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| view from hike along Crazy Pete's Road in California |
12.31.2010
Looking Ahead...
... to 2011 and excited by what I see. I hope everyone has a beautiful, happy & safe New Year's Eve! See ya next year ;)
12.29.2010
Sweet & Sour Salmon
Robbie, one of my California hosts, made dinner the other night & I had to share some of the recipes he used because they were delicious. After a long day of playing with Lokshen, the golden doodle puppy, in the park, we were famished. So while Rachel & I relaxed on the couch, Robbie whipped up a storm in the kitchen. He made Sweet & Sour Glazed Salmon with Chipotle Sweet Potato Mash and Roasted Brussel Sprouts. Yum, right?
Sweet & Sour Salmon
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Red Bell Pepper, stemmed, seeded & finely chopped
1/2 tsp Salt
2 cloves of Garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup packed Light Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 Salmon Fillets, 6 oz each
Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat your oven to 500 F.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the bell pepper & salt, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients and allow to simmer until the mixture is syrupy.
Set aside while you prepare the salmon.
Remove any bones from the salmon and pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper, lay it skin side down in a lightly oiled 9 by 13" baking dish. Bake for 5 minutes.
Remove the salmon from the oven and spread a thick layer of the prepared glaz over the tops and sides of the fish. Place back in the oven and bake until all but the very center of the fish as turned opaque, about 5 minutes longer.
Remove from the oven, brush with another layer of glaze and serve. You can serve any extra glaze on a small bowl next to the fish.
Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled & diced
1/2 of a canned Chipotle Pepper (not a half a can, a half a pepper!!!)
1/2 tsp of juice from a can of Chipotle Peppers
Gently steam the cubed sweet potatoes over low heat until they are tender and cook through. Mash the potatoes, add the chipotles and juice and serve. You can adjust the amount of Chipotle and juice according to your taste; just add a bit of a time because that stuff can be HOT!
Sweet & Sour Salmon
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Red Bell Pepper, stemmed, seeded & finely chopped
1/2 tsp Salt
2 cloves of Garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup packed Light Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 Salmon Fillets, 6 oz each
Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat your oven to 500 F.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the bell pepper & salt, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients and allow to simmer until the mixture is syrupy.
Set aside while you prepare the salmon.
Remove any bones from the salmon and pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper, lay it skin side down in a lightly oiled 9 by 13" baking dish. Bake for 5 minutes.
Remove the salmon from the oven and spread a thick layer of the prepared glaz over the tops and sides of the fish. Place back in the oven and bake until all but the very center of the fish as turned opaque, about 5 minutes longer.
Remove from the oven, brush with another layer of glaze and serve. You can serve any extra glaze on a small bowl next to the fish.
Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled & diced
1/2 of a canned Chipotle Pepper (not a half a can, a half a pepper!!!)
1/2 tsp of juice from a can of Chipotle Peppers
Gently steam the cubed sweet potatoes over low heat until they are tender and cook through. Mash the potatoes, add the chipotles and juice and serve. You can adjust the amount of Chipotle and juice according to your taste; just add a bit of a time because that stuff can be HOT!
12.27.2010
California Bound & a Veggie Bake Recipe
Looks like I picked the perfect time for a vacation! While my neighbors were busy preparing for the first major snowstorm of the winter, I was on a plane to California. Not that my travel plans weren't without some drama. My original flight was to take off at 4:30 pm on Sunday but was canceled the night before due to the impending weather. After about 6 hours on hold with Continental to try to change my flight, I went to sleep late Saturday night convinced that my vacation just wasn't in the cards. Luckily, I have some of the greatest friends in the world. Rachel and Robbie, my would-be hosts in California, launched their own "Save Erica's Vacation" effort and were able to get in touch with Continental. At 4am, I received a wake up call that went something like this.
Rachel: "Wake up. You're on the 8:45am flight. You can sleep when you get to California"
Me: "Hu?"
