Summer Lovin’ Part II

The second half of August was split between a trip home to Florida and a blogging conference in Philadelphia!

The week in Florida included a little R&R at my favorite place…..the beach!

Beautiful water, refreshing food, and quality time with the rents=happyUsually more days are spent beaching, but this time there was something even more wonderful taking up our time…

Mom’s new puppy!!One minute my family and I were doing “homework” on what type of dogs we might like, and the next thing I knew we were walking out with one!She’s a toy poodle and her name is Cassie. Already in love

After Florida, I took a pit stop in DC and then headed to Philadelphia for the Healthy Living Summit, a conference for bloggers and healthy living enthusiasts.The conference was run by Meaghann from Meals and Miles, who did a fantastic job!There were informative presentations including one by Stepfanie on How to Write a Better RecipeAnd a few by Dawn Jackson Blatner, an inspirational RD who did a presentation on her book, the Flexitarian Diet, and another on Action MantrasOverall, I took a lot away from the conference including new information, new friends, and a new appreciation for blogging.

After the day, we were ready to scope out the city of Brotherly Love. Danielle and I, and our new friend Christie, ventured to a local restaurant, Barbuzzo.The meal was deelicious and the staff very accommodating. Highly recommended if you’re ever in the Philly area!

On Sunday morning, most of the conference attendees joined for the best way to tour a city: a 5k run/walk!

We saw some neat things including the Rocky steps…

View from the topAfter the run and a Quaker breakfast, I stocked up on some fresh (and cheap!) veggies from the Reading Terminal marketand then set out to visit this cutie, DeAngelo! DeAngelo is the son of one of my Dietetic Intern friends, Renee.Isn’t he adorable? I was so caught up that I didn’t get enough pictures. For numerous model shots check out Danielle’s blog!

First day of my last semester of grad school starts tomorrow! Here goes nothing!

Summer Lovin’ Part I

If you’re alive, you can’t be bored in San Francisco.  If you’re not alive, San Francisco will bring you to life.  (William Saroyan)

The past 30 days of my life were spent in San Francisco, Florida, and Philadelphia, and I have finally made it back to DC (just in time for an earthquake and hurricane. Oh and school!). Let’s not talk about the fact that I was walking outside during the earthquake and didn’t even feel it! Crazy…

Anyway, in the beginning of August, I spent 9 glorious days in San Francisco sight-seeing and loving life. High school friend Rachel and her roomies were nice enough to let me stay at their apartment for my trip.

I spent each day trying out a new tourist spot and covered a good portion of the city.  Talk about a perfect way to combine exercise and fun! Some of the highlights:

Chinatown

Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf

The “Full House” house!

A trip to Alcatraz

Taking a cable car to Lombard street

And one of my favorite days…biking over the Golden Gate to the quaint town of Sausolito

Other memorable sights included Ghirardelli Square, a day trip to Berkeley, a Little Italy tour, the ferry building, and some amazing shopping and food.

I also had the opportunity to attend the San Francisco Chefs after-party event, thanks to Rachel’s roommate Jared.

At the event there were new friends

Good food

Famous chefs (Tom Pizzica from the Next Food Network Star)

and a hilarious photo booth!

Such a fun night!

Rachel’s townhouse is in the Mission, which is a hip part of town with a lot of flare and artistryLove. San Francisco is now one of my favorite cities and I can’t wait to go back.

Stay tuned for the rest of August! And for those on the East Coast, stay safe during the hurricane. Hoping for the power to stay on for as long as possible…

Extreme Grouponing

Every day I open my e-mail and find a list of amazing deals available in the DC area. And each day I’m tempted by the deals as they are awaiting their purchase. Sometimes I am strong enough to delete them, but often times the deals are too good to ignore.

I admit it: I.Love.Groupons. I’ve bought deals for yoga, smoothies, restaurants, museums, dance classes, you name it. Not only are the deals great, but it’s also the perfect way to explore DC!

I know I’m not alone in this due to the daily messages that I receive from friends (Jen S) that share the same excitement. Our most recent splurge? A kayaking adventure!

This deal featured a kayak on the Potomac river followed by food and drink at Rhino bar in Georgetown

We started the trip at Jack’s Boathouse

Then 50+ people jumped into kayaks to start the adventure

Including friend Jen G

and Danielle!

