Lately I have been cutting back dramatically on coffee but when I received my Godiva Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Pecan Bark from the Foodbuzz: Tastemakers Program I was delighted to indulge.
I was slightly apprehensive at first because I’m not a huge fan of flavored coffees and since I am not drinking very much coffee I have been choosing my favorites but I decided to give these two flavors a chance. The results: I love them both. Now I might not be buying these all the time but they are really tasty and perfect for fall. I love the Pumpkin Spice, it is so warming with the cinnamon and nutmeg and the Caramel Pecan Bark is delicious, smooth and “creamy”. I brewed up a cup and brought it with me to the fall farms market; the perfect drink to have with the cool crisp air and changing leaves.
I am not much for coffee drinks so just adding a little almond milk to mine was indulgent enough. I do think that either would be wonderful cold and blended into a smoothie though…hmmm I just might have to try that sometime!
Every month, the Hubz and I seem to have the same discussion about cutting back on eating out. And yet, nothing really changes.
One of the biggest realizations that we have come to is how crazy it is that we can debate for days, months, weeks over making a simple purchase for something like a new shirt or shoes, and yet when it comes to dining out we don’t even think twice. Looking back on things I am just imagining how many shirts, shoes, and new bags I could have bought over the years if we had just cut back on dining out. The trouble is, we really enjoy dining out. Not so much the actual eating part, but the social aspect of it. It’s nice to peel ourselves away from the computers and get out and do something together. It gives us the opportunity to take a break and enjoy each others company. No dishes to clean up is certainly a nice perk!
So, why not dine out? What are the biggest problems with eating out?
Portions – Most of the times, your portions are way too much for one person. Many times, Neil and I will share an entree and a salad or appetizer. But, whether you just aren’t feeling like eating the same thing as your partner, or you just feel like you’re hungrier than you probably are, sometimes you just want your own meal. You could always ask the wait staff to box half up of your meal before they bring it out, but, honestly, how often does that actually happen?
Expense – There’s no two ways about it, eating out is expensive. Just think about how much that pasta with salad dish would have cost you at home. Would that bottle of wine you shared at dinner really have cost you $35.00 at the grocery store? Often, a meal for two (as simple as the one i just mentioned) can cost upwards of $60. In reality, you can make it at home for $15-25 (including that bottle of wine!). I know that part of what you are paying for is the experience, but why not try to recreate that at home? And hey, tipping your partner with a kiss is a lot cheaper than 15-20% of that $60 bill (and more fun!).
Mystery – Often, it can be a mystery as to what you are actually eating. Unless a restaurant clearly labels each ingredient on their menu, you may not have any idea what is in your dish. Often restaurant dishes are filled with sodium and fats used to heighten flavor which makes you want more, creating repeat customers. Not to mention that you don’t know what the quality of the ingredients they use are or whether they are packaged or made from scratch.
How can eating at home help?
You have control – You have all of the control. You can control: the portion sizes, the quality of ingredients and the costs. When we eat at home we are able to buy high quality ingredients to make dishes that are tasty, healthy and better fit our budget. You can control the salt and the fat, which helps you take control of your diet.
How can I address the things that get in the way of cooking at home?
There are a couple core reasons people turn to eating out and I’m hoping to give you some ways you can address those. Many people end up eating out for the following reasons:
I don’t like to cook – A lot of people just don’t like to cook. Whether they find it tedious or just too hard. One way to make it fun is to find a friend who likes to cook or who is good at cooking to cook with. The Hubz used to have cooking parties with his friends all the time and found that it really helped to improve the quality of food and the healthiness of the food he was eating at home. If you are in a relationship, make it fun by making it something you and your partner do together. Break the preparation up into different steps: chopping veggies, sautéing your veggies and/or proteins or boiling the pasta for example. This allows you to spend time together and make the process a little less tedious or labor intensive.
I don’t know how to cook – Look into taking a cooking class. It’s a great way to learn and maybe even meet some new friends who may share your passion for food. Many local health food stores, kitchen supply stores (Williams-Sonoma for one), community centers and in some cases even bloggers or restaurants in your area are great resources for cooking classes. These classes are usually offered at reasonable rate and some classes even cater to couples. You will often find these classes focusing on different cuisines or dishes which will allow you to to become an expert at cooking the types of food you love to get when you eat out. You can often find classes offered on the basics of cooking as well (knife work, making broths, etc). Investing the time and money you would normally spend on eating out one night is a great way to learn to provide for yourself for years to come!
