please do not call it New Or-leens"), David had tons of stories to share and street-wise knowledge to impart.

In addition to showing us the fabulous balcony gardens and architecture that the French Quarter is known for, he also showed us some celebrity spots, the best spot for jazz, and the best voodoo areas.

Balcony gardens

architecture--the oldest cathedral in the States

(the inside)

P.S. - Did you know that females should wear a hat inside a Catholic cathedral? Men should not. Silly rules!

Outside Jackson Square - a lovely brick area that quickly filled with artists and musicians throughout the day. A perfect lunch spot!

After our tour, we stopped at Cafe Beignet, which promises to have the best handmade beignets in New Orleans. I settled for the homemade chai tea. Very French.

Off to explore some more!

Cafe du NOLA

2011-09-21T23:35:00.000-04:00

Hello from New Orleans (hola from nola?)!

We made it in one piece, and spent the day exploring the French Quarter area as well as nearby Slidell, Shane's birthplace.

What a day! I can't wait to share more with you, but first...feast your eyes on this!

A beignet and a cafe au lait from the famous Cafe du Monde in New Orleans!

A fabulous outdoor (under a tent) coffee stand, Cafe du Monde is open 24 hours/day to serve refreshing hot coffee and pastries. The most noted pastry is the beignet, or little donut. The taste is similar to funnel cake, but it takes the form of a puffy rectangle.

Each beignet is served with a mound of confectioner's sugar. These guys are perfect to share! One is more than enough. A lovely local treat!

Luckily, I had my crew with me to share some beignets!

Shane and his mom accompanied me on this trip, since Shane was born here! Neither have been back since they left for Maryland 20 years ago. It's neat seeing the city through their memories.

We spent most of the day in Slidell, but we did have some time to run around the French Quarter!

Jackson Square

On the way to Bourbon Street...I love all the decorated porches in the French Quarter!

Off to have more adventures...stay tuned!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2011-09-20T15:54:00.001-04:00

How's your day going? Need a little pick-me-up?

Here, I have something special just for you.

Roasted butternut squash soup. Because you deserve it!

Rainy fall days are perfect soup days. Don't you agree? (full recipe below!)

I started with some butternut squash...from the backyard homestead!

This is the first time I've grown winter squash in the garden. I'm a fan! Butternut squash is easy to grow -- create a large mound, sprinkle 5-6 seeds in it, water, pull off any seeds/bugs, and there you have it! It's kind of like magic. They grow in long vines - it's neat to watch!

I decided to roast butternut squash cubes, to add a yummy roasted flavor to the soup.

A very good idea, indeed!

While the squash did its roasting thing, I diced some small potatoes, a medium white onion, and 2 carrots.

Add some butter, and enjoy the soul-warming smell of vegetables sweating in butter.

Then...a surprise ingredient: cinnamon!

Smother the veggies in cinnamon. Pack it on! I promise it tastes divine with butternut squash.

Add a little chicken broth. The last of my homemade chicken broth #sadface

This next part is my favorite.

Need some stress relief? Grab a potato masher (or a fork) and mash the roasted butternut squash bits. I love mashing things! You know it's been a tough day when I serve something hand-mashed for dinner. True story.

Let everything simmer together. #combineallthethings

Use the favorite immersion blender and puree!

Delightful!

This combines so many of my favorite fall flavors. Grab a cup and enjoy!

Fit for Life's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Serves: 6-8
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

You will need:
3 butternut squash (medium-sized)
1 tsp. olive oil
4-5 small white or red potatoes
2-3 carrots
1 medium white onion
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. cinnamon (or more if you're daring)
4 c. chicken or vegetable broth

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep butternut squash: cut into cubes, remove skin. Butternut squash are tough to chop, so use your best knife.
2. Place squash cubes in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, toss, and spread on a baking sheet. Place in oven for 25 minutes, or until evenly brown on all sides.
3. In the meantime, dice onions, carrots, and potatoes. Toss all into a large pot with the butter. "Sweat" the vegetables on medium-low for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently. This will smell divine.
4. Add the cinnamon to the vegetables, and coat nicely. Add the broth to the pot. Turn heat to medium-high and allow to lightly boil, uncovered.
5. When the butternut squash pieces are finished and have cooled a bit, place in a bowl and mash (use a fork or a potato masher). This will be fun.
6. Reduce heat to medium, add the mashed butternut squash to the pot, and cook together for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to mesh.
7. Using an immersion blender (or another blender), puree everything together. Serve while hot.

Enjoy!!

Fall into Food

2011-09-19T23:08:00.000-04:00

Fall is my favorite food season. Give me pumpkins, sweet potatoes, winter squash any day. (Of course, during the summer months, summer happens to be my favorite food season. Just go with it.)

