Sarah's Modern Bites

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New Balance Falmouth Road Race 2012 Re-Cap

HI!!! Life has been extremely busy over here. Leading up to this past Sunday, my focus had been on gearing up for The Falmouth Road Race which took place Sunday, August 12th.

The Falmouth Road Race is a very prestigious, extremely exciting, 7-mile road race with absolutely breathtaking ocean views! It is Cape Cod’s largest sporting event, and it is the epitome of what one would imagine a ‘Cape Cod Race’ to be. The crowds were just spectacular. The streets were lined with locals cheering on runners for the entire 7 miles. Lot’s of homes had there hoses out to spray down the runners, others had music playing. The spectators really make this race special. From the site: “The New Balance Falmouth Road Race celebrates its 40h running this year and the spirit which made the first Falmouth so special is still present today. More than 11,000 runners will gather in Woods Hole for the 2012 renewal, including many of the world’s elite, though the essence of the event remains a fun run. Back-of-the-pack joggers share the road with the best, forming a tapestry of colors from the start on Water Street to the finish at the beach in Falmouth Heights.”

After a glorious night of drinking and amazing food at the Naked Oyster on Main Street in Hyannis, here are my splits:

I love numbers and statistics when it comes to my running. Yes, I am that kind of runner haha But I only compete against myself. I’ve really enjoyed tracking my improvement over the past year and a half. Running to me, is a solitary sport and on race day, when we are all brought together, I think it makes us all feel a part of something greater.

Mile 1: 7:55
Mile 2: 7:52
Mile 3: 7:38
Mile 4: 7:22
Mile 5: 7:36
Mile 6: 7:25
Mile 7: 7:28

Finish: 53:46
Average pace: 7:41
Overall place: 948 out of 10951
Gender place: 230 out of 5418
Age group place: 174 out of 2886

This seriously amazed me. I run every day and drink wine every night. So I mean come on, I’m certainly not training ‘seriously’. Though, one could argue that what works for one person may not work for another. I have only seen improvements in my running so I see no need to change my habits. Yes, of course I want to become a better runner (maybe semi- competitive one day, like placing in the top-10 for females at a local race). I know that if I want to see truly significant improvements from where I am at now… I’ll have to make some changes. Until then, I am very happy with where I am at! My only real goal for this race (besides finishing!) was to finish in under an hour. I secretly wished for 55:00 but I didn’t think it would be at all possible considering I pretty much over OVER trained, had a late night, enjoyed a few (or more… oops!) glasses of wine, and was in a miserable mood the morning of the race because of the pouring rain I figured I would be trudging though. But I was committed to this race through and through and enjoyed every last minute of it!

This is a really well-written article from Running Times written by a high school runner. It’s short and sweet and hits the nail on the head. What she writes really resonated with me. I even have it plastered on my fridge at home!

So. I’ve been really antsy lately. Antsy to move my life forward and get things started! Naturally, attempting to accomplish 1088372 things, and put all of my energy into each and every single one of these projects, has burned me out. To a crisp. And unfortunately, by striving to give 100% to so many demanding projects, they all suffer. It’s just not realistic to think that I can give everything I’ve got to so many different things all at once. I tend to spread myself very thin which leaves little time for relaxing and recharging. I have very little steam left in this engine. But still, I find myself piling up my plate with new projects, willingly, only to get disappointed in myself that I haven’t been able to follow through, or that the end results weren’t what I had imagined. It’s unnecessary, self inflicted stress. So, I’m trying to take it one step at a time right now. This certainly isn’t easy for me as I’m definitely a gogogo kind of person and really love multi-tasking, having plenty of goals and things to work on and things to look forward to. But I’m sick of the things I want to accomplish not manifesting fully into reality because I’ve tried to do too much. This always results in being completely unproductive, with half finished projects scattered all over the proverbial floor.

Heh, rant over!

Fast forward to:

The night before the race! Andrew and I bar hopped, perused Main Street in Hyannis, and enjoyed a really fabulous late night dinner. Exactly what you’re supposed to do the night before a race that is really important to you.

I’m pretty obsessed with Caesar salads, especially at nice restaurants that prepare crisp romaine with real homemade Caesar dressing. Pile on the anchovies please!


