No, this isn’t a post on the 2009 World Series Champions, The New York Yankees.  I think my family, both immediate and extended, would definitely might give me a stern talking to if that were the case.  This past weekend, my family and I traveled to New York City to celebrate two very special occasions, my mother and father-in-law’s 40th wedding anniversary and my niece Casey’s, 5th birthday.  Not that we need special occasions to celebrate in order to go to New York, but since they happen to occur on the same day, it just makes the trip that much more extraordinary.

(sidebar – Guess who I saw while waiting to board my flight to New York?  Ellie Krieger! Can you believe it?  I so badly wanted to take her picture but since she was VIP, she boarded before anyone else and I missed my chance.  But, when I walked by Ellie to get to my seat, I smiled and she gave me a head nod.  Then I shouted, “check out HealthyChow.com…”  Just kidding, I wish I had the nerve to say that!)

While Times Square was our meeting place and where our hotel was located, we were all coming from different directions and via different modes of transportation.  Ellen and Dan, my mother and father-in-law, were coming from Springfield, MA via train, my brother and sister-in-law were coming from Atlanta via plane with my nieces, my other siblings-in-law were driving in from Boston, and Patrick and I took the shuttle.  Needless to say, by the time we all finally arrived at our hotel, The Millennium Broadway, we were excited to see each other and excited to see the big city.

On the bridge heading to Times Square

The lobby area of the Millennium Broadway Hotel

The Dolls with their dolls

Thanks to Travel Agent Pat, our hotel could not have been better situated.  We were literally in the heart of Times Square and within walking distance from anything we could possibly need.  But then again, when you have a bird’s eye view of the heart of New York City, what more could you possibly need or want?

View from our room

Another angle…

Check out all those taxi cabs!

Are those people or ants?!

I think my nieces, Casey and Taylor, love being in NYC!

Well, there was one thing we wanted and needed and that was a quick bite to eat.  We had all been up since the crack of dawn traveling, so some much needed food was definitely on the menu (lame pun intended).  With the suggestion of the concierge, the eight of us walked across the street to the Cranberry Café.  It was a hungry traveler’s dream come true! The deli offered every kind of hot and cold sandwich, wrap and sub you could imagine while there were also stands for custom made salads and pre-made sushi.  And if sandwiches, sushi and salads didn’t float your boat, there was also the largest of hot bars and a pretty hefty salad bar.  And if you wanted even more bars, there was a whole wall filled with protein/convenience bars.  Because I was overwhelmed with all the choices, I decided to make it easy on myself and went with the salad bar.  I really got a nice myriad of everything – just the way I like it!

Once we purchased our food, we ventured upstairs to the dining area and had a relaxed lunch.  It was a ’seat-yourself’ type of restaurant and we grabbed the largest table we could find and chowed down!  While we were all so excited to catch-up with one another, I don’t think a word was uttered from anyone (including the kids) for at least 1o minutes.  We really needed the nourishment and the Cranberry Café definitely fulfilled that need.

Hungry!

My lunch: romaine lettuce, cucumber slices in vinaigrette, grape tomatoes and 1 small mozzarella cheese ball, a hard boiled egg (minus the yolk), salad of chick peas, red kidney beans, peas and carrots, grapes and cantaloupe

Travel Agent Pat’s Lunch: YUM!  Nothing like corned beef on rye! Hi Billy!

After lunch, one of our hotel rooms was finally ready for us to check in and we were able to freshen up and head back out into the city.  I couldn’t believe how many people were out and about.  You would have thought it was a holiday or that there was some event going on in Times Square, but it was just an ordinary Saturday afternoon.  Because the weather was unseasonably warm, we were able to walk through the city with just light jackets.  It felt like spring and we certainly had a spring in our step.  Just to be able to be in a wonderful place such as New York with our family was enough to put a permanent smile on our faces.

David and Dan

Me and Patrick

After taking a tour of Times Square and the Marriott Marquis hotel’s upstairs lounge, my sister-in-law along with her boyfriend, and my brother-in-law along with his fiancée, arrived and finally, the whole clan was here!  Since one of my brothers-in-law and his family live in Atlanta, we don’t always have the entire group in one place, at one time.  Thus, to have everyone together in one spot was a momentous occasion on its own.  I grew up with only my twin sister and while we were always thicker than thieves, it’s nice to be a part of a large family.  I love the different dynamics that occur within a big family and I love having a large group around.  Nothing is ever boring and there’s always something new to learn about another person.  With my extended family, there are always plenty of laughs, fun, good times and a shoulder to support you whenever you need it.  It’s truly a magnificent feeling to have.

Look at all those floors!

For our first family dinner in New York, we decided to go casual and quite local.  We headed across the street to Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant.  Since this restaurant is right in the middle of the theater district, it was packed when we arrived at 7:30pm.  But since there was now 12 of us, we managed to snag the front tables and basically had the whole front area of the restaurant to ourselves.

Taylor and her grandparents

Kevin,Vanja and Taylor with Casey climbing the stairs in the background

Greg, Carolyn and Taylor - so cute!

From the ATL, David and Lisa

Your girl, Healthy Chow, and Travel Agent Pat

Connolly’s is an Irish pub with live music and pretty good food.  In addition to their traditional Irish dishes like beer battered fish and chips, Irish beef stew and bangers and mash, Connolly’s also serves burgers, wraps, salads and other comfort food dishes.  Everyone seemed to find exactly what they were looking for within minutes and the friendly Connolly’s staff was able to serve our enormous and hungry party almost immediately.  I ordered the Mediterranean grilled vegetable wrap with eggplant, zucchini, tomato, mushroom, roasted red pepper, carrot, romaine lettuce, goat cheese and a balsamic glaze on a honey wheat wrap.  All the sandwiches and wraps came with french fries and while they did sound and look good, I asked if I could substitute the fries for a vegetable.  The vegetable was a carrot and parsnip purée and it was delicious! I think I preferred my side dish of veggies over my sandwich.  Wow!  Those must have been some vegetables!

