Famers Market Jackpot

On our drive back down from Canada… from the recent wedding we went to in Orangeville, Mike and I stopped off at this great little farmers market in Pennsylvania. It was a smorgashborge of raw foods…and we were really in the mood to get all the raw foods possible. During the wedding, a man dropped dead of a massive heart attack. All the guests and wedding party was there watching as medical professionals from the crowd started delivering CPR to no avail. It was a wake up call and a shock to everyone there.!

So, we decided to make a change in our lives… and we went crazy at the market buying up tomatoes, english pickles, peppers, butternut squash, onions, sweet potatoes, yellow beans, etc. And once we  arrived home, we  started making these wonderful meals. At the wedding they served a roasted butternut squash soap, that I tried to emulate. It was great!!!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2tbls extra virgin olive oil

1/2cup diced onions

1/4cup diced celery

1/4cup diced carrots

1 cinnamon stick

sea salt

4cups vegetable stock

1/2tsp coriander

1-1/2 cups roasted winter squash(put in oven to roast for 1-2 hours at 250 degrees)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, celery, carrot and cinnamon stick and saute until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Add the vegetable stock and the coriander, and bring to boil. Simmer for several minutes. Stir in squash until smooth, then simmer gently to let the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.

Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. The soup can be made ahead of time, cooled, covered and refrigerated for several days. It will thicken as it cools and may need thinning with stock or water when reheating.

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Wednesday Weakness

I hit the Pilates Studio Wednesday morning…. feeling the pain from the morning before. Boy, Cyndi our instructor really gave us(me) a leg workout Tuesday. I think it was a combination of not doing Pilates from Friday to Monday and also putting a little more attention on the legs Tuesday. It really made climbing the stairs this week a bit more difficult.

But anyway, I got home from the Jump Board 45minute workout and started fixing my Breakfast  of 1Tsp of Barley Max Powder with 4-8oz of Distilled Water.

Then I mixed my Mid Morning 8oz Juice of Carrot, Celery, Spinach. I’ve become partial to this mix of vegetables.. and when I have the fresh Parsley I will add it too!!

30 minutes before Lunch I mixed 1Tsp of Barley Max Powder with 4-8oz of Distilled Water.

And prepared something I picked up from my girlfriend on my trip to New York. She made me a sandwich with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Red Onions one afternoon and it tasted so good, I recreated the meal.

Vegetable Sandwich on Whole Wheat:

Ingredients:

1Cucumber

1Tomato

1/2Red Onion

2-4 Slices of Whole Grain Wheat Bread

Directions: Wash and slice cucumbers, red onions and tomatoes. Slice Bread and layer ingredients and top with slice of bread.

I was feeling  a little rushed and knew I picked up a Bolthouse Farms Juice at the market the other day and decided to implement that in my day. So, for my Mid Afternoon 8oz Juice I used the Bolthouse Farms Vedge Juice which is 10 different vegetables mixed together. It kinda tastes like a V8 cocktail mix.

30minutes before dinner I mixed 1Tsp of Barley Max Powder with 4-8oz of Distilled Water. And afterwards I started on my meal. I decided to keep it light for dinner with a Loaded Cucumber & Tomato Salad:

Ingredients:

3Cucumbers

1/2Red Onion

1Yellow Bell Pepper

1Tomato

Corriander

Parsley

Paprika

Dried Onion Flakes

Garlic Powder

2Tbps Olive Oil

Directions: Wash, peel  and chop vegetables. Mix into bowl and add olive oil and season to taste.

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Great End to Day 1

I ended up making a Vegetable Soup Stock because that’s what this evenings Gazpacho Soup called for. So dinner got pushed back 45 minutes, while the Stock cooked up.

