tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19414140064134048782024-03-04T23:07:02.394-08:00Looking ForwardGinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-9547838350478062042010-08-06T12:28:00.000-07:002010-08-06T12:45:45.288-07:00Summer SaladMy favorite summer salad includes 3 simple ingredients:<br /><br />Spinach<br />Strawberries<br />Creamy poppyseed dressing<br /><br /><a style="CLEAR: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em" href="http://goo.gl/photos/8YBN" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjuLX4PztFFXFFCYbnY0fhrMuf80s7Bjpc677pjSSMf2ILEuJJOL-5HdzzCep2P5S45uk2MrY_JfS2AVONfZk42DFuwXW0pMqhuQXvNVZ9Xix7iDa5sG6c8ynQY3I1abAWE0IT7zfHJc/s512/IMAG0010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now, there are many variations of this salad. I've added walnuts, almonds, pecans, goat cheese, tortellini with tomatoes, etc. But, I keep coming back to this amazing combination. It's so light, fresh and delicious. It's the perfect side salad to a soup/salad or sandwich/salad combo. Today I had this along side a half ham and cheddar sandwich with dijon and lettus...grilled on the foreman. I inhaled it too quickly to snap a photo;)<br /><a style="CLEAR: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em" href="http://goo.gl/photos/Qa4i" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9EMwFAb7ZGU7DzPIa5doimXQdSg0uPdzEz24KPLfQrCOVGNdLow8acbp0Kct4BMNk_DZqxdiJfgyEUZun9Q2KQbjjVfejX3MRSCVXjzsDCBACbTBd48l-rArTsURpEikGdnDLdyY9Mc/s512/IMAG0009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday was a gorgeous day in Seattle, so I took my lunch down to the lake to eat and relax for a few. I was the only person there for about 15 minutes and it was so nice to enjoy my surroundings in peace. I took some photos on my phone of the cute little park.<br /><br /><a style="CLEAR: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em" href="http://goo.gl/photos/T31J" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZezcNCeyCVJBDocZ_RdBsB9XXHYn8HY6mEmeKGiap6Ga6IOs6qSj0NqImIF7GQroNDd8QsWmXKHFWWOz8pRgGcYgLfgugEeEbIdV0dNCvlub-Jfxt42dOdO6zeU1P1gsnRreo0zQHL3I/s512/IMAG0001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="CLEAR: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em" href="http://goo.gl/photos/4xcR" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNm8E9mLzGKCvx3eG3ortUHvtnwA5aWYT4k28osL2vNNSFqK7yBMnYKjp-V8Y2INUU7Ddzhfoeb5bKh5Fz5kHYIknY2UifrhiPix6kAMfj828hVAKSUsKZl3gkmfCPSljVy-FIzEE5bM/s512/IMAG0002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="CLEAR: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em" href="http://goo.gl/photos/VuVM" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPzl5zoLvpUE8Zgs7_woTyvyqmla7Ehxzh5Uaw4CZAotZyIVR507FBcPoO7gDhdMeW8VGHXrhll8aKO_7m-aCMW0YBDP-A4cOQpuVGfQZlhFMTyWliw-oo2p6X-ti1EMZ1Uz_dIP8Olo/s512/IMAG0004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="CLEAR: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em" href="http://goo.gl/photos/AnLC" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2OOH4E0g-u9QxR6kIrmNAcQZ1kmCtmaq1MC5kJ89QWSsfWylJeMcOGxXMQAKfcmYLsEbZ9AGIjHQhXE6atavCTFxtHYG9jZ7_04avF83lgrCBmwUWIrCOR-Li97w-iH6MkrdwYJDz4L8/s512/IMAG0003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I brought some left-over roasted veggies, a whole wheat wrap and the last of a container of garlic hummus. I couldn't fit all the veggies in my wrap, so I ate the rest of them in the waning hummus container...kind of like oats in a jar!! It was delicious, but I was a bottomless pit yesterday and nothing seemed to fill me up. I've noticed that the day after a hard work-out leaves me with endless amounts of hunger. I'm not sure what combinations to eat to tame the hungry monster...any suggestions?<br /><a style="CLEAR: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em" href="http://goo.gl/photos/7ug6" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWokmWQnEz2udL7pECXbOZ7JsmmaZB3OPyntRIcEFNVvvZ4gwRwrIebhE_fvSmU4ZqAN8RLOmuknkKiAg2JTKQakeZnnMlobG3XaCa9zIeBZh4l9t5PiqOlv3efUdvYx2qO2eZ1gX9tI/s512/IMAG0007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Do you ever feel super hungry the day following a tough workout? Do you keep feeding the monster or try and appetite suppressants like coffee or tea?</strong> I feel like my body needs it, but at the same time, I don't want to over-eat.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-43334253396322421542010-07-26T13:14:00.000-07:002010-07-26T13:44:09.190-07:00Bite of SeattleI took my friend that was visiting 2 weekends ago to the Bite of Seattle foodie festival for lunch. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon and we walked through the grounds admiring all the choices. We decided on purchasing a $10 ticket for The Alley sponsored by Tom Douglas where 95% of proceeds benefited Food Lifeline, a local hunger relief organization in Western Washington. <div><div><div><div></div><br /><div>The menu was stellar as seven local restaurants showcased a bite of their delicious food. Here is my plate of goodness:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498312015012579218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv1gUzCrnku6AKdNzrXlpuej_Cn4ICWOtM-XEXpH3wgzr8r5Re5BZJiBwwg9xoGeRgVM8zWLglcVVQU_V8eGOIeCvxnu5LOAmZGQe67GE0veybM-CGVgu8bcnQJYlMmD6yzpLFD7YWYA/s400/Picture+060.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>The menu included:</div><div> </div><div>Etta's - Rub with Love salmon with cucumber slaw. </div><div>Purple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Café</span> - Gorgonzola stuffed dates with pine nuts. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498315645632279154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhamgmbZ0bejLqGEwPV5PwoY352AZXbJUY9Yt7S0scQfTqN8gdu8mc610zcsS7ntbJLCTyQEKQOYIj2awLp9qLKYEBTZhW8RGkBxWEzCeyN9-nQeun7lDCzrOQK7u_I9tE69jMvk-GMWY/s400/Picture+054.jpg" border="0" />Al <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Boccalino</span>, Seattle’s Little Italy - A cold soup with oven toasted beets, balsamic vinegar, orange juice scented with thyme. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498315633896024130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglXAjB6R_8jV0JMRWBwsJiiwvMr5qh3-iwkgPdjrf5SkfTF6lSOBX93b9j6zLuyumEZWb2fiZPzxmeRCB82H1IMb8KOrxu3-IsH__EaE3eZ5f4_blH_ti-JnfhoKEGsci894_IQ-nsz8/s400/Picture+055.jpg" border="0" />John Howie Steakhouse - Sliced <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">filet</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mignon</span> (I didn't get the description on this one, but it was fabulous!) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498315632809381298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaj5Qn5r0iYPc_XXwQMJmDvsaeViPOOSg36evPr33OozsBXEHlw3eNRGYOjxq41fs_4uZFFVk1SXNnc0MBR3OoGiSC79z4IMB9Z3O3TUGCjORnEWjF-bXQll7LngSSV48HPpo5w53GfA/s400/Picture+056.jpg" border="0" />Roxy’s Diner - Hot pastrami on rye with mustard. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498312030887338866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYufCtWsR_aY_mqAYToVd-x8Q57XQrabwHyBUExv8IVxn5hfnBXkEkSKMEQT4i-cO5pWsnHtlyvDCkYGdV751Ylbqma9YOnO4qJOh3mi5jke2SV7Nl0ORKghgxYqpziCe-d8IJs8u8VA/s400/Picture+059.jpg" border="0" />BARRIO - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Achiote</span> rubbed prawns with spicy red <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">sangrita</span>. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498315621650803442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Rpk0Ab0mnAI2Z5UlejonjujQfyHiFtu6P1gWxCrfLtBYf-bJRZeVGYfPqojIcUnC38W68Gsamv_xigLigVJlXspngRVua9s_87tVpolJfuq7QXxNuYstBE1Om_ISnz-EdnsP8xn8ZJ4/s400/Picture+057.jpg" border="0" />Sand Point Grill - Peach Shortcake - Washington peaches, gluten-free nutmeg cake, honey yogurt whip and tart berry syrup.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498312035324411410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJsbbW3l_7_l961SumncPsslaQHdqSTN_jwupuKkabMsogoaLjpNXecbHC1V0rPA3eewbxneeGycJBwTTNiXGgDaKs2GTA3DE5wWeNpY5z1gS1TVEPvenyEuafAdiiDE6JVxtgK9oewo/s400/Picture+058.jpg" border="0" /> I couldn't believe how much food we got for $10...I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">definitely</span> did not expect it! They had this going on all weekend and I may have had dreams about that salmon and pastrami sandwich! I thought about going back, but the crowd was pretty intense! As we <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">meandered</span> the rows of vendors, we each picked up a mango lemonade...YUM! I also got a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">nutella</span> crepe and it was just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">meh</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ok</span>...</div><div> </div><div>I was glad that I did not get the strawberry shortcake like this lady below. Now that is some SERIOUS food coma!!!<br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb65Epdl8RM1PNhdZS2X68uA9XhzH6y_tt4GlSpFBVkUB-MUvulXyyRjAmX784Yc3cEQ3eDBxhQo4mbnjFsKKKo2Alyme6E91bnIXHL5d9G2FQOVIbYXfUOC2Z6Ln91GWnCl6uc_W6QyY/s1600/Picture+064.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498312006033906242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb65Epdl8RM1PNhdZS2X68uA9XhzH6y_tt4GlSpFBVkUB-MUvulXyyRjAmX784Yc3cEQ3eDBxhQo4mbnjFsKKKo2Alyme6E91bnIXHL5d9G2FQOVIbYXfUOC2Z6Ln91GWnCl6uc_W6QyY/s400/Picture+064.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>Have you been to any good festivals lately? What is your favorite festival food?</strong></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-14553310607703030382010-07-23T11:31:00.001-07:002010-07-23T12:48:43.209-07:00A Nice Day in Seattle!Seattle is so much nicer when the sun is out. It seems like everything just looks better, tastes better and is just that much more enjoyable. I had a wonderful weekend with my friend as it was her first time visiting and I got to play tourist! So here are some pictures from our adventures!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497172528007586866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ38RP4V2JtsvOY7pbokgGEuypEVnR-N0sBbbv1ecnouHXZjMSzNzMFYE4Bf34mKjFI5V7FyoV-pKeJc7BywrKDj1lt6Ado2jMIqpsb6lqMI2FhxW5GDfcaVrRcm2fqBAxkpK6O62Ngio/s400/Picture+052.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497172534878244690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3l7dfZ3aDHxFzdqn0gmjRq7t7ELD5X_Sv8eCXKJ5GGhfsyqBSTWMdVp-AfXjGaiWQrm-r1VnLu1QqmSKMSXBTBkERaWP-uGVDgXzlGXZxsFqFEY6UBsk0kBV8LzzlfEWxrh1bSbMDXt0/s400/Picture+053.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497172543981629506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJUHpgMyUq7IW3YSc9mC2RC4ITVMpNkXvQtTM-_HWDcSdZlFHU8cBJHuqm_RDPo6M_1i-tnsEFa_3Gy75gfefanAmGeotpD9WggZwHBhyphenhyphenwM-dR8Shk9XZBlMh2NC9dhQMXGOJtvxvPc8/s400/Picture+069.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497172546308064786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElYdrp1AbIrXCCqgSIf5Z7ykcQt0eiF166-9mt7uxfw8pn8jTXAQTRjOy6WxY9P-WMctPWj-YOnVLB3x7cHd1KGDaNb041zWBRWNn5ZXCBiam4vphGLI-XEGfFVSRabzoDtmwTnZu1oE/s400/Picture+089.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497173750284841442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnMSjluPiSv7YUPnqBxLjAfPeBmmQuJz6X_OH9wueQdfXedy3IsMmz_rRNBVPRUtbP4B1HTE3I2v_MoZtoAq6VwcWdARITIakuqpEBT7ZPyk3MR6GveuSlFNiP8cdA4vpTY6KyaOFnCo/s400/Picture+073.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497173760209590642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeG3CF_2RaUIWvV1VebyCZK7PA1u0PucZXZgsnH8gjaRg3dIf6IgCUGC4wOjZ5vgDWyGTx1DGVHJvOscWCp4AURVeLfsyo3cm1eHemrhxhvYF6cUuqh98SKiOPdtDz8Mu8lj7EFcw9VI/s400/Picture+076.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497173768107257298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9X60FHfwL9FT8YjWLK39j-O4agbN3M7fZeYr9TZR7YnACfb7LrAxFhTbHWKf4vINPh8IKf3Kri7JodCGlMxbD5Fa5NRAy4jLcuOoKr_tKkjMGtGSewf86QJEPuPSyf6pJyHcEYWK17g/s400/Picture+077.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497173742461671890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D7ObOiRcsIPVndRGK8TZgDMYMW6SagTIyPefezteWhEFPBH1KfYmugrXXoTOMctXpgRILcdk-v20NsWV0GQ3RLmQHa0v2q2DkD_3LZ4DetQGSa9DUb-S_aVQrwskmC5XimUheOfANI0/s400/Picture+092.jpg" border="0" />We had a lot of fun going to the Seattle Bites food festival, which I will share pic of our yummy eats in a separate post. We hiked, kayaked, drank wine and ate a lot of good food! Pike's Place market is so cool, but sooo crowded! I want to go back and pick us some fresh flowers and some fresh fish...that salmon is HUGE! We even got to see them throw some fish, good times!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-20999519935704137262010-07-22T10:02:00.000-07:002010-07-22T10:45:01.181-07:00Roasted Beets and Best Dessert EVER!Hi all - I've been a bit MIA this week, and have been pretty busy! I had great bootcamp workouts Monday and Wednesday and some running and yoga on Tuesday. I am feeling pretty beat up, so I've decided to take the day off from working out and get 90 minute massage after work (and a pedicure at my lunch hour!) I love rest days! I do plan to walk to/from the pedicure and massage to get in some activity:)<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>The other night I decided I wanted to replicate a dish that I often order at restaurants...the beet and goat cheese salad.<br /></div><div></div><div><u></u> <br /></div><div><u>Beet & Goat Cheese Salad:</u></div><div>2 small-medium beets, peeled and chopped</div><div>2 tsp EVOO, divided</div><div>pinch of rosemary, salt & pepper</div><div>1-2 TBS pecans</div><div>drizzle of maple syrup</div><div>1/2 tsp cinnamon</div><div>2 cups salad greens (I used spinach)</div><div>1 oz goat cheese</div><br /><div>1. Massage 1 tsp EVOO onto beets, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, flipping half-way through. Beets should be a tiny bit crispy at edges.<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div></div><div>2. Coat pecans with the maple syrup and cinnamon and place in the oven with beets when there is approximately 10 minutes left.</div><br /><div></div><div>3. Drizzle remaining EVOO over salad greens and top with roasted beets, candied pecans and goat cheese.