Once we all finished eating, we decided to have a few more drinks before calling it a night.  Since it was Casey’s birthday the next day and Ellen and Dan’s anniversary, we had a day filled with festivities planned and wanted to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.  Plus, Casey’s birthday breakfast was set for 9:30am and we could not be late for our reservation.  But we were all pretty tired from traveling, so we were ready to hit the sack.  Our first day and night in the big city was great and if it was any indication of how the rest of our weekend was going to be, we were going to have a blast.  The city that never sleeps seems to have some sort of a power over the people.  And we were ready for this city to take us over…

“These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York…”

***BTW, while we were celebrating Dan and Ellen’s anniversary and Casey’s birthday in NYC, it was also MHC’s boyfriend’s birthday in Boston.  Happy belated birthday, Darrell!***

***Don’t forget to come visit me tomorrow to see what else Healthy Chow and the gang did in New York…stay tuned…***

Do like visiting and exploring big cities?  Do you like to have things planned and mapped out or do you like to plan as you go like me when you’re on vacation?

Namasté,
Nicole

***Happy Veterans Day to all of our troops and veterans.  Thank you for keeping us safe and for preserving our nation.***

***Thank you all for your well wishes and emails.  I’m feeling a little bit better today and thankfully, it wasn’t the flu of a pig-like nature.  I’m pretty sure it’s just the common cold.  But thank you so much for caring about Healthy Chow!***

Bet you’d never thought you’d hear those four words together, huh?  Well, I didn’t either until I decided after my previous posts on the kabocha/buttercup squash that my desire to cook more with this little blogosphere famous gourd just wasn’t satisfied yet.  And thus began my hunt for another recipe.  I saw many online for soups, purées and roasting and stuffing, which all sounded delicious, but didn’t really knock my socks off.  Finally, I stumbled upon a recipe for kabocha pie.  It looked just like a pumpkin pie (I guess it really is a pumpkin pie), but instead of it being sweet, it was savory.  I just had to give this a try.  I love quiches and pies, I love any kind of pumpkin and I love eating, so what other reason did I need to make this little yummy recipe? None.

That said, I began studying the recipe to see how I could ‘Healthy Chow-ify’ it.  When I say, ‘Healthy Chow-ify’, I mean make any substitutions that I’d prefer, do anything that would make the recipe simpler and use any ingredient that I have on hand versus having to buy new ones.  Why?  Because that’s how this girl rolls…

The kabocha pie recipe I found online called for a traditional pie crust.  Being that I’ve never made a real pie crust and those frozen ready-to-use ones sorta freak me out, I decided to make my own healthier version.  I figured since the kabocha would be pretty sturdy and not really watery/liquidy, the crust didn’t need to be too thick or ‘crusty’.  It just had to have some sort of a crunch and serve as a base for my beloved kabocha.  Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it was and it was actually one of the tastiest and easiest recipes I’ve made in quite some time.

Kabocha Tofu Zucchini Pie
Adapted from TheKitchn.com
Serves 6

For the crust:
From Bitsys Kitchen

• 1 3/4 cups of cooked brown rice (I used Lundberg’s Short Grain Brown Rice)
• 2 egg whites (or 1/3 cup of liquid egg whites)

1) Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

2) In a bowl, mix the cooked brown rice with the egg whites.  Then press the brown rice mixture into a pie plate that has been coated with cooking spray.

3) Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the rice starts getting crispy at the edges.

For the filling:

• 2 lbs. of kabocha, peeled, seeded, and cubed (about 4 cups)
• 1 TSP olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 TBSP of garlic, minced
• 12 oz. of  firm tofu, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 small-medium zucchini, sliced into half moon shapes
• 1 TBSP of fresh or 2 TSP of dried rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• few dashes of salt
• few dashes of white pepper
• few dashes of adobo powder
• few dashes of dried parsley
• 2 TBSP of cornstarch or arrowroot powder dissolved in 1 TBSP water (if necessary – I omitted this)
• 2 TBSP of agave nectar mixed with 1 TBSP of water (optional – I omitted this)

1) Keep the oven at 350 degrees after you’ve finished baking the crust.

2) Steam the squash until soft (about 15 minutes, you can do this while the crust is baking) and mash with a fork until you get the consistency of mashed potatoes.

3) In a large saucepan, begin heating the olive oil.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes or until the onion has softened and is translucent.

4) Add the steamed squash, tofu, zucchini, rosemary, adobo powder, dried parsley, salt, and white pepper and cook until heated through.  If you want your filling to be thicker, you can now add the dissolved arrowroot or cornstarch.

5) If you want a smoother texture for your filling, feel free to add the filling to a food processor or blender and purée.  I preferred a more rustic feel to my pie, so I left it as is.

6) Pour the filling into the pie crust.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the top of the pie starts to brown.  Optional: after 15 minutes in the oven, brush agave nectar and water mixture over the top of the pie to glaze.

7) Serve hot or warm.  But right out of the fridge isn’t so bad either!

Holy yum! This was ah.may.zing!  While this was supposed to be a savory dish, the kabocha kept this pie sweet, but definitely in a favorable way.  The tofu added some heft (and protein) to the recipe without adding any grease or an excess amount of fat.  I added the sliced zucchini because I wanted to add some vegetables to this recipe and because I thought it would taste and look good…and I was right on! However, the highlight of this dish had to be the rosemary.  While I used dried rosemary, the flavor was still quite apparent and paired ever so wonderfully with the kabocha.  It truly made the recipe!  I also used white pepper because I like the unique spice it brings to food and also because I didn’t want black specs in my pie (hey, presentation is key, right?).  The brown rice pie crust was a great complement to the kabocha tofu filling.  While a traditional pie crust would have been thicker and flakier and would have given the pie a more buttery taste, I liked the brown rice because it was heartier and gave the recipe an earthier feel.  And of course the brown rice was a healthier and lighter option.  The brown rice crust also held up quite well in the oven and didn’t break when I sliced the cooked pie.  Now that I know a brown rice crust is a great substitute for a savory pie, I can’t wait to do some more experimenting.  *Hint – look for more recipes like this on my blog in the near future

I’m so glad I decided to give another kabocha recipe a try.  This surely was a winner and came together quite easily.  The flavors from the various ingredients and seasonings played together so well and resulted in a great comfort food meal.  In addition, this pie was even better as a leftover as the flavors seemed to sink deeper into the kabocha overnight.  I almost forgot to mention that one slice was pretty filling (no pun intended) and was a nice quick dinner paired with a side salad.  Can you tell that I’m really digging this recipe?  Whenever I can find a recipe that’s healthy, inexpensive to make, delicious and unique, it’s truly a keeper. Now that’s truly a slice o’ heaven!

What’s your favorite spice or seasoning?  And how do you store your fresh herbs?  I love them but I can’t seem to use them fast enough before they go bad – any suggestions?