Vegetable Soup Stock:

Ingredients:

8-10 Cups Distilled Water

2 Onions, Cubed

3 Cloves of Garlic

2 Carrots

4 Celery Stalk

2 Potatoes with Skin

2 Cups Cauliflower Pieces

2Cups Broccoli Pieces

1/2Cup Parsley

1Bay Leaf

1Tsp Thyme

1Tsp Basil/Mint

Directions: Chop all vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Place in stock pot and add seasonings. Steam saute until slightly tender. Cover with distilled water , bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. Cool and strain twice. Stock will keep in refrigerator for a week and can be frozen too to be used in soups and stews.

Gazpacho Soup

Then I was free to complete the Gazpacho Soup:

Ingredients:

 3Cups Tomatoes

2Cups Cucumber, Peeled

2 Stalks Celery, Diced

1/2Green Bell Pepper, Seeded and Diced

1Red Bell Pepper, Seeded and Diced

3Green Onions or 2Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes

2Tbs Olive Oil

2Tbs Lemon Juice

1/2Tsp Celtic Salt

1tsp dried onion flakes

1tsp parsley

1tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

1tsp thyme

Directions: Place half of tomatoes and 1/4cup soup stock into blender and puree. Pour into a container and add other vegetables and olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings. Cover and refrigerate before serving… served cold.

While I was waiting on the Vegetable Soup Stock and the Gazpacho Soup to be made, I worked on the Hallelujah Acres Vegetable Salad:

Hallelujah Acres Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

Small Broccoli Florets

Small Cauliflower Florets

Finely Diced Celery

Finely Chopped Sweet Onion or Scallions

Finely Diced  Red or Yellow Bell Peppers

Peel and Chop Avocado

Top with Grated Carrots

Squeezed Lemon Juice

Seasonings

Directions: Wash Green Leaf Lettuce and Spinach Lettuce and add Vegetable Ingredients along with dressing and serve.

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Lunch on the Lake

I woke up and went for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. It usually takes me about an hour or 45 minutes… depending on how fast I go. And I think length wise it’s about a 2 mile walk.

THEN…. Mike and I were set to go to the Farmers Market down in Flagler Beach. It’s about a 15 minute drive from the house to the Beach Market… and on our way down I decided to detour over to the Starbucks.

I know! I know!.. I had a craving that came over me and I indulged it. I had a Tall Iced Mocha with Soy Milk… boy did it taste good.!

Farmers Market Veggies

Then we headed over to the beach and picked up some vegetables. I love coming home after the farmers market, because I fill up the basket in front of the kitchen sink on the counter with all the goodies and there are so many rich, bright colors to look at. I love that!!!!

This afternoon, Mike prepared a mid day feast for us. He made his famous Grilled Potatoes & Onions dish and then he tried a new recipe he got from his friend in California.

It’s a Tomato, Cucumber & Onion Salad. And then we set the table on the patio and sat outside with a beautiful view of the lake behind the house. I sat across from Mike facing the ocean and saw a light blue calm ocean through the houses on beachside.  

 

Tomato, Cucumber & Onion Salad:

Tomato, Cucumber & Onion

Ingredients:

2 Tomatoes

8 Little Cucumbers

1/2Red Onion

4 Mint Leaves

2Tbls. Olive Oil

1 Lime Juiced

1/2 Lemon Juiced

Directions:  Wash and chop Tomatoes and Cucumbers and mix into bowl. Add the Olive Oil and chopped Mint Leaves and squeeze lemon and lime juices into salad and mix well.

Grilled Potatoes & Onions

Grilled Potatoes & Onions:

Ingredients:

4 Potatoes

2 Sweet Potatoes

1 Onion

Olive Oil

Paprika

Directions: Peel and cut potatoes and onions. Mix into pan and add Olive Oil and Paprika and girll on high heat for 20 minutes or until onions are translucent and potatoes are soft.

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Planting Seeds of Spring!!

Mike's Minestrone Soup

The forecast for Saturday was so gorgeous; we decided to do some replanting of the plants that were killed in the winter freeze. Calm, 75, and Sunny, that was the beautiful day we were working with. I dressed in my sweat suit and by the afternoon I was getting hot as I repotted plants and did some heavy lifting of those big pots, moving them back in the house from gardening central.