Rachel: "Wake up. Ok, I'll give you a minute to wake up so you can understand what I'm saying"
Me: "Hu... um... I'm so confused. Ok. I'm up. Sh*t! I haven't even packed yet!"
Rachel: "Get out of bed & pack. Jump in a cab at 6:30. We'll see you in a few hours... we're going to sleep"
Following Rachel's commands, I quickly jumped up, packed, got into a cab by 6:33 and arrived at Newark airport at 6:53am. My cab driver drove like a bat out of hell but for once, I didn't mind. The airport was INSANITY!!! Note to self: ALWAYS check in online. ALWAYS. But I got on the flight and just a few hours later, I arrived in California to plenty of sunshine, smiles and a cute little golden doodle named Lokshen.
Of course I took some pictures from the plane...
After a long day of travel, hanging out with awesome friends and a glass or two of red wine by the fireplace, we sat down to a delicious dinner that included this Veggie Bake. It's a throw-it-all together kind of recipe; just some veggies, tomato sauce and cheese in a pan. Throw it all together, bake for an hour, and enjoy!
Veggie Bake Recipe
Preheat your oven to 400 F.
1. Thinly slice assorted vegetables lengthwise (we used Eggplant, Squash, & Zucchini. Mushrooms, Onions, and Peppers are also great options).
2. Spread a thin layer of your favorite tomato sauce in the bottom of a large pan or casserole dish.
3. Add a layer of the first vegetable.
4. Follow with another thin layer of tomato sauce
5. And a light sprinkling of cheese (we used goat cheese but use whatever floats your boat. Vegan options work just fine too.)
6. And then veggies.
7. And then sauce
8. And then cheese..
Ok.. get the point? It's sort of like a veggie lasagna minus the lasagna. You'll want to create tight layers so feel free to press everything together with your fingers from time to time. Once your layers are in place, put in the oven to bake for about an hour or until the veggies are cooked thru. Let cool slightly since all the juices will be bubbling & yummy. Slice and enjoy! And don't worry if it all falls apart on your plate; it's just as delicious :)
Rachel: "Wake up. You're on the 8:45am flight. You can sleep when you get to California"
Me: "Hu?"
Rachel: "Wake up. Ok, I'll give you a minute to wake up so you can understand what I'm saying"
Me: "Hu... um... I'm so confused. Ok. I'm up. Sh*t! I haven't even packed yet!"
Rachel: "Get out of bed & pack. Jump in a cab at 6:30. We'll see you in a few hours... we're going to sleep"
Following Rachel's commands, I quickly jumped up, packed, got into a cab by 6:33 and arrived at Newark airport at 6:53am. My cab driver drove like a bat out of hell but for once, I didn't mind. The airport was INSANITY!!! Note to self: ALWAYS check in online. ALWAYS. But I got on the flight and just a few hours later, I arrived in California to plenty of sunshine, smiles and a cute little golden doodle named Lokshen.
Of course I took some pictures from the plane...
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| view of Salt Lake City from my seat |
 |
| Approaching the SF Airport. The Bay & Golden Gate Bridges! |
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| Lokshen. Isn't she fabulous?!? |
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| A quick & easy dinner we threw together: Veggie Bake |
Veggie Bake Recipe
Preheat your oven to 400 F.
1. Thinly slice assorted vegetables lengthwise (we used Eggplant, Squash, & Zucchini. Mushrooms, Onions, and Peppers are also great options).
2. Spread a thin layer of your favorite tomato sauce in the bottom of a large pan or casserole dish.
3. Add a layer of the first vegetable.
4. Follow with another thin layer of tomato sauce
5. And a light sprinkling of cheese (we used goat cheese but use whatever floats your boat. Vegan options work just fine too.)