Check out my bounty from the Farmer's Market!

extra large eggs, winter squash, a small pumpkin, sweet potatoes, yellow zucchini, peaches, watermelon, green peppers, honey, chicken breasts, and homemade coconut granola. Quite the market extravaganza! All of this cost $60 (plus two croissants that you cannot see. They were consumed moments after purchase). The most expensive items were the granola, which cost $20, the chicken and eggs totaled $17, and the honey was $12. So, everything else was $11. Kind of a steal. And all delicious.

Fall flavors are so rich and delectable. They make me want to grab my kitten and a snuggie and cuddle the day away. I'm dreaming up soup concoctions, casseroles, and other recipes to share with you!

In the meantime, check out the latest harvest from the backyard homestead:

butternut squash, a late round of cucumbers, parsnips, and tomatoes.

I'm so glad I planted some later-harvest crops! We still have plenty of grapes and raspberries from the berry forest, and I planted some kale, spinach, and peas for a late fall harvest. And more butternut squash.

All of these things are products of the late summer storms! I didn't have to water any of them, except the tomatoes in July. Having these in the raised beds helped with drainage; nothing pooled with water, even at the height of the hurricane storms. I'm a huge fan of raised beds in the garden.

Can't wait to go apple picking soon! Welcome back, fall!

The Speedy Mile

2011-09-12T12:24:00.000-04:00

Let's talk.

On Sunday, I like to run. You know, running mixes it up from the weight training and the Zumba...it's something different.

But sometimes, I don't wanna. We've all been there. It's raining, or the kitten looks extra snuggly, or a cup of hot tea and Don Draper just sound so darn good, and so much better than lacing up sneakers and pounding the pavement.

Want to know how I get the best of both worlds?

The speedy mile.

It's the miracle worker of almost-missed workouts. I rely on my speedy miles.

How does it work? Like prepping for a normal run, you tug on some workout gear, grab the iPod, give a little pep talk in the bathroom mirror, and ready, set, GO! Run (or walk) your fastest for a mile.

I have the perfect mile mapped out in my neighborhood. There's a hill, which keeps it challenging, and it's filled with some long, straight roads and some turns. Makes it interesting!

At the end of the mile, cool off a little, add some walking, some stretching. But, like, 8-11 minutes later, you're done! And you ran/walked a mile. Sweet deal.

The greatest thing about the speedy mile is that it keeps me focused on running and helps me set my pace for longer runs. If I know I can run one mile in 8 minutes, I can push myself to run a sub-25:00 5k (it's just three speedy runs in a row. No biggie.).

Even better, sometimes when I'm out there "just to run a speedy mile" the adrenaline kicks in and, all of a sudden, I've run two miles! And why stop there? Three miles rounds it out for the win.

Not a runner? Neither am I. Then I ran a race. And another race. And another one. Signing up for a race was one of the best things to kick my workout training into gear. I highly recommend signing up for one with a friend, to keep things accountable. After being mostly a solo runner, I've run with friends a few times, and am hooked! If you need a running buddy...

The last time I ran with a friend was with this lady here! We ran 3 miles during her son's football practice and even added two sprint sessions. It was great pushing each other!

Give it a try. The only thing standing between you and motivation to workout could just be a speedy mile. Get moving!

Eat Local Beef

2011-09-07T17:07:00.002-04:00

It's no secret that I'm a huge advocate of eating local foods.

So you can imagine my excitement when I picked up my next round of local, grass-fed beef from Crow Farm this week!

Immediately (okay, the next day...the beef had to thaw!), I made this. delicious. meal.

Local top sirloin steak with a side of buttery broccoli and red peppers.

Can we just put this meal on repeat for the rest of the week? kthanks.

This meal was fun and easy to make. #weeknightdinnerwin Start with some veggies.

Immediately decide that the potatoes are a tad much for this particular meal. Put aside for another day.

My best vegetable combos always start with a tablespoon of raw, local butter and a chopped onion. True story.

We don't have a grill, so all of my summer beef recipes include a cast iron panini pan and butter.

Cast iron pans are awesome. Invest in one, you won't be sorry!

Depending on the thickness of the beef, I'll rub Montreal Steak seasoning on each side, cook it for 3-5 minutes on each side, and then stick in the 400 degree oven for 5-7 minutes to finish. Quick, easy, and it comes out totally juicy.

Juicy.

While I'm not a huge fan of creating rules around food (other than it be tasty and full of nutrients), I'm strict about one thing: sourcing my meat.

Where does it come from? is the first question I'll ask a waiter or waitress at a restaurant. Though lately, I've been choosing to dine in restaurants that prominently display the source of meat on the menu. Even better, I'll cook meals at home using ingredients that I've purchased from local farms.

Why does it matter? For me, there are five reasons I choose local meat.

