Clean Eating: Day 2

3 Jun
    It’s day 2 and we’ve made it!
    This morning I started my day with a banana smoothie and a cup of coffee.  If you’ve ever tried banana soft serve, that’s basically what I made.  To make you freeze cut up bananas until they are frozen solid (overnight is best) and blend in a food processor or blender.  I also added water to thin it out and PB2 to give it some flavor. 
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    In case you were wondering, PB2 is roasted peanuts, sugar, salt.
    Yesterday’s cup of black coffee was a big adjustment so I bought organic half and half and creamed honey.
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    Yum!  It made a huge difference.  I’m planning on adding different flavors in the future but I wanted to see how it was with just half & half and honey first. 
    For lunch I packed another big salad.  It was pretty similar to yesterday’s salad and included:
    • mixed greens
    • spinach
    • carrots
    • cucumber
    • beets
    • parsley
    • bulgar
    • chickpeas
    • feta cheese
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      I also packed a few grape leaves, flavored tea and some fresh pineapple.
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      Oh, and I also packed chili and lime mixed nuts that I shared with my coworkers. 
      The recipe that I started yesterday before work was Skinny Taste’s turkey stuffed peppers.  I packed one for dinner and have plenty of leftovers!
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      The only change I made to the recipe is that I used fresh mozzarella instead of cheddar cheese and I added a little fresh cilantro on top.
      When I got home I had a small serving of ice cream that is made locally.  I actually have an ice cream maker so I am going to have to make some!

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      So far it hasn’t been too challenging.  It definitely helps that I love fruits and vegetables and both are plentiful this time of year.  I can imagine that it is a lot harder in the winter.  I have noticed that I am craving different snacks but I’ve been able to come up with creative alternatives.
      If anyone else is following along or would like to share ideas, please do!

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      Clean Eating: Day 1

      3 Jun
        Today began our clean eating challenge!  After a beautiful wedding last night (and a ton of delicious food), it was the perfect way to start fresh. 
        When I woke up I was feeling a little apprehensive.  I knew we didn’t have many groceries, at least nothing fresh, so it made breakfast a little difficult.  Because Jay was having eggs, I decided to do the same. 
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        I did manage to scrounge up a few veggies and my breakfast consisted of one egg, half a red pepper, 1/4 onion and a handful of spinach.   I always call concoctions like this “scrabbles” because saying omelet would mean that it actually looked pretty.
        I knew that I could not use regular ketchup, so I used sriracha sauce instead.  While I was thinking that I was avoiding anything processed, I later looked at the bottle and read the label:
        Ingredients: Chili, sugar, garlic, salt, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite and xanthan gum
        Definitely not real food!  I was so bummed because I am really starting to love the stuff and now I have to go without it!  I also was disappointed that I didn’t take the time to look at the label and just assumed that it would be okay to eat.  Lesson learned!
        I also had some black coffee. I’ve been hooked on coffee creams for quite some time so it is going to be a challenge to stop using them.  I just love the flavors that you can buy and I found myself visiting coffee shops less frequently because the coffee I was making at home with the creamer was comparable.  So now I have to be more creative with my morning beverage and I think I found the solution today while shopping.  You’ll have to wait until tomorrow’s coffee to see if my plan worked!
        After breakfast I fought the Manayunk Bike Race and ventured to Trader Joe’s.  It was definitely interesting to read labels and make healthy decisions.  I really could spend half a day in that store!
        Originially I planned on taking stuffed peppers for dinner, but I was running short on time and had to get to work.  I wound up prepping some of the food that I cooked later on and eating lunch as I went.  I snacked on some TJ grape leaves and plain greek yogurt topped with blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and creamed honey.
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        Ingredients for the grape leaves are: rice, grape leaves, onion, sunflower oil, water, dried dill weed, salt mint, spices, citric acid
        The two questionable ingredients would be sunflower oil and citric acid.  Though after doing some research I found that sunflower oil is a natural product, as one would assume, and citric acid often is lemon juice.  So I did feel okay eating these as a snack, especially because they need to be refrigerated and are perishable.  Sure beats eating chips!
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        Instead of the stuffed peppers, I packed a salad packed with vegetables!
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        In my salad was:
        • spinach
        • mixed greens
        • chickpeas
        • beets
        • carrots
        • 1/2 bell pepper
        • bulgar ( a grain)
        • goat cheese
            • I topped the salad with a homemade vinaigrette, fresh parsley and a chili lime chicken burger.  I love these burgers and would really like to try making my own!
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            Day one went great!  While it was definitely tricky trying to think about what I’d eat for the day, I had fun planning and brainstorming.  I’ve definitely learned already that it takes time to eat real food when there are so many other food imposters out there.  I’m excited to learn more and of course eat more!  Until tomorrow!

