Strawberry Soft Serve

Something I saw the other day stuck with me and I haven't been able to shake it- strawberry ice cream.  Not normally my go to choice, I'm more of a chocolate girl, but I have been CRAVING some strawberries in a major way.  As luck would have it the only sugars passing my lips this week come from fruits and veggies, and soft serve is as easy as a frozen banana. After dinner- a Clean Eating Magazine recipe won again- a lightened up version of taco bowls for me, and enchiladas for my main man, I attacked my TRX with a vengeance.  My arms are jello, and my legs are shaking- but that didn't stop me from whipping up two bowls of homemade strawberry soft serve- by whipping up I mean I had to hit the pulse button a few times, complicated stuff we have going on!  Into the food processor went 2 frozen bananas, and a  handful of frozen strawberries.  It did it's food "processing" for a few minutes, and viola- creamy, cold, strawberry soft serve without any additional sugars added! No extra sugar... no big deal!

something forbidden...

What better way to spice up a Monday evening than to start it off with something a little forbidden, and a wine glass full of water ;) I have a special bag of forbidden rice I keep in my pantry. I save it for special recipes and Monday nights! Right before drifting off to sleep last night I flipped to a picture in my Clean Eating Magazine of Salmon over Forbidden rice salad and made a mental pin! After a long day at work it was nice to already have a plan for dinner. 

Forbidden rice gets its name from a dish saved for Royalty, in Asia, a really long time ago- before Whole Foods made it un-forbidden to all us non-Royals!  Google will tell you all the nutritional stats related to the black grained rice- totally worth a read. It will describe its slightly nutty flavor. Nothing you  read will compare to the mild flavor and fantastic texture of actually eating the rice. Its worth a trip to the Whole Foods, no matter how many hippies hybrids cut you off in the parking lot... I joke... kinda :)

Tonight my forbidden bed... of rice.. was topped with Thai-inspired sauteed salmon and veggies.  Veering off from Clean Eating's recipe I came up with this little beauty. Totally worthy of  weekend dinner, but easy enough to make on a Monday- a rainy, inside recess, kind of Monday at that!

Bring two cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup rice. Cover and lower heat for 25 minutes.

While rice cooks mix the following together in a bowl:

1 diced red pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro- save 2 Tbsp for garnish

1 finely chopped jalapeno- seeds and ribs removed depending on how spicy you like it!

4 thinly sliced green onions- save 1/2 for garnish

2 minced cloves of garlic

You'll also need:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tsp lime juice

4 Tbsp lite Coconut Milk- I seriously opened a whole can for 4 Tbsp- expect more Asian Food this week Hubby!

1 tsp sesame seeds

splash of vinegar- I used apple cider

Over mediumish heat, add oil to a pan and quick swirl the first 5 ingredients- less than 2 min.  Add lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, and sesame seeds and heat until just bubbling

Remove mixture from pan.

Allow pan to regain heat and add Salmon.  Cook over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes per side. 

When fish flakes its done-  I like mine medium rare, so a little less time works better for me.

Assemble over your forbidden rice bed, and top with pepper/onion/jalapenos.  Add fresh onion and cilantro on top. 

I ate mine like this, ya know since I've broken up with non fruit sugar for the week, but hubs was super stoked when I drizzled honey sriracha over his.  Equal parts honey and sriracha mixed and drizzled over ANYTHING and you're set! It was perfect for tonights dinner.

**Don't forget to find A Well Spiced Life on Facebook!!! Instant post updates for you and motivation for me... win win situation I think!

it's what's for lunch...

Sunday generally sets the mood for my week. It will either be rushed with half finished projects, or a crossed off to do list that leaves me well placed for the upcoming work week.  This Sunday was productive, a good sign for my upcoming, scheduled to the brim week!  In order to maximize time at home Monday- Friday, lunches have been set up with easy to grab (and no sugar for me...) options that we can take to work.  Hubby and I don't typically eat out at work, except for the occasional lunch date, which means we pack lunches everyday for both of us.  Aside from being so much more affordable, what we pack is pretty healthy!  There's standard always fruits, veggie bags, almonds, greek yogurt, and standard leftovers or salads.  I have been consistently taking a leafy green salad. Sometimes its exciting- like tomorrows with roasted beets, goat cheese, and black olives- other times its pretty standard and leaves me hungry shortly after eating it, probably out of food-boredom. To keep things exciting, and make sure I have time to devote to my TRX and running shoes, our salads are set up and ready to go!  Toppings and add ins are chopped up and ready to be assembled super quick!  Of course leftovers always make an appearance throughout this week- we're starting with some super homemade beef and veggie soup.

 Having dinners planned out helps too- but that isn't super rigid. Some nights I want to cooooooooooook, and some nights I just want to eat, and quickly!  It all depends on what the day has been like.  I make a loose plan, that is super flexible, or randomly browse the epicurious app!  This week should include a veggie lasagna, meatballs (of some variety), soup (I'm thinking chicken and dumplings), salmon- and that is about as far as my planning goes.

With a few less things to worry about this week, maybe there will even be more posts! Could it be, AWSL has regained momentum?!

Hey Sug-ah!

The other day a friend posted on FB (sidenote AWSL has a FB page!!! Welcome to the 21st century lil' blog o' mine!)  a link about SUGAR!!!  This comes coincidentally after a "Paula Deen has diabetes news cast."  I have very passionate feelings about the S word.  My sugar limitations are strictly a personal  eating belief, that even in moderation- you can still have TOO much.  We don't drink sodas, rarely have juice, and stick to desserts made in someones kitchen-mainly around the holidays.  It's pretty easy to weed out the major sugar sources from our home BUT we do love our craft beer, red wines, dark chocolate, and Agave  nectar.  With debates surrounding agave and its likeness to High Fructose Corn Syrup, I feel like I am a hypocrite when I use it in coffee, oatmeal, or to sweeten up a smoothie!   Why have one but not the other?  To shake things up this week I'm taking the classic avoidance approach with the sweet stuff. Coffee will just be blonde, not sweet!  Chocolate will be unapproachable, and red wine will have to just gather some dust in dining room for a bit longer. 
- this mornings smoothie had no extra sweetness added, just the fruit!