We stopped for lunch which was Mike’s Minestrone Soup. 

Then we went back out to finish up the work. Mike went to the store to buys some more little plants for his project, and while he was out he stopped at the local bike shop where he saw a deal on two used bikes. Well, he had before 5pm to make his decision. So he came home and told me about it.

As I was wrapping up the gardening, Mike had made me an Orange, Pineapple Smoothie. After I had a chance to relax a bit, we headed down to the bike shop to take a look at these bikes. I thought this would be great to get some biking into my exercise mix. But when we got there, the bike was not what I was looking for. I wanted a Beach Cruiser bike to take leisurely bike rides through the neighborhood. So Mike bought his bike and we went looking elsewhere for a beach cruiser for me. After checking out a couple more bike shops, we hit Sears where we found a beach cruiser for me. We’re picking it up wednesday! !!!

BrochetteFresh Vegetable Salad

Hard Days Work… No Food!

Banana Split

Mike and I got an early start Friday… so we stopped at  a local breakfast place so Mike could have a breakfast. I ordered a Strawberry Smoothie and had a Croisant. And Mike ordered this OH SO SWEET Apple Straudel Crepe. I had 3-4 bites of it myself and was just glad I walked hours before.

Apple Straudel Crepes

Amazingly enough… I forgot to eat lunch and so did Mike. So after I scheduled my last meeting for the day, Mike and I headed up to St. Augustine around 4:30pm for dinner. We decided on Carrabba’s Restaurant for an early dinner and drinks.

Mediterranean Salad

I had the Mediterranean Salad with no Cheese and Oil and Vinegar Dressing and then I ordered the Penne Franco with no Cheese. 

Penne Franco

This is a great dish of White Pasta, Roasted Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and some other seasonings. I was feeling generous and shared my pasta with Mike. While we were at the restaurant, it was happy hour, so I indulged in two Carafes’ of White Wine.

White Wine Caraffe

The meal was sooo good, I was hungry for more.  But I have to remind myself not to go all day without eating food. My juices can only do so much, and going without a meal makes me hungrier.

And being so hungry, I wanted more food some Ice Cream.

A banana split to be exact.! We drove by an Ice Cream shop and Mike and I both agreed to go home where he was going to make me a banana split.

It sure did taste good going down, but later it was like bombs and grenades going off in my stomach. And it went through the night and into the next morning. ICE CREAM IS NOT MY FRIEND AND I NEED TO REALIZE IT AND STOP EATING IT.  In addition to the Ice Cream I’m eating, I’ve noticed I’ve taken to eating more white bread! Things need to change if I’m going to succeed in meeting my goals.

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Wicked Wedding Weekend

I juiced and filled my two mugs for the road… and I also packed a quick leftover meal from Moby Dicks’ to eat while we drive to Philadelphia.  I’m glad I did, because my Veggie Wrap was the most I ate… next to all the Bombay Sapphire and Tonics I inhaled.

I actually had 3 cocktails throughout the pre-wedding night. And I felt I should indulge, because I looked good in my new dress.

I especially looked good walking through the Buffet Line and taking little to nothing. I kept real close to my raw eating plan. There were some fried foods on the line and cheeses, but I didn’t indulge. I ate the fresh Veggies on the line, I had some Tortilla Chips, and some stuffed crab stuffed mushrooms.

In addition to the alcohol I drank during the night, at the hotel, I ate two cupcakes. I didn’t eat enough good food, so I got really hungry and indulged.:(

Sunday, we got up to attend the mid morning wedding and brunch that followed. This was the day I got a whole bunch of good raw foods inside of me. After the lovely wedding we snacked on a buffet of fresh carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli and salsas. I had a plate full of some of the different salsas with crackers and the veggies. I thought that was going to be the brunch, but the staff had us eating that while they prepared the brunch buffet.

It was a typical breakfast brunch with grapes, and pineapples. I made myself a bagel and locks with butter, onions, capers and tomatoes. It was delicious!!!! And of course I had a piece of wedding cake, which was, Carrot Cake.