</div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496778174925571106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKm_sQgqmIRMO1kWID_gFC48SOZmOuCbeQp9OoeDUdEXJ4iy3FENRBU6TIShI07c9weG2WYr7nNRnNZxXgW3mYjBsEU0c2JpIBiiJNmUWuw_SB-u-A62MhpqjaVtMrgqAUJVLFI9QSO34/s400/Picture+033.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496778187893351122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjF_PJyez1t60RUYZlto7sTgnn_b7mscIGFl5Z4lzyfIli_9LjuysCavtXp6hOnnGJCYl8uZeC4p-FnD08Uakpw8YihA9kxNtwOqf1wOCRMumy6stDeHmqr6-ed-pqY04UhmjeqjWvmk/s400/Picture+032.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496778197436131250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3Br87ArUiZRCebzmXUeRf9r-v2oR19yDryyEmc8VyajJA4gGx6wJ0TuR3jxgVgQ6lWa1MFJXOJMygZpQzQKUNuesVNFgPZh6NaZ_DUhnI-2XCdN6f6x9Nuku5kmwlHEsy9YbA327ezo/s400/Picture+035.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496778211206459202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkmjuGbhlskN5w1nQjHcnZehCJNI_H4yCRdbuPYanXWvs5goO0cjS8DkaxxQ2fFva0-Kd9viO-vf09CDNCS3RtIraFfZ8saMqrWIPpWEIyuwYYjGyHKzKCkjSIbjN19Oh1AygyKK_mv4/s400/Picture+036.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>The flavors were so great in this salad, I hadn't made candied pecans before, and they were delicious!</p><p>I decided a couple hours later that I was still hungry and wanted something sweet. I've been seeing late-night oat dishes on blogs and since I had an early morning workout planned the next day, I thought I would give it a try. I stocked up on some Trader Joe's supplies that day and picked up some cinnamon grahams and mini peanut butter cups...which became my inspiration!!!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496783070912755698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3s87RFkDTr_RyxHhZm0uUMFefwF4LO5BXkeByItZ1SptJWBI2i41t8WvE6Q0gKlha9NDj5wkrn00jmWjsnheWwPcfIv3Qc9TPX3cl5oVhbCvtV8A691kPtTqbPXwkZxyuyt-1mZ-mAc/s400/Picture+038.jpg" border="0" /></p></div></div></div></div></div><div><u><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496783081436124130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqR_Ls-mxGKGBjipqwDCi1xsCA6hOuzs5F7fJPiyBXsOhCAyRKAKyPyqI3kt5r367cltmhHKMRzJficmehwhgFadGgxljwi2uZxvM5tVySnWX2B4gTzGZRBDo7AzyaL7o1Ft__aMtNY4/s400/Picture+037.jpg" border="0" />Cinnamon & Peanut Butter Cup Oats:</u></div><div>2 Cinnamon Graham Crackers</div><div>1-2 TBS mini peanut butter cups</div><div>1/4 cup dry Old Fashioned Oats</div><div>1/2 cup water</div><div>pinch salt</div><div> </div><div></div><div><br />1. Combine dry oats, water and salt and cook over medium heat until water is absorbed</div><div> </div><div></div><div><br />2. Crush graham crackers</div><div> </div><div></div><div><br />3. Top hot oats with crushed grahams and mini PB cups</div><div> </div><div></div><div><br />4. Devour</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496783092976550642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjLw45Of9qJj9y-l8PqpwOHOJoaLnvYhV4GbPAe5b8l9LuQJ1kTcQElHc2LwytKy3Fal14GfKf5rB4SUC7vZejTedCjbwB-0Sh4PC5_K3oujFmPOf03XFr7e68m0MKVq4L4bQXyJYpdA/s400/Picture+039.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496783104471366514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iJDY0odt_UsgLqIVxGcMwZhKLhdbSTN0P4YxkVz9ewlf-GI4dlfsUHwQkMMMjcjI5H4hsn8DWVdoq-pO6oyZwzE22EOXJaIaRivgCnkfWB4-E7huzxBfKDKcFWpjXIe7X376VuzsWak/s400/Picture+040.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496784196463935506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcabk21xbD4qucpC52HjE-vqK7i4rJJa4qxFL_ujsSaGF5fhno8vtc5H9xt9cno87r28ao0pryFBljCvjJ_DunRPgN78ROKO0WIYIpwyeuOJNLPWggoPoAdd8fr5KN5wgjIjdELhWycGM/s400/Picture+041.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496784208141903282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIeYCWJNLZNMyTrCuwSARhhkIzsoRuDH0mSEE8MooHqvDy1RHyoxlvudTRA075OnuUF5Zvrmk3iYzPm4U42Z3N1VYjimaBQaBKxGJhXXHj_7ZrCWDDiKujvsraiWYE8OvjnC7-762aSM/s400/Picture+042.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496784216770039154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJw6m5RQMlQ7DrkIW4_8tZQImk5kx7LN79omScPXfyxbjMIRWNjDysccGLL9qeyD0jA0UsrwIb3r0nxKixzXyOyUn8E2flVHw0ZI1R9J9MguQ8bGKG2GLqeFtxqKOh9RfJ1E7Wt2-_e0/s400/Picture+043.jpg" border="0" />These oat were ridiculous! The peanut butter cups melted into the gooey, yummy swirl and it was just an amazing desert...very filling with the oats. Also, this late night desert was great fuel for my early morning workout. I usually have half a bar or a piece of toast in the am, but I didn't need any food...just drank a little coffee and was good to go. This may become routine.</p><p><strong>Do you eat before an early morning workout? Do you find it better to eat that morning or the night before? What is your favorite fuel for a workout?</strong></p>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-77486433619811936122010-07-15T13:48:00.000-07:002010-07-19T09:38:32.811-07:00Lunch on the Lake<em><span style="color:#6600cc;">Woops - for some reason this didn't post last Thursday...So here it is late!!!</span></em> <div><div><br /><div>Yoga on the roof was great last night! There were clear skies, a nice breeze and a great group of yogis! Once I got home, I made a refried bean wrap with sauteed peppers, portabellas and corn from the cob and dipped it in this new salsa from Trader Joe's - Avocado Salsa...so delicious!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495657243348373666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnGIvvixItNp1wU-h24-s4Oo2FGyucHJlLfYdWC8BG9a0Gt76-22os1H0afgup2jKdrQFrET1mERybuzQ84PNo3ld3SfPa-nZEjUWh-cVdcYmZ5Twk0Pm38MrQXg9tX7991eWBh1_0Y0/s400/Picture+044.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495657259152952226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu0EJBZkAQsTToH53soW1NXQSucn7nzO-r2yLFH2pOdbZeXlf7IfcUGSogr4OM6n9MJZHBMS2e8g5Z_VFAp8o-bpOMsod5a3Yw8SVXU3XIMUszCY4UjDx_zda2zjlUwxL_eygPDna_6w/s400/Picture+047.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495657264693932882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bpReNJTOUonWkiEEBcwKBNLu-xhT1-4kMvGeOTad-bvmi32_WW0wNySsAoXNSbYBxNTVkr9CM5ISbJdBKugBS92wVaM1hnpWXsR8uxMgOsu3QHQIV7K2ZiGrgM1pfLFdohdyOovWSWQ/s400/Picture+048.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><div><div>My favorite instructor teaches on thursday mornings at 6:30 am. I went last week and felt amazing afterward, so I decided to go again this week. Well...after two hard bootcamp classes and 2 power yoga classes already this week, it was pretty tough! My mind really wanted to give it my all, but my muscles and lower back were so sore. I took it pretty easy during the warm up and modified the vinyasas when I needed to. About half way through, I started feeling better and put a bit more into it. I think my body finally started accpeting what I was trying to do with it! </div><br /><div>Needless to say, I felt amazing afterward and was STARVING! A green monster wasn't going to cut it this morning, I needed carbs and almond butter, stat! I whipped up a pot of oats with 1/2 cup old fashoined oats, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, dash of salt and vanilla extract with half a banana (other half for instant gratification!) I added one egg white at the end and stired until cooked (this as well as the half cup of milk makes the consistency much creamier and added some needed protein). I topped with chia seeds, almond butter and blackberry preserves...it was glorious! It was a huge bowl (I almost finished it) and it kept me full through lunchtime.</div><br /><div>For lunch I packed the leftover refried beans and mushroom/pepper/corn stir-fry over lettuce with the avocado salsa as dressing. I also brought a small bag of popchips for scooping! It was such a nice day, so I took my lunch down to Lake Union, which is a few blocks from my office. I need to do this more often! It is so relaxing down there watching boats go by and seaplanes take off. There were even a couple dogs playing catch with their owners! I love when dogs swim...its so cute! I snapped a few photos on my phone...I will have to remember to bring a good camera down there next time!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494242387829700978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 265px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 351px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvmRK9SVRmMXHhfiQthGw1dkeG09B1u0WEHVyy6TmKjh0eL4kp0MREwFanp9iNz4suk1t1PKBRXiDLh3xQG-0hGWsQAWUZUajJmHPjvnSfy4eyBiZxXA07bWPe6vcESKdc66PekVEYx8/s400/Lake+3.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494242381225365842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 351px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 265px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQa5YfOp2mB1rrToKCTCEi6_LNDk-pddUdhfBAGA3qZaYSJNjXqq_0ewwzp0F2c-HAWPw8v3zV6xfle5uBC1Zoy61hdoa6MaL6ExxUyB33BoYArCD73-o6v4Oz4mpUYCU2IQwj1rCq3SM/s400/Lake+2.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494242379296853698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 351px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 265px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjClRfPv6NkrOv8SD1Pjscv__m4KWh0O7t6jyQ0pRLjuloSgTVODnMlEN40Xt8iFDToPi0h-vBgeJyDoqKKAkUT8hcI7jqFvnNm4QaKLSjWeQ7JLuGygeE0ZnBsWmWSKbLRlWbJvXJSoE/s400/Lake+1.jpg" border="0" />Tonight I plan to do some cleaning because I have a friend coming to visit and she's flying in tonight!!! We have an exciting weeked planned with hiking, kayaking, shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!!!!!, visiting the Space Needle, Pike's Place Market, A foodie festival, some fun restaurants and bars and drinks out on the deck of my apartment building overlooking the city! Can't wait!</p><p><strong>What are your plans for the weekend? What is your favorite thing to do with visitors in your city?</strong></p></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-62413764012428719542010-07-14T16:08:00.000-07:002010-07-14T16:28:16.495-07:00Rooftop YogaMy yoga studio (Mountain Flow Yoga) offers roof top yoga when it's nice outside. And today it is very nice out...77 degrees with clear skies. Once I'm done with work, I plan to bolt out of here to the studio for some much needed warmth and sun (my office keeps the AC on way too high!!!) I forgot my camera, but the next time I go to class on the roof, photos will follow! It's so beautiful practicing with views of Lake Washington, Mt Rainier and the Cascades in the background. I also love the sounds of the breeze, birds and children playing across the street at a playground. It's nice to take all these sounds of life in and be thankful.<br /><br />I am excited to practice, however am very sore from an amazing bootcamp class I had this morning! I can't get over how much more fun and energizing it is working out when the weather is nice:) We did tons of strength training drills and sprints and my whole body is sore, it was a complete total body workout.<br /><br />I have been rocking the wraps and salads for lunch lately and am loving the combo of hummus and salsa instead of a traditional salad dressing. I try to pair a big flavorful salads with some sort of protein like beans or left-over chicken with a small piece of fruit. Here is one of my lunch creations:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493903953464183186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy1_G44KKRpqvGjRVz3ev3bEk4qKt2tbhAJLy6vR831-U7SMUMbx-pWZa-jlUU1lOW8srnV6NLIhJhXcHLRLWCI1BhBziztE_8kKlhrlbgs_oIHrDvmL7VaqKKwNyXBX74fSM7fLf97k/s400/Picture+065.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493903962583128754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5jAnn6Blqhq7FiT2PKGD7EZiXE9MI4egSSNPPmVE05C7tYUUguGOvWuELqNB6-dOV8US5B6vZoKt7c4cMkKYi_8U13YTa20zx0J7oJnWc6hyphenhyphenjDx_SgztCJHQSE7pOygHb4bgkEVmDTM/s400/Picture+064.jpg" border="0" />Green leaf with avocado, green onion, pico de gallo, and hummus with a piece of left-over chicken and a small apricot from the CSA. I find it's much more fun to have a voluminous lunch rather than something more calorie dense.</p><p>My other favorite in blog-land is the infamous banana soft serve. It's great because you can try so many variations. This one has 1 frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries, chia seeds and topped with cacao nibs for a little crunch. I could eat this every.single.day! MMmmmm!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493903970330753810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_0yfQU_3CC-TTspBx66DkTxGoFoV9NbvUntiTdCr5WhhLWyy65K3oKsM43hsFleZdn24Mf7IgzsNfJ6CfgoHPZcg1aYGS4_AAo1uLTCaxEyl4ZCQPqtVyMHe4qnEvkkJWEDioNHdRto/s400/Picture+056.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493903979408208626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDUAsIW8WFeO3AhGfyaowBUlHdKyovJGA96BHaOH-4cSsQ6q-Y2TjYMf0PDStddQ9MuNVu4iVLs5yM9cbrM53a-JUXKO4m3erqHIgYkYzYUdUbRMIE4jMp4a9JiiqccwgEWgPZxCaq2U/s400/Picture+057.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Note - I made this around 9 pm for dessert...and it's still so light out! Have I mentioned that I love Seattle summers!?!?!</p><p><strong>What's your favorite summer dessert?</strong></p>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-87832091988335714712010-07-13T10:49:00.000-07:002010-07-13T11:07:06.701-07:00Weekend BrunchThere is something about brunch on the weekends that makes me so happy! I love breakfast foods...love cooking them and also love ordering them at restaurants. It seems like breakfast during the week is so fast-paced...I typically chug my green monster just before heading out the door to work. Weekend brunch, however makes me appreciate all the extra time I have to enjoy it on the weekends. <div><div><div><br /><div>When cooking at home during weekends, I will usually make a egg/toast/fruit combo such as an omelet, scramble or over-easy. Once in a while there will be french toast or blueberry pancakes involved! My favorite places for brunch in Seattle are Cafe Flora and Dahlia Lounge. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493452982211594738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHc1Wg9mNvVnbS__tYukgvGbzhvMHt3bGVlpl794zpRRUIA3-IG3c6cXYeKXAnUmwM1uQH9npQqKppQIDDecD2zfNboI39XWT80CUNjBWs1bM4kx6SBxrtJJxMKUcqrk_-k6UyTjToWi8/s400/Picture+021.