I have been missing in action for about a week and a half and frankly beating myself up a bit each night that I flop into bed too exhausted to post to Fitness & The Foodie. Work and all the obligations that go along with being passionately and purposefully focused on our business' growth has, unfortunately, resulted in any spare time sucked into a vortex of dinners, sponsor events, and long hours at the office.
The little voice inside my head sometimes screams a bit too loudly that I should be able to juggle it all...fitness, 12-hour workdays, time with friends, my husband, my dog and home, post and keep up with projects for Fitness & The Foodie, make time for hobbies and learning, eat right, make healthy meals five times a day, keep my closet organized, my car clean, my nails polished, my garden green and beautiful.
I've told her to shut up, the voice in my head. I've gagged her and put her in my closet for a time out and may not open the door for her for awhile, if ever.
So while she sits in my closet and thinks about her behavior, I'm going to do my best to post as often as I can with information I think is relevant, interesting and useful. Please forgive me if I miss a night, or two and on rare occasion a bit longer.
Rather than go on and on with my own rant about balance, I thought I'd try to find a good piece on the subject and came across this article on 10 Principles for Successful Work-Life Balance which contains some great tips! Since I LOVE my work and have great fun while doing it the line is often blurred, causing my plate and my cup to runneth over.
What tips do you have for work-life balance? Email me and I'll share with F&TF readers!
Showing posts with label Foodie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foodie. Show all posts
Sunday, August 29, 2010
My Boogie Shoes
Bootcamp on Saturday has been starting at 8:00 so that we escape the heat, somebody I think forgot to tell the sun that. We roasted last Saturday but had a great workout with back-to-back drills working everything!
Mike's wife Norma is one of my fitness inspirations. One of these days, my legs will look like that!
My bootcamp teammates indulged me in a photo op after the workout. Man we were beat!
After bootcamp, I headed for an iced latte and got a little life affirmation along the way. I'm always snapping pictures of bumper stickers, funny signs, cool billboards, and could not resist this. I know I should not have been doing this while driving but I could not help it!
It is way past time for new running shoes. This trusty pair has taken me through two 1/2 marathons, endless runs with Becki, and more workouts with Mike than I can imagine.
I finally broke down and headed to RoadRunner Sports to find my new boogie shoes.
I'm SUCH an easy target. The minute I walked in a very enthusiastic salesperson started talking to me about the ShoeDog adventure. An analysis of my run, the arch of my foot, and the way I place weight on my feet to customize my new shoe insole, all designed of course for my optimal comfort and foot health. I took the bait...Hook, Line, and Sinker.
I started by standing on a cushy platform that showed my weight distribution on my feet, or, as they say, the 3D Paw Reading:
Which gave them this view of my tootsies. I guess I was pretty clueless over the fact that I have a high arch.
After that, I hopped on the treadmill and ran barefoot for a bit so that Tony could see if I pronated my knees and ankles. Fortunately, he said I had a pretty normal stride.
After a few measurements, Tony custom molded my new insoles and recommended I stick with the neutral line of running shoes. Even with narrowing it all down, I still had a ton of options.
But finally got down to my top three picks of Nikes, Mizuno and Saucony. Roadrunner has a 60 day return policy, which takes the guess work out of the purchase. I took the Mizunos and the Nikes, will try them out and if either don't work, I can bring them back!
So far, the Mizunos have been great and after a couple of runs have made a HUGE difference in my knee pain.
Roadrunner Sports
5553 Copley Drive
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 974-4455
Mike's wife Norma is one of my fitness inspirations. One of these days, my legs will look like that!
My bootcamp teammates indulged me in a photo op after the workout. Man we were beat!
After bootcamp, I headed for an iced latte and got a little life affirmation along the way. I'm always snapping pictures of bumper stickers, funny signs, cool billboards, and could not resist this. I know I should not have been doing this while driving but I could not help it!