Evil grin? Bashful? I’m going with evil. In either case, Andrew said this was one of the best clam chowders he has ever eaten.
For dinner I got the Marlin special. I wish I had taken a picture! I adore Marlin. It is very similar to Swordfish but lacks that dark meat. Andrew enjoyed sauteed Thai jumbo wild shrimp bok choy, snow peas, roasted cashews & spicy peanut sauce served over lo mein. He enjoyed every last bite. The sauce was incredible. It inspired me to make shrimp with peanut sauce one of the nights!

The next morning was rough. I was exhausted and it was pouring. In a nutshell, we left the hotel at 6:30AM, and Andrew drove me to the bus pick-up which was fairly close to the finish. The buses chauffeured rain soaked (many runners cleverly turned trash bags into homemade ponchos!) to the start of the race in Woods Hole. I got there at about 8:30 for a 10AM start. So needless to say I made some friends while waiting! Luckily, the clouds parted ways just in time for the race.

The race ended at Falmouth Heights Beach. After crossing the finish, we were all corralled towards a large field where there was plenty of food and refreshments including a seemingly endless supply of Yasso frozen Yogurt! Andrew actually saw me cross the finish line (this isn’t always an easy thing for friends and family to accomplish)! So, it took him a bit to get to the field to meet me so we could bounce. We both really wanted to avoid any sort of Cape Cod traffic that was sure to be magnified to the 10th degree with all of the race traffic combined with tourist traffic. I grew up on Cape Cod and I know just how horrific it can be. We walked about 2 miles back to his car, spotted a baby snapper, I cleaned up a bit, and we got the hell outta Dodge!

this little guy was slowly making his way into the street! Andrew safely placed little Snappy into the brush. I can’t believe that Andrew spotted the little guy! He looked like a rock!

We left the Cape almost entirely traffic free. I call that a miracle. We were both extremely hungry so we grabbed lunch right outside Boston at Joe’s American Bar and Grill… where I had wine, and waaaaait for it, a shrimp Caesar salad! I’m so not predictable. Oh, and just and FYI, they have a TON of gluten free options including gluten free breads and rolls, pasta, and even gluten free pizza! the rolls were very, very delicious. A bit cake-like and less chewy than wheat bread but rich in flavor and awesome warm with butter.


Once home, I showered, unpacked, started on some laundry, did a little food shopping, and then planted my butt outside with some Barbera and The Corrections. I have tried getting into this book over the past few months and I just cannot. I don’t think Jonathan Franzen’s style is for me. He just seems to go on and on and on with so much filler that doesn’t really seem to add to the actually story telling. I find myself having to re-read paragraphs constantly. Anyone else feel this way? I feel like I should be taking notes in the margin. I just can’t get lost in this book.

Over the past month, I’ve been having a lot of fun in the kitchen but I have neglected taking many pictures. One of my very favorite tings to do is to cook for my family and friends.

A few weeks ago I made Chicken Tikka Masala for Andrew and Ben. I can take or leave Indian food. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that I never crave it and usually just prefer other flavors. Andrew on the other hand, loves Indian food. I made the Cook’s Illustrated version of Chicken Tikka Masala which ended up being a big hit! I found the recipe here. Though I don’t absolutely love Indian food, I really, really enjoy cooking it! The kitchen smelled amazing and it was really fun working with all the spices. I like the methodical approach you need to take with many Indian dishes. I also made Basmati rice with Tumeric, butter, and peas as well as The Food in My Beard’s homemade Naan. SUCH a great recipe! If you want to make Naan at home I HIGHLY recommend using Dan’s recipe.

Other happenings:

A lovely dinner hosted by our friends Erin and Neal. They made a delicious Italian meal and were super sweet and accomodating and made me some gluten free pasta :D

I wanted to bring a dessert but ended up with a huge fail the night before so I ended up making this right before we headed over to their place. haha I don’t even know what to call it. I made gluten free vanilla coconut flour cupcakes with buttery gluten free graham cracker crusts, and filled them with mini marshmallows. Though delicious, they were just so ugly I decided to make a dessert plate of sorts out of them. I can’t decide if it made the dessert look better or worse. I plated the cupcakes and garnished the plate with melted Simply Lite chocolate, natural mini marshmallows, and gluten free graham crackers. Not my best presentation but it tasted pretty darn good.