#1: Knowing the producer
Behind each hamburger, there's a story. And a person. Someone has committed his or her life to feeding other people. Who wouldn't want to meet them? Eating local meat helps connect you to that person; you might even be able to see them each week at at Farmer's Market! It's a chance to build a community.

#2: Knowing the other producer
How is the animal cared for? Are they given antibiotics? What are they fed? How do they spend their time?

#3: Less travel time
Food in grocery stores travels an average of 1,500 miles to your plate. That's huge. Think of all the resources wasted: fossil fuels to power the mode of transportation, the pollution created by the mode of transportation, a person's time to package, drive, and deliver the products, and more.

#4: Better quality
And better taste. Since it has less travel time, and since there's more of a connection from producer to consumer, there's a smaller margin for error in quality. Or, if there is an error, it's easily corrected (no mass recalls needed). But not all meat is created equal -- it's important to discuss diet and lifestyle of the animals with your farmer.

#5: Money stays local
While quality meats have a higher up-front cost, the funds ultimately come back to you. It's a happy cycle: money spent locally will continue to produce local goods.

You > farmer > bank (or mattress) > farm upkeep/community > you

Secretly, I hope a trading system can one day be reinstated so no paper money has to be used! I'll give you tomatoes for those carrots! A girl can dream.

Carrot Craziness

2011-09-01T16:06:00.000-04:00

True story: this is a picture of my kitchen sink after carrot harvesting.

(and see the grapes?? aren't they lovely??)

We grew carrots for the first time this year! I have to say I'm a big fan. I love carrots to begin with, but being able to pull a carrot from my garden, rinse it off, and take a bite of the sweet, sweet goodness was truly a treat.

And boy, were they sweet-tasting. And I'm a little bit in love.

If you're thinking about growing carrots in your garden, do it! They can be planted direct-seed (which I've decided is my favorite way to grow things), and all you need to do is plant, water, thin them (if you don't thin them, they won't grow as much!), and be patient.

Really, the waiting part was the hardest. The pulling them out of the ground part was the most fun.

Yank! They emerge from the ground with very little effort.

I planted just one 8' length row and got more carrots than I could handle!

Okay, not true. I chopped some, sliced some, and made carrot sticks. I knew just what to do!

Some were blanched and frozen for winter soups (they'll be such a treat for December soups!)

and some were made into soup right away. In fact, I had some for lunch today! mmm soup.

(Here's the recipe I followed -- it's my "go to" soup recipe from Nourishing Traditions)

I even planted some more carrot seeds for a fall harvest...stay tuned to see the progress of those guys!

Just for fun...the outtake shots!

Did you plant a garden this year? What was your favorite thing to nurture and watch grow?

Make the sushi

2011-08-31T10:45:00.000-04:00

Confession: I've had sushi twice now this week. Once out with friends, and once at home. That's perfectly normal, right??

At the little house on Pine, it's always sushi time.

{sushi time}

Have you ever tried hand rolling sushi at home? It's so much fun!!

(Check out my "how to" guide for sushi rollin')

I always make too much. But I never hear any complaints!

This time around, I had a couple of almost-ripe avocados, and some leftover boiled eggs (Shane loves having boiled eggs around for post-workout fuel).

Avocado and egg rolls? Sounds like sushi rolls to me!

The rice is the most time consuming part of rolling sushi. It takes about 30 minutes to make from start to finish.

Tip: make sure to rinse your sushi rice before boiling! Place in a pot, and run cold water over the rice, pouring out the water as it rises to a level just beyond the rice line. Keep rinsing until the water is clear in the pot!

Once the rice is ready, and has been properly fluffed with a fork - (don't forget to fluff!), you're ready for some sushi roll action.

Dab your fingers in some rice vinegar, spread your rice, and place the vegetable, meat, whatever on top. Be creative with your filling! The best sushi rolls I've had included apple slices and baked sweet potato.

This is my serious sushi face. Do you like the random okra on the counter? It's decor!

Rolling the nori is my favorite part! Roll it tight!

So. much. sushi.

We have these lovely sushi sets -- the light green pieces were a gift from a fab Philly friend, the darker green pieces were a gift from a special swamp lady, and the tan/blue pieces were handmade by Shane's pottery-makin' Aunt Marsha.

Add a little green tea, and that sounds like a fab meal to me!

How do you take your sushi?

Yard Work

2011-08-29T11:18:00.002-04:00

Live on the east coast? How'd you do with Irene? Fortunately, she didn't hit us as strong as I thought she might, so we never lost power. In fact, it felt more like a scary rain storm than anything. But we were prepared just in case!

Something about the impending hurricane sent me straight for the kitchen...did you see the crab cakes I made?

And let's not forget the batch of cookies and the mini loaves of zucchini bread...