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>On a recent visit to Dahlia Lounge, I encountered what I must call my all-time favorite breakfast! It started with a mimosa...</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493452974300416738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48LC9rcXN7qxPCxN957rLeddSKvJLdkaPnneXTMw_nO6hZStiy1S9d7PTxifr5XyHuNN2PtdLoD207Y6w68c3W9QMNMvn7d4_jG41QeM2M9b1PRdZe69x6wkYG-AHyfKx9J6RrM2V08g/s400/Picture+015.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>For breakfast, I ordered the mushroom and goat cheese omelet and subbed the biscuit and potatoes for their pecan flax toast and a huge cup of fresh fruit...bliss!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493452964801422274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwEwJtrK76EMJkv3L1ecYpeEH_pto5Yx2P_AQ8y897LnEb3bXVi2K2naEB04oIRbkLsTpAsZzk1vJFYk40G9ZfvSv4FVXB6tVsI6pTwuPt7WiEz7UiHWPTQyCUYh8CNwOQBgiea9g1I0/s400/Picture+019.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>This is likely the best omelet I have ever eaten and I loved all the fresh fruit. The toast was served with homemade rhubarb jam that was perfect. I can't wait to go back here...I will be ordering the exact same thing! I had a very happy tummy:)</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493453629973005714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI07u8zRw6YEC17xrcQYc3797bcSONReR88K9Qn1tgD9dP8gl-1D7VZYLR0657mCU8FFWJa8u_XjjgQxSxklpweEiPM26DFQjCXhgd0DhssHoTLtYDhaprJa4B_FP2pk-KX-0pwYy_mpo/s400/Picture+018.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><strong>What is your favorite brunch or weekend breakfast ritual?</strong></div></div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-73835595419674975312010-07-11T11:45:00.000-07:002010-07-11T12:23:27.054-07:00Yoga For HopeSaturday morning I walked down to the Seattle Center to participate in an outdoor yoga class sponsored by <a href="http://www.cityofhope.org/Pages/default.aspx">City of Hope</a>, which is a program dedicated to patient care, cancer research and new treatments. The yoga event was from 10-12:30 and cost $30 to participate and participants were encouraged to raise additional donations. The registration fee went directly to research and the treatment of patients. All together there were approximately 350 participants and over $30,000 raised!!! Plus we made a world record of the largest outdoor yoga class:)<br /><br />The experience was absolutely amazing. I met up with a few friends from Mountain Flow Yoga and we lined up our mats in the center of the field.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492723937232535858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzN64RoNfTGEalFLjWEggz1nZvML7rl4CiWX8xZFkdj4kN1crsD3Ci-DIKnPxi7Y-UWkycOrTFkh2pVcz9nB9WpfZUi9VpPEVo8qxTYaFwMNfz93UkJQ37QUTz_kWx5o1tVsvHxz0172s/s400/Picture+080_edited.jpg" border="0" />We practiced 108 sun salutations under the sun. It was intense! They had 9 yoga instructors from studios around Seattle lead the group in 12 sun salutations each, totalling 108. I thought this was a great idea, because each instructor had a different teaching style and that kept things interesting and fun as we went along. They provided sunscreen, water and snacks throughout the practice, which was necessary with such a hot sunny day...it was about 80 degrees with maybe 1 or 2 clouds in the sky!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUT4mjwCz7K5AIPFqr5DG5WjAf4jDQg9Jro5xzkR8U69tD0rWKmoP1_qS1FmtGfGd3r0jZYswxA4NrkbeYx3sbzQkTh-I989HWLYyGwZ7pI8WCG3UiZ8X_uxs2C4pGSXverNyGjhHSO2Y/s1600/Picture+076.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492723959811722802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUT4mjwCz7K5AIPFqr5DG5WjAf4jDQg9Jro5xzkR8U69tD0rWKmoP1_qS1FmtGfGd3r0jZYswxA4NrkbeYx3sbzQkTh-I989HWLYyGwZ7pI8WCG3UiZ8X_uxs2C4pGSXverNyGjhHSO2Y/s400/Picture+076.jpg" border="0" /></a> As the 7th instructor began her sun salutations, I started to feel the effects of the practice. I took it easy by drinking lots of water and practicing child's pose to regain some strength. This really helped me to end the class on a positive note with a yoga high! I felt so great afterward I practically skipped home!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkx55BAqVjQ4dwWsBuDRM4LP396X5qMDBrAe1bNVowqrArXWKHxL3t4IPc53mQRu0LfQ0T-CKDVIbAIpvMYHozACQ4iIemPIaAz9_mr3xWj4DbWqqtBzNZ3LS0rlFlTEaDAjSrx4E1UQ/s1600/Picture+074.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492723947694244930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkx55BAqVjQ4dwWsBuDRM4LP396X5qMDBrAe1bNVowqrArXWKHxL3t4IPc53mQRu0LfQ0T-CKDVIbAIpvMYHozACQ4iIemPIaAz9_mr3xWj4DbWqqtBzNZ3LS0rlFlTEaDAjSrx4E1UQ/s400/Picture+074.jpg" border="0" /></a> I got home a little after 1:00, changed my clothes and headed out with the boyfriend's family for some kayaking. Since it was the first sunny weekend in Seattle this summer, the place was packed. We waited in line for an hour (with water and sunscreen!) and finally got up to the front only to realize that his little bro and sis had to be accompanied by an adult since they are both under 18. Since we had a group of 5...I had a solo kayak. I was soooo sore and tired from 2+ hours of yoga...it was rough! But I guess the beautiful view of Lake Union and downtown made up for it. We kayaked for an hour and then had some yummy Mexican food. We all inhaled a nacho appetizer, then I got tacos with yams, peppers, onions and avocado sauce...so good!<br /><br />I ended the day with some reading out on the deck of my apartment and we BBQd some buffalo burgers with corn and asparagus and a beer. It was a great end to such a fun day!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-73245442120883759672010-07-08T13:50:00.000-07:002010-07-09T10:26:23.019-07:00Healthy Cooking as a HobbyI was inspired by <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2010/07/07/healthy-eating-a-love-affair-with-the-kitchen/">Angela's post </a>on Oh She Glows about my relationship with my kitchen after the transformation to healthy eating. As one who tries to incorporate as many homemade meals as possible, that means lots of food prep and cleaning. I use my blender every morning for green monsters, pack a lunch and snacks for the office and cook meals throughout the week for dinner. During the week there is a lot of planning and prep and endless dishes, but I have found that cleaning as I go makes clean-up much more manageable. We do have a few meals out on the weekends, but also enjoy the extra time to cook a more time-consuming meal.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div>I want to mention that I would not be as excited about hanging out in the kitchen if I didn't have a good layout or appliances. When my boyfriend and I moved, the first thing we were looking for was a nice kitchen since we both enjoy cooking. We lucked out with a brand new building with an amazing set up. The space is an open floorplan with higher-end appliances (we bought the island from IKEA and added the shelving unit for more storage).<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJr8gSepL3ZdLzYYaP6HF-_MJrK_zbNfmdq8f1JPOlod4OcCxYCYE-iWzxbblfdLSdpKrPy72fQUOasgqOHDvVls6zBOlykAT2xX_73fTo9wGzq0kO_v8cWyZUwuU-ATfrzdXvJLgnxeM/s1600/Picture+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491643495490182402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJr8gSepL3ZdLzYYaP6HF-_MJrK_zbNfmdq8f1JPOlod4OcCxYCYE-iWzxbblfdLSdpKrPy72fQUOasgqOHDvVls6zBOlykAT2xX_73fTo9wGzq0kO_v8cWyZUwuU-ATfrzdXvJLgnxeM/s400/Picture+027.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykDm6DDV1ClPashca8pIH6tYG79RzQEJK92nSpKzXPlGuoDbxxFaIOgz8pbNE5DxdX4D4PywWr-RslwLB9L7mWQnrioOIR6mwZlLHRbx7TnBoGDdIB0c8GG3r0DwslZLuOo7MZwIGRko/s1600/Picture+029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491643473009213650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykDm6DDV1ClPashca8pIH6tYG79RzQEJK92nSpKzXPlGuoDbxxFaIOgz8pbNE5DxdX4D4PywWr-RslwLB9L7mWQnrioOIR6mwZlLHRbx7TnBoGDdIB0c8GG3r0DwslZLuOo7MZwIGRko/s400/Picture+029.jpg" border="0" /></a> I also don't mind the view out our HUGE windows as I cook...it definitely makes for a pleasant experience:)<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491648356337470178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LJLpor37eoaT_JJ7RV-9XpDrk5z-EXqhMp5fEMjMTVcmwJUlcQ8-jhyXEO0dR9taLNji2EjvF0Pb3olpoW_D074PYOSAVaal67pfWy3b6XOt4SKMEl4prg3jYxa76ci9b2z5eXJBNTA/s400/Picture+034.jpg" border="0" /></div>View of downtown Seattle.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491651529863481762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAiJncnNpucYekNKokRTSGZbc74CEdqGcRxqIPKQsgd-wDVMLohyoySqcuOo8mEl6941AyrVciCcPJR_LyLT3KY8p3LweRvesDAyx6ymdYv9JbKPvWhp6LVfVHtChsdqAlneD2zEcxpM/s400/Picture+035.jpg" border="0" />Mt Rainier from my window...it really is such a beautiful mountain and so much bigger in person...the camera doesn't do it justice!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491651518615069746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpx58n8HF20uctuwz2VbIAsYDwpMOuO1V_FLo0ZNvzt1w0gvNsx4qALqAGJuok_LsVwnzVgO1wai9QlnYtr5sfl_BjMJZraRRaEpuIaLPN79ixOn7APRZD-ai7vbfG_HLm8VZwkcN2hg/s400/Picture+023.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div>The island is where we spend all of our time preparing and plating meals. It doesn't look like a ton of counter space, but I've found it's perfect for us two. We try to cook one meal a week with an expensive piece of protein from whole foods. Last week it was New York Strip with roasted yukon golds and steamed green beans from our CSA.<br /><br /><div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491648364675841298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLI63lJ_RQavGoPP5Hk2x1KckUYho0XdFiEWK7d2Q25FHF2nbyPyr6Al-xIZwUHZcQdAEpkvg2ZLsJGjnLT4a74kbfuI70f2x-pnSBSCP9zkB5ilTo2ZSNaaOjEpYEefRi_q5DqsnEDc/s400/Picture+038.jpg" border="0" /> Don't these green beans have great color? They were so crisp and delicious. I'm not sure I've tasted a better green bean...great raw and steamed!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491642920499787410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd04LNHPRByx4FZEJsWlXhEMcznbuu-bBQ-Ji9REULA8NahfhWOu09zBLkZcRQa0wqc1aGfYrAFNYB4_1UhwFl0hgEq5Swi1J4L4n6RnZ-_OTlCqItMahSwFkw4p-4FRCh1OpOTM_Ipg0/s400/Picture+039.jpg" border="0" /><br />The steaks had great flavor, but were huge...I had half of one and it was the perfect amount.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwTJ9yqfMxJfjoL-ppyGQwnmr2I4KO_I4VcK3MkKiHhy5fcoQVLc4V3rcEheA1BeKoOi2dSiUc49jTJeYkwNMJ1O38d27UOzcAwiEUPllRnpLbFVX1i-oEUrYaMZ_RUn7htKVi5KZkZo/s1600/Picture+041.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491642884083029906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwTJ9yqfMxJfjoL-ppyGQwnmr2I4KO_I4VcK3MkKiHhy5fcoQVLc4V3rcEheA1BeKoOi2dSiUc49jTJeYkwNMJ1O38d27UOzcAwiEUPllRnpLbFVX1i-oEUrYaMZ_RUn7htKVi5KZkZo/s400/Picture+041.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>Do you enjoy spending time in the kitchen preparing healthy meals?</strong></div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br />Last night I came home and changed into workout clotes and complete some HIIT on the treadmill...WAY too hot to run outside. I warmed up for 5 minutes, then did 20 minutes with 1 minute intervals (1 minte @ 4.0, 1 minute @ 6.0 to 7.5...worked my way up) and cooled down for 5 minutes. It was pretty intense as I haven't been keeping up with my running in a few months. I hope to build my endurance back up over the next month and then work on my speed.<br /><br />After my run, I walked down to Barnes & Noble to get the new Steig Larsson novel...I am super obsessed and can't wait to read the whole thing! I also picked up a huge unsweetened iced green tea from Starbucks for the walk home. We cooked an awesome dinner of balsamic chicken with couscous and braised swiss chard from the CSA box. I was soooo tired...I probably could have gone to bed at 9:00...I blame it on the cardio since I really push myself when I do HIIT. Here's to hoping it gets easier as I keep consistent!<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-76691776965387308072010-07-08T13:31:00.000-07:002010-07-08T13:49:04.396-07:00Yoga BuzzI woke up bright and early again this morning for 6:30 yoga class. It was already close to 70 degrees at 6 am...crazy! I set the coffee maker for 5 am for a little extra motivation and finally rolled out of bed around 5:50. I had a half cup of coffee and one of those chocolate/walnut/date balls I made the other day for some fuel. Usually when I go to the morning classes it takes me awhile to really get into it, however, today I was ready to go before I even got there. I felt so amazing afterward, like a huge <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">endorphin</span> buzz. The class was awesome as the instructor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">took</span> us through so many creative flows (I'm hoping I can remember these for my home practice!) Days like today make me want to stick to a healthy lifestyle!<br /><br />I've decided coffee is my magic early morning workout drug!!! I can't believe I never tried drinking a little coffee <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pre</span>-morning workouts before. Now that I have come out of the dark on this one, I will be sticking to about half of a cup each morning that I have a planned early workout (which includes most days now!)<br /><br />One of the girls in my class told me about this Yoga for Hope event happening at the Seattle Center this Saturday. They are having a big outdoor class from 10-12:30 and all registration fees go toward cancer research. The slogan is to practice 108 sun salutations under the sun...should be challenging and inspiring:) I will try and take pictures between poses!<br /><br />Tonight I plan to get back into running, either with a short outdoor run or some speed intervals on the treadmill. It's supposed to be 90 degrees today, so not sure if I want to bear the heat.<br /><br /><strong>Does anyone have tips for running in the heat?