Lately

by | Jun 30, 2014 | Blogging, Photography

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Hardboiled Eggs

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Green Juice

June, which, somehow is gone already, was a good month.

I went to Dublin, to speak at LocWorld. I ate at a Michelin starred restaurant. I had many cups of good coffee, and a few great scones. I have pictures that I’m still processing. I’d love to be back on Howth right now.

I had dear friends come stay with me for their Wellesley Reunion year – we had a house full of college nostalgia. Somehow I missed both Secretaries of State Clinton and Albright – they were both back to celebrate their reunion cycle. I waved at stylish women in antique vehicles who graduate college in the 30’s. I hope that one day I’ll be just as awesome.

I drank a lot of green juice. It got hot around here quickly! I also purchased more straws for my home. Everything is better with a straw.

I got a new photography light – a Lowel Ego – to shoot photos in my kitchen at night.

I ran two races. One of them included a pre-run kayak portion.

I went to track workouts at work. Track workouts are hard!

I but the bullet and got a membership to the Y, mostly so that I can use the pool. I’d forgotten what it was like to swim — and mildly surprised that I could swim a thousand yards without getting bored or exhausted. Sure, an eight year old could beat my pace, but I’m happy to be out there mixing up my workouts, and swimming never feels like “exercise”.

I got a new bicycle. I’m a little afraid of riding it because the seat is high, and I don’t *really* know how to stop yet.

I walked 10,000 steps every day. (My average was 14,000.)

I acquired a modest number of new cookbooks from the New England Mobile Bookfair: one by Bernard Clayton, another by Waverley Root, and the third by Diana Henry.

I listened to several episodes of the Splendid Table, and caught up on RadioLab.

I have a new work commute that lands me in Harvard Square at the end of the day. In the morning, I’ve been enjoying the smooth cold brewed iced coffee at 1369 coffee house. I have very few vices, but coffee is my favorite.

A new air conditioner only raised my electric bill by about $5.

Here’s to a fabulous July!

Wednesday

by | Jun 18, 2014 | Photography, Salads

Cookbooks

Just a few images that I’ve been sitting on. These cookbooks ^ bringing in summer.

This lovely lady below, who just was featured in Food + Wine (her portrait on their site my very first contribution to Food + Wine!)

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This summer salad: chopped cucumber, fennel, mint, and feta, with a sprinkle of sumac.

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The driveway, in New Hampshire.

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This jam that I won from Eat Boutique.

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Happy Wednesday!

Healthy Balance

by | May 28, 2014 | Challenge, Restaurants, Wellness

ShakeShackSweetGreen

For the past few months I’ve been hopping on the #FitFluential Twitter chats, looking to meet like-minded folks passionate about health and fitness.

Tonight one of the questions was about nutrition trends, a topic that always piques my interest. One person quipped “Now we say “clean eating” is a trend. When I was young, it was called, “eating at home.” And I’m not that old.” And isn’t it so true? Growing up, eating well meant eating wholesome, home cooked foods, free of junk additives. Treats were few and far between, but when we got them, they were savored.

I like to say that I’m not training for any particular race, I’m training for life. And to do that, I think about what I eat often – my goal in life is to eat sanely, well, and with delight. Sometimes it falls in line with trends, and sometimes it doesn’t. My eating is largely seasonal, heavier in the winter, lighter in the summer. At home I cook a lot of mediterranean inspired meals, and many of my home cooked meals fall squarely into the “paleo” or “primal” camp, which I was doing well before things became trendy. I just call it “eating”, and it’s something that I’m excited to do every day.

There’s always room for well-selected treats – tonight was no exception. I couldn’t help a trip to Shake Shack to celebrate National Burger Day. To balance it out, I crossed the street to the brand new sweetgreen in Chestnut Hill to pick up a “guacamole greens” salad to accompany it. Now that’s a good meal!