Random Musings from Snowy Boston!

Hi There!

I hope everyone is enjoying a nice weekend. I'm actually home in Boston this weekend to pick up my wedding dress! Wheeee :)

"She's" Here!

Ahh, let me just say how totally in love I am with this dress. I didn't think it was possible, but I loved my dress even more at this appointment than at my first. I didn't want to take it off! I kind of wish it was cool to wear your wedding dress to formal events following the actual wedding, ya know? I just find it so sad that I only get to take her for a spin for one day!

As I said before, it's quite snowy here! While I have no interest in shoveling or trecking through the actual snow, I must admit that the view I currently have from my seat by the fire is quite pretty :)

On a side note, I love that I actually have a whole room to practice yoga in at my parents house. I can heat it up so I'm nice and toasty, and I actually have a door to shut which makes it much easier to block out the noise, both physical and mental!

At home, I practice yoga in the hallway by the front door. Very zen. In addition to the tight quarters, my home yoga practice is typically accompanied by a rather loud soundtrack of PJ and Toby wrestling, or the echo of gun shots from PJ's video game. There have been a time or two where Toby has come whipping around a corner and knocked me out of a pose. It's kind of hysterical ( and scary) when it happens as Toby usually doesn't acknowledge my presence before he plows into me, or after.   Not ideal, but that's life in a city apartment.  On the flip side, I  gotten quite good at tuning out the external noise and action (or distraction!). Not a bad skill to have, right?

Live action shot. Toby= 1, Sarah =0.

Anyways, back to Boston. Here are my wonderful parents at dinner Friday night. Muffins.

This was the dinner my Dad cooked for Mom and I last evening. So yum. He made this lobster stuffed haddock (amazing), this roasted butternut squash, and some simple, but delicious jasmine rice.  Perfecto.

I wanted to share this yummy breakfast that I made last week and will definitely be repeating. I added a cup of leftover cooked quinoa to a sauce pan and covered it with about 1/2 -3/4 cup almond milk, and 1 Tbsp chia seed. I mixed everything together, covered the pot, and let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes (until chia seeds expand). I  topped the oatmeal-like dish with approximately 1 tbsp coconut oil,  a few raisins, and a dash of shredded ,unsweetned coconut. I then drizzled it with a little maple syrup. Perfect morning pick me up.

Another winner from the week was a variation of this pasta dish. It was SO good. I adapted the recipe a bit , so I've included my version below. Super easy, delicious, and nutritious. Note** You will have garlic breath after you eat this, but I swear it's totally worth it.

Garlicky pasta with Olives, Craisins ,and Kale

(adapted from two peas and their pod)

Serves 6-8 ( I halved the recipe and it was plenty for two generous servings!)

ingredients:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried craisins
1 large bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound spaghetti or other pasta(we use whole wheat)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, cut into slivers-pits removed
1 1/2 cups of shredded asiago cheese (You can use any cheese that you like!)

Note* For some extra protein, I added half a 15oz can of garbanzo beans to my dish and some pre-cooked chicken sausage to PJ's.

directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook garlic, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer garlic with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Cook onion in the remaining oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add dried cranberries and cook until plumped, about 1 minute.

2. Add kale leaves into onion mixture with water and 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat until almost tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pasta pot of boiling salted water until aldente. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water and drain pasta.

4. Toss pasta with kale, kalamata olives, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle feta cheese and garlic chips over the pasta dish and serve warm.

 

This is a random snap, but I wanted to share one of my favorite afternoon snacks. Plain 0% Greek Yogurt (I use Chobani or Fage), topped with flaxseed meal, mixed nuts, and a drizzle of organic honey. This combo really powers me through the afternoon, and it usually keeps me pretty satisfied until dinner.

 



 

Last week, my lovely friend Valentine stumbled across the above image above and sent it to me. I love it!  Aside from the "less wheat" suggestion, this totally sums up my philosophy on food, don't you think? Again, I say philosophy- not rules. After years of trial and error, I can confidently say that for most people, having food "rules" is a set up for disaster. For me, moderation in everything is the key. For example, I love animals, and I enjoy making some meals during the week that don't include meat. I usually sub in another protein like beans, edamame, or egg. With that said, I would not call myself a  "vegetarian". Putting myself into a category just doesn't work for me. Sometimes I eat meat and sometimes I don't.For example, Friday night I had a chicken salad sandwich,sweet potato fries, and a few bites of my Mom's burger. Everyday is different, and I find that making sure my diet incorporates a little bit of everything keeps me physically nourished and mentally sane. Sane is good.



Since I discussed long distance grocery shopping and meal prep in this post, I figured I would let you all know that I planned my menu for the week and ordered my groceries all while enjoying my coffee this morning.  My bounty will be waiting for me when I get home tomorrow evening. Preparation= no takeout!

Ok, time to go enjoy dinner with the parentals.

 

Something to think about:

So true.

Be good,

xo

Sarah