6. And then veggies.
7. And then sauce
8. And then cheese..
Ok.. get the point? It's sort of like a veggie lasagna minus the lasagna. You'll want to create tight layers so feel free to press everything together with your fingers from time to time. Once your layers are in place, put in the oven to bake for about an hour or until the veggies are cooked thru. Let cool slightly since all the juices will be bubbling & yummy. Slice and enjoy! And don't worry if it all falls apart on your plate; it's just as delicious :)
12.21.2010
Lunar Eclipse
Here's a view of tonight's lunar eclipse from the city that never sleeps (obviously... why else would I be up to take these pictures). Luckily, I wasn't the only crazy person hanging out on the street taking pictures & enjoying the cold NYC air. I met some lovely folks & we were all entertained by my doorman, an opera singer. Fun times :) Did you see the eclipse?
12.20.2010
Running on Emotions (Marathon Recap Part 2)
I seriously cannot believe that a month ago yesterday, I happily completed my first marathon. It was an amazing experience and I've felt the after effects for the last 30 days, both physical (ouch!) & mental. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about what it meant to me & what was going through my head for the full 26.2 miles. Recap part 1 gave you an idea of what took place for almost 5 hours of my life on 11/21/2010. And although you might be able to imagine, it doesn't give you much insight into how the entire experience made me feel & what it helped me realize. Over the course of my months of training, I know my frequent posts on running & racing drove a few of my friends and family members nuts. And that's ok cause I can't make everyone happy and I don't intent to try to; I just want to be real & happy with myself. But I'm hoping those of you who would rather eat dirt than read another running post take a moment to read this one.
So... what was going through my head during the marathon. I'm going to be honest and I hope I don't get crap for this but I was thinking "this is easier than I expected." I'm not writing that out of conceit or because I think I'm some fantastic athlete; I know I'm not. I know how hard it is to run a marathon, how painful it can be and that for some people, it feels like 26.2 miles of hell. But I didn't have that experience at all. That's not to say that my legs didn't feel like bricks, that my muscle cramps didn't suck or that having to pee for 3 miles with no bathrooms in sight didn't almost make me cry. It's just that none of that seemed to bother me; somehow I was able to ignore all those things and just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
You see, I signed up to run a marathon to prove to myself that I could survive some of the toughest moments of my life (you can read about that here). I thought, if I can run 26.2 miles, I can do anything. I was going through hell and just wanted a reason to believe that I would survive and that everything would be ok. So I signed up for a race and dove deep into the world of running; it gave me distraction, a daily high & made me feel stronger than I've ever felt. A lot goes through your head when you're running for almost 5 hours and I spent lots of time meditating on what brought me to that point. I thought about the demise of my relationship and the emotional hell I put my important people through. I remembered a young man we lost this summer and how strong he seemed just a year ago; how life is so fleeting. I recalled the day I woke up in a panic and thought "Holy shit! I don't recognize my life. Who am I?" And then it hit me; I thought I needed to run a marathon to prove I could survive but as it turns out, if I could survive all those things, I was already strong enough to survive anything. So yes, the marathon seemed easy.
Why am I telling you this? Because over the past few months, I've heard so many people say "You're running a marathon? I could never do that" and it drove me a bit nuts. The fact of the matter is, yes you can. You can pretty much do anything as long as you realize that you have the strength; you've always had the strength, you just need to find it. This pertains to anything you want to do. Want to learn rock climbing but think you're too weak or afraid of heights? Go to the gym, build that strength and face that fear. Want to write a book but don't know where to start? Start at the beginning, do the research, make a plan and take it one step at a time. Sure you'll have your good days & then there will be the ones when you want to just give up. But if you want it bad enough, don't give up because you can make it happen.
I was lucky to have so many incredible people there to support me during this crazy journey and I feel like now's a good time to give them props & say some thank yous.
First and foremost, THANK YOU mom & dad. I don't even think "thank you" is enough to express how much I appreciate all that you were to me during the last few years and during marathon training. No matter how much I lashed out, you stood by my side and told me I would be ok and that I could do it, whatever "it" happened to be that day. You never lost faith in me. Thank you for following me during my long & hot Florida training runs to bring me water, for mailing me my favorite brown rice cakes & nine pound bags of almonds so I wouldn't lose too much weight, for flying to Philly with a fabulous sign in tow to stand outside for 5 hours and scream my name. Words just can't describe....