After moving to Watertown in June, we have been slowly exploring our new town’s culinary ‘scene’. Only to discover, there really isn’t a scene. But, there are a handful of good restaurants scattered about and a few local bars that are very, local. In the best possible way of course ;) My Sister used to live in Watertown and recommended La Casa De Pedro for it’s fun atmosphere, fabulous drinks (If it’s not wine, it’ a margarita for me!) and outdoor seating. We met our friends Kristy and Gary out on a dreary Wednesday night but had a great time! We sat at the bar with two rounds of margarita’s (AMAZING BTW), and enjoyed a delicious late night dinner. I got a lovely salad topped with avocado and a haddock dish which included plantains. I <3 plantains! They were definitely the highlight of the dish. The fish may have been slightly overcooked but not so much that it deterred from the meal. I cannot wait to go back on nice night so we can sit outside! It has a really fun, tropical/latin vibe, fresh, flavorful food, it's affordable, and they make excellent margaritas. What more can you ask for?



Nubar has been a new favorite drink spot in Harvard Square. Andrew and I actually ate there for Valentine’s Day. They have $5 wine specials on Tuesdays and Thursdays, roasted chickpea bar snacks, and a beautiful gas fireplace (awesome for the cooler months). It is in the Sheraton and tucked away just enough so that it’s never overly crowded. It always feels like that ‘special spot’.

Me with the lovely Laurie Catigan!

Despite the $5 wine specials, I of course had to order a cocktail.

On this particular night, Joe and Andrew met me and Laurie about an hour after we got there….

Let’s just say that the drinks kept flowing, and flowing….and flowing….

Andrew require this meal for brunch at Russell House Tavern the day after….

Perfect.

Oh, is that a shrimp Caesar salad? More perfection. Look how plump those shrimp are! They were perfectly chilled too. Plus, LOCAL wine from Westport Vineyards on tap.

My family rented a house on the water in Gloucester for a couple weeks that had breathtaking views! Sam and Andrew and I were able to head up twice.


Rockport is right next to Gloucester and we basically spent most of our visits there. I instantly fell in love with Rockport. Downtown Rockport is lined with art galleries, fun boutiques, ice cream shops, and restaurants. This seaside town really reminded me of living back home on Cape Cod.

The Cummings clan can be little weird at times haha

Sisters both in unplanned animal prints!

I have so much <3 for vanilla. I find vanilla to be a far cry from 'plain'! Vanilla is a such a strong flavor and vanilla ice cream/soft serve/frozen yogurt is the perfect match for chocolate sprinkles…. EXTRA chocolate sprinkles.

Enjoyed meandering around Rockport. Of course my Sister and I stopped into every single shop… we just had to. Andrew was a good sport ;) Oh, and BTW, that red mark on my hand is a kayaking battle wound haha

We have the BEST Padre!

As of late:

My breakfasts are pretty much always the same. Greek yogurt (or sometimes whipped cottage cheese with Green Vibrance, puffed rice, freeze dried bananas (LOVE the crunch!), fresh berries, and a big spoonful of a nut butter. A few times a month I’ll do overnight oats in a jar.


Lunch usually comes in two parts. A cottage cheese bowl with carrots and kiwi, and a kombucha and a protein bar.


The Think Thin Chocolate Espresso bar is an old standby. Seriously tastes like a mocha brownie… but with 20 grams of protein!

I am really loving the new lower sugar Promax Bars. They are all natural, stevia sweetened, and have 14 grams of fiber, 18 grams of protein, and are full of vitamins and minerals. Notably, they are loaded with iron. Most importantly, they taste AWESOME.

I’m also loving the new Nugo bars. Not quite as delicious as the Think Thin or Promax bars… but the stats are pretty good and they are in the same camp as the other bars as far as functionality. Does that even make sense?

And lastly: I have been reading a ton. I plowed through these three books over the last couple of weeks. Each book had characters that I completely fell in love with and could relate to. I didn’t want the stories to end! I will write a post about these books soon!