It is way past time for new running shoes. This trusty pair has taken me through two 1/2 marathons, endless runs with Becki, and more workouts with Mike than I can imagine.
I finally broke down and headed to RoadRunner Sports to find my new boogie shoes.
I'm SUCH an easy target. The minute I walked in a very enthusiastic salesperson started talking to me about the ShoeDog adventure. An analysis of my run, the arch of my foot, and the way I place weight on my feet to customize my new shoe insole, all designed of course for my optimal comfort and foot health. I took the bait...Hook, Line, and Sinker.
I started by standing on a cushy platform that showed my weight distribution on my feet, or, as they say, the 3D Paw Reading:
Which gave them this view of my tootsies. I guess I was pretty clueless over the fact that I have a high arch.
After that, I hopped on the treadmill and ran barefoot for a bit so that Tony could see if I pronated my knees and ankles. Fortunately, he said I had a pretty normal stride.
After a few measurements, Tony custom molded my new insoles and recommended I stick with the neutral line of running shoes. Even with narrowing it all down, I still had a ton of options.
But finally got down to my top three picks of Nikes, Mizuno and Saucony. Roadrunner has a 60 day return policy, which takes the guess work out of the purchase. I took the Mizunos and the Nikes, will try them out and if either don't work, I can bring them back!
So far, the Mizunos have been great and after a couple of runs have made a HUGE difference in my knee pain.
Roadrunner Sports
5553 Copley Drive
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 974-4455
The Red Door
Recently Becki, Jolee and I met up for dinner at the Red Door in Mission Hills. The restaurant has been around for almost a year now and it has taken me way too long to get in to meet with Chef Brian Johnston.
The girls ordered one of the Chef's famous flatbreads and of course, I had to have a tiny sliver...just to taste! Barbecue chicken, goat cheese, and I think pancetta if I remember right, topped with a little cilantro. I managed to stop myself at just one piece, my trainer does read this after all. He has a way of making me pay later!
The Red Door's wine list focuses on small production wines from around the world which proved to be a fun test of my new WSET knowledge. I had the Chateau des Gravieres Bordeaux Blanc which is a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillion.
The chef's cuisine is comfort classics at their best and since the girls and I could not make up our minds we decided to split a few of the chef's favorites. The "Surf & Cheeky Turf" came with sauteed sea scallops, braised pork cheek, roasted garlic jus, fresh vegetables and crispy polenta. HEAVEN!
We also shared Manila Clams and Chorizo with garlic, white wine, tomato and parsley
Becki LOVES short ribs and its rumored that the Red Door serves some of the best. The boneless Meyer all-natural beef short ribs were braised in red wine and veal stock and served with Yukon mashed potatoes, onion straws, veggies and Cabernet sauce. I did not get a picture, probably because it was gone before I realized I had not taken one.
And for dessert, the lemon curd with fresh berries in a caramelized phyllo cup. I think that's Jolee's spoon in the photo, she could not wait for me to snap the picture!
The Red Door
741 West Washington Street
San Diego, CA 92103-1937
(619) 295-6000
The girls ordered one of the Chef's famous flatbreads and of course, I had to have a tiny sliver...just to taste! Barbecue chicken, goat cheese, and I think pancetta if I remember right, topped with a little cilantro. I managed to stop myself at just one piece, my trainer does read this after all. He has a way of making me pay later!
The Red Door's wine list focuses on small production wines from around the world which proved to be a fun test of my new WSET knowledge. I had the Chateau des Gravieres Bordeaux Blanc which is a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillion.
The chef's cuisine is comfort classics at their best and since the girls and I could not make up our minds we decided to split a few of the chef's favorites. The "Surf & Cheeky Turf" came with sauteed sea scallops, braised pork cheek, roasted garlic jus, fresh vegetables and crispy polenta. HEAVEN!
We also shared Manila Clams and Chorizo with garlic, white wine, tomato and parsley
Becki LOVES short ribs and its rumored that the Red Door serves some of the best. The boneless Meyer all-natural beef short ribs were braised in red wine and veal stock and served with Yukon mashed potatoes, onion straws, veggies and Cabernet sauce. I did not get a picture, probably because it was gone before I realized I had not taken one.