Thank you to Avi & Debby for the support & love you sent from Israel and then England and for listening without judgement when I needed someone to hear. I love you & truly miss you & the girls every day. Thank you to Shawn & Sara for your Philly hospitality- the opportunity to run those last few long runs on the marathon course were instrumental in my success. Thank you to my entire family and especially Jennifer, for your constant support, encouragement, emails & phone calls cheering me on; I could honestly feel your pride in me. And thank you to Rachel & Michelle, the two best friends a girl could ever dream of. I am so lucky to have you both, my sisters, in my life. Thank you to Ehud who despite everything was always available to remind me how strong I was, and for bringing me orange juice when I felt like I was going to pass out after my long runs. Thanks to the Blooms for being there when you knew I needed you, for thinking of me often & letting me know just how often.
Thank you to The Laminator, for being an awesome coach, for listening to my concerns and helping me conquer them. You seriously rock and running the first few feet of mile 26 with you will always be one of my favorite memories ever! Thank you Dani for your words of advice, for your friendship and for inspiring me everyday. One day I want to be just as fast as you (a girl can dream, can't she?). Thanks to Nancy for being an incredible friend, for your wisdom and for your belief in me. Thanks to Sam, Katie & Michael for being the most awesome marathon training partners! Your company, example and encouragement helped push me hard and made me a better runner. Thank you Dori for your support and for inviting me to run the Diva Half Marathon which led to the formation of our incredible friendship- love you! Thanks Ben for your encouragement, your example, and for your help creating an awesome training schedule. Thank you to The Academy... oh wait, wrong show ;) And finally, thank you to all the folks in my world, both in person & online, who have supported, encouraged, motivated and inspired me along the way. I started to thank each one of you personally but realized that might take forever, and I was afraid I would leave someone out. But seriously, I'm constantly amazed at how incredible you all are; I'm grateful to have you in my life.
Ok, enough of this emotional sappy stuff. Have you thought about the goals you want to conquer next? Yes? Awesome! Now get off your ass & get to work ;)
So... what was going through my head during the marathon. I'm going to be honest and I hope I don't get crap for this but I was thinking "this is easier than I expected." I'm not writing that out of conceit or because I think I'm some fantastic athlete; I know I'm not. I know how hard it is to run a marathon, how painful it can be and that for some people, it feels like 26.2 miles of hell. But I didn't have that experience at all. That's not to say that my legs didn't feel like bricks, that my muscle cramps didn't suck or that having to pee for 3 miles with no bathrooms in sight didn't almost make me cry. It's just that none of that seemed to bother me; somehow I was able to ignore all those things and just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
You see, I signed up to run a marathon to prove to myself that I could survive some of the toughest moments of my life (you can read about that here). I thought, if I can run 26.2 miles, I can do anything. I was going through hell and just wanted a reason to believe that I would survive and that everything would be ok. So I signed up for a race and dove deep into the world of running; it gave me distraction, a daily high & made me feel stronger than I've ever felt. A lot goes through your head when you're running for almost 5 hours and I spent lots of time meditating on what brought me to that point. I thought about the demise of my relationship and the emotional hell I put my important people through. I remembered a young man we lost this summer and how strong he seemed just a year ago; how life is so fleeting. I recalled the day I woke up in a panic and thought "Holy shit! I don't recognize my life. Who am I?" And then it hit me; I thought I needed to run a marathon to prove I could survive but as it turns out, if I could survive all those things, I was already strong enough to survive anything. So yes, the marathon seemed easy.
Why am I telling you this? Because over the past few months, I've heard so many people say "You're running a marathon? I could never do that" and it drove me a bit nuts. The fact of the matter is, yes you can. You can pretty much do anything as long as you realize that you have the strength; you've always had the strength, you just need to find it. This pertains to anything you want to do. Want to learn rock climbing but think you're too weak or afraid of heights? Go to the gym, build that strength and face that fear. Want to write a book but don't know where to start? Start at the beginning, do the research, make a plan and take it one step at a time. Sure you'll have your good days & then there will be the ones when you want to just give up. But if you want it bad enough, don't give up because you can make it happen.