</strong>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-48944110202316590122010-07-07T13:31:00.001-07:002010-07-07T14:42:25.235-07:00The Sun is Finally Out!Summer decided to come to Seattle yesterday bringing us beautiful sunny skies and warmth! I woke up to the heat of the sun coming through my windows this morning and I was incredibly motivated to go to the 6 am <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">SassyFit</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">bootcamp</span>. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">bootcamps</span> this month are free...sponsored by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">vitaminwater</span> social club. They provided both <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">smartwater</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">vitaminwater</span> during the class. Since they are more guys showing up to these <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">bootcamps</span>, they seem to have become more challenging! My legs felt like lead during sprints...something I am really going to start working on...I am so slow!<br /><br />The club sent us home with some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">vitaminwater</span> and Kind bars. I selected the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">vitaminwater</span> zero in the lemonade flavor...and I may become obsessed with this flavor! I love anything lemon, but not so much the super sweet lemonades. This one was perfect...like a slightly watered down lemonade, but enough zing to make it tasty! I chose the Almond Coconut Kind bar, which I will devour for my afternoon snack. I've had a few of these bars and have loved every flavor so far that I've tried. They also gave everyone a free yoga mat...not bad! I guess their marketing worked on me though as I will likely purchase their products in the future.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwipk2m8jPPVr5NhxsGZB8SC1mwkREFT4MSpdtEgqORWvMrDkDVrfqEQt_B1uoZUX0seyu-c_9pYZVaR8-2rE0rEXDNtmGukbchL0MaII3Ty6LHyCBSic1w_l8U1IryhJm_CrmBWPG8U/s1600/Picture+043_edited.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491275514519980130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwipk2m8jPPVr5NhxsGZB8SC1mwkREFT4MSpdtEgqORWvMrDkDVrfqEQt_B1uoZUX0seyu-c_9pYZVaR8-2rE0rEXDNtmGukbchL0MaII3Ty6LHyCBSic1w_l8U1IryhJm_CrmBWPG8U/s400/Picture+043_edited.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJ1z7gLYweAd5VzMYNr6pc5uvQonE7vj9CGti-sMdaEPXOQ9TmLkt4V4BsndIKqBcfDv_NU5IMTpY8wuN64HVVSezZ21-u-TJ3fuzMaYhl7xhF7EYj7IfpGk5K4utEOiD75e7dfbZHW4/s1600/Picture+045_edited.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491275511117018226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJ1z7gLYweAd5VzMYNr6pc5uvQonE7vj9CGti-sMdaEPXOQ9TmLkt4V4BsndIKqBcfDv_NU5IMTpY8wuN64HVVSezZ21-u-TJ3fuzMaYhl7xhF7EYj7IfpGk5K4utEOiD75e7dfbZHW4/s400/Picture+045_edited.jpg" border="0" /></a> When I got home, I made a purple monster with:</div><div>1 scoop Vega</div><div>1/2 TBS <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">chia</span> seeds</div><div>2 cups spinach</div><div>1 small banana</div><div>1 cup skim milk</div><div>1 cup frozen mixed berries<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzR9M-yPgspI2Jp2kiTmduRPQ_5VZFoeKuR9uUPmpJ4SMqp2qeM7F0tz_BKAtznzwRhcP-HPNu9rAgjaECWR9AXOghCn665hn8EIhs2upwKHPJLIr17lXSHZriQkByTZhCRbScF-MwI0/s1600/Picture+047_edited.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491274988424360626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzR9M-yPgspI2Jp2kiTmduRPQ_5VZFoeKuR9uUPmpJ4SMqp2qeM7F0tz_BKAtznzwRhcP-HPNu9rAgjaECWR9AXOghCn665hn8EIhs2upwKHPJLIr17lXSHZriQkByTZhCRbScF-MwI0/s400/Picture+047_edited.jpg" border="0" /></a> It was refreshing and delicious. I snaked on a piece of (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">healthified</span>) homemade banana bread later in the morning.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxI-FkU0G8gfZxdfABNt84UVIPPmmlUoN4q43cWT-dAmz98jVOdtAPOFXJaUsPGUZpNpIbm1q8r1hz9ENZ2hFlT0mYv7eb6Q95RnpXiEeiYDqkIZTBqXKmWWqwRH76u1jY4lekjWazbpo/s1600/Picture+048_edited.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491274982424467058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxI-FkU0G8gfZxdfABNt84UVIPPmmlUoN4q43cWT-dAmz98jVOdtAPOFXJaUsPGUZpNpIbm1q8r1hz9ENZ2hFlT0mYv7eb6Q95RnpXiEeiYDqkIZTBqXKmWWqwRH76u1jY4lekjWazbpo/s400/Picture+048_edited.jpg" border="0" /></a>Last night, I made these yummy snacks. I can't remember which blog I got the idea from...I wrote it down a week ago. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Anywho</span>...they were made in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">foodprocessor</span> with walnuts, dates, cacao, shredded coconut, cacao nibs and water. I rolled into balls and put them in the fridge to set. I had one with my lunch and was slightly disappointed. They were a bit crumbly and didn't have too much staying power. I made something like this in the past with oats, almond butter, honey and a few other ingredients and liked those much better.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcelZLvdCErYX7k-ammXWQ_80sqwY3SOR2icnX86T5TAKfDoz0mn9HssaY1ZBe1yCHPuq_t2dBCy4puCLhTimwBk9SVhh66mOeDGGQaKWplhYUSrv7_joWXjgYpiV7SLnArxoXzncA_A/s1600/Picture+044.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491274968673785426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcelZLvdCErYX7k-ammXWQ_80sqwY3SOR2icnX86T5TAKfDoz0mn9HssaY1ZBe1yCHPuq_t2dBCy4puCLhTimwBk9SVhh66mOeDGGQaKWplhYUSrv7_joWXjgYpiV7SLnArxoXzncA_A/s400/Picture+044.jpg" border="0" /></a> I went to Trader Joe's last night after a yoga class and bought some smoked salmon among a heavy basket full of other <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">yummies</span>! I decided to create a wrap with this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">cilantro</span>/chive/yogurt dip (from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">TJs</span>), spinach, smoked salmon, and 2 egg whites. I packed a raw kale salad massaged with rice wine vinegar and half a small avocado. The lunch was really tasty and filled me up. It was so nice out that a couple co-workers and I took our lunches down the hill to the lake and envied all the people on kayaks and boats!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzKGC7JYTxG13Q_4RncC9uDQHWz_a-S8PLYBZf74DPgoILEvl9TNkkQ4R16VstmlTPT_UhLVADzOEVKnOatFCq7yXIik405Jzc70x7xk-gHYSrqRa2KllBNdlrPXuuNPGCys3KLzncaI/s1600/Picture+050_edited.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491272578236017138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzKGC7JYTxG13Q_4RncC9uDQHWz_a-S8PLYBZf74DPgoILEvl9TNkkQ4R16VstmlTPT_UhLVADzOEVKnOatFCq7yXIik405Jzc70x7xk-gHYSrqRa2KllBNdlrPXuuNPGCys3KLzncaI/s400/Picture+050_edited.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxfK9sm1kM5anJnKQv4eFQ_xvZjLy6wQbCJWC5mTQ2c-sksjsYlCts_LGcUMCaU7zzCSclEn1249LWVEhlifbzH8CoYzPxp0SCQLs3bxtZ1t6RmW75YwieWhel67hyvKXimlPRVCjBPk/s1600/Picture+052_edited.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491272569719631106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxfK9sm1kM5anJnKQv4eFQ_xvZjLy6wQbCJWC5mTQ2c-sksjsYlCts_LGcUMCaU7zzCSclEn1249LWVEhlifbzH8CoYzPxp0SCQLs3bxtZ1t6RmW75YwieWhel67hyvKXimlPRVCjBPk/s400/Picture+052_edited.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaFze1MjMQ-8oQMWOus4AioBANB2GbTaKMa62Y-sPyjoLzswNyHFnCrjqNiadfLA5rBiSERGq_LuBP-o6gkmPUvETrEvBGUkacsmoMt-XTwLvg4GOkJha6mSELAqWYk3Cx5RMN11l1Ho/s1600/Picture+053_edited.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491272558490543362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaFze1MjMQ-8oQMWOus4AioBANB2GbTaKMa62Y-sPyjoLzswNyHFnCrjqNiadfLA5rBiSERGq_LuBP-o6gkmPUvETrEvBGUkacsmoMt-XTwLvg4GOkJha6mSELAqWYk3Cx5RMN11l1Ho/s400/Picture+053_edited.jpg" border="0" /></a> I get my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">CSA</span> box today and am looking forward to the blueberries and cherries it is supposed to contain. Also hoping for some yummy veggies to roast for dinner tonight.</div><div> </div><div>I have an early dinner and yoga planned for the evening. </div><div> </div><div><strong>Do you choose to workout outside more often in the summer, or do you still attend gyms or indoor classes?</strong></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div>My studio has been holding yoga on the roof with a view of the lake and mountains...It's pretty amazing. I am hoping the later class is also held up there. I feel much better about going to a yoga class on a nice day when it is held outdoors:) I feel like I am missing out on something when I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">spend</span> a gorgeous day inside...but this may be due to the fact that we have so few here!</div></div></div></div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-35086785266734588082010-06-25T09:28:00.000-07:002010-06-25T09:50:06.897-07:00What Can I Say...Well as you may have noticed by my lack of posting...I have been unmotivated since getting back from Mexico:( <div><div><br /><div>I've pretty much stopped running and most forms of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cardio</span>, but stuck with yoga...I guess its the only activity I really enjoy! That and hiking...</div><br /><div>A couple weeks ago I decided that it was time to get back into the game and signed up for some boot camp classes with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">SassyFit</span> and a 3-month unlimited yoga membership at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">MountainFlow</span>. I had said boot camp class today and was the lone <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bootcamper</span>...which means I worked my butt off. In fact I pushed myself so hard that I thought I was going to get sick a few times. I left the class feeling a bit dizzy and as I write this a couple hours later, am still feeling off. BUT....I know it is the kick in the butt I need and that gross-feeling will go away eventually and then I will feel GREAT!</div><br /><div>The past two weeks I have been dedicated two mornings a week to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">bootcamp</span> and have been working in a few yoga classes. Moving forward I will be adding <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cardio</span> in the form of running back into my life. I've been eating my weight in veggies and have cut back on the naughtiness...with the exception of a ladies' weekend in Vegas, which didn't involve much food as I unintentionally replaced most meals with vodka...NEVER doing that again;) So I will leave you all with some lovely photos from my trip with the girls!</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486752133170995266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0APTSEQRC89f5l090ngJ4wBouHdLeWnVUc5QC9oUXs2y7oObK1TRBGCASvY4EPPPFaxgQ63f6yWyDcbG_ql8lbjbE6evurdixsEph_jNgotOF3HqfVSrQhSQ88kJpDQyAvUuCOaaDIIA/s400/Picture+028.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486752141393541618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTP5CtwNoNv8F6chyphenhyphenwjZQiix3Gm7i5SIjVIYZobTtcQx-Ph7uLsz7tD4o0IGiuZZrpYUxss7lvCn9tV_af_WRqdhWW7tkqVZwDLWb6L2Cf0_65Ho5B_TQCvgIfbxaBHu-ebWI9wbjJ6E/s400/Picture+037.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486752147471706354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gstwwKqJPCaxOGVYmkSGYDixLkeK0dB5WeO2EGLE7SDjBzW82BFVNHaHY5j5zaclXwbPReugv3ITvVOfUef5EPBEiF8c-GMzWBUCHwXnRq81vk5R8FcMt_1BomLQnXkO502nQraoWhc/s400/Picture+048.jpg" border="0" />Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-8984688604130821232010-04-20T12:04:00.001-07:002010-04-20T12:49:08.468-07:00Back from Mexico!I had the most amazing time in Mexico. I went for a friend's wedding in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Cabo</span>. The wedding was small (about 65 people) and they treated us so well all weekend by inviting each guest to several parties with great food and entertainment. Her mother has a home on the beach and we spent some of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Thursday</span> in their pool and they had a party on Friday for their guests. There were waiters roaming around with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">endless</span> margaritas and delicious appetizers and an excellent Mexican buffet dinner. They treated us to a DJ and dancing complete with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Pyro</span> Dancers, it was absolutely amazing! <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462308036611639618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFq2ottoSLj21ZPYhzNbeuLlzYXVQgPz7vB2AOR3Zd-zIKExhPXOXdcB2VtcLUDRFUT7IZe2o2gbsV9w6m4Yks6Gt6bkUcZ_HtPnDFMYNZWCMAwBUM0F2re66MYEZ85Kg1JSvhrJo-oQ/s400/Picture+116.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462308044386634978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkq-kQcj-ijN6Z-NPc5ngFawTJmpT1xiqtfD36rJiTjZIP7Q_YsoLkBb9J800EtJk8UB5I72MNHWBYII5Nkgk7J6iKz4ep3QA-uOe_vufohHSzGCDcNujotQtyrmtdNDgdCH0CM7LFa8/s400/Picture+123.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462308051643394466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84W2h70Scl_FBzyC3Sd5_P-O4-Fge2AqbDQUj3ZEYPLpoisObVbO8DNateMVp6yNpHREjphgQoqW3DJNKzEIr5HIQMQLc44hTtVDr3NroFdx7tFpRvpU5hUilYj1EqkkwX_S-LtNTkxw/s400/Picture+163.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>The wedding was at a beautiful golf resort in El <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Dorado</span> that overlooked the beautiful Sea of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Cortez</span>. The wedding party looked so gorgeous and the reception venue was breathtaking! There were waiters with abundant drinks and appetizers...the crab tacos were the favorite among our group! We lit up 3-foot long sparklers for the wedding party's entrance into the venue and dinned in a stone courtyard with a man playing guitar for dinner music...it was beautiful! Dinner was 3 courses, which included a lump crab cake, trio of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ceviche</span> and I chose the red snapper (other choice was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">filet</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">mignon</span>). There were cupcakes, wedding cake and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Mexican</span> coffee for dessert. Everything was so delicious I was stuffed to the max!!!