And for dessert, the lemon curd with fresh berries in a caramelized phyllo cup. I think that's Jolee's spoon in the photo, she could not wait for me to snap the picture!
The Red Door
741 West Washington Street
San Diego, CA 92103-1937
(619) 295-6000
Monday, August 16, 2010
Bice!
The other night I finally had the chance to visit Bice, an Italian restaurant in downtown San Diego with origins dating back to the first Bice Trattoria in Milan in 1926. The restaurant now has multiple locations in the states with San Diego's owned and operated independently by Chef Mario Cassineri, Managing Partner Rinaldo Colantoni, and General Partner Trevor Sacco.
Right away I noticed the the amazing display of imported Italian cheeses. Although we were not there for happy hour, this is a spot I will be coming back to for a glass of Nebbiolo and cheese!
(source)
We couldn't resist the cheese and decided this is how the meal should start! We asked for their in house expert to select his favorites for us to try. We had everything from a creamy Burrata to Pecorino and Gargonzola Dolce. They make their own preserves in house that I'm still drooling over.
After the cheese I had the lnsalata di Lenticchie di Castelluccio con Barbabietole e Caprino all' Aceto Balsamico....or, a salad of Castelluccio Lentils with fresh Chino beets, crumbled goat cheese and balsamic dressing:
For my Primi Piatti (Insert Italian Accent Here), I went with our server's recommendation of the Pappardelle al Telefono con Pomodor, Mozzarella e Basilico which was Pappardelle with Mozzarella Cheese and Fresh Basil in Pink Tomato Sauce. This was a splurge for me but tonight I had a total "When In Rome" moment and jumped face first into this creamy bowl of carb filled pasta. I only ate about half which still took incredible restraint considering I killed myself on cheese.
The chef treated us to one of his signature desserts, which unfortunately I did not get the name of. It reminded me of a Zabaglione which is a custard traditionally from Northern Italy made of egg yolks, sugar and dessert wine. It was served over fresh berries and with a bite of Biscotti.
Can't wait to go back!
Bice San Diego
425 Island Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101-8609
(619) 239-2423
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Overnight Oats, Where Have You Been My Whole Life?
I recently found out about Overnight Oats, and feel just a little more nutritionally enlightened because of it. I'm always on the hunt for good-for-you foods that smack of decadence and I gotta' tellya, Overnight Oats are G- double O-D.
I need to work on making this look as tasty as it is. For those of you who are Overnight Oats newbies like me, the OO's are basically oats that are soaked in all kinds of good stuff overnight so by morning, you get a chewy, crunchy, yummy bowl of raw goodness. Here's how I did my first attempt:
Careful on the calories with this though. Oats and grains, while great for you, can get high in calories, not to mention the peanut butter. I did this on a very intense workout day. Future combos will be a little more calorie friendly (maybe I'll omit the PB for a bit of Flax Oil instead.)
I need to work on making this look as tasty as it is. For those of you who are Overnight Oats newbies like me, the OO's are basically oats that are soaked in all kinds of good stuff overnight so by morning, you get a chewy, crunchy, yummy bowl of raw goodness. Here's how I did my first attempt:
- 1/4 cup of steel cut oats
- 1 tbsp of Quinoa
- 1 tbsp of Wheatberries
- 1 tbsp of dried cherries
- 1/2 cup of nonfat milk (switching over to Almond Milk now though)
- tiny dash of cinnamon and vanilla (careful with the cinnamon, it can really overpower!)
- 1 tsp of slivered almonds
- 1 tbsp of peanut butter
Careful on the calories with this though. Oats and grains, while great for you, can get high in calories, not to mention the peanut butter. I did this on a very intense workout day. Future combos will be a little more calorie friendly (maybe I'll omit the PB for a bit of Flax Oil instead.)