Namasté,
Nicole

***Thank you so much for your patience.  I’m back and I finally have pictures (and boy, do I have pictures!).  Did you miss me?***

Do you have anyone in your life that is tough to shop for?  Someone who has impeccable taste and great style and has one (or more) of just about everything and anything? A person who is so beautiful that nothing you buy her will compare to her beauty? But this human being is very near and dear to your heart and you love her so much that you want to give her something but you just don’t know what?  Well, ladies and gents, let me introduce you to that person.  That person in my life is Mother Healthy Chow (or MHC for short).

As you might have read from my posts a couple of weeks ago, MHC recently had her birthday.  She turned 39 (*ahem-ahem, cough, cough*) and doesn’t look a day older 25.  Being the good daughters that we are, Michelle and I wanted to get a nice gift for MHC.  But we just didn’t know what?  The woman has too much a lot of clothes, more handbags than she ever can carry, fanciful jewelry, mucho make-up, a collection of shoes that can rival Imelda’s or Mariah’s and two amazing daughters (*pats herself on the back*).  What more could she want or need?

Can’t get enough of this pic!

However, even if a person has just about everything, the person’s gotta eat.  So, instead of taking MHC to the latest and greatest resto in the Boston area, we decided to shake-n-bake things up a bit and do something we haven’t done in awhile and should do more often.  Michelle and I decided to cook MHC a birthday dinner! And because MHC just moved in with her boyfriend, Darrell, we decided to make dinner at their newly renovated home.  There’s nothing like cooking in a brand spankin’ new kitchen!

Because Michelle and I were going to be responsible for cooking the whole dinner and bringing dessert, we had to plan in advance what we were going to make and thus, bring the ingredients.  I’m not quite sure how we decided, but we divvied up the courses as follows: sides, salad and dessert – Healthy Chow and main course and dessert – Michelle.  Yeah, I know dessert is mentioned twice.  That’s no mistake!  We wanted a birthday cake-ish treat for MHC, for candle blowing and wish making, as well as some other goodies, for variety and pigging out’s sake.

Image Credits – fundraw.com

While I was planning the few days prior to the dinner party, I chose to make sides that I felt would go with just about anything.  Because Michelle hadn’t told me what she was making as the main course and I didn’t want to keep annoying asking her, I just went with my gut (lame pun intended)  and selected recipes that were tasty and on the ‘healthier’ side.  Thus, I chose to make two recipes I found from Cooking Light - Creamy Parmesan Orzo and Mustard-Dressed Asparagus.  Both recipes received at least 4 out of 5 stars and very good reviews and comments from readers.  In addition, I had made the orzo recipe a few times before and it was delicious and easy and the asparagus recipe seemed healthy and easy.  Done and done! For the salad, I decided to bring mixed greens (baby spinach, arugula, radicchio and frisée) and the ingredients to make a homemade vinaigrette dressing.  So easy-peasy lemon-squeezy!  And for dessert, I just stopped by the store and grabbed brownie bites and chocolate chip ice cream.  You can’t go wrong with warm, soft chocolate baked goods à la mode, right?

I was so excited for this night!  Not only did I want to show off some of my much improved culinary skills, but I also love spending time with my family and I could not wait to see my mother’s new place.  MHC had just moved into Darrell’s condo, which they recently renovated and enlarged by acquiring the adjacent condo unit.  I’ve always loved seeing the interior of people’s homes, but ever since we gave our place a face-lift, my interest has reached a whole new level of appreciation.

Oh my stars!  I thought the ocean view from the outside of their building was incredible; the interior of their home was absolutely gorgeous! I tried not to have any expectations or visions in my head before arriving in order to be totally surprised and when I walked in, I was blown away.  Not only was their condo ginormous, but every detail was carefully paid attention to and flowed seamlessly to the next.  I felt as if I was flipping through the pages of an interior design magazine.

I lurrrrvvve those bamboo floors!

Absolutely beautiful…

Sparkle, sparkle…

I think the food might taste better coming from this kitchen…

Even the spices are cool, or should I say, ’sah-pie-say’!

Now that’s a closet!

My dream come true!

Even the washer and dryer are stylin’!

Darrell loves his shoes, too…

This closet would suit me just fine

An ocean view…

Simply breathtaking…

After receiving the grand tour and getting my groceries for dinner settled, I nibbled on some shrimp cocktail and chips and salsa.  While we told our mother she didn’t have to do a thing, she naturally put out a spread of appetizers and snacks.  What a good lil’ doobie.

It’s a good thing I had to cook or else I’d be full before dinner…

Snacks and sports…

I was having so much fun chatting it up with the party goers that I almost forgot that we were in charge of preparing dinner.  I could see the hungry looks growing, so I stopped munching (for a few minutes) and got started on cooking.  Since all of my dishes were relatively simple to prepare, I picked the one that would take the longest to make and would be the easiest to reheat.  So, I started on the creamy parmesan orzo.  Having Michelle and MHC (she couldn’t stay out of the kitchen for long, nor did we want her to) by my side in the kitchen was so much fun and so helpful.  While I would read off the instructions, one would hand me the needed ingredient and the coordinating utensil.  It was like having my very own sous chefs!

Stir that orzo, Michelle!

Even the birthday girl isn’t safe from kitchen duty!

Love that green!

Once the orzo was about done, I began on my asparagus dish.  Even though the recipe was for asparagus, I decided to add some zucchini since it would give the dish some variety and because I had some just sitting idle in my fridge.  I know, your girl is so resourceful! The recipe called for the asparagus to be boiled, but because MHC had a crazy-arse steamer built into the stove top, I just had to steam versus boil.  It just seemed so cool and high-tech; I had to give it a whirl.  The vegetables took only minutes to cook and the sauce took an even shorter time to prepare.  The key ingredient to this recipe was no doubt the mustard seeds.  They’re little, but they’re powerful (does that remind you of anyone you know?).

I gotta get me one of these…

The Yellow Wonder…(tee hee)

While I was cooking the vegetables, Michelle and her boyfriend, Jonathan began cooking the main dish – chicken saltimbocca.  Jonathan and Michelle make a great team both in life and in the kitchen.  They love cooking together and testing out new recipes.  I was told by the dynamic duo that the trick to making their recipe was to brine the chicken in salt water the night before.  I guess I’ll take their word for it.  It looked dang good! And just as the chicken was about to be taken out of the oven, I whisked together a simple salad dressing using Trader Joe’s Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, some chopped shallot and salt and pepper.  As I’ve said before, Trader Joe’s never lets me down and he came through for me again that night.  The Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar was divine! It gave the right amount of citrus and zip to the dressing without making it too sweet or weighing it down.  Another winner from TJ’s!