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462304928221573106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tAbV9teKLk_6R0kUYaYmXa0iXBvz3prP2hhAFUT1KHOVr_Ugyx4K381ppzH01BprEc2nqhJq4M2eWaoActUFvowwhGHxfE_et51vwFhkZMU9oBU51Spxn3kEZe_9SSoXptfrAkPjU-o/s400/Picture+223.jpg" border="0" /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462303064290073234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjGMLZxTQNCjvvhmjbFlKLwyPznkgukrU3L3LniUZxY6sw7rxm119EJ2CTKhk1hR4ctzbOXwnZiXE18PLljsvrUNzutdaeE5xJ_7PioVKqOwHD5flqrEJWH3JquNrBg7AfRgRO11QQu4/s400/Picture+272.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462303078825575906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39CcDqlSkFxU7QDUeSF9kIysHNwQvHIDQq82DXiFHSv4izS0kB8PHC1VwUmK7pef8n_ouhO_HWEAtANP-l80nCuYdUs90vBKKX8ndlTekD_OiXnJJtGg12AqpXfRuIoNk1hkoVwgw6G0/s400/Picture+229.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462303084756297186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCdcWgiQomU1IJPmJb-5hredThYPhFoZ4dhLJPICemd_rhKdAROgmBfkg8lxa5FglvATkDPveXxaYWOkhuiW-iTV7cfgJfLyWJTQQ6hnVhKFYZO9ZCVxQvIrJex01bMO7TEyLDVeCgBk/s400/Picture+284.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462304384821801618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP40rYFJj4ZNgSAWBqY4lEmldKgjKGw9yVOpOoInfsyFOFrV2_YqxX0MW0F3y1w6t3c9Q4XZ-DExGRaZ36YZqRkG4E-FuamlEFwGn-zErE9vmWcVZyraoKxwKfKzlAs9mFYVlCFAneuwM/s400/Picture+299.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462304388683459682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUAahSHHq8SNfIhSqJ1NBDoefzctTBpb9lYPnAnWYGNuaUpPeINVZuaAN5IKwFfE0JJ4QzhVLX7ZpDK39dsvulmd_rWa-SAQPO4FMTpm5ynVgGg1hpVR5IBfkWCDexjW8JFPl5LGc0A4/s400/Picture+310.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462304403064993186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8-60lv-cSzrovJbs3a6Pe0XllLb1fnCweTaD_SwyE4ntNfNWYSx7KqtRFyUkRHKX0wKh0DbXvxCVKVso1lpYnPk__lhyphenhyphenvjVW0D_SqOrAVNrYDdiEfVa6dAUdEkuAq7K0cgIPDFFeeBI/s400/Picture+320.jpg" border="0" /> <div>Her mother gave an excellent speech and had every woman at the party in tears! It was absolutely beautiful. During their first dance their was a huge firework display...breathtaking! They had a live <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Latin</span> band followed by a late-night DJ (with a late-night taco bar!) During the cake-cutting, a mariachi band came out and they were so hilarious goofing around in their tight white pants! It was such a memorable weekend, I am still in awe and so happy that I got to be a part of it!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-53872279692288804252010-04-07T14:20:00.000-07:002010-04-07T14:41:09.033-07:00Yummy SaladI was craving a light and sweet salad for dinner the other night and cam up with a this yummy combination:<br /><br /><div align="center">2-3 cups Green Leaf Lettuce</div><div align="center">1/2 pear, sliced</div><div align="center">4-5 sliced strawberries</div><div align="center">1/4 cup chopped walnuts</div><div align="center">2 TBS Balsamic and Fig dressing (found at Whole Foods)</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGhfwF00PhlL7Nlk_7UWSoMS8PUnaNxX-4rB0inCmNXpfzVUYjGGWd8R0uDTU36H4YOt2fgLDbF3a4oIg8o3RkcoZVVL2-fqc4HiPTNk3YPHiNcGqdSh4PfaBVJXs95gADGXh68jKf0s/s1600/Picture+221.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457510327667427506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGhfwF00PhlL7Nlk_7UWSoMS8PUnaNxX-4rB0inCmNXpfzVUYjGGWd8R0uDTU36H4YOt2fgLDbF3a4oIg8o3RkcoZVVL2-fqc4HiPTNk3YPHiNcGqdSh4PfaBVJXs95gADGXh68jKf0s/s400/Picture+221.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqmmHkW6XOu8Zq6kq48ZJsSoUbEU0vkUS_3Z1A4R0CwvQrekO4hr32Hx32kG4DgD-qeegekOURB3ELk6NjaclTOMhDROBlotX01k0KK2jAVQ-XTuAS1pfOfuW3bb6qRt_YVnyO9SC4p0/s1600/Picture+223.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457510320623018226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqmmHkW6XOu8Zq6kq48ZJsSoUbEU0vkUS_3Z1A4R0CwvQrekO4hr32Hx32kG4DgD-qeegekOURB3ELk6NjaclTOMhDROBlotX01k0KK2jAVQ-XTuAS1pfOfuW3bb6qRt_YVnyO9SC4p0/s400/Picture+223.jpg" border="0" /></a> Then I made a side of roasted sweet potatoes and the other half of the pear roasted with the potato. I topped with a drizzle of coconut butter...yum!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDMt-IjvICjN1p1eCymGpTR0MNTe7mUPGBO-CDoXUSoO8RaCrONyiZzuZBM8tJzMe0XxJzq-VGkuTOVH34yS7WgNyBb3oFzyuhoj_78vioYOioYegCX8qf5VL0iaJpM_P5TS177wSvaM/s1600/Picture+224.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457510315848075954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDMt-IjvICjN1p1eCymGpTR0MNTe7mUPGBO-CDoXUSoO8RaCrONyiZzuZBM8tJzMe0XxJzq-VGkuTOVH34yS7WgNyBb3oFzyuhoj_78vioYOioYegCX8qf5VL0iaJpM_P5TS177wSvaM/s400/Picture+224.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The meal was delicious and filling...and satisfied my sweet tooth!<br /><br />I wanted to add this pretty flower pic to remind me of the nice weather that peaks out from behind the clouds of Seattle every now and then:)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZMiDMWUqVMxGKhFkZv07VULbZ7v7aC6jmX3xr1D3qT5sNkujlgn7YxtWp6l4wKAKV2iw-sNLLSonzJ6kQcF0zme4bplOCVGIsaHdkaBfQ14pftRtcIonyRsOPkuq0VPxeId71QHHOdc/s1600/Picture+257.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457510308140847442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZMiDMWUqVMxGKhFkZv07VULbZ7v7aC6jmX3xr1D3qT5sNkujlgn7YxtWp6l4wKAKV2iw-sNLLSonzJ6kQcF0zme4bplOCVGIsaHdkaBfQ14pftRtcIonyRsOPkuq0VPxeId71QHHOdc/s400/Picture+257.jpg" border="0" /></a> It's been a dreary couple of weeks, and my running plans have suffered...why is it I only feel like running when it's nice out?! I've still been doing other exercises, but I don't feel as good as I do after a run. I did about 20 minutes on the treadmill yesterday and felt pretty good...I hope it's enough to get myself going again! I am planning on some much needed hot yoga tonight...I can't wait to sweat it out at the studio!<br /><br />I just got my organic delivery so I will post some photos later this week of all the fantastic-looking goods! I have big plans for some yummy dinners with some of the produce! I have to eat it all up in a week because I am off to MEXICO NEXT WEDNESDAY!!!! Can.not.wait.for.sunshine!<br /><br />How's the weather in your part of the world? Any fun vacations coming up? </div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-3746674047671250992010-03-31T10:10:00.000-07:002010-03-31T10:59:55.545-07:00Yoga at HomeI love practicing yoga at a studio, but sometimes it just doesn't fit my schedule. I've been thinking about practicing on my own without <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">yogadownload</span> or an on demand source. I have a vacation to Mexico coming up in about 3 weeks and my plan is to stay active on the trip (between laying poolside and spa activities!) I thought staring out my mornings with some yoga on the beach would be great, and maybe even a short jog to warm up. I also plan to take swim breaks from being completely lethargic next to the pool!<br /><br />So on Friday, I made a yoga <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">playlist</span> including some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Enya</span>, Dido and slower Incubus tracks and rolled out my mat in the living room. I chose sequences that I like from classes I've taken and just by what was feeling good at the moment. I practiced for about 35 minutes and it felt great...I could have kept going. I am confident that I will have no problems practicing solo on the beach in a few weeks. I think it will be a great way to start the day and hopefully keep my somewhat on track!<br /><br />After my practice, I set up the camera to capture a few of my favorite poses. I didn't include all of them, but it was neat to see what I look like and a good way to make note of corrections in form I can work on.<br /><br />Ps. that is a new shirt from Lululemon that I absolutely LOVE! it's not great for yoga because it moves too much, but is great for cardio and/or weight training. I think its great to wear with regular clothes as well. In fact, I wore it to work with jeans and a blazer...I just love the pale yellow color this spring!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YEHw-_yuxA2Es83UaMRcQMMkFijqY1vmGK5pzs4pbRJww_aeoqxHOZe9Rs7NRVRx9Cf7zqX7fITJnt5CFQOm4Y6W58NTODF3ITPpinVc7zgX87KwEGn3l-GkiaTt0kIaYKnxhyphenhyphenYj7sc/s1600/Picture+215.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454847200190724818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YEHw-_yuxA2Es83UaMRcQMMkFijqY1vmGK5pzs4pbRJww_aeoqxHOZe9Rs7NRVRx9Cf7zqX7fITJnt5CFQOm4Y6W58NTODF3ITPpinVc7zgX87KwEGn3l-GkiaTt0kIaYKnxhyphenhyphenYj7sc/s400/Picture+215.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454849044436763778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48x5xUFCXznpaOumQqTuE6yJmB7MOfPGS6z5gf1MAr1pB2gqbE97_qnLxHTnfOEdmhc7NlPUchvxhbt0KghoaWJKwvZjgMuVUq_nxB23xrEbDsSdc8EB5EXT5iYixCzByT0z3f8HajX0/s400/Picture+217.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454849055412843426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJsXbfs1TQ_KxeLWHLJXCVrm1GlSvIERzOhgg0CbCm7BNwnzN0iDA7wJkG71C-Q9QeTowVoGl5UgJJ6BpnDv5HBgZxkGHkXLeVTsC7jc7aofcLXM8__oPsfiADEuMqQofgfjuayS3hsg/s400/Picture+211.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><strong>Are you comfortable practicing yoga on your own, or do you need instruction? What is your favorite pose?</strong><span style="font-size:85%;"> I also like dancer pose because I am getting better at it, but didn't take a phot of that one!</span></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-68691259573368217452010-03-30T15:49:00.000-07:002010-03-30T16:49:13.738-07:00Lazy Saturday LunchThis Saturday was warm and sunny here in Seattle. I took advantage and spent the majority of the day out and about. The morning was busy with yoga and shopping and once I got home I was tired of driving places so I decided to walk somewhere for lunch. Luckily right down the hill is the Essential Bakery Cafe (my favorite place to buy bread and macaroons!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WKO6sCg4DI0h-hMAsi7qN3FM1EwFt6km-FnYrH4aXq28e40grieZyZaOTFQvG9qPHt7Wc9UTEqUP6rsFOASIFWUJGqmWozqWG5dZHAhloz_8BrM_oFjeFt_xRbXmVACy1zVCYmbtrdU/s1600/Picture+243.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454567464110711586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WKO6sCg4DI0h-hMAsi7qN3FM1EwFt6km-FnYrH4aXq28e40grieZyZaOTFQvG9qPHt7Wc9UTEqUP6rsFOASIFWUJGqmWozqWG5dZHAhloz_8BrM_oFjeFt_xRbXmVACy1zVCYmbtrdU/s400/Picture+243.jpg" border="0" /></a> It always amazes me how many people are out walking or riding bikes when it's nice here. I never felt the need to be outside when I lived in Michigan! The cafe has an outdoor patio as well!<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pr7VEnNdkWlb4FKPR7ModcLRitu0_2Zp0LIFCgPXj1zylU-Ct5kaxqSeStvXRWVE8voFFD4ouhzwnCg4If6S2USkr1vZLfIN9VNOsRO3EIQTohASac8PlD2YmnZ0I7H84Y2imGJNIwc/s1600/Picture+242.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454567456843103170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pr7VEnNdkWlb4FKPR7ModcLRitu0_2Zp0LIFCgPXj1zylU-Ct5kaxqSeStvXRWVE8voFFD4ouhzwnCg4If6S2USkr1vZLfIN9VNOsRO3EIQTohASac8PlD2YmnZ0I7H84Y2imGJNIwc/s400/Picture+242.jpg" border="0" /></a> I went with a raspberry jam cookie to start...it was so yummy!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p738IKTPr9W7Y-fBK73irRjLpAdIws-P_IrBXBDu9IVNMQ2QNZnr8UTVdHu8ysqvh51bUxfpxxKmFbo4riQYJPSps1DWiqadfsEwTOzMdBP-L3XIIISwdQCQS6r2fIfa0TePcBqyAjA/s1600/Picture+244.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454566602798970354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p738IKTPr9W7Y-fBK73irRjLpAdIws-P_IrBXBDu9IVNMQ2QNZnr8UTVdHu8ysqvh51bUxfpxxKmFbo4riQYJPSps1DWiqadfsEwTOzMdBP-L3XIIISwdQCQS6r2fIfa0TePcBqyAjA/s400/Picture+244.jpg" border="0" /></a> For my lunch I got a 1/2 size portion of the Pacific Northwest Salad, which had greens, balsamic, Gorgonzola and marinated mushrooms and a 1/2 roasted yam and leek sandwich on rosemary bread. This combo so so delicious and filling. I also had a Moroccan mint iced tea.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JHP7P35ewYMQUeryM9lgJsQUqZkmYQsl36IUDrODtYHR_MoRVKNGAHip-8aWpGLJIpM4xDH4UHjWv63vrLe_FXHrFHP0_iY0etqMtvybZbLrUoitDcAejgimygL0A67UGuDdz2TPIkw/s1600/Picture+245.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454566595281857970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JHP7P35ewYMQUeryM9lgJsQUqZkmYQsl36IUDrODtYHR_MoRVKNGAHip-8aWpGLJIpM4xDH4UHjWv63vrLe_FXHrFHP0_iY0etqMtvybZbLrUoitDcAejgimygL0A67UGuDdz2TPIkw/s400/Picture+245.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoy42slQsL3aTnLWAP9ngwNSWIKJgDn7JpqpBKTLY9ozXf8igvZrpcNjlm0FzhY8J-KxLVqTsKCt01ncI9ri1lHty8mY3sx4EJud0T7YY9fc431N5kbMEZN0jtE8q_7QfuoVYLRvRoYU/s1600/Picture+246.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454564141450995042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoy42slQsL3aTnLWAP9ngwNSWIKJgDn7JpqpBKTLY9ozXf8igvZrpcNjlm0FzhY8J-KxLVqTsKCt01ncI9ri1lHty8mY3sx4EJud0T7YY9fc431N5kbMEZN0jtE8q_7QfuoVYLRvRoYU/s400/Picture+246.jpg" border="0" /></a> I could eat lunch here often, everything tastes so fresh and it's always buzzing with people. I often stop here after morning spin to grab coffee and a pastry or bread for the week...since its 7 am and not picked over yet!</div><br /><div>After lunch, I went for a long walk in the Washington Park Arboretum to play with my camera during the spring bloom. Here are some of my favorite shots:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454572803435622658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwObaLMndBfrelJx4INbbyaee62WkpDwxK5HLhEH-K0a2k9V51paR1FEp2DFWT63uMasWyW4dYLQdOxSMZLRKXC5Un6WfexzIdfXlm5ceqYvg3zDSoJaGCYAOdxG4uHtQlzqCeVMjiUo/s400/Picture+276.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454575445952507810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQrQ5lTocaiDXq7K9m68Jzbxuml8wFP9dH9f2gJzHX4mUmVScGGBM8KrqvzjpnyVKHPlO4wU6VwZ5HBnsFNuadWHNQLpQVhs11Aba5ODYKF8pmJvIVyUqJoZxmysvJHrw5yx05FNbcKw/s400/Picture+261.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454576157846762642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaxJWurY7riYxVvWa3zRRw6uLIctnUkm0hnNRe1Szjkt5cuCSWTK7EnUtlljJmK4cpwmGNSM0Dk8tCYnSU4ktjQGRLq1iGbJ9pbpfx9ZamIvxaF3FDW_9xi1B_Xa94Llm8wBQXJKDlVA/s400/Picture+251.