Monday, August 9, 2010
We Made The Buzz!
Hooray and thank you! Fitness & The Foodie has officially been picked up by FoodBuzz! I am now a featured publisher on their site, thanks to you!
In the past few months, I have heard from many of you who have found information I share including fitness tips and new goodies for foodie helpful. Please feel free to share Fitness & The Foodie with your friends and, if you have not done so already, encourage them to visit the site and subscribe or become a follower.
Thank you again!
In the past few months, I have heard from many of you who have found information I share including fitness tips and new goodies for foodie helpful. Please feel free to share Fitness & The Foodie with your friends and, if you have not done so already, encourage them to visit the site and subscribe or become a follower.
Thank you again!
Michelle
Puppy Love
Right now I am absolutely puppy obsessed. I finally have convinced Michael to bring in a companion for Hunter (okay, for me!!) and now need to make up my mind on what breed to go with. Help me decide! If you go to my website at Fitness & The Foodie (just click on the words or visit http://www.fitnessandthefoodie.blogspot.com), you can enter your selection in the poll.
Here are my choices, look at how adorable they all are? You can understand my dilemma, right? Let me know what you think!
Boston Terrier
Pug (a face only a mother could love!!)
King Charles Cavalier
French Bulldog
Cairn Terrier
Here are my choices, look at how adorable they all are? You can understand my dilemma, right? Let me know what you think!
Boston Terrier
Pug (a face only a mother could love!!)
King Charles Cavalier
French Bulldog
Cairn Terrier
Pass the Peas, Please!
There is a produce distributor in San Diego that allows public access during select hours and, so we had been told, is like a candy store for food geeks like me. So, on Sunday Jolee and I took a trip to the Specialty Produce warehouse to look around. My looking turned into $60 worth of beautiful vegetables, new artisan salts, oats, and fruit.
Oh, and did I mention fresh peas?
I found a great source on Green Peas from the World's Healthiest Foods:
Aside from being just simply sweet and delicious, fresh green peas are a nutritional powerhouse. The are packed full of 8 vitamins and 7 minerals, dietary fiber and minerals. They also promote bone health with vitamin K which we convert to help maintain our levels of a chemical called osteocalin which in turn makes sure that bone mineralization is not impaired. Peas also supply a good amount of folic acid and B6 which helps reduce homocystein, a molecule that contributes to osteoporosis.
After shelling my new fresh peas, I dusted two Ono fillets with a bit of yellow curry, coriander, and Thai ginger sea salt.
I sauteed the peas with basil, cilantro, garlic and onion and added a tiny bit of vegetable stock. Add whole grain brown rice and YUM!
Oh, and did I mention fresh peas?
I found a great source on Green Peas from the World's Healthiest Foods:
When purchasing garden peas, look for ones whose pods are firm, velvety and smooth. Their color should be a lively medium green. Those whose green color is especially light or dark, or those that are yellow, whitish or are speckled with gray, should be avoided. Additionally, do not choose pods that are puffy, water soaked or have mildew residue. The pods should contain peas of sufficient number and size that there is not much empty room in the pod. You can tell this by gently shaking the pod and noticing whether there is a slight rattling sound. All varieties of fresh peas should be displayed in a refrigerated case since heat will hasten the conversion of their sugar content into starch.
Aside from being just simply sweet and delicious, fresh green peas are a nutritional powerhouse. The are packed full of 8 vitamins and 7 minerals, dietary fiber and minerals. They also promote bone health with vitamin K which we convert to help maintain our levels of a chemical called osteocalin which in turn makes sure that bone mineralization is not impaired. Peas also supply a good amount of folic acid and B6 which helps reduce homocystein, a molecule that contributes to osteoporosis.
After shelling my new fresh peas, I dusted two Ono fillets with a bit of yellow curry, coriander, and Thai ginger sea salt.
