Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!
Weekend photos in review, old school style. Contex Weekend photos in review, old school style. Context: 1) saying goodbye until Easter, 2) sending him back with good bagels, 3) sunlight charging station, 4) the sun was out all day yesterday and it was glorious, 5) hitting the farmers market for my favorite garlic butter, 6) make a wish, 7) sun patterns, and 8) my sous chef
I don’t eat French fries often, but when I do, I I don’t eat French fries often, but when I do, I’m going to make it count. Doo Wop Eats opened a few months ago in downtown Denville and their fries are LEGIT. They are hand cut and taste the way fries should … like potatoes! I add a sprinkle of salt and dunk them in a side of their special sauce and they are pure perfection. You can order a small bucket or a large one (better for sharing!), or as a side item with one of their other delicious menu items like their cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches or cheesesteak. I do believe they’re the best fries in town. I said what I said. Doo Wop’s menu celebrates all your favorite Jersey shore boardwalk treats, including Fried Oreos, clam strips and milk shakes and has a fun vibe for kids and families. 😍
The Grinder Salad, a recipe I found on tiktok that The Grinder Salad, a recipe I found on tiktok that takes all of your favorite ingredients from a grinder (or sub) sandwich and makes it into a delicious chopped salad. It’s as easy as putting everything in a bowl and chopping it up. Perfect for busy days and lazy nights, light meals and warm weather choices. Ingredient list below. Enjoy!

One bag or arugula
One container of cherry tomatoes 
Quarter pound of hard salami
8 Oz of fresh mozzarella
One small red onion
1/3 cup banana peppers 
Handful of fresh basil
Half cup Italian salad dressing
3 T Kewpie mayo
2 T red wine vinegar 
Sea salt and black pepper

Chop it all up, add a half box of ditalini pasta, cooked. Mix to combine.

Recipe from GrilledCheeseSocial.
We had a fun little board party this week and the We had a fun little board party this week and the delicious whipped Brie I shared earlier was front and center. If you haven’t heard of board parties, it’s when every guest makes a different type of food board and brings it - so much fun noshing ensues! With toasted baguette slices, cornichons and local honey, this was mostly a French-inspired board. So simple to pull together and totally my kind of meal.
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Food and Life

Eat. Live. Be. #11: Finding Motivation

March 15, 2011 · Narrative

ELB logo - largeThis week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is slightly similar to one we did back in the beginning.  Back then, it was how to motivate yourself to keep up your work-out routine during the cold Winter months.  This time, it’s how to motivate yourself period.  It’s definitely something we could all use a little help in from time to time.  It can’t be just me.

On Saturday, I took a one hour Zumba class.  Followed by a 90-minute Zumba class.  Followed by a three-mile walk.  I was supremely motivated.  And I continue to be.  There are a million and one things that motivate me on a regular basis.  Small things.  Stupid things.  Big things.

Most of my work-outs are done at night.  At the end of a very long day.  When the last thing I feel like doing is heading back out to kill an hour plus of cardio or strength training.  My energy, boundless or not, has long since been depleted.  Ever had “witching hour” with the kids?  Then you know exactly what I’m talking about.  It takes every ounce I have to get myself motivated enough to suit up and head back out.

But I don’t give myself a second to back out.  Not a moment to hesitate.  I am on auto-pilot and I just do.  I have a rotating set of people that I meet regularly for work-outs, and I know they’re counting on me.  It’s at the point where I’ll get a text message or facebook note from an instructor if I miss a class.  I am being held accountable.  In so many different ways.  And that motivates me.  Pushes me through.  And I love that.

One thing I know for certain.  While the little motivations help … a cocktail dress you need to fit into for an upcoming party, a wedding, a high school class reunion … they won’t sustain you to the finish line.  They won’t keep you maintaining what you have achieved.  Short-term goals do not work.  I promise you this. You need to find a goal that has no end, so you are continually striving to achieve.  To maintain.  To meet and exceed.  To keep on keeping on.  You need something to motivate you?  Find something long-term.  Not something you can tick off your list in the next few months.  Something that you can continue to achieve and aspire to.

My no-end-in-sight motivation?  These kids.
My Motivation

I owe it to them, every day, to be the very best mom that I can be.  To be the best me that I can be.  Our eating habits are good lessons for them.  Ones that I know they’re paying attention to.  The fact that mom regularly works out?  A huge impact on them.  I want to be the very best role model I can be for them.  So they know that I did everything with the very best motivation I could.  For them.  I can think of no better reason.