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454572785169011890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mnxoUZkfegA87lghHobR2mKt0OW-hKoxkWaGWY83jifm5N8xgH1MKVw4zD88XMeTv2bTnBIs9KhQGxkp-RfYjhYkcbkiwn_gum8i6y_qkpsp-kan4_uQJklOoQBaIhO7RDa9Bo9DEpU/s400/Picture+279.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454575436574355730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzwDbPhMoRoPm6Pxcvz2Fi95KsNBa87orP8tQ3Vgp_zQCNbGDmHuqQmVFL1DjJ7hPjGb7_Tewzgq6Z19z5SY0Nvm_oJVqAfqawC7a_YzCQ7gytL-OMa4EbQGbMTgEnnbB1g_OjtNLGA0/s400/Picture+258.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454575425725373730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77ukPEhQENG5hU76ww5qKGXBy0MV8PRpkLxVQIa9CqV5-0t9LVeObmZ1JUYWKml4TvkHSLvmrb76SW4HhbE3VoW7RkR2Wth8gshhXsLU25uUnaMYp6RiPz6p58ldXsb-q94iuQwbA4n4/s400/Picture+271.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454572791836165410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClj-Bva8WCaoUYgzrgh1LgFFo3Rnu42jjpOpa2vzUtnynzJb9rGh_KadENklZLfFoH31Pk4HK3V3-T-f55LUuXfEB-INIX8YA_2-u3_s49opELULrWidmLkzVMicfjyojZc5zyZg6hDU/s400/Picture+278.jpg" border="0" /><strong>Do you sometimes take a long walk over a run?</strong> <span style="font-size:85%;">I just wasn't feeling the running this weekend, but did enjoy two long walks about 1 hour 40 minutes each!</span>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-46175257851234435932010-03-24T10:45:00.000-07:002010-03-24T10:45:00.176-07:00Cornbread and Chili<a href="http://sproutedkitchen.com/">Sprouted Kitchen</a>, one of my favorite recipe blogs (and the blog that inspired me to start playing around with food photography) posted this recipe for <a href="http://sproutedkitchen.com/?p=1067">Cast Iron Cornbread</a> that I have been wanting to try ever since I read it! The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ingredient</span> list wasn't too long and it was actually pretty simple to prepare and wow, it was the best cornbread I've ever made. I will definitely be making this again. I think the best part was the sprinkle of cheddar cheese that crisped up on the top...and the nice crust that the cast iron pan gave it!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTbigEZL5JYBWDvYcaq0vqWy8z9OvDcWpXLLeIAPk0EgQ4WxtmFdaBI-Wgt9ECp0HPcrHG-4Ak_0gH7eBp1m-waaDfWGvlmGimSDyfoL9i7qW9TVLhhdGqBq00d3HMDeFVYvL8g7MJ2o/s1600-h/Picture+207.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452053029686997858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTbigEZL5JYBWDvYcaq0vqWy8z9OvDcWpXLLeIAPk0EgQ4WxtmFdaBI-Wgt9ECp0HPcrHG-4Ak_0gH7eBp1m-waaDfWGvlmGimSDyfoL9i7qW9TVLhhdGqBq00d3HMDeFVYvL8g7MJ2o/s400/Picture+207.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqi_6yUentuN2xYhMZtsoCzp8ba1qeSwmeySmBaAuvKBu5nTG1ndrVC7i9koKzw1xKHg3oyyD2_SfJTKYDQJWrt5JBum3jgKXSA0pwkp0AcoNqWF7Pooh5HMGnqCS63ufUubY19SjO8I/s1600-h/Picture+206.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452053024238540242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqi_6yUentuN2xYhMZtsoCzp8ba1qeSwmeySmBaAuvKBu5nTG1ndrVC7i9koKzw1xKHg3oyyD2_SfJTKYDQJWrt5JBum3jgKXSA0pwkp0AcoNqWF7Pooh5HMGnqCS63ufUubY19SjO8I/s400/Picture+206.jpg" border="0" /></a> We paired the bread with a chili recipe that we made as we went (to taste). The ingredients included extra lean ground beef, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, chopped onion, stock, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, salsa, chili powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, honey. This seems like a lot of spices, but the flavor was so good...there was a little spice and a little sweet at the same time. I can't wait to east left-overs tomorrow! We topped the chili with a spoonful of sour cream and chives with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLq_Ec4B2xlUqvd8ANxZzJdLG07jrtujWlZBMGnSWOylzHRgFnrC_oTkhv4fnzqp5HwOdmA4uPlN84WT_56Px7lDJ01EmsVP_xBY-2wWrrNysVhYlorIutz3hcO-9J2B9UxPXYVwa-wnE/s1600-h/Picture+205.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452053009363569810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLq_Ec4B2xlUqvd8ANxZzJdLG07jrtujWlZBMGnSWOylzHRgFnrC_oTkhv4fnzqp5HwOdmA4uPlN84WT_56Px7lDJ01EmsVP_xBY-2wWrrNysVhYlorIutz3hcO-9J2B9UxPXYVwa-wnE/s400/Picture+205.jpg" border="0" /></a> Yum, the meal was comforting and delicious! I went back for another sliver of bread...so good!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtrySMESd4uDX2Pocbbg5rCov7AlJh-5_YEKoQn8meQmieVmxJMld5_GZJg-Vxeq3hIFVk8uhobI31ffmRQFPE0Pkt8Y-jzYxssHnh9PxJrfJc1yEfWPulPrtdS_yhu5VjYuFH5NRuLI/s1600-h/Picture+204.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452053002508409554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtrySMESd4uDX2Pocbbg5rCov7AlJh-5_YEKoQn8meQmieVmxJMld5_GZJg-Vxeq3hIFVk8uhobI31ffmRQFPE0Pkt8Y-jzYxssHnh9PxJrfJc1yEfWPulPrtdS_yhu5VjYuFH5NRuLI/s400/Picture+204.jpg" border="0" /></a>I ended up going for a 3.5 mile hilly run after work while the sun was still shining. I did the same loop as last Friday twice and the second time was pretty tough, but I pushed through and only walked half-way up one hill and once crossing a street...not bad! My pace was around an 11 minute mile, and I am hoping to get it down to a 10 minute mile by summer.</div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-83039653252801713642010-03-23T13:49:00.000-07:002010-03-23T14:09:31.784-07:00Sunny WeatherIt's been so nice in Seattle lately and I have been pretty busy making the most of it. With the time change, it seemed like the afternoon when I got out of work last Friday! I changed into workout clothes and hit the pavement while the bf hit the elliptical. I did a short 1.8 mile hilly loop in a sub-10 min/mile pace, which is pretty great for me! I really liked the loop, I had beautiful views of Lake Washington and Mt Rainier. After the run, I met the bf back at the gym and we did a full body strength training workout. It felt great!<br /><br />When we got home, we both felt like eating out and have been wanting to go back to Dahlia Lounge since we ate their for NYE and decided it was time. We started with oysters and cocktails (I got champagne). Then I had a winter white salad with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cucumber</span>, endive and a truffle dressing. My entree was the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Alaskan</span> salmon with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">morels</span>, mashed potato and roasted asparagus...yum! We spilt a dessert and called it a night! This was an awesome splurge of a meal and we had so much fun!<br /><br />Saturday was a beautiful 68 degree sunny day and I started out with a heated flow yoga class at 8 am followed by a veggie juice and huge bowl of oats! We watched the St. Mary's game then went for a long hilly walk to grab sandwiches for an outdoor picnic in a park. It was fun and I soaked up as much sun as I could! Later I had a massage and it was painful, but so so great. I took a n<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ap</span> after and we made steak, sweet potato and salad for dinner and met some friends out for drinks. I had 2 glasses of wine out and one glass at dinner...I think I am going to try and cut back on the alcohol again!<br /><br />Sunday was great...I took a restorative yoga class and relaxed the rest of the day. We also made all our meals in which doesn't happen often on a Sunday!<br /><br /><br />It's been sunny this week so far and is supposed to get to 68 again tomorrow. Yesterday, I took a yoga class, but had the itch to go out running so I am going to make up for it today! I am planning to take advantage of the sun and go for a run after work...probably that same loop as last week x2. I hope to get in another run tomorrow at lunch.<br /><br /><strong>Do you ever feel like you NEED to be outside when it's nice?</strong> I feel like I'm wasting a nice day when I don't go out and do something!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-12154765806130198272010-03-18T17:10:00.000-07:002010-03-18T17:51:11.597-07:00Rack of Lamb FeastDuring weekends we like to cook a more time-consuming meal with fresh meat from either Whole Foods or Pike's Place Market. One last weekend's menu was rack of lamb. We haven't cooked this in a long time and I don't have a recipe to give because the bf knows the recipe by heart and cooked the whole meal himself (I opened the bottle of wine!) We went shopping at Whole Foods and picked up all the ingredients we needed.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-7ZZIgVKGiNQjhgSZAp1Irl_exlZKrAXj1KGwogY3cOazhQORck4OgCEAs-PNaG4FumHFfdLtSttzH_DDwYYl-SIa2kSfFELNvNmg8atzbF1TX6gHlZ30qzLrxGGR9KXfuBJAWQKQl4/s1600-h/Picture+153.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450136592780585266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-7ZZIgVKGiNQjhgSZAp1Irl_exlZKrAXj1KGwogY3cOazhQORck4OgCEAs-PNaG4FumHFfdLtSttzH_DDwYYl-SIa2kSfFELNvNmg8atzbF1TX6gHlZ30qzLrxGGR9KXfuBJAWQKQl4/s400/Picture+153.jpg" border="0" /></a>The lamb was seasoned with salt and pepper and coated in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dijon</span> mustard, then bread crumbs and wrapped in aluminum foil before baking.<br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_tlSuFiKI4RSEEtpd5uRoVHMAWyYHdEc4Yl34q8T3D7iTfQAYxwgF1v5G1Q2EVs2KJ9uYv4EgANjaSFPiciiWzKlqOcK-RIwy5T-nE7_PH_UCzPL93skVPJvDzVbjyjmxkSkG972iC8/s1600-h/Picture+159.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450135232058452722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_tlSuFiKI4RSEEtpd5uRoVHMAWyYHdEc4Yl34q8T3D7iTfQAYxwgF1v5G1Q2EVs2KJ9uYv4EgANjaSFPiciiWzKlqOcK-RIwy5T-nE7_PH_UCzPL93skVPJvDzVbjyjmxkSkG972iC8/s400/Picture+159.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9Rhwn9-BL-IdkkAJ4RVZE8KArPkzWH4YmNg34OofJnlkbXDaBxN6EysbIsIggoJrP3xeVID1YdIXZmq2KedOB0cbtQSZGLLBGWFjm241VJS0sA91ka3WNLqsnkbv7va29xPvIChsce8/s1600-h/Picture+162.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450135223936232050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9Rhwn9-BL-IdkkAJ4RVZE8KArPkzWH4YmNg34OofJnlkbXDaBxN6EysbIsIggoJrP3xeVID1YdIXZmq2KedOB0cbtQSZGLLBGWFjm241VJS0sA91ka3WNLqsnkbv7va29xPvIChsce8/s400/Picture+162.jpg" border="0" /></a> We steamed asparagus and boiled/mashed some gold potatoes to serve alongside the lamb.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450135241288666066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNd8bA7pXEXINS5yxF2Cgsbmc-i8TeA_a005HSsO13_O4T1o0sQ_2quiQZhy11wYB2H3fsbo4XiWVWeFV1E-Vy3jXMuh9vAwAOMqORN5ge4YlDnkDVq1rNB046bG-uj4YCEkkEs_OGl0w/s400/Picture+158.jpg" border="0" />The sauce was made from stock, port, raspberry and mint sauce.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450136583788979954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNrK0VAKJh7EILjkh4EsWSwTI46kzWaHbFEdPvw0hDg45rrX71HPq7rpcYQDYtKVsw0JIQDr1xzPnhDrjZvM_I3pxIUhjQU3QH28sDqq8HMmfwtcg1HABRGclbpv-Ce6KfNBto7BvNMU/s400/Picture+155.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoMdOlsV31enOGChFEFWkWZPs4OZ5bfPsb8SUXPON-NAIezumjvh2uljSQedQI5t1Mvpt6zQiOZZWFCQp0MzyWpcSwRe-S8OOzV4OFmhlfucvf1j5wW2meY8RvDfGF1l8KHIqdMHuEmU/s1600-h/Picture+163.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450134539623646162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoMdOlsV31enOGChFEFWkWZPs4OZ5bfPsb8SUXPON-NAIezumjvh2uljSQedQI5t1Mvpt6zQiOZZWFCQp0MzyWpcSwRe-S8OOzV4OFmhlfucvf1j5wW2meY8RvDfGF1l8KHIqdMHuEmU/s400/Picture+163.jpg" border="0" /></a> The rack came out of the oven perfect...I took 3 bones, he took 5:)<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4O3rQV6yGuyGcqbbJQCjcxajhE7bND_4V-y1_o0VW93MPL2cq15QOu8nPH-COrVsoGJriB9t2LpYwk-wzXu_K40dAs2pPJAMORkgoi1lobR73TSm_u486fuPBkw9MZWfCFSdDxpT93L4/s1600-h/Picture+171.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450134519249173362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4O3rQV6yGuyGcqbbJQCjcxajhE7bND_4V-y1_o0VW93MPL2cq15QOu8nPH-COrVsoGJriB9t2LpYwk-wzXu_K40dAs2pPJAMORkgoi1lobR73TSm_u486fuPBkw9MZWfCFSdDxpT93L4/s400/Picture+171.jpg" border="0" /></a> We garnished the plate with fresh <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">raspberries</span> and a glob of mint jelly. I wasn't a fan of the mint jelly because it <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">overpowered</span> the taste of the lamb. This meal was fantastic...so delicious!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlYAw0tTjGDMnLaqmnfO1Iq4pNtCFephONPx0bdqf4Z8PgDSPF7dMLPafFUworl2gz5SOOLCuYQr9-2CSMHLDGyzsox7cEYTrOszznv2bnD4pNT7tjJQqjZvujYk2z07CX3gXNqXujg8/s1600-h/Picture+176.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450131175137058706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlYAw0tTjGDMnLaqmnfO1Iq4pNtCFephONPx0bdqf4Z8PgDSPF7dMLPafFUworl2gz5SOOLCuYQr9-2CSMHLDGyzsox7cEYTrOszznv2bnD4pNT7tjJQqjZvujYk2z07CX3gXNqXujg8/s400/Picture+176.jpg" border="0" /></a> We drank a bottle of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Cuvee</span> Rutherford from my favorite winery in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Napa</span> - Rubicon Estate. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450134528526718434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsInWkHFFDL8KK_DYEzckEG4n6pzt_WiL9N3hjNrZE7m1OTYLVWLiI9KcUrBJNsfhblol6dQnIz4I6Xs4qsDEql831VLo8wlj6xCaQfh1rL2s5TfYl6Z1v365LsoZrDVhwSorJqG6SgS0/s400/Picture+167.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><strong>Have you made any good weekend dinner's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">lately</span>?</strong>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-34169781643690618802010-03-17T20:32:00.000-07:002010-03-17T21:09:41.667-07:00Breadbaking ClassI was inspired by Megan at <a href="http://www.runnerskitchen.com/">The Runners Kitchen</a> to try out a cooking class. I've been wanting to learn to bake bread, so when I found a class at <a href="http://www.cooksworld.net/">Cook's World</a> which featured the founder of the Essential Baking Company (my favorite bakery!) I signed up right away! The teacher was really great at explaining the science behind bread; we learned a ton of technique and went home with some raw dough to bake the following morning. Here is my bread in the oven this morning:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449816373102870530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkuHcBgkoDVZ3jUjbVvdLkhHAfhR2K2QBW4j4TLR1PmYeX4Ze5VaE67hHw7XZVYwZrFhEOllIwe_fx9_t2r4pYqw5LjMQC3nX-jsPaHDhsWHkBl6yHG2NsILdqUeDtBOiZn8lFYps1g4/s400/Picture+194.jpg" border="0" /> TA DAAAA! My first loaf of homemade bread!