Thursday, July 29, 2010

Lunch Instead of a Workout

Yesterday, I had planned to work out during lunch. However, as lunch time approached, I really wanted to meet hubby and the toddler for lunch instead. So I made the decision to forgo my workout and meet them for lunch. And we had a great time! I hadn’t had a rest day for almost a week, so I didn’t feel guilty… :) And I knew I would work out first thing today. (And I did!)

The toddler insists on sitting on a “regular chair” these days, without a booster seat. That’s why you can barely see him… :)



Hubby and the toddler shared a Shirley Temple. The toddler loved the cherries! :) We usually only get water, so this was a very special treat... :) 




The toddler made sure he got enough carbs by eating bread and his pizza…



Hubby got a burger and onion rings. I had a few bites… :)



And I got the Salad Nicoise, which I loved! 


We had a great lunch and really enjoyed our time together.

Question: Do you take enough rest days? I used to not take enough rest days and used to be VERY determined to not miss workouts. And, maybe, when I first got back into a regular exercise routine that was a good thing. However, since I’ve relaxed a bit when it comes to working out, I feel much better emotionally and physically. And my weak ankle really appreciates the rest…

Be well,
Andrea

Monday, July 26, 2010

July Date Night

It’s been a while since hubby and I got to go on a date, so we were very excited when the toddler went to movie night on Saturday, and we got a few hours to ourselves. We met up with some friends and shared some appetizers. It was a fun and tasty night…


Sino Date Night 02

Sino Date Night 03
Sino Date Night 04
Sino Date Night 05
Sino Date Night 06
Sino Date Night 08

Sino Date Night 07

Question: What was the last memorable dish you ate? I really enjoyed the mushroom dumplings and the sea bass. The dumplings had a delicate mushroom flavor and were seasoned perfectly. And the sea bass was light and flaky and in hubby’s words “the least fishy fish I have ever tasted.”

Be well,
Andrea

Friday, July 23, 2010

CSA To The Rescue

Well, as I mentioned before, it’s time to eat a bit healthier again. I have focused on fresh fruits and veggies and healthy proteins over the last few days.

Yesterday’s lunch was Romaine lettuce and arugula with tomatoes, avocado and wild salmon.

CSA Rescue 02

And today we got our CSA delivery:

CSA Rescue 01
  • Melon
  • Avocado
  • Plums
  • Nectarines
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Tomatoes
  • Corn
  • Radishes
  • Leaf Lettuce
  • Cucumber
  • Onion
Today’s dinner will incorporate many of the veggies in our CSA box. We’ll have corn, a salad with leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, and avocado, and some organic sausages we picked up at the Farmers’ Market (actually, I think the sausages will be only for the guys…).

Question: What are you having for dinner? What are your plans for the weekend?
 
Be well,
Andrea

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Time To “Party” A Bit Less…

I love summer. I love everything about it: the weather, the longer days, the fresh fruits and veggies, swimming, being outside… Plus, during the summer I usually get to teach more “fun classes.” And even when I teach “serious classes,” somehow they are more enjoyable during the summer (even though we cover a lot of material in a short period of time.)

So yes, the past few weeks have been truly enjoyable, especially since we got to get away twice. It almost felt like one continuous party (with the quite frequent glass of wine or beer to “celebrate”). I have been “relaxing” a lot when it comes to food and exercise. There have been quite a few “missed workouts” and plenty of “little extra treats.” Nothing shocking or extreme, but the unusual inactivity and extra calories could not go unnoticed forever… So in the next few weeks, I’ll try to enjoy life more by exercising more consistently and eating more fruits and veggies!

Speaking of food, here are some food photos from our Lake Tahoe trip. We only ate out a few times and prepared most of our meals in the condo that we rented. We didn’t take photos of most of the food, but here are the ones we took. Everything was delicious… :) And, yes, I also relaxed a bit when it came to the toddler’s food; he got to experience some “kid’s foods” he usually doesn’t get to eat…

LT Food 01
LT Food 02
LT Food 03
LT Food 04
LT Food 05
LT Food 09
LT Food 08
LT Food 07
LT Food 06

Questions: Are you enjoying your summer? Are you doing anything too much or too little? Yes, I am enjoying my summer a lot! And, as I said above, I’ve been enjoying food a bit too much and exercising not quite enough… But I’m working on it… :)

Be well,
Andrea

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Do You Know Where We Are?

This year we decided to take two mini vacations, rather than one "long" vacation. So after our 4-day trip to Santa Barbara and San Diego, we got in the car again. Do you know where we are?