That’s some kickin’ chicken!

I heart TJ’s

Veggie Might!

Finally, dinner was served! MHC did a fabulous job setting up her dining room table for her first dinner guests and her first dinner guests did a fabulous job of dining.  I couldn’t believe how well everything turned out.  Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted wonderful.  Michelle and Jonathan’s chicken saltimbocca was moist and juicy (must be that brining action) and the prosciutto that enveloped it was flawlessly crisped with just the right amount of fresh sage.  Ah-may-zing! And like the chefs who played off of the synergy that was overwhelming the kitchen, the dishes co-mingled with each other fantastically and complemented each other perfectly.

And while I don’t like to brag much, I just want to say that my dishes came out quite well.  MHC loved the creaminess of the parmesan in the orzo recipe and said that the fresh basil was the perfect complement to the dish.  And everyone seemed to really like the mustard sauce on the vegetables.  They said it gave the vegetables a unique flavor.  As for the salad, everyone wanted to know what I used to make the ‘fruity’ dressing.  They truly seemed to enjoy my new found secret weapon from TJ’s and the fact that the salad was tasty without being too greasy or heavy.  Success!

And what would a birthday dinner party be without birthday cake and dessert?  Not a good one in Healthy Chow’s book! Jonathan made a key lime pie that was so light and refreshing, I thought I was having a cocktail.  There was just enough lime to cleanse my palate and the airiness of the filling coupled with the flaky crust was enough for me to want to have seconds.  However, because there were other desserts to sample, I stayed with having only one small (ish) piece and had a scoop of ice cream along with a mini fall-inspired brownie.  I think MHC honestly loved every bite of her birthday celebration.

While receiving a luxurious cashmere sweater, the latest bottle of perfume, a new pair of fall boots, or some fancy handmade jewelry may be a wonderful birthday gift, it’s no match for the gift of time.  Being able to spend time with my mother and sister in her new kitchen laughing, cooking and simply enjoying each other’s company was my favorite part of the night and by looking at my mother’s face, she felt the same way.

Oh, he’s such an angel! Hahahahaha!

Gotcha!

“Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderfuuuuullll?“

MHC is always appreciative of any gift she receives, but I could tell that this time this gift meant the world to her.  She was so excited for us to finally see her new home with Darrell and to be able to see how our culinary skills had developed.  I think it’s always a gift for a parent to see how their children have matured and blossomed, but it’s also a gift for the child to see their parent being happy in their new life.  While it may have been MHC’s birthday, I feel as though I was the one who was showered with presents.  It was a spectacular night filled with giggles, good times and great food.  While it might have been easier to go to the mall or hop online to buy our mother a birthday gift, it definitely would not have been as much fun, nor would it have been as special.  Being able to create a memorable night, such as our dinner party, is something that everyone should try – it may require a bit of time and energy, but what you get back is immeasurable and certainly priceless.  For the person who has everything, it’s definitely something of which they could use more.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?  Or, what’s your favorite secret ingredient to use?

Namasté,
Nicole

So the other day after my 108, I came home pretty well spent.  While I never broke a sweat while we were saluting the sun outside on the Common, my arms were pretty weak and my back felt a tad sore.  But because it was such a lovely day and I was filled with so much energy, gratitude and accomplishment for myself, I just couldn’t go home immediately.  Instead, I putzed around Newbury and Boylston Streets for the next 2.5 hours and then walked home.  This normally would not have been a problem, but I also had my yoga mat with me along with my Yogitoes towel, as well a bag filled with my personal items and a full water bottle.  To say the least, I was a bit weighed down.  But I felt like a warrior and taking the T home would have been a cop out to me.  Thus, I trekked in the balmy mid-September weather until I arrived home like a sack of jelly with arms and legs made of mashed potatoes at 4pm.

Needless to say, when it was time for dinner, I barely had the strength to do anything, let alone make a dinner worthy of my achievements for the day.  But somehow ordering a pizza or having a bowl of cereal just didn’t seem fitting.  So, I dove into my fridge and started seeing what I could piece together for a healthy and hearty meal.  Being that we were honoring the autumnal equinox, that I was craving carbs, that I had recently been inspired by Lauren’s post on roasted sweet potato risotto and that I had two zucchini in my fridge that were looking more like pickles (bumpy with various shades of green), I came up with this fast, yummy and satisfying dish.

Keen on Quinoa and Yes to Yam Risot-no

Serves 4 (as a side dish) or 2 (as a main dish)

• 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa (I used Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa)
• 1 cup chicken broth (I used Trader Joe’s Organic Low-Sodium Chicken Broth)
• 1/4 cup of nonfat ricotta cheese (you could use part-skim or whole)
• 1 small-medium sized yam or sweet potato
• 2 small zucchini
• 1 TSP of dried cumin
• 1 TSP of ground ginger
• few dashes of garlic powder
• s&p
• 2 TBSP of fresh chopped cilantro, plus a few extra sprigs for garnish

Was late to the class photo…

1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2) Peel your yam with a veggie peeler and chop into bite-sized chunks.

3) Wash and cut your zucchini into half moons.

4) Spray your aluminum foil lined baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

5) Place your chopped vegetables on your baking sheet and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray.  Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper.

6) Roast your vegetables for 30 minutes, while turning over halfway through the cooking time (keep an eye on your zucchini – mine started to get a little crunchy).

5) While your veggies are roasting, rinse and clean your quinoa.  To clean your quinoa, just run some cold water over your quinoa and rub between your hands.  Keep doing this until the entire bowl is clean.  Dump the water, being careful not to lose any quinoa down the sink, and rinse and drain again.  Make sure to get out as much of the water as you can.  You can use a fine mesh sieve, but I just used my hand cupped over one side of the bowl to drain the water.  Once cleaned, add it to a medium-sized pot with your chicken broth and cook on high until it starts to boil.  Once your quinoa and chicken broth begin to boil, turn your heat down to a simmer and drop a lid onto your pot.  Let that simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed.

6) Once your vegetables are done roasting, take out of the oven.  Set aside.

7) Keep your stove on low heat.  Add the ricotta cheese to your cooked quinoa.  Give it a good, but gentle stir in order to get the ricotta cheese blended in.

8 ) Add your cumin, ground ginger, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Stir again gently to blend.

9) Add your roasted veggies to the pot.  And you guessed it, give it another gentle stir to get the vegetables integrated with the quinoa.