This also means no more granola bars for breakfast, greek yogurt without honey, and paying extra attention to anything not homemade. EEEK!

Why this week? Why this challenge?

Why not?!  No sense in putting something off, when motivation is chomping at the bit for a good personal challenge!  I've nixed the major offenders- soft drinks, lil' debbies, juices, daily desserts- but that doesn't mean I can't make my diet even better!

Cheers (tap water in a wine glass of course- you can't buy that kind of class!) to a challenge!

Greetings From...

SUNNY FLORIDA  er, Wintery Weather VA is more like it! We woke up yesterday to a wet, ice covered deck, followed by morning rain.  Though today has been dry, the cool temperatures remain.  Not to worry we are looking at high's in the 60's this week, because that makes a lot of sense!  For some odd reason, I have been on a mid-winter smoothie kick. Last week it was pumpkin laced, today we have "Hi- wish I were on a warm beach, but not in a bikini yet" flavored variety.  Your standard frozen strawberries, banana, and mixed fruit that you need to either use or get rid of blended with 1 cup greek yogurt, 1/2 cup 1% milk, 1/2 cup water, and topped with unsweetened shredded coconut.

Its pretty standard, but if I lean up against the fireplace (after I fight for a spot between these two heat hogs, like hubs demonstrates above), close my eyes really tight, I am suddenly sitting on a beach- with nothing but the sand, ocean, and my strawberry smoothie. Where did your breakfast take you today?

this and that

2012 is off to a busy start! With so many things to accomplish, and so few free hours to do so,  the blog has been lacking updates. I  promise we aren't starving artists overhere! It's anything but.  So far our new year has us planning an epic trip, catching up on the never ending decorating of our house, getting ready for a FABULOUS friend's Spring Wedding, checking off major life todos, and planning a 5 year anniversary celebration.  Like anything a routine will develop- and things will settle down!  Until then- FOOOOOOD!!!!



Tomato tower- with "oven fried" greenies!




Grilled Shrimp, rockfish, and pineapple




Hubby's BBQ chicken pizza- a Pioneer Woman Recipe




Grilled bread with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese




Asian Seafood Stirfry




Fish Tacos- wrapped in lettuce



30 is the new....

In the week leading up to my 30th birthday, I was given wonderful advice on how to approach the impending day! It's neat to see so many different perspectives on the topic of age.  Taking jabs at myself, and my new "old" factor, was more in lighthearted nature than anything else, as I love where I am. So as the passengers of the "30 is the new 20 ship" take off, I'm going to hang out and let 30 just be 30.  No reason to go down the road of the 20's again, once was enough thank you! Wrapping up a decade gives time to reflect on the MAJOR (ten years in the making) todo list.  Checking off graduate school, starting a career, meeting- crushing on- dating- and then marrying my soul mate, selling a house in a depressed market and moving out to the country, rescuing 3 amazing animals, making new lifelong girlfriends and spending time with my 'oldest' friends, taking better care of myself, hiking mountains and sleeping on top of them, discovering our own ocean front oasis, and so much more.  So much accomplished, and even more left to be discovered. So I welcome 30, it's challenges, excitement, and mundane moments!

To kick off my new year, we met up with my family at Tarrant's for dinner.  With a wide selections of food and beer everyone's tastes would be met!  The service was AWESOME, and the food was perfect. There was no rush to the evening, but no lag either. We sampled appetizers, ordered our entrees, and finished with desserts!  I couldn't leave 29 behind without a chocolate covered canoli!

It was such a special night, to wine- er...beer- and dine with the people I love the most. After dinner, and hugging my parents goodbye, hubs, sister +1, and I went to Pennylane. Another instittution of the 20's that will always be a mainstay!  We enjoyed another pint before heading home!

Friday's dinner was the kind of night where everything fits together so perfect, you wake up the next morning still glowing from the warmth of love that surrounded you!

Saturday's celebration brought on a romantic dinner for two at our favorite spot- no reservations needed! I was kicked out of the kitchen while hubby took care of everything. After a quick TRX fix, I jumped back into the book I was reading on my new Kindle Fire!  I was invited back downstairs for the 1st of 3 courses!  Grilled eggplant with parmesan. Simple and heavenly with a drizzle of balsamic reduction. My wine glass was never empty, and the service was extra good looking :)  

                

Following the eggplant was a bowl of homemade Maryland Rockfish and Seafood soup.  With fresh rockfish in the fridge, thanks to my FIL's recent Chesapeake Bay fishing trip,  Steve created a soul warming bowl of seafood, veggies, and broth that I hope will be replecated many, MANY, times to come.

I was completely satisfied, and even still he hit me with a 3rd course. This time the rockfish fillets were marniated in olive oil and lime juice, before being grilled. They were accompanied by Israeli cous couse, with veggies and a garlic basil butter. The butter was not needed, but I couldn't stop from taking dips.  The rockfish by itself was unbelievable!

We cranked up all of the Christmas lights- all 2000 outdoor twinkling bulbs- and headed outside to toast my birthday, and celebrate with a few more surprises! 

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect welcoming into my 30th year! Being able to spend time with the people I love was the most perfect gift ever!