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA22axEOQKgU2b8TkNgsvPaNnCoZ0KvldyP6w0BvUwKcnQx7mXpBsOWoM2EtLFQrRVArgbiF2icfWxp1ujgQe5rX0e27POdz3FP_jvpgu52gCVkFsxqJBVoWSaseAAW-UeVlAVI5vxB-4/s1600-h/Picture+191.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449816356559141474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA22axEOQKgU2b8TkNgsvPaNnCoZ0KvldyP6w0BvUwKcnQx7mXpBsOWoM2EtLFQrRVArgbiF2icfWxp1ujgQe5rX0e27POdz3FP_jvpgu52gCVkFsxqJBVoWSaseAAW-UeVlAVI5vxB-4/s400/Picture+191.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVC7n1bR2HC9U-WqjhRFOYkhtYVE96-Quq30EMhbRD5iZcecw6-n-Yf0G8lOFxlhLwwVH1rCwxNAd5qxTjO6d2BYXhcLtQGkoCAahJFe_kQwUkpboyDPSmfO-AA9o68Ws6_qM7sH0ois/s1600-h/Picture+192.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449815146414576450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVC7n1bR2HC9U-WqjhRFOYkhtYVE96-Quq30EMhbRD5iZcecw6-n-Yf0G8lOFxlhLwwVH1rCwxNAd5qxTjO6d2BYXhcLtQGkoCAahJFe_kQwUkpboyDPSmfO-AA9o68Ws6_qM7sH0ois/s400/Picture+192.jpg" border="0" /></a> I cut it open and it was perfect! I used a couple slices to make a sandwich for lunch and it was so chewy and really great flavor. I had another chunk with my dinner tonight and topped it with some creamy camembert and black cherry preserves...divine!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBM_pLraO4-KBZ8h453mhYpCYwKqXTnWiZze8fbhD_mnSA8a294vhXhRCsahp2t2-gMBfX4WbnNB5vakUBag6DJ9T9fm-feA0e8X7yZ7ERg-JBW67fqcZ3KSm6NIYUtIaxJ_EJSYd2n3w/s1600-h/Picture+195.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449814509929600274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBM_pLraO4-KBZ8h453mhYpCYwKqXTnWiZze8fbhD_mnSA8a294vhXhRCsahp2t2-gMBfX4WbnNB5vakUBag6DJ9T9fm-feA0e8X7yZ7ERg-JBW67fqcZ3KSm6NIYUtIaxJ_EJSYd2n3w/s400/Picture+195.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Dinner was full of yuminess...I baked some wild alaskan king salmon and served with a dried cherry and sunflower seed kale salad dressed in EVOO and the slice of bread I described above. I mixed a little maple syrup with a dash of dark soy sauce and EVOO and spread over the salmon, baked at 500 for 12 minutes...it was perfect!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDlkQoZoZujccur6R7_0Z1GmDUKXKhR85pi-HL1ecvw1Y6HJBL3DP4f6jfYHwlC76AyyHoaHg5qrGk9IxOPR08ib0g4jJcks1zbt_g9dIToiFhMkt8ssvtfN7VGmwcjbThY5alv1HRIQ/s1600-h/Picture+199.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449813769361655362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDlkQoZoZujccur6R7_0Z1GmDUKXKhR85pi-HL1ecvw1Y6HJBL3DP4f6jfYHwlC76AyyHoaHg5qrGk9IxOPR08ib0g4jJcks1zbt_g9dIToiFhMkt8ssvtfN7VGmwcjbThY5alv1HRIQ/s400/Picture+199.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8mkQ4erxsFZ96oZYC9pXegEpYoVsZS12ZSbfrFOG5IRBaNrP3l8i2QTY_1eS1O_tIeYpDhLgGgZ831EVGEZbI7mBdcYzNpKBATI-aCTS3IUD6lzqVqMyE1F9upVfxHYh06pI_OeOZMg/s1600-h/Picture+198.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449813155143367186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8mkQ4erxsFZ96oZYC9pXegEpYoVsZS12ZSbfrFOG5IRBaNrP3l8i2QTY_1eS1O_tIeYpDhLgGgZ831EVGEZbI7mBdcYzNpKBATI-aCTS3IUD6lzqVqMyE1F9upVfxHYh06pI_OeOZMg/s400/Picture+198.jpg" border="0" /></a> Mmmmm, that bread with cheese/cherry combo was so tasty!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgxacJCRGOxnxNUc7aVt1t0S8Ay4LiDqMiu6VKV1obQFy4TMDNEE0GDCoCTgChEtv00SXeu6EOfwN-wyXBrPUYYDpIR1AIaaKDWxIjU3pJjzgk_Q-Z6irPWoCXFzW3kCU33_QqjDxXac/s1600-h/Picture+201.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449812412468308418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgxacJCRGOxnxNUc7aVt1t0S8Ay4LiDqMiu6VKV1obQFy4TMDNEE0GDCoCTgChEtv00SXeu6EOfwN-wyXBrPUYYDpIR1AIaaKDWxIjU3pJjzgk_Q-Z6irPWoCXFzW3kCU33_QqjDxXac/s400/Picture+201.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p>I'm kind of lame and didn't do anything for St. Patty's Day. I used to look forward to green beer once a year, but I haven't felt much like going out drinking lately (unless its wine!) Instead, I took a 90 minute hot vinyasa flow and made the delicious dinner above:)</p><p><strong>Did any of you do anything fun for St. Patty's Day???</strong></p>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-37182054206235936112010-03-16T13:05:00.000-07:002010-03-16T13:37:16.844-07:00Food Blogger Goodies!After reading so many blogs that feature a various array of nut butters and other healthful goodies, I decided to stock up and try out some new things in my meals! I came home a couple weekends ago with 5 nut butters (fresh ground almond, coconut, cashew, maple almond and chocolate peanut butter), chia seeds, nutritional yeast, raw crackers, raw food bars and shredded coconut. I haven't tried all of the nut butters or bars yet...too many new things at once! <div><br /><div>I do have to say that coconut butter and chia seeds will become a staple in my home moving forward! I love adding the seeds to my oats and plan to play around with more recipes I have been seeing on other blogs. The coconut butter is also SO good on oats, but also on fruit, pancakes, muffins, straight out of the jar...the list goes on! I may also try to make my own once I get a food processor (also seems to be the new rave!!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMFuELtoHozcS4eLrHm4i9I3kpprF2wzOGwwMVFZJRQgqNRHCcxqsqMPX8xl6Z8Do299bMwjygsxzC4onakS8Sbx4VsJTlnO3VB6VgjjFfTQ9W8ruumEvembI0GvC88ZtQMzbvVCjVo8/s1600-h/Picture+146.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449327613474820738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMFuELtoHozcS4eLrHm4i9I3kpprF2wzOGwwMVFZJRQgqNRHCcxqsqMPX8xl6Z8Do299bMwjygsxzC4onakS8Sbx4VsJTlnO3VB6VgjjFfTQ9W8ruumEvembI0GvC88ZtQMzbvVCjVo8/s400/Picture+146.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>The shredded coconut has been going into my oats and I used the nutritional yeast in a salad dressing and topped some eggs and kale chips with it. I may try adding to pasta next time. Its not bad, but I don't see go thru large quantities at a time like the coconut butter...<br /><br />I have been adding the Dark Choclate Dreams to fresh sliced fruit for dessert, but I could also eat that on anything (or just straight from the jar!) It is so delicious! I don't think that tub will make another week:) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449331491252100050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sXeFIdIeEHEsFkvOXz9paM1iurg5Ikh8E0QzC7nrBw8kaEidZN8SdOhfLZk4FYYoc48Y3PUZws-UWTucZT8AMMFmGTx9ssF4ZtlESZZv588AS8u78fmN7AtttE4dl-acW8uXBTohOFM/s400/Picture+123.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449331031182231986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqC6NcczBzsbWf60-R0BBGQ0s1F5MwGR5iVosW092IkAaTrL8kDxvSOox894yJ2BFqqMPDvdssLorzgojdh0n83JWg-uVdWfHhuvgtD0WG-c6NYPQV2Hd9hPXCzfzrqxXYlkMwbckqyDo/s400/Picture+151.jpg" border="0" /> </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdymRxLF-Lq-rqW_DRrvK_v1ndyeYA7otfDcaDeQJRuwSu2Sg44sVfwU-_gNIQ5NsR1qDxkdyig7taJGQLRw-wDVOi3HXligUibHgTjOBtU_Mj7ziBYcMu_Vz1T8RsnHO1FhVVpnilwLA/s1600-h/Picture+147.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449325533937983234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdymRxLF-Lq-rqW_DRrvK_v1ndyeYA7otfDcaDeQJRuwSu2Sg44sVfwU-_gNIQ5NsR1qDxkdyig7taJGQLRw-wDVOi3HXligUibHgTjOBtU_Mj7ziBYcMu_Vz1T8RsnHO1FhVVpnilwLA/s400/Picture+147.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>What is your favorite nut butter???</strong> <span style="font-size:85%;">I have yet to try the cashew butter, but my altime favorite is fresh ground almond because it still has littel chunks of almond in it (and its fun to grind at the store!)</span></div><div></div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-81041356511911397132010-03-15T21:40:00.000-07:002010-03-15T22:36:37.753-07:00Fresh ProduceMy New Roots box came last <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wednesday</span> and I must have gone veggie crazy this week because I only have some of the fruit and a few <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">zucchini</span> left!!! But look at this box o goodness...everything was so fresh and tasty! The carrots, asparagus and sweet potatoes were huge!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV60-kkBOEBx7v4s6p7OeALh1NyWjZUpEXGo4fZix2dRIYnkudBaxs4sUPY_gZGco7LQ9Sov0v-af5G_iTG5zkM060V9e4393FBPNQPxK0FRNu7C5m2yAQiTFaDX7qy0w9q9OrpESjPA/s1600-h/Picture+128.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449094841175776434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV60-kkBOEBx7v4s6p7OeALh1NyWjZUpEXGo4fZix2dRIYnkudBaxs4sUPY_gZGco7LQ9Sov0v-af5G_iTG5zkM060V9e4393FBPNQPxK0FRNu7C5m2yAQiTFaDX7qy0w9q9OrpESjPA/s400/Picture+128.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpZol_0oh-jD3554gb4tHtpewSu2lKzHoLCRs75t7iW5fa7V8JEUmZ39CWMvWRTeIvhXWZVfFN4M5abSL7HR8CHN0eO3N6z0o7nd5klJOs-2No2qBhI7GwTYnC60_lIF7bTLZlHAGD-Q/s1600-h/Picture+131.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449094289030881122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpZol_0oh-jD3554gb4tHtpewSu2lKzHoLCRs75t7iW5fa7V8JEUmZ39CWMvWRTeIvhXWZVfFN4M5abSL7HR8CHN0eO3N6z0o7nd5klJOs-2No2qBhI7GwTYnC60_lIF7bTLZlHAGD-Q/s400/Picture+131.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHYIFbVJ0-Gc85-KdHic9cDlNzxlf96Tq6rh9fdh-4pNVZXVGVQEjMmslFEgKxfg-xAChfhjYdDmV3lrwxZbCatZxTEhtEuW9zDbqcFJFTErQGWxrk15qm8JKfOuuO8jWRBFr__ZnMck/s1600-h/Picture+132.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449093575813622162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHYIFbVJ0-Gc85-KdHic9cDlNzxlf96Tq6rh9fdh-4pNVZXVGVQEjMmslFEgKxfg-xAChfhjYdDmV3lrwxZbCatZxTEhtEuW9zDbqcFJFTErQGWxrk15qm8JKfOuuO8jWRBFr__ZnMck/s400/Picture+132.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9robuTw58ozsJVib2toYoQ-JhOVH3Z5df0Uow0jDtsYcP7JjfiuNb73UWSpkMi8BwfTS4fgEQdewIMApESy_jjn13OrOb6PGCaZNTLn49lQ4V4NnD1HXbzjBNS8zGbU7vAFQrW_Gy-s/s1600-h/Picture+130.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449092854518164514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9robuTw58ozsJVib2toYoQ-JhOVH3Z5df0Uow0jDtsYcP7JjfiuNb73UWSpkMi8BwfTS4fgEQdewIMApESy_jjn13OrOb6PGCaZNTLn49lQ4V4NnD1HXbzjBNS8zGbU7vAFQrW_Gy-s/s400/Picture+130.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSwjoR9MC8F5GN_G6erKZO83jJZXP6FzMJHo0UJLqaBqOfbgaSTk0gJUpNzIkgl7OBVm6izDw6wPrrZOyd6t45Launaa0lJefUTXUZESF8e41gR1caPw6kLXUXPUWRPExt5masXhICHs/s1600-h/Picture+134.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449092002513329970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSwjoR9MC8F5GN_G6erKZO83jJZXP6FzMJHo0UJLqaBqOfbgaSTk0gJUpNzIkgl7OBVm6izDw6wPrrZOyd6t45Launaa0lJefUTXUZESF8e41gR1caPw6kLXUXPUWRPExt5masXhICHs/s400/Picture+134.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEDe0c0A4qs-Fazsv7SeDyouCICsLsN2ZS-ZIa_MkG3PUU45y8azXTry9xbyCNnp_r55rzwiC4SlCf1kGoQIDgeefbvY5aWO0rD9UA2B91NGOJ__fpsCXW1H1VXxs1Pc2FO6ivmJ8Xic/s1600-h/Picture+129.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449089949479708306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEDe0c0A4qs-Fazsv7SeDyouCICsLsN2ZS-ZIa_MkG3PUU45y8azXTry9xbyCNnp_r55rzwiC4SlCf1kGoQIDgeefbvY5aWO0rD9UA2B91NGOJ__fpsCXW1H1VXxs1Pc2FO6ivmJ8Xic/s400/Picture+129.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopsbIC9wvF55o2bG0MCJyEZWiDH6TFhGxCHZWyYKexi_sx3Niroxog4vtv4-JPKZhc7spFEiA_aXCGJ31EvSmPS93rkOthzgHEkE7j_ZSjdUqCZ23THQKqhgUO7ZP-kChYuQFgxSt3Hw/s1600-h/Picture+135.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449089356162214546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopsbIC9wvF55o2bG0MCJyEZWiDH6TFhGxCHZWyYKexi_sx3Niroxog4vtv4-JPKZhc7spFEiA_aXCGJ31EvSmPS93rkOthzgHEkE7j_ZSjdUqCZ23THQKqhgUO7ZP-kChYuQFgxSt3Hw/s400/Picture+135.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3Ihx1A2g8TcjzTwaJYkRKv7FoEg39QKiTcnqknfGRHr2h3PSkTC8-YQUrwsmnlwl_e4XBEQBG35LNGAB9qwRAc-zGZKicOiyQnlPOuMqlRtq4Hl41qHkHmFOfdq9nqaluTPX1MwKLeM/s1600-h/Picture+137.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449087436038154338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3Ihx1A2g8TcjzTwaJYkRKv7FoEg39QKiTcnqknfGRHr2h3PSkTC8-YQUrwsmnlwl_e4XBEQBG35LNGAB9qwRAc-zGZKicOiyQnlPOuMqlRtq4Hl41qHkHmFOfdq9nqaluTPX1MwKLeM/s400/Picture+137.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div>I had a pretty amazing weekend. We went to happy hour for some appetizers before seeing Alice in 3D. The movie was entertaining and really fun to watch in 3D.</div><br /><div>Saturday ended up being a really nice day. I started out with a huge bowl of oats, then went morning <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">vinyasa</span> yoga. After yoga, I got a green juice from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Healeo</span> and the bf and I went downtown for brunch at the Dahlia Lounge and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">did a</span> little walking around and shopping. I had the most amazing orange cinnamon french toast with bacon and a huge fresh fruit cup...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">mmmm</span>! There was a St. Patty's Day parade going on, so lots of people in green:) We picked up some groceries at Whole Foods and made dinner at home and watched The Hurt Locker. The movie was good, but I still would have picked Avatar for best picture:)</div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449100462089586210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BbinnxQxLnSVDgaZXtgGGPzWfSQvy7e1GpgF5Nq-ik0S1DCM0PGTglkN97VB5atHmBNLORvLygb7rw0os-8fym7WaT88-7SS9nCXVM3y7DP1iY5JRkR8QiGMAqi_YYiXq2cMOy-A4Sw/s400/Picture+150.