For dinner that night, I made some crab cakes with carrots, celery and seasonings for Mike and his sun. And for me I roasted some Asparagus in Olive Oil with chopped Onions, Cumin, and Paprika. I scooped out a little Hummus and dipped it with some Whole Wheat Bread. Then I ate the remaining pieces of Carrot Cake Wedding Cake I snuck out of Philadelphia.

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Pilates, Drinking and Juicing!!!

I think there has been a turning point for me this week….in the way I am approaching food.  In the last couple of months, I’ve been struggling with my eating, how much I’m eating, what I’m eating and how it’s affecting my body and weight. So I think I’ve been able to muster some self-control.

One thing that’s really been a great help… is the Pilates. Regularly, I’m attending classes in the morning and it’s definitely making a difference. I’ve noticed more definition in my arms, legs, and even in my stomach. Which is great, because I have a wedding to go to this weekend and that’s going to make a difference.

Today (Friday), as I’ve been doing since we’ve been here in Potomac, M.D., I juiced some carrot, celery, apple and this time through in some Spinach. I read yesterday, that you get a lot of protein from Spinach and thought I was neglecting the green leafy food, so I threw it in the mix.

I was dropped off at the mall, while Mike had some meetings. While I was there, I got really hungry and Mike didn’t pick me up until after 3pm.

So, my defenses were compromised and I ordered a Starbucks Grande Cinnamon Dolce Frapuccino.   The only saving grace for that miscalculation was Mike drank half of it!!!

 Then since neither one of us had lunch; we stopped into P.F. Changes for a late lunch/early dinner. I had two Spring Rolls, Buddha Rice Bowl with Brown Rice and a Glass of Riesling.

NO ICE CREAM FOR DESSERT ALL WEEK!!!

Infact, I’ve been having some pretty healthy and substantial meals while eating out this week. Last night we went to Olive Garden and I had the Minestrone Soup and Salad.

 I did devour one Bread Stick and drank a Glass of White Wine. Then we went to a place called Moby Dick where I had a great tasting Veggie Wrap with Mushrooms, Alfalfa Sprouts, Onions, and Tomatoes on White Flat Bread.

Then we went to a Restaurant called Wildfire in the Tyson’s Mall for drinks, which turned into dinner. I did order 2 Glasses of White Wine and a Greek Salad after which I had some of Mike’s Cod Fish, Baked Potato and Asparagus.

I HAVE NOTICED I’VE BEEN INDULGING IN WHITE WINE MORE THESE DAYS!!!!

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Back to Pilates… and Baking Cakes

First thing Saturday morning, I got up to hit the Pilates Studio for an hour of core strength training. Plus I needed to work off the Blizzard I had the day before while we were on the road. But that Blizzard is nothing compared to what I managed to whip up later today.

We managed to bring all the vegetables, lettuce, and fruits from Florida to Maryland so nothing spoiled.  And from there, for lunch I made a great Vegetable Salad with an Oil and Vinegar Dressing.

Vegetable Salad w/Oil & Vinegar Dressing

Vegetable Salad:

Ingredients:

1Red Bell Pepper

1Orange Bell Pepper

1/2Can of Chick Peas

5Small Cucumbers

2Tomatoes

1/4Red Onion

2Tbls Olive Oil

2Tbls White Wine Vinegar

1/4Tsp Coriander, Paprika, Crushed Pepper, Sea Salt

Directions: 

Wash, Peel and Chop up Peppers, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Red Onions in a bowl. Open can of Chick Peas, drain and add half of can to the bowl. Add Oil, Vinegar and Seasonings and mix.

I noticed some of the food I packed to bring to Maryland, there was a bag of Pearled Barley. So I cracked open my cookbook and looked up a recipe to make with Barley. I found the Barley Vegetable Soup and decided to make it, because again we hit Maryland just in time for it to snow on our parade. But I didn’t have all the ingredients it called for, so I improvised and mixed up something better!!!