All in the freezer! Except the cookies. They didn't even stand a chance.

Cody was a total pro with the hurricane action!

He only got scared a teeny bit...for the most part, he didn't leave my side.

All he wanted to do was cuddle! Totally fine by me!!

The yard was totally fine. We had some minor debris (twigs, leaves) fall into the yard, but the fruit trees, berry bushes, and vegetables were ok!

Because the weather was beautiful yesterday, we spent the better part of the day in the yard, picking up the hurricane debris, pulling weeds, and...planting!

Just wait until you see what I've added to the boxes for fall harvest!

The hurricane even grew some mushrooms! Aren't they pretty?

With fall looming in the air (did you feel it today? I can smell the faintest traces of pumpkin and apples on the horizon...), we also spent yesterday finishing what we started. Or, well, starting to finish what we started.

Rock wall/vegetable bed!

I'm so excited for this! It helps define the area by the new fence much better, and gives me another space for a raised vegetable garden. I can see cucumbers and grapes growing up the fence...

While Shane dug and placed the foundation layer rocks, I had to move all of the smaller rocks from one area of the yard to another. Talk about a workout!!

They'll move eventually, but for fun, I started outlining the bases of all the fruit trees with rocks. It made the work more interesting...

It's fun placing the rocks...it's kind of like a giant puzzle, just with dirt and crickets and things.

I love working in the yard with Shane...he'll start something, or I'll start something, and the other will just pick up and keep going with it. Talk about synergy! We spend a lot of time talking about the space, and what we'll do with it, and it's neat to see our dreams come to life!

Our goal is to complete the rock wall and fill it in with dirt and compost by the end of September. Wish us luck! Of course, you're more than welcome to come and help...there might just be cookies or zucchini bread waiting for you...

Making Crab Cakes

2011-08-27T13:21:00.000-04:00

Earlier in the week, we unexpectedly received a huge basket of steamed crabs! Not being much of a crab-eater myself (I know, I know, shame on me, I live in Maryland...), I first watched Shane pick them apart and eat them, and became intrigued. It looked kind of...fun.

So, I put my little fingers to work and started pulling apart--but not eating--the crabs. I was pretty darn good at it (so good that Shane couldn't eat everything I picked).

What to do with a pound of picked, steamed lump crab meat?

Make crab cakes.

Having just enjoyed my first crab cake a month ago, I had no clue what I was doing. But it worked out so. well.

Crabs are pretty.

We had the most delightful conversation.

Until I picked him apart. Sorry dude!

Crab pickin' is messy. True story.

The result! One pound of crab meat!

Looking up recipes for crab crakes, I learned quickly that I didn't have many of the ingredients that most of the recipes suggested (don't you hate it when that happens?!). So, I improvised and created my own awesome recipe.

Ingredients: bread crumbs, chives, Tony Chachere's, baking powder, black pepper, and ground mustard.

To pull it all together, I used one beaten egg, and a tablespoon of yogurt! We didn't have mayonnaise...

Adding in the crab meat...

and the seasoning...

Mix, mix, mix

Roll into cakes...

Bake, bake, bake

Flip once...

and done! Golden brown perfection.

The batch made about 10 crab cakes.

I'm hooked! These were delicious!

I'd be happy to share my recipe with anyone who asks...I'm hesitant to post since it's a crazy mish-mosh of ingredients.

(But it worked out really nicely...so ask if you want to know!) Now, if I could only get myself to like football, I'd be a true Marylander ;)

Garden Update (Pre-Hurricane)

2011-08-27T12:51:00.000-04:00

Thinking that the damaging winds and rain from Hurricane Irene might wreak havoc on our garden, we spent the better part of Friday afternoon picking some of the yield!

The August garden is one of my favorites--from the last leg of the summer squash plants, the bright red dots of tomatoes, and the blooming start of the fall-producing crops. It's beautiful.

Take a look!

The early apples we planted a couple of years ago...

These are a melrose variety, and produce larger, tart apples that are oh so delicious!

The last of the zucchini! We pulled one more off the plant, I think it's the last.

The wild, overgrown tomato box!

Though I can't enjoy them as much as I have before, they're still precious!

Sharing the tomato box, carrots!

Aren't they lovely? It's my first time growing carrots from seed!

They're so. much. fun. to tug from the ground.

Um, so...check out my butternut squash box!

I really hope they make it through all the rain!!

Then there's the pumpkin patch...

I have about 6 of these already!

Grapes!

These are the sweetest, juiciest grapes I've ever eaten. Ever.

There is nothing seksier than a man picking grapes. Take note, boys!

Overflowing grape goodness!

Our lone pomegranate. Hold on this weekend!

Raspberries have come back to life!

I picked enough for two smoothies!

We pulled all our pears, too...stay tuned to see what these will become!

I love our garden!!