Posts Tagged ‘ pasta ’

Tomatoes and Whole Foods

August 5, 2010
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Honestly, every bad run gets me a little down.  They really stink.  When you’re training for 26.2 and 4 is a struggle, it can get to your head.  Thankfully, I have fabulous readers!  You all helped me put that measly run in perspective.  In fact, it has become my motivation for tomorrow.  I am so excited to lace up my shoes and hit the road tomorrow morning.  Fourteen miles, here I come!

Since I was already a disgusting, sweaty mess, I restarted my day in a relaxing place…the garden.   I picked another lot of sweet, juicy tomatoes.  This bowl has a mix of grape and cherry tomatoes.  You can eat these babies like candy.  Yum!

I also plucked some plum tomatoes from the vine.

I couldn’t wait to eat my bounty.  Nothing compares to garden fresh produce – no chemicals near these bad boys!  I added them to a big, veggie-packed salad for lunch.

This beast had a little of everything:

  • mixed greens
  • cherry and grape tomatoes
  • green and red bell peppers
  • broccoli
  • corn
  • grilled chicken
  • dried cranberries

A drizzle of my favorite TJ’s Sweet Poppyseed dressing to finished it off.  It was exactly what I needed on a sticky, hot afternoon.  Well, that and a dose of complex carbs!

A slice of Yoga Bread smeared with almond butter.  Salads are great and all, but nothing satisfies me like a warm piece of toast topped with melty almond butter.  Yum!

After lunch, I needed a dose of shopping therapy.  Hello, Whole Foods!  I couldn’t resist…

There is nothing like a trip to a well-stocked Whole Foods!  I bee-lined for the bar aisle…and there they were!  I finally found the new Larabar flavors.  I bought one of each.  I can’t decided which to try first – carrot cake? chocolate chip brownie? chocolate chip cookie dough? peanut butter chocolate chip?  Ahh!  So many good choices.  Decisions, decisions…

My trip to Whole Foods also rendered another lovely find.

I bought the spinach, mozzarella & walnut tortellini from Putney Pasta.  I was drawn to it because I noticed the “I’m Local” sign nearby.  It turns out the pasta is made in Brattleboro, VT.

I cooked up a serving of this lovely pasta for dinner.

My tortellini sat nicely atop a bed of spaghetti squash.  I topped the dish with some of my leftover spaghetti sauce and a bit of parmesan cheese.  It was delicious!  The tortellini was so petite and tender and I loved the filling.  It was mild, but nutty.  Super tasty!  I love supporting local family businesses.  I would definitely buy their products again.  Putney Pasta has so many fun flavors to choose from!

Alrighty, my friends…it’s going to be an early night.  Rest then run!

Is there a local company (local to you) that sells fabulous products?


Hello August

August 2, 2010
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Normally, it doesn’t excite me to turn the calendar at the end of July.  August seems to represent the last days of summer.  I have to shift my focus from pool parties to back-to-school.  This August feels different.  I am excited for it and the months to come.  There are fun events – the Healthy Living Summit! – to attend and my marathon training continues to challenge me in new ways everyday.  I also have a couple of other fabulous ventures in the works – prepare for a couple of announcements soon!

With so much to look forward to, the day was nearly perfect.  The weather was comfortable and mild…relaxing.

I didn’t have any bananas this morning – gasp! – and I didn’t even freak out!  Haha.  Instead, I made a delicious bowl of sweet potato oats.

This bowl had all the flavors of fall – perfect for a crisp New England morning.  I just added 1/2 a mashed sweet potato to my usual oatmeal mix and topped it with plenty of cinnamon, a few raisins, and a scoop of PB&Co. Mighty Maple.  What a combo!  If you are going to eat a veggie at breakfast, I’d go with the sweet potato.  It was a great way to start the day.

I had nowhere to be today, nowhere to go.  I ate breakfast slowly and lounged in my PJ’s for quite some time.  ‘Twas lovely!  When I finally felt up to it, I got myself together and took a trip to the market.  It took some patience to work my way through the Sunday rush…but it was worth it!  I’m happy to report that there will be bananas for breakfast tomorrow.

I also brought home the makings for an impressive salad.

When I can make something like this, I don’t know why I ever buy salads.  Nothing compares to the freshest produce combined with just the right amount of dressing, some walnuts for a serving of healthy fats, and the sweetness of strawberries and dried cranberries.  I paired my salad with a mix of crunchy crackers.  Entree salads often leaving me wanting more, but this monster really hit the spot!

My salad lunch was the perfect compliment to our classic dinner – spaghetti and meatballs!

The picture definitely does this meal no justice.  I seriously need to take photography lessons.  I come from a family of budding photographers, but apparently the gene was not passed down to me.  Oh well!  It didn’t make the meal any less tasty.  I mixed some pasta with spaghetti squash to bulk up the meal.  I also had a couple pieces of garlic bread.  When I passed the hot, fresh whole wheat loaves at the store, I knew this meal needed garlic bread.  Yum!  It was the perfect night for a hearty dinner.

I just came in from walking Lucy.  My mom and I walked together.  We could hear the crickets, smell the backyard fires, and sense serenity in the neighborhood.  So peaceful!  Time for some reading…hope you had some moments of peace in your Sunday, too.

What are you looking forward to this month?

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