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

Commencement also by J. Courtney Sullivan

Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler

The Cummings Sister’s new favorite hang out: Bokx109 in the Indigo Hotel in Newton.

Cheers until next time!


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A Month in Review

There has been a lot to celebrate over the past month.

Andrew (click at your own risk) and I celebrated our first year together on St. Patrick’s Day at Grafton Street in Harvard Square where we first met! We considered it a 100% treat day so we decided to have an early lunch at Stephanie’s on Newbury <3 Stephanie's is my absolute favorite brunch/lunch spot in the Back Bay.

Here are some pictures of my birthday I meant to post 878436 years ago. My sister Samantha planned a surprise birthday party for me at the Black Rose! I was truly completely surprised and felt so incredibly loved. She even made a ridiculously delicious gluten free chocolate cake.

I took my actual birthday which landed on a Monday off from work. I had meant to take more pictures but this is all I really captured. Andrew and I walked around Harvard Square and grabbed lunch at Life Alive in Central Square. I am obsessed with that place and just adore their menu. I typically always get The Swami: “Our Sweet Curry Miso Sauce saturating a flavorful mix of tamari almonds, raisins, shredded carrots, broccoli, dark greens, & pearl onions over brown rice with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. ” SO. FREAKN’ GOOD. They offer wine too! I decided to change it up a bit and ended up getting The Explorer Salad: “Our scrumdelyishus homemade lowfat Red Lentil Hummus, paired with sesame crunches, sundried tomatoes, cucumber, corn, spring mix and a sprinkle of shredded carrots and beets all traveling together with our fantastic honey wasabi vinaigrette. A dreamy destination!” I wish I took a picture!! I also enjoyed a kombucha and grabbed a pack of Liz Lovely gluten free triple chcolate mint cookies. These cookies are HUGE and wildly decadent! I split one with Andrew for dessert that night. “Split a cookie”??? Yeah, yeah… it’s not really like me to split anything ever but these cookies are so rich and satisfying that half does the trick!


Before the Hyannis Half we all had dinner at my Grandparent’s. This is my amazing Italian Grandmother, Rosie! She made a Turkey dinner for my birthday complete with plenty of veggies and wine! (And apple pie for dessert!)

March bitings:

Breakfast Sundaes!
These are always a base of plain non-fat Greek yogurt (usually Fage) mixed with a pack of Green Vibrance (Another obsession. I have many) and some Truvia for sweetness. I typically top the ‘sundaes’ with Trader Joe’s freeze dried bananas, some kind of gluten free fiber bar or these coconut oat cakes I make, chia seeds, and a drizzle of Barlean’s Essential Woman Chocolate Raspberry Swirl.

My lunches are pretty pathetic haha. Quite honestly I have never been a ‘lunch person’. I typically always opt for a substantial protein bar and a kombucha and I am good to go. UNLESS I go out for lunch. And strangely enough, lunch is my absolute favorite meal to go out for. Going out for lunch always feels so decadent. Like it is a treat. It’s like you’re on vacation! Especially when going out to lunch also includes wine. But my weekday lunches usually consist of carrots and/or an apple, rice cakes or Pop Chips, hummus or cottage cheese or edamame or a baby bell cheese along with a kombucha or Cheribundi light (Awesome for inflammation! So for weeks where I have long runs planned, I always try to have some of these on hand). I usually always follow these kind of lunches with half of a large protein bar or a small snack-sized protein bar.

Dinners, well, my dinners are always very, very green. haha Salad, kale, spinach, and brussels sprouts are typically always on the menu along with veggie burgers, edamame, brown rice tortillas with almond cheese and turkey or sometimes I treat myself to Stone Hearth Pizza! <3 It is a liiitle pricey for take-out pizza but SO so worth it once in awhile. I always end up getting their gluten free pizza with all-beef nitrate-free pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, and onions and the BEST Ceasar salad. Dinner is always eaten with chopsticks and is always accompanied with wine and followed with either popcorn with stupid amounts of salt or some frozen yogurt or coconut milk ice cream paired with my boozey chocolate ‘fudge’ pie.