Barley Vegetable Soup-Improvised

Barley Vegetable Soup:

Ingredients:

8Cups Vegetable Soup Stock or Water

2Stalks Celery

1Cup Green Beans or Mushrooms

1CupBarley, Uncooked

2Tbps. Parsley

1/2 Tsp. Marjoram or Coriander

1Cup Onions

2Parsnips or Turnips

1Cup Whole Peas

1Cup Carrots or Extra Celery

1Tsp. Sea Salt

1/2Tsp. Thyme

1/2Tsp. Cumin

1/2Tsp.  Garlic

Directions:

Chop Onions, dice carrots, celery, parsnips or turnips, slice mushrooms. Place in pot with small amount of water or soup stock and steam for about 10 minutes. Add the remainder of the water or soup stock and bring to a boil, add barley and allow coming back to a boil. Cover and turn down to low for about 45 minutes.  Add peas and mushrooms and all seasonings except parsley and continue cooking another 40 minutes. Mix in parsley just prior to serving.

Chocolate Cake w/Peanut Butter Frosting

While I was making that, Mike’s son wanted to make a cake. So I found a Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake Mix box and started adding the ingredients together: 3 Eggs, 1Cup Oil, and 1/2Cup Water. I had Mike’s son mix it together while I prepared the pan and 12 Ice Cream Cones to put the Cake batter into. We had some fun putting the batter into the Cones (we made a bit of a mess) but then got everything into the 350 degree preheated oven to bake for 25 minutes.   

Chocolate Cones w/Peanut Butter Frosting

We didn’t have any frosting, so Mike’s son looked up on U-Tube how to make a frosting. He settled on a Peanut Butter Glaze Frosting. He added 1Cup Peanut Butter, 1Stick Butter, 1/4Cup Milk and mixed it together for the Glaze. We poured it on the Chocolate Cake, the Chocolate Cake Cones, and I did a little decorating on them, because he just had a birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Vegetable Salad w/Oil & Vinegar Dressing

So for dinner, we had the left over Vegetable Salad, Barley Vegetable Soup and I managed to polish off 2 of the Chocolate Cake Cones.

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A Little Minestrone Soup Anyone?

 I was feeling a little inventive Tuesday afternoon. I took the day to watch old movies on TCM… it’s a hobby I don’t get to do very often. After having a late lunch of Green Salad with Oil&Vinegar Dressing, I decided to make a soup to use up some of the vegetables we had in the refrigerator. We’re going to be going back up to Washington D.C. area again this week.

So I consulted with my cookbook “Recipes for Life” and decided to make a Minestrone Soup with some extra veggies (cauliflower). So I literally threw this soup together and warmed up a loaf of Whole Wheat Bread and we were ready to sit down for dinner.

 

My Minestrone Soup W/Spinach Noodles

My Minestrone Soup:

Ingredients:

8Cups Distilled Water

1Cup White Beans

1/2 Spinach Pasta

2Tbls Olive Oil

1Onion, Chopped

2Cloves Garlic, Chopped

2Medium Carrots, Chopped

2Stalks Celery, Chopped

2Potatoes, Peeled & Cubed

4Tomatoes, Cubed

1Small Zucchini, Cubed

1/2Green Beans, Sliced

1Cup Cauliflower

1Tbls Dried Basil

1Clove Garlic, Whole

1Tbls Oregano

1Tbls Thyme

Directions:

Rinse and soak White Beans according to the package instructions. Discard water and add fresh water. Cook according to package instructions, omitting salt and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package instructions, omitting salt, drain and set aside.

Heat Olive Oil in a large, heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add Onion, Garlic, Carrots and Celery. Sauté until Onion is translucent. Add Potatoes, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Green Beans, Cauliflower, and water. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add White Beans and Pasta. Add more water if soup is too thick. 

In a blender process Basil, one whole clove of Garlic and 1Cup of Soup from the pot until smooth. Return this mixture to the soup. Mix well and serve hot.  

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