A Productive Day with a lot of Good Eats

A to-do list can really help to organize your day and get things accomplished.  I got everything done and more today than I even anticipated.  The only thing left to do is pack a bag for tomorrow's annual summer trip with my friend Janet to Woodstock where we take a morning yoga class, eat an organic and locally grown lunch, and walk around town. 

I made one of my favorite lunches today which I can really only take advantage of making when I'm home.  Tomato, avocado, and mozzarella salad.  All I do is slice up a really ripe, big tomato into chunks, cut up some fresh mozzarella cheese, and one whole avocado.  If you don't have an avocado slicer, it's a gadget I recommend.  I got mine from a friend from Williams Sonoma.  I dress the salad with extra virgin olive oil, some salt and pepper, and sprinkle dried oregano on top.  As a side I had a slice of leftover french bread with some extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese and some green olives.  It was filling and delicious.

Prep

Tomato, Avocado, Mozzarella Salad



Avocado Slicer



French Bread, EVOO, Parmesan and Olives

After a very productive afternoon filled with annoying paperwork, I made a snack and tried to get in as many fruits as possible.  I was planning on juicing a papaya, but decided to cut it up instead and put it into some plain, 1% yogurt, with blueberries, raspberry fruit spread for some sweetness, and granola.  Some granolas are loaded with sugar so check the ingredients before you buy it.  The one I bought was filled with sunflower seeds, oats, honey, canola oil, and almonds and is made in a great store up in Woodstock called Bread Alone.  I paired this with a peach on the side and it held me over through a high energy dance class.

As if that wasn't enough, I had a box of really ripe strawberries in the house and got the idea to bake them into muffins.  I searched the internet for a recipe that looked pretty basic and got good reviews, and I found this one... Recipe for Fresh Strawberry Muffins.  They took very little time to prepare and made the house smell fantastic.  I just tried one and this recipe is a keeper!  The muffins are moist and perfectly sweetened.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

 

Dinner was easy tonight.  I mixed some spinach pasta with the the leftover vegetables cooked in marinara sauce from last night.  I go to sleep tonight feeling proud of all that I accomplished (and with an active baby who just woke up!).





To Do List

For today:

• Buy and plant a new mint plant
• Make photocopies of insurance documents
• Finish laundry
• Start clearing out old linens, towels, and glassware in the linen closet
• Bake strawberry muffins
• Go to dance class
• Juice the papaya in the fridge before it goes bad
• Get quote from painter
• Put new baby purchases away
• Fill out passport form
• Stay hydrated
• Finalize plans for Woodstock trip tomorrow and pack yoga bag

Little Earth Mama's a Mama :)

It's been way too long since I've written a blog post!!  Now that the school year is over and I'm off for the summer, it's time to start writing about my experiments in the kitchen again.  I'm five months pregnant with a baby boy (Cameron Oliver) and have continued to eat healthfully, mindfully, and exercise the entire time.  Knock on wood, but this pregnancy is going very smoothly.  I'm not much more tired, the weight gain is going slow and steady, I don't feel too big, and I'm eating pretty much the same way I was before I was pregnant with an extra healthy snack or two added in.  I'm trying to make an extra effort to stay hydrated with water and eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible.  I feel so grateful that I get to spend my second trimester off for the summer where I get to focus on relaxing, spending time with friends and family, cooking, and exercising.

Today is our second wedding anniversary and instead of going out for dinner, I made a quick and healthy meal filled with nutrition.  I wasn't sure what to cook tonight, so I called my close friend Jane for some inspiration.  She told me about the dinner which she was making and it was enough to give me an idea.  I took broccoli, cauliflour, peas, carrots, onions, garlic and a can of canellini beans and put them in a big pot with a jar of Whole Foods organic marinara sauce.  I let all the veggies and beans cook in the marinara sauce for about 45 minutes on low heat until all the veggies were soft.  I added a touch of salt at the end.  I also made two cups of basmati rice and added a touch of salt and two tablespoons of butter.  Together, the veggies, sauce, beans, and rice were a nice combination.  As an extra addition, I made a quick bruschetta by cutting up two Roma tomatoes and white onion and mixed it with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and balsamic vinegar.  I let that marinate while I baked slices of French bread in 400 degrees for 12 minutes.  Everything was tasty, healthy, and there's enough veggies and sauce left over to mix in with some whole wheat pasta for tomorrow's lunch or dinner.

Bruschetta

Slow Cooked Veggies and Beans in Marinara Sauce with Basmati Rice