10) Add your chopped cilantro to the pot and gently (obvi) stir in.  Scoop onto your bowl or plate and if you wish, garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro.  Serve immediately.

I really didn’t know how this dish was going to turn out.  I just went with my gut and threw in some ingredients I had on hand and hoped for the best.  Well, the best is what I got (hi Patrick!)!  I loved how the sweet yam, which got even sweeter after being roasted, tasted against the garlic powder and nutty quinoa.  Plus, the creamy ricotta cheese, which served as a less rich and healthier cheese/cream sauce, gave the quinoa a smooth and silky texture.  And the cumin and ground ginger only enhanced the flavor of the yam.  I wasn’t exactly sure how the zucchini was going to taste in this recipe, but like the yam, the roasting drew out the sweetness from the zucchini.  It worked perfectly in this dish.  At first I was going to sauté the zucchini and steam the yam.  Fortunately, I did not as I don’t think the sweetness would have been as apparent from either vegetable.  In addition, I was glad to have some fresh cilantro on hand.  It really does make a huge difference in recipes when fresh herbs are used versus dried.  I know that’s probably obvious, but this dish wouldn’t have been the same without the fresh cilantro.  If cilantro is not your thang or if you think it tastes like soap, you could also substitute it with parsley.  Just be sure that it’s fresh and not dried!

In addition, when the cooked quinoa is paired with the ricotta, the texture of the quinoa almost becomes like that of a risotto or porridge.  However, it’s just not as ’soupy’.  I’m not sure what else to call it but ’sheer comfort’.  While my muscles ached and my eyes were heavy with drowsiness, this was something that helped to bring me back.  There’s just nothing like a bowl of hot carbs to immediately make me feel at ease.  My heart and mind were full with so much good energy and feeling from earlier that day and finally, my stomach was able to match.

What’s your favorite herb (no, not that one)?  Or, what’s your favorite way to ‘healthify’ a comfort food?

Namasté,
Nicole

***To be sung to the tune of Phil Collins’ Sussudio***

There’s this salad that’s been on my mind…
All the time, su-su-salad-o!
Oh oh!
Now I don’t even know if it has a name…
But I think I like it just the same…
Su-su-salad-o!
Oh oh!

If you don’t know Healthy Chow, she loves her ’80s music, especially some Phil Collins.  She also loves her humungo salads.  Put the two together and you get that little silly diddy from up above that she conjured up in her head late one night.  And oh yeah, Healthy Chow is quite random as well, if you haven’t already noticed!

But whether you have a soft spot in your heart for music from the ’80s, Phil Collins (or Genesis) or just plain ole’ randomness, I wanted to dedicate this post to my recent love of the big salad.  I hate to admit this, but a few years ago, I didn’t really ‘love’ salads.  I knew I ’should’ eat them and I knew it was a good way to get my intake of vegetables.  However, I never really enjoyed them or wanted a salad.  And, the thought of ordering a salad as my meal while dining at a restaurant was the last thing I wanted to do.  I felt that if I ordered a salad, it wouldn’t get me full and that a salad wasn’t worth paying for at a restaurant.  Boy, was I wrong!

I’m not sure what exactly happened to turn the tide.  I know that a few years ago when I was trying to shed a few pounds, I turned to eating salads as a lighter option for my meals.  And I don’t mean the salads that are loaded with greasy cheese cubes, fried breaded chicken pieces, buttery croutons and creamy salad dressing.  I ordered the plain garden salads without dressing, cheese or croutons.  At first, these garden salads were not something I looked forward to eating.  I guess in my mind, plain salads were the equivalent of ‘rabbit food’.  But once I started telling myself that what I was eating was healthy and nourishing for me and I started focusing on how my salads tasted versus thinking about my preconceived notions of salads, I began to thoroughly enjoy my leafy greens.

While I was trying to cut back on calories by omitting dressings and/or cheeses, I also wanted a ‘naked’ salad for the fact that I wanted to truly taste the vegetables.  I wanted to savor their simplicity versus masking them and thus, hiding them, with something else.  I wanted to like eating my salads for the taste of the lettuce leaves and the vegetables, not for the taste of the blue cheese crumbles and the gobs of ranch dressing.  Now when my salad comes already dressed or covered in cheese, I get disappointed.  It’s not because I’m afraid all those extras are going to add to my calorie count, it’s because I no longer like the taste of a ‘wet’ salad.  I’ve been so used to just tasting plain veggies and leaves, that if I get a mouthful of vinaigrette or creamy Italian (TWSS), I just don’t like it.  Now, I’m not trying to preach that salad dressings should be a ‘no-no’ and that cheese should be avoided at all costs.  Don’t get me wrong, I do add the occasional sprinkle of cheese and/or nuts and I will dip my lettuce leaves in a side of dressing.  All I’m trying to say is that sometimes, what you’re covering up can be exactly what you need to see.

In addition to happily ordering salads when dining out, I now have incorporated salads into my meals at home. – especially the big salad (thanks for the inspiration, Mama Lovin – we miss you!).  Many people wonder how I get full off of just eating a salad for lunch or dinner, but they just haven’t seen my salads.  So, I thought I would post a few pictures of my humungo salads to show you, as well as some tips for fostering some of your own home salad love.

Tips for Making and Enjoying Quick, Healthy and Hearty Salads at Home:

1. Variety – Buy different produce.  If you’re going to be eating a salad, try to make it fun.  Thus, don’t make the same salad everyday.  Mix it up by stocking your fridge with various kinds of lettuce (romaine, baby spinach, kale, arugula, radicchio).  Also, give yourself a good selection of vegetables (cucumber, tomato, carrots, string beans, sugar snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper strips, celery…the list can go on forever).  While I do have my favorites and my salad staples, I try to do my best in incorporating something different as often as I can.  It also gives me an excuse to buy and try new things at the grocery store and at Trader Joe’s!
2. Convenience – Make this easy for yourself.  When you get home from the grocery store, wash your produce and slice/chop up your veggies.  Place them in separate storage containers.  Thus, when you go to make your salads, they are already there ready and waiting for you to select them.
3. Color – Try to make your salads as colorful as possible.  Think rainbow!  Different colors represent different vitamins and nutrients, so it’s wise to incorporate a different mix of fruits and vegetables everyday into your meals (to learn more about which vitamins and nutrients come from which color, see this article).  Not only will having a variety of color in your salads be healthier for you, it’s also more visually appealing.  Remember, we tend to eat with our eyes.
4. Texture – I like having cool, crisp cucumber slices in my salads, but I also like the creaminess of an avocado sliver.  Fresh and crunchy romaine lettuce is also one of my favorites, but I also like to add some steamed spinach for a softer and warmer taste.  Adding bean sprouts and/or alfalfa sprouts will also give your salad some more crunch and a unique taste.
5. Protein – Don’t just stop at vegetables.  Adding beans, hummus, tofu and tempeh is a good way to get some protein in your salad.  And of course, you can always add some tuna, grilled chicken, egg whites or a hard boiled egg.  This extra protein will also help to keep you fuller longer.
6. Get Creative – Salads can be pure vegetables, but I like to also add items like ricotta cheese, nonfat or lowfat cottage cheese, dried fruit and chopped nuts (I like to stick with just a sprinkling).   Some of my other creative favorites are salsa, pumpkin purée, grilled eggplant, grilled portobello mushrooms, broken up pieces of melba toast and guacamole.  With items such as cottage cheese, salsa and guacamole, there’s enough moisture and taste that I usually use them as dressings.  And don’t forget that fruit is also a great ingredient.  Just think sliced strawberries, a handful of grapes, some blueberries or even a few kiwi slices!
7. Herbs and Seasonings – Don’t forget the spice!  If you have some fresh herbs on hand, like some parsley, cilantro or basil, throw them into the mix.  Also, sea salt and cracked pepper (obvi) are a nice way to season your salad.  I’ve been to known to add garlic powder and/or adobo powder to my salad.  It gives it a nice kick!
8. Omegas – We probably all want to add more omega 3’s and 6’s into our life.  So, why not sprinkle some ground flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and/or walnuts to your salad (again, I like to add a light sprinkling here).
9. Dress it up – While I’m not the biggest salad dressing fan, I know I’m probably in the minority.  Try out some different dressings (just be sure to use it sparingly) – it might make your salad taste completely different from the day before.  Also, try making your own salad dressings.  With some mustard, olive oil, vinegar and some salt and pepper, you can have your own healthy and homemade dressing in no time.
10. Make it pretty – I like to arrange my salad in a way that it looks like art to me.  Instead of just plopping the ingredients onto your dish, make it look fancy.  Presentation is key!  Also, don’t stick to the same plates, bowls, dishes or utensils.  Jazz things up and use your fine china!
11. Speed – Since all of these items won’t last forever in your fridge, be sure to make and eat your salad.  I know that when there’s some wilting lettuce leaves in my fridge, it pushes me to eat my veggies versus reaching for a non-perishable item.
12. Enjoy! – Once you’ve finished making your salad creation, take the time to enjoy it.  I like eating my humungo salad not only because it tastes good, but because it takes me a good 15 minutes to eat it.  Unlike a sandwich that I can motor through in less than five minutes, a salad takes me more time to chew and thus, to savor.  Because there are so many different textures and different items going on in my salad, it gives me the chance to slowly eat and digest what was on my plate.

There you have it.  There are some shots of some of the various salads I’ve created, eaten and enjoyed over the past few weeks.  And I have to honestly say, I looked forward to eating each and every one of them!   There’s nothing like being able to ‘pig out’ on a salad, and then having a full, yet energized feeling afterward.  I may not have always been in love with the giant plate of fresh produce and greens, but now I’m a huge convert.  I guess you could say, “that Healthy Chow… she’s an easy lover…”

What’s your favorite song from the 80’s?  Or, do you have any tips for making a fun and healthy salad?

Namasté,
Nicole

***Do you like product giveaways?  If so, check these out…***

There is a Bondi Band giveaway at Silly Tater Tot .  It’s the same cute head band that Katy wore while running
in her 5k the other day!

Also, Nicci at Nicci’s Nifty Eats is giving away crunchy crackers and flatbreads from Doctor Kracker. They sure look good!

If you go to stores like Walmart or Target or Bed Bath and Beyond right now, I’m sure the back-to-school aisle(s) are still filled to the brim with shoppers with their inventory quickly diminishing, if not gone.  If you go to any clothing store at the mall, you’ll see the bikini and tank top racks have now been replaced with long-sleeved button down shirts, khaki pants and other ‘transition wear’.  And if you go to stores like Staples or OfficeMax, people are still rummaging around trying to find their school supplies like pens, calculators, notebooks and Trapper Keepers (oh wait, do they even make those anymore?  Maybe I just like reminiscing…).  In other words, fall is on its way in and summer is on its way out…

Image Credits – ladybugbkt

If you live in the New England area like me, you know that there’s a definite crisp in the air.  While it’s still warm out (especially today in Boston) and technically, it is still summer, we all know the tide is turning.  That said, I know my cravings for cool foods like juicy watermelon, grilled corn on the cob and icy cold sorbets have pretty much ended and my cravings for hot chocolate, hearty casseroles and chunky stews are slowly beginning.  Similar to the long-sleeved button shirts and khaki pants that clothing stores are using to transition to our next season, I’m making my transition by merging my foods.  Just like I’m not wiling to give up my flip flops and t-shirts just yet, I’m still also holding onto my summer produce.  But, with an autumnal twist.

What better way to transition to fall than with a warm whole wheat pasta dish infused with the light flavors of yellow squash, zucchini, lemony thyme and creamy goat cheese? Healthy Chow says, “right on, sistah!”

Say ‘Farewell to Summer’ Zucchini and Yellow Squash Pasta

Serves 4

• 1 medium sized zucchini, cut into half moon shapes
• 1 medium sized yellow squash, cut into half moon shapes
• 3 cups of whole wheat pasta (I used Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Rotini)
• 1/3 cup of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I used canned)
• couple handfuls of baby spinach
• 1/3 cup of chopped onion
• 2 TSP of chopped garlic
• few shakes of dried thyme (fresh would be even better here)
• 1 1/2 TBSP of fresh lemon juice
• 1.6 oz. of goat cheese (I used Trader Joe’s brand, about a 1/3 of the 5 oz. tube)
• olive oil (enough to brown the garlic and onion)
• s&p
• chopped walnuts for garnish (chopped almonds or toasted pine nuts would be swell as well)
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1)While your pasta is cooking (make sure to cook it al dente, you don’t want it to end up mushy) in a large pot, sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil (I used a little less than a tablespoon) on medium/medium-low heat in a medium sized sauté pan.  This should take a few minutes.  Be careful that your garlic does not start to burn.