I was lucky to have so many incredible people there to support me during this crazy journey and I feel like now's a good time to give them props & say some thank yous.
First and foremost, THANK YOU mom & dad. I don't even think "thank you" is enough to express how much I appreciate all that you were to me during the last few years and during marathon training. No matter how much I lashed out, you stood by my side and told me I would be ok and that I could do it, whatever "it" happened to be that day. You never lost faith in me. Thank you for following me during my long & hot Florida training runs to bring me water, for mailing me my favorite brown rice cakes & nine pound bags of almonds so I wouldn't lose too much weight, for flying to Philly with a fabulous sign in tow to stand outside for 5 hours and scream my name. Words just can't describe....
Thank you to Avi & Debby for the support & love you sent from Israel and then England and for listening without judgement when I needed someone to hear. I love you & truly miss you & the girls every day. Thank you to Shawn & Sara for your Philly hospitality- the opportunity to run those last few long runs on the marathon course were instrumental in my success. Thank you to my entire family and especially Jennifer, for your constant support, encouragement, emails & phone calls cheering me on; I could honestly feel your pride in me. And thank you to Rachel & Michelle, the two best friends a girl could ever dream of. I am so lucky to have you both, my sisters, in my life. Thank you to Ehud who despite everything was always available to remind me how strong I was, and for bringing me orange juice when I felt like I was going to pass out after my long runs. Thanks to the Blooms for being there when you knew I needed you, for thinking of me often & letting me know just how often.
Thank you to The Laminator, for being an awesome coach, for listening to my concerns and helping me conquer them. You seriously rock and running the first few feet of mile 26 with you will always be one of my favorite memories ever! Thank you Dani for your words of advice, for your friendship and for inspiring me everyday. One day I want to be just as fast as you (a girl can dream, can't she?). Thanks to Nancy for being an incredible friend, for your wisdom and for your belief in me. Thanks to Sam, Katie & Michael for being the most awesome marathon training partners! Your company, example and encouragement helped push me hard and made me a better runner. Thank you Dori for your support and for inviting me to run the Diva Half Marathon which led to the formation of our incredible friendship- love you! Thanks Ben for your encouragement, your example, and for your help creating an awesome training schedule. Thank you to The Academy... oh wait, wrong show ;) And finally, thank you to all the folks in my world, both in person & online, who have supported, encouraged, motivated and inspired me along the way. I started to thank each one of you personally but realized that might take forever, and I was afraid I would leave someone out. But seriously, I'm constantly amazed at how incredible you all are; I'm grateful to have you in my life.
Ok, enough of this emotional sappy stuff. Have you thought about the goals you want to conquer next? Yes? Awesome! Now get off your ass & get to work ;)
12.15.2010
Gluten Free French Toast
Some people celebrate the eight days of Chanukah (& yes, I'm one of those people). Some celebrate 12 days of Christmas. Lately, I've been celebrating two weeks of gluten free french toast. It's true, I'm completely obsessed.
It all began with a box of Gluten Free Pantry's French Bread & Pizza Mix. Although I prefer to make bread from scratch so I can use my preferred gluten free flours, I keep a box of this mix on hand for those moments when I want bread and just don't want to think. This mix also happens to make a pretty fantastic pizza.
About two weeks ago, the box in my cupboard came in handy and I baked a beautiful loaf of gluten free bread. I devoured a piece right out of the oven spread with Earth Balance- delicious! But the real excitement came the next morning when I realized I could make french toast. My favorite! And the same excitement occurred again the next morning, and then the morning after that, and after that... and now two weeks later and several loafs of bread baked, I am still in french toast heaven. Is there a French Toast Eater's Anonymous? If so, please sign me up.