Bars. So many bars. These are some new favorites. I always have Think Thin Chocolate Espresso bars and Vega Sport Protein bars (taste SO so rich and are literaly the best tasting protein bars I have ever tasted) on hand at like, all times haha (Obsessive).

Good Bean Fruit and no nut bars! I spotted these at Whole Foods and just had to try one. I love the texture of these bars. Chewy and slightly crunchy and not too sweet. They actually use a different variety of chickpea than what most of us are used to! “The Good Bean uses a special variety of chickpea called the “Desi” chickpea. These little guys have three times the soluble fiber, are a great source of plant protein, and have half the carbohydrates of the typical “Kabuli” chickpeas you find in cans everywhere.
Desi chickpeas are also antioxidant powerhouses that have an extremely low glycemic index, making them perfect for diabetics, unlike their Kabuli cousins.” Plus, as you will see from the nutrition/ingredient facts, they make for a super awesome healthy snack or yogurt topping! I would even crumble these over frozen yogurt!

PR bars! These bars have an excellent fat/carb/protein ration and are perfect post-run bars. (210 calories, 7 Grams of fat, 22 grams of carbs, 15 grams of protein). The oatmeal raisin granola bars taste just like an oatmeal raisin cookie. I swear. Even Bello likes them! The raisins aren’t exactly combined into the bars, they are sort of mushed onto one side but it doesn’t take away from the bars awesomeness.

Pure Fit protein bars have been in the game for some time now. While I much prefer whey protein over soy, these bars are delicious and pack 18 grams of protein into a 220 calorie delicious and all-natural bar. The texture is super chewy and it takes some time to eat, but I really like that aspect of these bars. The almond crunch bar has an intense almond flavor. Not subtle in the least. Must. LOVE. almonds.

Pulsin’ Bars! Straight from the UK. I have so so many <3's for their Protein Sports bar. NO soy. All whey. They have an almost creamy taste. "Ingredients: Brown Rice Malt, Peanuts (18%), Whey Protein Isolate, Rice Protein, Whey Protein Crisps (Whey Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Soya Lecithin), Chicory Fibre, Cacao Butter, Natural Maple Syrup (6%), Pea Protein Isolate, Carob, Green Tea Extract." 216 calories and 15 grams of protein. They have a bit of a greenish tinge to them from the pea protein I would imagine. But um, pretty much everything I eat is green. Even my oatmeal.

Andrew asked me not to make my peanut butter marshmallow treats too often because he will eat all of it. That would both piss me off and would be bad for his tum. But seriously… these. are. awesome. I just melt down a bag of au natural marshmallows with a few tablespoons of whipped butter and once it is all melted I add about 5 cups of Whole Foods organic peanut butter balls. Freaking fantastic.

Recent sippings:

I swear to you this is the most delicious red I have tasted in recent memory. Hands down, it is perhaps the only wine I have ever literally craved. Fuso is an Italian wine made from the Barbera grape and can be found at the Wine Bottega in the North End.

This Cab from Bonterra is good. It is definitely pretty tannic so it softens after being open for a bit, but still needs food, specifically protein, to taste awesome. Fabulous with a burger or juicy, marinated steak tips.

I heart nights like this. When Andrew goes to Jiu Jitsu on Tuesdays and Thursdays, It’s just me, vino, and books/magazines (usually always running/fitness mags). I <3 Pouilly Fume. I was never really a fan of Sauvignon Blanc but French Sauv Blanc has really won my heart. I anticipate drinking through a lot of Pouilly Fume this summer.

Love double dating! Andrew and I had a double date with our friends Erin and Neal at Atlantic Fish Company a couple weeks ago. Of course we bar hopped a bit before dinner. Whiskey’s is riiight around the corner from Atlantic. Of course I order wine at a pub. Who do you think I am??

Friends!

Erin and Neal usually split meals and apps. If I ever asked Andrew to do that he would probably punch me in the face. Just kidding. But that would be like his hell.

Andrew got some sort of blackened fish (Arctic Char maybe?) with mashed potatoes.

Buttery roasted brussels sprouts = my heaven!

Um. This was my meal that I topped my ceasar salad with. Heh. I forgot to take a picture of my blackened Cod before I destroyed any aesthetic appeal the dish had. You’ll also see that we had ordered shrimp cocktail. They were HUGE and perfectly chilled. Love that.