2) When your onions start getting soft and translucent, it’s time to add your zucchini and yellow squash.  Stir and let that cook together for a few minutes and then add your salt, pepper, dried thyme (or fresh) and lemon juice.  Don’t let your veggies get overcooked – you want them softened, but still a little crisp.

3) When pasta is done cooking (al dente), drain, rinse and reserve about a cup of the pasta water (Healthy Chow must have been daydreaming because once the pasta was completely drained, she remembered the water – rats!)

4) Put the pasta back into the pot and turn the heat onto low.  Add your goat cheese (you might want to break it up into little pieces with your hands before throwing it into the warm pasta.  Let the heat from the pasta start to melt the goat cheese.  Mix together the goat cheese and pasta.  If your pasta looks a bit stiff or dry, add some of the reserved pasta water (do it in increments of a couple of tablespoons at a time).

5) Once you’ve mixed around the pasta and the goat cheese and it has a creamy consistency, add the veggies to the pot.  If your pasta/veggie mixture is dry again, add some more of the reserved pasta water (in the same increments as previously mentioned).  Stir that all together until well blended.

6) Then, add your baby spinach to the pot and gently mix until your baby spinach begins to wilt.

7) Finally, add your cannellini beans and gently mix in (you don’t want to mash your beans).

8 ) Plate your dish and sprinkle with chopped walnuts (or your nut of choice) and crushed red pepper, if desired.  Serve immediately.

There you have it!  You now have a dish that can successfully transition you into fall, without completely letting go of summer.  The crisp summer vegetables can remind you of the hot weather we enjoyed (briefly, if you live in New England), which are highlighted by the buttery goodness of the cannellini beans and the silky goat cheese.  Coupled with the comfort of a whole wheat pasta, this pasta dish can prep you for the chill in the air that’s headed our way.  This recipe is simple and is ready in no time.  So give it a try and if you like it, you can file it in your Trapper Keeper.

Are you looking forward to fall?  What’s your favorite food/recipe to make in the fall?

Namasté,
Nicole

BTW, if you attended the Healthy Living Summit, check out SillyTaterTot.com.  Katy added a page that lists the blogs of all the attendees.  What a great idea!  Thanks Katy!

Do you remember your prom?  I do.  I spent so much time thinking about it, shopping for the ‘perfect’ dress, dieting, dreaming of the ‘best’ hairstyle, finding the matching ‘perfect’ shoes for the ‘perfect’ dress, making sure I had the limousine reserved, making sure my corsage was just ‘right’, making sure I had plans post-prom, making sure my date had a tux that matched me, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…And after all that, the night just turned out mediocre.  I mean, nothing bad happened but nothing all that wonderful occurred either.  I guess that goes to show that sometimes it’s better to go with the flow than to plan every last detail.

This past weekend, Patrick and I were undecided as to what we wanted to do.  The weather was way too nice to be sitting indoors and yet, we didn’t have any reservations or plans made to travel.  After we both had our morning workouts, showered, had breakfast and got our acts together, we decided we just had to go ’somewhere’.  That said, we jumped in the car and Patrick randomly asked, “Hey, wanna go to Newport?”  It seemed like a good idea to me!  So, I said yes, and we hopped on the highway.

If you’ve never been to Newport, RI, it’s about an 45 minute to an hour drive from Boston.  Many Bostonians/New Englanders rent houses in Newport for the summer and spend their weekends there with friends hanging out on the beach and simply enjoying the hot weather.  Because it was Labor Day weekend, the unofficial last weekend of the summer, we weren’t sure what the traffic would be like.  We didn’t hit much traffic at all and we made it there in about and hour and 15 minutes.  Not bad!

Because we got such a late start and had eaten a late breakfast, we held off on having lunch when we arrived and decided to take full advantage of the fantastic weather while it lasted.  But what were we going to do?  We weren’t prepared for the beach (we didn’t have swimsuits, towels, sunscreen, or flip-flops) and wanted to do something a little more exciting than just walk around the shops.  So, we kept driving until we saw this:

Sachuest Point is located in Middletown, just a short drive from Newport.  We sort of just stumbled upon it as we were driving along the beaches.  People were walking and biking along the road and we just decided to follow where they were going.  Boy, did they know where they were going!  Sachuest Point was as equally breathtaking as it was interesting:

The refuge sports a newly renovated visitor center, over 2.5 miles of nature trails, viewing platforms, and a number of Refuge volunteers present to help visitors and to help in management of the refuge.

Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge is renowned for its fantastic saltwater fishing, and the presence of the largest winter population of harlequin ducks on the East Coast.

The visitor center had information on the Refuge, as well as the various bird and plant species that one might find on the trails.  There was even a mini-theater available that showed videos on the history of the Refuge.  We didn’t stay to watch but it was nice to know there was so much available to see and learn – all for free!

The sun sure did sneak up on us that day.  Because I wasn’t paying attention to misjudged the weather, I was dressed in long jeans and told Patrick to wear a long sleeved shirt.  I held out for as long as I could before I finally had to admit to Patrick, “yes, I goofed.  It’s an absolute perfect summer day and I’m literally dying in my jeans right now…”  Luckily, the slight breeze from the ocean managed to cool us off a bit and we were able to fully explore the trails.  It was so cool and like nothing else I had ever had the chance to experience.

We walked around the trails for about an hour until we decided to start hiking on the rocky cliffs that beautifully lined the water.  I was a bit scared at first, thinking I was going to slip and fall and plunge to my death, but Patrick tested it out to make sure it was safe.  What a guy!

“Oh cool, my iPhone works out here…”

My Captain Morgan’s pose…arrrrgh!

Two roads diverged…

When I saw this, I knew I had to capture it.  I felt it was so symbolic of how our day started out.  If we had made rushed plans or reservations to go and stay on the Cape or some other New England summer hot spot, we would have missed out on the spontaneity of going on our spur-of-the moment car ride to Newport and may not have had as good of a time.  Instead, we chose to relax and not stress about our plans and everything seemed to just fall into place.

By the time we finished walking and hiking, we were famished and in desperate need of water.  We pulled over to a convenience store and chugged a bottle of water and then drove until we laid eyes on this:

We split a jumbo-sized frozen lemonade and I swear, this tasted like the nectar of the Gods! It was so light and refreshing and the perfect snack after our sweat-induced hike.  We drove along the beach roads looking at some of the most gorgeous homes I’ve ever seen.  But because I was so enthralled with my frozen lemonade, I neglected to take any pictures. Sorry! But the lemonade sure was dee-lee-shus!