I don’t have time – Cooking a big meal can be intimidating and time consuming. But there are lots of great, easy, tasty and healthy dishes that you can throw together quickly. Often the time you put into making a quick, healthy dish can be less than you would invest in going out to eat. Between work, health coaching and blogging spare time is hard to find, so I often feature some of my favorite quick, healthy recipes on the blog. Some examples of some quick healthy dishes include: couscous and steamed veggies and beans, salads with lots of veggies and a lean protein. A favorite of the Hubz’s is what we like to call “Beans, Greens and Grains” at home. It’s usually a combination of some sort of bean (any will do, for example: black eyed peas, chickpeas or white beans), a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, etc.) and a hearty green (the Hubz loves kale, collards and spinach).
In a pinch, when you are on the run and are really running short on time there are some great frozen healthful options from brands like Amy’s Kitchen and Kashi that are tasty, clear about what goes into them and packed full of nutrients. These meals will help you address any of the three issues I listed above as reasons for eating out and are much more cost efficient.
The Challenge:
And now, here’s your challenge. Starting on October 1st and running through the month until October 30th, challenge participants are encouraged to eat-in for all meals. This includes snacks and beverages. I am not going to state any exceptions because this is something that you are doing for yourself. Just remember if you do “cheat” one day it doesn’t mean the month is a loss. Just start right back up; each meal is a new chance to jump back in.
Set a budget for the month and stick to it. This budget should include all of your meals, snacks and beverages and should be based on your personal/family needs. This means making your coffee at home, avoiding vending machines at work (you should avoid those anyways). Do you crave dessert? Make sure to add it to your grocery list, try to avoid those late night runs to your favorite dessert spot. Every budget will be different but make sure it is one that you will be able to work with for an entire month.
Focus on simple, healthy meals during the week and one “WOW” dinner on the weekend. When you keep things simple you reduce stress and the desire to eat out. The “WOW” dinner is a replacement for eating out; make something special and make an event out of it. One of our favorite things to do is pick a movie and create a meal that follows the theme of the movie.
Have a prep day. One of the biggest challenges many of us face is time. Take one day per week, I find Sundays work well for me, and prep your meals for the week. This helps things run smoothly through the week and you will have more time doing the things you want, rather than being in the kitchen all night.
Buy in bulk and portion out. I love to buy nuts, seeds and dried fruit in bulk for snacks. When I get home I portion them out into little containers so they are easy to grab and go. This is also great to do with other snacks such as veggie sticks and hummus or whole grain crackers and salsa.
Keep it simple and have fun.
Added incentive:
Need a little added incentive to keep you on track? All participants who participate with no cheats will be eligible for a $10 amazon gift card purchased for you by me.
Requirements:
You must follow all of the following requirements to be eligible:
Blog post announcing your participation by 12pm EST on October 1, 2011. The blog post must include:
Why you are participating in the challenge.
Your monthly budget.
How you are going to keep yourself on track and what measures you plan to take to make this a successful challenge.
On October 8th, 15th and 22nd you must post a progress report. The post must include:
Discuss how things are going and whether you are on track for budget.
Discuss the meals you had over the course of the week.
Something you learned, a challenge you faced and how you over came that challenge
Lastly on October 30th a final report must be posted. This post must include:
Discuss how the challenge went and whether you were able to stay on track for budget
Discuss positive changes you have experienced with your health, your relationships and your wallet.
Something you learned, a challenge you faced and how you over came that challenge
Last night I had a real hankering for oven roasted tomatoes. I eventually found myself at the natural foods store picking up a big bag of plum tomatoes and then home slicing them and preparing them to roast. I decided to also roast some fennel from our CSA and a few bulbs of delicious local organic garlic.
How I Roast Tomatoes, Fennel and Garlic:
Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.
Cut tomatoes in half and place on the baking sheet flesh side up.
Slice the fennel bulbs into 1/4 inch slices and place in one layer on the baking sheet.
Dress the tomatoes and fennel with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
For the garlic: I remove about 1/2 inch from the top of each bulb, saving the little bits of garlic that come off to use in another dish.