We kayaked the river for about an hour, passing the Georgetown waterfront, and a few of the monuments!

(Currently working on self-photo skills)

After the kayak trip, it was time to refuel at Rhino bar.

It was incredibly dark inside, so the pics aren’t blog-worthy but the food was great and it was a good end to the outdoor fun. So glad we didn’t pass this deal up!

Groupons are a great (and cheaper) way to get out and enjoy the city. Whether it’s through good food, outdoor adventures or museums and plays, it’s a perfect excuse to see what your area offers. Today I’m using one of the yoga deals that I purchased and am excited to try it out!

What has been your favorite groupon purchase?

Have a great Wednesday!

Eat a Rainbow

For foods that provide a powerhouse of nutrition, fruits and veggies are the way to go. But not all fruits and vegetables are created equal. Different colored produce provide different nutrients to aid in our overall health. To get the most out of your meals and to keep your body healthy, eat a rainbow of foods!

Each color group provides an array of vitamins and minerals to aid in our overall health.

• Red foods have the antioxidant lycopene which aids in heart health and cancer protection. Try: apples, beets, tomatoes, grapefruit, strawberries, pomegranates or watermelon
• Orange/Yellow foods have carotenoids which is great for healthy eyes and reduces risk of disease. Citrus fruits contain Vitamin C for a healthy immune system. Try: Oranges, pineapple, apricots, mango, sweet potato, carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin or peaches
• Green foods are full of nutrients that aid in cancer protection, support the body’s development and help ward off disease. Try: broccoli, spinach, kale, arugula, brussels sprouts, kiwi, limes, green pepper, zucchini, and lettuce.
• Blue/purple foods get their color from powerful antioxidants known as anthocyanins. This antioxidant protects your body from damage caused by toxins in the environment, which reduces risk of heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Try: Blueberries, eggplant, plums, raisins, grapes, prunes or blackberries.
• White foods are colored by anthoxanthins, which may contain a powerful chemical known as allicin (Allison!) that can aid in cholesterol reduction, blood pressure reduction and reduced risk of  cancer and heart disease. Some white foods such as bananas and potatoes are also high in potassium. Try: Bananas, cauliflower, garlic, mushrooms, onion, potatoes or turnip.

So how can you get a rainbow of colors into your diet? It’s easy! Try:

• Adding fresh or frozen fruits to your yogurt or cereal
• Making a fruit smoothie
• Having fruit for snacks
• Adding fruits and vegetables to salads
• Vegetable stir fry
• Veggies and dip
• Piling up sandwiches with vegetables
• Adding vegetables to soup and stew
• Adding vegetables to pizza, tacos and quesadillas
• Swapping butter and oil with applesauce and pumpkin when baking

My favorite ways to eat a rainbow of foods are all of the above, but I especially love my veggies in salad and sandwich form

And my fruits in everything! Especially in overnight oats, smoothies, as a yogurt topper or as a refreshing snack

Easy, tasty and oh-so-good for your body. Try eating a rainbow each day for your best health. Have it Your Weigh

Overnight Oats

The weather in DC is HOT. But that doesn’t mean my morning oats ritual is gone. Lately, instead of eating hot oats, I have them cold!

Overnight oats are exactly what the name says-oats that prepare themselves overnight.  Overnight, the oats soak up the liquid, making it dense and delicious, and making my morning a little brighter. The best part? It requires no cooking, just combining the ingredients!

Many bloggers have turned me to this way of prepping oats and I thank you all. It has changed my life. If you try it, it will change yours too. I promise.

To start gather the following ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oats for fiber and to help lower cholesterol
• 1/2 soy or skim milk for protein
• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds for Omega-3′s and to help thicken the oats
• 1/3 of a banana for potassium and flavor
• 1 tbsp flax for extra fiber and nutrients (optional)
• Sprinkle of raisins for some sweetness
• Dash of pumpkin pie spice & Cinnamon for natural flavor

To make the oats, combine all ingredients into a bowl (or favorite jar).

Then the tricky part: you wait.

Overnight the oats and chia seeds soak up the milk for the morning!

I top mine with a sprinkle of granola/cereal and teaspoon of peanut butter

Deelicious! If you don’t have Chia Seeds, you’ll need to vary the recipe to get that extra creaminess. Simply reduce your milk to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup plain, fat-free yogurt. Problem solved!