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449100008498495170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincVqsSy0-Wjsn4WTzBN4a8WZTEOQHG8IPtVglJ16zYBgIraITmmP7aodm2XOJo1xlwag2yEbAQiRsvk3KgDbXWkgEu6b6nbrzth2zRSFfx7wRnMHHzjqVx4jg4Jr06anJj6RfA4wcJGw/s400/Picture+148.jpg" border="0" /> <div>Sunday we made a big breakfast of eggs, toast and sliced pear with raspberries and OJ. I went wine tasting with the girls in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Woodinville</span> (only took a sip here and there because I still wanted to workout!) There happened to be cheese tasting too, and that was basically my lunch...a cheese plate! I bought this double cream local <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Camembert</span>...it was delicious! After wine tasting I went to the gym with the bf and lifted chest, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">tris</span> and a little shoulders and did 20 min on the elliptical at a a high <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">resistance</span> (ranged from 10-20!). It was tough and I was sweating hard! </div><br /><div>We then went to dinner at Restaurant Zoe to try out the Dine Around Seattle menu and got 3 courses for $30 each. This was a pretty good deal considering an entree is about $26-30 itself! The meal was awesome. I started with a celery root apple soup, then had pacific cod with mussels for my entree and a mango/banana /white pepper sorbet for dessert. The sorbet was awesome! The bf got the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">brownie</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">sundae</span> and I also stole a few bites of that:)</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-51365803192059232742010-03-12T08:47:00.000-08:002010-03-12T09:42:40.753-08:00Glazed Chicken HeavenI've posted before that we tried this recipe by Rachel Ray: <a href="http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2965">Orange Balsamic Glazed Chicken </a>and I'm not kidding that this is probably my new favorite chicken recipe! It is really not that difficult to prepare and it is so tasty! She suggests serving over a lemon risotto (which is what we made last time-great, but a little labor intensive) or you could serve over rice or pasta. We went with pasta:) You basically cook the chicken, add liquids and reduce to a glaze.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447792819971289586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4u8Ky8a-WArfs2fdjVIoiJwnZ1WWeTXdBLDX9mDyL-OBCXAxKEZ3AfVUUbWcV7MTffWzK0t60SNLslkbwsEkwt17MotLPzr4VzPshZP4g2XYDhjzV0uEvsGL45SBSyRUa41wOoU3e5U/s400/Picture+106.jpg" border="0" /> We wanted to amp up our egg noodle pasta a bit so we chopped up some Italian flat leaf parsley and tossed the pasta with a little melted butter and parsley until coated. We don't go crazy on the butter, just used a pat.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6QJ5TZisfd6HonbYjzQgVWCpCRY0DpiEMYp3ghkZAAHpo8-VNLIjfTRiWzbphlPA4_Yv4kZYO5ZJQFgDYYxj7vgHwrKK9x0llSIMXZ3o06EhAWHZ0k8LVhNOC3eDF29DiQkgvk9DH6A/s1600-h/Picture+104.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447791268798457378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6QJ5TZisfd6HonbYjzQgVWCpCRY0DpiEMYp3ghkZAAHpo8-VNLIjfTRiWzbphlPA4_Yv4kZYO5ZJQFgDYYxj7vgHwrKK9x0llSIMXZ3o06EhAWHZ0k8LVhNOC3eDF29DiQkgvk9DH6A/s400/Picture+104.jpg" border="0" /></a> This combo really amps up the flavor of plain egg noodle pasta. It is creamy and delicious with a little herb tang from the parsley.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKFaRWCTmX4NdZUZxoNjYqz91eCW_an6_iOIxz0v-46m_udEArhIIdWsbS5rHGkRKLiYe5s58w9G3B98fTSEeGz7bey2uBE-Tl-5vuXVfygrsAnjUwncO_NbpAvJi9f6mLP9PgoAyUfc/s1600-h/Picture+107.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447790779125154434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKFaRWCTmX4NdZUZxoNjYqz91eCW_an6_iOIxz0v-46m_udEArhIIdWsbS5rHGkRKLiYe5s58w9G3B98fTSEeGz7bey2uBE-Tl-5vuXVfygrsAnjUwncO_NbpAvJi9f6mLP9PgoAyUfc/s400/Picture+107.jpg" border="0" /></a> The pasta paired really well with the chicken and we steamed some broccolini on the side. This was a pretty big serving...I actually only ate about half (and all the broccolini) and took the rest for lunch the next day:)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlPrAqqkR_8spECG04-tKI0u06NOqNKB3UXQTfdgWJNpxi-Hfbmm168AKBLilC71RQwJ5xaXrfW3NnRN1yX2uPWUziwM5FuDPJ1HB_bPTU6poTLLwTGc4XZg_aM_pCfrFJjOiWPqHWWU/s1600-h/Picture+108.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447790542472339826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlPrAqqkR_8spECG04-tKI0u06NOqNKB3UXQTfdgWJNpxi-Hfbmm168AKBLilC71RQwJ5xaXrfW3NnRN1yX2uPWUziwM5FuDPJ1HB_bPTU6poTLLwTGc4XZg_aM_pCfrFJjOiWPqHWWU/s400/Picture+108.jpg" border="0" /></a> I started today off with a Green/Purple Monster <span style="font-size:78%;">(Tbs ground flax, 2 cups spinach, 1/2 banana, 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries)</span> and a 45 minute spin class at 6 am. This early rising thing is getting a lot easier:) Breakfast part 2 was coconut oats <span style="font-size:78%;">(1/3 cup old fashioned oats, 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup milk, dash of sea salt, dash of vanilla, 1/2 banana). </span>I cooked the oats on the stove until thick and creamy, then topped with a tablespoon of chia seeds, tablespoon of shredded coconut and a drizzle of coconut butter. This is definitely my new favorite!<br /><br />I packed a salad with green leaf, sliced strawberries, walnuts and poppyseed dressing and a whole grain sandwich (that I will panini cook on the foreman at work) with goat cheddar and sundried tomatoes. Snack will be yogurt and a small pink lady apple from the CSA box.</div><div> </div><div>Tonight we have tickets to Alice in Wonderland in 3D with the bf's family and may do a little happy hour beforehand. We also get to cat-sit his bro's 2 adorable cats for the next 2-3 weeks because he is going on a business trip...so excited to have the furballs for a bit!<br /><br />Saturday (if my wrist feels better) I am going to my favorite yoga class and will probably make an appearance at the gym for some cardio and strength training. We have plans to try the <a href="http://tomdouglas.com/index.php/restaurants/dahlia-bakery">Dahlia Bakery </a>for breakfast/brunch, but I'm not sure which day we are going to go. I am hoping to get some reading in on Saturday as well.<br /><br />Sunday I have plans to go wine tasting with the girls! A friend of mine has a membership at <a href="http://www.columbiawinery.com/">Columbia Winery </a>in Woodinville, and they are having an event called the <a href="http://www.columbiawinery.com/Taste%20of%20White">Tastes of White</a>. We went to the Taste of Red a few months ago and had so much fun. There were local food vendors including, bakeries, chocolatiers, BBQ, dips and cheese.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Do you enjoy going out to breakfast or brunch on the weekends? What's your favorite thing to order?</strong> <span style="font-size:85%;">My favorite thing to order is a veggie omelet and I love places that serve complimentary muffins or scones:)</span></div></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-37257404434437072462010-03-11T09:22:00.000-08:002010-03-11T09:41:35.224-08:00Queen Mary Tea RoomI had been wanting to try the <a href="http://queenmarytea.com/">Queen Mary Tea Room</a> for some time and I am so glad I finally got the chance! This place has been around for over 20 years and is a must-see in Seattle (if you are into tea, of coarse!) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYkrs-o_Xo_yeLId3gQXcTwgVuE2ynPaBiWkgQ0qLpA1SYoIaLvDN-4LXL9KrSIK5q5bQvklyjd6h_QPJQbBOSrQzSfj_Up74h741VcP0adGGmChv60xj0Pk5Bo8Jr_XAvFF3Q4tGKZA/s1600-h/TeaRoom.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447429566615655090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 144px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYkrs-o_Xo_yeLId3gQXcTwgVuE2ynPaBiWkgQ0qLpA1SYoIaLvDN-4LXL9KrSIK5q5bQvklyjd6h_QPJQbBOSrQzSfj_Up74h741VcP0adGGmChv60xj0Pk5Bo8Jr_XAvFF3Q4tGKZA/s400/TeaRoom.JPG" border="0" /></a> Since the new Alice in Wonderland had come out that weekend, the entire menu was based on characters and lines from the story. This was a treat before we got the 3-tiered afternoon tea...Royal Sorbet Gems and The "Eat Me" shortbread. I ordered Grape Pomegranate Green tea, which was delicious. We also got to sample a couple other teas, which were equally as good.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18smvU-SDEY4YjrQLJUdH2GfZW2MpWgoKRJEiPKol3VOQ_0rUOJe2PUEIZ4kvmUhhhXjOtsrEAZARhFZETwV8PeBihgi57VH7hBGL_GltWOILOhNoBnho_WJg_VkkN42nUEPwfCfwObc/s1600-h/Picture+118.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447428642376317634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18smvU-SDEY4YjrQLJUdH2GfZW2MpWgoKRJEiPKol3VOQ_0rUOJe2PUEIZ4kvmUhhhXjOtsrEAZARhFZETwV8PeBihgi57VH7hBGL_GltWOILOhNoBnho_WJg_VkkN42nUEPwfCfwObc/s400/Picture+118.jpg" border="0" /></a> Here is the tiered platter of goodness. My favorite part was the sticker of the Mad Hatter:) There was this crazy-delicious chocolate cake hiding amongst the fruit, which was easily in the top 5 cakes I've had!<br /><br /><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuSOhs1b68oSvfnLJiIrTsvqaLYE2pbTuRrBEnEKyv8RWEkJI5yAbodwUDbuxkKPfo6ZNHdGY-fjCTzgIFy0V6Jnr6GOqMYuEIVzJjutPIz3cT9bn3OvVlwbdkZOBvGzUVyIPycIW9QA/s1600-h/Picture+119.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447428270278745058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuSOhs1b68oSvfnLJiIrTsvqaLYE2pbTuRrBEnEKyv8RWEkJI5yAbodwUDbuxkKPfo6ZNHdGY-fjCTzgIFy0V6Jnr6GOqMYuEIVzJjutPIz3cT9bn3OvVlwbdkZOBvGzUVyIPycIW9QA/s400/Picture+119.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">The rest of the platter included:</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Alice’s strawberry tea bread</div><div align="center">“Off with their heads!” cranberry orange scone</div><div align="center">Cheshire cat crumpet<br />“Never too late” chocolate cake</div><div align="center">Caterpillar mushroom meringue</div><div align="center">Hedgehog macaroon</div><div align="center">The Queen’s red rose lemon cupcake</div><div align="center">Cinnamon sugar scepter</div><div align="center">Down the rabbit hole fresh fruit<br />Pink flamingo smoked salmon crostini</div><div align="center">White rabbit carrot tea sandwich</div><div align="center">Bread and butterflies chicken tea sandwich</div><div align="center">Tweedledee’s raspberry pinwheel tea sandwich</div><div align="center">Tweedledum’s vegetarian quiche</div><div align="center">Mrs. Pig’s sausage roll</div><div><br /></div><div>Everything was great and the 3 of us that went were not able to finish it. I would probably go back for a special occasion, but not regularly...it was a bit spendy;)</div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1941414006413404878.post-62752333271971330762010-03-10T10:37:00.000-08:002010-03-10T11:11:31.790-08:00SeafoodLast Sunday, I stopped by Whole Foods to pick up some dinner ingredients and other goodies. We decided to see what types of fish they had fresh that day and find a recipe from Rick Stein's Seafood book to use it in. They had fresh Alaskan king salmon and cod and we decided on the cod...it just looked to good to pass up!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2If-b7Ow4q5nrGM0gLiwjY8a15fm4v_sFtwAvOPm4WmpeAMndS9LR5YldHzl6eQKukI_o-29EMvXMVrHl6Xs1tZLqqkrvUbapRXWT1cYB4qXMbKvREGjNOXMGGIQT4lzGf3BAB8g4jPU/s1600-h/Picture+120.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447076664239497762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2If-b7Ow4q5nrGM0gLiwjY8a15fm4v_sFtwAvOPm4WmpeAMndS9LR5YldHzl6eQKukI_o-29EMvXMVrHl6Xs1tZLqqkrvUbapRXWT1cYB4qXMbKvREGjNOXMGGIQT4lzGf3BAB8g4jPU/s400/Picture+120.jpg" border="0" /></a> We chose a recipe that included grilled cod served over a bed of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mashed</span> spring onion potatoes with a soy-butter sauce. I also picked up some asparagus to serve on the side. We pan fried the cod because we like it cooked that way better. The potatoes were very easy...we boiled 4 small-medium potatoes until tender and sauteed the spring onions in a little butter. The onions were added to the mashed potatoes <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">along</span> with a little milk to make them creamy. We sauteed the asparagus until tender then added some balsamic and sauteed another minute or so. The sauce was a reduction of chicken stock and soy sauce..once it had reduced by half, we added butter and diced tomatoes. The dish was excellent! The cod was very tender and cooked perfectly and the sauce mixed with the potato and cod was the perfect combination of salty and creamy, but was not too heavy.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NLsTqhFu9yCP3qCmtnavLyC88jXSRSmxyNVnVH2Ucu40m81XohJhw2lR1qfq6kWcexrcpgOOAxhXF-9AO7IAXtZn6tI1Aut8j0gGmFZq50BoTS6AooSOtwE4VLl5Pomh5D3ClcPEtVU/s1600-h/Picture+121.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447076336085332258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NLsTqhFu9yCP3qCmtnavLyC88jXSRSmxyNVnVH2Ucu40m81XohJhw2lR1qfq6kWcexrcpgOOAxhXF-9AO7IAXtZn6tI1Aut8j0gGmFZq50BoTS6AooSOtwE4VLl5Pomh5D3ClcPEtVU/s400/Picture+121.jpg" border="0" /></a> I am always so impressed by the selection of fresh fish in this area...it is one of my favorite things about living in the Pacific Northwest! Next up...salmon:)</div><div></div><div>We ended up going out to sushi last night at <a href="http://www.shiros.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Shiro's</span></a> in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Belltown</span> and it was the best we've had yet in Seattle. A lot of the fish was local and fresh and it was melt in your mouth good! My favorite was this thinly sliced red snapper from Oregon...it was amazing! The salmon from Canada was really good too, very tender, almost creamy. I could become a regular there!<br /><br />I got my organic produce delivery from New Roots Organics today, so I am looking forward to using some of the ingredients tonight in a meal! I will post pics of what was included tomorrow:) I also have plans to workout tonight...I signed up for a yoga class, but I hurt my wrist yesterday (I have no idea how!) and I think it would hurt to much to put pressure while in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">downdog</span> and other various poses:( I am icing it today and hopefully it feels better tomorrow...there is this little hard lump on the top of my wrist...and its so painful! So it will probably be a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cardio</span> night...maybe a little strength training as long as I'm careful!<br /><br /><strong>What is your favorite type of fish or sushi?</strong> I'm a sucker for salmon!</div><div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09245959701973843111noreply@blogger.com2