I then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrap in aluminum foil.
Enjoy your roasted tomatoes, fennel and garlic in sauces, soups, pasta dishes and dressings.
Or in these recipes to come.
{Sneak Peak}
Trust me the zombie I live with loved these dishes.
*Hubz is slowly getting better and his bruises have gone from dark purple to yellowing. He’s a tough guy.*
This weekend I have been preparing for a new workshop that I am doing next week on natural sweeteners. Part of preparing for the workshop is making up some tasty treats for my participants to try out. This granola is made using maple sugar and brown rice syrup.
Makes 8 Cups
Ingredients:
6 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup maple sugar
1/4 cup golden flax seeds
1/4 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)
1/4 cup nibs
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup black sesame seeds
1 cup Thompson raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil (liquid form)
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Spread the oats on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. While the oats are baking combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Add the oats to the dry ingredients and stir to evenly distribute. Add the wet ingredients to the oat mixture and mix until everything is evenly coated.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper (optional). Spread half the mixture on each of the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, stir after 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow granola to cool on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.
Last week Neil and I decided that we needed to have a date night. Lately we have been so busy with our own things and home things that we haven’t been spending enough quality time together.
Our date night started at the driving range where we shared an extra large bucket of balls.
After we emptied our bucket of balls we headed to the batting gages. I watched while Neil hit a few balls and then it was time to head downtown for the second half of our date.
We debated over a few places to go for a drink and dinner but I wasn’t really that hungry so we decided to go to the German brew pub for a beer and decide on what we wanted for dinner later. Once we sat down and perused the menu we saw that there were a few potential small plate options for us to have and since we were enjoying the quiet night on the patio we decided to stay and order food as well.
Grilled Asparagus with olive oil and lemon
Giant pretzel with horseradish mustard (no butter on the pretzel)
Spicy Fries (more liked seasoned)
The Verdict: delicious beer (we stayed for a second) and tasty food. We sat and enjoyed each others company while sipping beers and snacking on the food. Overall one of the best nights lately and I can’t wait to return for more of the asparagus-SO GOOD!
1. Five Bamboo Travel Skirt– Five Bamboo sent me a sample of their skirt for review and I have been wearing it all the time. Unfortunately I have yet to get a picture of myself in it because well I am usually behind the camera, however this weekend we are traveling and it will be perfect for the trip. This skirt is ridiculously comfortable and so soft! I am in love with it. I am so in love with how cute it looks on and how comfortable it is, especially right now in this crazy hot humid Vermont weather. Now I just have to find someone to get me their Rohre Dress for my birthday next month- any takers?
2. Fearless Matcha Green Trea & Peppermint Chocolate: A few weeks ago via a twitter conversation myself and another tweeter got to talking about green tea chocolate and I of course had to chim in that Fearless makes the best kind (I have ever had) and to top it all off it has peppermint in it too. Neil and I have been trying to savor this bar but like most chocolate it didn’t last long in our house. Oh well! Luckily we have a few other flavors to try and they sell it at a number of different shops in Burlington now.
Ingredients: Organic Raw Cacao, Organic Rapadura, Organic Matcha Green Tea, Organic Peppermint
3. Running! I never thought that I would say this but I am loving it. I actually have the urge to go on runs now and I look forward to my next run day. On top of that I am loving running in the morning- yes 6am runs are way better than my old 3pm runs.
4. The Japanese Iced Coffee Method. We used to do cold brewing in our french press…untile we broke it. Lately we have been trying this different method and it makes really wonderful coffee.
Source
5. My Man. Supportive. Wonderful. Helpful. Loving. and so much more xo. (I know you’re either awing or gaging right now but it’s true.)
oh and one thing I am hating- my sunburn that has blister. GROSS.
Disclaimer: Five Bamboo and Fearless Chocolate both provided me with a sample of their products to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway.
*Hubz is slowly getting better and his bruises have gone from dark purple to yellowing. He’s a tough guy.*
Makes 8 Cups
After we emptied our bucket of balls we headed to the batting gages. I watched while Neil hit a few balls and then it was time to head downtown for the second half of our date.
oh and one thing I am hating- my sunburn that has blister. GROSS.