The great part about overnight oats is that you can make them however you choose! I sometimes like to add frozen berries, coconut, or flax seeds to spice it up. Add a variety of your favorite fruits, nuts and seeds for a personalized breakfast and a great start to your day. Have it Your Weigh.

Storm Chasers

This weekend one of my favorite people came for a visit:

Katie!!

Katie and I last saw each other in November when I visited her in Connecticut so I was going through withdrawl. Luckily, she had a conference to attend this weekend that was literally minutes from my apartment! She arrived on Thursday and in between our conference duties we had some fun of our own.

Katie is studying art therapy and is a self-proclaimed foodie so the obvious first place to take her was Eastern Market

We left with some fresh produce, and Katie bought a piece of beautiful artwork. We only stayed for a short time, but it was great!

We were in a hurry to get back home for our night-time festivities, so we stopped into We the Pizza for an on-the-go meal. This restaurant is owned by Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn and the pizza is a-mazing. Definitely my favorite pizza place in DC!

We sped home and had a quick change just in time to celebrate friend Shupie’s birthday! I know Shupie through my friends at AU, and she had an amazing party to celebrate her birthday.

The party was 80′s themed. Can you tell?

Luckily Katie is an amazing sport and embraced my colorfully-dressed friends. Plus we were rocking some funky outfits of our own. It was a great birthday celebration!

I spent the next two days at the Fancy Food Show while Katie visited family and friends, and then we all reunited at RFD, a downtown restaurant known for it’s unique beer selection.

Katie, Paige, Josh and I all went to Syracuse together and it was a great night of chatting and reliving some fun college memories.

After dinner we attempted to walk down to the National Mall for some tourist time.

Unfortunately, the weather made a turn for the worse. It didn’t take long for us to turn around and take pictures make a bee-line back to the car. Looks like Katie will just have to make a trip back sometime soon…

It was such a nice weekend, I didn’t want it to end. Love having visitors!

Have a great Wednesday!

Fancy Food

This weekend was full of fun and new experiences, one being the Fancy Food Show held at the convention center here in DC.

I’ve mentioned a few times that I interned for Orlando dietitian Tara Gidus during my dietetic internship last year. A couple of months ago she mentioned she would be in DC attending this show and I jumped on the opportunity to join.

The Fancy Food Show is a specialty show that exhibits over 180,000 different food products available in the market. This event is for companies to showcase their products and for retail stores, media, etc to find new products to fit their business needs.

Products ranged from cheeses, breads, frozen products and sauces to ethnic, organic, gluten free and everything in between.

Tara was attending the show with fellow dietitian and business partner Cindy Heroux to search for dietitian-approved products to promote through their media work. It was great to attend the show with them and see them work first-hand.

Danielle also joined in on the action!

Though many of the products there were fairly indulgent, there were also some healthy and tasty products too! Some of my favorites included:

• Holly’s Oatmeal- Made from wholesome and tasty ingredients
• Buddy Fruits- great pre-workout!
• Fage- High-protein Greek Yogurt
• Savannah Bee Company- Pure honey with a focus on animal-safety
• Food Should Taste Good- Health(ier) chips
• and many more

Thousands of companies were there displaying their food and I was happy to see some of my favorite products. I also recognized some faces as well.

Recognize this guy? I was inches from one of the sons from the Real Housewives of New Jersey. And then I turned around to see the housewives there as well!(Sorry for the blurry pics)

The housewives were there promoting a new water product, as well as a pasta sauce from their family restaurant. One minute we were walking around and enjoying the show, and the next thing I knew I was talked into trying the sauce, being taped by a camera crew and signing a release form! Though it would be funny, I am hoping that I don’t make it on the TV show when it airs! (In Sept/Oct if you’re wondering). Ohh those housewives.

Other than that, attending the show was a great experience and I learned a lot of valuable information about the food industry and healthy products.

Thank you again to Tara for the invite. And if you’re looking for a great book on healthy eating for pregnancy, check out Tara’s book coming out in November. Pre-sale is available here on Amazon, and includes a recipe from yours truly!

I hope you all had a happy weekend! Stay tuned for a recap on the other half of my weekend with my long-awaited visitor, Katie!

Have it Your Weigh