The good news for all of you is that I've taken the time to concoct a bazillion (or maybe just a few) ways to make this perfect breakfast treat. So if you LOVE french toast as much as I do, here are some ideas to celebrate your own french toast marathon!
Flavor the egg batter with...
-fresh vanilla bean. If you don't have vanilla beans on hand, vanilla extract will do the trick.
-almond extract. Just remember, a little but will go a long way.
-fresh lemon or orange zest
-low fat coconut milk (soooo gooood!!!)
-pureed pumpkin
-chai spices
Coat the bread with....
- unsweetened shredded coconut (especially delicious when the bread has been soaked in coconut milk)
-crushed almonds
Stuff with...
-apple pie filling (homemade, not the horrible canned stuff)
-ricotta cheese & berries
Top the french toast with...
-homemade applesauce
-caramelized bananas
-berries sauce (puree defrosted berries of your choice)
-cinnamon
-agave
-pumpkin butter (Trader Joe's is pretty fantastic)
Here is a picture of day 1's version: homemade gluten free bread soaked in vanilla bean egg batter and topped with cinnamon and pumpkin butter. Pure bliss.
So tell me... how do you like your french toast?
It all began with a box of Gluten Free Pantry's French Bread & Pizza Mix. Although I prefer to make bread from scratch so I can use my preferred gluten free flours, I keep a box of this mix on hand for those moments when I want bread and just don't want to think. This mix also happens to make a pretty fantastic pizza.
About two weeks ago, the box in my cupboard came in handy and I baked a beautiful loaf of gluten free bread. I devoured a piece right out of the oven spread with Earth Balance- delicious! But the real excitement came the next morning when I realized I could make french toast. My favorite! And the same excitement occurred again the next morning, and then the morning after that, and after that... and now two weeks later and several loafs of bread baked, I am still in french toast heaven. Is there a French Toast Eater's Anonymous? If so, please sign me up.
The good news for all of you is that I've taken the time to concoct a bazillion (or maybe just a few) ways to make this perfect breakfast treat. So if you LOVE french toast as much as I do, here are some ideas to celebrate your own french toast marathon!
Flavor the egg batter with...
-fresh vanilla bean. If you don't have vanilla beans on hand, vanilla extract will do the trick.
-almond extract. Just remember, a little but will go a long way.
-fresh lemon or orange zest
-low fat coconut milk (soooo gooood!!!)
-pureed pumpkin
-chai spices
Coat the bread with....
- unsweetened shredded coconut (especially delicious when the bread has been soaked in coconut milk)
-crushed almonds
Stuff with...
-apple pie filling (homemade, not the horrible canned stuff)
-ricotta cheese & berries
Top the french toast with...
-homemade applesauce
-caramelized bananas
-berries sauce (puree defrosted berries of your choice)
-cinnamon
-agave
-pumpkin butter (Trader Joe's is pretty fantastic)
Here is a picture of day 1's version: homemade gluten free bread soaked in vanilla bean egg batter and topped with cinnamon and pumpkin butter. Pure bliss.
So tell me... how do you like your french toast?
12.14.2010
Nancy's Dangerous Holiday Punch
As promised, here is the recipe for the Holiday Punch Nancy concocted for this past weekend's Erica Sara Designs trunk show.
Seriously easy, right? You just throw it all in a bowl, no need to even defrost the berries first! It was beyond delicious. Dangerous ;)
Also, check out the guest post I wrote for Sarah Stanley's 25 Days of Cheer series here... and then get out there and do something (you'll see what I mean when you read the post).
Also, check out the guest post I wrote for Sarah Stanley's 25 Days of Cheer series here... and then get out there and do something (you'll see what I mean when you read the post).
12.13.2010
Erica Sara Designs Trunk Show!
Erica Sara Designs had our first trunk show this weekend and it was a HUGE success!!! A group of lovely ladies arrived in Connecticut for an evening of cocktails & wine, delicious treats and of course, shopping. It was so much fun meeting these wonderful women and watching them try on their favorite pieces! The women were so excited to purchase jewelry for Christmas gifts and even had the opportunity to custom design their own pieces. Here are some pictures from the evening.