Okay, so do you know where we are? If you need a hint, we also vacationed here last July

Question: What are your weekend plans? I'll be swimming in a lake... :) 

Be well,
Andrea

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

New Kitchen Toy

I don’t own a lot of kitchen tools, gadgets, and appliances – mainly because my kitchen just isn’t very big. Plus, experience has taught me that oftentimes a gadget seems much more useful in the store than it actually ends up being in your own home… So over the years I have learned to admire beautiful espresso makers, shiny mixers, and sharp mandolins in the exclusive home goods stores I like to stroll through on date night (yes, hubby is lucky!), but I’ve learned to leave them there (yes, it sometimes takes a lot of willpower!).
However, one item has been on my wish list for a long time: a spiralizer. And a few weeks ago, I finally fulfilled my wish and ordered one on Amazon. It arrived a while ago, but it didn’t make it out of its box until yesterday since I wanted to make something “special.” That is, I wanted to be prepared and create a “masterpiece" with it. However, in the end, I decided to just stick to something simple… Simple, yet good.
Here is my new toy in its box.
 

I decided to “attack” some zucchini with it. (I only spiralized three of them.)
 

I tried out all three blades.



 
 

The last one – the “spaghetti shape” – is my favorite one.

And here is my plate of zucchini “pasta.”



Well, I already told you that I kept things simple. Instead of getting creative, I simply dressed the “pasta” with some of TJ’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette.



I really enjoyed this dish. Very fresh, quick, and simple.



And clean up was quick and easy, too! I’m really glad I finally used my new toy. Can’t wait to experiment more with it. I may even get creative…

Questions: What’s your favorite kitchen tool, gadget or appliance? What’s on your wish list? What’s the last tool/gadget/appliance that you bought or received as a gift? How do you like it?
 
Be well,
Andrea

Friday, July 9, 2010

“Letting Go” While on Vacation (But Not Too Much)

Vacations can be challenging. First, there are often many (unrealistic) expectations. Then there are challenges such as where to eat, what to eat, finding places to exercise – the list can be long. But instead of focusing on the “challenges,” this year I decided to “let go” a bit and enjoy life (without going overboard).
Here are some things I learned during our recent trip to San Diego:
  • It’s okay to not exercise for a week. Walking, swimming, and chasing after the toddler kept me moving enough. In fact, the break from exercising allowed my body to recover, and I enjoy my workouts a lot more again. Yes, there were moments of guilt, but I was able to let go – it felt good!
  • Drinking a glass of champagne with lunch feels really nice! :) And the beer and some wine weren’t bad either… Spread throughout the vacation; not all during the lunch! :)
  • It’s not “all or nothing.” Pairing a small portion of pretty much anything with a plain salad (dressed with lemon juice if nothing else is available; in fact, I carried a lemon in my purse!) left me feeling satisfied yet “good” for most meals.
  • Most restaurant breakfasts aren’t worth it. I still can’t figure out how it’s possible to mess up oatmeal so badly… And hubby’s breakfasts were too “beige” – neither visually appealing nor tasty…
  • Bring plenty of water, fruits, and healthy snacks. They “saved” us on numerous occasions!
  • Be flexible – sometimes “perfect” doesn’t happen. Just create a “new perfect.”
Question: What are your favorite tips for enjoying life while on vacation?
 
Be well,
Andrea

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Spontaneous Summer Getaway

Sorry for having been absent for a while… After finishing up quite a bit of work at the end of the quarter, we decided to take a short, spontaneous vacation and visited my brother-in-law in San Diego for a few days. We also stopped in Santa Barbara on the way. Here are a few photos of some of the fun…

San Diego July 10 069 San Diego July 10 148
San Diego July 10 145 San Diego July 10 138 San Diego July 10 132 San Diego July 10 162
San Diego July 10 233 San Diego July 10 242

San Diego July 10 303 San Diego July 10 344
San Diego July 10 378 San Diego July 10 387

San Diego July 10 408 San Diego July 10 419
San Diego July 10 491 San Diego July 10 533
San Diego July 10 561 San Diego July 10 573
San Diego July 10 599 San Diego July 10 617
San Diego July 10 623 San Diego July 10 644

I can’t wait to catch up on blogs and find out what everyone has been up to. In the meantime, what’s your favorite summer memory so far? What’s your favorite food right now? My favorite memory so far is swimming every day in San Diego, and I love cherries right now…

Be well,
Andrea