Dessert we did split and usually always do. Andrew just doesn’t have a sweet tooth but I certainly do. When we split dessert I don’t end up eating an entire rich/heavy dessert by myself. It is like instant portion control. We got the flourless espresso torte with tons and tons of extra whipped cream. I asked for that exact amount. The wine was talking ;)

On the Friday before St. Patrick’s Day I met up with my sister at one of her company’s events. Our friend Deirdre was there too!

On that Sunday, Andrew and I headed to our friend Ben’s abode in Southie to drink and watch the parade. From his window. Sweet spot, right? Andrew and I ended up leaving our place a liiiitle later than we had anticipated and ended up on the most crowded train EVER. It was like a cattle car. Everyone was going to Southie. Everyone.

It was worth the trip!!!

This past month also included a sunny lunch date with my fabulous sister at Sam’s on the waterfront. I got a grilled romaine ceasar salad that got me pumped for this summer… and for GRILLING!!! Sister time, salty edamame, a grilled salad, a sage cocktail and wine. On the waterfront in Boston. What more does a gal need?

March Extras:

Literally my whole life I have been convinced I just don’t like wearing shorts. Until I randomally bought a pair at REI. LOVE running in these Nike shorts!

I received this adorable picture in the mail a couple weeks ago from our lovely friend Jen! Jen is married to Andrew’s super awesome childhood friend Denis. We celebrated New Year’s Eve with them, and their pugs! How cute and thoughtful was that for her to send this picture to me? She knows how much I adore pugs and hers are just the best!

New love of my life (Sorry Babe): Asics Gel Kayano 17′s. Okay, okay… these are kiinda like an old flame. I went from the 17′s to the 18′s and back to the 17′s again. I loved the 18′s and ran the Hyannis Half in them but the toe box was just a tad too narrow for me. The 17′s give my toes so much more room to breath. I was able to find a pair at City Sports. I wish I could afford to stock up on these considering they are not made anymore, but even on sale, they are over $100!


I ran a glorious 8.11 miles in my 17′s today along the Charles River. Perfect way to start the weekend! 1:12:41 8.11 miles 8:56 average pace. Not very speedy but it was a very meditative run :D

For this next month I vow to choose my battles. I choose to be open. I choose to be easy on myself (and on others!)

ALSO, Congratulations to my sister for completing her 21 mile training run!!!! She is running the Boston Marathon this year for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and has raised almost $5,000! She is a huge inspiration for me <3

<3

Now I am off to register for another half or two!


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Recent Bitings

Hola!


This cocktail my dear friends is one of my absolute favorite cocktails in Boston. Whenever I grab drinks/dinner at Legal Sea Foods (a traditional haunt for my Sister and I) I almost ALWAYS order the Deadrise cocktail. I don’t think many people think ‘cocktails’ when they think of Legals… but I promise you, their cocktail list is creative and delicious. The Deadrise is a combination of Vodka (I asked for Chopin) scented with grapefruit and lime and topped off with grapefruit bitters. Dangerously smooth and refreshing :-D


My Sister, Sam , at Legal Sea Foods Park Square before the Back Bay wine tour a couple weeks ago! She took my tour, we drank lots of wine, and had a fabulous dinner at Legal Sea Foods in the Prudential Center after a bit of shopping.

The Legal Sea Foods Park Square location is our newest partner with City Wine Tours. It’s the first stop on the Back Bay tour, and the tasting is held in their wine cellar which holds about 10,000 bottles! Some of the wines are exclusive to Legals. Master of Wine, Sandy Block, oversees the wine program at legal Sea Foods. They have an incredible selection and amazing prices. Probably the best prices for wine in the city. Hands down.


It took me three tries to make homemade coconut butter in my mini-food processor. It takes like 87643 years, and a LOT of patience. It’s simple really… just throw some unsweetened shredded coconut in the food processor (preferably a normal sized one), some dashes of coconut oil and process for 87643 years until smooth. Voila!