Sending a huge thank you to Nancy for her support and for hosting this trunk show & making it such a fabulous success! We're already in the planning stages for our next event which will take place in New York City. Join our mailing list for Erica Sara Design updates including special discounts, giveaways and invites to our future trunk shows!
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| Necklace and Earring galore! |
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| Some new pieces coming to Erica Sara Designs soon! |
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| These stunning Semi Precious Gemstone necklaces were a big hit! |
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| Delicious! We finished the Champagne Punch in a matter of minutes... stay tuned for the recipe on the blog tomorrow! |
12.08.2010
Lentil, Mushroom & Spinach Soup
Brrr! Winter has officially arrived in NYC; it's freezing out there! Perfect weather for the pot of the week, Lentil, Mushroom & Spinach Soup.
If you're new to my blog, you're probably wondering what the heck is a "pot of the week". During the cold NYC months, I like to have a pot of something on call in my refrigerator at all times. Something yummy that I can warm up in a minute notice for a quick, healthy & hearty meal. I make a large pot of it on Sunday and usually eat it for one meal a day, whether lunch or dinner, for the week until it's time to make the next pot of something.
Once again, this week's pot is a nutritional powerhouse full of fiber, folate, iron, vitamins K & A, calcium... I could go on & on. Since it's so filling, I've been eating it on it's own as a complete meal.
Lentil, Mushroom & Spinach Soup
serves 4-6
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 large Carrots, chopped
1 large Onion, chopped
2 stalks of Celery, chopped
5 cloves of Garlic, finely minced or pushed thru a garlic press
16 ounces of Mushrooms, sliced (I used baby portabella but feel free to use whatever type you love)
4 sprigs of fresh Thyme
1/4 cup Red Wine
1 cup brown Lentils, rinsed
7 cups Water or Vegetable Stock
1 Bay Leaf
2 cups Baby Spinach
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and celery and saute about 5 minutes. Add the garlic & mushrooms and continue to saute an additional 5 minutes. Add the fresh thyme (you can add the entire sprig and then remove the stalks later) and red wine and cook until the wine is completely reduced. Add the lentils, water or vegetable stock & the bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the lentils are done.
If you are serving right away, stir in the spinach and allow to wilt. if you are serving at a later time, add the spinach to the soup right before reheating.
Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
If you're new to my blog, you're probably wondering what the heck is a "pot of the week". During the cold NYC months, I like to have a pot of something on call in my refrigerator at all times. Something yummy that I can warm up in a minute notice for a quick, healthy & hearty meal. I make a large pot of it on Sunday and usually eat it for one meal a day, whether lunch or dinner, for the week until it's time to make the next pot of something.
Once again, this week's pot is a nutritional powerhouse full of fiber, folate, iron, vitamins K & A, calcium... I could go on & on. Since it's so filling, I've been eating it on it's own as a complete meal.
Lentil, Mushroom & Spinach Soupserves 4-6
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 large Carrots, chopped
1 large Onion, chopped
2 stalks of Celery, chopped
5 cloves of Garlic, finely minced or pushed thru a garlic press
16 ounces of Mushrooms, sliced (I used baby portabella but feel free to use whatever type you love)
4 sprigs of fresh Thyme
1/4 cup Red Wine
1 cup brown Lentils, rinsed
7 cups Water or Vegetable Stock
1 Bay Leaf
2 cups Baby Spinach
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and celery and saute about 5 minutes. Add the garlic & mushrooms and continue to saute an additional 5 minutes. Add the fresh thyme (you can add the entire sprig and then remove the stalks later) and red wine and cook until the wine is completely reduced. Add the lentils, water or vegetable stock & the bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the lentils are done.
If you are serving right away, stir in the spinach and allow to wilt. if you are serving at a later time, add the spinach to the soup right before reheating.
Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
12.07.2010
Yoga Lover's Gift Guide
Yes, it's another gift guide. I can't help it! The holiday season has gotten to me & I've officially failed at my shopping diet. Here are some of my favorite gift ideas for yoga lovers. Hint, hint, hint ;)
1. This Gaiam Tree of Life Yoga Tote is simple & I love the tree design.
2. The Wild Buddha Design Ganesh Sweatshirt is cozy & so cute
3. How about a subscription to Yoga Journal . Each issue is full of great articles, recipes and easy to follow instructions for poses and vinyasas.
4. Or maybe a gift certificate to a local yoga studio.
5. I'm also loving Alo Yogawear. They carry pretty & feminine pieces that are perfect for throwing over your yoga clothing on the way to class.
6. A new yoga mat is always a great gift. This one is the Eco Yoga Mat, perfect for a healthy yoga practice & a happy environment. Don't you love all the colors?
7. The Om Namah Shivayah necklace, because what girl doesn't love jewelry?!?
8. I can't remember how I survived Bikram classes without my hot yoga towel. I love this Kulae Hot Yoga Towel because it's affordable and comes in really lovely colors.
9. And what yoga gift guide would be complete without something from Lululemon ;)
12.06.2010
A Runner's Gift Guide
Still searching for the perfect gift for the runners in your life? Here are some of my favorite ideas.
No.1 I LOVE the Fun on Foot running guides! These books are available for a variety of locations including New York, Philadelphia, New England and American Cities (a compilation of cities across the country). The guides map and describe running and walking trails and include information about local running clubs, among other things. I'll be writing up a complete review on the New York guide in a few days but in the meantime, consider this a sneak preview. They rock!
No.2 A bad ass moisture wicking running top. This one from Athleta is on my winter shopping list. Isn't it cute?
No.3 the 26.2 engraved marathon necklace of course! This small disc can also be engraved with 13.1 or any other distance your favorite runner desires.
No.4 Zensah compression sleeves not only look ridiculously hot, they increase oxygen blood flow to the lower leg muscles during long runs or for recovery. These made all the difference on those 18 & 20 mile marathon training runs.
No.5 Moisture wicking headbands from Scarlett Craft are cute and so necessary. They keep your hair & sweat out of your eyes, come in multiple colors and a variety of sayings. My favorites are "In my mind I run like a Kenyan" and "Runnerd"
No.6 I love my Garmin 405 GPS watch so much, I named him Samson. A GPS watch takes the mileage guess work out of training runs so you can just relax and let your mind wander. Once your run is complete, upload your workout information to your computer to review splits, pace and a bazillion other things.
No.7 A subscription to a great running magazine like Runner's World
No.8 A gift certificate for a massage... swoooon
No.9 A cute Lululemon running skirt keeps you cool and comfortable when you're pounding the pavement. I loved wearing mine during the Philadelphia Marathon.
Happy Shopping!
No.2 A bad ass moisture wicking running top. This one from Athleta is on my winter shopping list. Isn't it cute?
No.3 the 26.2 engraved marathon necklace of course! This small disc can also be engraved with 13.1 or any other distance your favorite runner desires.
No.4 Zensah compression sleeves not only look ridiculously hot, they increase oxygen blood flow to the lower leg muscles during long runs or for recovery. These made all the difference on those 18 & 20 mile marathon training runs.
No.5 Moisture wicking headbands from Scarlett Craft are cute and so necessary. They keep your hair & sweat out of your eyes, come in multiple colors and a variety of sayings. My favorites are "In my mind I run like a Kenyan" and "Runnerd"
No.6 I love my Garmin 405 GPS watch so much, I named him Samson. A GPS watch takes the mileage guess work out of training runs so you can just relax and let your mind wander. Once your run is complete, upload your workout information to your computer to review splits, pace and a bazillion other things.
No.7 A subscription to a great running magazine like Runner's World
No.8 A gift certificate for a massage... swoooon
No.9 A cute Lululemon running skirt keeps you cool and comfortable when you're pounding the pavement. I loved wearing mine during the Philadelphia Marathon.
Happy Shopping!
12.01.2010
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