We then decided to head back into town to get an early dinner.  At this point, I just needed food.  So, I was pretty easy going on our dining selection.  We found free parking and this:

Tickets Bar & Grille was a cute little restaurant in Middletown that was right across the street from the beach and had outdoor seating. Perfect!  They had the usual bar/pub fare – pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, finger food, salads, etc.  I chose the vegetarian wrap that contained zucchini, roasted red pepper, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese and came with a choice of either cole slaw, potato salad, french fries or sweet potato fries. I chose the sweet potato fries – obvi!  Patrick went for the classic turkey club and regular french fries.  It was sheer bliss for Healthy Chow!

My meal was huge!  It basically was a sandwich and a half.  I love that fact that it was chock full of vegetables but in hindsight, I think I should have asked them to go lite on the cheese.  It made the sandwich a bit too greasy.  The vegetables could have also used a bit more seasoning, but it did the job.  The sweet potato fries were cooked just right – of course!  They were crispy, not too salty, sweet enough and hot from the kitchen. They more than made up for the average tasting wrap.

Patrick’s turkey club was quite good.  The whole wheat bread was toasted just right and the crispness of the bacon, lettuce and tomato was a nice complement to the moist and juicy turkey. His french fries weren’t so bad either, but I preferred my sweet potato fries.  We also had just the right seats for people watching; we were across the street from the infamous Atlantic Beach Club.  Let’s just say if I was eating crackers, there was more than enough cheese!  Gadzooks!  It was a scene but the perfect entertainment for our late lunch/early dinner.

After we finished eating, we drove over to Goat Island.  This is where all the mega yachts are docked.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many yachts of this stature ever.  They were all quite extraordinary, to say the least.

With only a few more hours left until sundown, we walked into the center of Newport to explore some of the shops.  There was such a buzz in the air.  I guess everyone wanted to take in every last second of the pleasant weather.  I popped into a few stores and ended up hitting a fabulous sale at Kristina Richards.  Everything was in my size, which is never usually the case, but I managed to narrow my choices down to this:

If you can’t tell, it’s a knee-length blue dress with 3/4 length poet sleeves and a pretty back ruffle. Score!

When my shopping finally started to wind down, we knew what we needed next.  We had worked so hard walking, hiking, and shopping that day that we felt we needed to end the day with a sweet treat.

I chose to have a little bit of frozen yogurt with my purple sprinkles. Jeez!  But they were the best darn sprinkles ever…maybe that’s why they named their ice cream shop, ‘Sprinkles’!  To boot, sprinkles are complimentary…how can you resist that? But in all seriousness, this was one of the best frozen yogurts I’ve ever had.  It was creamy, had bits of mocha blended in, tasted just like a cappuccino and if I didn’t know better, I would have thought I was eating ice cream.  Patrick suggested I order a large so that we could share.  It was a great idea, except I had about 80% of it.  But that’s OK, because I enjoyed every bite of it!

We strolled around while savoring my our frozen yogurt and I was amazed to see so many people were still buzzing about town.  There was live music playing (there was a concert going on in a nearby tent), the shops were still open, people were drinking and dining in the outdoor restaurants and bars, college football was on television and people were simply happy to be spending their ‘last’ few moments of summer in such a relaxing, yet fun atmosphere.

What a perfect way to ‘end’ our summer.  I think at the beginning of summer, we, New Englanders, were a bit stressed due to the lack of sunny and warm weather. However, once we sort of ‘got over’ that, the hot and humid weather kicked in and summer was in full swing.  I think when we focus too much on how something ’should be’ or how it ‘ought to be’, we tend to lose sight on allowing things to just ‘be’.  I expected my high school prom to be such an unforgettable night and hoped that it was going to be something so magical.  Perhaps if I would have just gone in without having any expectations, I would have had a better time.  Patrick and I jumped in our car that afternoon just looking to get out of the city.  We weren’t sure where we were going to go exactly or what we were going to do.  But, we knew we had great company and the whole day wide open for anything and everything.  And sometimes, that is the best road to take…

What did you do this Labor Day weekend?  Do you like having plans or would you prefer to fly by the seat of your pants?

Namasté,
Nicole

Do you know the feeling when you drive by something 1000’s of times and then all of the sudden you go by it just one more time and you notice something that you swear was never there before?  And yet, it’s been there forever?  (Please say yes and that I’m not the only fool who does this!)

Well, this happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I was taking a walk around my neighborhood (or ‘hood’, as the young folk call it).  I literally have to drive by this parking lot every day to and from yoga class and I never noticed that this parking lot is actually a farmers market on Saturdays.  What?  Are you kidding me?!  Where have I been?

This place was the equivalent of finding that crinkled up five dollar bill in your back jean pocket.  It’s not as if you were finding anything all that new and exciting but it had been there all along and all you needed to do was ‘look’ for it.  Plus, while a five dollar bill isn’t going to make you rich, it was an extra five dollars you didn’t know you had and now you could enjoy.  This farmers market wasn’t anything different than the other farmers market in the area, but it was something I felt I had discovered and like my own personal ‘find’.  You see, it’s the little things in life that really make us happy.

The produce was beautiful!  The colors of the fruits, vegetables and plants were out-of-this-world.  The only thing I can compare it to is the movie, The Wizard of Oz.  Remember all those scenes in Kansas and how they were sepia-toned and then all of the sudden, BAM – the Oz scenes were in Technicolor?  That’s exactly how I felt walking along Memorial Drive with the grey pavement, dirt and grass and then as soon as I walked into the market, I began seeing in color.

Take a look at these beauties…

Now that's some color!

String beans...so crisp and crunchy!

That's sure golden, all right!

Maters, maters and mo' maters!

Magic Thai Basil

Now that's some fresh garlic!

Even mo' maters...

Fresh bread!

Not only were the produce, flowers and baked goods impressive, but the people were down-to-earth as well (did you get that pun?)  But really, they were so pleasant and welcoming and even allowed the crazy picture taking lady (that’s yours truly) to snap, snap away!

I really loved the fact that this amazing little market was just minutes from my house.  If I didn’t take those extra few seconds on my way home from yoga to actually see what I was driving by versus just looking at my surroundings, I still might not have discovered this hidden treasure.  We tend to be so busy with our daily lives and into our routines that sometimes we forget to notice the little things.  The beauty and inspiration is there, we just have to allow ourselves to find it – even if it is in our back pocket.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever purchased from a farmers market?

Namasté,
Nicole