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          Clean Eating Adventure

          28 May
            I’m not quite sure what sparked our interest to embark on this challenge, but a few weeks ago Jay and I decided to eat clean for the month of June.  In the past we both struggled with eating healthy/being overweight, so the decision to try something new wasn’t too crazy of an idea for us.  While I eat relatively healthy most of the time now, there is always room for improvement. 
            Why an “adventure” you may ask?  Well because I like to travel and embark on journeys and throwing in the word adventure just made me feel like it would be a fun journey.  And well… it is!  A journey to not just eating healthier but being healthier.
            Another challenge will be writing each day.  Back in the day I blogged all of my meals.  While it was fun, it was definitely a lot of work.  And between being really busy and slipping on my blogging skills, I have started writing less and less.  But I’m ready to commit!  Plus, a little accountability never hurt.  Jay has said that he will write as well. 
            The rules are simple enough.  Eat only foods that are real, whole, and recognizable.  How many times do you see unidentifiable foods on ingredient lists?!  I will be the first to admit that I justify eating preservatives and unidentifiable foods because I eat a lot of fruits and veggies.  What, they don’t cancel each other out?  But I know it can be done because I hear of others doing it.  Not to mention our grandparents and ancestors never ate all of the chemicals we do, it was simply a way of life.
            Foods that will challenge me the most are as follows:
            • Snacks! 
            • Condiments, especially ketchup and mayonnaise
            • Artificial sweeteners
            • Premade dairy creamer
            • Cheese
            • Boxed frozen food
            • Canned food, mostly tomato sauce
              If anyone would like to join us on this challenge, please do!  My sister and brother-in-law are!  Together we can share ideas, struggles and how great we feel!
              Also, if anyone has any recipes or favorite products, I would appreciate those as well.
              Oh, and one more thing!  Because we have a wedding on Saturday, the official start date is Sunday, June 2nd. Thanks for reading and I’ll see ya on the clean side!

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              Eating for Boston.

              25 Apr
              The tragic events that took place at the Boston Marathon shook our country and terrified those in Boston.  But like the strong Americans we are, we have come together to not only pray and think of those who are injured, healing, or who have passed, but to remember how tough we are.  Between natural disasters and acts of terrorism, we have been through so much.  It has been so powerful to watch our citizens pull for one another and become a team.  Together, we can overcome anything.
              I’m sure by now you’ve heard of The One Fund, started to help those who were affected most.  Aside from donating directly, 13 Smash Burger locations will be contributing $1 for every “Jersey Burger” (which will be changed to “Boston Burger”)  sold from May 1-3.
              So as we’re all going about our regular schedules while keeping Boston in our hearts, fill your stomach and satisfy your taste buds, knowing that you’ve helped when others needed it most.

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              Standard Tap

              3 Apr
              A few weeks ago my sister and I ran the Phillies 5k!  While it was really cold, we had a great time and despite doubting our running capabilities, we did great!
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              Later that evening my Mom watched my niece Leah, so it was double date night!
              After much debate, we decided to head to Standard Tap.  Of course it is always a debate of where to go when I go out with anyone in the city, but my sister and I always spend a lot of time debating because we are both such food lovers.
              We decided to try Standard Tap because we had heard such great things about it from other people and also because word on the street is that it is going to be featured on Diners, Drive – Ins and Dives soon!
              Upon arriving we realized that downstairs is self seat, whereas upstairs you have to be put on a waiting list.  We lucked out and a table was leaving just as we arrived.
              One of my favorite things to do before dining out somewhere is to look at the menu.  Not only can I dream about what I want to try, but it also saves whoever I’m with a great deal of frustration because I take so long to order!
              Standard Tap not only doesn’t have their menu online, but it changes so frequently according to what ingredients they have on hand that it is simply written on a chalk board.  Definitely a unique experience!
              We obviously had a lot of questions because the menu items were listed without any description. 
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              Of course there are tons of local beers available, but I went for a Cabernet Syrah blend that I really enjoyed.
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              To start we had an Eggplant Dip.  It was smooth and creamy like hummus and served with two big tortilla-like crisps, warm pita bread and pickled veggies.  I loved the flavor of the dip and it was unlike anything I’ve ever tried.  I especially liked the tortilla crisps and wished there had been a whole plateful!
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              One of the items that was highly suggested to get was their chicken pot pie.  Ryan took the advice and I was jealous when it came out!  He let me try a bite and it tasted like Thanksgiving!  The chicken was mixed perfectly with veggies and sandwiched between light, fluffy crust.  Next time I am getting this!
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              My sisters entrée was also really delicious.  She had Monkfish and Clams.  It was cooked in a savory garlic broth, topped with some thick, crusty bread.  I found myself dipping into the broth and enjoying the tender monkfish, bite after bite.
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              I tried the Albacore Tuna Sandwich.  The tuna came on grainy bread with lettuce and sprouts.  I’m not quite sure if there was supposed to be some kind of sauce or spread but the sandwich really lacked something.  It just tasted bland and I kept thinking that it could have been brought up another notch with that “something” extra.
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              Jay tried the Standard Burger, which was served with a side of fries.  Their burger also comes highly recommended and Jay said it was juicy and flavorful.  I can attest that the fries were crispy, salty and of course the perfect accompaniment to a burger.

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              We all agreed on trying potato and cheese croquettes!  I mean, how can you go wrong with potato and cheese anything?  The croquettes were creamy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and a perfect side dish to share.

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              There was a note on the board saying that sales from one of the desserts, a brownie sundae, would go to benefit Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  Not that we really needed a reason to order dessert other than the fact that we wanted sweets, but this helped make us feel more inclined to do so.

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              While we agreed that the sundae was tasty, we LOVED the smores pie.
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              Not only was it covered in chocolate, but the toasted marshmallows were such a fun surprise.  Amazing!!!
              Our experience at Standard Tap was fun and met our foodie standards.  If you’re looking for a unique dining experience in a comfortable, casual atmosphere, I’d highly suggest you check it out.  And if you’re anything like me, the menu anticipation alone is enough to make you give it a whirl!

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