I sauteed the peas with basil, cilantro, garlic and onion and added a tiny bit of vegetable stock. Add whole grain brown rice and YUM!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Let's Catch Up!
I have not been able to post for the last couple of days and there is so much to catch up on! At the start of the week I put together a list of things that, when looking back, I would be happy to have done. Here's what is on my list this week:
Continue to eat the Game On way for the final week of our fitness competitionMake it to Body Pump at least once andSpin twice- Run at least once this week
- File the bills on my desk (LONG OVERDUE!)
- Update recipes on Fitness & The Foodie
Food journal every day, no excuses!Call my grandfather (I've been meaning to do this forever and feel horrible that I have not called him yet).- Study for my Level 2 WSET (Wine, Spirits & Education Trust) exam coming up on Saturday and pass!
- Get through my "to do" list at work and finalize all our celebrity chefs for the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival
- Work on super top secret project that I'll finally be able to announce at the end of next week!
Win It Friday!
As you know, I had my first golf lesson a few weeks ago and will have my second coming up this Sunday. I'm absolutely terrible but love getting out there with Michael. My golf instructor Kim wanted to give something for our next Win It series and has provided a private, one-hour lesson for one winner! The best part? You get to bring three friends with you!
Kim is a golf pro at Sycuan in San Diego's East County which is consistently ranked as one of the best courses in the city. The course is beautiful! And trust me on this, whether you've been golfing for a while or have never picked up a club (like me!), Kim is a terrific instructor not to mention its just a really fun way to spend and hour and get out into nature.
Okay, to win the hour lesson for you and your friends, email me at fitnessandthefoodie@gmail.com and respond to the following question:
What is something you've always wanted to try and do, but have not yet done?
Kim is a golf pro at Sycuan in San Diego's East County which is consistently ranked as one of the best courses in the city. The course is beautiful! And trust me on this, whether you've been golfing for a while or have never picked up a club (like me!), Kim is a terrific instructor not to mention its just a really fun way to spend and hour and get out into nature.
(source)
Okay, to win the hour lesson for you and your friends, email me at fitnessandthefoodie@gmail.com and respond to the following question:
What is something you've always wanted to try and do, but have not yet done?
Cinque e' Cinque Sample Promotion!
A couple of weeks ago I posted about Lucini Italia's Cinque e' Cinque and got a lot of response. Here is a picture of the dish I made devoured.
Lucini Italia just told me about a promotion that I had to pass along to you since I had so many readers interested in their product: How would you like to get Cinque e' Cinque for a year? Check it out:
Handcrafted, gourmet Italian products delivered to your doorstep...
Enter to WIN Lucini products for a year!
- 1 Lucky Grand Prize winner will enjoy Lucini products for a year which include Lucini’s award-winning extra virgin olive oils, artisan vinegars, gourmet tomato and cheese sauces, savory soups and our new Tuscan treat, Cinque é Cinque, all on us!*
- Two First Place winners will receive a 12 inch cast iron pan, Lucini engraved silver whisk, one of each new Cinque é Cinque and a 500mL bottle of our Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Ten Runner-Ups will receive a Lucini engraved silver whisk, one of each new Cinque é Cinque and a 250mL bottle of our Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
In addition, you will be entered for weekly product and coupon giveaways!
*Grand Prize is capped at a retail value of $50 per month for 12 consecutive months. Any combination of available Lucini products can be selected for each months shipment. Please see official rules for full details.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday Night Grilled Fish Tacos
Sunday afternoon we gathered at Ken and Jolee's for some sun and pool time followed by a mega feast of grilled fish tacos, sweet corn, watermelon and feta salad, chimichurri, scalloped tomatoes, and grilled pineapple with blueberries and Saba for dessert. I'm gathering recipes and will post by this weekend, stay tuned!
Oh, and did I mention the four-legged guests? Maggie, Poppy, Rita, Hunter, Lucy and Jacques:
Oh, and did I mention the four-legged guests? Maggie, Poppy, Rita, Hunter, Lucy and Jacques:
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