They take their own Zumba classes weekly.  We go on hikes and bike rides together.  We plan adventures.  We have jump rope contests.  They help make healthy choices when stocking the pantry and grocery shopping with me.  Together, we all have one common goal.  To be the best we can be.

My only regret is that it took me a little while to find my way.  I feel like I missed out on some stellar moments I could have had over the past twenty years, carrying the excess weight around.  But the ship was righted, and it’s been full steam ahead ever since.

To find out what is motivating my fellow ELBers, please visit them at the below links:

  • Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
  • Joanne from Eats Well with Others
  • Chris Arpante – Melecotte
  • Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
  • Claire – Cooking is Medicine
  • Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations

Project 365
March 14, 2011, Photo #71


Whole Wheat Pita PizzasTwo versions of this recipe coming your way on Thursday.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: Eat. Live. Be.

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    March 16, 2011 at 6:15 am

    I think that staying motivated is definitely about the longterm goals and not some transient thing. It’s about lifestyle change…not just a short term diet. I think having people to hold you accountable….to continually remind you what you are working for when sometimes you can’t see it – great idea.

    Reply
  2. Patsy says

    March 16, 2011 at 8:39 am

    I think keeping your eye-on-the-prize (ie: time spent with the kids) is a great way to stay motivated! My boys see that I’m running and have asked to follow behind on their bikes. Just seeing their interest in staying active and healthy is a great motivation!

    Reply
  3. Ramona says

    March 16, 2011 at 11:44 am

    You are a whole lot active than my mom ever thought about being.

    I like her polka dot rain coat.

    Reply
  4. scribbler says

    March 16, 2011 at 6:14 pm

    I agree about the long term goal setting! It wasn’t until my health became a concern that I really buckled down and stopped with the half-hearted exercising I was doing before (and the on again, off again eating habits). It’s great that you’re also doing so much with your kids and that it’s health focused and not just weight/looks focused.

    Reply

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Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!

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Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!
Weekend photos in review, old school style. Contex Weekend photos in review, old school style. Context: 1) saying goodbye until Easter, 2) sending him back with good bagels, 3) sunlight charging station, 4) the sun was out all day yesterday and it was glorious, 5) hitting the farmers market for my favorite garlic butter, 6) make a wish, 7) sun patterns, and 8) my sous chef
I don’t eat French fries often, but when I do, I I don’t eat French fries often, but when I do, I’m going to make it count. Doo Wop Eats opened a few months ago in downtown Denville and their fries are LEGIT. They are hand cut and taste the way fries should … like potatoes! I add a sprinkle of salt and dunk them in a side of their special sauce and they are pure perfection. You can order a small bucket or a large one (better for sharing!), or as a side item with one of their other delicious menu items like their cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches or cheesesteak. I do believe they’re the best fries in town. I said what I said. Doo Wop’s menu celebrates all your favorite Jersey shore boardwalk treats, including Fried Oreos, clam strips and milk shakes and has a fun vibe for kids and families. 😍
The Grinder Salad, a recipe I found on tiktok that The Grinder Salad, a recipe I found on tiktok that takes all of your favorite ingredients from a grinder (or sub) sandwich and makes it into a delicious chopped salad. It’s as easy as putting everything in a bowl and chopping it up. Perfect for busy days and lazy nights, light meals and warm weather choices. Ingredient list below. Enjoy!

One bag or arugula
One container of cherry tomatoes 
Quarter pound of hard salami
8 Oz of fresh mozzarella
One small red onion
1/3 cup banana peppers 
Handful of fresh basil
Half cup Italian salad dressing
3 T Kewpie mayo
2 T red wine vinegar 
Sea salt and black pepper

Chop it all up, add a half box of ditalini pasta, cooked. Mix to combine.

Recipe from GrilledCheeseSocial.
We had a fun little board party this week and the We had a fun little board party this week and the delicious whipped Brie I shared earlier was front and center. If you haven’t heard of board parties, it’s when every guest makes a different type of food board and brings it - so much fun noshing ensues! With toasted baguette slices, cornichons and local honey, this was mostly a French-inspired board. So simple to pull together and totally my kind of meal.

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