I tried out Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free pizza dough…. the entire pizza looked mangled so I’ll spare you your appetite and just show you a slice! On top of a salad. Because most all my dinners are plopped on salads, no matter what it is. Honestly though, it was very tasty! The dough, like most GF dough, was very sticky and didn’t really cooperate on the pizza pan. I would definitely get it again because even though it was an ugly pizza, it was super easy to make and it was delicious.


Kristy and Gary! Kristy and Gary hosted Andrew and myself about a week ago. She made an awesome batch of beef stew and I brought over GF cheddar garlic biscuits and these really awesome coconut shortbread bars with a chocolate raspberry topping. I plan on making them again SOON so I promise to post the recipe :-D We drank wine (duh) and played Apples to Apples!


Kristy’s lovely shortbread dessert plating.


Another GF za. I really like Udi’s products and these are brand new so of course I just had to buy one.


Okay so the frozen cheese balls were pretty off-putting. Don’t ya think? I mean… they don’t really look like balls of cheese. HOWEVER, it turned out surprisingly good! I didn’t take a picture of the final product but the crust was flavourful and crispy, and the frozen cheese balls melted into bubbly, cheesy, mozzarella goodness.


AND!!!! Yay!! I Andrew constructed a light box! I love taking food pics at home, but the lighting is so dim, and this project seemed pretty simple. I quickly took some shots last night… it is unfinished, as you can see in the pic just below this, and I have a lot of work to do getting the angles right. But you get the idea!

Pictured above is Gluten Free Beer Bread from Veggie Wonder! Probably the easiest thing I have ever made in my life. I swear to you. 3 cups of oat flour, a bottle of gluten free beer (or regular for a non gluten free loaf), a couple spoonfuls of baking powder, maybe a spoonful of sweetener if you like, and you just mix it all up in one bowl! I let mine sit for like 10 minutes and it was finished in under 30 minutes. I cannot wait to try more add-ins with this recipe!

I know this picture below is kinda sad haha but it’s another example of a picture taken in my new light box! Last night I made us filet with a red wine mushroom sauce, roasted brussels sprouts and roasted cauliflower and Baked rosemary garlic russet and sweet potato fries. Grilled steaks I can definitely do. Cooking them in a cast iron skillet… I have yet to get even close to perfecting. Last night the steaks were still cold when I plopped them on the hot skillet. I really should have left them out for like 20 to 30 minutes. they were a bit overdone for my taste but over all not a massive fail like I thought they would be.

As far as running goes… training for the Hyannis Half is going great! This week I have done all speed work at the gym. I have run 4 miles every morning at an 8:45ish? pace. that is very good for me! I need to transfer all that speedwork to the road for a 10 miler tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to seeing how much progress I have made with my pace! I typically run a 9:30/45 mile outside so hopefully the speed work I did at the gym will knock off a little bit of time :-D

Cheers until next time!


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Bello Bites Back!?

This week’s stuff:

I have started drinking coffee again… COFFEECOFFEECOFFEE!!!!


I’m still eating green overnight oatmeal (Yeah, green oatmeal)… but now I get to eat it in pretty dishes gifted to me from my Sister, Sam (WHO by the way beat her half marathon time today! Woohoo!!!)



I have been working on gluten free carrot snack cake recipe (Based on Lori’s insanely awesome cherry zucchini paleo banana bread!)for my friend Tina’s blog! Tina wrote a children’s book called ‘You Can Do it, Bunny!’ that addresses the topic of how difficult it is these days to find a job after college. The snack cake was good but not 100% what I was going for. Andrew loves it. I think it needs just a tiny bit more tweaking before I release the recipe for ‘Healthy and Delicious Gluten Free Carrot Snack Cake for Bunnies on the Go’ ;)

And speaking of Andrew.. he is biting BACK!!! Check out his blog HERE.


Salads with heaping amounts of spinach and condiments eaten with chopsticks are still on the menu, as always.


LOVING my new Asics Gel Kayano 18′s. I beat up my 17′s (I run like an elephant.. seriously I do).. got every penny out of those suckers. Interestingly, I needed to go half a size up.


City Wine Tour Season is back full throttle!!! Check out the blog, ‘like’ us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! I have been managing the social media for CWT and there are always a ton of awesome deals offered through Facebook and Twitter!

Cheers, my friends!!

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